It was easy to move around the village without being seen. Mamoru was used to having to hide. He was considered a criminal, and very dangerous. He was on many hit lists. It came with what he had done, and the life he had chosen for the friends he held so dear. He never thought something else would ever claim so much of his attention.
Under the cover of night, Mamoru traveled silently between the islands of Mercury Isles. It was his home, although he was no longer welcome here by most. Most did not mean all though. He worked his way to the home of Shiori Hojo. She was the mother of his beloved Yuka, and she had been missing now for a while. Mamoru had been searching after hearing of her disappearance. Shiori was doing what she could as well, but she had sent word to Mamoru. She needed to speak with him urgently.
Mamoru had very few cares. He cared about his closest friend, Itachi. He cared about Yuka, and he cared about Shiori. Shiori had been just as understanding and accepting of him as Yuka had been.
He approached the elderly woman's home. She lived on one of the two outer islands. Her house was close to the edge of the island so the ocean was easily seen. Her home was small and humble. He could see the light from a candle through one of the windows. He knocked quickly and quietly.
Within a short moment, Shiori appeared. Her long graying blonde hair was pulled back into a loose braid. Her ocean blue eyes were sad. She moved quickly and brought Mamoru into the house. She did not want anyone seeing him.
"I came as soon as I got your message." Mamoru said as he pulled back his black hood. His long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail that rested on his back. His cloud gray eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions. Hope, determination, and curiosity were a few that Shiori could easily see.
"Mamoru, you should have a seat. I have heard word of Yuka. There is much to tell you." Shiori said gently. He did not move. He simply looked at her with a serious and stubborn expression. He was waiting to hear what she knew. He needed to know.
Shiori sighed and looked down. "Yuka has passed." She struggled to say. "I received word from the council of the Saisho Clan. She passed during childbirth only one week ago." Mamoru was stunned. "She was... pregnant?" He was not sure if he had understood right.
"Yes. Apparently, the entity known as the Third Eye approached her very early in the pregnancy. It wanted to have her child as its next host. Apparently Yuka agreed and followed it to the Saisho Clan to have the baby." Shiori explained. Mamoru couldn't tell how exactly Shiori felt about Yuka's decision, but he knew how he felt about it.
"This is ridiculous!" He said angrily. "They have my child!" Shiori knew just as well as he did that any child that Yuka had would have been his. "Did they say if it was a boy or a girl?"
Shiori nodded. "Yes. It was a girl. Yuka named her Aiko Hisanori."
"Hisanori?" Mamoru said slowly. Yuka had given the girl his last name. It was as if she was trying to leave him a clue. He couldn't believe she was gone. Even if she was no longer of this world though, she had left something special behind. "I have to get her."
"What?" Shiori said surprised. "Are you talking about the baby? How do you plan to do that?" It was not uncommon knowledge that it was extremely difficult, it not impossible to reach the home of the Saisho Clan without someone from within the clan leading a person to the place. Or if the Third Eye led someone there, like it did with Yuka.
"There has to be a way." Mamoru began to think aloud. He started to pace back and forth. There had to be a way. There was always a way.
Mamoru sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. It was late, or early. He glanced at the clock. It was just after two in the morning. He sat up and brushed his hair back out of his face. He was staying in a small village inn. It was nice and quiet and it was close to where the Saisho Clan was supposed to be. Within a day or two, he would be where he needed to be. Then he would just have to find the way to enter the village.
He stood up and looked out the window. The moon was high and the sky was clear and bright. At least, it was bright considering it was night. He felt a sadness wash over him. He wasn't with Yuka when she was pregnant. He wasn't with her when she passed. He felt he had failed her. He could never make that up. He wanted to be there for Aiko though.
It had taken him almost nineteen years to find out where the Saisho Clan was. He had to stalk for information in ways he had never done before. He had to be harsher than before. It had taken luck to find out anything about the place. It was luck that someone from the clan just happened to be in the same bar Mamoru was.
The man had been completely drunk. He rambled on and on. Most people seemed to think the man had no idea what he was talking about, but Mamoru knew. He believed the man. The man had run from the clan. He loved someone that was not from there. That was not aloud apparently. He wanted to be with his beloved and that was what he was going to do.
Mamoru shared his story with the man. He reacted sympathetically and happily gave instructions to Mamoru about where to go to find the mysterious village. The only thing he could not tell him was how to get in.
"The entrance appears for people from the clan easily, so outsiders only have to follow them." The man had explained. "Without someone to lead you, you will have to find the path yourself."
"Couldn't you just take me?" Mamoru suggested.
"Oh no no no." The man said and waved his hands. "That would be stupid and dangerous on my part. They will kill me if they find me!" He said and took another drink. Mamoru looked down with a frustrated look. "Although," The other man began. "You could try and wait for someone to enter the village since you already know where it is, and just follow them inside."
"Or I could break the gen-jutsu that keeps the entrance so well hidden." Mamoru said thoughtfully.
"Oh, oh yeah! That would definitely work!" The man said excited.
