Chapter 1
Notes:
OK for those who are interested, the main characters are completely fictional and I will try to stay as close as possible to what is canon. Also, the abilities that I will give to the main characters are as logical as those seen in the anime in my opinion. In any case, happy reading to those who will read my story! :)
Before I forget, I am writing this story as I go along so corrections may be made later and I apologize for the grammatical errors which will also be corrected later on. I originally wrote this story in French then adapted it in English so bare with me please.
Chapter Text
It was an autumn day, Senju Iruma who was twelve years old at the time had been sent on a mission with his big brother Nishinoya and five other Senju kunoichi to gather supplies in order to prepare for the winter.
Everyone was jumping from tree to tree as silently as possible while trying to hide their chakra signature.
Around them the colored leaves were falling gently to the ground carried by a fresh breeze coming from the north that would soon announce the first snow.
"Nishinoya" Iruma said his brother's name to attract his attention.
"Shhh! We are still too close to the border of the territory occupied by the Uchiha, we must not be spotted" Nishinoya quickly replied.
"But nee-san I have a bad feeling, I think we should turn around and take another safer path. This is the first time this part of the forest has been this quiet and I don't like it" Iruma expressed his concerns to Nishinoya.
"No, if we turn around now we won't be back at camp before nightfall. It would take us too long" Nishinoya retorted with finality.
It was then that a kunai flew towards Iruma and Nishinoya who barely had time to dodge it and get into a defensive position.
Iruma was back to back with his brother kunai in hand ready to defend himself.
A dozen ninjas came out of their hiding place between the branches of the nearby trees and judging by the emblem on their clothes, they were part of the Uchiha clan.
A confrontation began and one of them threw himself at Iruma who lost his balance and fell from the tree, but regained position at the last moment to land on his feet.
When Iruma looked above him, he noticed that the other kunoichi who accompanied him and his brother were each fighting an opponent.
Seeing Iruma distracted, the man tried a direct attack with his kunai which was blocked by Iruma who was desperately trying to take the advantage while avoiding to look directly at the man's Kekkei Genkai.
At the same time, Iruma saw four of the five kunoichi who accompanied him and his brother being killed by their opponent, their blood covering the dead leaves on the ground.
Iruma then quickly turned his gaze towards Nishinoya who had managed to put some distance between him and his opponent.
"It's me you should be worried about not your teammates," said the man in front of him in a threatening voice.
Iruma used his agility to deflect the next kunai strike before using this moment to jump and put some distance between him and his attacker.
The man turned towards Iruma ready to attack again with at his side the enemies who killed the other members who accompanied him for this mission.
Iruma hurried to make some signs with both of his hands before putting them on the ground simultaneously and just before the three Uchiha could reach him, sharp rocks shaped in spikes came out of the ground just in front of where his hands were positioned and pierced the enemies in front of him so quickly that they did not have time to react.
Iruma then took the opportunity to scan his surroundings and it was at this moment that he saw a terrified young boy who was gripping a kunai very tightly between his two hands.
The young boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old and judging by his reaction to seeing his teammates much older than him die this way, it must have been his first time on the battlefield.
It was then that Iruma heard a bloodcurdling scream a little further to his right.
His brother had just killed his opponent, the blood of his victim covering his hands and face.
His brother's gaze then turned to the terrified young Uchiha and with a bloodthirsty look, Nishinoya rushed towards the young boy.
"Nishinoya stop he's just a child!" Iruma shouted as he rushed towards his brother.
But seemingly coming out of nowhere, an adult from the Uchiha clan blocked his path.
Iruma dodged a blow to the abdomen and slit the man's throat, but it was already too late.
When Iruma looked up, his brother was holding the kunai he had driven into the child's heart still in place.
His brother watched the life leave the child's gaze with a deranged smile.
Nishinoya was so euphoric from having killed the young boy that he didn't hear or see the other young man who was standing right in front of him with a katana in hand.
"Nishinoya don't stay there! Nishinoya!!!" Iruma screamed his brother's name in the hopes that he would come to his senses and dodge the incoming blow.
Iruma ran towards his brother, but alas, the young man who stood in front of Nishinoya plunged his katana right into his stomach before twisting it and pulling it out
"NISHINOYA!!!!" Iruma cried out as he saw his brother fall to the ground with a blood-curdling sound.
It was at this moment that the last member of his team that was still alive grabbed him by the waist to prevent him from advancing any further.
"Iruma, we have to retreat, he's already dead, there's nothing we can do for him anymore."
"No, I refuse to leave him here!" Iruma screamed with tears in his eyes.
The member of his team carried him on his shoulder and began to flee the battlefield when Iruma met the gaze of the one who had just killed his last brother, his last family.
Suddenly it was as if time had slowed down around him and the memory of his intense red eyes would forever haunt his thoughts.
The boy who was probably the same age as him, held the child's lifeless body in his arms and it was then that the three tomoe in his tearful eyes changed to give way to a very different pattern.
Chapter Text
Chapter Text
In the Senju Camp:
Hashirama gathered the residents in the center of the camp to ask for volunteers to come and help build the village of Konoha.
At this announcement, a few people volunteered and others voiced their concerns saying that this union was doomed to failure and that the Uchiha were untrustworthy.
Hashirama insisted that only in this way could peace be achieved between the two clans. He added that as the head of the Senju clan his duty was to watch over the clan and that building the village was the safest way to achieve this.
Although not everyone was completely convinced yet, no one dared to add anything and everyone returned to their business except for one person who stood far away from the other clan members.
A 20 year old young man named Senju Iruma who unlike others had a blind faith in Hashirama and his desire to make peace with the Uchiha clan.
Iruma walked towards Hashirama who had a long look to speak to him.
"Hashirama, what do you plan to do if none of them agree to join the construction of the village?"
"You know well Iruma that I can't force them, but I can always try to convince them and I hope that maybe once the village is finished they will change their minds."
"I hope so too, finally putting an end to this conflict that has lasted for several generations would be an achievement and if anyone is capable of it it could only be you. I don't know anyone as stubborn and optimistic as you, although it took a while you managed to make the clan members follow you blindly after Butsuma's death so I don't see why this would be any different, they will eventually follow you."
Iruma comforted Hashirama with his words and Hashirama hugged him tightly with his contagious laughter and overflowing positive energy.
"Thank you, Iruma, I know I could always count on you to cheer me up!"
Iruma embarrassed managed to free himself from Hashirama's embrace and apologized by saying that he had to prepare his things if he wanted to participate to the constructions.
XoXoXoXoXo
The next morning in front of the construction site of the village of Konoha:
Iruma was all excited at the sight of what was going to become the village of Konoha.
Armed with a bag containing his essentials that he would need to settle into a makeshift tent near the construction site during the duration of the work, Iruma walked with a heart full of hope.
Iruma then noticed that there were already people there, he who thought he would be the first to arrive since the sun was just beginning to rise.
Indeed, there were a few members of the Uchiha clan there including Uchiha Madara, Tobirama and Hashirama sama as well as their cousin Touka.
Hashirama was chatting with Uchiha Madara while Tobirama sama and Touka san stood by his side and a man from the Uchiha clan stood by Uchiha Madara's side.
Iruma not wanting to interrupt their conversation that seemed important headed towards the other Uchiha who had started cutting trees in order to clear the area where the village would be established.
As he approached, Iruma could feel the tension in the air as the mens stopped working to look at the newcomer.
Iruma was a little nervous and with a little hesitation addressed them.
"Hello, my name is Iruma and I'm here to help with the village construction work, nice to meet you."
Iruma was expecting it, but they didn't seem happy about his addition to the team.
One of them spoke up and told Iruma to take one of the axes on the ground and start cutting down trees on his side while they stayed on their side.
Iruma who wasn't really surprised was still a little disappointed, because he hoped that maybe they would be able to work together, but hey, it was to be expected.
Iruma took an axe and was about to start cutting down a large tree when he felt an intense gaze on him.
Iruma ignored it, thinking that it might not be a good idea to pay attention to it.
After a while, other Senjus and Uchihas arrived to join the work and very quickly the day was coming to an end.
The tents were set up with the Senjus on one side and the Uchihas on the other.
A campfire was set up with tree trunks as benches all around the fire on which there was a pot of rice.
Everyone took a seat to eat except for a few people who preferred to eat further away, including Iruma who was sitting on a tree trunk at the edge of the forest with his bowl of rice in hand.
Iruma then felt the same gaze on him as earlier in the day and decided to take a look to see who was looking at him like that.
Seeing him, Iruma understood that it was an Uchiha and he seemed to be about the same age as him.
The man was sitting with other members of the Uchiha clan not far from the campfire.
Although Iruma did not dare to look the man straight in the eyes since he did not know his intentions and why he was staring at him like that, but seeing how he had his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth closed in a thin line, Iruma thought that the man was probably studying him.
feeling unnerved by him, Iruma looked away from the man and hurried to finish his bowl of rice to get away from the man as quickly as possible by going to lie down in his tent.
And it was like that for a few more days before an accident happened.
It was in the afternoon that a tree fell in a direction other than planed and a young man from the Uchiha clan found himself pinned to the ground under the weight of the tree.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to go help the young man including Iruma who ran and pushed people out of the way.
"Let me pass I'm a medic!" Iruma exclaimed hurrying.
While several were panicking and the person who had made the tree fall was frantically apologizing, Iruma concentrated a large amount of chakra in his hands with upmost control.
"At three I'm going to lift the trunk, but I'm not going to be able to keep it lifted for long so as soon as the trunk rises, you who are wearing a necklace grab it and push it down from there. So 1, 2, 3! ", Iruma shouted while liberating the chakra accumulated in his hands.
Thus, by coming into contact with the tree trunk, the energy accumulated in Iruma's hands was enough to lift it of the young man.
The man wearing a necklace was able to pull the young man out before the tree trunk fell to the ground and it was after that that Iruma was able to see the extent of the injuries he suffered.
Indeed the young man had difficulty breathing probably because of broken ribs.
Seeing this, Iruma hurried to use a healing jutsu.
Iruma's hands which produced a green light began to explore the damage caused by the tree trunk.
First Iruma focused on the internal bleeding and then on the right lung that had been punctured by one of his broken ribs and after maybe two minutes, the young man's injuries were completely healed, as if the accident had never happened.
The young man and his two friends (according to Iruma) thanked him for what he did, telling him that they would never forget what he had done.
After this event, the tensions on the construction site greatly dissipated and almost everyone began to work helping each other and during meals the members of the two clans told each other stories and laughed in unison.
Thus the evening of the accident was the beginning of some friendships between Senjus and Uchihas, and the look of the man whose name Iruma still did not know seemed different, more guarded.
Chapter Text
A few weeks later when the majority of the Uchiha district and the surrounding homes were built, many began to take up permanent residence in the Hidden Leaf Village.
Iruma was very happy to finally be able to start a new life in a village that did not remind him of everything he lost during the war.
Equipped with a simple bag containing a few clothes, kunais, and souvenirs that belonged to his parents, Iruma headed towards the residence that would become his new home.
Iruma had arranged to take up residence in an apartment far from the Senju district.
Indeed, after what the members of the clan did to his parents 12 years earlier, Iruma never forgot all the anger, the feeling of betrayal and helplessness that he felt the day his parents died before his eyes.
Iruma looked at his new home that was in front of him.
His apartment was in a two-story building with only 4 residences.
A stone staircase led up to the front door of his apartment, which was on the second floor of the building.
The building was both traditional in style on the outside, but at the same time a bit more modern for the time with glass windows and wooden walls and a red pottery tile roof.
His residence was two blocks away from the Uchiha district and there were merchants with benches around his house.
The streets were already bustling with people from all over the land of fire and children were playing in the streets.
Life seemed quite peaceful in the new village.
Iruma opened the door to his new home and stepped inside.
Inside, there was no furniture or supplies.
The kitchen was to the left of the door with a nice counter and just in front there was a nice room with a large window that led to the street behind the establishment.
Iruma thought that it would be a good idea to install a couch and a kotatsu there.
Iruma then headed into a short corridor in which was on the left a door that led to the bathroom and just in front was another door.
Iruma opened the door that led to a room a little smaller than the one in front of the kitchen.
The room was illuminated by the light that came through a single window.
Iruma put his bag down there, telling himself that the room would serve as a bedroom.
As he lay down on the ground, Iruma observed the white ceiling of his apartment while thinking back to the man who had been watching him intensely during the construction of the village.
'What could he had possibly wanted to look at me like he did?' Iruma thought, unable to make sense of it all, and that wasn't all.
Iruma had noticed something else on the construction site.
With such an intense aura, Iruma was unable to ignore his presence when he was around.
The man had a unique chakra signature, a glowing blaze, but which unexpectedly emitted a soft comforting warmth like that of a fireplace on a cold winter's night.
With all his thoughts running through his head, Iruma closed his eyes and fell asleep on the floor of his apartment with one last thought.
'Maybe we'll see each other again.'
Chapter Text
In his sleep, Iruma had a nightmare, but not just any nightmare.
…
It was a summer day when the sun was burning.
Iruma was held down by the one who was until that day his father's best friend.
"Let go of me, you have no right to do that!" Iruma yelled in despair.
Around him, the members of the Senju clan were all gathered to witness the execution of two traitors under the orders of Butsuma sama.
The man and the woman had their hands tied behind their backs and were kneeling in front of the clan head who was holding a sword in one hand.
"This is what happens to those who disobey the rules of the clan and come to the aid of the enemy," Butsuma declared coldly as he drew his katana.
"No, don't do that!" Iruma begged the clan leader to spare his parents and tried to struggle with all his might, but pinned to the ground under the weight of an adult three or four times his weight, his efforts were in vain.
It was at this moment that Hashirama tried to intervene.
"Father, this is going too far, Takuma and Mimiko are members of the clan and Mimiko was mother's best friend, we can't do this!" Hashirama exclaimed.
Butsuma looked his eldest son straight in the eye.
"You're not going to interfere with the decisions of the clans head" Butsuma said as he gestured to a clan member and the latter pinned Hashirama to the ground in the same way that Iruma was restricted in his movements by the man he considered a family member before he betrayed his parents.
Tobirama who was standing next to his older brother had his fists clenched and couldn't watch what was about to happen.
Iruma looked at his brother who was standing next to him to ask him to do something, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw that his older brother Nishinoya had an expression he had never seen before.
Indeed his older brother had a look of disgust and anger directed at their parents who were about to die before their eyes.
In that moment, Iruma no longer recognized the older brother who had grown up by his side and had comforted him when their older brother Shima died 1 year ago.
That day, Nishinoya had promised to watch over the family with his father, but now that Iruma looks at his one and only brother still alive, he is like a stranger he sees for the first time.
Iruma felt crushed by the realization that his brother intended to stay there and watch what was about to happen.
His heart was racing and he could hear it beating in his ears.
'I have to do something,' thought Iruma as he looked at his parents knowing full well that he was neither strong enough to push the man who was holding him down nor to face the clan leader.
Unable to contain his tears, he saw his sadness reflected in his father's eyes just before he closed them with a small smile on his lips, a tear sliding down his cheek.
Then suddenly, Butsuma slit his father's throat before delivering a second blow by thrusting the katana into his heart.
The image of the light leaving his father's usually sparkling gaze under the screams of his mother who had just seen the man she loved leave her will haunt him forever.
The laughter and words of encouragement from the clan members he had considered until now as people he could count on shook him to the core.
Iruma watched helplessly as the clan leader raised his sword and decapitated his mother's head.
Suddenly, it was as if time had stopped.
A dull noise in his ears had buried the voices around him as well as his own screams.
Iruma felt like he could no longer breathe, his mother's screams and the laughter of the people around him echoing in his head.
Then there was the blood, there was so much blood.
That day, Iruma began to harbor a hatred for the clan whose name he bears.
Chapter Text
When Iruma opened his eyes again, the sun was setting on the horizon.
'How long did I doze off?' Iruma thought as he saw the orange and pink colors stretching like ribbons across the sky, the memory of his dream still present despite it having happened 15 years ago.
It was at that moment that Iruma's stomach began to growl and knowing full well that he had nothing to eat in the fridge in his kitchen, Iruma went to the entrance of his apartment, put on his shoes and left his new home.
Outside, the streets were quieter since everyone had probably gone home to prepare dinner given the time it was.
Iruma went down the stairs that led to his house and walked to the ramen restaurant that had recently opened.
Iruma was curious to try it, having never had the chance to eat it before.
Once he arrived in front of the sign that said "Ichiraku ramen", Iruma took a seat at the counter where there were no other customers.
"Welcome to Ichiraku ramen, what can I get you?" asked the cook.
"Hello, may I have a bowl of ramen with a glass of sake please."
"Of course, that'll be 15 ryo."
Iruma gave him the money and after a few minutes of waiting, Iruma received his bowl of ramen and his sake.
"Itadakimasu!" said Iruma enthusiastically.
From the first bite, Iruma knew he would come back to eat at this restaurant.
"It's really delicious, I'll definitely come back to see you for another bowl of ramen," Iruma told the man with a smile.
"I'm really glad to hear it!" The man replied with a smile on his lips as well.
Iruma continued to eat his ramen, not really paying attention to who was approaching the ramen restaurant, anyone he would normally have sensed coming but didn't since he was so focused on eating.
"Hello, I would like to order a bowl of ramen with a glass of sake," asked the man.
"That will be 15 ryo," the cook replied.
The man then turned his gaze to Iruma who met his.
Suddenly, Iruma gasped as he looked at the man who was obviously the same one who had been on his mind earlier in the day.
Iruma knew he shouldn't hold the gaze of an Uchiha, but the obsidian-black eyes that were looking at him made it impossible for him to look away.
It was the first time since his second eldest's death that Iruma hadn't looked an Uchiha in the eye and only one thought was in his mind at that precise moment.
'His eyes are beautiful and he's really handsome' Iruma thought without saying it out loud.
The man looked away from Iruma long enough to sit down and pay the cook.
Not even 10 seconds later, the man had his bowl of ramen and sake in front of him.
The tension was high, but no one dared to speak, they preferred to eat.
Once both had finished their bowl of ramen and had nothing else to do but quietly drink their glass of sake.
Iruma, fed up with the silence, decided to start a conversation.
"Is this also your first time at Ichiraku ramen?" Iruma asked with an honest smile.
Internally, Iruma blamed himself for being so bad at starting a conversation and clearly the heavy atmosphere that reigned was affecting him.
After a long silence, Iruma decided to finish his sake in one go and speak once more.
"Forget what I just said, have a good evening and thank you for the ramen Mr. Ichiraku I'll come back!"
Iruma said goodbye to the cook and was about to leave when the man spoke to him.
"My name is Akiyama"
Iruma turned around and looked at the man sitting with his sake and answered him "I'm Iruma" looking him in the eyes one last time with a smile on his lips while bowing his head slightly to say goodbye.
Notes:
For the ramen price and future references to economy, I based it off of Naruto's episode 86 where Jiraiya gives Naruto 300 ryo. Naruto bought a bunch of food, participated in games, bought himself a mask, etc., and had a little over 50 ryo left. Also, I take into account that the economy probably wasn't as good as it was in Naruto's time since the war had just ended, so I made an estimate of the costs taking all that into account.
Chapter Text
Chapter Text
A few weeks later, Iruma's apartment was furnished with a new couch, a kotatsu, and a pot with a plant that he took great care to water.
In his room, Iruma hadn't changed much except for installing a wardrobe.
His savings were constantly decreasing because of his lack of participation in missions.
Besides, looking at the few savings he had left, Iruma told himself that he should soon start taking missions again.
Indeed, the village having gained in reputation over the last two months, mission requests have exploded.
Thus, Iruma with a sigh decided to leave his house to go to the mission assignment office.
On the way however, Iruma noticed a young boy who was practicing throwing shurikens at a tree in the training area near the Uchiha district.
However, none of the shurikens hit the tree, instead they would lodge in the grass near the tree or pass right by it.
Iruma stopped to look at this child who was becoming more and more frustrated.
The boy wore the Uchiha emblem and after throwing two more shurikens that didn't hit the target, he started to cry.
Iruma never having liked seeing a child cry decided to intervene, even if he maybe shouldn't.
"Hey are you okay?"
"No" the boy replied between two hiccups.
"Do you want to talk to me about it? My name is Iruma by the way. »
"Me Yuma and it's just that I can't hit the target no matter how many times I try and no one wants to teach me how to do it so I have no choice but to learn by myself" said the boy while wiping his tears.
Iruma felt a small pang in his heart as he looked at this young boy who was visibly very affected by the fact that no one wanted to teach him how to throw shurikens.
"How about Yuma if I teach you how to throw shurikens?" Iruma suggested with a smile on his lips.
"Would you really do that for me?" Yuma asked with a stunned look.
"Of course, I've been thinking about taking on an apprentice for a long time. So, get back in position and I'll help you correct your form and visualize your target better."
That's how Iruma took the time to show Yuma the shuriken throw and although Yuma still had a long way to go, he was at least now able to hit the edges of the target.
Iruma looked at the sun that was now at its zenith and knew that he should now go to the mission assignment office.
It was therefore time to say goodbye to Yuma for today.
"Yuma I have to go, but we will see each other again and in the meantime continue to practice. You will show me how much you have progressed when I return from the mission."
Yuma visibly looked disappointed, but quickly took on a determined look.
"I will not disappoint you Iruma sensei! When you come back, I will be able to hit any target whether it is with a shuriken or a kunai" Yuma declared confidently.
And on this promise between Iruma and his now 6 year old apprentice, Iruma continued on his way.
Chapter Text
Chapter Text
Three days later, Iruma was back in the village of Konoha.
He had been sent alone for a C-rank mission that consisted of escorting a merchant to the village safe and sound.
Everything had gone well without any ambush, but that didn't stop the merchant from complaining throughout the trip in addition to using Iruma to transport all his things.
Once arrived in front of the gates at the entrance to Konohagakure, Iruma let out a sigh of relief. All that remained was to guide the man to the mission assignment office so that the man would hand over the amount requested for the mission. He would finally be able to tell the merchant that his mission was completed and that his services were no longer required, but alas the man had decided otherwise.
"Hey young man, after that I need you to bring my things to my new home in the village. I'm old and I can't carry such heavy things with my poor back anymore" the man said, rubbing my lower back with one hand and pretending to be in pain...
"I'd be delighted, but I have urgent business waiting for me at home", Iruma replied courteously, thinking of his plant that was probably already dying in his apartment.
"And if I pay you 100 ryo, will you do it?" the man asked.
"I really can't sorry", Iruma insisted.
"200 ryo then?" the merchant added.
Iruma took a moment to answer.
'That could cover my grocery expenses for a while if I accept' Iruma thought.
"Very well, I accept", Iruma replied.
And so Iruma accompanied the man to the mission assignment office, got his pay for the mission, accompanied the man to his new home in a neighborhood where there were plenty of other merchants and pocketed the extra 200 ryo before returning home exhausted.
Once home, Iruma watered his plant that had started to wilt due to lack of water then went to sleep in his bed that he had missed so much since the beginning of the mission with the bitter old man.
XoXoXoXoXo
The next morning, Iruma went to the village market to do his groceries and once back home, he prepared onigiris that he put in a basket to take away before going to the training ground near the Uchiha camp.
Once Iruma arrived at the training ground, it was already noon and young Yuma was training.
Iruma watched him from afar throwing kunais at three different targets at the same time in perfect execution.
'He has progressed well since I left, I should teach him how to use his chakra to climb trees without his hands or teach him to walk on water if he hasn't already been taught how to do it' Iruma thought seeing the ease with which Yuma threw his kunais at the target.
As he advanced, Yuma detected Iruma's presence and although he had been training for 5 hours and was tired, seeing Iruma seemed to make his fatigue flew away.
"Iruma sensei!" Yuma shouted as he rushed towards his teacher who was waiting for him with a big smile and a basket in hand.
"I'm glad to see you again Yuma, you've improved a lot, the strength you put in and your hand movement are perfect. I'm proud of you!" Iruma said while moving Yuma's hair with one hand.
Hearing this, Yuma's smile grew even bigger and the young boy looked ready to fly away because he was so happy.
"I prepared us some onigiris. Do you want some?" Iruma asked while handing an onigiri to Yuma.
"Yes I'm starving, thank you Iruma sensei!"
Yuma took the onigiri and from the first bite his eyes became wide open, his gaze sparkling.
"It's delicious Iruma sensei! I've never eaten such good onigiris!" Yuma exclaimed enthusiastically before devouring 3 other onigiris.
Iruma watched his student almost inhale his food as he ate so fast, while eating his own onigiri.
'I hope things can stay this way' Iruma thought as he finished his last bite.
Chapter Text
In the weeks that followed, Iruma taught Yuma to concentrate his chakra in the soles of his feet to climb trees, first by running and then by walking.
A technique that was harder to teach Yuma than expected, because for several days, Yuma could only take 5 steps before falling.
At first, Yuma did not concentrate enough chakra in the soles of his feet, which prevented his feet from adhering to the tree.
Then, he concentrated too much, which made the bark of the tree peel off under his feet, making him fall as well.
Finally, he managed to put just enough chakra to stick to the tree without peeling off the bark, but Yuma ended up losing his concentration after 5 steps and therefore still fell from the tree.
However, Yuma had an iron will and despite his failures, he did not get discouraged.
On the contrary, his unsuccessful attempts seemed to push him to surpass himself.
Iruma admired his student for this and kept cheering him on.
This child that Iruma met almost 3 months ago seemed to have changed his life for the better.
It had been a long time since Iruma had felt so happy and for the first time in 15 years, Iruma felt at home and it was here in the village of Konoha.
So after 2 months, the lessons that Iruma gave to Yuma finally came to fruition and the young Yuma was now able to climb trees by walking.
However, the training sessions that they gave each other regularly were about to end.
XoXoXoXoXo
It was cloudy that day, Iruma was practicing taijutsu with Yuma when a familiar figure arrived.
Iruma motioned for Yuma to stop.
“Yuma! I allowed you to train outside the district only if you didn’t talk to outsiders, it’s dangerous. Come here right now” Akiyama demanded in an authoritative tone.
“Iruma sensei is not an outsider! He’s been teaching me the art of a ninja for two months now and I trust him completely” Yuma replied hurt by Akiyama’s words.
Akiyama seemed visibly angry and directed it at Iruma who until then remained silent for fear of saying something that would anger the Uchiha in front of him even more.
“And you Senju. I had the impression that you could perhaps be trusted after you saved Kyu from a tree trunk, but not anymore. What do you want to accomplish by associating with Yuma, he's just a naive child who couldn't discern your true intentions?" Akiyama asked accusingly.
"I simply want to teach Yuma everything I know in terms of taijutsu and ninjutsu, nothing more," Iruma simply answered honestly to appease the angry man.
Unfortunately for Iruma, his words seemed to have the opposite effect and Akiyama was visibly irritated.
"Do you really think I'm going to buy that? Why would a Senju be willing to reveal his techniques to an Uchiha? It doesn't make any sense," Akiyama expressed skeptically.
"I know it sounds absurd to think that I would want to teach Yuma everything I know including the technique I created myself, but it's the truth. I always wanted to take an apprentice under my wing, but no child from the Senju clan wanted me as a sensei," Iruma said, thinking back to the parents at the Senju compound who forbade their children from speaking to him.
"Yuma is the first to want me as a sensei and I intend to remain so if you allow me of course. I care about Yuma as a student, but I understand that being from different clans could raise concerns so I will not oppose the Uchiha clan's decision," Iruma finished, bowing his head down in respect before continuing to speak.
"And if the verdict is that I can no longer have contact with Yuma, so be it," Iruma said reluctantly.
At that moment, Iruma felt a variation in Akiyama's chakra which seemed to decrease in aggression to become calmer and more controlled.
"No! You have no right to do that! Iruma is my sensei and I refuse to say goodbye to him!" Yuma shouted, overcome with emotion.
"That's enough Yuma! The decision is not yours and it's not mine either. Normally this decision would be up to your parents, but since they are no longer with us, it's up to the clan leader to decide," Akiyama explained bitterly.
"Follow me, you two. Madara sama will decide what will happen" Akiyama said, motioning for Yuma and Iruma to follow him.
So, with Yuma almost on the verge of tears at the thought of losing the only person who seemed to truly care for him since his parents died and Iruma feeling heavy-hearted at the thought of losing the only person who brought him a little bit of joy every day, they walked towards the Uchiha clan head's residence.
Chapter Text
The walk to the Uchiha clan leader's home was stressful to say the least for Iruma.
The anxiety of what was going to happen was heightened by the looks of the members of the district.
"What is a Senju doing here?" wondered two ladies on a porch.
"Yuma has caused trouble again I bet, honestly this child never listens," said another.
Iruma tried to ignore the words of the people around him as best he could, but there was one thing he could not ignore.
Indeed, all these chakras mainly of katon nature around him seemed to warm the air which was now dry and burning making each breath difficult for Iruma.
'My presence here makes them furious, I can almost see their chakra with the naked eye,' thought Iruma while avoiding looking too much at the few people who watched them pass.
Iruma then turned his attention to Yuma who was walking beside him.
By looking at him, Iruma could see that Yuma was visibly trying to hold back his tears, but couldn't quite do it.
"Yuma" Iruma said to get the young boy's attention.
"Don't worry too much about it, I'm sure we'll be able to reach some agreement with Uchiha sama. Let's try to stay positive" Iruma said trying to comfort Yuma despite his own fears.
Yuma wiped his tears and made an "Mm" as confirmation with a slight forced smile.
A little further, the clan leader's house was finally in front of them.
The dwelling was larger than the houses Iruma had seen while walking in the district.
From the outside, the house was imposing and impressive, but the house emanated a heavy and even oppressive atmosphere.
And even before Akiyama knocked on the door, Iruma knew that someone was inside being able to perceive a chakra signature.
"Uchiha sama, this is Akiyama, I have a matter that requires you, may I come in?" Akiyama asked politely, exclaiming loudly.
"Yes, come in," the clan leader replied, who seemed to be far away on the other side of the door from the sound of his voice.
Akiyama opened the door and motioned for Yuma and Iruma to follow him.
Inside, the walls of the corridors were undecorated and there was almost no furniture except for a table or a tatami mat in the few rooms he saw open.
From what Iruma could see, the house was spotlessly clean, but this house seemed to reflect a sadness and loneliness.
It was almost as if the house was lifeless, uninhabited.
Then they turned into a corridor that led to a magnificent room opening onto a garden with a cherry blossom tree whose petals carried by the wind fell gently to the ground.
"It's not in your habits to come here and ask me for anything, especially not with a Senju," said the man who could only be Uchiha Madara, sitting in the middle of the room facing the garden.
"Sorry for the intrusion," Akiyama said, bowing slightly before raising his head.
"But it's about Yuma," Akiyama continued with a steady gaze.
At his words, Uchiha Madara turned to sit facing the people who had entered his home.
"Sit down," the clan leader asked seriously, waving his hand to the empty space in front of him.
"So, explain to me why you've come to see me for something that concerns Yuma, and what business does this Senju have in this matter," Madara asked once everyone was seated.
"Uchiha sama, Yuma has been meeting the man next to me for months to have training sessions near our district. The man neither has any ulterior motives for his training sessions and would like to continue teaching Yuma. Of course, not being Yuma's guardian or one of his parents, I can't make a decision" Akiyama finished explaining.
"So you came to me so that I can make the decision as head of the clan" concluded Madara sama out loud.
Akiyama inclined his head in affirmation.
Madara then turned his attention to Iruma.
"What is your name Senju?" asked Madara.
"Iruma" he simply replied.
"So Iruma, do you have anything to add to what Akiyama just said?" asked Madara in a neutral tone.
Iruma briefly looked at Yuma at his side before looking at the Uchiha clan head.
"Yes Uchiha sama, it's been a few months that I teach the basics of a ninja to Yuma and during these last months, I was able to teach Yuma how to concentrate his chakra in the soles of his feet to walk on trees as well as how to reach his target with a kunai or a shuriken. And I intend to teach Yuma many other things including the techniques that I created myself, but all that if you give me your consent of course" said Iruma speaking from the heart.
During his speech, Madara examined Iruma for any sign that he was lying or not telling the whole truth, but found none.
So after a long silence that in reality must have lasted only about ten seconds, Madara finally declared his verdict: "If what you say is true Senju, the knowledge that you would transmit to Yuma could be useful to the Uchiha clan in the future. However, it would not be reasonable to leave a child of our clan alone with a Senju without supervision. Therefore, the training sessions will have to take place in the Uchiha district under the supervision of Akiyama sensei."
At his words Akiyama stood up.
"But Uchiha sama..." Akiyama began before being interrupted by Madara.
"My decision is final. You will supervise their training sessions, that's all, or you would dare to oppose me" Madara said in a blood-curdling tone with his eternal mangekyou sharingan activated.
Akiyama clenched his fists and bowed to the clan leader before continuing: "No Uchiha sama, I will do what you asked me to do."
"Good, now go out," Madara said before turning towards the garden in the same position as when they arrived.
Standing up, Iruma turned to the man who was sitting and bowed.
"Thank you very much Uchiha sama, I can't find the words to express how much this means a lot," Iruma said, weighing each of his words.
Iruma still couldn't believe that the head of the Uchiha clan had agreed to let him continue to be Yuma's sensei and that's when he felt something grab his hand.
Iruma lowered his head and saw that it was Yuma who could barely contain himself from how happy he was.
Iruma felt a weight lift off his shoulders and squeezed Yuma's hand in his with a big smile before following Akiyama.
No one noticed the clan leader's gaze as he looked over his shoulder at this moment of joy between Iruma and Yuma.
'Maybe Hashirama is right' Madara thought as he looked at the cherry blossom tree.
Chapter Text
The next morning, Iruma got up early, just as Akiyama had asked him the day before.
Indeed, Akiyama had explained to him the day before that he teaches classes to the district's young children starting at 6:00 a.m. every day outside of his missions, and he wanted to be able to supervise Yuma's training during that time.
And frankly, Akiyama didn't really give Iruma any room to argue, so it was with some difficulty that Iruma got up to water his plant before making lunch.
Then, Iruma put on his apron before preparing some vegetable soup for Yuma and himself to take away for lunch.
And once it was ready, Iruma put it in a takeout container.
Iruma then took the takeout container and went to the bathroom to get a large towel before heading to the Uchiha district.
XoXoXoXoXo
Once in front of the district gates, Iruma closed his eyes to concentrate on Yuma's chakra signature.
After a short while, Iruma finally located him.
From what Iruma could tell, Yuma was accompanied by Akiyama and other people whose chakra patterns were unfamiliar to him.
Iruma walked through the residences of the district members, who were staring at him, but that didn't bother Iruma, who had long been accustomed to this kind of reaction.
'As if I didn't deserve to be here...' Iruma finished thinking before forcing himself to think about something else.
Iruma had already planned what he was going to teach Yuma today and was just hoping the district had a body of water near where Akiyama would be giving his class.
'If that's not the case, I could always try to convince Akiyama to hold his class near the Naka River,' Iruma said to himself, seeing Yuma in the distance.
As he walked forward, Iruma saw Akiyama looking at him with a frown and annoyance.
'Akiyama seems to be in a bad mood already. And yet, the day has barely started.'
Indeed, the sun hadn't quite risen above the horizon yet. The colors of the surrounding scenery were bathed in a soft orange light. The dew of a cool, slightly damp summer morning contrasted with the stifling heat caused by the multiple fireballs of Akiyama's disciples training in the distance.
The training ground was near a body of water that seemed to be fed by the Naka River, with a small patch of land in its center.
The powerful flames formed from the chakra of Akiyama's students brought back a memory that seemed both distant and firmly anchored in the present. Burnt and disfigured bodies littered the ground, where boiling blood and earth mingled. The smell of metal and cooked meat stagnating in the air mixed with the ashes of the leaves of the trees affected by the flames. Then came the groans of pain from those who had not yet succumbed to their catastrophic injuries.
Iruma was desperately trying to save the life of a woman whose eyes had melted from the heat of the fireballs. A green glow emanated from his hands as he pressed against the woman's abdomen, where a piece of wood had lodged after a fireball had blown a tree apart.
"Yumiko, you have to hold on a little longer. I've almost stopped the bleeding." " Iruma said, his voice tainted with a touch of urgency and concern.
"Iruma, it's no use, I won't last long enough. Take care of yourself, you have a kind heart like your mother. I'll go and join her and keep her company. Like her, I will always be by your side, in your heart and in your memories, my dear nephew." The young woman said, her voice weak and with great difficulty.
With a final effort, she placed a hand on Iruma's blood-covered ones.
"I... I'm... sorr..." Then a final sigh escaped her lips before she could finish her sentence.
Iruma couldn't believe the reality that lay before him. Ten years after the death of his older brother Shima, nine years after the death of his parents, and two years after the death of his other brother Nishinoya. It was now, at the age of 14, that he truly found himself alone in the world, alone in a conflict that had cost him everyone he loved and much more.
Iruma felt his body begin to tremble, and tears he could not contain burned in his eyes. Iruma was losing control; he felt the earth opening beneath his knees, as if his Doton chakra was resonating deep within him like an earthquake. Then all this suffering came out in the form of violent cries, racked with pain.
"Iruma, you have to go; there's nothing you can do to save them. They're all doomed," one of his clan members said in a voice devoid of empathy.
Iruma refused to leave his aunt there in the middle of the battlefield.
"Iruma, Iru... ma... Iru..." the man's voice faded, and his tone gradually changed.
"Iruma! Iruma, can you hear me? Why are you crying? Come on, answer me, please!"
In front of Iruma stood Yuma, visibly agitated and worried.
It was then that Iruma realized his cheeks were wet and that he had indeed shed tears.
Iruma quickly wiped his cheeks before reassuring Yuma that everything was fine.
"It's fine, Yuma, it was just a bad memory from the past, that's all."
Yuma didn't seem at all convinced by what Iruma had told him.
Seeing this, Iruma decided to change tactics by changing the subject of conversation.
"Look what I brought you."
Iruma proudly held up a towel.
"Why a towel?" Yuma asked skeptically, but a little less perturbed by what he had just witnessed a few moments earlier.
"Today I'm going to teach you how to walk on water!" Iruma declared with a big smile, knowing full well what effect this would have on Yuma.
Indeed, as soon as Iruma mentioned walking on water, Yuma exploded with excitement at the thought of learning a new technique.
Yuma took Iruma's arm and began to pull him towards the body of water.
"Go faster, Iruma sensei! Go, go, go! Show me!" Yuma said, eager to begin his training.
Iruma, for his part, followed the young Yuma to the water's edge, chuckling quietly.
Akiyama watched them walk past him without saying a word. He remembered the images of Iruma, seemingly lost in thought, suddenly teary-eyed as he looked at his students. He couldn't help but feel both frustrated and intrigued by this new person in the district. The young man felt mixed and complex feelings, and for the first time in a long time, he wasn't so sure of himself. He decided to continue observing him while maintaining a certain distance, at least for now.
Chapter Text
"Listen to me carefully, Yuma. Learning to walk on water is a bit like using your chakra to grip a surface, like when I made you walk up a tree. However, unlike tree bark, water moves, and you'll have to adapt to its movements." Iruma explained to Yuma, walking towards the water to demonstrate.
Yuma, who was listening to Iruma attentively, watched Iruma walk on the water and stand halfway between the water's edge and the patch of land.
"Also, this particularity of water won't allow you to grip it; you'll have to use your chakra to create a repulsion between the water and the sole of your feet if you want to stay upright. It's a complicated technique to learn, so you'll start by simply learning to stand up," Iruma finished before returning to Yuma.
"Now it's your turn." "Do your best!" Iruma said before going to sit near a tree about 7 meters from the water's edge.
Time passed, and Iruma watched Yuma fall into the water with each attempt.
'He puts too much chakra into the soles of his feet,' Iruma said to himself, watching Yuma fall into the water for the 97th time.
'I'd like to help him more, but he has to find the answer for himself.' Thought Iruma.
A little further away, two of Akiyama's students were dueling with each a kunai in hand under Akiyama's watchful eye, giving them advice on how to block attacks and pointing out their mistakes.
Akiyama had trained his students to take turns fighting each other without ninjutsu or genjutsu. Akiyama instructed them to use only their taijutsu and sharingan to anticipate each other's attacks while also allowing them to better understand their mistakes.
Nearby, Akiyama's other students watched the fight disinterestedly, with the exception of three young boys.
"Look how pathetic Yuma looks," said Takuma, one of the boys who appeared to be the oldest. He must have been six or eight years older than Yuma, judging by his height.
"He's completely soaked, what a shame," said Kenma, the other boy who had a scar on his face. The scar stretched across his entire right cheek and was probably caused by a kunai.
"We have to do something. I'm so bored watching Kaoru and Juno fight. They always end up tied," said Aki, the third boy, yawning.
"Kenma, Takuma, Aki." If what you have to say to each other is so important, why not share it with the rest of the group?" Akiyama suddenly said, looking irritated.
Kaoru and Juno took a break, and everyone turned to look at the three boys.
At that moment, Aki had an idea.
"Akiyama sensei, it's the same every day. Each of us knows each other's moves by heart. If we could see someone with a different fighting style, it could allow us to learn a lot more than just constantly fighting each other," Aki said, finally turning to Iruma, who was sitting meditating.
Akiyama also turned his head in Iruma's direction, then looked back at his students.
'It could indeed be useful to them. It would also allow me to see a little of what he's capable of. After the discussion with Madara sama, we found nothing about him in the records our clan kept on the most dangerous members of the Senju. And yet I sense he's much stronger than he lets on. It's not normal that he hasn't been listed once in these carefully guarded documents. An ability to manipulate chakra with such precision, both to heal so effectively and to throw a tree into the air, is something that should have been noticed earlier,' Akiyama thought.
"Very well, this could indeed be beneficial to your training," Akiyama said before gesturing for his students to follow him.
Akiyama walked over to stand in front of Iruma, who opened his eyes to look at him.
'He always has a frown, it seems, he'll end up with wrinkles,' Iruma thought, looking at Akiyama, who was still frowning with an irritated expression.
"Yes, Akiyama san, what is it?" asked Iruma, a little perplexed by Akiyama's sudden urge to approach him and talk.
"My students would like to observe what a real fight between experienced ninjas is like," said Akiyama, implying without saying that he was referring to him and Iruma.
"It could be an enriching experience for them," added Akiyama finally.
Iruma took a moment to think about it.
"It's been a long time since I've had the chance to train seriously. Now that Tobirama is in charge of constantly supervising Hashirama (otherwise he doesn't do his job), I don't have anyone I can really give my all with."
A smile appeared on Iruma's face.
"Very well, but we can't fight here. We wouldn't be able to give it our all on such a small field." Iruma replied, standing up to be level with Akiyama, only a centimeter or two taller.
"Ha, I feel like I'm going to have fun," said Akiyama.
And so, together, they set off towards the largest training ground in the village.
Once there, Akiyama laid out the rules of the fight, as they also didn't want any of his students to be accidentally injured during their fight.
"Listen to me carefully, you must not under any circumstances go beyond the tree line, you hear me. Otherwise, you risk being seriously injured or killed, and that's not something I want to explain to your parents. Do you understand me correctly?" Akiyama asked his students.
"Yes, sensei!" The young kunoichis all replied in unison.
"Perfect," Akiyama said before turning to Iruma (a non-verbal gesture to let Iruma begin, and Iruma understood immediately).
Akiyama and Iruma walked to the center of the training ground and then made the confrontation seal before taking up a fighting stance.
Neither of them dared to provoke the start of the fight.
The area around them was filled with tension, and Iruma remained on his guard.
Akiyama closed his eyes, and Iruma felt a shift in Akiyama's chakra flow.
At the sound of a crow cawing out of the tree leaves, Akiyama suddenly opened his eyes to reveal his three-tomoe sharingan.
Akiyama threw a kunai at Iruma, who narrowly dodged it, but didn't have time to dodge the blow Akiyama landed directly on his diaphragm.
Akiyama took advantage of the moment of distraction caused by the kunai to lunge toward Iruma, who didn't have time to block the attack.
Akiyama then attempted to punch Iruma in the face, but Iruma dodged by crouching down and kicking Akiyama.
Akiyama saw the coming blow with his Sharingan and put some distance between himself and Iruma before making a series of signs starting with the tiger sign.
Seeing this, Iruma quickly prepared to create a stone wall between himself and Akiyama.
"Katon Supreme Fireball," said Akiyama before creating a titanic fireball that blasted Iruma's stone wall apart in a flash of light and dust.
"Iruma sensei!" yelled Yuma, trying to dash towards where Iruma had been a few moments ago, but was held back by Kenma.
"No, do you want to die or what?" said Kenma, doing his best to stop Yuma from going any further.
"Look!" said one of the children, pointing into the air.
Indeed, Iruma had used the substitution technique with a stone that had been thrown into the air to throw about twenty shuriken towards Akiyama, who couldn't avoid them all.
Now, with some distance between them.
Akiyama, on one side, was wiping the blood running down his cheek, and Iruma, on the other side, who had one hand in front of his diaphragm, chuckled a little.
"Not bad at all, Akiyama san. It seems I have no other choice," Iruma said, clenching his fists.
At that moment, Iruma's chakra became visible to the naked eye of everyone present, and it was so intimidating that Yuma almost forgot to breathe, Iruma's presence was so overwhelming.
Akiyama, seeing this, began to smile with a slightly disturbed expression and covered his eyes with his hand, which bore traces of his blood on it.
"Ha ha ha ha! Oh, I'll take great pleasure in crushing you, Senju!" said Akiyama, revealing his eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, visible between the fingers of his hand, which he held in front of his face.
"We'll see!" said Iruma, slamming his fist into the ground.
Then the earth opened up beneath Akiyama's feet, who was more than surprised by Iruma's power.
'If I take a single blow from him, I'm finished,' Akiyama said to himself, dodging a direct attack from Iruma, who responded with a kick that grazed Akiyama's chin, immediately creating a bruise.
"Suiton tidal wave!" said Iruma, using his chakra to manifest a whirlwind of water that emerged from the pool near them on the training ground.
The whirlwind of water narrowly missed Akiyama, but it left an opening that Iruma saw immediately.
Then suddenly, just as Iruma was about to launch another attack that was sure to hit Akiyama, as they were so close together, Iruma met his gaze.
It was a stupid mistake he'd never made before, and it was probably due to the fact that Iruma loved looking at Akiyama's eyes, which were usually a captivating and powerful black, that he accidentally did the same thing during the fight.
But the moment Iruma looked at Akiyama's black and red iris, he hesitated.
Iruma was captivated by the details and complexity of the pattern, which strangely reminded him of the eyes of the boy who had killed Nishinoya when he was younger.
'The details are similar, but Akiyama's are much more complex,' Iruma thought.
Seeing that Iruma was distracted, Akiyama took advantage of the situation to pin Iruma to the ground.
The two tried to gain the upper hand until Akiyama managed to immobilize Iruma's right arm with one hand and hold a kunai to Iruma's throat with the other.
Iruma felt the blade of the kunai penetrate slightly into the flesh of his neck, the pain like a needle.
Iruma knew he had lost.
"All right, you win, you can let go of me now," Iruma said, trying to move Akiyama's hand holding the kunai, but Akiyama resisted.
"Why did you hesitate at the last moment?" Akiyama asked, putting more of his weight on Iruma, who was starting to get increasingly nervous.
"Akiyama sensei!" said Akiyama's students, all excited, running towards them.
Hearing the students approaching, Akiyama gritted his teeth and stood up.
"Training is over, everyone go back to the district!" Akiyama said in a powerful and authoritative voice.
Then, Akiyama, with his back turned to Iruma, left without even giving him a last glance.
"Iruma sensei, are you okay!?" Yuma asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, Yuma, it's just minor injuries," Iruma said, shaking the dust off his clothes.
"Why did you stop during the fight? You were going to win!" Yuma asked, visibly angry.
"Yuma, it wasn't a real fight, it was just training. Who wins or loses isn't what matters, it's the lessons you learn from it that are." " replied Iruma.
Despite everything, Yuma still seemed angry.
Iruma sighed, and right after, Yuma's stomach began to rumble.
Iruma smiled at Yuma's embarrassed expression, trying to still look angry.
"Come on, let's eat. I made us soup this morning, and I made it just the way you like it," Iruma said, getting up.
Then Yuma followed Iruma, his thoughts now focused solely on food.
As he walked, Iruma couldn't help but wonder how much Akiyama must have suffered to obtain the sharingan he possesses today. And then, there was this strange feeling of déjà vu that made him uncomfortable.
(Previous comment deleted.)
Anderson_777 on Chapter 1 Mon 18 Aug 2025 12:12AM UTC
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Silver Bloom (Guest) on Chapter 14 Tue 02 Sep 2025 09:58AM UTC
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Anderson_777 on Chapter 14 Sun 07 Sep 2025 05:38PM UTC
Last Edited Sun 07 Sep 2025 09:24PM UTC
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