AN: More than one update in a year?! I'm honestly more shocked than y'all are.
Chapter Ten: Konoha, Sennin or Sannin
Forming a rasengan, Yumi took a deep breath and slammed it into the training post, leaving a decent crater in the wood. Smiling, he looked down at his unblemished hand.
He did it.
He mastered the rasengan.
Now he could finally get back to his Raijin no Kei.
He had recently figured out how it actually worked, with the help of the Sandaime.
It turns out that the body is controlled by electricity, and by channeling raiton through his body, he speeds up these processes. Making them faster and stronger.
He theorized that by channeling double the amount of raiton through his body, that he could surpass even his current level. And then he could double that, and then that. Increasing his enhancement each time.
But his raiton enhancement only multiplied what was already there, so he needed to train his body rigorously– something he couldn't do without a detriment to his overall growth at the moment.
So in the meantime, he'd train his control, chakra, and mind.
With a flare of purple lightning dancing across his body, he activated his Raijin no Kei, and did something he hoped wouldn't kill him, and sent most of the chakra to his brain.
With wide eyes glowing like gems, he realized something.
Time stopped.
He couldn't move anything, and nothing around him moved.
Wait… no, time hadn't stopped, his perception of it had just sped up… oh the possibilities! He could utilize shunshin like Shisui!
Releasing the technique, he smiled before stumbling forward and falling to his knees with a shuddered breath, his head feeling like it had been set ablaze.
Okay… so he needed to train that slowly. Get his brain used to the rate at which it was firing.
With that final thought, the world went black.
. . .
Yumi wasn't the only one training.
In his usual clearing, Itachi threw multiple kunai, before jumping with a roll and throwing another set, striking the first set, causing them all to hit their designated targets.
Landing in a crouch, he let out a wheezing cough and cradled his chest. It was getting to be too much to ignore… but he had to push himself. He wouldn't be weak like that again.
He needed to be stronger, faster, better. If he had been as strong as Shisui, as strong as Father, then they all would be alive.
Sharingan spinning with determination, he got to his feet, and blocked out the pain with a mute face.
He would get stronger… for them.
Watching his son from a tree a short distance away, Fugaku shunshinned into his office.
"Buta, please retrieve Shisui." He ordered, feeling the ANBU's presence fade before Shisui appeared before his desk in a gust of wind.
With a gesture of his hand, his ANBU detail vacated the room.
"I have a mission for you, Shisui." He started seriously, receiving a nod in return. "I assume you have noticed Itachi's declining health?" He asked, receiving a grim nod in return.
"None of the Medical Ninja within the village have found anything wrong, despite his obvious pain." He stated with a worried brow. "As such, I have sent for Tsunade of the Sannin to return… but she has ignored my summons." He said, anger leaking into his tone, making Shisui's eyes widen.
Closing his eyes, Fugaku took a deep breath.
"I need you to retrieve her unharmed, by any means necessary." He continued much calmer while passing the younger Uchiha a scroll. "That is the official recall order. If she ignores it, and somehow escapes your capture, she will be labeled a missing nin." He finished, shocking the teen.
"Will Yumi be permitted for this mission? I believe it would go much smoother with his help. Both in locating Tsunade, and capturing her if necessary." Shisui requested.
"Do what you must, Shisui." Fugaku stated severely. "She has been running from her pain for long enough. It is time for her to face reality." He finished, receiving a salute in return.
. . .
"Found her." Yumi said as they tree hopped through Yu no Kuni in complete darkness. "She's in the next town. Ninety-seven kilometers north." He informed.
"Good, let's not waste any more time." Shisui said, uncharacteristically serious. Though Yumi knew why, and felt the same way. Itachi needed help.
A short time later, they entered the town that didn't have a red-light district, it was the red-light district.
Women and men alike were offering services, shady guys were selling pilfered wears in ally entrances, and at the end of the main strip was a former noble's compound that had been turned into a casino.
Obviously, they got quite a few looks, all of which were quickly averted when they realized who and what they were.
Approaching the large ronin standing guard at the gates of the compound, the man glared hard at them before suddenly slackening and stepping aside. Yumi didn't need to look to know his sensei's sharingan was spinning furiously.
With a silent signal, Yumi was ordered to take to the roofs.
Unsealing his bow, he watched Shisui enter the casink from his perch.
. . .
Glancing around the smoke filled room, Shisui found his target and proceeded to genjutsu every person that got in his way until he stood behind the green robed woman.
"Tsunade Senju, by order of the Godaime Hokage, Fugaku Uchiha, you are hereby required to return to Konohagakure no Sato, immediately." Shisui ordered coldly, eliciting a roar of laughter from everyone at the table, including the so-called princess.
"Not happening, gaki." She said simply, making Shisui's glare intensify.
"This is not a request. Failure to comply, and you will be labeled a missing-nin." He informed, making the woman freeze nigh imperceptibly before she laughed.
"Sensei would never let that happen!" She laughed as Shisui's sharingan began to spin and illuminate the low-lit room. As one, the men at the table slackened and got to their feet before leaving.
"The Sandaime Hokage has no say. The only reason you haven't been labeled a rogue before now is out of the respect the Godaime has for the Sandaime and Shodai. Now I'll tell you again. Comply." Shisui ordered while tossing the official recall order over her head to land on her embarrassingly small stack of winnings.
The only warning he received was the clenching of her fist, before he was sidestepping a punch that blasted a hole through the house with the pressure it created.
Locking eyes with the woman, Shisui glared. "You're slow."
And it was over.
In Tsunade's place was an arrow covered in spacial prison seals, the woman nowhere to be seen.
To Shisui, one millisecond he was glaring with the sannin, the next, she was sucked into an arrow that didn't even have the chance to break skin before it buried itself in the ground.
Appearing beside his sensei, Yumi grabbed the arrow, and sealed it into the matrix on his wrist.
Not saying a word, they left the compound, only to be met by a shaking girl carrying a baby pig.
"Did she hurt anyone?" The young woman asked with resignation.
. . .
She didn't know how to feel about the dark force sitting before her.
She was one of the Legendary Sannin! The world's strongest Kunoichi! She had faced down Hanzo the Salamander, an angry Sandaime, she'd even had the displeasure of meeting Madara Uchiha!
She would like to think those interactions had prepared her for things such as this… but she would be wrong.
With eyes bathing the dark office in the color of blood, she felt as if space itself was squeezing around her. It wasn't killing intent, no, she'd experienced that many times before. This was like the world had picked a side, and as always, she wasn't going to win.
"You are to resume your duties as director of the Konoha Healing Division." The Uchiha ordered from the spot that rightfully belonged to her sensei.
"Go to hell." She gritted out, hiding her wince as the pressure surrounding her increased. It felt like she was being squeezed in the hand of a giant…
"I do not have time for your petty defiance, Tsunade. Things are coming, things larger than you or I, and your inability to see past your grief will be a detriment to us all." Fugaku said sternly.
"I don't care! I don't care if there's another Shinobi War, I did my part and lost everything! I've lost enough…" Tsunade glared with a shuddered breath as she was forced to use chakra just to breath.
"I believe you misunderstand me." The Godaime began, the pressure increasing with every word as the room began to creek. "This is not a request you can deny. As a member of this village, you are required to follow my orders. Failure to comply will result in doing so without your free will…" He said sinisterly, making the woman grimace as she remembered exactly what she was dealing with… damned Uchiha.
"Furthermore, I am not ordering you to see battle, or even perform invasive surgery. I merely want you in an administrative position to ensure our Healing Division is running smoothly, and that our healers are at the peak of their capabilities." Fugaku continued, eliciting a surprised face from the woman.
"Had you read the missives that I've sent you, rather than killing my summons and putting my chunin in the hospital, you would have known this." He glared heavily, before he closed his eyes and took a calming breath, the pressure receding as he did so.
"Lastly… I am willing to let you do as you please, and leave the village, if that is your wish, if you heal my son…" Fugaku said flatly with closed eyes, making the woman's eyebrows rise, before she released a chuckle that steadily grew into a full belly laugh.
When she calmed down, she opened her eyes to find she was on the receiving end of a glare that sent shivers down her spine.
"I do not appreciate your finding delight in my son's suffering." He said calmly, belying the anger he felt. "Now what is your decision? Will you accept my offer, lose your free will, or heal my son…"
She let out a sigh…
"Where's the gaki?"
. . .
"You knew the entire time?" Itachi asked, receiving a side glance from his father as they traversed the lower levels of the Hokage tower.
"I am your father, I know everything." Fugaku stated calmly, making Itachi's eyes widen, before he continued. "Do not hesitate to tell me something out of fear of disappointing me, Itachi. I would only be disappointed that you thought you could ever disappoint me… I am proud of you, Itachi, and the man you are becoming." He said with a heavy glance toward his wide eyed son.
"So you know of Izumi…" Itachi stated after a few moments of silence, eliciting a nod.
"Chunin level Uchiha branch member, still in the academy. Expectedly top of her class, particularly skilled in taijutsu. I was thinking of placing her under Might Gai upon graduation, or Hayate Gekko to see how she would do with kenjutsu. Lastly, she is particularly fond of one Itachi Uchiha." He finished with a humor filled glance toward his son.
"I see…" Itachi stated as they entered the medical room of the tower to find Tsunade Senju and her apprentice Shizune.
"On the table, gaki." The woman ordered as Shizune bowed with a 'Hokage-sama'.
Once on the table, he was pushed forcefully onto his back as Tsunade began roving her green writhed hands over his torso.
After a tense five minutes, Tsunade's face steadily became more and more pinched, before she stopped her scan and stared at his chest in contemplation.
"How good are you at genjutsu, kid?" She asked suddenly, making Itachi tilt his head.
"It is my specialty." He stated as she slowly nodded.
"Well, somehow, you managed to cast a genjutsu inside your chakra network that prevents me from seeing it fully. It's as though your chakra is the genjutsu…" She explained.
"Can you dispel it?" Itachi asked, and the woman immediately shook her head.
"Your chakra network would collapse, so no." She answered.
"Does anyone have a chakra sealing tag?" She asked, and was promptly handed one by Fugaku. She glanced at it and did a double take.
"Jiraya didn't make this, who did?" She asked while examining the tag a bit closer.
"A level eighteen Seal Master learning from the Yondaime's writings, but let us stay focused." Stated Fugaku, making Tsunade shrug before lifting up Itachi's shirt and slapping it on his chest.
The result was immediate. Itachi lost consciousness and there was a spike of incredibly potent chakra before all traces of it disappeared, along with the black lines around his eyes.
Oddly though, the tag began turning black, as if it was being corroded by the chakra it now contained...
"Is that seal master in the village?" Tsunade asked hurriedly while eyeing the rapidly decaying tag.
With a twitch of his hand, Fugaku sent a silent order to his ANBU detail.
Less than a minute later, Yumi Hyuga entered the room and didn't even deign them with a greeting as he zeroed in on the table and rushed to Itachi's side, examining him and the tag seriously.
After a second, he flew through a series of seals and pressed his flaming fingertips to Itachi's diaphragm. With a sharp twist, a circular maze-like seal appeared right as the tag disintegrated to nothing.
Immediately they felt as if the shinigami itself was in the room as the chakra within Itachi was drained by the seal, making Fugaku's eyes widen with recognition– which didn't go unnoticed.
"You seem to know what is happening, care to explain?" Tsunade asked as she stared at Fugaku.
"That is natural energy." He stated, making the woman's eyes widen before turning to Itachi with understanding.
"Does he have a contract?" She asked, making the Godaime nod sharply.
"The Uchiha have a contract with the birds, Itachi signed with the crows." He explained.
"Are there any crow elders, sages even?" She asked.
"I do not know for certain, I signed with the owls." Fugaku stated honestly.
"Well we're gonna need one if we want to help the kid." Tsunade grimaced, making the Hyuga straighten up, gaining their attention.
"Shisui-sensei can summon crows." Yumi stated.
Moments later, the young jonin had joined them with an uncharacteristic seriousness after seeing the catatonic Itachi.
"Shisui, are there any crow sages or elders within your summons?" Fugaku asked.
"There are, but I'm not allowed to summon them." Shisui answered with a frown.
"Why?" Yumi asked, making the teen shrug.
"I'm not capable of being a sage, so they don't let me summon them. Even threatened to break the contract if I tried." Shisui explained.
"Do so anyway, Shisui." Fugaku ordered. "This is a matter concerning one of their summoners who could be a sage, so they should listen. If they don't, and break the contract, I am sure you will find a home with a more accepting clan." He soothed, making the teen nod.
Flying through the needed seals, Shisui slammed his hand on the ground, eliciting a poof of smoke that carried a presence heavier than even Katsuyu.
"I told you not to summon me, boy!" Came an angry voice that dispelled the smoke with a flap of their ebony wings, revealing an elderly dog sized crow, with red eyes and a small beard of feathers.
"Enough." Fugaku glared, earning the attention of the crow, who's eyes widened upon seeing the Godaime.
"I'm sorry, Uchiha-sama." The bird said immediately, bowing it's head. "I am Kofun, elder of the Karasu Clan."
"I know. Now examine my son. He is one of your summoners, and he seems to be instinctually drawing in natural energy, which is causing him harm." Fugaku ordered, making Kofun bow before he flapped over to Itachi and landed on his chest.
After a long five minutes of watching the summon meditate, Kofun opened his eyes.
"He is to be trained in senjutsu at Mt. Tori no Su." Kofun stated seriously. "You. Heal the necrosis." The crow ordered while looking at Tsunade, who gained a tick mark, but moved to do so with a grumble.
"Should I remove the seal?" Yumi asked, earning the bird's attention.
"No, right now it is the only thing keeping him stable. I will remove it in due time." Kofun stated.
"So what exactly is wrong with him?" Shisui asked.
"Idiot boy, pay attention!" Kofun snapped, earning himself a glare from the teen and his student.
"Itachi is instinctually drawing in natural energy and improperly forming senjutsu chakra. With his affinity for genjutsu, it was becoming illusionary and hiding itself, making it undetectable. Further, I believe his exposure to the chakra of the Karasu Clan began influencing the genjutsu as well, creating the necrosis effect within his chest that was causing his pain, the crows are known for such abilities." Fugaku explained, sharing a nod with Kofun.
"But if it was genjutsu, why couldn't you or I see through it, Hokage-ue?" Asked Yumi curiously.
"That is due to the senjutsu chakra and natural energy. It is more potent than normal chakra, meaning even my sharingan couldn't see it. I doubt even the mangekyo would have been enough, the same can be said for your byakugan. Genjutsu woven with senjutsu chakra is on a level only sennin can face." Fugaku began, before looking Yumi in the eyes with his sharingan.
"Though, your byakugan seems rather… unique." Fugaku continued contemplatively. "With time and training, I believe you may find the ability to see through even my own genjutsu, though breaking them is something else entirely." He finished while closing his eyes, his words lulling them into a silence broken a minute later by Shisui.
"Will Itachi be alright then?" The teen asked, his voice belying his worry.
"Don't worry kid, he'll be fine." Tsunade answered as she finished healing the still unconscious Uchiha. "Train him to handle senjutsu, and he'll be even better than before." She continued.
"Thank you, Tsunade-ue." Yumi bowed, his gratitude immediately getting brushed off by the woman.
"Whatever, gaki, I'm out of here. C'mon Shizune." The woman said while leaving the room, the girl stopping to bow to them all before leaving.
"You aren't stopping her?" Shisui asked, sensing the womans intentions to leave the village, rather than just the building.
Fugaku sighed deeply. "We made a deal. She may leave if she healed Itachi, which she did. However, I doubt Hiruzen will let her get far…" The man smirked.
. . .
Leaving the Hokage Building in the waning light of the sun, Tsunade sighed with a stretch before turning to her sensei.
"You won't change my mind." She said, making the old man nod slightly.
"I know, but I thought you would like to meet your godson before you left." The man stated calmly, making the woman's eyes widen as, sure enough, peaking out from behind her sensei's legs was a small blond child.
"Ne~ Jiji, who's the old lady?" The boy asked– and was immediately flicked in the forehead by a ticked off Tsunade.
"I'm barely even forty, brat!"
"Oi! Just cause you're an old hag doesn't mean you have to go beating on me! It's not my fault you're half dead!" Naruto snapped while rubbing the red welt on his forehead.
"Half dea-?! That's it, gaki! Get back here!" Tsunade shouted as Naruto shot off away from her.
"Even the old man's faster than you, granny!" Naruto cackled before it died in his throat as Tsunade grabbed him by the scruff.
"You're way too much like you're mother…" The woman huffed.
"You knew my mom?!" Naruto exclaimed with stars in his eyes, making Tsunade smirk.
As the two began talking, Hiruzen and Shizune watched from the side with twin smiles.
"This will be good for her." Shizune stated, making the old man nod.
"It will be good for them." He stated.
. . .
AN: Recap!
Yumi is learning more about Raijin no Kei, seems like it may emulate the 8 Gates...
And Itachi is a Natural Sage! That's why he's sick. The improperly formed Sage Chakra is causing cell death inside his chest– all of which is hidden by the instinctively illusionary nature of his chakra. He doesn't wear eyeliner, it's sage markings.
I've had that theory for a while, and really like it, but Fugaku knew immediately what natural energy was... hmmmmmm
And we won't see Itachi for a while as he trains in Senjutsu. Given his affinity for Genjutsu, I feel it may be harder for him to learn something so chakra intensive.
Lastly, the Uchiha have a Bird Contract, an amalgam of several clans of birds coming together to form a stronger community as one.
Fugaku signed with the Owls, Shisui/Itachi the Crows, and eventually as in canon Sasuke with the Hawks.
Coming up!
The Calm Before The Summit