Interlude...What's left behind
There was an accusation in her husband's eyes as he looked at her. An accusation Kimi would not even try to bother to deny. Toga had always trusted her to do what was better for the clan, no matter what kind of actions were required, and would do so again without thinking twice the next time it was needed.
"We'll stay for the funeral."
It wasn't a question, not an order either. A simple statement with silent anger hidden beneath, one the noblewoman was well-acquainted with.
"Of course, it would be unsightly to just leave," she smiled, overly sweet and soft. "And we'll linger for the renewal of the treaties in a couple of weeks."
"Was this really the only possible path?"
Shaking her head, the silver-haired matriarch let out an exaggerated sigh. This notion of honor of his could become so annoying from time to time.
"Are you telling me you don't plan to stand down once Sesshoumaru finally beats you in battle?" Leaning back on the sofa of their borrowed apartment, Kimi threw a loaded look to her husband.
"You know that's not it." There was a familiar scowl on his face as he kept pacing through the room. "But I sincerely doubt you couldn't come up with another way to break the barrier."
Admittedly...he was right.
Even without Tessaiga, between the two of them, they could've eventually broken the thing down. With Jiraiya of the Sannin on the walls, there was no need for them to take on the summons. The old Sandaime's life could've been saved, but Konoha was in dire need of a change of leadership. The invasion itself had proved just how weak the village's defense had gotten, and Sarutobi-sama had been too happy to follow old traditions with no wish to change a single thing.
With their need to keep an eye on the Higurashi girl, that just wasn't an option anymore.
"A strong village needs a strong leader." They were not the kind of cities or countries where politics could be handled peacefully. "And we need someone who is less willing to bow to those around them."
Because even if only half of their intelligence could be trusted, the Hokage didn't seem to fight his council in quite a fair number of issues. And there was no shinobi council that was willing to trust the Taisho clan. They were simply too much of a wild card.
"There were at least three unknown chakras outside the walls this morning." The words seemed to stop her husband just before he tried to complain.
"Was it him?"
"The two I felt were standing on the wall, watching the chaos..." though one of them felt somewhat familiar to the Uchiha boy's chakra. "They wore black cloaks with crimson cloaks."
"...Akatsuki? What are they looking for?"
With a shrug of her shoulders, the lady matriarch moved to lift her legs and rest them on the side of the sofa in a swift movement. That group had been a mild annoyance on their side for some time now, with requests popping in from time to time and their intelligence division constantly keeping an eye on them. While they may love the thrill of battle, they were not fond of wasting lives. Taking on a group that gathered solely S-ranked nuke nins was the same as inviting problems to their doorstep. Since they hadn't given them any kind of direct reason, they had no motive to go against them.
"Well, there is quite a dangerous weapon hidden here, after all."
"The jinchuuriki..." There was a groan in Toga's voice as he caught up.
According to Inuyasha's team information, then said weapon was, in fact, the Higurashi girl's remaining teammate. Continuing to keep ignoring such a group was likely not an option anymore. And it was evident the realization was dawning on her husband's face now that he was free from playing politician with Konoha's council while she got the direct reports from the children.
"Oh, before I forget." With a wave of her hand, she got her fan out and opened it. "It is true that there were three chakras I couldn't place, but there was a certain familiarity with one of the ones on the wall. It felt quite similar to our young heiress' loyal, sullen shadow."
Free in the confines of their lent room, Toga let his head against the wall softly. The insane Uchiha prodigy had not been a person they'd bothered to keep a close watch on, thinking him just one more rogue nin. Konoha was, after all, always very touchy when it came to hunting their own. For the sake of maintaining the peace between them, the clan had been happy to keep ignoring his name on the Bingo book. With how things were right now, however, this was no longer a viable strategy.
"Uchiha Itachi," Toga sighed; she could hear the exhaustion in his voice. "Right, even if for some miracle he cared only about his brother."
They would have better luck in convincing a Hyuuga to reveal their secrets to them than they would have in persuading the girl to not get involved in the brothers' fight. Sooner or later, they would have to end up having to deal with Konoha in a more direct manner. The usual short letters to notify them they were taking a mission on their territories would no longer suffice. And that meant having a stubborn, old leader would get in the way. And honestly, it wasn't like she'd done something as extreme as actually aid in the whole invasion disaster; all Kimi had done was to wait to see if the village's defenses were good enough. All a weak leader would become was a liability.
What Toga saw as honorable to the lady matriarch was simply misplaced pride.
One that could've easily doomed the people Sarutobi-sama tried to protect by rejecting their aid and choosing to continue with a losing battle on his own.
"What about the third chakra?" At that, Kimi hid a smile behind her fan; he'd agreed with her at the end.
"Oh, that one." Tension hid within her light remark. "Sesshoumaru said her attacks were not particularly strong, and her first reaction was to flee. Henge or not, none of our information hints at that as his first response."
"It still doesn't mean they are unrelated."
"Oh, I'm absolutely positive they are related. Let's not be daft, darling," she cut him off.
"I thought we'd have more time to work with before he reappeared." So had Kimi, to be entirely honest.
"All the more reason for change to finally start happening, wouldn't you say?"
"Even if the Hokage changes, it's not like we can interfere here without a solid reason." For a second, she felt sorry for her husband. Toga was running himself ragged to try and keep to his unrealistic ideals.
"Who said anything about us being here?"
Ever since the news of what really happened to the Higurashi clan reached them, the matriarch had made it her job to know as much as possible about their one-time allies. To learn the traditions and the dealings they'd once shared. Granted, there were more parts that felt senseless to her, considering that regardless of their pacifism, the old clan had still been a shinobi clan. Still, it hadn't been hard to figure out things would need to change. So Taisho Kimi allowed her husband to act according to tradition and do what their records said they should do. Keep their distance, make the evaluation, and ultimately, decide whether to renew the treaty.
Only so that the stubborn man would see how pointless it all was.
If their old records about the looming threat on the horizon could be trusted, then Kimi would make sure they had as many cards stacked in their favor as possible. Changing the way things were done was a low price to pay for it. Besides, being able to adapt was what gave one strength.
"You can't possibly mean what I think you are saying..." Toga trailed off.
"Wouldn't it be so much easier to watch her if she's under our roofs, though?" Golden eyes glinted as she dared the man to disagree.
"The only way she'd leave that boy would be via kidnapping..."
"So, we take him under our wing as well," the kunoichi cut him off.
"You've lost your mind if you believe they'll allow us to take the only two survivors of their founding clans they still have control over." And there he went again, with his love for following the rules. "Our accords with Konoha will not be enough."
"We have an older treaty with the Higurashis." The chances of the council knowing that was minimal. That family had even more secrets than their own. "And, as young as our little heiress is, she is technically already her clan's head. Once someone makes a shinobi, they are supposed to be considered adults."
"So you want to trick those two into following us home?" Disbelief dripped from his words.
"Oh my, don't be so foolish, darling. Miroku's choice to admit to their surveillance may have been the right one, but she'd be disappointingly stupid to trust us just because she got a piece of the truth. No, none of them will follow us home...but she will look for us; once all the resources of her compound have run out. Higurashi Kagome would die for Uchiha Sasuke; she will follow him on his hunt. Desperate to keep him safe, she will need better control over her own kekkei genkai."
"You already planted the seed, didn't you?"
"Oh, darling, in this life, you cannot wait for things to miraculously happen." With a snap, Kimi closed her fan, a sharp smile pulling on her lips. "That's why we'll create our own possibilities."
"We'll stay for the funeral," he said once more.
"Why, obviously, it would only be rude if we were to leave." It wasn't even a concession, but Toga nodded with a tired sigh all the same.
"Any ideas on the Godaime?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure there are too many options right now." There was a reason the old Sandaime had insisted on holding the title. "At least not from those within the village. The jounins here are not bad, but I doubt any of them are at the level required for a Hokage. The ones that were sent away don't really fit the requirement either; the selection pool is severely limited. Then again, if one the Sannin was able to place the village in this state..."
"Another of the Sannin might be able to pick up the mess." It was a simple choice purely from a strength perspective. "Jiraiya-sama doesn't strike me as the kind to be happily tied down, however."
"Whether they do manage to convince him or not wasn't what I was asked, darling." The man rolled his eyes at her answer, finally starting to relax a little.
"I suppose, all things considered, this could've ended so much worse."
Pushing back her amusement, Kimi stood up, letting the silk of her kimono cover her legs once more. There were still things that needed to be done, and this would become quite the entertaining game to play. That disregarding old customs and watching everyone panic about it was something she enjoyed; well, being able to adapt was such an important skill for a shinobi. Getting closer to the girl was a must, and changing parts of the original treaty would be worth it in the long run. Whatever got her foolishly naive husband to come around would be worth the trouble.
"When was it that the council wanted to see us, darling?"
Idly, Sango wondered if her teammate's bad luck had rubbed into the village they were in, or if it was precisely that bad luck that brought them here at this precise point in time. Not like it made a difference now that they were right in the middle of it. When something important happened in their world, the Taishos were always there one way or another. It was necessary for the clan to protect their way of life. For some reason, however, the young weapon specialist never thought she'd find herself personally involved in them. In hindsight, it was a silly idea; she was part of a team that contained the youngest member of the main family and being led by the heir of the clan himself would always end up in these kinds of situations.
The past decade or so of peace still ended up lulling her into a bit of a comfort zone.
She should've known things like this didn't really last. It was the kind of thing their parents tried to teach them from the start, and this was a sign that the cracks on this relative calm would cause it to shatter were now showing. The world of shinobis was one where danger became a constant to their lives; news of someone passing away during a mission was not entirely uncommon to hear, even with the policies the Taisho clan kept about sending only the best suited to every mission. For a Hidden village Kage to be killed in the middle of an invasion...it was on a completely different stage.
And Sango couldn't say she was surprised that Miroku was all too happy to try and figure out the changes in the political game.
What she didn't expect was the tension that fell over the village. As a team, they'd passed through battle-ravaged towns, but this was the only time they'd actually stayed and were heavily involved with the town itself. It was affecting her more than she thought it would be. Hell, even the weather seemed to be in sync with it. The sound of the calm rain was still better for her than listening to Miroku trying to figure out the new players. It was what allowed them to stay ahead, and Sango certainly appreciated the con artist's analytical mind, but for now, she only wanted a little breathing room.
Hazel eyes widened slightly as the girl finally registered what she was seeing.
In her aimless walk, the taijutsu specialist had been moving along the center of the village, actively avoiding what she knew were the most destroyed parts of the town. Finding herself getting away from the streets and mindlessly traverse the training grounds was oddly natural. Finding the rain-soaked figure of Higurashi Kagome standing in front of the Memorial stone, a closed umbrella in her hand, however, was genuinely shocking. And Uchiha Sasuke was nowhere to be found, meaning the boy would be finding his way here soon enough. This had to be the first time since their joint sessions to see her alone, and of course, Miroku had to be nowhere close...although...
Her steps wavered; the younger girl's facade was clearly slipping a bit. Even now, the small heiress had yet to try and act normal, so either she hadn't noticed Sango's presence yet or just didn't care enough to.
Taking a deep breath, Sango stepped forward, making sure to make some noise, and moved her own umbrella to cover the young kunoichi. Logically, this was the exact scenario to try and get some information out of her; this was likely the one scenario where Kagome-san would be vulnerable. But alone, under the rain like this; to Sango, she looked more like a lost little girl than the sly diplomatic persona Miroku had trouble in reading.
"Waiting in the apartment became boring?" Without turning to look at her, the Higurashi heiress spoke. "Good afternoon, Sango-san."
"Yeah, well, I don't particularly enjoy political intrigue, and unlike Inuyasha, I like the rain."
"I can see that, like a puppy getting upset at having to take a bath." A soft laugh left the younger girl as she shook her head, but the silence didn't take long to envelop them.
"Are you..." Sango trailed off
"Visiting someone?" Sharp azure bore into her for just a second. "No...none of the people I know are here. Technically they didn't die during a mission...same with my blood-related family."
"Oh...I'm sorry, I..."
"It's okay; I don't particularly mind." Another glance, another short pause. "You know, it's funny...I never really knew any of them, yet Mikoto-sama told me I must've been deeply loved...to have someone try to protect me until their dying breath. I cannot remember a single thing about them...not their voices, or any places, not even a blurred face, but I do know many of the things I was taught can be seen as the complete opposite to their beliefs.
"To be honest, I don't consider them when it's time to make a decision either. For the sake of those I love, I will walk whatever path is necessary...but sometimes...I can't help but wonder if they would accept my choices..."
Azure eyes were not looking at her; they also went through the Memorial stone in front of them. Kagome-san's gaze was locked on something Sango couldn't see. This wasn't the first time the older kunoichi saw someone like that. Even if her gaze didn't carry the same weight or guilt, and the young heiress seemed confident in her decisions, it was still similar enough. This was probably a bad idea...the kind of thing Miroku usually advised them against, but...
"You know, m mother was a really strong woman." There was a confused look on the Higurashi girl when she turned to look at her. "She was the perfect example of what it meant to be a member of my family. Strong and proud." Sango's own role model. "We don't have any unique abilities; everything we've gained through hard work, and we've managed to retain our position as advisors. She embodied all of that. No one expected her to pass away during childbirth...but sometimes...sometimes things just happen, and there's nothing we can do about it. For the longest time, my brother tried to be just like her." Stubbornness, Sango supposed, was one trait they all shared. "Something I would've encouraged it if Kohaku actually liked the idea, but that boy...he just doesn't like fighting at all; he's an extremely gentle kid.
"Mom loved him though, even before he was born; that's why I know that following her footsteps or living up to my clan's expectations, none of that would've mattered to her. Hell, I'm sure Kohaku could've chosen to live a civilian life, and mom would've been just as proud of him as she would be of me becoming the next head. As long as he's safe and happy, I know she would be happy as well."
"I see..." Kagome-san's words were soft as she spoke. "Thank you, Sango-chan."
Heat rushed through her cheeks as the younger girl turned towards her, azure eyes finally looking at her, like her smiles, they weren't bright and happy but deep and relaxed. Completely different from the ones given to them during their training sessions. It wasn't warm, per se, but it felt true. In the back of her head, Sango wondered if maybe she'd just affected something, probably not; the girl was determined from the start...though if there was a chance she did...she only hoped it wouldn't become a problem.
"Ah...no need, I..."
"Kagome!" The loud voice cut her embarrassed stammering.
The pair looked around; Uchiha Sasuke was walking towards them, slight scowl on his face as he tried to keep a plastic bag out of the rain. Books, she figured from the shape of the bag itself. Was that where they had been? In the library?
"You know, there was a reason I insisted you take the umbrella." There was a resigned fondness in the Uchiha's voice as he looked at the closed umbrella on the Higurashi heiress' hands.
"I wanted to feel the rain; it's been a while." Sango had to bite her tongue not to laugh at Kagome-san's innocent expression. "Plus, it's not like I'll get sick anyway; I did say you should've kept it."
"Thanks," the Uchiha sighed before turning towards her; the word sounded strained. "For not letting her stay under the rain longer than she already did."
"Oh, it was nothing." Trying for a soothing tone, Sango smiled.
"Thanks again for the company." Cold fingers wrapped around hers in a friendly grip for a second.
There was a swiftness to the girl's movement as she slipped out of under Sango's umbrella, opened her own, and hurried to cover the boy, quickly entwining her arm with his. The scowl in the boy's face lightened at her touch.
"I assume you'll stay here for a couple more days for the funeral?"
"Oh, yeh, that's actually what Toga-sama and Kimi-sama are talking with your council right now, actually." This time Sango had to hold back a grimace. Ok, this was too much information to give.
All of this had given her far too much personal information, honestly.
Shinobi or not, Sango supposed at the end of the day, she was still an older sister first.
A/N: So sorry for this being significantly shorter, but my uni decided it would be a brilliant idea to move our exam week and tell us this Wednesday that our partials would start this next Monday...so...yeah, not a lot of time to properly edit/write.
This were originally couple of scenes I was trying to arrange in the next chapters but couldn't properly fit them and just didn't have the time but I didn't want to completely cut them off, specially Sango's since this is one of the few moments here were Kagome is being honest and showed more her somewhat conflicted feelings towards her family. As for Naraku's involvement, it will come but things still need to happen, he's certainly patient enough and while they stay inside the village he won't really make a significant move. For now staying in the shadows benefits him.
As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any review/comment/criticism is greatly appreciated!