Chaos herself's note:

Hey there!

Here is another update. I'm glad you're still with me. In this chapter some decisions are made, which will have impact on future chapters.
Anyway, have fun reading!

Chaos

...

Chapter 17: Fighting the World

What had happened to the Kyuubi after Madara had died, Touka didn't know. She could only assume and hope that Mito had somehow captured it as she had already mentioned that she had several of the Bijuu in her possession.

Why Mokuren didn't use the power she wielded, Touka couldn't understand either. Maybe it was just not as easy to control a Bijuu when you weren't a Sharingan user. Maybe it was Hashirama-sama who had Mito's ear, and not the other way round, as Mokuren had claimed.

And Hashirama-sama stubbornly insisted to hand out the tailed beasts to the other countries. At least Tobirama had been able to convince his brother to sell them instead of just giving them away. The five Kage gathering had been turbulent enough, and Touka would have liked to interfere on more than one occasion; Youko Inuzuka had been the same. But it had been Irakusa's and Aconeito's task to stand by and secure Hashirama-sama's and Tobirama-dono's safety instead of taking part in the heated discussions. The Hokage had been suspicious of their organisation anyways, but Tobirama had avowed for their good intentions and so Hashirama-sama had allowed them to come along.

In the end the Bijuu were split up, just as promised. Touka still deemed it unwise to give away so much power and hand it to their enemies - the very same enemies who had been sabre-rattling for quite some time. She had expected to hear a declaration of worldwide war on that summit, but somehow the other Kage seemed appeased to receive the Bijuu and maybe Hashirama-sama had been convincing enough to ensure a truce for another year.


But if you thought the world had become a more peaceful place after Madara's death, you were terribly mistaken.

The newly founded village Takigakure had sent a formidable Shinobi to assassinate Hashirama-sama when Touka an her squad had not been present to guard him. Totally despaired Mito had swept into Touka's chalet and only after the fierce warrior had calmed the healing Lady of the Uzumaki down, the redhead had told her about the incident.

The pair had been ambushd on their way through the Fire Country. The assailant wore the hitae-ate of Takigakure and with his Jutsus he controlled threads. Touka was reminded of Jigitarisu, who was considered missing by now, but Mito told her that the masked man was entirely different. The intense fight had left both Hashirama-sama and the assassin on the verge of death, but Mito had been there to heal her husband and bring him to the safety of Konohagakure. What had happened to the man who had introduced himself as Kakuzu, she didn't know. But she assumed he was still out there and after Hashirama-sama's blood.

This incident showed Touka even more how necessary their squad was for the security of their leader and the village alike. Mokuren urged her to do something against these threats, fear for her husband in her eyes, and Irakusa promised to hunt them all down. As Mito had promised, the new secret headquarters was finally finished. They were recruiting Shinobi and Kunoichi from even more clans now. Hatake and Umino, Kato and Shiranui, Maito and Gekko - they all were eager to become part of their organisation and wear the flower-masks.

Touka, however, was wary of them as she was wary of the world in general. The attempt at Hashirama-sama's life had shown there were enemies everywhere.

So Touka had made a profound decision: she expanded her secret circle also. But it was not so easy to determine who to place her trust in as she could not trust anybody besides Tobirama and herself. Not really. But maybe she could after all. Tsubaki, Sanzashi and Sumire had been very loyal and reliable ever since they had become hers. And there was one more, who seemed loyal to the bone, who admired her and followed every syllable she uttered.

Like she had ordered, her most obedient member of her squad had enrolled at the Shinobi Training Institution, which Tobirama had organized. And now was the time when the first thirty-six Genin graduated from this institution. Tobirama-dono was proud of his feat, Touka could see that.

But she was surprised that he had decided to become Sensei to a team of three of these Genin. Surely, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane needed guidance and had to learn teamwork and such, and Tobirama would teach them thoroughly. Of that Touka was convinced. And while he chose to teach those three officially, she trained secretly with Danzo.

The boy seemed to believe in the same things she did - that war was coming, and Konohagakure needed to be protected from threats from the outside and inside. So Touka made up her mind. She summoned Kingyosou to her lair, and he emerged from it with a new Hiraishin-tattoo and a stronger sense of purpose. For he was hers now, the fifth member of her circle.

"You sure about this one?" Tobirama murmured when they were on their own.

Touka nodded decisively. "I have never seen anyone, Kunoichi or Shinobi alike, who was so much in accordance with my Nindou. He does as I say, he believes as I do, he fights for the same goals as I do. Well, maybe not exactly the same. But you get me," she said. "This boy is made for this purpose and anything other than that would be a waste of resources and talents. He is not cut out to work in a team as your three Genin do, but will be a great addition to my cause," she evaluated.

He nodded and blew into the cup of steaming tea she had pushed into his hands. "I see. He indeed doesn't strike me suitable to fit into a regular team, but I agree with you that he has talent. But I question his motifs."

"Do you question my motifs then?" Touka narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Tobirama over the rim of her own cup.

"I didn't say that," he defended. "But I'm not so sure his motifs are the same as yours. And yet I can't deny he seems loyal to your cause. Maybe he is a bit overzealous is what bothers me," he mused and sipped on the tea.

Touka approached him and looked up at him. "I haven't congratulated you yet, Tobirama-sensei," she smiled mischievously at him.

He harrumphed and glanced at her with a lifted brow. Yet he accepted the white roses, primroses and chicories. However, in exchange Touka received more lemons. She grinned somberly, took one of the damned lemons and bit into it just to spite her luck.

Tobirama, however, nodded seemingly contentedly. "Alright. I'll be off then. My team is waiting," he said and vanished like he always did.

Touka threw the rest of the lemon into her pail, then returned to her training regimen. If they were marching right towards the next war, she would have to be ready for it. And she would make sure the whole squad was. While she went through her various Katas, she thought about how to make the training more efficient for her orangisation. The new recruits needed to be instructed, teams needed to be formed and missions needed to be coordinated. There was much to do.

Quietly Kingyosou had returned and joined her training, mirrored her movements and immitated her orchestrated fight against invisible enemies. He was so eager to prove himself to her, to show her she had made the right decision and really could rely on him. And the Kunoichi appreciated his efforts.

"I didn't call you," she stated nonetheless.

"I know," the boy answered and looked up at her. "But while you protect Hashirama-sama and the whole village, who has your back and protects you, Irakusa-taichou? You are the commander of this organisation. If anything happens to you, whatever will happen to this squad... what will happen to Konohagakure?" he argued.

"Very well," Touka nodded. She was a strong and seasoned warrior who could fend for herself, but he had a point, though. So she allowed him to stay by her side, train with her and make sure she wasn't ambushed. It was a bit endearing how much he cared. But Kingyosou played for keeps, and Touka valued that. It was the right decision after all to include him in her clandestine circle. He might be young, but for his age he was pretty grown-up, she observed.


Mito still didn't know about Touka's squad within the squad, but the warrior knew, Mokuren kept secrets from Irakusa, too. If Mito chose to confide in her comrade someday, Touka might open up to her, too, then. And only then. Touka toyed with the Indian cress as she thought about her comrade. She had not introduced herself as Mokuren to the team yet, was entirely a benefactor from the shadows; they knew she existed, but Mito seemed to be above it all instead of getting involved.

Touka knew, her position was delicate and her identity a risk to the whole endeavor. But when Irakusa was fighting the world, she still wished that her partner in crime stood by her side. Any sign at all was enough. And yet Touka was still waiting for Mito to show her true colours.

In the meantime she relied on those, who had proved themseves worthy. Kadohime, Hotaru, Raiko and Danzo.

And Tobirama, of course.

But her trust towards him rooted in a whole another story; she would always trust him. Her flower messages had become bolder now, more honest. And yet the things she only ever received were lemons. But she couldn't ask for more. When she had become a Kunoichi, she had sacrificed her true feelings for her purpose, she had sacrificed her future and hopes and dreams. That didn't mean they didn't exist. She just couldn't pursue them, could she? Her devotion to the safety of her clan chief and his brother overshadowed everything else. She would fight and die a hundred percent Kunoichi. And she was proud of it.

Still there were moments when she scretly wished she would receive something else than lemons...