A/n: Happy New Year. Hope this helps kill the time as you try to stave off sleep ^^
Chapter 6- Realizations
He had killed him.
Despite inventing that jutsu, despite his year of training to be so precise with weaponry that he would be able to paralyze with one hit rather than kill… despite all that, the former prisoner of Konohagakure was dead from a blow Edward Elric had dealt.
Edward felt his body start to shake, and suddenly he knew that he couldn't stay there any longer. Couldn't stay next to the corpse he had created. Edward turned, and ran.
He ran as fast as he was able, leaving behind the corpse amongst the trees and the two kids he had come to love.
He had…
He had…
He had killed.
Taken a life. Ripped it from another's hands. Stole something oh-so-precious, and had no chance on giving it back. Did something he swore never to do. Had traded one life for another's selfishly. That ninja he had killed would never see the light of day again, never laugh with loved ones or share his tales with grandchildren. Would never reconcile with his wife and kids, would never get to atone for whatever sins he had committed.
Finally, he stopped, when he felt that nobody was within his range anymore. And then, he promptly threw up.
Edward bent over, his stomach contracting painfully his stomach emptied itself of the remnants of his lunch. Tears stung his eyes, and suddenly the strength in his legs left him. He crumbled, next to the stench that was his vomit.
And then he felt the chakra flare that meant that the Sandaime was signaling him.
Edward smiled weakly, almost bitterly; even in a moment of anguish he would get no reprieve. Wiping his eyes, Edward got up, and started running again. This time, towards a place that would cage him rather than release him.
As he ran, Edward's mind couldn't help but go back towards that horrible scene in the forest. He wanted to focus on calming himself so that he was presentable in front of the Hokage, but he could not help it.
He… he didn't know what to think. Logically, he knew that there wasn't much he could have done. The prisoner was almost upon Naruto, and Edward had no time to reach for one of his many senbon needles. He had a kunai on hand.
With kunai, it was hard to be precise, because the weapon itself did not lend itself to non-lethal precision. Sure, it was easy to kill with it, but it was extremely hard to use a kunai to hit a pressure point that paralyzed while avoiding all the pressure points that could kill. Added to that, the escaped prisoner had been someone of jounin level, and to paralyze him with the use of weaponry would have taken more than one projectile. Using a kunai to paralyze might work against genin, but even someone of Tsunade-sensei's skill wouldn't be able to use something like that against a jounin.
So… Edward's only option had been to hope for a one shot kill, really. If he didn't want Naruto to suffer a painful fate, that is. It was… the only choice.
"That still doesn't solve how you're going to refrain from killing. You will have to, eventually"
"Then… then I'll just invent a way to make a ninja harmless without killing them."
What had happened to his determination, his surety that he would be able to go through life without a single kill? His willpower to prove that the ninja life didn't have to involve the taking of lives?
The only choice? What a joke.
Yeah right his only choice was to kill that ninja in cold blood. Yeah right.
His fingers curled into a fist, nails cutting deep into the flesh of his hands. He was useless.
He could not even face Sasuke and Naruto anymore. The reason he had left the clearing was as much for them as for himself. For now, Edward wasn't sure how he'd deal with anybody, and he hated his lack of control.
Before he knew it, he had arrived at the Hokage tower. Making sure that the remnants of tears were gone from his face –because now, he knew he couldn't show weaknesses anymore, not to the Sandaime who had ordered the Uchiha massacre- Edward trudged up the stairs and knocked on the door.
"Come in, Edward," The Sandaime's voice was soft, almost as if he were afraid Edward would break.
Edward snorted; ha, as if the Sandaime would really care. Or if the Hokage did care, it certainly wasn't enough to stop him from ordering the unthinkable. Nevertheless, Edward pushed open the door.
The Third Hokage of Konoha was as always, sitting behind that damnable desk of his, face lined with sorrow and age. Edward's brow ceased when he saw the innocent looking crystal ball on the Sandaime's desk, and he barely held back a snarl. So, the Hokage had been spying on him.
As if reading Edward's thoughts, the Sandaime shook his head, "No Edward, I was simply worried about the escape your shadow clone mentioned. When Bear, Rat, and Horse got there… I am sorry I didn't know you were gone until I sent you that pulse… I was keeping an eye on Naruto."
Naruto. Edward felt a pang in his chest, and felt himself unconsciously drifting towards the seat facing the Sandaime. He sat down, almost without realizing it. Naruto had just seen his first death, and Sasuke was unconscious. But… but they'd be fine even without him; the ANBU would take care of them. They didn't need to see a 'nii-san' who had so easily killed and failed to protect them…
So why did that reasoning still sound empty in Edward's heart?
"I got the situation from Horse," The Sandaime continued, staring at Edward with imploring black eyes, "He said your performance was excellent, and wondered if you were a hunter nin, though of course he didn't say that out loud. However, I know that the reason you went to Tsunade wasn't anything as simple as just increasing medical skills, and the reason you became a ninja wasn't just so that you could protect… it was so you could always save instead of kill, wasn't it?"
Edward stiffened in his seat, his fingers curling tightly over the armrests. His heart was pounding rapidly and his head spun, but he refused to acknowledge it. What did the Sandaime know about him anyway?
The Sandaime searched his eyes, and sighed, his voice sounding as old as his age. "You… you will not talk to me?"
"There's nothing to talk about, Hokage," Edward bit out, barely controlling his voice.
"Edward…"
Why? Why? Why? Why did the Hokage sound so old every time he talked to Edward? Every time the Sandaime talked now, he sounded so worn, so regretful, so sorrow-filled. Was he trying to guilt Edward into having the same relationship with him as before the truth behind the Uchiha massacre was revealed? He must have known that it was not possible; the Sandaime had lost Edward's trust forever.
"Edward I…" The Sandaime paused, a pained expression on his face, "You had no choice but to kill. I'm sure you've already thought of all the reasons why. It was either that ninja or Naruto. Nobody would have done any differently."
Snap.
The armrests that Edward had been clutching onto shattered, spraying shrapnel all over the place. Pieces of wood dug into Edward's palms, drawing blood, but he didn't care. He had stood up, he realized, but by then he had already stopped caring.
"How dare you," He hissed, a small corner of his mind in awe of the sibilant sound. It seemed like the Sandaime felt it too, because suddenly the Hokage paled, as if he had seen a ghost of the past. "How dare you say that? How could you treat life so lightly, thinking 'oh well, it couldn't be helped' after an event like that. It's no wonder that you haven't found a way to peace yet- you don't really try! Even if there was no way, I should have found a way! Maybe it's okay for people like you to trade life, but it's not okay for me! Itachi murdered his most precious people for your so-called peace, so how can you say it's okay to kill someone as long as you're saving your family? What an absolute joke!"
"Edward," The Sandaime's face was tight, "I… I didn't mean-"
"Don't say it," Edward snarled, turning on his heel and striding purposefully towards the door, "Once you've said something, don't try to take it back."
He wasn't going to stay for this, not for anything. If the Hokage decided that he was a threat, so be it. Edward had already killed, he could- he could- it hardly mattered what he did anymore, did it? Edward was in the process of turning the doorknob, when-
"I was nine." It was the Sandaime. The old man's voice was soft, wistful, completely unlike anything Edward had heard before. It made him stop in spite of himself, frozen in place with his hand still on the door but the door still closed.
"I was nine, and we were at war. Weren't we always at war? I've lived through three wars you know, and I've never gotten used to the bloodshed. I still remember each and every person I've killed, each and every person I've sent to their deaths. Sawada, Arihyoshi, Doi, Ebina, and faces… all these faces of people I'd never known, but took from their families nonetheless. You have not seen a ninja war Edward, and you should be glad of it. It changes everyone it touches- me, my senseis, my teammates, even Itachi. War is… ah, forgive me, I am getting off topic again. Such things seem to happen more and more often recently. I wish the Yondaime…
"I am not quite sure why I have been granted such a long life, not when my very first kill was at nine years old. That young, and I had already started taking a life. I was with my teammate Koharu when it happened- we were jumped by Kumo while we went to gather firewood, and I later found out that our sensei did not immediately come to our rescue because our camp was being attacked. It was not supposed to be attacked; we weren't an offensive force- just delivering supplies, really, but often times in war these things happen.
"Koharu and I fought as best as we could, but we were overwhelmed. In the end, Koharu was nearly captured by the ninja, and she would have died if I had not acted. There was literally no other choice. The ninja was greater than me, but I had the element of surprise on my side- one final ace if you will. But it was a lethal technique, and I had never used it on a human before. But Koharu was about to die, and I could not let the teammate –nay, the friend- that I had trained with for nine months die because I was too scared to use a jutsu.
"And so I used it. The result was horrifying. There was nothing left of the ninja except for sewn pieces of flesh and blood. Koharu was also damaged during that attack.
"I hated myself for it. Not only had I killed, but I had not managed to protect the person I was trying to save. I was worthless, useless, worse than dirt and not even a thing worth looking at. I had rather I died than the Kumo nin.
"I vowed to myself instead to become the 'God of Shinobi', so that I would never have to kill because my skill was so great. It worked out- for a while, before the day it all went wrong. Part of being ninja I think is to prepare for the unexpected, because such things happen daily in the lives of the wicked. Sensei was probably prepared- he was always that- but we weren't. I once again found myself in a situation where I had no choice but to use a lethal jutsu, except this time I doubted my judgment. I thought there was no choice, but was there truly no choice? I wasn't sure, and thus, I hesitated.
"That one moment's of hesitation was all it took. The enemy struck, and… someone precious to me died. It was because I hadn't acted. I had a chance, and I knew that she would die if I didn't use my jutsu, but I wasn't sure… And so, because of my doubt and unwillingness to soil my hands again, somebody who shouldn't have been involved in the war died.
"I realized then that sometimes there is no other choice. Because you see, even if there were some miraculous action we could have made instead of the ones we took, we did not see it then, and so such a choice was never truly available to us in the first place. She died then, and it was because I did not act."
Edward closed his eyes, and thought about what the Sandaime said. It was obvious that the Hokage was trying to tell Edward in his roundabout way that what Edward did should not be something to be ashamed of, that Edward shouldn't have to learn the hard way like the Sandaime did that one had to accept that sometimes one had to kill. In it's way, the story was effective, but it was the Sandaime…
Edward's eyes snapped open, golden orbs cold. He finished turning the doorknob, and pushed the door open. He paused just before he left, turning his head to give the Sandaime one last statement, "Save your story for someone who cares, Hokage."
He didn't wait for the Hokage's response. Edward descended rapidly down the tower and ploughed onto the streets, wanting to get as far away from the Sandaime and his understanding eyes as possible. He didn't want to be around the hypocrite, didn't want to think that someone who could order the massacre of a whole clan was in any way similar to himself. It was disgusting.
He stalked home, flung open the door, and-
"Naruto?" He said in surprise, blinking several times at the scene before him. Naruto was standing in the doorway, biting his lip nervously, tear tracks clearly visible on his face.
"E-E-Edward ni-ni-" Naruto hiccupped, and stepped back to allow Edward into the room. He hastily wiped at his face, "Elric-san, you're back."
Edward felt dread fill him. He stepped into the living room. He knelt down so that he was eye to eye with the shorter blond, and put his hands on the blue eyed boy's shoulders, "Naruto… you're okay, right?"
Naruto nodded, but Edward could see it wasn't sincere. The golden eyed boy felt his heart sink.
He shouldn't have left them. No matter how badly Edward had been feeling at the moment, he shouldn't have left his two charges. Who knew if the ANBU sent had been certified medics? What if something had gone wrong with Sasuke and Naruto and now they had to suffer because the person who should have been taking care of them decided to take a long vacation instead because he was unsure of himself and-
Itachi wouldn't have been so irresponsible.
"Naruto," Edward's grip on Naruto's shoulders tightened, before loosening again. Golden eyes flittered shut, and then back open, but the voice that came out was pained, "I'm… I'm sorry."
Blue eyes widened with… surprise?
"What do you mean you're sorry?" Naruto asked, his voice squeaking, "Unless… unless you mean you're sorry you took me in?"
Huh? "Huh?"
"You've- you've been so nice to me, and- and I repay you by getting both you and Sasuke hurt. I'm horrible aren't I? Maybe those villagers weren't wrong about me. I'm really a good for nothing, blasted little-"
"Naruto!" Edward's voice was sharp, and Naruto flinched at it. Edward gritted his teeth, trying to make sense of what the younger blond was saying. Obviously Naruto had somehow taken the blame for himself in Edward's absence. It was all his fault… if only he had stayed, stayed and explained things… he had been so irresponsible. "Naruto, you didn't do anything wrong."
"But I did!" Naruto burst out, his eyes filling up with tears, "You don't know but- but when you told me to double check my seals, I didn't! So… so it exploded! It's all because I was so careless that you and Sasuke are hurt!"
"That's not– wait, what?" If Edward were to say he was expecting what Naruto had just said, he'd be lying. Even so, his mind was doing rapid calculations. Did Naruto just say… that he didn't check his seal? That meant that the explosion happened because of…
"The star symbol! I was too careless, and it wasn't a perfect ten point star. I know what I should have done, but I didn't. I- I-" Naruto choked, hiccupping. He hastily wiped at his eyes, and looked down, refusing to meet Edward's gaze, "You… you've always been really nice to me. Well, maybe nice isn't the right word, but I thought I had something like a family with you and Sasuke. Some way to treat family, huh? I got Sasuke hurt, and you in pain. Everyone always treated me coldly, and I've always wondered why. I wonder now if it's because they knew I'd mess up like this if given the chance- I wonder if they knew I sucked this bad at being a family member, and that's why they always refused me."
"Naruto…" This was too much to take in all at once. The reason Edward had to kill, was because of Naruto. He'd thought it was something as innocent as protecting, but it was actually…
Naruto shrugged off the older blond's grip. Hands feeling around blindly, Naruto finally grasped the edges of the large bags Edward had noticed earlier by the door. Though, Edward was hardly noticing that now. The boy stumbled past the ninja, out the door, and Edward didn't stop him.
Naruto stopped at the gateway, and gave one last look at Edward. It was a pained expression, filled with something that no ten year old should know. He swallowed, a sad smile making its way up his lips, "I… I know it's not enough to make up for what happened, but I'll be out of your lives from now on. I even understand it if you want to throw me in jail and make me quit being a ninja. Hokage, Hokage, that's all I wanted, but I'm probably not worthy, right? Maybe… maybe all those people were right about me, and I'll never amount to anything."
And with that, Naruto trotted away.
Edward closed his eyes.
And then, he got up, brushed off his cloak, and flashed over to the younger blond. Naruto was in too much distress to use Body Flicker, but not Edward. He caught up to the eleven year old in a second, appearing directly in front of—
"Ack!" Naruto bumped into him, sending his luggage flying everywhere. Naruto looked up, his blue eyes fierce, "Who are— Edward nii-san?"
"Who else?" Edward replied with a roll of his eyes, and flicked Naruto on the forehead. Naruto's hands flew up to the wounded spot, and blue eyes glared at Edward balefully. That is… until Naruto realized what he was doing. And then, the smaller blond just sort of ducked his head, his whole form turning demure.
Edward sighed. Stillness was so unnatural on that blue-eyed monster. "I knew you were dumb when I first started teaching you, but I didn't think you'd be this stupid."
Naruto's head shot up, eyes wide.
Edward swallowed; this was hard, keeping his own emotions at bay while he tried to wrestle with Naruto's. But then again, maybe not so hard after all. Wasn't this what he had tried doing in the four years he'd travelled with Al? Of course, Al knew him too well for it to work for too long, but Edward still thought he had something with it.
"Let's go back to the house first."
Naruto opened his mouth as if to argue, but seemed to catch himself before he said anything. Mutely, Naruto nodded, picked up his bags, and trudged back towards the house. With a sigh, Edward followed.
Soon, their house came into view.
Edward smiled sadly at the sight of their house. He and Sasuke had been fine living in an apartment of course, but with the addition of Naruto that really wasn't possible anymore. The landlord had thrown a fit about how loud the two children were, and Edward couldn't find it in himself to disagree with him. After all, even he had to admit Sasuke's and Naruto's fights got rather… heated. Edward had bought a house so they wouldn't disrupt anyone anymore.
Naruto had stopped in front of the entranceway.
"Why aren't you going in?" Edward asked before he stopped to really think about it. After all, the house was as much Naruto's as it was anyone else's. It held the same amount of memories.
Naruto's eyes widened, and then teared up. He looked down, hastily wiping at them. "I- you- it's not mine any more. I used to be so happy you know, I bragged to all the Academy students that I wasn't just a failure and I was brilliant and loved and had a great place that was mine. But I messed that all up didn't I? Now I can't even say that fate hates me, because fate's been good to me, but I had to mess it all up. It- it- it's me that's no good."
Edward felt his heart break over the words. Suddenly it didn't matter if the whole scenario was Naruto's fault; the blue eyed boy was already paying for it. Edward doubted that this moment would ever leave Naruto's memory. But as for now… "Naruto, don't be ridiculous."
Naruto's head shot up, "What?"
Edward squeezed Naruto's shoulders, and pushed him inside the house. He kicked the door closed behind them. "I said Naruto, don't be ridiculous. Everyone makes mistakes, and even if yours was your own fault, now you know the consequences, right? You won't make this mistake again?"
Naruto hastily nodded, "No! Never!"
"Good, then I don't see what the problem is. What's all this talk about leaving?"
"But- but-" Naruto protested, "I hurt Sasuke! And you!"
Edward felt another pang in his chest. So even Naruto had noticed Edward's reactions. He should not have shown his disturbed feelings so easily. Edward swallowed, then took a breath. He walked slowly to the living room's couch, "Like I said, you made a mistake. Mistakes have consequences."
"But-!"
Edward sat down, and shut his eyes. "I once made a mistake, a very big one. It almost cost my brother his life."
Naruto went silent.
"He's fine now, of course," Edward continued, opening his eyes again, "At least I'm pretty sure he is. The mistake thankfully, didn't have a fatal end, but it very nearly did have. Because of that, I've learned something important, and I will never make that mistake again. Of course, I wish I never made such an error in the first place, but I did, and one cannot turn back time. So, learn from your mistakes, but never look back. Walk forward. Now that you know what not to do, the future should be better, right?"
"E-E-Edward nii-san!" Naruto exclaimed, then burst out crying.
Edward patted Naruto's back, holding him close until the younger blond finally stopped trying to dry his eyes out. Finally, Naruto pulled away from Edward's embrace, finally looking somewhat normal again. The resigned expression that was so unrecognizable in those expressive blue eyes was finally gone.
"I'm sorry," Naruto said shyly, "But Sasuke told me that the reason you learned medical jutsu is so that you wouldn't have to kill, right? So I'm… I'm sorry I forced you to…"
Edward felt another pang in his chest.
"You didn't," Edward finally said, "You couldn't have forced me. I made my choice. I decided that you were more valuable to me than my standards. I… I realize now that to refrain from killing is probably impossible in this world. Even if I wasn't the one who did the deed, he probably would have still died; after all, he was an escaped prisoner. I'd still like to try my best to avoid killing, but there are some things… that are simply worth protecting at all costs."
"You- I-" Naruto's eyes rekindled with determination, "I definitely won't let this mistake happen again! I'll research seals twice—no, four times as hard, and I'll make sure to double and triple check all my drawings. Don't worry Edward nii-san, I've learned!"
"Good," Edward smiled, getting up from the couch. It looked like Naruto was going to be fine. "Now let's go visit Sasuke, eh?"
Naruto nodded vigorously, "Yeah, let's!"
They did go to the hospital. It turned out that Naruto had been too guilty to visit before and Edward… well, Edward hadn't exactly been emotionally stable. They pushed open the door to Sasuke's room, and Edward felt his own guilt increase.
Sasuke was looking pale and ill, reminding Edward of another incidence in the hospital three years ago. This time though, Edward knew for sure that Sasuke was going to be okay. Still, it didn't excuse the fact that Edward hadn't been there.
Naruto was still for a moment, as if he couldn't believe that Sasuke could look like that, and then he rushed forward to Sasuke's bedside. He bowed his head, apologetic. Edward mused that if Sasuke had been awake, then Naruto definitely wouldn't show this side of himself. Then again, who knew? Naruto was out of sorts today, though it was understandably so.
"I'm… I'm sorry." The blue eyed child said remorsefully, "I made a mistake and it made you— I'm sorry! It's all my fault that you're like this. But—but I won't make it again, definitely not!"
Sasuke's eyes fluttered open, and Edward felt his heart give a thump. Sasuke was okay; perhaps a little tired, but one hundred percent OK.
Sasuke smiled weakly, "You idiot, of course you won't make the same mistake again. Hokage's can't make mistakes, remember?"
Naruto's eyes widened, and Sasuke's flitted shut again. Edward released a breath; Sasuke's momentary consciousness was gone, but now Sasuke was sleeping rather than unable to wake up. And… it seemed like he said the right thing to Naruto.
Naruto's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. He looked beyond surprised, almost to the point where Edward might have been worried that the younger blond was going into shock. And then, Naruto nodded once, determinedly, before his expression changed into something more familiar.
"Bastard," Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms, "Even the Hokages make mistakes. Heck, the old man makes them all the time!"
Even the Hokages make mistakes.
Edward felt his breath catch. Unwittingly, the Sandaime's word flittered across his mind; his pained voice, his lined face, his sad expression.
"Sometimes there is no other choice. Because you see, even if there were some miraculous action we could have made instead of the ones we took, we did not see it then, and so such a choice was never truly available to us in the first place."
Was that a Hokage who didn't care? No, that was a Hokage who exhausted all other venues before making a decision, but knowing when a quick decision was needed to be made. That was a Hokage who only ever asked about the lives of others, yet so readily shared his experiences when they were needed.
The Sandaime had wanted to comfort Edward, as best as the old man could. He even told Edward a personal story about his life, one that obviously pained him. This… conflicted with Edward's image of the tyrant which sent his best friend to murder his own family. The Sandaime who had so lovingly tried to comfort Edward. The Hokage who had ruthlessly ordered his subordinate to destroy his emotions. Who was the real Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Why did the Hokage care if Edward was experiencing emotional pain, when he so easily ensured that Itachi would have nightmares for the rest of his life? Why did the Hokage go through with the Uchiha Massacre, when his own philosophy was to only make a choice when no others were available? It was almost as if…
Edward stumbled, his mind racing at the implications of what he had just realized.
"Edward nii-san?" Naruto said questioningly, semi-bringing Edward out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry Naruto, I have to go," Edward breathed out, "Can you… can you stay with Sasuke?"
Hesitatingly, Naruto nodded, and Edward smiled sadly. So it looked like Naruto wasn't quite back to normal after all. A normal Naruto would have complained about staying with an unconscious person, saying that his time could be better spent training. Still, Edward was just going to have to trust that Naruto would eventually go back to normal, when he saw that his mistake didn't really have any long lasting effects.
Well… none that Naruto would know about, anyhow. With one last nod towards the younger blond, Edward slipped out of the hospital, and took to the rooftops. Now, about the Hokage who had tried to help Edward and had ordered the Uchiha Massacre…
It was almost as if they weren't the same person.
Heart thudding, Edward raced towards the place where he had felt the prisoner slip out from. It didn't make sense that the Hokage would wipe out the Uchiha through Itachi- not the kind Sandaime who would share his own locked past in able to make one ninja feel better. It didn't make sense that the Sandaime would torture Itachi thus with half-assed excuses about 'what-ifs'. The Sandaime wasn't the type of man to order something like the massacre. He would rather sacrifice himself than sacrifice his villagers, especially if said villages included children. The Uchiha Massacre was not something the Sandaime would do.
But it was like the Sandaime to cover up for somebody, in hopes that Edward would hate the Hokage instead of getting himself killed by investigating someone over his level. It made sense that the Sandaime would seek to protect someone else from Edward's wrath. That was too much like the Sandaime that Edward had come to know all these years.
That meant… that it was somebody else who was behind the Uchiha massacre. Somebody else who had ordered Itachi to do the horrible deed. The Sandaime had simply wanted to protect that person from Edward— or perhaps protect Edward from that person. If that person could order the ANBU Captain to do something after all, then they must be really really high up. So, for the sake of peace, the Sandaime had decided to take the blame onto himself, knowing that Edward couldn't retaliate against the Hokage.
It all made a terrible sense.
For a moment, Edward just dwelt on the feeling. The horror and frustration that he'd been erroneous. The guilt that he'd wronged the Hokage. He'd even told the Sandaime that his story didn't matter. The very Sandaime who had only been trying to help from the beginning. Edward had thought he had matured, but it looked like he still had a long ways to go.
And then the moment passed— or rather, Edward forced it to pass. He had something more important to worry about at the moment. He would have to apologize to the Sandaime later, but as for now…
Edward's breath caught in his throat as he made it to his destination. He mis-stepped, almost tripping, before he righted himself and continued running across the rooftops. He had finally discovered where the prisoner had originated from. Edward swallowed, and looked around, taking in the familiar surroundings. There was that training field- not far from where he was now- and if Edward continued down this path then he would come to-
The Uchiha Compound.
Black, red, and gold, it hadn't lost its splendor. Edward hadn't seen the Uchiha compound lots: only when he came to bug Itachi or when he had come to help Sasuke… pack. It wasn't familiar to him, and thus he hadn't right away recognized the direction in which the prisoner had been coming, but this… this was too much.
He was sure now.
He had thought that there had been something wrong about the way that the prisoner had escaped—or rather, the place from where he had escaped. Edward knew all the Konoha prisons under the jurisdiction of the Hokage, and the area from which Edward had felt the prisoner's chakra signature emerge was at none of those points. The only thing that had tipped Edward off that it was indeed a prisoner was the sporadic running.
Now… the unknown prison, the Uchiha Compound— it couldn't be a coincidence. Whatever happened at the Massacre three years ago, it would be here that Edward would find some answers.
The golden haired boy entered the ghostly complex, taking care to keep his steps completely silent as he gazed around. This case was complicated, more so than Edward had ever imagined. Slowly, ever so slowly, he walked towards the place where he had felt the prisoner's chakra signature first appear.
A breeze lifted the dust, and Edward froze. He listened, but heard nothing. Something seemed to brush against his ear, and it was all he could do to keep himself from jumped. Slowly, ever so slowly, he reached his hand behind his ear to check what it was… and felt hair. He sagged in relief. Edward didn't believe in ghosts, but he would be lying if he said the place wasn't creepy.
Steeling himself, Edward finally came to the place where he had felt the signature first appear. It was a large house, larger than any other house that Edward had seen. He smiled grimly to himself; he'd figured that it'd be showy. Completely super-villainy to hide something right under the majority of the population's noses. He pushed the door open and…
…saw nothing.
Well, not nothing. He saw furniture and wooden tiles, but nothing of relevance. In fact- wait a minute.
Edward walked up to the small chairs arranged nicely around the wooden table, and peered closely at it. Nothing. He put a finger to the table, and brushed it along the surface. When he brought the finger back up to his face, it had a thin layer of dust on it.
Just a thin layer.
After three years of being abandoned, should the Uchiha compound really only have such a thin layer of dust? Edward of all people knew what an abandoned house looked like, and though this Uchiha house did a good job of imitating it, it still wasn't exactly the same.
Some had been here. Recently.
Edward took a deep breath, then let it out. He looked around, taking in all details possible, and then, Edward cast one of the highest levels of genjutsu he knew how. It wasn't anything on Itachi of course (but then again, when it came to genjutsu, Edward doubted the Hokage could match Itachi) but Edward was sure it was enough to fool several high-level ninjas. If not, at worst the people would just be informed that there was someone who had discovered them, and since Edward was acting on his own, such a consequence was hardly going to cost anyone anything.
After that, he sat down and waited.
The genjutsu he cast made everything look as it did before Edward was in the room- thus, he was effectively invisible. He knew there was a secret in the room somewhere, but Edward wasn't sure if he could find it before he was found out. So, the best way was to wait for the culprit himself to come and reveal the secret.
Edward didn't wait long. Or at least, not relatively. It was only ten o'clock when somebody finally came.
The person moved stealthily, shifting with the shadows and not making a sound as his footsteps landed. He was dressed completely in black, with a mask covering his face. If it weren't for the genjutsu that disrupted the place, Edward wasn't sure if he would have spotted the guy. As it was, it was almost funny watching the man look around warily for intruders, and his gaze going right through Edward.
It was a ninja, it had to be. The movements would not be so coordinated otherwise. Edward held his breath, tense, and put every inch of his control into maintaining the genjutsu. Finally, the ninja seemed sated, and his hand flicked up.
A kunai flew from the man's fingers, nicking something near the chandeliers before falling back down. The man caught it before it could so much as touch the dust on the floor. And then, there was a creaking sound.
Edward sucked in a breath, watching disbelievingly as a whole section of the floor fell away, revealing a set of stairs leading to who knows where. The ninja didn't so much as pause before he darted down the steps, into the darkness. Edward took a second to decide, and then rushed after him.
They descended in complete silence, and when they got to the bottom, there was another rumbling sound. Edward instantly knew that the secret latch had closed, and for better or for worse, he was stuck down here until he found the switch. He couldn't see- not at all, so Edward didn't rely on his eyes. He sensed for the presence of the ninja, and followed that. Soon, they paused again.
Edward heard a telltale whoosh of air that signaled another kunai being thrown –obviously, the ninja was being a lot less careful now that he thought he'd finally gotten to his secret base- followed by the faint crackling of a door being opened. The room was instantly flooded with light.
Edward blinked, then reacted, but it was too late. The ninja he had been following twisted around, letting fly another kunai that had been in his hand and forcing Edward to dodge sideways. The ninja reached for something in his pocket- but Edward was too fast. The blond rushed forwards, chopping at a particularly sensitive nerve on the ninja's neck, causing the masked man to drop forward in an unconscious heap. Edward caught him before the ninja could fall, so that the collapsing body wouldn't make a sound.
He breathed a sigh of relief; well, wasn't that exciting. Slowly, Edward carried the body to a dark corner of the underground room, and quietly deposited him. Then, just in case, Edward casted two other genjutsu on the ninja, one that induced sleep for twelve hours, and one that made his body see-through so that others wouldn't be able to tell he was there. Then, Edward headed back towards the lighted room.
He paused for a moment at the entranceway. Past the door, the corridors were lighted brightly- well, maybe not so brightly, but it was bright compared to the pitch black cavern Edward was standing in. When the ninja had opened the door, he had instantly seen Edward's reflection, dim as it was against the cool stone walls. Edward would have rather had a guide through here, but now that he was finally here, he wasn't going to turn back.
Edward cautiously eyed the place, golden eyes searching for any traps. There were none, as far as he could tell. Whoever had set up a secret base in this place had to be extremely certain that no one would ever find it. Then again, if it weren't for Edward's abilities and the coincidental escape of the prisoner, he doubted he would have ever found this place. He went in.
And an alarm went off.
Edward's eyes widened. How…? Perhaps it was because he didn't do anything that an alarm went off- but it didn't matter, not really. It was obvious the alarm went off because of him, it wasn't a coincidence. His mind raced with the possibilities. He needed to get out of here- now. But he didn't know the switch to open the door from the inside, so how was he going to escape detection…?
Edward narrowed his eyes, and then ran back to the direction he had left the other ninja. He bent down, intent on making the man wake up and force him to tell Edward where the exit was –and then he paused. If… If they'd discovered someone who wasn't supposed to be here had been here, that meant that Edward wouldn't so easily get a second chance to return. But here was the possibility of finding the answers Edward needed, and he had to find out the secret behind the Uchiha massacre, he had to.
Edward quickly took off the ninja's black mask, and tied it around his own face and hair, effectively hiding his identity. Then, he did a quick genjustsu to make himself look like the man- hopefully, doing such a thing would buy him precious seconds if it ever came down to a fight.
Then, Edward ran inside the lighted corridor.
Semi closing his eyes, Edward sensed for the chakra signatures of ninjas. He instantly felt the blazing chakras of various people, and wondered how he could have missed them before. It seemed as if something in these walls had stopped him from sensing anything- or rather, it made the signatures so weak that Edward thought they were civilians. Edward searched for one that didn't seem to be moving- those were usually the scientists or the leader. Either one was good enough for Edward. To his surprise, he found that it was the weakest signature of all. Scientist then?
Edward quickly turned, and made his way towards the signature. It was surrounded by a few strong ones, but that was all. Edward was pretty sure he could handle himself.
Finally, he made it to a large stone door, beyond which he could sense five signatures. Edward took a breath, readied himself, and slipped on his gloves. Then, he smashed open the door. Four kunais were instantly thrown at him, all aimed towards different parts of his body, but Edward was already moving. He couldn't avoid them completely –they were too well coordinated- but Edward was not the second best medic in the world for nothing. He shifted his body, allowing the kunai to hit- but only in the non-vital areas.
Then, he quickly ducked, as a sword swung his way, intending to take off his head. Another sword aimed towards his belly, but Edward was already forming seals, and soon a huge gust of wind ripped through the air, forcing his two assailants to step back. Taking a breath, Edward clapped his hands together, and pushed them to the floor.
Even as he did so, he quickly took in the fact that four of the five people were wearing animal masks. ANBU? But no, they couldn't be. They looked different from ANBU somehow; their kanatas were different, shorter and tipless. They weren't ANBU. Then… Edward would have no inhibitions.
The last person… had a large bandage around his forehead, extending all the way to cover his right eye. He was an old man, with a cross shaped scar on his chin, and right arm in a sling. Still, he was standing regally, observing Edward's battle with a cold a calculating eye. Edward felt a moment of hesitation; was this really just a scientist?
But, he had no time to think it out. Spikes erupted from the floor, formed by the unique stone that was found here and just a little help from alchemy. Edward's mind was on the battle again, and he couldn't help a little grin from making its way up his lips; he had correctly guessed the elements of this stone, then.
The ANBU copycats jumped back, surprised, and Edward took this moment to form his long sequence of handseals. Taking a breath, he forced his chakra into the spell, twisting reality and bending it to his will. The ninja wavered, and Edward took this moment to strike. He reached inside his robes, and flung out several senbon at once. None of them were aimed at vital places, but they would put out the ninja for a good amount of time. Captured by the genjutsu, none of the ninja made so much as a voice of protest as they dropped to the ground, made unconscious by Edward's deadly aim.
That is, except-
"That was a good genjutsu," The old man complimented, clapping his hands mockingly. The senbon Edward threw at him was uselessly on the floor, having been deflected by the man as soon as it was thrown.
Edward narrowed his eyes. There was obviously more to this old man then met the eye. He shifted warily, making sure to make no openings, "My genjutsu clearly wasn't good enough if it didn't affect you."
That genjutsu was one that took a lot of chakra to perform, and exceptional control on top of that. It was possibly the best one in Edward's arsenal. Of course, Edward wasn't a genjutsu master, but he thought it should have at least distracted experienced ninja for long enough for him to get a hit in- it worked for the other four ninja, after all.
"It is not your genjutsu that is at fault," The old man said blandly, his head cocking, "But I don't suppose you're here to talk about the ninja arts. Tell me, why are you here, and how did you find this place? Did Hiruzen set you up for it?"
Hiruzen? That was the Hokage's name. Which meant… that whoever this was, they weren't working for the Hokage. Otherwise, the Sandaime would have no reason to investigate it.
"I found it because I have a special ability," Edward replied, "But no, I wasn't sent here by the Hokage. I was actually more interested in why this base would be under the Uchiha compound."
The old man's gaze sharpened, "So you were willing to disobey the Hokage? Surely at the time, you couldn't have known that this place was not one of Hiruzen's secret bases."
"It seems like I'm not the only one willing to disobey the Hokage," Edward said testily.
"So you admit it then," The old man smiled proudly, his scar making his smile seem somehow scarier than having no expression at all. "Very well, I would like to see the face of my mysterious pursuer. Would you take off your mask?"
It was at that time that Edward realized that he still had the black mask wrapped around his head. Almost sheepishly, Edward unwrapped the cloth, shaking out his braided golden hair as he did so. The old man's eyes narrowed.
"You are… Edward Elric." The old man said, saying the name slowly, "No wonder your genjutsu managed to take out four of my best men… you have performed it so well that even Itachi Uchiha would be proud."
What?
"What do you know about Itachi?" Edward demanded, harshly.
The old man regarded Edward with disinterested eyes, "You were Itachi's best friend, were you not? It is only reasonable you would be curious. The old codger hid it well, but my men can find out anything in the Hokage tower."
Golden eyes narrowed, "The Hokage is not so easily tricked."
"Are you sure about that?" The old man replied with a raised brow, "Yes, I will admit that Hiruzen is not an idiot, but he is much too soft. He will lead Konoha to its downfall."
Something about the way he said it- something… and then, everything fell into place.
"You-" Edward almost stumbled over his words, they were so insane. But, but everything made sense. The Hokage's contradicting actions and the evidence that Edward himself found. Itachi's choice and the Uchiha's destruction. Sasuke's survival. Edward hadn't just found a random scientist, he'd actually– "You're the one who ordered Itachi to wipe out the Uchiha."
The old man blinked, slowly, then smiled. "Yes, I was. You aren't dumb, are you? Hiruzen would not do it, but I knew action needed to be taken."
"Then you- you're the one who forced Itachi to-" Edward took a breath, "Who are you?"
"Danzo Shimura," The old man replied with a sharp smile.
Danzo… Edward recognized that name. How could he not? Danzo was a war hero, an apprentice of the Nidaime Hokage. A council member of the highest order, and the one who had front lined the assault on Naruto being turned into the living weapon of Konoha. And now, he was also the one who had ordered the Uchiha massacre. Edward snarled.
Danzo sneered, seeming to sense Edward's thoughts, "Action needed to be taken. Surely you can understand that? Itachi understood the concept well. I would have expected his best friend to be the same."
"I'm not Itachi," Edward said, his hands fisting at his sides.
"No," The old man said considering, "You aren't. But, your skills are just as good as. That genjutsu like I said, was very impressive. Avoiding the attacks of my four best was no easy task either, and to have trained under Tsunade herself! Tell me, do you care about Konoha? Hiruzen's methods are too soft- too undecided. One needs decisive actions to achieve any sort of results. Surely you can see that?"
Edward hesitated, thinking over what the old man had said. It was true that the Sandaime was wishy-washy, and more often than not his peaceful methods just made the situation worse because they weren't forceful enough. One only had to look at the situation with Naruto to understand- wait! What was he thinking? It was true that sometimes Edward was wary of the Sandaime's actions, but he more often than not completely agreed with them. Why was he considering betraying the Hokage?
Danzo narrowed his eyes, "You… never mind, just think over what I've said. I don't mean Konoha harm; I don't even mean your charges harm, though most council members do. I could stop that. I only want what is the best for everyone. Itachi's fate was regrettable, but he brought it onto himself. He had a chance to live peacefully in Konoha, but he instead chose to let young Sasuke have the privilege. Wherever he is now, he got there by his own choice; I forced him to do nothing."
That… was true. Edward hated to agree with it, but what Danzo said wasn't false. Itachi could have chose not to murder the Uchiha clan; he could have chose to go to the Sandaime about it and the order would have been nulled. Edward was sure of it. Plus, even if Itachi did go through with the murder, with no witnesses, Itachi could have easily made up some story about how he was away on a mission and he wasn't there…
Danzo seemed to sense Edward's hesitation, because suddenly he smiled. It was not a warm smile, but somehow… a welcoming one. "See Edward, such things happened not because I forced them to. All unfortunate fates occurred because of Hiruzen's soft teachings. If Hiruzen were simply a little stronger, the Uchiha would have never thought of rebelling. Then, Itachi would not have been forced to commit such a horrible act, would he? Think about it Edward. Supporting me will be like supporting Itachi."
Like… supporting Itachi? Wasn't that what Edward had always wanted to do? Wasn't that why he took in Sasuke and travelled the world? Wasn't that why he was risking his life down here trying to find the truth? This old man… this powerful council member… was offering all that to him…
Edward smiled ruefully, and opened his mouth to agree to the man's proposal. It did seem to be the best solution. Besides, it wasn't so different from his situation with the Hokage; working for their mutual benefit. Danzo would get Edward's skills, and Edward would be able to help Itachi and his new home. Really, it wasn't a bad deal…
And then it hit him.
Edward's eyes narrowed, and he took a step back, golden eyes following the old man warily, "What are you doing to me?"
Danzo's smile looked like steel, "What do you mean?"
"Don't try to deny it," Edward snarled, one hand itching towards his senbon needles, "This proposition… my thoughts towards it… is completely unlike me. Why do I feel the need to agree with you?"
Grey eyes narrowed, and Danzo's unbandaged hand reached towards his neck as if sheepish, "I suppose I shouldn't insult you by pretending I have no idea what you're talking about. Very well, I shall tell you…"
Edward gritted his teeth; there it was again, that controlling presence. He fought against it –and at the same time Danzo moved. His hand slammed down on the slab of stone he had been leaning against, and then the whole wall gave way. Danzo was moving down it in a second, and with a curse, Edward started after him.
He raced down the secret passage, wondering how in the world a crippled old man was so fast. Then again, the Sandaime could defeat Edward in his sleep, and Edward was pretty sure the Hokage was ancient. In what seemed like seconds, the passageway fell away, revealing a large room that was lit with an unknown source. As soon as Edward stumbled out of the passageway, the door to it banged shut, trapping him within. Edward's eyes narrowed.
The room was big, almost twice the size of the house Edward had bought. There were… trees growing in it. Danzo had just arrived at the other side of the room, and he was turning to face Edward with a bland expression on his face. His right arm –the bandaged one—was hissing, white smoke rising out of it as if it were set on fire.
Edward took a step forward, ready to stop the man before he did something weird, but then something completely unexpected happened. The bandage on the old man's hand split, and then fell to the floor with a loud thunk. Edward tensed, realizing that the 'bandage' was made of solid metal.
But what the bandage revealed was what really made his heart stop.
Eyes. Numbers and numbers of red eyes, protruding and bulging from the man's arm. The pupils danced about wildly, as if desperately seeking for an escape. The skin around the eyes were wrinkled and swelled up, seeming as if they were trying to force their way into the body.
Edward felt sick to his stomach; despite everything that he had seen, both in Amestris and Konoha, this one took the cake. The sight was unbelievably disgusting, and- And then it hit him. Edward gasped, and suddenly an image of another abomination, another life lost because of the want of power overwhelmed him. A dog and a girl, a desperate father. Nina…
Golden eyes narrowed, "You… you wanted the Sharingan."
"So you realized," Danzo said dispassionately, testing out his arm, "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. It's a shame that you didn't just go along with the Mind Bending Will though; then, you wouldn't have to die."
"The Mind Bending Will…?" Edward said to himself, trying to figure out where he had heard that term before, "Wait, wasn't that-?"
"Correct," Danzo smiled, reaching for his head wrap, "It was Shisui's technique. Most useful."
"Then- then you were the one who-"
"He found out you see," Danzo said neutrally, "He could not be left alive. Much like you, I imagine. Too curious for his own good. Cared too much about his 'friends' for his own good."
"There's no reasoning with people like you," Edward said disgustedly, clapping his hands together.
Danzo smiled sharply, "Do you think you can beat me because you have defeated four of my guards? Please. Youngsters these days are much too arrogant. Your skill is good, yes, otherwise I would not be using my right arm to deal with you, but I doubt that you will manage to even land a scratch on me."
"We'll see then," Edward replied, and slammed his hands against the floor.
Spikes erupted from the ground where Danzo stood, forcing Danzo to jump off the ground. A large jagged crater formed at the area, the stone leaving the ground to weave after Danzo. Edward didn't give him any quarter; forcing his spikes to twist upwards towards Danzo. The old man put his hands together, forming a variety of handseals which signalled…
Edward smiled; perfect. He quickly stopped his alchemy, one hand forming a variety of handseals while the other reached into his pockets, just as Danzo released his wind jutsu, blowing himself away from Edward's spikes. Then, Edward threw.
Fire wrapped around his kunai as they raced towards Danzo, the wind that Danzo had created making the fire burn all the brighter. Following the kunai was Edward, who was racing towards Danzo with chakra-enhanced speed. Edward had specifically aimed for four different areas that surrounded the old man, so that if the old man wanted to dodge, the only way he could go was—
Danzo went left, but Edward was already there. He delivered a kick to Danzo's head, already shifted in the taijutsu technique he had developed over the last two years. Danzo seemed to realize that something was different about Edward's fighting style, because immediately dodged, not even trying to meet Edward's foot.
Edward followed with a punch, not letting up for a second as he rained blow after blow towards Danzo. Danzo held his own, not once getting hit, but at the same time not able to return any of Edward's blows. Finally, Danzo snarled, and Edward suddenly got a very very bad feeling.
Edward jumped backwards, and just in time too. Wood erupted from Danzo's shoulder, blade thin and lightning fast. The edge even seemed to glint in the artificial light. It sliced the air where Edward's head had just been.
The small reprieve was all Danzo needed. Danzo jumped towards one of the nearby trees, swiftly placing a hand against the trunk. Instantly, the tree seemed to become a monster, the branches stretching and whipping towards Edward like a shark that had smelt blood.
Edward dodged… which was about easy enough until fifteen other trees joined the first one. Slowly, ever so slowly, the trees were forcing him towards the spikes he had made earlier, making it even harder to dodge. Sooner or later, he was going to get hit by the blade-like branches.
Trees… tch, it was a good thing he planned for this.
Edward quickly formed some handseals, and just as he simultaneously ducked the branch of one tree and slid his body around the branch of another, he released his jutsu. Lightning arched along the tree branches, forcing Danzo to quickly let go of the tree he had been holding onto to avoid being shocked. But Edward wasn't done yet. He quickly followed up his lightning jutsu
"Wind Release: Tattered Remains." Edward murmured, following up his lightning jutsu with a B-ranked wind technique. The winds howled, and ripped through the trees around him, shredding the solid trunks like paper. Danzo leaped backwards, using chakra to enhance his jump, just avoiding the wild winds.
Edward didn't hesitate for a moment. Just as Danzo leapt, Edward formed another long sequence of handseals. The winds gave him time. Then, he took a few steps to the left, and slammed his hands down into the crater which he had formed earlier, and water seeped in rapidly from the ground. The winds finally died down, and at that moment, the crater had turned into a lake.
Danzo landed just as Edward finished, and in another second dozens of kunai were being thrown towards him. Edward half shut his eyes in concentration, and a wall of water erupted from the lake in front of him, significantly slowing down the kunai and giving Edward the time to dodge them completely.
When the water fell again, Danzo and Edward stood staring at each other, appraising. Edward took that moment to regain his breath, though he didn't show that to Danzo. He didn't have a wind affinity, so to make something that destructive, he had to put a lot of chakra into the wind and lightning jutsu both. Added to that, sucking water out from the surrounding ground and forcing it into one place was no easy task. But, he had now evened out the battlefield, and in fact it was now in his favour; the only trees left now were the ones at the fringes, and Edward now had a sixty meter radius to work in. Added to that, the lake in which he had been planning for in the beginning…
"I see," Danzo murmured. His voice and face were calm, but his body language told a whole different story. He was angry that Edward had destroyed his field, and even perhaps… wary? "You have a water affinity."
"And you can use Wood," Edward replied flatly, "And here I thought it was an ability preserved for the Shodaime. Then again, with the Sharingans on your arm, I shouldn't have been surprised."
Danzo narrowed his eyes, "Would you like to see what these Sharingans do?"
Edward grinned, showing all teeth, "I was waiting for that, yes. I wanted to see what you destroyed the Uchiha for."
"Still so arrogant," Danzo sneered, "Well, I suppose some of it is well placed. To think I'll have to use that technique against you though… well, this fight shouldn't last more than sixty seconds."
"So we're done with the foreplay then?" Edward asked, cracking his knuckles, "Good."
And then, they moved.
Danzo flashed through a series of handseals almost faster than the eye could see, and Edward did so too. He was flitting through and discarding the jutsus that he knew wouldn't work on the old man. Finally, he narrowed his eyes; against an opponent who could throw off an A-rank genjutsu, Edward would have to use deadly force if he wanted to stand a chance of winning.
"Earth Release: Exploding Earth!"
"Water Release: Advent of the Dragon!"
Edward leapt from the ground as the earth beneath him exploded, sending a shower of shrapnel his way. At the same time, a huge dragon shape arose from the water, and flew towards Danzo. Both techniques were unavoidable, and both would have to be either blocked with a higher amount of chakra or by the sacrifice of flesh. Edward chose the latter.
He twisted, trying to let the shrapnel hit the flesh of his body rather than the important organs. Still, he could not avoid them all. Edward gritted his teeth as the rocks and stray twigs tore through him; their velocities would allow nothing less than holes in his flesh. Even as he did so however, his focus was never off Danzo, who had just been hit by the water dragon. And then, Danzo's chakra signature seemed to disappear.
Edward's eyes widened, just as he felt a presence behind him, and a kunai ripped through his heart. Edward's body jerked, then liquefied, the water that had made up his body running back towards the lake. Behind him, Danzo tensed, but by then it was too late. A large spike had erupted from the ground, spearing Danzo in two.
Again, Danzo's chakra signature flickered, and then his body's image disappeared.
Hidden by one of the few trees which remained, the real Edward's eyes narrowed. He had switched himself with a clone the moment that his wall of water went up, but he had known that Danzo did not do the same. Otherwise, he would have felt it. The Advent Dragon was an A-class jutsu that ensured KOs, so how had Danzo managed to survive unscratched…?
Just then, Edward felt a build up of chakra around him. Swearing, Edward quickly ran through a series of handseals, just as the tree he had been perching on exploded. Edward's body however, was propelled away, a large gust of wind sending him flying just before the shrapnel could tear through him.
Even as he was flying, his mind was calculating. Danzo's chakra signature was… smaller. Some of it could be attributed to the jutsu he had used, but not all of it. Something was going on —possibly to do with Danzo's ability to escape death— and Edward was going to find out what.
Edward didn't waste any time. Immediately he released a handful of senbon, all towards the place where he now felt Danzo. Danzo dodged, and Edward landed in a crouch. Immediately, Edward bit his thumb, making one single handseal as he slammed his hand against the ground, "Summoning Techinque!"
Katsuyu appeared in a puff of smoke, "So I'm— oh, Edward-dono, what is it that you require of me?"
"Acid, now!"
Katsuyu bobbed her head, and zeroed in on Danzo, "Understood… Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid!"
Danzo's eyes widened, ever so slightly, as the dull orange paste landed on him. It was the slugs' best attack; almost completely unavoidable and deadly. Edward narrowed his eyes, and concentrated. At that moment, he felt Danzo's chakra disappear, and reappear a few meters away, once again having experienced a significant drop. Edward leapt towards the old man, just as Danzo too slammed his hand to the ground, also summoning a creature from the neatherrealms.
Edward didn't pay attention to it, trusting Katsuyu to take care of it. And then, Danzo did something unexpected. He made the release sign.
What…?
But the elephant-like creature didn't disappear. Edward narrowed his eyes; did Danzo make a release sign just to confuse him or was it something else…? Just then, the elephant creature opened its mouth, and sucked. And then, it pointed its trunk towards Edward and Katsuyu, and blew.
Edward cursed, and he quickly tucked his body into the most manageable form as the winds from the summon hit him. Edward flew backwards, somersaulting in the air in able to land with the wind. Katsuyu wasn't so lucky. She was literally blown to the other end of the room, disappearing with a puff of smoke as she landed.
Golden eyes narrowed, and Edward once again raced towards Danzo, this time with his hands clapped together and circles spinning about in his head. Danzo's summon once again sucked in a breath, and Edward slammed his hands to the ground.
Danzo's eyebrows furrowed in realization, but by then it was too late. Mini pieces of metal erupted from the place where the summon was sucking from, piercing the creature as they gained force through the wind ability. With a loud cry, the creature dispelled. Danzo quickly formed three handseals. Rabbit. Boar. Ram. But they did nothing.
Well, all the better for him then. Edward took off. Within seconds he was on top of Danzo, aiming a kick at Danzo's left arm. It was then that he noticed Danzo's right arm. Four of the Sharingan eyes were closed. Just then, another Sharingan eye closed.
Edward's eyes widened. He did quick calculations in his head, even as continued on his assault. That was… sixty seconds. Exactly. Was it possible that…?
And just then, Danzo was hit by Edward's taijutsu.
Once again, Danzo's form blurred, and his chakra disappeared. When it reappeared a moment later, Edward quickly shifted his body to the left, just narrowly avoiding a kunai to the heart as Danzo somehow appeared behind him. Edward reacted with a roundabout kick, all the while counting silently in his mind. Fifty-six, Fifty-seven, Fifty-eight, Fifty-nine…
Sixty! Another eye closed.
Edward did quick calculations. It seemed that every sixty seconds, a Sharingan eye closed in exchange for Danzo's seeming immortality. Danzo had said something about Sharingan techniques, could this be it? But it had definitely been more than five minutes since Part II of their fight had started, so how come only five of Danzo's eyes were gone…?
And then, Edward remembered the three handseals. Even as he attacked, he couldn't help but scrutinize everything that Danzo had done so far. He made the release sign when he summoned his creature, and made three handseals which seemed to do nothing. Edward quickly did the time calculations again, this time subtracting the time when their summons had fought. It fit perfectly.
Danzo could release and activate when he was using his immortality technique, and when using it, it cost him a Sharingan eye every sixty seconds. It also cost him a lot of his chakra. That meant… that Edward just had to keep forcing Danzo to use the technique, and eventually Danzo would just lose out of chakra exhaustion.
They fought hand-to-hand for a little while longer, before Danzo seemed to finally grow tired of it, Danzo growled, and once again the wood blade erupted from his shoulder. This time though, Edward was prepared for it. As soon as he felt Danzo's chakra take the slightest of dips, Edward leaped backwards, hands going through handseals faster than the eye could see, and then took a breath. A fireball spewed from Edward's mouth, point blank range. The wood on Danzo's shoulder caught fire, and Danzo's body flickered yet again.
This time, Edward leapt up, and used the few precious seconds between Danzo's reappearances to pull out the kunai which had been embedded in him before. Quickly, Edward healed the wound, just as Danzo's presence announced itself again with a build up of chakra.
Reacting quickly, Edward used a C-class wind jutsu to blow himself out of there, just as fire consumed the place where he once had been. Edward rolled in the air, landing near the lake he had made with a jutsu already on his lips and a piece of paper clasped tightly in his hands.
He sent a large jet of water towards Danzo, counting another sixty seconds. Then, Edward pressed the piece of paper against the water jet and watched added his life force into it. It was a only a C-rank jutsu; despite Danzo draining his chakra like a sink, Edward wasn't exactly in top form either. The jutsus he had used so far had been far too demanding; it was time to start using his brains.
Danzo's eyes narrowed at the unassuming water blast, and quickly made some hand seals before slamming his hands to the ground, obviously expecting a trap. He wasn't wrong. A wall arose from the ground in front of him —a B-rank jutsu, if Edward remembered correctly— and it should have been enough to stop the water jutsu. It wasn't, however.
The 'water' melted through the earth wall, and the last thing Edward saw before Danzo disappeared again was wide grey eyes and a bubbling body. Edward had previously drawn an alchemy circle on a piece of paper which turned water into clear toxin; a vicious method to be sure, but a useful one. He had made sure he could heal the damage made by the poison, but Danzo didn't need to know that. Thus, Danzo had disappeared the moment he felt that Edward's jutsu wasn't made from water.
Edward wasn't wasting time. He already had his hands in the alchemy position, awaiting the next time Danzo appeared. He wasn't disappointed.
Danzo appeared at his side, and this time Edward didn't hesitate. A kunai pierced through Edward's leg, but Edward grabbed onto Danzo's arm. And then, he released the destruction phase of his alchemy. Another sixty seconds had passed. (8 gone)
Danzo's body flickered yet again, and Edward took this moment to yank Danzo's kunai out of his leg…
And then he realized it.
At that moment, Danzo reappeared again, far away this time, hands going rapidly through seals. Edward was in shock for a split second, before he quickly revised his plan, and leaped into the water. Whatever jutsu Danzo had released missed Edward completely, obviously only aimed towards the surface of the ground. Edward wasn't happy about that though.
Quickly, he formed the handseals for the Advent Dragon technique, and released it towards the place where he felt Danzo. He felt most of the chakra he had left disappear, but it couldn't be helped. He had underestimated Danzo, overestimated himself. But he wasn't Tsunade's apprentice for nothing.
Edward floated to the lake's surface, and took out a little green bottle just as he felt Danzo's chakra signature disappear. Then, quickly, before Danzo could reappear again, Edward uncapped the bottle and shot the liquid down his throat. At that moment, Danzo appeared on the surface of the water, aiming a kunai at Edward's head.
Edward threw his green bottle upwards, intercepting the kunai and just barely giving Edward enough time to roll out of the way. He clapped his hands together and threw his body towards Danzo's, but Danzo knew about Edward's close combat abilities this time and leapt even further away. That was fine. It gave Edward time for…
He quickly finished his sequence of handseals, and released his jutsu. Another tide of water rushed towards Danzo, making the old man hiss and counter with a fire jutsu. Another sixty seconds passed. Danzo only had one eye left. It was time.
Edward dipped his hand into the water, and pulled out a long thin blade. Every element had its own blade, with its own special properties. Water wasn't the most powerful, but it was the most versatile, and that was what Edward needed against Danzo.
The golden eyed boy leaped towards the Danzo, and Danzo leaped back. But this time, Edward wasn't aiming directly for Danzo—not right now at least. He landed fist-first, Tsunade's famous punch in use. The ground around him cracked, creating a large crater that included the space where Danzo would land as well. Edward had seen many of Danzo's leaps, and he knew more or less the distance the old man could go.
Danzo landed slightly disoriented, and Edward took this chance to overtake the old man, whipping his water blade towards the old man. Danzo didn't even try to avoid it; he just took out a kunai, and spewed fire onto it. It looked like Danzo was readying himself for the final blow as well. Fifty-one, Fifty-two, Fifty-three…
The water blade hit, hissing as it bit through flesh. It wasn't exactly sharp, but it wasn't made out of normal water either; the properties of the water changed once it was infused with chakra. Danzo's body disappeared once again.
Edward closed his eyes, concentrating. And just then, he felt Danzo's presence, to his right! Edward willed the direction of his blade to change, and felt his blade enter flesh… just as he felt himself being pierced by Danzo's blade. He had managed to shift his body at the last second, but Danzo's flame kunai had still destroyed a lung.
"It looks like you miscalculated," Danzo smiled, his face grotesque. He didn't seem to care about the water blade that was sticking through him like a pig, nor about the fact that his flesh around said blade was melting. "I still have one eye left."
Edward coughed up blood, and smiled, "No… I calculated it perfectly."
"What are you…" And then, Danzo's eyes widened with realization, "Why… why isn't Izanagi working?"
"Is that what you're technique is called?" Edward said weakly as he pulled away. He fell to the floor, hacking, but he didn't care about that. He just needed to conserve energy right now; he could heal later.
Danzo also fell to the floor, the gaping hole in his body allowing him to do little else. Disbelievingly, Danzo stared at his arm, which was starting to blur before his eyes.
"Genjutsu…" He murmured.
A genjutsu that had to be timed perfectly, or else Danzo would have noticed it. Edward had calculated perfectly.
"I. Win." Edward said. Even though his body ached, his muscles trembled, he was definitely in better condition than Danzo. Plus, he was a medic, and now he could finally get rid of that nasty poison that Danzo had coated his kunais with…
And just then, Danzo's body disappeared.
Edward's eyes widened. What…?
And then, Danzo's chakra signature appeared again, a few meters behind him. Edward turned, just in time to see a massive amount of wood rush towards him, the source being Danzo's shoulder. Edward tried to react, but he was too slow. His body was too worn out. The wood reached him, binding him tightly and making him unable to move.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Danzo walked towards him.
"No," The elder snarled, ripping off the rest of his bandaged to reveal a permanently closed eye. "I win. But I do not feel like I've won, do you know why? Because you've cost me everything you stupid boy! You've cost me everything I've worked towards these past six years. Even Shisui's eye —Shisui, whom I personally murdered— even his eye is gone because of you!"
Edward's stomach dropped. He had forgotten about Shisui's eyes when he had been calculating how much Sharingans Danzo could use. He had forgotten and… he should not have.
Danzo stopped in front of him, taking out a kunai and raising it high over Edward's head. He looked impassive now, the moment of passion gone as quickly as it had came. Danzo it seemed, was not an emotional man.
"Then again," Danzo said contemplatively, "Perhaps your death is a fair trade for my eyes after all."
Fair trade? How could that be? As far as Edward knew, Danzo hadn't cared about his existence until he came barging into the old man's base. Since they were both Konoha nin, it wasn't like Danzo could get any secrets or bounty out of Edward either. The only way Danzo could possibly benefit from Edward's death was…
Edward felt his heart give a loud thump. His two charges.
Naruto and Sasuke, both were desirable. Naruto, as a living weapon, and Sasuke, because—
And then, with a sinking feeling, Edward realized something. Sasuke had the Sharingan.
Surely… surely Danzo would not hurt Sasuke because of Itachi? But… but Edward had destroyed all of Danzo's Sharingan, and with no more Uchiha, how was Danzo to get more? Only. Through. Sasuke. Edward felt like everything he had done today was a mistake, one that would only affect the ones that he cared about.
If he died, Sasuke wouldn't be safe, and it would be because of him. Naruto… Naruto wouldn't be safe either. He was the nine-tails, and no one cared for him. And Danzo wanted the nine-tails. If Naruto's guardian died from mysterious circumstances, even the Hokage wouldn't be able to stop the harping council.
Edward's heart grew cold. He couldn't— couldn't allow this. No matter what.
"Any last words?" Danzo said, coldly.
Edward swallowed, closing his eyes and hating himself for the words he was about to say next. But he needed to say them, because— because— otherwise… "Don't do it. Don't kill me because… because I'm now willing to work for you."
A/n: Ugh… this chapter was so long. I won't be writing something this long again. Think of it as a New Years special (plus, you guys have waited a while for this one). Man, I think I hate writing these 'first kill' scenes (I won't do it again for this fic I hope), they always bring such extreme reactions, and I'm not sure if I got it right. Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR!