Okami is not surprised when she gets a letter from Madara requesting that she fetch Kushina and come to Madara's house for an important discussion about one of Joe's kids. Okami smiles as she reads the line 'come at your leisure, your highness'. Madara knows how to treat a queen.
Okami is not doing anything right at that moment, and Kushina is in hospital after giving birth that morning, so she heads over to Madara's house alone. Okami walks right in. Madara is sitting at the kitchen table, with the older four of his fosterlings, supervising their homework. There is a reanimation outside in the garden watching Ajisai play in the grass.
"Your highness," says Madara, standing and bowing. The kids, who have learned their manners, also stand and bow. "Was Kushina too busy to come?"
"Madara. Brats," says Okami, inclining her head gracefully. "Kushina had her baby this morning."
"Ah, I will send my congratulations later," says Madara.
"So which brat do you need to talk to me about?" demands Okami.
"Yatsude," says Madara, moving out of his seat and gesturing to it. "Please, have a seat."
Okami sits down.
"I know your time is precious, so I'll get right to the point," says Madara. "Earlier today, Yatsude awakened the chakra chains kekkei genkai."
Okami's jaw drops.
"No boy has ever awakened it!" says Okami. "The one thing we have always known about that kekkei genkai is that only girls ever have it. How is it possible?"
"Perhaps it is because of the inbreeding," Madara suggests. "After all, ginger cats are usually male. However, in rare cases that involve inbreeding, some female ginger cats are born."
"Hmm," Okami considers his point. "That would explain it. I wonder if the other twin has the same power? The girls are likely to, being girls, but if one twin has it, the other might - despite being a boy. If they both have it, they could be powerful shinobi one day."
"Oh, I'm not going to be a shinobi, so it doesn't matter if I have it or not," says Sazanka.
"I'm sorry, run that one by me again," says Okami, frowning. "I thought you said you are not going to be a shinobi."
"You heard me correctly, Your Highness," says Sazanka, nodding. "I don't want to be a shinobi, and Uncle Madara says kids can be whatever they want nowadays, so I'm going to be what I want to be, not a shinobi."
"Have you decided what you want to be yet?" asks Madara, who appears surprised, but is trying not to show it.
"I am going to be a surgeon," says Sazanka. "I thought about it long and hard, and I want to help kids like us." He gestures to his siblings. He grins widely. "I'm going to be the best doctor in the world - even better than Lady Tsunade!"
"You have enormous combat potential," says Okami, examining Sazanka's chakra. "I can't see any potential for chakra chains, but your chakra is strong and plentiful. You would make an excellent shinobi. Why not be a shinobi and learn a bit of medical ninjutsu?"
"I don't want to," shrugs Sazanka. "I can use my chakra for healing just as well as fighting. I'm not going to be a ninja, and you can't make me, even if you're a queen."
"I'm not just any queen, brat. I am your queen," snaps Okami. "I have the authority to force you to become a shinobi if I please."
"I'm in charge of raising these kids," says Madara evenly. "If he wants to be a medic, so be it."
Okami turns and glares at Madara. The kid has so much potential! Why waste it on just medical ninjutsu? "Actually, Madara, you are only a temporary caregiver," she says. "As their clan head, I am the one who has the authority to decide what to do with them, not you."
A pained expression crosses Madara's face for the briefest moment, and then he crosses his arms and glares at Okami.
"Didn't you come here to discuss Yatsude?" says Sekitei, interrupting the coming argument before it begins. "Who cares what Sazanka wants to be, anyway? Joe said we can be whatever we want, and I think helping kids like us is a good idea! I want to be a powerful kunoichi and help Sazanka! I'll do all the fighting when we have to rescue kids, and he can do all the healing."
"That's a great idea!" shouts Yatsude, standing up on his chair. "I'll master my chakra chains and be a fine ninja, and help you!"
"Yatsude, sit properly in your chair," says Madara.
Yatsude sits down, still grinning in excitement.
"I see!" says Tachibana, smiling. "You guys want to help kids living in bad situations, and do operations on kids with birth defects. I like that idea. Let's make that what we do when we reform the Order of Joe as adults. We'll have to see what Ajisai says when she's old enough to understand."
"WHAT?!" Okami bursts with outrage. "You cannot reform the Order of Joe! That despicable cult must stay dead!"
"Calm down, woman," says Madara. "Joe requested that when his kids are grown, they reform his Order, and make it the way they wish it to be - provided it is nothing like the original. You know as well as I that a request from a shinigami cannot be ignored."
"Shinigami don't scare me," says Okami, rolling her eyes. "Especially not Joe."
"Joe is the greatest!" yells Sazanka, jumping up and standing on his chair.
"All hail Joe!" Yells Tachibana, throwing his fist in the air.
"ALL HAIL JOE, THE MIGHTY SHINIGAMI!" all four children shout in unison. Lucy howls to the roof.
Okami stares at the four shinigami worshippers who dare praise another in her presence. "Silence," she says. "We must stop getting off topic and settle the matter I came here to discuss. Yatsude, you will train with Kushina and Burifu when Kushina is recovered from giving birth."
"Cool, Burifu's fun," says Yatsude, dropping back down onto his chair. "And Kushina's pretty." He blushes and grins like a school girl with a crush on her senpai.
"Oh, not this again," mutters Madara.
"Are her boobies really soft?" Yatsude asks Sazanka, his eyes shining.
"Yes," says Sazanka, turning a darker shade of pink than his brother.
"Not him too," mutters Madara.
Okami chooses to ignore the entire exchange and says, "Good, now that that is settled, on to the other matter that came up. Sazanka I want you to attend the academy and become a ninja. If, after that, you still wish to be a medic, then learn medical ninjutsu and become a field medic."
"No," says Sazanka, crossing his arms stubbornly. "I want to be a SURGEON. I don't want to be a MEDIC, especially not a FIELD MEDIC."
"Same difference," says Okami.
"No, there is a difference," says Madara. "A surgeon specializes in performing operations, not treating injuries like a combat medic. Now leave him be, woman."
Okami whips out her chakra chains and turns on Madara. "How DARE you speak to me like that, and how DARE you argue with me!"
Madara brushes her chains aside and forces Okami's head down onto the table. "Quiet, woman. You are the weakest Uzumaki queen by far. Others might be too afraid of your title to cross you, but death does not scare me. Death and I are old friends."
For the first time since she donned the mantle of the Uzumaki queen, Okami feels a chill of fear. Madara could kill her effortlessly if he wished.
Madara waits a few, tense moments and then takes his hand away from Okami's head.
Okami stands and heads for the door, trying to stop her body from shaking. At the door, she turns and says, "This isn't the last you'll hear from me. I am the Uzumaki queen, and they are Uzumakis."
Madara looks Okami dead in the eye and says, "Is a Queen whose country lies in ruins really a Queen?"
Okami leaves before Madara can see on her face how much that statement hurt.
Tajima Uchiha sees the Uzumaki woman enter Madara's house, he hears the yelling and sees the woman leave. As the woman is leaving, he sees a bite mark on her wrist and his blood turns cold. Tajima scoops up Ajisai and heads towards the house.
"Waah!" Ajisai protests, flapping her arms at the black and white headscarf she likes to play with. Tajima turns back and picks up the scarf. Then he slips it over her head and arms, so that it sits firmly around her waist. Tajima frowns as the headdress appears to shrink slightly to fit. "Gaah!" Ajisai laughs and claps her hands.
Tajima makes a beeline for the house and climbs in the kitchen window. Madara and the four older kids are still intact. "Oh thank goodness," he sighs in relief. "Was that woman the Heir, or the Queen?"
"She is the current queen," says Madara, turning and raising an eyebrow at his father. "Isn't it a little soon to start teaching Ajisai shinobi window-climbing techniques?"
"It is never too soon to begin training," says Tajima. "The world is a dangerous place, especially with...her...with that bloodline...still around."
Madara raises an eyebrow. "What happened?"
"It was when I was still alive…" says Tajima, shuddering at the memory of that day. "I was fighting Batsuma...we saw a woman coming towards us...we ignored her until she got close enough to get between us...then she...she demanded we cease fighting and be her slaves...we...we laughed...we laughed and told her to go back to the kitchen like a good woman...Then she pushed up her sleeves...and in that moment we knew...we messed up...she was the Uzumaki Queen…" Tajima takes a deep, calming breath. The memory is still fresh in his mind. "...and that is how Batsuma and I died."
"Ah," says Madara. "That explains that mystery. Izuna said he and Tobirama came across what was left of the two of you. They had to call a temporary truce so they could figure out what part belonged to whom. To this day, I am not entirely sure all of the right pieces are in the correct coffins."