Manicherryblossom33
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So sorry about this! I know about the rage against flashback chaps, but I did sort of foreshadow this. I hope you like it. Though I was kind of disappointed. I wanted Seto to be similar to how we originally thought Itachi was: uncaring, heartless, and cruel, with no real reasoning as to why. But I dislike the ugly, naturally cruel villains portrayed in some disney movies (not that Itachi is ugly: he's wonderful!). I prefer my villains to be handsome/beautiful and have tragic back stories. Like Madara, Obito, and Nagato (before he became all-bones).
Please read, enjoy, and comment.
Chapter 9:_______da-hime
SETO'S MEMORIES START HERE
Before the fall of Uzushio, the Uzumaki lived in peace.
Within the village, they were the only ninja clan capable of both protecting the village, and keeping their people on Konoha's good side.
They were wealthy, thanks to the many requests delivered to them, and their outsider clan members who went to live in other villages as jinchuuriki. They would seal minor demons and forbidden jutsu, ancient text and powerful ukenin, within themselves and swear allegiance to the daimyo or ninja leader of that foreign land. All of it was to keep the peace.
"But Lady Mito's different!" Kushina told Uri as she got up and trampled the daisies around her. “She became jinchuuriki because of love, not politics!”
"Don't get mad at THEM." Uri held up his finished flower crown. "You're too impatient."
Kushina jumped on him, stretching her arms out.
"Give it to me!" She yelled.
Uri stretched his arms out. "No way, it's for mother!"
Seto watched over them from the bottom of the wind-swept, soft grass hill. At the top of the hill was the clan's sacred tree, with its crimson wood and scarlet leaves that never fell. There were several similar trees bordering the village in a thin, circular forest. But only that one was sacred.
It was where they sealed their dead away.
Seto looked around the village. There were tall buildings, small houses, and libraries of ancient secrets; restaurants, inns, and the ninja academy. A scarlet memorial waterfall where the elders corpses were guarded by ancient, intricate fuinjutsu, with lilies decorating the pond.
Uzushio was peaceful and wealthy. Their own geography, prowess, and their connection to the Senju clan of the forest had kept their people safe for decades.
"Uncle!"
Seto knelt down and let Kushina and Uri run into his arms, holding them close.
"Did you have a nice trip?" Kushina asked, beaming up at him.
"Uncle! Nee-san is being mean to me!" He tattled, earning a pout from Kushina.
"Siblings..." Uri said as he set them down, "Should be nice to each other. There might be a day when you'll be separated."
The children blinked their wide, purple eyes at him.
"What do you mean, Uncle?" They asked in Unison.
Seto's eyes shook.
"I brought back Lady Mito." He told them, sinking lower in his despair at the sight of their ear-to-ear excited smiles. "She wants to see you two."
"Lady Mito!" Kushina and Uri shrieked as they launched themselves at her.
She let them crawl into her lap so she could stroke their hair.
"Hello, my sweet family." She whispered, kissing their heads. "You've gotten to be quite strong."
Seto stood apart from them, drumming his fingers against his arm. The Elder, his father, and Kushina's and Uri's grandfather, was equally anxious.
Lady Mito was the only real jinchuuriki their family had, quite powerful during her prime. That power was starting to wane, and she could feel her own life force dimming. Meaning the "selection" was necessary to see which one of them was more suited to be her successor.
Life force, chakra, willpower; all these were necessary in a jinchuuriki. And the more superior child, in regard to these qualities, would be Lady Mito’s successor.
It had to be one of them. Everyone else was too well known. Uzumaki had the talent for earning a reputation quickly. These two were mere cadets, but they'd already mastered all the Sealing jutsu available to them.
"Father--"
"No, Seto." He snapped. "I understand your anguish, but we have no choice."
"But they're children!" Seto whispered. "Outside of our homeland, Uzumaki are greatly feared and ostracized. I don't want to put them through that frustration and loneliness. All the others who were sent away for politics were at least of age."
His father nodded. "I know how you feel. I'm aware of what they'll face. But we must do what we can to help Konoha. For lord Hashirama."
"Why must Lady Mito die so young?" He grinded his teeth as his eyes scanned her face. Her beautiful red hair was now white. Her healthy, beautiful skin now wrinkled and pale. Her strong body was now so frail. And at the age of ninety! How bizarre! "She should have lived another two-hundred years."
"This is the fate of those who choose a life partner outside the clan." Father locked eyes with him. "Do not pity her. She has no regrets."
Lady Mito smiled sadly and looked up at the elder.
"Kushina is strong." She told them.
Kushina immediately boasted: “I’m better than Uuuurrriiii!”
Mito stood up. "We need to be going now, Seto. I'll send one of my anbu here in two weeks. Get her ready by then."
Uri was looking around in shock and fear, but Kushina was oblivious. Seto couldn't look at either of them as he led Lady Mito out of the room.
"Help me!"
Seto held Uri back as the anbu lifted Kushina up, throwing her over his shoulder as she screeched in terror and cried out desperately to her people. They couldn't look at her. Everyone was guilty of selling her to Konoha.
"Let her go!" Uri demanded, angry.
"I don't want to go to Konoha!" She beat against the anbu's back. "I want to stay here! Grandpa, please don't let him take me! Uncle! Uri!"
Seto glared at his father. This wasn't right. They needed to do something.
He took a step forward, but felt several pairs of hands grabbed him and pulled him back.
He locked eyes with Kushina.
"Don't worry!" He told her. "I'll come get you in a few months!"
He watched her face light up and felt the murderous glares on his back. Yes, he knew giving her false hope was even more wrong.
But he wasn't lying.
Seto was horrified.
His people lay slaughtered. All of them: pregnant women, babies, children, the young , and the old. Only a handful of their population was missing from the spread of corpses. It was cold comfort that he couldn't identify any of the bodies.
But pure terror was sitting in a puddle of blood, strangling a woman’s corpse.
He yanked his long sword out of one of another woman’s face.
Father stroked the blade with one finger.
"It's pointless." He said. "We can't protect them. It's better this way..."
"Father... What's wrong with you!? These are our friends!" He knelt and picked up a child's body. There were still tears in its eyes. He hugged the corpse close, getting blood all over himself. "This is our future. And you've destroyed it!"
"You must kill the rest of them." Father held his own sword to his throat.
"No!" Uri got up and ran to him. "Sto--"
He watched as the elder slit his own throat and fell, dead.
Seto was left alone with the corpses.
It was many years later that he came across the two.
He let her run into his arms before spinning her around.
"Minato!" She laughed. "Mi-Minato I'm getting dizzy!"
He laughed too and fell back, letting her land on top of him so he could take her face in his hands.
The way they stared at each other... Seto had never seen anything like it.
"I swear to protect you forever." Minato promised her.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Okay! I'll protect you, too!"
Seto smiled. Minato Namikaze was the champion of Konoha. She could not have been in better hands.
He turned and walked away, hopeful.
SETO'S MEMORIES END HERE
Next chapter will be posted this Thursday.
Please read, enjoy, and comment.
Chapter 9:_______da-hime
SETO'S MEMORIES START HERE
Before the fall of Uzushio, the Uzumaki lived in peace.
Within the village, they were the only ninja clan capable of both protecting the village, and keeping their people on Konoha's good side.
They were wealthy, thanks to the many requests delivered to them, and their outsider clan members who went to live in other villages as jinchuuriki. They would seal minor demons and forbidden jutsu, ancient text and powerful ukenin, within themselves and swear allegiance to the daimyo or ninja leader of that foreign land. All of it was to keep the peace.
"But Lady Mito's different!" Kushina told Uri as she got up and trampled the daisies around her. “She became jinchuuriki because of love, not politics!”
"Don't get mad at THEM." Uri held up his finished flower crown. "You're too impatient."
Kushina jumped on him, stretching her arms out.
"Give it to me!" She yelled.
Uri stretched his arms out. "No way, it's for mother!"
Seto watched over them from the bottom of the wind-swept, soft grass hill. At the top of the hill was the clan's sacred tree, with its crimson wood and scarlet leaves that never fell. There were several similar trees bordering the village in a thin, circular forest. But only that one was sacred.
It was where they sealed their dead away.
Seto looked around the village. There were tall buildings, small houses, and libraries of ancient secrets; restaurants, inns, and the ninja academy. A scarlet memorial waterfall where the elders corpses were guarded by ancient, intricate fuinjutsu, with lilies decorating the pond.
Uzushio was peaceful and wealthy. Their own geography, prowess, and their connection to the Senju clan of the forest had kept their people safe for decades.
"Uncle!"
Seto knelt down and let Kushina and Uri run into his arms, holding them close.
"Did you have a nice trip?" Kushina asked, beaming up at him.
"Uncle! Nee-san is being mean to me!" He tattled, earning a pout from Kushina.
"Siblings..." Uri said as he set them down, "Should be nice to each other. There might be a day when you'll be separated."
The children blinked their wide, purple eyes at him.
"What do you mean, Uncle?" They asked in Unison.
Seto's eyes shook.
"I brought back Lady Mito." He told them, sinking lower in his despair at the sight of their ear-to-ear excited smiles. "She wants to see you two."
"Lady Mito!" Kushina and Uri shrieked as they launched themselves at her.
She let them crawl into her lap so she could stroke their hair.
"Hello, my sweet family." She whispered, kissing their heads. "You've gotten to be quite strong."
Seto stood apart from them, drumming his fingers against his arm. The Elder, his father, and Kushina's and Uri's grandfather, was equally anxious.
Lady Mito was the only real jinchuuriki their family had, quite powerful during her prime. That power was starting to wane, and she could feel her own life force dimming. Meaning the "selection" was necessary to see which one of them was more suited to be her successor.
Life force, chakra, willpower; all these were necessary in a jinchuuriki. And the more superior child, in regard to these qualities, would be Lady Mito’s successor.
It had to be one of them. Everyone else was too well known. Uzumaki had the talent for earning a reputation quickly. These two were mere cadets, but they'd already mastered all the Sealing jutsu available to them.
"Father--"
"No, Seto." He snapped. "I understand your anguish, but we have no choice."
"But they're children!" Seto whispered. "Outside of our homeland, Uzumaki are greatly feared and ostracized. I don't want to put them through that frustration and loneliness. All the others who were sent away for politics were at least of age."
His father nodded. "I know how you feel. I'm aware of what they'll face. But we must do what we can to help Konoha. For lord Hashirama."
"Why must Lady Mito die so young?" He grinded his teeth as his eyes scanned her face. Her beautiful red hair was now white. Her healthy, beautiful skin now wrinkled and pale. Her strong body was now so frail. And at the age of ninety! How bizarre! "She should have lived another two-hundred years."
"This is the fate of those who choose a life partner outside the clan." Father locked eyes with him. "Do not pity her. She has no regrets."
Lady Mito smiled sadly and looked up at the elder.
"Kushina is strong." She told them.
Kushina immediately boasted: “I’m better than Uuuurrriiii!”
Mito stood up. "We need to be going now, Seto. I'll send one of my anbu here in two weeks. Get her ready by then."
Uri was looking around in shock and fear, but Kushina was oblivious. Seto couldn't look at either of them as he led Lady Mito out of the room.
"Help me!"
Seto held Uri back as the anbu lifted Kushina up, throwing her over his shoulder as she screeched in terror and cried out desperately to her people. They couldn't look at her. Everyone was guilty of selling her to Konoha.
"Let her go!" Uri demanded, angry.
"I don't want to go to Konoha!" She beat against the anbu's back. "I want to stay here! Grandpa, please don't let him take me! Uncle! Uri!"
Seto glared at his father. This wasn't right. They needed to do something.
He took a step forward, but felt several pairs of hands grabbed him and pulled him back.
He locked eyes with Kushina.
"Don't worry!" He told her. "I'll come get you in a few months!"
He watched her face light up and felt the murderous glares on his back. Yes, he knew giving her false hope was even more wrong.
But he wasn't lying.
Seto was horrified.
His people lay slaughtered. All of them: pregnant women, babies, children, the young , and the old. Only a handful of their population was missing from the spread of corpses. It was cold comfort that he couldn't identify any of the bodies.
But pure terror was sitting in a puddle of blood, strangling a woman’s corpse.
He yanked his long sword out of one of another woman’s face.
Father stroked the blade with one finger.
"It's pointless." He said. "We can't protect them. It's better this way..."
"Father... What's wrong with you!? These are our friends!" He knelt and picked up a child's body. There were still tears in its eyes. He hugged the corpse close, getting blood all over himself. "This is our future. And you've destroyed it!"
"You must kill the rest of them." Father held his own sword to his throat.
"No!" Uri got up and ran to him. "Sto--"
He watched as the elder slit his own throat and fell, dead.
Seto was left alone with the corpses.
It was many years later that he came across the two.
He let her run into his arms before spinning her around.
"Minato!" She laughed. "Mi-Minato I'm getting dizzy!"
He laughed too and fell back, letting her land on top of him so he could take her face in his hands.
The way they stared at each other... Seto had never seen anything like it.
"I swear to protect you forever." Minato promised her.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Okay! I'll protect you, too!"
Seto smiled. Minato Namikaze was the champion of Konoha. She could not have been in better hands.
He turned and walked away, hopeful.
SETO'S MEMORIES END HERE
Next chapter will be posted this Thursday.
I get the feeling I wasn't original enough.
Anybody else enjoy it?:hooray:
