"Great puppet masters think alike, I suppose."
Sasori
If anyone knew her they would be well aware she had a sickening sweet tooth. She loved sweets. It was the first thing they would say about her.
Usagi shoved a brownie into her mouth.
Syrus couldn't hide his grimace.
Haji just shook his head.
Usagi woofed down the brownies Ahiko made with vigor, two at a time. She was used to brownies being very sweet, but there was something special about these brownies. They were light and just melted in her mouth, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't in heaven or something very close to it. Ahiko always had a knack for baking. It's a shame we have to be enemies...I could eat these all day long...
Her thoughts were a bit chipper and centered around the same thing. Maybe it was a bit immature on her part, or just in the realm of inane, but she wanted a truce with the Domou. If she could eat these brownies everyday she would blow off Syrus's scowl without any effort. She could already imagine him in her ear, demanding a truce for the simple fact she enjoyed Ahiko's brownies.
Well, she loved Ahiko's brownies. So, that was the first correction in this line of argument.
However, as she sat at attention looking at Syrus and Haji she couldn't help but feel the tense atmosphere around them. It had roughly been a day since Syrus and Haji basically took the Council and flipped them all over onto their heads, but the tension in the room hadn't dissipated in the least. It was like alcohol. It seemed to age and just get stronger. "Brother."
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Haji almost snapped, though remained oddly calm.
"So, you're forming a new Council? I don't think Jime or Aya must have been too happy hearing that one." Usagi continued on despite Haji's reprimand on her lack of tact and manners. She grinned with a light laugh, noting that Syrus's eyes narrowed just the slightest bit and Haji's shoulders tensed. Clearly that should have been something she seen first hand. Jime always was a bit too hubris. "You also agreed to a truce with the Yamanaka and Nara clans, you must have fallen on your head."
Syrus shook his head. Usagi always a had this brilliant way of putting things, and sometimes it could be funny, and other times it could be a bit annoying. This was one of those times when it was just a bit annoying. "I didn't fall on my head. They're not seeking conflict, so why should I waste my time with them?" There were other clans-Senju, Uchiha, Sarutobi, Shimura, Inuzuka that he had to deal with. If the Nara and Yamanaka wanted to stay clear of his path it only helped. "Stop talking with your mouth full, sister...Damn it."
"It's not flying out of my mouth!"
"That...Is far from the point."
"Well, maybe we can have a truce with the Domou, too..." Usagi said, eyes narrowing as she finished the last of the brownie in her hand. It's not like she was getting crumbs or bits from her mouth on the table, but her brothers could be so ridiculous sometimes. If they were both willing to agree to a truce-in essence with the Nara and Yamanaka, than it wasn't too far off they'd agree to one with the Domou and Uchiha. But, if Syrus was going to be his usual stubborn ass self.
"Out of the question." Syrus's tone broke no argument. Usagi rolled her eyes. "You're only saying that because of those brownies..."
"So what if I am?"
"It's not a good move." Syrus rolled his eyes. "You've always thought with your stomach."
Usagi snorted. "And, you think with your ding a ling."
"Well..." Syrus struggled not to blush...He rarely ever did, and it would happen when Usagi put things in her own little way. Like now. He didn't talk about his junk, or anything personal along those lines, and Usagi just busted out with it. She wasn't exactly wrong, he did go to brothels, but what shinobi didn't? If he-shinobi didn't get that release they'd lose their damn minds. He was still a man. "I'm not going to entertain this topic...It's not a good move."
"I think it'd be a good move...I know you're just itching to fight Hashirama and the Senju again, and they have proved themselves to be a real problem now and in the foreseeable future. It's only a matter of time before we clash with them." Usagi said dryly, shrugging her shoulders after a moment of thought and began to munch on another brownie. Tobirama had refused to fight alongside of her...They weren't married, but to outright refuse...It was an insult. And, then Hashirama for all his worth...Wanted peace. But, his ways...And, then Tobirama.
The Senju were just overall a problem. Few resisted them. "Allying with the Domou and Uchiha...Even those Senju wouldn't stand a chance. Hashirama would be a pile of bones, Tobirama would be a pile of mush, and the rest..." Well, that was self explanatory. "We'd flip the world upside down a million times over, I can already see the panic and terror sweeping across every nation, every country, and every clan. The big bad Subatsu, Domou, and Uchiha come to a truce uniting as one." She laughed. "Nothing will ever be the same again, we will change the landscape of everything. I can already see those round bellied and pompous damiyos and lords shaking in their little estates and palaces."
Haji stared at Usagi intently.
"I am not joking, Haji." Usagi stared him eye to eye.
"I've gathered that much." Haji said a bit warily. She never talks about or cares about these sorts of things...Could things be shifting and changing faster than I thought? Are things getting to that point faster than I thought...?
Syrus scowled deeply, a low growl rumbling from the back of his throat. Usagi's points were pretty spot on, and his main priority was the Senju, right next to the Domou, Uchiha, Sarutobi, Inuzuka, and Shimura. But...He couldn't. He couldn't be within five hundred feet of Mikito without going on the attack, and it was the same thing for her, they'd be at each other's throats when they should be discussing how both their clans, and the Uchiha could move forward. It would be a mess all around, and he wanted to fight Madara again... "Sister, you know better than anyone that the Domou and our clan have always been in conflict...It's not because of hatred or enmity...It's just the way things have been. Ever since the Great Separation..."
"Now isn't exactly the time for this..." Haji looked between his two siblings. "The Elders will be here in an hour or two, I'd like things to go smoothly this time around. I'm quite tired of you brother and Jime always at odds. It's been happening for decades and is getting to be tiresome. I know the reasons behind it, but it's time that and a lot more comes to a stop. Today. We can't start talking about age old tales that happened centuries if not millennial ago, and what ignorant people consider mere myth and folklore. "
"Brother..." Usagi sighed tiredly, looking to Haji for support but he merely shrugged and narrowed his eyes. Seems she'd be on her own with this one. Stubborn ass brothers. "Maybe it's about time you forgive Mikito... you know Gentatsu wouldn't want this...This is the last thing he would ever want. Us fighting like we are..."
Syrus clenched his teeth, eyes flashing with fury for the barest of seconds before they flickered back to normal. He couldn't bring himself to forgive Mikito, and he knew she was in the same boat. It was unfortunate, it'd be a good chance to just decimate the Senju once and for all...See that panicked look on Hashirama's face and Tobirama's glinting ruby eyes before he ripped them out from his skull. But, he couldn't bring himself to that. With Mikito, at least. Never. "I will not forgive her and she won't forgive me." At this point it was far too late...There'd be no forgiveness. "There's only one thing for us to do. And, so far every battle we've fought is always drawn to a stalemate."
"That's enough." Haji said a bit too calmly.
"Gentatsu was my friend too. He wasn't just your friend, brother." Usagi growled, rage shining in her jade eyes but it didn't ebb at all like her brother's it remained, burning brighter and hotter. She could understand her brother's hatred...His uncompromising resolve on the matter. But, he didn't deliver the killing blow to Gentatsu, Mikito didn't, she didn't, Haji didn't...It was horrible, heart wrenching, she lost a friend-they all di. but...They couldn't do anything to stop it. When it was time...It was time. They were too young, too weak, too naive. "You didn't kill him with your hands and neither did Mikito, nor did I or Haji, or our respective dead siblings! It was Butsuma and Ajo! The Senju and Shimura provoked that shit!"
"It doesn't change the fact he's dead..."
Usagi slammed her fist on the table, punching through it completely and leaving a fist sized hole.
"We shouldn't be having this conversation now." Haji interjected himself before Usagi blew her top and Syrus followed suit. "We are forming a new Council, a whole new way of doing things. What our father, our predecessors put into place is being done away with. This has been a long time coming." He didn't exactly have any love loss when it came to the Senju-Hashirama and Tobirama made their intentions clear and he didn't want to have anything remotely to do with them, but forming a truce with the Domou...The Uchiha. At this moment, it just couldn't be done. But, he had to consider the possibility, the world really was changing... "This is going to have to wait. It will wait."
"All the more reason we should have a truce." Usagi's tone was starting to turn rigid, and she was clearly not going to brush this off like everything else. "Hijikata and Heisuke were always at each other's throats every single chance they got-the one day when they should've stopped they didn't...And, then Gentatsu had to...That whole fucking thing happened. It could have been avoided, but measures weren't taken for it to be avoided. Hijikata was too stupid and Heisuke was too obstinate. But, in the end. It was Gentatsu who shouldered everything and died smiling. You and Mikito are doing the same thing."
"Usagi, enough is enough." Haji let out a tired sigh.
"Maybe you're just like Hijikata." Usagi glared at Syrus before heading for the door. "It's only a matter of time before Hashirama rallies other clans under his cause and they step in his stride. There are even members of the Uchiha clan that find his peace talk appealing. Or, so the rumor is." She noted both her brother's eyes narrowed the slightest bit-an Uchiha would never listen to a Senju naturally. "It's only a matter of time before they start defecting and deserting...I'm sure Izuna and Mikito know this all too well...When this happens..."
"The Senju might just reign supreme." Syrus finished in a low growl. It'd only be a matter of time before Hashirama set his sights onto him...The Subatsu...The Domou...The Uchiha. It'd be join his silly farce of a village or face action. He could put it in flowery words, but Tobirama was always going to be in ear, and like the dumb ass he was, Hashirama would listen...
Few clans would oppose and out of the few his, the Domou, and the Uchiha would be the most vehement. The Sarutobi would bend eventually, Sasuke would find it appealing. The Shimura would have a schism within the clan and one side would leave while the other remained, most likely. Daishiro would drop dead before ever getting friendly with the Senju. The Hyuga...Well, as long as it suited their needs and over inflated egos they'd march right to the tune.
But, more importantly. They were taught at an early age to protect something another has to be sacrificed. That was how shinobi worked. Beat the weaker into submission. This mentality needed to be changed, picked up and thrown on its head until it shatters and crumbles, before anything else could be laid into place.
The Uchiha, Domou, and his clan just wanted to be left alone, ultimately.
People steered clear of the west.
The Uchiha were reclusive, and could be extremely hostile when pushed.
"Son of a bitch..." Syrus tensed his hand on the table, eyes starting to glint. If Uchiha started defecting and deserting...It meant there was no longer unity within the Uchiha-there were those who lacked true pluck and resolve. The Senju's arch-rivals would have bent their backs without as much of a fight, afraid of dying. Cowards. No resolve.
"It's something you should really keep in my mind, big brother. Things are starting to change, after all Tunoichi and Hajime came to a common ground and their enmity between themselves and clans runs deeper than the Uchiha's and Senju's with each other." Usagi exited the room, turning back one last time. "I'll let you focus on these fossils though. You also know I don't care for talking about things like this or even care about them, but if I can see it, than that means you've seen long before I even did. You should execute this before those fossils even give the suggestion. I'm going to train."
Usagi exited the room.
"You know she's right..." Haji said softly, raking a hand through his hair once his sister was out of ear shot and halls away. He felt very tired. "If Uchiha start to defect and desert...There just may be no stopping the Senju at that point in time. Their fiercest enemies will be stepping in stride with them. And, that message will ring around the world..."
"She's always had this way of putting things, but..." Syrus nodded in agreement, sighing tiredly. He couldn't argue with Usagi, or Haji. But, he was still not changing his mind. They were both right, when Uchiha started to defect and desert...It'd send a message-the Senju couldn't be stopped, even the Uchiha-the Senju's fiercest enemies bent their backs and surrendered. It wouldn't be long before other clans joined under them. If Tunoichi and Hajime could come to a common ground, Hashirama and Sasuke could do so just as easily."But...She really doesn't care about such things or pays attention to them, never has..." He felt very wary. If Usagi could see all of this and was paying attention it...
"You don't think Izuna..." Syrus's eyes widened for a moment as a thought whirled through his mind. He quickly shook his head, trying to disperse the thought entirely. How foolish and crazy was that, Uchiha were too damn proud to do such a thing. "He wouldn't even think of doing something as crazy as that
"He just might." Haji nodded with a careful expression plastered on his face. "He just might do something as crazy as that."
Maybe...
"I'll keep an eye on the situation in the next region..." Haji concluded with a swift nod, closing his eyes for a moment. Tobirama would always work behind the scenes and so long as he could keep track of him he could keep track of everyone else...The man was pragmatic and he would have sent for a unit to intrude near their compound, on their land, if he hadn't already. There was the Domou and Uchiha, but their focus wasn't pinpointed on them. "I'll also contact the division near the coast, they should have a report on the situation with the Yuki, Hoshigaki, and the rest of them...Last I knew they were still battling each other, but they could be coming over by the boat load at this moment, never know with them."
Syrus nodded, a small but genuine smile crossing his face. "Things are looking to shape up...I suppose..."
"But, shit always hits the fan." Syrus shook his head after a while.
"Can't argue against that, brother." Haji chuckled.
"You should consider what she says, though." Haji gave Syrus a pointed look, before Syrus could open his mouth to reject the idea. He wasn't going to argue or dispute the fact with him like Usagi did. They both had such fiery and short tempers."It can't be done now, of course. We're going through a huge change ourselves...But, if she can see it." Usagi never cared about the political issues and things of that nature, or anything remotely having to do with it. She just performed her duty to the best of her abilities and taught the youngsters kenjutsu fervently. "We are in a crucial time..."
Syrus sighed, rubbing his forehead with his palm, looking very tired. "The world truly is changing."
Just like Usagi said...If they have a truce, for lack of a better tem with the Yamanaka and Nara clans, why not have one with the Domou and Uchiha...Usagi was a free spirit though, and had a simple way of thinking.
Syrus sighed again.
"Don't let the bitch get away!"
Yuko shifted her feet, wary and apprehensive as she faced off against seven hateful men. Four from the Hageshii, three from the Shainingu. It was a surprise they weren't trying to kill each other like the others. Their eyes were glowering and bloodshot, glowing with nothing short of hatred and anger. It was terrifying in every sense of the word...Even the Sharingan couldn't hold such malice like these eyes, in her opinion.
One attacked. She jumped away, nearly staying in place. Whether it was fear or hesitation she didn't entertain to guess.
Snapping out of her daze she unleashed a quick stroke. Blade tearing into the side of his neck, splattering blood across her face and top. Two more came, and she felled them, nearly getting cut by the second.
They wouldn't back down. They were all resolved.
She hardened her eyes...She could respect them, not for their actions, but for their resolve...They were willing to die, going to the very end with every last ounce of strength they had. But, she didn't want to kill them...Couldn't they just turn the other way and run?
They attack once more.
She sunk into the floor and blood dripped on her before turning into a waterfall and drowning her. She kicked and screamed, fighting against the crimson torrent as it washed over her, pushing her deeper into an abyss, flooding into her mouth and spilling out from her eyes. She choked and gagged, a scream trying to escape only to snuffed away. Unable to get any oxygen into her lungs, she sucked in, choking viciously. This tasted horrid. Thick and irony.
She let out a scream before sinking further.
Crimson swallowed everything.
Yuko snapped up leaning forward until her hair fell in front of her, eyes wide, heart beating frantically in her chest. She placed a hand to her racing heart in an effort to calm it and took a deep breath, adjusting the blanket. It was only a nightmare, but it had to do with real events. The nightmares were starting again. Those eyes trained on her, those men all resolved, resolved to die...Resolved to kill her. It was frightening. No matter how many times she cut they kept coming and coming, spilling through the walls and floors, swarming around her like frenzied hornets...There was no backing down, and she couldn't afford to bend her back.
If she wavered even for a second she'd be on the other end of their blade...Choking on her own blood as she fought against her inevitable end.
Sighing once more, she put her face in her hands and took a few deeper breaths.
It felt like she had been drowning in blood...The blood of all those she killed...Her own blood.
She put her sights out the window, struggling to clear her mind of the crimson haze.
Akigawa village was a much larger than average village. It was situated on the borders of the Fire country, Wave country, and just shadowing on the next region which had no indefinite country or village so to speak. Akigawa was marked with numerous shops, inns, bars, and bathhouses-it was one of those villages where anyone, shinobi or civilian, could rest for as long as they needed without any worry. Even if another clan happened to pass through, they wouldn't run the risk of being swarmed and stabbed to death. The shops were several stories tall, some as tall as eight, and the inns were in the same boat-easily at least three stories and twice as wide.
The citizens were all lively and those just visiting were lively as well. The village was always well off, and with the looming threat of immediate death not many brought their battles near here. This allowed the people to work without fear, and the fruits of their labor was definitely showing.
However its most noticeable landmarks were four twisting cement spires on each corner of the village, rising high above everything else with guard towers running parallel to them. If anyone had any sort of ill intentions, they would more than get the point.
Yuko watched the hustle and bustle of the sprawling village beneath her from the window of her room. It was very lively, considering the situation that was taking place just a few hundred miles away, but people still found a way to be merry and continue about their usual routines. For some it was setting up shop, others it was getting everything they needed for that evening's lunch or dinner, and others were simply enjoying a stroll. Whatever meager facade of peace that was clouding them was more than good enough.
Shin and Kagami were in different rooms, but they were all on the same floor, for the most obvious reason. There were two Domou shinobi and two Uchiha shinobi with them as well, in separate rooms.
It had been short of just a few hours ago that she woke up. The travel time was about as long as Kagami and Shin said it would be, about a day maybe more. The path they needed to take confused her a good deal, though. First they went southeast and curled up, then took a sharp left and had to travel the rest of the way to the most northern part of the region and then go all the way back down before they had a few dozen mile trek to Akigawa village. She wouldn't complain though, they didn't encounter any sort of resistance or enemies, and she wouldn't hesitate to say that she was glad she didn't have to kill.
But...Not running into anyone was just a little weird.
She shook her head. Her dream coming back in full force. It wasn't weird. It was a blessing they didn't run into anyone.
Turning away from the busy scene below she decided to put her focus back onto the scroll. She had two scrolls, and one she didn't dare to show Izuna. Souji's reasons for sending her on this mission were about the same as Madara's-they wanted to deal a blow to the Sarutobi, Shimura, and any other clan that happened to be in that area once they made their way in, but Souji was also the one to give her the second scroll...With an old map. The map was clearly old, some of the marked villages were no longer existent and some of the clans marked were nonexistent as well.
The landscapes were also a little different, but they remain unchanged for the most part.
Everything was just coming to a head, and she found herself busy for just about the entire day, not that she would complain. If she could be of use by all means she would be of use. It didn't leave her with much time to ponder or think about it, but it had been her goal since forever...To find out just what happened to her mother and the clan she hailed form. Izuna was purposefully vague on the subject and wouldn't divulge anymore other than her name and the clan she belonged to. Souji had been the one to give her what she needed to find the answers she desired.
Ironically enough, or not so much, the Kizoku clan lived right near where they'd be heading for their mission-give or take a few miles apart. She remembered Souji saying they had gone extinct, but didn't give any more information than that since that was all he needed to say on the subject. It wasn't far fetched the clan was now extinct, she hadn't heard the name 'Kizoku' except when Izuna brought it up, but she still just had to know...Maybe somebody kept writings, a journal of sorts detailing events that lead up to that day.
Heaving out a sigh, she picked herself up and slipped on her black garb. She really had no intention of leaving the inn quite yet, but it was always better to be ready. She turned towards her door, pausing in putting her hair up and letting it fall like a curtain down her back. "What's the matter, Kagami? Shin?" She asked the two as they strode into her room, the older of the two going towards the window and looking outside with a narrow eyed glare.
"There's Inuzuka in the area led by Chojo." Kagami answered succinctly. "They're in the city...They don't even know that we're here, but they are unnerving some of the people." Which wasn't very far off from the truth, with their huge ninkens at their sides and wild appearances, even the most collected individual would be a bit put off. They were roaming through the streets persistently, even near their inn, but Kagami took precautions and was covering their scents. "It appears they're looking for Usagi Subatsu...At least they keep on asking about her."
"That's because she wiped out Cho's compound." Shin said with a bit of indifference but he smirked just a bit. Cho was always problematic, he caused problems with everyone and anyone he could come across. In particular he had turned his sights on to Haji and the Subatsu, but he met his fate in the end. He even went after Butsuma and Tajima when those two were still alive, and many times he nearly had one at dead to rights ready to cut into them. "It was a while ago, I didn't think they'd take action."
Yuko looked confused, but couldn't help but feel amazed. Usagi was something else entirely, she knew first hand, that girl's swiftness and kenjutsu was fucking deadly...And that was being entirely too light about it...But if she really wiped out one thousand Inuzuka...No, she must have had a unit with her. No shinobi or kunoichi was so headstrong and stupid, they always had a plan.
"Inuzuka aren't completely united like most clans...They live in large packs for lack a better word in a compound over some hundred miles apart, it's usually no more than one thousand to a compound." Kagami said, noting Yuko's expression, and it was very well warranted. "Each compound has different laws, ethics, and code...Some leaders don't even get along with each other, but the children...They're in the largest Inuzuka compound, and only there." It was quite barbaric in his opinion-there were times when the Uchiha lived so spaced out from each other, Inter-clan relations were never a big priority for them, and this...Well, it'd be hitting the final nail in the coffin so to speak. and it caused a myriad of problems down the line. Though, he could admit the children being in only the largest one made perfect sense.
"I see..." Yuko couldn't quite understand, but she got what Kagami was saying.
"We'll need to leave by late evening." Shin said, eyes narrowing even more. "If they intend on battling the Subatsu...And, knowing Chojo they will do just that while blitzing everyone that comes in their path." Their current location was just severeal hundred or so miles from the Subatsu's compound, they were just teetering on four different borders and would be right in the path of the coming conflict. "We're going to need a head start."
Kagami nodded in agreement. Being in the path of Inuzuka was anything but a walk in the park, even the Uchiha kept their distance from the wild and feral clan. If there was anyone close by, shinobi or not, Chojo and his band of Inuzuka and their ninken were going to mow them down without any bit of remorse. And, in short that meant they'd be on a collision course with the Sarutobi, Senju, Subatsu, and Shimura...With them. "They'll probably set up camp close, then move at night..." They'd clash eventually, it was beyond inevitable at this point, but his priority was the mission.
He got the feeling he was going to encounter those two again.
"We should be able to make it to our destination in a few hours, if we don't stop from here." Yuko said thoughtfully. They'd need to move within the next few hours, at least, before the Inuzuka really got settled down and started searching with their ninken in packs. If those dogs even caught the slightest wiff of their scents, they'd be on them, period. There was no out running an Inuzuka once they got a lock on your scent.
"I'll spread this to the others." Shin said, volunteering as he stood up.
"Wait, Shin...You stay, Kagami you go."
Kagami looked towards Yuko for a moment before nodding his head and exiting the room. "I'll put up a few barriers, too. Just to be safe."
Yuko nodded at his retreating form. It wasn't a surprise that he was allowed to fight on the front lines, now. For being so young he was very exceptional in his skills and talented, but it was his initiative and intelligence that set him apart.
Shin observed the red haired kunoichi carefully. How unlike an Uchiha to have such red hair-while it wasn't unusual, the majority of Uchiha had black or very dark brown hair. It was clear she was mixed with another clan, the Kizoku to be precise, they were the only clan to have those bright amber eyes and bright red hair, aside from his own clan and the Subatsu. but...No one spoke of them, their name was much like his clan's own...Just like the Subatsu's...Incited terror. The Kizoku were...
Yuko had a set look of determination in her eyes, and it was clear whatever the reasons for her last minute change were about to be told.
"Mikito-sama told you to assist me in any way you possibly can." Yuko titled her head slightly.
"Yes." Shin nodded without hesitation. He'd never try to twist his leader's words. "That's what she told me."
"Tell me what you know about the Kizoku."
Yuko rarely ever spoke so pointedly to anyone or demanded anything from anyone, but this was one of those rare times when she was doing one of the two or both. She...She didn't know much about the Kizoku clan, and even the books in the library back in the Sand country didn't have any sort of information-Kizoku wasn't even mentioned. Souji knew about the Kizoku, so it only made sense Shin knew something about them. Shin was very well trusted with both Mikito and Souji.
Shin sighed after a second. There was no reason to not tell her in his opinion, it was a part of her heritage and she had every right to know. Her entire life it had been drilled into her she was just Uchiha, but that wasn't the case, he couldn't expect anything less from them though. Uchiha were prideful, some hubris to a fault. But, it was beyond clear that Yuko was mixed, and perhaps it was this reason why she kept her sole focus on discovering her origins. "What is it that you want to know?"
Biting her lip gently, Yuko looked off to the side in deep thought. She had a million questions, and it'd only leave to a billion more questions in the long run of things. She wanted to be a little specific, but she didn't know anything of the Kizoku-so getting even the most bare detail would more than suffice. "I..."
"The Kizoku were..." Shin looked off into the horizon, somewhere else entirely. "Magnificent...They were very powerful, but had a unique ability. That ability was to give and take life-they could absorb the spiritual and physical energy of a person and from that gain their abilities to the point you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference. Even the Uchiha's way of mimicking techniques pales in comparison. And, unlike the Uchiha...They could obtain Kekkai Genkais and Kekkai Totas. They had control over life and death, they could live for hundreds, even thousands of years...They had near complete control over life and death...Couple this with their natural aptitude and enormous chakra...They were a ferocious clan."
It was one of the many reasons they had been attacked by more than ten clans-to be able to literally suck the life out of someone and add to your own vast reservoir...To reverse aging by sucking in chakra...To reverse the natural decay that took place over time...Living longer than any single thing. That was a truly fearsome ability, even the Senju couldn't do such a thing no matter how hard they tried. "They really had no match in the shinobi world save for a few clans, but they tended to be reclusive in nature, but some sought fame and flaunted their abilities bringing notoriety and prestige to the Kizoku."
There was always a price to be paid when it came to pride...Pride always comes before the fall.
Yuko stared at Shin with wide eyes, almost uncomprehending of what he just told her. She had no idea the Kizoku had such a...Such a destructive and fearsome ability...It was a bit beyond reason-beyond reality itself. To suck out not only chakra, but what makes up chakra, using it to fortify the body and reverse aging-reverse the natural decay that took place. People always feared what they couldn't understand, what they couldn't control, and the Kizoku were just that. They were beyond comprehension...Like the the Domou...The Subatsu...Something no one could control. Wouldn't ever be capable of controlling.
To think she potentially had the ability to do something like this...What if she couldn't control it and she did it to Ahiko...Or Izuna...Something like this-an ability like this needed to be honed and mastered and that'd only succeed if someone was teaching her that knew the ins and outs of the technique. There was no one left to teach her this obviously, and the off chance she just...Did this, it could be terrible. Beyond terrible. Would the person even have bones afterwards-after all chakra was in every part of the body, saturating everything possible. They'd just be nothing but...Well, nothing. Only their clothes would remain.
She shivered...Truly it was a terrifying and fearsome ability. It was bad enough she killed people, but...Sucking the life, the energy right out of them...
Is that why Izuna said that Sharingan of yours when she first met him...?
It still didn't justify wiping them all out..Even if the Kizoku took more than ten clans down with them, the whole thing was just wrong. It shouldn't have happened. The world could be so rotten...
"As for skills...No one skill can define them, but they excelled in kenjutsu and ninjutsu and often combined the two." Shin continued, Yuko's prolonged silence prompting him to continue on before things got too silent. "You already know how things ended..." He softened his voice, and his gaze softened just the slightest as he peered out the window once more.
"Who was the leader..." Yuko turned to Shin with heavy eyes.
"Kori Kizoku, and she was peerless." Shin answered. "Strongest and most skilled in their entire Kizoku, she had no equal."
My mother... Yuko thought, feeling pride swell in her chest and dip all the way into her belly. Her father was respected among the Uchiha, but he wasn't the leader of the Uchiha clan-that had been Tajima at that point in time. It was still impressive and nothing to scoff at, but her mother, a woman, rose through the ranks with her peerless skill and prowess becoming the leader of the Kizoku. Not many women could accomplish such a thing, it took more strength than one could possibly imagine, she was a testament to that. It was anything but easy getting to this point. Becoming clan leader...Shit...
Saying it was incredible didn't do it justice...Didn't do her mother justice...The things she endured, the way she persevered...
"Who was the one..." Yuko looked into Shin's eyes long and hard. Someone had to be the brains that started the fear the Kizoku we have to kill them all bullshit, there was always the one who managed to rally so many people. Regardless of how deluded or deranged their desires were, the people would follow in stride. The leaders and the followers. "Who put the whole thing together?"
"Butsuma Senju..." There was clear disdain and hate on Shin's tongue as he spoke the man's name.
"The...Senju..." Yuko couldn't help it. She felt a storm of hate overtake her. She had always been told the Senju's were her most hated enemies, to hate them, detest them, to want nothing more than dispose of every last one of them...Including the women and children. She never gave into it-she wouldn't become another pawn to simply be used and cast aside. Hashirama seemed to be a kind man, he was something else entirely in combat, but he seemed to have good intentions...There were whispers among a few Uchiha and they said Hashirama just wanted peace between their clans-something they found to be appealing.
She couldn't help but gag and grimace at that. Hashirama, she wasn't sure how to peg him...But, the Uchiha were the Senju's arch rivals and enemies..He had ulterior motives, and if he didn't, Tobirama had them and would start putting them into place. Damn that prick.
"Butsuma was a tyrant during his reign." Shin explained a bit further. "And...The Senju have always been an influential clan...Where my clan, the Subatsu, the Kizoku, the Uchiha, and a few others are all reclusive...The Senju are anything but, and they've always tried to control and dictate what everyone and everything...It's like they believe the world revolves around them. Belongs to them. This only became worse when Butsuma took the helm. His ideology was twisted and one giant contradiction."
Yuko felt the hate start to burn through her. Intoxicating. Blinding. The Senju...She always gave people the benefit of the doubt, but clearly that was a mistake on her part when it came to the Senju. After all, they were the biggest liars out there, so good with their mouths and words, always going on about love and peace and love being their strength...Battling with words and ideals...Twisting people until they step in their stride. There would be no peace as long as the Senju remained alive and thriving...There would never be peace. It was beyond clear to her at this point.
The Kizoku never did anything-but because the Kizoku wouldn't step in stride with the Senju...Bend over backwards for the Senju...They were attacked, Butsuma feared what he couldn't control..Creating conflict when there was never any conflict in the first place. The Senju were the enemy...Always had been. Even the Subatsu, Syrus, Haji, and Usagi they never sought to oppress, suppress, or subjugate...They never created conflict when there wasn't any.
But, the Senju. They did this and so much more.
And, Tobirama...That smug little prick look so self assured during their fight...As if he had her number and moves scouted. Taking pride in the fact he was trying to take Izuna away from her, the mere threat...
He hadn't shown any emotion except when Izuna punched through his barrier as if it was never even there. He had a deep grudge towards the Uchiha and it was getting to be the same with the Domou...She could see every time she thought back to his ruby eyes filled with killing intent and disdain. Hashirama may have wanted peace, but Tobirama didn't...The Senju were the number one enemy, once again. They always were. They'd only oppress and suppress.
"But...There were many Kizoku who survived the battle, of course. A clan as powerful as them wouldn't and couldn't be completely wiped out to the point of extinction...That's total lunacy...They all went to the fork and then spread out beyond." Shin gave a small shrug. Yuko was oddly silent, but he could feel the hate and rage seething from every pore and hair follicle on her. He wouldn't hold it against her, by all rights Yuko was right to be so vexed. "The world could take a breath that day, the Kizoku name all but disappeared."
Yuko snorted at the very last statement. Almost in unison with Shin.
Shin's eyes looked tired. "I've told you everything I just about know."
Yuko wasn't sure, but she swore Shin seemed to be having a hard time. Did the Domou have close ties with the Kizoku at one point? It wouldn't be very surprising in the least, not now anyways. The Uchiha must have at some point in time as well, considering her father and mother were from respective clans. "I just have one last thing to ask...What happened to Kori..." If she could at least hear it...It'd be enough, well not quite, but she'd have some degree of closure...She wouldn't be in the dark like she was now. Her father rarely spoke of her mother, and she had vague memories from what she was just a little child, the only time her father spoke of her mother was when he was really drunk and it'd just come out...
"Kori's daughter was everything to her..." Shin stared at the floorboards intently. "She took her daughter and just...Vanished."
"Vanished?" Yuko pressed. "Without a trace? What about her chakra?"
"Yes..."
"But, chakra doesn't just vanish." Yuko frowned slightly.
"Keep in mind I'm only seventeen. I wasn't alive when this happened, and if I had been I was way too young to remember or understand fully." Shin said carefully, patiently as he eyed Yuko through observant eyes. Her Sharingan had activated on its own-he was used to seeing it since she kept it activated most of the time back at the compound when she was with Ahiko, but for it to activate on its own...What storm of emotions was brewing inside of this woman?
"There are other theories, of course...But, the one that seems to hold any truth even to this point in time is that she vanished with her daughter in her arms...Nobody knows where she went or her daughter." Shin shook his head after a moment, standing up swiftly.
"And...The Uchiha..." Yuko's voice was soft, but held a grim edge to it. If Izuna... "What was their stance on this whole thing..."
"They oppose the Senju, so naturally they didn't go along with it...They were the many clans that attacked the others that day-primarily the Senju...But, there were Uchiha who wanted to take action-Tajima silenced them. And, when they were all hunted down for their insubordination they were killed not a second later."
"Thank you, Shin." Yuko said earnestly, forcing herself to tear through her haze of hate. It was clear this wasn't easy for either of them. Shin retelling events and her hearing all of this for the very first time. It was a kick to the stomach in the lightest of terms, she wasn't sure how she'd manage to recover from this...She noted her knuckles were peeling white and she was barely holding back her tears. She really wished Ahiko were here now. She couldn't allow herself to break down in front of Izuna, but Ahiko...She had no reservations. Ahiko would understand.
"Just helping." He said with a light shrug.
"If we come across any Senju at all..." Yuko couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down her spine. She was burning with emotions...She never sought out conflict, but she was going to exact swift revenge on the Senju...Even if it wasn't Butsuma-his blood was just the same. Senju. They were all the same. Hashirama and Tobirama were his offspring...They were cut from the same cloth. They shared his traits. It was time they got put in their fucking place and ate some mud face first.
"They'll be dealt with." Shin nodded. It was only natural they'd run into a Senju unit, but they'd be contending with Inuzuka, Shimura, Sarutobi, and Subatsu. The Senju would be eaten alive in that frenzy. "Madara and Souji have already made it clear we aren't to overlook a single Senju or Sarutobi. If we encounter one, they are to be killed on the spot. Though, the Inuzuka and Shimura may beat us to it, actually."
"I wouldn't be so surprised at this point."
Syrus and Haji remained stoic and patient as the Elders filed in despite Usagi's words ringing loud in their mines-Jime and Aya looking particularly angry while Kata remained composed as he always did. They all sat down, Jime yanking out his chair before plopping down with a scowl that seemed to be firmly in place for all eternity.
"I hope you all thought long and hard about who will be joining this new Council." Haji decided to break the silence, always one to get straight to the point and not dance around the subject. Jime shot a glare in his direction, but for all the heat and downright anger behind it, he wasn't even fazed by that glower. Jime was acting like a spoiled child. "Most of you aren't happy about this, but as you can see this will be happening..." He let his focus linger around all those gathered, all looking angry except Kata. "So, let's hear it."
"I suggest my son." Jime said.
"Perhaps I wasn't clear before..." Syrus stared him down.
"My son has achieved a lot, and because of him the Subatsu have taken down many of our foes. Of course, I also recommend my grandsons, they are talented just as their father. But, I know favoritism isn't allowed, so I also recommend Daisuke and and Tsugi to be on this Council." Tsugi was from Hijikata's generation-or pretty close to it, he seen and experienced a lot. Daisuke was similar, but just a few years younger than Tsugi. "Tsugi has survived countless life and death battles and has even outlived your father-Hijikata, the same can be said for Daisuke."
"Surely, you have no arguments." Aya stated, staring at Syrus harshly. She wouldn't deny he was powerful, and a great leader, but at times he was just too much. If he was left alone to decide everything, she truly feared what would happen to the Subatsu in the future. "At least not any valid arguments."
Syrus just cracked his neck, letting the insult float over his head. Valid. His word was law. Period. "No, Jime presented reasons as to why they should be on the Council other than the simple fact they share the same blood he does. As for Daisuke and Tsugi, I think their achievements speak enough for them." He seemed to muse this out loud, jotting down a few things quickly on a scroll. "So, moving on. Aya."
"I suggest Nagakura, Okita, and Daisuke." Her eyes glinted intensely as she locked stares with Syrus and then Haji. "Nagakura is a few years older than both of you, he is well loved by everyone and known for his humility. His skills don't need to be mentioned, the fact we all speak here is a testament to his prowess. Okita is just a year or so older than you, Syrus, but he has endured and survived Usagi's training. She speaks highly of him. Daisuke, nothing needs to be said. The fact he is still with us shows his skill."
Syrus nodded slowly, jotting it down on the scroll. "Kata?"
"Nagakura, Okita, Daisuke, Tsugi, and Jime's first two grandsons." Kata looked completely relaxed. "It is a shame Hesui is no longer with us, though it is natural. He would have made a great potential candidate to be on the Council."
Haji nodded in agreement. Hesui could be a bit odd at times, but he was very devoted, skilled, and open minded...But, he found his mate. Toka Senju.
He was happy for Hesui, wherever he may be.
"Indeed." Syrus jotted it down. "And, the rest of you?"
He shouldn't have been surprised, but the answer is just what he expected it to be. Only they were fit to be on the Council due to their age and wisdom-in short they were trying to maintain their position and going against what he said before. It shouldn't have been a surprise, the Council was always too damn arrogant and obstinate, but he was hoping they'd come to their senses since it was literally right before their eyes. Perhaps it was just too much to hope for. He held up a hand, silencing the angry remarks. His eyes glinted. "Well, in that case. All of you will now be off the Council...Jime, Aya, you both can maintain your place or give it over to one of your grandchildren."
Aya seemed to mull this over before nodding.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Jime barked.
"As Kata said..." Haji narrowed his dark eyes. Enough was enough. "There will be three spots open to the elders, yourselves. You can maintain your place or you can give it up and allow your grandsons or son to take the mantle. Of course, if you've become too hubris and power hungry by all means maintain your place." Jime enjoyed power, he enjoyed having people listen to him, obey his every command no matter how ridiculous it was. Power hand gotten to his head, corrupted him. He only wanted his son and grandsons on the Council in order to still pull strings, but he knew his son and grandsons were all exceptionally skilled and talented. "But, you already know good and well that we don't tolerate such hubris. You have fallen behind the times, Jime."
There was a moment of silence and a loud sigh escaped Jime's lips as he reclined back in his chair. The anger slowly drained from him. "Very well, I understand. My choices remain the same. Except I also put up Okita, Osen, and Ryoku."
"I'm not entirely sure Ryoku will accept it." Aya chimed.
"We'll just have to wait and see." Kata said softly. "Stranger things have happened."
"As for the rest of you...I'll wait for you to send in recommendations. What you have given me so far has no merit or substance." Syrus looked over the elders that downright rejected everything up to this point and were very much furious with him. He wouldn't allow them to interfere. "You have a few hours, do what you want until the time passes. Have you answers when you return."
"Only we can-"
"This meeting is over, you're all dismissed." Haji said dryly. He wasn't going to listen to eight more tirades, he could tolerate the elders for a few moments. He respected them, but they were going well beyond their boundaries now. They were either going to get on board or get left behind. Not that it really mattered, they were already so far behind anyways. "You will have made your decision before you come back."