He could have told you all about her. All about the things he loved most about her; the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the way her hair seemed to move independently to her body, the way her cheeks flushed when he looked at her. He could tell you about their life together, the love that they shared.
But he wouldn't.
For telling you all the wonderful things about her would be admitting to the horrible things as well, and how she was no longer there.
He couldn't tell you of how graceful she was in her old age or the way that her smile seemed to deepen as time passed.
For he didn't know.
No one would.
Like all epic romances, there is a meeting between the destined lovers. In some stories, it is an accident, bumping into each other to then have a life-changing moment held within an eye gaze. Sometimes it's a planned meeting, but never in the way that the two expected. However, for the story of our young lovers it went a little more like this:
"Fuck you!" the girl screeched at the young boy opposite her, her golden eyes ablaze. "That was my fish! I caught it." She huffed, glaring at the boy.
"I was the one who managed to catch it so it's mine!" The boy replied, puffing out his chest.
The children, for that was all they were at their respective ages, were standing by the edge of a river, fighting over what was decidedly now a dead fish. The girl, no more than five at best, was small and skinny, with a deep russet skin that blended effortlessly into her hair, her clothes hung off her to show a bony collarbone and slim shoulders. The boy, seeming to look similar in age, whilst bigger than his female counterpart was no less scrawny, his shirtless torso highlighting each of his ribs as they pressed against sepia skin.
"If you caught this one then it means you can catch another one then." The boy argued, keeping the fish firmly in his grasp.
"It took me all day to catch that one. I ain't doing it again." She pouted, turning away from the boy, glancing longingly at the fish. The boy looked at the fish, back to the girl and sighed.
"I could help you catch another one." He grumbled. The girl spun around with an excited gleam in her eye.
"You would?! Great! I'm Fuyuko, and you're now my minion."
"Oi! I never agreed to that! Just set up your pole and we'll catch you your stupid fish."
"Oi Oi! You're 'sposed to tell me your name."
"Kakuzu."
And so, as the sun set over the river the two children bonded. And began a relationship that would last their entire lives.
The rest of their summer was spent by the side of their river, sharing stories together. They stayed in a cave, far enough away from the village that no one came by, but close enough that they could run back to the safety the village provided if needed. Fuyuko would tell Kakuzu of her dreams, to one day have a little shop of her own and a family to care for. Kakuzu would talk about his desire to be a shinobi, to have enough money to never feel hunger again and to be strong enough that no one would try and take his things from him.
When autumn came the children shared their stories over a small fire, and by winter they had made themselves a home in the cave by the river. Their stories and hushed whispers their salvation in the cruel harsh world that they lived in. Hiding them from the realities of their bone thin limbs and the pains of hunger in their stomachs.
At thirteen years of age, both Fuyuko and Kakuzu had changed both physically and mentally, but they were still close despite the changes to their lives. Kakuzu was beginning to show signs that he would grow to be taller than anyone that either teenager knew, with long limbs, broad shoulders and an unending hunger to satisfy his growing body. Fuyuko knew that she wouldn't grow to be a stunning beauty like she had always hoped, but she was pleased with the beginnings of her growing breasts, and the subtle curve of her hips, her hair hanging down to her waist in soft waves.
Kakuzu had been accepted as an apprentice to become a shinobi of the newly formed Takigakure. Fuyuko wasn't sure how she felt about it all, knowing that as part of his apprenticeship Kakuzu had been exposed to a kinjutsu that he didn't completely explain to Fuyuko, but she knew that it resulted in him gaining a range of scars all across his body and nightmares that he won't speak of.
Fuyuko had managed to find work in a bakery, her hands were starting to show signs of her work, but never as badly as her dear Kakuzu. She never had bags under her eyes due to the unending nightmares, nor did she flinch when someone walked too close to her, but smile showed that she was in pain watching her most precious person struggle with the pressures that life had put on him.
Kakazu knew that he had feelings for his friend. He knew it from the day he was given the Earth Grudge Fear kinjutsu. The process of receiving the jutsu was agonising, as the black threads replaced every part of him it felt like he was being burned alive. And after it was over even the slightest breeze felt like knives. But Fuyuko was kind to him in that moment, close but not touching him so not to cause him more pain, she hummed to him, and spoke of non-sensical things, and when he calmed, and his skin hurt just a bit less, she gently stroked his hair and ran her cool fingers over his warm skin, promising that she would look after him, that he had nothing to fear, for she was there and nothing could hurt him with her nearby.
And on that summer night, Kakuzu gave what was left of his heart to Fuyuko.
Fuyuko admitted her feelings for Kakuzu when she was fifteen. She knew that they had been there for a while but had ignored them in favour of keeping her friendship strong. It had been a cold winters day, Fuyuko had just finished her shift at the bakery and was preparing to go to the home she shared with her long-term friend. When she entered the small shack, she was surprised to see Kakuzu already there, expecting him to have been away training or on a mission. On the table was a small array of dishes, meticulously plated on their chipped tableware. Kakuzu helped Fuyuko to her chair and they enjoyed their meal together over candlelight. And it was over the meal that Fuyuko finally admitted to herself that she loved Kakuzu. For as she looked into his grass green eyes she knew that no man would ever look at her the way he did, no one would make her feel as special, and that there was no one she would ever feel as happy with.
Their confessions to each other weren't grand affairs, for that wouldn't have been an honest reflection of their relationship, but rather it was hushed whisper spoken in the dark. An unspoken promise to love and care for each other until their dying days.
At age sixteen the two teens laid together in their small bed, holding each other close, murmuring small nothings to the quiet air. Outside they could hear the chirping of the evening birds, and to soft sounds of the crickets, the last traces of light now leaving the sky.
"I love you," Fuyuko whispered, her face pressed into Kakuzu's chest. His arms tightened around her before he hid his face in her hair, she could feel him smiling against her scalp.
"I love you too. I have for a long time." He admits, allowing her to snuggle deeper into his embrace, feeling her heart beat against his chest. "I'll love you always." He promises
"I'll love you until the end of forever." She responds.
At eighteen the couple found themselves dancing to music that no one could hear under the stars. A mirthful laugh escaping the lips of Fuyuko as Kakuzu looked proud of himself. They twirled together along the riverbank, their reflection joining in with their merriment.
"Jounin, Kakuzu, Jounin! You did it. I'm so proud of you." Fuyuko cheered, her smile stretching from cheek to cheek in a vain attempt to restrain her unadulterated joy. Her face was a beacon of happiness to Kakuzu, her pure goodness shining out to him, encompassing him in her elation.
"It'll mean harder missions from now on. I'll be away more." He tells her, not trying to dampen her joy, but just to keep her attached to reality. "But I'll be earning more, we'll be able to move into a proper house soon."
"I'll wait for you every time you leave, I'll be in our cave, just like I always have done. And one day I'll wait for you in our home. It'll be you and me, and maybe one day a little one of our own who we can love and protect. Who will have a better childhood than we ever had." Fuyuko releases a wistful sigh as she imagines it all, Kakazu shares in her dream, imagining the day he would fully call her his, of what their home would be like. He imagines the way her laughter will fill every corner, and how her love would make it seem as if he could never be cold again.
"When I have enough. When I can properly pay for a house. Would you marry me?" Kakazu asked, looking up at the endless sky.
"Kakuzu, my love, I would marry you right now. I don't need a house, or money, I just need you, but I'll wait for you to be ready. And when you ask me properly, I'll say yes."
The missions began to pile up, and Kakuzu found himself away more than he ever found himself in Taki, but Fuyuko kept her promise, from when she awoke to when she slept, every free moment was spent in the cave by the river, waiting for Kakuzu to return. Some nights she slept in the cave as so to be sure not miss his return.
Each time he came back and saw Fuyuko waiting for him, Kakuzu felt his heart melt just a little bit more. Even when he had to wake her she smiled up at him and welcomed him home. If things went badly she wouldn't push him to talk but would just sit quietly next to him and play with his hair, letting him relax.
Whenever she could Fuyuko would make him his favourite meals; liver sashimi or would make an effort bake him something special in the bakery. Their home, a small rundown shack, always smelled like baked goods when he came home to her.
Every penny that they could spare was saved away, getting them that bit closer to having a home of their own. Kakuzu could almost see the house that they would live in. Just a few more missions and it would be theirs, and then he would propose properly. On his last mission, he had managed to steal a ring that he thought would suit his beloved. A simple rose gold band with a yellow stone in the middle, he didn't know what kind of gem it was, but he knew that it matched her eyes perfectly. He just needed a little more time.
At twenty years old Kakuzu knew that it was time, all he would need is one more high-ranked mission and then he would have enough for the home that they dreamed of. He no longer looked like the sack of bones that he was as a child, nor was he the gangly awkward limbed man of his teenage years, finally had enough bulk to suit his height. His beloved Fuyuko had changed as well; her figure had filled out, giving her a womanly curve that he had grown to appreciate, her baby-fat gave way to high cheekbones and a sharp jawline. He would never call them the most beautiful couple, but he thought that they suited each other just fine.
He had it all planned out, he could spare a little bit of their savings to get her a nice dress and they would go down to the river. He'd have a picnic set up for them, and then he'd propose in the same spot that they met all those years ago. And she would say yes, like she promised she would, and then they would dance like they used to on the riverbank.
She said yes.
Within a month of the proposal, Kakuzu was given the high-ranked mission he needed. It didn't seem any more complicated than ones he had had before, only the target gave him pause. Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage of Konohagakure. It would be a challenge, it could cost him his life, but as Kakuzu looked over the mission details he thought of Fuyuko, if he did this he could give her the life they dreamed of, they would get married and have a house of their own, and so Kakuzu accepted the mission.
The goodbyes were harder than any the couple had gone through before. A sense of dread and despair seemed to hang over them like a cloud, forewarning of the impending disaster.
"I love you," Fuyuko whispered, desperately trying not to cry.
"I'll love you always," Kakuzu replied, crushing his love to his chest as if he would never let her go. And with that Kakuzu left, letting Fuyuko cry as the foreboding feeling took over.
"I'll love you until the end of forever." She rasped into the empty air.
It was a failure. He was a failure. Hashirama Senju lived. The self-proclaimed Hokage was just too much for him to handle individually, too strong a target. Kakuzu cursed himself for taking the mission, for being stupid enough to believe that he could have completed it. He didn't dare think of what would happen once he returned to Taki. Fuyuko would be happy to see him regardless, but Kakuzu wasn't sure if he could face her knowing that it was his failure that will postpone them from living their dream, he may even be facing punishments that could cause further problems to their lives.
The journey back to Taki was torturous and it had nothing to do with his immense injuries. Each day was just a reminder of his failure. He knew that he definitely be punished for his failure. A best he would be put on suspension for a while, unable to take on jobs or earn money, at worst Kakuzu knew he could be sent to prison for an unknown amount of time.
After a week of travelling at a reduced pace Kakuzu finally made it back to Takigakure. He felt sick. He didn't want to go back. He wanted to take Fuyuko and run away. They could start a life somewhere else, never have to worry about the strict rules of their village. Kakuzu knew he couldn't pass for a civilian but that didn't mean he didn't know how to hide his features so that he could blend in. But Kakuzu knew he couldn't do it, partly because he knew that Fuyuko would be disappointed in him for running, and partly because he had been spotted by some of the other Taki shinobi, which made running away nigh on impossible.
Kakuzu held his head high as he went to face his village leader.
Fuyuko knew there was a problem when Kakuzu was late to return. It wasn't the first time that Kakuzu hadn't been back when he was expected, there shouldn't have been any reason to worry, but something had been bothering Fuyuko about his mission since he told her about it.
Her worries only continued to grow with each passing day, when no news came about the death of Hashirama Senju, Fuyuko knew that Kakuzu hadn't been successful in his mission, and she could only hope that his punishment wouldn't be too severe. Maybe she could suggest that they leave Taki, Fuyuko knew he had the skills to look after the two of them if need be.
Her worries weren't helped by the nausea that dogged her steps. She had been feeling ill for a while, and knew the it was more than a stomach bug, but Fuyuko wanted to wait for Kakuzu to come back before she confirmed her suspicions.
At nearly a week after when Kakuzu was due back, Fuyuko decided she couldn't wait any longer to see a doctor, just in case she was wrong and she in fact seriously ill. But her worries were for nought.
Pregnant.
At least six weeks.
Fuyuko couldn't wait for Kakuzu to come home, to tell him the good news. They were going to be a family. They could weather whatever punishment Kakuzu would be given and could start their futures together. They would get married. Get a house. She would have their baby, and it would be the beginning of the rest of their lives together.
Kakuzu was stood in front of his village leader, Himura, waiting for the elder to acknowledge him. The other elders in the room simply glared at Kakuzu, no speaking and not addressing him in any other manner. On his way to the Head's house, Kakuzu noticed not a single shinobi looked at him, not even those he had worked with on a regular basis. He heard the whispers that sparked at his reappearance in the village. How he was a disgrace, how his failure would lead to the prevention of Taki every becoming a large, noble, village.
Once inside the Head's house Kakuzu was surrounded by some of the other jonin that were in the village. He was escorted to the Head's desk. Where he was held by the upper arm while he waited for his debriefing and punishment. Kakuzu knew that his punishment wouldn't be a simple suspension based on the reaction of everyone he's seen.
A few minutes later Elder Himura ceased with his paperwork to finally look at Kakuzu. Himura was an older man, but one that was clearly hardened by the era of the warring clans, with scars ravaging his face, and one arm nearly worn down to a stump by unknown injuries, Kakuzu knew that Himura would show leniency towards himself. The two other elder, Taka and Shima, were just as war weary and unsympathetic towards the kin-jutsu user.
"Jonin Kakuzu of the Earth Grudge Fear. You are here to debrief about your failed mission to assassinate the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, your objective was to kill him before he was able to begin negotiations with the ambassador for the Akimichi clan. We are now hearing that the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka clans are all aligning themselves with Konoha. Do you understand what your failure has cost us, Jonin Kakuzu?" Elder Himura stated as he glared at Kakuzu from over his folded hands.
"I understand sir. But Senju was just too strong for a single shinobi to take, no matter their specialist skills. If I had…"
"IT DOES NOT MATTER! NO 'IF'S! NO 'BUTS'!" Himura exploded, leaping to his feet. "Your failure has cost this village it's only chance at expanding into other nations! Your defeat will mean that other clans will flock to Konoha seeking protection from the Senju. You have sentenced Takigakure to inadequacy Jonin Kakuzu. By all rights I should have you executed, or even have anyone closely associated with you sentenced to death." At this Kakuzu jolted, fearing for Fuyuko. "However, I felt that those were too lenient of a punishment. So, I am sentencing you to imprisonment. You will serve a minimum of five years for your failing, you will have no contact with the outside world, you will be branded for your crimes against the Village, and your chakra will be suppressed for the entirety of your imprisonment. Upon release you will be entered into my elite rank, complete with subservient seal." With the sentencing Elder Himura leant forward.
"Do not mistake this for a kindness Jonin Kakuzu. You will work everyday you are jailed, you will not be paid, you will not receive medical attention, you will be fed enough to keep you alive and no more, your water will be rationed and at no time will you be alone. I will see to it personally that you are reminded of your failings. I am aware of your little chit." Once more Kakuzu felt a cold dread roll down his spine. "I will tell you of how she will grieve for you, and then how she will move on with her life, without you. And you will have to live with the agony of knowing that it was your actions that pushed her away. And you'd be pleased to know. You're about to be a father." Himura then signalled with his hands. "Take him away."
Kakuzu raged against his captors, screaming in blind fury as they took him to be locked away. Without the chance to take in the sudden news the Elder had given him.