Chapter 17

A low groan sounded, making Keiko sit up and look over from her own futon and smile. "Finally coming to, huh?" The two Jonin sat in a large back room that Tazuna's daughter had graciously turned into a guest room of sorts. Keiko had woken up a while ago and was resting. She wasn't surprised to see Kakashi passed out after all the work he had put his Sharingan through. Tazuna's daughter Tsunami had greeted her when she had woken up, saying that the three Genin and Tazuna would be out of their hair for a while as she knew they needed their rest.

Kakashi groaned again and turned his head to the side, "Keiko?"

When Kakashi tried to sit up Keiko reached over to put a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a stern look, "Lay down, Kakashi. You need the rest while you can get it."

The man sighed and laid back down. Hand reaching up to his face, "I guess I overdid it with my Sharingan." His voice told just how exhausted he was.

Keiko leaned back on one hand, the other resting in her lap. She let a small chuckle escape her lips, "You guess? Its pretty obvious that you did." Keiko laughed lightly, a memory playing out in her mind, "At least this time I didn't need to carry you." This was not the first time Kakashi had overused his Sharingan, in the past she remembered having to haul him back to Konoha on her back.

Kakashi thought for a moment, he remembered the masked boy, and Naruto, and Keiko passing out, then nothing. He supposed it hit him out of nowhere, as it usually did. Kakashi looked over to her as the image of her passed out face danced behind his eyelids. His gaze hardened, the fight with Zabuza had been one neither of them were prepared for. They both underestimated the assassin. He should have never been caught and Keiko should have never experimented, something she would not have done if they knew just how skilled Zabuza had been. His eye studied her, the bandage across her head not lost on him, nor was the shallow breathing. "Are you alright?"

She blinked and met his intense gaze. The familiar pitter-patter in her chest sparking when their eyes met. She smiled, doing her best to ignore the feeling that welled within her chest. "I'm fine, much better than the state you are in. I can at least move about sum-what normally." Her head still hurt, and the pain in her chest made it a little uncomfortable to breathe but she had had worse. Like the time she had been stabbed in the back and punctured a lung... that was something herself nor Guy would ever forget even though it was years ago. She wasn't sure if Kakashi actually knew about that instant or not.

His gaze didn't let up, "You need to be more careful. He could have killed you."

Her gaze rested on his chest, not willing to meet his eyes. "He could have killed you too," she told him with a voice just above a whisper.

It was then when the sliding door to the room opened and Tsunami walked in. "Waking up, huh?" She walked over to Kakashi and stood above him, hands on her hips as she regarded the man who helped to save her father. It seemed Keiko was doing better as she was sitting up so she looked down at Kakashi, "Are you alright?"

Kakashi looked up at her, "I've been better. It'll be a week before I can move normally." He strained, sitting up.

Keiko's hand went to his shoulder, "Kakashi." She said in disapproving tone.

Tsunami saw the strain the man was under, "See, it's better if you don't move, so just lie down. That goes for both of you."

Kakashi sighed while Keiko laughed awkwardly. The both of them shared a glance before the both of them laid back down. Keiko couldn't help but notice the noticeable difference when she laid on her back, it was far more comfortable. The fatigue settled and she wanted to take a nap but fought off the feeling. She looked up when the sound of footsteps alerted them to their visitors. Their students and Tazuna had come around. Naruto's voice could be heard, "Look, the Sensei's are coming around."

She smiled up at the Genin who entered. Sakura came to sit beside her Sensei, looking down at him. "Listen, Sensei, your Sharingan is great and all but if it puts that much strain on you maybe it's not worth it."

"Sorry." Was all Kakashi could say to her. What else could he say? The Sharingan did indeed put a lot of strain on his body but that was only natural as the ability was not originally his. It was a constant strain to his body. That was why he covered it. The Sharingan was always active, so it always took chakra form his already below average reserves.

Tazuna wiped his forehead with a dry cloth, "Well, you did manage to defeat one of the most powerful assassins, so we'll be safe for a while."

Naruto moved to sit next to Keiko as Sakura pondered something aloud, "Right, but you know that boy in the mask? What about him?" Keiko offered Naruto a smile, sensing how uneasy the boy was. He offered her a smile in return but she could make out the swirl of emotions behind it. She often hid unpleasant emotions behind a smile, she should know.

Kakashi answered his pupil as he watched the ceiling above him. "He's from the elite tracking unit of the village hidden in the mist. Those masks are only worn by the most elite shinobi."

Sakura was intrigued. She had read about them in school but actually seeing one was completely different. "What do they do?"

Kakashi continued, "The Anbu Black ops, also known as the Inferno Squad, destroy all traces of a rogue ninja's corpse. The ninja's body contains many secrets, ninjutsu, chakra, special medicine used on his body. These are the secrets of his village, if his enemies find them, his village will be in great danger. For instance, if I were to die at the hands of an enemy, they would try to analyze my Sharingan."

"Or my chakra." Keiko added.

Kakashi nodded in agreement, "In the worst case, our abilities would be used against our home village. It is the sacred duties of the shinobi trackers to prevent this. To keep the village secrets safe. If a ninja betrays his village the trackers hunt him down, eliminate him, and obliterates every trace of his existence. That's their specialty."

Sakura blinked, "Wow, so that boy really was powerful, to go after a strong ninja like Zabuza." She turned to Keiko then, "Keiko Sensei, you said your chakra would try to be analyzed by another village, why? Surely there's not anything strange about plain old chakra."

Keiko was going to answer, but hated the position she was in. She would rather look a person in the eyes as she spoke to them. Going against Tsunami's wishes she pushed herself up, feeling the sharp pain but ignoring it and smiled at the young girl. "It isn't just plain old chakra. Chakra isn't the same for every person, every shinobi has a different chakra signature. Think of it as a kind of fingerprint, but for chakra. You can tell a lot from a person based off of it. Like what nature transportation someone can use or have an affinity for."

Naruto's face scrunched into a confused grimace, it was like he was back at the academy again. He groaned, "Come on, Kei, what does that have to do with your chakra?"

Sakura glared at him, "Naruto, if you paid attention you would know. Nature transportation is the element of chakra used in an elemental ninjutsu. There are five, wind, water, earth, lightning, and fire."

Keiko nodded, "Very good, Sakura. As far as what it has to do with my chakra, Naruto. I'm sure you noticed that Sakura didn't mention ice or snow."

He tilted his head in thought, "Well, no."

Sasuke spoke up, "You're saying your ice release is something special. Like a Kekkei Genkai."

She smiled at the young Uchiha, "Yes. Normally, a person can only use one nature at a time. By combining water and wind I can preform ice release. The secret to the ability is within my own body and chakra."

The blond boy perked up, "Whoa, so your ice is really rare then, huh? Have you ever ran into anyone else like that?"

It was an interesting question. She hadn't met anyone with the same ability as her. Keiko thought of her father and uncle. They had been trained as Samurai. They didn't use their chakra in the same way that a shinobi would to preform ninjutsu. Would her father, or even her uncle be able to do the same as her? Her mind went back to the boy suddenly. He was able to easily rid of the ice around Zabuza, that in itself wasn't a normal feat. Suddenly, Kakashi sat up and she cast him a quizzical glance. His hand covered his face, hiding his expression in his eye. "Kakashi, you okay?"

"Hmm?" He perked his head up in her direction for a moment, "Oh, yeah. Thank you for the lesson, Keiko. But, as I was saying, tracker ninja deal with body immediately, on the spot. So there's no room for error."

"Is that, really important?" Sakura questioned, not liking the tone in his voice.

Kakashi looked at his students, "Think about it, what did that tracker do with Zabuza's body?"

There was a long pause from the three Genin. Keiko put two and two together, eyes widening as she watched Kakashi. Sakura slowly spoke, unsettled by Keiko's sudden change in demeanor that was not lost on herself or her teammates. "We don't know what he did. I mean, I guess he took it away somewhere."

"Exactly." Kakashi stated. "But, why? He should have worked on Zabuza right there. As quickly as possible." Kakashi's hand came to his face, gripping his chin in thought, "Think about the weapons he used for the takedown. Do you remember what they were?"

"Throwing needles..." Sasuke said more to himself than anyone else. He stiffened, suddenly realizing what his Sensei was saying. "No way."

"Exactly, none of it adds up."

Sakura and Naruto shared a glance, unable to pick up on what the other ninja in the room were aware of. Tazuna stepped forward, "What are you talking about? You demolished that assassin."

Keiko shook her head, "No, he's alive."

Sakura, Naruto and Tazuna couldn't contain their reaction of disbelief mixed with terror. Even Tsunami gasped and she had not been present to see the battle. Naruto leaned forward toward Keiko, "But, we saw his body! Believe it!"

"Kakashi Sensei, you checked him yourself! You said that his heart stopped!" Sakura insisted.

"His heart did stop. But it was only a temporary state to simulate death. The weapons that tracker used are called Senbon. They can pierce deeply, but rarely kill unless they hit a vital organ. Not in the neck. They're modified from medical needles used for treatments like acupuncture. Trackers are trained to know every detail of the human body. Causing the heart to stop temporarily while keeping the body alive would be an easy feat for them. First, he carried Zabuza's body away even though it's much heavier than he is. Second, he used Senbon which have a precise effect but are rarely fatal. From these two factors, we can conclude that the tracker wasn't trying to destroy Zabuza, he was trying to save him."

Tazuna was in a bit of disbelief, "Come on, you're over thinking this, aren't you?"

"A shinobi prepares quickly when they encounter suspicion." Keiko said, having heard Kakashi say the phrase on more than one occasion.

Kakashi nodded, "Yes. Hesitation leads to disaster. Every shinobi knows this saying."

Keiko broke her gaze with Kakashi to look at her side at Naruto. When she first noticed his trembling she thought that he must have been terrified at the prospect of Zabuza being alive, but that wasn't the case. His large blue eyes were full of determination and she couldn't help but grin at the boy. Even though he didn't stand a chance against Zabuza, he was excited to know he was alive.

"Sensei," Keiko looked at the young girl, "you said prepare quickly, how can we do that when you two can barely move?"

Kakashi chuckled while Keiko's grin grew. The sudden laugh from her sensei was a little out of place. The three Genin looked at him expectantly. "I can still train you," He told them simply.

Sakura blinked, a little perplexed as well as frustrated, "Hold on, a little last minute training won't make us strong enough to fight Zabuza. You could barely defeat him, even with your Sharingan! We have to be reasonable about this!" Her small hands shook to emphasis her words and Keiko could see the fire in her eyes. Sakura could be a real spitfire.

Kakashi answered simple, "Sakura, why was I able to stop Zabuza? Because you all helped me. You've grown." He turned to the blond at Keiko's side, "Naruto," the boy was surprised at the sudden attention, "you've grown the most." His sensei looked at him with a smile in his eye.

Keiko's grin broke into a smile toward the man. Kakashi always showed praise where it was earned and she had to agree that Naruto had grown. Not only that, it was a sign that Naruto was growing on him, and for that she was thankful. Kakashi needed more people in his life, and to see him taking such a liking to his students was a breath of fresh air.

The Jonin noticed the look on he was being given and his gaze lingered on her smile for a moment. He couldn't let his eye linger on her too long as he was aware of the many eyes that were on him.

Naruto smirked, "So you noticed, Kakashi Sensei. Now things are gonna get better, believe it!"

"I don't believe it! And nothing's gonna be good!" A voice shouted into the room. All heads turned to see a boy no older than eight years old standing in the doorway.

Naruto pointed a finger at the overly negative boy, "Who are you?" He shouted rudely only to receive a swift jab in the shoulder from Keiko. Naruto rubbed the spot tenderly, not taking his eyes off of the boy.

"Inari!" Tazuna called, opening his arms to the boy, "where have you been?"

The boy ran to Tazuna and answered the question both Kakashi and Keiko had silently asked themselves, "Welcome back, Grandpa!"

Tsunami approached her son, hands on her hips and a disapproving tone settling in her voice, "Inari, that was very rude. These ninja helped your grandpa and got him here safely."

Tazuna laughed and stroked the boys head that was clad with a stripped hat. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm rude to them too."

The boys eyes studied the ninja coldly. Keiko thought it was odd for a boy to have that look in his eye, but then it clicked. It reminded her of Naruto. He once had a similar look in his eye when he was little. They also reminded her of Sasuke, and how he looked at others he deemed less than him. Inari pushed away from his grandfather, "Mom, don't you see these people are gonna die. Gato's men will come back and find them and wipe them out!"

Naruto bolted to his feet, "What did you say, brat?!"

Keiko sighed, a hand resting on the side of her face in exasperation. Naruto would never change.

The blond pointed at the young boy, "Listen up, you know what a super ninja is? Well, that's me only better! I'm gonna be Hokage! This Gato or Blato or whatever he's called is no match for a real hero like me!"

Keiko cast a glance at Kakashi, her voice just above a whisper as her hand covered her mouth, "I think your praise went to his head."

Kakashi smiled with his eye awkwardly, it would appear so.

Inari looked down, his tiny fists clenching at his sides, "Ha, there's no such thing as a hero. You're just full of stupid ideas!"

Naruto took a few steps toward the boy, "What did you say?!"

Sakura gasped and grabbed at her teammate, "Naruto, calm down!"

Inari moved to leave the room, "If you want to stay alive you should go back where you came from."

The shinobi all watched as Inari left the room in a huff and Tazuna let out a long and loud sigh at his grandson. "I'm sorry about him." Sensing there was more there than they were privileged to know, they stayed silent. Naruto on the other hand left shortly after him, causing Keiko to sigh. She had an idea of where he was going, but she put faith that Naruto would do the right thing in the end. Tazuna turned toward her, "By the way, he should be here to see you any minute now."

"Who is he talking about?" Sakura asked curiously.

Keiko turned with a smile to explain who he meant but she didn't have to as a loud bang was heard throughout the house. The sound was so sudden that everyone jumped and Sasuke was on his feet instantly while Sakura let out a shout of fright. From around the corner a large man appeared, clad in a light brown shirt and pants that showed just how much work he had been doing. The man was tall and broad shouldered, very muscular arms on full display thanks to his rolled sleeves. A smile was plastered to his face, it was all too familiar. Though, it graced a different face. This face was masculine, with a strong jaw and high cheekbones. Stubble speckled his skin, several grey hairs making themselves known. This hair was just as dark, pulled into a topknot with only a few strands falling around his face. The feature they were all taken aback by were his eyes, they were the same ice blue as Keiko's.

This was Musashi, her father.

"Kiko!" He said his eyes landing on his daughter, his smile growing. "I heard you were here!"

Tazuna rubbed the side of his face with the towel again, "Musashi, what have I told you about barging in?"

The man chuckled, "Forgive me, I was a bit over excited." He smiled warmly, "It's been far too long since I've seen my daughter."

Keiko smiled and forced herself to stand ignoring the sharp pain that stabbed at her chest. Sakura held up a hand to try and protest but stopped herself when Keiko seemed to be just fine. Kakashi on the other hand could see the feint signs of strain in her posture. He looked between the two, noticing the subtle similarities between the two, other than their eyes.

They all watched as Keiko wordlessly went up to her father and in the last few feet nearly launched herself into his arms. He laughed and it sounded just like she remembered. Musashi looked over the others in the room, "So, are you going to introduce me to your companions?"

Keiko stood straighter and turned toward the others, "Everyone, this is my father, Musashi. But, I'm sure you figured that out." She turned to the two Genin, "This is Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto is here too, but he left a minute ago."

She gestured toward Kakashi but Musashi held up a hand to stop her, "Hold it, let me guess this one..." There was a long pause and Kakashi was a little surprised. He was positive that he had never met this man before in his life. How could he possibly know him? The older man rested a hand on his chin in thought before a spark of realization flickered and he smirked. "You're Kakashi, aren't you? Keiko told me about you."

Keiko's head whipped to the side and her eyes widened. A startled noise escaping her lips. He remembered that? It was years ago!

"Yeah," he continued, "you're that dreary shinobi Keiko went on about last time I saw her. She went on about you fo-"

"Father!" Keiko said loudly, a bit embarrassed. She chuckled loudly, her smile strained, "They don't need to know any of that."

Musashi cast his daughter a knowing glance and nodded his head. Sakura chose this moment to change the subject, for which Keiko was thankful, "Um, Musashi, if you're Keiko Sensei's father, what are you doing all the way out here helping with the bridge? Wouldn't that put a target on your back as well?"

The man blinked, looking down at the young girl. "Well, I suppose my passion takes me places."

"Your passion?" She questioned.

He nodded, "Helping people, those who can't help themselves. Much like my daughter," he laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We just have different ways of going about our passions. While Keiko inherited the fighting spirit of our people, I prefer to do the right thing without the need for violence. I prefer to keep things peaceful."

"But, what if you need to defend yourself? There's a reason Tazuna came to the village to get help." Sakura said.

Musashi nodded, "You're right. You do need to defend yourself. And, I admit, it's been many years since I have been in a real fight."

Sasuke scoffed, "Of course, keeping things peaceful can make you weak."

The man regarded Sasuke for a moment before he smirked, "Perhaps, you've heard a certain saying. It's one that we in the Land of Iron hold true to." He paused, allowing them a moment to think before he spoke, a cool smile gracing his lips, the skin around his eyes crinkling, "You can only be truly peaceful if you are capable of great violence. If you're not capable of violence," He paused, holding his arm up in a fist and there were several scars running along the length of his arms. As if electricity had crackled through the skin, "then you're not peaceful, you're just harmless."

Keiko nodded in agreement. The saying bringing back many memories that she had not thought about in years. About her home, about her uncle, about her culture. A culture she still held dear to her heart, but it was now mingled with that of the Leaf Village. Her chosen home.

Kakashi watched the man for a moment and nodded. It was a saying that rang true. His eyes settled on the scars along the man's arms and he thought of Keiko. There had been several times he had seen the scars that adorned her hand and a portion of her arm as well. They were the same kind of scar, how peculiar. His gaze lingered upon them as he thought to himself, getting lost in his own thoughts.

He had to train his students quickly if they stood any chance against Zabuza. Even though he could hardly walk, they would start today.

~0~

Several days later, the two Jonin stood in the forest, watching Naruto and Sasuke as they ran again and again up the tree. Naruto was gaining on Sasuke, quickly gaining ground on his teammate. Keiko smiled at this, proud of his quick improvement. Turning to her male companion she spoke, "I'm beginning to think they have a stronger rivalry than you and Guy."

He nodded and shifted his weight on the singular crutch, "They push each other to improve. Naruto doesn't want to lose to Sasuke and Sasuke doesn't want Naruto to catch up."

Her hand rested on her hip as she watched the two boys, "I think they're growing close and they don't even realize it." She cast him a side glance, smiling knowingly, "They're growing on you too."

Kakashi smiled beneath the mask, "The three of them certainly keep me on my toes." He paused, "Especially, Naruto."

Her arms crossed and chuckled, leaning against a tree, "I suppose he does. He can certainly be unpredictable."

His eye hardened, "Unpredictable won't save him against Zabuza or that boy."

She looked down to the ground and nodded, breathing heavily through her nose. "I know. I've tried to have him think through his actions more but it is easier said than done." Keiko thought back to his plan to free Kakashi, "He did very well before, now if only he could do that all the time."

"But, we can't expect that." Kakashi watched Keiko carefully. She was back to watching the two boys in the distance and he could see the smallest wince cross her face when Naruto yet again fell onto the ground. He wasn't sure how long he watched her before he cleared his throat, gaining her attention, "Keiko. It's only a matter of time before another Assassin is sent. The odds of it being Zabuza-"

"I think," she said effectively cutting him off, "that if it were going to be someone else they would have attacked by now. Zabuza needs time to recover as well. Coming back from a death-like state can do a number on ones body. I'm sure when he's ready, he'll make his move."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "That's why we need to be prepared."

Keiko smiled and pushed herself off of the tree. Her hand came to rest on his shoulder, "Of course, Kakashi. We will be."

"That's why," Kakashi began again, "I need to be sure you won't try that experiment of yours again. It uses too much of your chakra and can leave you open to attack."

His gaze regarded her firmly and she could only nod as she sighed, "I know. I've thought of that myself."

He nodded, "Then you know what I mean."

She smiled up at him and patted his shoulder once more, "We'll be fine, Kakashi." She took a few steps past him, "I'll go check up on Sakura, be sure she's doing alright out on the bridge." She knew Kakashi would not have sent her out on her own if he felt she was actually in any danger, but Keiko wanted to feel useful. Not to mention it would be nice to talk to the girl. To see how she was handling everything going on.

His eye cast downward before he turned his head in her direction, "You know this was never your mission."

Keiko paused and smiled as she turned back to face him, "I know. But, here I am and I'll be damned if I don't do something."

The man felt his lips curl upward and his eye reflected his genuine appreciation. "Thank you, Keiko."

Keiko could feel her heart quicken but she just widened her smile, "Of course, Kakashi."

~0~

Keiko made her way to the bridge, smiling to the workers as she passed them. Several of them eyed her strangely, keeping their distance as soon as they noticed the two swords strapped to her waist. There had been talk through the small village about Musashi's daughter being a ninja. Now they knew that the rumors were not just talk, they were true. Once anyone set eyes on her, met her gaze, they knew instantly who she was. A few of the men wanted to introduce themselves. Musashi was a prominent figure in their village and they figured that his daughter would be just as easy to talk to. Instead, they couldn't bring themselves to speak to her. The villagers were distrusting of shinobi. Some of them even questioning Tazuna's reasoning to go to the Leaf village for help.

Ignoring the nervous glances from the workers, Keiko looked for her former student. Finally spotting her sitting by the railing, Keiko made her way over just in time to hear Zakura boast, "In fact, I'm the best. That's why the Sensei sent me here to guard you."

Tazuna scoffed, "You're joking."

She could see the anger bubble in Sakura's eyes as she shook with barely contained frustration. "Actually," Keiko said gaining their attention, "Sakura has done wonderfully. She's certainly surpassed her teammates in chakra control."

Tazuna only scoffed and turned away to continue his work as Keiko moved closer to Sakura. The young kunoichi was surprised to see her. "Keiko Sensei, what are you doing here?"

Keiko stopped next to Sakura and folded her arms, "Well, Kakashi is overseeing Sasuke and Naruto, I wanted to make myself useful so I thought I would join you."

"But, what about your injuries?"

"Not to worry. Mine were not nearly as bad as your Sensei's." She still felt an uncomfortable twinge in her chest at times but it was manageable and she could move about normally. Keiko considered that well enough to be on her way and back to normal. "Besides, I've been wanting to ask you how you're holding up in all of this."

Sakura looked up at her, brow furrowed slightly, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Keiko said taking in a breath and shifting her weight, "after Zabuza. I know you were afraid. Am I correct in guessing that it was your first time really encountering something like that."

Sakura looked down, mouth creasing in a small frown as she thought about it. It was. She had never had to go through something like that before. Truth be told, she never imagined it would be like that. Of course, she knew the risks that came with the life of a ninja, but she couldn't be prepared for the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. The bloodlust that had been in the air, the looming fear of death, that they wouldn't make it. She nodded, "Yeah, it was."

Keiko's eyes softened, "How are you feeling?"

"I knew that with every mission you could risk your life. It's what a shinobi does. I guess, I just didn't think it would be that terrifying." She sighed, "Naruto and Sasuke handled it so well."

"You did jump in to save Tazuna when the two mist shinobi ambushed you." Keiko offered, trying to encourage her.

"Yeah, but I doubt I would have been able to do anything. I knew I had to do something but I'm not as good of a fighter as Sasuke." The Genin thought of her teammate and how cool he had looked then. Sasuke was so amazing, he handled those Chunin like it was nothing. She was sure Sasuke could have taken them if Keiko hadn't been there too. She was sure of it.

Her gaze lowered more. She really was useless. This whole time, since their team had been formed she had done nothing! Sure, she had the best chakra control out of the three of them but it meant nothing if she couldn't do anything with it! She had to prove herself to him. To Sasuke. Sakura felt her cheeks redden and she turned to Keiko then, asking a question the Jonin wasn't prepared for. "Keiko Sensei, do you... like anyone?"

Her eyes got wide and Keiko forced a laugh, "I suppose I have never really thought about it." Keiko scratched the back of her neck, the image of a certain white haired Shinobi entering her mind.

Sakura pouted, hoping that maybe she had some advice. But, maybe she didn't need it. "I need to get stronger, to prove myself to him."

Keiko's smile faltered and she laid a hand on her shoulder, "Sakura, take it from me, get strong for yourself. Not anyone else."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when Tazuna shouted, "You're going to quit on me, just like that?! You've got to be kidding!"

Sakura and Keiko looked up to see Tazuna staring down one of the workers. If Keiko didn't know better, she thought the two of them were friends. The other man looked down, unwilling to look into Tazuna's burning gaze. "You know, I stayed on because of our friendship, but I'm putting my life on the line everyday I stay here. Gato and his thugs will show up eventually. When they do, they'll kill you and the bridge will never get finished anyway." He met his gaze then, "It's a lost cause Tazuna. Why don't we stop this now while we can still get out of this alive?"

Tazuna's gaze was hard and unwavering. "No chance." The response obviously stunned his friend, "This is our bridge. Our island is poor, and it will stay that way until this bridge connects us to the mainland. Commerce, trade, and hope. That's what we're building here!"

Keiko felt moved by his words. It was no wonder her father thought so highly of Tazuna. He had a drive and a hope for his people, one that he would stand by even in the face of death. It was something to be commended.

"There's not going to be hope if we're all dead."

The Jonin watched them with calculating eyes as Tazuna blew the guy off and called for lunch. She sighed, the people of this island really didn't have any hope left. No wonder her father had stuck around and wanted to see it through.

~0~

Keiko sat on the pier, overlooking the water as the starlight danced upon the rippling water. It was a peaceful and calm night. She often thought it was interesting, how the world could look so calm when there was so much death and destruction around them. She had decided to get some space after dinner, the atmosphere a bit too dark for her liking. To hear that Inari's father had been so brutally murdered right in front of him... It was something no child should have to bear witness to.

She looked up when she heard footsteps approaching her. Looking up she saw it was Musashi and she smiled, "Hello." She greeted.

Musashi smiled back and sat next to her, dangling his feet just as she was. They sat there for several long moments in silence, enjoying the calming breeze as it caressed their skin. Finally, he spoke, "Keiko, what's on your mind?"

Keiko blinked, noting the use of her actual name. "Just thinking is all." Her hands clasped in her lap as she looked up at the stars. She had always enjoyed watching the sky, whether it be dark and full of starts or bright with fluffy clouds. It was calming to her. "Tazuna told us what happened to Inari's father. Gato, he really is a disgusting man." She wasn't even sure it man was the right word to describe him. Part of her thought Gato was more of a demon than Zabuza.

He nodded in understanding, "I see. I've heard many things about the man. The people here remember him fondly. Kaiza was indeed a hero." She nodded, not looking over at him, her gaze fixated on the moon. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he too looked up at the moon above them. "Keiko, I've been meaning to talk to you."

She smirked, "I figured there was something." It was wonderful to see her father and the two of them had spent a bit of time catching up between them over the last several days. He had on occasion looked as though he wanted to say something but didn't think it was the right time. They were alone right now though so it would seem this would be as good a time as any.

He took a breath, "I'm glad that you came." Keiko smiled and nodded to show she was listening. "I was actually hoping that you would so I wouldn't need to write a letter and send it to Konoha. He would have hated me if I did that."

She glanced at him, "Who?"

"Miura, your uncle."

Keiko gasped, "You've heard from him?" She had not heard from her uncle in many years, over a decade. She often thought about him and how he was doing back home. He didn't send her letters to the village for political reasons. The Land of Iron was a neutral country. Her uncle did not want to risk his messages to a ninja village being misinterpreted.

Musashi nodded. "Yes. He's been very interested to know how you are faring. His star pupil."

She smiled, "I've been doing very well. I think I've reached a very good spot considering everything." She paused, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed, "Though, I don't think he would be happy that I've strayed so far from tradition." While she had started out as merely a samurai trying to be a ninja, she had embraced the Shinobi way. The way of the Samurai was her backbone, and she would never let that die. But, she knew that there were many things that were different than what she had learned growing up.

A small grin graced his face as he placed a hand on Keiko's shoulder and brought her close to his side in a fatherly embrace, "He does wish you could have stayed. Miura would have done everything he could have to ensure your place in society."

Her smile grew but she shook her head, "No, I'm happy we left when we did. I didn't want to live my life being someone I'm not. In Konoha, I can be myself. I'm allowed to find my own path, fight my way."

Musashi patted her on the head, just as he had done many times when she was small, "I just hope that it's everything you hope it would be. I know I haven't been there for you through it all. But, I've never doubted you."

"Thank you, father."

"Miura also wanted me to tell you something else."

"Oh? What's that?"

"That you're free to go back. He's spoken to the council, seems they are slowly warming up to the idea of allowing women to be trained."

Keiko's eyes widened and she looked at him in shock as well as suspicion. "How can you be so sure?"

He shrugged, "I suppose I can't, I haven't been back in years. Same as you. We both know though, that Miura doesn't lie."

This was true. Her uncle didn't lie. He was a high ranking man in their local military. Miura took notice of her will to fight and harnessed that, teaching her to fight and how to be a Samurai. As she grew older, it became more apparent to others that Keiko didn't move or act like a normal child. Just in the way she walked, you could tell she had been trained in one form or another. It was unheard of at the time for young girls to be trained in combat. It was a man's duty to fight for their country and home.

That was why when Musashi saw the opportunity to come to Konoha, he had hopped on it with his daughter. He was intent on giving her the best possible life where she could achieve her dream. It was something Keiko was grateful for.

Keiko thought of her time in Konoha and a grin formed on her lips. The Land of Iron would always hold a place in her heart but she knew where she belonged now. "You'll have to tell Uncle that I can't. My rightful place is in Konohagakure." Her grin turned to a smile, "It always has been."

More of a filler chapter, hope you enjoyed!

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Posted - 7/3/2021