Chapter 10 - Arc Iiii- 'Protect the Future' Chapter 1

After our battle with Orochimaru, Sasuke, and the emergence of Naruto’s inner demon, we had to rest in a small town just off of the Fire border. It was a friendly place, and very quiet. Everyone knew everyone, it seemed.

Had I not been so pre-occupied, I would have noticed that something wasn’t quite kosher about this place. But my thoughts were on Uzume and what little I knew of her.

She’s well protected, and by better shinobi than me…but it couldn’t hurt to visit to tell her about the ‘Heaven’s Temper’ thing that just happened to me.

I had given some thought to it, and decided to see if Asuna-chan would come along. Priestess to Priestess, maybe they could tune into the spirit world more accurately or something.

“Ojousama, please stay with Naruto-dono. I’m going to get Asuna-chan to join us. I’ve got a small side trip to make, and it might involve her.”

Sakura was tending to Naruto, so she was only half-listening. She looked up, sounding a little surprised, but nodded her ascent.
-

“Summoning Jutsu!”

The elder monkey king, Enma, the Third Hokage’s familiar (now my familiar) appeared before me in a puff of smoke. He had grayed since I had last seen him, and his breathing was more labored than last time.

“Elder, I’m sorry to disturb you. But there’s a potential problem concerning Uzume.”

Enma immediately knew why I had summoned him.
“You need to visit the priestess? I can reach the Fire Daimyo quickly and grant you an audience. But you’re not keen on the occult, boy. Why Uzume?”

“I believe she’s in danger. That, and one of the prophecies she’s made concerning me may have just come true. I would like to verify that.” I couldn’t explain the feeling, but I just felt certain that something was going to happen to Lady Uzume.

Enma inhaled deeply, trying to steady his breathing. “Understood. I will act as your go-between.”

“Thank you, Lord Enma. If I may make a further proposal…” Ryouko broke into a small grin. “We should exchange sake cups, now that I’m old enough. I know it’s mere formality, but if you’re interested…”

Enma smiled in return. “Sake…a wonderful thing…let’s partake.”
--

The temple of the Fire Daimyo was burning, and terribly fast. The Twelve Guardians scrambled to put out the fire, but it seemed there was no way to quell it.

“Save the miko! Save Uzume!” the Fire Daimyo shouted, still sitting behind his special screen. The screen had been made by Uzume, in fact. It was intertwined straw mat and chakra seals, plus some wards, as the Daimyo was a little on the superstitious side. The material looked thin, and vaguely like tatami, but it was a hundred million times stronger, and had been shown to repel attacks with both kunai and jutsu.

So losing Uzume was not an option.

“Daimyo! Elder Enma is requesting an urgent meeting with you! He says it can’t wait, sir!”

The Fire Daimyo snarled, but refusing to meet Enma was out of the question.
“Send him in, Shinmaru!”
-

Enma hobbled in as fast as he could, having surveyed the situation outside.

“Daimyo, if you’ll permit me a reverse-summoning… My human familiar has a bond with Uzume. She is the one who predicted his change into ‘Ten no Kishootsu’. He just achieved that state, and is on his way to meet Uzume. He was worried for her safety.”

“It seems his worries weren’t unfounded. Summon him, Enma. I’ll send a retainer to fetch his comrades.”

--

I was dazed as I was suddenly yanked away from Sakura and Naruto. Both of them could only guess at what had happened, so they were on the defensive. Meanwhile, I had found myself at the Fire Daimyo’s mansion. The first thing I saw was the fire. I had to do something about that, and quickly!

If Uzume dies, I’ll never know for sure…

I needed water- anything! Even a little bit! If I had a little bit, I could multiply it enough to create a water wall. But there was nothing! That gave way to a strange idea. Blood is made up of a few things- one of those being water. So I sliced my left arm from shoulder to hand on the outside of my arm. Blood flowed out- not enough to kill me, but it gave me a little material to work with. Using my remaining hand, I used the ‘Water Style: Water Wall!’ Jutsu, aiming it at the burning temple.

--
-
I had probed Uzume further about her prophecies back then. She mentioned that someday my blood would give way to some kind of creation that would save lives. I assumed that meant I would have children, so I asked as much. Rather, I asked about my love life.

Uzume only smiled at me a little candidly and told me that she couldn’t discuss such things. One’s love life was a complicated thing, and it was both rude and ‘against the rules’ to attempt to direct those relationships; even with permission.

I let the matter drop.
-
--

My blood, though thinned as I had focused on the water content of it, washed over the temple. That put out a good part of the fire. I couldn’t repeat my trick, but I could use Shadow Clones to help start spreading dirt on the remaining fires. It was important to keep the fire contained, and the trenches the clones dug while scooping up dirt would be helpful.

“Master Ryouko! What can I do?! Please, let me help!”

A young monk studying to be one of the Twelve Guardians eagerly awaited some instruction. A few of the Twelve had told him to leave the situation to the adults, but I saw no harm in letting the kid help.

“Water. Lots of water. Put it in the trenches my clones are digging. Get anyone else you can to help, okay?”

The young monk nodded, kicking off his sandals so that he could run faster. A group of boys and girls his own age, most studying as priestesses or monks, were watching from not far away. When the young monk shouted that they could know help, they all ran to gather water, or to help in other ways. I was impressed with their teamwork, and wanted to say as much. But later. Right now, I had one more thing to do.

SPLASH!

I dumped a bucket of water on myself, took a moment to memorize as much of the temple’s layout as possible, then plunged in through the open door. The flames shot up.
--

“What the hell’s going on?!” Naruto demanded, shaking answers out of anyone who would listen. He had since arrived via reverse-summoning as well. Moments later, Sakura joined him. She questioned more calmly, and therefore received the answers, as people could understand what she was saying. As it turned out, it was the young monk Ryouko had commissioned to help who answered her.

“…and Master Ryouko went into the temple to get her out! He hasn’t come out yet!”

Sakura requisitioned two tables, two blankets, and any bandages or ointment on hand. If they came out, Ryouko and Uzume would be burned to a crisp.

Or at least Ryouko will. He’ll see that Uzume makes it out as close to unharmed as possible.
Times like these made Sakura both admire and despise Ryouko’s heroic tendencies.

Naruto could resist getting involved: “Well, I’m gonna help, too! Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

The hundred Naruto’s that appeared immediately began to help with gathering water, digging trenches, or spreading dirt. They really sped up the quenching of the fire, and the fire didn’t spread beyond the trenches. Gradually, the fire was restricted to the temple. One of the Tori gates had begun to burn. Leading to the temple, there were nine of them. If the fire reached the final gate, the temple, which was encircled by trees and rocks, would be completely isolated.

Sakura just set up a medical area and waited. There were minor burns here or there, but nothing major.
-

Looking out from his curtain, the Fire Daimyo smiled.

“The future of the Land of Fire is well protected.”

High praise. The one guarding the Fire Daimyo presently, a bald man named Shinmaru, nodded his agreement. He thought back to his fight with Ryouko, back when they were both trying to qualify to be one of the Twelve Guardians. Ryouko had lost, thanks to Shinmaru’s secret techniques- but Shinmaru had acknowledged Ryouko as a worthy opponent- a first for Shinmaru.

“I hope that one…Ryouko…can save Uzume-hime. And himself, for that matter. It would be a tragedy to lose both to a fire. Ryouko deserves nothing less than a death in battle. And Uzume-hime herself…as close to a pure existence as any mortal can get. And as pure a death as well.”

The Fire Daimyo chuckled a little bit, belying his ominous presence.
“You have sensibilities that have long since lost value, Shinmaru. You’re a rare link to the past. Now, let’s pray that our links to the future and to other things not of this world are not severed.”
--

Burning beams were all around me as I navigated the smoke-filled corridors of the temple. I had to work mostly by feel. The bucket of water I had dumped on myself had all but evaporated by now. My chakra was low after all the stunts I had pulled.

I’d better get something over my face, or I’ll die from smoke inhalation.

I tied my waistcloth around my face, over my nose and mouth. The material was breathable, but just so, so that I wouldn’t suffocate myself.

I crawled on the ground as the smoke rose, using my hands to feel my way around. When my foot hit the wooden steps that let to Uzume’s special sitting area, I began to climb the steps, keeping my head low.

“Lady Uzume!” I called out, barely choking the work out over the smoke. I heard no response, but that’s not what I was looking for.

There’s a theory that, when you’re unconscious, your senses still work to some degree. If that was so, then when Uzume heard her name, her chakra would spike, even if she couldn’t answer me. That’s how I hoped to find her.

My own chakra is red, if I had to put a color to it. Uzume’s is more…not white, but close. A light yellow…

I felt it- a small surge of chakra, and it was just a few feet in front of me! I crawled faster, feeling my head start to get light from the smoke.

There she was! Clothed in her normal black robes, with the special jeweled prayer beads, and her hair tied ceremonially, she was sprawled on the ground, having toppled off her cushion. She had minor burns on her arms, which were over her face. She had been conscious enough to shield herself.

Lady Uzume! Hold on!

The cloth on the low table in front of her was caught under a heavy beam, so my plan of wrapping her up and carrying her out that way was destroyed. So, painfully conscious of what would happen to me, I shrugged off my shirt and vest. I tied my shirt over her nose and mouth, and I threw my vest over her head.

FWOOM!

The flames leapt up in front of me. Instinctively, I put an arm up. My left arm, which had still been bleeding, stopped as the cut was now seared closed. That probably saved my life, though at the time it just hurt like hell.

I put Uzume across my shoulders in a fireman’s carry and began to negotiate my way out of the burning building.

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