Sharringon returned roughly two weeks later to find several villagers milling around the inn, trying to repair it.
The inn had been vandalized, shutters torn off, walls kicked in and furniture chopped to bits, the ash and soot of a fire that had been put out by water behind the bar.
"What happened?" Sharringon questioned, using a genjutsu to make his target more amiable.
"Oh it's horrible. Apparently one of the thugs a shinobi killed two weeks ago was a member of the Nohara clan. The Clan Head destroyed the inn and took Chiyo-chan! That was three days ago though. If she's lucky, she's already dead."
Sharringon felt ice creep up his veins, quickly followed by the red heat of fire and rage. "Which direction did they go?" He said, the complete and utter calmness of his voice almost startling the woman from the illusion.
The woman pointed northeast, glazed look fading as Sharringon left. "Stranger! You can't take them alone. There are over 40!"
Sharringon didn't answer, turning to wind instead.
_________
Sharringon found them quickly, bursting into the Nohara compound in a flash of fire and lightning and he raged against the humans who dared to take out their anger for him on an innocent.
His sword sang, the same blade that had sliced apart countless Zetsu 200 years ago now striking down human shinobi, its master immune to their chakra attacks.
A part of him wished Ayako was here, the sun dragon keeping him in check, but she was still in Kiri and the night reigned now and it wanted blood.
Finally it was over and Sharringon approached Chiyo, a specter of darkness and while she trembled, mouth gagged and hands and feet bound, she did not flinch away.
Sharringon knelt next to her, blood on his hands but she presented him her bound wrists and let him cut her free.
"Uchiha-sama. What are you doing here?"
"I like your tea."
Chiyo gave him a blank look, still a bit disoriented from the wild ride today had been. "You fought your way through 40 shinobi so I could make you some tea."
She burst out laughing, which quickly turned to sobs mixed with laughter as Sharringon attempted to replicate what Ayako did with delirious civilians, and wrapped her in his arms. "It's okay, Chiyo-san. It's over."
Chiyo clutched his shoulder, uncaring of the blood, and sobbed into his cloak before passing out.
Sharringon carefully picked her up. Wind travel wasn't good for humans so he would have to travel by foot.
He set off for the nearest town, determined to see this through.
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A knock on the door had Sharringon drawing his kunai, moving silently to protect the sleeping woman on the bed.
Chiyo was still bloody, but her wounds had been field dressed but Sharringon wanted Ayako to take a look.
He opened the door to see Ayako, still in her festival kimono, standing there. "I brought you some takoyaki." She said, handing a box to him. "Where is she?"
Sharringon stepped back and let Ayako inside.
Ayako assessed Chiyo's injuries, running a glowing hand over the cuts and scrapes.
"I'm not as good as Oji-san. Why didn't you ask him?"
Sharringon didn't answer, which made Ayako laugh.
"Your scared he's gonna freak out about grandbabies again, aren't you?" She grinned, standing up and dusting off her kimono. "Don't worry. Buy me some dango and my lips are sealed. She'll be fine, by the way. A mortal healer could have handled it pretty easily. Wanna tell me why you care?"
"I...I killed some mortals that are threatening her, and the their clan when they retaliated."
Ayako whistled. "Tell you what, I'll go make sure you didn't miss anyone and clean up. You do it often enough for me I'll return the favor. Just...don't run away. You deserve some happiness outside our tiny family."
Sharringon nodded, the words reminding him of Oji-sama's request, back when Ayako really was a child.
"Alright."
Ayako grinned widely and jumped out the window, flying towards the Nohara compound.
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"Grandbabies!"
"Get out!"
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Haruko waved to her father before walking into the Uchiha clan compound. The Clan chief and he alone knew that she was Sharringon's daughter and that's how both Sharringon and Haruko, his spring child, wanted it.
The old dragon hoped she would find happiness amongst her nieces and nephews.
YOU ARE READING
The Sleeping God
FanfictionPercy had never thought Zeus could hate him this much. Luckily, Athena had a plan. He should have remembered where Annabeth gotten her planning skills from.
