Note: Thank you so much for your patience! I know it's been a very long time... As a reward, a super-long chapter :).

Enjoy!

Chapter 15

Silence was reigning upon the street canyons drawn by the high rocky buildings of Iwagakure. The sun was half-way between earth and sky when the door that led to the last floor terrace of the tallest tower was opened to let the old man out. One step after another, the elder walked slowly to the balustrade. That day was promising to be a long one. Thankfully, he had been able to settle everything the night before. His decision to give asylum to the jinchuuriki of Takigakure had risen an uproar among part of the council. The Land of Earth was already ostracized by the other four Great Lands, and the risk it would trigger a Fourth Shinobi War was too high. Yet, it was for this very reason he so eagerly wanted to take the jinchuuriki under his wings. Ever since the end of the last war, the Land of Earth and Iwagakure in particular was stricken by the scourge of poverty. Because of its outsider position in the Shinobi world, the Land of Earth had always played a minor role. It was thanks to the strong-will of its inhabitants that it had been able to gain a certain notoriety over the decades. War was supposed to be far behind them, but some Shinobi villages kept increasing their armaments even in time of peace. As the military head in the Land of Earth, he couldn't turn a blind eye to these actions. Iwagakure had lost many lives during the past conflict and it lacked money to successfully achieve some missions. They had been able to make up so far thanks to the Akatsuki, but he couldn't count on the mercenary group forever. He needed to strengthen the country's position, and the news of a missing jinchuuriki in his country was the best opportunity he could hope for. They couldn't afford to train more shinobis, or to invest in military armaments like others, but with three jinchuurikis by their sides, no one would ever dare to hold the Land of Earth and its shinobis in contempt anymore.

The sun was shining in all its glory above the horizon. It was time to leave. Before turning his back to the scenery he had been contemplating, he wondered if his successor would one day end up having the same habit. So far, it seemed that Kurotsuchi would take over the reins, but if it really happened, then it was unlikely that this scenery would ever be witnessed again. The only one that had ever grated him with his presence in this place was then far away with no possibility of return. Deidara was the only burden Oonoki knew he would carry to his tomb.

She opened her eyes on the fizzing sound of a frying pan. Something weighing heavily on her stomach. Fuu groped on her abdomen. She already knew to whom belonged the small head of thin hair she was feeling under her fingers. No matter how hard Kaoru tried to confine Ari's hectic sleep, he always ended up upside down with at least a foot, an arm or his head on one of the two other people who shared the room. Fuu was careful to slowly sit up while holding the child's head then adjust it on the pillow at her left. As his head was put at rest on the soft material, Ari frowned at he sudden change of support and opened an eye, but he quickly went back to sleep. Fuu tiptoed out of the room. Takeshi was giving his back to the rest of the open space, wrapped up in a blanket on the floor mattress in the corner as per habit. She knew she could have laid down a little longer, it their day off, but that also meant she would be finally able to do some training. There was a peculiar hill outside Arane. An odd protuberance in the flat miles of desert that surrounded the city. Stories and legends developed around the this elevation of land that overlooked the city so that the human presence was a rare sight, which made the place perfect for what was Fuu had in mind.

Fuu cupped the chilly water in her hands one last time, then threw it on her face. Now she was ready to face the day. She went straight to the kitchen bu stopped at the entrance. A factory-like organization was ruling the small space and she didn't want to disrupt it. Her long hair were hold up in a hastily done bun as she was standing in front of the stove, swirling the pancake that were browning on the pan with a quick turn of the wrist. The kettle on her right started shaking, indicating its job was done. Kaoru turned off the kettle, drained the tea leaves and put the bowl next to the kettle, took a tray from the kitchen worktop, aligned the cups, poured the hot water in the teapot, leaves, brown sugar, back to the frying pan. In her rotational movement, she caught a glimpse of the girl standing at the entrance door of the kitchen, but a smoking smell turned her attention to the pancakes she left to brown on the stove. "Miyu! How are you doing? Did you sleep well? You could have laid back a little longer, it's our day off. Me, I just can't stand sleep ins, I feel dizzy all day long when I do." She put the pancake on a plate, then she got another ladle of liquid dough and poured it on the frying pan. "Wanna help me?"

"Sure!"

1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Fuu emptied her lungs for the ninety-second time. She was sitting cross-legged on the rocky ground. The spot she chose was located on a side of the peculiar hill hidden by a curtain of trees that adorned the first third of the hill. She had been doing breathing exercices for a time that felt like forever and she was starting to lose patience. Mingling her chakra with Chomei's wasn't difficult, the problem was accessing the seal. This required her to completely let go of any form of tension and enter into a state ruled by the para-sympathetic system only. And that faster said than done. It took her almost half an hour to stop the flows of thoughts, unsuccessfully. Sparring ended up being the best option for to let off steam, but this meant she needed another twenty minutes of stretching to slow down her heart-beats and release muscle tensions and then back to meditation. Only then she could start her journey inside. Chomei's chakra was very active. She could feel it flow in all the meridians that ran throughout her body. However, everytime they got closer to the place he was sealed, her chakra flow froze, twisting and knotting up. The more she tried, the more her chakra knotted and the more it pained. Chomei would untie it and make her chakra circulate once more before trying again to bring her close to him. She didn't know how long she had been doing this, but frustration was growing inside and she knew that state of mind would only be counter-productive. Chomei seemed to have anticipated her as he directed his outside her body and enveloping her with his warmth. She let let herself go backwards and enjoyed the sensation. She actually didn't need to push herself. "Be patient!" She had been told those two words her whole life, and it was time to follow her mentors' advice. It was true that her impatience had tossed her in disastrous situations, but the outcome had not always been that terrible in the end. The day after her arrival in Arane, she had told Kaoru and Takeshi her whole story – the Chunin Exam, that strange organization that was looking for her, Chomei... Words poured out of her mouth without any restraint. She had felt they needed to know why she would have to leave them sooner or later. But the only answer she had gotten back was a giggle from Kaoru and Takeshi saying that she hadn't needed to justify herself, that no matter what was happening in her life, that the doors would always be open for her. The corners of her mouth twitch at the thought. She had a place to go back to, she had a family. She turn on her stomach and swung her legs in excitement. She had people that cared for her and loved her. That was all it needed for a nightmare to turn into a dream that came true.

Suddenly, something tickled her right ear which send her a shiver down her spine. It was Chomei's methods to pull her out of her reverie. She hated that. She pulled herself up and looked at the at the light that came out of the foliage. The sun was still high, which meant she was in time to go back and have a shower before their outing. They were supposed to have a picnic on the banks of Kosa River, on the southern part of the city.

Fuu ran down the hill with great strides. She was missing flying up terribly, but she found out that running wasn't so bad. And it forced her to use her legs, something she barely did in fifteen years of life. She slowed down when she reached the old ruined wall and jumped over it, landing on a greenery at the periphery of the city where she had sneaked out. Arane was a relatively peaceful city and the walls were the vestige of ancient times when the city used to be the capital of a small kingdom that would lately become the Land of Earth. The cobbled streets were avoided by most during the hottest hours of the day. The the clicking of her shoes on the cobbled streets was resonating in the alley. Everything was perfectly quite.

Suddenly, someone pulled her backwards from her shoulder. She grabbed the arm by instinct and bent forward, throwing the body on the floor. When the face of the one who attacked her came into view, she froze. It was the man who had lost his friend by the bandits in the desert. "Sorry, I... You... mustn't go that way," the man closed his eyes as he tried to catch up his breath. "I... I was sent by Takeshi. You need to come with me." In a split second, the lines of her face crumbled. She could sense them coming down the main street, on the other side of the small building. According to their chakra's aura and their number, they were on an official mission – and a dangerous one seeing how powerful they were. The man guessed the situation and grabbed the teenager's arm and ran down the alley, then turned left and knocked at a metal door that was immediately opened. Fuu let herself be dragged along the giant kitchen then down the basement where they entered a large tunnel. The small white lights on each side were scrolling on the corner of her eyes. She knew they would come look for her, but she had never imagined they would find her so quickly. If she left right away, Takeshi and the others would go in trouble, and she would never let it happen.

Her only option was to turn herself up...

"Oih, Takeshi they're here. Sho found her. Good job man." At the mention of the name, Fuu raised her eyes. A huge room framed by four cement wall appeared in front of her. A group of people was gathered around a table put in the center. One person detached himself from the group and walked to where she was standing

"I apologize for this set back, Miyu. I know you would have preferred taking a shower after the training, but here things got a little complicated...", Takeshi told her with a half-smile.

Fuu shook her head. "Yeah, I know. I've sensed them. But it's okay, I've got aaaa..." Fuu turned her head once more to take a look at the room. The whole situation was odd, from the very beginning. If her guesses were right, those shinobis weren't looking for her. Anguish rose at the memory of a mission she had been assigned to take part to back in Takigakure. These kind of groups were labelled as traitors and dangerous for the country's security. That was why for these kind of missions they would send the strongest – it was a show of force to prevent others from following the same example. Back then she had been told it was a question of national security, but now she wasn't so sure. Just how many excuses did they make up to justify their actions?

Takeshi chucked at the distraught face "They are not looking for you, they're looking for us because we're part of the National Liberation Front of the Land of Silk. It's a... a long story you know..." He looked on the floor and frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to get meddle with this mess... It's seems someone had turned us up. But it has nothing to do with you, I swear! We brought you here to avoid that. By the way, where's... Ari! Ari, come here?" The tiny boy made his way among the adults and ran to his father as fast as he could. In his run, he stumbled and fell on his knees, but stood up just as quickly and slowed down when he finally got close. "I'm here!"

"Ari, can you please take Miyu to your aunt?"

"Okay! Sis, give me your hand. I'm going to bring you to auntie Kaoru." Ari extended his hand with a very serious expression. Fuu let a small laugh escape her lips. He was a child, she couldn't lose her composure in front of him. It was true that they were civilians, but there was always hope. Fate proved her right many times. She took the small shaking hand and together they crossed the room and entered a smaller one where Kaoru was standing in front of some pile.

"Here you are! How was your training?" she said while putting small plastic bags on a backpack.

"Good... It was good" she nodded slightly. It was clear Kaoru had to discuss some things with her, but she was probably waiting for her nephew to not be around.

"Great. Ari, can you go check on your father and the others? "

"But I want or stay with Miyu!"

"Ari... Stop whining like a baby."

"That's so unfair! You always order me around, I'm not your slave!"

"Ari, out!"

The child stiffened. He then let go of Fuu's hand and ran out of the room screaming 'witch'.

"Children. Now he calls me a witch, but I only need to give him a sweet and a hug to get back the title of 'Best Auntie in the world'" Kaoru stared a little at the entrance, then went back to packing the backpack that turned out to be Fuu's.

"Listen, things are getting a little complicated here. I guess my brother already told you everything. If they ever catch me or Takeshi, Ari is going to be taken into some orphanage or placed in foster care... So I want you to take Ari to his grand-mother in the Land of Iron in case we won't make it."

This time, she was facing her. With a hand she was holding the backpack and with the other she was holding a folded paper. "I wrote you all the indications and the exact address here and on another paper that I put in Ari's bag."

"W-wait. We might reach a deal with them, so no need to do this. If you turn me up, they might give you an immunity or something like that and..."

"Owh! Did you hit your head? Are you okay girl?"

Her throat knotted. Despite the good intentions coming from the woman standing in front of her, it was still frustrating to not be taken seriously. She was sure her plan could arrange everybody. She could swear loyalty to the Land of Earth in exchange for their safety. She was a jinchuuriki after all, Iwagakure had every reason to accept her deal.

"Miyu, that's not how the true world works. Why do you think they decided on dissolving our organization now? It's to divert people's attention from the real problems. The country lost a bunch of money and resources during the last war. More and more people are struggling to make ends meet. They need a scapegoat, and we're that scapegoat. But that doesn't mean you or Ari should pay the consequences of our choices. This is just in case things turn wrong. We can't leave in too many, we would get too much attention. You and Ari will look less suspicious, it's not uncommon to see children and teenagers living on their own."

Fuu didn't want to listen any more. Why did they give up so easily? It was sickening how realistic they were. She hated that way of thinking with all her heart.

"Miyu, look at me. We will join you as soon as everything is settled. We didn't plan any terrorist attack nor tried to kill anyone, so the maximum punishment we will get it's prison and we'll be out in no time because the government is broke and can't pay the prison staff anywaaaay..." Kaoru snorted of satisfaction, pulling Fuu under her arm. "You just have to take care of our little monster for a couple of months and..."

"THERE'RE COMING! THEY FOUND THE SOUTHERN ENTRANCE!"

A man ran into the main room, trying to catch his breath as best as he could to continue. "I-huh, I couldn't find-huh... I couldn't find Sen. And they-huh..."

"Thank you Watari. Brothers and sisters, time came for us to stand for our principles and defend our identity. We have nothing to apologize for. We will show the Land of Earth that WE, PEOPLE OF THE LAND OF SILK, ARE NOT TO BE LOOKED DOWN!" The people in the room shouted a battle cry, followed by a song in a language Fuu couldn't understand. Fuu shook her head. That was getting so wrong, she needed to stop them, but Kaoru forced the two bags in her arms and went into the room. Fuu was completely lost. She had to go there and dissuade them. She had to convince Takeshi of her plan, or simply go to those shinobis and turn herself up before they reach the place. That was what she was supposed to do, but her body wasn't responding. Kaoru re-appeared with Ari in her arms. "What are you doing? Put your backpack on. Ari, you're going to take this one. I put the money in both the bags." A sob interrupted her. It was time to part ways. She pulled them both in her arms and tightened her grip. She had nothing to with them, she had problems on her own, and now she had even given her a heavier responsibility. What a cruel world...

"Promise me you'll look for each other. Miyu, I am sure you can do it..." She cupped their faces and looked at her nephew and the teenagers they took on in her family one last time. Ari lips were trembling and he was about to cry. He had lived many tragedies for a five-year-old child. But the girl was wearing a more determined expression on her face – it made Kaoru smile. She was a warrior, they would make it. She pushed them on the small corridor that separated the small room and the bigger one. "Miyu, pick him up and run. Take this tunnel and remember this. Right-Left-Left-Right-Left. You'll end up in an abandoned building. From there follow my instructions."

"I'm staying with daddy! No-no, I'm not leaving! SIS, LET ME GO! LET ME GOOOOO!" Ari was kicking her stomach and punching her nervously, but Fuu was already on her way.

R-L-L-R-R. R-L-L-R-L. R-L-L-R-L. R-L-L-R-L.

Behind her, a loud buzz resonated through the corridor. She could sense the Shinobi arriving, but she would run faster. She would protect Ari and bring him safe to his grand-mother. She would make it, and then she would head to Iwagakure to save her family.