Story: Kintsugi

Pairing(s): None

Word Count: 490

Author's Comment: This takes place a year prior to the current storyline. Minor spoilers, though.

Originally posted on December 4, 2018 for my 30 Days of Short Fiction. For more information on 30DoSF, please refer to the pinned entry on my WordPress, xlilim – link available in my profile.

I am taking suggestions! If you want to see any couple or character from the story in certain situations, let me know. If I feel inspired by the idea, I will write them! You can PM me, leave a review, or comment on the 30DoSF WordPress page.

Winter Fire

Mio woke up to the sound of an axe cleaving wood in the tiny courtyard outside. She tugged on a knit sweater over her plain robe and ventured out of the guest room. She stepped into the verandah facing the courtyard and wrapped her sweater tighter over her body.

Tobirama set another log atop the weathered trunk and swung the axe down, splitting the wood in one fluid movement.

"Did they put you to work?" asked Mio.

"I volunteered," he replied. "We're intruding on them, it is the least we can do."

"If you'd prefer to stay somewhere else, there were plenty of inns on the road here."

"Nonsense!" cried Keigo, sliding the doors open behind her. "We have everything that you need here—free food, lodgings, company—so you should stay right here. Plus, didn't you hear my mom and pops are going to build the biggest bon fire to ever spawn. It's for the Winter Fire Festival. That's why Tobirama here is cutting up all this wood. I'm about to go into the forest to bring another tree. Of course, I gotta go get some more man power, 'cause I can't haul a whole tree over here."

"You should take her," said Tobirama, slicing another log into halves. "She's probably strong enough to uproot a whole tree with her bare hands."

Well, she never tried it before, but she could probably do it.

"Oh, can you? Can you, please?" Keigo clung to the hem of her sweater and looked at her with sparkling eyes. "Please, please!"

Mio sighed. "Let me go get dressed."

Hours later, once the preparations were done and the Winter Fire Festival was in full swing with the few village people sharing drinks and street food, Mio stood beside Tobirama in front of the tower of flames engulfing the wooden scaffolding built from all of the wooden logs he had cut up.

"I'm grateful for your company," Mio admitted. "I wouldn't be able to do this on my own."

"I was ordered here," said Tobirama curtly, his arms folded over his chest. "If you didn't want to come alone, you should've asked that husband of yours to accompany you instead."

"He's not my husband," she said. "And, he wouldn't understand. I needed someone that would be indifferent to what I would be doing. You're perfect." She turned to him, staring up at the scowling white-haired shinobi. "You don't even care what happens to me, so you won't stop me when the time comes."

Tobirama opened his mouth, as if he were about to rebuke her, but he swallowed his words. "Hmm."

Keigo appeared next to her with a skin of warm sake and a face flushed. "Have a drink."

She took a swig of the alcohol, grateful for the warmth that traveled down her throat, and presented it to Tobirama. "Just a sip?"

Tobirama grabbed it and drank deep of the rice wine. "Thanks."