Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Madara had just begun to push the sheets off his bed when Sakura appeared nearby, half asleep and wearing a strange, form fitting black outfit. Up until that point, her clothes hadn’t been particularly unusual despite her unknown origins, but the outfit she was now wearing was practically alien to Madara’s eyes.
“Morning,” Sakura murmured and slowly pushed herself up as if she was sore all over. The girl stifled a yawn before stilling, her eyes widening with shock. “I need to speak with chichiue, I um, my eyes.”
“Your eyes?” Madara asked curiously and watched as Sakura’s eyes transformed into one tomoe sharingan. The boy inhaled sharply and gripped her shoulders. He could see nervousness in her gaze alongside a bit of fear. “What happened?”
“Nothing bad just, it wasn’t pleasant. I-I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Sakura said softly and Madara pulled her into a hug. Even when she was the one who had just suffered, alone, because wherever she had been there weren’t other Uchiha to help her, she was still concerned about him.
“I’m fine, now let’s get prepared for the day alright? Unless you need to see chichiue immediately?” Madara asked and Sakura shook her head no. Relieved that the situation wasn’t urgent, Madara focused on Sakura’s chakra. It was still minty cool, a misty forest of fresh earth and verdant foliage. There was still that buzz of lightning as well, stronger then it had been but still dim, like a distant thunder storm on the horizon. There was none of the raging hatred that consumed so many Uchiha and for that Madara was immensely grateful.
The two children quickly got dressed for the day, though Madara noticed Sakura left her unusual clothes on underneath her normal training outfit. Entering the dining room, Madara sat down and immediately Izuna was glued to his side. His silly little brother was puffed up and glaring at Sakura, while Tajima looked on with fond exasperation. The standoff had become part of the daily routine and as the children sat down, Izuna ensured he was wedged firmly between his precious older brother and the pink haired youkai.
“Chichiue,” Sakura’s quiet voice drew everyone’s attention and Tajima looked over at the girl he had taken in. Her emerald eyes darkened briefly before transforming into a brilliant crimson. He had known it would happen, Madara’s chakra had mixed into hers, the seal on their left hands creating a bridge between their reserves but that it had happened while she had been away from the clan and the support they could provide was unfortunate.
“Sakura,” Tajima’s voice was tired, pained in a way that Madara hadn’t heard since Kagami’s funeral. There was worry in his eyes that the boy couldn’t place. “Are you safe at home?”
“Ah, well um…” Sakura fidgeted slightly and Madara’s blood ran cold. He knew that Sakura had a troubled home life but the way Tajima had asked the question implied something more. Sakura had been a shell of herself over the last month and now she had sharingan, a doujutsu activated only by immense stress or sadness. Madara had experienced that pain himself fairly recently and knew exactly how horrible it was. “I’m safe now, mostly. My village is…” Sakura trailed off and frowned, her lips pressing together until they were pale. “Troubled but I think I’m okay.”
“It is unfortunate I cannot help you.” Tajima said finally, an unease silence following his words. Several long seconds stretched after that, interrupted by the pounding of feet as a messenger burst into the room. The man quickly handed a scroll to Tajima before beating a hasty retreat. Madara watched as his father read what was written, his frown deepening into a sharp scowl. “It would seem the Hyuga clan have challenged us to an honor duel.”
“Honor duel?” Sakura asked, clearly unaware of exactly what they would be facing. Tajima placed the scroll down and looked over at Madara, the message clear.
“It’s a way of challenging another clan without open war. Their heir against our heir with a second of comparable age. Chichiue, isn’t the Hyuga heir eight?” Madara looked to his father who nodded. The boy grimaced but didn’t complain because a rejection would be seen as worse then a loss. The Uchiha’s reputation wouldn’t be demolished if Madara lost to a boy three years his senior but if he refused to show up at all, that would speak of cowardice.
“Indeed and the match is set for two weeks from now.” Tajima confirmed and Madara felt a pang of nerves. He was training hard but the Hyuga heir was likely no different in that regard. The family were famous for their cold hearts and iron discipline. Facing an older fighter was always a disadvantage, the difference in experience was often insurmountable and only those who innovated or were truly talented could manage to overcome the hurdle. “We’ll be accepting their challenge of course.”
“Of course,” Madara sighed despite himself. He wasn’t happy about this but for his clan, he wouldn’t run or complain. He was to be the next heir and he knew Kagami would never have hesitated to meet such a challenge. Sakura’s hand found his, much to Izuna’s ignored protests and Madara looked over at his best friend.
“I’ll be your second, we’re going to win.” Sakura promised and Madara believed her. The match would be controlled and fought before the Daimyo’s court. The Hyuga might try to kill them, but it was unlikely as it would stain their honor. The Daimyo’s power was shattered and broken, a relic of a bygone age but tradition still held sway and none of the clans had moved on the royal city, at least in Hi no Kuni.
“I cannot exactly up your training without risking injury.” Tajima said upon noticing the look that Madara had sent his way. Madara knew that two weeks wasn’t really enough time to prepare and deflated somewhat. The rustle of cloth beside him followed by a sudden burst of motion caught him off guard as Sakura jumped to her feet, eyes wide.
“I have an idea!” Sakura blurted out and then immediately blushed. Tajima shot her an amused grin while Izuna huffed and used the disturbance to clamp onto Madara like a limpet. Madara tried to ignore Izuna, even as his heart melted because Sakura truly looked like she’d discovered something monumental. “I think I can help Madara train to fight Hyuga!”
“Oh?” Tajima’s tone wasn’t that of an adult humoring a child and Madara looked towards his father with visible confusion. Unless there were Hyuga or a similar clan in Sakura’s mystery village, which was unlikely, she wouldn’t even know how they fight. The gentle fist was one of the clan’s most well known and yet closely guarded secrets. Many knew what it looked like but few actually understood the mechanics or kata. The Uchiha had records but the sharingan was incapable of seeing the chakra network or the tenketsu like the byakugan.
“Yeah, I have a way. Um, tomorrow maybe or the day after?” Sakura’s cheeks were still rosy as she lowered herself back to her cushion. Madara couldn’t help but send her an amused look as their eyes met, causing the rest of her face to immediately turn scarlet. “If you want my help that is.” The words were spoken without pause and Madara barely understood the contents of what she had said.
“Of course I want your help, you’re my best friend and training partner.” Madara didn’t need to mention she was his second. There was no need to bring up duty between the two of them, they understood their burdens and implicitly understood the other would always have their back. Sakura’s blush faded away with Madara’s acceptance and she gave a nod, her resolve visibly hardening as her face went from embarrassed to determined.
“Then I’ll do my best. For today though, um we should train as normal.” Sakura declared, earning an amused grin from Tajima and Madara both. Watching her, Madara felt odd flutters in his stomach, flutters he only ever felt around his pink haired tennyo. It was an odd sensation but not unpleasant, though he didn’t dwell on it as they finished their breakfast and headed outside for training.
***
Sakura arrived back to her own time and immediately went about preparing herself for a day of basic training. Shisui arrived after a few minutes and once Sakura’s white gray armor was securely strapped into place, he lead her out to the cafeteria where all on rotation ANBU ate. The smell of rich, hearty foods filled the air and Sakura quickly found herself looking at a plate of steak, eggs and potatoes. It was an almost decadent breakfast and a hearty pile of rice cooked in beef broth completed the meal.
“ANBU eat well, at least while stationed in the village. During the wars, a lot of younger operatives suffered from nutrition deficiencies and the ANBU commander’s response was ensuring that the food on base was not only free but fortifying.” Shisui explained, clearly enjoying his meal. All around them other ANBU ate breakfast, the food decidedly less then traditional but certainly nutritious. Still even with this kind of meal, a shinobi could still burn through all the calories and nutrients thanks to the sheer amount of calories that using chakra demanded.
“Shisui-taichou,” Sakura coated her words with sugar and put on her best puppy eyes. She knew exactly what she was doing as she looked up at the Uchiha and even though he knew he was about to be manipulated, Shisui felt his heart stutter as the tiny fae looked up at him. “I need to spar against a Hyuga, could you help?”
“And I’m guessing, for whatever reason you’re not going to tell me why?” Shisui asked and somehow Sakura’s emerald eyes got even bigger and a small fang peaked out from behind her lips. It was utterly adorable and the curly haired Uchiha felt his ability to deny her shatter. Not that he was planning on turning down her request but it would have been nice to know what was going through her mind. “Prodigies,” Shisui grumbled under his breath before adding at a much higher volume, “sure alright!
“I’m going to need a mask though.” Sakura mumbled and Shisui rolled his eyes. He had accounted for that already and a blank training mask that would hide her sharingan was currently sitting in his pouch. He wasn’t going to give it to her outside of training though, after all the last thing he wanted was to see similarities between Sakura and a Root drone.
“I’ll have that covered.” Shisui promised, because he already did. The mask would hide the chakra in and around her face and eyes. Even a byakugan wouldn’t be able to pierce the masking seals the ANBU commander had applied to the bone white armor. Shisui knew that wasn’t standard issue and suspected the commander was far more aware of Sakura’s secrets then what lay in the girl’s files but he wasn’t about to ask and the commander didn’t appear inclined to offer anything either.
“Thanks Shisui-taichou, you’re the best!” Sakura’s puppy eyes melted away and a massive grin took its place. Shisui let out a tired sigh and ruffled the girl’s hair. Between Itachi and Sakura he had his hands full looking after children with too much thrust upon them.
‘At least Sakura doesn’t have the weight of a clan upon her shoulders, the poor girl is already dealing with far too much for her age.’ Shisui thought, unaware of the burdens that Sakura’s minuscule shoulders already bore far in the past.
When breakfast was finished, Sakura followed Shisui out of the cafeteria and through the network of tunnels to a training room where several ANBU were engaged in fierce taijutsu bouts. The sound of boots on stone, shouts and impacts echoed off the walls but no jutsu were thrown and no weapons were used. In fact, Sakura could barely feel chakra in the air as all those present were keeping their tightly suppressed as they fought with pure muscle and skill.
“Hawk!” Shisui called out as he approached a man with warm brown hair, hints of red mixing within it as it caught the light. The Hyuga, or at least Sakura suspected it was a Hyuga based off the previous conversation stilled, his sparring partner doing the same and the two gave each other a brief bow before stepping apart.
“Yes Crow?” The Hyuga’s voice lacked the stilted rigidity that defined the main house, which marked them as likely to be a branch member of the family. Sakura knew of the Hyuga’s internal practices and shared the Uchiha’s disdain for the other great doujutsu wielding family. The Hyuga were slavers and in the eyes of the Uchiha there was only one fitting punishment, death.
“My little trainee here has heard about the Hyuga’s gentle fist and wants to see it in action. Up for a spar or two in one of the chakra training grounds?” Shisui asked curiously and the Hyuga hummed, his voice young enough to by Shisui’s peer. Sakura could feel the teen’s eyes on her before he gave his current sparing partner a nod.
“Thanks for the match Bat,” Hawk thanked his sparing partner, a woman with dark black hair tied into a tight braid. She had lightly tanned skin and her ANBU uniform was modified with several additional containers for scrolls and tools. “But it looks like I’ve got a rookie to impress.”
“Don’t try and sound noble, you just want to get ahead of the latest gossip by grilling the pipsqueak.” Bat drawled, shaking her head and letting out a hearty sigh. “Troublesome, I’m going to go find someone less likely to bale on me for a spar. Later Hawk.” With that the Nara ANBU walked off, looking for another sparing partner while the trio consisting of Sakura, Shisui and Hawk left for a separate training ground, one that wasn’t in active use.
“Rules?” Hawk asked as he waited for Shisui to join him on the empty training ground. Shisui had chosen a wide open, flat training arena so that Sakura would be able to watch everything. He handed her the temporary mask and the girl looked at it blankly before glancing up at Shisui with a questioning expression on her face.
“You stick it to your face with chakra.” Shisui explained quickly and helped Sakura attach the mask. Once it was secure he gave the girl a nod and suspected her sharingan were now active, not that he could be sure since it hid her eyes from his senses. Walking over to Hawk, he placed his own mask over his face and began to stretch. “Normal rules, anything goes, to first blood or obvious victor. It can’t take too long either, pinky-chan has physical conditioning to get to.”
“Indulging the pipsqueak?” Hawk asked, though his voice sounded more amused then derisive. “I heard about a fiasco on the council. Rumor is Bear-sama challenged the Elder Council for rights to her.” Hawk slid into the basic stance of the jukan and Shisui was certain Sakura was watching with her sharingan. Her chakra spiked in anticipation as he took up his own stance. “Going for a taijutsu bout? Sure you don’t want to use that tanto of yours?”
“I know you’ve got the advantage Hawk but you don’t improve by taking it easy.” Shisui replied back easily and grinned as he took the most common guard of the modern Uchiha style. The two men faced each other down for a moment before Hawk charged forward. The Hyuga’s fingers shot towards Shisui’s guard and the Uchiha barely parried the attacks as bursts of chakra released from Hawk’s fingers caused the air to pop.
Sakura watched the fight intently, her world in hyper focus thanks to the supernatural visual acuity of her sharingan. She could feel the memories being burned into her soul, every strike and step committed to memory. She could replicate the movements, see the flow of chakra and even her other senses were being recorded and stored. Her chakra sense was focused to a razor’s edge and she could sense the shaped lances of chakra that erupted from Hawk’s fingers.
The fight continued to gain in speed as Shisui broke out his signature jutsu. Hawk was clearly the stronger of the two in taijutsu but now that Shisui was countering with ninjutsu, the playing field was somewhat even. Sakura felt Shisui’s chakra shift and swirl a moment before his hands flew together into a tiger seal. A blast of fire erupted from Shisui’s masked mouth and Hawk’s chakra surged without warning. The Hyuga spun, compressing his chakra all over his body before releasing it in a devastating pulse.
“Damn Hawk, does Hiashi know you stole that?” Shisui asked as he landed and flickered out of the way of a barrage of chakra laden jabs. Hawk’s chakra curled with smug satisfaction but he didn’t lay off as he and Shisui danced about, the Uchiha always just barely avoiding the Hyuga’s deadly attacks. Finally, Shisui was cornered and forced to reach for his tanto. The blade was double sided and tip-less, a favorite of the Shimura clan.
Shisui’s chakra deadened noticeably, his emotions stuttering like a fire without fuel as his speed increased sharply. The momentarily void of emotion that consumed Shisui sent Sakura’s blood running cold and apparently Hawk as well as the teen surrendered instantly. Shisui’s blade paused, less then an inch away from the Hyuga’s throat and he retracted it almost mechanically.
“Sorry about that Hawk, you’ve gotten a lot better.” Shisui complimented and the Hyuga clicked his tongue in annoyance. Still his chakra was more unsettled then angry, something he and Sakura now shared in common. The teen gripped the edge of his mask and pulled it off to reveal a beautiful face with pale pearlescent eyes. Two long bangs framed his face, each held together by gold beads that hung at chin level while the back of his hair was short and spiky. It was quite similar to Sakura’s current hair style, though she lacked and beads or decorations, something she hadn’t considered before.
“Yeah and you’re still a freak of nature when you get serious.” Hawk teased back, though it was clear he was trying to shake off his unease. Shisui’s shift had been abrupt, without warning and even now his chakra wasn’t quite back to normal. It wasn’t blank anymore but the warm sunshine and fire had dimmed noticeably.
“Well I’ve had a lot of training.” Shisui shrugged off the compliment and removed his mask to reveal a somewhat forced grin. The two boys seemed to finally relax though and turned towards Sakura who let her sharingan recede. She waited a few more seconds before she pushed the mask up and looked between them. “Well Sakura-chan? What did you think of seeing a Hyuga in person?”
“Your techniques are very interesting, but why did you emit chakra even when you missed?” Sakura asked and Hawk, gave her a wry grin. The teen’s eyes slid to Shisui who grinned back at him, even as the Hyuga raised an eyebrow in question.
“Sakura-chan is a super deluxe chibi, Hawk. She’s not just a prodigy but a natural sensor and expert in chakra control. She doesn’t get how us mortals struggle with such things.” Shisui explained and Hawk gave out a quiet noise of realization.
“Most people cannot recall chakra they prepared for a strike. On a miss, it is wasted and to avoid damaging my tenketsu, I release it.” Hawk explained as the group fell in and left the training room. The Hyuga’s curiosity was palpable, despite his pale, pupil-less eyes and Sakura looked at him, silently pressuring him to ask whatever was one his mind. “How old are you?”
“I am five years and nine months old.” Sakura stated matter-o-factly and nodded as she did so. It was such a childish thing to do that both teens shifted uncomfortably. Neither thought children belonged in ANBU and Itachi’s inclusion in the organization had already ruffled feathers. Still, word had gotten around that Sakura would have been pulled into Root and while opinions on the shadow organization were split, nobody would argue that ANBU wasn’t the more humane of the two organizations. Though, considering both were black ops that specialized in assassination and gray zone operation, that really wasn’t saying much.
“And here I thought Itachi would be the youngest brat to join. Kami, we’re not even at war and the council wanted her in Root?” Hawk asked and Shisui slid his eyes over to the man, knowing clear within them. A deathly chill radiated from his chakra, which burned in a distinctly Uchiha way. Sakura had never felt her clan’s curse in Shisui before but now it was ever present and hammering through his network like a plague.
“They take them even younger then that. Easier to program. Sakura-chan got very, very lucky Bear-sama took notice of her. It’s unprecedented, the commander had never intervened before.” Shisui said quietly and Hawk shot the teen an unreadable look. Silence fell between the group as they returned to the more traveled sections of the base and Hawk stopped at an intersection.
“I’m going to go meet up with my squad then, good luck training up the new recruit Crow.” Hawk said to Shisui before shifting his focus to Sakura. “And good luck Sakura-san, you might be a prodigy but ANBU is rough, even for adults.” Hawk’s mouth twisted with disapproval before he returned his mask over his face and flickered away, escaping any further conversation. Beside her Shisui let out a sigh and ran his hand through his wild curls.
“Honestly he’s right but better here then there. Come on Sakura-chan, let’s get you to basic.” Shisui put his hand on the girl’s shoulder and a moment later pulled her away into a shunshin. The world smeared into streaks of gray with random flashes of light as they passed under illumination seals. The pace was immense, greater then anything she’d seen Shisui use before and when they finally came to a stop, Sakura found herself standing at the entrance of a truly massive underground cave.
“Konohagakure is built atop a massive cave complex. Long ago, the Uchiha had a secret hiding spot here, a refuge in case all other fortresses and defenses were overcome. A place the clan could hide from its enemies and survive even if all else was lost.” Shisui’s voice echoed off the walls and Sakura shivered, the idea that the Uchiha could ever be forced to such desperate measures absolutely terrifying her. Still the fact that they had a plan, a fall back method was comforting, it meant they had something to fall back on if the worst came to pass. “When the Uchiha joined with the Senju, they donated the land that Konohagakure was built on.”
“They did not isolate themselves however, the two founding clans build their complexes side by side with only one wall surrounding them. The current Senju district is actually the Senju Uchiha district and while there is a clear dividing line, with separate defenses, the outermost layers of protection are unified.” Shisui finished his explanation and gave Sakura a meaningful look. This information hadn’t been taught in the academy, at least not in the year she had attended. Furthermore, the Uchiha district was located on the outskirts of the village, separated by a substantial patch of forest from the next closest district which happened to be the Akasen.
It was obvious that all was not well in Konoha. One of the two founding clans was maligned. Uchiha Madara was all but struck from history, his name only ever mentioned in passing and the Uchiha were viewed with open hostility by many in the village, shinobi and civilian alike. It was chilling to see what had become of the village that was supposed to bring a new age of peace to the Uchiha.
“What happened?” Sakura asked and Shisui’s eyes narrowed slightly, his chakra chilling. Sakura grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Shisui, did you, are, what’s wrong with your emotions right now?” Instead of answering Shisui let out a small sigh and opened his mouth. At the back of his tongue was a seal and Sakura could feel its hooks clinging deeply to Shisui’s network.
“I’m an orphan you know? No parents to look after me and the Uchiha don’t have an orphanage. I had to go somewhere but I’m ANBU now and that’s all that matters. Your secret is safe with me because I’m never letting anyone I care about go through what I survived.” Shisui’s sharingan flared to life, twisting into mangekyo instinctively. Sakura knew what those eyes meant and her breath caught in her throat. Acting without thinking, she hugged Shisui and buried her face into his stomach.
“I’m here Shisui, it’s alright now.” She brushed her chakra against his. Her ninshu was rudimentary but even an amateur could connect with those they loved and were loved by. She felt her emotions calm Shisui, grounding him in the present and he slowly let his fists uncurl, a shuddering breath leaving him before he placed a hand on her head.
“You’re really something special, aren’t you Sakura-chan? Never, ever do that where someone can see, okay? I don’t even know what you did but, just don’t. Promise me.” Shisui knelt down and wiped away the tears that Sakura hadn’t even noticed she was crying.
“I can’t, because if you need me, or Itachi, Izumi or Naori I just, I’d have to. I love all of you.” Sakura whispered, earning a strangled noise of worry from Shisui. The teen was terrified for her but Sakura had a duty to keep the Uchiha’s fire burning bright and healthy. She didn’t know the modern clan, wasn’t even considered a member but she would still look out for those she loved.
“You and Itachi are going to be the death of me.” Shisui murmured, his eyes returning to their usual onyx hue. He ran another hand through his already tussled curls and looked up towards the rocky sky overhead. “Let’s get your training started. If you’re going to draw even more attention your way then you better be strong enough to survive it.”