Hey Hey Hey! Guess who is not dead?
Anyway, let's move on. There is no warning for this chapter except that it's a small chapter, I'm afraid. Writer block has been kicking my ass real hard. So, no warning, you can enjoy it without fears.
Chapter 11: Jumping from one raging sea to another
Yakihiro pushed strands of hair out of his face with growing irritation.
Long hair may be a sign of prosperity and strength but it was mostly a hindrance, as far as he was concerned. Long hair was just another part of the body to grip and pull to bare the neck and plunge a kunai-
With a sigh, he pushed the thought back in a corner of his mind.
Maybe he was just like him, mad and dysfunctional. Obsessed with death and completely numb to life.
~How is he, still deficient? That's what happens when you tried to confront our leader~
Long hair has always been the trademark of the Uzumaki. They flaunted them in intricate designs always bigger, brighter, and more cumbersome to draw the eyes to their effortless elegance. Though, their brash personality tended to catch more attention than the attire. Usually, long and colorful yukatas with flowy sleeves and complex knots complimented the hair.
When dressed to impress, the Uzumaki tended to go all out and while the apparels were a sight for sore eyes, they were mostly disturbances to any shinobi bare the fuinjutsu masters.
Ah, to be a taijutsu master in a clan that favored writing over fighting was harder than it seemed.
Yakihiro gritted his teeth and clicked his tongue, rectifying his slouching posture when a particularly bothersome chakra entered his sensing range. It sounded like the scraping of a fork on a plate and a few notes of koto.
The owner of that chakra signature was the epitome of despicable, his wrinkled and old face was constantly twisted into a sneer while he walked around with an aristocratic posture.
Ezume Uzumaki, the twin brother of his brat's teacher, believed that there was no greater pride than being skilled in sealing. Anyone whose skills were lacking was looked down upon, which was, considering that old man's skills, almost everyone. For him, fuinjutsu was everything and everything should be about fuinjutsu.
He was the famous author of the 'A good fuinjutsu user is a good Uzumaki and a good Uzumaki is a pureblooded one' spiel. A laughable idea only if one wasn't brainwashed by their speeches of pride and blood purity but it has gained quite a traction in the recent years, partly because of the Yuhei's invasion. All in all, it amounted to dangerous ideas spewed by foolish men who drooled in front of power.
Ezume rounded the corner and walked in his direction, talking animatedly with a younger man, brown hair and broad shoulders. He sent him one look, a mixture between scorn and disgust, opened his mouth to insult him before he thought better of it, believing Yakihiro to be below his station.
However, Yakihiro, always the devil, wouldn't let it pass. "Ah, Sir Ezume, what a coincidence to see you walking. You ought to take better care of your body, lest you broke a fragile bone."
Ezume's nose wrinkled and the flinty glare he shot him was nothing short of poisonous. "You… ought to learn some manners, lest you incur the wrath of the wrong person." He paused, thinking better of it, "But what am I expecting from your traitorous blood, at least you know your station, wrestling in the sand - as always - like a pig."
Ah. Ezume was straightforward as always, going for the throat to deal the maximum damage. A move expected from an old shinobi.
It was no secret the old man disliked the younger one. Yakihiro, who has been born with the unfortunate inability to understand fuinjutsu, who chose to protect his island with his fists and whose blood was only one-quarter Uzumaki was the most distasteful and inelegant being Ezuma could find.
Yakihiro was never one to let someone have a win over him, lest of all, his relative Ezume.
The narrowing of Yakihiro's eyes was fleeting and the annoyed glint disappeared in a second. The young man answered with a smile that showed too many teeth to be friendly.
"My manner, eh?" He grinned, irradiating pure glee that made him look less tired, "They're not that offensive, your grandchildren would have said so otherwise."
It was also no secret that Yakihiro screwed both his granddaughter and his grandson in answer.
Ezume snorted, the marks of cold fury appearing plainly on his face. "They're obviously too foolish if they find the traitorous blood of filth charming. If only that foolish son of mine wasn't so meek, he would have wiped them back in shape."
"Oh, kinky. I see where Tai got that side of him from~" Yakihiro said, scraping grains of sand from underneath his fingernails.
"What nonsense are you spewing?" At the flash of discomfort on Ezume's face - the older men clearly understood what Yakihiro meant - the brown hair man turned bright red. Nagisa's sensei laughed. "What an utter disgrace to the Uzumaki you are, using your brain for that instead of your art. I can't stand you. Even half-bloods have better senses than you."
Yakihiro opened his mouth to taunt some more but was cut off when the old man managed to trudge away at a relatively fast pace.
He sighed through his nose, shifting on his heel back and forth while crossing his arms behind his head. "A shame I couldn't have the last word. Did you enjoy the show, Daichi-sama?"
From the corner of his eyes, he saw a movement within the shadow of a tree that soon changed to a shape and then to the familiar silhouette of his brat's father.
"Goodness, still as easy to rile up as ever. The fool will never learn." Daichi drily said, tone borderline bored. For all his pretense, he couldn't mask the slight quirk of his lips. "However, you didn't need to egg him first."
"You know I could pass that." The younger one threw his hands up, not even bothering to hide his amusement.
"If I didn't know better, I would think you taught that to my daughter too." Yakihiro snorted.
"But that would be lying to yourself."
He could feel the older one's gaze pinning him down, something about his pinched lips telling him that he didn't particularly like his comment, no matter how true it may be.
Daichi squinted, slowly walking closer with the demeanor of a leopard ready to pounce. "How would you know that?"
Yakihiro turned his face away, wiping pearls of sweat off his neck. "I've heard tales of your younger days. I don't think you came here to discuss that, right?"
The intense glare remained on the side of his head for a few more moments before he conceded. "You're right, it's about Nagisa."
When isn't it? He thought with fondness, the countless reports he had to do on her prowess coming back to mind.
That little brat of his has finally seized his heart, growing on him like a weed that sprouted roots so deep he couldn't tear off.
"She is to partake in the next graduation exam."
Whatever warmth he was feeling at the mention of his student disappeared at his words. His face froze with bewilderment, breaking the mask of cheerfulness his earlier interaction created.
"Pardon?" Yakihiro raised a brow then the other, his hands falling back at his sides. The blood leaving his cheeks was attributed to shock and not to any possible dread he could be feeling.
"I think it's time for Nagisa to move on, she is too naive to the ways of the world," Daichi repeated, a tad annoyed by the dumb look on his daughter's teacher face.
Yakihiro blinked once, twice and three times, picking his ear before he looked at the father's face. Only then did he finally realize what he just suggested. The ugly face of an emotion he wasn't ready to name reared its head from behind his heart.
"Nagisa is a child, naivety is to be expected. Throwing her headfirst into the shinobi's world will do no good, to her and to the others." Concern, Daichi thought, wasn't a good emotion on Yakihiro's face, it made him look grimmer and older. A far cry from his childish responses.
He clicked his tongue, half-lidded eyes staring haughtily, "She is a fast learner, she will be fine."
The conversation should have ended here. Daichi was Nagisa's father and he had complete authority over her - an authority that was only dwarfed by his older brothers and his father. The young man disagreed, though.
"As her teacher, I respectfully disagree. She is surprisingly powerful for a little girl but she is still just that, a little girl."
Daichi closed his eyes, his body language showing more of his irritation than his face. He propped a hand on his hips and drummed his fingers against it. When he opened his eyes again, they were clear and cold.
"Be that as it may," Yakihiro perceived a small touch of irony coloring his voice, "your opinion holds no ground when it comes to our leader's decision. Nagisa will take part in the graduation's exam."
He gritted his teeth, canines digging in his lips and Daichi took his silence as an acceptance. He turned around to leave. But, and it's not repeated enough, her sensei was never one to go down without a fight - something years of shinobi's life taught him - especially not when it mattered.
"Is it really?" Daichi froze, posture tense, before he threw a look over his shoulders and raised his eyebrows in confusion, "Our leader's decision, is it really? Do you remember my uncle Afuru? He was quite the ambitious man and he used his own son to pursue his goals. It was their downfall."
"Ah, yes." He bit back a dry chuckle, eyes cold and unamused, "Entertaining story, unfortunately beside the point but still entertaining. A fair warning - a gift, really, for dealing with my daughter all these years - it's never good to remind of your tainted connection. It can be seen as an approval of their ideas."
Yakihiro, still young and not as sensible as Daichi thought, insisted. "Do you really? Nagisa isn't you. Her dreams are different from yours."
The older man sighed, fully facing him. His features, at first, seemed to say 'she has a dream?' before he cooled them back into indifference if not annoyance. Daichi had control over his temper that was out of the world for an Uzumaki and that made him all the more terrifying.
"Beside the point yet again. She is my daughter and she will do as I say. A child who doesn't listen to her parents isn't properly educated."
Yakihiro's lips twisted into a wry smile, "Then why coming to me first if not for backing?" He raised his hands for added flair.
For a second, the other man was floored and Yakihiro could pretend that he got one on him. That disillusion didn't last long and he was kicked back into reality where the man before him will always have the upper hand.
"As a warning." His tone was curt, no doubt Yakihiro managed to grind his patience down a fair bit. Just like his daughter. "She will participate in this year's exam and is expected to graduate. And no matter who suggested it first, Ashina-sama agreed. His decision is final and anyone disagreeing with him incurs punishments."
He paused, took two steps forward and redressed Yakihiro's collar. With a smile, he dusted the young man's shoulder.
"How is your brother doing? Better I hope." He inquired but it was enough to frazzle his daughter's sensei. It felt like a punch to the guts and Yakihiro tasted something sour.
His question sounded more like 'Is your brother still defective?' or 'You didn't forget what happened to traitors, did you?' than an actual expression of concern.
"As fine as he can be and of course, you're right." Yakihiro swallowed back the bile in his mouth, hoping his skin color didn't reveal much of his thoughts. "I'm happy- no, I'm delighted to help."
"Good. Very good." And with one last look, Daichi turned around. "Oh, and tone down the sarcasm, will you? Nagisa has picked on your bad habit."
Breath in. Count to ten. Breath out.
He repeated the same three actions until the man had left his sensing range and only after repeating them one last time did he let his muffled curses out.
A small flare, the wistful song of the wind and the sea, appeared in his back.
Jumping from one raging sea to another. Nagisa was running full speed toward him and the young man wasn't quite sure he was ready to deal with her just yet.
How the hell am I supposed to announce her that?
Carefully hidden behind a boulder, Nagisa observed her sensei. Posture not too stiff, chakra flowing smoothly and no reaction. Perfect. He hadn't sniffed her out yet and he wasn't angry she was late. Yet.
She had run behind with her little project and stayed longer at the library. After finishing her paper, she had to hunt Sumi-sensei out to get his approval of her seal. Only then, she ran as fast as she could here.
And now, here she was, hidden, her seals completed and ready to launch her assault.
With a flick of her wrist, she threw her kunai - her tag fluttered behind it - and hammered near the feet of Yakihiro.
The man didn't seem that surprised as he jumped away and Nagisa thought, during the five seconds before her seal went off, that it was quite a shame.
The seal exploded into a cloud of smoke, too heavy to breath and Nagisa choked in it, nausea punching her in the throat. When the smokes cleared, the little girl was on the ground, wheezing and gasping for air.
"A summoning tag…" Yakihiro cocked a brow, one corner of his lips rising in mockery, "You're still alive so I guess you didn't fail too hard."
She coughed, drying the tears off her face and raised her head. Her eyes were red. "Damn and that bastard Sumi told me it was good."
"There is wisdom in failing," Yakihiro smartly said, presenting her his hand. She refused to take it, rising on shaky legs with a wheezing huff, "It's bad taste to throw a kunai at someone. I could have retaliated."
If I was unaware of your presence went without saying. As much as Nagisa tried, she could never sneak on him. Mostly because she sucked at hiding and partly because Yakihiro was a full-fledged ninja and he had experiences she didn't have.
Dusting her knees, Nagisa snorted which got caught in the back of her throat and she coughed a bit more. "Cons- constance vigilance and everything doesn't apply just to me."
Yakihiro clicked his tongue. He didn't mind his brat getting cheeky, just not with him. He pushed his hair back again. "There are times you are bound to be unaware, 'constant vigilance' applies when you are on missions or outside of the island. Uzushio is safe."
Nagisa rolled her eyes at his nagging, "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, what's on your mind for you to threaten to maul me?"
"Do you enjoy being a nuisance?"
There was no real heat behind his words so Nagisa didn't think much of it. "Annoying is caring~"
" It's not-" He opened his mouth, one finger raised to interject before he thought better of it. Instead, he sighed, deflating like a balloon and rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know why I bother anymore... "
"Were you thinking about me?" The girl singsonged next to him, dancing on her feet and probably being happy to be a nuisance. She had a mean streak.
"I'm afraid you're not as much on my mind as you hoped to." He teased, enjoying her bewilderment more than he should.
The little thing scoffed and for a second, Yakihiro saw the same haughty smugness her father wore. It didn't feel natural on her face but it was still there. The teasing warmth in his eyes cooled and his smile froze. Nagisa knitted her brows at the sudden change, wondering if saying something would be wise.
When the silence was nearing the entrance of the awkward zone, she spoke. "Perhaps, but I'm still on your mind much more than you want."
A sigh that ended in chuckles.
"You're right." Her green eyes sparkled and Yakihiro inwardly sighed. A fondness he never expected to feel surged inside him as he gazed upon his student. "I was thinking of you."
He ignored her 'aha' victorious with practiced ease, focusing his attention more intensively on her. He wondered how she would react to the news. Would she be happy? Excited?
"At the start of the next summer, you will be ten. I think it's time you take the exam."
The silence that befell was eerily loud. She dared not to move, not to breathe. A small part of her hoped that he would reconsider, the other part was still processing the information.
Yakihiro had expected her to react like any other children when informed of the fact. He forgot that she was anything but normal.
"Nagisa?"
She was frozen, each muscle tensed and each joint locked. Her mind stopped working. She couldn't think, she couldn't move. She could only feel the growing dread blooming in her body.
It started in her stomach, a knot that tightened ever so slowly, then it spread to her guts. There, the cold spider of fear - it had to be a spider - buried its legs deep in her, spreading ice until she felt numb. Cold sweats broke out. It reached her lungs, crunching and piercing them under the weight of its legs. Short and shallow, her breathing quickened. And then, the spider, still hungry for more, spilled its venom in her hammering heart.
"Nagisa!" Yakihiro's hold on her was painful. His fingers dug in her shoulders, like claws around a prey and she felt faint. Then, her brain finally kick-started again and she took a deep breath.
It felt like she didn't breathe for too long and her head was spinning.
She heard her sensei talking, she heard his words but she couldn't process them yet. She just focused on breathing.
Taking the exam, now? At ten? Becoming an adult, going on mission, killing at ten? The more she thought about it, the bigger the spider grew.
"You need to breathe, nice and slow. Listen to my voice and only to that-"
"Can you reconsider?"
Their eyes met. Yakihiro looked away first. "No, I'm afraid not. But you still have the next six months to smooth over your training and I will be-"
The betrayal was too sudden and too violent.
The damn broke without warning, and Nagisa was pouring out everything that she had been holding back since the attack—the things that she had seen in her dreams and the fears it created in her, and everything of which she was ashamed. Yakihiro found himself unequal to the task of responding, his stomach turned with nausea at the descriptions of what her mind, barely developed, had conjured.
"I'm still 9, I can't- I don't want to- I'm not, I'm not ready and I'm scared. Last time, I almost died and it was so scary and I still dreamt about it. Please, please, please reconsider. I can't-"
Yakihiro looked down at her - small and slight and shaking like a leaf - her green eyes glittered with tears. He did something then that he had not done for a very long time—if ever.
He pulled the brat into his arms. She felt so fragile and young in his arms - something he was aware of but didn't fully comprehend until now. She really was a child, terrified of the future and unprepared.
It felt like a punch, and he almost felt bad for using this excuse to keep her by his side a bit more.
At first Nagisa stiffened, surprised at the intimacy of the gesture—then just as quickly she curled around his middle, shoulders wracked with sobs.
"It's alright," Yakihiro murmured—warm tears fell on his breast. "You're safe now. You will be alright. "
The man closed his eyes, concentrating on the warmth in his arms, and inwardly sighed to the feeling growing inside of him.
So, that's how it feels to be completely powerless, uh?
To be continued?
Hello, lovelies!
First of all, I want to thank everyone for your kudos or bookmarks or comments because I see them and that makes me really happy and kept me going. Hopefully, this chapter would have made you feel some things.
BIG NEWS: The Introduction Arc has ended and now we're starting the first arc which I affectionately call 'The dark side of the moon'.
Basically, we're going to learn more about Uzushio and it won't be the fun and warm side. Now that Nagisa is getting older, I can go a bit darker.
On another note, I have been rewriting some chapters. For now, the first five (from prologue to chap 4) are rewritten entirely. The plot didn't change but I did add a few scenes to flesh out a bit more some characters, mostly the mother ( and also because I didn't like my writing style all that much). Also, the first half of chapter 11 has been edited too (mostly the fight between Nagisa and her father).
What spurred this on is one scene in chapter 4, the moment the storm bells ring. Nagisa first impulse was initially to immediately go after her brother BUT Nagisa was Maria and Maria had been taught her whole life to survive by leaving everything behind, so it actually made no sense that she immediately went into hero mode. It was just my own wishful thinking.
So this is it. I thank you once more and hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Take care~
