NADESHIKO
The tatami-matted room was dimly lit by the soft glow of paper lanterns suspended from the ceiling. Sliding window shutters adorned with delicate cherry blossom motifs allowed glimpses of a meticulously manicured garden bathed in the silvery light of the full moon. The air was heavy with the scent of incense, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the bonsai trees that lined the room's edges.
Seated on zabuton cushions, Lady Marika wore a light robe of deep indigo silk as she stared at the report in her hands, the blood slowly draining from her face as she read through its contents. The missive was brief and precise. Across from her, her heir, Shizuka, knelt attentively, clad in a similar robe.
"What does it say, Aunt?" Shizuka asked, glancing at her nervously. A tiny, low table, lacquered to a flawless sheen, separated them, upon which an exquisite tea set lay arranged with precision. The faint aroma of green tea wafted through the air as a servant poured steaming liquid into delicate porcelain cups.
"...Your husband does not make promises lightly, it seems," Marika replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"My Lady?"
Marika looked up from the scroll, her gaze drifting to the stretch of forest beyond the windows. "He did it ... He actually did it."
Shizuka shifted uneasily, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her robe as her eyes lit up in realisation.
"...Is he alright?" the younger Kunoichi murmured, a shadow falling over her features as her hands rose to caress her belly. Marika glanced up at her niece, staring at her for a moment, before shaking her head fondly.
"According to the report, it seems he walked away unscathed," The Matriarch replied as she tucked away the scroll. Reaching across, she took Shizuka's right hand in her own. "Forget about the fool. Tell me, how are you feeling now? Did the tea help with the nausea?"
Shizuka nodded, and Marika stared at her for another long moment before sighing in response. "It's been just slightly over two weeks ... usually it takes about six before the nausea starts. Five if it's early ... You know, Shizuka dear, you can tell me anything."
The Matriarch said nothing as her niece looked up in confusion for a moment before the insinuation clicked.
"He is the father," Shizuka hissed as she pulled her hand free of Marika's grasp. "I am no base whore. Did you think he would not know if I still had my virtue or not when he laid with me? Tokiwa was present, was she not? She should know."
Marika shook her head softly as she reached for the tea in front of her instead and brought it to her lips.
"I am not berating you, child," she said, placing the cup back down after taking a light sip. "I was young once and know what it's like to be foolish, angry, and in love. And while he might seem horrible, Uchiha-san is not a heartless person. I do not believe it is beyond you to convince him to help you cover up a mistake you might have made in anger. Especially since it serves his interests far more than yours. As for Tokiwa being present, that's null and void as far as I am concerned. The boy is a Genjutsu prodigy; that should be self-explanatory."
"I am not lying—"
"I did not say you were, child," Marika interrupted, stalling her niece's rhetoric smoothly. "The village believes you carry an Uchiha, hence, I am worried. Should they, by some chance, be proven wrong, the results would be disastrous. A lot was sacrificed to make this happen. Aside from that, the fact that Sasuke managed to give Konoha a bruising and walk away without consequence has placed us firmly against the Leaf. The world just doesn't know it yet; and as with all secrets, that's just a matter of time. I hope you didn't make my efforts all turn out to be for nothing ... And if you did, at least give me the courtesy of being able to plan for it."
For a long moment, Shizuka said nothing, simply gritting her teeth. "Sasuke. Is. The. Father. Of. My. Child."
Marika met her glare for a long moment before replying with a curt nod. "Fine. Drink your tea, my dear. It's getting cold."
The room fell silent as the pair slowly emptied their cups.
"...Kaigo once mentioned something about the pregnancy maturing faster than usual," Shizuka murmured, finally breaking the stalemate. "Maybe that's why?"
"Kaigo? Do you mean the clone he left behind?" Shizuka nodded.
"Why didn't you mention that earlier?"
"I didn't deem it important then," the girl replied in an attempt to defend herself. "Also, I don't like being around him... her? It feels weird?"
Mariko stared at her niece incredulously for a few moments before chuckling.
"Tell me, child, what else has your husband's clone warned you about that you then proceeded to ignore? Come on, I am all ears."
***
The room in which Hanabi found herself confined was a stark departure from the humble opulence of the Hyuga compound. Its cold, stone walls were devoid of any adornment, and the only source of light filtered through narrow, barred windows high above, casting feeble rays that barely illuminated the shadows. The air hung heavy with the musty scent of dampness as if the very essence of the room had been swallowed by the passage of time.
A thin, worn straw mat covered the unforgiving floor, offering a meagre respite from the chill that seemed to permeate the chamber. The only piece of furniture in the room was a rough-hewn wooden stool placed in a corner with a simple bowl of rice and a cup of water.
The Hyuga heiress, her once-modest-but-well-made training garments had been replaced by a grey, threadbare kimono that clung to her like a shroud. She sat cross-legged on the mat with a stoic grace that belied the turmoil within her as she stared blankly ahead. Her ebony hair cascaded in disarray, unkempt—hands and feet bound by pink crystal blocks.
The sound of distant footsteps echoed occasionally through the corridor outside, a constant reminder of her isolation. A solitary, rusted door littered with numerous seals stood as both a barrier and a gateway to the unknown. The Hyuga knew not whether it led to her captors or a fleeting chance of escape.
The footsteps came again. Closer this time. A creaking noise echoed as a lock was unlatched, then, slowly, the rust-crusted door swung open and an unfamiliar woman walked in.
The stranger said nothing as she approached.
Hanabi croaked through parched lips. "Who are you?
Silence. The stranger's palm came to rest on her shoulder and suddenly there was a change of scenery.
Another cell. This one was a relatively small chamber with visibly dense concrete walls. The floor and ceilings were layered with metal and also bore a worrying amount of seals. The room was sparsely furnished, containing only the essentials. Light bulbs were recessed into the ceiling with no visible switch in sight. A simple cot with thin bedding was positioned against one wall, and a basic sanitation unit was discreetly integrated into another.
"Is this the child?" one of the older women asked. The one who had brought Hanabi simply nodded before promptly disappearing again much to the Hyuga's confusion. Hanabi felt cool air settle on her hands for what must have been the first time in days and looked down to see her crystal restraints were gone as well.
Flexing her fingers experimentally, She looked up, silently contemplating if escape was even possible.
"Don't stress your head, little one," the older woman said as she turned to leave with the two at her back. "This place was tailor-built specifically for you. You aren't leaving unless we let you out."
"Wait!"
"...What?"
"Why?"
"...You tell me, kid. I am not sure myself. Hot food and water will be brought to you in a few minutes. Behave yourself when the help arrives."
The door swung close soundlessly behind the trio before sealing shut with a heavy clunk.
***
Their projections all gathered in a circular chamber. Silence prevailed. No one spoke as each watched the other warily. Pain sat at the head of the table, his Rinnegan surveying the room with a calculating gaze. The atmosphere crackled with suppressed tension.
Deidara was the first to break.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked, his voice edged with frustration and his projection's hands unconsciously forming a bird with clay. "That Sasuke bastard blew through a hidden village like it was nothing. I thought he was crippled? And Itachi... Itachi betrayed us!"
The zealot with the scythe, Hidan, leaned back in his chair with a wicked grin. "Well, well, well, and here I was hoping things would get interesting. I always thought the Uchihas were a bunch of backstabbing maniacs, but to think—"
"Enough."
Pain's gaze panned across the assembled Shinobi as his steely voice reverbed through the cavern. "I did not gather you all here to complain about what has happened. Our focus should be on how to deal with the fallout. Sasuke's attack has drawn significant attention, and the loss of a combatant of Itachi's calibre from our ranks complicates matters further."
The room fell into a contemplative silence as each member considered the implications of the recent events. Pain leaned forward, his voice resonating with authority.
"We must prioritize the completion of the Akatsuki's ultimate goal. The tailed beasts are essential to our plans; two of which we are still unsure of their status. Itachi's actions have complicated matters, but he is dead now and we will adapt. It is his brother that worries me; he was reported to have the nine-tails in his possession during the attack and our informants in Suna claim the Shukaku was missing following a battle with him. I don't know why or if my assumption is true or even possible, but he seems to have taken a liking to collecting tailed beasts."
"And given his affiliation with Orochimaru, and possible presumption that we are allies of his brother, whom he bears a blood grudge with, I suspect we are being targeted."
Kakuzu's projection scoffed at that.
"You deem him unwilling or unable to?" Pain asked, one brow rising. "The same individual who dared stage an attack on a hidden village and succeeded?"
No response came.
"We will be putting all other non-essential activities on hold until further notice," Pain continued as he prepared to dispel the projection jutsu. "Until then, we are to find Uchiha Sasuke, kill him and retrieve the beasts in his possession.
***
The room was vast, filled with an array of scientific equipment, arcane symbols etched into the walls, and mysterious substances bubbling in glass containers lining tables by the walls. The low hum of machinery and the occasional drip of liquid echoed through the sterile chamber.
At the centre of the room lay a pristine surgical table bathed in an eerie, greenish light. Strapped to the table was the object of Orochimaru's attention, his Sharingan eyes staring at the ceiling with cold apathy. The Sannin manoeuvred around the table holding the Uchiha in place with cold steel clamps, his eye alight with eagerness. He moved with deliberate precision and ritualistic efficiency, under the watchful eyes of two blood clones armed to the teeth.
Even after everything The Uchiha still didn't trust him. Had Orochimaru cared about that at all, his feelings truly might have been hurt.
A large tank filled with a thick, viscous liquid dominated one corner of the room. Inside floated a pristine amalgamation of organic matter, shaped into an arm by the infusion of Hashirama Senju's legendary cells. Twisting veins and sinewy muscles grown from the First Hokage's cells pulsated with an unnatural vitality over a skeletal frame of specially treated Kaguya bone notorious for its unnatural hardness and the ability of osteoblasts and osteoclasts to be consciously altered.
"Prepare yourself, Sasuke-kun," the sannin purred as he placed the serrated teeth of a bone saw on the stump that remained of Sasuke's right arm.
Being the spoilsport he was, the Uchiha simply sighed in response.
"Just get on with it, would you? We don't have all day."