Hello and welcome to another chapter of 'It's complicated'!
Thanks to all who have favorited and put this story into their alerts! I hope that you keep enjoying it.
Special thanks to Stickaroo, Hannah and At Night We Rise who left me amazing reviews! I look forward to reading more of your thoughts :D
As always, I'm still looking for a Beta. Gimmie a holler if you're interested.
Chapter 3: Konohagakure
Yamamoto Saeko, previously known as Shima Saeko, was, what you would call, an early bird. In the last seven or so years, however, she has gotten used to seeing the light burning on when she rose. There was someone in her home who woke even before she did, which was quite a feat. This morning was just the same as others.
Saeko rose and dressed in the darkness of her and her husband's empty room, not needing her eyes at all. It was a remainder of the old days, the instincts which she simply couldn't seem to shake off. She knew, even from this spot, exactly what was happening in every room of her home. She could feel the soft breathing of her charge, the red-haired girl who was quickly becoming a master of medicine. Her chakra was flaring up, almost like a tiny heartbeat, telling Saeko that the girl was having a bad dream. Further down the halls, she could sense her patients, as well.
The young mother who'd brought in her daughter last night was tossing and turning, not leaving her baby's side. The child had a mild case of swamp cough and would be perfectly fine, in Saeko's opinion. Though, it was best to be certain. An old man who was quickly becoming a part of their odd family lay in his bed, still, sound asleep. His leg had been getting better and better during the two weeks he'd been with them. Saeko suspected that she would soon instruct Mei to deliver a message to the man's wife that it's time to take him home. And in the farthest room, the one with the most sunlight, Saeko could sense a man and his wife, laying on a single futon. They'd arrived a few days ago, worried about her pregnancy.
The old healer brushed her hair back, letting it hang all the way down, almost reaching her thighs. With swift motions of her nimble fingers, she braided it using her favorite scent, the essence of river jasmine. In minutes, she was ready for the day. She left her room and headed down the hall, still not bothering to turn on the lights. Though her eyes weren't what they used to be, her chakra was as strong as ever. She'd learnt a long time ago to feel out everything around her to the best of her ability. Somehow, that habit had never faded. Her feet easily took her down the familiar corridors, soundless steps on the polished wood not disturbing a soul.
The door to her granddaughter's room was open, much to her surprise. There was a single light turned on inside. The warm glow flickered over the slight form of the young kunoichi, who was softly whispering to herself. Despite the fact that her back was turned towards her grandmother, Saeko knew exactly what the young girl was doing. A sigh left the teen's mouth and the healer heard a telltale sound of a backpack being emptied on the bed. She didn't doubt that this wasn't the first time the girl had done so, either. The teen hurriedly began stuffing everything back into the bag while muttering under her breath. With a soft smile, Saeko rapped her knuckles softly against the open door, entering otherwise soundlessly.
"Oh, I remember these kinds of mornings." The old healer sighed softly, coming closer to her granddaughter. She was shorter than the girl, but only by a little bit. "Well, it looks like you have everything that you need."
"And everything that I don't need." Grumbled Mei, her head hanging in disappointment. Her grandmother opened the backpack and emptied it onto the bed once more. Then, she proceeded to fold the clothes properly.
"Here." The old woman placed a beige sundress from the pack on the foot of the bed. "Change into this. That is a bit too warm for Konohagakure." The healer smiled as she pointed at Mei's standard issued grey vest and olive green pinstriped turtleneck. As the young girl began stripping, she noted the way that her grandmother had said the name of the village. It sounded so much more exotic and foreign. It was then when the young girl realized that she was leaving Mizu no Kuni. Alone.
Sure, she would have Norio and Tsubaki with her, but she would essentially be alone. And she had never done that before. All of their missions had been on the neighboring islands. After all, they were only Genin and their sensei was pregnant. She had never been to Hi no Kuni. It scared and excited her at the same time.
"Are you sure that I won't be cold in this?" The girl asked, looking down at the dress. It was a usual one that she wore while exploring the woods around the Temple that went steeply down towards the marshes. Except, she usually had tights and a turtleneck underneath it, made from standard protective material in Kiri, to shield her from the cold and the poisonous insect bites and plants.
"Not at all." Her grandmother kept packing the small backpack, folding and placing things inside carefully. "Konohagakure is quite warm during this time of year. They don't even have this much mist." Mei gave a nod, swiftly taking off the rest of her clothes. The zippers sounded in the softly lit room, as Saeko closed the pack. "There we go. All set. Now-" The healer turned. "-let me have a look at you." The woman's brown eyes softened, crinkling at the corners as she looked at her granddaughter. "You look so much like me when I was your age." She whispered softly, her hands coming to the bottom of the sundress, straightening it out. "When did you stitch these in?"
Mei looked down as well, remembering that she had made some corrections on that dress. Now, it had small scorpions all the way around the bottom. "I didn't stitch them. Take a look with your glasses on."
"Oh! Now that is clever!" Laughed the old woman, taking off her glasses once again and letting them hang on the long cord around her neck. "They most certainly won't expect that I assure you. You go and complete this mission successfully and surprise your grandfather by becoming Chūnin before he comes home. Now, turn around and let me see that hair of yours." And the girl soundlessly obeyed.
Saeko sat on the porch of the Temple, looking through the mist towards the marshes, and further away, the sea. When she stood completely still there, for a brief moment, she could catch the flicker of the gondolas in the mist, swaying left and right from one island to the other. It was silent, like it always was at the Temple. Each and every creature in the surrounding thickets was stalking their prey, after all. And, Saeko felt at peace with that kind of an atmosphere surrounding her. It was home.
"Sensei?" Saeko's redheaded apprentice called in a soft tone. "Is everything alright?"
"No." Saeko sighed. Before Kaede could speak again, the old healer patted the space next to her on the patio. "I suppose there comes a time when I really must let go of her." She told the young apprentice. "I held onto her mother for too long. Smothered her."
"I'm sure that you meant well, Sensei." Kaede comforted in her feathery tone. That was one of the reasons why Saeko hadn't been reluctant to take the girl on as a student. Kaede had a way of reading the body language perfectly and adjusting her manner in order to soothe everyone near her. Usually, it was with that feathery tone of her soft voice.
"Kaede, my student." Saeko turned to the redhead, reaching up and caressing the girl's face with her wrinkly hand. "Sometimes good intentions breed bad actions. It is a lesson for life when kindness turns its blade on you and stabs you when you're least expecting."
"Should I be unkind then?" Kaede frowned, her delicate features changing with a furrowed brow.
"Never." Saeko tucked the girl's messy curls behind her ear and then pulled her in for a motherly hug, where Kaede relaxed. "There is but one weapon stronger than any Jutsu or any kunai, and that is kindness." They sat like that, in the mist, for a few moments before a groan was heard from inside the Temple. The young pregnant woman needed their attention.
"Shall we, Sensei?" Kaede asked with a small smile, elegantly getting up in her kimono.
"We shall. Work waits for no one." And Saeko was on her feet, too. As she led the way towards their patient, she titled her head briefly towards her pupil. "Ignore the ramblings of this foolish old woman, Kaede, but keep your kindness close to your heart."
"There you are!" Norio jumped up in the boat, rocking it. Mei stuck her tongue out at him and then jumped into the small vessel, rocking it further. Their sensei, her face unusually pale, gripped the side even harder with her manicured nails, making it crack. "We thought that those monsters from your marshes had finally killed you." The blond swordsman sneered at her.
"As if!" Mei retorted, opting to sit next to their third teammate, who was asleep, rather peacefully, as usual. If there was one thing that Tsubaki was bad at, and he wasn't terrible at a lot of things, it was sleeping patterns. Mei was sure that the boy had some form of narcolepsy, since he seemed to be able to fall asleep at the strangest of times, and then wake up, as if he had never lost consciousness at all. In fact, he had once stopped in a middle of a sentence, only to open his eyes after a short nap and finish it. It was hilarious when they were training, but troublesome on missions.
"We're ready then." Grumbled Yanomira, signaling the helmsman. The gondola-like vessel pushed off, moving silently through the waters. This was the only way which they could use to travel to the Nami no Kuni. From there, they would go by foot. Altogether, the trip would last around four days, even if they went full speed. And, that really wasn't possible, since their sensei was heavily pregnant. Mei expected them to arrive at least three days before the Chūnin Exams, even if they took the slowest road. If she were being honest, she was looking forward to exploring another hidden village. Heck, she'd heard that they had hot springs!
They stopped that evening at one of the islands, only for a short break and a change of boats. By then, Yanomira looked ready to hurl. Norio had found it borderline comical, in his own, sinister, way, since their sensei had never been sick on a boat before her pregnancy. The stay was far more mundane than Mei had expected it to be, in a small Inn with fairly unappealing food. Bland, tasteless rice made her yearn for her grandmother's delicious miso soup and cookies. Heck, she would even drink Kirin Nectar, her least favorite drink, rather than the metal-tasting water which they had been given for the road.
But, they couldn't be picky. Mei knew that very well. Mizu no Kuni had been wrecked with civil unrest during the past couple of years, and away from the safety of her grandfather's Temple, there were limited resources. People went days without food and starved even. She had it good. All of them had it good. To help pass the time, they'd played stabscotch with a kunai, which, surprisingly, didn't result in a lost finger this time. On the other hand, unsurprisingly, Norio had won the game.
Nami no Kuni came and went by quickly. They were a tad surprised by the large beginning of a bridge which was being constructed, that Norio supplied a dry comment about. Tsubaki, though, oddly awake, informed them of the current political situation in the small place on the border of the two nations, explaining just why this bridge would be a great move for them. Mei enjoyed listening to the boy's trivia, but Yanomira-sensei looked less than impressed, by now hanging off the side of the boat awkwardly, attempting not to puke.
Instead of going by foot, like they would've around eight months ago, the team chose to hitch a ride with one of the civilians. They had to change clothes and appear as inconspicuous as possible, but other than that, they had a fairly smooth ride with one of the chatty rice field workers. That is, if you didn't count in all the chickens which they were seated among in the back of the cart.
Konohagakure came into their sight on the fifth day of their journey, giving them a sense of relaxation. They were welcomed at the gates by a shinobi, a Chūnin from the host village, and led to the Hokage's office to register properly as foreign shinobi. Mei found the old man, the Sandaime, quite interesting and genuinely warm. She could see then what their sensei had meant about Konoha being different. While their Yondaime Mizukage was a young, but somehow terrifying, man, this old shinobi looked like a friendly grandpa, at best. She had had to remind herself a couple of times that he was the strongest fighter of the village.
"Home sweet home." Commented Norio, pushing the door to their hotel room open. It was a traditional place, which reminded Mei of the Shitchi Temple where she lived. Of course, it was much more modern than the old place that her grandfather kept, but it still held a nostalgic feeling to it.
"Shoes off." Yanomira commanded, before leaning on the doorframe. "You lot clean up and get ready. I have a previous engagement." And then, the Jōnin vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Yano-sensei!" Mei yelled out, but it was too late. "Kami! She isn't supposed to use any Jutsu while she's pregnant!" The girl grumbled, taking off her sandals. "That's simply too reckless. What if she loses the baby?"
"You shouldn't worry so much, Mei-chan." Commented Tsubaki, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Yanomira-sensei is an accomplished kunoichi. I'm sure that she knows her body the best."
"But-" A warm weight hit the kunoichi's back, making her bump into the cupboard which she was using as support while taking off her shoes. She grabbed onto the wood, craning her neck only to see her teammate asleep. Again. "Norio-kun, can you help me?"
"Pft." Said the swordsman, coming back towards them. He grabbed Tsubaki and slung him over his shoulder with ease, still not bothering to take his standard shinobi sandals off. "I'm going out." He deposited their teammate on the couch in the living room and jumped out the open window.
"Use a door properly." Grumbled the only kunoichi on the team and shook her head. She quickly found a bathroom and locked herself in. Undoing the braid which her grandmother had made for her a couple of days back made her a bit sad, but she needed to wash her hair. It had become too oily and dirty during the trip, sticking to her neck and shoulders and itching at the scalp.
It took her a moment to work the shower, because she was used to drawing an old-style bath at the Temple. However, she was a frequent guest at Norio's flat in Kirigakure, where they had running water, so Mei managed to find her way. The wash was quick, shinobi-style, as they liked to call it, and she was soon leaving the low tub.
The young kunoichi brushed her hair out slowly, only then noticing the difference it texture. Her locks had become silky somehow. Soft to the touch. She brought a strand to her nose, smelling it. Despite her shampoo, she could still catch the scent of coconuts.
"Thank you, grandma." Mei whispered to herself. The old woman had remembered that she was rather depressed about the change in her hair texture. The girl took extra time to care for her locks this time, brushing them out and braiding them in the back. She dressed herself in a beige sundress, a definitely favorite combination of comfort and usefulness. After tossing a smile at her reflection in the mirror, Mei quickly performed a couple of handseals and then bit her thumb, drawing blood. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" She exclaimed, placing the hand on the mirror.
Scorpions exploded everywhere. Tiny, sand-colored scorpions. They clambered around the sink, the faucets, stuck to the mirror, ran up Mei's arm and fell to the floor. She didn't even flinch. She had been bitten numerous times before. She was immune to their poison. In fact, she was immune to a number of poisons. She did live on Teichi no Shima.
"Can you take care of my hair, please?" Asked the kunoichi, smiling softly at her venomous friends. The small creatures seemed to hear the command, changing their mindless wandering and beginning to climb. They jumped on her legs, staggering upwards and tickling the girl. They sank into the cotton of her dress, becoming mere stitched-in drawings all around the rim and up on the sides. The larger ones caught onto her legs, staying at her ankles, one on each foot, almost like bracelets. Later, she would allow them to hold her sandals for her. The rest of them piled into her thick braid, becoming decorative clips. In the end, Mei pulled two strands on each side in front of her ear, placing two small scorpions on them to hold the strands in place. "All set!" The kunoichi grinned, leaving the bathroom with her pack finally.
"Well, you look ready for a battle." Came a sleepy voice from the couch. Tsubaki was giving her a close-eyed smile, a lollipop swirling about in his mouth.
"I can't help it, Sen-chan." Mei huffed, placing her pack on the ground and beginning to messily pull out her things. She was definitely the slob of the group. "We are in enemy territory, after all."
"I know." Tsubaki commented, grinning widely. He reminded Mei of Norio for a second. She remembered then just how her teammates were. Fierce. Battle loving. Bloodthirsty. They were what she wasn't, which made them such a great team. Norio was the loose cannon. Tsubaki was the calculating leader. Mei was the moral compass. They had balance.
"You're too excited, Sen-chan." The girl frowned and picked up the boy's legs, who had turned onto his back in the meantime, putting them in her lap after sitting down.
"Just as much as you."
Mei spent the rest of her day snoozing on the couch and lazily flicking Jutsu at Tsubaki when he fell asleep. Which, really, was quite often. They ended up playing a movie on the TV, one of the numerous choices the hotel had provided them with. And, while the action-packed adventure of the three Leaf shinobi wasn't her entertainment of preference, she actually had a good time watching it. Tsubaki, being Tsubaki, kept pointing out the mistakes in the Jutsu and plot holes throughout the whole show. Finally, it was when the sun set that they both headed for their rooms, not really worried about the safety of their teammate and sensei. In all honesty, they were more worried about the havoc those two would wreck if provoked.
It was early the next day when Mei rose. For a hot second, she opened her eyes and blinked in the darkness, studying her unfamiliar surroundings. For the past couple of years, after all, she would either wake up in her room at the Shitchi Temple, Norio's flat in Kirigakure or safely lying next to one of her teammates. But, after a few deep breaths, she remembered exactly where she was. She went about her morning routine with usual efficiency. Mei decided to forgo the protective pinstriped material she usually wore underneath her sundress and went with only the dress this time. But, after shuffling around, she realized that the hem of it flew too far up whenever she spun. In case of a battle, she would appear indecent. Hence, it was definitely the time to go on a hunt for tights.
The young kunoichi scrawled a message and left it taped on the fridge, making sure that at least Yanomira would know where she'd gone. Their sensei, even when she wasn't pregnant, went for the food first. The two pairs of standard-issued shinobi shoes told her that the rest of their team had made it home the night before. Mei, with a soft smile, slipped on her own sandals and headed out.
The streets of Konohagakure were much different than those in Kiri. The obvious thing was the lack of mist. Mei's feet stayed completely dry as she walked down the roads, trying to find the main street and a living soul. Konohagakure was still asleep. She turned a few wrong corners, ending up at the large gates which welcomed visitors and foreigners alike. With a sigh, the young kunoichi took a break there. She spotted a familiar face in the booth near the entrance, though. Walking over there Mei noticed that the Chūnin who had welcomed them yesterday was peacefully snoozing in his seat. His hear was even more disheveled than yesterday and he had a bit of drool dripping onto his vest. With a small giggle, Mei decided that she could wait. The man looked like he needed his sleep. Instead of waking him, she hopped onto the counter, making herself comfortable in the corner, from which she regarded the woods surrounding the village outside of the giant gates.
She wasn't sure how much time passed before the Chūnin made a small coughing sound and straightened in his seat. After blearily looking around, he noticed her presence.
"Good morning!" Mei exclaimed in a gentle tone. His eyes widened, mouth going slack. Obviously, early risers weren't common in Konoha. "Could you point me to the nearest clothing store?" She was still politely smiling at him.
"That way, take two rights after the ramen shop." He finally replied. Mei gave a polite nod, hopped off the information counter and turned around to give the Chūnin a polite bow.
"Thank you for your help." Then, not using her kunoichi speed, she walked down the street in the direction she'd been told to take. The sun was finally spilling over the horizon, lighting up the multi-colored buildings in the village. Mei wondered if Kirigakure would look similar to this without all the mist. She supposed that it wouldn't. Kiri locals didn't like this much color in their surroundings. Their houses were bland in olive, grey and dark blue tones. Mei's mind supplied that she wouldn't mind living here. She liked the color. She liked the life of the place, even when it was asleep.
The delicious smell of fresh ramen brought her to a stop, stomach growling. She turned around, deciding to first get breakfast and then find a pair of tights. Maybe two. She headed for the shop, obviously open, and pulled the cloth flap to the side, entering.
"Good morning, sir." She greeted with a smile. The old man behind the counter gave her a nod and welcomed her into his shop. It was a small street stand. At most, she supposed it could fit ten people. But, she liked the coziness of it. Aside from herself, she spotted another customer. It was a young boy with striking blond hair and an even more noticeable orange getup. Interesting, she mused to herself. Though, Mei didn't join the boy. She instead chose a seat in the middle of the counter, pulling herself up onto the tall chair. The menu didn't tell her much. She was unfamiliar with good food in Konoha.
"What will it be, miss?" Asked the vendor.
"Why don't you give me your recommendation, sir?" She asked, putting the menu down. "I'm visiting."
"Well, then." The man seemed to think for a bit. "Chicken or beef?"
"Beef." The kunoichi took the chance to eat something uncommon to her homeland.
"More or less noodles?"
"More." Her stomach growled.
"Naruto special it is!" Decided the vendor, turning around. "It's a favorite here, for shinobi." He moved quickly, in practiced motions with clear expertise. "Business or pleasure?" The man continued conversationally.
"Both, I hope." Mei replied, leaning forward onto her hands, elbows propped on the counter.
"Well, if you do have the time, you've come at the perfect month of the year." He continued. "Plenty of sights to see in Konoha. The hot springs are exquisite, too." He turned around grinning wide. "Try to catch the Chūnin exams, too, if you have the time. They're in two days."
"Oh, I will." Mei smiled. But, behind the polite façade of her usual sweet smile hid a smirk which couldn't be described as anything but bloodthirsty. Yes, she was the moral compass of her team. Yes, she was the one who usually told them to show mercy. But, she was a kunoichi of Chigiri no Sato in the end.
And blood was her in her veins and soul alike.
That's all for now!
Hannah, here is my reply to your review:
First, thanks so much for leaving your thoughts! I'm glad that you're enjoying my story :D
As for Mei, she is an OC, despite sharing the same name as Terumi Mei, the Fifth Mizukage. I was thinking along the lines of – what if Mei was a name like Jane? Quite common. So, I figured I'd do something like that xD Sorry for the confusion hahahaha
I hope that you'll keep enjoying the story :D