AUTHOR'S HEARTFELT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I would just like to give my million thanks to Blitz Magnus and Aikuchi Shikaku, who, helped me make this fanfiction possible. Thank you so much! I wish I could repay you for your kindness someday.
UPDATES! I'm currently writing the second climax of the Homebound epic, which is Chapter 44 entitled Unstoppable. Yes, this will be the chapter wherein the song Humanda Ka will be used. This chapter will be full of twists, full of angst – so be warned.
SURPRISE! I made Chapter 43 SasuSaku-ish: although it's just an appetizer on what's about to come from then on.
GOMENASAI! I'm sorry for updating quite late. I'm so busy with school right now. As you all know, I'm a member of the school paper, and I'm going to be one of the Senior Editors next school year (although I'm only a junior next year) so they've been training me a lot for the responsibility (GREAT responsibility) I'm about to take in next school year. I've been busy with the school paper, with school and hell, they're going to send me as a representative for the sophomores in the Elementary Orientation, and so I've been preparing my speech. So, I hope you all understand!
(From the last chapter…)
And when it did open, he got a small vial of liquid inside. He then handed it to Neji, "If you think I don't know anything about the situation; then be corrected – I have been informed that they found the mastermind behind the tragedy. And this man has a curse… Take this vial with you on your way back to Konoha and give it to the Hokage."
Neji and Tenten were utterly surprised by his sudden change of mood.
"What is this?" Neji asked as he took the vial from the Mizukage.
(Chapter 37 – Mist's Successor)
"I had 3 students before. My favorite student and my best student, Igatou, died when he was 14. And so were left are Shio and Kashime, who have been friends ever since their childhood. Shio left the Mist after Igatou died, in search for power from Orochimaru. I dispatched Kashime to pursue him." Mizukage told them a story, "… but it seemed like Kashime, strong but only second to Igatou, returned to the village severely injured. But when the time came for Kashime to be the head of the Kiri Anbu Headquarters that was only then when Shio returned, miraculously, without the curse from Orochimaru. He had been haunting my student when he was a genin, perhaps because of how intellectual Shio was. But my student told me that he had not been with Orochimaru the years when he was gone, instead, he trained with a hermit in a faraway mountain. This hermit had formulated a cure for Orochimaru's curse seal. He had given Shio two vials of the dosage but he only drank one medication and the curse was gone. But the hermit told him to mix something with the medication. Shio did so and was cured from the curse. The second vial is the one you're holding, young man."
"I don't know what the other ingredient of completing the medication is, but the hermit was also a medic. Sadly, he's now dead and I wished I knew what this ingredient was. Shio said he had forgotten what the hermit told him to mix with the medication… Young man, I do hope that your Hokage knows what to mix it with. Tell her that that thing on your hand is extracted from the great tree of Takigakure no Sato. I'm hoping that your Hokage should know what the ingredients are to be mixed with an extract from that tree. She is, after all, a legendary medic. Can I trust you into that?" Mizukage continued.
"Of course, Mizukage." Neji bowed.
Mizukage sighed and added, "The distrust between our villages has dragged on long enough, and with that vial I propose truce between our villages."
"Young lady," Mizukage turned to Tenten, "I admire your intelligence and your determination to find answers to your questions. I didn't answer your questions to your expectations on our first meeting, and I thought that you were going to give up, knowing how great the damage was during the tragedy. You didn't give up and here you are before me, with you a survivor from the tragedy and also a representative of the other survivor, my student, Haruno Kashime. You have given me enough evidence that the other survivor was hospitalized here. Truly, I admire your capabilities, young lady. What is your name?"
Tenten blushed at the country leader's appraisal, "I am Hyuga Tenten, Sir."
"Ah, therefore, Hyuga Tenten of Konoha," Mizukage said, bowing to his and continued, "I'm sorry to have underestimated you."
Tenten panicked and replied, "No! I mean, no Mizukage, that's… that's fine, it's okay. Please, you don't have to apologize."
Mizukage eyed Neji and smiled, "Young man, I believe she is your wife, yes?"
"Yes Sir." Neji nodded.
"My, you are lucky." Mizukage praised, "You found a very wise kunoichi for you to love for a lifetime."
Neji smiled, "That's why I married her… because I know she's the right woman for me and I know… that she's enough to complete my life. And another reason was her intelligence."
Mizukage laughed, "Ah yes, you are indeed one lucky man."
"Uhm, but Sir!" Tenten looked at the Mizukage, "It was his idea for us to look in the hospital to look for Haruno Sakura's records. He is much more of a genius than I am… He is the Hyuga prodigy so…"
"So it was you who tried to unveil the missing tracks of the other person the two of you are looking for?" Mizukage eyed Neji.
Neji bowed and nodded, "Ah, yes Sir."
The Mizukage laughed again, "My, you are one dangerous couple. The two of you are highly intellectual individuals."
"Thank you." Neji replied.
"You should get going." Mizukage implied, "Your Hokage is waiting."
"And one more thing," the Mizukage smiled as he looked at his sad student, "I want you to take good care of Kashime... because I can't afford to lose another student. I'll be on the search for the other person you're looking for; because I know that this person is the Hokage's apprentice… the Hokage will feel bad if she lost her student. I would feel the same way if I lose Kashime… Do promise me her safety. Because upon her return, I will start teaching her the final lesson she'll ever learn from me: ruling the whole country of the Mist."
Tenten raised her right hand to shoulder level and said, "Mizukage, I promise that we will take care of your successor."
Kashime's eyes widened in shock and stammered… "I…? I'm the ch-chosen one?"
Mizukage smiled and nodded, "The council of elders and I have decided this a long time ago… After Igatou's death, we decided to turn you into a Mizukage after my regime. Perhaps on your return, you're already the Mizukage."
"Bu-But why? Why not Shio? He's your student, too!" Kashime questioned.
"You had an excellent reputation of being ex-leader of the Kiri Anbu, Kashime. We know you'll also have the excellent reputation of being one of the best Mizukages that had ever lived. Trust me on that." Mizukage gave her an assuring smile, a father-like smile, "I had learned that you have a far greater potential than Igatou. When everything is all right, you will take over."
At the pier outside Kirigakure…
"Wow! You were praised by the Mizukage!" Lee told Neji and Tenten with sparkling eyes.
"Eheh, well…" Tenten blushed, "I was rather surprised that he'll do that."
"He wasn't very kind to us in our first meeting with him." Neji implied.
"Mizukage-sama isn't very kind to interrogating ninjas from another country." Kashime tried to smile, "He's like that all the time."
The four were lined up in a queue boarding the ship that will take them back to Konoha.
"Didn't you have difficulty learning under him?" Lee asked Kashime.
Lee looked at the blue circle on the clothing of Kashime. Hmm, maybe they're just designs.
"I did." Kashime replied, "Because his favorite was Igatou… Shio and I felt like dirt in the team. We all felt miserable when he died. Shio was almost like a brother to Igatou, that's why when he died… he blamed himself for not being by the side of Igatou. But we all learned that Mizukage loved even the weak Shio. He was very worried when he ran away… and when I returned injured, I heard from his advisors that he almost became insane because he feared that I was going to die… because I was the only member left in his team."
"Oh, that's harsh." Lee commented.
When their tickets were surveyed by the authorities aboard the ship, they were escorted to their quarters.
Kashime entered a quarter and Tenten tailed her. Followed by Neji, until…
"Excuse me Sir." The lady who escorted them held Neji by the wrist, "You have a different quarter."
"B-But she's my wife!" Neji pointed to Tenten.
"I'm sorry Sir, but even if you are a couple, the four of you entered this ship together, the other two not being a couple or being related by either friendship or blood. So, as a rule implied on this ship, the four of you will be divided into 2, by gender. Girls will stay in one room and boys will stay in another." The lady explained.
"Aw… Don't worry Neji-kun; we'll still be together after this trip!" Tenten teased, giving him a peck on his cheek.
"Now that we've got a confirmation from your wife Sir, we have to go to your quarters, which is just right next to theirs!" the lady smiled as she pushed Neji and Lee into the next quarter, "Don't worry, you can always visit your wife! But know that we always have inspections for every quarter before sunset and make sure that everyone's in their own room. And then we'll lock the doors up!"
"This ship is so strict!" Neji whined.
Tenten laughed, "Neji! Just go by the rules!"
"You two are so sweet!" the lady commented, "Ma'am, your man is really craving to spend every second of each day with you, huh?"
Tenten blushed at that comment.
"We'll be arriving at the pier outside Konoha tomorrow, early in the afternoon." The lady informed, "Please enjoy the trip!"
When everything was settled down, Tenten and Kashime were left alone in the room. The ship has started moving.
Kashime was sitting on her bed, the side closest to the window and looked at the disappearing view of Kirigakure.
"You're going to be the leader of that country soon." Tenten broke the silence, "Isn't that great?"
"No, it isn't." Kashime replied, "I'm not going to take my office… not until I know that Sakura is safe in Konoha... And I will not take office if she dies, I swear that."
TBC…
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Why did Kashime state that she will never ever take office if Sakura is harmed? The tradition of long ago is still alive in Haruno Kashime's blood, but the Haruno Superfamily has been long terminated. What is the meaning of the Haruno Blue Circle and the Haruno White Circle? What are they? Does the Haruno blood uphold a Bloodline Limit?
For the next chapter of Homebound! Leaking Out the Clan's Secrets
"I have a duty to my family… The Haruno superfamily is a broken clan."
- Haruno Kashime
A/N: I just want to apologize to those who had asked me to view their stories. I wasn't able to check them out yet because I'm so busy with school. Anyway, we can still do remedy with that. Please tell me who you are again.
Also, the song Humanda Ka is still available. Just include in your reviews if you want a copy of the song. I will also include the lyrics in the package. Humanda Ka will be used in the second peak of Homebound, Chapter 44: Unstoppable.
Ja!
+Releina Artemis+