A tryst with destiny (Tales of a Gutsy Ninja - 2)

Chapter 17 : Kingmaker

Gaara P.O.V

Nobunaga: Pant...are you that desperate to find Aira?

Gaara: Of course I am. It matters a lot to me.

Nobunaga: Is it because she is your fiance?

Naruto and Kakashi-san's eyes were wide in shock at this piece of information. My face felt like it had been set aflame. The engagement thing was simply an acting on our part but...since I knew what my feelings for her truly were, the mere thought of being engaged to her was making my heart flutter.

Kakashi: Aira really is quite something, eh? When I last saw you fight during the chuunin exams, I thought it would be impossible for you to fall in love. But wait...aren't you both..15? Isn't that-

Gaara: W-We haven't done anything!

Nobunaga: Of course they haven't.

Kakashi: Back to the topic, how long do you intend to block our path? If you are allied with Ouka and Aira then...shouldn't you let us go and help her?

Nobunaga: Correct me if I am wrong...but weren't you FIGHTING her until a while ago?

Naruto: ...now that I think about it...we were fighting her, weren't we?

That's obviously because I NEED Ouka to find Aira. As long as I find Aira...it doesn't really matter how Ouka is connected to her. I...just wanted to correct my misunderstanding with Aira. I cannot afford to let Ouka slip through. She is my last chance at finding out what truly happened to Aira.

And so I must get to Ouka now. Before...it's too late.

Aira P.O.V

Ouch...

I felt all woozy and tired. I felt extremely tired and VERY hungry. I wonder how long it has been since I came here. Since I got knocked out, I lost all track of time...not to mention, I couldn't hear Isobu in my head.

I wonder if he is alright...well, I would have died if they had already extracted Isobu and since I am obviously not dead, he should be okay too...

I looked around the room. We were still in front of the Gedo Mazo statue and Obito looked like he had been waiting for me to wake up.

Aira: You...really didn't have to knock the living daylights out of me...

Obito: It was unavoidable...after all, you took precautions against genjutsus right?

He knows about I had my left eye replaced by an artificial one by Chiyo obaa-sama just so I could protect myself from genjutsus? He must have known it since it would be impossible for me to defeat Itachi's genjutsu if I didn't have an elaborate plan in place...

"So this is...Aira? She looks like an albino."

Aira: I am NOT an albino! I just happen to have white hair and red eyes. My skin isn't nearly as pale and I had regular parents!

Had parents. I...had almost totally forgotten about them. when I came to this world after my death...did they mourn my death? And...I didn't even bother to think of them...ungrateful daughter...

Aira: Anyway...even Senju Tobirama has a similar appearance.

An old wrinkled man sat at the base of the Gedo Mazo statue. White tubular structures connected him to the statue. His spiky, silvery white hair was long enough to reach his knees The only distinguished feature about his face was his obsidian eyes.

The same eyes as Itachi and Sasuke.

This person was doubtlessly Uchiha Madara.

My original plan was staying clear of him until the fourth great shinobi war. Madara was 'last boss' level. Even with intricate plans, he wasn't the type to be overthrown. After all, he himself was an extremely smart war tactician and fighter.

Madara: So? She is the head of the Kuroko? I find that extremely hard to believe but...she is not a Senju by any chance, is she?

Obito: No. Apparently she was taken into Konoha by the Sandaime Hokage. No one knows which village she is biologically affiliated with.

Madara: Woman, which village do you belong to?

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. Panicking wouldn't help at all. It was a good thing I had sent Saaya back to the hideout. It would have been impossible to protect her while looking after myself itself was nearly impossible.

If I told them that I just 'arrived' into their world after the goddess Amaterasu sent me here...I'd get killed for sure.

Aira: The conclusion is pretty obvious. I arrived in Konoha when I was 13. I stayed in Suna for a few years before leaving that place. My biological village is unknown. That simply means that I was a commoner who decided to become a ninja. I am not affiliated with any of the ninja clans or villages.

Obito: Meaning you made it this far on your own?

Madara: Well, it is true that I don't feel any trace of the Senjus from her. But if she simply a commoner who made it this far, then Konohagakure and Sunagakure were idiotic enough to not try and tie her to their village. Nonetheless...it is their loss.

Aira: Excuse me?

Was he saying what I think he is? The Great Uchiha Madara was praising me as a valuable person?

Madara: Choosing Konoha's best swordsman Gekko Hayate to learn kenjutsu. Mastering the wind and lightning release. Making an indestructible sword using an unknown resource. Spearheading the fight against Orochimaru during Konoha invasion. Becoming Sunagakure's strategist. Turning a hated jinchuriki into a Kazekage. Planning the defeat of Sasori.Killing Hidan and Kakuzu. Bringing jinchurikis back to life after the tailed-beast extraction. Convincing Itachi to join you and creating an elite organization called 'Kuroko'...attaining all this within a span of five years...

Madara might be evil but...to think he had kept an eye out on me. No wonder he was always on top of things!

Hey! Maybe the reason Obito disguised himself as Mizushima Kanata and became my rival during my chuunin exams...it must be because Madara wanted him to test me! Manipulating the match lineup must be easy to do using the Sharingan...

Aira: I see. So you've been following my 'humble' accomplishments all this while, eh? I must confess I am quite honored. But surely you must have realized my objective by now.

Obito: Objective?

Madara: She intends to destroy...no...annihilate the Akatsuki altogether.

Aira: Well that is one of my priorities....

Obito: You have higher priorities than the Akatsuki?

Obito sounded shocked but...it really wasn't that surprising. All these years, I realized something very important. I might have been a normal girl in my world but I was doubtlessly destined to be a war tactician.

Oda Nobunaga seemed to know me personally even though I had only read about him in textbooks. Rectitude carried to excess hardens into stiffness; benevolence indulged beyond measure sinks into weakness. It was a quote by none other than the famous one-eyed strategist, Date Masamune.

It wasn't just a coincidence. I...was Date Masamune's reincarnation. That is why strategizing came as easy as breathing to me. The battlefield was where the true me shone. That fact wouldn't change irrespective of if I was in Narutoverse or somewhere else.

The battlefield is where I belong.

Madara: So what is your main priority? Becoming the ruler of the world?

Aira: No...nothing that grand. I never did, I don't and...I will never want to be the king. What I what...is to be the kingmaker.

Madara: I thought so. You prefer to stay in the shadows after all. That is perfectly fine by me.

What does he mean? Obito seemed surprised at how casually Madara was addressing me...as if we on the same level. I'd thought that it was elementary to defeat your enemy if they will pose a threat to you in the future.

Even though I had seen the anime and lived in this world for more than five years...Madara was one of the very few people whose behavior was beyond my comprehension.

Madara: Leave that Suna brat. I'll let you be the kingmaker but...the one you will make into a king is me!