"Hokage-sama, you called for me?" the Weasel ANBU stated more than asked.
"Yes, Weasel...one moment..." the older gentleman with the Kanji for fire one his large white hat stated. The older man man several quick hand seals before placing his hand on one of several white ribbons along his walls.
"There," the older man continued, "the silencing Jutsu is set up. You may remove your mask Itachi."
The ANBU quickly removed his mask and, in one deft motion, had it sealed inside a scroll on his waist.
The older man stared at the man before him. He couldn't be older than fifteen but had already proven himself in battle and war.
"I assume you've called me about my charge, sir?" Itachi asked, his black eyes locked in place as he stood at attention.
"You can relax, Itachi."
"Hai, Hokage-sama..."
The older man's gaze fell soft as he continued the topic.
"Yes, I have called you here about your charge. How did she do today?"
"She managed to surprise everyone, sir. It turns out she managed to memorize a bit of one of our ANBU's martial arts at one point in time."
The Hokage's eyes widened, "She didn't use it on another student, did she?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama, she did."
The older man's brow furrowed; it was obvious this topic brought him a great deal of stress.
"But," Itachi continued, catching the Hokage's attention, "She changed it tremendously. Her body isn't built for the specific style she managed to copy, so she twisted it around until she found a proper variant."
"I see," the Hokage quickly responded, obviously freed from his previous stress, "Do you know what sort of ANBU martial arts she copied?"
"Mine, sir."
The pipe in the Hokage's mouth fell to the ground with a clatter.
Nahiko was sitting outside the Academy, watching the children leave with their parents, when she felt an unfamiliar presence beside her. She quickly turned her head and noticed one of the girls that was in her group sit down beside her.
"May I help you?" Nahiko asked, earning her a glance from her companion.
"Just sitting..." the brown haired girl replied.
For a few moments, the two girls sat in silence, but both of them could hear the whispers among the parents in the crowd.
"My name's Akiaya," the girl finally stated, turning to face the blonde.
"I'm Nahiko," Nahiko replied slowly, turning her eyes to her companion, "It's nice to meet you."
Akiaya smiled at Nahiko's politeness before her face turned back into a frown, "I hear all the names the villagers call you..."
Nahiko turned her head back to the crowd of, now leaving, students and parents.
"I don't know why..." Nahiko spoke out in a whisper, "They hate me..."
It was at this time that Akiaya decided to actually size up Nahiko...and she didn't like what she was seeing. The girl seemed so happy earlier, but she could tell that it wasn't so. Her body was in fine condition, but it was as though someone had destroyed her emotionally...until her eyes settled on Nahiko's hand. There was a thick red-ish white mark on the top of her hand and, as she moved positions, she noticed it was on her palm too. Akiaya quickly realized that Nahiko's torment wasn't just on the inside.
"Come on!" Akiaya nearly yelled as she pulled Nahiko to her feet by her arm, "My parents are making a big dinner tonight, and they said I could bring a friend if I wanted!"
"But..." Nahiko tried to argue, "But..." Akiaya was pulling Nahiko along too quickly for her to argue; she had to focus more on how not to fall from the tugging.
Neither of them noticed the black-clad, tiger masked ANBU following them from the treetops.
"Mom! Dad!" Akiaya yelled out as she and Nahiko entered the clan residence, the latter rather unwillingly, "I've brought a friend from school over!"
Nahiko was staring open-mouthed at the sight. Sure, the Rein housing grounds weren't as big as the Uchiha and were nowhere near as luxurious as the Hyuuga, but the place held it's own quality to it that made it seem almost mystical.
The first thing Nahiko noticed was the slope that led to the main grounds. There were trees lining the walls of the compound, but other than those, it was a large plain. As Nahiko looked up, she noticed the place was actually located in the perfect position to avoid direct sunlight, thus blanketing the area in a slight shadow. As she made her way down the hill with Akiaya, she realized the air was moist, and finally felt the need to speak her thoughts...but Akiaya beat her to it.
"My family came here from the Land of Mist. That's why it feels so cool over here. Our grounds-man pours chakra into the lake in front of the manor to produce a certain amount of mist, keeping our compound a good ten degrees cooler than the rest of the village."
Akiaya turned her head in time to see Nahiko's mouth close, causing her to giggle.
"Good to see you're home sweety," Akiaya's mom called out as the two walked in the door of the main compound, "Who's your friend?"
"Her name's Nahiko," Akiaya stated as her mom finally came around the corner to greet them.
"Oh?" the woman asked as she finally turned her gaze to meet Nahiko, "And what's your...clan...name..."
Akiaya's mother was staring at Nahiko with eyes the size of saucers. "Tauru!" she called out, and as the man rounded the corner, she heard Akiaya call out to him.
"Hey, daddy!"
The man ran up to her and lifted her in the air. "Hey there princess! How was the academy?"
"It was great; I made a new friend today!"
"Oh, and who is it?" the dark haired man turned his gaze to Nahiko, and his eye visibly widened before he returned to his warm gaze.
"My name is Nahiko..." Nahiko admitted while bowing low.
"Uzumaki," the man finished for her. His warm smile never faltered.
"How did you...?"
"I'm afraid that's a secret," the man replied with his smile. He turned his head to his daughter, "Princess, why don't you take Nahiko with you and lend her one of your Kimono for dinner. We have a very special guest tonight."
"Of course, daddy!" she replied, dragging Nahiko away with her.
"It's been nearly half an hour..." Nahiko complained, trying not to grab her rumbling stomache, "Are Kimono really this complicated?"
Nahiko was currently standing with her arms extended to her sides while Akiaya was setting the kimono on her properly.
"Yes," Akiaya quickly responded, a small smile on her face, "A kimono is the epitome of beauty...it shows that you can take the time and show patience...it shows that you are truely dedicated...it is common practice among clans to have cerimonial tea parties where all attending parties have to dress in kimonos."
"Wait, everyone has to wear one of these?" Nahiko asked with wide eyes, "Yes, and many of them dress themselves."
"Ah, please come in Hokage-sama!" Tauru declared after opening the door, "You're a few minutes early...Mikoto is still working on supper."
"After receiving your invitation, I couldn't help but feel the need to be punctual, Tauru-san; it's not often that I get an invitation to supper from a clan head," the older man clarified, removing his signature Hokage hat.
"I see...well, I hope that we can live up to your expectations, Hokage-sama. Mikoto knows several recepies that are unique to the different nations...she's quite proud of them."
"And I'm sure they will be as delicious as they are unique," the Hokage complimented.
"Daddy!" Akiaya called from the back, beckoning her father.
"And I am to assume that is your daughter, Tauru-san?" the Hokage asked.
"Yes...pardon me for a short while, Hokage-sama, it seems she needs me for something. I assume she and her friend need some help with their kimono," Tauru guessed, sliding open a side door, "Please make yourself at home. Mikoto or I will return in a moment."
With that, he slid the door closed and made his way to his daughter's room.
"What is it, princess?" he asked as he popped his head in the door. What he saw made him gawk.
There, standing in the place of his daughter and Nahiko, were two beautifully dressed geisha lookalikes. Akiaya had on a deep blue kimono that a large wave crashing to the ocean embroidered on the back with an even darker sash wrapped around her waist. Her naturally dark brown hair was in a low ponytail, while her face was covered in white. Her dark blue eyes shone out against her pale skin.
To her right, Nahiko was wearing her bright blonde hair in two pig-tails that trailed down to her hips. She was sporting a pure white kimono with a blooming Sakura tree on the back...its falling petals embroidered as though they were blowing with the wind; around her waist was a dark pink sash that matched the color of the petals perfectly. Her bright blue eyes which would have naturally clashed with the color of the kimono instead accented the pale white that was painted on her face.
All in all, the girls looked stunning.
"..."
"Daddy?" Akiaya asked.
"..."
"Daddy...?"
"..."
"Close your mouth, daddy...:
"...Oh! Sorry..." Tauru nearly exclaimed, "You two look stunning!"
"Thank you..." Nahiko barely managed to word out, blushing slightly from the compliment.
"Thanks daddy!" Akiaya yelled out, running up and hugging the man, "But I think something's missing on Nahiko's Kimono. It looks great...but I think something's missing."
Tauru closely examined Nahiko's kimono, circling her.
"Hmm...nothing's missing from the kimono...oh wait!" he called out, before he left the room.
A few minutes later he returned, handing a small box to Nahiko.
"These are for you," he stated while handing them to the girl, "They belonged to a friend of mine when she was a girl."
Nahiko opened the box to find two shiny pairs of brass bells...her face immediately contorted so she wouldn't start crying.
'I thought so...' Tauru thought to himself, a frown gracing his lips.
"...Thank you..." Nahiko whispered as she clutched the box close to herself.
"Don't be shy now," Tauru complained, a smile gracing his lips once again, "Let's see how they look!"
Nahiko took the bells out of the box and tied them to her pig-tails.
"There we go..." Akiaya and Tauru said in unison, "That's what was missing..." Akiaya finished.
"Alright girls, come on," Tauru stated, motioning to the door, "Our guest is waiting."
The girls followed him all the way to the kitchen until he stopped them at the door.
"Wait out here until I open the door, alright girls?"
Nodding their heads in compliance, Tauru slid open the door, walked through, and slid it shut.
"I'm sorry about the wait, Hokage-sama," the man apologized, noting that his wife had finished cooking and was sitting adjacent to the older man.
"I't no trouble at all, Tauru-san, your lovely wife was just explaining to me the finer details of the Mizu Quiche she's serving tonight."
The man smiled warmly at his wife; she was always proud of her cooking, and so much so that they'd never had to hire a cook.
"Ah, in that case, I hope I'm not interrupting, but my daughter was hoping to introduce herself at this time."
"Oh, of course not," Mikoto replied happily, "I just finished the more basic details of it, but if I told him everything, he'd have nothing left to look for when he tastes it."
"A treat I'm thoroughly looking forward to," the elder replied.
"In that case..." Tauru turned to the slider door he'd just passed through and tapped it twice, signalling the girls, "I would like to introduce to you our daughter, Rein Akiaya, and her friend, Uzumaki Nahiko.
Sarutobi was no fool; he was absolutely certain that the Rein clan had heard of the village outcast and more than likely why she was considered so. The aged Hokage had ordered her status as a Demon Host classified with the highest penalty of punishment, but it didn't stop the information from leaking to the adults of the village. So far Nahiko was the worst kept secret in the world.
But as his mind began to run through the reasons she would be in the Rein household, it stopped the moment he heard a young girl squeal and the word 'Jiji' pierce through the air...and was promptly tackled.
"Hello there Nahi-chan," the old man greeted, prying the girl off him, "I didn't expect to see you here!"
"I...didn't really expect to be here, Jiji," she admitted, "Akiaya-chan forced me into it."
Akiaya was blushing now, though you couldn't see it through her face-paint, and it only intensified when she saw the thankful smile on her Hokage's face.
"I thank you for befriending little Nahiko," the old man stated, "It shows a lot in your character. I've looked forward to meeting you for some time now, Akiaya-chan, and if this is just the beginning of who you are, then I believe you're going to be great one day."
Now you could see the blush through the face-paint.
Dinner was a pleasant affair and Tauru was surprised to learn that Nahiko's manners weren't understated by his daughter, but considering her relationship with the Hokage, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
The night was coming to a close, and the three adults insisted that the young blonde stay with the Rein Clan for the night. After tucking her into bed, the Hokage was about to make his own way home when Tauru stopped him at the gate.
"Do you mind if I tell you a little story, Hokage-sama? It's one I was told when I was still a boy."
The old man didn't need to be an experienced ninja to know there was depth behind those words.
"Of course you can, Tauru-san. I've always been interested in hearing new stories."
The dark haired man cleared his throat.
"Not such a long time ago," the clan head began, "There were two clans living amongst eachother...the clans of Monsoon and Maelstrom."
The Hokage merely let out a small hum; Tauru took this as a sign to continue.
"For some reason...these two clans possessed their own unique Kekkei Genkai...but this isn't the strangest of it," Tauru continued, "The strange part is that merely being in the others presence forced their dormant bloodlines to awaken."
The Hokage's eyes widened: not even he had heard of such a thing.
"An interesting story, Tauru-san," the Hokage complimented, "I would be interested in hearing more if you're willing."
"Of course, Hokage-sama," the man replied. "This story takes place when the two clans were dancing among the waning eddies. They were keeping up as best they could, but one day the eddies were gone, and the Maelstrom Clan disappeared beside them.
"The Monsoon Clan, though it cried bladed tears, could do nothing to bring its other half back, and justice could not be sought...the dance was over."
"I see..." the Hokage stated unflinchingly, "Then this is a sad tale?"
"From the beginning one might think so," the Rein Clan head corrected, "But allow me to continue, Hokage-sama...and this part you must listen to carefully."
The gray-haired man nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"Many worlds were transversed before the Monsoon Clan felt a sense of familiarity long lost, but as they settled down after their long journey, they realized it was not a good sense. It was all too late they learned that the land bathed in Mist was also soaked in blood.
"Their clan was attacked countless times...and their numbers slowly dropped; less than a year after their journey into the Mist, their numbers had been halved. They could no longer afford to sit still, and so they became nomads.
"But even as nomads the Monsoon Clan suffered losses and were soon dwindled to merely an eighth of their original size. But when times seemed their darkest, a herald long missed arrived from the land of the burning leaves. It seemed a single member from the Maelstrom Clan had finished the dance among the eddies and was now housed in Fire."
The Hokage could tell where this was going, but then again, it was just a story; one told by the most powerful ninja of the Rein Clan.
"And then...after so many years of torment and being without their other half, the Monsoon Clan vacated the Mist for the Fire...but merely days before they arrived...a poison appeared. The plague infected the lands surrounding the Fire and the very wood within it, taking away its potential to burn furiously and leaving it with nothing but embers. The very Shadow of the Fire took to eliminating this poison, but the best it could do was force it away into the only piece of wood it could find that would hold it.
Unfortunately, the Fire lost many of it's inhabitants that day...and the one that affected the Monsoon the most was the loss of the last known member of the Maelstrom. It seemed that fate willed their dance completed."
"I see..." the Hokage tipped his hat slightly.
"Until one day...some day very recent in fact, a single eddie was found, and a small raincloud found it and began to grow off of it. Only time will tell how much furthur it will grow."
"That is a very enlightening story, Tauru-san. I thank you for telling it to me, but I must be off. A Hokage's work is never done."
"Of course, Hokage-sama, and do enjoy your evening."
"I'll expect the adoption papers soon."
Tauru smiled to himself. It seemed the Hokage hadn't missed a beat of his story.
"As surely as the rain falls."
A man stood among the slain forces, his own body completely untouched and the bodies around him stained the ground.
"What...are you?" a man with an orange mask and a black cloak choked out as he held the bleeding stump that used to be his left arm.
The man grabbed the Akatsuki member by the throat and, try as he might, he couldn't break the man's grip. His mask fell to the ground and the man did the only thing left he could think of: he activated his sharingan and attempted a tsukiyomi...and promply failed. With a loud crack, Uchiha Madara, the most powerful sharingan wielder in the history of his clan, fell dead.
"I am Restel."
Golden eyes shone in the twilight as the man opened them for the first time in days.
"The Demon's awake."
He stood from his meditation and began his journey, his long, blood-red hair flowing with the wind.
