"Kids!"
Just because the trio had spent the entire day training didn't mean that Nami Inuzuka was going to take it easy on them. Kasumi, Daiki and Tatsuya had a long day ahead of them. They not only were still recovering from the day before but then had to attend the Academy as well as do catch-up work from what they had missed while doing their intensive training. They were not excited. The loud volume of the wake-up call was not appreciated either.
"NO!"
"YES!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
The children ganged up on and argued with the Inuzuka mother but in doing so woke themselves up to the point of no longer having an excuse for going back to sleep. It didn't mean that they would stop trying but it also led to Nami dragging each child out of their bad and into the kitchen one by one. By the time she had finished with the boys and was going to get Kasumi the young Yamanaka had already brushed her dishevelled hair and gotten changed into yet another pair of borrowed Inuzuka clothes. Kasumi had come to quickly love the style of clothes that the Inuzuka's wore. She loved that they didn't feel it necessary for the girls to wear some sort of dress overtop of their shorts or pants. The Inuzukas accepted that girls could just wear a shirt and pants and that they didn't need anything else to make them look 'feminine'. It wasn't like it made a difference on the battlefield anyway. For some reason some of the other clans, including the Yamanakas, didn't quite see it this way which meant that Kasumi was always forced to wear things that she didn't want to. Kasumi wasn't looking forward to going back to wearing the stupid pink dress her mother made her wear. Airi knew Kasumi hated pink as well which made the torture for the young girl even worse. Oh well. There wasn't much Kasumi could do about it except enjoy the reprieve she has lucky enough to have at the moment and for the past few days.
Eventually all three children and Katsu, who had been hiding while his partner and Tatsuya were captured by Nami and had to be coaxed out by Kasumi afterwards, were sitting around the dining room table.
"Eat up you lot. I'll never let you hear the end of it if you're all late for the Academy today. Hurry up and get ready,"
The Inuzuka woman had already prepared breakfast and lunches for Kasumi, Daiki and Tatsuya and with her good-natured threat there was little discussion at the table as the children inhaled their food. Soon afterwards Daiki and Tatsuya raced off to finish getting ready while Kasumi was going to get started on the dishes for Nami as she was already prepared for the day. But there was a reason why Nami had left Kasumi to last when dragging the children out of bed and allowed the girl to get ready before breakfast. Nami was concerned for Kasumi. They needed to talk.
"Kasumi,"
"I was just getting started on the dishes. Is that okay?"
"Of course dear but we need to have a bit of a talk and I thought it would be better to have it without the boys around,"
"Okay…?"
Kasumi confusedly questioned Nami but this confusion transformed into concern as the words from the Inuzuka started to sink in.
"Kasumi. Will you be going home tonight?"
"…Yeah…I guess…Maybe…,"
"How long have you been gone?"
"I think it has been…four days? Yeah. I stayed at your place and then with the Shiotas for a night and then I have been here for another two nights. So four,"
It was Nami's turn to be concerned and she did little to hide this from being displayed on her face. She gently placed her hands on the shoulders of the 9 year old and knelt down to the child's height as well.
"Will you be alright?"
This was said in all seriousness but still in a gentle voice and soothing tone.
"Sure,"
The voice of confidence and large smile would have fooled a civilian, but not an observant shinobi. Nevertheless Nami knew she couldn't interfere. She didn't want to create any clan tension. If it wasn't the daughter of the head of the Yamanaka clan then she may have been able to do something but in this situation she had little power. The only way this would be solved would be if Kasumi did it herself or her own choice. Nami just hoped that Kasumi would find the strength to do it eventually and before she suffered any more damage. There was only so much a child could bare, even if they were raised to become a shinobi. They were still a child. If Nami talked to Inoichi about Kasumi it could cause trouble. If Nami kept Kasumi here it could eventually cause trouble. If the confidence that Kasumi was faking now could become real, then the trouble would be nothing compared with the reward.
"Okay,"
With a whisper and a slight nod Nami ended to conversation just as Daiki and Tatsuya bolted back down the hallway looking more dishevelled then they had when they left the room a few minutes before. At least it gave Nami something else to think about. Even after she had made the boys look a bit more presentable and waved the children off to the Academy the concern for the brunette Yamanaka was still present in the back of her mind and remained there for the rest of the day.
Kasumi, Daiki and Tatsuya didn't really have any friends besides each other. Occasionally someone may talk to them briefly. Sometimes they may receive compliments or insults. Basically nobody really went out of their way to converse with the trio. This meant that when the three of them rocked up to the Academy after a day of absence no one made too much of a fuss about it, at least not enough to vocalise it. Itona Sensei didn't say anything about it either but that was because Nami had informed him of her intentions the day before. So when Kasumi, Daiki and Tatsuya arrived at the Academy to start the day they silently made their way to their usual seats as if everything was normal and nothing unusual had happened at all over the past couple of days. Nothing much had happened anyway. They just had their asses kicked continuously over the two days and could barely move; nothing much.
Except there was someone else who was not ready to let go of the fact that the trio had been away the day before. Especially since he had defeated them the day before they disappeared.
When classes finished for the first break Kasumi, Daiki and Tatsuya went to their spot by the tree. They planned on relaxing before they had the physical lesson of the day. No use taking a day off school only to be unable to do anything for the next few days. Hopefully they wouldn't be made to do too many laps, the trio could barely walk let alone run. It wasn't destined to be very relaxing though and the person who did the interrupting wouldn't have cared if they needed rest or not, in fact he would have enjoyed knowing that he was causing pain and displeasure to Daiki, Tatsuya and, especially, Kasumi.
"Why were you away yesterday? Crying over losing? You cry-babies,"
"Take that back!"
Being exhausted was not about to stop Daiki from beating up someone who not only insulted him but, more importantly, insulted his friends. Luckily his friends had the mind to hold him back from getting into a fight that he would have no chance in winning, they had faith he could win just certainly not in the condition he was currently in.
"What do you want Neji?"
"I want you to admit that I kicked your ass and that was why you were away sulking yesterday,"
"You shouldn't say 'ass',"
The smart comment from Tatsuya caused the Hyuga to round on the civilian boy so fast that his long brown hair whipped into his own face. Neji recovered quite well from this but instead of coming across as intimidating he only caused his victims to snicker, chuckle and giggle.
"Doesn't change the fact that you weren't here yesterday,"
"Neji,"
Kasumi didn't want to start a fight and would much rather have someone that hated her rather than an enemy. There was a slight difference between the two and mainly she just wanted less trouble.
"What?!"
Neji was slightly losing his cool but this time when he turned his head he was able to avoid the same hair disaster he accomplished last time. The Hyuga was now facing the Yamanaka and the two were complete opposites. Neji's calm façade was slowly breaking apart at not being taken seriously by the trio of losers and more importantly at not getting them to admit that he was their superior. Kasumi was still really tired from the training the day before and really couldn't care about what Neji believed or said. The only reason why she was saying anything was so that Daiki, who had far too much energy after what the trio had been forced to endure, didn't start an unnecessary fight.
"You did beat Daiki yesterday-"
"I knew-!"
"So we spent yesterday training,"
"…What?"
"You beat us so we became stronger. It's as simple as that,"
Daiki was the only one who had gone to stand up but had been pulled back down by Tatsuya and Kasumi when Neji had fist shown up and since then none of them could be bothered to get up. Until Kasumi made her peace offering. The Yamanaka stood up, faced Neji and offered him her hand.
"How about we both just work on becoming stronger?"
"Why would I care about you?"
"If you didn't care then you wouldn't be here right now wanting us to admit that you are better. I'm saying instead of worrying about who is better out of the four of us we just agree to become better ourselves. Wouldn't it be boring to win every fight and not have any competition at all?"
"You think you are competition?"
Neji didn't accept her hand and left after his last statement without even waiting for an answer. The fact that he left without causing a scene meant that Kasumi had won but she was graceful enough to not make a comment about it while Tatsuya had to hold a hand over Daiki's mouth to stop him from making that mistake and agitate the still delicate situation.
Kasumi was able to sit down and relax for two seconds before another visitor came over to talk. The trio were extremely popular today, no one ever came over to talk to them during the break. Ever. It was only ever in class when they were half forced to.
"Hello Kasumi!"
It was a female this time. The girl's hair was brown, almost the same colour as Kasumi's, and it was put up into two buns on the top of her head. The volume in her voice, probably to stop it from coming out as a squeak, did little to hide the shyness and awkwardness the young girl was radiating in waves.
"Hello TenTen!"
Kasumi knew it would have taken a lot of courage for the orphan girl to come up and talk to a group by herself. Kasumi quite liked TenTen but was always socially awkward herself and if it wasn't for Daiki and Tatsuya's persistence she would have remained a loner. TenTen had a lot more courage than she had; still has. Maybe TenTen needed someone to be her Daiki and Tatsuya. Maybe it was time Kasumi got a friend that was a female? Maybe.
"Great fight the other day!"
"Thanks! You too…um…that's why I came to talk to you…you did great…would-"
Kasumi waited patiently for the other girl to continue and Tatsuya kept his hand over Daiki's mouth.
"Would you please help me!"
The trio were taken back by the sudden yell that came from the slight girl and the visible recoil did nothing to ease TenTen either.
"Um…Please?"
"Sure!"
Sometimes all that was needed was a genuine smile. Kasumi had certainly gotten better at this. After all, she now had reasons to truly smile.
"Would you like some tips? Just promise not to share them with any of the boys. I hear that we will have mixed fights next year,"
"Yes. Yes! Of course! Yes! Thank you!"
Kasumi didn't have to get up and was instead tackled where she sat by the other brunette.
Yeah. Maybe.
That afternoon after the Academy finished Kasumi said good-bye to Daiki, Tatsuya, and Katsu and, now, TenTen at the entrance to the symbolic Konoha building they had spent the day learning in. It was about time that the Yamanaka took control of her courage and finally went back home to face her biological family. If she didn't do it now she may chicken out and never do it. She didn't want to do it but it was just something that had to be done. No matter how unpleasant.
The farewell was hesitant and it took more than one attempt to detach TenTen from her new friend. After that it was a case of one foot in front of the other as Kasumi trudged towards her clan's compound. She would have preferred to see Suzuka and pay a visit to the store to catch up with Runa. She couldn't be distracted. She couldn't even hope right now. She could only prepare herself for the worst afternoon of her life that she knew she was inevitably drawing closer and closer to with every step. It was a terrible feeling. Knowing something bad was going to happen but walking willingly into it anyway.
You could only do your best. You could only do what you could do. You could only do what needs to be done.
The entrance to the Yamanaka compound came into sight far too quickly. When Kasumi came to the familiar doors she felt even more scared than before. It was becoming a bit too real. These great wooden doors were never locked, unless in the case of a village lockdown or emergency which rarely happened in these peaceful times. It was more of a symbol of where the Yamanaka compound started then to actually keep people out.
What would her parents have to say about her absence? What would they do? Would they be really angry? Would they have even noticed? Would they care?
All of these questions scared the little girl. She was petrified to the point of being unable to cross her own threshold into her own home. It wasn't until another clan member came up behind her and opened the doors that Kasumi was urged through the entrance. She couldn't stand outside forever. The next clan member may not be as patient as this one or as nice. Kasumi didn't want to become a bigger target than she already was.
A few forced and surprisingly polite words were exchanged before the two Yamanakas parted ways. The entrance doors led into a small courtyard which had sheltered passageways going to varying parts of the clan compound. Some would go to the training fields, others the gardens and also the residential housing for the clan members. These houses were the closest buildings to the doors as most outsiders that came into the compound were there to visit friends, or even relatives. There weren't many rules and there were no conditions of entry. No one was posted at the doors as the wandering Yamanaka shinobi would notice and report anything suspicious. All that was expected of visitors was that there was no fighting or use of jutsu or weapons outside of the allocated training areas. No one wanted damaged buildings, understandably.
While the other Yamanaka went in the direction of these fields Kasumi wandered slowly down the hallways towards the house she shared with her father, mother and twin sister. The pathway opened up into another large courtyard type area but this time instead of a stone floor there was just a large clearing of lush grass that was, of course, rimmed with garden beds filled with all sorts of local, and even non-native, flora. The houses were quite spaced apart and each had its own little dirt path leading up to it. Except Kasumi's house. That had its own paved pathway leading to it as it was the Yamanaka clan head's household so if there were any special visitors they were likely to go there, or another specialised building closer to the entrance to the compound. The pathway obviously led to the front door but it was the back door that seemed to be used the most as it was facing the general direction of the majority of the clan's clearings, small forests and some training fields. So if any shinobi were coming to see Inoichi they often knocked on the back door and ended up talking on the back veranda. The front door was usually only used for people that were a bit unfamiliar with the family or not fully acquainted at least, or if it was their first visit, or when someone from the family was leaving to head into the village.
Basically, Kasumi should have used the back door but that implied a sense of familiarity and that she would be welcomed.
So Kasumi walked along the path and made her way to the front door and knocked on it. This announced her arrival as if she was a complete stranger.
It wasn't far off.
Kasumi always felt weird saying her last name let alone call this house her home. But technically it was and, being so young, there was nothing much she could do about it. Especially since she belonged to not only a ninja clan but was the daughter of its leader. In this case she had no hope. At least until she graduated and became an accomplished and recognised kunoichi. Then no one would be able to stop her from taking her life back.
No one.
Ever.
She would ensure that.
But that power and confidence wasn't with the small girl at the moment and Kasumi was reminded of this as her mother answered the door. At first Airi was confused as she wasn't expecting anyone let alone a visitor at the front, and usually unused, door but once she inclined her head downwards and got a good view of the small child her expression turned to one of anger and displeasure.
Airi was usually a very proud and pretty woman but when her face turned sour in the presence of her youngest daughter she was as beautiful as a monstrous demon form the pits of hell. Airi said no words to Kasumi. Merely turned her back on the young Yamanaka and walked back down the hallway. Kasumi was on the verge of tears and so kept her head down as she followed Airi inside. Kasumi should have been used to it but the only thing she had learned was that no matter how much she wanted to shed these tears she had to be strong, otherwise it would only make things worse.
"Where have you been?!"
Kasumi couldn't tell whether Ino's loud and condescending snicker was genuine curiosity or merely an attempt to stir the pot even further. It didn't really matter though. Ino would win either way.
The hallway had taken the brunette pair to the living room where all four of the Yamanakas were now gathered. Inoichi was sitting on the couch and Airi had continued walking to stand behind him. Kasumi was trying to hide in the shadows of the hallway while Ino was on her feet in the middle of the room, hands on hips and a condescending look on her face. Her parents couldn't see it from where they were after all. She also wasn't happy about being made to wait by her younger twin sister.
"Answer me already!"
Kasumi didn't move from her flimsy sanctuary. Surprisingly it was Inoichi that moved and once away from his previous position on the couch he made his way towards Ino. Of course all she got was a gentle hand on the shoulder.
It reminded Kasumi of Nami…
"How about we all take a seat and then Kasumi can tell her story. I'm guessing it was a bit of an adventure?"
Of course the Yamanaka clan head would have been able to find out where his daughter was the moment he decided that he cared but from the sounds of it he hadn't revealed this to any of the others. Kasumi didn't know what this meant but gave it a few moments of thought as she followed her father's instructions and took a seat on the smaller chair opposite the couch the rest of her family was now gathered around. Airi was sitting as well now and Inoichi had retaken his spot next to her with Ino on his lap.
They looked like a family…complete…
If it wasn't for the near identical, sour expressions on both the mother and daughter's features it could have been taken as a family portrait.
"…I made some new friends…and…I was invited to stay for a few nights… …It was fun…"
Those last three words were whispered and Inoichi was probably the only one paying enough attention to catch what they were. The two females were too busy formulating their loud and unwanted replies to this.
"You think that is an acceptable excuse!"
"You idiot!"
Inoichi was also the only one that didn't say anything.
"…but…"
Kasumi probably wasn't heard by anyone that time as Airi was finishing the rest of what she had to yell.
"You were gone for how many nights and you thought it would be alright if you didn't talk to us about it first! I don't care what your excuse is! Short of being kidnapped I don't care!"
Truthfully she wouldn't have cared anyway. She didn't do anything after all. She mustn't have been terribly worried.
"How about this! You will not be leaving this house for a week! Your friends will not be coming to see you! You will never stay with them again! You will not see them! Have I made myself clear!"
By this point Airi was on her feet and staring intently at Kasumi. One glance at the fierce hatred in the woman's eyes was enough to cause the girl to direct her gaze back to the blank comfort of the floor. Kasumi didn't have the strength to look at her mother or any of her other family and so definitely couldn't find the courage to remind her mother that she could still see her friends at the Academy. Besides, even if she did mention this Airi would probably find some evil and conniving way to remove Kasumi from the Academy and that would ruin the young Yamanaka's chances of becoming a kunoichi and breaking free from this prison called 'family' and this demon called 'mother'.
Yeah. Better to stay silent.
Kasumi may not have any of the numerous thoughts racing around inside her head into a single word but that didn't mean that Airi couldn't find something else to enrage her further.
"Look at me when I talk!"
It wasn't the sudden increase in volume that caused Kasumi Yamanaka it was the fact that the words were also received along with an unnecessary strike to the face.
Kasumi had been on the verge of tears ever since she had decided to make her way to the Yamanaka compound and face her family and with each agonising step closer to the pain the tears had threatened more and more to make themselves clear and streak down her face in a fierce statement. This sudden and intense physical pain mixed in with her already stewing emotional turmoil and the statement was made. Unfortunately Kasumi had been correct in her earlier thought about it only making things worse. So as Airi's anger grew and grew Kasumi vainly hoped to look over to her father in between the slaps she was still receiving from her mother. Whether it was at the first slap or Kasumi's tears it was uncertain but Inoichi had removed himself and Ino from the situation and so when Kasumi looked over to the couch for help she was met with the sight of empty space.
This went on for a while and Kasumi knew that she had nowhere to go or to escape without causing even more trouble. After the initial shock of being hit Kasumi was able to keep her tears and emotions in check so that during the rest of the assault upon her face she was emotionless. By the end her tears had all dried up on her face as well. The rejected Yamanaka made her way back to her 'room'. The storage room that had been transformed into a very poor bedroom for the young girl had gotten worse in the short time she had been away and so she had to climb over a lot of things to get to her bed and then spend even more time clearing all of the junk off of it.
In the solitude that she then found herself in Kasumi was able to think about a few things.
One. She desperately need to find a way to escape.
Two. This meant that she needed to work even harder at the Academy.
Three. Her father had made his decision, and a very clear one at that, which he wouldn't ever be able to go back on now.
