Chapter Sixteen: Toshi's Strength and Madara's New Role
Toshi had Maemi on her hip. It looked like her goddaughter had gotten her mother's hair instead on her father's, since the black locks seemed to be as straight as a ruler. Her eyes were as black as her brothers, her skin just as pale.
Madara nodded as he took Maemi into his own arms, Nori and Izuna standing behind their mother. A black band around their right arms.
"Kukikio," Toshi growled as she walked up to her, her hands on her shoulders before she started to shake. Kukikio's white hair going back and forth with her movement. "If you think you can go a year without sending me a letter! I'll hunt you down myself!"
"Yes ma'am," she told her, her vision spinning as she was pulled into a hug. She was sure her own mother, Kushina Uzumaki, would have done the same thing. Now she was glad that they would never met, it was a near terrifying thought.
"I thought you were dead."
"It was a near thing," Madara admitted, Nori looking at her with wide eyes. A smug smile was on Madara's face, at least that was what it looked like once her vision returned to normal. "Exiled Sarutobi cornered her."
"There were no corners in that valley," Kukikio told him, Toshi letting her go and allowing to set at a long table. "Therefore, I was far from cornered."
That didn't stop Nori from sitting next to her, wrapping his arms around her torso. Or stopped Maemi from climbing into her lap. It seemed Izuna didn't like her, not that she cared. He was the one she had the least amount of contact with, therefore what he thought meant little.
"Why did you save her?" Izuna asked as he sat down, Toshi next to him and Madara at the head of the table. "Anyone else would have left her."
"Madara is my friend," Kukikio told him slowly. It would seem that Toshi had told her sons what she had done. Wonderful. "And family is important to him. So why wouldn't I?"
There was one thing that didn't make sense. She could never figure what why Toshi had been by herself. Did they think that the baby was lost to them? That they were already dead inside Toshi's womb? Or did something tell him that he was only losing a baby girl? And not another male heir for his army?
No matter the answer, Kukikio had a feeling that his reason would puss her off. Now she wished that she had killed him herself, she hoped his death was as painful as the one he had almost left his wife to suffer through.
"We've had a fight with the Senju Clan," Madara told her, pushing a pot of tea to the middle of the table. This was the most relaxed that she had been in years, not since the fourth shinobi war had started.
Even she had to admit she had gone back further then she had planned, in fact, she had been aiming for the start of the third shinobi war, hoping to stop Obito's death from happening and killing Madara in his old age.
"You're always in a fight with the Senju Clan," Kukikio pointed out, she didn't see why this time was different. Winching slightly as Maemi decided that her hair was the perfect thing to pull, keeping herself amused as she twisted her fingers into Kukikio's long white locks.
Kukikio was happy to be used as a cushion. Children had always been her weak point, and always would be. She wouldn't take a job if her target was under the age of eighteen, instead she generally killed the person who had asked her to push her morals to the side.
Her childhood had it's good moments, but for the most part it wasn't one she'd wish on her worst enemies. Nor did she think it was healthy, but her goal in life was to make sure those around her didn't suffer the same fate.
"And the Sarutobi Clan," Madara continued. "It both us and idiot Senju's walked right into a civil war. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?"
"And why would I know anything about it?" Kukikio didn't know why he was asking her, it wasn't like she told anyone about that day. It did tell her why he knew she was being followed before anyone else did. "That's how you knew Sarutobi wanted me dead."
"How do you know the current Clan head?"
"Sasuke?"
"Yes."
"Saved his little brother from a town fire. A bit before you know what happened."
"Town fire."
"Yes, a town fire. His parents were already dead," she admitted, she didn't know Sasuke's uncle name, and she didn't want to know it.
"You're a softie," Nori muttered, his head on her shoulder, his hair going down her shoulder. "Someday, someone's going to use it against you."
"Whatever you say Nori," she told him, patting him on the head, she had to admit he was growing. Kukikio had a feeling that he was going to be tall then her. Then again, that wasn't hard, Itama and Mito were taller then she was.
Mito was the same age as Madara and Hashirama, but Itama and Nori were only a few years younger then she was. At least two years young, while Izuna and Tobirama were two years older.
"Father had been killed," Madara continued, Izuna nodded as he showed her his sharingan. Blood red with a single red dot, she knew he would get all three in no time. "Hashirama's father as well."
"We just need to fight with the elders for peace," Toshi told her, smiling as she looked at her hands. "Madara has told me about his and Hashirama's plan."
"A village," Kukikio echoed. "A village for ninja, their families and boring people."
"Boring people?"
"Merchants. They never do know why to shut up.""They're the worst," Nori agreed.
"It's getting late," Toshi told then, nodding her towards the window. "Kukikio, your room is next to mine. No escaping now, Maemi's will cry."
"And I can't have that," Kukikio agreed. Maemi had fallen asleep at some point, her tiny hand still wrapped around her hair, but if there was one Kukikio could live with it, it was a bit of pain, more so if it brought her goddaughter even a moment of peace and happiness. "Maemi is prettier when she's smiling. Everyone is."
