Arc 1 - The Party
Chapter 4 - The Performance of a Lifetime
—
Setting: The Whirlpool Castle, Sea Section, Storage Room
Time: 6:38
—
It had taken Mika nearly thirty minutes to wake up. Shortly after waking up, she found herself in her original attire for the party. She was lying in an unused room of the Sea Section Venue, surrounded by many familiar faces.
Makoto, Riza, Eihei, Minoru, Mito, and Yataro stood by her. She rubbed her eyes and groaned as the light from the room assaulted her eyes. She looked down at her left arm to see it was perfectly fine. She moved it around, and it was functioning normally. To most people, it seemed Mika was perpetually injured. The girl's parents joked that she must have a crush on their private medic due to how much she visited the man. The girl always found a way to get injured. Playing at the park, training, or just walking around could cause her to get hurt.
"It looks like it's healed up nicely; thanks again, Eiji," Riza thanked.
"It's always my pleasure to help out the Honorable Daughter when she gets into these predicaments; she practically pays my salary," Eiji quipped, gaining laughs from the room.
Mika had tuned them out, trying to remember if she had won the obstacle course or not, "Did I win?" She asked nervously.
"Of course you did, Princess," Makoto said, sharing a look with the room, "You also sprained your arm pretty badly. Luckily, Eiji was at the party, and we could get you treatment."
"Thank you, Mr. Eiji," Mika thanked. She then sat up in bed unexpectedly, "DID I MISS THE REST OF THE PARTY?"
Riza shook her head, "No, fortunately, we were able to buy enough time with a… slight intermission,"
Many used chakra on their ears to hear Rana and Rama performing a scripted fight on stage to appease the guests as they waited for the shogi game.
"Well, the good news is, the best part of the day was up next," Minoru slurred drunkenly, "You get to face me in a classic match of Shogi!"
Mika groaned at the man's words; she HATED playing her uncle in shogi. Though he was not as judging as many elders, the way he'd win would make the girl angry. As he beat you, he would compliment your moves before easily countering them. She almost hated playing him as much as the elders. In some twisted way, she would prefer being condemned for a loss rather than congratulated for fighting hard. She didn't like anyone taking pity on her.
Mika got out of bed and pointed aggressively at her great-uncle, "You're not gonna beat me. I'm gonna win this time, old man!"
The "Old Man" just laughed in return, "Your enthusiasm is admirable, young lady."
—
Setting: The Whirlpool Castle, Sea Section, Storage Room
Time: 6:48
—
Shogi. For centuries, the board game dominated the minds of shinobi. While Chess and Checkers were strategy games catering to civilians, Shogi was considered the pinnacle of shinobi intelligence. Most ninjas used the game to measure actual combat intelligence, while some saw it as just a game to keep their minds sharp.
Despite its traction over the years, the origin of Shogi has yet to be fully discovered. Many believe it was created by the son of the sage, Ashura, while some believe a civilian invented it. Though, No one could deny its strong parallels to actual ninja combat.
In many ways, it was just ninja chess. It had all the same pieces as a chess game, but that is where the similarities ended. (Make Sure to address in A/N)
All captured pieces can return to the board, but now on the opposing side. Said pieces can be captured but not put back on the board by the original carrier of said piece.
The King must get captured first; then they will return to the battlefield, and then they can be "checkmated."
The one with all the pieces wins if all pieces get captured before the King's first capture. The kingdom has fallen. (This is incredibly difficult.)
Pawns can move backward and forward.
The King can move just like the Queen but can't attack the King or the Queen pieces.
These rules always posed the most argued-over question in the shinobi world, quantity or quality? Should you try to capture as many meaningless pawns as possible for the mass number of troops, or should you go all out to attack the king and bring down the kingdom in one swoop? Many Shogi masters had success with each style of play.
Mika had always been more of a quantity-over-quality type of player. Though, she did it in a very unusual way. While many people aimed to protect their King from danger, Mika actively put hers in compromising positions. She leaned on the revival crutch of the King and would use the King to bait enemies into giving up significant pieces. To Minoru, it was a unique strategy that, if perfected, could make her one of the best Shogi players in the world. However, the young girl was far too inexperienced to hold a candle to him.
That statement was becoming more and more evident as their game went on, Mika was getting outclassed, and she knew it. Minoru was not taking it easy on her at all. The man had taken half of her pieces, including a rook and a bishop. Mika had only been able to capture three pawns from the man.
Mika knew that if she couldn't do something, she would lose. So she used her King to take out his Knight, sacrificing her King's first life. Mika saw it as a win, seeing as the girl still had the King and could now use three Knights. In addition, she could now use the three knights with unique strategies, allowing her to take more pieces. However, Minoru was slowly chipping away at Mika's army, taking the remainder of her pawns and two of the knights.
She knew she couldn't beat the man. However, it wasn't going to stop her from trying. Minoru, on the other hand, was enjoying himself very much. Every day, Mika was getting better. She was now a decent challenge to the man, though he held back considerably. Many times, he could have captured her King and won the game. To many onlookers, it looked like the old man was being quite ruthless to the girl; however, experienced Shogi players knew it was the contrary.
Minoru was now a move away from beating the girl; he had to move his queen into a check position, have Mika's rook come over and take the Queen, allowing his knight to put the King in checkmate. He moved his queen but was surprised to see Mika sacrifice her final knight. That move changed things, as now the rook would still be in play. Now he had to move his knight away. He pushed it near the King but not where it would keep the King in check.
To the old man's surprise, Mika began giggling hysterically. The crowd also started laughing around him. Minoru examined the board more and gasped, 'You weren't playing for the win, were you, Mika? You just wanted the-'
"Stalemate, Uncle Minoru!" Mika exclaimed emphatically as she moved her King to its final resting spot. The crowd erupted in clapping and light giggles as the girl raised her hand to shake his, "Good match; I did say you weren't gonna beat me." She looked at him with a smug look. All the man could do was laugh before shaking his niece's hand.
—
Setting: The Whirlpool Castle, Sea Section
Time: 7:11
—
Mika opened another present and saw another dress. She smiled and thanked the man who handed it, but inwardly she groaned. Mika never wanted to seem ungrateful; her mom had always told her to "cherish everything she had because someone on this earth would kill to get it."
As Mika opened another present to see a robe, she cried inwardly. Mika was never one for extravagant clothing; she put on whatever was comfortable and had red on it. She'd much prefer a ninja weapon or some toys. Even a history book would suffice more than some high-quality dress.
Riza looked on in slight disgust. Though she loved seeing her daughter have a much better childhood than she did, some of her resented the idea of the rich giving to the even richer. So many of these civilians wouldn't offer up spare change to a homeless wanderer but would spend their paychecks to get a couple of thanks from a five-year-old with influential parents. She had watched many of these same people walk past her when she asked for food as a child. As a child, she'd watch them throw her to the wolves on the battlefields. Yet they treated anyone with money like they were above society.
Makoto stared happily at his daughter, unaware of his wife's inner monologue. He wasn't happy at his daughter getting gifts; he couldn't care less about the presents; he was just delighted to see his daughter becoming a young woman. Every day she grew more intelligent, more talented, and more beautiful. He had truly lucked out when the Sage was making children.
Mito walked up to Mika and presented her with a red box, much to the girl's confusion, "I thought you already gave me my present, Auntie?"
"No, that was a surprise that I brought back from a mission. This is your birthday present," Mito explained.
Mika accepted the gift, opting to open it politely in front of the guests. She pulled out the present, and her eyes glistened with excitement. What she held in her hands was a book. The book was designed like a circle; the cover was red and white with various kanjis. The back had been designed to look just like the Uzumaki Crest and Insignia. The title read,
"Sealing Jutsus for Uzushiogakure Academy Students."
Mika flipped through the book and skimmed over some seals. Storage seals, protective seals, sound barriers… This book was seals galore! "Thank you, Auntie!"
Mito smiled at her, resting her hand on Mika's head, "Well, Mika, in about a year, you'll be in the academy, and you'll be able to use chakra. If you learn how to draw these seals now, you'll be ahead of your classmates!"
'Getting that book wasn't easy,' Mito thought. She wasn't lying; these were textbooks, only accessible to the academy instructors. Though they were all just chunin-level, sneaking around any ninja was never an easy task.
Makoto decided to ignore the crime that his sister blatantly committed. He had already planned on teaching her more than just the basic storage seal; this simply sped up the process.
Mika thanked her aunt again, hugging the woman tightly. The woman stepped aside as Yataro came up with the most gifts she had ever seen. It was a wide assortment of things; masks, rusty weapons, and even some ancient artifacts.
Yataro bent down to Mika's level and smiled. The drunkenness had worn off, and he was now completely sober, as per his agreement to not drink at the party. However, he didn't need a drink as his favorite niece was there! Of course, it was also his only niece, but who cares?
Mika and her uncle had an understanding of their equal interests. They both immensely enjoyed researching shinobi history. People always told the two that they had a low attention span; however, if you put a good history book in front of them, they'd be stationary for however long it took to finish the book. So, naturally, Yataro would quiz his niece on many historical events.
Yataro smirked at the Princess, "Alright, Mika, here's the deal. I'll hold up one of these gifts, and if you can tell me where they're from, you get to keep it. If you get it wrong, I'll keep it until your next birthday, and then we'll do this again. Deal?"
Mika grinned and nodded her head. She looked down at the things her uncle had brought, and her eyes immediately landed on a mask. She had no idea where to say it came from or who first used it. The mask resembled the face of the shinigami, the main summon of the Sage's scorned son, Indra. Shinigami translated to "Death God," which Mika thought fit perfectly. The prophecies foretold that Indra would use the shinigami's power to snatch out his enemies' souls. Indra would then become the shinigami himself, or the Seisho said.
Yataro noticed her staring and picked up the mask, "Found something you like? For this one, I'll give you a hint. It was collected by one of the people closest to you."
To Mika, that was a dead giveaway. While Makoto had never forced the word of the Sage onto her, she knew enough about his faith to tell that the King would never keep something that resembled the Shinigami. She also knew enough about her mother to know that anything to do with religion made her want to throw up. Rana and Rama likely never found it, and neither would Eihei. Her great-uncle Minoru was almost more religious than her dad, and her aunt Mito probably already would've gifted something like that to Mika. That would only leave… "You, Uncle Yataro."
The man thought for a minute before laughing, "Well, you're kinda right. I did collect this. However, I'm not the first person to do so. This mask once belonged to one of the people closest to you. It belonged to Mika Uzumaki."
Mika looked on in confusion before realization appeared in her eyes. Her uncle Minoru had mentioned something about her namesake, thus intriguing Mika slightly on the origin of her name. After tonight she would've tried looking for a book about the woman, but now she didn't need to.
"Mika Uzumaki lived about a century ago. She did many great things, but most importantly, she saved the world from a massive tsunami that originated right here in the Land of Whirlpools. She was able to block it off with the help of a Senju named Teijo Senju. It's how our alliance with the Senju first began."
Mika nodded her head at the new information. This explained a big chunk of clan history to the girl. She usually stuck with late Warring Clans era history, but she didn't mind expanding her knowledge.
"Alright, you get the mask, now let's go on to the next ones," Yataro said.
After finishing the quiz, Mika earned nearly every single artifact. However, she had missed out on a necklace from the Inuzuka clan and a Sai from the Hyuga clan; the girl hardly cared about the Hyuga clan's artifacts. She had inherited the hate of that clan, just like most of the Uzumaki.
Yataro patted Mika on the head before walking away. Finally, her parents stepped up to her with paintbrushes in their hands. Makoto grabbed his daughter's left hand while Riza grabbed her right. They began drawing seals on their respective hands. It felt weird, but Mika stayed still and allowed them to finish.
"Done. Alright, Mika, when you or someone else channels chakra into your hands, these seals will pop up," Riza said. They both channeled chakra into Mika's hands, making her hands feel very weird. The feeling of chakra entering her body was something he had never experienced.
"When in doubt, always trust yourself," Makoto read.
"Always do what you think is right," Riza read.
Mika read the seals along with her parents and watched as they disappeared. Her parents hugged her, and the family embraced for a while.
"Alright, that's not it; here is your final birthday present, Princess," Makoto said as he pointed to the stage. Rana and Rama stood on stage and cleared their throats to get the attention of their guests.
"Hello, everyone. It has been a long day and a great party, don't you think?" Rana said. The many guests cheered in approval, "Well, the party isn't over yet. There's still one more gift that the Princess must receive."
"I would like everyone to give a big round of applause to the one, the only, AKIRA UZUMAKI!" Rama said excitedly. The guests cheered as the singer emerged from the curtains. Mika looked on in awe as her favorite singer came to the stage. She looked up at her parents, who both smiled down happily at her.
'The look on her face makes looking at Akira worth it,' Riza thought.
Mika ran past her parents and to the front of the dance floor, watching as Akira came out in her usual performance attire. It was a red jumpsuit that had small black stars around it, along with black open-toed heels and her signature "Starglasses."
Akira looked down at Mika and smiled, "I heard it's someone's birthday today. So I'm gonna make it one that you'll always remember!"
Mika yelled out to Akira, not as loud as the guests who overshadowed her voice. Everyone was excited to see the pop star. Although Akira was a Uzumaki, she rarely ever spent time in Uzushiogakure. Since the end of the Warring Clans era, she has opted to tour the world rather than be held down to one village.
As the music started, Mika recognized the song instantly. "Giants" had been one of the first songs she'd ever listened to from the musician.
Fight
Anywhere, anytime, anyplace
Like a moth into a flame
I consecrate the pain
Move with glory through my veins
A gambler tempting fate
'Til nothing's in my way
I'll put them in their grave
The crowd began singing along as Akira's voice echoed throughout the village. Makoto started singing along to the lyrics before his wife slightly nudged him. He began laughing, slightly irritating the woman. As Makoto laughed, he felt something crawl up his leg. He opened his robe slightly to reveal Ryota's head, poking out at him, "Greetings, summoner, Wife of the summoner. Apologies for interrupting such a prestigious evening; however, we have a HUGE problem."
"Did you find anything?" Makoto asked.
"Unfortunately, I didn't find anything about the murders. However, I may have found something that is a much more pressing matter," Makoto noticed the slight twinge of fear and hesitation in her voice. It wasn't like her to be this fearful, "I cannot stress this enough. You need to see this now."
"Alright, fine. If this isn't important, I'm not gonna summon you for another five years," Makoto said jokingly.
Riza looked at the snake before looking back at Makoto, "Do you need my help?"
Makoto looked down at Ryota, and she nodded urgently, "Yes, apparently, we'll need as much help as we can get."
The snake wrapped her body around the married couple, and they disappeared with a BODY FLICKER.
—
Setting: Outskirts of Whirlpool, Abandoned Cave
Time: 7:33
—
"We're getting closer," Ryota said. She was riding on the head and neck of Makoto, with Riza following close behind.
"Why can't you just tell us what's so important," Riza asked.
"It's better for me to show you rather than explain fruitlessly. It would be incredibly naive for me to believe that you'd take it seriously without a visual-"
A roar came from the cave and stopped Ryota from speaking. The snake's body began shivering, slightly choking Makoto. Nevertheless, Makoto kept his composure while Riza stepped back slightly, still keeping pace.
"I think we'll believe you if you tell us now," Riza said from behind.
Ryota didn't speak, very unusual for the summon. Makoto still felt the snake shivering around his neck, causing him slight discomfort. Makoto couldn't stop the unwavering dread, was it Ryota choking him, or was the tension in the air causing him to feel this way? This was now the second time today that he felt this anxious, something that had rarely happened in the past five years.
As they approached, it became hard to ignore. The trio could sense the near ungodly amounts of chakra. It was nearly unbelievable that someone, or something, could have this much chakra. The King only knew one thing that could have this much… Well, he knew nine of them.
Riza also began piecing together the clues, 'If we have one of the nine in the village….'
Ryota tugged on Makoto's hair with her teeth, urging the man to stop. They were now starting into pure darkness in the cave. Unfortunately, the light from the skyline didn't reach this far, causing them to be nearly blind.
The couple channeled chakra to their eyes and tried to look inside the void. Riza quietly moved behind her husband while Makoto took a step back out of precaution.
—
Setting: The Whirlpool Castle, Sea Section.
Time: 7:33
—
Akira pointed down at Mika as she sang the chorus.
Let me lace up my boots
'Cause I'ma slay some giants
Giants
I'ma slay some giants
Let me lace up my boots
'Cause I'ma slay some giants
Giants
I'ma slay some giants
Let me lace up my boots
'Cause I'ma slay some giants
—
Setting: Outskirts of Whirlpool, Abandoned Cave
Time: 7:33
—
As they peered into the abyss, the chakra signature spiked. A loud growl caused the couple to take multiple steps back. The eyes slowly became visible, revealing the rageful red that lived in the nightmares of many. Its fur was black around the eyes and blended in with the pure darkness. Makoto gulped and stood back in fear, "What... The... Fuck."
—
Setting: The Whirlpool Castle, Sea Section
Time: 7:33
—
The crowd sang along to the song as Akira got into the performance more. Then, the woman began dancing and exciting the crowd while singing.
Heaven and hell are waiting
Don't need more motivation
I'll go down face to face, yeah
Just put me center stage, yeah
My name painted in bloodstain
Making war with anything
Standing up in my way
With a rock from the mud to the brain
I'll be making your bed in the grave, yeah
—
Setting: Outskirts of Whirlpool, Abandoned Cave
Time: 7:33
—
Makoto gained his courage first, inching closer to the large figure. This caused the snake to duck back into Makoto's robe. Makoto held out a hand, "Kyuu-"
The Giant reached its mouth out in a flash, nearly biting and eating Makoto in one swoop. Riza shrieked as Makoto hopped back next to her. Riza stepped in front of Makoto and started making hand seals, "FIRE STYLE: FIREBALL JUTSU."
The fire lit up the cave, revealing the beast in full. It snarled at the attempt to damage it but made no move to attack. Instead, its black fur reached up from its eyes to its ears. It had the upper-body structure of a human, complete with opposable thumbs on its clawed hands. However, what truly stood out to them, was the nine long tails attached to its back.
—
Setting: The Whirlpool Castle, Sea Section
Time: 7:34
—
Akira held her hand out to Mika to bring her on stage. Mika nearly screamed in happiness as the singer pulled her on stage. She picked up the Princess on her shoulders before singing the final part of the song.
Let me lace up my boots
'Cause I'ma slay some giants
Giants
I'ma slay some giants
Let me lace up my boots
'Cause I'ma slay some giants
Giants
I'ma slay some giants
Let me lace up my boots
'Cause I'ma slay some giants
—
Setting: Outskirts of Whirlpool, Abandoned Cave
Time: 7:35
—
The fox reached out to attack its "visitors," but chains stopped it. It was then that they all noticed the restrictive chains on the fox. His neck, arms, and legs were chained up to the cave, restricting movement.
"UZUMAKI," The fox growled out. Makoto took the time to grab his wife and use the BODY FLICKER, disappearing in a flurry of rose petals.
—
Setting: The Uzukage Tower, East Whirlpool
Time: 7:37
—
The silence in the air was deafening. Makoto sat at his desk with his eyes glazed over. He had his elbows on the table and his hands folded under his chin. Though he seemed to be thinking heavily, his mind was in shambles.
One of the nine, no, the STRONGEST of the nine, sat in their basement. While Makoto had been overcome by fear, he noticed some things about the "home" of the Nine-Tails.
For starters, the cave was immense. Makoto had been in many caves, but none could hold a hundred-meter, thousand-ton fox. Next, were the chains used to keep it locked up. They were, quite clearly, the Adamantine Chakra Chains. They were a signature bloodline limit, most notably used by powerful Uzumaki females, though some men have awakened it. Makoto himself didn't even have the ability. The only people he knew with such power were his older sister Mito, his wife, Riza, and his uncle Minoru. Makoto had seen his sister restrain nearly one hundred Hyugas with the chakra chains, but to restrain the nine-tailed fox?
He was distracted from his thoughts by Riza pulling out a kunai. His wife began stabbing herself in the hand with a kunai. Makoto blinked awkwardly before nodding in agreement at her actions, performing the same act. They were all overcome by fear; it was hard not to. The Kyuubi was an entity of pure power. An entity that could change the atmosphere with a swipe of his tail, a being who could level villages with its attacks.
"Alright… Ryota, how did you find it," Riza asked, ending the silence in the room. Makoto had nearly forgotten about the snake in his robe. He watched as her head popped out and noticed her bleeding tongue. Then, he decided to perform the same tactic as his wife, taking out a kunai and cutting himself with it. Pain and Shock had always been used for ninjas to snap themselves out of fear-based Genjutsu; however, to do it just because of something's presence? That's a different kind of fear.
"I was roaming the outskirts of the village and felt an enormous presence. Not chakra, just an enormous feeling. I went to investigate and…. It was there," Ryota explained, breathing heavily. She had been even more scared than the two ninjas. The normally stoic and composed snake summon became a blubbering mess.
"We have to seal it away," Makoto said, causing his wife to gasp.
"No, Makoto, Someone put it there for a reason. Whichever of the Uzumaki did this surely had good reason. It's a mass being of destruction," Riza said.
"That's exactly why we need to seal it. We can't just allow it to keep roaming so close to the village," Makoto responded.
"It is perfectly chained u-"
"Chained up right next to our borders," Makoto interrupted. He had a hard time believing that his wife couldn't see the severity of the situation, "You of all people should be with me on this. This is the greatest threat to village security we've ever seen. Riza… We're talking about the livelihood of the entire village."
"All I'm saying is, it was chained up there for a reason. An Uzumaki, a powerful one, chained it up. I can't remember a single Uzumaki with chains strong enough to capture tailed beasts. For all we know, it's been he-"
"Riza, there is a 120-meter Bijuu on our land!" Makoto said with slight annoyance.
"For fucks sake, Makoto, can I talk!" Riza yelled angrily.
The two began arguing as Ryota quietly slithered away from Makoto's robe and onto the floor. She started looking under the desk, searching for something important.
"I just think you're too scared to take action," Makoto snapped.
"Scared? I'm not scared," It was true; the Queen wasn't scared. She was terrified. The idea of encountering that thing again made her heart drop into her stomach. However, that wasn't the only reason why she didn't wanna seal the fox, "We both know who you're gonna choose to have the fox sealed inside them, Makoto."
Makoto paused as he thought about the accusation. Of course, he would seal it in himself. Not only would he be strong enough to do so, but he could never put the strain of containing the nine-tails on someone else, "I'd seal it in myself."
"So, if you die?" Riza asked incredulously.
"Well, so be it then. I could never ask someone else to do something I can do myself," Makoto said.
Riza scoffed and crossed her arms, "Hell no. Makoto, you are too valuable to this village to risk your life like that, and I will never let you sacrifice yourself for something like this."
"You act like there's a guarantee I'll die, Riza. I plan on living no matter what," Makoto started defiantly.
"I'll do it then. If there's a chance of death, then it would be better if I died than you," Riza said. Makoto's eyes bulged at the absurd idea.
"I would never allow you to do that, Ri-"
"Unfortunately, both of you would likely die if you tried to seal the beast within yourselves," Ryota muffled. She came out from under the desk with a large scroll in her mouth, "The only thing strong enough to seal that thing in oneself is a suicidal technique."
Makoto's eyes narrowed, "This isn't true. I sealed a tailed beast into a Senju baby nearly a year ago."
"It is true, you ignoramus," Ryota hissed, "Sealing it into yourself would kill you. Your chakra network has fully developed. Sealing a tailed beast into a fully developed chakra network is like playing the tug-of-war game you humans love, but your opponents are an oversized Akimichi man and the moon."
Riza nearly chuckled at the rather crude analogy, "So how would a chakra network still developing be any different?"
"Well, of course, a chakra network doesn't recognize and contain all the chakra it has until a certain age, usually between 11-13 for humans. However, this can happen as young as four for those with smaller reserves. Though you, of course, can still gain more chakra as you ag-"
"We know this already; tell us how this helps," Makoto snapped uncharacteristically. The situation was getting incredibly stressful. It felt like they were being timed on a decision, and time was running out.
"I'm getting to that, you fucking ingrate," The snake snapped, "As I was saying, your chakra network is built to contain your chakra. However, if the chakra is sealed into a developing body, the body will recognize the chakra as the host's chakra."
"Alright… Are there any drawbacks to this?" Makoto asked thoughtfully. He already had an idea of which child, or children, would be getting the nine-tails. It would, of course, have to go to his children. His stance still stood; he could never ask a parent to do something he couldn't do to his children.
"Well, there will always be a chance of death. The tailed beast could attempt to break out, though a skilled sealer like yourself should have no trouble creating a strong enough storage seal. The host's chakra control will be terrible, no matter what. It'll take years of development for their chakra control to become better. Some human features have been known to change due to having its chakra."
Makoto nodded his head. The snakes of Ryuchi Cave were experts in chakra and sealing jutsu; while they weren't as skilled as the Uzumaki, they were more knowledgeable in certain historical aspects of the ninja arts.
The Uzukage laid his head on the table as he felt a massive migraine begin to form. The thought of sealing the nine-tails into his daughter was scary; he knew he couldn't ask anyone else to do it. Riza seemed to be along with his train of thought as she slammed her hand on the desk, "Before you even say it, I refuse to give up Mika to become a Jinchuuriki."
Makoto groaned and put his head down on the table; he knew it would be hard to convince his wife to do the plan. The prospect of sealing a tailed beast into their daughter was never something he could easily persuade her to do.
Makoto's head shot up off the table as it looked like the lightbulb turned on in his head. Then, turning to his snake, he spoke, "Ryota, is it possible to split the chakra in half?"
Ryota thought about it as she scanned the scroll contents previously in her mouth. Then, finally, she nodded, "Yes, it would work in theory; it could also lessen the effects of having the nine-tails chakra."
"We could use it on the twins, Love. The chance of death would be next to none," Makoto pleaded. Riza closed her eyes and thought. Despite how dangerous she knew this sealing would be, she had to think logically. Taking care of the problem while reducing the effects seemed to be the best solution. However, the mother couldn't in good conscience allow her children to burden themselves with such a thing.
Makoto sensed where his wife's train of thought was going, and he cupped her cheeks in his hands, forcing her to look up at him, "I know you're scared, and I am too, but this is the best solution we have. I can't ask someone to sacrifice their children."
"So you would rather sacrifice your own?" Riza asked incredulously.
"Yes," Makoto stated, eyes never wavering. Riza closed her eyes and sighed. Then, against her better judgment, the woman agreed to the plan with a nod.
Riza stared at her husband for a few moments before speaking, "I hope this all ends well."
"It will, Love. I promise it will," Makoto said as he hugged and kissed his wife.
Even with the words of encouragement, Riza couldn't shake that feeling of dread. Ever since she was a child, Riza has been an exceptional sensor. Even for the naturally gifted sensory of an Uzumaki, she far surpassed her peers.
What most people didn't know, however, was that she could see the future. Alright, it wasn't really like that, it was more of a Danger-Sense. It was as if she could feel when something wrong was going to happen days, weeks, or even months prior. The first time this happened, she was just a child, and she-
"Riza," Makoto said calmly, "Get out of your head. Nothing bad is going to happen."
Riza closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. The degree of danger was never specified or known for sure. She could sprain her arm or break a vase; it wasn't always bad. However, with these new revelations, it was hard to think that SOMETHING couldn't go wrong.
Ryota cleared her throat and gestured to the scroll, "The process of sealing the beast will be much more difficult if you want to split it in half."
Makoto wasted no time thinking of a plan of action, "Fine… We need our best sealers here, then. Ryota, the party should be ending now. Get me Mito and Yataro; we're gonna keep this one as confidential as possible," Makoto ordered. The man opened the window and allowed the snake to slither outside to fulfill his orders.
Makoto stood in front of the window and peered out at his village. The village was quiet. Outside the castle gathering, the villagers packed up their shops and headed in with their families for the night. All through the village, lights began to dim, and doors began to close. A night in Uzushiogakure was about as peaceful as you could get. Nothing but the sounds of calm winds and crashing waves filled the air. This was the perfect time to perform the seal. The gathering at the castle would mask the sounds coming from the mountain, and people wouldn't see any... Mysterious sightings coming from the hills either.
Makoto looked at the sky and saw that persistent gray cloud once again. The man tried to suppress dark thoughts and looked away from the cloud. The King sighed and looked at his wife, nervously tapping her foot on the floor, 'This is going to work. This HAS to work.'
—
End of Chapter 4
Next Time on Kitsune: Fallout -
With the party coming to a close, the after-party must begin! The Uzumaki gear up for the toughest battle of their lives while Mika gears up for the real party with her friends. How will the Royal Family hold it together when another dangerous entity joins the fray...
Chapter 5: The After-Party!