Knitting Fate

Second installment in Canon Patchworking with Uchiha Ren series

Twentieth Thread

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This chapter has been beta'd for you by hestia8639. Thanks a lot!

Official beta'd version posted 05.08.2017

"It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills,
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter."
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

0

They spend the next three days hanging out with Kisame (he is much cooler in person than the manga and anime ever showed him to be, but that might have been rooted in the fact that he hasn't gone Akatsuki yet), bothering Zabuza (who is just angry at everything; smol and angry, actually, because Kisame dwarfs everyone) and being not-so-subtly stalked by Deidara. Also, Hibiki is introduced to Ren and Hana's new acquaintances and, at the sight of Kisame, promptly faints. Ren just kept laughing at him for that for the rest of the day.

(Ren also realizes that Haku is slightly younger than Deidara, currently most likely around eight-to-nine years old. She doesn't know when exactly they meet, but she does know that there's no Haku running around right now. Only three of Zabuza's genin, who are scared shitless of both men and apparently thinks Hana and Ren are batshit insane, so they keep their distance. Half a village, most of the time..)

So, long story short, before Ren realizes, she finds herself before the building where the first part of the exam would take place, Hana and Hibiki in tow, and her nerves put to the test. Because, yes, she is nervous, and she has absolutely no idea what is going to happen, and what if she fails-

"Ren, calm down," Hana hums. "Your fidgeting isn't helping."

"Hush, you, I'm nervous!" Ren hisses "What if we fuck up?"

"Then we blame Hibiki, duh," the Inuzuka heiress informs her.

"Hey!" said Hyūga lets out an offended cry, and both girls sigh at him. They have started trying to teach him something, and the guy is… a fail, a major one. Three months down the road of ninja and he only has his taijutsu to barely-passable. Save for the Gentle Fist, that he's somehow nailed down, but he can't just spam that one technique – it's easy to work out, and after, like, the tenth time he tries to surprise Ren with it, she realizes she remembers every kata of it and he hasn't even come close to hitting her, unlike the very first time he surprised her with it, when she almost lost. To Hibiki of all people. She'd rather not remember that.

"Well, let's try to not to fuck up," Ren sighs, eyeing the entrance. She can make out a team or two with their respective tutors, that haven't entered the building yet. "If we fuck up, then Sasuke won't stop complaining about how he can't brag that I made chūnin at first try."

"Kiba knows I most likely won't make it, so no biggie," Hana shrugs. "Medic-nin get promoted after some time and experience anyway, if they prove capable on the battlefield."

"So you're more into specialized field promotion?" Ren asks, and the Inuzuka girl nods.

"Who knows, if I'm good enough at this, and also good in something else, I might even make a Tokujō," she smiles. "Basically without breaking a sweat."

"Cheater," Hibiki huffs. "But I guess it makes sense?"

"Well, I hit hard, but I'm also susceptible to getting hit hard myself, so," Ren circles her fingers in the air, "I can appreciate a good medic to save my sorry ass."

"You ready?" Shibi finally asks, looking down at his genin, and is met with three collective sighs and weak nods. They are (not) ready. It's what they came here for, after all, into the territory of one of the most passive-aggressive countries (honestly, Iwa is always in constant 'fight me' mode), just to partake in the exam. There's no going back now. Ren is unsure – she knows she's a pretty decent fighter, but is it really enough to get her into the finals and promoted? It would be really nice to rank up on the first try, but she's a brash, aggressive fighter. She doubts she's going to even think about showing off her more analytical, calm, thinking demeanor. The raw power she currently wields makes her drunk with the nearly unstoppable feeling – which she knows is very much not true.

But then, she is an adult from a world which may have been much more tame than this, but on many fields it was also much, much more dangerous and demanding. Before, she was just brawn. Now, she has to re-learn how to use her brains. And that is not going to be easy.

(Hana's hand squeezing hers is actually quite comforting.)

Deidara is taking part in the Chūnin Exam. Of course Deidara is taking part in the Chūnin Exam. Ren is so royally fucked against him and his long-range explosives, no matter which part they are facing. Well, at least the blond himself isn't outright hostile towards them. Unlike everyone else, pretty much – especially the gray-haired kid from Kiri. One of Zabuza's brats, maybe? But Team Four aren't the youngest genin there, actually. That honor belongs to none other than Deidara and his team – most likely Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi, if Ren remembers correctly. Akatsuchi is already quite large, almost Akimichi-worthy. She wonders if he eats as much, too.

Ren tries to remember what she knows of the two from the anime as the youngsters, undoubtedly, would be one of the most formidable enemies. Kurotsuchi did become the Tsuchikage, after all. She definitely has Lava Release. Akatsuchi has no prominent releases, but his physical strength is not to be taken lightly, and he is very, very proficient in Earth Release. Later, of course, but everyone starts somewhere, and the fact that those three – the oldest of them being ten – were nominated speaks to their skill. Ren feels completely justified to be scared shitless.

Especially since she has no idea what the first two stages of the exam might possibly be whatsoever. And there are quite a few teams in there. Most of them would fail in the first stage, and Ren knows that she and her team just might count themselves in that group.

"No matter what happens," Hana says suddenly, looking between Ren and Hibiki with a lap full of dog. "My clan is all about loyalty, you know, and for a reason."

"We're stronger together," Ren agrees.

"You can't do much alone," Hibiki shrugs, and it's actually a great relief that he agrees. If he tries to sabotage them like on their genin exam, Ren would strangle him for good. He most likely knows it, too. Even if all that pushes him is wanting to survive, Ren will take it.

The next few minutes go by completely uneventfully. They just sit there, being nervous and waiting until something happens. And it does, in a very ordinary manner. Because the doors open up, and a person – a man, tall, brown hair, typical Iwa uniform – walks through it and then to the front of the room. It's honestly weird. He clasps his hands behind his back, looks around the room with disdain, clears his throat and says:

"Most of you won't even make it past your fifteenth birthdays," and that alone doesn't get him sympathy, at all. And it's also untrue – statistically, only about a quarter of what's gathered in the room dies before reaching that age. "Here and now we will test you and see who is more likely to actually survive. This test is simple. Each team will get a hint, and then is supposed to follow it. The rest is simple and will be understood as you follow it."

That's a load of information, alright. Answering about all the questions they could possibly have, and then some.

(Ah sarcasm, you beautiful thing.)

"The hell," Hibiki mutters numbly, and he is just one in the sea of murmurs. Some shocked, some suspicious, most thoroughly annoyed. However, without any further word, some chūnin waltzes into the room and drops small papers before each genin. Ren cocks her eyebrow and looks between her teammates. Neither appear all too happy. So, Ren unravels her paper and reads it.

I eat, I live. I breathe, I live. I drink, I die. What am I?

"Riddles, how sweet," she sighs, as Hana unravels her paper.

"You have an hour to find a solution to your riddles," the jōnin says helpfully, and mortification dawns on nearly everyone. It's so dense it can be felt. An hour to solve them and follow them? Oh god. Hibiki looks pretty pale, even paler than usual.

I am gentle enough to soothe your skin, light enough to fly in the sky, strong enough to crack rocks. What am I? Hana's riddle says.

I have seas without water, coast without sand, towns without people, mountains without land. What am I? is Hibiki's riddle, and Ren feels like laughing, because it's one from the Mage prologue in Dragon Age, and one she knows the answer to. Annoying, since the two former actually seems easier.

Within minutes they are outside and sour. Ren is slightly less sour, but – still.

"How on earth are we supposed to understand this!" Hibiki raves.

"I heard your riddle once," Ren admits. "The answer is map."

"Oh, really?" Hana perks up. "Then, we most likely have to find a map somewhere where two other riddles say. What could they say?" the Inuzuka asks, and all three tap their chins in thought. Nothing comes to them, really, which is infuriating. They don't have forever. And, in conclusion, if they have to find a map, they most likely have to follow it, too. Their time is more limited than she thought. An hour, good one! Fifty minutes now, actually.

"Let's sit and think," Ren sighs, scratching her head. "What eats and breathes to live, but drinking kills it?"

"Drunkard," Hibiki scoffs, and is promptly swatted on the head.

"By drink, I think it means all drinks," Hana says. "Including water… Oh! It's fire," she snaps her fingers with a wide grin. "Fire needs air and wood to sustain itself, but you can put it out with water!"

It makes sense. Ren is eternally glad that she is stuck with at least one teammate not afraid to use their brain. She wouldn't really get mad if Hibiki starts doing that, too, to be honest.

"Gentle, light and yet strong that second one," Hibiki huffs. "What can be like that? It makes no sense!"

"Every riddle makes sense," Hana argues. "…usually."

"Fire is too little to tell us where to look, except someplace hot or something," Ren shrugs.

"Blacksmith, baker, every damn restaurant," Hana counts on her fingers. "Hell, every fireplace. No, the other riddle must say something more," she says, and both her teammates nod in agreement. But the time is ticking. Forty-five minutes. Ren really, really hates working under stress with a passion. She can do it, but she doesn't have to like it – and she doesn't. She had her own deal of it while working in an office, thank you very much.

And so, they think, and think, and fail to come up with anything good. Ren is getting more and more frustrated. She is locked in the body of a twelve-year-old, sure, but she is still very much thirty-two! She shouldn't be struggling this much. Really shouldn't. She hates her life.

Twenty minutes later, and they still have no idea, and that makes them even more sour.

That's about the time that Kisame decides to show up in their field of vision.

"Oh, hey brats," he greets them. "Don't you have an exam right now?"

"We do," Ren huffs, stomping her foot. "But it's more field stuff, and we're failing. So, don't mind us being sour and stuff."

"Nah, I'm pretty sour myself, don't worry," he chuckles. "With how little water there is here, I get annoyed. I'm all about that element, if you haven't guessed by my appearance. Being out and dry is… not very preferable."

Ren almost feels a lightbulb flare above her head. Hell, she hears it.

"Water!" she shrieks and wraps her hands around blue man's midsection. "Oh my Jashin, blue, I love you. Thank you, we are so stupid!"

Hana, Hibiki and Kisame all look stupefied by this outburst. Ren looks at them and then snorts.

"Seriously, we were being idiotic, you guys!" she says, letting go of Kisame. "The answer is water! It soothes skin, like in summer, and it can be rain. And what else can drill through solid rock? That's what riverbeds are! Rocks cut through with water!"

"Oh my god," Hana hides her face in her hands. "Why. Just. Why. This answer is so simple, I hate the idiot who came up with it!"

"Your test is riddles, okay," Kisame snorts, pats Ren and Hana on the head (Hibiki is visibly scared shitless of his appearance, so he's spared) and walks away.

"But what does water and fire give?" Ren asks no one in particular.

"Sauna?" Hibiki proposes and, coincidentally, they're actually standing in front of one. His idea might actually be coming solely from the fact that he's standing right next to the welcoming sign. "What? I can have a good idea sometimes, too!" cue skeptic looks. "But it's better than nothing?"

"Byakugan it, see if there's a map inside," Hana orders. The Hyūga boy huffs and rolls his eyes, but obeys.

"Well, there is a chūnin there, with what looks like folded paper in his pocket," he informs.

"Okay, we barge in, then," Ren shrugs. Hana slaps her forehead, but follows anyway, and the chūnin is, actually, slightly surprised to see them. "Oi, you from the exams?" Ren asks when she spots the guy. "Give us the map."

And that's exactly what he does, which itself is slightly weird and gets him raised eyebrows times three – enough to startle a chuckle.

"Don't look at me like that," the chūnin says. "The riddles are the main issue here, you have to find an answer to them, first, and then conclude your task. Missions often require solving mysteries with seemingly no answer and then connecting pieces that appear to have no connection. Without a bit of luck it's rather improbable. The first task is to weed out the weakest, anyway. Those with no luck, or wits, or enough strength to make it in time to their destination. Speaking of which, you still have to follow the map. You have… fifteen minutes. I'd suggest you hurry."

Hibiki opens up the map, blanches, and, in a very un-Hyūga-like manner, says, "Fuck."

Both girls look over his shoulder at the paper, and their reactions, as they bolt through the streets seconds later, are much the same as the Hyūga's. Why did no one tell them it was so far?!