The beating sun poured heat down onto the back of every person that stood without the comfort of shade. The surrounding region that the Uchiha clan called home was prone to heat waves, and the summer sun was nearly unbearable, even for a clan that specialised in Fire release techniques. Sitting below an orange canvas vigorously fanning themselves, Shingo and Okita Uchiha discussed menial issues.
"Ugh… I'd kill for some water." Okita began after a pause in their conversation.
Shingo tilted his head slightly, beating wind into his sweaty hair. "There's that stream nearby… But I don't think we'd make it."
Okita sighed with a pang of longing. "Sometimes, I wish I had Water style. Then I could make my own stream."
The two teenagers, sedated from the afternoon sun, stared ahead at nothing in particular. A figure imposed itself in their vision, standing over them.
"What are you two doing?" Rang the voice of Tan, the clan's second in command.
The two young men suddenly scrambled to attention, nearly tripping over each other and dropping the fans they had been waving. They glanced awkwardly at one another before standing fully.
"U-uh, we were… Waiting for today's spars." Shingo stammered. He inwardly cringed as he registered his own words. Okita slowly turned to look at him from under raised eyebrows.
"Well, you should be happy to note that they began… an hour ago. You better get moving." Tan half-ordered, waving dismissively at the two young men.
Shingo and Okita cautiously made their way toward the aforementioned sparring field, where their worst fears played out before them in a blur of rapid jabs and kicks. The two fighters separated after a particularly brutal exchange, allowing the difference in height between the pair to become apparent. The taller form of Dan Uchiha stood lopsided, favoring his right leg and cradling his left arm. Several of Dan's bruises were plainly visible where the two boys stood on the edge of the field.
His opponent became clear after Dan shifted to one side, revealing the equally battered and bruised form of Kotetsu. Not that Kotetsu's condition was a reliable indicator for how the fight had gone, as Dan was now the fifth challenger since the sparring began earlier that afternoon. What seemed like a potentially even fight quickly proved one sided as Kotetsu rushed back into close range.
Dan raised his good arm and pivoted to one side, catching the loose punch Kotetsu gave and attempting to throw the younger boy off balance. Kotetsu's punch changed to an open palm as he grasped the offered arm, hanging off the limb and using the momentum offered by Dan to body-slam the taller teenager into the ground. Dan let loose a sound like a mix between a dying pig and an angry goat. Air was squeezed from his lungs as Dan failed to prevent Kotetsu's precise takedown.
Dan tapped the ground in a flurry of smacks, signaling his submission. Kotetsu did nothing for a heartbeat before releasing the older boy and standing in one swift motion. Okita and Shingo stood dumbfounded, glancing at each other out of hesitation. They had avoided the sparring field for this exact reason. And now, they were to be fed into the human shaped meat grinder.
Kotetsu began walking away from the field, wiping his face down with the front of his robe. He threw a hand into the air as he walked, speaking over his shoulder. "I'm done for now. Take a break."
Dan was pulled to his feet by the swarm of hands that belonged to Kotetsu's previous victims from that afternoon. He let his Sharingan fade away, disgusted with the lack of improvement since his last spar with Kotetsu.
Okita and Shingo felt the tension in their shoulders melt as the prospect of getting beat black and blue faded for the moment. The last year of clan life with Kotetsu had been… Interesting, to say the least.
Dan hobbled over to stand before the two boys, speaking when he got close enough.
"Lucky."
Okita half-smirked, before letting it slide off his face.
"He's done nothing but eat, sleep, and train every day. I'm surprised the clan patriarch hasn't stepped in. Or Atsuo, for that matter. Or literally anyone." Shingo walked in circles, hands over his head as he ranted.
"If you want to host an intervention, go right ahead." Dan offered, waving emphatically with his right arm, before flinching and cradling it with his left.
Neither teenager gave a response.
—
As an Uchiha approached adulthood, they found themselves with more responsibilities depending on their perceived level of skill. This had begun to change over the last decade with the rise of independent clans, who suddenly found themselves filling a sizable gap left behind by the Azuchi Kingdom. The sharp incline of monstrous beasts tied with ancient feuds between families being re-ignited proved to keep the various clans of the land busy. The surrounding land, once belonging to the Azuchi Kingdom, was now undergoing a spectacular fracture. For the Uchiha clan, this meant that younger members could no longer tolerate being just 'good enough'. It was now do or die.
Since that fateful mission over a year ago, Keina found herself in the leadership role too many times to count. And, more often now, she found herself completely alone. Pine needles and loose branches crunched softly under her boots as Keina placed one foot ahead of the other. Her current assignment was one such solo mission, and she enjoyed the warm breeze beneath the heavy canopy that sprawled above. Her ears caught the soft chafing of dirt some dozen meters away.
Her body stiffened as she slowly brought her left foot down, keeping her head straight while pointing every sense she had in the direction of the sound. The explosion of underbrush and splintering wood nullified her concern of being followed by a human being. Turning, she stood her ground as the giant two-headed wolf which had not been there mere seconds ago charged straight at Keina. Gnashing teeth sprouted from two heads which grew closer with each heavy step.
Hands moving in a blur, Keina strung along a well practiced technique. She leapt to be above the monster, whose heads moved to follow her arching trail. It didn't notice the ground beneath its feet begin to displace. Suddenly, the earth it stood on opened to swallow the beast whole.
The two-headed wolf's last sight was a wall of earth encompassing its entire body. The last thing it felt was the crushing force of impossibly heavy stone.
—
Kotetsu pulled fresh clothes on after a long day of training. He had agreed to spar with a number of Uchiha, both older and younger, though they were likely regretting that agreement now. Kotetsu had studied the Uchiha clan for over a year now, and painstakingly created a method for combating their tricky fighting style. Over the course of months, Kotetsu tested and revised his method with much failure along the way. At times, he felt as if he were regressing. Those moments brought him back to the Hyuuga clan. He could never shake the feelings brought on by his old life, his old home. One day he would return, he told himself.
Kotetsu finished his preparations for bed, curling up on the stiff futon with his sword just within arm's reach. Ready for sleep, he mentally prepared himself for what was to come next. Exhaustion found him quickly, pulling him into a deep slumber. The nightmare Kotetsu first experienced over a year ago began to play itself out within the theater of his mind. As it had done almost every night since.
Kotetsu moved between the tall pine trees, ignoring their reaching branches. The gate of the Uchiha clan appeared, and Kotetsu swiftly moved between its stead. Night turned to day as the forest vanished, and Kotetsu was left standing in the midst of a farm village. The village where it all happened. Making slow careful steps, Kotetsu rounded the corner to find the expected- and dreaded- sight.
Kotetsu had tried everything. The nightmare always took him to this point, no matter how he approached it. Climbing along buildings, never rounding the corner, never leaving the forest. He tried everything within the dream. Tar appeared at his feet as Sochua the monster held the screaming form of Teruo. He had dug at the tar, tried avoiding the tar, tried taking his shoes off, tried throwing rocks, screamed, and cried. Nothing ever changed.
Kotetsu awoke with a start as the nightmare ended the exact way it had for the last year. At some point in the night, he had grasped his sword and brought it to his chest in a protective hug. He glared down at the sword. After that horrific day, Kotetsu had spent weeks and months attempting to lift the sword again. He would pull on the handle for hours on end, almost breaking fingers as he made no progress toward lifting it off the ground. Every time Kotetsu gave up on lifting the blade, he had to awkwardly dig away at the ground beneath the tip of the blade until he could slip the sheath on, allowing him to pick the sword back up. He had not made any attempt to lift the blade these last few months, letting it sit by itself in his tent most days.
Kotetsu pulled on the robes which had been stitched and restitched after a year and a half of abuse. The Uchiha clan had offered to purchase similar robes, but he refused, putting his sewing skills to use with loose cloth. The robes themselves were the only possession he had left from the Hyuuga clan. His pack had long ago been replaced, due to an incident involving a cliff and a group of raccoons.
Along with his robes, Kotetsu tied two dark red cloth pads to his shoulders. The shoulder guards were a recent addition to his outfit, having been earned after a particularly successful mission. It was common for younger clan members to earn pieces of their equipment through successful missions. Eito, the clan patriarch, only seemed to attach Kotetsu to missions where he would be visible to the outside world. After a year of these assignments, Atsuo had finally explained why the clan leader had done so. Kotetsu had flatly refused any task involving villages, public spaces or political figures since then. Eito didn't seem keen on arguing the point.
Atsuo stood outside of the tent, waiting for Kotetsu to finish his morning routine. When Kotetsu exited the tent only a few minutes after Atsuo arrived, the young man found himself surprised. Kotetsu was never consistent with his sleep schedule, so Atsuo had been expecting to be waiting around an hour at least. He even brought a bucket of water just in case. Kotetsu ducked out beneath the tent flap, causing Atsuo to carefully push the bucket behind him with one foot.
"Oh, hey. Why are you up so early...?" Atsuo broached with suspicion.
Kotetsu glanced from behind strands of white hair at the young man he called brother.
"I have some things to take care of today." Kotetsu answered plainly.
Atsuo felt his eyebrows raise. "Things… Which requires you to be geared up? What about your sword?"
"Don't need it. Not for this." Kotetsu continued. Atsuo slid aside as Kotetsu brushed past him, moving for the clan entrance.
Atsuo felt his eyes widen as an idea came to him. "Is that today? I thought she had a mission, though."
"She did. She also promised it would be today. Keina keeps her promises."
Atsuo felt his feet move on their own as he caught up to Kotetsu. He would not miss a chance to see a fight like this.
—
Keina felt her feet drag as she made her way into the camp she called home. The sky had begun to lighten as morning approached. She had trudged through most of the night, aware of the promise to Kotetsu she had made weeks earlier. Even with several hours until the agreed time, she worried that her condition would leave her in less than optimal condition for dueling Kotetsu. She resolved to accept the outcome regardless.
Her pace quickened as the camp entrance came into view, the familiar face of Shingo acting as entry guard for the morning. His bored face lit up when Keina appeared.
"Keina, you're back… on time! That's a first." Shingo gibed, matching pace with her and walking side by side through the entrance.
"Yeah, I didn't want to miss out on your sparring sessions with Kotetsu." Keina teased.
Shingo paused in between steps, looking off as Keina continued into the camp. He reflexively grabbed his gut at the memory of Kotetsu repeatedly showing Shingo one of his many apparent weaknesses. He belatedly remembered he would be first to spar with Kotetsu the next day.
—
The promised duel was not any normal sparring match. Keina and Kotetsu had been permitted to use Ninjutsu by the clan's higher ups, and as such had also been ordered to take their fight out into an open clearing within the forest. News of the duel had quickly spread throughout the younger Uchiha cast, even gaining some attention among the adults.
Keina trudged to the designated area out in the forest, clearing her mind in preparation of the upcoming bout. The dueling location was only a few short minutes from the camp. As she was leaving the camp, she noticed immediately that a large portion of the clan had seemingly vanished. Upon exiting the forest into the specified clearing, she easily confirmed where everyone had gone.
Kotetsu, Atsuo, Dan, Shingo, Okita, and countless other younger Uchiha stood in a group at the center of the clearing. A swathe of adults stood a distance away, lining the far end of the clearing. Others sat perched in trees above looking down into the glade. When the group of teenagers noticed Keina, their conversations gradually ceased as she approached. Kotetsu moved from within the group to stand before Keina.
An adult suddenly appeared out of nowhere by the two, who recognised him a moment later as the clan leader. Eito glanced between the two fighters, then purposefully stared at the assembled group of teens still present behind Kotetsu. They got the hint and began to extricate themselves, leaving behind words of encouragement in their place.
"Good luck…"
"Don't blow the place up, alright?"
"Give it your best shot…"
Atsuo stood a moment after everyone else was gone. His eyes shifted from Kotetsu's back to Keina, who met his stare after a moment. Atsuo winked with a slight grin before leaving in a casual stroll. Keina felt somewhat nervous as her eyes were pulled down out of reflex, but they quickly returned to meet Kotetsu's expecting face. His neutral expression helped Keina calm her own mind back to complete focus.
"Keina. Are you ready?" Eito began.
Keina nodded once.
"Kotetsu?"
Kotetsu stared at Keina for a moment longer, before nodding his head in agreement.
Eito took several steps back, holding one arm straight out, hand poised to slice the air downward. Speaking one word, he cut the air in one fluid motion before vanishing.
"Begin."
Before Eito even finished the word, Kotetsu blurred forward with precipitous speeds, intending to put Keina on the ground before she could even react. His movements were clear, precise, and ultimately useless. Kotetsu felt no impact as he continued forward, the anticipated collision never coming. His feet barely caught the ground and he pulled himself to a confused stop.
Turning, he found Keina unmoving from her original position, except she was now casually observing him. Kotetsu had an immediate memory of Atsuo almost effortlessly dodging his unskilled attacks in his first days meeting the Uchiha clan. In all the time since, he had only fought with Keina a handful of times. Even that was a result of constant begging to spar. Each and every time, Keina had thoroughly beaten Kotetsu with little effort.
In direct contrast, Kotetsu could reasonably beat Atsuo head on once every two or three spars. When the forest or a complex environment was involved, those odds were reversed with Kotetsu taking the lead much of the time. Now, standing here after his failed opening, Kotetsu couldn't help but imagine a nearly insurmountable difference in skill between Keina and himself, with Keina above him on some peak he could hardly see. The keyword there being nearly insurmountable.
"He's just standing there…" Dan softly spoke as Atsuo approached.
"They're preparing. Give it a second." Atsuo confidently responded.
Keina watched Kotetsu with piercing red eyes. Her fully matured Sharingan observed every movement, mannerism, and slight tug of skin Kotetsu showed.
Kotetsu felt a grin slowly spread across his face as he stared at Keina. It came from a feeling he felt more often in combat, and he allowed himself to revel in the sensation.
When both fighters moved at each other simultaneously, only then did the real duel begin.
—
Within the first minute, the spar had devolved into a game of cat and mouse. Kotetsu might as well have been armless and legless when it came to close quarters against Keina. Mostly matched in speed, the difference boiled down to Keina's Sharingan, which let her catch Kotetsu time and time again with precise- but not serious- deft strikes. Kotetsu had decided his best chance was to gain distance, using the sparse trees, bushes, slight hill, and anything else he could scrap up to his potential advantage.
As the fight progressed, Kotetsu had no chance to showcase any part of his strategy on dealing with an Uchiha. Every hesitation and mistake was abused by Keina's sharpened prowess. To everyone watching, it appeared as if Keina was teaching a master class lesson on the Sharingan.
Kotetsu would spend several seconds gaining distance, only for Keina to catch up and pull him into the whirlwind of stabbing fists and unfettered kicks. He continued a useless struggle against the one sided melee, never losing determination to change the pace of the fight. Fake-out attacks were seen through, rocks were dodged or caught, dirt and other attempts at obstructing vision were met with distance. However, Kotetsu was not out of options.
Gaining distance again, Kotetsu weaved through several handsigns he had thoroughly ingrained into muscle memory through a year of training. Pressure built up in his lungs, his Chakra flowing at an exact and measured rate. Taking a deep breath, he imagined a spark of intense light placed right on his tongue, and breathed a pure torrent of fire.
Keina had not idly watched. Matching Kotetsu, she formed a series of handsigns meant to deploy a form of defensive earth should it prove necessary. Keina observed the building Chakra in Kotetsu's lung with concern. Her concern stemmed from Kotetsu's apparent ability to reform a jutsu beyond the scope of the handsigns performed.
While a jutsu's handsigns appeared to be what determined the form the Chakra should take, handsigns were actually more of a foundation the Chakra could build on. A skilled Chakra user can mentally reshape the form their Chakra takes regardless of the handsigns enacted. Keina was proven correct in her assumption as instead of shooting a growing ball of fire, Kotetsu released a speeding stream of flames instead.
Keina knew that Kotetsu could redirect the continuous stream in whatever way she dodged, even potentially leading the fire along her path. So she removed that possibility by slamming her hands into the ground, causing a cube of earth several meters thick to suddenly rise. Kotetsu had no choice but to either gouge the flames out, attempt to maneuver his way around the cube, or less likely, melt a hole through the earth. She would not dismiss any such possibility.
Kotetsu had expected Keina to create a wider, less thick wall of earth to offset the ball of fire Kotetsu was supposed to create. Her anticipation of his action threw Kotetsu off for several seconds. Snapping back to the fight with an idea, Kotetsu focused on something he had mentally practiced for several months, but had not actually performed for fear of danger to himself. Taking the already formed Chakra coming out of his lungs, he slowly manipulated the stream so that his Chakra began to build up instead of exiting at a constant pace. The stream of fire reduced to less than half its size. Then, Kotetsu pushed the compressed mound of Chakra out all at once, releasing a devastating fireball.
The fireball moved just behind the dwindling stream of flames. Kotetsu only had to wait another moment before the sphere impacted the cube, engulfing it in fire and easily reaching where Keina was. The resulting explosion charred much of the cube, and had expelled large chunks of stone in every direction. Several seconds passed letting the flames die out. An errant thought hit Kotetsu, and he weaved another series of handsigns just in case.
Kotetsu did not give in to the false sense of security his mind desperately wanted to create. Keeping his eyes open, he checked his surroundings, unsure of what Keina might do next. Kotetsu knew the fight was not over as no one had shown up to stop him. A slight vibration crept up his feet, causing Kotetsu to instantly jump into the air as the earth beneath where he stood began to shake apart. He quickly realised that his movement had been what Keina was after.
From the ground, a long thin spike of stone grew straight into the air, climbing with impressive speed right for Kotetsu. Kotetsu had reacted on impulse, and would now face the consequence. Or at least, he should have.
From Kotetsu's feet, two blazing shrouds of fire sprouted to allow Kotetsu movement in mid-air. His body twisted into a somersault as the speeding spear of stone barely clipped one leg. The jets of fire barely lasted more than a second as Kotetsu kept the expelled Chakra to a minimum. While still airborne, Kotetsu focused on performing another small set of handsigns. Maneuvering his body up right, Kotetsu barely landed on his feet from the near strike.
The sound of grinding stone pulled Kotetsu's attention behind, back to the earth cube, where he found a square doorway opening to reveal Keina. The two locked eyes for a brief moment. Kotetsu broke the intense stare by spewing a burst of fire from his mouth, releasing the last of his built up Chakra in one smooth motion. Lancing fire dashed forward like a kunai, aimed right for the open doorway and Keina within. Kotetsu stumbled to the ground from the intense release of energy.
Kotetsu watched from the dirt as Keina regarded the lance of flames with casual ease. He watched as the fire entered the doorway's threshold. Then, he watched the fire rush straight through her body, leaving no trace of its passage. Alarm surged through Kotetsu as he attempted to get to his feet, only to find the ground beneath him opening to swallow him whole. A wave of fear engulfed Kotetsu along with the earth. Suddenly, in that moment, he was in his own nightmare, trying to escape the pit of tar. A yelp of terror escaped his lips as he fell.
Then, the feeling of falling subsided, and Kotetsu was trapped up to his neck in the ground. The image of Keina standing in the cube flickered and faded like smoke vanishing in the wind. The ground shook beside Kotetsu, and the real Keina appeared to rise as if stepping up a flight of stairs. Staring with wide surprise and his mouth agape was all Kotetsu could do.
Keina stared down at Kotetsu's wide eyed open mouthed face. To her, he had not changed much if at all from the boy she first knew over a year ago. But when she inspected his expression, she could notice the subtle differences of a boy slowly turning into a man. Kotetsu sputtered as he sat imprisoned in the dirt. Keina cut him off.
"Do you concede?"
Kotetsu's mouth snapped shut in response. Keina won their staring contest as, a few seconds later, Kotetsu glanced down with a slight nod of assent. Keina clapped her hands together in a single handsign, releasing the Chakra surrounding Kotetsu and causing the dirt to softly pull away from his body.
Before Kotetsu could start to free himself, he found a hand extended above him. He stared at it for several seconds. It began to wiggle in a beckoning motion. Pulling an arm free, Kotetsu clasped the offered hand and let Keina pull him out of the dirt tomb.
"Are you alright?" Keina quietly asked once Kotetsu's feet were securely back on solid ground.
Kotetsu glanced up with chagrin. "...Yeah. Sort of panicked near the end there."
"I noticed."
Keina and Kotetsu stood awkwardly, until Kotetsu looked straight into her face, a half smirk planted on his stupid face.
"Thanks for the fight. Though, if that Genjutsu clone in the cube had been real, you would have been toast." Kotetsu boasted.
"No, I wouldn't. But good try." Keina gently patted Kotetsu's shoulder.
—
Atsuo and Dan stood within a silent crowd, watching the fight unfold. No one made a sound until the spar finally ended with Keina winning as expected. Okita and Shingo immediately and simultaneously began clapping with vigor, cheering with sudden hollers and whooping. A sound of a throat clearing from somewhere quieted the two teenagers, turning to find Eito standing behind the group. No one else made a noise.
Above in the trees, the adults made soft sounds of approval and discussed the match. They knew that Keina was not someone to be taken lightly in combat. Kotetsu lasting as long as he did was also approved of, though less so due to his unique circumstances. No one could guess how far the fledgling cinder-born shinobi might grow.
With the fight over, everyone began to trickle back into the clan slowly. Keina and Kotetsu walked side by side back to the camp. Atsuo, Dan, and the rest of the group caught up behind, following the two. The assembled teens all fell into easy conversation as they strolled through the forest, the late morning sun attempting to pierce the trees overhead.
Upon reaching the camp entrance, the young Uchiha began to disperse into the forest of tents. Eventually, it was just Atsuo, Keina, and Kotetsu. Keina dismissed herself to clean up and get some proper rest. Atsuo and Kotetsu found themselves by Kotetsu's tent, where Kotetsu began untying the threads holding his shoulder pads in place.
"You seem… unusually calm after that fight." Atsuo carefully broached.
Kotetsu didn't respond, instead opting to duck into his tent, leaving the flap open.
Atsuo felt emboldened after seeing Kotetsu beaten so easily, and pressed on.
"Like, you were much more hostile this morning. It was the same before your practice fights yesterday."
Kotetsu stashed his shoulder pads and began to exit his tent, but hesitated a moment. He appeared to reach further in and retrieve something.
"But also, something happened at the end of this last match, right? You froze up. You could have easily escaped that earth prison…" Atsuo's voice fell away as he saw what Kotetsu held, standing back up from his tent.
In his hand, Kotetsu held a black rod separated by a handle wrapped in leather straps. The familiar sight of the black stone caused Atsuo to reflexively take a step back.
"Uh…" Atsuo gave his intelligent response.
Kotetsu stared down at the black stone rod in his right hand. The same stone rod that he had been prodded with over a year ago now. He pressed one end into his left hand. Nothing happened.
"...What the…" Atsuo once again proved his cunning.
"One end was a fake. That was his plan. Sochua, I mean. He would single someone out, then test them with the fake end of the rod. Once it wouldn't work, no one would believe that person wasn't a monster in disguise." Kotetsu explained in multiple breaths.
Atsuo took a moment to formulate an actual response.
"You took that?"
Kotetsu glanced back up at Atsuo, breaking his stare-down with the rod.
"It's a reminder for me. I still get… nightmares about that day."
"Have you considered that it might be the rod giving you them?" Atsuo reacted with instant sarcasm, waving down at the black rod in Kotetsu's hand.
In response, Kotetsu pulled the rod away from his hand and jabbed it out toward Atsuo, who stepped back with a half yelp.
Kotetsu smirked as Atsuo stared daggers at him.
"I'm gonna get some rest. Keina punches a little too hard sometimes." Kotetsu rubbed his shoulder.
Before leaving, Atsuo turned to speak one last time.
"Hey… if you're having trouble sleeping, don't be afraid to tell anyone. Or just tell me. Alright, bro?"
Kotetsu focused on Atsuo from the corner of one eye, half turned to re-enter his tent. He flashed a small grin, and spoke as he retreated behind the veil of his tent.
"Sure. Brother."