Welcome back to the show, dear audience. I hope you're ready for tonight's performance. As always, thanks goes to ncpfan for his help developing the plot. My writing wouldn't be nearly as flavorful without his seasoning. In fact, it would probably end like my last bunch of stories, but we try not to talk about those.
Anyways, on with the show!
The house was empty, and yet she could still feel the tension that seemed to saturate the air when her family was home. Sasuke was, thankfully, oblivious to what was going on, but unfortunately that didn't mean he would be unaffected. No, she doubted anyone would be unaffected by that which was going to come to pass. At least, no one from Konoha would remain untouched by the event that was so soon to be taking place.
Regardless of the success or failure of the attempt, nothing would be the same afterwards, of that she was sure.
Kneeling as she was before her table, she let her eyes be drawn outside the window where the last breath of fall still lingered lik the voice of a lover. It would be winter by the time they went ahead with the plan, the cold, dead landscape would be painted masterfully with the blood of innocents and the flesh of those who hungered for that which was never theirs to take.
It would not dissuade them from trying.
Even now, as she sat in her home thinking, countless clanmates scurried about the compound to prepare. Meetings, which started out in secret once a month between a select group were now nearly every day and between anyone old enough to lift a kunai. She did not want this and would have no part, and so she remained in her home, unable to leave due to the clan's fear that she may betray them to Konohagakure, the very village they themselves were looking to betray with their hostile takeover.
It was a foolish idea, the both of them. There was no way they'd be able to take over, not with the Sandaime Hokage in charge and with Jiraiya so easily recalled. They would have to be swift if they wanted any chance of success, if they had not taken complete control by the time Jiraiya was notified and had the toads of Myōbokuzan reverse summon him to the village, everyone bearing the fan crest of the Uchiha would be slaughtered.
There was also no way she was about to approach Sarutobi Hiruzen, the god of shinobi, and tell him that her clan was planning to kill him and take Konohagakure for themselves. Her eldest son seemed to be doing a well enough job of that already. And that left her, a 'traitor to the clan', between her husband, the one who came up with this foolish idea, and her eldest son, who was a spy for the Konohagakure council and was actively working against his own family.
Uchiha Mikoto was not liking this in the slightest.
Almost as if the universe just wanted to add a cherry on top of all her troubles, Kushina, her best friend and probably the only one who could possibly help her out of this situation, had left Konoha on a trip with her daughter and had left those she knew with only the faintest idea as to what was going on.
It was just like the woman.
But, if that hadn't been good enough for her little cherry on this sundae of misery and misfortune, Kushina had left her son to continue the academy, expecting him to live in the compound and be checked up regularly by those who she was close to. That was fine, a bit odd, but nothing too unusual for Kushina. And then everything seemed to have gone wrong.
Naruto was locked out of the compound, no one who should have been checking up on him had any idea where he was or what he was doing, and she was stuck here in the compound, unable to help him in any way. Though, she supposed, her being trapped in the compound mattered very little, as even if she could leave, it would be too dangerous to drag him into the mess. The child seemed to have enough trouble in his life right now; he didn't need her and her clan adding to it.
Of course, talk of him being seen on the streets had faded away, leading her to believe that even if someone hadn't taken him in, he had managed to find somewhere to live and a way to support himself. More power to him was her opinion. If he could make a life for himself by the age of nine after finding himself with all his worldly possessions stripped away from him soon after his eighth birthday then he was certainly something special.
She was a bit impressed with her friend's son.
And a bit jealous of her friend for having such a son.
Though, if all this somehow managed to blow over- a miracle, to be sure- she would definitely see about bringing him into her family, even if only as a close friend. Sasuke could use the company of other people and she wouldn't mind having a third son to fuss over.
That was all hopeful dreaming, however, as it was never going to happen. But at least it gave her something to occupy her time with. If she was stuck in here for too much longer she'd probably go mad.
She gave a deep sigh and turned to her tea. Noting the lack of heat, she frowned. Had she really been lost in thought for so long? Picking it up, she went to the kitchen and placed the cup in the sink to wash later. She really didn't feel like doing it right now.
Instead of returning to her seat in the kitchen, Mikoto walked into the living room, sinking deep into the light blue couch. Massaging her forehead with her fingers, she let out another sigh.
This was all so frustrating.
"If only there was a way to fix this mess." She mumbled. She had not been expecting any sort of response-
She received one.
"Oh, there is, it's why our master sent us." Startled, Mikoto's gaze shot to the speaker. The image that greeted her was an odd one, a man who was half white and half black. A velvety maw of green flesh seemed to be trying to devour his head as if it were a Venus fly trap. In this strange world of shinobi, she could very well be looking at a plant with the face of a man.
"I am called Zetsu, and our master would very much like your assistance in fixing this mess."
Cautious, she responded, fingering the kunai she always kept within her clothes.
"And who is this master of yours?"
The man grinned and even the plant around him seemed to open its maw further in imitation.
"I'm quite sure you know of him, Mikoto-san, he is, arguably, the most famous of your ancestors."
These people, they were so oblivious it actually hurt. Could they not feel it in the air, this wind of change? Something was coming, something big, and it would be coming soon. Yet here they were, thousands of oblivious insects carrying on with their daily lives as if everything was just the same as it had always been.
A distasteful frown pulled on his lips. This was supposed to be a shinobi village, so why were the civilians so ignorant as to the shinobi who whose village they occupied? The Gennin may have been out of the loop, but even they could tell something was off by the tension they witnessed within their superiors.
Did civilians simply not notice the Chuunin traveling in packs numbering no less than three? Did they not see how Gennin were herded about the village in groups of two teams or more, both Jounin keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings, ready for the tension to snap at any moment? Were ANBU, swarming about like a hive of angry hornets, not a clear enough sign that something was going on?
Apparently not, because nothing had changed for the civilians.
It was pathetic.
It was maddening.
He couldn't stand it.
Turning from the streets bellow, he began running over buildings, nods of acknowledgement given to each and every shinobi he passed. Most were not returned, the shinobi populace of Konohagakure wound too tightly for simple niceties.
He continued until he reached the training grounds he frequented. In the past few years there had been no Gennin team thirteen, and so this field lay empty, a perfect place for him to practice. And practice he did, every day, without fail.
Removing his shirt, he stuffed it into his bag, which would stay on his person for the entirety of his training. Not only did it make things more difficult, but it would ensure his belongings remained where he could protect them. He had lost everything once; he was not keen on the idea of starting again.
As he began with his laps, he was unaware of the eyes that watched him from the trees.
Shizune gave another huff as she stalked through the streets, avoiding the swarming crowds of cheerful civilians. Why was it so hard to find that boy? It had been easy enough to find and watch him last year, had he left the village in that time? No, that didn't seem likely. And yet she still couldn't find him.
She'd hear about him from time to time, mostly in the light chatter of the higher-up shinobi, but few others seemed to see him. There was, from time to time, talk of him being seen dragged around by some prostitute, but she paid those no mind.
What nine year-old sought out a prostitute? Unless, of course, the prostitute had been looking for him. There were many in the world with rather odd tastes, but if something like that were to happen she was sure Naruto could take care of himself.
He seemed to be doing a well enough job.
She had told Tsunade of her encounter with the boy at the ramen stand a year ago and her master had not been pleased. Apparently as time went on her master had become more and more nervous about his well-being. The fact that Shizune had been right there and able to bring the boy back with her but didn't only served to make Tsunade more frustrated.
Of course, Shizune had no idea why her master was so interested in the boy, and even to this day Tsunade refused to tell her any more than it was important to find him. They had no luck in that regard. It was almost as if he knew he was being looked for and purposely went out of his way to ensure he remained away from those who wished to find him.
As rumor had it, however, a certain ANBU captain seemed to interact with him regularly. Maybe she should let Tsunade know, she was still looking for the ANBU who had failed to tell her fully about Kurenai's unique dwelling, after all.
Two birds with one stone- and then Tsunade's ire wouldn't be directed at her anymore.
So, three birds, even better.
Okay, so she had put it off, sue her. Standing just outside the classroom door, Kurenai looked around nervously. This was it, she was going to see Naruto, she was going to tell him about his room in the Senju compound, she was going to let him know that she was there for whatever it was he needed.
'Calm down girl, you've got this. He may be a bit upset, but he'll understand, he'll be happy to know that these arrangements have been put in place. You can take him to the Senju compound personally, sit him down on the bed, and have a nice long talk explaining everything. He's an Uzumaki, they always forgive. There's no way this could possibly go wrong.'
Well, technically, it already had. While she originally planned to come in early and be here when he first arrived, it had taken her until noon to get over her nervousness and make her way to the academy. Hopefully she could catch him as they were released for lunch. And, even if she couldn't catch him before he ran off, she could get some information from Iruka and lie in wait for Naruto's return. If he had been going to the academy for all this time, despite his lack of living arrangement, she was absolutely certain he'd come right back for class once lunch ended.
As the sound of rushing children grew louder, she stepped to the side of the door and watched the mass of students that squeezed through the frame, keeping a sharp eye out for Naruto's messy crown of red hair. Oddly enough, it was not amongst the sea of children. Giving a slight frown, she hoped he was still in the classroom as she walked in.
She was quick with her scan of the room, taking only a second to move her sight to Iruka, but still she could not locate the reason for her visit. She felt a deep weight settle in her stomach and a tightening in her chest. He had to be here, there was nowhere else to look.
"Ah, Yuuhi-san, is there something I can help you with?" Iruka's voice caught her attention and she tried to give the man a sincere smile despite the worry building within her.
"Yes, I just came to see how Naruto's been doing in class. It's been a year now and I haven't heard anything about his academics, so I figured I'd come check."
A brief flash of suspicion flashed over Iruka's face, no doubt from her taking so long to ask about such a subject. He most likely knew that reason was a lie. Still, he looked up to the ceiling, as if in thought, and briefly directed his sight to the tree outside the window. Turning back to her from a frown, he seemed almost puzzled.
"I'm sorry, who? There's no one I know of by the name of Naruto attending my class. I do believe there was one on the first day, but then he ended up in the hospital and I haven't heard anything of him since."
Kurenai suddenly found it hard to breathe. All the hope she had gained at the thought of finding him here in the academy, safe and ready to be taken care of was crushed, leaving only a numbing cold inside her heart. This couldn't be happening; she had been so close she could almost feel the heat of his hand as she walked with him to the Senju compound.
That heat was no longer a pleasant thought, but rather an angry inferno that berated her for being so foolish. She had assumed he would have continued, she had heard rumors that he was still there, but she had never before checked.
He wasn't there.
Honestly, she shouldn't be surprised. He was a homeless nine year-old, for fuck's sake, why would he be trying to go to school? It made no sense. Quietly, almost in a whisper, she thanked Iruka for his time and walked out of the classroom like a living corpse, all life having been sucked away.
Kushina would be disappointed in her, she was sure.
She had failed Naruto once again.
She never saw the boy she had been searching for as he sat in the tree right outside the classroom shaking his head in the negative to his instructor, nor would she know of the grateful expression he sent Iruka after she had left.
But the eyes that watched the boy did, and they made note of the interaction. Orochimaru-Sama would want to know.
This was getting out of hand; Hiruzen was beginning to fear there would be no way to erase the tension between the Uchiha and the rest of Konoha. It had been growing for years, all the elite shinobi knew so, but now it was beginning to get to be too much. Tensions were boiling over, but Hiruzen couldn't figure out a way to douse the flames of the Uchiha peacefully.
It was probably a miracle that things had lasted peacefully thus far, but that would have to be attributed to one Uchiha Itachi, a spy within his own clan for the safety of Konohagakure and all its inhabitants, the Uchiha included. Whether or not they believed it, Hiruzen really did want to see everyone safe despite the fact that they threatened the safety of his village, but they wouldn't let him.
The Uchiha pride, it would seem, was a hard thing to overcome.
Luckily, Itachi had somehow managed, though that was probably because of his mother. Uchiha Mikoto had never been all that prideful, caring far more about starting a family then the glory of her clan. It seemed to have rubbed off on Itachi, who saw all of Konoha as his family and was ready to sacrifice everything he knew to protect it.
Such a man was a rare thing indeed, especially among shinobi.
And now, it looked like they might be losing him.
They didn't have a choice, however. This was for the good of Konohagakure no Sato and Hi no Kuni, he couldn't sacrifice everyone else for one clan, no matter how old or important they were.
Looking before his desk, he could see Itachi kneeling before him in his ANBU gear, awaiting orders. It pained Hiruzen to give these orders, but that was the burden of his position.
"We'll give them a few days, Itachi, until the end of the week. If we haven't managed to work something out by that time your mission will begin." He frowned sadly at the young man.
"For what it's worth, my boy, I'm truly sorry it may have to come to this."
"I understand, Hokage-Sama, but we must protect the innocents my clan threatens. This is the only way." Giving a parting bow, the young ANBU agent disappeared in a murder of crows.
Hiruzen sighed. No one should have to go through what Itachi was about to. It wasn't even something he'd wish upon his enemies. Not only would he have to slaughter his family, but he'd be marked a traitor to preserve the good name of the Uchiha and sent off to act as a spy in a growing organization of missing ninja.
This world, Hiruzen thought, was far too cruel.
He was not the first and certainly not the last person who would have that opinion.
It was three days later that she found herself back in her home. The sink was still occupied by a single lonely cup filled with cold tea, which meant no one else had been home in that time.
'They didn't even know I was gone.'
It was a sad thought, but she already knew they were keeping as far away from her as they could. Sasuke had been spending his days at the academy and sleeping over every night at his cousin's house, Fugaku's way of keeping her from turning him against the rest of the clan. Couldn't her husband see that she had no intention of opposing the clan, she just didn't want to take part in the takeover? It would seem not.
Fugaku himself had been spending all his time locked away in the sacred Uchiha shrine plotting with the elders. She hadn't seen him in nearly three weeks.
Itachi had popped in a few times, but it was usually to ask about what his father was up to. It hurt to know that her son not only assumed she was ignorant of his actions, but would try to use her to spy on his father and the Uchiha clan.
Moving to the window, she gazed out into the night. Oddly enough, there was no one outside at the moment and all the usual lanterns hung dead in the moonlight. That was strange, even with everyone on edge in anticipation of what was to be the Uchiha Revolt, never before had there been a night so eerily quiet .
When she watched two shadows creep into a nearby house, she knew something was wrong.
'Hiruzen moved first.' She realized. It wasn't really that much of a surprise. He was a kind old man who wanted nothing but the best for his village, but he was also the Kami no Shinobi, and he would do whatever necessary to protect it- even from its own occupants. In this case, removing the threat so that the rest of Konoha might remain safe was the only real choice he had. Fugaku must have pushed him far to force his hand like this.
Wasting no more time, Mikoto quickly made her way upstairs to her room, tearing through her closet until she found her old shinobi gear that she had stashed in the back upon her retirement. Not willing to waste time she didn't have getting undressed, her favourite dress made quick aquaintience with one of her kunai and was tossed away.
She had been in ANBU for three months before her retirement and had managed to keep her old uniform. Throwing it on with haste, she hoped it would be enough to throw off Hiruzen's men long enough for her to reach Sasuke and flee the village. If she knew anything about the Sandaime Hokage, however, it would be that when he did something he put his all into it. The streets were most likely crawling with ANBU, the village wall only more so.
This was not going to be easy, but she'd be damned if she was going to let her son be taken from her. Itachi was a lost cause at this point, probably slaying his father at this very moment deep within the Uchiha shrine, but Sasuke had no idea what was going on, he was innocent in all of this. She was going to make sure he got out of this safely.
Luckily Naruto had not been dragged into this, otherwise she may not have been able to get both Kushina's and her own son out of the village. Naruto may not have been Uchiha, but no one in the compound was going to be living to see the dawn if her eldest son was successful in his mission.
Mikoto strapped her trusty tanto to her back and pulled her old crow mask over her face. Stepping to the window, she perched, ready to take flight into the night.
"Look out, bitches, Mommy Crow is back."
Having not used chakra in so long, her first burst of chakra to her legs was too much, causing her simple leap to become a large bound that fully cleared the house she had intended to land on. She held back the screech that wanted to tear itself from her lips with the sheer humor of the situation.
'It's been a bit since mommy last flew.'
Landing in a crouch she rolled forward and dashed over rooftops, now using far less chakra than she had before. She passed a single ANBU, but they didn't seem to realize who she was, allowing her to pass without incident, a fact for which Mikoto was rather grateful. As her graceful launch from her house could attest to, her wings were covered in quite a bit of rust from all those years spent as a house wife.
'I really should have practiced from time to time.' She thought. 'Gods above, I certainly had plenty of free time. I can't remember how many times I had no idea what to do with myself all day.'
Those thoughts might not be worth much now, but they served to keep her mind occupied on something other than the fact that all her family was being slaughtered around her.
Landing on the roof of her brother-in-law, her heart sank when she noticed the various bodies scattered over the street below. They had already been here. Calming her breathing as much as possible, she listened for any sign of life, either Uchiha or ANBU. It seemed empty, but that would mean Sasuke was- No, she couldn't be thinking like that, not at a time like this.
'Gods, no, please, not my son. Not Sasuke.' She silently prayed, slipping into the window and beginning her search. The top floor was empty, save the corpses of a couple on the bed. It wasn't her in-laws, and she really didn't recognize them, so there must have been some guests over. Ah, that's right. Her niece was turning fifteen. This was probably her birthday celebration.
'Happy fucking birthday.' Mikoto thought cynically, moving on. The downstairs was filled with even more dead partygoers, but she still couldn't find her son among them. The front yard was full of dead lanterns and tables of food that had barely been touched. Her niece, the birthday girl, was near a pile of half-opened presents. Still, no Sasuke.
He wasn't here. The thought brought both relief and horror to her. She was glad to not come across his corpse, but at the same time it meant he could be anywhere. With luck he was somewhere the ANBU hadn't gotten to yet, but that meant the ANBU would be going there. She couldn't risk that kind of heat. So, if he wasn't dead already, he would be soon enough.
'And you will be too if you try to find him.' A voice in her head reminded her. It looked like this was it. Soon there would be only three Uchiha remaining; Itachi, Herself, and Him. He had been right, she knew, the Uchiha's attempt would be their undoing. She had believed him when he told her that, but now she really saw. Her clanmates hadn't even had a chance to try. The Sandaime gave only enough leeway to ensure that no Konoha came to harm, but the second he felt the risk was too high he had acted, taking out the problem before it could fully take root.
She let a single tear make its way down her cheek, hidden by her mask. Her family was gone, everyone she had known and loved ripped from her. She was alone, without anything more than the gear she wore, and had nowhere to go.
Her mind was drawn to someone in a similar situation and she knew she had to at least see him before she made her escape. Gods willing, visiting with him and letting the village calm down might make her escape far more likely to be successful. If nothing else, it was worth a chance, and he deserved to know why she hadn't been there for him, even if they had never been close. She was close to his mother, and that was more than enough reason for her to look after him in her absence.
If Mikoto was really honest with herself, the chance to visit someone who knew the pain she was currently feeling was one she couldn't pass up on. If anyone could understand her and help her come to accept what had happened it would be the boy who found himself locked out of his home with no possessions and no family or friends to rely on.
Perhaps, they might come to comfort each other.
There was something strange in the air tonight. Something within him screamed not to ignore it which was why he had taken perch upon a single story building just outside his small apartment.
'The ANBU are moving strangely tonight.' He noted. Their usual pattern had been abandoned as they seemed to swarm on every available surface. Something was up, and he didn't like it. Watching a nearby group of them bolt away, his frown deepened. Something was happening, and it was close.
It would seem as all the tension that had been building finally snapped, giving birth to this night.
'It's actually a rather nice night.' He thought. The sky was clear of clouds and a crescent moon laughed down at the world, as if amused by the ANBU buzzing down below like a hive of angry bees. He supposed that if he were the moon he'd be amused too. There wasn't too much that happened in Konoha at night, such action must have been a welcome change for the heavenly body.
As if they had been waiting for his thoughts to wander, he was suddenly made aware of an approaching person. They made little effort to conceal themselves as they dashed towards him in the opposite direction the ANBU had just run off in.
No, it was an ANBU, a woman judging by the curves of her body. It was strange, however, as he thought he had seen all the ANBU at least once. He couldn't recall ever seeing one in a crow mask. As they drew near a single hand reached up to the mask, tearing it away to reveal a face he could vaguely recognize.
'Ah, she's a friend of Kushina. An Uchiha, I think.'
The woman's eyes were red and puffy, she had obviously been crying as she raced across the rooftops. She didn't seem hostile at all, so his kunai remained away. He was not defenseless, however, as a single chakra chain coiled up at his lower back like a thin tail. If she was going to try something, he was ready.
She did indeed try something, but it was in no way harmful to him. When she had gotten within six feet she launched herself at him, wrapping two slender arms around him and burying her face into his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. Her crow mask dropped from her hands with a soft clink as she held onto his shirt with all her strength.
At a loss for what to do, he rubbed small circles on her back until her sobbing had subsided. Even so, she remained clinging to him like a lifeline.
"Come on, tell me what's wrong-" Her name came back to him and he quickly added it. "Mikoto-san."
The fact that he knew her name actually seemed to make the woman relax and through chocked sobs she manage to reply. "They're gone, everyone is gone."
"Whose gone?"
"My clan." Naruto couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes and didn't even try to. The Uchiha clan was gone? That was huge. But there was a reason they were gone, he doubted they just up and left the village they helped found. Something got rid of the Uchiha, and he was out here holding an Uchiha woman in his arms. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching, he knew what the only possible course of action was.
"Alright, come with me, we're going to go inside so you can tell me what happened, okay?" The woman nodded into his neck as he stood up, pulling her with him. As he helped the emotionally drained woman into his ground floor apartment he failed to look up, and so when his apartment door was shut and locked he had no idea that a dog masked ANBU dropped onto the spot he had been just minutes before.
Having been keeping a vigilant eye on the boy, Inu had seen everything, but, as he tucked away the dropped crow mask, he pretended to have seen nothing.
And so another performance ends. I hope to see another full theater next week for chapter eight.