Chapter 32 | A Path in Ways II
The Iron Country was near. A few hours walk away. If she started to walk, she knew she would make it by morning, but she didn't want to put the extra strain on her body when she still needed to travel to the Sun Country. Mio planned to make the trip alone, even though she promised to wait for Takuto. He would be livid, but he would be safe. Shin had been the one to suggest she take Madara to the Water Country, not anyone else.
She had woken from another nightmare several minutes ago, surprised with how far Tobirama had traveled with her on his back, and she had asked for them to sit a while, expecting him to be exhausted.
Mio walked along the inner forest picking up fallen branches. She quietly built a fire after returning to the clearing where Tobirama stood looking out for any oncoming threats, even though he had been sure to avoid being tailed by enemy shinobi.
He surprised her when he crouched down next to her. He offered her water to drink and as she took it, he said, "Now explain your stupidity to me."
She took a sip of cold water, hesitant as she drew the Time Sphere from her clothing to reveal it to him. The meaning behind her actions brought clarity to his expression.
"I am protecting my clan," she told him.
"You plan to use yourself as bait?" he said quizzically. "Is that why you left the mountain?"
"It is more than that," she replied, willing to divulge the vast information. "You see…" She proceeded to tell him about Hag and what she was expecting to do when she met her, while expertly avoiding to mention she would travel accompanied by Madara. She admitted to her grandfather's affliction and her desire to circumvent death.
"Defeat death?" he questioned. "You think your clan's artifacts capable of the feat."
"No," she admitted, "but I trust in my ability to think of a way."
"What use are those artifacts if they cannot stop death? What purpose do they serve?"
"To maintain balance," she said, giving him the same response Musashi had given her when she had questioned the ability of the artifacts. "Protecting my clan, saving my grandfather, stripping Hag of her artifact, ending the Artifact War—it is all maintaining the balance. I am righting an ancient wrong for which this power was bestowed. I don't fully understand it and I am frightened by it, but I will one day. I only hope I will survive it."
Mio's stomach was in knots and they were tightening. She unconsciously held the sphere to her cheek. For the first time, its surface was cool against her warm skin, and, as if by magic, all sense of anxiety crumbled away. She stared absently into Tobirama's face, which was turned towards the flames and highlighted by the shadows the orange-red light cast upon his hardened expression. He lifted his eyes to hers.
"The Water Country?" he asked calmly. There was not even a hint of curiosity in his voice. "That is where your journey ends?"
"Yes."
"I will take you," he said firmly, brooking no argument. He stood and started to gather her things, packing them away into her bag. "If we waste little time, we might make it in half the time it would normally take."
Mio jumped to her feet. There would be no talking him out of the decision, but she wanted to try. "It is unnecessary," she said quickly, attempting to snatch her bag from his hand. He pulled it from her reach. "There is much to do before I am able to see Hag. I cannot show up at her home and demand an audience."
"You are Shugosha," Tobirama said pointedly, moving towards the road between the trees. "That woman should have some modicum of respect to welcome you. You are her leader."
Mio scrambled after him, feeling rushed and lightheaded.
—"Another one over the mountain." —
She stopped mid-step, looking over her shoulder to the clearing. She realized she had forgotten to put out the fire and retraced her steps.
"Mio!"
Tobirama sounded impatient.
She continued to the fire, feeling she heard Takuto's voice being carried by the wind. She walked back hoping she sensed him near.
— "Mio." —
She froze. She heard whispers. Many whispers that drowned the voices calling out her name. Takuto's voice was but a figment in her imagination as she smothered the flames and sprinted back to meet Tobirama. She looked back constantly as they delved further down the road.
"What?" Tobirama asked exasperatedly.
"Nothing," she answered.
"I would have sensed anyone near," he told her in the same tone. "We are not being followed."
She faced forward for the rest of the trip and ignored the whispers. She refused to believe in them as the night was alive with noise and she could have easily mistaken those whispers for voices when they could have simply been the breezes swaying the trees or the critters rustling between the shrubberies and scampering along the dirt path.
But in the quiet, she heard a voice calling.
— "Mio." —
A woman's voice. One she did not recognize and for many hours, it had been the loudest. Hearing it echo had covered her in goose flesh. Despite feeling uncomfortably hot, she tugged a sweater over her head in the hopes the extra layer of warmth would prevent her from giving into the chills.
When they reached the Iron Country, Mio crossed the gates without the presence of Tobirama. She went to meet the samurai's leader in search of information concerning her grandfather and anything that might be useful towards her mission. She traveled for several minutes accompanied by the samurai guards her grandfather had assigned during her short stay, and in awe, they had stared at the Time Sphere dangling off her neck. She explained nothing of what they were already aware.
The samurai's leader inhabited a humble piece of land located in the heart of the Iron Country where he was surrounded by the many civilians that had sought shelter after the Mikazuki, under her aunt's orders attempted to breach neutral country to discover her. The man stood outside, speaking to one of the country's farmers as his herd of cows crossed the frosted greenery, and he looked younger than she had last seen him. However, she had never seen him upfront, only from a distance, as her focus had not swayed from her grandfather's rigorous training and the opportunity never quite rose.
At the sight of her arrival, the samurai's leader pulled away from his conversation, patting the farmer on the shoulder to send him on his way, and approached her, waving a hand to his samurai to dismiss them. His eyes caught the gleam of the artifact strung from her neck and she stared into his matured face, worn by stress and scarred at the chin and temple by battle. His irises were a lighter color that made his brown eyes appear brighter and his hair was swept back, few strands in the black hair were graying and attesting to his age. He did not look older than thirty years, but it was not in the same way as her grandfather. He simply was more youthful looking than most.
"Welcome back to the Iron Country," Murakami Keishuu greeted. He bowed deeply. "The Shugosha Mio, at last."
She inclined her head. It sounded and felt strange, but she needed to get used to hearing the title of Shugosha attached to her name from now on. "I want to thank you for receiving me," she said demurely. "I do not want to burden your country with my problems, but—"
Keishuu shook his head, interrupting her with a wave of his hand. "Absolutely not," he said and gestured her down the stone path to his verandah. "Sit with me, we will have tea."
She raised her hands in refusal. "I cannot stay long," she said meekly. "My journey is long and urgent, and I left my companion waiting at the gates."
"Companion?" asked Keishuu, managing to guide her to the front of the verandah with its sturdy posts and polished floors. One of his hands remained on her shoulder and the other hand made the adequate gesticulations to match his words. "Another shinobi? From your clan?"
"No, one of our allies. A Senju."
"A Senju?" Keishuu called one of his samurai and asked him to bring the Senju to him before turning to Mio. "Stay. You no doubt need the rest. I will have you and your Senju guard accommodated within my home. It is yours for as long as you need it, Shugosha-sama."
He offered her no opening to refuse his invitation as he asked an elderly housekeeper to prepare two adjacent rooms, then turned to her intent on questioning their food situation, but immediately looked away, asking the woman to have the cooks prepare a meal.
"You must be famished," said Keishuu.
"I have not had time to think of food," Mio admitted, but she did not agree with his observation. She felt the twist of hunger in her stomach, but she was unsure she would be able to eat anything at all.
Keishuu sat at the edge of the verandah as another servant appeared to deliver a tray of tea. He offered her a cup and she saw no reason to continue objecting to his hospitality. She took her seat, setting her bag next to her, and took the warm mug between her hands.
"I appreciate the generosity," said Mio. "I appreciate the kindness your country has extended to my clan, despite the hardships you have endured on my behalf."
"They were unavoidable," Keishuu replied calmly. "Shinya-sama did mention the Iron Country might face strife upon sheltering a Shugosha candidate. I accepted knowing this and we were able to protect you in this country until you departed."
Mio took a sip of tea. "Thank you."
"I am aware of your current situation," said Keishuu. "Uchiha Hiryuu and Mikazuki Rikuto have brought discord to your home, during the shadow storm no less."
"You know about the shadow storm?" she asked curiously.
"The shadow storm is the strongest season in Kurata—of impenetrable darkness that protects the Kuronuma clan's home from invasion, but it is when the Climate Sphere displays its weakness."
"No one shall cross the storm as long as no blood be shed in its domain," she recited as she had read the words in Musashi's scrolls, those he had burned after she had read them once. "Blood has been shed and the shadow storm will soon offer Mt. Hyōga no protection."
"Yes, but escaping Kurata unscathed must have been a troublesome feat, one you should recover from, at least for a day," he said. "I offer you all the aid you desire for what remains of your journey."
Mio wasted no time. "Any information you have about my grandfather," she begun hesitantly. "I need to see him again."
Keishuu's eyebrows knit in consternation. "Shinya-sama's whereabouts are difficult to pinpoint," he admitted. "Last I saw him was two weeks past. He came to deliver a weapon."
"A weapon? I was not aware my grandfather was still crafting while on the move."
The samurai stood, pushing apart the shoji screens. "This is something he forged thirty years ago," he explained. "Come, I will show it to you."
Mio followed him into his home. The first room was lit dimly by a lantern on the wall. The short hall connecting it to a flight of stairs was covered in pure darkness. Keishuu led her to them and together they descended to another room.
"This is my armory," Keishuu announced, pushing apart the doors to welcome her inside.
Everywhere she turned, she found another piece of steel weaponry, finely crafted and beautifully maintained. An assortment of swords—katana, chokutō, odachi, wakizashi, kodachi—caught her eye before she drifted to find a collection of naginata and yari standing upright against the opposite wall. She found tantō, senbon directly to her left and shuriken and kunai right beside them. Every weapon she could name and even some she could not was in this large room, including many suits of elaborate armor.
"Your armory is impressive."
"Only with what your grandfather has found for us," he said, walking to a shelf of katana to draw one that was bound in cloth. He unknotted it and let the cover fall, revealing the sword's black tsuka. He held it out to her. "Your grandfather said you have a good eye for the craft. Have a look."
She wrapped her hand around the tsuka and slowly drew the blade. The craftsmanship was every bit her grandfather's work, meticulous and beautifully hammered into perfection. "The shape is remarkable," she said, drawing it up for closer inspection. She slowly ran her finger along the edge. "This has been well preserved."
Mio returned it to its scabbard. "But why keep a blade of that caliber unused for thirty years? Did he part with it so you might add it to your collection?"
"I only meant to keep it for safekeeping," Keishuu replied. "Two weeks ago, he asked me to keep it, the blade he forged thirty years ago for the new Shugosha."
He returned the katana to her hands. "I don't wield swords," she told him, feeling its full weight in her hands.
"He mentioned you might say that and asked me to tell you that the blade is yours to do with what you wish."
Mio kept the blade and followed Keishuu out of his armory after Tobirama arrived at the property.
"Murakami-san invited us to stay the night," she told him, earning a glower.
"We have little time to rest if you wish to make it to the Water Country before the shadow storm fades," Tobirama argued.
"I have not recovered from the jutsu I used in Kurata," she answered, truly feeling the primary effects to an imbalance rearing their nasty heads. "I need to rest. As do you."
There was no winning with Tobirama, but Keishuu proved a tad more overbearing for the Senju shinobi and managed to force him into the house for a somewhat extravagant meal.
Mio attempted to eat from the meat platters, but as expected, she could not stomach much and called it a night, arranging with Tobirama that they would depart early morning—soon as the sun rose to take advantage of the day. Someone had already set out the futon for her when she entered and Mio went directly to it, pulling her pack off her body and setting it down for the first time since she had arrived. She changed clothing, wearing something simpler, cooler to adjust her ever-rising temperature and started to rummage through her bag for the leftover concoction, determined to drink it before uncorking the new batch Okimi had made her.
She found and drank from it, a mere gulp, enough to make her want to gag and help her sleep through the night. She did not bother to move under the covers, only moved to lie on her side and curled her body around her bag, which contained the rest of her artifacts, and slept hugging it to her chest.
— "…do whatever it takes." —
— "She is coming." —
— "We have days left…only days." —
— "The fat pig will die." —
— "How many mountains can I buy with this thing?" —
— "Izuna will go to the Fire Country." —
— "Mio!" —
— "You are not selling it!" —
— "She will be dead…" —
— "I think I'm cursed." —
— "Breathe, Mio." —
— "Mio." —
A piercing scream drowned out the plethora of familiar voices and it startled her awake. A name fell from her lips as soon as she jolted into a seat. "Madara."
It rang clearly in the silence. She pressed her hand to her forehead. She was drenched in sweat.
Madara's voice joined Hashirama, Takuto, and the woman. There were softer voices among the others, but the ones that stood out the most were that of her parents. She heard her mother's voice as if she had just whispered in her ear and her father's—she did not remember the sound of his voice until then—it had been so near and full of life.
The single feeling that emerged from hearing those voices was urgency. She suddenly felt a pressing need to leave. She needed to make quick work of the journey from the Iron Country to the Sun Country and it had to happen now. The artifacts were guiding her again—nagging her.
Mio quietly folded the futon and returned it to the shelf in the closet. She returned everything she moved back into place, exactly as she remembered it after stepping into the room for the first time.
She moved from her room to the adjacent room next door without making so much as a rustle and crouched down beside Tobirama, surprised to see he even slept. She plucked one artifact from her bag and set it noiselessly beside him.
Mio left the Iron Country.
- : - : -
The shuriken sliced through the air and stabbed along the ground where she once stood. The Uchiha shinobi made the hand gestures for a fire technique that scorched the tall grass. Mio scarcely avoided the attack, feeling the blazing sphere singe her arm, burning right through her sleeve.
She lifted her eyes, scanning the wide, open area for any sight of her enemy. She had traveled undisturbed and unnoticed for several days until she entered the Fire Country in the hopes of unearthing any information on the Mikazuki-Uchiha alliance that might help her go through the Frost Country without encountering Mikazuki shinobi on her way into the Lightning Country.
The Uchiha shinobi she had encountered was one of Hiryuu's and he was determined to drag her to his masters in order to claim the reward.
"You are a slippery one!"
Mio turned in time to deflect his attack with her dagger and punched him in the face, pushing him far enough to put a little distance between them. The shinobi reared up for another attack, but he froze with his kunai held over her head. She had already anticipated it and prepared a counterattack, but that seemed useless now.
She saw a blade protruding from his chest before he dropped to his knees, revealing a face she had not seen in a long time.
"You did not need to interfere," she said, annoyed. "I was preparing to defeat him."
Uchiha Taiga looked at her with an arched eyebrow, stepping on the fallen shinobi's back to tug his blade free. His eyes looked her over as if to prove she had not been anywhere near victory. "Oh?" He tilted his head in an amused way as he cleaned the blood off his blade. She noticed he had forgotten to have his hair cut as he held it tied in a low ponytail and he seemed to have also neglected to keep himself close shaven, but he had not changed as much as she had picture in her head. "I thought you might be surrounded by an entire army of Senju."
She heard the edge in his voice. It spoke volumes of his disapproval of the Kuronuma clan's involvement with the Senju clan. "I do not need an army to protect me," she said, easing away her irritation.
Taiga sheathed his sword. "Of course not," he said, "but your movements are a little sloppy and your reaction time is laughable."
She ignored the criticism. She had a persistent fever and constant waves of vertigo to blame for her lacking skill. She had been lucky that her triple vision had gone away an hour before the attack, else she would have been captured and back in Mikazuki Gouki's encampment, or worse in Hiryuu's presence.
"Why are you here?" she demanded.
"I was coming from Sachiyo's home," he said, surprising her. "You recall, we've become something like allies as of late."
"Sachiyo? How is she?" she asked, swayed by warm emotions. "Is she well?"
Taiga shrugged. "She's well enough. The Ito sisters have been taking care of her, so she's not lacking in anything in particular."
It finally struck her. "Sachiyo is your ally? Which means, the brothers—?"
"They are as well."
She instantly grew suspicious. "What are you plotting?"
"I do not plot, Mio, I observe," he said, "I thought you knew that."
"What is there to observe with them?"
"If you have not yet realized it, Madara is on the rise to power," he told her. "Once Hiryuu is killed, his Uchiha will no doubt amass under his leadership."
"And you want to be in the right place to kill him and become leader?" she accused.
Taiga barked out a laugh. "You think I would waste all this time running around the continent to become the first Uchiha clan leader in decades?"
— "Mio." —
Mio looked around abruptly. Tobirama.
Taiga became alert. "What is it?"
Dizziness swept through her as she started to move away from Taiga and she teetered for balance. She picked up speed the farther she walked.
"Mio!" Taiga called, pursuing her.
"Disappear!" she shouted, holding a hand to her throbbing head.
The tall, dry grass brushed against her legs as she trudged away. It rustled behind her as Taiga took quick strides to catch up to her.
"What are you doing outside the mountain?" continued Taiga. "The Fire Country is full of Mikazuki shinobi, you won't cross it without running into hordes of them."
"I don't have to explain myself to you," she remarked. Her vision started to split.
— "Mio!" —
She stopped abruptly, too quickly that she felt all the effects catching up to her all at once. She felt her knees go out under her and felt them crash to the ground seconds after she saw someone appear before her, securing a hold on her and disappearing once more.
Mio threw up the second she realized she wasn't moving and saw something held out to her. She turned to see a jug of water in the hand of Tobirama, the last person she wanted to encounter when Taiga was a mere fifty feet away.
"That is the Nameless One," Tobirama divulged. "He is a dangerous shinobi." He thrust the jug to her more firmly. "Drink."
She groaned as she took it and drank. She wiped her mouth. "Why did you come?"
"The Fire Country is full of Mikazuki shinobi," he said evenly, his eyes fixed on Taiga's movements. "Your safety is my priority."
"Hashirama needs your support," she argued.
"You are ill," he said, startling her. "You should not be walking, let alone traveling. I was tasked with protecting you and I will see it done."
"Mio!" Taiga started to shout as he moved closer.
"I might be able to divert him—"
"Do not divert him," she whispered harshly, reaching out to pull him back.
"You must tell your Senju friend that I am not the enemy!"
Mio felt her heart give a nasty squeeze.
Tobirama looked at her inquisitively. "What is he saying?"
"Mio! We must travel fast if you wish to see Madara!"
She was probably more shocked by Taiga's knowledge than Tobirama was at the mention of Madara. "What business do you have with that Uchiha?" he demanded beneath his breath.
"Do not ask questions," she said quietly.
A revelation dawned in Tobirama. "The path, you are taking the path north towards the Lightning Country," he said, taking her by the arm. "You plan to enter the Sun Country? Are you a fool? The country is brimming with your enemies—"
"I am an Uchiha," she blurted, feeling his grip loosen before it tightened into a death grip. "But I am not your enemy."
"If you are an Uchiha, you are my enemy," he assured her, the look in his eyes had changed. "Have you brought me to be ambushed?"
"I am Shugosha," she said, finding strength in her voice. She said it with meaning. "I have an alliance and it is to the Kuronuma clan and right now, they are in danger."
"Mio!" Taiga called one final time. "I will wait in the Lightning Country. I will offer you the protection Shinya asked of me."
Mio attempted to rise at the mention of her grandfather's name, but Tobirama dragged her down. She fell into place before him and did not struggle. She did not have the strength to run away.
"I have done nothing to you," she said loudly.
"The Uchiha killed my brothers," he remarked. "They killed my father, my friends—"
"I did not kill them," she argued. "I did not end any of their lives."
"Your cursed clan did!"
"But it was not me! You cannot blame me for the actions of others!"
"Have you not killed a Senju?" he demanded.
"No," she spat. The fury manifesting into knots in her stomach. "I have killed my own clansmen. Dozens of them. But not once have I killed a Senju."
"I do not trust your word."
He tossed her aside and stood.
Mio angrily got to her feet. "I don't need you to trust me," she told him. "I no longer care that the Senju and Uchiha are constantly at war, nor will I be surprised when they wipe each other off." She sucked in a breath to calm herself. She did not need the extra agitation now. It made her feel worse. "I appreciate that you bothered to come all this way only to have to feel like you wasted your time and for taking me out of Kurata and accompanying me to the Iron Country."
She hiked up the bag strap and started to go.
"You intend to get captured?"
Mio turned around slowly at the sound of Tobirama's voice. "I intend to get to the Sun Country."
"To meet Uchiha Madara."
It annoyed her to hear him say Madara's name. "Yes."
"The Uchiha clan is allied with the Mikazuki clan," he warned. "Uchiha Madara will hand you to them."
Mio ignored his warning and continued walking only to realize after a half hour trek that Tobirama had been following her the entire time in silence. She did not speak to him, only kept forward towards the Lightning Country.
- : - : -
Navigating the Frost Country had been the worst aspect of the trip because it was home to the Mikazuki clan and its many unknown allies, which meant Mio and Tobirama had made quick work disposing of enemies. Since their last encounter with the shinobi, one that had left her weaker than before and him with several wounds, they had been hiding near the border between the Frost and Lightning Country in a dank, watery cave. Conversation between them had been kept to a minimum and she had come to recognize his actions had been the result of his own sense of duty. He had sworn to the Kuronuma clan to protect her and he was honor-bound to see through to his word (back when he had no knowledge she was an Uchiha and he had told her he would take her to the Water Country).
Mio didn't hate him for it. She thought it admirable to a certain degree, but he had grown more unfriendly than what was considered normal for him, and above all, rude. It was definitely a conscious effort to make her feel ashamed of her Uchiha roots, and as she had no intention of denying them, she had started to use her Sharingan in battle again, knowing it annoyed him. He didn't need to know she hated it either.
Tobirama built a fire deep inside the cave of the fallen branches and logs she had gathered outside. The orange light crept along the rocky, slate-colored surface of the cave. He sat before it to warm himself against the harsh weather conditions. A storm had settled and heavy rain pelted down the surrounding trees.
She stood near the entrance, barely shielded from the rain. Every raindrop that managed to hit her felt good against her skin. Her fever had refused to leave her. Okimi's concoction was not working, which led her to believe it was more than the result of black water shortage in her bloodstream and more of an actual health concern. She thought it might be because she had not gotten enough rest since the blood transfusion in the mountain and that after she managed to sleep, she would recover with another cup of the concoction.
Mio pressed the cold surface of the Time Sphere to her cheek, feeling it draw the pain raking her body and replace it with calm, and closed her eyes. She drew it away from her face, allowing the orange light to catch in its glassy surface. She saw something within the restless mist that the sphere encased and quickly moved to the fire. She dropped into a seat, holding the sphere closer to the flames, seeing the mist begin to spin so fast she could see openings in its shield that revealed a solid object inside the sphere. The mist was hiding it.
Whispers reached her ears, startling her into whirling around in search of the source. She stood upright, alert, her muscles tensing and her jaw clenching.
"What?" asked Tobirama, pressing his fingertips to the ground and looking out the cave entrance. A thick sheet of rain obscured their view of the outside, but they were able to make out the shape of the trees.
"I heard voices," she whispered skeptically. That sounded insane because Tobirama shot her a look that affirmed the thought. She continued to make it worse. "I think I hear your brother." She squinted towards the entrance. "And Takuto as well."
"I don't sense either of them," said Tobirama.
— "Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooo!" –
Mio twisted around completely, searching for the voice. Her breathing quickened.
– "Mio!" –
She took several steps forward, hearing Tobirama stand beside her. "Takuto!"
Her voice echoed in the cave, shouting back at her.
"Mio," called Tobirama. "They aren't here."
"I can hear them!" Her heart pounded furiously in her chest, a new feeling overcoming her. "I can sense them."
And she did. Distantly, but close all at once.
Mio walked to the entrance, the sound of her breathing amplified in her head. She unconsciously clamped down on Tobirama's wrist, feeling him flinch. The voices, when not calling her name, spoke amongst each other like a buzzing in the back of her head.
"Nobody is near," said Tobirama.
She stared fixatedly into the haze of rain. An ever-spreading fog obscured her vision of the maple trees aligning the connecting road between the Frost Country and its neighbors. It ran through the entire country and split into smaller paths that led to its many villages. She squinted at the mist, watching for movement and listened for strange sounds in anticipation that had her heart racing and the small hairs at the back of her neck standing on end. Her skin prickled with goose bumps and a chill settled in her veins.
Mio blinked. Everything seeming to slow down in that millisecond it took for her lid for fall before her eye and rise. All noise had abandoned her surroundings. The rain froze, the insects that had been crying into the darkness and the wind that whistled through the night and rustled the leaves did not elicit a sound.
"I heard their voices," she whispered tremulously. Why are there voices? She wondered why it had taken her so long to question this. "They're not here?"
She glimpsed at Tobirama in question and he offered her a curt nod. She let him go, her tense muscles loosened.
Why am I hearing voices? Mio speculated that she had imagined those voices because she had been anxious about knowing what had happened with Hashirama and Takuto and the others on Mt. Hyōga. She had left her clan unprotected, without the Climate Sphere. The shadow storm had no doubt begun to fade.
A gentle breeze kissed her face, taking her out of her trance. The rain came crashing down, the noise filling her ears. Her eyelids fluttered, her breath returning to normal, as she felt someone standing over her, leaning forward to whisper against her ear. – "Mio." –
She shook, overcome by a presence that had drawn near. "Grandfather," she said, expelling the breath she didn't know she was holding in. As soon as it left her body, clouding before her lips, she ran in pursuit of that voice. "Grandfather!"
"Mio!"
Mio ran straight and jumped off the edge of the cave. She landed in mud that splashed up her legs and nearly slipped as she bounded forward towards the road. She sensed him approaching, despite her senses being a tad hazy.
She slipped through the thick fog, barely able to see five feet in front of her as she turned in all directions. Shin stood nowhere in sight and her heart clenched. She wanted to see him, needed to make sure the poison had not weakened him. Her mind was playing tricks. She was imagining the voices again because she wanted to know something about them. Shin roaming the continent doing gods know what, Hashirama and Takuto having been chased by the Mikazuki-Uchiha alliance into the forest of pine trees, Musashi, Okimi, the twins, Enya, Sako and Minako, and the rest of the Kuronuma clan on Mt. Hyōga. She left the mountain with everyone in her mind and now she was hearing them, their voices having manifested in her head like a constant bell ringing.
She continued running for what felt like hours in her delirium until her legs throbbed. She stood surrounded by a strange wilderness with the torrential rain pounding on her back as she rested her hands atop her knees, regaining her breath.
"Grandfather," she whispered.
Mio desperately searched for him, turning in all directions when she heard a branch snapping. She whirled around abruptly, the word left her lips, "Grandfather!" before she saw Tobirama come to a sudden halt. She wanted to cry.
"We are the only ones here," Tobirama said loudly over the rain.
She held back her tears, biting down on her trembling lips. She trusted his ability to sense others in close proximity, more than she would trust her instinct from now on, and nodded.
The voices remained as she followed Tobirama back to the cave in silence. It was Takuto's and Hashirama's that sounded the loudest, both seeming to speak to one another more than anything, but from time to time, others drifted through their voices. She ignored them. They were figments of her imagination after all. She heard them because she wanted them to be safe. They manifested because of her desperation.
Mio closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall.
"You are a fool rushing out there in that manner," Tobirama criticized, tugging off his sodden clothes to set them by the fire to dry. "There are Mikazuki shinobi everywhere. They are a danger to you."
"You did not seem to care when you believed me to be in league with them," she said evenly, opening her eyes to look at his naked back. His suspicions had remained since her revelation and he had imagined it all to be some conspiracy against his clan.
He did not trust her, but he trusted his brother.
Tobirama said nothing in response to her comment. He changed the subject. "We can use the fog to our benefit, move through it and reach the Lightning Country faster. We should probably wait for the rain to lift."
She stared out the cave entrance and nodded. She rubbed a warm hand over the nape of her neck and sighed, drawing her knees to her chest to rest her cheek atop her kneecap.
Voices came in whispers.
The woman's was the loudest.
- : - : -
It took another two and a half days to find the single port that went to the Sun Country. Even then, the only ship that made the journey for the past ten years had stopped in recent years. It crossed the waters on special orders and very rarely allowed anyone without some form of affiliation to the Sun Country's king to arrive. Mio needed no such association because Taiga had been present when she arrived with Tobirama trailing behind her reluctantly.
"I will deal with him," Mio told Tobirama.
Tobirama stood back and unenthusiastically crossed his arms over his chest.
Mio met Taiga halfway, peering at the strange waters ahead with anxious concern. Taiga waved at Tobirama, determined to provoke him, but she grabbed his hand and forced it down.
"Stop."
"Quite protective of the enemy, aren't you?" asked Taiga in a strange, accusing tone. "Have you forgotten your roots because the Kuronuma clan decided to adopt you out of pity?"
She tightened her grip on his hand, starting to crush it.
Taiga reached to the back of her neck and grabbed her harshly, pulling her head back in retaliation.
She bit back a hiss.
Tobirama appeared beside her with his sword pointed at Taiga's neck. "You will unhand her," he demanded.
"Not until she releases me." Tobirama looked down at her hand, which held his hand in an iron grip. Taiga laughed in amusement. "Any tighter and she will break something."
She tightened her grip and he did the same.
"Mio," Tobirama said warningly.
Mio dropped Taiga's hand and he, in turn, shoved her back as he let her go. She stumbled, but regained her balance.
"We don't have time to waste," Taiga announced, rubbing his hand as he walked away. "The ship will only wait another minute." He headed towards the only ship rocking gently against shallow waves. "I'll be on board, get rid of your dog."
Tobirama took a step forward as if he were about to attack him, but Mio pushed him back. "I am going," she said loudly. "Please go back to Kurata and help my clan."
He stepped back, drawing away from her hold.
"The artifact I left behind—"
"—the cup," he said.
"My great-grandfather told me that he was looking for worthy clans to call his allies," said Mio, remembering a day that felt like it happened so long ago. "I didn't understand it then. The Kuronuma clan separated themselves from the shinobi world; they had no need for alliances. But…I know what he meant. I have to choose the alliances now and I've chosen the Senju clan."
She watched his eyebrows knit.
"I gave your brother the Power Sphere and I have given you the Universe Sphere," she said quickly. "That is the price I pay for your support, not simply with the Kuronuma clan, but with me. In return, you must protect them with your life. The Mikazuki want to have them and I have parted with the two that they absolutely must not have."
She gave him no chance to speak as she rushed to catch the ship as an old man aboard it prepared their departure. The older man offered her his hand when she froze up at the sight of the deep, blue water beneath it.
"The shinobi warned you might have a fear of the sea," he said. "The trip is but a few hours long and my ship is sturdy. You only need to sit back inside the cabin and wait."
One of his shipmates guided her to the cabin at the far side of the small vessel. It felt a bit cramped inside, but it was comfortable enough to hold a single bed and a bench that was already occupied when she entered. She took a seat at the edge of the bed where she could see Taiga face to face and heard the old man shouting orders to his men.
"It surprised me to see you accompanied by that Senju," Taiga mused.
Mio did not respond. Her stomach was starting to twist. She didn't trust the waves rocking the ship. She'd prefer to sleep through the short voyage, but she feared the safety of her artifacts and decided against it.
Taiga leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees. "Tell me, Mio, what is it that makes you coveted by so many. Indulge me."
"Should I include you?"
He smirked. "You are testy."
She ignored him, hugging her bag to her chest.
"Have you heard the stories?" he continued, the smile leaving his lips. His countenance grew serious. "They say there is a beast in these waters and that it is sinking ships."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Can you imagine the thought of drowning?"
She knew the feeling all too well. It was painful. Water rushing into her lungs, the current pulling her under.
"I do wonder if it is painful."
She attempted to remain calm, but the ship gave a lurch forward that startled her into sinking to the floor with a yelp.
"Don't tell me you are afraid of the water, Mio?" asked Taiga, sounding innocent and mocking all the same. He left his seat with a chuckle. He approached her and crouched down before her, his hand reaching out to move the hair from her face. "You will need to find someone to trust in the Sun Country. The place is a snake pit and they all want you."
She felt a tinge of terror rising from her belly. "I will not stay long."
"While you are there, you must follow my orders," he continued, lowering his voice. "If you do everything I ask of you, I can guarantee you the freedom Motou Enki will take from you."
"You are the one I trust least," she replied, a shudder seeping into her voice. The voyage was not agreeing with her health.
Taiga left her in the cabin, shutting the door behind himself wordlessly, and she remained in the dark to face another of her fears.
Mio attempted meditation for the duration of the journey, but it failed when her stomach gave a nasty lurch and she began to vomit Okimi's concoction into a bucket. When the captain announced the trip was coming to a close, Mio stepped out of the cabin, hoping the cool air settled her upset stomach and saw the Sun Country for the first time in her life. She saw white sand sitting under clouded skies; there were mountains and forests of giant trees, and something electrifying in the air.
She reached the railing, hands curling over the wood, heart hammering in her anxiety and relief. Taiga moved in beside her.
"It is an ugly, dying island," he remarked.
She saw people crowding the beach before the Sun Country's tiny port. It unnerved her to think there were people expecting what she had considered a surprise visit, but it calmed her, as soon as she was able to distinguish faces, that there were more familiar faces than unfamiliar.
Standing at the forefront of the group of Uchiha shinobi was Uchiha Madara, his eyes fixed forward and his arms folded over his chest. He wore his armor and a gunbai at his back as if prepared for battle. Beside him, she noticed the terrible medical-nin she had met briefly in the Iron Country. Yayoi she had been called.
The ship stopped. The captain left it with a couple of his shipmates to secure it in place. Taiga jumped out of it without bothering to look back as he walked past Madara and clapped him on the shoulder, a gesture the other Uchiha did not acknowledge. He disappeared into the parted crowd.
Mio suddenly felt alone in a strange place.
Madara moved to the ship, extending his hand to her. "Mio, come."
She swallowed down the lump in her throat, staring down at his gloved hand inquiringly before taking it. He helped her off the ship. The last time she had seen him was when Eito still lived, before her capture, and that ached a little in her heart. She curled her fingers over his hand before he could pull away.
"I need your help," she whispered.
"You should not be here, Mio," he replied lowly. "This is a dangerous place."
"Then come with me," she said pleadingly. "I need you."
But the crowd parted once more. This time for a slender woman with red hair dressed in similar, but more luxurious, robes as Yayoi. Her eyes sought Mio out and fixed upon her unfortunate state.
Mio took a step forward, but soon as she did, her knees weakened, unable to hold her up. As soon as the rest of her heavy body hit the ground, she stared hazily as she was surrounded by others. Madara in her periphery, the redheaded woman above her. And her eyelids fell heavily over her eyes, consciousness leaving her.
Of two things she was certain. Taiga had not lied about the Sun Country being a pit of snakes and that Madara's artifact was not the only one on the island.
She walked into a trap.
xl: I always hate when the time is switch forward. It ruins my sleep cycle. I also want to mention that I corrected a stupid mistake in the previous chapter about how many artifacts Mio is carrying. It was eight when she left the mountain. I have no real counting skills, but in the real world, I won't need any because I'll have an editor to remind me about them whenever I need them (someday...I can dream).
Moving on, two years ago, on the 9th of this month, I literally posting this story on a whim. It started on a completely different idea and evolved into something much bigger than the short, ridiculous story I had planned in the first place (the original idea is golden and I want to write it out someday as a oneshot, but yeah, one day). In two years, I have given you 31 chapters. I have to admit that I have an exact estimate of chapters for every story I write, but Redesign is an elusive one...so maybe in two more years I'd have given you 31 more. (Okay, let's hope it's not in two years, maybe less.) Anyway, it has been a real joy writing the story for this long and knowing that there are people out there enjoying it. If you were here from the start, thank you so much for your continued support! I hope you will see the story to the end...just don't abandon it now before I ruin your lives with romance! D:
Thank you for your reviews: HushedFable, Aries01xD, Anime93, Loteva, and the lovely anon.
New preview will be up in a couple days, probably Wednesday, Friday at the latest. Later today at the earliest.