Here's the first chapter! For the past week the internet has been absolutely awful, and it's been driving everyone here insane. Important note: recently I was feeling someone was missing in the Uzumaki-Namikaze family, so Nami now has a younger twin brother! Yay! His name is Yuudai, and just like all the family members, he's not there just because I feel like it. He does have a role to play. Anyway…
AlphaMike369: I recommend you listen to that something. It'll be sure to serve you well.
Erica (Guest): Hehehe…
EDIT (1/7/18): Name changes, basic stuff, sentence fluency.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Eleven Days After Aduryeanne, Chomei's Day
Konoha's gates were tall and imposing, just as their security was. It was obvious that something was wrong. The last time the Yaunkur were in Konoha, they had no trouble getting in at all. This time, however, there were more than two shinobi at the entrance checking everyone's papers. When the Yaunkur saw this, they knew there could be trouble. None of them had any travel papers.
So Emine, taking the lead, approached the nearest guard. "Excuse me, sir, we're Yaunkur and we lost our papers in an attack about eleven days ago." She showed the mark on her forearm as proof.
The shinobi raised an eyebrow, taking a look at their group. "Well, it sure does seem something big happened to you people recently too. Where are the rest of you? All of the adults?"
"They passed away in the attack." Emine spoke hoarsely, her eyes turned to the ground.
His eye's softened after a moment of careful observation. "It's alright, you can all enter. Each of you just need to fill out one of the forms over there." He pointed to a table surrounded by others attempting to enter the capital city.
"Thank you, sir."
He nodded. "More than half of the Yaunkur tribe dead is a big deal. We would help you further, but unfortunately, we are currently dealing with a severe crisis of our own. Just be aware that we will be sending someone within the next few days to check up on you and get the full story. Now if you will excuse me, I need to inform my superiors." He disappeared. Emine and a few others went and grabbed a stack of forms.
Sitting on the ground with a squirming Yashima in his lap, Nato read through the slip of paper. When a brush and inkpot came around to him, he began filling it out.
'DATE OF BIRTH'. That was easy. He scrawled in 'October 10'. Next was 'PLACE OF BIRTH'. According to Aunt Kahina, Nato had been born just outside of Konoha, so that was what he wrote. 'AGE' came after, and '12' was written in. 'OCCUPATION'. Did trader work? A quick affirmation from Hinata answered his question. 'PURPOSE OF VISIT'. Nato glanced at Hinata's paper, and then checked the box next to the bubble reading, 'ON BUSINESS'.
There, finished. He took a moment to read it over, and then began on Yashima's form, occasionally asking Hinata questions and pulling the one-year-old's hand away from the inkpot. In less than ten minutes, everyone else was done, and the Yaunkur went through the lines and to the screening.
As a golden haired boy passed through the gates and into Konoha, the shinobi had a strange feeling that felt kind of like déjà vu. She was sure she had seen that face and hair and eyes before, but where?
The portrait of the royal family stared mockingly at her back.
"The King and Queen are expecting to see us. May we pass through?"
"I need to see the letter."
"…We lost it in an attack over a week ago."
"We can't let you in without written proof of invitation."
"Can you ask the King and Queen? Tell them the Yaunkur are here to see them."
"I'm sorry, but we can't do that. Haven't you heard? Their Royal Majesties, King Minato and Queen Kushina, were poisoned and are currently unconscious."
There was stunned silence from the Yaunkur as they quietly thanked the palace guard for helping them, and left.
The sky turned a deep twilight blue as the remaining daylight faded to make way for the night. The Yaunkur approached the Konoha gates once again with heavy footsteps, planning to camp outside the walls before heading off to Suna. The moon hung overhead like a charm around Night's neck, soft beams of light spilling from it. The air was still and only the guards stirred when they arrived at the closed gates.
"I'm sorry, but all of you cannot pass out of Konoha now."
"Excuse me, sir, but why not?"
There was little hesitation as he answered. "Because of the current situation, no one is allowed in or out of Konoha between sun down and sun rise."
"…Okay, we understand."
The Yaunkur headed back into the city, murmuring worriedly among themselves.
What are we supposed to do now?
The group of exhausted children trudged through the middle degree of the Star Sector, looking for a place to stay the night. Yashima's head was lying on Nato's shoulder as she slept. The twelve-year-old was conscious of the nervous and indecisive glances sent his way by Hinata, and he would have asked her about it but felt that this was something she needed to work through first.
Finally, she spoke. "Nato…everyone…I've made a decision." At that, the group ceased their tired marching, facing the young girl. "Even though I'm a part of the Yaunkur tribe and this family, I am still a citizen of the Land of Fire. King Minato and Queen Kushina are still my King and Queen…so…I'm going to stay here in Konoha, and help."
There was silence. "…Hina, I agree. I met the Royal Family once, and from what I've heard, they were really helpful in the past year." He received nods from all around. "I don't want to abandon them, ya know."
Mumbled whispers spread amongst the other Yaunkur. "I don't want to be a downer, but how could we help? And what would we do in Konoha? We need some way to support ourselves," Emine mentioned.
At this, Inwoe spoke up. "We could start a shop. Remember? We're traders and craftsmen, we know what to do."
"Alright, but that still doesn't solve the other problem."
"Actually," Hinata began hesitantly, "I've been thinking about that, and I think it's time I…I went back to the Hyuuga clan."
No one dared to breathe. "What do you mean, Hina? Are you–" Nato choked up. "–leaving us?"
"No! I'm not leaving the tribe, I never could!" Her voice softened again. "But if we want to help the Royal Family, we need someone in a higher position to reach them. Also, this way I can help you all get the money for the shop."
No one spoke. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to visit and keep in contact," she reassured them. "It's not like I am going forever, or leaving to live on the other side of the continent."
"…Okay, Hinata," Sura said. "Just make sure to keep that promise, okay? If you don't, you'll be sure to hear from us."
"Yeah, don't forget, Pure Heart." Inwoe added.
Hinata looked to the person she wanted support from the most. "…N-Nato? Is everything alright?" The boy's head was down, and he was clutching Yashima like a lifeline. After a tense few moments, he sighed and looked up.
"I understand, ya know. If this is what you need to do, Hina, then I'll support you all the way."
She smiled in relief and with obvious comfort. "Thank you, Nato."
All the children turned again to head down the road, but Emine stopped them. "Navri, there's a Homeless Shelter right here. Let's see if there's room for us."
Those residing in the Homeless Shelter were not as welcoming as the Yaunkur hoped. Of course, the volunteers were inviting, cheerful, and ready to assist, but the others under their care regarded the large group of strangely dressed children (who also communicated with each other in another language) with obvious distrust. This made the atmosphere of the warehouse tense and awkward.
However, all the Yaunkur got some food in their stomachs and a place to rest, so they considered it a win, even if they were uncomfortable, and the silence turned their thoughts to recent weeks. Both Hinata and Nato noticed this, along with many of the older children, but there was little they could do. They tried talking and starting games with the others, but the watchful eyes of the non-Yaunkur residents of the Homeless Shelter stopped it quickly. Eventually, the two children stopped trying, and sat back against the wall.
...Until…
"Hey, Hina! I've got an idea!" The boy raced away, heading for the doors. "I'll be right back!"
When Nato came back ten minutes later, he was carrying a large drum. Upon a closer look, Hinata saw that it was Yaunkur made. The patterns on its sides and the colors used testified to this; not to mention the symbol on top. The blond haired boy sat cross-legged on the floor, his legs wrapped around the drum. The beat started out steady, and gradually everyone in the warehouse turned their eyes towards him.
Bum bum bum bum bum…
Nato began to sing in a strong and steady voice. "Jundhe oni ali yotaesn, agu kesev oni ali gotsuf, eep-ip isu mambu kore." As Hinata had learned over the years, Nato's voice wasn't what many would call beautiful but it was certainly pleasing to the ear.
He repeated the phrase, and as he did, more voices joined in. Looking around the room, Hinata noticed many Yaunkur faces brightening as they recognized the song, and others staring curiously at them. Then, instead of repeating the entire phrase, the last section was sung over and over again, the tempo and volume increasing rapidly.
"Eep-ip isu mambu kore! Eep-ip isu mambu kore!"
The beat changed as the second half of the song begun.
Ta ti-ti ta ta, ta ti ta ta, ta ti-ti ta ta, ta ti ta ta…
"Rapa-maya, rapa-maya, ai ai ai ai!" Suddenly, the room was filled with shimmering energy, and many children leapt up and began dancing. "Koko-ono, koko-ono, yo yo yo yo!" Hollers and joyful shouts rung in the warehouse. As she danced, Hinata looked again at the non-Yaunkur and saw some of them tapping their feet or looking on with a smile. Some even looked to be attempting to sing along. The smile on Hinata's face grew. She remembered something Nato had said to her many years ago.
How can you possibly sing without moving your feet?
The two lines were repeated with different notes, and then as the final phrase came, the drums and all movement ceased, and the tune slowed. "Ai-ee, ai-ee, yo!" The stillness held, and everyone could feel the tension.
It exploded. "Rapa-maya, rapa-maya, ai ai ai ai! Koko-ono, koko-ono, yo yo yo yo! Rapa-maya, rapa-maya, ai ai ai ai! Koko-ono, koko-ono, yo yo yo yo!" There were some more hollers, and a few started to imitate the beat of the drums by banging on tables and walls and stamping their feet as the beat changed again, and the tension continued to grow.
Bum ba bum, bum ba bum, bum ba bum…
It started at a powerful whisper. "Zisu! Zisu! Zisu aru-weya!" They chanted and the volume increased steadily and they crouched down with their hands on their knees. "Weya! Weya! Weya aru-zisu!" The Yaunkur instantly split into two groups, one starting at the first phrase, and the other on the second.
The chanting escalated into a whooping shout. "Woah!" It was still and silent as everyone stood still, hardly daring to breathe. The tension broke as the drums began their familiar pattern and the chorus started again. "Rapa-maya, rapa-maya, ai ai ai ai! Koko-ono, koko-ono, yo yo yo yo! Rapa-maya, rapa-maya, ai ai ai ai! Koko-ono, koko-ono, yo yo yo yo!"
They all stopped, including Nato at the drum, and gave the last phrase filled with different layers of echoing harmony. "Ai-ee, ai-ee, yo!"
There was applause from the non-Yaunkur occupants of the room. Hinata turned to see many of her fellow Yaunkur smiling widely as they panted, their faces glowing with pride for their tribe and its traditions. Once everyone had settled down again, Hinata saw Nato get up to leave the warehouse with the drum. "I'd better go return this, ya know. I'll be back in a few minutes," he said.
So she and the rest of the tribe settled in for the night. She noticed that the barrier that had previously been evident between them and the non-Yaunkur was broken, or at least the relationship changed. The two groups were now opening speaking to each other and Hinata could occasionally hear laughter.
She smiled.
(By the time Nato came back, Hinata was curled up against the wall with Yashima on her lap, both fast asleep. He curled up right next to them, arms around them securely. He knew this would probably be the last time they were all together like this, and he didn't plan to waste it.)
"Neh, Nato? Where did you get the drum?"
The boy let out a small laugh. "Earlier, I saw this old man on the street with one. He let me borrow it."
"Did you get his name?"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, ya know."
"…Nanawah?!"
So, quick note, the whole drum scene was inspired by the recent choir trip I went on. One thing out conductor emphasized was the whole moving while singing, and in all the pieces we sung the drums were played. It was an amazing experience.
Translations:
Jundhe oni ali yotaesn, agu kesev oni ali gotsuf, eep-ip isu mambu kore = Long is the way, and hard is the road, but there lies home.
The rest of the song is just a series of sounds and nonsensical words.
Nanawah?! = What?!