AN: Sorry for the long wait, but here we go. I have the next chapter nearly ready as well. Anyway after this ordeal is resolved we'll probably have a bit of a time-skip.
Now, I don't remember when or who but they seemed confused as to why she would work in a flower shop part-time. My answer is simple, it's part of a coping mechanism for her, but mostly it's something she enjoys (something she enjoyed even as Violet). I assume that's in part why Ino continues working in her family shop, and why the Yamanaka even own a flower shop to begin with.
I don't know how often I'll be updating right now, but I will as often as I can.
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Meddling In Fate.
Chapter 8: Tōsui Village: The Turning Point.
October 31st, 2003:
"Hahaha, oh that's priceless mate!" Ron exclaimed after he'd finished with the full out laughter.
It had started when he'd seen what she'd decided to do for the first Halloween she'd been talked into celebrating the Muggle way. Two cat ears twitched on-top of her head, and a long sleek tail flicked behind her. Her eyes were slitted like a feline, and her canines were sharper like a cat. Her finger-nails were a bit longer but not quite sharp since she didn't want to accidentally cut Teddy.
It was a partial Animagus transformation, but the Muggles would never notice this. It had been in her sixth year she'd completed a full Animagus transformation. Her animal being a black panther with nearly glowing green eyes. Thankfully her vision was better than twenty-twenty in her animal form.
It had been Hermione's idea, and to be honest Violet was always curious about the holiday. The idea that complete strangers would give you candy had intrigued her as a child, and she remembered watching Dudley return from trick-or-treating.
The Dursley's had usually been able to explain away why she never participated. From being sick, to mourning the death of her parents (ironic, since she hadn't known they'd died on Halloween until she was eleven), to it being against the religion her parents had practiced and they wanted to honor them by not exposing her to the holiday.
Eventually Violet thought the neighborhood just forgot to even care she existed unless it was more trash talk the Dursley's spread. That was then though. Violet may not have forgiven her Aunt and Uncle for her miserable childhood, but Dudley had changed over the years. Ever since she'd saved him from that Dementor. She thought it might have been the trauma of the Dementor's effects taking it's toll on him. Making him look back on his life.
They were actually on rather good terms since the war ended, though it had taken nearly two years before she even thought to contact him. When she did he was engaged of all things to a nice girl, the complete opposite of his mother, and had actually lost quite a bit of weight. He hardly looked like the same person anymore.
Anyway, she had relented to Hermione's suggestion when she brought up how Teddy might enjoy the tradition of trick-or-treating. He'd never been before, and he was five. Even though Hermione and Ron had no children they were bringing Victoire, Bill and Fleur's four year old with them.
They would meet up with Dudley, his two children (two year old Francis and one year old Douglas), and his wife – Iris (the irony that he'd married a girl named after a flower, considering the Evans family tradition of naming the daughters after flowers, was not lost on Violet). Violet had even heard rumors Iris was a few months pregnant with their third child... it all seemed so fast to Violet, who couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of her cousin's family.
She had Teddy, who she'd adopted when he was hardly a year old after Andromeda's death, but it wasn't quite the same. If Fred had survived... well she wondered how things would be different now. Would she be married? Would Teddy have a father figure instead of just her to look to as his mother? Would they have even worked out?
They'd only been dating a few months when he died, and it was only stubbornness that convinced her to begin a relationship with him knowing she was leaving to hunt for Horcuxes in the fall. The what-ifs would tear her apart if she'd let them, even five years after the war.
"Laugh it up," she said. "I didn't feel like going through too much trouble when I am only doing this for Teddy. You and Hermione know how I feel about Halloween."
Ron nodded, but there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes that reeked of the Weasley twins. "Yeah, and how ironic would it be if your first kid was born on Halloween?"
"It would be ironic if I kicked the bucket on Halloween," Violet snarked back, rolling her eyes.
She recently bought contacts at Hermione's suggestion, but they tended to irritate her so she hardly ever wore them. She made an exception for tonight, and when there was urgent Auror business that needed her to be on the field. She remembered how annoying it was to lose her glasses when fighting Death Eaters, she was nearly blind without them.
Ron frowned.
"That's not ironic, that's tragic," he began, before adding as an afterthought. "Unless you go in your sleep of old age, I guess."
"Seriously you two, are you really debating how and when Vi will die?" Hermione asked, Victoire on her hip.
Hermione had put on a pair of black leggings, a knee length skirt, purple blouse, and had on a black and orange witch hat – or what Muggle's thought was a good representation of one, and to be honest it wasn't far off just way more flamboyant – on her head.
Victoire looked a lot like Fleur, but she had red hair even if it was closer to strawberry blonde and lighter than any of the other Weasley's hair. Her eyes were the same blue as Fleur as well. She looked to be dressed like a fairy – it was probably something Hermione bought for Victoire since it looked to be Muggle made.
Ron wasn't dressed up any further than to wear more traditional wizarding clothing and a cloak. The cloak was something they all wore though. Teddy was dressed up to look like a little wolf, which he'd chosen himself since she had taken him with her to the store to pick it out. Wolves were his favorite animal so she wasn't surprised.
"Die?" Teddy asked, confused on what that word meant exactly. He was pretty sure he'd heard it before. Violet shook her head and smiled at the toddler.
"No Teddy, don't worry about it. Uncle Ron was just being a doofus," Violet told him, and the amber eyed boy didn't take long to accept this answer.
"Come on, we should be meeting Vi's cousins now. We don't want to be too late," Hermione said, and they all got into the car Hermione rented for the occasion.
They would trick or treat around Surrey and then heading back to Dudley's house for tea before returning home. Though Violet would be hard pressed to admit it, this Halloween would actually be one of the fonder ones.
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Present Day;
Konohagakure no Sato:
Karin remembered her first day of class clearly, and it was from that experience she knew what to expect of her days at the Academy. The curriculum had been amended since Danzō's death and the Uchiha Massacre, but most changes wouldn't go through until her second year. Apparently taking back power from a corrupt civilian council was harder than one thought.
Karin didn't know much on the subject. She stayed away from politics as much as she could. It was why she had no problem what-so-ever with giving Naruto her place as the next clan head. She did know that Shisui and her sister complained about how annoying the council could be.
The Elders had actually been curved somewhat with Danzō's death, but even that couldn't last forever. The Uchiha Massacre may still be rather fresh in many people's memories, but Danzō's was beginning to fade into obscurity.
Karin felt he actually belonged there. She was protective of her family, and if there was one thing someone didn't do it was go after another Uzumaki. Family first, Duty second; it was what their parents had taught Karin and Sachi. What most Uzumaki believed as well.
Karin wasn't aware of why everyone seemed to dislike Naruto, or why his association to them and the announcement of the Uzumaki clan had caused the stir it had. Naruto wasn't the only one getting glares anymore, but Karin expertly ignored this. Possibly do to her lack of social skills.
Sachi was also blissfully ignoring this all, but her patience stopped when anyone threatened them, especially Naruto who garnered most of the villages scorn. She rarely lost her cool towards them, but there had been one instance when a grocer refused to sell them groceries at fair price, and even attempted to sell them close to or already rotted fruits, meats, and vegetables.
The mans last mistake was insulting their clan and Naruto specifically.
When Sachi was close to loosing her hold on her temper, which could be very violent, her eyes almost looked like they were glowing an eerie acidic emerald green. Sachi had smash her fist into the counter in front of her, cracking the surface and creating a small crater where her fist lay.
She'd barely gotten started tearing into the man, verbally at least. Thankfully Shisui was there to stop it from getting out of hand, but that was around the time Sachi decided to plant vegetables and fruits in the garden. Until they were grown and ready to eat they went to another grocer in the village, and had little trouble convincing him to sell them what they wanted fairly.
Karin figured Shisui had talked to the Hokage, who had made known his displeasure at what some stores in the village were trying to do. That and she thought that the news of Sachi's meltdown may have spread like wildfire.
From whispers some where comparing her to someone they called the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. Others probably wouldn't pick something like this up, but Karin was always good at observing and listening. It helped that she had pretty good hearing, probably because once upon a time she was half-blind.
Despite the fact Naruto was mostly just ignored, pettily sold bad food for outrageous prices in the past, and had no friends thanks to the older generation telling their kids lies, no one had ever tried to seriously hurt him. The whispers behind his back, and glares had even gotten a little less since he moved in with Karin and Sachi.
Maybe because he was now recognized as a clan heir, and even civilians knew not to meddle in clans. Maybe it was because they were fearful of Sachi's temper, which had only really been seen once or twice, and other than a rare glare sent at a rude villager Sachi never appeared hostile to anyone. Karin knew her sister had a temper, but she also usually had pretty good control of it. She was kind to pretty much everyone unless given a reason not to be.
Karin tried to be like her sister as well, but she had a harder time controlling her temper and emotions. Her bright hair color, rare in Konoha and Fire Country in general, got her a lot of looks. The fact she was related to Naruto caused most to ignore her or treat her how their parents taught them to treat Naruto. It was beyond annoying. She wondered how Naruto could be so outgoing and kind living with this for eight years!
On the other end of things Karin had been a surprise to the whole class. At first it was hard for them to believe. This foreign girl with the shocking dark red hair was related to Naruto? The blonde, blue eyed, whisker-faced dead last? They looked very little like the other, if one did not count a somewhat rounded facial shape. Karin's eyes were an even brighter red than her hair, but only just.
It only took a day for the bullying to begin, or attempt to begin. Being called things such as monster's cousin, strawberry, apple, and tomato were beyond grating on her nerves, but she wouldn't give then the satisfaction of reacting to their words. She would day in and day out sit beside her slightly younger cousin and be the best student she could, while only acknowledging those who had any common sense (and of course Naruto).
Half of her class was made out of idiots. The other fraction consisted of fangirls - the mere thought was terrifying. Karin noticed how they acted towards Sasuke the first day he returned to class, and swore she'd never sink that low over a boy of all things.
An even smaller fraction of the class actually seemed to be there to learn to be competent Shinobi and Kunoichi. She made friends with a girl named Hinata, talked sometimes with Ino, but the girl was so far up Sasuke's butt it was amazing she could breath, and of course she had Naruto.
There were two other boys who were alright, Shin and Sai, but they were also socially dead inside – at least Sai was. Shin was different for sure. It was worse than her, and they'd appeared out of nowhere around the same time she had. It was odd. No one bothered asking though.
"Hey, Strawberry!" a smirking chubby boy shouted.
Karin instinctively looked up from her bento. It was something she'd had to pack herself since Sachi was still on her mission. It had been about two weeks now and she was starting to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"What do you want!?" Naruto growled, narrowing his eyes at the bullies that did this almost every day. He hated how they treated his cousin, someone who was like an older sister to him. Even if she was a bit dull at times.
"Naruto..." Karin muttered, but didn't stop gazing at the bullies in front of her with narrowed red eyes.
"Stay out of this," another sneered at Naruto and the leader, a boy called Taiki, smirked wider.
"How does it feel to be the cousin of a demon, Uzumaki?" Taiki asked, and Naruto's fist clinched while Karin felt her temper rising.
After weeks of this bullshit she was just about at her patiences limit. Yori, the second boy laughed, and with a kick sent Naruto and Karin's food into the dirt. The food she'd slaved over a stove to get just right.
Closing her eyes she counted to ten, remembering what Sachi had told her about how she held her temper in check and why she trained so much after a hard day. Unfortunately she had no such outlet right now. She couldn't just stroll out of the Academy grounds to the compound and train to get her anger out.
"Haha, is the monster going to cry?" Taiki's words reached her, and then the sound of feet. Naruto's raged outcry followed, and then the sound of a body crashing into the ground. With a hiss Karin's eyes snapped opened and she saw Naruto on the ground holding his stomach, Taiki and Yori above him laughing.
"What are you gonna do, Strawberry?" Yori asked, noticing she'd stood from her place. "You're just a girl..."
He never saw it coming. One moment Karin was standing with her fist clenched at her side and the next her right hook met his chin, lifting him up and back, skidding across the ground. Her eyes moved to a stunned Taiki next and her foot collided with his kidney, throwing him to the ground where he laid holding his side.
"Don't ever hurt my cousin again!" Karin yelled, breathing hard as she stood protectively in front of Naruto. "Or I'll gut you both like rabbits!"
Both scrambled to their feet, and holding their hands up in surrender they ran for it - still holding onto their injuries. She snorted, she didn't even think she'd hit them that hard. Helping Naruto back to his feet, though he hardly look hurt anymore, Karin smiled but it soon fell when they caught sight of Iruka-sensei heading towards them.
He looked rather disapproving.
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Tōsui Village:
Undercover missions were probably some of the most dangerous, especially when it was in the middle of a civil war zone. At the same time it was boring, and a bored Sachi (or Uzumaki in general) was never a good thing.
Usually she'd resort to fūinjutsu or training to alleviate boredom, but when she was on a mission as a civilian with no shinobi background she had no choice but to find other outlets. She became even more compulsive than before, the house she and her teammates rented for 10,000 ryō (which was actually rather cheap for the location and size of the house) was never with a spot of dirt. A garden tried and mostly failed to bloom, much to her dismay, and she was almost always seen wondering the markets around the village.
By the end of the two week mark, with very little information about the Mizukage and his plans, she was going stir crazy, and she was pretty sure Genma and Aoba weren't fairing much better. Most shinobi hated being, though they weren't necessarily apposed to vacations and rest. They were on a mission though, and that meant they were commonly always on edge even if they hide it well.
They did drawl a little attention. With black hair it was easier to pass them off as three siblings looking for a place to settle down after their parents death. Most wouldn't settle down in Water Country of all places, but playing it off like dumb civilians unaware of the civil war took care of that – though Sachi had to wonder how many actually bought these excuses. Almost everyone knew of the civil war, she and Karin knew and they had been nomads their whole life before settling in Konoha.
In two weeks they had learned little. There was talk that Yagura wanted to extend the civil war outside of the Land of Water. They were unsure as of yet if it was true or just tall tales told by frightened citizens. Fear that even escaping the country all together would no longer be safe. Sachi was brought from her thoughts by a hand on her elbow. She was holding a bag of groceries in the same arm, and returning back from keeping herself occupied.
"Oh, Utatori-san you're alright then... I am glad," said a woman who had been friendly to the supposed siblings since their arrival. She was also rather into gossip so she was a good source of information, even if most was inconsequential to the mission and Sachi.
Utatori Midoriko was the name she was going by while in Tōsui Village, it was too much of a risk to use their real names. Between the Bingo Book – though Sachi herself was not in it, she wasn't sure about Genma or Aoba – and just rumors of them from previous missions it was best (and routine) to take on a whole new identity.
Sachi blinked.
"What do you mean? Of course I am alright," she said, and Suzuki as haughty and gossiping as she usually was actually looked concerned and pitying.
That easily concerned her, as long as she'd known the woman she'd never had more than a few expressions. Smug, haughty, and the ever common I-know-something-you-don't-know.
"I was just minding my own business, when I noticed shinobi heading in the direction of your home. I mean I could be wrong... but it was the general direction..." She blinked when she realized Sachi had dropped her groceries, and taken off towards her home at a pace just a little faster than any civilian should be able to use.
"Huh, strange girl," she muttered before heading on her way.
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While she ran her hands were a blur of speed as she activated a minor genjutsu to hide her presence. She wasn't even there when she heard the sounds of battle, and yells from neighbors and bystanders.
Aware of someone coming at her with ill intent she pivoted to the right, her leg impacting into a Kiri-nin's abdomen. He was recovered and up before she could even analyse the situation completely. Genma and Aoba were fighting a group a few feet away, and now she was caught by her own group of ninja. They circled around her life wolves to prey.
"So, what are Konoha ninja doing in Water Country?" Yuu, the one she'd kicked forcing her to drop her genjutsu, asked.
Her eyes widened. How had they known!? They had been so careful. They played the part of civilians nearly perfectly, and never let anything slip. Her long braid flew in the air as she attacked the closest ninja to her.
Her kick sailed over his head, but she used her agility and flexibility to her advantage and her fist was planted into his stomach hardly a second later. She followed it up with a chop to the back of the neck, seeing as she was in the perfect position to do so.
The fight escalated from there. Handling a group of Kiri-nin of varying and unknown level was hardly easily. She received just as many hits as she gave, and though she was a mid-close range fighter, she was forced to go on the defense and keep her distance as much as possible.
"Genma, Aoba!" she called in warning as she went through only three hand signs. "Katon: Yūreibi (Fire Release: Ghost Fire)."
The wide spread fire jutsu expanded as it hit the oxygen in the air, the flames themselves turning almost transparent white in their intense heat. Genma and Aoba avoided it easily with the shouted warning before hand, as did some of the Kiri-nin, but some were just too slow, too close, or two stupid to know a warning when they heard one. They were reduced to smouldering skeletons.
Genma smirked, but was also impressed. He'd never seen anyone able to get their fire jutsu so hot they turned white before. Not even the Uchiha, and they were known to have very high natural affinities for fire; Followed by the Sarutobi clan. Aoba was in much the same thought process.
"Great job, Sachi," Genma said.
Sachi breathed heavily, and her form flickered before disappearing from view. She reappeared closer to her teammates, her knee bent and thrust into a Kiri-nin's back. Genma and Aoba went back into the fray of things as well, and before long the Konoha-nin and remaining Kiri-nin were a blur of colors and limbs to those without ninja training.
Sachi breathed heavily as she was forced to deactivate her invisibility seal, which was always on her wrist. Though it was a huge advantage, advanced enough senses could still notice where she was. Some of these Kiri-nin, Yuu for instance, had enough skill to detect her by shifts in the air, and sounds she made just by moving around.
It seemed for every Kiri-nin they defeated another popped up like a cockroach. It only took then ten minutes - give or take - to realize the Mizukage was ransacking Tōsui Village. From the screams and flames covering the village it was hard to miss.
"W-why are you doing this?" Sachi couldn't help but ask, blocking a down-swing of a katana with her crossed flaming arms. The blade still cut into her arms, but thanks to moving her chakra in just the right way and the flames she didn't loose a limb.
Yuu snorted. "This isn't a movie or story, girl. I don't plan on telling you the Mizukage's plans or motivations."
She disappeared in a Fire Shunshin and once again was met by three to four ninja readying themselves to finish her. She thanked her Uzumaki stamina and reserves she wasn't on the ground yet. She could tell Genma and Aoba were tiring quickly now, and she was starting to feel it herself. She continued to hold her own, using everything she could to take out those she fought. Yuu was relentless and skilled, and by far gave her the biggest challenge.
Others varied, some fought like genin, others chūnin, and then there were those with the obvious skill of jōnin's. They gave her the biggest problem. She was only one person, even when using the Raiton Kage Bunshin (which were only so useful). Her chains would give away exactly who she was, since only an Uzumaki could materialize chakra chains... but soon enough she recognized that she had no choice. It was either risk her heritage coming to light or die.
She'd not had her tantō on her to begin with, so she had begun the fight with one disadvantage already. Soon she had chains waving behind her like tails, defending her back as if they had a mind of their own. Chains appeared to wrap around her body, protecting vital areas. Around her hands and fist chains made her punches even more painful, and she could use the crescent-like kunai ends like any other kunai. The protrusions like thorns along the chain-links added to her defense.
It made attacking her harder, but not impossible.
The constant use of her chains drained her even more, especially after how long she'd used the invisibility seal for taking it out of her. A normal shinobi probably would have dropped exhaustion by now.
Spinning in a complete circle she channelled chakra into the kunai ends of her chains. "Kazakama (Wind Scythe)!"
Crescent shaped blades of wind blasted out around her, some hitting their targets, others making crescent fissures in the ground.
"You're better than I anticipated, but I also didn't think you were an Uzumaki," Yuu said, wiping blood from his cut face.
Then he was gone. Sachi gasped loudly, blood and spit flying from her mouth as his fist impacted with her stomach. It was like he didn't even care for the chains wrapped around her body, and it caused her chains to dig into her stomach with the force of his punch. She felt a foot hit her in the side of the head and she slid across the torn up ground with a groan.
Many of her chains disappeared into golden-silver particles, but a few remained, defending her where she could not. Grumbling, Sachi was on her feet and right back in the fight seconds later. She never even noticed her hair had returned to its vibrant red from her use of her chakra, nor it coming loose of it braid.
She refused to give up, and soon there were only a handful of Kiri-nin still fighting the Konoha ninja. The village was even more destroyed than before. Genma's shout of pain, and Aoba's shocked cry was all it took for Sachi to drop her guard and realize her mistake only seconds too late. She'd instinctively looked over to her comrades only to see Genma on the ground with a blade in his chest, and Aoba having been knocked into a crumbling building.
That was all it took for Yuu to get in multiple hits. Punches to her face, stomach, and chest before kicking her into the ground. Senbon rained down into her body as she tried to get up, and her eyes widened. She didn't use senbon, but getting to know Genma had taught her a few things about them.
There were few ways to kill with senbon, but the more skilled a person was with them the easier it became. She wasn't dying... but she sure felt like it. Blood trickled down her chin and she collapsed back onto the ground. Her remaining chains were gone, and her body spent of energy. She could barely keep her eyes open, she couldn't speak any words.
'Poison...' she thought to herself, but she couldn't be sure despite her skill in the area. At this point she was barely conscious. She let out an almost silent scream when a kick flipped her over onto her back, forcing some senbon deeper into her body.
"That was some fight," Yuu muttered, and the last thing she saw was the sky clouded by the smoke and Yuu's satisfied face before her eyes closed.
"The Mizukage will be happy at the missions success," a limping Kiri-nin muttered while approaching.
Yuu nodded before slinging the redhead over his shoulder none to gently.
"Let's go Nobuyuki, we've got what we came for."