The Akatsuki were clearly about to make a move, and seeing as they were targeting Naruto, other Jinchūriki were bound to be in danger.
They arrived in Uzushiogakure undisturbed, but for some reason, Tama was suddenly feeling sick. This never used to happen when she came every year for her ritual visist to the shrine, so she was rather concerned considering the fact that she had two children with her. Shisui was strong and able, so surely he would hold his own quite well. Suddenly, her chakra
"Shisui-san, take the girls and stand back!", she called urgently, quickly stripping off layer after layer of her kimono. Shisui immediately took the girls and transported them somewhere far, leaving them with their belogings before ruturning to Tama's side.
When he returned, Tama was on her knees with a hand on her stomach.
"I didn't expect you to do this so soon.", she said softly, as if talking to a vulnerable child. Shisui waited a safe distance away, not quite sure what was going on.
"Why won't you talk to me? Are you angry at me?", she asked. Shisui knelt down and listened, waiting for anything to happen. The girl began to struggle for breath as she hastily sat down with her legs crossed. She brought her hands together as if in prayer and fell silent from there. Shisui was immediately on high alert.
"You're no different from your predecessors, Uchiha Tamakiku."
She opened her eyes, and was met with a familiar, angry gaze. She smiled, causing the woman to snarl at her. She was clearly wary of her, and she couldn't blame her. She was an Uchiha after all.
"After all our years together, you refuse me the honour of knowing your name?", she asked, still struggling to keep awake, this person's chakra was overwhelming. The woman frowned deeply and lowered her head in spite of the chains that bound her.
"You should know by now that I don't think you belong to me. You must feel especially disappointed that you had to be stuck with an Uchiha. I understand, but please just give me a chance to prove myself to you.", she said. The woman seemed to frown even more deeply as she studied her intently. This child was something else.
"What do you have to prove to me? You Uchihas only ever say the same thing and seek to supress the rest of us for your own gain. Why should I trust you, the descendant of the same person who was willing to help hold me down when all I wanted was my freedom?"
"I'm sorry that it had to be this way, I really am. You must've had enough by, being bound to one person after another. Let me be your voice, let me fight for you. Help me to avail to you your freedom."
"You think you could use your words to soften me up-"
"I don't believe in flattery using words, ancestor of mine! You, of all people, should know that! We share the same blod, after all"
"Don't call me ancestor, brat! I'm not yours to brand!", the woman roared. Tama frowned, taking in several calming breaths.
"Then tell me your name. Tell me who you are. Show me that you're not the asset that they say you are.", she said, voice suddenly soft. The woman fell silent as the darkness around them began to brighten. Suddenly, Tama was in front of her, gazing intently into her eyes.
"I promise that no one will use you ever again.", she said. The woman snarled, still not willing to trust the girl. She would have to prove herself first before he did anything.
Suddenly, all around them, a soft, white light shone. The place changed from a dark chamber into a more pleasant sight. Mountain ranges formed, spanning far and wide beyond where the eye could see. The chains became loose around the woman, and suddenly she could move freely.
"It's not much, but I think it's more comfortable than being bound like a prisoner.", Tama said. Placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. For some reason, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't attack her. She sat down and listened as she spoke softly.
"Fell free to explore the world within my consciousness, but also consider my offer. Until next time, enjoy."
Just like that, she was gone. The woman was left out of her wit. Just then, surely her Sharingan wasn't active, so what was it that caused her to not act as she wished? Was it the seal? She looked around, and was shocked to see that everything around her was not a genjutsu. Suddenly, she couldn't resist the urge to look around.
...
It was the dead of night when Tsunade and Tama's clone were bombarded by a squad of Anbu. They had just left the Hokage tower after a long night of planning out how the Konoha-Suna alliance should benefit both villages. The next morning, Gaara was set to come, and Tsunade was to send a missive to Suna with the complete draft.
They paused, annoyed, as Saru, Kitsune, and Tora knelt before them.
"Hokage-sama, Uchiha Sasuke has defected.", Tora said. There was a long pause. Tama looked at Tsunade, Tsunade looked at her. It didn't make sense.
"How?", Tsunade asked.
"He simply walked to the main gates, where the Jōnin gaurds were knocked out. The Black Ops were overpowered by unknown people, who waited for him in the forest and took him. We suspect that those people conspired with Sasuke and helped him to leave."
They turned around, heading straight back to where they had come from. When they got there, Tora further explained that they had been making to change shifts when they found their colleagues bound and unconscious. Another squad took the duty while they came to report the incident.
Two Black Ops emergency response squads were already after the culprits.
"Good. I suppose we have no choice but to wait here then. It could be a diversion to get us to leave while they infiltrate the village. Saru, Kitsune, get to the secret passages and make sure nothing is out of place. Tora, get me Hitsuji, Yamato, and Uma.", Tama said. During the brief four seconds that they were alone, Tsunade couldn't help but study Tama. She was oddly calm, for someone whose dear brother had just been stolen.
"Hokage-sama.", Uma said as he, Hitsuji, and Yamato knelt before her and Tsunade.
"Get three squads per faction to the secret passages and prepare for offence. Go.", Tama instructed. They immediately left. Tsunade took the chance to further study the girl.
"Aren't you worried about your brother? You're showing more concern for the village than for him.", she questioned.
Tama sighed.
"Tell me, oba-san, do you think that boy wants to be here?", she asked, not looking at the older woman. Tsunade pursed her lips, of course she had noticed that the boy was rather uneasy since she met him. He always had something on his mind, and a certain resentment in his gaze.
"Tama-chan, that doesn't mean that you should give up on him. He's just a child.", Tsunade argued. Tama finally looked up at her, and the words got stuck in her throat at the lack of emotion in her eyes.
"I was Sasuke's age when I had to put my needs and feelings aside and play the part of his mother. Before I accepted this position, I took deadly missions every other day to make ends meet for him. After the massacre, I was out of work for three years, but I did everything that I could to make sure that he was living comfortably and eating well. I trained him, taught him jutsu that could take down a village, but I still wasn't enough for him.", she began softly. Tsunade looked at her intently, unable to say anything.
"I love my brother. In fact, I love both of them despite their actions, but I know better than to hold onto them when they'd rather find their own strength elsewhere. Besides, I've been alone all my life. As for Konoha, in all honesty, I myself consider leaving time and time again. However, when I remember the blood that was shed, the lives that were lost over the years in order to build this village, I find myself still here. I still fight for this village in spite of my deep rooted hatred for it.", she said. Tsunade pursed her lips. This was exactly what she wanted to to see when she made Tama her face and voice, she just didn't expect to see it so soon.
She watched as Tama walked out the room, and she wondered if she had been triggered. No more than five minutes later, the girl returned with a very specific lokking set of documents. She then went to the table and began to set them down in several stacks.
"These are Itachi's reports pertaining to my clan beofore the massacre. Please read through them and decide what to do. Perhaps my emotional involvement would only serve to cloud my judgement.", she said before taking a step back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should be on my way."
With that, Tama was gone. Tsunade pursed her lips. Surely the councils hadn't crossed the line here? Perhaps this was why she was so wary of them.
...
Torrent whirlwinds raged at every side of their boat as they rode to the far island on which the shrine was built. Tama had decided to use her chakra to reduce the impact of the violent waves while she and Shisui rowed. Akira and Karin looked around curiously and conversed happily.
Shisui studied Tama intently, wondering just what had happened to her the night before. He had had to carry her to the girls after she had a fainting spell.
"Will your hawk be following us all the way?", he finally asked, hoping to break the awkward silence.
"Amaya follows me wherever I go as long as I haven't sent her on a mission. She'll be with us for the duration of our stay.", Tama said, casting the shadow of a smile as she looked up at the male.
"Her name is Night rain, is it? Your affinity to water is uncanny for an Uchiha.", Shisui said as he cast her a meaningful glance. She nodded, but didn't say anything as she looked far ahead.
"Brace yourselves everyone, we're about to enter dangerous parts. Girls, to the centre.", she instructed. Karin and Akira did as the were told, just in time before their boat was sent lurching this way and that by a monster current. With nothing to hold onto, the embraced each other while Tama and Shisui fought to keep the boat upright.
This was scary. It was terrifying. They hoped tgat they would arrive at the shrine alive. Otherwise, their venture would be in vain.