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Chapter 36 - A Princess's Determination: Part 5 - Finale

"Again! Anticipate where the blade will go."

Haku took a step back before lunging forward, a bamboo sword in hand. Aina raised her tessen, blocking her sparring partner's blow. Despite the strike's exaggerated slowness to a trained eye, Haku's attack was about as fast as what the Princess could expect to face from the average attacker. She blocked admirably but stumbled. To her credit, she didn't fall or lower her iron fan even then.

"Good, Aina-hime. Your speed has improved," the Leaf nin said with a smile.

The Daimyo's daughter grinned back, soaking up the praise. She'd worked hard the last day and a half, and under Amaya's instruction and Haku's sparring, had progressed further than either nin expected. The auburn-haired shinobi stood to the side, watching as Haku feinted right before delivering a strike from the left. Not having time to correct her positioning, Aina wound up with Haku's bamboo blade at her throat. The young ninja took the blade away immediately and proceeded to teach the Princess how to detect such moves. Upon a second attempt, she caught his misdirection but didn't block it fast enough.

Footsteps behind her turned her attention from the spar to Kazuma. He watched for a moment before speaking. "The Daimyo asked us to meet him. He said someone needed to keep Aina busy, so we can fill Haku in later."

"It has been quiet, hasn't it? I don't like this waiting," Amaya said as she followed her former teammate to the Daimyo's office that looked out into the garden. The Daimyo sat where he had when the Leaf shinobi first met him. Raido was already there and the nin took their place beside him, Kazuma on the right and Amaya on the left.

Kichiro didn't speak right away, his worry for his daughter distracting his thoughts. He seemed to notice that all the ninja were present and realized they were waiting for him. He cleared his throat. "Apologies, the situation has me distracted. Have you found anything out? No one's tried to attack. There've been no more threats. Do you think it's over?"

"No, Tanenage-sama," Raido said, "we believe the man who threatened your daughter is waiting for an opportunity."

"What kind of opportunity?"

"One where your daughter is exposed, vulnerable; and we believe it will be in your and her best interest if we created such an opportunity ourselves, rather than carry on waiting. This way, we can control the situation and be better able to protect Aina-sama."

The Daimyo blinked owlishly at the ninja. "You want to use my daughter as bait."

"Not bait, exactly. More like a planted agent," Amaya said quickly. "My partners and I will be with her the whole time. She won't be in any danger. We're Jonin, more than a match for this man and his thugs, but we need him to think the Princess is vulnerable."

"Well, I don't really care for it, but I'll defer to your judgment."

Raido bowed from where he sat. "Thank you for your trust. She's in good hands, I promise. Now, is there a reason we could use to get Satoshi to come here? Do you throw parties frequently?"

"No, but the star festival is tomorrow night. I have already sent out invitations, but with the threats to Aina, I was going to cancel the gathering we usually have here."

"Would it be possible for an invitation to be sent to Satoshi?"

"He's already been invited. He offered to supply tea leaves — that's his new business — and I agreed, though this was before I received the letter. Satoshi doesn't know that I know he sent the letter."

Raido nodded. "Good. Don't cancel and let him come to us. Now, what role would you have Aina play?"

"We have a meal before we go into the garden to see the stars, and while we're outside, we have tea. I was going to let her serve it this year."

The kunoichi could already see Raido forming a plan. She hoped everything would go as smoothly as he claimed. Things rarely went smooth in the ninja world, something which Genin learned within their first couple of missions; however, Amaya still prayed that things would.


Aina squirmed in nervous excitement as Amaya finished tying her obi. "This is one of my favorite festivals. All the decorations are so pretty. And I love the story."

"I do too, Hime. I didn't get to attend many when I was your age, but when I did, it was wonderful," Haku said, handing the young girl her iron fan. She slipped the weapon into her obi, where it would be easily accessible should she need it. Not that her protectors would let it come to that, but she wanted to be prepared all the same. She wore the orange yukata the Leaf nin had found for her with a matching ribbon to hold back her hair.

"Lady Aina." Amaya knelt before the girl and offered her something wrapped in cloth. Peeling away the cloth, Aina found a short blade sheathed in stiff leather. The leather-wrapped handle felt good in her hand.

"Is this for me?"

The auburn-haired shinobi nodded. "It was a gift from a dear friend of mine, but I think it needs a new home." She showed the Princess how to place the blade through loops sewn into the obi so that it wouldn't shift while being easily reached. "No lady goes into danger without at least two weapons."

"But don't you need it?"

"I already have my weapon." On cue, Mamoru scampered out of her sleeve and, balancing on Amaya's hand, bowed to Aina. The Daimyo's daughter offered him her own hand. The summon shifted from one person to the other and sat on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, little one, I won't let anything happen to you." Mamoru nuzzled her cheek before jumping back to Amaya.

"How is a mouse a weapon?"

"He's magic," Haku said in all seriousness, only a faint twitch of his lips revealing his joke

Aina eyed him skeptically before she gave him a smile and, without warning, hugged the young ninja. "Thank you, Haku. I don't care what my daddy says, I like having a boy around. Being around women all the time is no fun. They never let me prank people or teach me cool stuff. You and Amaya are the best."

A glance traveled between the shinobi before Haku answered. "You knew?"

The Princess released him and put her hands on her hips. "I'm ten, not stupid. Of course I knew."

Haku thought about asking, but decided not to. Just because he couldn't fool a ten-year-old girl didn't mean he couldn't get grown men to worship the ground he walked on. Instead, he smiled and ushered her out of her room, claiming they were going to be late.

Paper decorations – kimonos, purses, streamers, cranes – fluttered in the light breeze. Lanterns hung on iron poles driven into the ground illuminated the garden until it was time to view the stars. Aina sat beside her father, with Haku and Amaya sitting a respectful distance away. Kazuma guarded the entrance to the house from the garden while Raido patrolled the perimeter. While taking care to not be overt in their actions, the four ninja kept Satoshi in their view at all times. He sat sipping sake with a few other businessmen near one of the hanging lanterns and complaining loudly about how the Kumo sake was inferior to what he'd once brewed. Beyond his former brewing skills however, he was boring. With receding hair, plain features, and a dark gray kimono, there was nothing extraordinary about him; something which made him all the more dangerous in the opinion of the shinobi. She could tell, though, that middle age had done little to his physique. He was still fit enough to wield a knife or sword with mild competence and that was what kept her guard up despite his appearance.

The Daimyo raised a hand, swiftly quelling the light conversation. "Family, friends, and honored guests, it is time for the lanterns to dim and the story to begin."

Kazuma and another guard moved to douse the lanterns, the ninja moving so that the lantern near Satoshi was his last stop. An old woman, the estate's head cook, shuffled to her place before beginning the story. "Once, there was a maiden who lived on one side of the Milky Way. Her father loved her weaving, and so she worked hard to please him. But she complained that her work kept her from meeting anyone and falling in love. So her father set up a meeting between his daughter and a cowherd who lived on the other side of the Milky Way. When the two met, they fell in love and were married soon after. The maiden stopped weaving her cloth and the cowherd let his cows wander all over the Heavens.

"This angered the maiden's father, and so he separated them by sending them to opposite ends of the Milky Way. The maiden begged her father to let them meet, and moved by her tears, her father gave in. He allowed them to meet on the seventh day of the seventh month if she was good and finished her weaving. However, the first time they were to meet, they realized there was no bridge to cross. The maiden cried so much that a passing flock of magpies came and promised to make a bridge for the two lovers to meet. And so, every year we celebrate their reunion and make wishes for our future."

Once the story was over, Aina, Haku, and Amaya left to get the tea. As the group passed Satoshi on their way to Aina's father to serve him tea first, the business man grabbed the Daimyo's daughter. Amaya and Haku, their hands full with cups and a large pot, were slow to react; they hadn't expected him to be so bold. Aina squealed in surprise as she was spun and pinned against her attacker, but quickly regained her composure despite the blade at her throat. Nobody in the watching crowd thought anything of her raising her arms to rest over her obi, mistaking the action for one of fright. To two pairs of trained eyes, however, the action brought a sense of pride.

The Daimyo quickly stood. "What is the meaning of this, Satoshi?"

Satoshi addressed the Daimyo. "You ruined my life; you took the one thing that gave me happiness and made it worthless. It's only fair that I now take the only thing you love." He pressed his knife more firmly against the Princess's throat, ready to make a decisive cut.

He never got the chance. Aina drove her fan into his knee with all the force she could muster, distracting her attacker long enough to escape Satoshi's hold. Amaya moved to grab Satoshi, but to her surprise, Aina had her new knife in hand and thrust it into the man's thigh. Satoshi howled and swiped at her, but the girl ducked. The blade came to a stop when it met bone, but the Princess followed through, ripping the knife to the side and out of his leg. "Don't ever try to hurt me or my daddy again."

Blood splattered on her orange yukata, but the girl was already moving back, letting Haku press a kunai into his throat. The Princess ran to her father as the business man was taken away. The Daimyo hugged his daughter close and tried to make sure his voice didn't show his worry. "Your mother would be proud."

Amaya breathed a sigh of relief. Tonight could've ended very differently. Instead, after getting Aina changed, they all enjoyed tea and wrote their wishes on slips of paper and hung them on a bamboo pole. At midnight, they set the pole on fire and watched it burn until nothing but cinders remained.

"What did you wish for?" Amaya asked Haku as they returned to their room after saying goodnight to Aina and telling her how proud they were of her.

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

"I suppose," she agreed with a shrug. She was sure she knew his wish. Even though Zabuza was hundreds of miles away, she knew he was still important to the young medic-nin. Her own wish had been for Kakashi, that he would find happiness and finally let go of the past. "Aina did much better than I thought she would. Though maybe we shouldn't tell her that she nearly killed that man."

"I think it's best that she doesn't know either. All she needs to know is that she did well." Haku had checked on Satoshi before the guards took him away. Aina had nearly cut through the major artery in his leg. If she'd had a better angle or more strength, Satoshi would be dead. "I'm glad we taught her when and why to fight. She's got killer instincts."

The kunoichi laughed. "That she does. Hopefully, her father will see the sense in continuing her training." When they reached their room, they changed one after the other and got ready for bed. Drifting off almost as soon as she lay down, the Jonin sent one last prayer, this one was for Aina to grow up strong, safe, and loved.


"I apologize for overreacting. I shouldn't have hired Jonin," the Daimyo said, bowing to the Leaf nin as they prepared to leave.

Raido waved away the apology. "You had reason to think your daughter was in considerable danger. I'm glad you were wrong." He then stepped forward and offered the Daimyo a scroll. "Here's a list of suitable teachers for your daughter in the area. We've spoken to and questioned each of them. Any would be willing to teach her."

Aina's father smiled in reply, grateful for the shinobi's understanding and assistance. Aina rushed forward and hugged Haku and Amaya in turn. "I'll miss you."

"And I you, Hime," Haku said, bowing.

"Don't forget your promise."

The medic-nin placed a hand over his heart. "A ninja never goes back on a promise."

"Be good, Hime. Practice hard but be safe," Amaya said, waving to the little girl as the Leaf nin left.

"I will!"


A few weeks later, squeals of joy could be heard throughout the Daimyo's estate. Kichiro stared uncomprehendingly at the picture his daughter shoved in his face. 'Who is it, dear?"

"The Blond Bane!" Aina screamed. "I have to meet him someday, daddy."

The Daimyo patted his daughter's head. "Someday, my dear. Someday."