O The Behind Scenes of the Third War O

part one

"A man in haori, clouds on his head,

goes on a mission, for what his lord said

A man who hath daughter and sons,

He raised them and ran

The rain is vast, far dangerous than man

The reaper is fast, seeking ones who run

A man in haori, dies by his son

setting grief in his apprentice's sun

The Sun sets out to meet the cruel world,

to negate the darkness a thousand fold

He fought the rain and spoke with the reaper,

Set things right and honored his father

The Sun is bright and stood by things right

The Sun came back as the apprentice's own

The man rejoiced and held him tight

Finally, his dear son hath return"

I'll be the first one to admit it but I have absolutely no poetry skills, whatsoever. After the clusterfuck that was Orochimaru's supposed defection from the village, there were a lot of things that happened, and I am not one bit happy with the changes. Because for one, I didn't remember immediately with all that was happening in his new life, but apparently, I had manifested my Byakugan early. If he were a full blooded Hyuuga though, he would have been able to manifest it at an even earlier date, but it is what it is. Second, he was just told over his fake ass grieving for his father that he was supposedly a half-Aburame. I mean how cool was that? He could block tenketsu and stop someone's chakra from flowing, he was also capable of housing kikai that could drain someone else's chakra down. If he was not a blessed child with his wonderful genes, he didn't know what is. Third, the Chūnin Examinations were almost here for the year and he still had no clue what to do with the damned Kanabi Bridge mission. Fourth, around the same time the clean up for the Defection Accident was, the Hokage had reportedly kept a child from the now infamous Hebi Experiments, one that screamed of Yamato (or Tenzou, Kishimoto never did disclose his real name) and formally and legally adopted him, with his excuse of 'Asuma needing a brother.'. Brother, my ass. He probably discovered the kid had Mokuton in his repertoire of jutsu. Fifth, apparently, with the minimal snooping he had done, he caused a butterfly effect (how that happened, he did not know) and made things much more complicated. The timeline has been wiped clean and he was not sure if Orochimaru defected from the village before or after Minato was declared unofficial Hokage. It made his head hurt that he had so much to shoulder and no one to share the burden with and that it was so unfair that a now 17 year old had to carry this huge of a problem. (Life is never fair, look at you. A small voice suspiciously like Megami's.)

Which now brings us to why I am here, sitting outside the Academy, paper and pencils in my half-decimated, half-haphazardly patched ladybug bag (that I refused to let go off, this bag is special to me) at my side, my mother at the other. She had apparently broken a few bones, nothing that the medics could not heal of course, but the minor things like a sprained wrist or ankle she did have to just wait out. At first, I did not know or understand what the medics meant by 'minor injuries' when they told my mom she just wait for it to heal when we went to the Hospital. Her right ankle was purple and black, until a few inches above it down to her heels. It was swollen twice or thrice it's normal size and it turns out, it only looked so bad and it looked like it hurt more than it really did because my mom was pale and she had naturally small ankles. She only had to continuously run chakra over and over her ankles for it to not hurt when she tries to walk. Anyways, back to why I am waiting outside the Academy gates with my mother. A certain brown-haired boy I wanted to meet because the rumor mill of Konoha spreads stuff far faster than Minato could ever hope to be. Ninja grape-vines were also the root (get it? Root? Ninja? Tenzou? Okay.) of why we are here. Kazu can't keep his mouth shut and I am thankful for once.

I didn't have to change the kid, really. Just get close enough to him that he'll trust and defend my logic. I feel bad for plotting to manipulate him but I guess, if people want to live with half an aching heart, (Okay, I am being mean but with me existing, some things are bound to change, whether I interfere with Kishimoto's fantasy world or not.) they would have to just give me a little bit of their trust because I'm working so hard on trying to make their lives easier.

The bells rung and I started to pick my stuff up, carefully sliding the paper in (my mother helped me create a stackable, bento-like sealing scroll, which was kind of in an intermediate level but she was a clan head of a merchant clan, she gotta know something about storage) and patting the imaginary dust off of my black satin yukata, our clan crest proudly sewn into the back of my collar. We were not as proud as the Uchiha to put our crest right in the middle of our clothes where it's big enough to see that you're a walking target.

A few kiddies ran right out of the Academy gates and I sat back, staring at every brown-haired kid to find Yamato. Or Tenzou, whatever his name is gonna be now. A pair of white-masked, discreet ninjas appeared on the roof of the waiting shed, which we were currently under. My mum visibly tensed up before opting to stand close behind me, putting a hand on the top of my head to steer me closer to her so my back was against her knees. Spotting black, beady eyes, I pull on the sleeves of my mother's kimono, urging her to go a little faster so we could get to Yamato before the ANBU. Or whoever they are. I felt sorry and guilty when I realized my mum was still injured so I peeled myself off of her and ran over to Yamato, getting to him and catching his attention a hair faster than the ANBU.

"H-hi! I'm Ken!" I said, sticking an arm out and enthusiastically shook his unwilling arm, before beaming at Mister (Miss? Was I being sexist? Oh god, don't bash me.) ANBU and silently directed his sight towards my mother, who was standing proudly behind me now. He visibly stood straighter and backed off few steps, before catching himself and redeeming his pride by relaxing himself and acting all unbothered. My mum was quite the fearsome person when it came to children. He, meaning Yamato, pulled his hand off of my grasp and stared. Not scared or akward with my sudden introduction, but stared like he genuinely had no feelings towards our fateful encounter.

"Who might you be?" The ANBU asked, although I know he knows I had known that he knew me. Whoa, that was surprisingly grammatically correct, pat me on the back. Plus a pat on the head for using every tense for 'know'. I directed my blinding smile towards him again and introduced myself for the deaf, kinda stupid ANBU, for I had already made my introduction, no need for me to obviously repeat it. He shifted as though he just realized what he just said I felt my mother tense once again. Must be the other ANBU.

"W-we must go now." He said (to me or the the other kid, I did not bother to think about), pulling Yamato gently away from me, making some sort of handsign to the other ANBU and got the hell out of there, a confused Yamato in his arms. I turn to face my mother whose eyebrows were furrowed, still staring at where the Mokuton-user was once standing. She turned to me, relaxed her feature and squatted (you know, that one asian squat, where even now that I am technically asian, I still can't do it.) so we were face to face. She leveled her gaze to mine and sighed, before patting the side of my neck, shaking her head. "Why do always cause your Mama trouble, Ken? Is it fun?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her voice, making me scratch my head. Why would me introducing myself to Yamato cause trouble? I tilt my head to the side to show my confusion and she just straight up laughed at stood up and offered me her hand, the other holding onto her kimono so the from hem was just right above her feet. I hold onto her as we walk away from the Academy.

I heard someone snicker at me and then I realized, we were the only ones in the street. My mum was quiet and her face was neutral the whole time. Was I going crazy? Or is it this the time where I will meet my own Inner person like Inner Sakura? A familiar warmth eveloped me and I almost sighed and simultaneously sagged in relief, now that I remember that I still had a tenant. And that she had yet to pay her dues. How dare she ignore me for days on end!

I never took you to be such a stupid child. She said, tone smug and overly condescending. I sigh outwardly, my mum's eyes landing on me for a few seconds before she tore her eyes away from me to greet a merchant at the side of the road.

'Shut up, Megami. You owe me." I said, waving at some Ushijima lady urging her kid to greet me. She beamed at me and I returned it, albeit at a much less approach.

What do I owe you, brat? And since when? I saved your scared ass when you froze up. She said and I frowned. Who was this and what have they done to my polite (scary) and not-so-potty-mouthed tenant?

'Where's polite Megami? Who are you?'

Nah, I ain't keepin' up that act no mo'. Believe me, that was fuckin' disgustin'. She growled, before she materialized at the side of Ken's mind, not in her last outfit though. Now, she was wearing lose shorts, almost like what Sasuke wore in that blue and white ensemble he had before he defected and followed Orochimaru, kind of like basketball shorts, in black. A black loose mesh shirt that she topped with a matching black loose tank top on top of it. She was barefoot and was sitting so unlady-like and what looked like man-spreading on what seemed to be a throne loosely inspired by the Iron Throne. She was munching on potato chips (HOW) looking like an absolute bum. She chewed with her mouth open and it bothered Ken a little bit, as he heard sickening crunches almost every second on their way back to the compound.

I demand a better treatment! She said through her annoying chewing, her right hand going up to scratch at the top of her head.

'Yeah, yeah. Sure.' I say, rolling my eyes at her sudden change of attitude. Ma gently pulled me closer to her as we pass the more 'modest' parts of Konoha. Some people didn't appreciate 'rich clan members' in their turf so we always had to be quick and walk silently. Well, today's not a good day.

"Oi! What are ya rich people doin' 'ere?" Someone yelled just as we took three steps into their territory.

"Ah, we're just passing, sir." My mother said, urging me to come along and walk. He scowled and took a few steps towards us, fists raised in preparation for a clumsy punch. Kick him, kick him! Megami urged as I slipped through his legs, my mom effectively and effortlessly dodging his punch. Who's the dumb ass that made that one law where a shinobi cannot lay a finger on a civilian? Who? I grin as I punch his crotch, my height totally helped in making it land right where it would hurt his future and his future children. Okay, that works too, brat. Heh. I opted to just ignore her as the man doubled over in pain, knees shaking visibly.

A hand caught the man's shoulder as he almost fell forward, pulling him up upright so he didn't fall on his face. There stood Minato, his genin team just a few steps behind him. The girl, Rin, obviously knew the man as she ran over to help him up, calling him by name.

"Oh dear. Are you alright, Ubugawa-san?" She asked, taking over and helping the man stand. Her eyes landed on my mother and widened, before she ushered the man out of our sight. A few seconds later, she poofed right into existence beside Obito, who was not startled in the least.

My mother's left eyebrow went up as her eyes met Minato's, before smiling at Obito.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Uchiha-kun." She said, inclining her head in a curt version of a bow, before Obito-nii scrambled to bow. Oh right, they still have not met from the hospital days of Obito. "I'm sorry for not having the time to go to your compound, ma'am. Madam. Ushijima-sama?" He rambled, before Kakashi hit the back of his head to stop his rambling.

Ma laughed, before composing herself right after. "It's no problem, genin teams are needed right now, after all, war is looming over us." She said in a neutral voice, before she took my hand and excused us, leaving Minato and his team standing on the side of the street. She stopped and turned back around, telling Obito that the offer still stood, before bowing again and us leaving for good. War was near? What? When?

"Ma? What mean with war?" She turned her head towards me and did the squat again, flattening my hair. "Let's talk about it in our house, okay? Mama doesn't know if you understand yet, so please bear with me for a little while." She said, picking me up in her arms before dashing to the compound, the blues and whites and muted reds blurring into brown as we travelled at great speeds back to the house.

She slowed down once we reached the front door in the Main House, setting me down as Kazu greeted us from the genkan. Quickly changing our slippers, we sat in our living room couch face to face, Kazu coming with us just for the heck of it.

"I know you're smart for your age, but I will stop answering questions once I deem you know enough about what's going on." She said, crossing her legs.

"As you know, peace talks have been failing lately. Iwagakure has been accusing us of kidnapping a renowned jōnin of theirs and Kumogakure has been encroaching on our borders. I reckon, you have memorized all five of the Great Villages?" She asked, where I nod and wait with baited breath.

"Konoha will accept the desist of ceasefire and go into war. I have been meaning to tell you this but I am not allowed to go into the fray and am exempted, knowing our clan is mostly made up of merchants." But your brother isn't. Was the unsaid words she wanted to say. I understood the implications of war, and no matter how much it hurts me to accept it, my brother was an important asset to the village.

"Okay." She shifted on her seat and cleared her throat to continue.

"As I was saying, Konoha will soon go to war. She has been pulling everything off in order to get as much genin and chūnin in the ranks. Your friend, Obito, might be chosen to become a chūnin in the Exam, this time around. Even that little girl in Namikaze's team might get promoted. We are fighting on more than two fronts, and we need to pull all the stops there is. We need as much firepower as we can afford to bring to the battlefield." She said in an apologetic voice. Kazu was also looking apologetic but I know that Obito would survive. Not just in the way he's supposed to recover. And most certainly not in Konoha.

"We were told to only reveal Wartime Operations to our most trusted, and I believe you know what me telling you those things entail. Do not tell anyone about the War until the Hokage himself addresses it. Am I understood?" I nod numbly, before going over to where she sat and hugging her knees. Kazu wrapped an arm around Ma's shoulders and she held us both, voice cracking as she let all her worries out.

"If it were up to me, I would never bring children as young as them to my battles. I would never bring young men and women with bright futures and families waiting for them for the sake of honor or for the village. I just wish the people would see that all these are unnecessary bloodshed. It hurts my heart that you have to fight in order for us to survive," she tightened her hold on Kazu's forearms and let him wipe a lone tear that dropped down her cheek and turn to pin her eyes on me. "—and it also hurts me that you have to grow up in this horrible, horrible condition." She said before the dam broke and she cried for her sons. I kept my composure as Kazu held Ma in his arms,opting to keep quiet than say something and make her even more upset.

Now that I have successfully fucked up the timeline, time to plan around the things that are sure to happen.

First step, what to do about Obito and Rin's future deaths?