Chapter 18: In Love


3 Person Omniscient POV ('CAUSE I WANNA TRY IT OUT!)


The small party of four stay up laughing and sharing stories until well past Aimisouma's bedtime. She and Jiraiya squabble as he tells her stories, each more outlandish than the last. Gradually, as the night wore on, the girl's eyelids drooped, and her body sagged into Kushina side.

The red-head as thrilled.

"Aimi-chan?" She speaks in a soft and velvety voice. The blonde lifts her head lazily, and eyes ginger.

"Yeah, Kus'na-nee?" The sleepy child butchers the pronunciation, but the woman couldn't have been more happy. Aimisouma had added -nee honorific to her name. Even if it was only when the girl was thirty seconds from falling asleep.

"Why don't we get you too bed? You seem really tired."

The blonde hums in agreement, and lets me lead her room. The tired child goes through robotic like motions to change into pajamas. Even exhausted, the Aimi carefully folds her dress and tights, and places them in the laundry hamper.

She climbs into the bed, and looks up at at the older woman. Blonde gives and adorable cheeky grin to Kushina as the adult tucks the girl into bed. Minato slides into the room.

"Good night, Aimisouma-chan." Minato said, voice tender and loving.

"G'nighttt." She mumbled, eyes already closed. "I love you guys."

Within seconds, Aimisouma was asleep. "I love you, too." Minato whispers, pecking the girls temple, and pulling the covers up to her neck. Kushina leans in, repeats the same words, and brushes some wavy strands of blonde behind her ear. The two retreated to the living room, sliding the girls bedroom door shut.

"Great kid you've got there." The sensei tells his former student in a hushed whisper.

"We can't really take credit for that." Minato replies, "She came to us like this."

"No," the toad sage murmurs, remembering the hollowness in her eyes. "When I met her on the road, she was just as well mannered. But, she had this look in her eyes, as if some part of her was vacant. An empty shell looking for something to make it whole." The blond and scarlet haired couple loosely intertwine their arms around each other, listening intently to the sannin. "It's one of the reasons I thought that she was actually a spy. No child should have those eyes. She was just really good at putting up a brave front."

"I pray to Kami, and any other gracious god out there that Aimisouma-chan never has to go through anything like that again." Kushina mutters, clutching a small swirl pendant around her neck.

"I think all who meet her wish her well." Jiraiya says. "I better be on my way. You gave away my room, and your sofa is not very comfy." The sage suddenly changes topics, casting out the melancholy that had been threatening to settle over the apartment.

"Jiraiya-sensei? One question before you go. When exactly did you first meet her?"

"Oh, mid-may? Why?"

"It's just... my team blew up the Kannabi bridge on the last day of June. I can't help but wonder what happened in that month and a half. She has never talked about it."

Kushina and Jiraiya share worried expressions, clearly not liking what Minato was saying.

"Should I inform the hokage about the gap? He has taken quite the interest in her story." The blond wonders.

"I suspect it would be a good idea. One of the reasons that I didn't immediately recognize her was because right after that, I found out that the village leader of Kusa had died. The thoughts of the pipsqueak kinda got swept under the rug."

"The Kusa village leader is dead?" Kushina questions.

"Yup. Murdered. She was a woman by the name of Shïringu Asami. Her brother, Alvani, immediately took her place. Claiming that the heir to the position was too young, and that he would be acting as steward."

"Heir? Is the position inherited like a throne?"

"Kusagakure has had an interesting history. They are right in the middle of three of the great elemental nations. In every single war, they have been invaded from all sides. The first several chiefs had a jutsu that used an ancient sword called "Heiwa no ken (The sword of peace)" to create a barrier, that could be used in a dozen different ways. No one knows how it works, but threats would simply disappear. Eventually, people stopped invading the city for their own safety."

"The sword of peace, huh?" Kushina says, looking over at the ōdachi stuck in the umbrella crock by the front door. The sealing scroll, now weighs upward of six hundred pounds, laying next to it. She rises gracefully to her feet and crosses to the door. Her scarlet locks swaying as she moved.

The woman brought the sword, sheath, strap and all, back to the low table. They undid a small buckle that kept the ōdachi secure when not in use. Written on the blade was heiwa no ken. They flipped it over, and could see tiny seals etched into the silver metal.

The three seal masters exposed the compete series of identical markings.

"I recognize this seal. It is a very old one I learned in Uzushiogakure... It's used to store chakra in inanimate objects. It is the same seal, simply repeated 8 times." Kushina notes. She traces her hands across the markings, a contemplative look on her face. "I think all of the reserves are full."

"Then why was Aimisouma so tired after using the barrier?" Minato probes.

"Well, one needs a basic knowledge of how the seal works in order to store and retrieve the chakra." The ginger explained.

"Then I suppose someone will have to teach her basic fūinjutsu then." The sannin mutters something about how it isn't going to be him.

"Minato, when is your next meeting with the hokage?"

"It is supposed to be in one week, but I think It would be best if I reported all of what we have pieced together."

"Why don't I go with you?" Jiraiya offers. "I'd be nice to see the old man again."

"Kushina, do you mind?"

"Go on ahead, you two. Just behave yourselves. I'll stay here with Aimi-chan."

"Thank you, dear. We'll be back soon."

The two frog summoners head off to report some of the more recent revelations about Aimisouma, taking the sword with them.


A/N:

Hey guys, what did you think of the 3rd Person PoV? I was experimenting a little bit. It was a little weird to write, since I've only done 1 person before.

Read & Review?

Y'all are all fantastic!

~~Aurelia Azyton~~