"It's spring now."
Her sister told her one morning when the sun rays were scratching the window. It was so rare to see the sun among all the stormy clouds and mist that heavily lay around their village. She smiled then, because she loved spring the most from all seasons. Kiri even looked beautiful that time of the year and for a while, Miwa could pretend their village, their country was untainted by blood and cruelty.
"Can I go outside nee-san? Pleaseee." she pleaded, determined to get an affirmative answer this time around and perhaps Mei would have believed that it wouldn't hurt to allow her a few minutes of fresh air until her body betrayed her and she coughed violently.
"You know you can't, imouto. Not yet but I promise that as soon as you are healed, you and I will go out as much as you like, provided that the weather will be warm like this one."
Maybe Miwa would have believed her once but years were passing by and she was only getting smarter. Some things were as clear as day now, even without anyone explaining her sickness and situation.
She wasn't getting anywhere. Nor worse, nor better.
And she hated knowing that she was stuck as a constant. If she were to be getting worse, at least she would...die and go up to that nice place her nannies told her that her kaa-san had gone to.
But she wasn't getting worse and she wasn't getting better, not really.
"Was it like this for you too, nee-san?"
Truthfully, she doesn't know why she bothers asking something that she already knows but maybe, just maybe, there will be something that will let her know she isn't a failure.
The question makes Mei freeze and in an attempt to hide how shocked and troubled she was feeling, she stood up from the edge of her sister's bed, occupying herself with drawing some flowers on the corner of a wall.
"No. The aftereffects of possessing two kekkei genkai like ours ended in two months for me."
She wished she could have lied or avoided to answer the question but she, unlike the rest, wasn't blind. She knew they could only keep the youngest Terumi in the dark for so long.
Her littlest sister deserved better than that.
"What about my other sisters?"
Mei couldn't bring herself to look at Miwa, hearing the hope in her voice was enough to make her feel horrible. Seeing a crushed expression replace the bright optimistic smile that she usually wore on her face would only deepen her sadness.
"Haruka and Haruki got better after six months and Maki after a year."
Silence and then—
"I'm never getting better, am I?" the voice was quiet, filled with regret and void of hope but accepting and it was that acceptance that bothered Mei the most who turned around and hugged the child, but she didn't cry again.
"Don't you ever lose hope. Only because we healed sooner that doesn't make you weak or without chance of recovery."
But Miwa wasn't prior to listening to assurances and wishful thinking anymore. "What are the doctors saying?"
Mei's features hardened at the question, a frown plastered on her forehead that made her seem so much older than twelve.
"It doesn't matter what they are saying imouto. You will get better. I won't allow anything to happen to you, understand me?"
A sigh went past the little girl's pale and lifeless lips, who nodded even if she wasn't convinced. "What is tou-sama saying about this?"
Nothing. Mei thought, tightening one of her fists in anger. It was beyond her understanding, how a parent could care so little about their children.
Just because he has 4 more daughters that doesn't mean it's acceptable to ignore his fifth one.
Miwa took her silence as a big and fat no, wiping a tear away from her cheek. "I understand."
As long as she had Mei, Haruka, Haruki, Maki, and her uncle, she decided that she could live with her father ignoring her.
"Mei-chan, your father had requested your presence in the backyard."
She watched her older sister narrow her eyes furiously but when she spoke, it was with the kind of calmness that sounded more dangerous than outright rage.
"And why is that?"
Out from all of them, Mei was the diplomat and Miwa was sure that it wasn't just because she was the oldest.
"Mei...it wouldn't be wise to question your father. He raised you. You owe him that much. Obedience." the woman with long blonde hair in her twenties snarled and revealed what a monster she was only with them but never with their tou-sama.
I wish mom was here. Miwa couldn't help but think, barely able to hide her dislike for their step mother.
"I will return later imouto. Rest and eat something." Mei eventually said, leaving a kiss on her little sister's forehead before walking out of the room, not even sparing the blonde woman a glance.
Ignore her. Act like she isn't even around.
It was what she repeated to herself every single day, what she told her sisters to think about. They didn't want to make their father angrier than he already was by insulting or mistreating his new wife.
Never mind how she treats us.
When she reached the backyard, she was immediately aware that something serious was going on. It was a nagging feeling at the back of her neck and she had spent enough time around her father to know what his facial expressions meant. This one screamed something bad. For who? Mei didn't know yet but it certainly wasn't going to be for the shallow young woman that attached herself to his arm.
Her green eyes narrowed in confusion when she spotted her other sisters and relatives of their clan.
"This is a family meeting to discuss something important." Saburo Terumi spoke with that booming intimidating voice of his that demanded respect.
Respect that he doesn't deserve.
"It's not a family meeting if all the members aren't present." Mei retorted, once again surprised at how little her father thought about Miwa.
"Miwa is far too young to attend." was Saburo's excuse for which she already had a comeback prepared.
"Since I was four, you had me attend those."
Some of their clan members, the younger ones mostly nodded their heads and in return, Mei bowed her head in gratitude. Fact which didn't go unnoticed by Saburo who was reminded of the conversation that he had with his brother a few full moons ago.
Flashback;
"Mei will make a fine clan leader one day, brother."
"Her goal does not lay within the clan, Yoshio. She will take the hat of the Mizukage soon enough."
"Is that her dream, or yours Saburo?"
"You've always been a fool. Dreamers don't live long in Kiri."
His brother raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Then you are contradicting yourself nii-san. I'm thirty-one and still here. What does that make me then?"
"You are too stubborn to die." Saburo replied with a scowl, knowing that he got outsmarted.
"And leave you and my nieces alone? Don't even think about it." he smiled genuinely before his face turned grim. "On a more serious note brother, Mei has already got some of the clan's support. The title of heiress is also hers. Either way, no matter what she chooses to do, I know I will support her. As should you. When was the last time your children got something else other than cold treatment and orders?"
"It's not your business how I raise my children and you will address me with respect, Yoshio. Brothers or not, you answer to me just like the other clan members do."
"What has become of you. Mayu-chan wouldn't have allowed it. At least out of respect for her, treat your children right or you will wake-up one day, old and alone, brother."
"Like you did?" Saburo provoked but as always, Yoshio didn't take the bait but looked sadly at the glowing summer moon.
"Firstly, I'm not old yet but yeah. The difference is that you had everything and you chose to throw it away. Did you even love Mayu or was it just duty, our father's orders, the clan?"
"You loved her enough for me as well." He replied bitterly before he signalled to his brother to get out of his sight.
Because when the truth hurts too much, people choose to cast it aside.
Saburo was jarred out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He looked at the woman who never managed to fill out the void in his heart before he turned to face his clan members.
"Believe me, Mei...it's better for Miwa not to hear...or see this." he spoke and made a gesture with his hand. Two men stepped forward, carrying a wooden box. They placed it down and Saburo stepped ahead, his heart heavy with guilt.
"One of our own got killed, by Iwa shinobi, while he was following my orders. This is what they sent back to us." The leader said and opened the box. Several clan members gasped in shock while his daughters covered their mouths with their hands as tears poured from their eyes.
Mei's eyes widened in shock and she looked away, not being able to stand the sight of her uncle's head laying in a box.
"My brother chose to try and rescue the children that were being held hostages, ignoring my orders to return after stealing a scroll that contains Iwa's most valuable secrets. He deserved a better death but we shall give him a proper funeral. As for you, let this be a lesson. The mission always comes first. Our foes don't have any mercy for us and in return, neither should you have for them. Don't think that we are giving up. That scroll will be ours. I'll be waiting for the best of you in my office to carry out the mission."
She listened to her father's speech, hesitantly bringing her eyes to glance in his direction. She expected to detect some emotion in his voice, some regret, some anger but she found none. His eyes didn't betray him either; they were as cold and unfeeling as ice.
Even now, all he can do is bark orders?
Mei wished his head would be the one in the box, not her uncle's. The one person who made her days better, who had been more of a father to her and Miwa than Saburo ever was. Life in Kiri was cruel but she had never thought it would be this unfair.
So that day, Mei made another vow.
The Iwa shinobi will be wishing that Kiri had never been founded.