A/N: I'll warn you now, this chapter has a lot of exposition… Oh Yeah, and un-Beta-ed again as well.


The Chidoku Legacy

Immediately after seeing the Kazekage and his entourage off to the Hokage's residence Inoichi headed off to another part of the village. He tried to figure out the right words as he approached the large house that was the home of one of his oldest friends. None came to mind, so when he arrived his hand hesitated before finally knocking on the massive doors of the Akimichi residence.

A moment later the door slid open to reveal the heftily curved frame of Akimichi Chikane. "Inoichi," even as she expressed slight surprise, the black haired woman added, "please come in."

Good, he thought. It appears word of the Kazekage's visit hasn't spread beyond the marketplace. I knew if I got here early enough I'd arrive before she could go shopping.

Before she could even think to call her husband, Chouza came out of the side room that served as his study and meditation room. As the massive redhead began to gesture for his friend to join him within, Inoichi chose to speak.

"What I have to say should be told to you both, this isn't the kind of news you should hear second hand." His eyes held steady with those of his old teammate. "The things we talked about, your son's plans, what we'd hoped for…" his throat seemed tight causing him to swallow with great discomfort. "There's no easy way to say this; I met Ryokou's father yesterday, he's the Kazekage."

Chikane gasped, Chouza gently put an arm around her shoulder.

"It gets worse. Ino is fully infatuated with him; I think she believes he has every intention of making her his second wife."

After a tense silence, Chouza asked, "What happened to his first wife?"

"She died a few days ago in an attempt to assassinate him." There was no other way Inoichi could express it other than cold hard fact.

As both Akimichis looked at each other, the wife appeared to be trembling in her husband's embrace.

"Your son's going to need every bit of support you can offer him." He looked to them again, "I like to think I could help him, but it won't be easy. How can one compete with someone of that level of power and prestige?"

"Oh, my poor baby." Wife curled against husband seeking comfort of her own as she fretted over her son. The red haired giant complied by tenderly stroking her arm.

"I'd best be going so you…" Inoichi didn't get to finish the sentence. The door slid open to reveal the man they were all concerned for.

Chikane practically leapt from her husband's arms to grab onto her son in case he felt a panic from seeing the group assembled before him.

Inoichi turned toward the open door, taking the briefest moment to pat Chouji on the shoulder and mutter the reassurance of, "I believe in you."

"Wait," the youngest Akimichi said firmly.

The golden haired man paused.

"Is it true?" The tension in Chouji's voice was evident.

"Who Ryokou's father is? Yes."

"That, I knew." Chouji replied. His eyes narrowed as he regarded Inoichi, "Is it true that the Kazekage stayed at your home last night?"

Both of Chouji's parents gasped.

"I'm sorry, yes." It came out in half strangled sadness.

"Why?" The brown haired man firmly demanded an answer.

"I think you understand all to well how hard it is to deny Ino something when she sets her mind to it." Inoichi bowed his head and slunk off almost ashamedly.

Chouji stared after the man, then with a sigh he assented, "I do," and the tears began to flow.


Before long it was the big news around Konoha: Ryokou's mysterious father from Suna was none other than the Kazekage. As she walked her daughter to school that morning, Ino was constantly being asked questions by curious neighbors. The most frequent question was whether she was going to Suna soon. She realized most of it was just idle curiosity, but one thing was certain: she and Kankurou were going to be in contact from now on.

Some people seemed to be happy for her. Others gave her looks like they didn't know her at all; one of them was Wakana at the cake shop. Ino had decided to pick up something for the family to have for dessert that day. The woman looked right at her when she walked in then promptly went into the back room and let her less experienced assistant deal with Ino.


Chouji wasn't too keen on all the gossip whenever he heard it. He didn't like the possibility that Ino would be going to Suna in the future to be with the Kazekage. It is all speculation isn't it? She wouldn't really consider going to Suna after that painted faced freak….sure that man was Ryokou's father…but seriously…would she?

It's just like she was with Sasuke; she convinced herself he was the one. Then she clung to that false dream no matter what the happened. For years afterwards at parties she'd still dedicate karaoke numbers to Sasuke. It took his return in the arms of someone he loved to convince her otherwise. All he could do was console himself with the belief that Kankurou's momentary concern for Ryokou had reunited them. When he gets back to Suna he'll forget about Ino…just like the last time.


The Kazekage's journey home had been uneventful: Shun had been a model prisoner. After the guards had departed, having completed their short de-briefing with the Kazekage at the central residence, Baki had resumed his duties as his former student's right-hand man. He filled his liege in on the events during his absence. Though there were many rumors being bandied about in the Sunagakure streets, only those regarding Shiori's attempt on the Kazekage's life had been confirmed to the populace. The reasons were still officially 'under investigation'.

His voice remained quiet and very controlled as he spoke to Kankurou. "You're telling me that Temari wanted to accompany you back and you refused her?"

"It could have become complicated." The Kazekage replied, his gaze focused sharply on his right hand man in a way that held forth a challenge.

The half-veiled jounin decided to risk it. "Let's see, Shikamaru would have accompanied his wife, bringing your nephews as well. This would have, in turn, made you daughter wish to come along too." He paused for a moment with a sly twist to his lips. "I hardly believe a child would think in those terms, so it must be her mother who is the problem."

Eyes narrowed on a painted expression that showed his former sensei knew him too well. "I wanted Ino to come back with me." His voice escaped in a hiss.

"Then I should be grateful that she refused," Baki replied flatly. "That means you didn't want Temari with you because she, as I am, would remind you what an insult it would have been to the Chidoku. Whether Shiori forced your hand or not, this is not the time to bring up your past, there is still a lot to settle before you can move on. Act like a Kage, you are not a normal man, your duty lies with Suna." He studied the puppet master's now petulant expression then added, "If, in a few months, it seems like it is advantageous to strengthen Sunagakure's alliance with Konohagakure through a marriage then you can consider bringing up your bond to one of Tsunade's own students."

Kankurou's mouth opened slightly, but he couldn't speak the gratitude he felt for this understanding.

Baki continued in his obligation to inform the Kazekage of events while he was away. "While you were away Shuichi and the rest of the Chidoku realized how badly we all failed to notice what was happening with Shiori. However, we decided to be thankful that her mind was still clouded by her grief. Had she been functioning on her previous level of skill and cunning, we'd probably be having the largest funeral since the aftermath of night the Akatsuki took Gaara." He frowned, "Shinta and I estimated half your guard could have been brought down."

Kankurou felt a strange emptiness fill him as he listened to his friend's words. Although he'd been estranged from Shiori, he still had an emotional bond with her. It hurt that she betrayed him so deeply. Looking up to meet Baki's eye, he offered up one stray thought that had wandered through his mind on more than one occasion: "If Suna was a different place she could have been Kazekage instead of me."

The jounin's expression flashed disbelief at the puppet master's words, then he considered the whole of the discussion they'd been having. "I knew she was good, but…"

"For a brief while she was truly my equal in all things." He was tired and strangely frustrated by the way this whole situation had played out. Most would have considered this kind of match to be kindred souls. "Suna will never fully appreciate what it lost with her."

"Then just hope her legacy can live on in your sons."

Sad eyes turned to the veiled shinobi, "Do you think there's any way they could understand what happened to them these past few days?"

"You and your siblings survived what you father did to you." Baki patted him reassuringly on the back, "Do you think this can possibly be worse than Shukaku?" He turned and left the Kazekage's side at the base of the stairs to his residence suite.

No, Kankurou thought as he ascended the stairs to his home.


He arrived back at his suite knowing tomorrow would be a long day with Shiori's funeral. However, he knew he had to make one brief stop before he could turn in. Silently he slid into the room that belonged to Yuugure and Mayonaka. As he looked in the semi-darkness he noticed a figure sitting in the chair between the two beds; it was none other than the head of the Chidoku clan, Shuichi. The man was distinguished looking; his amber hair was streaked with silver around the temples, there were also parallel streaks on either side of his chin in the neatly trimmed goatee he wore.

The man looked up from the book he was reading and rose turning off his book-light, "Kazekage-sama," his voice was filled with reverence as he bowed his head.

"Is there something wrong?" Kankurou's gaze went from one boy to the other. "I would have thought your priorities would be with the final funeral preparations."

"The rest of the Chidoku are handling the arrangements just fine. As head of the clan I have a more important duty." Brown eyes met the Kazekage's with confidence, "Your son's have come through their ordeal in a most remarkable fashion. Their mother gave them a blessing even as she tried to destroy them."

Kankurou's expression showed plainly the curiosity he felt at the comment. "Although Shiori tried to explain some of your customs, she did not share everything with me." He glanced briefly back to his sleeping sons and then gestured for Shuichi to follow him from the room.

They walked down to the end of the corridor where there was an open area need the guard station and the stairs. It was set up for emergency briefings, with a small rectangular table with six reasonably comfortable chairs set around it. Normally the puppet master would claim one of the ends to assert his power. But since he'd always felt at ease with this particular resident of his village, he claimed a chair along one side and was pleased when the Chidoku leader took the one directly across from him.

"So what did you mean by a blessing?" The Kazekage wasted no time getting to the point.

"As Shinta told you during the crisis, the Chidoku ritually poison our children. It has been used as both an initiation and a way of culling the weak." The gravity of the situation was matched in the Amber haired man's tone.

Finally in this room the violet edges that shadowed the elder's eyes became evident to Kankurou, He's obviously had many a restless night because of Shiori's final act as well.

The elder continued, "We lose very few children to the initiation. In more recent generations we test the for an initial toxicity level. If the child has one, they are initiated, if not, they are not for there is nothing to gain from it," he bowed his head, "and far too much to lose."

"If I would have judged your sons beforehand, I would have figured the odds were against Mayonaka having the trait. I can't think of a single child in my lifetime not having either the eyes or hair color being initiated. He must have a guardian spirit watching over him."

"And this is what you mean by a blessing?" The still painted face studied the man who sat before him. I know so little about the people I'm supposed to protect.

"No," Shuichi said, "what happened afterward is even more unprecedented. After you left both boys fell into a state we call 'Fever Dreaming'; they each spent two days talking in an otherwise unresponsive sleep. We assigned several family members to each of them, because the things they speak of indicate the paths their lives will take. A 'Child of the Night' masters physical traits, and are blessed with great stealth and stamina. When they master jutsu, but do it on a level far superior to others of their generation." He looked calmly into Kankurou's eyes, "Shiori was the only 'Child of the Night' in her generation."

"A 'Child of the Day' on the other hand is gifted in at least three elements and can learn many skills easily but take few to mastery. They make up for their limitations by being creative in the way they combine their skills to get an unexpected edge in combat. The only 'Child of the Day' in Shiori's generation is my son, Shinta."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that." The Kazekage remembered the occasions he and his sister had worked with the younger Chidoku. He is indeed, full of surprises in combat.

The Chidoku elder went back to his explanations, "That's how these 'Fever Dreamers' run, two-three per generation, but we've not had two born of the same parents since the clan was founded." He smiled with the pride one would expect of the head of such a household, "Do you care to guess which type your sons are?"

"Your expression leads me to believe they are one of each type." Kankurou was starting to feel a smile cross his own features.

"Indeed," the man let out a contented chuckle, "Kazekage-sama, you are wise in your judgment, please continue."

The puppet master considered for only a moment: "Yuugure is a 'Night Child' while Mayonaka, contrary to his name, is a 'Child of the Day'."

"Correct," the elder said, "although I suspect you based your choices on their personalities."

"Surprisingly, no," Kankurou replied, "I considered something I've notice in recent months; I think Mayonaka sees my chakra strings when I do puppet manipulations. I've also seen how differently he watches others use their jutsu around him, more like he's studying what makes it happen."

"It is a wonderful thing for a parent to be able to share their specialty with one of their children." Brown eyes looked again at the Kazekage's, "Does your daughter also share your skill?"

"Who else did Shiori tell?" Kankurou felt a surge of anger, but since the Chidoku had not been accusing in his tone, he managed to contain it. The curl of his lips still showed his displeasure with the situation.

"No one other than Shun as far as I can tell," the man understood the Kazekage's discomfort; the people were looking at the Chidoku with accusations in their eyes these days. "Shun left what is best described as a suicide note for Shoei. When she found it among his things, she came running directly to me. She started begging my forgiveness for her own inability to have foreseen these events by his change in behavior toward her."

"I knew they were sharing an apartment, but one cannot be expected to know everything that is in another's heart simply by our mere proximity to them," Kankurou muttered.

"As we all learned with Shiori," Shuichi consoled the man across from him. Then after a brief pause, "Back to my previous question…Your daughter?"

"Her name is Ryokou and she's a brunette version of her mother." He hesitated, "That's right, you weren't on the council during those treaty sessions, your brother was filling in because your wife was…" He looked at the man with sympathy.

"Life goes on," was the soft reply. "Please, I wish to hear about your eldest."

"She's a week older than Temari's Hajimeru, by all their ranking she's the most skilled kunoichi of the class. None of her skills are mine; she's very much her mother's child."

"How does she rank compared to her cousin?"

"Temari says her eldest is cursed to carry his father's last genes." Kankurou chuckled, "It makes her crazy to know my daughter can run circles around him in the Academy's regular training curriculum."

The older man smiled and nodded, "Have you made plans for when she'll come to Suna and meet her half-brothers?"

"Her mother and I are working out the details. I'll inform the council before her arrival." His face drifted to a smile as he thought about the woman who'd accompany his daughter to Suna.

A brief time passed and the sound of the Chidoku elder clearing his throat brought him back to his current surroundings.

The man was still holding a hand before his face, as if to guard his own expression from the puppet master. "Too bad that the next Chuunin exams are in Iwagakure," his voice was gentle, "I suspect you'd be happier if it was "Konohagakure's turn."

The eyes of the Kazekage narrowed dangerously, "Say nothing about Ryokou to anyone and if you hear anyone else say something, let me know. But, if they happen to be a member of your household, talk to them and gage how they view the situation."

"Of course Kazekage-sama," a head bowed in acknowledgement.

They sat there silently taking measure of each other.

Finally Shuichi spoke again: "When the council forced you to marry, I was uncomfortable with the idea. When you chose Shiori sight unseen, I was surprised. The others in the household offered her because of her looks, figuring that was a fast way to earn us prestige. When you chose her based solely on her record as a shinobi, that earned you my esteem. It showed me how ready you were for the position we were putting you in." He offered a weary smile that somehow showed his respect for the man before him. "You used wisdom to choose her, and did what seemed right for Suna. You have two remarkable sons to show for it. I'm sure they'll grow to be the pride of their village."

"If only wisdom would have helped me understand Shiori's heart." There was a sorrow in Kankurou voice that went beyond his words. "Then maybe she wouldn't have come to this after Yoake's death."

"That is the curse of being a Chidoku. Who would have thought that one of Suna's top assassins would be undone by such a flaw in her heart?" Shuichi shared a final sad glance with the Kazekage. "I've kept you long enough; we'll both have a busy day tomorrow with her funeral." The amber haired man rose.

Kankurou did as well. A moment later they were stepping out into the corridor toward the stairs and the guard station. "Thank you for your understanding." He rested a hand briefly on the man's shoulder before send him off with an escort out of the complex.

He stopped to take one last look at his sleeping sons before heading to his own rooms. As he removed his facial paint, thoughts of two women swirled in the back of his mind. One made him ache with grief for he knew he was easily responsible as she was for her demise. The other made him ache in a way that reminded him her was very much alive.

As he made his final preparations to sleep he found a piece of the comb. He breathed in its scent hoping it would help settle the duel of the women in his mind. After placing it on his night stand, he settled down upon his bed. An arm stretched out to the other side of the mattress, Soon, My Ino, soon.


A dreamless sleep later, the Kazekage awoke to deal with a day full of duties.


If you asked any of the Suna residents what they saw that day they could tell you the their leader appeared to have all the dignity and solemnity a man should show at the funeral of someone who had been both wife and would be assassin.

They would tell you that it was only right that Shun of the Chidoku had been allowed to come to his sister's funeral and that neither the level of shackles he wore, nor the number of guards that accompanied him was excessive.

They would express their belief that the grief of the rest of Chidoku was genuine and the clan was clearly ashamed that they had not foreseen the situation and prevented it.

They would have told you how their hearts broke for the two little boys who had lost their mother to circumstances children could never fully understand. And how the boys were walked up to their mother's grave marker by a nanny who guided them through the ceremony with a firm hand, yet sympathetic caring on her otherwise bland face.


It was two in the morning and a light tapping began on the door. A bleary eyed woman pushed the long strands of auburn hair from her face, grabbed a robe and headed to respond. She opened the door just a crack, "Yes?" she said softly.

"Madame Yumeori says you have a special visitor, prepare yourself. She wants you in the Silken Shadow Room in fifteen minutes."

"As she commands," the reply came, "I will make ready." The door and the woman spun immediately intent on her closet. Important visitor, only they get the Silken Shadow. I knew my work couldn't be over yet, not after that boring boy earlier. She pulled on deep green lace ensemble that she felt brought out her eyes. Her attention went to her tresses and in a few moments she finished a simple twist held in place with a jeweled comb that was the kind of thing her clients loved to undo. Light makeup…but keep it sophisticated. Her hands moved deftly and in a few minutes she was content with the face in her mirror. She glanced at her clock, just in time. She slipped out of her door and down to the special passage to the room where her presence was required.

She went through the entrance that was reserved of the use of the women of Akachouchin no Kyuuden. As soon as she'd slipped in she realized the room was being kept like its name: shadowed. It was probably the darkest it had been in a long time.

"Hello Bara," the voice slid out of the semi-dark.

"Hello, T- Kazekage-Sama." She promptly corrected herself, falling into a deep bow on the cushioned floor before him. What are you doing here? You wife just tried to kill you a few days ago and you just attended her funeral…

"I need you Bara."

Her head snapped upward to look at the silhouetted form before her, "My liege," she whispered, strangely afraid.

"Silly girl, I need your ears," he chuckled, "but first, another glass of wine before I confess my sins." He topped off the mostly drained glass he held…


Two days later something arrived in Konoha that confirmed the Kazekage's ongoing interest. He sent a pair of messenger birds to be exclusively used for Ino and himself to send messages back and forth. A third bird would be added to the rotation when she sent the first letter to him. When Ino found out, she crushed the wind out of Sakura in an excited hug and practically deafened her friend with a shout of glee.


A/N: Only hints of romance this time…

Thank you to my reviewers: pattie mayonnaise, shannny2k & silentE .

Wow, you have a lot to say and aren't afraid to express it.