Knitting Fate

Second installment in Canon Patchworking with Uchiha Ren series

Thirty-Ninth Thread

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This chapter has been beta'd for you by Hinotoriko.

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"The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it."
― Hubert H. Humphrey

0

The thing about Ren when she is angry about something is that it various on certain things that can cause her to have different reactions to her bottled fury. Therefore when hearing from Shibi-sensei that the investigation on who was behind the attack on Torune and Shino was going absolutely nowhere, was met with cold, carefully bottled ferocity Ren was, rather desperately, trying to reign in. Given that the traditional Japanese tea cup was only shaking and not yet cracking under the pressure of her grip, she thinks she was doing a pretty decent job at it.

It didn't help that they had little leads to begin with, because the three bodies that were left were mutilated beyond recognition – venom of Torune's bugs effectively instantly rot them, in a way, and Ren's Takemikazuchi left only charred corpses.

It was safe to assume that Ren was also mad at herself, even if she realistically knew that they couldn't have captured any of them, or, with their level of abilities, safely acquire body in semi-good condition. Still, she was mad at herself.

And at Danzo. He was the ever-convenient recipient of anger, even more so when it was actually his fault.

"You know something," Shibi says suddenly enough to startle a yelp out of the girl, who soon clenches her teeth, trying – and failing – to restrain a growl building up in her throat. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

"I do," she says, "and I do know for sure that my information is correct. However, I neither have any proof, and it will only put me at further disadvantage that I am now. I would love to tell you, sensei; but at this point I will only bring even more danger to myself and Sasuke, I'm sorry."

She perhaps shouldn't have said that, but Shibi-sensei was one of those people she just knew she could trust. And she could expect it from him, too, given that he was her sensei and all. Cobalt, pressed to her thigh, pokes her leg gently and Ren sighs, looking up at the man. He's looking at her, too.

"I understand," he says finally and Ren feels like crying. Oh how she would love to share her knowledge with someone, anyone, who could help her shoulder all this shit, and yet, how is she supposed to do that without ending dead, presumed mad or a traitor, or a spy or Kami knows what else that would endanger her everything?

Hey, Shibi-sensei, I'm actually thirty-two years old, I was murdered and somehow woke up in a body of the one you know as Ren but don't worry, I'm the only Ren you've known, the other one did die during the Massacre. Oh, and I also know the future.

Yeah, right.

"You're endangered enough," Shibi says suddenly, ripping her away from the train of not exactly positive thoughts. Ren looks up at him, blinking, and he continues; "that's also why I invited you here, to be honest. Because now I actually have a reason to do what I was meant to have done before."

Ren quirks an eyebrow, "What reason and what is it you want to do? Sensei, what are you plotting?"

"Your'e safety," he says, and it does sound kind of longsufferingly. "You will cause me a mental breakdown before my children or paperwork will, you realize that? But I have also grown fond of you, of entirely Team Four. And now I have a reason – which is you saving both my heirs – to extend an… Invitation to you and yours. It has rarely been done, but I would like to form an alliance between Uchiha and Aburame clans by giving you a status of a honorary member. This would place you – and anyone connected to you by law, in this case both Sasuke and Naruto – under our protection. It would of course require you to participate in our customary celebrations, but I would imagine it worth it."

Ren just unabashedly stares at Shibi as if he was relying the truth of the world's greatest secret to her. Or was godsend. Frankly, in this situation, he very well might be.

"Oh my Jashin, yes!" she honest-to-god squeals, and if she hadn't placed the tea back onto the table, her new formal hakama with haori (it wasn't like she was going to bother with kimono, especially if she meant to make a statement, and she might or might not have taken extra slow pace of a stroll through the village) would be all in tea due to her jumping up. "Sensei, you're godsend! Oh my Jashin, I'm so dumb I've nearly forgotten about something so important! Honestly, for all the Uchiha wealth and lands I govern, I have no manpower backing me up and frankly if the council decided they wanted to marry me off for 'clan restoration' shit, they would. With you as my close ally, you could stall them long enough for me to do something so they can't!, and as the protector of the current Uchiha Matriarch, you're basically oath-bound to aide me and mine, yes?"

"Indeed," Shibi says, nodding his hair gently swaying, and Ren smiles. In your face, Danzo.

"Thank you, Sensei," Ren sighs, moving her hand to scratch Cobalt's back, to which the spider lets out a content purr.

"No, thank you," he says. "If it weren't for you, who knows what would have happened to my sons. And protection over you? It's just me doing what is right. You might have potential, but you're still vulnerable, Sasuke even more so."

"And with freshly activated Sharingan," Ren catches on, "he's a juicy bite for many who don't particularly feel like denying themselves one of the last Uchiha and his eyes, now that the clan is dead and he doesn't have much protection."

"I realize that you have friends in high places, Ren," Shibi says, "but Sasuke and Naruto are still vulnerable, and you can't be by their side all the time to protect them."

"Like during Chunin Exams," Ren growls, and then straightens. "Yes Sensei, I understand. And I really appreciate the offer. I hope I'll make a good Honorary Aburame."

"Well, you do have affinity for insects already," he says with one of those rare, small indulgent smiles.

"I'm not an insect, I'm an arachnid!" Cobalt squawks indignantly, and Awai hisses audibly, shaking in Ren's collar. She only laughs.

Life is good. For now at least.

(It will soon stop, Ren knows, because she showed off her Mangekyō to Danzo's brainwashed puppets, and she's sure he knows already. Fuck it. She needs advantage.)

Hoshigaki Kisame was many things. He was a soldier, a killer, a spy sometimes, too. He was a swordsman of the Mist, and damn good one at that, one of candidates for next generation of Seven Swordsmen. He was also peculiar looking, and therefore, found himself rather… Alone.

At least alone enough to not to have any pen-pals.

Therefore he was, of course, rather surprised when he was stared down by a rather massive black spider, that was decidedly not native to the region, carrying a scroll on its back. Well, maybe not quite as surprised as he simply did not know what to make of it. Even less when spider started talking.

"Hoshigaki Kisame?" spider asked in a rather bored, perhaps borderline annoyed tone, and he can only nod, because this might be the oddest thing yet he's ever seen. "I was told to bring a message for you."

"For me?" Kisame asks, eyes narrowing. The spider only unties the scroll from its back and rolls it towards him – it's one of the smaller scrolls, really, easily fitting into his palm – with a short "I'm to wait for a reply."

Kisame's eyebrows go up, because who on earth would write to him? Nevertheless, he checks the scroll for traps, and, finding none, unrolls it.

Hi, Blue, it says in a chicken scratch, that makes him let out a short bark of laughter that startles him a bit. It feels weird because, honestly, he had not expected any contact after the not quite stable Uchiha brat departed back home. It's… Heartwarming, actually. Kind of.

As you can perhaps see, I've gotten my hands on a summoning contract! It was actually a gift from Sensei for ranking up, and I can't say that spiders don't suit me. Frankly, I think I might be one of those rare people who actually genuinely like them and don't find them creepy at all. You should've seen my Cobalt, though! She's this small fuzzy baby the size of a small dog, and she's only three months old! She's all blue, like you, and she's my first summon, but I dread the size she'll reach in the future. Spider tend to multiple theirs by many times, and my new flat isn't all that spacious. If she becomes too big I won't be able to have her inside. Sigh.

The one who brings you this letter is Atsuo, but contradictory to his name, he's not a friendly man at all. I sent him to you instead of Deidara because they would most likely kill each other. If you could find a mouse or something and feed him, that would be appreciated and would make him decidedly less grumpy.

But, enough about me and me precious creepy summons, what about you? It's been awhile since we spoke, and ho boy the shit that went down in my life. I'm not really going to talk about the shit that goes down in village, since we're from different nations and all, I hope you understand, but a lot happened. I'm sorry it took me this long with the letter, but summoning something other than Cobalt or other kid-spiders was hard. Nevertheless, I finally have my own flat, and I ended up kinda adopting another kid. He's an orphan without a clan, and Sasuke's classmate, and grows on you like parasitic fungus. And I started hoarding cats. I mean, so far I have one, she's all ginger with few white patches and amber eyes. I wanted to name her something other, but somehow ended up calling her Potato. What is my life?

Nevertheless, due to some, ahem, complications, (I managed to get myself a mild chakra exhaustion, in-village, in a case you doubted I'm talented above everything) and so that I could train some with my summons, I'm finally on duty again. So far it's all boring and pretty close by Konoha, but I hope I can be sent somewhere farther out in time. Maybe we'll even meet up?

I'm doing pretty well with Sumire, though, been training with it most of the time. There aren't nearly enough weapon specialists in Konoha, let alone swordsmen and swordswomen. Most of what I learn I have to learn from scrolls and they don't correct your stances when you mess up.

What have you been up to, Blue? I'd love to hear from you.

Your favorite social menace, Uchiha Ren.

Kisame laughs, wiping his eyes, because he might have teared up a bit while reading the letter – honestly, he just did not expect anyone at all wanting to keep in contact with him, and she seemed to genuinely want to – and looked at the rather massive spider that made himself comfortable on his knee.

"Reply?" Atsuo grumps in annoyed tone, and Kisame smiles.

"Yeah, in a second. Now, you want a slice of beef? I don't think I have much else in the fridge."

"Beef will do," Atsuo waves one of his legs in dismissing manner and Kisame chuckles.

Deidara doesn't appreciate sudden or early wake-ups. He appreciates even less when they're caused by a massive spider suddenly landing on his chest. Which might or might not have caused him to shriek out blue-bloody murder.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to startle you!" the spider whines, making him shut up instantly. He stares at the creature, as it unwraps a scroll from its back and pushes to him. "I'm Emi, and this is from Ren," the spider says, and Deidara blinks.

"From Ren? As in Uchiha Ren?" he asks.

"Do you know any other Ren?" Emi asks, and he shakes his head. "Well then, go on. I'm here to wait for the reply anyway, as my brother goes to Kisame."

"She really wants to keep in contact?" Deidara asks, looking at the sealed scroll. "With me?"

"If she didn't, she wouldn't write," Emi says, and Deidara gets an odd sensation of the spider rolling its – her? – eyes. Is that even a thing for spiders? He sighs, shaking his head, and opens the scroll, and, revelation of revelations, Ren's chicken scratch looks even worse than his own. Huh. Well, it was legible (barely) so there's that.

Hey there Brat. I hope you didn't forget me already, it wasn't that long since I went home. I mean, it did take me a while to manage a summon who could carry the message across countries, sure, but it wasn't that long. Honestly, I find them all adorable, especially Cobalt. She's big blue tarantula that's native originally to Jashin-knows-where, decidedly not here, and she's really pretty shade of blue. Which is cobalt. I'm so creative with names, am I not? Nevertheless, she kinda became my main summon, and she'll multiply in size, I know that. She's the size of a small dog still, but she's only few months old. I dread her final size.

The one who gave you your message is Emi. She's really nice, unlike certain other spider who I sent to deliver letter to Kisame. If you could feed her, that would be much appreciated. She prefers fresh mice, but will eat all meat if needed.

No offense, but I will never like Iwa. It's been a while, but I'm still finding pebbles in my shoes and luggage, especially when I think I've gotten all of them out. It's also so… Brown. Konoha is all green and humid and there are a lot of bugs. Well, they don't bother me, too many spiders around.

I appear to be a kid-magnet, so don't worry that you're the only one who started following me like a lost duckling. I know you might think I would forget you among all the eleven of the brats that decided to stalk me, but I won't, don't worry. Also, when is your birthday? It would be nice to send you a gift or something when due.

Don't go around blowing up too much things, you hear me?

Your favorite social menace, Uchiha Ren.

"Well," Deidara snorts, "she's a menace all right," he shakes his head, looks at the spider and then at the clock. He has day off, and it's past seven, and normally he would just go back to sleep, but he has a reply to write. With a sigh he gets up, grabbing the spider, which is surprisingly nice to the touch, and saunters towards the kitchen.

Ren is walking through the park, yet another of her sightseeing walks through Konoha with Cobalt (and a bit for herself, since she never had time to wander around before) when she nearly walks face-first into a rather massive cobweb. She blinks, silvery, barely visible threads just before her nose, and sighs. The air she breaths out of course upsets the thread and within few moments she meets face-to-face with quite massive Joro spider, working her mandibles furiously.

"I don't really care it's not food, you know," Ren tells the spider. "Even if on a less-frequented road, putting up webs like this is still rude, princess."

The spider starts gesticulating wildly, and Ren sighs, bringing one hand to rub her eyes, as Cobalt starts laughing.

"I feel insulted," Ren murmurs.

"Well, she is insulting you," Cobalt manages between laughter, and Ren sighs heavily.

"I know, alright, I can understand her," she looks at the web again, and narrows her eyes, and then a smile starts slowly spreading on her lips. "Hey, princess, I can feed you, and your friends – if you help me."

Princess – Ren figures she'll just call her Ōjo - stills and looks at her with those tiny, beady eyes. And if ROOT headquarters, wherever they might be, will suffer spider infestation from then on, well.