The blow struck to Tanabe was powerful enough to send her careening and rolling along the ground. The girl was winded, hunched over on the ground while she tried to regain her breath. Her ribs weren’t broken, but she could feel that it wouldn’t take much more pressure before they snapped. “Get up.” Tanabe gingerly lifted her head to look at the man speaking to her. The Minister of Security, Mano Chiassa Raiu, stood well above her. The upper half of his face was masked, but the stern frown he carried was more than plain to see. Why him? Tanabe thought to herself. And why me? She remembered seeing him during Satoshi’s tour of the KASA facilities. But what did the Minister of Security want with her? The young girl was too busy thinking that she’d forgotten the order to rise. Tanabe rose to her feet shakily, holding the spot that Mano had struck her.
“You will find that my KASA training is leagues tougher than the training you and your peers went through to become shinobi.” He continued. “Surviving that strike was the first test, but you are far from ready to be a proper agent for Amegakure. You lack the resolve.” Straight to business, and not one to sugar coat his words. The rumors Tanabe had heard about the security Minister had been accurate so far. “Come.” He turned to walk away, hands clasped behind his back, and lead her further into the facility.
It took her a second, but soon Tanabe caught up to the masked man. Walking behind him, something he’d said was stuck in her head and she couldn’t take her mind off of it. “Sir, may I ask you something?” Mano silently nodded and Tanabe gulped. Her surge of courage to even speak had faded, and fast. But she needed to know, if her success in KASA depended on his words. “What do you mean that I lack resolve? I’ve… I’ve had to do things. Unspeakable things, just to prove myself to this country. To Lord Satoshi. To just be a shinobi.” It wasn’t intentional, but Tanabe could feel her hands ball into fists from frustration. The flashes of memory of the people she’d killed in the war on Iwa. The classmate she slaughtered just to graduate. All flooded her mind as Mano stood there, telling her that she lacked resolve. “When… when does it end? What more do I have to do?”
“It doesn’t.” Mano answered simply. He had stopped walking so he could turn to the young Uchiha. “Tell me, why did you become a shinobi? You can say it was for Amegakure, but I already know there is more. The motivations of human beings are selfish, inherently. We do things because of a gratification more immediate to us than patriotism. It is why I, and many others, are here today. As well as any other shinobi in other villages.”
“For… for my family, sir.” This wasn’t the reaction she expected from the head of KASA, so it took her a second to form her thoughts and words. “We were from the Cistern Sector, and I thought that being a shinobi would give my family a chance to finally survive, sir.”
“I see. That certainly is a noble response. But it is not enough. True resolve, true dedication, requires you to give up those things.” Tanabe gasped as Mano continued to speak. “KASA specializes in intelligence and security of the village. In order to protect this country, including its citizens, from outsiders one must truly give up everything. Friends. Family. Even the feeling of the ‘self.’ In order for you to support and protect your family to the fullest, you, Tanabe Usamomi-Uchiha, will have to disappear from them. Is that something you think you can handle?”
Mano didn’t wait for her to answer before turning away and continuing to walk. Tanabe, now trapped in thought at his words, stood still. The thought of leaving her family made her blood run cold. They’d already lost a daughter, and Tanabe remembered how they took it. The crying, the desperation, the fear. It was a set of memories that Tanabe would never forget. And to say nothing for how they could react to losing another. And how could she even think to hurt them like that on purpose? And what about Amaya? If Tanabe left them, it would certainly hurt them…
…Wouldn’t it?... Would they notice? Taanabe took steps after Mano, after having made her mind. Her fingers absently rubbed against the oni mask that rested on her head. She knew how frequently she changed into Takano, and just how different she acted. It, in a sense, was like ‘Tanabe’ stopped existing. And, as far as she knew, no-one seemed to notice. It made sense: Tanabe knew just how much of a wallflower she was, hiding within the shadows of other people. Doing just enough to stay safe. Maybe this was also what Mano meant when he said she lacked resolve. By letting her fear hold her back, would Tanabe even be able to protect the ones she loved? The Minister’s words floated through her mind. ‘You, Tanabe Usamomi-Uchiha, will have to disappear…’ Tanabe didn’t like the thought of leaving her loved ones. It hurt her too, and it made her blood run cold to think about being alone. But was she being selfish, trying to hold on so tightly to her desires? That she would choose them over doing everything she could to protect them?
“... And you will be staying here during your training.” Mano’s words pulled Tanabe from her thoughts. He led them through the compound, explaining the details of the girl’s KASA training. “Soon, your training will begin to reach depths further than most shinobi. You will be given a new name for you to use, and we will teach you the ways of truly being a shadow. To blend in to any society, deal a deadly blow to that country, and disappear into nothing. This will keep Amegakure safe, and by extension everyone in the village. That is the reason we, as KASA agents, exist. And our job is to shield our village from the downpour of its enemies.”
“This room will be your living quarters.” Mano stopped and gestured at a room. Tanabe looked inside and saw rows and rows of beds inside a long room. It was a dreary sort of place, and the people inside moved lifelessly, shuffling around like zombies. “While we will be training you to fill your role privately at times, all other times will be spent among your peers. You are now Amegakure, and you all will live as one and then die as one. Specifically for your training, we will be focusing on strengthening your Doujutsu.” Tanabe blinked and turned to look up from the room and to Mano. “The Sharingan’s ability to copy information, and the Byakugan’s wide field of view, are tools that will be infinitely valuable as a spy for Amegakure. But never forget, a spy’s greatest tool will always be their mind. Now get some rest. Soon, Tanabe will cease to be. And you will be known as Tachiwaru. You have three hours to become acclimated to your new quarters before your training begins. Make good use of your time.”
Mano walked away after that, leaving Tanabe by herself in the door frame. It took a few seconds, seconds that felt like hours, before she finally took her first steps into the room. It almost felt like stepping into an entirely different world. The moment she passed the threshold, the young shinobi could almost feel the door slamming shut behind her, but when she turned to look she would see that no such thing had happened. Tanabe had no gear, nothing to call her own, as she sat on the edge of the one empty bed. She didn’t notice this until she’d made the motions to put things away, and the true purpose of Mano’s three hours became heavily apparent. Three single hours for Tanabe to truly come to terms with what she was giving up. The young Uchiha flopped down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, and she could feel a slight pressure on her head. Tanabe reached up to the source and removed it, pulling her mask off of her head. The girl stared into its eyes for an eternal second, before laying down on the bed, curled up around her mask.
Well, she did have one thing.
And so Tanabe Usamomi-Uchiha faded away into Tachiwaru and her training would begin. Mano hadn’t been kidding when he said the training for KASA agents would be tough. Tachiwaru’s days were filled with lessons after lessons after training after lessons. She and the other agents in her bunk were only given sporadic rests. They seemed almost at random and, with no clocks inside the facility, Tachiwaru had no idea how much time was actually passing or even what time of day it was. She was merely moved from one task to the next. It took a toll on her mentally, and the constant strain on her eyes through her Doujutsu wasn’t helping. As per Mano’s orders, Tachiwaru was to have either her Sharingan or her Byakugan active at all times, increasing her stamina and proficiency with both. The particular training Mano had come up with was simple.
During lessons, whoever was in charge (whether it be a group lesson or solo), would randomly hold up a finger. Tachiwaru would have to use that as a signal to switch in order to see the instructor generating chakra into a number, and then call out that number. If she was too slow (which she almost always was) then the young shinobi would immediately be punished with harsher training. If the time of her tasks carried on long enough that the next block of lessons would begin (as KASA ran on a tight schedule) she would simply have to work with the time she had to complete the same lessons as everyone else. If this cut into the very infrequent rests they would get, her resting period would simply be cut short or nonexistent. Tachiwaru could recount many times where it felt like she hadn’t slept in days because of this. One such example of this was a lesson that required Tachiwaru to ingest poisons, so that KASA agents can build up tolerance. This act, after consuming six different kinds of toxins, threw the girl to within an inch of her life. She survived, just barely, thanks to medical treatment. But once she was conscious again after a nondescript amount of time, Tachiwaru was forced to carry on with her training.
The lessons provided by the KASA instructors would be easily explained by saying they were refining the knowledge they were taught as regular shinobi. Perfecting the art of stealth and secrecy. How to retrieve information on a target without being detected, while also protecting valuable information from being stolen with the use of codes and hidden meanings. Training in combat was meant to drill into Tachiwaru’s head so that it was not meant to be drawn out. Only engage if she could end it in a matter of seconds, and for that decisive strike to be without hesitation. In addition to all of that, Mano would be overseeing Tachiwaru’s combat progression personally.
Today was one such sparring match. Tachiwaru, under her usual mask of Takano, would slam their weapon down as they lunged at the KASA head. The giant spiked club whiffed, crashing into the floor with a loud clang as the impact left a small hole. The masked Mano was fast, having merely stepped to the side with a motion that Takano only caught because of their active Sharingan. Takano would release the weapon and utilize Mano’s close distance to attempt disabling his chakra network. Takano would strike, light but incredibly fast blows, at the Minister of Security. Each strike was aimed precisely at the man’s tenketsu points, something that the young Uchiha could point out in their sleep at this point. However, that knowledge wouldn’t be able to help them against Mano’s superior speed. He would step away or block, carefully avoiding Takano’s palms, at speeds the younger agent could barely comprehend. One particular dodge gave Mano enough time to silently hold up one finger. Takano’s reaction was immediate, their focus shifting just as their red eyes faded to white. The masked shinobi would see the chakra form along their mentor’s finger and… “Six!” They snarled through clenched teeth as they tried to pressure the gap between them. But their focus was split by the task of seeing the number, allowing Mano a swift punch to the young girl’s face.
The blow knocked Tachiwaru’s mask off as she was sent rolling along the floor. “Why do you continue to hide?” As Tachiwaru struggled through the pain, managing to push up to her elbows and knees, she would see Mano entering her field of vision. She waited until he was inches from her and then, with a growl, shot to her feet. An effort of will and the Fuuin on Tachiwaru’s arm erupted into smoke. She swiped her hand as a tanto appeared in her hand from her seal, aiming her blade to cut across Mano’s face. He ducked back just enough for the slash to miss, and then wrapped his arm around the arm holding the weapon, twisting it at an angle that shot pain through Tachiwaru’s arm. It was enough to make her feel as if her bones were about to snap, at which point she dropped her weapon. With his free hand, Mano sent another blinding blow, this time at the girl’s ribs. “You’ve hid behind that mask for as long as you’ve been a shinobi. It is shameful. You think it provides you courage, but all I see is cowardice. Someone who lacks strength in their own convictions.”
As the man let go of her arm, Tachiwaru stumbled back while she gripped her midsection. Something was broken for sure, and as pain shot through her body she did her best to not show any more signs of injury than she already did. “Then what do you want me to do?!” She yelled back. Mano’s words pushed Tachiwaru far past the point of composure and silent obedience. Her weariness, her pain, and her anger all came to a boiling point, exploding after ages of pressure. “I work, and I study, and I train every day to prove myself. I’ve given you my family… and my friends… I’ve given you everything I have! How much more do you want?!”
“I want you to stop running!” Mano’s voice filled the room like thunder and hit Tachiwaru harder than his punches. She stood, panting from her own outburst, and stared at the man as her eyes went wide. “Do you think you can just run from the consequences of your actions? Everyone has given up something to do what needs to be done. You can’t perform your duties as a shinobi and also pretend they never happened. As a shinobi you are tasked with killing in defense of your country, and there’s no hiding from that. The moment you decide to be a shinobi, it means you’ve made the decision to kill or be killed. You put your entire existence on the table as a ninja, and your enemies do the same. So I want you to look directly at the people you kill and never take your eyes off of them for a single second. Embed their faces into your memory and never forget them. Because I promise that they will never forget you.”
“So once you make peace with the type of person you are, Tachiwaru, as the type of person who will kill to get ahead-” Mano disappeared in the blink of an eye and only reappeared directly above the young Hyuuga with his fist raised back. She gasped and used every ounce of energy to roll out of the way of the strike as it came crashing down. The blow cratered the floor, shattering the stone beneath the Minister before he rose to his feet in the center. “-You will be able to allow yourself to grow, to give yourself the power you need to get to the top.”
“Y-... you’re wrong!” Tachiwaru shouted. With a burst of chakra to her feet to propel her down into the crater, she rushed Mano as fast as she could. She swung her palms out, striking at him with ferocious speed, each blow carrying devastating amounts of chakra. She needed one, just one, hit to connect before she could rupture his insides, destroy his chakra, and make him stop talking. “I only wanted to take my family out of poverty! Out of the Cistern to where it’s warm and dry and safe!”
“Liar!” Mano grabbed Tachiwaru’s forearm just before one palm strike connected with his stomach. He slid his foot into hers to disrupt her balance before throwing her over his shoulder. He stomped his foot down with enough strength to shake the ground, but Tachiwaru managed to roll away. “If that was all you wanted, then you would have just graduated! You wouldn’t have slaughtered dozens in Earth Country! You wouldn’t have come to Lord Satoshi’s call to the KASA facility! And you wouldn’t have accepted becoming an agent of KASA!” As Mano spoke, he continued to chase Tachiwaru by stomping the ground, up until she managed to roll and safely jump to her feet. Small sparks of green electricity charged along the Minister’s body as he glared at the girl through his own mask. “If you only wanted safety, then you wouldn’t have risen to the challenges and stations offered to you. You chose to go deeper, you chose to try and get more power through KASA! That’s the truth of who you are, and if you can’t accept that then you might as well be dead, Tachiwaru!”
Mano moved, but his movements seemed slower than before. She didn’t understand how or why, but she wasn’t going to let this chance slip her by. She ran forward, meeting Mano in the middle, as her tanto was recalled to her hand. She could see the man prepare another punch, and see its trajectory, as she closed in. Tachiwaru ducked underneath the strike at the last second and swiped her blade at the man’s midsection. The metal cut into flesh as she passed by him, causing blood to drip into the ground from the wound. Tachiwaru began to pant as she made it out of the collision on the other side, opening her eyes to reveal her Sharingan had formed, along with an extra spoke along the center. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting power.” Mano’s voice forced Tachiwaru to turn and face her mentor, to see him standing tall despite the bleeding gash on his side. “But denying yourself the truth behind why is a sin I can’t forgive. When you are no longer burdened by uncertainties, you can start to find real power. Your solo training is done for now, you have two hours before your next lesson. Dismissed.”
Tachiwaru left the moment she picked up her mask, but she didn’t rush out. Her eyes had a distant look to them and almost looked like the girl was in a trance. The words of Mano echoed in her mind as she walked back to the barracks. Just who was she, really? Tachiwaru held up her hand, examining the blood that dripped down her fingers. It was all she could focus on as she walked. Tanabe Usamomi-Uchiha was a quiet girl that did everything she could to stay out of the limelight. She wanted the best for her friends and family, and had even killed to do it. ‘Well, that’s not entirely true… is it?’ She thought to herself. Tanabe had specifically created the character of Takano in order to cope with the murder that she’d been forced to do, but at the end of the day it was still her. Tanabe had shed the blood of her own classmate, and the fight with Fujita would never leave her mind. And against Mano just now, all the young girl had wanted was for him to stop talking but she’d gone against him with lethal force. ‘Was what he said true?’ Had Tanabe been merely suppressing her killing intent, just to feel secure? Tanabe had always thought that she was real and Takano was fake, but now Tachiwaru had to wonder. Had Tanabe just… been another mask? Created to become a more digestible version of herself for other people? But to what end?
Ever since her sister had disappeared, Tanabe had felt an unending loneliness. And despite everything in the Ame Academy, she’d still been able to make friends. Amaya, Inoki, Sochi. She’d felt a sense of safety in the craziness of Ame with them. Like a semblance of a normal life in the village of rain. Tanabe had never wanted to lose that, which was what drove her to pursue more power within the shinobi system. Mano was right about that, now that Tachiwaru thought about it. She didn’t need to join KASA. Her family was already safe in the Sky. And joining KASA had only been presented as an option, it hadn’t been forced upon her. And there had been no way for her to know the important role KASA held in protecting the village at the time, not the way Mano had explained it. Tanabe could have turned it down, grown stronger on her own without the level of bloodshed she would experience as an assassin. So that led to a rather important question for the girl as she stood just outside of the door to the barracks.
Just who was she? If Tanabe had merely been a mask she wore for other people to accept her… then who was she at her core? Tachiwaru looked around the hall she lingered in like she’d awoken from a dream. If Tanabe had been fake, then that would mean KASA had given her her name. That would be the simplest solution. But who Tachiwaru was was still yet to be determined. But the realization made her feel… lighter? It was hard to explain. But the young KASA agent had suddenly felt something loosen in her gut. Was it freeing? It definitely made everything easier to swallow, that was certain. There was one thing Tachiwaru knew about herself, one thing that had truly remained constant: Her desire to protect her loved ones. Even if Mano was right that she didn’t stop when she could’ve, Tachiwaru was here now. KASA’s goal aligned with hers in the broadest sense. Protecting Ame meant protecting her family. And Amaya. Even if they never realized it. And she didn’t care if KASA and Ame were merely using her as a tool anymore, because the feeling would be mutual. As long as Tachiwaru met her end goals, it didn’t matter what she did to get there. She didn’t even care if used everything
However, in her thoughts, Tachiwaru soon realized she’d walked far past her barracks. She looked up to see where she ended up and before her was a door. It was small, unassuming. If it wasn’t for her Sharingan, the shinobi wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But she could see, clear as day, chakra signatures and movement. She couldn’t make out enough details about the other side, but a thought passed through her mind. It was small and fleeting, but it made her heart flutter briefly as a lump formed in her throat. Had she found the way out? Leaving the KASA training hadn’t even been a thing she thought about doing. But here she was, separated by the rest of the world by a few inches of metal. A cold pressure formed in her palm and the girl blinked and looked down. Her hand was curled around the door handle and she hadn’t even noticed. Tachiwaru could leave and go back to her family. To her life. As crazy as it was in Ame, it wasn’t anything like it was in the training facility. She didn’t know how much time had passed since the girl had joined, but she did know she missed her family dearly. Tachiwaru shook and gripped the door handle more tightly until her knuckle turned white, as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She desperately wanted to open the door, and yet her muscles were locked up and refused to move.
‘Do you think you can just run from the consequences of your actions?’ Mano’s words played in Tachiwaru’s mind loud and clear, enough that she jumped and looked behind her. But the hallways were as empty as they were vast, forcing the young shinobi to feel small for the first time since being here. ‘You have hid behind that mask since becoming a shinobi. It is shameful.’ Was… was she subconsciously trying to run away again? It was something she was used to doing, so it made sense that her reflex would be to hide. But Tachiwaru wasn’t going to run away, not anymore. She’d decided that, in order to be stronger. For her parents. For her sister. For Amaya. Even if they didn’t know about the sacrifices she’d make, or the work she would do, to keep them safe. It was a job without glory, Tachiwaru knew that. But despite knowing that what she was doing was logically the right thing, the girl couldn’t help but feel remorse. Painful guilt fueled by a desire to see her loved ones again, as she was used to seeing them as Tanabe. Before Tanabe disappeared like the mask that she was. It was an exhausting effort of will, but Tachiwaru was finally able to remove her hand from the door. She couldn’t leave, not yet. She had a job to do and she would see it through to the end. So Tachiwaru wiped her tears away with her sleeve and stood upright as she went the way she came, back to her barracks for any amount of rest before her next lesson. Tanabe was gone, and she needed to accept that Tachiwaru was all that was left. The scared, timid little girl would be eroded from existence, whittled down to nothing but a mask, and Tachiwaru doubted anyone would miss her.
"Speaking"
Thinking
“You will find that my KASA training is leagues tougher than the training you and your peers went through to become shinobi.” He continued. “Surviving that strike was the first test, but you are far from ready to be a proper agent for Amegakure. You lack the resolve.” Straight to business, and not one to sugar coat his words. The rumors Tanabe had heard about the security Minister had been accurate so far. “Come.” He turned to walk away, hands clasped behind his back, and lead her further into the facility.
It took her a second, but soon Tanabe caught up to the masked man. Walking behind him, something he’d said was stuck in her head and she couldn’t take her mind off of it. “Sir, may I ask you something?” Mano silently nodded and Tanabe gulped. Her surge of courage to even speak had faded, and fast. But she needed to know, if her success in KASA depended on his words. “What do you mean that I lack resolve? I’ve… I’ve had to do things. Unspeakable things, just to prove myself to this country. To Lord Satoshi. To just be a shinobi.” It wasn’t intentional, but Tanabe could feel her hands ball into fists from frustration. The flashes of memory of the people she’d killed in the war on Iwa. The classmate she slaughtered just to graduate. All flooded her mind as Mano stood there, telling her that she lacked resolve. “When… when does it end? What more do I have to do?”
“It doesn’t.” Mano answered simply. He had stopped walking so he could turn to the young Uchiha. “Tell me, why did you become a shinobi? You can say it was for Amegakure, but I already know there is more. The motivations of human beings are selfish, inherently. We do things because of a gratification more immediate to us than patriotism. It is why I, and many others, are here today. As well as any other shinobi in other villages.”
“For… for my family, sir.” This wasn’t the reaction she expected from the head of KASA, so it took her a second to form her thoughts and words. “We were from the Cistern Sector, and I thought that being a shinobi would give my family a chance to finally survive, sir.”
“I see. That certainly is a noble response. But it is not enough. True resolve, true dedication, requires you to give up those things.” Tanabe gasped as Mano continued to speak. “KASA specializes in intelligence and security of the village. In order to protect this country, including its citizens, from outsiders one must truly give up everything. Friends. Family. Even the feeling of the ‘self.’ In order for you to support and protect your family to the fullest, you, Tanabe Usamomi-Uchiha, will have to disappear from them. Is that something you think you can handle?”
Mano didn’t wait for her to answer before turning away and continuing to walk. Tanabe, now trapped in thought at his words, stood still. The thought of leaving her family made her blood run cold. They’d already lost a daughter, and Tanabe remembered how they took it. The crying, the desperation, the fear. It was a set of memories that Tanabe would never forget. And to say nothing for how they could react to losing another. And how could she even think to hurt them like that on purpose? And what about Amaya? If Tanabe left them, it would certainly hurt them…
…Wouldn’t it?... Would they notice? Taanabe took steps after Mano, after having made her mind. Her fingers absently rubbed against the oni mask that rested on her head. She knew how frequently she changed into Takano, and just how different she acted. It, in a sense, was like ‘Tanabe’ stopped existing. And, as far as she knew, no-one seemed to notice. It made sense: Tanabe knew just how much of a wallflower she was, hiding within the shadows of other people. Doing just enough to stay safe. Maybe this was also what Mano meant when he said she lacked resolve. By letting her fear hold her back, would Tanabe even be able to protect the ones she loved? The Minister’s words floated through her mind. ‘You, Tanabe Usamomi-Uchiha, will have to disappear…’ Tanabe didn’t like the thought of leaving her loved ones. It hurt her too, and it made her blood run cold to think about being alone. But was she being selfish, trying to hold on so tightly to her desires? That she would choose them over doing everything she could to protect them?
“... And you will be staying here during your training.” Mano’s words pulled Tanabe from her thoughts. He led them through the compound, explaining the details of the girl’s KASA training. “Soon, your training will begin to reach depths further than most shinobi. You will be given a new name for you to use, and we will teach you the ways of truly being a shadow. To blend in to any society, deal a deadly blow to that country, and disappear into nothing. This will keep Amegakure safe, and by extension everyone in the village. That is the reason we, as KASA agents, exist. And our job is to shield our village from the downpour of its enemies.”
“This room will be your living quarters.” Mano stopped and gestured at a room. Tanabe looked inside and saw rows and rows of beds inside a long room. It was a dreary sort of place, and the people inside moved lifelessly, shuffling around like zombies. “While we will be training you to fill your role privately at times, all other times will be spent among your peers. You are now Amegakure, and you all will live as one and then die as one. Specifically for your training, we will be focusing on strengthening your Doujutsu.” Tanabe blinked and turned to look up from the room and to Mano. “The Sharingan’s ability to copy information, and the Byakugan’s wide field of view, are tools that will be infinitely valuable as a spy for Amegakure. But never forget, a spy’s greatest tool will always be their mind. Now get some rest. Soon, Tanabe will cease to be. And you will be known as Tachiwaru. You have three hours to become acclimated to your new quarters before your training begins. Make good use of your time.”
Mano walked away after that, leaving Tanabe by herself in the door frame. It took a few seconds, seconds that felt like hours, before she finally took her first steps into the room. It almost felt like stepping into an entirely different world. The moment she passed the threshold, the young shinobi could almost feel the door slamming shut behind her, but when she turned to look she would see that no such thing had happened. Tanabe had no gear, nothing to call her own, as she sat on the edge of the one empty bed. She didn’t notice this until she’d made the motions to put things away, and the true purpose of Mano’s three hours became heavily apparent. Three single hours for Tanabe to truly come to terms with what she was giving up. The young Uchiha flopped down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, and she could feel a slight pressure on her head. Tanabe reached up to the source and removed it, pulling her mask off of her head. The girl stared into its eyes for an eternal second, before laying down on the bed, curled up around her mask.
Well, she did have one thing.
And so Tanabe Usamomi-Uchiha faded away into Tachiwaru and her training would begin. Mano hadn’t been kidding when he said the training for KASA agents would be tough. Tachiwaru’s days were filled with lessons after lessons after training after lessons. She and the other agents in her bunk were only given sporadic rests. They seemed almost at random and, with no clocks inside the facility, Tachiwaru had no idea how much time was actually passing or even what time of day it was. She was merely moved from one task to the next. It took a toll on her mentally, and the constant strain on her eyes through her Doujutsu wasn’t helping. As per Mano’s orders, Tachiwaru was to have either her Sharingan or her Byakugan active at all times, increasing her stamina and proficiency with both. The particular training Mano had come up with was simple.
During lessons, whoever was in charge (whether it be a group lesson or solo), would randomly hold up a finger. Tachiwaru would have to use that as a signal to switch in order to see the instructor generating chakra into a number, and then call out that number. If she was too slow (which she almost always was) then the young shinobi would immediately be punished with harsher training. If the time of her tasks carried on long enough that the next block of lessons would begin (as KASA ran on a tight schedule) she would simply have to work with the time she had to complete the same lessons as everyone else. If this cut into the very infrequent rests they would get, her resting period would simply be cut short or nonexistent. Tachiwaru could recount many times where it felt like she hadn’t slept in days because of this. One such example of this was a lesson that required Tachiwaru to ingest poisons, so that KASA agents can build up tolerance. This act, after consuming six different kinds of toxins, threw the girl to within an inch of her life. She survived, just barely, thanks to medical treatment. But once she was conscious again after a nondescript amount of time, Tachiwaru was forced to carry on with her training.
The lessons provided by the KASA instructors would be easily explained by saying they were refining the knowledge they were taught as regular shinobi. Perfecting the art of stealth and secrecy. How to retrieve information on a target without being detected, while also protecting valuable information from being stolen with the use of codes and hidden meanings. Training in combat was meant to drill into Tachiwaru’s head so that it was not meant to be drawn out. Only engage if she could end it in a matter of seconds, and for that decisive strike to be without hesitation. In addition to all of that, Mano would be overseeing Tachiwaru’s combat progression personally.
Today was one such sparring match. Tachiwaru, under her usual mask of Takano, would slam their weapon down as they lunged at the KASA head. The giant spiked club whiffed, crashing into the floor with a loud clang as the impact left a small hole. The masked Mano was fast, having merely stepped to the side with a motion that Takano only caught because of their active Sharingan. Takano would release the weapon and utilize Mano’s close distance to attempt disabling his chakra network. Takano would strike, light but incredibly fast blows, at the Minister of Security. Each strike was aimed precisely at the man’s tenketsu points, something that the young Uchiha could point out in their sleep at this point. However, that knowledge wouldn’t be able to help them against Mano’s superior speed. He would step away or block, carefully avoiding Takano’s palms, at speeds the younger agent could barely comprehend. One particular dodge gave Mano enough time to silently hold up one finger. Takano’s reaction was immediate, their focus shifting just as their red eyes faded to white. The masked shinobi would see the chakra form along their mentor’s finger and… “Six!” They snarled through clenched teeth as they tried to pressure the gap between them. But their focus was split by the task of seeing the number, allowing Mano a swift punch to the young girl’s face.
The blow knocked Tachiwaru’s mask off as she was sent rolling along the floor. “Why do you continue to hide?” As Tachiwaru struggled through the pain, managing to push up to her elbows and knees, she would see Mano entering her field of vision. She waited until he was inches from her and then, with a growl, shot to her feet. An effort of will and the Fuuin on Tachiwaru’s arm erupted into smoke. She swiped her hand as a tanto appeared in her hand from her seal, aiming her blade to cut across Mano’s face. He ducked back just enough for the slash to miss, and then wrapped his arm around the arm holding the weapon, twisting it at an angle that shot pain through Tachiwaru’s arm. It was enough to make her feel as if her bones were about to snap, at which point she dropped her weapon. With his free hand, Mano sent another blinding blow, this time at the girl’s ribs. “You’ve hid behind that mask for as long as you’ve been a shinobi. It is shameful. You think it provides you courage, but all I see is cowardice. Someone who lacks strength in their own convictions.”
As the man let go of her arm, Tachiwaru stumbled back while she gripped her midsection. Something was broken for sure, and as pain shot through her body she did her best to not show any more signs of injury than she already did. “Then what do you want me to do?!” She yelled back. Mano’s words pushed Tachiwaru far past the point of composure and silent obedience. Her weariness, her pain, and her anger all came to a boiling point, exploding after ages of pressure. “I work, and I study, and I train every day to prove myself. I’ve given you my family… and my friends… I’ve given you everything I have! How much more do you want?!”
“I want you to stop running!” Mano’s voice filled the room like thunder and hit Tachiwaru harder than his punches. She stood, panting from her own outburst, and stared at the man as her eyes went wide. “Do you think you can just run from the consequences of your actions? Everyone has given up something to do what needs to be done. You can’t perform your duties as a shinobi and also pretend they never happened. As a shinobi you are tasked with killing in defense of your country, and there’s no hiding from that. The moment you decide to be a shinobi, it means you’ve made the decision to kill or be killed. You put your entire existence on the table as a ninja, and your enemies do the same. So I want you to look directly at the people you kill and never take your eyes off of them for a single second. Embed their faces into your memory and never forget them. Because I promise that they will never forget you.”
“So once you make peace with the type of person you are, Tachiwaru, as the type of person who will kill to get ahead-” Mano disappeared in the blink of an eye and only reappeared directly above the young Hyuuga with his fist raised back. She gasped and used every ounce of energy to roll out of the way of the strike as it came crashing down. The blow cratered the floor, shattering the stone beneath the Minister before he rose to his feet in the center. “-You will be able to allow yourself to grow, to give yourself the power you need to get to the top.”
“Y-... you’re wrong!” Tachiwaru shouted. With a burst of chakra to her feet to propel her down into the crater, she rushed Mano as fast as she could. She swung her palms out, striking at him with ferocious speed, each blow carrying devastating amounts of chakra. She needed one, just one, hit to connect before she could rupture his insides, destroy his chakra, and make him stop talking. “I only wanted to take my family out of poverty! Out of the Cistern to where it’s warm and dry and safe!”
“Liar!” Mano grabbed Tachiwaru’s forearm just before one palm strike connected with his stomach. He slid his foot into hers to disrupt her balance before throwing her over his shoulder. He stomped his foot down with enough strength to shake the ground, but Tachiwaru managed to roll away. “If that was all you wanted, then you would have just graduated! You wouldn’t have slaughtered dozens in Earth Country! You wouldn’t have come to Lord Satoshi’s call to the KASA facility! And you wouldn’t have accepted becoming an agent of KASA!” As Mano spoke, he continued to chase Tachiwaru by stomping the ground, up until she managed to roll and safely jump to her feet. Small sparks of green electricity charged along the Minister’s body as he glared at the girl through his own mask. “If you only wanted safety, then you wouldn’t have risen to the challenges and stations offered to you. You chose to go deeper, you chose to try and get more power through KASA! That’s the truth of who you are, and if you can’t accept that then you might as well be dead, Tachiwaru!”
Mano moved, but his movements seemed slower than before. She didn’t understand how or why, but she wasn’t going to let this chance slip her by. She ran forward, meeting Mano in the middle, as her tanto was recalled to her hand. She could see the man prepare another punch, and see its trajectory, as she closed in. Tachiwaru ducked underneath the strike at the last second and swiped her blade at the man’s midsection. The metal cut into flesh as she passed by him, causing blood to drip into the ground from the wound. Tachiwaru began to pant as she made it out of the collision on the other side, opening her eyes to reveal her Sharingan had formed, along with an extra spoke along the center. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting power.” Mano’s voice forced Tachiwaru to turn and face her mentor, to see him standing tall despite the bleeding gash on his side. “But denying yourself the truth behind why is a sin I can’t forgive. When you are no longer burdened by uncertainties, you can start to find real power. Your solo training is done for now, you have two hours before your next lesson. Dismissed.”
Tachiwaru left the moment she picked up her mask, but she didn’t rush out. Her eyes had a distant look to them and almost looked like the girl was in a trance. The words of Mano echoed in her mind as she walked back to the barracks. Just who was she, really? Tachiwaru held up her hand, examining the blood that dripped down her fingers. It was all she could focus on as she walked. Tanabe Usamomi-Uchiha was a quiet girl that did everything she could to stay out of the limelight. She wanted the best for her friends and family, and had even killed to do it. ‘Well, that’s not entirely true… is it?’ She thought to herself. Tanabe had specifically created the character of Takano in order to cope with the murder that she’d been forced to do, but at the end of the day it was still her. Tanabe had shed the blood of her own classmate, and the fight with Fujita would never leave her mind. And against Mano just now, all the young girl had wanted was for him to stop talking but she’d gone against him with lethal force. ‘Was what he said true?’ Had Tanabe been merely suppressing her killing intent, just to feel secure? Tanabe had always thought that she was real and Takano was fake, but now Tachiwaru had to wonder. Had Tanabe just… been another mask? Created to become a more digestible version of herself for other people? But to what end?
Ever since her sister had disappeared, Tanabe had felt an unending loneliness. And despite everything in the Ame Academy, she’d still been able to make friends. Amaya, Inoki, Sochi. She’d felt a sense of safety in the craziness of Ame with them. Like a semblance of a normal life in the village of rain. Tanabe had never wanted to lose that, which was what drove her to pursue more power within the shinobi system. Mano was right about that, now that Tachiwaru thought about it. She didn’t need to join KASA. Her family was already safe in the Sky. And joining KASA had only been presented as an option, it hadn’t been forced upon her. And there had been no way for her to know the important role KASA held in protecting the village at the time, not the way Mano had explained it. Tanabe could have turned it down, grown stronger on her own without the level of bloodshed she would experience as an assassin. So that led to a rather important question for the girl as she stood just outside of the door to the barracks.
Just who was she? If Tanabe had merely been a mask she wore for other people to accept her… then who was she at her core? Tachiwaru looked around the hall she lingered in like she’d awoken from a dream. If Tanabe had been fake, then that would mean KASA had given her her name. That would be the simplest solution. But who Tachiwaru was was still yet to be determined. But the realization made her feel… lighter? It was hard to explain. But the young KASA agent had suddenly felt something loosen in her gut. Was it freeing? It definitely made everything easier to swallow, that was certain. There was one thing Tachiwaru knew about herself, one thing that had truly remained constant: Her desire to protect her loved ones. Even if Mano was right that she didn’t stop when she could’ve, Tachiwaru was here now. KASA’s goal aligned with hers in the broadest sense. Protecting Ame meant protecting her family. And Amaya. Even if they never realized it. And she didn’t care if KASA and Ame were merely using her as a tool anymore, because the feeling would be mutual. As long as Tachiwaru met her end goals, it didn’t matter what she did to get there. She didn’t even care if used everything
However, in her thoughts, Tachiwaru soon realized she’d walked far past her barracks. She looked up to see where she ended up and before her was a door. It was small, unassuming. If it wasn’t for her Sharingan, the shinobi wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But she could see, clear as day, chakra signatures and movement. She couldn’t make out enough details about the other side, but a thought passed through her mind. It was small and fleeting, but it made her heart flutter briefly as a lump formed in her throat. Had she found the way out? Leaving the KASA training hadn’t even been a thing she thought about doing. But here she was, separated by the rest of the world by a few inches of metal. A cold pressure formed in her palm and the girl blinked and looked down. Her hand was curled around the door handle and she hadn’t even noticed. Tachiwaru could leave and go back to her family. To her life. As crazy as it was in Ame, it wasn’t anything like it was in the training facility. She didn’t know how much time had passed since the girl had joined, but she did know she missed her family dearly. Tachiwaru shook and gripped the door handle more tightly until her knuckle turned white, as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She desperately wanted to open the door, and yet her muscles were locked up and refused to move.
‘Do you think you can just run from the consequences of your actions?’ Mano’s words played in Tachiwaru’s mind loud and clear, enough that she jumped and looked behind her. But the hallways were as empty as they were vast, forcing the young shinobi to feel small for the first time since being here. ‘You have hid behind that mask since becoming a shinobi. It is shameful.’ Was… was she subconsciously trying to run away again? It was something she was used to doing, so it made sense that her reflex would be to hide. But Tachiwaru wasn’t going to run away, not anymore. She’d decided that, in order to be stronger. For her parents. For her sister. For Amaya. Even if they didn’t know about the sacrifices she’d make, or the work she would do, to keep them safe. It was a job without glory, Tachiwaru knew that. But despite knowing that what she was doing was logically the right thing, the girl couldn’t help but feel remorse. Painful guilt fueled by a desire to see her loved ones again, as she was used to seeing them as Tanabe. Before Tanabe disappeared like the mask that she was. It was an exhausting effort of will, but Tachiwaru was finally able to remove her hand from the door. She couldn’t leave, not yet. She had a job to do and she would see it through to the end. So Tachiwaru wiped her tears away with her sleeve and stood upright as she went the way she came, back to her barracks for any amount of rest before her next lesson. Tanabe was gone, and she needed to accept that Tachiwaru was all that was left. The scared, timid little girl would be eroded from existence, whittled down to nothing but a mask, and Tachiwaru doubted anyone would miss her.
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