Small Steps
"My name is Yarra, and I truly apologize for taking so long to find you, Kakashi-san."
Her voice was much deeper than Katsuyu-san's, and the dark blue pattern of her skin seemed to form defined waves, rather than a straight line.
"I'm sorry for the initial confusion, Yarra-san." He sat straight, their eyes almost leveled as she made herself comfortable on his vanity table.
She nodded without hesitation. The mistake was much more common than she cared to admit. Katsuyu-san had actually helped her become familiar with his chakra, as she had never felt it before. Still, it took her far longer than expected to find her target, and no amount of apologies would make up for lost time. "I am Alcina's personal summon," Yarra continued. "And I have a message to deliver from her."
"Oh?" He straightened. "I wasn't aware she had a personal summon."
Yarra slid closer to the edge of the vanity table. "She rarely summoned me."
"I see." The jonin felt a growing excitement at the prospect of hearing a message from the chakra specialist. He hoped these words could help Rainy feel better, and maybe he'd even have a chance to aid Alcina in some way. "Is Alsy-san safe?"
Yarra shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't have good news, Kakashi-san."
A dry lump made his throat feel tight. "What happened?"
"I was summoned to a machine like room by a dying Alcina-san," Yarra began. She had used her time to practice the delivery of the news, yet she still felt, and looked uncomfortable. "When I got there her chakra was so minimal, and she could barely stand or talk. She wore a hospital gown, with no shoes, and she was deteriorating physically."
Kakashi felt his skin prickle with a nervous heat. She had been captured, and was being kept in a hospital? Who could do that? Why?
A thin sigh, brought his attention back to Yarra. Her eyes were on the floor, and he could sense her hopelessness with each word. "Still, she managed to string some words together, which she said needed to be delivered to you. Again, Kakashi-san, I apologizes for the delay."
"Please continue, Yarra-san."
" 'They've revived Project Ina,' she said. Then she mentioned the name Len, and continued by saying that they will kill the queen."
Kakashi's eyes widened. He felt his body stiffen, his muscles contract with fear and dread. She looked at him, with what he could only guess were sympathetic eyes, before lowering them again. Dread shrouded and nauseated him. It seemed there was still more.
"Alcina-san used the last of her chakra to reverse summon me. When I tried returning, I found myself in this village, but not where Alcina-san had summoned me."
It may have been the most painless way to announce that their contract had been broken, because her summoner had passed away. And yet, Kakashi felt the blow of her death hit him with a full, raw, force. He felt his eyes prickle with sadness. Alcina was dead. He had grown fond of the older woman and her eccentric ways.
How would he tell Rainy? She'd be devastated...
"I'm so very sorry for your loss, Kakashi-san."
He cleared his throat, doing his best to stay centered. "Thank you, Yarra-san. My condolences to you as well."
She thanked him with a simple nod. Yarra was aware how far away his thoughts were, and there was nothing more for her to do. With a simple goodbye, she announced her departure, and allowed the grieving man some privacy.
By the time he looked up, and the cloud of smoke had begun to dissipate before Kakashi had readied a reply. He had been left alone to digest this new revelation, to gather his thoughts and put together a solution. There was no time to think of his own guilt for not having done anything to prevent such a disastrous situation, specially when he had to think of a grieving Rainy who was sure to take the news harder than him.
Kakashi felt like he was playing a game of shogi with an invisible opponent. To stay a step ahead of this project revival, and protect the Queen, he had to add a few pieces of his own to the board.
He needed to start taking up his Hokage duties, now.
[*28*]
Rainy recognized the spotted gray and black wings, as the unique delivery system took flight from Kakashi's window sill. It wasn't just anyone who could use a falcon to deliver a message. Because it wasn't just anyone who could speak so freely to the Kage of their village.
"Is that for Tsunade-sama?" She felt stupid for asking, but the pounding of her heart against her ribcage had gotten so loud, Rainy could easily pretend she hadn't heard the jonin at all.
"Yes." He really wished he had gotten an hour or two to prepare for the outburst surely to come from Rainy, but it seemed the world had different plans after all. He'd have to just face her head on.
She tossed the bag in her hand angrily against the night table, spilling a mess of food onto the floor. "So I trust you with this information, and you go behind my back to tell your people?"
The anger in her voice made his skin crawl. He hated having to be in this situation more than she knew. "Things have taken a turn for the worst," he explained gently. "And now the Queen's life is being threatened."
She shook her head. "I don't understand; threatened how?"
Kakashi breathed out, slowly making his way across the room towards his companion. He hadn't said a word, but Rainy had already captured the severity of the situation. Her blue eyes widened, and heart pounded so fast that the first words missed her ears.
"...Alcina- san's personal summon came to deliver a message."
She felt a tremble rock her body, and Kakashi had his arms around her in an instant.
Yarra was only summoned during emergencies. She felt his warm breath on top of her hair as her vision clouded with tears.
"Alcina-san said that Len and others have revived Project Ina."
Rainy swallowed. She knew this wouldn't be the worst.
"And that they planned to overthrow the Queen."
"Where is she?"
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Yarra said she's dead." His grip around the petite girl tightened as he felt her go limp.
"Dead?"
He nodded.
Rainy could feel her eyes sting. Alcina was gone. Her good friend for over ten years was gone just like that. Over something so trivial. The medic felt guilty. She had participated in the break in yet here she was unscathed. She leaned against the soft of his hand, closing her eyes as his thumb wiped away a rebellious tear.
"So, you get this information and the first thing you do is go run and tell your people." She pushed away from him with extraordinary strength.
"Rainy, I-"
She didn't care. "Do you know how badly we'll get punished if your people learn that someone here revived Project Ina?" Her words dripped with worry, sadness, and confusion.
"Sanctions!" She could hear the worried voices of those who lived through the first wave. "More restrictions; we'll be reduced to nothing!"
"I swear I won't let that happen," he tried but it wasn't enough for her.
"How?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted. "But you can't expect me to sit back and do nothing while a friend is dead, and your Queen's life is threatened."
She sat on the edge of the bed doing her best, and failing miserably, to restrain her emotions. This was a time to come up with solutions, not to cry. But Alsy was gone. She was really gone.
"There has to be a way," she sobbed. "Kakashi, we can't handle another sanction." He didn't hesitate to sit by her side and scoop her up in his arms again. She didn't fight it this time, breaking down into the miserable woman who had just lost a great friend.
"Grieve, Rain," he soothed. "We'll come up with something soon."
[*28*]
The mellow rocking of the wooden wheels didn't bother Maru as much as they used to in the beginning of the trip. After much complaining, she had gotten an entire carriage to herself where she could read or laze around as much as she pleased. It was the least her father could offer as their journey would be a long, and exhausting one.
The rocking stopped and the former Head of the Toxicology Department sighed. Their caravan stopped to rest just an hour ago, and Deco Gen allowed only two reasons for their trip to be halted; to give the horses a break, and to deliver a message to another vehicle. The door to her cart opened, and she took one last look at the clear blue sky before turning from the window.
"You miss your job already?" Len teased, closing the door.
Maru scowled. "Out of all the things to bring up," she spat. "What did Daddy say about the boat trip?"
Len sat on the available seat across from his companion. She had returned to the window, and even from his angle he could clearly see her scowl deepen. They had started moving again, which Maru perfectly understood meant she had gained a traveling buddy until their next stop.
Fantastic.
"We'll have to stop at Yu for a couple of days." Len stretched his long legs, making good use of the rare gift of having so much space. "There's another snow storm coming, and we'd get caught right in the middle of the sea if we follow our established schedule."
Maru shook her head. This was the second storm disturbing their route.
The sun sat low in the sky, offering a rare warmth that fought off the budding winter. Even the thin layer of snow that had fallen that morning melted into a glossy sheen, covering the trees and the grass as they journeyed further into Grass Country.
"Say, do you know who's taking your place as HoD?"
Maru lifted her head from the window sill, but resumed her restful position soon after. She didn't care, after all. "Probably Rainy?"
Before Maru gained the title as a gift from her father, Rainy had been up for the position.
Len dug his hands inside the pocket of his woolen sweater. He quite enjoyed the brisk autumn weather. "You know, Maru-chan, you've never told me why you hate her so much?"
"Well, you never asked."
He chuckled, crossing his ankles. "So, why do you?"
Len honestly hadn't been interested in the subject up until that day. Their ride would be long, he didn't enjoy the reading material she had to offer, and if he had to sit in that cart for more than an hour staring at Maru while she looked out the window, he'd surely kill himself. At least listening to some gossip would make a few minutes fly by.
"Because," she sat up for a moment, before deciding to slump against leather backrest. "I've always wanted a sibling, but instead of me getting one, she did."
"Ah!" Len nodded suddenly remembering an old story he heard working under Lady Leon. "Eir?"
"Daddy should have taken her," the medic insisted. "But Jura the Big Mouth comes out of nowhere, waltzing in as if she has any business with our community."
Len felt the sudden urge to laugh, but stopped himself short of a full blown grin. If he angered Maru now, she'd never continue the story. "Don't you think it's strange enough that Dr. Gen has one child? Two just seems to be more than he could handle."
Maru rolled her eyes. Those were the exact sentiments her father had expressed while rejecting her proposal. "That's his own problem for breeding me like some test subject instead of getting a proper wife to aid with the rearing."
Len cleared his throat in an effort to ease the overwhelming urge to chuckle. This conversation had proven much more entertaining than he anticipated.
"Rainy can't even take advantage of all Eir has to offer," the young medic continued. She crossed her legs and adjusted her black skirt angrily. "I could have molded her into any sister I wanted."
Maru would've had someone to play with, share notes while studying, and gang up on her father about allowing a pet in the household. She sighed, returning her gaze to the large window. The underground facility could have also used another person under 30. Even with Len, sometimes she wished to have another female to speak about female things.
Her companion moved closer to the window, joining her as they took in the sights offered by Grass Country on a late afternoon.
"Well, Dr. Gen and the others are going to bring her back once we establish our new base." He shrugged. "Maybe she's already there, Dr. Gen was talking about a surprise subject waiting for us in Marsh."
She nodded, absently picking a string from her hoodie. "It won't be the same. Whether they erase her current memories or keep them, she'll simply want to get out."
Len sighed, leaning his head against the top of the leather backrest. The conversation had already dulled and he planned to take a nap. "Then you should be nice to our new little children. You can play house with them until we have to sell them off."
She leaned back on the window sill. "We'll just make new ones," she replied. "And I'll have many, many siblings."
[*28*]
Rainy cried herself to sleep against Kakashi's chest that night, a troubling sight he never thought he'd get to witness. Gently, he tucked her under the covers, and closed the window to keep the room warm. The jonin wasn't sure how much rest she'd be able to get, but he hoped to be back before she found herself waking up to an empty room.
He walked slowly across the bare hallway, and down the quiet steps to the lobby. It seemed the inn had been emptied for the holiday, as the sporadic chakra signatures he felt, were all the familiar faces that maintained the place. Elin sat behind the large wooden desk, an apple in one hand and a pen in the other. Quietly, she looked over the guest book, mouthing a silent word here and there as she worked.
"Evening, Elin."
She looked up, welcoming him with a gentle smile. "Evening, Kakashi-san. What brings you out so late?"
He wasn't aware exactly how late it was, but the clock had struck midnight sometime before he had tucked Rainy in. "I was hoping to ask you something."
"Hmm?" She placed the book on the desk, leaving the pen between the pages. The color pattern of his chakra held a familiar hue, and she had a feeling she knew the theme of the question.
His eyes darted between the flower pattern of the couches and the open door as he approached her desk. He could use a distraction from his own wild thoughts, but nothing seemed to work. "Do you think it would be possible to meet Rena-san tonight?"
The jonin would have to cut his trip short, but his mind had been made up about at least finishing up what he came to the village to do. He would never be able to handle his Hokage duties with the thought of his mother being alive pestering him, and Kakashi wanted to at least remove all doubt regarding this Rena person. For better, or for worse.
She followed his gaze to the open door, where the windy night made a spectacle out of the many trees on each side of their walkway. "She's open tonight," Elin announced.
Kakashi felt his heart tighten. He breathed out, hoping to regain some self control.
"Do you want me to go with you, Kakashi-san? I still haven't taken my lunch, and Sari can cover for me if the restaurant isn't too busy."
Kakashi smiled at the younger woman. "Thank you, Elin. But I think I should do this alone."
Truly, her eagerness to jump to his emotional rescue brought out the most pure form of joy he had ever felt. Maybe this is why he wanted to speak to her before delving deeper into the unknown. It's not like she hadn't told him the name of the cafe and the location, but the jonin wanted to reassure himself that whatever came from this meeting, he could come to Elin for support afterwards. And she'd probably be there, to welcome him with a smile, or gently caress his back until he felt like himself again.
She placed the apple on a napkin, and stood up. "It shouldn't be too busy tonight. People are getting ready for the tomorrow's festive day, so she's likely to not be doing anything too demanding."
What was he supposed to do without her when he went home? "Do you think you can do me a favor and keep an eye on Rainy? I'll try to make it quick, but she's not feeling too well."
She nodded eagerly, and Kakashi resisted the urge to cross the boundaries of the desk to steal one final embrace. He settled for a gentle pat on the head, and the surprise that filtered through her smile gave him all the strengths he would need. "Thanks a lot, Elin."
"Good luck, Kakashi-san."
Her well wishes resonated within him as he crossed the lobby, and out into the cool autumn night, where the cloudy skies lit his path in an pale light. There were no stars for him to wish upon, so the jonin forged on with his own strength and that of a strange girl who comforted him like nothing else.
Author's Note: Thank you very much for reading, and thank you to my awesome beta Motilyetron for her wonderful editing! Always thankful to Lilyvampire for finding the time to review, and of course, anyone who added this story to their faves/alerts. As of now there will be 39-40 chapters, so we're getting to the good stuff. Thank you very much to those who have stayed around for this long ride, truly makes me happy you're enjoying this story.
Chapter 29 is on the works, so that should be up hopefully next week!
Til next time dolls!
Rhiuss
