I skipped out the royal botanical gardens, a bouquet of freshly picked flowers clutched in my little palms and a smile that could rival the warm glow of the setting sun.
"And where are you off to Princess Chiharu?" a familiar raspy voice emerged from an office door.
"Uncle Rasa!" I beamed scurrying back to the older gentleman, flowers bopping in hand.
"Oh you've got flowers" he noted the large pink, red and white blooms that swayed with my movements. I nodded my head holding them proudly "Un-huh, they're mother's favourite".
She hasn't been looking too happy since father left 5 months ago. She was usually holed up in her room or in a meeting with the elders, meaning I haven't been able to see her recently but on the occasional crossing of paths she would collapse to the floor and hug me tightly before letting go. Smiling through her swollen eyes as though everything was "sunshines and rainbows".
"You must be an exceptional gardener to have made these blossom out of season,... which were in?" he pondered dramatically. I giggled at his innocent act. Rasa became the founder of the royal greenhouse after he learnt of Miss Karura's enchantment with flowers, of course at first he was unable to even make grass sprout, but after mother's residency in the sand, he was able to learn the foundations of plant care.
"4 months" I answered automatically.
"That's my little green thumb" he ruffled my hair, "Well then I better let you on your way. Wouldn't want to keep your mother waiting for such wonderful gifts."
I grinned bashfully and handed him a stem from the bouquet, to which he returned with an owlish blink. "Mother says to always give thanks to those who have helped us, so I'm giving you this camellia as thanks for being my substitute teacher"
She had also been my teacher when it came to botany, but due to the recent influx in political meetings, she had to take the place of my father the Kazekage and task 20 year old Rasa with the role of a stand-in guardian. "You could also give it to Miss Karura as my apology for keeping you these past few months" I giggled at his sudden flush.
I gave the embarrassed man a cheeky grin before skipping to the Kazekage's head office. I stood silently on the other side of the door training my ears on the muffled bickering between the 3rd Lady and the 2 elders.
"Are you out of your mind Lady Hinami?!" That was Granny Chiyo, I noted to myself, she sounds furious "I know it's worrisome that Lord Akashi has not yet returned from his mission, but if the other 4 nations were to learn we are without a leader, we could risk losing the entire nation!" the old lady screeched.
"But if you would just let me go, I know I can bring him back in just a few days!"
"You don't even know where he is, or what happened to him. There was no signal, sign or survivor amongst his men, and what about Chiharu? If we get attacked she would be the first target!"
"I know, which is why I sent a letter to Tsubaki and the Hokage"
"You can't mean?"
"Yes I've already organised a palanquin"
"Lady Hinami! Do you understand the severity of this decision?" old man Ebizo finally broke his signature nervous silence.
"You are handing both our heiresses to the Hidden Leaf Village!"
The Leaf? Where is that? Why am I leaving? ...Did...Did mother not want me anymore? My body began to freeze as a rim of tears pooled along my lashes.
"Have you lost trust in the Leaf? Was I not wed as a sign of trust between the villages?" the old man was silent once again. "I am going to find Akashi and Chiharu is going to Konoha, and that is final"
The sound of firm sandaled footsteps echoed from the room, but in my frozen panic I didn't have time to react to the great swing of the timber door that almost knocked me off my feet.
There was another moment of stunned silence. This was too soon. Hinami had planned to tell her daughter about the journey she had to prepare for, but not like this. "Chiharu…" her voice was soft and sorrowful as she knelt down, letting the long sand robes pool around us. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.
The warm embrace brought me back to my senses. "It's alright" I took a deep breath in and swallowed hard "I'm going to visit big sis Tsubaki right?" I finished with a bright smile. "She's always telling me stories about how green the forests are when she visits. She even says Rasa's garden is nothing compared to the trees that grow there" I piped.
The woman drew back, knowing exactly what this was. Even though everything about the child in front of her screamed naivety and the smile plastered on my face was brighter than the sun itself, she knew I was lying. She knew because this was also her bad habit, and I was lying for her.
She stilled the slight quiver in my shoulders "my sweet child" she cooed signalling for my tiny palms, but was pleasantly surprised to see they were filled was a warm bouquet of camellias,
"They're your favourite right?" I chirped.
"My sweetest baby" she scooped me up and I quietly buried my feelings in the nape of her neck.
I wished the walk to the secret tunnel was longer, but unfortunately it wasn't. Through the darkness I could roughly make out our slow descent towards the palanquin. When I was finally placed in front of the vehicle I didn't move.
"Chiharu?" she gently ushered.
It was probably then my child self realised. This was happening, I was actually leaving. On a journey all on my own, to a foreign country.
My lips began to quiver, tears returning to my eyes and my breath began to hitch.
"Mommy," I whimpered. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it like she could. I couldn't be strong until the end. "...This is just for a week right?"
"Yes…" she bent down with an endearing smile.
"You promise?" I held out my smallest finger sternly holding back a sniffle.
"Promise" she wrapped her pinky around mine and we sang
Tie now the silver thread
Tie now the roots of our veins
The holly, so that we may not be separated
The ivy, so we may not come apart
Tie to the yew tree seven times
Until the day the snake spits out its tail
She gave me a sweet kiss to the forehead brushing aside the loose hairs and helped me into the carriage. "See you soon Chiharu" she waved, and as the bamboo screen was brought down so did my lips.
For the most part I kept to the confines of the small box, a thousand thoughts buzzing in my mind. The nights were fast and my arrival at the border of the fire nation was evident at the sight of trees and the sharp chirps of never before heard birds broke me out of my trance. I peeked my head out. Tsubaki was right, Rasa's garden couldn't compare to even one of these trees. I watched as the sunlight filtered in through the calming green foliage, eyes sparkling at the emerald canopy.
"My lady please refrain from exiting the paladin, it's dangerous in these parts" one of the soldiers instructed gently, I did so but with an evident pout on my face. This was the first time in 4 days since I had a change in spirit but l once again the stresses of the shinobi world had to come in and ruin it.
The birds continued to chirp their foreign songs as the rustles of a thousand leaves filled my ears. This strange energy that filled the air coaxed me back out of my box with nostalgia. Back in the sand village, mother would often rattle on about the different types of plants and their properties to keep me entertained. There were plants used to heal people and others had potent poisons even though their flowers were so pretty, some even ate other living things. A white bloom reminiscent of a plant in the royal greenery caught my eye, and I nearly tipped over the palanquin in excitement.
At this point I had been scolded at least a dozen times for sticking out my head and another ten times for almost capsizing the vehicle upon spotting a wild boar or a stag.
"But it's a wild boar!" I stressed the importance of the animal while sticking half my body out pointing frantically at the creature I had only heard about from my mother. "Yes Miss Chiharu, the Land of Fire had many animals that we at Suna do not" one soldier was becoming increasingly annoyed at my childish antics, while the others were able to hide their irritation better he thought if he just listed the animals for me and describe them it would stop my sudden outbursts.
"You can also find things like Stag beetles," he informed me, pushing up his dark glasses with his free hand. He took my silent intent stare as an invitation to go on. "they're known to be notoriously strong and have large pincers. Some of them can grow to the size of an adults hand"
"You sure know a lot about bugs sir"
"Why of course, entomology is my hobby" he readjusted his glasses making them glint with pride.
He continued on and by then it was night.
"We'll reach Konohana in a few hours" one informed
I looked up at the silver beams as they slipped through the branches. The moon was bright tonight, illuminating even the darkest of the forest floor.
A shadow jumped from a tree, followed by three others. I blinked confused. The bird should be asleep by now. Maybe it's a Konohana bird?
"Neh Mister, what about those?" i pointed up
An irritated sigh escaped him "If I tell you, will you stay inside the paladin?" a tick mark grew on his forehead.
I nodded vigorously. He sighed knowing that it wasn't going to happen, but if it would give them a few minutes of peace…
"Where?"
I pointed in the direction I saw the shadows disappear and he followed the direction of my finger.
Not even a second later, my transport lost its balance and toppled to the side, while pained screams echoed through the once silent forest.
In that split second I heard a jutsu being summoned and an earth dome swallowed the box I was in.
It was dark. REALLY REALLY DARK. My lips began to quiver as I tried to find a source of life in the emptiness. A few more moments passed and the screams muffled by the earth stopped. A clanging chink of metal against rock reverberated from outside. The dome began to fall away and the moon shed light on my supposed saviour, their animalistic masks staring blankly through the hole before something sharp pricked the side of my neck and the world was black again.