Whirlpool Part V
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a man greatly revered for his strength and knowledge. The Professor, the God of Shinobi. But to Jiraiya he was simply his sensei and prime source for guidance in troubled times. Hence it was only logical for Jiraiya to seek guidance from his former sensei for the situation he found himself in. He had really tried to cause as little trouble as possible during his stay in Uzushio. For his sensei's sake he had even kept his 'research' at a minimum. But even despite that, he managed to find himself in the middle of a crisis; this time the fight for Uzushio's very survival.
Of course he had to inform his sensei about the situation immediately, so he sent his fastest toad to the Hokage of Konoha to request advice or even orders on how to proceed from that point on. With the fights he had been drawn into, this was also a matter that had to be brought to the Hokage's attention since there were quite a few Genin and Jonin from Konoha in Uzushio at the moment. Should they be endangered by the situation, the Hokage might very well order them to withdraw from the Chunin exam for their own safety. And indeed the news warranted Sarutobi to meet with his council, his former team members Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
A grave silence had taken hold of the Hokage's office after Sarutobi had finished informing his council about the situation Jiraiya had described to him. All three had similar frowns on their faces as they thought about the consequences of the current danger in Uzushio.
"Hiruzen, I think it would be best to order our shinobi to return immediately. We all knew that Uzushio was fighting a war at the moment, but they had assured us that the village would be safe. Had we known how things really are..." Koharu stated with a sigh.
"It is not that easy. Our alliance with Uzushio is already strained, but calling back our shinobi just because of a group of traitors inside the village would send the wrong sign to them. We all know that Uzushio is still one of the strongest villages out there. They are fighting two other major villages and still manage to dominate the fights. It is thanks to them that no one had dared to attack us after the Second War had ended. Loosing the alliance with them would be... unwise at the moment." Sarutobi replied with a stern voice. They owed much to Uzushio and he did not want to offend them. Calling back their Genin in the middle of the exam could be seen as an insult; a insult to the capabilities of Uzushio to keep those Genin safe for the duration of the exam.
"But that is not our war. They know and except that we can not and will not interfere with their fights. We can't get involved by having some of our shinobi meddle with that village's battles. I have no doubts that they are able to keep our Genin safe, but others might get involved. Your student already has meddled, we cannot allow any more participation in other village's wars." Homura exclaimed vehemently. "We all knew that Jiraiya does not always think before he acts, but even he should be aware of the possible consequences of his actions."
"My student does what he believes to be the right thing. When he sees someone in need of help he will help, that is just how he is." The Hokage defended his student as he glared at his former teammate.
"But he does things that are bad for the village that way! You can't deny that his interference could give Uzushio's enemies the wrong signs. Just imagine what would happen should Kumo and Kiri believe that we have entered their war on Uzushio's side. Should they declare war upon us we would be hard pressed to prevail. And with Iwa as warmongering as it is at the moment... I shudder at the thought of fighting three major villages at the same time." Homura said with a deep frown.
"Hiruzen, I know that you would always defend your student's actions, but Homura is right. We cannot afford a war at the moment. We are not strong enough yet. We need more time." Koharu stated with a soft voice to placate both fuming shinobi in the room.
"Don't you think that I already know that? I am the Hokage, even though sometimes you two like to forget that." Sarutobi said with a pointed look at Homura. "I know that such a war could ruin us. But I strongly dislike the idea of possibly abandoning our allies; it does not sit right with me. Our sensei's would be appalled at the very idea." At this both Koharu and Homura looked a bit ashamed. They knew that Hiruzen was right; that their sensei's, the Nidaime and Shodai Hokage, would have never abandoned an ally. They would have tried their hardest to find a way to save as many people as possible. "And don't forget that the Uzumaki of Uzushio have played a major role in the founding of Konoha. It is a debt we owe to them, a debt that we can never repay."
"We can always offer any Uzumaki sanctuary should their village fall. Konoha would welcome them with open arms." Homura stated evenly. "The granddaughter of their clan leader is already a citizen and kunoichi of Konoha, I am sure that others would follow her."
"They prefer their own home village, just like we would do in the same position. And both of you know the reasons why Kushina is with us and not with her family." Hiruzen replied. "And it doesn't matter to them that one of their leader's granddaughters is with Konoha, not now when he has the other girl in Uzushio."
"So that Akahana girl was really a Uzumaki; a member of the leading family no less. I knew we should have done something more to bind her to our village. Just imagine what it would have meant for us to have both heiresses of the Uzumaki clan as kunoichi of our village." Homura said with obvious aggravation because of the lost chances.
"It doesn't matter. According to Jiraiya she isn't very well liked by her clan just because she is the illegitimate child of the clan leader's youngest son." Hiruzen replied.
"The better had been our chance at getting the girl to agree with joining our ranks."
"Let is rest. It will never be, by now she is most likely already a kunoichi of Uzushio. Jiraiya stated that the clan elders have some plans for the girl. And since she is right in the middle of Uzushio's current battles it is highly doubtful that she would ever join any other village."
"We have to wait and observe then. At least tell your student and all other shinobi from our village to stay away from the fights in Uzushio." Koharu suggested tentatively. "Especially Kushina should be observed closely. With her half sister and her clan in the middle of this mess she is likely to try and join the fights."
"I can agree to that. They will finish the exams, but only observe the situation in Uzushio." Homura agreed readily to Koharu's suggestions.
"Yes, that might be the best course of action for us at the moment. I don't like it, but it might be the best choice for now." Hiruzen conceded with a weary sigh. "I will send Jiraiya the new orders. But you two will keep silent about this. I don't want anyone outside this office to know about the current situation. As long as we do not know more about the background of the fighting and its importance to our own village I will not allow this to be know by the rest of Konoha. We all know how the rumor mill of this village would exaggerate everything."
Both Koharu and Homura merely nodded at this. They knew this wouldn't be the last meeting about this topic, but without further information it would be unwise to make any preparations that would upset the village. All they could do at the moment was wait.
Kushina was beyond exhausted when she returned to the Uzumaki clan compound. After nearly a day of endless searching, spying and finally infiltrating, her team had managed to pass the first part of the Chunin exams. It wasn't the task they had to fulfill that had tired her out, it was the fact that they had not stopped for a single moment to rest or even eat. It was a contest where only the quickest would pass and the rivalry among the Genin teams was great. No one wanted to loose, so no one took even a moment to rest.
But now that they had passed this part they would be allowed to rest for a day. Time they would definitely need after the taxing first task. She couldn't wait for the next meal her mother would make for her. She hoped she would be able to persuade her mother to make her Ramen again. Maybe Akahana would even join them once more; she , too, had shown a great love for this particular food. Kushina was more then happy when she found out that her sister shared the same liking for Ramen, much to the amusement of Misaki who only commented that is was most likely something they had inherited from their father.
"Kaa-san, I'm home!" Kushina exclaimed happily as she entered her mother's house.
There was no immediate answer to Kushina's words so the girl walked around the house, looking for her mother or anyone else who might be there at the moment. Only after the third call for her mother, Misaki finally appeared from her study with a tired smile.
"Kushina-chan, you're finally back." Misaki said happily as she embraced her daughter. She couldn't help herself but hug her daughter at every possible moment, she had missed Kushina for years and soon her little girl would leave again for Kami knows how long. "How did your exam go?"
"We passed 'ttebane." Kushina exclaimed proudly. "The others stood no chance against us."
"I'm proud of you, my girl. Soon you will be a Chunin."
"Yep. And then there will be no more chores under the guise of D-Rank missions." Kushina said with a grin. "Ne, Kaa-san, can we eat Ramen today? You know as a reward for a job well done?" Kushina looked at her mother with pleading eyes, not that she really had to in order to convince her mother.
"Fine, we will eat Ramen... again." Misaki said with a mock huff.
"This is awesome 'ttebane. Can we also invite Akahana again? Please, Kaa-san."
"No need to plead with me. She will join us again today. She should come by later, after she has finished some business with your grandfather." Misaki said with a somewhat worried tone. She had seen Akahana enter Toshiro's office the evening before, but she had no idea what decision Akahana had made. Her father in law had merely told her that he would have to deal with some clan business concerning Akahana's future in the clan, when she asked about her stepdaughter this morning. But after that she had not seen either Akahana or Toshiro, much to her growing worry. She was sure that Akahana would not leave without saying good bye, should she have chosen exile. But the girl's absence did worry her a lot none the less.
"Is she alright?" Kushina asked equally worried when she saw her mother's expression.
"Yeah, there has been some trouble yesterday. Someone had tried to kidnap Honoka again, but Akahana and Arashi were able to save her in time. Luckily no one got hurt during that incident as well."
"Where is Honoka right now?" Kushina asked with a raised eyebrow.
"In my study. I was just about to teach her some new seals, so she won't wander off alone again." Misaki replied with a smile as she turned towards the open door to her study where she saw Honoka watching them curiously. "Why don't you take a rest for some moments. Just sit down and enjoy some rare moments of peace."
"Maybe, but I hate just sitting around..." Kushina whined slightly at the thought of just doing nothing. But luckily for her any chance for a peaceful day was gone when another person entered the house.
"Misaki!" Boomed the deep voice of Toshiro Uzumaki as the old clan leader entered the building.
"Yes, tou-san. We are all in the living room." Misaki replied quickly, curious why Toshiro had decided to visit them at home. The man rarely had the time to visit his own family as often as he would have liked. Even though Misaki was only his daughter in law and not a direct descendent of his, he still always considered her to be his daughter from the moment she had married his son. Even in public he always treated her like his own flesh and blood, showing his own conviction that family is the most important part of one's life.
Moments later Toshiro entered the living room closely followed by another familiar redhead. "Ah, sorry to intrude without prior warning, but I believe that you two..." at this he gestured towards Misaki and Kushina. "... would like to know these news ahead of the rest of the clan." When he finished speaking he stepped to the side and pushed his companion forward.
"Onee-san!" Kushina exclaimed happily as she ran up to her sister to hug her. But a few moments before she would have reached Akahana she stopped suddenly, looking at her sister with wide eyes.
"I see you have made your decision, Akahana." Misaki said with a smile. "I am glad to see your convictions out in the open."
Kushina said nothing for some moments as she looked at her sister, especially at the black shawl Akahana had around her neck with a very familiar silver plate on it. Kushina was struck speechless, her sister had chosen to stay in Uzushio. Kushina did not know that Akahana had to choose either to stay and follow the council's demands or face exile from the village and the clan. Even though she did not want it, she couldn't help but feel betrayed for some moments. Deep down Kushina had hoped that her sister would stay with her in Konoha. But she knew better and when she thought more about it she knew that this was better for her sister. To stay with the family she had never known before. If only she could stay as well...
"May I present to you the newest Jonin of our Uzushiogakure and the future matriarch of the Uzumaki clan." Toshiro said with barely concealed glee.
He had approved of his granddaughter's decision. In fact he had hoped she would stay with the clan. The animosity could be overcome once the clan knew her better and Toshiro wanted to keep her close solely for the reason that she was the daughter of his youngest son, his flesh and blood. He wanted to keep his family close and if he had a choice in the matter he would not allow Kushina to leave either. But there was also another reason; deep down Toshiro's pride as clan leader roared at the knowledge that even though his son's and male heirs were dead, his family would still remain in power. All future clan leaders would still be descendents of his family.
The next moment a red blur shot past Kushina and tackled Akahana in a hug just like the last time the girl had visited Misaki's home. Honoka's action was no surprise for Akahana and Misaki, both remembered the girls words from the day before. Toshiro watched the scene almost impassive at first, but then a look of realization spread over his face for some short moments. Kushina though still stood there unmoving, unresponsive to anything that happened around her.
"Akahana, that plate... does that mean that you will stay with us?" Honoka asked as she bounced happily around the older girl.
"Yes, Honoka. I will stay in Uzushio and with the clan." When she heard that the small six year old girl cheered even more then before, much to the amusement of the adults.
"I am glad to see that you have made your decision, Akahana. Things will surely change for the better with you here. And congratulations to your rank, to be a Jonin of Uzushio is a real honor that is not given lightly." Misaki said with a benevolent smile. But on the inside she was worried about Kushina's reaction. So far the usually outspoken girl had not said a single word after she had seen Akahana with the Uzushio hitai-ate.
"They had little choice but to give her this rank. Almost the entire village has witnessed her fight against Arashi and he isn't one of our finest Jonin for nothing." Toshiro grunted out.
Misaki merely continued smiling when she heard that. It was a given that the fight on the river would not be the last between Akahana and Arashi, especially not with the fate Akahana had chosen for herself. But now she had to do something to get Kushina out of her stupor and she knew exactly what would do the trick.
"Well I believe this calls for a celebration. Kushina has made her first big step towards the Chunin rank and Akahana has become a Jonin. How about we all have dinner together this evening?" Misaki asked everyone in the room, though she mainly looked at Toshiro and Akahana. "We will have Ramen again, surely you all would be agreeable with that?" And of course this got the wanted reaction. Both Kushina and Akahana looked at her with great anticipation shining in their eyes and even Toshiro couldn't help but consider joining them. Though he was not as addicted to Ramen like his granddaughters, it was no secret that the Uzumaki clan leader loved to eat the noodle soups every now and then.
"I would really like to, Misaki, but I have a rather tight schedule right now..." Toshiro said evasively.
"Please, tou-san. It has been so long since the entire family has taken the time to have dinner together. Who knows when we will get the next chance to be together like this?" Misaki asked with a look towards Kushina. It was true, once the exams were over Kushina would return to Konoha and no one could say when they would meet again.
Toshiro could only sigh when he was suddenly the center of the attention of all three females in the room. He would love to be with his family for some time, but with the current situation in the village his workload was increasing with every moment he left it unattended. But he also knew he couldn't let this chance slide.
"Fine, Misaki. I will be there. And I guess when you want this to be a family dinner that I should bring Akahana's fiancee as well. The idiot should learn the dynamics of the family he is about to marry into." Toshiro said with a contemplative look.
"That is fine with me as long as it does not bother Akahana." They all looked at the girl in question only to see her give a noncommittal shrug. "I guess it is settled then. Please don't be late, tou-san."
Toshiro only responded with rolling his eyes at the last comment before he turned around and left. He had other things to tend to now. But at least two of his worries were gone with Akahana's decision. That knowledge made his current situation somewhat easier. And at least the elders would bother him less, now that they had a legitimate heir for the clan with a befitting wife.
Akahana meanwhile watched Kushina with worry. The girl was still silent, a look of disbelieve on her face. When Akahana made a step towards her sister Kushina even turned around and quickly left the room and the building.
Misaki sighed when she saw her daughter's reaction to Akahana's decision. "I had feared she would react like that..."
"I should better look for her. I must explain my reasons... so far I had not even told her about the council's demands and their ultimatum..." Akahana replied with a apprehensive tone before she hurried after Kushina.
Little Honoka only looked surprised at the sudden actions of the two older girls and wanted to follow Akahana. But she was stopped when Misaki held her back. "Let them do this alone, Honoka. They need to talk and you can't help them with that." Misaki gave her young ward a small smile before she guided Honoka back towards the office where they had been before Kushina's arrival. "Come, your lesson is not over yet."
On the other end of Uzushio Akihiro was pacing restlessly through his office. He was anxious, no he was far beyond that. The day before he had nearly been caught; it was close, but he managed to escape. But his escape was only possible because of the interference of his current employer. Had the masked man not helped him... he did not even want to imagine what the Uzumaki would have done to him. He was sure he could beat one or two of them in open combat, but much to his anger the Uzumaki always seemed to travel and fight in groups of four or five. And fighting against the clan leader was something that he had no intention to do.
Now the entire village was on high alert and to make things even worse his employer would be beyond furious. He had to suppress the memories what his current employer had done to his other partner. When his teammate had failed a mission some months ago, their employer had made an example of what he does to people who fail him. He could still remember her screams when that masked monster had tortured her half to death. The only mercy that man had given her was a swift death after he had made his point clear.
And now he could possibly face the same fate. He didn't even want to imagine that. Surely his employer would make an exception for him; after all there would be only Ishikawa left after his death and everyone knew that the damn coward would never be able to fulfill their orders.
"Akihiro..." Came a light growl from behind the man. He knew the voice well enough, but he still couldn't help but flinch at the sound of it. "You failed my master again, Akihiro."
"It wasn't my fault! Everything went according to plan until your master switched places with me." Akihiro replied accusingly. But he regretted his words only moments after he had spoken them when a Kunai was pressed against his throat.
"Are you blaming my master for your incompetence, Akihiro?"
"It was his interference that disrupted the plan..." He stopped when he felt the Kunai cut into his flesh, drawing blood. "What will you do now, huh? Kill me and your own plans will never come to be."
"Me, killing you? You must be mistaken, I am a good boy. My master though..." The voice of the man was mocking, angering Akihiro even more.
"We had a deal! He violated that deal again and again. He messed everything up when he killed Reika and now he fucked everything up with stopping me from capturing that damn Uzumaki girl" Akihiro exclaimed loudly.
"Whining about your teammate again, Akihiro? She was a failure... just like you. And our deal is moot if you are unable to complete your part. You can't escape without my help; you will never see your precious home again!"
"It won't help us that you bring us to our village, if there are none of us left!" Akihiro bit back angrily. "Kill me, I dare you to. Kill me and your own plans with me."
"You three were a pathetic bunch of saboteurs when my master found you and you will never be anything else. You are expendable for his plans. But my master is merciful and gives you one last chance. Use it well, Akihiro."
"All this just so he can get the Uzumaki bloodline..." Akihiro rued the day his team had first met this man and his master. The day when their mission had gotten out of control.
"You will capture that brat... but you will do one additional service for my master." The man spoke with almost childish glee in his voice. "Akahana Uzumaki, you will capture her as well. My master wants her alive. After all she is the only intriguing person in this puny village."
"You want to see us dead, don't you? Fighting her is nothing like capturing a child."
"Are you scared of a woman, Akihiro? I always thought you prided yourself with you strength. You desert rats are usually so prideful, but maybe you are different."
"Just shut up you damn bastard. You will get the child, but I won't make promises about that woman. I will rather kill her if she stands in our way." Akihiro bellowed angrily. As he roared in his anger his throat pressed a little more into the sharp Kunai; more blood was leaking out.
"Draw her out and subdue her, Akihiro. This is your last chance." And with these words the man had disappeared just as mysteriously as he had appeared before.
"Damn bastard." Akihiro yelled as he smashed his fist onto the table in front of him. "We will all die because of you..."
Akahana could easily find Kushina as she ran after her sister. There weren't many places in Uzushio where she could have run to and it was out of the question that the young redhead could leave the village unseen. No in the end there was only one place where she would run to. The same place that Akahana had run to when she needed solace after her first meeting with Toshiro some days ago.
And there, on the shore of the secluded lake near the Uzumaki compound Akahana found Kushina. The girl sat there, brooding with her knees drawn to her chest, her eyes focused on the ripples on the water that were caused by the stones she was throwing in every now and then.
Akahana slowed down as she had finally reached Kushina, a look of apprehension on her face. This was something that she was not very good at. She could read people, understand how they feel. But she was never very good at empathizing.
"Kushina?" Akahana asked carefully.
"What? Why did you follow me? Shouldn't you celebrate your new rank with the clan?" Kushina snapped angrily.
"Why, Kushina? Why does it make you so angry that I have chosen to serve Uzushio?"
"Do you really have to ask? I have finally found out that I have a sister and a few days later she chooses to stay as far away from me as physically possible."
"Do you think that I will abandon you because of this?" Akahana asked with astonishment.
"Do you really have to ask that question? You have chosen to stay here and I will have to return to Konoha... I will be alone again..." Some tears escaped Kushina's eyes as she said that. "Why? Why couldn't you decide to come back to Konoha with me?"
"Kushina... you don't understand the decision I had to make..." Akahana replied almost inaudibly. Her head hung in shame as she realized how much it had hurt Kushina that she had made this decision without consulting her first.
"What decision? To stay here and marry the bastard who wants to take our families power for himself? How could you be so selfish?" Kushina yelled at Akahana, a look of loathing in her eyes as she looked at the older girl next to her.
"I had little choice in the matter, Kushina. When I met with clan council I was given a simple choice. Stay in Uzushio as a kunoichi of the village and marry the clan heir or..."
"Or what?"
"Or being banished from the village and forever exiled from the clan. Either this or loosing my family again after I have only found them a few days ago..." Akahana couldn't dare to look at Kushina as she said that. The way Kushina had looked at her before... Kushina was one of the last persons that she would ever want to hate her... but her decision might have caused just that.
But Kushina's anger almost dissipated when she heard the decision her sister had to make. She had not known that Akahana's only alternative would have been exile. She would have never expected the clan and her grandfather to threaten Akahana with something like that.
"Why didn't you tell me before about that choice you had to make?" Kushina asked carefully.
"I didn't want to burden you with my problems, when you have to face something like the Chunin exam. You need to be able to focus on the exam, if you wish to succeed. And even if I had decided to face exile instead of staying here, I wouldn't have been able to follow you to Konoha. You weren't there when I faced the Hokage, but the man does not trust me. I would not have been welcome there. My only chance to find a home was here... even though the clan distrusts me, my chances to gain their approval are higher than ever being allowed to return to Konoha."
"That is bullshit and you know it! The Sandaime might have been weary of you because of your sudden appearance, but he would have never sent you away!" Kushina exclaimed enraged.
"Silly imouto. You don't understand politics yet. As long as Konoha is allied to Uzushio they would have never taken me in. Taking in an exile from Uzushio would have put great strain on the alliance between the villages and I am not worth enough to risk such a thing... And the Hokage has even greater reasons to dislike me... after all I attacked one of his students..." Akahana sighed deeply when she thought about her decision. "Know this, Kushina. I never intended to hurt you, but should you resent me because of my decision then I will understand it and stay away from you." She meant these words, but she knew it would hurt to be rejected by Kushina. But Akahana was sure that the reason for her existence in this time line was to protect others... her own feelings were unimportant for that.
With these words Akahana turned around and left Kushina alone at the shore. Kushina remained behind, shocked to silence by her sisters parting words. Was she angry that Akahana had not told her before she had made the decision? Definitely! Did she hate her sister because of that? No... she couldn't bring herself to hate her sister. Though she only knew her sister for a few days she still cared a lot about Akahana. There was a deep understanding between the two Uzumaki girls that Kushina had only shared with own her mother so far. It was something that she would never want to loose. But the feeling of betrayel still stung painfully...
While Kushina was still brooding over the current situation Akahana tried to return to Misaki. There were still some things that had to be discussed about her coming introduction into the clan and Toshiro had made it clear that Misaki would play a major role in that. But Akahana did not get that far, instead she just ran into the next troublesome person.
"Arashi-teme..." Akahana growled exasperated as he stood in her way. "Get out of the way, I have things to do."
"Not so fast, outsid... Akahana. There are things we have to discuss." Arashi said with a casual expression.
"I doubt that. Everything is quite clear. I won't be bothered with you until I have proven my loyalty to the clan, so just stay out of my way." Akahana said as she pushed past him and continued on her way.
"I don't know how you did it, but don't think that I will allow such a crucial task like the protection of the clan from this new threat to be solely handed by an untrustworthy person like you." He quickly followed her until he was close enough to grab her arm and stop her. "This is too important."
"Don't you think I know that? There is no one in this village who knows as much about Tobi as I do. I know how he acts and what to expect of him. I won't let this village fall because of his schemes, I stopped him in the past and I will stop him again." Her words were forceful; her fists tightly clenched as past memories of Tobi's crimes resurfaced.
"But even you admitted that you can't do it alone, that you no longer have the power to stop him on your own." Arashi looked pointedly at her, his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke. "Don't be foolish, Akahana. I won't let you risk the clan just because of your stubbornness."
"Tobi is my responsibility. That bastard and I still have some unfinished business."
Arashi's eyes narrowed as he saw some emotion flash through her eyes as she said that. "He has killed someone important to you, hasn't he?"
She only let out a humorless laugh at that; shaking her head softly she pulled her arm from his grip and turned her back to him. "He has taken more than one person from me... my friends, my comrades... two persons that shared my fate, people that were like my older siblings in a way... And now he is here and threatens my clan and family... I won't let him succeed. And I won't let you stand in my way, Arashi." She knew that she would have to fight Tobi eventually. Here in the past long before he could commit his crimes against this world... but she was wrong; so wrong... Tobi's schemes had started long before she was born and now she was right in the middle of the fight once more.
"Is that why you have demanded from Toshiro-sama to assign you the task to stop this man and his pawns? All this just for revenge? Is that the reason why you have come to Uzushio in the first place, are we just some means to an end for you?" Arashi exclaimed furiously.
"I did not know that he would be here... I had never even planned to come here until I ended up in Konoha and was more or less escorted here by the Jonin of those Genin that participate in the exams. Until yesterday I believed that Tobi was dead, Arashi, so don't blame me for this." The last part was a lie; a necessary lie and one she hoped that Arashi would not be able to discover.
Arashi let out a frustrated sigh as his shoulders sagged and his entire posture became less stiff then before. He could not detect a lie in her words, but it was obvious that she had not told him everything. He could only hope that her secrets would not threaten Uzushio and the clan. And both Toshiro-sama and Misaki-san seemingly trust the girl. Both of them were known for their ability to read people just by looking at them. Only few ever managed to mislead them. And then there was the fact that he would have to spend a very long time with this girl in the future, so he should better try to get along with her. It was obvious that he would not get anything out of her unless he would try to use force... and that would be inadvisable.
"Listen, Akahana. The protection of the clan has always been my duty. All these men, women and children are my responsibility and I would rather die then let anything happen to them. For whatever reason you wish to take part in this fight I will be with you. We will fight side by side in this and I won't take a no for an answer." His voice was less gruff this time, he hoped that he sounded more understanding then before. Outsider or not, Toshiro-sama would kick his ass should he somehow hurt his granddaughter, that much was certain. For some reason the man had started to trust... maybe not trust yet, but he cared for Akahana. And once the girl had been officially initiated into the clan the other members would most likely start to treat her with less hostility as well...
Dinner that evening was a rather somber affair despite the happy occasion for the family gathering. Kushina was still oddly silent no matter who spoke to her. The only real conversation happened between Toshiro and Misaki, but even that was only about political topics, mostly the Uzukage's frequent disappearances. Even today, when Akahana came to agree to his proposition, to become a Uzushio kunoichi, the Kage was not even present; instead his assistant did all the formalities with Akahana to make her one of the village's protectors.
Arashi spent half of the evening with watching Akahana closely; his face often showing his apparent difficulties to figure her out. Misaki was rather amused by the young man's sudden interest in his fiancee; not a day prior he had treated her like a dangerous criminal and now he was forced to accept her. She could only guess how he had reacted when the clan elders had told him that he has to marry Akahana.
But as the evening progressed Arashi quickly left the family alone, with a rather dubious excuse. It was obvious that he felt a tad bit queasy, especially with Toshiro in the same room. A mere slight against the man's family could lead to a rather harsh punishment, no matter that he would now become part of that family by decree of the council.
When Misaki asked Akahana to accompany her on one a walk Kushina was left alone with her grandfather, not that she would have realized it. She had been in her own world for the entire evening, her mind struggling with her sister's words.
"Kushina?" Toshiro asked in his usual stoic voice. But the girl showed no reaction at first. "KUSHINA!" He repeated with more vehemence.
The girl finally snapped out of her stupor and looked rather baffled at her grandfather; the old man still looking at her with a somber expression. "Y...Yes, grandfather?"
"What is wrong with you today? Being silent and brooding the entire time, this isn't like you at all. Has something happened during the Chunin exams that I should know of? Have there been any irregularities?"
"No... no, grandfather. The exam went well. Nothing out of the ordinary..." Kushina mumbled.
"Then why do you act like a hollow shell of yourself?" Toshiro asked with a concerned face. "Is this about Akahana?"
There was no need for an answer. Kushina's reaction told him enough. "So it is. Does it bother you that she has become a kunoichi of Uzushio? Is there something about her that we should have known beforehand?"
"There is nothing wrong with her joining this village..." She answered dejectedly.
"But?"
"But... I just hoped that she would... that she would return to Konoha with me... I know I am selfish here, but I just hoped that would be someone else from my family with me..."
"Even with your sister staying here that does not mean that Akahana will take your place in this family away, Kushina. She will have a long struggle ahead of her to win the acceptance of the clan."
"Even with her becoming the future matriarch of the clan? They will accept her eventually... and I will still be alone in Konoha..."
Toshiro could only frown when he heard his granddaughter's words. He had not liked it when Kushina had been sent to Konoha all of a sudden. But it was a sacrifice they had to make for the sake of their alliance. An alliance that wasn't even worth the piece of paper it was written on according to his point of view. He was sure that in case they would really need help from the Leaf, that Konoha would sneak out with dubious excuses. So one of his grandchildren had to serve a village that will either abandon them or worse will become an enemy one day. And according to her last words, Kushina was not happy where she was right now.
"Do you think she has made this choice to get away from you, Kushina?"
"NO. I know that she had no real choice in this. I know that she had to choose between this and exile... I just wish that things would be different and that she could be with me in Konoha." 'Or I could stay here' were the words she had left unspoken.
"I want you to know, Kushina, that your sister has made a very hard decision. To be truthful I had not expected her to stay. Judging by everything she has told me about herself I came to the conclusion that she is a lone wolf, someone who travels alone to find her fate. But she decided to stay; to face her responsibilities towards the clan; to protect the clan in one of its darkest hours. She has deferred her own wishes to serve the clan. Her struggle with this decision was obvious, but she made it. She made it without complaining... but with three stipulations of her own."
At this Kushina looked at her grandfather with a slightly confused expression. "What did she ask for?"
"Her first request concerns your mother's ward, Honoka. Akahana has asked for the girl to be appointed as her apprentice. She has asked for that so Honoka gets the attention she needs to become a successful member of the clan; Akahana knows that your mother can't spend as much time with Honoka as the young girl needs." Kushina looked depressed when she heard that. She knew it would be petty to be jealous of the orphaned girl just because Honoka would be able to spend more time with Akahana then she could, but that did not deter the dark feeling in the slightest.
"Akahana's second request concerns our latest incident. She has asked to be allowed to hunt down the traitors and their leader without being held back by the clan. Since she has the most experience with the enemy's leader I have appointed her as the leader for the traitor hunt." Toshiro said with slight pride in his voice. Yes he was proud that she was so willing to fight for the clan. Not many were left who would willingly seek combat. Most had to be ordered; in fact the only two clan members that had volunteered for this hunt were Akahana and Arashi. He knew that with this kind of willingness to work for the well being of the clan, she would earn the acceptance of the other Uzumaki in no time.
"And the last request concerns you, Kushina. Akahana has asked for the prerogative when it comes to missions to Konoha. I have promised her that she would get the chance to see you regularly. To achieve this I will sent her to Konoha on missions every now and then. She was very adamant about this request."
"Onee-san has requested this for my sake? But... why would she..." Kushina was baffled by this. She had not expected Akahana to ask something like this just for her sake. Even though this would require her to spend much time on the road to travel between the two villages regularly.
"Even though you and Akahana only know each other for a short time it is obvious that she cares about you. The girl shows loyalty towards her family that I have seen rarely even in our clan. It is obvious that those who earn her trust gain a very valuable and loyal friend and ally." Toshiro spoke with a calm, almost benevolent voice as he looked at his granddaughter. He was glad to see that the gloominess that had befallen the girl had all but vanished now. "You see now that there is no reason for you to be angry or resentful because of Akahana's decision... You better go now and finish your preparations for tomorrow, the next part of the exam will be even harder then the first. Make your clan proud tomorrow, Kushina." Toshiro spoke sternly before he stood up and left Kushina alone.
Akahana followed her stepmother quietly through the less crowded streets of the village. In the early evening most people had already finished their daily business and left for their homes and families; it was quite interesting to see the streets this empty. Until now Akahana had only seen the village bustling with life. But one thing would never really change. Most people they had passed so far had made no attempt to hide their stares. Ever since she had arrived, she had been the main topic of the village's gossip; when people saw her with a Uzushio hitai-ate around her neck now, they were quite surprised. After her fight against Arashi there had been a rather nasty rumor that she was a Kirigakure spy, but what they saw now left that in question...
Akahana had not asked why Misaki had requested her to come along, but in a way it did not really matter at the moment. She was actually quite happy to leave the house for some time, so Kushina could be alone to make up her mind. The depressing atmosphere during the dinner was enough reason to worry about the future relationship between the sisters.
After some time in companionable silence it was Misaki who spoke first, though it was only with a muted voice to avoid attention. "You know we are being followed, Akahana." She could only nod positive to that statement, Akahana had discovered their pursuers beforehand.
"I know. One of them is Honoka... nosy little girl." Akahana said with a slight smile. "Don't worry, Honoka doesn't know it yet, but one of my shadow clones keeps an eye on her. The moment someone gets to close to her I will know about it to protect her."
"I was not talking about Honoka. Better tell your clone to bring Honoka back to the compound." Misaki hissed.
"They don't know about us yet, fleeing with Honoka would mean to give up our chance to surprise them." Akahana did not like to gamble with Honoka's life, especially not now that the girl would be her future ward and apprentice. But it was necessary to lure out their enemies. For whatever reason they were being followed, it wouldn't be long before they would have to fight, that much was sure.
"Follow me, we must lure them out of the residential areas. I don't want civilian casualties should we fight this evening. Come, there is a training ground nearby." Misaki said as she lead Akahana further down the streets of the village.
The training ground they entered a few moments later was nothing more then a large green field at the border of the village, close to the village walls. Their pursuers were still there, as was Honoka who watched the two older Uzumaki with great interest.
But not all other persons were hidden. There was one particular person awaiting them in the middle of the field. A man in rather recognizable robes with his hat drawn deep into his face to hide his features.
"Oh, I did not expect visitors this evening. What gives me the honor of meeting two of the Uzumaki clan's most notorious members?" The robed man spoke with a slurring voice; every syllable sounding strained as if he had difficulties with speaking.
"The Uzukage?" Akahana asked with a distrustful voice. The man had been missing earlier this day when she had become a kunoichi of Uzushio. In his stead it was Akihiro who completed the entire process with her and gave her a rank and her hitai-ate. It was strange, especially since the offer to join Uzushio came from the Uzukage in the first place.
"Be careful, Akahana, something isn't right here." Misaki spoke as she watched the Kage wearily.
"Why so distrustful, Misaki-san? We are all friends here within the walls of Uzushio. We can't afford to let suspicions to divide our forces." The man slurred, as he slowly came closer to the two women. "After all there all already enough enemies waiting outside of our walls for a chance to exploit our weaknesses."
"What are doing here, Uzukage-sama?" Misaki asked with narrowed eyes. "Shouldn't you be in your office, doing your work for the sake of this village?" She couldn't help but feel anxious at that moment. The presence of the Uzukage was unexpected and rather suspicious. And then there were still the pursuers, waiting in the shadows for a chance to strike.
Akahana shared the feeling that Misaki had at that moment; she knew all too well to expect the unexpected at any given time. Far too often had enemies attacked her in places where she felt safe; using people that she had trusted ever so slightly. Years of war had taught her to be ready for anything at any given time. Even now her hand slowly itched towards the sword on her hip, just in case of a sudden attack... no matter who attacked her at that moment.
For a brief moment Akahana allowed her gaze to wander around the field in an attempt to find a sign of the men that had followed them before, but all she could see was Honoka watching them from a rather useless cover somewhere near the buildings.
But her moment of inattentiveness was the opening her enemies had been waiting for. The attack come so quick that Akahana could barely get her sword out of its sheet to block the enemies strike. But to her astonishment the attacker was neither Tobi nor one of his minions, but the Uzukage himself. He had tried to gut her with a blade that had suddenly sprouted from the sleeve of his long robe; there was no doubt that she would be dead had she not blocked the blow.
"Why you damn..." Akahana muttered while Misaki got ready to fight and threw some Kunai with attached seals at the attacking Kage.
"Not a day in service and you already fight against your Kage... such treason, Akahana-san." The Kage chuckled darkly.
Akahana pressed them man away and swung her sword in fluid motions to hit her opponent. The deadly dance that she had learned long ago. A mixture of Kenjutsu and applied Wind Ninjutsu. A deadly combination that had lead to the death of many enemies. But this Kage merely leaped out of her way and engaged Misaki in combat.
With each attack the man launched against the older Uzumaki his speed increased, his viciousness grew and his blood lust became more palpable. Misaki only had her Kunai to block the man's blade; enough to protect her, but not enough to counterattack without getting cut up due the inferior reach of her weapon.
Akahana quickly came to help Misaki, but before she could get even close she could see a sudden glint in the Uzukage's eyes as they became visible for a moment. After that the time seemed to slow down until it eventually stopped altogether when Akahana could only watch as another blade shot out of the Kage's mouth and impaled Misaki right through her chest.