Hi everyone! You know how I said I would try to get two chapters out a week? Here's me trying. Things have been suuuuper busy, and they will be more busy in the weeks to come. I'm also having to slow down because in a chapter or two my collab with tallman will come out, so at least you have that to look forward to. PS, I still love hearing from you guys via PM and reviews. It lets me know that my efforts are appreciated.
The rocking of the boat was almost enough to distract Seiichiro from the thoughts racing through his brain. The paper of the report he had received had been read so many times it had softened to the texture of a handkerchief. The Raikage had been kind enough to send Seiichiro a more accurate account of the chunin exams than the papers had to offer, but its contents were disturbing. Multiple attempts on his daughter's life outside the arena mean that Seiichiro's enemies had indeed gone after his daughter. Worse yet, one of the assailants had been his own nephew. He had been foolish enough to believe that after all this time he could finally bury the hatchet with his family and they repaid his optimism with attempted murder.
In this mire of darkness, however, was a shining ray of hope: Beki had defeated them all. Not only had she made it to the finals in the chunin exams, bringing great honor to her family and her village, but she had survived both attempted assassinations. Although he had personally seen to her training and hired professionals to make up for his weaker points, as a father Seiichiro couldn't help but worry about his daughter making it in the world. The chunin exams had been the first real test of how Beki could handle the chaos and danger of the shinobi world and she had done an exemplary job.
He read through the report again, smiling to himself at how the Raikage's professionalism slipped on occasion with an almost paternal pride. His favorite lines from the report were: "she made her cousin look like a damned fool" and "Beki would have made her momma proud." Seiichiro subconsciously touched the letter in the pocket on the inside of his shirt and sighed with relief. He hadn't left the letter on the desk. Apparently in addition to this personal report to Seiichiro, the Raikage and surprisingly enough the Kazekage had both sent in letters of approval regarding Beki's performance in the exams. The king had no choice but to send Seiichiro to his daughter with the announcement she had been promoted to chunin. Seiichiro couldn't wait to see the smile on Beki's face when she heard the news. To celebrate, he had even picked up a gift for her.
It would be quite some time before he could see his daughter's face, however. Travel in winter was treacherous and therefore painfully slow. It would be weeks before Seiichiro would walk through the gates of the Leaf. Until then, however, he would have glowing words about how his daughter was growing up to be an exceptional shinobi to keep him warm.
…
Tsunade hadn't been happy about the report that Sound shinobi were still using the chunin exams as a scouting ground. A had been even more perturbed that Beki hadn't reported the incident to him and given him the chance to kick some Otogakure ass. All in all, however, the "attempted" abduction blew over and soon life returned to normal.
Beki had been doing her best to keep up her training but she found herself frustrated. Her father had raised her with the impression that the Maidens were creatures of myth and legend, terrifying and unstoppable. Her fight against Shinichi had taught her that this version of things was flawed. Why hadn't Seiichiro told Beki that there were counter styles? It made sense they had a backup plan if a Maiden went rogue, however Beki's father should have warned her about it. Part of her wondered if clan law dictated the Maidens be raised in the dark to the Kishin style.
No matter what technique she worked on, Beki found that the knowledge she could be flawlessly countered in a single move discouraging. There weren't any lightning users in Konoha her age, so Beki was left trying to remember Shinichi's moves and brainstorming ways to counter the devastation he laid upon her in that arena. No matter what she tried, she just kept coming up short.
It bothered her so much that she was actually training outside of her schedule with Ebisu. He would show up and she would have already been at it for hours, or she would tell him to head home at the day's end. It was Beki's day off from training and she was standing alone in the woods near a small stream. She had realized that drawing from natural water sources was a great way to conserve chakra while practicing Drowned Maiden techniques. Hinata had sent her out with a bento, so Beki laid it on a large flat rock with her shoes before she stepped into the babbling water.
You know, maybe I should just take it easy today, Beki thought. She really wouldn't be able to make any progress till she talked to her dad about the Kishin style, anyway. With a sigh, she stepped back out onto the bank and the mud squished between her toes. A shiver went down Beki's spine at the gushy sensation. There was something so gross but so exhilarating about mud in a childish sort of way. The winter in Konoha was much milder than in the Cloud, so even though the mud was icy cold it hadn't frozen solid. It was after a moment or two of silently playing with the mud that Beki sensed she was being watched. It triggered a danger response; her hair stood on end and goosebumps formed on her skin. Instinctively, she dove forward across the river and faced the opposite side in time to see a cyclone tear by where she had just been sitting. Her shoes and bento went careening off into the woods. Beki sighed. Regardless of how this fight went, the walk home was going to suck.
"Okay, who's there?" Beki barked. "Show yourself!"
A tall blonde girl a several years older than Beki dressed all in black traditional wear descended from the trees using a great fan like a hang glider. She landed where Beki had stood moments before and stared her down.
"So you're Tsukimori Beki?" She asked, her voice as harsh as her glassy green eyes.
"You should kind of start with that instead of the whole cyclone thing," Beki clenched her fists. She had been planning on water jutsu training today and had left her kunai bag and weapons at home. That left her completely unarmed in face of this fan user. It didn't help she would be forced to fight barefoot on the treacherous snowy forest floor.
"We need to talk," the girl raised her fan in front of herself threateningly.
Beki furrowed her brow and her mind raced. Who on earth could this girl be? Beki had been in Konoha over a year, so that meant anyone she had angered recently she would recognize as one of the Leaf Villagers. Admittedly, Beki had crossed ninja of every village at one point or another, but nothing that warranted a grudge this long lasting. Based on the headband she was wearing the girl Beki was facing from the Sand. Considering her father had never worked that far west, she was left completely perplexed as to the identity of her assailant.
"What are your intentions toward the Kazekage?" The blonde girl demanded, cutting off Beki's string of thoughts.
"What does it matter to you?" Beki replied automatically. She wasn't going to reveal anything until she figured out who this girl was. Instead of using her words, the blonde girl lashed out with another wind based attack. Beki had no choice but to evade the incoming assault. Beki jumped up and swung around a tree limb, using the momentum to launch herself out of the range of the attack. She landed on the branch of another tree and watched as the wind blades took out a fistful of trees where Beki had just been standing.
"Is this some kind of plot against our village?" The blonde girl cried as she took another swing at Beki.
This attack had less wind up so Beki was left with less time to respond. She launched herself off of the branch, arching up into the air. Beki felt the angry current rush by her, whipping her hair around her face and tearing violently at her clothes. The wind blades sliced open the back of her shirt, the seams of her shoulders, and the legs of her pants. None of that would have mattered except she heard a sickening thwap as her hair was caught in the crossfire. Beki landed roughly, a wave of shock and anger washing over her as she looked at her hair hanging by a single strand. This stranger had severed off half of Beki's long silky braid. It had taken her a decade of dedication and conditioning to get it that long and healthy.
"Really?!" Beki held up the sad dangling remnants of her braid. "This is low."
The girl continued to stare her down, unphased by Beki's scolding. It was clear she was ready to make another assault as Beki was forced to use her teeth to bite through the last few threads connecting the hair from her head to the already unweaving tail. Beki sighed sadly and looked the girl dead in the eye.
"I'm going to say this once: I'm the daughter of a Getsugakure ambassador and I was taught not to share my personal business with strangers," Beki did her best to keep her voice steady in spite of the raging inferno of loathing stewing in her gut. "Unless you can give me a damn good reason why you need to know about my friendship with the Kazekage, it's none of your business."
"Suna and Getsu are not allies," The blonde girl looked at Beki with a face like she smelled something foul. "It's my job to investigate any suspicious activity around the Kazekage. A Getsugakure official creeping around falls within the category of 'highly suspect'."
Beki's feet were cut and bleeding in places from her aggressive evasion tactics on the hard bark of the winterized trees. It wasn't just the splinters stuck in her soles and heels; there was at least one wood chip lodged in the webs between her toes. In spite of the agonizing pain Beki kept her face calm and emotionless. Whoever this girl was, she was dangerous, and Beki had no intention of revealing she was vulnerable.
"Once again, it's none of your business, but the Kazekage works with my father. That's how we got to talking," Beki explained. "That being said, I'm sure he'd be pretty unhappy to hear the daughter of one of his coworkers was almost hacked to pieces by one of his shinobi."
The blond girl opened her mouth to respond but rustling in the underbrush drew both of their attention. Shikamaru appeared, bearing an expression of pure annoyance.
"What is going on here?" He looked back and forth between the girls. "Having fun tearing apart the forest?"
Beki opened her mouth to speak but the girl shot her a look that silenced her instantly.
"Nothing is going on," The girl said as she clapped her fan shut and hoisted it on her back. "I was just leaving."
She walked off into the woods in the direction Shikamaru had just come from. Shikamaru looked at Beki, barefoot and bloody, and shook his head. Beki pointed in the direction of the blond girl and then swirled her index finger by her temple to indicate the Sand kunoichi was crazy. Shikamaru shrugged with apathy and turned to follow the Suna girl. As soon as they were out of earshot, Beki finally let out a tiny whimper. She gingerly climbed down the tree with only her hands, dropping the last few feet onto her bottom to avoid impact on her feet. As much as it hurt her tailbone, the idea of driving the wood bits further into her flesh was less appealing.
Beki began to pick the splinters and chips out of her feet. They were bleeding but Beki was unable to even find grass to bind the wounds with. Left with no choice and no shoes, Beki coated her feet in the icy mud and used the small blue fire jutsu to turn it into a thick cake on her feet. Hiashi is going to love me tracking mud all over the compound, Beki thought.
Unable to put it off any longer due to hunger and a need for some pain killers, Beki sighed in frustration and started the long walk home. As soon as she made it into Konoha proper she started getting strange looks from the locals as she hobbled along. This shouldn't even phase them, Beki thought. I ran down this street in my underwear before.
Beki did her best to keep up a straight face the whole time. In spite of how long she had resided in Konoha, she knew in her heart this was still the away team. She could show no weakness or a lapse in character as that would reflect poorly on Getsu. Beki was so focused on putting one throbbing foot in front of the other she didn't notice Rock Lee careening toward her.
He hit her with the force of a runaway train. Beki flew sideways about five feet before the wall of a restaurant stopped her trajectory. The whole world flashed white as her head cracked against the wall, leaving a spider web patterned crater in its wake. She slid down the wall as the whole world swam and her vision grew fuzzy.
"Beki, are you alright?!" Lee was hovering over her instantly.
His words sounded like water in her ears. Beki closed her eyes and centered herself, breathing through the pain and trying not to throw up.
"I think I'm okay," Beki mumbled unconvincingly.
Lee looked at her with a worried expression. "Did you just get back from training?"
"Something like that," Beki held out a hand to be hoisted up.
Lee was very careful as he helped Beki to her feet. Almost immediately, her knees gave out from the electric wave of pain that shot up her legs. Lee caught her as she swooned and without another word threw her on his back.
"Don't worry Beki! I'll get you home!" Lee said with ferocious determination.
"Lee, it's okay...I'm fine…" Beki couldn't bring herself to protest much. She was done with today and a ride home sounded like a fine idea.
"Nonsense! It is my duty to carry a fallen comrade to safety!" Lee said and immediately took off at full speed.
Beki felt her whole stomach lurch with the sudden change in momentum and it took all of her discipline to keep her breakfast from lurching back up.
"Lee," She groaned. "Please slow down."
His eyes widened in embarrassment. "Of course. I apologize Beki. I was so eager to get you home I forgot you were injured."
"It's okay," Beki groaned. "Thanks for the lift, Lee."
Even at an easier pace Lee had her home in minutes. As the approached the Hyuga compound, they ran into Neji on his way into town. His eyes widened in surprise at Beki's appearance and instantly came down on Lee.
"What did you do, Lee?!" Neji growled as he gingerly removed Beki from Lee's back.
"I wasn't feeling well before he ran into me," Beki grumbled softly. "It's not his fault I'm in the shape I'm in."
Neji didn't bother arguing with her but he gave Lee a threatening look anyway. After a moment, he sighed and said:
"Let's get you inside. Thank you for getting her home, Lee."
Lee saluted diligently and called after them:
"I'm going to run 500 laps around the village on my hands as penance for running into you, Beki!"
"You do that," She groaned loudly as Neji put her over his shoulder fireman style and turned back towards the compound. Neji made a point of being more considerate about Beki's condition as he carried her to Hinata's. When she heard the door opening, Hinata walked into the kitchen with a smile that faded as soon as she laid eyes on them.
"What happened?" Hinata asked as she rushed over to Neji set Beki on the couch.
"I wasn't there, but from the looks of it Beki's been having a rough day," Neji eyed Beki's mud caked feet suspiciously.
"I'll go get the ointment," Hinata said as she hurried over to the medicine cabinet.
"No medicine," Beki whimpered. "I hate it. Please don't put any of that on my feet."
"What happened to your feet?" Neji asked. "Where are your shoes?"
Beki thought of how to explain the odd turn her day had taken. She still had no idea about the identity of the Sand kunoichi who had attacked her. Hinata and Neji were already on the brink of putting her on house arrest. If Beki told them she had been randomly assaulted while out training in Konoha again, she was sure they would follow through with it.
"Training accident," Beki pointed at her feet. "My shoes got washed downriver and I cut up my feet trying to find them."
"Beki who did this to you?" Hinata stood before her with a bowl of hot water and an unconvinced expression.
"I did," Beki leaned back on the couch and laid an arm over her eyes to avoid Hinata's penetrating gaze. "I just told you."
"Really," Hinata said as she took hold of Beki's tattered braid. "Did you accidentally butcher your own hair?"
It wasn't worth lying anymore. Hinata knew Beki too well for her to lie her way out of this. Hinata knew how vain Beki was about her long platinum braid and would never believe Beki would do anything harmful to it.
Beki sighed and gave in. "I was wading in the river, getting ready to work on some water ninjutsu when some Suna kunoichi blitzed me from the woods. Knocked my shoes and the bento you packed me out into god knows where in the forest."
"Did she tell you her name?" Neji asked as he held up Beki's legs one at a time so Hinata could wash the mud from her feet.
"No," Beki swallowed hard, wincing whenever Hinata hit a tender spot. "All I can tell you is that she was trying to get information from me."
"About Konoha?" Hinata paused as she surveyed the damage. Beki had done a considerable amount of damage to the bottoms of her feet, partially due to how long she went without proper medical attention. Injured feet were a huge problem for shinobi, so Beki was going to have to keep off of them until they had completely healed. Hinata knew Beki would hate that information so Hinata waited to share it.
"No, about some…Getsu stuff," Beki said evasively, but both Hyugas looked at her knowingly so she relented. "She was asking me about my relationship to the Kazekage, like I'm an assassin or something."
"What did you tell her?" Neji asked.
Beki shook her head. "Not a damn thing. Especially after she lobbed my braid off. Who does that? Kunoichi 101: Never go for the hair." Beki rubbed her neck. "When I think about it, the whole situation might have just been some strange standard procedure or something. The girl obviously wasn't there to hurt me. I was unarmed and she caught me by surprise, so she definitely could have maimed me if she wanted to."
"Regardless of how much more she could have done to you, all this just seems kind of cruel," Neji folded his arms.
"Women are cruel, Neji, and spiteful and mean," Beki shook her head. "It's probably some ex of his or something."
Neji chuckled a little at that. "If Gaara has an ex, they're probably not among the living. His change of character was pretty recent, Beki."
"Then I don't know," Beki shrugged and sighed. "It's not the first time I've pissed off someone's fan club."
"Who else's fan club have you interfered with?" Neji cocked an eyebrow.
"My dad's," Beki laughed and then winced. "There has always been a woman or two in each village that have had their eyes on him. I always got in the way though. He always had to cancel dates because I got sick or hurt myself or something."
"Do you think your father would have remarried?" Hinata asked. Neji shot Hinata a look of shock at her forwardness, but Beki responded without hesitation.
"To be honest, I think he always sort of hid behind me. He loved my mom a lot. Got himself almost disowned by his family to be with her, so," Beki shook her head. "No. I don't think he ever planned to or will take another wife."
"Even with your separation?" Hinata asked as she brewed some tea.
"Especially so," Beki relaxed into the couch. "My dad is a pretty guarded guy. He taught me to keep an eye on people. If I'm not there to give him my two cents on a person he's even less likely to involve himself with them."
Hinata handed a cup of the hot liquid to Beki and then one to Neji. After she had taken her seat on the couch beside Beki, the conversation took a more pleasant turn. It was surprising to Neji how much Hinata had opened herself up to Beki. It was also interesting how much the clan had ended up accepting Beki as a staple in the compound. In the year she had spent with them, Beki had proven herself highly adaptable and a steadfast friend to Hinata. Not to mention after how Beki had risked her own life to defend Hinata against Kenji Hideki, the whole clan had taken note of her loyalty. Even Hiashi had become more forgiving of her missteps, in the way one would forgive a mischievous but good hearted child.
Neji stuck around for a bit longer while he listened to their conversation. He wondered if this is how it would be in the years to come and he caught himself smiling at the idea of them all spending time like this as adults. Neji imagined what they would all look like and whether or not they would meet up like this in Hinata's living room to chat. A small smile began to pull at his lips but he kept it at bay. Don't get ahead of yourself, Neji, he thought.
…
The sun was barely breaking over the Hokage Mountain monument when Seiichiro walked through the village gates. His entire body throbbed with a dull ache from his arduous journey. Seiichio had spent so many days out in the cold that he felt like there was no way he would ever feel warm again. After he had checked in at the inn he usually stayed at, Seiichiro followed his nose to a diner that was brewing some strong smelling coffee.
He sat down at the counter and made no attempt to hide the cat in his bag. The cook gave him an odd look. The man obviously considered throwing Seiichiro out but after sizing up the Reaper he decided to let it slide.
"Don't let that thing on the counter," Was his only warning before he started on Seiichiro's order.
Seiichiro smirked to himself after the cook turned his back. I've still got it, he thought. The cat climbed out of the bag onto Seiichiro's lap and sniffed at the scent of sausage. It licked its lips, looked up at Seiichiro, and yowled with longing. He scratched the cat's head. The animal was a handsome thing with a soft fluffy coat. His face and body were white, but the rest of the cat's head, its tail, and the "socks" on his front legs were black. His ears were tall and he had and intelligent golden eyes that somehow always perfectly communicated what he was thinking. Seiichiro hoped that Beki would get some comfort from the return of her cat, he just prayed Hiashi wouldn't mind the sudden addition.
After the cook had given him his food, Seiichiro proceeded to eat his meal. Every so often he would slip a hunk of sausage to the cat, who purred in appreciation. Now all that's left is to see Beki, Seiichiro thought as he packed up the cat and paid.
…
Beki was cleaning and polishing her mother's gauntlets at the kitchen table. Hinata preferred it when she did so outside "because of the fumes," she said. So, Beki waited for her to be out running errands and left the windows cracked while she worked. She had already done this procedure three times without Hinata noticing. It was rude, but so was asking Beki to stand outside in the numbing cold and try to clean blades. That was a recipe for death or dismemberment.
A firm knock at the door startled her so hard she almost took her finger off. Beki sighed and plopped the gauntlet next to its mate on the towel. "Coming."
The great hulking shadow on the other side of the door could only be one person.
"Dad?" Beki said as she opened the door.
"Surprise," Her father held up the cat.
"Why do you have Socks?" Beki cried.
Seiichiro walked inside and plopped the cat on the floor. "I figured you missed your cat."
Beki scooped Socks up and shoved him back in her father's arms. "He isn't my cat! He's Reika's!" Seiichiro shoved the cat back at her and he mewed pitifully.
"He always liked you better than her," Seiichiro took a seat at the table and surveyed Beki's work on the gauntlets. It was better than it had been, but she lacked Yuki's ability to clean it in all the hard to reach places. Here and there, chunks of dried blood were still caked in the notches and grooves of the metal.
"She's going to put a curse on us or something," Beki grumbled as she scratched the cat behind the ears. Socks gave a soft purr in response.
"I didn't just come here to give you the cat," Seiichiro reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew the letter from the King. Beki looked at it in confusion, the gold and indigo of the imperial crest shining in the cold morning light. Seiichiro watched her face as she read the letter, her trepidation quickly brightening to delight.
"DAD!" Beki sprang up and hugged him. "I'M A CHUNIN!"
"I know, kiddo," Seiichiro patted her back. "Congratulations. I hear you made your village proud."
"I kicked Shinichi's ass," Beki stepped back and looked her father in the eye. "But barely. I need to talk to you about something."
Seiichiro eyed her suspiciously. "What? Is there something I should know?"
Beki stared him down. "What is the Kishin style?"
Of course, Seiichiro thought. How could I have forgotten to warn her? Then again, last time Seiichiro had seen Shinichi, he was a toddler. It wouldn't have even crossed his mind that the twerp had gotten older and learned the Kishin style.
"How much do you already know?" Seiichiro sighed.
Beki sat down across from him and started packing up her cleaning supplies. "I know that it's a counter style to the Maidens."
Seiichiro tapped his fingers on the table. "The Kishin style was developed shortly after the passing of the original Maidens. Their sons recognized that although they had been just, their powers had been out of control. They came up with counters specific to each Maiden: lightning for the Drowned, wind for the Hanged, and water for the Burned."
"Well, it works," Beki rested her chin in her hands. "Shinichi wiped me out."
"Clearly he didn't," Seiichiro ruffled her hair. "You must have outsmarted him."
Beki got up and put the kettle on for tea. "Only because I learned a couple fire techniques."
Seiichiro smiled at her back. That's my girl, he thought.
"Because of the responsibility associated with it, all three stances of the Kishin are passed on to each of the male heirs," Seiichiro explained. "Starting with their family's counter."
"Dad, it isn't fair," Beki pulled the cups out of the cabinet. "No matter what I do, there is going to be a perfect counter to me. I got away this time, but if Shinichi ever decides to…"
Seiichiro watched her silently. "What do you want to do?"
"I want to learn it," Beki poured the tea. "I want to understand it so I can stop it."
Seiichiro scraped his nail on a bit of syrup that had dried on the table. "I can give you something better."
Beki looked at him in surprise. "What? How?"
"I may not have been the clan heir, but I was lightyears smarter than my oldest brother," Seiichiro explained. "He took almost twenty years to learn the three forms of the Kishin. I learned it in five."
Beki blinked. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"To be honest, it isn't the 'true' style. It's one of my own creation," Seiichiro accepted his cup of tea. "The three separate styles were designed for endurance against a specific Maiden consisting of pinpoint moves and ninjutsu. Mine is a simple, single short burst of power combining all three." Seiichiro set down the cup and looked at the gauntlets. "Its how I beat your mother in the chunin exams. I call it the Raijin style."
Beki remembered the pain and the humiliation of Shinichi's use of the Kishin style. It had made her uncertain about her future ever since, the knowledge that out there existed a style specifically designed to neuter her. She clenched her fists as the ghost of the electricity coursing through her veins swept over her.
"Teach me," She said.
Seiichiro looked at the determination in Beki's eyes and hesitated. The Kishin and his own Raijin styles were designed to keep out of control Maidens in check. It had been the only thing capable of stopping her mother's rampage all those years ago, and if Seiichiro taught it to Beki, what would stop her if she got out of hand?
Then again, Yukihana had always been a predator. There was a cruel glimmer in her eyes even when she wasn't in her Maiden form. She tested limits constantly and held no value for human life. Beki was gentler in nature and lacked her mother's cruelty, however for all intents and purposes, she was a child. What was safe to teach her now could prove deadly knowledge in the future.
"If I teach you this, and you lose control," Seiichiro's voice was dark. "Nothing can stop you. Friends and foes will be mowed down in equal measure."
Beki watching him cautiously and he held up a hand for attention.
"You may be thinking, 'that would never happen to me," Seiichiro cautioned. "But these things are a process. You'll use this technique to defeat your enemies and it will make it so easy it'll be your default process. As the number of victories grows, the civilian casualties that result from the technique will seem less and less important. Before you know it there will be nothing but bodies in your wake and the person you knew as 'Beki' will be gone forever. All that will remain is a ruthless killer that wants nothing more than another notch on their belt."
Beki looked at her feet. "I just don't want to feel so vulnerable anymore. I don't want to win, dad. I just don't want to lose when it counts."
"Then let's get started," Seiichiro said as he rose from the table. "You have a lot to learn."