Chapter 32
Chapter 32
A warm breeze carried water spray across the Naka, creating a temporary rainbow as two ten year olds danced over the surface. Blunt shuriken and kunai flew between them, steel sparking off steel as they intercepted each other’s attacks. Katana slid from sheathes and the two met blade to blade in a flurry of ringing strikes and slashes. Their weapons sang as they battled for dominance, colliding with a force greater then most adult shinobi could bring to bear before separating and skidding along the water’s surface, creating another momentary rainbow between them.
“Beautiful,” a voice snapped the two from their dance, emerald and onyx eyes falling on a boy with short brown hair and warm amber eyes. He had tanned skin and Sakura instantly recognized him even if Madara didn’t, at least by sight. His chakra was warm and earthy, like freshly turned earth and during a rainstorm. He was like a living forest and his chakra was so potent that the faint smell of petrichor danced over both Sakura and Madara’s noses as they took him in.
Madara narrowed his eyes at the boy, who had distinctively Senju chakra, except it wasn’t cold and hateful like he was used to. This boy was alive, emotional in a way none of the Senju he’d seen or killed had ever been before. He could tell Sakura had noticed, though judging by her relaxed stance she didn’t consider him a threat.
“Sorry, I didn’t meant to interrupt.” The boy admitted, almost sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in a way that instantly reminded Sakura of Naruto. She could see the similarities in their warm, cheerful chakra though Hashirama’s was a forest after a summer’s rain, where Naruto’s was a tropical storm. They were different, yet similar, perhaps even related. The Senju and Uzumaki were once one family after all, the split far more recent then the Senju Uchiha schism.
“Why are you spying on us?” Madara’s question hung in the air between them and the boy held up his hands, making it clear they were empty. It was a show of peace, an attempt to deescalate the situation. Madara looked to Sakura, her chakra still relaxed but ready. He knew she’d follow his lead but didn’t seem likely to attack anytime soon.
“I was just wandering through the area. I needed to get away from…” The boy frowned and shook his head. “It’s nothing, I just had to get some air. My family can be pretty intense.” The boy said sheepishly and Madara relaxed slightly. If there were Senju who could find the rest of their family overwhelming then perhaps they weren’t all bad. A peace between the two families that didn’t involve annihilation would require negotiation after all so perhaps making a friend could be beneficial, if the boy wasn’t a spy.
“What’s your name?” Sakura asked and the boy looked at her, his cheeks coloring slightly. The sight of the boy blushing at Sakura set Madara’s chakra on fire. She was his friend and she certainly wasn’t going to take an interest in any random Senju.
“I’m Hashirama, can I have your names?” The boy asked and Madara felt the fire in his blood intensify. Sakura wouldn’t take an interest in any random Senju but this boy had the same name as the heir. He looked a bit like Butsuma as well, kinder, less murderous but their was a resemblance never-the-less.
“Madara, she’s Sakura,” Madara cut in and drew the boy’s attention back to himself. His blush didn’t clear up at all though and he gave Madara a lopsided grin.
“You guys are amazing you know? It’s like you were dancing, I’ve never seen anything like it.” Hashirama said, his smile causing Madara to shift uncomfortably on the water. For some reason, he felt like he wanted to bash the other boy’s head in, yet at the same time despised the idea of fighting him. It was decidedly confusing, so instead he settled on letting out a grunt of agreement. “Um, I didn’t mean to spy on either of you though, can I make up for it?”
“Well since you saw a bit of our fighting style, perhaps you could offer us something about yourself? Balance it out?” Sakura suggested when it became clear Madara wasn’t about to speak. Hashirama considered the question for a bit before his face brightened and he bit his thumb. He gathered a small amount of chakra, not nearly enough for a dangerous summons then quickly made the hand signs of the jutsu. When the smoke cleared, a small slug with blue markings looked at the three children, its eye stalks swiveling to take them all in.
“Oh, hello what’s this Hashirama? Quite interesting friends you’re making today.” The slug’s voice was feminine and its chakra was utterly peaceful as it made its way up Hashirama’s leg and came to rest on his shoulder.
“Yeah I accidentally spied on them so I’m showing them something about myself to counterbalance that.” Hashirama explained and grinned at the two Uchiha. It was obvious at this point that all three children knew which clans they owed their loyalty to but none of them moved to attack. The slug, content with Hashirama’s answer, inspected the two Uchiha before focusing on Madara.
“Hello children, it is a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for Hashirama-kun’s carelessness he has no sense of tension.” The slug explained, though it was clear it was mainly focused on Madara. Sakura didn’t say anything about being ignored and Madara wasn’t about to draw attention her way, they were shinobi after all and being underestimated was useful in many cases. “Is my appearance here enough to make up for it?”
“I suppose it is,” Madara replied after a pause and Sakura nodded her agreement though the slug had already contented itself with his answer and vanished into a puff of smoke. Madara shared a side eyed glance with his friend while Hashirama grinned awkwardly.
“Sorry about that, they’re usually more polite then that.” Hashirama offered and Madara simply raised an eyebrow. “Really, okay, maybe they’re not but there we’re even now.” Hashirama declared and Madara let out a tired sigh. Somehow he just knew the other boy was going to plow through any objection short of a serious attack. He just had that imperturbable air about him, like he was the human embodiment of a cheerful battering ram.
“You can leave now, if you want. We won’t pursue you.” Madara offered and the boy frowned, clearly put out.
“I can’t keep watching you two? You’re both beautiful, the way you move and fight…” Hashirama’s words made Madara’s stomach twist again and he huffed angrily. He wasn’t about to let some Senju spy on him, nor was he going to skip out on training.
“You’re lonely, aren’t you?” Sakura’s question caught Madara off guard. The Senju boy, likely heir, offered a wry smile, one full of painful bitterness. It was obvious he wasn’t all happiness and clueless grins, though he hid it well.
“That obvious huh? Sorry, I can go. I know-”
“You can’t watch us train but, perhaps you could join us for lunch? Madara?” Sakura looked over at him and Madara thought over their options.
He was going to have to tell his father about this, there was no way he was going to allow such a security breach. Sakura’s eyes told him she was thinking the exact same thing, but neither of them were going to hurt the Senju boy. He hadn’t attacked them and this was the first real chance at dialogue the Senju and Uchiha clans had ever had. They might all be children but Madara was his clan’s heir, Sakura his second and Hashirama the future Lord Senju. They were all young but they were important and a bond could pave the way towards a brighter future.
“Alright, you can join us for lunch today. I brought some extra just in case.” Madara sighed and felt viciously satisfied that Sakura smiled at him and not the strange, confusing Senju.
***
Sakura glanced over at Hashirama, eyeing the man who had become her village’s first Hokage. He was the god of shinobi, practically worshiped by her countrymen but she knew the image was warped by propaganda. Madara was portrayed as the devil after all, a fact that angered her constantly. He wasn’t perfect, nobody was, but he wasn’t the monstrous villain intent on blood and murder the village’s histories spoke of. He was a hero, a boy seeking to defend his clan with rather accurate suspicions about the Senju and their allies now that the massacre had come to pass.
‘He doesn’t seem hostile,’ Inner mused as they ate.
“So, uh, you two are really strong. That’s cool, I mean I’m pretty strong to but the way you two fight is beautiful.” Hashirama began awkwardly, clearly intent on filling the tense silence that had settled over them. Madara glanced at the boy and scowled, his lips pressed together. It was almost a pout, as if he was personally put out by Hashirama. It certainly wasn’t the expression Sakura thought he’d have, in fact she expected him to punch the Shodaime, he was a Senju after all.
“Thanks, your chakra feels quite unique.” Sakura replied smoothly, looking Hashirama over curiously. His chakra was normal, ordinary, disappointingly so. Sure it was powerful, like a small star of potential but it wasn’t all that much different from hers, they even shared the same elements. His didn’t mix in unique or strange ways, like most with inherited elemental releases. It lent proof to the idea that the Mokuton wasn’t a kekkei genkai, despite Tenzo’s existence. There had to be something else going on, not that Sakura was going to discuss secret techniques with a Senju of all people.
“Ah well I have two elements,” Hashirama’s face sank the moment he finished speaking. An aura of despair began to radiate from him as his happy expression melted away. “I shouldn’t have told you that! That’s supposed to be a secret!”
“It’s fine, accidents happen. I mean you know what elements we are from watching us.” Sakura met Madara’s eyes, grinning playfully. The brown haired boy immediately perked up, a massive grin that reminded her of Naruto stretching his cheeks.
“You’re right! Yeah, okay I didn’t do bad.” Hashirama nodded to himself and then looked over the two Uchiha. “You two aren’t from the same clan, are you?”
“Don’t bring up clans.” Madara snapped defensively and Hashirama’s excitement dimmed, understanding flashing through his eyes. Right now they were all skirting the edges of acceptability. They all knew who the others were but until it was confirmed they could play it off as ignorance.
“Right, yeah, sorry again.” Hashirama deflated slightly and got up, looking between them. “Would you mind if I came back tomorrow, maybe?”
“Do whatever, just don’t spy on us.” Madara huffed, earning another massive grin. Sakura couldn’t help but chuckle at the interaction. Madara was normally all calm composure or fierce passion, this new awkward side of him wasn’t something she’d seen before.
“And if you do spy on us, I’ll kick your ass.” Sakura added cheerfully, giving Hashirama a shark toothed grin. The future Shodaime blushed furiously in response while Madara’s pout intensified.
‘Oh dear,’ Inner said softly as Hashirama beat a hasty retreat and momentarily reminding Sakura of Inari. ‘This is going to be fun.’
***
Tajima looked over his two eldest, doing his best to hide his rapidly forming headache. The Senju were far more nomadic then the Uchiha, they weren’t called the clan of the forest for nothing after all. They had cities and towns, fortress and strongholds but the bulk of their clan lived a much more mobile and nomadic life then the Uchiha. Some might call the Senju barbarians but Tajima would never risk underestimating them just because of their nomadic habits.
“So you met a boy you believe to be the Senju heir well within our territory.” Tajima asked and both of his children nodded. He might expect this kind of behavior from Madara, who felt the need to prove himself through action far more keenly then Sakura. The girl however clearly knew something, judging by the lack of tension in her shoulders and the speculative look in her eyes. “And you didn’t kill him? Or even try? You have summons, you could have sent for help.”
“If the next head of the Senju is an idiot then we shouldn’t kill him.” Madara huffed, and Tajima could help the eyebrow that rose in response to his son’s words. Madara was clearly ruffled and unsteady by the interaction, which made sense. Learning your foes were human, were just like you, was always a tough and bitter lesson. The Senju, despite their curse and their hatred, were humans. They didn’t feel as deeply as the Uchiha or even normal people, their curse stifling their emotions and making them rigid and stoic but they sill felt all the same.
“And your thoughts Sakura?” Tajima asked, wondering why the girl hadn’t eliminated the threat. Perhaps the boy was supposed to live, or at least die on a different day. Neither Tajima nor Sakura were eager to tempt fate by trying to change recorded events.
“I think this is an opportunity, this boy may become the Senju clan head. A personal connection would provide a chance for diplomacy we’ve never had.” Sakura said the words carefully and Tajima couldn’t blame her for her unease. She wasn’t Uchiha by blood, not that anyone would suspect such a thing considering her sharingan. Still, Tajima knew that for all she fought for the clan and devoted herself to their cause, Sakura always felt just a bit uneasy, like her place had to constantly be reaffirmed. It was understandable, but hopefully her insecurity would fade as she grew older.
“We can’t let him move unattended through our lands but scaring him off would ruin this opportunity. Worst comes to worst, we could take him prisoner if the Senju launch an attack while he’s with you two.” Tajima’s words seemed to put both children at ease. He knew that one day they would likely face this boy on the field of battle and if he was afraid they would hesitate, he’d intervene but for now he’d let things play out. “I’ll have patrols increased and I’ll allow this boy to move through our territory. I’ll also be training Izuna nearby where you met him, just in case Butsuma decides to show his face.”
“Thank you for trusting us, chichiue.” Madara’s formal tone put a smile on Tajima’s face. His son hadn’t just impulsively made the decision to ask or try to befriend the Senju. He’d known exactly how big of an ask he was making and had come upon a decisive decision. He was acting as the heir of the Uchiha, the future clan head and Sakura was perfectly fulfilling the role of his second, making up for his shortcomings in communicating his motives and thoughts. The two were in sync and once Izuna was a bit older and learned to work with them, the trio would make an unbeatable team.
***
Sakura pushed off her sheets and stretched, her muscles burning pleasantly as she prepared for the day. After a quick shower, Sakura returned to her room and stopped in front of her dresser. ‘I don’t have anything cute…’ Sakura frowned, looking over her ANBU uniforms and practical training outfits. She didn’t have anything actually nice to wear and while she didn’t have a lot of time to do anything other then train, that didn’t mean she didn’t want to have nice clothes.
“Hey Sakura, ready for-” Anko cut herself off as she threw Sakura’s door open. The girl’s tendency for being early had only gotten stronger as she intentionally built up an unhinged reputation. Her mad grin was absent, an unnecessary facade among friends and in its place was a thoughtful look. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have any cute clothes. I grew out of everything nice.” Sakura huffed, because the truth was she’d been so busy she’d started to just grab chunin uniforms from the ANBU armory. Her clothes were black shirts, pants and cloth armor.
“Want to go shopping?” Sasuke poked his head into the room, having overhead the conversation from the hall. The boy had taken well to living with the members of Team 7, learning from all of them over the two years since the massacre. Though they were all too busy to train him consistently, somebody was always around to teach him something and the boy soaked up everything they taught him like a sponge.
“I mean, I have fuinjutsu practice and I’m nearly done figuring out how to reflect chakra…” Sakura’s voice trailed off as Anko threw an arm over her shoulder and grinned playfully. Sakura knew what that smile meant and it was the reason she hadn’t introduced Anko to Naruto, yet. When the boy was a bit older and less corruptible she’d introduce them but right now the last thing the village needed was the three of them working together on pranks. Naruto got enough help from her after all.
‘Possessive Outer?’ Inner snickered with amusement as Sakura rolled her eyes. Inner had receded somewhat over the last two years. The trauma from the massacre and her week in Root had lessened thanks to her lessons in Ninshu and Tajima’s careful aid. The Uchiha were master mind healers and she had regained most of her emotional range, though had carefully kept the ability to clamp down on things if she needed to.
‘Not at all Inner but if I introduced Anko, she’d demand we take Naruto in as well and the Hokage expressly forbid that after Sasuke started living here full time.’ Sakura loathed Sarutobi Hiruzen just as much as she hated Danzo and the rest of the Elder Council. The only other people in the village she held even a comparable level of hatred towards were the Hyuga and they were kin slavers.
‘Ah good point and with the two most hated people in the village living under one roof, even the Senju wards might not be enough to stop the riot that would break out if people discovered the last Senju and Uchiha were living near the demon brat.’ Inner scoffed, enraged that Hiruzen just let this happen. It had been his inaction and pandering to panic that had isolated the Uchiha clan. He could have stepped in, he didn’t have to throw them into a ghetto, he could have negotiated but he’d chosen genocide and one day Sakura would pay him back in kind. ‘Going to kill the Sarutobi?’
‘Going to kill everyone involved in the massacre.’ Sakura answered and Inner sent a wave of agreement before sinking back into the depths of their shared mind.
“So, what kind of clothes does our little shark like?” Anko asked and suddenly Sakura realized that perhaps agreeing to go shopping with Anko would be a very bad idea. The truth was, Sakura loved frilly, girly clothes, the kinds of things she really couldn’t wear to training. She wasn’t always on the battlefield after all and it was impossible to be ready at all times, that kind of behavior would eventually lead to the mind simply snapping from the stress. Still, most kunoichi looked down on frilly, girly clothes and Sakura just couldn’t shake her interest.
“Tennyo’s has nice stuff.” Sakura mumbled, shrinking into herself as she remembered the pretty pink and white dresses she’d seen there. They were of foreign styles with lots of lace and ruffles. They were the epitome of girly though and while the store carried some ‘practical’ clothes, none of them were something you’d wear into a combat if you had a choice.
“Tennyo’s does have nice stuff.” Anko agreed, catching Sakura off guard. The rosette’s head snapped to Anko who simply grinned and ruffled her hair playfully. “What? Just because I’d never be caught dead in their outfits doesn't mean I don’t like their stuff. Have you seen those dresses? If I was a civilian I’d rock the black and purple look.”
“Oh,” Sakura had never really considered Anko’s taste in clothes. The other girl, much like Sakura, only ever wore the standard uniform. Anko rolled her eyes with faux exasperation and then looped her arm through Sakura and Sasuke’s.
“Come on, let’s go grab Izumi and go shopping!” Anko cheered and before anyone could argue, their usual schedule was thoroughly derailed.
Sakura wasn’t exactly sure what Anko said to convince Izumi and Naori to go shopping with them. In fact, she had never considered any of her friends to be the shopping type. All of their lives had been so consumed by training since the massacre that the ten year old never really saw any of them engaging in leisure anymore. They had become soldiers, amid a sea of enemies, forced to contend with the fact that their village might one day turn on them. Today though, apparently that was being put on hold as Sakura looked over the frilly dresses before her.
A display titled battle skirts immediately drew her attention and Sakura began to browse the poofy ensembles, eyeing the pink and white outfits as well as the blacks, greens and blues. Inner hummed happily in the back of her mind, not offering any commentary and instead simply basking in the collective happiness of her friends turned family as they shopped.
“Hey, what do you think of this?” Anko asked, pulling up a dramatic looking trench coat in black with a purple lining the same shade as her hair. Even the stitching was in purple and it stood out against the high quality black leather exterior. The coat was also heavy duty and could easily be tailored up to kunoichi standards at any of the shops dedicated to turning civilian made clothes into shinobi wear.
“Leather is great for applying seals, you don’t have to worry about the weave being too loose to transmit the effects and it’ll be durable.” Sakura kept her tone completely serious, and Anko heaved a massive sigh in her direction. The reaction was so overly dramatic, Sakura couldn’t help but crack a grin. “It’d look great on you, especially with the right outfit underneath.”
“I’m thinking a chain mail shirt over a standard padded black undershirt. Keep it simple and as for pants…” Anko looked around the store before her eyes fell on a black leather mini skirt with a purple lining. Sakura knew before her friend opened her mouth what she was going to do and so returned her attention back to her shopping.
Sasuke was orbiting nearby, looking around at the dresses and skirts with poorly concealed interest. The boy was obviously lost amid the sea of frilly clothes and Sakura wondered if perhaps she should take him to a shop for shinobi after this.
‘His chakra seems embarrassed.’ Inner noted as Sasuke’s eyes roamed a black kimono. It would certainly look cute on him but it was for girl, which wasn’t a problem if he wanted to wear it but it would certainly cause a stir. ‘Why don’t you just admit you want the frilly pink dress, grab the white stockings and pink boots then help Sasuke? You can even throw in the frilly white lace gloves.’
‘…fine,’ Sakura knew that wearing all pink, in addition to her pink hair wouldn’t help how people saw her. When she wasn’t in her ANBU disguise, people often treated her like a child. It didn’t help that she was a child and rarely took missions as a chunin, though she had met the bare minimum required now to make jounin thanks to Hatake dragging her around Hi no Kuni on the requisite B and A ranks.
‘Outer, focus, go talk with Sasuke.’ Inner encouraged and Sakura let out a tired sigh and picked up the clothes she wanted. She grabbed the pink and white outfit and then grabbed a dark green kimono top with a matching knee length skirt and black boots. The two outfits would hopefully last her a few years, though at the rate she was growing she’d be back sooner rather then later. Content, Sakura meandered her way over to Sasuke who was now glancing at the nail polish curiously.
“Red’s a good color for you, dark red or dark blue. Purple could work as well but Anko might get defensive.” Sakura said casually and Sasuke jumped slightly, startling hard. He’d been so focused on the various colors that he hadn’t noticed her approach, though she had suppressed her chakra and silenced her steps.
“I’m a boy, I’m not interested in girly things. I’m just looking for you.” Sasuke denied quickly though the way his chakra twisted made it obvious to Sakura he was lying. Leaning past him, she picked up a shade of nail polish that matched the color of the sharingan, a bold crimson and then snatched up some eye shadow in a dark red. “You’re going to make me wear that, aren’t you?”
“If you want me to.” Sakura replied, more then happy to give Sasuke an excuse. If he wasn’t comfortable enough with himself to admit his own interest, she’d happily let him blame her until he was. “If anything else catches your eye, just let me know alright?”
“You’re…” Sasuke hesitated, chakra full of confusion and unease. Sakura offered him a kind smile and waved off his concern.
The boy had come out of the Massacre hurting and desperate though two years with Team 7 had done a lot to heal those wounds he was still dreadfully insecure about his own abilities, constantly measuring himself against Izumi, Anko and Sakura. He’d catch up, he had the same gift for learning that Madara had, an intuitive grasp of techniques and jutsu that was uncanny, as if he was simply remembering them rather then learning. For now though, Sakura’s massive head start and combat experience would ensure that she would stay well ahead of him for quite some time to come.
“That what you’re going to buy?” Naori asked as Sakura made her way to the front counter. Naori tended towards traditional clothes outside of battle and seemed to have no real interest in any of the overly ornate pieces on display. Still, she showed no signs of judgment as Sakura placed down her two dresses along with nail polish for herself and Sasuke.
“Yup, I won’t have much chance to wear any of it but I like it. It’s pretty,” Sakura gave Naori a glare, daring her sensei to say anything as she continued, “and pink.”
“Well I can’t argue that you’ll look adorable in them, but don’t try to give genin orders they won’t even believe you’re a kunoichi.” Naori replied earning a shrug from the rosette, who wasn’t planning to wear the clothes on the clock anyways. Sakura was not one to bring casual clothes on her missions, even lower ranked ones. In fact, she thought the idea of wearing anything other then clothes tailored to the mission to be decidedly foolish and she wasn’t the type to take missions that required such civilian clothes.
“So, Sasuke, do you want to pick up some new clothes?” Sakura asked as she paid for the makeup and outfits. The boy’s eyes darted towards a few of the dresses before he shook his head. Sakura gave him an innocent smile, though her eyes sparkled mischievously. ‘Think I should get him a dress? A red kimono perhaps?’
‘And some lipstick, he’d look adorable!’ Inner agreed cheerfully, chittering like a fox in the back of Sakura’s mind. If it made Sasuke happy, she didn’t care if it was unusual or socially frowned upon, she’d gladly shoulder the blame and pass it off as a prank. In the meantime though, she’d let Sasuke figure things out at his own pace.