So yeah,
I am finally back with a new chapter and I hope you'll like it. "Welcome" to all the new readers and "thank you" to all new followers! There were some new favorites as well and I thank you too.
So one last thing: two reviews in six chapters? I think there might be something wrong here. Is it the charakters? The storyline? My writing?
As long as critique is friendly, I am open for it and would like to know if something's wrong. So please, feel free to write. I am writing this story because I planned it all out and really like the idea, but a little bit of feedback is always welcome!
So. I won't keep you longer.
Have fun!
Aravae
Chapter VI - Training and Assaults
"…irresponsible! You know better than to open a potentially dangerous seal such as this one and force her to forge chakra! You could have all died! Never in my life…"
Matsumaes rant was the first thing Miharu heard when she came to. It was rather unpleasant and spiked with curses and the girl was glad the woman's ire was not directed at her.
Who Matsumae yelled at, Miharu couldn't say as she didn't hear a thing from the other person. To be fair, she would be frozen to the spot by fear if this tirade had been directed at her. The woman was a force to be reckoned with and not easily crossed.
There were other voices though that whispered to each other and Miharu took a while to hear them over all the noise from outside. Two or more people spoke in hushed tones and were close by. The same room maybe?
It was hard for Miharu to not drift back into the realm of dreams as even these little observations had used had used a lot of energy up. Or her levels had simply not recovered yet. Either way, she had to fight hard to stay awake and was rewarded with the sight of familiar ceiling as soon as her eyes flattered open.
"Miharu?"
She knew that voice and turned her head to the side. Her vision was still blurry and her eyes burned, but she recognized the three bodies that were sat not far away from her.
Hashirama, Tobirama-baka – scowling of course – and Itama.
The oldest watched her with wide eyes and slid to her side. His eyes were blood-shot and his whole posture spoke of exhaustion.
"How are you feeling?"
Miharu blinked and only now realized in what a bad shape she was. Too caught up she had been to actually feel the ache in her stomach, the sore muscles and her burning chakra coils.
"Bad", she croaked and was surprised by the rawness of her voice. As if she hadn't spoken in weeks.
"Father said this could happen", Tobirama-baka stated, watching her with knitted eyebrows. His piercing gaze was too much though and Miharu quickly looked away and pondered over his statement.
Slowly, the whole incident came back to her in bits and pieces and Miharu scowled. The elders had forced her to use chakra. Had forced Butsuma to open the seal.
And he had complied.
There was no word to describe how Miharu felt. Angry? Disappointed? Sad? It was a mixture of all that and so much more.
Her chakra went wild in the worst possible way and there was nothing she could have done about it. Her beautiful, fun ability had turned into something dangerous and malicious. Something she couldn't recognize anymore.
It scared her to think about what could have happened, if no one would have been there to stop it.
Hashirama grabbed her hand and smiled, pulling her out of her terrifying thoughts.
"You had us scared here for a moment", he said.
Miharu shrugged and tried to sit up. The longer she was awake, the more she felt restlessness in her core that forbade her to keep laying around for much longer.
Hashirama helped her up and kept his hand on her back to support her. He looked as if he wanted to stay something, but stayed quiet.
"What happened?", she asked and the boys looked at each other.
"We hoped you could tell us", Hashirama answered.
Miharu knitted her eyebrows while putting the events in the right order in her head. It was still a little bit fuzzy and she remembered nothing past her chakra getting out of control.
She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the opening of the door.
Butsuma and Matsumae entered and both looked unhappy. Matsumaes face was red and she looked winded too as if she had screamed for a really long time.
"No questioning", Butsuma said, "You can ask Miharu later what happened. But first, we have to talk to her."
Hashirama opened his mouth to respond, but thought better of it and stood, silently guiding his brothers out of the room.
Miharu played with her blanket while she watched the brothers go and she wished they stayed. Butsuma closed the door behind them and followed Matsumae to sit by Miharus side.
"I have to apologize", Butsuma began and Miharu stared at the opposite wall. It was not clear to her for what exactly he apologized. For sealing most of her chakra in the first place? For asking her to use it? For surrendering to the elders?
"I know that you might not want to hear it, but the elders saw your potential and decided to allow you to stay." Butsuma was right. She didn't want to hear it and Matsumae caught on to that pretty quickly. She grabbed Miharus hand and smiled brightly at her.
"The most important thing is that you are alright, dear", she said.
"What happened?", Miharu asked and the adults exchanged looks. Butsuma cleared his throat and slowly started to tell the tale.
"Your body was not used to this amount of chakra any more. Your coils couldn't contain it and when you tried to forge it into a jutsu, it became out of control."
Miharu raised her eyebrows and tried to remember clearly what happened, but there was only darkness. She still remembered the panic though when her chakra rose and not on her own accord.
"You fainted because you couldn't deal with the pressure", Butsuma continued, "You see, your body has a few safety nets so to speak to make sure you don't die of chakra depletion or overproduction. One of the side effects is that you fainted to allow your body to deal with the problem."
"Butsuma and Hiratoshi were able to redirect your chakra and turn the lethal force into something more – manageable", Matsumae continued.
As Miharu looked confused at the mention of Hiratoshi, the matriarch added: "Hiratoshi was the oldest of the group. He uses a cane and is grumpy all the time."
Miharu rolled her eyes as she remembered the old geezer who made her shiver like a leaf in a storm. Of course, he had to be the one whom she owed her life. Matsumaes description of him was on point: he was a grumpy and mean, old man with a cane.
"We tried to lessen the damage to your coils, but it is still going to take a while for them to heal properly. I ask you to not use any of your chakra until I deem you ready", Butsuma said.
Miharu nodded and lowered her gaze. She found it easy to follow Butsumas orders as she didn't trust herself at the moment. Her beautiful, fun and innocent ability had turned into something she was afraid of and she wasn't keen on trying anything in the near future again.
Rage bubbled up within her that she could barely control. How could they do that to her? She was born with the ability and had never feared it, but now the thought of using it terrified her. What had she become?
"I know, we ask for a lot", Matsumae stated, "But you must understand, that we have your best interest at heart. We don't want you to get hurt or hurt others by trying to access your chakra. Give it some time and all will be well again."
Miharu blinked, but said nothing in return. All would be well again? Give her her family back. Her clan. And her home. Then – and only then – all would be well again.
But even Miharu understood, that that wasn't possible. No. She was chained to this place and this clan and they were about to use her special chakra to their advantage.
After the last disaster, she had no interest in becoming a fighter. Hurting other people was simply nothing she wanted to do – not even hurting those who burned down her village and killed all members of her clan. If she ever found them.
"I am really tired", she mumbled and both adults' gazes softened.
"Then lay down for a little while. I'll let one of the boys wake you as soon as dinner's ready", Matsumae answered while rising.
Miharu managed a small smile, before she followed the advice and closed her eyes. She heard both parents leaving the room and after the door shut quietly behind them, she let out a small breath.
She heard the discussion between the boys and their parents and the heated voice of Hashirama who wanted to stay by her side. It warmed her heart and at the same time hardened it. They didn't know what she went through. They would never know.
They were the prodigious children of the clanhead of the Senjuclan. No one would try to force them into anything they didn't want to. No one would conduct experiments on them and put seals up to prevent them from using their chakra.
Miharu rolled on her side and scoffed. She feared that the elders would meddle again and maybe force her into doing things she didn't want to. As a young kid, she had no choice but to obey and that rubbed the wrong way.
She needed a solution. And fast.
"Uf!"
Miharu fell on her behind and scoffed. She was sweaty, she was tired and her body was one giant bruise, but her opponent didn't give the signal for a break yet.
Wonderful.
It took her chakra coils four weeks to recover and she still wasn't allowed to use any of her chakra. Lucky for her though, the elders decided against another seal to contain it again, so that counted as a win. As long as she promised not to use it and dealt with the severe consequences if she didn't remain true to her word.
During this time, she found it hard to get some alone-time in as Hashirama was constantly by her side. And if he couldn't be there, he ordered one of his younger siblings to watch over her.
The elders stayed away and didn't even look in her direction when they crossed on the streets. Miharu was glad for that and decided to simply ignore them until the time came and they asked her to do something.
To her absolute dismay, Butsuma announced in her second week of recovery that she would start learning how to be a fighter early. Meaning, that she had to attend the daily training of the older boys.
Itama didn't take the news very well and hadn't stopped pouting in two weeks – frustrating everyone around him in the process.
If he wanted to train so badly, then by Kami, he had Miharus permission to take her place. She wasn't strong, she wasn't fast and she wasn't smart. The only advantage she had, she was forbidden to use.
Frustration was not enough to describe her present feelings.
She blew some strands of hair out of her face and fixed her current sparring partner with the most vicious glare she was capable of.
Kawarama only grinned and folded his arms.
"You have to move faster, Haru", he called, "My grandmother is better in Taijutsu then you."
"Your grandmother had a whole life of training", Miharu answered heatedly, "Of course, she is better than me!"
Kawarama rolled his eyes and started walking in her direction. Ever since her training started, he was responsible for her development. Butsuma came in the morning to give them their tasks and disappeared right after to deal with whatever he had to deal with.
"We are over this already. Either you start trying in your training, or I have to tell father about this. Who will then train you privately. Do you really want that?"
They both knew she didn't. In a weak moment, she had told the brothers that she didn't want to be a warrior and since then, they used this information to their advantage. One training session with the only the matriarch was enough to scar her for the rest of her life. She wasn't risking another session in the near future.
Alas, she never should have told the brothers in the first place either.
Miharu scoffed and scrambled to her feet. There was no muscle in her body that didn't ache and some bruises started to form on her arms, legs and face. Kawarama was a capable teacher, but he was not very patient and represented the idea, that a good and violent training was the best preparation for the field.
So he pummelled his siblings into the ground without mercy in order to get them strong enough to survive in a real fight. Touching, really, but nothing that Miharu wanted to experience any more than she already did.
"Come on, we do it again until you get the hang of it", Kawarama said. He moved into his starting position and expected Miharu to do the same, but she folded her arms in front of her and scoffed.
"I am tired."
"That is no excuse."
"And hungry."
She heard a small laugh from the other end of the field and turned the deathglare to no other than Tobirama-baka who stood with Hashirama and practised his jutsus.
Or rather, they should have. Instead, they watched her being pummelled into the ground and didn't even try to hide their amusement.
A three-year-old being beaten by an eleven-year-old. How funny. Miharu pursed her lips and looked away.
Kawarama sighed and massaged his temples.
"Have you two nothing to do?", he called over the them. Hashirama grinned while Tobirama-baka raised an eyebrow.
"Not really", the younger boy answered, "It's more fun watching Miharu. It's like beating a young duckling, isn't it?"
Miharus face grew warm in embarrassment. So, she wasn't a good or natural fighter. Who was? She bet that Tobirama-bakas first moves and tries looked exactly like hers, but she had no chance to prove it unless the boy admits to it willingly. Which he would not do.
"There is nothing fun about what we do", Kawarama said sternly, "If we don't help Miharu to improve, she will be useless in the field and will die faster than I can say 'Mokuton'. Mother and father will be very angry with us and we lose not only a friend, but a potentially strong ally as well. Do you want that?"
Tobirama-baka lowered his gaze and shook his head while Kawarama nodded in satisfaction and turned back to Miharu.
"Again. I want you to have this sequence down by this evening."
Miharu sighed in defeat and readied her stance. They were training a kata for almost three hours now and had nothing to show for it.
"Can I have a break?"
"No."
Miharu admitted defeat after this last try and simply started the sequence again. The moves were simple and straight to the point – as beginner katas always were – but she had trouble keeping pace with Kawarama and putting enough strength into each blow and block. He was simply too strong for her, but he wouldn't back down either.
They trained for another half an hour, before a call from Tobirama-baka stopped them in their tracks.
"Kawarama!"
Miharu stopped and turned to him as did the others. All training was forgotten when they saw the uncertainty in his expression. Hashirama leaned his head to the side and studied his brother, wondering what was going on now. They had made good progress in their training. For Tobirama to stop it at such an important point was unusual.
"Has father mentioned any missions in the area?"
Kawarama raised an eyebrow and seemed to be deep in thought for a while.
"Not that I remember. Why?"
Tobirama-baka turned to the east and frowned. Miharu wondered what he was thinking about and followed his gaze. But she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Was he imagine things?
Then, she noticed a movement between the trees and looked closer. Was Tobirama-baka right? Had he spotted something? Or someone?
"It's just that-"
Miharus scream interrupted his sentence and the boys winced while taking their fighting stances as they were taught to.
A man appeared in the middle of the clearing and only Tobirama-baka had caught the faint trace of chakra that was within him. Too late it seemed.
The stranger stood in between the children and was clad in black. Black coat, black pants, black shoes and a black hood that hid his form perfectly. On one side, there were Hashirama and Tobirama-baka; on the other Kawarama and Miharu.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" His tone was like silk and honey, but deep and with the confidence of a seasoned killer.
He turned to Kawarama and Miharu and she hid quickly behind the boy. She couldn't distinguish his gaze, but his stance and chakra were enough to frighten her.
"Four brats playing shinobi?"
"Who are you?", Tobirama-baka asked.
"Tobirama", Kawarama snapped and the younger boy calmed down immediately. This was no situation for his hothead and Kawarama understood this perfectly.
Luckily, the stranger laughed as if Tobirama-baka had told a very funny joke. Miharu frowned and moved closer to Kawarama.
This man had chakra – a lot – and now that he didn't hide it anymore, she felt the viciousness and mercilessness in it and her body started to shook.
Whoever he was, he wasn't friendly and Miharu swallowed hard. She didn't like the way this was going. Not at all.
The stranger made a step in her direction and she winced.
"Now. Which one do I kill first?", he asked and his gaze roamed over her faces. He smiled as soon as he spotted Miharu and her stomach dropped.
"How about the little girl? She is a sweet thing."
It was the wrong thing to say as the three boys tensed. Hashirama forged his chakra, Tobirama-baka reached for his kunai and Kawarama stood protectively in front of Miharu.
"Or maybe I'll start with the oldest."
The shinobi attacked and Miharu yelped and stumbled backwards, but Kawarama grabbed her and got them out of the direct attack.
It was only a second and Miharu stood beside Tobirama-baka, blinking sheepishly and turning to Kawarama who wasn't out of breath at all.
It was incredible.
"Impressive."
The stranger stood at the same space they were only seconds before, sword drawn. He watched them and some yellow teeth shined through the shadows as he grinned brightly.
"Your movements are fluid and your reaction even better. Quite a feat for a young boy like you."
"Tobirama, Hashirama. You take Miharu und go. I'll take care of this guy."
Kawarama threw Miharu in Hashiramas direction who caught her and held her close. Miharu scoffed. She wasn't some doll they could throw around as they pleased!
"No", Tobirama-baka stated and earned a glare from Kawarama.
"We don't know if he is the only one", he snapped, "If not, the settlement needs to be warned."
Tobirama-baka opened his mouth and closed it again. His love for his family fought with his duty as a shinobi and as a five-year-old, this decision was hard to make. He wasn't battle-ready, he wasn't experienced. He was still a boy, no matter how mature he acted.
"Enough of that."
The stranger attacked again and the boys leaped out of range, while Miharu hold on to Hashirama like a scared monkey.
"You really think you can run from me?"
Miharus heart leaped into her throat when she heard the voice directly behind her. The shinobi had moved without her recognizing and considering the fazes of the others, they didn't see or sense him either.
Tobirama-baka and Hashirama jumped around, ready to attack, but were thrown away by the pure strength of the man.
"No!", Kawarama shouted and watched his brothers. Both skidded over the ground until the found their footing and came to a stop.
"Watch out!"
Miharu was the one to pay attention this time and she tackled Kawarama to the ground to avoid the deadly sword. Heat rushed through her, her heart pounded so hard that she feared the others heard her and blood rushed through her ears.
The sword missed her by only a few inches and she ducked her head while Kawarama and she fell to the ground.
"Uf."
Kawarama wrapped his arms around her while they tumbled, somehow came to his feet and leaped away. At the same time, Hashirama and Tobirama jumped into the fray and attacked the shinobi, chasing him away for the moment with some well-thrown kunai and Mokuton techniques.
The stranger dodged every attack with ease and came to a halt about twenty feet away from them.
Hashirama und Tobirama leaped back and positioned themselves right beside Kawarama and Miharu.
"That is some pretty interesting technique that you use, boy", he said and turned to Hashirama, "Were did you learn it?"
"Nowhere", Hashirama answered and the man leaned his head to the side. Miharu didn't like the aura of satisfaction that surrounded their attacker.
"One boy with red eyes and white hair, one with dark hair and one with a special ability. You must be the sons of Butsuma Senju, the head of the Senjuclan", he looked Miharu in the eyes, "That brings me to you. Who are you, little girl?"
Miharu swallowed hard and shifted to Tobirama-bakas side as he was the one closest to her now. She didn't look like the others at all – that she was sure the stranger realized. Maybe, he mistook her for a young Senjugirl who played with the brothers and was of no significance whatsoever.
However, when had she been lucky in her short life?
It would be a first.
"Tobirama", Kawarama whispered, "You grab Miharu and get out of here as fast as possible."
Because of Tobirama-bakas furious glare, he added: "Now. That is an order."
Tobirama-baka scoffed and grabbed Miharus arm. She fought against the strong grip that was sure going to bruise, but he wouldn't let go and she relented.
"None of you is getting out of here", the shinobi stated, "And I will start with the youngest."
Tobirama-baka didn't wait for an invitation and jumped away, Miharu hot on his heels and without regard to the little girl who barely remained on her feet. Meanwhile, Kawarama and Hashirama blocked the attack of the shinobi and started a counterattack to keep him occupied while the two youngest fled.
"Wait!", Miharu protested, trying desperately to get away from Tobirama-baka and help the other two. But the boy wouldn't have any of it, scoffed and threw her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?", Miharu screeched, "We have to help them!"
"No way", Tobirama-baka growled, "We are getting out of here as Kawarama ordered. No buts."
Miharu wriggled in his hold, but couldn't break it. She felt his chakra rising and from one moment to the other, she was not in the clearing anymore but somewhere between the trees. The boy simply used his well-developed chakracontrol to propel them through the forest in a speed, no normal human was capable of reaching.
She yelped and cling to the fabric of his shirt as if it was a lifeline. The unusual way of movement made her stomach ache and her head dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped this torture would be over soon.
Tobirama-baka was moving fast, but his chakra still had limits due to his age. After the first few minutes he slowed down considerably and she deemed it safe enough to open her eyes again. They were still moving through the forest, but the thick roof of leaves became lighter and the first signs of civilization showed in fallen wood and picked plants.
Miharu had long lost sight of Hashirama and Kawarama, when her carrier suddenly stopped and she realized, they were on the outskirts of the settlement.
But something was wrong.
There were no civilians wandering between the huts. No children, no guards.
Nothing.
"What happened?", Miharu whispered.
"I don't know." Tobirama-baka looked around and stepped forward in caution, not wanting to alert someone to their presence. He let Miharu down and told her to climb on his back. She frowned, but complied. If they were attacked a second time, she was safer on his back and wouldn't be a hindrance in his escape.
Slowly, they followed the street, looked around every corner and expected someone to jump in front of them any minute. Miharu felt stiff and her discomposure grew with every passing minute. What happened here? Why was it so quiet in a settlement that usually buzzed with life?
Suddenly, Tobirama-baka stopped and Miharu winced when she felt someone within the area heading straight for them. She couldn't recognize the chakra and cling to Tobirama-baka like a lost nestling.
The boy didn't move an inch though and if he had any discomfort by her clinging to him, he didn't let it show.
Soon, she knew why as a man appeared in front of them and his gaze shifted over both their forms.
"Where are Hashirama and Kawarama?", Butsumas voice boomed through the empty street.
"We met a man in the clearing – certainly a shinobi – and he attacked us. Kawarama and Hashirama stayed to hold him off, so we can find help", Tobirama-baka answered.
Butsuma nodded and walked over to them to lay a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Good work. I will take over from here. You go to the central building with the other members and stay there until I say otherwise."
Tobirama-baka grimaced, but all knew that he would follow the order of his father. With Miharu on his back, he wasn't able to fight anyway.
"Father", he called when Butsuma rose, "What is happening?"
Butsumas expression was stern and Miharu only then realized that he was in his full attire, sword and pouches at his hip. He was ready for war and what terrified her the most, was his cold-bloodedness. She feared what he might say to them and wished nothing of this was true. That she would soon wake up to start a normal day.
"We are under attack."
She pinched her side, but didn't wake up.
It seemed she didn't have so much luck.
