Kabuto assured them that it was easy to get into Konoha, if you had the right connections. All it took was the correct paperwork and entering through the civilian gates. The hard part, he told them with a smirk, came after that.
An interview with the Hokage was not something that Hiroko had ever thought that they would have to do. Even after realizing what world they had woken up in, after listening to Mayuri's whispers of finding somewhere else, she had still never even entertained the idea that they would end up in Konoha. Otogakure was the only home she had known since beginning this new life. It was scary to leave, even if it was something she had asked for.
Dosu was with them as they prepared to leave for their first real mission, helping them to pack their meager belongings. It was hard to tell if he was genuinely excited for them or not, but Hiroko appreciated the fact that he was trying to keep a cheerful demeanor. He was talking, a low comforting drone that Hiroko couldn't quite bring herself to listen to. Instead, she was watching Mayuri.
Her sister had dyed her hair in preparation for the mission. It was black now, just like it had been before the experiments. It would help her to blend in, at least on first glance. If anyone looked closer they would notice the scars, physical and otherwise. With Kabuto's help they had come up with explanations, but Hiroko still worried that the people around them would know that something more was going on.
Mayuri was so quiet now. She had always been somewhat reserved, but this was different. She was soft spoken and distant even when she and Hiroko were alone, only answering direct questions. She had changed on some deep, fundamental level. Hiroko knew loss and she knew about the darkness that crept inside of minds all too well, but she didn't know what to do to help her sister.
After whatever horrors she had gone through, it was only to be expected that Mayuri wouldn't be the same. The quiet wasn't the only thing that worried Hiroko, though. More than once she had woken up to find Mayuri sitting at the foot of her bed, watching her. She pretended to still be asleep on those nights, counting her sister's breaths and listening to the grinding of bones beneath Mayuri's skin, ignoring the goosebumps the sound raised along the back of her neck. The mornings after were always the worst, with Mayuri's eyes empty and haunted and Hiroko's skin itching with nerves. Hiroko didn't feel safe around her sister on those days.
"What do you want to do with these?"
Hiroko looked over to find Dosu going through the small stash of weapons that Hiroko kept beneath her bed. Almost all of them were ones that she had helped Risa to create, elegant little blades and decorated chains and brightly colored tassels. They had all been practice pieces, and most shinobi preferred more subtle designs on their weapons, so Risa had just let her keep them.
She conjured up a smile and said, "Think you can keep them safe for me until I get back?"
"Of course! We've learned basic handling and care of weapons in class, after all. It won't be a problem." He paused, sucking in his lower lip in a way that told her he was embarrassed. "Would it be okay if I used them sometimes?"
Hiroko hid her smile behind the sheets she was pulling from the bed. "Aren't you a little young to be playing with knives?"
Dosu made an affronted sound, a hand raised to rest over his heart like she had just insulted his whole family line. It reminded her of the first time she had cussed in front of her mother, and a wave of longing threatened to drown her. She pushed it away quickly, though, experienced in the fine art of emotional repression. She forced out a laugh instead, determined to focus on now. Dosu huffed, face twisting beneath his bandages.
"Don't laugh! I'm older than you!"
Mayuri watched them silently, eyes darting between them. Hiroko couldn't name the expression on her face, but it was cold enough that it made her uncomfortable. Still, when Hiroko smiled at her, Mayuri's expression grew gentler and she managed a shaky smile back.
One hour and a tearful goodbye to her best friend later, Hiroko and Mayuri were on their way. There was no fanfare, no threatening final word from Kabuto or Orochimaru. No one tried to stop them, though quite a few had wished them good luck on their first mission in the days before they left. Risa had been practically glowing in pride that Hiroko would be following in her footsteps and starting her career in infiltration.
"Are you ready?" Hiroko asked. Her fingers were in a white-knuckled grip around the straps of her travelling bag. Mayuri didn't respond, but Hiroko could hear her shaky breathing. She glanced over and saw how her sister was trembling, staring wide-eyed towards the exit. Hiroko reached over and took her hand. It was cold and sweaty, but she squeezed tightly.
Mayuri looked at her, sweat beading on her forehead and her eyes wet and glistening in the low light. Hiroko knew the beginnings of panic. She caught Mayuri's eyes and made herself smile; it was her turn to be strong for her sister.
"We're going to Konoha," she said. Then, in English, continued, "Did you know I had a crush on Kiba when I was ten? Do you think we'll get to meet him?"
The surprised sound that Mayuri made was almost a laugh and Hiroko's smile became a little more genuine. She watched Mayuri take a deep breath, square her shoulders, and raise her face towards the weak light that filtered in from the entryway. For the first time since Mayuri had come back, the look on her face did not frighten Hiroko.
"Let's go."
.
"Our parents were from Wave Country, but we were born in Fire."
Hiruzen hummed, his smile small but genuine. He gestured for the girl to go on. She smiled back at him despite the way her fingers fiddled nervously with the end of her braid. She was nervous, which was to be expected. He would have been suspicious if she wasn't. Her sister remained silent, as she had from the moment they had walked into his office. According to reports, she had been the one who had nearly died mere weeks before. He did not blame her for her silence; he recognized the almost vacant stare as a sign of trauma.
"We got to travel a lot," the younger sister told him. "Mostly just so papa could sell stuff, but we got to see lots of towns, too."
"I see. What was your favorite place to visit?"
The girl paused to think about it, humming softly as she considered his question in the too-serious way that children often did. Her nose was sunburned and freckles dotted her otherwise pale cheeks. She smiled again as she said, "There was this little town in Grass Country. I don't remember what it was called, but when the wind blew, all the grass would move and it would look just like waves! It was so cool!"
Hiruzen smiled again. Fuyutsuki Hiroko seemed like a bright, well spoken, cheerful child. She reminded him of his own daughter in many ways, which made him wary. It was no secret to enemies and allies alike that he was a father. There had been people in the past who had tried to use children to play on his affections.
"That sounds lovely. I recall having travelled through Grass Country many times, myself. I enjoyed the sight of the rolling prairies as well."
"Where is your favorite place to go?" the girl asked him.
"Konoha is my home, and will always be my favorite place," Hiruzen answered, watching the way Hiroko's eyes shone and how her sister's shoulders slumped a little further. "Which is why I must ask you why, exactly, you wish to join this village."
The girl's smile fell as she looked away and said, "Our family is dead."
Hiruzen waited, eyebrows lifted slightly as an indicator that he expected more. Hiroko seemed to hesitate, faltering for the first time in the conversation thus far as her eyes filled with tears. It was a difficult subject to talk about, but he would not allow himself to pity her until he was certain that her grief was genuine.
"We have nowhere else to go," a new voice spoke up, softer and pitched higher than Hiroko. They turned their eyes towards the girl, who had been silent up until that moment.
Hiroko's voice was soft and cautious when she said her sister's name. She took a step towards her, though did not draw too close.
"Go on, my child," Hiruzen said. The second girl, Mayuri, lifted her eyes from the floor. She met his steady gaze head-on, and though her expression was empty, he could see the embers of a fire burning behind her eyes.
"We don't have a home to go back to. We were always moving, so it was always just us. Now that mama and papa areā¦." A pause, and Hiroko took another step closer, reaching out to lay a hand on Mayuri's arm. Mayuri took a deep breath, then continued on. "They're dead and we're alone, but the Konoha shinobi saved us. Kabuto-san saved me. I can't think of anyone else we can go to, now."
She stopped, her breathing rattling in her chest a little, like this was the most she had spoken in weeks. Judging by the wide eyed expression on Hiroko's face, it probably was. Hiruzen sighed, and reached for his pipe. It was hard, making decisions that could save or destroy children's lives, but he had to consider the risks or benefits to Konoha with every meeting like this.
"You seem to admire the genin squad that saved you quite a bit." The girls both nodded, their movements in synch. The Hokage breathed out a cloud of smoke, wisps of it curling around his face before floating towards the ceiling where his ANBU guards crouched, unseen. "If you were allowed to live within the walls of this village, would you want to become shinobi as well?"
"Yes! I want to become strong like them. I want to make sure that what happened to us doesn't happen to anyone else, and that we'll never have to go through something like that again." Hiroko's eyes had gone wide, practically sparkling. There was a conviction in her words that rang true, a hurt that ran too deep. It made Hiruzen's heart ache, how often he had to see children so young with souls so full of hurt. He turned his gaze to the other Fuyutsuki twin.
"And you, Mayuri-chan?"
The girl seemed to hesitate. She ran a hand through her black hair, the short strands left sticking straight up with the motion. Then, she shook her head.
"I don't want to be a shinobi, sir. It was scary, seeing them fight. I didn't like seeing people die. I want to become a doctor instead. I can save people that way, can't I?"
Hiruzen watched the way the children huddled together, Hiroko's grip on Mayuri's arm tight, like she was afraid that her sister might disappear if she wasn't careful. There was pain and loss in every corner of the world, and he had seen so many victims give up over the years.
He deliberated for a moment longer, filling the silence with smoke. The girls waited with bated breath, one with a wide-eyed expression of hope and the other bracing herself for bad news. He searched for the spark inside them, the beginnings of The Will of Fire burning in their souls.
He made his decision.
A short chapter for you today! I hope you'll enjoy it anyways.
So! News! I have recently moved in with my significant other, adopted two cats, begun a new job, and have started back at school. (I suck at chemistry btw.) Needless to say, I am busy. So while this has no real update schedule anyways, this is just an unfortunate reminder that it will probably continue that way unless someone wants to pay me to write. Lol
Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know your thoughts. :)
