That three of the Uchiha slaughtered that night had particular names was duly noted by Toltiir, who twitched a whisker and strengthened the resemblance between the individual and another with the same first name. It was just a way of making things convenient.
At the time of the Uchiha Massacre, Sasuke and Naruto were both eight years old.
The three involved were aged seven, nine, and eleven at that point. In a timeline where nothing had changed, they would have died before ever becoming a ninja. They would never have awakened their Sharingan. They would never have dated a boy, gotten engaged or married, and any hopes and dreams they might have aspired to would have ended with their throats cut and their bodies later defiled by experimenters who didn't even value them as much as other corpses because they were so immature.
Their fate was to die that night and to be unmourned. Corpses plundered for their eyes, defiled by those who saw their bodies as a resource to be mined, then buried in a mass grave, just numbers on a piece of paper that was filed away and forgotten.
Three girls agreed and signed their names onto a wedding contract to Naruto Uzumaki. If one of them managed to do it, all three would consider that condition met.
Time stopped, considered, then promptly threw up. Toltiir apologized to that Incarnation, honestly not knowing that the vertigo from timeline manipulation could cause such a thing.
Eleven years before Naruto's graduation:
One could not properly slam a sliding paper door. Mikoto Uchiha regretted it at that moment.
"What's wrong?" asked Fugaku Uchiha, really really hoping that the aura of darkness shot through with red lightning that surrounded his wife was an indication of someone ELSE doing something to tick his wife off.
Mikoto growled for a moment, then visibly got herself under control until just the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko image of a clan head's wife remained. Fugaku wasn't fooled though. He knew the various tells at this point that would indicate his dear wife needed to eviscerate something. His life had become a lot easier since her friend Kushina had taken him aside to point out those little warning signs.
"They say that Kushina's DAUGHTER died during the Kyubi attack," said Mikoto sweetly.
Fugaku sweated. That voice. Yes, that was THAT voice. The one that Kushina Uzumaki had warned him was an indication that she was looking to vent on some unfortunate. "Uhm. Sasuke is still sleeping."
Wow. She was even doing the Glowy Eyes Of Doom there, with most of her body thrown into shadow. Maybe he ought to use that in interrogations because that was SCARY AS ALL HELL!
Mikoto got it under control again at the reminder. "Kushina. Team-mate. Best friend. Whom I had met and talked with during our mutual pregnancy a couple of times. She wanted her BOY to become friends with Sasuke."
"She was mistaken about the gender of the child?" asked Fugaku.
"No, she knew the gender. I didn't want to, so I didn't run the test. Kushina worried about things in advance - she would definitely have had that test in advance." Mikoto twitched once, drew a deep breath and calmed herself.
A pivot point arrived. Fugaku, preoccupied with other things, should have calmed his wife down and the issue of the lie would soon be forgotten except as yet another source of tension between the Uchiha and the rest of the village.
Things changed, a pair of facts came together and were voiced by a man who didn't realize how much significance could come from that change.
"So, perhaps we should check and see if there are any orphan boys that might resemble Kushina? Secretly of course."
Eight years before Naruto's graduation:
"Definitely him," said Mikoto, placing the picture of the four-year-old boy down.
"What?" asked Fugaku, glancing up from a stack of paperwork to regard the photo.
"Kushina's child is the Container," said Mikoto. "That special chakra of hers? He must have inherited something of it. Or maybe..."
Fugaku Uchiha considered his wife and this problem. Yes - Kushina Uzumaki had been one, if not the best, of his wife's friends and a team-mate when they'd both been genin. However, the desire to keep That Boy away was quite strong as well. Demon containers were trouble, they tended to go insane and then things got very messy around them.
"Maybe it got out and that's what killed her?" asked Mikoto, thinking things through. "Damn. Where's a fuuinjutsu master when you need to consult one?"
"The only two I know of are our Hokage and Jiraiya," said Fugaku. "If you're going to suggest adopting the Container - that absolutely cannot happen. We're already facing considerable distrust from the rest of the village, that would just accelerate everything."
Mikoto smiled.
Fugaku promptly forgot about a lot of the paperwork on his desk, because that smile was sufficiently frightening. Yes, he was the dominant of the two as was proper within the very traditional clan structure of the Uchiha. In public she would absolutely back him and his decisions. Didn't mean that when Mikoto got her stubborn streak going that it couldn't become a PRIVATE problem sufficient to shake the heavens themselves. It was becoming clear that somehow her friend's son had become one of those thankfully rare issues that would engage that stubborn streak of hers.
Then came those words. Those terrible dreadful words that Fugaku Uchiha knew heralded disaster.
Mikoto was looking directly at him. "I've got an idea."
Seven years before Naruto's graduation:
"Wha-?!" asked the Hokage, clearly not expecting this at all.
"As you can see, we signed on it," said Mikoto Uchiha. "Just in case anything happened to her, I had a copy too. Just in case something happens to me - I wanted to make sure that copies were filed in the appropriate places."
"I... see," said Hiruzen Sarutobi. He stopped himself from opening the third drawer on his desk and pouring himself a shot of something rather stronger than spring water.
"It's lucky that you happened to be in the village at this time, Jiraiya-san," continued Mikoto. Not saying that she'd been watching and waiting for this part of her plan. "Your witnessing of this adds a further level of security."
"But Kushina Uzumaki's daughter died at the same time as-" began the Hokage.
"Please tell me you still aren't using that bullcrap story," said Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya," began the Hokage.
"Actually he is, and that nobody even bothered to give him a different last name just proves that whole thing was a half-hearted effort at best," offered Mikoto.
"What?" asked the Hokage.
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Mikoto, taking a deep breath. Her expression and tone went completely flat. "Of course, we know definitely that my best friend Kushina absolutely had a young daughter and clearly both died in the Kyubi attack and that there was absolutely no tie between the Kyubi and Kushina prior to that and the Hokage is an exemplary ninja who absolutely positively would never ever tell a lie or fabricate a story or otherwise do something (oh dear gosh) misleading."
Jiraiya golf-clapped. Mikoto acknowledged that with a slight inclination of her head.
"Jiraiya," repeated the Hokage, sounding exasperated.
"What? He's my grandson you know. I may have to spend all my time out of the village and I may have to keep it all secret because otherwise Iwa would probably risk war and send a jonin team to assassinate the brat. Doesn't mean I want to see him hung out to dry," stated Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya," repeated the Hokage.
"Did you know, I heard a couple of civilians talking when he was outside in the yard of the orphanage?" asked Mikoto in a purely conversational manner. "They wanted to know why the 'little monster' hadn't been drowned yet."
Jiraiya seemed to be considering the need for trimming his fingernails. "Oh. Do tell. Have any names?"
"Both of you. Stop now." The Hokage was silent for a moment and he looked OLD there, even older than he actually was.
When he spoke again, he'd recovered a bit. "You know, I was considering who the next Hokage should be. I'm too damn old for this. Jiraiya-"
Mikoto held her hand up and waited for her Hokage to acknowledge that. "Would most likely have all the kunoichi going missing-nin due to his reputation."
Jiraiya sighed and didn't dispute it. "Tsunade, if she wasn't wandering around in an eternal drunk, would be a better Hokage than me. Kakashi couldn't be counted on to be on time for anything. The best candidate I've seen you've got so far is Itachi Uchiha but he's way too inexperienced and also subordinate to his father."
Mikoto couldn't help but startle and stare at the toad sage.
"I do occasionally check in around here," said Jiraiya. "I may not be able to do much in Konoha but some intel does make its way into my hands."
"He does seem to have the Will Of Fire, but that's at least a decade off," said the Hokage.
"So," said Mikoto, "my paperwork?"
"I'll make a copy and put it somewhere safe, also do some sealwork on it." Jiraiya looked it over briefly. "Three young ladies. What if more than one wants to marry him when he's older?"
"They're Uchiha," said Mikoto. "They will be ninja. Most likely? They'll fight."
Six years before graduation:
"You've got to be kidding me. Don't we get any say in who we marry?!" asked Setsuna. "He's a little wet-behind-the-ears BRAT."
"No I'm not kidding. Yes you do. And yes he is," answered Fugaku.
"Eh?" asked Rei. "Wait. We do have a choice?"
"Yes, the arrangement is that you're engaged to marry him," said Fugaku. "Your parents all agreed to this. The contract has been signed and there are copies in the offices of the Hokage as well as my office and with each of your parents."
"Like I'm paying much attention to anything MY father signed," complained Rei.
"Mother?" asked Ami.
"Ami-chan. There are things about Naruto. S-Class secrets. You may figure them out, but you cannot tell anyone about them," said Ami's mother.
"I see," said Ami.
"Rei raises a good point before it gets buried," said Setsuna. "How can we have a choice in who to marry but you arranged an engagement for us?"
"People break off engagements all the time," said Fugaku. "Really. All three of you are of the Uchiha family and are training to be ninja. Look for hidden meanings."
"Oh," acknowledged Setsuna. "Good point."
"So," said Rei. "Can I break it off now?"
Fugaku Uchiha sighed and glanced to the side. "Shisui."
"Washpan no jutsu!"
CLANG!
Setsuna glanced at where Rei's little arms and legs were sticking out and twitching from under the washpan that had just fallen out of nowhere. "Interesting."
Ami considered the same thing before settling back. "Very well then. Is the engagement also an S-Class secret?"
"No, it's only considered D-Rank," said Fugaku. "However, since the engagement is to the child of Kushina Uzumaki - it is linked to a C-Rank secret."
"Ninja secrets are a complicated subject," noted Setsuna.
"Very true," agreed Fugaku. "Now that this is over with, if you three children will go off - there is more for the adults to discuss."
Uchiha Massacre, take II:
"He's gone crazy! He's killing everyone!" declared Rei.
"Quiet, he'll find us," whispered back Setsuna.
"No he won't."
"How can you be sure?" whispered back Setsuna.
"Because I've created a time bubble."
"A wha- okay. I can see one of the fires and it isn't moving and is all gray in color." Setsuna considered that for a moment. "I think this qualifies as a 'WTF' moment."
"True."
"Setsuna-sempai? There's a black cat in a plaid vest and tophat sitting on the shelf talking to us," noted Rei.
"Oh. You see it too? I was afraid it was a genjutsu despite the pain from my leg," said Setsuna.
"Long story short. I need to close a time loop. You three agree to the engagement with Naruto Uzumaki and neither of those two will find you."
"You can't save the rest of the clan?" asked Setsuna.
"No. A depressingly high number of stories about ninja end in tragedy, have you noticed? I think it may be a genre rule or something."
"We're already engaged to..." Setsuna closed her mouth.
Ami looked up and spoke what she'd realized as well. "Time loop."
"Right."
"So we agree to this, the time loop is closed and we get passed by," said Setsuna.
"Got it in one."
"What do WE get out of it?" asked Rei.
"Your lives."
"Cold, aren't you?" asked Rei, sneaking a peek out of the crack in the door. "Who's the guy in the mask?"
"In the order you asked. I am old enough that I have seen human civilizations crumble to dust. Most humans fail to even try to reach their potential. You three died as faceless statistics in a history book. There were a few friends in the Academy or at the park who missed you, but then life went on. If I don't close this time loop, it reverts and you go back to being dead. Giving you the choice the second time is simply to put things in a better order. As for the guy in the mask - he has a plan for conquering the world that actually has no chance of working the way he thinks it would. Not uncommon actually. People know him as Madara Uchiha."
"That's him? I thought he'd be bigger," said Setsuna after taking a quick peek. "I want more."
"Your life isn't enough?"
"Against Madara? No. Dying helpless now or dying just as helpless later isn't a great trade-off. Why does he want our clan dead?" asked Setsuna.
"Because a matured Sharingan has all sorts of otherwise unrelated powers that could threaten his nefarious plans. What do you want out of it?"
"So if we don't have an active Sharingan he might not think us a threat," mused Ami aloud. Her head snapped up. "I have a suggestion."
"Is it about latent kekkei genkai such as your chakra sensor ability and Ice Release abilities?"
"That - yes," said Ami. "I see. Time loop."
"Right."
"So we've had this conversation before," mused Setsuna.
"Yes. And it is quite tedious at this point. Rei has some minor psychic abilities which will be further trained at her uncle's shrine in the Fire Country capitol, as well as her Blaze Release. You yourself have a good sense of timing, a different sort of sensor ability, and a talent for the shunshin technique similar to Shisui's."
"Agreed," said Setsuna.
"Agreed," said Ami.
"Yeah, fine, I'll agree to this engagement thing," said Rei.
"Good. I hope this is more entertaining than the last iteration."
One year before graduation:
"Uhm, hi," said Naruto, a little concerned. "What are you..."
"It's a little test," said Ami, the glasses-wearing girl with the odd blue hair smiling at him.
"Oh, I don't like tests," said Naruto, ready to bolt.
"It's to find out if you're really an Uzumaki," said Ami.
"That's my name," admitted Naruto.
"The Uzumaki Clan were really really good at seals," said Ami. "The last one in the village besides you was a sealing technique expert.".
"I dunno about this," said Naruto, still ready to bolt.
"So if you're good at seals, it might mean she was your mother," said Ami.
Off to the side, Setsuna simply smiled to herself and mouthed "hook, line, and sinker" without vocalizing anything.
"Uhm, okay, how do I do this?" asked Naruto.
"So one is aiming to become a medic-nin, one is off training as a shrine priestess and isn't even in Konoha any longer, and the last one joined a genin team but hasn't done anything special," said the masked figure as he sat back and considered. "Any sign of an active Sharingan?"
"None," said Zetsu.
"It's not worth the effort of crushing them then, particularly the shrine priestess. If she isn't even a ninja she's worthless."
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(Posted Tue, 28 Oct 2014 16:24)
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