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Filthy Gamer in Narutoverse: 248
🕑 Added 2023-08-16 18:56:02 +0000 UTCTitle: Fears
“What do you mean by that, you white-eyed asshole?!” Snarls a chunin in police attire as two distinct teams enter a conflict in the middle of the street. A squad from the Konoha Police Force consisting of a raven-haired woman, a gloomy, sharp-jawed youth, a young Sharingan-using Uchiha, and a female Inuzuka Clansmen stare off against the Shinobi team consisting of a Hyuga youth, a brown-haired Jonin, and two middle-aged chunins.
“It’s quite simple,” remarks Hyuga Monji with a sneer. “I’m saying Lord Third basically confirmed a Byakugan’s superiority over a Sharingan by incorporating the Hyuga Clansmen into his Shinobi forces. Isn’t that right, Ueda-san?”
The Jonin crosses his arms in dissatisfaction, “It’s enough, Monji. If you continue, I will have no choice but to report your stupid remarks to Lord Third during your half-yearly evaluations.”
Monji Hyuga frowns when the gloomier Uchiha in the team speaks softly.
“Let him speak freely,” states Uchiha Kiri. “We didn’t fight the invaders to our best extent to curb our thoughts, did we?” His pitch-black, depthless eyes stare into Monji’s pale lilac orbs. “Do you have something against the Uchiha Clan?”
While the young Uchiha clansmen smirk proudly, the Inuzuka Chunin frowns and steps near their team leader. Ueda glances at the opposing team’s leader—another Jonin of high caliber and background great enough to match the highest leagues in the Shinobi Villages.
“I stated the facts,” Monji scoffs.
“Bastard! The Uchiha Clansmen died fighting during the invasion while the Hyuga hid and conspired against the Village! Your clan has traitors! It’s no wonder Lord Third wants to keep you under check!” Yells the young Uchiha as others start glancing in their direction. Ueda’s expression visibly contorts as Monji activates his Byakugan.
“Are you going to fight? Natsu stated the facts, too,” Kiri tilts his head, eerily staring at the Hyuga.
The rivalry between the Hyuga and Uchiha Clan only worsened over the coming days. Many Uchiha Clansmen are dissatisfied they are held within Konoha as police officers since most of them aren’t appointed to teams as frequently as they’d like. Meanwhile, the Hyuga Clan is undergoing a shift in its very foundation. With the termination of the Branch and Main Family system based on the time of birth, the Hyuga Clan sees considerable immigration into the Main Family as the remaining untrained members of the Clan start a new Branch Family. But the previous Main Family members are opposed to the new members of the family.
Meanwhile, the less-than-stellar plan of their elders during the invasion puts the entire Clan under stern scrutiny, forcing the new members of the Shinobi forces to vent their frustration on others—causing increasing tension between the two Dojutsu Clans.
But there’s more to the invasion.
Some people never returned alive the same after witnessing the deaths of their close ones—like Kiri.
“Those are not facts but slanders!” Monji snarls, channeling chakra into the tips of his fingers.
“Mikoto, let’s stop them while we’re ahead,” Ueda finally addresses the Team Leader as Mikoto looks at the bag of groceries in her hands before looking at the stand-off.
“I’m off work. We just happen to walk the same few streets before returning to our homes. So, it’s Team Ueda using unjust authority over another team of inactive Shinobi.” She turns to glance at the amber sky before smiling. “And I’d like to return home. My fiance should be back by now.”
“Mikoto-san!” Natsu hisses. “They slandered our clan! I’m not leaving without giving this white-eyed bastard a beat down of his—”
*Slap*
A harsh slap rings Natsu’s left ear as the entire market street falls silent. Ueda’s team watches in shock as Kiri calmly retracts his hand. His soft voice fills the quiet street, snapping others from their dazes—including a shocked Mikoto.
“Apologize to Team Leader Mikoto,” Kiri calmly orders as Natsu stares at the former with shock, flabbergasted! “Kiri-Ni! Why?!”
Kiri once led a group of Uchiha youths—the kind to challenge authority at every turn to carve a legacy built by young shinobi. He was also one of the loudest voices to oppose Uchiha’s ‘imprisonment’ under the duties of police!
Keyword: Once.
Kiri no longer took part in such meetings, disbanding his group, which once included Natsu Uchiha.
So, for Kiri to slap him in front of others left Natsu bamboozled!
“Mikoto Uchiha is our team leader. It means a Chunin has no authority to talk back against their superior,” Kiri’s narrow gaze bears into Natsu as the former activates his Sharingan. “It does not matter if we serve in the Police force or outside as long as it’s in Konoha’s interest.”
Natsu grits his teeth as he slowly lowers his head. “I’m sorry, Mikoto-san. I meant no offense.”
“And none was given,” Mikoto glances at Kiri before nodding. “All of you leave without me and Kiri.”
“Wait!” encouraged by the internal strife within the group, Monji sneers, “You owe me an apology—”
*Smack*
A fist smashes on top of the fair youth’s head as Ueda snaps. “Shut the hell up already!” The Jonin scoffs as the Byakugan user grunt. He could see the fist coming with the Byakugan. But Monji seems familiar with Ueda enough to realize that an even more torturous punishment awaited him should he ignore the Team Leader’s on-site discipline.
“I’m sorry about this,” Ueda nods at Mikoto before flickering with his team as she glances at Kiri before muttering, “Let’s go elsewhere.”
*Tuc*
*Tuc*
*Rustle*
Tree branches of a training ground rustle as Mikoto, with her bag of groceries, and Kiri appear out of thin air.
Mikoto quietly stares at Kiri under the blanket of the sound of chirping birds.
“Are you well?” She questions with a tone that betrays her modest concern.
“That’s the first time you asked me this after the invasion,” Kiri notes. “Yes, I’m at the top of my health, Leader.”
“You know I don’t mean that,” Mikoto narrows her eyes. “You’re acting out. If I go by your words, I did not order you to slap Natsu and make him apologize.”
Kiri blinks before bowing slightly, “I overlooked that. I’m sorry.”
“Listen,” Mikoto sighs deeply. “What happened during the raid—”
“I never did apologize to you for the things I said after we survived the battle, right?” Kiri cuts in, apologizing again. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
Mikoto’s frown deepens as she feels something ominous brewing inside the man—the same thing she witnessed not too long ago in the form of her Fiance triggering his ‘switch’ to show the things he is truly capable of but refuses to achieve out of a free will.
Indifference.
It’s a powerful force. An indifferent Shinobi can die without a name or raise such madness that traumatizes generations to come! And Mikoto feels slightly responsible for Kiri, if not for being his Team Leader, then for her mission from Fugaku to set Yami’s grandson straight.
As if he hadn’t surprised Mikoto enough, Kiri states, “I now empathize with what others feel when we, as Shinobi, perform our mucky duties. To lose someone akin to a family is a feeling that threatens absolute despair.” He sighs, quietly sitting on the branch with slumped shoulders as his head hangs low. “But it’s because I know what others feel—I can’t let others around me feel the same. Did you know there are rumors Lord Second feared and discriminated against us? No wonder, right? It’s amazing the Uchiha and the Senju got together in the first place despite all the bad blood.”
His chuckle melds with the rustling trees as he whispers, “I can’t help but condemn the first killer in this world in my dreams. It must be the first wielder of the knife that spiraled this hateful mess, right? But—”
He looks at Mikoto, the tomoe of his Sharingan rotating in his eyes. “—if Konoha existed despite all this, what stops us from achieving more?”
Mikoto falls into a daze as tears start streaming down Kiri’s eyes. “I feel like such a mess, Leader. I used to say—We will lead a revolution for the Uchiha! I’m half the reason why guys my age act so fussy with Lord Third’s authority when the man is several times better than Lord Second! It’s all my fault! If only I became a more positive influence early on.”
He shakes his head before wiping his tears away. “Sorry for such a pathetic display. You didn’t need that right before meeting Kai, right?”
Mikoto quietly creates a shadow clone to hand her the bag of groceries before jumping on the same branch as Kiri and kneeling down to hug the tearful man.
Kiri falls into a daze before he hears a soft whisper, “Let it all out, Kiri. I was never mad. And nobody blames you.” Her embrace tightens as Kiri’s visions start going hazy. He hears—“So, let it all out. His lower lip wobbles before he starts sobbing loudly.
---
“Are you alright?” Kai brightens visibly before hugging Mikoto. Unlike public knowledge, Kai never left Konoha. He spent time in the Pad almost every night with the rest, playing odd games, chatting about various things he came across in other lands and whatnot. But he is still an empath and notices her shaken mood downright instantly!
Mikoto quietly remains in his embrace right by their doorstep. Her head buries into his chest as she holds her bag of groceries tightly in his embrace.
“I’m scared.”
She admits.
Kai blinks before assuring her with a chuckle, “I know I’m not that great of a cook. But I wanted to cook for once. I’m kind of glad my team voluntarily asked for a mission after reporting their previous mission!”
Mikoto quivers in his embrace as she whispers, “I told Fugaku I can handle the situation with the Uchiha. I thought all they needed was a beating.”
Kai quietens down before sighing, “The old beat and greet just takes time, Mikoto.”
“No,” Mikoto’s words quake. “I just saw a man tearing up like a child because of the raid. What if there are more like him? You cannot beat them, never. They need peace and love. The last thing they need is a naive girl like me claiming I can rid their problems when I know nothing of them in the first place.”
“You’re an Uchiha,” Kai hums quietly. “If you don’t empathize with their problems, who can?”
“I’m an Uchiha who lost nothing,” Mikoto musters. “Look at me. I have everything!”
Kai grows silent as Mikoto continues, “I don’t know why I looked forward to it deep down in my heart. I guess I didn’t know what I felt deep down. I thought I wanted to get back at others for what they did to Father. I didn’t understand what Father was scared of. It’s war, right? Things can’t go worse than rescuing a bunch of assaulted villagers from a team of bandits. I thought I knew everything and every pain.”
As she spoke, the more she trembled. Her voice slips through choked sobs as Kai’s hug tightens around her, a warmth that can only console her silently as she slowly looks up, tears and snot marring her beautiful face.
“Kai,” she cries. “I’m scared of war.”
Kai quietly meets her gaze without saying anything—he doesn’t know what to say. How can he say everything will be alright when he cannot assure such an outcome? How can he lie when his beloved bares her open as such?
His throat quakes before he squeezes his words out.
“I’m scared of losing you and others,” Mikoto whispers as her sharingan activates unconsciously, rotating fervently. “I’m scared.”
He takes a deep breath. Multiple faces of his enemies, his victims, and the ones he saved over the years overlap with Mikoto’s as he confronts his emotions raw.
“You will never lose me,” Kai affirms. “Never.”
But he cannot lie about the war.
He never could lie—everything will be alright.
“Everything will be alright,” Kai grits his teeth before he smiles, leaning to peck her forehead. “I promise everything will be alright.”
Mikoto smiles sadly despite her tears, “Eventually.”
“Eventually,” Kai admits.
Nono, Kushina, and Tsume lean against the kitchen wall while Kakashi shares the table silently with the rest of Team 6 and 9. The invited Sannin look at each other before quietly starting the meal on their own.
It stands to reason that Kai and Mikoto would not join them. It sucks, but grief finds its way to travel through the world in the most unfortunate time.
***
Alternate Title: Crashed Party; Political Upheaval; The Hyuga Strife; New Rookie White-Eyed Shinobi; Kiri Acts Out; The Consequence Of Leading Bad; Regret; A Broken Man And A Broken Heart; Grief Crashing; Monji Getting a Big Fat F In His Evaluation; Mikoto’s New Team; It’s Not Indifference—It’s Grief; Letting Out; The True Emotion The Uchiha Crave; Mikoto Sees The Right Way; Unable To Lie; A Broken Mood; Meaning Of War—Fear; No Glory Awaits In The Battleground; Consequences Of Protecting One’s Own—Killing Someone Else’s Beloved; Hateful Is The First Wielder Of Knife; The Spiral of Hatred And Regret; Who’s To Blame?; Scared; Every Uchiha Needs a Hug; Sincere Promise; Kai Needs No Other Reason To End Wars Than Mikoto’s Cries
