Thank you everyone for the concern, support and patience. Things are slowly turning the corner for me, so I'm dipping my toes into the water again, as far as writing goes. Also, yet again, the story is not going to be discontinued. I feel like some people see that word and do not read the whole AN, because I've specified several times that even when I walk away from this fic for a while it will eventually be continued, yet I keep getting reviews that indicate some level of confusion.
The candles mounted on the wall gave the room a soft orange glow, lighting a path across the wooden floor to the bed—crude one that it was— pushed back in the corner of the small cabin. The room's only occupant sat with one knee drawn to his chest, head bent as he looked over a map. One careful footstep at a time, Sakura crossed the cabin to her own bedroll, intent on proving her point.
Though he seemed not to like them, Madara had claimed the cabin for himself much like a cat claiming its territory, daring her to intrude. If she had asked, she was sure Junko or one of the other women aboard the ship would find room for her in their own cabins. They were a welcoming bunch, and as far as Sakura could tell, they liked her.
When she'd found the washroom, where all the women bathed together, she'd gotten more than a few offers to squeeze her in with them for the night. With a smile, she'd refused, because she would be damned if Madara was going to be the one with an entire cabin to himself and the smug satisfaction that came with it.
Sparing him a glance, Sakura found he was still studying the map with an impressive amount of concentration. From such an angle, it was hard to see his expression, even more so with the thick bangs obscuring it. Her fingers found their way into her own hair, which was steadily growing. Heading into the war, it was already touching her shoulders again.
Before long, she could easily grow it back to the length it had been when she was a genin. That wouldn't be so bad, she decided. At times she missed her longer hair. Although, Madara's hair was almost excessively long…and there was so much of it, it was bound to be heavy. Yet from what she'd seen in battle it didn't get in his way or slow him down. What was the appeal of keeping his hair that way?
"Instead of watching me, you could be deciding how to handle your duties once we arrive. Hashirama's entrusted you with saving an entire region. There won't be much need for this treaty if the islands' populations is gone."
Bristling, she moved closer to him, preselected, biting words already hot on her tongue. Madara wasn't concerned, only sparing her minimal eye contact that radiated boredom, and going back to his map. Sakura stopped to contemplate, bitterly finding there was some truth in what he said. It would have been far more helpful if she'd known which islands had suffered the greatest casualties, or at least had a general idea of what symptoms presented themselves before people faded away, or where the first outbreak could be traced back to.
All of that knowledge would save her crucial time. As it stood, she was going into an already critical situation with next to nothing. "I…I want to see the map." She croaked, taking another cautious step, until she was standing right in front of him.
Madara stopped looking at the weathered paper in his hands to grace her with his full attention. "Then sit."
Sakura balked, on the cusp of refusal. He'd had all that time to read it, to memorize. Why couldn't she get the same curtesy of studying the map by herself?
"Because it's in my possession." he responded, leaning back into the wall. Gasping, Sakura realize she'd ranted out loud. Stubbornly puffing her cheeks out, she sat at the very edge of the cot, a respectable distance from his person, holding her hand out for the map once again. Madara didn't make the slightest effort to give it to her.
Realizing he was going to make it difficult, her eye twitched, and she took a deep, steadying breath through her nose. "Fine!" She moved pointedly closer, all but ripping it from his hands as soon as she was within finger's length. The first thing that stood out to Sakura was the detail, something she couldn't help but appreciate. "This is a good map." she admitted, studying the route he had mapped from Yume to Water Country. They were traversing across the Kaizoku Sea, and if the map was as accurate as she suspected, she approximated their arrival in two days. No wonder he wanted her to have a working strategy to tackle the illness.
"If this is the capitol," Sakura tapped a spot in the middle of the biggest island, marked with the two circles that indicated a capitol city, "Then once we reach port it should take a day to get there, right?" The thought caused her some frustration, and her mouth twisted in dissatisfaction. "That's more time lost…"
There was a sound somewhere between a sigh and a laugh from beside her, and a larger hand seized one half of the map. "Is your resolve that easy to shake? How disappointing."
Sakura felt her temper sparking back to life. "There's resolve and then there's realism." she snipped. "I'm determined to save as many lives as possible, and that's why I'm here. But I can't stop time. Once I get there, if I can find and examine just one person experiencing the onset of the symptoms, and compare them to someone at the end of the symptoms, I can try to and at least work out a timeline, then slow or halt whatever's going on. That way there's a little more time to find a cure." She nodded to herself, satisfied.
"At least you've thought out a passable plan." Madara shifted, peering at the map and her. And Sakura was suddenly acutely, painfully aware of the warmth emitting from his naked chest seeping through the thin cloth of her yukata. In her peripheral view, she could see the muscle definition brought about by years of training and hard-fought battles.
When she was focusing on proving her point, it hadn't occurred to her that there was an unwelcoming intimacy in sitting so close when he was half undressed and she was wearing one thin layer. Flushing, Sakura stood quickly. "My plan's more than passable. It'll work." she informed him, making her way back to her bedroll. There. He wanted resolve, and that was hers.
Sakura was settling into her spot before he spoke again, his voice low and amused. "Nothing puts a strategy and its tactician to the task like the ever-changing conditions of the field." She sank down further, squinting up at the spot in the ceiling where boards had been hastily used to repair the human-sized hole made earlier in the day. Madara's fury and the sight of an activated Sharingan coming to mind.
Was it wise to close her eyes and drift to sleep in the same room with a man who was more than capable and had a newly found grudge? 'That would be hard to explain to the Hokage.' She yawned. 'He doesn't have to like me, but he knows this mission takes the both of us…' It was an unfortunate fact she had come to terms with some hours into their traveling; just as she had been the Hokage's selection as the best medic for the job—no doubt with Toka's approval—Madara was deemed the best person to represent the village and handle negotiations…
'I don't like it, but it makes sense. Damn it.' Sakura rolled onto her side, forcing her eyes to close while maintaining a steady awareness of Madara's presence in the room. It was that awareness that kept her body from relaxing, and she shifted several times, trying to get comfortable. Finding sleep would have been welcome after the long day she'd had, getting acclimated to life onboard the Harbinger.
But it was looking more like a night where she'd have to wait for sleep to find her. The cabin was noiseless, save for the faint creaking of the ship and the rhythmic beat of waves rocking the vessel. Craning her head back, Sakura snuck a peek at the cot, not surprised Madara was still sitting up, still awake. 'I don't have the energy to try talking to him.' Bored, Sakura gave herself the task of mentally reciting the names for human muscles. A mundane ritual that had helped lull her to sleep on nights when her mind was racing. 'Latissimus dorsi…external obliques…internal obliques…rectus abdominus…' Her concentration faltered, the mental image of an anatomical chart crashing down, replaced with the firm torso of her roommate. Outraged at how her own thoughts had betrayed her, Sakura sat up with a yelp, flustered.
Of course she wasn't fortunate enough for Madara to ignore it. "Rats are more afraid of you than you are of them." he said absently.
"It wasn't a rat!" she hissed, flopping back down and rolling onto her stomach, determined to hide her warm face. 'Swallow me,' Sakura silently told the sea. Perhaps responding to her plea, the ship lurched hard to the right in the waves, and the kunoichi clung to her bedroll to keep from lurching with it.
The rocking returned to a more gentle sway, and Sakura sighed under her breath. There wasn't much she could do but lay there in silence, Madara finally getting up and extinguishing the candles, pitching the room into total darkness.
ASiT
Kaguya fidgeted as Mizuchi combed through her growing hair, an unhurried pace to her nimble fingers. The comb's teeth hit a snag and she winced when it was pulled through none too gently. "Be still," the voice above her commanded.
The younger girl sat on her own hands to stop herself from tugging her hair away. "That hurts,"
The grip on the ends of her white locks tightened in response. "This menial task would have long since been completed, if not for your need to wiggle as you do."
Kaguya didn't deny that she moved restlessly as her sister sat, combing and styling her hair. It was a wonder how Mizuchi, though hardly as delicate, had the same quick fingers Sena did, and took to grooming hair much better than she had been able to manage it herself. Due to its increasing length, having assistance was all but necessary. "I taught this to you," she fussed quietly. She was sure that her guardian could detect the envy present in her tone.
"Indeed," said her sister, "And now, my skill has surpassed your teachings."
Annoyed, Kaguya huffed, tilting her head at an angle she knew would agitate Mizuchi. "Sena would say, a younger sister should try her best to surpass the eldest. The gods make one sibling more blessed than the other, so that the youngest has goals to strive for." she mumbled. "But, when will you teach me like I have taught you? When will I know what you do about blighting?"
The hand in her hair stilled, and the forest with it. Even the babbling brook close enough to dip their toes in froze at her question. Since coming to find Mizuchi, she had been elated, finding solace and comfort for the first time since losing her sister. And just as she had gained family, her new sister gained knowledge, an understanding she often said was impossible to grasp as a deity. Kaguya wondered about that…what made humans and the gods they worshipped so different? Surely there was no singular thing. Rather, they were at odds on every conceivable level.
The lingering awkwardness and peculiarity to her mannerisms sometimes forcibly reminded Kaguya that despite their physical appearances, this was not her true sister, yes. But she found she was growing attached all the same. The same great admiration she'd had for Sena bloomed anew. With it came a deep desire to know all she could know about the new sister the heavens had granted her. Mizuchi showed her once how she created blights, and how she took them away.
The village had been wary, but when she stopped a great sickness from spreading, their caution of the stranger lessened. Now she was cherished and revered. Whenever there were injuries great or small, villagers knocked on their door before any other healer. Kaguya wanted the same recognition one day, but Mizuchi refused to impart her secrets. "You do not understand what it means to blight. Or to remove one. It is a heavy responsibility and yet you ask for it. Why?"
Anticipating this question, Kaguya sat straighter against Mizuchi's knees, chest expanding in rebuttal. "I am your sister!"
A solitary leaf fell from the tree giving them shelter and was dropped down into the brook, drifting, drifting… Near the base of another tree, two chipmunks chased each other around, one of them almost scampering right over her foot as it retreated. Her response was the levity nature needed to resume motion again.
Mizuchi laughed warmly. "Because you are the sister of a goddess, you believe you should know all that I know?" Kaguya opened her mouth, readying another defense, but the deity was quicker. "Be grateful. Any human burdened by the knowledge of even the lowest deity would lose their sanity in time." As expected, Mizuchi did not understand. A surge of pain throbbed inside Kaguya's chest, and she gathered the ends of her kimono, standing. "Off already? You hardly asked." Taking up the small basket, she shook her head.
"Herbs will not gather themselves. If I cannot take away pain like you do, then I will keep making my remedies!"
Mizuchi's words were full of gentleness and sympathy. "That is what's best. In time, you will see that." She wasn't the one who needed to see…it was the deity she now called sister. Her bare feet were heavy as she walked, willing her lip not to tremble. The hurt of the rejection trying to force tears from her eyes.
A goddess could never understand…how could she, when she was not born human? The blessings and power of godhood had been hers from the start. She looked like Sena, but she did not have her sister's memories or experiences. Kaguya remembered a different life where the faces of her parents had been lost to time, and she had only ever known her kind-hearted sister, the person she cherished more than anyone.
Then she too had been taken, ripped away by a senseless skirmish in an endless line of them. The body…they had not been able to return the body. Not all of it. Beautiful, sweet Sena, with her soft hands unused to the grip of a spear, cut down like a soldier and left there. To their emperor, anyone who could be spared, from healers to bakers to smithies, were expendable on the field.
The despair was too much, eased only when she talked to her, when she visited the shrine. Kaguya vehemently refused to forget her sister, otherwise it would one day be hard to recall if she had ever existed at all. The heavens never gave her the answers she wanted, but one day they gave her another person to hold dear, and she had grasped tightly to a hand she had been longing to hold just one more time. That hand had so much more strength though, was capable of so much more destruction. The fist gripping her basket clenched. If only…if only she could at least remove a blight!
…!
Sakura dimly became aware of the fact that she was awake when the wind and rain from the storm registered in her ears. Eyes weakly able to trace the slats of the ceiling, nose twitching with the sporadic drops that dripped to fall on her face.
The cabin was still and dark, but up above feet pounded across the deck, Joben's voice faintly distinguishable as he gave orders. A flutter of worry touched her heart, but, Sakura easily quelled it with the thought that for all their silliness, this crew was experienced. A storm wasn't enough to panic over.
Her dream on the other hand… everything about that was alarming. The last time she had seen Kaguya, Mizuchi had induced the memory. Rather, she'd transferred a glimpse of the past to Sakura. Since beginning the journey, the goddess had been quiet. A preferable alternative to her unexpected visits. Despite that, she had dreamt. Of a Kaguya who was slightly older and equal parts enamored and envious of her adoptive sister. If there was any reason she'd seen what she did—and the kunoichi suspected there was—it was lost on her.
All she knew was, Kaguya had left, frustrated and dejected that Mizuchi wouldn't teach her about blights. It was the beginning of the rift, whatever it was that had put the fearsome Rabbit Goddess on her path. Every emotion seared into her heart, felt like it had been seared into Sakura's.
Having insight into how the Mother of Chakra had felt, that she could feel, was a jarring sensation. Sakura had known a deity determined to assimilate the world's chakra. Mizuchi had known a lonely girl.
The vision brought fresh questions…if Mizuchi had refused to show Kaguya what she claimed was the most basic measure of godhood, how had she become all powerful in the first place? Sakura thought about mentally calling for the goddess, so they could talk that way. But…she looked at the cot. It was hard to make out more than the vague shape of a body, but he was definitely there.
Even making mental contact with the goddess was too risky. The flare up of energy would be impossible to miss from so close.
The sea gave the ship a hard toss, and Sakura grunted as she rolled across the floor, using chakra in her fingertips to avoid smacking the wall.
"Trouble sleeping?" came the mocking voice from across the cabin.
Sakura couldn't be bothered to hide her audible groan of irritation. How long had he been awake?
"I've had worse nights." Crawling through the dark, she felt her way back to her bedroll and flopped down without bothering to get inside. If sleep wasn't an option, she'd lay completely still, map out the human anatomy in excruciating detail, and wait for morning. 'I can't wait to see land again.'
Shinobi life had gotten him use to nights with little sleep and rising early. What it hadn't done was make him as affable in the mornings as the motley crew running around the ship when he joined them on deck.
Despite the storm that had thrown the vessel around like a toy boat at the mercy of a child's splashes, Joben informed them that the Harbinger was none the worse for wear, and had managed to stay on course. They'd be able to reach Water Country by tomorrow evening, if all went according to plan. Madara couldn't say he would miss life at sea. The company was louder than he would've liked, there was only so much space, Haruno was sending sailors through decks, and waking up nearly tossed across the cabin didn't make for a restful sleep.
His pride refused to let him voice any of it aloud, if only because no one else was, and an Uchiha was never the first to complain. Yesterday, upon realizing their…accommodations, he'd expected Haruno would voice her disdain at some point. Instead, she had somehow managed to ingratiate herself to the crew, taking their antics in stride. It vaguely had him wondering just what kind of company she usually kept.
"Didn't wake ya, did we?" Joben swaggered his way over. The man was in high spirits even after a night spent steering the ship through a storm, something Madara could admit spoke to his resilience.
"Hardly." Madara shook his head. "Shinobi are used to rising at dawn."
"Good, good!" he laughed jovially. "Well, suspect yer lookin' for the lass, eh?" He wasn't. Foreign territory or not, he wasn't so unsure of himself that he needed to cling to Haruno in every waking moment. Madara bit his tongue, knowing Joben would assume he was regardless. The captain folded his arms and motioned with his head to the other side of the ship. The Uchiha's keen eyes easily made out the bright pink hair through the shades of darker colors. "She's right o'er there, showin' Kazu some ninja…er, what did she call it? Nin…ju…tsu?"
"Ninjutsu." He confirmed, wordlessly excusing himself and ducking under a crate being hoisted by two laughing sailors as he approached the opposite end of the deck, where Haruno stood facing the sea, a soft breeze fluttering through her hair. As Madara approached, he could make out the excitable child, Kazu, perched atop the ship's rail, watching. The kunoichi's green eyes glittered as she moved through several hand signs clearly meant for a Suiton technique.
Her stance was…less refined…but he'd seen the technique many times before on the battlefield. No doubt it was something she'd picked up from Tobirama. Kazu hopped down to peek over the ship's edge, gasping as water burbled and rose into the air, manipulated by Haruno's outstretched hands. Madara watched as her arms shook, and the water plopped back into the sea with a splash, her technique incomplete. She was still clumsy in her movements, determined but all at once unsure, and it was effecting her control. Her audience didn't mind, cheering for more.
"Again!" the child demanded. He mimicked her hand movements—incorrectly—with a bright smile.
Haruno laughed obligingly, getting prepared to make the signs. "Alright, one more time…" she whispered, almost to herself. Louder, she declared, "This time for real!"
Madara's Sharingan was spinning the minute she ran through the seals, letting them sink into his memory.
"Haaah!" Haruno's stance was fiercer, the water rising instantly, more controlled as she shifted weight to her right leg, pulling from the sea. Her technique had managed to trap several fish, wriggling around in a blind search for freedom. It almost looked like she would perform the technique successfully…but when she bit down on her bottom lip and her legs buckled once, he knew the inevitable outcome. As expected, she botched the attempt, grumbling in frustration.
Kazu pulled away from the railing, his clothes and face damp with the seawater that had sprayed him. "What happened?" he asked, unbothered by the splash.
"I don't know," Haruno muttered. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong, because he never finished telling me how—"
Moving closer, Madara ran through the seals he'd copied, ignoring how they looked on incredulously. Although not nearly as well-versed in Suiton as Tobirama, he did have enough practice in the element to consider himself above average. His technique was stronger than hers, and when the water rose from the sea at his command, a thrashing shark came with it.
Kazu made a noise between a yelp and a cheer, in awe of the creature's massive size and razor sharp jaws.
Haruno was less impressed, spinning to grab his arm in a crushing grip. "You're insane!" she yelled. Madara shook her off, smirking as he sent the suspended shark flying into the distance with his technique. The impact was so large that it sprayed water across deck from thirty feet away, a pillar of liquid shooting up into the air with a foom.
"Mastering any form of Suiton requires not only the right amount of control but the surety to guide the water. Without that, it has no true destination, and the user has no hope of mastery. Isn't that something your sensei should have told you?"
Haruno's response to his quip was to gape, wet from head to toe, flustered but unable to offer any rebuff. Kazu was faster, shaking water from his hair and offering the shinobi the petulant scowl that only a child could give.
"That was really good." he started by nodding in approval. "You're strong just like I knew a ninja'd be. But…you still ruined everything!" Madara's brows rose into his hairline when the boy moved forward and kicked him in the shin before darting off.
His crude manners were likely exacerbated being around Haruno and her temper. "He's right…" Speaking of Haruno, she was eying him as she pushed wet hair from her face, advancing into his personal space. "Yer impossible." The Uchiha blinked, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.
"Yer?" he repeated.
"Oh, now ya think yer can correct 'ow I talk, eh?"
Madara backed away, more unnerved by her sudden change in speech than by her growing anger. "Haruno, listen to yourself," he said flatly. "You sound ridiculous."
She lifted a finger, prepared to continue, when his words seemed to take effect. Instead of advancing, Haruno backed away with a horrified gasp, face clutched in her hands. "What's happening to me?" she wailed.
"You're absorbing the mannerisms of those you spend the most time around."
"Obviously," she huffed, brushing by him and moving to the edge of the ship again. Her eyes looked far away as she stared out over the sea, wet hair clinging to her face. The expression brought out the youth of her visage. Even when he knew the contrary to be true, she looked so vulnerable that Madara had to blink the image away, setting his mind back to seeing her as Haruno, the feisty kunoichi with an explicably deep hatred for him. "But…" she said softly, "Kazu wasn't completely wrong."
Madara tilted his head back. What was it the whelp told him? "You still ruined everything!" Ah, Haruno saw it the same way.
"I know I'm not a match for you in ninjutsu." She conceded, turning to face him. "Right now, I still need to be stronger, learn more. That's why I'm gonna master Suiton before the mission's over. I don't need you getting in my way."
There were so many emotions in the green depths of her eyes, Madara wasn't sure if he could put a name to them all. The firestorm blazing just behind them, though, made it clear how serious she was. Again, he had to wonder how far was too far to push, when doing so meant he'd keep being rewarded with such intense reactions. Reactions only he could pull from her. "You're so certain that this mission will end like you want it to. Rather, like you expect it to."
Haruno's narrowed gaze darted all over his face warily. "Why wouldn't it?"
Despite the tone of the question, there was an innocence to it that elicited a deep chuckle. "There are countless outcomes to this journey. One of which is that the ship never reaches its next port, and we and the crew capsize along with it. And in that case, Haruno, I find it wholly satisfying to think that your last waking thoughts would be of me."
Sakura shook her head, a breathless laugh tumbling past her lips in a way that let him know she wasn't sure about the state of his sanity. "And that's supposed to be a win for you somehow?"
"It would be more than winning." Madara explained. "There's no greater satisfaction than knowing that while someone who curses your very existence is being consumed by death, in spite of themselves, they can't help but think of you."
"You…" she spat, eyes wide and furious. "You…!" Coherent speech was lost to her as red filmed her vision. Instead of attempting to toss him into the sea like he half thought she might, Haruno briskly spun on her heel, moving like an encroaching storm, doom befalling the next person to breathe a word she didn't appreciate.
"Almost ready," Naruto announced, poking at the searing meat on the griddle in front of them.
Suigetsu sniffed deeply, sharp teeth bared in a smile. "Mm…no need to cook it anymore. I don't mind eating it a little pink."
"Idiot," Karin hissed. "Maybe that's fine for you, but think about the rest of us." She had to admit, not living as a rogue had its perks. Sure, Konoha's elite weren't thrilled to have them moving around, but the Hokage outranked them, and the woman agreed that they could stay for the foreseeable future, granted they caused no problems. It made research more expedient too. Karin was able to run notes by the Hokage, a woman she grudgingly admitted she'd come to admire.
After all, surprisingly, it was Tsunade-sama who had gotten on board with their plan when Kakashi Hatake was more reserved about it. In the midst of explaining that day, it wasn't long before the Copy Nin threw out a peculiar theory none of them had considered…
"I see…So that's what's been going on." Kakashi rubbed at his masked chin. "Well. It's good to know it's nothing nefarious, but I'm not sure I can let you go on."
"Why not?" Naruto challenged, barely withholding a growl. "Sakura's out there stranded somewhere! I know she is!"
The older shinobi shrugged, head leaning casually to the side. "Oh? And I guess you know just where to focus looking."
The blonde faltered, biting angrily at his lip.
"That's just what I thought. Listen, it occurs to me maybe Sasuke's been trying to look into dimensions with his Rinne-Sharingan. Am I right?"
Karin followed his eyes to the Uchiha, who unconsciously rubbed at his eye, expression unreadable.
"Hm," Kakashi paused. "So maybe it's not really necessary to say this, but, we don't know what we're dealing with and this is me just hazarding a guess… maybe Kaguya wasn't the only being capable of dimension-hopping. Or whatever portal opened up and sucked in Sakura was a direct result of sealing her. You know, a temporal anomaly."
"A what now?" Suigetsu butt in, hands on his hips. "Anybody else following this?"
"He's saying a time rift." Sasuke voiced what Karin had been starting to suspect. "It's not another dimension she was transported to, it's somewhere in time."
"Right. Which means she may really be lost to us." Kakashi concluded.
"So that's it?" Naruto spat. "We give up on her just like that?"
"I don't believe that's necessarily what Kakashi-sensei means, if I may be so bold." This time it was the quiet, pale boy who'd arrived with the Copy Nin speaking. "Sakura holds a summoning scroll, correct?"
"Yeah!" Naruto pounded a fist into his palm in realization. "Katsuyu!"
"Then," the boy continued, "It may be possible to at least guess which direction she was thrown, by whether or not her name remains on the scroll."
Following the hunch had paid off, in a way. Taking some of the meat with her chopsticks, Karin acknowledged that Konoha nin weren't entirely as useless as she'd thought. "Suigetsu!" she paused to glare at her former teammate. "Save some for when Sasuke-kun comes!"
"Hehe," The Mist nin was nonplussed by the admonishment, stealing more meat. "Maybe he should have been here on time?"
Naruto shrugged. "I have to agree with him. Sasuke's a big boy. He knows nothin's gonna be left if he's late."
Put out, the redhead ignored them as they chewed loudly and talked even louder. Anywhere else, and Karin might be afraid they would all be thrown out. But the Leaf was a far laxer place than the villages she'd known, and restaurants were accustomed to noisy patrons from what she'd observed.
'Can't get too comfortable.' She reminded herself, eating earnestly. 'As soon as this is all over, it'll be time to hit the road.' Now that they were a little more clued in, it was only a matter of time… Space-time ninjutsu existed, but nothing so powerful it could send a person forward or backwards more than a few seconds. There was only one being who would know how to do that, and it would be the Sage.
Though she offered her help multiple times, Sasuke was stubborn and in the end decided to chase down a jutsu strong enough to call forth the spirit of Hagoromo on his own. Deep down, Karin wondered if he detested the thought of her company that much, or if he was as desperate to escape the loudmouths as she was.
Either way, she had been left behind, stranded in the Leaf with only the Hokage for adequate company. So Karin prepared. Someone had to. Because Naruto and Suigetsu might as well not have been there at all.
Both were hands-on, and by no means good at sitting and searching. Naruto offered, she would admit, but only succeeded in getting in the way with his impatience. 'Sasuke-kun, it's all up to us!' That was what spurred her to keep going, the crucial role she played in all this. Her own feelings aside, Karin would see it through. She owed him at least that much…
Kagami pushed at the door, tentatively stepping inside Sakura-san's house to a…strange scene. Reira was on her knees attempting to coax Usamaro from the top of a shelf in the kitchen. Chisato stood nearby, wiggling a sardine in the air. "Re-Reira?"
The brunette turned, cheerfully smiling. "Hi, Kagami-kun! Um, c-could you shut the door? Usamaro got out last night, I think when I took him home…I don't want him running again."
Doing as she asked, Kagami walked over to his friends, looking up at the cat in question. If he didn't know any better, he would think the creature was rather smug with himself. That was when he noticed the pouch sitting next to him. "What's that up there? It looks important."
Reira's smile cracked, becoming wobbly around the edges as her eyes darted frantically up to Usamaro. "Tha-that's…it's Hashi-nii's. He gambles and that's his secret pouch."
"Looks kind of…full."
"Reira," Chisato interrupted in her soft, steady voice. "Maybe you should come clean. He is our friend, is he not?"
"B-But!" The girl whined, playing with her braid. "It's not my fault!" Kagami watched curiously as Reira's nose touched the floor, her shoulders shaking. "I want to live! I need to take back that pouch a-and that fur!"
Fur…?
"Look again," Chisato advised, pointing with the hand not holding the sardine. The Uchiha stepped closer so he wouldn't startle the feline, sucking in a breath when he noticed for the first time, a familiar fur half-draped across the cat, muddied where it had once been a pristine white.
"Reira," Suddenly, a bad feeling had settled in his gut. And if there was one thing that training taught him, it was that ninja had such instincts for a reason. "Reira," he repeated solemnly. "You're going to die."
Shamelessly bawling, the Senju lifted her face, and he could see the fat tears streaming down her cheeks. "Kagami-kun, how could you?!"
"He isn't wrong," Chisato added, extending her hand to beckon the mischievous cat. "If you don't replace what Usa-chan took, your family will, at the very least, disown you."
Kagami frowned, shaking his head. "How did he get those anyway? Wasn't he in your room when you took him home?"
Dramatically, Reira fell back on her rear, wiping at her face with an arm. "F-Funny you ask…"
"She left her door open. And so he got out…and stole. Then came back here."
"Chisa-chan you're supposed to be on my side!" Unbothered by her tears, Chisato sniffed at the fish she'd been holding, offering it to Usamaro once again. She stood on tiptoes as the cat carefully approached the sardine, the trio watching with bated breath.
"Now," The Aburame whispered to herself, the beetles slumbered in her body coming out in a cluster to surround the wayward feline. Spitting, Usamaro backed down the shelf, hair raised on end.
"Your bugs are scaring him…" Reira rubbed at her puffy eyes. "But I guess…this is better than dying today."
"I will catch him." Chisato assured. "You will live."
Reira switched from crying to gushing, smiling up at her friend in adoration. "Chisa-chan…you are so cool!"
"I don't think we should celebrate yet," Kagami mentioned, scratching at his scalp. "He looks like he's about to…" With an impressive battle cry, Usamaro sprang through the air, snatching the fish and evading capture in one swift movement. The minute all four feet touched the ground he was rocketing off, onto the counter and out the window.
"He escaped again!" Reira began to sniffle, tears finding their way back into her eyes. "Why didn't we close that?! I…I just wanted to get some fresh air."
Sighing, Kagami lifted her to her feet, pinching her cheek firmly. "You should get the fur and the pouch and take them home. That…" he tugged the fur down into his hands, examining it woefully. "Is going to need to be washed well." Usamaro had clearly had fun dragging it along the ground on his trip back home. He couldn't help but mourn for the clean, soft fur he'd first encountered in the Hokage's office. "I…" A poke to the back reminded him of Chisato, waiting patiently for orders. "We," he corrected. "Will find Usamaro! All of us can meet here when we're done."
Accepting the fur, the brunette nodded. "Y-You're good friends!" she cried, pulling them both close in an uncomfortably tight hug. Embarrassed, he glanced at Chisato, noticing her making the same face as she patted awkwardly at Reira's head. It took several tries, but they finally got her fingers to let them go, reminding her to collect the pouch on her way out. "Oof…this is pretty heavy…how'd he get it all the way out of the compound?! Never mind, I guess, good luck!"
"I think you might need it more than us," Chisato reminded her.
"Y-You're right!" Reira sprinted out the door, desperate to make it back in time.
Before she was out of sight, the frantic girl had nearly tripped over the fur draped around her and run into small children playing games in the streets. Feeling pity, Kagami thought about going with her. On the chance that she wasn't able to replace the items before they were discovered missing, there was a high possibility she'd at least need moral support.
Chisato made the decision for him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We should go, Kagami-kun." She was right. It was prudent to find Usamaro before he found more mischief. Whatever punishment awaited Reira, if there was any punishment to be faced at all, he was confident she was tough enough to handle. Hopefully…
Hashirama stepped back, admiring his own handiwork. "There," He had finally finished building the inside of the last classroom, brand new wooden benches waiting to be filled with the next generation of shinobi. "It has the essentials but still, it feels a little empty." he lamented.
"Empty rooms generally feel that way." Tobirama quipped, leaning against the front row. "A more utilitarian approach is best. In this room, they will learn important tactical lessons. There's no need to make it cozy."
"Hm…I suppose you're right." he admitted. "Oh, but outside is fine, isn't it?" Mind made up, he rushed for the yard area they had designated for outdoor lessons. His brother was at his side almost before he'd come to a complete stop.
"What are you about to do?" he demanded.
Hashirama gently pushed him aside, his hands already forming the necessary seals. "Mokuton!" The ground broke apart, thick branches erupting from it to form a crossed series of bars reminiscent of a domed cage. The Hokage didn't stop there, however, continuing to transform the once barren training ground with wooden structures of various shapes and sizes. The last touch he added were log animal totems that could be climbed with small footholds, or swung on from hand supports.
"Shinobi or not, children should have time to play." Tobirama's face screwed into a skeptical expression. "If there's unstructured activity already in the curriculum…It can easily become a chance to play, and hone their shinobi skills. I'll demonstrate."
"Brot—" Unwilling to hear his brother's usual cynicism, Hashirama jogged over to the barred play structure where children could slip through the spaces to hide inside, or climb their way to the top.
"If I stick my foot through here…"
Tobirama looked torn between outright gaping and turning away in shame. "Hashirama, what the hell are you doing?"
"Showing you how it's done!" he called merrily. "Now, as I was saying…I can put my foot through here…and shimmy the rest of my body if I bend like this…" Although narrating was no trouble, actually forcing his body to comply was another matter. "Hm…that's odd…" Bent precariously, he hung half in and half out of the structure, the ends of his hair brushing the ground. An upside down Tobirama slowly came to stand over him.
"What's odd is you built this intended for use by young children, yet honestly believed that you, a large adult, would fit through."
"In hindsight, it wasn't the most thought through thing I've ever done…" Hashirama conceded. "I could…I could use some help." His feet pushed, trying to free him, but it was his torso that was trapped. "Tobirama," he giggled coyly. "I'm stuck."
Eye twitching, Tobirama snatched his brother's clothes in a white knuckled grip, jerking hard. "A-Ack! You're choking me."
Loosening his hold, the sneering face of his sibling leaned into his. "Shut up. Or I will leave you like this."
Gulping nervously, Hashirama kept quiet as Tobirama wrenched him loose, leaving him in an undignified heap on the ground. The elder Senju took his time getting up, patting himself down to make sure everything was as it should be and then climbing onto his feet. "Thank you, brother! It would've been…unfortunate if I'd been here by myself. Onto the next demonstration!"
At his proclamation, his brother's red eyes glowed hotter than any Sharingan. "You can't be serious…!"
"Oh, this one doesn't involve me trying to climb into anything, so I won't need saving." He promised, finding the totems and motioning to them proudly. "Look how much weight these support! They'll be perfect for building upper arm and core strength." The statement was followed by Hashirama easing himself up and slowly turning so that one arm was the only thing supporting him. "See!" The fact that his brother wasn't immediately declaring him a fool meant he was at the very least, listening. "There's another one of these over on that totem, so you can try too."
The white-haired Senju shook his head, scoffing. "You doing something like this is all well and good, and quite frankly, expected." That brought a pout to his lips. "I on the other hand, must be mature enough for the both of us."
"So you're saying I would outlast you?" Hashirama asked innocently.
"What?" Tobirama spat. "I never said anything like that…" His voice had started to rise, and Tobirama must have noticed it too, because he cleared his throat, calm once again. "I know what you're trying to do."
Difficult though it may have been, Hashirama attempted a one-shouldered shrug. "Keep my balance?"
"Bait me. It may work on someone unwise to your games, brother, but I've had years to build up immunity."
Still holding himself up, Hashirama blew a strand of hair that had fallen across his nose out of the way. "You're right. You know better by now. Admit it though, wouldn't training as children have been so much better with these? I can feel myself getting lighter already!"
Ever the skeptic, his brother grunted a response. "Impossible…"
"How would you know? You're not up here." Hashirama snickered. Briefly, a spark flickered behind Tobirama's eyes, the competitive streak he liked to pretend wasn't there at all. Making a show of appearing disinterested, Tobirama climb the other totem and copied his position.
"…"
"The effects are stunning, aren't they?"
"I feel like a fool. I suppose this is how you must feel on a day to day basis, though."
Chuckling, he ignored the remark, as he had learned to do long ago. "Give it time!"
Something jolted through his brother's head; he could see the shift. "You need to go back to your office." Honestly, half of the point of this distraction was hoping he'd forget. The other half was simply because it really was fun.
Hashirama shifted hands when his right one started feeling numb, and his body tipped forward before he righted himself. "Relax, the office is a walk upstairs away."
Tobirama closed his eyes with a grunt, and he didn't mention the fact that he hadn't stopped balancing either. Inside he crowed, triumphant. His little brother was offputtingly blunt with everyone around him, but always so coy with himself.
The road forked off, signaling the end of their shared walk home. "Well," Reira announced, rocking back on her heels. "This was fun today, but I don't wanna do it again tomorrow."
"I think…I will second that for the both of us." It had taken longer than expected to wrangle Usamaro, who had been unusually moody as of late and led them through a wild chase through the market and a civilian district. Reira shivered, remembering the pack of dogs that had chased after all of them when she'd stepped on one's tail.
To say they were all exhausted was an understatement. Covered in just as many cuts and bruises as she was, her friends shared weary smiles, waving as Kagami left for the Uchiha district, and Chisa-chan the Aburame's, a grumpy Usamaro in tow.
"Shut your doors and windows!" she called to Chisa. In truth, between the two of them, it was obvious to even Reira who was more vigilant. Chisato was the same age as her, yet so much more composed and responsible…she wouldn't be the one who let a cat escape, or had to sneak stolen items back home before anyone noticed they were gone.
To an extent, if she thought about it, perhaps she had gravitated toward the other girl, because something about her reminded her of Tobaa, who she had always aspired to be like when she grew up. Reira grinned wryly to herself, watching her shadow stretch out behind her as the sun stared setting.
As long as she could remember, she had called herself a kunoichi, and no one had ever corrected her. But compared to the people she admired most, there were days when she just didn't feel like one…she felt like a clumsy little girl, pretending just like the tiny children who played ninja with sticks pretended. She didn't want to be like them…and the academy would be what set her apart.
Every day on the walk home, Reira purposely took the long route, all so she could stop for a precious few minutes and admire the academy. Since the announcement that when it opened, she would be in the first group of children to attend, it was all she could think about. Of course she trained with Tobaa, as much as possible, but compared to someone like Kagami-kun, who could use swords, and knew fire techniques, and was a born leader…it felt like she didn't train at all.
Reira could feel her heart speed up as she finally came to the part of the journey she anticipated most. Giddy, she sucked in a large breath, gazing at the new building with misty eyes. It was such a beautiful sight, she desperately wanted someone to share it with in that moment.
Every evening when Hashi-nii came to eat dinner with them, she was filled to the brim with questions to ask about how close it was to being finished. He entertained them with more patience than most adults would have, patting her head and telling her it would be soon. That didn't stop her from coming to see for herself.
Unable to contain herself, she skipped her way into the yard to inspect. She wouldn't dare go inside, wouldn't want to ruin it for herself even if she could, but the newly built structures she'd spotted were crying out to her. Reira jumped onto the bars without hesitation, slipping under the spaces and admiring how roomy it was inside before crawling out again and scaling the top. It was no doubt clever use of the Mokuton, and she was grateful that when it came to having fun, Hashi-nii always thought of everything.
"Oh!" Reira was suddenly reminded that she was expected home for dinner any minute, and Mei-san didn't tolerate tardiness to the table well. Brushing herself off the best that she could, the little Senju soared home on feet that felt as light as feathers. People and stands were a blur. Loose pieces of hair fell into her eyes and across her mouth, but arms pumping, she kept running. The sentries only laughed as she skidded through the gates of the compound with a yelp. "Sorry!"
"Better get home Reira!" one of them warned.
"I'm trying! I'm trying!"
The goal was within sight, just a little more…
The Senju compound was an arrangement of conjoined houses in a long 'U' and separated buildings for celebrations and private council meetings. Her house, down near the end, was unfortunately farther away from the entrance than preferable at times like these, and when she reached it, Reira threw herself through the door, tumbling head over heels as she wrestled her sandals from her feet.
"Reira, you can't keep doing this." Before she could even stand, Toka was there, hauling her up. "You know I don't mind your daily explorations, so long as you come home…"
"Clean, I know. I couldn't help it today though!" she flailed her arms in exclamation. "Usamaro got out, and I had to chase him down with Kagami-kun and Chisa-chan after—"
"After you put back the things the cat was only able to take because you allowed him to roam free last night?" Toka finished with a knowing smirk.
Blushing, she meekly poked her hands together. "Y-You saw me?"
"Unfortunately for you, yes. Although I suppose just this once, I will pretend I didn't." Now that was something she didn't expect her stern, no-nonsense guardian to say. Very rarely was she indulged by Toka when her antics landed her in trouble.
"Tobaa!" she cried, overcome with emotion. "I won't do it again. Er, I mean I didn't do it the first time…Usamaro did, but I'll watch him better, promise!" Her aunt rubbed her back for a minute before grasping her shoulders and wrenching her away.
"That's not the only reason you were held up, was it?" Toka's visible eye bore into hers, and she knew there was no point in lying.
"I um…took the long way. I just wanted to see the academy." Reira confessed, refusing to continue holding eye contact and simultaneously scratching at some dirt on her cheek.
Standing to her full height, Reira guided her further inside by the shoulders in silence. They walked the hall together before she spoke again. "What is this fixation you have with attending the academy? Are you that eager to play with others your age?" There was an edge of concern there, like she was worried she didn't have enough friends. Kagami-kun and Chisa-chan were plenty! And she played with the other children in the Senju clan too, so it wasn't like she was lonely. No, playing had nothing to do with it.
"It's training, not playing."
Toka paused, deep in thought. "I see…do you not train enough here?"
"Not enough to keep up with Chisa-chan and Kagami-kun. I wanna be a real kunoichi, like you were when you were my age!" She was sure Toka would be proud of her answer, maybe even tell her a little more about her adventures as a child. There wasn't much she knew about her guardian. Only that she had been tasked with raising her when her parents died, and that, by the time she had reached ten, she'd already built quite a reputation as a formidable shinobi who had killed adults.
"Reira…" Toka's grip on her tightened, and once again she was forced to look into her guardian's weighted stare. "Listen to me, when I was your age…" she trailed off, her voice strained. "When I was your age, I would have done almost anything for the life you enjoy now. Don't be so quick to throw that away."
Frustrated, Reira backed out of her hold. "I'm not! I just want to make you proud! I want to be a real Senju!"
"You a—"
"No I'm not. I always goof around, and no one takes me seriously. If I complete the academy, and if I go on real missions, I can be disciplined, like you!"
"That discipline came at a cost!" There was an unfamiliar ice she'd never seen directed at her in Tobaa's eyes, and she edged away, sensing danger. Shoulders shaking and teeth gritting, Toka looked down her nose at her, hand on hip. "The heavens can attest to everything I lost in my childhood. That is not what I want for you. That's not what anyone wants for the children of this village. Join the academy, hone your skills, but know that you will not become what I was as a child."
Just like that, Toka had cut through her hope for unwavering support and independence. Reira glared, ignoring the sound of her name as she trekked back the way she'd come.
The room was poorly lit, only a single candle set on the table, and a lone silhouette draped half out the window, blowing smoke into the night air through a kiseru. Toka cut a solemn picture, her body slouched and weighted by too many thoughts, too many responsibilities.
"You haven't touched that in years," Tobirama observed, cutting his way through the white wisps and sitting on his knees at the table. There was no food out, not yet. All the better, since the taste would be ruined by the thickness of kizami in the air. A thought he chose to keep to himself, in light of the kunoichi's state.
The end of the pipe left Toka's lips, and when she started to reply, the remains of the smoke swirled into the room. "There are many things I haven't done as of late. None of them are important now…" Another deep puff of her kiseru. "Tobirama, you and I have always been similar. We have even shared similar experiences. I would trust you'd tell me I were to go astray."
Tobirama rolled his shoulders back, testing the waters. "Have you?"
The older shinobi gave an uncharacteristic grunt, exasperation seeping into her voice, "How is it fair to pose a loaded question to a woman seeking answers?" Unpausing, she continued, her voice lowering, "I have never claimed to be perfect. You and Hashirama have seen me at my worst, so it would be a pointless endeavor to try. Makoto asked that I raise his daughter, his only child, and what could I do but accept? I vowed I'd steer her away from the life I knew. I thought it was my duty as her guardian."
Understanding where the conversation was heading, Tobirama took in first Toka's lost expression, then the ceiling. Through it, he hoped the kami would offer up divine intervention. Anything, even something as minute as lightning striking the ground outside, that would keep him from having the conversation. His brother was better suited to the job, if her were asked.
However, as Toka had mentioned, they shared many likenesses. Their personalities, their nindo, the loss of siblings…those parallels had bound them in respect and friendship for many years. Never would Tobirama have thought that he would give her counsel for, of all things, handling an unruly child.
He had no children of his own for a reason. This being one of them. Training them was straightforward, easy. Their emotions, their many, many exhausting emotions? Another matter. Tobirama already had an eccentric brother to look after, and he imagined the skill of handling Hashirama every day was so like that of handling a whimsical child, that there was no need to have one and find out how close they really came. "She is a child, Toka. She doesn't see the good of your intentions, because she has no experiences in the true cruelty of living as a child mercenary."
The cool evening breeze blew back Toka's bang, and she wet her lips, undoubtedly dry after countless time spent at the pipe. "And that's by design." Watching Toka succumb to her vice, Tobirama began wishing for one of his own. He never could stand the taste and smell of hers, and gambling didn't hold the sway for him that it did for Hashirama. But honey wine, served at the right temperature, slid down smoothly and quenched the restlessness. So, if choosing a vice were a matter of life and death, that wouldn't be such a bad one.
"At ten, I knew many things I wish I could unlearn even now. I knew how to wedge a senbon through the back of the neck and into my enemy's skull. I had discovered countless uses for poisons; some of which, I'm sure, killed innocents. I took parents from children and children from parents, and I did it all without question, because I loved my clan, and I was taught that love meant sacrifice." He saw her blink rapidly as she brought her head back into the hazy room, and he realized with quiet shock that a lone tear had escaped her eye. "…I don't ever want Reira to think she has to follow my path to be a true Senju."
It wasn't that he expected fanfare upon his arrival. After a day spent in his office, fielding issues and playing at the role of a fair, solemn leader, Hashirama was grateful to stop by and visit his family, eat at the compound and then return to the Hokage estate. Naturally, when he noticed Reira, sneaking her way back to the compound, he had to slow down and take a moment to assess if anything was seriously wrong.
Toka had always been stringent about the curfew she gave her niece. Even in the relative safety of the village, a child roaming around was still a child. Granted, it wasn't impossibly late, but after dark nonetheless.
"Reira!" he called out to her, his long legs carrying him in her direction before she so much as turned around. When she did, he noticed she was filthy, her gi streaked with dirt and her face much the same. "Hashi-nii…" She looked up at him meekly, fidgeting with her hands anxiously. "Hi..."
Caught off guard, Hashirama did his best not to launch into a panicked spiel, placing a hand on her shoulder instead. "Is everything alright? It's a bit...er, past dinner after all. I expected you'd be inside, starting without me like the others."
"I went home." There was a distinctly defensive edge in her young voice. "But then I went back out to Chisa-chan's house."
Relief flooded him at the admission, satisfied that she hadn't been by herself. Some time ago, she'd proudly informed them all she had a new friend in a girl from the Aburame clan. Ayeka's daughter Chisato. "Alright," placing a hand on her shoulder, he gently turned her toward home. "Why don't we walk in together?" Whatever was going on, it was easy to see Reira was hesitant about going inside.
She scratched at her bare arms with a grimace. "Okay...but I'm gonna take a bath first. I am kind of icky right now."
Patting her head with a laugh, Hashirama motioned grandly at the entrance to the house she shared with Toka. "After you then, milady." That put a smile on her face, and she bobbed in a curtsy, running inside and beelining for the baths. Hashirama took the opposite direction, finding his way to the kitchen.
"Taidama! Oh..." To say the sight that greeted him was a bit...somber...was an understatement. Toka and Tobirama sat around the table with the same stolid expression on both their faces. Mei-san was scolding the kunoichi about the smell of kizami in the air while she set dishes on the table.
Everyone turned at his greeting, but only the older woman made an effort to press a small smile to her face. "Welcome back, Lord Hashirama. I do apologize I'm just now finishing serving dinner. Please do come have a seat."
"It's appreciated, Mei-san, but you know you only have to serve us if you truly want to. We're adults, we can take care of it next ti—"
"Nonsense!" The woman snorted, shaking her head vehemently. "I've known all of you since you were born. And not a single one of you has gotten less reckless over the years! As it is, providing balanced meals in the evenings is the least I can do."
Unwilling to continue arguing, Hashirama sat, grinning at his brother and Toka. Mei-san left the room with her nose in the air, point made.
"After all this time, Mei-san believes we need looking after."
"Hmph..."
"..."
Their responses gave him an idea of what to expect from the rest of dinner, Reira's strange behavior aside... 'Well...' Hashirama thought cheerfully. 'That just means it's up to me to bring some levity!'
Just a small reminder that the "Kaguya reunion" will not take place anytime soon, as once again this arc may turn lengthy. Also, Sakura's romantic options do not include Jun'ichi. But sometimes a simple friendship can be just as cute.
Anyway, there are at least a dozen different interpretations of the Naruto world map on google. Some of them include smaller landmarks and places only mentioned in the anime. The map I'm following for this arc has the sea town Yumegakure at the very edge of the Fire Country, and I figured it may be a three day journey from Konoha to there. Strangely, ship travel doesn't seem to take long in the Narutoverse, when it could take weeks or months to get around by ship in the distant past, and sailing was highly at the mercy of the weather, without high tech means to navigate around storms and stuff. So, we will say that with ideal weather, a ship traveling steadily from Yume could reach Water Country in 3-4 days. Such is the case here.
And as mentioned before, starting next chapter there'll be a lot more appearances by the Uchiha clan members, some insight into their daily lives, some converging subplot (the one introduced with Reira and Toka in this chapter ties into a much larger, more important subplot) etc. Not to mention the ship's arrival to the Country of Water…
