Author's Notes: 4,000+ hits to the story, 9 reviews, 7 favorites, and 6 alerts. Wow. Chapter 13 starts to bring this story to a close, and the next chapter will be the last. However, I am working on a story for after the timeskip, but I'm waiting for the anime to continue with that arc before I begin adding too much. I have read the manga, but I have a feeling the show will have more detail. Enjoy!
Chapter 13
Sakura was overlooking the water on one of the bridges near the hospital. Thoughts of Sasuke and the past few days drifted through her mind. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Kohaku until the older girl touched her shoulder. "Sakura?"
"Oh, Kohaku!" she said with a slight jump. "Sorry I was just thinking."
"About Sasuke?"
"About everything." She turned back to staring at the water. "While Naruto and the others were risking their lives, all I did was cry. I should have gone with them and helped. But I don't have any special skills, or a bloodline to help me. I'm useless!" Kohaku leaned over the railing and watched their reflections for a moment.
"If you truly believe that, then you should give up being a ninja." When the other girl pulled back in shock, she continued: "Unless you have tried everything in your power, unless you cannot move at all, unless you can see death on the horizon, you are not useless. Forget about what everyone else can do. If you really want to get Sasuke back, you will find a way. And it will be in a way that you will be useful. You might have to work at it and wait a while, but at least you have a goal. And when you're ready, I want to help you."
"Help me?" Kohaku held out her hand, and Sakura saw her bare arms, covered with curving scars all the way to her elbows. In her hand was one of her armguards.
"I swear on these scars, and on my family's honor, that I will help you retrieve Sasuke. All you need to do is tell me when, where, and how."
"Kohaku… Why?"
"Because you shouldn't have to do this alone. Having a friend by your side is always better. I was lucky to have Senjo and Kurai help me recover, and while I know you have friends here, it's nice to know someone else went through a similar thing. I'm leaving for home today, to grow and train so I can help myself as well. When you feel you're ready, just let me know." Sakura took the armguard and smiled.
"Thank you." Kohaku pulled her into a hug, which momentarily surprised the pink-haired girl. But when she returned the gesture, Kohaku spoke again.
"I made a promise to someone that I would aid this village of my own free will. I believe that by helping you, I can keep that promise.
"Naruto promised me he would get Sasuke back, no matter how long it took."
"He's a good guy, and I'm sure he'll keep his promise." They broke apart, and Kohaku turned to go. "Have faith in yourself, Sakura. That's the one thing that will keep you going no matter what."
"I will. Until next time, Kohaku."
"Until next time."
Senjo knocked on the door to Naruto's room and opened it, seeing the blonde boy look up and smile. "Good morning, Senjo," he greeted. She smiled back, glad to see that he was back to his old self, or at least as much as he could be.
"I've come to say goodbye again, Naruto." She was a little sad to have to leave so suddenly, but with their mission over, there was no point lingering. Kurai had said he was going to go crazy if he stayed in the hospital any longer.
"Gaara and the others left yesterday, right?"
"Yes, and Kurai has recovered enough to travel, so we need to head home and make our reports." She wasn't looking forward to putting her fight with Kuro on paper, nor the third degree her mother would no doubt be giving her. However, that was a necessary evil, and part of her job.
"I'm leaving soon too," Naruto said as he gazed out the window. "The perverted hermit is going to train me so that I can go after Sasuke."
"Oh, Kurai's father took him training when he left Konoha the first time. When you're done, maybe I could-"
"I'll be gone for a couple years." The redhead's jaw hit the floor as she stared at him. Naruto had a serious look on his face, and it was slightly unnerving. He looked much better smiling, but this was the face of a ninja, not a child.
"Years? But… Why?"
"Orochimaru is strong, stronger than anything we've ever faced. If I want to help Sasuke, I need to get even stronger. I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it."
"Is your teammate going with you?"
"No, just me. I… I don't want to leave, but at the same time, I do. I need to help Sasuke, but I know that I'll be leaving everyone else I care about behind, especially Sakura-chan. I know she's really hurt by what Sasuke did, even if she doesn't say it."
"Sakura will be okay," Senjo told him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Kohaku is going to keep in touch with her, and she still has the other Genins here to watch her back."
"Senjo… Can I ask you something, about that team you fought trying to get to Sasuke?" She grimaced, but nodded. "If you would've been able to stop them, to talk to them before they hurt you, what would you have said?"
"Naruto…" She looked down at her feet, twirling a strand of her hair nervously around her finger. There was only one way to answer him: Truthfully. "I don't think any amount of talking could've stopped them from doing what they did. Maybe Tansei, because I think he cared for Kohaku at one point, but not the other two. Kuro and Makoto were so busy trying to boss people around and become powerful, that they lost sight of what being human was all about. After that, the three of them let hate and jealousy consume them. They became worse monsters than the Shukaku."
"So there was no way you could've saved them?"
"Naruto, no one in my village is like you. In fact, I've never met any other ninja like you. You believe so much in everyone around you, that you can't or don't want to see the bad that can exist in people."
"I know bad people exist!" he shouted, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. "I fought Orochimaru, I saw what his ninjas could do, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on people! Gaara was someone your village gave up on, but I knew what he'd gone through, and I told him that. Do you still think he's the same person?"
"No," she replied after a few moments of silence. "Whatever you said to him during that fight in the forest changed him for the better. But not many people think like you do, Naruto. I've seen too much hurt to see the good in everyone."
"Kakashi-sensei keeps telling me that one day I'll think that way too. The perverted hermit said the same thing. But if I'm going to become Hokage, I can't just see one side of things. I think… I think you have to have been through a lot to be able to see the best in everything. Like me, and Gaara. Even others, like Neji, Sakura, Lee, Hinata, and you." He smiled up at her, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Me? How do you know what I've been through?"
"You have eyes like me. And even when you're smiling, sometimes I can tell that you really don't want to. But you keep smiling for your teammates, and for those you care about. That's why I need to leave, because I want to make Sakura-chan smile for real. And I want to see Sasuke smile too."
"If anyone can do that, Uzumaki Naruto, it's you." She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "Good luck on your training. Make sure you come visit when you get back." He smiled, giving her a thumbs-up.
"It's a promise!"
Home had never looked so good, the trio thought as they entered the gates. They were a full two days behind Gaara's team, and they had failed their mission, but right now barely any of that seemed to matter. Straight to the Kazekage's office they went, saying nothing except to announce themselves to the door guards. It was only when facing their leader that they bowed deeply, and after a moment Kurai said, "Please forgive us."
"For what?" the older man asked, lifting the brim of his hat to stare at them.
"We failed. Sasuke was taken by the Sound."
"So he was. Though the way I understand it, you were faced with some of our traitorous missing-nin." When they looked up in confusion, he went on: "Temari explained as much as she knew about the situation, and Kankuro was very forthcoming in stating that you had dealt with the prisoner he had, Senjo. So you killed two from his team and brought back our runaway Kuro so Naiteki could gather his memories."
"But that wasn't our original mission," Kohaku spoke up.
"No, it was not," the Kazekage said with a sigh. "So yes, a failure will be recorded for the C-rank mission you were briefed on. However, a success will be recorded for the capture and eradication of the three missing-nins. When I have Naiteki's final report on the prisoner, I will rank the mission and summon you three to give your reports on it. You are dismissed until then."
"Yes sir!" they chorused, leaving as quickly as politeness allowed. Standing in the street, Senjo realized she'd been partially holding her breath, and let it out in a large sigh as she leaned against Kohaku.
"My mother is going to kill me when she finds me."
"Why would she do that? It's not like you went looking for that bastard," the brunette argued gently. "Besides, you beat him."
"Barely. You two killed Tansei and Makoto."
"Yes, but I left Makoto's body lying in the forest," Kurai pointed out. "Not exactly the smartest thing to do."
"Like anyone would be able to learn something from her? That girl was useless as a ninja. She was a medic, that's it."
"Funny, but she seemed to think that Senjo was the useless one." The redhead's eyes darkened, and Kohaku frowned. "That's when I snapped her neck." Senjo's eyes widened as her jaw dropped slightly. He'd had her that close to snap her neck, instead of using a technique to finish her off? Had Kuro's team really underestimated them that much that they'd allowed themselves to be approached? Certainly from what she'd seen, and now what she was hearing, that appeared to be the case.
"Kurai-kun…" He took her hand and squeezed it.
"I won't have anyone bad-mouthing you, especially her. Now come on, let's get you home before Kohaku and I go see our father."
"Which I'm so very much looking forward to." Laughing a little bit, the trio headed off in the direction of the Tanamari house. No one was outside to greet them, and so Senjo quietly opened the door.
"Mother, father, Inkei?" she called. Silence for a moment, and then footsteps were pounding on the wooden floor, and the twins barely had enough time to get out of the way before Seishin and Inkei both latched onto her.
"You're back!" the boy greeted, holding onto her arm.
"You're okay!" Seishin added, arms wrapped around her in a strong hug. When her back popped slightly, he let go and patted her head. "I knew you'd be fine."
"I'm glad someone had faith in me," she teased. Seishin turned to the Hajinos, shaking their hands.
"I'm sure you two had a hand in-"
"Actually, it was all Senjo's doing," Kohaku explained. "We were busy with our own battles, and she took Kuro out all on her own."
"And came out of it mostly untouched," Kurai added with a smile as Senjo blushed. Inkei was grinning at his sister, but said nothing.
"Would you two like to stay for dinner? Naiteki isn't cooking."
"Unfortunately Tanamari-san, we have to get back home and see our father."
"Of course, Kurai. Do me a favor though, and give Taru a message?"
"I will."
"Tell him that his former teammates hope that he'll pull the stick out of his ass before he says something stupid to the two of you." When the Hajinos raised their eyebrows, Senjo shot her father a dirty look. "I'm serious, and make sure you tell him those exact words. I almost hope it makes him come here to discuss it with me. Then I can really give him a piece of my mind."
"We will, Tanamari-san," Kohaku promised. "Good day." When they were out of earshot, Senjo said:
"Father, what's gotten into you? You can't expect them to actually tell Hajino-san that. He won't be very happy."
"I know," Seishin replied with a small smile. "But as I told them, I hope he comes down here so your mother and I can talk some sense into him. He and Atsui raised some fine ninjas. I won't stand back and watch him ruin them for his own selfish reasons."
Atsui was just arriving home when she heard footsteps coming up behind her. A moment later, Kurai and Kohaku each took a bag from her arms. "When did you two get here?" she asked in surprise. "And where's Senjo?"
"She's at home," her daughter replied as they walked into the house and quickly removed their sandals. "Tanamari-san was very happy to see her."
"I can imagine." In the kitchen, the twins began putting things away while Atsui started dinner. The setting made it seem like a normal night, but there was an undercurrent to them that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "You all had us worried, you know," she said after a few minutes. "When the other team said you'd stayed back because of injuries, I thought Naiteki and Seishin were going to march to Konoha themselves to get answers. And for it to be those three you faced…"
"We're fine now, mother," Kurai insisted
"Then why didn't you return sooner?" Taru demanded, coming into the room. No one had heard him come into the house, and Atsui had not expected him home so early. His vest was still dusty, his hands smudged with dirt. He'd either been training, or on a mission. "Don't tell me Senjo was hurt and you waited-"
"Actually Father, they were waiting for me," Kurai interrupted as he stood and pulled down his shirt to expose the bandage still on his shoulder. Atsui and Kohaku stared at him with wide eyes, and a vein in Taru's neck visibly twitched.
"You and I will discuss this matter. Now."
"Father, wait-" Kohaku began.
"You help your mother, Kohaku. I just need Kurai to tell me what happened." Without another word the two men went into the training room and closed the door.
"He didn't do anything wrong!" the girl shouted, slamming her fists on the table. It was then that Atsui realized she wasn't wearing her armguards, and she quickly went to her daughter's side. "He was only helping me." The last part was whispered, and Kohaku bent her head and clenched her fists. Atsui reached out her arm, every part of her mind screaming that she shouldn't do this.
'She's a ninja, this is what they do. She's a Chuunin of Sand, this is the life she chose. This is what battle does to people. She has killed people, injured them, and keeps going back for more.' But the older woman shook her head and clenched her own fist as she shut out all thoughts but one: 'She is my daughter.' Wrapping her arms around Kohaku, Atsui pulled her into a hug like she had done when the children had been younger. To her surprise, Kohaku didn't pull away, and even hugged her in return.
"Kurai came to help me, after he had dealt with Makoto. But she had injured him more than he wanted to admit, but still he kept attacking Tansei. Even after we killed him, he still wanted to go after Senjo and make sure she was okay. He was willing to sacrifice himself to help us. Why can't that be enough for Father?"
"At one time, it was. He knew the value of teamwork and depending on your friends in a tough situation. But he's hidden that under his hatred for the desert child and the contempt for the village even allowing it to happen. That's why I don't want either of you to become like that, to lose yourself the way your father has."
"I used to think that Kurai was following that path, but I think the time we've spent helping Konoha has changed him. That, and Senjo never gave up on him."
"Then you did?" Kohaku pulled away then, staring at her scars for a moment.
"I did, because I thought he was pulling away from us. But when I saw him in the clearing when Tansei had me, I knew that he was done trying to be like Father, and back to being Kurai." Atsui swallowed a lump in her throat and placed her hand on Kohaku's arm, feeling the scars for the first time since she'd gotten them.
"What did he do to you?" Her eyes darkened, her grip tightening. "What did that bastard do to you?" Kohaku locked eyes with her mother for a moment, allowing a part of the emotion she'd felt during the fight to surface. Kurai displayed his "darkness" openly, as an intimidation factor, but she kept hers hidden. But it was no less frightening to someone who was facing her in battle, and even her own mother had to look away.
"He tried to torture me again, but I killed him. I wasn't about to become that same frightened little girl, no matter what I felt for him." Kohaku smiled then, and the darkness faded. "But I'm still myself, mother. I will always be Kohaku."
"I know. I still worry about you. That's my job as a mother. You hunt, I help. You injure, I nurture. You kill, I comfort. One day when you have children, you'll understand." Atsui hugged her daughter again, then went back to making dinner. Kohaku was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"When we left Senjo at home, Tanamari-san asked us to deliver a message to Father. I was just trying to figure out a way to tell him that wouldn't get us killed."
"What's the message?"
"That his former teammates hope he pulls the stick out of his ass before he says something stupid to us." Her mother dropped the knife she was holding onto the cutting board, and Kohaku stood.
"Seishin… Seishin said that?" It was not the first time she'd heard the comment from the other man, but this time, something was bothering her about it.
"Mother, are you all right?" Daichi asked as he came into the room, even as Kohaku nodded.
"You two stay here. I need to talk to your father." As she passed by the children, they both heard her whisper: "Before their fears are realized."
Kurai could tell his father was angry. Taru was standing next to a large rock, one hand on it surface and one by his side. His eyes never left Kurai, who was standing in the middle of the training area. Every so often, Taru would shift his weight from one leg to the other, and the hand on the rock would clench into a fist, and then relax. Kurai had never seen his father take that stance before, and something about it unnerved him. 'Now I know how a mouse feels when a hawk is circling.'
"Tell me what happened," his father said, voice slightly betraying his anger.
"We separated once we were inside the Fire Country's borders, hoping to locate our target faster. But soon after the split, we were attacked by Akanaho Tansei's team, and they proved more difficult-"
"Difficult? They were Genins!" Taru yelled, hand sliding off the rock. "You mean to say a lower-rank traitor was a problem for you? You are a Chuunin; you have been through years of training. Do you mean to say that my taking the time to train you better in our family techniques was a waste?" He looked away for a moment. "And you call yourself my son?" The moment the words registered, anger and embarrassment flared red in Kurai's face.
"Makoto-"
"Makoto? You found her difficult? She came from a family of med-nins! Everything about her was weak. Your brother would be able to take her." Kurai's fists were clenched, but he willed himself to stay in one place.
"Two years changed her. She learned things from Orochimaru-"
"Not even he can turn failures-"
"Yes he can." Kurai's voice was dangerously low, his teeth grinding against one another as he took a step towards his father. "You weren't there, so you have no idea. Makoto learned a forbidden technique, and with it she created an exact clone of me. It was the clone I had to fight, and only my training with you allowed me to win." He nearly choked on the partial-lie even as he said it, but he wasn't going to anger his father any more than he already was. "Tansei was another matter entirely. I went to help Kohaku, and by the time I got there, it was clear that they'd been fighting for a while. He had some new technique that involved sound waves, and he had us damn near immobile. Kohaku ended up figuring out how to get around the ability, and she was the one who ended the fight. When I went to go to Senjo, I collapsed. My clone had taken a decent amount of my chakra to defeat, and then Tansei physically wore me out. That's why we stayed behind in Konoha. I needed time to recover, because as much as I hate admitting it, the Sound sent some decent opposition for us."
"Senjo didn't seem to have a problem with Kuro." The smirk was on his father's face, and Kurai felt his legs still moving forward, even though he was trying to stop. He noticed his father's hand had gone back to the rock, and he could sense chakra moving between the two, but he was angry enough to dismiss it as Taru trying to remain calm as well. Right now he needed every ounce of will not to hit the older man.
"Kuro dealt mostly with genjutsu, and Senjo said he treated her as if she was the same person. He was stupid, where Makoto and Tansei weren't. They still underestimated us, but Kuro was the worst."
"They still should not have been a problem. If you're going to challenge Gaara-"
"Father, why are you so eager for me to challenge him? Everyone I've talked to believes it's suicide."
"It's your duty!" Taru shouted, coming right into Kurai's face. "You have a duty to this clan, and as my son. We need to regain our honor, and the only way to do that is to have you defeat that monster in battle."
"What if I don't believe that anymore?" Kurai whispered, staring into Taru's eyes.
"Then you aren't fit to be called my son. You will either obey my wishes, or you will be disowned." Taru went back to the rock, and now the chakra flow increased. Kurai stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide, fighting to breathe normally. The door suddenly flew open, and Atsui walked in, followed by Kohaku and Daichi. "Atsui, I told you-"
"Taru, I need to discuss a few things with you." Her voice was calm, but Kurai detected a strangled tone to it. "Children, to your rooms."
"Atsui-" The woman held up a hand, fixing her eyes on her husband. She saw the stance he was in, and her gaze widened for a moment. Kohaku walked over to her brother and pulled him from the room.
"Now." That one word, from the mouth of the woman who had never been a ninja, forced the hairs on everyone's arms to rise. Daichi scurried out of the room, and the twins followed him before the door was slammed shut.
"Mom was really annoyed," Daichi stated. They all stared at the door, and muffled yelling could be heard.
"Annoyed doesn't even begin to describe it," Kohaku said.
"Senjo, I'd like to speak to you after dinner," Naiteki said that evening as they were sitting down.
"Sure," she replied, slightly puzzled. The meal was eaten in silence, and even Inkei seemed to realize that something was up. After the table had been cleared, Seishin and Inkei left the women alone. The moment the boys were gone, Senjo found herself pulled into a fierce hug. "Mother, what's wrong?" Nothing had been said about her return, and the sudden show of affection was unlike Naiteki.
"If I had thought for an instant that they had gone to the Sound village, I'd have faced Orochimaru myself to get them." The woman whispered, staring into her daughter's eyes. "Those three were dangerous, no matter what the previous Kazekage thought." She had kept her composure throughout the day when dealing with her staff and the Kazekage, but now she was ready to hit something. Things might have gone very differently if not for Senjo's and the twins' training.
"But we beat them," the redhead pointed out. "And we came out mostly unscathed." Naiteki smiled as she released her tight grip.
"You're my daughter, and a Chuunin of Sand. I wouldn't have accepted anything less." Senjo smiled and bowed her head for a moment.
"I know."
"Still, I must say I was surprised by Kuro's punishment. I thought you weren't that sadistic?" At the mention of the boy's name, Senjo's eyes darkened, and her fists clenched for a moment.
"He's an enemy who deserved no better. Besides, weren't you the one to tell me to become sadistic? That if I wasn't, I would break long before my prisoners?"
"So I did." They were silent for a few minutes.
"How did you find out?" the girl finally asked.
"From Kuro himself, actually." When she saw her daughter's eyes widen, Naiteki patted her arm. "Don't worry, he didn't break out of your technique. But when I went peeking into his mind, I ended up finding out what you'd done."
"Like I said, he deserved no better."
"You're going to need to make sure he stays in that genjutsu. It won't take much; maybe a reapplication of chakra once a week or so."
"I know." Senjo thought for a moment, then smiled. "Is that how you knew? When you detected my chakra still in his mind?"
"Yes and no. Like I said, I needed to know what you'd done, and Kankuro only told me that he found Kuro like that with you. I detected your chakra when I tried to trace his memories of your fight."
"How is he enjoying his punishment?" Naiteki's sadistic grin matched Senjo's.
"Not one bit. He didn't see me, or else I think he would've died on the spot." She chuckled, then yawned. "Well, we should both turn in. We've got a busy day tomorrow, and the Kazekage will want a full report on what you heard from Kuro."
"Yes mother." Walking up to her room, Senjo shook her head and tapped the wall. "Inkei, you're not very good at hiding yet. If mother catches you-"
"I know, she'll twist my mind like a string puzzle," the boy said as he stepped out of the shadows in the hallway. "But I heard everyone talking about how you broke Kuro, and I wanted to see what you'd done. But mother never told me, and said I don't need to worry about it."
"She's right, you don't. It was my battle, and I took care of it. You'll have your own enemies to deal with when you become a ninja." A grin broke out on Inkei's face: A smaller version of her sadistic grin.
"What was it like, to finally teach that bastard a lesson?"
"It felt good."
"I never liked him. Kuro was always so full of himself, and he was always bossing you around. Why didn't you ever fight back when he first started?"
"I was a different person, Inkei," Senjo said softly. "And Kuro still thought I was the same when he saw me in the forest. That's how I was able to beat him." She turned to open the door to her room, when she felt Inkei tugging on her vest.
"What did you do, anyway? Please tell me? I promise I won't say a word to anyone else, not even Daichi." She looked him square in the eyes, not saying anything for a moment, then sighed.
"Very well. I trapped Kuro in his own mind, in what looks like a classroom. Except that this classroom has a movie projector running all the time. And the movies it shows are of me. Me living my life without him, and being happy." When her brother looked puzzled, she chuckled. "See, Kuro always thought I needed him to live, to be happy. It was why he bossed me around when I was younger, because he knew I would always come back to him. So I'm showing him what kind of person I've become without him, and how happy I am now. And if he ever tries to leave the classroom, I have a trap ready: If he ever tries to break out of the technique, he'll see me, Kohaku, and Kurai surround him. That's when we'll take turns beating the hell out of him."
"Wow," Inkei said, eyes wide. "But doesn't that take a lot of chakra to maintain?"
"I have to keep feeding chakra to the genjutsu, but as I learn to control it, the energy it needs will drop slightly. And who knows, maybe one day I'll let Kuro out."
"Why would you do that?" Senjo grinned and shrugged.
"So he can meet mine and Kurai's kids."
"Inkei, move it!" Naiteki yelled up the stairs the next morning. "Your sister doesn't have all day!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming," he replied as he nearly tripped down the steps. "Like Senjo never slept late when she was my age?"
"Not if dad and a cup of water had anything to say about it," the redhead shot back as Naiteki waved a spoon in Inkei's face like it was a kunai. He quickly sat down, and Seishin and Senjo dissolved into chuckles.
"I want you two down by the sentry posts at the cliff," Naiteki explained as she sat down to eat. "Practice the self-concealing genjutsu, then move on to covering each other. The moment one of the sentries see you, it'll be time to try again."
"Yes ma'am," the siblings chorused. While she wasn't exactly looking forward to spending all day with her brother, Senjo knew her mother was very busy, and someone needed to teach him the tricks of the family. Seishin was quiet content to let Naiteki pass on her techniques, as he had no unique ones of his own. A knock sounded on the front door, and everyone looked up.
"I thought we were getting mission orders at the Kazekage's office," Seishin said as he went to answer it.
"I did too." But when her father came back with Hajino-san and Atsui-san, Senjo nearly choked on her food. Naiteki's eyes shifted between her guests and the kids. "Out," she ordered after a moment of awkward silence.
"Going," Senjo told her, half-dragging Inkei out the door. When the adults were alone, the village interrogator stood up and offered her chair to Atsui.
"No, thank you," the woman replied, smiling a little. Taru was glaring at Seishin, who had on an unfazed look.
"You had no right!" the dark-haired man shouted suddenly, rounding on his former teammate. Atsui took a step back even as Seishin held his ground.
"No right to do what? No right to tell your kids how much of an ass you're being towards them? Taru, I had-"
"They're my children! I will raise them as I see fit. I don't care what the relationship between Kurai and Senjo is; I will not have you two meddling in my personal affairs."
"Hold on a moment, Taru," Naiteki interjected. "Whatever Seishin said is between you and him. However, I will agree that you are pushing those three a lot harder than you should be."
"How I treat my children is none of your business!"
"Taru, they are your friends," Atsui argued gently. "They just want to help."
"I don't need it. The twins are fine, and Daichi will soon become a responsible ninja just like his brother."
"Who is just as stubborn and egotistical as you are," Seishin shot back. "You're stifling your son, Taru. Let him grow as his own person."
"Like you're one to talk? Naiteki runs this family, even though the children bear your name. Some father you are." Seishin's cheeks almost matched his hair, and now the women stepped forward.
"You are sorely testing my patience today, Taru," Naiteki warned. "Seishin has no family techniques to pass on, and the childrens' training was discussed long before they started it. Just because we're concerned for the well-being of our friends doesn't give you the right to storm in here and insult us."
"Big talk for a-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Atsui suddenly slammed her hands down on the counter, startling all of them.
"Stop it, all of you!" she screamed. "I am so sick of this. Just because we have children does not mean we need to act like them." She turned to her husband, eyes narrowed. "Tell them what you were doing yesterday with Kurai. Tell them about the stance you took with him."
"Stance?" the Tanamaris asked.
"Atsui-" Taru's voice was quiet, but it was a forced quiet. He was angry, even beyond that. But she was a mother first and foremost, and she would not let a threat to her children go unanswered.
"You were standing by a rock, with one hand on it! Your legs were braced for a charge. I saw your eyes, Taru. They were cold, calculating. You were a Jounin in there, not a father. You were ready to kill your own son!" Silence descended on the room as Seishin and Naiteki felt their jaws drop and their eyes widen.
"Taru, is this true?"
"Only if he'd made a move against me, Naiteki."
"You threatened to disown him!" Atsui continued. She turned to the other two. "Taru wants Kurai to fight the desert child. When Kurai voiced a different opinion, Taru threatened to cast him out of the family." No one moved, no one even seemed to breathe. And then Seishin moved, stepping forward and throwing a right cross at Taru, catching him full in the jaw.
"You stupid son-of-a-bitch!" he yelled as the other man crashed to the floor. Atsui moved to assist her husband, but Naiteki put out her arm and stopped her.
"Let it go," she said, eyes narrowed at her former teammate. "Because I'm a few seconds away from doing the same thing."
"He's your son!" Seishin was going on. "Your flesh and blood, a child you helped create. Forget about the heir to the clan, forget about regaining the family honor, and forget about any sort of grudge you hold for the previous Kazekage and his child. Kurai has turned out to be a decent young man, despite all your efforts to change him into a clone of yourself. He is not you, Taru, and never will be. Don't throw away a good thing just because you don't think he's perfect. You've let Kohaku and Daichi follow their own ways, so why not Kurai?"
"Because they are not my first-born son. They do not hold the future of our family in their hands. If you were from a bloodlined-clan, you'd understand that," came the reply as Taru stood up and wiped away a trickle of blood from his split lip.
"Every child is just as important," Naiteki broke in. "Senjo is our first-born, and she will always be better in our techniques than Inkei. Not because of any patriarchal bullshit, but because that's who she is. You have such diversity in your own children. The only problem is that you're too blind to appreciate it." Stepping to the front door, Taru put his sandals on and stepped into the doorway.
"I will not tolerate any meddling in my children's affairs. I am their father, and I will do with them what I wish. Atsui, let's go."
"I'll be along later," she said softly, meeting his gaze directly.
"So be it." The door slammed shut, and she collapsed into Naiteki's arms.
"How could he think that? Those are our children."
"Not to Taru. They're only weapons in his mind," Naiteki said.
"Atsui, I apologize," Seishin said as he came over. "I never meant for it to come down like that. I just wanted to try and talk some sense into him."
"I know, and I thank you both for trying. At least I know the children have somewhere to come if anything ever happened."
"And if it did, I'd march every available person I have down to your house and throw Taru in a cell for a night or three. But at this point, it's up to the kids how they handle things."
"I know. I just hope Kurai makes the right decision."
"He will," Seishin said with a smile. "He's got enough of you in him to balance out that egotistical Hajino side."
"We'll see," Naiteki whispered dryly.
Kohaku and Kurai stepped out of the village interrogator's office, shaking their heads to clear them. "A necessary evil," Naiteki told them, sounding slightly apologetic "But now at least I can make a full report on the rank of those missing-nins."
"Sure," Kurai said, rotating his injured shoulder to loosen it. Though he knew reliving the memories was a partial illusion, it still unnerved him. Senjo's mental abilities were fast approaching her mother's, and there would be a time when she would change. Just like he had…
"Kohaku, would you mind hanging back a moment?"
"Is there a problem, Naiteki-san?" She tried to smile, but an undercurrent of worry was visible in her eyes. Had the older woman seen something in her memories that was a concern? More than likely, especially if her thoughts regarding Tansei had been read. Her thoughts had been of forsaking the village and joining the boy she'd loved, and that was treason no matter how you looked at it.
"Just some girl talk," came the reply. Kurai took the hint and began walking.
"I need to talk to Daichi about something, anyway. See you at home." When he was out of earshot, Naiteki's hand came down on her shoulder.
"Your parents came to see us this morning."
"I know. They left right after breakfast."
"Have you been home since?" Kohaku shook her head. "Might I suggest you avoid your father for a little while. He left less than happy."
"Naiteki-san, you can't protect us from him, or what he does," Kohaku said as she turned to face her teammate's mother. "I appreciate what you and Tanamari-san are trying to do, but Father is very set in his ways. He'll regain the family honor even if it kills us." The way she said it so calmly made the woman repress a shiver.
"Kohaku, I know you and Kurai can handle yourselves as far as missions and other shinobi duties. But are you really willing to sacrifice yourself to fight Gaara?"
"No, and neither are my brothers."
"Then what-"
"Naiteki-san, let us make our own ways, just as you all did. Whether Father accepts what we do or not remains to be seen, but at least we'll be happy. Kurai is the one who will challenge Gaara if he wants to, but he'll do it for his own reasons. As for Daichi and myself, we're doing okay so far, don't you think?" Kohaku smiled for real, and Naiteki returned it, patting her shoulder lightly.
"You are. Now get home and see to your mother. I think she could use a little more help than usual." The girl nodded and darted off, and the woman leaned against the wall of her office, arms crossed over her chest. "Senjo, you're getting better, but not enough to outsmart me yet." The girl stepped into view out of her concealment genjutsu, almost as if she just walked out of the wall. "I assume you heard everything?"
"Yes… Mother, I need to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Kohaku… You saw her view of the fight with Tansei?" Naiteki nodded. "What did he say to her? What happened? She seemed so different after that fight."
"He tried to finish what he started two years ago, but on a different level. In some ways, it was similar to what Kuro was doing to you."
"But then why I was able to resist him easier?"
"Because you have Kurai, and you hated Kuro long before he ever tried to hurt you." When Senjo turned wide eyes to her mother, Naiteki flashed a fierce grin at her. "I looked into his memories, and I saw that little tidbit among the scenes he showed you. He's lucky that we need him alive for now. I haven't told your father yet."
"I kind of figured, by the fact that he hasn't been shadowing me since I came home." She laughed a little at the thought, but then became serious again.
"Kohaku will be fine, but she will be different when she finally finds her place. Just as you and Kurai have found your niches, so will she."
"But-" Naiteki placed a hand on Senjo's shoulders, pulling her in close.
"You can't help everyone, Senjo. She will always be your teammate and friend, but every shinobi walks their own path. You just have to learn to let them."
Daichi was alone in the training room when Kurai walked in. The younger boy cast a glance in his direction, then went back to lengthening a rock he held. When it was slightly longer than a kunai, he flicked his wrist and threw it at a human-shaped target painted on the far wall. Kurai's eyes widened as he watched the weapon land solidly in the target's neck. "You've gotten a lot better."
"Thanks." The brothers stared at one another for a moment, and then Daichi turned to leave.
"Wait," Kurai said. "I want to talk to you."
"About what?" Another pause, and this time Daichi's eyes widened as Kurai dropped to all fours and bent his head to the ground. "Kurai-"
"Forgive me, Daichi. I haven't been much of a brother to you. I let Father's and my own anger rule me. Your techniques are your own, no matter where you learned them, and I had no right to hurt you like I did. I'm sorry." There was silence for a few minutes as Daichi tried to speak.
"What brought this on? And will you stand up, please? You're making me feel weird." Kurai stood and approached his brother, placing both hands on his shoulders.
"When I was still in the academy, I would watch Gaara, to get an idea of the techniques he used. I even copied one of them, hoping to perfect it for the clan. But when I showed Father, he threatened to disown me, and told me that I was never to use any of that monster's techniques again. I never forgot how to do it though, and during my fight with one of the Sound ninjas, I used it to defeat her."
"You did?" Daichi's eyes were still wide, and his jaw had gone slightly slack. He liked this new side of Kurai. "Which technique was it?"
"Desert Coffin. Kohaku got me to thinking about why I used it during the fight, and why I had first learned it. That's when I realized that you were learning the Sand Armor for the same reason: So that we could make it part of our clan's techniques."
"Right. Different masters have different styles, but there's no law saying one master can't learn from another." Kurai quirked an eyebrow.
"Are you sure you're still ten? I don't remember you ever being this serious."
"I just listen to people, but mostly I get it from mother."
"At least you inherited something good."
"You did too. It just took you a lot longer to realize it." They smiled, and then Kurai dropped his hands and sighed. "What is it?"
"I have a favor to ask."
"Oh?"
"Bring me with you when you go watch Gaara next time. If I'm going to challenge him, I need to see what I'm up against."
"You sure you want to do that, Kurai?"
"I need to do this, Daichi. You'll understand when I issue the challenge."
"If you say so."