A/N: Potentially triggering. Not really but just to be safe 'cos idk whats triggering and whats not. Proceed with caution.
"Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger." Obito paused after every word to show her the hand seals. He knew he would have to teach her the Fireball Jutsu sooner or later, so why not get a head-start? She already acquired the Sharingan with two-tomoes--before Obito got the one-tomoe at all, mind you--already went through torture, and already killed people. He would be stupid if he didn't teach it to her. "Got it, Izuna?"
Izuna stared at him dryly in disgust, hating how to be considered an adult in the clan, she had to learn such a stupid jutsu with lots of hand seals. She barely managed to remember which correct seals were used for the clone jutsu--even if she wasn't able to do it--and here her brother was, telling her to memorize six others and their order, much less pull it off successfully. Wasn't the substitution Jutsu--one which required five hand seals, in contrast to the clone jutsu's three--enough? Apparently not.
'No.' Obito fell dramatically at that. 'I don't got it. I don't got it at all.'
"What don't you got it?!" He furrowed his eyebrows in disgust at how grammatically impaired his sentence was. He grabbed his sister's shoulders, shaking her like a sack of big potatoes as waterfall tears fell down his face. "You infected me with your stupid grammar!"
Izuna's eyes swirled around from the amount of shaking as she struggled in her brother's grip. Reaching with her head towards his hands that held her in place, she bit down on it harshly and got him to let go effectively, eliciting an 'Ouch!' out of him in the process.
"What was that for?!" She gave him a heated glare in reply, flinging her fist at his face halfheartedly while secretly promising herself to prank the life out of him later. "Okay okay! I'm- I'm sorry?"
His apology wasn't even sincere. He was mocking her grammar, and he expected her to accept that?
"-But in my defense, if Bakashi was here, he would be mocking me for how I talked and then I would've no chance with Rin-chan at all!"
Very manly screams were heard for the rest of the day.
Izuna snapped out of her daydreaming--reliving memories--as she heard Minato calling for her from the living room, presumably having finished explaining the situation to Fugaku. After the nameless boy dropped her off at Minato's house yesterday--probably because he saw the man with her at Obito's funereal--the Jonin cleaned her up and went to bandage her wounds before she stopped him. He was expecting her to let her wounds heal naturally? Maybe Rin didn't tell him that she was teaching Izuna medical Ninjutsu, because that would explain how surprised he was when she healed herself.
Of course, problems didn't stop there. Apparently, her eyes kept bleeding throughout the night and the blood didn't look as if it was stopping anytime soon. It didn't help that she couldn't manage to deactivate her suddenly awakened Sharingan, and it certainly didn't help that the three tomoes contracted into themselves and fused together into a single, thin circle around her pupil.
Minato had told her to go to sleep and that he would call Fugaku in the morning to see if he knows anything about whats happening to her. Obviously, the girl hadn't been able to sleep due to the excruciating pain, so the Namikaze stayed beside her for the night to channel Chakra into her body and lessen the pain, eventually falling asleep beside her when her eyes stabilized. Izuna didn't really know why he would'nt take her to the hospital, and when she asked him about it, he merely frowned at her and shook his head quietly with a knowing glint in his eyes. He was partly lying about the fact that he didn't know what was happening to her, it seemed.
Standing in the doorway of the room, she waited for further instructions or help. After all, a blind girl couldn't go around however she liked in a stranger's house. Well, technically, she wasn't blind. Her eyes were just wrapped in bandages. Izuna didn't know how Minato knew that not using her eyes would put a stop to the pain, but she realized he knew more than he let on. That, and that he was a part-time liar. At least not a full-time one, she guessed.
She felt one of the men shuffling and crouching down in front of her.
"Take the bandages off, Izuna-chan." So Fugaku was the one next to her, because Minato's voice was obviously further away. Izuna complied quickly and quietly, afraid to open her eyes lest it started bleeding again, but doing so nonetheless.
And as she feared, blood started pouring out of it not even a second later, but she didn't close her eyes.
Fugaku looked conflicted in front of her as he stared at her deformed Sharingan after having activating his own. The look on his face scared her slightly, but she kept quiet. Minato didn't.
"Is it the Mangekyo?" Minato inquired carefully, not wasting time. He sat with his forearms on his slightly spread out thighs, looking as if he was anticipating something.
"No..." Fugaku didn't once look away from Izuna's eyes, even when his eyes transformed into a style that didn't look relatively close to the Sharingan except for the colors--the Mangekyo--not understanding how the situation in front of him came to be. "It's not, but close enough."
Fugaku shook his head in confusion, sighing as he stood up from the ground, motioning for Izuna to take a seat like he did.
"This will take a while to explain, but I'm not even sure what this is." At Minato's nod, and Izuna making herself at home, he continued, having deactivated his Kekkei Genkai. "Her Sharingan is stuck between the normal one and the Mangekyo."
Izuna wondered what the Mangekyo was, but she didn't get a chance to ask.
"The emotional trauma of Nohara's passing was too much for her, but not enough." Izuna, like Minato, stilled at the mention of Rin, and Fugaku noticed instantly. "Apologies for your loss."
"It's fine." Minato gave him a forced smile in return, obviously not fine, but they had a matter on hand more important than grief, and he wasn't going to get sidetracked. "Please continue."
Fugaku nodded.
"As I was saying, due to the... stress, Izuna's Mangekyo was in the process of awakening; however, her brain stopped its development before it could fully materialize. I believe thats because her emotions stabilized while undergoing the transformation; thus minimizing the chakra sent to her optic nerves, and consequently cancelling the obtainment of the Mangekyo."
Izuna sweat-dropped. Did Fugaku always use advanced words like that? Izuna didn't follow with him. At. All. Yet, Minato looked like he understood everything the Uchiha spoke. Perhaps adults had a language of their own.
"You're saying that her Sharingan will stay stuck in the middle of changing phases?" Minato tensed at the revelation the Uchiha had said, his eyes darting between Fugaku and Izuna constantly, before settling on the former. "That her eyes won't stop bleeding?"
"This depends on trial and error." Fugaku sighed quietly, his shoulders hunching as he rubbed his temples at the migraine that he could just feel coming. "Her brain didn't fully take away the Chakra in her optical nerves, which is why her Sharingan has stayed activated. Theoretically, if we treat this as the Mangekyo, then training her to retreat that Chakra could deactivate this Mangekyo phase into her normal Sharingan, and, let's hope, her Sharingan itself."
"That should be easy then." Minato leaned back into his seat, stretching his arms above his head, still slightly stiff from how he had to sleep the night before. At Fugaku's questioning gaze and the equally confused one of Izuna's, he elaborated. "Erm... Rin taught her medical ninjutsu... before her... passing..."
Minato cursed his head off at his stupidity, he just had to bring up Rin again, didn't he? But then again, was that the reason Fugaku and Izuna spared an uneasy glance at each other? He was missing out on something, but what?
"Izuna might have good chakra control, but that being an easy feat to accomplish is not exactly true, Minato-san." Fugaku carefully corrected Minato, knowing that he was treading on a very thin line. Minato was authorized to know everything about her A-rank secret, but not the S-ranked one, and this was clearly diving deeply into it. Only a handful of people, consisting of Izuna, Obito, Fugaku, the elders and the Hokage among a few others--as in her abductor--knew about everything. Rin and her parents were supposed to know as well after the adoption, yet that never took place. "I'm afraid you'll have to talk with the Hokage for the full details, though. One of the two A-ranked secrets is a cover, as I'm certain you know which."
Minato's eyes grew cold at Fugaku's reply, his shoulders stiffened as the friendly expression disappeared, getting replaced by a threatening one. He wasn't about to play a game with the Uchiha, and he was going to get what he wanted.
"Fugaku-san-" Minato halted in his speech when Izuna pulled at his sleeve forcefully, her eyes wide in fear as she shook her head in a 'no', telling him to drop it. The Namikaze sighed as he reclined back in his seat, closing his eyes while stopping his KI at the same time, not wanting to overwhelm the girl, even when he knew his killer intent would never affect her. He would just have to get the information out of Fugaku later when Izuna wasn't around.
"Minato," Fugaku dropped the honorific altogether, confirming Minato's thought that the matter was more serious than he first thought it would be. "Izuna's Mangekyo never happened, and I never acquired mine either. The Hokage shall never know about anything we discussed today."
"What do you mean?" The Jonin didn't miss a beat, his lips tilting into a calm smile once more, keeping up with the act as his fingers twitched slightly. Konoha was drenched in dark secrets, and the Hokage wasn't exactly a noble man. Even Minato admitted that. "We're just having a civil conversation, aren't we?"
For the time being.
"Indeed we are." Fugaku smiled back at Minato's reply sarcastically, yet also relaxed as he crossed his arms. The Namikaze was smart enough to know when to question someone's intention, yet they both knew that if the Hokage ever got a grasp on Izuna's current powers, she would be thrust into a war like another young, prodigal Uchiha, a case that they couldn't avoid because they had no prior knowledge of what would happen. Now they knew, and now they knew to avoid it. The Namikaze wasn't the holder of the record in the written Chunin exams for nothing.
Fugaku excused himself after a few more moments of a 'civil' conversation, having told Izuna that he would arrange a meeting--a training session to solve the issue--later next week. For the meantime, she would have to get used to applying healing chakra to her eyes, because they both knew it would take a lot of time. Fugaku resolved to having a Genjutsu put on her eyes, one that could only be broken by a Mangekyo. Apparently, the only other two people who owned such eyes weren't a problem and wouldn't attempt to release the Genjutsu hiding her Sharingan.
Izuna turned to look at Minato after Fugaku left, having not understood anything from her clan leader and why they kept using the Shinobi code throughout the 'civil' conversation they had. Minato told Fugaku that they would talk more when the 'walls don't have ears', and Fugaku gave a location--the village gates--a date, and a time, but what did that mean?
'Explain.'
"Haha?..." Minato's smile twitched he thought of how to explain such a topic to her, sensing the Chakra signature get out of his house. "There's chakra in your eyes and we need to get it out?"
Izuna rolled her eyes. That was literally all she understood from the talk between the adults, yet Minato felt the need to simplify it to her when she needed an explanation of the other subjects covered.
"You don't need to worry about it, Izuna-chan." Minato comforted the girl, having reached the conclusion that he couldn't explain this simply enough for her young brain to comprehend. "Its nothing, I promise."
Izuna tried to smile but failed significantly as she decided to stop and throw herself at Minato's figure, hugging him as if was a teddy bear. He was soft and warm enough to be one, in her opinion. Even more so than her brother and sister.
Minato held her close to him with a gentle smile of his own, making the dark bags under his eyes more prominent than usual. The war was almost over, and it was going to be okay soon enough. There would be no more unnecessary, untimely deaths of Shinobi and Kunoichi alike.
It was silent, coercing Izuna into an easy slumber.
"Here, I'll show you." Obito grinned at his sister, finally getting the chance to show off to his sister with his jutsu. Weaving though the hand seals slowly and clearly to make sure Izuna could keep up with him, he breathed in deeply. "Fire style: Fireball jutsu!"
Hot red flames blew out of Obito's mouth, dancing in front of the siblings and reaching as far as the treeline around the lake, but the boy made sure to have it not go any further, lest he burned down the forest. Shades of yellow, orange and red made up the fire as the jutsu died down after thirty seconds, the boy having cancelled it. Obito was proud when he saw the amazed and starry look in Izuna's eyes and a shit-eating grin spread out on her face, awestruck at her brother's jutsu.
"What do you think of that, ha?!" Obito teased his sister, she was astonished by the same jutsu she had called stupid. He sniggered at her flushed cheeks, knowing that she was embarrassed. Obito laughed evilly and comically as he ushered her forward. "Your turn."
Izuna panicked as her eyes widened, her hands flying towards Obito's.
'What were the seals again?' Obito fell down dramatically, facepalming heavily. Would she ever pay attention?
"This is the fifth time, Izuna!" She merely stuck her tongue out at him, her eyes closing on reflex, hiding the mirth dancing in her orbs. Grunting in annoyance and exasperation, Obito's eye twitched at his sister's uncontrollably. "Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. Again. Now try it."
Izuna stirred from her sleep, hearing a slight commotion happening downstairs. Didn't she fall asleep on Minato in the living room? If so, why was she in the guestroom?
Shaking her head slightly to clear the tardiness from it--because how could she think that Minato would leave her on the couch if she wan't still half-asleep?--Izuna got out of bed, heading downstairs to see what all the fuss was about.
Izuna stared ahead in confusion as Minato hugged a woman with red hair standing by the front door, looking as if she just arrived back from a mission what with all the dried blood covering her. Who was she?
A few moments passed with the couple talking among themselves before Minato signaled for Izuna to come forward from her hiding place, having sensed her the moment she woke up.
"Kushina-chan, meet Izuna-chan." Minato smiled brightly at the females, introducing them to each other. It seemed this Kushina knew who Izuna was, if how her eyes lit up at the name was anything to go by. "Izuna-chan, meet Kushina-chan, my wife."
Izuna cringed in horror as her gaze flew towards the man. Wife? As in someone who was supposed to spend the rest of her life with him? That was terrifying. Shinobi weren't particularly known to have a long lifespan, yet here Minato was, wanting to start a family with someone he wasn't even sure would stay alive.
"I'm so glad to finally meet you, 'ttebane!" Izuna knew that Kushina didn't miss the look on her face, but the woman chose to ignore it, apparently. "I've heard so much about you, Izuna-chan!"
Izuna decided she liked the infectious excitement of the woman as she felt a genuine smile tugging at her lips for the first time since Rin's death. She never knew someone could do that.
'Its nice to meet you too.' Izuna replied lamely, not knowing what else to say. She had never been the best at conversing with strangers, always awkward, sometimes even with her family.
Another week passed before the war ended and Minato became Hokage. A week after that, Kushina got pregnant. Izuna still hadn't managed to deactivate her Sharingan, nevertheless.
Kushina--who the Uchiha thought was beautiful without all the blood covering her--invited Izuna over to celebrate the pregnancy. Minato came earlier than he normally would, having finished his responsibilities as Hokage quickly to come over. The three of them were preparing food, making baked potatoes among a few other dishes. Kushina didn't let Izuna do anything other than peel the potatoes, which, in Izuna's mind, were big. Bigger in size than the normal ones she had seen before, at least. Minato was cutting the onions and tearing up from the smell while Kushina teased him, calling him a crybaby.
Setting up the table quickly and sitting down, they said their prayers.
"Itadakimasu!" Minato and Kushina chorused while Izuna merely clasped her hands together. Izuna immediately moaned soundlessly, her face scrunching up, pleased at the taste of the--heavenly--food she was eating. It was absolutely wonderful to the point that she almost couldn't swallow it, wanting to savor the taste more than anything. Minato didn't look any different from her.
"The food is super delicious, Kushina!" Minato exclaimed, hurrying to eat the meal on his plate. He brought the soup-filled spoon to his mouth before stopping when it touched his lips, seemingly remembering something. "Like always."
"You put your blood, sweat, and tears in it," Kushina smirked at the sweat-drops falling down Minato's face, laughing evilly behind her hands as Izuna snorted. "Of course it has to be delicious."
"We have a kid sitting with us!" Minato blurted out as he stared in horror at Kushina, whom burst out into full-out laughter that was only appropriate for a madwoman. What was the Uzumaki thinking, spewing out adult jokes like that? At his statement, Izuna turned to look at Minato in confusion, not understanding why her being there caused a problem.
"Ah~ I didn't say anything." Kushina sang out, chiming with an innocent smile on her face that Minato knew was absolutely fake. "You're such a pervert, Minato-chan."
Minato panicked when his wife turned the tables on him, blushing heavily as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly with a weak smile. He felt his tongue getting tied, his mind freezing and unable to come up with a comeback.
"Erm... H-... how did your mission go?" The only solution was to change the subject, but Kushina fawned and gushed over him.
"Ohoho~ changing the conversation, aren't we Minato-chan?" Kushina was the definition of a monster, putting her husband on the spot like that, but it was all for the sake of entertainment. She continued on smugly, getting her husband to blush as much as the woman in question herself. "You're so cute, 'ttebane!"
Izuna felt a sense of contentment in her heart as warmth flooded her chest, getting her to beam at the couple, even if she didn't understand what was happening, but then she got forced into a flashback
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