Chapter 2
One year later,
Madara sat across from Hashirama. His fingers twitched at having to wait for his once friend to speak.
"Izuna will not allow me to heal him." Hashirama stated what they both already knew. What Madara had asked of his friend a few moments before, was against his brother's wishes. But Hashirama almost knew Izuna as well as Madara even if they've only met on the battlefield.
"His infection is getting worse Hashirama. I'll lose him at this rate!" Madara said, trying his best to not shout.
Hashirama's gaze finally met Madara's. There was a calculated glint in it.
"I know of someone that could help. She is no healer though. And has been kept secret for this reason."
"If she's not a healer than how can she help!" Madara lost his patience.
"She's a very rare and gifted Uzumaki. A cousin of Mito's. Her skills and presence is hidden even from me. I only got to meet her at my wedding. Even then it was a short greeting. I've seen her barely a handful since."
Madara's glare eased up in his friend. "Can she save him?" He asked once again.
"I can ask. That is all I can promise you Madara as even I do not know where her skills lie."
"It's better than Izuna being dead without trying." The Uchiha compromised. "How long?"
Hashirama smiled at his friend. "She's here visiting Mito. I can send a runner to go ask."
Twenty minutes later Mito entered the tea room and sat beside her husband. Her violet eyes bore into her husband's pleasing brown eyes. Mito sighed and her gaze moved to Madara.
"If your brother is willing to let an Uzumaki help him, she will do what she can."
The tension in Madara's shoulders eased at her words. He lowered his head in a small respectfully bow to the Uzumaki Princess. "Thank you."
Thirty minutes later Madara and his escorts waited at the Senju Gates for their guest. Madara's finger tapped restlessly against his armor.
Hashirama smiled sadly at his friend. "They are on their way. Patience my friend."
"Izuna is in pain and getting worse." He spat. "What is taking them so long?"
Hashirama opened his mouth to answer but the small party stiffened when a small flicker of chakra flared behind all of them.
Madara and Hashirama turned to find Mito wobbling on her feet as she clutched to the Kimono sleeve of the figure beside her.
"Kami, Juko. You know I hate that damned jutsu." The Uzumaki Princess hissed.
Madara could only see the hint of a smile under the hood of the cloak the woman wore over her Kimono. Nothing above her mouth could be seen. It was covered in shadows. It was broad daylight. How was- seals. He answered himself before the question was fully formed.
The woman was shorter than Mito.
A respectful tilt of her head was all she gave him. "Madara-sama. Shall we?"
She held out a small golden tanned hand. Mito groaned but took her elbow again. Hashirama chuckled and grabbed the outstretched arm. Her long fingers wiggled as a smirk played on her lips.
"Take my hand." Madara felt his stomach flip at her voice. He didn't realize he took her hand until he felt warm soft skin against his calloused and scarred ones. Suddenly in a flash of yellow, they were gone.
The Senju guards chuckled and told the Uchihas to return home. Their clan head was already there. The two guards shared a surprised look before bolting back for their compound.
Madara jerked away from the group and stumbled for purchase. With a groan he gave up and collapsed to the floor.
"What in kami name was that?" He groaned as his stomach flipped and threatened to empty.
Mito gagged before running from the room. Two trips in a row did not please her stomach at all.
Madara glared when he saw Hashirama still standing completely unaffected.
Hashirama shrugged. "Tobi made a technique similar. I'm used to it. Mito hates it." He grinned.
"Aniki?" A weak voice whispered. Madara turned to see Izuna staring at them confused from his futon.
The cloaked woman walked passed Madara's recovering form to kneel beside Izuna.
"Will you let go of you pride to allow me to help you?" She asked firmly.
Izuna's tired eyes flashed to Madara. "What did you do?"
A tanned hand snapped out and jerked Izuna's gaze back to the shadowed ones of the woman. "Answer me." She demanded.
Madara got up at Hashirama's hand and went to stand by his brother's side but Hashirama held him back.
Madara didn't know what she did but Izuna's eyes widened as they stayed on the woman before he blushed scarlet.
"O-okay." He whispered like a child.
A pat to his cheek and his face was released.
"Lay back." Still mesmerized, Izuna did as told. The woman held out her right hand and laid it right over Izuna's injury.
Suddenly pure chakra just pulsed. Izuna gasped. Madara's eyes widened. Hashirama smiled excitedly. Every time he's felt her chakra, it was amazing each time.
Madara couldn't believe what he just felt. Now that it was gone he realized that he couldn't feel the woman's chakra. Had he before? How could he miss such a thing?
The woman stood and turned to Madara, her face still shadowed.
"He's fine. He still needs to take it easy for a few weeks." Izuna was sitting up scrambling to take off the bandages to see that he was in fact, fine. Only a pink scar remained.
Madara's jaw dropped. "Just like that?"
A small smile graced her pink bow lips. "Hai. Just like that."
"Marry me?" Izuna called from the futon.
Everyone looked back to see him smiling like a smitten boy.
A husky chuckle filled the air. "Thank you, but I'm not looking to be courted for a while."
Izuna pouted. Hashirama laughed. Madara pinched the bridge of his nose.
Mito snickered from the doorway. "Charm another one Juko?"
Juko huffed. "Mito, stop teasing."
The redhead grinned like a fox. "Never."
Juko rolled her eyes, not that anyone could see her do so. But Mito could image it. It had happened plenty of times over the past year as their friendship grew stronger.
Madara cleared his voice and tried to look into the shadowed hood where he believed the woman's eyes were.
"As thanks from my brother and I, would you join us for dinner?"
Juko hummed as her head tilted towards Hashirama.
"Not tonight. Instead I believe you two have an alliance to discuss and a village to draw out."
Madara blinked and looked to Hashirama. He beamed.
"That we do! Come Madara, we've postponed this for far too long and it almost cost us our brothers."
Madara and Izuna don't see the strange Uzumaki again. Not until after their clans have moved to their new home a Village hidden in the leaves.
Mito tells them that the strange Uzumaki grew up away from Uzushio and was making up for lost time.
Izuna pouted. Madara longed to unravel the mysterious Uzumaki. He wasn't alone in that thought.
While Tobirama had seen her more, he'd never actually seen her. Only the Uzumaki have seen past her shadows.
A year after the village is built, she finally visits. Izuna is running all over to get a look for his crush.
Madara keeps his eyes on Tobirama, he was the best sensor in the village. He may not like the Senju, but Juko had gotten Tobirama to apologize to both Uchiha brothers. Madara had surprisingly found himself willing to forgive. Hashirama would have done the same in his position. That and he didn't want to upset the Strange Uzumaki Juko by not forgiving the Senju. Madara would never admit that he was smitten with the Mysterious Uzumaki as well.
While he still didn't like the man, it didn't mean that they didn't agree on a few points. They were both logical men. They also both had insufferable brothers.
From Tobirama's glare, Madara knew the woman had suppressed her chakra to nothing again. Madara's glare matched the Senju's.
Too bad they were in a meeting with the other new clan heads of Konoha. Hashirama elbowed them both to stop glaring.
"I know she's here." Tobirama said firmly looking at his Elder Brother. "Her chakra flared with her arrival but disappeared just as quickly."
Hashirama sighed. Madara grunted. Izuna pouted, having to stop his search for their meeting. Mito rolled her eyes from where she sat with some of the other clan wives.
"Who do you speak of Tobirama-dono?" Nara Shikaro asked. The Yamanaka and Akimichi Clans heads looking interested as well. Sarutobi Sasuke right with them.
Mito spoke for the village heads. "Uzumaki Juko. My cousin. She aided in bringing the clans together for peace after healing Izuna."
Eyes widened at the news.
"I have done nothing that they were not already on the path to doing themselves." A melodic voice said appearing at Mito's side.
Mito only startled a bit, used to her cousin's jutsu and hidden chakra when in presence of non-Uzumaki's. The other wives squeaked or yelped startled. The new clan heads stiffened. She sat there, with no chakra. Impossible, they all though.
All but the Nara. He took in her cloaked form, slight frame, and easily repressed chakra signature, and put together a puzzle that has been the talk of the clans across the elemental nations for the past two years.
"So you are an Uzumaki." Shikaro stated. Shadowed features tilted to the Shadow Clan head. The irony wasn't missed by Shikaro that he couldn't see into her shadows.
"Hai Nara-dono."
"Would you perhaps also be the same Mysterious Kunoichi that is low cost to hire for civilians with low funds? The same Kunoichi that has been keeping the death toll between clans down?"
The room froze. There had been a rumor of a strong Kunoichi protecting civilians that couldn't afford regular clan costs. The Kunoichi had also interfered in Many clan skirmishes. She'd made enemies and allies alike in all Nations. Including all those present in the room.
A foxy smirk lifted her lips.
"Leave it to the Nara." She saluted her sake cup to him. "Took you two minutes to piece that together, when no one has over the years."
"Word travels when there is a common opposition." He retorts.
"I'm aware." Juko smirks.
"Word also has that you've been seen at multiple places at the same time." He quirks a challenging brow.
A foxy grin lifted the lips of Juko. "Clones are marvelous things."
A few people choked. Tobirama huffed.
"Are you a shadow clone as well?" The irate Senju growled.
"Nope. I'm just here for the booze and to watch history unfold." She lifted her cup to the new clan heads. "Welcome to Konoha, where the Will of Fire burns strong."
Hashirama bursts out laughing and smiles at Juko's shadowed form. "Well said Juko!" He lifts his own cup. "To a new beginning, new friends, new allies!"
"To a brighter future." Juko adds softly. Only Mito hears as the others are already cheering to Hashirama's toast.
Mito gives Juko a look. While she has learned much about her strange friend over the past two years, she is still a mystery. But she never outright lies. She avoids the truth by deflecting or goes silent. While that hasn't built the best trust with Mito's father, he also respects her.
Juko has been nothing but kind and eager to learn. Her Uzumaki blood had been proven through tests and she has even willingly helped out the village when she had nothing to gain. She's always a hit with the children.
Uzushio was prospering better than ever. The beautiful buildings were carved with beautiful seals as before, but even more were added with Juko's strange chakra and everyone could feel it. They could feel when Uzushio sang at the feel of the woman's strange chakras. Yes, Chakras as in more than one. While her main was bright like the sun, it could also be dampened to call upon other chakra. More volatile chakra in some instances, but the beauty that those strange chakras could do, negated they malice that laced them. Mito could also feel that Malice diminishing from the few strange chakras that she has shown over the years. Like she was purifying it. Mito didn't completely understand, but knew that her friend was special.
Juko stayed in the village for a few years to everyone's surprise. The strangest part was that you could only see her when visiting her home in the Senju Compound or later the smaller Uzumaki Compound. Otherwise, her chakra was too well hidden, scent untraceable.
The rowdy Matriarch and clan head of the Inuzuka Clan had already tried to track the interesting woman down. They wanted a fight after losing during a brawl before the village was formed. Juko had politely declined and couldn't be tracked down for days.
Izuna and Madara both tried to persuade her into courtship. Tobirama even tried to once.
Then the white haired man had tried to make her take Hashirama's hat when the Senju head had complained about paperwork and disappeared to pout for a few days.
Juko had just sat in the office watching Tobirama work with a smirk. Face still shadowed. When another two days had passed with Hashirama avidly avoiding Tobirama, Madara, and Izuna; Tobirama practically begged Juko to find him. Especially since Mito was back home preparing a few Uzumaki to return with her for the duration of her pregnancy.
Juko's hooded face finally looked to the exhausted Senju and smirked.
With a snap Hashirama was suddenly standing in the office. His eyes widened and he looked over at Juko.
"You've had a seal on me this entire time?"
Tobirama wanted to snarl at her, but couldn't. Instead, he tackled his brother, wrestled him into the Man's Hokage chair, and bound him there with a seal of his own. Hashirama pouted and cried fake tears.
Tobirama huffed and looked to Juko to see her snickering behind her hand. Tobirama rolled his eyes at the strange uzumaki.
He instead offered his hand to her and offered to treat her to lunch as a reward for finding his wayward brother. Juko of course accepted. They had all learned over the years that the best way to appease the strange Juko was through her stomach.
Years passed in peace. More villages were created to Copy Konoha. But Konoha was strong. With all their clans joined together, supported by their Shinobi force and Civilians keeping the village running, they were the strongest Hidden Village.
And people fear strong opponents. Konoha, with the help of Uzushio fought against the nations that attacked it. Hashirama hated it. Hated the young lives that had to be trained quicker, better, to aid in the homefront.
But between Hashirama, Madara, Izuna, and Tobirama, the battles were in Konoha and Uzushio's favor. The Hokage and his brothers by blood and choice were easily able to leave the village. No one understood how they could leave it unprotected. But a few of the clan heads did.
Juko Uzumaki was the temporary Hokage while the four leaders were gone. Mito on her right with Tsubarama playing at her feet and Tomiko on the sling across her chest.
Clan heads, Jounins, Chuunins, and even Genins, would just smile when they walked in to see the mysterious Uzumaki with Tomiko strapped across her chest instead of Mito's most of the time. It was that or Tsubarama sitting on the Uzumaki's lap.
Since her stay in Konoha, many Uzumaki had chosen to move to Konoha and support their Princess and protector.
Juko knew she'd already changed history. She'd also noticed over the years that she wasn't aging. It ached to know that she might out live her new friends. The Bijuu had already theorized that their full presence in her with both halves of the six path's chakra were the possible reasons. Them mixing with her Uzumaki longevity genes.
Juko watched the war rage on for another few years, her heart aching with every live lost.
She couldn't do it anymore. She can't just sit back and watch as ancestors of her friends and family were taken away.
Juko stood up after the last ANBU had reported from the front lines where their boys were fighting.
Mito looked up from her temporary desk. Her Son and Daughter back home with their visiting grandfather. Mito's uncle stepping up at Temporary Clan Head and Uzukage in his absence.
Mito's sharp eyes watched as Juko pulled back the hood and removed it.
"Juko?" She asked sharply.
Slittled blue eyes moved to Mito. "I can't stay here any longer. I can't sit back and watch this anymore."
Mito's beautiful violet eyes held her friend's strange blue ones before smiling understandingly.
"Be careful." She said softly.
Juko nodded and with a sigh, the seal covering her in her permanent henge, disappeared.
Ten Golden tails appeared behind Juko. Her pristine Kimono gave away to reveal that she was always dressed for combat. Black shinobi leggings disappeared into black shinobi sandals. A Burnt orange Yukata sleeveless top was wrapped around her and hung loosely around her thighs, parted up to the black Obi around her waist. The Uzumaki Spiral headband dead center on her obi. Her weapons pouch strapped to her right leg, and spare pouch on her lower back just beneath her obi. Seals decorated up and down both her arms. Black with ink and dried blood. They hummed with power. Juko had not wasted any of her time on Uzushio.
Juko stood as an impressive figure of deadly beauty. Her golden features only tanned over the years at Uzushio's shore. Ocean blue eyes were still slitted, as her cheeks were still marked with her six whiskers. Long golden blond hair, was pulled back by braids, only the chin length bangs highlighting her face. The long strands fell down her back twisting and curling over itself. Sebon weaved into their plaited locks. The entire length met up at the top of Juko's head in a high tail where two Beautiful blue kanzashis rested. Two silver bells hung off bright red string and chimed softly, after Juko moved.
Juko activated one of the storage seals, and a beautiful black Naginata with a shimmering blue blade appeared in her hand. Only looking close would one be able to see the seals carved into the staff of the Naginata.
This. is who Juko was. Kunoichi of Uzushio. Protector of Konoha. Mito smiled as she realized that her friend was finally ready.
Blue eyes met Violet. Mito nodded and Juko smirked a foxy look.
Juko left the office with an air of power as her chakra rose up to greet her warmly.
Shinobi and civilians watched as the woman walked through the village.
Clan heads stopped and stared, slowly coming to a realization on who this was. The Mysterious Uzumaki, finally unveiled.
At the gates, Juko kneeled long enough to put up a protective barrier to allow only the many chakra signatures she'd memorized over the years in Konoha, back in. At least until she returned to deactivate it.
She met the gaze of the stunned gate guards.
"I will return." She said simply before vanishing.