Obligatory Disclaimer: The series Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto; I only own the OCs, picture, and this story.
Chapter 22: Of Snow Piles and Paw Prints
"Do you want to try again?"
Coughing out a mouthful of water, I pushed myself onto the surface of the lake, my breath ragged and wheezing, answering Kushina's question with a glare from underneath my dripping bangs.
Training wasn't going too well this morning.
With another cough and a huff, I pulled my hitai-ate off and brushed the hair plastered to my face away as I dragged myself to the shoreline. The cool afternoon air sent shivers through my body and I waddled to where Kushina stood underneath the tree on the island, purposefully shaking water on her as I did. After one week of getting the Water Clone jutsu down and spending another on the Hidden Mist technique, the latter being the more difficult of the two, I was still having issues with the Liquid Bullet technique after ten days of working on it.
It consisted of kneading chakra, converting it into water, and spiting it out as condensed balls deadly as bullets, the number and power of them depending on how much chakra you used. Since it was a technique that required one seal, it could be used on the move to counter attacks, an optimal strategy and something Kushina and I were practicing today. However, trying to dodge practice shuriken and kunai while also accumulating the right amount of chakra was proving to be nearly impossible.
I squeezed some water out of my hair before untying my weapon belt and obi so I could peel off the yukata that was clinging to me. It was a fruitless endeavor getting dry as I had taken a full dip into the lake, my long-sleeved shirt and leggings drenched underneath.
"It was a good effort, dattebane," Kushina said, dumping a towel on my head and raking it through my hair.
"At least I'm not choking myself like before," I sighed after she finished and took the oversized towel to drape it around my shoulders.
When I was first working on the Suiton: Teppōdama, it was weird feeling the chakra in my throat transform into something solid; I could only imagine what Shisui and other Uchiha felt when preforming the Grand Fireball jutsu. When I performed the seals originally, concentrating on transforming the chakra into water, I had converted too much too fast and almost drowned myself. The next time I tried, it was sort of successful but I didn't use enough chakra and it came out like a pathetic spit ball.
It's about as gross as it sounds and Kushina had laughed for a full five minutes afterward.
Kushina grinned as she plopped down next to me. "That's certainly true."
I sighed again, sitting cross-legged in front of the scroll that had the technique written out and my own notes I had taken when Kushina had demonstrated it to me. Learning more chakra intensive jutsu was an interesting lesson in learning more about myself and my chakra. After my enrollment into the academy, my physical energy had increased with taijutsu practice there and at home but it still paled in comparison to my spiritual energy, which only continued to grow with my routine studying and meditation. I hadn't suffered any development problems as of yet because of it, but there was a slight blip in chakra production I was noticing.
It was all good and fine internally; I had no issues activating my byakugan and in actuality, it was becoming more and more easy to do so. That did nothing for the expansion of the dōjutsu, that would come with time and practice, but it was nice to know that I could activate it on the fly. Creating regular clones was easy as they weren't corporeal, just a mass of visible chakra used to fool an opponent, and I didn't use it enough to notice any problems. The water clones were a level above that as they had some substance but it was working with the inherent chakra within the water itself and your own, and so I hadn't found any issues with that either.
Still, it was proving to become an issue externally, though scarcely. The chakra didn't seem to want to separate from me and manifest physically every time. It was most noticeable with the Teppōdama since I had to continually channel and transform the chakra for the jutsu. It's hard to explain; it was kind of like trying to blow a bubble and having the gum try to go down your throat when you blow. It didn't happen all the time and minute changes in my channeling had made it easier for me to get it to actually work regularly, but it wasn't pleasant when I failed.
I huddled underneath my towel as a light gush blew through the area. The weather was progressively becoming colder and I expected the first vestiges of winter to be just around the corner. I wasn't looking forward to it; I hated the cold.
"I think that's enough suiton practice for today," Kushina concluded, rising from her seat next to me.
I wanted to look over my notes some more, but the redhead took those as well as the jutsu scroll and sealed them away. I was not to be trusted. I knew that and she knew that. If I had free reign of them, I'd probably never stop until I either drowned myself or suffered chakra exhaustion.
It was for the best.
After we cleaned up the scattered kunai and shuriken, we stopped by Kushina's place so I could get changed. It was closer than the compound and extra clothes were a requirement when practicing water jutsu. As it was getting into the colder months, I had decided it was a good time for me to change my getup. I still wore my mesh undergear and longsleeved training shirt but instead of my yukata, I wore a slightly oversized sweater in a deep blue and thick black leggings, along with a pale lilac jacket. I also sensibly traded my sandals for durable and flexible boots that came midcalf. Since I couldn't wear my wide open sleeves anymore, they let too much cold in, I got arm braces where I could stash my senbon.
Hair dried and jacket on, we headed to Ichiraku Ramen for the sixth time in two weeks. Kushina's love of ramen couldn't be beat, to an almost ridiculous level. Of course, she supplemented it with her own cooking frequently and Ichiraku had healthy options, but still…it was a lot of ramen. If she didn't control herself, I had no doubt that she could eat her weight in salt ramen in one afternoon.
I was still musing over the Teppōdama, Kushina's comforting presence at my side when a source of chakra caught my attention, approaching alarmingly fast. My muscles tensed involuntarily and my byakugan activated, ready to fend them off. But my redheaded mentor was ready, catching the figure known as Noburu by the back of his hoodie before he could get within striking distance.
My fidgetiness around others was slowly getting better; as long as no one touched the back of my neck, or really any part of my neck, I wouldn't fall into a panic. Although, it was hard to not tense up and ready myself for battle at sudden loud noises; they reminded me too much of the explosion on Rio-san's farm and how the kunoichi had caught me.
Noburu hung from the Uzumaki's grip as I quickly deactivated my dōjutsu.
"Just what were you trying to do to my cute little student?" Kushina asked in a sickening sweet voice, a threatening aura surrounding her.
It was something I had gotten used to. Over the course of our training and spending time in the village together, there had been instances of bullying by other genin and civilian children who didn't believe I was a ninja due to my age. Most of the jeering came from the flunkies of those Akiyama twins who had to spend another year in the academy, as well as members of my clan whose confrontations didn't go pass scathing glances as we walked past them. Nevertheless, these instances resulted in a very angry Uzumaki woman. They never came to anything physical, most of the time, but Kushina could put the fear of the shinigami into people.
I wondered if it was a natural trait or a byproduct of the Kyūbi.
Noburu paled, looking between me and the redhead and I smiled vindictively.
His face grew ashen, the words 'save me' clearly visible in his eyes and my smile grew wider. It wasn't the best thing for a friend to do, but I couldn't help my slight enjoyment of his suffering- a way of getting back at him for all the adult baby jokes. As he sputtered to say something, our other friends came up behind us, Akane looking slightly horrified.
"Uh…Kushina-san?" Shisui looked between my smiling face and Noburu's paling one. "Could you let my teammate go?"
Kushina blinked, the scary aura fading as she noticed the little Uchiha and the blonde.
"Oh, these were the friends you were talking about, Junko-chan?"
"They are indeed," I said with a splitting grin on my face as she set the boy down. He hadn't expected that; people are rarely ready for the whirlwind that was Kushina Uzumaki.
"Sorry about that. Junko-chan's been getting a lot of admirers lately." She cracked her knuckles with a smile on her face. "Have to set them straight, dattebane."
Though he had been released, Noburu looked as like he was going to faint, but Shisui and Akane turned worried glances my way.
"It's nothing," I dismissed, before remembering my manners. "This is my shishou Uzumaki Kushina. Shishou, this is Fujioka Noburu and Ueda Akane. You know Shisui."
She smiled at them. "So you guys are the ones to thank for making my little Junko-chan sociable."
I rolled my eyes. I was of the mind that I had socialized them, but I'd never say it aloud.
"It's nice to meet you Kushina-sensei," Akane greeted a bit warily, Noburu sliding unstealthily behind the girl. He waved a hand in greeting, still a bit pale.
"Are you done with your training?" Shisui spoke up.
"We just finished up," I answered. "Are you?"
He nodded in affirmation before looking up at Kushina.
"Is it alright if Junko comes with us to Tsukuda's, Kushina-san?"
Kushina's eyes lit up at the name, before gazing longingly at the ramen shop that sat at the end of the street we were on. She looked down at us, making a show of deliberating before nodding.
"Sure, Junko-chan needs to spend more time with kids her age."
"Noburu and Akane-chan are twice my age," I said blandly. "And Shisui is a year older."
"And yet you have the personality of an old lady," she said forlornly before grinning and musing my hair. I sighed deeply. "I'll see you in a couple of days okay?"
"Yes shishou." With a salute, Kushina continued on to Ichiraku, her long ponytail waving at us in farewell. I turned to my friends with a smile.
"Shall we?"
…
By the time our little group reached the Akimichi restaurant, Noburu managed to break out of his Uzumaki induced stupor just as we settled at our usual table.
"Your sensei is a demon in human form," he shuddered, and I gave him a weak glare. Though I knew he didn't mean anything by it, and I had to admit that Kushina could be terrifying when she wanted to be, I didn't appreciate anyone comparing my shishou with something she probably fought with every day.
"Your sensei can literally reach into the minds of his enemies and control them," I countered. "I consider that much scarier."
Noburu was about to retort, but there was a change in his expression as my words processed.
"…she's right," he mumbled to himself. A victorious smile spread across my face.
"By the time Inoichi-sensei is done with you, maybe he'll have implanted some study techniques into that head of yours."
Noburu's eyes darted to his teammates.
"Sensei can't actually do that, can he?" His voice was panicked. Akane and Shisui shared a sigh before giving me an exasperated look.
Oops.
"As Inoichi-sensei has told you multiple times," Akane tried to say comfortingly but a smidge of exhaustion laced her voice. "While the Yamanka clan specializes in mind jutsu, there are rules and limits for its use."
Noburu's paranoia of clans was still going strong it seemed, a fact that, though it shouldn't have, made me smile. They hadn't changed as much as Kenta had in the short time we've been out of the academy. It made me happy.
Before Noburu could try to argue, I spoke up.
"Where's Miho-san?" I had expected her to ambush me the moment we walked in but we had sat at our table without incident and a young Akimichi I didn't recognize had given us menus.
"Oh, you haven't heard? She's pregnant," Akane gushed happily. "She's been having a bit of trouble with her morning sickness lately and has been taking time off."
That was a surprise, but then again, I hadn't visited the restaurant in over two months. A lot could happen in that time. I wouldn't let it hurt to know that they came here without me, because that was ridiculous; it wasn't as if it was a rule or anything.
Noburu sighed, resting his head on the table. "Yeah, my mom's pregnant too. She just randomly sprung it on me and my brother last month."
I rose a brow. "How did you not know your own mother was pregnant?"
"Our schedules don't mesh well okay!" he stammered, an embarrassed blush staining his cheeks. I narrowed my eyes and he grew redder.
"Some women don't show as prominently until later trimesters," Akane offered in his defense.
I was tempted to tease him more, but soon our food came, distracting us with delicious snacks.
The teasing could come later.
As we sat and ate, the others filled me in about their new sensei and how everything was going. They ran drills every day and about two times a week they went on d-rank missions. Inoichi was a good fit for them all things considered. While Shikaku was thought to be the main strategist of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, I was sure the Yamanaka excelled at profiling opponents through their body language and minute things that regular shinobi wouldn't see or notice, and could come up with cunning strategies through that. I could see that being very beneficial for the young Uchiha, as he was already very empathetic to the emotions of others. For the two civilians, maybe Inoichi could cultivate that kind of careful analysis in them as well.
"So why aren't you and Kushina-san training for the next two days?" Shisui asked, taking a bite out his takoyaki. He was so nosy.
"I have training with my clan tomorrow and the day after that is a recovery day. She also wanted to spend some time at the Cryptanalysis department with her coworkers."
Before taking me on as a student, Kushina used to work in that department when she wasn't on missions. It made sense as the creation and decryption of codes and cyphers were very similar to fuinjutsu.
"You still train with your clan?" Noburu blinked. "Shouldn't your ninja training come first?"
I sighed, leaning back into my chair. "Clan training isn't something I can ignore. It's just as important to my future as anything else."
"But isn't that too much training for someone so young?" Akane asked with a sympathetic frown on her face. "It could have adverse effects your development."
"Kushina-shishou thinks the same. But it's alright." I smiled confidently, stealing one of Shisui's takoyaki from his plate. "It isn't anything I can't handle, and shishou makes sure I'm resting when I should."
"You do have a tendency to go overboard," Shisui said, side-eyeing me before taking one of my karinto in retaliation.
Noburu nodded. "That would make sense why your shishou's so scary."
I glared at him half-heartedly before finishing my snack; I couldn't disagree with that either. Being on the raw end of a Uzumaki's rage wasn't the most ideal place to be. One late afternoon when she was walking me home from training, this guy who had been shitfaced drunk considering the smell, tried to rip the hitai-ate from my head, mumbling something kids playing ninja. I was sure that he was still walking funny from what Kushina did to him.
After finishing our food, our conversation flowed into uncomfortable territory.
"What kinds of missions have you been on Junko-chan?" Akane asked.
I had tried to avoid the topic all this time, to limited success. But now all three of them were looking at me expectantly, Shisui with a bit of probing. I guess I did owe it to them after they had been so open with me, like they always were. I swallowed down the sigh that threaten to free itself and braced myself for their reactions.
"I've only been on one mission."
Noburu blinked in surprise. "Is it because you don't have a team?"
Akane quickly elbowed him for his lack of tact, quite painfully by the sound of the wheeze that escaped him, but the words were already in the air.
"No, that's not it…" I trailed off and Shisui's intense gaze at the side of my face grew, pushing me to say it, to tell them, and I stealthily kicked him in the shin.
"I don't know how much I can say since I haven't heard anything about the investigation recently, but my first d-rank mission turned into a b-rank, if that's any indication."
The words came out easier than I expected them to, but the shocked expressions on Akane and Noburu's faces made me wish I hadn't said anything. As my words processed, Akane looked ready to tug her braids out of her head.
"But b-rank usually means encountering enemy ninja, don't they?" she asked fearfully.
I nodded. I was hesitant but continued.
"I haven't been on a mission for two weeks for recovery, and the last few weeks I've just been practicing with Kushina-shishou to build my skill set. I'm fine though, really."
Despite my best wishes, there was an awkwardness in the air between all of us.
Until it was interrupted and worsened by none other than Noburu.
"That's so cool!" he said, a sparkle in his eyes that set my stomach into a spin. "You got to fight an actual enemy? What was it like? What village were they from? How many-"
This time, I think it was Shisui who kicked Noburu under the table. But it was becoming difficult to breathe.
All I could think about was how scared I had been.
About the hand around my neck and the dagger in my face.
Before I could fall into those terror-filled memories, I tore myself from those thoughts, banishing them to the dark corner they belonged in. As my life had settled back into normalcy with Kushina's return, the memories of that event had become more manageable. But hearing Noburu talk about it so happily, so excited, fired off every scene of it in my brain, frame by frame. I took a deep breath to center myself, and reassured myself in the strong, living pulse of my core and chakra coils.
I looked Noburu in the eye.
"Fighting, being a ninja, is neither cool or exciting." My voice came out colder, harsher than I wanted, and Noburu jerked back, surprised. "It's terrifying, and just one mistake could mean-."
The words stopped in my throat, the terrors knocking on my consciousness, and my stomach churned violently. He had no idea of the nightmares. The terrors. The paranoia. How that fear in me had almost turned him into an enemy too. I had almost hurt him!
"I'm sorry," I stuttered, pulling some ryo out to place on the table. I couldn't look at them. "I need to go."
I was gone from my seat and out the door before they could call for me, unable to handle the weight of their eyes. I didn't stop until I was out of the Akimichi district, and miles away from them, my breath coming out in visible puffs in the cold air.
I braced myself, my back hitting the wooden planks of the training room as Satomi's strike nearly made contact with my face. I flipped over myself to land in a crouching position, even as my lungs struggled to gather oxygen and my cheek stung. I rolled away as her fist came flying at me, rising to my feet and using my chakra to center and protect myself. I channeled more chakra into my arms as she made contact, and forcibly shoved her away, flickering backwards to put space between us.
We were both panting. Satomi stood almost victoriously as she looked down at me, though one of her arms was limp and her stance was unsteady. I wasn't fairing much better. A bruise was starting to form on my arm and in my side where she had simply punched me with all her strength, taking me off guard with her speed. I had barely managed to dodge her Jūken strikes but she had brushed some of the tenketsu in my chest, making it difficult to breathe with my already congested nose.
My vision was becoming blurry and I braced myself for another onslaught when Hideyoshi called the match.
"That's enough."
Satomi was visibly disappointed but quickly neutralized her expression as the elder stepped up, forming the seal of reconciliation as was custom and I did the same albeit more warily; she could still go for the kill. His eyes glanced over the other girl, nodding before dismissing her with wave, his gaze settling on me as she walked to where her mother waited on the sidelines.
Here we go.
"Your reaction time has diminished since your last spar," he sniffed, disapproval coming off him in waves. "Your taijutsu seems to be lacking as well. While your byakugan will never be as strong a full blooded Hyūga, we expect more from you with our clan techniques."
I stared back blankly and nodded, fighting the urge to sniff with my congested nose. "I will improve Hideyoshi-sama. I apologize."
"Make sure that you do."
He walked back to where some of the other elders and one of the twins was waiting, and I moved to where Aunt Mei sat, a headache starting to form. She didn't say anything as she looked me over, taking care to rub pain-reliving ointment on every bruise. As it always did, my attention swam over to the group of clan leaders, the words 'half-blooded' coming in at certain intervals, and I allowed myself a tiny sniffle as my nose began to run.
Aunt Mei didn't speak until we were back in the comfort of home, walking quietly through the inches of snow that had fallen last night. She looked down at me with a mixture of pity and resignation.
"Junko-hime, you shouldn't push yourself so hard."
They were words I heard all too often, and I just gave her a tired nod and a small smile, moving past her into the house so I could bury myself under the kotatsu in the living room. I heard her sigh from the doorway as she moved into the kitchen to put the kettle on the stove.
Under the warmth of the heavy blankets and electric heater underneath the table, I pushed thoughts of Hideyoshi and Satomi from my mind and allowed my body to relax. It was silent and still, only the muted noise from Mei's busy hands in the kitchen disturbing the silence as she worked to make some kind of soup for lunch so that I could fight off my emerging cold.
Stress weakened the immune system, which was my entire existence it seemed, and with the change in weather my body was struggling to keep up. It was frustrating to say the least. I loved the cool weather of autumn but absolutely hated the frigid cold of the winter. And don't get me started on snow. Sure, it was pretty and everything, but it was also freezing and wet and all over terrible. I had never seen snow Before since I had lived in southern California where the most we ever got was the rare hailstorm in the brief rainstorms we got. I hadn't been prepared.
"Junko-hime," Mei's voice rang over me and I poked my head out from the blankets I had cocooned around myself. The woman placed a cup of what smelled to be ginger tea mixed with honey onto the table and I resettled on a cushion nearby, pulling the blanket back around myself.
I opened my mouth to thank her when she gently cupped my bruised cheek, making me look up at her from where she knelt beside me.
"Please do not let the elders' words dissuade you," she said softly. "I've seen you work harder than some adults I know."
I smiled back at her, giggling as the face of a certain Yamanaka doctor popped into my head.
"I won't, never have before," I replied with a sniffle, lightly patting the back of her hand in thanks. She moved away, going to finish cooking and I sighed, resting my unhurt cheek on the smooth table in front of me to stare out the window.
"You would think that if my blood was such an issue, they wouldn't have agreed to this arrangement in the first place," I mumbled to myself.
Aunt Mei sighed as well from the doorway. "Adults can be fickle and their reasons shallow. It'd be best if you didn't think about it; I'm sure you have enough to worry about."
I let out a tired chuckle at the exasperation in her voice and nodded.
"Thank you Mei-obasan." She gave a light chuckle before her quiet footsteps returned to the kitchen.
My bloodline was a topic that hung heaviest over me while in the presence of others in the clan. It wasn't enough with the whole heiress business which made me an outside to the Branch family; being a half-blooded Hyūga in the Main House was cause for much outrage and disgust on their part. Those with non-Hyūga blood where usually sequestered to the Branch for the reasons one would expect. The fact that I had done the opposite caused heads to spin and blood to boil.
Luckily, none of that complicated stuff mattered when I was training with Kushina and didn't matter when I hung out with my friends, but the thought of that caused a whole slew of other problems to spring up. I needed to go talk to them about my outburst; I had been out of line, and it wasn't their fault that I still wasn't over it. However, I quickly pushed those thoughts away so I could start to enjoy the beginning of my break.
I desperately needed it.
The rest of the day and the next went without incident and thankfully, my body didn't fall into a feverish state, all signs of illness disappearing under Aunt Mei's tender care. When I met up with Kushina in our snow dusted training ground, she was holding a scroll up, shaking it in the air as I approached.
"We got a mission today kiddo," she grinned at me. I fought the tensing in my muscles, but Kushina saw through my façade, her smile softening.
"Don't worry. I can guarantee that nothing bad will happen, dattebane."
I couldn't help the brief shame that rose in me at her seeing my discomfort-what kind of ninja was afraid of taking missions- but pushed it away and smiled up at her. That first mission must've been a fluke anyways.
"Alright then shishou, let's go."
Kushina didn't elaborate on the mission parameters but we soon found ourselves in a place I hadn't expected to ever step foot into.
The Inuzuka clan compound.
The distinct smell of dog permeated the area and a few members walked around doing various tasks with their ninken companions following close by. It was a spacious plot of land, though I would expect as much with all the canines around. The Inuzuka were also closely related to the veterinary services that existed within the village I had heard. It made sense they would be concerned with animal health, and if I remembered correctly, Kiba's sister had been a veterinarian in canon. I wondered how it worked; did they know how to take care of animals other than dogs or was that their specialty or something?
My thoughts were interrupted as we entered one of the larger houses in the place, where Kushina let herself in without knocking. We deposited our shoes at the genkan, and I took off my thick jacket and left it there as we moved deeper into the house. I followed her lead albeit with a bit of hesitation.
What are we doing here?
My question was answered when Kushina opened a door and several things were thrown at us. My byakugan activated, I quickly slapped the offending objects away before they could connect, Kushina doing the same.
What the heck kind of mission was this?
A slightly rough voice chuckled. "You were right Kushina, the pup is surprisingly quick on the draw."
Sitting in the room, leg wrapped up in a cast was the Inuzuka matriach, Tsume. She was lounging back on a large couch, foot propped up on a table in front of her. There was a large dog sitting at her side who paid us little attention as he watched over a small child with wild hair playing on the floor.
"Junko-chan, this is Inuzuka Tsume," Kushina introduced unnecessarily. "Head of the clan and one of my best friends from the academy. That's her partner Kuromaru and her daughter Hana-chan."
Tsume seemed like the kind of person kid Kushina would hang out with; remembering canon, Kushina had been quite the rough and tumble sort of girl in her youth, although she had matured into womanhood over the years. She was still pretty violent at times though.
"It's nice to meet you Tsume-san," I greeted, wary that she would start throwing things again. "I hope I can meet your expectations."
The Inuzuka matriarch regarded me with a examining glance before turning to my mentor.
"She's so stuffy, just like a Hyūga," she snickered. "She's not like Kimiko at all."
Irritation settled in my stomach. All I had done was greet her politely and that was the attitude I got, just because I was Hyūga? Was there some sort of beef between the Inuzuka and Hyūga that I was unaware of? With a blank look, I turned to Kushina.
"Are you sure that this is a mission, and not a social call shishou?" I asked dully. "If I wanted to be insulted by adults, I could've stayed back in the compound."
The atmosphere shifted at my words, which had come out more irritated than I had meant. Cold weather had the added effect of making my patience incredibly thin. But I knew the Inuzuka to be rather rough in temperament, so I didn't bother hiding my ire, and I was too annoyed to feel ashamed at my outburst. I was used to Kushina's lightheaded teasing or even Noburu's jokes at my expense because I knew they meant nothing by it, but was something completely different when other people got involved. It wasn't as though I could help it; it was the way I was raised. The way I was. Why was it such a big deal?
I was doing my best.
Kushina's face twisted into something apologetic. I had opened up to her about the stresses I went through considering my status in the clan, and she had jumped up in righteous anger about it; though she and I knew going after the clan head would not do anything good for my situation. Still, her idea of what she would do to the clan head if she could had made me snickering for days.
"Junko-"
"Hey now, don't get your undies in a twist kid. I did call for a genin team," Tsume interrupted, waving her foot at me. "Injured my leg pretty bad out on the field so I need help today while my usual lackies are out."
I fought a grimace. A part of me wished it actually was a social call so I could go back home and hide under the kotatsu, but unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky.
Tsume delegated tasks to me while Kushina made tea for the both of them in the disaster area that was the kitchen, as I didn't need much help in this regard. It was simple, clean this or that. The house looked to be in pretty rough shape, papers and scrolls littering the place, along with food containers stacked on top of each other in piles. I even spotted a few kunai stuck in the ceiling.
So, my hair in a high bun and sleeves rolled back, I got to work.
I thought about nothing in particular as I started in the living room, grabbing every piece of litter I could find and organizing them into piles to be disposed of properly. Luckily the floor didn't need much in the way of sweeping, considering the pair of adults who were chatting quietly to each other on the couch, as well as the child and canine in the room, so I wouldn't have to sweep any dust into the air. It was surprisingly free of fur, though that gave me the impression that Kuromaru was cleaner than his human partner, even with his lack of thumbs.
Cleaning the living room was the easy part. I got most of the trash situation sorted, as well as the piles of random nonsense Tsume had thrown at us as we entered. Tsume had me stop once that was done, noting that one of the helpers would take it out later when they returned. I stared for a moment at the remaining oddity in the room, the kunai that were embedded in the rafters before I got started in the kitchen. The neat freak inside me couldn't just leave them there. Swallowing a sigh, I walked to the nearest wall and braced a foot against it, channeling my chakra to attach myself to it.
There was a tiny gasp of wonder from who I could only assume was Hana as I walked up the wall and made my way to the cluster of ninja tools buried in the ceiling. Walking upside down was both easier and harder than it looked. Blood rushing the head was a risk but if you knew how to channel your chakra, you could lessen the effects.
"Don't hurt yourself pup," Tsume heckled me from the ground floor.
I ignored her to pull a few feet of ninja wire out to loop the sharp objects through without having to carry them all by hand. I could handle at the most two in one hand- my hands were tiny and kunai were heavy- and with the added challenge of being upside down, I didn't want to risk any falling on the occupants below.
Moving carefully on the ceiling, I made quick work of the job, though one was stuck deeply, the blade almost completely hidden in the wood. Carefully tying the wire so the others wouldn't fall off, and looping the excess around my weapon belt securely, I wrapped both hands on the handle of the stubborn blade and tugged. Even after a few pulls with my normal strength, it didn't budge.
"Need some help there, kiddo?" Kushina asked, her voice floating up to where I was.
I looked down, quelling the brief sensation of vertigo I felt. Kushina and Tsume were both looking up, as well as little Hana who stared at me with wide eyes from her place in the redhead's lap. I smothered a smile at her expression and shook my head.
"I got it."
Channeling chakra to my arms and being careful to keep myself anchored to the ceiling, I pulled it out of the wood with a clean tug. The gash that was left behind was surprisingly deep; how hard did someone throw this thing? Banishing those questions from my mind- I probably didn't want to know considering how the Inuzuka head had greeted me- I let take gravity pull me back to the floor, flipping over midair and landing in a crouched position as I did.
Rising to stand, and chuckling at how little Hana stared in awe at the feat, I eyed Tsume and lifted the necklace of sharp weapons into view.
"Did you want me to put these anywhere specific?" I asked, moving it away from Hana's reach as she tried to grab them from her place in Kushina's lap, the metal clinking together happily like a dangerous wind crime.
Tsume seemed amused. "Just throw them with the other junk; they're probably useless now."
They were pretty dull and badly chipped, and the one that had been really stuck was missing a few inches from its tip. Giving a nod, I resumed my cleaning, stashing the dangerous weapons along with the other random pieces of metal I had found, and hiding that underneath the bag of papers so that the toddler in the room wouldn't get any ideas.
Though I didn't have to worry about that as Hana followed me into the kitchen a few moments after I began to clean up in there. I was lifting another pile of old newspapers to the corner to be recycled when she tugged on the back of my sweater.
"What is it Hana-chan?" I asked. The child was looking much less like a wild child, her hair brushed and pulled into a little ponytail by Kushina.
Her big brown eyes gazed up at me. "You're a ninja like Kushi-obasan an' kaa-chan?"
I smiled down at her. "I am. I went to the academy just like them."
The shine in her eyes grew. "Even though you're small like me?"
I chuckled at her observation. "I sure did."
Hana, like Itachi was very inquisitive, though she lacked his accelerated intelligence. Nevertheless, I appreciated her innocence; it wasn't something I got to see often. I helped the child to her high chair at the table so I could mop the floor, continuing to answer her questions about random things, ranging on how I had climbed on the ceiling to life in the academy which the three-year-old was more interested in.
"Do you like school?" she asked with a tilt of her head.
"The academy can be fun," I said, avoiding her question. The memory of Ikeda-sensei caused me to shudder. "You get to learn a lot of cool stuff."
"Do you hav' a lot of friends?"
"I have a few close friends. Are you excited to go to the academy Hana-chan?"
She smiled big.
"Yeah! I wanna learn a bunch of stuff and make lots of friends!''
"You want to be a strong kunoichi like your mom?"
Her eyes twinkled with adoration and she nodded her head vigorously. "Yeah!"
As much as I enjoyed her innocence, it also reminded me how fast Itachi would grow in the coming years. Though luckily, both wouldn't get a chance to enter the academy until after the war ended. Well, if things continued along the timeline as they should be.
I was almost finished in the kitchen, floor clean and dishes spotless, when something was thrown at me again. I quickly deactivated my byakugan as I caught what turned out to be a heavy folder thrown like a spinning shuriken, turning to Tsume who leaned against the threshold to the kitchen with her crutches.
"Kaa-chan!" Hana giggled happily and I sighed, giving the woman a blank look.
"Tsume-san, I don't think our contract includes free target practice."
She snickered, looking over me.
"It does now." Adults in this universe shouldn't be allowed near children. I think she was being annoying on purpose. I wouldn't be surprised if this large mess had been done in preparation for this 'mission'. "I need you to take that to the kennels out back."
I fought the deep sigh that struggled in my chest and nodded obediently. It was a part of the mission after all. Walking through the home, I noticed with a slight huff that my mentor was nowhere to be found. Donning my jacket and boots, I stepped out of the sweet warmth of the house into the dreary winter of the outdoors.
I'd better make this quick.
Omake: When Kushina Met Junko
The first time Kushina had properly met Junko was when she was seventeen, and the little girl wasn't even a year old. She had finally been given a break from her department and though the near freezing autumn air made her want to stay at home, she dragged herself out to visit the woman who was practically her older sister after a long period away.
Besides, Minato was away on mission with his young prodigy Kakashi, so there was nothing to do at home.
She made her way through the Hyūga compound, willfully ignoring the glances she received from the clansman and made her way to Kimiko's house which sat near the edge of the compound. Kimiko opened the door after a few moments, balancing the baby on her hip.
Junko was a pudgy little thing, leaned against her mother's side with one hand grasped around a teething ring she was mindlessly chewing on. She was covered in a warm onesie and wrinkled her tiny nose unpleased as a gush of cold air blew around them.
"Come in Kushina," the older woman greeted warmly, and the redhead quickly shuffled inside to get away from the cold.
After exchanging pleasantries, they sat at the table in the kitchen to enjoy tea and a late lunch, the child sat in her high chair as they warmed up from their time outside.
"How's your recovering going Kimi-neechan?" Kushina asked, eyeing the infant who was still chewing on her toy, ignoring the food placed in front of her.
Kimiko's pregnancy had been rough on her and the child, leaving them both bedridden for weeks in the hospital. Kushina hadn't been there on the day of the birth, but had heard how everything went down. There had been complications and Kimiko had almost bled out, her child unresponsive for the first few minutes of her new life after hours upon hours of labor. If not for the skills of the staff, Kushina wouldn't have been sitting with the pair today.
"I'm alright," Kimiko said, looking lovingly at her child. "Both of us are perfectly healthy now."
The little girl in question paid them no mind as she relieved her teething pains on the rubber ring, completely focused on the task.
"Would you like to hold her?" Kimiko asked, moving to take the infant from her high chair as she did. "You never got the chance before."
Before Kushina could decline, the older woman was dumping the gnawing child on her lap. For a second, Kushina didn't know what to do, but Junko was unbothered by this change and leaned back against her flak jacket as she renewed her efforts on the teething ring.
"Kimi-!"
The Senju simply laughed at her dismay and moved to clear the table. Kushina wrapped her arms around the infant to keep her steady and that was when Junko looked up at her, as if just realizing her presence. Junko's eyes were big and pupil-less, distinctly Hyūga, but in the light of the kitchen, Kushina could see a hint of amber, no doubt from her mother.
As their eyes made contact, Junko dropped her teething ring, staring up at her with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. A moment passed and the child's expression didn't change, causing Kushina snap to Kimiko quickly.
"Did I break her!?" she gasped and Kimiko's laughter returned.
"Red!" The child spoke for the first time, making Kushina's eyes widen.
She didn't move as the child began to coo the color of her hair in awe, tugging at her free tresses. The Uzumaki didn't move even when the infant pulled a little too roughly. Junko had to be the most adorable child she had ever seen.
Junko tugged her hair with one hand and waved at Kimiko with the other.
"Kaa-chan, red! Red!" She motioned, as though it was the most interesting thing she had seen in her young life.
"I see sweetheart," Kimiko smiled, moving to grab her little clenched fist. "Be careful, you don't want to hurt your godmother, do you?"
Kushina's eyes darted between the pair. She didn't mean- she had chosen her to be Junko's godmother?
She met the other woman's amber eyes. "Sorry to spring it on you so suddenly."
Kushina willed herself to keep her tears at bay, but it was proving to be difficult.
"I-it's no problem," she sniffed, looking down at the infant on her lap.
"I'm your oba-chan Kushina, dattebane," she greeted with a watery smile. "Hello Junko."
Junko stared at her, blinking before smiling wide with her growing teeth.
"Red oba-chan! Oba-chan!" she cheered.
For the rest of the afternoon, the pair watched over the child, giving her their undivided attention. The child seemed to drink it up, especially from her newfound playmate. Junko was a very mobile child, running around the living room to share her toys with the older women who took them gratefully, causing the baby run off to grab more for them. They were distracted by a door opening, and Junko took off towards hallway before either woman could blink with her wobbly gait, unhindered by them calling for her.
"Tou-chan!" The child called and as soon as she did, she began to fall, tripping over her own feet.
In a flash, another figure had her wrapped up in his arms- Daichi. The Hyūga easily lifted the child to his chest, and the baby giggled happily, moving to plant cheerful wet kisses on his cheek.
"Hello Junko," he said simply, but a twitch of his lips let Kushina know that he was pleased by her greeting.
As Kimiko stood to greet her husband, Kushina couldn't help but think about Minato, a rebellious blush that she tried to fight down spreading across her cheeks. The pair had just started living together and it was going alright, though with their schedules sometimes they wouldn't see each other for entire weeks at a time. Would she and Minato ever get to that point in their relationship? Married, with children?
The idea of having children of her own caused both butterflies and dread to flutter in her stomach. With the baggage she was carrying around, that future seemed dim.
Kushina stood as well, Daichi's arrival signaling her exit, not wanting to cut into their family time. The Hyūga carried Junko off to her room to get changed as Kimiko walked her to the door.
"It was nice seeing you and Junko-chan," Kushina said as she slipped on her sandals. "I'm really glad you two are alright now, dattebane."
Kimiko nodded in thanks, before a slightly mischievous smile spread across her face.
"And I'm happy to hear that things between you and Blondie are going solid."
Kushina's face burned but she couldn't deny her words. Kimiko's smile eased, becoming sympathetic.
"You know, one day you'll have your own family," she said and Kushina looked up at her. "It's not impossible."
Kushina looked down at her stomach, the muscles clenching involuntarily.
"I…I don't think that is the best idea," she shook her head. She had heard of the dangers that came with that from both Mito-obaasama and Lady Biwako. How pregnancy would weaken the seal that kept the Kyūbi at bay. It would be selfish for her to put Konoha in danger just for her own desires, wouldn't it?
"Besides, I'm not even twenty yet," she huffed, gaining back her bravado. "I shouldn't be worrying about kids anyways."
Kimiko sighed, but grabbed her shoulders comfortingly, another playful smile gracing her face.
"Be that as it may, if you and Blondie ever decide to settle down, I'll be there for you, no questions asked."
Kushina looked into her amber eyes, and seeing the promise in them, relaxed. If Kimiko was there, she had nothing to worry about. The Senju pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Although, it would be a delight to hear what Minato-kun would call your child," she snickered and another blush burned across Kushina's face. "Just imagine the possibilities."
"Alright, alright, I get it, stop talking about it now, dattebane!" Kushina stuttered.
The pair bid each other farewell amidst her embarrassment and Kimiko's laughter. But as she exited the Hyūga compound, Kushina couldn't get the imagine of Minato holding a tiny blond haired child in his arms.
Author's Notes
Posted/Edited: May 25th, 2017
As always, thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed!
The mini interlude wasn't meant to be this long but the plot bunnies were too strong. I hope you enjoyed it regardless.
Q&A Time
-Guest97 asked: I was wondering for your next interlude could you either do Kushina, Minato or Mikoto when the story is further down the line?
Well, I'm leaving the character featured in the next interlude chapter up to a poll on my profile, so vote for the character you want to see. But I will eventually get to every character that is particularly important to the plot and Junko, the only question is when.
-srirachacha asked: Will Junko ever see her parents again? Or at least get some sort of update on them?
Things will become clear soon :)
-To Bridsongs with your in-depth review:
I hear you loud and clear, and your observations are justified, not rude at all, and I will keep them in mind. It was also very constructive, so I really appreciate it. If you have any more, feel free to share them.
-To the Guest asking about Junko's mental evaluation:
I'm working under the assumption that a genin's sensei is basically their legal guardian, and it is moved onto their judgement (as well as the Hokage) to let them continue. So, it is up to Kushina to help Junko overcome her paranoia. And yes, I plan to explore it further. Thanks for the input!
That's all for this chapter, but I still have the poll up on my profile so vote for which group of characters you'd like to see focused on in the next interlude so I can narrow it down. Currently, Team Minato is in the lead, with Junko's cousins in second.
Next time on For a Chance at Happiness:
Chapter 23: Of Runts and Recovery