We did not speak more on the way back to the inn. I don't know if Yosh thinks of me as a monster or not, and it is bothers me more then I let on. The moment our little vessel makes land fall I feel Hisako running up to greet us. I pull myself onto the dock when she throws her arms around me making me jump and hiss in pain.
"Sui? Are you ok?" She asks as she pulls away. "Ohh, there is blood coming from your leg. Come, Come we have to get that fixed up." She takes my hand and I hobble after her.
"Hisako wait." I try and pull away from her. She just sighs and pulls me harder.
"Sui you are bleeding, we need to go see Noni." I stop, she tries to tug on me harder. Nope, nope, nope. There was no way that I could let Noni know what happened. Yosh is already having a problem with me, I can't let her know too. I am pretty sure that Yosh won't be the one to bring it up, and I would rather that neither of us did. I don't think that I can bare to have both of them think of me as in such a manner.
"No Noni." I shake my head and pull my hand out of hers. "Hisako can you please just look at it?"
"What? I can't heal with chakra, that's Noni's thing. Sui, really stop being a Baka. I mean what do you have to hide." Damn, I feel my body stiffen when she asks that. She clicks her tongue at me, Fuck she knows. She always knows when something is up with me.
"Sui, ARE you hiding anything?" She whispers.
"Yes," I don't even bother lying. She can see through it every time I try. I just don't need to tell her why I'm hiding.
"Hmmmm." She hums then takes my hand ,once again, and leads me back into the inn. Thankfully she doesn't take me to Noni, but leads me to my room. "Show me," She demands once she closes the door. I let out a breath, but then take off my shirt and turn.
"Sui... That's bad, I don't think that I can do anything for that..".I stand and take off my pants and show her my thigh. "You won't let me get Noni, seriously?" There was a hint of desperation in her voice, but I just shook my head. I have had worse then this and been fine. I just needed her to make sure there was no dirt in it and to clean it out.
"Seriously it should be healed with chakra." I could hear her moving stuff around, what though I have no idea.
"Fine then use your chakra." I drawl at her.
"WHAT?" She shoved her finger into my shoulder. "You have gone crazy. I can't heal!" She yells at me. I just smirk at her.
"We don't know if we don't try. Right?"
That was Bad, bad, bad idea! There is a reason medics practice on fish and not people. The learning process would just make people never come to the hospital.
It hurt like hell. After I tried to explain what she needed to do (which, I mean why the hell did I think that I could explain it? I was not a healer. Hell I was lucky if I could put a band aid on straight) she began to push her chakra into me. It felt like liquid fire running through me. My jaw clamped down and got my tongue making me bite a nice size hole in it. One that I did not want Hisako any where near.
"I think I cauterizes it." Her small voice was filled with tension and guilt.
"It's ok, let's try with the leg. Just don't try an push so much in. Remember think about the skin and muscle knitting together, not slamming." I take a deep breath in. The room has taken on the smell of burning flesh. I don't really know if she did heal my shoulder, but I think that she may have been on the right track.
I can't help but have my whole body tense as I feel her small hand on my thigh. Both of us take a breath in and she begins once again.
It wasn't nearly as bad as my shoulder. It was not pleasant, ohhh not at all, but the burning sensation wasn't as strong and it stayed in the puncture wound. She works on my thigh for while when I feel she hands start to shake, and her breathing become erratic.
"Hisako, it's good." I say quietly.
"No, just a little more." Her hands are now violently trembling. I grip onto her and pull her away.
"You have to be careful!" I hiss at her pushing her hand away. "You can seriously hurt yourself with chakra depletion."
"I am sorry, I just wanted to finish." Her voice was quite and uneven. Now I felt like an ass for yelling at her. She was just doing what I asked.
"I know, but I don't want you to hurt yourself for me. Don't ever do that, ok Hisako?" I say softly as I give her hand a squeeze. She just hummed at me, not promising anything and left me to rest.
After dispatching Yasha, the time passed peacefully. There were a few thugs that attempted some type of extortion from the island, but they were easily scared off. The kids would have made fine Shinobi, it was a shame that they did not have a hidden village to work for. Hisako had actually turned into a decent medic. Noni surpised me, she never once questioned the training anymore and she actually helped with healing training. I wonder if Yosh had told her about what I did. I don't think that I want to know.
News reached the inn about Yasha's death a few weeks after. Yumma just hugged me and cried. I never asked her about what had happened when she was almost taken away from us, but I know that his death probably would help with some closure.
It took a while for Yosh to start talking and joking with me again. Almost six months to be exact. I can't tell you why he changed, maybe he accepted it, maybe he just forced it out of his mind. I am just happy that he is no longer weary and tense around me. For a while he would leave the room if I was in a bad mood or sour about something. I really missed his teasing and paternal side. I really hope that he didn't see me as a monster.
The years passed and I grew into a man, and the kids were no longer kids but preteens and teens. Life was good, and I had absolutely no complaints. I would think of Itachi and Sasuke often, but as time passed they took up less and less of my time. I didn't know quite how to deal with that. I didn't want to forget, but there was no use in thinking about it. I may have struck fear in some low level criminals here, but I know that I would not be a challenge if I were to go against Root. Going to Kohona was just not an option. Itachi was lost as a nuke nin, and Sasuke was in the village that I could not return to. No my favorite cousins were out of my reach. My life was was following a different path then them. I just figured that when as time went on that I, and the other kids would take on the inn once Noni or Yosh retired. Was it the heroic and romantic life that I thought of when I was a boy? No. That was ok though.
One fall evening, when I was nineteen, Hisako and I were laying on a small hill in front of the inn. We were enjoying the newly cooled weather, and the earlier start of the nocturnal insects. There was no need for word, just to be close to each other was good enough for us. While I was close with all the kids, there had always been something between her and I. We would often be found together, talking, sitting, or her reading to me. It may seem pretty lame, but those are some of my favorite memories. Lying on the grass, while she read me the newest novel that came out. "Hey Sui?"
"Hmmm?"
"I love you."
"You know I love you too kiddo." I tilt my head in her direction and smiled. She took a shaky breath in and grabbed my hand.
"No... Sui... I am in love with you." My breathing stopped and my brows furrowed. I pulled my hand out of hers and sat up. This I had not been expecting. How? I have been like her big brother to her.
"I don't think you are." I say softly and slowly. How the hell do you handle this? I love her, yes I would burn the world for her, but just not in that way. The last thing that I want to do is hurt her. "Hisko, you are still so young. I don't know if you would know what that type of love is." I sigh.
"Sui, you are the last person, that can tell that because of my age, I would not know what I am feeling. I mean what were you like at thirteen?" I could hear her roll over and face me. I still and ponder her question.
"Well, I was a shinobi, then I was here." I shrug.
"And you were just a child playing ninja, or were you making adult decisions?"
"I suppose I thought that they were adult decisions." I sigh and lift my arms to rest under my head. "But I never thought that I was in love at thirteen. The only love that I had was my village."
"Hmmmm, so you were in the right to kill, to fight, to be a mercenary. But yet too young to know love? Perhaps you had not met the right person." Her voice sang. I smirk at here. She never would raise her voice, instead when spoke in a sing song manner that was when you knew she was getting upset.
"Perhaps, thought I am too old for you Hisako. You know that. You are considered a child and I am an adult." If I could not get to her emotionally perhaps this will make her think.
"Well I can wait." I can hear her smile. "Can I make a bet with you? I mean, I know how much you, Koji and Goro love to bet." I purse my lips and turn my head in her direction.
"Depends what is the bet."
"I bet by the time I am seventeen that you will be in love with me." I sigh and shake my head.
"What do you get if you win?" I try not to smirk, but I really can't help it.
"You." She breaths in the shell of my ear causing my skin to prickly. I swallow thickly.
"And if I win?"
"Then I will leave it be, I will not bother you starting on my seventeenth birthday." My hands lower and I run my hands over my face, rubbing my sockets with my palms.
"Deal" I agree after a few moments of tense silence. She giggles next to me then places a small hand on my chin.
"Sui?"
"Hisako?"
"I am going to win this bet." I feel her push her lips against mine in a chaste kiss. She gets up quickly and runs back into the inn. Why do I have a feeling that she may be right?
Thankfully Hisako was good with keeping things normal between us. That was one of my major concerns after that night. It also seemed that she didn't tell any of the other kids, which thank the gods for. We already had a pretty indecent banter between us, and I didn't need to hear the three of them calling me a cradle robber. The only thing new thing that she would do was let her innocent touches linger a bit longer then needed, and the occasional peck on the cheek. I could handle that.
A few months later more major news found it's way to the bar at the inn. I over heard that the Leaf was attacked by Orochimaru and the Hokage was killed. I didn't know how to feel about that news. At one point I loved the man as our leader. The respect that I had for him shook me to the bone. Then the massacre happened and nothing was gained besides the graves of my the he was not the one pulling the strings, he was part of what happened. I knew Itachi was acting on orders. There was nothing that could explain it besides that. I have also heard that he was now apart of the Akatsuki. He was thrown to the lions. For what? I don't think that I can find it in me to have sympathy. Government was so fucked up. There had to be better ways besides this working underneath the underneath. Life could be simple. We are the ones that make it complicated.
Then quickly the rumor mill brought up Sasuke again. I had not had a panic attack since finding out about the massacre, well I had another that day. The depth of manipulation around him was staggering. He had gone off with Orochimaru, to gain power to kill Itachi. I can't help but think of Anko and how bad her "Sensie" had messed the girl up. Would that happen to Sasuke? It made me sick to my stomach.
That news, hit me harder then even the massacre. Sasuke wanted to kill his brother, and it seemed to me that Itachi was goading him into it. I decided tht I would leave and actually was prepared for the journey. I wanted to run to him, to tell him that there has to be more.. I couldn't. I didn't know where to go, or how I could go about it. I also felt responsible for this island I called my home, and the people I called my family. Sasuke was my family first though, and I couldn't do anything. Perhaps I was a coward, or selfish. I felt lost for a long time.
It seemed that the attack on the leaf was a catalyst for violence to spread through the lands. There were many missing nin running about causing a ruckus. Our island was slowly becoming a popular stopping spot with shinobi. While the up-rise in business made Yosh and Noni happy, the constant flow of powerful ninjas made me edgy. Though they were good to with gossip. For people that are suppose to be so secretive they sure do talk a lot.
The violence grew as the years go by. I trained the kids harder then I had ever anticipated training. I also hone in on my training. Sensing through vibration is now like breathing.
"Hey Urchin!" Noni screams into my ear. I just shake my head. She had started a game of trying to catch me off guard, and she was loosing into the triple digits.
"What's up Noni?" I ask as I begin to dry dished and put them away. She stood next to me and took a deep breath. SHIT! She only started conversations with a deep intake of breath when it was bad. Like when Koji accidentally lit a field on fire in the village. I know, that she knows, that I know that she is fully aware of the training that I do with them. We never talk about it.
"Just wanted to say thank you?" Ohhh this is really not right. Noni doesn't show gratitude often, or ever.
"For what?" I ask slowly as I turn to her. There may be ulterior motives here, and I am not sure how I feel about this.
"Taking care of the kids... I was not happy when you started to "play" ninja with them. I know that now they are much safer then if you had not trained them" She puts her hand on my shoulder, which is something else that she doesn't do. Noni is fantastic when the situation is heated or an emergency, but day to day contact is not something she has ever demonstrated. "I don't want them to go off and join a village or anything, but I know that they can all handle themselves." I swallow and give her a small nod.
"Thank you. Noni, I am sorry that I went against your wished. I felt it was necessary, and they wanted to learn. I did not shove anything on them."I give her small smile.
"I know. You were right, I can see that now. I am just a stubborn woman, who thinks too much in terms of black and white." She laughed. "I guess I am a bit more like Yosh then I want to even admit."
"What you are the size of a mountain?" I suppose calling a woman large was not the wisest comment to make. My jaw took two weeks to feel normal again.
No big news passes for a few years. The world does seem to be tense. There is constant talk of war between the nations. With the political unease the crime around the village does seem to rise, but the island is well protected. The kids have to be at least jounin level. They all also have been working on coining a new jutsu. Koji had created what he calls the "gates of hell." In which he combined his fire and wind chakra to make multiple fiery tornadoes. It was massively large and wielded a great amount of damage. I had to ban him from training those on the island, much to his chagrin.
Hisako's jutsu was something that I had never really encountered before. She embraced both destructive and healing chakra together. She would form a shield of sort, those with in the bubble would be washed in healing chakra, while anyone who would attempt to approach would be impaled on chakra spikes. It made me nervous. She had great chakra control, but it wasn't perfect. A few times while working on her shield she would push herself too far and wound up unconscious.
Yumma had by far the best chakra control. She was ablew to mold her chakra into claws that extended four inched from her fingers and toes. She was lethal and had quite the temper to boot. She also took up healing, hile she wasn't as interested in healing as Hisako, she did pick up some basic techniques.
Goro, well he wasn't really interested in a "signature move," He focused on being able to track. He was really impressive, he could feel others chakras from great distances. Farther then I ever thought possible actually. He was the front line of really keeping the inn safe. They really did amaze me every day.
When I was twenty two I lost the bet Hisako made. In one day I surrendered my heart and soul to the girl.
"Noni, have you seen Hisako?" I jog up to the boat that she was shucking barrnicels off of.
"Hisako? No." She grunted, the scrapping noises sharp on my ears. "She should be back soon though." If I could I would be glaring daggers at her right now.
"She said that she would be back today. She didn't take the paddle boat, and the last ferry came twenty minuted ago. She's never late. " I shift on my heals and begin to gnaw on the inside of my cheek. Hisako had gone to get supplies in the villages. She told me that it would take two weeks. I know that she is more then capable, but Goro had not been able to track her since three days after she left.
"Shisui, she is a big girl, you have trained them well. There are a lot of reasons that people are late. Give it a few more days then we will go from there." She yawned as she turned to me. I let out a long sigh. "Plus you never know, a pretty thing like her she may be getting courted." She laughed. My body stiffens at her words.
"She's being courted?" I ask slowly.
"Hell if I know, but it is a good possibility." She laughed then began to her shucking again. "You know she isn't going to wait forever."
"What?"
"You heard me, kid. I think you have chores to complete, don't you?" I shake my head and walk back into the inn.
She has been gone for six days past when she said she would be home. I can't focus on anything. It has been three days since I was able to eat, or sleep. I feel like my mind is slowly slipping.
"I am going Yosh, she has never been this late." I growl as I march into the kitchen.
"I understand, but we told Noni that we would give her till tomorrow." He sighed as he threw something into hot oil. I just snarl in the direction that he was in.
"Why aren't you and Noni taking this seriously? She is alone and she is late!" I slam my hand down in frustrations. Their lack of concern was getting infuriating.
"It's not that we are not taking it seriously, it's the face that we have faith in her. Those supply runs can go over you know that. Remember two years ago when we were two weeks over?" I hear him moving pots around on the stove. "We said give her a week, and that is what we are going to give her."
"But she is alone," I snap at him.
"Do you think she is weak?" I scoff at him.
"No." I know she isn't we have spared and she can handle herself, but even the most seasoned warrior can make mistakes. "Fine I'll give it till tomorrow."
At sunrise the next day I make my way to the dock were the ferry drops off guests. I sit down and lean against a tree in the direction of the shore. It was a nice day and the salty air was crisp on my skin. It may have been able to enjoy it if I wasn't so concerned with Hisako running so far behind.
I sat there for hours, wasting the day away waiting. The knot in my stomach becoming tighter with each scheduled departure of the ferries. Slowly the sun began to set. I had not moved from my spot. I may have been hungry and thirsty, but I couldn't really tell.
The final boat came and I stood. I flared my chakra and searched for hers frantically. It flops around like a fish our of water. I try and take a breath in to calm myself but it isn't working. That's when I feel her. She was in the hull of the ship and now she was making her way up. I walk quickly to the small ramp that ran from the vessel to the dock and stand there ans wait.
"Sui!" Hisako yells once she gets on the deck. Her voice washes over me and makes my muscles loosen immediately. I had not realized that I was so tense. I want to smiel but I can't for some reason. I can hear her walking over the ramp.
"Sui? Are you ok." She slowly walks towards me and I slowly shake my head.
"No...yes...no.." Really it should not take thought to answer that question. I just sigh and she takes another step towards me. The moment she is close enough I take her face in my hands rubbing my thumbs on her cheeks. I take a deep breath and place my forehead against hers. "Why are you so late? I was so worried." I whisper. I can feel the muscles in her cheeks move, alerting me of the lop sided smile she has on.
"Well I got everything and was heading back when I was kinda robbed." She laughed.. When was getting robbed funny? "Anyways they stole those expensive spices Yosh ordered and my pocket money. So I went after them." My head pulls back as my lips began to purse.
"You went after them?" I hiss at her.
"Well yeah, I mean do you know how expensive those silly spices are. So I went to get them back. They were pretty quick though, took me two days to catch up. She begins to lean into my hand and lets out a long sigh.
"You shouldn't have gone alone. Something could have happened." I chide her. My hands remain on her face savoring the feeling of her skin under my fingers.
"Nothing happened, just got my stuff back," she shifted as she shrugged.
"But it could have."
"Something can happen every breathing moment. I was fine."
"Hn."
"Sui?"
"Hisako?"
"I think you lost our bet." I feel both cheeks rise. I finally begin to smile at her. She pulls me forward and places her lips on mine.
I only had two weeks until her seventeenth birthday too. I guess there are worse bets I could have lost.
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We are getting close to when Sakura shows. I promise. I think maybe a chapter or two away.
