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powerful-niya · 7 months

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The Tell-Tale Heart

❀Fest No Jutsu 2023❀

Naruhina Oneshot Available on: AO3 | Wattpad | Fanfiction.net |

Prompt claimed fulfilled for @wickermayne 🥰

❀Naruhina RomCom❀

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

Summary: The Fourth Great Ninja War ends and Konoha is at peace; Hinata Hyuga contemplates Naruto Uzumaki's unexpected desire to spend more time with her.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

Tags: Blank Period • Canon • Canon Divergence • Declarations Of Love • Drama & Romance • Fake Relationship Trope • Fluff • Happy • Happy Ending • Humor • Light Angst • Love Confessions • Mutual Pining • Naruto Universe - Freeform • No Smut • Post War • POV Third Person • Romance • Teen Rated •Tooth Rotting Fluff •

Word Count - For Entire One-Shot: 8.4k.

Word Count - Tumblr Post: 3.3k.

❀Preview:

Today in Konohagakure, the temperature was moderately warm.

The shining sun rose high in the cloudless, blue heavens, beaming with happiness where it took center stage above.

The residents of Konohagakure, enjoyed every moment of the new day, a day of peace and fun, as the sun smiled down on them with warm but pleasant beams.

The summer breeze flowed through the busy streets of the village, sweeping green leaves within its gentle wake where they carried on powerfully, just as the ninjas, Konoha's defenders, have done each and every day.

A year had passed since the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War, allowing Konoha as a whole to at last settle down.

The streets were alive with laughter and chatter, with kids flying kites and pretending to be the ninjas they idolize, racing full speed through the crowds with their arms thrust behind them as if soaring.

Smiling villagers of all sizes and ages filled the streets, setting up their businesses and outlets to cheerfully trade their produce and wares with one another.

All around, structures and residences stood tall, having all been rebuilt from the devastation that numerous battles, particularly the Pain onslaught, had wreaked upon them.

Konoha was now endowed with brand-new structures, fresh possibilities, and new beginnings.

Ninjas, villagers, and children alike were all beaming and renewed—all appreciative of the timeless peace they had gained by never giving up, by consistently standing up for what is right, and by moving onward no matter what.

Konohagakure was now at peace.

Aside from Hinata Hyūga.

In the midst of the happiness that beamed all around her, the young kunoichi found herself having quite an episode: fingers twiddling together, her breathing escalated, cheeks red, and her mind in scrambles.

Hinata traversed the streets of Konoha dressed in her typical ninja garb, accompanied by her longtime team members and companions, Kiba and Shino.

Kiba, her loud, ferocious friend, shot her a glance with his slitted eyes, lifting an eyebrow as he sensed his shy friend's worried state.

After all, it was Hinata's idea to get together so the three of them could go for a walk through the village, get some fresh air, and just spend some time in each other's company.

However, Kiba and Shino have observed Hinata to be extremely fidgety and quiet the entire time, appearing to be preoccupied with a problem that both ninjas were overly conscious about.

Hinata was unable to stop talking about it after all.

Kiba groaned and shook his head, causing his brown curly hair to tussle about, brushing against the nape of his neck due to its increasing length.

To lighten the mood, the cheerful canine ninja gave Hinata a gentle shove with his elbow—just with the side of his folded arms.

He laughed as he caught the surprised squeak that flooded out of her lips, her body jolting as a result of being shoved out of her troublesome thoughts.

"Come on, Hinata-chan, stop overreacting already. It's not that bad." Kiba remarked with a gruff tone and an amused grin, his lips stretched wide to show off his razor-sharp canines.

Due to his delighted smile, the red triangles on his cheeks raised just a touch, his features quite robust and well-defined given his maturing age.

His voice, which had become deeper over the years, was emitted in a halfhearted manner, with little worry detected within, which did absolutely nothing to calm Hinata's anxiety.

Hinata's predicament was only made worse because of it.

Her pale cheeks grew even redder, and she found herself hiding behind the curtains of her long, midnight-blue hair, unable to meet Kiba's gaze.

"No, th-this is..."

"It's just Naruto, Hinata-chan. What does it matter whether the knucklehead wants to spend time with you? Big deal."

Kiba muttered impassively once again, simply shrugging his shoulders as if everything was normal—and especially normal for Hinata.

She shook her head. There was nothing normal about her situation.

Hinata took a glimpse at her brown-haired pal through the strands of her dark hair, only to be struck by the nonchalant expression found on his tanned face.

Kiba didn't seem bothered by her predicament or even able to understand why she was feeling the way she was, for the matter. It was certainly a sight she just couldn't comprehend.

It was quite obvious why she was so worked up.

Hinata bit her lip briefly, to deal with her nerves.

"B-But every day?" Hinata exclaimed, apprehensive.

"A-Am I the only one who finds it strange that Naruto-kun is suddenly spending so much time with me? It's s-so odd."

Hinata's meek voice broke through the gaps of her delicate lips, bursting into the village's midday hum. Such comments of hers would have been drowned out by the din of the crowd, but Kiba's keen hearing picked up on her words flawlessly.

He heard her loud and clear.

Kiba shrugged.

He genuinely did not perceive anything wrong with her current "situation."

Kiba thought Hinata was acting rather ridiculously, in fact. Every time Naruto was brought up in their many conversations, she would just revert to her usual flustered self.

The mere mention of the goofy blonde ninja always causes her to flush red all over and sends her into a stuttering frenzy. Even in her primary years, she would faint just by being in the blonde's presence.

Hinata has always been a flustered mess around Naruto, but even now, after having Hinata as a teammate for so long, Kiba has never been able to understand the immense anxiousness she would feel because of the blonde.

Apart from the fact that Naruto was now regarded as a war hero as a result of his heroic deeds during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kiba still saw him merely as a hyperactive, dense, brainless knucklehead.

He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that anyone would feel immense anxiety around someone like him.

It was all quite ridiculous.

Kiba found nothing odd or different about Hinata's frenzied behavior nor about Naruto's desire to spend more time with Hinata. After all, they were all growing closer to one another—every single one of their friends—now more than ever.

Nothing's strange there.

Shino, on the other hand, saw a different picture.

He let out a hum of curiosity, bringing to light his presence as he walked alongside Hinata.

His eyes were shielded from the sun by black shades, so others couldn't see his facial expressions as well.

One hand of his was buried in the pocket of his long jacket, while the other lifted to stroke his chin.

"Now that you mention it. That is strange."

Shino's voice emerged from his mouth, somber and monotone, phasing with the pleasant breeze around them. He too joined the conversation between Kiba and Hinata, voicing his concerns about the current situation at hand.

Hinata's dilemma.

All in all, it shouldn't really be a dilemma.

Hinata was aware of this.

Her predicament shouldn't be one that keeps her up at night, sends her in a tizzy, and leads her to become a hot, stuttering mess whenever she thinks about it.

Naruto.

Naruto was her dilemma.

Since the war has ended and all of Konoha has spent its time relishing the peace, Naruto has been exhibiting a variety of behavioral shifts—shifts that were pretty different and quite apparent—particularly because they diverged from the customary behavior tactics he has always demonstrated.

Such changes were all very unusual to Hinata, changes that she was unable to interpret or understand.

To put it simply, Naruto's been acting quite strangely toward her.

How strange you might ask?

For starters, Hinata thought it was somewhat odd of Naruto to unexpectedly develop the longing to devote every waking moment with her.

It seemed weird to her that he wanted to see her every day at the same time at Ichiraku Ramen in order to spend time with her.

Hinata bit her lip a bit harder.

She could hear him now.

"Let's eat out again, tomorrow, Hinata-chan. At Ichiraku, same time, same place. I had such a great time with you, dattebayo!"

Hinata could still clearly remember what he said to her almost a day ago when they shared a meal together at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

Even then, he showed signs of immense eagerness for her that she had never seen him show before.

Hinata recalled how he constantly barraged her with many subjects of discussion, even as he spoke to her while stuffing ramen noodles into his mouth.

He told her several of his own tales, including mission experiences that actually made her laugh quite a lot. More than she's ever done in her entire life.

It was all so... strange.

Don't misunderstand Hinata; Naruto's excitement was refreshing, albeit a little overwhelming.

Indeed, Hinata has always wished to spend time with Naruto, and she can't stop herself from enjoying those moments when she gets to sit beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and share a meal and a conversation with him, especially after the war is all said and done.

Sharing such moments with him has always been her dream.

Hinata relished the moments when Naruto lavished her with lots of attention, gazing into her eyes with a true sense of joy and care, and wanting nothing more than to spend as much time with her as he could.

And maybe, she's just overthinking.

Maybe, she's just blowing the entire situation out of proportion.

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but she was unable to ignore Naruto's peculiar behavior toward her, including the very difference in the way he spoke to her. It consumed her mind and bugged her so much.

Hinata has made a constant effort to understand why Naruto's behavior has drastically changed in the way it did toward her and why he suddenly developed the urge to hang out with her so excessively.

This was a really big deal to her.

Hinata couldn't help but mull it all over.

In the immediate aftermath of the war, Naruto changed from scarcely recognizing her to having just fleeting conversations with her to obnoxiously craving her company all the time.

It's such a drastic change.

This cannot be a coincidence, she thought.

Hinata occasionally found herself questioning whether Naruto's motives were sincere; she wondered if perhaps he was merely allowing himself to be close to her out of pity.

Pity for her losing Neji.

Yes, the war was officially over, but even so, there were still a lot of wounds that needed to be healed, and Neji's death surely left a lot of them. A lot of wounds.

Hinata occasionally finds herself becoming very sad at the mere recollection of Neji being dead, no longer living in Konoha, but instead buried with the other valiant ninjas who fought in the war.

She would frequently experience severe depression as she recalled the events leading up to his death and once more realized that he had indeed left this world and never to return again.

Hinata often thought of such depressing memories and felt their suppressive effect on her throughout her day-to-day life, and thus, she often thought that is why Naruto wished to spend so much time with her.

Because of pity. Because of guilt.

However, she always dismissed the idea, labeling herself as ridiculous for having such negative thoughts about her dear Naruto-kun.

As a result, Hinata discovers herself becoming quite enthusiastic about the alternative reason she came up with for Naruto's behavioral changes toward her.

And that was a result of authenticity.

Maybe, just maybe, Naruto has come to want to be close to her from a genuine standpoint.

Maybe he secretly yearns to be close to her, yearns to learn more about her, or, better yet, just genuinely enjoys her company.

Maybe, Naruto has come to yearn for something more.

But just as Hinata thought of such a thing, just as she allowed her fantasies to intertwine with her thoughts, she was quick to shake them off.

Hinata squealed, covering her eyes with her hands due to her lewd thoughts.

'No, no, that can't possibly be it!" Shaking off the idea, Hinata exclaimed in a frenzy fit in her mind. It was absurd for her to think that the frequent outings she would have with Naruto were anything romantic.

Yes, Naruto yearns to see her virtually every single day.

Yes, he genuinely offers to pay for her meal at each and every get-together.

Yes, he regularly gives her his jacket whenever she grows cold, without her having to utter a single word.

But...

Those were merely the acts of a friend, Hinata thought, a friend that truly cares.

'There's nothing romantic about that.' Hinata dismissed once more, hysterically shaking her tomato-red face as she hurried on carelessly, her open-toed shoes kicking up dirt every step of the way.

However, she was interrupted from her thoughts when she once more heard the voice of her enigmatic friend, Shino, speak after a little period of silence between the three of them.

"Hm, it almost seems like the two of you are dating. Maybe that's what Naruto wants."

It was only hearing those words from Shino that led Hinata to completely lose it.

She began to feel lightheaded. Terribly lightheaded.

'Me? D-Date Naruto-kun?!?' Hinata practically screeched in her head. She was going to faint, she just knew it.

It was only a matter of time now.

She whipped around to face Shino, in an effort to quickly dismiss such a ridiculous notion from his head. She couldn't bear it.

Hinata sweat dropped, her cheeks flushed red, "No, no, Naruto-kun and I aren't d-dating. Dating o-or romance, for that matter, isn't possibly the reason for all of this. There has to be a-another explanation..."

"Hm." Shino rubbed his chin once more, "It's quite obvious what's going on here, Hinata-chan. Naruto's sudden and enthusiastic yearning to spend more time with you when the war is over. All of it seems to be pointing towards the possibility that his eyes may have opened after all this time." Shino hummed.

"The evidence is right in front of you." Shino expressed with a nod, as he tried to piece together the situation and come up with a solution.

Kiba, in contrast, just shrugged. He merely found the two humorous, trying to solve an issue that was so clear.

He shook his head, "Hinata-chan, come on. You gotta stop overthinking."

He brushed his shoulder against hers yet again, doing so with a groan, "Good kami, all of this Naruto stuff is getting you ridiculous, Hinata-chan. Come on, think about it. Isn't this what you always wanted?" He asked, blurting out what he knew had to be said.

With wrinkled brows, he gazed down at the midnight blue-haired woman beside him, watching as her lavender eyes widened at his remark.

He tilted his head, his expression somewhat solemn, "Isn't this time spent with Naruto, or rather, him wanting to spend time with you, something you always wished for?"

Hinata's eyes widened even more. Even her heart skipped a beat.

It was. It's all Hinata has ever wanted.

She's spent her entire life walking behind Naruto, always staring at his back, longing for him to turn and notice her.

She had yearned for him to realize her presence, to recognize all the times she had followed him, supported him, been influenced to become stronger by him, and even risked her life for him.

She yearned to be by his side, showering him with her affection and reverence.

She wished so badly he would one day look at her the very same way she looked at him.

That is all she has ever wished for—Naruto to notice her.

And now...

Hinata's breath caught in her throat as Kiba's words flashed through her mind, finally waking her up and causing her to realize what a blessing this entire situation was for her.

The sudden acts of Naruto wanting to spend time with her; and the genuine smiles he showers her with.

The big, warm hugs he gives her the moment she arrives at Ichiraku Ramen.

The jokes, the laughter, the smiles.

Everything.

Hinata finally considered every bit of her situation, and she used the opportunity to take a step outside of herself, away from the troubling emotions that were stifling her, and instead take in the situation as a whole.

Her breath hitched.

Indeed, she has always wanted this.

Always.

And now, with her eyes opened, she has realized how silly she has been.

She has done nothing but speculate about Naruto's motives, questioning herself as a whole for liking his behavioral shifts.

She was so worried and anxious about the whole thing, as well as flustered and embarrassed by being so close to Naruto so suddenly, that she entirely failed to notice the positive elements of her predicament.

But now...

A smile arose on Hinata's face and in that moment, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She suddenly felt the worries she's been dealing with for a couple of weeks now set sail and fly away.

She finally sensed herself becoming free from her worries; free from it all. All thanks to her friends; Kiba and Shino.

She really needed this chat.

Because now, Hinata could finally see the situation from a different perspective, a more positive approach to her situation, and now she finds herself a little bit more...

appreciative.

She bawled her fists tight by her chest, biting her lip briefly, "Y-Yes, this is what I have wanted." She whispered, finally voicing out her own wants for a change, voicing that she indeed has always wanted Naruto to notice her, just in the way he has recently.

Kiba and Shino exchanged a joyful grin, both ninjas flawlessly catching their bashful friend's answer even in the midst of the raucous outside noises around them.

It was undoubtedly like music to their ears, and they were both comforted by the fact that their friend's sentiments of embarrassment and worry were no longer clouding her judgment—no longer keeping her troubled.

The two men were pleased to find that their efforts had been successful and that their words of caution and contemplation had not been merely ignored or overlooked.

Kiba and Shino were certainly pleased to see Hinata finally diverted from her mental woes and the clamor of her irrational thoughts, which had previously blinded and hampered her. And ultimately, keeping her from finding happiness with the one man that almost everyone in the village knows can greatly comfort and increase Hinata's level of contentment.

Peace was now assured.

Kiba exclaimed joyfully, "See, there you go! So I say, quit your overreacting and relax! Enjoy the peace already!"

He shoved her shoulder again which actually caused Hinata to giggle, her body swaying a bit.

"Kami, if you're so worried about Naruto spending time with you, why don't you just ask him? Who knows, Shino might be right, your precious Naruto-kun might have finally woken up." Kiba teased with a laugh.

Hinata instantly gasped, her head space once again flooded by overwhelming thoughts, her body riddled with feelings of flusteredness.

Throughout Kiba's entire speech, one particular detail caught her attention the most.

My precious Naruto-kun.

Hinata's blush rushed back to engulf her whole tenfold, "H-Hey don't call him that!" The flustered kunoichi exclaimed in embarrassment before reaching over to slap Kiba's folded arm.

But her gesture of getting him back due to his teasing only pushed the brown-haired male to laugh and tease her even more.

"Oh, Naruto-kun! My precious Naruto-kun!"

"St-Stop it, Kiba-kun!"

"No! You make it so easy, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata grumbled, her heart racing in her chest as she was teased by Kiba but soon comforted by Shino.

After all was said and done, however, and after a much-needed conversation with her good friends, she found herself looking forward to the dinner get-together with Naruto.

Now, more than ever.

#naruhina #fest no jutsu 2023 #naruhina oneshot #naruto uzumaki #hinata hyuga #blank period #canon divergence #writing prompt #ao3 fanfic #ao3 event #wattpad #fanfiction.net #powerful_niya #🗒️ - niya's drabbles/one-shots ✨

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writer-and-artist27 · 3 years

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Judai one-shot 3: Clever Title Here.

So here it is, the response/gift/whathaveyou to The End of Takatou Iori as you wrote. This took entirely too long to write. I hope you like it, and that it makes sense character wise. Anyway, on with the show!

The journey from the smugglers den to the nearest friendly outpost was undertaken in awkward, and slow, silence.

Takatou Iori, now Mikazuki Sachi, still disbelieving over her changed fortunes kept an almost sullen silence, broken only to answer yes/no to any questions posed by Judai. Of course, as things are normally between former enemies (unless your name is Uzumaki Naruto) trouble soon reared its ugly head.

The first night together, Judai made a small campfire to keep them warm and heat their meager rations.

Poking the fire with a stick to stoke it, Judai thought on the future. For all that he had promised Mikazuki Sachi a new home in Konoha, he knew that deep down there lived still the Suna kunoichi Takatou Iori, the woman who had arranged for his kidnapping just to avenge a dead man.

Hearing the rustling of cloth Judai looked up, only to see his traveling companion stand in front of the small fire, the tanto he had used in their fight in her hands. “What are you doing? Put that down.” He said, sternly but not unfriendly. At first it seemed as if she had not heard him, her unnerving stare fixed on the weapon which had defeated her.

“Mikazuki-san?” He tried again, rising to his feet. In response, she twitched, as if aborting an action of some sort, before speaking quietly “If, as you say, I am to become someone new… I cannot look the same as I did before. Wouldn’t you agree, Hero?” with those words she brought her hand up to her long hair, grabbing a fistful roughly before using the tanto to cut it.

“With this sacrifice, Takatou Iori, is no more.” with those words she threw the bundle of hair into the fire, thick cloying smoke billowing forth for a second as it burned. Throwing the tanto away carelessly, she retook her seat and returned to her sullen silence. Judai stared in disbelief before muttering about how she shouldn’t worry people like that in the future, to which he received an almost imperceptible nod.

On the third day of their journey, they ran into a Konoho patrol, headed by Hatake Sakumo, much to the consternation of Sachi who was not at all prepared to meet another legend, much less one who was so credited with Konoha’s victory in the war.

“Judai! There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you, you’ve been gone for five days!” Sakumo said as he landed near silently in front of them, his team taking up supporting spots in the vicinity.

Sachi, slightly startled, gripped the back of Judai’s shirt for some amount of security, much to Judai’s amusement, though he hid it well.

“Ah, it is good to see you, Sakumo-sempai. The last couple of days have been… Tiring, to say the least.” Judai said in response, thinking fast on what to say.

“What happened to you anyway? All Hikari-san could tell us was that this guy showed up with a nice import deal before abruptly spiriting you away right then and there.” Sakumo said, eyeing Sachi curiously, who refused to look at anything except the fistful of shirt she held onto.

“Ah, well, turns out the guy in question was called The Broker, or something to that effect. Apparently he’d been hired to get me out of Konoha, in order to be killed by some vengeful Suna nin. Not that surprising, when you think about it.” Judai said, silently praying Sakumo wouldn’t delve further into the whole sordid tale.

“I see. And who is this young lady?” Sakumo said after a couple of seconds silence.

“Mikazuki Sachi, another victim of The Broker’s, as it turns out.” Judai said, inwardly pleased by the reaction he got from Sachi as he spun his tale as best he could. “She managed to distract the guards long enough for me to get us out. As she’s got nowhere to go I’ve offered her a place in Konoha, as thanks for helping out.”

Sakumo and his fellow shinobi stared in silence for a brief moment before relaxing.

“Well, Konoha is always welcoming of newcomers. I’m Hatake Sakumo, though I’m sure you already knew that. These two are Uchiha Sanosuke and Kurama Kumanoi.” Sakumo said, gesturing to his compatriots with a friendly grin. Said grin faltered slightly when Sachi said nothing, only tightening her hands in Judai’s shirt.

“Don’t talk much, do you?” He said with a good-natured shrug. “Let’s get you back home, Judai, Mikazuki-san.”

The rest of the journey proceeded much more rapidly after that, even with Sachi’s growing unease over being in the presence of the famed White Fang himself, and they soon found themselves within easy reach of Konoha’s great gates.

And, to Judai’s eternal happiness the familiar figure of Hoshino Hikari was clearly visible waiting anxiously for his return. In the following Glomp he recieved he almost forgot about Sachi entirely before Hikari asked who the lost-looking young lady was.

After giving a brief recap of his tale he muttered a quiet, tell you the rest later, receiving a suspicious look in return.

Later that day, when things had calmed down, Judai did indeed tell Hikari the rest. The scolding they both received from Hikari was the stuff of legends, him because he’d invited a VERY former enemy into their home, and her for trying to kill Judai in the first place.

Such was the epicness of the scolding that Sachi was reduced to silent tears as she did her best to hide behind Judai, though once she’d calmed down Hikari did welcome her to Konoha, making her feel a little better.

After being shown her new room, Mikazuki Sachi collapsed into a boneless heap on the only bed, too tired to deal with… Everything, the disbelief over being accepted by Hikari even after everything she’d done sapping all her strength and then some.

When Sachi did finally fall asleep, Hikari and Judai had a long discussion, though Sachi never did find out what was said there.

Over ther following couple of days Sachi silently did her best to acclimate to her new situation, helping out when allowed and staying out of the way at all other times, simply observing. It wasn’t until the ninth day as a freeloader that Sachi finally braved her thoughts to Hikari and Judai about what she could do to properly help out.

“You want to… Tend the bar? Is that it, Sachi-san?” Judai said in slight disbelief. Receiving a determined, and silent, nod in return he continued “Do you even know the first thing about bar tending?”

“Yes. Serve drinks, keep glasses and the countertop clean, mix as requested, listen to drunken louts complain about issues. Stay away from the café proper. Mixing a drink cannot be that much harder than mixing a poison, and you already know I’m capable of doing that.” She said quietly, Hikari gave an amused smirk at the mention of drunken louts, but did otherwise not react.

Seeing the slight scepticism on Judai’s face Sachi continued quietly “At least give me a chance. I want to help, and I am no good anywhere else.” Judai soon caved, agreeing to a trail run.

Over the next several weeks, there were ups and there were downs on the scene of bar tending, though there was only one major accident, and soon enough things were settling nicely. Soon, weeks turned to months, and eventually flowed into a year. Then two. On the third year of Mikazuki Sachi’s stay with the Hoshino’s, she moved out of her room and into her own little apartment nearby, catching the eye of one of her neighbors in the process. But that is another story.

Some time after Mikazuki Sachi moved out, Hikari and Judai took the next step on the road of adulthood, culminating in the birth of Hoshino Tomoko.

The moment Mikazuki Sachi was allowed to hold the little bundle of joy, she promised herself to never allow anything to happen to Tomoko, as her own little way of atoning for the whole revenge ordeal.

Her index finger held in an iron grip by a small hand, Mikazuki Sachi had only one thing to say. “She’s tiny…” causing amused eye rolls from both Judai and Hikari for stating the obvious.

With the added presence of Sachi, things were a little less hectic than they might have otherwise been, though it helped that Tomoko was a well behaved child, for the most part.

End Part 3.

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Thank you for the submission, Chief. Wasn’t expecting another part to Sachi’s story, but it’s good to see when my mind is still fuzzy from food-poisoning-recovery.

Gonna have to see if I have the energy to follow up to this later. Thankie, though, Chief. Thankie. It was a good read.

#fan submission #recursive fanfiction #takatou iori #mikazuki sachi #chiefladylightyay #vy says something #submission #fan story #short story #one shot #yuki judai #hoshino hikari #hoshino tomoko #long post

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anerdinallherglory · 6 years

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Approaching Sun (18)

Author’s Note: Sorry for such a long wait. It’s not the longest chapter but rest assured because Chapter 19 is already 30% finished! Thanks again for your patience. Keep reading and letting me know what you think. The recent feedback has been really encouraging and I can’t wait to dig into the details of this story.

P.S. Forewarning, things might take an interesting turn now that we are in this “place.”

Pairing: SasuSaku

Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Chapter 18: A Bond Not Completely Severed

Sasuke was dodging puppets, weaving in and out between their closely assembled bodies. They were spinning swords and launching poisoned shuriken in his direction and he was fighting them off desperately, trying to get to her.

"Sakura!" he screamed, running towards the red-headed puppet master who was holding her up on the end of his blade. Spewing blood, she stared at Sasori's face with wide-eyes, and asked, "Why?"

"Stop!" he tried to scream but it wasn’t his voice that echoed across the cavern. Kakashi? Kakashi was the one who was running now, but towards Sasuke, screaming at him in order to prevent the Uchiha from what he was about to do. "Sasuke, stop!"

Sasuke turned back to locate Sakura again, but instead, he found her throat between his fingers. "Why?" she choked again, the crimson blood from her lips spilling out onto his wrist. He realized that it wasn’t Sasori who was killing her, but himself. A poisoned dagger--the one he had snatched from her-- was thrust through her stomach. At the sight, a terrible laugh bellowed up from his very own chest.

Kill her, a voice said inside his head. Sever the bond.

…………………..

Sasuke was pulled from the nightmare like a dead man resuscitated back to life. Sakura was leaning over him on the floor, shaking him.

"What is it?" he sighed irritably. And then hushed immediately when he realized that she had a panicked look on her face. Her gaze focused on the wall across from them, and it took Sasuke a hazy second to register the muffled voices that were coming through the wall of Sasuke's old hotel room.

The voices were faint, a whisper that only a ninja would have been able to detect. It was a harsh, frustrated hiss of an individual and the barely-audible squeaking hinge of the door next to theirs, that made Sasuke understand their current situation.

"Someone is--" she began. Alarm bolted through every nerve in Sasuke's body, and he shot up and covered Sakura's mouth with his right hand before she could say more. She gaped at him with fearful eyes as the door knob to their room began to twist slowly. Someone had just been in Sasuke's rented room and now stood just outside.

Was it that bastard with the black glove that he had met earlier in the hall? So, if they had gone to his room first, then Sasuke had been the target. Not Sakura herself.

Within seconds, the door was compromised with a splintering CRACK and two masked men charged into the room. It was hard to see them in the pitch dark, but with his active Sharingan, Sasuke could faintly make out ninja headbands with an unrecognizable symbol. And then, Sasuke cursed himself for not having acted sooner, because the enemy acted first, and ninja weapons were sent swiftly towards their kneeling forms.

Shit!

Sakura immediately angled her body to dodge, but Sasuke released her mouth and held her close to prevent her from moving. The Uchiha closed his right eye and focused his chakra to his Rinnegan. Immediately, a spiraling, purple portal opened up behind Sakura and the Uchiha ducked his shoulder and dove forward, clutching the startled pink-haired ninja as the two of them tipped over into the vortex. As they plummeted, Sasuke twisted their bodies around so that he was able to watch the black tear in the space seal back shut just before the ninja could follow them through.

A couple of shuriken, however, did make it through, and Sasuke clasped his female companion close to him, barely able to angle them so that the weapons flew past them on either side. He had to act quickly! They were falling!

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed into his shoulder, terrified as the red ground was rising up to meet them. The portal had appeared at the same height in this dimension that their room had been at the top level of the hotel building. Which meant that the two of them had several stories of air between them and the ground. A space that would be crossed within a matter of a few seconds.

As the thick air of the new climate rushed around their bodies, Sasuke spun again so that Sakura's back was to the ground and he hovered a few inches above her.

"What are you-?!" she screamed, as Sasuke released her with his only arm and used his hand to reach into his weapons pouch. He launched a single kunai past her toward the burgundy dunes beneath them. The metal blade stuck in a soft spot of sand below and Sasuke once again narrowed his Rinnegan eye. Closing the space between them once more, he grabbed onto Sakura's waist and the falling pair flickered in the green sky and disappeared.

Sasuke was suddenly on his feet, having used his teleportation ability to trade places with the kunai. However, now the kunai was racing in the sky towards them. Still holding Sakura, Sasuke dropped in order to dodge the falling blade, and together, they skidded down the hard sand of the dune’s side.

They came to a stop several feet away and below from the kunai’s intended target—inches from where they stood a second ago. It was a risky gamble, but the fact that the two of them were unharmed, and not splattered on the ground of this dimension, made Sasuke sigh in relief.

He rested on his back and let his head fall back against the ground with a thump. "This is all your fault."

"My fault?!" Sakura asked incredulously, rolling out of his open arms, and sitting up to look down at him. "How is this my fault?"

Sasuke stood and swiped at the copper dust that clung to his cloak. Looking down at her, he accused, "Because if you hadn't run off yesterday, and announced yourself to every citizen you met, then no one would have followed you to our hotel."

"Excuse me?" Sakura growled up at him, which Sasuke returned with a hard, fixed glare. "I did no such thing!"

She rose to her feet and came to stand next to him. "If you weren't so hard to wake, we could have evaded this entire situation!"

Sasuke grit his teeth at the statement and bitterly retorted, "I wanted to pass through the village. You insisted that we stayed the night."

Sakura frowned, then just said, “We could have handled them.”

Sasuke feigned indifference and arrogantly mocked with “Hn.” She glowered but he didn’t give her a chance to respond; he walked off.

Of course, she followed.

Sasuke surveyed the land around them. It had been awhile since he had had enough chakra to reach the core dimension that served as the central connection between all the other dimensions. Why had he brought them here instead of handling the situation back in that hotel room? Now that he was thinking about it, it would have made much more sense to teleport with the man closest to the door and then surprised the other from behind with a killing blow. He felt like a coward, having ducked into this realm and avoided the entire confrontation altogether.

Sakura was right. Coming here was his fault. He had tried to blame her and reason with himself that it was just instinct that had caused him to do this. He had been scared, which resulted in his knee-jerk reaction to get them as far away as possible. But why? Sasuke blamed that horrible dream he had just had which kept him from reacting to the threat sooner. The whole thing had thrown him off his game--no, she was throwing him off. If she weren't here with him, he wouldn’t be having these dreams where he was concerned for her safety. And just now, Sasuke had been so desperate to remove her from the life-threatening situation that he had spent the last of his expendable chakra reserves to get her to the farthest place he could think of. Why didn’t he just eliminate the ninja in that moment?

Sasuke ran a hand down his face. Damn.

Were these nightmares all because of the bond that was growing stronger between them? The bond he had tried to sever that day when Sasuke had meant to kill her. These unwanted scenes that were merging with tale and memory were tormenting him. Watching other people repeatedly attack her and then seeing himself take her life, was all because of his damn guilt. Was he trying to protect her now, because he owed it to her?

Ugh, see, why was he even thinking like this?! It's not like he cared back when they were fighting Madara and she impaled herself on his black receiver rod. Instead, Sasuke had taken advantage of the diversion, rushing past her to deliver Madara a blow. Naruto was the one to catch and aid the kunoichi after Madara had sent all three of them flying backwards. Hell, he even let Kakashi save Sakura from falling into the lava in Kaguya's volcano dimension.

Sakura was following him closely, asking him questions he wasn’t even listening or responding to. He marched ahead, looking at the green sky above him and the maroon mountainous terrain around them and beneath his stomping feet.

To add to his list of corrupt choices, Sasuke recalled his thoughts during the last time that he and Sakura were here together. Yes, she and Obito had opened the portal between this space and the hot, desert dimension where Sasuke had been trapped. In all honesty, when he first saw his rescuers, his first gut reaction was to replace himself with one of them. What had kept him from that resolution, was the fact that if he had separated the two, the portal might have collapsed before he could have even made the exchange.

Fortunately, Sakura's vest had been laying there on the ground next to her and Sasuke didn’t haveto replace himself with one of the people who had saved him. But in his defense, Sasuke hadchosen to look for an alternative, which was proof that he was changing for the better even in that second. Okay, maybe he couldn’t have gone through with replacing himself with Sakura, but Obito had definitely been an option.

Sasukerecalled the way in which he supported Sakura in her chakra-depleted state right after that. At the time, Sasuke was telling himself that it was only gratitude. A very small sense of gratitude that he had had for her for bringing him back. Nothing else.

Recalling it now, Sasuke would be lying to himself if he said that it was only gratitude. There was always something between them, he supposed. Even during moments when he truly believed their bond was severed; when he treated her less than she deserved; when he was cruel, unresponsive to her feelings, and wanted to kill her.

"Hey!" Sakura, who had been trying to talk to him this whole time, placed herself in front of his marching form. "Are you even listening?"

"What?" he spat, his annoyance with her apparent on his face.

She looked up at him with worry on her face. "What's going on with you? What's wrong?"

You! He wanted to say. You are what's wrong! You and your damn stubborn resolution to be involved with me.

"I just used all of my chakra reserves to bring us here," The Uchiha grumbled instead. "I'm annoyed about it." He pushed past her again, continuing his trek.

No, he admitted to himself. He, himself-- or rather, who he was-- was Sasuke’s problem.

……………………………………………………………………………….

Sakura followed the stalking Uchiha as they made their way across the foreign landscape. Well, it wasn’t entirely foreign. She had been here before during their battle with Kaguya, back when Obito had brought them here along with Naruto's clone, in order to bring Sasuke back to the battle in the ice dimension.

Sakura didn’t necessarily like this place. The air was neither hot nor cold, but it felt strange—like there was just enough air to inhale, but not enough to take more than short, limited breaths. The sun was currently dim through the green atmosphere, just enough light where they could see, but not enough that it could be considered bright. Everything about this place was completely on the edge. Sakura did not like it.

Not to mention, that it also reminded her of their battle with Kaguya and the many lives lost in the war. This place also reminded Sakura that the threat of the Otsusuki clan was still very real and not something that disappeared in the past along with Kaguya’s defeat. This threat was what kept Sasuke from a happy life in the village.

It did have one good memory though. When she thought of this place, Sakura couldn’t help but remember the sensation of Sasuke supporting her against him when she had felt like she had failed him. The Uchiha had borne her weight as she recuperated her strength after having spent all of her chakra in order to save him. It was something a friend would have done—something the Sasuke she knew would have done.

Despite the memory, Sakura still loathed this place.

So why? Why had Sasuke chosen to bring them here?

She wanted to ask him, but his mood was foul, and he was currently stalking forward, not caring if she followed him or not. Where he was taking them, she had no idea. Sasuke had been exploring these dimensions for years now, so Sakura knew that he must have a final destination in mind.

Sasuke had said he was annoyed about the amount of chakra it had taken him to teleport. Did this statement mean that they were trapped here?

Despite his mood, Sakura jogged to catch up with him, a difficult feat considering the up and down momentum she was having to regulate on this uneven ground.

"Sasuke?" she asked him, "Where are we going?"

He didn’t answer, just trudged ahead with that unwavering focus. So, she did something she knew would get his attention. She reached out, and gingerly took hold of the fingers of his right hand.

She expected him to stop or to freeze, but instead, he spun on her with a wrath she wasn’t quite anticipating. "Stop doing that!"

The kunoichi recoiled, embarrassed and frustrated. She immediately withdrew her hand back to her chest. "Why won’t you tell me what’s going on? You're starting to act like the Sasuke I don’t know."

His eyes got wide at that comment and he immediately looked away from her.

Sakura needed answers. She needed to know what their current situation was--some sort of affirmation that everything was going to be okay--that he wasn’t mad at her because he blamed her for this.

"Did you know those people, Sasuke?" she asked, quieting her voice and clutching her rejected hand to her chest. "Why were they after us?"

The silence continued and there was no response. He must be truly upset with her about this.

"Look, I'm sorry I told the guards at the entrance we were leaf shinobi and associated with Naruto. I'm sorry I went to the medic center. I promise that I didn’t tell anyone who you were---"

"It's not your fault,” he interrupted, which surprised Sakura. It always astonished her when he said things like this. “They're after me. Due to my reputation, I’m not the most difficult person to recognize. You just happen to be with me so you're being targeted."

Sakura stared at him in open shock. Did he really believe that way? She took a step towards him, afraid that he would retreat into his shell of silence again if she didn’t keep him talking. "But why? Why are they after you?" she asked.

"Because of who I am and what I've done," he said, rotating his back to her and walking again. This time, he slowed so she could keep up. "I've pissed a lot of people off. Who knows why they're after me."

Sakura strode quickly by his side. His hair fell into his eyes as he ducked his head. There was a long silence before he spoke again. "This is why, Sakura. This is why I have to stay away from the village as much as possible right now. I have too many enemies."

"I'm here, though." she whispered to him, leaning in to elbow him. "I can help you."

"I don’t want--" he began but held his tongue. He didn’t have to finish for Sakura to know what he meant to say. I don’t want you here. The words felt like a blow to her heart.

She stopped in her tracks.

Sakura didn’t understand. She didn’t understand why Sasuke didn’t want her here, next to him. Was she wrong about all of this? There were times when Sakura believed Sasuke might actually love her back. Times like just a few short hours ago when a stranger knocked on her door, and the Uchiha had stormed into her room announcing that it was "pointless to spend money on two rooms." Or how yesterday morning, when Sasuke came looking for her in the woods because he woke up to her missing. Maybe Sakura was misinterpreting it all. Maybe it was just concern for a friend that had him acting this way.

Sometimes she wanted to just give up and let the stubborn Uchiha have his damn, lonely way. But it wasn’t in her to give up because she just couldn’tlet him go. Couldn’t remove him from her heart. And when he acted this way towards her, she couldn’t bring herself to smother out the hope that bloomed in her chest. This undying love for him often felt like an undying curse.

"It's just that--" the Uchiha began, and Sakura glanced up to see him standing still just a few feet in front of her. He peeked back at her guiltily for a second through his black curtain of bangs. If Sakura would have blinked, she would have missed it. She waited anxiously for him to continue.

"It's easier when I'm by myself," he continued, "Just because I only have to worry about myself."

There it was again. That hope in her chest; that undying curse. What was Sasuke feeling when he said things like that?

All anger evaporating from within her, Sakura closed the distance between them and poked him in the side--something she was finding quite enjoyable when he made that 'how dare you' expression. "Are you sure it's not because I'm annoying?"

He scoffed and brushed her hand off of him. Their fingers touched for a long, lingering second. To Sakura, it wasn’t long enough. Their eyes met too, but then Sasuke blinked and retracted his hand gradually as he purposefully avoided her gaze. Was that lasting touch supposed to be an apology for earlier, or was she reading too much into it?

"That's the main reason," he snorted loudly before walking off again.

She glowered. Yep, she was reading too much into it.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him behind his back. She let out a quiet sigh and watched him walk away, content to hang back a few feet as they continued forward. Silently and to herself, Sakura cradled her burning fingertips.

…………………………..

Sasuke trailed onward, an annoyed expression permanently glued to his face. If he let the mask slip even a little bit, his expression might give him away. After what had just passed between them, Sasuke didn’t look back at his companion even once. Silently, and concealed by his cloak, Sasuke was running his thumb over his middle and ring fingers. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t rub away the tingling sensation.

#sasusaku #approachingsun #Sasuke Uchiha #Sakura Haruno #sasuke and sakura #sakura hiden #sasukeshinden #sasuke shinden #ssfanfiction #sasusakufanfiction #Naruto Shippuden #naruto fanfiction #naruto

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linuxgamenews · 3 years

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Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun - Aiko's Choice is coming to Linux

Aiko's Choice game update and first gameplay trailer for Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun on Linux with Windows PC. According to details from developer Mimimi Games. Due to make its way onto Steam this December. Publisher Daedalic Entertainment and developer Mimimi Games revealed a first gameplay trailer for Aiko’s Choice. The long awaited standalone expansion for the acclaimed real-time tactics game Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. Aiko's Choice will be released in December 2021, and once again send players to Edo Japan. Here they join the kunoichi adept Aiko and her companions in her quest to quiet the ghosts of her past. As stated in the previous announcement for Aiko’s Choice, there will be a Linux build. Reaching to Mimimi Games via email, it looks like support is still in the cards.

We’re still planning to deliver a Linux version, but I don’t have any info regarding a release time for the build yet.

While this is good news, Aiko's Choice may not get a day one release. Mimimi Games are still up in the air regarding support details. Rightly so, the new DLC expansion does not have an offial release date yet. But its certainly a pleasure to know that a Linux build is still in the works.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun - Aiko’s Choice | Gameplay Trailer

youtube

With Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun - Aiko’s Choice a copy of the main game is not required to play this standalone expansion. But is certainly recommended to experience the first missions of the main game. Doing so before diving into Aiko´s Choice. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun - Aiko’s Choice focuses on one of the main game's protagonist: the kunoichi adept Aiko. She is a master of camouflage and distracts enemies disguised as a geisha. While Aiko was certain that she left her old life behind, her former sensei. Which is the cunning spymaster Lady Chiyo, now reappears from the shadows to challenge her. Together with her friends, a group of deadly assassins, she goes out to hunt down the ghosts of her past. The expansion features three full-fledged main missions, set in brand new settings, and three shorter interlude missions. Like in the main game, Aiko’s Choice will have you take control of a team of lethal specialists. While you move in the shadows, and sneak past dozens of enemies. Choose your approach wisely when infiltrating hidden forest camps or lively Edo-period towns. Set traps, poison, and distract your opponents. Maybe even avoid enemy contact altogether. Carefully plan your every move and come up with your own ingenious tactics. All due to vanquish enemies and complete each of the challenging missions to uncover Aiko´s past.

Features:

Return to the beautiful world of Shadow Tactics set in Japan in the early Edo period.

Rejoin your favorite characters for one final adventure set within the story of the main game Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun.

Experience a previously untold tale centered around the kunoichi adept in Aiko’s Choice. Who has to face a vicious enemy connected to her past.

Explore three full-fledged main missions, located in brand-new environments, and three shorter interlude missions.

The Aiko’s Choice expansion includes all the features of the main game:

Play a team of completely different characters with their own unique skill sets.

Synchronize your team's actions to strike down your enemies at once with the "Shadow Mode" feature.

Choose between non-lethal or deadly stealth attacks in Aiko’s Choice.

Find dozens of ways to take out or sneak past your opponents the way you want.

Choose from three difficulty levels to match your skill.

Aiko’s Choice gameplay trailer offers a further look into Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. Due to make its way onto both Linux and Windows PC. So be sure to Wishlist the game on Steam. Also be sue to Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun first. Available on Steam, GOG, and Humble Store. Priced at $39.99 USD.

#aiko’s choice #shadow tactics: blades of the shogun #linux #gaming news #mimimi games #ubuntu #windows #pc

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hinatadovahkiin · 5 years

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Hinata the Dragonborn #4

Chapter Four

A Wolf's Den

Jorvaskr was the closest thing to a clan compound that Hinata found in Whiterun. The central building resembled something close to an upside-down ship. Stone walls surrounded the compound and Hinata took her time examining her surroundings. Any ninja could jump over the walls but they'd be trouble for the ordinary soldiers that she saw patroling the streets. There were several locations which looked like posts of some sort. They were empty. In fact, despite the commotion she could practically hear comming from the main building, the entire compound looked... barren.

"So why are we visiting Jorvaskr again?" Sven asked.

"The Companions could welcome someone such as Hinata for her fighting skills. It would be a nice start for her, wouldn't you agree, Hinata?" Faendal turned to the Kunoichi, who was busy scrutinizing her surroundings, just as any ninja would.

"U-uhm.T-this place looks e-empty. T-the c-compound was designed f-for a larger number o-of p-people."

Faendal frowned thoughtfully and followed her gaze.

"The war has taken its toll on the Companions. They used to be over a hundred back in the days before the war with the Dominion." Sven sighed and readjusted the straps of his satchel.

There was some sort of tension in the Nord, Hinata noticed, that it was somewhat intertwined with the Companions and Jorvaskr. Sven's eyes hardened as he stared at the building and the muscles of his jaw clenched despite his attempts to hide his discomfort.

"Let's go." the Nord said curtly and went forward with a determined stride.

There was some sort of history behind his behavior, Hinata was certain, but it was not her place to intrude. She said nothing as Faendal motioned for her to follow. As they entered, the three of them were met by a rather familiar type of ruckus.

"Oh my." mumbled the Kunoichi as she watched a tall and muscular woman beat the snot out of an elf man with ashen, dark skin and vibrant dark red hair. The elf wasn't pulling his punches either and Hinata could not help but cringe as she heard the tell-tale sound of breaking a rib.

"You bloody-" the woman heaved as she threw the elf onto one of the tables.

"Are those two at it again?" a gruff voice beside her said and the Hyuuga girl's pale eyes caught sight of a tall and formidable looking Nord. With one blank eye and two identical stripes on each cheek, the man was the very essence of the word intimidating. For a few moments they locked gazes and Hinata opted to stay still as that predatory look scrutinized and judged her worth.

"You dare fight a Dunmer!?" growled the dark skinned elf as he kicked the woman in the stomach. With a painful 'Oomph!' she stumbled backwards and soon enough the elf was back on his feat.

The woman's elbow collided with the elf's jaw and the Kunoichi winced as he splurted blood. With no time to lose, the Nord woman threw her knee into his stomach, returning the favor for that kick she recieved earlier. Hinata knew the fight would be over at any moment. Both participants were battered, bloody and bruised, but the elf had taken a direct hit to the solar plexus. He would lose this fight, no doubt.

"Hinata, nice to see you here. We'd expected you to stop by yesterday. My brother Vilkas could hardly believe us when we told him a pretty little girl like you killed a giant with a single hit."

"I-it is good to see you a-again, F-farkas-san." Hinata bowed politely out of habbit, making the dark-haired man blink in slight confusion. A pretty blush had spread on her face as the other Companions approached the newcomers. Feeling uncomfortable by the amount of attention she was recieving, she ducked her head slightly and started fiddling with her fingers nervously.

"Is this the one that killed the giant? Doesn't look like much."the muscular woman from earlier huffed, looking utterly unimpressed. "Nothing more that a little girl."

"But that little girl was enough to down a giant in a single hit." Faendal was quick to the Hyuuga's defense."Last I remember, the Companions valued skill and courage. Not many would thrust themselves into battle without a second thought." he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. He had found that the gesture seemed to calm her and give her courage.

"She used magic, deceit! That is not the mark of a true warrior-"

"That's quite enough, Njada."

Every single one of the Companions turned to the new voice and then made way for the wisened Nord who had just come up the stairs on the other side of the hall. The woman, Njada, looked down as she mumbled her apologies.

Next to the old man was Vilkas. Hinata found it quite easy to recognise him as he looked almost completely identical with his brother Farkas. They were twins. He was thinner and less built than his bear of a brother. Next to him was the viscious red-haired woman, Aela.

"I am Kodlak Whitemane, Harbinger of the Companions." the old man introduced himself. He reminded Hinata of the Third. "And you must be Hinata Hyuuga, the girl who downed a giant with nothing more than a steel dagger. And as the whispers in the streets of Whiterun have it, a survivor of the destruction of Helgen. I take it you and your friends have quite the tales to tell. Please, join us for lunch."

"We t-thank you for your h-hospitality, Harbinger-sama." Hinata bowed again.

"Heh, cute kid." someone mumbled, and Hinata recognized it to be the voice of the intimidating man from earlier.

"The weather is good, so we can eat outside." Kodlak stated happily."Tilma! Prepare lunch on the Porch!"

Hinata came to the conclusion, some twenty minutes in the company of the Companions, that they had a lot in common with the rambunctious bunch that was the Inuzuka clan. Even Sven looked less disturbed by his presence in Jorvaskr, as the Companions laughed and drank and shared battle stories.

The Hyuuga was tenderly sipping on her second cup of Nord Mead, as Ria, the newest member of the Companions, was trying to coax Vilkas into explaining some sort of embarrasing story from when both Farkas and himself were still kids.

"We used to upkeep three separate training grounds, back in the days before the war with the Dominion." Kodlak spoke. "We even had separate stables. That building over there "the Harbinger pointed towards one of the smaller buildings near the rear of the Compound."It used to contain some twenty of the finest beasts you'd see in Skyrim. We lost thirteen during the war, along with many fine Shield-siblings. Brave and noble beasts. It isn't a coincidence that Whiterun's crest bears the likeness of a Horse, after all."

"You should ask Hulda, the innkeeper, about the story of the Bannered Mare." Tulma suggested as she poured in some more mead for Hinata despite her weak protests on the matter.

“Well, now that we have eaten heartily, I think it would be prudent to test young Hinata.” The Harbinger of the Companions stated and there was a murmur of agreement. “Vilkas, don’t give me that look. Sometimes, the famous come to us. Sometimes, people come seeking for fame. Last I checked, we had plenty of spare beds in our compound. If both your brother and Aela say that she has what it takes, then let her prove her worth.”

“Of course, Master.” Vilkas bowed his head slightly.

“I’m nobody’s master, Vilkas.” Kodlak corrected softly and then turned to the pale eyed girl. “Tell me, Hinata, how do you handle yourself in battle?”

“Uhm, I-I have m-much to learn, K-Kodlak-san.” Hinata stuttered, her cheeks reddening once more from the amount of attention the Companions were giving her.

“So long as you have the will and the desire to learn and improve, I don’t see a problem with that.” Kodlak chuckled fondly at her shy disposition.

“Come on, lass. Daylight’s burning.” Vilkas prompted her to stand up and his tone wasn’t exactly as welcoming as it should have been, Faendal noted. He seemed pessimistic about what he had heard of Hinata and it showed in his behavior. It was good, though, that he was actually going to give her a fair shot at it.

Neither Faendal nor Sven felt worried about her acceptance within the ranks of the Companions. The girl, despite her nervousness and shyness, was a skilled fighter. A small, knowing smirk was threatening to spread on Faendal’s face and there was nothing he could do about the glint in his eyes.

“What are you smiling about, elf?” Sven narrowed his eyes at the Bosmer.

“For all of Hinata’s expertise with small, bladed weapons, her true strength lies in her hands.” Faendal explained, remembering vividly their time in the Bleak Falls Barrow.

“You mean to tell me she would be fighting without a weapon? That she is proficient in unarmed combat, like those cat-people, the Khajiit?” Aela raised her eyebrows at that revelation.

“My brother favors a sword and a shield, if she were to fight unarmed as you suggest she would, then my brother would decimate her.”

“Elf, tell her to use those daggers of hers.” Sven’s brows were knitted in worry.

“She won’t need them.” Faendal insisted, to the bard’s surprise. “Just watch. You will see for yourself.”

And, indeed, Sven, along with the rest of the Companions, remained quiet and turned to observe the spar between Vilkas and Hinata.

888

Hinata was well aware of her own limitations and the limitations that were set by her own insecurity and fears. Before her stood a tall and wiry man, donned in heavy metal armor, holding up an equally heavy shield and gripping a shiny sharpened sword.

Her slightly lavender pearly eyes took in his posture. Vilkas presented a tall, hulking figure, not unlike an impenetrable fortress, compared to her own slender and petite form. Vilkas was not beyond her limitations, however. Unlike him, Hinata was agile and light on her feet. She was merely wearing cloth, which gave her plenty of room for movement. Furthermore, she was a Hyuuga, and the Hyuuga were masters of perception. Even though their bloodline was not like the infamous and now quite rare Sharingan, the Hyuuga were still considered the clan that was capable to discern truth from lie and any sort of emotion from the minute changes in stance or near microscopic movement of underlying facial muscles. And they didn't need their Byakugan to be active for that. It was for that reason alone that the clan preached immense self control over their emotions and thus facial expressions. Hinata felt herself a failure in that aspect but she was still a Hyuuga and as such she found herself immediately scrutinizing the man before her.

Vilkas' breathing was even and controlled. Despite his heavy armor, he moved with more ease than one could perceive at first glance. It was obvious that he had trained regularly and fought regularly with that hulking mass of metal upon him. But even so, his muscles were taught and very tense. He held his shield high even as they approached the small training ground right beside the porch. Hinata also noted that his footing was somewhat heavy but well-measured and that he kept surprisingly good balance – he was prepared for an attack at any moment, in any situation.

Vilkas was also scrutinizing her. In fact, he had been doing so from the first moment he had seen her. His light blue gaze threatened to send chills down her spine. While not openly hostile, there was still the promise of something feral, something wild, hidden deep within those blue eyes. Vilkas somewhat reminded her of Faendal in that regard, even though the predatory feel of his person was marginally different than the elf's. Still, before her stood a very intelligent and perceptive man, who was ready to put her in her place if she was not up to par. The concept of that brutal objectiveness on the matter frightened her. And that was just one of the reasons why she felt so uncomfortable in the man's presence. He reminded her of her father.

She was not considered worthy to be part of the Companions. In his eyes, she was weak- either physically or in spirit, it did not matter to him. Her failure would become the Companions' failure and there was a level of unconditional loyalty and something even more powerful within him that bound his beliefs with the concept that the Companions represented. She could compare the sensation she was perceiving in him to Kiba and generally all of the Inuzuka clan. To be without was not to be at all. That had been Kiba's words. Indeed, this concept rung true here as well. The companions were like a pack, Hinata realized. With new-found fascination she took in Vilkas' form once more. Even now, with every motion, with every breath he took, even by openly opposing her acceptance within the 'pack' he was protecting it. And what was even more fascinating was that he was barely cognizant of what was happening. It was an instinct to him to place the Companions first and then everything else.

As Vilkas prepared to strike the first blow, Hinata found herself releasing some of the discomfort she was feeling. She understood what was going on a little bit better, and she found herself on a new, but more familiar ground with her opponent. It was almost as if she was back with Team 8 once more, and she was having a spar with the ever cocky Kiba. The memory flooded her mind and she felt herself be a little more prepared, a little bit more confident. She held her head slightly higher and there was no longer uncertainty clouding her pearly eyes. She was ready.

Vilkas struck the first blow- a lightning fast slash with his blade. Or he tried to. Hinata had side stepped with relative ease, her posture yet to switch to some sort of stance and she was yet to pull out any sort of weapon. In reality she wasn't planning to. Vilkas' jaw clenched minutely and that had been his only visible reaction to her evasive maneuver. Another strike followed immediately but it had been avoided just as easily as the first. The third strike was more of a stabbing, swifter motion.

“Is that all you are going to do? I want to access your fighting capabilities and not how well you avoid getting hit.” Vilkas finally exclaimed seriously, careful not to show his irritation.

Hinata did not say anything but kept her eyes trained on him. Her Byakugan was not active as she did not feel comfortable using it in the current situation. Even though it was her birth right, she felt as if she'd cheat on this exam thing she was currently participating in. That woman's, Njada's, accusation still rung clear in her mind. Would her eye technique be considered 'magic, deceit' ? She'd rather not risk presenting herself like some sort of disappointment. Not when Faendal held such high hopes and belief in her. She was fairly certain that she'd be able to defeat Vilkas on her own, without actually using any Jutsu, like her Byakugan, or the Juuken or anything else considered some sort of ninja trick. Despite his armor, Vilkas still had one major weak point, and that was leaving his head out in the open like that. One simple palm strike, if well-aimed, should and would be enough to knock him out. His defense and speed, however, were quite solid. She'd have to time her strike.

With his next strike she made her first move. By now he had been used to her dodging and her ridiculously swift palm strike came almost as a surprise. It had been aimed at his wrist, and while not laced with any chakra, it was still quite painful. The joints were usually not as protected as the rest of the body and she made use of that. She silently commended Vilkas' calm, even though she had managed to get the first hit. It was not, however, a small victory, as many would think in her case. Vilkas merely tightened his defenses and held his shield even more tightly against his body, quite prepared to bash her with it in the rare event she over-extends.

On the side, both Companions and Faendal and Sven watched the exchanges carefully. Kodlak stood next to Faendal and observed from time to time the petite girl's friends, especially Sven, who looked oddly familiar.

“Hm. She's waiting for an opportune moment to strike.” Faendal mumbled thoughtfully, more to himself than to anyone else. At first he had found it odd that she had not immediately taken to her usual fighting stance. The veins around her eyes looked normal as well and not bulged as when she used that special eye ability of hers. Indeed, it was odd that she'd fight with such handicap when he had seen her take out many warriors with more than just relative ease.

“Then she'd be waiting for a while.” Kodlak responded, slightly startling the Wood Elf. “ Vilkas is one of our best. He is especially adept with the sword and shield, not to mention his solid defense.”

“Ah, well, Hinata is not fighting at her usual level of prowess.” Faendal amended, earning a somewhat strange look from Sven, who had merely seen the battle with the giant. “She fights with blows usually enhanced by something resembling magicka from what I've observed. She has killed people with a single such enhanced strike, heavily armored or otherwise. But still, she is rather...”

“Shy? Yes, I've noticed. It is strange how a person such as her is trying to earn her keep with fighting at all.” Kodlak replied, his thoughtful gaze upon the petite young woman.

“She lacks the thrill of battle.” Njada stated with a frown.

“And yet, here she is, fighting for the right to be part of the Companions. I take it this was your idea, elf?” Kodlak asked Faendal.

“Ha!” Hinata jumped higher than what normal people were capable of and landed behind Vilkas. He swiftly turned around only to find that she wasn't there. In normal circumstances, the battle would've been over before Vilkas even knew there was a situation going on. In normal circumstances, Hinata would've used her Byakugan and would've powered her Juuken with chakra. However, these weren't normal circumstances and she wasn't home.

Even back on the Elemental Continent, the civilian population had always had a somewhat mixed opinion about the ninja caste. Being ninja carried a certain stigma that made most people wary of them. Being ninja meant she'd get the job done, no matter the costs, because that's what ninja did. And being ninja meant that she'd play dirty, that she'd cheat and that her opponent would never even know what he or she had been up against. Even if she did not feel comfortable with that fact of life, it was her duty to make her Kage and Family proud and to bring prosperity to Konoha and the land of Fire.

It was with these thoughts that she knocked out Vilkas with a single blow behind the head, leaving the companions speechless. She pulled away, conflict and discomfort obvious on her face.

“I'm sorry about t-this.” She mumbled as she fiddled with her fingers nervously.

“The squirt knocked Vilkas out!” Njada exclaimed, wide-eyed.

“Well done, Hinata.” Faendal placed a hand on her shoulder and Sven came to her as well.

“You are really adept in hand to hand combat, it seems, lass. I've never seen a style such as yours. Where did you say you were from?”

People around her were asking questions, talking to her and she felt her face burn with the discomfort of such attention.

“Now, now, Companions. Let the girl breathe. Farkas, wake your brother, he has to see this.” Kodlak spoke as he placed a hand on Hinata's head and smiled kindly at her. “ So young and yet so skilled and full of potential. You'd do great among our ranks and I am certain that with time, you will grow out your shyness. Welcome to the Companions, Hinata.”

888

Even an hour and a half after the fact, it still felt so surreal to Hinata. Vilkas seemed to disapprove her method to victory, while his brother kept grinning cheekily at the little Kunoichi. Sven had spoken a few words with Aela and Skjor, the imposing looking tall Nord with one blank eye.

Kodlak had offered the three to stay at the Companions' Compound but Hinata had declined politely on grounds that they had work to do for the Jarl. Still, the Harbinger had insisted for her to come to the Compound as soon as her business with the Jarl was over in order to get her settled as a Companion. Hinata knew he meant to put her to work as soon as possible and the notion almost left her giddy. It would be just like back home, with the Hokage giving her missions. Faendal and Hinata were currently back on the road to Riverwood, while Sven had stayed at Whiterun.

“Uhm, Faendal?”

“What is it Hinata?”

“I-I think Sven seemed to know t-the Companions.”

“Ah. Not exactly. I think his father used to be a Companion. I'm not entirely familiar with his story, nor do I care for it, but you can ask Delphine the Innkeeper once we get back to Riverwood.”

Hinata nodded. It was only natural to ask the Innkeeper, since they seemed to know everything about anyone in their particular region. It was a well known fact among ninja that more often than not Innkeepers were information brokers.

#Hinata the Dragonborn #Hinata Hyuuga #Skyrim Naruto Crossover #Skyrim

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djinmer4 · 6 years

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Snippets from a Madara/Mito fic that won’t get written

A/N: This story was created from one of those incoherent, 4 AM ideas. Basically, in a world where clans jealousy hoard their kekkai genkai, summoning contracts and family techniques, what would the reputation of the clan that boasts a thousand skills be? Would they be lauded for their power and versatility? Or would they be viewed as thieves and rapists?

Some Senju bashing, although to be fair, it’s all based on rumor only.

“Mito-chan, I’ve received an offer for your hand in marriage.” Uzumaki Masaru was so old, the famed Uzumaki red hair had turned completely white. He still led with the vim and vigor of a man half his age, but double the patience. If the Uzumaki head asked you to jump, you could ask how high before you got in the air.

“May I ask who the other clan is?” Mito knew her marriage would be a matter of politics, but she trusted her grandfather to do his best to at least pick someone tolerable.

He hesitated, which was a bad sign. “Senju Hashirama, the new Head of the clan.”

“Oh no! Not those thieves and rapists!” The Senju boasted of their ‘thousand skills’ but everyone knew how they got them. Captured prisoners raped for children, seduction missions, forced marriages to dying clans and bloodlines to incorporate the techniques and kekkai genkai into the clan. There was a saying that the Senju is where clans go to die.

“Now Mito-chan, most of those rumors have no proof behind them.”

“What happened to the last Lady Senju is no rumor.” Hatake Kimiko had been the pride of her clan, considered the third most powerful member behind her two older siblings. After marrying Senju Butsuma, she had been dead in less than ten years, worn out from constant pregnancies, miscarriages, and childbirth. The prior head hadn’t even had a consort, it was well known that Butsuma had been a mission baby.

“I thought you might say that.” Her grandfather’s shoulders slumped. “Unfortunately, they’ll be difficult to turn down. They are our allies and there aren’t many clans that can match them in power and prestige. Even a rapid engagement to another won’t necessarily put them off.”

Mito thought hard. “There is at least one clan that matches them in both. And they have a much better reputation.”

Uchiha Tajima was probably half Uzumaki Masaru’s age but looked far older. It was at least partially due to living on the continent rather than an isolated and sheltered island like Uzushio. The other part was probably being offended by the proposal. “The Uchiha marry for love, we do not do political marriages.”

Mito was about to call him out on the lie when his son and heir stopped him. “Father, have you looked over the terms they offered?”

“I have. The terms are generous however you have already made your preference known. The Uzumaki can wait until your brother returns from his mission to see if the two of them are compatible or they may take their contract and go.”

“I think I can come up with a compromise that will help both of us. However, I would need to talk to Mito-sama alone.” The Uzumaki guards bristled, but Mito held up a hand. The Uchiha and the Hyuuga were her best chances to escape being contracted to the Senju heir as a broodmare, and there currently were no males of appropriate age and marital status among the Hyuuga. She’d been prepared to accept Tajima’s offer of the younger son but if the older one had an idea to help salvage their pride, she’d hear them out.

She and Uchiha Madara ended up walking within the garden of the house, at the far end. Her guards could see them clearly but not hear what they talked about. If any Uchiha’s were in the area, she could not spot them but trusted that they would be discreet for the heir’s sake.

“Given what happened last night, I doubt you’ve been overcome by my spectacular good looks,” Madara noted wryly.

Mito fought down a blush. Tsubaki had been her informal tutor in the sensual arts for years now. It wasn’t love but Mito knew she’d never get the same thrill from a man as her handmaiden gave her. Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary for heirs. “What of it?” she challenged him. “My preferences will not endanger the chain of inheritance if that’s what you’re worried about. As long as you allow me my heart’s-companion and keep my children as your heirs, I’ll turn a blind eye to your own infidelities.”

“Peace Mito-sama! I am of a similar mind as yourself. You’ll have no bastards from me to worry about.”

So that’s what Tajima meant by Madara making his preferences known. “I take it you will not object to the Uzumaki tradition of heart’s-companions then?”

“The Uchiha have had similar arrangements before. Within the clan, we marry for love, but there have been the occasional political marriages arranged. We generally prioritize politics after the heart, but sometimes it’s not possible. Generally, the ones chosen are like me, who won’t endanger the contract by having bastard children.”

“Is that what you wanted to discuss then?”

“I wanted to make sure you weren’t looking for a love match. For a chance to move the Uchiha away from all the warring clans, to a naturally protected location like Uzushio, especially with allies as formidable as the Uzumaki I would sacrifice a lot more than my bachelorhood. But I had to be clear that you knew what you were getting into. A scorned wife is no joke, even if kunoichi aren’t as capable as shinobi.”

Mito made a note to clear up Madara’s misconception. Clearly, he’d not met enough kunoichi to know better. “I am one of my grandfather’s potential heirs. I wasn’t raised on fairy tales.” A thought occurred to her. “One quick issue though. We will be expected to have children. Are you up to performing?”

He grimaced but nodded. “I can’t say I’ll make it good for you but yes, I am capable of giving a woman children.” Good enough, she supposed. She had her heart’s-companion for pleasure and eventually love. “How will the children be raised?”

Dark eyes looked puzzled. “I assume they’d be Uzumaki. You are the leading candidate to succeed your grandfather, and I have Izuna as my heir. Izuna, by the way, is not inclined in my direction, so if you had not been a lover of your own kind, I would have recommended waiting for him.”

She waved the thought away. “A husband who was in love with me would not work out very well. I’d rather have respect than love. As for the children, what if one has the Sharingan?”

He clearly hadn’t considered that. “Any child that develops the Sharingan will be designated an Uchiha, but that doesn’t automatically make them the heir. The Council of Elders is the one to decide that.”

“Alright, that clears that up. Did you have any other questions?”

“Yes, why?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Why make the offer to the Uchiha at all? Uzushio has stayed out of the wars between clans for centuries and the Uzumaki are hardly weak. Why would you deliberately seek an outside marriage and offer to shelter your husband’s clan as part of the terms?”

Mito hesitated one moment. Telling the true reason would expose her clan’s weakness. On the other hand, given what she knew of the Sharingan, lying would just be getting off on a bad foot with her husband. “What do you know about the Senju clan?”

“The previous head, Butsuma was partial to sending out child-stealing squads. They hold grudges forever and are almost never amiable to compromising. The new one, Hashirama, has stopped the child-stealing and started making overtures to other clans for peace. I met him a few times. He’s incredibly idealistic.”

“The Senju demanded my hand in marriage to seal the bonds between our clan and them.” Madara winced. Apparently, even the Uchiha had heard bad things about Senju marriages. “It was either you or the Hyuuga, and the Hyuuga don’t have any candidates of the right age.”

Awkwardly he said, “I’m sure Hashirama wouldn’t mistreat you. From what I remember, he was incredibly kind.”

“But would he stop the other members of the clan from forcing me to be a breeding sow? You say he’s kind, but how much control does he actually have? He offered a peace treaty with one hand to the Hagoromo, and the next day his brother cut down the heir to that clan. Either he’s ineffectual at ruling or a hypocrite.”

The monochromatic man winced. “I guess that’s also why I want to accept your offer. Hashirama has held the dream of a peaceful village with all the clans living and working together since we were kids. But he’s too much of a dreamer to think of the logistics of getting there. I want to believe in him but I need to keep my clan alive too, and not merely as an appendage of the Senju.”

“So you understand my position?”

“I do.” They made their way back to the veranda to speak to his father and the other negotiators. “I accept Mito-sama’s offer of marriage and the terms that accompany it,” announced Madara.

Uchiha Tajima didn’t live to see the Uchiha make it to Uzushio. He was in the rear guard as the last of the clan left their homes. Some servitors would remain on the mainland, but the clan itself was moving wholesale. As the last compound was deserted a combined force of Shimura and Senju attackers went after the civilians. Tajima was still a strong warrior but no match against Senju Tobirama in his prime. The old head lasted just long enough for his sons to rescue him but the fatal wound meant he’d never see the new homeland he’d negotiated for his clan. He gave Madara and Izuna his blessing, charged them with the protection of the clan, then blew himself up to kill the advanced scouting party. Madara and Izuna didn’t even have ashes left to bring with them.

“I’ve received a letter from Hashirama.” Mito and Madara had adapted to domestic life. They shared a house on Uzushio all the time and a bed once a week and clan politics never. Mito had been formally appointed Masaru’s heir, with the understanding that Madara would never attend any Uzumaki clan meeting and vice-versa. He would continue to lead the Uchiha clan, and act as their representative in the growing village of Uzugakure, and Uchiha Izuna would remain clan heir. Mito and Madara’s children would take the name Uzumaki unless that individual manifested the Sharingan, in which case that person would be shifted into the Uchiha clan. Mito foresaw a lot of future problems with that clause but it worked for now. “He congratulates me on my marriage which is a little presumptuous given that Grandfather never told him who he got turned down for. He also talks about the village the Senju are building with the cooperation of multiple clans.”

She saw the wistful look in her husband’s eye. “It was our childhood dream together. A place of safety where children could be children and not cannon fodder.”

She placed one hand on his. “And now you’ve both accomplished the dream. The Uzumaki and the Uchiha both live in harmony in this village. The Yuki clan has also joined us and others will too.”

“When I was a child, I thought we’d build the village together.” He looked up at her, eyes dark with nostalgia. “I wouldn’t trade Uzugakure for anything but a part of me can’t help but wonder what would have happened if the Uchiha had stayed by the Nakano.”

“Speculation is fine. Just don’t let it get in the way of living your life.” It always surprised Mito that she was the more pragmatic between the two of them. It’s not that Madara was a complete idealist, nor was Mito without her own flights of fantasy. But Madara’s dreams were so lofty and romantic, Mito feared what would have happened if he’d had no one to remind him that ‘perfect is the enemy of good enough’. He didn’t handle disappointment well.

“What’s done is done. This is where our children will grow. However, I would like to propose an alliance with this new village of . . . what did he say the name was?”

“It doesn’t have a name yet. As for an alliance, the Council may be amiable, but I don’t think they’d agree to it sight unseen. They’ll probably want a delegation sent to gather information first.” And because they were friends. “Would you like to be among those sent?”

“Would that be acceptable? I expected the Uzumaki would want to at least have an heir on the way before I was allowed to leave.”

If Mito had been less of a proper lady, she might have snorted. “Uzumaki’s live a long time, Uchiha. My clan might look askance if there wasn’t an heir in ten years, but it hasn’t even been two yet. And who said you’d be going alone?”

Now it was his turn to squint at her. “I know you’re the heir but is that allowed? Among the Uchiha the women are the last line of defense for the clan. That’s why they don’t become as good as the male-front liners.”

“If you think about that statement, I’m sure you’ll see the logical flaw in that argument,” said Mito dryly. “But first, that’s not the way the Uzumaki do it. Second, I need the experience of these types of negotiations now that I’ve been officially declared the heir. I’d rather have my first experience with an ally that’s moderately friendly than a hostile party.”

“You didn’t do too bad negotiating your own marriage contract.”

“If you hadn’t been amicable, I might have ended up in a very bad position because I was desperate.”

“Finally, I’m not going to have many chances to leave Uzushio once I take over the leadership of the clan. I want to take as many opportunities to see the greater world as I can right now.”

Madara always kept his eyes open when in a brown study. The blank gaze was creepy but she was getting used to it. “Okay, fine then. We’ll both go. But Izuna and whoever you’re current successor is will have to stay here. Just in case.”

Mito inclined her head gracefully in agreement. “I’m glad we’ve settled that. More tea?”

“Uchiha-sama, Uzumaki-sama a few of the clan heads would like a word with both of you.” Green eyes met dark, both surprised. Madara took a step back and allowed Mito to take the fore. “We’d be happy to speak with them. I presume you have a location? And our bodyguards will accompany us, of course.”

“Of course. Right this way.” Madara and Mito were led to a room with the heads of the Hyuuga, Aburame, Inuzuka and Hatake clans and their guards were gathered. After the introductory formalities were out of the way they got down to business. “Uzukage-sama,” said Hyuuga Hotaru. “As Uzugakure is the only other co-operative ninja village currently in existence, we would like to hear your thoughts on the Senju village.”

“How queer that you should describe it like that. The Senju village, even though ostensibly the village is supposed to be based on the cooperation between clans.” Mito delicately rearranged her fan. “Still the village was started by the Senju and the Shimura clans, with only the Sarutobi joining recently.”

“Not quite true.” Aburame Shizuka lived up to her name. “There has been a trio of new additions lately. The Nara clan, the Yamanaka and the Akimichi have also joined the village.”

“But still, you all primarily think of the village as being Senju. That’s quite telling, isn’t it.”

“I noticed that too.” Madara piped in. He almost always let Mito or Izuna take the lead on actually talking during negotiations, so to speak up right now attracted quite a bit of attention. “The clans all have representatives in the Council but . . . only the Senju have a compound. All the teachers in the Academy are Senju. The role of military police has gone to the Shimura, who are the Senju’s closest allies. Aside from their seats on the Council, the other clans have been left out of the business of ruling the village.”

“So what you’re saying,” drawled Hatake Rikuto. “Is that this is the same assimilation bull-shit the Senju always pull, just dressed up to look merciful and compassionate as a front?”

“I do believe Senju Hashirama is genuine in his desire for peace,” Madara defended his erstwhile friend. “But Hashirama-sama isn’t much of a planner or bureaucrat. His brother, Tobirama, is the one who’s setting down laws and creating infrastructure right now. And he doesn’t seem like the type to settle for anything less than complete domination of other clans.” The Uchiha finished bitterly.

“That is . . . a disturbing thought” admitted Shizuka warily. “We were wary of threats of destruction to the clans. We had not considered the loss of autonomy.”

Madara shrugged. “I could be wrong. But there seems to be a dearth of clans other than Senju and Shimura in positions of power. Now, this could just be because the other clans are new and still adjusting. But it could also be a sign that the Senju are consolidating power and they will take steps in the future to remain that way.”

“You’ve certainly given us much to think about.”

“Well that does it,” Rikuto stood up. “I’m only willing to accept so much risk and my tolerance for Senju power-mongering is considerably less.” Belatedly Mito and Madara remembered that the former Lady Senju had been Rikuto’s older sister. He’d probably been looking for an excuse to withdraw from the negotiations for a while. “The concept of the village is sound, but the execution leaves much to be desired. Not to mention there’s another option available to us.” He turned to the married pair. “Uzukage-sama, perhaps you be so kind as to allow me to compare how Uzugakure does things?”

That was unexpected. “Excuse me, Hatake-sama, but is that an offer to join Uzugakure?” Mito kept her fan in front of her face, leaving only her eyes exposed.

“Not a solid offer . . . more a request for information. After all, I may find your structure of government as unappealing as the Senju assimilation village. I may just have to steal the idea and make my own harmony village in that case.”

“We would be happy to have you and your bodyguards accompany us to Uzugakure.” Madara silently cursed and re-arranged schedules and scouting plans in his head. But he didn’t bother to argue with his wife. Mito had made it clear (through repetition and the school of hard knocks) that she was the Uzumaki and Uzugakure heir. This was her decision to make and he refused to undermine her just because it wasn’t as cautious as he wanted.

“That offer is open to the rest of you as well. Should you prefer to see another example of inter-clan cooperation, you are welcome to visit Uzugakure before pledging to the Senju.”

“A generous offer,” Shizuka bowed her head in acknowledgment. “The Aburame are unable to accept at this time, however, you have raised enough concerns that we will not be joining the Senju at this time. We might take up your offer in the future, or perhaps follow Hatake-sama’s suggestion of creating our own village. This must be debated with the Elders of my clan.”

Mito and Madara turned to the other two clan elders. Hyuuga Hotaru was deep in thought while Inuzuka Takehiko continued to watch her. Finally, the blank-eyed Hyuuga stirred, her own fan fluttering to obscure her face. “I agree that you have brought up several important issues. However, Senju Tobirama has agreed to collaborate with the Hyuuga on some delicate seal-work that we have been working on for years. And-” She snapped her fan, deliberately cutting off whatever Mito had been about to say. “-while the Uzumaki are undoubtedly superior in fuinjutsu, we have already approached your grandfather about this issue and been turned down. So I’m afraid you have nothing to offer us to change our mind.”

That left both of them with a sour taste in their mouths. Mito knew (by virtue of being an Uzumaki) and Madara had learned (by virtue of being married to her) that there was only one type of seal that the Uzumaki’s categorically refused to create, and those were slave seals. That Senju Tobirama was willing to make some for the clans . . . their evaluation of their ally continued to decline.

Mito turned to the last member of the party. “Inuzuka-sama, what are your thoughts?”

The head of the clan of dog hunters had been silent so far. He shrugged, uncomfortable with the spotlight. When he spoke, it was with a gravelly voice that sounded unused. “This is our home. We will not leave it.”

“Did any of you have any further questions for us?” At the demurral, Madara helped Mito stand. “Then I thank you for taking the time to listen to us and I hope you make the best decision possible.”

“So this is the worth of the word of Utagakure!” Mito was nearly incandescent with rage. Madara followed behind her, cursing the need for his cane. While Mito had the legendary Uzumaki vitality, Madara wasn’t in quite as good condition after all these decades. While he remained Clan Head, the duty of Mito’s primary bodyguard had been passed to young Uchiha Kagami.

When he got there, he was surprised to see that Uta had sent Senju Tobirama, the Nidaime Hokage, to their aid. The Senju was only a few years younger than Madara, although he granted the Senju was in better shape to make it here unaided. Or somewhat aided, Madara recognized Shimura Danzo, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Akimichi Torifu from previous diplomatic missions. (Tobirama always had six guards with him, but Madara could never remember the others’ names.) If Madara had been inclined, he might have taken it as a sign of how much Uta valued this alliance, enough that the Hokage, the strongest ninja chose to come to their aide rather than stay home to fortify the defenses. clearly, his wife didn’t see it that way.

“The message requesting aide was sent almost a month ago, but we’re only receiving aid now? Convenient! Just enough time for Kiri and Kumo to finish off Uzushio and leave. Tell me, Slave-Maker Tobirama, what were you hoping to loot from the corpse of Uzugakure? Spare research notes and half-completed seals for you to claim? Freed bijuu to tame? Clan orphans to induct into the Senju?” Madara grabbed Mito’s shoulder, stopping her from advancing any further, but he couldn’t stop her from venting her spite at the Hokage. “Unfortunately for you, our defenses prevailed against our attackers. There’s nothing for you to steal, vulture!”

Tobirama did a good job rallying from the unexpected attack. “I apologize for our delay, Uzukage-sama. Uta was attacked by Suna at the same time Uzu was attacked by Kiri and Kumo. We believe it was coordinated to cut us off from each other. Since Uzu seems to have taken the brunt of the attack, Uta will be happy to provide aid in your recovery, as recompense for our tardy arrival.”

Mito seemed about to go off on him again, but by this point, the rest of the Council had arrived. Hatake Sakumo quickly spoke up before Mito could burn her bridges. “Thank you for the offer, Hokage-sama. However, in view of the devastation, it will take us some time to account for everything. We will send a message to Uta when we are ready to discuss the recovery.”

Madara, in the meantime, had been eying the Hokage’s guards with the Mangekyou Sharingan. Gifted with Izuna’s eyes after his death, the Uchiha Head suspected that most people outside of Uzushio thought him blind. His choice to retire from active duty had more to do with his leg than his eyes, but it was a useful fiction.

The other guards had not been idle. Sarutobi was mostly focused on the confrontation between Tobirama and Mito, and Torifu was ingratiating himself with the kids. But Shimura and two of the others seemed to be taking copious notes on Uzugakure’s infrastructure and the damage done to the city. They might have been proactive, preparing to help their allies, but Madara hadn’t made it to his seventies by not being paranoid.

“Normally we would have you and your guards stay for the night, Hokage-sama.” Madara focused his eyes somewhere over Tobirama’s shoulder. The strange pattern of the Mangekyou would probably confuse them and add to the rumors of his blindness. “Given the circumstances, it would be best if you all started back to Uta as soon as possible. While we appreciate that you came all this way, I’m sure Utagakure would be relieved to have it’s Hokage back during these unstable times.”

The quirk of Tobirama’s lips showed he understood the rude dismissal. But after the attacks that the two villages had suffered, ‘Shisha no Uta’ was not in a position to alienate their only ally over etiquette. The Senju gave the Uchiha a stiff nod. “It is as you say, Uchiha-sama. We will start home immediately. Shimura, Mitokado and Utatane! It is time to depart! Fall into formation!”

Mito, Sakumo, and Madara watched them go.

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