The basement was large. Because it was essentially a war room. The room was plainer than anything else on the island. The walls and floors were the same gray color. It's the least Uzushio room in all of Uzushiogakure. Even the prison had murals.
"Uzushiogakure is a land of peace," Ichika says. "Well, peace instead of conflict. The island has always been wrapped up in some form of chaos."
"All the pranks?" I ask weakly.
"All the pranks," she grins. "Each door leads to a different tunnel to a different part of the island."
"This is insane," I say as I look around at all of the doors.
"What's insane is the lack of food you've been consuming," Ichika says. "Let's go back upstairs and get you something to eat."
"We're not going through the tunnels?" I ask, looking at the door that says Uzukage Tower.
"Not today, after you eat we're going to start your training." I feel my stomach drop. The look in her eyes make it clear training is going to be anything but fun.
Hi Imouto!
I hope you're doing good wherever you are. Are you eating enough? Drinking enough water? Sleeping enough?
I can't help but laugh a little at Naruto's opening. It seemed that in the short time since I left the village Naruto has turned into a mother hen. I look to the top right of the scroll and freeze.
I hadn't realized how much time had actually passed since I left Konoha. Training with Ichika on the island has been a blur. She's taught me tracking, stealth, and forced me to get back into my kenjutsu practice. I hadn't even realized months have gone by.
I graduated from the academy! And I got put on a team with Sasuke and Sakura! You'll never guess who my sensei is!
I smile to myself at my brother's excitement.
Kakashi! The old man let Kakashi be a sensei? Can you believe it?
No, no I can't.
He had us do this crazy bell test! But it was so cool! There were only two bells and he said whoever got the bells would pass and the one who didn't would go back to the academy. But that was wrong! We failed and he tied me to a training post (which wasn't fun at all) but when Sakura and Sasuke gave me food when he said not to, he jumped out and said we passed because of our teamwork!
Only Kakashi. Naruto's letter reminds me of my bell test, but I shake my head to clear out the memories. I don't need to cry right now. From the letters I got from Reiji and Sensei, Reiji was already on track to become a Jōnin in the next year or so. Despite being so far away from Konoha, I would still feel a shimmer of their chakra through the bracelet on my wrist. Most of the time it was love, a warm feeling that would make its way up my arm and through my body. Sometimes it was their worry.
Looking back on my first weeks, it was obvious I was projecting my feelings into my bracelet. As soon as I realized what I had been doing I immediately sent my remorse and love in hopes that it could reassure them I was okay until they could get my letters. I can't feel them always like I was able to when I was in the village. But I can feel them when they need me to and that's all that matters.
And then he said that, "Those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." IT WAS SO COOL. And then he took us to the memorial stone which was really depressing. I said hi to Minoru for you!
My heart breaks a little as I read the last line.
I've got training with Kaka-sensei this morning, so I've got to go now. Please take care of yourself imouto!
Love,
Naruto
I roll the scroll back up and place it on the bookshelf beside me in my room. I go to grab an empty scroll to write back to him when I hear fluttering by the window. I turn and see Kairi has landed on the window sill. I hadn't seen her much in the last few months, just glimpses of her flying overhead.
"Kairi?" I ask as she looks at me. She flies into the room and lands on my shoulder.
"Go to the basement," she finally says. The basement? The war room? Had someone gotten through the seals? "We are going to the Uzukage's tower."
"We are?"
"You're ready, now."
"I've already been there-"
"There is more to see," she says as she fluffs her feathers. "You may write to your brother later."
"Fine, fine," I say as I walk out of my room. I walk down both sets of stairs before I stand in the center of the war room once again. I feel my chest tighten as I look around the gray room. I'm so used to so many colors that the gray immediately puts me on edge.
"Go through that door," Kairi says, nodding towards one of the gray doors to my left. I open the door to a large tunnel. The tunnel is dimly lit by blue lanterns that hang from the rocky walls. I walk for what seems like forever until we come to another gray door. I take a deep breath before I push it open. It's a bland hallway, gray like the war room.
"Go up to the Uzukage's office," Kairi says. I let out a small huff but don't try to argue with her. I'd seen very little of Kairi since I got to Uzushiogakure. The fact she was sticking around for this long at a time without any other summons makes me nervous. So I walk up all the stairs. Too many stairs. Honestly what was with Kage and needed to have their offices at the top of a tall tower?
"Stop that," Kairi says before she nips at the top of my ear with her beak.
"Fucking Mendokuse," I mutter under my breath. It prompts another nip at my ear that I don't dare to say or think anything about it. When we get to the top of the tower I carefully push the door open, trying to ignore the shaking of my hand. I'd made sure to have my clones clean up all the blood that was left behind in the room.
But the images from before are fully ingrained in my mind.
Kairi flies from my shoulder to sit on the back of the chair behind the Uzukage's desk. I walk into the room and stand in front of the desk out of habit. It's what I'd almost always done back in Konoha when I went to see Jiji.
"There is a blood seal on the center of the desk," Kairi says as she stares a hole through me. "Bite your thumb and place it in the center of the spiral." I look down at the dark wooden desk. It looks like any other desk, but there's a different grain in the wood. One that spirals throughout the desk. I find the center and bite my thumb before placing it on the wood. There's a flash of light before smoke fills the room. I cough as the smell of tobacco and mahogany fills my senses. It reminds me so much of the tobacco Jiji would smoke in his pipe while teaching me fuinjutsu.
I wipe at my eyes before I slowly open them. The smoke is gone and instead of being alone in the office with Kairi, there's another person. Her form is surrounded by a glowing red color. I finally look up at her face and almost faint.
I'd seen her face before, much more peaceful then than it is now.
Now, Uzumaki Kahana wore a smile that made me very, very nervous. The same smile Naruto had when he had set up an insane prank that was about to go off. She wears her Kage robes, white with blue and red accents. Her kage hat sits proudly on her head. She tilts it back as her smile turns from the pranking one to a smaller one. It's almost soft as she looks at me.
"A chakra impression?" I finally say. Afraid that my voice will make the vision of her disappear.
"Good job!" Kahana says. She has an accent, it's unlike anything I've heard before. She looks at my hair for a brief moment, it's longer than it has ever been, reaching almost to the middle of my back. Half of my hair is up in twin buns on the top of my head while the rest is kept back in two braids that go down my back. A common everyday style for chunin in Uzu.
She looks at my clothes next, I wear what I'd worn for most of my time in Uzu, a tank top dress, the current dress being orange, that comes down to my mid thigh and blue shorts that reach to just above my knee. She nods after looking me over before she turns to Kairi.
"Alimentarla más, Kairi," she chides the seagull. I feel my face scrunch up as I look between the two of them. Ichika has taught me a few Uzu words and frases, most related to training. Although I do know a few words for colors, animals, and foods now too.
Plátanos have become one of my new favorite things. They look a lot like bananas, but they're bigger and they taste a lot better when you cook them. I'd grabbed a few family cookbooks from a shelf in the kitchen one day and ended up making my new favorite breakfast of all time. Mangú. Who doesn't love fried cheese and meat?
"We have been, Uzukage-sama," Kairi says. I look at the seagull whose eyes are shining. "Kikuko era muy, muy pequeña cuando llegó."
"I'm not little anymore 'ttbane!" Kahana gives me the side eye before she turns back to Kairi.
"She's just as bad as Kushina-chan."
"Worse," Kairi shakes her head.
"That's a good thing, right?" I ask, my voice cracking.
"Not in this case," Kairi says after a moment of silence between the Uzukage and her summons.
"Eh?"
"You're underweight," the Uzukage says. I look down at myself but don't understand. I'd gone up three sizes since I'd landed on the island. Three!
"Kiku-chan," Kairi sighs. It's almost as if she read my mind from the way she looks at me. "You're a normal weight for a Konoha kunoichi," she says.
"But you are far from the normal weight for an Uzumaki," Kahana says as she walks around the desk. I feel my throat tighten as she walks around to me. I had noticed the difference when I was doing all of the burials. People's weights varied throughout the island, but a lot of the Uzumaki were closer to the weight of the Akimichi than other Konoha shinobi. "We like to eat," she whispers, mirth clear in her voice and eyes as I feel her wrap her arms around me.
"How could you not when you've got mangú?" My voice sounds weak to my own ears but I have to joke or else I'll start crying instead.
"It's my favorite breakfast," Kahana says as she pulls away from the hug.
"Mine, too." She smiles down at me, tears in her eyes as she wipes a stray hair from my forehead. She taps the seal on the center of my forehead. "Now when did you get this mija?"
"Uh, about a year ago now? I think?"
"How long have you been on the island?" She asks as she leans back against the desk.
"About six months."
"You got the seal before you came to the island? Who taught you?" She asks, her eyebrows raising.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi," Kairi answers from behind Kahana.
"What?" She asks, turning to look back at Kairi who just fluffs her feathers. Kahana looks back at me expectantly.
"He had me meditate for at least an hour a day and funnel the chakra to my forehead like a storage seal," I shrug. "I read some of Mito-baachan's journals too. It took a couple years."
"How much fuinjutsu work have you done?"
"I know my mom's knockout seals," I grin up at Kahana. A proud smile forms on her face as I continue. "I was able to do the simple things like a basic locking seal, making storage scrolls, stuff like that before the academy. Then I learned how to make exploding seals, barrier seals, and silencing seals later on."
"That's all?" Kahana asks after a moment of silence.
"Yes?" I squeak.
"Pendejos, all of them," Kahana says as she looks around the room frantically. "Grab some paper and a pen, Kikuko. Quickly, I only have so much time with the seal." I feel my heart rate pick up as I run around the room to grab what she tells me. She continues to mutter under her breath in Uzu and I try to pick up what she's saying but I'm completely lost. Although I'm pretty sure there's a lot of curse words mixed in.
"I thought I could use the seal as a way to point you to advanced study after getting to spend some time together," she says after I've grabbed the paper and pen. "But they didn't even teach you the basics!"
"I know the rules and the-"
"Kikuko," Kahana says firmly. She grabs my face between her hands gently. "From what you tell me you know, you're at a tadpole's level." My heart drops into my stomach. My throat closes up. I was great a fuinjutsu. I was advanced. That's part of why I was promoted so quickly. It's all I have!
"Mija!" Kahana says, breaking me from the thoughts. "You are a fuinjutsu mistress in the eyes of Konohagakure, but these things are the basics every citizen of Uzushiogakure learns in their studies."
"What do I need to do?"
"You're going to be reading a lot," she says. "What have you been doing in regards to training since you came to the island?"
"Ichika-"
"Oh, okay," Kahana cuts me off. She waves a hand as her own breathing begins to slow down. "I thought you were studying fuinjutsu in that time, but if Ichika has been working with your training that's fine."
"But you said-"
"You'll learn much more quickly here, mija," Kahana says. "The books and scrolls here are made for minds that work like ours, if you were able to get this far in Konoha, you should be able to work through a book or two in a day."
"A day?"
"A day," she smiles. "Now, less talking, more writing! Here's the things you need to start on…"
My brain starts to feel like mush by the time I've finished my list. It's separated by rank. I'll start with genin and work my way up to anbu. There's everything from elemental fuinjutsu to genjutsu fuinjutsu to even kenjutsu fuinjutsu!
"Now mija," Kahana says after I finish writing my last book. "That is the last of the official fuinjutsu training materials."
"Official?" That doesn't sound good. That doesn't sound good at all. A mischievous grin appears on her face and I know my brain is going in the right direction.
"When you're fifteen, pull that painting off the wall," she points to a painting of the mountains that I'd climbed with Ichika over the last few months.
"Okay?"
"It will open up to a room with more books and information for you. Including information regarding your coming of age ceremony. I'm sorry I won't be there to throw you the large party you deserve."
"I-it's okay," I say as I step closer to her.
"Oh mija," she whispers. I drop the pen as she pulls me close to her. I wrap my arms around her, my entire body shaking as I try to control my emotions. "I am so proud of you."
"Thank you," I whisper into her robes.
"You are more than our ancestors could have ever dreamed," she says, her voice filled with warmth. A choked sob makes its way out of my chest. "You will do your village proud, Uzumaki Kikuko. You already have."
"But you can't do that with no sleep," Kairi pipes up. I'd almost forgotten the seagull was in the room.
"You're struggling with sleeping?" Kahana asks. I nod my head as I pull away from her hug. "Grab the pen," she says. I quickly pick up the pen as she starts talking again. "There's a few different books you can grab, Calming Teas for New Shinobi, Ueo Family Teas, and Conceptos básicos del té de Uzushiogakure." I feel her hand on my shoulder as I put the pen down.
"Also look around Shinya's office," she says gently. "He kept some journals with information from his clan."
"Their medical encyclopaedia," I whisper. She nods, a sad smile on her face.
"I wish he had gotten around to making his chakra impression," she says. "The lazy man never got around to it. Always said it was too troublesome."
"That sounds like someone else I know," Kairi says dryly. Kahana raises an eyebrow as I feel my cheeks flush.
"Oh no," Kahana whispers. "It seems like our time together is almost over."
"No-" I shake my head. She can't leave me. She smiles sadly as I'm pulled into another hug. "Did people always hug this much?" I ask into her robes. Her laughter instantly soothes my worries as I hold her closer.
"We do," she says as she holds me tighter. "You will bring our people together again, Kikuko. I know you will," she whispers in my ear. I feel tears start to stream down my cheeks as I try to take in this feeling as much as I can.
"I am so proud of you, mija. Remember to take care of yourself. Make it a habit. You cannot help our familia if you cannot help yourself." I nod against her shoulder as she rubs circles on my back. I feel a kiss on the top of my head.
"Te amo, mija." Kahana says into my hair.
"Te amo," I say as I hold her tighter. And then suddenly she's gone and I'm falling into the desk. I lean over the desk for a minute, allowing myself to cry.
But then I push myself up. I wipe my eyes. I grab the paper with the books on it and then look up to Kairi. She looks as sad as I feel. I want to say something, but I can't find it in me.
Kairi makes the short trip from the back of the chair back to my shoulder. I leave the room silently. I don't complain as I walk down the stairs and out the door of the tower. I don't say anything as I walk through the courtyard. All I do is run my hand across the mourning quilts I made for Hiroto-oji and Minoru.
And then I make my way to the library.
I'm going to be at a Uzushiogakure chunin level by the end of the month.
Translations!
Alimentarla más - feed her more
frases - phrases
Plátanos - plantains (and bananas)
Mangú - the best? breakfast I will fight anyone on this
era muy, muy pequeña cuando llegó - she was very, very small when she arrived
mija - darling, my daughter
te amo - I love you