Manicherryblossom33
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Finally! I was finally able to decide on a set plot for the forty-fifth chapter. That being said, it was such a loooong wait. I'm very sorry! I made all of you wait such a long, long time. Please thank you to everyone who checked in on me, and a personal thank you to KGB Kakuzu for giving me good advice on how to battle writers block (it came in very handy). This flashback has dragged on longer than I'd planned, but the next chapter will end it. Speaking of ending it, I've decided chapter 51 will be the final chapter. We're getting close to the holidays, after all. Last year I released three chapters at once as a sort of christmas present to you all. If it carries on that long (man I hope not) I might do that again.
On an unrelated note, this thursday I was looking for the new canon chapter until I remembered... I can't read it anymore. So sad... :T_T: At least the ending was nice. That last chapter kind of threw a wrench into my plans for this fanfic. But I've decided to go with the ending I've had in mind since the beginning.
Since once wouldn't be enough, I shall say it six times (once per chapter, starting now):
THANK YOU FOR READING! :flowers
Now, please enjoy chapter 45.
Edit: rude posts will be reported. Criticism is one thing, hating is another. This is the only warning.
Naruto Fanfic A future Without You
chapter 45: Of Monsters; Uri's story part four
SASUKE'S POV [SECRET SHINOBI PRISON]
I really am tired of this, he thought as he followed the two anbu down a flight of earthen stairs.
There was no telling just how deep into the earth this prison was located... Is what he would have thought had he not come here before. With Jugo and Naruto. At that time, they'd been asked to monitor a certain prisoner for a requisite period of three days. It had been a particularly tense assignment, not because of the cacophony of moans and foul language coming from the majority of prisoners from behind their thick individual iron doors, nor because of the eratic temperatures that were influenced through jutsu in order to cause the inmates' great stress thus reducing their chances of proper chakra control.
No it had been Naruto that had turned what should have been a fairly easy, yet also challenging, mission into a full three days of boiling blood and angry glaring from Sasuke. To put it bluntly, Naruto had done nothing but describe, in more detail than should have been possible, the flavors, filling quality, and superiority of ramen to Jugo who'd apparently never heard of the Godforsaken soup, let alone tasted it.
"You can stop pretending to care." One of the anbu said, causing Sasuke to look up. The masked stranger was looking over his shoulder, sounding resolutely bitter.
It clicked in the back of Sasuke's mind that he had to have been looking down, both literally and in the other sense of the phrase.
What sort of expression had he been using?
"We're fully aware of your character." The anbu continued, facing forward. "Don't forget, one wrong move and you'll be in one of these cells."
Sasuke said nothing. The stupid fool. Pretending he could throw him in a cage, let alone subdue him.
"Why do you want to speak with Hayate?" The anbu asked.
Sasuke raised his eyerows antagonizingly. This man lacked finesse, which should've been a requirement for the anbu.
"He wants to speak with his Mentor's old freind I'm sure." The other anbu stated.
Sasuke remained relaxed. "I don't call that thing a mentor. And its not your job to interrogate me. You just need to lead the way quietly."
"Hmph, shows what you know." The first anbu spat, turning as he came to a stop. "We're already here."
Sasuke looked at the door beside them, scaling it from the top down with his eyes. His pupils zeroed in on a small, closed, poorly carved swirl at the base of the door where Naruto had attempted to sign his name before jumping on the ramen subject.
It would appear these two weren't lying.
"See? He's sympathetic towards one of his own." The second anbu told the first.
Sasuke shot him a cross look as the door was unlocked and pulled open.
"We'll wait here." The pair said smugly.
Sasuke glared at them as he entered, allowing the door to creak shut behind him.
A bright light clicked on, illuminating a small area where a man was bound to a chair with chains and sealing jutsu.
The man was old, decrepit, raggedy, and sickly. His skin clung loosely to his bones, covered in liverspots, moles, and tiny white hairs. His white hair hung in dirty clumps around his bowed, balding head, which he slowly raised with a chuckle.
Under his eyes were numerous grey bags. His skin pulled thin over his lips as he smiled.
"It's been too long... Young man." He greeted with a polite nod.
Sasuke took this without reply.
"You do not look well." Hayate told him gently.
Sasuke blinked laxly before taking the stool opposite him.
"How can you speak?" He asked.
Hayate chuckled weakly. "I was under the impression that I was fairing well."
"Enough of your sarcasm." Sasuke snapped, losing patience.
Hayate smiled as if he were any ordinary old man: kind, patient, peaceful and wise.
"What's wrong, Sasuke?" He asked politely.
Sasuke placed his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his knuckles as he gripped his hands. Without saying anything his eyes began to gleam with something that might have been anger, or stubborness, or hatred.
"I see..." Hayate's eyes dimmed. "You've lost someone else, haven't you?"
"That doesn't matter." Sasuke cut him off. "I'm here because I need to ask you something."
Hayate smiled calmly. "You may ask away."
Sasuke locked eyes with him, his eyes gleaming. "Are you familiar with the Uzumaki clan?"
Hayate's face fell before he slowly nodded.
"In that case, have you met Mami, Mako, or Tsuna?"
Hayate knit his brow, bowing his head sadly. "The young man... the little lady... and the elder gentlemen. Yes I'm familiar with all three."
"I don't need to know how or why you know them." Sasuke said point-blank. "But can you think of anywhere they might hide a group of captive shinobi after declaring war against the five great nations?"
Hayate blinked as he mulled this over.
"A moving room." He answered.
Sasuke knit his brow. "What is that?"
Hayate briefly explained their fundamental nature, leaving Sasuke somewhat impressed. Not that he would ever admit that. Not even on pain of death.
"How many of them are there?" Sasuke asked.
"The clan has been creating them for generations." Hayate answered. "There are hundreds, maybe thousands, so its possible that they're unaware of the movements of most of them. But they all have a pattern of movement. And the clan would use them as hideouts in times of crisis. They're likely keeping an eye on a fair few, and hiding in one of them now."
"I don't have time to hunt these things down." Sasuke stated. "Think. Is there anywhere specific?"
Hayate shrugged with difficulty. "I've been in here too long, Sasuke. I'm not familiar with the world anymore. You'll have to use your intuition. Although, I'll say this: if I were in their position, I would use the one that is largest, and most familiar to them."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the gears in his head turned.
He got to his feet."It has to be there."
Hayate smiled. "I see... Good luck."
Sasuke turned, headed for the door.
"We won't meet again."
Sasuke froze. He could feel Hayate smiling at him, but he had no desire to face him.
"I can tell..." Hayate continued. "I don't have much time left. A few days... maybe a week. Not very long at all. So we won't meet again."
Sasuke blinked. "... And?"
"I just felt I should tell you." The old man sighed through his nose. "Also, I want you to know... That love is energy. It cannot be destroyed. Whatever you lose... it will come back to you, even if you don't recognize it."
"... I don't believe in that..." Sasuke sighed.
"Tell me their name. I can deliver a message for you." Hayate offered.
"No point. You won't be going to where Naruto is." Sasuke replied bluntly. "Your crimes are too great."
All was quiet, and Sasuke believed he had finally silenced the man. Until...
"So it was him. I see... What a waste."
Sasuke shot a death glare over his shoulder as his mangekyo sharingan spun into existance. Hayate remained still, apparently waiting for some form of punishment, which Sasuke wanted desperately to deliver.
How dare he use those words... Saying that in such a greedy tone was pushing it!
And yet... it seemed somewhat pointless. Sasuke had better things to do...
He turned away.
"That way of thinking..." He stated, deactivating his sharingan, "Smiling and sitting there, believing you've done nothing wrong while pretending to be a victim... Is the reason I hate you so very much."
"I was trying to save an entire culture, Sasuke." Hayate said firmly. "And they sent me here for life as a result. I was going to become the cure-all, the savior of innocent people all over the world."
Sasuke placed a hand on the door while passing Hayate a look of disgust.
"I really can't think of anyone less deserving." He stated. "You even put that thing to shame. Don't bother apologizing to them. An apology is useless in your situation. It would only make them angry. You'll die, tormented by fear and begging for time like a coward, and no one will care."
Sasuke cracked the door before being caught by Hayate's words once more:
"I notice you don't wear the leaf headband."
Sasuke froze.
"Your treasured clan's crest is nowhere on your back." Hayate continued. "You aren't wearing Konoha's shinobi uniform either."
Sasuke said nothing, looking to the left passively.
"Your father, mother, and brother are gone." Hayate reminded. "It doesn't matter where you go in this world. You will never see them again. Konoha is no better than Orochimaru or I, Sasuke. The protection of their people is just their excuse for cruelty. Their shinobi put on a play of delusional nobility. Their hokage is nothing more than a sacrificial pawn. The title of hokage is a death sentence, and so is the label of shinobi in general."
Sasuke frowned. It wouldn't be too bad...If this old fool just keeled over right now...
He looked over his shoulder hopefully.
"Despite all that they've done to you, despite your past decisions, it doesn't seem like you're exactly against them."
A moment of silence passed in which the two gazed at each other, contemplating their own nature. Sasuke grudgingly accepted that Hayate had a point. Even so, he wasn't sure why he was this way. His old self would never have shed tears over the death of that clown, or hurried to form a plan to track down Sakura, or felt unease over attacking an enemy, as he now felt.
The only explaination he could come up with that this was how he was now. This was what he wanted to do. There was no set reason, only that this was what he wanted to do, and he would do it with or without clearance.
"I don't need to explain myself to you." He replied. "However, do not go thinking we're the same. I have the will to live. I have a future. You do not."
Sasuke thrust the door open.
"Goodbye, 'doctor.'"
URI'S POV [KUMOGAKURE, PRESENT DAY]
"Mami is a person who holds a grudge against both the Uzumaki clan and Konohagakure." Uri enunciated. "I am unsure of her ultimate goal, however... She most certainly wishes destruction to both sides."
"Why?" Gaara knit his brow. "Does she believe they pose a threat to some larger party, or could cause mass destruction? Is she working for some organization?"
"No." Uri answered sharply. "She isn't like Itachi. Mami's desire for parracide and whole scale slaughter is completely real. And possibly justified."
Mei gaped at him, disgusted. "It sounds like you're saying Naruto deserved this!"
Uri whipped his head up. "Absolutely not. I meant what I said before. Mami is not like Minato or Yuuki. Her heart has been weak from the beginning."
Ay held his hands up in a sort of "hand it over" gesture.
"What are you talking about?" He asked in a demanding tone. "Uzushiogakure was a good place to be born and raised. Didn't you say that before?"
"The Raikage is correct." Mifune agreed. "Before the massacre, it was an epitome of peace and kindness. Regarded as the land of longevity and medicine, it sought allies and was universally respected as one of the most distinguished nations in the shinobi world. The children who were born there were powerful and loyal. She has no reason to resent her own clan, let alone Konoha, which was its closest ally."
Uri regarded them all with a look of light disappointment before leaning back with a heavy sigh.
"How rude." Enoki spat. "Why are you so impatient?"
"Because," Uri glared daggers at them, "Only fools believe in the existance of a PERFECT nation."
All but three were taken aback by Uri's sudden change in attitude, which quickly melted back into a calm exterior. It was neccessary to remain calm in this situation, no matter what irresponsible things they said. Honestly though. As the leaders of the five great nations and the land of iron, one would think they already knew something as simple as THAT.
"You are familiar with a few of our traditions." Uri tilted his head spitefully. "Such as the interclan marriage law which ultimately branded Naruto and others like him as hybrids. There's also the Uzushio resources restriction law, which prevents us from sharing all of the unique medicinal herbs that grow in our homeland. Not to mention the Intelligence Classification Containment, which states we're not allowed to share certain historical events with outsiders, specifically because we erased them with the memory seal. There are thousands more. Laws put in place by our ancestors, justified by our parents and elders as a means of 'protecting the clan,' 'protecting the world,' 'preserving the greater good,' and so on. If we broke any of these laws, the punishments were so severe that it makes me want vomit just thinking about them. True, these punishments became less severe as time passed, but make no mistake. The Uzumaki are, traditionally, savages. Monsters that consume peace, not promote it."
Mei looked quite pale as a bead of sweat traveled from her hair line to her jaw. Tsunade seemed to be in a bit of pain while the men wore grim, knowing expressions.
"I was aware of all this even when I was a child." Uri laced his fingers together and rested his hands between his knees. "I admit to being quite observant. I noticed that there were shadows in my land. Shadows so tall they made everything that glittered about my childhood seem gold-plated. Contaminated exports, suspicious guests, freinds that suddenly disappeared one day and were never spoken of again. On top of that, there was the nature of the senseis. They were very strict, to put it delicately. They pushed us so hard that a few children died of exhaustion. Some were reduced to shivering, unstable, frightened husks of their former selves. Most of the time, it felt like dog obediance lessons rather than ninja training. There were many there who held contempt towards the system and were consumed with turmoil and animosity towards our leaders. Mami is the personification of those feelings."
Uri bit the inside of his cheek as his eyes gleamed, remembering a peaceful time long ago.
MAMI! PLAY WITH US! WE'RE FREE RIGHT NOW, YA KNOW?!
HAHAHA... OKAY, WHAT SHALL WE PLAY?
URI-PINIATA!
HAHAHA...
He smiled wistfully.
"Mami was originally a normal girl..." Uri began. "She is from my grandfather's generation, and was his classmate, so he witnessed her ordeal. He was the one to tell me everything."
Enoki made a face at that. "You mean she's older than the slug princess?"
Tsunade made a threatening expression at him.
"The last chief of the Uzumaki came from the same generation as the first hokage." Mifune clarified. "So she's older than you as well, Tsuchikage."
Uri smiled. "Yes, but in spite of that, she still looks as she did over forty years ago, when she used to hold Nee-chan and I in her lap. I thought she was beautiful and wonderful, and greatly admired her. She was a close freind of our father's and achieved many remarkable things. The children of my generation viewed her as a hero and held her in high esteem." He unlaced his fingers and raised one hand, placing his palm over his eyes. "But we were ignorant, stupid fools. When I think back on our behaviour it makes me ill." He said, gripping his temple.
He paused, taking a moment to compose himself before continuing.
"Originally, our clan was fairly large... We had around fifty-three lines beneath the main line, or the chief's family. Each line had around ten to twelve members, excluding the chiefs family which usually had five to six. Mami was born the third daughter of the seventh line. She was, originally, a normal child. She had friends and siblings and parents who loved her. As most of our children did, she trusted everyone and invested an immeasurable amount of faith in them, believing them to be kind."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "So what changed?"
"Everything." Uri answered. "Her world was turned upside down at the tender age of three. Everything she believed in was proven false. Her faith was crushed, her heart bashed in, and all of her begging and pleading and tears were ignored. And it was all because of a simple accident, which should've been forgotten a long time ago."
Uri shut his eyes, remembering the scenery before describing it.
"In our village, near my old house, there's a waterfall that pours into a lily pond. It's considered sacred to this very day. Unlike with the rest of our people, who are sealed into the sacred tree after death, our chiefs are cremated and their ashes are poured into the water. It is said that the blood of those they loved, and lost, is what dyed the water red. It is truly sacred, and is appropriately named the Sacred Waterfall. However, it is different from the Sacred Tree."
Tsunade pursed her lips at this. "How?"
"The Sacred Tree can be approached by anyone. So long as it wasn't damaged, we didn't care who went near it." Uri explained. "However, the waterfall is different. No one but the chief could approach it, and only to pour the ashes of the previous chief into the water. Standing within its vicinity was taboo. Looking at your reflection on the water's surface was absolutely unforgivable. Falling in... Was met with a special kind of punishment."
Gaara knit his brow. "... Falling in?"
"Mami was three-years-old." Uri continued in a grave tone. "She didn't fully understand our laws then. So she didn't know she wasn't suposed to go near the pretty waterfall, with its lily pads and shimmering scarlet water. She didn't know the gravel at the edge of the lily pond was loose. She lost her footing, and was forced under by the cascading falls. She also didn't know how to swim, not that it would do her much good. To make matters worse, no one tried to save her. Her parents, her siblings, her freinds, her teachers... Everyone just stood by and accepted what was happening. In fact, they were probably hoping she would drown. They would have believed it was a fitting
punishment."
"You must be joking!" Mei snapped, looking infuriated. "She was a little girl!"
"It didn't matter." Uri replied sadly. "She could have been an infant. Her fate would have been the same."
"The same?" Kakashi asked, looking as concerned as the rest of them.
"Mami was clever, and strong-willed." Uri continued. "Not wanting to die, she clawed her way up the jagged pond wall and escaped. When she resurfaced, she was shaking from the cold and her own relief. She expected her family to rush forward and hold her in their arms. However, they, and everyone else, turned their backs on her. They left her there, and went on about their day. When she tried to approach them, she was kicked or slapped aside. When she cried and begged for people to look at her, to help her, they threw rocks or outright ignored her. She was no longer allowed inside anyones homes, or the libraries. The hospital and shops were off limits as well, not that she had any money. She was also expelled from the school, which should've ended her career as a kunoichi. She was driven out of the village by the pure antipathy of our clan members, and was forced to live in the forest, where she was attacked by one of the beasts. Unable to treat her wounds, they healed in a way that left her face and body warped and scarred. Our people called her a monster and claimed she was contaminated with a horribly contagious fatal disease in order to fool the young children who didn't understand."
Uri's arms were shaking, so he lowered them and began rubbing one of his forearms slowly.
"One day, she disappeared into the forest and didn't return." He continued. "Her story became a legend that the sensei and elders used to scare children into behaving. Some believed she died, others thought she was spirited away. No one missed her. No one cared."
Well, ALMOST no one. But he couldn't tell them that...
"Two decades passed, and my parent's generation was born. My Uncle Seto was distant, yet a loyal soldier who respected his father. My father, Kazao was much kinder and more sociable. They were the pride of our clan.
"Like most others in the main line, both my father and uncle were betrothed to another of our clan at birth. My parents grew to genuinely love each other after they were married, but before that they were unsure of their relationship and their parents forced them together all the time. That is how they found her. They were playing one day, at the edge of the forest, when she returned.
"Mami had been a five year old when she disappeared. When she reappeared, she looked to be the same age my parents were at that time: seven. On top of that, her scars were gone. A long life-span and unusually youthful appearance isn't unusual in our clan. Some of our members can live to be over two hundred years old, but still look as young as thirty. However, people could feel this was a different case. Entirely different. Though no one has been able to explain it.
"But her appearance was the least of their worries. As soon as she returned, even though she was the size of a child, horrible incidents began to occur..."
"What kind of incidents?" Mifune prompted, seeming to brace himself.
Uri gripped his arm. "Houses burning down with the sick or young still inside them. Walls covered in words that were written in blood. People randomly disappearing one day, and their severed body parts being found all around the village not an hour later. Children strangling themselves. Crops and water reservoirs being sabotaged or poisoned. Curse seals placed all around the Sacred Waterfall. People suddenly falling ill, with our skilled medics being unable to save them. Councilers, advisors, elders, and others dropping dead without any explaination at all. The list goes on..."
"Are you sure all this was Mami's doing?" Gaara asked, skeptical. "It doesn't sound like jutsu. More like witchcraft. Which is impossible."
"We Uzumaki can seal nearly anything." Uri said grimly. "For example, if you place a foreign object in someone's body using the ripple seal, and place a time consuming seal on the object, and program the seals formula to react in a set amount of time, then you can make it look as if they drop dead for no reason. If you seal illness into a person with a formula only you can remove, no treatment of medicine will save them. There are rational explainations for the other incidents. But even the most intelligent people don't use their brains when they're overcome with fear.
"So it was that they began to call Mami a witch. On top of that, she wasn't a little girl anymore. Not really. She no longer feared anyone. She walked in and out of the places that should have been forbidden to her. She resumed her school lessons of her own volition, and no one elses. No one dared to defy her. The tables had turned. THEY feared HER now. Her will was obeyed, her wishes granted. However, there was one who was unafraid of Mami."
Uri smiled warmly. "My father. Uzumaki Kazao. As I already mentioned, he was very sociable. On top of that, he was fearless and kind. He knew what had to be done for the sake of our village, our people, and Mami herself. These incidents had to stop, or everything could be detroyed. So he approached her, and offered his hand. The result was unfavorable, but he never let up. He and my mother followed Mami around like ducklings, unafraid anc curious. They were always behind her. Eventually Mami was so annoyed by them that all of her pain and anger and sadness began to drift away. Slowly, she turned back into a normal girl.
"Our clan's fear of her wavered, and faded. They saw her acting like a normal child, and began to feel shame, guilt. However, they made excuses for their past actions and denied Mami any justice."
"Fools." Gaara remarked, earning a wary look from Enoki.
"Now Kazekage, I hope you're not thinking of your own past experiences." He said with an air of skepticism.
Gaara looked slowly to the left. "I won't deny that it does come to mind. But that isn't what I meant. They believed she had no say in the matter. That she couldn't challenge them. They decided to bury the past without really taking her, the one who had been wronged the most, into account. To just pretend as if they had done nothing wrong, and go on with their lives, was a huge mistake."
Uri nodded. "Exactly. It was more than likely the gravest mistake they made. However, the worst was still yet to come. The council didn't trust Mami. Time passed, my parent's married, and nee-chan and I were born. As a freind of our parents, Mami was always near. Her prescence in our village was a nightime comfort during uneasy times. She would hold us in her lap as if we were her own. For a short time, we lived in peace, sharing a happiness that I have never forgotten. However, then a great conflict broke out. The third great ninja war. Many of our best and brightest were sent outside our land to help Konoha in their war effort. However, that isn't where Mami went. The council decided to use the war as an opportunity to get rid of her."
Mei tensed. "Get rid of her?"
"By threatening to start sending the children, my sister and I specifically, to the front lines. My grandfather had been against it, but it really was a desperate situation. In order to protect us, Mami volunteered to go in our place."
Ay held his hands up. "Hold on! She hated them. Wouldn't she have just killed them?"
Uri shrugged. "Perhaps. It would've been a good chance for revenge. However it wasn't that simple. There were people who loved her, who cared if she died. That was her dream, and it had become reality. If she caused trouble, it would endanger those she was trying to protect. And more than that... I believe she was afraid. Even if she beleived killing them would be efficient, if we saw it as repugnant then there was no point."
"So... What happened after that?" Enoki asked.
"She left the village." Uri ran his fingers through his hair stressfully. "Three weeks later, I was told she had been betrayed by one of our benefactors, and nee-chan and I could only cry all night over it. Then our clan was massacred, and I believed for the longest time that nee-chan and I were the sole survivors.
"I never let myself believe they could be alive. But they were. Still, even if we were happy to see them, Konoha village was not. It wasn't completely their fault, given the era.
"Mami and Mako arranged a deal with the third hokage: in exchange for protection and hospitality, the village could keep my clan under surveillance. They claimed to have been lacking the resources needed to continue hiding underground, and had attracted powerful enemies. After losing so many, our clan was reduced to a mere eighty people. Mako agreed to Konoha's terms of keeping the clan within one area of the village, and in exchange they swore loyalty to the senju clan.
"Mami had done much for our people during those dark times. She had gained influence, and was ultimately able to bend some of our laws without incurring. As a result, we began to share our secrets with Konoha. We put up an invincible barrier, powered by the chakra of twenty of our clan members positioned along the village wall.
"This barrier became a pillar of strength to Konoha. Not only did it provide a more secure defense, it boosted moral and gave the people peace of mind. It was the prime instigator of trust between my clan and Konoha. This along with the low death rates thanks to our medical knowledge allowed us to bond with the people. We were entrusted with missions that were successful in turning the tides of war. By uniting with the other three great ninja clans, we were able to improve the ninja tools, intelligence network, bingo books, and more."
"It sounds as if things went well for all of you." Enoki commented.
"Yes, and if you don't mind me asking, how does what happened to Minato and Fugaku have anything to do with this?" Mei asked, holding her hands up. "I mean, it's clear they were important to you, and you wanted to protect them at any cost, and failed to, but it seems like added information to me."
"No." Uri shook his head. "You're wrong. It has everything to do with why things are the way they are now. Do you really think I'd waste all this time, digging through what are now painful memories, just to make you understand my own personal relationships?"
Mei opened her mouth to say something, only to withdraw and slowly purse her lips in confusion.
"I met them." Uri shut his eyes. "We were together. But it wouldn't have happened if not for Mami. I wonder... If I had known the truth sooner could I have been able to stop that tragedy?"
"What do you mean?" Enokii asked. "A tragedy occured?"
"Yes, like I said, you do not remember thanks to our interference." Uri reminded. "But... let's see... Yes that was probably where it started..."
Uri knit his brow. "That was a difficult time for us. We had grown older, and stronger. By that time, Minato and nee-chan had already married in secret, and Itachi was nearly four years old. Minato had accomplished his goal of becoming the hokage, so Lord Hiruzen was in retirement. Yuuki, who was mine and nee-chan's childhood friend, had grown close to Minato, and was very fond of the Uchiha clan. We were winning the war, and were enjoying ourselves quite a bit. Nee-chan had already discovered her pregnancy well in advance to that situation and was about two months and eighteen days shy of Naruto's birthday. We had attempted to keep this a secret from Fuji and Mikoto in order to protect them, but they didn't buy the story of nee-chan having fallen ill, and came to visit her. The truth came out. So by that time we were all on the same page..."
"'That time'?" Ay asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Quit beating around the bush and get to the point. What was wrong?"
Uri's face went blank. "Very well. I'll be blunt. Sasuke was ill."
The gokage, minus Tsunade, and Mifune looked taken aback. They shared looks of shock and turned back to face Uri, who was poker faced.
"I know it's hard for you to believe." He said understably. "But as soon as he was born, he fell sick. He wasn't particularly small, and had been very strong while in the womb. Lady Mikoto and Fuji had been very careful, just like other parents. We were oblivious to what had gone wrong. And although Sasuke was being cared for by the best medics of my clan, it was a disease they were unfamiliar with. So they didn't know how to treat it, cure it, or slow it down. He was strong enough to endure it for the first ten days of his life, but it was clear we were running out of time. Lady Mikoto was still recuperating and was battling stress and anxiety. Fuji had held himself together so well he was beginning to unravel. We could barely stand to watch. And Minato, who had always had this way of knowing exactly what to do and exactly what to say, was at a complete LOSS. That, more than anything, seemed to stand out in my mind. I was fully aware that this was a grave situation indeed. And on top of that, I personally didn't want to see him die. Back then, he was innocent, and small, and helpless. It reminded me of the other children from Fuji's and Hiashi's clan, whom had been kidnapped, mutilated, and displayed in front of Yuukigakure. I think Minato felt the same, because he himself was beginning to unravel as well."
Tsunade tensed. "That's it!"
Everyone looked at her as if she were crazy. She settled and cleared her throat.
"Back then, when I was away from the village, Jiraiya kept me up to date on what was going on in the village." She explained. "Around eighteen years ago he mentioned something about Minato seeming restless. I guess this must be why."
"Does that mean Jiraiya didn't know what was going on with Sasuke?" Gaara asked.
"We were trying to keep it hushed up in order to protect him." Uri explained. "Very few people knew about it."
Gaara seemed to take this in stride. "I see..."
"Putting that aside, I did figure out a solution." Uri stated, gripping his knees. "Although it came with great risk, which I wouldn't have minded if it hadn't involved putting Naruto in danger."
Tsunade whipped her head around to gape at him. "Hold on! What do you mean?"
"Like I already said, Sasuke is only two months and eighteen days older than Naruto." Uri froze, counting on his fingers for a moment. "Actually, two months, eighteen days, four hours, six minutes and thirteen seconds."
Enoki frowned. "Okay,sure, whatever. What did you decided to do?"
"I decided to break one of our most sacred laws." Uri answered. "Really, we value it
more than any other, even the interclan marriage law. That's why, to this day it still holds. And that is the law that forbids us from leading outsiders to the motherland. Although it applies to all clan members, the only ones who have the ability to break it are the genuine heirs, whom are recognized by Kairi, the sacred tree. They are the first born children of each generation of the main line."
"So... Seto, Kushina, and Naruto." Mei said as she counted them out on her fingers.
"Yes." Uri nodded. "My idea was to go to Uzushio and gather the herbs that are unique to that location in order to make the medicine that would save Sasuke's life. However, there was only one entrance, and only the heir can open it. And that was nee-chan, who was pregnant with Naruto. When I went to her, she immediately agreed that we should go through with it, so we got Fuji and went to persuade Minato. This was... difficult. Minato hesitated becuase he didn't want to endanger his own child. Fuji seemed to understand this, so his only choice was to stay silent while Minato struggled. It was nee-chan who finally persuaded him to allow it."
Mei was astounded. "How on earth did she do that?"
"She simply reminded him that Fuji and Mikoto were our friends." Uri replied. "And that we couldn't trade one child for another. And she theorized that since Naruto and Sasuke would be classmates one day, Naruto probably wouldn't mind risking his life for him."
A moment passed as the group seemed to begrudgingly accept this. Uri noted that NO ONE was alright, try as they might to behave normally. Of course he had no right to talk.
"We made it to Uzushio and back to the village with the herbs." Uri continued. "We used them to heal Sasuke, and Fuji was able to enjoy a peaceful life with his family once more. But it came with a price. I've never regretted saving Sasuke, but still. That price was too high..."
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
URI'S POV [KONOHAGAKURE, EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO; UZUMAKI CLAN MASSACRE VICTIMS' MEMORIAL BUILDING]
"Thank you for accompanying me, Uri."
He smiled awkwardly at Yuuki. "Again with this? I already told you thanks isn't neccessary. Letting you go alone would be rude."
She giggled at him as a pair of children ran around them after a stray cat. Uri noticed that it was a particularly noisy day. He could hear what one might call a "lover's quarrel" going on inside the nearest house; apparently some poor woman's husband had been off flirting with beautiful young girl's again. Nearby, the owner of a restaurant was chewing out a young shinobi who'd come up short on the money for the bill. A pair of young brothers were fighting over a new pair of toy shuriken. Overhead, a few messenger hawks flew towards the hokage building, bringing news of the war.
Yuuki watched them in earnest, cradling a bouqet of red flowers as they stood outside the entrance to the Uzumaki Massacre memorial building, which was only recently finished. It stood tall, and resembled the chief's house, which wasn't unlike a temple. Above the sliding doors, a large metal plate was sealed into place. It contained the names of those lost, or at least everyone who was confirmed dead. Quite a few of them were still missing, and their pictures could be found inside along with flowers and letters from their immediate family or friends.
A light breeze made the weather vane atop one of of the restaurants spin like crazy and lifted Yuuki's long, braided hair.
She reached around to stop it from getting in Uri's face and climbed the stone steps to pass through the memorial's doors. He followed her to the pictures, which were held to the wall using either jutsu or normal means like tape, or they sat on the ground in frames.
Uri watched as Yuuki placed the flowers as close as possible to a picture of a young couple, who like all the others, were smiling up at Uri, unaware of their fate.
Yuuki sat on her knees, looking wistfully at her departed parents.
Uri placed his hand on Yuuki's head, causing her to look up at him.
"Please don't take it out on yourself." He said with a smile. "I'm sure they're very proud of you."
Yuuki straightened up and nodded.
She was very strong. With what she'd been through, it wouldn't be unreasonable of her to die if she wanted to. But he was very happy she'd decided to live.
"Uri."
Both of them turned to face the voice that was all too familiar. Mako and Mami had entered the Memorial Building shortly after they did. As usual, Uri's former teacher was looking serious while Mami was cheerful and smiling as if to tease them.
Yuuki got to her feet. "Lord Mako. Milady. I thought you were away from the village on some private business."
Mami launched herself at Yuuki. Despite being much older than her, she was much shorter as well. If Uri didn't know them as well as he did, he would have thought he was looking at a veteran fighter who was currently being hugged by a little girl.
Mami poked her head up without loosening her grip on Yuuki, who was blushing as usual.
"Hello, little Yuuki! You got even prettier while I was gone!" She beamed charmingly. "We just got back! Are you two free? We should go for tea or something, since we've been busy for so long!"
Mako reached over and grabbed the top of her head, dragging her away from Yuuki who was trying to regain her composure while leaning slightly on Uri's shoulder.
"Can't you stop that?" Mako asked, annoyed. "We came here to discuss something of grave importance and here you are, acting like they're children who will hop in your lap if you call them 'cute.' Yuuki is a warrior. You shouldn't treat her like a woman."
Yuuki seemed to take this in stride while Uri frowned at Mako.
Mami turned under Mako's grip and poked him in the chest.
"But out, you stick in the mud! I'll do as I please!" She remarked.
"Ummm..." Uri faltered. "What's this about? I actually have somewhere to be, so if you don't mind--"
"You've got nowhere to be because I'm here to talk to YOU, Uri." Mako cut him off with a glare.
Uri was taken aback. Yuuki knit her brow at Mako and glanced back and forth between him and Uri.
"Yuuki, you're dismissed." Mako told her, as if that settled things.
Uri gaped. "Wait, Yuuki came here to visit her family. If you have something to discuss with me, we can go somewhere else--"
"You can't visit the ROTTING." Mako stated bluntly. "I've dismissed her, so she needs to go now."
Uri's jaw dropped, outraged. "Master! What's wrong with you?!"
"It's alright, Uri." Yuuki interrupted, holding one hand up. "I actually have somewhere to be as well. So, if you'll excuse me."
Uri watched in shock as Yuuki passed Mami and Mako by.
Uri reached out to her but felt himself be dragged away by the wrist before he could react. Mami pulled him down the temple hall to the basement door. They descended the steps quickly, with Mami in front of Uri and Mako behind him.
He went over in his head why this could be happening and came to an immediate conclusion. But if that were the case, then he needed to come up with an alibi, now.
They reached the basement floor and Mami finally released him. Uri backed away from her and Mako, trying his best to look rightfully angry.
"What is this about?" He asked in a demanding tone. "You better have a good reason for speaking to her that way, Master. I thought you were better than this."
"Silence, traitor." Mako snapped, his eyes lit up with anger. "That is no tone to take with us, your betters. I'm the one who's demanding an explaination. And depending on how you deliver it, I might just capture you here."
Uri's blood ran cold as he stared at Mako. What on earth was he HEARING? Why was Mako looking at him like that? And what was this pain in the pit of his gut?
Something in him was telling him to run.
"One week ago, you disappeared for two days." Mako began, picking a marble up off the floor and rolling it between his thumb and index finger. "When you returned, you claimed to have been with Kushina. However, Tomoya reported seeing you appear via one of Minato's flying raijin seals which we all know you can manipulate. On top of that, Fugaku Uchiha and another cloaked individual was with you. If you were within the village the entire time, it should have been unneccesary to use the seals."
Uri crossed his arms. "Are you finished? If that's really all, I'm insulted. You insult my friend, call me a traitor, and drag me down here on what WAS a nice day. This is eye-opening. To think you have such little trust in me, MAKO."
Mako allowed the marble to roll into his upturned palm, where he turned it around with his chakra.
"I wish I could trust you." He said, making Uri narrow his eyes at him. "If you weren't hanging around him, then maybe I could. But given where we are, I have to be prepared for the worst."
Uri arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I thought you respected Minato and Fugaku. And Konoha has been good to us all these years!"
"It's obvious they trust us, seeing how they've ceased their surveillance." Mako stated. "But in light of recently revealed information, I am no longer able to believe in them. They've fallen far. This is no longer the village that Hashirama built. It's a clump of pretencious, paranoid individuals with superiority complexes. I believed we could still be allies, but all they did was hide their crimes in the shadows. Truthfully, it's no different from our home."
Uri tensed. "What are you... I don't..."
Mako explained, briefly yet in detail, the injustice the Uzumaki clan had commited towards Mami. When it was over, Uri stood in shock, feeling cold and sick down to his bone marrow.
"That's... That can't be..." Uri stuttered. "That was just a story meant to scare children into behaving. It wasn't real. It wasn't about MAMI. It--"
"Be quiet." Mako ordered while Mami let her bangs shield her eyes as she smiled bitterly. "You shouldn't speak out of ignorance. Do not make me repeat myself. It isn't a fable. It's history. And it's the best proof we have that our village's destruction was a result of bad karma."
Uri shivered. "No, that can't be. They didn't... Deserve that..."
In his minds eye, he saw his dead mother on the floor of Kushina's bedroom. His father stood above her, murdered by his grandfather.
Uri placed a hand over his mouth and backed into the wall, his head bowed.
"I'm going to be sick..." He muttered.
Either Mako didn't care or didn't hear this. Regardless, he carried on.
"Moving on, I asked Tomoya to do a little digging, and we came across something disturbing." Mako sighed through his nose. "Apparently the yondaime, your good FRIEND, and the beloved hero of this village, wasn't even born here. He's a flesh and blood Namikaze, which contradicts that story we heard when we first came here. That clan is made up of nothing but merciless savages. I believe his kind and wise nature is nothing more than a facade. He's probaly a thousand times worse than his father."
A cold fist closed around Uri's heart.
SOMETIMES I FEEL AS IF I'M LACKING SOMETHING IMPORTANT...
"MAKO!"
Uri threw himself at his former teacher, grabbing Mako by the shoulders and slamming him into the wall.
"Take it back! Take it back! Take it back!" He demanded, repeatedly slamming Mako into the wal with every sentence. "Never insult Minato in front of me, not EVER! I demand you beg forgiveness, right this instant! Right now, dammit! Apologize now, before I cut your throat!"
Uri was sent flying back into the opposite wall, hitting it with a loud cracking sound that echoed off the walls as he slid to the ground with a goan. He curled in on himself, gripping his torso. He counted at least two broken ribs.
Mako stood over him like an insurmountable wall. Uri glared up at him with one eye.
"I thought I told you not to speak to me that way, boy." Mako glowered down at him as Uri pushed himself up. "Your loyalty to your freinds would be admirable, if the person you're defending wasn't the grandson of the man that killed one of our previous Uzumaki chiefs in battle."
Uri leaned against the wall with one arm encircling his torso. He eyed Mako with a mixture of physical pain and anger.
"'A battle between shinobi... Is a fight to the death'... Isn't that what you believe?" Uri pointed out, remembering a lesson from long ago. "That incident... Was years before Minato was born! It has nothing to do with him!"
Mako crouched in front of Uri, his expression grim.
"'Time is an illusion.'" Mako stated. "Many people believe that. I am not one of them."
Uri stared at Mako curiously.
"We of the Uzumaki are gifted with extraordinarily long life spans, so the rules of time and age are different for us." Mako placed his chin on his raised fist. "But that incident is still fresh in our minds. Even if it happened before he was born, I can't exactly forgive him."
"There's nothing to forgive!" Uri spat. "Like I said, it has nothing to do with him! My grandfather betrayed our clan and murdered everyone, even infants and unborn babies! Are you going to blame ME for that?! Or nee-chan?! I can't believe this is the kind of man you turned out to be! I thought you were better than this!"
"Don't preach as if you're better than me." Mako narrowed his eyes hatefully.
Uri's eyes were wide and bloodshot from rage. "I won't pretend to be better than you! But Minato is! He puts you to shame! He's worth a thousand of you put together!"
Uri propped himself up by pushing on the wall. He locked eyes with Mako, who looked as if he might have been plotting to kill him.
"I do not blame you for our prevoius chiefs actions because he was weak-minded and easily influenced." Mako informed him, making Uri's anger melt away to become confusion.
"'Easily influenced?'" He repeated.
"Yes." Mako nodded with an air of nonchalance. "Maybe you didn't notice it, since you were still a child, but no one wanted to give Kushina to Konoha. Lady Mito and the chief refused to explain why she needed to be sent away, so we held them in contempt. Mami alone was brave enough to voice the thoughts everyone was thinking. She whispered dark words in his ears in order for guilt and hate to grow in his heart. One would think that he had the strength to take the truth, but it would appear he was less than worthy."
Uri's face had fallen into one of shock and deep pain. He clamped his teeth together and tried to squeeze his eyes shut, but tears had already begun to pour from his eyes.
"That's not true... You're lying." He said through gritted teeth.
"It's completely true."
Uri flinched, his eyes widening in horror.
"I said, it's completely true." Mami admitted with a light chuckle, followed by an evil smile that stretched from ear to ear. "He was one of the 'friends' that betrayed me, so I really didn't mind bashing his heart in."
Uri's head dropped slowly, frowning as he gulped back as many tears as he could manage. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to force the memories, the good times, away.
But they came back to him anyway. Days he spent as an ignorant child, playing together with nee-chan and Mami. Mami was cheerful, and would rush to hug his mother, father, grandfather, Yuuki, or anyone within five feet of her. She told funny stories, and participated far too often in Kushina's pranks and antics. She gossiped, telling grandfather all sense of illogical and impossible things that he would blow off while also apreciating greatly. She loved to ambush Uri, tickling him until he nearly died of laughter. She'd tease and scare him for good measure, laughing from the bottom of her heart when he got angry with her.
Uri's fingers curled into fists and he whipped his head up, meeting Mako eye for eye.
"What kind of sick joke is this?" He asked, caught between fury and heartbreak. "How are you alright with this? How can you say it so casually? How?!"
Mako sighed impatiently. "Do stop whining. I'm not the man you used to train with. He and I are completely different people. Having ones wife and daughters murdered by a man one respected changes a person. Not that you would know anything about that. Nearly all of your freinds have children now. Meanwhile, the woman you loved chose another man."
Uri stared back at Mako. He remembered Yuuki, placing the flowers for her parents in the memorial.
"You're wrong." He said with a tone of finality.
Mako stared back at him, not seeming to care.
Uri groaned as he got to his feet, forcing himself to stand upright instead of leaning on the wall.
"I didn't lie! I was with nee-chan all last week." He declared, which WASN'T a lie. "And Minato IS better than you, BOTH of you. And now that I'm aware of you're true nature, and how suspicious you are of our hokage, I WILL be reporting you. But before I go, i want to know you're intentions!"
Mako sighed haughtily. "You're so noisy. My intentions are obvious. I came to ask about your loyalties. If this is your answer, then we have a problem. I was hoping you would have inherited Seto's will, but it seems you've been brainwashed."
"I'm completely sane!" Uri countered. "It's you two who aren't in their right minds!"
Uri and Mako stared each other down, each of them possessing an incredible resolve.
No one was going to win this battle of wills, at least not here.
"Did you lead outsiders to our homeland?" Mako asked.
"No, I didn't." Uri stated. Fuji and Minato were like his brothers. Calling them outsiders was like calling the sun the moon. "And what are you planning to do? Get to the point!"
"Again, you forget yourself." Mako said curtly. "I can't accept a monster as my leader. And if you and Kushina are going to take his side, then the two of you are no longer apart of our clan. This is a village of monsters. I will pay tribute to the poor first hokage in any way I can. I will even deliver you and the ex-heiress to him along with Minato."
Uri's blood ran cold. His face contorted with rage, as he grit his teeth.
These two...
"You would actually threaten my sister?" Uri asked, breathing shakily as his blood pressure rose to dangerous heights.
He clenched his fists, bruising his palms with his fingertips.
"MY SISTER IS ONE OF THE SINGLE HUMAN BEINGS... IN A CLAN FULL OF MONSTERS!" He declared. "IF EVERYTHING YOU SAY IS TRUE, THEN EVERYTHING I KNEW ABOUT OUR CLAN WAS A LIE! WHAT'S THE POINT IN UPHOLDING TRADITIONS IF IT MEANS BEING BOUND BY AN INEXPLICABLE SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T EVEN PROTECT THE PEOPLE?! YOU TWO ARE NOTHING MORE THAN SELFISH, COWARDLY, DEVIOUS, MANIPULATIVE WORMS!"
He breathed heavily, eyeing Mako with more hatred in his heart than he was comfortable with. But it was a cross he would be willing to bear, if he could force these two to hear his words.
But infuriatingly, Mako simply shut his eyes, as if he were enjoying a gentle breeze.
"This is... your final say on the matter?" He asked nonchalantly. Uri bit deep into his cheek, trying to calm himself. But it proved to be exceedingly difficult.
"That IS my final say." Uri stated bitterly, the whites of his eyes pink from excess bloodshot. "And if you refuse to listen... Then I have nothing more to say to you."
He pushed past Mako, and refused to look at Mami. He took the stairs three at a time, throwing the door open and slamming it shut behind him. He tried to act as normal as possible as he left, but caught sight of Yuuki's flowers and suddenly he coudln't contain himself anymore.
He fled. Out the building, down the road, and all the way to the Uchiha central estate, where the Konoha Police Station, the shops run by Uchiha clan members, and the house of the Fuji's were located.
He wasted no time knocking, as he'd been outrigt forbidden from doing so, and walked right through the entry hall to the sitting room. Itachi was there, leaning over Sasuke, who was in his cradle and seemed to be chewing on what appeared to be a green dinosaur. Itachi was trying to pull it away from him and replace it with a pacifier.
"You can't eat it." He said just before he noticed Uri, who was staring fixedly at the two boys.
"Looking for father?" Itachi asked casually.
Uri hesitated, choking on his words before giving up and nodding.
"He isn't here." Itachi said quietly. "Mother's in the kitchen."
Uri glanced in the direction of the kitchen before watching the boys for a moment. He went and sat on his knees beside them.
"I told him he could play with it." Itachi explained. "But he keeps trying to eat it, even though he doesn't have any teeth."
Uri laughed through his nose. "He probably doesn't realize he's causing you trouble."
"It's okay if he causes me trouble." Itachi replied.
Uri chuckled. "Really? You don't mind?"
"Father never minds."
Uri blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Father doesn't mind if the Yondaime causes him trouble." Itachi said, making Uri flinch. "Even though the Yondaime likes to tease Father, and Father treats him like a pest. He doesn't really mind. And Father is always helping the Yondaime, even if it causes him trouble."
Uri felt a rain drop hit his hand.
He flinched, remembering he was indoors. As he looked at the back of his raised hand, more drops fell. He blinked, shedding more tears and began sobbing, gripping his knees and bending over so his hair hung perpendicular to his face.
Itachi was unaware that he had a real uncle. One that had died way before he was born. He was killed by Minato's clan. But Fugaku treated Minato like a younger brother. And Itachi had noticed!
What was he doing? Shamefully crying in front of a child like this. Disgraceful!
Uri pressed his fist over his eye.
Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Why? Why was it like this? Why did it have to be this way?
He just wanted to live in peace with everyone. He just wanted to be with these people until the end. To fight for them, and with them, and share joys and sorrows together for as long as he lived was his only dream. Why did something so simple have to feel so impossible?!
He didn't want to lose his family again. The first time should've been enough.
His faith in Mami and Mako was shot. They were corrupt and vile. And he was the only one who knew it. And now, he felt sick and weighed down by an inescapable fate.
Before, he had looked ahead and seen his dream. Now, all he could see was death.
He heard the rustling of blankets and flinched, noticing that Itachi had walked around the tiny cradle to join Uri, holding Sasuke in his arms.
"Want to hold him?" He offered.
Uri looked surprised as tears trailed down his cheeks and dripped from his chin.
"Really?" Uri asked, wondering why he would allow just anyone to hold Sasuke.
"It's fine. Father said both the Yondaime and you could hold him, but I shouldn't let Kushina hold him."
Uri paused to let this sink in, and chuckled lightly.
"That does sound like something he'd say." Uri admitted as he took Sasuke, who had the green dinosaur trapped between his hands.
Uri sniffled and took the much smaller hand in his own. Sasuke stared up at Uri as if to question him, but Uri figured it was fine, since he wouldn't remember this anyway.
Uri felt a hand like cold glass grab his shoulder as Mikoto took a seat on the floor beside him. Who knew when she'd entered the room, but she was still wearing her cooking apron. Regardless, she was staring adoringly at Sasuke.
"Isn't it nice?" She asked. "He's warm. Not like me."
Uri was confused until he realized she was talking about his hand. Yes, it was warm. Completely different from Mikoto's hand, just as he said.
"Why is it like this?" He asked her.
She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but they're always cold. When I was little, I thought it was because of the climate. But when I held Minato's hand, it was warm. When I came here, I was hoping to change, but everyone still told me my hands were cold. All the time. I'm a little jealous."
Uri smiled, trying to scold her. "You shouldn't be jealous of friends. Besides... I like the cold. Fuji does too, right?"
Mikoto smiled and bumped her shoulder against Uri. "Of course he does."
Moments later, Uri stood in the entryway of their small house with Mikoto, who held Sasuke, with her firstborn standing beside her looking at Uri curiously with his held tilted slightly.
Mikoto smiled at him knowingly. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you don't want me to tell Fuji about all that?"
Uri nodded, smiling weakly.
"I don't like keeping secrets from him." Mikoto shook her head sadly. "And it worries me when the three of you try to everything on your own."
"Forgive me, Lady Mikoto." Uri pleaded, blinking sadly.
"Of course I do." Mikoto assured him. "But please promise me you'll ask for help if whatever's happening gets out of hand."
Uri hunched his shoulders. Everything Mako and Mami had said came back to him. His fingers curled into fists.
"Forgive me, Mikoto, but I can't promise that." Uri said.
Mikoto's face fell. She bowed her head, her brow furrowed with worry.
"I see... Did something bad happen?" She asked, before her face suddenly becoming alert. "Is it Kushina? Is she safe?"
"Nee-chan is safe..." He replied. "Please, just keep silent."
He turned to leave, freezing in his steps as he felt Mikoto open her mouth, only to close it. He looked over his shoulder at her.
"Itachi..." She said, turning to look down at him as he looked up at her. She crouched, handed Sasuke to him and they shared a look of silent understanding before the boy headed down the hall. Mikoto waited for the sound of a door closing before standing, turning, and folding her arms over her stomach.
"I'm a mother now." She stated, getting him to turn halfway so as to hear her better. "That was my dream for years. Minato warned us that we needed to worry about Sasuke and Itachi before we worried about you or him or any of our other freinds. But... Everything we went through together still means a lot to me. And anyway, they wouldn't have been born if he hadn't protected me back then..."
She folded her hands over her heart, as was her habit whenever something was causing her some emotional distress. A habit she only allowed around certain people.
Minato had loved his clan, no matter what lines they crossed. He had wanted to do something for them, but ended up betraying them to save her. Mikoto was aware of that, and held herself in contempt for it. His pain was the only thing she would apologize for, otherwise she would not care for the deaths of those people.
"You three are our closest friends." She said. "Minato is a good hokage. Kushina is so strong. And you could give them both a run for their money. But... that doesn't make you invulnerable. So if you need help, please seek out some. Please?"
Uri felt his wrist start to tremble, and swiftly hid it behind his back. He couldn't look away from her. Still, the obvious answer was no. It had to be no. He couldn't make a promise he couldn't keep. No. No. No, no, no...
"Yes." He asked, kicking himself worse than ever. "I will... try."
URI'S POV [KONOHAGAKURE, AROUND EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO; TWO HOURS AFTER LEAVING MIKOTO'S HOUSE]
Minato stood in front of his desk, leaning over it with his hands gripping the edges and his back to Uri. They were alone, which was rare. Someone was almost always with them, be it Fuji, an anbu agent, another friend, a councilor or whoever. Now they were here, in his office, at dusk, and were trying to handle what was best described as a bloodcurdling revelation leading towards a crisis.
"Forgive me." Minato said, causing Uri to straighten up.
"What do you mean?" Uri asked anxiously. "You're not thinking about your family are you? This is my clan's fault! I really... I can't believe..."
"That's not it." Minato shook his head. "I'm just ashamed of myself for not seeing their true nature."
"Well its true that you are a good judge of character, but I know them well." Uri noted with a heavy heart. "Or at least I thought they did. To be able to full everyone the way she did makes Mami the worst kind of enemy."
"You are a good friend, Uri." Minato stated, causing Uri's eyes to pop open. "To be capable of calling her your enemy so quickly. It must mean that you are prepared to go against them for our sake. But I can't let you do that."
Uri turned swiftly on his heel to face him, gaping.
"What are you talking about?!" He asked, raising his upturned palms desperately. "Are you planning on telling Fuji after all?!"
"No. I'm not telling anyone." He clarified.
"Then what are you planning to do?" Uri asked, feeling nauseous once more. "How will you oppose them in a peaceful manner without me? Nee-chan can't help you the way she is now. You can't be planning on taking them on alone?!"
Minato raised his head slowly, allowing Uri to see his reflection in the window. His eyes were steely, and focused on something far away. He seemed completely determined, certain that he could achieve whatever goal he most wanted to reach. It was a good quality in a leader, if not a fatal flaw at times. Yet Minato had the self-control that others lacked.
Uri absolutely hated this part of him right now. He could remember seeing that same expression, many years before. Nee-chan had been crying out for help. She'd had no desire to go to Konoha even as they carried her off. At that time, Uri's uncle, Seto, who had always been a good influence on the twins, was being held back by other clan members. Even so, he'd called out to nee-chan, promising to come and rescue her.
Up until the last time Uri saw him, Seto had had this same expression.
Minato reached across his desk and picked up something, perhaps a letter. It was folded thrice horizontally, with a wrinkled edge to suggest someone had been quite agitated when writing it.
"Don't worry about what I'm going to do." He replied. "I have a mission for you."
Uri was taken aback, as well as outraged. "A mission?! You're sending me away?! Now?! With everything that's happening?!"
Minato gave Uri a wary look. "Will you keep your voice down? Now, listen Uri. I'll only say it once. Clan's who fight against or are betrayed by one of their own usually end up destroying any future they may have."
Uri flinched, remembering that rainy day so long ago when this same freind cut down his own cousins in order to save his own life and three others, including Uri himself.
"My clan is just one example." Minato admitted bitterly. "There were many, many others. Entire cultures were wiped out during the warring states era, and during the time of the Rikudou Sennin. Whole bloodlines ended. Powerful jutsu and medicine were lost. No one was safe. Do you understand? I can't allow you to fight them. Because to let you fight them wouldn't just put you, Mami, and Mako in danger. It would put the entire Uzumaki clan in danger."
Uri grit his teeth, begrudgingly accepting this. Minato was refering to the others, such as his unborn son and Yuuki, who knew nothing about this.
Minato looked at the letter. "I've been staying in touch with Jiraiya-sensei. He says he's found a strange place, located underground. We don't know much about it, only that it's full of skeletons and other strange supplies. He says a medical expert from Uzushio would be of good use there. So I want you to go there and help him investigate it. Find out everyhting you can from what's there. Then report back to me."
Uri blinked, trying to hide some small hope.
"Do I have a deadline?" He asked.
"October Eleventh." Minato replied curtly.
Uri's mouth formed a straight, angry line. That was directly after Kushina's due date. He would completely miss his nephew's birth. He wanted to be there, to protect them. He knew Minato was aware of this. Choosing the day after almost seemed to be some kind of taunt.
"I'm not laughing at you." Minato said, putting the letter down and approaching him. "Please trust me. I DO have a plan. It's just... I know what they are to you. To point your blade at them would be more painful than being cut through the heart. Even if it's selfish, I want to spare you from that."
Minato clapped his hands onto Uri's shoulders.
"Go to Jiraiya-sensei. Investigate this place. And report back to me on October Eleventh. Not any earlier or later."
Uri glanced at the window again, this time seeing the reflection of the picture on Minato's desk. It was an old one, in which four young gennin (Uri, Minato, Fuji, and Kushina) stood in front of Jiraiya-sensei. Everyone was very happy to be together.
Uri looked Minato in the eye.
"Understood."
URI'S POV [YONDAIME'S RESIDENCE; MOMENTS LATER]
Once they reached Kushina, Minato and Uri took turns explaining. Uri started with the many revelations thrown at him by Mako, and Mami's obvious involvment. Naturally, Kushina didn't believe him at first. But Uri swore by them, believing they were the hard truth. Kushina accepted this, though not willingly. Minato tried to keep her as calm as possible as he explained why they weren't telling Fuji. It was too dangerous, he said. Two of the four great clans might clash, he said. Then he explained once more, through numerous interruptions and an endless array of foul language and large, thrown objects why Uri was leaving. Why he wouldn't be with them when Naruto was born. Why this was the best--
"To hell with that!" Kushina snapped, this time throwing a glass dish at Minato, which he avoided with a quick duck.
Kushina sniffled, blinking as she tried to hide the tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.
"This is stupid!" She declared. "Why should Uri have to leave? Dammit! Those guys... I had a feeling something was off. They..." She grit her teeth as a few tears escaped her and trailed down her cheeks as her eyes shook with anger. "They seemed different! I knew that! I just... Didn't want to believe it. I was hoping that feeling would disappear, and then we could all be together. I guess..."
She stopped crying and flushed red as she glared ahead. "I guess they're our enemy."
Minato approached her and took her hand, lacing is fingers through hers. She wouldn't look at him until he leaned down, his expression grim and accepting.
"That's not entirely true." He said. "At least not for you. You were listening, right? I can't allow you to fight them."
"But your enemies are my enemies--" Kushina began.
"In any case," Uri interceded, coming to join them. "I'm leaving now. I just... Wanted to say goodbye. And to tell you to say safe. All three of you."
"You can't be serious!" Kushina shouted. "Mami and Mako lose their minds and you take off? Strategy?! This is running away!"
Minato shook his head. "Your wrong. I do have a--"
"Be quiet!" She whipped her head around to chew him out. "I know that! I trust you! But telling everyone 'I have a plan, just do as I say' is inconsiderate!"
"Fairness has nothing to do with it, nee-chan." Uri countered. "Minato is doing what is best for the village. It's his responsibility."
"I know that too!" Kushina snapped.
Uri's face twisted into one of agitation and annoyance.
"Then why are you being so unreasonable?" He asked, barely managing to keep his voice down.
"Because! We don't know much! We aren't sure of their goal yet!" Kushina explained. "Sending you away means isolating you from the time you leave the village to the time you reach Jiraiya-sensei. You're no weakling, but neither are they. A fight between the two of you won't end well for either side. And if one of you dies, it'll be just like we sacrificed you!"
Uri crossed his arms, frowning while deep in thought. It was true that she had a point. If they ambushed him while he was en route to Jiraiya-sensei, then it would end badly. He might not live to see his nephew, and if one of them used the memory seal they would be able to peek into his mind and learn of nee-chan's pregnancY, as well as her location. Unacceptable. Uri had been unsure of what the veterans in his clan would do if they learned nee-chan was not only married to an "outsider" but pregnant with his child. He had been hoping to deduce said reaction before Naruto's birth, more so, he was hoping they would have accepted or at least tolerated this so everyone could celebrate his birth with them.
But now it was obvious what they would do.
They would go to the ends of the earth to kill Minato, the outsider, nee-chan, the traitor, and Naruto, the half-blood. And Fuji, Mikoto, and everyone else would rather die than let them have their way.
In these turbulent times, an internal crisis could be fatal if not devastating for the entire world.
But Uri could see no way of preventing this. It wasn't as if they could slow Naruto's growth with any jutsu. Something so drastic had never been attempted before, so there was no telling what could happen to him.
Minato had a plan though. And Uri trusted him with his life, nee-chan's, and everything else he held dear.
"It will be okay." He told his sister, who seemed to be overcome with mixed emotions. "I believe in myself. And in you."
He smiled warmly, feeling nostalgic.
"You are different now." He stated. "You were... not a very nice sister. I was the butt of your jokes. You teased, tormented, and taunted me. You were worse than Mami. You were only kind to me when you were tired or bored, though you did beat up everyone who bullied me. Still, you were so full of hot air. After all, you were crying back then."
Kushina flinched, blushing.
"I must apologize to you." Uri said, his expression crestfallen. "I knew back then, when Lady Mito said you 'won' that the prize wasn't desirable. You screamed and called out to me to help you, but I just let them have their way."
Uri noticed Minato turn deathly pale at hearing this.
"I am very proud of you, nee-chan." Uri said, chuckling. "Just as our parents would be. You are strong, like our father, and kind, like our mother. But you just had to," Uri reached around to rustle the hair at the back of his head, "Go and marry this person, who is like a brother to me. It feels incestuous, and makes my stomach turn. But at the same time, anybody else wouldn't be worthy of you. And also, seeing the two of you together, expecting a child who will call me Uncle, makes me very happy. It makes me remember our kind Uncle."
Uri became serious at once as he locked eyes with Kushina.
"If I can prevent him from suffering that same traumatizing experience that I had to, I will die or even go down in history as pure scum." He stated. "Still, in spite of everything that we've been through, and everything we might go through, I... Want to live. I want to live very much, even if I'm alone. I'd prefer not to be though..."
Kushina waited, perhaps expecting to hear more. But she decided at some point that she didn't care and glared at him.
"Are you stupid?!" She screamed, marching forward as if she might tackle him.
Minato stepped in front of her and held her back. "No, Kushina!"
"I didn't ask for any of that!" She screamed, her face flushed yet lacking tears. "Saying all that crap...Don't make me slug you! And mom was strong as well as beautiful! Dad was kind, too! And don't talk as if you could have done anything to keep me there! You were just some weak, tiny, crybaby! You stupid scholar! You're worse than Mikoto!"
Uri looked her in the eye,confused at first. That was until he remembered how she had saved Mikoto from the bullies, earning her respect and freindship. Only...
Lady Mikoto could have taken those bullies. She'd just allowed them to have their way, because she didn't want to fight people from her own village.
Uri smiled, gently pushed Minato aside, and leaned down to hug her. Unsurprisingly, he had never done so before.
Before she could snap out of her shock, he pulled away, turning to grab Minato's shoulder.
"I won't fail you. And I don't doubt you." Uri told him, noticing Minato's clear eyes more than ever. "So... Don't fail me."
A moment passed before Minato smiled calmly back.
The two of them raised their forearms and bumped wrists. Uri turned, stalking off toward the door.
"I will see you again." Uri promised, and stepped out into the night, alone.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
On an unrelated note, this thursday I was looking for the new canon chapter until I remembered... I can't read it anymore. So sad... :T_T: At least the ending was nice. That last chapter kind of threw a wrench into my plans for this fanfic. But I've decided to go with the ending I've had in mind since the beginning.
Since once wouldn't be enough, I shall say it six times (once per chapter, starting now):
THANK YOU FOR READING! :flowers
Now, please enjoy chapter 45.
Edit: rude posts will be reported. Criticism is one thing, hating is another. This is the only warning.
Naruto Fanfic A future Without You
chapter 45: Of Monsters; Uri's story part four
SASUKE'S POV [SECRET SHINOBI PRISON]
I really am tired of this, he thought as he followed the two anbu down a flight of earthen stairs.
There was no telling just how deep into the earth this prison was located... Is what he would have thought had he not come here before. With Jugo and Naruto. At that time, they'd been asked to monitor a certain prisoner for a requisite period of three days. It had been a particularly tense assignment, not because of the cacophony of moans and foul language coming from the majority of prisoners from behind their thick individual iron doors, nor because of the eratic temperatures that were influenced through jutsu in order to cause the inmates' great stress thus reducing their chances of proper chakra control.
No it had been Naruto that had turned what should have been a fairly easy, yet also challenging, mission into a full three days of boiling blood and angry glaring from Sasuke. To put it bluntly, Naruto had done nothing but describe, in more detail than should have been possible, the flavors, filling quality, and superiority of ramen to Jugo who'd apparently never heard of the Godforsaken soup, let alone tasted it.
"You can stop pretending to care." One of the anbu said, causing Sasuke to look up. The masked stranger was looking over his shoulder, sounding resolutely bitter.
It clicked in the back of Sasuke's mind that he had to have been looking down, both literally and in the other sense of the phrase.
What sort of expression had he been using?
"We're fully aware of your character." The anbu continued, facing forward. "Don't forget, one wrong move and you'll be in one of these cells."
Sasuke said nothing. The stupid fool. Pretending he could throw him in a cage, let alone subdue him.
"Why do you want to speak with Hayate?" The anbu asked.
Sasuke raised his eyerows antagonizingly. This man lacked finesse, which should've been a requirement for the anbu.
"He wants to speak with his Mentor's old freind I'm sure." The other anbu stated.
Sasuke remained relaxed. "I don't call that thing a mentor. And its not your job to interrogate me. You just need to lead the way quietly."
"Hmph, shows what you know." The first anbu spat, turning as he came to a stop. "We're already here."
Sasuke looked at the door beside them, scaling it from the top down with his eyes. His pupils zeroed in on a small, closed, poorly carved swirl at the base of the door where Naruto had attempted to sign his name before jumping on the ramen subject.
It would appear these two weren't lying.
"See? He's sympathetic towards one of his own." The second anbu told the first.
Sasuke shot him a cross look as the door was unlocked and pulled open.
"We'll wait here." The pair said smugly.
Sasuke glared at them as he entered, allowing the door to creak shut behind him.
A bright light clicked on, illuminating a small area where a man was bound to a chair with chains and sealing jutsu.
The man was old, decrepit, raggedy, and sickly. His skin clung loosely to his bones, covered in liverspots, moles, and tiny white hairs. His white hair hung in dirty clumps around his bowed, balding head, which he slowly raised with a chuckle.
Under his eyes were numerous grey bags. His skin pulled thin over his lips as he smiled.
"It's been too long... Young man." He greeted with a polite nod.
Sasuke took this without reply.
"You do not look well." Hayate told him gently.
Sasuke blinked laxly before taking the stool opposite him.
"How can you speak?" He asked.
Hayate chuckled weakly. "I was under the impression that I was fairing well."
"Enough of your sarcasm." Sasuke snapped, losing patience.
Hayate smiled as if he were any ordinary old man: kind, patient, peaceful and wise.
"What's wrong, Sasuke?" He asked politely.
Sasuke placed his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his knuckles as he gripped his hands. Without saying anything his eyes began to gleam with something that might have been anger, or stubborness, or hatred.
"I see..." Hayate's eyes dimmed. "You've lost someone else, haven't you?"
"That doesn't matter." Sasuke cut him off. "I'm here because I need to ask you something."
Hayate smiled calmly. "You may ask away."
Sasuke locked eyes with him, his eyes gleaming. "Are you familiar with the Uzumaki clan?"
Hayate's face fell before he slowly nodded.
"In that case, have you met Mami, Mako, or Tsuna?"
Hayate knit his brow, bowing his head sadly. "The young man... the little lady... and the elder gentlemen. Yes I'm familiar with all three."
"I don't need to know how or why you know them." Sasuke said point-blank. "But can you think of anywhere they might hide a group of captive shinobi after declaring war against the five great nations?"
Hayate blinked as he mulled this over.
"A moving room." He answered.
Sasuke knit his brow. "What is that?"
Hayate briefly explained their fundamental nature, leaving Sasuke somewhat impressed. Not that he would ever admit that. Not even on pain of death.
"How many of them are there?" Sasuke asked.
"The clan has been creating them for generations." Hayate answered. "There are hundreds, maybe thousands, so its possible that they're unaware of the movements of most of them. But they all have a pattern of movement. And the clan would use them as hideouts in times of crisis. They're likely keeping an eye on a fair few, and hiding in one of them now."
"I don't have time to hunt these things down." Sasuke stated. "Think. Is there anywhere specific?"
Hayate shrugged with difficulty. "I've been in here too long, Sasuke. I'm not familiar with the world anymore. You'll have to use your intuition. Although, I'll say this: if I were in their position, I would use the one that is largest, and most familiar to them."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the gears in his head turned.
He got to his feet."It has to be there."
Hayate smiled. "I see... Good luck."
Sasuke turned, headed for the door.
"We won't meet again."
Sasuke froze. He could feel Hayate smiling at him, but he had no desire to face him.
"I can tell..." Hayate continued. "I don't have much time left. A few days... maybe a week. Not very long at all. So we won't meet again."
Sasuke blinked. "... And?"
"I just felt I should tell you." The old man sighed through his nose. "Also, I want you to know... That love is energy. It cannot be destroyed. Whatever you lose... it will come back to you, even if you don't recognize it."
"... I don't believe in that..." Sasuke sighed.
"Tell me their name. I can deliver a message for you." Hayate offered.
"No point. You won't be going to where Naruto is." Sasuke replied bluntly. "Your crimes are too great."
All was quiet, and Sasuke believed he had finally silenced the man. Until...
"So it was him. I see... What a waste."
Sasuke shot a death glare over his shoulder as his mangekyo sharingan spun into existance. Hayate remained still, apparently waiting for some form of punishment, which Sasuke wanted desperately to deliver.
How dare he use those words... Saying that in such a greedy tone was pushing it!
And yet... it seemed somewhat pointless. Sasuke had better things to do...
He turned away.
"That way of thinking..." He stated, deactivating his sharingan, "Smiling and sitting there, believing you've done nothing wrong while pretending to be a victim... Is the reason I hate you so very much."
"I was trying to save an entire culture, Sasuke." Hayate said firmly. "And they sent me here for life as a result. I was going to become the cure-all, the savior of innocent people all over the world."
Sasuke placed a hand on the door while passing Hayate a look of disgust.
"I really can't think of anyone less deserving." He stated. "You even put that thing to shame. Don't bother apologizing to them. An apology is useless in your situation. It would only make them angry. You'll die, tormented by fear and begging for time like a coward, and no one will care."
Sasuke cracked the door before being caught by Hayate's words once more:
"I notice you don't wear the leaf headband."
Sasuke froze.
"Your treasured clan's crest is nowhere on your back." Hayate continued. "You aren't wearing Konoha's shinobi uniform either."
Sasuke said nothing, looking to the left passively.
"Your father, mother, and brother are gone." Hayate reminded. "It doesn't matter where you go in this world. You will never see them again. Konoha is no better than Orochimaru or I, Sasuke. The protection of their people is just their excuse for cruelty. Their shinobi put on a play of delusional nobility. Their hokage is nothing more than a sacrificial pawn. The title of hokage is a death sentence, and so is the label of shinobi in general."
Sasuke frowned. It wouldn't be too bad...If this old fool just keeled over right now...
He looked over his shoulder hopefully.
"Despite all that they've done to you, despite your past decisions, it doesn't seem like you're exactly against them."
A moment of silence passed in which the two gazed at each other, contemplating their own nature. Sasuke grudgingly accepted that Hayate had a point. Even so, he wasn't sure why he was this way. His old self would never have shed tears over the death of that clown, or hurried to form a plan to track down Sakura, or felt unease over attacking an enemy, as he now felt.
The only explaination he could come up with that this was how he was now. This was what he wanted to do. There was no set reason, only that this was what he wanted to do, and he would do it with or without clearance.
"I don't need to explain myself to you." He replied. "However, do not go thinking we're the same. I have the will to live. I have a future. You do not."
Sasuke thrust the door open.
"Goodbye, 'doctor.'"
URI'S POV [KUMOGAKURE, PRESENT DAY]
"Mami is a person who holds a grudge against both the Uzumaki clan and Konohagakure." Uri enunciated. "I am unsure of her ultimate goal, however... She most certainly wishes destruction to both sides."
"Why?" Gaara knit his brow. "Does she believe they pose a threat to some larger party, or could cause mass destruction? Is she working for some organization?"
"No." Uri answered sharply. "She isn't like Itachi. Mami's desire for parracide and whole scale slaughter is completely real. And possibly justified."
Mei gaped at him, disgusted. "It sounds like you're saying Naruto deserved this!"
Uri whipped his head up. "Absolutely not. I meant what I said before. Mami is not like Minato or Yuuki. Her heart has been weak from the beginning."
Ay held his hands up in a sort of "hand it over" gesture.
"What are you talking about?" He asked in a demanding tone. "Uzushiogakure was a good place to be born and raised. Didn't you say that before?"
"The Raikage is correct." Mifune agreed. "Before the massacre, it was an epitome of peace and kindness. Regarded as the land of longevity and medicine, it sought allies and was universally respected as one of the most distinguished nations in the shinobi world. The children who were born there were powerful and loyal. She has no reason to resent her own clan, let alone Konoha, which was its closest ally."
Uri regarded them all with a look of light disappointment before leaning back with a heavy sigh.
"How rude." Enoki spat. "Why are you so impatient?"
"Because," Uri glared daggers at them, "Only fools believe in the existance of a PERFECT nation."
All but three were taken aback by Uri's sudden change in attitude, which quickly melted back into a calm exterior. It was neccessary to remain calm in this situation, no matter what irresponsible things they said. Honestly though. As the leaders of the five great nations and the land of iron, one would think they already knew something as simple as THAT.
"You are familiar with a few of our traditions." Uri tilted his head spitefully. "Such as the interclan marriage law which ultimately branded Naruto and others like him as hybrids. There's also the Uzushio resources restriction law, which prevents us from sharing all of the unique medicinal herbs that grow in our homeland. Not to mention the Intelligence Classification Containment, which states we're not allowed to share certain historical events with outsiders, specifically because we erased them with the memory seal. There are thousands more. Laws put in place by our ancestors, justified by our parents and elders as a means of 'protecting the clan,' 'protecting the world,' 'preserving the greater good,' and so on. If we broke any of these laws, the punishments were so severe that it makes me want vomit just thinking about them. True, these punishments became less severe as time passed, but make no mistake. The Uzumaki are, traditionally, savages. Monsters that consume peace, not promote it."
Mei looked quite pale as a bead of sweat traveled from her hair line to her jaw. Tsunade seemed to be in a bit of pain while the men wore grim, knowing expressions.
"I was aware of all this even when I was a child." Uri laced his fingers together and rested his hands between his knees. "I admit to being quite observant. I noticed that there were shadows in my land. Shadows so tall they made everything that glittered about my childhood seem gold-plated. Contaminated exports, suspicious guests, freinds that suddenly disappeared one day and were never spoken of again. On top of that, there was the nature of the senseis. They were very strict, to put it delicately. They pushed us so hard that a few children died of exhaustion. Some were reduced to shivering, unstable, frightened husks of their former selves. Most of the time, it felt like dog obediance lessons rather than ninja training. There were many there who held contempt towards the system and were consumed with turmoil and animosity towards our leaders. Mami is the personification of those feelings."
Uri bit the inside of his cheek as his eyes gleamed, remembering a peaceful time long ago.
MAMI! PLAY WITH US! WE'RE FREE RIGHT NOW, YA KNOW?!
HAHAHA... OKAY, WHAT SHALL WE PLAY?
URI-PINIATA!
HAHAHA...
He smiled wistfully.
"Mami was originally a normal girl..." Uri began. "She is from my grandfather's generation, and was his classmate, so he witnessed her ordeal. He was the one to tell me everything."
Enoki made a face at that. "You mean she's older than the slug princess?"
Tsunade made a threatening expression at him.
"The last chief of the Uzumaki came from the same generation as the first hokage." Mifune clarified. "So she's older than you as well, Tsuchikage."
Uri smiled. "Yes, but in spite of that, she still looks as she did over forty years ago, when she used to hold Nee-chan and I in her lap. I thought she was beautiful and wonderful, and greatly admired her. She was a close freind of our father's and achieved many remarkable things. The children of my generation viewed her as a hero and held her in high esteem." He unlaced his fingers and raised one hand, placing his palm over his eyes. "But we were ignorant, stupid fools. When I think back on our behaviour it makes me ill." He said, gripping his temple.
He paused, taking a moment to compose himself before continuing.
"Originally, our clan was fairly large... We had around fifty-three lines beneath the main line, or the chief's family. Each line had around ten to twelve members, excluding the chiefs family which usually had five to six. Mami was born the third daughter of the seventh line. She was, originally, a normal child. She had friends and siblings and parents who loved her. As most of our children did, she trusted everyone and invested an immeasurable amount of faith in them, believing them to be kind."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "So what changed?"
"Everything." Uri answered. "Her world was turned upside down at the tender age of three. Everything she believed in was proven false. Her faith was crushed, her heart bashed in, and all of her begging and pleading and tears were ignored. And it was all because of a simple accident, which should've been forgotten a long time ago."
Uri shut his eyes, remembering the scenery before describing it.
"In our village, near my old house, there's a waterfall that pours into a lily pond. It's considered sacred to this very day. Unlike with the rest of our people, who are sealed into the sacred tree after death, our chiefs are cremated and their ashes are poured into the water. It is said that the blood of those they loved, and lost, is what dyed the water red. It is truly sacred, and is appropriately named the Sacred Waterfall. However, it is different from the Sacred Tree."
Tsunade pursed her lips at this. "How?"
"The Sacred Tree can be approached by anyone. So long as it wasn't damaged, we didn't care who went near it." Uri explained. "However, the waterfall is different. No one but the chief could approach it, and only to pour the ashes of the previous chief into the water. Standing within its vicinity was taboo. Looking at your reflection on the water's surface was absolutely unforgivable. Falling in... Was met with a special kind of punishment."
Gaara knit his brow. "... Falling in?"
"Mami was three-years-old." Uri continued in a grave tone. "She didn't fully understand our laws then. So she didn't know she wasn't suposed to go near the pretty waterfall, with its lily pads and shimmering scarlet water. She didn't know the gravel at the edge of the lily pond was loose. She lost her footing, and was forced under by the cascading falls. She also didn't know how to swim, not that it would do her much good. To make matters worse, no one tried to save her. Her parents, her siblings, her freinds, her teachers... Everyone just stood by and accepted what was happening. In fact, they were probably hoping she would drown. They would have believed it was a fitting
punishment."
"You must be joking!" Mei snapped, looking infuriated. "She was a little girl!"
"It didn't matter." Uri replied sadly. "She could have been an infant. Her fate would have been the same."
"The same?" Kakashi asked, looking as concerned as the rest of them.
"Mami was clever, and strong-willed." Uri continued. "Not wanting to die, she clawed her way up the jagged pond wall and escaped. When she resurfaced, she was shaking from the cold and her own relief. She expected her family to rush forward and hold her in their arms. However, they, and everyone else, turned their backs on her. They left her there, and went on about their day. When she tried to approach them, she was kicked or slapped aside. When she cried and begged for people to look at her, to help her, they threw rocks or outright ignored her. She was no longer allowed inside anyones homes, or the libraries. The hospital and shops were off limits as well, not that she had any money. She was also expelled from the school, which should've ended her career as a kunoichi. She was driven out of the village by the pure antipathy of our clan members, and was forced to live in the forest, where she was attacked by one of the beasts. Unable to treat her wounds, they healed in a way that left her face and body warped and scarred. Our people called her a monster and claimed she was contaminated with a horribly contagious fatal disease in order to fool the young children who didn't understand."
Uri's arms were shaking, so he lowered them and began rubbing one of his forearms slowly.
"One day, she disappeared into the forest and didn't return." He continued. "Her story became a legend that the sensei and elders used to scare children into behaving. Some believed she died, others thought she was spirited away. No one missed her. No one cared."
Well, ALMOST no one. But he couldn't tell them that...
"Two decades passed, and my parent's generation was born. My Uncle Seto was distant, yet a loyal soldier who respected his father. My father, Kazao was much kinder and more sociable. They were the pride of our clan.
"Like most others in the main line, both my father and uncle were betrothed to another of our clan at birth. My parents grew to genuinely love each other after they were married, but before that they were unsure of their relationship and their parents forced them together all the time. That is how they found her. They were playing one day, at the edge of the forest, when she returned.
"Mami had been a five year old when she disappeared. When she reappeared, she looked to be the same age my parents were at that time: seven. On top of that, her scars were gone. A long life-span and unusually youthful appearance isn't unusual in our clan. Some of our members can live to be over two hundred years old, but still look as young as thirty. However, people could feel this was a different case. Entirely different. Though no one has been able to explain it.
"But her appearance was the least of their worries. As soon as she returned, even though she was the size of a child, horrible incidents began to occur..."
"What kind of incidents?" Mifune prompted, seeming to brace himself.
Uri gripped his arm. "Houses burning down with the sick or young still inside them. Walls covered in words that were written in blood. People randomly disappearing one day, and their severed body parts being found all around the village not an hour later. Children strangling themselves. Crops and water reservoirs being sabotaged or poisoned. Curse seals placed all around the Sacred Waterfall. People suddenly falling ill, with our skilled medics being unable to save them. Councilers, advisors, elders, and others dropping dead without any explaination at all. The list goes on..."
"Are you sure all this was Mami's doing?" Gaara asked, skeptical. "It doesn't sound like jutsu. More like witchcraft. Which is impossible."
"We Uzumaki can seal nearly anything." Uri said grimly. "For example, if you place a foreign object in someone's body using the ripple seal, and place a time consuming seal on the object, and program the seals formula to react in a set amount of time, then you can make it look as if they drop dead for no reason. If you seal illness into a person with a formula only you can remove, no treatment of medicine will save them. There are rational explainations for the other incidents. But even the most intelligent people don't use their brains when they're overcome with fear.
"So it was that they began to call Mami a witch. On top of that, she wasn't a little girl anymore. Not really. She no longer feared anyone. She walked in and out of the places that should have been forbidden to her. She resumed her school lessons of her own volition, and no one elses. No one dared to defy her. The tables had turned. THEY feared HER now. Her will was obeyed, her wishes granted. However, there was one who was unafraid of Mami."
Uri smiled warmly. "My father. Uzumaki Kazao. As I already mentioned, he was very sociable. On top of that, he was fearless and kind. He knew what had to be done for the sake of our village, our people, and Mami herself. These incidents had to stop, or everything could be detroyed. So he approached her, and offered his hand. The result was unfavorable, but he never let up. He and my mother followed Mami around like ducklings, unafraid anc curious. They were always behind her. Eventually Mami was so annoyed by them that all of her pain and anger and sadness began to drift away. Slowly, she turned back into a normal girl.
"Our clan's fear of her wavered, and faded. They saw her acting like a normal child, and began to feel shame, guilt. However, they made excuses for their past actions and denied Mami any justice."
"Fools." Gaara remarked, earning a wary look from Enoki.
"Now Kazekage, I hope you're not thinking of your own past experiences." He said with an air of skepticism.
Gaara looked slowly to the left. "I won't deny that it does come to mind. But that isn't what I meant. They believed she had no say in the matter. That she couldn't challenge them. They decided to bury the past without really taking her, the one who had been wronged the most, into account. To just pretend as if they had done nothing wrong, and go on with their lives, was a huge mistake."
Uri nodded. "Exactly. It was more than likely the gravest mistake they made. However, the worst was still yet to come. The council didn't trust Mami. Time passed, my parent's married, and nee-chan and I were born. As a freind of our parents, Mami was always near. Her prescence in our village was a nightime comfort during uneasy times. She would hold us in her lap as if we were her own. For a short time, we lived in peace, sharing a happiness that I have never forgotten. However, then a great conflict broke out. The third great ninja war. Many of our best and brightest were sent outside our land to help Konoha in their war effort. However, that isn't where Mami went. The council decided to use the war as an opportunity to get rid of her."
Mei tensed. "Get rid of her?"
"By threatening to start sending the children, my sister and I specifically, to the front lines. My grandfather had been against it, but it really was a desperate situation. In order to protect us, Mami volunteered to go in our place."
Ay held his hands up. "Hold on! She hated them. Wouldn't she have just killed them?"
Uri shrugged. "Perhaps. It would've been a good chance for revenge. However it wasn't that simple. There were people who loved her, who cared if she died. That was her dream, and it had become reality. If she caused trouble, it would endanger those she was trying to protect. And more than that... I believe she was afraid. Even if she beleived killing them would be efficient, if we saw it as repugnant then there was no point."
"So... What happened after that?" Enoki asked.
"She left the village." Uri ran his fingers through his hair stressfully. "Three weeks later, I was told she had been betrayed by one of our benefactors, and nee-chan and I could only cry all night over it. Then our clan was massacred, and I believed for the longest time that nee-chan and I were the sole survivors.
"I never let myself believe they could be alive. But they were. Still, even if we were happy to see them, Konoha village was not. It wasn't completely their fault, given the era.
"Mami and Mako arranged a deal with the third hokage: in exchange for protection and hospitality, the village could keep my clan under surveillance. They claimed to have been lacking the resources needed to continue hiding underground, and had attracted powerful enemies. After losing so many, our clan was reduced to a mere eighty people. Mako agreed to Konoha's terms of keeping the clan within one area of the village, and in exchange they swore loyalty to the senju clan.
"Mami had done much for our people during those dark times. She had gained influence, and was ultimately able to bend some of our laws without incurring. As a result, we began to share our secrets with Konoha. We put up an invincible barrier, powered by the chakra of twenty of our clan members positioned along the village wall.
"This barrier became a pillar of strength to Konoha. Not only did it provide a more secure defense, it boosted moral and gave the people peace of mind. It was the prime instigator of trust between my clan and Konoha. This along with the low death rates thanks to our medical knowledge allowed us to bond with the people. We were entrusted with missions that were successful in turning the tides of war. By uniting with the other three great ninja clans, we were able to improve the ninja tools, intelligence network, bingo books, and more."
"It sounds as if things went well for all of you." Enoki commented.
"Yes, and if you don't mind me asking, how does what happened to Minato and Fugaku have anything to do with this?" Mei asked, holding her hands up. "I mean, it's clear they were important to you, and you wanted to protect them at any cost, and failed to, but it seems like added information to me."
"No." Uri shook his head. "You're wrong. It has everything to do with why things are the way they are now. Do you really think I'd waste all this time, digging through what are now painful memories, just to make you understand my own personal relationships?"
Mei opened her mouth to say something, only to withdraw and slowly purse her lips in confusion.
"I met them." Uri shut his eyes. "We were together. But it wouldn't have happened if not for Mami. I wonder... If I had known the truth sooner could I have been able to stop that tragedy?"
"What do you mean?" Enokii asked. "A tragedy occured?"
"Yes, like I said, you do not remember thanks to our interference." Uri reminded. "But... let's see... Yes that was probably where it started..."
Uri knit his brow. "That was a difficult time for us. We had grown older, and stronger. By that time, Minato and nee-chan had already married in secret, and Itachi was nearly four years old. Minato had accomplished his goal of becoming the hokage, so Lord Hiruzen was in retirement. Yuuki, who was mine and nee-chan's childhood friend, had grown close to Minato, and was very fond of the Uchiha clan. We were winning the war, and were enjoying ourselves quite a bit. Nee-chan had already discovered her pregnancy well in advance to that situation and was about two months and eighteen days shy of Naruto's birthday. We had attempted to keep this a secret from Fuji and Mikoto in order to protect them, but they didn't buy the story of nee-chan having fallen ill, and came to visit her. The truth came out. So by that time we were all on the same page..."
"'That time'?" Ay asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Quit beating around the bush and get to the point. What was wrong?"
Uri's face went blank. "Very well. I'll be blunt. Sasuke was ill."
The gokage, minus Tsunade, and Mifune looked taken aback. They shared looks of shock and turned back to face Uri, who was poker faced.
"I know it's hard for you to believe." He said understably. "But as soon as he was born, he fell sick. He wasn't particularly small, and had been very strong while in the womb. Lady Mikoto and Fuji had been very careful, just like other parents. We were oblivious to what had gone wrong. And although Sasuke was being cared for by the best medics of my clan, it was a disease they were unfamiliar with. So they didn't know how to treat it, cure it, or slow it down. He was strong enough to endure it for the first ten days of his life, but it was clear we were running out of time. Lady Mikoto was still recuperating and was battling stress and anxiety. Fuji had held himself together so well he was beginning to unravel. We could barely stand to watch. And Minato, who had always had this way of knowing exactly what to do and exactly what to say, was at a complete LOSS. That, more than anything, seemed to stand out in my mind. I was fully aware that this was a grave situation indeed. And on top of that, I personally didn't want to see him die. Back then, he was innocent, and small, and helpless. It reminded me of the other children from Fuji's and Hiashi's clan, whom had been kidnapped, mutilated, and displayed in front of Yuukigakure. I think Minato felt the same, because he himself was beginning to unravel as well."
Tsunade tensed. "That's it!"
Everyone looked at her as if she were crazy. She settled and cleared her throat.
"Back then, when I was away from the village, Jiraiya kept me up to date on what was going on in the village." She explained. "Around eighteen years ago he mentioned something about Minato seeming restless. I guess this must be why."
"Does that mean Jiraiya didn't know what was going on with Sasuke?" Gaara asked.
"We were trying to keep it hushed up in order to protect him." Uri explained. "Very few people knew about it."
Gaara seemed to take this in stride. "I see..."
"Putting that aside, I did figure out a solution." Uri stated, gripping his knees. "Although it came with great risk, which I wouldn't have minded if it hadn't involved putting Naruto in danger."
Tsunade whipped her head around to gape at him. "Hold on! What do you mean?"
"Like I already said, Sasuke is only two months and eighteen days older than Naruto." Uri froze, counting on his fingers for a moment. "Actually, two months, eighteen days, four hours, six minutes and thirteen seconds."
Enoki frowned. "Okay,sure, whatever. What did you decided to do?"
"I decided to break one of our most sacred laws." Uri answered. "Really, we value it
more than any other, even the interclan marriage law. That's why, to this day it still holds. And that is the law that forbids us from leading outsiders to the motherland. Although it applies to all clan members, the only ones who have the ability to break it are the genuine heirs, whom are recognized by Kairi, the sacred tree. They are the first born children of each generation of the main line."
"So... Seto, Kushina, and Naruto." Mei said as she counted them out on her fingers.
"Yes." Uri nodded. "My idea was to go to Uzushio and gather the herbs that are unique to that location in order to make the medicine that would save Sasuke's life. However, there was only one entrance, and only the heir can open it. And that was nee-chan, who was pregnant with Naruto. When I went to her, she immediately agreed that we should go through with it, so we got Fuji and went to persuade Minato. This was... difficult. Minato hesitated becuase he didn't want to endanger his own child. Fuji seemed to understand this, so his only choice was to stay silent while Minato struggled. It was nee-chan who finally persuaded him to allow it."
Mei was astounded. "How on earth did she do that?"
"She simply reminded him that Fuji and Mikoto were our friends." Uri replied. "And that we couldn't trade one child for another. And she theorized that since Naruto and Sasuke would be classmates one day, Naruto probably wouldn't mind risking his life for him."
A moment passed as the group seemed to begrudgingly accept this. Uri noted that NO ONE was alright, try as they might to behave normally. Of course he had no right to talk.
"We made it to Uzushio and back to the village with the herbs." Uri continued. "We used them to heal Sasuke, and Fuji was able to enjoy a peaceful life with his family once more. But it came with a price. I've never regretted saving Sasuke, but still. That price was too high..."
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
URI'S POV [KONOHAGAKURE, EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO; UZUMAKI CLAN MASSACRE VICTIMS' MEMORIAL BUILDING]
"Thank you for accompanying me, Uri."
He smiled awkwardly at Yuuki. "Again with this? I already told you thanks isn't neccessary. Letting you go alone would be rude."
She giggled at him as a pair of children ran around them after a stray cat. Uri noticed that it was a particularly noisy day. He could hear what one might call a "lover's quarrel" going on inside the nearest house; apparently some poor woman's husband had been off flirting with beautiful young girl's again. Nearby, the owner of a restaurant was chewing out a young shinobi who'd come up short on the money for the bill. A pair of young brothers were fighting over a new pair of toy shuriken. Overhead, a few messenger hawks flew towards the hokage building, bringing news of the war.
Yuuki watched them in earnest, cradling a bouqet of red flowers as they stood outside the entrance to the Uzumaki Massacre memorial building, which was only recently finished. It stood tall, and resembled the chief's house, which wasn't unlike a temple. Above the sliding doors, a large metal plate was sealed into place. It contained the names of those lost, or at least everyone who was confirmed dead. Quite a few of them were still missing, and their pictures could be found inside along with flowers and letters from their immediate family or friends.
A light breeze made the weather vane atop one of of the restaurants spin like crazy and lifted Yuuki's long, braided hair.
She reached around to stop it from getting in Uri's face and climbed the stone steps to pass through the memorial's doors. He followed her to the pictures, which were held to the wall using either jutsu or normal means like tape, or they sat on the ground in frames.
Uri watched as Yuuki placed the flowers as close as possible to a picture of a young couple, who like all the others, were smiling up at Uri, unaware of their fate.
Yuuki sat on her knees, looking wistfully at her departed parents.
Uri placed his hand on Yuuki's head, causing her to look up at him.
"Please don't take it out on yourself." He said with a smile. "I'm sure they're very proud of you."
Yuuki straightened up and nodded.
She was very strong. With what she'd been through, it wouldn't be unreasonable of her to die if she wanted to. But he was very happy she'd decided to live.
"Uri."
Both of them turned to face the voice that was all too familiar. Mako and Mami had entered the Memorial Building shortly after they did. As usual, Uri's former teacher was looking serious while Mami was cheerful and smiling as if to tease them.
Yuuki got to her feet. "Lord Mako. Milady. I thought you were away from the village on some private business."
Mami launched herself at Yuuki. Despite being much older than her, she was much shorter as well. If Uri didn't know them as well as he did, he would have thought he was looking at a veteran fighter who was currently being hugged by a little girl.
Mami poked her head up without loosening her grip on Yuuki, who was blushing as usual.
"Hello, little Yuuki! You got even prettier while I was gone!" She beamed charmingly. "We just got back! Are you two free? We should go for tea or something, since we've been busy for so long!"
Mako reached over and grabbed the top of her head, dragging her away from Yuuki who was trying to regain her composure while leaning slightly on Uri's shoulder.
"Can't you stop that?" Mako asked, annoyed. "We came here to discuss something of grave importance and here you are, acting like they're children who will hop in your lap if you call them 'cute.' Yuuki is a warrior. You shouldn't treat her like a woman."
Yuuki seemed to take this in stride while Uri frowned at Mako.
Mami turned under Mako's grip and poked him in the chest.
"But out, you stick in the mud! I'll do as I please!" She remarked.
"Ummm..." Uri faltered. "What's this about? I actually have somewhere to be, so if you don't mind--"
"You've got nowhere to be because I'm here to talk to YOU, Uri." Mako cut him off with a glare.
Uri was taken aback. Yuuki knit her brow at Mako and glanced back and forth between him and Uri.
"Yuuki, you're dismissed." Mako told her, as if that settled things.
Uri gaped. "Wait, Yuuki came here to visit her family. If you have something to discuss with me, we can go somewhere else--"
"You can't visit the ROTTING." Mako stated bluntly. "I've dismissed her, so she needs to go now."
Uri's jaw dropped, outraged. "Master! What's wrong with you?!"
"It's alright, Uri." Yuuki interrupted, holding one hand up. "I actually have somewhere to be as well. So, if you'll excuse me."
Uri watched in shock as Yuuki passed Mami and Mako by.
Uri reached out to her but felt himself be dragged away by the wrist before he could react. Mami pulled him down the temple hall to the basement door. They descended the steps quickly, with Mami in front of Uri and Mako behind him.
He went over in his head why this could be happening and came to an immediate conclusion. But if that were the case, then he needed to come up with an alibi, now.
They reached the basement floor and Mami finally released him. Uri backed away from her and Mako, trying his best to look rightfully angry.
"What is this about?" He asked in a demanding tone. "You better have a good reason for speaking to her that way, Master. I thought you were better than this."
"Silence, traitor." Mako snapped, his eyes lit up with anger. "That is no tone to take with us, your betters. I'm the one who's demanding an explaination. And depending on how you deliver it, I might just capture you here."
Uri's blood ran cold as he stared at Mako. What on earth was he HEARING? Why was Mako looking at him like that? And what was this pain in the pit of his gut?
Something in him was telling him to run.
"One week ago, you disappeared for two days." Mako began, picking a marble up off the floor and rolling it between his thumb and index finger. "When you returned, you claimed to have been with Kushina. However, Tomoya reported seeing you appear via one of Minato's flying raijin seals which we all know you can manipulate. On top of that, Fugaku Uchiha and another cloaked individual was with you. If you were within the village the entire time, it should have been unneccesary to use the seals."
Uri crossed his arms. "Are you finished? If that's really all, I'm insulted. You insult my friend, call me a traitor, and drag me down here on what WAS a nice day. This is eye-opening. To think you have such little trust in me, MAKO."
Mako allowed the marble to roll into his upturned palm, where he turned it around with his chakra.
"I wish I could trust you." He said, making Uri narrow his eyes at him. "If you weren't hanging around him, then maybe I could. But given where we are, I have to be prepared for the worst."
Uri arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I thought you respected Minato and Fugaku. And Konoha has been good to us all these years!"
"It's obvious they trust us, seeing how they've ceased their surveillance." Mako stated. "But in light of recently revealed information, I am no longer able to believe in them. They've fallen far. This is no longer the village that Hashirama built. It's a clump of pretencious, paranoid individuals with superiority complexes. I believed we could still be allies, but all they did was hide their crimes in the shadows. Truthfully, it's no different from our home."
Uri tensed. "What are you... I don't..."
Mako explained, briefly yet in detail, the injustice the Uzumaki clan had commited towards Mami. When it was over, Uri stood in shock, feeling cold and sick down to his bone marrow.
"That's... That can't be..." Uri stuttered. "That was just a story meant to scare children into behaving. It wasn't real. It wasn't about MAMI. It--"
"Be quiet." Mako ordered while Mami let her bangs shield her eyes as she smiled bitterly. "You shouldn't speak out of ignorance. Do not make me repeat myself. It isn't a fable. It's history. And it's the best proof we have that our village's destruction was a result of bad karma."
Uri shivered. "No, that can't be. They didn't... Deserve that..."
In his minds eye, he saw his dead mother on the floor of Kushina's bedroom. His father stood above her, murdered by his grandfather.
Uri placed a hand over his mouth and backed into the wall, his head bowed.
"I'm going to be sick..." He muttered.
Either Mako didn't care or didn't hear this. Regardless, he carried on.
"Moving on, I asked Tomoya to do a little digging, and we came across something disturbing." Mako sighed through his nose. "Apparently the yondaime, your good FRIEND, and the beloved hero of this village, wasn't even born here. He's a flesh and blood Namikaze, which contradicts that story we heard when we first came here. That clan is made up of nothing but merciless savages. I believe his kind and wise nature is nothing more than a facade. He's probaly a thousand times worse than his father."
A cold fist closed around Uri's heart.
SOMETIMES I FEEL AS IF I'M LACKING SOMETHING IMPORTANT...
"MAKO!"
Uri threw himself at his former teacher, grabbing Mako by the shoulders and slamming him into the wall.
"Take it back! Take it back! Take it back!" He demanded, repeatedly slamming Mako into the wal with every sentence. "Never insult Minato in front of me, not EVER! I demand you beg forgiveness, right this instant! Right now, dammit! Apologize now, before I cut your throat!"
Uri was sent flying back into the opposite wall, hitting it with a loud cracking sound that echoed off the walls as he slid to the ground with a goan. He curled in on himself, gripping his torso. He counted at least two broken ribs.
Mako stood over him like an insurmountable wall. Uri glared up at him with one eye.
"I thought I told you not to speak to me that way, boy." Mako glowered down at him as Uri pushed himself up. "Your loyalty to your freinds would be admirable, if the person you're defending wasn't the grandson of the man that killed one of our previous Uzumaki chiefs in battle."
Uri leaned against the wall with one arm encircling his torso. He eyed Mako with a mixture of physical pain and anger.
"'A battle between shinobi... Is a fight to the death'... Isn't that what you believe?" Uri pointed out, remembering a lesson from long ago. "That incident... Was years before Minato was born! It has nothing to do with him!"
Mako crouched in front of Uri, his expression grim.
"'Time is an illusion.'" Mako stated. "Many people believe that. I am not one of them."
Uri stared at Mako curiously.
"We of the Uzumaki are gifted with extraordinarily long life spans, so the rules of time and age are different for us." Mako placed his chin on his raised fist. "But that incident is still fresh in our minds. Even if it happened before he was born, I can't exactly forgive him."
"There's nothing to forgive!" Uri spat. "Like I said, it has nothing to do with him! My grandfather betrayed our clan and murdered everyone, even infants and unborn babies! Are you going to blame ME for that?! Or nee-chan?! I can't believe this is the kind of man you turned out to be! I thought you were better than this!"
"Don't preach as if you're better than me." Mako narrowed his eyes hatefully.
Uri's eyes were wide and bloodshot from rage. "I won't pretend to be better than you! But Minato is! He puts you to shame! He's worth a thousand of you put together!"
Uri propped himself up by pushing on the wall. He locked eyes with Mako, who looked as if he might have been plotting to kill him.
"I do not blame you for our prevoius chiefs actions because he was weak-minded and easily influenced." Mako informed him, making Uri's anger melt away to become confusion.
"'Easily influenced?'" He repeated.
"Yes." Mako nodded with an air of nonchalance. "Maybe you didn't notice it, since you were still a child, but no one wanted to give Kushina to Konoha. Lady Mito and the chief refused to explain why she needed to be sent away, so we held them in contempt. Mami alone was brave enough to voice the thoughts everyone was thinking. She whispered dark words in his ears in order for guilt and hate to grow in his heart. One would think that he had the strength to take the truth, but it would appear he was less than worthy."
Uri's face had fallen into one of shock and deep pain. He clamped his teeth together and tried to squeeze his eyes shut, but tears had already begun to pour from his eyes.
"That's not true... You're lying." He said through gritted teeth.
"It's completely true."
Uri flinched, his eyes widening in horror.
"I said, it's completely true." Mami admitted with a light chuckle, followed by an evil smile that stretched from ear to ear. "He was one of the 'friends' that betrayed me, so I really didn't mind bashing his heart in."
Uri's head dropped slowly, frowning as he gulped back as many tears as he could manage. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to force the memories, the good times, away.
But they came back to him anyway. Days he spent as an ignorant child, playing together with nee-chan and Mami. Mami was cheerful, and would rush to hug his mother, father, grandfather, Yuuki, or anyone within five feet of her. She told funny stories, and participated far too often in Kushina's pranks and antics. She gossiped, telling grandfather all sense of illogical and impossible things that he would blow off while also apreciating greatly. She loved to ambush Uri, tickling him until he nearly died of laughter. She'd tease and scare him for good measure, laughing from the bottom of her heart when he got angry with her.
Uri's fingers curled into fists and he whipped his head up, meeting Mako eye for eye.
"What kind of sick joke is this?" He asked, caught between fury and heartbreak. "How are you alright with this? How can you say it so casually? How?!"
Mako sighed impatiently. "Do stop whining. I'm not the man you used to train with. He and I are completely different people. Having ones wife and daughters murdered by a man one respected changes a person. Not that you would know anything about that. Nearly all of your freinds have children now. Meanwhile, the woman you loved chose another man."
Uri stared back at Mako. He remembered Yuuki, placing the flowers for her parents in the memorial.
"You're wrong." He said with a tone of finality.
Mako stared back at him, not seeming to care.
Uri groaned as he got to his feet, forcing himself to stand upright instead of leaning on the wall.
"I didn't lie! I was with nee-chan all last week." He declared, which WASN'T a lie. "And Minato IS better than you, BOTH of you. And now that I'm aware of you're true nature, and how suspicious you are of our hokage, I WILL be reporting you. But before I go, i want to know you're intentions!"
Mako sighed haughtily. "You're so noisy. My intentions are obvious. I came to ask about your loyalties. If this is your answer, then we have a problem. I was hoping you would have inherited Seto's will, but it seems you've been brainwashed."
"I'm completely sane!" Uri countered. "It's you two who aren't in their right minds!"
Uri and Mako stared each other down, each of them possessing an incredible resolve.
No one was going to win this battle of wills, at least not here.
"Did you lead outsiders to our homeland?" Mako asked.
"No, I didn't." Uri stated. Fuji and Minato were like his brothers. Calling them outsiders was like calling the sun the moon. "And what are you planning to do? Get to the point!"
"Again, you forget yourself." Mako said curtly. "I can't accept a monster as my leader. And if you and Kushina are going to take his side, then the two of you are no longer apart of our clan. This is a village of monsters. I will pay tribute to the poor first hokage in any way I can. I will even deliver you and the ex-heiress to him along with Minato."
Uri's blood ran cold. His face contorted with rage, as he grit his teeth.
These two...
"You would actually threaten my sister?" Uri asked, breathing shakily as his blood pressure rose to dangerous heights.
He clenched his fists, bruising his palms with his fingertips.
"MY SISTER IS ONE OF THE SINGLE HUMAN BEINGS... IN A CLAN FULL OF MONSTERS!" He declared. "IF EVERYTHING YOU SAY IS TRUE, THEN EVERYTHING I KNEW ABOUT OUR CLAN WAS A LIE! WHAT'S THE POINT IN UPHOLDING TRADITIONS IF IT MEANS BEING BOUND BY AN INEXPLICABLE SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T EVEN PROTECT THE PEOPLE?! YOU TWO ARE NOTHING MORE THAN SELFISH, COWARDLY, DEVIOUS, MANIPULATIVE WORMS!"
He breathed heavily, eyeing Mako with more hatred in his heart than he was comfortable with. But it was a cross he would be willing to bear, if he could force these two to hear his words.
But infuriatingly, Mako simply shut his eyes, as if he were enjoying a gentle breeze.
"This is... your final say on the matter?" He asked nonchalantly. Uri bit deep into his cheek, trying to calm himself. But it proved to be exceedingly difficult.
"That IS my final say." Uri stated bitterly, the whites of his eyes pink from excess bloodshot. "And if you refuse to listen... Then I have nothing more to say to you."
He pushed past Mako, and refused to look at Mami. He took the stairs three at a time, throwing the door open and slamming it shut behind him. He tried to act as normal as possible as he left, but caught sight of Yuuki's flowers and suddenly he coudln't contain himself anymore.
He fled. Out the building, down the road, and all the way to the Uchiha central estate, where the Konoha Police Station, the shops run by Uchiha clan members, and the house of the Fuji's were located.
He wasted no time knocking, as he'd been outrigt forbidden from doing so, and walked right through the entry hall to the sitting room. Itachi was there, leaning over Sasuke, who was in his cradle and seemed to be chewing on what appeared to be a green dinosaur. Itachi was trying to pull it away from him and replace it with a pacifier.
"You can't eat it." He said just before he noticed Uri, who was staring fixedly at the two boys.
"Looking for father?" Itachi asked casually.
Uri hesitated, choking on his words before giving up and nodding.
"He isn't here." Itachi said quietly. "Mother's in the kitchen."
Uri glanced in the direction of the kitchen before watching the boys for a moment. He went and sat on his knees beside them.
"I told him he could play with it." Itachi explained. "But he keeps trying to eat it, even though he doesn't have any teeth."
Uri laughed through his nose. "He probably doesn't realize he's causing you trouble."
"It's okay if he causes me trouble." Itachi replied.
Uri chuckled. "Really? You don't mind?"
"Father never minds."
Uri blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Father doesn't mind if the Yondaime causes him trouble." Itachi said, making Uri flinch. "Even though the Yondaime likes to tease Father, and Father treats him like a pest. He doesn't really mind. And Father is always helping the Yondaime, even if it causes him trouble."
Uri felt a rain drop hit his hand.
He flinched, remembering he was indoors. As he looked at the back of his raised hand, more drops fell. He blinked, shedding more tears and began sobbing, gripping his knees and bending over so his hair hung perpendicular to his face.
Itachi was unaware that he had a real uncle. One that had died way before he was born. He was killed by Minato's clan. But Fugaku treated Minato like a younger brother. And Itachi had noticed!
What was he doing? Shamefully crying in front of a child like this. Disgraceful!
Uri pressed his fist over his eye.
Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Why? Why was it like this? Why did it have to be this way?
He just wanted to live in peace with everyone. He just wanted to be with these people until the end. To fight for them, and with them, and share joys and sorrows together for as long as he lived was his only dream. Why did something so simple have to feel so impossible?!
He didn't want to lose his family again. The first time should've been enough.
His faith in Mami and Mako was shot. They were corrupt and vile. And he was the only one who knew it. And now, he felt sick and weighed down by an inescapable fate.
Before, he had looked ahead and seen his dream. Now, all he could see was death.
He heard the rustling of blankets and flinched, noticing that Itachi had walked around the tiny cradle to join Uri, holding Sasuke in his arms.
"Want to hold him?" He offered.
Uri looked surprised as tears trailed down his cheeks and dripped from his chin.
"Really?" Uri asked, wondering why he would allow just anyone to hold Sasuke.
"It's fine. Father said both the Yondaime and you could hold him, but I shouldn't let Kushina hold him."
Uri paused to let this sink in, and chuckled lightly.
"That does sound like something he'd say." Uri admitted as he took Sasuke, who had the green dinosaur trapped between his hands.
Uri sniffled and took the much smaller hand in his own. Sasuke stared up at Uri as if to question him, but Uri figured it was fine, since he wouldn't remember this anyway.
Uri felt a hand like cold glass grab his shoulder as Mikoto took a seat on the floor beside him. Who knew when she'd entered the room, but she was still wearing her cooking apron. Regardless, she was staring adoringly at Sasuke.
"Isn't it nice?" She asked. "He's warm. Not like me."
Uri was confused until he realized she was talking about his hand. Yes, it was warm. Completely different from Mikoto's hand, just as he said.
"Why is it like this?" He asked her.
She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but they're always cold. When I was little, I thought it was because of the climate. But when I held Minato's hand, it was warm. When I came here, I was hoping to change, but everyone still told me my hands were cold. All the time. I'm a little jealous."
Uri smiled, trying to scold her. "You shouldn't be jealous of friends. Besides... I like the cold. Fuji does too, right?"
Mikoto smiled and bumped her shoulder against Uri. "Of course he does."
Moments later, Uri stood in the entryway of their small house with Mikoto, who held Sasuke, with her firstborn standing beside her looking at Uri curiously with his held tilted slightly.
Mikoto smiled at him knowingly. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you don't want me to tell Fuji about all that?"
Uri nodded, smiling weakly.
"I don't like keeping secrets from him." Mikoto shook her head sadly. "And it worries me when the three of you try to everything on your own."
"Forgive me, Lady Mikoto." Uri pleaded, blinking sadly.
"Of course I do." Mikoto assured him. "But please promise me you'll ask for help if whatever's happening gets out of hand."
Uri hunched his shoulders. Everything Mako and Mami had said came back to him. His fingers curled into fists.
"Forgive me, Mikoto, but I can't promise that." Uri said.
Mikoto's face fell. She bowed her head, her brow furrowed with worry.
"I see... Did something bad happen?" She asked, before her face suddenly becoming alert. "Is it Kushina? Is she safe?"
"Nee-chan is safe..." He replied. "Please, just keep silent."
He turned to leave, freezing in his steps as he felt Mikoto open her mouth, only to close it. He looked over his shoulder at her.
"Itachi..." She said, turning to look down at him as he looked up at her. She crouched, handed Sasuke to him and they shared a look of silent understanding before the boy headed down the hall. Mikoto waited for the sound of a door closing before standing, turning, and folding her arms over her stomach.
"I'm a mother now." She stated, getting him to turn halfway so as to hear her better. "That was my dream for years. Minato warned us that we needed to worry about Sasuke and Itachi before we worried about you or him or any of our other freinds. But... Everything we went through together still means a lot to me. And anyway, they wouldn't have been born if he hadn't protected me back then..."
She folded her hands over her heart, as was her habit whenever something was causing her some emotional distress. A habit she only allowed around certain people.
Minato had loved his clan, no matter what lines they crossed. He had wanted to do something for them, but ended up betraying them to save her. Mikoto was aware of that, and held herself in contempt for it. His pain was the only thing she would apologize for, otherwise she would not care for the deaths of those people.
"You three are our closest friends." She said. "Minato is a good hokage. Kushina is so strong. And you could give them both a run for their money. But... that doesn't make you invulnerable. So if you need help, please seek out some. Please?"
Uri felt his wrist start to tremble, and swiftly hid it behind his back. He couldn't look away from her. Still, the obvious answer was no. It had to be no. He couldn't make a promise he couldn't keep. No. No. No, no, no...
"Yes." He asked, kicking himself worse than ever. "I will... try."
URI'S POV [KONOHAGAKURE, AROUND EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO; TWO HOURS AFTER LEAVING MIKOTO'S HOUSE]
Minato stood in front of his desk, leaning over it with his hands gripping the edges and his back to Uri. They were alone, which was rare. Someone was almost always with them, be it Fuji, an anbu agent, another friend, a councilor or whoever. Now they were here, in his office, at dusk, and were trying to handle what was best described as a bloodcurdling revelation leading towards a crisis.
"Forgive me." Minato said, causing Uri to straighten up.
"What do you mean?" Uri asked anxiously. "You're not thinking about your family are you? This is my clan's fault! I really... I can't believe..."
"That's not it." Minato shook his head. "I'm just ashamed of myself for not seeing their true nature."
"Well its true that you are a good judge of character, but I know them well." Uri noted with a heavy heart. "Or at least I thought they did. To be able to full everyone the way she did makes Mami the worst kind of enemy."
"You are a good friend, Uri." Minato stated, causing Uri's eyes to pop open. "To be capable of calling her your enemy so quickly. It must mean that you are prepared to go against them for our sake. But I can't let you do that."
Uri turned swiftly on his heel to face him, gaping.
"What are you talking about?!" He asked, raising his upturned palms desperately. "Are you planning on telling Fuji after all?!"
"No. I'm not telling anyone." He clarified.
"Then what are you planning to do?" Uri asked, feeling nauseous once more. "How will you oppose them in a peaceful manner without me? Nee-chan can't help you the way she is now. You can't be planning on taking them on alone?!"
Minato raised his head slowly, allowing Uri to see his reflection in the window. His eyes were steely, and focused on something far away. He seemed completely determined, certain that he could achieve whatever goal he most wanted to reach. It was a good quality in a leader, if not a fatal flaw at times. Yet Minato had the self-control that others lacked.
Uri absolutely hated this part of him right now. He could remember seeing that same expression, many years before. Nee-chan had been crying out for help. She'd had no desire to go to Konoha even as they carried her off. At that time, Uri's uncle, Seto, who had always been a good influence on the twins, was being held back by other clan members. Even so, he'd called out to nee-chan, promising to come and rescue her.
Up until the last time Uri saw him, Seto had had this same expression.
Minato reached across his desk and picked up something, perhaps a letter. It was folded thrice horizontally, with a wrinkled edge to suggest someone had been quite agitated when writing it.
"Don't worry about what I'm going to do." He replied. "I have a mission for you."
Uri was taken aback, as well as outraged. "A mission?! You're sending me away?! Now?! With everything that's happening?!"
Minato gave Uri a wary look. "Will you keep your voice down? Now, listen Uri. I'll only say it once. Clan's who fight against or are betrayed by one of their own usually end up destroying any future they may have."
Uri flinched, remembering that rainy day so long ago when this same freind cut down his own cousins in order to save his own life and three others, including Uri himself.
"My clan is just one example." Minato admitted bitterly. "There were many, many others. Entire cultures were wiped out during the warring states era, and during the time of the Rikudou Sennin. Whole bloodlines ended. Powerful jutsu and medicine were lost. No one was safe. Do you understand? I can't allow you to fight them. Because to let you fight them wouldn't just put you, Mami, and Mako in danger. It would put the entire Uzumaki clan in danger."
Uri grit his teeth, begrudgingly accepting this. Minato was refering to the others, such as his unborn son and Yuuki, who knew nothing about this.
Minato looked at the letter. "I've been staying in touch with Jiraiya-sensei. He says he's found a strange place, located underground. We don't know much about it, only that it's full of skeletons and other strange supplies. He says a medical expert from Uzushio would be of good use there. So I want you to go there and help him investigate it. Find out everyhting you can from what's there. Then report back to me."
Uri blinked, trying to hide some small hope.
"Do I have a deadline?" He asked.
"October Eleventh." Minato replied curtly.
Uri's mouth formed a straight, angry line. That was directly after Kushina's due date. He would completely miss his nephew's birth. He wanted to be there, to protect them. He knew Minato was aware of this. Choosing the day after almost seemed to be some kind of taunt.
"I'm not laughing at you." Minato said, putting the letter down and approaching him. "Please trust me. I DO have a plan. It's just... I know what they are to you. To point your blade at them would be more painful than being cut through the heart. Even if it's selfish, I want to spare you from that."
Minato clapped his hands onto Uri's shoulders.
"Go to Jiraiya-sensei. Investigate this place. And report back to me on October Eleventh. Not any earlier or later."
Uri glanced at the window again, this time seeing the reflection of the picture on Minato's desk. It was an old one, in which four young gennin (Uri, Minato, Fuji, and Kushina) stood in front of Jiraiya-sensei. Everyone was very happy to be together.
Uri looked Minato in the eye.
"Understood."
URI'S POV [YONDAIME'S RESIDENCE; MOMENTS LATER]
Once they reached Kushina, Minato and Uri took turns explaining. Uri started with the many revelations thrown at him by Mako, and Mami's obvious involvment. Naturally, Kushina didn't believe him at first. But Uri swore by them, believing they were the hard truth. Kushina accepted this, though not willingly. Minato tried to keep her as calm as possible as he explained why they weren't telling Fuji. It was too dangerous, he said. Two of the four great clans might clash, he said. Then he explained once more, through numerous interruptions and an endless array of foul language and large, thrown objects why Uri was leaving. Why he wouldn't be with them when Naruto was born. Why this was the best--
"To hell with that!" Kushina snapped, this time throwing a glass dish at Minato, which he avoided with a quick duck.
Kushina sniffled, blinking as she tried to hide the tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.
"This is stupid!" She declared. "Why should Uri have to leave? Dammit! Those guys... I had a feeling something was off. They..." She grit her teeth as a few tears escaped her and trailed down her cheeks as her eyes shook with anger. "They seemed different! I knew that! I just... Didn't want to believe it. I was hoping that feeling would disappear, and then we could all be together. I guess..."
She stopped crying and flushed red as she glared ahead. "I guess they're our enemy."
Minato approached her and took her hand, lacing is fingers through hers. She wouldn't look at him until he leaned down, his expression grim and accepting.
"That's not entirely true." He said. "At least not for you. You were listening, right? I can't allow you to fight them."
"But your enemies are my enemies--" Kushina began.
"In any case," Uri interceded, coming to join them. "I'm leaving now. I just... Wanted to say goodbye. And to tell you to say safe. All three of you."
"You can't be serious!" Kushina shouted. "Mami and Mako lose their minds and you take off? Strategy?! This is running away!"
Minato shook his head. "Your wrong. I do have a--"
"Be quiet!" She whipped her head around to chew him out. "I know that! I trust you! But telling everyone 'I have a plan, just do as I say' is inconsiderate!"
"Fairness has nothing to do with it, nee-chan." Uri countered. "Minato is doing what is best for the village. It's his responsibility."
"I know that too!" Kushina snapped.
Uri's face twisted into one of agitation and annoyance.
"Then why are you being so unreasonable?" He asked, barely managing to keep his voice down.
"Because! We don't know much! We aren't sure of their goal yet!" Kushina explained. "Sending you away means isolating you from the time you leave the village to the time you reach Jiraiya-sensei. You're no weakling, but neither are they. A fight between the two of you won't end well for either side. And if one of you dies, it'll be just like we sacrificed you!"
Uri crossed his arms, frowning while deep in thought. It was true that she had a point. If they ambushed him while he was en route to Jiraiya-sensei, then it would end badly. He might not live to see his nephew, and if one of them used the memory seal they would be able to peek into his mind and learn of nee-chan's pregnancY, as well as her location. Unacceptable. Uri had been unsure of what the veterans in his clan would do if they learned nee-chan was not only married to an "outsider" but pregnant with his child. He had been hoping to deduce said reaction before Naruto's birth, more so, he was hoping they would have accepted or at least tolerated this so everyone could celebrate his birth with them.
But now it was obvious what they would do.
They would go to the ends of the earth to kill Minato, the outsider, nee-chan, the traitor, and Naruto, the half-blood. And Fuji, Mikoto, and everyone else would rather die than let them have their way.
In these turbulent times, an internal crisis could be fatal if not devastating for the entire world.
But Uri could see no way of preventing this. It wasn't as if they could slow Naruto's growth with any jutsu. Something so drastic had never been attempted before, so there was no telling what could happen to him.
Minato had a plan though. And Uri trusted him with his life, nee-chan's, and everything else he held dear.
"It will be okay." He told his sister, who seemed to be overcome with mixed emotions. "I believe in myself. And in you."
He smiled warmly, feeling nostalgic.
"You are different now." He stated. "You were... not a very nice sister. I was the butt of your jokes. You teased, tormented, and taunted me. You were worse than Mami. You were only kind to me when you were tired or bored, though you did beat up everyone who bullied me. Still, you were so full of hot air. After all, you were crying back then."
Kushina flinched, blushing.
"I must apologize to you." Uri said, his expression crestfallen. "I knew back then, when Lady Mito said you 'won' that the prize wasn't desirable. You screamed and called out to me to help you, but I just let them have their way."
Uri noticed Minato turn deathly pale at hearing this.
"I am very proud of you, nee-chan." Uri said, chuckling. "Just as our parents would be. You are strong, like our father, and kind, like our mother. But you just had to," Uri reached around to rustle the hair at the back of his head, "Go and marry this person, who is like a brother to me. It feels incestuous, and makes my stomach turn. But at the same time, anybody else wouldn't be worthy of you. And also, seeing the two of you together, expecting a child who will call me Uncle, makes me very happy. It makes me remember our kind Uncle."
Uri became serious at once as he locked eyes with Kushina.
"If I can prevent him from suffering that same traumatizing experience that I had to, I will die or even go down in history as pure scum." He stated. "Still, in spite of everything that we've been through, and everything we might go through, I... Want to live. I want to live very much, even if I'm alone. I'd prefer not to be though..."
Kushina waited, perhaps expecting to hear more. But she decided at some point that she didn't care and glared at him.
"Are you stupid?!" She screamed, marching forward as if she might tackle him.
Minato stepped in front of her and held her back. "No, Kushina!"
"I didn't ask for any of that!" She screamed, her face flushed yet lacking tears. "Saying all that crap...Don't make me slug you! And mom was strong as well as beautiful! Dad was kind, too! And don't talk as if you could have done anything to keep me there! You were just some weak, tiny, crybaby! You stupid scholar! You're worse than Mikoto!"
Uri looked her in the eye,confused at first. That was until he remembered how she had saved Mikoto from the bullies, earning her respect and freindship. Only...
Lady Mikoto could have taken those bullies. She'd just allowed them to have their way, because she didn't want to fight people from her own village.
Uri smiled, gently pushed Minato aside, and leaned down to hug her. Unsurprisingly, he had never done so before.
Before she could snap out of her shock, he pulled away, turning to grab Minato's shoulder.
"I won't fail you. And I don't doubt you." Uri told him, noticing Minato's clear eyes more than ever. "So... Don't fail me."
A moment passed before Minato smiled calmly back.
The two of them raised their forearms and bumped wrists. Uri turned, stalking off toward the door.
"I will see you again." Uri promised, and stepped out into the night, alone.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
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