In which Yugito calls on a promise, Yagura visits the red light district, and Fuu goes to school.
O-O-O-O-O
Yugito played with the small envelope in her pocket that declared her a jounin. Samui and Mabui walked at her side, smiles on their faces. Like her, they had been promoted, although only to chuunin level. She heard Samui and Mabui talking, but Yugito tuned them out.
Behind them walked Tsuyoi-sensei, who had a look of pride in his eyes. Farther back were the other shinobi. At the end was the Raikage, who had gone to Iwagakure as a judge. Of the rest of the genin, only Darui and C had earned their promotion. The two boys walked side by side, already wearing their new vests.
As they walked, the walls of Kumogakure got larger and larger. She shivered in anticipation. The other shinobi also began to buzz in excitement as their village got closer.
After two months in Iwagakure, Yugito missed her hometown and her bed. In addition, B had promised to take her to Genbu only after she got promoted. She was going to hold him to that promise. She had been able to speak with B a few times through the Room, but interacting with him in person was better.
To her surprise, instead of the normal gate guards, Killer B met them. He stood at the top of the main gate and looked out at the group of returning ninja.
"Welcome back home, ya dumbass phonies!" He smiled at the gathered shinobi. "I want to say congratulations, some of you changed your stations! You went from zero to the village's hero, yeah!"
Most of them stared up at B in awe, but Yugito rolled her eyes. She used chakra to leap up to Killer B's side.
"B, I think you promised me something once I became chuunin," she said.
"But, Yugito, you're a jounin," Killer B tried to argue. "I promised at chuunin, we can't quite begin! You dumbass phony!"
"Don't try to weasel out of it, B!" she yelled. "A promise is a promise! If you don't take me, I'll tell Raikage-sama that you lied to me!"
"Fine, little kitten." He sighed. "We set out real soon, just don't change your tune, yeah!"
"Good," she said with a sincere smile. B grinned back at her.
"I'm very happy for you two, but could you please get down so we can open the gate?" Samui shouted at them from the ground.
The two jinchuuriki froze. They had been so focused on their conversation, they had forgotten about the shinobi waiting to enter. Both of them looked sheepishly back at the waiting ninja.
"Sorry," Yugito apologized as she jumped back down.
O-O-O-O-O
Yagura looked at the bright lanterns of the red-light district and hoped that he had reached the end.
He had spent over a month tracking down his family after leaving the island. He had traveled back and forth through the many tiny nations in the southern part of the world. After what had felt like forever, he had finally reached the end of the trail at Tanzaku Quarters. How paranoid was Anzu about being found?
Crowds of people, mostly older men, walked the tiny streets and alleys of the district. Most of them had younger women entwined in their arms or bottles of alcohol in their hands.
Yagura double-checked his henge. He had transformed into Roshi, but with slight differences. He had changed Roshi's vivid red hair for his own gray hair, making the man look older. He had changed the clothes, too, forgoing Roshi's ninja attire for what passed as the clothes of a rich older man.
His stomach stirred nervously as he headed toward the first brothel on the street. He hoped to get lucky on the first try.
He entered the brothel and walked towards the front desk. A pretty young woman with hair pinned up in twin buns greeted him with a smile.
"Hello, sir, welcome, what kind of service are you looking for?" she asked. She stared down at his clothes, trying to get a sense of how much money he had.
"I have a specific type," Yagura grunted, trying to imitate Roshi's rough style of speaking. "I want to see pictures of all your girls."
"Certainly, sir," the woman said before handing over a large album.
Yagura flipped it open. He was greeted by pictures of scantily-clad women posed provocatively. He instinctively wanted to slam the album closed in embarrassment, but he couldn't.
Sending a mental apology to his wife, he inspected the faces of the women, looking for Anzu's distinctive small scar under her left eye. However, none of the women in the album shared her small frame and he closed the book, disappointed.
"I don't like the look of any of these girls," Yagura said with a sigh.
Before the woman at the front desk could try to offer him a deal, he left. He went back to the main street of the red-light district. With a groan of impatience, he headed to the brothel next door.
Yagura had no luck with the next few brothels. When he stepped into the latest one, he had gotten tired of seeing pictures of nearly-naked women that were not his wife. With a frustrated groan, he walked towards the front desk.
"How may I help you, sir?" an old woman asked.
Yagura looked around the entrance. It was one of the nicest brothels he had ever seen. The floors were clean and the entrance was well-decorated. It was clear that their services were targeted toward higher-end clients.
"I have a specific type," he said for what he hoped was the last time. "I want to see pictures of your girls."
"Of course, sir," the woman said while handing over a large photo album.
He opened the album and began to flip through the pages. Unlike the previous businesses, he saw no provocative, barely-dressed women. Instead, the women wore beautiful kimonos and posed demurely. Each girl had their own page with short biographies next to their picture.
"This place looks well-managed," he commented as he flipped past the first page.
"We pride ourselves on our quality," the woman explained with a small bow. "Our Oiran are all well-trained in many different types of art."
Yagura grunted in response. If he was going to find Anzu, it would be in that kind of establishment. She was a trained kunoichi specializing in seduction and assassination. If she was hiding anywhere, it would be in a high-class brothel.
Yagura flipped past the first few profiles when he finally found exactly who he wanted. In the photo, Anzu was kneeling on the floor while making tea. She smiled with half-lidded eyes at the camera. The short profile next to her picture gave her name as Kyoko, but the small scar under her left eye was unmistakable.
Trying not to cry in relief, he looked up at the old woman. "Is this one available for tonight?"
"She is," the woman answered with a smile. "What kind of service would you like?"
"All night," Yagura ordered excitedly, placing the photo album on the counter. "Private room, of course."
"Yes, sir I will call for Kyoko-chan. That will be 554,000 Ryo," the woman said.
Yagura almost balked when he heard the price. He shook his head as he reached for his bag. At least he had taken some money when he escaped from Kirigakure. Leave it to Anzu to stay at this kind of brothel. I'm going to need to make money soon.
He handed over almost all of his money. Pained, he watched as the woman carefully unfolded and calculated the total. He tapped his foot impatiently while he waited. He would pay anything just to see Anzu one more time.
When she finished counting, the woman looked at him with a satisfied nod. "I will fetch her. She is one of our best and I'm sure you will have a good night together."
"I'm sure I will."
The woman gave him a parting bow before she left to fetch Anzu. While he waited, Yagura crossed his arms and looked around the entrance. He hoped it wouldn't take long. To his relief, the old woman returned quickly, a short and slender woman following behind her.
Yagura's heart skipped a beat when he saw his wife. Her hair was much longer than he remembered and was pinned back in a half ponytail. The sharp violet eyes were unmistakably hers. She looked past the woman to stare blankly at Yagura, who had almost forgotten he was wearing Roshi's form.
He wanted to run up to her immediately but instead, he bit his tongue and waited. Anzu stood in front of him and bowed.
"Good evening, sir, I will provide service for tonight. I hope I will be satisfactory," Anzu said with a fake smile.
Yagura's heart was threatening to beat out of his chest. He looked down at Anzu's petite form. He cleared his throat and motioned for her to stand up.
"Of course. Your face called out to me," he said, causing Anzu to tilt her head to the side and smile at him again. He could tell, however, that the smile was fake and she only saw him as yet another rich customer.
"Sir, if you will follow me, we can go to my room," Anzu said.
She took his arm and led him down a hallway toward a wooden door, which she opened with a small key.
"After you, sir."
She held the door open and Yagura entered a well-decorated bedroom. There was a large bed on one side of the room and a dresser on the other. An armchair and mirror were in the corner. Tasteful woodblock paintings decorated the walls. There was a small table with two chairs in the middle of the room. Looking at the bed, his heart beat faster. For a second, he felt like a love-struck, hormonal teenager all over again.
"Would you like anything before we start, sir?" she asked as she closed the door behind her.
Yagura cleared his throat. "Some tea would be nice." He had always loved the way she made tea.
"Of course, sir," she said as she turned on the kettle on top of the dresser.
Yagura sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Anzu working. She turned her back to him as she made the drink, moving gracefully and placing two small cups on the table. He took the time to admire her movements.
Yagura looked around the bedroom to search for potential spies or eavesdroppers. To his relief, the room was clear and he sensed no one but himself and Anzu inside. It was time to reveal himself. He took in a deep breath to clear his throat and placed the palms of his hands on his knees. He exhaled deeply before speaking.
"Before my bed, the moonlight is bright," he recited the first line of their favorite poem.
Anzu froze before spinning around and looking at him with eyes wide open. Her jaw dropped in surprise. Her eyes fell upon Yagura's gray hair in recognition. She swallowed before answering with the next line of their code.
"I take it for frost on the ground," she placed the kettle back on the counter and took a step closer.
"Lifting my head, I gaze at the bright moon." Yagura recited the third line of the poem and Anzu took yet another step closer.
"Lowering my head, I think of my old home." She stood in front of him, looking down at Roshi's form in disbelief.
Yagura glanced up in uncertainty. "Hi, Anzu, how nice to see you again."
Anzu clapped her hands over her mouth in surprise. Her eyes filled up with tears and she let out a small disbelieving chuckle.
"Yagura?" she asked with hands covering her mouth.
"It's me, love," Yagura answered as he dropped the henge.
Anzu threw herself on top of Yagura, pushing them both onto the bed.
"I thought you were dead," she whispered in his ear with a shaky voice. "We got the news that Kirigakure had a new Mizukage. I couldn't believe that little Mei-chan had managed to kill you."
"No, she didn't," he answered, grabbing onto her kimono and pulling her closer.
They stayed together for a few minutes, simply holding onto each other. Anzu was sobbing softly onto his shoulder in relief. He could feel her tears falling onto his face. After a few minutes, she calmed down and she rolled over to lie down next to Yagura, placing her head on his shoulder.
"What happened?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
Yagura sighed. "It's a long story. We should get some tea first."
"You always did love my tea," she said as she sat up.
He moved his right hand down her face and arm, grabbing onto her hand. He didn't want to let go and he sat up next to her. He leaned in, putting his lips on top of hers. She returned the embrace hungrily, running her hands through his hair and down his body.
She froze when she first touched his left arm. She looked down at his newly scarred hand and gave him a worried look. Yagura shrugged, making her roll her eyes and snort.
"You better tell me the full story soon," she complained.
"I will," he promised.
With a smile, she stood up and walked back to the kettle, where she continued to prepare the drinks. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed again. He tried not to blink as he watched her work, not wanting to miss a single second.
"How are the kids?" he asked.
"They're doing great," she said as she poured the hot water into the teapot. "Asahi likes to practice throwing shuriken when I'm not around. His aim is getting better. Kasumi doesn't follow Asahi around like a lost puppy, but she usually crawls into his bed in the middle of the night."
Yagura chuckled. "Is that so? Is Asahi's favorite color still pink?"
"He says it isn't." Anzu rolled her eyes. "Because he says that the color is for girls. But he is always coloring things in pink and he always chooses pink clothes. Kids are just like that."
"How is he doing with his shinobi training?"
"He's doing well. He's not a prodigy of any sort, but he has potential. Kasumi is really talented. She's only five and she already knows how to throw multiple kunai and shuriken at the same time."
"She gets the talent from her mother," Yagura teased.
Anzu chuckled. "Don't flatter me. We're already married. You don't need to try so hard."
"It's not flattery if it's the truth," he replied with a grin.
As she waited for the tea to steep, she turned to him with a raised eyebrow. She gave him a familiar fond look and walked back to stand in front of him. He took her hands in his and he pulled her in for another kiss.
When they broke apart, Anzu looked at him with an amused look and a quirked eyebrow. "So are you finally going to tell me the whole wonderful story?"
"I will tell you everything."
He stood up and sat down at the table. She handed him a cup of tea and he took it appreciatively, blowing on the surface before taking a sip. It tasted even better than he remembered and he gave a big sigh of appreciation. Anzu really knows how to brew tea.
"So are you going to tell me what happened, now?" Anzu prodded impatiently before she took a sip out of her own cup.
Yagura nodded and began to speak. Just as with the jinchuuriki, Anzu's frown only deepened as his retelling progressed. She grabbed for his hand in the middle of the story. He talked as they held hands. When he finished, Anzu looked anxiously at Yagura, chewing her lip in worry.
"So this mercenary group is after you, Yagura?" she asked. "For being a jinchuuriki?"
"I'm not sure why the masked man chose me," he admitted. "It could have been because I'm a jinchuuriki or because I was the Mizukage. Or it could have been something else entirely. In any case, now that everyone thinks I died, I need to gather as much intel as I can find about this group."
"So you're not going to stay with us, then?" Anzu looked down at her hands with disappointment and resignation.
Yagura ran his healthy fingers through her hair. "What happened is more than just me, love. I don't know what they want and if it's a threat to our village, I need to find out. Not just for our family, but for all of Kirigakure."
"I know," Anzu answered while she looked away. "But I still hate it. I want the kids to grow up with you in their lives."
"As do I," Yagura kissed her cheek. "I want to see the kids one last time before I leave, though. Where are they?"
"They are sleeping in our residential area. I bet that Kasumi has already crawled into Asahi's bed." She chuckled again and Yagura took the time to appreciate the dimples on her cheeks.
"Can we see them now?" he asked.
"We can, but you should leave clones here just in case. Akane-sama never interrupts our work, but you never know."
Together, they formed the Ram sign. Two clones appeared in front of them, one looking like Roshi and another like Anzu. With a Tiger sign, they cast the Camouflage Jutsu next. Anzu checked if there was anyone at the door before leaving, pulling Yagura by the hand. They walked down the hall and into what looked like a residential area. Unlike the rest of the brothel, everything seemed more worn-down and lived-in.
"This way," Anzu whispered as she pulled him through a door at the end of the hall.
He allowed her to take him wherever she desired, enjoying the feel of her hand inside his. They soon reached a small door. He saw two signs on the outside with name plaques inscribed with 'Asahi' and 'Kasumi.'
They're on the other side of the door. His heart was beating faster in anticipation. He had been yearning to see them ever since the genjutsu broke. Now that they were on the other side of the door, he almost wanted to back away.
I'm going to make sure they're sleeping before letting you in, Anzu wrote the message on the palm of his hand with her finger.
She dropped the camouflage and opened the door, not making a single noise. She entered and walked toward a bed on the corner. Yagura peeked inside the room, but he could only see a vague shape that Anzu was hovering over.
Anzu walked back towards the door and pulled on Yagura's hand. Hesitantly, he walked inside. His eyes adjusted to the darkness within seconds and he looked down at the two sleeping children.
They are so much bigger.
Asahi was much taller than he remembered. Kasumi was sleeping next to her older brother, his arm draped over her in a protective hug. They were snoring softly, their chests moving up and down as they breathed. Watching them alive and breathing lifted a heavy weight from his shoulders. He was happy that he had gotten to see them one more time.
Yagura stared at them unblinkingly. He tried to memorize every detail, from the length of Kasumi's eyelashes to the number of freckles on Asahi's face. He wanted to wake them up and hug them blind, but he couldn't risk anyone else finding out about his survival.
Anzu stepped closer and took his arm, placing her head on top of his shoulder.
"They look very cute, don't they?" she whispered.
"Yeah. They are." Yagura felt his throat getting choked up but he forced himself to keep staring at the two children in bed.
"Are you crying?" Anzu asked, sounding both sympathetic and amused.
"No," Yagura lied, feeling his vision beginning to blur.
"Do you remember when Asahi was born? You cried for an hour when I put him in your arms. It was the same with Kasumi, remember?"
Yagura remembered. On the day of both of their births, he had paced anxiously outside the delivery room for hours. The news of a healthy birth had allowed him to join Anzu, who was holding the tiny baby in her arms.
When she handed the child over, he had been so overwhelmed with admiration at both his wife and children that he had started crying. Anzu had teased him about it for weeks afterward. Looking at them after everything that had happened, he felt like it was his first time seeing them again.
Anzu turned to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He took his free arm and cleared the tears out of his eyes. He could stay watching them forever, but he wanted to spend a final night with Anzu, too.
Let's go back, he wrote into her hand. Anzu took the lead again and hand-in-hand they snuck away back to the room.
O-O-O-O-O
Fuu fidgeted anxiously as she walked closer to the Academy building. Senji walked in front, leading the way.
She played with the straps of her backpack and the hem of her shirt. When she had told the other jinchuuriki about attending school, they had been worried. They had then told her about how teachers and other students had despised them.
She hoped that the children and teachers of Takigakure would be better. However, after listening to their stories, she had little hope. In addition, Suien had been taunting her that she was too stupid to be liked by other children. At the memory of his words, she bit her lip before she could start crying.
"Here we are, Fuu-sama." Senji stopped and gestured toward a small building located near Hisen's office.
Fuu looked up and saw a banner welcoming the new students. She gulped. Other children and their parents were already entering the Academy.
Watching the children walk in with their family made her stomach twist in despair. Fuu wished her mother were there. Ever since she became a jinchuuriki, her mother had been on an extended mission. She needs to come home already.
"Do I have to go?" she asked as she chewed her lip nervously, looking up at Senji.
"I thought you wanted to go?" Senji asked, amused. "You spent the last month excited about the first day of school."
"I changed my mind," Fuu said. Desperate, he turned to leave, but Senji grabbed onto her backpack before she could run away.
She looked up and pouted at the old man, who only looked down with an amused smile. "Come, Fuu-sama, I will walk you to your classroom."
Defeated, Fuu allowed Senji to drag her into the building. They walked through the front doors and down the hallway. They soon arrived at a classroom marked as Class 1-A. The door was open and Senji and Fuu walked in. There were a few children in the classroom, already forming new friendships.
The shinobi instructor was at the front, writing on the chalkboard. Senji walked towards him, pulling Fuu by the backpack.
"Takumi-san," Senji said, causing the teacher to turn towards the old man.
The teacher, Takumi, bowed deeply. "Senji-sama! I'm honored to see you here. What brings about this occasion?"
"I have to drop off Fuu-sama," Senji explained, grabbing onto Fuu's shoulder so that she couldn't escape. "She will start her training at the Academy today."
The teacher blinked and looked down at Fuu in curiosity before grinning down at her. "So this is..."
"Our village's newest student, yes," Senji interrupted. "Fuu-sama is nervous about joining the school and spending time with other children."
The teacher looked taken aback but took the interruption in stride. "Of course, a new student." He met Fuu's eyes and smiled. "Don't worry, kid. You'll fit right in. Tell me if the other children say anything, all right?"
Fuu's jaw dropped and she stared up at her new teacher in awe. He seemed much kinder than Suien or any of her other private tutors. She wondered if being in school wouldn't be so bad after all.
"You'll fit right in, Fuu," Takumi added while he went back to writing on the chalkboard. "Class doesn't start for another fifteen minutes, so you should sit down and meet your classmates."
Fuu nodded uncertainly, still amazed by Takumi's kindness. She glanced up at Senji and gave him a final anxious look before walking toward the desks. She turned around to look at Senji for support but the old man was already leaving. She gulped and looked at the other children.
A few of the other students glanced at her without saying anything. Fuu saw a pair of girls turn to stare and they talked to one another, keeping their eyes fixed on her. Embarrassed, Fuu forced herself not to react to their whispering. She sat down at a desk in the middle of the classroom, as far as she could get from the rest of the students.
She stared at the desk in a vain attempt to keep her mind occupied away from the girls talking about her. Her stomach was tossing and turning and she hoped that Takumi would begin the class already.
"Hey!" one of the girls walked closer and put her hands on Fuu's desk. Fuu looked up. The girl had lavender hair and large blue eyes.
"Ah, yes?" Fuu looked up and swallowed as she met the other girl's eyes. She remembered the other jinchuuriki's stories about being bullied in the Academy. She waited for the girl to speak.
"My name is Hana!" the girl said with a wide grin. "You have really cool hair! Rin and I were talking about it. You look kind of nervous. Do you want to sit with us?"
Fuu's looked wide-eyed at the girl again, expecting deception. However, Fuu could only see open curiosity in her eyes. The teacher had been kind to her, so perhaps the other students could be, too? Fuu bit her lip.
"My name is Fuu," she said. "Thank you? I like your hair, too."
"Aw, you're so nice!" Hana responded as she combed one hand through her long hair. "We should sit together! It's my first day, too, so me and Rin are super worried."
"Thank you!" Fuu said, her normal cheer coming back. "When Senji-sama told me I was going to school, I was really happy, but I got really worried this morning when I saw all of the other kids with their parents. My mom is on a mission right now, so she couldn't walk me to school."
"Wow, your mom is a shinobi?" Hana asked as she sat on the desk in front of Fuu. "What about your dad?"
Fuu shrugged. "I don't have one. I don't remember him so I guess he died a long time ago." Fuu knew nothing about her father. Sometimes, she thought she remembered a man laughing and spinning her around in the air. She wasn't sure if it was a dream or a memory.
"So do you already know shinobi stuff?" Hana asked, placing her cheek on the palm of her hand.
"A little," Fuu admitted. "Hisen-sama had this man named Suien train me since I was little. He's really mean, though. I don't like him. Takumi-sensei seems a lot nicer."
"I'm jealous, though!" the other girl said. "You already know how to throw shuriken and stuff, right?"
"Yeah, I'm only now learning about channeling chakra, but Senji-sama says my throwing skills are good." Fuu crossed her arms and puffed up her chest in self-satisfaction.
"Hey! Don't leave me out of the conversation! You were going to get her to come to us, Hana!" someone said. Fuu turned to the source of the voice. A girl with short blonde hair and green eyes walked to Fuu's desk, a small frown on her face.
She stood next to Hana and introduced herself. "My name is Rin," she said. "It's nice to meet you."
Fuu took her extended hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you, too! I was nervous that everyone would be mean, but everyone is being really nice!"
The girl rolled her eyes. "Of course. Why would they be mean? You should sit with us. Class is about to start."
Fuu looked up at the clock and saw that the class would indeed begin soon. She took her supplies in her hand. Happily, she walked and sat down with Hana and Rin.
They talked as they waited for the class to start, sharing information about themselves. Rin was serious and pessimistic while Hana was the opposite, bubbly and talkative. They told her they had grown up as neighbors and had been friends almost since birth. It reminded her a little of her relationship with Naruto and Gaara. I hope we'll be friends forever, too.
Soon enough, the class started and Takumi introduced himself as their instructor. He asked all the students to introduce themselves. One by one, they stood up and talked, giving their names, likes, dislikes, and dreams. Some looked nervous while others were more assertive during their introductions.
Finally, it was Fuu's turn. She stood up to stare at her classmates, her eyes fixed on her desk. Hana and Rin gave her encouraging smiles. She looked around at the other kids. Gladly, and to her surprise, none of them looked at her with the hate that Suien and her other instructors did. She swallowed to gather her courage.
"My name is Fuu," she began. "I'm six years old. I like practicing my new techniques and climbing trees. I don't like boring things. My dream is to be a really strong shinobi one day and make my mother proud."
Fuu sat down, feeling her face heating up. At her words, the other students clapped politely. She looked at Takumi, who looked at her with his brow furrowed. For a second, she wondered why he looked concerned. She pushed the thought away from her mind when Rin stood up to introduce herself.
After introductions, the class began. Takumi explained how their studies would be separated. They would improve their academic skills in the morning and their physical conditioning in the afternoon. For their first two years at the Academy, they would learn about ninjutsu only on Saturdays.
Once Takumi finished explaining everything, the rest of the morning flew by. To her delight, classes were more fun than she had expected.
When she raised her hand, instead of mocking her like Suien, Takumi answered her questions. When he asked if anyone could name the five major elemental countries, she recited them all. He had smiled at her knowledge and the other students had seemed amazed at her knowledge. Fuu had to force herself not to blush with pride at the attention.
At noon, the bell rang and Takumi told them that it was time for lunch. Some of the kids ran out immediately, but Fuu waited with Hana and Rin in the classroom first.
"Okay then, let's go out and eat!" Hana said with a grin. "The cherry blossoms look super pretty so we can sit and eat there."
Fuu and Rin nodded in agreement. The three girls left together with their bento. They talked as they headed toward the garden outside the Academy. They sat down under a cherry tree, watching the blossoms fall. As they ate, they talked about anything and everything that came to mind.
When they finished eating, Fuu showed them one of the balancing techniques she had learned from Yugito. Hana and Rin copied her eagerly and thanked her for the demonstration. She grinned at them as she began teaching them a simple taijutsu kata.
The afternoon passed in mostly the same way. Takumi had them doing some running for conditioning. He congratulated her when she was the first to finish the task. Fuu beamed up at him, glad to have a teacher better than Suien.
When they finished school, Fuu complained to her new friends about their homework. As she left the classroom, she smiled at her classmates and waved goodbye to her teacher. Takumi returned her wave with a grin and a wave of his own.
Her mood fell once she exited the building. The other children ran towards their parents or relatives who had come to pick them up. Fuu's smile disappeared and she stared at everyone else with their families. She looked down at the ground and wished her mother were there.
She waited a few minutes to see if Senji or one of her caretakers or instructors would pick her up, but no one arrived. Dejected, she walked home alone.
O-O-O-O-O
The rest of the week was one of the best in Fuu's life. Fuu talked with Hana and Rin before class and during breaks. She learned the names of her classmates. Takumi answered all of her questions patiently. At lunch, she ate with her friends and showed them basic kata when they finished.
On Saturday, their class had its first shinobi lesson. Takumi taught them a basic taijutsu kata, which Fuu replicated perfectly. He praised her work before moving on to help struggling students.
Although she liked the classes, her life at the Academy was not perfect. Her good mood was always broken when other children's families came to pick them up. It made her realize how much she missed her mother. Fuu hoped she would return soon.
On top of that, she still had lessons with Suien to suffer through. With resignation, she woke up early on Sunday and prepared for his tutoring. After a week with Takumi, Fuu was not looking forward to training with an angry man on a power trip. Nevertheless, she felt obligated to follow Hisen's instructions. Dejected, she got dressed and walked to the training grounds, which she found empty.
With a sigh of annoyance, she sat down and waited for Suien to arrive. She yawned and wished she had stayed in bed longer. When he finally did arrive, he glared at her and scoffed.
"Enjoy your time with other snot-nosed brats?" he asked with a smirk on his face.
"I met new people," Fuu said, trying not to get angry at his words. If she tried to fight back, he would only be more violent and vindictive during training.
Suien scoffed at her response but said nothing. Without warning, their training session began. When they broke for lunch, she had nicked her fingers three times and had come close to tears twice. In short, it was a typical training session with Suien.
She watched him turn around to leave. However, she had a question and she wasn't sure who else she could ask. She had gotten tired of seeing the other children go home with their parents. Taking a deep breath to motivate herself, she grasped the hem of her shirt, bit her lip, and forced herself to talk to Suien.
"Suien-sama," Fuu said. The man turned around to look at her impatiently.
"What is it, you brat?" he asked with hands in his pockets. "It's time for lunch."
"I just have a question, Suien-sama," Fuu said. She tried not to flinch under Suien's glare, who was looking at her like something he found at the bottom of his shoe.
"Spit it out, brat, I don't have all day."
Fuu gulped and made herself speak before she lost her courage. "I only wanted to know when my mother will come back from her mission."
She looked up at Suien and was dismayed to see the look on his face. Instead of his usual disinterest and contempt, he had a wicked gleam in his eyes that he always got at his cruelest moments. Her heart began to beat faster and she worried about her mother for the first time. Is her mission gonna take a long time?
"I don't know, brat," Suien answered with a predatory smile that showed all his teeth. "You need to ask Hisen about it. He might tell you the answer."
"Hisen-sama?" Fuu repeated, lost for words. Before she could ask more, Suien left, chuckling and leaving Fuu alone at the training grounds.
What can Hisen-sama know about my mother? Maybe her mission is taking longer than expected? Or maybe she got injured?
Lunch forgotten, Fuu ran from the training area and toward Hisen's office. She ran through the village as fast as she could. She needed to know the full truth as soon as possible.
She almost slammed open the door to the office before she remembered her manners. She pounded on the door and waited.
"Come in," said Hisen's calm and serious voice.
Fuu opened the door. Inside the office, Hisen sat behind his desk. Senji stood ever-present behind him. An older boy who looked vaguely like Hisen sat at the desk, writing on a piece of paper. The boy wore a Takigakure hitai-ate that looked brand new.
"Fuu-sama!" Senji exclaimed in surprise. "What brings you here? Is there something wrong? You look worried."
Fuu shook her head. "I'm fine, It's just... I have a question, Senji-sama, Hisen-sama," she looked down at her feet. "I wanted to know when my mother will come back from her mission."
Senji and Hisen shared worried glances before looking at Fuu at the door. Fuu gripped her hand over the doorknob and stared back impassively. Hisen glanced at the boy who was looking at the scene curiously.
"Shibuki, please wait outside. I need to talk to Fuu-san," he said to the boy.
The boy, Shibuki, nodded, stood up and left, glancing back curiously at Fuu. She watched the boy leave before she walked to sit down on the chair the boy had left. She grasped the hem of her skirt in nervous tension. What does he want to tell me?
Hisen focused his gaze back on Fuu. "Fuu-san, We have a lot to tell you. I think it's time for you to know some hard truths."
Hisen sighed. "Fuu-san, there is no nice way to tell you this-"
"Is my mother okay? Is her mission taking longer than expected? When is she coming back?" Fuu interrupted.
Hisen flinched back before staring anxiously at her. He seemed lost for words and Senji stepped in.
"Your mother is not going to come back, Fuu-sama," Senji said in a tone of voice that reminded her of Han.
"What?"
"You have to understand, Fuu, that your mother is not on a mission," Hisen explained, his voice calm and focused. "Your mother died almost four years ago when the Seven-Tails was sealed inside you."
"No! That's not true! You're lying!" she jumped up from the chair and slammed her hands on Hisen's desk. She felt tears falling down her cheeks and onto the surface
At her denial, Senji left Hisen's side and went to kneel in front of her. He took her hand in his. Shocked, she allowed the old man to comfort her.
"We aren't lying," Senji looked into her eyes, face sad. "Your mother sacrificed herself to make you the jinchuuriki of the Seven-Tails. It was for the good of the village. It was the last thing she did as a shinobi of Takigakure."
At his words, Fuu started sobbing. She wanted to scream and deny everything, but she didn't know why Hisen and Senji would lie to her. Senji used his knuckles to wipe some of the tears away as he let her cry her heart out.
She heard Hisen open the top drawer of his desk and pass something to Senji. The old man proceeded to wipe her face clean with a tissue. Fuu let him.
"Why?" she asked when her sobs begin to taper off. She looked up and watched the two men have a silent conversation before they looked back at her.
"Because she was the jinchuuriki before you," Hisen answered. He scratched his chin, not tearing his gaze away from her.
"What?" Fuu felt her eyes fill up with tears again. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Jinchuuriki? My mom?
"Emi-sama was the jinchuuriki before you, child," Senji explained as he continued to wipe her tears away. "But the seal was slowly weakening after she gave birth. We could not afford for the demon to come loose if the seal broke completely. We needed to find a new host before that happened and you were the only option."
"After she gave birth?" Fuu repeated as she wiped her nose. You mean after I was born?
Hisen sighed before he continued his explanation. "The seal you have weakens during childbirth, Fuu-san. As Emi-sama's daughter, you were the only one with chakra compatible with the beast. When we removed the demon from her, she died."
Fuu reeled back at the new information. She remembered the last time she had seen her mother. It had been shortly before she became a jinchuuriki. Her mother had told Fuu to be strong and to listen to her instructors. She had wiped Fuu's tears away and told her that she was going on an extended mission. She had said that she would not return to Takigakure for a while.
Like an idiot, Fuu had believed the story. She had begged her mother not to leave and received one last kiss on her forehead in goodbye.
Fuu's eyes began to fill with tears again. She only wanted to be alone. She slapped away Senji's arm and stood up, running out of the office without a word. As she exited, the boy from before looked at her with alarm, but she didn't care about him.
She didn't care about anything anymore. All she wanted to do was get away from the people that made her a jinchuuriki.
She arrived back home after running past countless alarmed villagers. She passed her caretakers and ran to her bedroom. When she opened the door, she threw herself onto the bed and sobbed.
She stayed in her bed crying for hours. She heard her caretakers knocking on the door and demanding for her to eat lunch. Fuu didn't answer and only continued to wail into her pillow. When she ran out of tears, she laid down on the bed with her head on the pillow. She turned her head and looked at the light of the sun as it moved slowly across her room.
She wanted to keep crying, but there were no more tears left to cry. She inspected her hands and tried to remember her mother's face. She remembered her having green hair, but to her horror, she couldn't remember the color of her eyes. Were they orange like mine?
She breathed out and heard the other jinchuuriki trying to talk to her through the Room's connection. They must have felt her distraught and tried to get in contact with her. However, she couldn't make sense of their words and she didn't want to try.
Overwhelmed once again, Fuu buried her face in the pillow and cried.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Oof! This was a long one.
I know some people don't like OCs, but they are often necessary for a story. I hope Anzu was likable enough at least. The poem is called "Silent Night Thoughts" and is a Chinese Tang Dynasty poem by Li Bai.
You can get in contact with me through Tumblr. My username is waffledogwrites.
Next chapter: Utakata fixes things.