The Samurai's Blossom: Part 6


Sparks flew out over the battlefield as Shisui parried the blow of a Kurama warrior. Turning to his left, he swiftly dodged the onslaught of another behind him. He lifted the dagger on his side and severed the man's aorta before thrusting his sword behind him at the unknown assailant. Across the battlefield, he could see Itachi moving gracefully through a throng of enemies. The smell of iron and mud rose thick in the air and combined with the sulfuric fumes of discarded smoke bombs.

Breathing in deeply, he ran towards the next enemy and then the next. Unceasing in his labor, they fell like wheat to a scythe against his sword. His back met Itachi's and he allowed himself to take comfort in the knowledge that it wasn't another enemy's. They always worked better as a team. Where Itachi moved to the right, Shisui easily parried to the left. Their work on the battlefield was the result of years of partnership. At this point, Shisui could practically read Itachi's mind with ease when enemies were before them.

"How have they not stopped?" Shisui exclaimed, panting slightly as they rotated through the onslaught.

"They-" Itachi broke off as he blocked a particularly hard hit to his left flank. "They received reinforcements from the Terumi clan as well as a few others to the north."

A quick kick to an enemy's abdomen had Shisui cursing his twisted ankle. "What? How?"

"Also. You have angered Madara."

Shisui fell silent at that remark. His suspicions had been correct after all. Itachi was not supposed to be on this field. Madara had sent orders for him to guard this sector with a small contingent of their worst soldiers alone.

"'Tachi," Shisui whispered into the wind as the field fell silent.

The enemy had stopped advancing on their sector. There were easily fifty corpses now surrounding the duo as they surveyed the area. Pain bloomed through Shisui's soulmark and he ripped off his vambrace in shock.

"No. No, Itachi. Look!" Shisui panicked. Black bruises in the shape of fingers encircled Shisui's soulmark and covered the cherry blossom tree entirely. Scratches laced the surface of his skin and Shisui's heart sank to the floor.

"It's not faded. Calm down. Be rational."

Shisui's heart was hammering out of his chest as he looked intently on the mark. Itachi was right, it was vibrant as ever. That didn't mean that she wasn't someone's prisoner. That she wasn't being violated or tortured. It only meant that she was still drawing breath.

Placing a hand over his heart, he forcibly slowed his breathing. It would do no good to get worked up over a situation he could not control. Besides, if Itachi was here against Madara's direct orders, he had other issues to worry about. A lone samurai in Senju armor stood up across the field and limped his way back to a forlorn outpost on the crest of the hill-the only survivor besides Shisui and Itachi.

"Itachi, you disobeyed his orders. What are you going to do?" Shisui rested a hand on Itachi's shoulder. There was no possible way that Itachi would be able to go back to the Uchiha clan now. Not with his head still attached to his shoulders.

"Right now, I am ensuring your safety. Later, I'm heading up into the mountains."

"Itachi."

Itachi rested his hand on Shisui's shoulder and they stood for a minute reading each other's faces. Shisui put his hand on the back of Itachi's head and rested his forehead against Itachi's. He slapped the armour on Itachi's shoulder and released him.

"I understand. Travel safely, brother. Come home when you're done." Shisui wouldn't dare utter the words that were truly on his mind. 'Come home when Madara has fallen,' would be treacherous and leave Itachi with almost no contacts left in his clan. Sasuke certainly didn't have the political chops to navigate treachery as well as Shisui could.

Ordering Shisui to his grave would have been a faster route for the Uchiha's Samurai Lord to have taken. However, Shisui was popular amongst the most powerful families and it would have caused a civil war. By ordering him to stand guard in an abandoned watch tower with few warriors at his back, he all but assured his destruction with very little political cost.


The cold, chipped stone underneath his shirt bit into his arms as Shisui watched Itachi ride away on Sugar. She was the fastest mare in the Uchiha stables and Shisui would miss her. Itachi needed her more-he needed to put as much distance between himself and Madara Uchiha as possible before the Samurai Lord found out that he spoiled his plans.

Shisui, on the other hand, would have to remain at the derelict structure until he was relieved of duty. The moment he was, he planned to find Sakura. He only prayed that the bruises covering his soulmark were a fluke. That she was safe and warm, tucked away behind the well-guarded walls of the Senju fortress.

There was shuffling from the floor below him and a loud sneeze from the battle survivor. It wasn't long before the smell of stew reached his nose from the top of the battlement. He hopped off of the wall, carefully placing his weight on his uninjured foot and walked down the collapsing staircase to the barracks.

"What's on the menu today?" he jested, settling down on an overturned barrel.

The other man looked away towards the pot in the hearth. "Rabbit, taichou. A simple enough meal. Let's keep the warm air inside." He stood up and quietly shut the door behind Shisui.

"It's Daisuke, right?"

Shisui surveyed him. This foot soldier was new to him. He had slicked back silver hair and violet eyes. A chain with a circled triangle pendant hung low around his neck. A scythe was laying on its side at the man's feet. The man handed the general a bowl and Shisui nodded in gratitude. He hadn't had time to eat a meal in over two days due to the intense fighting.

"Hidan, taichou. My name is Hidan." The smile that he gave Shisui chilled him to the bone. This was a very strange Senju, indeed. In fact, Shisui couldn't even recall seeing him in battle before. Though, it could be assumed that he was young enough for them to have never met on the field.

"Ah, my apologies, Hidan. That's an um… interesting pendant," Shisui tried. Normally, he excelled at small talk, but this soldier set him on edge.

Hidan looked down and held the emblem in his hand with a smile. "It's the emblem for Jashin-sama. My lord and savior. Have you ever heard of him?"

Shisui swallowed a bit of the stew and fought to keep a neutral face. The taste was slightly off. With his elbow, he pushed the edge of his dagger hilt against his thigh to reassure himself that it was still there. "I'm well traveled enough, but I can't say that I've ever heard of that god."

Caressing the scythe, he picked it up and set it in his lap. His fingertips ran along the edge of the blades. "I see. Well. Today is your lucky day. Jashin-sama lives off of blood. I worship him with the blood of my enemies still on my hand. I praise him by tearing out the hearts of those that would offend him. The more I kill, the closer I am to paradise." He raised his hands up and took on a crazed look that had Shisui backing up slightly and putting his bowl to the side.

Without warning, the scythe came down and slashed across Shisui's abdomen. He clutched his arm across himself and tried to lift up his dagger when the hilt of the scythe came down on his head. Stars gathered in the back of his eyes as he tried to retain consciousness and fight his way out of the room.

"An offering for you, Jashin-sama!" Hidan screamed out. Warm trickles of blood came out of Shisui's mouth and he collapsed to the side. This time, there would be no help from beyond the grave.


Izuna shook his head, trying to dislodge the ominous feeling that fell around his platoon. Slipping through their ranks and gathering strength as mist gathered in the twilight. "Swords at the ready," he said quietly, dismounting his horse and pulling the reins over its head. The combined Uchiha and Senju soldiers around him nodded, slipping off their own mounts. The decrepit battlement came into view. Decaying corpses littered the hillside, reeking of death and feeding hungry scavengers.

He handed the reins to his lieutenant with instructions to search for survivors amongst the bodies. Kicking down the door to the watchtower, he entered with his sword drawn. He kept his back against the wall as he crept up the stairwell. The strong smell of stale blood flooded his senses and crimson stained the stone floor of the top stair. A naked wrist with a familiar soulmark lay lifelessly in the small puddle.

"Shit. Shisui." Izuna lowered his sword and scanned the room quickly. Putting his fingers against Shisui's pulse he bent his ear low towards his nose. Alive. He was still alive, but barely. "You do not get to take the easy way out, Shisui Uchiha. I still have to kick your ass for giving that sword to your bitch."

Roll after roll of bandages was produced from the saddle bag on Izuna's hip. He wound and pressed it into Shisui's abdomen and tightened. The body beneath Izuna grunted when it was slung over his shoulder. "Come on you heavy bastard. With how empty your head is, I would think you'd weigh less."

"Mount up!" Izuna commanded. A few jaws dropped as their general loaded none other than Shisui onto his horse. Of all the samurai commanders, Shisui Uchiha was the one they least expected to fall in battle. Shocked murmurs from the assembled men rippled in their leader's wake as he galloped hastily towards the Senju fortress. They scrambled to keep pace and follow him.


AN: Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment.

Alright. Just one more chapter left, I promise this time. And then we'll move onto the Itachi/Karin sequel.

Big thank you to Mrs. Sakura Hatake and Sariasprincy for your help with this chapter.