Memories
Rainy woke up to an empty apartment, and a small note with a quick guide to everyone's whereabouts, as well as instructions on the best way to reheat her breakfast. Signed with love, Rena.
The medic already decided the previous night that she would spend her day shopping before going on her way to Grass Country. She wanted to find something nice to start off her conversation with Sari, but nothing that would overshadow her deep rooted intentions. The message she wanted to deliver would be far more important than whatever she could find in any of these stores.
During lunch time, as she headed down a restaurant alley, she spotted Kakashi in small eating establishments, tucked between two other homely shops. She entered quietly, hoping he would notice her, but her bags were already by his side when he finally looked up.
"Hey," he smiled. "How's it going?"
Rainy placed the bags on the bench and slid down the available space. "That's a question better answered by you," she replied. "I don't think I've ever seen you sulk in public."
He chuckled. It definitely wasn't his thing to be so public when it came to his private affairs, but that's why he chose the little shop. The quiet and cozy atmosphere gave him a sense of privacy.
"I'm fine," he breathed. "Just tired from running errands."
Rainy pulled the small paper plate from his side, and removed the chopsticks from the top of his soup. "Is it about yesterday?" She asked ignoring his obvious lie. Swiftly she slid a tissue down the wooden sticks, and poked around the dumplings a bit.
Kakashi didn't bother acting surprised that he had been caught. Why he tried lying to someone who knew his moods so well, was beyond him. "Yeah."
His companion pulled the small container with dark red sauce. "I'm pretty bummed about that too." She dipped a dumpling, and turned it until the sauce covered every spot. "Surprised about Elin being Eir, but mostly bummed."
Rainy knew her own feelings were mostly feeble compared to his, but as she chewed on the savory treat, she was still surprised as her companion chose to elaborate on his own frustration. Quickly she swallowed, leaving her hearing at his disposal. It wasn't everyday Kakashi wanted to talk about things that bothered him.
That bad, huh?
"You know Rain, when I met Rena-san, for the first time I felt that life was giving someone to me, instead of taking them away."
He hesitated for a moment, and Rainy pushed her plate to the side. She was ready to listen carefully, and attentively.
"So I thought..." Kakashi breathed out, supporting his forehead against his laced fingers. "That maybe things were changing, that I could finally admit to needing someone without going through the million scenarios on how I would screw this up."
He came to terms with the traumatic deaths of people who shaped his life, and the strength that got him through facing his demons prompted the jonin to seek out the last of his emotional scars: his mother. Kakashi simply wanted to speak to a tombstone, and come to terms with the last of his worries, but for the first time he was pleasantly surprised. His mother was alive, she loved him, and wanted to spend the rest of her life building up their tenuous relationship. For the first time he thought his luck finally took a turn for the better, and he could now seek to bring people into his life.
Then, as if the world itself wanted to assure him of this, he was presented with the perfect woman to invest all the amorous passion that he repressed his entire life. A woman who so effortlessly brought him comfort, and who never asked anything of him, even after saving him multiple times. She was beautiful, charming, and the only person he couldn't hide his true self from. How could anyone blame him for wanting to invest his everything when the opportunity finally showed itself?
Yet, in just a few days he went from wanting to give her the world, to giving her up for the sake of the world. And once again, he found himself being put in a familiar place where the universe aligned itself to take away something precious from him, making sure all the while he knew it was absolutely his fault.
Rainy crossed her leg and laced her fingers on top of her knee. Like her companion, she chose to keep her eyes steady on the table, filling the blank spaces of her thought process with pictures of chipping wood, and childish carved designs left by other customers.
What exactly was she supposed to say to him?
When she spoke with him a few days back she didn't think he would invest himself so quickly into these newfound emotions. It wasn't like Kakashi at all to accept such difficult feelings and embrace them so fully. "Have you spoken to her?"
He shook his head, the once proud silver tresses now hanging lifelessly over his forehead. "I wanted to tell her yesterday night, but she mentioned wanting to go after Dr. Gen like I told her to..."
The jonin cleared his throat, closing his eyes as the vivid memory of that wondrous kiss gifted his lips with a ghostly touch. "I didn't want her to say it. If she said those words out loud to me, I'd never forgive myself."
Not that he would be doing much forgiving for this act either, but years from now, when the world remained peaceful, the jonin hoped to come to terms with his decision.
"So what happened?"
His forehead pressed harder against his fingers. "I kissed her."
She sighed. If only Elin knew that such a simple act probably contained an entire essay on what he felt for her. "I see."
Her ex lover had come so far. Ten years ago it took him almost an entire year to admit he loved her, but now...
A quick chuckle rang through her head.
Maybe she could learn a thing or two from him. Rainy was sure that if given the right opportunity he would love Elin with a fierce passion that would surprise anyone who knew the stoic man. Yeah, she could definitely learn a thing or two from him... At least she had the freedom, and luxury to get back with her own partner.
They sat quietly in the small shop as the aroma simmering broth traveled through the open space, warding off the winter cold with a gentle warmth. For a moment Rainy concentrated on the young owner as he hummed a festive carol, while kneading some dough into small balls of dumplings. A picture of his family sat on the register, just above his working station, and she wondered if his love for his family fueled the joyful mood that allowed him to work so hard.
With a sigh she returned to the distraught individual before her. Fucking human codependency, and its ability to run so deep and hurt so bad.
"Thank you for listening, Rainy."
She knew that smile was far from genuine, but she gave him points for trying anyway. "Well, those falcon messengers are fast, so just shoot me one whenever you need to vent."
She had nothing else to offer. No apologies for bringing those feelings to light would make him feel better, and she sure as hell didn't have enough political background to come up with an alternate solution. If a listening ear was all she could offer, then she would gladly give it.
"Thank you," he chuckled. "I'll be keeping that in mind." And he meant that with every bit of his broken heart. If Kakashi could at least give a new purpose to one of the most important relationships in his life in the form of a new confidant, he would be thankful for the opportunity.
The jonin would simply have to learn to be content with the people that were brought into his life, without overreaching to bring his own.
[*36*]
Shizune placed the last of the folders in front of the Hokage, effectively pulling Tsunade away from her happy place daydreaming about never having to deal with another summit again. She looked around the room where the rest of the leaders already began delving into their respective packages, and turned for a moment to thank her trusted aid for preparing everything on such short notice.
Shizune smiled, happy to oblige. The younger woman only hoped that all the effort she put into her last big presentation, would pay off.
"First, I'd like to thank all of you for agreeing to this last minute assembly."
Not a single Kage acknowledged the informal tone of the Hokage's voice as their eyes bore into the tantalizing papers. Tsunade smiled at Queen Ruth to her left.
"As you may have already seen in your packages, the Queen of Faye and I had a meeting just yesterday, where we discussed an emerging threat from her country."
The Tsuchikage was the first to look up, his eyes saturated with guilt.
Tsunade gave him a brief look. "Among other things."
The tension in the room was palpable as each Kage read the summary point addressing Eir, and turned to the oldest member of their council. Each subordinate stood their ground behind their leader, a flair of chakra signaling to the rest of the room their intent to jump in at any moment. It seemed that not even working together just a few months back, would deter such deep rooted habits.
"Is this true Tsuchikage?" The powerful voice of the Raikage blared through the dainty room.
The older man struggled to formulate a proper response. "Is this really the best time to discuss such a topic? I thought we were here to support the new leader of Konoha."
"We are," Tsunade agreed leaning back against her chair. "And honestly we do have bigger things to discuss than Project Eir, so that can be left for another meeting."
On a day where she was retired, and Kakashi could deal with all this crap.
Gaara nodded in agreement. "Is there anymore information regarding the new..." The Kazekage struggled to decide what term to use to address their new problem. Children? Subjects? Weapons? "Subjects?" He sighed. None of the terms felt particularly comfortable.
"And why does Konoha get to keep all of the subjects once they're found?" The Mizukage chimed in.
A unified accord rang like a powerful chorus through the room. This time the Queen turned to the Hokage, a smile playing off her golden lips.
"We just recently got confirmation that there seems to be five subjects traveling with the scientists," Tsunade replied, addressing Gaara first. She continued, unfazed by the earlier disturbance, and the cockiness growing within the Queen. "And I have called this meeting specifically to address that issues, Mizukage."
The room went silent, and it seemed even the aids had relaxed their tension. Everyone wanted to hear what would be spoken next.
"Even though we came to a satisfactory agreement between Faye and Konoha, I thought I would take advantage of the other Kages coming to visit, and inform everyone of the situation. The Queen wants a voice for her country when Faye is being discussed, and this is the perfect time to show her that I fully support this sentiment."
The Raikage frowned. "That's fine Lady Tsunade, but it still doesn't address the issue of why you get to keep all five subjects when you recover them."
Ruth Delania, who remained quiet thus far, decided to speak. She felt an exhilarating rush as all eyes turned to her, and she sat proudly, meeting every gaze with a valiant smile. "Because a little country trying to share their own technology is a dangerous concept, but a big country hoarding said technology is heroism."
The room fell silent as the four Kages struggled to string together a response. Tsunade didn't seem the least bit bothered, and at least Shizune could thank her lucky stars that the Hokage hadn't knocked the disrespect out of that smug Queen.
The Tsuchikage cleared his throat. "So what you're saying, Queen Delania, is that you were aware of this project?"
"Not at all," she clarified. "While I agree with the Hokage in that the perpetrators need to be punished, I don't agree that the technology needs to go to waste. Konoha and Faye have come to a temporary agreement, but I do hope that when the subjects are returned to Faye, we can come together in another meeting, and all of you can see the benefits of creating more of these subjects. In a safe and ethical manner, of course."
The Queen knew that the idea wouldn't be easily accepted, but the fact that the other leaders struggled to lift their eyes from the table, was as good of a sign as any. No one wanted to admit that without tailed beasts to guard their country, they felt naked, and she couldn't blame them. They wanted the best for their country, and creating a group of chakra sponges sounded like the perfect weapons to fill that void.
"The idea does sound interesting."
All eyes shifted to the Raikage as he spoke the words so many feared to say out loud.
He cleared his throat, resting his tired back against the plush cushion of her chair. "We no longer have tailed beasts, and I can't be the only one thinking about the fact that this peace we have constructed is only temporary."
Queen Delania smiled. It seemed the Hokage hadn't been so smart to call this meeting after all. "And it would do all of you good to start customizing a stronger defense system, even if you don't use it for the next fifty years."
Tsunade felt her heartbeat ring in her ear. She asked for this meeting hoping that her fellow Kage would all back her up, and teach this naive Queen how useless her weapons were when the world was trying to harbor a longer period of peace. A risky tactic considering they had already reached a pretty decent agreement, but the Hokage wanted to feel comfortable with the relationships she built with her fellow Kage, and nothing would leave her more reassured than them trying to subdue one last beast with her.
Oh but that little beast was slick, and now Tsunade stood to end her years of service with the biggest flop of her career.
"Still," the smooth voice of the youngest member of the council rose above the nervous room. He turned to the Raikage. "If we start harboring weapons now, we'll only be calling war to our doorstep."
Curious eyes across the room urged Gaara to continue.
"If one of us has a certain number of weapons, then it will just encourage the rest of us to create more. Eventually, numbers won't be enough, we'll want to make them smarter, stronger. We'll want to steal each other's techniques to improve our own designs, and these are the little conflicts that lead to more wars."
"I don't see how this is any different than the ninja system you have in place now," Queen Delania pointed out. "Your ninjas are weapons, and their jutsus are their special powers. You've made agreements at different times to not steal those, and this should be no different."
The Mizukage felt indecisive about the subject, but as she leaned onto the table, her green eye brimming with might, her fellow leaders were sure she made a decision. "Our ninjas are not weapons," she asserted sternly. "Some time ago my country considered them as such and we became known as the Bloody Mist. So you'll excuse me, Queen Delania, but I do not take such a claim lightly."
The Queen swallowed, but Mei had no need to hear the apology she tried to formulate. The younger woman sat back. "Our ninjas, and I think I speak for all our countries, are men and women who volunteer to give their lives to defend the safety of their fellow countrymen. I will not take part in bringing any person into our country who would simply be considered a weapon."
"I agree with the Mizukage. Suna will not negotiate to acquire weapons."
The Queen sighed, and her gold bangles rattled loudly as she propped her elbows on the table.
For a moment Tsunade felt a sense of relief as the other Kages rallied behind her cause, but it seemed even with the prospect of losing three out of her five clients, Queen Delania was unmoved.
Persistent bitch.
"I apologize for offering you with my choice of words. The subjects will be created and raised in your country, and so they will be loyal to their fellow countrymen just like any other ninja." The leader of Faye did her best to wash away as much of her pride from the apology, but the Queen knew they could all feel her tension. She wasn't aware at just how sensitive these supposed 'Big Shots' were in real life. If her advisors only knew, they'd spit their coffee.
Pathetic.
"We'll accept these subjects as ninjas," the Raikage declared. "I also think that letting such technology go to waste is not necessary, and Konoha hoarding it is not acceptable."
A smile lit the Queen's features as a few others mumbled in agreement. Tsunade sat quietly.
"We should distribute the subjects," the leader of Kumo continued. "Faye will keep the previous subject, and us five get a subject each."
"And what does Faye get in return?"
The Queen's gaze didn't waver, as the Raikage set his stern eyes on her. "We will revisit our old policies, and adjust them to loosen a lot of the restrictions placed on Faye. Personally, from Kumogakure, we are also interested in investing in other projects which can benefit our country, or the rest of the world."
"And that's it?"
The room was silent again, as the muscles of each inhabitant tensed under their customary garbs. She had no sense of danger speaking to the Raikage in such a manner!
"Faye is giving you the latest in our technology, and you're just going to give us the courtesy of being a decent neighbor? We deserved that a long time ago!" The Queen sat back, fist clenched, and eyes intently on the members across the table. She knew their bodyguards would slice her in the blink of an eye, but Ruth didn't have a care in the world. How dare they disrespect her generous offer, as if she were some common beggar who needed to be thankful for the crumbs they disguised as gifts?
I shouldn't have agreed to this stupid meeting. The words echoed loudly in her head. At least if I waited until the contract ended with Konoha, I could have gained a stronger bargaining chip.
Still, even in the midst of such unfavorable tides, they would all walk out of here knowing Faye did not intend on being a punching bag any longer.
"Queen Delania, we can only do so much." The Tsuchikage had been quiet for long enough.
He allowed the conversation to be steered by the other leaders, as his role in Project Eir could have marked his image negatively among his peers, and any opinion he voiced would probably not be welcomed. However, it seemed he was the only one familiar with the negotiating tactics of Queen Delania, and the elderly man knew that if left to her own devices, she would guilt trip every single member of the room into letting her get her way.
"While we understand that the revision of the restrictions we placed on your country is long overdue, we can't offer much else. The wounds of the war are still fresh in our minds, and as appealing as these subjects sound, nobody wants to risk upsetting the balance that our fellow countrymen fought so hard to establish."
Onoki sighed. It seemed his words still had no effects on the hard headed Queen.
"Like the Raikage, my country is willing to accept a subject, but Iwagakure also refuses to negotiate to acquire weapons."
Tsunade quickly jumped in while the tides danced in her favor. Just when she thought about giving up on her fellow partners, they pulled through better than she could have ever imagined. If there was ever a need to verify just how much the Five Great Nations wanted to continue their peaceful ways, they'd need not look further than this meeting.
"As you can see Queen Delania, not a single nation is interested in purchasing weapons." She could practically hear Ruth's head exploding. "I like the idea that Raikage proposed, we can split the children up, giving balance across the board."
"Fantastic, and once again, you take what you want from Faye, and we get nothing." The bitterness in her words could dissolve a hole in the marble table.
"We don't have to take the children," the Mizukage chimed. "We'll fix the restrictions, and you can keep all the children, but you are not allowed to sell the technology to anyone."
The Queen's eyes narrowed, as she turned to Mei. "So you're still going to restrict what we can, and cannot sell? Exactly what restrictions will you be loosening, if we can't even have the basic right to what we want to export?"
It took the Mizukage too much willpower not to jump across the table and strangle the boisterous woman. "If your experiments affect the peace and balance of the world around you, then yes, we have a right to restrict what you can and cannot create. Specially when we're working so hard to right our wrongs."
"Our countries have been selfish in the past, we understand that," the youngest voice in the room spoke above the anger and tension. "Our selfish acts have created a negative imagine in many parts of the world, but we are trying to fix that. We have worked together, and it has given us a new perspective in the way we appreciate peace. If you can give us a chance to work with Faye, I'm sure that we will learn from you as you will from us. Suna is interested in lending a helping hand to small countries, and building lasting relationships, as long as these smaller countries are interested in maintaining the peace we have worked so hard to acquire."
The Queen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Now they were interested in maintaining peace, and working together. Now they were interested in shaking hands with smaller countries, and apologizing for oppressing whoever didn't fit their system. She rested her elbow on the cool armchair, and propped her chin on her hand.
"I'm all for peace," she admitted sincerely.
Even through her tantrums and harsh demeanor, Queen Delania tried to always keep her country's well being threaded into her every action. They weren't interested in her wonderful technology, she needed to accept that. Even if she managed to quietly gather enough small nations to work with her, it would take years, and too many resources to be a threat to the Five Great Nation. By the time she became a threat to even one nation, her and her allies, would be wiped out like an annoying mosquito.
Fuck!
Her trump card failed to sell. She just needed one of the five to buy into her plan, but she couldn't accomplish that. How could she face her advisors now? What would she tell her people when she returned empty handed again?
The Queen's fingers wrapped around the arm of the chair until her knuckles became white with anger. She released a quiet sigh.
She needed to see how far she could get with these people before declaring herself the loser. They still seemed open to giving her a nice takeaway package, and if she could pad it with enough goodies, she could keep her advisors and citizens entertained while she thought of something better.
"But if we cannot create more subjects," the Queen broke through the overwhelming silence. "And you do not want to let them go to waste, what exactly do you intend to do with them?"
Tsunade had been racking her brain since their last meeting, but the answer stood right before her eyes the entire time. "If we treat their special power as a Kekkei Genkai, then all six subjects, Eir included, can receive Clan Status."
A few brows rose at the curious proposal.
"They will all have a right to reproduce," she continued. "Thus creating more of their own kind, but in this manner it's a lot more socially acceptable."
"And if they don't want to reproduce?" Asked Mei. "Or if they don't survive like the rest of the children from previous experiments?"
Tsunade shrugged. "We cannot force a clan to exist, no matter how much we think they benefit our country," she addressed the Mizukage. "And at the unfortunate news that the children do not survive, then we must continue strengthening our relationships with Faye no matter what. Let these children be a symbolic gesture, rather than the only thread that connects us."
"Again," the Queen interjected, this time, with a more approachable tone. That sounded like the perfect padding for her takeaway package, and she needed to play nice. "Where does Faye fit into all of this?"
Tsunade turned to her, an answer already prepared. "This is Faye's clan ultimately. We can raise them, they can do missions for us, live in our land, pay our taxes, but they cannot be used during a war, unless they're fighting for their Mother Country."
For the first time the Queen's eyes widened with mild surprise. The plan actually seemed… Reasonable? Of course, she would continue discussing better options with her advisors, but Tsunade's plan had a political and civilian appeal. It would buy her plenty of time to create a better alternative, should this not benefit Faye enough. But if things went right, she would still look the hero in front of her people.
"The Five Great Nations get a new set of citizens that unites us all, and Faye gets a defense system against any threat," the Hokage concluded.
The Mizukage sighed, releasing a tense breath that seemed to calm the entire room. "That actually sounds lovely."
Joyful murmurs filled the room, and even the quiet assistants joined in the chatter at the prospect of having such rare citizens in their country. A universal clan that they would all nurture as Father Nations. It felt more symbolic than the headbands that previously united them during the war.
"If we're all in agreement with this plan," Tsunade called, regretfully taking a moment from the excited chatter bubbling around her. "Then we can take an hour to discuss this with our advisors. We can meet back here to discuss any immediate questions, but if we are all still in agreement, another shorter meeting can be arranged for tomorrow."
"Two hours," the Queen proposed, taking to her feet first. "I want to make sure my advisors are well informed, and have enough time to come up with thorough questions regarding the finer details of this agreement."
Tsunade nodded as each of the other members gathered their paperwork. "Two hours, and we can meet back here."
The idea sat well with the members in the room, and small discussions sprung about as the meeting came to an end.
Tsunade sighed as the exit wall dissolved, and her guests made their way out, quickly trying to make their way back to their counsellors.
"I'm on a roll," she turned to Shizune, who's excited smile could not be contained.
"Tsunade-sama that was fantastic!"
The Hokage hoped that her excited assistant meant that she could drink to her heart's content later in the night. Not that it mattered whether Shizune gave her approval, but maybe if the younger woman would join her, they could go to the bar together and celebrate without restraint. That sounded like the perfect end to such a taxing night, but just in case her aid needed a bit more reassurance, Tsunade still had a bit more goodies up her sleeve.
"The best part," she smiled, taking to her feet. "Is that I'm not even done yet."
And this part, she knew Shizune would really love.