Sacrifice and Surrender

13: Consequences

Shikata Nara hadn't expected to actually become friends with Sakura's medic-nin students, but somewhere along the line, he'd started to think of them like that. 

Hikari Shimura, with her endless smiles and enthusiasm, but with constant focus and determination behind her cheery facade, was far smarter than she appeared and generally less annoying than he'd thought she'd be. 

Shouta Uchiha, with his brooding manner, but still growing fiercely competitive spirit, was surprisingly easy for Shikata to understand and get along with. They were tiresome and troublesome, but he tended to enjoy the time they spent together in the mornings. It was definitely somewhat of a reprieve from the repetitive and tedious training he had to do daily for the clan and for the Ino-Shika-Cho tradition.

So when he heard from his father that Sakura was off to face the Nine-Tails and her students weren't going, Shikata was confused. They were entirely dedicated to Sakura: Hikari idolised her, and Shouta had some kind of attachment to her that Shikata hadn't figured out. He knew that they would follow her into a fire if she asked them too. So why hadn't they fought to stay and go with her?

When they showed up on his doorstep an hour after the Hokage and his elite shinobi force had left the village, his questions were answered.

"Are you coming or not?" Shouta asked him.

They were just waiting for the right moment. Shikata gave a lazy grin and sighed.

"How troublesome."

*

Mito Uzumaki had always felt like she was born to do something important. 

She'd always been someone important: princess of the Uzumaki clan, fuinjustu master, elite kunoichi, wife of the legendary Hashirama Senju, wife of the Hokage of Konohagakure, a mother. 

But none of that had fulfilled that sense that there was something more to her life. For the first time in a long while, she was dressed in full battle wear. Her decorative hair tags replaced with chakra infused tags that would paralyse or seal her opponents if needed. Her obi and belt her laden with scrolls sealed with all manner of things; weapons, elements, fuinjutsu secrets.

She looked down at her son, sleeping peacefully in his little crib and gave him a soft kiss on his head, scrunching her eyes shut and pouring love into him. It had been close to an hour since her husband and Sakura had left the village, and it was time for her to go. Tightly clutching the small scroll with the message to her father in her hand, she ran directly to the aviary and told the surprised shinobi the importance of the message.

Like she guessed he would, Tobirama met her before she reached the gate.

"Where are you going?" He asked, taking in her appearance.

Mito took a breath. Sakura never told her not to say anything, but, she couldn't bring herself to tell him the full truth.

"I'm doing what I must for the sake of the village," she answered.

Because she was. She believed Sakura, and she saw the conflict and regret and guilt in the girl's eyes when she came to see her. She knew that Sakura was telling the truth, that maybe they could change something for the better. Whatever those Lighting shinobi wanted with the Nine-Tails, if Mito could seal it first, then maybe whatever fate had in store for Tobirama would shift and his death could be avoided. The growing feeling of right inside her told her she was doing the right thing. Tobirama stared at her.

"You and Sakura know something," he said slowly. "She went to you."

Mito nodded. "She did. Tobirama, let me go. Sakura only came to me because she felt like there was no other choice. If this works, then there's a chance that something terrible could be avoided."