Kushina's Diary
Chapter 25
The Mask
March 9 – Woke late. Sun already up. Dress, find 3 for brekfast.
"Good morning Otemba."
She made a production of studying her chopsticks because she couldn't look at him without blushing. "Good morning, Flash. It's good to see you." She turned red anyway.
Tsume began dishing out the rice. "I told Minato that I knew your secret identity. He thinks I should have been told back at Auntie Tsuchitara's, but some people objected."
"Itadakimasu. I agree."
Minato was in the middle of a one-sided discussion. "We need to build something the old folks can't. This perpetual war has warped them all and will warp another generation if we don't find a way to fix it."
"Look at them. The Raikage – as erratic as a lightning bolt. Why did he have to destroy the Whirlpool? Something good and noble was starting to emerge there. Your family had somehow built a monarchy that actually cared more for the people than for their privileges. It is as if some demon, and I don't mean Kyuubi, is determined to prevent a little light from brightening the darkness."
"Look at the Kazekage. The Sand society is as cold and dry and sterile as the desert they live in or the iron filings he kills with. The Stone... The Mist... each worse than the others. The small countries were our best hope for a new light, but if there is someone determined to keep us in darkness, then the only place strong enough to fight it is the Leaf and the Will of Fire.
"Luckily, we have the Hokage, maybe the one sane man in the universe. He knows how to love and how to fight and doesn't confuse the two. But after him, who? Danzou? Homura? The way they would oppose the darkness would transform us into it. The next generation has failed. Sakumo is a broken man. Sensei would protect us, but the world would fall apart around him. Tsunade has no patience and no desire to command. Orochimaru – strong, organized, capable, but the people would never willingly follow him and... I don't trust his experiments."
"That is why we must be prepared to take our place and lead. We can remake this world so that none need fear their neighbor. But we have to be so strong that allies can feel comfortable in joining us."
Tsume patted his hand. "That is enough politics for breakfast. He can go on and on for hours, if you let him. Let's discuss something interesting like the Inuzukas' senses. Everyone knows my nose is almost as good as Kuromaru's, but they don't realize my hearing is pretty good too."
Kushina's chopsticks paused halfway to her mouth. "Oh."
"Yeh, and my night vision is especially good. I can see just fine in even the darkest room."
"Interesting."
"The eye-shine from another animal is especially easy to see."
Kushina played with her food nonchalantly. "That must be useful in detecting spies."
Minato choked and started coughing while Tsume pounded him on his back. "There is (cough) one thing I want to warn you about when it comes to spying, Otemba." Ohhhh, here it comes. If he yells at me and thinks I'm a pervert I'll just die right here. She hung her head and completely stopped chewing. "Tsume sees things at night, so if you think it is safe doing things in the dark, it's not... She peeks when someone is changing clothes." Kushina exploded in laughter, spraying rice all over the place. Tsume leaned back in her chair and roared.
"Well, I guess you two have a lot to talk about. I need to see Kunugi and the genin off. They need to get to Konoha for the Chunin Exams. Baby, I will always miss you. Have a great life and raise a whole pack of little Inuzukas. MMM-uh." There was doubt in both pair of eyes as they broke off the kiss. He opened the door and Kuromaru sauntered in, his nails clicking on the floor. "You look pleased with yourself."
The black and white dog wagged his tail. "Good... ditj."
"I absolutely agree with you there, boy. Very good bitch."
-- --
"That's what we need to do." Ino gave Shikamaru an amazed look. He continued, unaware of how close he had come to dieing. "If he had lived, I believe Minato could have pulled it off. The Ninja Wars were coming to an end and he was building alliances all over our world. Naruto, you and Ino and Sakura and I and the rest need to step up and take responsibility for the state of mankind which we pass along to Konohamaru, Udon, Hanabi and Moegi-chan."
March 11- Nii-chan, hurt bad not stop at Kakikae Village. Deep down need see for self they do good. Went on next village bazaar.
"Where would you like to eat?"
Tsume sniffed the air. "I'm tired of rice and we won't settle for ramen. We need meat, don't we boy? Ah, barbecue. Take us to it."
Kuromaru was off in a trot and around a corner. They caught up to him just as he was entering an upscale restaurant. "Hey, there's a dog in here." "Somebody shoo that dog out." "Watch out, he's vicious!"
"If you swing that broom, you are going out through the window."
"I am so sorry, Ma'am. We didn't realize he belonged to a ninja. You are an Inuzuka, Ma'am? Forgive us. Let me get you a table."
Kushina shrank back, tugging on Tsume's sleeve and whispering. "Let's go."
"What? I came here to eat."
"Tsume, I've got to go."
Back outside, Tsume was fuming. "What's with you. I never figured you would be embarrassed by a little confrontation."
"Those people in the second booth, they were wearing Whirlpool clothing. Look around." It seemed that everywhere there was a flash of orange or a typical Whirlpool style hat. One store had a sign, "Welcome Kakikae Village Customers".
Tsume scratched her head. "Oh, I guess if they needed supplies or a restaurant meal, this is where they would come."
There was a group of men walking down the street pulling a cart. "Aack. That guy with the beard was a mason at the castle." Kushina fled into a toy store.
"Ah, welcome to Gazetto Omochaya, brave kunoichi. I am Gazetto, the proprietor, how may I help you? We have novelties and knickknacks, or would you be interested in one of our Chunin Exam toys for a young relative? We can be of service if you would care to place a wager on the exams? The early line has Kumade Toriichi of the Leaf returning from last year as the favorite at 4-1 with Suien of the Waterfall and Karura of the Sand as second favorites at 6-1."
While Tsume tried to negotiate better odds for bets on Kumade and Karura, Kushina hid in a back corner of the store to think. There she came face to face with a nightmare, a rack of 60 Percent Off Discontinued, kids' orange robes and ninja costumes. She stroked the sleeve of a robe that looked just like the one she had worn a year ago and pondered the workings of fate.
"That was my second best seller last year." Gazetto had walked up behind her while she was lost in memories. "Now, even the refugees can't stand to see it. Poor people, they are trying so hard to remake their lives, but the shock must have been brutal."
Kushina tried to keep her voice nonchalant. "Has there been any trouble?"
"Oh, very little. A couple of boys were breaking into stores, but their own people handled it. A former court guardsman is acting as village constable and a merchant was appointed mayor. He had holdings in the Fire Country and so was not broken like the rest. He is funding many of the improvements out of his own pocket. There was one murder in a drunken brawl. The perpetrator was sent to Daimyo's court and hung."
She shook her head. She had to get her mind off the past or sink into melancholy again. "What did you say was your best seller, again?"
"Of course, my ninja mask. If you have a younger brother or cousin, he can pretend to be Kakashi or Kumade in the chunin finals. It's just the thing and very reasonable."
"Let me see one. Hurry." She quickly tied it on. It was small and scratchy, but it covered half her face.
Gazetto saw a possibility for a big sale. "Aww, if it is an adult costume you desire, to dress like your favorite contestant, though why would you ever cover your lovely face? We have a very rare item. Genuine ninja masks, cool elastic, flexible. The only reason I am able to even get these is they are deemed factory seconds, though I defy anyone to find a flaw."
She changed masks, much better, hardly able to tell she had it on. Then she checked the price tag and gulped. "Tsume, I need to borrow some money."
"Why, that is triple the price they charge in the Leaf Village." Tsume linked arms with the shopkeeper and began serious negotiations, resulting in a discount on the mask in exchange for doubling her bet on Kumade.
Outside, "Now if you feel sufficiently anonymous, can we go get something to eat?"
Kushina walked lightly with her hands behind her head. "Uh, Tsume... How do I eat with my mask on?"
-- --
March 10 – Finely got see Whirlpool people. Mud everwhere like any constructshun site, but almost everone under roof. Large public building still have many cots. Say be in own house by summer. Nii-chan, people safe and happy, but me shit.
The mayor was an impressive man whom she had seen many times in council talking about trade or community improvements or forwarding complaints from other citizens. Daigiri had the whole village operation thoroughly planned and running smoothly. He was personally paying for the care of widows and orphans when the relief funds from the Daimyo weren't sufficient. She knew that these of her people were in good hands.
It was when she saw the constable that she became despondent. The former guardsman had set up a corps of deputies and night patrols. He kept the peace in the close quarters of the barracks among hundreds of depressed people. He arranged for a Mayor's Court to try misdemeanors and small disputes. He was thoroughly efficient and competent and Kushina couldn't recognize him.
He had stood guard in Uzumaki Castle for five years, but all he had been was another uniform, a spear carrier. She thought about the whole guard force and only came up with three names, the captain of the guard and two females who would escort her into town. She remembered the guards who had tried to break in and rescue her from Kyuubi and had died for her and was ashamed. The fact of the matter was that they weren't shinobi and so didn't count.
Minato said that the Uzumaki were different, that they cared more for the people than themselves. How could she claim that legacy if the people around her were just props and not individuals. The great amorphous People she was supposed to love did not become individuals just by learning jutsus. She left Kakikae Village with the feeling she had learned as important a lesson from a lowly guardsman as she had ever learned from her jonin sensei.
March 16 – Back to Land of Waves crossing. Soon back home, week late, but two unskeduled battle good excuse. Traveling with Tsume, learn more than Hokage plan. But then again, Nii-chan, sometimes Hokages plan for more than you know.
"Ino-pig, have you kept touch with any of the other girls from the Academy?" They were walking home together just after dusk.
"I see them at the flower shop sometimes and ask how they are doing, Forehead. When they talk about High School and boys and summer jobs, it all seems so foreign, like they are from a different reality."
"I know. Kushina got me thinking. All these people around that sell us our clothes and clean the streets, we don't even notice they are there, let alone know who they are. We only pay attention to another ninja, because to miss seeing one could kill you. Is everybody else strange, or is it us?"
"How should I know. You're supposed to be my sensei. Figure it out and then you tell me."
-- --
Hanabi held onto his arm tightly as he walked her home. A block from the Hyuuga compound, she stopped under a canopy. "Huhn, what's wrong Hanabi?"
"Naruto-kun, there's something you are supposed to do when you walk a girl home."
Slowly a realization percolated through Naruto's brain. "Hanabi, you weren't watching us last night?"
"Uhn-huh. Neji, too. Kushina's not the only one who likes to watch."
"But, but, but... (Sigh) I don't know what it is your sister and I are doing or where we are going, but I do know we need some privacy to figure it out. I want you to promise not to spy on Hinata any more. Now give me a kiss right here like a good little sister." He tapped his cheek with a forefinger.
"OK." Naruto noticed she held a hand behind her back and figured her fingers were crossed.
Demons but he missed her.
Next: Chapter 26
Homecoming