Making You Mine

Self-Sacrifice

Madara gave the final blow to Akiro and tossed away the katana he stole away from him. He ended the fight quickly to rush over to his younger brother's side. When Madara reached the side of the cliff, he peeked over it and found a hysterical Izuna hanging on to the small ledge.

"Izuna, give me your hand!" he shouted as he went on his knees and extended his own hand to his younger brother.

Izuna took Madara's hand, and Madara immediately noticed the bruises and blood on it. He quirked an eyebrow and then pulled his younger brother up. Izuna's tears were apparent and Madara became confused. 

"Where is your wife? Didn't you dive after her?" he inquired.

Izuna couldn't produce any comprehensible sentences , all he could do was cry hysterically as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Brother, I...she fell...died...could not save...my fault...the war...I must...kill!"

With his Sharingan's black tomoes spinning wildly, Izuna quickly pulled out his katana from its case and ran straight into the battlefield. Madara sighed and chased after his reckless and crazed brother. A few moments later, Tatsuo caught up with them and asked where [Name] was.

"I believe she's on the bottom of that cliff over there. Send a medical team to heal or retrieve her body." he commanded.

Tatsuo was shocked by the news, and he nodded to affirm his understanding of the current situation. Suddenly, he heard blood-curdling screams of pain coming from the Jukodo clansmen. With a turn of his head, he saw Izuna carelessly killing them from left to right, his face stained with blood and tears.

“A shinobi should never show their emotions on the battlefield. With [Name]-sama gone, Izuna-sama’s feelings are dangerously tugging on his heart-strings…” Tatsuo thought as he leaped away to find his sister and the medical team.

Fearing that Izuna's recklessness would create an opening for an attack, Madara ordered all of the Uchiha clan members to put the remaining Jukodo shinobi in a genjutsu. Within a few minutes, most of the Jukodo clansmen were put under the genjutsu and suffered from the illusions.

Izuna turned to his brother and stared into his blazing-red eyes. "Burn them, Brother. Send an order to burn them all..."

Madara sighed and jumped back a good distance away from the herded Jukodo clansmen. At his cue, the Himura and Uchiha clansmen released all different types of Fire Techniques, burning and scorching the remaining bodies of the Jukodo clan. Once there was nothing left but ashes, the victory was apparent to both clans. 

Rain started to fall, and Izuna ran off again to a nearby slope that led to the grounds where [Name]'s body was. Madara followed in pursuit, and the rest of the shinobi followed as well.

"Where are we going? And have you seen [Name]?" asked a confused Kirusa.

"I don't know, but Izuna Aniue-sama is leading the way. Just follow him," replied Fukiji.

At the end of the slope and down the great valley of the cliffs, Izuna encountered the Uchiha clan's medical team. Tatsuo spotted him first and came forward with a frown on his face.

"Tatsuo, how is she?" Madara quietly asked.

Tatsuo shook his head and closed his eyes. With his fingers, he wiped away the escaping tears from his eyes.

"I'm afraid we couldn't save her in time...she was bleeding heavily from the head, and she must have also experienced painful shocks from the fall. Her chances of surviving were very slim..."

Izuna walked past Madara  and Tatsuo, and headed for [Name]. A pool of red blood laid beneath her head, and he slowly fell onto his knees once he was close enough to see her pale face. He lightly pressed his forehead onto her temple, and silently mourned over her. He was now a widower.

Kirusa and Fukiji watched in sorrow and mourned over the death of their older sister too. The rain drops intermixed with the falling tears of those who knew and loved [Name] dearly, and Izuna quietly placed a chaste kiss on [Name]'s cold cheek. 

“I couldn't even protect you…what am I supposed to do without you, [Name]?” Izuna mused as he caressed her hair strands and thought about their short-lived marriage.

Madara stepped in and placed his hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "Let's go, Izuna. We will hold a proper funeral for her back at home."

Izuna didn't budge and remained on his knees. A part of his soul and heart had died with [Name]. Nothing would ever heal the wound left in his heart. A flash of his memories with [Name] flourished through his thoughts, and he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in response. His world no longer held its only source of light.

Tsubaki emerged from the crowd of mourners and approached Izuna and the body of [Name] with a determined look on her face. 

"I can still save [Name]-sama. Please allow me to see her, Izuna-sama." she declared.

Izuna looked back at her with bewilderment. "How? How can you possibly save my dead wife?"

Tsubaki offered him a small smile and looked down at him. "I am going to exchange my life to bring her back to life."

Hearing this, Tatsuo immediately intervened and shook his head in disapproval. "Tsubaki, you're only sixteen! Think about mother!"

Tsubaki walked up to Tatsuo and hugged him for one last time. "I am the personal maid of [Name]-sama. It's my duty to take care of her. I am also her friend, and I am willing to give up my life for her. She is the only person who has ever called me a friend despite the fact that I served her. Goodbye, Brother...tell mother...that I'm joining father in the afterlife..."

"Tsubaki...do you really have to do this?" he asked as he gazed into her chocolate brown eyes.

She sighed and nodded at him with a cheerful smile. "With my sacrifice, I'll be able to save two lives. That makes it even more powerful, right?"

Tatsuo hugged his sister back tightly and understood what she had to do. He then released her from the hug and wiped away a few of his tears.

Madara turned to Tsubaki and bowed down to her in respect. He knew by "two lives", she meant the life of [Name] and the sanity of his younger brother, Izuna. The other clansmen from both clans followed Madara's example as well. 

"You will be given honors when we take you back home. Your sacrifice will be known throughout the clan, Tsubaki." he stated as she nodded in approval.

Izuna stepped away from [Name]'s body and stood next to his brother instead. Without hesitation, Tsubaki bit into her thumb to draw blood and performed a summoning jutsu. She summoned a warrior-like skeleton figure with a spear in its hand. Before she began the process, Tsubaki turned to Izuna and asked him to listen to her final words.

"When [Name] wakes up, please tell her that I did this willingly. She is the sole link between the Himura clan and Uchiha clan, and she must carry out her duties and dreams for the future. I also believe that she will be the one to change the fate of our future generation. Do not let my sacrifice be in vain, Izuna-sama."

Izuna nodded and bowed down to Tsubaki once more. "Thank you, Tsubaki-san. I will forever be in your debt..."

Tsubaki shook her head and weaved the jutsu signs to begin the process. "You can repay your debt by supporting [Name] in everything that she does from now on."

The warrior-like skeleton immediately came to life and stabbed Tsubaki in the back with its glowing spear. Ribbon-like chakra poured out of Tsubaki's back and forced its way into [Name]'s body. Through this jutsu, Tsubaki would be able to transfer her chakra and life force to [Name], and she would exchange her soul for [Name]'s too.

Everyone watched in astonishment as the sixteen year-old girl sacrificed her life for her mistress. Tsubaki would cry out in pain every once in awhile, but she held a brave face. 

"[Name]-sama will not wake up until tomorrow in the morning...her body hasn't adjusted to my chakra or life-force yet...Ha...I better see children from the two of you in the future, Izuna-sama..." she said as she formed a weak smile.

Izuna only returned the smile and came closer to her. "You have my word, Tsubaki. Thank you for everything, you will not be forgotten."

Tsubaki breathed her last breath and died as the last ribbon of chakra entered [Name]'s body. Before she collapsed, Izuna caught her in his arms.

"Heal [Name]'s wounds before we leave. I don't want her head to bleed along the way home." ordered Madara as he took Tsubaki away from Izuna and carried her in his arms. 

After the medical team did their best to heal [Name]'s wounds, they bandaged her up and removed her heavy armor plates as well. Izuna carefully picked her up and carried her bridal-style for the journey back home.

Before they left, Izuna curiously pressed a finger on her neck to check her pulse. It was beating and this brought joy to Izuna once again. He kissed a corner of her lips and felt relief wash over him.

"Thank you Tsubaki...you are truly a life-saver..." he murmured as he jumped up into the forest and left with the Uchiha clan.

End of Chapter 11