By the afternoon, all of Konoha had heard of what had happened the night before.
The streets were lined with people, young and old. Some were crying as they listened to the speech that the king was making. Others were angry, grumbling under their breath and gnashing their teeth at the rebels. Still most were silent, stunned, unable to fathom the news.
The king announced a month of mourning, and on the first of July they would continue the search for a candidate for queen. The prince remained stone-faced at his side, though if one looked closer, they could see his eyes burning.
Once the speech was over and the royal family was gone, the people slowly trickled away. Several business owners grumbled to one another about the news, especially since tourists wouldn't be visiting as often while the country was in mourning. Lost business would result in less money for their families, and while the economy was still tanking, it would spell disaster.
Ino, a young blonde woman, was incredibly devastated by the news. She'd known Hinata since they were children, and she knew the girl to be one of the kindest people she'd ever known. She was sobbing into her knees by the time the crowd was mostly gone from the square, chanting quietly that "Hinata didn't deserve this" and "Why did she have to die?"
Shikamaru and Chouji, good family friends, sat with her, attempting to comfort her.
Chouji held a half-full bag of chips in his hands, his appetite gone. He stared blankly at the street, mind racing with worry for the future. The Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka families had been close allies for decades now, and their young men and women always signed up for military duty when they turned sixteen. The heirs (and heiress) had been given some slack, as they were to one day lead their families, but the time was coming when the king would no doubt call them to join the military. After this last attack, Chouji was certain that they didn't have much time left before they would have to serve.
Shikamaru sighed quietly, rubbing Ino's back as she hunched over, weeping. "It's gonna be okay, Ino. Hinata would want us to be strong."
"I ju-just can't believe tha-at she's gone," she blubbered, blowing her nose into a handkerchief. "Could you guys leave? I need t-to be alone for a while."
The brunet nodded, standing from the bench. "C'mon, Chouji, let's go back to my house. My father is going to want to discuss things, and it's better to start now."
Wordlessly, the Akimichi heir nodded, getting to his feet. He glanced back at Ino, and with a sympathetic frown, reached into his pouch and pulled out a container of her favorite pudding. He sat it down gently beside her before walking away with Shikamaru.
"Momma, why is everyone so upset?" A young boy asked as his mother brushed through his damp shoulder-length hair. His curious coal eyes watched her peridot ones as they flickered between his face and his hair.
"Because the prince's fiancee has died, dear," she explained patiently.
He nodded for a second before remembering about the brush. He played with his fingers instead, a frown appearing on his face.
The brush was soothing against his scalp, yet it didn't quench his curiosity. His parents had spoken of death before, of course; when he had asked about the empty girl's room next to his when he was three, his parents had sat him down and told him of his deceased older sister. Then, when he was older, he learned of what could have been another sibling of his that had died before he had been adopted. He was familiar with death, so the concept wasn't puzzling for him. He knew that good people went to a better place when they died. But this felt different. It felt strange that the princess had died so suddenly.
What had happened to her? She hadn't been sick, otherwise his parents would have told him, probably. So far, he'd been told that some people had gone to the palace to try and rescue some of their friends, but they couldn't have killed her, could they? His father had been upset about it, but his mother had assured him that the people were only trying to help them. Why would they kill the princess if they were trying to help? And if she was dead, then did that mean…?
"Something on your mind?" His mother asked softly, noticing his reticent mood.
"If the princess is dead, then is she with Nee-chan?" He asked quietly.
His mother's breath audibly caught for a moment, her fingers freezing in his hair for a few seconds, and when he looked up at her through the mirror he could see her eyes clenched shut in pain.
Talking about his sister was always a hard topic for his parents, he knew that full well. He felt guilty for bringing her up at all as he gazed at his mother, who was breathing quicker now. His sister always seemed to hurt his mother more.
After a few moments and a harsh swallow, she opened her eyes, giving him a watery, tight-lipped smile. "I suppose so, dear."
"If she is, then can we give her a goodbye present like we did for Nee-chan?" He asked, eyes lighting up. "I think Ino-nee said she really liked sunflowers. Can we give her sunflowers as a goodbye present?"
Another pause from his mother. The blonde woman took a deep breath to try and stabilize her emotions.
"Well," she finally replied, "I suppose we'll have to wait until Hyuuga-sama announces the funeral."
Once his hair was brushed through, she ran her hand over the crown of his head and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He raised his arms to be picked up and she struggled to lift him into her arms, resting him against her hip as he locked his legs around her.
He pressed his face into her collar, closing his eyes at the familiar, comforting scent of his mother's perfume. She always wore a sweet rosy fragrance that she claimed one of his aunts gave her, although said aunt never had a happy demeanor around them. She always seemed distant.
The woman looked up at her husband, who had just walked into the boy's room. Her eyes were misty with unshed tears, and he nodded, frowning.
"Time for bed, Arata." Her husband smiled at the boy as she tucked him into bed.
"Are we gonna go see Ino-nee tomorrow?" He asked, ignoring the kiss his mother pressed to his forehead.
"We'll have to see if Ino-nee is up to visitors in the afternoon," he replied, running his fingers through the boy's soft chestnut-brown hair. "Remember that you have to help with the shop tomorrow, though, okay?"
Arata pouted, but nodded with a sullen "Okay…"
"Get some sleep, sweetheart." The blonde woman tried to smile at him, but she turned away when her voice cracked. "Sweet dreams."
"Good night, Mama," Arata called softly as his door shut. He settled deeper into his covers, staring up at the ceiling while he waited for sleep to claim him.
Meanwhile, his parents went back to their own room and shut the door. Once they were alone, the blonde choked out a sob, wrapping her arms tightly around her husband.
"'Buki-chan…" The mauve-haired man quietly consoled, hugging her back.
"He's so innocent, Kizashi," she cried into his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt with tight fists. "So young, so bright… He doesn't deserve any of this! He doesn't deserve to bear the weight of our sins on his shoulders yet!"
"It's okay, Mebuki," he soothed, pressing a kiss into her hair. "Our Sakura was just as bright. If we could raise another child to be just as kind as she was, then maybe we're doing something right for once."
Mebuki's shoulders shuddered, and she wept, "I miss her so much, darling… Not a day goes by that I don't think of our baby girl."
"I miss her just as much," his eyes filled with tears at the thought, and he clenched his wife tighter to his body. "But Sakura wouldn't have wanted us to continue to grieve like this. We need to get past this stage. She would've wanted to see us happy."
"I never could give her the little sibling she looked forward to meeting," she shook her head in sorrow. "She would have adored Arata."
The unsaid addition hung in the air heavily, weighing on both of them. Had she not been killed.
He couldn't say anything more, his back shaking with sobs as husband and wife embraced each other, sharing in the agony.
The rain poured outside, drowning out the sunset in gloom and misery. An apt atmosphere for the gloom that pervaded the little household of three.
Sumire huffed, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.
"You may need to take a break, dear," Tsunade observed with a concerned frown her way. "You'll need your energy for when they arrive in camp."
"I know," the teenager replied tiredly. "But if I don't get this done, it'll take longer to get moving again. I know I don't wanna be stuck behind if Konoha nin decide to attack."
"Sumire." Tsunade's voice became sharper, "I understand you have a guilt complex," under her breath, "hell, don't we all have one," then continuing, "but you can't overwork yourself in the name of progress when you're left with no energy to go forward. You need to take a break; you've been taking stock for four hours."
"I'm fine, Auntie," Sumire snapped back, tossing her rosy ponytail over her shoulders as she bent over a small box of supplies.
Tsunade's eye twitched. Honestly, the nerve of this girl. Stubborn as all hell, even with the training that she'd been through. Sometimes she wondered just what kind of teenage workaholic monster she'd unleashed on her men.
Letting out a heavy sigh, she implored with a soft, "Sakura."
Immediately, Sumire's head snapped up, and a glare was on her face. "Don't call me that name," she hissed icily. "Sakura died at age twelve with the deaths of Eiko and Kaede Haruno. My name is Sumire."
Tsunade's glare matched hers, and for a moment she persisted, before she looked down with a frown and a sigh.
"... I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I just- you know how I feel about that name."
"It's alright, but don't make a habit of it," Tsunade flippantly replied, waving it off. "Just... take a break, not just for me, but for you, okay?"
Sumire hesitated for a few seconds, but when Tsunade held out her hand for the clipboard, she relinquished it with another soft sigh. "... Alright, I'll take a short break. Only fifteen minutes."
"Make it twenty," the blonde woman bartered.
"Twenty and extra dumplings at dinner," Sumire countered, raising her gaze again.
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Fine, sure. I'll tell the cooks to make extra."
A smile slowly bloomed across her face, and she bowed to her. "Thanks, Auntie. I'll be by the river if anything comes up."
As she turned to walk away, Tsunade called, "The only time anything's gonna get to you is when myself and Shizune drop dead!"
She only laughed in reply, turning the corner and coming down to the peaceful river. She sat down on her knees beside the cool water, gazing into it. Her reflection stared back at her, her short pink hair falling into her face. She tucked some of it behind her ear and frowned.
So many things had changed in the past six years, both for the good and for the bad, but if you asked her, it had been mostly for the good. Ever since Tsunade had taken her under her wing she'd grown more confident in herself and her abilities, and the workload gave her something to distract herself from the grief of her rapid transition from citizen to rebel.
Her hair, once a soft mauve and hanging past her butt, now fell around her shoulders, a softer shade of baby pink, more like her grandmother's. Instead of parting it to expose her forehead like she'd done in her youth (mostly to highlight her youthful beauty and to push against bullying), now it was parted to the side, her bangs falling across the left side of her face and framing it at the sides. Her eyes had gone from their initial minty-green shade to a grassy green, the shade of her mother's. Her face had lost its baby fat, become angular and trim, and she'd grown into her forehead. She'd gone from a malnourished young teenager to a fit and healthy woman, and she was more proud of who she was now than she'd ever been about anything in the first thirteen years of her life.
She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. If only Ino could see her now, she'd never recognize the woman she'd become. She had actual boobs now, and the amount of exercise she did through the years had done wonders for her entire body. She was lean, muscled, and healthy - way more than she could have ever said of her skinny, malnourished thirteen-year-old self. Of course, it hardly compared to the sex appeal she was sure the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Yamanaka heiress had now (and would undoubtedly gloat about if they ever met), but it was a step in the right direction. She missed her old friend terribly.
"If only I could see her and Shikamaru again," she thought miserably to herself, reaching down to dip her fingers in the water. It was cool to her skin, and she pulled her hand away, shaking it dry and clasping her hands together. "If I could just get the chance to speak to her again as friends, I would do almost anything."
As much as she wanted to say she had cut all ties to her past, her lingering kinship with Ino was one of the obstacles in her path that she just couldn't erase… nor did she truthfully want to. Ino was a source of all kinds of wonderful memories, and as much as she hated her old life, she could never hate Ino. Even if she happened to be engaged to the prince, it wouldn't mean a thing if it meant that they could just be together again.
"If she did end up marrying Sasuke," she thought with a wry smile, "I suppose it would mean that our silly childhood feud would end with her the victor. I wouldn't even be upset at her at this point. They both deserve to be happy."
That twelve-year-old girl probably never would have dreamed that she would be working under the famed Tsunade Senju, but then again, she'd been shown that anything was possible. Anything was possible when she'd brought shame to her parents, back then. Had they ever known of her ties...
She shook away the bad thoughts that were beginning to creep in and took a breath. It had been a struggle to keep the depression at bay, but she'd been doing a good job as of late. She was a workaholic, not just because she loved helping people, but also because it distracted her. It was a distraction from the guilt and shame that seeped into her bones at night, taunted her in her darkest hours, and reared its ugly head whenever she looked at Hinoki and remembered the ties that bound them to Konoha.
Everyone in camp had dealt with it at one point or another; Tsunade often blamed herself for letting her grandfather, brother, and at one point, her lover die. Hinoki often blamed herself for her husband's demise. Karin hated herself for what had happened to her mother and for the events that took place when she was under the infamous Snake Sannin's watchful eye. Even Aika, one of their newer spies (well, 'newer' being relative), sometimes blamed herself for her fiancé being killed. Everyone had lost something, everyone struggled with their inner demons, but they'd also gotten through it. The memories never faded, but the sting did - and they all had each other to support one another. Mimei had become more than just a group of rebels. Mimei had become a family.
Sumire was alerted by Tsunade's calling. "The faction from Konoha is arriving!"
She jumped up from her spot, sparing one last glance at the water and a smile at her reflection, before she jogged back to camp, ready to greet them.
One of the first ones to arrive was Karin, being supported by Boruda, another soldier. The redhead grinned at her with a thumbs-up, and Sumire shook her head with a chuckle. No doubt she'd have to double-check the older woman's back later, even if she was smiling.
Next came Aika and Temari, the former of which was carrying a bundled person past the group to the tent area. Hinata, judging by the peek of midnight-blue she caught under the cloak. The sudden realization of seeing the heiress again was a gut-punch, but she straightened her back and did her best to push those memories down with the others.
After Aika came a few more new recruits, whom she greeted politely. Hinoki was among them, and she gave the older woman a happy hug.
"I'm so glad to see you," she said, to which the woman laughed, patting her back in comfort.
After the woman came a teenage boy, who ambled up to her with a big smile and glittering gray-blue eyes. His freckled cheeks held a rosy flush to them, probably from embarrassed glee.
"Hi!" He chirped, holding out his hand. "I'm one of the new recruits, my name is Hideki Sato. It's so nice to meet you! You're Sumire, right? I've heard so much about you, and I've gotta say you look so much more amazing up close!"
Sumire blinked, a smile frozen on her face as she shook his hand. "It's… great to meet you, Sato-san. The journey wasn't too hard on you, was it?"
"Oh no, not at all!" He shook his head. "I've endured worse, I'm totally fine! I'm really looking forward to going into the medical corps."
His eyes brightened when he caught sight of Tsunade. "Speaking of, you're Ayame-sama, aren't you?" When she nodded, his jaw dropped open, and he bowed at the waist. "Thank you for accepting me! I promise I'll do my very best! I don't know how good of a healer that I'll be, but I'll give it my all!"
"We could use a little more youthful optimism around here, with all of these oldies around," Tsunade chuckled, shaking his hand with a fond smile and ignoring the mock glare that Sumire sent her way. "It's good to have you here, Sato-san."
Sumire studied the excited boy with a careful eye. He was clumsy with his words, stumbling over them in his apparent joy at meeting them. Already she could feel a fondness for him; he reminded her of a puppy coming home for the first time, all cautious happiness and naïve awe. When he looked up at her with that awed gaze, it felt like she was an important person to him, and she could hardly keep herself from giving him a headpat.
A smile crept onto her face, a genuine one, when he bowed to Shizune, stuttering out a hello. She decided she liked this boy. If anything, he reminded her of a younger Naruto with his sunny disposition and gleeful attitude.
Once Shizune began leading him away, Tsunade turned to her with an amused chuckle. "He's quite… spirited, wouldn't you say?"
"Very much so," Sumire replied with a chortle, folding her arms across her chest. "I can't believe how young he is."
"He's only fifteen, if the report is accurate." Tsunade glanced her way as the two made their way into the woman's tent. "Not that much older than you were when you joined."
A frown spread across her face as she shut the tent flap, and she nodded. "Is that how old he is? Sheesh, he seems younger than that still; he's too innocent. Still too young to become a regular soldier, even if he's going to become a legal adult on his next birthday."
"Precisely," the blonde woman agreed. "For now, he'll be under Shizune's care until Karin is deemed well enough to continue."
"I'll take on this job," the rosette offered. "I mean, if you'll let me. Karin is a dear friend to me, and I'd be glad to heal her."
Tsunade paused for a moment. She looked the girl over, and after a moment, smirked. "Ah, I knew you'd take this one. I have no doubts that she'll be healed quickly under your care, Sumire. I'm proud of you."
"You flatter me too much, Auntie," Sumire blushed, glancing away. "I'm only as good as the one who taught me."
"For our sakes, you teacher had better be good," Tsunade groaned, causing the girl to laugh. "But seriously, Sumire, I have faith in you. I'll be helping, of course, but this one is all you for now. As for Hinata, it'll be a few hours until she awakens. The group is being given fifteen minutes to unpack and set up their tents, and then we'll have a strategy meeting in the communications tent."
"Got it." Sumire nodded. "I'll see you in a few."
She turned to leave, and as she exited the tent, she accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She apologized, looking up at the green-haired man. "I didn't see where… oh, aren't you one of the new recruits?"
"Yes, sorry," the man laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually, I needed directions to the bathing area. I wanted to get a quick one in before it gets too crowded and late."
"Understandable," the girl hummed. She pointed to the left, "The lake is over that way. Take the main trail then hook a right and follow the dirt path. It'll take you right to it."
"Thank you so much, miss." He bowed to her and left in a hurry.
She watched him leave with a raised eyebrow. Shaking her head, she walked off to Karin's tent, muttering under her breath, "Camellia would've told the whole group where it was when they were close to camp. New recruits, man…"
"Sasuke-kun, I have someone for you to meet!" A young blonde girl chirped, holding the hand of a shy older girl with short strawberry-blonde hair.
"Hi, I'm Sasuke!" The young prince greeted with a grin, holding out his hand.
"... my name is Sakura," the girl mumbled shyly, taking his hand to shake.
"I really like your eyes, they're pretty." He observed. "Kinda like Kaa-san's, but hers are black like mine!"
Her face turned bright red, and she hid behind Ino, stuttering out a "T-thanks."
Ino giggled, turning to her friend. "See, Sakura-chan? I told you he was nice!"
Sakura nodded, a smile of her own tugging at her lips.
"Hey, Sasuke!" A boy with blond hair hollered, running up to the group. "'Tachi-nii-san said that he'd play with us in the garden today!"
"Whoa, really?" Sasuke's eyes grew wide, and he turned to the girls. "C'mon, he never plays with us!"
"Let's go," Ino agreed, leading Sakura as the four raced to the back gardens.
Ino watched her friend as she interacted with the boys. While she was still withdrawn and shy, she seemed to be having a wonderful time with the boys as they ran around the garden laughing and shouting. Once or twice, Sakura joined in, a grin breaking out across her face as she giddily ran past Sasuke.
Ino smiled softly as Sakura grabbed her hand, the two of them running against the wind. It blew the girl's bangs out of her face, letting her happy turquoise doe eyes be seen, her face budding with pink.
"If I can always make you this happy… then I'll gladly share Sasuke-kun with you, Sakura-chan."
A/N: Please tell me what you thought!
