A.N. Thank you guys so much for all the support! And love! Nearly twenty hearts just this weekend! Since I'm now over 100 hearts, here's a short chapter to thank you!
Then:
Six months after starting at the Academy.
Itachi and Tsukiko's fame spread throughout the school. They excelled to such an extent that some teachers and students said their level of talent had never before been seen at the Academy. Given the fact that the first-year classes had nothing to teach the two prodigies, their teachers gave them special homework and tests. But the two easily mastered it all, and the teachers threw up their hands in defeat.
Both Itachi and Tsukiko were more than advanced enough for the genin level, and so, just over four months after them starting school, the teachers unanimously agreed on their graduation after their first year.
The village of Konohagakure, exhausted after the Great War and the attack by the Nine-Tails, urgently needed shinobi. Because of this, a select number of students judged by their teachers to be particularly gifted could take the graduation exam without waiting for their full term to be up. If they passed the exam, they would then attend the graduation ceremony with the older students, and be assigned duties as a genin.
To Tsukiko's delight, the graduation exam was on clone techniques. She and Itachi had been tested separately, and had naturally passed easily. She had produced four regular clones, and even a shadow clone, much to her sensei's astonishment. Shisui had helped them practice with the different techniques Fugaku had taught them until they could perform the jutsus effortlessly.
Now, they were to graduate in a mere six months time.
Tsukiko walked down the noisy school halls quickly, Itachi beside her. She was anxious to get training, and finish perfecting a new Fire technique.
Of all the elements, Fire was both her favorite, and the most dangerous. It was unforgiving, and a single misstep could end in painful burns. But the feeling of power it gave Tsukiko, the feeling that she could control so dangerous an element, was exhilarating.
Fire wasn't stubborn like Earth, or flighty like Wind, which was by far the easiest to master. It was like a living creature that needed to be trained, a heartbeat that became an extension of the user. And it was the most intimate of elements, the only one Tsukiko created from her own energy. To her, the heat of the fire and strength of the attack was a reflection of her own will. There was nothing like it.
But she'd had to learn to wield it properly, which was easier said than done. Over the course of a week, she'd tried to imitate the Fireball Jutsu by forcing chakra out of her throat, and had burned her lips almost immediately. Luckily, she could control the heat fairly well, and hadn't been too badly hurt. The experience had taught her that fire created from a jutsu was different than the fire from her Gensogan.
Basically, the jutsu involved mixing equal chakra with air to produce flame. However much chakra was used, twice as much flame was produced. The Gensogan, on the other hand, needed only enough chakra to produce a flame, then used hardly any as fuel. The difference was subtle, but important. By trying to force a large amount of chakra out of her mouth, she was creating a massive flame she couldn't control. Instead, she simply needed to take a deep breath and blow a small but steady stream of air that became fire the instant it left her mouth, due to the chakra she directed across her lips. It was rather like blowing a bubble with gum, only more...explosive.
Once that was mastered, she immediately began to work on other techniques. She was currently trying to create a whip of fire, and had the burns on her hands to prove it.
Her other goal was to create new ways of working with Itachi. He had no problem with the Fireball Jutsu, and she was attempting to control whatever fire he created. That way, he could blow fire at an enemy, and she could have it follow them if they dodged. It was easier to control fire already created, but chakra fire was different. She needed to take control of it by exerting her will over Itachi's. When he cast the jutsu, he chose the direction the fire would go, and her forcing it to change was an exercise in both will and subtle control. She was getting faster at it, though, and both children were pleased with the current results.
After Tsukiko's breakdown, she'd been a little shy around Fugaku and Itachi, but they acted like it never happened, except to be more encouraging. Indeed, Fugaku took the time to mention how impressed he was with her understanding of the Gensogan, and to compliment their teamwork. Tsukiko had nearly glowed with pride at his kind words. Itachi, on the other hand, was more subtle. Whenever she hurt herself, he was instantly there, and if she began to feel insecure, he would immediately poke her forehead, reminding her to banish "stupid thoughts."
Now, she was far more confident in her abilities. Yes, she couldn't do normal jutsu, but she didn't have to. Itachi could do them, and she could strengthen his jutsu with her Gensogan. If anything, their teamwork had improved even more due to her inability. If they were the same, it was pointless to team up. But since they could enhance the attacks of the other, they were frightening to behold.
But they could always be better, which was why Tsukiko was as impatient as Itachi to leave school that day. She was forced to wait, however, for the swirling, clamoring masses of the other students to leave the halls, their excited chatter filling her ears. Normally, people cleared out of their way, awed by the two soon-to-be-ninjas, but the pull of the weekend was strong, and everyone wanted to go home.
"Hey! You two!"
Tsukiko stopped walking and looked over her shoulder, curious to see if she and Itachi were the targets of the hostile voice.
"You them? Itachi Uchiha and Tsukiko Amaya?"
Three boys, likely from the school's senior class, based on their height, stood in the hallway behind them. The one in the middle was obviously the leader, as he was the loudest and most scary looking. He had spiked blond hair with narrow eyes and a small nose. His physique was quite muscular for his age, which was no doubt the reason he had his large arms crossed threateningly. His voice, for it was him who had so rudely called out to them, was rough and deep in a strange way, as if he were lowering it purposefully to be more intimidating.
The other two boys weren't as muscular, but no less of a threat. The brunette boy on the leader's left was the tallest of the three, with sharp eyes and a wicked grin. Tsukiko dubbed him "Tall Boy," in her mind, as it seemed appropriate.
As for the boy on "Leader's" right, he seemed jumpy, almost as if nervous to prove himself. He had short, dark blue hair and was immediate named "Droopy Eyes," by Tsukiko, who quickly noticed the rather obvious characteristic.
Itachi instinctively took a step closer to the boys, making himself a closer target than Tsukiko. He didn't like the look of the older students, and sensed a coming conflict. He oriented himself as the main threat, subtly moving until Tsukiko was behind him. This wasn't due to his believing she would get hurt, but a mix of their training and his instinctual protection of the girl. He attacked first, and she watched his back and waited for the moment to strike.
The bullies seemed smug, and rightly so, based on first appearances. The average age of graduation was twelve or thirteen, making the short physiques of both younger children, both only seven, laughable. They had to crane their necks to meet the leader's eyes.
"You know who we are?" Leader challenged.
"No," Itachi answered bluntly.
After Shisui's advice, he had memorized the names and faces of his own classmates, but couldn't be bothered to go beyond that. Yes, they were the ones he was protecting, but he didn't need to know their whole life story.
Even Tsukiko had only learned the identities of the students in their own grade.
At Itachi's blunt response, Leader furrowed his brow. "Cheeky brat, just like everyone says, huh?" He paused to straighten his back and puff out his chest. "I'm Tenma Izumo. Fleet Foot Tenma, they call me. Ain't nobody at this school who don't know me."
'Never heard of you,' rose up in Tsukiko's throat, but she swallowed the words, hoping to avoid a confrontation, and merely looked up at this Tenma with curious eyes.
"You wanna fight?" Droopy Eyes asked, clearly hoping to gain attention. His gaze fixed on Itachi, not seeing her as a threat
"Slow it down, Katsura," Tenma instructed, and Katsura threw him an ingratiating smile, obviously itching to lash out at the younger students.
"You know why we stopped you?" Tall Boy asked imperiously, his right eyebrow shooting up.
"No idea," Tsukiko responded lightly, her own eyebrow raising.
"What's with these kids?!" Tall Boy hissed, stepping forward aggressively.
At his movement, Tsukiko's hand was instantly at her back, her movement blocked by Itachi's body.
"Hold up, Hagiri." Tenma held him back, and Tsukiko relaxed her hand slightly. "We're gonna make sure we teach these kids about school manners. Just don't rush it."
Hagiri nodded reluctantly, glaring at Tsukiko. The pitiful anger he directed at her had no effect, and she met his gaze coolly, smiling slightly in contempt.
Scowling, Tenma slowly took a step forward to stand before Itachi, his manner extruding self-importance. "You know hierarchy is important in the ninja world, right?"
"With the four-person cell as the basis for ninja duties, the orders of superior jounin and chunin ninja are absolute. Thus, decorum and seniority are the foundation for ninja," Itachi recited, his bored tone giving no hint to the tension Tsukiko could see in his shoulders.
"Just like an honor student to have a memorized answer. But…" A malicious look came over Tenma's face. "I can't stand that attitude of yours." He came closer until Tsukiko could practically feel his breath over Itachi's shoulder, and glared at them. "You're both thorns in my side."
"You're really going there?" Hagiri muttered, as if amazed at Tenma. But his voice clearly contained a sneer.
The halls were close to deserted at this point, the students leaving in a hurry when the bullies had arrived. All the teachers were either in the Teacher's Room or on their way home. Boosted by a sense of superiority, knowing no one was going to get in his way, Tenma's mouth stretched out in a mean grin.
The "cheeky brats" before him were younger students after all. And Tenma had almost certainly decided that before this encounter began that Itachi would cry and apologize, if they threatened him a bit. No doubt he had made countless classmates and younger students obey him like this. Tsukiko could see clearly that they didn't care about her, likely thinking she would cry at the slightest insult. She was a girl, after all, and this boy wasn't the least ashamed of threatening students five years his junior. The dim arrogance of their natures bled out onto the faces of all three bullies.
Alone, it wouldn't take either Itachi or Tsukiko three minutes to beat down these fools. Together...less than one.
Tsukiko narrowed her eyes in anger. 'They called us cheeky, but really, they just want us to yield.'
They wanted to make the supposed school prodigies cry and beg for mercy, and stroke their own vanity. So why didn't they act like real ninja, and attack the moment they called out to stop them?
This was no ordinary school. This was a training ground for ninja. The thought of killing no sooner flashed through the mind, then was carried out. Wasn't that the way of the shinobi? To strike quickly and mercilessly, cloaked in anonymity?
These older students had never experienced death. Their arrogance made that very clear. If they had truly experienced the suffering of death, they would have never started this confrontation with petty insults. They didn't understand that the institution of school was protecting them, allowing them to act as they were. In reality, they were open on all sides.
Tsukiko had kunai hidden on her back. And quite fortunately, she had three of them there. Itachi was also equipped with three kunai, making it unnecessary for them to even take a step. At any moment, they might simply reach behind them to extract the knives before letting them fly through the air. Just like the practice figures, the knives would find themselves embedded between the eyes of the three bullies, and Tenma and the others would fall.
But...she didn't want to kill them. Tsukiko had learned that a ninja's decision to end a life was in the same moment the movement occurred. That neither she nor Itachi had taken so much as a step forward meant the bullies' claim to life was secure. But even so, she didn't want to risk a fight either, for Itachi's sake.
He was a very gentle and kind soul, even if he didn't realize it. Any blood he spilled would stay with him, buried in his subconscious to spring out and wound him. She had noticed this, during training. Any time he had accidentally wounded her, a look of deep horror would flash across his face, and he would be plagued that night with horrendous dreams. She had awoken several times to hear him calling for her in his sleep, his face contorted with pain.
All she could do in those moments was gently move herself and baby Sasuke closer to him, taking Itachi's hand and holding it tight. Sasuke would happily sleep pressed between his two siblings, and Tsukiko would lean forward and whisper soothingly that she was there, that she was alright, that he was safe. His face would slowly relax, and his breathing would become even as she snuggled closer to him. In the early morning hours, she would move back to her futon, not wanting to embarrass Itachi if Mikoto took another photo.
And so, all confrontations were handled delicately, either ending with no fight at all, or a friendly sparring match with a teacher present. Never had they been cornered in an empty hall before, and the thought of a upcoming fight was clearly causing the tension in his frame.
'He's afraid.'
Not of losing or getting hurt. Such a thing was preposterous. Itachi, despite all his dreams of strength, never wanted to fight a single person, if he could avoid it. The reason why was simple. He didn't know if he had the crucial restraint necessary for a common fight. The restraint needed to avoid accidentally killing a classmate.
The thought of unnecessarily taking someone's life haunted Itachi, consciously or not, which explained his distance with people. To know them, their hopes and dreams, feelings and desires, and then to see them fall during a battle or mission would be excruciating. And if they should fall by his own hand...he would surely go mad.
That's why Tsukiko was safe to become attached to. She was just as strong as he was, just as invulnerable. No matter what, she would live.
And those hidden fears of Itachi, the things she'd discovered on nights when the nightmares were so bad that he called for help in his sleep, had become precious to her. Above all else, Itachi would never be the one to kill. She would take that upon herself, and spare the older boy the agony of becoming death. Yes, she was afraid as well, but she had already been in a position where, if she didn't fight, she would've died. She knew what it felt like, to attack with the intent to kill. And for Itachi, she would do it a thousand times over.
Itachi always attacked first...but she was the killing blow.
"It was you guys who set the Nine-Tails on the village, right?"
Tenma's angry, mocking words snapped her out of her dark thoughts and brought her back to the situation at hand.
Her heart beat faster as she took in exactly what he said, anger stirring.
"All the grownups say so, you know—that the Uchiha clan made the Nine-Tails attack the village," The boy continued, obviously trying to goad one of the younger children to violence. "You're a sneaky, cunning clan, so we'll never catch who did it, right? But it was definitely an Uchiha. The fact that the Hokage and them don't trust you is proof. I mean, they made you all go live together, at the edge of the village."
"I don't know anything about that," Itachi said quietly, his face still expressionless.
Tenma sneered. "You think you can just say, 'I don't know,' and be done with it?" The furrow between his brows grew deeper. "My uncle died when the Nine-Tails attacked us. His dad did, too." Tenma pointed to Katsura, still standing behind him, then turned to Hagiri, who continued to glare at Itachi. "And you'd things go for your family again?"
"Right in front of me, my mom...she was trying to protect my little sister from debris that came flying, and…" Hagiri faltered, his face briefly contorting with horror.
Tsukiko remembered that night, remembered protecting Mikoto and Sasuke. She remembered the terror and determination she'd felt, and how she'd mustered everything she'd had to bend Earth to her will.
'Did you stand by, unable to do anything, as your mother died?' She wanted to ask the brunette, feeling a sense of pity. 'You have to get stronger, so you can protect the ones you love.'
"The Uchiha clan is our enemy. I mean, you're our enemy. You killed our relatives. How could we not hate you?" Tenma demanded.
Sour understanding hit Tsukiko's throat, and the rush of anger she felt was enough for her to intervene, stepping forward to break formation. Any sorrow she had felt on the bullies part vanished, suddenly replaced with a reminder of the faults of human nature.
"First, false charges," she said, her voice sounding strangely bitter, even to herself. "A claim that a clan caused an attack with no proof other than speculation."
'A baby born with strange eyes will destroy the village.'
Four heads turned to her, and Tsukiko saw Itachi's hand twitch backwards, a gesture for her to remember their positions. She only dimly registered this, however, as she continued, her vision clouding over.
"Next comes a broad interpretation. 'The Uchiha clan in its entirety is responsible.' Never mind that the Uchihas saved dozens of lives by leading the evacuation and protecting the shelters, losing many of our own in the process."
She took another step forward, now level with Itachi, her shoulder brushing against his.
'Never mind that the family was nothing but helpful to the village, but was mistreated anyway.'
"Finally," She said, glaring at the bullies. "An unprovoked attack occurs, and the origins of a war are thus created."
'A family is sold to another ninja, and slaughtered.'
A person wants to bury, somehow, the sense of loss they feel after losing someone they love. This feeling, a feeling they don't know how to vent, snatches away their power of judgement and runs wild. And then they hurt someone.
With each word that left Tsukiko's mouth, dripping with bitter experience and the agony of loss, Tenma and his cronies seemed to understand that the little girl in front of them had seen things they couldn't comprehend, and they couldn't help but feel intimidated. But the knowledge that someone so young knew more than them only infuriated them further, and the experience they had gained bullying younger students gave them confidence.
"What do you know?!" Katsura hissed, narrowing his droopy eyes. "You're just some girl they took in. I'll bet those stuck-up Uchihas don't even want you around! They just did it to curry favor with the Hokage."
Tsukiko swallowed hard, forcing her anger to be wiped from her face. "I am just as much an Uchiha as Itachi," She said, her heart feeling heavier and heavier with each word.
"Then apologize!" Tenma demanded, leaning back. He pointed to the empty space between himself and Tsukiko, and shouted. "If you're an Uchiha, apologize for them! Get down on your hands and knees and say, 'I'm sorry on behalf of the entire Uchiha clan!'"
"She will not," Itachi said dispassionately, bringing attention back to him. "And neither will I."
The looks on the faces of the older students changed at once. Flushed with fierce emotion up to that point, they now suddenly paled. The superficial impulse to threaten the cheeky first-year students, and maybe vent some of the helplessness they felt at the loss of their families in the Nine-Tails attack, changed in that moment to resentment toward Itachi himself.
"Y-You…"
All three reached around to their backs, where they each grabbed hold of kunai hilts.
Itachi's arm shot out and pulled Tsukiko behind him, where she should've been the whole time. Her temper had landed them in a far worse situation than any he'd dealt with, and he felt a fleeting fear for the older students, wondering if he was capable of holding back enough for them to remain relatively unharmed. They had hurt Tsukiko. Anger at their words became a noose around his throat, and Itachi focused on calming down. If he attacked in fury, he was no better than them, and they would be seriously wounded.
Despite his irritation towards Tsukiko for her stupidly egging them on, he couldn't help but feel grateful that she'd stood up for him. Lately, it seemed as if more and more people thought his clan was to blame for the attack, so much so that he had begun to wonder why Tsukiko even wanted to be an Uchiha anymore. It would be all too easy to escape any blame, yet she insisted on being just as hated as he.
Which led to this.
Itachi stared at the older students, his own arms hanging limply at his sides. If it came to a fight, he intended to get through this with a substitution technique that made use of cloning.
His substitution technique was unconventional. Normally, the ninja switched out their own body for a log with a tag attached immediately before an attack, in order to confuse their opponent. But rather than a log, Itachi's version used countless crows.
He had come up with the idea while training with Shisui, and saw a flock of crows flying in the dense woods. If you used the usual log, the confusion effect on your opponent was meager. But the instant you switched out for crows, they flew off in all directions, leaving your opponent surprised and bewildered, and generating an opening that wasn't even in the same level as with the log. Tsukiko had praised him endlessly for the idea, adding it to her technique as well.
This was the first time they'd had a chance to test it in an actual fight.
'Will it work...?'
He planned to activate the jutsu when one of the three thrust a kunai into his body, and slowly curled his fingers into a fist, a nonverbal cue to Tsukiko to get her Gensogan ready.
All five students took shallow breaths, the air thick enough to be cut. A tense silence rolled down the hallway as Tenma and his group watched any move Itachi or Tsukiko made, and vice versa.
"Last chance," Tenma growled. "Apologize."
"No."
Tsukiko answered before he could, her voice strong and confident, ready for Itachi's signal to strike.
Tenma glared at her. "Fine. Then you'll-" The expression on his face changed suddenly, flickering through surprise and then fear.
"H-Hey, look at that!" Katsura put a hand on his leader's shoulder and pointed at Tsukiko's face, outstretched arm shaking slightly.
"Her eyes are changing colors," Hagiri muttered, his face showing his own fear. "She's a freak! She's going to curse us or something!" He stepped back, blocking his eyes for for fear of being cursed.
"L-Let's get out of here!" Tenma ordered quickly, his sense of self-preservation kicking in, and the three students leapt in the air as if catapulted, vanishing.
Silence echoed through the empty halls, the once tense atmosphere deflating just as quickly as Tenma's group. As tough as they were, they were still children, and the sight of something unexpected was enough to shatter their confidence.
Itachi blinked at the spot where three bullies had been not a full second ago, then turned to Tsukiko, raising an eyebrow. "That was...unexpected."
Tsukiko returned his confused look, her eyes still flickering rapidly through the elements. "Are my eyes that frightening?" She asked, grinning in amusement, unable to suppress the laughter that suddenly bubbled up in her throat.
He shrugged. "Who knows? I'm used to it, but it could definitely be startling to someone who has never seen them spin. A handy trick for scaring off weaker opponents."
The young girl shook her head, her body shaking with mirth. "You would think of it that way! Wow, I didn't expect this! I thought we'd beat them in under a minute, but I never imagined it would take four seconds!"
Itachi slowly smiled, and watched her with a gentle expression. In spite of all the pressure on her, and all the hatred being directed at her by his clan and the rest of the village, she could still smile and laugh without a care in the world.
'I want to protect her smile.'
The thought came suddenly to the young boy, who immediately felt his face warm slightly. Where did that come from? He didn't need to protect her; she was more than capable. And yet…he couldn't deny the warm feeling in his chest as she turned a playful gaze to him.
"Itachi! Let's go train! Last one there has to clean the dishes tonight!"
"Very well."
...
...
"No fair! Itachi! I didn't say go yet, so get back here!"
Now:
Another two hours passed, and Tsukiko quickly became adept at finding the chakras that stood out. By not focusing on one in particular, and letting her eyes drift, it was easy to spot changes.
So, when one chakra flared up all of a sudden, quickly doubling in size, Tsukiko immediately located it. There, near a group of three, one of which was also rising, perhaps preparing an attack or caught in a trap. That chakra rejoined its comrades, who were clearly being attacked by the strong one.
Brushing the weaker ones, Tsukiko nearly jumped up. "That's Sasuke's group!"
Takara, silent unless spoken to, heard the worry in her voice. "Is he okay?"
"We don't know," Misora replied, her grip on Tsukiko's shoulder tightening. "Focus on the bigger chakra. There's no way a genin is that strong. Most jounin don't have flares like that. What you can see is just the tip of the iceberg. Something's wrong."
Tsukiko immediately focused on it, touching the chakra as she had with Sasuke.
Instantly, she was overwhelmed with the feeling of something wicked, a slithering down her spine and a paralysis like she was caught in the hypnotic gaze of a serpent. It was vaguely familiar, like a distant memory, and her hands once again shot up to protect her eyes.
This instinctual movement, coupled with the feeling of being gripped by tight scales, triggered a memory, an image of a pale face framed by dark hair, golden eyes glimmering dangerously.
"Quickly!" Tsukiko opened her eyes and glared furiously at Shinto, her mind racing with the possible implications of him showing up here. "Get someone to tell Anko where their location is, and inform them that Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno are being attacked by former Sannin, Orochimaru."
Misora and Takara jerked back in surprise, breaking the connection and destroying the dome around the forest. The purple-haired woman gaped at her. "B-But how can you possibly know it's him? You can't read chakra signatures…"
"Tell Anko that he's disguised as a Grass ninja, the one from earlier," Tsukiko barked at one of the chunin sent to relay messages. "She'll understand."
"Yes ma'am!" The chunin leapt out the window, darting away through the trees. As he sped off, another ninja passed him, coming back through the open window.
"Urgent report from Anko," he said, landing in the room. "The bodies of three Grass shinobi were found with their faces melted off in the woods near the village edge. Anko believes it to be the work of—"
"Orochimaru, yes," Tsukiko interrupted, her voice cold and clipped. "We've located his whereabouts and have sent word back to Anko. He's attacking a group of genin. Follow that messenger and see to it that he gets back to Anko with the map."
Stunned, the older man simply turned and left, hoping to catch up to his companion before he went the wrong way.
Tsukiko, meanwhile, was in full commander mode, trying to keep a rising sense of panic at bay. 'I'd better cover all the bases. No sense taking chances when it comes to Orochimaru.'
"You," she pointed at a female chunin. "Inform the Third Hokage of this, as well as the actions we've taken. You," she gestured to another. "See to it that all of the paperwork of all the entrees is in order, and that there are no other spies hidden in the ranks. Report back if you find anything off with anyone's paperwork, Leaf or not."
Turning to another pair, she continued reeling off orders, her tone suggesting that the first person to argue with her would get a face-full of lightning. "One of you alert Anbu Black Ops of Orochimaru's presence and find out why the bodies weren't discovered sooner. The other, go find Kakashi Hatake and get him here as soon as possible, letting him know that his team has been attacked."
Wordlessly, her orders were obeyed. Turning back to her two companions, she pointed to the three chairs they'd previously occupied. "You two, we need to get communications back up. I need to know how Sasuke's team is, and what that snake is doing."
Misora finally found her voice. "But, how did you recognize—"
"Call it a gut feeling," she replied shortly. "I've met the guy once or twice, and he's not exactly someone you forget."
Orochimaru had deserted the village a few months after the Fourth Hokage had been appointed, when it was discovered that he had kidnapped around sixty people, including children, to experiment on in his pursuit of forbidden jutsu.
Right after he left, Tsukiko had, in spite of the Uchiha clan's dislike, been closely guarded. Knowing that her eyes were incredibly rare, there was a chance that Orochimaru would make a last-ditch attempt to steal her away for his experiments. The thought of someone under their care being taken, a child no less, was more than enough to rally the close-knit group around Fugaku and his children.
Tsukiko and Itachi had heard some of the adults discussing it, and the thought that the "scary snake man" was coming to steal her eyes not only heightened her fear of the slithering creatures, but also gave her nightmares for weeks. Even now, her subconscious automatically went to shield her eyes, recognizing the threat even when her conscious didn't.
Turning to the open window, Tsukiko felt every instinct she had screaming at her to go to Sasuke herself and get him out of that forest. But there was another factor she still had to consider.
"Shinto," Tsukiko's voice was resigned. "Is there anyone else who can 'see' like I can? Anyone who could temporarily take over?"
He shook his head sympathetically. "You know there isn't. If you leave now, we'll be blind."
She ran over her options. Either provide reconnaissance to Anko and the Anbu or race off to protect Sasuke herself. Her instincts said Sasuke, but her mind, and several years of missions, said logic.
Sighing heavily, Tsukiko rubbed her temples. 'It boils down to this. Can I defeat Orochimaru?'
No. She couldn't. Given his experience and arsenal of forbidden jutsu, that had only strengthened over the years, she would likely only be able to keep him at bay. As painful as it was, staying here was her best option. If she raced off, he could easily get away by simply hiding his chakra or taking another face. If she stayed, she could track him.
"Fine." She sat back in her chair, beginning to work on reforming the dome. Takara and Misora wordlessly took their places, their chakra coursing through her the moment they touched her shoulder.
Instantly, Tsukiko could tell something was wrong. Orochimaru's chakra had risen even higher, and something strange was happening to one of the other ones.
Unlike the blue of all the others, this one was orange at the bottom, the color bleeding into the normal chakra. The flame was also fluctuating, rising and falling rapidly as a new chakra took hold.
Tsukiko didn't need to touch it to tell what was happening. The ominous feeling of evil, even stronger than Orochimaru's, was also familiar.
"That's Naruto's chakra," Misora murmured, not needing to say more. The Nine-Tails was trying to release it's own massive stores of energy, perhaps sensing that its host was in danger.
After a few tense minutes, the chakra faltered, and it looked like Sasuke had intervened, regaining Orochimaru's attention.
Impatiently, Tsukiko looked for Anko's team, and found a group steadily making their way to the snake's location. They would be there in a few minutes.
Sasuke's chakra flared, then fell dramatically, snapping her attention back to him. Brushing against it, her eyes snapped open at the feeling of Orochimaru's presence.
"Looks like he gave Sasuke some of his chakra somehow," Misora muttered, answering her unspoken question. "It's not exactly his though. This chakra is strange, almost parasitic. It's trying to overwhelm the boy."
Orochimaru's flame suddenly began to move away from the kids, perpendicular to Anko's group. As if sensing a change, Anko's chakra broke away and went to cut him off.
"Will Anko be okay?" Misora asked, following her chakra closely as the two collided and began to fight. "Fighting her former sensei?"
Tsukiko nodded. "She has more reason than most to hate him, and aside from another Sannin or Lord Third, she knows him best. I can't say she'll win, but she might learn what he's after."
Though her words were calm, her insides were boiling. Unwittingly, she'd been put in a situation where she was unable to help Sasuke. His chakra was nowhere near low enough to send a team to retrieve him, which was a relief, but he was likely hurt. Naruto hasn't moved in a while, so it was likely the same case, even though his chakra had stabilized.
"Anko's hurt!" Misora's gasp called her attention back to the fight. Orochimaru's chakra was fading away, as if he'd been killed, which was impossible. He was likely using a forbidden jutsu to hide himself, leaving a wounded Anko to fend for herself.
Her flame was pulsing with the same parasitic energy as Sasuke as she slowly made her way back to the Anbu team. They rushed to meet her, and all three chakras headed towards the tower.
Tsukiko cursed, her eyes frantically searching for Orochimaru. How did he know? Could he have guessed from how fast Anko found him, or was he just paranoid? At any rate, he was gone, Sasuke was hurt, and her not going to him was completely pointless. She'd failed to keep track of the enemy, misjudged the situation, and failed to protect Sasuke.
"Tsukiko, the Third Hokage has just arrived and requires your presence." A nameless Anbu shinobi landed lightly on the ground behind her, having come through the window. "Kakashi Hatake is here as well. Both are anxious to know what's going on."
Obediently, the young woman stood, brushing her white hair back. "Of course," she answered, her eyes returning to their normal black. Anger at her own stupidity made her voice clipped and cold. She should have gone with her instincts. She and Anko together might've had a chance...
"Are you going to pull Sasuke from the exam?" Takara asked, crossing his arms. "You're his guardian, aren't you? If Orochimaru's done something to him, it might be better if he quits now."
She paused, her face shadowed. "Misora, did he look like he was in danger of dying?"
"No ma'am!" The older woman replied cheekily. "His chakra was moving around like crazy, but it wasn't slipping below danger levels. He'll be fine if they can get to the tower quickly."
"Then he stays." Tsukiko started walking, following the Anbu. "That kid would never forgive me if I pulled him from the exams like this. He knows his limits, and he wants to improve as a shinobi. This is nothing to him." She looked over her shoulder, smiling gently. "He's an Uchiha, after all."
A.N. There we go! I'll see you guys on Friday! Thanks again! Please tell me what you think, and if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!