Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Madara stood among a crowd of his fellow clansfolk as the soldiers returned from Sora-ku. The fighting had been intense, though the Uchiha had ultimately carried the day. He didn’t know the details, nor did Sakura who was standing beside him, wearing the navy blues of the Uchiha clan, the Uchiwa proudly displayed on her back while her hair was temporarily hidden under a henge, making it appear a dark, lustrous black like his own.
Tajima lead the long column of soldiers as they entered the castle’s outermost gates. Countless ranks of Uchiha in armor marched behind him, road dust coating their lacquered black metal breastplates. Weapons clattered against armor and the thunder of hundreds of feet was almost overwhelming. It was a powerful sight, one that drove home just how impressive the Uchiha clan truly was. Beside him, Madara could feel Sakura’s chakra buzzing with worry.
“What’s wrong?” Madara asked glancing towards the girl whose emerald eyes were roaming the column. Following her gaze, he found her looking from wounded soldier to wounded soldier. The Uchiha had no healers, well none that could heal with chakra anyways. That was the sole purview of the Senju clan and, to a lesser extent the shinobi of Uzushio who wielded the little known arcane art of fuinjutsu. “Injuries happen in battle.”
“I know but, what about medics? Or a hospital?” Sakura asked and Madara was reminded by how different her world must be. He knew of field hospitals of course, but the way Sakura said the world sounded different, more permanent and established. The way she spoke of medics, as if they should be here, was telling as well.
“The Uchiha clan doesn’t have anyone who can heal with chakra.” Madara explained and saw the gears turning in his friend’s mind. Sakura was smart, he knew that after training with her every day for two months straight. She learned facts and information quickly, instantly almost and while she certainly wasn’t a prodigy, at least not by the standards set by Kagami, Akahiko had informed them that she would become a powerful kunoichi, if she lived long enough. She said the same of Madara, that he would grow to be stronger then his father, though Madara knew that wouldn’t be nearly enough to end the wars.
“Then I should learn,” Sakura nodded to herself and Madara had to wonder again what her home was like. It was clear the heavens were not at peace, yet they were more peaceful then the Earth was. He bumped the girl’s shoulder, drawing her gaze and gave her a grin.
“I think that’d be great.” Madara admitted and smiled as a massive grin blossomed on his friends face. His cheeks felt strangely warm and he looked away, turning his attention to the returning soldiers. It was true that while most had returned many were injured or sick. Medics, even just one, would make a world of difference to the clan and if Sakura could learn and then pass on those talents, perhaps the war could finally be won.
When the last soldiers passed through the gates, ashigaru weary but triumphant from a hard fought victory, Madara grabbed Sakura’s hand and lead her deeper into the fortress. Weaving through streets and through the gatehouses, the two children rapidly made their way to the keep where Tajima was currently giving orders to those who had stayed behind. Injured were being transferred from wagons to a large open walled building where they could heal under watch while the rest of the force handed off their equipment and melted away, returning to their homes.
Families reunited, mothers hugging their sons and fathers greeting their daughters. The Uchiha did not differentiate between gender, though kunoichi were expected to have at least two children to ensure the clan’s numbers never waned. The dead also returned today and Madara felt his rage flare every time he heard a scream or a sob. The Senju had been defeated but they had claimed many lives over the last two months, far too many.
“Chounan, youjo,” Tajima greeted, exhaustion making him look years older then when he had left. His formally pitch black eyes were now showing hints of gray around the edges, a sign of degradation that came with mangekyo use. Clearly the fighting had been intense and while Madara wasn’t going to ask, the desire to know had him on edge. “I am glad to see you two in good health.”
“We trained hard with Akahiko, chichiue.” Madara explained and Tajima gave them a nod before motioning for them to follow him. The trio didn’t speak as they made their way into the keep and towards the main family’s private quarters near the top. Madara glanced at his father and noticed his normally neat haircut had grown out, which was unusual considering he had been stationed in a city. That could only mean there hadn’t been enough time for such things.
“The Shimura allied with the Senju, fending off both clans was difficult.” Tajima explained as if he had read his son’s mind. The man reached his room and quickly began removing his armor as the two kids watched. He glanced up briefly from his work and offered a grim smile. “So? How have things been while I was gone?”
“Akahiko kept getting sick in the mornings.” Madara offered and Tajima nodded, his smile becoming one of genuine amusement. “She was grumpy about it.”
“I would imagine so,” Tajima agreed and ruffled Madara’s hair affectionately. Madara quickly leaned back and huffed in faux annoyance even as his cheeks pinked with happiness. Tajima finished taking off the last pieces of armor and set them down for cleaning before he turned to the two children. “So how was your progress?”
“I’ve managed to set a leaf on fire with just my chakra and learned to tree walk.” Madara stated happily and Tajima gave his son a proud look before shifting his attention to Sakura. Madara watched the girl shift slightly, still prone to nervousness though she had improved by leaps and bounds. Sakura had learned quite a bit since Tajima had left, about twice as fast as Madara had expected her to, though that was probable since she apparently didn’t sleep.
“I learned how to tree walk and Akahiko started me on setting a leaf on fire. I can make it smoke a bit. It’s hard.” Sakura admitted and Tajima nodded his approval.
Tajima stepped away to bathe, leaving Madara alone with his best friend and Izuna as they waited for their father. Izuna babbled away happily, speaking in broken sentences and giggling occasionally as he played with Madara and Sakura’s fingers.
“I’m starting the academy in a month.” Sakura told Madara, shifting to face her friend. Her eyes darted to Madara’s before glancing away and she wiggled slightly as she waited for Tajima to return. It was obvious she wanted words of encouragement, that she was nervous and seeking comfort.
“I know you’ll do fine. You’re really smart and your memory is excellent.” Madara encouraged and Sakura showed a nervous smile. It was clear she believed in him even if she couldn’t quite believe in herself yet. The idea that such a brilliant, kind young girl was so self doubting twisted something in Madara’s stomach and he felt a brief flash of rage towards her adoptive parents. He hadn’t known tennyo could have unhappy families but now he knew better and he wished she would just stay with him rather then return to her home.
“Thanks, I’ll do my best.” Sakura mumbled, her words coinciding with Tajima’s return. The man sat down at his place as dinner was placed down in front of them and he took a few quick bites before glancing towards the kids.
“I imagine you have questions about the battle.” Tajima’s words hung in the air and Madara swallowed nervously. His father had never talked about the fights outside of lessons. This was new and it meant something. “Your birthday is in five months. You’ll be seeing the fighting soon, even if you won’t be taking part. You’ll need to understand enough to stay out of trouble.”
“What happened? Why did it take so long?” Madara knew that battles were often long in coming as both sides maneuvered and tried to force a confrontation on favorable grounds. That was were shinobi thrived, harrying the other side and providing hard hitting, highly mobile firepower. Shinobi were the elite core of their armies, the shock troops but they were also the scouts and skirmishers. Thus if shinobi were the hammer, Ashigaru were the anvil upon which their enemies were smashed or the living walls behind which the shinobi could retreat to when exhausted.
“The Shimura clan…” Tajima trailed off and closed his eyes. Madara watched his father briefly age before his eyes as the man tried to contain his rage. “They had a large force of doll soldiers.” Tajima’s words sent a chill down Madara’s spine. Every shinobi child had heard of what the Shimura did to the children of their enemies. They would be broken down and brainwashed with genjutsu and torture until they were nothing but living weapons that could be used to bolster their numbers or thrown away without concern. They were a terrifying clan and the only reason they weren’t a larger threat was nobody was willing to ally with them for any length of time.
“The Senju actually allied with them?” Madara asked, because the idea was terrifying. The Shimura weren’t as strong as the Uchiha or Senju but if the Senju started making friends, that was a threat that couldn’t be ignored.
“Briefly, they turned on each other in the end, once we battered the Senju contingent, the Shimura actually hit them from behind, taking the younger soldiers and disappearing.” Tajima grimaced, looking between the two children. He was clearly worried for them, it was the same look he’d given Madara during Kagami’s funeral, a look that caused Madara’s eyes to burn and his throat to tighten painfully.
“We held Sora-ku though, the enemy was defeated and most of their forces were beaten back. With the end of summer approaching, I don’t expect anymore major movements. The Senju will have to launch retaliatory attacks on the Shimura, Butsuma’s pride will allow for nothing less.” Tajima explained and Madara wondered if pride was truly worth becoming predictable. If an enemy knew your moves ahead of time, they could counter them and even if you could bring irresistible force to bear, you would take heavier casualties then you otherwise would have. Pride wasn’t worth the lives of his family, though dignity was another matter entirely.
“Um, when I turn five…” Madara trailed off and glanced at Sakura. The two were, as far as they could tell, the same age.
“You will both be allowed to attempt the grand fireball. Assuming you can both manage the jutsu, you will join the forces. Remember you will not be expected to fight but it can happen and your duty in such instances will be to escape. I do not want to lose another of my children.” Tajima’s words were heavy with pain and his eyes flickered red briefly before returning to dark, dark gray. Madara looked to Sakura and knew he would rather die then see any harm come to her. The look she shot him said much the same, which was strangely comforting. Together they would make it through this and change the world. Madara just knew it.
***
Sakura awoke with a start, her eyes snapping open as she caught sight of a masked shinobi standing over her bed. They wore black cargo pants, long black gloves and a black skintight turtleneck underneath light gray armor. Their unpainted mask was white and featureless, except for two eye holes behind which cold dead eyes were watching her. She felt a pulse of chakra flicker through her body and her mind was dragged down into an inky black that wasn’t true unconsciousness.
‘Outer! Outer wake up!’ Inner’s voice shouted and Sakura tried to latch onto her other self’s words. It felt like a small eternity passed before Sakura managed to gather some coherence. She could feel herself moving, wind rustling her hair but her eyes were closed, her lids felt like they were welded shut and her muscles had turned to lead.
‘What’s going on?’ Even thinking to Inner was difficult and Sakura felt her thoughts slipping from her grasp every few seconds only for Inner to force them back on track. She could feel charka nearby and knew that something was going on, something bad but she wasn’t able to do anything about it.
The wind died suddenly and while Sakura couldn’t see, she could smell wet earth and stone. The sound of flowing water and sewage came next and the girl’s stomach roiled while her nose burned. The smell didn’t last long as whoever was carrying her moved further and further downward. The air grew colder, the heat of summer dying away as darkness surrounded her. Finally, Sakura felt the journey come to an end as she was shifted and then placed down onto a cot.
“I was unaware we were willing to risk drawing the Hokage’s attention.” A familiar voice reached Sakura’s ears. She couldn’t quite place it, though the tone was cautious yet pleased. She couldn’t feel any chakra other then what was currently pulsing through her skull and keeping her unable to move so she couldn’t search for a familiar signature.
‘It’s that man from the library.’ Inner whispered and it clicked in Sakura’s mind instantly. Golden eyes, beautiful but reptilian and utterly dangerous. Sakura had admired them, though now she wasn’t so sure.
“The Hokage will understand it is for the best. She is already capable of tree walking and if she signed a summoning contract like you mentioned then only Root can provide her with the necessary education and environment to develop.” Another voice, older and hoarse from age answered. It was emotionless and brought memories of the stories she had heard of the Shimura clan to the forefront of her mind. Doll soldiers, kidnapped children, Sakura knew she should be brave but she just couldn’t, not without Madara beside her.
‘I’m here,’ Inner whispered and Sakura wished it was enough. She could feel Inner within her, everything she wasn’t but wanted to be or couldn’t handle. Sakura knew she would be unconscious if it wasn’t for Inner, though her other self’s strength wasn’t enough to break whatever had been done to them.
“If you are sure. May I take her to one of my laboratories? I need to take some samples to track the drift in her chakra and genetics as the contract bonds with her.” The snake man’s voice was almost bored, as if kidnapping was a regular occurrence. Then again in the warring clans period it had been disturbingly normal. Clans sent out hunting parties to try and eliminate the young of their enemies or kidnap them. The Uchiha had a kekkei genkai and attempts at theft, through kidnapping, was common though it had never succeeded. At least not that Sakura knew of.
“Very well but ensure she isn’t damaged. I need to begin conditioning and training her immediately. Itachi…” The man’s voice trailed off as the two began to walk away. Sakura heard movement and felt herself being lifted up like a sac of potatoes before she was once again moved from where she’d been place down.
What followed was another disorienting journey through tunnels and caverns before Sakura found herself placed down on a cold stone table. Her wrists and ankles were quickly bound in sturdy manacles. The metal sapped the heat from her body, leaving her shivering faintly. Footsteps, loud and intentional for a shinobi reached her ears and Sakura tried to open her eyes, to no avail. The stretching of rubber gloves sent the blood rushing from her face and Sakura felt a small gust of wind as whoever it was arrived beside her.
“Well you are certainly more interesting then I suspected. Able to stay partially awake despite a B rank genjutsu, impressive.” The snake man’s voice reached her ears and she felt a pulse of chakra dissipate the genjutsu. Above her, dressed like a surgeon was the man who had given her those scrolls in the library. His eyes were glittering under the powerful lights overhead and while his mouth was hidden by a blue mask, she could tell he was smiling. “You’re an interesting one, Sakura-chan.”
“W-why?” Sakura stammered and the man chuckled softly. The sound was sibilant, snakelike to match his eyes and Sakura could feel his chakra now. It wasn’t like it had been at the library or rather it was similar but far worse, poisonous and corrosive. It bit at her, latching on aggressively as if it would consume her from the inside out.
“Because I wish to know. You are four years old yet you resisted a genjutsu. Sure most would write it off as a fluke, perhaps you’re a prodigy but we both know that’s not the case, don’t we Sakura-chan? After all prodigies don’t truly exist, just children who have had vastly inflated expectations shoved onto their shoulders and somehow survived.” The man gave Sakura a pat on the cheek before his hand glowed blow and he placed it down on her stomach. Pain burned through her and Sakura screamed, thrashing against her restraints as her body instinctively sought to escape his touch.
“Well, this is fascinating. Two summoning contracts, that shouldn’t be…” Serpent's voice trailed off as his chakra sunk deeper into Sakura’s body and she heard Inner shriek. The snake’s eye widened with delight, his pupils dilating slightly as he chuckled under his breath. “Fascinating, another mind. A contract for you both. The animals are mammals, predators since your teeth are still sharp.”
The serpent disguised as a man withdrew his hand and the pain vanished, leaving Sakura breathless and sobbing. She couldn’t do it, no matter how much she wanted to be strong, to not cry it was just too much. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her chest heaved. Before she knew it, she was retching, emptying her stomach over the side of the table and the snake clicked its tongue in annoyance.
“Now now, we can’t have you getting sick.” It chided and water blasted her clean. She felt the brief surge of chakra before the icy fluid slammed into her and knew it was a jutsu, though the fact didn’t help her in the least. Tears mingled with the water now soaking her cheeks, leaving messy trails over her pale skin. “Now then, I need a few blood and bone samples.”
Sakura only caught a glimpse of a long, painful looking needle before she slammed her eyes shut. She screamed when it broke her skin, which caused the snake man to start humming. A black rage lit within her chest but Inner stole it before it could call upon Madara’s chakra. ‘Outer, rest, I’ll handle this.’ Inner whispered and Sakura felt the world fall away.
***
Madara knew something was wrong when he woke up and that was confirmed a moment later when a ragged looking Sakura appeared beside his bed and burst into tears. She was utterly incoherent as she sobbed, her pale skin icy cold and her yukata gone, replaced by a strange outfit with nothing underneath. Bandages were wrapped around her arms and legs, red dots appearing in places and the distinct smell of blood and sweat wafting off her.
“Father!” Madara screamed, voice cracking in panic. A moment later his room was flooded with shinobi as Tajima appeared alongside a half dozen armed Uchiha. Sharingan, blazed, taking in the girl’s state instantly and a Madara felt the room ignite with blazing chakra so intense he could almost see the flames.
“Get Katsuhito,” Tajima growled, his face thunderous as he crossed the room and forced his emotions under control. The movement startled Madara out of his shock and he scrambled to hug Sakura, pulling her to his tiny chest.
“Ma-da-ra.” Sakura choked on her sobs as she spoke his name. She sounded broken, wrong and Madara would have been enraged and demanding violence if he wasn’t worried about scaring her. She looked so incredibly fragile, her emerald eyes bloodshot and her entire body shaking violently.
“It’s going to be alright, you’re here now. You’re safe.” Madara whispered and felt his father’s arms gently circle around Sakura, avoiding her injuries and lifting her up. The girl whimpered, fresh tears flooding her cheeks as she shivered violently. “Father?”
“We’ll bring her to the goten, she’ll get more air there then in the keep.” Tajima said softly, the rage gone from his face and replaced by concern. Madara nodded and followed after his father, heart in his throat the entire trip out of the keep. When they finally got Sakura settled down she had calmed somewhat. Katsuhito arrived a heartbeat behind them, the man clearly woken and pulled from his bed, yet his eyes were sharp.
“What happened to her?” Katsuhito asked as his eyes spun crimson and he cataloged the girl’s wounds.
“Do what you can to ensure her injuries don’t worsen.” Tajima ordered and Katsuhito quickly began going over the girl’s injuries. His lips quickly pressed into a thin line as he carefully undid her bandages before applying fresh ones that had been cleaned in boiling water and then rapidly dried with hot, chakra rich wind.
“Her injuries weren’t acquired in a fight and almost look like they were inflicted be senbon.” Katsuhito explained as he finished looking over the girl. Madara saw Sakura was doing her best not to cry and he held her hand, hoping it would help.
“It’s going to be okay,” Madara promised while the adults talked overhead. He couldn’t have imagined such a thing could happen to a tennyo, and he was beginning to wonder exactly what Sakura was if she wasn’t from the heavens. A youkai wouldn’t be this friendly, not without a contract, though he could see them having a society where children were exposed to such dangers.
“I can’t stay here though. I’m going to go back.” Sakura replied, voice cracking on her last word as her emerald eyes squeezed shut. Her fingers gripped Madara’s hand tightly and he could feel her muscles shaking with fear.
“Who took you?” Tajima asked and Sakura let out a rattling breath.
“A man with snake eyes, golden snake eyes and b-black hair. Pale and he has purple around his eyes. H-he’s from my v-village.” Sakura managed, stomach twisting and churning as she remembered the monster that had been looking down at her when she’d finally opened her eyes. She’d thought him interesting and maybe even helpful. She knew better now of course.
“Can you get help? Escape?” Tajima asked and Sakura let out a soul crushing sound. Madara gripped her hand tight and she returned the gesture as she struggled to stabilize her emotions. The last time he had felt this helpless was when Kagami had died. It was an impossible emotion to ignore, a soul crushing pain that quenched the fire within him and left nothing but cold ash in his heart.
“I don’t k-know.” Sakura stammered and Tajima closed his eyes, his face grim before he let out a tired sigh. When he opened his eyes again, they were sharingan bright and Madara watched as Sakura froze before relaxing as he calmed her emotions as if she was a clansmen in the grip of the curse of hatred. Sakura let out a slow breath and shivered before giving Madara’s hand a tug.
Madara followed the pull and hugged his friend as she gathered herself. Sakura sniffled a bit before wiping away the last of her tears and the two children remained holding each other for a few minutes before they separated.
“Help will come,” Tajima promised and Sakura swallowed nervously before nodding. Madara wasn’t sure how his father could ensure it, but the sudden relief in Sakura’s eyes said she believed him. He hoped it wasn’t a lie, false hope would be far crueler then the truth in this situation. “Now Sakura, listen to me. You need to learn how to release genjutsu. You’re already resistant but you need to master that, today, before you return.”
“Can Madara join?” Sakura asked and Tajima glanced towards his son. Madara could see the orders in his father’s eyes and gave a firm nod. He would do everything he could to help his best friend.
“Of course I’ll join.” Madara knew he couldn’t do much but he could at least keep his friend company. Whatever and whoever had hurt Sakura was out of his reach, for now, but he would do everything he could to raise his friend’s spirits.
The trio walked out onto the training grounds within the castle’s walls and Tajima had both children sit down. Madara knew a bit about genjutsu, though he had never experienced it before.
“Genjutsu is one of the primary weapons of the Uchiha clan. It is the art of illusions, of sending your chakra into an opponent and showing them a false reality. It can be as subtle as a slight relaxation, a small lowering of one’s guard or an entire imaginary scene that completely overtakes your foe’s senses.” Tajima explained and both children nodded along diligently. Madara could see Sakura knew some of this already by her expression. She wasn’t surprised or shocked, if anything it looked like she was reliving something, even though she stayed silent and rigid in her seiza.
“To remove a genjutsu, you have to sense it. Fortunately both of you are sensors. Most Uchiha can sense chakra and when the sharingan comes in, we can all see it. Sakura’s chakra control also allows her to sense chakra and I am going to make a note to sharpen that ability. It will help you overcome your smaller reserves.” Tajima glanced from child to child and Madara couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement despite the situation. Sakura did have excellent chakra control after all and he was confident she’d figure this out quickly and then she would escape whatever situation she was in.
“Now then, to remove a genjutsu, you must flush out the foreign chakra in your body. The easiest way to do this is with a sudden, strong surge of your own chakra. This will work on weaker illusions and some mid-tiers. Inflicting pain can also work on weaker illusions, though it is useless against stronger ones. To truly defeat a strong genjutsu, a simple kai is not enough however. You must break the illusion down layer by layer, burning away the chakra within you and then flushing out the remnants with a kai.” Tajima finished his explanation and Madara knew that his father was going to put them through the ringer.
Tajima never spoke of things he didn’t intend for them to train, at least not in such detail. A glance showed that Sakura had realized this and was doing her best to look confident. Madara’s best friend was still sickly pale, but there was some color slowly returning to her face and her cheeks were already becoming rosy once more. Madara just hoped things would work out sooner rather then later. He couldn’t stand feeling so powerless.