Chapter 4
About the Clan
"Lord Madara, he's awake." said one of the men that had arrived with Izuna last night.
Madara, who was sitting outside the cave, the one they had settled in for the night, got up in an instant. He had been worried about his little brother the whole time he was being healed. As a matter of fact, he went outside more like made to go outside because he had been creating trouble the entire time, not letting Sayura work with the little chakra she had.
When he went inside, he found Izuna sitting against the wall. He was awake. He still looked a little tired though. He tried to get up but was stopped by Sayura as he groaned.
"You can't move properly just yet. You'd injured your muscles by over strainin' them. I tried to heal you with the little healin' jutsu that I knew, but it's not enough to help you recover completely. You should rest for some time." She explained and got up.
She left them alone so that they could ask each other about their well being. She quietly went outside and stretched her arms. She opened her bun, and her locks of hair dropped in a twisted tail, she then ruffled her hairs and the strands of her let themselves out from the bunch and now stood in separate tufts. They had indeed grown and reached her lower waist.
The sun was up and spread its arms all over the place. Birds were awake and had set out to look for food; it was quite since they were the only people present there.
"Sayura." she heard a call her, she turned around and found Madara and two of those men standing behind her.
Before Madara could say any further, Sayura interjected and said, "You want to know about what's happenin' in the unit, right?"
"Very well then."
She took a deep breath and began to explain, "Most men of the unit are convinced that you're too young to be the leader. They think that you might be the strongest and most skilled amongst the clan but it's not enough to be the head of the clan. To them age factor is important."
"Lord Madara, wasn't this the proposed reason during the selection of chief commander?" interfered one of the men.
"It was." he replied in a low voice. There was silence for a split second after which Madara asked, "What do we need to do then?"
"The opinions of the majority of the members are affected by the opinion of the head. But some among us think otherwise. Thus, the unit has been divided. The ones against your leadership have threatened that if you continue to be the leader they will separate themselves from the clan. The only way to stop this is change the opinion of the head. For that I'd suggest you go and talk to him directly."
"If that's the way it is. Take us to the head, I want to talk to him." he commanded her.
"No." she refused instantly.
All of them were bewildered. "Wha- Why?"
"Because I'm dead tired, and I doubt you." she took out a folded sheet of cloth from the pouch tied to her obi and went inside.
"Why do you doubt me?"
"What if you did something inappropriate? Who knows?"
She untied the pouch put it on the ground in a corner, where her sword rested, unfolded the sheet and laid down on her side with the sheet on top covering her entire body from head to toe. She was a caterpillar in a cocoon. Everyone was exchanging glances and now their gaze was fixed on Madara.
He went towards her and stood there. "Sayura, I know about the betterment of the clan, why would I do something that will turn against us? Sayura, Sayura . . ." He started calling her name out on a repeat
She ignored it at first, hoping he would stop if she doesn't responds. But that's not what happened; in fact he increased the frequency and started to say it even faster. Sayura grunted and yelled, "What?!"
"Take us to the head."
"Didn't I just tell you I'm tired?" she sat up straight, "I've not rested since yesterday! I need to take a break."
"But we need to go to him, and you are aware of that."
She sighed and got up, "Fine, I'll summon Chairomaru, he'll take you there."
She bit her left thumb, applied the blood on right palm and moulded her chakra with the hand-signs and then planted her hand on the ground. A little tiger cub appeared. It has smooth, shiny brownish fur with black strips all over it. It has brown sparkling eyes, small cute ears, pink nose and a tiny tail.
Sayura rubbed the bridge of his nose with her fingers and said, "Hello Chairomaru, how are you sweetie." He purred softly.
"Do one little task for me, take them," she pointed towards Madara and other, "to the main base. You know the way, right?" then she got closer to him and whispered, "And if your life gets in trouble then you are free to go back. But everything will be fine, I think because they are some good shinobis." she winked at him, "Got that?"
"Yes, Lady Sayura." he said in squeaky voice.
"There you go; he's ready to take you there. Now hold him in your hand"
The cub came towards Madara.
"In my hand?" he was amazed yet confused.
"Yes, he so little how will he be able to travel at your speed? Come on, hold him."
"That is how he's going to travel throughout the distance?"
"Well you can place him on your shoulder but he might fall." She went to fetch her pouch, emptied its items and said brightly, "Or you can place him inside this and carry him."
She put Chairomaru inside it and buttoned it as to prevent him from falling. It took out him head from the side of the pouch. Then she tied it on his obi.
Izuna, Sayura and two of the clansmen were made to stay at the cave. While the rest of them set out for the main base.
At the cave, Izuna and Sayura rested inside while the men sat nearer to the mouth. They talked to each other, while Sayura dozed off and Izuna quietly laid there, pondering in his thoughts. He was prohibited to walk therefore; he had no other choice but to remain there.
While the half of them remained, the other half were in forests. They had directed towards north-east as told. They were travelling through the forest, no one was saying a word, and they all were focusing on the directions of Chairomaru.
At the same time, Kazu entered a small cabin, along with two men. They all stood in front of a small desk, with the other two standing some feet behind Kazu.
"Sir they met at the forest. I had him believe me, we were about to reach the checkpoint, but-"
"She came there." said the man, seated on the opposite side of the desk, in his grave voice "And you fled from there."
"Sir we could not outrun them, if-"
"Don't give me excuses of why you couldn't do it. I do not wish to hear any of that. Now if you leave, I would go back to doing menial tasks at hand."
"Sir Daichi, we apologise for our failure at the given task, please forgive us." they said in chorus and bowed down to him.
"So you wish to have redemption?"
"Yes sir. If there is anything we-"
"Fine then, I have a little something for you to do. But this time remember you shall not fail me."
Two hours passed and Madara and his men were only half way there. They had halted for a while as Chairomaru had got a little confused with the directions. He was out of the pouch. It had already been 15 minutes since they stopped but still it wasn't sure which way to go, Madara was getting a little annoyed now.
"You are hopeless." he grunted.
"I am just a little confused, no need to be so irritated by that. I will find the way." He hopped in one direction and then another, "Only if you could take me to the top of this tree, then I could tell you." he pointed towards a tree.
Madara gestured one of the men to take it there and he instantly picked it up and climbed the tree. Upon reaching the top Chairomaru took a good look all around and after five minutes he came was brought down.
"It's that way." it said heading towards the north.
"You don't want to be in the bag?"
"No I will manage."
"Well then, it's time to go."
All the four men started off at speed and outran the little cub. It stopped seeing the gusty men.
"Uh . . . maybe I would like to stay in it. Wait! Did you listen me? Put me back!"
Back at the cave, Sayura was awake but was still has got up. Izuna, who had gone out for some time, came inside just the way he had left-with a man supporting him.
"How are you feelin' now?" she questioned
He put him down comfortably and cautiously and went outside.
He groaned and said, "Ah-Better."
"I'll see if there's anythin' I can do."
"I am just curious, where did you learn the medical ninjutsu?"
"You see, whenever the clan requires certain information about any other clan or territory, it sends a request to our head with the requirements, and then a team is formed and sent out to complete the mission. When we're completin' it we often get to copy others' jutsus and during such a mission I got to learn it. That's it."
"Got to learn it?"
"We-we often disguise ourselves, so . . ." she said and laughed nervously.
"Hm-so how long have you been there?"
"For 13 years, I think."
"That's why I haven't seen you before, despite the fact the big brother know you well." said he zestfully.
She chuckled.
"Well I've seen you when you're a baby, and honestly I didn't really thought you'd have grown so much, I guess I still thought of you as a baby." she chortled and said, "Pretty much like your brother still does."
Izuna sighed deeply and his face showed a frown and Sayura bursted into laughter seeing his reaction.
"He really does treat me like a baby and I don't like that." he whined, "Don't do that; don't go there, it's a little restricting."
"He's concerned about you."
"I won't die if he would be a little less concerned." he sulked.
Suddenly Sayura stopped.
"Well you can't blame him," her voice grew darker and quieter, "especially after all that happened." All the laughter had washed away from her face and she was staring at the light coming outside lighting up the cave.
"What?"
"I mean he's-he's another older sibling being a little over protective for his younger brother." she said nervously.
"So you also have a younger sibling?" he asked keenly.
"Ah, no I'm with you on this one. I also have an elder brother."
"So you both work together."
"We did until he resigned from here."
"Resigned? Why?"
"He got married so he went back to the clan and now works there."
"So you have never gotten back to clan since you came here?"
"No I haven't." she shook her head lightly.
"Don't you miss anyone? Your parents? Friends?" his voice was filled with concern.
She didn't spoke for some time. "My parents . . . died when I was young. And I do miss my friends but I fear they won't be like they used to and we might have nothing anymore."
Grimness filled the air. Their tongues were tied; they didn't know what to say. Both understood the loss of the irrecoverable moments of bond one could have developed, now lay like shattered pieces of glass. So they let the air be refreshed with chirps of the birds that flew outside and the rumbling of leaves.
Chairomaru caught the sound of footsteps coming closer to them. He got aware and alarmed everyone.
"Someone's coming our way! I hear their footsteps. There are maybe two or three people."
"Who is it?" asked one of the men.
"I don't know that, they are not yet in my area of vision yet."
"Everyone stay alert and be prepared might have a battle to win." Madara said.
"But Lord Madara, it might be they are not our foes."
"Definitely but we shall not take any risks, understood?"
"Yes sir!" they chorused.
The activation of four sharingans sounded at once.
"I can see them! They appear to be of the clan. They are wearing same outfits. We are not much far away from them."
"What do we do now, Lord Madara?"
"Our actions depend on their purpose. We do not aim to fight with them for two reasons: they are our clansmen; and any clash between the clan will allow others to take hold of us, and I certainly do not wish that."
"There here!" Chairomaru yelled.
They stopped. Three men appeared; they all stood like statues, nobody said or did anything, they were just staring each other in the red eyes. Kazu took his hand behind his back, Madara's team took stance. Kazu held a scroll in his hand, they got relaxed. He then threw it towards Madara and he caught it. He opened it and read.
"Sir Daichi wants to meet you, Lord Madara. Please come with us."
