Today was my first day off from school… and my parents are spending the entire day at a meeting! They said we would hang out and check out some of the places in town for lunch and shopping, but no.
"Tsukiko, come on. We know we promised, but they won't let us get out of it." my mother pleaded from the other side of the locked bathroom door.
"No! I'm leaving this room! If I do then you'll finish getting ready and leave me." I shouted back.
"Why don't you go to the park and hang out with Ino and Mariko?" my dad suggested. "You could even go to Mariko's house and get ready for the party tonight."
"Party?" I questioned. I opened the door just a crack so I could see both of my parents.
"Yeah. The village elders are hosting a party for the major clans to get acquainted with us. They even said you could bring one friend." my mother answered.
"Can I bring Mariko?"
"Well, she's already going since she's part of our clan." my father explained.
"Is Ino already going too?" I asked.
"Nope." my mother popped the 'p'.
"What? Why not?" I threw open the door and stared up at them as I questioned.
"Well, why don't you go get ready and invite her?" my dad suggested.
"Okay!" I nodded before running out of the bathroom and upstairs to get ready.
"It worked." I heard my dad whisper as I turned the corner.
"Wait a minute." I quickly spun back around and ran to the bathroom. I watched as my parents slid into the bathroom and slammed the door in my face. "That's no fair!" I shouted as I pounded on the door.
"Is too! You left and we took your spot." my dad shouted back.
"Now go get ready." my mom added.
"Fine." I grumbled before sticking my tongue out at the door. I then ran upstairs to get ready.
"Good morning, Mrs. Yamanaka. Is Ino home?" I asked as I walked into the flower shop. "She should be upstairs in the kitchen. I heard Inoichi making pancakes."
"Pancakes?" She smiled and nodded before opening the door to the back. I soon found myself running up the stairs, the smell of pancakes becoming more prevalent.
"You wouldn't mind watching Tsukiko today would you?" my mother asked Mrs. Yamanaka once I was out of earshot.
"Not at all. She spends so much time at your house that it's about time I return the favor." Mrs. Yamanaka replied.
"Oh, we'd also like to invite her to a party tonight. Tsukiko would really like her to come." my father continued.
"I'd have to talk to Inoichi, but I think she'll have a lot of fun." Mrs. Yamanaka smiled before waving my parents good-bye.
"Tsukiko! There's no way you can eat all of those!" Ino shouted as she pointed at the plate in front of me that was stacked high with pancakes.
"I'm a growing child." I stated. "And I left plenty for your parents so just watch me."
"They're gonna laugh at me!" I whined as I fought my mother. Despite my efforts she managed to tie my hair back.
"I think you look prettier than I do." Ino declared. She wore a purple dress that had long sleeves and a circle skirt that reached her knees. Her hair was pinned on one side and framed her face nicely.
"Nu-uh! You're way prettier than me in just that simple dress." I countered, my eyes falling on my reflection. The dress was a lilac color with a sleek top, a white belt, and a skirt surrounded by a layer of tulle. My mom had braided my hair so that it wrapped around my head and rested on my left shoulder. "I don't like dresses." I grumbled to myself.
"Well, I say you both should smile." my dad announced as he walked into my doorway. "It'll make you both look even prettier."
"Okay!" Ino and I nodded.
"Now let's get going. The Hyūga clan was nice enough to offer up a building in their compound for the event. So, we shouldn't be late." my mom told us.
"Let's go!" Ino cheered as she ran out of the room followed by my mom.
"You ready?" my dad asked once they were gone down the stairs.
"Is it gonna be a bunch of old people?" I questioned.
"Of course not. There are gonna be other kids your age. Even some from your class." my father explained.
"Do you think they'll like me?" I continued worriedly.
"I think they'll all adore you. If they don't, which I highly doubt, then you already have Ino and Mariko and I think a few close friends is always better than a ton." my father answered.
"Okay." I nodded before grabbing his hand and dragging him out of my room. "Now, hurry up! Mom said we don't want to be late!"
We made our way out of the house and to the entrance of the Hyūga Compound. It was much bigger than I expected and we were led to a house towards the entrance. It looked like it had been mostly cleared out for the event. There was lots of open space to walk around and talk, especially since most of the walls had been slid out of the way or temporarily removed. There was even a small garden like space with a pond at the center of the house. Food had been set out and a group of people were off in one corner of the house playing music. As people began to show up, I found myself lingering in one of the corners. Off away from the other people with Ino.
"Rock, paper, scissors." Ino and I chanted, stopping after each time to see what we had.
"Yes! I win 15 to 10." Ino laughed as she suddenly stood up and did a little party dance.
"Rematch." I declared. She smiled down at me before plopping down and getting her hands ready to play.
"And what are you fine ladies doing in the corner?" We both stopped and looked up at the man towering over us. He didn't look nearly as old as everyone, but he still looked old. He wore a black suit with a red tie and would have looked very fancy if it weren't for his messy black hair that matched his black eyes.
"Rock, paper, scissors." We both said simultaneously.
"Mind if I join?" We both shook our heads as he took a seat beside us.
"Rock, paper, scissors."
"Ah, I lost!" the man cried in an obviously joking manner. He then fell back and covered his eyes.
"No you didn't." Ino stated.
"What?" In seconds he was back up in a sitting position looking at our hands.
"You had scissors, Ino had paper, and I had rock." I explained. "So it's a three way tie."
"Wow, you girls are smart." the man grinned "My name is Shisui Uchiha, what's yours?"
"My name's Ino Yamanaka." Ino grinned back.
"My name's Tsukiko Senju." I replied.
"Well, would either of you like to-"
"Tsukiko!" As I turned I was suddenly tackled, dark red hair flying into my face. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Minako? How long have you been here?" Ino questioned as I was finally able to sit back up, arms still wrapped around my shoulders.
"Like ten minutes." Minako replied.
"Well we've been here this entire time." I told her.
"Really!?" Minako shrieked in my ear.
"Ow!" I shrieked back as a shrill went through my hearing aid.
"Oh, sorry about that." Minako mumbled as she removed herself from my shoulders and sat between Ino and I. "Wait, a minute. Who's he?"
"Shisui Uchiha." Ino and I said in sync.
"You're an Uchiha?!" Minako asked, suddenly lunging forward. She was suddenly running around him spouting off questions like "How old are you? Are you friends with Sasuke? Where's your crest? Are you a ninja or a police officer?" while searching his clothes for something.
"Minako, leave him alone." We all turned to see Sasuke and Itachi walking over to us. They both wore suits with red ties, just like Shisui. Itachi and Sasuke's hair looked the same, but it still looked nicer than Shisui's.
"Hey! The brothers are finally here!" Shisui cheered.
"You're back from your mission, Shisui. It's nice to see you." Itachi stated as came to stop beside said man.
"Yeah, got back like an hour ago. Barely had time to shower." Shisui chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
"That's so gross." Sasuke declared, stepping away from Shisui.
"Hey! I said I got to shower!" Shisui stated, suddenly standing up. The three Uchihas quickly got into a discussion and I leaned forward, Minako and Ino quickly doing the same.
"Why don't we sneak away and go get some food?" I asked, earning quick nods. We all stood up and quickly ran off into the people, going unnoticed by the three boys we ditched.
We managed to get to the table full of food and began piling a few plates high. We walked over to one of their short tables and set down our plates. Minako quickly ran back off to get us drinks while Ino ran off to get desert. I was then left to watch our table and food. Suddenly a hand was placed on my shoulder and I spun around to see my parents.
"We finally found you." my dad declared as he swept me up into my arms.
"We'd like you to meet someone." my mom quickly added. I then noticed an old man standing next to us. He had orange eyes that had been dulled with age and light brown hair that was filled with white hairs. He had a light skin tone and marks on his face just like my father, Minako, and I.
"You've got marks." I stated as I pointed at his face.
"Why, yes I do it seems." he snickered to himself. "Do you know why that might be?"
"You're a Senju, right?" I asked and he nodded. "Really!?" I exclaimed.
"I'm your great great grandfather, Ryuu." the older man introduced himself. "Now, do you know why we have these marks?"
"Uh… yes…?" I hesitated as I looked at my father. I quickly shook my head a second later. "No… I don't remember."
"Well, it came from my father, Tobirama Senju." he told me.
"He's got a face on the cliff, right? We learned about him in class." I smiled at how well I was able to connect the name.
"That would be correct. Your friends are back, so I guess I'll talk with you more some other time." he smiled at me before walking off. My dad then set me down and both wandered away, leaving me with Minako and Ino.
"Who was that?" Ino questioned.
"That was Grand Papa. He's an elder in the village because he was Tobirama's son." Minako explained. "He and the Hokage are like best friends."
"That's cool." I awed as I took a seat.
"We've found you." Shisui almost sang. He was followed closely by Itachi and Sasuke. "Now we'd like to take you fine ladies out for a dance."
"Okay!" Ino cheered. She took Shisui's hand and they walked off towards where the music was being played.
"I don't know how to dance." Minako announced as she crossed her arms and remained seated.
"Then I shall teach you. It's quite fun." Itachi tried to reason. He managed to succeed and Minako took his outstretched hand.
"I don't see how fun that is. They're just spinning around." Sasuke grumbled. His hands were shoved in his pockets.
"I think it's pretty fun." I stated as I watched them. Other people had moved to dance as well after Shisui got them to start playing a different song.
"Father got lessons for Itachi, but I've never really learned." Sasuke shrugged and took a seat.
"Well why don't I teach you?" I asked as I stood up and stepped over to him.
"You know how?" Sasuke questioned.
"Yeah. My dad taught me because he's convinced that he won my mom with his dancing skills. I can only teach you the basics, but I'm sure you could get a girl with just that when you're older. That's what my dad told me at least." I explained while reaching out a hand. "Come on, it's fun." I continued after he didn't take my hand.
"Okay." Sasuke took my hand and we stepped away from the tables, but I didn't lead him over to where everyone else was.
I lead him though the basic steps of doing the square. Once he had that down we added a spin. By the time the song ended, he was finally taking the lead confidently. We ended up getting a bigger table and hanging out together. Shisui and Itachi left after Hinata found and joined us. After several hours my parents found us and took Ino and I home, but by then we had all fallen asleep in one of their corners away from everyone.
"They're seven years old! What is wrong with you?!"
"It's for the village. It's the right thing to do."
"He's right. If this isn't done, then the village could break down into war, or worse."
"It would be an honor to participate in such an event."
"What right do you have to talk!? This is only happening because of you and your stupid clan's need for honor!"
"That's not my fault! Your clan has been pushing ours down from the very start!"
"Come on, let's calm down. I mean, they're just children."
"She's right. We have no idea what could happen in the future."
"Can't we find someone older? Candidates more qualified?"
"This needs to be decided. Without action now, my clan might try something."
"Might try something?! Have more control over your goddamn clan!"
"This is not the time for fighting. We've done research and for the future of the village and both clans, those three are our best and only options."
"Why does their clan get one more candidate than ours?"
"Their clan only has two possible candidates to begin with. Ours only has one about the same age. Now quit trying to start a fight."
"Fine."
"What happens if this fails? What if one child dies before they come of age?"
…
"He makes a fair point. They plan to become ninjas. What if we are to lose one? We can't just restrain them to the village."
"They'd all have something to say about it, and so would their parents."
"Yes, we would."
…
"I don't think we have anything to worry about."
"Why not?"
"Because I have faith in my descendant's ability to make peace through love."
It had been six months since I came to Konohagakure. I've hung out more with Minako, Ino, Hinata, and Sasuke. Sasuke doesn't like hanging out with anyone of our classmates, so I'll stay to train with him after school. His current dream is to someday become stronger than Itachi. Minako and Ino on the other hand have been doing the opposite. Instead of training or studying, we end up wasting time. Minako never does her homework and tries to spend as much time away from home when her father's away on missions. Ino has been trying to get me to teach her how to dance, especially after the party. She claims that she made an absolute fool out of herself with Shisui and wants to know how to dance so it never happens again. Then, Hinata and I spend lunches together. She doesn't talk much, but it's still fun. She's been trying to get her dad into letting me come over, but it doesn't look like it'll happen anytime soon.
More recently, I've also spent a lot of time with my Grand Papa. He keeps inviting Minako to join us, but her mother keeps saying she can't. I think she's missing out. I've learned a lot about the village, and about the Senju clan. Today he took me out to a park and we found a nice bench in the shade to sit on. He said we'd be talking about Tobirama's wife Asuka and what kind of family he grew up in, but we quickly changed topics.
"So you didn't even start at the Ninja Academy until you were 12?" I asked as I stared up at my Grand Papa.
"Yup, and I became an official ninja three years later with the Hokage and the other elders." he answered.
"Really? That's so cool!" I awed.
"I even met my beloved Fuyuko that same year." His eyes moved from me to the trees before us. "She was the most beautiful woman I had ever met."
"Was she your wife? What did she look like?" I questioned.
"I'm afraid I was never able to make her my wife. We were too young at the time. I met her while on a patrol along the border. She had long, flowing, blonde hair and beautiful, chocolate brown eyes. Her voice was like a song, and just hearing it gave me life." Grand Papa explained, his gaze remaining distant.
"Wow." I continued to awe. "She sounds really pretty. Could I meet her?"
"She certainly was pretty… I'm also afraid that you cannot meet her. She certainly would have loved to meet you… and her daughter too." His gaze refocused and he turned back to me. "I do hope you don't meet her anytime soon. On the other hand, I believe I'll be meeting her very soon." He gave me a smile and I smiled back.
"Just make me a promise." I suddenly ordered, the smiles disappearing from both of our faces.
"And what would that be?" he wondered, his smile trying to inch its way back onto his face.
"Promise me that you'll tell her how much you love her." I declared. His smile dropped, his mouth opening slightly as he stared at me.
"Only if you promise me to live a full life, and never stop smiling." By the time he was able to tell me this, his eyes had grown slightly wet.
"I promise!" I grinned as I leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose.
"Then, I'll promise too."
The following week, on the 25th of November, he fulfilled that promise. I smiled through the tears, just like I promised to. That didn't stop me from being scolded by the other elders and members of the village who respected him. When I was forced to go up and talk about him, the only thing that came to mind was that he was fulfilling his promise and telling Fuyuko how much he had loved her. So, that's what I told everyone along with my the promise I made him about smiling. It was kinda funny how fast everyone who scolded me went silent.
Hey guys!
Here's that new chapter!
Happy late Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it!
This chapter's been the longest so far, so I hope you enjoyed that. I hope they continue to remain at this length. I will try my best to keep that.
Please leave a review. I'm always willing to hear about what you all think.
(But like I said first chapter, no hate please.)
Anyways, thank you for reading!
I hope to see you again with my next chapter.
See ya next week!
