Flying Thunder God and the Uchiha

"Red bean soup... buttered potatoes..." Utsusemi murmured, making another spatial jump to a town she often visited.

The instant she landed, three dark figures slipped silently out of the shadows of a tavern.

They were rogue ninja who made their living hunting and kidnapping people.

"A ninja from a major clan, all out of Chakra... our luck's good today," the leader whispered, slowly uncoiling a chain in his palm.

Sealing Jutsu formulas appeared on its links, designed specifically to suppress Ninjutsu and Taijutsu.

Before they could approach, a sharp gaze pierced through the darkness.

Uchiha Izuna stood motionless on a rooftop, a bundle of medicinal herbs landing silently beside him.

He had only come because he was drawn by an abnormal spatial fluctuation.

The distortion was no ordinary Ninjutsu, but the trace of an advanced technique akin to Space-Time Ninjutsu.

He recognized Utsusemi, and his Sharingan activated instinctively.

He also saw the chain sliding from the sleeve of one of the rogues, engraved with Sealing Jutsu formulas designed specifically to counter ninja.

"Stop." Izuna's voice was icy. Before they could react, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan had already activated.

The first rogue to lunge at Utsusemi froze. His eyes went vacant, his consciousness dragged into a bottomless prison of Genjutsu.

Izuna pressed his Kunai against the second man's throat. One inch was all it would take to end his life.

A dark green poisonous mist burst from the third man's palm, rushing straight at the seemingly weakened Utsusemi.

When the poison mist touched her falling black hair, it was as though it had struck an invisible wall.

It was instantly refracted in all directions, turning back on its owner.

The man was still reeling in shock when cracks corroded through his mask.

"Limitless," Utsusemi murmured groggily.

Her fingers brushed over the barrier talismans the rogues had laid down, stirring faint ripples in space.

In an instant, the paper talismans burned in reverse, turning into countless glowing butterflies that completely dismantled the barrier.

Izuna's Sharingan caught the scene clearly. It was an alteration of the rules of space.

The woman who had mocked him as a "scavenger" displayed an almost miraculous control over space.

The last rogue ninja tried to struggle, only for his own chain to coil around him in reverse.

"Oh..." Utsusemi tilted her head and looked at Izuna. "Your eyes... are the same shade of red as Madara's..."

Izuna studied her suspiciously. Did Utsusemi know his brother?

"How ironic. Now you need my protection." He watched as Utsusemi caught hold of his finger before losing consciousness.

He did not shake her hand away, but steadied her instead.

Her sleeping profile reflected in his Sharingan as he half dragged, half carried Utsusemi toward the inn at the town crossroads, intending to settle her there.

"Wake up!" Izuna tapped Utsusemi's burning forehead, but all he got in return was a muddled murmur.

The silver chain engraved with the words "get rich quick" suddenly slipped off and struck the stone pavement with a clear ring, alerting the Uchiha sentries hidden in the darkness.

Madara Uchiha tore through the night with the Body Flicker Technique. "Izuna, what happened?"

Izuna chuckled and shook his head. "You got here fast, brother. I thought you'd ask about the situation first."

"Hm?" Madara frowned slightly. "Didn't your Sharingan notice our clansmen hiding in the dark?"

Izuna blinked. "I did, but I wanted to see how you'd react, brother."

Utsusemi grabbed Madara's sleeve and buried her face in the cloak embroidered with the clan crest. "Water... so bitter..."

At her voice, Madara's pupils contracted sharply. "Utsusemi?"

Utsusemi? How had she ended up drunk and unconscious in his younger brother's arms?

"She knows Medical Ninjutsu." Madara's gaze swept over his brother's stiff shoulders.

"She didn't tell you she knows Medical Ninjutsu?" Madara stared at the unconscious Utsusemi.

"Three clansmen in the clan grounds have fallen unconscious after their Chakra ran wild. Ordinary medical-nin can do nothing for them. We need her Ninjutsu."

A teasing light flashed in Izuna's almond-shaped eyes. "Have you changed careers and become a headhunter, brother?"

Madara said calmly, "Take her back to treat them tomorrow morning. We'll pay her the market rate."

When Madara tried to take Utsusemi away by force, she resisted with astonishing strength.

Izuna hurried forward to support her lower back, and in the confusion, all three stumbled into one another.

Utsusemi slammed heavily into Madara Uchiha's chest, and the violent jolt made her vomit land squarely on his clan-crest cloak.

"An Uchiha's... dignity..." Madara's throat bobbed with killing intent.

Izuna burst out laughing. "Are you going to throw away a doctor you know, brother? Is this the measure of an Uchiha?"

Mimicking the way his brother usually scolded their clansmen, he went down on one knee and made an elegant feint of throwing her away.

"Izuna." Madara's voice was helpless as he looked at his mischievous younger brother.

Under his elder brother's gaze, Izuna could only obediently lift Utsusemi onto his back.

Madara Uchiha covered Utsusemi with the stained cloak. The silver chain dangled through a gap in the fabric, swaying gently with Izuna's steps.

Uchiha Izuna carried Utsusemi on his back, the silver chain he had put back on her swaying gently with his steps and casting tiny shadows of the words "get rich quick" on the stone pavement.

"Izuna, you provoked me on purpose." Madara's footsteps suddenly stopped.

"Haha." A smile played at Izuna's lips. "Your Chakra, brother... is more volatile than last time."

"Brother," Izuna said softly, "you're actually quite gentle."

Madara's steps faltered. "Stop saying childish things."

"I knew it. You care about me, brother." Izuna smiled.

As light passed through the cherry tree at the entrance to the clan grounds, their shadows fell side by side on the barrier.

The moment the lights came on, Madara's shadow covered Izuna's, just as he had shielded his younger brother from their father's scoldings when they were children.

And reflected in Izuna's eyes was the fleeting smile of an elder brother at the corner of Madara's mouth.

"Have Utsusemi treat them when she wakes up tomorrow." Before Madara's voice was swallowed by the barrier, Izuna heard him add, "You did well."

The boy called out, "Brother, since Utsusemi's using my room, let's sleep together tonight, like we used to."

Madara Uchiha paused. He did not look back, but nodded gently, and Izuna grinned and clung to him.