Chapter 19: Chapter 19 : Kaede Uzumaki
*** Naruto World ***
In the lands of the Uzumaki clan, far from endless battles and strife, a semblance of peace could be seen.
With thousands of members, the Uzumaki clan was one of the most powerful clans of this era. Eternal allies of the Senju, the Uzumaki were skilled ninjas in Fūinjutsu, the art of sealing techniques.
With their red hair, the Uzumaki also possessed an incredible reservoir of chakra and an innate powerful healing ability, making them formidable opponents.
At the edge of the clan, an entire caravan of clan members set out toward the Senju clan.
Comprising nearly fifty members, the group consisted of powerful ninjas and a few servants, with a young child at the center, approximately ten years old.
Riding in a horse-drawn carriage, the young girl seemed lost in thought.
"Young lady, everything going well?"
Awakened by her friend's voice from outside the carriage, the young girl came to her senses and her eyes became more morose. "Yes, everything is fine, Koji, unfortunately..."
Following clan tradition, she was betrothed to the heir of the Senju clan to strengthen the relationship between their two clans. It was a destiny she had not chosen and did not desire.
She was the young princess of the Uzumaki clan, Kaede Uzumaki. She had learned every possible technique, undergone rigorous training, all to be married to a man she had never met...
"Miss, if you're afraid of feeling lonely, don't forget that I'll be with you for the first few years, so you have nothing to fear," Koji, her bodyguard and friend, declared.
"Koji, I had another dream last night... I was on the battlefield, enemies were everywhere, and I was alone."
"A rather sad dream, miss."
"Not at all, it was so exciting. I fought with strength and grace, defeating all the enemies with the power of my fists. I felt so alive..." Clenching her fists, the young girl gazed at the trees, thinking about her dream, picturing herself standing atop defeated foes. Her as a heroine, alone and proud. "I wish I could experience that for real..."
Faced with Kaede's desires, Koji Uzumaki could only shake his head in defeat.
Growing up with stories from her elders about war, she only saw the heroic side of ninjas and their battles.
For a long time now, she had yearned to see the world, fight bandits, and carve out her own destiny. To become a hero.
"Miss, you should stop thinking like this... You are destined for a far greater purpose than merely fighting on the battlefield. Thanks to you, our clan's future will be secured, as will our relationship with the Senju clan," reassured Koji Uzumaki.
"But that's not what I want..." Kaede whispered almost imperceptibly.
As they continued their journey through the lands of the Fire Country, no problems arose to disturb them.
The daytime temperatures were neither too hot nor too cold. The occasional breeze provided relief for the ninjas who were watching over the convoy under the scorching sun.
The birds' songs calmed their tense spirits, and after a few hours, the Uzumaki group finally entered Senju territory without any issues.
Passing the Senju outpost, they were greeted with great joy and genuine smiles.
It was a grand event for both clans.
Escorted to the Senju village in the heart of their territory, the Uzumaki were once again welcomed with joy and respect by the elders and warriors of the Senju clan.
In these times of war, especially for the Senju clan, this marriage was a small light in difficult times.
Kaede, at the age of ten, was at the center of the festivities. She was the main character. And though she didn't appreciate the idea of marriage, the celebration in her name made the situation somewhat joyful for her too.
While both clans gradually immersed themselves in the festivities, young Kaede had slipped away from the numerous Senju elders who wanted to meet her, instead joining the powerful warriors of the Senju clan.
Around a fire, Kaede listened with the passion of a dedicated student to the various tales of battle from the Senju.
"...And that's how we managed to drive the Uchiha dogs out of the mine near the Wheat Village," recounted a twenty-something Senju.
With stars in her eyes, Kaede became enthralled by their stories.
"But young Uzumaki, don't forget, there are ways other than strength to defeat an enemy. Our recent victory over the Uchiha clan is proof of that," said another young Senju.
"What happened?" Kaede asked eagerly.
"Heh, we manipulated another clan to attack them where they least expected it."
With smiles and laughter all around, the Senju were always pleased about the loss of the Uchiha clan. And although the Uchiha had not lost their outpost, the fact that no Senju had died despite the Uchiha's losses was a victory in itself.
Listening to the Senju's stories, Kaede gradually immersed herself in her dreams, imagining herself on the front lines.
She pictured herself facing the vilest enemies of the Senju clan, the Uchiha. Having never seen an Uchiha, she imagined them with eyes entirely blood-red, exuding a demonic aura.
She imagined defeating them with grace, moving through the enemies without obstruction, foreseeing their every move.
And as the sounds of the celebration reached their peak, Kaede gradually descended into the wonderful world of her dreams.
...
Waking up later in the evening, Kaede found herself in an empty room. Sitting on her bed, she focused on her perception of her surroundings and the chakra in the vicinity.
She had a plan for that big night.
Her dreams, hopes, and desires had all been shattered when she learned about her marriage on her birthday four years ago.
Although she didn't understand the full implications at the time, after discussing it with Koji and her family, she realized she would have no chance to live her life as she wished.
So, for that night, with nothing but her determination as her companion, she had planned to escape.
As an Uzumaki with nearly perfect lineage, she was born with a great aptitude for sensory abilities and could easily discern chakra in her surroundings.
Sensing Koji's chakra outside her room, Kaede slipped out of her room through the window and headed in the direction where she felt the least chakra.
In this nocturnal escapade, several factors were important for success. Kaede's perception to avoid some patrolling Senju, and most importantly, luck.
While most Senju had gone to sleep or continued celebrating, Kaede managed to evade all patrols and make her way to the edge of the village without anyone noticing. Facing this expanse of trees in the middle of the night, Kaede was confronted with the greatest dilemma of her life.
Behind her lay her entire life, her obligations, her clan's expectations, her friends, her family.
Ahead of her lay a freedom she did not know. What she had dreamt of for so long.
But having come this far, Kaede was certainly not going to turn back.
Taking one step at a time, each step freed her from her marriage and her destiny.
And as she disappeared into the darkness of the trees, Kaede felt a sense of liberation, as if every cell in her body told her that this was the path to follow, that it was her true destiny.
A direction, a path, toward the place of her dreams, toward adventure.
...
As Kaede journeyed through the forest to live the same stories she had heard from others, Koji sensed that something was amiss.
In front of Kaede's room, he focused on any anomalies he could perceive.
Closing his eyes and lowering his breathing to the minimum, he concentrated on anything suspicious. After a few seconds of listening, he opened his eyes, panic evident in them.
Not because he had heard a suspicious sound. On the contrary, he heard no sounds coming from the room.
No breathing...
Rushing into Kaede's room, he hurried to the bed to pull back the covers that obscured the view of anyone who might be lying under the sheets.
And in a strange way, he was somewhat relieved not to find a body there.
But where could the young princess be? Rushing through the entire house, Koji searched every room in record time.
In a state of pure anxiety, Koji was terrified. He had been Kaede's bodyguard since she was born. He had been a guardian, a friend, and an older brother all at once.
If there was one person in the clan who truly knew her, it was him.
But his knowledge of Kaede led him to believe that she had gone to do something he preferred not to even think about.
Hurrying out of the building, Koji wasted no time and alerted everyone about Princess Uzumaki's disappearance.
In less than a minute, all the Uzumaki and Senju ninjas were on high alert, searching every corner of the village.
Ninjas who were able to track were sent directly to Kaede's house to trace the path taken.
Koji, who knew Kaede best, didn't waste time searching within the village. He grabbed a handful of Uzumaki with him and rushed out of the village into the forest.
The direction?
Toward the front lines between the Senju and the Uchiha.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone