Fated to Meet You

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you all for the follows, favorites, and reviews! They are very much appreciated, and a motivating force for me to keep writing

Unfortunately, no tobiramaxmai moments in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, character or plot, from Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto.

Chapter Four: The Beginning as a Student

Mai moved from her home in the outskirts of the village into Elder Mio's home. As her student, moving to Elder Mio's home was the most convenient option, especially since everyday would hold a lesson. It wasn't a hassle for her. Mai had very little things to move: her clothes and weapons. Training started the next day after Mai agreed to be the female elder's student. All the reasons pointed for her to be Elder Mio's student; the major one being the succession of a new Clan Leader. She was a kunoichi after all and was also in need of a teacher. Her previous, if anyone could call him a teacher, was Lord Tajima. Although, he rarely trained her but instructed her in what to train in.

The Clan Leader Succession Ceremony was held a week after Mai's arrival back from her mission in the Land of Steel. All the elders attended the ceremony, and each of them had their own student behind them. Elder Mio made sure to bring her student along with her as if to say that she too had a weapon. She had been the only Uchiha Elder to not have a student in the last few years. Standing behind Elder Mio, Mai watched as Lord Madara accepted the Clan Leader title. Because the Elders stood behind Lord Madara, she caught small side glimpses of the newly appointed Clan Leader. From what she could gather, she noticed he had a rough look to him with long, ragged, black hair and a stern look on his young adult face. Lord Izuna was standing off to the side by Madara. Compared to his older brother, Lord Izuna's features were softer. His dark hair was shorter, thinner, and tamed; and he was leaner and paler than his older brother. Although she never fought on the battlefield with them, she heard that the two Uchiha brothers were inseparable and powerful shinobi. They were Lord Tajima's sons afterall.

The ceremony ended, and every Uchiha walked towards the new Clan Leader to congratulate him. Mai remained behind Elder Mio, who remained where she stood throughout the ceremony, as were the rest of the elders and their student. She was amazed at the size of her own clan. The clan was not large like a village, but large to be a shinobi clan village. She assumed the Uchiha Clan was small due to the constant wars they were involved in, but the population in front of her proved her wrong. The entire Uchiha population covered the entire Heart of the Uchiha Village, a flat almost open land within the Uchiha Village. She'd seen Uchiha members here and there but not when they were all together.

Mai watched as the Uchiha population swarmed to their new leader. Even then, she couldn't help but notice the side glances that were geared at her throughout the ceremony from the other elder's students. The Uchiha girl deduced one reason was due to her gender. All the students standing beside her were all males and she was the only female. Mai figured they rarely saw Uchiha kunoichi's. All of them were wearing the traditional Uchiha high collared shirts while Mai adorned a normal, dark blue kimono shirt. She never wore the traditional high collared shirts to lessen the chance of exposing her clan to enemies. The first thing Ayaka did when Mai moved in was provide a few kimono shirts for her. She said that it was a disgrace to Elder Mio if her student wore "rags." Mai said nothing but bowed her head and conformed to the head maid. Not that she could deny her anyway.

"Elder Mio." Her teacher's name brought Mai out of her thoughts. Glancing at Elder Mio, Mai traced her eyes to the elder just right of Elder Mio who spoke. "Is this your student?" The Uchiha Elder asked. He glanced at Mai, and the girl dipped her head to show him respect. Like Elder Mio, this elder held an aura of wisdom.

"Yes," Elder Mio replied.

"And what is your name?" The same elder asked after he turned to the Uchiha girl.

Mai looked at Elder Mio, who gave her a nod, and then answered. "Uchiha Mai, sir." Mai could see his eyes widen a fraction of an inch before he quickly regained his composure that if one wasn't close they would've never thought the elderly man was surprise.

"I see." was all the elder said before turning to face the audience as they watched Lord Madara shake a hand. Receiving a congratulation from every Uchiha, Madara smiled squarely. Elder Mio had told her that the ceremony would only last a couple hours, but a celebration would last the entire day. The Uchiha Elders were scheduled to have tea together after the ceremony and Elder Mio dismissed her student into the large crowd of unknown Uchiha's.

For a second, Mai felt looked at and felt like a lost child. Walking into the open land, her own heart pounded against her chest. Her eyes glanced at everything: the clear blue sky, the Uchiha homes, the fellow Uchiha's themselves.

"I've never seen you before."

Snapping her head to her left, Mai struggled to look up at the dark figure shaded by the burning sun behind him. Squinting her eyes, her eyes continued to adjust to the sudden change of access light. When color made its way, there stood an Uchiha man. His dark hair grew long to his shoulders, and his tan skin proved he'd been in the sun. Bowing her head, Mai greeted that man. "Hello." Her eyes widened when she remembered him standing in the line behind the Uchiha Elders like her.

Noticing the girl's recognition, the man introduced himself. "Uchiha Hikaku." He lowered his head, although not as low as the Uchiha girl did.

"Uchiha Mai." Mai lowered her head again.

"You're Elder Mio's student." He stated.

Mai nodded. "I am. And you?"

"Elder Jirou." Uchiha Hikaku stated proudly; although, he tried to stay modest by holding back a smile.

Mai nodded her head in acceptance. She'd heard of the well-known Elder Uchiha Jirou. Like all Uchiha Elders, he held and still holds great strength and influence throughout the Uchiha Clan. All elders were prominent strong Uchiha shinobi in their youth and became wise advisors for the Uchiha Clan Leader in their old years.

"Like I said before, I haven't seen you around." Hikaku's eyes roamed the girl's face for any sign of familiarity. For her to be an elder's student, she must've been on the battlefield fighting with him. He saw none.

"...I've been only active in small missions compared to yours, Hikaku-san." She said politely after a moment of indecisiveness. She concluded to keep her answers as vague as possible for now.

Hikaku was expecting her reason; she was a girl after all. Like the rest of the Uchiha Elder's Apprentices, he too was surprised that a girl stood with them. But when he looked to who she stood behind, it lessened his surprise. Although, he never heard that Elder Mio took in another student. "How long have you been Elder Mio's student?"

"Just recently." Mai told him.

Hikaku nodded at her answer. That made sense. It has been a few years since Elder Mio's last student died. "Will you be staying for the celebration?" He asked. She didn't look completely comfortable around her own clan as her eyes jaggedly followed any moving thing behind him.

"No," Mai answered moving her eyes back to the man in front of him. He looked older than her, on the borderline of youth and adult. But he held an air of openness that she found odd, especially when he's an Uchiha adult. Usually, through training and conditioning as children, adult Uchiha's were reserve. Not even an ounce of feeling leaked through an Uchiha adult's presence. The only thing they seem to embody was reserve. The Uchiha girl bowed excusing herself, and Hikaku nodded.

Mai headed straight to Elder Mio's home. What was she suppose to do back there anyway? She walked into the kitchen and heated up some tea. A week in Elder Mio's presence, Mai found a habit in drinking tea more often than before; and within a week, Mai's tired eyes brightened and skin cleared. Tying her hair into a tail, Mai grabbed a plate from a shelf and took an onigiri she assumed Ayaka made for her return. She poured the hot tea into a cup and made her way through the house with a plate and cup in hand. Just a couple days ago, Elder Mio introduced her to a study within her home, and now she couldn't leave the place. Scrolls sat on shelves that surrounded the room and a table. To keep it private, the study was within the house with no windows; therefore, candles had to be lit day and night for those in there. Leaving the door open for her to hear for anyone entering the house, Mai sat herself down at the low-rise table. Setting the cup and plate on the table, Mai stood up to get one particular scroll that she found just yesterday.

. . .

"Hikaku," said the person behind the called man.

Turning around, Hikaku bowed to the man in front of him. "Lord Izuna," Hikaku acknowledged.

Izuna looked at the path where the girl recently took off in before turning his head back to Hikaku. "Was that your first time meeting Elder Mio's student?" He asked. During the ceremony both him and his older brother were surprised to see someone standing behind Elder Mio. They never heard that the lone female elder took in a new student.

"Yes," Hikaku answered. Looking at his clansman, he asked, "Was today yours too?"

Izuna quietly nodded. He and Hikaku have known each other for years ever since childhood, and with the two being the same age, they saw each other as friends. Aside from with Madara, Izuna trained and sparred with him. He knew Hikaku was as strong as he was. Izuna looked at the path again before asking Hikaku to join him in congratulating Madara, and Hikaku agreed.

"Her name is Mai. I know you're wondering." Hikaku chuckled as they walked.

"Hmph. How did you know." Izuna smiled glad that his friend could read him. The two walked to where Madara stood during the ceremony, and where he still stood. Each Uchiha made it their goal to at least shake the new Clan Leader's hand.

Hikaku looked over to Izuna. "Did you want to wait in line?" His eyes followed the long line of Uchiha's extending from Madara and looked over to Izuna.

"I guess we should." Izuna's onyx eyes trailed the line and walked over to the end with Hikaku in tail. "So, Uchiha Mai, huh. She looks young." Izuna commented. Hikaku knew his friend. Everything he saw and heard are all saved into a little part of his brain. He never let go of a memory. A frightening and helpful skill.

"Was she the only thing you focused on throughout the ceremony, and not your brother?" Hikaku asked sarcastically hoping his friend would end their prior conversation about her. It was too early to assume anything, if there was anything to assume on.

"I'm guessing fifteen." Izuna looked to the side at Hikaku with a confident smirk.

Hikaku sighed. "I was thinking that too." He didn't want to further the topic longer, and he knew his friend sensed it. For all they knew, she was just an elder's student. But he made a mental note to ask his teacher about her.

Izuna blinked away from his friend and up to his older brother a ways away. "You think the Senju's heard of this yet?" He changed the subject.

"Yeah." Hikaku looked up at their new Clan Leader in the distance. He knew of Madara's ex-friendship with Senju Hashirama from Izuna. The man has been the Senju Clan Leader for a year now, and Hikaku wondered what it would the world be like with the two, once-friends clan leaders on opposite sides. He didn't see anything but more fighting.

The line moved, and the two shinobi stepped forward.

"Did you hear, brother?" Tobirama asked crossing his arms.

The dark haired brother lowered the scroll in his hands and looked over to his brother at the other side of the table. "I did." He knew exactly what his younger brother was talking about: Madara. When he heard of his old friend's succession as clan leader, he really wanted to congratulate him. But he couldn't. The Senju Leader still held onto their dream of peace and he hoped his old friend did too. Rolling the scroll, Hashirama asked, "How did the mission go?" He had no time to ask his younger brother on the mission the Senju Elders assigned him, and that was a week ago. The Senju Elder's were furious when Tobirama and his team returned with the report that they failed the mission. But when told of the half pay, their anger lessened.

"We failed." Tobirama stated with his arms still crossed and red eyes stared straight at his brother with calmness.

Hashirama laughed at his brother's state. He knew his brother hated failing. "What happened?"

"The assassin managed to kill the scholar's entire circle before killing the scholar himself." The white haired Senju's eyes narrowed slightly at the memory of the cup of tea. "With poison."

Hashirama looked curiously at his brother. The mission was more interesting than he thought. His brother did not pluralize the word 'assassin', so there was really only one person sent to kill five men? And for someone to bypass his brother and team until finally assassinating the lone, head scholar, he was impressed. But he doubt that his brother did not sense someone around. Tobirama was the best sensor in the Senju Clan, maybe even in the entire world. "And you didn't sense him?"

Tobirama's red eyes moved to meet his brother's. "Not 'him'. Her." His eyes were steady, waiting for a reaction from his older brother.

Just like Tobirama thought he would, Hashirama's eyes widened in surprise. His mouth hung open while he blinked multiple times taking in the information. A female assassin? Hashirama knew kunoichi's, but they were all from his own clan. Even then he only knew so few. "What happened to her?" Hashirama leaned towards his brother. No wonder why his white haired brother found the assassin late. He didn't just expect only one assassin and he also even more didn't expect a girl. He just hoped his brother didn't kill the girl.

The white haired brother shrugged slightly. "We turned her in and left." Tobirama had the urge to tell his older brother of how old she looked but he held it back. He didn't want his brother overreacting in why he turned in a child, but he also knew that his brother would understand his reason of why he did what he did. He just hoped the girl had escaped. She did have strong chakra. Although, doubt kept hitting him at his thought of her escaping. The scholar's daughter looked enraged at the sight of the girl. He assumed the daughter probably already killed her by now. And he did feel guilty. She was a child.

Dragging a hand down his tanned face, Hashirama sighed. This was how shinobi died. But she was a girl. He knew his brother wouldn't have turned her in unless needed to. Still she was a girl. "What did the elders say?"

"Nothing much after. They were glad we still were paid." He uncrossed his arms.

Hashirama nodded. "What was interesting about the poison?" He remembered his brother's eyes when he spoke of the liquid weapon. His brother narrowed his eyes a lot but Hashirama could see Tobirama's attempt to calculate a solution.

"...She poisoned his tea, but the symptoms did not show until half an hour later." Tobirama answered. He had never heard of any poison that did that. The scholar looked perfectly fine until he started coughing.

"You think she's from a clan that specializes in poison?"

"She had very dominant traits that are shared throughout many clans. She could be from any clan." Tobirama closed his eyes as if it was his break from their conversation. He remembered seeing her on the streets of the village during the festival. He had felt a few strong chakra figures while he was guarding Scholar Kihito prior to the Steel Festival. As his team followed Scholar Kihito around, he kept his eyes out for any male. During the fireworks, he searched for the last strong chakra figure he hadn't seen yet. And there the girl was standing and looking up at the night sky. The tips of her dark hair were damped and clumped together and her pants were wet. He suppressed his chakra before walking near her hoping to see a clan symbol on her clothing. He saw none. And he walked away. Even without a clan symbol, he knew who the assassin was. It was her.

Mai put the scroll down. She already finished her tea and onigiri hours ago and stared at the empty plate and cup. Loosening her legs out of its crossed position, she extended her legs out under the low-rise table. In where she sat at, she laid back and stared at the ceiling. Whenever the candlelight flickered, a streak of darkness appeared on the ceiling. Thinking of the scroll she read, Mai wondered if she could achieve more than one chakra nature. The scroll told her anyone could. However, she was only able to perform fire jutsu's and Lord Tajima never told her of one being able to achieve more than one chakra nature so she just assumed one could only use what they were born with. So how could one achieve the others? The Uchiha girl furrowed her brows and sat up. Tucking her legs in, she grabbed the empty plate and cup, and headed to the kitchen.

Walking through the door into the kitchen, Mai found Elder Mio watching a tea kettle over the fire.

"Elder Mio." Mai bowed her head. "I was just about to go and meet you over at the-"

The female elder gently held up a hand at her. "We ended early." She forgave her student.

Mai lifted her head. Quietly, she walked over to the sink and began washing her plate and cup.

"Were you in the study reading?" Elder Mio sensed her student in there even before reaching her home.

"Yes." Mai dried her dishware and set them in their respective spot. "I was reading a scroll on chakra natures."

Elder Mio turned to the kettle. It was the same scroll she saw her student glue her entire interest to since she introduced the study to her. Within the first week of having her as her student, Elder Mio found that her student had many weaknesses. Mai had told her that Lord Tajima trained her himself, and Elder Mio found that true when she was more skilled in taijutsu than anything else. Her student hit hard and moved quickly and swiftly, while her sensory lagged the most. Elder Mio knew that Lord Tajima held no prejudice to women fighting on the battlefield. She figured the late clan leader trained the child to excel in area's that were needed most and was beneficial for kunoichi- taijutsu and genjutsu- due to his limited time while he was clan leader.

Pouring the hot tea into her cup the female elder turned around to her student, who was waiting for her to exit the room. Bringing the cup with her, Elder Mio walked ahead, and Mai grabbed the kettle and followed behind her.

"...Elder Mio?" Mai asked while walking behind her teacher.

"Hm?"

"The scroll I read said that anyone can achieve any nature alongside their natural affinity." Mai paused and thought how to word her question. "How-How is that possible?"

"It's possible." Elder Mio began. She stopped in front of her regular tea room, and Mai stepped out to open it. The female elder walked in and sat down at her usual spot facing the door. "It takes training."

Mai sat down in front of her teacher and listened. She carefully set the hot kettle down on the area of the table respected for the kettle.

"Your affinity is fire, correct?" She knew some people in the Uchiha Clan did not have an affinity of fire.

"Yes," Mai answered.

"Nature Transformation, like fire, is just an advance form of chakra control." Elder Mio pointed that out. She knew her student had yet to know more about ninjutsu and chakra.

Mai nodded. That was what the writings in the scroll said also.

"Ninjutsu needs both Nature Transformation for the nature of the chakra and Shape Transformation to change the form and movement of the jutsu." The female elder made her way and sat down on the table.

Mai blinked at the unknown. Lord Tajima only taught her ninjutsu in fire, and even that was limited. She knew only of the broad information of Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation prior to Elder Mio. The question was how any of that was possible. She was born with the affinity of fire, so that nature came easy. How were the rest gained?

Her face softened and she gazed at the corner of the brown table.

It was the feel of the jutsu.

Elder Mio knew her student found the answer to her own question. The elder's onyx eyes observed as her student's face softened and eyes looked as if she'd found an irreplaceable treasure. Picking up her cup, the female elder took a sip of her tea before putting it down. "You should rest for the night. I'll teach you more of ninjutsu tomorrow morning."

Blinking out of her mind, Mai nodded. "Thank you, Elder Mio. Goodnight." She stood up and bowed.

Elder Mio drank her tea as her student slid the door close; her footsteps thumping away.

. . .

"You're right. She's not good with her sensory." An old, elderly man said while he sat and leaned on the wall off to the right of the female elder. He chuckled. "So different from you, Mio."

Elder Mio hummed in agreement. "She is not." The female teacher found that her student couldn't sense those who concealed their presence even if they were near. "Her attention needs more training."

The elderly man walked over to the table and sat down to Mio's right. "She has potential though." He noted.

"You're saying the same things I told you, Jirou." Elder Mio said to her fellow elder.

Elder Jirou chuckled. "She's a fast learner." He looked over at the door. "Well, a fast, individual learner." Reaching into his sleeve, the male elder pulled out an empty cup. "Like you, Mio."

Elder Mio hummed with her eyes closed. Opening her eyes, she watched as her fellow comrade poured himself tea. Even when they were younger, the man always popped into her home to have tea with her. That never changed even as they grew. It started with him challenging her proficiency in sensory by trying to sneak up on her concealing himself. After many failed attempts, Elder Jirou later accepted that Elder Mio was the Uchiha Clan's greatest sensor. "I saw Hikaku talk to her earlier today."

"I did too." Elder Jirou said. "He told me he was curious that a female stood with them during the ceremony."

Elder Mio hummed.

The male elder put his cup down. "How did it go for her on the mission she had?" He remembered when he told his female friend that the Senju Clan was sent as bodyguards, he could see the gears in her head move like solving a puzzle.

Elder Mio drank her tea before answering. "She returned a day later than I expected her to." She turned her head to her friend. "And she looked beaten. She had a large bruise." Elder Mio raised a hand to her left temple. "I think she encountered them."

"..." Elder Jirou looked at his friend with all his attention.

"But I don't think they knew who she was."

Elder Jirou narrowed his eyes in question. And then it came to him.

She was a girl. The Uchiha Clan rarely ever have kunoichi's to the point that the entire world believed that they never allowed female shinobi. Adding to that, she never beared the Uchiha Clan crest on her back like everyone else.

"She later told me that the scholar's shinobi bodyguards turned her in but was pardoned by the Daimyō." Elder Mio finished. "I don't think she even knew that they were Senju's to begin with."

Silence fell on the two Uchiha elders. Elder Mio stared straight to the door, and Elder Jirou poured himself more tea from the kettle. The two seem to be silently relieving their stress from their previous Elder Meeting in the silence like how they always would. But Elder Mio was not done with the conversation.

.

"And the one that struck you in the head?"

The Uchiha girl brought a hand up to her left temple. The cool dark colors of the bruise had faded and was replaced by a yellow patch. "One of the shinobi bodyguards. His chakra was strong that even I could sense it." She looked up at teacher. "It was interesting because he had white hair but looked so young. And his eyes..." Mai looked up to her teacher. "They were red. I've never seen anyone have red eyes before."

.

A/N (again)

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