Summoner Nin

Page 4: The Massacre

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Four

She couldn't stop crying, the tears just wouldn't stop, and the Hokage was starting to get worried. When Fugaku sent a message telling of his displeasure in the child, he had not expected for the man to just unceremoniously dump the poor six-year-old at his feet. Who, he winced, was crying.

Not the huge cry of a spoiled child wanting attention, but the heartbreaking sort of crying that did just that to his heart. Break it.

"Hush, Hinata," he tried to console as he bent down and held her gently by the shoulders. "What's the matter?"

She sniffed, and answered, "I-I k-killed my m-mother."

Immediately he deduced that Fugaku had finally told the child, despite the fact that he had repeatedly told the arrogant man that he himself would do it. But for the child to understand the words and to automatically assume that the only reason why she could summon a Phoenix was because her mother, the former Phoenix summoner, was dead...

Shikaku had taught her well, he thought to himself, and then said, "Hinata, you did not kill your mother."

She shook her head, face a wet mess, and protested.

"Listen," he said, brushing away the strands of her hair sticking to her lips. "You mother died because it was her time. She was just incredibly fortunate to have her loving daughter by her side to see to her last days. Not to mention, you mother must have been greatly relieved to have you pass on her family's power."

She quieted, sniffing every now and then as she processed his words.

His smile was warm when he asked, "Right then. Would you like to see what this scroll's about?"

Through blurry eyes, she looked at the giant rolled up cloth sitting on his large desk.

"Come on, now." He urged her forward in a friendly manner. "You should be honoured that Uchiha-san had decided to give it to you."

Seeing her withdraw into herself, he took her in his arms and set her down on his lap like Santa Claus and laughed merrily. His laughter rumbled against her arm and she couldn't help but like the feel of the loving mirth coming off from him. Soon, she found herself giggling, tears forgotten.

"There we go," he said, quite proud that he had stopped her tears. Point for Sarutobi, zero for Fugaku. Clan members were always so stuck up, except for, of course, the little one on his lap. "Now, this scroll is the summoning contract for the Legendary Summon of the Uchiha Clan."

She listened closely.

"Once upon a time, hundreds of years ago, Konoha was at war with Tonbogakure, the Hidden Village of Dragonfly," he said, taking in a breath of his pipe. "They were strong, and they had a Legendary Summon, the Dragon, in which years before that they stole from Kumogakure. The Dragons wrought much destruction in our village until Konoha's very own Uchiha Clan managed to defeat the Dragon summoner-nin and take the scroll. The tide of the war soon turned when one Uchiha, a genius, was able to provide the chakra for summoning the Dragons, and that's when we won."

She leaned herself closer to his warm body, not liking the sound of the war, even if they had won.

"For generations and generations, the Uchiha kept the great Dragon in their possession," he said, his eyes having to seem to be looking far away in the distance. "Not every generation was able to summon the Dragon, but those few who could, were always filled with a certain hunger for power. So, it was no surprise then, that the Hyuga would rise their Phoenix to counter the mad Uchiha."