Eternal Legends: Konoha's Transcendent Ninja
Chapter Four: Indefinite Bonds
A/N: Welcome back to another installment of Eternal Legends: Konoha's Transcendent Ninja! It feels good to finally know just where your story is going, and all you have to do is fill in the gaps.
I started working on this chapter the day after I published chapter 3 (Okay, it's October 8th, now, but meh, screw it.) But, holy shit, did ideas start pouring out of my head, as well suggestions from EliadS and DarkHeroOrion. Also want to thank Kenchi618 for giving me permission to use a jutsu for my own purposes. :D
Like I said, it'll be, by my initial estimate, at least eight or so chapters before Naruto and co. officially become genin. I know some of you may groan and whatnot, but understand a lot of things need to be established before this story can truly take off into the stratosphere and leave orbit, so to speak. Characters need to be established, future plot-points need to be set up, and, most importantly, character development. How would you feel if I just had them become friends in the first chapter and then next chapter I made the critical mistake so many authors do: "Four Years Later?" No. Matter of fact, that's a hell no. How are you supposed to get invested in the characters if you just take the easy and lazy way out? Now, granted, if the author isn't updating at a steady and consistent pace, then I can somewhat understand the plight of things dragging out a bit. But for now, can you guys just be patient and enjoy these four years? I guarantee you it'll be a goddamn roller coaster ride you'll never forget!
Now then, let's get this show on the road!
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, Shonen Jump, ViZ media, and all other related companies. I make no claim of any characters from the manga and anime and own all OC's that may appear from time to time.
Full Summary: Three people meet under the oddest of circumstances during one troubled night: a loudmouthed troublemaker, a lost voice within his clan, and a young civilian from a broken home. They never knew that their impromptu gathering would bring a revolution to the shinobi world, and alter the course of history. This is their story.
(Hokage Tower, 1500 Hours)
"I see…" Hiruzen said as he read the latest report from a chuunin, who quickly dismissed himself from the office soon after he delivered the Hokage some good news. As soon as he left, the old Monkey dropped the stoic look off of his face as he allowed himself to smile in contentment.
Things started looking up for the village. It'd been nine long hard years since the fateful day that the Demon Fox had attacked and decimated a good part of the village. Repairs were, as of today, nearly ninety-eight percent. Normally, reconstruction wouldn't have taken this long, but considering the amount of political clout and setbacks that forced Konoha to focus its efforts elsewhere, rebuilding often took a back seat sometimes as long as eight months!
He sighed. It was truly ironic, when one thought about it. He stood in favor of ending the Third Great Shinobi World War with Iwagakure years before it actually ended once it turned into Konoha's favor. However, his teammates and his top Jounin had convinced him otherwise, which, at the time, he reluctantly agreed despite his personal feelings about what he felt was just genocide wrapped up in a new box.
As it turned out, in hindsight, it truly was a blessing in disguise. The Fox had wiped out a good fraction of their forces just for holding it off. Had he not given the order to decimate Iwa into unconditional surrender, there was a good chance in his mind they would've taken advantage of their moment of weakness.
Even three years later with the Hyuuga incident, they were still nowhere near equipped for war, and as such he gave in to the demands of the Hidden Cloud. Although this displeased a lot of the higher echelons, they didn't want a war so quickly after two disasters, so they reluctantly consented.
But now, they had an even bigger problem that threatened the village. This time, however, it was from within...
The sexagenarian allowed his mind to travel back in time to his conversation with Danzo earlier this morning….
Danzo Shimura took a seat in front of his old rival, the very same chair that Iruka Umino sat upon just a few moments earlier. He stared at Hiruzen with a critical eye, as if daring him to make a single mistake during their little chat.
"Hiruzen," Danzo began, which caused the Hokage to frown, but he said nothing. Danzo, after all, was the only person he allowed to call him by his first name so openly. Well, besides his old teammates, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Even then, they still rarely referred to him as that, unless it was something personal and deadly serious. Danzo took full advantage of this…privilege.
"My Ne division has uncovered some grave news, about one of our resident noble families," the war hawk explained, getting directly to the point. If Hiruzen had one thing to say he liked about his old rival, it was that he never wasted his time with meaningless small-talk which he did not wish to have with the man.
The aged Hokage raised an eyebrow, but his facial expression was neutral despite the inner turmoil of emotions he felt at the implication of what his political rival had just said. He took out his pipe, and quickly lit a piece of tobacco inside it with a small, precise Katon jutsu. He took a puff before replying.
"Grave, you say?" he repeated, his voice calm and in control.
Danzo grimly nodded before doing several hand-seals, which caused the Hokage's eyes to widen slightly. That jutsu…
"ANBU…leave," Hiruzen simply commanded. He felt four chakra signatures leave the room from the shadows as Danzo's jutsu took effect as all sound coming from the two was virtually impossible to hear, even for the canines of the Inuzuka clan.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "You're resorting to using that jutsu and for my ANBU to leave. Do you mind telling me what's going on, Danzo?" he asked dangerously. He was not in the mood to play mind games with him. Scratch that; he was never in the mood to play mind games with the man.
"What if I told you that I have reason to believe that the Uchiha clan wants to take the village for themselves?" Danzo flatly asked, dropping a bombshell. There was a deafening silence as the pipe in the Sandaime's mouth fell out of his mouth, his jaw agape. The tobacco product fell onto his desk, spilling its dark contents all over some of the papers on his desk. Neither of the two noticed, nor would've cared if they had.
"Danzo….you can't be serious!" the Hokage shouted in obvious disbelief at such a gargantuan piece of intelligence being dropped on him so suddenly.
Danzo narrowed his eyes. "Do you think I would joke about something so damn serious, Hiruzen?" he proclaimed, a bit of sarcasm leaking out, feeling a bit insulted at his old rival's implication. This matter was a matter that threatened the existence of the entire village and ultimately, the power scale on a much larger level on the entire continent.
The Third Fire Shadow balled his hands up in fists as he forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath, and sighed. "What proof do you have of this?" he inquired, interlocking his fingers and resting his chin on his hands.
The Village's Darkness huffed, but nonetheless bobbed his head. "I may not have complete confirmation, but it's enough for us to take the intelligence very seriously."
He nodded. "I take it that it was likely an Uchiha who said a bit too many words?" he deduced.
Danzo smirked. "Your gift of insight is truly a sight to behold, Hiruzen," Danzo praised, but the Hokage knew that, at best, it was a backhanded compliment. He said nothing, which Danzo took as a sign to continue onward. "One of my Ne ANBU overheard a few Uchiha during the police station, off-duty and intoxicated to hell and back." Were the situation not so serious, Hiruzen might have found the sight a bit comical.
"You know my policy with your Root Division, Danzo. I feel as if you're taking advantage of my generosity," the Hokage noted with a dark edge lining his voice. Officially, on record, Ne got publically disbanded by Hiruzen, himself. However, to slightly appease his rival, he offered a compromise. He could keep his little private army, but he'd have to fund it out of his own pocket and not from the village's treasury, which was how all shinobi genin to ANBU were paid as a monthly stipend. Technically, Ne could be ordered around by the Sandaime, but he rarely, if ever, did so, wanting to keep them out of his hair as much as possible. He only asked that whatever Danzo did was…'legal' and he didn't overstep his boundaries.
Danzo sneered, a bit irritated at the old monkey's hypocrisy. "You send your ANBU to spy on others all the time, not to mention your Tomegane no Jutsu (Telescope Technique) which you use to keep track of the Uzumaki," he pointed out.
He sighed, and conceded. "A fair point, you make. Now, then…what did they say?"
Danzo carefully recited everything verbatim. "We all know that Itachi is our ticket to the top, you know? Yeah, we know the people at the top won't know what hit them."
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, though it was clear he felt truly disturbed at the oblique threat toward his teammates…as well as himself. "I see…" he neutrally responded.
"There may be a chance I'm wrong," Danzo noted, a bit off-handedly, "but, alcohol is one of the world's greatest truth serums. I'd rather act now and confirm I'm wrong, than do nothing and watch Konoha be cut down, starting with the branches."
Hiruzen sat in relative silence as he started to reflect off of what he'd just been told. On one hand, the Uchiha had served faithfully for the past forty years as the civilian peacekeepers and upheld civil and common law across the village. Despite being told to move to another part of the village, from what he could tell, they didn't complain, considering to where they moved had twice as much space and allowed the clan to expand to the size it presently stood.
But, then again, the Uchiha were always mysterious and kept mostly to themselves—even more secretive than their current pseudo-rivals, the Hyuuga clan. Could they truly hold four decades worth of animosity from an edict his old sensei conjured up eons ago? They hadn't made any attempts to protest their current situation as of late, so why do it now? Did they feel shackled to the chains of destiny set forth by their Senju rivals?
It was true; the clan really never got a chance to really lead the village, despite being partnered with the Senju clan over eighty years ago. There was the Shodai Hokage, who was a Senju, the Nidaime Hokage, also a Senju, himself, trained by the Senju brothers, and the Yondaime Hokage, who, by proxy, was trained by Jiraiya who was trained by him. The Senju cycle was continuous and ongoing even after their apparent near extinction. Could he really risk ignoring it?
He finally nodded his head in acquiescence. "Very well, then, Danzo. I'll try to find out what I can, and until we have confirmed these allegations are false, we will treat the Uchiha as a threat…quietly. However, I'm sure you also know who I want to get on this as well…"
Danzo knew immediately to whom he referred. "You want to see the Uchiha prodigy, himself, eh? You play a dangerous game, my old friend," he warned, a bit of amusement passing through his head. "Then again…so do I."
Hiruzen ignored his comment and stared intently at him. "Say we do confirm it…how do you say we proceed with the executions?" he asked with narrowed eyes.
Danzo was not amused at the insinuation, and in turn, gave the Sarutobi a death glare. "Do you really think so lowly of me, Hiruzen? That I would condone the execution of those innocent and ignorant to what their elders are planning? Here, I was thinking you knew me better than anyone else." The tranquil fury that slipped through contradicted the man's stance of an emotionless tool was the best type of warrior on the battlefield.
"I do," Hiruzen stated matter-of-factly, eyes glinting with an ancient power that threatened to pour forth. "You tend to go over the top with your zeal in protecting the village. You knew I wouldn't put up with you killing the innocent, of which I'd have to kill you, myself."
The tension in the dead silent room was so thick you could slice it with a kunai, as both men were testing each other's patience and will. Unknowingly, or perhaps they did know, they released small amounts of murderous intent toward one another—a game of chicken. Who would cave first?
Danzo, seemingly impressed, backed off. "You win this round…Hiruzen." He refused to sneer as badly as he wanted to at the moment. He stood up. "In any case, I'll keep you informed as best as I can, while you do your own investigating, I'll get to the root of this." Whether or not Danzo's pun was intentional, Hiruzen wasn't sure, but he chose not to comment and oddly nodded.
"I will inform Koharu and Homura of this, at the next possible convenience," he plainly stated. While there were secrets that he, as Hokage, only knew, this was something that all of the higher-ups needed to be aware of. It was going to stay that way, too, until he deemed it necessary.
The shaggy dark hair shook when the militaristic shinobi bobbed his head. "I'll keep in touch, Hiruzen." The Ne Commander vanished out of sight.
"Please, don't," Hiruzen intoned bitterly with a sidelong look. He breathed out and placed both of his hands over his face in slight defeat. Just what he needed, another fucking shit storm. He needed someone. He didn't trust Danzo as far as he could throw him…which was admittedly pretty damn far, considering how powerful he was. He needed a mole; someone on the inside that could confirm what the Ne leader had informed him.
Then, it suddenly clicked as the Sarutobi's face brighten up instantly in his epiphany.
What better person fit the criteria he needed…than Uchiha Itachi, himself?
The Third Hokage sighed as he brought himself back into the present. Sometimes, he hated his job with a passion. Such unwanted and, truthfully, unneeded bullshit to deal with. He would speak with Itachi within the week, which gave him time to plan some form of action with Homura and Koharu.
He groaned. "Great…I still haven't told them, yet. Just peachy," came his sarcastic reply. He sat back down and took out his crystal ball. "Naruto, perhaps you'll put a smile on my face, despite the arduous road that lies before both of us?"
(Uchiha Clan Estate, 1515 hours)
Mikoto Uchiha was in the kitchen smiling to herself as she washed a dish from a meal she had fixed for Itachi, who had left earlier. But her older son wasn't the real reason she was in such a great mood. Truthfully, it was his younger sibling.
Yesterday, she had been truly worried about her younger child as he almost was never cold and hostile toward her. He had gone out on his own, and came back later that night. This morning, the boy was beaming with excitement as he genuinely smiled.
"Guess all that training must've made him a happy child," she giggled as she dried her hands. Suddenly, her senses went on alert as she felt three chakra signatures, one familiar, and two unknown. Despite being a housewife, she was still a retired jounin. Those skills just didn't leave overnight. She deduced that he was bringing new friends over, which may have explained his mood this morning.
"Kaa-san!" she heard her younger son's voice call out, to which she smiled.
"I'm in the kitchen!" she yelled back, hearing her son's footsteps. Sasuke, a rosette-haired young female, and…her eyes widened in surprise. Him…? Sasuke had befriended him? If no one were watching Mikoto would've been leaping for utter joy.
'So it seems fate would want me to keep our original promise, eh, Kushina-chan?' the Uchiha matriarch mused to herself. She then put on a motherly smile as she slightly knelt to their level.
"So, Sasuke-kun, who are your new friends?" she sweetly inquired. Sasuke looked a bit embarrassed, but passed the spotlight toward his companions.
Sakura shook her head. "I'm Sakura Haruno, Uchiha-san," she bowed respectfully.
Mikoto waved her off. "Please, Sakura-san, call me Mikoto. You don't have to be so formal with me at any time, understood?"
Sakura blushed in embarrassment, but nodded. "Of course, Mikoto-san," she replied in acceptance. The onyx-eyed female turned to Naruto, who was looking a bit shy. Mikoto frowned. 'Does he know about the fox? Think I'll treat him like some of the ignorant morons we call villagers?' she dwelled to herself. She inwardly sighed, before feeling determined. She was going to make Naruto feel welcome in any way she could.
"And you, young man?" she delicately questioned. Naruto looked at her wide-eyed. To her, she felt…genuine. He looked into her eyes, and saw no signs of hate, malice, bigotry, or distrust. As cheesy as it sounded, Naruto wanted to hug her right then and there just for not being a tool that simply fitted in with the rest of the workbox.
Naruto grinned at her. "Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki, Mikoto-san," he introduced holding out his hand, which Mikoto gladly shook.
"A pleasure to meet you, Naruto-kun," she chimed. "So, Sasuke-kun, any particular reason you bring these two all the way out to our humble abode?" She had pretty good idea why, but she wanted to hear it from Sasuke's lips. Mothers did always ask queries they knew the answer to, no?
"Well…" Sasuke started sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I met these guys—" He stopped, seeing Sakura's look. "Guy and girl," he corrected which caused Mikoto to inwardly smirk, "last night, and this morning, we went to the library to learn together."
Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you three are a future squad in the making," she noted.
The three of them looked at each other. This was the first time what was openly on all three of their minds had been brought right out in the open. After a pregnant silence, and seeing the serious looks at each other, they all nodded. There was no doubt now. Naruto spoke confidently, "Yes, it would seem so. I wouldn't have it any other way." That statement sent shockwaves down both of his companions' spines. Did Naruto think that highly of them?
'Naruto-kun…' Sakura thought in wonder and awe.
'Well, Naruto, I'll admit it. The feeling is completely mutual,' he admitted with a smile. The fact that he only knew him for only two days didn't matter to him. It was one of those things that you just instinctively knew what was going to be something special.
The female Uchiha smiled. Kushina would be so proud if she could see them now. "So…I take it you came back here for training because we have plenty of room?" she deduced coolly.
Sasuke groaned audibly. "You have got to stop with that mind-reading thing, kaa-san," he grated. Naruto and Sakura were totally confused, but Mikoto only laughed.
"Sasuke-kun, I'm your mother. I know these things, remember?" she asked rhetorically. Sasuke only huffed, causing his own friends to laugh.
"Wow, Sasuke, your mom's a mind-reader, eh?" Naruto grinned. Oh, he could make oh so many jokes down the line with this tidbit of info. Poor guy never caught a break. Sakura smiled, but inwardly, she was a bit envious of Mikoto and Sasuke's relationship.
'If only my mother were like Mikoto-san. Maybe then, she would notice the abuse,' she reflected solemnly. She banished those thoughts from her head. Too many times today she had dwelled on the past, and it was time to move forward and look ahead toward a shining future. She had all the time in the world for her revenge on Tetsuya. Constantly thinking about it would distract her from training.
"So…what were you three planning on doing today?" she asked curiously, changing the subject completely.
"Well…to be honest, we weren't sure," Naruto answered honestly, scratching his chin in thought.
"So…" she began making hand signals to gather her thoughts, "You three were just planning on winging it?"
"Yup."
"Pretty much."
"That about covers it."
She sighed and palmed her face, while shaking her head. "You guys know you won't get very far without proper guidance, you know?"
"Well, yeah, but we were just planning on perfecting the basics before moving on to other stuff," Sakura explained. "I don't know about these guys, but I plan on blazing through the academy like it's a child's play thing."
"Oi! I'm with Sakura-chan on this one," Naruto agreed, nodding seriously.
Sasuke smirked. "Blow away the competition, eh? That sounds fun. Count me in as well."
Mikoto looked at the three in a new light. Blow away the competition? While the Konoha Shinobi Academy wasn't like ANBU training, it wasn't a cakewalk, either, as there were some truly difficult hurdles to overcome. Well, for starting out shinobi-in-training, anyhow. To genin and above, it was pitifully easy. These three did seem determined…maybe she could…? She shook her head. Oh, why the hell not? It was perfect, and it killed many birds with one stone. But before that, she needed to know one final thing.
Mikoto got a serious look on her face, one that didn't go unnoticed by the three soon-to-be child assassins. They all tensed up a bit, subconsciously. "You three…tell me. How serious are you about this?"
"Mikoto-san, all my life, I've wanted to be a shinobi so I could one day be acknowledged and accepted. I'm willing to risk my entire life, just for a shot at that," became the blond haired male's reply. His onyx and jade-eyed friends were starting to see their cerulean-orbed companion in a new outlook, as their respect for him shot up a notch.
"I want to overcome all the obstacles that logic would dictate that I wouldn't get far, considering my background," Sakura began next. "I want to be a well-rounded splendid kunoichi. With Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun here, I truly believe that it can happen." The Uzumaki and Uchiha smiled, genuinely touched.
"Kaa-san…you already know the situation about my brother. Sure, I want to please my father, but really, I need to learn to please myself. Otherwise, I'll just end up disappointed. These two have given me some new perspectives. Now, I don't feel so alone."
'You and me both, Sasuke/Sasuke-kun,' came the collective thoughts of Sakura and Naruto.
Mikoto hummed. "I see," she said neutrally, although, inwardly, she was practically jumping for joy. "Well, in light of you three taking this seriously, it's decided, then…"
"What's decided?" Sasuke asked, a bit confused.
"…who's going to be your new sensei from now until you graduate," Mikoto revealed, grinning. All three collectively went wide-eyed.
"Y-You?" Sasuke asked beyond belief, just to be sure his ears weren't deceiving him. His mother was going to teach them ninjutsu? He palmed his face. Why in the hell didn't he think of asking for her help before? She was a retired jounin and had plenty of time to spend helping him with jutsu, for fuck's sake!
Sasuke's inward berating of his own stupidity and lack of foresight was cut short as his mother nodded. "Yes! Come on, it'll be fun. You get to hang out with your mom, as well as your two friends, and, at the same time, be ten steps ahead of all the others in your class."
Sakura beamed. "That's so awesome! Cha!" she said excitedly, while Naruto plainly smirked.
"But," she declared in a warning tone, "I'm going to work you three hard. I won't accept anyone giving up. Is that clear?"
"Hai, Mikoto-sensei!" they shouted in unison. She smiled. Mikoto-sensei, eh? She liked the sound of that. Well, didn't that have a nice ring to it?
"Good. All right, Sasuke-kun, show Sakura-chan to the training ground. I need to talk to Naruto-kun…alone. I'll be there in five minutes. This won't take long."
The raven-haired Uchiha looked at his mom, and shrugged before leading a slightly worried Sakura away from the house. Naruto was looking confused, too, wondering what the matriarch wanted to talk to him alone about. She waited a few moments to make sure they were out of earshot.
"Naruto-kun…do you know?" she asked, choosing her words carefully, so she wouldn't break the Sandaime's edict.
Now, Naruto understood perfectly. "If you're referring to the furball stuck in my gut, then yes, I do know. Imagine the shock when I found out that I'm a pariah for something I had no say in," he responded bitterly.
Mikoto gave the boy a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she sincerely said. "It's a shame a village that's supposedly as great as ours has such ignorance and intolerance."
"Well, I'm going to change that, by becoming a legendary ninja, where they'll have no choice but to respect me," Naruto declared. Mikoto smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Of that, Naruto-kun, I have no doubt you will. Now, then, go on and find the others. I'm going to my room for a change of wardrobe okay?"
"Okay!" Naruto brightened up, preparing to leave.
"Oh, and Naruto-kun," Mikoto called out, stopping him in his tracks.
He turned to look at her. "Yes, Mikoto-sensei?"
"You're not alone."
Naruto smiled. "I know…not anymore." With that said, Naruto ran out the door, keen on finding his two good friends. Mikoto watched him head out the door with a serene smile adorned on her face.
(Uchiha Training Grounds, 1530 hours)
Sasuke and Sakura were currently touring the custom-built Uchiha training ground. It was around ten thousand square feet, with various training dummies, a small lake about fifteen feet deep at its lowest point, and about fifty feet in diameter. It was nothing special, but one could practice water techniques and water-walking if one wished to do so. With so much space, the three eight-year-olds were free to practice as hard as they wanted without interfering with the other. The small forest in the area could help them build up their teamwork in various conditions.
"Wow, Sasuke-kun, your estate is amazing," she said in awe at the size and diversity among it.
"Aw, it's no big deal," the scion modestly countered. "I just happened to be born lucky." He simply shrugged.
"You know, that's one of the things I love about you guys," Sakura said, sitting down lotus-style, which Sasuke followed suit perpendicular to her.
"Pray tell, what's that?" Sasuke inquired.
"Well, you and Naruto-kun are so modest and humble. Admittedly, I can get a big head and a bit hotheaded because of my intelligence over some of the girls I know."
"I see," Sasuke replied, thinking about it. "Well…I've personally seen what happens when a guy who thinks he's hot stuff goes up against an opponent he thinks he'll crush and then gets his butt utterly handed to him." That behind got handed to said person, by none other than his older brother, Itachi, by express delivery.
The rosette-haired girl couldn't help but laugh at Sasuke's amusing choice of words. "That butt-kicking must've been a sight to behold," she noted.
Sasuke nodded. "It was. But, anyhow, yeah, I try to rise above the stigma of my clan's arrogance. I'd rather know my limits and live another day rather than being some moron who feels he's entitled to something because of his clan. I have no doubt some in my clan feel that way."
Sakura stared at him a bit, in awe. "Wow, Sasuke-kun, you really do want to rise above them."
He shrugged, "Hey, when you live in your brother's shadow, you got to stand out somehow, and I figured, why not there?"
Sakura nodded in understanding. "So…what do you think your mom wanted Naruto-kun for?"
"Hmm…beats me, I can't think of a real reason my—"
"Sasuke! Sakura-chan!"
"Well, speak of the devil," Sasuke said, shaking his head standing up. "Naruto!" he called out waving his hand, hoping the blond boy could see him. "Over here!"
Naruto ran over to the pair. "Damn, took me forever to find you guys."
They looked at him. "How long were you looking?" Sakura asked.
"Um….maybe thirty seconds or so?" Naruto laughed.
Both pairs of eyes started to twitch. "You're calling thirty seconds forever? Are you screwing with me right now?" Sasuke rhetorically asked.
"Nope," Naruto snickered, for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of the Uchiha. It worked flawlessly.
"YOU IDIOT!" he yelled comically, before Sakura sighed.
"Oh, boys?" she pleasantly chimed, before they turned to her and she gave them what they now refer to as…the look. "Need I remind you two that I have perfectly capable hands that can keep you two in line? Now, do I need to step in, or are you going to stop this banter before I tear your fucking ears off?" With such a force and emphasis that for the second time today, Sakura had nearly caused both males to piss their pants. Never, since the three met, did they hear Sakura ever drop the F-bomb, and to hear it come out of her mouth was shocking enough, even in spite of the threat.
"No!" they both shouted at the same time, to which Sakura smirked. Oh, was it good having control over some males, rather than the other way around. Damn it. There she went, thinking about him again. Ugh, she was glad this training was distracting her for the most part.
"Ah, so you've three already picked a spot. Very good," came the voice of Mikoto as she walked forward with what appeared to be a jounin outfit very similar to what most wore. It wasn't customized at all, except only to compensate for her medium size breasts.
At the sight of the retired jounin, all three immediately got serious and stood at attention. This action caused Mikoto to blink before she chuckled.
"Okay, guys, you have to relax, because I'm going to teach you the basic of the basics."
"So what are we learning first, kaa-san?" Sasuke questioned.
Mikoto smiled. "All three of you, sit down."
A wave of confusion swept through them, but they nonetheless complied and did as they were instructed. The older woman joined them on the soft grass as a small, but gentle breeze swept through the training ground.
"Meditation?" Naruto asked, dreading it.
"Yes, but with a bit of a twist," Mikoto remarked, closing her eyes.
"What do you mean, Sensei?" Sakura inquired with unabashed interest.
"You all know the basics of chakra, I presume?" She heard three heads nod, before continuing. "I want you to try and feel for the area around you, by spreading your chakra around you. While you three were chatting, I placed a dozen or so stones filled specifically with my chakra around the training ground for you to feel. I want you to try and locate them by just feeling your chakra around the entire field and then mouth off their specific locations to me. Obviously you'll have your eyes closed during all this. We'll work on precision, speed, and accuracy, at a later date, but for now just try to find it by spreading your chakra like a bedspread."
"Are you implying that, eventually, we'll be able to 'thin' our chakra signatures that travel and search for these stones like a snake slithering in the grass searching for prey, than say a spider making a giant web of chakra to search for it?" came the voice of Naruto.
"Excellent analogies, Naruto-kun, and you are indeed correct. There's also another benefit to you all doing this. Inevitably, your signatures will overlap with each other, constantly, until you become precise enough."
Sakura caught on immediately to what she was implying. "So in a sense, we'll know by second nature of whether or not a person is friend or foe. We'll be so used to each other's chakra that we'll know who's who in an instant."
"You hit the nail on the head, Sakura-chan!" Mikoto praised which caused the girl's self-confidence to rise. The Uchiha matriarch had to admit it. These kids were extremely impressive, with their insight and intelligence. 'I wonder just how far their potential goes. Well, in any case, I'm going to see it through'
"So, kaa-san, what's this technique called?" her son asked.
"I'm glad you asked, Sasuke-kun," Mikoto said grinning. "It's called the Chakra Hankyouteii no Jutsu (Chakra Echolation Technique). It can be used more for the exercise I'm having you do. Like, for instance, finding the location of things you can't see, scouting for traps and ploys, makibishi, among many things. I'll leave it to you guys to learn it and use it to its full potential."
All three nodded. "Sensei, what are the hand seals for it?" Sakura questioned.
Mikoto shook her head. "While there are seals for this jutsu, it can be done without them. Eventually, you're going to have to mold your chakra without the use of seals, like say using it to get out of a tight spot, if you have a crippled use of your arms. You get what I'm saying?"
Sasuke and Sakura frowned, but Naruto was busy contemplating Mikoto's reasoning while they voiced their opinions. "But, Kaa-san, aren't we supposed to start off molding our chakra with hand seals? You did say you were giving us the basics."
That's when the light bulb went off in Naruto's head. "Ah! Don't you guys get it? It makes complete sense now!" he declared. Mikoto raised an eyebrow. Did he get it that quickly?
"How, Naruto-kun? Enlighten us."
"Gladly. Think about it. If you're so used to molding chakra with seals, once we eventually start learning years down the road seal-less chakra manipulation, can you imagine how difficult that would be? You get used to using seals, which made everything infinitely easier since the seals essentially did the molding for you in a sense. Now, if we were to start off molding chakra on our own and we get pretty good at it, learning to control our chakra with hand seals would seem like child's play compared to the hurdle of this technique," Naruto explained in a scholarly fashion.
Mikoto smiled, as Naruto's logic sunk in to both the Uchiha scion and the Haruno. "Wow, Naruto-kun, you really are something, aren't you?"
"Aw," he sheepishly grinned, "I only figured it out because of what Sasuke said before. It's no big."
Mikoto nodded. "Okay, you three, close your eyes and I want you to feel for your chakra core and manipulate it outwardly. Then, I want you to mouth the location of a stone to me once you locate one. Trust me, I can read lips very well."
Sasuke snorted a bit. 'She's definitely not lying there…'
All three eight-year-olds shut their eyes as they both felt inner peace with themselves. Mikoto was specifically paying attention to the blond most. 'I wonder if the Fox will make it difficult for him to control his chakra. But, then again, considering who his parents are, he'd have a difficult time controlling it with or without him. He's definitely got the hardest road ahead of him…'
Only time would tell if she was right or not, but for now, she would watch and guide them in any way she could. Just like a sensei…and a mother should.
(Kumogakure, 2nd District-Akechi Clan Estate, Two Weeks later, 1200 hours)
Hideyoshi was not in the most pleasant of moods as he took a stroll toward an outside balcony that overlooked a mountain pass. Even the Ultranationalist leader had to admit the natural beauty of his homeland as he watched several massive eagles flow through the skies without a care in the world.
A female landed on her nest, bringing fresh sustenance for her young. This brought a small smile to the Akechi clan head. Cold-hearted he was, admittedly, but that was only towards humans. He had a true appreciation for animal life, especially those of the raptor taxonomy class.
He chuckled to himself, "Okay, that may be because my clan has several raptor summoning contracts, but hey," he mused to himself, rarely able to do so certain times of the day. He truly loved these magnificent creatures. Able to soar through the skies at hundreds of kilometers an hour and spot prey with their marvelous eyesight. The eagles around Lightning Country grew to tremendous sizes not seen, literally, anywhere else in the world. The contracts that his clan owned had them even larger!
Suddenly, a male falcon, about a story high landed on the railing, looking at the Ultranationalist curiously. He got a smirk on his face. "Oh, you want something, boy?" he purred as looked at the bird of prey. He'd been in contact with them for so long that he could instantly tell a gender by just glancing at them. The raptor seemed to understand him as it bobbed his head.
Hideyoshi smiled at the falcon before reaching into a bag that was on the floor that held dead, but sanitized for easy human handling, animals that were commonly the prey of all the birds in the valley. Hideyoshi rarely got to feed one of them when they happened to stop by, so he always kept a bag on hand outside and forbade anyone from touching or moving it without his permission.
"You want the fish, don't you?" he asked a bit playfully. The falcon's mouth was practically drooling at the catfish in the clan head's hand. He moved away, the falcon following him by walking across the railing. After a few moments of teasing the poor bird, Hideyoshi finally gave him what he wanted. The bird gulped down the catfish like it was simply a midday snack. It cried out in approval, and brought its head down toward Hideyoshi and rubbed it against him.
Hideyoshi happily returned the favor, gently rubbing the creature's feathered neck. He felt a bit at peace. No more worrying about that bastard he called a Raikage. No more worrying about their plans. Hell, not even making sure that A—!
"Hideyoshi-sama!" a seemingly panicked voice came from nowhere, which scared the bird he was currently petting. Its docile nature instantly became one of being frightened and it flew off, nearly scratching the Akechi clan head in the face.
Hideyoshi growled as he turned angrily to the voice, which belonged to a subordinate of his, Akira. The petite female had a small frame, and had the outfit of a Kumo Jounin, with a chokuto strapped toward her back. She wore no Cloud headband, a common symbol of loyalty toward the Ultranationalists. The snowy-haired jounin bowed before him.
"You had better have a damn good reason for interrupting that moment, because I know of some hawks in this valley who would love to have a taste of flesh as delicate as yours," he coldly sneered.
A bit of sweat rolled down Akira's brow as she was used to him making threats, but that didn't mean they were any less serious. "A thousand apologies, my Lord, but it appears we've found something that needs to be of your attention."
His eyes narrowed, "And what is that?"
"We've come across an unknown backer….we have enough money to make the down payment for….Red Clouds…" Akira said choosing her words carefully. Hideyoshi had a strict rule of not discussing the coup or anything related. He didn't even trust everyone in his own clan or the fact that the place could be bugged…somehow. The clan head was always paranoid, but then again, how could he afford not to be as such, considering his plans?
"I see…" he responded as neutral as possible. An unknown backer? How could they have known about the deal? No…that was impossible. They did publically request money for donations, like any political party could. It was necessary, and most of all, it was legal. Either way, they needed to find out who…and most of all…why.
"While it pleases me that we are able to make the payment, I'd rather not have unknown allies that can strike me cold in the middle of the night, Akira. Find out what you can, and report back to me," he ordered, seeing her bow her head. A small smirk adorned his face. "Oh…and tell Sayuri to order her division to refocus efforts elsewhere."
Sayuri Ichiso, the Lieutenant Commander of the BOLT reconnaissance division. Truly a powerful kunoichi she was, and the village's foremost expert on reconnaissance. All information she found, she reported directly to either her Commander or the Raikage.
'It's too bad for you A, but she works for us, and not you and your disgusting ideals. Truly ironic how you consider some of your closest friends are likely your worst enemies.'
"It shall be done…" Akira acknowledged, before vanishing in a swirl of wind.
Hideyoshi smiled evilly. He knew that Akira would get the job done, quickly, effectively, and efficiently.
After all...she was his daughter.
(Raikage Tower, 1st District, around same time)
A sat in his office, a bit more tranquil than usual. His talk with Darui over two weeks ago had really calmed his nerves down, and he wasn't in as bad a mood as he used to be. However, the Ultranationalists had been relatively quiet a bit over the past few weeks. Hideyoshi rarely made any public appearances, nor were than any campaign rallies. In the next six months, Districts Four, Five, Eight and Eleven were up for election, and he had been preparing the incumbents from the United Cloud—A's political party—so they wouldn't lose their seats to the Ultranationalists.
Hell, the third political party, the conservative Virga, was better than those bastards. It spoke volumes of how bad the situation was in the place he had known as home for decades. This was one of the reasons why he had made a call for the BOLT commander, himself—Aisu Hayasaka.
The Black Operations and Lightning Tactics Division was a truly fearsome organization, one created under the Nidaime Raikage during the Second Great Shinobi World War. It had a simple command structure. At the top was an overall Commander, a position currently in the hands of Aisu. Then, after that, they were separated into four divisions: Assault, Interrogation, Reconnaissance, and Assassination. Each division was held by an LC, or Lieutenant Commander, who reported directly to Aisu. Each division was further separated into squads of four. Each squad was headed by a captain and under the captains the regular BOLT forces were simply called "grunts." To symbolize membership and rank, members wore custom-made haori that were worn over their uniforms, each one of a different color. The commander's haori was jet black; the LC's were white; the captains' were a dark red; and the grunts', navy blue.
Any member of the organization, grunt or otherwise, was considered extremely dangerous, with the assault team being consider 'hyper-lethal' in their files. All of their dossiers were completely classified, due to their missions being "off the record". The Lieutenant Commanders and the Commander were also a sort of deterrence, along with their Jinchuuriki. Hell, if A was honest with himself, he could likely see Aisu replacing him as Raikage, someday.
He snorted a bit, "Yeah, if we make it that far," he intoned a bit sadly. He then heard a knock on his door. Speak of the damn devil. "Come in, Aisu," A permitted.
The door opened and the Raikage took in the presence of his closest friends and allies. Aisu was truly a striking man. He was well toned, and stood at a height of about six feet, four inches. Aqua blue irises and chocolate-colored, neatly swept brown hair with a single strand hanging from his forehead. He wore an ebony hilted nodachi on his left waist, black and red shinobi pants, and a white, long-sleeved shirt that extended out from his haori, which, on the back, had the kanji for "BOLT" with a lightning strike in the center. Truly, if Aisu made more public appearances, he'd be an instant heartthrob for the ladies.
"You wanted to see me, Raikage-sama?" he asked, rhetorically keeping a smile on his face as he sat down.
"Drop the formalities, Aisu, you know how I hate when you do that." Sometimes, his insistence on being polite annoyed the Lightning Shadow to no end.
Aisu blinked. "Raikage-sama! Surely, you can't mean that!" he protested. He absolutely refused to call the leader of his village by anything less than his title.
"Please, Aisu…that's an order," came A's stern reply.
Aisu sighed, but nodded, nonetheless. "If you say so…." He hesitated. "A…" Damn, that felt uncomfortable. He shifted around in his seat a bit.
A shook his head in amusement. "Anyhow, how goes the organization?" he inquired, deciding with an appetizer conversation, before diving into the full course meal.
"It's going well, Rai—" A glared at him, "A…" he corrected a bit sheepishly before continuing. "Nothing new to report on the intelligence front, but everything seems relatively normal for all five of the villages."
The hefty Lightning Shadow outwardly hummed. "I see…" He glanced at the nodachi on Aisu's waist. It was the legendary Raiunsou (Thunder Cloud Talon), the blade of the one gained after signing the contract with the Thunderbirds. No one had wielded the blade in decades, a testament to the will of Aisu. Only one pure of heart could sign the contract with the mythical masters of his village's natural element.
"But, I know that's not why you called me here…is it?" he deduced, a trace of desolation in the young Commander's voice as he frowned a bit.
A sighed. "Yes, it isn't. It's about the Ultranationalists."
Suddenly, the solemn and saddened expression on the BOLT commander's face was instantly replaced by eyes dangerously narrowing. "What about them?" he asked in a frigid tone, which chilled A to the bone.
"As much as it pains me to say this, Aisu, we need to defeat them with political muscle and not brute force," A stated plainly.
"But! Why? We know they're basically saying, 'We want to take over the village and fuck you if you don't like it,'" the commander cursed, which, considering the subject matter, didn't surprise A in the least. Although, he was registered as an independent voter for his district, he still backed the United Cloud, although a bit discreetly. Aisu hated the Ultranationalists with a passion rivaling the blazes of a thousand suns. The Yondaime Raikage had never really asked him what the underlying reason for his abhorrence was, but alas, at this point, it didn't even matter, so he never bothered asking.
"I know that, Aisu," the dark-skinned male calmly allayed, "but we have to do this with as little bloodshed as possible. I'm not going to risk a civil war for your zeal for blood," he warned.
Aisu looked down, a bit ashamed. "I…understand, sir. I apologize for my behavior."
A nodded, accepting it. "I know you mean well, Aisu. Normally, you seem so peaceful, tranquil, and, dare I say it, a pacifist."
"I am, to some extent, but when it comes to…them…I make an exception," he growled, though a bit contained, as he had regained some of his composure.
"Hideyoshi and his cronies truly bring out the worst in humanity, don't they?" The older ninja asked.
"Yes, however…we…may not be so different," Aisu admitted, his cerulean eyes shifting off to the side.
Now, the Yondaime was truly confused. Aisu saying that he shared any similarities towards his enemies was a cause for alarm. "Clarify what you mean," he commanded.
"Men…we're slaves bound by the shackles of our morals…and kept docile by the whips of our faith," Aisu replied to a stunned A. He sounded like a true, wizened sage! "The Ultranationalists…you…and even I…we're all bound by what we consider to hold us back. How far will we go…will we shatter the chains...and then become the whip that controls the faith of our underlings?"
"Aisu…"
He quickly shook his head. "Don't mind me…I'm just rambling." He dropped his near sage-like aura in favor his normal upbeat attitude…well…as upbeat as he could get while discussing the Ultranationalists, anyhow.
A nodded, but made a mental note to ask him about it later. "As I was saying, we'll need to defeat them with political muscle, instead. There's an election coming up; one we cannot afford to lose! That will put the number of seats at about equal, depending on how many districts they win."
"Sir…what if they gain all four?" Aisu inquired wanting to hear his Kage's worst case scenario contingency.
"Then may the gods help us all. So, knowing that fact, we need to sway public opinion back toward our favor."
"You know this won't be easy, right?"
A grunted, a bit annoyed at the brusque way he had of putting things. "I know, you don't have to state the obvious, Aisu," he said gruffly. Aisu winced, but said nothing.
A looked at the clock, and sighed. "I have a meeting with the Council in about five minutes or so. You're dismissed…for now."
The BOLT Commander nodded and stood up. "If I may ask one thing, sir…how do you expect me to sway public opinion?"
The Raikage thought for a moment, "Well, you could always ask Darui. He may not look like it, but he knows a thing or two about politics."
Aisu's eyes widened in realization, as he face palmed. "Gah! Thank you, Raikage-sama!" he blurted out which startled the Kage. Seeing this, Aisu quickly explained, "I promised his sister I'd visit her today…You know about her condition, right?"
There was silence before A replied. "Yes…I do."
Aisu looked down sadly. "If only we could find a cure…" He frowned, eyes down.
A swallowed hard. "I-Indeed."
"Well, Raikage-sama, take care. We'll beat those bastards, eventually." Aisu smiled, holding out a closed fist. A chuckled, amused. He really did show his playful side only to him, in contradiction to how stoic he was when it came to his duties.
The swift-footed wrestler gave him a grin back and returned the fist-bump, like he did his little brother, Bee. "Count on it," the Raikage acknowledged. The brunet gave a short bow, and then phased out of sight in an impressive burst of speed.
The Raikage shook his head as he stood up and decided to head to the council halls early, a smirk on his face. Truly, the Commander had put him in a good enough mood to where he could deal with these bureaucrats…
On second thought….he looked at the bottom drawer and pulled it open and took out a bottle. "Screw dogs…sake is a man's true best friend," he declared before taking a drink.
Yep…best friends, indeed.
(4th District, Darui's residence, 1600 hours)
Darui was currently sitting down in front of a bed where his sister lay half-asleep, but for all practical purposes, didn't have a clue what was going on in the outside world.
"Ayasaki…." Darui spoke softly clenching his fists. His younger sister was barely in her teens, yet she had already come down with a disease that had baffled the medic corps. She was on her last legs, and maybe had another year or two at the very most to live.
He intently listened to the soft sound of her breathing in and out, as she slept peacefully. Even with her disease, the dark-skinned female always had smile on her face.
"Damn it!" the jounin half-yelled. It wasn't fair! Why should someone as sweet as her fall victim to the horrors of disease, while truly vile men live healthy lives? That sheer fact caused a bitter tear to roll down his cheek as he covered his face. He was a shinobi; he had killed, and he had been nearly killed, but even then, he was still human.
"Nii-san," he heard a voice, which caused his eyes to go wide. Ayasaki had awakened during his inner turmoil and sat up straighter. Even in a hospital gown, his sister was still beautiful as her chocolate brown eyes stared back at him. "Are you okay?" Her voice was lined with concern.
He quickly wiped his tears away and laughed a bit. "Oh, come on, sis, you know me. Big bro's got to be strong, right?"
Ayasaki frowned. "Nii-san…don't lie to me…" She reached out and touched his shaking hand. "Just tell me what's bothering you." She looked at him attentively in the eye. Darui sighed in defeat, but then smiled. His sister was a master at getting him to talk when he didn't want to. 'Stop being such a stoic bastard!' she'd say to him playfully. He smiled, though more so at the memory rather than his sister in front of him.
"Sis…you know with your illness you….you might…" Darui was starting to choke up, before his sister squeezed his hand.
"Nii-san…I'm not afraid…" she told him sternly.
"But…"
"No! I don't want my Nii-san being scared for me. I can't have you being worried about me at random times. What if it happens during a mission? You'll be distracted and you'll never be able to protect our home with a clear head."
Darui couldn't help but smile through his teary eyes. That was Ayasaki for you. Always putting others before herself. It humbled the Heir to the Black Lightning, yet also enraged him at the same time. How could the world be so fucking cruel to one whom seemingly did nothing to deserve it?
"I know…it's just—"
A knock on the front door interrupted him. A bit thankful, he excused himself to go answer it. Darui took a look around at his small condo. He had to admit, he had it pretty made, being one of the villages elite jounin. His three bedroom complex had all the necessary accommodations he needed, and he'd finally purchased it after saving enough ryou from all the missions he had gone on. It was strange to get a knock on the door however. Very few people even knew, or even cared, where he lived.
With a shrug, he kept his guard up, as he turned the knob to see a visitor who was near the bottom of the people he had expected to see. Standing in his doorway, was the BOLT Commander himself.
Darui blinked. "Aisu-sodaisho(Supreme Commander)!" he exclaimed in sheer surprise and shock. Aisu rubbed the back of his head a bit sheepishly.
"Sorry I'm late, Darui. I was lost among the clouds," he explained to a confused, ashen-haired jounin.
"Uh…late? I never knew you were coming," he bluntly stated, owlishly blinking.
Aisu blinked. "Wait…your sister didn't tell you?"
Darui rose an eyebrow. "Um…tell me what?"
Aisu groaned a bit, shaking his head. "Oh, Ayasaki-chan, you did that on purpose, didn't you?" he mused aloud, with Darui only raising an eyebrow. "Look, can I come in?" he asked politely. Darui shrugged and stepped aside allowing the BOLT leader to step through.
Aisu whistled in awe. "Wow, you've really bought a lot of new stuff since the last time I was here." There was definitely some furniture here that he didn't recognize.
Darui shut the door and agreed. "Yeah, I guess I kind of went into a shopping spree to make sure my sister was comfortable after…well…you know…" The solemn tone told all.
"I know," Aisu frowned. "Anyhow, where is she?"
Darui pointed to a back room. Aisu nodded his thanks and made his way toward the direction he pointed out. He had to duck a bit, due to his height, but he crept a bit through the door.
"Ayasaki-chan?" he whispered, in case she was asleep.
Ayasaki recognized his voice immediately. "Aisu-kun!" she cried out in joy as she willed herself out of bed to give the elite shinobi a hug. He laughed a bit and gave her a hug back picking the teenager up and holding her.
"Told you I wouldn't break my promise," he whispered in her ear. Due to his duties as leader of the village's black operations squad, he rarely got a free moment to see her. He had promised her over three months ago that'd he visit as much as he could.
Ayasaki cried tears of joy as she buried her face in his chest as well as wrapping her arms around his neck. "I knew you would. I never lost faith in you," she told him as he held close the girl who was like a sister to him.
"Now…" he began on lighthearted note, "you didn't tell him I was coming on purpose, didn't you?"
Ayasaki smirked knowingly. "Oh, Aisu-kun, I have no idea what you're talking about," she chimed, feigning ignorance.
"Uh-huh…Tsk…" he clucked his teeth, not buying it.
Her only response was to giggle. "You know I love giving surprises to my nii-san."
"Is that so?" Darui asked in a deadpan, coming into the room and shaking his head. "You know I hate surprises," he lamely added, shifting his hands in his pockets as his facial expression became lazy again.
"Only when it's from me," she argued, sticking her tongue out.
"….A fair point," he conceded.
"Heh, still haven't beaten your sister in a game of logic, yet, Darui?" Aisu smirked, remembering all the times she had stumped the poor jounin. Poor guy couldn't catch a break.
"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "Now could you please let my sister down? I don't like her being held like that for too long."
Aisu frowned, but nonetheless complied with Darui's request. True, he did outrank him three fold, but he wasn't about to be an asshole to just say no to a brother's request when it came to his terminally-ill sister. He gently lay her down, and kissed her forehead, causing the dark skinned girl to blush profusely.
"You rest now, okay? I have to talk to your brother." She simply nodded and rested her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. She had a big grin on her face, of which Darui had no doubt the reason.
The BOLT leader turned to the jounin, lightheartedness forgone. "Come. We should talk in the living room." Darui complied, following Aisu out, sparing one glance back at his smiling sibling. He relaxed a bit, and gently closed the door.
"So, what is it?" Darui questioned, getting straight to the point.
"To be frank, Darui, I need your help in defeating the Ultranationalists. Raikage-sama says you know a thing or two about political muscle, in which I have little experience," Aisu pleaded without preamble.
Darui looked away. "Sodaisho…you know how I feel about politics…" he admitted. Darui officially was just registered as an independent voter, and despite how he much he respected Killer A, he completely refused to register as a United Cloud member. He felt that if he officially took a side, that he'd be obligated to vote them in all the time.
Aisu sighed. "Yes…I know, but think of the village! You know what will happen if they gain any more seats on the council!"
"I know that!" Darui yelled in anger. "You don't think I'm scared? What those bastards might do? Install fascism…false national pride…hatred…bigotry…likely even social Darwinism." He shuddered at that last thought. "They might even kill my…" he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"Darui…I know," Aisu said calmly. "But if you want to save your sister from living in a hell they'll install, I'll need your help."
"What good is that if I betray my own principles?" he shouted angrily.
"What good are those principles if your sister ends up dead because you refuse to act?" Aisu countered, turning away from him. That statement sent shockwaves through the jounin. Various scenarios started to play out in his head as he saw Hideyoshi overlooking a burning Kumogakure, where his sister was ordered to be executed because she was 'dead weight' and of no use to the new regime. He clenched his fists.
"I see…" Darui said as the realization dawned on him. He made a promise that he would protect his sister at all costs. If that meant he had to step into the ugly game of politics…then so be it. "I'll help," he softly declared.
Aisu nodded in gratitude. "Thank you, Darui. I'm sure your old sensei would be proud to preserve the Village that stood tall in the Clouds." The Sandaime Raikage, in addition to teaching him his Black Lightning techniques, also taught the boy everything he knew now about the political underground tactics that were employed throughout the village. Aisu had his own views, sure, but he was a military tactician and strategist first and foremost, which is why they needed each other. Darui knew the information, and Aisu could conjure up a strategy to counter it.
"I'm sure he would be," he neutrally said, not liking to speak of his old sensei as the wound from his loss was still fresh to the heir.
"All right, meet me at the base sometime this week, whenever you're free. I still have things to take care of, on my end," Aisu ordered.
Darui nodded. "I will."
Aisu had turned to leave before Darui's voice stopped him again. "Sodaisho…"
He turned his head. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry about my short burst of anger…I meant no disrespect," he uttered apologetically.
Aisu waved him off and smiled. "Don't worry about it. You had a perfectly valid reason for doing so. Just learn to control it, all right?"
Darui nodded. "I will…take care, Sodaisho." Aisu said his goodbyes and quietly left out of the front door.
The jounin went back to his sister's room to see her sound asleep. "Ayasaki….no matter what happens…I'll always be there for you, even if it means turning against my own codes."
Perhaps, if Darui was a bit more attentive, he would've noticed the slightest twitch of a smile on his sibling's face.
(Akechi clan household, 2100 hours)
Akira ran through the clan estate like a bat out of hell, racing towards her father's study. This was big, and he needed to know right away!
To hell if he was meeting with the clan elders. He'd probably kill her for not informing him of such a huge development. She turned the corner, nearly slipping in her slightly panicked state. She could hear the voices of the elders and her father as they were discussing things she couldn't have cared less about at the moment.
Without even bothering to knock she slid the door open, a bit out of breath. All seven of the elders, plus Hideyoshi, turned to glare at her for the interruption.
"Akira!" Hideyoshi growled. "What is the meaning of this?"
She quickly bowed as low as she could. "A thousand apologies, Hideyoshi-sama, but I bring important news!"
Hideyoshi raised an eyebrow, but that didn't mean he was less intimidating to his daughter. "Have you found our…generous donors' identities?"
She shook her head. "No. Better than that. Our members have caught two Konoha Black Ops shinobi! They appeared to have been trying to sabotage our plans!"
That statement caused all hell to break loose.
(END)
Yes, I'm evil, muhahahaha. Konoha shinobi? In Lightning Country territory? What will happen because of this development? Stay tuned to find out.
So, it's now October 8, 2011, about ten days or so after I last updated. I'm on a damn roll, woo! I just loved diving into the psyches and personalities of these characters and fleshing them out when needed.
Case in point, Danzo and Hiruzen's relationship is a great example of this. Most fan fiction portrays Danzo as this Complete Monster who would do absolutely anything to gain power. I disagree. I see him more as a Well-Intentioned Extremist, as TVTropes would describe it. He has his morals, his own code, as well as doing things that we would consider immoral. Throughout the whole story, you'll get an idea of what his motivations are. I assure you, they go FAR deeper than simply wanting to take the title of Hokage.
Well, that's all I have nothing more to say, but PLEASE review and give me some feedback. I want to know what you guys think! What you like, or dislike. I don't bite, unless you try and bullshit me, which so far no one has.
Take care and enjoy the rest of your day or evening.
With regards,
Arashi.