Genin
Chapter 12
Madara looked at the only storage scroll ever made by an Uchiha. It was unbelievably precious, both for its rarity and because it was a keepsake from his elder sister. Fuinjutsu was an art few beyond the shores of Uzushiogakure understood. It was less flexible then the other shinobi arts as it required quite a bit of preparation. One could not weave new fuinjutsu in the midst of battle or at least Madara had never heard of anyone who could. Copying existing seals was supposedly possible, at least for the Uzumaki clan but that might have just been a myth.
Letting out a tired sigh, Madara pulsed his chakra and a wicked scythe appeared on the floor in front of him. He still wasn’t big enough to wield it in battle, it would take too much chakra and stamina to be worthwhile but he needed to start learning how to wield it for when he would be strong enough. It was Kagami’s weapon and had been her companion through many battles. The blade was angled just so to drive the tip into an enemy at the strongest point in a swing. Its edges were both sharpened and the metal was chakra conductive, allowing it to be sheathed in elemental jutsu.
The weapon was also wickedly hard to fight against. Scythes might not be as easy to wield as axes, swords or spears but conversely they were incredibly hard to counter. They could hook, slice, pierce or smash. The side opposite the blade was reinforced with metal and could be used as a war hammer while the bottom of the shaft was capped with a sharp spike with a loop punched through it so it could be used to stab or as an anchor for chains to turn the weapon into a massively over sized kusarigama.
Lifting the weapon, Madara let chakra flow into his muscles and walked out onto the training field. Sakura had just started on kenjutsu and she was holding a wooden sword carved to mimic the weight and length of a standard katana. The katana was perhaps the most common long blade in the elemental nations, though the older chokuto and the newer double bladed jian, that was popular in Tsuchi no Kuni, were common enough sights on the battlefield.
Moving off to the side, Madara tried to recall how he’d seen his sister practice. It hurt to realize his memories of her were becoming vague. She’d been dead for so long now that while he remembered her face clearly and her kindness, her voice was distant. Tears threatened to form at the corners of his eyes and Madara’s heart stuttered painfully in his chest. Kagamai should not have died, she deserved better but she was gone and so it fell to Madara to fill the gap left by her loss.
Taking his stance, Madara swung the blade. The wooden haft was dense and reinforced by steel langets. The scythe was well balanced but heavy and Madara’s young arms strained as he swept the weapon through the air. Sakura paused her own practice to glance his way. For a moment they locked eyes and Sakura gave him a small, encouraging smile. She didn’t know the true significance of the scythe or why Madara was hellbent on learning it but she supported him regardless. Her trust was implicit and her confidence in him absolute. Her confidence in him was somewhat terrifying but at the same time it drove Madara to improve in a way duty never could.
“Would you like me to help you, Madara?” Tajima’s voice caught Madara by surprise and he turned to face his father, fresh from another war council. The Senju hadn’t managed to claim victory in the battle of the Naka bridge but the Uchiha clan had taken heavy losses and the other clans could smell blood in the water. The Senju and Uchiha were the top dogs in Hi but they were weakened by the losses sustained in their most recent series of battles and opportunists would soon begin making their moves.
“I would appreciate that chichiue,” Madara replied as Tajima walked over and gently gripped the scythe, shifting it with one hand and Madara’s form with the other. It was only a few minor adjustments and Madara’s muscles burned with the effort.
“Scythes are difficult to wield and are often viewed as clumsy. The greatest strength of a scythe is its ability to control an opponent. It’s a sharpened hook which gives you options a flat weapon wouldn’t. On the other side, you can only inflict damage with precise swings which is difficult, at least against armored opponents. However this scythe, when shrouded in chakra, will cut through even the finest of armors which means you can be far more aggressive with your attacks.” Tajima lectured while gently guiding Madara through a few basic swings. The movements were entirely different to kenjutsu, yet oddly similar as well. Blade alignment, managing your separation, striking in way that wouldn’t open yourself up to counter attacks, all familiar things but with a new twist due to the unique nature of the scythe.
“Tajima-otou-san.” Sakura’s polite voice pulled Madara’s attention away from his swings and he slowly pulled the scythe back, letting the haft rest against his shoulder. Tajima turned to face the girl who was looking between the weapon and Madara, her mind slowly working its way through a decision. “Should I, um, Madara would you mind if…” Sakura’s lips pressed together and her chest rose then fell as she took in a large breath and then huffed. “Would you want me to learn how to wield a scythe with you or do you want to learn alone?”
“I…” Madara didn’t know and that realization unsettled him. This was Kagami’s legacy but at the same time Sakura was here to help him on his path. She was his divine companion, sent to him by the kami and learning with someone would always be more productive then learning alone. He knew he would never match Kagami’s genius if he isolated himself and Sakura was here, willing to help. “Yes, please.”
“I will have a training blade made for you soon then Sakura.” Tajima promised and the rosette nodded, her eyes flicking to the weapon Madara was holding. He knew she understood it was significant now, he was training with live steel and her mind was more then sharp enough to put two and two together. If she associated it with his dead sister was something he wouldn’t find out by chance, once they were done training he’d talk to her about the scythe and Kagami. Before her memory faded any further.
The hours rolled by and when they broke for lunch, Madara couldn’t find it in himself to speak up. The two children ate in amicable silence, both sweaty and tired from a morning of exercise. The afternoon would be much the same, except it would be capped off by expending most of their chakra to help build their reserves. The practice was already seeing results, with both of their reserves growing at a healthy rate.
When the sun began to sink towards the horizon, Tajima finally called it a day and Madara walked alongside Sakura as they returned to the fortress. The evening air was humid and cool, a gentle breeze sweeping away the day’s heat and the smell of hot rice fields, replacing them with pleasant forest air that smelled of pine and fresh loam. As the two children reached the bathroom, Madara began to strip off his dirty clothes and began to wash himself. A glance showed Sakura was doing the same and the urge to talk warred with the imminent pain of doing so.
‘Be brave Madara.’ The boy told himself and gathered his courage. It would hurt, to talk about Kagami and he would tell Sakura everything, once they were soaking in their baths. Right now, it would only slow them down. Rinsing his hair clean of shampoo, Madara sank into a tub full of hot water, his muscles relaxing and the pain of the day slowly fading away. A minute later, Sakura slipped into the large communal tube and her eyes sought his instantly.
“I had a sister.” Madara said, unable to find the right words to begin such a conversation. Just saying he had a sister stung, it was past tense because Kagami was gone and that wound would never truly heal. “She was amazing.” Madara swallowed and found his throat tightening painfully. It was like he swallowed a rock and his eyes suddenly burned.
“She was incredibly strong and smart, a prodigy in every sense of the word. She was just perfect. Kagami was going to save the Uchiha clan, bring an end to all this fighting.” Madara explained and Sakura listened quietly, her face mercifully free from judgment. There was worry in her eyes but mostly she just looked patient, she was here to listen and Madara was once again grateful to whatever kami had sent her to him. “Kagami was the best. She was my Aneue, my older sister and my hero. I wanted to support her, when she became the leader of the Uchiha I wanted to be her right hand.”
It was a dream that had died in some anonymous clearing on the border between Uchiha and Senju territory. It hadn’t been a great battle or an epic clash. The Senju had set up a fight to draw the Uchiha out with only one goal in mind and they succeeded. Kagami had died because she could have ended the war and even the Senju had recognized that.
“She would have ended the war. She was amazing Sakura and she just didn’t seem to be touched by our curse. She was Uchiha but she was bright, happy and just so much more then any of us.” Madara’s voice cracked as he spoke and his tears turned his vision into a smear of colors. He could feel hot drops running down his cheeks, leaving salty trails that stung lightly at his skin. “She was patient and kind, even to strangers. She was strong to, there was nothing she couldn’t do. She could see a jutsu and understand it even without her sharingan and she just knew how to handle weapons. It was like she was born to end the war and the Senju, they knew that.”
“She drew too much attention.” Sakura murmured, understanding exactly what had went wrong. She had done the same in her own time and ended up in the academy with a label she could never shake. Her only chance of survival in Konohagakure was by playing her hand perfectly and a whole lot of luck. She’d already been kidnapped once and whoever had been giving Orochimaru orders was still at large so she would have to be careful.
“Butsuma is an animal. He had her hunted down and murdered.” Madara whispered and Sakura’s breath caught. She knew the man’s name, knew the date of his death and even if she wanted to bring it about sooner, she couldn’t. She would try though, if she ever got the chance because the look on Madara’s face shattered her heart and crushed the pieces to a fine dust with the sheer force it hit her with.
“She didn’t want the war to continue though and she didn’t want anymore Uchiha to fall to our curse.” Madara swallowed and opened his mouth before closing it. He knew the Uchiha’s greatest secret and shame. It was one they shared with the Senju, the root of both clans’ respective burdens. “She was a master of Ninshu.”
“The technique that calms emotions?” Sakura asked and Madara nodded slowly, because it could calm emotions but it was so much more then that. It was a meeting of minds, the original purpose of chakra when it had been gifted to humanity. It was to resolve misunderstandings and bring harmony to Earth, not intensify the wars that raged the world over.
“Ninshu is a sacred art, passed down from the Kami to humanity. The ancestor of the Uchiha and Senju clan figured out how to weaponize it. He could read the hearts and minds of his adversaries and dominate them. His son, one of them, learned to harness this energy and turn it into elements, conjuring the forces of nature and commanding them while the other learned to take in the natural energy of the world and wield it as his own.” Madara spoke quietly because it was a story that he had heard Kagami tell time and time again.
She always looked oddly ancient when she spoke of it, her eyes lingering on the full moon. It was a story he associated with moonlit evenings, out on the balcony of his room or the engawa of the goten with Kagami gently running her fingers through his hair as he tried to find sleep. The story was deeply personal, one that only Kagami had ever told him, though Tajima knew it and Madara knew Kagami had told it to Izuna before she died.
“For the sin of twisting chakra into a weapon our ancestor was cursed. An agent of divine retribution was unleashed and while they were defeated, the gods were crafty. When his sons built upon his sins, the gods cursed them. I know not what the Senju’s curse is, but the Uchiha’s souls were turned into a flame that burns wildly, out of control. The gods were merciful however for they knew that those born of our founder were guiltless and so it is as much a blessing as a curse. A balanced scale that tilts one way or the other based upon the character of the individual.” Madara knew that within every Uchiha was an unrivaled capacity for love or violence.
They could be greater then any normal human or more terrible then any demon. Uchiha were flames and while fire were often associated with death and destruction, it was also the cornerstone of civilization. Love and hatred, two polar opposites but every human had the capacity for both and in the Uchiha that capacity was endless. That was their curse, at its core, at least as Kagami saw it.
“And Kagami was a master of Ninshu?” Sakura asked and Madara hesitated because while that was true, that wasn’t all she was a master of. The clan had passed down the arts of their ancestors, though nobody had managed to recreate them until Kagami. The scrolls were ancient, preserved by fuinjutsu that nobody in the clan truly understood anymore.
“She was a master of Ninshu, so much so she could feel the emotions of those around her. Not the movements of chakra but actually sense exactly what a person was feeling. Chakra movements can be faked, but Kagami could truly sense what lay in another’s heart.” Madara fell silent for several long seconds and shifted. The soft sloshing of water broke up the tense silence and he wiped away his tears and washed the salt from his cheeks. The water was still hot, but soon it would cool and dinner would be ready.
“She sounds amazing.” Sakura admitted and Madara smiled, proud to be his sister’s little brother. Kagami truly was amazing and she would always be one of his role models. She had loved the clan so much she had went to war, even though the pain of their enemies made her weep tears of blood and her eyes burned with the flames of her soul. She was one of a kind and Madara just knew the world would never see someone so great ever again.
“She was the best.” Madara agreed and then rose from the water. He made his way out of the bath and grabbed his towel, ready to dry himself off. Sakura was still soaking though she would come out soon enough. “The scythe was hers. She chose it because it was intimidating. She hoped it would scare people away so she wouldn’t have to fight them, that if they thought they would have to face an incarnation of the shinigami they might abandon their pride and run.”
Madara swallowed painfully as his mouth went dry. The truth was, despite her age and stature there had been grown men who had fled at the sight of Uchiha Kagami. The problem was fame was deadly on a battlefield and soon enough that fear had turned to hatred.
“It worked, up until it didn’t.” Madara’s words were flat and he shifted to leave but a hand on his wrist stopped him. Sakura’s skin was still wet from the bath and warm to, but her grip was iron and backed by chakra.
“Thank you, Madara.” Sakura’s voice was soft, gentle, as if she knew he wanted to run and cry in a corner. He could feel his emotions roiling in his stomach, his chakra burning through his veins. The desire to rage against the world and the Senju in particular was turning his vision red but Sakura’s presence grounded Madara instantly. Her cool minty chakra brushed against his and he calmed, his heart settling and throat clearing as the lump choking him melted away.
“Come on, let’s get dinner.” Madara mumbled, cheeks turning pink with embarrassment he didn’t understand.
***
Sakura shivered as the rain came down hard around her. At her side, Madara stood doing his best to withstand the chilly droplets that bit into their skin and leeched away their body heat. The army was on the move once more and it was monsoon season, the worst time of year for the Uchiha. The Kurama clan had moved on their southern flank and Tajima’s response was swift and decisive.
The smaller clan had not been expecting a full scale response. They were a small group of potent genjutsu users who preferred strike and fade operations over open battles. They had taken a few rather small but important villages, likely to set up tolls along the major roads from the southern coast. If the Uchiha didn’t retake those villages, the Kurama would drive up prices within the Uchiha’s territory and provide a windfall for the small clan’s coffers.
The sound of thousands of feet marching slowly shifted from a steady rhythm to the chaos of camp as the army reached its destination. They were only a few hours from the villages that the Kurama had taken and they were going to sweep in like a storm. The villages had walls, but what the Kurama didn’t know was that the Uchiha had shinobi stationed in the village, living as civilians and waiting for just such an emergency. The Uchiha were often viewed as lacking in subterfuge by their foes but that was entirely intentional. The clan knew that being underestimated in some areas was a benefit, though it was a careful balance. Being seen as too weak would invite trouble so the Uchiha showed their strengths and feigned a few weaknesses to disguise their actual flaws.
“Sakura, Madara,” Tajima’s voice was gruff and his eyes hard. The man always changed when he stepped foot beyond the clan’s central fortress, becoming a grim warlord rather then a loving father. Sakura and Madara had seen that change three times now, though they had only experienced one battle so far, they had accompanied the baggage train for two more. “You will be staying in the rear but watching the battle this time.”
“Understood Chichiue,” Madara answered and dipped his head in a nod. Sakura nodded along as well and ignored the cold making its way through her cloak and clothes beneath. The urge to learn fuinjutsu was once again burning within her, she’d read stories of Uzumaki made cloaks that repelled water and armor that was always just the perfect temperature for its wearer. There were other, flashier abilities as well but now that Sakura was experiencing war first hand she knew that comfort was in many ways more important as exhaustion was often deadlier then anything else since it lead to a loss of focus.
“Good, this should be quick.” Tajima’s grin was absolutely feral and his graying eyes sparked with just a hint of blood lust before he suppressed it. Tajima wasn’t all that old by Sakura’s standards but for the warring clan’s period he was a venerable shinobi and his skill reflected that. The man knew how to organize an army, manage a clan, command in battle and wage a war. He was as much a leader as any Hokage and in Sakura’s mind certainly more talented then any save, perhaps the Yondaime. She didn’t much like the Senju affiliated Kage. So what if she was biased?
“Nervous?” Madara asked and Sakura shook her head. She wasn’t nervous, not about the coming fight. They wouldn’t be a part of it and she knew the battles here where such a small footnote in history they were only mentioned as, ‘a few clans challenged the Uchiha and were reduced to a handful of members’.
“I’m more worried about the people in the villages.” Sakura answered as they ate a quick meal and started moving arrows around for the ashigaru who were all grouchy and annoyed at being forced to fight in the rain. The sky overhead was a dark gray despite it being close to noon and there were no signs of the sun other then a kind of dull, diffuse light that blanketed the world.
The preparations went by in a blur and soon Sakura found herself standing behind a wall of ashigaru who were preparing to follow the Uchiha leading the assault. A few scattered groups of archers would be remaining behind, to cover a retreat in case things fell apart and Sakura, along with Madara would be staying with them.
The distant gates of the village swung open without warning and Sakura saw the first wave take off with all the speed of a loosed arrow. Armored Uchiha crossed the field in the blink of an eye and then they were through the gates, overwhelming the stunned Kurama guards. Sharingan eyes pierced the clan’s infamous genjutsu with ease and Sakura idly wondered how such a foolish oversight could be made. Perhaps the Kurama were arrogant? She couldn’t say but the results were plane to see.
The ashigaru thundered over the field the moment the wall was clear of archers and flooded through the gates. The village was quickly reduced to a slaughterhouse as the Kurama ashigaru and shinobi were butchered. The civilians sheltered in their homes, terrified and helpless, staying quiet to avoid drawing attention their way. Jutsu occasionally flared across Sakura’s chakra sense, brilliant bursts of color that she felt rather then saw. Then it was over and the call went out for the cleanup teams to move forward.
“You alright?” Sakura asked Madara as they crossed the field. They were part of the teams who would be recovering their own wounded, while adults went over the corpses to ensure none were playing dead.
“It’s cold.” Madara replied quietly as they found the first wounded Uchiha, a shinobi who had been stabbed by a spear in the gap between his pauldron and breastplate. It was a nasty wound but if he got to a medic soon, he’d live. Sakura immediately stuffed bandages into the injury and tightened them before grabbing the man and with Madara’s help, they rushed him to a rapidly establishing field hospital. Sakura didn’t know if the man ended up surviving or not, since he was only one of many casualties she and Madara ferried back to be treated and there was no time to check up on who lived and who died. In a way, not knowing was easier.
***
Sakura looked at the small chest Shisui had given her and silently fretted. She hadn’t opened it yet, despite the curiosity burning within her. She knew it came from one of her precious Uchiha far in the past. Shou, Madara or maybe even Tajima, she couldn’t say but this was their gift to her, far in the future. Drawing in a breath, Sakura put her fingers on the lock and with a pulse of chakra, the chest unsealed with a hiss. She could feel a fuinjutsu array within slowly retracting and she gently pushed the chest’s top up to reveal several scrolls, all neatly stacked and sealed along with a letter.
‘To Sakura,’ the letter was marked in neat, flowing script but perhaps more importantly it was modern letters. Further examination showed that the writing was likely Sakura’s, though separated by years. This was a letter to herself. Drawing in a deep breath, Sakura opened the letter slowly and began to read.
‘I know you’ll open this on the day of graduation, our graduation, because I remember it perfectly. I even know what’s written in this letter, which is funny because I have to wonder, is it written this way because I know or because I chose? Free will is a funny thing, even before time travel is involved, but I digress.
We cannot change history, that is a fact. What is written is what will happen, but that doesn’t mean you can’t subvert expectations. Historical accounts can be flawed, misleading or outright fantasy. Do not assume things are set in stone just because a textbook says things happen a certain way. Be creative, see the branching paths that exist beyond your sight but not out of reach. You can’t save everyone but you can come damn close so never give up.
Watch the clan, you are its guardian then and now. The isle endures, beyond sight, thought lost but waiting. The tree rots from the roots but nature has always loved us and flowers can blossom with a touch. You have no destiny which is a blessing for your path is yours to do with as you please.
Uchiha Sakura’
Sakura drew in a ragged breath as she looked at the signature and stamp beside it. It was the clan head’s seal, which meant this letter was written after Sakura had taken her place beside Madara as his second. There were also mysteries written in, the last paragraph was clearly an attempt to pass on information, to shape history even if it was impossible. Except it wasn’t impossible, was it? After all why would she try if she knew she couldn’t succeed?
Sakura twitched, anxiety swirling within her and she slowly folded the letter back up and placed it in the chest. Closing the lid, the fuinjutsu array expanded and sealed it shut once more. Sakura drew in a shaky breath because today really wasn’t the day to be thinking on such things. Today was team assignments. Eight months in the academy had led to this moment. She and Izumi had been training for months with Itachi and Shisui, the two pulling so far ahead of the rest of the class that their grades stood alone at the top with nobody in sight.
Sakura barely noticed as she pulled on her clothes and strapped her weapons in place. Nor did she really recall crossing Konohagakure and reaching the academy as the world felt oddly distant. Sakura knew she was nervous over team assignments, terrified that she wouldn’t be on Izumi’s team. Such fears were almost silly, she’d killed and fought in a battle and been present for several more besides, though she hadn’t taken part directly. She trained with the legendary Uchiha Madara and as far as she could tell, was his equal, though the fact she wasn’t in the history books wasn’t a surprise. None of the Uchiha were, save Izuna who was only mentioned in passing. The fact that Madara had an older sister wasn’t even on record and the only Uchiha Kagami Sakura could find was a young man who’d fought and died in the second war.
“Nervous?” Izumi’s voice was lined with stress and Sakura’s head snapped to her friend. For once, she felt her age, all of five, nearly six years old and terrified at being thrust into the world before she was ready. She grabbed Izumi’s hand and squeezed it, the older girl giving her an understanding look before forcing a smile to try and cheer Sakura up. “It’ll be alright, we’re so far ahead, only a fool would argue that I’m not the top of class and you’re not second place.”
“Alright settle down!” The chunin sensei barked and Izumi fell silent, her eyes turning forward as Sakura looked towards the instructor. The two girls continued to hold hands as the first few teams were rattled off the list. Neither knew when their team would be called but they could taste it on the air, any minute now one of them would be named. “Team Seven, Uchiha Izumi,” the clan’s name was spoken like a curse and Sakura’s eyes narrowed with rage. The Uchiha had somehow become synonymous with the Kyubi attack. The clan was blamed for the beast’s appearance and the hokage had done nothing to dissuade the rumors.
“Mitarashi Anko,” Sakura recognized the name while Izumi didn’t. The purple haired kunoichi was already a genin, Orochimaru’s former apprentice and a pariah in the village. Anko had also done her best to save Sakura’s life and the rosette had been hoping to catch sight of the girl and befriend her, though she hadn’t managed it so far. Izumi being Anko’s teammate would certainly help manufacturing that meeting though. “And Haruno Sakura.”
“We did it!” Izumi whispered gleefully, her onyx eyes bright with happiness. Sakura’s answering grin hurt her cheeks, her razor sharp teeth on full display. She’d mostly lost her fear of smiling thanks to months with the Uchiha. Tajima and Madara’s constant insistence that happiness should be shown had helped. Izumi, Shisui and Itachi had also contributed, their encouragement for Sakura to act her age whenever they weren’t busy practicing had done a lot to make her more comfortable with her too sharp teeth.
“We did! And I know Anko, she saved me!” Sakura chirped and Izumi paused before her eyes became serious. Izumi nodded, remembering what Sakura had told her of her brief kidnapping. The rosette had been rescued by the hokage himself and their new teammate was to thank for that. Izumi wasn’t sure how she would repay Anko for saving Sakura, but she would try her best.
“Teams, your jounin sensei will be here shortly to collect you.” The sensei stated and then left the room. The fresh graduates were no longer his responsibility and if they weren’t mature enough to be left unsupervised they didn’t deserve their headband.
The moment the sensei left, Sakura could feel eyes on her back. She’d never been bullied in the academy, her age, unusual appearance and skill had been off putting enough to keep the other kids away but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a hot topic among her peers and their parents. Sakura knew many in the village had been upset by her enrollment, but the civilian segment of the population had quickly forgotten their apprehension when it was announced she was a civilian born prodigy, something that the civilian council had desperately wanted.
One by one jounin arrived and pulled their teams from the room and Sakura watched with mild disinterest as they left. Finally, Anko burst into the room through the door, eyes sweeping over the remaining students until they landed on Sakura. The older kunoichi’s grin was wide and slightly unhinged, but her chakra was steady, if perhaps a bit nervous.
“Anko-chan!” Sakura shouted and rose to her feet, rocketing from her seat towards the other girl. Anko’s face morphed from nervous excitement into shock as Sakura hugged her. “I’ve been trying to find you and then you’re just added to me team! Do you know how hard to find you are?! I wanted to thank you and be friends!”
“You were trying to find me?” Anko asked, confusion filling her voice before she registered Sakura’s final words. “You want to be my friend? Even though-”
“Yes, I want to be your friend. You helped rescue me and the other boy and I know who your teacher was and I don’t care because you’re not him. You’re nice and brave, Anko-chan.” Sakura stated, her words becoming childish in her excitement. Izumi’s chakra approached them at a steady pace, swirling with a slow kind of amusement.
“It’s nice to finally meet you Anko-san. You rescued my best friend, even putting your own life at risk to do so. For that alone you’ve had my respect for some time and it’s nice to finally meet you.” Izumi offered her hand to Anko who was by now blushing furiously. The purple haired kunoichi opened her mouth but no words came out. Izumi’s smile brightened and she slowly took Anko’s hand and gave it a shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“It looks like my team is already getting along.” A woman said softly and all three genin spun to find a woman with purple hair a few shades darker then Anko’s. She was pale and her face held the delicate yet beautiful features of the Uchiha clan, though there were hints of something familiar as well.
‘She’s of the Isles.’ Inner said knowingly and Sakura took in a sharp breath. Something within her stirred slightly, the negative emotions that Inner fed on shuffling about in the back of Sakura’s mind as emerald eyes fixed on the bandages wrapped around the jounin’s head.
“I want to fight you.” Sakura whispered softly, unaware she’d even spoke as she looked up at the woman. Sakura knew the woman was an Uchiha, her kinsmen but they were even more closely tied for the purple haired woman had the blood of the Isles within her, she was of Mizu just like Sakura and it showed in the way she smiled. At first glance it was a beautiful expression but the twist of the kunoichi’s lips and the cant of her head were just a bit too aggressive to be anything but bloodthirsty.
“I think I am going to enjoy teaching the three of you.” The half-blooded Uchiha said and her blind gaze shifted to Izumi, her smile sharpening as her lips pulled back to reveal teeth that were more human then Sakura’s but still just a bit too sharp. “Come, I’ll teach you how to demand respect.” Izumi’s breath caught, her chakra stilling before suddenly roaring to life and Sakura just knew their team was going to be a great one.