Haurutsuki: Beautiful Snow

22. What Are We?

The weight of the deaths affected them all. The Haurutsuki Clan were reduced to cave dwellers, living off what they had underground.

Tadashi fell into a pit of despair. He ruled over what was left of his clan with bitterness and resentment. Days turned into months, and months into years. No life laid in the eyes of any of their people anymore. But a slither of light still shone in the eyes of the trio. It had been two years. They kept the people warm, sang songs, and buried those who could no longer live in their conditions. They couldn't help but return some bitterness towards their father. He neglected his people, became a tyrant, and spent his days sitting alone in the dark. Back in the outside world, the Uchiha Massacre happened around the same time they had fled. The Mizukage had given up searching for their clan and told himself they would surface soon enough.

One day, while handing out water to the 90 remaining Haurutsuki members, Miyuki couldn't help asking, "Is this really how we plan to die?" Her brothers were beside her. She was pouring a cup of water for an elderly woman, as they often did throughout the day. "Princess, you must be of marrying age by now. Should you not be more concerned with when you will find yourself a nice young man?" The old woman politely suggested. "Oh, no. I'm already 22... Not that father seems to have noticed." She mumbled to herself. "Past 21? Then you must know the truth of our origin story already." She said, patting Miyuki's hands as she helped her hold the cup. "Truth of our origins?" Her brothers asked in unison. The woman put a finger to her lip, "It's Haurutsuki Tradition to learn of it once you've turned 21. Only your father can tell you our forbidden tales of secrets and jutsu." She said through the finger on her lip. The siblings looked to each other, and then went back to pouring water for their people.

When they finished, they were walking to their rock covered room. It was a small cave next to their father's throne. On their way, the trio spoke. "What do you think that old lady meant?" Ryuu asked. "She's probably lost her mind. Like the rest of our people." Katsu shrugged. "Uhm, guys..." She suddenly turned nervous, trailing behind. Both turned to face her. "Remember how we said we'd never mention the day we ended up here... Ever again?" She coyly inquired. "Yeah, why?" Ryuu asked. "Well, back when we were racing to the lake two years ago... Just before Ryuu came to save me? The masked man showed up." They were taken aback, "What!?" Katsu shrieked. "And then what happened? Is he the reason you got caught?" Ryuu asked in concern. "Yes. Well first, he asked me to join him again, and I said no. Then he took off his mask and it turned out to be Obito." She looked to her brothers to see their jaws dropped on the ground.

Then Katsu sighed, "It was obviously a jutsu trick." She timidly shook her head, "Mm-mm. He was real. It was really Obito. He's alive but... He isn't the same. Not after Rin." Ryuu grabbed his head in disbelief, "How could this happen?" He exasperated. Her narrowed eyes darkened, "And that's not all. He's been using his eye for everything! Even to control the Mizukage, and get rid of us. He said he thought the tragedy of loss would help us understand his pain... But when I said no again, he tried to have me killed. He said he wanted my remains. Like he needed it for something."

"How twisted did he get!? To think he was my hero..." He trailed off. Katsu hummed in thought, "Your remains... As I recall, he did say we'd join his cause whether or not we chose to. That even if the Mizukage killed us, he'd..." His eyes gradually widened, "Katsu?" She curiously inquired. "I've heard about this. In the Hidden Leaf there's a Mad Scientist, obsessed with immortality and even bringing back the dead under his command." The other two went grim. "H-how?" She stressed. "I don't know yet. The Mizukage had ordered me to pursue leads from the shadows on the subject. It was my last mission before he betrayed us. And if the Mizukage really was under Obito's control then..." Their eyes gradually widened, "Then he must have all he needed to know..." She realized. "He was going to bring us back from the dead!??" Ryuu gasped out. "But why? What does he need us for to change the world..." She pondered. He shrugged, "Isn't knowing him and having been his friend enough?" She pouted. "He tried to kill me."

"Suddenly what that old lady was telling us makes sense. There's more to this story. I just don't know what it is yet. Perhaps I need to look into our biology and run a few tests." Katsu considered. His siblings panicked, "N-no you don't!" She blurted. "Y-yeah. Let's just ask dad." Ryuu nervously added. "Oh please. It's not like I'm going to dissect you. Let's review the facts... Miyuki, you have the largest chakra reserve I have ever seen in my life. As well as the ability to emit your chakra into water and control it for various purposes, in various forms. Ryuu, your stamina and speed is absurd. With your purple lightning and Wind Acrobatics, you could very well accomplish breaking the time and dimension barrier itself. And as for myself, I have amazing chakra control that lets me emit and manipulate my own chakra outside my body to take on various shapes and even control others with it inside. Then there's the way our eyes lit up. I was able to see through objects and see the flow of chakra from our chakra networks. It increased our abilities ten-fold!" He exasperated, having a hard time believing it himself.

"Ten-fold? That's ridiculous." She stated. "No offense, Big Brother... But I think you've been in this cave too long." Ryuu added. "Wait, I'm not finished. Ryuu, the speed you used to save Miyuki from the Water Prison that day. I've gone over the numbers ten times! The only explanation is that you were able to teleport, like Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique. Miyuki let's face it. The way you're able to spit out jutsu and heal just isn't normal. Plus, no non-Hyuga Clan member is able to see what I could with the chakra networks. Other than Ao, of course. But he has a Byakugan." She groaned, "Katsu, you're not making any sense." Ryuu scratched his head, "You're giving me a headache. Minato and teleportation, what..."

He sighed, "Maybe we're related to the Hidden Leaf, okay? We could be part Hyuga or something. You know, like how the Mizukage forces shinobi defeated by his own to join the Village. We could be related to elite bloodlines, all mixed to form one clan. Like how that Legendary Sanin Orochimaru combines tissue cells to weaponize himself and learn all jutsu." His siblings blinked up at him, and then burst out laughing. "I never thought I'd say this... But your logic has gotten irrational!" She laughed. He huffed, before groaning out in defeat. "Maybe I am just losing my mind." After the laughter subsided, she wiped a tear from her eye, and realized something. "Guys..." They two brothers looked to her as she looked down to her hands, "We don't even know where our clan comes from, I mean... What are we?" And that is a question, they could not answer.

The trio decided it was time they ask their father and headed for his cave-throne room. However, what sounded like battle cries erupted ahead. "What's-" Ryuu was interrupted, "I don't know, but it sounds like it's coming from-" Just then, they heard a scream of agony. They all gasped, "Dad!" They burst forth, running towards the sound.

When they got there, they saw a group of Haurutsuki members with weapons in hand. They stood, staring down at the body that rested on the throne. She gasped in horror, "Father!" Beaten and blue, he hadn't even put up a fight. They had stabbed him. Blood dripped down from his chest and fell to his rock carved seat. Eventually, it reached the ground in a messy pool. The mob turned to them. The trio deadpanned. Then Ryuu recognized one of them, "O-Osamu? What have you done to..." He realized what he had done. "We did it for you. Lord Ryuu, Lord Katsu, Lady Miyuki. Don't you see? Now we don't have to live under this tyrant... And you can lead us to our freedom." Osamu explained. There was a crazed look in his grin, much like the rest of the mob. It was unsettling.

"For us?" Katsu was disgusted. "How could you possibly think that we'd want this!?" Ryuu was infuriated. Osamu took steps towards them, and the trio instinctively stepped back. "I've watched you grow up under his rule. Him and that monster Mizukage. You never deserved it. All you ever wanted was to live in the free world. You're one of us. We share the same hopes and dreams. We don't want to die like cave dwellers. We want to live as conquerors of the free world! With our combined powers, and the Great Sage's blood flowing strongly in you... We could rule a world we all deserve to live in!" He was deranged with excitement. "Deserve? You just killed our father, and you think our clan deserves to rule the entire world?? You're not even making any sense!" She burst out, shocked and unwilling to believe him.

"So... You don't want to help us take back the Hidden Mist?" He lowly inquired. "Take it back? It was never ours in the first place!" Ryuu retorted. "The Mizukage will kill us all the moment we set foot out in the open!" Katsu exasperated. "Then you... Can join your father!" The three cautiously stepped back, and just as they did, they bumped into a group of other Haurutsuki members. "Tie 'em up and throw away the key." Osamu commanded. The three gasped. "Wait-" She was cut off. A sudden electrocution of combining lightning attacks hit her. She screamed along with her brothers, "AAH!"

And then... Nothing.