𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 | izuna uchiha

Chapter 15

In the Uchiha household the next morning, Nanami was prancing around as she eagerly got ready for her full day of training with Izuna. This was her chance to become stronger, and if she improved her mediocre skills well enough for her upcoming match, she would have the opportunity to become a full-fledged kunoichi for the clan once more. Her dream would be brought back to life from the coffin that it once laid in. With a bright smile upon her lips, the dark-haired Uchiha hummed a benevolent tune and made her towards the door of the house. She was ready to have a fresh start to a new chapter of her life, and she couldn't wait to achieve her goals.

Before Nanami could leave, she heard Madara calling for her in the kitchen, and she promptly headed over to him see what he wanted from her. Peering through the entrance door of the kitchen, Nanami met Madara's solemn eyes and she waited in anticipation for the Uchiha clan leader to speak.

"I hope you understand that this training is very important since the seeds you sow today will eventually fruit into something rewarding or disastrous. You do understand that Izuna is also giving up his time and energy for you too, correct? He could be finishing up his paperwork or preparing for our future battles, but he was kind enough to spare you some of his precious time. Do not waste his time so carelessly." Madara ordered sternly.

Nanami gulped and nodded in response. "Yes, Madara-sama." she replied quietly.

Pleased by Nanami's response, Madara waved her away with his hand and turned away from her to tend to a few scrolls on the kitchen table. He silently prayed that Izuna wouldn't regret his words or promise that he had made to him. After all, it would sadden him to see his dear little brother despair over something futile and unworthy of the Uchiha clan's name.

***

On the training grounds of the Uchiha compound, Nanami held her fighting stance as Izuna inspected her pose and judged the potential behind it. He would circle around her and often move her arm or position her leg for a better stance, and Nanami couldn't help but feel her breath hitch whenever he maneuvered her limbs around. It was intimidating, to say the least, whenever the second-in-command leader narrowed his charcoal eyes at her, and Nanami felt a little vulnerable around him too.

"For taijutsu, you should always stick to the pose that I arranged for you. You'll have a better and faster chance of attacking the enemy because of the quick boost from your back leg if you ever have to make the first move. Your muscle memory will come in handy for this as well, so don't forget it." lectured Izuna.

"Right."

"Alright, now that I've fixed your stance, I want to assess your true abilities by having a match with you right now. Do not hesitate to attack me, and if you must, I want you to try to kill me." he declared with a smirk.

Nanami's eyes widened at this, and she immediately shook her head at the suggestion. She could never imagine herself trying to kill the only person in the world who decided to open up to her when the rest of the world turned their backs against her when she was young. Izuna had always been a significant figure in her life, and to harm him would be something unforgivable in her beliefs.

"I can't kill you, even if I was ordered to..." she revealed with a low sigh.

Noticing the shallow grief in her eyes, Izuna walked up to Nanami and gently held her chin up with his forefinger and thumb so that she could gaze into the depths of his eyes. With a relaxed expression on his face, Izuna slowly activated his Sharingan for Nanami to see, and within a few more seconds, his eyes reached the advanced level of the clan's kekkai genkai: the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"What are you doing...?"

"Nanami, how can you expect to be a full-fledged kunoichi when you haven't even activated the third tomoe of your Sharingan? You have a long way to go, and it won't be an easy process either. It will take sweat and blood to shape up your current skills, and although I adore you immensely, I won't go easy on you. This is for your own sake and future, and I refuse to lose you in the battlefields as well. You will learn everything from me, and I will do my best to make you a competent and worthy kunoichi for our clan. There is no doubt about that." Izuna remarked.

"Will I ever have the opportunity to activate it then? I've always had the difficulty of awakening it, despite the fact that I've seen so many deaths in the past." lamented Nanami as her cheeks were flushed with a pink tint.

"Your third tomoe won't necessarily be activated by witnessing deaths. You have to see or hear something that will trigger your heart emotionally or traumatically, remember?" he reminded as he released Nanami's chin and moved his hand to hook loose strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Ahh...that's right..." she murmured as her distracting thoughts about Juri filled her mind with both pleasant and horrible memories of their past bond.

As much as Nanami wanted to see Juri, Izuna had forbidden her from doing so. He wanted to hide her away from the rest of the world so that she would always be under his protection. Izuna knew that his love and obsession for Nanami was disturbing and strange, but his favorite way to justify it was with that specific reason. No one else would be able to take care of Nanami properly besides him.

"Now that we have established some new goals for you, it's time for you to showcase your abilities for me. Come forward and attack me. Give me everything that you have," commanded Izuna as he bounded backwards to create some distance between himself and his pupil.

As her facial features hardened with determination and courage, Nanami sprung forward with a sharp kunai in her hands towards Izuna, and the change in her demeanor surprised him greatly. This other side of Nanami was one that he hadn't seen in awhile, but he liked it nonetheless.

I'll make you the best kunoichi of our clan, but I will always protect you regardless of your new skills. After all, you will never leave my sight, and you will always be within my reach. There will never be a chance for you to escape from me, because I'm latching onto you.

***

Sprawled among a pile of  comfy pillows and scattered pictures, Uchiha Juri was staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face. Her body was sore from the intense training sessions with Misaki, and she had lost the dazzling light that once shined in her eyes. Her long and onyx-colored hair fanned around her head on the floor, but she didn't bother to comb out the tangles anymore. In fact, her whole life as of now was tangled into a sticky and undesirable spider web of vengeance and hatred.

Turning her head to the side, Juri spotted an old picture of her wedding day with Arashi, and she tentatively reached out for it to view it. When her fingertips met the glossy paper, she felt her heartbeat race when she took a glance at the picture after raising it up towards the white ceiling. A small choking noise escaped from her lips as she forced herself to smile when she looked at the nostalgic picture.

"Ne, Arashi...remember when you would always compliment me for having long and beautiful hair? Lately, I've been wondering what you would say to me if you saw my hair in this state...you would probably scold me and comb out my hair for me like you did in the past..." mumbled Juri as her hand shook violently with the picture in her grasp.

"Y-You're proud of me, right? You'll praise me for swearing vengeance upon that tainted vixen, right? I pray that you are watching over me and supporting me in everything that I do from now on. I'm going to clear your name from evil, and it will be cured by my love for you, as well." Juri proclaimed with a crooked smile upon her face.

Bringing the beloved picture close to her chest, Juri curled up into a ball on the floor and laughed as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her gasps, sobs, and giggles intermixed with each other in a symphony of uncertainty and pain, but she was sure that there wasn't a grain of sanity left in her mind.

It was evident that her unfortunate and miserable soul fell into depravity long ago when Misaki decided to intervene in her stages of grief, but it was much too late to turn back. Nothing would stop Uchiha Juri from eliminating Uchiha Nanami. Not even the strongest force would separate her from her morbid goals.

End of Chapter 15 [by Yuuzuki]