Chapter 36 - Torn Button
A letter arrived by hawk at the Taki complex a day and a half later. The bird stayed long enough to drop the canister in which its message was contained, soaring off immediately afterward.
It carried the seal of the Land of Lightning, and the Village Hidden in the Clouds.
This is what it said:
Boss Shin of the Hakaza Clan:
We have your son.
If you wish to have him returned to you, then arrange to meet with my ambassadors in Sekiraun Valley for negotiations, in three days' time or less. They shall be the ones to receive you.
Bring whatever assistance you need.
If negotiations go well, we shall return him to you, unharmed.
If negotiations do not go well, or if you fail to meet with them in three days' time, then you shall never see him again.
I eagerly await your choice of action.
Rotsuki
Fifth Raikage of Kumogakure
Needless to say, there were many reactions to this.
Shin, of all people, wanted to go forward with the negotiations, peacefully and without much resistance.
Tensho asked him if he was fucking insane. And not nearly as politely, either.
"These are ninja we are talking about! You honestly, honestly fuckin' think that you can negotiate with them?"
Shin's face looked like it was a mask pulled too tightly over his bones. "What are my other options, Boss Tensho?" he said, again. "I think we should just see what they want to discuss in the first place."
"Oh what the hell do you think they want to discuss?" Tensho said. "These are negotiations. You know what that means to ninjas? It means they take what's yours and leave you barely anything else. We can't stand for that."
"You don't know that for sure," said Shin.
"Oh bull shit, I know how ninja operate," Tensho replied.
"And you think that I don't?" Shin's voice became hard for just a moment, and it was enough to make Tensho pause. "Business for me in the Land of Lightning has been utterly miserable because of them, don't you know." His voice reverted back to its usual state; he began chewing on his thumb, nervously. "I don't get nearly as much trouble from those Stone fellows. Maybe it's because my father and that old Kage were on good terms…"
"Well whatever it is," Tensho said, impatiently, "I still say we don't negotiate. We can't back down."
"Negotiating is not backing down, Boss Tensho," said Shin. "Think of it as doing business. If you want to do business with someone you don't just march in and make demands, otherwise nothing will get done. The fact that these are… ninja we're dealing with changes nothing."
"They fucking took your son," Tensho said, after thinking, breathing heavily.
"…that doesn't change anything, either," Shin said. "I want Kou home safely, and for that to happen then I have to be careful. Besides," he added, softly, dangerously, "this matter does not concern you. Kou is my son, not yours."
"And my soon to be son-in-law. I wanna make sure the kid's safe too," Tensho replied.
For the first time in hours, a thin, tight smile snaked its way up over Shin's face. "I appreciate the concern, Boss Tensho. I really do. But let me handle this matter on my own."
"Well you know I got your back," Tensho said, after a while. "If you need my help, my guys' help, anything, I'll do it."
"Oh, who said I didn't want your help?" said Shin. "They said I could bring whatever assistance I wanted. And, well, our clans are united, now, aren't they?"
Tensho's smile, unlike Shin's, was rough and wide, and it showed teeth. "How many guys you need?"
They made plans to leave that afternoon, Shin and Tensho both, and their bodyguards, Hikawa and Nobuhiro, and multitudes of support.
Kiine was not allowed to go with them. "But why not, Papa?" she said, when he finally told her their plan, after she caught him in a hallway, his footsteps heavy and deliberate.
"Kiine, my sweet one, I don't want anything to happen to you," he said, stopping, turning, holding her shoulders. "You need to stay home."
"Come on!" Her expression, pouty though it was, was filled with true anger and concern. "I wanna go with! I wanna help!"
"Help how, honey?"
Kiine seethed. "How do you think, Papa? I can fight!"
He shook his head, managing a smile, despite his stress and nature. "Oh, Kiine. What can you do that one've my guys can't? You're too precious to me. Stay home."
The grip on her arms tightened. She wiggled out of it before he could pull her into a hug.
He turned around and kept walking. "Well screw me being precious," Kiine continued, grumbling, following along behind him. "I'm worried about Kou, yeah? I wanna help get him back!"
(Tensho's smile was unseen by her, but she knew it was there, and she sighed at it.)
"Just let me and Boss Shin take care of it, we'll get him home. HONDA!" he suddenly barked, seeing the bald man rounding the corner. "You figured out if the Hozuki's in town yet? He should be."
The Hozuki was a drifter; not much older than her father, but he had silver hair like an old man, and teeth that were either filed down to points or just naturally that way, Kiine could never decide. He came by about once a month to ask for work. He was reasonable in his prices and he had an enormous sword that he wielded with considerable skill.
When Kiine was about six or seven years old, he came into the possession of a child that looked astonishingly like he did. The boy was named Shingetsu, and he had a gift for finding people and a habit of cheerfully calling Kiine "Kii-neesan!" whenever he caught sight of her.
The best part about all of that, the Hozuki and his boy both, was that they were unaffiliated with any nation, city, or clan (beyond, seemingly, their own), and would do whatever asked, if they were paid well enough. Tensho liked them.
"They're sayin' that he's been seen not fifty miles away, sir!" Honda said, running to his boss's side, his breath quickening.
"Good. I want him with us when we head to Sekiraun," Tensho said.
"Yes, Boss!" And Honda was gone.
Kiine was still there. She swallowed, her face pinching together. "Papa, please, listen to me. I'm right here, I'm offering to help rescue my damn fiancé, why the hell are you turning me down?"
She had used the F-word. Her father stopped in his tracks again, and when he turned to face her with a warm smile, Kiine had to make an effort not to groan in disappointment.
"We'll get Kou home safely, Kiine," he said. He pulled her into a hug, and though it was warm, it was uncomfortable. "I won't let this get between you two lovebirds. He'll be back before you know it."
Kiine did not hug him back, nor did she move, immediately, when her father took his hands off her and charged down the hallway, issuing more orders.
It was her mother who found her, later, as she stomped down the compound, muttering to herself about the unfairness of it all. Mikan was a larger woman, and she took up a fair amount of the corridor when she wanted to. "Kiine, dear, what's the matter?" She paused. "Never mind, you don't need to answer that. I know what's wrong."
"Mama, I'm fine," Kiine said.
"Sure you are, honey. Come on, let's talk about this." She put her hand on Kiine's back, but Kiine didn't budge. "Kiine."
"I'm fine, Mama," Kiine said, again.
"Oh, sure, dear, you're totally fine with the fact that your father isn't letting you go with him." Kiine's shoulders rose with her embarrassment. "Word gets around, darling. Come on, let's talk about it. Walk with me."
"…okay." Kiine took her mother's arm as they went down the hallway together, and away from the chaotic mess of the main hallways.
(Mikan did not have a bodyguard. She insisted upon it.)
"Now, honey," Mikan said, once things quieted enough. "I'm sure that you're worried about Kou-kun."
"Well yeah, 'course I am," Kiine replied. "He got freakin' kidnapped, yeah?"
"Mm. So of course it's only natural that you want to help." Mikan's face was sweetly sympathetic, her head tilted slightly.
"Well yeah! Duh! Of course I wanna help, it's just that Papa's so… so…!"
"Frustrating?"
"Yeah!" Kiine's hands exploded in front of her face before folding themselves in front of her waist like usual. "He won't listen to me at all! I know I can help, yeah? This is just so freakin' typical…"
"There, there, honey." Mikan's hand moved from Kiine's back to her shoulder, though Kiine shrugged it off. "I understand."
"Sure you do…"
"Ohhh, believe me. I do." Mikan's face hardened into a smirk. "What, you don't think I know how stubborn your papa can be?"
Kiine tried to hide her smile. "At least he sorta listens to you…"
"Oh, not always." She sighed. "Listen, Kiine, I know your papa's being absolutely pig -headed right now, but he's only doing it because he's concerned about you. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to you." Her voice got suddenly very quiet. "I certainly don't want that…"
"…well yeah, Mama, I get that," Kiine said. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to me neither." Her hands clenched themselves into fists again. "But I know that I'll be fine, I can handle myself! He's treating me like a baby, yeah."
"Just be a little understanding, Kiine."
"Screw being understanding. Papa's being stupid. He has no idea how much help I could be." Kiine sighed, deeply, angrily. "Just… freakin' typical. Won't even bother to listen…"
Mikan's smile softened, and she shook her head. "That's just how he is, Kiine. Once your papa gets his mind set on something it's very hard to get him out of it."
Kiine didn't say anything, frowning even more deeply.
"…and you, my dear, are the exact same way. Once you want to do something, nothing can stop you from doing it. I'd think that you running away like you did is some indication of that."
Kiine looked up at her mother, there, her face squirming with confusion, though she kept walking. "Mama, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing. Just talking to myself," Mikan said, lightly. Kiine noticed, suddenly, that they were approaching the wing of the house that held her bedroom.
(And Yuki's.)
"I'll leave you alone, Kiine. Your father's leaving after dinner, though we won't be doing anything fancy." She took her hand off her daughter's back and gave her a knowing smile. "He's leaving me in charge of the house in his absence. Naturally. By the way," she added, "I haven't seen Yuki since breakfast; do you suppose he went back to his room?"
All Kiine could do was shrug, a crooked smile growing on her face as she resisted the urge to give her mother a hug.
"Well, either way. Feeling better, now?"
"Way better, Mama."
"Well, good. I knew that talking things out would help a bit." She tilted her head slightly as she turned to leave, the pearls in her ears shining as she did so. "Stay strong for me, honey."
A grin, a nod. "I will, Mama."
Mikan left, and Kiine went to go find Yuki. A half-formed plan began blooming in her mind. She'd get Yuki, they'd sneak out, maybe use Shingetsu to find Kou—he had a talent for finding people, after all, no doubt her father would be using him similarly—and she'd go and she'd get Kou back, yes, that was how it was going to be.
The air was incredibly cold around his room. Kiine had noticed it before, when trying to sleep the previous night—but she blamed that on stress, rather than temperature.
She knocked on the frame of the sliding door. It creaked against her knuckles. "Yuki! Hey, Yuki, you in there? I know you're there, yeah? Come on out, I gotta talk to you! I got a plan!"
There wasn't a response. Kiine could see her breath.
"Yuki! Come on, you're in there, aren't you? Speak to me, man!" Kiine's knuckles began to feel cold, as well as her fingers. "If you don't say anything I'm gonna come in anyways!"
Again, there was no response.
So Kiine tried to get in. It took considerable effort, the door sticking and resisting every effort she made at sliding it open.
In the end, she resorted to busting it down with her shoulder, like she had learned to do from Yuki himself—a technique that got you where you needed to go.
She was surprised by two things: by the amount of effort it took to break down the door in the first place, and the sheer amount of ice that fell to the floor from the wall that she had burst through. It made sounds like glass as it tinkled and shattered on the hard floor.
Yuki, however, was far more important in her mind at that moment, and she went over to him in the corner of his room, where he was leaned up against his futon, curled into a tight ball, arms gripping his knees. "Yuki, what's going on? What's with all the ice?" she said.
He didn't reply, instead curling tighter into himself, his back convulsing once—was he… crying?
"Yuki, what's the matter?" Kiine said. "Are you okay?" She heard a ragged breath in, and out—a sob. Yeah, he was crying. Nope, he wasn't okay. "Dude, what's the matter?"
"It's all my fault…" Yuki moaned.
"All your fault…?" Kiine was kneeling down beside him, now, but she did not touch him. The floor felt cold under her knees. "What's your fault?"
Another shudder, another sob-like breath. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"
"Yuki, c'mon, what happened? Tell me." Her command was softened by her concern.
"Please go away, I'm sorry, please…"
"Yuki, I'm not going anywhere. I need you."
That got him to look up. The whites of his eyes were rosy, and Kiine could see his sleeves were darkened a deeper purple by tears. "You… what?"
"I need you to help me," Kiine replied. "So tell me what's going on so I can tell you what's going on, yeah?"
He looked at his knees again, his mouth twisting into the precursor of a sob. "You shouldn't ask me for help, I'll just ruin everything…"
"You will not, Yuki, you're my main man, yeah?" Kiine said. She smiled, but she could feel her lips quivering from the sheer cold of the room. "What's going on? Why are you so upset?"
"…I can't tell you."
"Oh come on, you tell me everything else, yeah?"
Yuki's face disappeared into his knees. "I can't tell you, I can't, this is just all my fault…"
"What's your fault, Yuki?" No answer. "Damn it, will you just answer me already?" A pause. "Wait, this doesn't… have anything to do with Kou, does it?"
Kiine had never seen Yuki look more terrified, his head whipping away from his knees, his eyes locking with hers. "How did you know, oh no, did someone find out? Oh, no, no, I'm dead, I'm dead!" His fingers clawed at his forehead and Kiine saw, to her horror, crystals of ice beginning to form around him, a barrier between him and her.
She pulled them away as fast as they were appearing. "Yuki, calm down! What happened with you and…" Another pulled-away piece of ice. "You and Kou?"
"This is all my fault, this is all my fault."
"Yuki, come on!"
"I'm so sorry, Master, I'm so sorry, I only did it because I wanted to help you!"
Kiine paused, her breathing heavy from the effort. "Help me? Yuki, what did you do?"
"When the ninja came for Kou I should have just… just tied him up and brought him to the guards, I didn't think he'd actually take him and…"
It took a moment for Kiine to process, hurried and muffled as Yuki's voice was behind his hands, behind the ice, which had managed to creep up between them. "…you mean you saw one of the guys that did this?" she said.
He nodded, frantically. "I had him and I let him go, what was I thinking?" Yuki continued. "I'm so stupid, I'm so stupid, Master, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"
"Will you stop apologizing? Just tell me, did you see the guy that took Kou?" A pause. "What did he look like?" Kiine suddenly said.
"Why does that matter, he's gone now…"
"Because I'm going out to rescue Kou, Yuki, and I need your help," Kiine replied. "I can't do it without you. My mama's gonna cover for us; I know it, she's in charge of the house tonight and—why are you crying now?"
"Why do you want my help? This is my fault! Don't you see?" Yuki's voice, high and hysterical, was almost incoherent through his tears. "I let him take Kou! It's my fault!"
"Yuki, you can't help that if you couldn't stop the guy," Kiine said.
"I stopped him, Master, but I let him go because…" His words dissolved into tears.
"Because…?"
"Because I thought that if they took him then they'd call off the wedding or something, but I didn't think it would actually work, I thought he'd get caught or he wouldn't do it but he did and now all this happened…! I-I didn't know they'd hold him for ransom or anything! I'm so stupid, I'm so stupid!"
Kiine sat there, for a while, just listening to Yuki as he cried behind the ice wall, her eyes wide. "…Yuki," she finally said, "what did you do? Why didn't you…?"
"…I don't want you to get hurt, sir. Not by people like… like them."
It took Kiine a while to reduce her anger an acceptable amount, with several deep breaths.
Well, and shattering the wall of ice between her and Yuki certainly helped, busting it open with her shoulder, just as she had done the door. Because there was somewhere she needed to go.
It hurt. "Oww, criminy, Yuki, that was thick." She sucked her breath in through her teeth, holding her sore shoulder. Yuki stared at her, his breaths coming quickly, like hiccups, almost on reflex. "Look, what you did was… incredibly stupid, and if my papa found out he'd probably kill you. But I won't tell him, because honestly? I don't care. Because we gotta get Kou back, that's what I care about."
"That's not…" His eyes fell.
She grabbed his chin and forced his face towards hers. "Yuki, look at me! We got work to do, yeah? This is really, really important! Come on, man up!"
"…no, please, just… just let your dad take care of it…" Yuki was trying everything not to look at her. "We can't cause more trouble, it'll just-"
Kiine slapped him, there, taking her hand off his chin and winding up hard. "Shut up and listen to me, Yuki!" she yelled. "I! Need! You! You and nobody else!"
Yuki was understandably speechless, holding his cheek with his hand, his mouth shaking.
"I need your support! You're my second-in-freakin'-command, yeah?" she continued, loudly, the hand that slapped him clenched into a trembling fist. "I need to do something and Papa is not letting me! I can do it alone, but I need your help to make sure it'll work!"
That was when Yuki lost his temper, and Kiine barely had enough time to jerk her hand away as a sheet of ice materialized between her and him. It grazed her palm, and when she held her fingers, they felt sore and cold.
"Just leave me alone!" he yelled. His voice cracked. "You don't need my help! Go rescue your stupid… boyfriend by yourself, since you care about him so much!"
And Kiine just sat there, gasping, holding her hand, watching her breath in the air, her reflection in the mirror-like ice. She was not shivering.
(Hot tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.)
And then she left for her room, to prepare, without another word.
The Hozuki was found and brought to the house, later that afternoon. Kiine could tell because there was suddenly a great demand for beverages to be brought to the foyer. The negotiations with him doubtlessly began shortly afterwards.
Dinner that night was not at all extravagant, as her mother had said. In fact, her meal—fish, soup, rice—was brought to her room in the evening by an apologetic servant. "I'm sorry, milady, but this is all we can manage, with everyone leaving so suddenly."
"Don't worry about it," Kiine told her, and meant it.
(The air had grown much warmer, she had noticed, since more people began scurrying near Yuki's room. But it was still incredibly cold for the 28th of July.)
Her father and Boss Shin and Nobuhiro and everyone else left in a hurry after their meals.
And once they were out of sight, Kiine followed them. She'd gotten dressed in light clothes, suitable for movement, and tucked a knife into her belt.
(The guards did nothing to stop her.)
None of her father's men noticed her as she followed them. She made sure of that.
(She didn't make the same mistakes she had made back in Konoha.)
(And neither did Yuki.)