X OUR TRAGEDY X [Senju Tobirama AU]

Chapter 37

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~Tobirama's POV~

"You all can certainly do better than that! Put your backs into it!" Niyo yelled at the ten women she was sparring with. I told her yesterday to refrain from practicing so hard since she was still recovering but she didn't listen.

"Niyo-sama, maybe it is time to end for today..." I raised my eyebrow, impressed that a young woman was able to speak those words to the fierce woman she was sparring with.

"It ends when I say it ends." The brown-haired older woman said through clenched teeth. She didn't know I was there in the tree watching her since it was still time before our regular ten-day meet-up, today was the second day of that. "The day when I will no longer be here is coming sooner than any of you can become strong enough to defeat me, so learn while you still can. I will not forgive anyone on whose watch Morinome is endangered. Now, draw your weapons." Niyo hissed lunging her broadswords at the group again. Her form was flawless and it would be a lie to not admit that the grace with which she wielded her weapons.

The women she was training finally got serious when they all decided to use teamwork to at least get a hair on Niyo's head but they still weren't able to bring out their true potential since it was Niyo who was their opponent. It was perhaps out of respect and some fear associated with that respect that prevented them. I was busy admiring Niyo's moves that I almost didn't notice Hiruzen come up beside me. Almost.

"It's not like you sensei to spy on a woman and get so very lost in it. Do you watch her undress too?" He sniggered.

"Why are you here?" It was Hiruzen's first time being in the forest so it must be some urgent matter someone would have him relay.

"Hokage-sama sent me to get some instructions from you." I averted my eyes from Niyo and looked at my disciple.

"What instructions?"

"He said you'd know..." He panicked when I raised my eyebrows, clearly oblivious as to what anija must have been thinking sending Saru here without a purpose.

I kept quiet and readjusted my gaze on Niyo but something seemed amiss, her eyes were clouded and so was her focus and sensing her chakra, I found out it was not at all calm as it always was with her. Something was not alright with her and that rendered her ineffective in her battle, unable to detect the five blades coming at her from behind. The Niyo from ten minutes ago would have no problem deflecting them but the Niyo right now...

"That's enough." I jumped from my tree and stopped all five blades with my arm-pad, standing behind Niyo whose one knee was on the ground and back to me. All the women immediately took a few steps back and bowed.

"You finally got bored of just watching?" Niyo commented, smirking and getting up in the process.

I cloaked my chakra especially so she wouldn't be able to detect me but she did and here I thought I could get away with it. "You are tired."

"Not a reason to stop training them." She answered in a low voice, gesturing to the women who had all formed a group away from the two of us.

"For today, it is."

"No. Don't try to control me." I didn't know how to respond to her after that. My first impulse was always to bend things to my will but Niyo was not a 'thing' and she certainly was not any less skilled a warrior than myself so it was often times hard to remember that I was not supposed to control her and that with her, it was supposed to a collaboration effort rather than a comprising effort.

"Forgive me." I said which caught her off guard. It physically pained my chest whenever she got shocked or surprised at my apologies or change of mind so that it would suit us both equally, it always reminded me of the many times she hadn't received any kindness, so much so that it made her turn into cold-hearted woman as the world would put it. "I have an idea."