The Uchiha Incident: Chapter 10

True Grit

For as long as she could remember, Taku trained relentlessly so that she might one day face her monsters. Shedding blood, sweat and tears, she pushed herself so that she would not just drop in the sea of blood that strained this world. She fought on so that one day she would no longer live in terror for every waking moment of her life.

Taku trained, and for a moment, she thought she was on the right path. Overcoming her shortcomings after becoming a young girl, escaping her village and taking control of her life. Even the coveted and powerful Sharingan was now for her to use.

She thought she was ready, that she had grown powerful, but oh how naive was she to think so. She wasn’t even remotely close and it would be under the shadows of two clashing titans that she would see how far she had yet to go.

“You stubborn old coot!” roared the Raikage as his fist landed with a thunderous crash against the ancient patriarch’s jaw, staggering the man and pushing him back with his relentless blows, “Just die already!”

Like lightning did he struck, and like thunder, his fist shook the very stadium itself. Not even the roars of the crowd could drown out his blows. Such strikes would have felled lesser men, but not the Takanashi eldar.

With a hearty laugh, the Takanashi patriarch weathered the blows, taking each strike like they were mere gusts against the mountain of muscle that made up his form. “You’re a hundred years too young to kill me, boyo!” roared the man as he struck back with equal ferocity.

Fist, elbows, knees, and even the two’s forehead, not a part that one could use to strike was not used. It was harsh, brutal, blinding even as the very air crackled with the power of their chakra, igniting their very bodies with their element.

This was the power of those that had reached the pinnacle of their craft, of those that had fought countless others and came out on top to live the tale. These were true monsters, and as she sat there on her seat with her heart pumping and blood roaring in her ears, there was only one thing that Taku could think at that very moment, “It’s so beautiful.”

With wide eyed awe, she watched their every move, etching them to her mind. Born from a thousand battlefields, their moves were refined and deadly while their chakra were overflowing. She didn’t even need her Sharingan to see the Chakra choking the air. “Such power. Is it even possible to reach these heights?” she asked herself as self doubt seeped into her heart.

She had trained all her life and yet as she was right now, she did not even reach a fraction of their power. They were too strong and too fast with her eyes barely even able to follow their movement as the battle heated up; Could she even catch up?

Bone breaking and blood spilling, their blows would take away her breath as their clash shook the very foundations of this stadium. Faced with such reality, she felt a giddy laugh bubble up her cheeks. “All the more reason for me to train harder.”

This was what real power and feeling it shook her very core stoked the fire inside her. She wanted to have this power and feel it with her own to fist. She wanted to be stronger. “Stronger than they are and stronger than even my own demons.”

She needed to become stronger, but it was just not enough for her to work hard. She had to cheat, to break the rules that this cruel world had set for her, and her eyes were just what she needed. She was now in the front row seats to a fight that many Uchiha would kill to see, of a clash between a Clan’s patriarch and a Kage, but that itself was a problem.

She wasn’t just merely in a training hall nor was this an exclusive event, but she stood at the heart of the village. Here in the front row seats of the ring, not only was she surrounded by the people of Kumo, but she was flanked by her friend. Everyone could see her.

If she were to use her Sharingan carelessly, she would break the fragile cover that the raikage has given her. Everyone would know and no amount of authority could stop the rumors abound. “Not only would everyone in the village know, but Konoha as well.”


Shielding her eyes from the bright arching lights of the Raikage's thunder armor clashing with the roaring flames shooting out of the Takanashi patriarchs and pushing the man’s fist to terrifying speeds, she grimaced. “Just one look,” she hissed as the temptation grew, “But damn it all!”

She can’t do it, she just can’t, not if she wanted to lose her new home. “Or Lose my new friends,” the small voice at the back of her whispered as she glanced towards her Ami. Would she really risk losing those she held dear just to get a tiny bit stronger?

LIGHTNING STRAIGHT!

Shielding her eyes, she braced herself as the force of the man’s fist whipped the wind into a fury. “Damn it!” She wanted to see all the cool moves they were dropping, but not only had their glow made her see spots, but she could barely keep up anymore.

JICHINSAI!

Flinching away at the arcing flames left by the man’s axe kick, she glanced towards Kiara and watched her face lit up from the fiery display. “But I’d rather have them,” she smiled as she closed her eyes and turned away. If the path to the peak was a lonely one, then she’d rather carve another which would have her friends with her.

Her friends, however, had other plans. “Taku!” Kiara shouted, making her turn to the red head, “Use these!” Taku barely had a warning before she saw something red sailing across the air at her, one which she caught mid-flight.

“Goggles!?” she exclaimed in surprise. She couldn’t believe her luck. Her friend had just thrown her heavily tinted glasses, one that would not only shield her eyes, but hide her sharingan. “W-why? How!”

A thousand questions quickly ran through her head. “Did she know?” she asked herself as she stared at the beaming face of her friend.

“It's for your eyes, silly!” she shouted through the din of the crowd, “I know I wanted to protect your eyes cause you kept blocking high so I bought them for you!” Wait, that was it? She gave her this precious gift just because of a habit she had?

As she stared slack jawed, Kiara pulled down her own pair of goggles as well, “Plus it can get really bright so you really don't want to stare too long without protection!”

While she processed all of this, Ami would pout. “Why does only Taku get one?! Where’s mine-gah!” She asked, only to be nailed on the head by a stray pair of goggles, one that had Taku laughing. They were never going to get along, were they?

Turning back to the fight, Kiara shouted, “Quick! Try them on or you’d miss this!”

She didn’t need to be told another time as she put them on and the world dimmed just enough. Now no longer restricted, she opened her eyes and saw the very flow of Chakra in the air. “So thick!” She choked out as the proverbial fire of their chakra roared out to the heavens. She was in heaven.

Swept up to her feet at the moment, her voice joined the crowd as one of them faltered. “Beat his ass Raikage-sama! He’s going down for the count any second now,” She cheered, though perhaps she should have tempered herself and not have let the crowd sway her as she found herself assaulted by her best friend.

“Taku you traitor!” Kiara screamed, as she grabbed her by the collar and shook her roughly, “That’s my grandfather you're cheering against!” Red faced and fuming, she screamed, “Cheer for him damn it!”

Faced with the absurdity of it all, Taku laughed. “If that’s your grandpa, then the Raikage should beat his ass even harder!” Ami butted in as the Raikage up the ante. Strikes grew faster as the older man’s grew weaker. As valiant and terrifying in stature he was for his age, he was beginning to flag and the Raikage knew it.

With a roar, the Raikage thundered towards the old man like a freight train. “This was it!” She thought as she watched eagerly, absorbing every detail as their arms blazed with lightning. “Finish him!” She screamed before her excitement turned to horror.

“OTOKO GERI!” roared the old patriarch as he planted his foot before lashing out with the other, landing a blow upon the Raikage’s stomach as fire burst out their backs. Seeing the visual damage alone as the younger man coughed blood was horrific enough, but she saw the fire burning through their coils.

She feared for the worse as the man was temporarily stunned, but they would not be felled so easily. One shaky step turned to another as the Raikage batted the arms aside, opening up the old man for one more strike. “THUNDER LARIAT!”

Taku barely had time to process it all as the image was etched into her mind, that of the man’s terrifying speed as his arms sweep at the man’s neck before sending him down range. It was over before she blinked as the man crashed against the post with a resounding boom.

Battered and bowed, the man breathed heavily as the Raikage swaggered over. “Had enough old man?” the Raikage taunted as he cracked his fist, “You’re starting to slow down and we barely even began.” Baring his teeth, he scowled, “So why don’t you give it a rest. This fight ain’t worth it.”

“Why you little-!” The man scowled as he forced himself to his feat, but his legs would betray him. Falling down to his knees, he glared at the Raikage and for a tense moment, silence befall the stage.

“It’s over right?” Taku asked as an uncomfortable silence descended on the stage, “There’s no way he'd keep fighting?” The match was over, but the man’s will was not broken.

Taku swallowed, wanting to turn away, but unable to. But just as the Raikage was about to move, the man spat and bowed his head. “I yield.”

The match was over. The Raikage had won and the stadium roared with the cheers of all those who bore witness to his greatness.

A/N:

So changed my mind and threw in Uchiha for a bit. Just something short before switching over to Empress. Really got pumped writing so I hope I could get that Empress fic out in no time