A/N: Hey everyone! Day 3 of quarantine for me, and it occurred to me that I've got nothing else to really do except straighten up the house and play games in my backlog. So...perhaps I'll speed up my chapter uploads? Work on more chapters? This whole story is just a hobby, that's why it's been going for soooo long. And hey, if you folks enjoy it? That's all the motivation I need to keep it going. Stay safe out there, everyone! And, as always, I hope you enjoy! :)
Not even the air inside the Mizukage's office dared to move around and make noise. Sakana had returned in two-days time, a day faster than it had taken to get where she ended up with Tenshi. She got there in record time because she had been constantly running, no breaks until she reached water, which resulted in her utilizing the high-speed swimming that only a Hoshigaki could muster. She cried the whole way back, understandably so. She cried so much that she ran out of tears to shed, and now here she stood after informing the Mizukage about her failed mission. Stone-cold, emotionless, done crying and done feeling pitiful for being spared by her enemy. The time for self-loathing and grieving was over, she had done enough of it.
So here she stood, eyelids lowered and body stiff as she stared at Chojuro. The mission report was simple. The guards were all killed, Torakuta is the Daughter within the Family, she betrayed them all and killed Tenshi, Sakana was requested by Tenshi to keep one of the Rinnegan. The newfound doujutsu, she had been healing with her weak medical jutsu the entirety of her trip, and was now properly attached and possible to see out of. Sakana's own chakra circulated through it, and she was able to see with two eyes the Mizukage's utter disbelief at the whole situation. It still felt wrong to her, but she would have to get used to it. She had a promise to keep, a dying wish to fulfill.
Mouth agape, Chojuro had to make a conscious effort to close his jaw and adjust his glasses, looking down at his desk. "...by Kami..."
That, she took as her cue to lower her eyepatch over the Rinnegan, hiding her secret from the world. "It's a heavy load, but the big thing we need to realize is that the Hidden Abyss has a Rinnegan. Don't know what they'll want to do with it, but at least we have the other."
There was still no audible response from Chojuro; instead, the man only leaned back in his chair, making it squeak as he did so. His hand covered the bottom half of his face, and he began to think hard about the current situation while his vision trailed off to the windows of his office and the falling rain outside. There was nothing for him to say. They had just lost a very prominent member of their village, someone who had plenty of political pull and unmatched charisma...someone who was helping keep Team One stuck together, at least for a while longer. She was the tape holding everything together, and with her gone, everything would become highly unstable. How would he be able to maintain things as they were?
His eyes shut, and his hand went down to hold his chin. No, he was being self-centered. How he ran his village without help was going to be something he would have to figure out, nothing more. The fact that one of his kunoichi died was the more immediate issue, and one that needed to be handled gently. Proper procedure was to inform those close to the departed first before holding a funeral for a shinobi or kunoichi, so he was going to have to make a personal trip down to the Kyofu Clan compound. Hopefully, Tsuyo would be able to handle the news with-
The door to Chojuro's office swung open, slamming against the wall so hard that it made the Mizukage jump. Tsuyo stumbled into the room, panic filling his eyes. His hair was completely messed up and rain soaked his body, though one could easily confuse the water on his face and glasses for nervous sweat. His breathing was hard, so hard that his entire upper body was heaving; the normally motionless, controlled body language that Tsuyo presented to everyone was absent, and such a sight told Chojuro that this wasn't going to be easy.
The Uchiha had heard of Sakana's return, which brought some ease to his restless mind ever since he had that terrible feeling about Tenshi's well-being. However, when he heard she had come back alone, emerging from the docks like a creature of the sea without any transport or party of guards in sight, his heart sank through the ground. He needed to see his wife-to-be, she HAD to be with Sakana. Yet, when he snapped his head to the side, all he was the Hoshigaki. No Tenshi, no smiles, no confused stares which would confirm he was overreacting. Sakana had this solemn, distant look, and she met Tsuyo's gaze with no emotion. She looked exhausted, bottled up with emotion, indifferent...defeated, and trying not to show it. This, Tsuyo knew, was never good, for it meant the Hoshigaki was trying to keep her mouth shut about matters that deeply bothered her. The genjutsu-specialist swallowed hard, and turned to Chojuro. The Mizukage was leaned back in his chair, eyes downcast with his legs folded and a hand holding his chin. He, too, met Tsuyo's gaze, only to look back down at the ground, turned away from the hunter-nin. That, Tsuyo knew, was not the Mizukage being lost in deep thought, not trying to find words to say, but being at a total loss as to what he should say. It was the kind of body language one displayed when they were afraid to speak, and the Mizukage only acted like this when someone...
...no...it couldn't be, could it?
Slowly, Tsuyo turned to his old teammate, someone who had been by his side through thick and thin for years and had always maintained a strong relationship with Tenshi. Tsuyo opened his mouth to speak, but he was so scared to ask, so afraid of the answer, that he only managed to whisper his question.
"...where is sh-sh-she? Wh-Where is T-Tenshi?"
Sakana remained stiff and emotionless, only blinking at him in response before turning her attention towards the Mizukage. Chojuro folded his hands in his lap, and lowered his head, eyes closing. The silence was beginning to drive Tsuyo insane, and the worried aura coming from the man became pure anger. He grabbed at the door and slammed it shut, and stomped between Sakana and the Mizukage, making sure she couldn't look away from him. His brow was creased heavily, and the corner of his mouth was starting to twitch.
"Where is she?!" He was raising his voice, and his arms began to shake beneath his cloak. He spun around and stomped to the Mizukage's desk, slamming his hands on it; Chojuro still did not look him in the eye. "Where the HELL is she?! I DEMAND TO KNOW WHERE TENSHI IS!"
"Tsuyo," Chojuro spoke, "...before I can speak with you, I need you to calm d-"
"...Tsuyo..."
The dry voice saying his name made Tsuyo turn around, and got Chojuro to watch as well. She took a few slow, weary steps forward, dug into her pocket, and pulled out a diamond too specific for Tsuyo to mistake. She reached for his hand, his real hand concealed by the cloak he wore, and held it with a tender warmth he didn't know she was capable of. The diamond was placed into his palm, but the speechless Tsuyo could do nothing but stare at it with empty eyes. She took a step back to give him a little breathing room, ironically finding it a bit harder to breath normally, herself. It was taking too much energy for her to keep herself composed and not get mad at the whole situation, but she would do it for him.
"I don't know who it was that attacked us," she lied, knowing better than to tell Tsuyo just who was responsible; the last thing the man needed was a name to track down, and convert him into a mindless, revenge-driven lunatic. "...but...Tenshi died protecting me, when all her guards couldn't."
"..."
"I don't know who did it, because I killed them before I could find out. There's nothing left of their body except bloody little chunks that the vultures are probably still eating. The revenge came just as fast as her sacrifice..."
The news was not hitting home well, and Tsuyo's hand began to tremble so hard that he dropped the diamond. Being quick, Sakana caught it in midair, and offered it to the man to take...but he didn't reach for it. His head was low, eyes staring at his trembling hand which was soon joined by his other real hand. Both could not stop shivering, and the wooden arms he normally commanded through the sleeves of his cloak were limp and lightly swaying, like old ropes. His real hands were awful pale compared to his face, a clear indication of how little he actually revealed them on a day-to-day basis. The trembling hands closed up into tight fists, and with eerie slowness, he lifted his head to meet Sakana's gaze. His Sharingan was active, and he had that glint in his eye which only appeared when he was ready to kill on a mission.
"...you're lying to me..."
As it turns out, Tsuyo was too smart for his own good. The man was a hunter-nin, the best of the best who dealt with the most dangerous of missions. For years he trained in the arts of seeing through deception, and Sakana's overly-stoic behavior through all of this was far too telling.
"I will not be made a fool of, Sakana. I will NOT let you dance around me with white lies, just so I don't feel so...so..."
The right word was hard to find, but he discarded the thought as his anger and impatience continued to build. He stepped closer to the Hoshigaki, looking up a little so he could maintain eye contact with the kunoichi who was a few inches taller than him. Still, she wore the mask of indifference, but he would tear it down soon, be it with his words, or his bare hands.
"Who killed the girl I love, Sakana? Who did it..."
"..."
It was hard for Sakana to miss the slight twitching of Tsuyo's eye. She couldn't ever remember him being this emotionally troubled, and understandably so. And then, without warning, Sakana saw Tsuyo's wide, deranged eyes bore into her, and she could feel her entire head pulse with such an odd, uncomfortable sensation that her legs began to shake, and her balance was tilted. To her, the environment became blurry, fuzzy, full of odd shifting colors and sounds that were nonsensical, such as church bells and meat being chopped.
Trembling Sharingan threatened to stare holes into her, and the longer she looked into the crimson doujutsu, the more she felt that her flesh was beginning to steam up, as if she were being cooked alive. Sweat was popping up along her skin, and the Hoshigaki grit her teeth as she tried to stay standing.
"I demand to know who killed the woman that was to be my wife. ANSWER ME NOW, YOU FILTH! WHO KILLED TENSHI?"
Slicing through the air and flying for Tsuyo's head was a shuriken, but the hunter-nin was not unaware of his surroundings. He extended his real arm and stabbed his finger through the shuriken hole, the metal item still spinning around his appendage while the Uchiha glared towards who tossed it. Both hunter-nin that remained hidden and guarded the Mizukage were present, and one of them had an arm extended; she allowed it to fall at her side, but remained silent as it was not her duty to speak. No, that would be the Mizukage's job. The man in charge was now stood from his chair, and he was clearly in no mood to play around. His arms were folded, and that glare meant that every request that would be following was to be considered an order.
"Release the genjutsu you placed on Sakana. Now."
It wasn't necessary for Tsuyo to see what was becoming of Sakana, the brave kunoichi who still stood her ground on two feet, though covered in sweat, wide-eyed and grunting while trying to withstand some powerful illusions. It wasn't even needed for him to move, and he stared down Chojuro with a defiant look that belonged on an edgy teenager.
"The last thing the Hidden Mist needs right now," the Mizukage continued, "is for one of it's brightest minds to be blanketed by dark thoughts. Revenge can wait. Now is the time to remain calm, and think."
It was going to be hard to remain calm if one was going through the trauma Tsuyo was experiencing, especially considering the circumstances. He was slowly piecing everything together, all the information Sakana and Chojuro were telling him, by not telling him. 'Revenge cant wait,' even though it was supposedly already delivered? 'Now is the time to remain calm and think,' as in Tsuyo would have to ignore the pain of Tenshi's death and not pursue a goal he desired? 'I don't know who did it,' despite being there for the whole thing? They all knew so much, and didn't want him to go on a manhunt. The killer was alive, Tenshi had not been honored with swift revenge, and there was no body...they took her away, too...and he KNEW it wasn't a kidnapping situation, or else there would not have been so much hesitation. Sakana's attempt to make Tsuyo aware of the situation and quell his anger with lies was the biggest indicator that this was the case. And these two IDIOTS...they SIT here, and they TALK about this mess without PURSUING ACTION?
Tsuyo's whole body shuddered, and his Sharingan began to burn. He didn't know what the painful sensation was, but he quickly ceased pumping chakra into it and shut his eyes, holding his head; in that instance, the genjutsu was ended, and a gasping Sakana fell to her hands and knees trying to regain herself. His body trembled more, and more, and droplets of water fell in front of his feet. The tears that were breaking free from his burning eyes, and the man fell to his knees, head lowered as he embraced sorrow. The crying started slow, but quickly grew louder, and louder.
"...T...T-Tenshi...Tenshi...TENSHIIIII!"
The pressure was too much for him, and he fell forward onto his hands, whole body trembling as he bawled for the first time since his childhood. He felt miserable, like he was that little helpless kid all alone in the world trying to become a shinobi. The world around him didn't exist anymore, and memories of a smiling, laughing, loving Tenshi were all he could think of...but each of those memories seemed to be alit with fire, flooded with her blood, losing their vibrant and warm color...
...there was nothing but darkness around him, a hollow void full of cold, bone-tingling despair, and he hated it. He hated it almost as much as he hated his younger self for being so pathetic and being strung along in so many different ways by everyone. Yet here he was again, in his own psyche, picturing himself as that pathetic shinobi academy student with all the best grades yet none of the friends to brag about them to. Sat in the corner of an orphanage with nobody wanting to play with him, with bullies pulling off his glasses and crushing them under their shoes. Th only ray of light he's had in his whole life, the one ray of light that would lead him to a happy future, was snuffed out.
There was nothing for him now, and it simply wasn't fair.
From the outside, a grown man was sobbing and soaking the ground of the Mizukage's office with fresh tears. To an outside observer with no context, the sight was absolutely pathetic. To Sakana, who was now sat upright and wiping sweat from herself after recovering from the genjutsu, it was heartbreaking. There was no place in her for anger at Tsuyo, all her rage was reserved for her father, that lizard bitch who helped him tear down the Hidden Mist, and Torakuta. The bumbling, bawling man before her was simply a victim, and he was doing what she had done for the past two days...she just had the benefit of being alone.
"It isn't fair," he yelled to the ground. "NONE OF THIS IS FAIR!" His wooden arms hoisted themselves into the air, and brought their fists crashing down onto the ground, creating small cracks in the floor of the office where they landed. "She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve to die! She was everything to me...she...sh-she proved that I c-c-could be something. What was all of it FOR?! WHY DID ANY OF IT EVEN HAPPEN?!"
His tears continued to fall, yet his glasses proved to be more and more uncomfortable as they collected his tears and tapped his face when he shivered. Like a savage beast, he gripped the spectacles with an open palm and flung them across the room, causing the frail item to break into glass shards and bent metal.
Much like Sakana, Chojuro knew this was not the time to say anything. He remained quiet, and allowed the hunter-nin to vent all his frustration and sadness on his office floor. Sitting back in his chair, the Mizukage shut his eyes and listened to the boy he watched grow up struggle to maintain his personal life and sanity, and could only hope he would recover soon.
Oh, he certainly recovered soon. In fact, his sobbing came to a dead halt, and a bestial yell erupted from the broken man as he stood up, turned around, grabbed Sakana with both his real and wooden arms, hoisted her off the floor, and slammed her against the closest wall. Of course, the Hoshigaki was stunned, but she did not try to fight him off, knowing he was just angry and upset with the world. Tsuyo kept his trembling eyes shut, though the sad, miserable mug of his twisted into a scornful, hateful one. His killing intent, something he only let loose to intimidate targets during missions, was beginning to leak out before both of Chojuro's hunter-nin guards appeared on either side of Tsuyo, each holding a tanto with the tip at his neck. Although furious, Tsuyo knew better than to move in his particular situation...plus he knew the two hunter-nin from past missions, and that they were not people to fight within a close space like this office. He exhaled through grit teeth, almost making a hissing sound as he kept a slowly-mellowing Sakana pinned against the wall.
"Tsuyo, stand down! Release her!"
The order from Chojuro fell upon deaf ears, and Tsuyo's shut eyes twitched harder. "...why were you so useless...why weren't you killed instead of her..."
Though just words, Sakana still felt her heart crumple from sadness. "I asked myself the same question my entire trip back."
"..."
"You better not forget that Tenshi wasn't only important to you. She was my backbone, too, someone who would support and listen to me, and answer any stupid questions I had or would always free up to go somewhere or do something. She was my best friend, and I couldn't even keep her safe..."
Not a satisfactory answer, but it was an answer nonetheless. The still-shaking Tsuyo bit down on his lip, and slid Sakana back down the wall until her feet were grounded once more. Trembling organic hands and stiff wooden ones all fell to his sides, and those tear-soaked eyes finally cracked open a sliver, staring at his feet. His breathing, slowly but surely, was becoming normal deep breaths, a sign that he was at least calming down despite a few sniffles and manic twitching.
Chojuro cleared his throat, and on command, both hunter-nin lowered their weapons and stepped back. "I'll allow you a month off to grieve your loss. If you need anything, let me know."
A polite, but subtle way of telling Tsuyo to leave and shut up. The Uchiha knew what this was, and he didn't appreciate it at all. Couldn't stand there and give a rat's ass about Tsuyo and his feelings, huh? It was too much effort to let one of your top hunter-nin go hunt down the bastard that did this to their loved one? The burning came back to his eyes, resonated through both of them down the optical nerves and into his brain, but he harnessed the burn, harnessed the pain and made it part of him. A dark and foreboding aura filled his soul, a desire for blood and the head of his mystery target on a stick. He WOULD have revenge, and he WOULD do it with his own hands. There was no greater target now, and anybody who stood in his way was equally just as big of an obstacle. He would not attack Chojuro, or Sakana, or the hunter-nin...it was too dangerous. No...he would wait, and pursue his target when he had enough information. He would not go causing senseless carnage like a madman, but his inner desires WOULD be realized...this, he would make certain of.
With a new purpose burning within, he opened his eyes and stared through Chojuro. The Mizukage noticed a very significant change in Tsuyo, one that was immediate, and even both hunter-nin took a step back once they saw it. Their reactions confirmed Tsuyo's suspicion about his eyes, and shut them closed once more before reaching into his ears, and pulling his hearing aids out. He gathered them into his palm, and held them out towards the Mizukage before crushing them into small pieces, and letting them rain down onto the office floor.
"I'll hear no more on the matter," he spoke, a darker tone clearly present in his words. "I request to be left alone. Do not come knocking on my door." He made a hand sign, opening his eyes once more to glare at Chojuro, and then used the flicker technique to leave the office. The deathly silence that took his place was unnerving, and Chojuro remained fixated on where the man once stood. Shock became concern rather fast, and his hands met the top of his desk, open palms curling into fists.
"Are you really that surprised about his behavior?"
Chojuro blinked from his train of thought, and paid the kunoichi some attention. She was still stone-faced, cool as a cucumber...she either didn't see it, or didn't understand it. The Mizukage looked at each of his hunter-nin, and made a chopping motion at his neck, signaling them to leave the room; they followed the command in the blink of an eye, flickering from the small office and leaving just Chojuro and Sakana as the man cleared his throat.
"No," he spoke, but it was followed with a stressful sigh and him throwing his glasses on the desk. One of his fists on the desk let a pointer finger out, and it began tapping on the desk idly while the other fist rested beneath his chin, focus completely on the spectacles and nothing else. "...be sure to give that diamond back to the Kyofu Clan, it's their property. I'm sure once they find out about what happened, a funeral is sure to be held tomorrow. Suchiru will have wanted to be there, but I can only do so much." His brow knit, and those onyx eyes of his shifted till they met Sakana's gaze. "I'm not stupid, by the way. I know I can't control who you show that Rinnegan to, so I won't order you to keep it a secret. The last time I did that, the Hyuuga wouldn't leave me alone. Just don't be a fool about who you show, alright? No suspicious visitors from out of the village, no pedestrians, no shinobi other than ones you trust. If you want to train with it, go to one of the small islands off the coast, same place Ketsui took you for that Team One Reunion test."
"Sounds like I have lots of traveling to do today in the village," she said as she looked at the diamond in her hand that Tsuyo refused to take. "I made a promise to Tenshi that I would learn the secrets of the Rinnegan, and would master it's power. She gave me her eye so that she could watch over me during my journeys, to be with me and help me become as strong a kunoichi as I could be. I won't let her down...I'll head to that island and make sure I leave knowing at least one new thing about the Rinnegan." Pausing, she held the diamond up in front of her, partially waving it to the man at the desk before pocketing it. "But, first thing's first," she finished. As per usual, she gave the Mizukage a quick, informal bow, and left his office, gently closing the door. But the current situation was anything but, and Chojuro found his attention right back on his glasses.
I've no doubt in my mind. Tsuyo showed me what had happened to him in this very office on purpose, used my blind reaction as confirmation that something was different. The pain of loss to this degree awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan...
His tapping finger stopped, and the furrowing of his brow deepened.
...but the pattern of his Mangekyo Sharingan was unmistakable. How can that be possible...?
"How can that be possible? How did we get the wrong intel again?"
In a barren, wind-swept field of flowers and small hills, the squadron comprised of Jiyuu, Ketsui, Suchiru, and Kyofu had come to a halt on their now five-day journey. Five days of being discrete, staying out of sight and silently dashing through open plains and woodland areas, all for their intel to lead them here; the one responsible for memorizing the intel, Kyofu, was the most flustered.
Scanning the environment with his Four Trigram Mezame Byakugan, Jiyuu tried to find something, anything, in regards to the intel's supposed claims of this area being where the Hidden Abyss Village resided. Even his evolved doujutsu found nothing over the meters of space it could cover, no hints of a genjutsu, a seal, nothing that would throw their trail off. This was as open of a field as one could find, yet it was a dead end all the same. Deactivating his eyes, Jiyuu's light frown returned as he swung around to face his father; Kyofu may have memorized the intel, but Ketsui was the one so willing to jump on a mission like this, and should've known better. "What's this all about? Is Kyofu right? Was our intel shoddy?"
The older shinobi let a coy chuckle slip, and he scratched his beard with a finger; he made sure to look anywhere but at his son's disapproving gaze, which was admittedly hard to do. "Eh heh...ehhhh...I was hopin' it wouldn't be the case."
Feeling for a cigar in his vest but not seeming to find one, Suchiru grumbled. "Yeah? Well who was our source?"
"Well, it was supposed to be from Sasuke Uchiha. He's been dispatched by the Hokage to investigate the whole Hidden Abyss thing personally, but I guess even he's havin' trouble findin' anythin'. If he's one of the world's most elite shinobi and he's strugglin', then findin' this village ain't an easy feat."
Wind swept over the field of flowers once more, and a curious Jiyuu reactivated his doujutsu and looked out into the distance. Kyofu folded his arms in thought, lifting his head to the starry night sky and the clouds rolling in from the distance. "How could someone like Sasuke be wrong," Kyofu wondered.
"He wouldn't be," Suchiru responded. "There's got to be some sort of trick we're missing here."
Shaking his head, the Hyuuga's Black Eye turned back to his team, once again deactivating his doujutsu. "No, there's nothing. At my doujutsu's max power, I see no tricks, just flowers and hills. Nice place, but our destination isn't here."
Well, that's just perfect. Clearly unsatisfied with the news, Suchiru grumbled again and adjusted his glasses, turning to Ketsui. "Well? What're we going to do?"
The response was a light shrug. "Y'know, I ain't too sure myself. Might be best to just go back home and explain everythin', there could've been an error handlin' the intel."
"Unbelievable," Jiyuu groaned, pinching his brow. "How's it possible that we have luck this bad? We can't go back, I can't go back. Not now. We just need to comb over the area better, we NEED to find something. We need to..."
"Kiddo, don't drive yourself crazy over thoughts of revenge."
Surprising words coming from Ketsui, and they managed to get Jiyuu to look at his father. The Man of Five was still looking out into the distance, but now his coy little expression was gone, replaced by something more serious.
"I want it just as bad as you do, but keepin' your head level's gonna be way better then lettin' revenge take the wheel. We'll keep accidents from happenin'."
"Yeah? What kind of accidents," Jiyuu responded, a hint of annoyance in his tone.
"Well, there could be traps that the Byakugan can't pick up, right? We're dealin' with Hyuuga, after all. It wouldn't be surprisin' if they had ways of counterin' their own eyes."
"They must be hidden then, they have to be. That theory alone proves they could be anywhere, hiding under the radar."
"Quit being an idiot, Jiyuu," Suchiru butted in, earning a glare from the young jounin; he met it head-on with his own. "We'll just need to wait a little while longer until more intel comes in. For all we know, Sasuke hadn't been clear enough, or he was lead down a false road of clues. It happens to everyone, even the best."
"Oh, COME ON!" Jiyuu's arm was swung out to the side in frustration, and held up a fist with the other. "THIS is why the Five Nations can't get anything done, they're all too concerned about getting things done with 'proper intel' and needing to know EXACT locations. When I was working alone, I did this little thing called 'investigate' and MAYBE I would do a 'search'...but apparently, that's too had for the average shinobi now!"
"Kiddo, it's nothin' like-"
"No Ketsui, save your breath." Suchiru gave the man a half-lidded stare, huffing through his nose. "The kid's got a point, y'know. I'm sure you understand that shinobi as a whole have gotten softer over the years. Protocol's overcome taking the initiative. 'Don't be a hero' is what they say, right?"
"Suchiru, we can't afford to be runnin' around in an open field. What if the Hidden Mist gets attacked again?"
"Why don't all of you head on back," spoke Kyofu, finally looking down from the sky. "I'll explore alone. I'd be of less use in case the village needed help, anyway."
"Don't bother, it'll take longer for you than me," Jiyuu said. "It'll take more than a day, and there's lots of land to cover. It's best if someone with a large range of vision did the work. I'll stay."
"I'm not lettin' you stay alone, kiddo."
Jiyuu faced his father, who was slowly approaching in a stride. The older man's arms were folded, and that always meant he was serious.
"You think I can't handle this?"
"It ain't that, but what if you get into a scrap with someone big from the Hidden Abyss? You'll need someone to watch your back. If you stay, I stay."
The young man grit his teeth, clearly getting annoyed with his father's constant desire to grow closer with his son. "Yeah? What about what you said earlier about the village possibly being attacked? You really want to stay here when you'd be of more use back home?"
That...was actually a fair point. Ketsui wasn't expecting his own logic to be used against him, and he stammered a little, something he never did in front of Jiyuu. Truth be told, he didn't care if he was or wasn't on this mission. Hidden Mist or not, he wanted to find some opportunity to reconnect with the son he felt he failed, and it that meant taking a trip home after a failed mission or sticking around with just his boy for a pointless mission, he would do it. But Jiyuu was making it so difficult, so hard to connect on a level beyond being on a job together. With every stride of progress made, the Hyuuga's Black Eye would add two more obstacles for Ketsui to climb over...and the man was running out of steam. That doesn't include when Ketsui decides to shoot himself in the foot and say stupid things, of course...
"It's just a precaution, Jiyuu," Suchiru stated. Ketsui glanced at his old friend, who only focused on his son. Good to see someone had his back, at least.
"A precaution?" Jiyuu inquired.
"Yeah, and not a bad one to take considering all the shit that's happened recently. We've already taken a risk my bringing some heavy-hitters out on this stupid mission, so it won't matter if we stay out here...and by we, I mean you and your father."
Yes, it was good to see that Suchiru understood entirely what Ketsui wanted, and how badly he was grasping at opportunities to make it happen. But Jiyuu was no fool, he saw it too, not that it was difficult to in the first place. And he couldn't argue against this either, because Ketsui's idea of sticking around to protect Jiyuu, a clear asset to the village and a prime target of the Hidden Abyss, was a good tactical move to make. He would be able to keep looking, yes, but only if his father clung to him like a leech. He'd have preferred to work alone once more, and this desperate attempt to rebuild a bond that was straining evermore with Warai's death was sad and inappropriate for the current time. And even if that wasn't the case, he knew his father would make idle chit chat, and that would soon devolve into how Jiyuu wasn't good enough, how Warai died defending him, things like that.
No, it was an uncomfortable situation and he didn't look forward to it at all...but if it meant he could be one step closer to finding the Hidden Abyss Village, then perhaps he would just have to suck it up and move ahead.
"Fine," he muttered. "In that case, we'll see you when we get back."
And then, the Hyuuga's Black Eye turned about-face and began walking, not waiting for approval from Ketsui. The two older jounin gave each other a look, Ketsui's of thanks and Suchiru's of 'good luck,' before Ketsui pursued his son. Suchiru began to make himself scarce, walking towards where they came from, and a hesitant Kyofu followed him.
If progress were to be made, it would be made fast, and Jiyuu was going to ensure that it would be so.
At a humble little weapons shop within the Hidden Mist, a sign hung by a string on one of the flimsy poles keeping the overhead tarp from flying away. It read 'closed,' plain and simple, and would not serve to confuse any potential patrons had the shopkeep not been sitting right behind the front counter, holding her smithing hammer and running her calloused hand over it. The Hoshigaki's attention was focused somewhere beyond her village, out past the docks and beyond the mist that covered the azure waters of the sea. The salty wind blew her hair about, and with a a small exhale, she looked over at a photo she had nailed to one of the posts of her shop.
Her and Tenshi, each wrapping an arm around one another and doing peace signs. She wasn't exactly one for taking photos like that, but Tenshi had convinced her to on that day; Sakana's smile in it screamed of discomfort. Right beneath it was a rose she kept in a vase, another reminder of better times. They brought happy memories to Sakana, but she couldn't really feel much of anything right now. She was in this strange, nihilistic frame of mind where nothing really mattered to her, not the shop she ran, not the money she was short on, not the oncoming rain that would ultimate flood her shop/living space and make her night miserable. Nothing mattered. She took her attention off the rose and picture, and continued to stare out at the mist-covered sea, as if the answers to all her questions would come sailing in.
The diamond had been returned to the Kyofu Clan, and with it came a profuse apology from Sakana for her utter failure during the mission. They refused to have her blame herself, when it was they who could never pin Torakuta for who she really was. Thanks had been given to Sakana for her bountiful courage and for fighting by Tenshi's side till the very end, and just as fast as Sakana left the compound, talks about who to recruit for the next head of the clan began as mutterings. Sakana could hear them speak, saying it was unfortunate but they had to move on, another mumbling about how they had hoped their clan could begin birthing children with Rinnegan. It disgusted her, she wanted to go back in and start painting the marble walls red, but she restrained herself and stomped on to her forge.
Tenshi never deserved it, not like that. Such a carefree spirit and she had been put through hell, by everyone. Even if she smiled through it all and swayed people, there were still those who refused her as she was, seeing only their own benefit, or an obstacle to their own happiness. Sakana had hated her once, long long ago, and had it not been for sheer luck, she would have died a long time ago. Despite that, Tenshi grew to become Sakana's best friend, and her dying words kept circling around her head. She was happy to see the 'real' Sakana, the one inside who always felt she was too 'girly' for the bloody reality of the shinobi world, of the Hoshigaki lifestyle. Tenshi allowed that Sakana to come out, to cry and laugh and make jokes and actually talk about girl stuff...Tenshi was a release, and Sakana loved her for it. Even in the end when Sakana broke apart at seeing her life wilt away, Tenshi pressed her to pursue 'him'...tell 'him' how she truly felt. 'Him'...the one man who, if he ever did come back around and become who he once was, would be the one source of happiness Sakana had left in life. The thought of another emotional battle made Sakana squeeze her smithing hammer harder, almost to the point of crushing the handle into wooden splinters.
Why did she have to die?
"Heeeey, what are you doing?"
Wait, was someone calling to her? Blinking out of her stupor, Sakana turned towards the source of the very familiar-sounding voice. Himeru, her older brother, stood outside the family forge right next to her own crummy establishment, arms folded and glasses off. He looked serious, as usual, yellow eyes hard and shimmering with indifferent light. His presence alone made Sakana scowl.
"Come inside, it'll rain soon," he called out. "I'd hate to see you out in it again."
"Piss off, I like the rain."
"Stop being such a difficult child. We're waiting inside for you."
And indeed, he would be. He turned around and took his usual, lumbering steps right inside the family forge, or rather, the side of it that acted as a home. Yes, the home that she grew up in, used to live in with her brothers and...father. The thought the towering Hoshigaki brought a sour taste to Sakana's mouth, and on instinct, she spit towards the docks. Chilling wind and a low rumble of thunder were her last warnings from the world that she should take up the invitation, and although she would have preferred to be alone, she cursed under her breath and tossed her hammer behind her on the ground. She jumped from where she was sat in her forge and took speedy steps to her old home, the aged wood creaking as she walked on it. Yep, some things never change. She pushed the door open and let the thing swing slowly on it's creaking hinges, wanting to see if she was being baited into some sort of trap.
Nothing, just Himeru stood in front of the small bar in the far corner of the room and her oldest brother, Manto, sitting his large self in a chair before the lit fireplace. Odd, there were three chairs there now...normally it was just her father's giant one, but it seems Manto had claimed it for himself now that her father was...removed from the whole equation. But probably stranger than that was just the lack of activity in here. No weapon polishing or sharpening, no drinking sake, no loud and boisterous chatter. Just calm, quiet sitting around. The peace put her even more on edge than if a trap were laid out for her.
From the largest of the three chairs, Manto looked over his shoulder towards the open door. When he saw the sillouhette of his baby sister, the large Hoshigaki brought his attention back to the fireplace, and lazily waved for her to come on in and sit in one of the chairs. Himeru finished running his hand along the family bar, and claimed the other large chair in front of the fire. Her's was in the middle, and the smallest of them all. Great. Steeling herself, Sakana took slow and cautious steps inside, pushing the door closed with her heel. She walked around Himeru's chair and looked at her two brothers, yet neither of them looked back at her, not even beady-eyed Manto who would always stare her down. This either was a trap, or a very series issue. Her frown worsened, and the kunoichi strode towards the middle chair. She plopped herself into it, folding a leg over the other and crossing her arms beneath her bosom. She, too, looked into the fire, refusing to meet the eyes of her dickhead brothers.
It was almost as if they planned it. The moment she sat and made herself comfortable, each brother placed a hand on the shoulder of Sakana closest to them. Obviously this put the kunoichi on high alert, but when she glanced between both Manto and Himeru, and clearly saw that both men were staring at each other in confusion, that this was just them being the same buffoons she grew up with.
"I'm sorry," they said in unison, and again, shared a glare with one another. Man, these two really couldn't avoid tripping over one another.
"For what Papa did," Manto blurted out.
"About Tenshi's passing," Himeru quickly stammered.
The two brothers stared at each other one last time, shook their heads, and then turned back to their surprised, yet silent sister.
"We want you back," Manto continued. "The, uh...the clan wants you back. It was Papa's decision to have you kicked from the Hoshigaki, and the defectors of our clan were the ones who voted with him on it."
No response, but her anger phased into stoicism, and she continued looking at the fire.
"We all knew about his plan to have Jiyuu killed and his eyes taken," Himeru spoke. "But, we all thought he wanted to sell the Black Byakugan through an underground black market for a massive sum of money. With his true...um...when we all found out who he really was, it became clear he only wanted to bring them to the Hidden Abyss. Why, we don't know. Might have to do with this 'plan' of theirs we keep hearing whispers about, but that isn't important right now."
Grunting in agreement, Manto leaned back in the chair that was once his father's, and looked at his sister. Still, she was emotionless.
"We missed you, y'know. We want you back, we want you working that forge with us again. With all the bullshit you've been going through up till now, I think what you need is to be with others."
Finally, Sakana responded, even if it was only with a shake of the head.
"No. What I need is to train. I'm weak, that's why Tenshi died, and that's why Papa was able to get away."
"Pfft. You're a damn fool, but you're not weak."
What an asshole, taking pot shots like that. But, at the same time, he had reassured her that she was anything but weak...and he spoke in the same exact way her father would talk. Looking back, Yaju's words were all lined with a self-centered goal, and his words of encouragement only served to have Sakana be a better tool. Manto was never that way, he always meant what he said...save for the childish insults. She was strong in his eyes, and there was no argument to be made.
"...I don't know," she sighed, brushing hair behind her ear. "I...I just can't stop thinking about the stuff she said to me before..."
Both men were quiet, neither of them wanting to be rude and talk over her time to speak.
"...she said lots of stuff. She wanted me to get stronger...not because of what happened to her, but because she knew I could be. That, to say how I feel when the time is right...guh..." Her stoicism crumbled, and her frown was returning. "...I'm going to honor her, there's no doubt about it. I just wish I knew where to start with all of it."
Manto, for once in his life, nodded in silence and let the words come as they did without question. Himeru, as usual, held his chin between thumb and forefinger as he started to let his mind wander.
"...'say how you feel when the time is right,' huh? I wonder what that's supposed to mean."
His spoken words brought to Sakana's attention what she had let slip out by mistake, and she clutched her arm tighter as the stress began to mount. Even Manto, the big lug, held his chin in the same manner as his younger brother, and began to think aloud.
"Hmmmm...maybe she meant, like, all the time? No matter what to say what she thinks?"
"That can't be the case, Sakana always says whatever comes to her mind the moment she thinks it."
She wanted to deck him right in the face for that comment, and shot a bone-chilling glare his way, only to be met with a teasing smile. It was one she hadn't seen in years, and admittedly, it warmed her heart...but just a little, he was still a dick.
"I presume it must have a more intimate meaning," Himeru spoke. "Yes. Maybe it was meant to be in a romantic sense?"
Sakana's frown got stronger, and she glared into the fire. Her whole face was turning a light pink, and both men knew it wasn't from the heat of the fire.
The big Hoshigaki folded his arms and slowly turned his head to the bashful Sakana, narrowing his beady eyes. He was going to ask if it was true, but the flustered energy Sakana was trying to hard to keep under wraps was as dead of a giveaway as anything. With a low, malicious chuckle, he turned his chair around to fully face his sister. "Ohhhh yeeeeaaaaah?" A long, mouth-splitting smile curled on his face, saw-like teeth on full display. "Well, c'mon then, who is it?"
"Piss off, cocksucker."
"Heeeey, hear that, Himeru? She called me a cocksucker!"
"Yes, I believe she did. You know what that means?"
"I think it means we're on ta something here! So you DO have the hots for someone, huh? Who is it?"
"I said piss off."
"Ahhhhh c'mon, I wanna know who stole my baby sister's heart! Y'know, this is a big deal for a girl your age~!"
Sakana ended up covering her face with both hands, and yelling into them. "KAMI, SHUT UP ALREADY!"
She loved her brothers, she really did, but they were the absolute worst when they picked on her; it was twice as bad when they teamed up on her like this.
"Let's break this down in a smart way, Manto," Himeru proposed, getting up from his chair and starting to pace in circles behind his siblings with both arms behind his back. "Let's look at all the men in her life she could view that way."
"Heeey, Himeru, c'mon now. It could be a lady that took our baby sister's heart, too. No need to be so old-school, ey?"
"It's NOOOOOT!"
Sakana's sudden outburst, which she quickly silenced by slapping her face with both hands again, only added fuel to the fire.
"Did you hear that, Manto? It's not a woman that wooed Sakana. Therefore, it must be a man...at least, I think it might be."
"Why don't we just throw names out, huh? She could be interested in a damn fishing boat for all we know."
"Good point. Hm...not a woman...perhaps it was the Mizukage?"
Manto waved a hand at his brother, audibly clicking his tongue. "THAT old pencil-pushing fool? Hell no, my baby sister would want someone more fun to be around, right?"
He asked the question while leaning towards Sakana, who haphazardly tried to punch him. He avoided the swing, and chuckled to himself as she covered her face again. Aw, she was beginning to squirm, how cute!
"Hm...perhaps it's that Uchiha kid that was on her team?"
"I said exciting, Himeru. A bookworm has to be the most bullshit person to get all intimate with."
"As if you would know. Maybe you should pick up a book once in a while, expand your vocabulary beyond it's 200 words. It would be good for you."
"Wiseass, huh? Fuckin' alright then, how about the Jiyuu fool?"
"Sakana? Fall for her old target? Please, you make this sound like a piece of corny writing..."
"Well, I'm sure SOMEONE likes the sound of..."
Both Hoshigaki took note of the fact that Sakana's squirming stopped, and she finally let her hands drop into her lap. Her single eye was wide and staring into the fire, and her whole face was red like a tomato. The brothers glanced at each other with a low, sly grin of victory, and Manto leaned in towards his sister.
"...hey...you actually like that Jiyuu fool?"
Her only response was turning her gaze downcast, and swallowing a lump in her throat.
Unable to contain himself, Manto reared back and let out a loud, boisterous laugh hard enough to shake his whole upper body. "WAIT...HIM? THERE'S NO POSSIBLE WAY YOU'D FALL FOR A FOOL LIKE THAT!"
Now, Manto fully expected Sakana to come at him swinging, shouting things like 'he's not a goon!' or 'fuck you, cocksucker!' as she normally did when she was teased about topics she was sensitive to. But right now, she didn't do any of that. Hell, she didn't even make a noise. She was practically glowing red, but her look of complete terror from them slowly piecing it all together shattered, and now she just looked embarrassed...even a little sad that her deepest secret was out. And for the man she liked to be called a good by her own brother, well...she was really upset about that, even if she understood he was just trying to rile her up.
More taken aback by the fact that Sakana was frozen in place, Manto's smile faded along with his laughing, soon simmering down into silence.
"...oh...uh...shit, we did get it right. Are you...you like-like him?"
"Our sister can go after any person she wants," Himeru cut in, putting a hand on top of Sakana's head. "And we'll support her, right Manto? Cause anybody who says 'no' to our sister is a real fool." He could feel Sakana sink into her chair...perhaps threatening to harm Jiyuu if he turned down a blue-skinned fish woman in pursuit of more...'normal' romantic interests wasn't a great way to get her hopes up. "...uh...well, we could also let her stay in her old room again, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah! Uh...I mean, it's our house now, right? Papa's rules don't stand anymore, so she owns part of it."
"I don't know what to do," she mumbled just loud enough for both men to hear. "...I have no idea how to tell him, but I'm sure he's going to hate me forever because of what I did to him. And I bet he'll point a finger at me for Tenshi's death, can't wait for that..."
"Based on what I heard, he's a hard person to reach on an emotional level, but I'm certain he'll warm up to you."
"How can you be so sure, Himeru..."
"Well, not trying to butt in here or anything," Manto stated while he stood up, facing Sakana, "buuut I happen to know what it's like being a stubborn man with plenty on my own plate. Pretty sure this Jiyuu kid's just got his mind on other things, or he's clueless about women, or probably both."
"...so I have lots of work to do."
"Nothing good was ever earned for free," Himeru spoke, walking back around and standing beside Manto. "If he's one of your goals, and Tenshi encouraged you to pursue him, then do it, no matter how hard it may be. If you know it'll make you happy, we're with you."
Maybe it was the fact that they weren't teasing her...or, that they had been. Perhaps it was the sound of rain hitting the roof, which she could only now hear. It could've been the giant, stupid smiles they were both giving her, classic Hoshigaki smiles that scared the hell out of anyone but another Hoshigaki. There was also a chance that the warmth of a pleasant, crackling fire brought her comfort. It could have also been the fact that her secret came to light, and nobody frowned upon it...in fact, they encouraged her to go on. Hell, it could've been all these things combined.
One thing was certain, though. The dullness Sakana felt in her soul moments ago was removed, and she felt that her life had purpose once more. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, and knowing that everyone thought she should go for it made her warm inside, warm enough to smile at her brothers for the first time in seven years.
"...thanks, you two..."
Perhaps things wouldn't be so grim. The moment Jiyuu returned, she was going to begin working on getting him out of that shell. And she'd do it, not just for her sake, but his as well...and to honor Tenshi's wish, naturally. Now she just had to wait, and if she could find a way to distract herself, she knew Jiyuu would be home in no time.
Hidden within a woodland area far out of Jiyuu's range of vision, Tokage watched the Hyuuga's Black Eye and his father trudge over hilltops through a pair of binoculars. He could attempt to use his own doujutsu, yes, but this was a much safer, chakra-conservative method of spying. Jiyuu seemed to be frustrated with Ketsui, perhaps he was more concerned about his mission that anything else? Ahhh, that took Tokage back. He had been the exact same way, after all. He missed home sometimes, but would often remind himself that things were better for him now than they ever were. In the end, it was best he never went home.
Smiling to himself, the Abyss-nin lowered his binoculars. "And soon, you won't be returning home either, Jiyuu."
He made a hand sign, and flickered away.
