Chapter 2: The Deal of Fire

A month had passed since she had last tended to her garden.

And throughout that month, she hadn't seen a sign of Rama anywhere.

Fujiko sighed, tilting her head left and right as she felt the strain of tending to the demolished garden. Of course, she should've known that the malnutrition garden wouldn't have been upright and beautiful when neglected. Makoto was always giving careful attention and affection to his garden, spilling secrets that his wife had never heard.

When Fujiko tried to learn, Makoto deemed her green thumb to be too strong for such delicate things.

After carefully maneuvering the plant to a different section of the mutated garden, Fujiko sat down at her hunches and sighed. She looked over the viewing of her garden and watched silently as her neighbors were moving quickly and diligently, moving their belongings onto a small brown cart with a horse attached to it. Steeling herself, the pregnant woman held her head up high and made way to her lonesome home. She walked around the back, glancing at her small garden one more time before entering her home.

"Fujiko-chaaaan!"

Recognizing Hana's voice, Fujiko turned around to see the woman walking along the small fence that bordered their own land. "Yes?" she said, turning around before waddling towards the woman.

"I'm moving soon."

Confused, Fujiko frowned. "Why is that?"

For years, the Sato family was well-known around these areas, telling one and beyond that they've stayed within Kumogakure. Their lineage was a long line from this part of the world, where they've mastered the techniques of fishing and weaving. Hana was constantly weaving baskets, selling many to the villagers with her strong yet delicate decorated makings. And her husband was skillful with a simple fishing rod, able to catch the biggest of preys in the waters.

So, for Fujiko, it didn't make sense for her to be hearing of Hana's moving.

"I'm pregnant." Hana confessed with a small blush. "I want to move closer to my family."

Fujiko merely nodded, her eyes lowering to the flat stomach Hana's hands were hovering over. "It makes sense." She turned to see Hana's brother and husband still moving their belongings into the cart. "But is it safe to cross borders at this time?"

The brow of Hana's puckered. "We don't know." She looked left and right before leaning forward to Fujiko before whispering, "Hideki and Kobayashi's heard of news about Konohagakure. Apparently their Hokage died and now the Raikage is sending his men to try and conquer. I don't know about the safety in other villages, but I'm sure this land will become a warzone, Fujiko."

Immediately, Fujiko was skimming around, making sure that nobody could hear them. "Where did they get this information, Hana? It's dangerous to be listening about the war!" she hissed.

Hana shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Fujiko. Just…just come away with us. You're pregnant, you have…" she hesitated. "You have no husband or family here to protect you. I'm sure Makoto wouldn't have wanted—"

"No, Hana," Fujiko said sharply. "I will not leave my husband's house behind."

There instilled in Fujiko was the loyalty of a wife. Since her upbringing, Fujiko was taught to be a wife, to be the wife that a husband would be proud of and allow her to bear his children and continue his lineage. Her worth was nothing if she couldn't bear children. Fujiko was absolutely dirt low if she could not provide her husband the accomplishments of a wife. And even though he was gone, Fujiko was firmly upon her resolute of a wife.

Hana sighed, nodding as she realized her friend was determined to stay. "I want you to stay safe."

"I will."

"And I want to see your child someday in the future, Fujiko."

"You will."

Hana turned and watched as Rama picked up a piece of furniture easily over his shoulder. Her critical eyes leered at the man they had saved as he effortlessly helped her husband brother throughout the tasks of moving. "I want you to keep him."

Fujiko followed the trail of Hana's eyesight and immediately her face hardened. "No."

"Please, you can use the help."

"I don't want any help from him," Fujiko snarled, backing away from the fence as she turned back to her home. Just the mere thought of having the strange man in her home brought the chills of disgust and revulsion through her body.

"He won't hurt you!" Hana yelled.

"No."

"I promise, please!" Hana pleaded. She ran around the outlining of Fujiko's home and forced herself through the back entry, tracking in mud and dirt. "Please, Fujiko! I don't want anyone taking the advantage of him."

"Then take him with you," Fujiko advised, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"I want to leave him here…with you." Hana didn't wait for an invitation and sat herself upon the chair. "I'm going to be with my family, my husband, and my brother, you have no one here. When I asked you to write to your family for your return, you disregarded it as if they wouldn't want you back home!" Hana persisted, slapping the counter of the table. "You need someone here with you. The war is becoming worse. Konohagakure has failed, and the Raikage is not a nice man. This village will end up muddled with shinobis. We are too weak to survive. You must have someone."

"Nothing will happen."

"Something will happen!"

"No!" Fujiko swerved around sharply. "Nothing will happen, Hana, nothing!"

Hana snarled and went to her feet. "I want you to keep him. I want him to keep you safe!"

"Oh, safe? And what will happen when I do accept your proposition, Hana? The villagers will talk. They won't see a man protecting a lone pregnant woman; they will see a pregnant woman, a succubus, taking the advantage of a man who has no memory of his own! They will quickly assume that I've become the evil woman, the liar, the prostitute, who'd sell herself for protection rather than go back to her family!"

"Then I will spread the word! I will tell them of my idea! Nobody will doubt the Sato's word!"

"It is not enough!"

Hana growled lowly in her throat from pure frustration. "It is enough! You just won't believe it!"

"Fine!" Fujiko delicately placed her china upon the table despite her voice becoming raw from her screaming. "Fine, I'll take him! But he'll sleep in the back. Like a dog!"

Hana glared at Fujiko. "He will not be treated like a dog, Fujiko. He is a good man!"

The woman merely rolled her eyes. "That is the price."

Without another word, Hana stood up and walked to the entry of the back. Before exiting, she looked over her shoulder and frowned at the woman sitting there with a cup of tea at hand. "I'm very disappointed in you, Fujiko. You should know better than to treat someone like a dog." And with that she disappeared.

Super short chapter. But there was nothing else for me to add. It's been a while since I've last updated this and since it isn't really on my top priorities, I've been fiddling around with it until it satisfied me. I'll be making the chapters of this story around 3000 words long, since I'm more concentrated on the others.

Thanks for the reviews!