Kushina's Diary

Chapter 34

Pageant

"How did you like the movie, Naruto-kun?"

"It was pretty good, but I prefer the Princess Gale series. Did I tell you how I saved Princess Koyuki during the filming of the 'Princess Gale and the Rainbow Glacier' ?"

"Oh, how exciting. Maybe you could tell me about it the next time you see me?"

"Dumb, dumb, dumb. I warned you I needed help. (Sigh) Hinata-chan, I really enjoyed this afternoon. Would you like to go out with me again?"

"Thank you Naruto-kun. I would love to. It doesn't have to be a movie though. You know it just didn't seem so realistic compared to the actual history that we read in your Mother's story."

October 30- Asked Hokage for pass to go see play. Got turned down. Said couldn't be spared now. Had urgent solo mission. Letters to deliver, wait for reply. Request full accounting to Daimyo and Hokage of success and receipts of Halloween Festival. Love that old man, Nii-chan. Remind so much of Father.

The crowd in the streets had never seen so many pumpkins before, certainly not 200 Kg pumpkins carved into silly faces or pumpkin shaped paper streamers. Kushina felt so much at home her grin was about to split her mask. She had been to many Halloween street fairs just like this in the smaller villages back home. Very few of them had been so successful as to add eight times their population overnight.

Gazetto's advertising had been productive. Many children had taken advantage of the opportunity to wear costumes. Many of the ones who hadn't were streaming into the storefront with the temporary "Gazetto Halloween Omochaya" banner tacked over the usual "Kakikae Merchantile" sign, and coming out with glowing swords or demon masks.

A village only a year old hadn't been around long enough to produce a creepy haunted house, but there were plenty of woods. Those in search of a thrill were escorted along rope lines strung through a "Haunted Forest" complete with the living dead and evil bloody ninjas jumping out from behind the trees. Since she was already wearing a mask she got volunteered to spend an hour dropping out of the branches. She noted for future consideration that the loudest screams came either from girls when huddled in large groups or alone with boys who they could throw their arms around. It wasn't clear to her whether it was all mass psychology or just a good excuse for a hug.

Most of all there was the food. Street vendors from nearby towns had rented spots and were serving their regular fare, but the biggest business was being done by the locals who had dug out their grandmas' recipes for all things pumpkin. There were cakes and soup and confections, all made from pumpkin. Of course the longest line was for 8:00 when they planned to cut the giant pumpkin pie at the bakery. Kushina wasn't in that line. Her secret vice was pumpkin donuts, and if her chin got sticky, well she could rinse out the mask tonight.

Thank Kami the weather had cooperated with a bright, clear, moonlit night. With most of the pumpkin cash crop and all the extra money in the village dedicated to putting on this festival, a rainstorm could have meant a cold hungry winter.

She saw one fight. Two men were drinking out of a flask when an usher came up and told them that alcohol was not permitted. One of them grabbed the usher and shoved him to the ground. Kushina was about to intervene when two small figures beat her there. The two punks were suddenly on their knees looking at the dirt. Namida handed a twisted wrist to Guy, going in front and grabbing two noses and explaining in no uncertain terms appropriate public behavior, using words which were not necessarily appropriate for use in public. When she ran down and let go of their noses and Guy released their wrists, Aoba finally sauntered over and tapped them each on the forehead with one finger. Eyes wide with abject terror, they jumped up and went screaming down the path toward home while the crowd applauded.

Guy commented, "I apologize for what I said before, Otemba. Street Fair security is the best assignment ever."

-- --

All the cots in the large public building had been replaced by rows of benches, now completely filled by the excited audience. Kushina stood in the shadows in the back of the hall and applauded as Mitoto, looking every bit a princess resplendent in her orange gown and red wig, came on stage with a handsome older boy playing Shiguma. The Fire Country crowd laughed and cheered the small actors, thoroughly enjoying the fight scenes until Kumabushi was wrapped in a red fire cloth and collapsed. When seconds later Hanzou stabbed the defenseless Shiguma the crowd groaned. Kushina was not the only Whirlpool native whose eyes were wet with tears.

The crowd became restless when a large silver ball knocked down the village wall and the rhinoceros throwing silver streamers defeated Tsubasa and his fans. The cheering was all the greater when a frog carrying a pitchfork and a boy in a golden wig chased it away. "Hey Red, you know the hero always arrives in the nick of time." It seemed much funnier now than it had at the time.

When another silver ball appeared on the stage the crowd held its breath, and then exploded in joy as Tsubasa and Hui-Fen blew it back at Rock-nins. But the biggest cheers and laughter occurred when the two-tail cat came hissing and spitting on stage and the Hokage sent three silly Mizaru monkeys to wrap it up in a multi-colored sheet. When they unwrapped the cat it had turned into a little sleeping kindergarten girl.

At that moment of triumph, everyone on stage turned and stared over where the lights came up slowly to reveal Mitoto fighting the nine-tail fox. As she was struck with a fox tail, Minato appeared and carried her to safety. In turn, each of the jonin attacked the fox and was defeated until only the Shippuuden was left standing beside his injured daughter, along with Minato and Hokage. "Kushina, I have one final jutsu to defeat Kyuubi, but from this moment on you shall be Shippuuden. Lead our people to safety in other lands until that day in which the genin are strong enough to take back that which has been lost. The Hokage has a jutsu to spirit you away to the world of the bears where you can recover from your wounds. I leave our people in your hands."

Shippuuden attacked the fox with streamers of blue and red and silver and brown. A bright blue cloth swirled around them and when it dropped they were gone. Minato helped Mitoto to her feet. "Father, I will watch over and protect our people. When all preparations have been accomplished, I shall return and we will recover that which was lost and rebuild all that has been destroyed this day. For now I must go with my friends the bears and sleep until I am healed from the demon's touch." With a puff of smoke two bears appeared and carried her offstage as Minato and Hokage bowed to her.

Applause filled the hall as the students took their bows. "You know, you are a legend now."

She shook her head. "I never wanted to be a legend. All I ever sought was to help my people. How long have you known, Namida?"

"I always suspected you were someone special, but I figured it out on the day that Kakashi's dad died and you went to a party with all the ninja from the Whirlpool Expedition after being so sad all week."

"Do the boys know?"

"If Aoba suspects, he's not letting on. Guy wouldn't notice if you stood next to Mitoto with a sign saying: ' I'M HER'."

Kushina was relieved. "That's good. Do you know who wrote the play?"

"It was one of the teachers who has been gathering all the stories from all of the Whirlpool settlements to write a book about the war. Was that true; did he get it right? Did all that stuff happen in a couple days?"

"Much more Little Sister, much more. There is only thing I would change. When you speak to the teacher again, tell him on authority of a Leaf summoning expert that Kumabushi and King Oushirokuma both survived their injuries. When the day comes, the Great Bears will fight along side us, as always, to protect the people of the Whirlpool."

November 15- Double birthday party. The little girls are growing up. Rin turn 11, Shizune in 3 days. Can't be here then, have mission.

Some of the leaves had still been green around Konoha, but now they were moving north out of a multi-colored forest into one which was completely bare.

"Oto-chan, please talk to me." Kushina was escorting Kakashi to join Kunugi in the Whirlpool Country. He was relieving a member of the military liaison team while she was carrying scrolls for their Daimyo and the Village Leader. They had camped for the night. "I understand your wish to be away from Konoha for a while, but there won't be anyone around who understands what you went through. I know what it is like to be angry at the loss of your family. Talk to me; I'll listen."

"I do not believe that such conversations are required for the successful completion of our assignment."

She was getting angry. "Well it's too cold to just sit around the fire doing nothing. If you won't talk then let's train. Show me some lightning jutsu. The quicker I master another element the quicker I can make jonin. It wouldn't hurt you to try some water techniques either. Let me show you the first jutsu I learned when I was four." She poured a little water onto her plate and made two signs. It ran together and formed a little marble.

"Once you get a feel for water you understand that this is how it prefers to be. Surface tension makes it want to form a sphere, so all you need is enough chakra to fight gravity." She picked the little ball up in two fingers and tossed it sizzling into the fire.

"When I was little if I got bored at dinner and Father wasn't looking, I would throw waterballs at my brother and his friend Chiriku. The first time I did it was the only time I ever actually hit him. After that he caught every one and quietly made them disappear. He never tattled and he only got mad once. The Daimyo from a minor country visited with his daughter and I tried to hit her. She was a good sport about it until I soaked her cat Sugarplum and Chiriku told on me. They made me chase that demon feline all over the castle grounds and bring it back. I can still feel the scratches that monster gave me."

"Last year they returned and negotiated a marriage contract. The engagement was to be announced at last New Years Ball."

Kakashi had managed something roughly pear shaped with his plate of water. In spite of his determined detachment from all things non-mission related he had to ask, "What happened to the princess?"

"Oh, she is very beautiful, as well as tolerant of little sisters. I doubt she will have any trouble finding another prince or head shinobi to marry. I just wish I could warn him that Sugarplum had kittens and each one was a devil, too. Now, teach me an elementary lightning jutsu."

-- --

"So I guess that means your jutsu isn't much good in this weather, Shibi-san." Kushina had dropped Kakashi off at the Waterfall and was returning with a chunin she hadn't met before.

"When you are dealing with nature you must understand the limitations which it places upon you. Most insects become quiescent in the cold. Even my destruction insects can only operate for short periods of time before returning to me for more chakra when the temperature approaches zero C. Fortunately Konoha seldom gets that cold, so the Aburame clan can be useful in defending the Village year round."

"I don't mean to pry, but I never met a bug user before. Tsume compared you to the Inuzuka. Your pardon, senpai, but I think I prefer Kuromaru as a companion."

"He is indeed a remarkable animal. But Otemba-san, try to understand the fascination of raising and training generation after generation of small beings who look to you completely as their source of both food and direction... Shouldn't we have passed a Waterfall sentry back there? My sense of direction isn't the best when I don't have scout beetles deployed, but I'm sure there is usually a lookout in those trees. A little extra chakra to sustain you against the chill my friends, find the sentry."

Kushina watched in fascination (and a little revulsion) as clouds of insects swarmed out of the sleeves of his long trench coat. It wasn't long before some of them returned. "This way."

The number of weapons scattered around the small clearing testified that the Waterfall kunoichi had put up a good fight. The cold, ashen color of her skin proved that she had lost. A beetle crawled out of her mouth and flew to Shibi. "Core body temperature is still warm. Considering how cold it is here in the shade, I'd judge she's only been dead an hour."

Kushina scanned the ground. "I count at least five different shoe prints. Your jutsu is limited and mine is too, unless we catch them around water. What do we do now, Senpai."

"The same as any Leaf shinobi, Otemba. Our allies are being invaded. We protect our friends."

Next: Chapter 35

Watermill