#//((Did the Clan wars mission earlier today and thought about this.

[kingdomofclones]

Since Torque is a freckled redhead, I thought of something... he might've been a Zaford or related to them originally.  While he definitely doesn't have the accent anymore, I wouldn't be surprised if people assumed he was and if Hodunk-aligned Hodunks were salty at him for it.

[vodkassassin]

My dude, my gal, or maybe nonbinary pal (just to be sure, don't know your pronouns) you gave me the light, you have opened my eyes. All this ships I didn't know I needed and now can't get enough of. Your writing is a DELIGHT. For a prompt, how do SQH's disciples see him? What about the demons under MBJ? That one shot of LQG getting jealous of MBJ in which the underling backs away slowly means this isn't the first time that has happened right?

Thank you so much! It really makes me happy to hear that people enjoy reading my stuff. It’s half of what makes writing it so enjoyable for me. Another part I enjoy is how I seem to be dragging all you poor fools down with me into my shipping abyss of rare pairs. God bless.

I went with the demon perspective! Might do a disciple perspective next time? Idk. @quiensecomioelpie

—

As an agent of the Northern kingdom, Mao Liang is required to attend strategy meetings whenever they are present within the palace. Regardless of whether they had just returned from a long, grueling mission in the field only the day before, or not.

Luckily, there’s never that much attention brought to them, and Mao Liang is never expected to share their opinion or thoughts during the meeting, only directly to his majesty and the advisor afterwards. A relief, because if Mao Liang had to speak to the dozens of generals and high ranking soldiers and fellow agents that stand around the colossal, war room table alongside them… Well, that’s a crowd, isn’t it? If Mao Liang was forced to publicly speak, they might actually die.

Someone who doesn’t seem to ever have a problem with addressing a crowd of demons, though — be they gruff soldiers or generals or a glowering, looming king — is someone that is worth admiring.

Lord Shang pulls his furs around his shoulders more tightly, attention directed almost entirely on the maps sprawled out over the table they’ve all gathered around today. His head tilts toward the side just slightly, like a predator whose eyes have zeroed in on his prey, and Mao Liang has to fight the urge to shiver at the sight.

The odd twitches that they see in their fellow demons tells them that they, too, experience the same unease, so at least they’re not alone in this.

It was an odd thing, at first, to fear a human — much less a cultivator. In the beginning, as Lord Shang was just ascending into his climb for power in the Northern Kingdom, it had been something Mao Liang had been almost offended by. Just as any demon in their right mind would be, faced with such a slight, twitchy little thing, whose eyes rove to and fro as if they are a frightened animal. It screams of weakness, to any demon eyes.

Any demon that doesn’t already know better, at least.

Within the decade, however, it became clear that this feeling did, indeed, have its place in Mao Liang’s heart. That they were not experiencing a falsity. That Lord Shang, despite his diminutive appearance, is deserving of this respect, and not just because his majesty is so fond of him.

Not only is the cultivator powerful — Mao Liang still shudders in remembrance, whenever there is a storm in the sky strong enough to birth lightning — but he is conniving. He is intelligent to a terrifying degree. He is scarily efficient, productive, and reliable.

When Lord Shang says something will be done, it is done.

When Lord Shang says changes need to be made, they are made, no matter how many voices make their dissent known (nor how many idiots have, over the years, attempted something much more underhanded — they all fail, each and every one of them, and eventually the attempts were fewer and fewer, before just completely grinding to a halt).

If Lord Shang decides you are not fit for a position….

Well. In the beginning, he’d have just taken care of it himself. Through varying means, all of them increasingly terrifying, according to the rumors Mao Liang has heard over the years. Now, though…

Now, if Lord Shang decides someone has to go, the king himself is ever so obliging to make sure that it happens, often post haste.

So much power in the palm of a single person, even if he is an immortal master — it’s awe-inspiring.

So, Lord Shang indeed deserves the respect he commands from the heart of every Northern demon, and even those beyond their borders. However long it had taken them all to realize (and then accept), the state of the kingdom in recent years has been thriving more than it ever has in the past. Things haven’t been this good since perhaps the early golden age of the current Mobei Jun’s great and mighty ancestors. And they all know exactly who to credit that for.

“Here.”

Mao Liang startles, gaze snapping down to the map and zeroing in on where Lord Shang’s dainty (and deceptively powerful, mustn’t forget that) finger is tapping on an outlined enemy outpost.

“Eliminate them, first.” Lord Shang says.

“Ah — my lord?” One of the generals hedges awkwardly, tone coming out rather flat in his attempt not to offend — as it happens with most demons, their accents when speaking the common language does not leave a lot of room for niceties and polite speech. It’s caused a lot of scares with Lord Shang, where the demons under his attention are never certain if they’re about to get banished from the kingdom or executed by the king (which would be a mercy, certainly).

Mao Liang winces, covering it up by clenching their jaw tightly and eyeing the general who spoke from the corner of his eye, as Lord Shang turns his attention directly upon him.

The general is standing ramrod straight, shoulders stiff and brow pinched, when the advisor’s aquamarine gaze cuts to him. The demal shouldn’t have spoken up at all.

“What is it?” Lord Shang asks, pleasantly. Mao Liang feels a shiver wrack their spine.

Lord Shang is always pleasant, right up until he isn’t. It’s when he isn’t, that one has to watch out for oneself. But it’s ever so difficult to know when that caution is required, because Lord Shang is unpredictable, in a sense.

It takes a lot to truly and irreparably offend the honorable advisor. The last one who had…

They’re still scraping the poor guy’s innards off the wall of that conference hall, Mao Liang is pretty sure.

“That outpost…” the General begins, haltingly. He eyes the peak lord hesitantly, searching the neutral mask for any sign of displeasure, before continuing. “It’s not very important in the grand scheme of things, my lord. The enemy does not particularly value it. To expend our forces on its destruction would, I believe, be a waste of our resources at this time.”

There. Succinct and to the point. Mao Liang cranes their head around to peer at the advisor, who stands at the head of the table.

In the shadow of his majesty’s great bulk and dark glower (which is currently directed at the silently sweating General, poor demal), Lord Shang looks so much smaller than he actually is. Almost breakable. Non-threatening.

Mao Liang has never heard a more hilarious joke in their life. Non-threatening, their ass.

“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” And oh, there is cheer injected into the advisor’s voice, now. Mao Liang watches in fascination as the general visibly cringes. “Ah, but that’s where you’d be wrong, General Peng! You see, this particular outpost actually is rather important, especially to our enemy. They’d just like for us to think that it isn’t. The larger outpost, here?”

Lord Shang sweeps his hand across the map to the larger outline that’s much closer to the Northern borders.

“That seems more of a threat to us, just like you pointed out earlier. And I agree, it does seem that way — however, this larger outpost is only a decoy. A red herring, if you will. It’s larger and more heavily manned specifically to distract us from this smaller outpost over here.”

General Peng flinches minutely, having his own contribution to the meeting so effortlessly and nonchalantly thrown back into his face as only an incorrect assumption rather than a logical deduction. He doesn’t speak, though, even to ask the advisor where he’d gotten such information from.

No one ever asks Lord Shang how he knows something. Everyone knows that if Lord Shang knows something, then he just knows it, and you are to trust it, because he is never, ever wrong.

It is frightening enough, having the advisor of the king know your name, personally, without you ever having introduced yourself to him. Small, meaningless facts about you, the names of your family, where your clan ancestral ritual grounds are (something that no demon tells anyone outside their own clan, upon pain of death. And having that just thrown out there in casual conversation? Terrifying.). What you had been doing, while undercover, just the week before….

Mao Liang’s first meeting with the Peak Lord Shang had been memorable, to say the least. They had come out of it with a very, very healthy fear and respect for the man, of course. Ask any demon in the Eternal Winter Palace — hell, any demon in the damn kingdom itself — and they would tell you the same.

“It’s this outpost we have to worry about.” Lord Shang is saying, tapping once again on the smaller outline. “It’s the center of their operations. Everything that actually matters is hidden underneath it. It is absolutely crucial that those of you in the field ensure that it will no longer be a problem. You should take, I’d say, around three platoons.”

Mao Liang glances down at the outline. The outpost is tiny, nestled into the belly of a valley. Just looking at it, they would guess there are only perhaps a thousand demons in total guarding the place. Sending in six thousand soldiers to take it out is a bit of overkill.

But, then again, if the real operations are all happening underground, concealed….

General Peng’s lips thin into a pale line. Then, the demal nods in acceptance. “If Lord Shang says so.”

“I do,” Lord Shang says, quietly, not even lifting his gaze back up from the map, staring down at where his own finger is pressed to the outpost.

General Peng’s entire face goes pale.

Before anything else can happen, like Lord Shang going completely silent and unhelpful (It’s happened in the past, Lord Shang deciding that they no longer required his advice, if they were so certain of their own (always subpar) intelligence on the matter. His majesty’s ire, in response, had been absolutely brutal on everyone even peripherally involved. Mao Liang had been lucky enough to not have been in attendance at that particular meeting, but they’d heard stories.)— before anything like that could happen, the king himself decided that enough is enough.

Mobei Jun shoves off the table and sends them all a sharp glare.

“Well,” his majesty says, powerful voice expanding into the air and filling the cavernous war room like it was something material. “You have your orders. What else do you want? Get out.”

As they all scramble to their feet and head for the door, Mao Liang is at the forefront. They hate tactical meetings. They’d rather be on the field. Or in their quarters, sleeping. Or in their quarters, reading. Anywhere that other people are not. This meeting has already drained their meager energy levels to almost nothing. It’s nap time. It’s nap time.

“Mao Liang,” Mobei Jun’s voice calls, and they fall to an abrupt stop just before the doors. “Stay behind.”

Demons, generals and soldiers and even fellow agents, stream past them, and they quietly despair. Fuck! They’d been so close!

They turn, and step back to the table. They execute a bow, working to keep any expression off their face entirely — especially when Lord Shang smiles at them. Oh, ancestors.

“There’s a mission that requires the best counter-intelligence agent that we have,” Lord Shang begins, as flattering as ever, and Mao Liang knows immediately that they’re in for a lot of work. Dammit. “Here, follow me. There’s no reason to do this in such a drafty, echoing hall. I’ll debrief you on the way to the kitchens.”

Ah! Mao Liang hasn’t eaten since yesterday! And from the glimmer in Lord Shang’s eye as the man smiles, he knows it too.

Another thing about Lord Shang, that Mao Liang particularly admires, is how the man cares, despite everything else. If you ever work directly underneath Lord Shang, you can always be absolutely certain that he will look out for you.

In the Northern Kingdom, there is no place safer.

[tallstars-rewrite]

Chapter 17

chapter list / previous / next

In what little free time he was permitted in between patrols or extra long hunting missions, Tallpaw went back to visit Jake several times. All he had to do was say he preferred hunting in the Swift-Step Hills, which led up to the northern borders treeline. Jake was bolder in his exploring now that he knew the way there and back. Tallpaw never let himself stay for very long, only a brief conversation or even a wave hello, but the tiny visits were like a breath of fresh air to him. Any small moment of respite completely disconnected from his life and worries back at camp was sorely needed.

 It was easy enough when he was out training with Dawnstripe, when he was too busy with her to think of much else, but he was still procrastinating a conversation with the tunnelers. Normally he wouldn’t go so close to where he knew their patrols might be working, but he was having trouble finding prey elsewhere. He’d almost given up entirely and began trailing back to camp when he spotted a large doe rabbit hopping erratically back and forth between the hollowed entrances of the tunnelers new passages. It was a newer one, dug through what may have recently been an old rabbit burrow. Tallpaw was able to sneak up on it and kill it quickly while it was looking lost. His paws sank uncomfortably into the newly scratched soil, and he winced at the feeling. He took to avoiding the tunnels altogether recently, afraid of bumping into one of the patrols and not having a graceful excuse prepared for why he hadn’t joined them yet. The last thing he needed was to accidentally collapse some fragile part of an invisible passage, so he left as quickly as he could. 

It was past dawn at this point and the wind was blowing particularly strong today, bringing with it dark clouds from over the mountains, along with the damp taste in the air signaling coming rains. Tallpaw stared up at Outlook Hill, squinting against the light. Fawnleap was standing alone on top, with his claws fastened into the dirt to keep from blowing off his paws. He was stretching his neck up towards the sky, appearing to be deep in concentration. Sparrow was staring up at him from the base of the hill. Tallpaw padded up behind the small dark tom, and set his rabbit down on the ground.

 “What in StarClan’s name is he doing up there?” he asked.

Sparrow didn’t turn to greet Tallpaw, but replied, “He was complaining on and on yesterday about wanting to outgrow his mentor and his siblings. So I told him there was an ancient legend that claimed if you spent long enough in a very tall place and focused all your energy on stretching up towards the sky every day that it would help you grow as much as seven mouse lengths within a season.”

Tallpaw snorted. “That’s nonsense, you can’t just will yourself to be taller. Where did you hear that?” 

Sparrow looked at him “I was telling a joke,” he meowed flatly. 

Sparrow’s tone of voice sounded the same no matter what he was saying. I’m not sure he knows how jokes are supposed to work... Tallpaw thought.

 “Has he been up there all morning?” 

“I think so.”

“You...can’t just tell Fawnleap things like that, he always takes you seriously.”

Sparrow was staring blankly back up at the spotted brown tom, who still hadn’t broken his focus.  “He’s...so stupid,” he breathed, sounding almost awe-struck. 

“Hey, Fawnleap may not be the brightest cat on the moor, but he means well.” Tallpaw glanced sideways at the loner. He still couldn’t get a good read on him like he could the other visitors, who seemed to always wear their emotions plainly on their pelts. “So...how are you settling in?”

“Awkwardly.” Sparrow replied. “Some of you are alright I suppose. I don’t actually mind Fawnleap when he’s not talking my ear off. He’s less prickly than others around here. But I’ll be excited to leave.”

“Oh.” Tallpaw was a little taken aback by the bluntness in his tone when he said that. “Why is that?”

“It feels like you clan cats always have to be fighting someone. I don’t want us to get tangled up in your issues with this ‘ShadowClan.’ I don’t understand why you can’t just let them hunt on the land they want and be done with it. It’s just trees and grass. Is it really worth starting some kind of war over?”

“It’s not that simple. Our land is a part of us, it’s not just anything, that’s why we defend it. We can’t give it away carelessly.”

He caught Sparrow rolling his eyes and Tallpaw flattened his ears, but he was determined not to get into an argument. Maybe Sparrow had a reason to be prickly. They weren’t visiting for happy reasons after all, and Tallpaw tried to muster some understanding for the young loner. “None of you are going to be in danger here. ShadowClan is our problem to handle. Hen is perfectly safe in our camp.”

“Sure…” Sparrow avoided his gaze and Tallpaw saw for perhaps the first time a scrap of emotion from him as a glimmer of worry darkened his gaze. There and gone just as quickly.

“You must be worried about her,” Tallpaw said sympathetically. “It must be hard seeing the cat that kitted you so sick.”

“She didn’t kit me.”

“She didn’t? Sorry, I thought Bess said-”

“She is my mother,” he said firmly, “in every way that matters. I share no blood with any of them.”

“Oh, of course. I guess I just assumed, I mean, I know kittypets get separated from their family often but I thought loners might be different--or whatever you call yourselves.” 

“You don’t even know how strange you clan cats are.” Sparrow sniffed, “I guess it’s easy staying with the cats that you’re kin with. Bess, Algernon, and Reena are after all. but most of the loners I pass don’t think much about blood. You find where you belong best by yourself, and maybe it’s not with who you happened to be born with. I never even knew my blood kin. They’re either dead or left me behind. I don’t really care. There’s only ever been Hen as far back as my memory goes. She’s my family, and I don’t want her in danger. No matter what."

Tallpaw didn’t respond. He could at least understand Sparrow’s loyalty to the old cat, it wasn’t dissimilar to the loyalty a clan cat should feel to the rest of their clanmates, but even so, he couldn’t imagine not knowing his kin at all. They were the cats who brought him into the world after all. But it must be easier choosing who fits you rather than being stuck with someone you can’t please, a small voice hissed in the back of his mind, and he immediately mentally kicked himself for thinking it. How could he be so ungrateful? 

He heard Sparrow mutter under his breath "I just think the others are...too trusting sometimes. It's only luck that we haven’t gotten into much trouble with strangers on our travels so far.”

“Well... Hawkheart knows a lot about healing, and he’s doing everything he can to help her. Even if he’s a bit prickly about it.” Tallpaw said.

“I understand.” It didn’t sound like he actually did. “It must be a big ask for him to help some cat that didn’t happen to be born here.”

Sparrow’s voice made it hard to tell if he was being sarcastic.

Just in case he was, Tallpaw said “if we had more reliable resources it would be easier for us to be generous to every cat, but we only have what our territory provides, and most of the time it’s only enough for us.”

Sparrow narrowed his eyes at him. “Well you had no problem helping that dopey barncat past the moor.”

Tallpaw stiffened.

“I wasn’t following you if that’s what you’re thinking.” Sparrow continued. “You told us to stay near the trees, and Reena saw him wandering around a couple days ago, and then I saw you wandering after him. You don’t sneak around very well.”

“Oh--! Well, that’s--um…” Tallpaw sputtered. He really thought he’d been doing a good job at keeping that secret.

Sparrow rolled his eyes. “I won’t tell your clanmates if that’s what you're worried about. Neither will Reena if you don’t want her to, we’re not tattle-tails. If you want to frolic with a pet, go nuts for all I care. I don’t want to get tangled up in your...weird hang ups about outsiders or whatever. I have no reason to get you in trouble with your dad, I’m not holding a grudge against you for tackling me or anything.”

“Oh. Um.” Tallpaw gulped. “Well...thanks. I think.”

“Trust me, I wouldn’t be interested in talking to your dad for any reason. That sandy tom is your dad, right?”

Tallpaw blinked. How much had Sparrow been watching to even take note of that?

“I supposed I was worried you’d be just as rude and stuck up to us as him. We all make a point of avoiding him.” Sparrow said.

“I’d thank you not to talk about my father like that.” Tallpaw hissed defensively. “You don’t understand the pressure we’re under, and he’s doing more to protect our clan than any other cat right now.”

Sparrow looked a little surprised at Tallpaw’s shift in tone. Tallpaw was too, but his father was a great cat, and if he was rude to Sparrow it was probably because Sparrow was rude to everyone. 

Sparrow blinked. “Sorry? I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I mean, I figured him being unpleasant was just an obviously observable fact. He snapped at me just for sitting here earlier. ‘Said he had gone all over looking for you and was annoyed that I didn’t know where you were, but I don’t see how that’s my fault. I guess he wants you for something. He’s waiting around camp.”

Tallpaw stared at him, “Wait, was that this morning? Why didn’t you start with that if you knew he was looking for me!?”

“Umm…” Sparrow trilled in thought. “Because I think he’s rude and annoying and I didn’t feel like doing him a favor? I say you should ditch him.”

“For StarClan’s sake! You have a lot of nerve calling any cat rude! I don’t have time for this!” Tallpaw picked up his rabbit and started dragging it around the hill. Before he disappeared into camp, he called over his shoulder, “and tell Fawnleap you made up that story! Clan cats don’t have time to mess around!” 

It must be so easy for Sparrow, never having to defend anything and tagging along with his friends. He didn’t even seem to care much about the other cats in his group save for Hen and himself. Sparrow clearly didn’t know what it meant to care about anything bigger than his own paws. Tallpaw decided it was better not to try making friends with the loner after all, the last thing he needed to be doing was hanging around a cat that was antagonizing Sandstone. If Sparrow wanted to brood off on his own, then he could do what he liked and then he could leave with his friends and  Tallpaw wouldn’t have to think of him ever again. Meanwhile, Sandstone was working his paws off trying to deal with so much. And I should have been back sooner…! His tail drooped, and the brief feeling of respite he’d had traveling to the woods near the farm was swept away. It was irresponsible to be going in the first place.

In camp, Tallpaw was surprised to see Sandstone talking with Dawnstripe. Dawnstripe looked a little exasperated, but she smiled at Tallpaw as he approached.

 He held his rabbit up a little higher as he trotted past them. I hope at least this makes a good excuse for taking so long.

 “Great catch!” Dawnstripe called, “I wish I’d seen it, your hunting is coming along well.”

Tallpaw looked expectantly at his father, who seemed a bit distracted but eventually nodded to him, and to his immense relief he didn’t look angry to be kept waiting.

 “Yes, good job Tallpaw. I’ve been looking for you! I’ve been wanting to talk to you about our project.”

“O-oh, sure ok.” Tallpaw said through muffled fur, and hurriedly went to put his catch with the rest.

“Great news, don’t worry about moor training today. You’ll be joining me on an important excavation,” Sandstone said as soon as Tallpaw scurried back over to them.

“If you want to,” Dawnstripe added quickly. “And only if you have the energy for it after your errand. It’s a sudden change of plans, but Heatherstar has agreed that all apprentices should learn more about tunneling so they know how to be safe around them. Sandstone thinks today is a particularly good day for it.”

“And it is! Now is the perfect time, don’t you agree?”

Tallpaw felt his stomach clench with fear as his father looked into his eyes. This was too sudden. Go into the tunnels today? He hadn’t had time to prepare himself. By habit, he immediately started rushing through his head for an excuse to ease himself out of it. 

Dawnstripe gave him a knowing look. “It only has to be some basics and safety tips, at least knowing what fragile places not to go running over.” 

But Tallpaw knew his father, and he knew there was no way he was going to be satisfied with that.

The look Sandstone was giving him confirmed just that. “We’ll start with the basics and then get more in depth from there. Tallpaw can’t be kept away from his true calling forever, Dawnstripe. I think he’s been patient long enough. He’s waited moon for this!” 

Sandstone’s voice glowed with an almost triumphant pride. Dawnstripe narrowed her eyes at him and Tallpaw suddenly remembered how he’d confessed to Dawnstripe on his first day how much he hated tunneling, but he hadn’t told her about not admitting that fact to his father. 

Before she could say anything, Tallpaw spoke first, feigning a confidence that he didn’t feel. “Alright, I'll try it.”

“Excellent! See Dawnstripe? I knew he’d be excited for it.” Sandstone purred.

 Tallpaw gave his mentor a wide-eyed desperate look. Please don’t say anything about it! Dawnstripe’s gaze was confused, and tinged with concern, but all she did was nod slowly and say, “Well, be careful. Follow all the rules.”

Tallpaw dipped his head to her quickly as Sandstone began herding him away back out of camp. Just one day, I owe it to him to try...maybe it won't be so bad. It was difficult to really believe that. A patrol of Plumclaw, Woollycloud, Crowfur, and Mistmouse were waiting for them. 

Woollycloud blinked in surprise when he saw Tallpaw. “Good morning Tallpaw, I didn’t know you’d be joining us today.” He looked questioningly at Sandstone.

“Glad to see the young cat!” Crowfur said, “the more the merrier. Or the muddier, as I always say.”

Plumclaw winced and rolled her eyes at the terrible joke but she waved her tail at him in a welcoming gesture.

“I caught Dawnstripe before she went out with him again,” Sandstone said. “This will be an important step in our bigger project and I knew Tallpaw couldn’t miss it. When he gets farther in his tunneler training, this will provide invaluable experience.” Sandstone nudged Tallpaw “You're witnessing the beginning of history you know. WindClan’s future will have a reformed network that will make us safer and stronger than ever, and you’re finally going to be a part of that.”

Tallpaw nodded, trying and failing to work up the same level of enthusiasm.

Mistmouse cocked her head “I thought we were just doing another routine check of our recently enforced tunnels today?”

Sandstone shook his head “We were, but as I was inspecting them ahead of time, I noticed the tunnels in the eastern field have finally fully thawed underground and the dampness will make the walls easier to press together without it crumbling. It’s a perfect opportunity to reinforce it before any bad weather.”

Woollycloud narrowed his eyes in concern. “But we haven’t been able to confirm that the soil is stable enough to tunnel there. The moisture could make the roof heavier as well, and there's a rabbit warren very near the area we’d risk disturbing.”

“Don’t worry so much Woollycloud, trust me! It’s perfectly stable, and if it’s not, we’ll deal with it as we always do. But we have a limited window to show Heatherstar real progress so she’ll understand why this is a good idea! Now let’s go. Keep up Tallpaw, I’ll run you through the basics on the way.”

The anxiety pricking at Tallpaw’s stomach didn’t ease much as Sandstone rattled through the rules of tunnel etiquette as they walked. The exact distance to keep between yourself and the tunneler ahead of you, how to pack dirt to the side to keep it out of the way and reinforce walls, how to use your whiskers and nose instead of your eyes to feel the walls of the tunnel and sense the direction you were going, how to feel vibrations that signified the tunnel wall was unstable. He had a faint memory of Sandstone rambling off these things to him as a kit when he practiced, but it had been just as incomprehensible then. When the spiel finished, Tallpaw’s head was spinning and he found the more desperate he was to keep the information in his mind, the faster it would slip out again.

They arrived at the stretch of ground Tallpaw had tried hunting near earlier where the grass thinned out and damp earth poked through in patches. Sandstone led the patrol to a dip and Tallpaw saw a small area where the earth sloped down into a very narrow, very dark, and very cramped looking hole, just big enough for a cat to get through. He gulped.

“It gets wider once you're inside. The entrance is a bit small.” Woollycloud said, clearly noticing the tension in Tallpaw’s body.

“This will be just like the digging practice you did as a kit.” Sandstone said. “We’re going to check out the inside and see which branched off areas are sturdy enough to fix up and expand. This will be the entrance of the tunnel that comes out on the ShadowClan border, if we can get it that far. It will be long and complicated, but that’s intentional. The more confusing, the harder it will be for potential enemies to navigate it."

A whole maze of winding tunnels that a cat could easily get lost in... The ground in front of Tallpaw seemed to yawn like a hungry mouth, waiting to clamp down on him.

“Remember what I told you,” Sandstone continued, if he could sense Tallpaw’s apprehension he didn’t make any sign of it. “Woollycloud will go ahead, then me, and you’ll stick right behind me. Mistmouse will follow behind you at a tail length.”

“And Crowfur and I will go ahead and branch to the right to test out the other path.” Plumclaw added

“And I trust my old apprentice will have no trouble with that.” Sandstone nodded with pride.

Plumclaw led Crowfur into the tunnel with confidence. Tallpaw couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy for the molly, so sure in her paw steps. She had been trained by his father and he always looked at her with approval. Stars, stop being a jealous kit and focus on what’s important right now, mouse-brain! Tallpaw chided himself.

When Woollycloud squeezed into the tunnel, Sandstone nodded to Tallpaw signaling for him to go next. He tried very hard not to visibly seize up as he put his paws at the tunnel entrance and squeezed down it. 

The air became startlingly cooler against his face, and a damp chill quickly began working its way under his pelt. It was somehow even darker than Tallpaw had feared. Light quickly vanished behind them and there was nowhere else for the sun to peek through, or wind, or anything. The walls brushed against his sides, tugging uncomfortably at his fur. He was painfully aware of the weight of the earth increasing above his head as the tunnel sloped downward. Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, he repeated over and over.

“See Woollycloud?” he heard Sandstone say “The tunnel walls are still plenty sturdy.”

Woollycloud hummed in response “Perhaps. Mistmouse, the passage up here is too narrow for me, do you think you could squeeze on ahead?”

Tallpaw couldn’t see either of them, but he heard Woollycloud’s loud pawsteps get fainter. His tail twitched nervously and he accidentally whipped Mistmouse on the muzzle, who sneezed as his short hairs tickled her nose.

“Sorry.” Tallpaw croaked.

“It’s alright,” Mistmouse mewed. “I was nervous my first time too, it’s normal.”

Tallpaw felt more embarrassed than comforted, but he hoped she was right and that the thudding in his chest would stop soon. He had to awkwardly press himself to the side, but the lithe molly easily wiggled under him. He was afraid if he pushed the wall too hard, it might buckle.

“Come on, keep up!” He heard Sandstone’s eager mew suddenly farther ahead. Tallpaw hadn’t even noticed that he’d kept walking. “Let's check out this passageway. I think I remember it looping back around to the main path.”

“I can’t see you, where is your voice coming from?” Tallpaw’s mew was hoarse and shaky. Sandstone’s voice had a strange echo to it, trapped and bouncing off the walls, vibrating strangely against his sensitive ear fur. Even the noises down here sounded wrong and cramped. 

“Remember to use your whiskers and your nose!” came Sandstone’s voice. Tallpaw couldn’t think clearly enough to use any sense. He had the distinct feeling any sudden or out of place movement would cause something to break, so he moved stiffly and carefully, crouched over and keeping his head ducked, careful not to touch any wall as if he could pretend that he wasn’t really trapped on all sides so long as he didn’t feel it. His chest was starting to ache as the pounding of his heart bordered on painful. It felt like he had to strain for every breath. He stumbled ahead blindly until he bumped into the stout form of Woollycloud.

 “Don’t focus on what you can’t see,” the tunneler said.  “You’ll soon be able to understand how to detect sound sources in the tunnels, in fact, you’ll be able to detect them even farther than above ground.”

“It feels hard to breathe.” Tallpaw gasped. “Is there air down here?” 

“Yes, we can breathe.” Woollycloud said, a gentle purr rumbling in his chest to soothe the jittery apprentice. “Take deep, slow breaths. The air tastes different, but you won’t suffocate, I promise.”

Tallpaw nodded before remembering Woollycloud wouldn’t see it. Mistmouse had come back to join them, reporting that the tunnel did open up more but the soil of the main path was feeling a bit loose, and she didn’t feel comfortable digging to make it wider. Woollycloud grumbled something to himself

“I-is it safe?” Tallpaw whispered. He was still struggling to breathe normally.

“We’ll have to use the side path, the earth is made of sturdier material.” Woollycloud said. “Your father and I would never let anything bad happen to you. You're safe as long as you're with us. Just keep padding forward, I’ll be right behind you.”

Tallpaw felt the smallest bit better as he adjusted to the dark. The air still felt thick and musty, but his lungs were working. Perhaps it was just in his head. Earthy walls brushed against his whiskers when the path widened and narrowed. He decided to close his eyes so he wouldn’t think about not being able to see, but then he was so focused on the walls that he almost ran into Sandstone.

“Here is where we’ll start digging.” Sandstone said. “This was an unfinished extra passage from moons ago, and it should loop around to the main path. Come put your paws here.” Tallpaw pawed in the dark until his father’s larger paw pressed his against the earth. “Start from higher up and work your way down to create a large enough path.”

Tallpaw obediently started to claw cautiously at the earth. Woollycloud had hung back and Tallpaw heard him sniffing at the walls as Mistmouse squeezed around to join them, her nimble paws already burrowing at the earth in small fast strokes. Tallpaw winced as his claw snagged a rock. The damp earth oozed and clumped uncomfortably under his toes. Every time he felt soil crumble, he winced, wondering if it would take the roof down with it.

“Are you sure it’s stable enough to do this?” he squeaked.

His heart sank as he heard Sandstone let out a short irritated sigh. “Tallpaw, this is my life's work. You don’t know what you’re doing yet. Don’t think, just listen to me and let me guide your claws. I’ll place your paws where they need to be”

“Ok...” Tallpaw mewed quietly.

“It can take half a day to make progress,” Sandstone said. “Slow and steady work. Of course, it’s faster the more paws we have.”

There was a hint in his voice that said ‘paws like yours would make it faster,’ and Tallpaw grimaced. It felt like it had been days already and Tallpaw never quite got over the feeling that the air was too thick to breathe. His shoulders were already sore and he longed to stretch out, but between the body of his father and Mistmouse, he couldn’t. He was stuck in the cramped, stuffy dark, trying very hard not to think about how heavy the world above him was. Just keep digging and stop thinking about it! This was his father's pride. It was important, it wasn’t supposed to be fun. What kind of warrior cared more about what they wanted than what was needed? After a while of shoving his negative thoughts down, he almost started to feel a rhythm for it as his father showed him how to press the earth to the side so it didn’t get in their way. He could space out enough and just focus on the pattern rather than the nervousness fluttering in his belly like a trapped bird. Woollycloud was close behind them focusing on smoothing and pressing down the soil in their wake. Tallpaw couldn’t help but catch a sense of apprehension in him.

“Rabbits used to use these tunnels,” the big tom said to himself. “But all the scent around here is stale. It’s strange, since there should be a warren so close.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Sandstone replied. “They’ll come around again, and this will be an advantageous hunting spot as well.”

“Sandstone,” Woollycloud had a hint of worry in his voice, and Tallpaw froze automatically. “The soil here doesn’t smell like clay anymore. I don’t think we should dig further just yet. Maybe we should change direction.”

“We’re close, Woollycloud, it will be fine.” Sandstone panted. He seemed so eager, so sure, but Tallpaw heard Woollycloud’s tail flicking. Mistmouse had slowed down too.

 Tallpaw was caught up in his father's stride and didn’t quite notice when Mistmouse said, “Hold on, do you smell that? It smells like water. The soil is much wetter here. Have we reached the marshy ground already?”

Tallpaw finally froze in place when his claws squelched loudly as they contacted mud. Something shifted above his head.

“Oh StarClan,” he heard Woollycloud whisper, and in a moment Tallpaw could have sworn his heart stopped beating.

“Don’t start panicking,” Sandstone hissed to him, “Let’s just step back and--”

The earth under Tallpaw’s paw buckled inward, sucking his pads into the ground. The solid seeming roof above his head bowed downward ever so slightly, more ooze than solid. He couldn’t see it, but he felt it. He could have sworn he heard a creak in the earth, a sound that sent a jolt down Tallpaw’s spine. Were there rocks above his head waiting to come loose? Nightmares from his kithood swirled in his vision, the earth cracking, an unnatural rattle of death surrounding him on all sides, promising to sink him into the rotting, choking earth, crushing the air from his lungs and the bones in his body. It all flashed through in an instant, he couldn’t move, he forgot how to breathe, he was frozen, staring at where he could picture the roof of the tunnel bowing down another hair's breadth. 

“Tallpaw, we need to--” 

There was a warning in his father's voice, Woollycloud said something but Tallpaw’s heart had started hammering so loud it echoed in his ears. A tiny clod of dirt fell from the roof and bounced off his muzzle. That was all it took for every bit of tension in his body to break all at once. The panic he’d held back and stuffed down burst forward like a violent flood, and Tallpaw wheeled around with a screech. Whatever was in front of him was knocked to the side, and just behind him the earth growled and the roof started to sink in. Tallpaw heard a screech of fear and pain and he wasn’t sure if it was coming from him or not, he was only able to run, and run he did. 

He couldn’t see and he couldn’t focus on his senses. He tried to remember the way they had come in, but they had twisted and turned so much there was no way to keep it straight and his mind was too shot through with panic to bother trying.

“Wait Tallpaw!” That might have been Woollycloud, or it might have been his father, he couldn’t tell in the echo of the tunnel. “We must stay together! Keep to the right!” they yowled.

Tallpaw screeched as he smashed headlong into a hard wall. Pain flashed through his muzzle, but he barely registered it for more than a second before he was running again. faster faster faster his mind chanted in increasing dread I’m going to be trapped, i’m going to be lost, i’ll be crushed, help, help, please someone help! Where's the light? Where where where-- His own thoughts hardly felt like words anymore as they dissolved into frightened babbling and yowling for a way out of this nightmare. He thought he’d reached a dead end and wheeled around with a ragged wail of fear and helplessness, starting again in another direction, but he was turned around now and he didn’t know if he was running back the way he’d come. He smashed into something he thought was a wall, but it yowled back at him and yanked him another direction with a rough bite to his scruff. 

“That way, you mouse-brain! Keep your head on and go straight!”

Tallpaw was in no position to fight against it and let himself be herded onward by whoever was just at his pawsteps, shoving him left and right, and grabbing his tail hard when he tried to turn the wrong way, until, to the greatest relief Tallpaw had ever felt in his life, light started to enter his vision. It grew until Tallpaw dove out of the hole they had come in through, tumbled over his paws and landed with a thump on his belly, gasping for breath. Plumclaw was standing over him glowering, her ruffled gray fur bristling. “What in StarClan’s name was all that!? Where did you think you were going?”

Tallpaw couldn’t answer. He was panting and shaking too hard. Suddenly all of them were surrounding him, saying things at him, it all just sounded like noise. Tallpaw’s body was telling him to run, and it was a struggle not to give into it. The thing that finally broke through the noise was his father.

“Tallpaw!” Sandstone yowled, and Tallpaw jumped as he realized he’d been yowling for a while now.

“W-What?” Tallpaw wheezed.

“What have I told you over and over? You don’t ever ever panic like that when you're underground! You nearly got Mistmouse seriously hurt and you ignored every order! You’re lucky Plumclaw found you before you ended up completely lost, I told you to stay with me no matter what!”

“M-Mistmouse?” Tallpaw stuttered in a daze. His gaze blearily settled on the small dusty gray tabby. There was a gash just behind her front leg and Plumclaw was beside her trying to lick the dirt from the cut.

“You piled into her and knocked her into the wall when you ran! Don’t you know how dangerous that is? Why didn’t you trust me?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t know what happened--” his sentence choked off with a ragged gasping cough. His lungs were still not cooperating.

“Give him a moment,” he heard Woollycloud’s voice. “He’s had a fright”

“I’m alright,” Mistmouse offered, though there was a quiver in her voice as well. “It’s not so bad…”

“Don’t make light of the situation, Mistmouse!” Sandstone growled.

“I didn’t mean to,” Tallpaw tried, “I thought I was going to be crushed like--”

He almost said “like Leafshine”, but he caught himself.

“Of course you wouldn’t have been!” Sandstone snapped. “The collapse was only a couple tail lengths long. We could have stepped back and been alright, but we had to help Mistmouse up to get her out and then find you.”

“The important thing,” Woollycloud said, “Is that all of us are here and safe.”

Sandstone took a breath trying to rein in his anger, and gave Tallpaw a withering look. “Tallpaw, but what happened to you in there? Why didn’t you listen when I told you to stop?”

Tallpaw didn’t know what to say. Shame started to replace the panic squeezing at his chest, threatening to crush him the same way the earth had tried to. 

“I’m sorry” he whispered again, feeling his voice had abandoned him along with the rest of his strength. “I don’t know what came over me I was just--I was just so scared.” A flicker of frustration began to burn under the shame and lingering fear. The frustration must have come through if only for a moment as some small, very small, part of Tallpaw was crying out that it wasn’t fair for Sandstone to have expected this. “You were saying so much and I didn’t know how to keep it all straight! I can’t remember everything you say when I only had the morning!” He was surprised to hear it in his voice, as weak as it was. He’d never sounded even a little cross with his father before.

Sandstone glared at him for a long moment. Then he shook his head and fell silent. Tallpaw’s frustration was snuffed out as every long second that passed by sent that crushing shame clawing further up his throat. He expected his father to match his frustration with a bellowing anger, but instead after several agonizing heartbeats, what he finally said was “No...I blame myself.” 

Tallpaw was confused by the sudden change of tone and immediately regretted his little outburst after seeing the hurt on his father’s face. Sandstone had flipped from anger to dejection in a heartbeat.

 “W-what? No, it wasn’t your fault,” Tallpaw stuttered. He was the one that panicked, why would it be Sandstone’s fault?

“I delayed this too long.” Sandstone gritted his teeth. “I expected my kit to be such a natural, you should be more than ready by now, but I didn’t push hard enough against Heatherstar. I let you go on, thinking that you would get sick of moor running on your own and neglected the precious training time you had when you were younger. It’s my fault for not trying harder to prepare you.”

Tallpaw wished desperately Sandstone had just yelled at him, the bleakness in his father's eyes hurt more than anything. 

“No, no, it won’t--!” Tallpaw started, but his voice caught in his throat as the sentence choked before it came out. He almost said ‘it won’t happen next time, next time i’m sure i’ll do better.’ But he didn’t know how to continue. Next time? What next time? How could he bear going down there again?

 Woollycloud stepped forward. “We should go back to camp and let Mistmouse get looked at. We’ll also need to have a meeting between us. I don’t know if these tunnels are going to be able to do what we want them to do.” His voice sounded hard in a way Tallpaw wasn’t accustomed to hearing from the gentle tom. Tallpaw was afraid to look up at him.

Mistmouse walked with a bit of a limp that sent another wave of guilt crashing over the still shaky apprentice. His panic hadn’t just hurt him, but his clanmates as well. He wondered if Ryewhisker and her siblings would be angry with him for putting their mother in danger.

As they walked, Woollycloud leaned down and whispered to Tallpaw, who was trailing behind the group, “It’s alright. This was...a lot to ask of you for your first tunneling experience.”

I should have been able to do this though... He looked after Sandstone miserably. He couldn’t bear to see his father look at him with such disappointment. Tallpaw just wanted him to be happy. But he never would be, not if this is all he wanted his son to do.

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[midnightactual]

Yoruichi and Co. & Kaien (Part 1)

It’s an established fact that Yoruichi grew up alongside Kisuke and Tessai in the Shihōin Manor when they were all kids. She and Kisuke entered the Onmitsukidō and Gotei 13 at roughly the same time. She became friends with Kūkaku sometime very early on as well. (This is unsurprising given the interactions of the Five Great Noble Clans: she visited the Kuchiki, thus meeting Byakuya, and Byakuya had a lot of interactions with Kaien, which you wouldn’t expect to occur on the job; you can infer she was around the Shiba a lot as well.) Kūkaku also clearly had a lot of interactions with Kisuke to trust him implicitly..

The exact nature of the history of those four would require its own post to speculate on. What we’re here to do today is to see how they were influenced by Kaien. For Kūkaku that’s obvious: he was her older brother. But I think it’s very clear that he had quite the effect on Yoruichi and Kisuke (and by proxy Tessai) as well... one that fundamentally shaped the plot going forward.

I’ve previously conjectured that the entirety of Bleach pre-timeskip, revolving around combating Aizen, was not so much the story of Aizen and Kisuke as it was the story of the maneuverings of the Hōgyoku. I stand by that. However, I would also suggest that if there was an opposite to Aizen in that time period, it wasn’t Kisuke...

... It was Kaien.

You could easily say that what the Urahara Shōten does, it does in the name of the example set by Kaien. They are, if anything, his disciples. And what they engage in with regard to Rukia and Ichigo (and other matters) only truly makes sense in my estimation when viewed from that perspective. In many ways, you might say that their efforts to build up Ichigo and Rukia are a direct effort to reconstitute Kaien.

A bold claim, but what evidence is there for this? Well, buckle up, because it’s a long ride...

Yoruichi & Kaien

In chapter 62, Yoruichi is starting to train Chad and Orihime. She says:

Cut to chapter 268, where Rukia is reflecting on Kaien during the Aaroniero fight:

Going back to Yoruichi in chapters 62 and 70:

I personally think that this congruence in philosophy is too exacting to be dismissed as mere coincidence, whether it’s the focusing on protecting or on ‘the heart’. While protecting might be the dogma of the Gotei 13, the emphasis on ‘the heart’ is Kaien’s alone. Where did Yoruichi get it from? Given she was good friends with Kūkaku, and the Princess and later Clan Head of the Shihōin, the obvious answer is... from Kaien, the Clan Head of the Shiba. Yoruichi has most likely adopted and internalized Kaien’s ethos. 

Doesn’t Kaien seem oddly practiced at this speech too, when he gives it to Rukia? Almost like he’s done it before... You can thus imagine a much younger and vulnerable Yoruichi getting more or less the same speech as Rukia did. (In my own personal headcanons, this would be part of what grounded Yoruichi against the influence of her father. I think it also fits neatly into @saranel​‘s thoughts on Yoruichi at one time having confidence issues, as she notes here and here, but that too should probably be its own post.) 

Okay, so let’s take it for granted that Yoruichi knew Kaien and was personally greatly influenced by him. What sort of knock-on effects does this have?

Ichigo & Kaien 1

Well, let’s go to Ichigo for a moment. We know that others see Kaien in Ichigo. Byakuya (and Rukia) do in chapter 56, in the fight in Karakura:

 Rukia does in chapter 117 on the Senzaikyū bridge : 

Immediately thereafter Jūshirō (and Byakuya) do too, also in chapter 117:

And, most concretely, Byakuya does in chapter 167, but we’ll come back to that later because it’s rather important for other reasons.

Yoruichi & Ichigo, Rukia, and Jūshirō

Instead, let’s focus on chapter 117 (and 118) for a moment. Who else shows up there right as everyone is suddenly thinking of Kaien? Yoruichi. And she is none too happy:

She is cold, calm, and on a mission, which is very unlike her demeanor throughout the rest of the Soul Society arc, whether it be before this (more on that in a bit) or later when she’s training Ichigo and fighting Soifon (where she is much more emotive). We see it come to an end once she’s successfully knocked Ichigo out:

She still looks resolved, but there’s a different kind of determination in her eyes... like she’s crossed a threshold. Until she hears Jūshirō. And then her expression becomes rather different again: almost wistful or sad? Why? Because, as Kaien told us earlier, and as Jūshirō told us himself in chapter 135:

@saranel, in her post PSA: Urahara Kisuke and Shihōin Yoruichi are NOT nice people, notes that:

Ichigo expressly told her he doesn’t want the help, but Yoruichi knows the fool is about to die a painful death, so she drugs him, violently incapacitates him and carries him away, despite his wishes. There were also a million different things Yoruichi could’ve done here, but as she herself explains to Ichigo later, none of the rest were real options, so damn his pride.

One of the (lesser) reasons I believe people never took offense to this scene, but did in Kisuke and Yoruichi’s case, is that Yoruichi has a mentor/student relationship with Ichigo.  And I get that, but let me remind you that calling each other out on their bullshit is a cornerstone of Kisuke and Yoruichi’s dynamic:

True friends don’t shy away from calling their friends out when they’re being idiots. And when they’re about to make massive, life-threatening mistakes, then you can damn well bet consent flies out the window. Especially when it comes to war; don’t forget that Kisuke and Yoruichi are soldiers.

Bold emphasis is mine. Yoruichi does on the Senzaikyū bridge to Ichigo what Rukia will later wish she’d done in Metastacia’s lair to Kaien: she saves him from his own pride. Rukia, previously in chapter 135, had declared to Jūshirō:

And as that post intones, Yoruichi doesn’t just advance the same argument as Rukia, she acts on it, as she goes on to explain in chapter 120:

Yoruichi’s look to Jūshirō on the Senzaikyū bridge signifies exactly two things, in my estimation: 1. “Your philosophy was wrong,” and 2. “I’m not letting another Shiba die for no good goddamn reason.” The fact that she seems to be calling him just “Ukitake,” and not “Ukitake-senpai,” or “Ukitake-san,” or “Jūshirō,” as well as the way she describes him to Ichigo, also seems significant to me: she does not hold him as especially close, or with all that much respect given his age and station, and their past history, presumably exactly because she still holds him somewhat responsible for Kaien’s death. We’ll come back to Jūshirō later, however.

Ichigo & Kaien 2

Would you believe me if I told you that Rukia, Byakuya, and Jūshirō weren’t the only people to recognize Ichigo’s similarities with Kaien? Let’s start with Yoruichi, since her narrative feeds directly into the points just addressed. But first we have to rewind a little. When the Ryoka are leaving for Soul Society, in chapter 70, just after her reminder about heart, Yoruichi gets a small monologue:

There’s a lot to unpack here. First, Yoruichi’s words of “Do not stop. Do not look back. Do not think of those you are leaving behind. Just... go forward. Those who can do that, follow me,” tell you that she is capable of doing exactly that, and that should be read as a guide for understanding her departure from the Urahara Shōten for a long time: she was on a mission to go forward in her own way (but that’s a topic for a different post).

Second, notice Ichigo is the one who first steps forward (quite far forward, although they all clearly move around and advance in his wake). This isn’t surprising, but notice that Yoruichi focuses in on and addresses him specifically. This won’t be the last time this happens. That he speaks for all of them makes him the leader, and unsurprisingly Yoruichi goes to him after his fight with Kenpachi to retrieve him in particular. He is already, as of this moment, special within her consideration.

So, to return to just before the events on the Senzaikyū bridge, in chapter 116:

Byakuya’s reiatsu flares when he uses his shikai on Ganju. Notice how pissed Yoruichi looks at it. But once Ichigo explains himself, her expression completely transforms. This is a look of recognition and it is, I think, Yoruichi seeing two things: 1. Seeing Kaien in Ichigo’s behavior, and 2. seeing herself in Ichigo’s behavior. This was exactly the logic she used when rescuing Kisuke and Tessai (and the future Vizard) a hundred years earlier. Ichigo is living up to her model, which we already established was founded on Kaien’s. The moment is short-lived as:

She runs after him and shows off one of the most frustrated and annoyed expressions she has in the manga, because she knows he’s running off to his doom and they’ll lose yet another Shiba for no good reason. This is why she shows up at the Senzaikyū bridge acting like a cold killer: because she’s on a mission to save his dumb ass after she’s truly recognized him as being Kaien-esque.

Kūkaku’s recognition of Ichigo is similar to that of Jūshirō, and occurs in chapter 78:

That we have a sudden close-up of her eye, and then a panel focused in on Ichigo even as she says “these kids,” tells you that she’s looking at him in particular. This isn’t a coincidence. The resemblance hasn’t escaped her, and she likely knew from the moment they’d entered that room.

Kisuke’s recognition of Ichigo is a little harder to pin down, given he knows exactly what’s going on with Isshin, but I think that we see it during the battle alongside Don Kanonji at the abandoned hospital, in chapters 30 and 31:

Ichigo and Don Kanonji are confronting the Hollow in front of the crowd that’s there to watch the filming, putting everyone in danger; Ichigo then hauls Don Kanonji (who’s refusing to retreat) into the hospital, drawing the Hollow away from everyone else and minimizing the number of people at risk. Kisuke isn’t surprised by this action, and seems to have entirely expected it... as though it reminds him of someone.

And finally, we come back to Byakuya in chapter 167:

Not only does Byakuya compare Ichigo to Kaien here, he seems to imply that Kaien has bested him in combat before. That Byakuya makes special note of the duties of the Four Great Noble Clans to provide an “example” for all Shinigami is probably itself a continuing dig at the Shiba, the demoted Fifth Great Noble Clan, who did not do such a thing, in his estimation (thus his animosity toward Ganju, a Shiba, on the Senzaikyū bridge).

But he also tells us that Ichigo, like Kaien, had made an enemy out of “the laws of Soul Society.” Do you know of any other member of the Four Great Noble Clans who not only didn’t uphold the law of Soul Society, but made an enemy of the laws themselves? I do: Yoruichi Shihōin! We see, yet again, the parallelism established not just between Ichigo & Kaien, and Yoruichi & Ichigo, but Yoruichi & Kaien as well.

Jūshirō & Kaien, Yoruichi, Ichigo, and Rukia

To return to Jūshirō, he will, fairly soon after the incident on the Senzaikyū bridge, confront Byakuya over Rukia’s execution date being moved up,in chapter 134. Byakuya will taunt him, leaving him fuming:

Do you think that Jūshirō’s remembrance of Kaien here is based purely upon having seen Ichigo? I don’t. I think it was partially if not largely based upon having seen what Yoruichi did with Ichigo. I think it was seeing Yoruichi’s example of, in Ichigo’s later words to Byakuya, “fight[ing] the law,” in Kaien’s image, which put this thought in his head. (Especially as, at this time, no one knew of Ichigo’s shared lineage with Kaien.)

And when Jūshirō decides to fight the law himself (along with Shunsui) after his request to Central 46 (being run by Aizen) is turned down, what does he somehow have in his possession in chapter 149?

A Shihōin artifact. Isn’t that curious? How do you suppose he got hold of such a thing? Do you imagine it just randomly happened to be in his possession? That’d be a very fortuitous coincidence. I don’t believe in it after everything else that’s been pointed out.

(This is an aside, but isn’t the timing of Jūshirō’s plan to use Fullbringers and Ginjō in particular kind of odd? It only happened some 20 or so years at most before the start of the series. He and the Gotei 13 has been around for at least 2,000 years, and this is the first time it occurred to him? Isn’t it suspicious... that it came so comparatively soon after Kaien’s death, and that the plan seems to have rather resembled that of Sōken Ishida?)

...

But I’ve hit the image limit, so read on for Part 2!

[raendown]

Pairing: MadaraTobirama Word count: 4571 Chapter: 30/42 Summary: Not all wars are fought on the battlefield. Some are fought at the conference table, with whispers in the shadows, or even in the bedroom.

In a world where the Senju and Uchiha traditional lands were too far apart to have ever made them enemies, Butsuma and Tajima are the ones who come together and sign a treaty of peace. Madara isn’t happy to have his life signed away for him in a political marriage to strengthen the bond between their clans. He is even less happy to have Tobirama make assumptions of him from their very first night together. What follows from there is a journey of healing, of learning, and finding the places to belong in the places least expected.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

Chapter 30

Although his original plan had been just to invite Kagami and his mother over for a private dinner things changed when Madara mentioned that Susumu had been the one to help his cute little student disappear, allowing their ultimate triumph to happen as it had. Of course Tobirama asked his husband to send her an invitation as well. Then on the way home he ran in to Hashirama who had heard about a missing child and came to offer his help. Adding his brother to the party only felt natural considering his kindness for a boy he’d never properly met other than seeing each other in passing and asking Hashirama to dinner meant he would likely be bringing Mito as well. With a rueful sigh Tobirama asked the man to swing by, pick up Touka just to round it all out, and sent runners to everyone involved that he was going to reserve a table at a barbeque joint that had just opened up in the marketplace.

Despite his worries that the table would be cramped things actually worked out fairly well. Kagami’s mother sent word with her son that she wasn’t comfortable dining so casually in the presence of so much political power. Tobirama made a mental note to send her a gift instead. He found himself situated rather comfortably between Madara and Kagami, Hashirama across from him with wife and cousin on either side, and Susumu sat at the end of the table perched on a bar stool that she had dragged over for a bit of extra height.

Having quite literally all of his precious people gathered in one spot did something funny to Tobirama’s insides that he refused to pay any deeper attention to. Besides the birthday party they had been to not long ago this was the biggest social gathering he’d attended since his wedding, something that made him wonder why he didn’t remember seeing Susumu that night, but the usual discomforts that came with being forced to socialize were not present. Instead he found himself quite relaxed as he allowed Madara to press comfortably in to his side and listened to the never-ending chatter around him.

Watching Hashirama and Kagami interact was almost as much of a treat as watching Mito and Susumu but in the end Tobirama was much more distracted watching his ever proper sister-in-law try to decide how to react in the face of Susumu’s honest roughness. There was a certain entertainment he couldn’t deny in seeing Mito flounder for once. It was only made all the more amusing by the way her eyes flicked once or twice over to Touka, probably wondering why Susumu couldn’t be rough with more decorum the way their cousin did – which, in turn, was mostly funny because Touka had arrived to the restaurant and very promptly hunkered down to sleep. Apparently she hadn’t slept due to some sort of patrol scare the night before that turned out to be a false alarm.

“But you know how kids are,” Susumu was saying. “This cute little crumb was dead set on the world being over if he couldn’t have his favorite sensei and who could say no to such an adorable little ball of sugar, hm? I didn’t whelp him. That makes it my duty to spoil him!”

“Quite,” was all Mito said in return, her spine a little straighter than normal. Her eyes drifted sideways to glance at her own husband and Tobirama wondered if she was reconsidering their decision to try for children of their own soon.

“Sometimes you can out-stubborn a kid but it’s not something I’ve ever counted on. Why, I used to have to drag this disaster here home by his ears when he didn’t want to stop training.” Susumu jerked a thumb over at Madara who squawked in offense to have his childhood secrets laid bare so easily.

While his husband leaned over to attempt a very loving murder Tobirama watched Mito place a hand on her belly with furrowed brows. He would have pitied her the horror of carrying whatever spawn Hashirama might father but he happened to know that she had been given a choice of which Senju heir she wanted to marry and she was the one who chose Hashirama, not the other way around. He was glad of her choice, of course, but he had no sympathy for someone who got herself in to her current mess. It helped that he probably wouldn’t have to babysit very often. The Senju usually provided wet nurses for that sort of thing.

“Don’t listen to anything she says,” Madara looked over to plead with him, hands still occupied with trying to shove his old teacher off her stool. “She’s a crazy old bat and her memory’s failing her!”

“Ha! You wish, little one! I remember every minute of your childhood – every little embarrassing detail! Who wants a story?”

“Oh I would!” Hashirama piped up.

“Me too!” Kagami chimed in. Their expressions were eerily similar in their eager attention.

Briefly considering and then quickly discarding the idea of mercy, Tobirama leaned forward to support his chin in one palm with a smile. “I should like a story as well. What sort of man would I be not to show an interest in my husband’s beginnings?”

“I didn’t begin anywhere!” Madara insisted frantically. “I was born an adult! No embarrassing stories! Everyone shut up!”

Predictably, Susumu ignored him. As soon as she regained her balance she stood up on her stool in order to clamp a hand over Madara's mouth and regaled them all with a story about the time he had become convinced that jutsus lay dormant inside their elements until they were called forth with the correct hand signs.

“He waited for hours by the river just staring at the water and waiting for – what was it? Oh! A dragon! He kept saying he was waiting for a dragon of all things to spring up out of the water. You’d think by twelve he would have given up on such fancies!”

“Sorry, a dragon?” Tobirama sat up again to lift an eyebrow at his husband. “Can I ask why specifically one of those?”

Madara screeched out a few muffled sentences before he managed to tear Susumu’s hand away from his mouth. “I’m not crazy, I swear. The week before we’d been in a skirmish with a company protecting the target we were contracted to kill and I know what I saw. One of them called up an actual dragon from the river nearby!”

“Hey Tobi, that sounds like you!” Hashirama chirped. Tobirama nodded.

“It does indeed. Do you remember where that skirmish happened?”

“Dunno. Somewhat east of the old Yamanaka territory I think. Why does it matter where?”

“And you were twelve?”

Madara frowned and demanded a belligerent, “So?”

“I believe that may have been me,” Tobirama admitted. “I would have been around ten when I finally perfected the Water Dragon Jutsu and I was enamored enough to use it at every opportunity. And if I’m remembering correctly then I did run an escort mission through that area that my client barely escaped from. It seems we met quite a bit earlier than we thought, dear husband.”

“That was…you?” Madara blinked at him and Susumu harrumphed from the end of the table.

“Oh fine. Why don’t you just go ahead and justify his childhood idiocies?” she grumbled.

Ignoring her and leaning a little farther away from her hand, Madara scooted a little closer to Tobirama with a wondering expression. “That’s incredible that we might have met so many years ago and not even known.”

“So romantic!” Hashirama crooned. He squawked when Tobirama kicked him under the table without looking.

“It sort of is,” Madara admitted, his ears pinking ever so slightly.

“Perhaps,” Tobirama allowed.

“Do you think we would have…gotten along then too?”

For a moment Tobirama narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, wondering at the pause in his husband’s sentence. Something told him that was not what the man intended to say. Then he shrugged it off and said, “Perhaps if we had enough sense to be honest with each other. I was a cautious child.”

“No you weren’t! You were already blowing things up in your lab when you were seven!” Hashirama looked as though the memory still horrified him but, worryingly, both Kagami and Susumu looked intrigued.

“If we could move the topic away from reminiscing about our childhoods and back to the original reason we all came out for tonight?” Dropping a hand on Kagami’s head, Tobirama smiled when the boy began to squirm with joy. “Have you given thanks to Susumu for helping you today?”

“Thanks baachan!”

“I told you not to call me baachan!”

Having successfully removed the focus from himself, more than happy to allow the table to focus on Kagami instead, Tobirama leaned a little deeper in to Madara's side and simply observed for a while. They certainly were an interesting bunch when they were all put together but there was something about the cacophony of so many different personalities that actually managed to weave together in an odd sort of harmony. For the first time in longer than he could remember Tobirama had no desire to escape a social environment that involved more than two or three people.

It was with great contentment that he sat and listened to Susumu recount a clearly exaggerated tale of how she had caused a distraction so Kagami could put the slip on everyone. The mite took up his own story afterwards and described with great pride the way he suppressed his chakra just like he’d been taught and hurried over to their favorite training ground where he put all the energy he could in to finally performing the Chameleon Jutsu correctly for the very first time.

“And Kaachan says I did it even better than she can! It was great, wasn’t it sensei?” He looked up at Tobirama with shining eyes, unaware of the clenching heart sensation he caused.

“Very impressive indeed,” Tobirama praised him and tried not to think about how good it was to still be allowed that title. “Trees are a particularly difficult environment for that jutsu with the way leaves and shadows are constantly moving but your disguise was seamless.”

“Cause I’m awesome!” Kagami declared, puffing out his chest.

Tobirama nodded solemnly. “And quite humble as well.”

“What does humble mean?”

“It means not getting a big head!” Susumu answered from her end of the table.

With a delicate clearing of her throat, Mito finally spoke up again to say, “The world would be a much better place if more people taught their children humility. Allow me to add my congratulations, young Kagami.”

She even managed to make her voice sound warm and Tobirama supposed he could understand a little more why his brother loved this woman so much. Not to say that Mito had ever been exactly cold to him but he’d never seen her as the nurturing type ready for the chaos of having a baby in the home. If she could find some value in his cute little student, though, there was hope for her yet. Only a blind idiot wouldn’t think his student was cute.

Impressed as he was to watch Mito strike up a conversation with Kagami, Hashirama amusing himself by prodding Susumu for more stories of a young clan heir, Tobirama found himself quite distracted when Madara leaned down to rest that great mane of hair against his shoulder.

“What a day,” his husband murmured. “And it’s barely even a couple hours passed noon. Can we really say we’re taking them out for dinner? I would think this is lunch.”

“A celebratory meal of undetermined nature,” Tobirama suggested, amused to earn himself a wrinkled nose.

“So many people all talking at once, we’re jumping between conversations like rabbits. It’s exhausting. I love all of them dearly but when can we go home?”

Before Tobirama had a chance to answer Hashirama let out a bark of laughter across the table that startled Touka back in to the land of the living, whereupon she violently pinched his side in retribution even as she leaned around him to politely ask Mito how long she had slept. Hashirama's screech attracted the attention of several other tables around theirs and all the warm fuzzy loving thoughts Tobirama had been thinking went out the window. Why did he love any part of this circus act? Only Mito knew how to properly act her age.

“That’s what you get for not using your indoor voice,” Touka declared, glaring balefully down at the plate of food in front of her, long gone cold.

“I was just laughing! Sometimes I can’t help how loud I laugh!”

“Maybe you should learn,” she grumbled.

“Ah come on, let him be loud,” Susumu called from her end. “He’s not hurting anyone!”

Touka’s expression was a mixture of sour exhaustion and undeniable curiosity. “He’s hurting my eardrums. And who are you? I must have tucked off before any of the introductions were made.”

“Name’s Susumu but you can call me anything but baachan! I was the poor sod tasked with molding this useless lump of dough in to a proper tough biscuit. He’s still got a few rough edges but all in all I think I did alright.” Grinning, Susumu stood up from her stool so she could lean forward enough to shake Touka’s hand.

“I think we’ll get along.”

“You say that now. What about when you find out I’m actually a raging psychopath?”

Touka only shrugged. “So is everyone else here. Except the kid, maybe.”

Unsurprisingly, Susumu roared with laughter. “Little one, why didn’t you introduce me to your in-laws sooner? I like them all!”

“Yeah. That’s exactly why,” Madara grumbled. He looked utterly terrified to see his sensei and his husband’s cousin fall in to conversation as though they’d known each other for years rather than a few minutes, rough personalities playing off each other with all the beauty of a natural disaster one cannot help but stare at.

Although he did sort of agree that an alliance between those two women in particular could mean terrible things for the rest of them Tobirama decided after a few moments of thought that he would rather they get along than feud. The only thing worse than Touka and Susumu cooperating would be if they took exception to each other. With that in mind he let the table shield his actions and reached over to weave his fingers in to Madara's, squeezing lightly. His husband paused in the middle of grumbling to give him a startlingly soft look which made Tobirama grateful everyone else was too occupied to look at them at the moment.

Eventually, as much fun as it was to watch Mito try to keep up with Kagami’s chatter or listen to Touka and Susumu planning terrifying surprise drills for the security squads, there was only so long a large group like theirs could stay in a restaurant before the staff began sending them blatant signals that their table was needed for other patrons. Strangely even Tobirama found himself a little reluctant to end the gathering but he did decline when Hashirama and Mito kindly invited everyone back to their place for tea and more conversation. He was only a little surprised that Susumu took the offer.

It would have taken much longer to make their goodbyes if he were given to half of the emotional outpouring his brother was but Tobirama managed to send off every one of the guests he had called together for their little celebration and be on his way in a little less than ten minutes. The only person who came away with him and his husband was Kagami, obviously travelling in the same direction as they all made their way back to the Uchiha compound. Susumu looked almost on the verge of adopting herself in to the Senju clan just to terrorize them all.

They had only travelled a few streets away when his student stiffened between one step and the next, looking up at Tobirama with a guilty face as though expecting to be told off for something.

“I didn’t say thank you,” he mourned. “Kaachan told me I was supposed to say thank you for the meal.”

“You could say it now,” Tobirama pointed out, glad of his usual blank face for hiding a smile.

“Oh! Okay! Thank you sensei, I had fun! I like your big brother!”

Ignoring the way Madara started snickering next to him, Tobirama sighed. “Yes, I’m not surprised that you do.”

“He’s funny! I wish I had a big brother too!”

Tobirama would have answered – probably with something that made Hashirama the butt of a joke – were he not distracted just then by a familiar face trudging out of a rather shabby looking establishment. Izuna at least had the good grace to look ashamed for a few moments to be caught coming out of a bar in the middle of the afternoon. The moment passed quickly when it registered exactly who had caught him and his face soured immediately as he locked eyes with the brother-in-law he so clearly had never wanted.

More painful than Kagami’s confused head tilt was Madara's frosty silence. Tobirama wondered when the last time was that the two brothers had actually spent any quality time together during which his name had not come up at all. Looking at the way they carefully kept their distance now he wondered if maybe it was time he himself put in a little effort to making this easier for his husband as he had once promised to do. When it came down to brass tacks simply vowing not to fight wasn’t nearly the same thing as actually making an attempt to get along. Which, he would be the first to point out, might be an impossibility when it came to the two of them but that shouldn’t stop him from at least trying. For Madara's sake if nothing else.

Feeling rather like he was asking to have his own words thrown back in his face, Tobirama waited until Izuna’s glare came back in his direction before speaking.

“We were just heading home,” he stated with no inflection. “I’m sure Madara would enjoy having his brother over for a nightcap. Would you care to walk with us?” It was hard to tell who was staring at him with more incredulity, Madara or Izuna, but he wondered if they knew they made the same face while doing it.

“You don’t owe me any favors,” Izuna blustered eventually.

“I don’t owe you anything,” Tobirama agreed.

“And I don’t need handouts!”

Trying not to sigh tiredly, Tobirama only shook his head. “The offer was no more than it sounded. If you wish to send time with your brother I can promise that I will stay in the office at home until you leave to give you some space. My presence has been a wedge between the two of you for long enough, wouldn’t you say?”

While the child between them looked back and forth with a bewildered expression, clearly wondering what was going on between all the adults but knowing enough not to ask, Izuna deliberated with an expression of great difficulty. Madara wasn’t exactly helping. Instead of offering any sort of opinion or even agreeing that he would indeed like to spend some time with his brother again he was standing completely still with his arms folded, body language entirely closed off. When Izuna finally answered it felt as though every word cost him.

“I meant what I said. I don’t want any handouts from you. So just carry on with your cute little evening out or whatever it is you were up to.”

He lifted his chin with the same excess of pride and stubbornness that only kept digging him deeper in to his own hole but Tobirama only shrugged, recognizing that for once he was not being offered any bait to rise to and mentally applauding the other man’s restraint. Madara waited to see if his brother would say anything else and when the silence continued he seemed just about to give up hope when Izuna finally spoke up again.

“Certainly looks like you’re having a good time.” Having never heard that tone from him before Tobirama couldn’t properly decipher what that was supposed to mean but he supposed it wasn’t all bad when the snippy way Madara responded seemed more defensive than truly angered.

“We are happy. So good of you to notice.”

“Right. Then go on and…keep being happy or whatever.”

“Hmph. We will.” Madara sniffed and lifted his nose in to the air.

Deciding that leaving was the safest option, Tobirama cleared his throat to head off anything else and reached out to corral his student with one hand, pulling on Madara's wrist with the other.

“Right, come along Kagami. We promised your mother to see you home safely.” He kept one eye on Izuna as they trotted on by, more to satisfy his own curiosity as to whether the man would stumble back in to the bar to drown his miseries, but was surprised instead to find an almost wistful expression on Izuna’s face watching them all walk away. Almost as if he were immediately regretting his quick rejection.

More than anything else it was odd that he didn’t call them back to prolong the fight. Up until now even if they encountered each other at the office he had yet to pass on any opportunity to start shit. Surely by this point Tajima must have noticed but it would be laughable to think he would step in front of anything that might help him wage his own personal war against anyone who was born to the Senju head family.

“Sensei?” Kagami called up to him as soon as they were out of sight around a corner. “Why did Izuna-sama look like he needed to take a really big poop?” Madara choked on air while Tobirama bit the inside of his cheek until he could reply.

“That isn’t a very good description. Use your observational skills, Kagami, what was he feeling?”

“Uh…well he looked…sad I think. Kaachan makes that face sometimes when I ask her if we can get something from the market and she wants to say yes but she says no instead because we already spent our money on grown up stuff. Is that better?”

“Mn. Better, yes. Izuna is in much the same situation as your mother but it’s a little different. Imagine if rather than groceries your mother had spent all her money on a brand new dress she didn’t really need and then when you asked if you could buy something she wanted to give it to you but couldn’t, knowing it was her own frivolity that stopped her.”

While his student mulled this over Tobirama noted Madara looking behind them with a contemplative expression.

“So…Izuna-sama wanted to say yes and come with us but he said no because…um…” His tiny little nose wrinkled adorably as he tried to wriggle his mind through the complicated mess of adult personal problems.

“He started a fight,” Tobirama supplied flatly. “I offered to end the fight but I suppose he isn’t ready to admit his part in it. Does that answer your question?”

Kagami nodded. “Yes sensei! I think Izuna-sama is being silly!”

“So do I,” Madara grumbled.

Instead of offering his own opinion one way or another, Tobirama turned the conversation to other things. At this point his own personal grievances against Izuna were less important than the pain they were causing his husband and Madara's pain had become his own as soon as he started developing feelings for the man. He had extended an olive branch as blatantly as he could; it was up to Izuna now whether or not he chose to take it.

For the rest of their walk home Tobirama kept his student talking and drew no attention to Madara's continued silence. Perhaps it was not him that needed to reach out to heal the wound between two brothers. He did still feel some amount of guilt for being the cause of their rift even as he understood that he truly had no control over the issue Izuna had originally taken exception to. In his culture he had been raised to expect an arranged marriage. Dealing with the clash between his own upbringing and Madara's should have been between them; Izuna really had no right to hate him as badly as he did even before Madara had a change of heart on the subject.

On the upside it looked like the fool was finally starting to explore the option of having his own change of heart and Tobirama could only say he was relieved. Maybe not looking forward to it, he wasn’t sure either of them were capable of being friends with the other in any universe, but it would be a load off his mind not to worry about fighting a war against his husband’s family on two different fronts.

They said goodnight to Kagami at the fork in the road where their paths diverged, trusting him to make it back home by himself. When they entered their own abode Madara paused with his hands on his hips and looked around as though unable to decide what to do with himself.

“It’s only the middle of the afternoon,” he mumbled. Tobirama hummed in agreement, considered his options, and then gave the other man a solid push. As he went down Madara let out a very undignified, “Ack!”

“Shove up and make space,” Tobirama demanded.

“What the hell? If you wanted to get by you just had to ask!”

Huffing quietly, he pushed them both in to one corner of the sofa and reached for one of the books nearby that he was halfway through reading. “I didn’t want by.”

“Oh.”

It took several minutes but eventually all the tension flowed out of Madara's body when he finally got the hint. Tobirama refused to move so much as an inch while the other man shuffled around pulling a blanket of the back of the couch and snapping it out so he could drape them both in soft cotton. After sitting in a crowded restaurant with five other people plus themselves it was a nice change to sit together and read quietly for a time. Tobirama liked to imagine he could feel the stress of the outside world slipping away in moment’s like this, Madara's pleasant warmth beside him, one arm doing its best to circle his waist stealthily without drawing attention.

“It was interesting seeing our families interacting for the first time,” he murmured eventually.

“Our-? Hm. Yeah I guess…they are. Interesting is certainly a word for it.” Madara furrowed his brows until Tobirama turned just enough to kiss him lightly at the corner of those full lips he so loved to taste.

“Thank you, anata.”

He turned back to his book and pretended to read, listening to Madara harrumph and clear his throat and mumble his way through a few disconnected sentences. In the midst of all the drama that had plagued them in so many different ways lately, it was nice to have at least one quiet evening of peace together.

[the--sad--hatter]

Name Calling (37)

FANDOM - MARVEL MCU, DEADPOOL & X-MEN

PAIRING - BUCKY X READER (female reader, no physical descriptions)

WARNINGS - ALL OF THEM, SMUT, VIOLENCE ANGST

DESCRIPTION -  

Vernichtung - Destruction, Annhialation.

It was what you were named and what you were supposed to be but the only thing you wanted to destroy was Bucky Barnes.

The ongoing and bloody war of words between you and Bucky turns in your favor when a disgruntled one night stand of his lets slip a secret when you run into her in the elevator… Now you have all the ammunition you need to destroy your enemy but you don’t plan on killing him quickly. Oh no, Bucky Barnes was going to suffer and you were going to enjoy every second. You just didn’t count on enjoying it quite so much.

But when your past catches up to you in the form of the mad scientist who made you, Bucky might be one of the only things that can save you from yourself. You can’t run from what you are but with his help, you can fight back.

Current Word Count -  103,799

MASTERLIST

Moodboard by @talesofakindredspirit

Chapter Thirty Seven - Sign On The Dotted Line

Normally having a master assassin sneaking into your room to wake you up was an annoyance but on this rare occasion as the smell of coffee wafted over to you, you decided you could be happy about it. You felt the bed dip and heard a cup being set on the bedside table before a light kiss was pressed to your lips.

“Mmm, morning Natasha.” You sniggered.

Bucky pinched your hip and you squeaked. He paused in surprise and chuckled lowly.

“Doll, did you just squeak?”

“No.” You mumbled.

You felt his fingers creep back down to your hip and you dived under the duvet as a defence tactic. A low rumble of content vibrated in your chest as you snuggled under the covers, safe from prying hands. Or so you thought. There was a pinching sensation at your ass and you squeaked again, loudly.

Bucky’s laughter permeated the room as you grappled with the cover, trying to escape so you could hit him. Before you could emerge, you felt him slide under the cover to join you. His stubble brushed against your throat as he ghosted his lips across it and you sighed happily, thoughts of revenge banished. He hovered over you and one of his legs ended up between yours.

Accidentally you took advantage of the situation when the thick muscle of his thigh pressed against your core and you moaned lowly. Your hips jerked forwards of their own accord, seeking more of the delicious friction.

It was a mystery how you could have once hated this man. The days of wanting to hurt Bucky were long gone, now all you wanted was to…

“Wait, I used to hate you!” You exclaimed, sitting up abruptly causing him to roll out of the way to avoid being headbutted.

“Glad it’s a used to sweetheart but maybe we can get back to the not hating?” He suggested.

“No, I really really hated you Bucky. I used to daydream about snapping your neck.” You said excitedly.

“Thanks.” He said dryly.

“It was intense, I would have killed you if I could.”

“Alright, how exactly do you go from purring under me to remembering when all you wanted to do with my body was bury it?” He demanded with a scowl.

Oh right, Bucky didn’t know what you were talking about. He had no idea you’d just had a major breakthrough. If Vernichtung was kept locked away by your happiness, how did your anger at Bucky factor into that? And why had you never buried those dark feeling with every other dark emotion you’d ever had?

You surged forward and straddled him, pushing your lips against his.

“I. Love. You.” You whispered, punctuating each word with a kiss.

His arms circled around you and he pulled in closer.

Knock Knock.

You both froze.

“Kit Kat, you decent?” Tony called through the door.

“NO!” You shrieked.

Bucky groaned and rested his head against your shoulder.

“Well hurry up. I’m counting to ten and coming in.” Tony informed you.

The absolute last thing you needed was for your dad to walk in and see Bucky in your bed looking dishevelled.

“Get in the bathroom.” You hissed.

He glared at you as he silently stomped into the bathroom. You brushed your fingers through your hair.

“Come in.” You called sweetly.

Tony juggled the door open, two coffee cups and a box of doughnuts in his hands.

“Morning dad.” You said excitedly, too excitedly.

“Who are you and where’s my daughter?” Tony said with a suspicious frown.

“What?”

“You are never ever this happy without coffee.” Tony pointed out.

You grabbed the cup of your bedside table and took a gulp.

“Natasha already dropped a cup off.” You explained.

“Romanov left about two hours ago.” Tony said snippely.

Your eyes went wide and you tried to think of a way out of this.

“Bucky’sinthebathroom.” You admitted.

The bathroom door swung open and the man in question stepped out.

It was the single most awkward moment of your life. You were bright red, Bucky was carefully expressionless and Tony looked like he’s just swallowed a wasp.

“Barnes. Get out. I need to talk to my daughter.” Your father said evenly, restraining his anger.

Bucky shot you a glance and you glared at Tony who sighed heavily.

“Since you already brought her coffee, you can take this one.” He said to Bucky with false friendliness, shoving the hot liquid at the soldier who luckily had lighting fast reflexes.

“I’ll see you later sweetheart.” Bucky told you and you nodded tersely.

As soon as he left the room you and Tony were at each others throats.

“This is you not rubbing you and Barnes in my face?” He snapped.

“Did you have have to be so rude?” You demanded at the same time.

You glared at each other and you crossed your arms.

“Why is he in your room? Alone?” Tony asked furiously.

“Because it’s not the 1800’s and I’m an adult?” You responded snarkily.

Tony threw the box of doughnuts at you and you had to uncross your arms and grab it before it smacked you in the face.

“Eat your breakfast. We leave in half an hour.” He shot at you and stormed away.

“Where are we going?” You demanded.

“The City. You’re being called in to officially sign The Accords.” He said testily and slammed the door in your face.

You groaned loudly and fell back against the bed in a sulk.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“You must keep your ID badge on you at all times, failure to do so can have consequences.” A tall Nordic looking woman told you.

You glanced up at Miss… you’d forgotten her name already. The blonde had met you at the door earlier this morning, sweeping you away from Tony brusquely and bringing you to admin to process you.

“Keep ID on me or bad things will happen, got it.” You said and mock saluted the woman.

She gave you a look that you guessed was supposed to make you cower in fear but you just raised a perfect arched brow at her with an amused smirk and thought about all the ways you could easily take her out without so much as breaking a sweat.

She must have seen the thoughts dancing in your eyes and she backed down first.

“If you follow me, I’ll take you to the meeting now.” She said, a noticeable tremor in her voice.

Her high heels clip clopped on the marble floors as she led you to the packed room. Secretary Ross and his buddies who you had never bothered to learn the names of were all sitting above everyone else, looking down on the crowd of seasoned journalists, low tier politicians and Tony and Pepper.

You took your seat beside Tony and rather than wait for Ross to call everyone to order you spoke up loudly, getting everyone’s attention.

“Order in the court.” You called.

“Sorry, just really wanted to day that.” You admitted sheepishly to Pepper.

“Miss Stark, Mr Stark, Miss Potts. We’re here today so Miss Stark can officially sign the accords.” Ross said.

You waited for Tony to make a witty remark but he was sat back in his seat, silent as a mouse. He hadn’t said a word to you in the car either. Fine, let him sulk.

“I’m aware of why I’m here.” You snarked.

“Good, then we can get right to it. Unless there’s any other unsanctioned missions you need to undertake before we begin?” Ross said sarcastically.

“Gee, when you say it like that it almost sounds like the UN is upset. I’m sorry, did you want Spain to remain under the influence of a drug cartel smuggling illegal drugs into other countries, including the US?” You asked with mock politeness.

“We all get it Miss Stark, you’re a hero. What do you want, a parade?” Ross retorted.

“Nah, Spain is already throwing me one next month. Spain is one of the countries under the Accords as well isn’t it?” You said with a victorious smirk.

Tony kicked you under the table and you turned to look at him innocently. He and Pepper were glaring at you.

“Miss Stark, you have been out of the UN’s control for too long. Today we’re bringing you into the fold like should have been done a long time ago. That means from this day forth you don’t do anything without permission. You go where we say, you do what we tell you. If we say jump, you say how high. You are no longer a free agent, you are part of the bigger picture.”

You bristled. It had always been expected that you would sign the Accords since you had been outed, but you never realised what exactly it meant. It meant a loss of freedom. Nobody had asked you if you wanted to sign them and you realised that you didn’t. You did not want to sign away your life to Secretary Ross and his cronies.

“Here’s a question for you Rossy, if I can take down an entire mafia clan in one night then why do you have The Avengers sitting on their asses until a problem directly affects you? Seems like a waste of resources.” You asked calmly.

“I don’t like what you’re insinuating Miss Stark.” He said.

“I’m not insinuating a damn thing, I’m straight up saying it. The Accords were supposed to protect the public by regulating powered people but it just shifted the balance of power. You use The Avengers as your own personal attack dogs, you abuse the trust placed in you because you are a selfish bureaucrat. You don’t give a damn about protecting people, you just want to feel powerful.”

“How dare you!”

“How dare YOU! I am not now, nor will I ever be a weapon for a man with an inferiority complex. The only people I will serve are the people outside these walls, the innocent ones who need a defender.” You shouted, standing up.

“So you’re refusing to sign the accords. Is that what you’re saying Miss Stark?”

“While the Accords are in your hands, yes I am.”

“Such a shame to retire so early in your career.” He sneered.

“The problem is that you think it’s a career, it’s not. I have the power to make a difference in people’s lives and as a very dear friend once told me ‘With great power comes great responsibility’. I will help whoever needs me, regardless of whether or not I have your permission.”

You were pushing it and you knew it but looking at Ross it wasn’t his face you were seeing. He was just another powerful man who wanted to put you on a leash and use your power for his own goals. You weren’t being irrational though, Ross wasn’t Docherty but he was not a good man and you were not going to hand over your control to him.

“Why don’t we all take a break and reconvene in a few minutes?” Pepper said authoritatively.

“We are not on your schedule Miss Potts.” Ross sneered.

“You are today.” Pepper said, dismissing them as Tony grabbed your arm and hustled you from the room.

You shot a heated glare of disgust over your shoulder before the door closed and Tony released you.

“What the fuck are you doing?” He hissed.

“What I have to do.”

“This was not the plan. We came here so you could sign, not piss off and embarrass the Secretary of State in front of a room full of journalists.” He said, his aggravation driving his tone.

“For the record, what you’re feeling right now is how I feel every day.” Pepper informed him.

“That’s different. I approach the line, maybe put one foot over it. I don’t hurl them over the line and stomp on it!” He rebutted angrily.

“I am not signing that fucking contract. It’s never going to happen.” You told him loudly.

“Kit Kat do you have any idea what I went through for the accords? The Avengers were ripped apart over it. It took so long to get Steve to sign, I don’t need to have that fight with my own daughter. The Accords are safe, I wouldn’t have allowed them if they weren’t.”

“You were wrong. I love you dad but you were so wrong. The rest of you can sign and do whatever is right behind the scenes but I can’t. I can’t sign away control of my own abilities to somebody else.” You insisted, pushing your hair back in agitation as you tried to stop from pacing.

“You’re projecting your issues onto The Accords, this isn’t the same thing.” He said as calmly as he could.

“No it’s not but it isn’t that different either. I am sorry this puts us at odds but I am not going to just roll over and do what you think is the right thing when I know it’s wrong.” You insisted.

“They’ll arrest you Kit Kat, do you get that?”

“They might, but I won’t stay in a cage ever again.” You vowed.

“So that’s it? You’re going to throw away everything you’ve built, your whole life? Because that’s what will happen, you’ll be a wanted criminal. No more me, no more Pepper, no more Sam, no more Bucky. You’ll lose it all.” He raged.

You considered your words very carefully before you said them and looked Tony right in the eyes.

“I took decades of suffering for the chance to be good, to do good. I will not sign it all away.”

You turned on your heel and walked away, pushing the doors open and striding straight into the flashing lights of the press.

“Miss Stark, did you sign the accords?” Was the question being hurled at you by dozens of papparazi.

“I did not and I won’t be signing them.” You said, walking through the crowd.

“Why not?”

“Will you be retiring?”

You stopped and turned around. You could see Tony watching you from inside and you held his gaze.

“Retire? I’m just getting started. If somebody needs my help I’ll be there, I won’t wait for the UN to send me in.” You said with a smirk before your eyes went cold and you stared down the camera.

“I know you’re watching this Docherty, you always are. You wanted to unleash me on the world to create chaos, well here I am. But I’m not going to end the world, I’m going to save it, piece by piece. So next time Aliens attack the capital or a druglord tries to smuggle heroin into an innocent community and I’m there to stop it, don’t thank me… Thank Dr Jack Docherty.”

You calmly turned your back on the camera, on the crown and on the UN and walked away, feeling like for the first time you had actually done what you wanted, not what was needed or expected.

To hell with the consequences.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Me: *Aggressive listening to Power Anthems* Fuck you Secretary Ross!

This was such an important chapter for Reader's character development, I hope I did it justice :/

@nerdandproud-86 @harrison-shot-first@thejourneyneverendsx @thelostallycat @inquisitor-selvala@the-corruptor @iovher @kendrawr-kitkat @phoenix-whiskey-tears @the–real-wombat @buckitybarnes@fairislesheets @angieptt @meganjonezzzz@dugan365@fluffeh-kitty@memanda17 @krystallynx@theonelittleone@piscesbarnes@free-as-fishes@tarastudiesalot @captainamericasbeard @dropthepizza346@jaynnanadrews@likes-to-smell-books@drdorkus @life-wanderer@metalarmlover@animegirlgeeky@jsmith509

[travllingbunny]

The 100 rewatch: 2x12 Rubicon

This is a pivotal episode of season 2, in some ways the show as a whole, because it marks the beginning of the gradual destruction of Clarke Griffin’s moral certainty. She has been forced to make tough decisions, but up to this point, she had not crossed the line and done things that felt really morally wrong, such as sacrificing a number of innocent lives. But this show isn’t willing to spare its protagonist and give her easy ways out, and puts her in situations where she is faced with impossibly difficult choices, where she eventually starts doing things that chip away at her soul and make her more and more damaged. This is basically her arc in season 2, in particular. A reference to “crossing the Rubicon”, a fateful decision, feels appropriate: Clarke gets to choose between sticking to her old moral views, and doing everything to save those she cares about, and it’s the same choice she’ll keep on making.

Meanwhile, the Delinquents trapped in Mount Weather make a big decision of their own, to fight back against their captors/killers.

And in the Jaha/Murphy storyline, the B storyline of season 2, which continues separate from the main storyline until season 3, one of my favorite characters is introduced.

Rating: 9.5/10

I’ve always liked Emori. She’s a great example of a good female anti-hero, especially one that eventually gets real character development – something that the show has tried and failed to do with some other characters. It’s also nice to have such a character not be a stereotypical “badass chick with a sword who’s strong because she can fight the best”, but a manipulative, roguish thief (though there have been popular female characters like that in various shows from Star Trek: TNG to Firefly, it’s not so overused, especially recently, as the latter trope is, and Emori has more depth than those characters did). She’s also one of the show’s two major characters with disabilities, but hers was congenital rather than something that happened to her as an adult, as with Raven.  

I love the fact that the show didn’t go with the standard “bad man gets redeemed through the love of a good woman” arc for Murphy, but instead, had him change through love for a not-so-good woman. At first, it seemed it would go the former way, when Emori introduced herself as a damsel in distress and a sweet girl with a sad past, before putting a knife under Murphy’s throat and robbing the party, though she did help them reach their destination by whispering to him that they should go north. Which fits into this show’s tendency to create romance from negative interactions, but in comparison with some others, this one is not so bad.

It makes sense that this is who Murphy would fall for – someone who is a ruthless survivor and an outcast, more than he is. Or rather: Murphy, who likes to think of himself as the ultimate survivor, had a tragic childhood – like many on the Ark – but had an opportunity to be a part of a community with the Delinquents in season 1, and blew that chance – twice - due to his own negativity, tendency to antagonize people, and obsession with holding grudges and revenge. But Emori was an outcast since birth, due to her disability, which made her, in the harsh Grounder culture, a ‘freak’ that needs to be eradicated from the bloodline, as we learned earlier in the season. She’s known no protection or belonging, other to the criminal duo of herself and her brother. This is a difference that will matter in season 5: when she finally was given a chance to be accepted and valued as a part of a group, Emori was glad to accept it and learn, and she didn’t have the same insecurities that Murphy has, which made her more integrated into the group than he is able to be, because his issues are internal.

Murphy is at this point the character who gets the best lines (“Touch me and I’ll end you…In a non-violent way” - “Faith? No. I just got nothing better to do”), but he still has a long way to go until he gets actual redemption, because he’s still trying to justify his actions. (“I killed two people and tried to kill two more… I had my reasons, but nobody cared.” – Yeah, dude, everyone has reasons for what they do. Doesn’t mean they’re good.)

One of the things that struck me about season 2, and particularly in this episode, is the amazing cinematography with different color schemes: the desert scenes with Jaha, Murphy and the rest are full of a bright, blinding yellow, as opposed to the muted blue of the Quarantine and the vents in Mount Weather, while the other scenes have normal color balance and brighter colors.

In Mount Weather, the Mountain Men have started to drill and kill the kids. Cage and Emerson were apparently among the first to get treatments and be able to can walk outside, as did some other soldiers, like Whitman, the guy who performed the bombing of Tondc by navigating the missile and then picking up the survivors with a sniper in the following episode. It makes sense that guys who usually go outside on missions would be the first to get bone marrow treatments, while Cage took be the first or one of the first, and also forced one on his father. Dr. Tsing, unfortunately to herself, didn’t give herself one yet, probably thinking she had time, which had consequences in this same episode.

Bellamy meanwhile continues his mission by deciding to ask help from Dante, and manages to get it, though he wisely didn’t trust Dante enough to tell him who was helping him. He’s managed to get Jasper a gun, which allows Jasper to fight back, shoot a guard and save Monty again from being taken. Jasper has become sort of a leader of the Delinquents in their rebellion, thanks to his courage and determination to protect his friends, especially his best friend. Then other Delinquents start fighting with whatever they can to defend Jasper from being taken, before Bellamy irradiates Level 5, killing the present guards and Tsing. Tsing almost saves herself, by getting into another room, but Jasper stops her  from closing the door and lets her die of burns in front of him. It’s interesting that Jasper, when he shot the guard, looked like he was surprised by himself, even though he’s shot people before (Grounders on the bridge in S1) and that he was technically the one who killed about 300 Grounders with the ring of fire in the season 1 finale, but he hadn’t participated in close range fighting like that before or killed someone he could see. But just a few moments later, he was clearly enjoying his revenge over Tsing, sarcastically repeating her line “I want you to know you’re incredibly special to us”. Which I can’t hold against him, Tsing was terrible and I doubt there was anyone who didn’t enjoy her death.

But the most important parts of the episode are about Clarke. She and Raven are both on the edge, just as in the previous episode, and arguing a lot, waiting for another one of Bellamy’s regular calls. Any time he’s late with calling, they cannot be sure if he is still alive. The Clarke/Bellamy talk starts with a rare funny moment where the two of them sound like a married couple bickering (“You’re late!” – “Are you through?”), but things get serious very quick, as they learn from listening in to the Mountain Men channel both that the Delinquents are being drilled, and that the Mountain Men are about to bomb Tondc, where leaders of all the Grounder clans and Arkers are about to meet.

Clarke lies to Bellamy that Octavia is not in Tondc, in order not to distract him, but Raven later lets it slip in another talk with him that she is - something that will come during their confrontation in 3x05, when Bellamy will accuse her, among other things, of letting a bomb drop on his sister.

Now, the question is, what exactly was going through Clarke’s subconscious when she left to get to Tondc as soon as possible, and then went immediately to talk to Lexa. She certainly thought she should warn everyone and argued it to Lexa, and was shocked when Lexa, apparently cold as ice, started convincing her that they should leave and save themselves without telling anyone. But Lexa managed to convince her quickly by arguing that alerting people would blow Bellamy’s cover in Mount Weather, and ruin the entire mission and lose them the war – and telling her that she must have known that herself deep inside, or else she would have warned people immediately. Clarke seemed struck by the realization that she really must have felt that way – which may be why she later didn’t try to defend herself when Abby called her out on her actions (“You crossed the line”) and took responsibility, when Abby asked her to tell her it was all Lexa’s decision.

While trying to convince the insecure and confused Clarke, Lexa used the phrase “It’s our only choice”, which will pop up a few more times during the show. She also praised Clarke’s “strength”, telling her “You showed real strength today, don’t let emotions stop you now”. But I don’t think that’s really what happened, at all. The decision to let the bomb drop on all these people was a cold, rational one for Lexa, the kind she thought good leaders should make and that would help her win the war (and maybe also help her politically, by killing some other Grounder leaders), but for Clarke, it was all about protecting Bellamy and the Delinquents trapped in Mount Weather. Clarke started off with a strong belief in the value of human lives in general, she cares about everyone, and she tries to save everyone – but it’s hard not to prioritize the lives of people you care about over the lives of stranger. It’s a common, human thing to do– it’s hard to be perfectly impartially ethical, if your loved ones are at risk. And Clarke has been acting extremely worried, impulsive and driven by emotion – it was really obvious. I find it hard to believe that Lexa, who is very perceptive, didn’t notice that, so that line sounded like manipulation. It was as if she was validating Clarke’s choice by telling her it’s a sign she’s strong and a good leader, rather than panicking and struggling to protect her loved ones. And Clarke later makes the same choice when she is about to try to kill Whitman, but then gets distracted by seeing Abby, and gets focused on saving her mother instead, losing her the chance to stop the missile. (But in all the chaos, she forgot about Octavia… oops. Which both Octavia and Bellamy will hold against her. It’s not that Clarke doesn’t care about Octavia, but the fact is that she is not as important to her as Abby or Bellamy are.)

But either way, whether Lexa was manipulative or just imparting her views, and whether Clarke was already subconsciously feeling she would have to make that choice, this is where it became clear that, while Clarke may be able to have good influence in Lexa, Lexa’s influence and her advice certainly doesn’t bring out the best in Clarke. I think that their dynamic was very interesting, and very well-written in season 2, because Lexa was a “Shadow” character for Clarke - at the same time that Clarke found herself in the position of de facto sole leader of her people, and had to make tougher and more ruthless decisions, she met Lexa, the embodiment of darker traits of her character, upped to 11: as a young ruler who came to power as a child, she is both enormously privileged and has had a huge burden of responsibility, which made her isolated and emotionally repressed, and she believes in unquestioned, tyrannical rule, ruthlessness and treating people as expendable, if needed for the “big picture” (because this is what Grounder culture values and what Lexa has been taught to be like). Clarke is not quite like that, but she could be like that, and starts becoming more like it.

The difference is that Clarke is constantly questioning herself and always feels guilty over everything bad she does, while Lexa seems to have convinced herself that her actions are right and necessary and what a good leader should be, so she is not showing any remorse or doubt.

And this is why I knew after this episode that Lexa is never going to be one of my favorite characters. I kind of have a thing against leaders who let bombs drop on their own people when they could have saved them, and think it’s a great opportunity to use casualties for propaganda purposes, asking for revenge -something that Lexa actually argues in her conversation with Clarke. (It also has some unpleasant real world associations for me, which puts me off even more.) But I can forgive characters a lot when they show genuine remorse, so I still love Clarke, who didn’t make her decision in cold blood, and who is obviously deeply tormented and ashamed of what she has done.

The only part of this episode I’m not that keen on – which is why it doesn’t get a perfect 10 – is the resolution of Lincoln’s drug addiction storyline, because it’s a bit too easy and unrealistic. One moment, Lincoln, having relapsed, is again serving the Mountain Man like a Reaper and knocking out a Grounder to bring him to Mount Weather to get more of the “red” drug. The next, it’s enough for Octavia to punch him and basically tell him to man up (“Grounders don’t give up, we fight” – again with the whole “I am a Grounder” thing, which makes no sense) for him to be cured of his addiction? I don’t think that’s how it works.

Background info: Apparently, Mount Weather didn’t have to use missiles that often, because the last time they did it was before Lexa’s birth – over 20 years ago. It’s safe to say that they didn’t feel threatened by any armies the Grounders could have formed during that time.

Timeline: This episode starts 6 hours after the end of 2x11, and 2 days since 2x10 (that is long it’s been since Jaha left the camp, taking 12 people and 12 guns)

Body count: More people died in this episode than in any other one in season 2. (Unless we count off-screen deaths of Arkers from various stations that either died in the crash of the Ark, or were killed, including the deaths of people from the farm station killed by the Ice Nation – but we don’t even learn about the latter until season 3.)

3 Delinquents, killed and drilled for their bone marrow by Dr. Tsing, Cage and other Mountain Men. None of them were characters we knew by name, so the emotional effect was small. 48 Delinquents still survive (45 in Mount Weather + Clarke, Octavia and Murphy);

15 Mountain Men (though Cage said 11) –Tsing and 14 guards – from radiation poisoning on level 5, after Bellamy irradiated it (unless the guard Jasper shot was already dead before Level 5 was irradiated), but Jasper also caused Tsing’s death by not letting her close the door. This means they are 365 Mountain Men still alive.

About 250 people (we find that out in 2x14) – Grounders and Arkers – in Tondcc, from the missile strike, killed by the Mountain Men: specifically Cage, Emerson and Whitman, but Lexa and Clarke are indirectly responsible for letting it happen. No info on how many of the leaders of the 12 Grounder clans were killed, but Luna and Queen Nia obviously survived, though we don’t see them in 2x13, so it’s not clear if they were even there, or sent someone else on their behalf (or if Luna even responded to the invitation).

[powdersurgar]

The Twin Blades (Zelda Fanfiction.)

Long ago,

Hylia, the goddess of Light and Sound, and Zylia, the goddess of Twilight and Time, blessed the land with their childrens grace.

Hylia’s children,

Din, created land and mountains with a heart that burned with fire.

Nayru, gave water that could reach everything it touched

Farore, sprouted life that cleansed the air.

However… Zylia’s child

Oden, gave the land the wind of HOPE

As Hylia and her children name spread across the lands, Zylia’s jealousy grew due to her child’s vanishing.

So they decided to choose champions that would forever remember the gods for centuries.

Nayru chosen a princess, who was the wisest person in a place called Hyrule

Din chosen a Man in the Gerudo desert, who had a strong will for power

Farore chosen a boy who was courageous against all odds

And Oden…

He Chosen the boys weak twin sister, who was always hopeful and believed in possibilities.

This angered the goddess Zylia

But Hylia accepted the choice Oden made and created the Dual swords

However Zylia wanted more and ask a demon to get inside the mind of one of the champions and bring her the tetra force.

Chaos within the champions and their clans, spread wars across the land.

the dual blades sealed away the demon and brought back peace, Giving birth to the master sword.

But the true story is now only a forgotten legend for the youthful ears.

Chapter 1: Whispers in the wind.

The land of hyrule is vast place with a proud and magnificent castle that stood in the middle, as it watched over its people. The west scorched with the sands of time, the Gerudo village. The north burned with fierce power known as Death Mountain. East, is the forbidden forest, where creatures lurk within the shadows and finally South where the Zoras guard the waters. They say there’s a place in the sky where angels fly… but I’ve never seen it.

There are a few towns beyond this place and a few shrines that are recently built for the gods. However those are just stories I hear from my brother Link. He’s always off adventuring somewhere or goofing around with the farm animals. I was always jealous of the fact that he could go outside so sometimes, like tonight, whenever the moon is full, I go out for a stroll.

“Linkle!” I could here link in the distance as I sat on top of an abandoned well. As my brother emerges from the forest like a while animal, I gave a troubling smile. I knew he was seriously upset as he held his wooden sword in his hand tightly.

“Linkle!”, His voice relief to have found me, “Do you not know how dangerous it is for you to be out here? Father and mother are worried sick!”

“But I-” I tried to explain.

“Common, the doctor is waiting for you in your room!” He commanded as he pulled me down from the well and started back towards home. I snatched my hand away in frustration.

“You don’t have to shout! I’m doing just fine on-”

“You’re not doing fine!”

There was a moment of silence between us and the forest sang it’s silent tune to the wind. Both of us knew what those words meant but neither of us wish to hear them.

“I just wanna see the world like you do. I’m always stuck in the house and unless we find the fairy Queen I’ll-”

“Don’t say that! I’ll find her for sure. So let’s just go back inside?” Links face looked so determined, that I knew that my brother loved me so much so.

“Alright, but you’ll have to teach me how to use a sword when I’m better!”

“In your dreams, haha, we all know that you’re only good at the bow and arrow!”

“That may be true”, I gave a smirk as I pass him up, “but someday we’ll need each other’s skills for survival”

“Right, still not teaching you” Link said sarcastically.

“First one to the house, is a loser!” I said as I took off running, leaving Link behind.

“Hey! wait up!”

[In sleep]

“Strange, I’m back at the well, Didn’t we went home?” I thought as I slowly looked around. My eyes than looked up at the moon only to catch a glimpse of a shadowy figure standing over Link’s lifeless body. I backed away slowly, wishing I had a way to defend myself.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

Suddenly, three more shadowy figures emerged from the tree tops. The moon shone behind them as their laughter filled the forest with evil. It seemed as if they were approaching me and suddenly I tripped into the old water well. Falling deeper into the cold darkness.

The last thing I heard was,

“Look for Hope..”

[The Next Day]

“Linkle! Wake up!” I jumped at the sound of links voice. His eyes were concerned but then he sighed in relief. “I thought for sure, something had happened to you.” He said as he patted my head.

“What do you mean?” I asked, even though I desperately wanted to tell him my dream.

“You passed out last night and…. nothing,” he paused. Just as I was about to speak, Link continued on talking.

“oh, yeah! Guess what?”

“What?” I asked out of curiosity

“Today’s the day!” He whisper

“What do you mean?” I whispered back

“We found it! We found the fairy queen!” He shouted

“Wait really?!” I exclaimed.

“Hey, calm down, that’s not all good news. Meet me on the training ground by the northern gates. Oh and be sure to stop by a shop for supplies. Here’s a list of things that you’ll need.”

“Hmm.. sturdy clothes, boots, bow and arrow, wooden shield, and a wooden sword… Wait, you don’t mean…?”

“Who knows, you better hurry up if you wanna find out.” Replied Link as he stood up. He than headed out the door leaving me in complete shock.

“Yeeeeesssss!” I shout along with a new burst of energy as I quickly hopped out of bed.

“Okay, first I need to put on some clothes for traveling, my archers armor should do.” I walked towards my closet door but it was gone. “That’s strange? Where’s my armor? Maybe I should ask around….”

As I walk out of my room, I turned to the left and into the restroom. I figured that I should grab something for the journey so i searched inside the cabinet only to find my hair bands and some herbs. “At least I could finally braid up my hair in pigtails…”

I walked back into the hallway and wandered into my parents room but there was no one there. Finally, I searched down stairs for my armor only to find a honeycomb and a couple of apples in the kitchen. After giving up searching inside my home, I decided to look outside. As I walked out the door, my mother was just returning home.

“Mom, have you seen-?” I started to ask but my mother interrupt me.

“Your armor right? Well you wouldn’t believe this, but I was washing your armor at the end of the creak. Just as I was drying it out, an owl swooped down and took it!”

“Mom?!” I exclaimed in disbelief.

“ I’m sorry, but unless we have a reef, we can’t call the owl back. Oh but there are some at the other side of the lake. Too bad that your brother has already left.” My mother than went inside the house, but I was determined to get back my armor. Besides how hard can it be to swim across a lake?

It was really hard. A carpenter guarding the lake told me that the dam had been broken and unless the boss was found, no one could swim across it. The only hint to his location was usually by the southern gate but he was nowhere to be found.

I thought that was indeed quite unusual, so I decided to try and look for the boss carpenter in his last location myself.

When I arrive at the southern gate, there was no one there at all. However something did caught my attention. I never told Link this, but I sometimes can see the passing of shadows. Kinda like footsteps people leave behind. Only problem is the longer I attempt to do that the more I get terribly ill. Still…. I wanted my armor and to journey out badly so I attempt it anyways. The boss carpenter shadow appeared underneath a tree. It seems that he was in a deep sleep. His body suddenly awoke in a shock stood up and ran outside the gate.

“This is bad…” I looked for the nearest weapon I could think of only to find a stick. “Better than nothing… I guess”

I ran out the gate into the woods, following the shadow before it disappeared behind a bush. When I walked through it, I fell down into a pit.

“Gaaaaaahhh!!!???? Uff?!” I landed on a large flower, in front of me was the boss carpenter. “Ahh! I found you! Hurry, let's go!”

“I can’t, my son wondered out of the gates and now a moblin took him away, what am I to do?!” Asked the panic boss

I hesitated but somebody has to do something, “alright, let’s go.”

“What?! Are you seriously going to help me?! You’re the best!”

As we traveled in the cave, beating up bats and spiders we were able to find a chest with a travelers bow within it. “I guess this’ll work well for us?”

“With that bow we don’t have to sneak around anymore. Here take these arrows I found” said the boss, “ whew… I’m beat, I’m sorry, let me rest here and I’ll catch up with you soon.”

“Alright.” I said. My thoughts were everywhere, and I’m sure the boy must be close by now. However I don’t think I can save him alone. For now, I'll just give it my all and hope for the best.

When I arrived, it was worse than I thought. The boy was inside a moblin camp.. “o-okay, I can do this.”

I attempted to aim at a moblin at the gate but my hand had slipped and missed. Of course, I was too weak to fight in combat than there’s the fact I’ve been following shadows for awhile. Finally I defeated one, but just as I stood up a moblin aimed to strike me from behind. Time slowed, and my brother appeared and stuck the moblin down.

“Link?!”

“Linkle!”

“What’re you doing here?!!” We said at the same time.

“I saw a girl ran into the woods and went to help her before a moblin kidnapped her. But to imagine it was you?! Linkle, you’re not supposed to be here!” Scold my brother.

“I know, but there was the boss carpenter's son and he ran in here and also got captured. There wasn’t enough time so we went to save him.” I explained.

“Wait he has a son? So that explains why i saw him earlier… he was the one who told me to help you… anyway, I’m here now so go back to the village.”

“What?! No!! I started this mission and I’m going to finish it, one way or another!” I barked back.

“Fine… you’re going to be out in the wild soon anyway so i guess this would be a great way to test your skills. I see you got a bow and arrow on your back… you can be my lookout, I trust you can cover me, yes?”

“Ha! Of course i can! I can shoot an arrow like the wind itself!” I spoke proudly

“Good, climb up that tree and whistle when you’re ready. I’m going to sneak inside and rescue the kid, MAKE SURE NO MOBLIN SPOTS ME! If they do they might harm him.” Warned link

“Got it.” I said in determination. Link suddenly reached for his pocket and pulled out a bag.” What’s that?”

“It was hard to find since they are pretty rare but this is a bag of holdings. Inside is a whispering stone i found on one of my journeys. With this we can communicate with each other.” Link than pulled out a pair of green emerald earrings wrapped in gold.

“Wow... but how am I to communicate back with you if you don’t have one?” I asked. Link than took one of the pairs and wore it on his left ear.

“ you’re right handed, right? Put the other on your right ear. When you wish to speak with me just touch it.” Link instructed.

Once I was done I climbed up the tree and whistle to inform link that i was ready. Link ran in as if there was nothing that could stop him. He then took a barrel and placed it over his head. I taped the stone.

“Wow, so hidden are we… hehe!” I said jokingly.

“Hey they won't be able to tell if you do your part” replied link

“Yeah, yeah… alright, go left… stop, go right…” after directing and clearing his path, we came to a problem. “Link! get out the barrel!” Link leaped out the barrel just before the moblin boss smash it to pieces. Link had to battle him head on.

“Linkle! I'll distract him, take out that siren before they call for help than get to the cage where the boy is located!” Shout link

“On it!” I shot down the siren as I jumped down from the tree. “Cough?!!!!” My body wasn’t fit enough so I took a moment to breath.

“This isn’t good but i have to hold on.” I whispered.

I ran through the maze, shooting down any moblin that would try to stop me. When i got to the cage, the boy was in tears and without a key I couldn’t get him out.

“Link, key!!” I shouted across the arena.

Since the mobbing boss wore armor, link had to roll around and cut the straps. He than kept back to doge the counter attack only to leap into the air and split the helmet off. This left the moblin boss dizzy for a few seconds, since it was surprised.

“Catch!” Shouted Link as he slid besides the boss moblin’s hip and cut of the key with enough force to send it flying. But with link not paying attention, the moblin boss had regained consciousness and was about to hit link. So I drew my bow and shot an arrow through the keyhole of the airborne key. The arrow went into the moblin, staggering him, which bought link some time to resume fighting.

I then caught the key and set the boy free. Link also had just finished off the boss by knocking the moblin boss down and land a finishing blow to the chest. Suddenly a minion came rushing at link, I reached for my arrows but I had none, so I grabbed a nearby sword and activated my ability to see the movement of shadows. Than i noticed it… link was also special... we both ended the minion with a jump into the air, our swords clashing together as we landed.

“Link… you can…” before I knew it , I passed out. The last thing i saw was link rushing me back home with determination once more in his eyes.

[goddess-of-writing-wars]

“Oath” | Uesugi Kenshin

Uesugi Kenshin x Historian!MC. 2nd Promise.

"Where is [Name]? Her breakfast won't stay warm forever." Kenshin remarked as he glared at the untouched food across the table from him.

It was rare of the Uesugi lord to have breakfast with his allies and vassals, but today was an exception. After a night of drinking away, the sun had risen to represent a new day and to end the banquet held in [Name]'s honor.

"Who knows? Maybe she decided to sleep in today." Yukimura commented as he tried massaging his headache from last night's party. Drinking with both Kenshin and Shingen was a fatal mistake, and he was learning to deal with the consequences now.

"Let our lovely goddess catch some rest for her beauty then. She needs it." Shingen stated as he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

"That can't be true. I sent a maid to go fetch her for breakfast, yet the maid hasn't returned." Kenshin brought up as he cast a glance at Sasuke, wondering why his ninja had been quiet for quite some time.

Little did Kenshin know that Sasuke had intervened earlier and suggested to the maid that he would go fetch [Name] himself instead. Of course, he already knew that she had set out for her journey to Azuchi and wouldn't be here at all. He just wanted to continue [Name]’s cover and buy her some more time.

"Perhaps she insisted on sleeping in," Sasuke spoke, hoping that Kenshin would buy into the idea and no longer question it.

"No, I won't allow for this sort of defiance in this castle. [Name] may be a woman, but she will become one of my official vassals soon. I expect her to obey the orders of her lord." Kenshin declared as he stood up and prepared to go find [Name].

Internally panicking, Sasuke was worried that if Kenshin knew the truth, [Name] would be in even bigger trouble. Deciding to distract his lord, Sasuke quickly stood up and moved right in front of Kenshin before he could reach the sliding door.

"Wait, Kenshin-sama. It might be rude to enter a lady's room without permission. You'll most likely be able to see her again sometime during the day when she isn't busy." Sasuke reasoned.

"If you want to live, then move, Sasuke. I don't have time for your nonsense. As the lord of this castle, I will do what I desire." Kenshin reminded as he placed a hand on the handle of his katana.

But before Sasuke could distract his lord even further, Kenshin unsheathed his katana and attempted to swing at Sasuke, intending to push his ninja back at a distance in order to let him escape and find [Name] on his own. Once he saw that Sasuke had jumped back as he had planned, Kenshin smirked at Sasuke and ran out of the room, knowing that the chase was on before they could ever dream of stopping him.

"Wait, Kenshin-sama!" Sasuke called out from behind. Kenshin could see that Yukimura and Shingen had also followed him out of the room, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was to find [Name].

As he reached her room, Kenshin wasted no time in opening up her shoji screen doors and glancing over at her futon. But as he stepped inside to get a closer look, he saw that the room was empty. There was no sign of her anywhere.

"Where is she?" Kenshin yelled out in a booming loud voice.

"She's not here. Maybe she's somewhere else around the castle." Yukimura concluded once he finally caught up to everyone all while clutching his aching head.

"I want a thorough search for [Name]. Leave no stone unturned or room unchecked. Send out my orders to every maid and vassal now!" Kenshin commanded as he turned to them with fire in his eyes.

"Kenshin, don't you think you're being a little outrageous for [Name]? She could simply be somewhere around here. There's no need for a thorough search just to flag her down." Shingen announced as he crossed his arms.

"Ah, if I can recall this correctly, I believe [Name] is not even here in the castle. She embarked earlier on a journey to Azuchi, but I remember her saying that she would be back in a few days. She's there for reconnaissance, much like what Yukimura would do when he's there." Sasuke revealed, hoping that this would relieve Kenshin or lighten up his mood.

But if looks could kill, Sasuke was sure he would have been stabbed with the icicles forming in Kenshin's eyes. It was clear that his little white lie would not fool Kenshin.

"I don't recall making her a member of my Nokizaru or ordering her to do spy work for me in Azuchi. Since she never asked for my permission to leave, are you suggesting she left on her own accord without letting her own lord know?" Kenshin inquired grimly.

"She may have not given you a two-weeks notice of her leave, but she has no reason to betray you, Kenshin-sama. She owes her life to you for being kind enough to house her in your castle and giving her the freedom of an Uesugi princess and scholar. She would never do anything to revoke it." Sasuke uttered with determination.

"Nonetheless, she left me without warning. I won't allow this to happen. Sasuke, fetch me my horse. We leave now for Azuchi." Kenshin declared with the flip of his black cloak.

"You're leaving for Azuchi now? Why don't you just wait for her to return? Sasuke could be right, and we could get more information if our princess is truly on a reconnaissance mission." Shingen said as he watched Kenshin leave [Name]'s room.

"She won't make it alive if she meets bandits along the way. She may be intelligent, but certainly weak in terms of fighting. I won't lose her so easily. That's why I'm coming after her." Kenshin replied as he walked away.

"There he goes again with an excuse. Acting before thinking. Sasuke, you better go after him and watch out for him. He sounds reckless right now." Yukimura muttered as he looked over at his friend.

"I'm not too concerned about Kenshin-sama. I'm more worried about [Name]. Well then, I'll be off." Sasuke answered as he bowed down to them respectively before taking his leave.

"If only Kenshin was honest with his feelings for her. Maybe she'd confide in him more about her little trips if they were closer." Shingen muttered with a sigh as he and Yukimura left to go back and finish their breakfast.

"Do you think he has some hidden feelings for her? It sounds like he's only possessive of his potential war weapon." Yukimura said, remembering their conversation with Kenshin from last night.

"It may appear that way, but I think it's something deeper for Kenshin. She's no ordinary woman, and Kenshin knows that. Yet he can't help but feel attracted to her qualities too. It's the start of a relationship that he may want to pursue, but doesn't know about yet." Shingen answered.

"Jeez, this is so troublesome. Love sounds complicated and tedious." Yukimura remarked as he rolled his eyes.

"But that's what it is sometimes, Yuki. It's the art of love and war. They are alike in many ways." Shingen commented as he ruffled Yukimura's hair.

“Well, it sounds like it will be two fronts that [Name] will find herself battling in then. If she could even win them in the first place,” Yukimura confirmed quietly.

Meanwhile, [Name] was leading the horse that she had borrowed from the Uesugi clan down to a lake to have it drink some water. It had been a few hours since she left Echigo, but she was on her way to Mino. It wouldn't be long before she reached Omi to where Azuchi’s castle town was located.

Opening up her journal, [Name] decided to finish writing down the events of last night’s banquet even though she had left earlier for bed. Even though this timeline was an alternate compared to the one she knew, she figured it may be still important to keep note of it. After all, what woman in this time had the honor to have a banquet held in their name?

Lost in her thoughts, [Name] didn't even notice the presence of another creature until it meowed softly at her side.

“Ahh!!” she screamed as she scurried away from it and frightened her horse.

But the calico cat was persistent in receiving attention from her and didn't bother to scram. Instead, it approached her again and moved closer to her. By then, [Name] couldn't help but grimace at the fact that she was scared by a little cat.

“Jeez, you're just a cat. But what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in a nearby village somewhere?” [Name] asked as she picked it up and placed it in lap, petting it softly and hearing the cat purr in response.

“Mike, there you are! You ran off without warning and-”

But before the man could finish his sentence, [Name] looked back and was surprised to see him dressed in Buddhist robes and carrying a staff. A scar ran down his face but his charcoal eyes expressed concern and warmth.

But hadn't she seen him somewhere before?

“Oh! Is this your cat? I'm sorry, he approached me first and I didn't know he belonged to someone.” [Name] said as she picked up Mike and brought him over to the man.

“Mike ran off suddenly and I came to find him. Thank you for returning him.” the man replied, though he kept his eyes on [Name] as if she was someone he was familiar with too.

“It's no problem. Have a wonderful day!” [Name] replied swiftly as she turned away from him. It had finally occurred to her who this man was. He was Kennyo, the Buddhist monk that had gone rogue and attempted to take Oda Nobunaga’s life at Honno-ji. If it wasn't for her interference that night, she was sure that Nobunaga would have been killed.

“Wait.” Kennyo ordered in a deep growl.

[Name] couldn't help but freeze in her steps, and her heart was beating erratically as she heard Kennyo walk towards her.

“What's your name, young miss?”

“Umm, it's Mai. And yours?”

“Kennyo.”

“Kennyo. I see. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, but if you'll excuse me, I have to get going to meet up with my brother. He's waiting for me in Mino.”

“Is that so? Then I wish you safe travels, young miss.”

“Thank you, you too.” [Name] replied before walking away and getting back on her horse. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't internally screaming during her entire conversation with Kennyo. It was a close call too. Had Kennyo figured out who she truly was, she may have been in big trouble.

As Kennyo watched her ride away, he figured that perhaps she wasn't the one he met on that fateful night. She was still out there somewhere, but he was sure he would have the chance to cross paths with her again. After all, he had some unfinished business with that woman thanks to her interference for saving Nobunaga.

Night had fallen by the time Kennyo returned to his hut in the forest. It was one of those nights where he had to meet up with one of his spies and sit down to hear of any news.

“The Oda forces seem to be looking for the girl who saved Oda Nobunaga’s life in Honno-ji. They've expressed an interest in finding her, and there's even award for anyone who knows who and where she is. So far the search seems unsuccessful, but it has given the people an incentive to keep on the lookout for her.” the spy revealed lowly.

“That devil king...using power for his own selfish desires. If this girl is potentially precious to him, perhaps we can use her against him. This could be our chance to have Nobunaga in our hands once and for all.” Kennyo surmised.

“Shall we be on the lookout as well, Abbot?”

“Yes, we must look for her too. That way we can-” but Kennyo stopped mid-sentence as he remembered the girl he met from earlier. He had doubted his beliefs, but now that he had time to make the connection, perhaps it was her.

“I know who she is, and she's headed for Omi.” Kennyo suddenly spoke.

“You do? Then we’ll work out the details now and plan to find her there. If we can capture her successfully, we can avenge the deaths of our brothers in no time.”

“It won’t be easy capturing her if the Oda forces are after her too. We have to make sure that we reach her before they do. Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. We must find her at all costs.” Kennyo reaffirmed with a dark tone.

As the night grew long, so did the plans for [Name]’s capture. It wouldn’t be long before she, an ordinary historian from modern times, would be the most sought out person in various power circles of Japan’s finest warlords.

End of 2nd Promise.

[sanjuno]

Hey! I saw your prompts were open and I can’t really think of anything big, but I’d love to see what you have in mind for team minato and team 7 in the truth in hyperbole verse? Put in as many tropes as you like!! (I’m so sorry if this isn’t what you’re looking for!) I love your writing thank you for sharing it with us!!

Nah, this is good. I’ve had most of this idea plotted out for a while now, so it’ll be good to finally write it down.

(Ideas of March Prompt Fill 14/15)

Tangled up with his team in their weird little bower of woven living branches, Obito was quite content to remain where he was indefinitely. Kakashi’s head was tucked up under Obito’s chin, the younger ninja keeping his weird new dojutsu pressed into Obito’s shirt. Rin had plastered herself to Obito’s side, her forehead resting against the back of Kakashi’s neck and her arms around both her boys. Obito had one arm around Rin’s back to support her and the other wrapped around Kakashi to keep him close.

… Sage, Obito had never really noticed how small Kakashi was before. It was really obvious that Kakashi was younger than them when he was curled up in a miserable shaking ball in Obito’s lap. The unsteady hitch in the soft breaths against Obito’s chest ignited something fierce and protective inside Obito’s ribcage. Kakashi was suffering, and Obito wanted to track down the source and burn it to ash.

Less than an hour after Rin finished patching him up, Kakashi took a deep breath and stiffened. “The mission.”

“Screw the mission.” Scowling Obito, refused to let go as Kakashi tried to wiggle free. “Stop that! What’re you doing, Bakakashi?”

“We need to complete our mission, Obito.” Fuming over the inescapable cage his teammate’s hold proved to be, Kakashi crossed his arms and pouted. It was probably meant to be a glare, but Kakashi’s mask was gone and his lower lip jutted out when Kakashi narrowed his eyes. “I’m healed and it’s time to continue on.”

“No!” A hand pressed against his shoulder, and Obito turned to look at Rin. She shook her head, pulling away from their huddle. Obito grit his teeth. “But!”

“I want the war to end, Obito.” Voice quiet but implacable, Rin tugged on Obito’s hand to encourage him to release Kakashi. “Destroying this bridge is important. That’s why Sensei was sent out as a distraction. We can’t waste his effort, Obito.”

“Rrrh-! Fine!” Obito let Kakashi go and they all stood up. With jerky motions Obito slung the pack of explosives onto his back and hissed through his teeth. “We’re doing the stupid mission! I have no idea how to use the sharingan. Bakakashi’s hurt. You used up most of your chakra healing him. But sure! The mission comes first! I still think this is a bad idea and I’m not happy about it!”

“Be unhappy quietly.” Was Kakashi’s flat rejoinder, obviously displeased by the reminder of his injuries. The light coming from Kakashi’s left eye flared brighter and he winced, hand flying up to cover the scarred lid. “The last thing we need is another ambush.”

Obito snapped his mouth shut on another complaint. Furious resolve kindled in the young Uchiha. The rest of this mission was going to go perfectly. They were going to go blow the bridge up, and then Obito was getting him team right back to Konoha. No delays. No detours. No demonic tentacles snatching Kakashi away while Obito watched helplessly.

The Uchiha were all about making things explode with fire. Obito was going to destroy the hell out of this bridge and good riddance.

/…/

The trip to the bridge was tense, all three of them hyperaware of their surroundings. Kakashi had needed to pull his forehead protector down over his dojutsu, not wanting the glow to give his position away. Given the way the silver-haired boy’s tense shoulders relaxed once the eye was covered, Rin had the suspicion that Kakashi had mostly done it to cut off the input. There was no telling what the Hatake dojutsu picked up on and there was no way Kakashi had known to train for it.

The Hatake had been a dying Clan for a long time, and if there had ever been a Kekkai Genkai the knowledge of it had long since faded from memory. Worry clogged Rin’s throat. They just needed to finish this mission, then they could all go home and Rin could safely wrap both her boys in blankets so she could sit on them until the entirely rational fear that they were going to disappear again was less overwhelming.

They just needed to blow up a bridge. Simple. That bridge was coming down on the first try or so help her Rin was going to on a full-bore Tsunade-shishou rampage and turn this entire section of the forest into a smoking crater.

/…/

Slipping away from the destruction raging behind them, Kakashi sighed in relief. His covered eye throbbed, and the new flesh on his chest was tender and sore. He just wanted to go home. Now that their mission objective was complete and the bridge was beyond the enemy’s ability to repair, Kakashi had no objections to heading straight back to Konoha.

His team probably agreed with the sentiment. Rin and Obito had followed orders with grim determination, and they had been rather more liberal with the application of the explosives than the job really called for. Still, Kakashi was not complaining. Maybe once the headache faded, Kakashi would be more inclined to concern himself with his teammate’s mental states.

These were thoughts for later. The job was done, but they still needed to make it home before they could call the mission a complete success. Kakashi hid a wince.

It was going to be a long, painful trip.

/…/

“I can’t sense anyone.” Obito murmured when they stopped to rest, passing the water bottle to Rin as spinning red eyes roamed over their surroundings with startling focus. “You?”

Face turned to the breeze, Kakashi let the air roll over his tongue as he breathed deep, scenting the air. “… Nothing.”

“Thank goodness.” Rin murmured, handing Kakashi the water bottle and pressing her hand against his chest without hesitation. “Stop that, Kakashi. You’ve already put enough stress on the healing I did earlier. Now let me check.”

“He good?” As soon as he saw Rin nod and pull her hand back, Obito stepped forward and scooped Kakashi up into his arms. “Let’s get going.”

“… No.” The flat tone was a warning all on it’s own, but Obito ignored it cheerfully. Kakashi’s glare increased in intensity. “Obito. Even you aren’t stupid enough to carry me all the way back to the Village.”

“Like the pretty princess you are, Bakakashi!” Taking the lack of physical struggle as agreement, Obito started moving. “Right, Rin?” 

“The prettiest!” Rin agreed as she paced them, one hand held over her mouth but doing nothing to hide the amusement in her eyes. The levity felt good, releasing the leftover tension from completing the mission after two sequential ambushes. “Don’t drop him, Obito!”

Obito scoffed, pulling Kakashi closer. “Or you’ll do what?”

“Or I’ll take my turn as the dashing samurai!” Rin stuck out her tongue, miming taking Kakashi away from Obito.

“… You’re both complete idiots.” Rolling his eyes at their antics, Kakashi huffed grumpily but let Obito continue to carry him. As embarrassing as it was, Kakashi took careful note of the paranoid way his team was watching the ground for movement that did not belong. Whatever other side effects the changes Kakashi had gone through might have, they had left him exhausted. Letting Obito do all the work and not moving a single muscle for the rest of the week sounded like a great idea.

Kakashi would just need to make sure they put him down before they were seen by any of the perimeter patrols. It would be fine.

/…/

Sakumo stared at his son’s sleeping face, fingers denting the doorframe as he logged the new scars. The Uchiha curled around his boy lifted his head, red eyes gleaming with silent threat before recognition set in. Kakashi was mostly hidden by his teammates, wrapped in their arms and buried in blankets. Obito was still watching Sakumo silently, wary of him waking Kakashi but not willing to tell his teammate’s father to leave.

Smiling faintly at the young Uchiha, Sakumo finally managed to tear himself away from Kakashi’s bedroom door. Making his way back to the kitchen, Sakumo ignored the dejected blond slumped facedown at the table. Orochimaru said nothing as Sakumo sought comfort in the Snake Sannin’s embrace like his was trying to hide from the rest of the world.

“… We almost lost him.” Tremors wracked the hoarse words, and Sakumo felt Orochimaru’s hand go still against the back of his head. “He’s still so young and he almost died today, lovely.”

Arms wrapped around his husband, Orochimaru looked angry. Hard gold eyes looked at Jiraiya over Sakumo’s shaking shoulders. Jiraiya’s face was grim, one arm wrapped around Minato’s back as a tactile source of support as the younger man tried to shake the terror that had seized him after hearing his students report.

“… He lived.” Orochimaru murmured into Sakumo’s hair, eyes still on his teammate. “We’ll keep him safe now.”

“Yeah…” Jaw firming inresolution, Jiraiya nodded his agreement to the plan. There had been far toomany ambushes on critical missions for it to be coincidence. This had been thelast straw. “Things’re gonna change now. We’ll take care of it.”

=/=

And then the Legendary Three go steal Sarutobi’s hat and kick him out of office. It’s great. 

[the-firebird69]

Solar handling we heard the stupid s*** from Mac forever and now he's serious about it but he serious about it because they're losing tons and tons of stuff to just about everybody he thinks no he's losing his fleet to something and his counting on it and he's not going to have it because of this huge mouth pushing John Reema Lord around and John remillard pushing back and they're blindly doing it so now he's yelling at John remillard who can't do anything about it he sent him up there and it's some sort of weird suicide mission and you can't recoup and you don't know what you're doing you saw creatures there you thought they were octopus nobody can get near the fleet that's what's going on so you don't know what's going inside the ships and you think it's Johnny Reema Lord and we say hallelujah why would this a****** do that to you it's been killing you and f****** with your brain you stupid a****** further stop calling us with everything we're going to go in there and take care of your people like we do every time you call us for help or change your Pampers I mean what an idiot and this rainbow Lord is so stupid it's not worth talking about it's like he was like five

We going to take care of you people I'm going to make sure that you're done I heard a loud screech paused nothing that's indicative of this neighborhood of this town you're all running into things driving off the road here A bunch of dead people and you're running around making these demands and you're in no condition to and you're no shape to and you don't even care now Trump's fleet going away is significant I put out numbers earlier that's what he has he has a good size fleet if you lose that you're in trouble cuz those ships are huge and inside those ships there's trillions of small ones every so often they come flying out well we know is what we're doing we're repairing everything we're fixing everything we're upgrading stuff we're making Shields that really work I'm just going to sit here waiting for us to get done I didn't think you have this war over Titan and Hoth and stuff while we're going to be sitting there watching you do it cuz you won't be able to see us so close will be good and we're going to say where Trump the whole time show up above Titan with the ship threatening everybody with a cloud take out your stupid stabilizers take them over since I did you tried to teach him Johnny remalord you "gave it your best and you're all and something went wrong he took advantage of us it wasn't us we told him to do it one ship at a time and he didn't obey" you said to Mac today. And I said you're wrong to tell him anything said you told me one thing and I did get this job something different so over here's what you said to do and I fell for it and you and your son are doing stuff but over here something different something other than what you said because I don't obey you because I never have I don't do what you f****** say to do and you're too f****** stupid to understand that ever I'm not your boy I'm not your slave I'm not your employee I'm not your kind I'm not your race I'm not your clan I'm not in any group that you're in I don't receive any money from you I don't follow any orders that you ever give at all I hardly do anything that you're implying or trying to squeeze out or just deceive at all ever the only thing I was doing is products and stuff you think everything is related to it and I taking those businesses and all the money and all the stuff that makes them and I'm going to do what you say there cuz I'm not listening to you ever because you're Robert shaker you tell me stupid s*** all day long and you don't have a system that works you're going to try and use power now you're saying to him you don't have them control over the fleet and it's going to stick cuz you're going to run around in two years all gone saying that for me.

He looks at me and he says I'm tired this kid says it for me in a way I can't be and all of a sudden he says and I'm sorry but that's the way it is so I drove him off the road it just happened again yes don't drive down this road and we keep blocking him and the a****** keeps coming back so he says he's going to try and get in the race tomorrow for the real thing El real race okay and it's his bike not yours what do you think about that mac I think we have to stop him for real. Winning the race means that he'll go on to the next race and he'll try and win first place people see his bike is really cool and I'll try and buy his bike only now I see a lot of bikes around and they're not his and they're not ours so he's using this race to kind of crush us and this a****** keeps doing it so we're fighting the Japanese they were fighting each other and this hokey a****** clan and the Big fellas moving in laughing his ass off because they're bothering him all day long with this fat queer it makes sense he keeps on missing words like f** instead of f** queer so understanding something you're kind of an idiot completely have to do something about you you two are both idiots okay Dan and Trump

Mac Daddy

[darquedeath4444]

Of Tales Now and Long Ago

Chapter THREE

The roads of the village were mostly smooth but Itachi worried about the bits of rubbish, maybe something like broken glass, and continued to carry Sakura. However, as he had expected, the presence of a pink haired girl on his back attracted more attention than when he usually walked the streets by himself and he took to the roofs not soon after. Sakura did not complain as the views of the markets and the villagers changed to that of rooftops and the sky.

"It is so...big," she said, eyes wide. "My compound had always appeared big to me, and the caves felt almost endless. I did not expect so much more beyond the rocks."

"There is even more beyond these walls," he told her quietly.

"I can only imagine." Sakura's eyes landed on the Hokage Mountain. "What is that?" She asked. "The face at the end is the Hokage."

"Those are the past Hokage of Konoha," he explained. "The Hokage is the leader of the village, the head of a huge clan, if you will, and that role is passed down by one Hokage to the next. Namikaze Minato is the Fourth."

Sakura, who had been frowning at the beginning, nodded as he related the terms to roles within a clan. "I see."

He traveled on at a slower pace than usual to allow the girl to take in the village. "My village was Kirigakure. I know that much," she said after a while. "I have never been outside to see this village, though, so I have nothing to reference from." She glanced down at him. "My compound was located underground. The Moon empowers us. Children not of age are to be kept pure from the lures of the lunar light. Yet, all I can see from here are rooftops and buildings; is this the common case, or is Konoha different?"

"I believe underground compounds are unique to your clan," Itachi said thoughtfully.

Sakura hummed and turned back to the sights.

It did not take them long to arrive at the Uchiha compound. Itachi landed before the gates and nodded curtly at the guards stationed there before he swept past them. Sakura tightened her grip around his neck as the guards eyed her for a brief second but she did not duck her head to hide like she had before.

Itachi entered his house and gently lowered Sakura onto the wooden floors before he closed the doors. "Kaa-sama, I have returned."

There was a shuffle of clothes and Uchiha Mikoto appeared at the end of the corridor. "Welcome home, Itachi-kun." Her eyes then landed on Sakura, who had stiffened at the new arrival. "Hello, you must be Sakura-chan. Minato-kun has sent us word about you. You are welcome to stay for as long as you need."

The girl glanced over at Itachi before she nodded in response. "Yes. I am grateful for your hospitality." She bowed.

Itachi noted that isolated or not, Sakura had her fair share of clan upbringing within her.

"Itachi-kun, will you go pick up Sasuke-chan?" Mikoto asked. "He's at the playground with Naruto-chan."

Sakura perked at the new words and Itachi hid a smile as he nodded. "Of course."

The pinkette whipped around to look at him and her mouth opened and closed a few times before she slumped a little and glanced down at her hands.

"I will return in a bit," Itachi said gently.

Mikoto nodded. "Come, Sakura-chan, let me fix you something to eat. How does dorayaki sound?"

Sakura took a deep breath and when she looked up again, there was a polite smile plastered onto her face and her previous nervousness at being left alone was no longer visible. "Food does sound nice. What is dorayaki?"

Itachi remembered how Sakura had only ever eaten rice, another rare clan tradition, and he recalled thinking how that could not have been very good for a young child. Her question was innocent enough, but Itachi felt his mother's distraught frown even as he turned back towards the door as her motherly instincts acted up. "Dorayaki is a snack," she told her gently. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

Sakura nodded politely and, after waving shyly at him, allowed the Uchiha matriarch lead her deeper into the compound.

"Nii-san!"

Itachi found himself smiling at the familiar and welcoming call of his younger brother. Uchiha Sasuke stopped whatever he had been doing and darted over towards him. Namikaze Naruto was quick to follow and the two stopped in front of him. "You're back!"

"Hi, Itachi-teme." Naruto grinned up at him.

"How was your mission, nii-san?" Sasuke asked. "You're not hurt? Did you go to the hospital?"

"Hello, Otouto, Naruto-kun." Itachi crouched down in front of them and reached out to rub a smudge of dirt from his brother's cheek. "My mission was fine and no, I am not hurt, and therefore have no reason to go to the hospital." He smiled. Mother wants you home now," he said. "Naruto-kun, you should head home as well; it will get dark very soon."

Naruto pouted at this but nodded. He and Sasuke scowled at each other before quietly saying their goodbyes. Naruto darted off and the moment the blond was out of sight, Sasuke reached up towards him. Itachi turned around and allowed his brother to clamber onto his back, just as he had with Sakura earlier that day. He jumped onto the first roof he came across and Sasuke let out a soft cheer.

"Otouto," he called, then continued when he was sure he had Sasuke's attention. "We have a guest today at the compound," he said. "She is a girl, a victim of my most recent mission. I want you to be kind to her, okay? Can you promise me that?"

Sasuke's face scrunched up as he thought about it for a while before he nodded. "Okay, I promise."

Sasuke was quick to run to the door and throw it open the moment Itachi set him down outside their house. "I'm home!" He kicked off his shoes and grinned when Mikoto once again appeared at the doorway.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-chan, did you have fun?"

Sasuke nodded enthusiastically. "The Dobe and I had a sandcastle building competition. Of course, mine was better-"

Itachi smiled softly and straightened his brother's shoes before he took off his own and slowly followed. He heard Sasuke's voice abruptly cut off and entered the room just in time to see Sakura looking up from a book she had been holding upside down and Sasuke eyeing her curiously.

Mikoto patted Sasuke's head. "Sasuke-chan, this is Sakura-chan. She'll be with us for a while. Sakura-chan, this is Sasuke-chan."

Sakura blinked before her face melted into a smile. "Hello, I am Sakura, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Itachi saw Sasuke frown at the words suddenly thrown at him but his brother managed to nod stiffly. "I'm Sasuke."

Mikoto smiled gently and nudged her son towards the girl. "Why don't you wait here," she suggested. "I'll get you some snacks too. You too, Itachi-kun." The woman walked off towards the kitchen and Sakura stared at Sasuke for a second longer before she turned back to her book.

Itachi opened his mouth to tell her just that, realizing with a pang that this must be the first time the girl had ever touched a book. Was she kept from literature as well? Did that mean she could not read? 

However, his brother beat him to it. "You're holding that upside down," Sasuke said, frowning.

Sakura glanced up again and lifted her book a little more before she stiffly flipped it around. "I see." She scowled at the pages again. "What is this supposed to be?" She asked.

"You don't know how to read?" Sasuke asked, tone a little indignant.

"Sasuke," Itachi said in a warning tone.

Sasuke blinked as though he had remembered what he had promised to do earlier and glanced down guiltily. "Even the Dobe can read," he muttered. "We look the same age. How can she not read?"

Itachi furrowed his brows just a little as he noted how he could not fully fault his brother from reacting the way he had. Sakura's situation was very unusual, after all.

Sakura watched the two of them and for a while before she patted the spot beside her on the couch. "I take you know how to read, Sasuke-san?" She asked. "Could you teach me?"

Itachi turned to the girl in surprise even as Sasuke's expression brightened and he marched over to sit beside the girl. It wasn't every day he met little girls who could read the atmosphere and improve the mood of upset little boys.

Not that he'd know, really.

Sitting beside his brother and patiently listening as the boy rambled on, wanting to show off everything he knew, Itachi saw another side of the girl, a side unlike the frightened girl cowering behind the altar or the innocent politeness shows to the Hokage and his mother. Here was a girl who was playing Sasuke's boyish feelings and emotions to her advantage.

She was still young, probably the same age as his brother or even younger, but she was good. Not good enough that he did not notice, but too good for a normal girl her age.

It was a little adorable, though, as he watched Sasuke blush uncontrollably as Sakura chattered on to match his rambling as they went through the book, so he did not say anything.

The Haruno were an unknown clan, but if the Uchiha were their fire, genjutsu and Sharingan and the Hyuuga were their unique taijutsu and the Byakugan that allowed them this fighting style, the Haruno were their mind. Itachi recalled stories from the war presenting them as a clan of shinobi that fought not for their village, but for their own kind.

They were renown to be a clan of fighters with glowing white hair that seemed to absorb the blood their enemies spilled and eyes as blank as the abyss of death they pushed their opponents into, willing to continue fighting until their last breath, as though they could not feel pain. He had heard stories of how white-haired shinobi donning the Kirigakure symbol over their foreheads as nothing more than accessories continued to fight even if their limbs had been torn off, or if a chunk of their arm was missing, or a huge piece of broken bone was sticking right out of their chest.

A clan of monsters, some had said, voices hidden behind others also drowning their losses in alcohol, too gone for the night to even remember this admittance the next morning.

There were rumors, of course, of what may be the kekkei genkai of the Haruno clan. Perhaps they really could not feel pain, perhaps they could simply ignore it. All in all, they were, or had been, a clan of shinobi who did not die until they were dead, who lived in a system of their own.

It was a mystery, how apparently, a single teen had killed off an entire clan seemingly born to fight.

Itachi watched over them until Mikoto wandered over to call them for dinner.

Itachi sensed how Uchiha Fugaku returned home and immediately sat down at the dining table. It was not much longer until Itachi and Sasuke entered the room with Sakura trailing behind them.

Sakura froze as her eyes landed on Fugaku, before she stepped away from him and Sasuke. Her left hand was fisted and held up sideways against her chest. Her right arm then came up and she wrapped her hand around her closed fist. It was a gesture she had made before, and Itachi was coming to understand that this was some sort of Kirigakure, or perhaps clan, related greeting. 

"Uchiha Fugaku-san," she said. "I am Haruno Sakura. I am grateful for you accepting my stay over at your compound." Gone from her eyes are the bright glow that she had showered Sasuke with in order to improve his mood. Instead, there was an unreadable mask of blankness now in place.

Fugaku returned the girl's gaze and he nodded once, firmly. "Haruno-san."

"Please, call me Sakura."

Fugaku nodded once again but the request was not returned as he gestured towards the chairs. Still, Sakura did not seem to mind. Instead, she briefly dipped her head, not a full bow of respect but one of acknowledgment, and she sat at the table.

This was the housing of the head of the Haruno clan by the Uchiha, Itachi realized. The Hokage was attempting to tie down the girl, for regardless of isolation, the Haruo had been a huge fighting force for the Hidden Mist during the War. If her alive status spread, Kiri would no doubt attempt to take her back, even if she were the only one of her clan left. Still, Sakura was already outside their clutches and she was now the clan head. In a clan that appeared so tightly bound and secretive, the clan head probably had huge power over its members. If Sakura chose to make Konoha her new settling spot, nothing much could stop her, especially because her clan was no more and Kiri could not go to war for a single girl.

However, Itachi also knew that Sakura, even at her young age, seemed fully aware of the play of politics. A child like her did not much of a choice in this matter, and it might have been foolish to give a girl his brother's age so much credit, but Itachi had a funny feeling that she was letting it happen.

The next day, Sakura was escorted to the Hokage's office by a messenger sent to fetch her. Itachi accompanied her and once they had arrived, Sakura was asked to sit and wait in a room set up for this occasion.

Itachi went to the Hokage's office to report the girl's actions in his home to him. The Hokage took this all in and just as he was finishing off, there was a knock at the door. 

Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi entered the room. "Hokage-sama."

Minato smiled. "Thank you for coming."

"Morino-san, Yamanaka-san." Itachi greeted, hiding his confusion.

"Good morning Itachi-kun." Inoichi smiled at him while Ibiki nodded in his direction.

"The girl?" Ibiki asked.

"She is in the guest meeting room," Minato said, then turned to Itachi. "This is a precaution, Itachi-kun," he said reassuringly. "The Haruno were a mysterious clan and we need to see if Sakura-chan knows anything at all about what led to its massacre. She's a little girl, so maybe the T&I building would be a little too much."

Ibiki sighed and closed his eyes while Inoichi seemed to agree with Minato. Itachi internally did too; she might be a little strange, but Sakura did not seem like a bad person.

He was allowed to follow the adults into the meeting room. Inoichi and Ibiki sat down opposite Sakura, who had been patiently waiting. Minato sat a little further away and Itachi was gestured to join him. He took a seat and turned towards the interrogation. He watched as Inoichi casually flipped through papers.

The questions always started easy.

"What is your name?" Ibiki asked. Beside him, Inoichi had a pen in hand, ready to scribble down information onto the board in front of him.

Sakura leaned forward. "Currently, Haruno Sakura."

"Currently?" Ibiki asked.

Sakura nodded. "The clan heir receives a new name as a sign of rebirth as they cast aside their previous identity. However, due to the massacre, my clan head, who should have bestowed upon me a new identity, died before he could and thus, I am still Sakura."

Ibiki nodded in understanding. "I see. Age?"

"Thirty-six moons dormant and from what I've gathered, twenty-four moons awakened, and that makes a total of sixty moons of age."

Ibiki paused to look at her. "What?"

Sakura frowned. "I spent thirty-six moons living with the clan and then the next twenty-four with the man in the cave, that makes a total of-"

"That's not what I'm asking," Ibiki said. "Can you talk in years?"

"Years?" Sakura repeated.

"How long is a moon, Sakura-chan?" Inoichi asked. He shot Ibiki a subtle glare.

"A moon is a single lunar rotation," she explained. "That is how age is calculated in my clan."

"So twelve moons will be a year. She's five," Inoichi murmured, scribbling away.

"What about birthday?" Ibiki asked.

"Birthday?" Sakura asked. "Date of birth?"

Ibiki's eye twitched in annoyance."Yes."

"We are not given such labels in my clan. Everyone born in the same moon is one moon old when the next lunar rotation starts."

"I'll just put down March," Inoichi said, probably having done the math.

Then the questions begin to shift.

"Do you remember anything about the night of the massacre?"

Itachi winced at the blunt question but Sakura did not seem to mind. "No, I cannot say I do," she said slowly. "It was the night of a sacred ceremony within my clan. I was not aware of the attack until it was over."

"Ceremony?"

Sakura nodded. "My clan holds a Ceremony of Choosing in order to decide the next heir to the clan," she said. "This is a special ceremony where only children are accepted entry while the adults are to wait outside. When I stepped outside the site of the ceremony, everyone was already dead."

"And you saw the white-haired teen there?"

Sakura nodded again. "He reached out for me. He knew my name. He...he called me..." she trailed off, growing. "He reached out for me and said something," she finally said. "I cannot remember everything exactly.

"Do you know his name? Did this teen do anything to you in the cave?"

"I do not think I know his name," Sakura replied. "He held me in a cave with sacrifice altar. There was something that kept me from walking off the platform. He had puppets under his command and he left for hours every day, either outside or deeper into the caves. He never told me what he wanted, or what he was doing."

Ibiki glanced over at Inoichi, then at Minato. So far, they had learned virtually nothing. Minato nodded.

"Sakura-chan, I'm from a clan that specializes in mind reading," Inoichi said gently. "Is it okay for me to look into your mind for your memories of the teen?"

Sakura eyed the man and slowly nodded her head. "Okay."

"Welcome to our stronghold and our prison, to our heaven and our hell. Welcome to our mind, shinobi."

Chapter FOUR>

<Chapter TWO

[themonkeycabal]

FAM! Please tell us - when is the next Great Installment of WRLWA coming out?? We've still got Ultron and Civil War, with Panther and Infinity War just around the corner. The is tied with my favourite fic series ever, and I've been dying for some updates. Any hints??

Hey fam, I hear you like updates.

Next story is Ultron and the Date, and here’s the first chapter for you (I’m not sure when there will be more, sorry, but I’m getting there):

Darcy liked London. It was old and new, and big and small, and all that contradictory jazz. But, somehow the contradictions just made the city feel human scale to her; like it wasn’t some monolithic mass of stone and steel. New York was still a little overwhelming sometimes. Though, she did come from the land of vast Southern California sprawl — not exactly the coziest or friendliest of human habitats. But, that was really beside the point.

At the moment, what she liked most about London was that it was thousands of miles away from family drama.

The Seattle branch of the tree were in a tizzy. People, it seemed, were miffed. Possibly even vexed.

Calling home had become a real and deep regret, and Darcy was trying not to listen, but her mother was pressing on.

“Marcia isn’t bending. She says it has to be at that resort; she and her fiancé have some deal with the owners. Your grandmother is pitching a fit.”

“Oh no. It’s the end of the world. How terrible,” Darcy murmured and kicked her feet out, lounging back on an uncomfortable bench overlooking the Thames.

It was a nice day. The sun was out and the air was nearly warm. Warm for London, she supposed. But, definitely better than New York sticky. So, yes, it was a nice day. Perfect to get outside and do outside things.

She and Jane arrived in the city two days earlier. And today, while Jane and her mother were bonding over academic journals and fighting over Jane’s wardrobe and how she basically still mostly shopped at Goodwill, Darcy fled the apartment to wander around a little. It was a fine time to reacquaint herself with the area, get her bearings, and give her own mother a call. Such a mistake.

“I know, I know,” Rebecca Lewis continued. “But, she’ll make the trip hell for all of us if somebody doesn’t appease her. According to Jo, it’s nearly war as it is. Uncle Larry’s on Marcia’s side, aunt Ruth’s on mom’s. It could get ugly. So, have you RSVP’d for Marcia’s wedding yet? That might win us back a point.”

“Are you kidding?” Darcy rolled her eyes to the sky and gripped her phone a little tighter, like she could throttle the drama out of it.

Francine Perlman was not a grandmother given to displays of warmth or cheeriness or whatever grandmothers are supposed to be like. She wasn’t a sweet, round, little granny who smelled like spices and made cookies. She was a thin, brittle woman, in both stature and personality. Sour and never pleased, and doubly never pleased with Darcy.

Darcy and her grandmother didn’t get along, and hadn’t since, as far as Darcy knew, the day she was born. Francine was never cruel, never outright rude, but there was a definite chill towards Darcy that her other cousins didn’t seem to get. And it wasn’t just because of that one time Darcy set her grandmother’s dining table on fire. That was an accident, and Francine was unpleasant before that anyway.  

The mystery of Darcy’s biological father — because Rebecca refused to tell and no amount of persuasion or scorn was ever enough to get her to spill, because Darcy’s mom was badass, thank you very much — was the biggest sore spot for the woman. Francine once made the mistake of referring to Darcy as a bastard in her great-grandmother Perlman’s hearing. It was a flipping shame that Darcy’d been too young to appreciate or remember the look on Francine’s face at a dressing down from her own mother. Seeing that again would totally be worth the pain of time traveling. Maybe.

Anyway, Darcy didn’t think that her presence would tilt the scales towards familial peace with Francine.

“Do I have to?” she asked in a tone that most definitely wasn’t a ‘whine’.

Rebecca was silent for a moment, probably steadying herself to deal with a whining daughter, and then she let out a long breath. “No, you don’t have to, but it would be really great if you did.”

Darcy felt her nose wrinkle with distaste and annoyance. She didn’t want to go, it was a pain in the ass, she liked to absolutely avoid the family drama, and being stuck in a mountain resort with the whole Perlman clan sounded like the opening to a horror movie. Unfortunately, she knew, without a doubt, that she’d cave and RSVP and whatnot. But, she was going to make her mother work for it.

“A destination wedding to the middle of the Cascades, in October,” she said, trying to make her voice as dry and bland as Coulson’s when he was being pointedly sarcastic.

“It’s only a couple hours from Seattle. And it’ll be beautiful. I looked the resort up, it’s really nice. Remodeled last year with a huge new spa. Amazing views. And it’ll be autumn. You like autumn.”

Darcy did like autumn. It was her favorite season when she was at Culver, and now that she lived in New York she’d gone all tourist-stupid in love with dramatic fall colors. The seasons really didn’t change like that in San Dimas. They had hot season, and not hot season, and mudslide season, and holy-shit-everything’s-on-fire season. But not autumn so much.

Still, she had to protest a little bit. “It’ll be cold and rainy.” Rubbing at her forehead, annoyed tension threatening to cause a headache, Darcy glared at not-at-all-cold-and-rainy London.  But, it wasn’t London’s fault, and she patted the bench beside her in apology.

“I always pictured Marcia as a June bride cliche,” Darcy continued after a moment. “And maybe at one of the fancy resorts on one of those islands out there. Like Duck Island, or whatever it’s called. Moose Island? Whatever. Just, wouldn’t have figured a mountain lodge in October. For real, did she hit her head recently?”

“There’s not a Duck Island,” Rebecca sighed.

“I feel confident there’s a Duck Island somewhere. But that’s not the point,” Darcy protested. “I’m serious. This is wildly out of character. Should we be worried? Has she joined a cult? Is she doing drugs? What does aunt Jo say about all this?”

“Jo is very excited for her daughter’s wedding,” her mother replied dryly. “I would be, too. In fact, I have extensive plans and when—”

“Don’t push me,” Darcy sniffed. “Oh! Could she be Hydra? Or her fiancé? What do we know about him? Has anybody run a background on this guy? Maybe this is a trap. Darn, looks like I’ll have to pass. For national security reasons, you understand. I am a very important asset.”

Her mother made a low, growling grumble sound. “You’re something, that’s for sure.”

“So rude.” Darcy pouted and petulantly knocked the toes of her shoes together while slouching down on the bench like a put-upon grade-schooler.

“Anyway,” Rebecca said, raising her voice above her daughter’s attempt to change the subject into absurdity. “Marcia and Ben negotiated an event deal on the rooms, but only if you book by August 10th. There was a plus one with your invitation, so maybe you’d rather get a suite?”

“Meh.”

“You could bring Steve,” she said with a leading and kind of pleading tone in her voice. Her mother was never going to give up her star-spangled dreams for her daughter, was she? “I think he might be able to charm even my mom.”

“Poor Steve, what did he do to deserve being sent on the Francine charm mission? It’s practically a suicide run.” Darcy snickered. “Besides, I think bringing Captain America would kind of upstage the bride, and I thought that was the biggest possible wedding faux pas of them all.”

“How about Tony?” It seemed like her mother was as desperate for a distraction as Darcy was herself. She must be, to suggest that. Tony would be a bored in ten minutes and disaster would follow. Bad enough Darcy anticipated being bored in twenty minutes. Nobody deserved two bored Starks at their wedding. Not even Marcia.

Darcy laughed out loud. “Speaking of upstaging. Though, you know, I bet he absolutely could charm Francine. Again, I don’t think Marcia would appreciate it and it would be our teen years all over again with the screaming and the door slamming and the brawl in the dining room.”

“And the paint bomb?”

Darcy shifted on the bench and winced. Technically she was still grounded from that incident, since, as she recalled, the terms of punishment were 'until you’re thirty, young lady!’. “I’ll leave the paint bomb at home.”

“Ah-ha!” Rebecca crowed. “Progress! Look at you, ready to let go of the kid arguments with your cousin, at long last. And peace falls across the land.”

Darcy snorted and felt a little aggravated because teenaged Marcia was the actual worst. Bossy, bitchy, snooty, and prissy. So, it’s not like the war had been Darcy’s fault. Nope, not at all. “Right, did you or did you not have an argument with aunt Jo last year about how she hogged the bathroom when you were kids? Like, actually yelling at each other.”

“Well, we were finally resolving that issue,” Rebecca told her. “Sometimes it takes a while. And anyway, I’m not judging, I’m just glad. Marcia has asked me twice if you’re coming. She’s waiting for your RSVP. She really wants you to be there.”

“To show off how together her life is while I’m still interning,” Darcy grumbled. She swore she heard Jane shout 'assistant’ in her head.

“Maybe, or maybe she genuinely wants to share the day with you. She’s not the same person she was when she was fifteen, and neither are you. Give her a chance.”

Blowing out a long breath, Darcy stuck her tongue out at her absent cousin and told her mom, “I don’t know. I’m up to my ears in things; I’m not sure if I’m in the mood for a destination wedding and Marcia’s Marcia-ness.”

“Okay, look at it this way,” Rebecca argued back doggedly, “why don’t you try to mend fences, you make the effort? And then if she’s an obnoxious diva, show-off, it’ll just make her look petty and you’ll look like the bigger person. You win.”

“That’s so manipulative, mom,” Darcy said admiringly.

“I know. Give it a shot. Or bring Tony. But, I’d really like you to be there.” And that was that. That was the firm mom-voice. That was the tone of a woman who would no longer accept 'no’. She’d try and make it palatable for Darcy, but the jig was up. “So would your dad. And your brother. And aunt Jo, and uncle Hugh. That’s five people you actually like. And your great uncle Larry, who will pull a quarter from behind your ear, because who doesn’t love that trick? Right? Come on.”

Darcy scoffed and kicked at a tuft of grass by her feet. “I’m 25, I doubt uncle Larry will try the coin trick.”

“I’m 48 and he tried it on me when I saw him two months ago at his granddaughter’s bat mitzvah. Just think, free money.”

“That’s a pretty big inducement for me. You know me too well.”

“Besides, who cares how together her life is? Good for her, I say. And, you know and I know that you’re not just an intern.”

“Oh sigh, mom, sigh,” Darcy told her with a touch of melodrama. Why did she think it was a good idea to call her mom?

“Are you cracking?” Rebecca asked. “I think you’re cracking. If you agree to crack, I won’t pull out guilt.”

“Fine,” Darcy moaned. God, not guilt. “Consider me cracked.”

Rebecca was good enough not to laugh or cackle or otherwise express her triumphant glee. “So, plus one ideas? Clint?”

“Clint’s a good option,” Darcy agreed readily enough. It was a sort of topic change that was at least more entertaining to think about than Marcia or her grandmother. “He’s fun, probably won’t be able to charm Francine, but he knows how to make an escape. And God knows he’s game for almost anything, no matter how awkward. And nothing screams awkward quite like a Perlman family civil war in the middle of the forest.”

“He’ll be a hit at passive-aggressive cocktail hour,” Rebecca laughed. “Any update since the proposal? We could make it a double wedding.”

“The joke proposal. No, mom.”

“Too bad. He’s cute.”

“He’s also got a weird thing with a hot Russian assassin,” Darcy pointed out with a little laugh. “So, Clint is firmly friend material.”

“Yeah, I remember. I like Natasha; I wouldn’t mind seeing her again. She’d be a nice plus one. Though, she and your grandmother would probably try to freeze each other to death with icy stares. But,” Rebecca’s voice dropped, quieting in a way that suggested a secret — a delicious secret, “what about Bucky Barnes? I hear things. I hear that maybe you’re going on a date.”

Darcy was silent for a moment, chilly surprise slipping down her spine. That was an unexpected conversational turn. One she wasn’t sure she was prepared for. “Who told you that?”

“Steve.”

That sounded bad. That sounded awkward. Her mom and Steve were chatting buddies? She’d never survive the nagging. “When are you talking to Steve?”

“Darcy, you leave your phone all over the place. Half the time when I call you, I end up talking to somebody else. They all pick up. I talk to Norse gods and secret agents more often than I talk to my daughter.” Rebecca made a frustrated sound and then let her breath out slowly before saying, “You can tell me these things, you do know that, right?”

Her mother had a point. She’d been desperate to talk to people about Bucky for a while, and she’d talked a little bit to Jane, a little bit to Phil, but for some reason she never thought of her mom. That felt kind of unfair. Some things were a little awkward for a mom talk, but not her weird mixed up head about Bucky.

“It’s just been a little overwhelming, is all,” she said, trying to explain to herself and her mom. “Like, everything that’s happened lately. I wasn’t not telling you, I just have a billion things going on.”

“Are you going to tell me now?”

“Sure. I mean, yeah, that would be good.” Darcy blew out a long breath and nodded once to herself. “Apparently we’re going dancing. I don’t know when; that’s his deal, but he said while I’m in London. He’s supposed to visit in a couple weeks. Anyway, he got crazy stoned like five months ago — inadvertently stoned, I mean; he’s not a stoner — and he asked me dancing and I thought it was just because he was, you know—”

“Stoned?” Rebecca guessed, maybe almost kind of laughing. Darcy ignored that.

“Yes! But then he asked when he wasn’t high. And I said yes. But, then I was like, is he asking because like I’m the only girl he knows? Which is the truth. Or because he actually likes me. I mean, I know he likes me, because we’re building a bar together and it was his idea. And we go to breakfast together sometimes, but in a friend way, not a romantical way.” She took a breath before jumping into the next run-on sentence.

“But, before we figured out the dancing thing, it was kidnappings and arrests — did I say arrests? It wasn’t a real arrest, and it was like five hours tops and I laughed at them the whole time because they had no legal leg to stand on so it was mostly annoying to everybody involved — and attacks on the tower and property acquisitions and unexpected bequests and … so many things! So, we haven’t gone dancing yet. Is it a date? I don’t know. I think he wants it to be.”

“Do you?”

“ … Maybe? Okay, I totally brought jewelry to London, okay? I haven’t bought a dress yet, but that’s just because I haven’t had time. I plan on going out this weekend, and actually, I should say, that Jane and I plan on going out this weekend, and there’s no way in hell she’d let me out of it, even if I wanted, but I don’t want out, so it’s fine. I’m sure we’ll have fun and she’ll make sure I get something suitable for kicking up my heels with a greatest generation assassin. So, I’m taking it seriously and I want to go dancing with him, and I’m just—”

“Oh sweetie,” her mom finally couldn’t pretend she wasn’t laughing.

“Don’t 'oh sweetie’ me,” Darcy grumbled and then paused. “Wow, I really do sound like Pepper sometimes.”

“I’m sure your father loves that.”

“Yeah, he always says it with this panicked look on his face.” It all made so much sense now. Anyway. “So, yes, I guess I’m going on a date.”

“Can I offer a piece of advice?”

Darcy hesitated for a moment, but, that was what she wanted, wasn’t it? “Go for it.”

“Just have fun. Don’t make it bigger than it has to be.”

Not helpful. “That’s what Phil and Jane said.”

“You told the Director before you told me?” Her mom sounded hurt and like this might be something she’d hold over Darcy’s head for the rest of forever unless Darcy could head it off.

“Bucky’s my partner!” she exclaimed, throwing one hand up in the air and startling a passing jogger, who ran away faster in response. “There are protocols and crap. I told Phil after Bucky asked me out the first time, because it seemed like I was supposed to and also I didn’t know what to do. He just said to work on our partnership, and he basically wasn’t going to tell me what to do with Bucky one way or the other. Technically Bucky’s an outside contractor, so it doesn’t exactly violate frat regs. Which, by the way, Howard was an asshole.”

“Howard? Your grandfather Howard?” Rebecca asked, no doubt confused at the abrupt change in topic. “What does he have to do with it?”

“He named a sub-clause in the fraternization regs — the one covering partners — after me.”

“I thought you two got along?”

“We did. I loved the heck out of him. But, he was still an asshole.”

Her mom sighed and chastised lightly, “Don’t call your grandfather an asshole.”

“Why not? He’s dead; he can’t hear me. And if he can, he knows what he did. And he’s probably laughing. Asshole.”

Rebecca was silent for a moment and then changed to a brighter tone and tried to get the conversation back onto a more productive track. “So, what are your plans? For London, I mean. How long will you be there?”

“I’m shooting for a month,” Darcy told her. “I have to find Jane a new assistant, but I also kind of have to get back to New York.”

“And have you told Jane yet?”

Darcy’s procrastination on this issue was widely known. To everybody but Jane. She bit her lip and cleared her throat.

“Darcy, sooner rather than later,” her mom said in mom-voice. “You need to let her have time to adjust and you need to have time to hand off to a new assistant. You can’t just —”

“I know,” Darcy interrupted with a growl — though she was more irritated at herself. “I know, okay. Yes, I know. I will do that. But, let’s just, you know, get settled for a few days. I mean, we only just got here and her mom’s going to Spain or whatever at the end of the week, so they’re hanging for a while, and that doesn’t seem like the right time to interrupt. So, like, after that. When we’re settled in a little bit and I see what I have to work with, potential replacement-wise.”

“Alright, alright. You’re an adult, I know you can make the right decision.”

Narrowing her eyes, Darcy asked, “That wasn’t a compliment, was it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rebecca said in a blithe tone. “I’m going to let you go; your dad and I are going out to dinner with your grandparents. I love you, baby.”

“Love you, too. Sometimes.”

Rebecca laughed. “Oh, and call your brother. You know he goes to Argentina in a couple weeks and he said he hasn’t heard from you lately.”

“Ugh. Fine. Go do dinner things.”

“And I want to hear all about the date.”

“Bye mom,” Darcy said loudly, hoping to forcefully yet not rudely end the call.

Rebecca laughed some more. “Oh fine, goodbye. Have fun!”

eta: sorry! forgot to fix the italic tags. Also, thank you!

[justsomefrblog]

Meeting Friends

(Quick scene between Sampson and his ‘not’ friend Pan. Trying to get a feel of Sam and Pans dynamic as some important interactions and scenes are instigated by this report sam gives Pan. More lore to come eventually)

Deep in the forests surrounding the Sunbeam Ruins a single guardian slept restlessly. Curled up in the space between a few elder conifer trees he awoke irritably and with a start.

“Fucking hell.”

The deep rumbling annoyance in the dragons tone sent startled birds fleeing from their roosts in the trees above. He stood and plodded from the quickly lightening clearing, to the embrace of the shadowy tree line. As he settled back down in the shade of a massive conifer he huffed irritably. Sending a small spray of leaves and twigs asunder as he exhaled.

The imposing brown beast once again fell silent as the morning came in full swing. The birds as one seemed to launch into song greeting the sunlight of another day. While the disgruntled dragon silently cursed them and their happiness. And cursed the sun and moon and any star he could remember the name of while he was at it.

The chirping and singing of birds seemed to change pitch not long after sunrise. Excited and delighted birdsong filled the forest as the sound of soft paws in the distance came closer.

“HelloooOoo cuteness! Why yes your feathers look great today. Nonsense who told you that? Don’t you believe it for a moment your such a specimen! Look at those tail feathers. No really look at that blue! Have you truly seen another with such lovely blue feathers? I didn’t think so.”

Emerging into the clearing of sunlight was a tundra. Dressed in loose archers garb and a bow slung at his hip. He moved with confidence and a swagger that screamed of just how secure in himself he was. His impressive mane and fur were rich shades of green with splashes of gold interwoven in his mane. Flowers were weaved into the locks around his wings, intricate work that could only have been achieved by the small deft hands of a member of the beast clans. Had he not been striking up a conversation with the young Bluemoon Aviar on his shoulder the guardian may not have noticed the young tundra at all through the trees.

“No really, I’m being genuine I promise. Your really are a handsome lad. The ladies will not be able to resist this coming season I pRomISe Alright? If not I will let you sleep in my room all winter. That’s right. All winter. I’ll even make you a perch and everything.”

He was speaking animatedly with the familiar on his shoulder and swung his head and impressive set of antlers too and fro as he spoke.

“Now. Let me talk with Sampson a minute. Really you don’t see him? He’s right there.”

And the tundra swung a paw at the great behemoth of a guardian curled in the shadows. The Aviar cocked its head curiously and jumped when it realized what it was looking at. Clearly unsettled and startled the beast jumped about on the tundras shoulders looking uneasy.

“Oh knock it off”

The tundra laughed at his familiars discomfort and sat regally in the sunlight. Spreading his wings to absorb the sun as he did.

“Sampson buddy! How’s it going”

His cheery demeanor did nothing to lift the funk of Sampson’s mood. The great guardian slowly uncurled from the shadows and stepped into the clearing he had left not an hour earlier.

His great size made it almost laughable the Aviar on the tundras shoulder had not noticed him. Massive as he was the guardian was a master of stealth and camouflage. As his profession demanded it. Sampson was a scout and spy for his clan. Often undertaking missions into enemy territory to gather intelligence of the strength of their enemies. Often being paid under the table to carry out assassinations.

But that was a far more secretive affair. Only a select few knew he was a sell sword of that color. The tundra who had declared himself Sampson’s best friend was absolutely none the wiser to Sampson’s darker activities. And Sam intended to keep it that way.

Much as the tundra annoyed him endlessly. The company was a welcome reprieve from his self imposed isolation.

“Pan. What do you want now.”

Sampson’s tone was gruff and miserable. A permanent scowl on his face as he looked to his fluffy compatriot.

“Nothing! Just checking in on ya buddy!”

Pan cheerfully smiled up at the behemoth of a dragon. Pan was small for his species. And Sampson was one of the largest of his own mind respectively. Making the usual size difference between their breeds even more exaggerated.

With an annoyed sigh and roll of his eyes Sampson laid himself down in the clearing to speak with his friend on more even footing. He knew pan appreciated it when he didn’t speak down to him.

“Any news from the roads?”

Pans cheerful and friendly manner never ceased to annoy Sampson. It seemed to him the tundra was immune to unhappiness and strife. No matter what news Sampson had for him the tundra was unfazed. It got unnerving after a while. The latest depravities from the war fronts wore even on Sampson himself. He who was so accustomed to disaster at that point in his life, he simply couldn’t wrap his head around how easily the tundra took the worst news and let it slide from his shoulders like water off ducks feathers.

“The newest band to move in appears harmless enough. It’s some troupe of actors and thieves. Thinly veiled as some circus act. No circus passes through these roads without being absolutely lost. There’s nothing for miles. The road their on is heading towards the heart of the Sunbeam Ruins. Which again. Doesn’t add up. Why go perform for the ghosts of some derelict ancient city? They smell off. The whole lot. Something else is going on and I don’t like how their ring leader is treated as some spiritual priest. It makes me uneasy to even look at his cart. We should deploy a battalion to wipe them from Sorienth.”

After concluding his report Sampson watched for Pan’s reaction. The tundra looked thoughtful and took a long minute or so to consider Sam’s words. After some consideration the tundra spoke up.

“Now I trust your instincts explicitly Sam. But jumping to burning them and all they have to the ground seems far to drastic without proper proof of grevious misconduct. You and I both know you’ll never get the clearance from Xander on that.” He spoke evenly and as diplomatically as possible to his friend. Who still bristled with annoyance at knowing Pan was correct.

“Not if I acted alone.”

“How big is the caravan? Realistically speaking I don’t think you can single handedly take on more than 4. And that’s if they’re all Skydancers or Tundras.”

“The ring leader is a Ridgeback. But his followers are almost all smaller breeds. Skydancer’s, Coatl’s, Mirror’s, a few snappers.”

“Sounds like a sizable party.”

“Nothing I couldn’t take on with guerrilla warfare. It’ll be a war of attrition they’d lose if I play my cards right.”

Pan peered at Sampson concern etched on his features.

“Sam. In all honesty your jumping to the violent solution is…concerning. Why is this your solution?”

Pan offered his query as gently as possible to his imposing friend. The clear confusion and concern rubbed Sampson the wrong way. Who was Pan to question him on this. And to look so concerned on behalf of strangers?

“Half the females alone are the ringmasters wives. The treatment of their fellows is, deplorable at best. Trust me. From what I saw and heard. Half of them are wishing for the release of death”

He stated this bluntly. And with a cold hint of malice edging his tone. Pan instinctively moved back a step at how Sampson’s demeanor darkened.

Pan nodded in acknowledgment but hadn’t broken eye contact even as he had taken a step back.

“I still can’t agree with your proposed method. But that might be the detail the pushes Xander to approve of a strong handed solution. Let me speak with him on this before you make a move.”

Pans sure and confident response made Sam’s tail lash in annoyance. The fuzzy bastard was far more diplomatic and tactful about his solutions than Sam himself was. It annoyed him to no end he couldn’t simply go for the strong armed solution and instead had to go a more diplomatic route to appease his fellow clansmen.

“I’ll wait on a reply for a few days at best Pan. Don’t expect me to wait and watch that depraved caravan without acting for more than that. I will take matters into my own claws.”

“A few days is all I ever need Sam! I expected you to keep your word on this alright? Don’t go acting rashly. I’ll rally some support from the home front.”

Pans confident beaming smile accompanied his words. Sampson rolled his eyes disgustedly. He stood and spread his wings with a gentle shake. Blocking the sunlight with his them as he stretched casting the clearing in shadow for a moment before folding them at his sides again.

“Get on it then fuzz for brains. I’ve got other things to do.”

Sam glowered as he spoke hoping the tundra would take it as his cue to leave him alone. Pan, still beaming, waved a paw and sauntered into the trees in the direction of civilization. His Aviar cowering on his shoulder after having watched their entire exchange.

“What do you mean he’s not my friend? Oh hush up you know he loves me plenty I’m like, his best friend.” Pans voice was distant and soft but his tone was still as sure and confident as ever. Sampson rolled his eyes hearing him.

Best friend my left ass cheek.

He grumped a little more his mood was sour enough. He curled up in the shadows of the clearing yet again to settle in for some rest.

I’m nobody’s friend. Let alone best friend. Why does he insist on that shit. He’s a nuisance. A pain in the ass. Fuzzy little bastard.

We’re his final thoughts before drifting into a light slumber beneath the trees.

[amateurwriterforfun]

Of Grandfathers and Reminiscence

This is my first ever fic. It will probably be a two-shot.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Credits to Masashi Kishimoto

Beta read by Ombree

Where Sarada and Madara, along with Obito, discuss the issue of Sarada's parentage, particularly about her mother; Madara complains, and Obito bears the brunt of it.

Implied Sasusaku, and hint of Madatsu.

Note: I am using the premise that the revived dead characters in this story doesn’t remember the time they spent in the Pure Land, and made up the relation between the Second Mizukage and the Hozuki brothers since I have no idea if they were related in canon.

Takes place after Gaiden. Semi-au. Canon divergence.

It had been a week since the anomalous portal to the afterlife opened and sucked in a very particular group of people back to the world of the living, four of the dead Hokage and two of the most known Uchiha — Madara and Obito. Madara’s presence is the one to cause hackles to rise within one of the Neo-Sannin.

Sakura knows Madara to be a changed man prior to his death during the war, but she is still not comfortable with him around and does not want to take any chances now that she has a daughter to take care of by herself. Sasuke has yet to return from the mission and it's up to her to protect their daughter until he finally comes back. This new development, she has no doubt, will make his return happen sooner.

Naruto, for his part, is accepting of all the individuals. The years have not changed him much. He is still very optimistic and trusting. He is the one that arranges where they are to stay until they have found a solution to the problem. A thorough investigation of the portal leaves everyone scratching their heads on what it could be, why it had appeared, and why of all people only the four dead Hokage and the two Uchiha have been brought back.

The two Uchiha are automatically selected to stay with their kin, while the Hokage stay in a single apartment. Sakura does not mind Obito and while she accepts Madara’s presence she is still wary of him. She is certain that Obito will help if Madara goes out of his way to cause havoc. Still, seeing as the man is indifferent to everything, she is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Now here they are a week later. The two Uchiha spend their time lounging in the living room while Sarada and Sakura are out for the day. Madara and Obito are watching the television and getting updated with the latest events and whatever shows that grab their attention.

It is during Madara’s hundredth rant about how trashy the show’s plot and characters are when Sarada comes home from training. Obito, who had retreated earlier to the kitchen to serve himself some snacks and avoid hearing the older Uchiha’s complaints, silently thanks the heavens for a new distraction. Madara himself turns off the television, already bored out of his wits and looking for a new entertainment.

“I’m home!” Sarada calls out to the new house occupants.

“Welcome back!” Obito replies cheerfully returning from the kitchen carrying a jar of cookies,  and sitting besides Madara on the circular couch.

“Hn.” Madara nods to his descendant.

Sarada sits to Obito’s left, exhausted and too tired to go to her room. Obito passes her some of the cookies, which she gratefully accepts. He sets the jar on the glass table before asking Sarada about her day.

“How was your training today?”

Sarada shrugs. “It was okay, I guess. It’s still the same old routine with Boruto being an idiot and Mitsuki smiling in the background.”

Obito chuckles at this. “So he really is his father’s son. Naruto was also quite the troublemaker back in those days. I’ve heard he defaced the monument as a child.”

Sarada perks up at this. “Really? Can you tell me more?”

“I can’t tell you more. You have to ask your mother about his antics when he was a child. She was his former teammate.”

“Eh, but why? Weren’t you present in the village back then?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Both the Uchiha exchange glances, and Obito uncomfortably replies, “Well, I really can’t tell you that.”

It is an arranged rule of the household to not tell Sarada about anything that may lead to the discovery of the truth behind the massacre. Sakura had made sure that the new occupants knew not to spill anything. It is, she says, something to be discussed only after she is old enough to handle the truth. Neither men disagree with her. That is why they try their best to control what they say around Sarada.

Before anything else is said, Madara butts in, “Why are you wearing glasses? It is uncommon for an Uchiha to wear them.”

“Tch. Have you forgotten the Uchiha to be prone to blindness?” Obito sneers.

Frowning, Madara replies, “I know that, brat. I also know that it only happens after overusing the Mangekyo Sharingan. Surely you haven’t forgotten that fact?”

Obito scowls, “Of course I haven’t. However, it is still possible that there were Uchiha who suffered with the same ailment back in the day.”

With an eyebrow raised, Madara notes, “In my day, there were no Uchiha who wear glasses.”

“Yeah, because in your day there were no glasses, only blind Uchiha — you included,” Obito bits back icily.

This comment spurs a heated argument between the two men. Sarada smiles, watching their antics, opting to watch from the sidelines in silence.

A few exchange words later, Madara turns to Sarada. “Hm. In any case, I do hope this will not hinder the development of our clan’s famed dojutsu.”

At that, Sarada answers. “......uh, well, I already obtained the Sharingan.”

The two older Uchiha focus their attention on her, intrigued.

“How did that happen?” Obito asks.

“Well.....”

Sarada tells them all about her experiences: her father’s absence, her mother’s secrecy and the discovery of the controversial photo that had her questioning everything about her mother’s true identity.

She shows them the photo in question with both men scrutinizing it like a hawk.

“Let me make sure I understand this, but are you saying that a woman wearing an identical glasses to yours, and who was next to your father.... was the cause of why you questioned who your true mother is?”

Obito shifts on the couch, clutching the photo in his right hand.

Madara on the other hand, is frozen in disbelief.

“Uh, yeah,” Sarada answers sheepishly.

A tense silence permeates the room. Sarada glances at the two men and finds them giving her mix reactions.

Obito is offering her a pandering smile with a smidgen of pity and amusement in his eyes.

Madara still remains frozen with his mouth hanging open. She strains her eyes to look at him more carefully, and notices him having mini seizures. The shock must be so great to elicit that reaction from him, she muses. Then again, he could also just be an overly dramatic an individual. She never thought the legendary Uchiha clan head would be such a drama king.

(If only she knew....)

In the end, Madara unfreezes and breaks the silence. “Please tell me I did not hear that correctly.”

Obito groans and face-palms with the hand holding the picture. “No, we really did hear that correctly.”

“Are you telling me you doubted your mother’s identity all because a pair of glasses, worn by a woman standing next to your father, look identical to yours?! Of all the — !”

“Whoa! Stop right there! We get it okay?! That was crazy, and I’m sure Sarada knows that now! Cut her some slack! She was upset at that time! She wasn’t thinking straight!”

“Hmph! The next generation of the Uchiha is hopeless!”

“Like you were hopeless?”

“Do you think you’re in any position to talk?”

“As they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“I’ll have you know, I’m much better than — ”

While the men bicker about the sheer wrongness of that situation and all about being an Uchiha and whatnot, Sarada is so embarrassed she wants to either flee or for the ground to swallow her up. Now that she thought about it, her reasoning really had been stupid. At that time, she had been so distraught she didn’t stop to think if her idea is logical. All that mattered to her then was the woman’s glasses.

‘Stupid glasses!’    

No wonder her mother called her silly. Hearing her reason for doubting her parentage must have been ridiculous to both her parents. The thought embarrasses her even more.

While she is busy contemplating about her mistake, both men finishes their banter. With a huff, they now turn back their attention to her.

“Listen,” Obito starts, “We, your parents — particularly your father — and I, can’t blame you for your mistake — except for our grouchy ancestor — because we’ve been there too. It may not be the same, but your loneliness must have been grave enough for you to take such a measure just to find out more about yourself. Don’t worry about doing stupid things under such circumstances. Our clan is not exactly known for making logical conclusions while experiencing such events.”

Patting her head with his left hand, he continues, “If it makes you feel better, I witnessed first hand the depths of your parents’ bond during the war. Your father was trapped in another dimension, and your mother and I rescued him with all our might. We were able to find him but had run out of chakra before he could escape that dimension. Just when we thought that all of our efforts were all for naught, your father’s rinnegan teleported him to us. He switched places with your mother’s vest which she discarded earlier due to an acid outbreak from one of the dimensions we opened. It was at that point that I witnessed how strong their feelings were for each other.”

Obito smiles with a hint of longing in his eyes. “Your father caught your mother after she collapsed from the exhaustion and held her to him. I swear I had never seen such an intense connection exchanged with just a single eye contact. It gave me the impression that they were engaged in a conversation without words; that they understood each other so much there were no words needed. The way they looked at each other made me feel like I intruded a rather private moment meant to be shared only by them.”

It made me feel jealous, you know? I had always longed for a connection like that, but alas, some things were just not meant to be,” Obito sighs sadly, removing his hand, and slouching on the couch.

The other two occupants in the room can see the pain Obito doesn’t say. Sarada feels sad for him. She knows there is a story behind it, but she doesn’t pry. It is simply not the time for such inquiries.

Madara, on the other hand, feels guilty. He knows exactly who Obito refers to and his role in it. He is basically the reason why the younger male is in pain. With guilt-ridden eyes, he reaches out and places his hand on the other male’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

Obito is surprised. He doesn’t take the older man to be capable of such a gesture at all, knowing him to be too arrogant for such an act. Yet here he is, handing him an apology that he knows is long overdue.

He states rather skeptically, brow lifting, “I didn’t take you to be the type to apologize.”

The other man removes his hand, crosses it, and dismissively replies, “Don’t get used to it.”

Sarada witnesses the exchange between the older Uchiha but doesn’t understand the significance behind it. She guesses it is one of those things she is not, yet, meant to know.

She is a bit irritated that everyone still hides things from her. Yet, her heart also flutters by knowing that her parents’ love is so obvious even from an outsider’s standpoint.

“Enough about me. Let’s focus on this ridiculous debacle first. It has been resolved, yes?" Madara levels his stare on his granddaughter.

Sarada nods.

“Tell us the rest of the story. Full details. Now.”

So Sarada continues to recount the rest of the events. She tells them on how she tries to confront her father about the truth and gets no answer; on how someone attacks them — who is later defeated by her mom with a single punch (this she boasts proudly) — and sucks her mother in a portal and kidnaps her; and the trip to a certain snake Sannin, Orochimaru. It is there that she gets the chance to speak with one of the people pictured in the photo and have a DNA test by comparing her sample to that of the umbilical cord found in the mystery woman’s desk thought to belong to the woman.

The result of the test states perfect match, much to her devastation. Lord Seventh consoles her and prevents her from abandoning everything. Bonds, he says, are not just about blood. It is about forming connections that transcends it. He makes her realize that the bond she shares with her “mother” is the real thing, even if she believes that she isn’t her daughter at that moment. That strengthens her resolve to save her. She later demonstrates the same chakra control that her mother has, defeating many clones by punching the ground, to her astonishment.

After defeating the enemies, her mother once again clarifies to her that she really is her bonafide daughter, a claim she no longer doubts after her show of strength. She remembers how it was said that there are only two people capable of using chakra to enhance their strength, her mother being one of them. According to Aunt Shizune, it requires perfect chakra control to pull off. She also states that the control needed is something that can’t be obtained through simple training, it has to be inherited.

With that thought, she turns to her father to ask him if he ever feels connected to her mother. His affirmation of “because we have you, Sarada” is enough a confirmation that she really is not someone else’s daughter, and that her parents love each other with her as the proof of it.

That is the time all doubts are laid to rest.

With the story concluded, Madara begins to ask his questions. “You said someone tested your sample, is that person a medic-nin? Was he qualified to perform such a test?”

The question catches Sarada off guard. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

"What did he look like?” Obito questions.

“He has pale hair and sharp teeth.”

Obito instantly recognizes the person. He recalls Sasuke’s team to have a member fitting that description. If he is not mistaken, Sarada is referring to a certain Hozuki who was the younger brother of the former leader of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Mangetsu Hozuki.

“Ah, you’re talking about Suigetsu Hozuki, and he is definitely not a medic.”

He looks back at the photo and points out said man to his ancestor.

“A Hozuki huh. I remember the second Mizukage to be a Hozuki. Are they perhaps closely related?” Madara shots this question to Obito.

“Yes. A direct ancestor I believe.”

“I see.”

He turns to Sarada, “That was your second mistake; the first was the glasses as proof. It still disgusts me recalling that, by the way. You let someone who didn’t know what they were doing to help you do the test. That is why he read the results wrong. You said it is a perfect match, yes? Well then, let me educate you. A parent-child DNA will normally result in a fifty-fifty match: one half from the mother, and the other half from the father’s genes. A perfect match indicates that your DNA was tested against itself. This means that the sample used did not come from that glasses woman but came from you.

Here’s a lesson: never trust idiots who are out of their field to guide you in life-changing events. The results are disastrous, as you proved in your situation.”

Obito quietly laughs at that one. The irony behind that statement doesn’t pass him unnoticed.

Judging by Madara’s glare on him, he can tell the older man knows what he’s thinking, not that he cares.

After his silent laughter ceases, Obito quips in, “That is true. You would have had better luck asking Orochimaru himself. Why didn’t you?”

“Both Papa and Lord Seventh occupied his attention asking about our attacker whom he called as Shin Uchiha - one of his experiments if I remember correctly — and I thought asking one of the people in the photo would be more ideal.”

“Shin Uchiha?” Madara drawls.

Sarada nods. “Yes. He possessed the Sharingan; literally covering his upper body with it. I don’t know much about it though. When he used it, he opened a that could teleport him, and could easily exchange places with one of his mini clones.”

“Ah, it’s almost just like my Kamui then.”

“Kamui?” Sarada looks up questioningly at Obito.

“Yes. That is the ability of my Mangekyo Sharingan. It is unique with every Uchiha. Your father himself has the ability to manipulate Amaterasu, a flame that doesn’t die until it consumes its target.”

Sarada stares at his eyes in fascination.

Obito smiles and continues, “Let’s talk about that later. Let me just say that I agree with Madara here. That was not a very good move on your part — part of it anyway. You should’ve secured a more qualified individual for it. But I understand why you chose him. As one of the people found in the photo, you naturally assumed he had answers.

Your third mistake was to use a random sample found in someone’s desk. I take it that you were not certain who it belonged to and just assumed it was from the glasses woman, who, by the way is named Karin Uzumaki, and just used it, correct?”

Sarada nods and takes note of the woman’s name casually mentioned. Madara raises an eyebrow. “Another Uzumaki? It’s astounding how the Uchiha, Senju and Uzumaki are closely intertwined even until this day.”

Obito turns to him and chuckles, “Yeah, well it certainly proves Naruto’s statement to be true, at least a bit. I believe the blood connections between the three clans also played a part in it. Their fates have made them close to each other because of that, even if those connections had been tainted by conflicts throughout the centuries. Thankfully, the later generations reformed that into a better one free of hatred. Then again, the Uzumaki and Senju clans have been in good relations since your time — probably longer, being from the same progenitor.

In Sasuke’s case, he was a teammate of both Naruto and Karin at different times. He formed a bond with them that lasted in the present. His wife, Sakura, was the apprentice of Tsunade Senju. In other words, a Senju was responsible for training the new Uchiha matriarch. It’s astonishing how fate works.”

Shrugging, he locks eyes with Sarada again. “There is a reason why it is taught that one should not just jump to conclusions without proper knowledge. One must have adequate evidences and strong foundations to base any claims they have to justify how they reached their conclusions. It is even more important in the scientific and medical field. A simple mistake can be disastrous in an research or experiment, or even kill a patient, and in your case, nearly turns you away from your family.”

Madara adds his two cents in. “Yes. Apart from that, you and that brainless Hozuki just broke one of the basic etiquette and manners. You touched someone else’s property without their knowledge and consent. That is rude and intrusive. I certainly hope that this incident helped you learn another lesson: only touch someone’s property with their consent and supervision. Had you done that, things may have ended differently and that woman — Karin was it? — would have been the one to tell you the truth. Speaking of the woman, where was she when that happened?”

Sarada slumps on the couch and sighs. “She was away then. Suigetsu-san told me she was in one of Orochimaru-san’s other bases, so she wasn’t there when that happened.”

“No wonder it got out of hand.” Madara shakes his head. He still can’t wrap his head around one of his kin using glasses — glasses of all things! — to start their emotional journey to obtain the sharingan. With an exasperated sigh, he says. “I expected little from the new generation. I did not think it was possible to be disappointed with such a low standard in place. I shouldn’t have been surprised. It’s such a shame,” he pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache forming.

Sarada cringes and her mood once again plummets. Madara, sensing her growing more upset, stands up to approach her. He is not one for comfort, but his grandchild’s distress pulls at his heart similar in a way to how Izuna once elicited the need to be comforted during the rare times he found him in tears.

A hand lands on her head, patting her. She jolts back and sees Madara kneeling in front of her, a soft look in his eyes. She didn’t even see him move!

“A shame indeed, but one that would not be traded for the world. You are a precious child, not only as a new hope for the future of the clan but also for all the people who love you. I can see that your mother loves you very much. I have no doubt your father is the same.”

He cups her face with the hand that was once on her head, turning it left to right, scrutinizing every part of it; his eyes hard once again.

“Hm. You really should have checked your bases first before you went on that silly endeavor — as beneficial as that turned out to be — starting with your physical appearance. Has no one ever told you who you bore resemblance to?”

“Lord Seventh did. He told me I resemble my father in looks and my mother in personality.” Sarada gazes back uncomfortably with the sharpness of his scrutiny on her.

“He is not wrong, but he is also not entirely correct. You inherited your father’s eye and hair color, but everything else is that of your mother’s. In fact, this forehead,” he pokes her none too gently on said area, “should have been your first indicator of your mother’s genes. Sasuke did not have a billboard brow for a forehead, and neither does that glasses woman. Why you had bypass this trait in favor of the glasses baffles me.”

He is about to add more when he notices Sarada’s dazed look, complete with a blush. Frowning, he pokes her forehead again.

“What is with that look child? Have you suddenly gone ill realizing the depths of your stupidity?”

No reply.

“Oi!” he barks when Sarada shows no sign of getting out of her daydreaming.

This snaps Sarada out of her reverie. Giggling, she replies to her now concerned ancestor. “It’s nothing. It’s just the forehead poke is papa’s way of expressing his affection to mama and I. She even once called it better than a kiss when I asked her many years ago.”

Madara is taken aback by her answer and is about to reply when Obito reminds them of his presence by laughing out loud.

“Better than a kiss?” he grins rather mischievously, wagging his eyebrows, “I thought it would be something more naughty, and involves the bedroom.”

Madara’s eye twitches.

Feeling playful, Sarada smirks evilly. Madara, seeing the smirk, is suddenly feeling a sense of apprehension and foreboding that he will not like what is to come.......

“Yeah, I actually told mama she’s dirty when she first said that. She was so embarrassed her face was all red! She denied it rather vehemently too!”

......and he’s right.

“What?!?” Madara’s screams of disbelief is followed by Obito’s bouts of laughter and Sarada’s giggles. His irritation of the situation reaches new heights. Knowing that his descendant activates her dojutsu because of a misunderstanding over glasses is one thing.

But this?

Unacceptable.

By scrutinizing her words, he can see one fact that stands out: her mother doesn’t seem to be surprised by her knowledge of sex, just that the statement is met with embarrassed denial.

Therefore, the one to corrupt Sarada at a young age is none other than her mother.

Madara grits his teeth, damn that woman!

He is about to go on a tirade about bad mothers and the corruption of children when Obito adds more fuel to the fire.

“Your mom’s been teaching you about the birds and the bees that young? Unbelievable!”

“Inappropriate!” Madara snaps, standing up and with his hands on his hips, glares at Obito’s curled up body on the couch. "She should not have taught such things for young children! Where is her sense of propriety? And what of teaching the new generation the concept of proper decorum and chastity?”

Obito waves those concerns off, “We kill and do dirty jobs even as young as four years old. I don’t see what’s the issue with knowing adult things that can be useful in the long run and reproduction nor do I understand why it got your panties on a bunch, you senile old man.”

“Of course you would not understand, stupid brat. Had Sarada been someone else, I would not protest to whatever her mother teaches her. But she is an Uchiha and therefore should be a perfect role model of what a proper young lady should be! She has no place knowing such vulgar things until she’s way older! Young ladies in my day certainly held no knowledge about the activities between men and women until marriage. I expected the same in this generation but once again, my expectations have been ruined!”

“Well that’s the problem right there — we are not in your day, people are not expected to follow your expectations, and most of all, you no longer have the authority to dictate what is best for this family since your defection more than a century ago.”

Obito internally winces. That is a low blow, he knows. Madara’s face shows traces of hurt in it for a second and disappears in the next but that is enough to show that Obito’s words have affected the other man. He refuses to feel guilty, however. It is best that the elder Uchiha finally gets it into his head that such concerns no longer warrant his attention, in his opinion.

“Think about it — had we remained dead, would you have the power to dictate the affairs of the family? No, you wouldn’t . Besides, Sakura knows what she’s doing. She probably thought it best to tell Sarada the truth about where babies come from. I’ve read from one of her magazines that it’s more ideal to teach children about sex when they ask that dreaded question. Something about it preventing risky behavior later on as teens,” Obito continues, stretching his body on the couch.

Seeing Madara’s skeptically look, he asserts, “In any case, it definitely help remove the awkwardness regarding that topic, don’t you think?”

“Hmph! It would have been better if she had given a much different explanation. Surely the typical story of the birds and the bees would have been enough.”

“Well she didn’t, and Sarada learned about sex far earlier than kids her age. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I will have a word with Sakura about this. This is unacceptable! I will not see the future Uchiha being exposed to vulgar and obscene concepts so young.”

Obito sits up, shaking his head. Staring at the other man straight in the eyes, he asks, “What will you do? Intimidate her? Don’t bother. She’s one of the only four people who faced Kaguya and lived to tell the tale. Right now, you are nowhere near as powerful as you were when you obtained the same powers as the Sage of the Six Paths. Your current strength is just as you were prior to obtaining Hashirama’s cells and therefore not as threatening a figure in comparison to Kaguya and even your Sage of the Six Paths form. Moreover, she already surpassed her mentor Tsunade during the war and she was seventeen at the time. Imagine how strong she is now. She is also quite confident of her strength. Your intimidation tactic will only be rendered useless if you do confront her about this matter.”

A thought suddenly surfaces and a grin crosses his face from the new idea forming on his head.

“Although I would love to see you two duck it out. I wonder who’ll win. Who knows, maybe she’ll give you one of the worst thrashing ever.”

“Tch, you wish. No one can compare to the fights I had against Hashirama. No woman can change that no matter how strong she is.” A sneer crosses Madara’s face at the thought of a mere woman giving him a challenge.

The image of Hashirama’s granddaughter crosses his mind. The fierceness she has shown against him, her strength that surpasses the Raikage, and the healing jutsu that allows her to fight on the front line despite being a medic. Prior to that point, he didn’t believe anyone to be capable of healing themselves. Hashirama being the only exception, as he always was . But a slip of a woman proves him wrong.

She may not have the same strength as that of her grandfather’s, but what she does have is impressive on its own. He, at the very least, can recognize strength when he sees it and her display of power during the war deserves his recognition. He is also intrigued by the seal on her forehead that allows her to regenerate. Even though it is not of the same caliber as Hashirama’s, the fact that she can regenerate at all is remarkable.

The only reason she lost against him aside from the obvious gap in power was thanks to her bisection in his hands, after all.

‘Hn,’ a contemplative gleam apparent in his eyes ‘perhaps there is a bit of truth in Obito’s words.’

“Well, this is one story I hope will never reach the ears of the Senju although the chances of that happening is slim with Naruto himself probably telling them.” The man in question breaks his train of thoughts.

He groans. Now that is something he certainly does not want Hashirama to know, even worse Tobirama. He can only imagine that blasted man’s reaction if he were to know about this.

When the world is against you, you have to persevere. Yeah, the beta changes may not be as accurate as the one on ff but I try. I made the changes manually, unlike the one posted on ff so there may be alterations here that is not the same in there.

Here is the ff link

Edit: I appreciate any readers on this. It doesn’t matter what you do so long as you’re comfortable with my fic. It’s enough for me.

[syao]

Neji Plays an Otome Game

Read time: 6 mins. | Pairing: NejiTen

“So let me get this straight.” Hyuuga Neji wore an unmistakably dark expression as he surveyed his bedridden female teammate of ten years. “On yesterday’s mission, you fell down unconscious from a height of twenty feet, broke your arm, suffered a low-grade fever, and was told by Tsunade-sama to limit your activities.” His anger grew amidst his litany of Tenten’s recent misadventure. “Yet you want us to fetch your handheld game so you can play.”

“T-That’s right,” she croaked, barely unable to get up from the mattress without slamming her sling on the bedpost. “I don’t want to miss a chat message from Prince today.”

Neji recalled her telling him a week ago that it was the name of a character in the video game she was playing. “You’re getting addicted to that otome game, Tenten.”

She averted her eyes from her friends. “I-It’s just that if I miss a day’s chat, I’d have to pay ryo to play that part again...”

Rock Lee wore a mediative smile. “See? Tenten’s just being careful about her expenses!”

“...and I’ve already spent this week’s food budget on unlocking more story chapters.”

A panicking Lee barely stopped the Hyuuga in time from hurling Tenten’s device outside the window. 

“R-Relax, Neji-kun! We all have our own little vices in life, don’t we?” He snatched the handheld from the prodigy’s grip and hid it behind him so the accursed object would cease raising the latter’s blood pressure.

“Once she recovers, I’ll bring her to the nearby waterfalls so she can purify herself of her worldly vices,” muttered Neji under his breath.

“Don’t talk about my boys like they’re demons to exorcise!”

The Hyuuga clan genius paused, eyebrows knitting in immediate dislike. “Your boys?” He was not used to sharing his sparring partner’s attention with anyone, least of all, an entire group of guys.

“Leeeeee!!!” The sickly kunoichi turned to her more supportive teammate instead, eyes as wide as a puppy’s. “You’ll let me play, won’t you?”

Neji let out a grunt. “Tenten should be resting.”

The male was trapped between Neji’s forceful glare and Tenten’s begging, tearful gaze. “U-Uh...”

Just then, a brilliant idea sparked in his head. Of course, how could he have not thought of this earlier?

The key to ending wars is to understand each other and meet halfway. He was overcome with a vision of their benevolent mentor Maito Gai standing at the top of the tallest beach rock as waves rolled and crashed with majestic violence beneath him. This is why these jagged beach rocks exist... so land and sea will have a place to meet halfway and frolic in their springtime of youth together!

“Alright, why don’t we have Neji-kun play in place of Tenten?” suggested Lee cheerfully. “That way, Tenten won’t miss a day’s streak and can still rest, while Neji-kun can learn more about Tenten’s games! Whaddya’ think?”

His bubbly warmth was met by a stunningly cold silence.

Tenten scratched her cheek as she eyed her displeased teammate discreetly. “Um, I don’t think Neji’s... um... down with your idea. Why don’t you do it, Lee?”

The bowl-haired shinobi firmly shook his head. “NO! It has to be Neji, or the sea will never understand the land’s feelings!”

“Huh? Whose feelings?” The patient looked dumbfounded as the patented springtime fire of youth roared in her teammate’s eyes yet again.

“Fine.” Neji turned his steely eyes to the kunoichi. “I’ll play.”

“...why do I have a feeling that it sounded more like a threat than a compromise?” sighed Tenten.

Manly Competition 

Neji loaded the game on screen and was instantly greeted by a chorus of young males’ voices crooning about fated meetings and unwavering devotion to their lady love. What followed was a montage of various men, some with a brown-haired heroine. They were engaged in varying levels of intimacy.

“Are these men aware of her, uh, dealings with other men?” asked Neji as the song came to an end.

“It depends on which route.”

“Route?”

“That’s the path you take to end up with a specific guy,” she explained patiently. “On some routes, the other guys know about your route guy and compete with him for your attention.”

“Compete, huh? I see.” Neji suddenly imagined the tournament arena where the Chuunin Exams were held, filled with school uniform-clad students cheering for their bets. Wearing a jounin flak jacket and proctoring the match was the game heroine.

“A beautiful fight to the death!” seconded Lee, as he visualized the giant screen showing the otome boys’ respective montage. Not too long after, a huge red X mark appeared on the left side, with K.O. scribbled on top of the unfortunate boy’s face.

Seeing the expressions on her teammates’ faces, Tenten snapped, “You guys, stop turning my otome into an Arcade Versus game!”

Helpful Lee

“So if it isn’t through a tournament match, how else do they compete?” asked the Hyuuga.

“By seducing the girl, of course.”

“SEDUCING?!”

“Yes, Neji-kun,” nodded Lee somberly. ‘That’s when you entice a person into engaging in sexytime--”

“I KNOW WHAT SEDUCING IS!”

“Well, Tenten had to explain what a ‘route’ is earlier, so I thought you needed more context.”

“Lee, this and that... are two different things,” said Tenten, sweatdropping.

Childhood Memories

“So Neji,” said Tenten as she watched him tinker with the screen. “I won’t be able to see what’s happening on-screen, and not all of the dialogues have been voice-acted. That’s why you’ll have to read some of the parts aloud for me, okay?”

Neji scowled. “I refuse. It sounds strange to narrate out loud what people on the screen are doing and saying.”

“Isn’t this just like what our parents did? Reading aloud bedtime stories to put us to sleep?” she asked.

“Not really.” The Hyuuga prodigy crossed his arms in front of his chest. “They used to put me to sleep by triggering my cursed seal.”

His teammates gaped at him.

“What? Father said it builds character.”

Tenten held a hand up. “Just... just read those damn texts out loud, Neji.”

Naming Conventions

A scarlet-haired male in school uniform appeared in the middle of the screen. 

“Good morning, Tenten! I called you, and you didn’t pick up, so I thought I’d just personally come here to invite you.”

Neji looked up from the screen, stunned. “He... he’s talking to Tenten! He called her by her name!”

Lee peeked behind Neji’s shoulder. “You’re right! It feels as if this person’s right here with us, talking to our Tenten!”

“Well, that was the name I put in,” the kunoichi hurriedly explained. 

“So we can actually put in any name that we want?” asked Lee curiously as the Hyuuga clicked on the right arrow to continue the rest of the scene. 

“Sure!  Seeing them call you by your name makes it feel like you’re really part of the game.”

Lee nodded slowly. “Ah, I see. Well then, why don’t we--”

Suddenly, a sound of locked door and tinkling chimes were heard from the game. A cutscene played, with the male character cornering the brown-haired heroine against the wall. A fearful moan could be heard from the girl.

“Why must you fight me, Tenten? Are you shivering, my sweet? Just close your eyes and accept my feelings, Tenten.”

Neji read the words out loud with the excitement reserved for a 500-page medical tome.

The kunoichi sighed. “A cutting board can move my emotions far better than your reading can, Neji.”

“Well, excuse me for not meeting your expectations. I am at loss as to how to properly do it, seeing that I’ve never forced any woman against her will before.”

Lee was quick to offer an advice. “Neji, try saying those lines again, but with your name instead! Tenten said it’ll feel more real!”

“LIKE HELL I WOULD!!!”

Dere-Dere

"Dang it, Neji! You just turned my Prince into a yandere!”  

“A yandere?” The Hyuuga’s forehead creased. “What’s that?”

“I’m not going to help you anymore with that, Neji-kun,” said Lee with a huff. “You were so ungrateful to me earlier!”

“Forget it. I think I’m more concerned now that you know what a yandere is, Lee.”

Dere Dere Part Deux

“A yandere is someone who starts out as nice and kind,” explained Tenten to her teammate, “but becomes violent and obsessive with the person he likes when triggered.”

Neji took a moment to digest what he just heard. “So...  your Prince has mental issues? One that may lead him to actually hurt you?”

She shrugged. “Well, nobody’s perfect.” A peal of laughter rang from her when she earned his withering gaze. “Kidding, kidding!”

“And Neji’s a tsundere!” Lee chimed in.

“What’s a tsundere?” 

“Not tellin’~!” replied the bowl-haired shinobi in a sing-song voice. 

Neji looked away, miffed. “Fine. It’s not like I badly wanted to know or anything. Idiot.”

Remorseless

Tenten gave the Hyuuga a quizzical look. “But really, how did you manage to turn Prince into a yandere when you just made one choice in the game? What happened?”

“He invited your character to walk to school so he can keep you company, and I told him to go to hell.”

“NEJI!”

“I’d do it again, too, if I can.” Neji sounded crossed. “You are the kind of woman who can perfectly take care of herself on her own.”

She felt something akin to a cold hand touch her heart. “N-Neji, that’s really--”

Lee looked up from the handheld, which he was now playing with. “Good news, Neji! There’s a button here for reloading the last auto-saved scene!”

A satisfied smirk appeared on the male’s face. “Good. Take me to the scene with that Prince guy again so I can reject him once more.”

He’s a tad too fired up for this, isn’t he?

Click here for the finale.