"Perfect timing. I can here sensei moving towards us." I whisper. We all tense and place our backs together, forming a three-point manji formation around Shinko, who clutches the box to her chest for dear life.
I draw my odachi, fingers firmly gripping the tsukaito, the reassuring feeling of the silk braid in my hands. Beside me, Itachi has drawn a pair of kunai, and Tenma has readied a bo staff.
Chapter 28: Eggs in a Single Basket
"This better work!" Tenma muttered, voice full of resentment.
A cloud of smoke bursts into existence in front of him. In a wide arch, the kunai held underhanded swung towards Tenma. The boys boa staff swung into motion, displaying of the years of practice that went into the instinctual movement. The bamboo rod deflects the kunai, and swings towards Sensei's abdomen. The pair of males exchange a few quips and blows before disappearing in another puff of smoke.
"That was SO easy!"Tenma mutters, arms greedily grabbing the wooden box from Shinko's protective embrace.
Without warning, or even a puff of smoke, Yuki-sensei reappears, this time, in the center of our formation. Whirling, we turn to face the man. Shinko, who had already been facing him, takes this opportunity to strike at the invader. She curls he hands into tight fists. Her feet move forward into run, and her body twists as she leans into her punch. The aggressive fist flies rapidly through the air, towards the shoulder of the older man.
Instead of turning and blocking the punch, Yuki-sensei shifts his weight to one side. Crouching on a single leg, while his other leg extends to the side. Shinko's eyes glimmer with recognition as she realizes that she cannot stop her movement in time. Her left leg collides with the jonin's, gravity takes over, and she falls to the earth.
Yuki-sensei materializes in front of Itachi, swinging a kunai. I gasp lightly, but Itachi quickly intercepts the blow with his own knife. The pair exchange a few blows, and Itachi holds his own against the jonin. Sensei, in order to avoid a particularly aggressive slash, side steps into my range. I halfheartedly swing my odachi.
"You'll have to attack with killer intent if you want to stop me, blondie." The jonin smirks.
"I am pretty sure that I'd get in trouble if I actually hurt you though..." I mutter.
"If you could, genin." He retorts, scowling, while striking at me. I parry the blow. He really is much slower that nii-san... I scold myself for the random thought, and strike back at sensei, matching his speed. Did his eyes just widen a bit? Did I surprise him? We start to exchange a rapid series of strikes, blocks, reposes, and retaliations. He doesn't seem to be planning on stopping any time soon, and I can't keep this up forever. A plan starts to formulate in my mind. If he didn't have those kunai... I carefully portion out a section of chakra to do a jutsu. Sensei attempts a move Minato taught me. If performed successfully, it would disarm me. I let it happen. His kunai pair lock my blade in place, while he twists it out of my hands. I let the odachi fall. My hands leave the ribbon wrapped hilt, and grab the rings on the end of the kunai handles.
I surge the chakra I had set aside, and the kunai vanish. My palms sting painfully as the kunai merge with my skin, but the pain is worth the shocked expression on Yuki-sensei's face.
However, the jonin doesn't take long to recover, throwing a punch towards my shoulder. I attempt to dodge the blow, but his angry fist scraps across my shoulder.
"I thought I told you no sealing." He says, irate. I stumble back from the force of the blow, twisting as to not fall onto Shinko.
"You only said that I couldn't seal the eggs." I respond, dodging another strike.
Sensei next attack comes in the form of a sweeping side kick. Responding on instinct, I dive into a roll. My fingers wrap around my odachi's handle, but sensei saw this coming. His foot rests on the middle of the blade, his weight anchoring it in place. His hand is moving towards his kunai pouch.
What do I do? I am not trained for this. Someone who knows a lot more than me is standing on my weapon while reaching for another of his. Racking my brain, I find myself unable to find anything Minato, Shisui, or Kushina taught me that could help me in this situation. What do I do?
For years after, I would remain convinced that Itachi noticed me freezing in the middle of that fight. He would deny it adamantly, saying that he was only worried about how short his own spar was, but I believed he just wanted to help me.
First a surge of chakra, then a wave of heat, followed by a wave of fire rushed past me towards Yuki-sensei. The seasoned jonin recognized the Uchiha's beloved fireball jutsu, and knew to get out of the way. Sensei leaped straight up, easily clearing twenty feet. I also scramble backwards, away from the intense heat. Dragging my odachi with me, I scramble to stand next to my team.
The jonin's feet connect with the earth. The only sound is a faint crunching of the grass as he lands in a fighting pose, two more kunai drawn. His lips contort into a disapproving scowl as his eyes look over the rake over his genin team. Reluctance evident in his voice he says, "You pass."
"Really? I was so worried because-" Shinko starts to chatter.
"You all have a lot to learn, if you want to survive. Aimi-chan, give me back my kunai."
Obediently, my hands fly through the familiar hand signs, and smoke cloud appears in my hands, only to dissipate are reveal the jonin's kunai. My feet move silently across the grass, as I proffer the stolen weapon. Without a glance at me, he swipes them from my hand. I shuffle back to my original spot, standing alongside my team. The jonin proceeds to throw the kunai towards four trees, each in a corner of the field.
"You will run laps around this field. In order to guarantee that you do not cut the corners, you will tap each of those kunai will one of your own when you reach the corner. Got it?"
"Yes, Yuki-sensei," The four of us say in unison.
"You will meet here at nine o'clock sharp every morning, and run laps like this until I arrive." He starts pacing, listing off rules that we are to follow, times that we are to arrive at places, and training exercises that we must do on our own. At the end of his lecture her turns to us, looking us each in the eyes. I can't help but feel like he is ... resentful. "Don't die. It's a lot of paperwork for me to fill out if you do. Understood?"
"Yes, Yuki-sensei," We chorus.
"Good," He cracks a smile. "Pull out a pair of kunai and start running. Boys clockwise, girls counter clockwise. Go."
We all scramble into motion, wanting to please our sensei.
"I'm home." I say blandly, as I cross the threshold into the apartment.
"Welcome back," Kushina calls from the kitchen. "How was your test?"
"It was fine." I say, dragging myself slowly into the apartment.
"You okay, sweetie?" Kushina says, noting my disgruntled appearance.
"Tired. I just ran way to many laps."
"Why don't you sit at the table? Minato will be home anytime, and then we can eat. I made ramen, 'ttebane!"
With the promise of my favorite food, I suddenly find the motivation to move slower than a turtle, as I take off my shoes in the entry, and settle at the low table. However, the burst of energy leaves as quickly as it arrived. I watch my red-headed sister-in-law putter in the kitchen, washing dishes she used to cook dinner. Her long red hair, sans her bangs, is held in a high ponytail. Her pale blue apron has an embroidered uzumaki swirl on the tip. The blue contrasts nicely with the orange t-shirt and blue leggings. I giggle internally when I see she is wearing the fuzzy pink slippers I got her for her birthday.
"Kushina-neesan... do you need any help with dishes?"
"Awe! That's so sweet of you to ask, even when you look like you could fall fast asleep sitting there. I'm okay, but thank you. What did you do today in training?"
"We ran laps for five hours."
"Really?" She lets out a light giggle.
"Really." I cross my arms, letting them rest on the wooden surface. My face burrows it's way into my elbow, enjoying the relief from the bright industrial lighting. A long, breathy sigh builds in my abdomen, and slowly makes it's way out my body.
Tap-tap.
I hear the telltale footfalls of my brother, showing that he hiraishined directly into the kitchen. Lazily I drag my eyes away from the flesh of my arm, and glance over to where he has landed. Kushina still hasn't noticed, and Minato doesn't announce his presence. Instead, he just stares at here for a moment, seemingly transfixed by the Uzumaki. His shoulders relax, as his demeanor shifted. He went from being the Yellow Flash of Konoha, one of the most feared/revered ninja in the world, to being Namikaze Minato, husband and brother.
"Kushina." My brother whispers, as to not frighten the fiery ginger. She gives a start, twirling while brandishing a ladle. Her eyes soften sweetly when her gaze falls upon my brother. I feel vaguely as if I am interrupting a private moment. Kushina crosses the small kitchen in two steps to stand infront of my brother.
"So, What did Sandaime-sama want with you?" She asks.
"Well..." He hesitantly starts.
"Did you get scolded?" She teasingly interrogates./
"He wants me to be the fourth Hokage." Minato says. My eyes widen in surprise. My big brother is going to be hokage? Uh oh. Wasn't that Kushina's dream too as a child?
Kushina, who apparently wasn't listening, continues, "Oh really? Don't mind the Hokage..." She pauses as the information clicks in her mind, she turns to Minato, brandishing the ladle once more. "What?! What did you just say?" She demands.
"I've been named the Fourth Hokage."
For a tense few seconds, they stare at each other. Kushina's wide violet eyes stare in shock, before her 'o' shaped expression bursts into a bright smile. She throws herself into his arms, holding him tight. "Congratulations, dattebane!" She excitedly jumps for joy, kicking her feet, throwing Minato's balance off. Her fuzzy slippers fly into the air.
"Hey! Hey..."
How are these two- two of the most feared ninja in the five nations?
I smile at the sweet scene before me. After a minute or two, Minato takes his shoes to the door, before settling down next to me at the table.
"How was your day, imouto?"
"Nii-san... I take it back."
"Take what back?"
"I don't want to be faster than you anymore. If ever run again it will be to soon." Minato gives a loud laugh, while Kushina breaks down in a fit of laughter. The redheads infectious laughter fills the room, and soon infects us all. I lean partially against the table as wipe a mirthful tear from my eye.
I gently straighten the heavy, silk kimono that Kushina insisted I wear. The bright -I resist a shudder- pink fabric has scattered groups of flowers embroidered in navy and silver thread. The waist of the rose hued dress is held tight with a silver obi. I looked in the mirror, feeling ridiculous. How did she manage to get me to wear this?
"PLEEEAAASE?" The Uzumaki had begged.
"No...it's so...girly?" I winced as I looked at the cloth draped on the hanger.
"I know, right?"
"But...how is someone supposed to fight in something like that?"
"Simple. You don't." Kushina grinned.
"But-"
"Please..." She gave me a sorrowful look, begging me silently with her shining violet eyes. I was about to rebuff her attempt to persuade me, but she speaks first.
"It's been so long since I was able to go shopping with one of my sisters." I had immediately realized what she meant.
She hadn't seen any of her sisters since she moved to Konoha with her grandmother, and now, they were all gone.
"Ok. I'll wear whatever kimono you want me to." I relent.
"Oh good," Kushina immediately hung the pale grey and blue kimono back on the rack. "'Cause I was thinkin' this one might suit you better."
The evil ginger grinned at my horror stuck expression as I gaped at the pink fabric.
Kushina had managed to wrangle my hair into an updo, and tie the tight dress around my waist. She had attempted to approach my cheeks with a red powder, but I had fled from her grasp. She had chased me around the apartment for several minutes before giving up on getting me to wear the blush.
I stood next to Kushina as we watched the ceremony. Sandaime-sama reached up, and slipped the hat from his head. Extending the hat gingerly, Minato's tan fingers grip the hat, and he lifts it to his head. The weight of the world lifts from Sarutobi's shoulders, and settles on my brothers.
Good luck, Yondaime Hokage.
Y'all would not believe the month I've had.
SHTF. Big time.
But that is neither here nor there.
I'd love to hear what you think of the story so far.
