Drunk Enough to See the Truth
Miyako stared at the back of her escort with blatant hatred as they trudged through the wooded path. Her feet and back were killing her from carrying her babies and she couldn't form a plan for escape yet. As she walked Miyako was struck by a terrifying thought. Maybe the ninja weren't going to kill her but sell her into slavery.
Her purple eyes darted around the forest in search of inspiration for escape and she still couldn't think of anything. Her little family was surrounded my ninja and she knew she wasn't going to be able to get away, but just maybe she could do something else. Looking down at her Michi and saying a silent apology Miyako silently pinched her baby's sensitive leg. Immediately Michi broke into hysterical wails.
The ninja around her jumped and looked around for danger only to realize with embarrassment that the baby was only crying. The one eyed ninja seemed to be giving Miyako a smile but she wasn't sure because of the mask.
"Mikinyuu-san it seems the baby is crying." Miyako snorted at the stupid ninja and moved to a large rock next to the path.
"Of course she is crying." under her breath she added a soft baka and the other ninjas snickered. Instead of getting angry like she thought he would the man sighed softly and continued to talk.
"Would you be able to tend to the child as we walk?" Miyako studied the man and then knew they were trying to get her to the caravan to sell her. Not breaking eye contact with the stupid one eyed ninja Miyako shifted her cloak and started to unbutton her top.
She watched with amusement as the one grey eye grew larger and from the corner of her eye she saw Sasuke panic and look away. The masked ninja didn't turn from Miyako but looked straight up stiffly. Sakura was gallantly trying to stifle her laughter.
"I could try to walk but as you can see it would be difficult to feed one baby and carry another all the while keeping an eye on Yoshiro." Still not looking he nodded and narrowed his eye in thought.
"Mikinyuu-san my name is Hatake Kakashi and I am lead shinobi in this mission," Sasuke's shoulders stiffened, "I will carry Yoshiro, Sakura will carry little Yasu and Sasuke will carry you and Michi." Sasuke swung around to glare pointedly at Kakashi and he hissed.
"Hell. No." Kakashi shrugged.
"It isn't like I am asking you to carry her while she is feeding cute Michi but you need to carry her now if we are going to make it to the caravan."
"Hell. No." The three ninja looked over to the woman feeding the child. "I will not let you carry me. No way in hell. The only man who has carried me anywhere was Takumi and I don't plan on letting that change." The three ninja looked at each other in a silent conversation.
Sakura smirked for a horrific moment then smiled sweetly at Sasuke.
"Sasuke will carry Yasu." The China's dark eyes widened and stared in panic at Miyako. Miyako in turn gave the group a mocking laugh as she eyed Sakura.
"Please," Miyako giggled a little more as she pulled the now sleeping Michi away and buttoned up her blouse, "like you could carry me." The pink haired kunoichi raised a slender eyebrow and stepped forward.
The two women stared each other down. Dark purple eyes met amused green as Sakura gently pulled Yoshiro to Kakashi, lifted Michi up and showed Sasuke how to hold her then she stood staring down at the petite woman who still had Yasu in her arms. Leaning down Sakura picked the surprised woman up bridal style with a smug grin.
"Are you ready Mikinyuu-san?"
"Put me down!" Miyako's struggles stopped after she realized they were already flying though the trees. The little hope Miyako had cultivated to escape the ninja's grasp died like a candle in a storm. Miyako knew she wasn't going to get away now.
The rest of the trip to the border of Fire and River was spent silently for Miyako. She could hear Yoshiro laugh at Kakashi's masks and Sasuke had finally relaxed just a little with the baby in his arms. He seemed to be speaking softly to the child in his at times, whispering secrets to the ears that would never hear them.
Miyako glared at the pink haired girl again.
"Mikinyuu-san we are almost there." Her glare dropped in defeat. There was no hope and Miyako wasn't going to spoil her children's last moments of freedom with a temper tantrum. Takumi would have known what to do. He would have made an ingenious plan to save them with little effort but he wasn't there, so there wasn't hope.
The ground came up under Miyako and she gave a start as the ninja landed greeting the band of travelers in front of them. A scruffy man covered in dirt with goggles around his neck waved to the group.
"Hi there! My name is Daichi and I am the head of the caravan!" Miyako watched the man in confusion. She had dealt with slave owners before and this man wasn't acting as one. They were hard and angry at life and thought of humans as lumps of flesh. Nothing in this situation made sense.
Sasuke reluctantly handed Michi back to Miyako and uncertainly wrapped his arms around her smaller frame.
"Onee-san," Miyako stiffened, "be safe and find my brother's brother." She looked up into Sasuke's eyes. "You will be safe if you listened to what your husband told you."
"How do you know this?" The group of ninja smirked at her and Sakura lightly pushed Sasuke away and hugged Miyako as well.
"We are your family Miyako-chan. I am your sister, Sasuke is your brother, and Kakashi," she looked back to him for help, Kakashi only rolled his one eye towards the heavens. "Ah, he is the deranged uncle!"
"Nee Sakura-chan that wasn't nice." He droned.
"Shut up Kakashi-sensei." The Uchiha laughed quietly at their bickering. Miyako looked about in confusion and held up her hand.
"I don't understand any of this. You aren't going to sell us into slavery?" The small band was startled and Daichi actually started to laugh. "Okay, but what do you mean you are my family?" Sasuke shook his head cutting off Sakura who had opened her mouth to talk.
"We can not tell you Miyako-san but when you travel through River Country to Suna you will meet someone who will tell you everything much better than what we could." He sighed, "In truth you probably know more than we do."
Purple eyes warily studied the haggard ninjas around her but nodded in acceptance. Miyako turned to Daichi and he opened his arms wide and motioned for her to walk towards the caravan saying.
"Are home is your home."
With those parting words Miyako started forward with her children in her arms. As she neared the wagons she wasn't sure what compelled her but she turned around to see her escort. They weren't there and a small amount of disappointment welled up and she didn't understand where it came from.
Miyako silently searched the thinning forest for any signs of life but couldn't find any. The ninja as a whole had always moved in the shadows, always living a lie the moment their headband was tied onto their forehead and they knew never to look into the light. Never to try and touch the sun, for it would illuminate everything they were and then they would be able to see how much blood stained their hands.
Miyako hadn't thought the ninja knew what family was, she hadn't thought they knew what loyalty and love was. For they had killed and slaughtered but she now realized she didn't know why they fought. Miyako wasn't sure why she hated the ninja anymore for they had done something so paramount for her this night she knew she would never understand.
As she sat in the back of a wagon Miyako made up her mind and turned to Daichi who was stirring the large horses.
"Daichi-san where is your sake?" He glanced back to the woman's determined face and motioned to a crate next to her.
"It is right in there. If I can ask what do you need it for?" Miyako just smiled and opened the crate and took a bottle. She opened the bottle and motioned for Yoshiro to come forward. Pouring some sake into her hand and rubbing his face dark lines started to appear.
When she was finished Miyako sat back and studied her handy work. Black lines that looked like whiskers marred Yoshiro's little face giving him a feral look.
"I just needed some alcohol to see the truth," She sighed, "are you ready Yoshiro for what awaits us?" His little head bobbed eagerly.
"Are we done hiding?" Miyako smiled at her little boy that had to grow up so fast.
"Yes Yoshiro, we are done hiding."
A.N. wow that was it. Don't freak out because there is a second part I am not going to leave you hanging!! I hope you will tell me what you like and what you didn't through out the entire story now!! Um what else? So right now I am recovering from having my wisdom teeth taken out so tell me if something is wrong. I won't be able to tell. I don't own Naruto and I hoped you like reading this as much as I liked writing it.
Happy reading
Psychocitten