A.N. So, this may come as a surprise, but I'm not dead! Yay!
Really, though, these last few weeks have been awful. I have a crazy amount of schoolwork, a close relative had a heart attack (he's okay, don't worry), I got rear-ended on my way to my university (I'm okay), and all these storms have killed my internet for over a week. So, I apologize that I haven't posted anything in a month, but thank you all for being so incredibly patient.
And, more importantly, thanks for 300 hearts! In honor of crossing that milestone (as well as apologize for the hiatus), I'm giving you all a SUPER long chapter.
Fair warning: I skipped most of the fights. It really wouldn't have been interesting to read about Tsukiko watching them. It had a point in the preliminaries, but not really here.
Please enjoy! And please review!
THEN:
"My son has been promoted to chunin," Fugaku noted dispassionately, before his assembled brethren. Beside him, Itachi stood in a Konoha jacket.
As always, the Nakano Shrine was dark and filled with a miasma of hatred. But this time, it was tinged with a certain desperation, all eyes locked on Itachi and his father with a grim excitement.
"Congratulations." It was his father's trusted aide, Yashiro, who spoke. His normally narrowed eyes narrowed even further as he smiled. The rest of his clan quickly followed suit, shouting out their congratulations in unison.
"Say a few words," his father urged, gesturing to the crowd.
"Very well," Itachi replied, in a voice devoid of the bitter emotion rolling in his chest. He bowed deeply. "I am prepared to continue to devote myself body and soul to the path of the ninja, for the sake of Konoha, and for the sake of the clan. I look forward to walking it alongside you all." Itachi's short speech was far more grown-up than his age, now ten, would seem to allow.
In the First Exam, he and Tsukiko had tied scores, second only to the record holder, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. She had practically bounced through the roof with excitement after hearing that, and the way she grinned at him gave Itachi the feeling that she had figured out his secret, a wish he'd never dared to say aloud for fear that it would shatter the moment he gave it life.
As to the Second Exam, they received the shortest time ever on record, even though they were young, and not in the usual three-person cell. In the Third Exam, the team they were to fight in the first round defaulted, giving them the win, while their individual performances in the second bouts led officials to decide there was no need for them to take part in a third match. It wouldn't do to let the leaders of the other lands see too much of their superior strength, leaving their limits a mystery. And so, the Chunin Exams had ended, with the two children informed the very next day that they were to pick up their vests.
As the whole village had seen, both children were blessed with terrifying talent, sharpened against the other. Occasionally, Fugaku almost forgot that Itachi was his son, and felt jealous of the genius he possessed. But now, in times like these, all he felt was pride.
Still, the moment was tainted by the stiffness in Itachi's shoulders, and the hard set of his mouth. He hid it well, but Fugaku knew his son better than he thought. The boy was furious.
And rightly so.
While Itachi had been lavished with attention and praise, and had been acknowledged before the clan as a chunin, Tsukiko had been pushed to the side, far more harshly than before.
Her exhibition of power, with the ability to break the Sharingan's hold as it it were a mere D-class jutsu instead of the infamous kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan, was threatening at best, a potentially fatal problem at worst.
It was not in the Uchiha nature to leave an enemy so powerful alive, and to have someone capable of defeating them amidst their ranks was very difficult for some of the older members to handle. Those who had breathed and lived war for so long tended to see it everywhere, and the instincts of the Uchiha was what kept them alive and on top all these years. Their only flaw was their reliance on the Sharingan, and that was useless against Tsukiko. Add her ability to tame and control any fire thrown at her, and her sharp, strategic mind, and the whole clan was jittery, afraid and resentful that a mere ten-year-old could best them.
In response to this fear, Tsukiko had become a social pariah, completely ignored by the clan as if without attention, she would simply disappear.
It was hurting her, immensely, Fugaku knew, but he and Mikoto were at a loss for what to do. He couldn't and wouldn't use his power as the head of the clan to force his brethren to accept her, and nothing he had to say could help her. Mikoto had been more equipped than he, telling her that no matter what, she was proud of the girl. That had helped for a time, until Mikoto suggested that Tsukiko move into the guest room of the house, redesigning it as her own room and study area.
It had been a good idea, especially as she and Itachi were both getting older. She was ten now, and fixing up a bedroom to her liking would distract her from other problems. And, since Sasuke was going through a growth-spurt, it meant more room for both of the boys.
Unfortunately, it had backfired almost immediately. Instead of the excitement Mikoto had been hoping for, Tsukiko's expression had been horrified. She was quick to get her emotions in-check, but her polite smile trembled behind panicked eyes.
Fugaku realized the blunder as soon as Mikoto told him about her reaction. Instead of seeing this as a reward, Tsukiko thought she was being punished, sequestered away as a disgrace even in her own home.
Still, she accepted, and the young girl and Mikoto spent several days decorating and setting up the new bedroom. Tsukiko had been distant in that time, more withdrawn and quiet than she'd been in several years. They hadn't seen her like that since she first came to live with them.
And she wasn't the only one acting different. Itachi had been markedly cold to his parents and short with his fellow clan members, outright refusing to go celebrate his promotion. And Sasuke had actually thrown a tantrum, shouting how he didn't want Tsukiko to move out of their room. It had taken both siblings to calm him down, leaving a furious and bewildered Mikoto demanding that Fugaku do something about all this.
The older man agreed, disappointed with the behavior of his clan. He'd heard Tsukiko's barely suppressed sobs from her room, the telltale sliding of the door when she snuck outside at night, Itachi and sometimes even Sasuke following her. He knew, and he was angry.
Threat or not, Tsukiko was his daughter. She had lived in his house for more than half of her life, and had found her place in his family. Amaya or Uchiha, it didn't matter. If nothing else, Fugaku Uchiha was fiercely loyal to his loved ones, and though he couldn't outright order his clan to accept her, he would punish anyone who harmed her with all the severity he could manage.
"If a ninja of Itachi's caliber joined the Military Police Force, it might improve the standing of the Uchihas within the village," the long-haired Inabi said joyfully.
Looking down on the younger male, Fugaku gave voice to his own thoughts, his tone far more clipped than he'd perhaps intended. "I have no intention of letting Itachi into the Police Force."
At once, a stir rose up in the room. But Itachi simply stared silently into space, giving no outward sign of surprise.
Had his son understood? A feeling of doubt welled up in Fugaku, but he couldn't exactly question the boy here in front of everyone. Changing gears, he spoke in a firm, even tone. "I would like to have my son and daughter go into the Anbu."
"The...Anbu?" Yashiro spat out, a note of animosity in his voice.
His outburst distracted from Itachi, who finally broke and swiveled his head around to look at his father. He'd never once referred to Tsukiko as his daughter aloud, and now he'd done so in front of the entire clan.
Fugaku nodded silently.
"Our Military Police Force and the Anbu have clashed any number of times in pursuit of public order in Konoha—" Yashiro began to reproach him.
"I know that better than anyone," he snapped.
To maintain the peace in Konohagakure, the Konoha Military Police Force had been established with the Uchiha clan as its center. Even now, with Fugaku as the chief, the Force worked day and night policing the village.
However, there was another organization that maintained the peace: the Anbu.
Under the direct control of the Hokage, the Anbu was a unit composed of capable ninja, and almost always made an appearance on important missions inside, and in the vicinity of, Konoha. Major crimes committed were taken out of the hands of the Police Force, and entrusted to the Anbu.
There was no clear line between what was the jurisdiction of the Force, and what was the subject for investigation by the Anbu. At the discretion of the Hokage, the nature of the investigation would simply shift from one to the other. This led the Military Police and the Anbu to clash every so often. And each time they did, it was Fugaku's job to negotiate with the Hokage and the Anbu. He knew better than anyone the friction between the two peacekeeping forces.
The main building of the Nakano Shrine erupted into discussion. Some criticized the Anbu, others tried to guess at Fugaku's true intentions, and still others noted the way to which their clan head had referred to Tsukiko. The different resentments they each held in their hearts exploded into the closed space of the shrine, all at once.
"Listen to me!" Fugaku roared.
The shrine fell silent, filled with an undirected bloodlust.
"I understand how you all feel." Fugaku began speaking slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I feel the same way. Which is exactly why Itachi and Tsukiko will join the Anbu. I intend to have my son and daughter work as a conduit between the village and the clan."
Everyone present held their breath.
"As you all know, members of the Anbu Foundation are secretly watching over our compound. In which case, we will also bring watchful eyes to the village."
"And you're saying that's Itachi?"
Fugaku nodded at Yashiro's direction. "And Tsukiko."
He grimaced. "With all due respect, handing the girl over to Danzo will be like begging her to betray us."
"Tsukiko is not a traitor," Fugaku refuted firmly, his eyes cautioning anyone who spoke next. "I will not have my daughter spoken about like that. She has wanted nothing more than to be a part of this clan for several years now. If given the chance, I'm sure she'll prove as loyal as any of you."
"But you can't deny that there's risk in putting her in Danzo's power," Yashiro insisted, mouth curling with dislike.
"Consider it a test," Fugaku countered. "Let us give her false information. If the Anbu acts on it, we know she is working for Danzo. If not, then she is loyal. Either way, my mind is made up. She is joining the organization."
"But we are all comrades of the same village," he heard a murmured voice say—and it seemed he was not the only one to hear it. Hitting in a moment of silence, the voice had reached the ears of everyone in the building.
Its owner stood beside him. Itachi was silent now, head hanging as if to avoid their eyes, a mixed look of sadness and frustration on his face.
"What did you just say?" Yashiro asked, slowly, dangerously.
Eyes still turned to the ground, Itachi started speaking without seeming to direct his words at any one person. "The Senju clan and the people of Konoha are still our village comrades. And Tsukiko's as much an Uchiha as any of us...We should stop creating this distance and doing things to fan the flames of rivalry."
The bloodlust blanketing the room grew thicker.
Itachi appeared to notice this too, but regardless, he continued to speak. "One side does one thing, the other does it too. You kill your opponent, someone comes for revenge. And then a fight breaks out."
"Are you siding with Konoha?"
"You're looking at things from the perspective of who is your ally, so you can't see the big picture."
"You—" An enraged Yashiro leapt to his feet, reaching as if to grab hold of Itachi's collar.
Fugaku stopped the hand of his trusted aide.
"Chief!" Yashiro shouted, anger bleeding into his voice.
"Calm yourself."
"But!"
"It's fine. Calm yourself." His tone brooked no argument.
With an ostentatious sigh, Yashiro sat. Itachi didn't do so much as twitch, but instead stayed silent, head still hanging.
"Apologize, Itachi."
Everyone turned angry eyes on the silent boy.
"I understand what you are trying to say," Fugaku began, an underlying note of uncharacteristic gentleness in his voice. "But ideals and reality are two different things. What you're saying is at best an ideal. Fighting and war are indeed linked with hatred. But you are too young to understand the true predicament of those who are persecuted. If you could see what a difficult position the Uchiha clan has been driven to since the founding of the village, you wouldn't speak so lightly, or impulsively."
"I'm a member of the Uchiha clan too. I know about our predicament." How could he not, with the hatred and bloodlust hammered into him at each of these vile meetings?
"Then apologize!" Yashiro shouted.
A sad look in his eyes that spoke volumes about the disappointment he felt with his people, Itachi slowly turned his gaze to Yashiro. "I'm very sorry," he said in a voice that very nearly disappeared.
Fugaku clearly heard the cry of pain in his son's heart. He understood, almost agonizingly well, Itachi's desire to avoid fighting. But he understood to an equal extent the dissatisfaction of their brethren. Or rather, Fugaku himself had had trying experiences any number of times, in the life he had lived thus far as a Konoha ninja.
Simply because he was an Uchiha, he had been excluded from the village center. The dreams he had in his youth had been cruelly shattered, for the sole reason that he was of the wrong clan.
Hokage… A fleeting desire that would never be achieved.
"We'll talk about this at home," he said, pitching his voice so that only his son could hear him.
He got no reply.
"Itachi-Sensei!" The voice was shrill enough to pierce his eardrums.
Itachi turned around.
Konoha was full of people coming and going in the evening. He himself was in his way home. After the disastrous meeting at the Nakano Shrine, his father had been engulfed with questions, and Itachi had slipped away. He had no desire to speak to his father about the supposed burden of the clan, and why they were trying to ignite another war. Instead, he'd walked around the village, trying to figure out what made him so different from those around him. Why was his clan mistreated if they were supposedly better? And why was it that the village was so light and happy, people on the street greeting him with genuine smiles, while his clan saw him only as a tool, and mistreated Tsukiko?
Tsukiko… When his father had acknowledged her as his daughter, firmly putting the clan in their place, Itachi had felt a spark of hope. Perhaps his father was on his side after all.
That hope had died the instant Itachi had opened his mouth and was berated for his ideals in front of the whole clan. Humiliating. Now, all he wanted to do was run home to Tsukiko, and tell her that she'd been called Fugaku's daughter. That would surely lift her spirits.
She'd been so sad lately that he could hardly stand it. Every time she looked up at him with barely-contained misery, his chest hurt so much that he felt seconds away from collapsing. And the anger! Itachi hated the unabating fury coiling in his stomach at the sight of his fellow clan mates ignoring or tormenting her, simply because she was given a special ability. The hypocrisy of it all was sickening. They did to her what they claimed the village was doing to them, and no one seemed to realize this.
So, no, Itachi wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Nevertheless, he turned at the sound of his name.
Standing before him was a girl he'd seen before. Older than he was. The girl who had been his teammate a few months ago.
"Himuka. Himuka Suzukaze" the girl said with a smile, as if reading the confused Itachi's mind. That was the first time Itachi had ever heard her last name. "Congratulations on your promotion! And where's Tsukiko-Sensei? I wanted to congratulate her as well."
"Thanks. She's at home. I'll pass the message along." Himuka was older than he was. But as a ninja, Itachi was far more experienced. Given his strange position, he was at loss for what words to use. Should he speak more politely? Or informally? After a moment of indecision, he landed on "Thanks," and short, clipped sentences to explain where Tsukiko was. Itachi wasn't interested in a long conversation.
Not noticing this indecision on his part, Himuka looked at him with shining eyes. "I really admire you guys for getting such incredible results in the Chunin Exams! I'm proud that we worked on the same team together, even if it was only for a little while."
Itachi didn't know how to respond. He wasn't fighting so people would praise him, or be proud of him. It felt good to be acknowledged, yes, but it didn't mean anything. He would continue to excel, regardless of what others thought about him. Unlike Tsukiko, he didn't have to prove his worth every step of the way. Praise meant something to her, and absolutely nothing to him.
"Are you still on the team with that quiet guy?" He asked awkwardly, not sure what he could say to break the uncomfortable silence.
"You mean Yoji, right?"
'Ah, that was his name.' He felt a brief spark of shame. 'Tsukiko would've remembered…'
"Around the same time it was decided you'd be taking the Chunin Exams, Yoji was transferred somewhere else, and I haven't seen him since."
"Transferred?"
"It was pretty sudden. He didn't even say goodbye."
Itachi's intuition flared. What kind of transfer happened so suddenly that you couldn't even say goodbye? There was only one thing he could think of.
The Anbu.
But Yoji had only just been made a genin. And Itachi couldn't remember him doing anything vaguely amazing when they went on missions together.
"I'm working hard right now, with Yuki-Sensei and two new teammates," Himuka recounted in a bright tone.
As he nodded his head politely while she continued, Itachi carved the name Yoji into a corner of his mind, something to be investigated later, once he was part of the Anbu himself.
The only thing left to do now was to wait…
Now:
'It's time,' Tsukiko thought, a thrill of anticipation in her system. Her students were about to fight, to see which of the techniques they'd honed over the past month would overpower the other. For teammates, nothing could be more exciting, or challenging. The two girls were familiar enough with each other's styles that it really was anyone's guess who would win. Chiyo had the superior strength and an understanding of her opponent's psyche, but Midori's speed and quick-thinking were not to be underestimated.
It was a clear, beautiful day, a light breeze blowing through the arena, surrounded on all sides by a stadium filled with people. The wind carried the smell of the food provided for their guests, as well as a soothing respite from the overhanging sun, peering into the arena as if to watch the tournament with equal interest as those beneath it.
And the fights so far had been spectacular. From her perch next to the seated Hokage, being his personal go-between with the Proctor in the arena, Tsukiko had the best view available.
In the first match, Naruto had once again displayed an incredible understanding of the Shadow Clone jutsu, perfectly splitting his chakra evenly between them to avoid Neji's Byakugan seeking out the real one. Even more impressive was his control of the Nine-Tails' chakra, which overpowered Neji's Eight-Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms technique, a deadly attack that completely shut down Naruto's own chakra flow.
That had been a surprise. A main branch technique being mastered by a side branch member was unheard of. And at such a young age too. Neji Hyuga was truly a prodigy, the likes of which popped up every few generations or so.
But, he was still burdened down by his past, which was finally brought to light. Tsukiko had kept a close watch on Midori, knowing that she would be affected by her friend's pain, especially when he revealed his own curse mark, branded into his forehead at a young age. It hadn't been a pretty story, and Neji's bitterness against his clan was something Tsukiko could empathize with, far more than even she'd care to admit.
Still, in spite of it all, it caused quite the upset when Naruto won, bursting out of a tunnel and catching the Hyuga boy off-guard with a vicious blow to the chin.
And so, Neji lost, to the shock of those who knew him and perhaps everyone in the stadium, expecting the fight between a gifted Hyuga and a hated nobody to end differently. But, to Tsukiko at least, the outcome of the match had seemed necessary, for both boys. Naruto was acknowledged as a skilled fighter, and Neji was shown that someone could change their fate, if they tried hard enough. Lessons that would benefit both later in life.
And yet, Tsukiko couldn't say that either of them had displayed the necessary qualities of a chunin. While powerful, both were too emotionally immature, and were distracted from the mission by personal desires to fight. As a leader, that would get your teammates killed.
Next ought to have been Sasuke and Gaara's fight, but her fool of a younger brother hadn't arrived yet. Kakashi's doing, she supposed, telling the Hokage such. He had been training Sasuke on a cliff several miles away, and with the man's infuriating propensity for being late...
It had been a close call. The Hokage, quite understandably, was about to disqualify the young Uchiha when the Kazekage insisted they wait for him, wanting to show off the might of his own genin. The Leaf leader had agreed sportingly, not really wanting to disqualify the boy with his adoptive older sister glowering to his right.
'Lord Kazekage…' Perhaps it was the concern of an imminent attack, but Tsukiko couldn't shake the sense of danger creeping down her spine at the close proximity to the powerful man. Understandable, perhaps, as he was the leader of a ninja village and was expected to have a certain aura that demanded respect, but still…
"It appears your students are up next, Tsukiko," the Hokage interrupted her thoughts, smiling. "I hope you and young Masuko have imparted all you'd hoped to in this past month."
Tsukiko's lips quirked, putting her suspicions to the side for the moment. "Well, I wouldn't go that far, but Masuko certainly put Chiyo through her paces. And Midori has learned a new trick or two."
"And your own training?" The old man prompted with a sly grin, mischief in his old eyes.
"I think I got the idea after your...demonstration," the young woman said wryly.
And in truth, she had a much better understanding of Lightning as an element after this last month. Creating lightning by superheating the air wasn't necessarily a bad approach, but far too energy-consuming. Instead, all she had to do was to create friction between the positive and negative energies within her own chakra, and then control the resulting electricity. She was by no means a master now, but she felt confident enough to fight with it, at least. Of course, the real challenge had been the creation and implementation of new footwork, a mix of Fire and Water to keep the swirling energy firmly in her control. Lightning needed to be firmly grounded, but free to flow where it pleased.
"I'm glad." Lord Third leaned back in his chair as the proctor, Genma Shiranui, called for silence. He was the replacement for Hayate, whose body had been found by an early morning patrol just over a week ago. There was an ongoing investigation open, but the pride of the Leaf wouldn't be set back by the death of a proctor, and another had been swiftly found.
"Next up, Chiyo Mitsuru and Midori Hata," Genma announced, glancing up where the genin were waiting. He was a tall man in the usual chunin outfit, with the addition of a bandanna over his shoulder-length brown hair, and a smooth twig hanging out of his mouth.
The crowd, excited after watching Shikamaru versus Temari, took a moment to settle, still talking about what had just happened only minutes ago.
The pair had given the audience another fantastic fight, with Shikamaru showing off his strategic thinking, forcing his opponent to unwillingly fall within reach of his shadows by using his surroundings to the utmost advantage. It was especially welcome after the disappointment of Kankuro forfeiting his fight against Shino without even stepping into the ring.
That, coupled with Hayate's mysterious death, rose several red flags in the minds of the Leaf officials, which was exactly why Tsukiko could see two Anbu Black Ops squads being dispersed amongst the crowd, protecting the gates and the public from any acts of aggression that occurred. However, only eight ninjas for this huge arena was severely understaffed, meaning that the rest were busy protecting the borders from a possible invasion. And the Anbu weren't trying to hide their presence at all.
'Anbu out in plain sight. Ridiculous. That should've been the work of the Police Force.'
And yet, after the destruction of the Uchiha clan, no such organization had been recreated. The general public had been told it was out of respect, but Tsukiko knew the truth. There was no way Danzo would allow another group to take back the power he had gained. By allowing his Foundation members to mingle with the normal Anbu members, who took over the duties of the Police Force, he basically had a never-ending stream of information on the innermost workings in of everyone's lives. Nothing escaped his notice. All this despite the fact that the Foundation was supposed to have been disbanded. As if.
'And yet, it had taken them several hours to be alerted to Orochimaru's presence…' Tsukiko mused suspiciously, trying to ignore the ache in her chest. She hadn't been in this arena since she herself had been a genin, and it was bringing back some rather painful memories. Her shoulder began to throb with a phantom pain she hadn't felt in a long while. 'And there really should be more Anbu here to protect the guests…'
"Begin!"
Genma's voice cut through her thoughts, and Tsukiko refocused, slightly ashamed of being distracted when her students were fighting.
Down below, Chiyo and Midori were still, their mouths moving as they spoke too quietly for anyone to hear. Chiyo grinned, crossing her arms, and Midori eased back into her stance, her own smile playing at the edges of her mouth.
Predictably, Chiyo attacked first, trying to catch Midori off-guard and get inside her range, cutting down her chakra threads' effectiveness.
Tsukiko couldn't stop the proud grin from stretching across her features as Midori backflipped several times, her strings threading together like a shield in front of her to keep Chiyo back and gain some distance.
'As expected,' she thought, watching Chiyo with keen eyes. 'We prepared for her tactics. I thought Masuko would train her to be a heavy brawler.'
But Chiyo wasn't stopped. Her fists, armored with chakra, dealt two strong blows to the threads, shattering the barrier between them. Instantly, she was in front of a startled Midori, delivering a vicious kick to the green-eyed girl's side and sending her flying.
The older woman's eyes widened in surprise. Chiyo was a lot faster than expected. Her head snapped up, black eyes quickly finding the dark turquoise of her fellow sensei, seated in the crowd next to Kurenai and Asuma. Masuko smirked, her fang glinting menacingly as she quirked an eyebrow at Tsukiko's searching gaze.
The young jounin shook her head ruefully. 'So that's her game.' She mused. 'Chiyo couldn't possibly be expected to master chakra armor and keep her speed up with the dense energy holding her down. Masuko took years of training to build up her physical limits in order to do that. Instead, Chiyo's using—'
"Guerilla tactics," The Third Hokage mused, watching Chiyo bounce back, away from Midori's vengeful threads, only to circle around and use her enhanced speed to get close enough to land another blow, this time to Midori's unprotected back.
Tsukiko nodded with a frown. Chiyo was conserving chakra by only armoring the limbs she was attacking with, and instead directing most of her chakra to her feet to speed up, similar to the technique used in the Body Flicker movements. Using this speed, she was getting close enough to hit, before backing out of the way of the deadly threads. Rinse and repeat.
But Midori was excellent at figuring out patterns, and Chiyo was relying too much on her continued confusion to differ her moves and angles of attack.
When Chiyo next came in with a low kick to her side, Midori's threads wrapped around her ankle and jerked, pulling her off her feet to hang upside down. And, before the dark-haired girl could recover, Midori slammed her hard into the ground, creating a crater. Then, she used the opportunity to move to a new area of the field.
It was silent for a moment, dust obscuring Chiyo's body. But just when Tsukiko was moving closer to see if her student was alright, she burst out of the ground, breathing heavily. Across her chest, a cracked blue chestplate began to fall apart, having taken the brunt of the impact.
"Geez, Midori!" Chiyo shouted, brushing off her clothes. "When did you learn to hit that hard?!"
"I could say the same to you," the timid female replied, gesturing to the dark bruises on her arms. "You got fast!"
Chiyo smiled, her expression suddenly very Masuko-like. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet!"
Hands moving quickly, Chiyo shouted "Earthstyle: Racing Rock!"
As she shot forward in a blur of motion, so fast that she disappeared completely from sight, Tsukiko watched the ground. Sure enough, small sections were jutting back, the aftereffect of the ground giving Chiyo a push with each step, forcing her momentum forward and making her move at insane speeds when coupled with her earlier technique.
The only downside was if someone remained calm, unfazed by Chiyo's disappearance, they could, as Tsukiko had, seen the movements in the earth.
And unfortunately for Chiyo, Midori had lived for many years surrounded by Byakugan-users, whose overall sight was more powerful than any other clan. It had taught her to take in her surroundings, and her medical training had steeled her nerves. There was no panicking when operating on a patient, and the young girl had slipped into that same frame of mind now.
She laced her threads together once more, creating a dome around herself not unlike what Neji had done in his fight against Naruto and his many clones.
Chiyo appeared to her right, as Tsukiko had known she would, her armored fist smashing once more through the threads.
Or so the crowd thought, until the girl jerked her hand back with a shout of pain, blood dripping onto the dirt ground from the many lacerations in her appendage.
"What the hell?!" Chiyo nursed her bleeding limb, her eyes searching for the answer as to why she'd been hurt.
Meanwhile, Midori stitched the opening in her defense shut, her threads shining strangely as they caught the afternoon light.
The dark-haired girl's eyes widened. "Your threads have never looked like that before!"
'That would be the Wind chakra, sharpening her threads.'
It was surprisingly easy to incorporate into her technique, as her threads were always made of Wind chakra. All she had to do was envision it the way she wanted, and chakra threads became chakra wires, sharp enough to slice through Chiyo's armor with relative ease.
'She fooled her that first time,' Tsukiko thought, unsure whether to be proud for Midori or concerned for Chiyo's hand. Across the arena, Masuko looked like she was having the same thoughts, unsure whether to smile or frown. 'Midori let Chiyo punch through that first shield so she would get cocky and not pay attention to the change in chakra.'
And it would be her undoing.
Distracted by the pain, Chiyo didn't see that Midori was standing right next to the tunnel that Naruto had created, a fact she'd purposely obscured with her dome of threads.
Like Shikamaru, she used this to her advantage to attack, the tendrils coming out of the tunnel to latch on to her opponent.
"What the—?!" Chiyo was suddenly unable to move, each of her limbs held in place by tightening chakra strings. The harder she struggled, the more they tightened.
Midori burst out of her barrier, darting forward to deliver the final blow, her fist pulled back to slam into Chiyo's unprotected face.
But just before she struck, there was a slight hesitation, a clear moment of indecision as to whether she could actually hurt her best friend. Still, her momentum carried her forward.
"Haaah!" With a shout, Chiyo slammed her forehead, protected with blue chakra across her headband, into Midori's with a dull thud that echoed horribly through the otherwise silent stadium.
For it moment, it seemed to have no effect, both girls staring at each other silently. Then Midori's eyes glazed over and she fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Winner: Chiyo Mitsuru!"
Tsukiko had barely glanced at the Hokage for permission before she was out on the field, Masuko appearing a second behind her. The crowd was cheering wildly, pleased with yet another memorable battle.
Chiyo was kneeling by Midori, her own gaze slightly unfocused. "She's alright!" The young girl called, her voice relieved. "Just unconscious." She hugged her hurt arm to herself, using the bottom of her shirt to try so stop the bleeding from multiple lacerations.
Tsukiko saw the steady rise and fall of her breathing and relaxed, sighing heavily. Midori had been perfect, using the fights she'd already witnessed to incorporate Neji and Shikamaru's strategies and taking advantage of her opponent's weaknesses. But still, that hesitation would cost her the match and more than likely, her chance at being a chunin this year.
Still, all Tsukiko felt when she looked at the unconscious girl was intense pride that little Midori had been able to hold her own with the others. Perhaps she wasn't ready now, but someday very soon, she was going to be an excellent ninja. Her compassion and desire to heal others wasn't a weakness in this time of relative peace, but rather, a strength.
"I've got her," Masuko said, lifting Midori off the ground. She grinned at Chiyo, nodding her head. "Good job, kid. You pulled off our strategy perfectly. Soon it'll be time for the real test, so rest up."
Chiyo's chest swelled, and she nodded firmly, wincing slightly as the motion hurt her bleeding head. "Yes ma'am!"
Tsukiko smiled, playfully ruffling the girl's hair. "Just do your best, and you'll have no regrets. That's all anyone can ask for. Still, go get that arm looked at. You've lost a lot of blood."
Looking back up to the Hokage, Tsukiko saw another official lean in to tell him something, likely about Sasuke.
Eyes narrowing, she looked around as if she'd miraculously see him pop up somewhere. No such luck. If he didn't arrive in the next few minutes, his disqualification would be unavoidable.
'Sasuke, where are you?'
THEN:
"Lately, every time you come over, you end up talking about Itachi and Tsukiko," the Hokage said, sitting in his chair and puffing on his pipe.
Danzo stood at attention, watching him. He had advised Hiruzen several times before that a ninja shouldn't smoke, given that the scent of tobacco would linger on him. Hiruzen always laughed, replying that the Hokage didn't go on secret missions, so it was fine.
But Danzo hadn't been talking about the present. He was talking about being prepared. Hokage or genin, a ninja must never forget that at any given moment, in any given place, they were at war. If they needed to not be noticed by an enemy, the scent of the smoke hanging around Hiruzen would give them away.
Nothing was absolute in this world.
Unaware of what Danzo was thinking, Hiruzen emptied the ashes from his pipe into a dish on the desk, grabbed a pinch of tobacco from the container to one side, and put a flame to the bowl of the pipe. Purple smoke rose up and rolled out the window, disappearing on the wind, piercing Danzo's nose. Even as he winced at the unpleasant smell, his expression did not change in the slightest.
Hiruzen was an "acquaintance" from Danzo's days as a genin. He would never use the word "friend" to describe their relationship. Friendship was the product of feelings of collusion between human beings. People used the word "friend" for the wretched idea of leaning on another person. Danzo had never wanted to lean on someone or be leaned on himself.
Exhaling smoke, Hiruzen turned keen eyes on Danzo. "Just as you said, it's been five months since they were promoted to chunin. And, to be honest, Itachi and Tsukiko carry out their missions almost too perfectly. Even on missions using genin, they have such a grasp on each of their areas of specialization, and give such impeccable orders, it's hard to believe they're only ten. The reports they send in, too, are very nicely in order, strictly following the format."
He paused, cocking his head. "I'm interested to see what they can do separately. Taking their age and preference for teamwork into account, I've allowed Tsukiko and Itachi to go on every mission together. But if they are both equally skilled, it would be better to have them split up and double their amount of successful missions…"
Danzo, not liking the direction this was taking, chose that moment to interrupt. "So those two years as genin were a loss to both of them as well as the village, hm?"
"Better to think of it as a necessary experience." Hiruzen always considered things with a positive view. This way of his was likely what earned him his popularity among the ninja out in the light. However, shinobi were essentially creatures of the dark, their nature's lending them to be successful in war, not peace. Danzo always thought it amusing how the Anbu has been set up, as if they could keep the light and dark separate.
"Speaking of…" Hiruzen dumped ashes into the dish, and sighed. Then he sat up a little straighter in his chair. "Lately, long hours of desk work tire me out. Maybe I'm just old."
"That's your job." His tone held the faintest trace of bitterness, but went by unnoticed.
"Not a single word of sympathy for me?"
"Tell me the story you were about to start."
Snorting in amusement at Danzo's unapproachable manner, Hiruzen opened his mouth. "Fugaku Uchiha made an interesting proposal."
'Fugaku…' The sour face of the head of the Military Police Force popped up in Danzo's mind, along with the feeling of dislike. That man had been a thorn in his side for several years, interfering with Anbu matters.
"He sounded out the idea of Tsukiko and Itachi joining the Anbu."
The instant he heard this, Danzo's heart leaped up, and very nearly did a little dance. He was, however, not so foolish as to allow this glee onto his face. "I see," he replied calmly, waiting for the Third Hokage to continue.
"Fugaku says that neither of them will be able to use their abilities to the fullest in the Military Police Force. He's not looking at them as his children, but from an objective perspective. Itachi has surpassed most of the adults in terms of skill with his Sharingan, and he's worried for Tsukiko. As expected, after her performance in the Chunin Exams, her abilities have stirred up negative emotions in the clan, and he thinks she would be happier working away from the compound. Fugaku believes that the two children possess unparalleled talents as shinobi, and that it's his duty as a father to guide them to a place where they can be happy and fully utilize their skills. And so he came to me with the possibility of them joining the Anbu."
A darkness in the depths of his old eyes, Hiruzen turned a questioning gaze to Danzo, but continued speaking, stating his own opinion and those of his advisors. "Homura and Koharu are totally opposed, at least to Itachi joining. They say it's preposterous to have an Uchiha in the Anbu, given its status as a special unit under the direct control of the Hokage. They asked me if I'd forgotten about how the Second Hokage established the Military Police Force."
"The Police Force was created to drive the Uchiha clan away from the central functions of the village.
"Mm." Sighing uncomfortably, Hiruzen packed tobacco in his pipe for the third time.
"Maybe you could stop while we are discussing important business, at least."
Like a child scolded by his father, Hiruzen shrugged his shoulders slightly in dissatisfaction, before setting the pipe down on his desk. "They went so far as to bring up your name, you know. Even if they did eventually agree to the boy being in the Anbu, what would you say, given your dislike of the Uchiha line? Nothing but pushback from those two."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, a headache forming. "Of course, they agreed that Tsukiko would be a fine addition to the Anbu, but how can I go along with that? If we take her and not Itachi, it'll only further fan the flames of dissent with the Uchiha. They already feel that we are against them, and adding the one girl with the ability to make the Sharingan useless to the special unit of the Hokage is just asking for conflict. No, one cannot join without the other. Still, those two were quite adamant that you would refuse."
Homura and Koharu of the Konoha Council. They were also "acquaintances" of his since childhood, old people with no great talent who had not stood out during the harder times of the fierce Great War, when so many of their comrades died. They had managed to live such long lives through luck alone. But they had the self-awareness at least to know that they should gratefully accept the honorary positions on the Council. They didn't have the power to push their own opinions through without leaning on someone with a bigger, more authoritative voice.
"So I assume you're also—"
"Can't we just let him in, then?"
Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly, a note of suspicion rising up in them. Before, he'd acted like an old friend with Danzo, but now, his awareness as the Hokage kicked in. Naturally, he also thought Danzo would be opposed.
"You understand that in order for Tsukiko to join, Itachi must, as well?"
But Danzo was not opposed in the slightest. Quite the contrary. Fugaku's proposal was a godsend. Right from the start, he had planned for both children to join the Anbu, whatever he had to do to make it happen.
"Yes, I understand. I see no problem with Itachi joining as well. It would be better, in fact, for young Tsukiko to have someone she knows and trusts with her, to help her adjust."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly, and Danzo wondered if he'd overdone it a little. But he needed both children. Itachi Uchiha was an essential element in fulfilling Danzo's ambitions, and Tsukiko was a weapon the likes of which he hadn't counted on. Her little showing at the Chunin Exams had made her more valuable than Itachi, in the long run. Ideally, he'd like to quietly shuttle her off to the Foundation to become a tool for his disposal, but her position in the Uchiha clan made that all but impossible. Instead, he'd planned on separating the two children, and fuel the hatred of the Uchiha clan against her, switching her loyalties to him and the village. But all that hinged on her being made an Anbu member, something he feared Fugaku would never allow. The fact that the proposal had come from that side was nothing more than a windfall.
"I know you're partial to Itachi, but I thought you would've shown some disapproval of putting him in the Anbu." Hiruzen didn't try to hide the probing look in his eyes.
Danzo was calm in the face of the other man's suspicion. "Itachi is the sort of ninja you see once every hundred years, and we've been further given his match in Tsukiko. Even if he is an Uchiha, we cannot afford to not take advantage of everything he has to offer the village."
"That answer sounds very much like you." The Third Hokage nodded deeply, as if he was convincing himself. "If you approve, then I don't have any objection to the two joining the Anbu, either. To eliminate this rivalry between the village and the Uchihas, we need to first win over the hearts of the young people. Bringing Itachi and Tsukiko into the center of village life should be a good opportunity for that."
Danzo would never agree with Hiruzen's optimistic thinking. But he was grateful that the Hokage approved of Tsukiko's and Itachi's entries into the Anbu, whatever his reason.
"But Itachi and Tsukiko are only ten. We need to see that they're ready for the Anbu."
"A mission to join the Anbu, hm?" Danzo didn't mind in the slightest.
"Exactly."
The bandaged man smiled then, the first sign of emotion he'd shown this whole meeting. "Would you leave that to me?"
NOW:
Tsukiko glared down at the empty arena, her temper starting to flare. Was Sasuke coming, or not? At this point, it would serve him right if he was disqualified! Sasuke and Kakashi were both showing a complete lack of respect for the proceedings and for the two Kages seated next to her.
"Lord Hokage," she said stiffly, leaning over and lowering her voice. "I'm afraid there's still no sign of Sasuke."
"Right," the old man said with a sigh. "Then we have no choice." He lowered his head, disappointed. "We'll just have to proceed. We've kept these good people waiting long enough."
"Ten more minutes," the Kazekage interrupted, his voice smooth and convincing.
"Huh?" Both Tsukiko and the Hokage turned to the man next the them.
The majority of the Kazekage's face was covered by a white cloth, but his blue Kage hat did little to hide his eyes, which were looking ahead appraisingly. "Surely we can give him another ten minutes."
"Lord Kazekage?" Tsukiko raised her eyebrow questioningly. 'Can this truly be all about Gaara fighting against him?'
"This is what the crowd's been waiting for," he explained, glancing around as if to prove his point. "It would be a cruel blow to cancel. They might even turn ugly. After waiting this long, surely another ten minutes won't hurt."
"Hmm." The Third Hokage looked around the arena, noting the steady rise in angry voices.
Tsukiko stared at the Kazekage. That was the most he'd said in her presence, and there was something...familiar about his tones and speaking style. He was convincing, but in an almost sinister way that had sparked a quick moment of recognition in her mind that she wasn't able to place before it faded.
'Damn, I'm too distracted. I need to focus on keeping the Hokage safe. Directing my anger at two people who aren't even here is a waste of energy and attention.'
"There is something in what Lord Kazekage says, I must admit." The Third Hokage spoke after a long moment of silence. He turned to his Sand counterpart. "Very well, then. We'll give Sasuke another ten minutes to appear before cancelling the match."
Lord Kazekage said nothing, but something in his eyes flickered, appearing pleased.
"Go," the Hokage ordered, gesturing to Tsukiko while keeping an eye on the blue-clad leader of the Sand. "Tell Genma my decision."
"Of course."
Tsukiko took a step back, then leapt into the air and into the ring.
Genma was just standing in the middle, ignoring a shouting Naruto who was going on about how they couldn't cancel the match.
"Lord Hokage wants to wait ten more minutes," she said briefly, her voice clipped with irritation. Tsukiko waited just long enough for him to nod before appearing back beside the Hokage several seconds later.
"Sir, I'd like to apologize on Sasuke's behalf," she said stiffly. "He should know better."
The Third Hokage smiled warmly, waving her apology away. "It's not your fault," he said amiably. "If anything, I should've known this would happen, given that he was training with Kakashi." He sighed. "So, seeing as we have ten minutes, tell me, Tsukiko. Have you decided to accept that mission I mentioned to you the last time we spoke?"
Tsukiko quickly caught his meaning. The Kazekage was likely listening, and information on the discovery of the missing Amaya Shrine was not something you freely gave to the leader of a rival village, allied or not.
"Well, I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. I'd have to leave the village for a fair amount of time, and I don't even know what sort of results a mission like this would yield."
"Very true," the old man admitted, leaning back. "Still, there's a possibility you could find some information on that little problem of ours." He looked at her meaningfully.
'The Curse Mark…' Tsukiko bit her lip, nodding. Akihiro had traveled all over the Five Great Nations, and had probably learned any number of things. Curse Marks and the like had been used frequently in the first Great Ninja War, so it wasn't completely insane that he'd researched them.
"At any rate, I've already given you official permission to leave the village whenever you are ready," the old man continued. "The document is written up in my office, so there shouldn't be an issue if anyone objects to your leaving."
'Homura and Koharu…' The two were elderly shinobi on the Konoha Council who had been trying for three years now to keep Tsukiko on a short leash. They claimed that sending her too far away was dangerous, as other villages would try to steal her eyes. As such, they objected to any mission that put her too close to the borders of the Land of Fire.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Tsukiko bowed her head, her thoughts troubled. She just wasn't sure if it was a good idea to leave Sasuke right now, with Orochimaru dangling power in front of him like a fishhook. The boy was too smart to stumble blindly into a trap, but he might go willingly into it if he thought he could gain power.
'It all depends on whether or not I can promise Sasuke more power than Orochimaru…'
But she didn't know if she could.
"Alright, the time limit has expired," Genma announced, looking closely at his watch.
Tsukiko crossed her arms with a sigh. They'd been sitting in silence for the past few minutes, only for the crowd to be even angrier and Sasuke to still be missing.
Genma raised his hand. "So I'm officially calling this match—"
He stopped suddenly, his attention on a leaf that fluttered past him, seemingly out of thin air.
'Finally!'
A small whirlwind appeared in the arena, stirring up leaves and dirt before settling to reveal the two missing shinobi.
"Sorry we're late," Kakashi said loudly, his voice carrying. "You wouldn't believe the traffic!"
The older man flinched suddenly, feeling as if he'd been pierced by something. He turned, and paled slightly as he met the furious gaze of the white-haired woman standing next to the Hokage.
Kakashi raised his hand peacefully, but Tsukiko's glare darkened further. If looks could kill, Kakashi would be six feet under.
Across the arena, from her spot next to Kurenai, Masuko flinched. "Geez, mama bear mode has been activated! Kakashi might actually die…"
Asuma chuckled nervously. "I didn't think Tsukiko could even make that expression."
Kurenai nodded. "Even Lord Hokage looks uncomfortable sitting next to her."
As for Tsukiko, she was firmly trapped somewhere between relief and fury. Relief that Sasuke had made it (sort of) in time and that he was safe. And fury that he hadn't arrived sooner and had to make a dramatic entrance to play off that fact.
'His hair is longer,' she thought distractedly, switching her glare to the younger boy.
Sasuke steadfastly refused to look at her, despite feeling daggers in his side.
Kakashi leaned over, muttering conspiratorially. "I say when this is over, we make a run for it. Otherwise, neither of us will live to see the second round."
Sasuke's face didn't change, his attention fixed on the Proctor as he waited for him to speak. He did, however, incline his head slightly in agreement.
"And you are?" Genma asked finally, getting a slight revenge as he allowed the two tardy shinobi to suffer under Tsukiko's glare and his quiet refusal to speak, showing that he was also unimpressed with their actions.
"I'm Sasuke Uchiha," the boy answered solemnly.
Predictably, the crowd started cheering wildly, and Naruto started shouting about how "It's about time!" and "I thought you were too scared to face me!"
Watching the two boys banter, Tsukiko felt her anger cool just slightly. It was good to see Sasuke acting his age and enjoying himself. If he had a good time during the matches, then she would be happy.
'But he's still getting one hell of a training session,' she thought darkly. 'He has no idea what's coming.'
Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, turning to Genma apologetically. "Sorry if we kept you waiting, but, um, how late are we? I mean, it's not like Sasuke is, well, disqualified or anything, right?" He laughed nervously, clearly sweating. "Because, um, Tsukiko might actually kill me if that were the case."
Genma sighed, biting his stick. "Like master, like pupil, even down to your lousy sense of time."
"Well, what about it?" Now Kakashi looked actually worried.
The Proctor continued, enjoying the teasing. "You know, you were so late that we extended the deadline for you, twice in fact. And it's lucky for you that we did, because you just barely made it. No, he's not disqualified." He glanced behind him. "So I think you escaped death, but I'd still hate to be in your shoes."
"Oh, that's a relief!" Kakashi relaxed visibly. "You had me worried there for a minute. So, we're okay?"
Tsukiko heard a slight laugh from the old man next to her, and she turned her head. "Yes, Lord Hokage?" She asked, her voice deceptively light-hearted.
"Just go easy on them," the old man chuckled. "Kakashi means well, even if his timing leaves much to be desired."
The young woman nodded stiffly. "I'll keep that in mind."
Down in the arena, Gaara stepped out of the tunnel for the fighters, taking his place a few feet away from Sasuke, his arms crossed in his usual stance.
"Alright." Genma stepped forward. "The rules for this match are the same as in the preliminaries. The fight continues until one of you dies, admits defeat, or is incapacitated. However, I can stop the match, but that's solely my decision."
Gaara's shoulders shook with laughter, a maniacal expression across his face. Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow.
Genma slowly raised his hand, allowing the tension to rise in the crowd.
The Hokage traded glances with the Kazekage, and Tsukiko found herself making eye contact with the two Sand ninja attending to their leader. They nodded in acknowledgment of the moment, everyone realizing that this match would determine who was stronger: the Leaf or the Sand.
"Begin!" The Proctor leapt back as he shouted, clearing the field.
Sand exploded out of Gaara's gourd, and Sasuke, who hadn't seen the preliminaries, leapt back in surprise, putting some distance between them.
But Gaara seemed distracted, suddenly clutching at his head as if in pain. Tsukiko couldn't hear what he was saying, but Sasuke seemed a little freaked out.
Gaara seemed to gain control of himself after a long moment, his sand falling to the ground and curling around his feet.
"Here goes!" Sasuke threw several shuriken, testing Gaara's speed.
The sand blocked the projectiles easily, turning into a clone of Gaara that leapt at Sasuke and exploded in a deadly wave.
Sasuke jumped up as the wave smashed down where he'd been just moments ago, but the clone was expecting this, tossing Sasuke's shuriken back at him.
The Uchiha boy blocked the weapons with a kunai knife and landed in front of the clone, immediately launching into a series of kicks and jabs. He slammed his arm into the clone's throat, only for it to be stuck there for a moment. But before the sand could enclose him, Sasuke punched the head of the clone and destroyed it. Then, inside Gaara's range, he aimed his fist at the Sand boy's face.
The sand rose up to protect its master, but that was a feint.
Sasuke vanished, appearing behind Gaara with deja-vu-inducing speed, exactly mimicking Lee's fighting style. The Leaf genin's fist made contact with his face, and Gaara was thrown backwards, his sand hurrying to cushion the landing. Already, the sand armor he employed was cracking, and Sasuke had only landed one blow.
Tsukiko's eyes quickly spotted Kakashi, standing next to Guy and Lee, who both looked shocked at Sasuke's sudden upgrade in Taijutsu.
'Nice,' Tsukiko thought appreciatively. 'Kakashi has fought against Guy so many times, with a Sharingan, no less, that it was probably no sweat to recreate his style and teach Sasuke.'
Like Masuko, Kakashi had realized that speed and physical attacks worked the best against Gaara's defense.
Gaara slowly stood, glaring at Sasuke. A small chunk of his face appeared to fall away.
"So that's your sand armor, huh?" The young Uchiha smirked. "Come on." He beckoned Gaara forward.
But the red-haired genin made no motion, preferring to defend and attack when his opponent was in range.
"If you won't do it," Sasuke growled. "Then I will!"
With a burst of wind, Sasuke was gone, appearing behind Gaara again. Like Chiyo, Sasuke seemed determined to stick to guerilla attacks, hitting fast and getting out of the way.
The sand was a little faster, but unable to block the kick that sent Gaara flying back.
"What's the matter, Gaara?" Sasuke asked, his leg still extended. "Is that all you've got?" He narrowed his eyes as Gaara stood, but continued to smirk. "I'm going to tear off all of your armor!"
Tsukiko watched with wide eyes as Sasuke shot forward again, pride replacing any anger she may have felt. To see Sasuke in his element, fully convinced he was stronger than his opponent, filled her with intense happiness. Despite all of his talent, Sasuke was often made to feel like he wasn't strong enough, which is what made him strive for power. To see him confident for once was incredibly gratifying.
He ran around Gaara, his speed nearly creating a small tornado. If she had to guess, Tsukiko would say he was just a little slower than Lee with his weights removed. But that was still fast enough to beat Gaara's sand.
Again and again, Sasuke got past the sand and landed one or two blows before backing away. Soon, Gaara was on the ground, large cracks visible on his arms and legs.
But Sasuke wasn't wholly unaffected. The speed was putting a definite strain on him, from his heavy breathing.
'That can't be all,' Tsukiko thought, crossing her arms. 'Lee was faster and stronger, but he still couldn't win. Sasuke has to have another technique at the ready.'
Gaara seemed tired of playing, and gathered his sand to him, creating a sphere around himself with a small hole in the front that was quickly closing.
Sasuke darted forward, trying to hit him one more time before the sand blocked him completely.
Spikes shot out, hitting Sasuke, while his fist punched into the hardened wall protecting his opponent. It was like trying to punch steel by this point, and from the pained expression on his face, Tsukiko guessed that he had broken or at least fractured his hand. From her viewpoint, she could see blood from a wound on his face, his leg, and of course, his bleeding knuckles.
'Damn!' Tsukiko bit her lip hard, drawing blood. 'And here I thought Midori's dome of chakra wires was a great defense. For a genin, or even a chunin, it's going to be tough to break through that sand without some serious Ninjutsu…'
Watching closely, her keen eyes saw something forming in the air above Gaara. Eyes turning yellow, Tsukiko decided to get a read on this kid's chakra.
Pushing her dome out, she felt the chakras of all the people in the arena, but her concern was only for the two on the field.
As she'd suspected, there was something there. An...eye?
'He must use that to be able to see outside his defense…'
But what was really worrying...was the chakra inside the sand sphere. It was spiking all over the place, a mixture of Gaara's and...something else.
Tsukiko narrowed her eyes as Sasuke charged, throwing kunai knives to distract the sand before appearing from behind.
But that trick wasn't going to work anymore. With the eye above watching, the spikes appeared just before he hit and gave him several more wounds for his efforts. They followed him as he jerked back, leaping into the air to slam his foot into the top of the sphere before jumping off and landing several feet away.
'Sasuke's still faster than the sand, but he has to be smart.' She felt a smile tug at her lips. 'Come on, Sasuke! Kakashi said he was going to teach you his signature move. If you managed to learn it, you can win this!'
From the spike in his chakra, Tsukiko could tell that Sasuke had activated his Sharingan before the last attack. Now, he leapt all the way back to the arena wall, crouching near the top of it as he performed a series of hand signs.
Her heart rate increased as she saw him grasp his right wrist with his left hand, the same movement Kakashi had shown her for summoning lightning. "So he did learn it!" She exclaimed, beaming.
The Hokage glanced at her questioningly, but said nothing, too engrossed in what was about to happen.
Gaara's chakra continued to fluctuate, becoming less his and more of the other energy.
A ball of lightning appeared in Sasuke's hand, that familiar chirping noise becoming louder and louder. The lightning tore at the rock of the wall, and as he moved his hand, the damage grew as the energy obliterated anything it got too close to.
'Lightning will beat an Earth jutsu every time.' Tsukiko thought smugly, practically bouncing with pride. Now the training was obvious. First Kakashi built up Sasuke's speed and stamina, before teaching him a second chakra nature, which was far beyond the grasp of even most chunin. And for him to have learned the Chidori, a physical manifestation of Lightning chakra in its rawest form, in only a month was beyond even her expectations.
"He's amazing!" Tsukiko grinned, turning to her left. "Isn't he, Ita—"
Horror stopped words in her throat, and her good mood evaporated at the scene her mind conjured up in that moment of vulnerability.
It was like a snapshot of a future stolen from her, a glimpse of what could have been had that night not gone so horribly wrong.
Itachi was seated next to her, smiling with barely-contained pride for his younger brother, the red Hokage hat he wore doing little to hide his expression. He caught her eye and his smile widened.
"Tsukiko?" The Third Hokage's concerned voice snapped her out of it just in time for Sasuke to go tearing down the side of the arena wall, kicking up plumes of dust with every step.
But Tsukiko wasn't watching anymore, too overwhelmed with what she had just seen. She had gotten too excited, had fallen back into her mental frame from three years ago, where every joy (especially where Sasuke was involved) was shared with Itachi. And that mindset had conjured up an image she in her heart of hearts had dreamed of since she was small.
In another world, Itachi would be the Hokage, the first of the Uchiha line, and she would be his key advisor. Together, they would have ended war, brought peace to all the villages, and would have watched Sasuke grow into his power with the adoration of two older siblings. That's how it was meant to be.
Before everything had been ripped away.
Tsukiko stepped back, clutching at her shoulder where he'd stabbed her, where he'd tried to kill her. Just like everyone else in the compound.
"Tsukiko? Are you alright?"
She met the Third Hokage's rising concern with a weak smile. "It's fine, Lord Third. Just an old wound playing up."
Shaking, Tsukiko forced herself to watch, trying to find the mental stability to reactivate her Gensogan, and failing miserably.
It was through blank eyes that she saw Sasuke dart forward with a loud cry, a blur of light and smoke. His Chidori, the only Ninjutsu technique Kakashi didn't copy from someone else, was meant land a blow of immeasurable force at incredible speeds. A blade of pure energy that couldn't be stopped. Gaara's defense stood no chance.
The spikes tried to stop him, but Sasuke was moving far too quickly, and his hand, engulfed with deadly lightning, slammed through Gaara's sand like a hot knife through butter.
The Third Hokage leaned forward, eyes wide. "That technique—it's Kakashi's!"
He turned to Tsukiko. "Did you know that he was teaching this move to Sasuke?"
She smiled weakly, clearing her throat. "Uh, yes sir, I did know."
"Hmm." His piercing eyes took in her form. Her hand, still clenching her left shoulder, was shaking slightly, and her eyes were wide and unfocused.
"Tsukiko," He said finally. "Go check in with Kakashi for me. I'd like to know exactly how long Sasuke took to learn the Lightning Blade, and how many times he can use it. I don't want the boy to die from overusing his chakra with such a dangerous technique."
It was an obvious dismissal, no matter how kindly he said it or what reasons he gave. He was worried about her, and clearly thought she needed a break from her duties.
"But, Lord Third—" She glanced at the Kazekage, who was too engrossed in the fight to notice them.
"That's an order," he said gently. "Return when you have the information I asked for."
Silently nodding as shame colored her face, Tsukiko used the Body Flicker technique to appear on the opposite side of the arena, near where Kakashi, Guy, and some of the Leaf genin were standing. She didn't approach, however, taking a moment to gather herself and continuing to watch the fight. This was Sasuke's big moment, and she would not let the memory of his older brother intrude.
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream echoed from the field below, and all thought was wiped from Tsukiko's mind except to locate the source of the pained sound that raised the hair on the back of her neck.
"BLOOD! THAT'S MY BLOOD!"
'Gaara?!'
The screams were coming from inside the sand sphere, and were so loud and painful, one would believed that the young Sand ninja was being tortured.
'It looks like Chiyo was right,' she thought grimly, finding the dark-haired girl standing next to Naruto. She was covering her mouth with both hands, and looked about two seconds away from diving into the arena. 'I don't think Gaara's ever been cut before. The trauma of seeing your own blood and feeling that pain for the first time...I can't even imagine.'
Sasuke, meanwhile, seemed to be unable to pull his hand out. Lightning flared as he used his Chidori a second time, loosening the sand enough to yank himself free.
But something followed him.
A long clawed hand, colored like sand but with blue, vein-like cracks on it, reached out for the young Uchiha.
"What the hell is that?!" Tsukiko ran forward, skidding to a stop next to Kakashi as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.
"Tsukiko? Where did you come from?"
The arm couldn't grab Sasuke in time, and slowly pulled back into the sphere.
The white-haired jounin activated her Gensogan, switching to Wind to get a read on whatever the hell that thing was.
What she saw was a mass of angry red energy, somewhat reminiscent of the Nine-Tailed Fox in terms of structure and negative chakra, but on a much smaller scale.
'Is that...another Tailed Beast?'
It wouldn't be the first time a person was used to control a Tailed Beast, and explained the Kazekage's interest in Gaara's success. Used properly, Gaara could become a formidable weapon for the Sand village, but...he was just a boy…
"Tsukiko-Sensei! What's going on?!" Chiyo's pleading voice broke through her thoughts, and she looked up to see the others watching her. "Can you see what that was?"
Before Tsukiko could answer, the thing inside the sphere shrieked, shaking the ground and echoing through the stadium.
And then the sphere began to crack.
The sand bulged grotesquely for a moment, then fell away to reveal Gaara, breathing heavily and clutching tightly to his injured left shoulder, blood staining his clothing and dripping down his hand.
"He looks...alright," Chiyo said, unconvinced.
"Perhaps," Tsukiko agreed, unable to feel any more of the angry chakra. "Looks like he got himself under—"
She broke off, feeling a subtle change in the air. In front of her, white feathers floated down, tempting her to sleep.
'Genjutsu.'
Contemptuously, she switched to Fire, banishing the feathers and any trace of suggestion from her mind.
"Kakashi, do you feel it?" Guy asked from behind her.
"Yeah, a Genjutsu," the silver-haired man replied.
"Release!"
"Release!"
All around them, everyone was asleep. Only Sakura had been fast enough to avoid getting trapped in the Genjutsu. But across the stadium, Tsukiko saw several Leaf ninja, including Masuko and the other senseis, still moving around.
"The Hokage!" She said with a sudden realization, turning her attention to the man whose company she'd just left.
Slowly, almost as if the world was temporarily moving in slow motion, she saw the two aides to the Kazekage remove something from their cloaks, and then a cloud of dark smoke obscured her view.
"Lord Hokage!" Guy cried, the both of them moving forward.
"Leave it to us!" A squad of Anbu shot over their heads, running to protect the Third Hokage.
"Like hell! I'm going too!" Tsukiko shot after them, her heart pounding rapidly.
'Damn it! The Sand really was planning an invasion after all…'
Landing on the rooftop with the other eight Anbu, Tsukiko was immediately noted by the white-garbed Anbu captain. "Squad One above. Squad Two below! Protect the nobles at all cost. Amaya, clear this smoke away!"
"Yes sir!" She stepped forward, eyes glowing yellow.
Two Sand ninjas leapt out of the fog, aiming straight for her, but the Anbu captain was faster.
"You will not interfere!" He shouted, and with a flash of kunai, the Suna shinobi lay dead. "Amaya, now!"
Sucking in a deep breath, Tsukiko shot a burst of air from her mouth that fanned out, clearing the smoke to reveal the Kazekage, his arm around the Hokage's neck with a kunai glinting threateningly in front of the old man's face.
Before anyone could move, the Kazekage jumped into the air, taking the Hokage with him to the top of the roof.
And the two dead Sand ninjas began moving, two forms bursting from the clothing of each corpse to land on the four corners of the orange and white-tiled roof.
All four of these new shinobi were Sound ninjas, probably in their teenage years. One boy, with dark hair and six arms, smirked at the Leaf ninjas.
"Finally, it's my time."
"We've all been waiting for this." The new speaker was a boy with silver hair and a second head on the back of his neck. "I was so frustrated hiding in that disguise."
"You're all sweaty, too," added a girl with red hair and a strange hat. "So gross."
"Come on," the last one interrupted, bald except for some odd tufts of orange hair. "We're all friends here, right?"
"Sound ninja!" Tsukiko growled. "More of Orochimaru's pets!"
"Then we don't have time to waste!" The Anbu captain declared. "Let's go! We have to backup Lord Hokage! Beware of traps!"
"Yes sir!" The four Anbu went different directions, leaving Tsukiko to advance in front, trying to keep the attention on herself and draw their fire.
"Do it," the Kazekage ordered.
"Right!" The Sound ninja adopted identical poses. "Ninja Arts: Four Flames Formation!"
A purple barrier appeared around them, cutting off the Sound ninjas, the Kazekage, and the Hokage from the rest of the village.
Tsukiko stopped herself before she touched the barrier, but one of the Anbu ninja weren't so lucky. He slammed into it and instantly burst into flames.
"Aaaah!" His scream was long and loud, but faded as he was swiftly devoured by the fire.
"Damn!" The Anbu captain landed next to Tsukiko, the other two behind him. "We have to figure out a way past this without dying. Any ideas, Tsukiko?"
The informal use of her name made her turn, half-recognizing the voice. "Akio?"
"It's been a while," he said shortly. "Nice to see you. Now, do you have any ideas on how we can break through this barrier?"
"Well, it seems to be a focused form of Fire. Maybe Water?" She offered, falling back into the old camaraderie they'd shared when she was an Anbu ninja.
"Try it," he ordered.
Tsukiko's eyes turned blue, and she gathered her chakra, reaching for the water in the river behind the stadium, where she began to pull it towards her.
"Well, I never. The Sand village has betrayed the Leaf village?" The Hokage growled, disdain dripping from every word.
"The treaty between our two villages was simply a trick to make you let down your guard," the Kazekage replied. "This petty little battle game ends now. From this point on, the course of history will change."
"What are you saying?" Even with a kunai at his throat, the Hokage was calm and in control. "That you're going to start a war?"
"That's right," the Sand leader declared.
"I don't think so!" With a shout, Tsukiko pointed all the water she'd gathered at the barrier, freezing it into several dagger-like shards of ice. They hit the barrier hard, melting away like popsicles.
"Try again!" Akio placed a hand on her shoulder, familiar with how to give her his chakra. "Pull more water, and make a wave!"
Meanwhile, inside the barrier, the Kages continued as if she hadn't spoken.
"Armed conflict resolves nothing," the Hokage said firmly. "We should seek a resolution through negotiation. There's still time, Lord Kazekage. You can reconsider."
The younger man laughed softly, closing his eyes. "Perhaps the fear of death makes one more cowardly with age, Sarutobi-Sensei."
The Hokage's eyes widened. "You!"
All of this went unheard by Tsukiko, who was too busy trying to hold up a massive amount of water to drop onto the barrier. As it inevitably evaporated, she would switch to lightning, and the water would conduct the deadly current along the barrier, hopefully overwhelming it.
"Captain!" One of the Anbu, sent by Akio to check the inside of the building, returned. "As expected, we won't be able to go underneath. The barrier continues down past the roof and blocks off the ceiling of the floor below.
"So the Hokage is completely trapped inside unless he can kill one of the casters or we can break it," Akio summed up, bitterly.
"Doing my best here!" Tsukiko growled, sweat dripping down her forehead. The sphere of water above her head was steadily growing larger, but it wasn't anywhere near enough to last longer than a second or two against the flames of the barrier. Determinedly, she increased the amount of water flowing upwards from the river.
"Tsukiko!" Akio was suddenly shouting in her ear to be heard over the roar of the water. "Sasuke's alright. He's gone after Gaara!"
"Good," She managed, panting under the strain. "Sasuke won't let him get away."
"That's a shame," the Kazekage sighed. "We had intended to capture Sasuke while Gaara was causing trouble. But I suppose not everything goes as planned, does it?"
Tsukiko's attention shifted back to the Kazekage the moment he'd mentioned her younger brother. 'So he is working with Orochimaru!' She cursed.
"I see." The Hokage glared at his Sand counterpart. "So that was the plan. Then, the Hidden Leaf Village and Sasuke were your targets. Is that correct?"
"Ha! Do you really believe that the Leaf Village is so important?" The Kazekage scoffed. "Now, if Gaara returns, I'll be able to show you something very interesting. But anyway, your stubbornness and incompetence have allowed me to outmaneuver you. I've defeated the great Third Hokage."
"Hmph. Nothing is decided until the very end. I taught you that years ago, didn't I?"
Tsukiko's head snapped around, and her control over the water wavered. "What?!"
Then the "Kazekage" reached up, and ripped off his face, revealing white skin and dark gold reptilian eyes.
Absolute fury and fear welled up inside the young woman at the sight of the face she'd been cursing for the past month, searching for any sign of. And yet, he'd been sitting next to her, within killing distance, all along.
'Orochimaru.'
A.N. Whew! That was a long ride! Recap time!
So, from the flashbacks we learned that Tsukiko is being shunned and low-key threatened by the Uchiha clan, and feels more alone than ever, especially now that she's separated from Itachi at night. We also learned that Danzo has very specific plans for her future.
In the present, we had Chiyo beat Midori. The point of this fight was to show how Midori thinks, using the strategies of those before her to almost win, and also to show how Chiyo would have dealt with Gaara's Ultimate Defense. So, yes, their fight and the Sasuke vs. Gaara fight had several similarities to highlight that.
Also, Orochimaru! Poor Tsukiko needs to trust her instincts more. Oh, and I hope you enjoyed that little glimpse she had of what could've been. My sister yelled at me for that one. *insert evil grin*
So, anyway, it will NOT be another four weeks until the next chapter. I'll try to get a better schedule going and try for every two weeks.
P.S. All the praise for Gaara's voice actor, Liam O'Brien. Jesus H. Christ, that scream he did when Gaara got hurt is horrifying! RIP his vocal cords!