After making sure the girls were doing well, Tama had another issue to deal with. During the prelims, Orochimaru had made himself comfortable and decided that he wanted her brother. Apparently the had been sealed with a curse mark of sorts, and the snake sage had left him with the promise of great power.
Tama stared at the mark on Sasuke's chest with much deliberation. If this was how she would lose him then there was little she could do. Curse marks were ultimately irreversible, and if they were then it was only possible through the person who was seal. In order to do that, he would need Orochimaru. Now this was stumbling block indeed.
"What do you plan to do?", Tama asked. She was referring to Orochimaru's offer. The boy remained silent, not sure how to respond. There was a lump in his throat.
"I'll give you some time to think about this. Think long and hard, okay?", Tama said gently. Sasuke nodded, he definitely would think about it, he just hoped he would make the right decision. He stood up from his place on his futon, and walked to his wardrobe that stood against the far wall. Her brought out something, a small box, and walked back to Tama.
"I...", he began, his breath hitching in his throat. Tama seemed surprised as the boy knelt down before her, bowing his head slightly. "I want to thank you, nee-san, for being there for me for as long as you have. With all the times I've been a nuisance, I thought you would give up on me. When the massacre happened, I thought I'd be alone forever. I lost touch with myself in a way that I forgot how to feel. I thought I'd never have a family again, but when since you came back home I finally felt something again."
"Sasu-tan...", Tama whispered, tears fogging her sight, she pulled the boy into a tight embrace.
"You make me happy to still be alive, you make me want to continue living. I want to fight by your side for as long as I'm alive. Nee-san, thank you for your love and care. No amount of words can describe the way I feel.", he whispered into her shoulder. Tama's tear fell in silence, and she wiped at the frivolously. Her face was flushed a beautiful pink, from surprise and a bit of embarrassment.
Sasuke pulled away gently, and finally handed the box to her, a bright smile on his face.
"I don't know what to say..."
"Then don't say anything, just accepting this gift is enough for me.", Sasuke assured her beamishly. She slowly opened the box, and couldn't help but gasp at the sight before her. Two golden hairpins glimmered at her, sporting deep red rubie stones, and strings of pearls.
"Sasu-tan...", she whispered, looking up at him. She was more surprised by him gifting her than anything, but those hairpins looked really expensive. If they weren't a gift then she would've told him to return them and get his money back. "You sweet little dumpling!", she beamed, taking hold of him once again. The boy blushed, relishing the pleasure of being in his sister's arms. It was something that seldom happened and, he quite liked the feeling.
"I have to go now."
"I know, just five more minutes.", Tama breathed. Sasuke couldn't help but cackle, earning him a light slap on the arm.
For the next four weeks he and his team would undergo extensive training with Kakashi. During that time he was barely home, so he didn't get the chance to familiarise himself with the new girls that Tama had adopted. They seemed unremarkable, but he wasn't so rude as to point it out.
...
"I've adopted two little girls.", Tama said as she and Shisui trained. He was getting much better, and was just about ready for her to manipulate his chakra and induce self healing.
"Aren't you a child yourself?", the older male asked, somewhat mockingly. Tama smiled a sardonic kind of smile that lacked any semblance of humour.
"I am, but I'm not one to sit back while others suffer. Not when I can do something about it.", she responded serously. She landed a kick on the male's torso. He groaned, laughed, and grimaced, all at the same time. She couldn't help but wonder just what was going through his mind.
"I never thought you'd regrow your hair.", he said suddenly, still holding on to his abdomen. Tama, surprised, only frowned slightly. "It makes you look tougher when it's longer."
Tama laughed, not responding. Instead she sat down and picked up two cups of water from the ground.
"You look...", Shisui trailed off, casting the girl a mischievous glance. He didn't finish his sentence, instead opting to keep quiet. Tama didn't seem to care much, she just drank her water in silence.
"You're ready to be healed.", she suddenly said, not looking at the boy. Shisui perked up, surprised. Before he could say anything, the girl was already on her way to his room. He followed closely behind her, somewhat excited.
Attendants and two male gaurds came to Tama's side, and Ryosuke was summoned as the lord of the household. Nothing could be done without him.
Shisui laid down on the bare floor, shirtless and just a bit sweaty. The attendants and gaurds were instructed to hold him down.
"Don't let go, no matter what happens.", Tama instructed. She cast Shisui one last glance before activating her Sharingan.
"The Mangek—"
Shisui couldn't finish his sentence before the girl infiltrated his chakra, rendering him powerless. She immediately got to work on his internal wounds. Shisui writhed and struggled, not having anticipated the pain. He let out a pain groan, which wuickly transitioned into an agonised howl.
"Just a few more minutes.", Tama said softly. Shisui's gaze landed on her, conveying something of a wild, untamed, confusion.
Just what was going on?
Suddenly, somewhere in his back, a sharp, throbbing pain took over. His involuntarily arched, and he grit his teeth in an attempt to muffle a scream. A hiss was what came out of hus mouth instead.
This wasn't a healing jutsu!
"Hold him down.", Tama said, as one of his arms got loose. The attendant scrambled to catch it, but his strength was too great. Tama didn't falter, even as the boy's chakra suddenly surged.
"All of you, let go!", she called, and they did so immediately. Just in time to avoid the layer of fire and lightning that encased the boy's body. Tama kept her hands on him, she was slmost done. If he would just hold on a bit longer.
"Stop...", Shisui breathed, grabbing hold of her arm. She didn't pause, nor look at him. "I'm begging you... Please...", he choked out. There was a brief moment of eye contact, and the boy tried to rise and push Tama away. She pushed him down with all her might. Whether he liked it or not, Tama was going to leave this place knowing that he was fully healed.
"What did Danzō do to you?", she suddenly asked coldly. Shisui's eyes shot to her, still wild from the pain.
"I don't know, but my... Sharingan got... Ruined...", he struggled to say. He took in a deep breath and held it, only letting it go after seven seconds. "My chakra... Got messed up... As well. That's why... Itachi led... The massacre... I... Was barely... Use.. Ful..."
"How did he get you to his base?"
"I heard... That he stole... My... Father's... Sharingan... I tailed him... That night... Only... To find that... He was... Waiting for... Me. How did... You find... The base?"
"He tried to trick me into joining his organisation under the pretense of it being Anbu. Unfortunately for him, I was already undergoing my evaluation. I followed him for the whole day that day, until he finally went into his base. It took a while to actually get in, myself, that's why I only got there just as he was about to kill you.", Tama explained. Finally, she let go of the boy, and his lightning chakra barrier receded with a low hum. He panted, his gaze locked onto the girl. He rose.
"That wasn't... medical ninjutsu.", Shisui said lowly. An attendant immediately brought him water. Tama smiled a humourless smile, only looking at him briefly before averting her gaze.
"Of course not. I don't know medical ninjutsu.", she said softly.
"You have the Mangekyō Sharingan. How?"
"When Itachi killed my parents, I watched it happen. I wanted to do something. I want to stop him, but I couldn't bring myself to. I geuss I was too hateful in that moment. My mother... She looked right at me as he drove his katana through her back. I watched her take her last breath. It was then that it happened.", she explained softly. It was a lie, of course, she didn't trust him all tha much. She turned her gaze to Ryosuke, who knelt by a far wall. He nodded at her, smiling, a fan in his hand as he cooled himself down from the hrat in the room. She nodded in return.
"I should leave now, my girls must be worried by now.", she said, sounding a lot like her mother. Shisui would know, she was something of a mother to him as well. With a chuckle, he flicked a finger at her forehead, causing her to frown. A light blush crept onto her cheeks. That was a little thing that Itachi liked to do.
"You're so cute. You know that?", he said teasingly. Tama didn't even start. She cast him a mischievous glance and smiled.
"Why thank you. You're not too shabby, yourself.", she beamed. Shisui couldn't help but laugh. Tama could be a character when she wanted to be. He was glad to see that that hadn't changed.
"Goobye, Sishui-san.", she said before rising and heading for Ryosuke. She knelt before him, and he smiled a knowing smile. He, himself, was a father to four daughters and three sons, he knew what he saw very well.
"I'll take my leave now, Wasabi-san. Thank you, again, for helping me.", Tama said.
"It's only my pleasure to work with you, Uchiha-san.", he said, dipping his head in acknowledgement.
That night, as she ate with the girls, Tama felt she really did something good for once. She was satisfied.
[Tama's Mangekyō]