Chapter 3: The Beauty in the Garden

Junko sat peacefully in the garden enjoying the cool breeze as it played off of the fragrant flora surrounding her. This was her favorite place to be in the entire country. Here, in this garden, there was only beauty. No matter what troubled her she could always find peace while reflecting in this place.

When she came to the garden heart broken and frustrated for her failed pregnancies, she was filled with a deeper appreciation and love for her son, Enoki. When she entered the garden in despair over the tragic death of Lord Fusco, she left remembering only his gentle kindness towards her and his strength and love for his country. With each fragrant breath she drew upon entering this garden, she could let go a little more of the anger she felt towards Shikama for whatever her most recent infraction towards Amaya had been. Amaya was the beauty that came from Shikama. No matter what ugliness Junko carried in her heart when she entered, the garden allowed her to cultivate the beauty and extract it, leaving behind no trace of her previous feelings.

Today Junko had entered the garden full of concern and regret. The Council had requested to convene in order to discuss the appointment of a new Kage. That had been the pretense anyway. Kaito had it on good authority the real purpose of the convention would be to discuss Amaya's future. Things were moving much more rapidly than they would have liked.

Junko knew this would come eventually. With every temper tantrum she feared The Council would intervene, demanding the poor girl be imprisoned and bound with chakra restraints. She had been so relieved when Akuna began training her. The tantrums seemed to have passed. Kaito just needed enough time for Akuna to teach her to mask her empathy. Then he would allow her to attend the academy where she would learn to control her chakra and eventually…

No, she couldn't think of that now. Because of her, everything was at risk. She had just wanted Amaya to be normal for a change. She thought a picnic in the park where she could make new friends and play with children her own age would be healthy for her. The palace staff treated the child with fear and contempt. They kept their own children a safe distance from Amaya. Junko couldn't blame them. Her tantrums really were a frightening thing to behold. For this reason, Junko had decided to take Amaya to a park on the other side of town. They dressed simply, in plain clothes as to fit in with everyone else. She had hoped to find children who would not recognize her or the princess; children who would accept her for her friendly disposition. On the way to the park Junko reminded Amaya of the importance of using her words.

"It might frighten the other children if they suddenly heard a voice in their head or saw visions when you hold their hands." She told the child.

When Amaya was still a small infant Junko had discovered Amaya's talent to project her emotions onto others. When the infant would grasp her finger, Junko would instantly know if the baby was hungry or sleepy. Sure, these were raw instinctual emotions which any mother would recognize in their child's cry or behavior but Junko knew there was more to it. She tried to explain her theory to her husband.

Kaito had been skeptical at first. One day he and Enoki had gone hunting together. Junko, staying behind with Amaya, had an absolutely miserable day. Amaya simply would not stop crying. Whenever she came into direct contact with the infant's skin an image of Enoki laughing would appear in her mind. "You want to see Enoki don't you?" she asked. At the sound of his name Amaya's cries ceased just long enough for her to realize Enoki would not appear. Kaito returned home to an exasperated wife and an inconsolable infant.

"Where is Enoki?" Junko charged as soon as he entered the room.

"He's gone to bathe." Kaito replied. "What is wrong?"

"It seems she has missed Enoki terribly today."

Kaito chuckled as he removed his cloak and began to sit.

"You laugh?" She glared at him as she crossed the room, baby in arms towards her husband. Her words implied a question but the tone in which they were delivered was scathing, not meant to be answered. She stopped abruptly before him as he continued to stare up at her with an amused expression on his face.

"Here, see for yourself." With that, she unceremoniously plopped the crying baby into her husband's lap. The baby reached for him with her chubby little hands placing a hand on either cheek.

"Wh…what's this?" He asked to no one. Junko had already left the room in search of her son.

She returned to see Kaito standing in the middle off the room with his arms outstretched holding the baby away from him as though she were some foul demon. Her arms, in turn, were outstretched towards him reaching once again for his face as she cried. He looked ridiculous with his eyes scrunched shut shaking his head as though he had just awoke from a bad dream he couldn't shake off. He opened his eyes and pulled the baby back to his chest allowing her to grasp his face, apparently not aware of Junko's return. He held the baby there for a moment before pushing her away from him, once again closing his eyes tightly, shaking his head. Junko stood watching silently as he repeated this several times. At first she was confused, then amusement set in as she realized what he was doing. He was testing her theory.

"What are you doing?" She laughed, startling her husband so much so he nearly dropped the child he held out in his hands.

"I…uh…it…um…Did you find Enoki?" He stuttered. She laughed in reply. It was all should could manage watching him hold the baby away from himself as though she had just soiled her diaper.

"You laugh?" He said dryly.

Surely enough, Amaya stopped crying the second she saw Enoki, cooing and giggling as the boy made silly faces for his precious cousin.

"But why?"Amaya began to project the question.

"Ah." Junko stopped walking, turning the child to face her with the gentle nudge of their joined hands, she dropped down to look Amaya eye to eye. "Amaya, you must use your words as Akuna Sensei has taught you."

"But I hea da voices ah da time. Why it be wong?" She asked.

"It's not wrong dear. It's just unique."

Amaya's eyebrows came together indicating she was thinking very hard as she pushed her lower lip out into a pout.

"Sweetheart, you are special. Only you can hear those things and there is nothing wrong with that, but it would not be polite to impose that on others."

"Wike you say May not wissen to you and Uncoh Kaito?"

"Yes. Just like that."

"It not onnobubble"

"Right, May. It's not honorable." Junko said through a lilting laugh.

"and May not show anyone tings?"

"That's right May. We must keep it a secret."

"A seekwet." Replied the girl with a swift nod.

Junko sighed.

"How could I have known things would have gone so terribly wrong?" she said quietly, looking out over the flowers as if hoping the hydrangea might answer. Just then the breeze picked up catching the head of a dandelion seed scattering the white tufts gently off into the air.

Dandelion seeds…

One of the first things Akuna had tried to determine was how Amaya was able to project her emotions as she did. Akuna had asked the toddler to explain it as best she could. As she held his hand she projected the image of herself holding a dandelion seed head firmly in her fist and blowing the seeds into the wind. It seemed an appropriate analogy. When the child let her emotions fly she had no control over where they would land. If they were to land in the beautiful garden they would be detested and quickly uprooted, stomped out like weeds for fear they would overwhelm the other flowers despite their potential to do good in herbal remedies. It was up to Akuna to find a way for the child to direct their flight and plant them where they can be valued, protected and cultivated for the benefit of all.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Akuna. What have I done?" she thought.

It started out innocently enough. Amaya made friends with several children right away. There was a brief moment of anxiety when the children grabbed hands to form a circle for a game of Kagome Kagome. A little blond haired girl who looked to be 5 or 6 years old reached out to grab Amaya's hand which was quickly withdrawn. The anxiety clear upon Amaya's face rapidly spread around the circle.

"Auntie say not powite to pose" Amaya told the perplexed girl.

The blond girl just stared as Amaya looked toward Junko imploringly. Junko smiled in her direction and waved.

"It's alright. Just do as Akuna Sensei taught you. Don't let your thoughts float away."

Amaya seemed to relax a little and smiled timidly at the other girl. As the anxiety cleared the air the girl found her voice.

"Silly! We're not posing. We're playing. It's not polite not to play." She laughed.

They giggled in unison as Amaya took the other girl's hand to join the circle. They spent the rest of the morning singing and playing. Junko was delighted Amaya seemed to be having so much fun. Junko herself took the opportunity to visit with the other mothers who had come to the park with their children.

The children played for hours teaching Amaya games like Hana Ichi Monme and nawatobi, while Junko sat visiting. Junko herself enjoyed the "grown-up" time so much so she had become distracted by the conversation. None of the ladies noticed the older boys approach the group of children until the fight broke out. Everyone in the general vicinity could feel the anger that swelled from the small girl with the curly brown hair and the pale green eyes. It crackled through the air like lightning.

"You hut my fwend!" She growled at the large boy holding what appeared to be a quarter staff. He stood in a fighting stance over a much smaller boy who was lying on the ground curled into a ball as though he had just been jabbed in the stomach with the staff. The bully stood laughing, flanked but two others. The other two boys, however, were not laughing. They too felt the energy coming from the pint sized girl. To them she looked more like a demon about to attack. As the bully prepared to take another swing at his victim, one of his comrades slowly nudge him and pointed at Amaya with a shaking finger.

"Huh?" the boy grunted "who's next?" he questioned as he raised his head to see who his friend had chosen. His eyes widened with fear as he took in the scene that was quickly unfolding. All of the children had slowly begun to step back away from the girl who had taken a step closer toward her friend on the ground. The bully's comrades had retreated themselves as she approached.

"Oh no" Junko gasped. "Amaya…" she began to call out and although the scene appeared to play out in slow motion, it was all over before anyone could take another breath.

The bully had dropped the stick and turned to run, but it was already too late. Amaya had begun her attack. She dove for the staff catching it before it struck the ground. Somersaulting into a crouch, as she had seen Enoki do while conditioning, she deftly spun the staff in a circle over her head and down parallel to the ground sweeping the boys legs out from beneath him. As the staff twirled back up closing the circle she had created, Amaya stood, stopped the whirling spin and jabbed the end into the bully's stomach. Performing the same combination the bully had just demonstrated, she raised the lower end of the staff with her right hand while quickly lowering the top with her left, she smacked the boy in the face. With a crack the boy's nose began to bleed profusely. He lay on the ground, staring up at her afraid to move. No one dared move. Even Junko was paralyzed by what she had just witnessed.

Amaya dropped the staff as she ran back to her injured friend. He lay with his hands over his face, blood flowing from between his fingers.

"Wet May see" she said as she gently tugged on his arms to get him to lower his hands. He stared wide eyed unsure of how to respond. He had been terrified a moment before but as she grasped his arm, he felt calm. He could tell she wanted to help him. He allowed her to remove his hands. A deep blue glow, the kind only a trained chakra user would perceive, began to surround her right hand as she reached for his nose. He could feel a slight tingle as she held her hand before his face.

"No! Don't let that monster hurt my boy!" a woman screamed as she tried to push her way through the crowd that was beginning to gather. The nudge as the woman pushed past her was all Junko needed to release her from the shock. She reached Amaya just before the boy's mother could shove the girl aside.

"Come Amaya, we have to go." She urged, grabbing the girl's wrist, dragging her away.

"But…Maya make him better." The girl pleaded.

Junko pulled Amaya away from the crowd to the other side of the clearing where the children had been playing. She knelt before the girl holding onto her shoulders.

"Amaya," she began breathless "who taught you to do that?"

"Dat's what Chinatsu-Sama does when May's nose bweeds." She stated haughtily as if her aunt should know how the palace medic treats her injuries.

"Not just that, Amaya, the…"

"Excuse me." Junko turned her head to see two guardsmen approaching.

She stood quickly, turning to face them while nudging Amaya to stand directly behind her. She took a deep breath. Deciding this was no time to look the part of an average citizen she straightened her back and stood tall, tossing her head to flick the tendrils of sandy blond hair which had fallen over her face to the side.

The guards closed the gap between them stopping just a few feet before her, focusing on the child hiding behind.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Ma…"The guard began as he looked up to meet her eyes.

"My Lady!" He declared, bowing in recognition as the other joined him. "Forgive me." He continued. "The woman said the child here…" he trailed off, unable to finish. Junko could imagine what it was "the woman" had said.

"The child defended her friend." She stated firmly. "Captain Akuna will receive a full report directly upon our return to the palace. If there is nothing more, the Princess has just had quite a traumatic experience. I will be taking her back to the palace so that she may rest. What will become of the other children, the bullies and the boy they attacked?"

"Uh, yes. The injured boys will be taken to the hospital. The others are being questioned."

"Very well then. Good day." Junko took Amaya by the hand and led her quickly from the park.

As they departed Amaya looked back over her shoulder to see her playmate trying futilely to fend off the cloth his mother was using to wipe his face with.

"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all. She made it better. Stop it!" they could hear him whine.

Word of the events at the park spread quickly to The Council. Junko and Amaya hardly had time to relay the information to Kaito and Akuna before the guardsman entered to announce the arrival of Satoru.

"Junko, see to Amaya please." Kaito said dismissing the two.

"Lord Kaito," Akuna began but was cut off with the raise of Kaito's hand.

"I know Akuna. If The Council were here to take action against the child they would do so with more than one man. I think we should hear him out. Send him in" Kaito gestured to the attendant as he stood preparing to greet the Elder.

"Lord Kaito." Satoru saluted with a slight bow upon entering the room.

"Satoru." Kaito bowed in return. "Please, have a seat. Shall I send for some tea?" he offered.

"Lord Kaito, this is not a social visit. I shall not stay long." Satoru was in no mood for pleasantries.

"I'm sure I do not need to explain to you the gravity of the situation. The preliminary reports I have received regarding the child's actions this afternoon are quite disconcerting to say the least."

Kaito nodded, his face remaining stolid.

Seeing the Daimyo would make no attempt to defend the child at this time, Satoru continued.

"There are those on The Council who will attempt to use this situation to sew fear among the villagers." He paused, waiting for Kaito to respond.

"Are you here to detain the child Satoru?" Kaito said flatly.

"No."

"Then are you one of those to whom you refer?"

"I am not."

"Then why have you come Satoru?"

"Officially?" Satoru began as Kaito nodded affirmation.

"The Council wishes to convene and requests your presence."

"I see." Kaito said. "And what exactly does The Council wish to address?"

Satoru made no response but glanced to the man standing behind the Daimyo. Kaito understood. Satoru did not wish discuss the subject matter in front of Akuna.

"When?" he asked.

"It has not yet been determined. I should know by tomorrow mid-day. I will return tomorrow. Perhaps we can discuss the matter in more detail then."

"As you wish."

Satoru nodded. "I will take my leave then, until tomorrow, Lord Kaito." He bowed once more before leaving.

Akuna watched as the door closed behind the Elder.

"What was that about if not the Princess?"

"I'm not certain, Akuna. See what you can find out. I'm going to speak with Junko, see if there was anything more she was unable to tell us before he arrived."

Junko had told him all she could before they went to bed last night. Now all she could do was wait while Kaito sat behind closed doors with that man. She had hoped to find solace here in the garden.

"Ah, here she comes."

She couldn't help but smile as she watched the young girl approach, skipping down the path without a care. Her brown ringlets bouncing off her shoulders with each skip.

"May asked Uncoh Kaito to go to schoo" She declared proudly, her pale green eyes sparkling.

With her brown hair, hardly a shade lighter than Kaito's, Amaya could easily pass for his own child rather than Shikama's since her's was auburn. Amaya had his lips which formed that perfect loving smile and his nose. Yet she had chosen Shikama's pale green eyes. Junko understood the reason why. Amaya had so desperately wanted her mother's love. It seemed as though the girl was trying to use that one common trait to make a connection with her to no avail. It broke her heart to see Amaya hurt by Shikama like that.

Junko drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she gazed at the child who was now dancing amidst the azaleas singing to herself

"May go to schoo-oo! May go to schoo-oo!"

Junko's smile widened.

Amaya was the beauty that came from Shikama.