The Family Feud

“Mother?” Ichigo whispered, and Naruto glanced between the two females in utter shock. He pointed at the older woman angrily, his mouth open.

“That’s your mom? Why the heck is she attacking us, then?” he shouted, shooting a glare at the woman. He brandished his kunai threateningly. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, lady, but don’t think I’m gonna just let you hurt the old man!” he snapped. The woman laughed, finding his stubborn bravery amusing. Ichigo continued to stand there in utter shock until a Jonin landed behind her.

“Ichigo! I knew it! You led your mother and her resistance here, didn’t you?” he growled and moved to attack her. Naruto promptly punched him in the jaw, sending him flying across the rooftop; he then rounded on Ichigo, demanding an explanation.

“What the heck is going on here?” he snapped. Ichigo couldn’t answer. She just stared sadly over his shoulder at her mother, whom she loved deeply, watching as she progressed her troops toward the Hokage’s house. Naruto angrily grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, yelling, “Snap out of it! Tell me what's happening!”

“Naruto… I’m sorry. My mother left three years ago… To join the rest of my clan, who were outlawed due to an attempted coup fifty years ago. She brought my clan here to take over the village. That’s why I can’t be a ninja… Because of what my family’s done, and what they keep doing,” she sniffed, falling to her knees with tears streaming down her cheeks. With her family attacking the village, there was no chance of her becoming a ninja. Her lifelong dream had been snatched cruelly from her hands. She cried out in pain as Naruto lightly punched her on the top of the head.

“What are you sitting here moping for? You’re not like them, are you?” he snapped with his hands on his hips. “If they’re the bad guys, then we have to fight ‘em! That’s what a Hidden Leaf ninja does! Do you want to be a ninja or not?” Naruto’s speech roused something deep in Ichigo’s chest, a fierce determination that set her heart on fire. She stood, head down, as she gathered her nerves. After a moment, she looked up to smirk at Naruto. The boy grinned happily in reply, giving her a thumbs-up.

“Thanks, Naruto. You’re right. Now let’s go!” she cried, gripping her blade tightly as she dashed over the roof tiles. She moved with unhuman speed, taking down one defector after another. Naruto dashed alongside her, and Ichigo was glad to know the feeling of a comrade fighting by her side. Naruto had no allegience to her, but still was risking her life to help her. After a while they made it to the forefront of the battle. It seemed that her mother was already inside, as the area in front of the entrance was swarming with Jonin battling insurgents, but Ichigo could not spot the trademark white hair in the mix of bodies. “We’ll never make it through in time! What are we going to do?”

Meanwhile, in the Hokage’s office, Ichigo’s mother and Hokage Hiruzen were embroiled in a fierce stare-down. She stood in front of the desk, her blade shining with the red blood of the Jonin and a satisfied grin playing across her lips.

“You can stop this now,” the Hokage sighed, his hands clasped calmly behind his back. The woman merely brandished her blade, splashing blood on the floor.

“I can’t stop now, not when I’m so close. I understand; you think what you’re doing is right. You don’t understand. This village could be so much better! The Tsukihana are divine; we can make the Land of Fire a major power once more! The other nations will cower before our feet!” she cackled maniacally. She looked almost insane; she was so enamored by her desire for power. Hiruzen watched sadly as he watched the woman succumb to her dark urges.

The window behind the Hokage suddenly shattered, and a small form landed deftly on the Hokage’s desk, scattering its contents to the floor. On the building below, Naruto’s clones disassembled after launching Ichigo through the window and right in front of her mother. Naruto had come up with the brilliant plan, and Ichigo had been amazed that he could perform such an advanced technique; he had made clones of himself, and one by one they had leapt into the air and served as platforms for Ichigo to jump over the battlefield and through the glass window. She stood with tears in her eyes, pointing her blade to her mother’s throat.

“Stop this, Mother. Please,” she begged. Her mother glared viciously at her. There was no love in her eyes, only hate- hate that swallowed any ill look she had received from a village citizen.

“Your father has blinded you. This village has done nothing for you! They won’t even let you become a ninja! Why then do you fight?” her mother spat. Her blade crashed against Ichigo’s and sparks danced across the metal surfaces. The two continued to swing at each other, dashing to and fro across the room. Now and then the older woman made a move to catch Hiruzen off-guard, but Ichigo was always there to deflect her blade.

“This is my home! I will defend it with my life! I’ll do anything to protect it- even if it means I have to kill you!” Ichigo shouted. The determination in her heart burned brighter than ever, and she could feel her body growing hotter and hotter. Her mother gasped and stepped away, her sword lowered as she stared at her daughter with growing fear.

“This… This cannot be!” she gasped, and Ichigo stopped in her tracks, extremely confused at what her mother was so distressed about. She glanced around to find that her body was engulfed in flames, casting her in a gentle heat.

“What…? What is this?” she whispered as she lifted her flaming hands in front of her face.