The Samurai's Blossom Part 4

Quick AN: If you're a returning reader, there's been a tad bit of a reshuffle between part 3 and part 4. The ending of part 3 has been redacted and placed as the ending of part 4. I apologize for any confusion.


Mount Tsurugi-Dake, October

As the fastest in his clan, Shisui had faced many long treks and longer nights. This, however, would be his longest and most dangerous to date. The rocky mountain range before him beckoned like an unwelcome lantern ahead of an early winter storm. It was fall in the valley below but the crag looming overhead was already thickly coated in a pristine blanket of snow. All he had to do was climb the mountains to a small hamlet that lay in the delta of the Hayatsuki and Tateyama Rivers on the other side. The largest of them, Mount Tsurugi-Dake, seemed to stretch heavenward; its rocky surfaces and outcrops were covered in seemingly innocuous ice and snow. One misstep, however, and one would find that the ice-covered nothing except air and a one-kilometer fall broken only by the jagged and menacing teeth of the mountain's base.

He tightened the snow boots on his feet and shifted his toes before starting the trek towards a frozen hell. How he ended up in this situation was slightly amusing if not for its deadly task. As Shisui began to approach the summit, he noticed a fraying rope left behind by some poor adventurer. He subconsciously tightened his own and looked up towards the top of the mountain.


"You want what?" Izuna asked Shisui, outraged.

"I want the late Haruno's katana, so I can return it to his sister."

Izuna rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "You can't possibly be serious. You want to return a priceless and hard-won katana to a woman?"

"Yes," Shisui stared hard into Izuna's eyes before the other man belted out a laugh.

"Oh, this is rich! You actually care for this one! If it were easy to get up that whore's skirts I would have done it myself years ago." Izuna never saw the fist flying towards his face before he registered that he was on the ground. Wiping the small trail of blood from his lip, Izuna quickly got to his feet and returned Shisui's blow with one of his own. Shisui dodged it, kicking his foot out and pushing away Izuna's outstretched arm.

"Shit." Itachi cursed, running into the courtyard. He put his arms around underneath Shisui's and pulled him away from Izuna. Shisui dragged his heels in the ground and kicked Itachi's hip to try and get him off. Izuna went straight for the pair and swung towards Shisui's face only to find his fist stopped in midair by a large calloused hand. They threw Izuna across the courtyard and he hit the stone wall with a soft thud. Shisui still fought against Itachi's strong grip and tried to get free.

"Enough!" bellowed the familiar voice.

"Shit…" Itachi repeated under his breath. Shisui stilled in his arms. Itachi grabbed Shisui's collar and forced his friend into a low bow. "Madara-sama," he greeted.

"What is the meaning of this?" The samurais' lord demanded. Izuna stood up and brushed himself off.

"Well, man-whore over there, wants to return Haruno's katana to his whore sister. Presumably to get in her skirt-" He wasn't able to finish before Shisui shirked off Itachi's grasp and headed for Izuna again. Izuna smirked in response as Itachi tackled his friend to the ground.

"Quiet, Izuna." Madara crossed his arms over his chest and surveyed the scene before him. The table in the courtyard was destroyed, a barrel of apples was overturned and a rack of practice weapons had been upended. "Why do you want to return Haruno's katana to his sister?"

"We are her allies now, Madara-sama. It would only make sense that we return it."

"I didn't ask why we should return it. I asked why youwant to return it." The knowing and greedy glint in Madara's eye unsettled him as he cleared his throat to answer.

"Over the last six months, I have developed a personal friendship with Haruno-san. She has expressed how aggrieved she is by the loss of her brother's sword. It's merely a favor to a very close friend."

"Indeed… I cannot have two of my best warriors killing themselves over a piece of steel. As you both know, if you raise your blade you damn well better be able to kill your opponent. If you can't, then save me the effort and kill yourself. And if you were to kill Izuna, well. I would have to kill you then too."

Itachi broke his silence, "My lord, if I may, we have been looking for a group of assassins to ally ourselves with for some time. Intelligence brought a report that there is a band of them in the delta of the Hayatsuki and Tateyama Rivers. If Shisui could be trusted to broker an alliance with this group, then this task could be considered an equivalent exchange to a duel. He could leave when the snows melt in March."

"Interesting proposition, Itachi-san. However, it would be better if we could gain their trust before spring. If you want that sword, Shisui, you will leave right now." Madara turned around and left the courtyard after issuing a curt order for Izuna to stop embarrassing himself with his slack jaw.


When he reached the Akatsuki village, Shisui was met with a high stone wall-unusual for a village this size. From what he had heard of it, this village was anything but unusual. The inhabitants were an odd assortment of mercenaries, alchemists, ronin and thieves. Needless to say, it was an unsavory place, the likes of which most self-respecting samurai would avoid.

"One more step and I'll blow your head off," a calm voice said from the top of the wall. A young man with a long blonde ponytail jumped in front of Shisui causing him to step back. "What business do you have with the Akatsuki, outsider?"

"I am Shisui Uchiha, third general of the Uchiha clan. On behalf of my lord, Madara Uchiha, I've come to speak with your leader."

"Tch. Leader-sama would not want to speak with the likes of you. However, seeing as you found our hideout, I see no reason for keeping you alive." The man quickly reached into his pocket before another stepped out of the shadows.

"Deidara, leader-sama is expecting this one," the newcomer rasped.

The snow crunched under their feet as they trudged through dilapidated alleyways and streets. The sweet smell of rice and evergreen pine clung to every snowflake that landed on Shisui's hood. Small paper angels floated on strings next to ancient scarred wooden posts. He could hear children's voices singing cheerfully on the wind, though kept out of sight from him. When they passed through, once open doorways immediately snapped shut and suspicious faces peeped through the corners of windows. From what he could see, however, the people were well-fed. That did not correlate with the intelligence that Itachi had meticulously gathered.

Shisui scrambled through his memory to try and scrape up any sort of fact or data that could explain this. The village was supposed to be on the brink of starvation. It had been the epicenter of three separate wars amongst powerful clans that had fought without care of the welfare of peasants. Apparently, though it attracted criminals, the village leader cared for his people.

A red-headed woman was sitting on the railing outside of the largest building he had seen in this village. Her kimono was loose and tied in the front like a prostitute's. 'Prostitute… or spy?' he wondered. 'Probably the latter, in a village like this.' The woman squinted at him and quirked an eyebrow before noting the large uchiwa on his shoulder. Her eyes widened and she jumped off of the railing. His escort held out a hand to stop her advance, which she casually waved away.

"Really, Sasori-san? Like he could harm me." The woman visibly pressed her lips together to keep herself from saying anything further. "Hey, you! Do you know an Itachi?"

"Yes," Shisui said slowly, blinking his eyes at the abruptness of the question. The woman nodded in satisfaction before trailing away. "That was odd…" the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. The other man grunted as they walked up the crooked steps.

Insulated ricepaper lifted slightly from a corner of the old sliding door that they approached. He could hear voices speaking in low tones inside as he slid off his boots and placed them neatly outside of the room. Normally in a peasant village, he wouldn't have bothered, but he had a feeling there was much more than met his eye. When the door opened, he saw a man with orange hair and strange facial piercings seated in front of him. A woman was on his left side in a simple dark winter kimono. Her hair was pulled back and secured with origami flowers. Shisui bowed slightly to both of them as he entered.

"Please be seated," the woman demurred. "You may call me Konan. I am the leader of this village."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Shisui replied, bowing his head slightly once more. Though unusual, it was not entirely unheard of for a woman to lead a village. The stern scrutiny of the man beside her was palpable. Though his face gave away nothing, it was clear that he was measuring Shisui. He didn't know why, but he prayed to every god that he knew, that this man would not find him wanting.

"So, you have traveled a long way, Shisui Uchiha. It's over two weeks' time to walk around these mountains and the passes are filling with snow already. My sources tell me, however, that you braved the mountain itself. That's quite daring."

"Thank you. It was nothing."

"And so humble too. What business could you have with a small village such as ourselves that is urgent enough to warrant such a trip?"

"My liege, Lord Madara Uchiha, would like to propose an arrangement."

"What arrangement could such a powerful man possibly want to make with us?" Konan subtly moved her lashes down in a gesture of femininity. She kept her expression soft and suitably delicate. Her hands were hidden carefully beneath her sleeves, concealing a small knife that she was adept at using. She was a spider, spinning her beautiful web in the sun while the light caught her jeweled back, beckoning unsuspecting moths to their deaths. Shisui would be more than willing to bet that many men had fallen prey to such tactics before. This was one woman that was far from helpless. In fact, he was willing to bet that this was the most powerful woman he had ever met.

Shisui silently handed over the sealed scroll that bore the Uchiha's wax crest. The stoic man next to her reached out and opened the scroll. After examining its contents he nodded to Konan. A small smile crept on the woman's face before being carefully concealed.

"We have an arrangement, Uchiha-san."


A small lock of pink hair bound with ribbon fell as Shisui undressed for the night. He rubbed the fine strands between his fingers before laying it gently on his folded shirt. Tomorrow, he would brave the mountain again and head back towards his clan. When he closed his eyes he imagined Sakura beside him. Her warm body intertwined with his, a barrier against the frigid mountain air. He'd like to think of her as whispering sweet nothings in his ear, promises of everlasting love and devotion. Even if that never came to pass, he could at least take pride in the fact that she was returning something that was most precious to her. If it would take the sorrow out of her eyes for even a moment, it would be worth it.

The morning light crept through a small tear in the papered window and flitted across his face. Today, he would be heading back down the mountain pass to rejoin Madara and his army near the Senju grounds. He quickly packed his supplies and left the small room. His escort out of the village was none other than the red-headed woman he had seen the previous day.

"Give this to Itachi-san, please. It's important." She pulled a small scroll from the inside of her coat. It was tied with a silk ribbon and faintly scented with perfume. "I'm not telling you what's in it, so you might as well not ask. And you better not look!"

Shisui raised his eyebrow, he didn't know that Itachi was even interested in women, let alone kept one as a penpal. "May I know your name at least?" he reminded her politely.

"Oh, it's Karin. No last name. Just Karin. He'll know who it's from."

"I see."


As he rose higher into the mountains the temperature dropped dangerously. The gently falling autumnal snows turned into hardened pellets of ice that the wind whipped into a frenzy before settling on the ground. Shisui was surrounded by a blinding white as he kept moving. Then he heard it. It was a hushed crack as the world around him fell silent. The universe took a breath before the glimmering mound loosened its hold from the cold granite underneath. His mind emptied as his stomach dropped amidst the airborne snow. He scrambled to find purchase but slipped along the wet surface. As he went further down the mountain face, his clothes ripped and his foot briefly found hold before a mass of ice and snow plummeted towards him and pushed him off. An instant later he was in free-fall.

The most curious thing happened next. Someone reached over and threw him bodily into an adjacent ledge. For a split-second, he could have sworn that he saw a ghost before it vanished into the falling snow. A flash of short mauve hair, familiar armor and a katana that matched the one he carried for Sakura. Shisui sat dumbly on the secured ledge for a moment before he talked his shaking legs into standing. His ankle bled sluggishly and he pulled a scrap of cloth from his bag to bind it. It wasn't long before he made the rest of the journey down without incident. After all, his brief attempt at flight saved him a full day's travel.


Senju Holdings

It was their sixth meeting before Sakura noticed that her heart was beginning to thaw. Every time the moon was full, she felt herself anticipating his visits. She wanted to see his smile and hear his voice. His mere presence was quickly becoming an addiction and she felt bereft in his absence.

Fall was at their doorstep. The harvests had been brought into the granaries and measured. The peasantry had received their fair allotment of rice. The artisans and merchants had turned in their taxes. It was the season of warfare. Before the snows came, but after the harvest was brought in: it was the time for bloodshed. The time for expanding territories, armies and wealth. The Senju and the Uchiha were not exempt from this.

Shisui had met her underneath the canopy of the cherry blossom trees without fail every month for the last six. By the time two days had passed without him making his usual appearance, she began to worry. Tobirama had said that he was an excellent swordsman. Her cousin had gone so far as to admit that Shisui was faster than himself. However, even the best students of war could fall to its hand. That morning, Sakura had gotten dressed and walked towards the battlement walls of the Senju compound. Lee dutifully followed her, saying that he could miss lessons with Gai-sensei this one time.

"Honestly Lee-kun, you really didn't need to follow me all the way out here."

"It would be unyouthful of me to leave a beautiful blossom such as yourself unprotected, Sakura-chan!"

"Unyouthful?" Sakura grimaced. She had heard of Maito Gai's enthusiasm but had hoped that it wouldn't reach Lee, it seemed her hope had been in vain. "Lee-kun, I am capable of protecting myself."

"That doesn't mean you should have to." Lee beamed at her.

"Oh, Lee," Sakura sighed balefully. When they reached the battlement wall, she lifted her kimono and walked up the steps to the top. In the distance, they saw a rider leaning over tiredly. As he neared the wall, he stopped and dismounted. He handed the reins to the sentry before saying a few words. "It's Shisui…"

"He is hiding his fatigue from the sentries well," Lee stated, impressed with the man's fortitude.

"Yeah, he is…"

"Sakura-sama is along the battlement at the moment, Uchiha-sama," she overheard the gate sentry tell Shisui.

It wasn't long before Shisui was in front of her. He looked even more exhausted than he had the last time he saw her. When he stood, it was clear that he was favoring his right leg slightly. There were white bandages winding underneath his black armor.

"Sakura-san, I don't have long. I just wanted to give you this before I have to leave again." He pulled a long wrapped sword sheath from behind his back and presented it to her with both hands. "I'm sorry that it took so long to give this back to you. It's yours. We're going to war against the Shimura and Kaguya clans. I likely won't be able to make our meetings for a couple of months. I have to go."

"Oh, so soon?" Sakura said quietly, for his ears only.

Shisui gave her a sad smile in response and nodded. He put a warm hand against his soulmark before heading back to the gate.

"Please, be safe." He heard whispered in the wind.

Later that evening, Sakura opened the silk-wrapped cover from the sheath. Her heart pounded as she removed the sword. There on the hilt, engraved in the metal were the kanji for Haruno Haruki. Shisui had just returned her brother's soul to her. She laid it on the tatami mats in front of her and wept openly for the first time since his passing.


AN: Again, apologies for the reshuffle, but I think it reads much better this way than it did when it was sitting in my drafts for months. Thank you so much for the ongoing support and love! You guys are what keeps this story alive. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed/commented, liked, followed and kudo'ed. If you have a moment, please leave a review/comment.

Thank you to everyone at the Porcelain House discord group. You beautiful humans have kept me going over the past few months and your support has meant the world to me.

Moonlady9; you're an amazing and incredible friend.

Posted: 12 January 2020