Tsuki Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake are childhood sweethearts and best friends. As life grows harder and more of Kakashi's loved ones are ripped from him, he finds himself pushing Tsuki away until they're strangers again.
Tsuki Uchiha battles with the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Half a day passes before Kakashi and I finally reach Tora Numa forest. The journey itself was uneventful, but I'm grateful to finally be done traveling. Our pace slows dramatically as we reach the edge of the legendary forest.
Tora Numa forest is one of the four unexplored sage regions. This forest is ruled by Vannea, the Great Tiger Sage. The legend of the forest's creation has been passed down throughout the generations for centuries.
The legend begins with a fierce warrior named Vannea Tolgren. She was chased through the woods by mercenaries hired by a local clan to eradicate the Tolgren clan. She stumbled across a wounded tiger and stopped to care for her. Even though she was being hunted, she felt a strong desire to help the animal.
After healing the tiger, she thanked Vannea for her selflessness by merging their bodies together to create the first fusion, a technique now used in sage mode. Since Vannea's clan was destroyed, the tiger, named Tora, suggested the two stay fused together to rule over the sage region. For over 2,000 years, Tora and Vannea have ruled Tora Numa forest and trained select shinobi in tiger sage jutsu.
Our pace stops completely as we reach the entrance. Kakashi and I share a look as we stand in silence for a few moments. Just as he begins to speak, Vannea herself appears. We both drop to our knees immediately with our foreheads on the forest floor.
"Rise," she says regally. Her voice is deeper than I expected. It carries across the forest, silencing any animals. Kakashi and I stand without making eye contact and bow our heads.
"Empress Vannea," I begin, my voice shaking in her presence. "My name is Tsuki Uchiha. I have been sent here to seek your guidance and training, if it pleases you."
She places one finger under my chin and pushes my head upward, making eye contact. Even though her nails are long and sharp, like claws, she is surprisingly gentle. When my eyes meet her face, she is smiling softly.
Vannea is quite beautiful. Her hair is long and curly with a vibrant orange tint. Her eyes extend outward at a sharp angle, housing interesting yellow eyes. She wears a small red top with a matching long, open legged skirt that showcases her athletic physique.
"Uchiha," Vannea purrs. Her claw drags close toward the edge of my chin and curls inward, forcing my face to come closer to hers. She scans my face for several minutes in silence. She then leans in close to me, as if sharing a secret. "You have a very interesting bloodline," Vannea hums as her lips graze my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
"You can tell just from looking at me?" I ask incredulously.
Vannea's cheek presses against mine as I feel a wicked grin spread across her face, "I can smell it."
Neither of us move for a moment. Her previously gentle claw presses harshly under my chin. I grimace at the pain, but say nothing. My eyes flicker over to Kakashi. His head is still bent in a bow, as he was not acknowledged by the empress, but I can see he's watching from the corner of his eyes. I see his fingers twitch in agitation. The tension between all three of us builds.
"Very well, then," Vannea speaks suddenly, slashing the tension immediately. She stands tall and removes her claw from my chin, leaving a bright red circle in its place. "I suppose this will be my best opportunity for revenge against him," she sighs and crosses her arms against her chest.
"Revenge?" I ask.
"Yes, revenge," Vannea repeats herself. "Madara Uchiha attacked my forest and attempted to kidnap me many years ago to take my powers."
My eyes widen in horror. The more I learn about my great-grandfather, the more he disgusts me. I can't imagine the arrogance one needs to have to attack a sage.
I bow my head again. "I apologize on behalf of my great-grandfather," I say. "Please know the rest of his bloodline couldn't be any more different than him. He is an embarrassment to the Uchiha name."
Vannea is silent as I raise my head. She places a finger on her cheek in contemplation. A smirk spreads slowly across her face. "Yes," she purrs. "You'll make an excellent student."
I smile and thank her graciously. She finally acknowledges Kakashi and motions for us to come toward her. Her claws rip an opening in a barrier, allowing us to enter the main area of the forest.
The lazy afternoon sun peaks through the dense trees, filtered by the leaves. Creatures large and small prance atop the large roots of the center tree. The smell of blooming flowers sweetly perfume the air, and I take a long, deep breath in, admiring the beauty of it all.
A large, luxurious tree house is nestled in the thick branches of the center tree. We follow Vannea up a small wooden staircase spiraling up toward the tree house. At the top, we are met with a massive wood door that opens to reveal a large living space. My entire home could fit within the living room alone. There are numerous bedrooms, a large kitchen, and a beautiful balcony overlooking the main forest floor. Another staircase extends far beyond the treetops, which I assume leads to a place to look over the entire forest.
"Wow," I say as a small gasp leaves my lips. Kakashi's jaw drops as he takes in the view with wide eyes. Vannea smiles proudly at our reactions.
"Welcome to your home for the next few years, Tsuki," she says while extending her arms.
I smile sadly, "Thank you."
Vannea escorts us to our rooms, allowing us to rest before dinner. I toss my backpack on the floor and flop backward on my new bed. It's quite soft and warm with several pillows at the head. I'm lucky enough to have a large window angled perfectly to let in the setting sun.
A soft knock quietly breaks the silence. "Come in," I say knowing it's Kakashi on the other side of the door. His silver hair peeks around the door. "Hey," he speaks for the first time since arriving here. "Are you okay?"
I sit up on the edge of my new bed and rest my head in my hands. "I guess I'm as okay as I can be," I say after a moment of thinking. Kakashi smiles softly and sits next to me. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls my body toward him. I rest my head on his shoulder and sigh.
//A.N.: sorry for the long wait! I should have the next chapter up tomorrow :)
