"There is nothing staid, nothing settled, in this universe. All is rippling, all is dancing."
Virginia Woolf
The day that followed her arrival was a lot more active than Kagome thought.
She already knew security was tight with hidden villages. Her experiences with previous villages had taught her what to look out for and what to avoid as not to gain any unwanted attention. But the extent the shinobis in Konoha went to was astounding to say the least. Not only did they show up to her hotel room the next morning, but they also invited themselves in to search every nook and cranny of the room, unworried of the mess they left in their wake. Grateful for their chakra signatures, she was able to prepare for their arrival and wash away the stains of the night before.
"Have I done something to cause this treatment?" Kagome almost screamed.
She waited for the ANBU next to her to say something, but her azure hues could not help but follow the movements of the other shinobis occupying her little space. For a second she thought she slipped up somewhere. From the moment she arrived up until when she closed the hotel door on Konohamaru's face, nothing had gone wrong. She was meticulous and calculated.
So, what had caused the dramatics?
"It is a routine search." the ANBU answered curtly. "We will leave shortly." With that he disappeared off onto the other side of the room, passing orders as he skipped off from corner to corner.
Once again Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes. The fact that her room was small enough to take a large step or two to reach the other end was painfully obvious. The fact the ANBU chose to use chakra to travel in said small space was a far cry from the intimidation they tried to exude.
Hopping parasites, she snidely concluded, they really are annoying.
Right on schedule, as soon as the complementary clock in the room struck eight, Konohamaru walked through the entrance. He did not seem surprised by the crowd. On the contrary, he was quite aware of their presence, almost as if he knew they were meant to be there because not only did he spare Kagome a bored expression, but he also walked right past her.
Kagome watched Konohamaru exchange a few words with the ANBU who had proved to be useless to her mere moments ago. With a deep sigh and a shrug of his shoulders, Konohamaru decided it was time to grace her with his attention.
"Standard procedure." He commented.
Kagome expressed a look of disbelief. "Standard?"
"Let's go, we have an appointment."
"With what?"
"Mm, more like whom."
"Standard procedure, I assume?" she mocked.
Konohamaru flinched.
"Right." As he turned to leave, Kagome quickly grabbed the sleeves of his arm.
"Will my things be okay?"
Annoyed at the fingers that were currently creasing his pressed shirt, he snorted at her. Grazing a quick look across the room, mainly at her belongs, or lack thereof, he assured her, "I doubt they would want your pot." He could have left it there, but he silently noted that her fingers were still creasing his shirt. "Or the three pairs of clothes you apparently own."
It was safe to say Kagome was already dreading the hidden village formalities. Konohamaru, on the other hand, had already beaten her to it.
~o0o~
"Waste of my time…waste of my time…. hmm, kind of cute…waste of my time…"
Shizune glared at her Hokage and wondered if her time spent personally serving their leader was worth it in comparison to her skills used in the field. Her onyx eyes glazed over Tsunade's desk. There were stacks of files decorating the infamous Hokage's desk. Alongside the ever-growing paperwork, there were hidden post it notes that Shizune had left for Tsunade. The goal was to clearly categorise the workload from least priority to urgent assessment, however it seemed Tsunade had ignored her efforts by jumping onto the easiest pile.
The torture prolonged when Tsunade mix and matched the piles. Shizune felt an eyebrow twitch.
"Rogues are becoming problematic. Another request to liberate a civilian village." Tsunade waved a file over her head garnering Shizune's attention. But of course, Shizune already knew the contents of said file. Wanting to speak further on the matter, Shizune's eyes narrowed dangerously when Tsunade abandoned the file near the least priority pile in favour of reaching into a drawer that had become the bane of her existence.
Out came a bottle of whiskey.
Shizune no longer questioned whether she was wasting her skills serving Tsunade. Active duty was one thing but keeping Tsunade sober enough to get some of the work done was on a level on its own.
"Oh," Tsunade's interest piqued cutting Shizune's internal realisation short. "This is interesting?"
Eyebrow raised, Shizune wondered what could have stopped Tsunade from taking a swig of the whiskey.
"What is it?"
There was a moment of pause before she got a reply.
"Higurashi Kagome…" The name did not raise any red flags for Shizune. "I think I know her?"
Shizune had been Tsunade's apprentice for as long as she could remember. Not once had her busty teacher mentioned a Higurashi Kagome.
"Where from?"
"A long time ago, she was travelling in the Land of Wind at that time, but…"
"But…"
"It's odd. Her photo…" Tsunade suddenly looked up. "These photos," she held up a small picture of Kagome. "They get taken when applicants enter the village, right?"
Bewildered at her sudden interest in a civilian, Shizune could only nod in reply.
"I knew it!" The busty blonde muttered in triumph. "There really was something off about her."
Tsunade leaned back on her chair with a grin that dangerously hung off her lips. Higurashi Kagome was an enigma indeed. Sure, their paths crossed only once, a long time ago considering, but the impression left by the woman had survived through out the years. She may not have been an active player in her strings of responsibilities and worries, but she was definitely hanging on at the back of Tsunade's head.
"Please tell me what is going on?" Shizune finally asked. The mystery, she decided, was wasting away at her patience.
"I may have a solution after all."
"Exactly to what do you have a solution for?"
Tsunade's grin only grew in size. Sighing, Shizune knew her fate was decided right then and there. Something was bound to go awry with a grin like that.
"What's the status on Higurashi's schedule for today? I must meet her right away."
~o0o~
"By signing this form, you are consenting to the procedure. Any lasting side effects or damages, Konoha will not be held liable."
"Konohamaru advised it was a requirement for all new entrees, however this is a little…extreme, don't you think?"
"Need I remind you that you decided to apply for a temporary visa at a hidden shinobi village."
"Of course, but can I just say that this is quite unusual. I have visited many villages, not once did I have to sit through, as you all put it so nicely, an interview."
"All hidden villages interview new applicants."
"This is an outright interrogation."
"Scared? Afraid we might find something that you are hiding?"
Kagome's smile tightened.
"Well, Konohamaru is not letting me off easy on today's plans, so shall we start?"
It would be an outright lie if Kagome told herself she was not out of touch. Her mental barriers had not been breached in a long time. There was no reason to expose her unique abilities. True monks and priestesses of this world were non-existent. The ones she had come across were all in name only. Demons did not walk amongst the humans as they did in her world. Anything acutely related to them where either shown in kekkei genkais or sealed away inside a poor soul. Either way, her hand was never forced, and she comfortably stayed out of trouble.
Kagome inwardly grumbled. Today would determine whether it was the end of her peaceful façade, or the beginning of Carthage.
Ibiki swiftly pulled back the steel chair and sat down with a heavy thud. Going over Kagome's files once more, he took his time in re-reading words that he had already memorised. He wanted Kagome to stew in the silence before he began the interrogation. He found this method worked effortlessly in raising anxiety levels, which in turn, loosened the tongue. Though Kagome was a mere civilian inside and out by the books and in appearance, consistency was key.
Once he deemed, she had fidgeted enough in the uncomfortable chair, Ibiki pierced her with a hard gaze.
"Please state your na-"
Apparently, it wasn't in Ibiki's destiny to finish that sentence. Shizune threw open the interrogation door and flew in with absolute determination. Konohamaru came closely following behind, sputtering incoherently.
Startled by the interference, Ibiki slammed his hands down on the table and demanded for an explanation.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Ibiki," Shizune began, but stopped. Eyeing Kagome with uncertainty, she sealed her lips tight and opted on dragging the aggravated interrogator out the door. "We need to talk."
Kagome barely had the chance to react at the sudden change of events before Konohamaru was glaring right in her eyes. She pulled back slightly but questioned his need to invade her personal space.
"What did you do?" he growled out low. His arms gripped the arms of the steel chair with such ferocity, Kagome offhandedly wondered how far she would have to push to watch them rip right off.
But alas, her curiosity would have to be sated at another time.
A shrug was his only answer.
A few minutes turned into an hour. Kagome bided her time with theories of what was actually happening and backing it up with an escape plan, while Konohamaru played the loyal guard and found a nice corner to silently brood in.
The air between them was unnoticeably thick.
Ibiki calmly walked back into the room with Shizune. They both shared a glance that could mean a lot of things, but before Kagome could speculate, Shizune stepped forward and took charge of the situation.
"Higurashi Kagome, I presume?" Said woman nodded, unsure of what words she could offer to get her out of this particular position. "Good. Konohamaru and I will guide you to the Hokage's office. It seems you've captured our leader's attention."
Kagome's hesitance began as the pretend civilian she was acting to be, but soon it was developing to be more genuine. She could barely remember the last time she was on edge. On the way to the Hokage's office, she continued to plan out a possible escape. The shinobi's prowess barely phased her. She could easily lose her two escorts and slip away as if she were never there. The only issue with that plan was that they now have some details on her. With some light digging and travelling, she could be traced back to the last three, maybe four, decades. The winter season in between would come up blank and surely fuel their suspicions even more.
What do I do now?
Her question remained unanswered for now, because by the time she had become aware of her surroundings again, she was standing before a grand door that could only lead to the Hokage.
The doors opened and they stepped in.
The room itself was unimpressive. Large windows adorned the back of the office, the walls to the sides were lined with shelves and cabinets. There was a simple desk with the Konoha symbol peaking out from the stacks of books that sat in front of it. Behind the desk was a woman who sat incredibly still as she waited for their arrival.
Kagome's head tilted in slight awe. Her straight blonde hair was separated into two loosely tied at the back with some strands that fell freely to frame her face. A violet diamond shape was marked on her forehead. She was quite the curvaceous woman and seemingly tall. Clad in a grey mesh shirt and a green open kimono, Kagome pondered on how she managed to gain this woman's attention. She hadn't done anything ordinary either than appear before their gates. But the more she looked at her, she found herself thinking that there was something familiar about the brown orbs that stared back at her intently.
"Kagome?"
"Kagome?"
Gasping, Kagome felt herself being thrown back a few decades.
She remembered meeting the covert shinobis who were on a mission. She remembered healing a sick kunoichi who was on the verge of death. She remembered the large, helpless, brown hues that stared back up at her with tears sliding down the side of their face. She remembered the look of disappointment and failure. She remembered the feeling of regret as she pumped her miko-ki through her body to stitch up any damages.
But Kagome quickly gathered her resolve and forced herself not to react.
"Yes?" She faked a startled jump when the doors closed behind her. Shizune slightly tugged her towards the desk so that Tsunade could carry out whatever it was she wanted to.
"You are Higurashi Kagome are you not?"
"I am, but you know me…how?"
Tsunade leaned forward, her elbows came up to rest on the desk and her hands neatly intertwined before her face. She carefully chose her next words.
"You haven't aged at all."
Kagome looked at Shizune, and then back at Konohamaru who unhelpfully kept to himself. Though his eyes did slide over to them often enough to be keenly listening.
Shaking her head, Kagome nervously said, "I'm not sure who you think I am, but I have never met you in my life."
"You healed me once. Almost thirty years ago. I was sure to be dead if not for your help."
Kagome stumbled back. She increased her breathing to show hyperventilation. No one else in the roomed moved to offer comfort. At her sudden reaction, they were trained to believe an attack could be at play.
"Thirty years ago?" She questioned. You…" Kagome gasped, "You met my mother?"
"Your mother?"
Hand now covering half of her face, Kagome grabbed a handful of her bangs. She started to laugh. It was sharp and disturbing. Eventually, she calmed. She sported a strained smile.
"Father always said I was spitting image of her. After we lost her, it had gotten worse. I lost count of how many times the others mistook me for her too. But who knew that this would be happening again? So far from home too? This world is so," She let out a forlorn sigh, "Small."
Tsunade hesitated. She had anticipated all day for this woman that stood in front of her. The name, the appearance, they were all the same. Kagome had not aged at all. But the possibility that she may have met the mother could also be true. As impossible as it seemed, Tsunade found it extremely difficult to find some sort of difference between the woman she met thirty years ago to the woman who faced her now. She tried to justify that Kagome did not show signs of being a kunoichi or of having any knowledge of the shinobi arts. Therefore, she could not have used the creation-rebirth to maintain a youthful appearance. Or any other jutsu for that matter.
With a resigned huff, Tsunade sat back in defeat.
Tsunade was always famed for having incredible healing abilities, but there was one thing she could not do, and it frustrated her beyond imagination. Her anger only grew when she allowed herself to feel some sort of hope when she heard of Kagome. Though she was an enigma just as her supposed mother, Tsunade decided it was matter for another day.
She finally spoke up, "Sorry for your loss. I did not wish to bring up painful memories."
There was a small sniffle, but Kagome kept quiet, her head bowed down.
Looking down at Kagome's file once again, something caught her eye. She straightened once again. Tsunade knew she was risking another meltdown, but she was determined to at least fulfil her promise.
"You know how to heal?" She asked. Kagome looked up.
"Only what I learned from mother." After a few seconds, she added, "and then some which I learnt from my travels."
That was good enough for Tsunade. Signaling Konohamaru to leave, Tsunade dismissed the hidden ANBUs. She got up from her chair and walked around to get a closer look of Kagome. Her face was devoid of emotion, but for Kagome, she felt Tsunade's aura. It was wild and untamed. She was conflicted, yet steadfast. She was woman on a mission. What exactly did she need of her?
"You wish for a temporary visa within Konohagakure, correct?"
"Yes…"
"You wish to study more about herbs and their healing abilities?"
"Yes…"
"I will grant your visa and special access if you need, however there is something I need of you."
"I don't understand. How could I help-"
"I didn't know your mother well, but she saved me. Her method was unique, different, and I need those skills."
Kagome mulled over what had happened so far to how she ended up at where she was then. She speculated there could be more brewing below the surface, but the approved visa did offer her some sort of security. The faster she found work and built some relationships on a moderate level, the faster she could shut herself away and live out her life in Konoha before staging her death.
It couldn't hurt. She could always say that unlike her 'mother', she was no expert.
"What could you possibly need with herbs?"
"Help me save Uchiha Itachi."
Hello!
Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I'm glad we're off to a good start.
Please note: I did a few corrections in the first chapter. Also, I'm no longer using 'ninja' but now 'shinobi' - it just sounded better.
As always, disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto.
BlossomBlues :)