"Tsunade-sama," Mutsuko entered the woman's office, "You called?" The Sanin looked up from her paperwork and gestured for the girl to take a seat.
"I'm always surprised at how quickly you get here. You wouldn't believe how many kids your age drag their feet whenever they're called here." Tsunade cleared her throat. "Anyways, I've noticed your letters to General Mifune have not been sent in two months. Any reason why?" She asked as casually as possible.
"Nothing to write about." Mutsuko shrugged. Tsunade furrowed her brows and set down her pen.
"Well, regardless, we will need you to send letters regularly from now on. It lets your General know that you are doing well. Protocol, you see." She explained.
"My apologies, I will write him as soon as I can." The girl responded.
"Good, good. Well that's all, you can go now." Mutsuko bowed lightly before slipping out the door.
"Mutsuko-chaaaan!" A loud screech greeted her just as she stepped out of the large weapons shop she frequented. The girl looked towards the village gate where three familiar figures stood, one of whom was furiously waving at her.
It only took a fraction of a second for the blonde energy pill to appear in front of her.
"Mutsuko-chan! We're back from our missi- OW!" He covered his head and cowered away from his attacker. "Sakura-chan is so mean!"
"Sorry about him, you know how he can get." The pinkette grinned apologetically. "So how have you been these past few weeks?" She asked curiously.
"I've been fine, how was your mission?" Mutsuko asked, though her tone betrayed any façade of interest she might have had. Sakura, as usual, did not seem to notice.
"I'm exhausted! Where do I even start! I had to keep an eye on Naruto the whole time and Kakashi-sensei nearly got us lost too. We were so close to running out of food! I swear it never stops raining there, not to mention how hard it was to start a fire with damp branches!" She huffed in exasperation.
"It must have been a long trip, you should go unpack and take a rest." The older girl said.
"You're right, I can't wait to take a hot bath! I think I'm still frozen from all that rain!" She chuckled cheerfully. "Well, I guess we'll see you later, Mutsuko-chan!" Sakura waved as she started towards her house.
"Sakura-chan! Wait for me!" Naruto yelled as he scrambled to catch up.
Sasuke looked at his teammates, sighing tiredly before slowly turning to follow them.
Mutsuko watched the trio's retreating backs, laughing and bickering as they disappeared from sight. She silently stood a moment longer before starting in the opposite direction.
Mutsuko sat in front of her desk, locked in a staring contest with the unfolded letter she had yet to respond to.
What was she supposed to say? After living in Konoha for so long she simply had nothing new to write about and, as odd as it may seem, began to find herself unexcited to receive the letters. Mutsuko gripped her pen tightly before impatiently dropping it back onto the desk. She stood up and headed into the living room, quickly grabbing her weapons pouch before striding out of the house.
As the heavy door fell shut behind her, a slight thump passed through the room, just enough to shake a layer of dust off the katana that rested on the wall.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Mutsuko didn't have to turn around to know who the voice belonged to. She hummed and flung another kunai at the wooden target, striking it right on the bullseye.
"You know, you've improved a lot since you got here." The masked anbu mused, eyeing the ring of targets that surrounded her, each with a kunai firmly embedded in its center. "I remember when you couldn't hit a mountain from a foot away." He chuckled gleefully. His laugh was the only one that sounded.
"What do you want." Mutsuko asked pointedly.
"Just checking in on you, making sure you haven't gotten yourself into any trouble." The man's cheerful tone quickly turned into a serious one upon seeing her hard expression. "Alright, alright. I'm here to deliver some news."
'I'm listening." She said halfheartedly, pulling a kunai out of one of the targets.
"As you know, it's been almost three years since you first came to Konoha. Both Lord Third and Lord Fifth have seen your dedicated training and agreed to let you return to the Land of Iron for a month."
Mutsuko stopped just as she reached to reclaim another kunai. She was silent.
The anbu was just about to speak up when the girl dislodged the weapon and slipped it back into her weapons pouch.
"When?" She asked, her expression unchanged.
"Tomorrow." He heard her click her tongue.
"And I assume you'll be following?"
"Nope." She looked up in surprise. "I've been assigned to another mission but someone else will be going with you." He explained.
"Do I know this person?" She furrowed her eyebrows in discontentment. She could have sworn the man was smiling behind that mask.
"You might." He shrugged innocently. Mutsuko narrowed her eyes.
"Well?" She stared impatiently.
"Uchiha Itachi."
The sun had just peaked out from behind the horizon when Mutsuko made it the gates of Konoha. She had a faded black cloak draped around her shoulders, under which she wore a black tank top and puffy white pants: well-fit for comfortable travel. She had her weapons pouch fully stocked and strapped to her left leg while her bag held a few sets of clothes and some food. A light sleeping bag was rolled up and tied to the top of the pack.
She didn't have to wait long before she spotted her assigned partner approaching. He carried a similar travel bag and nodded a greeting upon reaching her.
"Mutsuko-san."
The said girl only shot him a brief glance before taking off through the opened gates.
Itachi was puzzled.
Mutsuko had been silent the entire time.
The sun was now on the other side of the sky and she has yet to utter a single word.
It wasn't as if he had expected her to be overwhelmingly talkative, after all, the last time they had spoken was nearly two months ago and even that was just a passing 'hello,' but he certainly didn't expect her to be quite this reserved. He considered bringing it up but thought better of it. Now probably wasn't the best time, anyways
Though fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the silence didn't last long.
A faint rustling sound caught his attention.
Mutsuko glanced over to him, seemingly having noticed it as well. He nodded and motioned for her to keep moving.
The two continued through the forest, listening intently for anything out of place.
Just as they began to believe the noise from earlier was just an animal, a sharp whizzing sound cut through the air. Reflexively, Itachi spun around and caught the object flying at him. He glanced down: a shuriken.
Mutsuko landed a distance behind Itachi, scanning the surrounding trees for the source of the weapon.
All at once, a dozen shuriken flew at her. She leapt up and swiped one from midair, launching it back at its concealed owner. A pained grunt told her she had hit her target. Without delay, another dozen weapons flew out of the trees. She avoided them with a leap, looking up barely in time to see a figure coming right at her.
CLASH
Mutsuko locked blades with her attacker, only catching a glimpse of bright green eyes before shoving him back with her kunai. The man landed a few feet away and wasted no time in attacking again. He charged and raised his saber high above his head. Mutsuko launched herself forward and blocked the sword as it swung down. She pulled out another kunai with her left hand and drove it into the man's chest. As he stumbled backwards, she wretched the sword from his hands and spun around just in time to block another man's attack.
A blow to her side sent her flying into a tree. Pain erupted from both her right shoulder and left ribcage. She let out a grunt before standing up and glaring at the two strangers in front of her. Even from a distance, she could clearly see their vibrant green eyes. They both took a single step forward, swords at the ready, and charged at her with full speed. She quickly pulled out eight kunai, holding them between her fingers, and flung them at the men.
The first two missed. The second two were deflected. The fifth one lodged in the taller man's foot. The sixth one lodged in his neck. The seventh one sliced the remaining man's cheek. The eight one was caught and sent flying back at her.
Mutsuko ducked under the kunai and ran towards the man, stolen saber in hand. She swung and dodged and jumped until she finally managed to trip him and drove the sword into his chest without hesitation.
She took a second to catch her breath and glanced over at Itachi. He was engaging with two more of the saber-wielding men just a few meters away.
A blur in her peripheral made her turn her head. She was met with a flash of silver and a sharp pain in the side of her head. Her hand flew up and she instinctively leapt backwards. She glared at the newcomer: green eyes and curved sword, just like the rest of them. She brought her hand away from her head and charged at him. He lowered his stance and readied his sword. Mutsuko jumped and swung the saber down, causing the two identical weapons to clash, sparks flying from the force. Using the man's sword as leverage, she boosted herself over her enemy, slapping something onto his back before landing on a nearby branch.
An explosion shook the ground.
Mutsuko glanced around, scanning her surroundings carefully, cautious of any more attackers that might emerge.
She looked over to Itachi who seemed to have finished off the last of the men. She jumped onto a branch to her far left before landing safely next to the Uchiha. She scanned the bodies that lay motionless on the ground. Only now was she able to get a good look at them. They were all dressed like shinobi though she could see no forehead protector to identify their origins. They shared the same dark brown hair and distinctive eyes.
"They were from the same clan." Itachi concluded.
"It seems so." Mutsuko agreed grimly.
Itachi was about to speak again when he noticed the large gash just above her left ear.
"You're bleeding." He frowned. Reaching into his weapons pouch, he pulled out a roll of bandages and a small cloth. "Sit down."
The girl did as she was told. She sat silently as the boy carefully cleaned around the wound. He set the cloth down and began wrapping the bandages around her head.
"Thanks." She mumbled, glancing down at the blood-soaked cloth.
Itachi hummed and tied off the bandage.
"How do you feel?" He asked. The gash wasn't deep but it was large, it wouldn't be going away any time soon.
"I'm alright. What about you?" She scanned him up and down but didn't see any injuries besides a few scratches here and there.
"I'm fine." He glanced up at the dimming sky. "We've covered enough ground for today, we should rest here for the night."
After finding a small clearing that was rather well-hidden, the two gathered firewood and changed out of their blood-stained clothes. They silently sat by the fire, each thinking over the possible meaning behind the attack from earlier.
Bandits?
Mercenaries?
Rouge ninja?
Mutsuko sighed. Whoever they were, whatever they wanted, she supposed it didn't really matter now.
"Sleep. I'll guard for a while."
She looked up at the Uchiha and their eyes met.
"I'm not tired." She said simply.
His gaze was sharp and calculating, as if it was looking right through her.
"You've been quiet." He stated. She raised an eyebrow.
"…ok?"
"Why?"
"Why?" She repeated questioningly. "I'm a quiet person. That's why." She stated as if it were obvious.
"You didn't use to be." He retorted.
"People change." She shrugged before leaning forward, resting her chin on her interlocked hands. "Now what are you really trying to ask?"
There was a pause before he responded.
"You have something against me. What is it?"
"Now we're getting to the point." Mutsuko shifted to lay on her unfurled sleeping bag. She closed her eyes and scoffed. "Your little girlfriendhas been causing a bit of trouble for me, you see. She's got a bad habit of showing up wherever I am to harass me." The distaste was evident in her voice. "'You have no business with Lord Fugaku's family!', 'You are not to interact with Uchiha Itachi, he is an anbu officer whose safety cannot be compromised!', 'If I see any misbehavior around any shinobi, especially any Uchihas, I will ensure that you are removed from this village!'" She mimicked the high-pitched voice that she had been unfortunate enough to become familiar with. She sighed tiredly. "And since she's clearly fixated with you, I figured avoiding you would get her off my back. It's been working too, thank God. I haven't seen her for the past week and I intend to keep it that way."
A long silence fell between them.
"…girl…friend?" He said the word like it was a foreign tongue from a distant land, earning a raised eyebrow from the brunette.
"Is that the only part you heard?" She sighed. "But anyways, it doesn't really matter. You can just forget what I said." She stifled a yawn. "I'm going to sleep, wake me up when it's my turn to keep watch." She turned over onto her side, facing away from the light of the fire.
Itachi stared at her back, still unsure if he had heard her correctly.
'Strange…'
In the days following their encounter with mysterious shinobi, Mutsuko was noticeably more talkative. Certainly not as much as she had been a few years ago, but it seems she was no longer giving her partner the cold shoulder.
The two had passed through numerous forests, fields, swamps, and towns, all of which Mutsuko vaguely remembered from her journey in the opposite direction three years ago. They were nearing the Land of Iron, as evident by the steadily dropping temperatures.
By the time they came to the foot of a snowy mountain, two weeks had crawled by.
"We're close. Two more days, max." Mutsuko, now fully wrapped in a thick winter coat, scanned the blanketed range, trying to identify any recognizable landmarks.
The two began their trek up the side of the mountain, deciding that it would be quicker than going around. They had barely reached the peak when snow began falling like leaves in autumn. Having been born and raised with snow beneath her feet, Mutsuko never imagined she would forget just how cold it could get up there.
Unfortunately, the gentle specks of snow quickly grew into a full blizzard when they crossed into the valley below. Through it was only midday, the sun was nowhere to be found behind the wall of dark clouds that obscured the sky.
"We should take shelter until the storm settles!" Mutsuko had to yell to be heard over the violent winds lashing at them. She spotted a dark indent in one of the mountains up ahead. "A cave! Let's go!"
After dragging themselves through now ankle-deep snow, the two managed to reach the cave, much to their relief. They stepped into the damp, biting cave air and eagerly shook off the coating of white that clung to them.
"These usually die down in a few hours," Mutsuko sighed, staring into the dark recesses of the cave. "Though they're frequent. We might come across another one before we get to-"
"Wait." He cut her off. She turned and raised an eyebrow upon seeing him staring at the raging blizzard outside. "Someone's coming."
Mutsuko frowned and scanned the surrounding area for any unfamiliar chakra signatures. Her eyes narrowed.
"Two of them." She muttered. "Approaching."
"They don't seem like shinobi." The Uchiha observed, receiving a hum of agreement.
"Kazu-nii! I found a cave! Get over here!" A short blonde girl stumbled into the cave, waving to someone outside. A moment later, a very similar looking boy came dashing in after her.
"Geez! Didn't dad say there wasn't going to be a blizzard for-" He froze, his hand immediately flying to the sword at his hip. "Who are you?" He demanded, glaring at the two figures standing inside the cave. The blonde girl wearily took a step back before racing to hide behind him.
Mutsuko eyed the pair carefully, or rather, she eyed the sword carefully.
"You've finished your apprenticeship, Hidekazu." She observed, an amused smile on her face. The boy visibly tensed.
"Who are you?" He repeated, slowly taking a step forward. His eyes suddenly narrowed before growing to the size of saucers. "…Shiromori-san?"
The blonde girl poked her head out from behind him, fear now replaced with surprise.
"Shiromori?" A wide grin spread across her lips. In a flash, she was in front of the brunette. "Mutsuko-chan! What're you doing here? Are you coming back to the village? How come no one told us you were coming?" She grabbed the taller girl's hands, excitement radiating off her.
"Calm down, Aiki. I'm only here to visit." Mutsuko smiled uncomfortably, pulling her hands away before turning to the other blonde. "What are you two doing outside the village?" She questioned. The boy shifted his gaze nervously.
"Well… I don't think I can tell you that…" The brunette raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"Mutsuko-chan, who's that?" Aiki asked quietly, pointing to the raven-haired boy standing just a few feet further into the cave.
"That's Uchiha Itachi." She motioned for him to come forward. "Itachi-kun, this is Yasui Aiki and Yasui Hidekazu. They're from my hometown." She introduced.
"Nice to meet you, Uchiha-san." Aiki smiled, receiving only a nod from the silent shinobi. She turned her attention back to the girl in front of her and beamed gleefully. "Wow! Mutsuko-chan has gotten so pretty!"
"Ah, thanks, Aiki." The brunette smiled awkwardly. "How have you been these past few years?"
"I've been great! Things have been good with the village too, though General Mifune has been grumpier since you left." She pouted. "I'm sure everyone will be excited to see you! Let me show you around town some time, ok?"
"That would be nice, I'll look forward to it." Mutsuko nodded. She glanced at the opening of the cave and, much to her delight, the snow was falling gently once again. "Looks like the storm is over, we should get going before the next one comes."
Aiki and Hidekazu both turned towards the mouth of the cave.
"Aww, I wanted to catch up with you some more… I know! I'll come visit when we get back to the village! Then you can tell me all about Konohagakure!" Mutsuko nodded and offered a slight grin.
Stepping out into the frigid wind and dancing snow, their pairs waved a goodbye before splitting off in opposite directions.
"Friends of yours?" Itachi asked once they were out of earshot.
"Kind of. I was sparring partners with Hidekazu, Aiki goes wherever her brother goes." Mutsuko explained, wincing at the thought of the uncomfortably friendly girl. "I hope they take their time in coming back." Itachi chuckled at this, shaking his head lightly.
"Now I remember how much I hated this path." Mutsuko had to hold onto a large boulder to keep her balance. They were making their way up an impossibly steep mountain, taking a winding trail that the girl had used many times before as it was the safest way to pass through the dangerous slopes.
She let out a tired sigh when they finally made it to the peak where the ground leveled out.
"I suppose this mountain keeps most intruders out." Itachi mused, staring down at the nearly vertical drop.
"Almost kept me out a few times too." Mutsuko mumbled. She turned to look down the other side of the height, eyes landing on a large city sitting in the valley between three peaks.
As the pair approached the large, snow-covered gates, they could see a number of samurai standing guard, armor and all.
"Stop." One of the men commanded. Glowing red eyes stared down at the two menacingly. "State your name and purpose."
"Shiromori Mutsuko. General Mifune should be expecting me." She stated.
"You're right." The loud creak of the gates opening drew everyone's attention. Just behind the city wall stood a stern looking man with long graying hair and bandages wrapped around his head. Behind him stood two taller men, each with thick scarves covering their mouths.
The old man took a step forward, a smile spreading across his aged face.
"Welcome home."
Look everyone! I'm alive!
Thank you to everyone who has reminded me about updating this story, I do read all the PMs I get so feel free to continue messaging me with any thoughts or concerns.
I hope you've enjoyed this long overdue chapter, please leave a review telling me what you thought about it, and I'll see you next time!