Chapter 24 – The Three-Legged Crow
The wind swept over the courtyard, blowing the freshly fallen snow towards the three white figures standing in a circle at the edge. Without the mask on to shield her face from the cold, Akane felt her cheeks growing numb. Snowflakes clung to her eyelashes and she blinked them away, trying to keep her eyes anywhere but on the scene behind the two men in front of her.
"What now?" she asked. "It's getting dark, the weather's worsening and Tsume-san shouldn't be here."
"I agree," Itachi said. "I have a plan. I need you to take Tsume and return to Konoha." He could almost sense Akane's disapproval, but he continued before she could protest. "I spoke to Hiashi-sama a while ago and he agreed to help us stop Suisen. You are to bring him to the first border outpost, where the rest of us will be waiting for you." That seemed to pacify her.
"What about Tsume-san?"
"That decision is up to you, as the team medic. You have my full support, whether you decide she stays in Konoha or joins us for the rest of the mission." Itachi doubted, however, that Akane, or anyone else for that matter, would be able to convince Tsume to stay behind.
"It'll take us several days to get to Konoha and back," she pointed out.
"Not if we summon Yatagarasu to take you there."
"What?! You have got to be kidding me," Shisui said, removing his mask to regale them with an expression of sheer mortification. "After that last time, if the old crow sees me, she's going to pluck out my eyeballs and wear them on a string around her neck."
Akane quirked a brow and looked at Itachi, who seemed to understand what Shisui was talking about, because he let out a sigh. "That was years ago, I'm sure she's forgotten all about it," he said placatingly.
During a mission in which Shisui had taken Itachi with him, both to spend some time together and for the opportunity to teach his young cousin a few new tricks, they had summoned the giant crow to fly them out of a particularly bad situation. Shisui had blown a fireball at their pursuers from the crow's back and accidentally singed her tail feathers, causing them to spiral down from the sky into a rather bad (and certainly painful) landing.
"She only likes to pretend she has a bad memory, you know," Shisui muttered.
"It will be easier if all three of us contribute chakra to sustain her," Itachi argued. "Especially since this is no short trip."
"Fine, fine, I get it. Just… make sure she doesn't go for my eyes, yeah?"
Yatagarasu would never condescend to answer a single summoner's call. Strength in unity was the mantra of the crows, and the oldest of them was the most conservative. It would take two shinobi, at least, to summon her, like Shisui had done with Itachi back then. For three of them to do it, it would both please the great crow, as well as spare their chakra reserves.
Shisui seemed disgruntled, but pulled out his tanto nonetheless. Akane and Itachi used kunai, and the three of them slashed their palms in unison before placing them on the snow-covered ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
The three-legged crow, messenger of the gods, servant of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, herself: Yatagarasu appeared before them in a great puff of smoke that billowed in the rising wind – a great beast of a crow, standing on three legs and looking at the world through four, slanted red eyes, two on each side of her head. When she spoke, however, her voice shattered any appearance of majesty.
"What is this?" the ancient crow asked in a voice that may well have belonged to a surly hag, broken and shaky. She cocked her head at the corpses frozen in the wire trap to either side, before turning to the three figures standing before her. "Still at your petty squabbles, I see."
"Yatagarasu-sama," Itachi said in greeting, bowing from the middle in respect.
"Who is this now? Itachi boy, is that you?" Itachi remained perfectly still as a pair of eyes squinted at him from the side of the large, feathered head. "And Aka-chan," the crow rasped, moving her gaze on to Akane, who cringed at the play of words. "And… Shisui boy. Well, well, is this not quite the gathering."
Shisui let out a sigh of relief when the crow's eyes moved away from him and back to Itachi, who seemed the least intimidated by the ancient bird.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"We need your help, Yatagarasu-sama," Itachi said.
The crow cackled. "That was implied."
"Akane and a friend of ours need safe passage to Konoha and back. That's all we ask."
"Ask? All, you say?" Yatagarasu echoed. "The last time someone asked," she said, turning her attention to Shisui, whose blood drained from his face, "I seem to recall losing a few important feathers to a misdirected fire jutsu. You are lucky they grew back, Shisui boy, or I would have plucked your eyes out and worn them on a string around my neck!"
"That was p-purely an accident," Shisui mouthed, letting out an uncomfortable chuckle to ease his own nerves, even as he took a couple of steps back.
"I don't use fire jutsu, Yatagarasu-sama," Akane intervened, more to help out Shisui than anything else.
Yatagarasu fixed her for a moment before her eyes narrowed. "Indeed, you do not. You are attuned to other natures, though lightning can singe as well as fire."
"There will be no singing of feathers, of any sort, you have my word," Itachi said.
The great crow was silent for a few moments, before her beak opened to pass a sigh. "Konoha, eh? Very well. I will grant you this boon. After all, it is a rare treat to see three of you in one place. It warms an old heart. The last time I was summoned by three was…"
Akane flinched. Her father had contributed with the most chakra, then her brother, Enki, and finally, herself, with the least amount. She had signed her summoning contract with the crows that day, a present from her father for her seventh birthday, six days before his death in the kyuubi's attack on Konoha. Surely it cannot have been that long ago, she thought, dismissing her own memory of a summoning triad before the thorn of sadness could burrow deeper into her heart. But the crow trailed off, lost in the memory or perhaps unable to retrieve it, and, mercifully, did not continue.
"Yatagarasu-sama?" Itachi asked.
"Yes, yes, always in a hurry, you mortals. Little wonder. Come then, hop on. You are not getting any younger."
Shisui would have scoffed at that if he were not still wary of the old crow and that giant beak of hers. He kept his mouth shut and himself out of the way, and did not rest easy until Yatagarasu's wings stirred a small snowstorm as she took off a little while later, with three figures clinging to her back. A howl echoed across the sky in her wake, overpowering the shrieking wind before fading in the distance. It seemed Kuromaru hated flying almost as much as he did, although who in their right mind would enjoy it in this weather, Shisui thought humorlessly.
"We don't have enough storage scrolls for all the bodies, even with the ones Akane left us," Tenzo said, answering a question Shisui had not heard, in his distraction.
"Then we start making our way back now," Itachi decided. "We'll send someone to retrieve them all when we get to the border outpost."
"I would hang on if I were you, the wind is something wicked tonight," Yatagarasu croaked, angling her wings to make the descent down the side of the mountain as safe as possible for her wards. "I will not be responsible if you fall off my back, although odds are you will freeze first, and then you might shatter when you hit the ground. In any case, try not to fall."
"Is she always like this?" Tsume whispered through chattering teeth, holding on to a bunch of feathers with one arm and wrapping the other one around Kuromaru, who was hiding his head in her cloak. The ends of her spiky hair where white with frost from her misting breath.
Akane's body was racked by a shiver. "More or less," she said.
"I am hard of head, not of hearing!" the crow retorted, prompting Tsume to clamp her mouth shut before the giant bird decided to throw them all off her back. "Speaking of heads, how is that knuckle-headed brother of yours, Aka-chan? Not dead, I hope. I have not seen him in years."
"He's retired from active duty."
"Eeeh?" Yatagarasu queried loudly, turning her head.
"Retired from active duty!" Akane repeated, trying to cover the wind shrieking in her ears. The crow had caught a whisper just moments before, only to make her repeat herself now. Perhaps she liked to pretend to be hard of hearing, as well as forgetful, when it suited her.
"A most sensible choice," Yatagarasu said. "I would not have thought him capable of it."
Akane's free hand worked furiously to tame the hair billowing about her face as snow and icy wind lashed at her cheeks mercilessly. Tsume had burrowed her own face in the glossy, black feathers.
"I always did tell your father Enki was no good, trembling at his own shadow all the time instead of taming it. Better for him to quit trying to be something he could never dream to become. But your father was foolish, girl, do you know that? He lived like a fool, with his heart of gold, and he died like a fool, in selfless, but senseless sacrifice."
Akane raised her head against the gale, pretending the stinging haze in her eyes was caused by that, instead. A different kind of cold began to flow through her veins and creep under her skin. "My father died protecting Konoha," she said icily.
"Your father died trying to restrain a creature far beyond his ken or mettle, along with your mother and many others, and you're a fool, just like him, if you believe it was Konoha he was protecting."
A tear ran down her cheek and she could almost feel it freeze there. She sucked in a breath, and the cold must have been messing with her senses, because she heard the words roll out of her mouth one by one and she did nothing to stop them. "I am Konoha. We are all Konoha." We protect one another, she thought mirthlessly, looking at Tsume.
Yatagarasu cackled, and though the sound of it was lost in the howling blizzard, Akane could feel its rumble through the ancient crow's back, underneath her. Trembling like a leaf and more tired than she had felt in a long time, she lowered herself down, flat against the faint warmth radiating from Yatagarasu's body. Although the night would be long, there would be no sleep for any of them.
"Again."
Hanabi activated her byakugan, pulled back her arm, drawing air into her lungs at the same time. She held it for a moment, then expelled it along with a burst of chakra through her palm as she struck the target in front of her, splintering the wood clean through this time.
"Better," Hiashi said. "But next time, use more chakra instead of relying on brute force. It's called the Gentle Fist for a reason."
"Yes, father."
Hiashi crossed his arms and watched his youngest daughter continue her training in the middle of their private training ground. The morning was overcast and cold, a thin layer of frozen snow crunching underfoot. Hanabi had already gone through half the targets in the past hour, and splinters dotted the ground all around them. Half more to go and then they would retreat inside for a break before commencing her taijutsu training.
He was overseeing his daughter's next attempt when something in the distance caught his eye: a black dot against the leaden backdrop of the sky, seemingly moving at considerable speed. His right hand locked in a seal as he sent chakra to his eyes, activating the byakugan. Hanabi sensed the power surging through her father and looked at him, nonplussed. Following his gaze, she saw what appeared to be a large, dark bird rapidly approaching the Hyuuga compound.
"Father?" she asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.
Hiashi did not reply. The two of them stepped back as a giant crow swooped down to land in the middle of the training ground, sending gusts of icy wind at them as the great wings flapped closer and closer to the ground. Hanabi stared at the crow's three legs and four eyes, and swallowed the lump in her throat. Her muscles remained tense, ready to fight or flee, whichever her father commanded. To her surprise, however, three figures descended from the bird's back, and her father's byakugan faded.
"Go inside, Hanabi," he said.
"Yes, father," she replied, still glancing over her shoulder at the curious sight as she did his bidding. She saw him dismiss his alerted guards before she slipped inside the dojo, not even daring to peek, as she would have liked.
The Inuzuka woman stayed behind with her ninken, as her shorter companion stepped forward. Hiashi had recognized her, so there was no need for her to remove the ANBU mask, but the Nara woman did so anyway. She then angled her body forward in a neutral bow before speaking.
"Good morning, Hiashi-sama. I apologize for coming unannounced."
"You all seem to think wearing that mask gives you the right do so," he replied acidly. "But since the Uchiha boy has sent his runners to fetch, instead of a message, I assume this means you have finally come across my brother."
The Nara woman appeared unfazed by his demeanor. "In a manner of speaking," she said. "But you are correct, Hiashi-sama. We have come to ask for your help, as per Uchiha-taichou's orders."
Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "In a manner of speaking? Explain yourself."
"It's his partner's work we came across during one of our investigations," she replied evenly, "but we believe Suisen was the mastermind behind it, and regardless, they work as a team. If we find his partner, we find your brother."
"So, you have no idea where Suisen is," Hiashi concluded, "yet you expect me to leave my duties here behind and join you while you blunder about in the dark, for who knows how long?"
"It is my understanding, Hiashi-sama, that you had an agreement with Uchiha-taichou."
"That does not put me at his beck and call."
Akane steeled herself, holding on to what little of her patience remained after a sleepless night spent flying through a blizzard. "Your brother is part of a criminal organization comprised of S-class missing-nin and is considered a threat to Konoha. With your help, we may find him sooner, rather than later, and put an end to this once and for all."
"This is the first I hear of a criminal organization," Hiashi said, taken aback.
"It's classified information. I take full responsibility for disclosing it to you."
What have you done, Suisen? Hiashi wondered, stunned into silence. It was one thing to stand accused of doing unsightly mercenary work as a rogue-nin, and a whole other thing to be part of organized crime. No wonder the ANBU was so determined to capture him. The situation was more dire than he had thought, damn the Uchiha for misleading him by omission. "I want to know more of this," Hiashi told Akane. "You may wait inside while I get ready, and then you can tell me everything on the way."
Akane inclined her head in agreement, then watched Hiashi turn on his heel and vanish inside the Hyuuga mansion.
"Was that wise?" Tsume asked quietly, standing beside Yatagarasu with her arms folded against her chest.
"I can't be the judge of that," Akane admitted, "but Hiashi-sama needed to know the truth of what he's getting into. He would have found out anyway, sooner or later." He had been right, too, they could hardly have expected him to leave his duties behind on such short notice without a pressing reason. She could not afford to second-guess herself now, and in any case, that boat had sailed. She still had one more thing to do. "Tsume-san…"
"No."
Akane blinked, taken aback by the curt reply. "I haven't said anything yet."
"You didn't have to. I know what you were going to say, and the answer is no. I'm not staying."
Akane sighed, although in her tiredness she could not help but notice the irony of the situation. It was like dealing with her past self, and she suddenly had a newfound appreciation for Itachi and Kakashi, who had put up with her nonsense when she had been at her worst. She prayed to be able to demonstrate the same patience and wisdom in this as they had. "Tsume-san," she said calmly, "what happened on that mountain was not your fault, but it may happen again."
"It won't," Tsume insisted. "I will not be a liability, I swear. I don't know what came over me then, but I refuse to be left behind over it. I will not cower in Konoha while the rest of you are out there, risking your lives!" She checked herself, stopping for a moment to modulate the volume of her voice, which had inadvertently gone up. "Did Itachi put you up to this?" she asked, fighting to remain calm.
Itachi had known, Akane thought as she felt her own resolve weaken. He had known Tsume would be difficult in this. She hoped he had a plan, because she did not feel up for yet another difficult negotiation. Her head was pounding as it was. "He left it up to me to decide, and I don't believe you should put yourself through this."
"And you should?" Tsume argued, crossing her arms. "Get off your high horse, princess, you're just as fucked up as me, if not worse."
"Oi, oi, that's more than enough, Tsume," Kuromaru interceded, to no avail.
"What do you think it will be like to look the monster who hurt you in the eyes?"
Yatagarasu craned her neck in the silence which ensued. She then cocked her head, making note of the gleam in the little kunoichi's eyes, and the slight trembling of her hands as she put on her painted fox mask with slow, deliberate moves.
"I have thought about it," Akane said quietly, "every night since then. But he is no real monster. He is made of bones that break and blood that spills, same as me. Do as you will, Tsume-san. I won't stand in your way."
Kuromaru sighed, and was almost relieved to see Hiashi coming out of the house, clad in shinobi attire and sporting a Konoha hitai-ate. The two kunoichi stepped away from each other and climbed on Yatagarasu's back without another word. The ninken followed them up reluctantly, padding along the crow's lowered wing. Hiashi jumped up to settle beside Akane, and the bird lumbered in an upright position before taking off with multiple sweeps of her dark wings.
Shisui watched another crow take to the sky through the window of their shared room within the border outpost. Itachi had been sending off birds all day, alerting nearby stations to be on the lookout for the two Akatsuki. He had even sent some to their own contacts in the surrounding villages and towns, trying to cover as large an area as he could. After the show they had put on for them, Suisen and Juri would not have simply vanished. All they needed was a pointer in the right direction.
A chill wind blew through the top of the tower, where Shisui had spent the last couple of hours staring at the sky towards Konoha. He blew some air into his hands and rubbed them together. Luckily for him, the chuunin guards stationed up here to survey the area had climbed down for dinner and he had finally been spared their curious stares. He tensed as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, only to relax at the sight of Tenzo and the steaming cup he held out.
"Thanks," he said, too glad for something to warm his hands on to even mind that it was tea.
"You're welcome. Any sign of them?"
"Not yet, but I expect they should be here soon. The crow may be ancient, but she's a fast flier, so unless they encountered some other setback… ah, there they are."
Tenzo squinted at the darkening horizon, but could see nothing yet. Regardless, he trusted Shisui's sharingan to cover a much greater distance than the naked eye. "I'll go let Itachi know."
Shisui nodded, and raised his mask to sip from the tea, only to make a face at the taste. Truly, it was no good for anything other than warming his hands. His eyes drifted to the sky once more, watching Yatagarasu's dark figure grow larger with each passing moment. It appeared there had been no singing of feathers after all, he thought with a smirk. When he judged he would be down in time for the arrival, Shisui jumped over the railing and gracefully landed on the grass beside Itachi and Tenzo.
"Welcome, Hiashi-sama. I apologize for summoning you on such short notice," Itachi began as the head of the Hyuuga clan descended from the Yatagarasu's back.
Shisui watched the two of them disappear inside the tower together, under the jounin commander's vigilant gaze. Tenzo and Tsume followed suit, with a sullen Kuromaru at his mistress' heels. All but one had gone inside. He turned his head and saw Akane bowing to Yatagarasu.
"Thank you, Yatagarasu-sama," she said.
"Up, Akane girl," the crow commanded in her wizened voice, then cackled. "Your father did raise one shinobi, after all."
Shisui smirked and approached her as Yatagarasu vanished in a cloud of smoke. "You passed her test," he said. "Congratulations."
"What test?" she asked, nonplussed, turning around to face him as she rummaged through a pocket to produce what appeared to be a pack of cigarettes.
Shisui shrugged. "That's for me to guess. All I know is that you went from Aka-chan to Akane girl. I'd call that an improvement."
Akane scoffed as she lit a cigarette and blew out the smoke into the cool night air. "Good to know I did at least something right." She noticed the look in his eyes and quirked a brow, but offered him one, too, which he promptly took and lit up. "They're bad for you, you know," she said.
Shisui choked on the smoke and made a face at its overly sweet cherry flavor. "Said the kettle to the pot."
"Nothing like a little hypocrisy to spice up my personality."
He threw his head back and laughed. "So, which one of them pissed you off?" he asked. "Because I've noticed that your odd sense of humor tends to surface when you're bothered."
"How observant of you. All of them. They took turns, at least."
"Well, since none of them appear to have been run through with the Chidori, or are even in the least bit singed, I'd say you've held up admirably."
"Thanks, Shisui-san," she said. "I appreciate it."
"That's what friends are for."
Akane blew out a plume of smoke and looked up at him in surprise, half-expecting him to deliver the rest of the joke at any moment. But there was kindness in his smile and the playful light in his eyes had softened. She scoffed at her own wariness and graced him with a tired smile of her own before her eyes flitted up, at the star-filled sky. Hard to believe it had been filled with storm clouds just one night before. Tonight, at least, she would finally be warm and get some well-deserved sleep.
Aka-chan means infant, baby.
Yatagarasu is a mythical Japanese creature, representing the sun. It is a large crow (its name means "eight-span crow") known as Amaterasu's messenger, and it does have three legs (not the four eyes I added, though), which are said to stand for heaven, earth and humanity (hence, all three come from the sun). The three legs are also said to represent the three virtues of the gods – wisdom, benevolence and valor.
If anyone is up for another small challenge, I'm curious to which of our three crow-summoners you would assign each virtue as representative. I don't think there's a right answer to this, just so you know.