Whirlpool Part II
Akahana couldn't help herself but scowl, as the four Uzumaki shinobi lead her through the streets of Uzushio like a prisoner. This attracted so much attention... she hated to be the center of all attention. The people they passed stared at the odd group of redheads, as the four shinobi pulled Akahana along. Most people looked confused, but Akahana could easily see that every single redhead they passed so far had glared at her with disgust.
Akahana was used to being shunned and hated, it was the most common way people reacted to her in her own time. No matter what she did, the people of Konoha would never fully trust her... never really accept her. But at least Akahana knew the reason for the behavior of those people. But she had no idea why every single Uzumaki in this village seemed to hate her... there was no feasible explanation... and unlike the hate of Konoha's civilians, the hate of her own clan truly bothered her.
After nearly twenty minutes of walking through the crowded streets of Uzushio the small group of redheads finally reached their intended destination. The gate to the largest clan compound in the village, the home of the Uzumaki Clan.
As the four shinobi pulled Akahana along with them inside the compound, the feeling of dread returned to her with a strength she had not felt before. So many people were there to watch the group. Men, women and children... and all of them glared at her... She felt the urge to run; to simply run away and never look back. It was an odd feeling. She knew what it meant to feel fear. But this... it wasn't simply fear, but the knowledge that even in the past, a time where she was no Jinchuriki, where she had done nothing wrong, she was still not accepted by the people. Worse yet, it was her own clan, the people who should be her family that seemed to despise her without any logical explanation.
Jiraiya sighed in exasperation as he finally left the office of the Uzukage. Though the man was grateful for their help, he was also extremely stubborn when it came to dealing with the problem. Even the offer to have the Yamanaka in their group browse through the memories of the captured man was brushed aside as unnecessary. It was troublesome how arrogant the man was when it came to the capabilities of his own men. The question how the young Honoka Uzumaki was captured by those men in the first place though, was a question that the Uzukage did not even want to discuss. In the end it took Jiraiya nearly half an hour to just get the man to acknowledge that the Konoha shinobi would be available to help if necessary.
"Sensei, what are we supposed to do with the girl now? The Uzukage did not even comment on what to do with her." Minato asked his teacher with a displease frown. He, too, disliked the way the foreign Kage had treated them.
"Well... she is an Uzumaki. We should bring her to the Uzumaki compound and see if we can find her family." Jiraiya decided quickly.
"Then we can also meet up with oneesan." Kushina chirped happily.
"Yeah..." Minato drawled dubiously. "Is it just me or are the Uzushio shinobi acting a bit weird. First the Uzumaki come and take Akahana-san with them like she was their prisoner, then the Uzukage acts like he wants to cover up the whole kidnapping of a child..."
"We will find out what is going on soon enough, Minato. But you better report back to the rest of our group and our team. Tell them what has happened and that I will return soon." Jiraiya said with a stern expression.
"But..." Minato protested.
"Minato, I am your sensei and you will follow my orders. Now go!" Jiraiya growled. He didn't like being the mean and stern teacher, especially not in front of Minato, but he had a premonition that the situation at the Uzumaki clan compound would not be pretty when they arrive
Begrudgingly Minato left his teacher alone with Kushina and Honoka. He wanted to stay and help, but he knew better then act against Jiraiya's orders, when the sannin was like this. All he could do now was wait and see.
Akahana looked at the current head of the Uzumaki Clan with rather mixed feelings. Toshiro Uzumaki was a very imposing man, even despite his old age. Due to the Uzumaki vitality and the general longevity of the people in Uzushio the man showed no sign of his old age, instead he looked he would have in his prime. From what she heard the man was far older than the Sandaime, but there were no outward signs of that. He was a deadly shinobi, feared by all his enemies and even some of his allies. The mere aura, that surrounded the man demanded respect and promised pain and death should his demand not be met. Even Akahana, despite all she had seen in her life couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the clan head of the Uzumaki.
Despite her uneasiness in the presence of the man, Akahana still forced a stoic look on her face to hide all emotions she had at that moment. She would not show weakness, she would not falter. For whatever reason these people seemed to hate her she would not let it get her down. Not after all she has been through.
"Sit down." He growled dangerously at her after her guards had left the room in a hurry. The old clan head sat at his desk, his chin resting on the back of his hands as he watched her warily.
Akahana slowly complied and sat down across from the man, her eyes never leaving him for a moment. At this point she wouldn't put it past these people, to suddenly jump up and attack her. The entire situation was far too tense for her liking.
"What is this all about? Why have you called me here and why am I treated like a criminal? I have never done..."
"Be silent, insolent child." Toshiro's voice boomed through the room, effectively shutting Akahana up. "I am the one to ask the questions here."
"Then ask, so we can get this over with. I have no wish to stay longer in this village or with this clan than necessary." Akahana stated scathingly.
This only caused Toshiro's eyes to narrow even more. "Where are you from?"
"That is none of your concern." Akahana snapped back.
"Be careful, child, you don't want to incur my wrath." Toshiro growled angrily. "Why do you claim the Uzumaki name? Answer truthful or I will have someone get the answers out of you."
"I've already endure the worst kinds of torture, your people can do nothing that would scare or surprise me!" This statement caused Toshiro to watch the girl in front of him more with confusion then distrust, but he resolved to ask that particular question later.
"Answer. My. Question." Toshiro said in a menacing tone.
Akahana sighed at that, she hated recounting her past again and again. "I grew up as an orphan. My mother died shortly after I was born; my father... I have never met the man and was told that he was probably dead, too. I only knew that one of my parents was an Uzumaki, nothing else. So I grew up with this last name."
"If you know nothing about your parents except that one of them was from this clan, why do you claim to be the older sister of Kushina Uzumaki?"
"I do not claim that. I was told that she was my sister!" Akahana replied with vehemence.
"Told by whom?"
"By the Sandaime Hokage. He had one of his students make a test. Tsunade Senju of the Sannin did the test three times to be sure. Later they confronted me with the results, much to my own surprise. I neither knew nor expected that Kushina was related to me." Akahana glared even more at the old man before her as she saw a disbelieving frown on his face. "Do the test yourself if you want to be sure!"
"Oh believe me, we will redo those test and we will be very thorough." Toshiro replied.
"Just why do you even bother so much with it? Why are you so interested in this entire topic? Kushina is part of Konoha now, she is a Konoha kunoichi and will most likely never return here."
"Why I care you ask? Why I care?" Toshiro exploded towards Akahana. "Why shouldn't I care for the daughter of my youngest son? Why shouldn't I care for my only living grand child?" Akahana gaped when she heard his words, again she inwardly cursed herself for knowing so little about her mother's family. She had never known that Kushina was from the main house of the Uzumaki family.
"So you believe I am only claiming this because she is your granddaughter? Is that it? You treat me like a damn criminal, you hate me, you shun me... and all that because you believe I am an imposter that tries to use Kushina for her own gain?" Akahana asked with disbelieve.
"Your sudden appearance is far too convenient. I have no heirs... both my sons are dead and my only grandchild must serve another village for the sake of our damn alliance with them. And all of a sudden you show up. Bastard child or not, you are older then Kushina; you were obviously born before my son's marriage and you serve no village... at least not officially. This is all just too damn convenient." Toshiro said with distaste.
"You believe that I am only here to steal from you? Do you think that I am some sort of beggar, that comes here to demand anything from a clan, that has not cared about my existence for the last eighteen years? You should remember that I am only here because you demanded my presence. Without your demand, the Hokage would have simply sent me away from Konoha and I would be able todo whatever I want with my life. Instead I am here, treated like a damn prisoner." As she yelled in outrage Akahana slammed her fists on the desk, leaving small cracks at the impact points. She was angry at that moment, she wanted to rage even more... but she also wished to be anywhere but here. She wished she had never been brought to Uzushio only to hear that her own family saw her as nothing but a beggar and thief.
"Sit back down!" Toshiro yelled at her, but this time she wouldn't budge. She was beyond livid now. All her training to restrain her own feelings was forgotten in the face of this outrageous treatment she had to endure.
"No. I won't listen to this bunch of bullshit. You called me here! You are the only reason that I have come here! You, not me! And now you dare to call me some sort of interloper... I couldn't care less for who you are and whether we are related."
At this the old Uzumaki finally stood up and glared down at the smaller girl before he lost all restraint and grabbed her collar over the desk and pulled her forwards. "You are here, in my house, the home of my clan and you will show me respect and you will do whatever I tell you. Bastard or not, if you really are a Uzumaki, then you will do as you are told!" He yelled at her as his face was only slightly away from Akahana's at this point.
"It is obvious that your clan does not even consider me a member so why do you even care about me? Just let me leave in peace and you will never hear from me again." Akahana hissed at the man.
"Oh no, you will stay here under my watch until I have come to the conclusion about what to do with you!"
"Give me one good reason why you are so insistent on treating me like this!" She demanded angrily.
"Because the last time I allowed a bastard into my family, it had cost me one of my sons and his entire family!" He exclaimed in outrage.
To Akahana this exclamation was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice cold water over her head. Her anger dissipated when she realized that the man acted not out of malice towards her, like so many people had done in the past, but simply because he wished to protect his family and saw her as a threat... She visibly deflated and shrunk back into her seat as Toshiro let her go. Her anger was gone... sadness had taken its place now. Sadness that even here with people who did not even know her she would be judged for actions that were not even her own... Sadness that even her own family would never accept her without any fault on her side.
"I... I never knew my family... I never expected to find it and I never expected anything from my family to begin with. You know nothing about me, yet you will judge me for the actions of a person I have never met in my life..." Akahana said sadly, her gaze averted from Toshiro. The Uzumaki Clan head could only look at her in confusion about the sudden change in her attitude. "I should have known that I should never expect to be treated fair at least once in my life..."
"You..." Toshiro started, but he somehow couldn't find the words to express his current thoughts.
"I have never been, nor will I ever be a threat to your family, Toshiro-sama." The sudden use of honorifics and her dejected tone surprised the clan head. Where the girl had shown a somewhat fiery temper before she was now acting like a person that has lost all hope in life.
To say that he was surprised would have been an understatement in this situation; even his own anger was slowly leaving him at this sight. He felt uneasy to watch this girl like this. Bastard child or not, this girl might really be a grandchild of his and to see anyone from his family looking defeated like this did not sit right with the old Uzumaki. But before he could say or do anything to change this situation, Akahana spoke up again.
"If this is all, Toshiro-sama, I would like to rest for now... I will await your judgment... whatever your decision may be, I will obey..."
"You may go." Toshiro replied with a sigh. He knew it was better to end the conversation here. He would definitely need some time to come to terms with this entire situation. "But you will be under constant watch and your are forbidden to leave Uzushio." He added with a stern tone.
"I understand, Toshiro-sama." Came Akahana's sad reply before she bowed slightly and left the office.
"Why do I feel like the monster here?" Toshiro asked himself loudly.
"Because this girl has done nothing to incur the wrath of this clan and yet you let her suffer like this." Came the reply from a woman that stepped out of the shadows behind the desk.
"I see that new suppression seal of yours is finally perfected. Not even I felt your presence in this room, Misaki." The old Uzumaki said with a slight chuckle. "I really thought you would be with your daughter at the moment. After all you haven't seen Kushina in years."
"Don't change the subject, otousan." Misaki chastised her father-in-law slightly. "And it was only you who did not notice my presence."
Toshiro sighed exasperatedly as he looked at Misaki. "Do you believe her story?"
"She does look a lot like my daughter and I wouldn't discount the chance that my dear husband was not as faithful in the past as he should have been."
"Aye... my sons truly were no shining examples of fidelity." Toshiro agreed begrudgingly.
"I pity the poor girl. Have you seen the desperation in her eyes when she found out why you distrust her. I can only wonder what she has been through in her past, but apparently the thought, that her family would throw her out without even knowing her, is hurting her deeply." Misaki said with a sad tone.
"No matter how we feel about her, she still is a child that should not exist. The clan is weary of her very existence after..." He stopped himself before he spoke the words that would bring back hurtful memories. "But the decision about her future in the clan isn't mine to make anyways. The elder council will decide her fate."
"But their judgment will never be fair. She is an outsider, they will never accept her. Especially not because taking her in would make her your eldest grandchild. Those elders wouldn't let that happen. They already have other plans for your succession." Misaki spoke scathingly. Though the elder council only had the clans well being in mind they would be willing to destroy the live of one person for the sake of their plans.
"There is still much we don't know about this girl." Toshiro mumbled to himself. "Who are you, Akahana Uzumaki?"
"I will find out what I can. But now I have to meet my daughter and greet her properly." Misaki said before she left the office to find Kushina. Toshiro stayed behind, this time alone in his office to collect his thoughts. Oh he knew this entire situation would cause him a huge headache before it was finally resolved.
As Akahana left the main building of the Uzumaki compound, she could already see Jiraiya and Kushina approach the building with the young Honoka in tow, but at that moment Akahana did not want companionship. She needed time for herself so she quickly left the area in a different direction before they could reach her.
Kushina saw this and wanted to follow her sister, but stopped when a familiar voice addressed her. "Let her be for now, Kushina-chan. She will need some time to come to terms with her situation."
"Okaasan." Kushina said happily before she went to hug her mother for the first time in years.
"It is good to finally see you again, Kushina-chan. Have you been alright in Konoha? I do hope for their own good, that you have been treated properly." Misaki said with a smile as she held her daughter.
"It's okay. I got used to some of the weirder characters in that village, but most people are really nice to me after all."
But then Misaki saw the other two persons behind Kushina and went to greet them after she and her daughter had let go of each other. "Oh, Jiraiya-san. The last time I have seen you you were still a little hyper Genin and now look at you. Here as a Jonin with your own team. I can still remember father and I showing you some sealing techniques on the request of Sarutobi-san." Misaki said with a laugh.
Jiraiya scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he remembered his last visit here; so many years ago before the last war had started and changed all their lives. "I am glad to see you again, Misaki-sempai."
"Oh and who have we here? Found our little notorious runaway?" Misaki said as she saw Honoka next to Jiraiya. "Where have you found her this time? She likes to explore far too much for her own good."
Jiraiya was unsure whether it was the right place to tell Misaki about where they had found Honoka, they were still in the middle of the courtyard of the Uzumaki compound. "Maybe we should go to a more private place for that discussion."
"Ah, of course. How about my own study? No one will disturb us there without a good reason."
"But Akahana..." Kushina said a bit hesitantly as she looked in the direction that her sister had disappeared in.
"Your sister needs some time to herself, Kushina-chan." That exclamation attracted some curious looks from Jiraiya and a few others around them, that had heard Misaki's words. It was obvious that not many would have expected the woman to acknowledge her husband's illegitimate child this openly.
"But..."
"Kushina, I said inside." Misaki replied sternly as she cut off her daughter's objection. "You can't help her with her current problems, so don't interfere." It was obvious for Misaki that even in the short time Kushina had spent with Akahana so far, that her daughter had already formed a sisterly bond with Akahana. She was glad that her daughter did not judge her half sister badly for their fathers infidelity, Akahana would soon need someone who would support her. The council's decision would not be in Akahana's favor, that much was certain.
In another part of the village, three men were currently meeting to discuss the latest setback in their plan. The men were less than amused, when they found out that their latest action had been foiled by their subordinates' inability to remain unseen and the untimely arrival of the Konoha shinobi.
"It was an unfortunate setback, but nothing that we can't fix. None of the lost men were important in any way." One of the men commented in a bored manner.
"And what about the one they have captured? If he starts to spill what he knows, then everything is over. No, no we can't continue here. The plan is off I tell you. You screwed up big time." The second one exclaimed in obvious distress.
"Don't worry, fool. That idiot won't survive the night. No one will make him talk. The plan continues just like we have agreed." The third said vehemently.
"Good. Do not disappoint me." The first said authoritatively. "My master would be very displeased with that."
"I will honor our bargain, don't you forget your part of the deal!" The third retorted angrily.
"Yes, yes. Free passage to my village for you and your allies. Don't worry, I never forget those who have served me faithfully." The first exclaimed with a dark chuckle.
"Of course. We won't fail again. Next time I will do it myself and I will obliterate all those, who dare to stand in my way. It is about time for me to leave this dieing village anyway." The third retorted with a self confident tone.
"Don't wait too long. The Uzumaki are distracted at the moment and won't be able to act in time. Use the unrest, that the appearance of that bastard child has caused, to your own advantage."
"But... there are so many powerful shinobi among that clan... maybe we should just forget all of this and simply run..." The second said with a pale face.
"Damn coward. We will fulfill our side of the bargain. I won't leave this village to live like a beggar and criminal after all I have achieved in my life." The third growled angrily. "Come now, we have to plan our next step you spineless coward."
"Do not disappoint me again, Akihiro. Next time I will show no leniency." The first warned the other man with a dark chuckle before he quickly vanished from the room. The other two remained behind in their current hideout to formulate a new plan to acquire their price.
Misaki frowned as she left the office of her father-in-law for the second time that day. After her short conversation with Jiraiya she knew that there was little time to waste. A child of the clan had been kidnapped, right under their noses and no one had realized it until it would have been too late. Had it not been for Akahana, then little Honoka would most likely already be on a ship to some other nation so other villages could experiment on her to unravel the secret of the famed Uzumaki vitality. This particular bloodline was the envy of many other clans and entire villages; paired with the innate talent for Fuinjutsu that all Uzumaki possess it was very tempting for all enemies of the Uzumaki to steal a defenseless child and unravel the secrets of the clan.
Toshiro Uzumaki had been beyond angry when he found out about this entire incident. Not just because an enemy had succeeded with kidnapping a child but also because the Uzukage had failed to inform them immediately of this entire problem. Toshiro should have been present during the report in the Uzukage's office, but the village leader had not summoned anyone from the clan. Instead it seemed almost as if he tried to cover it up. But the notion that the Uzukage could be involved in this was utterly ridiculous and every thought in that direction was quickly discarded. No it was merely seen as a sign of disrespect. Toshiro and the Uzukage had never really seen eye to eye.
And poor little Honoka had gotten the fright of her life during the ordeal. The child was a prime target within the clan. She was an orphan and though the clan took care of each and every child, it still meant that it would take far longer for anyone to notice Honoka's absence. Paired with the girls love to explore and wander around, she became the perfect target for any enemy.
Misaki let out a long sigh as she slowly walked down a path in the compound that leads to a small lake within the city walls. She needed time and room to think. The quiet solitude at the shore of the lake had always helped her to solve the most frustrating problems.
But what she saw this time surprised her greatly. Underneath a tree near the water sat Akahana with a faraway look on her face, the same sadness she had shown before still visible in her face and posture. Misaki resolved to talk a bit to her late husband's illegitimate child, at least to show Akahana that not the entire Uzumaki Clan was against her. But before she could approach Akahana someone else beat Misaki to it.
"Hi." Akahana looked a bit surprised at the sudden voice next to her. She had been so deep in her own thoughts that she had not even realized that another person had approached her. But to her surprise it wasn't another clan member that would scoff at her, but the little girl that she had saved from those men.
"Oh, it's you. Honoka, right?" At this the young girl nodded happily. "What are you doing out here, Honoka?"
"Exploring." The girl stated with a bright smile. It was almost as if nothing bad had ever happened to her. Akahana could only marvel how the girl could simply continue on like nothing had happened after what those men had nearly done to her.
"It is dangerous to wander around alone at your age, Honoka." Akahana chastised lightly. "Aren't your parents worried about you, when you run around like this?"
"No... " The girl replied demurely. "My parents have been gone for many many days now. Others take care of me, but they never have time to play or explore."
It was a sobering realization that hit Akahana when she heard that. This little girl was like her, an orphan. But yet this girl was also completely different. Unlike her, this girl still had the rest of her family to watch over her. Though that is no replacement for actual parents, it still means that she would never have to feel completely alone.
"Honoka-chan, I thought I have told you that you are not to leave your room until I call for you. You will still get punished for disobeying me and running away again." Came Misaki's voice from behind the two younger girls.
"Misaki-sama, I..." Honoka suddenly seemed a little distressed when she saw Misaki approaching them. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, my dear. You are not supposed to wander around alone anymore. I really thought that you earlier ordeal would have taught you that lesson at least." Misaki scolded the young girl in a motherly tone. "Now you better get back to the main house and wash up for dinner or else I won't teach you any new seals for a month." Hearing this the girl suddenly jerked up and started running back to the house.
"Isn't she a bit young to learn Fuinjutsu?" Akahana asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, but she loves to draw the seals, even though she lacks the Chakra and control to get them to work yet." Misaki said with a bright smile.
"She is a lucky girl. Being loved and cared for despite being orphan... not all of us have that much luck." Akahana said with a melancholic sigh.
"Was your past that horrible?" Misaki asked in return.
"You wouldn't want to know. It is obvious that only very few Uzumaki care to at least act civil around me. I don't expect anyone here to try and understand me."
"Believe me, I want to understand you. To get to know you." Misaki stated truthfully.
"Why?"
"Because I want to know what kind of person my daughter's half sister is."
Akahana looked strangely at Misaki. She had long given up to be surprised about meeting family members that she has never heard of before. But this woman, Akahana couldn't help but scrutinize her closely. So this was Kushina's mother... her own grandmother. Another person that had died long before she even found out about her family.
"You wouldn't like what you would hear... my life wasn't exactly pleasant so far."
"Then tell me. Share your burden with me so I can understand who you really are. So I can help you. Seeing how my daughter already feels connected to you, can only mean that you are not an evil person."
"Many people would disagree with you on that last statement..." Akahana replied with a humorless laugh. "I have never met my parents, people always told me that they were dead, but nothing more. I did not even know their names except for the fact that one of them was an Uzumaki and that I was given this last name for that reason." She sighed sadly as she closed her eyes as she remembered her early childhood. "The first few years of my life I had spent in an orphanage. For reasons that I did not know, I was treated different from the other kids. I was shunned, starved and neglected. For the first few years of my life I knew nothing about normal human interaction because of that, I never experienced what it meant to be loved and supported."
Misaki gasped when she heard that. She was unable to imagine why anyone could be so cruel to treat a child like this. What could a child this young have done to deserve this fate? But she also realized that they were no longer alone; another person had come closer and listened intently to Akahana's sad tale. Misaki did not know whether Akahana had detected the other person, but the girl continued on as if no one else was there.
"For four years I spent my life in that darkness. Until... until he came..."
"He?" Misaki asked confused.
"My mentor. Not long after my fourth birthday he came and freed me from that dreadful existence. To the abused little child I had been at that time, he was like a dream that had come true. My savior... from that day onward my sole reason to live." Akahana could still remember the day clearly when he came into the dark room she had to live in.
"Sounds like a good man..."
"Far from it." Akahana scoffed. "But he was the first person to acknowledge my existence. The first person who saw more in me, than the abused child that was worth less then the dirt on the street. He gave my life a meaning by training me... by training me to become his weapon."
"What!" Misaki exclaimed in outrage. "How could anyone dare..."
"It was a better life then the one I had in the orphanage. By the time I was four I only had one wish... I wanted to die, so it all would end. It takes a lot of cruelty to crush the spirit of a young child like this. But he... he gave my existence a new meaning. He trained me; it was hard, sometimes inhuman. But I was happy and endured it all. Because the cruel training served a purpose whereas my suffering before only served for the amusement of the orphanage's matrons. And thus I became a weapon. Leaving my humanity behind, to be able to serve better. I learned a lot... I did a lot. Things that I am not proud of... things that I would rather forget. But I did all of it willingly for my mentor. I would have died happily for him... he was after all the closest thing to a father I have ever known."
Misaki couldn't help but curse her late husband as she heard the story. If he had not abandoned his first born child then Akahana would not have had to suffer like this. She would have grown up as a part of the clan even if he did not want to be there for her. He should have brought the girl to Uzushio at the very least.
Even though Akahana was not really the daughter of her husband, but his granddaughter instead, there was no doubt that the clan would have given the child a brighter future. But little did Misaki know about the true background of Akahana's story. To her it was obvious that this girl was Kushina's sister. Just by looking at Akahana she could only see this older version of her own daughter, with the destinctive features of the Uzumaki clan.
"I always tried to become stronger and more useful. All my life revolved around the wish to improve and to serve... but in the end it was all futile. I was too weak... too slow. My mentor and all the people I knew and cared for died. One after another they were taken away from me, until I was once more alone. I was hate filled at that point and hunted those responsible for my mentor's death. One by one I found them and destroyed them. But revenge did not take away the pain, it did not bring back the dead. It only served to nearly kill me... and in the end I was almost dead when Jiraiya-san and his team found me and brought me to Konoha. The rest of the story... you should already know that..." Akahana leaned back against the tree, her eyes still closed as she fought her feelings down. It would do no good to cry over the past.
Misaki couldn't help but feel the sorrow that radiated off the girl next to her. She was still so young and had already been through so much more suffering than most adults would ever experience in their entire lives. And much to Akahana's obvious shock Misaki engulfed her in a tight hug, holding her close as she spoke soothingly. "Don't worry about the past anymore. You won't have to suffer like this again if I can help it. That past is gone now, let it go and start anew."
Akahana felt helpless in this situation. Helpless since she did not know how to react to such a display. The woman who hugged her at the moment was indeed her family, her grandmother to be precise. But she had never experienced what it meant to be supported by her own family. She had no idea what to do now, so she remained silent as she returned the hug.
"Don't worry about what awaits you in the future, Akahana. No matter what the clan council decides, I will help you and support you. Even though you are not mine, I will still treat you like my daughter. And never forget that your sister will also be there for you." Misaki declared softly as she looked pointedly at the person behind them.
There, only a few feet away from them stood Toshiro Uzumaki. The old clan head had listened to Akahana's story without uttering a word to make his presence known. But Misaki could easily see that he, too, was affected by Akahana's sad tale. His fists were clenched tightly, a look of anger on his face. Misaki knew that the anger was not directed at the girl in her arms, but at those who had caused the suffering of one of Toshiro's grandchildren. Though he had declared that he would demand another test to confirm the girls relation, they had already accepted that Akahana was truly one of them. They knew that she was a true Uzumaki, but even that would not influence the clan council's decision in the slightest.