Summary: If there was one thing the GAR needed, it was competent generals. There was no warrior more competent than Tsume Inuzuka, leader of the Inuzuka Clan, one of the main Clans of Power in Konohagakure... well, there was no warrior more competent than her that was likely to aid the Republic in their silly war. The Senate had been smart to target her clan for this plan- the Inuzuka were nothing if not loyal and the Jedi were old allies of theirs. If the Inuzuka joined the war effort, it would only be a matter of time before the rest of Konoha did so as well; and Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Hiashi Hyūga were all incredible strategists. They were the kind of strategists that could turn the tide of battle with just one good decision.
Tsume knew what the Senate's hand was. She knew what the Jedi needed. But she also knew very well what her entering the war could mean for her clan and the rest of her village. This was not an easy choice to make. Luckily, she didn't have to make it. One-shot! First in a series of one-shot about the Star Wars: the Clone Wars and Naruto universes being meshed together to (of course) eventually end up in a fix-it style of AU where no one dies... or, if some do... well, at least less people die.
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It was a warm summer night when the Jedi arrived in their territory.
She had known they would be coming for some time now. Master Yoda had sent word as soon as he had heard her name in a vision from the Force- Tsume had begun to contemplate the possibility of joining the war effort in favor of the Republic. And then Kenobi had contacted her a few days ago, telling her that he would be coming down to her territory to negotiate her possibly joining the war as a test-run for non-jedi generals for the clone army.
Hana had told her she wanted nothing to do with the unnatural clones and their slave-driving Jedi Generals. Kiba, on the other hand, stuck to the clan belief of loyalty to the Jedi and was clear on his choice: the Jedi needed them and the Inuzuka Clan needed to offer the aid they knew they could give.
For the first time in recent history, the Inuzuka Clan was torn over a single decision that would forever affect them. She was the first Clan Head to ever have to face such indecision within their ranks. And, quite frankly, being the first in this manner... she didn't like it.
Normally, the Clan Head for the Inuzuka would decide on what they believed to be the best option for the Clan- not outsiders. But right now, she found herself indecisive; there were merits to remaining loyal to the Jedi and doing what they asked- but there was also danger in agreeing to such things that they could not ignore. There was reason to reject the Jedi's plea, but there was also reason to agree to what they proposed.
"Ma, our esteemed guests have been set up in the guest quarters." Hana wasn't very happy with the presence of those she considered to be disgraces to the title of Peacekeepers and her words about them were rather venomous. "Have you finally come to a decision?"
Kiba smirked at his sister's uncharacteristic petulance and prodded, "Why, sis? Afraid we've gotta aid the Jedi in their time of need or something?"
Hana bared her tooth at her brother, Kiba reciprocated, and Kuromaru growled at them both. Her petulant children simmered down, fully aware of the danger they risked if they continued acting like children when in her partner's presence, and Tsume was allowed a moment of silence in which she was able to think.
Agreeing to the Jedi's plans held more cons than pros- but the Inuzuka were bound by loyalty to at, the very least, listen to what they were offering. For longer than any of her Clan's current members had been living, they had been loyal to the Jedi and their ways. And if there was one thing all Inuzuka were, it was loyal. Their honor was tightly wound with the way they treated those they were allied with- ignoring an ally was akin to disgracing the Clan.
But it hadn't been the Jedi to really want her- it had been the Senate. And while the Jedi were loyal to the Senate; bound to them, even; no Inuzuka was. Their home-world was neutral in the war and, quite frankly, nobody was eager to enter the conflict after seeing the destruction it had wrought upon many a system. If Tsume were to give in to what the Jedi were looking for, it would, without a doubt, be seen as a declaration of allegiance to the Republic.
If one were only to think about what would be best for the whole planet, the decision would be more than just simple- there was no need to contemplate any other decision. Shikaku would probably point this out to her if they were ever in communication before she made this important decision.
But there was more riding on this decision than just the planet's safety... her whole clan's integrity was on the line.
For any other clan, this decision would be easy. When the Senate had made the choice for the Jedi to ask her, they had been conniving, manipulative, and outright intelligent. The Jedi's alliance to the Senate meant they had to do what they said; the Inuzuka's loyalty to the Jedi meant that they needed to come to their aid in their time of need, lest the Clan wish to lose any honor it had.
Tsume looked over her home, taking in the sparsity of the furniture, the abundance of the weapons utilized as decorations, and how both of her children were knelt directly before her, silent.
She frowned.
From the only two options that were clearly laid out before her, Tsume knew there was one answer that was smart and another that felt right.
"Hana," she called, her daughter's head cocking slightly to the side, "you want nothing to do with the Jedi and their Republic."
It wasn't a question- they both knew where she stood. But Hana still nodded, confirming what Tsume had just said.
The matriarch then turned her sights onto her youngest son, who was staring back at her with a determined harshness to his fang-shaped eyes. "You'd be more than happy to see me leading in the Republic's military."
"The galaxy has forgotten the Inuzuka name."
Tsume frowned, but sighed as she closed her eyes.
There were reasons to decide on either path... and she couldn't bring herself to decide. She couldn't be the Clan Head that shredded the honor their Clan had managed to hold onto through years of constant warring and negotiation. But she also couldn't, without deep thought and good reason, bring her whole planet into a conflict few were willing to enter.
Breathing in deeply, Tsume allowed her mind to sink into the nothings that made up the somethings of the world. She allowed the swirling never-endings and never-weres to encompass her fully, for she knew that in between them, she would likely find an answer to what was currently looming over her.
As soon as she saw the faintest edges of a future that could be, she opened her eyes and pointed directly at Hana. "Kettō."
Her eyesight was blurred after the little trip she had taken, her eyes rang with the whispers of Onsei, clamoring for her attention and understanding, and her stomach was beginning to gnaw with hunger. But she could still clearly see her daughter frown, her own fang-like eyes narrowing as soon as the severity of what she had decided upon had been noted.
Kiba whistled sharply, but offered no witty comment. As brash and foolhardy as he was, the boy understood his place. And, more importantly, he understood what Onsei had advised to Tsume.
"Masters Kenobi and Skywalker- so sorry I wasn't able to greet you personally. My advisors and I were coming to some last minute arrangements."
Kenobi's bright blue eyes sparkled with amusement and clear distrust, all the while his smell began to roil with curiosity. Skywalker's, on the other hand, were darker blues that read of more impatience than any other emotion, the emotions within his scent sharp and spicy. There was a clear dichotomy between these two that made Tsume feel uneasy around them both. But, Onsei clearly felt some favoritism towards them, if the crooning it was doing was anything to go off of.
"It is quite alright, Inuzuka-dono, neither our men nor us would fault you for allowing us some time to rest." The shorter of the two humans allowed for an easy smile to grace his lips, then he motioned for the heavily armored individuals that were standing, stiff and straight, behind him.
Onsei trilled upon them having been revealed to her eyes, all the while their scents slowly made their way into her nostrils. They were... an amalgam unlike anything she had ever witnessed before.
Her elders had not been exaggerating when they said they were unique. It was no wonder Onsei was so enraptured with them.
"These are Commander Cody and Captain Rex; two of the finest troopers the GAR has to offer." Skywalker's voice acquired some hints of pride that seemed mostly directed at Rex- Tsume could understand that, to a degree. But in a Jedi, she knew it was a detail that could lead to substantial worries. "You won't meet finer troopers than these."
Very obviously, the troopers were being paraded before her to show off the bulk of the Republic's forces- and, quite frankly, she could understand why these two would be good to show off. Just from the way Onsei reacted to them, she could tell these were warriors that could give her own clan a run for their money.
"Pleasure to meet you, boys." she nodded at them, pursed her lips slightly, and asked, "Mind taking those clunky things off? I'd like to see the face behind the armor."
There was the slightest ripple, a minute disturbance, and Onsei curled protectively around the men, as if attempting to defend them from some invisible danger. But it also offered a soothing tune that crooned around them: Onsei was calming them as much as it seemed to be protecting them.
Interesting.
After a few seconds, both men pulled their helmets off and revealed almost identical faces that were still very clearly different- the man in the blue and white armor had short blonde hair and a feral glint to his eyes that was barely concealed by strict control and the man in the yellow and white armor had a gnarly scar on the edge of his face, neat black hair, and the damp scent of business was the most telling of who he was.
So similar they were in looks, identical, even... but so very clearly different.
She knew that, of the two, she would probably get along best with the man in the blue and white armor. The spice of battle ready was thick in his scent and the edge to his overall being was enough to let her think this. The other one was clearly strict, rigid, and she didn't do very well with that sort of individual on most occasions.
Kind of reminded her of Hiashi, actually, now that she thought a bit more about how composed he was.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir." the black haired one (Kote, Onsei hissed at her) stated stiffly as the blonde (Rex, pup) nodded along beside him.
She couldn't help but smirk.
They were... precious.
It was very likely that Onsei was influencing her final judgement on them, though. So she had to be mindful of this verdict.
"We'll see just how much of an honor it is after I've put your generals through the ringer." she allowed the smirk on her lips to take on the feral edge that had always served her well, then motioned to the side with her head. "You've been able to rest. Are you ready for Inuzuka-style negotiations?"
Onsei continued to swirl around the boys, warning Tsume away from attempting anything that would hurt the precious clones. She merely chose to ignore Onsei on this point- very clearly, it was much too invested in these boys to be logical when it came to them.
Kenobi's scent took on a wary smell, hesitant and careful, all the while Skywalker's acquired a rather smoky taste that Tsume analyzed to be irritation. She couldn't blame either reaction, of course, because her clan undoubtedly had quite the reputation for causing disasters whenever they were allowed too much power.
As she led them outside of the forest encampment that doubled as the guest quarters for whoever was allowed to encroach upon their lands, Onsei whispered an important reminder into her ear. She cocked her head to the side ever so slightly, eyes closing for a few seconds as she allowed the warmth and comfort envelop her; then she asked, "Where's Skywalker's runt?"
Confusion emanated from three of the four men following her and Kenobi, as the only individual that seemed to understand her words, cleared his throat and said, "She is currently aiding Anakin's astromech droid with some necessary cleaning."
Tsume clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, stopped walking, and turned around to face the men yet again. "We'll wait for her to be done."
She didn't have to use her nose to tell Skywalker wasn't pleased with this decision; such a reaction was clear to see just from the way his body language shifted and became rigid, tense.
Onsei curled around him just as it had the clones, attempting to soothe the man, but it was ignored.
Tsume quirked an eyebrow at this- most Jedi listened to Onsei when it called, even though none of them heard it like she did.
"Why do you want Ahsoka?"
Ahsoka Tano, Inuzuka, Kettō, Onsei swam around her and Tsume frowned softly. She raised her hand and waved at the air languidly, quietly dissipating the eager whispers from the rather involved voice. Normally, Onsei was much more passive about these kinds of things. For it to be so aggressive in attempting to get what it wanted, Tsume could tell this was a turning point not just for her clan, but, very possibly, for the whole galaxy.
"Onsei's been pretty clear about what it wants. But I won't explain anything without the runt present."
"Onsei?" Skywalker's face screwed up somewhat in curiosity, then clarified, "You mean the Force?"
Tsume shrugged, "That's what the Jedi call it." then she smiled, "How about a quick hunt to pass the time?"
Skywalker's scent filled with astonishment, seemingly surprised by the eccentricities that were so mundane for her kind, all the while Kenobi's own swirled with slight aversion. Kote and Rex, though, were clearly piqued with intrigue and Tsume could understand a bit more why Onsei was so predisposed to curling protectively around them.
If the Jedi weren't careful, she was likely to end up allowing Onsei to influence her completely and the Inuzuka clan would begin to take in any and all clans they were able to get their grubby paws on.
Kenobi stayed behind to meditate and very likely continue reading up on Inuzuka customs. Skywalker was rather possessive of Rex, though, and Onsei seemed both pleased and worried about this. Kote, though, was more than happy to follow along and mildly curious about what kind of hunting she had spoken of.
As she walked through the dense forest that was Inuzuka territory, she explained to the three men what their quarry was. From the way none of them seemed too surprised to hear about an animal that was an amalgamation of other animals, was a natural danger to any environment it was within, and only had pros towards being hunted, she guessed that this would not be the first invasive species they ever came across.
Kote did ask a bit about how the onbaa had arrived in Konoha, clearly intrigued by the apathetic and somewhat hateful way she spoke about the onbaa. After Tsume explained how the bastards from Kumo had smuggled some inside in the hopes of destabilizing Konoha's ecosystem, thereby getting the upper hand in a war of attrition, during one of the great wars that had ripped through the planet.
Rex then asked about the way the Inuzuka went about hunting the creatures, scent beginning to tinge with excitement at the prospect of a good chase. Tsume felt something in her chest twitch a little and she softly shook her head- Onsei was laying it on rather thick when it dealt with these boys.
Pups, Onsei corrected in a low murmur.
She explained how the Inuzuka normally orchestrated large groups to hunt down the pesky little shits, but it wasn't uncommon for a small handful of members to head out on smaller hunts. What they would be embarking on would be one of those smaller hunts and she was aiming to capture one or two of the onbaa to be able to harvest their meat, bones, and fur.
With this, she whistled sharply, calling for any of the dogs that were free and ready to to take part in a beginner's hunt to meet up with her at the edge of their developed territory. The three men were confused by this, but she simply explained that there would be a surprise waiting for them at their destination.
The ninken that answered to her summon were eager to get some onbaa meat, yes, but they were much more interested in meeting the uncustomary visitors to their lands. Kuromaru was at the head of the pack, unsurprisingly, and sat rigidly at the front of their formation; sharp eyes focused on Kote.
Tsume quirked an eyebrow at this, but didn't ask her partner what he thought was so intriguing about the clone. Instead, she greeted the dog and asked if everyone in the party was prepared to take on the dangerous task of herding both onbaa and absolute runts.
"We're ready, Tsume." the one-eyed dog moved his head up and down ever so slightly, then huffed. "Are our esteemed guests prepared?"
The surprise that smacked into the three men was tangible enough that Tsume could just about taste it. It brought her much joy.
"Is... is that wolf speaking?"
"I'm a ninken, Master Skywalker." Kuromaru grunted succinctly, so much more polite than Tsume could ever be. "Or a dog, to use some terminology you're more accustomed to."
With this, the large dog raised his snout into the air, breathed in deeply, and allowed a wolfish smirk to come over him, showing off more teeth than was absolutely necessary.
"Northeast- I smell a bōmankan of onbu. The mother should be close by."
Tsume nodded, rolled her shoulders, and motioned for the ninken to begin the chase. Kuromaru went first, being the leader and the one to have caught the scent, and the rest followed quickly enough. Once they were all gone, Tsume glanced at her guests over her left shoulder and smiled brightly.
"Try to keep up, boys."
Much to her surprise, all three of them did a good job of not getting lost as they chased after her and the ninken.
Ahsoka Tano was younger than even Kiba.
Onsei hummed around her in a rather peculiar way. It wasn't possessive about the padawan, as it had been about the clone boys. But it wasn't passive around her either, like it was with Kenobi or Skywalker. It constantly swirled around her, as if taking joy in her presence, but it still maintained some distance to her.
Very likely, Tano had a good connection with what the Jedi referred to as the Force and, in turn, the Force was playing around with the idea of constantly being around her, as it was with the clones.
"It's an honor to meet you, Inuzuka-dono." the young togruta bowed ever so slightly at her, then raised her head to show off a small smile. Onsei trilled around her with the promises of good and excitement.
The forest around them was alight now that Onsei was getting what it wanted. Tsume could hear the rustling of dozens of little critters as they scurried about the campground, attempting to remain hidden from the sight of the sentient beings. Along with it, Onsei was dancing languidly all around them in a manner Tsume had witnessed only a handful of times before.
"It's great to meet you, runt." she nodded her own greeting, smiling softly as Onsei just about curled around the young padawan's cheeks. "I'm assuming Master Kenobi's already told you that you're needed for the negotiations?"
She nodded, "Although I'm not sure what I could do to help. I'm still just a padawan."
Onsei swooned and Tsume began to understand why the girl was part of it's plans.
Beneath the veneer of humble padawan, Tsume could smell the confidence that was rolling off of the young being. The smell was embroiled with other feelings, much like confusion and curiosity, and all of that was rather stamped down- as was customary to find with Jedi types. But the confidence was peeking through clearly and Tsume liked that.
Jedi were supposed to be peacekeepers, yes, but this young one had been raised in the middle of a war. It was very likely that, because of this, this young one was more of a warrior than Jedi were ever supposed to have been.
"You'll see, runt." Tsume told her with a smirk slowly coming onto her lips, then placed her hand on the girl's exposed shoulder and pulled her along. "Onsei is a very cryptic individual on most occasions, so when it asks for something specifically, it would be foolish to not do as told."
Tano followed her with curiosity and confusion becoming the main smells of her scent, and the troopers around the camp took a few seconds to pause and look at them as they passed.
Some time after she had left the camp behind and taken Tano with her back to her clan's main grounds, Skywalker, Kote, and Rex returned with the ninken and their spoils of a successful hunt. The surprise that came from all of the men in the camp- including Kenobi himself- was so strong that Tsume was capable of smelling it even though the wind was heading towards the west, not the east.
Onsei most probably had something to do with that fact, but she didn't question it. It was pretty hilarious to smell such a thing and it would have been much funnier to see the reactions with her own eyes- but, alas, Tano was here now and there needed to be some preparations with the padawan before the Inuzuka clan revealed their intentions to the Jedi.
As they walked through the dense forests of Inuzuka land, Onsei whistled a harmonious tune all around them. The wind lulled, slowly turning to head to the east rather than the west, and with it came a pleasant breeze that soothed the searing nature of the summer sun.
The Jedi were confused as to why Tano had been taken to the Inuzuka clan's main compound alone- Skywalker was more bothered by the sudden separation than Kenobi. The bearded human was confused and curious; the smooth-faced human was beginning to allow his confusion with the situation to turn into irritation that was not very well contained.
Tano was now prepared for the Kettō Onsei had declared. Clad in the loose set of clothes customary for this kind of duel, she looked incredibly right.
(Inuzuka pup, she could be, Onsei, Tsume decided, was a cruel being)
The belt around her waist was thick and tight, offering the necessary protection for the regular Inuzuka fighting style. But the rest of her clothes were loose, the perfect garment for the challenge a Kettō entailed. Her bare feet weren't absolutely uncommon, considering how many Inuzuka chose to go barefoot for this challenge as well, but sometimes sandals proved to give one stable footing.
Tano's feet were thinner than most humans, along with rather sharp ends to her toes.
"Why is my padawan dressed up?"
Tsume smiled as she turned away from Tano and faced the male Jedi. They were standing only a few steps away from her and Tano, Kenobi with one arm crossed over his chest and one lifted to his face and Skywalker was standing stiffly.
Of the Republic forces to have visited, Tsume knew Skywalker was a preferred of Onsei. But she could not understand why.
"Because she is to take part in the tradition of Kettō to decide on the fate of the Republic and Inuzuka alliance." Tsume explained simply, taking a pleased sort of glee from the widening of both men's eyes.
"What?" Skywalker gasped at the same time Kenobi tried to utilize his diplomacy skills, "There must be room for some negotiating, Tsume-dono."
Now that the Jedi had arrived, the rest of her clansmen began to exit from their respective homes to shuffle onto the streets. At first, only a handful of people came out, sniffing curiously at the air in tandem with their ninken. But more and more people began to exit their homes, aware that the presence of the Jedi in their territory denoted something important about to happen.
The Inuzuka clan compound was made up of buildings with humble and rudimentary constructions; their largest and most technologically advanced building was the nursery of their ninken. Unlike the guest compound, where the buildings were lavish- for Inuzuka taste- and large, regular Inuzuka homes were small and built for function, rather than enjoyment. These small homes were all composed in a sort of circle, leaving its very center mostly bare for the common comings and goings of a regular day.
Because of this construction, the Jedi were able to see as the Inuzuka surrounded them, although they never passed the limits of the first row of homes- those of the elders and clan head.
"We shall call this an aggressive negotiation." Tsume was pleased to hear that Kenobi didn't argue the tradition she was proposing, then whistled sharply for Hana to step out.
The young woman was dressed in a dark set of loose clothes- huh, where had she gotten those from? Those were the exact garments Tsume had worn in the Kettō that she had won the right to be clan head years ago.
"Kettō. A duel." Tsume explained what she knew her clansmen already knew, but was not sure if the Jedi had understood adecuately. No matter how many books one read, information about a culture different from one's own was best experienced first hand. "Both Tano and my daughter will have a bladed weapon of their choice available. The point is to acquire the least amount of cuts in their garb; the winner is decided after both combatants are unable to stand."
"What? Wait- why would both combatants have to fall if the winner is decided upon the number of cuts?" Skywalker asked and Tsume understood very well why Onsei liked Tano when she was the one to answer.
"It's about strategy and endurance, Master." she walked up softly, eyes more focused on her clothes than the Jedi. "You have to tire yourself out to both injure your opponent and stay relatively unharmed. Pure defense won't help you if you've got one cut on you and your opponent only has one; but pure offense won't help either."
Onsei trilled in happiness and Tsume smirked at the togruta.
"Fast learner." she praised, then looked Kenobi in the eyes. "We'll just wait for your troops to arrive and the show'll begin."
Worry was very clear in the man's scent; just like the wonder and curiosity. But the spice of interesting was a nice undertone to all those smells.
Upon first glance, few would expect to find out that Hana was injured. Her movements were almost as sharp and crisp as they had ever been; the dance between her and Tano would have been breathtaking to watch if not for the fact that Tsume knew her oldest was not in top fighting shape.
An easy opening Tano had made with an aggressive kick would have been one Hana would have taken advantage of any other day. But such an opening would have required her to twist her limbs in a way that would jostle the healing stitches in her side- possibly even tear them- and Hana had simply rolled out of the way instead of taken advantage of it.
An hour into the match and both combatants had managed an equal number of successful cuts on their enemy. Tano's were mostly concentrated along her legs, considering how she had taken some time getting accustomed to the Inuzuka fighting style. Hana's own were mostly found around her stomach and thighs- many lucky shots that probably wouldn't have occurred if she had been at one hundred percent for this.
Many of the troopers in blue and white were cheering for their commander, just like many of the Inuzuka clan was shout at Hana to take off the kid gloves and finally get serious. Skywalker was shouting out instructions every now and again, but Kenobi was standing quietly, stalwart in the attention he was paying to the display of prowess from both young warriors.
Onsei swirled around both of them, screeching and howling whenever Hana pulled a punch or Tano made a novice mistake. It was clear from this that Onsei itself had not yet decided upon a winner... which was incredibly odd to see. Normally, Onsei had a determine outcome in mind when it screamed at Tsume to make something happen.
Hana knocked Tano off her feet with a swipe of her gauntleted right hand, earning a nick at around Tano's ankle with her left. The togruta pivoted on the ball of her foot and kicked at Hana's face- the human was barely able to fall back before the hit connected.
But Tano did not advance on the prone Inuzuka.
Instead, she frowned heavily and turned stormy eyes onto Tsume.
The Inuzuka clan head quirked an eyebrow at this, all the while Onsei chirped with delight and she figured it out!
"Why would you have me duel and injured fighter?" Tano accused, then followed, "I thought this was supposed to be something important!"
From beside her, she felt Kiba shift.
Her son had joined her side at around the time the clones had appeared to join the crowd. He was dressed in the customary garments of Kettō as well; the reason he had arrived relatively late had been to not draw too much attention with such clothes.
"It is." she offered after a few seconds of tense silence; the roaring crowd of men cheering for Tano and howls spurring Hana on had ceased as soon as Tano had stopped the battle.
"You wish to stop knowing that your opponent is injured and you clearly have an advantage?"
Chifuyu, the head of the Elders, was the one to speak up. All eyes turned to her as she took a few steps into the center of the compound- where the fighting had taken place.
Her long white hair twinkled in the dying sun and her wise eyes had the severity to pierce most Inuzuka in place. From the way Tano's posture became just a tad bit more rigid and she forced her body to pant less, it was clear to see that the deference she commanded was not just limited to clan members.
It took Tano a few seconds- in which Tsume could hear Onsei chiding Skywalker's pleas for his student to stop-, but she soon nodded. "Your clan joining the war... it shouldn't be a decision that falls on the shoulders of someone that can't give their all."
Kiba's knee began to bounce in anticipation.
Tsume placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
Chifuyu nodded slowly, then turned to look in their direction.
"The clan head's runt, Kiba, will take his sister's place." Chifuyu announced, then turned to Ahsoka. "He enters the fight at advantage; his clothes, unlike your own, have not sustained any damage."
There was a wave of surprise and outrage from the troopers- they seemed to be very fond of the young padawan- and Skywalker let out a disappointed sigh that faintly sounded like Snips.
Onsei, even through all of this, began to swirl around in joy.
So this had been Onsei's plan all along.
"That's fine by me; as long," Tano's eyes narrowed on her newest opponent as Kiba jumped up from his spot perched by Tsume's feet and began to jump into the battlefield. "as he's not injured too."
Kiba smirked, a cocky thing that was equal parts show as it was genuine, "Well, I'm definitely less injured than you."
Tano's scent became incensed immediately and Tsume stayed her tongue from reminding her runt to take this battle seriously.
Just because he was in agreement with joining the war, it did not mean that he could pull his punches in this fight. He was supposed to fight Tano as seriously as he would any other opponent- his reputation within the clan relied on it.
Chifuyu nodded once more, a slow and controlled movement, before she asked Kiba if he had his blade prepared. The runt showed off his daishō combination, both blades slowly falling into his hands from their hiding places within his large sleeves, and the elder nodded. Once both combatants were facing each other, Chifuyu called for the continuation of the battle.
Kiba pounded on Tano immediately, barraging the togruta with the kind of raw power that he was renown for- and considered mostly reckless for.
Chifuyu walked back into the throng of crowd and took Kiba's spot beside Tsume, aged eyes turning to watch the battle with rather little interest. As Tano struggled to withstand the pure offense Kiba threw at her, the elder leaned ever so slightly into Tsume's space.
"I owe you a drink, it seems."
Tsume's smirk was more mirthful than malicious, then shrugged softly, "Onsei seems to have planned this out all along."
With a shake of her head, the elder admitted, "With the severity of the situation, I truly believed the Jedi would have continued fighting Hana. Taking on the risk of losing to a fresh opponent... Onsei did not misjudge this padawan."
Kiba laughed boisterously and Tsume shook her head as his katana managed to slice at part of the padawan's sleeve; "Once an overconfident runt..."
Chifuyu huffed in amusement, "I wonder where he got it from." the sarcasm in her words was unnecessarily easy to spot.
Tano, of course, won.
Kiba, of course, was going to get an earful from Kuromaru once he awoke from chakra exhaustion for having been foolish enough to play dirty against a Jedi.
The togruta was smart; but, not just that, honorable too.
If not for Kiba having thrown dirt into her eyes through the manipulation of Onsei, the young padawan never would have used her own abilities to fight. But because the runt had needed to show off every little trick in his book, Tano had quickly come to learn that there were no true rules to a Kettō other than the aforementioned stipulations for victory.
With the use of her telekinetic abilities, Tano had been able to turn the tide in her favor. Kiba, the idiot, had not been able to adapt to the shifting battleground and had slowly begun to lose ground. By the time they had both collapsed, the duel had become a game of attrition- who could hold out the longest without acquiring another cut.
Tsume, Chifuyu, and Kenobi all counted the amount of cuts on both combatants to ensure that no one could cry about a foul-play. All three had come to the same amount in the end; nineteen on Kiba's garb, eighteen on Tano's.
A feast was thrown for the whole of the Inuzuka and Republic forces- it had already been set up and was going to be thrown no matter the outcome of the Kettō- and the clones were at first stiff and boring to be around. But the members of her clans slowly worked their magic and, with the help of some saké, were able to get the men to loosen up before midnight hit.
"So, you left a critical decision to chance." Shikaku's holographic image snorted with a roll of its eyes. "Your father wouldn't be very impressed."
"Yeah, well pops was pretty boring, Nara." she hissed at her half-brother, but soon sighed. "Onsei was very clear on what it wanted to see."
The Clan Heads remained silent for a few seconds, taking in what she had said, and Tsume picked at her teeth in an attempt to get the meat that was stuck between her canines out.
Chouza eventually cleared his throat and spoke up, "Well, if this is Onsei's will... maybe it is for the best that we have seen that the Jedi have not lost their way during this horrid war."
Hiashi scoffed, "Your sentimentality is showing through, Akimichi." but he soon sighed, and admitted, "I was hoping to stay clear of this inconsequential conflict, Tsume."
"I know." she shrugged, "Half of my clansmen did too. The other half wants to show the galaxy that we Inuzuka should never be forgotten. Kettō was the only logical solution."
"The wiles of the Senate have proven successful." Shibi murmured in a heavy tone, "Targeting the Inuzuka was low of them. Just on those grounds, the rest of us should stay out of whatever they wish to propose."
Inoichi hummed loudly at this, grabbing the attention of all of the holograms standing before Tsume. "We cannot abandon our Inuzuka allies, Shibi. Clan law dictates that, should they need us, we will have to aid them. It does not matter if this war is or is not our own."
"Yeah. You poor suckers." she offered a toothy smile, but soon tempered the look. "I will not be bringing my clan into this conflict. Only Kiba and I will be leaving planet-side to aid the GAR. Hana will be auxiliary Clan Head and Chifuyu will serve as her main advisor. As long as I'm breathing, the snakes in the Senate won't have their wish of getting any of you granted."
"I would ask how you plan to accomplish such a feat, Tsume," Fugaku sounded exhausted and Tsume took pleasure in the fact that she had partially caused such a state. "But I already have a stress induced headache."
"You men worry too much." she decided as she crossed her arms over her breasts, "Just leave this to the big dogs, yeah?"
The look that Shikaku and Inoichi exchanged read of absolute disillusionment, all the while Shibi and Hiashi continued to stare down at her in contempt. Chouza offered a warm smile, always the soothing balm to the harsh criticisms of his fellow Clan Heads, and Fugaku looked like he was in dire need of sleep.
"Go back to your families. We Inuzuka got this all under control."
On the next morning, she informed Master Kenobi that Kiba would be accompanying her on whatever campaign they would be sent on. The human nodded, complimented the runt's fighting style, and led them towards Skywalker and Captain Rex.
Onsei once again swirled possessively around the clone and if the whispers it was now implanting in her brain were nothing to go by, it had plans for the clone; important plans.
"You'll be taking my place on an important campaign, Inuzuka-dono." Skywalker explained to her after Kenobi had asked him to fill her in on what was going to happen now that she had agreed to take on the role of general. "The Senate wishes to see what you're capable of doing and Ahsoka and I have been called back to Coruscant. You'll be taking charge of the 501st to take a planet called Umbara."
Onsei shriveled, a hoarse wail resounding all throughout the forest at the mere mention of the name.
Tsume's eyes narrowed; Onsei wrapped tighter around Rex.
The clone's eyes widened ever so slightly... and confusion permeated his scent.
Tsume now blinked at the blonde man.
Could he... could he feel Onsei?
Skywalker and Kenobi both shivered, also taking note of the shift in Onsei. Tano, when she appeared a few seconds later with a clear limp in her step- Kiba did enjoy attacking people's ankles-, asked if they had felt the disturbance in the Force.
Tsume closed her eyes.
Onsei had willed this for a reason.
She needed to trust Onsei.
This wasn't her first time on a spaceship. But it certainly was her first time on one so large and sterile.
"Any special orders, sir?"
Rex was professionally cold, and Tsume wished to get rid of that sentiment as quickly as possible. She wanted the troops to see her as her clansmen did- even if she was in a position of power, she was still their equal. That would take some time, though, she knew. Especially when in regards to a group that were constantly around the Jedi and their mumbo-jumbo.
"Yeah- my runt, Kiba, I want everyone to see him as a regular trooper."
Rex's steps faltered and Tsume stopped walking, quirking an eyebrow at the clear show of surprise.
Onsei offered soothing nothings to Rex, wisping about him in a comforting mist.
The way Onsei doted on these troopers... if Tsume wasn't sure in her connection to Onsei, she may be inclined to feel jealous over how much it cared about them.
"Sir?"
Tsume smiled, "Kiba's got no experience in war and he's an outright idiot. His strengths are speed and agility, so I think he would do good forming part of a reconnaissance team. But, if you deem him a nuisance to deal with or possible danger on the battlefield, you can relegate him to busy work on this hunk of junk. I'll defer to your judgement, captain."
After having said this, she cocked her head to the side as Onsei informed her of some useful advice that would probably be needed. Once Onsei had finished speaking to her and returned to laying about Rex's shoulder, the woman nodded to it.
"For now, treat him as a shiny. He'll have to earn promotions if he wishes to serve as commander of this battalion."
Rex remained flabbergasted for a second more, but quickly schooled his features and nodded. "I'll make sure to inform the men. Anything else?"
Tsume began to walk, once again, in the direction they had been heading towards before their sudden stop. She thought about what was needed to be said and what could remain in her head, and eventually shrugged.
"If you wish to give me a crash-course on being a general, I would gladly pay you back with some saké."
"Is that the liquid that-"
She didn't have to finish hearing the sentiment to be sure of what he was talking about.
"Yes."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Rex cleared his throat, "Well, General Skywalker tends to have a more lax command structure in place. He's considerate of the men, how they're feeling, and how far they've pushed themselves. Commander Tano is another brother- at least to us in the 501st."
And so on and so forth went Rex, informing her about the kind of insanity his Jedi were constantly up to and how each and every single man in the 501st was exemplary. Onsei crooned in agreement with most statements; added bits every now and again it felt was necessary; and made a point of aiding Rex in telling her what was most important she knew about the battalion.
Tsume listened attentively, of course, because she now had the lives of many men in her hands and that wasn't something she was about to take lightly. Not just because of Onsei; there was also an instinctual growl at the back of her head that was beginning to call the men as her men.
She didn't know where Onsei planned on taking them. She didn't even know if Onsei was attempting to lead them down a path to victory or to ruin.
All Tsume knew was that Onsei had a reason for doing all of this. And she was eager to see where Onsei took her.
..~..~..
I had so much fun world-building for this. A friend of mine helped me come up with the logic behind how the Naruto world can mesh into the Star Wars one and he's like such an important helper- even though he doesn't even read fanfics. But when it comes to the more cultural aspects of the Inuzuka clan, I came up with it myself.
1. Kettō is the official name for the kind of duel the Inuzuka clan utilizes to make big decisions where there's a great number of support for two different outcomes. I came up with it.
2. Onsei is just voice. The Inuzuka refer to the Force as the Voice- simply put.
3. Bōmankan means bloat in Japanese and, I must admit, I've cannibalized both the English and Japanese languages. Bloat in English can mean a group of hippopotami, so I've taken that word and made it the official word for the Inuzuka to refer to the onbaa, which they think of as an absolute scourge in their lands. And onbu is what they call the cubs of the onbaa.
4. The way I imagine the Naruto world to be is a large planet with separate continents- each continent is controlled by one of the big Hidden Shinobi Villages; like in canon. Unlike in canon, though, there is an incredibly long history to this world that may or may not be explored later on; I don't know; and there is no Ashura, Indra, or Kaguya to think of. Chakra is just another word for midichlorian and these guys have managed to harness the Force in their own unique way, leading them to being able to harness nature, unlike the Jedi or Sith- that focused more on moving stuff and lightning. That means that the shinobi are able to use many of their canon attacks, as long as I find a logical reasoning behind the elements somehow being able to mesh into it. For the sake of these guys, like in canon, everyone has chakra, but not everyone can develop it to be able to use it in battle.
Konohagakure is a powerhouse in this planet, after having beaten the other Hidden Villages in the world wars that have taken place, and their involvement in the Republic/Separatist war could mean disaster for the whole planet. Other Villages with negative relations with them (like Kumo) could take advantage of the situation and attack, destabilizing power and whatnot. So the Inuzuka's decision truly was a critical one.
Also, if any of y'all have any idea as to how I should name this planet, please let me know. I'm plum tuckered out of ideas.
Hope you liked it! Please review! It'll take me a while to write up the sequel, but it'll probably deal with misadventures of Tsume trying to coddle up to the troopers and the third installment will be Umbara.