Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The hardest part of writing a story is starting it. Or in this case, figuring out where to start telling a story. This is the question being pondered by the Hyuuga clan leader, Masato, as he looked down at the small boy sitting on the mat in front of him. The child waited eagerly to hear another tale of his parents.

“You want to hear the full story of how your mother and father saved my life?”

The boy nodded excitedly, before visibly calming himself and hiding his hands under his legs so they wouldn’t cause distractions.

Not having any better ideas, Masato decided to start with a loose order of events. “You see… Your father and I were meeting up in a small village. We had not seen each other in a while, and he had something important to talk to me about…”

—

A man made his way into a town. The man was strikingly average, topped by short cut white hair, and covered in dirty but well-fitting clothes. On his back was a knapsack that carried dried food and smelly socks, which he failed to keep adequately separated. The man's name was Kouga Hoku. He came here to catch up with a friend. The town he found himself in wasn’t big, nor small. It was host to plenty of farmers, and no one carried more money than the traveling merchants. No matter the economic state, any village worth its salt usually contains the specific establishment Kouga was looking for. He meandered along the path, passing over a small ditch, until he reached his goal: a bar.

Masato had found the bar an hour earlier after receiving the vague note delivered via bird. All the note had said was simply the name of the town, date and time, and the word “bar” in a cramped scribble at the bottom. The few people that had been in the bar were giving Masato strange looks from the corners of the room, which he passed off as the byproduct of wearing neat clothing. By the time Kouga arrived, he was already half-way through his only drink. He should have known better, as the man was never punctual when it came to social affairs. Dragging mud in through the door, Kouga strode across the room, distractedly weaving around chairs and almost bumping someone's drink off a table. He sat down at the chair in front of Masato with a vacant grin on his face.

“So,” Kouga began, “My wife had a boy.”

Before Masato could start with any greeting, he was caught off guard by the man's introduction. Blinking away the momentary confusion, he said, “Uh, nice to see you too…” Then he realised that was not the correct way to address the subject, so he amended it with “I give you congratulations. Raising children is a wonderful experience.”

Kouga scoffed. “Don’t give me that, Masato. It’s only been a few weeks and I am ready to jump into a lake just to get some quiet. Besides, we’ve known each other long enough, loosen up!”

Kouga then looked down to see that only half of Masato's cup was empty.

“Wow, you’ve already drunk that much and you’re still this uptight? Something must have made you worried.”

Masato knew Kouga's wife had been due for their child's birth. Kouga would routinely ask about Masato's own son and daughter whenever they met up, asking for advice on how to deal with children. He would not offer such advice lightly, as that would ruin the surprise.

Kouga continued on his one-sided conversation for another minute. Masato had forgotten how annoying it was when his friend started talking non-stop. He tried to break back into the conversation.

“How is your wife? Is she well?”

Kouga did not miss a beat with his reply. “Reika is recovering slower than other cases. She almost broke a wall down the other day, so she is still far from normal.”

Masato nodded in understanding. “Just pray that you don’t have a daughter some time later.”

“I would make no such prayer!”

“...Sure.” Masato took a skeptical sip from his drink.

They continued to discuss happenings with their families for a while. The bar began to fill slowly as people came and went, some leaving to head back to their homes and others entering after a long day of working. Many people threw strange glances at the two friends as Masato's appearance especially gave the pair an out of place look.

A lull appeared in the conversation, letting Kouga bring his pack into his lap and pull out some bread. He broke it in half, getting crumbs on the table and down onto the floor, before offering one half to Masato. There was a strange smell Masato couldn’t identify. Masato remembered that Kouga did not like to eat food that he or someone he trusted had not prepared.

He took the half, watching in slight horror as Kouga bit into the loaf and chewed. The chewing went on long enough that Masato started to get concerned. Kouga then reached for Masato's half finished drink and used it to help fight the stubborn bread. Unlike food, Kouga had no problem drinking anyone's alcohol. Masato had watched the event unfold in broad repulsion, until Kouga glanced toward the bar entrance.

Right before Masato forced himself to take a bite of the stale bread, someone came running into the bar. It was a boy- barely a man, panting and looking around the room, quickly spotting where the two were seated and hastily maneuvered through the chairs and tables towards them. He bumped into a table and almost spilled the same drink that Kouga missed earlier. Masato noted that the man was wearing somewhat fitting clothes and sported a messenger bag. The man stopped at their table.

“Hoku… Kouga Hoku? General, sir. I am here to bring a report.”

Kouga had stood up to watch the messenger approach. Masato did not recognise the boy, but Kouga clearly did. Masato noticed a spot of blood on the boy's bag.

“Sir, the Kingdom fell under attack. It began this morning. I was told to come find you. I have orders, but I need to tell you-”

“Slow down, take a deep breath. Relay your orders.” Kouga interrupted. The messenger had presumably been running for hours, and was clearly not in a fit state to relay information. Masato was busy contemplating the first part of what the boy had blurted out when Kouga continued.

“Tell me what you know.”

The boy took several more breaths to collect himself, then began. “An army appeared out of nowhere and destroyed the main fortifications. The guards on watch were no match, and anyone else that took up arms were simply cut down. The Cinders fought with everything they had, but within an hour the entire kingdom was overrun. Sir… My orders are to deliver a message from your second in command.” The messenger made a weary sigh. “As of right now, you are likely the last Cinder alive. You must go into hiding.”

Stunned, Kouga and Masato briefly glanced at each other. Masato could see fear quickly fall over his friend's face, but watched it vanish and be replaced with a cold and sturdy gaze.

Kouga directed his attention fully onto the messenger. “Do you know who attacked us?”

The messenger seemed frustrated. “Not exactly, sir. They carried no clan markings, and they all wore indistinct masks. However… Their armor. I don’t know how else to explain it, but…” His focus fell to the floor momentarily before shooting back up. “They wore the armor of Samurai, sir. Yet they used hand signs and jutsu, like a shinobi.”

Masato had seen Samurai before. On the occasions that he had visited his friend in the Kingdom, young Samurai in-training would pass through on their way out of the valley. It was a common sight, according to Kouga.

Kouga began gathering his things, then stopped. He carefully looked up at the messenger, before asking, “Were you followed?”

Shocked, then chagrin passed over the messenger's face as he appeared to remember something. “No, sir. Uh… Your wife is with me. She is outside.”

Masato, also shocked, had decided the situation had gone on long enough without his input, and activated his Byakugan as the messenger was giving his answer. Within moments, he too had an answer to Kouga's question, but it was too late to warn him.

“KOUGA!” A voice boomed just outside of the bar as the front doors, which normally swing out, were broken inward. Reika walked in through the now empty doorway, a small bundle cradled in one arm and a sack swung over the other. Masato could see the handle of a sword poking over her shoulder, pushing aside a long braid of blonde hair.

Masato had no problem keeping his Byakugan active, only experiencing a minimal strain in his eyes as he brought his ability to full might. Expectations mean that anyone within the Hyuuga clan who could not use their heritage to its fullest extent would be seen as weak, and Masato was not weak.

Kouga moved around the messenger swiftly towards his wife, avoiding the more packed and interested bar crowd. They had been listening in on the dialogue between the messenger and the friends. A few had left the bar quickly after learning of the alarming information, while others had stayed to watch more. Kouga got to his wife and inspected her from top to bottom, presumably checking for damage. Masato was more focused on the surroundings. The Byakugan allowed Masato to view the entire village in a full 360 degree sweep around himself, which he had not been anticipating doing whatsoever. There were no threats as far as he could tell. He continued his search for danger far beyond the boundary of the town, but saw no reason to begin moving immediately. Masato understood that Kouga was in a dire situation, and he needed to make sure that nothing happened to his friend and now his family.

Masato began moving towards the entrance, grabbing the sleeve of the messenger as he slipped past the bar's full tables. Kouga and Reika had been conversing quietly while he made his way to them. When he got to his friend's side, Kouga had a stricken look on his face while Reika continued her account of the situation.

“...There was no time to evacuate anyone. It was your second who came and brought me to the tower after the main walls had fallen. I had only grabbed a few things… Kouga, we must go back. There are others, we can regroup-”

“No. This is my decision. We are going to get you and Kotetsu out of here. I am not putting either of you in danger.” Kouga cut Reika off mid-statement. “Masato, would you give us a hand? My family needs a place to stay while I check out what happened.”

“Should I assume that my clan will be paid for this service?”

Kouga looked sharply at Masato. His face relaxed slightly when he saw the small upturn of Masato's smile.

“You will be paid in gratitude, which you should value much more than money right now. Let’s get out of here.”

After Kouga took the lead and started moving the group away from the bar entrance, Masato froze in shock at a sudden intrusion. Over two miles away- closing in fast. Moving on instinct, he grabbed Reika and made for a jump while throwing a warning at Kouga.

“Eight o’Clock, coming in behind the bar! Kouga!” Were the only words he got to speak. Reika suddenly dropped the other bag she had around her shoulder. He only got to move a few steps away before the entire set of rough wooden buildings behind him suddenly and violently exploded.

All mayhem broke out as Masato jumped, Reika yelling in his ear to put her down. He continued to make a series of jumps away, splitting his focus on escaping and watching the sudden brutality unfold behind him. He needed to put Reika down so he could go back and help Kouga. Being in a sudden mortal fight was not in his list of to do items for the day, or even the week, but sometimes these things just happen. Masato heard a soft cry coming from the bundle Reika kept closely to her chest.

That’s when the debris stopped flying enough for Masato to finally make sense of what had hit the buildings, and he was shocked all over again. In the middle of the dust stood Kouga, and… Someone else. A samurai. Masato had not actually seen the full attire of a samurai before, but looking at it now filled him with a certain sense of dread. The armor was coated in red from neck to foot. The blood of who knows how many people, both of warriors and innocents staining the plating. At their legs was the crumpled body of the messenger, who’s entire upper body was twisted too far in one direction. Other bodies littered the surrounding destruction, some clinging to life and others not. Screaming began to fill the late summer air.

Masato kept jumping until Reika finally got his attention.

“Let… Me.. Go!” Reika demanded.

“Your husband has entrusted your safety to my people. I have to get you and Kotetsu out of here.”

“No..! You can’t leave him! He needs his sword! He…”

Masato was monitoring the skirmish behind him and making his way out of the town. He carefully landed and aimed to make his next jump, only to be surprised at the sudden and forceful gut punch he received from Reika. He wasn’t entirely sure how she got the angle correct, but it was enough for him to loosen his grip around her legs and shoulders. Her feet fell and stomped into the ground, letting her gain leverage and move away from him.

“You are not fully recovered. I cannot let you leave by yourself.” Masato realised he could have chosen his words more carefully. His own wife never liked having her temporary weaknesses after childbirth pointed out.

Before Reika could get any words out, Masato had to turn around and get between her and the startlingly fast samurai. He didn’t know why the samurai had chosen to move his way, but getting around Kouga should have taken… Ah. Masato understood that Kouga wasn’t just sidestepped, as he saw in the short timeframe he had been stunned by Reika, Kouga had been embedded into a farmhouse.

He had no time to think as the samurai seemed to slide across the ground straight towards him. By reflex, he formed the hand signs for a water style technique, something fast to gain distance- only to be disrupted by an arm sliding between his hands and rushing towards his chest. He anticipated the momentum of the samurai to send him flying straight back, straight into Reika, but instead… Nothing. There was no push, no force, or anything. Instead, the samurai held a firm grip on the front of his shirt. Masato tried to lock up the samurai by grabbing his wrist and twisting, but gripping the samurai's arm was like holding wrapped steel. They stayed like that for a few seconds. Then the samurai spoke.

“Hyuuga. I am not here to kill you. My objective is those who you foolishly protect. Stand aside, and you will not die today.”

The samurai's voice was deep and rasped. His words clipped, yet his breath remained steady. Masato remained calm as he assessed the situation. While his eyes were locked onto the samurai's mask, his attention was on Kouga, who was busy extricating himself from the wrecked building. Masata watched as Kouga began to move further into the building, making his way towards the back, when the Samurai spoke again.

“I have given you my choice. Now it is up to you to make the correct decision.”

The samurai let go of Masato's clothing. Neither moved from their position. Reika stood directly behind Masato. Kouga made his way out behind the barn and moved parallel to the row of buildings between himself and Masato, until he was directly behind the now vacant building that stood beside the three. Then, Kouga raised his left hand with two fingers, and lowered his right with three fingers. Masato could hardly believe that they were doing this.

Masato kept his tone neutral as he spoke. “You are mistaken. I cannot abandon them.”

“You mean you will not abandon them. You are not bound to these individuals.” The samurai intoned.

“No, I do mean what I said. I will be paid a hefty sum to fulfill my duty.”

“Then you will die without your reward.”

“We’ll see.”

Masato kept both hands to his sides during the back and forth. Before he spoke what he hoped would not be his final words, he put all of his inner focus on the jutsu he would cast. In order to be faster than the samurai, he needed to perform the technique with a single motion.

Moving with all the precision and speed he could muster, Masato clapped his hands into a single formation. At the same time, the samurai brought one arm up and reached over his shoulder, unsheathing a black blade that bore little reflection. The samurai moved with the leisurely speed of someone who knew they were in a position of overwhelming advantage. That’s when the building between them and Kouga was suddenly consumed in a conflagration of flames that rushed toward the group. Masato kept his attention on the chakra he had formed at his feet; transforming and manipulating it into a hollow column of water that rose over a dozen feet into the air, separating and surrounding Reika and himself from the samurai, who barely had time to turn and witness the inferno before it engulfed all of them.

Masato shut his eyes reflexively and turned from the blazing white flames that were kept at bay by his water. Counting the seconds, he willed his eyes open and reached for Reika, pushing her toward the back of the column. The wall suddenly shifted, revealing an escape from the cool water that surrounded them.

Masato attempted to pick Reika up again, but relented when she threatened him with a kick. The two moved as fast as they could. Staying behind slightly, Masato kept watch with his Byakugan on the unfolding chaos. From what he could tell, the Samurai had somehow deflected the onslaught of fire and escaped with only minor scorch marks across his body. Kouga attempted to keep his distance while maintaining his offensive push. The struggle got desperate when it was apparent that the Samurai seemed able to slice through the blazing fire around him with his black sword.

Masato and Reika exited the village and made their way into the surrounding forest. Brush and low branches were dodged as the pair continued to move as fast as they could, Masato directing their passage with short commands from behind, while simultaneously watching their flank. Though Masato knew only a few minutes had passed since leaving the fight, it was the longest few minutes of his entire life. He cursed his inability to do more for his friend. He mourned the people of this village who were just trying to live life. He felt the fear of the unknown. Watching Reika's back, he could feel the stress and sadness emanating off of her in waves. He could see the tension in her shoulders as she too wondered at the fate of her husband.

All of these thoughts swirling in Masato's head were suddenly overridden by the immediate and intense feeling of danger. Focusing behind, he spotted the problem in the shape of the Samurai moving at speeds that made Masato's head spin. Then he noticed the Samurai clutching a leg, and the attached body getting slammed through branches and being drug across the forest floor. He had seconds to act.

Those seconds were wasted.

Masato was left stunned by the terror that gripped him. In those crucial seconds, he did nothing. In his panic, Masato had stopped moving, causing Reika to also stop and turn to ask why he stopped. When she saw his face, the look in her eyes went from weary to dread. That look gave Masato a jolt. He thought of his own family. In that moment, he regained what little composure he had left and turned to face the approaching threat. Seeing the Samurai move through the trees towards him, he racked his brain for any solution. A way to win, or even just a way to escape. A way to not die.

The samurai suddenly froze in mid-air, sending a powerful blast of wind over the two, knocking Reika to the ground and causing Masato to stumble. The Samurai released the body he was carrying, causing it to ragdoll forward and skid across the foliage. The near unrecognisable body of Kouga was battered, cut, and caked in blood that was air dried by the violent transportation. Masato did not take his gaze away from the Samurai, who seemed to stand above the ground and in the air itself.

Reika let out a cry as Kouga lay unmoving on the ground. The Samurai stood, appearing to appreciate his handiwork for a moment, before falling softly to the ground. He took slow and deliberate steps toward Masato. Masato noted that the black sword was neither being held or in its sheath on the Samurai's back.

The Samurai stopped just out of arms reach in front of Masato.

“You were warned.” The Samurai croaked.

Masato observed that the Samurai seemed almost too casual. When he spoke, the words came out strained. He knew Kouga did not go down without a fight. Masato began to back up.

“Do you really need what these two have? It seems like you are plenty strong by yourself.” Masato said.

“My strength came with a price. And it is not power that I am after… But knowledge.” The Samurai said between heavy breaths.

“Knowledge? You need to burn down an entire kingdom and slaughter hundreds just to learn something?” Masato said. The words came from his righteous pride, but deep down he knew that some knowledge was truly worth a pool of blood. He could see the end approaching.

“Your words mean nothing to me. In the end, I will have what I desire and you shall join this family in the dirt.” The Samurai spat.

The kick was so fast that Masato wasn’t even sure what leg he was hit with. From one moment to the next, the Samurai's entire body turned into a red blur that ended in a sharp snap that resonated through Masato's chest and back. However, it wasn’t the kick that surprised Masato; it was his own reaction. His right arm moved at nearly the exact same moment, using his middle and pointer finger to make contact with the side of the Samurai's leg, sending a shockwave of power through his opponent's knee. Masato was sent crashing through a bush and into a tree with a loud crunch, causing a web of cracks to move up through the tree.

Masato was out for only a few seconds. He woke to find his body moving of its own accord, and soon found himself standing despite the pain that racked his chest, back and head. He looked ahead to see the Samurai hobbled on his left leg, looking down and cursing the other leg. Masato hoped it was enough.

Masato stumbled toward Reika, who was still laying on the ground after the shockwave of wind swept her off her feet. The small bundle of their son was cradled in her arms, protected from the fall by arms that could break wood. Kouga's sword had slipped over her shoulder and was left forgotten for the moment.

“Are you hurt? Is the child okay?” Masato's head felt like it had been struck by lightning.

“We’re both fine. But…” Reika turned to look at Kouga. His body lay unmoving, except for the small movement in his chest from breathing that told them he was just barely alive still.

“We need to mo-” Masato tried to coax Reika from the ground when he was interrupted by an unexpected source.

“Masato.” Kouga's body lay unmoving. His head stayed planted on the ground, but his mouth moved. His voice was calm and collected, as if he hadn’t just been dragged through a mile of sharp sticks and hardwood.

“Would you please bring me my sword?”

Masato could hardly believe that it was Kouga talking, and thought for a second it was somehow the Samurai that was speaking. But after Kouga began to slowly move, pushing himself up off the ground into a sitting position, Masato felt the blood in his head beat faster.

“Honey- Remember what we practiced a week before you had our son?” Kouga continued the conversation as if there wasn’t a murderous Samurai standing between them.

Reika looked up at Masato. Masato saw the exact moment Reika figured out what Kouga was talking about. Her entire expression slipped from confused and worried to understanding, panic, anger, then finally, acceptance. Looking up at Masato, she got to one knee and offered the packaged baby to him. Masato quickly reached out and carefully extracted the child from her arms. The blanket was covered in splinters and mud. He looked down into the small face as it looked back up at him, using his sleeve to wipe the fresh tears and drool falling down the baby's face. The boy had his mother's eyes.

Reika had grabbed the sword that fell to her side and stood up with it. Turning toward the Samurai and Kouga, she made the move to toss the sword toward Kouga. But right before throwing the sword, she quickly threw the sword backward, straight at Masato. Masato quickly threw out one hand to grab the sword just before it flew past him.

“What do you think you are doing?” The Samurai spoke in clipped words.

“Masato, please watch over our child.” Reika said, turning to face the Samurai.

“You are all fools. I no longer pity you.”

The Samurai moved straight at Masato, then stopped. He barely got past Reika before a bright flash covered his entire body, and he was suddenly thrust back to the space between Reika and Kouga. Masato watched in horror and amazement as the Samurai was covered from head to foot in white hot fire. He understood immediately that the two had formed an invisible barrier that burned whatever touched it. The screaming came shortly after.

The Samurai moved once again, this time straight at Kouga. Masato heard the crack of bone as the Samurai slammed to a complete stop against an invisible force, sending him flying backward again, causing the flames to spread further across his body. Masato could see Reika begin to shake, and sweat started to drip down her arms and legs.

“YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” The Samurai gasped as he crawled to his feet and stumbled toward Kouga. The fire began to diminish, but did not fade completely.

Reika turned to look at Masato. Looking from Kouga, who he could tell was being held up by pure spite and determination, to Reika, who appeared completely calm now. She spoke to him over the ranting and yelling of the Samurai.

“Protect our son. Protect Kotetsu. Please… Run.”

With one final look at his friends, Masato turned and ran. The angry screams of the Samurai carried through the forest. He ran until the sun began to set.

Chapter Text

A boy with messy white hair excitedly ran through a tidy collection of white and grey tents. He split his attention between watching his step and carrying a small but unwieldy sheathed blade, failing to do both. His current goal was to simply get out of the camp without accruing more cuts and scuff marks. The cleared and flattened land of the campsite led to an uneven and open field filled with tall grass and scattered trees. The boy continued his way along a barely visible path until he came to a large crevice that swallowed a stream which flows from a nearby lake. The boy began to move slower, and eventually came to a full stop. He knew that the game had started.

Standing completely still, he focused as hard as he could on his surroundings. Looking for any sign of disturbance, any movement, sound… Then, the cold touch of a metal blade found itself on his throat. The blade moved away quickly, as a voice came from behind him.

“I win again, Kotetsu. You really suck at this. I’m telling you, just go back to picking berries.”

Another boy, barely older than Kotetsu, stood behind him. He was slightly taller and lanky compared to Kotetsu, and his hair was an opposing black in color and well-kept. Kotetsu turned around dramatically and kicked dirt up from the ground. The clod lodged itself directly into the boy's eyes. Yelping, he fell backwards as Kotetsu charged and tackled him to the ground. The two fought until the older boy got a solid grip and tossed Kotetsu to the side.

“You said the first one to go down loses. That means I win this time, Solomon. Who’s picking berries now?” Kotetsu smugly declared, wiping dirt from his own face.

“Nuh uh! Your hand totally touched the ground first!” Solomon stated.

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Prove it.”

Both boys glared at each other. Neither were going to give up the point. Solomon sighed.

“Dad said I have to be the adult. That means you have to listen to me. So I’ll tell you what: You win this time, but just this once. Okay?” Solomon said, easing his glare.

“...Fine. I’ll let it go since you cheated anyway.” Kotetsu said.

“I did n-” Solomon began, then took a deep breath. He let it out slowly.

“Look. Do you want to learn sword stuff today, or not?” Solomon changed the subject.

“YEAH!” Kotetsu said, popping up from the ground.

“Okay, but we have to hurry it up this time. I have to get ready tonight for my big mission, and I don’t want to be tired.” Solomon said, attempting to brush the dirt from his face and body.

Kotetsu retrieved the blade he had dropped during the earlier skirmish. The blade itself was barely longer than a tanto, coming just under two feet in length. It had been left dulled more recently as Solomon took Kotetsu out to train regularly.

“You haven’t been keeping the blade sharp? If dad finds out, you and I are both dead.” Solomon said after looking at the poor weapon.

“It hasn’t been claimed by anyone. Who’s gonna use a tiny little blade like this anyway? Now stop talking, I wanna see that sword blocking style again! Please?” Kotetsu said.

Without much more talking, Solomon pulled his blade, and began to teach. Solomon had been taught swordsmanship from a young age; the result of being born into a clan of noble shinobi. Even though Kotetsu was barely younger than Solomon, he had not been given the same teaching as himself. Solomon had never really paid much attention to it until his father asked him to teach Kotetsu personally, where no one else could see them training. The two had been going off to train outside of the camp for the last few months ever since then. Solomon was surprised at the speed and ferocity Kotetsu took to the training, but considering he started by grabbing the wrong end of a sword at first, Solomon figured it would take a while before Kotetsu was actually good enough to fight properly.

Today, Kotetsu seemed different. Where he would normally take time to rest after sparring, he instead jumped right back up and demanded to go again.

“Eager to get your butt kicked, huh?” Solomon teased after putting Kotetsu down on the ground for the 9th time.

“No. I’m just trying to catch up. You get to go do your first real mission tomorrow. I need to get better, fast!” Kotetsu eagerly stated.

“What, so you can do missions with me?” Solomon asked.

“Well, if you really need the help. But I’m catching up so I can do missions better than you!” Kotetsu challenged.

As Kotetsu was bent over brushing off his chest, Solomon swept his legs out from under him, sending Kotetsu down to the ground with a grunt.

“That’s number 10, by the way.”

“That doesn’t count!”

The two continued to train and argue for a few more hours. Eventually, the sun got close to the horizon, bringing the red haze up toward the center of the sky. The pair found themselves tired, hungry, and happy. Solomon was happy to get away from all the talk of clan discussions, which he was now apparently required to attend. Kotetsu was happy he got to put Solomon on the ground a second time. The two walked mostly in silence back to the camp.

“Hey, Solomon?” Kotetsu asked after some time.

“What?” Solomon said.

“What’s it like to use Ninjutsu?”

Solomon considered the question.

“It’s… It’s like having a third arm. You have the two right now, and you don’t really think about moving them all that much. It just sort of happens. But imagine you have a third arm now. And imagine that it constantly moves around your body, changing in shape. You also don’t know where it is all the time. It could be coming out of your chest, or attached to a leg, or suddenly on top of your head.” Solomon rambled.

“...What?”

“Also, imagine that the only way to get this arm to move is to communicate with it using a secret handshake. You have all sorts of ways to talk to it. And talking to it in each way lets the arm do something different. Like spew water or blast a gust of wind. When you talk to the arm, you have this feeling of something building up inside of you. And when you finish your conversation, the arm does what you tell it.” Solomon continued.

“Uh…”

“And if you don’t tell it exactly what you want, you might get the arm to do something completely different. That is always bad.”

“I think you lost me at… A third arm.” Kotetsu said.

“Well, just ask dad then. Or Emilia. We’re coming up on the camp.”

Kotetsu looked down at his hands in suspicion.

The two went from a walk to a jog as they got closer to the camp. Shortly after arriving, Solomon excused himself and veered off in a different direction. Larger cleared fields separated by tents were filled with adults and older kids practicing and sparring. One group of older kids were performing one on one duels, which Kotetsu hesitantly approached. He stayed on the outside of the group of kids as they watched the spar. Kotetsu was not allowed to spar with the other kids. Apart from not knowing how to fight properly, he had been strictly forbidden by the clan elders. He watched the fight unfold.

In the center of the group of teenagers stood two contrasting fighters. One was an older boy with short dark brown hair, who Kotetsu knew was just over 14 years old, barely staying in the fight against the top skilled fighter of the group. Solomon and Kotetsu's sister, Emilia. Though she wouldn’t claim Kotetsu as her brother out loud. Emilia was the same height as Solomon, with the same pitch black hair, but the hair flowed out to either side and down her shoulders. Kotetsu watched as Emilia treated the fight much like Solomon had treated their sparring earlier that day; a training lesson. The Hyuuga clan did not fight with weapons often, instead opting to use their hands and feet. Kotetsu watched in fascination as his sister did not fight with closed fists, but with open palms. Though this was the customary fighting form of the Hyuuga clan, it was rather the manner in which she hit her opponent that fascinated Kotetsu. Every missed strike was met with a loud slap to some spot on the boy's head, which Kotetsu could see was already beet red. The fight continued on like this for only a few more minutes before the boy slumped to the ground, pleading timeout.

“Come on, get back up. I haven’t even seen how you’ve progressed with swords yet.” Emilia ordered.

“Please.. I just need 5 minutes…And a cold rag…” The boy pleaded.

“If you won’t fight, then you’re out. Who’s next?” Emilia stated.

She looked around the arena, watching all the boys and girls take steps back. Kotetsu was already far enough back. He watched one boy take a step forward.

“I want a turn, Emilia.” The new boy said, a sly smile on his face.

Emilia turned to look the new challenger up and down.

“Looking to have your face beat red as well, Gakuji?” Emilia goaded.

The boy on the ground had slowly gotten to his feet and moved carefully out of the ring. The other kids parted as he stumbled through, trying not to fall back to the ground. His eyes were almost swollen shut, which caused him to stumble right into a distracted Kotetsu. Kotetsu was pushed into someone else, who shoved him back at the swollen boy.

“Hey, watch it!” Kotetsu said.

Kotetsu knew the swollen boy's name was Niko. He consistently stuck around Kotetsu and his siblings. Kotetsu wasn’t too sure why he stayed around them.

“Sorry, Kotetsu. Hey… Could you get me some water?..” Niko slurred. He brought one hand up to hold his head.

“Emilia really put you through the wringer.. How is your face that red?” Kotetsu wondered.

Suddenly, the sound of a body slamming the ground echoed through the clearing. Kotetsu looked back at the fight to see that in a matter of seconds, Gakuji, the boy that challenged Emilia, was flat on his back. Kids were gasping and whispering, and adults from the other half of the yard glanced over to see the commotion. Emilia's hands were balled into fists. After standing over Gakuji for a second, she turned suddenly and strode out of the circle, all the kids in front tripping to get out of her way. Kotetsu watched her walk out of the yard and toward their family tents.

“I should get back before it gets dark. Try not to hit your face on anything else, Niko.” Kotetsu said as he turned and waved goodbye.

NIko stuck his arm up in an awkward little wave.

Chapter Text

In the family tents, Solomon was standing his ground against his father, who is the leader of the Hyuuga clan, and his mother. The clan leader, Masato, was busy fretting over his son's first official assignment for the clan. His wife, Syuka, was sorting through all of Solomon's outfits and equipment. Solomon put up with the onslaught as hard as he could, but could only withstand for so long.

“You have to be safe, which means taking everything you can to handle any type of situation. Do you understand?” Masato anxiously asked.

Unable to keep his stoic veneer, Solomon cracked. “Yeah, I know, dad. Mom, could you please leave my stuff alone?” He foolishly asked.

Syuka turned a gaze that could boil water at Solomon.

“When your sister left for her first mission two years ago, she happily took all of our advice and assistance with sorting her belongings. You will have plenty of opportunities to pack your own bags, but this time let us handle it. Okay, little one?” Syuka said pleasantly after lessening her stare.

Solomon looked at his father, silently pleading for help. Masato widened his eyes and gave a little shake of his head.

"Since you have refused the trial of survival, you must take and complete an assignment before you are accepted as a member of the clan. Which means we are going to make sure you are as prepared as possible.” Masato said.

The three continued to talk and bicker until Solomon's sister, Emilia, suddenly entered the tent.

“Ah, Emilia. You have been approved to accompany Solomon on his mission. The roster is now four clan members, including you and Solomon.” Masato said, looking up at his daughter. He frowned upon seeing her face.

Emilia said nothing as she marched through the tent, grabbed her bag she had prepared earlier that day, and left. Solomon kept his head down. Syuka and Masato looked at each other for a moment, before Syuka got up and left the tent.

Syuka pulled the tent flap and rushed out to catch up to Emilia. The sun began to vanish over the trees as the two walked in silence for a minute. Syuka broke the silence.

“You’re quite worried about him, aren’t you?” Syuka broached.

Emilia said nothing for a few seconds before speaking.

“I don’t want him to get hurt. He’s not ready for this. He should be with us, learning more, but dad insists he spend all his time training Kotetsu instead.”

“Your father cares a great deal about all of you. The clan elders have forbidden all of us from teaching Kotetsu, so your father is doing what he can with what he has. And what he has is you, and Solomon. You know why.” Syuka said carefully.

Emilia's face scrunched up as she remembered what her father had said.

“Official clan members are forbidden from teaching outsiders… But, Solomon is technically not an official clan member yet. I’ve asked him to watch over Kotetsu for the time being.” Masato had told her.

“The mission isn’t direct combat. You’re just acting as bodyguards, remember? You likely won’t even need to throw a punch. Not that you would need much more to finish a fight.” Syuka teased, before bringing her daughter into a hug.

“All you have to do is trust your brother and the others. They are plenty strong enough. You are strong enough.” Syuka reassured her.

“I have to finish getting ready.” Emilia said, walking out of her mother's grasp and toward her tent.

Syuka sighed as she watched Emilia vanish into the tent.

—

Masato watched Solomon leave the main tent with his hefty pack in tow. He winced as Solomon almost tripped on the tent flap. A few minutes later, Syuka returned. The two gave each other a knowing glance as Syuka sat down opposite the small table in the tent. A few seconds later, Kotetsu wandered into the tent. He looked up to see Masato and Syuka, looking at him in unison. Kotetsu suddenly felt like a deer walking into a trap.

“Uh, I’m just here to… Put this back and go to bed.” Kotetsu said, quickly stowing the small blade in a bag near the entrance before turning to leave.

“Sit.” The order came from Masato.

Kotetsu froze, then slowly turned back. He stiffly walked to the table and sat down. He really hoped they didn’t know about his torn pants from yesterday.

“Let’s talk about your training.” Masato continued, a slightly amused expression appearing on his face.

Kotetsu visibly relaxed. He began to recount the day's events, and how he definitely won against Solomon at least twice this time. He decided to leave out the actual number of times he himself lost.

“Do you feel like you are getting better? We haven’t seen you fight yet.” Masato asked.

“I’m getting really good. So good, I could probably take on Emilia now.” Kotetsu said with utmost confidence.

Syuka and Masato looked at each other. Syuka spoke with a warning tone.

“Don’t let her hear you say that. You saw Niko's poor face tonight. That might be you.” She said.

Kotetsu considered the warning with sudden remembrance of Niko after their ‘spar’. He wished he had seen the fight between Gakuji and Emilia. Looking up between the two adults, Kotetsu hesitantly asked.

“May I go eat and get to bed now please?”

The two nodded. Kotetsu quickly got to his feet, but before he could exit the tent fully, Syuka called after him.

“Kotetsu, do remember to bring those pants to the clothing outfitters so they can stitch it up, okay, dear?”

Kotetsu felt his face drop as he moved faster out of the tent.

—

The next day, four kids of varying ages met at the western edge of the encampment in the early hours of the morning. Solomon and Emilia, plus another boy and girl. Solomon was the youngest boy at 11 years old, while the other three were all 13 and 14 years old. Emilia had been assigned as the leader. Their mission was estimated to only take three days. Emilia would have it finished in two if she could manage. Everything would depend on the group they were meant to escort.

A small group of adults, including Masato and Syuka, plus Kotetsu standing in the back, all saw the group depart. The adults quickly dispersed as they had their own tasks for the day to get to. Kotetsu planned on sleeping for the whole day. Kotetsu rushed back to his personal tent, went to get in his sleeping bag, and almost stabbed himself on the sharp blade sitting inside. Carefully grabbing at the blade, he picked it up out of the bag to find a note attached to it. He groaned as he read the note.

“Kotetsu, I have left training instructions for you here. Follow them closely while I’m gone. Also, there is a gift for you in your clothes from yesterday. Solomon.” The note read.

On the back were instructions. Kotetsu rolled his eyes as he read through the torture methods barely disguised as exercise instructions. Reaching for his clothes from yesterday, something hard and circular fell out of one pocket. He picked up the small wrapped disc. It was light. Unwrapping it, he found a rough cut of wood from a branch, around half an inch in length and a few inches in diameter. There was another note in the cloth wrapping. After a few seconds of reading the note, he smiled and picked up the wood disc with a new excitement while running out of the tent.

“Kotetsu. This wood is special. You know that Chakra is a source of power for us as shinobi. You don’t know how to use it properly, though. This wood can be used to find out what your Chakra Nature is.” The rest of the note detailed how to use the wood, and what the results of using it meant. Kotetsu slipped the wood into a pocket, then quickly and quietly began to make his way out of the camp and toward his usual training spot. He was interrupted when an older boy suddenly stepped in front of him.

Kotetsu stopped and looked up into the bruised face of Gakuji. He was by far the tallest of the group, with light brown hair that barely stopped above his eyes. There were four other boys, all crowded behind him. All five boys looked down at the small boy.

“Uh, I forgot something in my tent. Gotta go…” Kotetsu began to say, trying to turn around, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“You disrupted our game. You have to pay the price now.” Gakuji said, pulling Kotetsu back with his stronger grip. Kotetsu looked up in surprise.

“Game? What game?” Kotetsu asked, looking up suddenly.

“A very important game. The rules are simple. Here, I’ll tell you how it works. We take turns telling someone to do something, then we play Janken. If that person loses, they have to do what we told them to do.” Gakuji said with a smirk.

Kotetsu's eyes widened as Gakuji explained the game. As Gakuji finished, Kotetsu took a step back and held his hand forward in a fist.

“Okay, I wanna go first!” Kotetsu stated. Gakuji smiled.

“If you insist. I order you… To climb up a tree.” Gakuji quickly said, then brought his arm down and opened his palm flat.

“I win. You gotta do that now.”

Kotetsu looked down at his and Gakuji's hands in surprise to find his still closed fist, and Gakuji's open palm. The other boys all agreed that this was totally fair. Kotetsu felt sudden hesitation.

“What’s wrong? You agreed to this. That tree over there looks high enough. Get climbing!”

Kotetsu looked up at the tall oak tree. Walking over and jumping a few times, he finally grabbed the lowest branch. He proceeded to take the next few minutes to climb to the top.

“Okay… I did it! Let me climb down now and we can play another one…” Kotetsu started to carefully put one leg down, but Gakuji called up at him before he could move too far.

“Hold on, you have to play from where you are! It’s the rules. I order you… To jump out of that tree.” He stated.

Kotetsu couldn’t believe the rules were this strict. Hesitating only for a moment, he held his arm out with a fist again.

The other boys snickered again as Gakuji quickly yelled “Go!” and held out an open palm again. Kotetsu was left astonished that he lost yet again.

Looking down, knowing this was the game he signed up for, he jumped from the top of the 20 foot tree. He attempted to aim for a bush to land in, but missed slightly and ended up rolling into a pile of mud. Kotetsu felt his legs burn from trying to absorb the landing. After trying to catch his breath, he began to get up, patting his chest and trying to remove the mud from his hair.

“When do I get to tell one of you what to do?” Kotetsu asked between breaths.

“When you win.” Gakuji said.

The next hour was filled with Kotetsu trying time and time again to win a game of Janken. He did not win a single match. Each time, one of the boys ordered him to do something more ridiculous than the last. When one boy asked him to go take a dump in one of the elder's tents, Kotetsu decided his life was more important than winning some stupid game. The boys had been left greatly amused after ordering Kotetsu around for a whole hour.

Kotetsu had a slight limp as he made his way out of the camp. Remembering the wood disc, he pulled it out of his pocket to see that it had broken into pieces. He wasn’t sure if that was caused from trying to lift that huge rock or falling out of the tree. He hoped the wood still worked like how Solomon's note said it would. Walking in silence for a while, he eventually came upon the crevice. He found a suitable rock to sit down on while he examined his new bruises and the wood. He recalled the note.

“When you are ready, you have to flow your Chakra through the wood. You should remember this from when I showed you how to jump and run faster, though you weren’t very good so it might take a few tries. Don’t give up.” The note read. Kotetsu wondered about the feeling of Chakra flowing through his feet the first time those weeks ago. Solomon told him to imagine sticking his feet into a stream of water. It took Kotetsu that entire day before anything actually happened.

Kotetsu held a piece of the broken disc in his hand, and imagined shoving his entire arm into a cold stream. He thought hard. And harder. He sat on the rock for minutes, arm jut out in front of him. Nothing happened. After squeezing the wood so hard he thought it would pierce his hand, he let it drop to the dirt. He looked down at it accusingly.

“Why don’t you work? I want lightning powers already…” Kotetsu said to the wood. The wood said nothing back. Kotetsu grunted and stood up. He stared up at the sky, the sun beating down on his face, and let his mind wander. Something Solomon said once prodded at him from the back of his mind.

“...My nature lets me create and control water. I can’t drink the water I create sadly, but I can make it look like someone peed themselves, which is arguably better.” Solomon had said. The two were taking a break from their latest spar that day.

“Nature?” Kotetsu had asked.

“Yeah, like water, wind, fire, earth… Everyone has one. Even you. We’ll try to figure out what your nature is some time. Oh, and there’s also lightning…” Solomon had said. Kotetsu listened with wrapped attention.

“Did you say… Lightning? Are you saying that I could control lightning?” Kotetsu asked with all the hope and wonder of a 9 year old.

Coming out of the daydream, Kotetsu realised something. If Solomon had to imagine a stream of water to flow his Chakra, then maybe Kotetsu had to imagine whatever his nature was, as it clearly was not water. Reaching down, he picked up the piece of wood. Clamping down on it with his fingers, he filled his mind with the sound of thunder, and the bright flash of lightning. He loved storms. Thinking of that bright flash, he reached out, and tried to touch it. Kotetsu held that image in his head for a solid minute, just trying to touch the lightning. The flash grew brighter and warmer. Then hot. Then burning hot. Suddenly, Kotetsu heard a crack between his fingers, and dropped the piece of wood while opening his eyes. What he saw… Was not lightning. The smoldering piece of wood dropped to the ground, a small fire erupting from within, leaving the splintered piece of wood as a pile of cinders.

Kotetsu looked at his slightly burned hand in astonishment.

“I guess fire is good enough…” Kotetsu said with a slight frown after a moment.

Chapter Text

Emilia walked in front of the mission group along the worn path. Solomon walked slightly behind her, and the other two kept a few feet back. Emilia had set the tone early on by hushing everyone and staying completely serious the entire time. The group had been walking for nearly half the day now, and they weren’t expected to arrive at their target location for at least another few hours. When anyone in the group had tried talking to one another, Emilia turned a death glare onto them until they shut back up. Solomon heard that she took missions seriously, but this seemed like overkill. Something was clearly wrong, and he was fairly sure that he was the cause, though he was hesitant to bring anything up. The group continued on like this for most of the day.

A rumble disturbed the ground and the trees. Birds flew away, sticks and seeds fell from the sky. The rumble passed after only a few seconds, but it left the group on edge. There were very few landmarks that marked their passage to their target location, but they had just passed the last one mere minutes ago. The path had grown from worn to well traveled as it joined a larger road paved with cobblestones many years ago. They moved cautiously now, unsure of what exactly caused the disturbance, but they knew it could only mean one thing: combat.

After a few minutes of walking and keeping their surroundings in check, the group stumbled into an absolute mess. A small array of stone buildings stood in a small flat clearing among the forest, with what used to be a tall tower located on the edge of the compound. The tower had crumbled, with what looked like a large chunk missing on one side, causing the entire tower to collapse inward. In most situations, a normal group of shinobi would presumably have to dig through the rubble to locate any possible survivors. This group was not normal.

They were all proud members of the Hyuuga clan, and possessed a powerful ability perfectly suited to this task. Emilia surveyed the compound as veins began to visibly bulge around her eyes, as if her blood pressure had just risen drastically. Her eyes, like all Hyuuga, were a milky white in color, lacking any visible pupils. The Byakugan changed this detail. A small, stark white circle appeared in the center of her eye, signifying the full activation of the ability. The penetrating eyes were framed on her sharp pale face, exacerbated by flowing dark hair that fell over her shoulders. The entire group had activated their Byakugan.

Focusing all of their attention on the set of buildings, they all fixated on the single Chakra source in the entire place. Someone was weakened at the bottom of the collapsed tower. There were no other sources of Chakra in any of the other buildings, or the surrounding area. Whatever had done this had either died, or gotten away, or hid somewhere. The group moved forward with caution and haste, working at Emilia's guidance to clear away the rubble of the tower, until they came across a girl in an exquisite dress.

The girl was unconscious, with a deep cut on one arm, but seemed to be fine otherwise. The group extricated the girl from the rubble, then went to search the entire place. What they found disturbed them deeply. There were very few residents in this place, which appeared to be a combination inn and homestead of sorts. A family was dead in the home, and multiple men and women were dead in the inn. Two more men were found dead at the bottom of the tower. The men in the tower wore similar armor, with a guild symbol that matched the group the Hyuuga members were supposed to be escorting. The same symbol was found on an arm band the young girl wore. Somehow, this girl, maybe 14 or 15, had survived a terrible disaster that killed everyone else in this town. And all the group could do was wait for her to wake up.

“I finished looking all of the corpses over… I can’t figure out the cause of death. Their bodies were punctured, but I don’t know what kind of weapon leaves massive puncture wounds…” The other girl of the group, Otoha, said.

Solomon and the other boy, Jimpei, were busy pulling the armored men out of the tower. Their bodies held similar wounds, large puncture marks that ran straight through the chest and abdomen and out of their backs. The men carried swords on their persons, but no other equipment. They were not shinobi.

Solomon went off to clean his hands while the other three talked amongst themselves. He went over to the still unconscious girl and sat cross legged, brushing his hands off and wiping his arms down with a rag. A soft cough dragged his attention up to the girl, who was beginning to wake. Her eyes barely opened, then shut close, her face wincing. Her hair was caked in dust and debris, but it was cut shorter and clearly a bright blonde in color. Solomon called out for the others as he pulled his water skin from his pack, trying to get the girl to drink some. They had patched her arm the best they could, and at least got the bleeding to stop, but they weren’t sure how much blood she had already lost. Seeing her waken this fast meant she didn’t lose too much, Solomon hoped.

The girl was eventually fully awake, sitting up straight, looking at the group. Her name was Shirai. She explained that she is the daughter of a powerful lord, and she was sent out to bring a peace offering to another feudal lord. Her group had contracted with a shinobi for the trip to the other lord's township, and then had arrangements to meet with the Hyuuga members, who would take over the return trip. The shinobi had left them only earlier that day.

“We were supposed to be safe… It was only one day. You were supposed to arrive by the end of the day, and we didn’t think anything would actually happen in between that time… I am so foolish.” Shirai said. She looked over at her two guards in sadness.

“If we had just contracted with that shinobi for the rest of the day, none of this would have happened..” Shirai continued, beating herself up.

“That’s enough. You can’t change the past. We’re here now, and we won’t let anything more happen to you. That is a promise.” Emilia said, walking over and standing in front of Shirai. She offered a hand to the girl. Shirai looked up in surprise, then took the offered hand.

“I must admit… It is quite strange to be protected by children, especially ones so much younger than myself. I do hope you all don’t hurt yourselves too badly…” Shirai gushed, looking at the group arrayed around her. Solomon felt his face flush slightly. He turned to start marching away.

“We have a schedule to keep. Now that we know someone is out looking to kill you, we should get moving. You are supposed to show us the way back to your father's estate.” Emilia stated, walking back toward the road they came from. Shirai spent a moment brushing herself down as best as she could, then moved to catch up, her dress dragging along the ground.

For the first hour on the road, the entire group was on edge. After the first ten minutes though, they had to deactivate their Byakugan so as not to strain themselves too much. After the second hour of walking, Shirai began small talk with the other three. Emilia kept her focus on the road in front of her, trying to ignore the blatant rule breaking the others were knowingly committing. She would punish them for their mutiny later. Shirai told the group a longer story of her travel, going into detail on the lavishness that was the other lord's compound. Then she began to talk about her own home. She got caught up when talking about the two men that were her bodyguards. She had apparently known them for most of her life, and they were steadfast in their duties to protect her. The three Hyuuga plus Shirai all drank out of water skins in commemoration of the brave men.

Eventually, night fall came. Camp was set up, and the group seemed more relaxed. Except for Emilia. Solomon went off to look for sticks to start a campfire with, but Shirai showed up with a bundle of sticks ready to go. She started a rather large campfire that Emilia balked at, but relented when all the others sat down and began telling stories of their own. Emilia moved to sit in front of her tent, a distance away from the campfire. She listened to the stories they told. Solomon began describing a story that sounded suspiciously like something Kotetsu had done, involving an anthill and a dare to eat one. She barely kept the outburst of laughter from escaping. The hours of the night went by, the fire was put out, and the group went to sleep.

The next day, the group moved quickly. They were making record time, and Emilia was almost positive they could get to Shirai's father by the afternoon. They made haste, and after a few hours, entered a section of the forest that had been trimmed over the years. The ground was more level, and the road was paved with smoother stones. Soon, a large wall came into focus, and the group came upon a huge set of metal doors. Two men atop the wall peered over the edge, spotting the group, and after seeing Shirai, began to open the doors. They had made it. The group waited patiently, taking the time to catch their breath, while a large contingent of armored men and women gathered just past the large open gate. One figure, a robed male, approached.

“Hello, Princess. I see the Hyuuga clan found you well. But, where are your guards?” The man asked.

“They were slain during an ambush. I barely survived, and if it weren’t for these shinobi, my life would have ended buried under stone.” Shirai said.

The robed man looked down and bowed, then looked back up at Shirai. “That is what we paid them for. I am happy they could be of service.”

“Yes, that is what we paid the Hyuuga clan for.” Shirai turned to the group. “You may leave now. There is no need for you to stay. I am safe within these walls.” She continued.

Emilia paused.

“Our mission objective states we are to escort you to your father, safe and sound. None of these men look like your father. We will escort you through the compound to see him.” Emilia stated. She eyed the armored men and women. Some of them suddenly looked uncomfortable.

Before Shirai said anything else, Emilia turned to Solomon. “Stay out here. Please watch outside for any threats. Whoever attacked Shirai and her group at the tower could have followed us here.”

Solomon nodded without any complaint. Though he did want to see the inside of the castle. Who would miss the chance to see a castle? The other two gave Solomon a knowing smirk. Solomon turned and casually walked to the edge of the clearing, looking up at the tall trees that surrounded the glade and making a series of jumps to the top of one tree with particularly sturdy branches. He sat and looked down, where he could just barely see the top of the castle and its three towers. The others won’t get to see this view at least.

The three Hyuuga followed Shirai through the gate and toward the inner castle. They walked through a yard filled with extravagant plants. There was a series of ponds with a variety of small fish lazily swimming in circles within. As the group walked, the small brigade of warriors trailed along behind, acting as a marching parade. The robed man walked quietly just behind the Hyuuga group. Emilia dropped behind slightly as the man asked her a question.

“Was she hurt?” The man said.

“Yes. Her arm was cut open, but we bandaged her up. She hasn’t complained about it since then.” Emilia responded.

“Really? She has gotten much more brave… Usually any small wound will send her into a fit of distress. It is too bad her bodyguards died so quickly. The lord spent quite the sum for them to follow her across the country…” The man trailed on.

The group continued to walk, the sound of metal clinking on stone trailing behind them, others giving a wide berth to the group as they made their way to the center of the castle. Something nagged at Emilia.

“Did she know them well? The bodyguards, I mean.” Emilia asked.

“For the few months we had them, I’m not sure. They spent most of their time in the bathhouse as far as I could tell. Lazy bums if you ask me.” The man said.

Emilia was confused. She tried to piece together what she was missing when the group came to a solid set of wooden doors. She asked another question.

“Excuse me for asking, but who was the lord she was tasked with visiting?”

“A lord? Oh, you must be mistaken. She was sent to discuss our dealings with merchants who had sold us poor quality cloth. We won’t be buying from them anytime soon. Now, I must get going, we are going to discuss the details further inside. You may leave now.” The man said, quickly moving past Emilia to rush toward the opening wooden doors.

Emilia reached out to grab the man by the back of his robe. The man turned around, pulled his robe away, and scoffed. “You will receive your payment after we discuss our dealings. Good day.”

Emilia tried to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come out. The door closed. She stood and looked at it for several seconds, before coming to an abrupt decision. She marched right up to the door, activating her Byakugan. She reached forward to pull the doors open, when she was frozen solid by the sight on the other side of the door.

It had only been seconds.

She pulled the doors open, slowly.

Blood spilled out from the doors into the hallway. A head rolled out of the doorway. It belonged to the robed man. The inside of the room was a chaotic mess. Multiple bodies strewn about, suddenly bleeding from massive punctures and dead where they lay. There hadn’t been a noise, or even a rumble. Shirai was gone. One man, covered in gold and purple clothing, sat dead on a sturdy and ornamental wooden seat. Emilia took the entire view in one glance, then turned around when she heard a collection of gasps. The guards that stayed with them at the foot of the chamber saw the blood, and were now running toward the Hyuuga group, screaming with weapons drawn.

Emilia felt her heart in her throat.

Chapter Text

From the top of a tree, Solomon was nodding off. The group had walked far too long and rested far too little. To top it off, Emilia insisted they pack up camp at the first sign of light in the sky. The sun hadn’t even come up until an hour later. The first thing he would do when he got back was take a bath, then sleep for as long as he could. Solomon had gotten bored of looking at the top of some stupid towers. He had activated his Byakugan, and was watching the group make their way through the castle. He couldn’t make out fine details like the adults could, but his Byakugan was better than others. He thought it might even be a little better than his sisters, but the only way to find out hurt quite a bit. He was busy letting these thoughts swim through his head, when he suddenly sat straight up on the branch.

Emilia and the others had brought Shirai to a big room, then the princess went in with another man… Suddenly, as far as Solomon could tell, Shirai had… Exploded. No, that wasn’t right. Multiple things came out of her body. They were large and pointed, skewering directly through every single person in the room with her all at once. Then, as quickly as they shot out, they retracted back into her body… It all happened in a matter of seconds. If Solomon hadn’t been paying direct attention to it, he would have assumed the room was always like that. Then, Shirai sank directly into the ground beneath her, as if it was water. A few seconds later, Emilia pulled the door open.

The entire event made Solomon's head suddenly spin. He watched the Chakra source of ‘Shirai’ move through the ground, directly under the entrance, and out into the forest. Solomon realised at that very moment that the danger the group was guarding Shirai from was standing right in their midst the entire time. She could have killed all of them at any point she wanted. Solomon split his attention on the castle, where Emilia and the others were suddenly being overwhelmed by the fortress guards, but they would escape in short order. He understood that it was all up to him to keep track of this assassin.

Reaching for his pack, he only spent a few seconds moving aside a dirty shirt to get to his scouting equipment. Inside was a set of flares that he could shoot into the air. He slung his pack around his shoulder and began jumping from tree to tree, doing his best to keep up with the fleeing assassin. She could move just as fast under the ground as he could in the trees. His heart raced as he continued the chase. He couldn’t believe he was really doing this. After moving far enough, he aimed one hand into the air, and pulled the cord attached to a small cylinder with the other. A bright red flare shot its way up into the sky, leaving a trail of dark red smoke.

—

Inside the castle, Emilia, Otoha, and Jimpei were attempting to fend off the sudden attacking guards. All they had seen was blood spilling out of the lord's quarters, and no sight of the princess. They knew that one of the Hyuuga traitors had stayed outside, clearly a ploy to have them sneak onto the property and assassinate the lord and his council, while kidnapping the princess as a bonus. They would not let the Hyuuga bastards leave with their lives.

“YOU HAVE BROKEN OUR TRUST! WE WILL HUNT DOWN ALL OF YOU SHINOBI DOGS!” One guard screamed, right before getting knocked out by a swift blow to the side of the head.

“We can’t kill ANY of them if we are going to get out of this with our reputation intact.” Emilia tried to say to the others. It was difficult to get any words across without being interrupted by a blade or a flying arrow. At least none of these guards were former shinobi, Emilia thought.

The panic was rising in the back of Emilia's head. It had only been two minutes, they needed to get out of here fast. Everything had gone horribly wrong. She wasn’t even sure how they could have succeeded in this mission, aside from figuring out that Shirai was an assassin from the beginning. That would have left them dead. Emilia tried to calm her thoughts as she dodged another blade thrust, sending another soldier falling limp to the ground with her own strike. The Hyuuga fighting style was uniquely suited to subduing individuals without killing them outright; Their technique involved targeting a combination of weak spots in the body with precise bursts of Chakra. From nerves, blood vessels, to the collection of pathways that carries Chakra through the body. A Hyuuga turns the body against itself, all thanks to the precision and clarity granted by the Byakugan.

An arrow whizzed by Emilia's head, piercing an ear, causing her to call out in surprise. She looked up to see an arrangement of archers. The group had fought their way out of the inner castle and into the gardens, where the archers were free to line up and let their arrows loose. The barrage of arrows that rained down was too much to dodge. Arrows lodged in legs, abdomens, feet, and almost one head. Otoha looked up in surprise to see an arrow stopped right before it went straight through her neck, caught in mid air by Emilia. She turned to look at the archers with anger. They had not slain their lord. This was not their fault…

That’s when she saw it. The trail of red smoke falling through the air, a distance above the trees. There were two of them, and as she watched, a third flare shot up into the air. It arced high into the air, and slowly fell, releasing a thick plume of smoke. Was Solomon following the assassin? Suddenly, Emilia did not care what happened to this castle. As far as she was concerned, everyone inside was less than the dirt she now stood on.

The arrow in her hand snapped, then fell to the ground in pieces. The wood was not crushed. It was split perfectly in two. She walked toward the front gate, moving her hands up in a set of signs she had memorised for years. It was the first true technique she had mastered, her first step into Ninjutsu. In her mind, she imagined a great barrier of raging winds, which she moved to stand within. Her hands suddenly became the center of an invisible vortex, rapidly growing to encompass her entire body. Her long hair was pulled up and around her head in powerful eddies. She pushed her hands casually toward the front gate. The gate was dislodged in a violent explosion of wind, bending the metal outward.

Archers flew off the top of the wall from the powerful gust, which cracked and began to crumble. The explosion could be heard for miles. Emilia looked down at the arrow that lay in her leg, trying to figure out how to pull it out. Otoha and Jimpei were standing there next to Emilia, looking shocked and clamming up. Jimpei tried to pull himself together, but fell to the ground after trying to touch the arrow lodged in his abdomen. Emilia didn’t have time to wait for these two to pull themselves together, she had to get to her brother fast. After coming to a decision, she reached down, and broke the arrow in her leg at the shaft, trying to ignore the pain.

—

Solomon fired off his third and final flare. Luckily, Shirai had stopped moving in the ground, so he didn’t have to run any further. He stood, hidden in the canopy above, as Shirai moved up and rose from the ground like a mud monster. Her entire body was covered from head to toe in mud and leaves. As Solomon watched, the mud began to slough off of her body in clumps, slowly revealing her skin beneath. What was underneath the mud was not Shirai. It was still a girl, maybe the same age, but with stark white hair and tan skin, and her body was covered in a series of tight robes.

She reached for the ground and appeared to pick something up. It took Solomon a few seconds to understand what it was, but when he did, the manner of attack suddenly made much more sense. She picked up a piece of bark from a tree, shook the mud off of it, and threw it off into a bush. As Solomon watched this scene unfold, the reality of his situation finally set in. He had just followed a highly trained assassin out, alone, into the middle of nowhere. She was getting ready to leave the scene. He had just figured out what she was. As he came to this realisation, there was a thundering boom somewhere behind him. The distant explosion startled Solomon, and he almost slipped off of the branch he was standing on. He quickly readjusted himself, then focused back down at the ground to assess the situation. An immediate problem made itself apparent. The assassin was gone.

Solomon quickly scanned the area around himself as fast as he could. There were plenty of details he could miss, but one thing he could not miss was Chakra. To the Byakugan, Chakra might as well be a light in a cave. He began to move at the same time, not risking staying in the same spot. He found the assassin within seconds, moving up and through the very tree he was just standing on. Right after he landed on a second branch, the spot where he had been standing was suddenly overtaken by giant spikes… Of wood. The assassin moved out of the tree and onto the branch, walking forward casually. She looked around for a second until she spotted Solomon. Her face was indifferent as their eyes met.

“You saw me?” She asked.

Solomon did not respond.

“I’ll take that as a yes. You know who I am?” She asked again.

Solomon hesitated. Could he get out of this alive? The thought struck him then. Is this really how he dies? Fear began to creep into his mind. He knew next to nothing about the Senju clan, other than that they are incredibly dangerous and deadly to anyone that fights them. His parents once told him horror stories of members of the Senju clan who would go on a psychotic rampage, to make him and his siblings behave. He thought of Kotetsu dragging a stick into the tent one time and hitting him with it. He thought of Emilia.

“Why didn’t you just kill us?” Solomon asked.

She paused before answering.

“You were not the target.” She stated.

“You only kill your targets?” Solomon asked again.

“Yes.”

“What about the people in that inn? Or the home? What about that family? Did you kill them?” Solomon threw at her.

She didn’t say anything for several seconds. After the earlier explosion reverberated through the forest, the entire area was left void of all sound. It was deafening.

“Yes.”

The words hit him like a hammer. He had expected the answer, but it still hurt him. He didn’t quite know why.

“Why?” He asked.

She looked him in the eyes.

“The same reason I must now kill you.”

While the pair were talking, she had done something to the branch he was standing on. Solomon didn’t understand that a Senju doesn’t need to explicitly touch a tree to control it. The entire branch suddenly curved inward, bending up and straight through Solomon, piercing straight through his chest with savage force.

—

Emilia had moved as fast as she could. But even at her fastest, she wouldn’t have made it in time. She found his body at the bottom of a tree. She could barely look at the broken body for more than a few seconds before spewing her breakfast. She collapsed to the ground, falling roughly. All she could do was look down at the body for several minutes. After a while, the voices of Otoha and Jimpei came through the forest. The armored soldiers had left them alone after Emilia rearranged the architecture. The two limped into view, stopping at the sight of the body on the ground. They both ceased talking. They all stayed like that for a while, sitting, standing, watching. Waiting. Almost ten minutes went by, when Emilia slowly got to her feet, walked over to the body, and began pulling her tent kit out of her bag. She began to wrap the body. Her hands trembled as they slowly worked. Jimpei and Otoha moved to help after a minute, all of them working to place the light body into the tarp.

Chapter Text

Kotetsu was pretty sure he had literally worked himself to the bone. He couldn’t see them yet, but he was sure they would come popping out of his skin at any moment. After his exciting revelation with his Chakra nature the previous day, Kotetsu had taken to the training routine Solomon left him with new vigor. He didn’t leave the crevice until nearly the end of the day, and ended up dragging himself to bed without eating much. He awoke the next day with a fiery determination, ate breakfast, and rushed off to practice. He spent the entire day working on his newfound ability to flow Chakra through his body, trying to imagine different things to see what helped the most. The best one seemed to be imagining himself standing under the sun, letting the heat spread across his skin and into his clothes. With this, he found himself running faster and jumping higher than he ever has before, and he spent several minutes playing around, hopping across the stream and only slipping into the water a few times. There was a sensation across his body that felt like air passing into his lungs, but for his whole body. After running and doing the exercises, he slumped to the ground, unable to move, just staring up into the sky.

He stayed like that on the ground for a whole hour. Wondering how Solomon and Emilia were doing on their mission. They weren’t supposed to arrive until sometime tomorrow. Thinking of how one day he would need to do missions just like Solomon, he sighed and got up. By then, the sun was just getting to the horizon. The days were getting shorter. He began to walk his way back to the camp, resolving to do all the exercises again tomorrow, and to jump over that creek without slipping in.

The camp came into sight and Kotetsu was soon back on flat familiar ground. As he was walking toward the wash basins, he heard shouting and turned to see a commotion at the western edge of the camp. He wandered in that direction, speculating about what was going on. He didn’t know if anyone else was supposed to come back from a mission today. When he got close enough, there were familiar faces. One of the faces he saw made Kotetsu drop into a full run, his face lighting up with surprise and excitement. The group had made it back a whole day earlier than expected.

He slowed down when he saw everyone's faces were downcast. He stopped at the edge of the gathering of adults and kids who had crowded around the group. Niko was standing there near the edge, a blank look on his face. He turned to look at Kotetsu approaching him, eyes widening. Niko took a step to the side, revealing the scene to Kotetsu.

Kotetsu couldn’t think of anything to say. All he could do was stand there, and stare. He absently itched the scuffs and bruises that lined his arms from the day. He pulled his hand away to find blood in his fingernails. He had dug into a deep scratch he didn’t know was there. He turned to look at the scratch, wondering for a moment at the blood running down his arm. Wondering why his skin looked so dirty. He needed a bath, he thought. The stream of loose thoughts that ran through his head were a distraction from the scene he refused to acknowledge. The body lay there, wrapped in a grey tarp, unmoving. He forced himself to look at it. To look at him. Solomon's face was calm, his eyes closed, but his skin was too pale. His hair had been left messy, which Solomon hated. He was always trying to get Kotetsu to brush his hair.

Niko was looking directly at Emilia. She stood there, talking to another adult, repeating the same story she had told the last two adults. Her eyes were vacant and her voice was distant. He saw the small shake in her hands that had never been there before. The blood that covered her fingers and ran down her clothes from small punctures. The other two had bandages wrapped around them, Jimpei's abdomen and legs, and Otoha's leg and shoulder. Emilia had no bandages. The entire group parted when a set of adults showed up, Masato and Syuka. The two looked down at their broken children, one carrying the other in a tarp.

No one in the family slept that night.

—

Kotetsu watched the sun rise. He had stayed to watch the burial process, which he had only been allowed to see one other time. The Hyuuga burial custom is to destroy the vital parts of the body, then let the body return to the water. The small wooden platform floated across the lake under a half moon, thin enough that the body was dragged under water when the wood broke. Kotetsu barely felt the sun on his face. Tears finally began to fall as he thought of his best friend.

“You do know that you’ll never get better at fighting if you sit around like this all day, right?” Solomon had said.

“I am getting better.” Kotetsu had responded.

“Oh, really? You call that lousy performance getting better?”

“I’m getting better at relaxing, clearly.” Kotetsu smugly stated, looking up at Solomon.

Solomon looked down at Kotetsu for a second, then plunked himself down on the ground next to Kotetsu.

“I’ll beat you at that too, then.” Solomon said before stretching out and instantly falling asleep. Kotetsu was left speechless.

Kotetsu awoke from the dream to find a figure standing above him. The sun was just reaching the top of the sky. It was the clan leader, Masato. He reached down and offered a hand to the boy. Kotetsu hesitated, then reached up to grab the hand. He was yanked upward and set on his feet.

“Let’s go for a walk.” Masato said.

Kotetsu said nothing as he followed along behind the adult. Kotetsu had been laying outside of the camp near the lake. Masato walked along the lake shore, and Kotetsu stepped from stone to stone. They meandered like that for a while, just walking in peace. Masato eventually broke the silence.

“Your mother and father were brave.”

Kotetsu looked up in surprise at the topic. He continued walking along as Masato spoke.

“They taught me a valuable lesson, before they died. You remember the story. I could do nothing against the man that took their lives. I wanted you, Emilia and Solomon to learn this lesson as well.” Masato continued in a tired voice.

“What is it?” Kotetsu asked with small words.

Masato turned a weak smile down at Kotetsu.

“You should never give up.” Masato's eyes were hard as he looked down at Kotetsu. Kotetsu found himself unable to look away.

“You will find yourself in an impossible situation one day. You may not be able to get around it, but I want you to understand that giving up will never solve the problem. You have to keep going forward, one step at a time, until you beat that problem into the dirt.”

As Masato spoke, his voice grew from tired to rough. His eyes grew darker as he looked down at Kotetsu. Masato looked away, and continued to walk. Kotetsu's entire body felt cold, as opposed to feeling nothing like he did earlier. He welcomed the cold, letting it wash over him. Then he saw the tear stretching down the side of Masato's face. Suddenly, from deep within himself, a warmth appeared. It grew rapidly and overtook him. It was like jumping directly into a boiling pot of water after sitting in the cold rain. Kotetsu stopped and let out a ragged sob. Masato turned around and picked his son up into a hug.

—

The next day, Kotetsu found himself wandering to the crevice. He had walked off picking the last berries of the season all day yesterday, and needed to escape the oppressive feeling of the camp. When he got to the crevice, he found someone already there. It was Emilia. Kotetsu stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. Kotetsu hadn’t seen Emilia all day yesterday, and assumed she had gone off to tear down a forest or something. She spoke before he could turn around and leave.

“I want to see it.” She said, turning to face him.

“I want to see how he trained you. I want to see if it was worth it.” She continued.

Kotetsu gulped.

“We were training with swords recently. I mean, Solomon and-” Kotetsu started.

“Don’t say his name.” Emilia cut him off. She took a step toward him.

Her face and hair was an unkempt mess. Kotetsu was pretty sure she hadn’t even cleaned herself off fully since coming back. He watched as she raised one hand, palm open and facing him. The other hand stayed loose by her side. The two watched each other carefully.

“Come at me.” Her words were harsh. Kotetsu only considered the point for a heartbeat, making his decision.

Kotetsu closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the sun beating down on his entire body. The warmth was the hottest it had been. He felt like it was suddenly the middle of summer. The feeling of rushing power coursed just under his skin. As the sweltering heat built up, Kotetsu felt anger rise alongside it. He could sense the anger she held for him. The accusing nature of her words dug at him, and Kotetsu felt like the anger would really explode out of him into flames. He jumped straight at Emilia.

And that was all. A loud slap was all he felt as his head was forcefully pushed up into the sky from a single, powerful strike. He was knocked out just like that.

Emilia looked down at the limp body of Kotetsu, and the red mark that appeared on his chin. After staring for a few seconds, she fell to her knees and burst into silent tears. She didn’t expect him to move so fast straight for her. Her reaction had been instinctual, and she just barely pulled it back in time. She got up and left.

Kotetsu woke up alone and in the dirt. He had been doing that a little too often recently. He found some new bug bites adorning the bottom of his legs, telling him it was time to get up. His chin was sore from where Emilia had hit him. He moved his mouth experimentally, finding that his jaw was fine for the most part. Kotetsu went over the experience, thinking about how fast she was. Solomon had never attacked him like that. Knowing this, Kotetsu began to understand just how hard it was to truly fight someone. He stood.

—

Emilia had gone off back to camp and took her time cleaning herself off. She looked down at the hot water of the wash basin around her, feeling her anger melt away with the cleansing water. After getting dry and dressed, she found herself sitting in her tent alone. She did not want to be alone at that moment, but she also didn’t want to be around anyone else in the camp. She left her tent and felt a tug leading her out of the camp. It had been a few hours since she left the crevice. She suddenly felt disgusted with herself after the way she left Kotetsu.

Spending a few minutes of walking, she heard noises and stopped just before reaching the crevice. Moving slowly, she crept forward, until the area came into view around a bend. Kotetsu stood, panting, hands on knees. After a few seconds, he got down on the ground and started doing… Sit ups. Emilia watched for a while as Kotetsu went through a variety of menial exercises. Then he would get up and start jumping back and forth across the stream that ran through the crevice.

The stream was 5 or 6 feet across there, and he was barely clearing the gap. He jumped back and forth multiple times. Then went back to the exercises. At some point, Emilia sat down on a stump, amused by his over exaggerated movements.

She watched Kotetsu for hours, expecting him to give up at any point, or at least stop and take breaks. Just when she assumed he would tumble over from exhaustion, he switched exercises. Her amusement turned to silent surprise as the hours passed by. Just as the sun started to go down over the trees, Kotetsu collapsed completely. He began to drag himself toward the stream, which he flopped into with a loud groan. She barely kept the bark of laughter from escaping. Kotetsu suddenly sat straight up in the stream, looking around. Emilia covered her mouth and ducked down behind a bush, then came to a decision, standing up and out of hiding. Kotetsu's eyes widened, then his hands came up in a stiff protective stance around his head.

“Did he… Did Solomon show you hand signs?” Emilia asked.

“Uh… What?” Kotetsu said with a stunned look on his face, before it shifted to realisation.

“N-No.. He had not. I bugged him about it but he said I would be better off… Learning sword stuff instead. For now…” Kotetsu said sheepishly.

Emilia walked over to the stream and put her hands together in a formation.

“I can’t teach you directly. But, What’s the harm in letting you watch me train?”

Kotetsu suddenly felt the water around his body stop flowing and begin to rise up around him. He looked down in alarm, moving to get out of the water, as the stream began to flow up and out of the crevice unexpectedly. He watched the process for several seconds, eyes as wide as plates. Then his attention turned to Emilia and the shape her hands took. He couldn’t tell which fingers were splayed and which were interlocked, but the shape was very distinct. He watched with a serious intensity as her hands contorted and shifted, flipping between multiple hand signs. The bubble of water began to grow larger and more defined in shape. Then, just as quickly as it had formed, the water splashed back down to the ground, sending muddy liquid spraying out in all directions and coming up to Kotetsu's knees. He looked down in dismay at his dirty sandals, then glanced over at Emilia to see that she was completely untouched. She laughed at the dumbfounded look on his face.

Chapter Text

Kotetsu couldn’t exactly just copy what he watched Emilia do. Their natures were practically opposites, so there wasn’t much in the way of overlap for him to learn. Emilia had thought about this problem for a while, and ended up introducing Kotetsu to the only other person in the entire clan with fire as one of their natures. As the elders had stated, everyone was forbidden from teaching Kotetsu. But, the elders could not stop Kotetsu from observing people. Day after day, Kotetsu sat a distance away from the old woman who he had met thanks to Emilia. The woman's name is Mayuka, and she’s known as the fire starter within the clan. Her tasks involved lighting fires wherever needed. The Hyuuga clan did not fight with fire, as it was too destructive, so her abilities were instead used as a utility for most of her life. Kotetsu watched in fascination as she lit the series of fires that resided in the cooking pits. Mayuka would gently move through a string of hand signs, then proceeded to stick her whole hand into the middle of the stacked logs, which would ignite and blaze to life in a matter of seconds, as if they were always burning like that.

Her hand would always remain untouched by the flames. Kotetsu recalled the one time he had lit the broken piece of wood that was a gift from Solomon with his bare hand, dropping it afterwards due to it burning him. He could not ask questions though, as that was against the rules. He simply watched for a time. After a day of silently sticking to Mayuka's side, he went off into the forest toward his training spot, the crevice. He would find loose twigs and pile them up near the stream. Then, he would spend hour after hour trying to copy the movements he saw Mayuka do. He had days with no success. He would stop on each individual movement, looking at his fingers, trying to recall the exact placement. Emilia would stop by every once in a while and train in the crevice as well. He had to move his pile of sticks away from the stream as she would cause splashes of water to spray over him.

On some days, he felt as if he was getting nowhere, and would instead move to physical training. Emilia had walked down to the crevice one day to find Kotetsu manually widening the stream with a shovel he definitely didn’t ask for permission to use. She sighed as she watched him, covered in wet mud and dirt from neck to foot, as he jumped back and forth across the new gap. The gap had been widened to 7 feet, then 8, then 10, until Kotetsu hit a rock and violently cursed at it after breaking his shovel, using all the adult words he could think of. On other days, he would go and sit with Mayuka, watching carefully as she went through the hand signs again and again. He noticed she would go slower sometimes when he paid close attention. After over a month of studying Mayuka, and endless days of trial and error, a spark finally came up out of the sticks.

—

Tomoji Hyuuga is one of the elders of the Hyuuga Clan. When Masato had shown up with that child one night those years ago, insisting to let the boy stay with their clan, he had vehemently refused. But, the other elders relented at Masato's insistence, and the boy was allowed to stay and grow in their village. A spy in the making, Tomoji thought. After casually observing the boy grow up over the years, he stayed firm in his belief that keeping the child was a mistake. One day, Masato approached the elders, asking to train the boy in preparation for him to officially join the clan. Tomoji had stood his ground, stating that the child was not of Hyuuga descent, and therefore is forbidden from being taught by any member of the Hyuuga clan, which the other elders agreed upon. The fool Masato had found a loophole by sending his son to teach the boy instead. Now, with the son tragically dead and the boy left alone, it would only be a matter of time before Masato would see the errors of his ways, and the clan could rid itself of the child.

But, to Tomoji's astonishment, he found the boy growing regardless, learning indirectly by observing the members of the clan. Worse than that, those that were observed did not stop or disregard the boy, nearly breaking the rule by allowing him to observe their work. Tomoji did not enjoy his authority being undermined by such petty actions. He brought the flagrant rule breaking to the attention of the other elders, who all dismissed him and the problem as an over exaggeration. After months of watching the slow burn insurrection, he finally had enough and went straight to Masato.

“Masato. We must speak immediately.” Tomoji began, walking up to Masato.

“Ah, elder Tomoji. I am glad you have found me. Care to join me for a drink?” Masato said cheerily.

“There is no time. That adopted child of yours is causing distractions for our people. I need you to reign him in.” Tomoji accused.

Masato froze, and turned a careful look at the elder.

“Are you implying that my son is hurting the clan in some manner?” Masato said in a calm voice.

“Your… ‘Son’ is being disruptive. You must confine him to your family tents. This is unacceptable behaviour, and if I witness him being foolish, I will not hesitate to reprimand him personally.” Tomoji said defiantly.

“Bring me the people he has supposedly distracted, and I will reprimand him myself. He knows not to bother our people. I must be going now, elder.” Masato spoke, his voice becoming clipped. He turned and walked away.

Tomoji cast a stare at the back of Masato's head that could burn a hole through wood.

—

Months passed by in the blink of an eye. Kotetsu developed a solid routine of training, training, and more training. Emilia had marked a piece of the crevice off for herself at one point, bringing over large dead trees and setting them up in a strange sort of bridge over the stream. When Kotetsu's curiosity felt like it would bite his own head off, he finally asked her what it was one day. She explained in a cryptic manner.

“Hop on up there and find out for yourself.”

Kotetsu knew it was a bad idea the moment she suggested it. But, he went up regardless. Shortly after, he found himself in the bottom of the stream after getting struck with a miniature tsunami, Emilia cackling from above. When Kotetsu got up out of the water and stumbled back up onto the ‘bridge’, she stopped laughing and simply smirked at him. Another wave of water came. Then another. Each one was varied in size and shape, and Kotetsu did his best to dodge the waves. He hardly stayed atop the bridge for long, usually getting knocked off by the third or fourth wave. His longest streak was seven waves, which ended in him almost falling down the crevice when the eighth wave nearly smashed the wooden logs themselves.

Their training continued individually when they weren’t messing with each other. Kotetsu could not fight like a Hyuuga, no matter what he tried. It was infeasible since he did not possess the Byakugan. But, the only people who were around for him to watch were Hyuuga, so instead of trying to fight like a Hyuuga, he simply trained to fight a Hyuuga. It was a difficult process, considering he couldn’t actually spar with anyone in the village. After watching his sister dismantle opponent after opponent on the training fields for days on end, something began to crystallize in his mind. He worked on the idea for months. After coming up with something he was confident in, he decided to test it out. After doing this, he was pretty sure the elders would try to exile him, so he had to get the most out of this one time.

—

Gakuji and his friends had established their own little zone on one of the inner fields. They would come here to hang out in between assignments and clan duties. They were playing their special version of Janken, when Kotetsu walked up to them. It had been a little under a year since the first time the group had messed with Kotetsu. The group of boys backed up upon seeing Kotetsu, surprised at the sudden intrusion. Gakuji smirked down at the boy.

“Looking to jump out of another tree? Or are you just here to stare, like you do with everyone else?” Gakuji teased. The group of boys all snickered.

Kotetsu smiled back up at Gakuji. “I’m here for Janken. But, I want to go first again. And I have already given myself a dare.” Kotetsu said, looking straight up at Gakuji.

The older boy considered for a moment. As he considered, Kotetsu held out his arm and a closed fist. Gakuji smiled.

“Whatever. Let’s get this over with.” Gakuji dropped his hand in an open palm, yelling ‘Go’.

Kotetsu grabbed the offered arm and pulled back, causing Gakuji to stumble. The older boy looked confused for that single second, staring directly into Kotetsu's still smiling face. Then, an elbow met the side of his head, knocking Gakuji out cold.

The other four boys watched in stupefaction as Gakuji's body fell to the ground, knocked out. Kotetsu stood there for a moment, waiting, watching. One boy suddenly stepped forward, fists clenched, going right for Kotetsu. One fist struck out, then another, but each punch missed its target. Kotetsu took careful steps back, making sure not to cross his feet, dodging the heavy strikes as they came. Months of getting hit with cold water repeatedly had hammered home the importance of proper foot placement. After the fourth strike, Kotetsu darted in between the boy's open arms, jutting his open palm up and into the boy's abdomen. The first older boy made an ‘Oof’ noise and slumped forward clutching his stomach. They weren’t fighting like Hyuuga should. He needed to make them fight like Hyuuga, or else he wouldn’t get to test out his technique.

Similar fates met the second and third older boys. They tried to come at Kotetsu with fists, and even one kick, but they were all met with palm strikes to the stomach, sending them keeling over. The fourth boy had an angry look on his face. Kotetsu watched as veins popped out along the boy's eyes, and his pupils were suddenly visible as pure white discs. He held out open palms in the form that Kotetsu had studied for months. Kotetsu felt an excitement building. Around the group of boys plus Kotetsu, a crowd of other children and some adults had gathered, all watching the spectacle. Most of the kids were murmuring, and Kotetsu even saw one bet get placed. The few adults simply watched. The final boy made the first move.

“You’re gonna pay for that, moron!” The boy said before lunging forward.

Kotetsu understood that the Hyuuga fighting style was a combination of things; their ability to see and attack the various weak points in the body, and their ability to see all around them. Combining these two styles resulted in an assault that was near impossible to defend against, or disrupt once started.

Kotetsu believes he found a weakness, however. It may only exist in those that don’t fully understand their fighting style, but he planned on exploiting it anyways. Kotetsu imagined sunlight spreading across his skin.

The boy stepped forward and jabbed one arm out, palm flat, aiming straight for Kotetsu's chest. Kotetsu reached up without hesitation and grabbed the boy's wrist in the strongest grip he could manage. Then, when the boy tried pulling the arm back while throwing out his other palm, Kotetsu stepped down with all the force he could manage right onto the boy's outstretched foot.

Kotetsu's foot came down and made a resounding crunch right on the boy's toes. He let the wrist go, letting the boy stumble back. When the boy put pressure down on his leg, he screamed an octave too high and tumbled to the ground, clutching at his leg and foot. The adults in the crowd suddenly pushed forward through the kids, who were all jeering and yelling alternatingly. One adult put his hand on Kotetsu, softly pulling him out of the circle. Kotetsu didn’t resist as he watched the other adults inspect the downed kids. Both Masato and Syuka were gone for the time being, so Kotetsu was held aside. All of the adults saw most of what happened, however, and knew roughly that the skirmish had been the result of a game. The swiftness in which Kotetsu brought down the group of boys impressed the adults anyways, so they were not quick to reprimand him. That’s when Tomoji, one of the village elders, showed up.

“What is going on here?” Tomoji snapped.

The adults all quickly drew steps back until one was left, too slow to notice. She stepped forward, annoyed.

“These boys were just playing. It is nothing.” She said, pulling up an overly respectful tone.

Tomoji inspected the boys. He spotted Gakuji getting pulled up out of the dirt, shaking his head, and the boy that had his foot stomped. Tomoji's nostrils flared.

“This is unacceptable. And, since Masato is not here to reprimand his animal, it is for the best that I do it myself.” Tomoji said, drawing himself up righteously. He began to walk in the direction of Kotetsu and the other adult.

Emilia had been wandering through the tents, making her way to the supply area to grab a fresh set of blankets, when she stopped at a commotion over at one of the training yards. She made her way over, curious, as the other kids usually didn’t spar unless she was there to monitor them. When the scene became visible, she grew worried at first, almost rushing in to stop the fighting. But she hesitated and decided to stay and watch instead. She observed the fight unfold, Kotetsu clearly trying to bait one of them into using the Hyuuga fighting style. She wondered what he was looking to accomplish. She soon had her answer in the sound of a loud crunch and the sudden conclusion of the fight.

Tomoji was a man on a mission, moving straight for Kotetsu. He was in front of the boy in a matter of seconds, reaching down and grabbing the boy's collar.

“You are coming with me, boy. I will handle your punishment myself.” Tomoji spat.

Before the elder could move away, a grip like rocks wrapped around his wrist, twisting and pulling his arm away from Kotetsu. The man instinctively released his hold on Kotetsu's shirt collar. He turned to look down into the stone cold face of Emilia. His face twisted in contempt.

“Release me, girl. This boy has broken our rules. He is to be punished accordingly. I will punish you as well if you keep this up.”

Emilia looked up into the man's face for a few long seconds. She contemplated twisting harder, wondering how much stronger he was compared to her. She knew she was easily head and shoulders over her peers. She had yet to face any adults beyond her parents, though. She released her grip.

“Good. Now, I will take…” Tomoji began, turning around, only to find Kotetsu gone.

“Where did he go?!” Tomoji demanded, twisting and looking about.

All of the adults looked around in apparent confusion. The other kids in the yard were clearly busy not paying attention to the conversation. Tomoji turned to look back down into the face of Emilia. She gave him a slight smirk.

“How are you going to order him around or punish him if he’s not an official member of the clan?” Emilia asked up into his face, before turning and leaving.

Chapter Text

Kotetsu sat by himself in the family tent, inspecting his arms and hands after his scuffle with Gakuji and his friends. He had struck the boys as hard as he could, and his hands were sore and stiff. He didn’t know exactly how hard he would have to hit for them to go down. He contemplated the rush of excitement he experienced during the fight. It made him feel as if he could split a rock in half. After the fight had finished, he had been hit with a wave of fear after the clan elder, Tomoji, had confronted him. Not many of the adults in the clan gave Kotetsu a hard time, besides the elder and a few others. Kotetsu was suddenly interrupted mid speculation as Masato walked through the tent flap. Kotetsu looked up at the clan leader, only to see a rigid face stare back down at him. Masato stood there in the entrance, staring at Kotetsu for a moment, before speaking in a stern but steady voice.

“Did that make you feel strong?”

Kotetsu blinked.

“I-”

“The others told me what you did. Emilia as well.” Masato cut his son off.

Kotetsu almost looked away, but kept his eyes locked on the clan leader's.

“What you did… That is not strength. That is not being good. I am disappointed in you.” Masato continued.

Kotetsu waited a moment before speaking.

“But… You said that I should… That I need to beat my problems into the dirt.” Kotetsu said, attempting to pull defiance. Masato's stare grew harsh. Kotetsu felt a rock sink into his gut.

“Were those boys a problem to you? Did they attempt to hurt you, or hurt your friends? Were they going to hurt anyone? Those boys are members of the clan, Kotetsu.” Masato growled. He sighed, grabbing the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.

“Emilia beats them up all the time…” Kotetsu weakly responded.

“Emilia teaches. She does not hurt unless someone truly deserves it. You know that she has a loose temper, but you did not fight out of anger. You did not break that boy's foot out of anger. You broke it because you were practicing. We do not break our people to find out how strong we are, Kotetsu.”

As Masato spoke, his voice grew sturdier and louder, until he was almost shouting down at the boy, quivering on the ground. Masato kneeled down in front of Kotetsu.

“How… How will I know when I’m strong?” Kotetsu asked in a shaky voice.

Masato looked down at Kotetsu for a long moment. The small boy would need a haircut soon, he thought. Kotetsu began to get his shaking under control, taking controlled breaths. Masato slowly reached out with a closed fist and placed it gently over Kotetsu's chest.

“You’ll know when.” Masato spoke in a quiet voice. Then, without notice, he stood up.

“I have to punish you for this, Kotetsu. The elders are watching now. You will be confined to washing clothes for the next month.” Masato ordered.

Kotetsu looked up with a sudden, horrified expression.

“Even the underwear?” Kotetsu asked disbelievingly.

“Yes.”

Masato walked back through the tent flap as Kotetsu sat and dreaded the coming days.

—

Tomoji had an idea. Days following the incident from that pest, Tomoji began to make a plan to get rid of the brat once and for all. And to do that, he would have to grant Masato's wish for the boy. All he needed to do was convince the other elders now. If he recalled right, the child should be the appropriate age to be accepted as a member of the clan. All he needed was the perfect opportunity. These next few months would pass by quickly.

—

Kotetsu braved the pile of stinking clothes he found in the woven basket. Lifting the basket up and carefully keeping it at arm’s length, he made his way slowly to the washing tubs. This had been his routine for weeks now. After spending most of his day helping carry and wash dirty clothes, rags, towels and blankets, he would sneak off to the crevice to practice his Ninjutsu. After months of working on and refining his process, he had finally begun to understand the intricacies of Ninjutsu. At least, that’s what he thought. Sitting down in front of a new pile of sticks, he carefully weaved his hands through a sequence of signs, focusing on the feeling of power that flowed just under his skin. He felt that power shift and transform with each new formation of his hands. The actual sensation was indescribable from his current understanding, but it felt much like moulding clay with his bare hands.

He imagined a spark igniting in his palms. Reaching out to the sticks, eyes closed, he picked up one twig and held it loosely. It burst into flames. Eyes opening, he dropped the stick, surprised. The fire had never appeared so quickly before. He watched the stick tumble back down to the pile of leaves and branches, the fire jumping about. He stared into the impromptu campfire for a moment. Then he looked down at his hand, not able to see or feel any burns. His heart soared from the act of finally succeeding in learning his first jutsu.

The next few months passed by in a blur. Kotetsu was relinquished of his clothes washing punishment, and spent the whole day reveling in not having to smell dirty socks. He went back to a steady training routine soon after. Emilia had been absent recently, being given more tasks to carry out. The Hyuuga clan was not usually contracted for combat missions. They were instead commissioned for more delicate tasks, such as acting as peace brokers between warring groups or standing as a threat against an opposing force. After all, no shinobi in their right mind would willingly fight against a group of skilled Hyuuga members, even a small assembly. The clan spent countless bloody years cultivating this reputation, and carried it with deft skill.

—

Tomoji called Masato to his tent for a private discussion. Masato entered the spacious tent, admiring the lush pelts and rugs that adorned the floor. Tomoji sat in the center of the space, next to a small table that held a teapot and a single cup. The man had loose grey hair that spilled over and down his back. His face was covered in a black and grey beard that only extended a few inches down his chin. Tomoji did not say anything as Masato entered and took a seat opposite the elder.

“I have news, Masato.” Tomoji began.

The clan leader did not speak. He observed the teapot instead, admiring the design.

“It is about your boy. The other elders and I have agreed, for once. The child will be allowed to become a member of our clan.” The elder spoke in a subdued but weary voice, as if disgruntled to be giving this news.

Masato looked up from the teapot suddenly.

“Really? You have agreed to accept Kotetsu if he succeeds in a mission?” Masato asked, his brow shooting to the top of his forehead.

“Yes.” Tomoji said displeasingly.

Masato looked back down at the teapot. Before he could elate any further, Tomoji spoke again.

“On one condition.” Tomoji said. His face became neutral.

“The boy will accompany me on a special mission. We have been asked to serve as peace representatives between two lords. It shall serve as a learning experience for the boy.”

A slight smile crept upon his face as he spoke.

Masato looked up and met the elder’s eyes. He saw contempt. Masato felt his face grow hostile, but reigned it in after a moment. The elder sneered.

“We will leave in three days. Prepare the child. You are dismissed.”

As Masato stood up and began to leave, Tomoji spoke a final passing comment.

“The other elders are all in agreement with this plan. There is nothing you can do to change their minds now, Masato. Good day.”

Masato felt the urge to punch something.

—

Gakuji entered the tent of the elder. Ignoring all of the rugs and decorative pelts, he went forward and sat down.

“Hello, grandfather. You wanted to see me?” Gakuji started. There were two cups on the small table, and he picked one up to drink.

Tomoji studied his grandson’s appearance. The boy had just come back from a task mere minutes ago. His clothes were torn along his arms and chest, and his short light brown hair was matted. Tomoji had an adult waiting and watching for Gakuji to get back, to have the boy brought straight to him. He had begun to grow his hair to full length as an acknowledgement of his skill.

“I have a duty for you, grandson. It is of the utmost importance.” Tomoji got straight to business.

Gakuji widened his eyes. “What do you need from me?”

“It is about Kotetsu. He will be accompanying me on an assignment in the following days. I do not trust Masato to keep his hands out of the matter.” Tomoji began.

The elder explained what he needed from Gakuji. As the boy listened, he drew a slow smile.

“It will be done, grandfather.” Gakuji said. He got up and left the tent.

—

Kotetsu had spent only half of his day out in the woods training. Emilia was absent again as she had left earlier that day for a long mission. Enduring through the winter months was not Kotetsu’s favorite pastime, but he made due. He hurried along the now well-worn path back to the camp. Scurrying along, Kotetsu quickly made his way to his family’s tents, where he knew warm blankets and fresh clothes awaited him. He opened up his personal tent to find that it was not empty. Masato sat in the middle, back to the tent flap. His back was straight and head slumped forward. Kotetsu stopped dead, staring at his father. Masato’s long black hair was held in a loose knot as it flowed down his back.

“Sit.” Masato commanded.

Wondering what he did this time, Kotetsu closed the tent flap and sat cross legged behind Masato. He pondered blaming Emilia. He doubted it would work.

“You are being given a mission.” Masato said, cutting through Kotetsu’s thoughts.

Kotetsu simultaneously felt relieved, incredulous, and suspicious. He spoke.

“What kind of mission?”

“It doesn’t matter. I want you to reject it.” Masato said in a harsh tone.

“You are not to accept this task. Or any task, for that matter.”

Kotetsu heard something in Masato’s voice he had only heard a handful of times. He heard fear.

“But… Doesn’t that mean I have to leave? Rejecting an order given directly means… Banishment?” Kotetsu asked.

“Yes. But, you will not be banished.” Masato confirmed.

“How?”

“The trial of survival. You are to take this instead.” Masato said, turning himself around and looking down at his son.

“What’s that?” Kotetsu questioned.

“One of the most challenging experiences you will have. You will still have to leave the clan, but you must travel alone for two years, gaining your own experiences. You will have no help. The clan will not take you back until you have survived the time limit.” Masato recited.

Kotetsu’s throat suddenly felt dry. He swallowed a few times, trying to wet his tongue. He asked the first question that came.

“Has anyone else ever survived?”

Masato continued to stare at his son, eyes fatigued.

“Yes, once, long ago.”

Masato’s face shifted. Kotetsu did not recognise the expression.

“I am the last one to have taken the trial and lived.”

Kotetsu did not outwardly react. Inside, he felt a sense of dread slowly rise from the depth of his core. It corroded everything it touched, leaving his gut feeling cold and heavy like metal.

“I am here to give you a late birthday gift.” Masato suddenly interrupted the tense atmosphere. From behind his back, he pulled forward a long, sleek object. A thin grey strap was loosely attached to each end of the object. Kotetsu spotted intricate etchings carved up and down the blackness, barely visible in the evening light seeping through the tent. It was a sword. Kotetsu knew this sword, though he had only seen it last years ago, when Masato showed it to him during a retelling of a certain story.

The sword belonged to his deceased father.

“I have never been able to unsheath this blade.” Masato said, inspecting the cool grey handle and running his hand along the black leather. He held the blade out with both hands. Kotetsu hesitated in taking it, then lightly clasped it with both hands. The sword almost dropped out of his grip, the weight surprising Kotetsu. He brought the sheathed blade up to his face to inspect the etches. They seemed to be a written language, though he couldn’t read it. Thinking of what Masato said, he firmly grasped the handle and sheath with both hands. He began to pull. The sword glided out of the leather sheath, revealing a deep green blade with a single silver lined edge.

As Kotetsu revealed more of the blade, which he knew to be a katana, his reflection became clearly visible along the spine. Masato sat, stunned at the blade. Kotetsu also sat stunned as he attempted to reveal more of the blade.

But before Kotetsu could reveal the entire length, a commotion arose from outside, forcing the tent flap open. Kotetsu turned around to come face to face with Gakuji. He snapped the sword shut in its sheath.

“Having fun, twit?” Gakuji taunted. He pulled his head out of the tent. Masato got up and moved past Kotetsu, out of the tent, getting into a sudden heated discussion with Gakuji. Kotetsu heard very little as his attention was still on the sword in his hands. Before he had even touched the blade, some tiny part of him knew. Before uncovering the blade, he knew. He inspected that feeling. Somehow, Kotetsu had just known that the sword would be green.

—

Syuka had spent the rest of the night helping to pack Kotetsu’s bag. She instructed him in a motherly tone as he pulled apart and put together his travel bag again and again, always seeming to get something wrong or having misplaced some object, causing Syuka to tell him to do it all over again. She did not pack his bag for him. Kotetsu understood that this was important for him to learn now. After spending hours learning and unlearning the process, Syuka and Kotetsu sat silently in the dark tent, the illumination of a single candle all that lit the space. Kotetsu didn’t know what to say. He looked up when she reached forward, arms out, pulling him into a hug. Her long dark hair flowed over his face, absorbing his tears.

—

Kotetsu was awoken by the sound of cloth ripping. He looked around his dim tent in confusion, until he caught the faint glow of the moon through his tent flap, revealing a figure standing in the gloom.

“Get up, quickly.” Masato said.

Kotetsu felt the weight of sleep vanish as adrenaline took hold. He reached over, grabbed his clothes from yesterday, and slung his bag over his back. He had carefully attached the strap of his father’s blade to his pack the night before, leaving the pack particularly swollen. Kotetsu waddled out from under the held tent flap, careful not to stumble into anything. He looked up into his father’s unseen face.

“The elder is looking for you. It is time for you to leave. Now.” Masato ordered. His voice remained steady but urgent.

Kotetsu felt a new weight press upon him. The sudden weight of not wanting to go. He wanted to climb back into his tent and pretend that everything was alright. But, he knew better.

He followed close behind as Masato carved a winding path through the camp toward the western edge. They soon approached the entrance to the camp.

An arm swooped down right in front of Kotetsu, aiming directly for his neck. He barely had any time to process the movement, or the new figure. Before the arm could break his neck, it was stopped. Masato had turned in the blink of an eye. His hand held the arm in place, neither moving. Kotetsu looked aside to the figure that towered over him. It was Tomoji, the clan elder. Kotetsu could just barely make out the silhouette of rage that covered the elder’s face.

“Your boy will die right here, Masato.” Tomoji spat.

“He will die of old age. You will die by my hand if you move.” Masato countered.

Kotetsu suddenly felt like a bug under the feet of two giants.

Masato looked angrily down at Kotetsu.

“RUN.” He ordered.

Kotetsu obeyed with no objection, weaving around the two and sprinting for the entrance. He made it barely 100 feet before another figure fell to the ground in front of him from above. A boy.

Gakuji.

Kotetsu skid to a halt, carried forward by the momentum of his bag. He nervously eyed each direction, but saw no direct escape.

Another figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

For a second, Kotetsu thought it was Emilia. She was out on a mission, though, and wouldn’t be back for another day at least. He recognised the form in the moonlight. It was Niko, his back to Kotetsu.

“You should get out of here, Kotetsu. I’ll handle this jerk.” Niko said, grabbing Gakuji’s attention.

“You will stay right where you are, pig. I’m going to enjoy beating you until you puke.” Gakuji threatened Kotetsu. He turned to Niko.

“Step aside, unless you desire punishment as well.” Gakuji warned Niko. Niko didn’t react.

Kotetsu had to ask. “Why? Why are you risking yourself, Niko? I can handle him! Don’t get yourself banished!” He cried out.

Niko turned his head to Kotetsu and smirked. His next words would forever stay in Kotetsu’s mind, burned into his memory right next to that stupid face.

“It’s simple. Your sister is hot.”

While both Kotetsu and Gakuji were caught completely off guard by his statement, Niko rushed forward and took a swing right at Gakuji’s head. The boy ducked low, barely dodging the passing fist. Gakuji would not be caught by another sneak attack ever again. The two began to fight, and Kotetsu realised they were seriously trying to hurt each other. After one particularly strenuous exchange, Niko turned back and yelled.

“Go, RUN!”

The words jolted Kotetsu, and he ran. Turning one look behind him, he saw Niko climbing on top of Gakuji, and further behind, the still standing figures of his father and the elder. He turned back forward for the last time, and fled his home.

Chapter Text

Kotetsu awoke in the cold dirt. Sprinting, then running, then jogging, then walking. His night had been nothing but fleeing the people he had known all his life. At some point, the sky grew lighter, and he felt the pull of sleep trying to drag him into unconsciousness. Knowing that it was either to sleep now or pass out unexpectedly, he pulled the rough sleeping cot from his bag and curled up right there on the forest floor. He had wriggled out of it at some point through his slumber. His bag lay tossed aside, contents spilling from within after his frantic search. The sun was still somewhere in the early hours of the morning, not yet past the midpoint. The day would still be shorter due to winter. He forced himself to get off the ground, and began to clean up his mess.

At the moment, there was no goal. Kotetsu simply wandered from tree to tree, mind still locked on the night before, wondering at the tidal storm of events that brought him out into the wilderness. It was insane. He wondered at the malevolence the elder always seemed to hold for him, and where it really came from. He wished he had actually taken that dump in the elder’s tent back then. Hours went by as Kotetsu simply walked, thinking. He was brought back to reality by the snap of a stick.

Kotetsu’s entire body went stiff as he paused his stride, straining his ears to figure the direction of the sound. A small movement to his right brought his head turning, eyes wide open, to stare directly at… A squirrel. It looked at him. He looked at it. He slowly let out the breath he had unconsciously held, and the squirrel took off crawling right up a tree. Kotetsu watched it scurry for a second. With his stream of thoughts broken, he began to actually see where he was. The forest all looked the same to him, but the density of trees had been rising slowly for the last hour or so. He had avoided roots and stiff saplings that dotted the landscape as he absentmindedly wandered.

After taking a good look around, he figured something out: He was completely, utterly lost.

—

“Go, RUN!”

Niko yelled the words as he brought fist after fist down on Gakuji. The only advantage he really had over Gakuji was his size, and that advantage quickly dwindled as Gakuji activated his Byakugan. It was against clan law to use Ninjutsu against each other, and the Byakugan was pushing against that boundary, only really allowed during spars. Niko knew that if he used his own Byakugan, the elder would surely have his head. He looked up to see Kotetsu gone. It was time to endure.

Gakuji kicked up, pushing Niko off of him, then he swiftly jumped to his feet. He took the stance of his proud clan and prepared to rain vicious retribution down on his opponent. Niko just stood there. Gakuji took two quick steps forward and began his assault. His fingers formed into prongs as he stabbed down into Niko’s body through his clothes, tiny sharp pins of Chakra stabbing into the poor boy. Gakuji used the superior vision of the Byakugan to rupture blood vessels, tear muscle, damage nerves and even almost puncture bone. To top it all off, Niko wouldn’t be able to circulate Chakra through most of his body for a week, possibly more. Niko was left barely standing as Gakuji stretched his fingers, forming two palms. A merciless smile spread across his face. He aimed and placed one palm strike against Niko’s chest. Niko felt as if his lungs had suddenly just exploded, like he held his breath for too long. Blood came spewing out of the boy’s mouth and nose in wracking coughs. Gakuji held up his other palm.

“I have a great idea for your punishment.” Gakuji breathed. His entire body heaved at the Chakra expenditure. Niko could no longer move.

Gakuji threw his palm straight at Niko’s heart. The palm hit a brick wall. Gakuji could feel the bones in his fingers bend, then begin to break as the immovable might of Syuka’s hand gripped his own. Gakuji attempted to pull back, but fell to the ground instead as the grip only grew stronger. Tears streamed down the boy’s face as he could feel the joints in his fingers on the verge of snapping. Then, as quick as it began, the pain vanished, leaving his hand red and numb from the attack. Syuka turned her back to him and grabbed Niko right as he began to fall over.

“Thank you.” She whispered into Niko’s ear. His head buzzed with pain, but the words cut right through to his barely conscious self.

“Th… Tha-” He coughed, trying to force the words out.

“Don’t speak, please. You are in no condition to…” She began, but he cut her off.

“That… Was for… Emilia…” Niko said, right before passing out.

—

Emilia strode into the camp. The assignment only required one person, and she readily accepted it. She had been gone for nearly three days. She was ready to eat, bathe, then sit down. She halted as her father stood, waiting, Byakugan active. She immediately went on alert at this sight, but was left confused when he simply walked away. Not knowing what was going on, she followed him.

Emilia opened the tent flap to her family’s main tent and stopped dead. Inside was Masato, her mother, and the bandaged, laid out form of Niko. He was spread atop a cushion of blankets. She could tell he was conscious, because he was straining his neck to try and look at her. Something else bothered her.

“Where is Kotetsu?” She demanded.

Noone spoke. After a moment, she tried again.

“Where is Ko-”

“Gone.”

Masato cut her off. Emilia’s entire expression went blank. After a second, her mind kicked into overdrive, and she turned around to leave. The clasp of steel fingers fell on her wrist and she spun, ready to fight. She froze again at the expression on her father’s face.

“He left. He would have been killed otherwise.” Masato amended.

She pulled on the grip to no avail.

“Release me.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because you will do something regrettable.”

Emilia turned to her mother. Her anger cracked at the heartbroken look in Syuka’s eyes. It was only then that she understood this was the only way. She still thought she should do something, but relented for now. Only for now.

—

Kotetsu had a goal. After walking in the same direction most of the day, he stumbled across a particularly straight stick. He set up his sleeping bag properly, then promptly passed out. His bag held a variety of dried foods, which he kept adequately separated from his smelly socks. He munched on nuts and bits of meat that weren’t much better than leather in the early morning. He hadn’t felt much like eating the previous day. He picked up the long straight stick, and began his journey. Today, he would accomplish his goal: whack one hundred trees with this stick. If it broke, he would find another stick and start over. He began to march, humming a tune that grew discordant with each swing of the stick, cracking against the trees.

—

One year, two months ago.

Aina Senju watched the body of the boy she followed for the last day fall limp from the sky. The branch he had been standing on had curved upward in a point, piercing straight through his chest and out his back. She was certain she heard the snap of his spine. It would have killed him instantly. There was no pain, she told herself. That’s what she always told herself. She felt the static feeling of numbness settle over her body, as it always does when she disconnects from her emotions. This was part of who she was. Aina held a unique position in her clan, being next in line for Matriarch. This was what she needed to learn in order to understand the magnitude of her status. That’s what her mother told her, at least. Even still, every kill felt just as horrific as the first.

Aina retreated quickly, only studying the body for a moment. The others would be here soon, and she did not want to kill more than she absolutely had to. She opened the bark of the tree like a blanket and let it carry her back down into the dirt, where she fled with speed. She traveled like that for almost ten minutes before allowing herself to break from the ground. Checking to make sure she had not been followed again, she began her slow trek back home.

She took her time, travelling two whole days across the countryside. This was her favorite part of an assignment; the return. She would allow her mind to wander as her feet automatically found perches between the brush and roots.

Her powers gave her the ability to grow and nurture life from the ground itself. It was a shame she used them to end the lives of others so often. That is what existence was like for those who bore Kekkei Genkai, abilities of the blood. That boy she had killed would have suffered the exact same fate. In a twisted way, she saw killing him as a mercy. He would no longer have to carry the burden that she carried, forced to use their gifts to wreak pain and torment.

This line of thought was disrupted by the visage splayed out in front of her; a bright mountainside, covered in growing grass and grazing oxen. There lay a tiny farmhouse, undisturbed by the violent world. She imagined herself living within, unaware of the cruel existence outside. It only lasted a second before she forced herself to move on, meandering through a bed of flowers and bushes.

She came to a forest of tall redwoods. The trees rose into the sky, threatening to pierce the clouds from her angle. She knew better. After walking for a while, a near imperceptible voice made itself known.

“Name?”

“Aina.” She responded.

“Mission?”

“Complete.”

An old man, who she knew was almost 60, stepped from behind a tree. She couldn’t tell which direction his voice had come from. That happened sometimes, as the men grew more crafty in their later years. She dismissed the thought. The man approached her but kept a respectful distance. She wanted to get cleaned off and dressed, but the formalities needed to be met. She got bored as he took his time.

“Is your son progressing well?”

The old man did not respond for a second, gauging her reaction. She knew he was weighing giving an answer. With her mother, that would be more important. She got impatient.

“You may speak, Touma.”

Touma nodded. “He is moving fast through the exercises. Soon, he will replace me. For now though, Taisei is stuck washing the pigs.”

She chuckled at the thought. The clan kept boars as livestock. They regularly rebelled against their coldhearted overlords. She would occasionally cheer them on, except for when her mother was watching.

Finally, Touma was in formation and the pair began to move. The forest passed by quickly and they soon came to a sprawling scene of huts grown out of the very trees themselves. The huts spread upward into each tree, making the space inside a more vertical experience. Bridges were interlaced between trees seemingly at random, creating a strange patchwork that cast a webbed shadow on the ground below. Adults and children bandied about across the bridges and under the trees. Not all Senju had to endure the same fate as her. The pair made their way up a series of steps, rising slowly through the trees. They passed running children, the younger boys always stopping to give a quick nod. Older boys and men gave a more respectful bow. Aina ignored all of it.

The two arrived in front of a larger hut. The entrance was draped with cascading reeds.Touma knelt down and dropped his head. He said nothing as Aina continued on, pushing the reeds aside. She strolled to the center of the room, looking up and down at the various pottery and peculiar crafts her mother was always working on. There was a new piece in the corner. As she eyed it, her mother appeared from behind a particularly large pot.

“Daughter. What have you accomplished?”

The voice of her mother croaked and crackled with age. Despite Aina’s own young 15 years of age, her mother was almost 80. Aina was not her first child. However, she was now her only child.

“I have accomplished the task set before us. The requested target has been killed. The Hyuuga shall be suspected of treachery.” She voiced.

“And witnesses?”

“None.”

“No one saw you, or no one left alive?”

Aina did not speak. Her mother chuckled softly. “I told you, daughter. This world will not allow you to act with such lofty ideals. You will learn this lesson, just as I did, and my mother, and my mother’s mother.”

Aina kept her mouth shut. She looked from the new art piece in the corner to her mother’s near decrepit form. The only real resemblance between the two were their white hair, her mother’s coming from age. Aina stood tall and stared at her mother. Something within those old eyes made Aina flinch.

“You will not test me today, child. Leave me now, I must attend to my forms…” Her mother said, wandering over to an unfinished pot on the ground.

Aina took a deep breath, and stepped out of the hut.

—

Kotetsu had broken three sticks already. The first stick had lasted him all the way to eighty nine, then tragically snapped after getting caught on a low branch. The second stick was too flimsy and barely lasted ten strikes. Kotetsu tossed the third stick in frustration. He picked up a fourth and began swinging. After barely getting past fifteen strikes, the stick snapped in two.

“Oh COME O-”

Snap.

Kotetsu twitched. Had he heard that right? It took a second for the sound to register. Kotetsu turned slowly, expecting another squirrel.

It was not a squirrel.

There, peeking from behind a tree, looking at Kotetsu with a guarded expression, was a boy. His clothes were well kept, a simple shirt and pants that dropped to open sandals. His short dark hair was scruffy and fell around his head. Kotetsu thought the boy was maybe 15 or 16 years old. Suddenly, another snap brought Kotetsu’s eyes swiveling again, locking onto another boy. His hair was brown, slightly taller maybe. Just when Kotetsu felt that his luck had seriously fallen into a ditch, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

And then there were three.

“Well, well, well. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a trespasser.” The boy behind Kotetsu said.

Chapter Text

Despite the cool winter air, Kotetsu felt his arms and legs sweat. He started to get worried, as his waterskin had only lasted him up to a few hours ago. He hoped these fine young men would see that he was just passing through, and let him back on his way. He somehow doubted it. Kotetsu raced through potential ways out of the situation. Maybe telling them he had to use the bathroom would work. The hand that gripped his shoulder suddenly lifted, and the boy behind him continued to speak.

“What, too scared to talk? Probably for the best. I’ll tell you what, you tell us who you are and who you work for, and we’ll maybe think about letting you go.” The boy behind Kotetsu said.

Kotetsu didn’t want to get himself confused, so he began to name the boys. The speaker would be stumpy legs. Kotetsu turned around, slowly, and looked up into the smirking face of stumpy legs. His eyes were black, his hair dark and shoulder length. Kotetsu spotted a knife affixed to his belt, right next to a fine looking leather satchel.

“Uh… My name? You want my name? And what do you mean by… ‘Work for?’ I don’t get paid.” Kotetsu spoke haltingly.

Stumpy legs’ smirk grew wide until his teeth showed. “Yep. Your name. Come on already.”

“...Kotetsu.”

Stumpy legs raised one eyebrow.

“Kotetsu.”

“Yep.”

“Just… Kotetsu? What’s your clan? Come on, kid. I won’t tell.” Stumpy legs prodded.

“Oh. Hyuuga. I am from the Hyuuga clan.”

As stumpy legs and Kotetsu spoke, the other two boys approached slowly. Then, all three burst into laughter. Stumpy legs wheezed and grabbed at his stomach, bending over. They laughed for several seconds.

“A HYUUGA!” Long arms, the first boy, joked.

The three boys continued to laugh. Kotetsu felt his cheeks flush. Why weren’t they taking him seriously?

“Fine. You want proof? Come at me!”

Kotetsu struck a pose. Stumpy legs leaned against a tree, trying not to fall from his convulsive laughing.

“Stop! We get it!” Stumpy legs said through gasps.

Kotetsu felt anger well up. He made his move, leaping right for stumpy legs. Sadly, the upturned root sticking out of the ground had other ideas.

Stumpy legs pointed, laughing even harder as Kotetsu fell flat on his face, his bag spilling up and over his head and onto the ground. Kotetsu scrambled to get onto his feet. Nose hair, the second boy that had appeared, spotted the sword that had been attached to Kotetsu’s bag. Curious, he walked over as Kotetsu was still getting up, reaching down and picking up the sword.

“Hey… Check this out. This is one seriously nice blade…” Nose hair said, inspecting the handle and running a hand over the sheath. He attempted to reveal the blade in vain. He pulled harder, finding that the sword would not give. Kotetsu finished getting up and brushed himself off, looking over to find his sword in nose hair’s hands. He raced over to stand in front of nose hair.

“Give it back!” Kotetsu cried. He reached for the sword, but nose hair danced away, clutching the blade up and over his head. He had a grin on his face, though he had stopped laughing. He continued to try and separate the sword from its sheath.

“Why won’t this budge? Is it stuck or something?” Nose hair asked.

Stumpy legs had stood up, catching his breath. He looked over to see Kotetsu and nose hair circling each other. Stumpy legs felt his eyes begin to water as he barely held the laughter back.

Long arms had stayed still after approaching Kotetsu, keeping his laughter in check. He watched the scene continue to unfold. Kotetsu stopped circling nose hair. He didn’t think that Kotetsu could actually be a shinobi, given that he willingly gave them a last name, even if it was fake. That was one of the strict prohibitions that shinobi abided by.

“I’ll give it back… But first, you have to do something.” Nose hair taunted.

“What? What do you want?” Kotetsu pleaded.

Nose hair barely kept a straight face as he gave his cruel demand in a mocking tone.

“You have to show me your Byakugan!”

Kotetsu felt his face drop. He spoke in a meek voice.

“But… I don’t have the Byakugan…”

It was too much. Stumpy legs felt tears run down his face as he choked with laughter, looking at Kotetsu’s dumbstricken face. Nose hair flashed an evil grin at Kotetsu as he spoke.

“I think I know why I can’t pull the blade out… This feels heavy, but I bet it’s a fake, right? You wanted to look cool and got a wood sword, huh? I don’t blame you. But, It’s time to move on..!” Nose hair spoke, his voice taunting Kotetsu. Right after finishing his sentence, he grasped both ends of the blade and brought the midsection straight down onto his knee. There was a loud crack, nose hair released the blade, grabbed his knee, and fell over backwards. Kotetsu dove for the blade as nose hair howled in pain.

Stumpy legs had fallen to the ground, giving up all pretense of reigning in his hysterical laughter. Long arms looked on in pity at nose hair after he discovered that the blade was, in fact, real. Kotetsu looked his sword up and down for any damages. Long arms felt his eyes widen when Kotetsu pulled the blade slightly from its sheath, revealing a mesmerising green sword with a single silver edge. Kotetsu checked the blade from both sides, presumably confirming that it had not bent. After a single glance, long arms knew that the sword was made with superior craftsmanship. He watched as Kotetsu resheathed the sword, the other two completely unaware. Long arms felt suddenly suspicious. Who was this boy, wandering alone? Why would he claim to be a Hyuuga, despite so very clearly not being one? Why was he dressed in shinobi style robes? And what about the sword? Questions without answers raced through his mind. Before he could come to a decision, a fifth presence appeared.

The newcomer looked everything over. Long arms knew that they were screwed now, having been caught goofing off with a potential threat. He stood at attention.

“What’s the meaning of this?” The newcomer asked quietly. Stumpy legs stopped laughing. Nose hair looked up, despite his personal suffering. Long arms stood still. Kotetsu sat on the ground, picking his bag up and cleaning everything off.

“We were, uh, interrogating the intruder.” Stumpy legs said, attempting to get up and brush himself off. His hair had a twig in it. The newcomer did not smile.

“You were shirking your watch duties, is what I have seen. Who is this?” The newcomer spoke in a neutral but commanding voice.

Kotetsu finally looked up at the voice to find a fourth boy, maybe 15, standing a distance away. Despite the similarity in age, the other boys all seemed to defer to this newcomer. The boy had dark brown hair that sat flat on his head. Kotetsu listened as the other three explained the events so far. After they were done with their recollection, the fourth boy slowly walked toward Kotetsu before speaking.

“You’re seriously claiming to be a Hyuuga? That could get you killed, you know.” The fourth boy said.

Kotetsu did not smile, or frown. He simply looked up into the waiting face of the new boy, who he dubbed as scary face in his head. He decided he did not like scary face very much.

“It’s Kotetsu, right? What’s your business in this area?” Scary face prodded. Kotetsu decided he’d had enough with this game.

“I’m just passing through. Now either beat me up, or get out of my way.” Kotetsu tried to act tough. Scary face looked down with raised eyebrows.

“You… Think we would just… Beat you up?” Scary face asked. Kotetsu nodded after a moment.

Scary face continued to glare down at Kotetsu. His expression was stony as he spoke his words.

“We would have to kill you, should you prove to be a threat to us.”

Kotetsu stared at scary face. He began to stand up, letting his bag fall to the ground with a thump. Getting to his feet, he looked up into the face of the taller boy.

“You’re a shinobi?” Kotetsu asked, face neutral.

The two continued their staring contest, the other three boys strewn around getting nervous.

“Yeah. You are too.” Scary face said.

“I thought that was obvious. Do I not look scary to you?” Kotetsu immediately asked.

Scary face scoffed, then turned around. “Get this idiot out of here. He’s genuinely lost. Don’t come back around here. If we find you lurking, you’ll get hurt for real.”

Kotetsu watched as without any warning, scary face jumped nearly 20 feet straight into the air, then proceeded to kick off of trees as he moved faster away. The thick cover of trees hid his passage after only a few seconds. Kotetsu looked up open mouthed, then shut it when long arms approached.

“Time to leave. Grab your stuff.”

“Wait, I have a question though… How do you do that?” Kotetsu asked, finger pointed up.

Long arms looked annoyed.

“You’re not gonna distract us any longer. We have a job to get back to.” Long arms tried to herd Kotetsu, but the boy stood his ground.

“I want to know how to do that. Show me how, and I’ll go and NEVER come back. Please?” Kotetsu begged.

Long arms was getting frustrated now.

“No. Time to leave.” Long arms reached for Kotetsu’s shirt collar.

Kotetsu watched the hand approach. He reached out, grabbing the wrist, then pivoted one foot around the other as he dragged the arm forward. Long arms had no time to react as Kotetsu casually placed another hand on the older boy’s back, pushing him forward. By the time long arms caught himself and turned around, Kotetsu was standing as he was. Long arms began to sputter.

“That’s it.” Long arms marched back to Kotetsu and put both hands on his shoulders. “You’re gone. I’ll drag you out myself.”

Before he could move, his arms were suddenly cartwheeling in an attempt to regain balance. He fell on his back. Kotetsu just stood there, the same stupid look of questioning ignorance on his face. Stumpy legs tried to soothe the brewing storm he knew was coming.

“Hey, let’s stay calm, alright? There’s no need to get violent…” He attempted. Long arms turned a withering glare onto stumpy legs. Stumpy legs backed away slowly. Long arms twisted back to Kotetsu, coming to a decision.

“Fine. I’ll show you… If you can beat me. Then you have to leave.” Long arms casually said.

“Really?” Kotetsu perked up.

“Yep. I’ll even let you make the first move.”

Without hesitation, Kotetsu jumped straight at poor, unsuspecting long arms. All long arms had time to see was Kotetsu’s stupid little grin before a palm flattened itself against the side of his face. The smack was loud and reverberated through the forest. Long arms staggered back, grabbing the side of his head, where a welt began to grow. He looked down at Kotetsu in shock. Stumpy legs had approached again.

“Come on, that’s enough! Atsuo is gonna kill us if he finds out we even attempted this!” Stumpy legs spoke pleadingly.

Long arms' expression changed from shock to guilt. But, something within him could not give up. Kotetsu got a cheap shot in.

“No. I’m gonna give this little idiot a piece of my mind first. Atsuo can punish me for it if he wants.” Long arms snapped.

“Let’s do this.” Long arms approached Kotetsu.

“Just remember, no… You know…” Stumpy legs said.

“I know.” Long arms said quietly.

The match began.

Over an hour passed. The fight had escalated quickly, going from a light scuffle to an all out sparring match. Neither wanted to give up. Kotetsu had his mind set on learning how to jump like scary face- who the other boys had called Atsuo, and long arms had his mind set on giving this kid a beatdown. Neither succeeded yet. Every time long arms thought he had the upper hand, Kotetsu would pull out some new move or suddenly get just a little faster, throwing the other boy for a loop. Stumpy legs and nose hair mostly watched in silence, occasionally following a particular punch or a dodge up with an ‘Ooh!’ or ‘Close one!’. The three observed Kotetsu as his fighting style changed over the course of the hour. What started out as mostly dodging and slapping turned into full punches, body throws, refined footwork and overall clear martial experience. They weren’t sure what to make of the strange boy.

Kotetsu had been intrigued by the way the older boy fought. At first, he seemed to hold back quite a lot, which Kotetsu made sure to take advantage of. As their fight progressed, long arms appeared to give in to the inevitable and start fighting for real. What piqued Kotetsu’s interest was the fact that the boy seemed very straight forward in his tactics. Step here, strike there. Sidestep. Block. Attempt grapple, back off. The fight was almost boring, even though Kotetsu was being pushed closer and closer to his limit. He began to suspect that there was something missing, like the boy was holding back even more. If only he could squeeze the secret out of him…

Long arms didn’t know what else to do. If he decided to actually fight for real, pulling out his technique, the clan would surely bury him alive for his blatant rule breaking. He just knew that Atsuo would personally dig the pit himself. He had to stop this fight. It was time to give in, though it gave him a sour taste just thinking about it. He broke off from his latest grappling attempt.

“Stop.” Long arms ordered, raising his hands. “I give up.”

Kotetsu just stood there, arms held in front of his body, breathing heavily. Both boys stared at each other for a long moment, just panting. Kotetsu began to lower his arms.

“So… You’ll show me? The jumping thing? For real?” Kotetsu asked between gulps of air.

“...Yes.” Long arms said. Then, to Kotetsu’s surprise, he stuck out a hand.

“Call me Dan.”

Kotetsu grabbed the offered hand and shook.

—

“If we find you lurking, you’ll get hurt for real.”

Atsuo spoke his warning, then jumped up and maneuvered through the tall trees. He moved just out of sight from the group, then took up a spot high above to monitor the group. Atsuo had meant his warning. If the others didn’t succeed in scaring off a single child, then he would personally bury all three of them alive. He stayed to watch in case the others failed in this easy task. That’s what he told himself, at least. To be truthful, there was curiosity. Something about the boy piqued his interest. It might have been the sword, the fresh packed bag, or maybe just the way the boy carried himself. Either way, a trespasser was a trespasser.

Atsuo felt disgust wash over him as he observed Dan willingly engage with the boy. This was clearly not proper protocol, and he would have to rejoin the group, letting the others know that he didn’t really trust them with patrol. But just as he was about to make his way down, the fight began to get more intense. Then something truly interesting happened. That boy, Kotetsu, began to actually fight like… A Hyuuga. That’s what it seemed like, at this distance. Atsuo was caught off guard by this, and had to activate his Sharingan just to confirm. To his astonishment, the boy did in fact appear to use the Hyuuga fighting style. He kept still to study the ongoing fight. As the skirmish progressed, Atsuo came to the conclusion that while Kotetsu did not fight completely like a Hyuuga, he appeared to have developed some sort of pseudo-form of combat that was derived from the style. Atsuo felt his mind race at the implications. Suddenly, this boy was a lot more interesting.

Atsuo decided that it was his duty to find out more. Now, he just needed an excuse to approach the group again…

Chapter Text

Kotetsu had been adamant on learning, and he found the process… Incredibly frustrating. As he fell from above after his latest attempt, he wondered at the ease the boys had shown at jumping up and into the trees. The way they seemed to almost stick to the trees drove Kotetsu crazy. Every time he tried to question them on what they were doing, they would brush his inquiries off, telling him it ‘wasn’t important yet’. He was about to burst. It had only been 10 minutes.

He got up, slowly brushing himself off, forcing long deep breaths. It didn’t work. The three boys sat a dozen feet away, watching with amused expressions. Kotetsu tried to light them on fire with his mind. Sadly, nothing happened.

Dan spoke in an instructing tone. “You’re doing it wrong. You need to relax, and then jump. It’s critical that you feel as free as a bird…”

Kotetsu couldn’t help but feel that Dan was talking to a child. He was, though Kotetsu wouldn’t admit that.

Kotetsu jumped for the tree, foot outstretched, trying to imagine sticking to the tree. He slammed to a stop for a heartbeat, then plummeted back to the ground. He stayed still for several seconds. The others tried their hardest not to erupt into laughter. This had been the exact same result for the last 10 minutes, Kotetsu jumping, then falling back down. He was done.

Kotetsu shot up and stomped over to his bag and sword, left hanging from a low branch. He grabbed the pack and roughly put both arms through the straps. Then, without any further words, he began to march away. Dan shot up from where he sat and shuffled over, following Kotetsu. The other two stayed put. Nose hair, who’s name was Okita, listened as stumpy legs spoke.

“That was fun.” Shingo, which was stumpy’s actual name, said.

“Giving up already?” Dan prodded, catching up to Kotetsu.

Kotetsu kept walking.

“I’ll learn this stupid move without three idiots watching me.”

The two stopped talking and froze as Atsuo dropped right in front of them. Dan felt his body temperature drop, and suddenly had an image of his head poking up out of the dirt. Kotetsu stood, eyes wide. Atsuo had his arms crossed as he glared at the pair.

“I thought I told you to get him out of here.”

Dan felt his head sink into his shoulders. “Uh… He wouldn’t go. But, I was just on my way to get him out of here…!”

Kotetsu felt Dan’s hand press down on his shoulder. He glanced over at the cowering form of Dan. Looking at Dan’s stupid face, Kotetsu suddenly had a brilliant idea. Dan watched in sudden fear as a smile plastered itself on Kotetsu. He tried to shake his head, but Kotetsu moved out of his grip and walked right toward Atsuo.

“You’re their boss, right?” Kotetsu greeted him.

Atsuo’s face turned up as Kotetsu approached.

“Look. I have a simple question. You have the answer. All you need to do is give it to me. Then I’m gone, promise.”

“You want to jump up trees.” Atsuo guessed.

Kotetsu’s eyes lit up. “You know it! Like I said, simple. You could probably just tell me the secret, I bet I can figure it all out after that. Whadya say?” Kotetsu held his arms out, hands spread.

Okita and Shingo had sat in the back as quietly as possible, hoping Atsuo wouldn’t notice them. Dan had taken a few long steps away as Kotetsu foolishly approached Atsuo. The three of them all waited for the kettle to go off.

“Fine.”

“Great! Let’s start right now. I’ve been trying to jump at the tree, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do after that. How do you do it?” Kotetsu quickly spoke on the heels of Atsuo’s words.

Dan, Okita and Shingo all felt their mouths drop. All they could do was stare. Had Atsuo seriously just… Agreed? Not just that, but he is willingly going to help an outsider. They were all clearly dead, or in a Genjutsu. There was no other explanation. They all sat in stunned silence as Atsuo began to explain the mechanics to Kotetsu that they had brushed off. Kotetsu stood in wrapped attention.

—

An hour had passed by. The cold winter day was approaching its peak, and the three boys, now joined by Atsuo, sat and watched Kotetsu jump up into a tree.

The technique involved flowing Chakra in a controlled manner. It was specific; Kotetsu didn’t even know he could ‘speed up’ the flow of his Chakra. He connected the feeling to breathing faster and slower. Unlike breathing though, he couldn’t just ‘think’ about speeding up or slowing down his Chakra. The mental feeling of light from the sun spreading over his body would not be appropriate anymore. When he asked Atsuo what he imagined, Atsuo replied.

“It’s less of a feeling and more of an image. I picture my entire body dropping into a burning pit of fire. When I want to speed up my Chakra flow, I make the fire bigger.”

Kotetsu gave Atsuo a worried look before going back to his practice. Kotetsu had prepared and discarded a variety of mental images, even the pit of fire. Nothing seemed to work. Then, Dan had finally chipped in with something marginally useful.

“Sometimes, when I am in a fight, my Chakra just starts flowing faster. I don’t even have to imagine anything…” Dan said offhandedly while talking to Okita. Something about the comment made Kotetsu stop after his latest failed attempt, which caused the group to pause their conversation as well. Kotetsu felt an idea begin to bloom in his head.

He jumped.

Kotetsu could feel the Chakra at his feet flowing differently from the rest of his body. It was a strange tingling sensation that felt the strongest at the soles of his feet, dissipating up his legs. His foot hit the tree trunk, and stuck. Kotetsu was so surprised by the action that he tried to pull his foot away, planting his other foot to gain leverage. Both feet ended up stuck to the tree. He awkwardly pumped both legs uselessly as he was unable to free himself. After a few seconds of flailing, there was an audible crunch of wood before Kotetsu was sent flying several feet away from the tree, falling back to the ground.

Kotetsu looked up from the dirt. On the tree, roughly 7 or 8 feet in the air, were two clear foot-sized indents in the bark. Atsuo and Dan suddenly appeared in his vision, standing over Kotetsu, Atsuo’s hand stuck out. He took the hand and let it pull him roughly from the ground. Dan brushed Kotetsu off as Atsuo and Kotetsu stared at each other for several seconds. Then, Atsuo let a small grin show, as he spoke.

“Congratulations.”

Dan, Okita and Shingo felt their mouths drop for the second time that day.

—

Kotetsu was an anomaly. Simultaneously knowledgeable in some subjects, while entirely useless in others. Atsuo did not quench his curiosity as the day grew old. Atsuo wondered at how this boy had learned how to fight so effectively like a shinobi, while seeming so lost in Chakra control. These thoughts plumed through Atsuo’s mind as the four boys continued to watch Kotetsu practice tree jumping.

Kotetsu had been given an unintentional hint by Dan during the earlier discussion. He found a mental image that gave him the same feeling of Chakra flowing through his body, while also giving him a way to control the speed of flow. He used the image as he jumped at the tree, finding success in sticking to it with his feet. In his head, Kotetsu imagined himself running on a hot summer day. When he wanted to speed up or slow down his Chakra flow, he imagined himself running faster or slower. He began to climb, carefully pulling and placing his feet in quick succession as he made his way up the tree. Kotetsu could only move a handful of steps up the tree before he had to let go.

The sun began to vanish through the trees, casting long shadows over the floor. Atsuo spoke suddenly.

“I need to speak with Kotetsu alone.”

Shingo was the first with an easy excuse, claiming bathroom needs and running off. Okita and Dan began to walk away, Dan looking over his shoulder worriedly at Kotetsu. He didn’t quite know why he suddenly felt bad for the kid. Atsuo and Kotetsu stood in silence, waiting for the sounds of the three to grow quiet. Atsuo spoke again.

“It’s time for you to leave.”

Kotetsu had been practicing all day. By this point, he had completely forgotten that he had promised to leave if they showed him how to jump up on the tree. His lower body and feet were sore after the day. He felt a twinge in his chest. However, he felt the tension from Atsuo, and understood that his presence was no longer welcome. He began to turn and leave.

“...Is what I should say. But first, I need something from you.”

Kotetsu stopped and looked over his shoulder, confused. His eyes went wide at the aggressive stance Atsuo had taken.

“You and I are going to fight first. I’ve been curious about this all day…”

Atsuo took up his stance and challenged Kotetsu. After giving those words, he was sure that Kotetsu would drop everything and turn around, raring to fight. Instead, Kotetsu stood, turned, and stared at Atsuo. Kotetsu carefully removed his bag. Without further preamble, he spoke.

“Are you sure?”

Atsuo couldn’t believe what he just heard.

“I’m not afraid of some shrimp that barely grasped Chakra control earlier today. Come on.”

Kotetsu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and moved.

Atsuo had carefully watched Kotetsu during his spar with Dan earlier that day. The boy had a strong grasp of his unorthodox technique. However, Atsuo could clearly see that it was incomplete. From the perspective of a seasoned fighter, that spar was nothing more than a brawl. Kotetsu jumped right for him. He casually dipped to one side.

Kotetsu was surprised to find his fist striking air. He stumbled forward, failing to keep his balance upright as he tumbled to the ground. Sharp rocks and twigs dug into his palms as he slid across the forest floor. Then, a sudden sense of urgency pushed Kotetsu into motion as he heard quick footsteps coming from behind. He rocked to one side, barely avoiding the foot that came down where his back had just been. He watched the foot pound down on a stick, which snapped with some force. Kotetsu quickly got to his feet to find Atsuo standing idly before him, watching.

“Again.”

Atsuo spoke the command, keeping a sharp eye on Kotetsu. Kotetsu charged again, missing. Then again. The next five minutes were excruciating, as Kotetsu found himself completely unable to even graze Atsuo. Kotetsu felt frustration rise, and his confidence plummet. He didn’t know how it could get worse, until Atsuo began to fight back.

The first punch Atsuo threw was fast. Kotetsu only saw the arm retreating and felt the solid punch that dug into his abdomen. He began to keel forward, grabbing his stomach, when another punch came for his chest. His body was thrown up and back. His breathing grew laboured as he barely stood upright, attempting to keep focus on the growing threat.

“I think I’ve figured something out.” Atsuo spoke calmly.

Kotetsu watched Atsuo with wary eyes. He forced his arms away from his body and back into a fighting stance. Kotetsu responded in between breaths.

“What?”

Atsuo didn’t speak further. Instead, he moved again. Despite Kotetsu’s renewed efforts, he couldn’t keep up. Fists found their mark all across his body, from his legs, waist, sides, chest, and back. Kotetsu noted that Atsuo could have easily attacked his head or other soft spots. As the cruel match continued, Kotetsu grew less certain about what Atsuo really wanted. Is he being tested? Does Atsuo want the sword? Why hasn’t he been knocked out yet? He couldn’t figure it out. That is, until Atsuo spoke again, pausing from the beatdown for the moment.

“You somehow fight like a Hyuuga, yet not exactly. It’s not easy to get that kind of experience without extensive studying. You are clearly not a Hyuuga, so… Who are you really?”

Kotetsu drank the air in large gulps while he still could. He thought about Atsuo’s question, finally thinking he understood what the teenager wanted. He spent almost a full minute just catching his breath, Atsuo not pushing any further, waiting. Kotetsu spoke.

“I’m not allowed.”

Atsuo felt an eyebrow raise. “Not allowed to… What?”

“To tell you my last name.”

Kotetsu made direct eye contact as he spoke his words. He could taste blood in the back of his throat. Atsuo’s face showed no reaction, so Kotetsu continued.

“It’s part of the shinobi rules. I’m not supposed to tell anyone what my surname is.”

“I know about the rules.” Atsuo spoke in a clipped tone. His face was suddenly exasperated.

Atsuo pondered the situation. In front of him now was an unknown shinobi of unknown origin, carrying a strange sword and knowing how to fight like a Hyuuga. He believed he had a good measure of Kotetsu’s skill now. Despite that… Some part of Atsuo wanted to trust Kotetsu, simply because he knew the boy hadn’t lied. Atsuo didn’t think that Kotetsu could actually hide anything, especially if he used his Sharingan, though he wouldn’t use that in front of the kid. He found himself wondering why he even bothered to question the situation. Clan law specifically states that outsiders are to be discouraged from entering their territory, either with threats or force. Atsuo’s thoughts were disrupted suddenly when Kotetsu spoke again.

“I want… I want to fight again.”

Kotetsu took a fighting stance again. His hands were no longer open palms, instead becoming balled fists. Atsuo looked over his new pose.

“Okay.”

Kotetsu restarted the spar. While Atsuo had been thinking silently, Kotetsu had been going over the fight, replaying everything in his head. He tried to pull apart Atsuo’s fighting style, feeling like he could find a weakness if he just paid enough attention. Re-entering combat, Kotetsu tried every possible thing he could think of one after another. Atsuo dismantled and discouraged Kotetsu every step of the way. The single largest factor inhibiting Kotetsu was the speed difference; Atsuo was clearly on a different level, approaching the speed of his sister, Emilia, if not matching it. His movements were graceful yet concise, making small but powerful motions. Yet even with that, Kotetsu noticed a similar issue with Atsuo that he had found earlier with Dan. Their fighting style felt somehow incomplete. He couldn’t parse the feeling properly. Despite that, Atsuo was clearly much more skilled than Dan, even though the two were roughly the same age.

Kotetsu was covered head to toe in sweat when the fight finally concluded. He had not landed a single hit on Atsuo, who was breathing heavily, yet remained in far better condition than himself. Kotetsu welcomed the comforting cool breeze as the last of the winter sun glimpsed between the trees. He fell to the ground, trying to catch a breath that wouldn’t burn his insides.

“I’ve beaten you. Now, get out of here.” Atsuo said with finality, looking down at Kotetsu. He had decided trying to decipher whoever this kid is wasn’t worth it. He wouldn’t bring that kind of trouble to his clan, and especially his father. Almost immediately after he spoke, Kotetsu began to stand up, stumbling to his feet. Atsuo felt surprised as he looked at the boy’s grinning face.

“You’ll have to force me out then. Until you get me away forever, I’m gonna keep challenging you. I will only willingly leave when I have thoroughly beaten you.”

Kotetsu had decided to stay. There was something he just had to know. He wanted to know how to fight like Atsuo.

Atsuo first felt shock, then anger, then disbelief as he looked into the completely serious face of Kotetsu.

“That’s not… You’ll just get yourself killed. If not by my hand, then someone else from my…” He caught himself. “...My group will kill you.”

“I can guess you're from a clan. It’s kind of obvious.”

Atsuo grew annoyed. It was irrational, since he knew it was obvious as well. Kotetsu took a stance, his entire body shaking with fatigue. He beckoned with his hand and spoke.

“Come at me.”

Chapter Text

The fight ended almost immediately as Kotetsu was laid out flat from a single punch. He awoke to find himself alone, the sky fading to black. A wave of deja vu hit him as he lay there, looking up at the slowly revealing stars. His body was bruised all over, and his muscles refused to move. He pushed himself slowly to one side, finding his bag placed right next to him. He panicked, getting up and rifling through his stuff, relieved to see that everything was still in place, including his sword. Without a seconds’ thought, he pulled out his sleeping bag and swiftly passed out.

—

Atsuo had left after knocking Kotetsu out cold. He was simultaneously angry and confused, trying to figure out why the stupid boy would be willing to stay here, risking his own life just to fight him. He moved between hidden armed traps with little thought as he made his way into the clan hideout. He found Dan leaning against a post at the entrance. He spoke before Dan could.

“He’s still out there. I don’t want to talk about it.”

He pushed past Dan’s inquiring self and marched toward the hotspring. Dan sighed as he watched the fiery teen walk off, clan members moving out of his way after glancing at his rigid face.

Atsuo spent a full hour in the hotspring. The clan had chosen this spot for camp many years ago because of the spring, making full use of the valuable relaxation spot. Since the location was secluded, many sought the spring for access to sulphur. They tended to turn tail quickly after discovering who occupied it. After all, who would dare fight the Uchiha clan? Atsuo felt his tension melt away in the hot water, letting the experiences of that day simmer in his head. The more he thought about it, the less he understood why Kotetsu would push to stay. After eating and retiring for the night, he found his slumber restless.

—

Kotetsu woke up slowly, eyes shut. He tried to coax his mind back to sleep, but the early morning sun had somehow found an exact path through the trees and right onto his face. If he moved, his body would hurt all over again, and then he’d really have to wake up. He gave in after needing to pee. He got up with a handful of groans and started his business.

“You’re awake.”

The voice from somewhere behind startled him so much that he almost fell over. He luckily caught himself before any permanent damage to his pride could be inflicted. After a second, he recognised Dan’s voice.

Dan stood there casually leaning against a tree a distance from Kotetsu, a small evil grin on his face. He had watched Kotetsu sluggishly wake up and waltz over to a bush and do his business. He had been silently watching Kotetsu for most of the early morning after picking up his watch shift. Dan was alone for the day, since Shingo and Okita weren’t scheduled until later that night. The night watch was usually a quiet period, and Dan had considered plugging Kotetsu’s mouth with a pinecone after discovering that he snored. He wasn’t meant to switch with anyone for hours.

“What, you want me to beat you up again?” Kotetsu sputtered, keeping the pain from yesterday off of his face but not out of his voice.

Dan had not been surprised at seeing the battered and bruised form of Kotetsu. The challenge, however, did surprise him.

“You shouldn’t talk so rashly right after waking up. It’s not good for your health.”

“Yea, well your… Gah, nevermind.” Kotetsu couldn’t even think of a good insult. He blamed it on almost dying the previous day.

The two traded verbal jabs for a short while. Kotetsu dug through his pack looking for something edible, and Dan watched in horror as he took out what looked like a piece of rubber and started chewing on it. Kotetsu mumbled as he picked up his waterskin and forced the rubber down with a swig. When Kotetsu tried to offer some of the dangerous substance to Dan, he vehemently refused, using the claim of having eaten earlier.

“Look. I know I probably can’t convince you to leave at this point. So instead I’ll ask that you don’t move from this spot. I have a route to follow, and I can’t have you snooping around. If you’re caught anywhere else, it won’t just be Atsuo you have to worry about. Understand?”

Dan spoke his instructions and Kotetsu nodded after a moment. He had hoped Dan would stay and they could talk some more. Dan bid farewell and a cryptic “Good luck…” before taking off into the trees above.

Left alone with his thoughts, Kotetsu finally allowed himself to review the fight with Atsuo the previous night. There were plenty of clear holes in Kotetsu’s technique, which Atsuo had thoroughly explored and abused. After sitting alone for a few minutes, simply letting his mind wander, he got up and began to train.

—

Atsuo awoke with a start. He had tossed and turned all night, not being able to find a good sleep position. He performed his morning rituals, then left his personal tent. The camp was almost empty this early in the morning. He idly wondered at how his father and their group were performing on the latest clan assignment. He had been left in charge of the clan until then, despite there being other adults. Aside from having plenty of experience in combat and leadership, his father was the current clan Patriarch. Someone else attempting to take even a temporary role of leadership would almost constitute a challenge, and nobody wanted that. So, Atsuo was left in charge, while his father took a group of almost 20 adult men of the clan with him to support their latest client.

Atsuo paced through the camp, checking off his mental list of tasks for the day. Inspecting and checking on his peers that were in charge of food, or managing equipment, or any other various task that required someone monitoring the situation. He overheard some talking amongst themselves, but they would go quiet when he strayed close. He couldn’t make out what they were talking about.

“He was fighting…”

“...The camp? Outside?”

“I didn’t think he would let them…”

After enough comments, he began to understand. One of the three from yesterday must have gossiped about Kotetsu. He suspected that Okita was more willing to spread such information. He made a mental note about enacting serious punishment later. Looking like he had somewhere to be, Atsuo walked back to his personal tent.

—

Kotetsu had spent his morning going through a basic routine. He didn’t want to hurt himself too badly, plus his sore muscles didn’t allow him much in the way of movement at first. Only two hours after waking up, he had a visitor. First came the noise, then the feeling of being watched. He kept his face neutral as he worked away at his exercises, trying to pinpoint where the stranger might be. The sight of a boy barely older than himself ducking from behind a tree gave him his answer.

“Come out.”

Kotetsu spoke in his best ‘stern Masato’ voice. After a few seconds, the boy crept out from behind the tree, looking Kotetsu up and down warily. He did the same to the kid.

“What do you want?”

After a few more awkward seconds of staring, the boy spoke. His words were halted at first, but picked up as he grew more confident.

“Uh… I… I heard that you… Uh, fought. Some others. And you… Won. So I came out here.”

“Came out here to… What?” Kotetsu asked with suspicion.

“Uh… To fight you.”

Kotetsu’s mind blanked at the question. Then, he had a realisation.

“You want to spar?”

The boy simply nodded.

“What’s your name? I’m Kotetsu.”

The boy only hesitated for a moment. “I’m Teruo.”

“Alright, Teruo. You, me, three rounds. If you get knocked off your feet, you lose the round. Ready?”

Teruo was surprised by the rapid nature Kotetsu took to the hesitant challenge. He started to wonder if this was even a good idea. Just before he was going to back out and leave, his worst fear manifested. Other boys began to show up. Now, if he left, they would know that he chickened out, and his reputation would be in the dirt for weeks.

While Kotetsu waited for the nervous Teruo to make his decision, others began to appear from above and around trees, coming from the same general direction. First he counted two, then three, then five, then he stopped counting. The group was an eclectic mix, ranging from boys barely older than himself and Teruo to boys that were almost men. They all watched the two with neutral faces and half attention. Kotetsu suddenly felt himself grow slightly nervous as well, though he wasn’t sure why. Teruo finally stepped forward, arms raised in a similar fighting stance to Dan and Atsuo, signaling readiness for the fight.

With a thump, Kotetsu put Teruo on his back for the third time in a row. The boy was unusually slow, slightly lagging with his attacks, as if regretting his movement the moment he made it. Teruo looked up in surprise and slight anguish on his face. Kotetsu understood after a moment as the other boys around the two began to whisper and snicker to themselves. Teruo pulled himself up with a sour expression, and another boy stepped forward. He was easily older than Dan or Atsuo, which made Kotetsu question what he looked to gain out of fighting his 11 year old self. Regardless, he prepared to fight yet again, a grin spreading from cheek to cheek.

—

As the day dragged along, Atsuo began to notice something… Suspicious. It started when he found a discarded sewing needle left mid-stitch through a ripped shirt. Its occupant was nowhere to be seen. Then, he found the set of wooden training dummies miraculously vacant. Usually, they would be fought over by the younger clan members to train with. He suspected a mass abduction when he found the cooking pits empty, except for the few mothers that were working on that day’s lunch. In fact, there were only women left in the entire camp. He ran into his mother, Fui, on his way to the sleeping tents.

“Mother. Have you seen…”

He paused at the amused look on her face.

“What?”

Fui smiled and looked around conspiratorially.

“You seem to have been the target of a secret, dear.”

“What secret?”

But even as Atsuo asked, his mind offered the answer.

“Kotetsu.”

Fui looked down worriedly at her son’s sudden stern face. Atsuo felt a headache coming on.

Fui continued. “They mentioned that name, yes… I heard something about sparring, as well.”

Atsuo groaned.

—

Nine matches and over an hour later, Kotetsu’s impromptu fight club had grown from a few kids to over three dozen. Kotetsu was pretty sure he was going to die today after barely surviving the last match, getting put down on his back three times in quick succession. The girl he narrowly escaped from was only the second girl he’d fought, though the first was much easier. This girl was like fighting Atsuo, making fluid movements and wasting no energy, leaving Kotetsu scrambling as she brought him down time after time. She was the first that had beaten him and not gone down one time. Strangely, there were not many girls present in the crowd, only maybe five or six in total that Kotetsu could see.

“Did you have to beat him up that bad, Keina?”

The next boy said as he approached while the tough girl, who’s name was apparently Keina, returned to the group.

“It’s an important lesson. Maybe next time, he won’t challenge…” Keina stopped herself. “Us.”

Kotetsu was used to taking a beating by this point. He had gotten over the initial shock of so many wanting to fight him, and had revelled in the chance to test out his ideas on their combat style. He was lucky they all fought so similarly. He began to suspect that this fact was a strong motivator for them to fight him as well, getting to test their skills on someone that didn’t fight like them.

—

Dan was about to finish a full circle around the camp. The route he took involved a lot of sitting, waiting, and checking on traps. It had been a few hours since he saw Kotetsu, and he wondered what the brat was up to. As he approached the end of the circle, something made him pause. He strained his ears in an attempt to pick up what he heard. Then, the sound cut through the forest. Yelling and… Laughter.

Dan moved from tree to tree above, rapidly approaching the place he knew Kotetsu was squatting. The scene he came across brought first confusion, then a deep dread. The confusion, because there shouldn't be this many kids out here. The dread followed quickly when he understood what they were here for, and what Atsuo would do to him when he found out. He gulped. Making up his mind, he jumped down into the chaotic fight arena.

Kotetsu weaved around the strikes thrown at him by the older boy. He really thought that with age, skill would follow, but that clearly didn’t matter here against the oldest opponent he’d faced so far. The boy was practically a young man, and he was far worse than Atsuo and that tough girl, Keina. Kotetsu wondered if he had simply been spoiled with having to fight all the super skilled kids first. Then he thought about Dan, and rescinded his thought.

Summoned almost as if by magic, Dan appeared right between Kotetsu and the young man. Kotetsu was quite relieved at the disruption. Even though the young man was not as skilled, he was significantly faster than the other kids, and dodging his simple strikes had taken all of Kotetsu’s concentration. He looked up into Dan’s distressed face.

“Hey, if you want a turn, you’ll have to get in line.” One of the younger boys said.

Dan turned a burning glare onto the boy, who wilted under the attention. He turned to Kotetsu.

“You… We need to get them to leave. If Atsuo finds out about this, I can’t even begin to describe the danger you will be in. For that matter, I might as well be wormfood for letting this happen…”

Dan slowed down, then stopped talking as he spoke to Kotetsu. He was astonished as Kotetsu stuck a finger up his nose. Retrieving his finger and giving it a quick inspection, he proceeded to flick the offending obstruction directly in Dan’s direction. Dan never felt more panicked in his entire life as he nearly pulled his back trying to dodge the flying glob of death. He fell flat on his back without grace, having barely dodged the projectile. The entire group had gone silent.

“Looks like I won. Alright, I’m done for the day.” Kotetsu patted the dust off of his body. He was tired, hungry, thirsty, and ready for a nap.

The group began to mumble. Before anyone could make the decision to leave, Dan’s worries grew into reality as Atsuo stepped into the clearing. Everyone froze.

Atsuo peered around at the assembled group, levying his gaze on each clan member. His face was neutral, yet his eyes screamed death. Dan got up from the ground and carefully moved toward Atsuo.

“I can explain…”

Atsuo cut Dan off with a swipe of his hand. Dan’s heart raced as he awaited judgement. He didn’t dare move as Atsuo walked past him, through the group, and right up to Kotetsu.

“Up for one more round?” Atsuo casually asked.

Dan was fairly sure his heart convulsed. He now knew for certain that Atsuo had been replaced with a spy. There was no way the real Atsuo would ever have been so casual with an outsider. Everyone else sat in stunned silence.

Kotetsu looked up into Atsuo’s face, grinned, then struck a stance.

“I’ve learned a lot. You’re not gonna get off so easily this ti-”

Before he could finish, Atsuo swept Kotetsu’s feet out from under him, sending him sprawling to the ground. Kotetsu immediately regretted accepting the challenge.

Chapter Text

Atsuo sat by himself in front of the evening bonfire. No one could work up the courage to sit next to him after witnessing the brutality he inflicted on Kotetsu day after day. That is, until one girl approached. Atsuo turned to look as Keina, the girl that easily beat Kotetsu, plopped down right next to him.

“It’s been three days now. How long do you plan to let that boy stay out there?”

After using his temporary position as clan leader to forbid the other members from abandoning their post to go spar with Kotetsu, Atsuo had been going out to the woods everyday to fight the boy alone. The question was valid. Even still, he struggled with an answer.

“I’m humoring him. It’s not like he’s harming the clan by being here.”

“Well… If you humor him for too long, the clan expedition might return and see to his removal themselves.”

Atsuo considered Keina’s point.

“...Why do you keep taking his challenge? Why haven’t you beat him?” Keina pushed.

“I… I don’t know.”

Atsuo turned back to the bonfire. Keina could see the confusion on his face. Sighing, she stood up, and walked away.

—

Kotetsu had been living in his own personal hell for three days. He could barely go to the bathroom without some kid trying to challenge him. He had run out of anything edible by the end of the second day. He quickly stopped trying to forage for scraps after his opponents began offering food and water in exchange for fighting him. He didn’t trust their generosity at first, but after sampling the goods he quickly accepted their offerings. He considered this the best thing to have happened to him so far. Except for the part where he gets his butt kicked due to overestimating his own abilities.

As the days went on, Kotetsu noticed that the crowd grew smaller. The more advanced clan members stopped challenging him after beating him once or twice. Only those that failed to beat Kotetsu or fell multiple times to him came back to improve themselves, which was convenient for Kotetsu as he, too, improved. At the end of each day, Atsuo would show up to personally challenge him. Each day, he would end never having even hit Atsuo once. He brought his frustration out later in fights against the other members.

The end of the fourth day came around. Atsuo entered the clearing. Kotetsu could feel that this was the day. The two said nothing as they stepped toward each other, Kotetsu covered in bruises, sweat, dirt and small cuts up and down his body, and Atsuo looking as if he had never seen a spot of mud in his entire life. Kotetsu felt as if he had a better than zero chance at hitting Atsuo in this next fight.

Over the last four days, not including the day he met Dan and the others, he had meticulously studied their fighting style. There were key elements that made up the way the clan fought. Unlike the Hyuuga form, which involved keeping the entire battlefield in focus, the people from this clan fought as if the only things that existed were themselves and their opponent. Each one of Kotetsu’s opponents had been extremely aware of their own movements and his own, making every attack they made a step closer to finishing the fight. Kotetsu felt this closing pressure the most when he fought Atsuo, or the few times he fought Keina. This method of combat was the opposite of the Hyuuga style, which was designed to incorporate the environment into the fight. The weakness that Kotetsu abused with the Hyuuga clan fighting style was the lack of focus on their own body that arose from this method; an unguarded angle, a forgotten wound, or even a misplaced foot. Kotetsu had trained himself to identify and abuse these factors that a Hyuuga member might miss due to trying to keep track of everything else going on. Kotetsu had begun to identify a weakness with Atsuo’s fighting style.

Atsuo looked into Kotetsu’s determined face. Not that the face was any different from the other times they fought. He took his stance, waiting for Kotetsu to make the first move.

As the days had gone on, Kotetsu continued to practice the art of tree jumping. He was so amazed at the skill that he put all of his effort outside of sparring into it. From that training arose a curious side effect. He found he could double, almost triple his fastest speed. He had begun to use it to great advantage in his spars, suddenly able to wipe the floor with anyone that previously put him down once or twice. It wasn’t that they couldn’t move at similar speeds, it was their ineffectiveness at catching Kotetsu off guard with their movements. As far as he was concerned, they were just punching, but faster. Kotetsu had only discovered this speed earlier that day. This would be his first opportunity to use it against Atsuo. Planting his feet and focusing on the rush of Chakra that moved down his legs, he took one step.

Kotetsu flickered.

Atsuo barely had time to raise his guard, unable to dodge as Kotetsu’s fist drove itself straight past his arms and into his chest. Atsuo flew off his feet, sliding roughly on his back as the force of the punch sent him away almost a dozen feet. Kotetsu stood, arm and fist stuck in the air, astonished. Atsuo raised his head up and looked at Kotetsu in surprise, trying to get his breathing under control. He could hardly believe what just happened. His eyes had barely registered Kotetsu’s speed. Focusing on his legs, he began to get up.

Before Atsuo could react again, Kotetsu moved forward, looking to put him down for the second time. Kotetsu was caught off guard as Atsuo anticipated the movement with a leg sweep, switching from standing up to kicking one leg out, causing Kotetsu to trip and stumble through the air over Atsuo’s head. Atsuo quickly returned to his feet and moved at Kotetsu, grabbing an arm and a leg before twisting and throwing Kotetsu a distance away. Atsuo needed to make distance now. Thinking fast, he turned to the trees above and began to jump, climbing to a lower branch. Kotetsu regained his footing after getting tossed and looked up to find Atsuo clinging upside down to the bottom of a tree branch, peering down at Kotetsu.

“That was good. Let’s try something new.”

Kotetsu felt his jaw drop as he stared up at Atsuo. Then, snapping his mouth shut, he focused on his feet and jumped. After days of sticking and unsticking from the sides of trees, Kotetsu was confident in not falling. Walking along the side of a tree still left him feeling unbalanced though. He jumped up along a separate tree until he was roughly eye level with Atsuo, standing upward on a thicker tree branch. He didn’t trust his skills to stay sticking upside down yet.

Atsuo felt a rush of excitement he had not anticipated. Kotetsu had experienced a sudden burst of growth, and now his speed and power could match his skills. That was really the only thing holding Kotetsu back. Atsuo now began to see Kotetsu as an interesting opponent. The kid’s fighting skills seemed to advance in leaps and bounds, unlike his Chakra skills. Atsuo had not expected himself to become so excited at this prospect, but he intended to use this situation regardless. Now, he could fully use all of his prowess, though he dared not reveal the Sharingan. He intended to test and refine his own style against this boy, all to perfect his technique against the Hyuuga clan.

Atsuo rocked back and forth along the tree branch, then without any warning, swung forward and jumped straight for Kotetsu. Kotetsu was transfixed by the graceful movement as Atsuo arched through the air, up until the leg came down and slammed directly onto his shoulder, sending Kotetsu collapsing off the branch. Kotetsu scrambled, reaching arms out and barely finding a perch in the tree, preventing him from falling almost 25 feet to the ground. He tried to climb back up, only to find Atsuo’s foot slamming down right where his hand tried to grab, barely missing his fingers. That’s when Kotetsu remembered his feet, and found himself kicking at the branch and jumping away from the tree to another nearby empty branch. Kotetsu landed roughly, barely staying upright, trying to keep his breathing in check. He turned his head up at the quick steps of Atsuo as he rushed Kotetsu from the end of the branch.

This was an entirely different way of fighting that Kotetsu was entirely unprepared for. He understood this. Even still, it wasn’t long before he found himself falling back down to the hard ground, barely getting his feet under him just in time to absorb some of the impact. Atsuo landed on the ground in a more dignified manner. Kotetsu thought he would fight more comfortably on the forest floor, but his legs would no longer move. He found himself on his back looking up into the trees shortly afterward with Atsuo standing over him.

“You did good. Still needs a lot of work, but better.”

Kotetsu groaned for what felt like the thousandth time as he pushed himself off the cold ground. This time, he didn’t even bother to respond as he walked over to his cot, intending to go to bed early. Atsuo meandered over and sat down as Kotetsu wrestled with his sleeping gear.

“You know, there’s a small village roughly a day and a half west of here. A boy with skills like you could easily work and earn a place to stay.”

Kotetsu stopped with his struggles and leveled his stare at Atsuo.

“You’re not escaping me kicking your butt that easily.”

Atsuo chuckled. “You’re not even close to that. Maybe get better at dodging aerial attacks before you go talking.”

“That was my first one…” Kotetsu mumbled.

Kotetsu made his preparations as he finally got his sleeping bag unraveled. The nights were getting colder, and Kotetsu had gathered sticks and large stones intending to make a fire that night. He placed everything in order, then prepared to use his fire-starting Ninjutsu. Kotetsu had a stupid grin stuck on his face as he went through the appropriate hand signs, holding a stick between his palms. He held the stick completely still for a few seconds. Then, a small fire danced to life across the pile of twigs after Kotetsu dropped the burning stick.

Atsuo watched the display of Ninjutsu with covert attention. This was the first time Kotetsu had actually shown any proficiency in using any Jutsu, outside of Chakra control. Atsuo could tell that Kotetsu was simply mimicking the movements of a technique he had seen, not actually fully understanding what he was doing. He immediately regretted the next words he spoke.

“You’re doing it wrong.”

Kotetsu turned sharp eyes onto Atsuo.

“You can do better?” Kotetsu challenged. Atsuo slowly shut his eyes and mouth, trying to reverse time. Nothing happened.

Kotetsu quickly shoveled dirt with his hands over the barely lit fire, extinguishing it. Then he turned to Atsuo expectantly.

“Well, come on then. Show me how it’s done. Or was that all talk?” He said, smirking.

Knowing this was now a life or death situation for his pride, Atsuo scooted over to the half burned pile of sticks. He told himself to just get it over with. Clearing his head and inhaling a long breath, Atsuo effortlessly moved through a short string of hand signs, then breathed out of his mouth. Kotetsu quickly crab-walked away, surprised by the roaring flames Atsuo spewed from his mouth that engulfed the sad pile of sticks.

Kotetsu sat in stunned silence for a few seconds as Atsuo got to his feet nonchalantly, brushing his legs off like nothing happened. He then turned a sly grin down at Kotetsu.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

Kotetsu blushed and stood up.

“You… You just have more practice! Don’t get cocky!”

Stomping over to the fire pit, Kotetsu kicked dirt and sticks into the fire, causing it to dance higher into the air. He stumbled backwards and fell on his butt. Atsuo lightly facepalmed himself in exasperation. Looking up, he reached one hand out, focusing on the now roaring flames.

Kotetsu felt his body run cold when he saw Atsuo shove first one hand, followed by his whole arm into the fire. He thought for sure that Atsuo would end up with a toasted limb. His jaw dropped when Atsuo instead pulled his arm out, fire seeming to stick to the entire length. The fire appeared to wrap around his arm like a rope, rotating and coiling in mesmerising patterns, somehow flowing back down to the fire pit. Kotetsu could only gawk when Atsuo stuck the other arm down into the flames. Splaying the two arms out to either side, the fire split itself as if connected to Atsuo’s arms by strings. The exotic display was cut short as Atsuo slammed his palms together, sending an invisible wave of energy out that somehow dissolved all the fire it came in contact with. The two sat in silence for several seconds as tendrils of smoke crawled up from the now empty pit.

“...Uh… Show off.”

Atsuo turned and sneered at Kotetsu, who was giving him a snarky look in return. The two sat like that for several heartbeats before Atsuo turned and started walking off.

“Hey, wait! Stop! You gotta show me how to do that!”

Kotetsu jumped and grabbed Atsuo’s arm, getting dragged along as Atsuo kept moving along.

“Nope. This wasn’t part of the deal. All I said I would do was come out here and fight you.”

Atsuo was kicking himself for flaunting his Ninjutsu skills. At this rate, Kotetsu might actually follow him back to the clan camp, which would not go over well whatsoever. He would never hear the end of it if that happened. Kotetsu tried digging his feet in, but only found himself churning the dirt as Atsuo refused to stop. He fell over when the older boy came to a sudden halt.

“Fine.”

Kotetsu quickly returned to his feet, happy to have won this fight. Atsuo sighed as he turned and impatiently walked back toward the fire pit. He wondered how the situation had spiraled out of his control.

“Ok… I'll show you what you did wrong. However, don’t expect much in the way of explanation. Figure it out yourself.” Atsuo said in an exasperated tone.

Kotetsu rapidly nodded, waiting with what he thought was reasonable patience. Atsuo grew more annoyed as the hyperactive boy bounced up and down on his heels.

“First, is the breath. I breathe in to begin my action.”

Atsuo took a slow, deep breath, then slid through his hand signs. Kotetsu barely caught all of them and was still attempting to memorise the formations when Atsuo released his breath, sending flames tumbling out of his mouth and into the fire pit. Kotetsu simply stared in silence as he thought about what he saw.

“Did you catch it all?”

Thinking for a moment, Kotetsu nodded.

“Do you want to try?”

Another nod.

Atsuo was concerned about Kotetsu. He wouldn’t show it in any way outward, but observing Kotetsu perform Ninjutsu gave him a sense that the boy really didn't know what he was doing. He didn’t want to see Kotetsu be discouraged when this inevitably failed.

Kotetsu thought he understood what he might be missing. In all of his attempts at using his fire-starting Ninjutsu, it always felt as if he was straining himself all to produce a simple spark. If what Atsuo showed him was true, then the key to producing a larger effect came down to making a larger motion. He mentally kicked himself for never trying such a simple tactic. Mayuka, the old lady he studied to learn his fire-starting Ninjutsu from, had never actually shown Kotetsu what she did after performing the hand signs. She had concealed her hand and whatever action she might have performed in the logs of the fire pits.

Kotetsu stood still, closing his eyes, thinking about the sensation of Chakra flowing through his body whenever he used his Ninjutsu. Instead of letting the feeling spread out across his body, he focused on his lungs and breath. After almost a full minute of standing in silence, he brought his hands up in front of his chest. He moved slowly through the pattern of hand signs he had seen Atsuo perform. Then, he inhaled.

“Don't be discouraged, okay? It takes months to learn a skill like this. You'll get better through practi-”

Kotetsu exhaled, and Atsuo's breath was knocked out of his chest as a stream of fire poured forth from Kotetsu's mouth like water from a faucet, spilling down and across the cold forest floor. Atsuo found himself stumbling back as the fire gained momentum, covering the distance to his feet in a matter of seconds. Kotetsu opened his eyes in shock at the viral nature of the fire he summoned. He stood in the middle of a pool of flames, seemingly untouched as the blaze whirled up and around him. There was just one problem. Kotetsu jumped nearly 20 feet straight into the air as the flames hungrily licked at his legs and feet, barely grabbing a low branch and keeping himself from descending back down into the inferno.

Atsuo was left speechless as he turned to look up at the yelping Kotetsu. The amount of flames Kotetsu could summon was almost unreal- an amount that had personally taken him weeks, months of training to produce. Yet, Kotetsu seemed to possess lungs of fire. As Atsuo looked up at Kotetsu, who had positioned himself safely on the branch above, his mind snapped to attention as he suddenly realised the situation he was in. Looking back down, he shouted and barked as he furiously began stomping out the spreading flames, the sounds of Kotetsu laughing and crying echoing from above.

—

Night had fallen, and Dan sat alone in front of the clan entrance, whittling away at a stick with his knife. He glanced up at the sound of hefty footfalls as a figure slowly approached. It was not Atsuo like he had expected. The damaged, bloody form of his father, Tan, stumbled into the small clearing. Dan rushed forward, dropping the stick and concealing the knife, catching his father.

“Father! What happened to you? Where is the rest of the clan group?”

“Safe… For now. Most of us barely escaped with our lives. We have wounded men. The rest of the group is still over a day out, making their way back slowly…” Tan coughed as he made his report.

“We need medical supplies. Some of the men likely won’t make it without intervention. Where is Atsuo?”

Dan looked down in a nervous gesture as his father tried to make eye contact.

“I was the fastest and least wounded man left. Now, where is Atsuo?” Tan questioned.

Hesitating, Dan answered. “He… Is not here at the present moment. He will be back soon. I will assemble a group and move out with the supplies. You need to tend to your own wounds.” Moving quickly, he coaxed his father into the camp under the light of the full moon.\

Chapter Text

Two days earlier.

Eito Uchiha possessed a robust confidence as he led his clan forward in their assault on the Ryoukai compound. Though, as he thought about it, ‘assault’ was not quite the right term. All they were really doing was applying strategic pressure on the young lord that sat within, trembling as his courtiers spoke about the frightening sight of the Uchiha clan standing at their front door. He imagined they would not have to stay there for long, the lord crumbling to his client’s demands, enforced by the weight of the Uchiha. They had been hired to ‘assist’ in the re-negotiations of certain trade agreements made between their client and the Ryoukai family, who’s leadership had recently passed to the youngest heir after an unfortunate assassination surprisingly enacted by the Hyuuga clan. He didn’t have all the details, though the topic interested him.

“Everyone is in position, Patriarch.”

The voice of Eito’s right hand, Tan, approached from the side. Eito glanced over to see the pale face of his brother in arms. Tan’s dark hair was strictly kept in a clean crop cut. He smiled to himself at Tan’s stern nature overall.

“Thank you, Tan. You may return to your post. We will await further instructions as planned.”

In complete opposition to his own words, Eito proceeded to sit and plant himself on the ground, quickly finding a comfortable position to relax. Tan watched Eito, unable and unwilling to say anything. He simply sighed and walked away from his immodest leader.

—

Noriya Ryoukai sat in a tense posture upon the elaborate wooden chair in his father’s- no, these chambers now belonged to him, he reminded himself. These people now belonged to him. He must lead them, however he should do that. His mentor and advisor stood beside him, waiting. Despite his own lack of confidence in the clan, his advisor had vehemently argued for the sake of hiring the Hyuuga clan, despite their supposed betrayal in killing his father over a year ago. Succumbing to his wishes, Noriya sent for a courier to personally ask for their assistance. That was just a few days ago. The clan had graciously accepted the job despite the low pay. An old man entered the chamber, accompanied by no less than six nervous armoured guards. Noriya went on edge at the change in atmosphere that seemed to follow the old man into the room. It felt as if the air itself would explode from the pressure the man exuded.

“Greetings, young lord. I am in your debt for allowing my clan to make amends for the terrible incident that occurred. I will make sure you do not regret this decision.”

The man’s voice was grating, yet sincere. The anger present in the man’s posture was completely absent in his words. This was a dangerous man. Yet… The anger was not directed at anyone in the room.

The Hyuuga clan had been blamed for the death of his father and the disappearance of his sister, yet they had made continuous attempts at amends between their two people. The young Noriya had only given them the chance after the advice from his mentor.

“Will… Will you be capable of performing this task alone? Have you seen the enemy’s enforcement?”

“The Uchiha clan will not be a problem. In fact…” Tomoji spoke slowly, a dry smile finding its way onto his lips.

“You will likely have a mess to clean up after I am finished.”

—

Tan walked a steady gait through the troop of Uchiha. He inspected each man as he passed them, ensuring they kept in formation. This was no time to show any lack in appearance, as they were certainly being monitored by the fort guards.

“Right hand Tan. Our watchers have disappeared.”

Tan turned to the voice, a younger man who he knew was named Fujiki, as he looked out toward the fort, Sharingan active. Tan turned to the large stone walls in the distance and saw with his own eyes that the stationed archers were no longer present.

“What?...”

Eito Uchiha lavished the winter sunlight. This would be one of the last clear days of the season, with endless clouds threatening to blanket the sky for months to come. A storm was coming. As he sat with these thoughts, a presence forcefully intruded upon his senses. The presence was distant, but powerful nonetheless.

“A second storm approaches…”

One of the men stationed just behind Eito took a step forward. “What’s that, leader?”

“...It’s time to move.”

Eito stood suddenly. Looking out toward the keep, he saw a solitary figure making its way toward the group at an unceasing pace, cutting a path through the tall grass that ringed the compound. He could easily see the long grey and black hair and clean white robes of the man from where he stood.

Hyuuga.

With his Sharingan active, Eito began to move forward. The sensation he felt from the intruder did not reassure him of this being a friendly confrontation. If this man truly sought to kill, Eito would test that resolve.

Tan had begun to move at the sight of his leader standing. However, before he could catch up with Eito, the Uchiha flashed forward. Tan, with his Sharingan active, saw the flashing speed of his leader as he moved to catch the individual approaching them off guard. Right as Eito moved within a dozen feet, the Hyuuga let loose a single breath of air. A puncturing wave of force hit Eito like a brick wall, freezing him mid-air, before pushing forward like an avalanche, sending the Uchiha leader swinging wildly through the air over the group. He crashed into the ground, causing gravel and debris to spread out.

Eito was knocked unconscious by the violent attack. In those long moments, the assembled Uchiha watched with surprised shock at the casualness of their leader being tossed aside. The wave of pressurized wind broke as it slammed into the group. Gathering their courage, they charged. In the front line of the formation, the Uchiha all formed the hand signs for the attack pattern called out by Tan.

“Begin with Fireball. Then follow with directed attacks! Do not let the opponent escape!”

The front group of eight men looked to fulfill their duty. They all sent simultaneous spheres of fire that grew to fill the distance between them and the Intruder, who was all that stood between the clansmen and the Ryoukai fort.

Tomoji watched the inferno approach with a passive expression. Walking forward, he formed nine hand signs. The bottoms of his feet sloshed with mud as the dirt he strode on was suddenly churned with water. Suddenly, a wide line of earth rose almost two dozen feet into the sky, completely covering the direct line of sight between him and the oncoming fireballs. He softly spoke to himself.

“Water release, Churning Waves, followed by Earth release, Mud Wall. A simple but effective countermeasure to large volumes of fire…”

The rushing wall of fire met with the packed wall of mud. The cool, wet mud quickly leeched the heat from the oncoming fire, releasing a large burst of steam as the packed mud almost completely baked into solid earth. Using the cover of the steam, Tomoji formed another set of hand signs, spreading his hands in a wide movement that sent forth a net of cutting wind slicing through the still scalding hard earth wall.

The front line Uchiha had not anticipated the wall of earth stopping their onslaught so effectively. Their Sharingan allowed them to see somewhat through the vapour barrier, letting them see the next attack before it completely caught them off guard. One Uchiha moved in front of the group, rapidly making his formations before slamming his hands into the ground.

“Stand back!”

In front of them, a dome of earth began to rise. It was not fast enough. The wave of wind tore through the Hyuuga’s wall, shredding it to chunks and sending them flying in the Uchiha’s direction. Hot shrapnel blew past the half-raised dome, only catching some of the projectiles on the jutted earth. It sent the group into partial chaos as some dodged the flying rocks while others attempted to intercept or destroy pieces that came their way. The Uchiha that attempted to protect the group with his earth dome stood forward, blasting the melted earth away with punches wrapped in elemental negating Chakra. This attack was nowhere near enough to actually take any clansmen out, with almost everyone coming out completely unscathed. That’s when the group noticed that the Hyuuga was no longer standing in the distance, but was instead standing right in their midst.

Eito Uchiha woke from a sound sleep after being slapped by his second in command. He looked around groggily, before focusing on the face of Tan.

“Huh… What? Time to go already?”

With a patience that surprised even himself, Eito’s right hand spoke. “No, sir. We are being attacked. You need to get up.”

“Oh.”

Suddenly, Eito remembered the short series of events that ended with him getting smashed into unconsciousness. Regaining his composure and dignity, he snapped to his feet and activated his Sharingan. The mess of battle spread out in front of him. In the center stood the Hyuuga, a whirlwind of palms striking and redirecting the attacks from the Uchiha that grouped around him. Eito studied the old man for those few crucial seconds, gathering all of the combat data he could before going in, for this was the Sharingan’s strength. With the Sharingan active, he perceived the Hyuuga’s movements with a slowed sense of time, allowing him to view the brutal palm strikes accompanied by the small but penetrating bursts of Chakra he released into Eito’s fellow clansmen. His Sharingan recorded this knowledge, accumulating and processing the data for the purpose of efficiently- and violently dismantling his opponent. He moved.

Tomoji had kept partial focus on the unconscious Clan leader, knowing he would wake soon. The purpose of knocking him out instead of killing him was simple; it would allow him to take his anger out in full on an opponent that could handle his beat down. That was what he truly wanted out of this fight. He cared not for these peons that scattered at the mere flick of his wrists, completely overwhelmed by his unending and powerful blows.

He considered them peons, all the way up until one of them successfully dodged every attack he threw, got into his personal space, and hit him upside the jaw. The blow was like a hammer ringing a bell, sending his head bouncing along his neck like a spring. This only angered Tomoji more. Pouring all of his anger and attention down on the insolent man, he moved to make a killing blow by striking their heart directly. His fist only found air. In all of his years of fighting, he had fought those belonging to the Uchiha clan previously. This situation was not something he had never gone up against before. Surrounding him was now a cloud of red-eyed piranhas, an onslaught made up of almost twenty skilled Uchiha that have fought together for years.

Eito stopped. He found himself surprised, then swelling with pride as he watched the Uchiha clansmen regain their composure and work not as individuals, but as a single unit. One man, whose name came to him a second later- Hazuki, flashed between the Hyuuga’s attacks and landed a single devastating punch directly on his chin, rocking his head back. Then before the Hyuuga could retaliate, another clansman grabbed Hazuki’s arm, swinging him back faster than he could move out of the way. One after another, each Uchiha took shots at the old bastard, planting hard punches and kicks across his head, gut, chest, and back. The Hyuuga was unable to rebound in time to hit back. Even when the Hyuuga moved to make distance, he was met with secondary and tertiary groups of Uchiha that moved to his new position. Eito stopped admiring his clansmen’s efforts when the nasty Hyuuga began making hand signs again.

This time, Eito made it in time to intercept whatever technique the elder might throw out. Tomoji had waited for this moment. Eito strengthened his personal defenses, flowing his Chakra throughout his entire body, acting as a shield that could dampen any strong blow that hit him. So Eito found himself surprised when what hit him was a sharp spear, instead of pure force. Tomoji ejected over a dozen highly sharpened pin pricks of wind in every direction, piercing straight through the meager protections of the Uchiha. All thanks to the superior Chakra nature that was his Wind release.

Instead of getting launched away again, Eito was instead carried forward by his own momentum on the wind spear. He was rather unlucky, getting hit with two spears directly through his gut and chest. Eito felt one of his lungs begin to fill with blood. As fast as the spears were created, they vanished, dissipating back into nothingness.

Hazuki had been lucky. With his Earth release, he managed to pull up a single small wall of earth, which dulled the wind spear, stopping his heart from being penetrated by mere inches. It appeared that the spear had moved with precision and followed his steps, preventing him from dodging. As he looked around, he saw that not many of the wind spears had hit vital spots. Even still, there were broken bones and sliced limbs. If he had anticipated this attack, he could have attempted another Earth Dome, at least protecting those around him. His thoughts were cut short as the wall he had erected shattered right in his face. The elder stepped into his personal space, making Hazuki reflexively punch outward. The fist was dodged. Hazuki felt his arm shatter as the Hyuuga grabbed the elbow and wrenched the arm straight up, the sound of bones snapping from the violent movement. Before he could scream out, a sharp pain slid across his throat. The last thing Hazuki Uchiha saw was the palm covering his eyes, followed by the bright flash of light.

Eito had barely managed to stand when he saw the body of Hazuki fall lifeless to the ground. A powerful shock wave had been released after the elder landed a single strike on the man’s face. Twice he had been made a fool during these last few minutes. Now, he had been reduced to helplessness. With blood quickly filling his lung and his gut causing shooting pains up and down his body, he could only marginally move. Even still, he had to win. He had to get his people out of here. This was not an acceptable way to die.

“Stand up.”

The voice slashed through to Eito’s core. Tan moved by his side, having somewhat avoided getting pierced, and pulled Eito up by his arm.

“Let’s deal with him.”

“...Yeah.”

The pair moved as one right for the elder Hyuuga.

Tomoji turned to look at the pair of returning rats. He felt disgusted as the Uchiha clan leader was clearly nothing more than a glorified fool. He moved to meet the two men, intending to end the fight quickly.

The Sharingan and Byakugan are the two most common Dojutsu in the lands. Their abilities are known far and wide. As it happens, the two share a trait; the ability to see Chakra. For those with eyes enhanced by these techniques, Chakra takes on a visual appearance depending on how strong that Chakra is. Even with this shared feature, the Byakugan wins in quality, making more precise observations.

This is what allowed Tomoji to see the Chakra welling up in the chest of the Uchiha leader after he weaved a series of hand signs. The pest clearly intended to spew more of that worthless fire at him. This would prevent Tomoji from simply weaving another Wind release technique, as the sudden dense air might work against himself if timed correctly. If Tomoji knew anything about the Uchiha, it was to never doubt their timing. He would simply counter the Uchiha with his own Water release instead. He formed a short set of hand signs for his technique. Then, he could deal with the others in short order.

This would suffice, Tomoji thought. He thought wrong.

Eito and Tan understood the strengths of the Byakugan. Instead of making futile efforts to combat the elder’s eyes, they decided to simply overcome his natural weakness: Assumptions. Eito leapt forward, intending to take the Hyuuga head on. Tomoji reached out fast with both arms, a Water release technique quivering to escape from his palms. Eito took in his breath. Right before he released it, Tomoji unleashed a vicious wave of super dense water that rushed to pound into Eito’s body. He released his breath. A small blue arc escaped his lips, curling and crackling with energy as it shot straight through the wave of water, simultaneously dispersing along its surface and cutting a path directly to Tomoji’s chest.

At the same time, Tan had moved directly behind the Hyuuga a distance away. He intended to hit the Hyuuga with a fireball. He watched the wave of water shoot out from the elder’s hands, slamming into and launching Eito a distance away, while the minuscule beam of Lightning release Eito spat out electrified and pierced the Hyuuga. It was not enough to actually cut through the elder, of course. Eito barely had any affinity with Lightning release, and that small technique was the sum of his output. Damaging the elder was Tan’s part of the plan. His hands knew the formations for the fireball very well as he flipped through the hand signs, before forming an ‘O’ shape with his mouth and pushing his lungs as hard as he could. A stream of pure fire exited at dizzying speeds, growing into a geyser as it rushed to engulf the Hyuuga elder. The elder could only watch with his Byakugan, locked in place by the pitiful burst of electricity. His scream cut through the cold morning air as the hot flames licked at his back.

—

The elder vanished after leaving a parting gift. A wave of water rose from the ground, pulled from an underground reservoir that must have been tapped by a nearby well. The wave washed over and scattered the remaining Uchiha before being reabsorbed by the thirsty ground. In the chaos, the Hyuuga had left the battlefield, not returning to the castle he was supposedly hired to protect. Tan was only slightly upset at not getting to see his handiwork. His real emotions were disgust and grief at being unable to defend his fellow clansmen. He was sure that Eito felt the exact same way, watching as their leader kneeled over the corpse of Hazuki, their one and only casualty. As Tan looked around at the injured Uchiha, he came to the conclusion that the Reaper could still take lives if they did not receive medical attention soon.

One group of Uchiha had attempted to follow the Hyuuga after confirming they had seen where he went. Eito’s voice boomed over them.

“No one will follow the enemy, unless you wish to inflict yourself with a quick and painful death.”

After a long pause, the clansmen returned to tending to themselves under the timid watch of the Ryoukai keep.

—

“...And that’s what happened. That Hyuuga ended up only stealing Hazuki’s life. We are thankful no others have left us since then.”

Dan sat in silence as he listened to his father recount the events of their unfortunate mission. Two women worked on cleaning and stitching the few wounds Tan had accrued. The rest of the young clan members were getting a group ready with supplies to go out to the wounded adults. They had not yet heard the full story like Dan had. He would be staying here to coordinate with others to make a secondary supply run if necessary. Since Atsuo was still nowhere to be found, Keina had been chosen to lead the first group instead of Dan.

—

Atsuo meandered along the hidden path to the campsite. He had spent quite a few more hours than necessary out with Kotetsu, showing and testing how well he could perform various Fire release techniques. Somehow, that little brat managed to succeed at every single Ninjutsu Atsuo had shown him. Atsuo regretted ever opening his big fat mouth. His thoughts were interrupted as he got closer to the camp. He ran into an older boy on his way through the entrance, the boy doing a double take as he passed by Atsuo.

“...Oh! Atsuo… Uh, sir.”

“Hey. What’s going on?”

“It’s the mission group. They’re back, and need medical supplies. We’re going out to help. Dan wants to see you.”

The mission group wasn’t supposed to be back for another few days at least. Atsuo felt his eyes grow wide at this news, as he moved off to go find Dan. His chest tightened at the thought of what was to come.

Chapter Text

Kotetsu felt awesome. Well, he felt emotionally awesome. Physically, he felt like a punching bag. That happens when you end up constantly fighting a rather large group of bored shinobi kids for days on end. So, Kotetsu found himself pleasantly surprised when he awoke to no challengers immediately seeking his attention. The sky above was laden with dark grey clouds, a storm having slowly rolled overhead. He had heard the general situation, that Atsuo had somehow forbidden the other kids from leaving their duties to come and challenge him. That didn’t stop those same kids from completing their tasks with a renewed vigor, just to race out into the forest for the chance to beat- or get beaten by his own self. However, that only partially contributed to his happy situation this morning. Kotetsu had been victorious. Not in beating Atsuo, but in being just as good at something as Atsuo. That something was performing Fire release techniques, apparently.

Not knowing what else to do with all of his sudden free time, Kotetsu pondered the previous night, mindlessly practicing the hand signs he had learned. Atsuo stayed with him through the night until the moon began to peek over the trees. Atsuo would show him a new Fire release Jutsu, and Kotetsu would successfully cast the technique on the first or second try. Kotetsu soaked up all of the knowledge that he could, even learning a pile of new hand signs that he hadn’t known about before. Not like anyone had actually explained them to him. All those times that Solomon had told him to just ‘ask Dad’, or ‘ask Emilia’, he realised that they would have never been able to actually tell him. He suspected that Solomon hadn’t really understood hand signs either, and was really just sidestepping an awkward conversation. He smiled to himself at the memories of him and Solomon training.

The smile froze on his face as his mind caught up with the memory. He stared down at a point on the ground in front of his feet, trying to calm his breath. It had been seven days now since he had left the Hyuuga clan. He could hardly believe that in the span of a week, so much had happened. He also could hardly believe that he had managed to not think about his family almost the entire time. For a few long moments, he dwelled on his experiences since leaving. While thoughts of his home occupied his head, the meager concentration he held for the hand signs he was performing faded. A smell of something burning brought his attention down to look at his flame-engulfed hands. The realisation of what had occurred struck him mere seconds later. Panicking, he suddenly pushed both hands out in an attempt to extinguish the flames, only for a large burst of fire to explode from both palms, exerting force and sliding him backward across the ground several feet.

After regaining his composure, Kotetsu looked idiotically down at his hands, amazed by their lack of burns. Something began to churn in the back of his head as his gaze was locked downward for several moments. His mind clicked, and a broad grin split his face. Atsuo would not like what he had in store tonight. Assuming the storm didn’t spoil his plans too harshly.

—

The previous night.

Atsuo had sat to listen as Tan recited the mission events. Afterward, Tan had grilled him on the one subject Atsuo very much hoped to avoid.

“I have heard the rumors from the other children.”

Tan proceeded to stare Atsuo down, seeing if his leader’s foolish child would confess on his own. He sighed as the boy stared back with a stone-faced look.

“You know the rules of outsiders, Atsuo. What would you have done if your father discovered this first? Even worse, you allow the other children to partake in this… This rebellious behaviour. Sage’s wrath, boy…”

Atsuo felt the need to defend himself. “I determined he was of no harm to the clan. I have fought with him several times myself and-”

“You… What? You fought with the boy? Did you hit your head, Atsuo? I have heard enough to determine that the boy claims to be from the Hyuuga clan. Atsuo, it was the Hyuuga that came to destroy your father and his people. That boy could be a spy, sent in an attempt to discover the layout of our defenses!”

Tan had spoken with an increasingly rough voice, his temper flaring. Atsuo had not seen Tan lose his temper like this before.

“You have demonstrated you are incapable of handling this level of responsibility. Tomorrow, I will personally take care of this problem.”

Atsuo immediately responded. His eyes locked on to Tan’s, unwavering.

“No. I have brought this upon myself. My father has not returned, and you were not ordered to relieve me of my command. That means I am still in charge of the clan right now. I will deal with Kotetsu tomorrow.”

Tan carefully studied Atsuo at his declaration. After a few long moments, he bowed his head. Atsuo felt tension seep out of his back. Atsuo released his gaze, stood up and moved out of the tent. Tan made one final remark as Atsuo pushed at the tent flaps.

“Be sure to handle the outsider with swiftness.”

Atsuo made a curt nod as he exited into the gloomy winter night.

—

Kotetsu had spent most of his morning and all of the afternoon preparing for that evening. He practiced his Ninjutsu, attempting to put the idea he had into some form of practical use. The results were intermittent and not reliable. So instead, Kotetsu decided to focus on the other half of his plan for the fight. He worked tirelessly to carry supplies ransacked from his bag up into the trees above. His mood remained energised by the thought of how surprised Atsuo would be at his efforts. His labours continued for several long hours before he was finally content with his work, ending by swiftly crashing into his sleeping cot for a short nap.

Kotetsu awoke to the sound of soft foot falls approaching his position. He had been trained to listen for the sound, as it usually preceded some kid trying to land a sneak attack. Kotetsu flung his sleeping bag aside and shot to his feet to find Atsuo approaching him. It was somewhat difficult to tell, but Kotetsu saw that the evening had yet to come. He realised that it had only been an hour or two since he passed out. Atsuo had not arrived at his normal time.

“Hey, you’re early. What’s the deal? Are you anxious to beat me up today before it rains, or are you just eager to see what I’ve got waiting for you?” Kotetsu asked with a cheeky grin.

Kotetsu lost his smile when he saw Atsuo’s expression. His attention was drawn to the newest feature of Atsuo’s face. His eyes were no longer a cool black in color. The irises were a deep, vibrant red. He stared into those red eyes for several seconds, trying to figure out the situation. Atsuo continued forward until he was just out of arm’s reach. Circling the pupils was a thin black ring. Attached to the ring were two dots spaced evenly apart. The dots appeared to have tails, making Kotetsu think of tadpoles swimming in a pond of blood. Kotetsu was completely transfixed by the eyes when Atsuo spoke softly.

“It is time to leave.”

Kotetsu felt… Different. Atsuo had vanished, and he was now… Well, he didn’t quite know what he was doing. Shapes swam past his vision, moving toward him, around and over his head. The shapes were… Trees, yes. Then, a sense of movement. He was moving somehow. But, where?... A familiar object filled his vision. His backpack. His thoughts were muddy, unfocused and slow. Something told him he needed to gather his stuff. Slowly, Kotetsu began to pack everything he could see back into his bag. Just before slinging the pack over his shoulder and walking off, he reached down and grasped his… His sword. The sword that his father left to him. The sword that marked the end of one life, and the beginning of another. He grasped the handle unconsciously, and began to pull. Kotetsu felt a soft pressure pop just behind his eyes.

Atsuo truly did not wish to harm Kotetsu. In order to accomplish this, he knew that his only option was to persuade Kotetsu to leave, and hopefully… Forget. This meant using the highest skill of his Sharingan. By locking eyes with someone, he could implant instructions, falsify emotions, and skew senses. This was Genjutsu. Atsuo had forced Kotetsu over to his bag and its scattered contents, ordering Kotetsu to fit all of his belongings within. However, when the boy reached for his sword, he ceased all motion. Kotetsu gradually began to unsheathe the sword. Atsuo felt a vague feeling pass over him, too quick to properly identify- as Kotetsu dropped his half-sheathed blade, stood, and turned to look at him with piercing green eyes. A gust of late winter wind wrapped around the two as they stood silently watching one another.

Atsuo had not actually tried to use Genjutsu in this manner before. The way he usually employed Genjutsu was more subtle, and this attempt at brute-forcing someone into capitulating to his desires proved infeasible. It was always a long shot. Now, he would have to do this the hard way. He gathered his resolve. Kotetsu spoke.

“When I first fought you, I wanted to know something.”

Atsuo listened as Kotetsu turned down at the assembled backpack by his feet.

“Originally, I thought that I wanted to learn how to fight like you.”

With his Sharingan active, Atsuo watched Kotetsu’s Chakra begin to circulate faster and faster. The speed was particularly fast for someone his age. As Atsuo considered this, he realised he had never actually seen Kotetsu’s Chakra flowing before. He felt new respect for the control Kotetsu had managed to achieve. Sadly, it would not be enough.

“I understand now, what I wanted… I wanted to know how to fight you.”

Atsuo moved right as Kotetsu finished his sentence. Reaching one arm out, he planned to take Kotetsu out in a single move. In all of their fights, Atsuo had not actually gone to the extent of knocking Kotetsu out. This was what he wished to achieve now. Kotetsu slid to one side, away from Atsuo’s outstretched arm, keeping roughly in pace with Atsuo’s own burst of speed. Atsuo perceived this speed and moved to adjust.

Kotetsu felt surprise, then indignation as his hasty attempt at dodging was caught out. The arm he slid by curled outward, catching Kotetsu on his head with a snap after a short arc. Kotetsu saw stars as he was struck away by the powerful backhand. Gathering his senses, his vision returned to find- nothing. Then, from below, a blur resulted in a sharp blow right to his gut. Kotetsu almost lost his breakfast right there. His determination to not lose the food he worked so hard to earn held the contents down.

Atsuo came at Kotetsu with a relentless assault, looking to keep the boy from thinking of any plan other than defend and escape. His rush of attacks came down heavy and fast on Kotetsu one after another. Gut, back, chin, chest, any place that was exposed received a sting. Kotetsu’s reactions were outpaced by the Sharingan. To Atsuo’s eyes, all that existed right now was his opponent and himself. Kotetsu backed up several steps after a precise kick to the chest. Atsuo rushed forward, throwing a long swing that he poured all of his strength into. Something felt off about the strike, but before he could pull his arm back or reduce the power, his arm slammed heavily into the trunk of a thick tree, Kotetsu’s form sliding just behind the base and out of sight. Pain screamed up his arm and escaped out of his mouth, making Atsuo wonder if he had broken something. The tree had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He was blinded by the attack he carried out, resulting in a failure to account for other objects.

After a few moments, Atsuo confirmed that his arm was not broken. The pain he felt would transform into a large bruise, but no serious damage would be left. He moved around the tree trunk, intent on continuing his beat down, to find Kotetsu nowhere in sight. Looking left, then right, back, forward… Up. There, he found Kotetsu, standing along a tree branch and staring down. Atsuo observed the welts growing on Kotetsu’s face. His pain was evident through the awkward movements he made. Atsuo moved, jumping to stand along the outermost part of the thick branch. He uncradled his throbbing arm and prepared to attack again.

Dashing forward, Atsuo sent another straight punch right for Kotetsu’s head. With no sideways movements to make, Kotetsu would be forced to either attempt a jump or slide backward. Atsuo observed as Kotetsu began to move back toward the tree, right as he predicted. Kotetsu ducked slightly and weaved his head- revealing a small sharp stick jutting right at head-height out of the tree. Positioned right where Atsuo’s fist would hit. Atsuo panicked this time, barely averting his in-progress punch causing the stick to painfully scrape along his forearm, barely avoiding being punctured. Kotetsu grabbed the tree with one hand and awkwardly clung to its side, climbing up and away from Atsuo. Atsuo kept his eyes locked on the path Kotetsu made, now forcing himself to try and account for other potential dangers. From above, rain began to fall. He jumped again.

Atsuo met Kotetsu on every branch the boy could escape to. In a direct confrontation, Atsuo won out with the help of his Sharingan. But eventually, Kotetsu made use of some part of the environment to hinder Atsuo’s progress. Just as Atsuo thought he had considered every possible branch, loose bark, pine cone, and broken piece of wood, Kotetsu revealed an ace in the hole. Atsuo advanced forward with full confidence that Kotetsu had run out of tricks. Then, Kotetsu reached behind a branch, and pulled on a loosely tied rope that had been hidden by a thicket of pine needles. The rope flew upward, bringing Atsuo’s attention pointing up to find a bundle of long branches rushing down to collide with his unexpecting head. The bundle slammed into his upturned face, almost causing Atsuo to lose his footing. A fall of over 60 feet would not be good for his health.

Atsuo recovered physically. Mentally, he was shaken. Kotetsu’s face had not changed from its look of hard determination the entire fight, which had gone on for over 10 minutes now. The sky had opened up completely, drenching the two in the torrent of rain. Atsuo continued to chase Kotetsu, and Kotetsu continued to fight in the unorthodox style that Atsuo had come to expect. On some level, Atsuo understood that this style was somewhat rooted in the methods of the Hyuuga clan. Kotetsu did not have a Byakugan. He could not view the entire battlefield at once. Yet, Kotetsu was clearly fighting with full awareness of his surroundings. Atsuo had never fought a member of the Hyuuga clan by himself, instead having only received instruction from those that had encountered the clan. That training had not adequately prepared him for this fight.

After taking a few steps back to dodge a branch Kotetsu had pulled back and released, Atsuo was surprised to find Kotetsu moving into his personal space. Kotetsu threw out a palm strike aimed right for Atsuo’s head, forcing Atsuo to move up and away. Atsuo felt a sharp crack nearly split his skull as the top of his head came in direct contact with a low-hanging branch. His vision momentarily went dark as pain rattled his brain while his hands moved to cradle his head. He anticipated Kotetsu’s fist striking his face in short order. Several seconds went by with nothing happening, leaving Atsuo immensely confused as all he could do was wait for his vision to return. His sight swam back into focus, leaving Atsuo staring at the end of Kotetsu’s outstretched palm.

The arm pulled back and Kotetsu regained his fighting form. Atsuo stood confused for several more seconds. The cold wet rain was replaced as something hot rushed down his forehead and covered one eye, draping his vision with red. Kotetsu’s form swayed back and forth, and Atsuo couldn’t tell if that was because his opponent was tired or if Atsuo’s eyes refused to stay put. Atsuo put his hands up and resumed his fighting stance. Kotetsu blurred forward.

Atsuo felt a piercing pain in his abdomen as Kotetsu’s palm dug its way into his stomach. Right there, he almost passed out. The force of the blow was not enough to cause Atsuo to lose his meal, but the jolt of pressure felt almost as if a rock had just crushed his gut. His breath grew shallow. Atsuo attempted to counter, but found Kotetsu stepping away and out of his reach. Kotetsu’s battered and bruised body stood solid, one eye having swollen shut after the initial slap Atsuo had given him. Atsuo suddenly realised his Sharingan had been shut off, and he focused hard on reactivating the technique, Chakra coursing through his eyes to rekindle what had been blown out. The Sharingan returned to his good eye with a light popping sensation reverberating through his head. He had begun to overuse the power. Having gathered his senses, he moved with renewed determination.

Kotetsu had spent the entire fight surviving on the edge. Atsuo felt like an unstoppable force, every move bringing the fight closer to an end. This was what their fights had lacked. The missing key. Kotetsu was simultaneously ecstatic and filled with dread at this revelation, since he finally had the answer to his question after almost a full week. It was simply bad luck that it came in the form of his toughest battle. Atsuo was serious about kicking Kotetsu out this time. Kotetsu was determined to show Atsuo the fruits of his labor no matter what.

Atsuo continued his onslaught against Kotetsu, insisting on not letting Kotetsu escape and use the environment to his advantage again. Any attempt Kotetsu could make at escape would be met with a brutal punishment. Kotetsu jumped away from the branch he and Atsuo stood on after a particularly hefty beat down, falling through the air with no hope of grabbing a nearby branch. Atsuo felt a spike of fear shoot through his heart. The fear quickly turned to dumbstruck awe.

While falling in midair, Kotetsu strung together a rather long series of hand signs before pushing both hands to point down at the ground. With that motion, a bubble of fire blasted forth and grew to almost twice the size of his body. This temporarily lessened his downward momentum and allowed him to extend an arm, barely catching the edge of a thin wet branch. The fire continued its downward path for a few seconds before dispersing to leave ripples of heat flowing upward through the rain. Atsuo felt the heat from almost 20 feet above as he watched Kotetsu cling to the branch, his chest heaving to catch his breath. He felt anger well up when Kotetsu turned to look right up at him with a toothy grin, his eyes saying ‘How about that?’. Atsuo could see Kotetsu’s Chakra waning, and knew that the fight would come to an end one way or another. He leapt off the branch, aiming his feet right for Kotetsu’s stupid face.

Kotetsu continued to grin like a madman as Atsuo descended on him alongside the heavy rain. Kotetsu casually reached beneath himself and appeared to grasp something with both hands. Then, he stood- his body flexing horizontally, feet planted to one side of the branch, a rope tied to both ends of the branch pulled taut causing the entire skinny branch to curve down and away from Atsuo. With the Sharingan, Atsuo watched in abject horror as Kotetsu let the rope go, falling away from the branch which was now in an vicious upward swing right into Atsuo’s path. Reaching out, Atsuo attempted to brace himself against anything, but found no perch to redirect his path. The branch swung up as Atsuo fell down. The two met with a thump echoing through the forest.

The branch had almost finished its upward arc, giving Atsuo barely enough time to get one foot between his chest and the branch, letting him push away from the trap. Away from the tree. In that single moment of stillness, droplets of water falling atop his head, Atsuo had time to wonder how much falling over 50 feet would hurt. The wet air slathered his face, diluting the blood that covered it. 40, 30, then 20 feet. The forest floor rushed up to meet him. Then, out of nowhere, something hit him from above and to the side. Kotetsu had a firm grip on Atsuo’s leg as the two swung from the sideways force, Kotetsu nearly missing the large tree he aimed for. Kotetsu held Atsuo’s body with a death grip as his feet barely clung, sliding down the tree, the dregs of his Chakra getting used up in an attempt to lessen their downward velocity. The two collapsed into mud at the base of the tree from the drastic action.

The pair lay there, utterly drenched, breathing heavily for what felt like an eternity. Water continued to pour onto and around the two. Atsuo felt as if his entire body had just gone through the rapids of a river, getting tossed and beaten by the hidden rocks. He imagined Kotetsu felt worse. Slowly, he got to his feet. Looking down at Kotetsu, who was staring back with a defiant glare, Atsuo spoke.

“...Why… Did you save me?”

Kotetsu’s single eye widened slightly in surprise. He licked his lips and coughed.

“You… Don’t know?”

Atsuo gave a blank stare.

“We were… Sparring. Also, you hurt yourself too much. I don’t…”

Kotetsu sputtered and coughed some more.

“I don’t want to hurt people just to find out how strong I am.”

A strange smile appeared on Kotetsu’s face. Atsuo was first confused, then worried as Kotetsu’s one eye shut, having succumbed to his exhaustion and falling into a deep sleep.

—

Tan had been waiting for Atsuo to return with news of his success. The boy had left just over half an hour ago now, and Tan grew tired of this game. He got up and prepared to move out himself.

“Father, you should really stay and continue resting…”

Tan pushed his son to the side as he walked out into the cold winter rain.

“I will not tolerate Atsuo staining his and his father’s reputation as leaders. I will deal with this myself.”

—

It had only taken Tan minutes to find the location using the directions given to him by the other children. He found Atsuo standing over the still form of a boy with white hair, who was half propped up against a tree. The rain had thoroughly soaked both of them. Tan landed over a dozen feet away from the scene. After a few moments, Tan confirmed that the boy was still breathing. He inspected the pair more closely. Atsuo was covered in bruises and cuts, with blood having soaked his hair and face at one point. The boy- who Dan had said was named Kotetsu, appeared to be covered in even more bruises. Tan’s gaze lifted as he felt Atsuo staring at him.

Atsuo had turned his head to regard his father’s right hand man. The fight had ended mere minutes ago with Kotetsu passing out from exhaustion. That sight had broken something within Atsuo, letting him come to a new decision. Now, staring Tan down with cold anger, that decision manifested.

Tan stared into Atsuo’s single challenging eye, shocked at what he found. The boy’s Sharingan was activated, though this was not what surprised him. The shock arose from the presence of a third dot, the third Tomoe spaced evenly along the ring that circled Atsuo’s pupil. This marked the full development of an Uchiha’s Sharingan. Had Atsuo reached this stage while fighting that… Opponent? Tan could hardly believe the circumstances, but before he could open his mouth to question the boy, Atsuo spoke first.

“I will not allow you to harm him.”

It was a statement. Tan considered the sight in front of him. The two stood, eye versus eyes locked in place for almost a full minute. Tan finally spoke in an even tone.

“Did he fight well?”

After a few seconds, Atsuo simply nodded.

“Good. He served to push you to new boundaries.”

Atsuo glared while he spoke.

“I will be taking him back to be healed. That is my order, as I am still the clan leader right now.”

The two Uchiha stood silently amidst the torrential downpour. Tan could see the young Uchiha’s resolve written across his face.

“Very well. I'm not carrying him though.”

With his answer given, Tan spun and walked away.

Chapter Text

Voices. Jostling. Then, vague awareness. Kotetsu didn’t dare move, his primitive instincts telling him not to budge an inch. He couldn’t remember where he was or what he was doing. He rotated his foot, only to catch a bolt of pain shooting up his leg. Oh, right. He had been sparring with Atsuo. He couldn’t quite remember how that had ended… After a few intense moments of focus, the memories unleashed as a floodgate in his mind opened free. Atsuo was falling after launching himself into the air like a moron, forcing Kotetsu to rush in and save him. He was pretty sure that had settled the fight, leaving Kotetsu as the clear winner. Now with one question answered, he tried to think about the mystery of ‘where’. He awoke laying on his back, on a floor that was much too soft to be the forest floor; plus, he was warm and dry. There is no way he was still outside. Carefully, slowly, Kotetsu peeked one eye open.

The sight of a tent roof confused Kotetsu for several seconds. He didn’t pack any tent in his bag. Also, the color was off. The Hyuuga clan sported white and grey colours, prim and clean shades. This tent was a horrific dark orange in colour. Kotetsu was pretty sure that his mother would personally burn the tent to the ground for being so off colour. Glancing down, he noticed his clothes were gone, mostly replaced with bandages and covered with thick sheets. In the middle of his disordered trail of thoughts, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Kotetsu reflexively closed his one eye. Years of being woken early in the morning for menial chores trained him well. When Atsuo’s voice reached his ears, Kotetsu shot straight into an upright position and turned to look.

“Hey, are you awake?”

A tent flap had been opened and a head was peering through the gap. Atsuo pulled back at the speed at which Kotetsu reacted to his voice. Kotetsu looked directly at Atsuo. The two stared at each other for several seconds, until Atsuo scrunched his face up in annoyance.

“Gonna say anything, or just stare like an idiot?”

Kotetsu blinked.

“I, uh… Where am I?”

Atsuo let out a heavy, drawn out breath.

“Yeah. About that…”

Before Atsuo could speak, another head with short black hair popped in beside his own dark brown hair.

“He’s awake?” Dan said, intruding.

Atsuo attempted to push Dan’s face away. From the other side, Okita, one of the boys Kotetsu had first met along with Dan, squeezed his face in next to Atsuo’s. His lighter brown hair completed a trio that Kotetsu found mildly amusing. Atsuo grew more annoyed at the repeated disturbance.

“Hey! You’re up! Awesome. You know, we’ve only had Atsuo’s account of the fight to go on for two whole days now. We need your side of the fight, like-”

Okita was cut off as Atsuo wrapped an arm each around both his and Dan’s necks, then pulled the two of them out of the tent. The flap closed shut, leaving Kotetsu in vague darkness. Kotetsu was still trying to sort his thoughts out when he caught up with what Okita had said.

“Two… Days?”

Kotetsu had no clue where he was. After a few seconds of contemplation, a wide grin spread from ear to ear, cracking his dried lips as he decided that he didn’t particularly care.

—

One day earlier.

The clan mission group arrived, stumbling and generally shambling their way through the camp entrance. The support group had successfully brought medical supplies, which stopped anyone who was seriously injured from slipping into a worse situation. The support group only needed to make one trip. With their help, the mission group made it back to the clan camp ground safely. The mission group had only suffered a single casualty. A stroke of bad luck, Hazuki Uchiha had been singled out for the simple reason of being the first to land a clean strike on the Hyuuga. He drew the elder’s ire. The four clansmen that carried Hazuki presented the body with sober faces to the support group leader, Keina. Hazuki’s only child. Her expression remained rigid the entire trek back to the campsite.

Upon return to the camp, the mission group had been immediately tended to by the remaining clan members. Eito found his second, Tan, standing over Eito’s son, who was sitting on a log. The two were sitting in front of a tent used for medicine. The boy was covered in large bruises and cuts, which had been lightly wrapped in bandages. Tan stood with a stoic expression, while Atsuo sat with a strangely subdued expression. Before Eito could walk off to get his wounds saw to, he felt that this situation awaited his judgement. Letting loose a sigh, he strode toward the pair.

“Judging from your appearance, I’m going to guess that you didn’t fall into the latrine hole again.”

Atsuo’s face grew red from embarrassment. Tan grunted at the remark.

“If it were that simple, Leader, he wouldn’t be hiding something from you in this tent behind us.”

Eito felt an eyebrow climb up his forehead. Before he could make any sort of remark, Atsuo spoke.

“It is a decision that I made acting as temporary clan leader. I will defend my decision, father.”

Eito felt his second eyebrow begin to rise. A headache began to pound slightly just behind his eyes. He needed a drink.

“Boy… Have you done something that threatens the clan?” Eito spoke with a warning tone.

“No.” Atsuo spoke without hesitation.

Eito was not surprised at the serious nature of Atsuo’s response. What did surprise him was the look of determination and regret that he held. He had thrown out bait, curious to see how his son would respond. It appeared that in the week he was absent, his son had gone through some sort of experience. He made brief eye contact with Tan. The look Tan responded with spoke of a delicate subject. Whatever happened, it was more than just a physical toll. Atsuo’s expression morphed as Eito considered this. Now, his face was void of regret, only reflecting determination. He appeared to have made up his mind.

“Very well.”

Eito smirked, causing Atsuo to somewhat release his expression. Then, before Atsuo lapsed anymore, Eito blurred. He pushed past his son, stretching one arm out to pull aside the tent flap. Atsuo was too wounded to properly react, despite Eito’s own lingering damage. What greeted Eito was a confusing sight.

“Wha…?”

Scanning the scene, his eyes roamed and absorbed various details. A boy with messy white hair, quite younger than Atsuo, asleep in the middle of the tent. His body was wrapped in heavy bandages, even more so than Atsuo. A wet knapsack haphazardly propped against one side of the tent. The sleek sword that lay sheathed next to the bag. Pulling his gaze back to the sword, Eito paused at the sight of the engravings that flowed along the spine of the sheath. He let the scene sink in. His eyes widened at the implications.

Pulling his head out of the tent flap, Eito turned sharply onto Tan. Tan simply nodded at his leader’s questioning face.

“I’m almost positive it’s Cindersteel. No one can open it to confirm. The kids say that he was capable of opening it, though.”

Tan gestured into the tent at the boy. Eito felt his jaw begin to droop as the situation rapidly revealed itself. Turning to a confused Atsuo, he spoke his order.

“Tell me everything.”

—

And so Atsuo explained the events in order from that week. The arrival, the challenge, the fights. Eito sat in silence, intently listening as his son laid the story out in the analytical way he always did. Atsuo’s words faltered as he spoke of the events of their final fight. Finishing his story, Atsuo fell silent and stared down at the mat between Eito and himself for a few seconds, lost in thought. His eyes slid up to meet Eito, who was still pondering the entire situation. Fui, Eito’s wife and Atsuo’s mother, sat to Eito’s right, working on cleaning and bandaging his wounds. The two of them had sat and listened patiently to their son, all three with matching dark brown hair of various lengths. Atsuo watched his father’s face contort slightly as his mother scraped at a particularly stubborn spot.

“Well… You have been busy at least. Ow.”

Eito held back a groan through gritted teeth as Fui slathered a cream along his back.

“Atsuo, do you remember the stories we used to tell… When you were younger? About the Azuchi Kingdom.”

Suspicious of the conversation topic, Atsuo nodded.

“The Kingdom had once been an empire, owning much of the surrounding lands. It began to wane after a series of events some couple hundred years back. I’m not well versed in the details…”

Fui gave her husband an eye roll at that statement. Atsuo kept his lips from curling into a smile.

“...Anyways, the Kingdom held a mighty strength for many years. This was all thanks to the group of protectors that served both the Kingdom and these lands. These warrior men and women were known as… Cinders.”

Eito picked up a rather large mug from a spot Atsuo hadn’t noticed and took a sip. He could smell the alcohol from where he sat. Eito smacked his lips, sighed, and resumed his speech.

“The Cinders were strong. They passed down a training regimen born from the shinobi arts, and it was quite effective. But this isn’t what lent to their great strength.”

Eito caught Atsuo’s attention, locking eyes with his son.

“It was their blades. No one knows exactly what they are, or how they are even forged, but a Cinder wielding their blade could equal our entire clan. I’ve seen it. And furthermore, their blades could not be used by anyone but themselves. Even an unsheathed blade could not be handled by anyone but its owner.”

Atsuo thought for several seconds.

“Kotetsu is one of these Cinders? Or, a child of one? And he has one of their blades?”

Eito smiled in satisfaction.

“Yes. But not in the way you’re thinking.”

Atsuo frowned at his father’s remark.

“You see, as far as I am aware, when a Cinder dies, their sword dies with them. The blade becomes a useless lump of metal. Some form of Jutsu that destroys the blade, I’m sure. I haven’t seen that for myself, but I heard it from some reputable sources…”

Eito polished off the rest of his drink.

“How did Cinders get their swords then? And what makes the swords so great? And if Kotetsu’s blade is one of these blades, how did he get it?”

Atsuo’s rapid fire questioning was cut off by a resonating burp rippling over his face, forcing Atsuo to shut his eyes.

“Slow down there, kiddo.” Eito wiped his mouth.

“I’m confident in saying that I know where that sword came from.”

Atsuo leaned forward in anticipation.

Tan was making a round of inspections through the camp, looking to make sure that everyone was performing their tasks. He stopped at the sight of almost a dozen teenagers all crammed around his leader’s tent, staying absolutely still and leaning over each-other toward the tent.

“I’ve seen Kotetsu’s blade… And seeing it here now confirms something I heard years ago. That blade…”

A sound like trees falling from right outside the tent caught the trio’s attention. Atsuo quickly turned and opened the tent flap, revealing a pile of collapsed kids and teenagers. They were all boys. Standing over them was Tan with a stern look on his face, and a few girls standing to the side with a look of chagrin. Eito peeked from behind Atsuo, coming to see for himself. Atsuo looked down at the group of boys in consternation.

“Whatever conversation you were having in there was not as private as you may have wished for, Leader.”

Eito grinned down at the dogpile.

“That’s fine, Tan. This wouldn’t be much of a secret once the other adults figured out what Kotetsu’s sword was.”

While Eito spoke, Atsuo peered around the group, looking for a specific face. However, it appeared that Keina was nowhere to be seen.

Eito pushed past Atsuo to stand in front of the tent. The pile suddenly began to move and disband, boys untangling as they scrambled to get out of Eito’s path.

Eito waited patiently for the kids to finish their process. When he saw everyone had their feet back under them, he spoke.

“The Cinders were led by a General. This position belonged to a lineage of warriors, said to have descended from the first Cinders that served the Azuchi Kingdom. Along with passing down their title, this lineage also supposedly passed down a sword. A blade that belongs to their blood. And now, it appears that one of these blades has found itself in the hands of Kotetsu.”

Eito’s rather short speech ended abruptly. He looked out over the gathered faces, seeing the pondering look on some, and the realisation present on others. The adults that had been eavesdropping in the background were no less surprised by this news, having understood the context without hearing the earlier conversation. When Eito spoke again, the group of kids were jolted from the words intruding on their thoughts.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I need another drink.”

Pulling tight on his cloak, Eito walked off.

—

Keina Uchiha had stayed just outside of the camp after their return. She had diligently walked with the mission group all the way back to their home, fulfilling her duty as the support group leader. There were no words to be had with the bearers that carried her father, Hazuki. She had shown no emotion or let loose any control of her Chakra. After they reached camp, the bearers had set the body down at Keina’s request. All she had for protection from the cold was the heavy black cloak she donned from the camp. Alone with her thoughts and the body of her only parent, she sat quietly for hours, with the sky eventually falling dark to heavy clouds overhead.

The Uchiha burial custom is to set the body ablaze in a pyre. Heavy drops of rain began to fall, coating her long soft black hair. The heaving sky above lent to cover her own broken tears sliding down her face, dripping onto the cold body below.

Chapter Text

After waking up, Kotetsu remained hidden within the tent he found himself in. It had begun to rain again, the storm overhead picking up pace as it made its way across the sky. A nice older woman had brought a pitcher of water to the tent to discover Kotetsu ransacking his bag for anything edible. She left the pitcher and a cup, with a passing comment of food being promised. The thought of eating real food kept Kotetsu from lapsing back to unconsciousness, despite his brain urging him to lay down and nap. He savagely beat down his sleep deprivation after a delicious smell wafted in through the half-open tent flap. Curiosity and hunger led to his head peeking out of the flap, wet droplets pounding the top of his head. He began looking around in the manner of someone trying not to get caught. He was caught.

“What are you doing?”

The voice almost gave Kotetsu a heart attack. He didn’t recognise the speaker, and whipped his head around to face whoever broke the silence. Water flung off of Kotetsu and onto a young boy he hadn’t seen in days. The boy’s name evaded him.

“Uh… Hi. I remember you. You’re the first kid I beat during the fight club. You didn’t come back after that.”

The boy’s face contorted in embarrassment at the memory before he forced it back to a neutral expression.

“Yeah… I’m Teruo. I couldn’t show my face out there after… Well, you know.”

“Okay. So what are you doing here then? Looking for a rematch? If so, you’ll have to wait. I’m too hungry to fight.”

Teruo frowned in a very Atsuo-like manner. Kotetsu remembered that Teruo was right around his age, maybe a bit older. Teruo had coppery brown hair which was wet and plastered to his pale face, cut down to his shoulders. He wore a dark blue long sleeved shirt and thick warm cotton pants. Kotetsu looked at the warm clothes with a wanting expression, having no real clothes on himself. Thinking that, Kotetsu got an idea.

“Hey… Is there food somewhere? Could you bring me some? I can’t exactly leave my tent without clothes…”

Kotetsu put on his best moping face as he looked back into the tent at the meager bandage wrappings covering his body. Teruo dubiously looked down into Kotetsu’s pleading face. Right as Kotetsu was sure he had Teruo hooked, a third presence appeared. The man towered over the two boys, Teruo cowering slightly as he spotted the newcomer.

“Teruo. Why don’t you go back to helping cook dinner? Kotetsu and I have some discussion to do.”

The man first looked down at Teruo, then Kotetsu. The man was an older version of Atsuo. His head was topped with thick shaggy brown hair that seemed like it would be impossible to brush. Like Teruo, he too wore warm clothing, including a cloak pulled over one shoulder. Teruo stammered out ‘Yes, leader…’ and nervously walked away, only turning a single awkward glance back. Kotetsu couldn’t get any sense of the old man. The man stood amidst the downpour, frowning at Kotetsu, who continued to peer up wordlessly from within the confines of his tent. They stared for a number of seconds.

“May I… Come in?” The man ventured.

Kotetsu considered. If he didn’t let him in, the old man would likely just force his way in. Kotetsu figured that if he was in better condition, he could easily take him on. He weighed his options.

“I have brought a peace offering.” The man pulled out something wrapped in paper. The scent wafted forward and curled around Kotetsu. It smelled… Delicious.

Kotetsu removed himself from the flap, retreating back into his tent. His muffled voice came from within.

“You may come in.”

Moments later, the man had situated himself on the ground and offered the food to Kotetsu. Kotetsu had unwrapped the package and was now busy ravaging the steaming bun, which he discovered was filled with pork. It melted in his mouth and down to his stomach with little resistance. The man watched with a slightly amused expression for a few seconds. Outside, rain continued to batter the tent tarp.

“My name is Eito. I am the clan patriarch. You have met my son, Atsuo. I’m sure you have many questions. I would like to answer a few, and this seemed like a good opportunity.” Eito began, watching Kotetsu devour the pork bun.

Kotetsu chewed not-so-quietly. He gave a nod for Eito to continue.

“Your first question, I’d imagine, is where you are. Or maybe it’s who we are. I can answer both for you. We are the Uchiha. You are in our home.”

Eito waited for any visible reaction, but Kotetsu gave no indication.

“You… Know about us, yes?”

Kotetsu shook his head side to side. Crumbs spilled down onto the sheets he wrapped himself in.

“Oh. Well, I suppose that makes this somewhat easier, then.”

Eito flashed a look of disappointment before returning to a passive face. Kotetsu continued his feast.

“You should know that we are a clan much like the Hyuuga. I think. We both possess Kekkei Genkai, as you might be aware now. I’m not too sure of their internal politics, but I imagine it’s something along the lines of a hierarchical structure. Our younger members take easier or less volatile missions to build up experience. However, those types of missions usually lack a crucial element… Shinobi versus shinobi combat.”

Kotetsu had finished his pork bun and sat patiently for Eito to finish speaking. He stuck his hand up.

“Uh… Yes?” Eito motioned his hand out.

Kotetsu lowered his hand, swallowed some food, and spoke with absolute seriousness. “What’s a… High-err-arch-ickal structure? Also, what’s a cat-key… gen-guy?” Kotetsu pronounced as he licked his fingers, the pork bun having mysteriously vanished.

Eito sighed.

“Ignore that for now. I have a point I’m getting to, and I need you to understand something.”

Kotetsu shut his mouth and kept his greasy hands in his lap.

“You have proven a skilled fighter. Being able to handle my son and many of our younger members in combat, even if only a spar, is impressive.”

Kotetsu interrupted with a straight face. “I didn’t handle him. He was totally beating me. I only won because he screwed up.”

Eito found himself surprised at this admission. From what Atsuo had told him, Kotetsu held plenty of pride, if a little misplaced. “But, you did lead him to traps you had placed, correct?”

Looking down, Kotetsu gave a short nod.

“That’s what I want my clan to experience. Unorthodox fights that challenge their views of combat, forcing them to adapt, to expand their horizons. Which leads me to this.”

Eito mentally prepared himself for the response he might get after this next topic.

“Your father’s name… Was it Kouga?”

Kotetsu straightened and he failed to keep the surprise off of his face. His eyes shot back up to Eito’s, who looked contemplating at Kotetsu.

“I am afraid that I and most of my clan are now aware of who you are. Your last name is Hoku, isn’t it? You are from the Azuchi Kingdom.”

Kotetsu now attempted to keep his face from showing any emotion. Eito’s expression told him his efforts were useless. Eito gave a triumphant smirk, and began to pull himself up to leave the tent.

“I see. Kotetsu, you are welcome to stay with the Uchiha clan. Take your time today and tomorrow to rest… Then, I wish to see you fight.”

With his final remark, Eito crouched out of the tent, leaving behind the faint smell of pork bun and a breeze of frigid air. Kotetsu pulled the blankets tighter to his chin and wondered just what kind of trouble he had stumbled into.

“So much for those shinobi rules…” Kotetsu mumbled to himself.

—

That day ended without further incidents. Before night fully swept over the camp, Kotetsu escaped his tent and carefully limped away to relieve his full bladder. He was drenched by the time he got back to the safety of his warm blankets. The rain continued to pound away throughout the night, creating a perfect sound to fall asleep to. Kotetsu loved storms. That next morning, the rain had ceased, but the sky was still laden with heavy clouds that hung low. No visitors came to greet Kotetsu. Curious, and hungry, Kotetsu once again peeked his head out from the tent. This time, he got a proper look at the surrounding camp. Tents were spaced in somewhat uneven rows, an eclectic mix of reds, oranges and blues greeted him. There were no people in sight. Looking down, Kotetsu noticed a package wrapped and waiting just to the side of the tent.

Bringing it inside and untying the rough twine, the package revealed Kotetsu’s clothes. They smelled clean. Donning the fresh white-grey robes, he inspected himself. The sleeve cuffs and leg hems had been frayed after a whole week of constant sparring and Ninjutsu practice. He would need to pull out his sewing gear sometime later. He checked his injuries, balancing back and forth on both legs. His right leg still gave twinges of pain if he twisted the ankle enough. He decided that was enough, and moved out into the open camp.

Kotetsu took in the sight as he made his way through the tents. The campsite was more like the Hyuuga camp than he expected, except for a few crucial differences. Tents being somewhat disordered didn’t really count. As Kotetsu wandered, he encountered the first major difference. He walked into a large open field, cleared of plants and flattened. Along one side were open tents, racks of varying weapons lined within. Kotetsu gaped at the swords of different lengths, hammers, spears, bows, and other combat accoutrements. He had an urge to touch one but kept his hands to his sides. The Hyuuga did not practice with this wide a variety of weaponry. Eventually, his walking brought him to a large fire burning in the distance, smoke leeching up into the sky. A crowd surrounded the burn stack. When Kotetsu attempted to get closer, a presence from behind brought him to spin around in surprise.

Eito stood looming over Kotetsu. Next to him was a girl- who Kotetsu could see was Keina, the girl that effortlessly downed him during fight club. Kotetsu could barely see her out of the corner of his eye as he looked up at Eito.

“You should stay put today, Kotetsu. This is not a good time to wander.”

Kotetsu glanced at Keina, and found himself stepping back at the stone faced look she directed at him. He took a moment to look her over. She reminded him of the way his sister, Emilia, had looked when they lost Solomon. The fact that both of them had long silky black hair that flowed down and around their shoulders also contributed. Kotetsu nodded up to Eito and left the clearing with haste.

Keina was much like a cat studying prey, watching Kotetsu leave. The boy was far enough out of earshot a few seconds later. Eito broke the silence with quiet words.

“Do not let your hatred attach to this boy. We don’t know the story behind him leaving the Hyuuga clan. For all we know, they could be hunting him.”

Keina didn’t respond as she turned her attention to the pyre burning brilliantly in the distance. She had started the fire. The image of those bright flames were burned into her memory. After several long moments, she spoke.

“...Will it be like this? Every time I lose someone?”

Eito gave a slight nod of his head as he gazed out at the pyre. The memories of dozens of pyres from his childhood filled his mind. He dreaded the day the children of his clan would be forced to witness that sight themselves.

“You will lose more that are close to you. I will not lie and tell you it hurts less each time. You must fortify yourself, Keina. The greatest weakness we Uchiha must face is our own pain.”

Keina showed no emotion. With a start, Eito began to walk back to the pyre. After a few seconds, Keina forced herself to follow. The clouds above continued their slow march toward the west, forming an endless stream that blotted out the sun. As Keina stepped her own march toward the glowing flames ahead, she felt that even if the sun were out, she would be unable to feel its warmth on her skin.

—

Kotetsu eventually found the cooking pits. A single occupying force stood between him and succulent food. The woman, who was busy stirring large pots, saw Kotetsu meekly watching the food like a stray dog and took pity. Kotetsu happily walked away after scoring a few warm bread rolls. Having nothing better to do, and taking Eito’s advice to heart, Kotetsu retreated to his tent. The day crawled by as all Kotetsu could do was sit and wait. The bread reminded him of home.

Before night fell, a clicking noise brought Kotetsu’s head poking outside, only to find a bowl of hot soup. His silent visitor had seemingly come and went without him noticing, leaving the savoury meal. Shrugging, Kotetsu withdrew from the cold night air and ate the offering of vegetables and meat in silence. Hunger abated, Kotetsu fell asleep embraced by the warm blankets, unaware of the pain that would soon meet him in the following months.

—

The comforting darkness of sleep was ripped from Kotetsu as the tent flap was pushed aside completely, both Atsuo’s voice and the bright sun cutting through Kotetsu’s sleep-addled mind.

“Hey, get up. My father wants you at the training yards.”

Kotetsu turned his bleary eyes onto Atsuo.

“...Huh?”

“Get up, idiot. And grab your sword.”

Atsuo left the tent flap rudely spread open as Kotetsu tried to gather his wits about him. Putting his sandals on and slinging his sword over one shoulder, Kotetsu groggily escaped the soft blankets with much grunting and groaning. Atsuo waited impatiently as Kotetsu pulled a waterskin, sipped, then swished.

“Would you hurr-”

Kotetsu spat the water at Atsuo’s feet, who danced away reflexively. Atsuo deadpanned at Kotetsu, who smiled after stashing the waterskin.

“Ready.”

“I hope you are.” Atsuo responded.

A few minutes later, Kotetsu discovered he was, in fact, not ready. In the yard stood dozens of adults watching as kids of all ages were busy training and warming up. He had a horrible feeling as Eito stepped forward to speak.

The kids had ceased their sparring and were now focused on their clan leader and Kotetsu. They carried a mix of somber and determined expressions. Glancing around at the sea of faces, Kotetsu gulped. He noticed that Keina was nowhere to be seen.

“Hello, Kotetsu. As you see, my clan is eager to see what you have to offer. But first, I am eager to see your sword. As I’m sure everyone here is.”

Confused, but somewhat relieved, Kotetsu hesitated only for a moment as he unslung the sword from his shoulder with a smug look tugging at his face.

“Oh, you want to see… Thi-aaAAA-”

Since the day he had received his father’s sword, Kotetsu had never actually pulled the sword fully from its sheath. Something about the blade had felt unattainable to him, leaving him with the sense that he was unqualified to wield the sword. Now, standing before a crowd of battle-hardened shinobi and kids he had spent the last week getting to know through spars, he regretted not attempting to pull the sword out of its sheath earlier. The moment the tip of the blade left its casing, the blade dipped straight to the ground as if an invisible hand had yanked it down. After failing to keep it upright, the tip was left scoring dirt and the sword pulled Kotetsu to the ground along with the handle. His fingers were caught under the black grip. He attempted to use his other hand to lift the blade, but resorted to forcefully ripping his trapped fingers from beneath the evil sword.

The entire crowd stood in silence, both at Kotetsu and the silver-green katana which tumbled flat on the yard. A snicker from Kotetsu’s left broke the peace. Atsuo kept his hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to hold the sound back, but snot flew from his nose and the yard full of kids erupted into thunderous laughter. The adults wore varying expressions of disbelief, humorous mirth, and stoicism. The tense atmosphere that previously clouded the group had somewhat lifted after Kotetsu’s unintended stunt. Dan had walked over when the crowd had begun to settle down, a smile curling his lips as he spoke to Kotetsu.

“What, too heavy? Mind if I give it a go?”

Kotetsu peered with scorn at Dan, then smiled before waving down at the sword.

“Be my guest.”

Dan casually reached down, grasped the handle, and pulled. Nothing happened. With his second hand, he dug at the dirt beneath the hilt and reached in with both hands. Pulling with all his might, nothing happened again. Dan arched his back uselessly as he continuously bent and unbent his legs, attempting to lift the unliftable sword. When he finally conceded defeat, the real fun began.

One after another, Uchiha kids came forward, grasped the sword and attempted to lift it. No one was able to even slide the blade around. After 10 minutes of the kids lining up and taking turns trying to lift the sword, Eito finally stepped up to try his hand at the task. All the kids took a step back as Eito moved in front, pushing both hands out in a gesture to make room.

“Watch, and learn.”

Cracking his knuckles, Eito bent and snaked his fingers around the cool grip. With a look of absolute confidence, he pulled, his fingers slipped, and he fell over backwards. The yard went silent once again as everyone tried to hold back laughter with their rapidly dwindling resolve. The first one to burst out in a long wheeze was- surprisingly- Tan, Eito’s second in command. The situation quickly devolved as everyone lost whatever remaining willpower they had, racks of laughter echoing across the camp.

As Kotetsu stood among the kids laughing at the display, a deep, genuine smile split his face. He had been thinking of his home more and more these last few days.

This was not quite home. But that was okay.

Atsuo walked up next to Kotetsu, looking down at the blade. He spoke a question on his mind.

“If you can’t pick it up… How will you get it back in its sheath?”

Kotetsu’s smile dropped to a horrific realisation.

Chapter Text

Kotetsu had enough. Leaning against a post, bent over, Kotetsu took deep uneven breaths as he clutched at his gut. He sputtered slightly as he raised his head to look at his opponent, who stood a distance away with unending arrogance. Kotetsu attempted to bury daggers into the boy with his mind. He was reminded of the day still being early from the sun glaring just behind his opponent, casting a halo around the boy’s copper-brown hair. Kotetsu spit into the dirt at his feet before continuing his glare.

“What’s wrong, boar boy? Too scared to approach a vicious animal? Or just having bad memories?”

Kotetsu goaded Teruo, his first sparring opponent for the day. His stabbing remark had the desired effect as Teruo’s face twisted in irritation. Kotetsu forced himself off the post and began walking in a circle, forcing Teruo to begin circling as well. Kotetsu kept the smirk off his face as he successfully moved Teruo out from the line of the sun.

“Big words, for a big mouth. You have yet to take me down this week, Kotetsu.”

As Teruo’s face became partially lit from the early sunlight, Kotetsu laid eyes on the cause of this dangerous development in the form of the red iris of his Sharingan. Teruo had awakened the damnable ability earlier that week, causing Kotetsu endless struggle as yet another young member was able to overtake Kotetsu in one-on-one combat. Teruo had adapted quite well to the awakening of his Sharingan.

Kotetsu took a stance, un-clutching his gut and ceasing his circular pattern. Teruo stopped at the exact same moment. The two stared holes into each other’s faces. Then, without further hesitation, the spar began again.

—

Over six months had passed since Kotetsu joined the Uchiha clan. Atsuo stood with a few others on the rim of the training yard, patiently watching as Kotetsu got his butt kicked by Teruo for the sixth day in a row. Teruo’s combat skills had been steadily improving against Kotetsu, finally eclipsing Kotetsu when his Sharingan manifested during a rough mission. He observed Kotetsu’s dwindling sanity as Teruo won again and again, getting more desperate with each spar. This fight had begun with Teruo almost effortlessly deflecting Kotetsu’s useless strikes.

Kotetsu attacked again with renewed vigor, focusing on the singular objective of planting Teruo’s stupid face into the ground. Teruo dodged away from Kotetsu’s precise strikes with minimal movement. Teruo took even steps as Kotetsu continued his charge, seeming to throw punches almost at random. Then, the arrogant Uchiha tripped over a small divot in the dirt, stumbling just slightly. That was all Kotetsu needed as his fist slammed into Teruo’s chest, sending the boy flailing backward. Atsuo saw Kotetsu’s plan and admired his execution. When he had rested against the post earlier, his foot had worked an almost unnoticeable dent in the ground. He had marked the divot with a wad of spit, leading Teruo with his strikes to the spot. Teruo now lay sprawled on a short patch of grass and weeds, startled by the punch. Kotetsu stood over Teruo’s prone form.

“Lucky shot.” Teruo snapped.

“No, it wasn’t.” Kotetsu coolly replied.

Then, Kotetsu shoved one arm out, offering it to the fallen boy. Teruo peered up at Kotetsu’s smug face.

“You win a single fight and think that I’m just gonna sniffle like a lost puppy?” Teruo snarled, batting Kotetsu’s outstretched arm away. He rose from the ground and smeared the morning dew off his back.

“I’m just proving that if we fought anywhere but a flat empty field, you would be toast. Boar boy.”

Teruo sneered at Kotetsu.

“Big mouth!”

The two scowled at each other before stomping away in opposite directions. Teruo came up to Atsuo, his face turning sheepish as he glanced up into Atsuo’s expectant face.

“He’s right, you know.” Atsuo idly stated.

Teruo’s Sharingan began to deactivate now that the fight was over. The black ring in each of his eyes was marked by a lone tomoe, the sign of an immature Sharingan. The red irises faded to black as Teruo took a step back.

“He gets so… Pompous, though.” Teruo grumbled.

“He gets beat up by all of us day in, day out. Now that we are allowed to use our Sharingan against him, his advantages are few in number. He is arrogant, yes, but so are you.”

“No I’m no-” Teruo stopped himself at the raised eyebrow Atsuo gave him.

“I’m, uh, gonna go wash up.” Teruo stammered, before shuffling away from Atsuo and the other onlookers.

“Now that his Sharingan has awakened, he is allowed to join us on harder missions, right?” Dan asked from Atsuo’s side.

“He has adapted well. Father said that he has something lined up for him. Though, I don’t agree with the terms he’s set for this mission…” Atsuo peered down at a rock, kicking it as he spoke.

“Terms?” Dan questioned.

Atsuo hesitated. “It’s… Kotetsu. He’s been allowed to assist with lower tasks, but what father wants… Well, I’ll just say that I don’t approve.”

Dan thought for a moment.

“Is it about his origin with the Azuchi Kingdom?”

“Yes. Father wants to see if Kotetsu can become useful as… An asset.”

Dan did not like the sound of that.

—

Over the six months since Kotetsu had joined the Uchiha clan, he spent most of his time cooped up within the camp. He would spar with the Uchiha kids and young adults, routinely getting his butt kicked since they were all now allowed to use their Sharingan. Despite the concerns of Eito during their talk about who the Uchiha were, Kotetsu actually did know about the clan- he simply wasn’t aware of their names. He was raised on stories of historic shinobi and their battles, which included the Uchiha. Kotetsu wasn’t good with names, so most of what he remembered of these stories were the vividly described fights.

Over five months along, Kotetsu had finally gotten Atsuo to help convince Eito, the clan leader, to allow Kotetsu to participate in a mission. His first mission had been with Teruo and the two that he first met alongside Dan, Shingo and Okita. That first mission was to hunt and kill a wild creature that had torn through half of a farm. A mission like this did not usually fall on the lap of a shinobi clan, but the hunters previously hired for the task had returned scared witless, marking the mission as especially difficult. The group of boys had stumbled on to the creature after a long day of hunting.

“We’ve walked for hours now… I want to eat. Let’s stop and eat here.” Kotetsu loudly complained, walking behind the group of boys as they marched through the underbrush of a low forest. Their day-long tracking had led them on a trail of broken branches, trampled weeds, and muddy prints.

“How about you eat dirt?” Teruo smugly joked.

“How about you eat dirt~...” Kotetsu mocked.

Teruo threw a pinecone, which Kotetsu deftly caught and peered at.

“I didn’t realise your food situation was so dire, Teruo. If this is what you’ve been eating then I’m truly sorry-” Kotetsu was interrupted as a second thrown pinecone made its way into his open mouth.

“Will you two shut up? It’s difficult enough paying attention to the tracks with you two yapping back there.” Shingo ordered.

Another set of footprints appeared pressed into the soft ground. Shingo called for a halt.

“I’m almost positive it’s a boar.” Shingo commented, looking down at the prints.

“There’s no way. Those prints are much too different. They must be from, like… A bear, or something.” Okita countered. They had found various sets of prints that ranged in size but were otherwise identical, leading the four in circles as they attempted to pick out the prints of their target.

Teruo and Kotetsu stood in the back while Okita and Shingo quietly argued back and forth. Suddenly, they all felt a soft vibration through their feet. The vibration turned to shaking in a matter of seconds. They all turned at the sound of wood violently snapping to find their target. A large creature, easily over ten feet tall, and at least twice as long. Its body was covered in white tufts, with patches of leathery black skin dotting the body. Above its snout were two yellowed tusks protruding from dark bases that spread out more like the antlers of a stag. The four boys were sent into temporary shock at the sight of the monstrous boar bearing down on them.

Shingo was the first to snap out of his shock, calling to Okita and grabbing Teruo. Okita hesitated, then turned around to where Kotetsu was standing. Kotetsu stood staring dumbfounded at the approaching beast. Okita clutched Kotetsu’s arms and shot up into the air, barely clinging to a low branch with his feet.

The giant boar rushed beneath the four boys, who were busy shaking with sweat from the encounter. One of its huge tusks ripped a gash into a tree as it passed, sending bark and wood chips flying.

“Can we really take that thing on?! We weren’t expecting something that huge!” Okita roughly shouted over the crushing stomps of the boar. A sound like bellows let loose from the beast, sending shudders through the boys.

“We should get out of here, let an adult take care of this thing..!” Shingo vigorously affirmed.

Kotetsu had been transfixed by the sight of the beast. All his life within the Hyuuga clan, he heard stories from the older clan members about some of their missions. His favorites were those that involved huge beasts and other creatures. He had never been allowed the chance to see one of these animals himself, though. Before now. Okita had let go of Kotetsu to stand by himself on the branch, and Kotetsu snapped out of his reverie at hearing the discussion beside him.

“We… We can’t leave! We need to fight it, that’s what we’re here to do!” Kotetsu turned and pleaded.

“No!” The two shouted in unison at Kotetsu, before turning back to face each other.

Okita and Shingo ignored his further pleas as they continued to discuss how best to escape. Kotetsu felt his back stiffen as he understood what needed to happen.

Teruo had first been shocked, then amazed at the sight of the monstrous boar. He watched as the beast lazily circled their tree, breaking saplings and bending trees as it carved a path. The feeling of something brushing his side brought his attention there, where he found Kotetsu jumping down into the brush below. His eyes grew as wide as saucers at Kotetsu’s intentions.

“Uh, Okita? Shingo? It’s Kotetsu, he’s-” Teruo tried to warn the other two, but the words died in his throat.

“Hey, beastie!” Kotetsu cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted.

The boar ceased its circling and turned in an instant, immediately charging straight for Kotetsu. Kotetsu stood with his nose turned up, a leering smirk directed at the boar. His hands smacked together to form a mess of hand signs, and he took a deep breath. Exhaling, a stream of flame began to pour out from his mouth- but before he could do anything else, his body was forcefully shoved aside by Teruo, who now found himself mere seconds from meeting the boar. Kotetsu’s flames curved and coiled, striking the side of the boar. Wind blasted past, and Kotetsu pulled his face from the ground back up to where he was standing to find Teruo gone and the boar rushing away.

Teruo knew he had a lot to learn. However, even he knew that facing a boar head-on was possibly the stupidest thing he had ever seen. So, after pushing Kotetsu away and turning to the boar, he found that he was even more stupid than that. Truly, stupidity had no limits. And as the dozen sharpened points of the boar’s tusks rushed to meet him, his mind finally caught up with the actions of his body. The sensation of blood roared in his ears and behind his eyes. That moment before he was impaled stretched on for an unreasonable amount of time. He watched Kotetsu’s ill-attempted flames light up the boar’s side. Partially driven by desperation and a hunch, Teruo leapt right at the boar, reaching out and grasping for life.

Teruo’s foot had snuck past one tusk and planted itself firmly against the boar’s snout. With his arms, he managed to get through the entanglement of sharp bones and slam his body on the boar’s head, escaping certain death for the moment. The boar continued forward, practically running right through a tree with its massive tusks, snapping and crushing the tree into a thousand pieces. Teruo held on for dear life as his body was pelted with wood shrapnel. Shingo and Okita were unfortunate enough to be located on that tree, and were flung in opposite directions as the tree vanished from under their feet.

Kotetsu watched all of this happen in a matter of seconds. Teruo’s flailing form as he remained stuck between the boar’s tusks, the tree blowing up, finishing with Okita and Shingo flying away. With his heart racing, he got to his feet and rushed to follow the boar. He wasn’t about to let Teruo take all the glory for himself. He attempted to keep up with the speeding beast, but it left a path of destruction that was difficult to navigate around. Kotetsu kept following Teruo and the boar for several minutes, until Shingo and Okita caught up next to him.

“Is Teruo still on that thing?!” One of them shouted behind Kotetsu. Kotetsu didn’t bother speaking, just grunting affirmation to save his breath.

The forest ground had sloped up to a sharp incline, and eventually opened up to a large field on the side of the mountain. Teruo was happy for the reprieve from attacking trees, and took the opportunity to free a foot which he had somehow gotten stuck between two branches of the tusk. He looked up to spot Kotetsu’s flames still present on the beast. Strangely, there were no flames coating the black leathery patches of skin. After that observation, he turned his head to see where the boar was taking him. His blood ran cold as he spotted a cliff fast approaching. Surely, the boar would stop, he thought. Then he remembered his head slamming into something soft and squishy, and turned to find one of the boar’s eyes had blood pouring from it, and the other eye barely open. In a split second, he understood his situation. Before he could act, the boar rushed right over the edge of the cliff. He didn’t know if the squealing noises came from the boar or himself.

Kotetsu, Okita and Shingo all came to a halt at the cliff edge, seeing the skid marks of the boar as it attempted to stop its forward momentum before plunging off the side of the mountain. The three boys were hesitant to look over the edge. Then, a voice coming from the cliff surprised them, leading to them peering over the side with astonished expressions.

“Hey… Anyone there? A little help, please…” Teruo’s voice quivered as he hung on for dear life to a dead tree. His dirty and bruised face turned up to look at the three boys, who began hysterically laughing and crying. Beyond the edge, the carcass of the boar could be seen. Its body lay in various states of splatter and crushed muscles. The few dark splotches of leathered skin were all that remained intact, the boar’s deep red blood running down the rocks, leaving splotches of glossy black stone in its wake.

—

Kotetsu sat alone in his tent dwelling. He had been offered a tent for himself, much smaller than the medical tent he had found himself in those first few days in the clan. The last six months were exciting- and frustrating. In the Uchiha clan, there were no restrictions on teaching Kotetsu, so he took to learning everything he could about being a shinobi. The one thing Kotetsu absolutely wanted to learn was Ninjutsu, as his previous understanding was severely lacking at best. One thing that surprised him was finding out the hand signs had names, and he recited these names as he moved his hands between forms.

“Horse, Tiger, Dog, Ox…”

His words were quieted by footsteps outside his tent. He peeked his head out to find Atsuo standing over him with a disgruntled expression. He spoke with lackluster energy.

“Hey. The Clan leader wants to see you.”

Kotetsu noted that he didn’t say his father. Atsuo began to walk away. Sighing, Kotetsu got out of the tent, having to make long strides to catch up with the taller boy.

—

“You wanted to see me, Clan leader?”

Keina got right to the point as she pulled the tent flap aside and sat down in Eito’s tent. She caught Eito mid-sip with a strong smelling drink. He almost sputtered as the drink was set down next to him. He coughed into his fist before looking up to meet Keina’s blank expression, gathering his thoughts.

“Er, yes. Hello, Keina. We have an assignment I would like you to lead.” Eito spoke after a moment.

Keina simply sat and waited. Eito inwardly sighed at the cold display.

“It will be a group of four, including you. Your mission is simple. A village a day’s travel east has requested our presence. Apparently, they are having trouble with a group of thieves. Nothing serious, but they wish for us to act as a deterrent.” Eito explained.

Keina blinked. “Babysitting duty? For how long?”

Eito brought his drink up and took a long pull before answering. Lowering the half-empty cup with a sigh, he answered.

“One week.”

Keina did not let her outward appearance show any dismay. It didn’t matter as Eito could clearly see the subtle change in posture.

“Why me? Who else is available?” Keina asked in monotone.

“There are many operations underway. Our attention has been split too much, so I need you to step up. The people of this village are good people. They have treated us well in the past. Plus, their pay is rather…” Eito took another satisfying sip from his mug. “...Luxurious.”

Keina caught a vague scent of fruit wafting from the alcohol. She could not identify the fruit.

“...Fine. Who will be in my team?” Keina caved in.

“Like I said, you will have three others with you. That includes Atsuo, Teruo, and-”

Keina had been listening to footsteps approaching from behind, just outside the tent entrance. The flap opened, and she turned to face their intruder. Eito finished speaking after his dramatic pause.

“-Kotetsu.”

“Yeah?” Kotetsu asked, peering into the dark tent.

Keina’s entire body stiffened.

“Here he is.” Atsuo announced in a dejected voice.

Eito smiled. “Atsuo, will you fetch Teruo as well? I will give all four of you the assignment briefing today.”

Atsuo groaned with disapproval as he trudged away.

Keina turned rigidly in her spot and almost shot her question at Eito.

“How long until we depart?”

Eito leaned back slightly. “You will all be leaving tomorrow.”

Keina could not keep the miserable expression off of her face this time.

Chapter Text

The four had made their preparations that night with varying levels of effort. From Kotetsu and Teruo’s rushed excitement, Atsuo’s calm and collected-ness, to Keina’s subdued and low-spirited efforts. The next morning, Kotetsu almost ripped his tent trying to escape. He practically sprinted between the rows of tents toward the camp entrance. His overloaded bag heaved with weight, and his sword strapped to its side steadily bounced with his rapid footsteps. He spotted two figures already present at the entrance, standing a distance apart in the early light of that spring morning. Kotetsu felt his balance dangerously skew as his body collided with another high speed object.

“He-Ow!” Teruo shouted as the pair slammed into each other, both being sent skidding across the ground.

“Watch where you’re going, big mouth!” Teruo remarked, glaring at Kotetsu.

“Aren’t you supposed to have better vision than me?” Kotetsu snapped.

The two got up and, ignoring their dropped belongings, began to circle each other. They were interrupted as Atsuo stepped between them.

“Settle down now, or else.”

Both boys ceased as Atsuo scowled back and forth at the two of them. Looking down in consternation, the boys slowly picked up their dropped bags and glumly marched to the entrance, followed close by Atsuo, mumbling as they did. All three came to a stop as Keina, who had her back to the event, turned and shook everyone to silence with her face of iron.

“Are we ready to proceed?” She questioned Atsuo.

“Uh… Y-Yes.” Atsuo stammered. Kotetsu shot him a look of astonishment at the hesitation.

“Then let’s proceed. There will be no talking unless absolutely necessary.” Keina coldly stated before facing the entrance and stalking ahead.

Kotetsu and Teruo shot each other an awkward glance, before following at an uneasy pace.

—

The group trooped through the forest, over hills, and followed a river downstream through a small valley. Kotetsu and Teruo kept a far enough distance in the back, so as to keep their occasional quiet comments as unheard as possible. Atsuo would periodically glance back at the two with an almost resentful look.

Hours of walking passed by. Teruo had wanted to ask when they could stop many times, as he had mostly skipped breakfast in favor of getting out of camp as quickly as possible. He would not speak such a dangerous question though as it might result in his life ending. Kotetsu had no such inhibitions, and jogged up to Keina and Atsuo before Teruo could restrain him.

“I’m hungry. Can we stop?” He flagrantly asked.

Atsuo stopped and turned to look at Kotetsu. Keina continued forward for half a dozen paces before stopping herself. Atsuo had wanted to ask that same question almost an hour earlier, but he too did not wish to end up as fertilizer. After a long moment, Keina spoke.

“Very well. You have fifteen minutes. Be quick.”

Surprised, the three boys did not waste any time. In fifteen minutes, they managed to cobble together a not-so-flavorful meal of dried meat, berries and nuts from their bags. Keina sat alone, eating something pulled from her bag. Keina did not want to stop walking, as that would leave her with nothing to do but let her mind wander. She needed the focus of the mission to keep herself distracted. Without it, she began to dwell.

—

The night she discovered her father was dead had changed Keina. Her mother had succumbed to an incurable illness early in her life, leaving herself and her father alone. Now only she remained. The next day, she sat by herself in the cavernous family tent that belonged to them- to her. She traced her finger along the edges and seams of the clothes her father would wear. These clothes would be given back to the clan for someone else to wear. A sound outside the tent brought her to open the flap to find the clan leader, Eito. He stood in the cold black night wrapped in a cloak, carrying two bowls of hot soup. Without a word, he set one bowl down and began to walk away. Keina spoke out before she could stop herself.

“I already ate.”

Eito paused to turn back slightly. “You have not.”

Keina’s feeble attempt to not eat crumbled at his admission and the smell of the hot food. It washed away the scent of ash that filled her nose. Not that she would ever forget that smell. Picking up the bowl, she asked another question before she could stop herself.

“Is that bowl for you?”

Eito looked down at the other bowl of soup he carried, before shaking his head. “This one is for our guest. Would you… Like to take it to him?” He offered after a hesitation.

Keina glanced down into her bowl. It truly did smell delicious. Something in the back of her head pushed her to act, to do something. She set the soup down, got up, and walked toward Eito, arms outstretched.

“Allow me.”

Keina could not discern the complex expression that passed over Eito’s face. After a slight hesitation, he handed the bowl over to Keina’s shaking hands. That night, she walked across the camp and silently placed the food in front of Kotetsu’s temporary tent. From a distance, she watched the bandaged boy peek his head around, then broadly smile as he spotted the soup beneath him. The soup that night was the best she had tasted since she could remember.

—

Keina snapped out of her recollection as Atsuo approached her.

“We’re ready to go.” He stated without preamble.

She stood up, glanced at the rest of the group, brushed herself off and grabbed her bag.

“Let’s get moving.”

The group felt lighter with each step as they slowly made their way out of the wilderness. Hours later, shortly before nightfall, the lights of a village were seen twinkling in the distance. The group had been moving through a wide plain, intermittently dotted with large trees. The plain eventually angled upward onto a flattened hill, revealing the village. Long stretches of farmland stretched on for kilometers in all directions, with the village spread in between connected by rough cobbled roads leading to farm houses. The four breathed sighs of relief as their goal finally approached.

—

The thieves had regularly stolen from this farming village. Over the months, they dared to steal more and more until their thievery had been caught and they were chased out. That had not stopped them from making occasional visits to partake in the village’s wine stores, produced from the winding vineyards that lined the farmlands. While being chased out from their latest burgle, some of the villagers had taunted them with threats of having hired shinobi to stop them. They were determined to hold on to their easy situation, so they decided to fight back in their own way.

“We can’t let those village idiots walk all over us with some shinobi. We have to show that we are not to be messed with, that WE can take whatever we want.” Said one man, prodding the low fire they huddled around with a long stick.

“You’re right. But I doubt those stupid farmers could pay a group of real shinobi. Surely, they’re bluffing.” Spoke another man, watching the embers dance away into the air.

The two men continued to complain back and forth, when a pair of footsteps interrupted their conversation. One of the men spoke out.

“Hello? Kabin? Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me. I brought our backup. He’s going to make our job much easier.”

The face of Kabin was lit up by the soft glow of the campfire. Behind him, a looming figure stood a distance away.

“Uh…” The two men sitting around the fire shot glances at each other.

“Don’t show too much gratitude, you twits. This man here is a hunter, passing through the plains. He’s agreed to scare off these puny shinobi for a fair price.” Kabin said, eyes rolling in the vague light.

One of the men got to his feet and awkwardly took a few steps toward Kabin and the newcomer.

“Uh… Nice to meet you, Mister hunter.” The man said after a few awkward moments, bowing his head slightly.

The hunter towered over the three young men, easily spanning over six feet tall, with most of his body obscured by a rough black leather cloak that fell to his feet. The men could not make out much detail in the dim light of the fading day.

“Tomorrow, all you have to do is threaten those wannabe shinobi and they will go running for the hills. Isn’t that right, Mister hunter?” Kabin jokingly stated.

The hunter was silent for a few long seconds. When he spoke, his voice was soft with an accent the three men were unfamiliar with. “Of course, lad. Like you said, it will be… Easy.”

All that illuminated the small campsite filled with half-drank wine and stolen goods was the single dwindling campfire. A horrid ripping sound filled the air, and a gush of blood sprayed out from Kabin’s chest, dousing the weak flames and flooding the area with darkness. The other two men screamed as their only source of light was ripped away, running and tripping over their scattered loot. One by one, their screams were cut off by loud thuds. Smoke twirled up and out of the bloodied fire pit.

The hunter stood in the midst of the carnage. This village and its unsuspecting guardians would be the opportunity he had been chasing. He had only gone through two sheddings, and the third shedding would truly allow his newfound power to take root. Not to mention, he was starving.

—

The group made their way into the village, following the winding path up through fields. The trail eventually connected to a larger stone roadway, paved to make the towing of hefty carts easier. People bustled about along the road, carrying equipment or pulling wagons filled with various supplies. Kotetsu and Teruo gawked at the village as it spread around them, getting tugged along by Atsuo so as not to get in anyone’s way.

“Will you two stop staring and keep your eyes forward? We’re here to do a job. At least try to look professional.” Atsuo scolded. The two boys sheepishly pulled their shoulders together and kept their faces forward, though their eyes still glanced about. Atsuo sighed for what must have been the hundredth time that day.

The villagers were wrapping up their long day of preparing the farm land, working to sow the fields. The early spring day held no clouds and presented the perfect opportunity, which was not to be wasted. Atsuo, Kotetsu and Teruo silently followed Keina as she unerringly made her way toward the town hall, located on the rim of a relatively large paved circle which connected the network of roads. The four received looks and stares from passersby as they made their way toward the hall. The hall itself was the largest building by far, a large wooden structure that stretched higher than the surrounding farmhouses.

“It’s… A box.” Kotetsu proclaimed.

“Shh.” Atsuo pressed a finger to his mouth. The group entered the hall through large sturdy doors that were propped open. Once inside, rows of polished wooden chairs lined the sides of the hollow hall. Long thin window frames stretched up from the middle of the walls up to the roof, letting in the fading evening light. A few men and women stood on the opposite end of the hall, talking quietly amongst themselves. One of the men looked over to see the group, and smiled.

“Ah, you are here! Welcome, young warriors. I am happy to see you have arrived safely.” The man excused himself from the others and strode over to the four kids. The man was portly, with a balding head and loose stained clothes. Keina spoke before the man could get any more words out.

“We are here to fulfill our duty. Please lead us to where we will be staying so we can adequately prepare.” Her monotone delivery had the approaching man raising his eyebrows.

“Ah… Yes, I will show you to your accommodations. You must be tired after your trip. My name is Ichita. It is my honor to welcome the young Uchiha to our humble village…” Ichita trailed off as he made eye contact with each shinobi, before settling on Kotetsu. His gaze wandered to the sword sheathed at the boy’s waist, and the intricate designs etched along its length. His surprise showed for only a moment before he regained his composure.

“...Please, follow me.” He finished after several seconds of awkward silence.

Atsuo’s stomach felt queasy at the interaction. Kotetsu wondered if everyone would look at him like that.

The four trailed behind Ichita as he led them to the outskirts of the village, attempting to make small talk as they approached a lone building that stood vacant. The inside was filled with the scent of old grain, implying a store room of sorts.

“We had to remove the seeds from this house after finding rats were chewing into the walls. We just recently cleared the infestation, so you shouldn’t worry about anything slipping in here while you sleep. Someone will come by with food in short order, but I must be heading back now.” Ichita spieled.

Keina inwardly groaned at the small accommodation. The other three outwardly groaned at the thought of potentially finding rat droppings. Keina glared at the trio, then turned to Ichita.

“Thank you. This will be fine.” She gave a curt nod to Ichita. Ichita took the hint and, dusting his hands on his trousers, closed the door with a soft clatter.

A while later, a group of older boys and girls showed up with the promised food. The group had resorted to staking out corners of the small room, maximizing their sleep distance. Atsuo drew the short stick and was stuck in the only corner with rat droppings. The four made their way outside and accepted the stale bread, old preserves and tough jerky with forced smiles. Some of the farm kids tried to make small talk, but the shinobi simply wanted to get the day over with and prepare for the next week of hot sun and strong winds. One boy stepped forward with a sneer pasting his face.

“You really think you can stop those thieves? Old man Ichita is wasting our money on you lot. Those bastards will just wait for you all to leave and come back once you’re gone.” The boy spat at the shinobi’s feet.

Kotetsu almost stepped forward, but was held back by Atsuo’s outstretched arm. He looked up into the older Uchiha’s face to see disdain, before Atsuo shook his head. Kotetsu took a step back while the farm boy jeered some more.

“You won’t even defend yourself, huh? Maybe those thieves will just waltz through here and we’ll take care of them while you all watch!” The boy taunted.

“Thank you for the food.” Keina coldly replied. The boy glanced at her face, then froze. He backed up half a step before catching himself. Keina turned, creaked open the door to their temporary home, then marched in, the other three following closely after. The gaggle of farm kids walked away, wondering at the strange nature of their hired defenders.

“That was exhausting.” Kotetsu deflated.

Teruo threw a smirk at Kotetsu. “What, you think they would fawn at your feet for being a cool shinobi?”

Kotetsu caught himself before he nodded. He stared daggers at Teruo.

“Boar boy.”

“Big mou-”

“Shut. It.” Atsuo barked before the two could get into it. The two glanced guiltily at Atsuo, then pulled their eyes down to their food at the hard stare Keina directed at them. The four ate in silence, grateful for the food despite its condition. They passed out in short order afterward.

—

The village was winding down after their first successful day of preparations. In a lone tree over a kilometer away, a man stood hidden above by the lush leaves and stretching branches. He had observed the village for most of the day through a long spyglass held firmly in both hands, which was worn from considerable use. He had seen the shinobi enter the village and kept track of their steady progress. When they were led to the paltry box that would serve as their sleeping quarter, he cursed softly to himself. They would not even be separated by a wall, the inside most likely possessing a single room. He would have no opportunity to claim their lives quietly. As he considered his conundrum, a group of farm children arrived. He watched with wrapped attention as one boy in particular stood out, appearing to antagonize the shinobi. This would make due.

Hours later.

Night swiftly claimed the village, small lights piercing through veiled curtains the only source of illumination as the moon hid itself from the night sky. Okihiko had forgotten about his final duty for the day, and silently blamed the shinobi for distracting him from his tasks. The boy made his way out from his family house and toward the barn filled with animals. His feet seemed to find every spot of mud, almost slipping multiple times on his way out to the large structure. He held a small candle to illuminate his way, encased in glass so as not to go out at the faintest wind. The barn loomed closer, until Okihiko could make out the large doors. He noticed that one of the doors was left ajar.

Slowing down as he stomped up to the unlatched barn doors, he wondered if his father had already checked the animals due to his lack of attention. His father would have mentioned having taken care of it though, so he was left confused. He decided to check the animals just in case, so as not to get yelled at later. He opened the door slowly.

Okihiko stepped within, his feet remembering to avoid the creaking boards so as not to spook the cows. However, something was wrong. His mind tried to pinpoint the feeling, racing through a mental checklist to see what felt off. Then he understood. There was no sound within the barn. Even at this hour, he could usually hear the soft creaking as the animals adjusted themselves or stepped about. The huffs of breath and the scraping of wood. There was none of this. Moving to one stall, Okihiko peered in to see the group of small pigs were… Completely still. They stood upright, tails pointed in the air, ears straight out. He had seen something similar, once. It only happened when they had sensed a dangerous predator.

Suddenly, the barn door he had left partially open shut in a loud clang. In a panic, the light slipped from Okihiko’s fingers, but he regained his grip at the last second. The fire wavered, casting dancing shadows through the large interior of the barn. He tried to regain his wits, looking at the shut door. His mind reasoned that the wind must have pushed the door shut. He slowly shuffled toward the front of the barn, his eyes darting in each and every direction. His hopes were snuffed as he saw the doors had not only been pulled shut, but the inner latch had been set in place. Someone, or something- was in here with him.

A sound brought Okihiko to glance around in panicked fervor. The creak of floorboards in one direction led his eyes to find a large figure hidden by a distant shadow, who instantly began charging at the boy. Scared into sudden remembrance, his hand jutted out to the wall next to the doors to find the rake he had left hanging there the day before. Pulling the rake off the wall, he dropped his candle by his side, before gripping the tool with both hands and bringing it down in a vicious strike at the approaching figure. Okihiko felt the rake rip into something. He pulled the rake back into the meager candle light to find dark liquid dripping off the end. Dropping the rake in fright, he reached back and unlatched the door, pushing it open and racing out with haste.

His quick legs managed to carry him almost three steps out of the barn before his body fell limp to the ground. The last thing Okihiko had felt was a sharp piercing pain in the back of his head. From the moment he entered the barn to the second he left, not a single sound escaped those broad walls into the frigid night.

Chapter Text

Mornings for the village were not dull around this time. Waking up before dawn in preparation for a long day required a certain level of energy. Kotetsu awoke annoyed at this energy as the sounds of industry easily cut his sleep through the thin walls of their mini-stead. Not able to fall back asleep, Kotetsu found himself leaving the cabin and wandering the village before any of his peers woke up. He idly walked, observing men pulling huge laden carts out to their fields, women sorting and repairing equipment, and children helping anywhere in between. Kotetsu jumped as a sharp voice from behind caught him off guard.

“Boy, lend me a hand, will ya?” Came the voice of an old male.

Kotetsu turned to eye the speaker. The man was old; older than anyone Kotetsu had seen. The man had short gray hair that puffed out to either side of his tanned wrinkly head, and a mustache of the same color that coiled and barely covered his mouth. Kotetsu stared wide-eyed at the man for several seconds before being jolted from his hesitation.

“You just gon’ stare, or help me lift this cart, boy? This wheel ain’t gon’ fix itself.” The seasoned farmer’s gravelly voice questioned.

Not having any frame of reference for this situation, but wanting to help, Kotetsu meandered over and eyed the cart. The farmer glanced at Kotetsu- lingering on the sword strapped to his hip, then kept his eyes on the cart as he spoke.

“The wheel here is chipped, needs replacin’. I can lift the cart if you can get the wheel out. Y’know how to change a wheel?” The farmer asked.

Kotetsu found his voice after a moment. “N-no, sir.”

The farmer didn’t look at Kotetsu again as he asked his next question. “You’re one o’ them shinobi, aren’t ya, boy? If so, you should be just fine liftin’ this cart, and I can get that damned wheel instead.”

Kotetsu shuffled past the old man, unstrapping his sword and leaving it on the cart for the moment. His fingers found perches under the cart as the old man pointed out the wheel he needed to get to. Grasping firmly, Kotetsu focused on the feeling of Chakra rushing through his body, and lifted the cart with a single heave. Kotetsu kept the cart balanced as the farmer wriggled the wheel loose, pulled a new one from in the cart, and expertly reattached the new wooden wheel.

“Right, set it down carefully.” The old man instructed, moving to grab the cart alongside Kotetsu. The two set the cart down gently, then the old man stepped back with a huff, hands on his knees. Kotetsu inspected the new wheel, a strange feeling of fulfillment washing over him. The old man glanced at Kotetsu to see he suffered no ill effect from lifting the cart.

Brushing his hands off, he walked over and patted Kotetsu on the back. “Thanks for the help, boy. The name’s Ozaki.”

Kotetsu flustered at the conversation. “Uh, my name is, uh, Kotetsu. Sir. I am at your… Service.”

“I’m not payin’ you to hold a cart, boy.” Ozaki said amusingly. Then, he asked a question. “You needed somewhere else? I could use a hand right now..”

Kotetsu didn’t even know how his group was supposed to catch these supposed thieves. Thinking that, he wondered if he should go ask Keina for instruction. Then the rest of his brain caught up and he thought better. If they were supposed to be catching thieves, it would be best for the group to split up, Kotetsu reasoned. That would give them the best chance. So, with his decision made, Kotetsu nodded up at Ozaki.

“I’m free as long as you need me, sir.”

“Right. Just stop calling me sir.”

“Yes si- I mean, Mister Ozaki.”

Ozaki gruffly sighed at the boy’s strict formality.

—

The three Uchiha woke to the shaking of the door as a fist excessively pounded it. Pulled from slumber in an instant, Keina was the first to reach the door, pulling it open to reveal a woman with a small stature. She stood awkwardly in the door frame, a stricken look sitting on her face.

“You, er… Ichita wishes to speak with you all. Immediately.” The woman spoke hastily, her eyes darting between the three, giving each one a strange look.

“We will be out shortly.” Keina automatically responded. Turning around, she found Atsuo and Teruo ready to go. Despite her recent mood, she teased a slight smirk at the boys. It became a frown as she glanced more openly around the room.

“Where’s Kotetsu?” Keina whispered. Atsuo and Teruo looked at each other before shrugging in unison.

“He’s never had a consistent sleep schedule. He’s likely getting familiar with the village.” Atsuo quietly guessed.

“Yea, I bet he’s getting real familiar with the farm animals…” Teruo said with a straight face. Atsuo barely managed to keep his face from twisting into a laugh, but his shoulders betrayed his restraint.

“Let’s hope he keeps his familiarising to a minimum.” Keina flatly stated with a small twinkle in her eyes. Atsuo couldn’t tell if he had imagined that or not.

Pulling themselves together for a long day, the group trudged out and followed the woman into town. As they marched down the street, Teruo noticed a strange absence around him. Just earlier that morning, everyone seemed to be working and moving around. Now, it was like no one wanted to breathe. People stood in sparse huddled groups and murmured quiet words back and forth. The three continued to follow their skittish guide to the opposite edge of the village, where they found a small gathering of people standing on fresh-tilled farmland in front of a large red barn. Ichita stood in the midst of the group, with everyone seeming to have something to say. A large cloaked figure stood off to his side.

“...Yes, Satomi, we will find- Ah, there they are.” Ichita cut his discussion as he spotted the group out of the corner of his eye. The three had paused somewhat to absorb the sight, no longer sure of the situation. Ichita shuffled out of the group and toward the Uchiha.

“We have… A horrible situation. Terrible. One of our older boys was… Found this morning. His- His father discovered his body.” Ichita stammered, clearly shaken.

One man moved out of the way, and Keina saw the body. Her breath caught in her throat at the visceral scene. In front of the barn, over a dozen feet away, was a body. It was lying face down on the ground, revealing the large puncture wound in the back of the head. Keina could not tell, but from her distance it resembled a stab wound from a blade. The body was covered in dried mud. Worse than that was the body’s clothes. Whatever- or whoever had done this, had taken them. The body was left completely stripped.

Ichita had continued the half-report while Keina stared down at the broken body. She picked up what he was saying after realising the man had not stopped talking.

“...The hunter thinks he may have died sometime early last night. Our own hunters mostly handle smaller creatures, you see, so this has them shaken. Which is why we are lucky Mister Sochua was nearby.” Ichita was spouting, unaware of Keina’s lapse in attention.

“When was the body found? And, who is Mister Sochua?” Keina questioned.

Ichita hesitated, his sentence interrupted. Before he could respond, heavy stomps brought the group’s attention to the cloaked figure. The tall man stepped away from the crowd, forcing people to move out of his way as he walked without care for anything in his path. Keina appraised the man as he approached. His cloak was stitched together from large patches of black leathery hide. In between the patches were long slits, like cuts that had yet to be patched up. The man wore large sturdy boots which made deep footprints in the mud. One defining feature were words that seemed etched into the skin of his face- a language that Keina did not understand. This was particularly strange. Stranger still, was the set of dark scars like claw marks that were dug like trenches across his face, disrupting the trail of made up symbols. The scarring looked recent.

“A-Ah, allow me to introduce Mister Sochua. He is a wandering beast hunter. He wa-” Ichita attempted to explain, but he was cut off by a deep and surprisingly quiet voice.

“I am a monster hunter.”

Ichita glanced down at the soft mud, trying to tamp down his nervousness. No one spoke, creating a silence that stretched for an awkward moment.

“What kind of monsters?” Teruo asked with all the blunt nature of a twelve year old. Keina, Atsuo and Ichita all felt their shoulders tense slightly.

Sochua slowly turned his head to fully catch the boy with his sight. He answered with deliberate patience.

“The kind that turns men to cowards and leaves fear in their hearts.”

Teruo knew that feeling. An image of large tusks rushing at him flashed through his head.

“Why is a monster hunter helping with a murder?” Atsuo couldn’t help but ask.

While the Uchiha and Sochua had their back and forth, men and women from the previous group joined to form a loose circle around the conversation. Keina noticed that many of them carried various weapons from blades, spears, and bows with satchels of arrows strapped to their shoulders.

Sochua’s smile did not reach his eyes as he continued to stare down at the shinobi.

“Because not all monsters are beasts. This village has only dealt with nice, simple vermin; I seek a greater challenge.” Sochua’s eyes widened slightly as he spoke.

“A monster that thinks. A monster with the cunning of a man, the ferocity of a beast.”

Catching her breath, Keina took a second to think.

“What makes you think that this was one of these… Monsters? Why couldn’t it just be a person that did this?” Keina reasoned.

Keina almost stepped back in surprise as Sochua closed the distance to her and lowered his face down into hers. His face had returned to a neutral expression, his mouth closed and his short curly black hair fell around his forehead as he moved into her personal space. She caught a faint smell of something rank on the edge of her senses, like rotting teeth.

“...Allow me to show you.” Sochua spoke after a moment, before turning back and making long strides to the barn doors. Keina began to follow along after a few seconds. Atsuo and Teruo kept pace behind the mission leader. Ichita stayed with the other villagers outside, not wishing to see that sight again. The Uchiha kept their eyes facing toward the barn as they had to pass the body of the boy.

It didn’t take long for her and the others to figure out why Sochua was so sure of his words.

Laid out before them was the gruesome evidence. Scattered across the ground of the barn were animal carcasses in various states of devourment. The larger cows and horses had large puncture wounds punching straight through, while the smaller pigs and goats were left half-eaten, and in some cases- headless. The macabre display spread to every corner of the building, everyone unable to stop their eyes from wandering the disturbing scene. Sochua stood in the middle of the carnage, his back to the group, unbothered by the chaos.

“Now you see why I am here.” Sochua quietly stated, turning to look at the shinobi. The three were unable to speak. Sochua continued unabated.

“You understand the situation now, yes? We must begin the search.”

Sochua ushered the group out of the barn, who were more than willing to leave the unsettling scene behind. The body of the boy had been wrapped in a set of sheets and was being delicately carried away by a pair of men. The men and women who must be the village hunters, Keina realised, had loosely circled the group once again.

Sochua revealed an arm hidden within his cloak, pulling a long thin black rod. The rod had a distinct handle in the middle, made of pale leather strips that wrapped around the smooth stone. Both ends of the rod ended in sharp points. In the morning light, one half of the rod was slightly rougher and grained compared to the other.

Sochua anticipated the question before any of the shinobi could ask it. “This is my marking tool. With it, I can determine who among us is a monster in disguise.”

Keina felt her eyes squint in suspicion at that claim.

“I can see your doubt. Allow me to demonstrate.” Sochua began, turning to one of the men that stood in the circle around them. The man had a pained expression as he stepped forward.

“I’ll do what’s necessary, but surely we don’t all have to take the test again?” The hunter asked, before holding up one arm. Keina noticed what appeared to be a slight burn on the man’s wrist.

“Of course.” Sochua said, before pressing one end of the black rod against the man’s arm. A hissing sound like meat cooking filled the air for a split second, before Sochua pulled the rod back. The man looked down with a restrained expression to inspect the second burn mark adorning his wrist. Sochua explained in an unhurried manner.

“The black stone of this rod is hostile to Chakra. It has no effect on beasts and monsters alike. So, when it comes within contact of something possessing Chakra, the stone seeks to destroy it.”

Sochua turned to the three shinobi with a smile. “Now, then. Who’s first?”

Teruo stepped forward without hesitation, raising his arm.

“Let’s do this.”

—

Kotetsu wished he had stayed in bed. His morning had been spent lifting heavy carts, towing piles of dirt, fertiliser, and other unmentionables. Whenever he got the chance to sit down and rest, that fiendish old man, Ozaki, who tricked him into this cruel labor assigned him another task. It wasn’t long before Kotetsu was busy wrangling goats to be sheared of their winter coats. He spat mud after being dragged through a meadow by a particularly strong goat, leaving him pondering the situation.

“Brat, what are you doing? You let it escape again.” Ozaki yelled from across the field, holding a goat down while he expertly trimmed it with his shears. The goat passively observed the event with an almost serene expression. Kotetsu felt his ears turn red as he got up and attempted to brush off the clumps of dirt and grass.

“What are you even feeding these goats? I’ve fought shinobi with less strength than that damn thing.” Kotetsu complained. Ozaki gave a broad smile that stretched from ear to ear.

“You just need to get the knack!” Ozaki cheerily returned.

Kotetsu shot daggers at the cursed goat from across the field where it was lazily chewing on a tuft of tall grass. He could have sworn it looked at him with disdain. Rolling up his sleeves, Kotetsu prepared to chase down the goat once again.

—

Keina and Atsuo were somewhat hesitant to allow the black stone rod to touch their skin after Teruo’s incident. Upon brushing the tool, his skin sizzled with a horrific sound, and a short scream wretched itself from his lips. The contact with the stone was incredibly brief, but was apparently enough to leave a burn that was worse than what the village hunters had experienced. Nevertheless, the two older Uchiha allowed the rod to touch them at the insistence of the hunters, plus Ichita. Their reaction was just as bad, if not worse. All three held their arms in varying levels of pain as they backed away from Sochua.

“Well, it appears that you are all who you say you are.” Sochua said with a monotone.

After recovering from his shock, Teruo grew curious at how the stone could destroy Chakra, and he activated the Sharingan to investigate his wound. The usual solid color that he associated with his Chakra was disrupted along his arm. Teruo attempted to circulate Chakra down his arm and through his wrist, only to be surprised. Strangely, it was as if the stone had not just damaged the Chakra, but the pathways that Chakra uses to get around the body. Teruo could not see those pathways of his Chakra network, but he could tell that the rate at which his Chakra flowed was reduced.

Teruo glanced from his arm up at everyone around him, finding another surprise. To his eyes, the Chakra of every person was clearly visible, with the Chakra belonging to the hunters obviously being lesser than that of his fellow Uchiha. What surprised him was the fact that he could not see Sochua’s Chakra. He felt his eyes uncontrollably widen. His mouth almost asked a question, but he stopped it. Thinking for a few seconds, he asked the question anyway.

“Mister Sochua… Have you tested yourself?” Teruo asked a question that seemed too obvious, but felt stupid after the fact.

Sochua turned his eyes down at the boy, staring with an unreadable expression for a few long seconds. One of the hunters stepped forward and grabbed Teruo.

“How dare yo-”

“No. He has a point.” The hunter was cut off as Keina stepped forward, staring at Sochua. Atsuo stepped around Teruo and broke the hunter’s grip.

“We have all been cleared, according to your test. It’s only fair for you to test yourself in front of us.” Keina continued, glancing back at Atsuo and Teruo. The hunter who stepped forward sneered, then took a step back, his expression falling. The other hunters began whispering, and Ichita closed the distance to Keina.

“I-I’m sure… Mister Sochua is fine. However…” Ichita stammered, before glancing at Sochua’s imposing figure.

“However, would you be willing to test yourself, as an act of goodwill? It is simply to keep the peace, you see.” Ichita reasoned, growing more assured in his speech.

Ichita and Keina stared at Sochua, who continued to stare back with his blank expression. The silence lasted for several seconds.

“Very well.” Sochua quietly replied. From his cloak emerged two arms. One holding the black stone rod, covered in a long sleeve and ending in a black leather glove, and the other arm devoid of clothing, somewhat dirty and untouched by any cuts or marks. Teruo could see the arm’s Chakra, and somewhat relaxed before the rod even touched the arm. The skin sizzled slightly as the black stone made contact. Sochua kept the rod pressed against his arm for a second, then another, then several. His skin continued to make an awful cooking noise, and everyone saw blood begin to trickle down the wrist.

“Th… That’s enough. We understand, Mister Sochua…” Ichita trailed off as Sochua kept the stone rod pressed against his arm, his expression unchanging. Keina stepped forward and ripped the rod away from the monster hunter’s arm, revealing a potent red burn that began to rip and flake. Keina’s own hand reflexively released the arm as her hand felt a sudden burn. She saw her palm had turned a deep red in response to grabbing the man’s black glove. She stepped away with a pained expression on her face.

Teruo suspected that the man’s clothing was capable of blocking him from seeing Chakra, as he noticed that the Chakra of a hunter standing behind Sochua was partially obscured. On top of that, his clothes were apparently capable of disrupting and destroying Chakra as well, as demonstrated by Keina. Teruo idly wondered where the man acquired such hefty Chakra deterrents. He failed to wonder why.

Pulling both of his arms back into his cloak, Sochua began walking toward the village.

“We must inspect and test every person in this village. Sooner or later, we will find the monster. Or it will find us.”

Keina, Atsuo and Teruo all looked at each other with hesitation. They were all thinking the same thing. They hoped that Kotetsu was not getting himself into any trouble.

—

Kotetsu had not gotten himself into any trouble, on account of being driven like a mule across the village. After spending his entire morning helping old man Ozaki trim his goats, Kotetsu thought he would finally be free and could escape to find his group. His dreams were violently crushed as Ozaki informed him that he needed help towing the cart full of goat wool back to his workshop. So, Kotetsu was now pulling a dangerously balanced cart filled with goat wool and other items Ozaki just ‘happened’ to remember he needed. Kotetsu kicked a rock out of his way as he trudged along the wide stone road. Eventually, Ozaki ordered him to stop, causing Kotetsu to drop both the cart and his body to the ground, exhausted.

“Nicely done, kid. I’ll get my sons to help unload this cart. You’re free to stay for lunch today if ya want.” Ozaki spoke with amusement.

Kotetsu felt his head raise to stare daggers at the old man.

“Sons?” Kotetsu breathed. Two well muscled men came out of the workshop, causing Kotetsu to finally understand the meaning of a headache. Ozaki and his sons went back inside the workshop, talking quietly. Kotetsu pulled himself up and rested his back against the full cart. Taking deep breaths, he contemplated his morning and afternoon so far. All things considered, it was not the hardest he’s pushed himself. Realistically, it was a decent training regime, and Kotetsu could see himself doing it again. He pushed those thoughts out of his head as he stared up at the long clouds drifting through the sky. Idly, he wondered what his three teammates were up to. His thoughts wandered and he stayed like that for several minutes, eyes closing.

“You. Boy.”

Kotetsu did not respond. He figured there was a passing conversation. After a few seconds, the voice spoke again.

“You, lying against the cart. Get up.”

Kotetsu peeked one eye open to find a small group of men standing beside him on the not-so-busy road.

“Uh… Yea?” Kotetsu replied after a moment, trying to figure out what the men wanted. One man, impossibly tall and covered with a large black cloak, stepped forward. The man had oily curled black hair matted to his forehead, and seemed to have strange markings written on his face. There was a scar like claw marks that raked down his nose and eyebrows. The man’s eyes bore down with scorn at Kotetsu.

“You are with those shinobi, yes?” The tall man questioned.

Getting to his feet slowly, Kotetsu nodded. “...Yes.”

From within the cloak, the man pulled an arm out, revealing a large sleek wooden object. It was long and sturdy, leaving Kotetsu confused for a few seconds. Then he recognised it to be a crossbow. There was a bolt already loaded, tipped with a smooth black stone. Atop the crossbow near the stock was a crank with a handle, used to help load new bolts. The man kept the crossbow pointed at the ground between him and Kotetsu. Kotetsu did not move an inch. His sword was left in the cart just out of arm’s reach.

“If you try anything, I will not hesitate to end you. I am here to-”

“What the hell is going on out here?” The voice of the old man, Ozaki, burst from the workshop. Kotetsu did not dare turn around as he heard heavy foot stomps of three people come from behind, and Kotetsu saw the old man plus his two sons step around Kotetsu’s side.

The tall cloaked man did not falter. “There is a monster lurking in this village. With the help of your hunters, I am rooting it out.”

There were four hunters following the cloaked man, and they stepped out in a fan formation, aiming bows with arrows knocked at the three men and Kotetsu. One of the hunters almost shouted at Ozaki as he moved forward slightly.

“Old man, don’t move. Let’s just get this over with. Step forward and hold out your arm.” The hunter ordered.

Ozaki paused for only a moment, then moved forward with his arm out to follow the order.

“There better be a damned good reason fo-”

The cloaked man pulled a long black rod from his cloak with his other arm, and made a slashing motion at the old man’s outstretched hand. Ozaki pulled his arm back in pain as the rod left an angry burn mark on his wrist.

“-ye-OW! You bastard! Warn me next time!” Ozaki spat as he cradled his wrist. His two sons stepped forward with anger on their faces. All of the hunters pointed their bows at the two men.

“Choujo, Reito, be reasonable about this. We know you and your father aren’t monsters. We just need to be sure.” One of the hunters tried to reason. The two sons looked at each other, then stepped forward with one arm out each.

The rod appeared again, and each man quickly pulled their arms back as the cool black stone made contact with their wrists. The two stepped back in line with their father as they cradled their burned wrists in unison.

All of the hunters were now aiming their bows at Kotetsu, and the tall man stepped forward, beckoning at Kotetsu with the rod.

“It will be quick.” The man said.

Kotetsu hesitated. Based on the reactions of the three men beside him, and the burns he could see on the wrists of the hunters, the black rod seemed to hurt a lot. He glanced down at his sandals for a moment, before looking back up and staring directly at the cloaked man. He reached one arm out slowly.

“Okay.”

The cloaked man flipped the rod around once in his hands, then he carefully moved the rod in range of Kotetsu. Kotetsu instinctively recoiled as the cool black stone made contact with his wrist.

But nothing happened. No pain. No hissing noise. The rod remained pressed against his wrist, and Kotetsu looked down in surprise. A feeling of cold dread rose from his feet and left his legs heavy. Kotetsu looked up to meet the eyes of the man, and found the black tip of a bolt staring back instead.

“Found you.”

Chapter Text

In the middle of the village, on the square that hosts the village hall, the three Uchiha stood surrounded by hunters holding bows and other weapons. The hunters and the shinobi had accompanied Sochua as he tested dozens of the villagers. When Sochua learned that there was a fourth shinobi, he ordered the hunters to keep the other three away as he went to personally test the shinobi.

“You three may be tempted to do something rash should the result of your fourth companion turn out to be… Unfortunate. You will stay here while I verify his identity.” Sochua had stated.

So Keina, Atsuo and Teruo stood under the afternoon Spring sun and waited, surrounded by less-than-happy hunters. They did not want to be left out if- or when Sochua found the monster. But they waited, watching the three shinobi. Their weapons were not held ready, but remained drawn. The sound of wood being hammered could be heard echoing throughout the village as families barricaded themselves inside their homes, at least until the monster was found and removed.

“I swear, if Kotetsu does something stupid I’ll tie him to a rope and dangle him off a cliff…” Atsuo said to Teruo.

Keina kept her thoughts to herself on the subject.

“Maybe he is a monster. With the way he trains, I’m pretty sure he’s not human at least.” Teruo jokingly said.

—

“He… He’s the monster?” One of the hunters said, astounded. All of the hunters had slacked their bows slightly. Kotetsu felt his body tremble as the man’s finger closed over the trigger of the crossbow, which was currently aimed right for Kotetsu’s forehead. Kotetsu was shaken from his fright at a sharp command given to him by old man Ozaki.

“Run, boy! Go!”

Kotetsu reacted, a surge of adrenaline carrying his body down near the ground. He felt something whoosh through his hair, and a sound like a hammer blow cracked from behind him. Moving since his life now depended on it, he grasped the handles of the cart to his other side, pulling him up and over the cart’s contents.

“KILL HIM!” The scream from the cloaked man ripped through the air.

Kotetsu spun through the air, balancing on the cart, reaching down and barely gripping the sheath of his blade and pulling it up to his chest. Then, he had to move again as the hunter’s arrows whipped by his head and around his body, scraping his skin and leaving deep scratches. Kotetsu jumped for the roof of a nearby building, but his foot caught the end of the cart and his body flipped through the air. He heard various expletives as he barely got his feet under him, making a rough landing but still able to move.

Kotetsu turned for a split second to view the scene. The cloaked man had moved the arm holding the rod back into his cloak, and pulled it out again to reveal- of all things, a buckler shield. The rounded wooden shield was covered in strips of black leather, and on the inside of the shield were bolts held in place by unseen grooves. The cloaked man pulled the shield over his crossbow, skillfully replacing the spent bolt with a click before furiously moving the hand crank to coil the crossbow. The man held a disturbing smile as he looked at Kotetsu. That smile spoke of hunger.

Kotetsu sprinted as fast as possible away from the crazy man and the hunters, following the flat stone road in toward the village. Kotetsu’s only thought was to find his friends. They could help clear this up. They had to. From behind, Sochua allowed himself to indulge the hunt as he began to follow Kotetsu.

Ozaki and his two sons, Choujo and Reito took no hesitation in attacking the hunters, holding all but one of them down. This hunter followed Sochua at the monster hunter’s command, leaving his downed companions behind.

Kotetsu was forced to dodge and weave as he ran down the road, evading bolts and arrows. His heart thundered in his ears as the chase continued for what felt like several minutes. After a corner that Kotetsu recognised, a beautiful and worrisome sight filled his vision. Keina, Atsuo and Teruo stood surrounded by hunters. Kotetsu could only hope that the hunters did not have orders to attack his friends.

Kotetsu took a deep, calming breath as he rushed in their direction. “I require assistance, fellow shinobi!” Is what his mind wanted to say.

“TERUO! ATSUO! KEINA! THIS GUY IS CRAZY! HE’S TRYING TO KILL ME!” Is what actually came out of Kotetsu’s mouth.

A bolt from behind finally struck true. Kotetsu felt a blooming pain erupt from his shoulder, causing him to stumble. The feeling of cold fire spread up his neck and down his arm, forcing the limb to fall limp. The pain was so intense that Kotetsu could not stop himself from rolling to the ground. Before Kotetsu could fully process the pain of the first bolt, a second bolt struck one of his legs in the calf. A silent scream was all that Kotetsu could manage as his mouth was left gaping open from the rush of mind-numbing pain.

“Hunters, this boy is the monster! Those shinobi were aiding the beast. Keep them in their place!” Sochua shouted from behind.

Suddenly, the three Uchiha found their captors turning angry scowls and cruel words onto them, pulling weapons and preparing to shoot. Atsuo and Keina activated their Sharingan in anticipation for the coming fight. Teruo stood dumbfounded, frozen into shock from the turn of events.

“Why are they shooting at Kotetsu?!” Teruo shouted.

Without responding, Keina reached over and pulled Teruo out of the way as one of the hunters released an arrow in their direction. It passed right through where Teruo had been standing.

“Get a grip, Teruo!” Keina shook Teruo’s shoulders. Teruo was left staring up into Keina’s fully matured Sharingan. Teruo realised he had never seen her Sharingan, as she barely sparred with the younger Uchiha.

Atsuo ducked, jumped, and caught arrows in quick succession, spinning to keep every hunter in his spatial awareness.

“We’re not your enemy!” He growled at the closest hunter.

“You’re with the monster, so that makes you our enemy!” The hunter spat back, attempting to poke his spear at Atsuo. Atsuo casually dodged the outstretched weapon, grasped the end, and ripped the weapon from the hunter’s grip. The hunter stumbled forward a step as Atsuo threw the spear over the hunter’s head and into a distant field. Using the hunter’s momentum, Atsuo knocked the man unconscious with a single strike to the temple. Then, Atsuo suddenly found his arms filled with Teruo as Keina shoved the boy into his chest.

“Keep him from getting hurt.” Keina barked.

Atsuo was quick to figure out what Keina was doing. Keeping a solid grip on Teruo, he asked an important question.

“How are you going to help Kotetsu?”

Keina turned her head back as she marched toward her fallen teammate.

“However I can.”

Shortly after falling to the ground, Kotetsu regained a semblance of control over his body, and began to crawl toward the abrupt combat where his friends were. The numbing scalding pain in his shoulder and leg were almost unbearable, so much that he considered trying to dig the bolts out of his body. But he needed to keep moving. So, carefully placing his good arm in front of the other, he pulled himself along slowly.

Sochua loaded another bolt after allowing himself to enjoy the sight of the now helpless boy. Slowing down to a stalk, he approached the shinobi. He had missed the first bolt, intended to hit the boy’s heart, but his aim was too far left and instead got the boy’s shoulder. He pulled the crossbow up to his line of sight and aimed. This next shot would strike true. It did not.

The bolt flew out of the crossbow and hit with a thump. The wall of solid stone responsible for catching the bolt rumbled up just behind Kotetsu, slowing to a stop as it reached about head height. Sochua felt anger as the rush of the kill was denied to him. The spot where the bolt penetrated the wall of stone began to sag and crumble apart, the bolt tumbling to the ground shortly after.

Kotetsu craned his head around to see the looming wall just behind his feet, astonished at the large stone barrier. He turned back forward to see Keina sprinting toward him, but she was much too far away to do anything more than shout- and cast Ninjutsu apparently. Heavy footsteps to one side of the wall brought Kotetsu to turn with dread to find the cloaked man once again, his crossbow completing the turn with him. Kotetsu found his vision overtaken by sudden darkness.

From the front, Keina placed her hands together in another string of hand signs. She needed to keep her team safe first and foremost, then she could bring her wrath down on Sochua. A dome of earth rose to encapsulate Kotetsu, shutting him off completely from the deadly hunter. Sochua did not fire a bolt into the dome as Keina expected, instead turning the crossbow onto her. Her Sharingan allowed her to predict the trajectory, and she prepared to move- until an arrow grazed by her head, forcing her to reflexively jerk to one side. Her foot exploded in prickling agony as the unseen bolt pierced straight through her ankle, lodging itself in bone. Keina’s run devolved into a shuffle as all she could think about was getting within punching range of that bastard. The earlier arrow had come from a hunter standing slightly behind Sochua, and she could see that he would fire again soon enough.

Even with her hobbled foot, Keina managed to dodge another arrow, as well as the second and third bolt. When she got within twenty feet, her luck ran out. The two hunters timed their shots again, firing both arrow and bolt simultaneously. Keina kept her eyes locked on both men, attempting to map the trajectory as they aimed. The arrow attempted to hit her head, which she brought low to the ground. The bolt slammed into her shoulder when she attempted to shuffle sideways, but fell short from the agonising throb of her foot. Her luck had not entirely run out, however. She glanced up, having kept count of the bolts on Sochua’s shield, and smiled to herself. He was out.

Sochua tossed the crossbow to the side as he understood it had served its purpose. From within his cloak, he drew a short black blade- curved in the manner of a carving knife. The edge was rough, and the blade held the appearance of being carved from stone. Sochua gave a ruthless smile as Keina got within combat distance. That smile was quickly wiped from his face as Keina showed him the difference between normal people and shinobi.

Stepping forward, Sochua brought the knife down in a large arc right for Keina’s head. His hand, arm, shoulder and body hit a living brick wall. With her working arm, Keina reached up and took hold of Sochua’s wrist with steel fingers, halting his downward swing. Before Sochua could recoil, she twisted until a sickening snap echoed through the air, and the curved knife dropped from his outstretched hand. A short yell escaped his lips as Keina released the now unnaturally bent wrist. With his other arm, Sochua attempted to bash his shield into Keina. Moving to catch the shield, Keina quickly juts her arm out faster than Sochua could see, digging her fingers into the burning black leather of the wooden buckler. Then, she ripped the shield off of the fingers Sochua had kept wrapped around the shield’s grip. The shield was tossed behind her as Sochua stupidly looked down at his now broken fingers.

Keina knew it was time to finish this. Lurching forward on her good foot, she sent her good arm out once again, fist clenched, straight for Sochua’s oily face. An arm came up from within the cloak, blocking the punch. Keina did not register something strange, until she noticed the hand was no longer broken. She distinctly remembered both of Sochua’s hands having been broken. She glanced down in confusion as the arm snapped from the force of her punch. There were now three arms coming out of the cloak. She recognised the new arm as the same one that Sochua used to test himself, with its burn mark from where he held the rod against it.

Before Keina could fully process what just happened, a repulsive sound like meat tearing came from within the cloak, and the third arm fell to the ground with a soggy thump. The end that should have been connected to the body was wet with black blood, left ragged as if it had been chewed on. Sochua took several steps back as Keina couldn’t stop staring down at the bloody arm.

“Oh well. It appears I have been forced to play my hand.”

The almost humorous voice brought Keina’s eyes up to look at Sochua, who was now chuckling with undisguised mirth. Stepping to his side toward the hunter who had followed him, Sochua opened his cloak wide using his broken arms. A long tentacle-like thing about as wide as an arm, red and covered in a clear oozing substance, ending in long black thorns, shot from Sochua’s stomach. It reached up and coiled around the startled hunter’s neck, pulling the man’s head down in one smooth motion. The man didn’t even get to scream. Keina was left motionless as a deafening crunch filled the air, followed by sounds of gnawing. The hunter’s body fell a few seconds later, jerking and twitching for a few seconds as Keina laid terrified eyes on the now almost headless body.

Sochua slowly turned his body back to face Keina, his wrist and fingers twisting and cracking back into position. Keina stared in awe and sudden terror at the display. Most terrifying was the gaping hole in the man’s chest, vaguely shaped like a mouth and filled with teeth. It made a hideous chewing noise. Keina could not look away. The mouth opened, and the long red tentacle- which Keina now associated as a tongue, slowly snaked out of the cavity and near the ground. Keina was caught off guard as the tongue suddenly whipped forward, raking across her chest with the strange finger-like thorns. Keina fell backward from the unexpectedly fast motion, her chest bursting with sudden burning pain.

The tongue whip pulled back after reaching out over six feet to hit Keina. Sochua managed to take a single step toward Keina, before a voice from his side brought him to see an inferno rocketing right for him.

“Keina, GET DOWN!”

Atsuo shouted his warning as he got close enough to use his fireball. Whipping his hands into form, he exhaled the deep breath he held, forming it into a wide bubble of flames which shot forward at the monster in wolf’s clothing. The ball of fire exploded over Sochua, taking several seconds to calm before anyone could see the aftermath.

The flames began to recede, and Atsuo was left speechless. Sochua stood relatively unharmed, his cloak pulled slightly over his head. The cloak was untouched, as if the fire couldn’t reach it. The top of Sochua’s head burned with puffs of smoke however, leaving tendrils of smoke and small flames sitting where his hair was. Sochua stumbled away from Atsuo. Keina turned to see what state the hunters were left in. They were left alive, but unconscious. At least they wouldn’t get in the way now, Keina thought. Teruo was following closely behind Atsuo, his Sharingan finally activated.

Sochua almost stumbled to the ground as he backed away from Atsuo. His hands fell on to the dome that protected Kotetsu, and Atsuo stood away a distance he determined to be out of his reach. The tongue snaked out of the mouth once again.

“I would like to surrender, fierce shinobi.”

Sochua brought both his hands and the tongue up into the air in a strange gesture of yielding. Atsuo would not let himself be fooled. He kept his distance as he spoke.

“There is no surrendering for a monster. We are going to make sure you die a painful death.”

“That’s nice. I would like to make a final request, since I am awfully hungry. You wouldn’t deny a poor man his last meal?” Sochua replied. Then, with a frightful speed, he brought the tongue down onto the stone dome protecting Kotetsu.

The dome cracked open like an egg as the tongue broke through and began to snake past the shattered remnants. Atsuo rushed forward with all of his speed, but stopped himself at an eye-searing light.

A geyser of flames flew out of the sudden breach and ripped across Sochua with enough violent force to send his body rocking back. Unlike Atsuo’s fireball, these flames were openly invited into Sochua’s spread cloak, coating everything inside with white-hot tendrils. Sochua was flung back as the fire spewed forward with enough strength to lift the man. The flames died down, and Kotetsu began to pull himself out of the broken dome, having removed the bolts from his body. Atsuo took one look at Sochua, then glanced at Keina. His choice was made as he rushed to Keina’s side.

The burning form of Sochua made no noise as he was pushed against a barricaded window leading into a building. The gurgling and snarling form of Sochua stood hunched against the barricade for only a moment. Then, the snake tongue revealed itself again and bashed through the boards nailed to the window frame, latching onto something within and hoisting the entire connected body inside. Teruo arrived next to Kotetsu in time to help him escape the broken dome. The two stared between the broken boards and into the dark interior.

That’s when the screaming began.

Frozen from fear and shock, Teruo and Kotetsu were forced to spectate the horrific scene unfolding within the locked building. The front door also appeared to be barricaded, as it shook with tremulous force from those attempting to escape the nightmare house.

Teruo could not stop his hand from coming up in a reflex as his breakfast came up. The cries for help from within tore at his sanity, but he knew that if he or Kotetsu had followed that thing through the window, they could have died just as easily. He glanced over at Kotetsu, finding a face of stone and pure anger. Teruo felt ashamed of his mess. He felt ashamed for not doing anything. He felt ashamed that he was useless.

“Teruo. That guy- er, thing is gonna have to come out eventually.” Kotetsu’s voice broke through Teruo’s self pity. He looked back up to find Kotetsu stepping toward the house, hands coming up in the familiar hand signs.

“We’re gonna need to hold it back, or take it out ourselves. I’ll cover the window. You cover the door.”

Kotetsu’s analytical tone broke the spell holding Teruo down. Or at least, gave him the strength to push his feelings of disgust and worry to the back of his head. His mind stilled, and he focused on the only thing that mattered right now. He prepared himself with the same hand signs as Kotetsu.

One by one, voices cut off within the building, until only silence could be heard. Teruo could hear his heart race behind his ears. Without warning, the front door slammed open, and someone came out.

“Help me, please, save me!”

A blond haired man drenched in blood shouted, almost stumbling to the ground as he raced out from the door frame. Teruo almost jumped forward to pull the man away, but changed his mind at the last second. He had to ensure no opportunity for the enemy to attack.

Before Teruo could say something, Kotetsu leapt forward to assist the fallen man. Teruo was too late to cut Kotetsu off.

“Teruo, what are you doing? We need to get this guy away fro-”

“Get down, you idiot!” Teruo shouted as he gave up and jumped, reaching out and pushing Kotetsu down to the ground. The man had gotten to his feet and began stumbling toward the pair.

“Please… Help! It’s inside…” The man pleaded.

Teruo unleashed the breath he had been holding, combining it with the burst of flames he had channeled moments earlier. The fire washed over the pleading man to Kotetsu’s utter horror. The horror shifted into terror as the ball of fire split in half, a long red tongue jutting from the now headless stump of the body. The previously attached head flew up and away from the group, revealing a large mouth filled with gnashing teeth where the neck should have been. The tongue was too far away to reach the boys as it cracked down like a whip. The mouth sickeningly moved down the chest as the body’s real head rolled up from the back, taking back its position atop the shoulders. Sochua took a step back as the tongue coiled around his body, reaching just inside the open door and pulling forward the black leather cloak, allowing it to lazily fall around his neck.

“You boys should be more careful with fire. It would be a shame to burn something precious.”

Sochua sneered, walking a leisurely circle around the two and away from the defiled building. Teruo’s earlier fireball had nearly dissipated, a few flickering flames all that remained along its short path. Teruo pushed himself off of Kotetsu to stand facing the most dangerous predator he’s seen.

Earlier with his Sharingan, Teruo had seen through Sochua’s macabre disguise. The crucial flaw was his complete lack of Chakra. That is what saved Teruo and Kotetsu from stepping into their imminent deaths. Teruo didn’t think he’d have to stop Kotetsu from doing something so stupid.

Kotetsu remained planted on the hard stone after Teruo laid him out flat. Seeing Teruo’s fireball so easily dispelled had stunned Kotetsu, but that is not what has kept him from acting. The black and red tongue resonated with an unfamiliar instinct within Kotetsu. An itching feeling had crept through his skull, and Kotetsu was distracted as he attempted to pinpoint the source. He was shaken from his contemplation by the feeling of his hand gripped around something tightly. He tore his gaze from Teruo and Sochua down to his waist, where he found his right hand unsheathing his sword of its own accord. The blade shimmered and swam into Kotetsu’s sight as he laid eyes on the green metal. He pushed himself to one knee.

Teruo was preoccupied with keeping the circling Sochua right in front of him and a careful distance away. He took a step back or a step forward when necessary, making sure that Kotetsu stayed behind him. Sochua planted a huge genuine smile on his bloodied face. Then, without warning, Sochua twisted and fell into a hard sprint down the road and toward the hunters left unconscious by Atsuo and Keina. He turned his head and shouted as he ran.

“How will you stop me, shinobi? How many bodies must I desecrate before you give up?!”

For the first time, Teruo understood what it meant to have your blood run cold. He felt his feet sink into the road, and he was left unable to move. A force ripped past his side and knocked him to the ground. His hands stuck out, breaking his fall, and he looked up to see Kotetsu sprinting right after Sochua, his short but quick strides slowly catching up to the taller man. Kotetsu had his right hand firmly grasping the handle of his sword, and as he approached a dangerous distance, he began to draw the blade. The sword ripped free and sang through the air, straight for Sochua’s back. Kotetsu’s arm remained upright as the sword flew forward, his feet planting to help carry the sword forward with his momentum.

The motion was futile. After a mere second, the tip of the sword drooped down with inevitable weight, cutting the attack short and slicing into the hard cobblestone road at Kotetsu’s feet. The sword sank almost half its length into the ground, sparks flying up as the stone violently separated. Kotetsu pulled at the handle to no avail. In front of him, Sochua stopped short of a hunter knocked unconscious on the ground, mere feet away.

“No… Please…!” Kotetsu begged, pulling on the sword with both hands.

Sochua could feel the power crawling just under his skin, ready to burst. It only needed a little more. Just a tiny push, and he would be free. Free to claim this village for himself, free to hunt and devour any that came into his territory. Free to slaughter. The tongue slithered from his chest and down toward the sleeping head of the hunter. The supplications of the shinobi boy behind him were drowned out as a loud crunch came from his chest, the tongue having retrieved its meal. The digested power flushed his body, growing from a meager trickle to a pounding river. He turned to face the hapless shinobi.

Kotetsu looked up from the disobedient sword to the monster that stood before him. Before he could think to escape, the monster appeared to be covered by a thin layer of black stone that poured from its skin. Kotetsu’s heart furiously beat in his chest, leaving him trembling where he stood. He remained like that for several seconds, taking shallow breaths, unable to rip his eyes from Sochua’s stone-covered smiling face. A shout from behind poked into his awareness.

“Kotetsu, get the hell out of there! Retreat, you idiot! Stay back with Teruo!..”

Kotetsu recognised Atsuo’s shaky voice. But Kotetsu’s feet would not move. He continued to uselessly pull on the sword, failing to move it even an inch. His reaction to seeing Sochua with that monster tongue was on replay in the back of his mind. He had been driven forward off of his knees after Sochua. Grabbing the handle of his sword had awakened something, both within him and the sword. The grip hummed with energy as it willed him forward. His mind was filled with a single agonising thought, planted there by the blade. Whoever- whatever Sochua was, the sword knew. And it wanted him utterly destroyed.

Those emotions were no longer there. Whatever had prompted the reaction, the sword no longer hummed in Kotetsu’s grasp. As if the sword itself had decided that Kotetsu was not worthy to listen. Atsuo continued to shout from a distance, crouched over Keina, and Teruo stood motionless where Kotetsu had left him behind. Atsuo had successfully retrieved the bolts from Keina’s shoulder and foot without breaking anything important. The slash wound across her chest had grown a dark purple with black lines crawling just under her skin. The gushing blood had been reduced to a trickle thanks to Atsuo’s efforts, though he couldn’t do anything about the black substance, which he figured to be a venom of sorts. Keina would simply have to fight the effects. She stirred as Atsuo screamed at Kotetsu to retreat.

“...Where is he?” Keina asked, instantly going alert as she attempted to push herself upright with an elbow, wincing and almost collapsing from the pain. Atsuo turned to look down at her.

“Kotetsu? He’s-”

“No. That monster, Sochua. I am going to kill him myself.” Keina brusquely cut Atsuo off. Atsuo looked down at her for a second, before nodding. He offered a hand, which she accepted. Atsuo kept both hands on Keina to steady her as they stood. Her right foot left her unable to fully stand on her own.

“I’m fine.” Keina spoke through gritted teeth. Atsuo refused to let go, pushing his shoulder under her arm. Keina didn’t refuse, despite her glare. The two began limp-walking toward Kotetsu.

Kotetsu had fallen to his knees, forehead pressed against the pommel of his sword, both hands wrapped around the handle. Salty tears stung his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, softly falling onto his lap. He could not understand why the sword refused him. All he needed was a little more time, and-

Crack.

Something small and hard hit the ground right in front of him, crumbling apart as it struck the stone road. Then another. Slowly, tiny black shards cascaded off of the statue, and the body began to twitch as streaks of skin were exposed under the fracturing black stone. One large piece fell from its face, shattering as it hit the ground. Kotetsu’s eyes wandered up to meet red and brown eyes staring down at him. The raked scar that had covered the face was completely gone, and the incoherent words previously etched there now pulsed, almost swimming across its skin. The monster loomed over Kotetsu, seeming taller than before. The monster took a step closer.

“Let me give that a try.” The voice reached into Kotetsu’s subconscious, bringing with it a primal fear that gave Kotetsu the uncontrollable urge to escape.

Kotetsu kicked and crab-walked away from his sword as Sochua took another step, reaching down and smothering the handle with an oversized hand. Kotetsu saw the monster’s smirk shift into agony as its hand retreated from the smoking handle, its palm suddenly an angry red and bleeding profusely. It yowled in pain as it cradled the hand, and Kotetsu saw the pulsing symbols flow down the arm and toward the wounded hand, vanishing as they seemed to be absorbed by the injury. The wound began to fade after a few seconds.

Sochua could hardly believe what he found. His youthfulness had left him to regard the stories from his brethren with contempt, unable to believe that these so-called Cinders and their weapons capable of killing his kind even existed. Now, in front of him sat living proof of those stories. A blade that did not just resist his will, but seemed to be the antithesis of his being. He wondered if this was how it felt when the black stone of his weapons touched the skin of those with Chakra. This line of thought brought him to one conclusion. He needed to kill the shinobi that so carelessly drew this dangerous weapon, and quickly. Sochua stepped forward, his leather cloak falling off his back to reveal the tattered and burned remains of his shirt, and the gaping teeth-filled mouth in the center of his chest.

Kotetsu’s vision closed in around him as that mouth grew larger in his vision. His ears rang as all he could do was sit there, his hands and feet having lost all feeling after shuffling away. He could vaguely see the tongue within, sat coiled and ready to strike. The sharp barbs on its end barely crept forward beyond the sharp jagged teeth. It was only a matter of time now.

“KOTETSU!!”

Teruo had first stumbled, then sprinted toward Kotetsu as he saw the man-turned-statue begin to shake itself apart. Kotetsu had stupidly chased after the monster, leaving Teruo in the awkward position of pulling him away from danger once again. He slid across the ground right next to Kotetsu, wrapping an arm around his neck and grabbing a shoulder with the other. Then, with all the might he could manage, Teruo bodily lifted Kotetsu and threw him back the way he came, away from the monster. And, Teruo realised too late, himself. A pain like fros tburn blossomed up his back and out his shoulder, following the path made by Sochua’s tongue as it lashed out. Teruo fell to the ground, frozen from pain and shock. Before he could fight back, clamber away, or even shout, something wet curled around his neck. His hands shot up to pull the choking force away, but his fingers failed to find any perch in the tongue’s stone-hard flesh. His head and upper body jerked upward from a wretched strength.

Kotetsu had been shaken from his inaction when his face slammed into the warm stone road. His body dragged along for several feet before rolling to a stop, and he took a few seconds to catch his bearings, willing his eyes to still. His sight focused. A single moment stretched from seconds to minutes in his mind as he made eye contact with the wide, pleading eyes of Teruo.

Teruo’s head was pulled almost completely within the mouth. Kotetsu had to watch. The body fell from the mouth completely limp, the strings of life having been cut. Kotetsu heard nothing. Felt nothing. The only thing he couldn’t have, was to see nothing. So that’s what he did.

Atsuo and Keina had stopped for only a moment. The image of those final moments were carved into their retinas forever. To the Sharingan, it was just more information to process. Atsuo had let go of Keina and began moving forward in a run.

Kotetsu stared down at the body. Slowly, sound began to filter through his ears. Distant screams and crying, the terrified yells of animals, the soft creaking of trees, the gentle breeze flowing around his body. The smell of blood, rotting flesh, and fertiliser filled his nose. A noise, like yapping, assaulted his ears. He looked up to see the face of his enemy. It was blabbering about something, making gestures around itself and at him. A concept in his mind associated itself with the image of that face.

He wanted to kill it. Kotetsu had never wanted to do anything more in his entire life than this. His body felt as if it were engulfed in a volcano, the sweltering heat exuding from his chest and filling his lungs. A gleam caught his eye, and his attention drifted down between his enemy’s legs. There lay his sword, stuck in the ground. Just like that, he knew how to get what he wanted.

He moved forward, forcing his enemy to shut up.

“Finally. Let’s finish this. You can meet your fellow shinobi in the afterlife.” His enemy said.

The tongue lanced out from its hiding hole, right for Kotetsu’s head. Kotetsu had put all of his focus on this single attack he knew was coming, and it paid off. He dodged to the right, ducking his head low and moving with all the speed he could muster, ducking and rolling beneath the widened stance of his enemy. His momentum came to an abrupt stop as he used Chakra to stick to the ground, wrapping both hands around the handle of his sword and closing his eyes. He did not think. Without hesitation, he pulled. The sword failed to move. Then, with a jerk, it silently pulled free from the ground, and Kotetsu put all of his strength into a single swing, twisting his entire body, arcing the blade with blinding speed.

His enemy had not bothered to turn around- letting the mouth move instead. It slid around his side and onto his back, where the tongue whipped out once again to strike its prey. The sword caught the tip of the tongue. It continued along as if it had struck nothing, slicing clear through the length of the flesh whip. Black blood and viscera spewed out from the savage slash, splattering Kotetsu’s face and chest. The forked tongue fell limp to the ground in a heap.

While Sochua allowed his tongue to deal with the foolish boy behind him, he prepared to receive the shinobi charging him from the front. The older boy would fall easily to his strength, now that he had successfully performed his third shedding. Before the older boy got within grabbing distance, however, a pain like nothing Sochua had ever experienced- or ever thought he could experience, lanced up his spine and permeated his body. It was more than that, however. He felt as if the bolt of pain was eating away at his mind, his power, his life. Sochua fell to his knees as the shinobi approached him.

Before the shinobi got close enough, another pain bloomed in his right eye, and he lost vision there. With his left eye, he could barely make out the handle of a kunai, thrown from the shinobi girl far away. He reached up in an attempt to pull the weapon free, his healing sigils attempting to nullify and regenerate the wound. The shinobi boy got to him first. Twisting and extending one leg out, the boy kicked the kunai further into the eye socket, sending Sochua’s head rocking back from the force. He heard a voice shouting from behind him, and feared another sword strike was coming. The shinobi boy crouched low in front of him. What came instead flooded him with a new kind of pain, and the smell of charred flesh filled the afternoon air.

White hot flames spiked through Sochua’s back. The first few seconds of the attack were negated by his sigils, but his energy quickly drained as the fire continued to pour out from behind. The sigils from the front of his body squirmed as they attempted to shift to his back, but they were eaten up too quickly to make a difference. The shinobi boy huddled before him, pulling his arms over his head as loose flames licked around him. Sochua’s body was inexorably pushed forward by the powerful flames, and the ground around his legs began to glow with molten heat. He had lost all feeling by the time the flames finished.

Running on pure instinct, Sochua’s monster mouth chomped the now useless tongue and swiftly moved back around to the front. Then, he moved to fall forward on the prone form of the shinobi boy, mouth open, blackened and charred teeth ready for their next meal. The boy’s head almost fell into the mouth, and he chomped down with all the force he could muster. However, the boy’s arms had slipped in with his head and caught the sharp teeth. Delicious red blood seeped into the mouth, encouraging Sochua as he attempted to pull the boy’s entire body into his mouth with his charred and crispy arms.

The last thing to go through Sochua’s head was a spear of dense stone, rocketing up at an angle to pierce through his face uninterrupted. His body jerked for a single second, then went completely limp. Atsuo fell from the now sagging mouth as the monster’s arms released his body. Dark blood poured from the neck and spilled over Atsuo. He fell backward and crawled away as the body began to disintegrate before his eyes. Skin flaked to dust, muscles and tendons melted, and organs shriveled to a fraction of their size. The blood and melted body coated the ground, turning the surrounding stone a smooth black. The same black as the tools and weapons the man- monster once employed.

After the morbid display, all that remained of the horrible monster was a frail skeleton, made of blackened bones which tumbled to the ground one by one.

Chapter Text

Keina fell to the ground, exhausted after using more Chakra than she should have for her final attack. She could not move fast enough to make a difference in close range, so she had resorted to another earth technique to compensate, which landed the killing blow against their enemy. Her body grew numb as she sat there, loose rocks digging into her knees. All she could do now was observe.

Atsuo had stayed curled up on the ground after the half-monster, half-human Sochua attempted to fit Atsuo’s entire upper body into its demonic mouth. The wounds along his back and arms where teeth had sunk in began to sting with a sensation like frostbite. His eyes wandered over the loose black bones which were all that remained of their enemy, vaguely absorbing the scene. He subconsciously avoided the small body that sat in the corner of his vision.

Kotetsu had only been able to wield his sword for a scant few seconds, after which its weight dragged it back down to the ground. His final act of defiance against their enemy was the largest expenditure of Chakra he had ever endured, sending him into unconsciousness as his body fell limp.

Teruo lay still atop the rough stones of the village road. Blood slowly streamed away from the body, forming a pool that circled out and mixed with dirt and ash.

For what felt like an eternity, Keina sat witness to the carnage their simple mission had led them to. The sound of footsteps brought her back to reality. Shifting her body, she turned with a dark glare that threatened pain on whoever dared approach. She saw the rotund form of Ichita stepping back, fear passing over him. Keina did not drop her expression as she stared down the older man. He spoke after a second’s hesitation.

“You… You killed it.” Ichita stammered in a low voice. His eyes darted back and forth from Keina to the distant scene.

Keina did not reply for several moments. Ichita felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as the glare in her eyes shifted to something darker. Keina finally spoke after Ichita regained some control of his shaking legs.

“Yes. It is dead.”

Keina had almost forgotten how to talk. Licking her dry lips, she forced herself to speak factually. That was the only thing she could think of.

“There are at least twelve dead.”

Her voice sounded distant to her ears.

“Two men. Ten, possibly more unknown within the building.”

Her Sharingan had let her see the forms, but not much else. She was thankful for that. Her voice began to waver.

“...One shinobi.”

Her expression dropped from staring at Ichita to an imaginary point on the ground under his feet. Slowly, the feeling of pain overcame the adrenaline that had kept her from dropping. The horrible searing pain in her chest had reduced to a barely-tolerable throb. A headache from heavy Chakra expenditure bit away at her psyche. She wanted to lower her head on the hard stones, and fall asleep right there. She wanted it more than anything at that moment. Before she could follow through on that wish, a voice from behind cracked through the haze.

“Keina?”

Supported by an arm, Keina turned to find Atsuo. He stood a few meters away, carrying the unconscious form of Kotetsu. His sheath hung empty by his side, its sword now firmly stuck in the ground ahead. Atsuo looked from Keina to Kotetsu. His face held nothing but a vacant expression.

“What now?” Atsuo asked, unfocused eyes seeing nothing. His Sharingan had deactivated sometime earlier. Keina hadn’t even noticed that hers deactivated as well.

Keina had no idea what she should be doing. Nothing had gone right, and in the back of her mind, she feared that this was somehow the result of her leadership. She did not want to be the mission leader, but the clan patriarch, Eito, had insisted on her taking the role. Keina’s mind roiled in regret and anger at the situation. She silently raged against the monster that ripped their simple mission away. Before she could speak out, Ichita’s voice rose up.

“...You don’t do anything.” Ichita somberly stated.

Keina turned to look at the old man, seeing that his gaze was pointed down at the ground, as hers was earlier. After a few seconds, his eyes snapped up to meet Keina’s.

“I don’t mean that in a rude manner. My people… They will not be happy with you. Today, we lost so much. As did you.” Ichita intended for his words to be soft, but they felt blunt to Keina’s ears.

“Most of us expect shinobi to do their job. That’s just the way it is. We hired you to ‘protect’ us. To me, you have fulfilled your duty. But, the rest…” Ichita left the implication hanging over the shinobi’s heads.

Keina finished the thought.

“...Those that died. I let them die. I should have stopped it earlier. I should have done more. It’s all my fau-”

“Stop it.”

Atsuo’s voice lashed out, silencing Keina.

“None of us could have foreseen this. It’s useless to blame ourselves, Keina.”

Keina just stared back with cold eyes. Atsuo could see how heavy death weighed upon her in those eyes. The two stayed like that, staring silently at each other. The silence was occasionally broken by the sounds of boards being pulled down, people slowly making their way out from the darkness of their homes. Neither Atsuo or Keina looked forward to being among the villagers for the next week.

“Your group must stay out of the way. Let my people take care of the destruction, and our dead. You need to take care of yourselves.” Ichita spoke out in the midst of their thoughts.

The two conscious shinobi readily took the lifeline. Keina rose unsteadily to her feet, struck by how numb her body felt. Before she could work up the courage to pick up Teruo, Atsuo deposited Kotetsu into her arms, and spoke softly inches from her face.

“I’ll meet you at the house.”

Then, before Keina knew what to say, Atsuo drifted away toward Teruo.

Keina walked away in silent consternation, carrying the unconscious form of Kotetsu..

—

The night before the group left.

Kotetsu could not sleep. The excitement of having another actual mission kept him from slumber, so he decided to burn his energy by wandering the camp. Generally, it was frowned upon to wander around without notifying anyone. Kotetsu did not get away with it. So, he did the smart thing, and found an excuse to be outside.

Teruo could not sleep. The anxiety of another mission and what could happen kept him up, and so he had gotten up to wander the camp. He pulled open his tent, only to find the smirking face of Kotetsu looking down at him in the dim moonlight. Teruo sighed as he understood that it was hit turn to be the bait tonight.

Walking side by side, the two made their way for the camp entrance, halting at Dan’s raised hand.

“Hey, you’re on night guard duty? What a coincidence.” Kotetsu nonchalantly brought up.

Dan sighed as he looked down at the two mischievous boys.

“What’s your excuse tonight?” Dan dully asked.

“Teruo forgot his underwear outside of the camp earlier.” Kotetsu lied.

Teruo felt an eye twitch. After a few seconds of not saying anything, Kotetsu elbowed him. Teruo took a calming breath.

“Sure. Underwear. Yeah.”

Dan didn’t even bat an eye as he let the two pass.

“Be quick.” Dan offhandedly warned.

Kotetsu and Teruo wandered out into the cold spring night. They walked silently for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of night creatures around them. Eventually, the two came to a slope, and sat with their backs to the mound, a stream burbling some distance away.

“We get another shot at this, huh?” Kotetsu asked no one in particular, looking up at the stars peeking between the thick pine branches.

Teruo contemplated Kotetsu’s words. He knew where his mind had gone. Their last mission had gone about as smooth as gravel, and neither boy really wanted to think about it.

“You weren’t exactly helpful.” Teruo scoffed.

Kotetsu gave a sideways glare.

“At least I didn’t almost get dragged to my demise off a cliff.” Kotetsu muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” Teruo half turned, arm poised to bat at Kotetsu.

“Nothing.” Kotetsu flinched and skittered away.

The conversation lurched between random topics, from arguing what foods were better, to creating a list of the most skilled fighters in the clan. Eventually, the topic of Kotetsu’s past came up.

“So…You uh, were with the Hyuuga clan?” Teruo found himself asking. He hadn’t been paying attention to Kotetsu’s random stream of thoughts, instead opting for automatic nodding when he thought appropriate. His mind had drifted to Kotetsu’s supposed background.

Kotetsu ceased talking for a whole five seconds. Teruo almost looked at Kotetsu out of surprise. Usually, his friend would spiral down some rabbit hole of conversational topics. Kotetsu spoke slowly, with intent.

“...It was tough. I had to leave rather suddenly. I wasn’t able to… I didn’t say goodbye. I just ran.”

Teruo found himself surprised again. He had asked some variation of that question before, and Kotetsu simply brushed it off. Now, Teruo didn’t know what to do.

“My sister, Emilia, she…”

Kotetsu stopped himself at the realisation of what he had just done. He had promised himself, under no circumstances, would he reveal the names of his family. It always felt too personal. So, why had he just done so? It took him only a second to understand why. It was simple. He trusted Teruo. And Atsuo, for that matter. But, Teruo felt closer. He felt like family.

“...She was tough, too. We didn’t get along at first. It took a while before she accepted me. I think she felt… Guilty?”

Kotetsu had never fully processed the emotions from those days, after Solomon died. Now, it crept up and began to swallow him whole.

“If I had been stronger… If I had taken less time, maybe she wouldn’t be mad at me. I should have learned faster. If that had happened, then… My brother… He might still be alive.”

Teruo had no idea what to do, so he just sat and listened. When it was apparent that Kotetsu was done talking, he silently contemplated his friend’s words. After a long moment, Teruo found something to say.

“You don’t know that. If he would be alive, I mean.”

Kotetsu felt his eyes twitch.

“Your brother- I don’t know what there was between you two. I don’t know him. Or your sister. Or much about the Hyuuga, really. But… Maybe he fought something so much stronger than him that any training he could have done wouldn’t have mattered… Anything you could have done wouldn’t have mattered.”

As Teruo spoke, he mentally pictured huge black and yellow tusks charging at him. No amount of training could have prepared him for that. In his eyes, you can never fully anticipate any first experience.

Before Teruo could add anything more, Kotetsu shot up to his feet in a fit of anger.

“How would you know? I’m tired. See you later.”

With his proclamation, he began to stomp off. Teruo watched Kotetsu’s back as he left the clearing. Looking up at the stars barely visible between the cover of trees, Teruo pondered at what his next experience might bring.

—

Atsuo sat with his back against the sun soaked boards of the group’s cabin. Keina was inside, tending to her wounds, and watching over the still unconscious Kotetsu. Teruo lay a distance away, wrapped in a thick cloth. Atsuo watched the setting sun and listened to sounds of the village winding down, intermittently interrupted by the barking of a dog.

Footsteps drew near from one side of the house. Atsuo tensed, expecting the villagers to come to patronise his group. From inside, Keina pulled herself to her feet, ready to face whoever approached. The voice of Ichita calmly called out.

“Excuse me? Do you all have a moment?”

Keina opened the door just as Atsuo stepped around the side of the cabin. The two waited with wary expressions for Ichita to continue. Slightly taken aback, Ichita found his voice after a moment.

“We found them. The thieves, I mean. It appears that they met a horrible fate out in the woods… One of our hunters found their camp while covering ground along a trail.”

Keina and Atsuo stared blankly at the old man for several seconds before it hit them. The actual reason they were there, to act as a deterrent for a group of supposed thieves. Keina thought of Ichita's words. If she suspected what Ichita was implying, then there was no longer a reason for the group to stay at the village.

Ichita waited to see if the group caught on to his meaning. When he saw understanding cross their faces, he nodded with grim assurance.

“I proclaim that we no longer require your services, shinobi. You are free to leave. We will send the discussed payment as agreed by your clan in due time.”

Having spoken what he came for, Ichita turned and walked his way back to the village. People were waiting in the shadow of a building, watching their leader meet with the shinobi, cold enmity in their eyes. Keina’s eyes drifted over to glance at Atsuo, who she found watching her in turn. Atsuo had no energy to talk, so Keina kept her words short.

“Let’s go, then.”

—

Kotetsu did not quite know where he was. It was dark, he was surrounded by trees, and the hum of insects and wind blurred around him. The familiar sight of the Uchiha clan entrance came into view. No one sat guarding the entrance, which he found strange. If not Dan, there was usually someone waiting. But not this time. Kotetsu warily made his way past the wooden posts, eyeing his surroundings.

The camp Kotetsu expected did not come into view. Instead, stable wooden buildings following along a rocky road filled his view. Night suddenly turned to day, and the trees of the forest vanished to reveal a spread of plains surrounding the buildings. The streets were empty. The houses stood vacant, only silence coming from within.

A scream in the distance brought Kotetsu to fall into a run toward the source. Moving with speed, his feet brought him to skid past a building. The scene of a nightmare unveiled itself before him. Just a short distance away stood his ultimate enemy, the monster named Sochua. In his grasp was… Teruo. Kotetsu watched as his enemy forced Teruo’s head into the open hole in his chest.

Kotetsu rushed to stop the scene from playing out, but found his feet sinking into a pit of tar. Determined to prevent the disaster in front of him, he prepared to shoot a fireball. Forming the hand signs and taking his breath, he breathed a stream of pure fire at his enemy. The fire hit an invisible dome protecting the monster. Some of the flames splashed back, causing the tar at his feet to catch fire. The burning black liquid licked at his feet, crawling up his legs as he continued to sink.

“KOTETSU!”

Kotetsu awoke with a shout. A form was bent over him, and in the dark, he lashed out. His fist struck something hard like stone. Pulling his arm back, he moved to strike the form again. His fist was once again halted, now held in a death grip that left him gasping out.

“Kotetsu, wake up!”

A slap across his face caused him to sit up from where he laid. His hand was released, and he forced himself to sit still, waiting for his heavy eyes to adjust in the darkness. The form from earlier slipped into view, arranging to resemble Keina. Soft light poured in from cracks in the wall, helping Kotetsu recognise the cabin’s interior.

“...Wha..?”

Kotetsu tried to order the memories jumbled in his brain to sit still. They wouldn’t listen. He remained seated, forcing his mind to calm down. One by one, the day’s events unfolded in his head. He was left with a sickening revelation.

“Come on. We need to leave.”

Keina’s voice came from somewhere in front of him. He did not look up. He no longer wished to move. From his left, another form in the room stirred, almost sliding out of the darkness. Atsuo approached, kneeling a distance away.

“It’s time to go.”

Several seconds went by, with Keina and Atsuo glancing at each other out of concern. Kotetsu didn’t move, he didn’t even blink. His eyes remained unfocused. His lips moved, but words did not come out. Neither Keina or Atsuo really knew what to do.

Then, unprompted, Kotetsu rose to his feet. Standing before the two shinobi, his face maintained a neutral expression, and he moved with mechanical motion to the corner of the room where he slept the night before. He began to pack his few belongings. Keina and Atsuo once again glanced at each other, an uneasiness filling the air between them. The two had packed earlier that night, allowing Kotetsu to sleep and using the opportunity to sleep themselves. Not that they got much. The sun slowly rose outside, and the sound of early village life was barely perceptible from beyond the walls.

Kotetsu finished packing, and turned to the fourth corner of the room. The corner that Teruo slept in just that previous night. Teruo’s stuff had been neatly packed and stashed along Keina and Atsuo’s bags. Kotetsu did not want to ask the question that tipped his tongue. He could not stop it from leaving his lips.

“Where is he?”

Neither shinobi answered. Kotetsu felt a pit of heat sweltering in the bottom of his gut. His stare grew more harsh as he stared down at the two.

“Where is-”

“Outside.” Atsuo answered, eyes pointed at the ground.

Kotetsu quickly stepped, opening and swinging the door shut behind him in one smooth motion.

There he was. Wrapped in cloth, just like it was before.

It was all the same.

Except it wasn’t.

The boy, who was the same age as his brother. Two brothers now.

Teruo lay there, unmoving. Flies lazily circled above the cloth. Kotetsu felt the urge to scratch his arm. To find whatever itch bothered him so much, peel it open, and let the pain spill out onto the ground. His fingers came up and picked at a scar. It had taken the scar months to heal up, slowly fading after he finally left it alone. Now, it sat open again, scratched back into existence by the same fingers that caused it.

This wasn’t the same. Because he could have stopped it. Teruo was right there, and he could have stopped it all. A rock heaved itself onto his chest, and he collapsed to the ground, panting. Blood dripped down his arm.

As Kotetsu sat staring at the cloth, a morbid curiosity came over him. His fingers, now covered in his own blood, slowly inched out toward the cloth. The circling flies dashed away at the motion. He gently pinched one end, and began to…

The door behind Kotetsu, which Atsuo had been quietly peeking out of, suddenly slammed open and Atsuo stepped out. His hand reached down and firmly grasped Kotetsu’s hand, ripping it away from the cloth. Kotetsu’s eyes drew up to meet Atsuo’s, where he expected to find anger.

Instead, tears slowly dripped down Atsuo’s face. Kotetsu froze out of shock. Blinking hard, Atsuo spoke.

“Don’t do it… It’s not worth it.”

After a few tense seconds, Atsuo released Kotetsu. Kotetsu saw two packs on Atsuo’s back, and recognised Teruo’s pack. Atsuo walked forward, reaching down to pick up Teruo.

Kotetsu did not react. As Atsuo carefully picked up Teruo… No. Atsuo held a body. Kotetsu felt his entire body shake once, hard, at the realisation. Like a jolt of lightning had run up his spine. He stood to his feet. From behind, a hand placed itself on his back. The unexpected contact gave Kotetsu another jolt. Turning, he found Keina offering his pack to him. One half of her face stood solid as stone in the early light of the day, casting long shadows over the other half. She spoke after a moment.

“Before we leave, you need to go reclaim your sword.”

Kotetsu hadn’t even thought of his sword. The blade would have been left where he tossed it the previous day, after… The fight. He glanced at the empty sheath loosely attached to his pack. Slowly, he nodded his head.

Keina walked up to Atsuo’s side, who held the body. Kotetsu forced his feet to move, and step by step, he followed.

—

Eito partook in the celebration of a successful mission by another group of younger clan members. They had arrived just earlier that day, and reported absolute mission success in their task of clearing an abandoned building of rabid creatures. Drinks flowed freely as the older Uchiha allowed themselves the pleasure of breaking into the alcohol stores. But, no one enjoyed a sip of aged blackberry wine more than Eito. Or so he claimed.

The party continued for several hours until most of the clan had gone back to their usual duties. With the day winding down, Eito retreated to the comfort of his personal tent, content to enjoy the evening with his wife.

“So… With this next week, we just so happen to have plenty of time to ourselves.” Eito began. He held a half-empty cup of something sweet. He couldn’t recall the exact details at the moment.

Fui looked at her husband under raised eyebrows. A teasing smile lifted one corner of her lips.

“Why, I hadn’t noticed.”

“Oh, well… What shall we do with all of this time, then?”

Her teasing smile turned coy as the pair moved closer.

From across the camp, Tan ordered his son to go get the leader.

“Hurry.” Was all that Tan said.

Dan sprinted through the camp, barely dodging other Uchiha and maneuvering around tents. He arrived at the leader’s tent in a burst of air, and reached to rip the cloth aside. Swinging to one side, Dan shoved his head into the dark tent, calling out.

“Leader, you’re neede-”

Dan paused, mouth open, eyes suddenly trying to find anywhere else to point at but the awkward sight in the tent.

Eito quickly pulled his shirt back over his head as he looked up at the young Uchiha. His face flushed from alcohol and embarrassment. His wife, Fui, sat wide-eyed with a large blanket over herself.

“I’ll, uh… Be right back.” Eito tried to say, looking at Fui. Stuffing his feet into boots, he half-pushed Dan out of his tent and moved to stand with the boy, sighing as he did so.

“Okay. What is it?” Eito nearly snapped.

“It’s… Your… It’s Atsuo.” Dan blurted. His face twisted into a series of emotions that Eito couldn’t quite process.

“His group is back.”

Eito felt the light buzz from the earlier alcohol completely vanish as his training took hold. There were only two reasons why their group should be back this early. At least, two he could think of. Either they had succeeded in their mission and definitively captured the group of thieves, or…

He shook his head. Looking down at Dan, he spoke.

“Let’s go.”

Eito turned and walked ahead, forcing Dan to follow behind. They made their way past Uchiha who stepped out of their path, coming up onto the clan entrance. Eito took a cursory glance at the scene, consisting of over a dozen shinobi. His eyes fell on the small form wrapped in cloth, which sat on a larger wooden crate. His heart dropped into his gut.

Multiple images flashed through his mind, all coalescing into a horrible mental picture. His head felt light, and he swayed. His feet brought him forward slowly, where he glimpsed the rest of the group. What he saw did not calm his thoughts. Their faces and eyes showed only emptiness, even as they relayed the details of their mission. No, he realised, as he looked closer into Keina’s eyes. Her eyes held a sadness that reflected an experience overcome, but at a cost. Eito moved closer.

“Everyone leave.”

Eito’s words were commanding, but made in a requesting tone. Most others ceased their questioning, holding in whatever it is they thought needed to be said. One by one, each clan member left the entrance, until it was the three young group members, Tan, and Eito. Dan stayed close behind, but left at a nod from Tan.

Kneeling in front of the three group members, Eito spoke quietly.

“Tell me… What you can.”

Chapter Text

The beating sun poured heat down onto the back of every person that stood without the comfort of shade. The surrounding region that the Uchiha clan called home was prone to heat waves, and the summer sun was nearly unbearable, even for a clan that specialised in Fire release techniques. Sitting below an orange canvas vigorously fanning themselves, Shingo and Okita Uchiha discussed menial issues.

“Ugh… I’d kill for some water.” Okita began after a pause in their conversation.

Shingo tilted his head slightly, beating wind into his sweaty hair. “There’s that stream nearby… But I don’t think we’d make it.”

Okita sighed with a pang of longing. “Sometimes, I wish I had Water style. Then I could make my own stream.”

The two teenagers, sedated from the afternoon sun, stared ahead at nothing in particular. A figure imposed itself in their vision, standing over them.

“What are you two doing?” Rang the voice of Tan, the clan’s second in command.

The two young men suddenly scrambled to attention, nearly tripping over each other and dropping the fans they had been waving. They glanced awkwardly at one another before standing fully.

“U-uh, we were… Waiting for today’s spars.” Shingo stammered. He inwardly cringed as he registered his own words. Okita slowly turned to look at him from under raised eyebrows.

“Well, you should be happy to note that they began… an hour ago. You better get moving.” Tan half-ordered, waving dismissively at the two young men.

Shingo and Okita cautiously made their way toward the aforementioned sparring field, where their worst fears played out before them in a blur of rapid jabs and kicks. The two fighters separated after a particularly brutal exchange, allowing the difference in height between the pair to become apparent. The taller form of Dan Uchiha stood lopsided, favoring his right leg and cradling his left arm. Several of Dan’s bruises were plainly visible where the two boys stood on the edge of the field.

His opponent became clear after Dan shifted to one side, revealing the equally battered and bruised form of Kotetsu. Not that Kotetsu’s condition was a reliable indicator for how the fight had gone, as Dan was now the fifth challenger since the sparring began earlier that afternoon. What seemed like a potentially even fight quickly proved one sided as Kotetsu rushed back into close range.

Dan raised his good arm and pivoted to one side, catching the loose punch Kotetsu gave and attempting to throw the younger boy off balance. Kotetsu’s punch changed to an open palm as he grasped the offered arm, hanging off the limb and using the momentum offered by Dan to body-slam the taller teenager into the ground. Dan let loose a sound like a mix between a dying pig and an angry goat. Air was squeezed from his lungs as Dan failed to prevent Kotetsu’s precise takedown.

Dan tapped the ground in a flurry of smacks, signaling his submission. Kotetsu did nothing for a heartbeat before releasing the older boy and standing in one swift motion. Okita and Shingo stood dumbfounded, glancing at each other out of hesitation. They had avoided the sparring field for this exact reason. And now, they were to be fed into the human shaped meat grinder.

Kotetsu began walking away from the field, wiping his face down with the front of his robe. He threw a hand into the air as he walked, speaking over his shoulder. “I’m done for now. Take a break.”

Dan was pulled to his feet by the swarm of hands that belonged to Kotetsu’s previous victims from that afternoon. He let his Sharingan fade away, disgusted with the lack of improvement since his last spar with Kotetsu.

Okita and Shingo felt the tension in their shoulders melt as the prospect of getting beat black and blue faded for the moment. The last year of clan life with Kotetsu had been… Interesting, to say the least.

Dan hobbled over to stand before the two boys, speaking when he got close enough.

“Lucky.”

Okita half-smirked, before letting it slide off his face.

“He’s done nothing but eat, sleep, and train every day. I’m surprised the clan patriarch hasn’t stepped in. Or Atsuo, for that matter. Or literally anyone.” Shingo walked in circles, hands over his head as he ranted.

“If you want to host an intervention, go right ahead.” Dan offered, waving emphatically with his right arm, before flinching and cradling it with his left.

Neither teenager gave a response.

—

As an Uchiha approached adulthood, they found themselves with more responsibilities depending on their perceived level of skill. This had begun to change over the last decade with the rise of independent clans, who suddenly found themselves filling a sizable gap left behind by the Azuchi Kingdom. The sharp incline of monstrous beasts tied with ancient feuds between families being re-ignited proved to keep the various clans of the land busy. The surrounding land, once belonging to the Azuchi Kingdom, was now undergoing a spectacular fracture. For the Uchiha clan, this meant that younger members could no longer tolerate being just ‘good enough’. It was now do or die.

Since that fateful mission over a year ago, Keina found herself in the leadership role too many times to count. And, more often now, she found herself completely alone. Pine needles and loose branches crunched softly under her boots as Keina placed one foot ahead of the other. Her current assignment was one such solo mission, and she enjoyed the warm breeze beneath the heavy canopy that sprawled above. Her ears caught the soft chafing of dirt some dozen meters away.

Her body stiffened as she slowly brought her left foot down, keeping her head straight while pointing every sense she had in the direction of the sound. The explosion of underbrush and splintering wood nullified her concern of being followed by a human being. Turning, she stood her ground as the giant two-headed wolf which had not been there mere seconds ago charged straight at Keina. Gnashing teeth sprouted from two heads which grew closer with each heavy step.

Hands moving in a blur, Keina strung along a well practiced technique. She leapt to be above the monster, whose heads moved to follow her arching trail. It didn’t notice the ground beneath its feet begin to displace. Suddenly, the earth it stood on opened to swallow the beast whole.

The two-headed wolf’s last sight was a wall of earth encompassing its entire body. The last thing it felt was the crushing force of impossibly heavy stone.

—

Kotetsu pulled fresh clothes on after a long day of training. He had agreed to spar with a number of Uchiha, both older and younger, though they were likely regretting that agreement now. Kotetsu had studied the Uchiha clan for over a year now, and painstakingly created a method for combating their tricky fighting style. Over the course of months, Kotetsu tested and revised his method with much failure along the way. At times, he felt as if he were regressing. Those moments brought him back to the Hyuuga clan. He could never shake the feelings brought on by his old life, his old home. One day he would return, he told himself.

Kotetsu finished his preparations for bed, curling up on the stiff futon with his sword just within arm’s reach. Ready for sleep, he mentally prepared himself for what was to come next. Exhaustion found him quickly, pulling him into a deep slumber. The nightmare Kotetsu first experienced over a year ago began to play itself out within the theater of his mind. As it had done almost every night since.

Kotetsu moved between the tall pine trees, ignoring their reaching branches. The gate of the Uchiha clan appeared, and Kotetsu swiftly moved between its stead. Night turned to day as the forest vanished, and Kotetsu was left standing in the midst of a farm village. The village where it all happened. Making slow careful steps, Kotetsu rounded the corner to find the expected- and dreaded- sight.

Kotetsu had tried everything. The nightmare always took him to this point, no matter how he approached it. Climbing along buildings, never rounding the corner, never leaving the forest. He tried everything within the dream. Tar appeared at his feet as Sochua the monster held the screaming form of Teruo. He had dug at the tar, tried avoiding the tar, tried taking his shoes off, tried throwing rocks, screamed, and cried. Nothing ever changed.

Kotetsu awoke with a start as the nightmare ended the exact way it had for the last year. At some point in the night, he had grasped his sword and brought it to his chest in a protective hug. He glared down at the sword. After that horrific day, Kotetsu had spent weeks and months attempting to lift the sword again. He would pull on the handle for hours on end, almost breaking fingers as he made no progress toward lifting it off the ground. Every time Kotetsu gave up on lifting the blade, he had to awkwardly dig away at the ground beneath the tip of the blade until he could slip the sheath on, allowing him to pick the sword back up. He had not made any attempt to lift the blade these last few months, letting it sit by itself in his tent most days.

Kotetsu pulled on the robes which had been stitched and restitched after a year and a half of abuse. The Uchiha clan had offered to purchase similar robes, but he refused, putting his sewing skills to use with loose cloth. The robes themselves were the only possession he had left from the Hyuuga clan. His pack had long ago been replaced, due to an incident involving a cliff and a group of raccoons.

Along with his robes, Kotetsu tied two dark red cloth pads to his shoulders. The shoulder guards were a recent addition to his outfit, having been earned after a particularly successful mission. It was common for younger clan members to earn pieces of their equipment through successful missions. Eito, the clan patriarch, only seemed to attach Kotetsu to missions where he would be visible to the outside world. After a year of these assignments, Atsuo had finally explained why the clan leader had done so. Kotetsu had flatly refused any task involving villages, public spaces or political figures since then. Eito didn’t seem keen on arguing the point.

Atsuo stood outside of the tent, waiting for Kotetsu to finish his morning routine. When Kotetsu exited the tent only a few minutes after Atsuo arrived, the young man found himself surprised. Kotetsu was never consistent with his sleep schedule, so Atsuo had been expecting to be waiting around an hour at least. He even brought a bucket of water just in case. Kotetsu ducked out beneath the tent flap, causing Atsuo to carefully push the bucket behind him with one foot.

“Oh, hey. Why are you up so early...?” Atsuo broached with suspicion.

Kotetsu glanced from behind strands of white hair at the young man he called brother.

“I have some things to take care of today.” Kotetsu answered plainly.

Atsuo felt his eyebrows raise. “Things… Which requires you to be geared up? What about your sword?”

“Don’t need it. Not for this.” Kotetsu continued. Atsuo slid aside as Kotetsu brushed past him, moving for the clan entrance.

Atsuo felt his eyes widen as an idea came to him. “Is that today? I thought she had a mission, though.”

“She did. She also promised it would be today. Keina keeps her promises.”

Atsuo felt his feet move on their own as he caught up to Kotetsu. He would not miss a chance to see a fight like this.

—

Keina felt her feet drag as she made her way into the camp she called home. The sky had begun to lighten as morning approached. She had trudged through most of the night, aware of the promise to Kotetsu she had made weeks earlier. Even with several hours until the agreed time, she worried that her condition would leave her in less than optimal condition for dueling Kotetsu. She resolved to accept the outcome regardless.

Her pace quickened as the camp entrance came into view, the familiar face of Shingo acting as entry guard for the morning. His bored face lit up when Keina appeared.

“Keina, you’re back… on time! That’s a first.” Shingo gibed, matching pace with her and walking side by side through the entrance.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to miss out on your sparring sessions with Kotetsu.” Keina teased.

Shingo paused in between steps, looking off as Keina continued into the camp. He reflexively grabbed his gut at the memory of Kotetsu repeatedly showing Shingo one of his many apparent weaknesses. He belatedly remembered he would be first to spar with Kotetsu the next day.

—

The promised duel was not any normal sparring match. Keina and Kotetsu had been permitted to use Ninjutsu by the clan’s higher ups, and as such had also been ordered to take their fight out into an open clearing within the forest. News of the duel had quickly spread throughout the younger Uchiha cast, even gaining some attention among the adults.

Keina trudged to the designated area out in the forest, clearing her mind in preparation of the upcoming bout. The dueling location was only a few short minutes from the camp. As she was leaving the camp, she noticed immediately that a large portion of the clan had seemingly vanished. Upon exiting the forest into the specified clearing, she easily confirmed where everyone had gone.

Kotetsu, Atsuo, Dan, Shingo, Okita, and countless other younger Uchiha stood in a group at the center of the clearing. A swathe of adults stood a distance away, lining the far end of the clearing. Others sat perched in trees above looking down into the glade. When the group of teenagers noticed Keina, their conversations gradually ceased as she approached. Kotetsu moved from within the group to stand before Keina.

An adult suddenly appeared out of nowhere by the two, who recognised him a moment later as the clan leader. Eito glanced between the two fighters, then purposefully stared at the assembled group of teens still present behind Kotetsu. They got the hint and began to extricate themselves, leaving behind words of encouragement in their place.

“Good luck…”

“Don’t blow the place up, alright?”

“Give it your best shot…”

Atsuo stood a moment after everyone else was gone. His eyes shifted from Kotetsu’s back to Keina, who met his stare after a moment. Atsuo winked with a slight grin before leaving in a casual stroll. Keina felt somewhat nervous as her eyes were pulled down out of reflex, but they quickly returned to meet Kotetsu’s expecting face. His neutral expression helped Keina calm her own mind back to complete focus.

“Keina. Are you ready?” Eito began.

Keina nodded once.

“Kotetsu?”

Kotetsu stared at Keina for a moment longer, before nodding his head in agreement.

Eito took several steps back, holding one arm straight out, hand poised to slice the air downward. Speaking one word, he cut the air in one fluid motion before vanishing.

“Begin.”

Before Eito even finished the word, Kotetsu blurred forward with precipitous speeds, intending to put Keina on the ground before she could even react. His movements were clear, precise, and ultimately useless. Kotetsu felt no impact as he continued forward, the anticipated collision never coming. His feet barely caught the ground and he pulled himself to a confused stop.

Turning, he found Keina unmoving from her original position, except she was now casually observing him. Kotetsu had an immediate memory of Atsuo almost effortlessly dodging his unskilled attacks in his first days meeting the Uchiha clan. In all the time since, he had only fought with Keina a handful of times. Even that was a result of constant begging to spar. Each and every time, Keina had thoroughly beaten Kotetsu with little effort.

In direct contrast, Kotetsu could reasonably beat Atsuo head on once every two or three spars. When the forest or a complex environment was involved, those odds were reversed with Kotetsu taking the lead much of the time. Now, standing here after his failed opening, Kotetsu couldn’t help but imagine a nearly insurmountable difference in skill between Keina and himself, with Keina above him on some peak he could hardly see. The keyword there being nearly insurmountable.

“He’s just standing there…” Dan softly spoke as Atsuo approached.

“They’re preparing. Give it a second.” Atsuo confidently responded.

Keina watched Kotetsu with piercing red eyes. Her fully matured Sharingan observed every movement, mannerism, and slight tug of skin Kotetsu showed.

Kotetsu felt a grin slowly spread across his face as he stared at Keina. It came from a feeling he felt more often in combat, and he allowed himself to revel in the sensation.

When both fighters moved at each other simultaneously, only then did the real duel begin.

—

Within the first minute, the spar had devolved into a game of cat and mouse. Kotetsu might as well have been armless and legless when it came to close quarters against Keina. Mostly matched in speed, the difference boiled down to Keina’s Sharingan, which let her catch Kotetsu time and time again with precise- but not serious- deft strikes. Kotetsu had decided his best chance was to gain distance, using the sparse trees, bushes, slight hill, and anything else he could scrap up to his potential advantage.

As the fight progressed, Kotetsu had no chance to showcase any part of his strategy on dealing with an Uchiha. Every hesitation and mistake was abused by Keina’s sharpened prowess. To everyone watching, it appeared as if Keina was teaching a master class lesson on the Sharingan.

Kotetsu would spend several seconds gaining distance, only for Keina to catch up and pull him into the whirlwind of stabbing fists and unfettered kicks. He continued a useless struggle against the one sided melee, never losing determination to change the pace of the fight. Fake-out attacks were seen through, rocks were dodged or caught, dirt and other attempts at obstructing vision were met with distance. However, Kotetsu was not out of options.

Gaining distance again, Kotetsu weaved through several handsigns he had thoroughly ingrained into muscle memory through a year of training. Pressure built up in his lungs, his Chakra flowing at an exact and measured rate. Taking a deep breath, he imagined a spark of intense light placed right on his tongue, and breathed a pure torrent of fire.

Keina had not idly watched. Matching Kotetsu, she formed a series of handsigns meant to deploy a form of defensive earth should it prove necessary. Keina observed the building Chakra in Kotetsu’s lung with concern. Her concern stemmed from Kotetsu’s apparent ability to reform a jutsu beyond the scope of the handsigns performed.

While a jutsu’s handsigns appeared to be what determined the form the Chakra should take, handsigns were actually more of a foundation the Chakra could build on. A skilled Chakra user can mentally reshape the form their Chakra takes regardless of the handsigns enacted. Keina was proven correct in her assumption as instead of shooting a growing ball of fire, Kotetsu released a speeding stream of flames instead.

Keina knew that Kotetsu could redirect the continuous stream in whatever way she dodged, even potentially leading the fire along her path. So she removed that possibility by slamming her hands into the ground, causing a cube of earth several meters thick to suddenly rise. Kotetsu had no choice but to either gouge the flames out, attempt to maneuver his way around the cube, or less likely, melt a hole through the earth. She would not dismiss any such possibility.

Kotetsu had expected Keina to create a wider, less thick wall of earth to offset the ball of fire Kotetsu was supposed to create. Her anticipation of his action threw Kotetsu off for several seconds. Snapping back to the fight with an idea, Kotetsu focused on something he had mentally practiced for several months, but had not actually performed for fear of danger to himself. Taking the already formed Chakra coming out of his lungs, he slowly manipulated the stream so that his Chakra began to build up instead of exiting at a constant pace. The stream of fire reduced to less than half its size. Then, Kotetsu pushed the compressed mound of Chakra out all at once, releasing a devastating fireball.

The fireball moved just behind the dwindling stream of flames. Kotetsu only had to wait another moment before the sphere impacted the cube, engulfing it in fire and easily reaching where Keina was. The resulting explosion charred much of the cube, and had expelled large chunks of stone in every direction. Several seconds passed letting the flames die out. An errant thought hit Kotetsu, and he weaved another series of handsigns just in case.

Kotetsu did not give in to the false sense of security his mind desperately wanted to create. Keeping his eyes open, he checked his surroundings, unsure of what Keina might do next. Kotetsu knew the fight was not over as no one had shown up to stop him. A slight vibration crept up his feet, causing Kotetsu to instantly jump into the air as the earth beneath where he stood began to shake apart. He quickly realised that his movement had been what Keina was after.

From the ground, a long thin spike of stone grew straight into the air, climbing with impressive speed right for Kotetsu. Kotetsu had reacted on impulse, and would now face the consequence. Or at least, he should have.

From Kotetsu’s feet, two blazing shrouds of fire sprouted to allow Kotetsu movement in mid-air. His body twisted into a somersault as the speeding spear of stone barely clipped one leg. The jets of fire barely lasted more than a second as Kotetsu kept the expelled Chakra to a minimum. While still airborne, Kotetsu focused on performing another small set of handsigns. Maneuvering his body up right, Kotetsu barely landed on his feet from the near strike.

The sound of grinding stone pulled Kotetsu’s attention behind, back to the earth cube, where he found a square doorway opening to reveal Keina. The two locked eyes for a brief moment. Kotetsu broke the intense stare by spewing a burst of fire from his mouth, releasing the last of his built up Chakra in one smooth motion. Lancing fire dashed forward like a kunai, aimed right for the open doorway and Keina within. Kotetsu stumbled to the ground from the intense release of energy.

Kotetsu watched from the dirt as Keina regarded the lance of flames with casual ease. He watched as the fire entered the doorway’s threshold. Then, he watched the fire rush straight through her body, leaving no trace of its passage. Alarm surged through Kotetsu as he attempted to get to his feet, only to find the ground beneath him opening to swallow him whole. A wave of fear engulfed Kotetsu along with the earth. Suddenly, in that moment, he was in his own nightmare, trying to escape the pit of tar. A yelp of terror escaped his lips as he fell.

Then, the feeling of falling subsided, and Kotetsu was trapped up to his neck in the ground. The image of Keina standing in the cube flickered and faded like smoke vanishing in the wind. The ground shook beside Kotetsu, and the real Keina appeared to rise as if stepping up a flight of stairs. Staring with wide surprise and his mouth agape was all Kotetsu could do.

Keina stared down at Kotetsu’s wide eyed open mouthed face. To her, he had not changed much if at all from the boy she first knew over a year ago. But when she inspected his expression, she could notice the subtle differences of a boy slowly turning into a man. Kotetsu sputtered as he sat imprisoned in the dirt. Keina cut him off.

“Do you concede?”

Kotetsu’s mouth snapped shut in response. Keina won their staring contest as, a few seconds later, Kotetsu glanced down with a slight nod of assent. Keina clapped her hands together in a single handsign, releasing the Chakra surrounding Kotetsu and causing the dirt to softly pull away from his body.

Before Kotetsu could start to free himself, he found a hand extended above him. He stared at it for several seconds. It began to wiggle in a beckoning motion. Pulling an arm free, Kotetsu clasped the offered hand and let Keina pull him out of the dirt tomb.

“Are you alright?” Keina quietly asked once Kotetsu’s feet were securely back on solid ground.

Kotetsu glanced up with chagrin. “...Yeah. Sort of panicked near the end there.”

“I noticed.”

Keina and Kotetsu stood awkwardly, until Kotetsu looked straight into her face, a half smirk planted on his stupid face.

“Thanks for the fight. Though, if that Genjutsu clone in the cube had been real, you would have been toast.” Kotetsu boasted.

“No, I wouldn’t. But good try.” Keina gently patted Kotetsu’s shoulder.

—

Atsuo and Dan stood within a silent crowd, watching the fight unfold. No one made a sound until the spar finally ended with Keina winning as expected. Okita and Shingo immediately and simultaneously began clapping with vigor, cheering with sudden hollers and whooping. A sound of a throat clearing from somewhere quieted the two teenagers, turning to find Eito standing behind the group. No one else made a noise.

Above in the trees, the adults made soft sounds of approval and discussed the match. They knew that Keina was not someone to be taken lightly in combat. Kotetsu lasting as long as he did was also approved of, though less so due to his unique circumstances. No one could guess how far the fledgling cinder-born shinobi might grow.

With the fight over, everyone began to trickle back into the clan slowly. Keina and Kotetsu walked side by side back to the camp. Atsuo, Dan, and the rest of the group caught up behind, following the two. The assembled teens all fell into easy conversation as they strolled through the forest, the late morning sun attempting to pierce the trees overhead.

Upon reaching the camp entrance, the young Uchiha began to disperse into the forest of tents. Eventually, it was just Atsuo, Keina, and Kotetsu. Keina dismissed herself to clean up and get some proper rest. Atsuo and Kotetsu found themselves by Kotetsu’s tent, where Kotetsu began untying the threads holding his shoulder pads in place.

“You seem… unusually calm after that fight.” Atsuo carefully broached.

Kotetsu didn’t respond, instead opting to duck into his tent, leaving the flap open.

Atsuo felt emboldened after seeing Kotetsu beaten so easily, and pressed on.

“Like, you were much more hostile this morning. It was the same before your practice fights yesterday.”

Kotetsu stashed his shoulder pads and began to exit his tent, but hesitated a moment. He appeared to reach further in and retrieve something.

“But also, something happened at the end of this last match, right? You froze up. You could have easily escaped that earth prison…” Atsuo’s voice fell away as he saw what Kotetsu held, standing back up from his tent.

In his hand, Kotetsu held a black rod separated by a handle wrapped in leather straps. The familiar sight of the black stone caused Atsuo to reflexively take a step back.

“Uh…” Atsuo gave his intelligent response.

Kotetsu stared down at the black stone rod in his right hand. The same stone rod that he had been prodded with over a year ago now. He pressed one end into his left hand. Nothing happened.

“...What the…” Atsuo once again proved his cunning.

“One end was a fake. That was his plan. Sochua, I mean. He would single someone out, then test them with the fake end of the rod. Once it wouldn’t work, no one would believe that person wasn't a monster in disguise.” Kotetsu explained in multiple breaths.

Atsuo took a moment to formulate an actual response.

“You took that?”

Kotetsu glanced back up at Atsuo, breaking his stare-down with the rod.

“It’s a reminder for me. I still get… nightmares about that day.”

“Have you considered that it might be the rod giving you them?” Atsuo reacted with instant sarcasm, waving down at the black rod in Kotetsu’s hand.

In response, Kotetsu pulled the rod away from his hand and jabbed it out toward Atsuo, who stepped back with a half yelp.

Kotetsu smirked as Atsuo stared daggers at him.

“I’m gonna get some rest. Keina punches a little too hard sometimes.” Kotetsu rubbed his shoulder.

Before leaving, Atsuo turned to speak one last time.

“Hey… if you’re having trouble sleeping, don’t be afraid to tell anyone. Or just tell me. Alright, bro?”

Kotetsu focused on Atsuo from the corner of one eye, half turned to re-enter his tent. He flashed a small grin, and spoke as he retreated behind the veil of his tent.

“Sure. Brother.”