Tohsaka as an Uchiha Quest (Naruto/FSN)

Interlude: Danzo and setting out



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You are free at last. Your Root soldiers have taken you from the holding cells you were in, awaiting your execution. But then, why does this victory feel like ash in your mouth?



You have always had Konoha's best interests in mind, haven't you? You sacrificed–



NO. You are not going to lie to yourself anymore.



You believed that Konoha could and would prosper under you once. When did that turn into 'Konoha can only prosper under me'? You never truly understood self-sacrifice, so you could only sacrifice others for the good of Konoha.



Escaping Izanami has a requirement that is not very well understood. It is not only about stopping altering reality; it is about accepting reality as it is. And that means facing one's self-imposed delusions as well.



You have been so foolish; all those years, wasted! 'I am the state'; that is the kind of nonsense, of SHIT you were shoveling, without even being the head of said state. You wanted to rule, to become Hokage, to have power; at its core, your motivation was selfish! You weren't a necessary evil, but a cancerous growth in Konoha's gut!



This ends now. You tell your remaining Root this: "My soldiers; my tools. The time of my reign in Konoha's underbelly is over. Root is hereby disbanded. Everyone loyal to me is to report to the Sandaime Hokage and tell him: 'the dancing leaves reach the Heavens, yet the air itself is rotten; perhaps it is time for a second sunrise – the branches may hang heavy, but the bird is swift.' Then, you are to swear loyalty to him -if he's still Hokage- or whoever the current Hokage is and obey their commands as if they were mine."



As a final act, you remove the seal from the operatives' tongues and give names to those who lack even a codename. You tell them to cooperate with the Hokage, even if they are told to give information on you.



Two particularly resilient and sane trainees, to whom you have now given the names 'Shin' and 'Sai' are handed over most of the books and jutsu scrolls you have accumulated during your relatively long life to do with as they will; the rest, you destroy.



'You were right all along. I was a fool. I'm joining Akatsuki to spy on them on behalf of Konoha to at least make myself useful,' is the meaning of the message you've left Sarutobi -no, Hiruzen- in code by way of your Root operatives. They know to be discreet.



The young Uchiha kunoichi who stalled you, then trapped you last time is has been on a mission for the past few days, and Kakashi and Jiraiya have gone with her. That is good; you'd prefer little to no conflict with loyal shinobi, if at all possible. You briefly wonder why the Jinchuuriki went with them, but you quash that curiosity; that boy is not your weapon to claim. Unfortunately, old habits die hard.






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The Third takes out a few official looking documents, which pardon crimes committed by Fugaku, Tekka and 'anyone who was an accomplice'. You ask him if there needs to be a witness, or maybe they need to be filed in triplicate.



He marks them with a particular stamp, and says, "I have already filed them in triplicate and they have Jiraiya's signature. See?"



You smirk lightly; the Sandaime has thought of everything, but you frown immediately afterwards; if only he had trusted in one of the founding clans of this village.



"Tell me," the Sandaime says, hands held at the chin in the 'Gendo pose' (and damn that Edelfelt for introducing you to anime!), "what do you think is a shinobi, Uchiha Rin?"



You think your answer over a bit, then say, "a shinobi, in my opinion is one who protects their home and family, no matter what they need to do or what happens to the shinobi him- or her- self."



"I see," the Sandaime says, not changing his expression, "and what if the loyalty to their home and family become incompatible at some point?"



"Shinobi are not tools, or at least they are not only tools, Sandaime-sama," you say, "so I'd say they should use their own judgment. If one of the sides is irrevocably corrupt, then it might be time to abandon it or turn on it," unsmiling.



"I see," he says again, frowning a bit this time.



"Not quite the answer you were hoping for, Sandaime-sama?" You say neutrally.



"I will admit, I was hoping for something more similar to Shisui," the Third says.



You shrug, as if to say, 'well, tough, old fart,' and judging by the way his expression tightens, he's gotten the message. Then, you say out loud, "that's not to say I support the idiocy certain clansmen of mine perpetrated. If Konoha violated the terms of agreement between the two parties, it was time to seek out a new home."



"Is that what YOU would have done, had you been Clan Head then? And what, in your opinion, is the reason many of the Uchiha pursued another course of action?" The Sandaime says, looking intrigued.



"Most likely, I would have pushed for the option of defecting en masse to another village, yes; it would be less likely to cause a new Shinobi World War, though a war between Konoha and whoever we picked might have been inevitable," you say after considering the question, "as for why my clansmen didn't choose to leave, I would say it was because of both their pride, and because, in their own way, they were fully loyal to Konoha."



"So, you do not think it was to squash the Senju ideals?" The Third says, still looking intrigued.



"Which Senju ideals?" You say immediately.



"Pardon me?" The Third says, looking a bit confused.



"I mean that, if my studies of history are correct, Shodai-sama and Nidaime-sama had opinions –on the Uchiha clan and possibly in general– so conflicting, that such a phrase as 'Senju ideals' makes no sense in this context," you say, "and Danzo, I suspect, followed neither of the Senju brothers' will. So, no, if anyone in the Uchiha clan said such a thing, it was probably out of ignorance."



The Sandaime looks thoughtful for the next few minutes, and you leave him to his contemplation. At some point, he seems to realize that you're still around and dismisses you.






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Your mother, Korin, has brought a kid around two years older than you home. She says, "this is Yukio, Yui-chan and Reo-san's son. He's my godson. I hope you don't mind him living with us from now on."



Oh. This came out of left field. You were distantly aware that Yui-san was your mother's best friend, but you didn't know her son was Mama's godson.



You look at this Yukio; he has black eyes and is very feminine and has black hair; you might have mistaken him for a girl if not told his gender. He must have gotten his looks from Yui-san, who was a refugee from the Land of Water – something about a clan named the Yuki clan…?



His Chakra reserve is average at best for an Uchiha his age, you think, but it's definitely more refined than is usual. Perhaps the Yuki clan were known for mediocre Chakra reserves but great Control.



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The funeral service for the fallen members of the Uchiha clan has taken a while to set up, and what looks like all of Konoha is attending.



You feel… resentful. Where were all those people when the Uchiha were ostracized by the leadership of Konoha, when they were forced out of most of the village and made to live in the Uchiha district only, when one discriminatory law after the other was passed?



The Sandaime Hokage is attending next to his sons, Shigaru (who lacks his trademark cigar and sunglasses) and Asuma. Neither seems to appreciate his father's presence much, and you can empathize with that, at least.



You are called upon to give a speech, and-



…You release the information about the discrimination and coup carefully in your speech. As a supposed parable, though everyone will be able to understand it's a true story; you need to keep up appearances.



You tell the people of Konoha a story about a family scorned because the higher-ups did not trust them, though it was proven later that they truly were innocent in what they were accused of; that certain elements in that family wanted to rebel; that certain other elements of that family disagreed vehemently, and it nearly led to a violent conflict within the family; that a vulture or two took advantage to satisfy their own craving for power.



You finish this 'parable' with how a lack of trust and loyalty, on all sides, was what led to terrible consequences.



For a moment, everyone is silent. Then, Shigaru starts clapping. Asuma follows suit, then even Kakashi claps, though not as enthusiastically.



Over half the ninja population claps at one point or another. You don't fail to notice that the clans, other than the Kurama clan, are in support of the Uchiha; Hyuuga Hiashi was one of the first people to start clapping, even though your clans were kind-of rivals. You truly hope this won't cause the rest of the clans to rebel against the village.



Then, the Third Hokage gives his own speech. At the end of it, he says, "on an unrelated note, and I apologize for picking this venue for this piece of information, I am going to retire soon. There will be a Fifth Hokage by the start of April at the latest."



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You want to see how far you can get without your own doujutsu. You will only activate your Sharingan if it proves necessary.



Then, Hinata uses her superior flexibility to get the rest of her body close to yours, and pokes the forearm on the same side. Your arm feels numb, and you are forced to let go of her wrist and retreat, activating your Sharingan in the process.



Even with only one arm being usable, you manage to push Hinata out of the circle soon enough.



Unfortunately, Hinata doesn't seem pleased with you.



She catches her breath, then says, "Rin-san, did you not say that to hold back is an insult to your sparring partner? Then, why did you keep your Sharingan deactivated until later?"



You swallow your retort, realizing that she is right; you are a hypocrite.



What do you tell her? You can tell that she will see through any lies. You think it over, then say, "I apologize for the unintended insult, Hinata – I wanted to gauge my strength when I have my Sharingan activated versus when I do not."



She scrutinizes you for a few seconds, then says, "you are telling the truth, or so you believe… but there is more, isn't there, Rin-san?"



Huh? "What do you mean, Hinata?" You tell her, a bit confused.



"I mean that you are overconfident, and getting arrogant, used to learning things easily, to being better than your peers; faster, more durable, more skilled, more intelligent – just… more. What you showed today… is overconfidence, even arrogance, and I know the concept inside and out. Granted, it is much more justified than the usual, but it still is arrogance.



>>You fooled yourself into believing that you were only testing yourself, Rin-san, but the truth lies elsewhere," Hinata says, her shyness all but gone for the time being.



Everyone present falls silent and, for a moment, you seethe. But after putting a bit of thought to Hinata's words, you realize that she might have a point. Not that you'd ever admit it outright.



You say, "well, this got heavy fast. Apparently, everyone has underestimated you, Hinata. Where did the super-shy girl go? How come nobody knew that you're smarter than Sakura?" In a light tone.



Hinata lets out a breath she probably didn't even realize she was holding, then, after some kind of realization, she says, "eep!" And blushes to the roots of her hair.



It's easy to forget that she's a Hyuuga, with how much of a wallflower she usually is.








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Now, you have one and a half hour (ninety minutes) until you have to go to sleep to make sure you are well-rested.



You decide to concentrate on C-ranked Earth and Wind Sealing Methods, you aren't sure why, but you expect to need them – intuition tells you that. So, you make three of each, which takes you a bit over an hour. You have twenty-four minutes or so left, and you make two high yield explosive tags and two moderate barriers-in-a-scroll with the remaining time.



Your mother has given you a few seals and a lot of weapons, and with what you made, you have:



-An extensive first-aid kit or two (some of that having been your grandmother's)

-Hundreds of shuriken and nearly as many kunai (all are mission-ready)

-The first aid kit includes 2 mild soldier pills



-10 weak explosive tags (more like flash-bangs, at most, and firecrackers at worst) (takes 2 minutes for you to make one)

-10 moderate yield explosive tags (takes you 4 minutes)

-2 high yield explosive tags (takes you 7 minutes)

-6 moderate yield raiton shock tags (takes you 6 minutes)

-1 weak barrier-in-a-scroll (takes you less than a minute, but it's useless except as practice for novices)

-3 moderate barriers-in-a-scroll (takes you 5 minutes)

-2 strong barriers-in-a-scroll (which is exactly what it sounds like; you haven't learned this one yet, though)

-3 C ranked Earth Sealing Methods

-3 C ranked Wind Sealing Methods

-1 privacy/silence barrier-in-a-scroll (Takes 6 minutes. No combat applications, you don't need any right now.)



(Note that the way the Wind Sealing Method works is by covering the defender (it's used with large scrolls) and absorbing the jutsu as is, including the air AND inertia, allowing the Fuuinjutsu user to use it against an opponent in the future.



The Earth Sealing Method is mainly useful against defensive ninjutsu such as the Earth Style Wall; you lay it upon / throw it at the wall (or Iwa Bunshin, or Tsuchi Kage Bunshin) and the dirt or mud or rock within is absorbed. The Fuuinjutsu user is then able to use the earth sealed to blind their foes or use as fuel for their Doton in buildings.)



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"Now," you tell Teyaki-san, "I have already found two proxies, and need help to find a third. What do you think of your daughter, Haru? Does she have what it takes? My mother was an option, but she refused – so, I only have you and Itachi-san."



"Haru?" Teyaki says, thoughtful, "well, she doesn't have the diplomatic skills that you possess – then again, neither does Itachi-sama. What she does have is Charisma."



You stand straighter after hearing that. You say, "Charisma?" Voice trembling a bit, remembering the Personal Skill that Saber possessed, and Saber herself.



"Yes indeed. I would say that Haru could be a Jounin Commander, if not for her rank; and according to an impartial source, she is as strong as a rookie Jounin too – though I wouldn't know how to judge a shinobi's strength and skill," Teyaki says, pride in his voice.



You can tell that Teyaki-san fully believes what he is saying through your Mind's Eye of the Kagura. You decide to pick Haru; you will see whether she can handle the position.



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"So, Haru," you tell the older (?) female, "what do you think about being one of my proxies for governing the clan?"



Haru stands up straighter. She says, "...wait, you picked both Dad and me? Won't that seem… strange to outsiders?"



You shake your head, saying, "I'm not exactly drowning in options right now – my mother refused the position, both because she's busy with other matters and because she thinks I shouldn't have three cripples governing the clan; it's a sign of weakness. Her words, not mine."



Haru grimaces, but she doesn't try to refute Mama's words.



"So, will you do it?" You tell Haru.



She stands up straighter again, and says, "of course Rin-sama! I will do my best!"



"Thank you, Haru," you say, smiling at her.



Her own smile is dazzling, and now that you are looking for signs of Charisma, you can tell that her father was correct in his assessment.



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You are at Konoha's entrance, along with Naruto and Jiraiya, waiting for your fourth member in this mission.



At exactly fifty seconds after the appointed time, you see Kakashi walk towards you three. Is this a habit of his? You wonder… though going by his reputation, he's usually much worse.



Jiraiya unfolds a map of the Land of Fire, ignoring Kakashi's near tardiness. He points



[](Location) West, close to the Land of Grass

[](Location) North, close to the Land of Rice



Saying, "this is where Tsunade was last seen, or around here anyway. Close to the border of the Land of Fire, but still inside our country."



He also gives everyone some last-minute instructions, mainly pertaining to Tsunade's temper, and how her age is a forbidden subject. Naruto seems to zone out, making you tell (order) him to pay attention.



From then on, Naruto doesn't miss a word Jiraiya says.



The four of you set out. At some point, you stop to rest (after hours of tree-hopping. All of you are stamina monsters).



You four make camp. Kakashi asks to speak to you, and you oblige him.



He says, "so, kid, why is it that you asked for me by name? You had a lot of options, right?" His single eye sharp.



You say,



[](Kakashi) "I wanted to personally thank you for your help with Danzo"

[](Kakashi) "I've heard you are one of the strongest shinobi in the village"

[](Kakashi) "I wanted to show that there is little ill will towards you from the clan"

[](Kakashi) Write-in



"I see," Kakashi says, "you ARE aware that I just came out of the hospital, right?"



What? You say, "does that mean you are not fully recovered?"



"Maa, maa – I didn't say that. But not everyone has an Uzumaki's constitution. I've never before used such dense Earth Style Walls – Danzo's Wind Release was something else, especially with that summon of his helping – soon after you collapsed from Chakra exhaustion, the exact same happened to me," Kakashi says.



"I see," you say, "it seems like I owe you even more than I thought. Thank you, Kakashi-san."



He rubs the back of his head in a similar way to Naruto, saying, "you are making me blush, kid."



In the meantime, you've kept an eye on Naruto and Jiraiya. The man had Naruto… trying to walk up a tree…!



You decide to copy them (without the Sharingan).






You put Chakra into your feet, immediately grasping the general principles of this exercise, remembering how you stuck a leaf and a spoon to yourself in the past. It's more difficult in the feet, you feel; possibly because they have fewer tenketsu. You go up a tree – one, two, three, four, five, oops!



You slip off the tree, losing traction. You make a Bird seal and breathe out air in a weak Wind Ninjutsu, pushing you towards another tree, which you use as a springboard, as well as another tree as the same, all to land softly.



Why did this happen? You think for a few moments and conclude that you used too little Chakra.



This time, you make sure that you keep your Chakra flow constant… and blast off the tree on the first step. Too much Chakra?



On your third try, you reach the top. Then, you walk up and down the tree a few more times to make sure you've got the hang of it.



You hear clapping from Jiraiya, and he says, "well, little lady, I'm officially impressed. Few people have so high Chakra reserves AND Chakra Control at such an early age."



"Jiraiya-sama," you say, blinking, "shouldn't you be supervising Naruto?"



He waves his hands, saying, "it's all right, it's all right. I have a Shadow Clone near him."



You can't even detect another Jiraiya! Of course, he IS a Kage level ninja, but you judged him by his seeming level of Chakra Control, which is not much better than the average Jounin. He apparently knows a lot of tricks to compensate, though.



"So," Jiraiya says, "what are you going to train in, now that we've stopped to rest?"



One would think that training when you are supposed to rest is counter-productive, but tree-hopping is unexpectedly physically taxing for you and Naruto – possibly because the two of you haven't learned this Chakra Control training. Considering both of your recovery speeds, it's probably for the best that you train in this right now. Besides, Kakashi needs his rest, considering he is fresh out of the hospital.



You think it over a bit, then say, "I think I will train my weakest point."



"And that is…?" Jiraiya asks, leaning forward in curiosity.



"It's Shape Transformation," you say, taking on one of your lecture poses, "I've noticed that, while I can make shapes with my Chakra, I cannot hold them in place for long. Observe."



Then, you take out a blank paper from your Storage Seals, use Katon Chakra to make a triangle… but it soon spreads. The next try, with a new paper, sees your fire fizzle out after a few moments of keeping it in a vaguely circular shape.



"Interesting," Jiraiya says, smiling, "you aren't that bad at this – you've gotten used to learning things with ease, I think, so you might get disappointed easily."



"I know the value of hard work," you say, a bit annoyed.



"I never said you don't," Jiraiya says, lifting his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying. It's good advice, don't you think? 'Don't get disappointed if you don't learn everything quickly'."



You nod, begrudgingly. This man has a way of getting under your skin that few others possess.



The day after the next, the four of you set out, regardless of Naruto's protests; he can finish the exercise next time. Jiraiya gives him something to do while walking when the team is out of the forests; he hands him over a perfectly spherical balloon for him to break using only his Chakra.



Naruto makes a fuss so that you also be given a balloon and the same instructions, saying, "I'm not doing it if Rin isn't too! It's not fair!"



Jiraiya's reply is that Naruto is his apprentice, and that this is the prelude to a secret jutsu.



Naruto says that he's not asking him to teach you the entire jutsu, only this exercise. "After all," he says, "this can really help her with her weak point, right?"



You didn't realize that Naruto was listening a couple days ago! You tell Naruto that that is not necessary, but the boy won't take 'no' for an answer.



"Bah!" Jiraiya says in surrender, "you win, brat! I'll teach her too! Just don't expect me to do this again!"



You try to apologize to Jiraiya, but he waves you off, saying that it's not your fault Naruto is stubborn. It's a good thing that he stopped you, because you really don't like apologizing.



So, that's how you've ended up walking with a water balloon in your hand, using your Chakra to try and break it. Ten days on the road pass, and you reach your destination: the town in which Tsunade was supposedly last seen. Naruto has started breaking the balloon, but according to Jiraiya, he is not doing it quite right.



On the other hand, you haven't managed much. You try not to let that get to you, but it's difficult. You nearly exhaust your Chakra more than once – this exercise is rather Chakra-intensive.










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