So... I'm back! I know that it's almost been a year (two days left until the exact date) and most of you might have been waiting for an update for any of my stories. Well, I guess you could say that I've lost motivation for writing for quite a while, until only just recently. I have no promises to update on a fixed schedule, but I'll try to update more often. As a returning gift to my readers, here is a brand new story!
"The Water Lily of Konoha"
By MagykjayEmmax
Prologue
Unknown Isle; Dawn
Tuesday, December 15
"Surrender and we won't have to take drastic measures."
Six Kirigakure no Sato shinobi surrounded her, all wielding kunai and outfitted in the standard Kiri shinobi gear. Dawn had only just befallen the small, nameless island in Mizu no Kuni (Land of Water) and the kunai gleamed, reflecting the first rays of the sun's light.
The girl shook her head and shouted, "No! You'll just kill me! Just like you killed my clan!"
The Kiri shinobi who spoke from earlier made a gesture and the five other shinobi began to close in, one of them having a cruel smirk on his face. In that moment, the girl set her eyes on the shinobi behind her and utilizing all of her speed, she lunged at the kunai in his hand. The man lifted his kunai but the girl, despite her slim appearance, knocked his arm aside with surprising strength, took the weapon by the blade and wrenched it free from his grip and with a quick turn, she scurried backwards and crouched into a defensive pose.
"Shit. I might have a weapon, but it's still six against one," the girl thought.
The apparent leader said, "Well, it seems she won't cooperate. Let's get her!"
The one to the girl's left, also the one closest to her, lunged and she screamed, falling backwards while pointing the kunai at him. The Kiri shinobi seemed to prepare to throw his blade but a kunai seemed to magically appear in his skull and he fell on the girl, blood spraying everywhere. A figure appeared behind the girl and proceeded to engage two of the Kiri ninja, quickly slitting their throats before using one of them as a human shield from his teammates' shuriken and kunai. When the assault ended, the figure dumped the body and moved quickly, blindsiding one of the remaining Kiri shinobi, rendering him unconscious before taking a shuriken from his pouch and hurling it in the space between the eyes of one of the two shinobi left. The last Kiri shinobi was staring at the figure with wide eyes and proceeded to try and flee, but by the time he turned around, the mysterious individual already drew one of his own kunai. The girl watched as the figure quickly approached the retreating back of the Kiri ninja and sunk his kunai into the ninja's flesh.
When the last ninja's body dropped to the ground with a thud, the figure sighed, "They must all have been Shoshinsha. What a waste of life."
Turning towards the prone form of the young girl, she could see that he was a young, tall man around her age, seventeen. He had russet hair accentuated by green eyes and a tan skin. He had a chiseled build and a hard look on his face, yet his eyes held a softness to them that made him approachable.
Once standing in front of her and extending his hand, he asked, "Are you okay, miss? They won't be able to harm you now."
Brushing her dark brown locks aside, she took his hand and rising slowly, she nodded.
"Thank you for saving my life," the girl whispered, "A-are you a shinobi also?"
"Yes. I come from the Rinha Clan. My name is Mizunoken Rinha-Uzumaki. What might your name be?"
"Oh… I'm from the Yuki clan. My name is Amai..."
"The Yuki Clan, huh? I just passed by your land. Kirigakure forces have razed the place down to the ground."
"Yes... I am aware. I just fled my home… I-I-I don't know what I'll do now…"
Amai's chest began to heave and tears began to fall silently. Mizunoken placed a hand on her shoulder and grasped it softly.
"Breathe. It'll be okay," he whispered, "Say… Why don't you come with me to my clan? We'll be more than happy to take you in until you decide your next course of action."
Amai looked up with a tear stained face, her golden brown eyes gleaming and gave a grim smile.
"R-really? You would do that?"
Mizunoken nodded and with a smile, added, "Our Clan grounds are maybe a half day's travel."
Amai murmured, "B-but I'm not a shinobi. The trip would take longer… a-and I don't want to be a burden."
Mizunoken suddenly knocked Amai's knees aside and caught her before lifting her up bridal-style with a grin.
"Who said we were walking? I'm taking you there, shinobi-style," He said, "If you don't mind this position, of course."
Amai's mocha-skinned face reddened and she shook her head, indicating her consent with the method of travel. Mizunoken's arms tightened around her lithe form and he proceeded to take flight into the dense foliage.
(000)(000)(000)
Himitsu Island; Evening
Thirteen hours later
After island-hopping throughout the day, the two finally arrived at an island as the sun started to set above the horizon. Mizunoken's short russet locks were plastered to his face due to the sweat from carrying Amai to his home. He placed Amai down on solid ground and she grasped his arm, trying to balance herself after hours of being carried.
Mizunoken gestured to the trees in front of them. "Beyond these trees are my clan grounds. Don't be nervous. I'm the Clan Head's son and no harm will befall you."
Amai whispered, "Okay. I-I trust you."
She followed Mizunoken towards the end of the tree line and into a clearing adorned with a dozen of wooden houses and a single cobblestone street that housed a building larger than the ones surrounding it at the end. A small number of people were milling about the streets, talking and looking around. One of the people caught sight of the two approaching the small village and alerted the others to their presence. From the building at the end of the street, a large man with red hair emerged and walked towards the approaching pair.
Mizunoken called, "Father. I'm back."
"I can see that. Who's the girl," his father replied, in an authoritative tone.
"Her name is Amai. She's a survivor of the Yuki Clan. Kirigakure forces, all because of the Bloodline Purge, annihilated her Clan. She was attacked by some Kiri shinobi and I rescued her. Since she had nowhere to go, I offered to take her in here. She'll be my responsibility as long she stays here… given you approve of the idea."
The Rinha Clan Head studied Amai with appraising eyes for a while before turning back to his son.
"She may stay with us, under two conditions: you train her to utilize her bloodline, the Hyōton, if I am correct, and she becomes a part of the Rinha Clan. You know what the second entails for her. Given you accept these conditions, she is welcome to remain."
"I will do so. Thank you for giving her a chance," Mizunoken bowed and promised, before turning to Amai and asking, "Will you comply?"
Amai brought her hands up to her heart and nodded quickly, a growing smile gracing her tired features. The Clan Head gave her a warm look and gestured for the two to follow him to the building he came out of earlier.
Upon entering the building, the Clan Head turned around and with a grin, said, "Well, welcome to our humble adobe!"
Amai murmured, "Thank you for having me…"
The Clan Head laughed, "No need to be so formal! I was just checking your intentions earlier! Call me Aramui," he patted Mizunoken's shoulder, "I'm the boy here's father!"
Amai looked between the two and could make the connection. After all, from what she had seen of the village, the pair was the only one with red hair, green eyes and tanned skin. The rest of the village had dark hair, brown eyes, and pale skin native to the inhabitants of Mizu no Kuni.
"Just ignore my father," Mizunoken sighed, "He can be a bit… eccentric at times. Allow me to show you where you'll be sleeping for the duration of your stay."
As the two ascended the stairs, Aramui called out from below, "If my son tries anything, come to me! I'll be sure to set him straight!"
The pair blushed deeply at that before Mizunoken stopped in front of a door and cleared his throat.
"Ahem, well, h-here's where you'll be staying. If you need me, my room is just across the hall. The bath is downstairs towards the back of the house and the bathroom is towards the front. You should be able to find the kitchen easily."
Amai, with the blush on her face only beginning to recede, thanked him and proceeded to go straight to the bath.
(000)(000)(000)
A half-hour later
Rinha Clan Head Residence
Amai wrapped the towel around her after drying herself and walked towards the door to the bath space. As she opened it, she came face-to-chest with a half-naked Mizunoken carrying what seemed to be a yukata with floral patterns and a yellow obi. With a reddening face, Amai stepped back into the bath space and shut the door, exhaling quickly.
"Oh, Kami, I noticed that Mizunoken was good-looking, but half-naked he looks even better! Wait, Amai, why are you thinking this? He saved you and gave you a place to stay! Get yourself together!" Amai berated herself for her reaction and heard knocking from behind.
"Um… Amai? I have your sleepwear for you," he said from behind the thin wooden door.
Amai could only think of how he looked topless with only black shinobi pants on and his distinguished abdomen and chest.
"Amai! Respond! Don't look like an idiot," Amai reminded herself before replying, "Uh, just leave them on the floor. I'll get them."
"Okay… I'll wake you up tomorrow to introduce you to the history of my clan. Be sure to sleep well. Oyasumi (Good night)."
After hearing him walk away, she opened the door quickly and gathered her sleepwear before rushing up to her room and closing the door. She was greeted to a plaid, tatami mat-floored room with a large futon in the center of the room surrounded by a candle on either side for illumination. After changing into her sleepwear, heart beating from the memory of a half naked Mizunoken, she slipped between the sheets of the futon and rested her head on the pillow. Before long, she began to get drowsy, thinking of her situation.
"It's hard to believe that not a day ago my clan was almost wiped out by shinobi forces from Kirigakure. I'm glad that Mizunoken found me, otherwise I would be dead by now… or worse. I don't think that I'm going to be going anywhere anytime soon. Maybe I'll stay here and become a part of the Rinha Clan. It doesn't seem so bad… and Mizunoken is here, too. Yes… I think… I'll stay here… with… Mizunoken."
With that decision, Amai Yuki, drifted into slumber, unaware of the future her choice had sprung into existence.
The Rinha Clan: a clan made up of medical ninjutsu specialists coveted for their extreme chakra control and kekkei genkai, which allows them to absorb a person's chakra and duplicate their appearance and memories. After the beginnings of the Bloodline Purge, led by the Third Mizukage, the Rinha Clan dwindled from a few hundred members to around fifty and began to take up a semi-nomadic lifestyle, settling in one place until people become suspicious of their existence and then moving. Many former members have fled into Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire), either becoming civilians or becoming samurai or shinobi who have become exceptional, due to their ease of controlling chakra. On a somewhat unrelated note, a small clan in Konohagakure no Sato, the Haruno Clan, seems to be descended from one of the former Rinha Clan members, which would explain their ability to manipulate chakra to near perfect degrees. Regarding the location of the clan, for the past three years, they have been living on Himitsu Island, isolated from others, only leaving the island to do scouting, shopping, and missions.
The Rinha Clan does not have a fixed shinobi system, rather having the strongest ninja, the Clan Head, giving orders and presiding over the day-to-day issues of the small village, not unlike the other leaders of the Elemental Countries. Out of the fifty-three people living on Himitsu Island, only twenty-one are shinobi. One is the Clan Head and thirteen are elite shinobi, called Erīto, capable of leaving the island and doing missions. The remaining seven are beginner shinobi, called Shoshinsha, only recently becoming shinobi and are restricted to the island and defending its perimeter.
Today, however, one more ninja will be added to the ranks of the elite shinobi of the Rinha Clan: Amai Rinha-Uzumaki, formerly Amai Yuki and currently the wife of Mizunoken Rinha-Uzumaki.
Three years later; Friday, December 15
Himitsu Island; Morning
Amai sighed, and tugged on the collar of her normal shinobi outfit consisted of the standard Kirigakure pinstriped outfit, which stopped at her knees. She checked the pouch on her right leg, which was filled with poisoned senbon and then made sure that her medical pouch was in its rightful place, on the back of her waist. She then proceeded to gather her long brown hair into a white bun holder, while keeping two locks of her hair loose, framing her face, bound with metal hair cuffs at the ends.
"I know this is meant to make it easier for me to travel around Mizu no Kuni without being apprehended… but couldn't I have something more… fashionable," Amai thought.
The door to her room, the same one she slept in when she arrived exactly three years ago today, opened and in walked Mizunoken, a grin alight on his face.
"Good morning, anata (darling/honey)," he greeted, "Ready for your induction?"
Amai turned to face him with a soft smile on her face and with a deep inhale, she nodded, a look of determination on her features. Hand in hand, the two walked downstairs to the entrance and put on their black platoon sandals before walking outside, greeted by a small crowd- thirty-two civilians- clapping at the newly minted husband and wife. The two walked through the crowd, returning salutations with a smile before finding the entire shinobi force of the Rinha Clan standing behind Aramui, her father-in-law. Aramui's once vibrant russet hair had now lightened, with streaks of grey adorning sections of his hair yet he still retained that carefree grin from when she first arrived. Amai idly wondered what could have caused such a change in appearance in the three years she had been here before stopping, having reached then end of the street and standing in front of Aramui and bowing.
Aramui waved a hand and said, "Ohayō (Good Morning). After the Evaluation we held last week of your abilities, I have come to the conclusion that you are qualified for advancement from Shoshinsha to Erīto. To perform the final ceremony, I would like for you to come with me as I teach you how to use Chakura no Ito (Chakra Threads). This is due to the fact that you, like me, do not have the Rinha Clan bloodline, which renders you incapable of using their kekkei genkai. Once you pass my test, you will be a full-fledged Erīto. Do you agree to the conditions?"
Amai nodded vigorously, aware of how close she is to attaining the same rank as her beloved. She left the gathering of Rinha shinobi and followed Aramui to a small clearing in the woods surrounding the village. Aramui spun swiftly, facing her with his hand outstretched, before launching five blue threads from his fingertips, each connecting with a part of her body. With swift movements of his fingers, Amai felt her body start moving, independent of her volition. She began running around Aramui before doing cartwheels and then somersaulting over his form and once landing, performing a one-handed handstand. She glared at the Rinha Clan Head as he kept her in that position for a while before quickly cancelling the Chakura no Ito (Chakra Threads), her body collapsing to the ground awkwardly.
Embarrassed at her recently indecent position, she got up quickly and shouted, "What was that for?"
"That, my dear," Aramui began, "is merely a show of what our clan is capable of. What you could eventually be capable of. This technique originally hailed from Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind)'s hidden shinobi village, Sunagakure no Sato. Sunagakure is home to many puppeteers in existence, people who construct puppets and control them with threads of chakra for battle. There is a difference between their style, the one we are resigned to using, and the Rinha Clan's style, which is made possible thanks to our kekkei genkai: members of the clan can exert complete control over our targets. Now, that brief lecture is out of the way, my test for you is for you to create threads and manipulate a leaf from one of the trees around us by sunset. Do you understand?"
Amai listened with rapt attention throughout Aramui's explanation and grinned towards the end. Sunset was twelve hours away and her chakra control was among the best in the village—this was going to be a cakewalk.
"Don't leave just yet, Aramui," Amai murmured, "I think I got it down. Watch!"
Amai stared at a leaf hanging from a branch of the tree closest to her and slowly concentrated her chakra into a growing thread. Once the chakra was long enough, pooling around her feet, she flicked her wrist, the glowing blue line whipping towards the hanging leaf before connecting and sticking to the surface. She let out a sharp exhale and proceeded to pull the leaf away from the branch an wiggling her finger, levitated the leaf in the air before directing it into a circular path and then flicking it as high the thread would allow. Once the string pulled taut, she cancelled the technique and allowed the leaf to flutter aimlessly to the ground. Turning back to Aramui, she smirked.
"How was that?"
Aramui stared at her for a while before a massive grin grew on his face.
"Expected of my daughter-in-law. You truly are gifted! Welcome to the ranks of the Erīto!"
Amai grinned broadly and proceeded to hug her father tightly. As she took in the warmth of Aramui's equally tight embrace, she asked a question that had been dwelling in her mind for a while.
"Otōsan … You know that I love Mizunoken-kun dearly… What would you say if I told you I wanted children?"
The Rinha Clan Head drew back and gazed into her eyes with the eyes and smile of a father whom just had his greatest wish in life granted.
"Grandkids? Hell, yes! Go for it!"
Amai laughed. All was right in the world, or rather, her little isle of happiness.
One year later; Saturday, December 15
Himitsu Island; Evening
Amai Rinha-Uzumaki, now twenty-one years old, patted her swollen belly, feeling a soft pressure from the little bundle of joy within. Mizunoken, twenty-three, sat next to her in their little house, a cozy one next to the Clan Head house they had just moved in a couple months ago with the desire to have a house for a family.
Mizunoken kissed her temple softly and asked, "Have you thought of a name for our child? Heh, our child… I still can't believe that he or she is coming soon. Anyways, have you thought of one?"
"Yeah," Amai replied, "I was thinking Hyō if it is a boy and Suiren if it is a girl. To think that I'll be about to deliver in a few weeks…"
Amai's face took on a pink hue as she thought about the activities Mizunoken and she underwent that led to her current state. The minimal blush faded as she remembered something important.
"Mizu-kun, how is your experiment with the seal going?"
"It's slow going. I'm trying to find a way to adhere the seal to one's chakra system, but only advanced sealing seals can do that, such as the Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style). I was thinking of combining the Chakura Kyūshū Fūin (Chakra Absorption Seal) and the Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style) into a new seal. But I need a living material with chakra to use the seal on and something to seal with. I don't think that I will actually share the seal publicly, just develop its machinations and make sure that it is labeled a family technique. I couldn't live with myself if people got hurt or died because of an family invention of mine."
Amai snaked her arms around her husband and snuggled into his side.
"I understand. I'll be by your side no matter what kind of decision you make. I love you."
Mizunoken beamed at her and the two engaged in a deep kiss, broken upon the knocking of the front door, signaling someone's presence. Mizunoken glanced at the door down the hall and sighed, resigning himself to respond to the visitor. Amai reluctantly let go of his hand and watched him walk to the front door. When the door was opened, revealing a Rinha Erīto, she experienced a chill for unknown reasons. Catching snippets of the conversation between her husband and the Rinha Erīto, she could piece together the fact that Mizunoken had a mission to do. The sound of the door closing drew Amai out of her musings of what Aramui might assign his son to do and Mizunoken approached his wife's seated form before kneeling.
"Amai… Apparently I have a mission. I will talk to Otōsan about the details. I promise I will try to be back by the end of the next week! I damn sure as well won't miss our child's birth!"
Amai nodded, though upset at the idea that her beloved had to leave the island so close to her due date. She resolved to talk to Aramui as soon as she could after Mizunoken left. Mizunoken kissed her on the lips and Amai returned it fiercely, disappointed when he retreated with a small smile and left the house. Amai nestled into the soft couch; thinking of what she would say when she approached the Clan Head.
(000)(000)(000)
An hour later
Gathering her wits, Amai draped a thick black haori over her dark green kimono; aware of the chill that enveloped the village at night and set out to the place she first resided in when she arrived to the village. Knocking at the door of Aramui's place, she glanced around at her surroundings, noting nothing out of place before the door opened, presenting a tired-looking Aramui who managed to grin upon seeing his daughter.
"Hello! Come in, dear! Make yourself comfortable—you know where the living room is."
Amai hesitated, unsure if she wanted to enter but decided to do so, heading for the living room couch and sitting herself.
"Do you want tea? I can brew one now," came Aramui's voice from the kitchen.
"No. Thank you for the offer, though. I just have a question for you," was Amai's reply.
Hearing his daughter's blunt reply, he walked into the living room, unsure of how to begin the conversation. Amai stood up briskly.
"Why did you send my husband away on a mission so close to my due date?"
Aramui smiled somberly at Amai before launching into his explanation.
"Recently, there has been a shift in power between the Great Five Countries as scouts have reported that a bijū (Tailed Beast) has been rampant in Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire) before suddenly vanishing, presumably sealed. Data gathered from our spy in Kirigakure has shown that at this moment, Tsuchi no Kuni's (Land of Earth) Iwagakure no Sato has two bijū, the Yonbi (Four-Tails) and Gobi (Five-Tails; Kaminari no Kuni's (Land of Lighting) Kumogakure no Sato has two bijū also, the Nibi (Two-Tails) and Hachibi (Eight-Tails); Kaze no Kuni's (Land of Wind) Sunagakure has one bijū currently, the Ichibi (One-Tails); Hi no Kuni's (Land of Fire) Konohagakure might have a new bijū now, with the Kyūbi (Nine-Tails) sealed. Kirigakure has only two bijū: the Rokubi (Six-Tails) and the Sanbi (Three-Tails) and compared to the other countries, Kirigakure is an isolationist country and they do not have a strong hold over their human bijū containers, otherwise called jinchūriki. Evidence shows the Kirigakure is plotting to capture another bijū and create another jinchūriki and the only bijū that is not in the possession of the Five Great Countries, the Nanabi (Seven-Tails) is hidden somewhere in Taki no Kuni (Land of Waterfalls). There have been rumors about the existence of a hidden village there, Takigakure no Sato and most likely the hiding place of the Nanabi. I have sent Mizunoken to infiltrate Takigakure and retrieve the Nanabi so no further shifts of power might be brought upon the Elemental Countries. I understand your plight and if I were you, I would have come to question myself, but Mizunoken's mission is for the greater good of the world we live in. His abilities are necessary for this mission's success. Do you understand?"
Amai stood shell-shocked, amazed at Aramui's integrity and willingness to do something potentially dangerous before her features softened into one of understanding.
She bowed lightly and murmured, "Hai… I understand. I apologize for my rudeness. I ask for your forgiveness regarding my impudence."
"No, it is okay," Aramui consoled, "You were worried. There is no need for forgiveness. After all, you acted reasonably. Never be sorry for asking me questions, for it is my duty as Clan Head and your father to have a solution."
Amai was enveloped in a warm hug, courtesy of Aramui, and she reveled in the calming aura he emanated. After withdrawing from the hug, she bade him a good night and excused herself. Once in front of her house, she remembered something that she also wanted to ask Aramui: his opinion on the names for the baby. Walking back to the Clan Head house, a small smile gracing her face, she hoped that his reaction would be one of agreement.
Approaching the front door, she sensed an odd chakra source inside the house and halted her approach, shinobi senses taking ahold of her actions. She suppressed her chakra to minimal levels and stalked to the side of the building, crouching out front of the living room window before using chakra to enhance her hearing. At first, all she could hear was the living room fire crackling and Aramui pacing around the room.
"What's Otōsan doing? His chakra is so close to this foreign chakra. Does he know that it is there?"
Amai was planning to get into a standing position and warn him, but then she heard another voice ring out in the relative silence of the night.
"Aramui. I will be shadowing your son to make sure that he succeeds in his mission. Once your son acquires the Bijū Vase, I will be back to pick it up. In exchange for the vase, I will provide you protection from any possible outside force with my companion's team, the Akatsuki. Are the circumstances for the trade clear?"
Aramui's reply, "Yes, Uchiha-san."
Amai gasped silently, due to the fact that upon her first mission as an Erīto, she scouted Kirigakure and found out that the Third Mizukage was in fact an Uchiha, one named Madara Uchiha. She could not confirm if the Uchiha talking to Aramui was indeed Madara without seeing him, as she had the fortune of catching a glimpse of the legendary Uchiha, albeit masked in an orange-swirled mask with a single eyehole. Amai shut her eyes and silently breathed in and out before slipping to the side of the window and peeking through the corner. The Uchiha inside was enshrouded in black and hooded, but she could perceive a swirled orange mask where his face was right before he was sucked into his eyehole and disappeared. Amai's eyes widened and she set off for her home at a quick pace, cradling her pregnant belly, her thoughts encircling the event that just transpired.
"Aramui must be under some kind of powerful genjutsu. The Sharingan is hailed to be one of the San Daidōjutsu (Three Great Eye Techniques) and its genjutsu prowess is unbelievable, after all. There is no other explanation for his strange behavior and deal with Madara Uchiha… This pains me greatly, but I must inform Mizunoken when he returns from his mission: Aramui is not to be trusted."
One week and a half later; Sunday, December 22
Himitsu Island; Night
For the past week and a half, Amai had been subtly distancing herself from the village and its inhabitants while preparing for Mizunoken's return, not going out often and smiling and waving to the villagers rather than talking to them, all preparation for this day. A multitude of scrolls laid on the floor, atop a large scroll with seals inscribed on it, all containing Mizunoken's extensive research and notes on various Fūinjutsu along with their combined detailed knowledge of genjutsu, ninjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and supplementary justus. Amai performed the Generic Sealing Technique and the scrolls vanished into the larger scroll in a puff of smoke. With a sigh, she arose and, gazing around at her home, laid the sealing scroll on the side of the wall of the hallway leading to the front door. Since she received a message from Mizunoken via reverse summoning that said he would return to the village sometime this afternoon, she decided that she would say her farewells to Aramui—discreetly—as he did not know that Mizunoken was returning today and she would be escaping the village with her husband… and the bijū also.
Stepping out into the chilly dusk, she had on her usual green kimono and black haori for the winter as she walked to the house adjacent to hers, smiling at the greetings of the villagers, before she knocked on Aramui's door.
Aramui opened the door and, smiling, exclaimed, "Hello, dear! It's so good to see you! You know, I haven't seen you around lately for the past week, are you feeling okay?"
Waving her hand dismissively with a carefree smile, Amai replied, "It's good to see you too, Otōsan. The baby is coming soon, so I have been feeling a bit tired lately. I just wanted to visit you and ask if you've got any news from Mizunoken."
"Ah. Well, I haven't heard anything from Mizunoken. Hopefully he'll be coming back by the end of the upcoming week. How's the baby, though?"
Amai cradled her pregnant belly and gazed at it fondly.
"Perfectly alright. I can feel her kicking occasionally; she's going to be a timid one. I can feel it."
"A girl, huh? I'm partial towards boys, but a girl would be great, too! Be sure to rest up and take care of yourself!"
Amai grinned, her eyes closed, before hugging her Otōsan as tightly as her pregnant form would allow, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Retreating from the hug and wiping the gathering of tears from her eyes, she smiled somberly at him, taking in his look of concern.
"It's alright," she assured him, "I was just… overcome with emotion. You know that I'm so happy that you are my Otōsan. My parents died when I was little and to have a father figure once again, it has heartened me so much. I promise to look over Mizunoken and be by his side, no matter what! I love you, Otōsan."
Aramui's russet eyebrows furrowed, exhibiting the onset of confusion, but he returned a grin nevertheless.
"I'm glad that I got to have a daughter and it gladdens me to see your unwavering commitment to my son. I love you, too, musume (daughter)."
Amai hugged Aramui once more before waving a farewell and walking out of the door, the evening chill being accompanied by the first wave of the night's snow. Aramui felt something tugging at his consciousness, but dismissed it, contributing it to the lack of sleep he's been having lately for some unknown reason. Closing the door, he partook in one final glance at Amai's retreating form, sensing some kind of finality in the scenario. The door shut with an ominous sound, not unlike the sound of a kunai embedding itself into flesh.
(000)(000)(000)
Amai exited her house from the back, dressed in her shinobi outfit, her vest opened as to allow her bulging stomach the freedom of restriction and her large scroll strapped to her back, through use of a scroll holder. She looked at her house one last time, taking in the darkened windows, snow-covered roof, and wooden structure, reminiscing over the tender moments Mizunoken and she shared in the house. Closing her eyes briefly, she turned away from the house and the village that lay behind it before opening them and walking away at a quick pace into the darkened forest surrounding the village.
(000)(000)(000)
Mizunoken was panting heavily, only having just reached the beaches of Himitsu Island. His attire was drenched with sweat and his chakra was somewhere near levels that could only sustain himself for maybe six more hours, given he only performed basic activities such as water-walking at a sedate pace.
"I kept my promise, Amai! I swore that I would be back by the end of this week, and even though it's almost midnight, I'm here! Strangely, the mission was easier than I thought, even though Takigakure is supposed to be famous for the fact that it has never been found or invaded… Whatever, now, I need to deliver this sealing scroll to Otōsan, then I can go home and see Amai and our baby," Mizunoken thought, "and then sleep! Kami, sleeping has never seemed so appealing… Huh? I think I sense someone nearing the beach."
Mizunoken knew that his sensory abilities were not as proficient as his wife's, but he could have sworn that the chakra source approaching the beach belonged to none other than his wife. Slowly trudging to the tree line and resting on one of the trees, he waited for his wife to appear, wondering what would have made her decide to come to the beach on this frigid December night.
(000)(000)(000)
Mizunoken was staring at his wife, aghast, after she relayed her findings regarding he father and Madara Uchiha. He was torn between playing this off as a terrible joke on her part or believing her and the fact that his father was lost to him. Amai gazed at him with pleading eyes, fearing for his safety and wanting him to just relent and escape with her.
He stood quietly for a few moments before slowly turning towards the beach and with a shaking voice, whispered, "I… I believe you."
Sighing, Amai grasped her husband's tense arm and murmured, "I'm so sorry, but it's the truth. If the Nanabi falls into Madara's hands, unprecedented events could happen and I have no idea how Aramui could react to our knowledge. Even though he seems to be acting normally, Madara could have cast a genjutsu over him. I see no other way to evade this conflict other than escaping with what Madara wants."
"I know… If nothing happens, though, I'll come back and see what's going on with my father."
Amai nodded and started to walk to the sea's edge.
"Mizu-kun… Let's go."
Mizunoken walked to Amai's side and the two proceeded to mold chakra to their feet and expelling it, they managed to walk on the water. Heading towards their destination, the island closest to Himitsu Island, Nazo Island.
An hour later; Monday, December 23
Nazo Island shore; Midnight
Reaching Nazo Island's shores, Amai sensed large amounts of foreign chakra approaching Himitsu Island and, focusing her chakra, discerned individuals of maybe lower Erīto rank but in large amounts surrounding the island, with one dark and immense chakra source already on the island—Madara Uchiha's. Amai turned to look at Mizunoken but already found him looking at her with a knowing gaze. She opened her mouth to ask him what they should do but he just shook his head and kept striding towards the tree line of Nazo Island.
"Mizunoken… To think he would keep moving even though he knows that others are attacking our clan… I'm so sorry for forcing you into this situation…"
Amai trailed behind a silent Mizunoken, contemplating what they would do next.
(000)(000)(000)
Himitsu Island; Same time
Aramui Uzumaki was pinned to the wall, courtesy of multiple black rods on various points over his body, blood pooling at his feet. His current position could be traced to a minute earlier, when he heard chaos erupt in the village, as several Doton and Suiton justu were unleashed, thus bringing destruction to some of the village's structures. He had stood up quickly, his kunai at the ready, but then Madara appeared with that odd teleportation justu of his with a orange-haired man who had purple, ringed eyes and multiple black piercings. The man had launched several black rods from underneath his long sleeved black cloak emblazoned with red clouds. As Aramui was pinned to the wall of his living room, he idly noted that Madara had on the same cloak as the man by his side.
Madara proceeded to activate his Sharingan eye and the crimson eye made Aramui aware of the genjutsu taking hold.
"Not this time", Aramui thought, "I never thought that I would create a new seal this late in my lifetime, but let's hope it works!"
Aramui had placed a genjutsu breaking seal on his self a few days ago, after he finally suspected that his mind was being tampered with. The seal was the result of his sealing expertise and knowledge of his weakness towards genjutsu. Since escaping genjutsu required him to know of its presence and then either apply Genjutsu Kai (Genjutsu Dissipation) or inflict pain on oneself, Aramui designed a seal that would draw upon his own chakra to use Genjutsu Kai (Genjutsu Dissipation) on himself upon the casting of any genjutsu. When Madara attempted to make Aramui submit to his will once again, he found himself unable to do so, due to a sudden surge of chakra from the trapped man.
"How is this possible," Madara wondered, " It worked perfectly the last several time I came to this place!"
Aramui glared at the ancient man before coughing out, "I finally figured that a genjutsu was cast upon me recently. That's why your Sharingan didn't work on me! And if you've bothered to grace me with your presence, that means Mizunoken is supposed to be here… Isn't that right, oh esteemed Third Mizukage?"
Madara glowered at Aramui before ordering his companion, "Pain, search for the boy with the Bijū Vase. He shouldn't be too far from here. I will take care of this… Uzumaki filth."
Aramui noticed that this so-called Pain's eyes narrowed a bit when Madara said 'Uzumaki filth' and capitalized on the action by calling out, "You! Are you an Uzumaki?"
Pain spared the pinned man a sidelong glance before responding, "I used to hold the surname of Uzumaki… but no longer. I am now a god. I am Pain."
With that brief reply, he dashed out of the house, followed by a few slips of fluttering paper. Aramui's eyes widened before he turned his attention back to the masked man in front of him, who was holding a kunai. Knowing what was to come, Aramui closed his eyes and thought of his musume and musuko (son).
"You no longer serve any purpose."
The sound of a kunai whistling through the air permeated Aramui's hearing.
"Mizunoken. Amai. I hope you're safe. I wish I could have seen my grandchild, but I will settle for knowing that one day, your legacy will make us all proud. Good-bye, my children."
With that thought, the life of Amai Uzumaki ended.
Two days later; Wednesday, December 25
Shinku Island; Evening
A fourteen-year old girl with flowing red hair that descended to her hips, emerald green eyes, and outfitted in a blue kimono with raindrop patterns on it accentuated by jet black shinobi pants weaved through the trees to her Clan grounds, two individuals trailing behind her.
"Mei, how much farther," came Amai's tired voice from behind.
"Soon," was Mei Terumī's enthusiastic response, "Home's just a quarter mile this way! I'm the Clan Head's daughter, so there shouldn't be a problem convincing my dad to take the two of you in for a while."
Shortly after the statement, the three stepped into a clearing housing multiple earthen constructs with candles providing illumination. A man was standing nearby with many Terumī clan members standing behind him, leading Amai to believe that the man was the Terumī Clan Head. Amai's assumption was proved correct when Mei shouted an excited "Father!" and leaped into the waiting arms of the Terumī Clan Head. After disengaging herself from her father, she introduced the pair to the Terumī Clan.
"Dad," Mei began, "Allow me to introduce you to Mizunoken Uzumaki-Rinha and Amai Uzumaki-Rinha. They're from the Rinha Clan, which has apparently been destroyed very recently. They come seeking temporary shelter, as Amai is about to have her baby very soon and needs to be in a safe environment. Will you take them in?"
The Clan Head gave the couple an once-over, his sharp jade eyes taking in their disheveled forms and Amai's swollen belly before he nodded and in a quiet voice, spoke.
"Yes. I will call upon a midwife to ensure your baby's safe delivery. You may stay as long as you like provided you follow our rules."
The Rinha Clan survivors bowed and the Clan Head turned away. Mizunoken arose and suddenly called out, "Terumī-san. I have some information I must share with you in private. It concerns the destruction of my Clan and you Clan's immediate safety."
Surprised, the Terumī Clan Head nodded and told Mizunoken to follow him. As Mizunoken departed, Mei walked to Amai's side, an elderly woman trailing behind her.
"This is Shussan Terumī. She's our midwife and also the one responsible for treating our members. She will be overseeing your deliverance."
Amai bowed.
"Thank you for being willing to help me."
Shussan smiled tenderly at Amai.
"Oh. It is what I do best, young girl. Say… Don't you look like one of them Hyōton users… the ones from the Yuki Clan?"
Amai, surprised that someone could distinguish her origin, nodded.
"Yes, I originally came from the Yuki Clan, but after its destruction, the Rinha Clan took me in."
Shussan stepped closer to Amai and looking into her eyes intently, she commented, "Your eyes… I have met my fair share of Yuki Clan members and none of them have ever had honey-colored eyes and tanned skin. Their eyes were always black or, in some extreme cases, icy blue and they were pale-skinned. You must be half Yuki…"
Amai was shocked. Her parents died shortly after she was born and her mother's closest friend raised her, so she never really knew her parents. From what her guardian shared with her, her mother was a Yuki, so she presumed that her father was, too, just with darker skin than most. But with the midwife's comment, her image of her father had distorted, where there was once a dark-eyed, black-haired pale man, now existed a honey-eyed man with dark skin. Growing up, she noticed that she was a little different than the rest of the clan in terms of appearance and ability to wield the Hyōton, but she never thought that she would be half Yuki.
Shussan, sensing the confusion Amai was emanating, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"There's no need to be perplexed, child. Things like this do happen every now and then. Now, how soon is the baby due?"
With that question, Amai turned her mind from the enigma that was her father to present matters, most importantly, the delivery of her child. Walking towards one of the constructs that served as houses for the Terumī Clan with Mei and Shussan by her sides, Amai placed her hand on where her baby resided in her belly.
"Soon, you'll be with your chichi (father) and haha (mother). Only a few more days."
Two days later; Friday, December 27
Shussan's Home, Terumī Clan Grounds; Midday
A pained yell escaped Amai's lips, before she proceeded to apply crushing pressure to the hand grasping Mizunoken's. Mizunoken winced, grateful for his shinobi training to deal with pain because if he never received any, he would be a writhing mess on the ground at that moment. Shussan stood in front of Amai in a sterile white robe, encouraging Amai for one last push.
"You're almost done! Just one more push and your baby will be out!"
"You said," Amai gritted out, "the same thing. The. Last. Fifteen times!"
Mei, standing very far behind Shussan, weakly called, "W-well, Shussan is t-telling the truth…"
Mizunoken gently prodded Amai, "You can do it. Just one more push, darling."
Amai shot Mizunoken a glare that promised utter pain and Mizunoken cringed. Baring her teeth, Amai sucked in the air through her teeth and after one long moment, strained with all her might, nearly crushing her husband's hand.
"URRRRGH!"
The sound of a baby crying filled the air and Amai collapsed back into the makeshift bed made of piles of blankets. The bone-pulverizing grip on Mizunoken's hand faded to a weak one as Shussan cut the umbilical cord and proceeded to announce the gender of the baby.
"And it is… a girl!"
Mizunoken grinned and Amai had tears streaming down her face and a smile that threatened to split her face in two. As Mei provided the blankets for the baby, Mizunoken kissed Amai on the lips lightly. Once Shussan placed the baby in Amai's arms, the baby proceeded to stop crying and began to sport a tiny smile.
"Hello," Amai murmured, "Suiren."
"Welcome to the family, Suiren," Mizunoken whispered.
Mei walked up timidly and asked, "I know that we've only just met… but, could I be Suiren's godmother? She's so cute and-"
"Sure." was Amai's quick reply.
"-I just have a… Did you just say 'sure'?"
Amai nodded and Mei's nervousness quickly evaporated. Walking to the unoccupied of the makeshift bed, she leaned over the small infant.
"Hi, Suiren! I'm Mei, your godmother!"
Mei extended a finger to Suiren and she grasped it weakly with her tiny hand, causing Mei to grin broadly. Amai, watching the exchange with a peaceful look on her features, felt that all was right in the world.
(000)(000)(000)
Hundred of miles away, in a room in a compound, a white-eyed girl was also born. At the moment, her father, despite the joy of having his first child, had a brief feeling of urgency, one that would reappear six years later as a red-haired, honey-eyed girl would walk into the gates of his home village.
Three weeks later; Friday, January 17
Terumī Clan Grounds; Night
Mei entered the construct that housed the Uzumaki-Rinha family, told the newly minted parents "good morning" before proceeding to walk over to the crib housing Suiren.
Standing over the crib, she jovially called, "Good morning, little Suiren! Your nazukeoya (godmother) is here!"
Suiren made a small sound. Mei smiled fondly before turning to the couple behind her with a questioning look.
"Amai, I was wondering," Mei asked, "what made you decide that it was okay for me to be Suiren's nazukeoya? I'm glad that I am her nazukeoya, but I just wanted to know why."
"Because I trust you," Amai replied, "no matter how ridiculous it seems, when I met you, I just knew that I could trust you. When Suiren was born, you seemed to exude some kind of aura; one that told me that you would care for her with your whole being. It is because of that I felt that you could be Suiren's nazukeoya."
Tears welling up, Mei whispered, "Thank you… I promise I won't disappoint you!"
Mei looked at Mizunoken and he nodded back, showing his approval before he turned to open a scroll and unseal something from it. The disturbance in the air attracted the attention of Amai, who was tending to Suiren.
"Anata, why are you unsealing that scroll," Amai questioned, "Unless… you're going to test it out now?"
Mei was looking back and forth between the two, lost. Mizunoken noticed this and proceeded to explain.
"Mei, the Uzumaki Clan was renown for their skills in fūinjutsu and at the time of its destruction, my father was among the top jōnin of Uzushiogakure no Sato in Uzu no Kuni (Land of Whirlpools) and thus extremely refined in the arts of fūinjutsu. He taught me everything he knew of fūinjutsu and more, actually developing new seals with me. After I became accustomed to experimenting with new seals, I began to create a seal that would be my legacy. I named this seal Kōdona Chakura Kyūshū Fū (Advanced Chakra Absorption Seal) with the intent to give my family the ability to stimulate the Rinha Clan kekkei genkai because the kekkei genkai is accessible to only full-blooded or half-blooded individuals of Rinha descent. My father, my wife, and now my daughter are incapable of using the kekkei genkai and this seal will make this possible by being able to fuse the target's chakra with the user's. Mei, would you be willing to allow my wife to take some of your chakra and see if the seal works?"
Mei, after a moment's consideration, nodded. With an appreciating smile, he held up a slip of paper and walked to Amai. Amai glanced at the seal and opened her mouth to ask something, before looking into her husband's eyes and deciding against it.
Mizunoken, noticing this, assured, "Given everything works right, the seal should meld into the tenketsu on your forehead and then the ability will spread to your entire body in a minute or two. When you're done, just focus your chakra to your hand and absorb Mei's chakra. Then we'll observe the results before deciding whether or not the seal will be put on Suiren."
Amai whispered, "Go ahead. I trust you."
Mizunoken placed the small slip of paper on Amai's forehead and channeled some chakra to it. Removing the paper, he saw the seal on her forehead begin to fade and Amai closed her eyes. After a moment, her eyes snapped open and she looked to Mei, who took that as her cue to join Amai's side. Amai looked into Mei's eyes once again, searching for any hesitation and finding none, she placed her hand in Mei's outstretched one and started to generate chakra on her hand.
Mei could feel a drain on her chakra, though very minimal, originating from her hand. A few minutes passed before Amai let go of her hand and stepped back, looking at Mei with an expression of understanding. Mei, confused, tilted her head forwards, wanting to hear the result.
Amai, seeing Mizunoken and Mei's waiting looks, began to share what she had found out.
"Well, anata, you were right. It works like a charm, a really good one. When I started to take in Mei's chakra, I noticed that her chakra feels different. Where my chakra was placid and cool, hers was firm and fiery. I think I also took in her chakra affinities and her kekkei genkai over time. It's the only explanation for me also suddenly knowing how to create lava and acidic steam. It seems that your seal has varying degrees of effectiveness. The longer I have to absorb someone's chakra, the more of his or her kekkei genkai I understand. That's it, I think."
Mizunoken pumped his fist and exclaimed, "YES! It works! I'm going to put it on Suiren now!"
The two women watched anxiously as Mizunoken gently placed the seal on Suiren and directed his chakra to the seal once again. After waiting for another minute, he called Mei over before instructing her to do things a bit differently this time around.
"Mei, since Suiren can't mold chakra yet, could you simply inject your chakra into her? A very small amount, as I'm not sure if she could handle the amount Amai took from you."
Mei nodded and placed her hand on Suiren's forehead. Suiren blinked, her honey-colored eyes staring at Mei before she grasped Mei's hand with her minuscule hands. Mei started to emanate chakra from her hand, before she once again felt her chakra being sucked into the small individual holding on to her hands.
The flap that acted as the door for the earthen construct opened suddenly and the Terumī Clan Head rushed in, shouting and startling everyone in the room
"We're being attacked! Get everything you can and escape! Our clan will begin using our kekkei genkai soon and I can't guarantee that your family will not be harmed!"
Amai stood in horror as she sensed multiple chakra signatures invading the village along with one signature that she never wanted to sense again: the Third Mizukage, Madara Uchiha's.
Mizunoken's shinobi training kicked in and thinking quickly, he said, "Terumī-sama, could you have your clan's shinobi guard this building? I'm going to seal the Nanabi Sōkō no Hakuchō (Seven-Tailed Armored Swan) into Suiren. This way Madara won't be able to get it so easily."
The Clan Head nodded and ran outside to gather his shinobi and make sure that the women and children escaped. Amai turned to Mizunoken, enraged.
"What are you doing? I'm not going to let my daughter be the host of a demon! You've told me how jinchūriki are treated! And how are you going to seal the Nanabi into Suiren, other than using the Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal)?"
Mizunoken just looked at Amai for a while before casting his eyes downwards.
Amai gasped and yelled, "No… NO! You are not going to die! How could you even think of that?"
Suiren began to cry and Amai turned to pick her up but Mizunoken, with a quick movement, placed his hand on Amai's back and formed the Crystal Barrier Technique, thus effectively placing Amai in suspended animation before doing the same to a surprised Mei. Mizunoken summoned a ceremonial throne surrounded by candles in a circle and lifted Suiren from her crib, placing her on the soft bed of the summoned ceremonial throne. Unsealing another scroll, the Bijū Vase 'poofed' into existence and Mizunoken took a deep breath to prepare for the technique he was going to use.
"Amai," he murmured, "I'm sorry, but this is for the best. I love you."
In the translucent barrier, Amai felt tears well up and trail down her face before dropping listlessly to the ground.
"Mizunoken… Why? I don't know what to do… No… I do. I'll help him. When the barrier weakens, I'll go to his side and be with him."
With determination etched into her gentle features, she patiently waited until the barrier's eventual weakening. Mizunoken strung a sequence of hand-seals and placing his hand on Suiren's stomach, he created a Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style) seal with a space between the two Shishō Fūin (Four Symbols Seal) so Suiren could access the Nanabi's chakra. He then flipped the lid for the Bijū Vase off and watched the massive rush of chakra erupt from it, blowing off the roof of the earthen construct housing them. He began to perform another sequence of hand-seals, snake, boar, ram, rabbit, dog, rat, bird, horse, and snake, before clapping his hands together and calling out the technique's name.
"Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal)!"
An ethereal form appeared behind him before taking the shape of the Shinigami. The Shinigami hovered above Mizunoken and wrapped prayer beads around his right arm before the faint outline of a seal appeared on his stomach, lighted by chakra. The Shinigami's hair proceeded to forcibly take out and restrain a part of Mizunoken's soul before Mizunoken commanded it to direct the immense flow of bijū chakra into the Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style). When the Shinigami grabbed hold of the Nanabi, Mizunoken immediately felt the astonishing drain on his chakra. When he began the sealing, he had maybe around ninety percent of his chakra and now it had already dropped to sixty percent and it was still plummeting.
Amai felt the barrier weaken and began to expel enough chakra to break the flimsy barrier before telling Mei to do the same.
Once both barriers were broken, Amai pleaded, "Mei, please take Suiren after the sealing. I thank you and your clan from the bottom of my heart for the support you all have showed us. My final request to you is to watch over Suiren and protect her as much as you can."
Mei stood flabbergasted, eyes wide, before stammering, "W-why are you s-saying that? Yo-you're going to just leave Suiren?"
Amai explained, "The Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal) will claim both Mizunoken and my lives. I have no choice but to ask you to do this. I know you care for Suiren greatly and I could think of no one better than you to watch over her. Please, Mei? Will you do this?"
Mei's confused face turned into one of sorrow before she replied.
"…Yes. I will. I will tell her everything I know of your husband and you… Thank you for your trust."
Amai smiled bitterly before rushing to the pile of scrolls on the floor behind her husband and gathering a bottle of ink and a brush, going over to Suiren's side. She painted a seal on Suiren's left hand before going back to the pile of scrolls and sealing them into the large scroll she brought from her home in Himitsu Island. As she sealed the scroll into the seal on Suiren's left hand, she sensed Mizunoken's chakra drop to dangerous levels. Kneeling by Mizunoken's side, she placed her hands on his and began to route her chakra into his hands, thus giving him more chakra.
The Shinigami noticed this and proceeded to do what it did to Mizunoken to his wife.
Amai felt a part of her being pulled out, which was quite disorientating, but she kept channeling her chakra to her husband, feeling him manipulate the bijū's chakra. She quickly caught on to what he was doing: he was conducting the chakra that felt brighter into Suiren while the chakra that carried a dark tint to it went into the Shinigami. After what felt like hours to her, Amai felt the last dregs of the Nanabi's light chakra go into Suiren and the majority of the dark chakra being consumed by the Shinigami. With that, they successfully divided the Nanabi into Yin Chakra and Yang Chakra. She turned her eyes to Mizunoken, only to find him gazing at her lovingly. Knowing that their end was approaching, Amai kissed him one last time and he returned the kiss with surprising strength before, as one, they collapsed on Suiren's sides. The two managed to find strength to weave their hands together and hold Suiren tight to their almost immobile forms.
"I… I lo…ve you… Sui…ren," whispered Amai.
The first to go was Mizunoken, with a smile on his face, as the Shinigami wrenched his soul apart from his body. Amai could feel her soul leaving slowly and she kissed Suiren one last time, her vision fading as the darkness crept in from the edges. Suiren began to cry as her mother's grip weakened.
"Don't cry… my dear Water Lily… Bloom… Bloom gracefully… Bloom… beautifully…"
Mei watched as the Shinigami separated Amai's soul from her body and began to devour it, along with Mizunoken's. Shakily, she walked to Suiren's resting place between her now-dead parents and picking the girl up, she wept silently at the serene looks on the young couple's dead faces. Cradling the girl, she slowly walked outside, mindful of the atmosphere inside. Stepping outside, she was faced with what one would call "pandemonium".
(000)(000)(000)
A few hours later; Saturday, December 18
Terumī Clan Grounds; Past Midnight
Her father was in front of her, giving orders to the shinobi surrounding the makeshift house. The heat of Yōton jutsus reached her as she took in the deformed landscape that used to be the Terumī Clan Grounds. Her father turned around and saw that she was standing right there and proceeded to order his people to scatter. Leaping away, Mei was forced to follow or the sacrifice of Suiren's parents would have been in vain.
Entering the forest, they took flight to the trees and as she leapt beside her father, he asked, "Report?"
"Amai and Mizunoken are dead," Mei murmured, desponded, "They sealed the Nanabi into Suiren and placed her in my care."
"I understand. Take care of her and make me proud. Mei… I love you."
Mei, confused, turned her head to look at him, only to see another Terumī come up and take her into his arms mid-leap as her father stopped.
"Dad?! What are you doing?!"
"What I have to do, as Clan Head."
With that, he turned to the incoming shinobi, noticing that they were Kirigakure ANBU, before flashing through seals. Pumping all the chakra he could draw up at a moment's notice, he performed the largest Yōton: Yōkai no Jutsu (Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique) he could manage. The wave of lava shooting from his mouth descended upon the majority of Kirigakure shinobi who, being unable to evade, attempted to douse the descending scorching earth with water. Needless to say, it was futile and the technique melted their forms before rushing into the Clan Grounds and burying all the constructs in rapidly cooling lava. The molten earth also encompassed the two bodies on the Grounds, the last part to be consumed by the reddish yellow substance were their hands, which were still intertwined.
The Clan Head panted heavily before sensing a rapidly approaching form from behind. Turning to face it, the last thing he saw was a pair of multi-ringed light purple eyes before he was impaled through the head from behind.
The body of the Terumī Clan Head dropping to the ground, Pain glanced at Madara who was wiping his kunai on his cloak before turning to an approaching individual. Papers fluttered in front of him before a woman with blue hair and a paper origami flower in it, amber eyes, lavender eye shadow, and a labret piercing outfitted in a black cloak with red clouds and purple stockings, purple high heels, and a mid-section guard appeared.
She bowed before reporting, "I have arrived, Pain-sama. What would you have me do now?"
Pain instructed, "Follow the Terumī girl with the child. I have reason to believe that the bijū might be in her hands, not buried underneath the lava. After subduing them, find out if that is true. If so, bring whichever one has it and bring him or her back. Kill anyone that gets in your way."
Konan bowed once more and proceeded to endow herself with paper wings and take flight.
Turning once again, Pain stood staring Madara who was watching the ruins of the Terumī Clan Grounds, taking in his new appearance. Madara had on the same orange mask, although newer, but the change lay in the black hoodie-cloak with red clouds and the lack of a Mizukage Hat. The Uchiha had resigned from his position, giving it to Yagura, the jinchūriki of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame (Three-Tailed Giant Turtle).
Sensing someone staring at him, Madara turned his gaze on Pain and said, "I'll be back in a few days. You know where to find me, reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths' wish for peace."
Using his teleportation technique, he vanished from Pain's sight.
(000)(000)(000)
A half-hour later; same day
Near the shore of Shinku Island; Past Midnight
The Terumī by Mei's side was beginning to feel the signs of fatigue, unused to traveling by trees. It was due to this fatigue that he did not sense the group of Kami Shuriken (Paper Shuriken) rapidly approaching behind him. However, Mei, despite her depression, did. Leaping to the forest floor, the Terumī just looked in confusion right before the Kami Shurikens entered his flesh. With a heavy thud, the body dropped to the forest floor and Mei glared at the descending Konan, angel wings spread wide, poised for attack. Feet touching the forest floor, Konan began to talk.
"Please hand over the child. I would like to see if she is a jinchūriki. Any resistance will be met with force."
Mei, snapping out of her depression, made a Doton Bunshin (Earth Clone) without hand-seals, testament to her skill as the Clan Head's daughter, before handing Suiren to the clone.
"Run," Mei ordered the clone, "as far as you can. To Nami no Kuni (Land of Waves), preferably. You have enough chakra to reach one of its islands and to watch over her until I get there."
The clone headed for the shore and Konan sent a handful of Kami Shuriken towards its retreating back, only for them to be intercepted by a quick Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall). Mei glared at Konan.
"You are not getting past me! As Suiren's nazukeoya and guardian, I will protect her with my life!"
Konan sighed.
"Your bravery is commendable. However, you don't seem to be a jinchūriki, so you are in the way of my mission."
Mei began to perform the hand-seals for Yōton: Lava Globs but Konan disappeared with frightening speed and reappeared behind Mei. Before Mei could do anything, Konan stroke a pressure point on Mei's neck, effectively making the girl collapse like a puppet with its strings cut. Konan looked at the unconscious girl for a moment then turned to pursue the Doton Bunshin and Suiren, leaving Mei alive.
(000)(000)(000)
Shores of Shinku Island
The Doton Bunshin never saw anything coming. One moment it was carrying Suiren and in the next, the girl was out of its arms and it was restrained by a mass of paper. Konan proceeded to direct the paper to slowly apply pressure on it and then send it to the bottom of the sea.
When the papers Konan had sent returned, she allowed herself to relax and examine the child in her arms. Suiren had a tuft of red hair and honey-colored eyes not unlike Konan's. She had light tan colored skin and a black baby kimono with black shorts underneath on. As Konan watched Suiren, she couldn't stop herself from feeling hesitation.
"Should I take her back to Nagato? I can tell that she's a jinchūriki, but… she's just a baby. I-I don't know… If I return to take her when she's older, I might feel less guilty… I mean she deserves at least a childhood, even if it happens to be filled with pain and loneliness. Wait… I think I'll deliver her to that teammate of Jiraiya-sama. She should be able to protect her. The Terumī girl is too young to have this kind of responsibility placed on her. Yes. That is what I will do."
Forming a Kami Bunshin (Paper Clone), Konan instructed it to take Suiren to Tanzaku Town, which was one of the places where the aptly named Densetsu no Kamo (The Legendary Sucker) often frequented to gamble. Watching the Kami Bunshin form wings and fly towards the direction of Hi no Kuni. Turning back in the direction she came from, she wondered if Nagato would see through her lie.
A day later; Sunday, December 19
Outskirt of Tanzaku Town; Afternoon
Leaving Tanzaku Town no luckier than she was when she entered, Tsunade Senju of the Densetsu no Sannin (Three Legendary Shinobi) sighed and sped up, her apprentice Shizune Katō scurried to keep up whilst holding Tonton. Walking down the road that led to Tanzaku Town, Tsunade sensed a strong chakra signature and subtly shifted herself into her taijutsu stance. Shizune, also noticing, began to look around discreetly before spotting a mass of white further down the road. By the time the pair reached the mass of white, which turned out to be a basket made of paper with a note by its side, the chakra signature disappeared.
Tsunade looked down at the basket, seeing a little baby in it, enclosed by paper. Shizune picked up the note lying on the ground and after reading it, gave it to Tsunade.
Tsunade read,
"Tsunade of the Sannin,
In the basket is an infant girl who goes by the name of Suiren. She is the jinchūriki of the Nanabi Sōkō no Hakuchō (Seven-Tailed Armored Swan) and is in need of protection. Your teammate Jiraiya has shown the ability to be a stellar guardian and I ask you to extend the same courtesy to Suiren. What you do with her is not my concern, but all I ask is for you to protect her."
Tsunade glanced at the infant in the basket, which was starting to fall apart, she noticed with a start. Picking the girl up, she stared at it in her arms, slumbering peacefully. Shizune smiled at the sight.
"Tsunade-sama, why don't you adopt her? I know you've always wondered what having a kid would be like. Here's a chance for you to experience that and adopting her will lessen suspicion," Shizune offered.
Tsunade eyed Shizune, making sure that she wasn't joking or trying to get back at Tsunade for dragging her though another one of her gambling sprees. Once discerning that Shizune was being honest, she thought about it.
"I never got the chance to have a kid with Dan. Shizune's great, but I didn't raise her from when she was a baby. Who knows, Suiren might turn out like Nawaki and I'll have a 'little sister' on my hands once again. But… am I 'mother material'?"
Seeing Tsunade's hesitation and easily guessing what it stemmed from, Shizune assured, "Tsunade-sama, you can do it. I'm here, aren't I? I will help you raise her properly!"
Shizune's words decided it for Tsunade. Tsunade cradled Suiren closer to her arms and seeing Suiren awaken, with honey eyes just like Tsunade's blinking, she smiled.
"Hello, Suiren Senju."
A whopping 11,000+ words for the Prologue! I shocked even myself! Anyways, as you might have noticed, the main character for the story will be Suiren, the jinchūriki of the Nanabi. Fū won't be in this story and Konoha will play a part in Suiren's future.
A fair warning to my readers: I use Google Translate for most of the techniques I invent as well as names, so I can't guarantee the validity of the Japanese words that appear, but for most of them, they should be accurate. The rest are from Narutopedia. Also, For the first two or three chapters, time skips will be frequent, so please bear with me!
A list and description of some of the techniques used in this chapter:
Chakura no Ito (Chakra Threads): Ninjutsu; Supplementary; Short to mid range. Used by puppeteers from Sunagakure and various other places across the Elemental Countries, the technique allows the user to take control and manipulate puppets and regular objects with their fingers. With advanced skill, one can use the threads to take control of another person.
Kōdona Chakura Kyūshū Fū (Advanced Chakra Absorption Seal): Fūinjutsu; Short range. An extremely complex seal created by Mizunoken Rinha-Uzumaki as a family technique. This seal, once placed on the target, will allow the target to absorb another person's chakra and make it a part of their own- permanently. The technique's effectiveness depends on how long the user draws chakra from the target, as well as how much. Once the chakra is a part of the user, the user will be able to use the victim's chakra affinities and kekkei genkai as his or her own, thus making it a part of his or her bloodline. The only known person with this technique is Suiren Senju.
Crystal Barrier Technique: Ninjutsu, Barrier Ninjutsu, Fūinjutsu; Short range. Created by Malice, a renown kunoichi of the Rinha Clan who died in the Third Great Shinobi War. When using the technique, anything within the confines of the barrier is kept in suspended animation and constant emission of chakra is necessary to keep the victim in the crystal barrier. A weakness of the technique is if the user is somehow weakened and the targets who were sealed still have enough chakra, they can manage to escape.
Well, that's it until next time! :)