Welcome to part 2 of The Last Princess of Whirlpool. You can find part 1 on my profile.
Full synopsis:
Her island is healed and her people are healing, but Kikuko's work isn't over. To fully protect her people, she must return to the place where the roots of hatred that destroyed Uzushiogakure sprouted.
She didn't expect to be named the first Fuinjutsu Master in the village since her father's death when she returned to Konoha. Or to be the first of her academy class promoted to jonin. And she definitely doesn't expect for the world to be swept into a war by her father's former student.
But, she is Uzumaki Kikuko. The Yondaime Uzukage, and she will not fail.
I feel some nerves start to creep up as I look at the panel in front of me. There's so much riding on this test. If I mess this up I'm going to have to wait for Jiraiya to finish training Naruto to even think about being considered a fuinjutsu specialist or Fuinjutsu Master.
And while I don't really care what the council members in front of me think, being labeled a Fuinjutsu Master or specialist will be what gets me into the next Jonin exams. And all of my plans rely on me making that rank within the next year.
Plus if I manage to make Fuinjutsu Master I get to hold that over Jiraiya. While specialists can teach others fuinjutsu in the village, dad made it so that only a Fuinjutsu Master can create a standardized curriculum.
It'll depend on the panel's thoughts on my abilities to see whichever distinction I get. If I just do okay on the next levels I'll be a specialist. But if they think I exceed expectations, then I become a Fuinjutsu Master.
I really want that now, to show them and the world that the Uzumaki clan is still strong after everything Danzo has put us through.
"Congratulations on passing the first half of this exam," Koharu begins. "We will now explain each of the remaining levels before we begin the second portion."
"Starting with the sixth level, you will make a variety of basic seals," Homura says.
"Moving forward, in the seventh level you will create a seal for each element. The eighth level will require you to make multiple genjutsu seals." Of course the man who stole sharingan would tell me about the genjutsu level.
"In the ninth level you will make two offensive and two defensive seals, one of which must be a barrier seal. And in the tenth level, you must showcase an original combination seal," Koharu finishes.
"Do you have any questions?" Homura asks.
"No," I say as I pick up my pipe. I methodically pack it with a mixture of herbs and tobacco before I light it with my favorite lighter. A gift from Abuelo during my last visit.
"You need something reliable for when you're on missions," he said as he handed me a plain wooden box. When I opened it, it was already filled with herbs and tobacco, as well as a brand new lighter. I picked it up and ran my hand over the engraved whirlpool before I carefully sat it down.
And then tackled Abuelo in a hug.
I breathe in the familiar herb mixture before blowing out the other side of my mouth.
"I'm ready."
The council members look among themselves before Koharu steps forward with the first scroll.
"You may begin," Danzo says.
Below is a list of several basic seals, draw an example of each.
I take a puff of my pipe before I dip my pen in the ink.
The first few seals are simple. Basic barrier seals, privacy seals, and exploding tags.
But then I get to the first seal I learned how to create before I got into the academy.
A storage seal.
"Ne, I've already asked the others, but Kikuko-chan, what are you most excited about for starting at the academy?" Shisui asked after I took a large bite of chicken.
"fuinjutsu!"
"What got you into that?" Shikaku asked from my side. I felt my cheeks heat up as I played with some of the food on my plate.
"Well, there was a book on history at the orphanage and I saw it was what the Uzumaki were known for. And then I started reading scrolls about it from the library, and then for my birthday last year, Jiji gave me some of Mito-baachan's journals and those are really, really cool." I felt out of breath after I finished. He didn't say anything, so I finally looked up at him.
"You're probably ahead of what they're going to teach at the academy, then." He said, as he flipped a piece of meat on the barbeque. I felt myself deflate at that. I was really hoping to learn more. "What are you able to do so far?"
"Um," I paused for a second, holding my chin in my hand. "I can do a basic silencing seal cause' Genma snores really loud." I felt him poke me in the side and immediately flinched away from him. "I can do an okay security seal that stops people from entering if they mean harm or want to do anything bad, too." I saw one of Shikaku's eyebrows raise at that but he didn't say anything. "Although it doesn't work on Genma when he pranks us." I pouted at that. I really wished I could get that to work, but Jiji said I wasn't allowed to block Genma out of the apartment.
"You're forgetting a couple, Kiku-chan." Tenzo said, handing me a sausage shaped like an octopus. I smiled widely up at him, gladly taking it. It was one of my favorite foods, they're so cute!
"Oh! I can make storage scrolls! And I was able to make a seal that exploded paint!"
"That shot paint out of it." Genma flicked my temple. I turned to look up at him, sticking my tongue out at him.
"You are definitely ahead of what you'll learn in the academy, then." Shikaku said, getting my attention with another sausage octopus.
"Done."
The council steps forward and looks over the seals until Danzo nods.
"You pass the sixth level," Koharu says. She takes the scroll over to Shizune as Homura places another scroll on the table.
"You may begin," Koharu says.
Create a seal based on each of the elements and activate it for the panel.
I start with a wind seal, one of the first a chunin would learn in Uzushiogakure. It was used for so many things, prior to living on the island our ancestors would surround their farms with them. They were used to deflect major storms away from the island. And the most common ones were used on our boats.
Once the seal is done, I place my hand over it, channel chakra, and force my face to remain passive as a gust of wind comes up and makes all the hanging scrolls bang against the walls.
I pull my chakra back and work on the next seal.
Fire. I hadn't planned to learn to make these prior to coming back to Konoha, but after what happened on the beach with Root, I decided to learn all of the elements while still on the island.
Fire comes in handy.
I place my hand over the seal and activate it. Flames come up from the seal, like a torch. The flames remain constant until I place my hand back over the seal.
Water is as easy as breathing.
When I activate the water seal it bounces up and around me, almost playful as it moves around my body before it goes back into the seal.
The next is lightning, something that's come easier the more time I spend in Kumo. The lighting springs up from the seal, attacking every metal candle holder in the room, and shining a bright white light for a few seconds before I deactivate my seal.
The last is an earth seal. I take my time crafting the seal, making sure to keep my personal element outside of it as I had the others.
I don't want Danzo getting more of a look at my personal seals than a quick glimpse.
I tried to breathe evenly as I moved the senbon in my hand. I was thankful for not being able to move the rest of my body or else I would have screamed as soon as I began.
I started to carve a seal into the palm of my hand. All seals regarding the elements start with an image of that element in the center. I started with a rock. A circle always surrounds a seal like this. It symbolizes the flow of chakra. I put in a stabilizer, a swirl just inside of the circle. And behind the rock, I drew mountains.
The mountains symbolized my personal connection to the element. The mountains of Uzushiogakure where I trained and signed my contract with the mountain lions.
All truly powerful seals have a personal element.
A personal element that identifies the creator of the seal. It's a massive risk, because it becomes the key to figuring out who the original sealmaster is. I hadn't made any seals like this before. I hadn't even thought of making seals like this until I finished reading through my jonin books sometime in the next year.
But I don't really have a choice now.
And if I'm never going to be able to get rid of this seal, of this reminder of how powerless I feel in this moment, I'm going to give myself a reminder of how powerful I can be, too.
I struggled to push my hands together, charging the seal with my chakra before I hit both of my hands on the ground. I feel the thrum of the seal expand under me.
And then the ground shook.
I place my right hand over the seal and deliberately hold my left facing up towards the sealing as far away from the table as I can. I channel my chakra through my right hand into the seal and the ground shakes slightly before a large spike of earth comes up on the right side of the fuinjutsu table.
"Done," I say when the spikes return to the earth.
Koharu nods at Shizune before the three council members step forward and look at the seals. They don't say anything before the scroll is taken from the table and walked over to Shizune.
"You pass the seventh level," Koharu says as Homura steps forward with the next scroll.
"You may begin," Homura says.
I take a deep breath as I open the scroll. I was so afraid of using genjutsu seals at first, but now I realize how important they are. Especially for me since I can't make a genjutsu on my own or recognize one to save my life.
The first three seals are easy, all of them are based on showing the person trapped in the seal one of their worst fears or general common fears.
The last seal is harder. Genjutsu seals that portray something positive are hard to come by.
They were often used by seduction specialist Calaveras who didn't feel comfortable going all the way to catch a target.
As soon as I learned about them, I focused on them for weeks. But that's the last thing I'm going to give away to the council.
So I'll focus on a more basic seal, one that gives them a general happy feeling while showing happy images around them. Most use some cute animals like I'm putting in this seal.
"Kairiiiiiii-" I yelled out of my open window. I felt her chakra flare in acknowledgement and relaxed back in my chair as I looked around my office. The Uzukage's office was practically devoid of all furniture the first time I stepped into it.
Now a secondary desk sits off to the side. A comfortable couch sits on the other. Ichika insisted on the couch and I put Shinya's old desk back in its old spot. It took bugging Kairi for a few weeks to learn why Ai and Ren kept looking at the empty spot in the room.
The painting I moved to access the secret room hangs on the wall once again. I repainted Kairi and Soma's perches that sit behind my own desk. Kairi's is a dark black color like ink with orange marigolds climbing up it. Soma's is a bright orange with blue waves painted along the bottom.
Kairi landed on her perch next to me.
"I thought you were studying," she said as she started to preen her feathers.
"I made a genjutsu seal," I said as I bounced in my seat.
"Genjutsu?" Kairi pulled back to look at me. "And you're excited?"
"I finally made the seal to work with my chains!"
"You did? Let me see!" Kairi doesn't show much excitement. But she always gets excited when I have a new seal. "This one looks like it'll last a while, what have you put into it?"
"It should last three songs," I grinned at her.
"Please tell me you didn't include-"
"Oh I totally included songs from it! You know it's my favorite."
"Honestly, mija," she shook her head but I could feel her amusement.
"Everyone is always singing at the same time and dancing around, it'll definitely distract them 'ttbane!"
"It will," Kairi agreed. "Well done, mija."
"Done," I say as I put my pen down again. The council members look over it for a bit longer than the others before nodding amongst themselves.
"You pass the eighth level," Homura says as Koharu walks the scroll over to Shizune. Danzo puts the next scroll on the table in front of me.
"You may begin," Danzo says.
Showcase two offensive seals and two defensive seals.
The first offensive seal I use is my mom's.
I made it all the way to the border of fire country before I ran into a Root agent. It was only one, Danzo must have them at the border to take advantage of any possible war opportunities. They definitely tried to capitalize on the situation, though.
I was exhausted, wanting to get out of fire country as fast as I could. The plan was to skip into Yugakure, the last place they would think I would want to go. Which is true. The memories of the events of our last trip continued to keep me up despite my growing exhaustion.
I'd finally managed to fall asleep when the seal flared. It woke me up just as a tanto was almost embedded in my chest. I shunshined behind the agent, hitting them in the back with a knockout seal.
But it was a Tora seal.
The man quickly turned around, almost cutting my right arm as I instinctively stabbed with my left. The kunai in my hand was embedded in his chest, his body slumped as I moved away slowly.
I didn't sleep again that night.
I make sure that this seal would knock out even the toughest Akimichi. I take a deep breath of my pipe before letting it out of the side of my mouth.
The next offensive seal is easy as well. It's a seal focused on targeting some of the most sensitive pain receptors in the body. It was often used in interrogations in Uzushiogakure.
I remember reading about it in a fuinjutsu book that I snuck out of the Jonin section as a kid. Of course it would be one of the few stolen from Uzu.
But it was stolen incorrectly. One of the arrays in that book and every example of the seal throughout Konoha is backwards. I keep it backwards in my example as well.
Konoha thinks it is to just make someone uncomfortable, to get that itchy feeling under the skin to break someone down over time.
Maybe I can use the real seal on Danzo sometime.
I take another deep breath of my pipe before I start on my first defensive seal, a barrier that activates when unrecognized seals attempt to enter a designated space. Often used during clan council meetings during dad's time as Hokage.
They aren't used here anymore. But they're all over Uzu, even within the larger protective barrier now.
"I'm going to show you the most central piece of security in an Uzu home," Ichika said as we entered a small home at the end of the path. Ichika walked through the front door and went straight towards the kitchen. I slipped off my shoes in the genkan before I followed her. She nodded up at the seashell wind chime in the window. It looks just like the one at home in our kitchen.
"Couldn't we look at the one that's in our house?" I asked her. "And what about it makes it the most central piece of security?"
"This is the oldest wind chime in the village," Ichika said as she turned to look at me. "Each seashell was collected on the beaches of Uzushiogakure. And each seashell has a different protective seal inside of it."
"Oh," I said as I looked up at it. From this angle I can see one that's centered on dispelling genjutsu, and another that's a triggered barrier seal. There has to be over a hundred seashells hanging at different heights. How many protective seals are there?
"Do they work when you move them to a different area?"
"They do," Ichika said. "Although this is more of a permanent one. There are smaller ones that teams would put up in their tents when they went on missions."
"So cool," I whispered.
"Ready to go seashell hunting?"
I finish that seal and take another breath of my pipe, tasting the mullein easily. The herb helps heal the lungs, something sometimes needed for those that regularly use fire ninjutsu.
Jiji always had it mixed with his tobacco.
I start working on another defensive seal, one that traps the person attempting to break into a space into a genjutsu of their worst fear.
"How are you feeling, mija?" Ichika asked as she laid down beside me.
"I'm good, it's relaxing," I said as I strung another seashell onto my growing windchime.
"It feels good to feel protected too, hm?"
"Yeah," I say as I pick out a new seashell. It's smaller than the last one and I groaned as I fell over to rest against Ichika's side.
"Kikuko!" Ichika huffed but didn't move.
"It's a genjutsu seal, on a small shell! I'm not going to be able to do this."
"Mija, you can do whatever you put your mind to," Ichika said, uncharacteristically serious for the mountain lion. "You have come so far mija, don't doubt yourself."
I groaned and pulled myself up. I dipped my pen in my inkwell before pulling the shell closer to my face. Ichika tutted as she stood up again and walked towards the door.
"Love you, Ichika," I called out once one of her paws hit the floor in the hallway.
"Love you too, even when you're being a brat," she called over her shoulder.
"So mean to me," I whispered as I finished the seal. I blinked down at the finished product before stringing it on with the others. Maybe genjutsu seals aren't as bad as I thought they were.
"Done," I say when I put my pen down.
The council members take their time looking through the seals. They look back at Fugaku and Hiashi multiple times.
Danzo's shoulders drop a fraction and he nods before standing back in the line.
"You pass the ninth level," Koharu says. This time her voice sounds almost warm. I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing. Probably bad knowing the council, but it may be good to have at least one of them on my side.
"You may begin," Koharu says after taking the last scroll to Shizune.
I open the last scroll quickly.
Create your own combination seal.
I breathe in the smoke slowly.
Combination seals are easy enough. I've made plenty over the years, especially after my coming of age ceremony. Almost every seal out of Uzu were combination seals, working and playing with different aspects of different ones for extra protection.
Bee smiled down at me as I put Ryūjin back into my seal. Akihiko whistled as he walked behind me.
"That's a damn good seal, where'd you learn that?" I flinched slightly as he touched it. I know that I used the right ink, that the seal can't be smudged, but the small part of my mind makes me think that it will be messed up.
"I combined a few seals into one, a normal storage seal, a sheath seal, and a sharpening seal." The book I used for the sheath seal and storage seal mentioned using a tattoo to ensure nothing happens to the seal. Not only is the ink permanent, but you can hide the seal in an art design and no one will know what it actually is.
"How old are you?" Akihiko asked after I dropped Bee's hand.
"Uh, thirteen?"
"And you're already combining seals? That's jonin level, kid."
"What?" I squeaked. "I haven't gotten to that part of my list yet! I'm finishing the chunin techniques!"
"You guys can geek out on seals later," Darui said. His normally tired eye shined with something I couldn't place as Bee touched my shoulder.
"Done," I say as I put my pen down.
"What is this seal?" Koharu says as the council steps forward.
"It's a combination of a storage seal, a sheath seal, and a sharpening seal," I say as I lean back slightly.
"Isn't that a bit redundant?" Homura asks, raising an eyebrow.
"The sheath and sharpening seals only activate when there's a blade inside the seal. It can be used to make an enemy feel safer about the seal if it's in an easily visible space. If they've seen you pull a soldier pill from the seal, the last thing they'll expect is a freshly sharpened blade."
Koharu tilts her head slightly. "Smart." She nods to the others before stepping back in line with Hiashi and Fugaku. The two male council members continue to look at the seal before they eventually stand back as well.
Koharu walks the scroll over to Shizune before joining the other panelists for a final time.
"Thank you for your work today, you will be called to the Hokage's office for your final score," Koharu says. I nod slightly before I pack my things away, biting my pipe in my mouth to keep myself silent. I put my box back into its seal before I stand.
"Thank you for the opportunity," I say as I bow slightly. I turn around, breathing in the herbs again as I exit the room.
Smoke spills from my mouth as I shut the door behind me.
Waiting is such a drag.
"Uzumaki-san," A voice says out of my window. I turn to see a teen with black hair in a crop top at my window.
"Yeah?"
"Hokage-sama requests your presence at the tower," his voice is monotone. I tilt my head slightly. That's not uncommon for Anbu, but it's not common for regular shinobi. Something feels off about him. I blink at him.
And then it hits me.
He's root. Apparently sent by Tsunade.
Huh, well.
"I'll be there in a second, I just need to-"
"I am required to accompany you."
"Why?"
"Hokage-sama said that you would be late if someone did not accompany you."
"I'm not Bakashi-niisan," I roll my eyes as I drop my bag on the floor by my bed. The boy takes out a notebook and writes something in it quickly before he turns back to me.
"Well, I'm just following orders, tomato-head." I blink at him again.
"Don't call me that."
"The book I read on friendships said that friends give each other nicknames," his head tilts slightly. It reminds me of Pakkun whenever we did something stupid in the apartment.
What the hell is Danzo doing with Root? No seal makes someone act like, well, this.
"Nicknames tend to be something that the person with the nickname likes."
"So, you do not like the nickname tomato-head?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because that's what people called me to bully me as a kid?"
"Oh," he says, pulling his notebook out again. He crosses something out before making more notes. "I will not call you that again."
"Thanks," I say as I walk over to the window. "What's your name?"
"Sai," he says, tilting his head and giving the most forced smile I've ever seen. My shoulders drop on their own as I reach out and pat his shoulder.
"We'll fix you."
He looks at me blankly.
"Come on, if you're free after this we'll get taiyaki to celebrate."
"Taiyaki?" He asks.
"Yup! It's eaten at every celebration." I see the notebook come back out as he steps to the side to let me out of the window. I feel Shisui's amusement from the roof as we take off towards the tower.
I don't get paid enough for this.
"Right on time, Uzumaki-hime," the new receptionist says.
"I'm always on time," I say as I walk towards the door. "I guess I can just go in?"
"You may, they are expecting you." I push the doors open and step through, Sai just a few steps behind me.
The council stands to the left of Tsunade while Shizune, Fugaku, and Hiashi stand on her right side. All of our old Anbu squad, plus Hayate are in the shadows. I blink when I feel burning behind my eyes.
I've missed them.
The doors shutting behind me bring my attention back to the Hokage.
"Let's get started, shall we?" She asks. I nod my head. "Shizune."
I look over to the Hokage's assistant who hands her a scroll. Tsunade reads through it, taking her time. Her face shows nothing.
She might not be good at gambling, but she has a good gambling face.
"It's about time we have a Fuinjutsu Master in the village again." I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying anything. She puts her hand on the scroll, then there's a flare of chakra, and then she stands from her desk and walks around it.
She stops in front of me.
"Congratulations, Uzumaki Kikuko. You have officially earned the title of Fuinjutsu Master." She says as she pulls her hand up. She attaches something to my flak jacket over my heart before stepping away. "This pin is now a part of your uniform, even if you choose not to wear the standard uniform in the future. To illustrate your dedication and skill in fuinjutsu."
"Thank you," I say, being careful not to bow to her. I really don't want to take a stapler to the head today. I look down to see a pin of a pen. Very creative.
I don't know why I was expecting something, well, different.
"Now, all of you are dismissed, Kikuko, I have something for you," she walks back behind her desk and starts looking through the drawers as Shizune starts to leave the room immediately.
"Congratulations, Kiku-chan," she pats my shoulder as she leaves.
"Thanks, Shizune," I say over my shoulder as Hiashi Hyuuga walks towards me.
"Congratulations, Uzumaki-hime. We knew this day would come soon." I blink at him. Really? And since when do people I don't know call me hime in Konoha?
"Thank you, Hyuuga-dono." He nods slightly as he leaves the room.
"Congratulations, Uzumaki-hime." Koharu says as the council members walk up to me. Since when do they call me that?
"Ah, thank you, Utatane-sama." Her head tilts slightly.
"We look forward to seeing how the work of a Fuinjutsu Master will improve the village," Homura says.
"I look forward to serving my village in any way I can," I say. Somehow it sounds natural. It seems to please the council, even Danzo's chakra has some satisfaction in it.
Does he not realize that I know about Root? Or does he think that I don't know anything about the people who have been attacking me for the last five years?
The council leaves easily after that. And once they're out of the room I roll my shoulders.
"Standing formally isn't that difficult, hime." Fugaku teases as he walks up to me.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say old man." His eye twitches and I grin.
"Be at dinner, regular time or else Mikoto will find you." I swallow hard and nod. "Congratulations, Kiku-chan. You have honored your ancestors."
"Thanks, Fugaku-ojisan."
"You're welcome, be good," he rests a hand on my shoulder for a second before leaving the room.
"Scram," Tsunade says to someone behind me. I look and see Sai is still there.
"You can wait in the lobby, I'll meet you when she's done telling me off."
"Shut up brat," Tsunade says, but it doesn't have much heat. Sai nods his head before turning on his heel and leaving the room. A privacy barrier goes up a second later and Tsunade is leaned over her desk, laughing loudly.
"I don't know what's better-" she gasps between her laughs. "You having to act formal or the fact you've already got a Root agent following you around like a lost puppy."
"I saw the opportunity for free taiyaki so I took it," I shrug. I hear the familiar sound of a hand hitting the forehead of a mask. "Love you too, niisan."
"Come here," Tsunade says, waving me forwards. I walk around the side of her desk. "Turn around." I follow her instructions, only to feel fabric on my back. She pulls one of my arms up and I put my arm through the sleeve of a green haori. She pulls my other arm and I do the same with it before she pats my back.
She turns me around before she pulls me into a hug.
"Welcome home, mija." I throw my arms around her and bury my face in her shoulder. "I expect you to wear that when you're in the village, got it?"
"It won't make them like me," I say as I pull away from the hug.
"You are a shinobi of Konoha. The first Fuinjutsu Master since the Yondaime Hokage and the Red-Hot Habanero," she says as she squeezes my shoulders. "They don't have to like you. But they must respect you."
I nod, not knowing what to say as the reality of my new position in the village hits me.
"Good, now go home and get settled. I want you to have at least one session with Yamanaka Inoichi before you start working."
"You got it, baa-chan."
"Brat!" She yells and the next second I'm falling out of the window. I land on my feet on the ground below before looking back up to the office.
At least it wasn't a stapler this time.