"Hey, can you order a Mango Julius Mocktail with frozen mango juice and extra vanilla ice cream, plus two Soy Sauce Dango sticks coated in chili flakes for me while I go to the restroom?" Izuna stared dumbly at Shisui's request, speechless at his very specific choice of drink and sweets. She was uncomfortable with how he was practically jumping in his place while hiding his very private area, so she shrugged numbly at him. "Yup? Thanks!"
He bolted out to the left, leaving her to decide where to sit. Obviously he knew the place very well; otherwise he would've asked the waiter where the lavatory was first.
Izuna chose the table by the window; it had two chairs only and one round wooden table, perfect. She really hated extras. It just gave her anxiety. Sure, she didn't lead a minimalistic lifestyle--because getting rid of her possessions was a big 'nono' in her dictionary--but extra seats made her panicky.
"What can I get for you today?" A man--the waiter--chimed in brightly as he stood beside Izuna. She did not jump at his sudden appearance. The girl sweat-dropped as she brought out her notebook and pen--which she had previously been unable to access when carrying the Wasabi cake--and began writing down Shisui's order.
Izuna was naturally a slow writer, no matter how many times she had to resort to the action to communicate with others. That was why she preferred the Shinobi sign language. Yet, that was also another problem. Only Shinobi understood her.
Obviously, the waiter wasn't a Shinobi so she had to write.
The man scoffed loudly with a roll of his eyes once he saw her writing the order. "Would you just speak?"
Izuna felt cheated as she glared at the man bitterly. If she could, she would have. She knew that he thought she was one of the people who had the ability to talk, but physically couldn't bring themselves to, yet she couldn't cut him any slack. Those people were as much victims as she was; they could not talk. It wasn't just to grab people's attention, and it definitely wasn't to be dramatic. It was sad that a lot of people thought they were only attention-seeking whores.
She bit the insides of her cheek lightly--not enough to draw blood--and continued to write on the paper after she shook her head sideways. Don't judge a book by its cover, they said. She shouldn't have judged him to be nice because he smiled and looked kind.
"Hurry up. I don't have all day to tend to you; there are other customers." He narrowed his eyes at Izuna, rubbing his brow as if to ward off a coming headache. "If you don't want to be normal, fine with me. But nobody wants to be kept waiting for you to write."
Izuna scornfully cussed Shisui in her mind at his stupid order. He just had to get something detailed and long, didn't he? She breathed deeply, in and out in a calming motion, trying to clear her head. Shisui wasn't the problem, the impatient waiter was.
She shouldn't blame him when he didn't do anything wrong.
Izuna halted slightly in her writing at what crossed her mind, continuing on before the waiter complained some more about her.
She shouldn't blame Shisui when he didn't do anything wrong, just like she shouldn't blame anyone that Rin and Obito were dead.
Just like she shouldn't blame Minato or herself or Kakashi that Rin and Obito were dead.
She shouldn't, but she did.
---
Shisui looked Izuna in the eyes dryly with an amused smile.
He spared a glance at the mocktail again before staring exasperatedly at Izuna's innocent smile.
"...Did you drink my mocktail?"
She never smiled innocently. Never.
Izuna shook her head rapidly in a 'no' gesture with wide eyes in absolute fake shock that he would suspect her.
"Mhmm." Shisui nodded along with his eyebrows raised high as if to look understanding. "How did it taste?"
'Delicious.' Came the immediate reply and bright beaming of Izuna. Shisui snorted at the girl as he recollected his composure, a grin overtaking his features.
"I know right?!" Shisui chimed in with a grin, gushing and fangirling as he jumped slightly in his seat. "Why didn't you order one for yourself?"
Izuna frowned at him with a dry roll of her eyes, not wanting to even talk about the stupid waiter or have to communicate with him again. If she could speak, there would have been very colorful words coming out of her mouth. Sure, she could probably make fun of the waiter to Shisui, but the Uchiha wasn't there to witness the scene and would probably think of her as a spoiled brat.
'I don't have any money with me.' It wasn't a lie. Izuna hadn't expected to go anywhere after giving Kurenai the cake so she didn't bother brining money. Yet, it also wasn't the full truth. At her shrug, Shisui smiled humorlessly. He beckoned for the--stupid--waiter to come with a loud "Hey!" and a wave of his hand.
"I'll get you one and you can pay me back later." They were both broke children anyway. One who was now a breadwinner for a family of three and another who lived off of the monthly allowance orphans were given. They really weren't the best people off, but they managed. "You take this straw, I take the new one."
Needless to say, the Mango Julius Mocktail with frozen mango juice and extra vanilla ice cream was delicious.
It was even more mouthwatering once Shisui offered to buy her Kinako Dango, his treat.
---
Izuna walked beside Shisui aimlessly with a faraway look in her eyes. Once Shisui noticed the tension between her and the waiter, he began getting restless. It wasn't until the man said, "A normal boy who could talk, finally." did Shisui finally get the hint and leave the place with Izuna. Now they were stumbling around without a clear destination in mind. Izuna was thankful to Shisui for not asking about her crying, treating her to Dango and making sure she was comfortable. He was a really nice person.
Izuna paused in her step, her feet hanging in mid-air.
Her eyes widened like saucers as her heart thumped painfully in her chest.
Once Kabuto turned his head slightly in her direction, Izuna blushed madly and dove behind Shisui to hide herself.
She did not like this feeling at all.
Why did Obito like Rin so much again?
Shisui stifled a laugh and looked at Izuna from over his shoulder, a knowing, evil glint in his eyes.
Izuna did not like his grin at all.
"Baby Izuna has a crush~" Shisui sang evilly, making sure his voice was loud enough to reach the other boy. It didn't, thankfully for Izuna and sadly for Shisui. "Whats his name anyway?"
Izuna was too naïve and fell for his trap effortlessly.
'Kabuto.'
Izuna stayed crouching behind Shisui as he maneuvered the two of them forward.
"Izuna and Kabuto sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-" Izuna stared in horror and she slapped her hand over Shisui's mouth lividly and harshly. She did NOT have a crush and she was NOT going to kiss anyone.
Except, she had a crush.
Kabuto heard the loud slap of Izuna's palm meeting Shisui's face--it was that loud--and turned to look at the duo. Izuna glared in pure terror at Shisui, sending him a glare that promised him sweet, sweet death. The boy shivered under her glare violently as Kabuto brightened up once he recognized the girl and began approaching them. He had been looking for her, after all.
Shisui licked Izuna's hand, making her scatter back in disgust away from him. He grinned brightly before waving to the boy with both his hands in the air.
"Hey, Kabuto! Izuna has a crush on you!-" Izuna flung her body at Shisui and straddled him in one fluid motion. Her fist broke though the skin of his cheek as she punched him. She didn't care about the blood that got on her face and knuckles and aimed another fist at his face, only for it to get interpreted. "Woah! I was just joking, Izuna-chan~"
Despite his sniff, his tone just gave away the fact that he was lying. He could have given up on the grin if he wanted to make his act slightly believable too.
Izuna was going to kill Shisui.
"Can you heal him?" Kabuto didn't even react to their childish banter--even if he was also a child himself--and just got straight to the point. He didn't find it in himself to help the Uchiha, and the girl was the next best option--unless they left his cut to heal naturally.
Izuna glared heatedly at Shisui from the corner of her eyes as a light blush filled her face again. He only raised his hands in a surrendering sign, cowering away on the ground beneath her slightly.
"I didn't say anything!"
'You were thinking it.'
Izuna hated that damn Cheshire grin.
"...Anyways," Kabuto cleared his throat with a small amused grin on his face. He didn't even remind her to heal the boy again, he just gave up. Too easily, in his opinion. "I'll be gone on a mission for about four days, but I want you to keep practicing."
Shisui pushed Izuna off of him and got to his feet, perking up at Kabuto's words, interested in what exercise she did. Izuna nodded along, her lovestruck smile still plastered onto her face.
"Just channel your normal chakra like you do medical chakra-"
"You can use medical ninjutsu?" Shisui furrowed his eyebrows as he turned towards Izuna. Both her and Kabuto just stared dryly at him. Did he ignore the part where Kabuto asked her to help him? What did he expect her to help him with? Willpower?
"...As I was saying," Kabuto gave Shisui the poker face and continued on. "Channel chakra like you would medical chakra, and to your feet instead of your hands. I expect you to be able to walk up the entire Hokage monument once I'm back."
While Shisui looked on in acknowledgement that this was the tree-walking exercise, Izuna just paled in horror.
Might as well throw her into a horror movie and be done with it.
Shisui made plans to race the girl and encourage her using her crush on Kabuto. He definitely wasn't going to make fun of it. Nope. Definitely nope.
---
But Kabuto never came back.
He never would.
He was dead.
Izuna really only met him twice, so his death didn't hurt her as much as Obito's and Rin's.
It just left an empty feeling in her chest.
There wasn't even a funereal.
He had no family--he was an orphan--and no one would pay for it.
Death wasn't fun, and it certainly wasn't merciful.
It took thirteen years olds, fourteen years olds and eight years olds.
It took and it took and it took.
It never stopped taking and it never gave.
It never will.
Death was an unhealthy relationship that everyone was in, but no one seemed to be able to break up from.
Death was ugly.
Izuna was distraught, not really in the best of moods after Kabuto's death. She hadn't stopped practicing, like he told her, but he was dead. Did it even matter anymore?
When everyone and anyone she seemed to care about ended up dead, was there a reason for her to continue fighting?
Kabuto told her yes.
He told her that she could save others, help them stay alive.
But he was dead.
Izuna jumped off of her bed and hurried towards the door; she didn't want to stay alone anymore.
The girl squinted her eyes at the sudden light that blinded her temporarily, halting in her steps. Where would she even go?
Her mind didn't know, but her feet did.
It was barely a ten minutes walk from the compound.
Her shoulder hunched over once she realized where her feet brought her. It wasn't particularly a place specific only to Kabuto, but it was one of two places she met him.
The clearing was definitely more prominent than the streets, too
Izuna lowered her head in respect quietly. A single tear fell from her eyes, but Izuna hurried out to wipe it away. All she did was cry. She didn't want to cry anymore. She had never even been on an official mission, and here she was, bawling her eyes out and pouring her soul into tears that would change nothing and would never bring back the dead.
Izuna's head snapped up once she felt a hand resting on her head. Her eyes widened in shock; she did not see him sneaking up on her at all in broad daylight, never mind being able to sense others' chakra signatures.
"Izuna-kun," Danzo began with a sly look in his eyes, one that hid clear malicious intents. After all, he was the one to issue the order of Kabuto's death. The boy had too much intel, and he went against Danzo's back to try and stop the man from having what he wanted as well. He was dangerous, unpredictable. He had to be taken out of the equation immediately. "The boy died for the safety of the village. You would do well by getting stronger to... honor him."
The lie had to be crafted perfectly. If he played his cards right, he would take out two birds with one stone. A great leader made the most of an inadequate situation, after all. And find the best, he did.
Izuna was disoriented, confused. She wasn't sad, just apathetic; numb. Kabuto said that she shouldn't hurt anyone, but, rather, protect them. Help those who had everything to lose to survive and thrive, to stay alive. Kabuto wasn't like her; he didn't have nothing to lose like her, she was sure of that.
Then why was he dead?
She needed someone to help her.
She needed someone to clear it up.
She needed someone to help her make sense of it.
She needed someone.
That someone came in the form of the man who sent Kabuto to teach her and informed her of his death. That someone was standing right in front of her.
Danzo made sure that Izuna thought Kabuto died for the safety of the village--it wasn't that far from the truth--and didn't leave place for doubt to rise in her mind that he was assassinated by one of their own, one who had abducted and experimented on the girl as well.
Obviously, Danzo never send Kabuto to train Izuna; the boy went behind his back. Yet, the Aburame spy that had been ordered to follow the Uchiha reported the conversation between the children to him. After that, it was just a matter of pretending that he knew nothing about the ordeal to Kabuto, while also giving Izuna the impression that it was under his authority that Kabuto was teaching her. It was child's play, in both the figurative and literal sense.
'He-' Izuna shook her head lightly, trying to clear up her muddled thoughts. She leaned into Danzo's hand slightly, seeking comfort from a place where n o n e could be found.
So she told him everything.
Just like Danzo hoped she would.
---
Izuna flew towards him, arms outstretched, ready to claw out his throat. She brought her claws downwards with a snarl, cutting through thin air. It was training, sure, but it looked more like a one-sided battle than anything.
"Use your legs more often." Danzo ordered with a firm voice. He hadn't even broken a sweat, yet she looked like she showered in hers, she smelled like it too. It didn't help that he ordered her to communicate with him throughout the session, even while fighting. You will be forced to talk to your comrades during fights, he said. You'll need to be able to deliver information without alerting the enemy Shinobi. Screw him and his facts, focusing on the sign language while combatting was hard. Definitely not as hard as the Fireball Jutsu so as to spend a month and a half practicing it, but hard nonetheless. "They're your most unprotected areas as well as the weakest. Focus."
Izuna pushed her feet strongly against the dirt and lunged towards his neck. She missed again. The wind blew harshly against her frame as the girl flipped around in midair and aimed a roundhouse kick at him. He captured her foot in a strong grip and tossed her away with a fluid movement of his wrist. Danzo wasn't harsh, but he wasn't gentle either. He was just... teaching. 'You're saying if my brother was an enemy, would I kill him?'
Danzo confirmed her simplification of his words with a quick flick of his finger. Apparently, her comrades would also be using the sign language and she would have to get used to seeing other people communicating with it.
Izuna brought her hands up in an 'x' format to shield her face from the oncoming assault of Danzo's fist. She was too late, though. She tasted a surge of coppery blood once his punch slammed into jaw as her head flew back from the force. Her body hurled backwards across the clearing and her head smashed against the ground, blood splattering around her. She collapsed to the ground once her back collided with the bark of a tree a few feet away, the wind knocked out of her.
Danzo towered mercilessly over her shaking and gasping figure while she laid on the floor weakly, taking in as much oxygen as she could into her lungs. They ached to the point that it felt like she would never breath again.
"Up." His distant order was obscured by the blood pounding in her ears. Izuna laid still on the ground for a second, wiping away the tears that formed in her eyes. His punch didn't even hurt, but her eyes just liked to make waterfalls at every small little thing. A warm liquid dripped down her lips--more blood. She wiped it away hastily and stumbled up to her feet. Izuna ignored her swirling head and got into formation despite the world swaying around her.
'I would never kill him.' She staggered forward, swinging blindly and missing once more. She reeled from his kick and crashed against the tree behind her again.
Danzo motioned for her to stand down. Doing her best was not the same as working herself to a physical and mental breakdown. For others, sure, but she was... a special case. She heaved a sigh of her relief as her shoulders slumped forward. Taijutsu was her best, yes, but the man was on a whole other level. She wiped the sweat that formed on her face away. Izuna really needed to take a shower.
The girl withdrew her claws momentarily. She brought one hand above the other and started applying medical chakra to it.
"And if he tried to kill you?"
'He wouldn't.'
Danzo narrowed his eyes at her, repeating what he said slowly.
"If he did?" Izuna didn't bother replying, she only glared at him angrily. If her brother was still alive, he would never try to hurt her. Family always above everything. "If he was to engage in combat with Rin-kun, would you eliminate him?"
Izuna was speechless.
Why was Danzo asking her questions that she would never have the answer to?
Would she kill Obito to save Rin?
She would let everyone else die; Izuna was selfish. But she wasn't going to kill her Obito.
Yet, when it came down to brother and sister, what would she do?
Izuna replied after she healed her torn knuckles completely.
'I'll kill whoever is evil, or try to convince them to stop fighting.' Izuna walked towards Danzo, her hands wrapping around herself to stop her feeling of vulnerability.
"And yet, when both are wrong, when neither's minds could be changed, who would you save?" The answer for that one came easy.
'Both of them.' Danzo smiled haughtily at Izuna. He turned his back to her and walked away, motioning for her to follow him.
Izuna didn't like the glint in his eyes, at all.
She bumped into
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