Chapter 11: 1 Month Down, 145 To Go
"Mama? What's going on?"
"Misou, go home. Now."
"Mama?"
"NOW!"
I know better than to argue with mama. Especially when she uses her grumpy voice. I turn and run out of the house. I run through the empty city as fast as my legs can carry me.
I hear crashes, breaking glass, and the sound of metal on metal.
I keep running. I round a corner, but I am going to fast. I fall over, sliding across the street. My head hits the brick house with a thump.
Tears well in my eyes. The world is spinning. A dark shadow appears above me, reaching towards me.
"Misou." A masculine voice says.
"NO!" I yell at the darkness.
"Run!" I hear my mom yell. An unfamiliar strain in her voice.
"Misou?" Another, familiar voice calls.
"Misou?" Kushina asks, her voice full of concern. "Are you okay?" Her hands are on my shoulders. She's been shaking me.
I sit up suddenly. Kushina is standing next to my bed. The air rushing past feels icy on my tear streaked face.
"I think you were having a nightmare."
I blink a few times, disoriented by being woken so suddenly. I look up into Kushina's eyes. Blue meets violet as she inspects my face.
"Are you okay?" She asks a second times. I nod, but fresh tears start to fall from my eyes. The memories of the night my mother died filling my mind.
Kushina does the last thing I expect her to. She climbs into bed with me, and holds me against her. As I cry she rubs soothing circles into my back. When my tears subside, she speaks.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I shake my head, giving a silent 'no.' "Minato will be home tomorrow." I nod. "Do you want me to stay?" I nod again.
She shuffles slightly, pulling the covers up around us. She holds me close to her, and I feel safe.
NAMIKAZE MINATO
A month has passes since I adopted my little sister. It's been interesting. I bought about thirty books on parenting, early childhood development, what to do when adopting, and so on. I also have visited the library several times, both for me and for Misou. I have found several interesting books. I have been taking notes from them. Kushina and Misou think it's funny.
About a week after Misou moved in, I ran in from the library, and declared to Kushina: 'Misou needs friends. According to Raising a Socially Successful Child it is imperative for her social development and future relationship successfulness that she learns how to bond with people her age.'
To which Kushina reminded me that Misou still had a week until she was cleared to go outside without a mask on. I had made an odd face, feeling awkward for having forgotten.
Misou had drawn a picture of my expression in crayon. It was pretty good. Kushina hung it on the fridge with a frog-shaped magnet. I feel a little embarrassed every time I see the drawing.
After getting the all clear from her doctor, Misou started playing in the park with some local kids. Most play every day from noon until four in the afternoon. Some don't come all that often, others are there everyday.
I got sent out on another mission yesterday. He is supposed to deliver a scroll to Sunagakure. Due to the fact that I was allowed to go alone, I am almost home again. If I make it back before dawn, I'll beat my record time.
I need to talk to Misou about school.
She is a bright kid, and full of potential. I think she would be great at anything she sets her mind to. But I just don't know if she would want to attend the ninja academy, or if she would prefer a regular elementary school.
I guess that depends on what she wants to be when she grows up.
Lost in thought, I almost loose my footing on a tree branch. I shake my head, banishing the worrisome thoughts of the next twelve years of raising my little sister. I need to focus more on navigating the forest safely to Konohagakure.
I finally arrive in the city 37 minutes before dawn. Ha! I beat my time by 48 minutes! After filling out some paperwork at the Hokage's office, I return home.
Opening the door, I note that the lights are still off. The girls must not be awake yet.
I poke my head into the master bedroom to check on Kushina. The bed is empty, one side of the bed unmade. Odd. Kushina hates the bed being messy. She always makes the bed. Every day I have known her, she makes the bed as soon as she gets up.
Slightly (but not overly,) concerned, I make my way to the other bedroom. Relief washes over me as I see Kushina laying next to Misou. In the dim, pre-dawn light, I can see Kushina's open eyes, and they meet mine. She mouths the words: 'She had a nightmare.'
I nod to Kushina, silently saying that I understood her. Nightmares are not unexpected considering what Aimisouma has been through. Should she be in therapy? Probably… Maybe I'll talk to her about it when I ask about what she wants to do for school. Exiting the room, I decide to busy myself in the kitchen. A couple of dishes are in the sink, so I wash and dry them. With the apartment in order, I settle into a chair and open a book.
Some time later, I can her Aimisouma wake up. She offers a quiet 'good morning' to Kushina, who is still in bed with her.
The exchange a bit of small talk before Misou gasps.
"It's morning. Is Minato-niisan back yet?" She asks, her voice sounds excited.
"He is out in the living room."
A happy squeal, and the pitter-patter of her feet follow quickly. One blue eye peeks around the corner of the doorway, and looks at me.
"Good morning, Misou-chan." I say, looking up from my book.
"G'morning!" She says, tackling me in a hug.
Did she miss me that much?
The morning passes uneventfully. I try to figure out a way to bring up school without sounding awkward.
Come lunch time, I still haven't approached the subject. A knock on the door sounds, and Kushina is summoned to the Hokage's office. I suspect that he is going to send her on a mission. With her off helping the Hokage, it leaves just Misou and I to go to the park.
I walk with her. She still wants to hold my hand whenever we go out.
"So, Misou, what do you want to be when you grow up?" That came out more awkward that I wanted it.
"I dunno, all I want is to stop war."
To stop war… not to stop this war, but war in general. What a noble goal for one so young. Then again, when you consider everything war has taken from her. It is not that surprising.
It feels odd, how alike we are at times. I think she would like the Jiraiya's first book.
"Why do you want to end war?" I probe, curious to see what her answer would be.
"I don't want my family to get hurt anymore." Her voice gets small, and rather somber. She wants to protect us, and we want to protect her. That is what a family does…
"Then, do you know what you want to do for school?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you can choose to go to the civilian elementary school, or the Konoha ninja academy."
"Which do you think would be better?" She asks me, unsure of herself.
"Well, the ninja academy focuses on become a shinobi or kunoichi. You learn taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and even chakra control. After that, you can become a genin, and complete missions. The other option is the elementary school. There, they focus on mathematics, history, reading, and writing. Eventually helping people go to college or start an apprenticeship." I try not to insert my own emotions into the statement. I don't want her to pick a future just to please me. She looked at the ground as we walked, her face a wash of emotions. After a minute, I was afraid she was upset by something I'd said, but then she spoke in a quite voice. She looked up at me with solemn blue eyes, eyes so full of earnest that should not belong to a child. Her voice was calm and steady.
"I want to be a ninja."
? ? ?
A shinobi dressed in all black entered the long conference room. He approached the head of the table where a man sat. The man was tall, with brown hair, and analytical grey eyes.
Paperwork was scattered in piles all around the brunette. He looked up, as the ninja drew closer.
"Sir, we have found her." The nameless shinobi spoke.
"That is good news." The man spoke. "Can I assume she is already on her way back here?" No response came. A hardened edge entered his voice as he next spoke, dangerously calm. "Where… is… she?"
"Our spies have seen her in the Hidden Leaf Village."
"WHAT?" The seated man leapt to his feet. Paperwork piles toppled over, and his chair tipped over backwards. He stood over a head taller than the shinobi.
The shinobi cowered in fear. Even if the man was still wrapped in bandages from his most recent battle, he was a force to be reckoned with.
"She…" The shinobi stuttered, "is in the care of Namikaze Minato and his wife."
Murderous intent filled the room. It took all of the will power of the shinobi to not flee or fall to his knees.
"Tell me. How did a five year old with no training, no real skill, and no help, make it past all of your men? Only to travel two-hundred and thirty-seven miles to Konoha?"
"We have reason to believe that Asami started teaching her the sealing jutsu, and that Aimisouma came across the ninjas that destroyed the Kannabi bridge and defeated the Iwa shinobi battalion."
The brooding brunette was silent for a painfully long minute. "Interesting, so little Aimisouma has already found her way to her brother's care."
"Yes, sir… Should we… call off the plan?"
"No." The man's voice firm and resolute.
"Sir? With her under his protection it will-"
"The Yellow Flash of Konoha must be already growing more attached to that illusive blonde brat. This might work out better than we had originally planned."
"What do you want us to do?"
"It will be simple. First, we will let him truly love and adore his little sister. Let's give them another few months to get acquainted, then all we need to do is-"
