To Honor a Father
Chapter 48 To Honor a Father
Madara looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw a boy dressed in a jet black kimono with red hakama pants, a tachi hung at his hip and shadows circled his eyes. Small fists with white knuckles trembled and Madara forced himself to breath as he prepared to face his father’s funeral. Not that the funeral was his father’s alone, there were too many dead to hold individual ceremonies and so it fell to the clan head and his second to oversee one large ceremony so that all of their fallen kin could be honored.
“We’ll end this war.” Sakura’s voice cut through Madara’s anxiety and he turned towards the one ever present light in his life. He knew it was dangerous to rely so heavily on someone, especially when that someone could die at any time. Still, Sakura was by his side every waking minute of the day, his brilliant, colorful shadow. “Though it might take years.”
“It’s been going on for centuries.” Madara let his hands relax and walked over to Sakura’s side. Her chakra radiated certainty and her eyes blazed with determination. There was not even a speck of doubt within her. “So if it only takes us a few years, I’ll be grateful.” Madara’s words drew a radiant smile from the rosette, even though her eyes were sad and her chakra tinted with the pain of loss. “Come on, let’s go say goodbye to father.”
“Yeah,” Sakura’s mood darkened notably but instead of sadness, her face hardened into a mask of resolve. She stood unbroken and Madara drew upon her strength, bolstering his own courage with her presence. Together, they would face the clan and the dead.
Together they left Madara’s room and the two children made their way down the castle’s many levels before stepping out into the main courtyard. High above them, banners with clan’s emblem fluttered in the breeze while the sun shone brightly overhead, pale clouds dotting the sky. The Uchiha clan, or at least as many as could be spared, were arrayed in the courtyard, a sea of black kimono that stretched from wall to wall. Grim faces looked towards the two children now in charge of the clan.
Madara didn’t need to steel himself, Sakura was at his side and Izuna just a step behind him, having joined them the moment they reached the ground floor of the castle. He drew strength from their presence, from the lessons his father had imparted upon him and the love he held for his clan, even those only distantly related were kin, precious and dear. Stepping forward, Madara walked through the crowd and stopped once he reached the unlit pyres where the dead rested.
“War has taken many of our number from us.” Madara’s voice carried through the silence and even the wind seemed to still, the very world itself listening to him. He didn’t have an impressive voice, he was only twelve and it was all he could do to keep his voice from cracking while he spoke.
“They have left our family far too soon and the pain of their loss will linger within us but the joy they brought us will burn bright. We will honor our dead by nurturing the flames they kindled within our hearts. We will not let our spirits smolder but instead rekindle them and as our honored dead return to the fires of Amaterasu so to will our wills be lit anew to better honor them and their memory.” Madara clapped his hands together and called up his chakra.
The Uchiha were masters of fire and he needed no hand signs to call upon his element. Beside him, Sakura and Izuna’s chakra came to life, blazing with intent as flames spilled from their lips. Three streams of flame landed upon the pyre upon which Tajima’s body lay and soon a mighty fire roared to life. Madara stepped back from the fire as the other pyres were lit by the kin of those who lay upon them. There were a little over a dozen pyres, though all save Tajima’s were communal.
“We’ll make him proud, Kagami to.” Madara said quietly, his voice nearly lost amid the crackling flames. Sakura nodded, her hand finding his while Izuna shifted closer, their shoulders just barely touching. “And Senju Butsuma will die by our hands.”
***
Kakashi looked down at the memorial stone, his remaining eye focused on the names of his old team. Kushina’s name was absent from the memorial, a punishment for failing to contain the tailed beast. On bad days, he considered carving her name into the monument, days like today. The sky was clear, the weather was warm yet Kakashi felt like he was drowning, his body cold and numb as chilling waves crashed down upon him while accusing empty eyes starred up at him from the surf.
“Senpai,” Sakura’s voice was tired and a bit hoarse as she approached him. He could hear her footsteps, intentionally loud so she wouldn’t startle him. Her chakra wasn’t suppressed, so he could easily sense her presence. Kakashi didn’t dare take his eye off the memorial stone, but still shifted slightly so he could see the rosette in his peripheral vision as she came to a stop next to him. “Satsuki and Anko are geared up and ready to leave.”
“Are they?” Kakashi asked, intentionally avoiding the topic. He really did not want to think about Satsuki and the confusion that came with the last pure blooded Uchiha. Kakashi didn’t care that he turned out to be a she, that was Satsuki’s business and he was happy she’d figured herself out. What he couldn’t handle was the inevitable ruin he would inflict on the girl.
“You know, I’m still here. Just fine, not crazy or anything.” Sakura let the words hang in the air between them. Kakashi grunted and Sakura let out a tired sigh. “Can I trust you senpai?” Sakura kept her voice childish, playing up her innocence but Kakashi felt her chakra shift. It was just a blip, a brief flutter across his senses so small he could easily have missed it if he wasn’t so familiar with her. He’d worked with her on missions in ANBU, knew how tight a hold she had on her chakra and what he just felt was the brief moment before Sakura went for a kill.
“Maa, I thought we were close kouhai.” Kakashi tried to hide his nerves but his heart was already racing. Memories of Itachi flooded Kakashi’s mind, the warning signs he’d dismissed as paranoia, the stress the boy was always suffering from. Kakashi knew Danzo was behind all of it, somehow. The man had shifted ANBU’s patrols the night of the massacre and assigned him an assassination mission, of the Hokage no less, that very night.
“Are we? Can I trust you?” Sakura asked and Kakashi felt the cool flow of a privacy seal wash over them. The rosette was openly serious now, her eyes hard and a sealing tag held in her off hand. Kakashi finally turned away from the monument and regarded the girl. He had not let Tora in, not truly, though he did care for her. In his mind, she occupied the same space as Tenzo, Yugao and Genma. She was a comrade, a work friend, someone he could run missions with but was separated from by a wall of professionalism.
Wind swept between the two jounin as emerald clashed with gray, Kakashi and Sakura meeting each other’s gaze eye to eye. Kakashi could see exhaustion written into every line of the girl’s too young face. Her eyes were puffy and swollen as if she’d been crying, though the whites were clear, no doubt thanks to her medical ninjutsu. She looked drawn out and exhausted, like Itachi had before the massacre.
“What are you asking kouhai? I don’t think I can survive losing another student.” Kakashi said, earning a sad laugh from the girl. Sakura’s eyes closed, her chest heaving with a silently snort that reeked of condescension.
“You’re going to though, if Satsuki doesn’t get any stronger she’s going to die. You know what Gaara is, only a fool wouldn’t notice what Sunagakure has brought to our village.” Sakura knew the feeling of bijuu chakra. Even though she had only ever encountered it once in her life, the itching burn of demonic chakra was utterly unforgettable. “Orochimaru is after her and he’s already put a cursed seal on her. A seal I’m going to remove tonight. Permanently.”
“You can do that?” Kakashi asked and Sakura scoffed, surprising him with her openly confrontational attitude. Normally she was differential and playful, not scornful and cold. This was a side of her he knew existed but had rarely ever seen, let alone had turned towards him. “I’m getting the feeling you’re angry with me.”
“Of course I’m angry with you. I love Naruto and Satsuki. You make your damn nindo nobody left behind and yet you ignore your team!” Sakura shouted out the last sentence before slumping in on herself. The fight had left her along with her words and she let out a tired sigh. “It’s tiring, I can’t always be there for them and I shouldn’t have to be. I shouldn’t even need to talk to you about this Kakashi-senpai.”
“I see,” this time it was Kakashi’s turn to let out a tired sigh. His kouhai had a point, no matter how much he wanted to ignore it. She’d warned him before, after Orochimaru had attacked their shared students. Days had passed without any revelations making themselves known to Kakashi’s mind and now was his last chance to decide, would he be a proper teacher or would he leave his students in the hands of others.
“Kakashi-senpai,” Sakura’s voice was imploring and Kakashi flinched away from her, his eyes snapping to the ground. For all her annoyance and anger, she still somehow looked at him with admiration and Kakashi’s brain screamed at him not to fail her. Two decades of untreated trauma warred with pack instincts, a pup was standing in front of him, needing him to be strong for her. She was relying on him to look after other, even younger, frailer pups.
“They’re at the Senju compound?” Kakashi finally asked and Sakura blinked before nodding. “And Naruto?” Kakashi ventured and Sakura’s lips spread into a wide smile. Something within Kakashi’s chest relaxed, pain he hadn’t even been aware of fading away.
“He has a sensei. A certain toad was spotted at the kunoichi’s baths and Naori is on patrol so…” Sakura’s grin was back, laced through with the usual look of mischief. Kakashi chuckled despite everything and ruffled the rosette’s hair. He really didn’t deserve anymore chances, not after Obito, especially not after Rin but somehow the kami had forgiven him or at least weren’t done testing him.
“Well, I’m sure he’s in good hands then but if you could keep an eye on things for me kouhai?” Kakashi knew that a month training Satsuki wouldn’t make up for anything. He’d need to train Naruto and Sakura as well, jounin she might be but he knew the gulf between himself as a twelve year old jounin and his current skills were vast and besides she’d been his student for years now so it was about time he got around to teaching her again.
“You can count on me senpai and it’s good to have you back.” Sakura gave him an understanding smile that Kakashi was certain he didn’t deserve along with a lazy salute before she flickered away. The privacy seal was gone and Kakashi wondered exactly why she felt the need for it. There had been something that she had wanted to say but left unsaid. It stung slightly, that she hadn’t trusted him, but Kakashi wouldn’t blame her. He’d teach Satsuki and when the month was up, he’d show the results to his adorable pink haired student as proof that he could be trusted.
“You must be laughing at me, for being so stupid, wouldn’t you Obito? I know, some genius I am.” Kakashi sighed and shook his head before flickering across Konoha. He had a student to teach and months of neglect to make up for.
***
Countless scrolls lay before Sakura, all of them written in Mito’s careful hand or Tobirama’s harsh lines. Fuinjutsu and chakra theory lay before her, keen emerald eyes soaking in every page. Nearby, Uchiha Naori read in silence, the woman’s onyx eyes focused on her own reading. The silence between teacher and student was comfortable, the occasional ruffle of paper as they turned pages or the scratch of pen on paper creating a gentle soundtrack as they worked.
“I think I know how to break into the Daimyo’s palace. The old fuinjutsu defenses aren’t as strong as they are currently.” Sakura’s words drew Naori’s gaze and the woman blinked before letting out a painfully fond sigh, a grin on her face even as she shook her head. “What?” Sakura asked, pouting slightly as Naori’s expression became annoyingly amused.
“I should have known you’d be involved. The storming of Hikyo isn’t really recorded, other then it happened. Could you do me a favor and come out alive student mine? I’d like a mission report as well.” Naori tacked the last request on in a joking manner but Sakura realized that nobody had recorded the time period she was living through accurately. The records had either been lost in the fighting or were intentionally destroyed by the Senju and their supporters within Konoha.
“Alright, I’ll start keeping a journal. Encoded and left with my summons but still, it should help.” Sakura proposed before frowning. “I wish I had more time.” Sakura’s words weren’t a surprise to Naori. Every shinobi felt the same when it came to preparing for battle or training their skills. There was never enough time, youth was limited, health was fickle and permanent injury or death was always a possibility. Few shinobi made it to retirement without suffering a crippling injury.
“Well I’m sure if anyone could figure out a way to make more time for themselves it would be you. Izumi’s proof it’s possible.” Naori pointed out and Sakura hummed in agreement, twirling her pen around her fingers before catching it.
‘What about shadow clones?’ Inner suggested and Sakura wiggled her nose in contemplation. ‘We could take soldier pills.’ The idea was sound, though soldier pills were less than healthy. Sakura was not a good enough medic to reformulate them, nor was she about to ruin her health for a few extra hours of studying.
‘What we need is more chakra. Everything else gets easier after that.’ Sakura had a lot of chakra for a twelve year old but compared to Madara, Izuna, Naruto or Satsuki she was fighting an uphill battle. She had physical endurance, superior strength, comparable speed and only Madara shared her chakra control but there was no replacement for large reserves.
‘Mito’s seal perhaps?’ Inner offered and Outer hummed her agreement, getting up and heading over to the Uzumaki section of the library. It didn’t take long to find the seal in question and a quick skim left the rosette frowning. ‘This isn’t what we want.’
‘No but it’s a start.’ Sakura replied, looking down at the byakugou no in. It was incomplete, a seal meant to hold a reserve of yin chakra. Because the chakra itself took up no space, the seal was effectively bottomless, which was fantastic, but it had to reach a certain level of critical mass before it could activate and it didn’t actually enlarge her reserves. ‘Don’t jinchuuriki seals bleed chakra back into the user?’
‘Yes but if we were putting energy back into our system from a byakugou, we wouldn’t exactly be storing anything.’ Inner pointed out, the two now fully focused on the seal in question. It would be a long term investment, something that would take a year or two to fully realize, which meant it wasn’t urgent. Still, it was a nice distraction from trying to figure out how to create repulsion seals that were powered by natural chakra rather then relying on her stolen hyuga chakra burst that quickly drained her reserves.
‘Seals can draw on natural chakra.’ Outer sent the thought to Inner and suddenly their mind made a series of quick connections. ‘We’ve manipulated natural chakra before and demonic chakra as well.’ Outer pulled up the diagram of the byakugou and looked over it. The seal was tied to the user’s chakra system, which meant modifications without testing could be deadly. ‘We’d have to test the changes on animals and they can’t control natural chakra.’
‘No, they can’t.’ Inner agreed letting out a tired sigh. The two didn’t have a solution for this yet, but they were on to something. ‘What if we modified the seal to absorb the chakra we radiate, rather then chakra we specifically send to it? Chakra naturally leaves the body unless actively suppressed. That’s wasted energy and we could have it route chakra into our reserves while we sleep to help deepen them.’
‘A start but it doesn’t fix the seal’s primary drawback. The increased metabolism puts an immense strain on the body. Overheating, waste buildup, cell death from overwork, the list goes on.’ Sakura glanced down at her notepad, which was nearly full of ideas and half formed seals. She had almost thirty days to come up with enough useful seals to break into the capital and ensure a decisive victory but so far she’d only cracked the Daimyo’s defenses.
“Don’t spread yourself too thin now.” Naori advised and Sakura ran her hands through her hair before letting her head flop down onto the table. The war had been going on for centuries and Madara couldn’t end it alone. The Senju had the Uzumaki’s help, if she wanted to make a real difference, she’d have to out do a clan famed for fuinjutsu. She was twelve, they were a centuries old clan.
“It’s stressful.” Sakura grumbled, her voice muffled as her hair fell like a curtain around her head. “Lotta stuff to do.”
“Well you’ve cracked the defenses for the city right? So complete the seals you’ll need and then stop worrying about it. Next you need something to protect yourself against a superior kenjutsu fighter. Let’s talk through your thoughts on that repulsion seal. I might not know much fuinjutsu but perhaps explaining it will help you figure things out.” Naori offered and Sakura couldn’t help the smile that dawned on her face. Naori was an excellent teacher, always doing her best to help her students and impart what wisdom she could. Even when they surpassed her, the woman still found a way to aid their efforts.
“Thanks sensei.” Sakura pushed herself upright, snapping her head up so her hair flew in an arc away from her face. She hadn’t cut it since Tajima’s death and considering how visible it made her on the battlefield she’d decided to grow it out. Long hair was a statement of strength and long, pink hair would be an exceptionally loud statement due to the attention it would draw.
***
Naruto shot a glance at at the giggling man that Naori had introduced him to. The man was currently writing in a rope bound journal, a bright blush on his cheeks. ‘Is this guy really strong?’ Naruto wondered to himself before running through the hand signs for the summoning jutsu he’d been granted. He slammed his hand onto the ground and a large toad popped into existence. It was about twice Naruto’s height and it was carrying a sword and shield on its back.
“Hello,” the toad greeted politely, dipping his head slightly and looking over at Jiraiya. “Jiraiya, Gamabunta wants to know who is summoning the toads one by one. I imagine you’ve got another…” The toad paused and looked at Naruto, squinting before returning his attention to the sannin, “hour before he shows up.”
“What?! Hey brat I told you to reach for that other chakra.” Jiraiya shouted and Naruto let his head fail backwards and groaned. He really did not want to call upon the fox’s chakra, mostly because he had enough as is but also because Sakura had made it very clear that jinchuuriki were known for going on rampages.
“And I said I don’t want to! Look, I’ve got more then enough chakra to master any technique you through at me dattebayo!” Naruto declared loudly and Jiraiya raised and eyebrow before letting out a sigh. Hiruzen had been quite clear that he wanted Naruto to start being trained as a proper jinchuriki but the sannin wasn’t about to force the kid. Not until Hiruzen explicitly ordered him to at least.
“And I’m telling you that if you want to get stronger you’re going to need that second chakra of yours.” Jiraiya countered, silently wishing that Naruto had taken more after Minato and less after Kushina. The boy was a stubborn prankster with a heart of gold but what Konohagakure needed from its jinchuriki was a cool, level headed soldier. Jiraiya would never change who Naruto was as a person, even if the village demanded it but if he couldn’t get results, Hiruzen may eventually succumb to Danzo’s whispers, which left Jiraiya in a bind. “It’s way more power then any normal shinobi could manage.”
“Except the Shodaime and Yondaime, Uchiha Madara, Uzumaki Mito, I know I’m missing a few because those are just the shinobi from Konoha who stood up to the kyuubi.” Naruto countered and grinned when Jiraiya visibly deflated. The man let out a frustrated groan that Naruto knew meant victory.
“Fine, how about this brat. I’ll teach you a technique if you can summon the toad boss. I don’t care how you summon him, just do it and pass his trial and I’ll teach you an A rank jutsu, deal?” Jiraiya’s voice had that false exasperation that Naruto knew only too well. He grinned, savoring his victory and gave the man a nod.
“Deal and you better uphold your side of the bargain.” Naruto replied and then began gathering his chakra. His fingers flew through the necessary seals and Naruto had to cut his thumb again, already healed thanks to the kyuubi, before slamming his hand down on the ground. “Kuchiyose no jutsu!” Unleashing a massive blast of chakra, Naruto felt the ground suddenly fall away from him, air rushing through his hair as the summoned toad materialized right underneath him, relocating him to its head.
“Jiraiya, what’s going on? Who keeps summoning my men?!” Gamabunta bellowed and the sannin blinked, staring up into the furious eyes of the boss toad. On the gargantuan summon’s head, Naruto stood grinning down at him.
“How?!” Jiraiya wanted to have a long conversation with whoever wrote the file on Naruto. The boy was listed as an utterly talent-less imbecile and unrepentant troublemaker. His chakra control should have been so abysmal he’d struggle to summon a tadpole, let alone the boss toad.
“Sakura-sensei’s training is terrifying but she’s the best sensei in Konohagakure dattebayo!” Naruto called down, drawing Gamabunta’s attention to himself. “Hey Boss man.”
“Brat,” Gamabunta growled angrily. “Are you the one summoning all my men.” The toad’s eyes fixed on Naruto who slid down the toad’s snout so they could make eye contract. The blond grinned fearless into the heated glare and nodded. “Well if you want to summon me you’re going to have to prove yourself boy. Stay on my head until nightfall and I’ll consider it.”
“You’re on but you’re going to lose.” Naruto replied confidently, letting his chakra flow from his feet into the toad’s thick rubbery skin. The amphibian was about to learn just how impossibly stubborn Uzumaki Naruto could be.
***
Satsuki flipped over a barrage of shuriken and called upon her chakra. Lightning sparked along her arm and the moment her feet touched the dirt, she shot forward. Her sharingan spun wildly, tomoe a blur of black as she closed in on Anko. The purple haired kunoichi flashed a manic grin and hurled several senbon towards Satsuki, forcing her to break off her charge. A sharp clap ended the brief spar and Satsuki took several deep gulps of air as she released her chakra, head turning so she could see Kakashi.
“The chidori is more then a straight line charge. It is a combination of the shunshin’s chakra enhanced speed and intense raiton manipulation that overwhelms the target’s senses before killing them.” Kakashi explained for the umpteenth time.
Satsuki knew what the chidori was in theory, it allowed a shinobi with average chakra reserves to emit the same kind of crushing pressure as a kage and move faster then the eye could follow. The lightning blade could pierce nearly any defense as only a denser chakra construct could block it and when combined with the reaction time of the sharingan, it became more of a fighting style then a single use attack. The blade could be maintained while the user moved at continuous shunshin speeds.
“This would be perfect for Sakura,” Satsuki grunted, running a hand through her sweat slicked bangs. Her right hand was stinging with pain, the skin covered in spidery burns from failed attempts at the chidori. Kakashi considered Satsuki’s words while the Uchiha caught her breath. He had never actively thought about it, but the rosette used Shisui’s distinctive fighting style when she dawned her ANBU mask. He had thought such a style required the sharingan or byakugan and that the rosette had figured out a work around, only to later discover she was in fact a lost Uchiha.
“She’s not lightning natured.” Kakashi replied and Satsuki rolled her eyes. It was a weak excuse and they both knew it. Sakura’s perfect chakra control meant elemental affinities were meaningless and she could wield all the basic releases with ease.
“If you don’t want to teach her, then just admit it.” Satsuki grumbled before turning her attention to Anko. “Any advice?” Satsuki asked and Anko considered her progress before nodding.
“You need to get used to moving at shunshin speeds. I think you’re wasting time trying to master the chidori without perfecting your shunshin. You’re skipping a step and burning a lot of chakra. Izumi would be a better teacher for this.” Anko knew she was the slowest member of Team 7, or at least her generation of Team 7. She made up for it with her summons, wires, poisons and ninjutsu. She fought much like her sensei had, with the addition of several Uchiha fire jutsu and a preference for ranged combat over melee.
“Maa, maa, that’s why I’m here and Anko is right, now that you have the elemental manipulation down, let’s work on your shunshin.” Kakashi’s eye arced into a smile. Satsuki glared at the man who had finally decided to teach her and tried to calm the bitterness that bubbled up within her chest. He had ignored her and Naruto for months, leaving Sakura to do all the work of teaching them. He hadn’t cared after Nami no Kuni and only Orochimaru personally targeting every member of Team 7 had been enough to motivate him. Even then Kakashi was only teaching her and not Naruto who needed the most help or Sakura who had been his student for years.
“Fine, what do you want me to do?” Satsuki asked, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. Judging by the look of amusement Anko sent her way, she had failed utterly. Kakashi didn’t react and instead simply carried on teaching as if nothing had happened, though calling the short one sentence explanations he offered teaching was a stretch. Still, he was doing more now then he’d ever done before, so Satsuki kept her mouth shut and got to work.
***
Jiraiya glanced up from his draft to watch Naruto stand atop the river and move through kata. The boy was a hard worker and he had a solid foundation thanks to one Haruno Sakura, the pink haired prodigy who had disappeared into the shadows after her chunin exam six years ago. Jiraiya knew of the girl, he was a spy master after all and it was his job to keep tabs of such things. He knew she was in ANBU for years, the youngest in history though most of that time was spent within Konoha on Naruto guard duty or as ANBU’s on call medic.
The girl’s work outside of Konoha was noteworthy however. Her chakra control and small stature made her a natural infiltrator. She was fast, with a shunshin based fighting style pioneered by Uchiha Shisui. Jiraiya had read her file when he heard she was assigned to Naruto’s team and what he found wasn’t surprising. Like every child prodigy she was utterly ruthless once a mask was placed over her face and while her personality was bright and cheerful on the surface, Jiraiya knew that couldn’t be all there was to her.
“Writing another book Jiraiya-sama?” A voice came from only a few inches away and Jiraiya startled badly, palming a kunai as his head snapped to the side. A woman with the rich brown hair common among the Senju stood beside him. She had dark onyx eyes, lightly tanned skin and a beauty spot below the outer edge of her right eye. Jiraiya felt his breath catch as he looked into a face so much like a young Tsunade it hurt. There were differences, but the resemblance was obvious.
“Senju…” Jiraiya trailed off and the woman smiled, dipping her head in a small nod. Jiraiya felt like his brain had shut down as the young woman walked past him, her feet making absolutely no noise as she moved.
“Izumi, the current clan heir. I’ll be the clan head soon, I’ve got the paperwork already filed.” Izumi answered and Jiraiya’s winced like he’d been stung. His eyes focused on her, his expression hardening. “Is something the matter Jiraiya-sama?”
“Senju Tsunade is your clan head.” Jiraiya stated tersely and Izumi’s expression dimmed. It wasn’t a look of condescension or anger but instead sadness. The girl shook her head and then met Jiraiya’s eyes.
“She left. My mother would still be alive had she been here, had she taken us into the Senju compound after my father’s death. I have immense respect for Senju Tsunade but her absence has caused many deaths and I cannot overlook that.” Izumi’s voice was solemn and Jiraiya grimaced, unable to argue. He could tell there was no room for him to maneuver, no route he could take to convince her. She didn’t loath Tsunade, there was no anger behind her words or within her eyes, just sadness. Lives could have been saved had Tsunade been here, but she wasn’t, so they weren’t.
“Why are you here?” Jiraiya asked, looking at the kunoichi who wasn’t quite old enough to be a woman, yet not young enough to be a girl. She stood on that awkward divide, though you wouldn’t know it by her behavior.
“Naori-sensei is helping Sakura-chan with some fuinjutsu projects. She’s upset over what happened with Satsuki you see. We all are of course but only Naori-sensei and Sakura understand fuinjutsu.” Izumi’s explanation didn’t seem to have anything to do with her presence here but Jiraiya wasn’t born yesterday. The Chigiri Uchiha had ambushed him outside the bathhouse and all but forced him into training Naruto. The woman was a true beauty, appearing all calm and collected, right up until her lips split apart and she gave him a shark toothed smile, her onyx eyes glittering with danger. Suffice to say Jiraiya had been simultaneously delighted and terrified by her.
“So you’re going to teach him something?” Jiraiya asked, earning a small chuckle from Izumi. Her fingers came together and after a very familiar string of seals and a light puff of smoke, a twelve year old version of the young woman stood before him.
“He needs a sparring partner. Kata only go so far and without combat experience in applying his new jutsu, he won’t make the best use of it.” Izumi replied, her voice sounding appropriately younger and finally catching Naruto’s attention. Stormy blue eyes locked onto Izumi, widening in shock as Naruto ran over.
“Izumi-san? Why do you look all small and stuff?” Naruto asked but Izumi’s attention was still mostly on Jiraiya. He could tell she was asking silent permission. He could reject her and Jiraiya knew the woman wouldn’t breath a word of complaint, but he could see no ill intent behind her actions. She certainly bore no resemblance to her Uchiha kin, at least in behavior or temperament as far as Jiraiya could tell. Jiraiya gave the young woman a slight nod and her smile widened into a genuine grin.
“I’m here to help you train, you’re up against a Hyuga so you need someone who can match their fighting style. I can’t copy their clan techniques, but I’ve seen them fight and can mimic their movements well enough thanks to my sharingan.” Izumi explained to Naruto whose eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement. A massive grin took over Naruto’s face as he held up his fists and slipped into a basic guard. “Eager?”
“I’ve got less then a month left and I have to make it to the finals if I want to beat Satsuki dattebayo!” Naruto replied and then charged. Izumi laughed, delighted to see such trust and camaraderie towards one of her kin. Jiraiya watched as the fight moved over the river nearby, Izumi naturally leading Naruto onto the water’s surface and forcing him to apply his chakra control in real time. She was a natural sensei and Jiraiya was silently thankful for her appearance, after all the boy had mastered the summoning jutsu and was starting to get persistent about the jutsu Jiraiya had promised him.
***
Wars were not spontaneous things. Armies required weapons and rations. Baggage trains needed to be organized, patrols established to guard them and soldiers had to be called up from their peacetime jobs. Fortunately for Madara, the Uchiha had already been at war. His stores were full, his ammunition stocked and his soldiers ready for battle. Still, there was a difference between having an army and using said army; it didn’t help that Madara was twelve.
“What if the council think we’re idiots? This is a massive gamble.” Madara pointed out to his two ever present companions. Izuna and Sakura were both dressed in the navy blue kimono of the Uchiha clan, eyes focused on the map of the capital they had acquired. The sharingan was an unparalleled information gathering tool, allowing Uchiha scouts and spies to perfectly recreate whatever they witnessed down to the smallest detail within their genjutsu and remember it forever.
“If we can pull it off, we’ll create a battle that Senju Butsuma will be forced to take. He cannot risk us holding the city.” Izuna pointed out and Madara ran a hand through his already wild hair. This would be one hell of a way to announce himself as the new clan head. His eyes naturally sought out Sakura’s and she gave him a nod, her chakra confident if nervous.
“I think we can do this.” Sakura looked tired, though considering the sheer number of seals she had been creating lately that wasn’t a surprise. Even with several Uchiha using their sharingan to copy her explosive tags, she was still swamped with work. The operation to take Hikyo would hinge upon her fuinjutsu skills and there was nobody in the clan who could assist her. They certainly couldn’t order what they needed either, lest someone figure out their plans.
“Let’s talk to the council.” Izuna suggested and Madara pushed himself to his feet. He rolled up the map with their plans on it and lead the way, Sakura at his right and Izuna his left. The trio moved through the keep, exiting it and walking into the Goten where the council was waiting for them.
“A few minutes late,” Ryuko chided gently and Madara gave her a nod but said nothing as he took his place at the head of the war table, Sakura and Izuna at his sides. He unfurled the map and looked up, eyes moving over the council as they processed what he had just revealed. “Ambitious.”
“This could work, the capital hasn’t been attacked in at least a century. The guards are inexperienced and poorly trained.” Kurou’s eyes had shifted to sharingan so he could read the map, his vision degrading further with every battle that past. After Tajima had fallen, he’d called upon the power of his mangekyo to help stem the tide and his sight had paid the price.
“You’re too young to be commanding battles without oversight.” Akihiko’s voice was a new addition to the council. She was no longer the war torn teenager that had first trained Sakura and Madara but instead a young mother who had recovered much of her soul from the clan’s curse of hatred, though her eyes were still darkened by wrath more often then not. “And far too important to the clan to head into battle unguarded, especially now that Butsuma has targeted you.”
“I will guard Sakura-sama.” Kurou promised and Madara gave the man a nod. Kurou was the natural choice as the clan’s infiltration expert and he would be joining the mission regardless.
“Then I will ensure Madara-sama survives.” Ryuko declared and gave the boy an approving look. “Does anyone have an issue with their plans?” Ryuko’s question hung overhead and Madara felt like he was suddenly awaiting the verdict of a jury. Solemn faces surrounded him but he didn’t feel any disapproval within their chakra. Sadness, anger and pride dominated the table and Madara knew the answer before it was announced. “No? Very well, we move out on your orders clan leader.”
***
Gentle fingers worked their way through Sakura’s pink hair as the girl slowly roused. Emerald eyes fluttered open and Sakura breathed in deep, the smell of incense and forest reaching her nose. The familiar brilliant chakra of Inari surrounded her, swathing her in comfort and Sakura let out a tired sigh, feeling her bone deep exhaustion melt away.
“Hello Sakura-chan,” Inari’s fond voice coaxed Sakura away from sleep, her eyes opening just enough so she could focus on the godly kitsune. “You’ve been quite busy, haven’t you?” Inari’s question hung in the air and Sakura nodded, struggling to stay awake through the sheer comfort she was experiencing. Inari’s presence was warm and inviting, the closest thing to a mother Sakura had ever known.
“Mito-san called me your daughter.” Sakura murmured, her mind latching onto that line of thought almost greedily. Inari hummed, running her fingers through the girl’s hair and Sakura felt the kitsune’s chakra lighten at the thought.
“The Kitsune have not had many summoners, in fact I am rather strict in who I’ll let sign the contract because of what it represents. We are a family, bound by blood and chakra. You are the youngest we’ve ever had and as such you’re the first human child I’ve ever invited into my temple so frequently. I will admit, there have been times I’ve been tempted to spirit you away and raise you as my own here, in my temple.” Inari admitted, her voice gentle yet wistful, as if she regretted not doing so. Sakura pictured it briefly, living here instead of Konoha and never knowing the violence she’d seen in ANBU, her hands free from the blood that thoroughly coated them.
“I might have enjoyed that but…” Sakura didn’t know how to put it into words. She was grateful she never slept, she knew how common nightmares were among shinobi and she never had to face them. She was always busy, bouncing between time periods and never able to dwell on the various hells she had experienced.
“But you wouldn’t want to leave those you care about. You have things to do and ambitions to chase.” Inari completed for her and Sakura nodded, sitting up fully and looking up at the kitsune. Inari smiled back, genuine warmth suffusing her chakra and Sakura felt the sudden urge to hug her.
“Can I call you mom? Even though you didn’t take me?” Sakura asked, gathering up the courage. Her heart was suddenly racing and she could hear it thundering in her ears. Somehow, this was one of the most terrifying moments of her short life. She’d been in countless battles, danced with death on a daily basis and yet asking this of Inari Okami was somehow far more intimidating.
“I would be proud to call you my daughter, Sakura.” Inari replied, her smile warm and open before her face became stern. Sakura felt the warmth that had exploded in her chest dim, though it remained despite the sudden change in mood. “You are facing war my child and the burdens of leadership are far heavier then being a soldier under someone’s command. Do not forget your summons, both the Kitsune and the Byakko’s kin have much to offer you. You do not rely on us enough my young daughter. We are here for you and when you fight without our aid we worry.”
“I have been rather focused on doing things myself, haven’t I?” Sakura knew she had neglected her summons. Not that she hadn’t made use of them, but she hadn’t trained with them nearly enough. The white tigers had yet to teach her any of their arts and besides the food offered freely by Inari, the Kitsune had barely had the chance to teach her anything due to her fear of summoning them in Konoha.
“You have been spreading yourself thin, trying to master everything. Your memory and intelligence allow you to make that work but perhaps it’s a time to decide on a dedicated personal style?” Inari’s suggestion was well warranted.
Sakura’s fighting style was a grab bag of skills and techniques that had very little to do with each other. Tsunade’s strength, Shisui’s shunshin, old Uchiha taijutsu, kaiton ninjutsu, her scythe and gunbai, her wakizashi and katana, iryo-ninjutsu, fuinjutsu, Sakura wasn’t a master at any of them and she spent so much time learning new skills she didn’t have a coherent fighting style. She made it work through a mix of chakra control, sharingan enhanced reaction time and brute strength but that wouldn’t hold up now that the Senju had their sights on her.
“You’ve been watching over me, haven’t you? In the past and present.” Sakura said after wrapping up her thoughts. Inari gave a graceful nod, her fingers still affectionately trailing through Sakura’s hair, her nails scratching the rosette’s scalp and chasing away any anxiety or fear in the young girl’s heart. “If it’s not too much to ask, um, what should I do?”
“Narrow your focus and perfect your greatest strengths. Your speed, chakra control, strength and sharingan need to be mastered. Once you have that, you can freely dabble in whatever you wish, though I would advise that no matter what you focus on, keep studying fuinjutsu on the side. Of course, you do not have enough time before your attack on Hikyo to make any major changes so your decision to focus on fuinjutsu was the correct one.” Inari summarized and Sakura silently wished she could call upon the kitsune in the past. Ichirin would be perfect for infiltrating the city, while Nishi and Sana would make a deadly combination in open battle.
“Thank you okaasan,” Sakura felt her cheeks heat as she spoke the words and Inari pulled her in for a warm hug.
“You’re plenty welcome youjo, now would you like to go for a walk? I think you’ve earned some rest and relaxation.” Inari smiled as Sakura gave her a shy nod, acting like the bashful twelve year old she should be rather then the hardened child soldier she was. Inari had raised Sakura for war and while it was a kindness, that didn’t mean she didn’t morn the innocent child the girl could have been.