With the journal nestled in her hands, her thumb stroked over the leather casing towards the button lock. Coming back to The Mist, visiting the house she had forgotten that she first lived in, finding the mementos, and now discovering that her lost clan had survived all this time, it was overwhelming and alleviating at the same time. So much information today, and yet there was still more to come from this here book. Chojuro's persistence on trying to take it away had disappeared from the moment Yurotoro and his followers arrived. Though it wasn't expected at all, she was grateful because having them around meant that she was allowed to keep it. Perhaps there was no need to pursue it now that they had actual testimony other than her and Tsuki. At first, the Kage's didn't believe it to be true and demanded proof that they were of the original clan, to which several of them removed a piece of their clothing to present their marks fully engraved on their skins. It was the symbol of the crescent moon with a snowflake star, colored in tribal black ink. The image on them was small and faded, but regardless, she recognized it. It was distantly remembered from the past.
The man went on to explain that the night the Korishi invaded to capture Detsu, only a few of them had survived. Most of the men and women standing before them were the ones who were able to escape in the misty brush of the mountains. Those left behind had unfortunately taken on mortal injuries, Yurotoro being one of them, and even presented the massive scars on his torso to prove it. He claimed to have been her father's right-hand man before the clan was formed, treating him like his own brother. Yue could see by the subtle way he talked that Yurotoro considered Detsu a close friend, as did the rest of the adults, which made it difficult for her to think that he was lying. On the night of the attack, he did all he could to try and protect her father, so that in turn, he could protect her and her mother. Guilt weighed over him for many years knowing that he was unable to save them from the assassins. After the Korishi fled, those who escaped had returned to recover their fallen members, and that was when they discovered that Yue had vanished. There was no body, which left them hoping that she had been spared and taken away.
From the moment Yue went missing, Yurotoro swore that once he healed from his injuries, that he would dedicate his life to finding her and making the evil Korishi pay. The Yuki clan took advantage of the Korishi's claim that they were all dead, which allowed them to easily remain hidden for so long. Gaara and Naruto asked about it, assuming that they could've sought help from their Mizukage, but he explained that they couldn't. They had no other choice seeing as how The Mizukage himself, Yagura, had sewed dark ties with the clan through The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and Chojuro had confirmed this. They could only rely on each other. They believed that by allowing the swordsmen to think that they were all gone, the Yuki clan would no longer be considered a threat, and therefore, grant the opportunity for the Korishi to drop their guard. To do this, Yurotoro and his men took refuge several miles South in the small town of Sake brewers as their covered place to live.
Once they recovered fully from their injuries, they kept watchful eyes from wherever they could, including their old abandoned town. There was always a possibility that those assassins could return and dispose of evidence, but they never did. To preserve their clan's history, they made sure to keep people out for many years by patrolling it frequently. They took up jobs distributing Sake all over The Mist in hopes of coming across a clan thug or any possible rumor that might lead them to finding Yue. Unfortunately, the few members they had left made it prominently difficult. Most days, it was hard finding the will to keep going, but his the awful memory of that fateful night kept him moving. Yurotoro knew about Detsu's experience with Tsuki Ona, including the fact that she wouldn't manifest until age thirteen. He did all he could to take advantage of that time in his search. It would without a doubt have been much worse if they discovered Tsuki within her beforehand. A tragic fate would have been inevitable. He had to find her just before then.
It was no surprise that they were all well aware of the cruel experiments and mercenary crimes committed by the Korishi on innocent people. That in itself drove them all to keep searching. Three of their friends were killed while investigating their bar leads. In order to keep from being traced back to the Yuki clan, they all swore to cut off their marks and burn them before leaving the mission. Some of the adults who did not possess Tsuki's mark showed their scars to clarify what he said. Sadly, after thirteen years and no luck, the clan had to come to terms and ended their pursuit in tracking her. After losing more than they could bear, they were forced to believe Yue had been killed. But now that she was here standing right in front of him, Yurotoro cursed himself for giving up. He asked Yue about everything, if she was exposed to their horrific treatment, or forced into experiments, or if she was just left at some orphanage. Gaara, at first, was skeptical of her answering, but before he could object her, she went on ahead and answered him. Yue thoroughly explained her relationship with Mameha, which it seemed to relieve a little bit of tension. Only a little… On the other hand, hearing that the very same members who stormed the village and had taken her to be raised by one of them didn't exactly soften the grudge. Even though she was stripped from the Korishi and is now dead, Nanna was still an evil Korishi spawn to them. It didn't seem like she could convince them otherwise that she was overall a decent person. Oh well…
After that, the Kage's relaxed enough to allow her to approach them. The Yuki people respectfully bowed to her and offered to show them around their old town to tell them stories of what it used to be like back in the day, but Chojuro was more interested in their obtained information. Yurotoro said that though they stopped their quest to find Yue, they still sent recruits along on booze deliveries to listen to bar rumors. Same as everyone else, they too noticed a rise in crimes around the islands of The Mist and more people missing to this day. It would have been the honorable thing to report it like the rest of The Mist shinobi, but Yagura left a lasting impression that left them skeptical speaking to powerful individuals. The Mist's traditions in appointing the Kage title were different than those among the other villages, by selecting the strongest shinobi to rule. That in itself showed how strong Chojuro was, but there was no telling if he would measure up to the same cruelty or not. Chojuro understood this though. Like many people, those who suffered, he showed his greatest empathy. If it takes until the very end of his life, he will wipe those bloody years clean from the surface of this nation, at least, that's what he claimed to show his full trust as their official leader.
Not too soon after that, Chojuro insisted that Yurotoro and his people join them in The Capital to discuss ways of tracking the Korishi members down again. Of course, hearing that they were able to get a good bit of undercover information from just bar rumors, he needed to take advantage of that. They begrudgingly agreed his request, so long as they could help stop them once and for all. If Yue trusted them, they were willing to give the Kage's a chance too. To be honest, it left Yue a little sad and irritated. She finally meets members of her long lost family and all three Kages kept them away for questioning and strategic planning. Once they reached Chojuro's meeting room, she wanted to at least join in and listen, but Chojuro firmly demanded that she spend her time reading her father's journal for any key details, since she was so persistent on keeping it close. Sure, she understood that time was of the essence if it meant lives would be saved, but that didn't mean she couldn't be useful. She half-expected Gaara to step in and say something about it, but he only agreed with him, and left her outside in the hallway alone to go back to the condominium. Maybe he didn't want to get her worried again about what was going to happen, at least, that's what she wanted to believe, but she knew damn well that in that moment, Gaara was thinking the exact same thing as Chojuro. That she wasn't a ninja, someone too naïve to make rational decisions on her own, someone who didn't belong here in the first place. Gaara may have worded it on a much softer note, but nevertheless it was the same message and it left her incredibly offended.
With no other choice, she angrily walked back to her room and out the back patio where the small garden was. The sun had set a couple hours earlier as part of the change to daylight savings time. The cool breeze soothed her frustrated hot face as she sat down over the edge of the wood and looked ahead. It was difficult to see much of the garden, and she didn't have the patience to wait for her eyes to adjust. She needed some nature to take her mind away. Concentrating the energy from her core, she channeled it to form a glowing light in her hand. From the glow, a beautiful ice crystal formed in her palm, enhancing the light. She set it down beside her, allowing the glow to shine across half the garden. It was still as neat and lovely as she remembered, and provided some relief, but not much. Yue couldn't stop ranting inside her head of all the hurtful things she wanted to say to Gaara and Chojuro for kicking her out. She's the whole reason they came here in the first place, the reason they went to her old home, and the reason for finding the Yuki clan. Why wouldn't she be included?
Annoyed, she felt her fingers clench down hard on the leather back journal beside her. She had almost forgotten that she had it. If this thing didn't mean so much to her, she would have tossed it as a personal insult to Chojuro's orders. Somehow, seeing it made her wonder just how many more memories were repressed deep down that she left to be forgotten. Only this book would tell. Taking a deep breath in to calm herself, she unlocked the latch and opened it back to the first page. She might as well read some of it. At least it could provide a good distraction for the time being before Gaara got back. Boy, was she going to let him have it…
December 12th
It has been nearly four years since I left home. Though I miss my mother and father dearly, I am thankful for the opportunity to go explore the new world. It took many months of convincing to assure my parents that I will be safe with Tsuki Ona. Now that I'm free to seek my own destiny, I have encountered many obstacles that has led me to understand where they were coming from. Growing up, I was told many stories about my Grandparent's adventures with Tsuki Ona and their rival with a feuding clan. As a boy, I assumed that these were only fables told to keep me out of trouble, but I've come to realize that there was much more left unsaid.
My Grandmother, Kanako, was a valiant warrior, a master with a bow and arrow, who devoted many years of her life protecting innocent people from the tyranny of Lord Yagura and his men. My Grandfather, Daimaru, once a blacksmith and soon after became an axe-wielding soldier, stood right beside her to share their purpose. I did not know much of him since he died right before my eighth birthday, but the stories Grandma and Father told of him still leads me to think that he was a devoted husband, a brave fighter, and an honorable man. Tsuki doesn't usually speak of him, or the time shared between them. The time all three of them first met was in the darker days.
The Mizukage had changed direction for The Mist by completely cutting off ties with other villages, exploiting the weak, and severely punishing anyone who stood against him. I was told that losing their families was their breaking point that inspired my Grandparents to become ninja. They were not the only ones. The years of suffering spread to everyone across the islands. Those who hadn't lost their possessions would soon lose their loved ones. Many people defied The Mizukage's reign and desired to overthrow him, but were too afraid to speak up. That's when my Grandparents took action.
Kanako took her fallen Father's bow and quiver and trained. She alone spied on Yagura's henchmen who would come to her town once a month to seize what little bit of values they had. The agreement made with the town's Elder, Hito, was to give half of what they had to The Mizukage. Their repetitive presence made it difficult for them to keep an ideal amount of payment on time. They could not grow an entire field or birth a new herd on their farms in only two weeks, but the henchmen did not care for excuses, nor did Yagura. They seized everything they had left to live on. My Grandmother couldn't let them take away her town just as they took away her family, so she hid in the tree tops and negotiated with them at the end of her arrow. One by one, they fell. Many other henchmen came to the town to collect their debt, but every time Kanako stopped them. Eventually, word spread of her great stand to other towns, and they too began to drive away the debt collectors. A revolution was brewing and those in power could feel it.
I wasn't much for love stories, but now I kind of like thinking about how Grandfather met Grandma. She was on her way to the neighboring town to spread news about forming a rebellion when she encountered a young blacksmith chopping down wood in the forest. Turns out, he didn't save her from any thugs or thieves, like I was told. She was the one who saved him from getting eaten by a ravenous boar lurking nearby. I guess he didn't want to tell me the real story because he wanted to be the hero, or maybe because every time Grandma heard it, she would laugh. From that day on, he was forever in her debt. He followed her through thick and thin, many years even after he repaid the life debt, and they forged a bond in love that was stronger than a bond formed in blood.
When word got back to The Mizukage of the revolting towns, the dark days started to rain with blood. He sent his most trusted soldiers to every corner of The Mist to hunt and kill anyone who disobeyed him, all of which were led by a group of high ranked ninja Swordsmen who nobody stood a chance against. Even a sharply skilled Jounin was no match for them. Blood flowed like rivers in the streets and the body count was enough to strike fear into the people. Soon enough, they submitted back to the mistreatment instead of choosing to make a stand. What choice did they have? Most were afraid for their lives. Unfortunately, there were also a few who embraced his powerful views and sought to join his reign. The reaction spiked the formation of many clans who worshipped The Fourth's Tailed Beast power. Under his protection, they each pathed their own ways of achieving great physical power in the most unforgivable ways.
My Grandparents did everything they could to help those who had it worse than others. Luckily, there were friends who stood by them and reached out to the distant towns to try and drive the Swordsmen away from their people. They had strength in their numbers, but the many clans grew with their ambitions and began to take over the deeds of the Swordsmen. The rebels were no longer faced with the threat of just The Seven, but several other men…
Yue paused from reading to take it all in. Detsu was telling her everything that had happened from the very beginning as an adult man, and as Tsuki Ona's host. This journal was very old and held so much information from just these first few pages, it was incredible! He was practically in the same boat as she was in right now, possibly around the same age too. They were slowly figuring out the missing details of her origin, piecing together all the stories and notes left behind from their family. What struck her as odd was the deafening silence between her and Tsuki. She had barely said a word to her since she led her to the journal. Now that she actually thought about it, Tsuki's memory of living in her father and grandfather should be just as intact, shouldn't it?
"Tsuki, why haven't you told me about the time you possessed my Father? Or my Grandfather or Great - Grandfather?"
'You've never asked.'
"I'm asking now."
'Is the book not enough?' she asked, almost sounding offended by it.
"No, I'm grateful that you brought this to me. It's a treasure to have something personal of my real father… But only you can tell me if it's true. I want to know your story…"
She didn't answer right after. Yue waited patiently for her to reply, but she said nothing. Suddenly, there came a slight jolt in her shoulders as her head partially numbed near the back cowl. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably as Tsuki Ona's chakra coursed through her veins. She made her close the journal and set it down before maneuvering her chakra into the palms of her hands. The bright glowing blue light appeared in one hand and a dark grey flurry formed in the other. Since she was only controlling her arms, Yue saw no reason to fight back. From there, she conjured up a free-floating platform and two majestic creatures made of snow standing on top. One took the form of a strong lion and the other, she recognized easily represented herself as the badger. Between the two creatures formed a large unusually shaped tree.
'Long ago, The Great Chakra Tree was created by the bloodshed of your humanity. Those who ate of its forbidden fruit obtained power beyond human capabilities. This great power nearly annihilated all life on Earth, but my Master Haguromo was able to dilute this by severing the tree into nine pieces. Those nine pieces became sentient beings of strong energy known as the Tailed Beasts. As a peaceful solution for mankind, Master sent the beasts into the wilderness to help flourish the Earth back from its destruction. My Master did not decide to do this lightly. After witnessing the many years of human corruption, he then formed Elementals from the Tree's roots. There, I was given the task of guarding the Tailed Beast near the mountains of The Mist, Isobu…'
The tree lost its form and reverted back to regular snow. The lion creature was moved to the far right side of the platform and another creature was formed beside the mini Tsuki. It took the shape of a turtle. This must be Isobu.
'Many decades passed and the Earth had become new again. It seemed that the world was finally at peace, following the ways of Ninshu once more… That time, I spent many days with Tsunishi. He dwelled in The Village Hidden in the Clouds and would often visit me when I wandered around the forest of the mountains. He was a very close friend to me… Those days, though pleasant, distracted me and I began to stray away from my task watching Isobu... One day, I could sense something was wrong in the air. '
All three creatures crumbled back to nothing, leaving a blank slate that she then formed into a large mountain surrounded with a forest and a few little towns.
'From the mountains, I could see down below that several areas where the humans were located had been set ablaze. The fires spread through the forest, covering the entire island with smoke. I rushed down to stop the fires. Unfortunately, it was too big for me to handle alone.' The snow conformed to every word she spoke. 'The fires grew faster than I could put them out. I was unable to save many people… I tried to contact Isobu to help me with his water jutsu, but I was unable to sense him anywhere on the island. It was almost as if he had vanished. A Tailed Beast cannot be killed, since they are the living embodiment of pure chakra, so you could imagine how shocked I was that he didn't answer. I tried and tried to call for him, but he was gone. It still confuses me to this day how that child was able to be his jinchuriki after he left…
'Kappa and Tsunishi sensed my distress and came to my aide to extinguish the flames, but the toll it took on the island was massive. The humans who survived didn't care to investigate the culprit who committed the arson in the first place, and instead of thanking us for saving them, they blamed us. It was shameful! To think that I of all creatures would be so arrogant as to spread wildfire! Merely feeling heat aggravates me to my very core… I wasn't the one who started this, but to them, I was just an animal, a very dangerous, powerful animal...
'Shortly after, I felt death falling upon Master Haguromo. He was many miles away from me, and yet, I still felt his illness had impacted the world around me, making it just as sick. His fellowship, which traveled here in The Mist to spread his teachings of unity and friendship, had resorted back to their primal ways, seeking power over others. Without Master Haguromo to show the ways of Ninshu, how could this world ever hope to be saved? My task came to a stalemate when Isobu had disappeared. Naturally, I was at a loss of what to do or what my purpose now was. The humans didn't want me near them. Soon after, I was forced to burrow myself in the highest point of the mountains just to get away from the hate. I spent many years hiding.'
The little badger appeared once again in the middle of a few trees.
'You can't help those who don't want it… That's what I believed at first, but it turns out I had something they did want. One day, I was sleeping in my burrow when a human man found me. He ignorantly believed me to be dead, though I was only asleep, as I usually am during the day. I came to realize the time spent apart from the humans had been much longer than anticipated. Centuries went by, leaving them to believe that I was just a tall tale, that I never existed except in a story. The man was an adventurer who wanted to seek the truth, but I did not satisfy him with mystical gifts or blessings. Out of fury, I sent him running back all the way down the mountain… If I had known what would come of me after, I would have killed him before he left the burrow…'
"What happened?" She asked. Her hands closed and went back down at her sides, forcing the snow to drop down and the platform to disappear. What she was going to tell, she couldn't show.
'The Sureiya came…'
"So you do know of them."
'I didn't expect that you would feel my hesitation… They came together as a pack, barging into my home. They managed to drive me out of my burrow into the daylight, blinding me. It was a challenge fighting back, but with my senses and attentive hearing, I was able to manage... I discovered that the new leader of The Mist was a young man and also a jinchuriki to Isobu. The humans had found a way to completely seal and manipulate the power of the Tailed Beasts… For the first time in a long time, I was terrified. Once I saw it with my own eyes, I knew it would only be a matter of time before they came back for me. Using my power, I was able to stop them from capturing me many times, but my home in the mountains was no longer safe... One day, they forced my hand. I went against everything my Master taught me and killed the leader of the Sureiya. I had no choice.'
"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Said Yue sympathetically.
'That day, we never forgot. From then on, it wasn't just my power that they wanted, but also vengeance for their leader. They changed their name and hunted me down…'
"Changed it? To what?"
'You already know… With nowhere else to go, I was trapped on the island. Tsunishi had sensed my call for help and came for me. He laid down his life so that I would have a chance to escape to the shores and find Kappa, but unfortunately, they planted many traps, wounding me severely. Unlike the Tailed Beasts, my true physical form can still be damaged. I was nearing the end of my rope… While hiding in the brush, I came across a young warrior woman wielding a bow and arrow. When she saw who I was, she surrendered her weapon and offered to help me. Her name was Kanako.'
"Great Grandmother?"
'Together, her and your Great Grandfather helped me reach the shores before the Korishi could reach me. At the most unfortunate time for me, Kappa no longer resided freely in the sea, and was captured by the pirate, Sakana Kira. I had nowhere to go except death… At the last minute, Kanako and Daimaru made a brave decision. She sealed my entire essence within Daimaru's body. They didn't have to take such a risk, endangering their own lives just to save me, but Kanako insisted for years that their fate would've been the same even if we hadn't have met. While spying on Yagura's men, she discovered their plans of obtaining my chakra to rule over The Mist. In order to protect them and their people, they made the decision to conceal me. From there, I was able to survive, but I was too weak to fight back for Daimaru.'
"If he had Isobu's power, I could only imagine how worse it could have been with yours too."
'For a young woman, she was as wise as she was caring… I couldn't say the same for the rest of the humans…'
"What about my Grandfather?"
'Daiki was born two years before Yagura's reign diminished. Though I was weak in Daimaru, we still conversed. The moment I was welcomed into the world again in my new host, the two of them were dumbfounded I was gone, but eventually forgotten that I existed. I assume they believed I was dead. Once I was able to emerge in his thirteenth year, it wasn't long before we went back into hiding. The Seven Swordsmen were overthrown since Yagura's death, but the clans still continued in their pursuits in achieving chakra, much more discretely. Kanako and Daimaru frequently spied on the Korishi to protect their son. Unfortunately, he did not get to live a very adventurous life with my power, but looking back, I don't think he seemed to mind it… The Mist had taken a different direction away from the savageness since The Mizukage died. The people were still distant and crude to each other, but the death toll was brought down significantly.
'Daiki only used my powers to keep me alive, that is, until he met a woman named Itsumi. She was a simple woman from a farmer family. Though she worked hard in the fields, she was pleasantly poised. It took some time for them to build enough trust for him to show her my power… He loved her very much, and I couldn't stand in the way of his happiness because I had lost mine. He had sacrificed so much for us. Amazingly, she took it rather well and kept it a secret from the townspeople. Shortly after, they married and before I knew it, I resided within your father Detsu.'
"What was my father like?"
'Well-'
Instantly, she was interrupted by the sound of the door behind them sliding open. Surprise had adrenalized her heartbeat as she turned around to see not Gaara, but Yumi in the doorway. Yue breathed an irritated breath to calm herself. Seriously, there needs to be a bell or something to let her know when someone's at the door.
"What are you doing out here?" She asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"What speaks without a mouth?" Yue asked, changing the topic. She had to remember what Gaara said, even though she was mad at him.
"Echo, Yue. I thought you were at the meeting." She said with a smile as she sat down next to her. Good to know it's really her. It's been a few days.
"I thought you were at the Infirmary helping patients."
"I've been off for hours now. I took a nap before I got summoned for the meeting. Why weren't you there?" Yue looked away, not really wanting to be reminded of it.
"They think I'm too naïve to understand or participate in what's going on around here. Chojuro and Gaara both told me to come back here and read my father's journal." Yumi's complexion read even more dumbfounded.
"So you're not fit for meetings, but those old people and children are?"
"Those people happen to be the last of my long lost family."
"Yea, they told me that, but that's a bit hard for me to believe. They show no resemblance to you what so ever." Yumi pointed out.
"I don't think they're actually related by blood."
"If Gaara and Naruto trust them, then I guess I can too, but it's still a little unusual. How did you find them?"
"Chojuro led me to the town where the Yuki clan originated to try and spark some old memories of the Korishi. There, a little boy was spying on us and led the clan right to us." Yue explained.
"And that doesn't seem suspicious to you at all that they just showed up out of nowhere?"
"I went back to my old house, not the one I stayed in with Nanna, the real one… I saw my old room, my father's study, and the mark tattooed on their skins. I remember it now. It had been buried down for so long, but I remember it. How they spoke of my father, the night I was taken, everything that came back to me, there's no way it's just a coincidence."
Yumi paused, thinking it all over. As much as she didn't want to take Gaara's side right now, Yue was inexperienced when it came to missions. Trust is something that can easily be misplaced in the wrong hands. A lie can be just as convincing as the truth, especially when it's something we all want to hear. There was a chance that she could be right, but the odds of that seemed a bit slim. She was still her friend though. "Just be careful, Yue. Remember the code. Don't use your powers until you're sure you're safe."
"I know."
Suddenly, there was another sound, as if someone had opened the front door. Yue lowered her head down to brace herself. She didn't really want to face Gaara after what happened, but it looks like she didn't have a choice. This was his room too after all. Yumi understood what was going on the moment she caught a glimpse at her face. She gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Want me to talk to him?" she offered. Yue only shook her head.
"I need to speak for myself."
Content with her answer, she gave her a supportive pat before getting up with her to head on inside. Surprisingly, once they stepped back in, they realized that it wasn't Gaara who came through the door. Yumi immediately reached into her tool pouch and pulled out a kunai.
"Who're you?!"
