A staunch gait and an expressionless face.

She was the deadly nightshade that innocently beckoned fools to her fruit. Quick like a poison, she would strike and her opponents would fall one by one. She had mastered many skills despite her age, yet still had much to learn because of her youth. She wore a collared blue tank top in honor of the traditional style of her clan. She wore shorts that reached just above her knees and the standard shinobi sandals. A katana was strapped horizontally to her waist. The symbol of her village gleamed brilliantly upon the hitai-ate that was wrapped in her hair, accenting the beauty of her face.

She walked up to the Hokage, kneeling down and bowing her head in respect. Hashirama smiled at her, walking up to the woman. He placed his hand on her head, lightheartedly ruffling it up. She glared at him through the bangs that had fallen into her face.

"With all due respect, Hokgae-sama, please refrain from doing that. I am not a child anymore."

"I know…" Hashirama responded, pride and love shining in his eyes. "But I can't help it! You've grown into a fine shinobi and an even finer woman. As such, with great pleasure, I now officially pronounce you a jounin. Congratulations!"

She bowed her head once again. "It is my duty and honor to serve as a Leaf shinobi and to serve under you, Hokage-sama."

Hashirama laughed. "Whatever happened to calling me 'Daddy' like you used to, Izumi?"

Izumi blushed. "It's improper! You may be my dad, but you're still the Hokage. I deserve no leniency simply because I'm your daughter. I earned my right to become the next head of the Uchiha Clan and I have worked hard to reach this designation. I will address you with respect like I should."

"So professional…" Hashirama muttered. "You're just like your mother."

Izumi smirked. "So I've heard."

"Just get your butt over here and give your Dad a hug!"

"But—"

"No 'buts' other than the one that needs to move itself over here! Hokage's orders."

Izumi blushed briefly before smiling brightly at him. She launched herself at him, laughing joyfully as Hashirama caught her in a flying hug. He twirled her around a bit before setting her down. She increased her grip on his neck, feeling incredibly happy and blessed to have such a wonderful person as her dad and as Hokage. She pulled away from him, blinking when she noticed Hashirama crying comical tears steams.

"You've grown up too fast!" he moaned. "I miss that little girl who used to braid Madara's hair while he was sleeping because she knew she was the only one who could get away with doing it!"

"I still am. I'm just…more responsible now."

"I know. That's why I want to give you a gift for your new promotion."

"Really? What?"

Hashirama went to the cord around his neck, removing the crystal necklace he had gotten so many years ago. He went up to Izumi, placing it around her neck. She held up the gem, staring at its beauty in awe.

"Your mother gave me that gift years ago, about a month before you were born. It's a special reminder of all the things I have been blessed with these past several years. I know there will be times when you will have to choose between your duty and your ideals. I want you to have it so you never forget what truly matters to you."

"Thank you…Daddy."

"I'm so proud!" he yelled, slamming his hands on both Izumi's shoulders. "You should tell your brothers the news!"

"They're going to flip," Izumi stated. "Do I have to?"

"Yes. They do look up to you despite their…immature behavior."

"Only for you, Daddy."

With a quick bow, she turned toward the door and rushed out of the room. Hashirama sighed, now thinking about his sons. He could just imagine their excited reactions as he began to put away all his work in his office. They would be ecstatic. It called for a huge celebration and his mouth began to water at the thought of what would be made for dinner that night. He didn't know how Madara did it, but his culinary expertise was beyond amazing. He supposed it was just another skill the Uchiha could laud in the faces of their Senju rivals.

He still had trouble believing how well their two clans had been getting along. Thanks to Madara's help, he was able to give the Uchiha a fair say in Konoha's politics. By Tobirama's suggestion, a police force was comprised of both Senju and Uchiha in an effort to keep the peace within the village walls. The Shinobi Academy was now accepting girls who desired to become respectable kunoichi. Lots of other clans had been interacting with one another, the children in particular. The Ino-Shika-Cho team composition had been born from this interaction, providing a basis for good balance and teamwork with people who were vastly different from one another.

He smiled when he spotted the familiar wood structure that was their family home. He nearly skipped through the front door, knowing who he'd see inside. He thrust his head around the corner of the entryway leading to the kitchen. He grinned.

"I'm back!"

"Like I couldn't tell," was Madara's wry response. "How did she take it?"

"Exactly how you would've taken it," Hashirama said, walking up to Madara and watching the Uchiha cut up red peppers. "So what's the surprise?"

"Hashirama, you just want to mooch off the food before it's even out. Don't think I don't know exactly what you're trying to do. I've known you long enough to know that."

"I can't help it! Your food is the best! Even the specialty restaurants pale in comparison to it!"

"How about you help rather than just standing there and doing nothing?"

Hashirama chuckled, taking a knife and some vegetables. "Alright, Mama Mada."

"I have a six inch knife here, Hashirama. Don't make me use it on you."

"Right…" Hashirama gulped, not wanting to incur his husband's wrath. "Well, she was happy, but didn't expressively show it."

"Good. That's the proper reaction a shinobi should have."

"Man, time flies. I remember when she was just a newborn. Now she's sixteen, a jounin, and she's mastered her Sharingan and all the Uchiha Fire Style techniques. And the boys too…"

"Chunin with fully awakened and matured Sharingan as well. I know," Madara replied, giving Hashirama a whimsical smirk. "Stop being so nostalgic."

"Now who's the one lying? You feel the same way, Madara."

"True. But despite everything that has happened…I'm glad they've had the opportunity to actually be children."

"We never had that chance. We were forced into battle before we were ready. That's another thing to be thankful for."

"I'd rather die than let them experience the pain of war. I'm going to keep it that way as long as I'm able to."

"Relax. We've managed to keep the peace so far. What could possibly go wrong?"

"I have HAD it with you!"

Palms slammed down on the table, shaking it enough that glasses toppled to the ground. She felt her heart beating and her form shaking. She held the stuffed bunny close to her chest, burying her face into the soft blueish-white fur. She peeked through the small crack between her arm and the rabbit, feeling the urge to keep watching despite her fear.

Kazuki crossed his arms, glaring heatedly at his mother. "I am entirely sick of your stupid attitude!"

Tobirama stared down his son, his eyes narrowing dangerously. His scowl was not as fierce as it could be whenever he got angry, but it was still a frightening sight to see for the kids. Kazuki did not back down from this look.

"See!? You're doing it now!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Tobirama. "You're babying me again!"

"Kazuki, you're still young. You may be skillful, but you're letting your pride cloud you to the truth. You have limits."

"How am I supposed to overcome those limits if you never even let me try!?" Kazuki yelled. "You never let me do anything I'm more than ready for!"

"Because you aren't ready for them."

"I'm not some fragile doll that'll crack at the slightest breeze! I'm ten years old and well-around chunin level in terms of skill, but you're still coddling me like I'm two!"

"Don't take that tone of voice with me," Tobirama snapped, a spark of fury igniting in his eyes. "As long as you live under this house, you abide by my rules."

"Papa lets me try. Why can't you?"

"Your father has nothing to do with this. This is about you, Kazuki. You're behaving like a spoiled brat. How can you expect me to treat you as a respectable shinobi when you act like this when you don't get your way?"

"I'd rather be a brat that can try and improve himself than have you holding me back!"

She gasped quietly at the words. She brought her head out of the bunny's fur, paying full attention now. She saw the startled look on her mother's face and the triumphant sneer on Kazuki's. Kazuki's glare was filled with spite and hatred as he leapt off the chair he had been standing on in an effort to be taller than their mother (which he had failed miserably at). Kazuki crossed his arms, his back facing their mother.

"I hate you. You have been nothing but a liability. Do me a favor and just stay out of my life. You can die in a ditch in the middle of nowhere for all I care. In fact, I'll be happy! Then I won't have to worry about useless garbage dragging me down and telling me what I can't do!"

Yuko winced when Kazuki slammed the front door. She timidly looked over to her mother, seeing him slumping into a chair and placing a hand over his face. He was upset, exasperated, and remorseful. She knew her mother loved Kazuki dearly. It was because he loved him that he was so protective of him. He was scared he would lose Kazuki in some horrible manner and he would not be able prevent it from happening. She had never asked why her mother always had this look in his eyes. She could only guess something really bad had happened to her nii-chan when he was a baby.

Holding her best friend Usa-chan, a cherished gift her mother had given to her when she was a baby, she quietly went over to one of the windows and looked outside. She had to talk to her brother. There was no way Kazuki had meant the things he said. He was angry and people always said things they didn't mean when they were angry. She had to get Kazuki and Mama to apologize to one another. Why couldn't Kazuki see how much he had hurt Mama? Why didn't he understand the reasons why their mother was so reluctant to let him try dangerously stupid techniques?

It pained her to see her Mama so hurt. She hated it when he and Kazuki would get into arguments, which seemed to be occurring more often lately. Although, they never ended up like this and it scared Yuko.

The young girl shook her head. No, she couldn't be scared now! Not when her Mama was hurt and Papa wasn't here to help! Papa always said that she had a way with words so maybe she could get her nii-chan to stop being mad! Determination gleamed in little Yuko Uchiha-Senju's eyes and, sneaking past her distraught mommy, the white-haired four-year-old raced after her enraged brother.

Finding her younger brothers at a dango shop in the middle of the village, Izumi sat across from them and proceeded to tell them the good news.

Their reactions were as expected.

"Congratulations, Nee-Nee!" Akio bellowed, tackling his beloved sister in a flying hug, a wide smile he inherited from his father spreading across his face. Ryo, ever the spitting image of his mother sans his father's brown hair, gave his sister a rough smile, his charcoal eyes alight with admiration and pride.

"Conrgats, Zumi-nee," Ryo offhandedly added. "Now Saru has an excuse to take you out on a date."

"R-RYO!" Izumi blurted out, a fierce blush staining her face. "I told you before that I do not like Hiruzen in that way!"

"The blush on your face says otherwise."

She groaned, hiding the blush on her face with her hands. The twins both laughed at the reaction. She could hide it all she wanted, but they would always find a way to tease her about it. It was true she had a crush on her friend, but that's all it was; a crush. Hiruzen was a strong and loyal shinobi and an even greater friend. She assumed it was her inner child's admiration of him that made her feel flustered whenever he was mentioned.

"Well, if Saru doesn't do it, you know for sure that Kagami will."

Izumi groaned again, this time out of annoyance. She always had to be careful with her words around Kagami. He was a great guy and a close friend, just like Hiruzen was. However, he would not take the hint that she was not interested in having a boyfriend at this point in time. Maybe once she was a little older and more mature to make that choice she would say yes. But for now, she just wanted things to remain stable enough that he wouldn't be drooling and fawning over her every waking minute of the day. He was sensible enough to not do that, but she had to wonder about the pubescent boys she had seen.

At least Danzo was respectable enough to give her space. He was quiet, thoughtful, and a bit hotheaded at times, but he had good intentions. At least he knew when to act like a man and when to act like a stupid idiot. He still had that annoying rivalry with Hiruzen and it had only gotten worse as the two got older. She had no idea what Danzo was trying to prove whenever he competed with Hiruzen. His subsequent defeats seemed to be even worse for him to handle now more than ever. She could only try to console him after those losses and he seemed to take her word better than most. It helped that they were teammates for so long and she knew how stubbornly proud he was; proud, just like her mother was.

She haphazardly wondered if Danzo was competing with Hiruzen at that moment.

She blinked when she spotted Kazuki angrily stomping down the road, his eyes burning with a fierce hatred. Yuko was tailing him, holding Usa-chan over her head. More than a little curious, Izumi stood up and began making her way toward her cousins. As she got nearer, she made out their conversation.

"Come on, nii-chan!" Yuko pleaded. "I know you didn't mean it. Mama loves you lots! That's why he doesn't want you getting hurt."

"I'm not a helpless baby, Yuko!" Kazuki snapped, turning around and pointing at Yuko. "You should talk! He never gets angry with you for anything! You're a perfect little angel in his eyes! It makes me SICK!"

"But—"

"I'm tired of his restrictions and incessant nagging! I'm a shinobi. Even if I'm still a genin, I'm still considered an adult. I just want him to start treating me like one. I'm not going to be a kid forever and he needs to know that. He can't keep me from wanting to get stronger and more skilled. It's for the good of the village. Why can't he see that instead of the helpless child he seems to think I am?"

"I can see that," Yuko said in a cutesy attempt to imitate Tobirama's voice. "But—"

"YUKO! Get lost! I don't need you hounding me either!"

Yuko pulled Usa-chan back to her chest, her eyes watering up.

"Kazuki!" Izumi snapped, frowning deeply. "Don't say things like that to your sister."

Kazuki stiffened when he saw his cousin. "Izumi?"

"Siblings can be a pain, but they do care about you," Izumi said as she knelt down and pulled Yuko into a hug, running a soothing hand across her head. "I should know. I've been dealing with my brothers a lot longer than you have with your sister."

Kazuki scowled, crossing his arms and glaring at the ground. Akio and Ryo soon caught up, each one standing beside Kazuki. The youngest of the boys took a deep breath, exhaling soon after in an effort to calm himself down.

"What happened?" Ryo asked.

"…I had a fight with my mother," Kazuki reluctantly explained. "Don't ask. I'm not in the mood to talk about it."

"Ah…okay!" Akio said awkwardly. "How about I show you my new technique to lift the mood?"

Everyone took a collective step away from Akio. A sweatdrop ran down the bicolored-haired child's head. He laughed nervously.

"Come on, guys! It has nothing to do with paper bombs this time!"

"It's not the paper bombs we're worried about," Ryo deadpanned. "It's the shoddy control of your Wood Style. I'd take paper bombs any day as long as I don't have to worry about being impaled by tree branches."

Akio pouted. "I'm getting better!"

"Nope. I'm not taking that chance either," added Kazuki. "Your 'techniques' always end in disaster."

"I wanna see!" Yuko optimistically shouted.

"See? Yuko supports me! Give me a chance, guys. Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeease?" Yuko repeated alongside Akio, both kids giving their patented Puppy Eye Combo no Jutsu on the rest of them.

"We're gonna regret this, aren't we?" Kazuki questioned Ryo.

Ryo nodded as he watched Akio make his hand signs. "Yep. It never fails."

"Alright!" Akio announced. "Wood Style—"

Just as Akio clapped his hands together, a brilliant, white light appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It pierced through the retinas of the five kids, causing them to shield their eyes.

"What the hell is this?!" Ryo exclaimed.

"I don't know!" Akio responded.

"Akio! What did you do, ya bastard!?"

"This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Izumi, still holding Yuko whom had her head buried into her chest and now crying even harder than before, gritted her teeth and attempted to open her eyes to see what was going on. On the edge of her senses, she sensed a foreign but very powerful chakra within the light and it made her anxious. Were they under attack?

The light became brighter and all were subjected to a faint sucking sensation before they were mercifully knocked out.

Ominous shattering.

Despite being in separate households, picture frames fell and crashed to the floor at the same time. Glass shattered, spreading pieces across the floor and ripping the pictures in the process. In complete yet unknown unison, Madara and Tobirama picked up the broken frames. The cracks ran down in such a way that they cut off the children from their parents. Izuna's face could not be made out behind the smashed frame. Hashirama's face had been split in two by the glass and Madara had been separated completely from the picture.

They could only wonder why they felt a foreboding feeling descend upon them as they attempted to save what little they could recover from the frames. They did know one thing for certain.

Something had happened to the kids. Something bad.

Eh…I know I said I was going to work on this in the DISTANT future since I wanted to work of some of my other stories, but my OC babies were calling to me! I couldn't ignore them! So, lucky for you faithful viewers who are still reading this series, you get this next part early.

So, here we are with the third installment of the "Three" series: Three Legacies. This time, it'll focus on these wonderful OCs that kitsunelover300, my OTPs, and I have created and it'll be MUCH longer than the first two stories were. What was the light? Where did they go? You shall see in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned!

EDIT: I made a cover for this story! It shows each of the kids, but...the stupid picture didn't come out too good. And I won't even mention how horribly off the anatomy is... T_T So, to fix the visual issue, I'll be posting a link to my Deviantart account and post the picture there so you can see it better if you're curious.