The seductive Kunoichi Fuuka is back from the dead! She wants to take revenge on the blond-haired brat who dared to expose her best-kept secret and defeat her in battle years ago. Much has happened since then but the story of the attractive woman, whose beguiling charm had brought many strong opponents to their knees, also continues...
Fuuka's Last Kiss
Chapter XXIV - The Clan - Part I
"French or traditional, which do you prefer?" - Fuuka
81 years earlier...
The journey usually did not take very long, but as the wind came from the east and was quite strong that night, the ship and its crew had to fight not only Fuuka's temperamental nature, which was sometimes debilitating enough, but also the weather during the crossing. Fuuka had calmed down in the meantime, but the wind blew all the stronger and delayed the crossing. During the day, in clear weather, one had even been able to make out the island on the horizon from the mainland, standing on the coast of the strait that separated the Land of Fire from the Land of Whirlpools. The strait was often navigated as Konohagakure maintained very close economic as well as military ties with the Hidden Eddy Village – Uzushiogakure. Since the founding of the two Hidden Villages, they had been allies and supported each other. There was also a lively cultural exchange. But critical information and reports of a security nature were also shared, and when the authorities in Konoha became aware that a woman had broken into the protected archives of the library under the great rock of Konoha to obtain information regarding forbidden techniques contained in sealed scrolls, they did not hesitate a long time before dispatching a carrier pigeon to the east to inform their allies of the incident once they had established the identity of the burglar.
"Ashina will be very angry this time, I'm quite sure 'bout that," said a Shinobi from the village who was part of the group to which the red-haired woman was handed over after her arrest by the Leaf Ninjas. "I don't think he'll let you get away this time. You've gone too far."
The brown-haired man stood beside her and put his arms on the ship's railing to support himself. He looked to his left, in the direction of the ship's travel, while his hair, which was quite long for a man, was neatly swayed by the strong east wind. Fuuka also leaned on the railing with her back. She crossed her arms and looked in the other direction, while her long hair also fluttered in the wind; just like the ship's flag on which her gaze fell. The circular, swirl-like symbol on the white, square fabric represented the coat of arms of Uzushiogakure. The colour of the crest was turquoise, just like Fuuka's eyes, although they certainly looked darker in the night. The young man next to her had the same eye colour as she did. Whether Fuuka looked to the right or to the left; her homeland was omnipresent. She sighed as she realised that she could not simply escape this fact.
"That's what you said last time," Fuuka replied, "and as you can see; I'm still here."
Fuuka didn't seem particularly interested in talking to the man, who looked about her age on the outside.
"Sometimes I'd like to ask you why you're doing the things you do, but as we both know, it wouldn't change anything anyway."
She saw no need to justify herself, which was why Fuuka didn't feel the need to elaborate on her actions. For the time being, he didn't probe any further either. It seemed that it was not the first time that the two had found themselves in this situation and had had a similar conversation with each other. The wind was getting stronger. One could hear the masses of water on which the comparatively small ship was manoeuvring through. A long moment of silence, finally broken by the man when he could no longer contain himself.
"I just hope you know that your actions have consequences for others too. But, knowing you, you probably don't give a shit anyway."
Fuuka sighed in annoyance.
"I thought we agreed that lecturing me wouldn't do any good anyway, Hasura."
"I'm just wondering if you'll even give a thought to what this means for us... what this means for the village if you get yourself into trouble again and again."
The man, who appeared to go by the name Hasura, turned his head in her direction to look her in the eyes; but Fuuka denied him eye contact. The woman still held her head in the opposite direction, so that he only caught sight of her hair fluttering in the wind.
"You are not just a random person, Fuuka. You are a Kunoichi of our village. You represent our village to the outside world, along with its inhabitants. And if that wasn't enough, you are also an Uzumaki. Everything you do, every shit you do, reflects not only on the village, but also on our uncle," Hasura complained. "And on me."
Fuuka's gaze remained fixed on the village crest.
"Why should I care?"
"What?"
"Why should I care about the village? Did they care about us when mother took her own life after our father was gone?"
"Uncle Ashina did care for us."
"He did nothing to clear their names."
"Our father had killed a Jonin from the village and then fled."
"So Ashina claims. Our father was a stranger from a distant land, as is common knowledge - and like everything else that seems strange and unfamiliar to these narrow-minded fools in the village, they feared it. They feared him. He offered himself as the perfect scapegoat in their eyes."
"You didn't know him."
"I don't think you can give our uncle, or anyone else in the village, much credence."
"You didn't know him."
"Ashina is an old, stuffy, paranoi-"
Hasura slammed his fist on the railing.
"YOU DIDN'T KNOW FATHER!"
Fuuka lowered her gaze. Hasura turned away and ran off. The woman glanced after him as he went below deck and disappeared into the cabin. She felt the captain's gaze on the back of her neck and looked up, who then promptly averted his eyes from her and stared ahead again. She followed his gaze; the huge island ahead of them grew larger and the lights of the harbour they head for brighter.
They were soon there.