The Flames Within

Chapter 6

Sakura didn’t head home but instead made her way to her favorite hiding spot, the one where she had first fallen asleep and met Madara. Sakura knew that the Uchiha who had found her previously would show up eventually if she ignored her parents long enough. Hopefully she would be back before dinner and could avoid being punished.

Unrolling the first scroll, the one on summons Sakura felt a strange tingling run through her body. Images of hand seals flickered through her brain along with an overwhelming urge to cast them. She didn’t see the fading ink of a genjutsu storage seal, now removing itself on the inner cover as her hands came together. ‘Boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram.’ Sakura bit her finger with her razor sharp teeth, drawing a trickle of blood and her chakra surged with the seals. A moment later the world spun and she landed atop a polished hardwood floor.

“Well, this is unexpected. Are you alright little one?” A woman’s voice reached Sakura’s ears and she looked up to find a woman with short white hair looking at her with clear concern. She had golden eyes, that glittered like polished metal. Her face was perfect, divine even and Sakura couldn’t recall ever seeing anyone so beautiful before. “Hmm, who put a genjutsu on you? Kai.” The woman tapped Sakura’s head and she felt a sudden pulse of warm, fiery power flowed through her, washing away the odd urge she had felt.

“Thank you,” Sakura pushed herself upright as she looked at the woman. The woman was dressed in a kimono, yet wore hakama and despite her beauty and traditional clothes, her hair was cut short, something historically associated with slaves, whores and kunoichi. Sakura’s own hair was short, though as a child the association didn’t carry over. “Um who are you?”

“Don’t you mean what?” The woman countered smoothly and Sakura fidgeted nervously. She felt incredibly small under the woman’s golden gaze, yet there was no danger or tension. The woman had helped her, shown concern and while it could be a ploy, it would be rather pointless.

“Well, uh, who are you and what are your then?” Sakura corrected and the woman let out a musical chuckle. Her grin was sharp, her teeth pointed and razor edged, much like Sakura’s own, though more mammal then shark.

“I am Inari and to you I am the sage of your potential summons, should you want a contract.” Inari answered and Sakura frowned because that name was familiar to her. It belonged to a kami, though one she’d only heard about in passing. There had once been temples to her in Konoha, though nobody went to them anymore and Sakura was sure she had heard the servants talking about one getting burnt to the ground.

“Oh, uh I guess I want a contract?” Sakura hedged, unsure of exactly what was going on. She knew legendary shinobi all had contracts though, it was practically a requirement. Of course, Sakura’s knowledge of shinobi was limited to what she’d gleaned from two days with Madara, rumors among her family’s servants and Hideki’s history lessons which mostly focused on politics that would be useful for her as the Haruno heiress.

“Well then child of chance, let me state the terms.” Inari retrieved a large scroll from the back of what Sakura realized was a large temple’s main hall of worship. At the end, surrounded by a rope barrier was the resting place for three artifacts, one of which was the scroll while the others were a sword and a gem that glowed with contained blue flames.

“Summons all require a different thing from their contractor. Some demand chakra, others blood and yet others still stranger things like living sacrifices or favors.” Inari unrolled her contract and Sakura saw several names on it written in dark brown ink. A sniff told her it was dried blood that had faded with age. “My people require your afterlife. When you die, your spirit will be reborn as a kitsune and you will join this realm and help raise the next generation of kitsune.”

“Um that sounds kind of scary.” Sakura whispered and Inari nodded in agreement.

“Perhaps, but you will not be denied the pure lands forever. Should you wish it, you may pass on once your debts are paid in full.” Inari explained and Sakura’s lips wobbled in indecision before she looked down at the scroll and saw the first name was Inari’s. The woman had been human once or perhaps it was simply a coincidence, though Sakura couldn’t be sure. Foxes were tricky after all.

“Well I guess,” Sakura finally decided and looked at her nipped finger, blood still sluggishly oozing from the cut. Dabbing her pointer finger across the wound, Sakura leaned down and slowly wrote her name before copying the other signatures by putting a bloody hand print down at the bottom.

“Give me your hand child.” Inari said softly and Sakura offered the woman her hand. Inari pulled out a knife and quickly cut across Sakura’s palm. Blood pooled in the wound before dribbling down into a bowl filled with a clear fluid that seemed to glisten with chakra. Inari cut her own palm and let her blood drip into the mixture, swirling it slightly before bringing it to Sakura’s lips. “Drink.”

“Is this um safe?” Sakura asked but drank anyways because she had learned the hard way not to question adults. Her parents had made sure of that.

“Yes, but normally this is very unhygienic.” Inari answered after Sakura had swallowed a mouthful of the mixture. It burned on the way down and the woman pulled it back and drained what was left in the bowl herself. “Now then, since our deal is struck,” Inari wrapped Sakura’s hand in a bandage, her fingers gentle as she did so. “You will use the same seals to summon us when you have need. You are young so make sure you use your chakra as much as possible to get a feel for it alright?”

“Okay Inari-sama.” Sakura agreed as her thumb was bandaged and the woman or rather kitsune straightened up.

“You’re plenty welcome child, now off with you.” Inari flashed a warm, motherly smile before the world spun and Sakura landed with a yelp on the soft forest floor.

“Maa, Sakura-chan you’re going to give me heart problems.” A familiar voice whined and Sakura looked up to find the same Uchiha who had found her previously standing atop a tree branch and looking very concerned. His curly hair was in disarray and his smile was clearly forced as he looked down at her, his skin paler then she remembered it.

“Oh hello Shisui-san?” Sakura ventured and the boy gave out a long, tired sigh. He dropped down to the floor of the clearing and scooped her up without protest. A glance towards the sky showed it wasn’t dinner time yet, so she looked at the boy who was frowning down at her. “Why are you picking me up?”

“Because your parents agreed to enroll you in the academy and when they decided to tell you, you weren’t home.” Shisui countered and Sakura tilted her head in confusion. Of course she wasn’t home, it wasn’t dinner time yet and her parents knew she liked to wander around outside of the compound when she got the chance. “You don’t have much supervision do you?”

“I do, I have lots of supervision but I finished my tutoring for the day and none of the servants like watching me because I’m Chigiri.” Sakura explained because clearly Shisui hadn’t gotten the memo. The boy snorted in response and waved his hand, dismissing her explanation.

“You’re not bloody mist kid, you’re adorable.” Shisui laughed and Sakura bared her teeth at him. She hated the way people looked at her but Shisui’s laughter had her cheeks burning pink and she wanted to squirm out of his grip and hide. “Oh my god you’re like a puppy! Look at those chompers!” Shisui cooed and Sakura’s entire face turned incandescent with embarrassment as the boy carried them away in a perfectly timed shunshin.

“I’m not a puppy!” Sakura protested as Shisui placed her down beside him in front of the entrance to her family’s grounds. Sakura could feel Hideki’s chakra ahead of her, along with her parents and looked up at Shisui whose smile was stiff and his chakra tightly controlled. The usual cheerful campfire sensation was dim and overcast, like it was choking on its own smoke.

“Hmm, but you look like a puppy to me.” Shisui hummed as he walked Sakura into the home’s main meeting room. Kizashi and Mebuki were both already present and looking considerate as Hideki sat across a sitting table from them. Tension was already thick in the air between the trio and Shisui grinned as he entered, though it was so obviously fake it made Sakura shudder. “Found her!”

“You’re the one who discovered her last time as well, thank you Uchiha-san.” Kizashi said, giving Sakura a look before glancing at where he wanted her to sit. Sakura acted quickly, knowing better then to delay or ignore her father’s commands, verbal or implied. She quickly took her seat and glanced over at Hideki who was serious for a change, though he looked pleased. “You were saying, Sengoku-san?”

“As I was saying, your daughter’s chakra control is quite advanced for her age and I suspect she has a photographic memory. She is quite talented, prodigious even and as a former academy instructor I would be willing to sponsor her for early enrollment.” Hideki explained for Sakura’s benefit, covering what had already been discussed and cutting straight to the point. Clearly the conversation had gone on for a while as neither of Sakura’s adoptive parents bombarded the man with questions or demands. They were merchants after all and they would seek any angle for advantage or scrap of information they could manage.

“When would she begin classes?” Mebuki asked and Hideki hummed while looking at Sakura, clearly considering the girl.

“Her physical condition will need to be improved, so I think three months when the next wave of students begin schooling. As a former academy instructor, I can ensure she is properly prepared and since it is a service to Konohagakure no Sato, I won’t charge anymore then my current rate for tutoring her.” Hideki finished and Sakura knew this was all a show for her. Her parents were way too quiet, they had already made up their minds and the fact that Hideki hadn’t been escorted out was proof of what they had decided.

“Sakura,” Mebuki’s voice was severe and Sakura turned to look at her adoptive mother. The woman rarely spent time with her, except to ensure her etiquette and behavior were befitting an heir of a noble clan.

“Yes hahaue?” Sakura asked and Mebuki considered her. Sakura kept her back straight and did her best to meet her mother’s eyes. ‘Be brave!’ Sakura thought, though it came to her in Madara’s voice.

“Would you like to be a shinobi?” Mebuki knew the answer, both her parents did. Every child in Konohagakure no Sato wanted to be a ninja at her age. Sakura nodded vigorously, because what four year old wouldn’t want to be a ninja? It was what she was training for with Madara and Tajima-san after all. “Very well, but you can only become a shinobi if you graduate early and I won’t tolerate you specializing in something dishonorable like seduction or interrogation. Is that understood?”

“I understand,” Sakura answered because she certainly wasn’t going to say she didn’t. Mebuki did not tolerate anything less then perfection and it was her strict, draconian oversight that had Sakura speaking like a little adult rather then the child she was.

Sakura could feel Shisui’s eyes on her. He had seen her reappear from the summoning jutsu and Sakura noticed her scrolls had been returned to her satchel. It was obvious he knew what she had done but so far, he hadn’t said a word. Instead, he looked at her, doing his best to appear calm and cheerful but there was something terribly sad in his onyx eyes as he excused himself with a salute and vanished in a puff of smoke.

The rest of the day was fairly boring as Sakura poured over the two scrolls she had gotten. She could hardly understand them, especially the scroll on fuinjutsu since they were both written in kanji. Still Sakura knew how to be persistent, it was why she had never given up on making a friend until she found Madara. Instead of squirreling the scrolls away or abandoning them, she instead grabbed her dictionary, a ‘gift’ from her mother and got to work trying to understand them. When dinner rolled around, Sakura hadn’t made any real progress, but it was only a matter of time.

***

Madara’s eyes opened just after the sun crested over the horizon and for a moment, all was peaceful in his little world. Then, with a flash of light his best friend appeared and instantly Madara was excited for a new day. The tennyo was dressed in another sleeping yukata, which was strange and she looked half asleep, though her eyes were steadily clearing as she looked around.

“Madara!” Sakura chirped and flew across the gap between them. Madara laughed as she tackled him, glad to see the girl finally acting open with him. Control was important for Uchiha but positive emotions should be allowed to run free, lest your world become a bitter, dark place. “I’m going to learn how to become a ninja!”

“But, aren’t you already? I mean I’m teaching you.” Madara tried his best not to bristle, he needed more information. After all his friend could have finally realized she was officially learning from the Uchiha clan now, she had been pretty dazed yesterday after all.

“Yeah I know but um, you know how I appear here? So when I disappear I return home and I’m going to be allowed to practice at home as well!” Sakura chirped and Madara blinked, his four year old mind slowly processing that.

“Wait, you don’t sleep?” It was the first thing that popped into his head and Madara watched as Sakura’s eyes widened with shock.

“I don’t sleep!” Sakura chirped and Madara face palmed because why would a tennyo even need sleep.

She wasn’t human after all, so it made sense to him but apparently Sakura had missed the memo. Of course, there was always the possibility Sakura was human and being transported here by the will of the kami but no human had pink hair. Black hair and brown hair was normal, some had blond, a few rare folk had purple or red if they were from the isles and those who lived deep in the interior forests and worshiped the strange kami that dwelt within the deep woods sometimes had green hair but nobody had pink hair. Sakura was utterly unique in that regard.

“We need to get ready for training today. Chichiue had clothes prepared for you before he went to bed and you’re going to continue training your taijutsu.” Madara said, pushing his covers off him fully and rolling up his futon. The bed was still warm as he gathered it up and left it folded for the servants to air out.

“Oh, alright!” Sakura chirped and then followed Madara towards the door only for Tajima to intercept them as he slid it open before they could reach the handles.

“Hello Madara, Sakura, are you ready for today?” Tajima asked and Madara saw the firm, grim man he had come to know as the head of the Uchiha clan rather then his loving father. Something had happened, something bad and he couldn’t even begin guessing what it was.

“Yes chichiue,” Madara started and Tajima gave them a sharp nod.

“Your clothes have been laid outside the baths, get washed and ready quickly. You will not be training beyond the walls today,” Tajima’s words sent a chill down Madara’s back. They meant a hostile war party had been sighted in the area. It was rare that any would dare trespass on Uchiha lands, but the Senju had grown bold after Kagami’s death.

“Chichiue, will you be teaching us?” Madara ventured and Tajima’s hard onyx eyes flashed towards his son. The man was tense and though none of his ire was aimed towards the children, they could still see it in the taught line of his shoulders and tightly balled fists hanging at his side.

“No, I have to head out. Butsuma is attacking Sora-ku, Akahiko will be overseeing you two today.” Tajima replied and that was that. The man left without another word, and Madara could only hope he would come back. A few months ago he would never have imagined his father not returning, Tajima and Kagami were the leader and the heir respectively. They had been invincible to Madara’s young mind but now he knew better.

“Come home chichiue,” Madara whispered as his father walked away. Warm fingers wrapped around his hand and gave a gentle squeeze, Sakura’s chakra brushing against his own and bubbling up from the seal on his left hand in a show of support. Madara could feel her concern, her care for him and gave her a grateful but worried smile. “We need to get ready.”

“Okay,” Sakura followed Madara’s lead and soon enough the two were dressed and ready for the day. By now Madara was used to Sakura’s slow eating. She couldn’t eat any faster, it was simply the reality of her overly sharp teeth. She couldn’t grind her food, couldn’t crush well either so small grains and tough foods had to be carefully and slowly chewed.

The training ground with the Uchiha’s fortress was much smaller and less spacious then what Madara was used to. It was also far more open, with the sun beating down upon the hot, hard packed dirt. Training dummies and targets lined the walls and a small armory provided whatever weapons one could want to train with, however it was also far less practical. Battles were not often fought on flat, featureless fields of packed earth. They were fought in forests or towns, through fortresses, over river crossings, in rice fields or winding roads surrounded by hills, trees and other terrain features of note.

“Madara-kun, Sakura-chan,” Akahiko greeted, her eyes set in a permanently bored glare. The woman had seen war at the age of five, like all pure blooded Uchiha and like all who survived into their later teenage years had a tight leash on her emotions. The rage and pain that granted her the sharingan had to be kept carefully at bay, lest they consume her very soul. “I understand you two are at different levels. Sakura, see those dummies? You’ll be punching or kicking them depending on what I tell you. You’ll have to react fast and if you’re good at it we’ll mix in dodges.”

Sakura gave the woman a somewhat nervous nod before heading over to the closest dummy. Madara met Akahiko’s bored eyes and saw the woman considering him carefully.

“Do you know how to breath fire yet?” Akahiko asked and Madara shook his head no. The woman tilted her head slightly, just staring at him blankly before she blinked and frowned. “We’ll be fixing that.” Akahiko stated bluntly and Madara tried to hide his excitement. The woman walked over and held out her palm, flames flickering into existence just above her skin.

“Flames are alive,” Akahiko said quietly and glanced over towards Sakura. The woman considered the girl carefully before letting out a sigh. “Sakura, come over here. You’ll need to know this to.” Akahiko waited for the rosette to return, the flame dancing over her palm the entire time. When both children were present and thoroughly focused on her she continued. “Flames are alive and we tend to them, guide them and shape them.”

“We do not just conjure fireballs or breath out an uncontrolled stream of flames.” Akahiko twitched her hand and the flame over her palm separated into five distinct spheres which moved to her fingertips, burning like tiny candles at the end of each digit. “Fire can flow, it can grow and spread, consume and die.” The flames went out without a sound and she curled her hand into a fist.

“It is not truly alive, for it cannot think, it cannot moderate, it burns out of control until there is nothing left.” Akahiko’s eyes suddenly came to life, fierce and intense. They were a shade darker then black and reflective like moonlit pools. “This is our nature, the nature of the Uchiha. We are driven by our passions, our emotions are utterly consuming and uncompromising and we must leash them, control them or be consumed by them.”

“Fire is our weapon, our greatest ally but also our curse. What can protect can harm, too much love can smother, too much hate can poison. Flames are no different, you do not unleash the flames of your chakra, you control them, you command them. All Uchiha fire jutsu are thus an exercise in control and precision not just power.” Akahiko finished her lecture and snapped her fingers, a spark of flames igniting from a pulse of chakra that danced around the trio before shooting up into the air and exploding in a brilliant burst of noise and heat. “Understood?”

Both children were rendered speechless, yet they nodded in response. Akahiko grinned, though it was a tired, weary expression. She shook her head and chuckled, ruffling their hair.

“Good now get to training Sakura, you need to catch up quickly if you want to learn how to do that.” Akahiko chided and sent the girl off to the training dummies. Madara looked up at her, wondering how exactly she had managed such a controlled burst of flame. Apparently his question showed on his face and Akahiko’s eyes flashed crimson for just a second. “When you have eyes like mine, you can copy it. If you have the self control, of course.”

“You mean chakra control.” Madara pointed out and Akahiko laughed, the sound harsh and cold.

“We are chakra boy, never forget that. Now let’s begin,” Akahiko ordered and Madara quickly began following her directions, trying to mimic the flow of searing chakra she created in her core as she wove hand seals with practiced ease. Her chakra control was exemplary, a finally honed edge capable of burning only a single grain of rice among a sea of grain. Her emotions were equally kept under lock and key, her tone usually dull and level. Madara hoped that when her child was born, she would have enough love to counterbalance the hate that demanded such constant discipline.

Madara had never used so much chakra in his life and he hadn’t even conjured a flicker of flames yet. He knew if Akahiko just taught him the hand seals, he could manage it but she wasn’t trying to teach him a jutsu. He was learning to control fire naturally, to breath life into the world through his chakra and shape it to his will. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his admittedly short life but Madara wouldn’t give up. He had to master this, he was the heir to the Uchiha clan and it was his job to tend to their flames.

“We’ll break for lunch,” Akahiko decided as the sun hovered directly overhead. Heat rose off the packed earth in waves and both children were coated in sweat. Sakura had a tired smile on her face, having enjoyed a morning of trying to react to Akahiko’s instructions as the woman made a game of trying to trip the rosette up by giving her sometimes slow, then sometimes fast orders to jab, cross, kick or hook the training dummy.

“Hey Madara,” Sakura began as they sat down and Madara looked over to his friend who grinned, revealing her razor sharp teeth. Even though they had only met recently, he’d grown used to them and even thought, within the privacy of his own mind, that they were really cool. “I learned a new jutsu of my own.”

“Oh? What is it?” Madara wondered and Sakura glanced at Akahiko who was watching. The woman didn’t chide or lecture her, which the rosette took as permission.

“I learned summoning jutsu! I uh, reverse summoned myself.” Sakura spoke slowly and gave a nod, pride radiating from her as she beamed at him. Madara knew of summoning contracts, the crow contract was passed down through the clan as well as the Kaibyo contract which was a new acquisition by one of the branch families.

“What contract did you get?” Madara asked curiously, wondering what kind of summons a tennyo would have. Dragons perhaps, with her teeth and hair he could see it.

“Kitsune! Here watch, I’ll try to summon one.” Sakura knew the jutsu and she gathered up most of her chakra as she made the hand seals and slammed her hand into the ground. Instead of a puff of smoke and a fox, she felt a hook behind her navel and vanished.

“Huh,” Akahiko grunted, her sharingan spinning to life. “She reverse summoned herself.” She drawled as Madara panicked, the memory of the seals still fresh in his mind and he quickly mimicked the seals Sakura had made before slamming his hand into the ground. “Hmm, Tajima’s going to be upset with me.” Was the last thing Madara heard before he felt a jerk behind his stomach and the world spun around him.

He landed on a rocky outcrop, wind whipping his already wild hair into an outright frenzy. The sun was scorching hot, yet the air was cold and tasted of ice. The smell of dry stone and snow bit at Madara’s nose while he squinted against the brilliant light, trying to view his surroundings. A vast presence stood before him, he could feel its chakra, greater then any he had ever felt before. It was immense, domineering and alive like the wind, yet somehow noble and free from cruelty.

“A young king stands before my nest, well before he is ready for such an adventure.” A deep voice reached Madara’s ears and rumbled in his chest, pebbles skittering and dancing across the stone ground with every word. Madara forced his eyes open, his pupils shrinking to pinholes under the bright light, yet he still managed to see what towered before him. An eagle with brilliant golden feathers and matching eyes looked down upon him. Upon its head sat a crown of wind, a contained storm woven from lightning and gales.

“Um, I’m trying to find my friend. She summoned herself and I just, I need to find her! She’s a tennyo and-” Madara was cut off as the eagle clicked its beak. It wasn’t an aggressive gesture, but it was one that demanded his attention and the boy looked at the great beast with wide eyes, heart pounding painfully against his ribs.

“I am sure your fate-less companion will be fine. She has landed with the tigers. You however have arrived here, bearer of a bloody fate. You have, by fate and by circumstance a right to my contract.” The Eagle spoke words that made little sense, at least to Madara. How couldn’t he be worried if Sakura had landed with tigers of all summons? They were the king of beasts and more vicious then any other animal that walked under the sun save mankind. “Well boy? Do you wish for my contract? It will help you in your coming struggles.”

“Yes,” Madara decided, focusing on the present and pushing all worries of Sakura to the back of his mind. He couldn’t erase them, she was his first friend and even if he could put her out of his mind entirely he wouldn’t want to. “What do I need to do?”

“Sign this scroll and stay true to your ambitions. The eagles are the unchallenged lords of the heavens and everywhere the wind touches is our domain.” The eagle answered and placed a scroll down before Madara who looked at it for several long seconds as he realized he would need to sign it in his own blood. Biting his finger, he flinched at how difficult it was to break his own skin, his thumb crushed and numb from the abuse. Still he drew enough to start writing and forced himself to endure the pain as he finished signing his name. “The deal is struck then, my name is Fujin. I look forward to seeing where your path takes you, child of the Uchiha.”

Madara’s mouth was suddenly dry as the immense weight of the eagle’s gaze fell upon him. This was no beast, no mere animal. It was an ancient entity, one whose very name declared it to be a god. Perhaps it was truly a god and it had allowed Madara to sign its contract, along with ominous words and foreboding titles. ‘Young king, bearer of a bloody fate…’ Madara shivered at the thought before his mind turned to Sakura.

‘Why is she fate-less? Is it because she is a tennyo? Or does she get to chose her fate?’ Madara wondered as the world fell away once more and he found himself falling back onto the hard packed earth of the Uchiha training ground. Nearby Sakura was sprawled across the ground while Akahiko watched, mild relief visible on her face. Despite being once more engulfed by the heat of Hi no Kuni, Madara couldn’t shake the chill that the eagle’s words had put into his soul.