#its hmm ill be the matriarch in this life?

[hopeheartfilia]

thr mahwa ive been reading doesnt have any more chapthers out so ive started on the novel its adapting... and its on wattpad so that brings some memories back.. so many things change everytime i open it

[dmcheatsheet]

Throne of Bones Lore

(Carriage ride there) "Im delivering some booze to the town of bones. with the minotaurs? big arena?

its ths fans that will be chanting shots-shots-shots before u pass out, theyll be the reason u stand up in the arena when u should stay down. the loose of their attention, the desperation to get it back, thats what sends gladiators back into the arena when the should be resting, that's what kills them."

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-The legend (arena founded & 'show' / whitebull)

"You want to know why i fight? u need to know the legand of the first king of bulls. The arena of bone was founded by a tribe who wanted to end deadly conflict between people. they lured, dueled and killed wild bulls, to prove themselves, settle arguments, win lovers. it became a sport and as 'the matador' became the first champion, he was the first true leader of the tribe, they and others settled. The Matador was the founder of this city, he killed a hundred bulls, and grew confident. He faced a rare bull for his hundred and first, an albino, small and weak with horn broken off by 'bumping a wall'... But the white bull won! the matador died, his young son swore revenge. the white bull lived a life of a rich man then, the village kept him for the coming reckoning. but when the young son had reached his eighteenth birthday, dressed in his fathers finery, taller than his father ever was, and with justice carved into his blade, he kissed his lover for the last time and faced the white bull, who himself had grown bigger, stronger, faster and now bared steel horns, silver tipped. The new Matador's flesh was pulled from his bones by those horns, his bones were crushed into the dust by the white bull's hooves, and his blood splattered the face of his pregnant LOVE- AH! (grins) for the next twenty years that bull lived as a king! all bulls in the west descend from him and his thousand females. by the time the third matador rose to the challenge he was an old animal and could barly lift his steel horns. But today his legand is carved on every wall of this town, the 'war upon three generations'. He was my forfather, and i intend to surpass him! I need only kill three, you have a daughter yes? (snorts into a descending laugh)".

"My daughter runs a bar. i thought id hang ur skull there, but im thinking that's cliché and too good for u. but ill turn it around, and upside down, ur skull could be the right shape for a urinal."

"Hmm i can never threaten desecration u see, when im done with a matador, and my hooves have ground their body into the dirt, there's just nothing left"

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The village expanded to a full town in the last 100 years. Ounce the arenas were introduced. The last hundred years have seen 20 kings of the throne of bones, most minotaur's.

50 years ago a ruler conquered the Thrown of Horns over an argument with their name, and ever since the satyrs have lived in the town, generally enjoying the settled life, espetially the alchohol, having established the famous 'bar at the end of your life' which is satyr owned and run, independant and cherished. There have been satyr kings of the town, such as the one who discovered the silver dragon posing as a mortal gladiator, (see silver dragon) he rallied the town's champions against it, and drove the monster out!

10 years ago the 'Ivory Throne', a mobile 'litter' used by the mammoth matriarch had been driven from the city of Ice after being unwillingly teleported there. The great mother died without passing on her spirit and the next leader was her young son, who claimed her blessing and convinced the tribe to try and conqure land in this new region. The Throne of Bones was called upon by smaller tribes to end the mammoths brutal conquest, and they soundly defeated them after 4 tough battles accross the mountains. These locations are known as the elephant graveyards (see the Throne Of Ivory). The mammoths and their elephant-like children are a diverse group in terms of philosophy. they have to be treasted like individuals in everything, unlike the Minotaurs and Satyrs for whom u can make cultural assumptions. Some seek to join the welcoming town as just another tribe. Others want nothing more than to kill the current king, take the ivory palanquin from off his throne of bones, and lead their people back to the harsh north which forged the culture they are now loosing.

The current King:

The Black-Bull, Tusk-breaker, Prince slayer(-of ivory), Mammoth capped (skinned him), revenant killer (each day rekills this one revenant/loser, in the arena), Wyvern Eater (yep, he did), mage-slayer (attempted mind control), shark-lover (fun fact, sharks have TWO penises, it was a fun fact for him. Now thats a king), bone-blade (his ass-bone blade (wyvern) breaks bones on contact / he uses a blossom fighting style that only a trained blossom could predict and counter.) has ruled for ten years. He will still accept a kingship dual to the death with any champion of 100 arena matches (with the last ten in a row) but the custom hasn't happened in five years since a minotaur woman has been going after and breaking anyone's streak of 10 wins, if they get to the nineties. He is an older man, 45 now, and has built up this mystique about his strange fighting style that people barley remember and has been so embellished in the stories. He has been perfect at bringing individual loxodon into the fold, and tking the wind out of the sails of their sepratist factions. He has recently taxed the Satyrs' bar, which has started a smuggling ring for alchohol outside the town. he personally lead a punitive expedition against a centaur clan 8 years ago. He reinforced the ban on magic to the whole town (beyonf the arena) after a mage tried to seduce him and mind control him, big rivalry with ard-carman over this (gaurds will look the other way IF a crowd is witnessing the magic, and its not showing off 'magicness' specifically, eg. anything ur hiding = bad, magic tricks for people = bad. but healing and smaller crafting done casually and openly, will be overlooked.).He banned death knights and felknights until the recent Skeleton heckler and devil fox thief.

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(unblooded) 'tourist' /derogatory

haven't defeated ten in an arena, treated as a childlike fan.

treated like a child/ fan boy, a tourist/ derogatory

no one will recognise u, most will forget you

(blooded) contender

defeated ten other fighters in arena fights.

treated as an adult, only higher ranks will act tough and mock

people who u fought and talked too for a while, will remember u

these fighters are desperate to get their numbers up, keep gaining fans quickly and loosing it all immediate. they reek of desperation and crave acknowledgement.

(master) gladiator

defeated forty other fighters, in recognized arenas.

known by any knowledgeable fans and fighters would know u

these guys are used to it, more business minded, less anxious and possessive, if they weren't, then they would have been broken before reaching this rank. the masters look at each fight as a buisness deal, they have a team and manager or are their own manager and have a steady core fan base, who are their for their character and broader story not just the immediate gratification of wins, like with a 'blodded's fickle fanbase.

Princes Olympian / celebrity everywhere

defeated 70 gladiators.

known by all fans of the sport and fighters in any region

They have a steady and large fan base, with an organization, efficient team/ party, and a large villa in whatever arena they work at.

Kings LEGANDS

gladiator kings, defeated 100 others, can claim or start arenas

known by anyone with basic history, and their famous wins

these are the leaders of villages if they wanted, heroes of renown worldwide. instant nobility anywhere if they cared to settle. The leaders of the Thorne of Bones, and the City of Flesh, and any arena in a city.

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absorbed Throne of Ivory (see City of Ice Lore and Northern Wastes tribes)

[thera-daydreams]

INDAY

± A Trese Fic ±

[Crispin/Basilio/Maliksi/Dominic x Skymaiden!Reader]

01: Noon at Ngayon (✓)

02: Ang Kambal na Anak ni Datu Talagbusao, Diyos ng Digmaan (Link)

03: Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Tikbalang (Link)

04: Ang Pinuno ng Mga Aswang (Link)

05: (Link) 06: (Link) 07: (Link)

01: Noon at Ngayon

Back then, long before you were born, your mother used to work as a katulong of the Trese Family and was very close to its matriarch, Miranda Trese. Coming from the province, she was no stranger to superstitions—even more so after knowing the work of Miranda's husband Anton Trese, who was actually the Babaylan-Mandirigma of Manila.

Years later, after giving birth to you around the same time Miranda gave birth to her twins (one a stillborn, unfortunately), it was you and Alexandra who became best buddies instead, as different your personalities were. You two had practically grown up together and you yourself heard countless stories of the supernatural from your Tito Anton. It wasn't that hard to believe when he and his sigbin companions would sometimes come home tracking blood prints on the floors (which you'd helped your mother clean up). Heck, you'd even met Señor Armanaz, the Great Stallion himself and the ruling tikbalang of the Armanaz herd. That pretty, white-haired diwata seemed extremely fond of you, too, which was evident when you'd sneak in with Alexandra to Tito Anton's meetings and she would smile (even wave) at you happily.

You had absolutely no idea why the fae-like lady was so nice to you, but you weren't complaining at all!

However, in spite of your experiences with the supernatural, you and your mother always believed that you were normal humans. In actuality, that was who you were for the majority of your childhood. It was only until Miranda herself saw a vision of you—a much older you—fighting the monsters of the Underworld alongside her own daughter. During dinnertime, Miranda told your mother that she saw you blessed by the heavens with powers that would aid in the battle against evil.

It sounded absolutely ridiculous, right? Yeah, your mom thought so, too.

Your mother only laughed it off as she placed a steaming bowl of tinola in front of Alexandra's brothers, who instantly dug in like they haven't been fed in years.

"Boys! Dahan-dahan lang," Anton reprimanded his sons. "Or else you'll choke and the soup will come out of your noses!"

"Okay, Papa."

"Grabe ka naman, Miranda. I doubt that anything like that's going to happen to my daughter," your mom chuckled, watching your little hands try to feed Alexandra with a piece of chicken. "Unlike you guys, our lineage isn't anything special. Ordinaryo lang ang lahi namin."

Miranda sighed, looking at you and her only living daughter enjoying your time being kids, "I guess you're right. Baka panaginip lang talaga 'yun."

Anton glanced at her knowingly. Although he was aware that you and your mom didn't dabble in magic or anything like they did, he knew that whenever Miranda—one of the Seven Seers—had such vivid dreams, it was something of great importance. But he decided to say nothing, understanding how much your mother wanted to let you live as normal of a life possible in this household.

That was when you were seven years old. One year later, Miranda died fighting against a group of aswang who decided to betray Anton. Said man found the eight-year-old Alexandra hiding in a corner behind the waterfalls, scared and holding Sinag close to her heaving chest as she tried to hold her tearful sobs in.

Of course, a few days later, you and your mother attended the funeral with the mourning Trese family. All the brothers had done their best to stay strong, especially for their little sister who didn't fully understand yet what just happened. Little you ran towards Alexandra, holding her hand tightly as her mother's casket was lowered. Around you were various comrades, both human and non-human, paying their respects to their bereaved allies.

That day, as you turned your back to return to your mother's arms, you knew you would never forget the feeling of numerous unearthly eyes following your every movement.

Even they could sense that there was something about you, a so-called regular human child. You smelled human and had the aura of one, but there was something they couldn't place. It was like a tiny rock getting into your shoe, not coming out at all.

Much changed after that, but you and Alexandra remained close together. To your dismay, just after you graduated elementary, you and your mother had to move back to the province to stay with your sick grandparents. The last thing you could remember was kneeling in the back of the car, looking sadly through the rear windscreen as Alexandra and her brothers waved goodbye to you.

More than a decade had passed since then. You used to write letters to Alexandra, but after Hank told you she had to undergo the trials of the Puno ng Balete, you haven't heard from her (although Hank did disclose that she'd managed to come home safely, which was a great relief to you). You didn't blame her; you knew Tito Anton had passed away in the five years she was gone and that she had to take over the title of Lakan, as well as the Babaylan-Mandirigma of Manila. It was a demanding job! You remembered Tito Anton sometimes staying up all night—breakfast would be served and he would still be in his study, going over paperwork. On other days, he would be gone for consecutive nights handling cases all around Manila. You could only pray Alexandra was fine.

Your life had continued on, as well—you took care of your ill grandparents until they died, helped your mother in the province, went to a good highschool, then earned your degree in another prominent city that wasn't Manila.

Your mom actually recommended that you go to school somewhere else, given the constantly rising number of attacks in the capital of the country. And so you did. Life was hard, but normal until then.

The funny thing was that, when you reached the age of twenty-one, you finally understood why those supernatural creatures kept looking at you weirdly as a kid (and why Lady Diwata liked you so much).

What was even funnier was that the dramatic revelation came to you when you weren't in the Philippines. It was after you freshly graduated college, when you were traveling all over Asia to volunteer in charity projects. It was always your dream to one day expand your horizons not only beyond your province, but the Philippines itself, while also doing good in the world.

And here you were, walking that path you dreamt of.

The organization you luckily managed to become a member of provided everything you needed, and every few months, you would move from country to country. Because of that, you'd already been able to travel to so many places. First it was Thailand, then Indonesia, China, South Korea, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, and currently, you were in Vietnam. Visiting those places was fun and gave you a whole new perspective of the world you lived in; it was a... learning experience, too.

Still, that incident happened when you were in Thailand, when you were the last one in the rented apartment balcony taping up the boxes for the donation drive tomorrow. Yawning, you cut more duct tape and stuck them to the open boxes tightly.

"Inday," someone said from behind you. You didn't bother turning around, thinking it was one of your fellow volunteers looking for you this late at night. Probably your roommate. She was the only one who usually called you by your nickname instead of your real name.

"Hmm?" you hummed, taping up more boxes. "Papasok na ako sa kwarto, Lyn. I just have a few more boxes to close. Alam mong mapapagalitan ako kung may hindi madidistribute bukas."

"Hindi ako si Lyn."

You paused, then slowly turned around, flinching at the sudden bright light that shone right against your eyes. For a moment, akala mo namatay ka na at hinaharap mo si San Pedro.

It was a glowing figure in white whose face you couldn't clearly see, which frightened you even more.

"Ay, mama!" you exclaimed, shielding your eyes and falling to your knees. Then, you gasped loudly, patting your body and panicking with closed lids. "Oh my God, am I dead? Nasa heaven na po ba ako?" Your lips wobbled. "Ngayon pa nga lang ako nakaalis ng Pilipinas... I haven't even done all the things I've wanted to do! Hindi pa ako nakapagpaalam sa nanay ko—aray!"

You'd felt something hit the back of your head. Hard. It was the glowing figure in white, but now you could see their unimpressed face scowling at you.

"Kalma lang, Inday. Hindi ka pa patay, pero makinig ka nang mabuti," they shushed you urgently (you weren't sure if they were male or female). "Do not be afraid. I am a messenger from the heavens, and I bear great news!"

"Great news...?" you trailed off, then your eyes widened excitedly. "Like, nanalo ba ako ng lotto? Isang milyon? Bilyon? Hala! Wait, is this a Mama Mary moment? I'm not ready to be the next immaculate conception!"

They glared at you, making you shut up instantly. "Sorry, I'll shut up now," you apologized with a mumble. This person (thing?) was kind of... strict. Whatever did you do wrong? You were just sleep-deprived and running on energy drinks (as well as kape).

"I have come to tell you that you are the vessel of the last skymaiden," they revealed, arms wide open. The light around them seemed to grow even brighter, making you squint. You felt like you were about the go blind! "Ikaw ang huling biraddali, Y/N L/N."

At ayun, zero brain cells remaining. Tunay na nagloading screen ang brain mo. Nag-error at nagcrash pa nga siguro, eh.

"... Ha? Ano?"

You blinked, completely speechless—as seen by how wide your jaw had dropped open. It wasn't that you were unfamiliar with the biraddali, it was just that you'd only heard of them once when you were just a young child. Your Tita Miranda had mentioned they were long gone from the world of the supernatural.

"Oh no, me? A biraddali? You're joking," you stuttered out, pointing at yourself. "Aren't they extinct or something? And, uh... not human?"

They nodded, "Yes. It is correct that everyone in the mystical world thought that the biraddali were long gone, even before the colonizers came to conquer the native lands. However, before the skymaidens all disappeared, the youngest and most powerful one among the seven sisters sealed her soul away to the rivers of time until the strength of a heavenly being was needed to help purify the evils of the world." The figure floated closer to you. "That last biraddali's soul, along with its corresponding power, traits, and knowledge, had chosen to reside deep within you the moment you were conceived."

Honestly, how were you even supposed to react? Your life was nowhere near ready for something like this. Was this a prank by your friends? Your colleagues? The light around this person seemed too authentic to be fake, though.

You stayed in shock for an entire minute, silent. The being in front of you only waited for a response.

"Ano 'to, Sailor Moon? Winx Club?" you whispered to yourself, before slapping your own cheek and scolding yourself. A stinging red mark was left on your face. "Inday, kakamanhwa mo 'yan! Nasosobraan ka na ata, matulog ka na!"

Sighing heavily, you rubbed your face tiredly, still in disbelief that you—according to this stranger—were apparently some old soul from a species of ethereal beings that were long gone. It sounded like something out of those reincarnation webnovels you got addicted to. What now, you were the MC? Wattpad ka, girl?

"Look, this is a mistake. I still have to wake up early tomorrow to give out the donations," you spoke to the glowing being (or whatever it was), laughing nervously. "I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. Either that or I must be hallucinating from sleep deprivation, because I'm definitely not a divine creature. You're probably just a product of my imagination. Sorry, I'm going to bed."

Bang!

At that moment, the power in the building went out. The only thing you could see was the thing who assumed you were a biraddali (they were so bright they were like a flashlight in the dark for you).

"Brownout?" you blinked. It felt wrong, though. It was eerily silent. "Did a fuse blow up?"

"Nagsimula na ang iyong unang pagsubok, Y/N," they announced seriously. "Creatures of the dark have already begun to take over this building. You may not have noticed, but all throughout your life, you have always been helping and giving. It is your nature as a being descended from the heavens themselves, and now, it is time for you to accept your destiny."

"Hoy, sandali lang! Sandali, sandali!" You were absolutely wide awake now as you heard the sounds of strange whispers around you. It was terrifyingly creepy, much creepier than whatever you'd seen back in the Trese Residence (and you'd seen a lot in that house). You did not want to be a part of a horror movie-like lifestyle. "Don't I have a choice in this?! I—I don't have any training or fighting skills! Hindi ako Alexandra Trese o Babaylan-Mandirigma! I'm not ready for this, holy sh—"

The candescent creature raised a brow at you, "Inday, I just told you that you have the power of a lost mystical being. And tell me, if you had the power to save your companions in this building from the forces of evil, would you save them?"

You were silent, knowing the answer.

"Well?" they prodded.

You bit your lip, "Oo naman. I'm not heartless!" But you were a little impulsive. And apparently, insane.

"That's what I thought. I just need you to believe in yourself," the being encouraged, gentler this time. It transformed into something smaller and rounder—like a ball of light. "Ikaw ang huling biraddali, Y/N, at marami kang kapangyarihan. Isa dito ay ang pagtulong sa mga nangangailangan, lalo na laban sa masasamang nilalang."

Bestie, what had you just gotten into?

You swallowed apprehensively, then nodded in determination, "Sige. So, how do I save the people in the building? Biraddali were said to be able to shapeshift, right? If I remember the tale correctly. Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening to me right now."

"That's just one of your abilities, but I'll teach you. I'm actually your guide," they replied confidently. "With me, you'll be able to master your powers and exceed your capabilities in no time!"

"Wait! Anong pangalan mo?" you asked breathlessly, following them as they speedily flew out of the room. "Grabe, slow down! I'm not athletic! I haven't even exercised this week, goodness."

"... Gabay. Ako si Gabay."

Despite the adrenaline and fear running in your veins, you still grinned up at the ball of light, "Okay. Nice to meet you, Gabay."

This was just the beginning of your supernatural combat training abroad. When you returned to the Philippines three years later, you were stronger, faster, and more powerful than you'd ever felt before. It was crazy.

Oh, that guy who tried to rob you when you came back to Manila was crazy, too. The two identical-looking men in dark suits and white ties—you wondered how they were surviving the heat in that attire—could only watch in awe as you chased down that man who stole your bag while doing acrobatics and parkour.

"Uy, Kuya Crispin, sino kaya 'yun?"

"Ewan ko, Basilio."

"... She's kind of pretty. Type ko. Type mo rin ata."

"The more important question is, paano niya na nahuli ang magnanakaw?"

"Oo nga, no? One in a million chance 'yan dito sa Maynila, haha! Ang astig ni ate!"

(Next Chapter.)

± Author's Notes ±

Ayieee, type daw tayo ng kambal! 😌

How the hell did I write this entirely random thing in one day? 2k+ words? Ano daw? 😃⁉️

You know, this was supposed to just be a Trese one-shot or a bunch of drabbles for the characters I'm currently simping for... but it turned into a full-blown, shameless self-insert slash crackfic. Kakacellphone ko 'yan. 🤦‍♀️

Nagresearch pa ako ng articles about Filipino skymaidens because I wanted something similiar to the Japanese celestial maidens (tennyo). Very random idea but why not? Gusto ko ng badass Y/N na hindi takot lumaban sa mga mumu! 👻

Also, pagbigyan niyo nalang ang matandang 'to kasi ilang taon na akong hindi nagpopost ng mga writings ko. May track record pa naman ako bilang author na hindi nagtatapos ng mga fanfic, hehe. I also haven't read the comics so please forgive me for any inaccuracies and of course, misspellings/errors. Gusto ko lang matapos 'to para makakabalik na ako sa Jujutsu Kaisen. 🥲😗

Anyways, comments and constructive criticism are welcome! Hit those heart, reblog, and follow buttons for updates! Just comment if you want to be tagged in the next chapters. ❤

[tsarisfanfiction]

Uboku Koroshi-ya

Fandom: Naruto Rating: Teen Genre: Family/Tragedy Characters: Mikoto, Itachi

It's the night Itachi's supposed to kill the clan, but he's ill in bed and unable to move. Will the coup d'état go on as planned or will someone else step up to stop it?

Itachi lay on his bed, deep in the thrall of a fever. Mikoto sat by him, watching as he internally panicked about something. She'd sent Sasuke to go get some cloths and water and the young boy had leaped to obey in an instant, worried for his ill brother.

"…mission…" Itachi mumbled, almost incoherently. Mikoto frowned. She had her suspicions as to what this mission that he seemed so insistent on completing was, and he was in no state to do so. Fugaku was twitchy. The coup d'état was scheduled for tomorrow evening and Itachi was to play a major part in keeping the ANBU out of the way. Except he wouldn't, if this mission went ahead. Mikoto didn't want to revolt; she was happy with her lot in the village – she'd had a good career and an even better retirement, funded by Konoha – and felt that she owed it to both her best friend and her old teammate to keep it safe in their absence. She'd failed their son, she couldn't fail their village as well.

She reached a decision. Resting a hand on her feverish son's forehead, she channelled her medical ninjutsu into him so that she could talk to him. Sasuke would be a little while yet, and Fugaku was at another meeting about the upcoming coup. Itachi's clouded eyes looked up at her as they cleared.

"What's your mission?" she asked gently.

"Secret," he replied weakly. She sighed and fixed him with a stare, enhanced by her kekkei genkai as she took them into a genjutsu-induced world where they could talk privately. Itachi tried to break it but, as she suspected, he was too weak to do so.

"You have to kill the clan." It wasn't a question. "The Hokage knows about the coup and you've been tasked with stopping it." Usually so good at masking emotion, Itachi's eyes betrayed his shock.

"How-"

"You've been distancing yourself from us recently, trying to make it easier for yourself," Mikoto observed. "Whenever you do look at us there's sorrow in your eyes. You don't want this. You don't want another war, and the only way to stop it is to eliminate us." Her son surrendered.

"You're right," he said. "But in this state… I'm out of time. There's no-one else who can do it but right now I can't…" Silent tears rolled down his cheeks. Mikoto ended the genjutsu as she felt Sasuke re-enter the room.

"Nii-san?" her youngest asked.

"Sas… uke…" Itachi replied weakly.

"Look after your brother, Sasuke," Mikoto instructed. "I'll be back shortly." Sasuke nodded, solemn with the responsibility, and she left the room, all too conscious of Itachi's stare on her back. The coup had to be stopped. If Itachi wasn't fit, then…

"Hokage-sama," she said, entering the office unannounced. Danzo, Homura and Koharu were with the Sandaime.

"Yes, Mikoto-san?" Hiruzen asked. "What is it?" The others bristled but said nothing.

"Itachi's ill," she reported. "He's not fit to complete tonight's mission." Danzo froze at her words.

"What do you know of your son's mission?" he asked suspiciously, confirming her theory that the four of them were all in the know.

"I'm his mother. If I couldn't tell when something was bothering him, what sort of mother would I be? It was easy to work out," she pointed out.

"Why are you reporting this?" Koharu asked curiously. "Surely this works in the favour of the Uchiha?"

"It does," Mikoto acknowledged. "But, like Itachi, I disagree with the coup. Kushina and Minato were close friends of mine and I want to protect the village they gave their lives for."

"What are you saying?" Homura asked. "It sounds like-"

"I will complete Itachi's mission," Mikoto interrupted. The older ninja all looked shocked. "But I have conditions."

"I'll hear them," Hiruzen said before the others could speak up.

"I will spare every child in the clan that doesn't know of the plans for the coup, and Itachi. They are innocent and Konoha cannot afford to lose the Sharingan completely."

"Impossible," Danzo spat. "They will grow up to form another coup later and at that time we will not have ninja powerful enough to subdue them."

"Mikoto is right," Hiruzen overrode him. "We cannot punish the children for the actions of their parents if they have no knowledge. However, Mikoto, you are aware that if you do this you'll become a missing-nin, or have to commit suicide." The Uchiha matriarch nodded.

"Hide my involvement. I'll make it seem as if we were attacked by an outside influence, and that I pursued them to defend the children. Besides, only a very few know of my capabilities. The village won't believe that I could do it, anyway," she reasoned. "You will look after the children? Itachi will be able to look after Sasuke, but he won't be able to cope with all the other children, particularly the really young ones."

"I'll ask for volunteers to foster them among young parents," Hiruzen nodded. "In the worst case, they'll be placed in the care of the orphanage."

"You cannot be agreeing!" Danzo said. "They'll revolt and-"

"Not if they are treated with kindness and brought up to love the village, they will not," Hiruzen said firmly. "Mikoto is correct in that Konoha cannot afford to lose the Sharingan clan. Itachi is loyal to us and he will pass that loyalty down to the other children, providing that they do not suspect that the village is behind the deaths of their families." He turned to Mikoto. "Uchiha Mikoto, I hereby declare you out of retirement and give you an S-ranked mission. Kill all members of the Uchiha Clan that are involved in, or aware of, the planned coup d'état aside from Uchiha Itachi in a way that absolves the village of any guilt."

"Hai!" She bowed her head and turned to leave, before glancing back at the elders. "I know a lot about the village, things that other villages would love to get their hands on. Protect all the children and do not let them find out the truth. I will know." She left, the thinly veiled threat hanging in the air.

"I don't like this," Danzo said. "How can we trust her?"

"We can't," Hiruzen admitted. "But with Itachi out of action she's our only hope."

Mikoto sped back to her house, careful to avoid notice. It was good that while officially retired, she had secretly kept her skills sharp. She'd need every ounce of it in order to take down her clan. All she had to do was wait the hour or so until nightfall before commencing the mission.

"Where did you go, Kaa-san?" Sasuke asked curiously as she entered, having grabbed herbs from her garden on the way up. She showed him the plants.

"To find something to help bring your brother's fever down," she said, smiling at him and ignoring Itachi's subtle look of suspicion as she applied the herbs. "Can you keep an eye on him while I prepare tea?"

"No problem!" Sasuke said immediately.

"Kaa-san…" Itachi said.

"You just focus on getting better," Mikoto told him, walking out the room. She had an hour in which to get her boys asleep and prepare for the worst mission of her life. First of all was feeding her sons. That was easy – she did it every day, after all. It took her a matter of minutes to prepare a light meal for her sons, which she carried up to Itachi's room. Sasuke fell to it with gusto while Itachi picked at his, not up to eating much.

"It's getting dark out," Mikoto commented idly. "Perhaps you two should settle down for the night?"

"I don't wanna leave Nii-san!" Sasuke pouted. She pretended to think for a moment.

"Hmm. If you're good, maybe Itachi will let you sleep in here tonight to keep him company?" she suggested. Sasuke immediately turned to his older brother, who nodded. "Go on, then. Go get ready for bed," she encouraged. He ran from the room to get changed.

"Kaa-san," Itachi said once Sasuke was out of earshot. "What are you planning? You never let us sleep in the same room if one of us is ill."

"Someone's got to stop the coup," she said quietly. "And you're in no state to do so." His eyes widened in realisation. "Look after Sasuke for me."

"No! You can't-"

"When I'm done, I'm going to leave the village. Hopefully I'll make it seem like it was outside influence, and that I left to chase them down and protect you two. I'll be declared either MIA or KIA, at Sandaime's digression," she informed him gently.

"They won't let me live," Itachi said. "I'm a threat." Mikoto smirked, a sight Itachi was not used to.

"So am I. I've made it clear that if anything happens to anyone I leave alive, information about Konoha will find its way to enemy ears. They can't kill you and not destroy the village. You and Sasuke will be safe." The pattering of little feet could be heard as Sasuke reappeared. Mikoto smiled at him, before performing her usual motherly checks. "Teeth? Face? Hands?" All were spotless and she allowed him to curl up next to Itachi.

"Goodnight, boys," she said gently, resting a hand on Sasuke's forehead. An almost invisible glow enveloped her hand and her youngest fell asleep immediately. Itachi immediately turned wary. "And you, Itachi," she said.

"You don't need to-" he started, too weak to fight her off as her Chakra-infused hand rested on his forehead, too. Within moments he too was asleep.

"Yes, I do," she murmured, channelling more Chakra as she cured his illness. Unnecessary perhaps, but it was the last time she'd be able to do it. "I love you both." She kissed both their foreheads gently before tearing herself away from them and leaving the room, closing the door behind her. They wouldn't wake for twelve hours – plenty of time for her to finish her mission, report and leave the village for good. Digging out her headband from where it lay in her drawers and once more securing it around her head, she felt a sense of nostalgia, enhanced when she opened the secret compartment and withdrew her mask – the mask of Uboku Koroshi-ya, her old alias of an un-allianced kunoichi that she'd used for S-rank assassinations that only the Hokage and his closest confidants knew about – securing it over her face. Gathering her weapons from similar compartments around the house and changing into the feared outfit of her alias, she finally felt ready for her task. Uboku Koroshi-ya was a well-known, feared kunoichi capable of sneaking into the most highly secure areas without leaving a trace and her kills were always silent. This would be no different, despite her attachment to her latest targets. She heard Fugaku enter the house and slipped out of the window. He had to be last for the deception to work. He was calling for her, but she didn't answer. She heard him find their sons, and his confusion when he couldn't rouse either of them.

"MIKOTO!"

That was her cue to leave. Not even her husband knew of her other persona, but there was no doubt from his tone that he knew she was the one that had put their sons to sleep. Other Uchiha had been roused by the cry and were heading towards the main house. Let them. She had to start from the outskirts, leaving a clear path of entry in terms of order of kills. She chose the obvious spot to do so – furthest from the majority of the village and the slight weak point in the walls. Those of her clan that stood guard there were first to die as her senbon pierced their vital organs, all at once. Despite her personal attachments, she felt a thrill at being back out in the field again, doing what she did best, as she removed her weapons. It was a well-known tactic of Uboku Koroshi-ya to retrieve her weapons as soon as possible after a kill. Sharingan activated behind the mask, she identified where people were and weren't in their houses. Any adult she came across died, holes where the senbon had been extracted post-mortem the only clues to her identity. Flitting into a house – she refused to allow herself to recall who lived where – she killed the woman in the kitchen and the man in the bedroom before approaching their young child, who looked up at her with fearful eyes. Quick as a snake, her hand rested on his forehead and sent him to sleep the same way she had her sons. Yes, she would spare innocents, but they still had to be subdued to prevent an alarm being raised. Luckily, Uboku Koroshi-ya was known for not killing children.

She killed with brutal efficiency – from the shadows where no Sharingan were looking – and soon all that were left were those that had flocked to her house at Fugaku's cry. She chose to forgo subtlety as there were no innocents among them. Her senbon flew true and they all fell, leaving her to face off against her shocked husband.

"Uboku Koroshi-ya," he said in fear as he activated his Sharingan. "Where's my wife?" He was the ringleader. He deserved to know who had slaughtered the entire clan without anyone realising just to protect the rest of the village.

"Allying herself with those that would protect Konoha," she spoke. Recognition dawned.

"Mikoto? You're Uboku Koroshi-ya?" he exclaimed. She nodded slightly.

"And you're her next victim." She knew Fugaku – had fought alongside him on many occasions – and so was confident that she could beat him, even if he hurt her. Then again, she was banking on it. Uboku Koroshi-ya's retreat had to seem genuine – Itachi was the age of some of her other victims so his survival would raise suspicions.

"Why?" he asked as she attacked furiously, holding his own against her own blade. For now.

"To save the children, and my friends' memories," she replied. He gave a wry smile as he managed to nick her arm and she jumped back.

"As kind-hearted as ever. This was Itachi's mission, wasn't it? I always knew he was too gentle to condone the coup."

"Itachi loves this village, as do I. I won't let him throw his career away because of his foolish parents," Mikoto declared. "This is the only way for me to atone for not trying to stop you earlier." She let him hit her a few more times and he grew bolder. His confidence had been increased when he realised who she was – he thought he knew her fighting style. But Uchiha Mikoto and Uboku Koroshi-ya fought differently. It was the basic mechanism to avoid her identity being compromised. Satisfied that enough of her blood had been spilled, she turned serious and unleased her full Sharingan. Within moments of her activating Tsukuyomi (real time) Fugaku was on the ground, disarmed and unable to move.

"Thank you," she said. "Your defence of our sons will convince people that I fought alongside you against our enemy. Sasuke will be convinced of his parents' innocence in all things, and be able to lead a proper life." She lifted her mask just enough for Fugaku, lying beneath her, to see her face, complete with advanced Sharingan, as she killed him. Cold he might have seemed, but he loved their sons and had proved it in his last hour and for that he deserved a better death than at the hands of his own wife. He'd been the man she married, not the mask that led the clan and it relieved her that he'd still been there. But she couldn't linger. Casting one last glance up at the window where her sons slept peacefully, she let a single tear roll down her cheek for her lost life before fleeing the compound, making it appear as if she was being chased out by someone – her other self, the one everyone knew. She had everything she needed – the weapons she'd collected from all her victims aside from those she hadn't had time to, due to 'pursuit' – and it was time to carve out a life as a criminal. Perhaps it was time for Uboku Koroshi-ya to become a reality and for Uchiha Mikoto to become the lesser personality. After all, she was supposed to be MIA so she could no longer be herself.

The massacre would be discovered in the morning. She had to put enough distance between herself and the village by then. A quick slash of the symbol on her headband to mark her new status, she replaced her mask – her new face – and headed away from the village. She didn't look back.