In spite of the many years spent in this world, Kimiko never developed a taste for tea. It was bitter, even when she added sugar it left a weird tang behind in her mouth. And it seemed that everyone else disagreed. Even the kids enjoyed drinking it whenever they came to her sessions. Perhaps another one of her many abnormalities. Left behind to remind her she didn't belong.
Sighing, she placed the cup down. "You know I won't drink it," the weird brownish green colour nauseated her. How so many paranoid shinobi could drink a liquid that so resembled poison. She'd never know. Her companion was very amused.
"Oh, I know you won't." Replied the woman, sipping her own cup blissfully. Even going as far as to hum in appreciation. Kimiko felt her brow twitch despite herself.
"Must you waste a cup of tea every time I visit just for your amusement, Mito?" Questioned Kimiko. She never understood what was so hilarious about watching someone reject tea. Mito seemed to. As she, without fail, offered a ready-made cup the moment Kimiko stepped into the living room. Today it had been already sitting on the table. Waiting for her.
Mito chortled in reply. Something she would never allow herself to do in front of others. "Let an old lady have her fun, Kimi."
"Old lady?" Scoffed Kimiko, pushing the offending drink further from her just in case. "Must I remind you that I am in fact one year older." Kimiko having lorded that fact over her many times during their youth. Making Mito complete tasks in her stead due to age seniority. She remembered one occasion where they were both told to bring something back from an old shed back in Uzu. As the elder in that situation, Kimiko had made Mito enter first. Watching as the younger girl walked into the thickest spider web she had ever seen. Mito had screamed so loud that half of Uzu had come to see what was happening. Only for them to burst into laughter upon catching sight of the young teen running after the hysterical Kimiko. Yelling death threats all the way.
Kimiko smiled fondly at the memory. It was one she refused to forget. Unlike the many before, and some after, that had faded to nothing, this was one she tried her best to recall. A happier time before her discovery. Before she realised she was trapped in time as others moved on. Before the day she met a brown-haired, wide smiling boy and his black-haired scowling friend. Mito cast her friend an understanding look, reaching out to grab her hand. "Where did you go?"
"Uzu," Replied Kimiko, pulled out of her daze. Mito's own smile became distant as she thought of her home. A home that neither of them could go back to. One that Kimiko knew was standing on its last legs. "Do you ever think about it?" She didn't know what came over her. Something inside, something that resembled the girl she once was, rose up. She spent so long being someone else sometimes she forgot the girl was still there. Waiting in the recess of her mind and watching what had become of her, of them, in horror. Maybe it was because she was with Mito, her link to who she once was. Or perhaps, the girl whispered, it was that red-haired child that seemed to inhabit all Uzu within her small frame. The girl whose grin so matched another she'd once known.
"Every day," whispered Mito, tightening her grip on Kimiko's hand. "Of my parents in our blue house. The way the sunset made the water turn orange. Fumiko-Obasan and her dango. I remember how we would spend our time on the banks of Inu river. Trying to find those Chrysoprase stones Ki-ni said were there." She paused when she noticed the tear falling down Kimiko's face. Kimiko herself hadn't realised she'd begun crying until Mito pulled her hand away. Wiping the tears with her sleeves.
"It's all going to be gone," She croaked. "Our home is going to be gone and I'm just going to let it happen." Mito's hand stilled. Kimiko chose that moment to pull back from her, raising her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them. "I'm letting my home die, Mito. Your blue house, will be gone. The water won't be orange anymore, it'll be red." She sniffed, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her palm. Something had set her off, she tried to remember what. After so many years of pressing the feelings down, down where the girl resided, they'd sprung up again. Maybe it was because she was taking part in the world again. Finally stepping out of the shadows. A small part of her knew it had something to do with the red haired Uzumaki Kushina. The girl that looked so much like Kimiko once had. So similar, not only in face but personality, that it hurt. Kimiko hadn't come to Mito to cry, she reminded herself as she straightened. Reigning in whatever emotion had exploded.
Mito watched it all. Despite living as long as Kimiko, she was more mature. She always had been. But she believed it had something to do with how she had aged, the way people did. Mito had lived her full life, taking the happiness and sadness hand in hand. Despite them being so close in age, Kimiko hadn't experienced any of those events. The moment Kimiko had learned the truth about herself she had frozen. And while every year she grew older, she never allowed herself to grow at all. Inside, Mito knew, Kimiko was still an eighteen-year-old. Desperately trying to find her place in the world. Her older appearance. The work of some seals Mito had slaved away to create, placed so many expectations on her. Ones that the mentally stunted woman was destroying herself to live up to. "This is the way of the world Kimiko. Without your sight these events would have come to pass regardless, it is not your fault."
Kimiko breathed through her nose. Holding it there for a moment before releasing it. "I know. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She smiled at Mito tiredly. Running her fingers through her dark red hair. It wasn't right for her to be unloading all this onto Mito, she had enough to deal with.
"Have you considered taking a short break?" suggested Mito to her friend. Placing a plate of cakes in front of her. Kimiko accepted a piece. They were one of Hashirama's famed recipes. The idiot had known how to cook. Biting into the slice she mused over Mito's advice. She hadn't taken a break since the birth of the current heirs. It had jolted her out of her short vacation. Not that she could call war a vacation. But at least during the war things were happening as they should. During that time, she had confined herself to her home on the outskirts of the village. Leaving only when necessary, and under the guise of a genjutsu. She had been content.
"I can't." Realised Kimiko. This was an important era. If anything went wrong here, then all her plans would be for nothing. Everything she'd sacrificed. No, now was not the time for breaks. Her mental state would heal. Maybe not now, but eventually. According to her visions another war was on its way. She'd rest then, not before. "Soon." She assured the worried woman.
Soon, she assured herself.
Kimiko had spent the rest of the night with Mito. Content with being in her company. In the morning, she'd missed running into Kushina by leaving through the window. Much to Mito's amusement. And now, as she sat at her desk, all she wanted was to sleep. Staying up all night no longer seemed like such a bright idea. To think she'd choose today of all days to do so. She sighed as she realised who would be visiting her. Inuzuka Tsume. The headache always seemed to arrive before the girl herself.
According to her Sensei, Tsume was loud; brash and disruptive. That was fine. She was an Inuzuka after all, but what wasn't fine was when people complained about Tsume to her. Like she was Kimiko's responsibility. In fact, after discovering she had taken them under her wing, she was constantly receiving complaints about her charges. They didn't seem to understand her role was more of a counsellor than a guardian. If Tsume wasn't behaving in her classes, then that was her Sensei and parent's problem. Why did she have to be objected with a fourteen-piece report crying over it. Glancing at the clock Kimiko straightened. The girl always arrived earlier than she should and left later than Kimiko wanted.
"Hey, Kimiko-san." A loud voice called from the other side of the door. Not even waiting for a reply as a ruffled pre-teen walked in. Kimiko had chosen to slot Tsumes appointments early in the mornings. With the hopes that she would be too tired to be loud. This was a method she used with all her charges. Shikakus' appointments were midday, before Lunch. One of the few things Shikaku remained conscious for was food. The Uchiha's were at their least uptight nearing the end of the evening. Having tired out most of their excessive pride throughout the day. The Hyuga twins were a similar case. Shibi, Chouza and Inoichi were the easiest in regard to this. So, she slotted them in whenever was free. And Minato was happy to come anytime, though she tended to call him mid-morning. After he had completed his morning routines.
"Tsume, you're half an hour early." Kimiko didn't even blink at the mud prints the girl trekked into her room. As the door shut behind her she saw the black pup waiting outside for its partner. Kimiko had asked the girl to leave Kuromaru at home when she came to her sessions. The girl, never one to follow rules, decided it was okay as long as the dog didn't come inside. "Did you fall into a ditch on the way here?"
Tsume sat down on one of Kimiko's clean grey chairs, one arm thrown over the back of the seat. "Huh? No. Why'd you ask?"
Throwing a side glance at her muddy cheek, Kimiko let it go. "No reason." She picked up on of the pages from Tsumes teacher Hagashi. "Tsume you're causing a lot of mischief lately. And though I am not privy to what you do in your own time, people have been complaining to me about it." The girl straightened.
"I haven't done anything wrong!" Protested Tsume. "It's that bastard Hagashi-sensei. He's always calling me stupid and when I reply gives me detentions for no reason." The girl scowled in irritation, crossing her arms before her. 'Calling her stupid?' Kimiko couldn't help but be surprised. Tsume, despite being a nuisance was a clan heir. Of the Inuzuka no less. She didn't think anyone would be brave enough to insult her. But the girl looked as if she'd been through some injustice.
"Why does he call you stupid?" Perhaps if she got to the end of this the handwritten essays would stop appearing on her desk.
"I don't know," Huffed Tsume. "Usually it's after I get an answer wrong, but sometimes he calls me stupid for no reason." Her face was starting to go red. Whether from embarrassment or from anger, Kimiko didn't know.
"And what do you do after he says that?" Kimiko tried to understand. Tsume did seem to be very upset by this occurrence. Considering she was only ten it made perfect sense. The girl was being humiliated in front of her peers by someone she should look up to. Even Kimiko felt a wisp of anger inside at the blatant misuse of authority.
"Ugh, well..." Kimiko was surprised by the girl's hesitant behaviour. Tsume didn't seem willing to share this piece of information. "I say somethings in reply." she muttered.
Oh? Kimiko cast an appraising glance at the pile of papers on her desk. Maybe they could enlighten her on what made Inuzuka Tsume unwilling to brag. "Well then, on to today's session-." Kimiko cast the issue to the back of her mind as she began asking the girl the usual questions about her life. It wasn't her problem if the girl was being bullied by her teacher. Perhaps it would become one of the reasons she became so fearsome in the future.
But when the girl left, twenty minutes after she should have. Kimiko picked up page one of fourteen and began to read.
(Important note: PLEASE READ SECOND PARAGRAPH)
Hey guys, sorry for not uploading yesterday despite saying I would. This is the beginning of the story, I would say. The others were basically what I would call a blurb. I need to start sorting out everyones ages. They are causing me a lot of trouble at the moment. Anyway taht was another look into Kimikos past. I completely forgot to mention this but the story will be slightly AU. Maybe. I'm still undecided on whether I should kill some characters and whether others should live.
umm...I read a guest review that asked what Kimiko did and I hope this explained it but if not, Kimiko doesn't really have a job. She's just making sure the kids do what they have to. That's why she has sessions with them to find out about their lives and steer them to the 'right' path. She mentioned before she trained the elite of the elite, and I'll reveal who they are soon, but the way she 'trained' them was basically through guiding them. Also, Kimiko is a name without a face in the village. To explain what that means, she's someone people have heard of but never actually seen. She's constantly under genjustu when she leaves the tower and anyone she meets is forbidden from speaking about her. But since it's a ninja village someone would get suspicous so everyone knows about a shinobi trainer who helps ninja become elite but they don't know what this trainer looks like. Some even believe it's just a rumour. Remember she's an S-ranked secret.
Hope that was helpful. If you have any questions please do feel free to ask. I'm not the best writer so I'm sure somethings may have just flown over your heads when you read the story. Arrivederci!
