Foot traffic clogged the Konoha streets, flowing slowly about the meandering snowy haze. The sun was up, giving the sprawling village an amber glow, but many lanterns were still burning, shining behind the lattice windows of the great buildings. The massive towers of the Hokage building loomed above it all, seeming as if they would reach the very heavens. And that seemed fitting, for inside, even at this early hour, the events and participants took on godlike stature to the millions of common folk of the Elemental Nations.
First Hokage Hashirama Senju sat behind his desk in his spacious office, staring across at his four visitors. Across the room, a pair of armor-clad guards flanked the door, imposing, powerful figures.
"I fear this vote." Hashirama remarked.
"It is unavoidable." replied Tadashi, a short and muscular man with spiky hair, and with penetrating eyes, standing next to the even taller Koichi.
"And it could unravel the remainder of the Elemental Nations." Hashirama said. "Never have I seen damiyo so at odds over any issue."
"Few issues would carry the paramount of creating a shinobi army." Tadakki remarked. He was a tall, sturdy man, his hair messy and long, and with dark eyes.
"The damiyo are anxious and afraid, and believe that no vote will ever be more important than this one now before them."
"And no matter how it goes, you still have a lot of work to do. We still have a lot of work to do." Said Koichi, the tallest in physical stature, who stood tall against anyone in the Elemental Nations. His dark eyes blinked slowly and they narrowed, showing, for those who knew him, that he was deep in thought, giving this situation his utmost attention.
"I don't know how much longer I can hold off the vote." Hashirama explained. "I fear that delaying the issue might well erode the Elemental Nations-the Fire country through attrition. More and more damiyo find the shinobi village to be a favorable asset. More and more clans want to join us. The Mitirashi and Yamanaka most recently."
Tobirama, a pillar of strength even among those gathered, nodded his understanding of the dilemma. "And yet, when the vote is done, if the losers do break away-"
"I will not let this land that has stood for a thousand years be split into pieces." Hashirama said determinedly.
Tadakki held his calm, keeping his voice even and controlled. "But if they do...There aren't enough shinobi to protect the Fire country. We are mercenaries for hire, not soldiers."
Hashirama took a deep breath, digesting it all.
"Tobirama." Hashirama said, and he waited for the white haired man to regard him. "Do you really think it will come to war?"
Again Tobirama closed his eyes. "Worse than war, I fear. Much worse."
"What?" Hashirama asked.
"What do you sense?" Kiyoshi prompted.
"We can't see the future, but we can see the tides." Tobirama replied, his ruby orbs still looking at everyone gathered. "The attack by the Water damiyo threw everything into chaos..."
"We will do our duty to this village, the Fire country, and Uzushiogakure." Mito added in.
A brief look of triumph came over Hashirama, but before he could begin to respond to Tobirama and Mito, an armor clad shinobi appeared behind his desk, one of his aides.
"The Subatsu have arrived."
"Send them in." Hashirama rose, along with the seated shinobi, to properly greet the visitors.
They came in two groups, Shizuku walking with Ryoku, Okita, Osen, and Nao, followed by two others, Yosuke and Disuke.
"Shizuku, your chakra is strong." Hashirama told her. "Your message was received. To see Yosuke and Disuke is more than I could ask for."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." She replied. "Do you have any idea who was behind this attack?"
"Attack?"
Shizuku locked eyes with Hashirama. "The attack on the damiyo."
Her question had everyone in the room turning to regard her and everyone she came with. Koichi cleared his throat and stepped forward. "We have nothing definitive, but our intelligence points to the Domou and Uchiha."
Shizuku looked to Okita, who shook his head, having no answers. They had both witnessed what the Domou and Uchiha could do back in the desert country, but those war zones seemed a long way from the tragedy that had occurred recently with the damiyo. Releasing Okita from her gaze, she stared hard at Koichi.
"I do not wish to disagree." She said.
A stir of surprise rippled about the room, and the Konoha shinobi exchanged looks that ranged from astonishment to disapproval.
"You know..." Tadakki said in his calm voice. "Madara and Mikito were once shinobi. They would assassinate anyone. It's just how it is.."
With his great spiky hair, the Hatake stood taller than anyone in the room, and the spikes of hair at the sides of his observant face added a measure of wildness to his imposing physical form. Hashirama tapped his desk, drawing attention to himself, and that alone had a calming influence over the increasingly tense mood.
"In times of war, nothing is what it appears to be." Tobirama replied.
Hashirama sighed softly and walked over to the window, staring out at the dawn.
"Everyone." He said. "May I suggest that the damiyo be placed under the protection of us?"
"Do you think that is a wise use of our limited resources at this stressful time?" Tadakki was quick to interject. "Hundreds of villages have gone over fully to war against the Water damiyo, and many more will soon join them. Konoha is our bedrock-"
"Hashirama." Shizuku interrupted. "I do not believe the situation-"
"Calls for a Konoha shinobi unit to guard you on the way back." Hashirama finished for her. "No, but I do, Shizuku."
"You are quite prudent."
Hashirama stared at her with a smile, a look that Shizuku might have considered to be condescending from any other man.
"I realize that having more security might be disruptive for you on your journey back home." He began, and he paused, and then a look came over him as if he had just struck upon a logical and acceptable compromise.
Smiling cleverly, Hashirama looked to Disuke and Yosuke.
"How about Tatsuo. You're familiar with him since back in the desert region." He finished with a nod, and his smile only widened when Tobirama nodded back.
"That's possible." Koichi confirmed. "He's just returned from patrol."
"This is not necessary." Shizuku said determinedly, but Hashirama didn't lose his smile, showing that he knew well how to defeat the independent woman's argument.
"Do it for our villages, Shizuku. Please. I will rest easier. We're still under attack by the Water damiyo."
Shizuku started to respond, but how could she possibly say anything to deny Hashirama's expressed concern?
She gave a sigh, and the Konoha shinobi rose and turned to leave.
"I will have Tatsuo report to you immediately." Koichi informed her.
As he passed, Tobirama stopped beside Shizuku and whispered so that only she could hear. "Be mindful of the danger now, Shizuku. Accept our help."
They all left the room, and Shizuku stared at the door and the flanking guards for a long while. Behind her, at the back of his office, Hashirama watched them all.
Night had fallen over the compound.
Lanterns cast shadows in the halls of the temple. Yuko made her way through the halls wrapped in an ankle length purple haori, little more than a shadow herself. It was forbidden for anyone to leave their rooms after curfew. One of the measures the Council had taken since the attack by the Sarutobi and Hyuga. Yuko knew that if she was caught, the scolding would be severe.
This was the only time she could act without fear of being seen by everyone else. She wound her way through the bottom floors that housed the students until she reached the stairway leading to the upper levels and the leaders' quarters. She glanced around quickly, peering into the flickering shadows cast on the wood and stone walls. She paused, listening for the sound of anyone who might be around in the halls.
She had mapped out the routes of the night guards who walked the halls after dark. She knew it would be almost two hours before they returned to this floor of the temple. There were still many others. Kitchen workers, cleaners, and groundskeepers. Who served the needs of the compound and might be wandering about.
Hearing only silence, she moved up the stairs. She made her way quickly past the personal quarters of Sanosuke, Saki, and Touma somewhat relieved to see that even they felt the need to close and lock their doors at night. She continued on past another dozen doors, pausing only when she reached the entrance to Misaka's room.
She knocked softly, careful not to wake the others. Before she could knock a second time, the door swung open to reveal the short woman. For a split second Yuko thought she must have been standing on the other side waiting for her.
But that was impossible.
Misaka's extreme reflexes had reacted to the first knock so quickly that she had already crossed the room and opened the door by the time the second knock came. She was clad in a pair of black pants, a black long sleeve, high collared shirt, with her clan symbol and the Uchiha symbol on the back.
Her confused expression confirmed Yuko's deduction that she hadn't known she was coming, and the speed with which she reached out to grab Yuko and haul her inside the room confirmed her suspicions about her extreme reflexes. Before Yuko even realized what was happening, the door was closed and latched behind her, setting the two of them together in the large, dark room.
Misaka lit a small lantern on a stand, by the bed and turned to look at her guest.
"What are you doing here? There's curfew." Misaka hissed, keeping her voice low.
Yuko hesitated, uncertain how much to tell her. She had been thinking about Hisao's offer, and what he had said to her during her stay at Uzushiogakure. She had decided he was right. She couldn't just look out for herself if she was to survive this turbulent era. That meant she had to be part of the attacking units going after the Water damiyo armada. She had to be part of the attacking units going after the Sarutobi and Hyuga.
"I want you to train me." Yuko whispered. "I want you to teach me all you know about the art of kenjutsu combat."
Misaka shook her head, but Yuko sensed some hesitation before she did so. "The Council will never allow it."
Yuko countered. "Aren't all the leaders equal in the compound?"
It was a blatant appeal to Misaka's pride as a warrior, and she easily recognized it for what it was. She smiled, amused at Yuko's boldness. "True. This new way of doing things comes down to a mutual agreement between all Council members present during meetings. It avoids complications."
"They don't have to know." Yuko pointed out, taking heart in the fact that Misaka hadn't refused her yet. "Train me in secret. We can meet at night in the training fields."
"Are you so sure about this?" Misaka asked, crossing her arms. "You ask for the teachings of a swordmaster."
"You know my potential." Yuko pressed. "If I succeed now. If I become a swordmaster for the coalition, Daishiro and the others will know you were the one who trained me."
Misaka was shifting ever so slightly, and Yuko took that as a sign, that, despite her words, she was seriously considering the offer.
Yuko gently bit her lip. She still planned to let Daishiro teach her about the chakra natures. But she had realized that if he were her only teacher, she would forever be a step behind him in power. If she wanted to be the one to take out the leaders of the Sarutobi and Hyuga, to take on the armada, she'd need Misaka to help her.
"My will to fight is strong." Yuko finally said, deciding not to reveal Daishiro's involvement in her sudden metamorphosis.
Misaka nodded. "Why are you doing this?"
Yuko knew this was the final test. Misaka was a leader. Her talent and skill were reserved for those who would one day rise up and join the leaders. She wanted more than proof that Yuko was ready for this. She wanted proof that Yuko was worthy.
"I want to protect our precious ideals and young. I want to destroy anyone who ever tries to harm any of our ideals and young." Yuko replied after careful consideration.
Misaka smiled in satisfaction at her answer. "We will begin tomorrow."
Yuko made her way down the hall with measured steps. Though her pace was slow, her mood was one of elated triumph. As promised, Misaka was teaching her. Since then the training had gone much more quickly. Her hunger for unity drove her studies. It fueled her ability to use chakra. It enabled her to understand the lessons that Misaka had taught and what had been passed on to her.
As another student passed Yuko nodded her head, keeping up her polite nature. It was important that none of the others suspected anything had changed. She kept her training with Misaka hidden from everyone, even Izuna.
Misaka knew she was growing extremely formidable with the blade, and she knew Yuko was making similar strides in other areas. Misaka could see her progress in unleashing her true potential with chakra, but was also aware she was also mastering the intricacies of kenjutsu combat.
As a result, there would be those who were likely to underestimate the full scope of her abilities. Yuko liked the subtle edge that gave her. Her days and nights were now filled with study and training. In the darkest hours before morning's first light she would meet Misaka to practice drills and techniques. She would meet with Daishiro in the archives in the afternoon, where he could share instruction with her without interruption. And whenever she wasn't training with Misaka or studying with Daishiro, she read the ancient texts with Izuna.
Another group walked by and Yuko nodded her head, projecting an image of confidence and power to bolster her remarkable metamorphosis. She waited until the other students' footsteps faded away before heading down the stairs toward the tomes in the temple's lowest levels.
She hardly slept at all anymore. Her body no longer needed sleep. It fed on her growing command of her chakra. An hour or two of meditation each day was enough to keep her body energized and her mind invigorated. She consumed knowledge, devouring everything she got from her secret mentors and always hungering for more.
Misaka was amazed at her progress, and even Daishiro-despite his years of study was hard pressed to keep ahead of her. Everything she learned from them she supplemented with the wisdom of the ancients. On her first arrival she had sensed the value of the archives, only to lose interest as she had been drawn into the daily routine and intense battles of the desert region. She understood that her initial instincts had been right. The knowledge contained in the parchments and scrolls were timeless.
Chakra was eternal, and though they now walked a different path than their shinobi forebears had, they all sought answers in chakra.
She smiled at the irony of this life.
She had been the outcast at the Uchiha compound, the student the Uchiha had wanted left behind and forgotten. Yet with Daishiro, Izuna, Misaka, and her own study of the tomes and scrolls, she was receiving far more education than any other student in the shinobi world. The truth would be revealed soon enough. When the time was right, the Sarutobi and Hyuga would discover that they had underestimated her.
They all would.
"Excellent!" Misaka said as Yuko blocked her flurry and countered with two of her own.
She didn't score a direct hit, but she did force Misaka to take half of a step back under the fury of her assault. Misaka leapt high in the air, flipping and twisting so she could slash down at Yuko. Yuko switched from offense to defense smoothly, her blade arcing in sequence with her. She deflected both barrages, even as she ducked out of the way and rolled clear to safety.
Yuko spun to face her, only to see that Misaka had lowered her weapon, signifying the end of the lesson.
"Excellent work, Yuko." Misaka said, giving a slight bow. "You were able to anticipate that move and defend it with perfect form."
Yuko basked in her Master's praise. She was breathing hard, her muscles glistening with sweat and twitching with adrenaline. She felt as if she could continue fighting for hours. Sparring and drills had become much more than mere physical exertion for her. Each movement, every strike and thrust, had become an extension of her chakra acting through her flesh, blood, and bone body.
Misaka tossed her a towel. Yuko was pleased to see that the woman was sweating, though nowhere near as much as she was.
"Do you have anything you want me to work on for tomorrow?" Yuko asked. "A new kata? A new form?"
"You've moved far beyond kata and forms." Misaka told her. "In that last exchange you broke off your attack in the middle of one form and came at me from an unexpected angle."
"I did?" Yuko was surprised.
"That's what made it such a devastating move." Misaka explained. "You're letting your chakra guide your blade now. Your blade has become an extension of your chakra."
Yuko couldn't help smiling, but then her brow furrowed.
"I still couldn't get past your defenses." She said, trying to recreate the battle in her mind.
No matter what she had tried to do, it seemed Misaka's weapon was always there to parry her attack.
"Does the double bladed sword give one an advantage?" Yuko asked.
"Not in the way you may think." Misaka replied.
Yuko was silent, waiting for more.
After a few seconds Misaka obliged her.
"As you are aware, chakra is the real key to victory in any confrontation. However, it isn't so simple. Someone well trained in kenjutsu can defeat an opponent who is stronger with chakra. Your Sharingan allows you to anticipate and copy your opponent's moves and counter them with your own. The more options you have available, the more difficult it is to predict which will be chosen."
Yuko thought she understood. "So the double bladed weapon gives someone more options?"
Misaka smiled slightly. "You think it does, so the effect is the same."
For a few seconds Yuko thought about Misaka's words, trying to figure them out. In the end she couldn't guess. "I still don't understand."
"You know the single blade. You use it yourself and you've seen most of your foes use it. The double bladed weapon seems strange. Unfamiliar. You don't fully understand what it can and cannot do."
From the lack of impatience or exasperation in Misaka's tone, Yuko could tell this was something she hadn't been expected to grasp on her own.
"In combat, your mind will try to keep track of each blade separately. This doubles the number of possibilities. The two blades are connected. By knowing the location of one, you are aware of the other. In actual practice, the double blade is more limited than the single blade. It requires longer, sweeping movements that don't transition well into a quick stab or thrust. Because the weapon is difficult to master, few among the shinobi and samurai understand it. They don't know how to attack or defend effectively against it. That gives those who use it an advantage over most of their opponents."
"Like the Water country's double bladed weapons!" Yuko exclaimed.
"Exactly. They know that their enemies' confusion at being confronted with such an exotic weapon gives them an edge."
"By telling me this secret, you've given up their advantage." Yuko noted, smiling.
"Only to a very small degree."
Yuko smirked.
Misaka nodded slightly. "You understand why a different chakra nature or unfamiliar style will be more difficult to defend against, but until you become a master in a particular style or nature, in the heat of combat your mind will still struggle to grasp its limitations."
Yuko kept pressing, eager to turn this new insight into something practical she could use. "So, by studying different styles and mastering different natures, I could negate that advantage?"
"Time spent studying other styles and natures is time away from mastering your own form. Your best progress will come from focusing more on yourself and less on your opponents."
"What do you mean?" Yuko asked.
"Knowledge is power, Yuko. My purpose is to give you that knowledge. It is up to you to figure out how best to use it."
With those words the woman left her, heading down the temple stairs to get a few hours of sleep before the morning sun rose.
Yuko remained behind, wrestling with the lesson until it was time to meet Izuna in the archives.