DISCLAIMER- I own nothing. Any copyright infring. is completely unintentional.
…
Darkness is deep, when you think about it. When you can't see a single thing around you, is the world too far way or just not there anymore? And that's scary.
Sometimes, the dark can be comforting too.
…..
It had gone very dark.
The night had swallowed the bank where we lay, the sky fading into a deep blue and the shadows growing all around us. Where once had been a lush meadow lined with trees and fading on one side into pebbled shallows of the river, there was now an exposed clearing (like we were being served on a platter) and the branches turned into snarling hands in the corners of my eyes.
I was sat upon sharp pebbles, the icy water lapping at my ankles and Toshi's head in my lap.
As much as I'd tried, Toshi couldn't move. And, as much as I talked and pleaded, he'd not been able to stay conscious either.
The worst bit? My clothes were wet, and not from the river. I'd ripped off my T-shirt, left in only a little yellow camisole, and pressed it against the biggest slash but he was still bleeding. Even the water was turning red.
"Toshi…" I murmured desperately, shaking fingers smoothing down the fur around his eyes and touching his nose, making sure I could still feel the shallow breaths. "Hang in there, you asshole."
It was silent all around.
"I'm…only going to say this once…you'd better be listening, or you'll miss out." I warned, like I didn't feel like I was waiting for his heart to stop. "I…love you, okay."
The only reply I got was the painful rasp of his breathing. I listened to it, hyperaware of the seconds ticking. Hana had only been gone for a few minutes and it felt like years.
It was certainly plenty of time to reflect on mistakes made.
Not telling dad where we'd gone, not demanding to know where Hitoshi had been disappearing off to. I especially wished he'd taught me how to send him back to the Summon Realm. Maybe then, we could have bought ourselves more time, more security. But we'd been careless, not bothering.
'You're not going back there anyway, what's the point?'
Maybe I could have just simply reverse summoned the panther, sent him somewhere no one could get him, so I could run back to the village. But if I did that, there'd be no one there to help him. Would he even have had enough chakra, enough life energy, to be summoned to the hospital by then? It was too late now anyway.
Hindsight could go fuck itself.
"…cub," Toshi breathed against my fingers.
My hands fisted against his fur and I clenched my jaw hard, teeth grinding in protest.
"Toshi…who did this?" I ground out. I needed to know. If they came after us, I could at least leave a clue on my body. Danzo? Orochimaru? Fuck, Kumo?
The panther shuddered, breathing heavy and I leaned over him, my ear all but pressed to his muzzle.
"Ever since Kumo, I've…been patrolling," he wheezed slowly, breathing with effort. When he swallowed, I rubbed the velvet of his ears between my fingers, wanting to sooth him. "Trying to pick…up any intruders…so, I followed him…"
Dread curled like a living thing in my stomach and my eyes pressed closed. Fuck, I knew what was coming.
"There was a man…he went to the Naka Shrine-"
"Oh. My. Fucking. God," I moaned. Hitoshi, you absolute fucking idiot – Oh, great – He was going to come for us, we were beyond dead.
"…he moved through me-"
Hitoshi had been fighting fucking Tobi.
"-just…red eyes…"
It was then that a twig snapped, somewhere in the woods around us.
I hunched over Hitoshi's form, eyes desperately scanning the trees and with one hand clamped over my mouth. Now was not the time to start gasping, as much as my throat ached to.
Toshi was a dead-weight, heavier than most grown men, in my lap. I couldn't have moved to protect us if I'd tried.
Fuck this shit.
A tiny figure peaked out from the bushes, a small shadow of a toddler.
I slumped like a marionette with its strings cut, relieved. I was conflicted; torn between extreme relief that it wasn't Obito, come to finish off the job, and horror for the innocent child that had stumbled across us. What if they got caught in the cross fire, if Tobi did show up?
"…Hey there," I whispered breathlessly, trying not to scare them. From this distance and in the low light, it probably looked like Toshi was sleeping in my lap.
The shadow fidgeted.
"I'm Kiharu, what's your name?"
The child shuffled closer and I caught a flash of blonde.
"…'aruto."
Fuck. Shit. Fuck.
"That's a cool name." I swallowed thickly. If I broke down, we were all dead. "Why are you out here, hmm?"
A tiny face appeared, Minato's son shuffling closer curiously. Blonde hair, almost unidentifiable in the low light, framed a nervous expression. Familiar wide, blue eyes eyed me so cautiously it hurt and birthmarks like whiskers stained his cheeks, his childishly round face pulling his little mouth down in a pout.
There was something heartbreakingly solemn about him. Especially considering whose child he was…
"Ano…why 're you?"
"Ahh," I patted Hitoshi's head, hand immediately moving back to feel his breathing rush out. "My friend isn't feeling well, so we're waiting for my oji-san." The little boy, slowly stepping closer, eyed the massive panther warily. "His name's Hitoshi."
"…wh-"
A 'whooshing' rush of air in the treetops had me lunging forwards and grabbing the little boy, manhandling him behind me. Naruto didn't come quietly, and he was as slippery as a street rat, but the sudden noise had spiked my adrenaline and I hid him quickly anyway.
"Shhhhhhh!" I whispered urgently, scanning the treetops. "Someone's coming-"
Naruto fell silent, body quivering like a frightened animal.
Chouza burst through the trees, looking extremely alert.
"Oh, thank Kami," I cried. The Akimichi Clan Head looked truly frightening, a thunderous expression on his usually content face but, instead of feeling intimidated, I just felt an overwhelming sense of security.
Chouza would die before anything harmed us now.
"Little Hime, what happened?" he strode over, armour clanging in the silence of the forest. "Hana-chan bumped into me just inside the Village but she couldn't tell us much, other than that Hitoshi was badly wounded and you need help."
"Chouza-oji," I took a shaky breath, one hand still clamped on Naruto's T-shirt. "Hitoshi was attacked and I, when I summoned him, I accidently interrupted…I…"
Chouza knelt to look me in the face, hands moving to swing the panther into his arms like he weighed no more than I did. His eyes immediately latched onto the blood soaking my lower half.
"I thought they'd come after him…to finish," I flexed my legs, staggering upright. My muscles were cramping, from the cold water and the weight of Hitoshi's shoulders. Urgh. "I thought we were going to die, oji-san."
I gulped again, meeting concerned black eyes. Naruto shuffled behind me and I turned immediately, guilty that he'd heard that such horrible words from my lips. The Uzumaki looked shaken, wide eyes staring up at Chouza's impressive figure and I automatically reached, as if he were Chouji, to lift him up onto my hip.
His little body went tense as stone, fists resting unsurely on my chest. I ignored how my mind whispered that he was unused to being held. Now was not the time for guilt trips.
"Sorry, Naruto," I whispered.
"Oh Hime..." Chouza mumbled, looking knowingly at my clammy face. "Let's go."
Peering into darkness of the woods, I cast a frantic eye around. Chouza, two steps ahead, gestured for us to follow him and I immediately trotted after him, sticking as close as possible. He couldn't carry the both of us as well as 170 pounds of panther, so we were stuck on the forest floor, moving at a snail's pace through the undergrowth and foliage.
I twitched at every rustle, feeling like eyes were burning into the back of my skull. I could almost already see how he'd materialise behind the Akimichi. We'd be dead before I could scream.
The walk was silent and vigilant. I felt a lot like a deer, picking my way through the woods and wary of my hunter.
Chouza was in full-on shinobi mode, like how I imagine he'd be on missions, been in the War, and Naruto may as well have been a mannequin. He felt tiny in my arms, cold in a thin T-shirt and shorts. And, to think he was a jinchuriki. So much power trapped in his tiny body…
Breathing deeply through my nose, I tried to be brave.
I didn't know if I could face Minato in the afterlife (if either of us ever made it there) if I got his son murdered. He'd not even had a chance to really live, yet.
He was just a child, a simple, innocent, child. Minato's son. I'd be brave for him.
And surely…surely, I could be brave without having to hurt people, without having to become something I wasn't.
We were almost to the village, tall buildings peeking through the treetops, when I sensed someone moving above me.
"Chou-" I gasped, not even trying to be discreet- what was the point?
"I know, Kiharu-chan." His voice was sure, gait unfaltering. "It's just the ANBU guard I went out with, looking for you. They're just escorting us."
The thought did not comfort me. Was it really ANBU, I couldn't help but wonder, or Danzo?
We'd barely made it through the gates, the Chuunin on duty staring between Chouza's load and the two of us behind him in horror, before two ANBU appeared in front of us in the street. A man and a woman, a Bear and some kind of bird, respectively.
"Dazai-san, you are requested to report to Hokage-sama, immediately." Raven (I decided) moved to my side, completely ignoring the little boy in my arms.
"What?!" I gaped, appalled. "What about Hitoshi? I need to go with him!" Chouza grimaced, Bear at his shoulder, and Hitoshi limp in his massive arms. He looked dead and the image made me furious.
"Bear-san will escort Akimichi-sama and the animal to the hospital," the woman's voice was apathetic and I was sickened. Conditioning my arse, did they not have a heart? I opened my mouth to protest but was cut off.
"Please do not resist."
Chouza was already moving away and, with a final grimace and apologetic look, the older man turned and leapt onto the nearest roof, shadowed by Bear.
I swallowed my goodbye. Why did it feel like I'd never see him again?
"Please take my hand, Hokage-sama is waiting."
It was so urgent we couldn't walk?
Gripping Naruto like a vice, I slapped my palm against hers. Fuck, I wished I could slap her instead. I didn't care if she was ANBU, if this was her just doing her job. Didn't mean she wasn't keeping me from my dying panther.
Then the world fell away and my stomach turned inside out.
"Kiharu-chan, thank you for meeting with me," An old voice welcomed me warmly, as if I hadn't just been court-marshalled here. The smoke drifted away and I found myself looking around the once-familiar Office.
It was exactly the same, if you ignored the lack of potted plants along the window sill, the new portrait on the wall and the man waiting for us.
Seeing the Sandaime, instead of Minato, behind the desk made my chest ache. This was my first time back here in 5 years and I wasn't here for a laugh and to deliver dessert. And I never again would be. At least, not for that particular blonde.
The old ninja looked surprised by my passenger (I didn't know if this was for show or genuine, considering he had eyes everywhere), slowly taking the pipe from his mouth. "And Naruto-kun?"
"Sandaime-sama," I murmured, bouncing Naruto up on my hip when he slipped a bit.
"Jiji?" the little boy called, sounding incredibly confused. Poor kid, I didn't blame him. He wiggled a bit, leaning forwards and almost unbalancing me, so I lowered him to the floor, watching as he immediately made his way around the desk. Sarutobi smiled down at him easily but left him to peek about, turning back to where I stood tensely in the middle of the room.
My insides felt ugly and I hated what today had done to Toshi, to me…I didn't feel safe. What was the point of walls and locks if your enemy could fade through them? My mouth twisted.
Hitoshi was fighting for his life and I'd been called here to waste time watching the Sandaime put on a show of grand-fatherliness.
…I'll admit I had some issues with the old shinobi.
"Kiharu-chan, what happened?" and suddenly all the kindness melted from him, leaving a face as shrewd as any Elder. "Tell me everything, please."
The comparison did not bring me comfort.
Trying not to squirm, I took a fortifying breath. "Today was Inuzuka Kiba's birthday, so, his sister, Hana, and I took him to swim in the Naka-"
The office was silent as I spoke, Sarutobi smoking mutely. Only a few minutes into my account, Naruto – exhausted, whether from the adrenaline earlier or from the lateness of the hour – had made his way to the sofa, curling up and falling asleep quickly, all with a childish ease that spoke of familiarity.
"-Hitoshi told me he moved through him, like he was a ghost…" I swallowed hard, my mouth lathery and dry, not just from talking. "I think…If I hadn't summoned him, the man would've killed him."
Half way through my explanation, Sarutobi had relit his pipe, puffing out great clouds of smoke – that had made my eyes water – and looking deeply pensive out of the windows.
Night had fallen completely, leaving the sky pitch black and the village lit up with lamps below us. The overhead lights reflected the office back at us and I stared blankly at my reflection.
I looked like a ghost myself, skin chalky and eyes hollowed.
"…I see." He sighed, sounding so exhausted I felt a bit sympathetic, slightly loosening the knot of anger in my chest. He was such an old man, it was a tragedy that he'd been forced back into Office. "Thank you, Kiharu-chan. And thank you," he gestured to the sofa, at the sleeping Uzumaki, "For bringing Naruto with you as well."
I nodded, unable to help the soft expression that slipped onto my face as I looked over at the little boy, snuggled into the worn sofa cushions. "Of course, Sandaime-sama,"
I paused. Should I? Fuck it, I'd already had one close call today, may as well go for two.
"…He almost reminds me of…Minato."
The office froze.
Sarutobi was watching me carefully, the surprise expertly tucked away in his eyes. Unfortunately for him, I was an expert at reading the Uchiha and could see it quite clearly. Did he not know that I had been close to his predecessor? Up in the rafters, I imagined that the hidden ANBU were also stiff with shock, maybe that I was so close to the truth, maybe because they themselves had never made the connection.
The thought almost made me snort but my heart just wasn't in it.
"Indeed?" The Kage quirked an eyebrow and I just nodded silently, forcing a wistful smile to my lips.
"Hmmm…that is an interesting observation." I wasn't sure if I was imagining it but I thought he was telling me to drop it. I grasped it as the possible lifeline it was, dipping my head in a shallow nod. "Off you go to the Hospital, Kiharu-chan. I'm sure you're eager to check on your companion."
Relieved, I quickly bowed and rushed out, only throwing one more glance at Naruto's sleeping face as I went.
…..
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I stared down at the starched white sheets blindly.
Who knew they had life support for animals?
Hitoshi had been here for 3 hours now and he'd already been resuscitated twice.
His wounds had been bad, the nurse had told me, a little hesitant to list everything off to a 12-year-old. Not only did he have grievous burns and slashes littering his body, but the internal injuries had been extensive too.
…Internal bleeding, concussion, cracked ribs, cracked skull, bruised stomach…
Tobi had been playing with him.
I knew that Tobi in the anime/manga had enjoyed making fun of people, letting them pass through him as they fought to land a single hit, but…The 'dead' Uchiha could have easily finished him off, ghosted through any defence and ended it with a single swipe. But he hadn't. He'd let the fight draw out, giving Hitoshi the false impression he'd stood a chance, like a cat with a mouse.
Ironic, considering his victim's species, I thought darkly.
And then, before he could end it, I'd summoned him away in a puff of smoke. Did he care? Was he angry? Would he come looking, to finish what he'd started?
Why…why had he done it?
I'd thought about it for hours and just, ugh, I didn't understand. This wasn't canon, I didn't know what this was. So where did we stand now? This could change nothing or everything, but which way would it go?
The only reason I could think for him to visit the Shrine (it was too soon to be for Itachi, I reasoned with myself) would be…well, because that was where the Clan would plot the coup, right?
But then, why fight like that if caught? Why not flee?
Hitoshi was straight from surgery, a quick operation (there were no other animal patients in this wing of the hospital right now) that had been over before I'd even been dismissed from the Tower. They'd healed his ribs as much as possible, as with most of his injuries.
And yet, he didn't wake.
I didn't think animals could go comatose, in all honesty, but apparently here they could. Even if he'd only just come out of surgery, I'd been allowed into the room. He was my summon and, because of the particular strength of our bond, my presence could do very little harm in his current condition. It might even help him, somewhat.
I hoped.
The room was silent, the corridor empty. The room he'd been placed in was very similar to the utilitarian ones for the actual shinobi forces. A cot with pull up sides and plain white sheets. A curtain around the bed for privacy and a single window. A tall lamp stood in one corner, in case the main lights were too much.
Well, humans got a bedside table, at least.
When I'd come in, I'd made a beeline for the window. I'd yanked it open, pushing the hinges to the limit. The cool air had rushed in and, after a while, the rain started hitting the sill as well. The room smelled stale, like illness and antiseptic, and I knew Hitoshi would hate it. As for the chill? Hitoshi would have insisted anyway. I'd also pulled the privacy curtain around, hating the prickly feeling of the Nurses' sympathetic looks as they went past. And as for the ANBU guard posted outside? After hearing about Tobi's Kamui, I didn't doubt the Sandaime had sent a Hyuuga. So, with the room fixed, and when I'd dragged the only chair over to rest beside his pillow, I fell into the seat and stared.
Hitoshi was slumped on his side, legs falling limply with a single foreleg bandaged around the IV drip. I almost fooled myself thinking that he was asleep except, this was Hitoshi, and he'd never sleep in such an uncouth manner. Ever.
Slowly, slowly, I shifted his paws and turned his head, organising his tail to curl around his front and hyperaware of where all his injuries were located.
There, I sat back. That was much more how he'd like it. Much more elegant.
I burst into tears.
Tobi had been here, in the village, almost two years before the canon!Massacre. I couldn't remember if he'd come before or if something new had drawn him here. Hadn't Itachi followed him to the Naka Shrine at some point? Was that how they met, how Itachi had known him to ask for training? Maybe, maybe not. Madara could just have been worried about the likelihood of the coup happening, what with my interference.
Either way, he'd be led directly to me.
If he came after Hitoshi? There I'd be. If he came to investigate the Uchiha's relationship with Konoha? Bam, me again.
Shit.
Is this what an existential crisis felt like or was this just straight up fear?
Dad was still on patrol, I suddenly remembered. Had someone gone to tell him or was he clueless, going about his shift with fondly rolling eyes when he thought about how I'd stood him up? Chouza, I knew from a message he'd left with the Hospital receptionist, had gone to let Inoichi and Shikaku know, and would probably be here already.
They weren't allowed through, I knew.
They're probably really worried, I reminded myself. They don't know what's happened, even with Chouza's information. If you're in trouble, hurt, if someone's…died.
I didn't want to go. To leave. It felt like, if I took my eyes off him for second, 'Toshi'd disappear through Kamui.
I went out anyway. I wasn't- I couldn't bare scaring everyone any more than I undoubtedly had. Images of an upset Ino haunted me, even as I rose. Even though I knew she'd be in bed now, anyway.
Pushing through the door, ignoring the ANBU stood guard, I slowly walked down the corridor. Why were hospitals always white? My mum before had joked it was so people couldn't argue about the décor. I mean, if there was nothing there, no one could be blamed for having horrible taste. In all seriousness, I knew that it was supposed to be soothing, inoffensive.
It just made me feel drained.
At the end of the corridor, two double push-doors mocked my resolve. Swallowing hard, I soldiered on, pushing through into the main waiting room.
"Kiharu!" Everyone looked up at the sound of the door opening, expressions a range of worried and expectant. Upon seeing my small figure stood unsurely in the doorway, my immediate family shot to their feet. And, in seconds I saw what was wrong with the room.
Dad was still on patrol.
Oh. My eyes prickled, lips parting in surprise. He was going to be devastated.
In my moment of distraction, my loved ones had descended.
But the first to reach me was, as always, my best friend. Shisui slammed into me, expression twisted and eyes red with the Sharingan. He must be really out of it, if he activated the first stage unintentionally. Despite his evident worry, Shisui arms were nothing but gentle as they wrapped around me.
"Ki," he breathed into my hair, half a head taller. "Wha-what happened?" he asked softly, voice cracking half way. Nose buried in his neck, my arms slowly came up to clutch at his tee-shirt.
Hands were petting my hair and voices murmured all around me.
I felt like I was 8 again, in the Hospital thinking Genma-nee was going to die. Shisui had held me then, too, and afterwards at Nee-chan's apartment. And, soon as I'd seen him here, an idea sparked in my mind. It was dangerous and I'd be walking extremely close to the line I swore I'd never cross…But Shisui was always there and I trusted him more than myself. And, especially about this, if I couldn't tell Shisui, I couldn't tell anyone. "I…can I talk to you in a bit?" I murmured as quietly as possible, barely moving my mouth. "…Alone?"
His head barely twitched in a nod. A 'yes', thank god.
"Nekki-chan?" Sora-oba stroked my hair back from my forehead and I forced myself to stop hiding my face in Shisui's top, turning to look up at her. Her face was stressed and a wash of guilt flooded my body. I should have come out here sooner…
"Hitoshi was a-attacked," I hiccupped, glad that my tears had stopped. I was a child, yes, but I hated crying. It was good for you, the release of emotions, and therapeutic, but right now it just made me feel weak. "He's out of surgery, they did all they could bu-ut, because of his he-ad trauma, if he doesn't wake up in the next few h-hours, he'll have slipped into a coma."
There were no gasps or cries, nothing but sharp breaths and sad eyes. And relief. In everyone's eyes, from Shikaku to Sora-oba. They were relieved, that we were all alive, that it wasn't me. That I was the one telling them. I wanted to be angry but I knew it wasn't anyone's fault, or even a real fault, if they were closer to me than my grumpy shadow.
I wished Hana was here, so I could cry like a little girl and apologise and ask her to plan our next sleepover, talk to me about useless things, anything but today.
I wished Ensui was here, not in stupid Wind. I craved his calm and composed presence like a glass of water, refreshing and vital. He was my rock as much as Shisui, although more from hashing out ideas and discussing things. Like a conscience, the voice of logic I could always trust.
Shisui was a presence I needed. If Shisui was there, things were okay. And it wasn't just proof that he was still alive, still around, so the fight wasn't over.
(I kind of thought, on some level, I was the same for him. A safe harbour outside of his Clan, a civilian who'd never go on a dangerous village or turn nuke. It almost sounded mundane, like I was a girl kept tucked away from the world, but it was anything but. I was working and contributing to our lifestyle as well, just how I wanted it; without having to take a life or the risk of death.
Or so I'd thought, I sighed internally.)
But worse of all? I really, really, wanted my parents.
Both of them.
…
After reassuring everyone that I was in one piece, I'd eventually convinced them all to go back home. It was almost midnight and they had to get up in the morning, not to mention all the kids left back at the Compounds with hastily 'commissioned' Clan members. My Aunt and Uncle had been the most reluctant, gathering me into a hug between them, and I'd thanked whoever was listening for giving me such a loving network of people.
Shisui had stayed too.
The Nurses had been furious when I'd pulled him through the doors with little ceremony, chattering on about 'family only' until I'd snarled that Shisui was either coming through the door or I'd pull him through the window.
I must've looked sort of crazy, my hair a mess and eyes swollen red. Not to forget I was still wearing nothing but my ratty little strap-top and bloodied shorts.
After that, they'd backed off pretty quick, compromising that he had to stay in the corridor with the ANBU.
I'd agreed, taking what I could get.
Thankfully, the room was pretty small, so I'd simply pulled back the curtain, sitting down half-way between the bed and the doorway. Shisui had disappeared for a few minutes and then come back with a chair, plonking it down in the middle of the entryway and sitting. I mean, technically, he wasn't in the room.
I sincerely doubted anything less an order from the Hokage himself, delivered in person and from a distance of two feet, could get that boy to move.
I loved that precious boy, I really did.
We'd not even really spoken, besides when I'd quietly told him the events of the day. That had been two hours ago.
And then dad came in like a hurricane.
"Kiharu!" He called, not even breaking stride to let Shisui move out of the doorway, simply planting on hand on the back of the chair and jumping them both.
It was only at the sight of Hitoshi, his companion of almost two decades, that he froze.
"Hitoshi…Kami-sama," he breathed, dark eyes skimming over the wounded feline.
"If," I swallowed, unable to look away from Tou-san's face, "If he doesn't wake up in the next hour…"
"A coma." Dad finished for me, sighing deeply and closing his eyes for a moment. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed again. "Come 'ere," he beckoned, stretching out a hand and pulling me from the seat, slipping to take my place and pulling me into his lap.
"Now, tell me everything, Nekki-chan."
Soothed by the strong body beneath me, I retold the story for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Dad was silent, completely focused on my words and with an intense look of concentration on his tired face. He didn't say anything for a long time, simply thinking, and I let him. My hand, the one not cradled between his massive ones, was absent-mindedly fingering the shorter hairs at the base of his neck, my unfocused eyes locked on Hitoshi.
"…Stupid cat." He mumbled eventually.
A smile quirked my lips and I gave a strange, breathy little laugh, "That's one of the first things I said, too." And he was a really stupid cat, so prideful and smug, thinking he could take on whoever.
His dark eyes flickered over my face quickly, a tiny frown creating a crinkle between his brows. "You've not eaten yet, have you?"
"Not since lunch," I admitted. I'd not had a chance, what with what happened, and the Nurses had only offered tea. My stomach was twisting too much, in all honesty.
"I'll run and grab us something, okay," he smiled, somehow manoeuvring us so that he was stood up and I'd shifted seamlessly into his seat. "You too, Shisui?" he asked out of the blue, not even bothering to raise his voice. I jerked in my seat, almost forgetting that Shisui was there. The older boy was stood upright, chair gone, with a startled expression on his face. Some part of my mind realised that he'd gone further down the corridor to give us some privacy – but not technically left, like I'd asked – and felt warm.
"No, Seiichi-san!" Shisui, for an Uchiha, looked appalled. "You should stay here; I'll go grab some food for you both."
Before dad could open his mouth to argue that, as family, he could freely come and go, Shisui was gone, as if he'd never been there in the first place.
"Hmmm, that boy." Dad sounded almost fond, the closest thing to approval he'd ever felt towards any of the boys I knew. It's a shame for Tou-san that most of my friends were that particular gender and I was, tragically for his nerves, straight. Sorry, dad, you'll definitely have to get used to having a guy around, one day.
I was glad for the brief interaction, though. Dad had been thinking of something else for a moment, as had I.
Shisui ended up having to Shunshin through the window I'd thoughtfully left open, arms filled with Ichiraku take-away.
"Teuchi is one of the few owners still open this late," he explained when I shot him a look. "And, anyway, when I said who they were for, he said they were free." Never mind the fact that Ichiraku doesn't usually do take-away either.
Unfortunately, the distractions ran out and the time slipped by.
At 4 o' clock in the morning, Hitoshi passed the Nurses' marker and slipped into an official coma. For summons, it either didn't happen at all or it did, and seriously.
I was devastated, stricken by the uncertainty of what was going to happen. Not to mention…I'd left out one very important detail in all my accounts. And I was certain that withholding such information from the Hokage would be charged as treason.
"-just…red eyes…"
No one but a cat in a coma and I knew about the Tobi's Sharingan.
…
After my brief meeting with Naruto, when I'd undoubtedly scarred him for life, I couldn't help but look for him everywhere.
But, where was he?
It was startling, meeting someone you'd been keeping an eye out for years, only for them to fade back into obscurity. Not only was it eerie, but if felt…deliberate.
What the hell was I missing?
It had been a week since Tobi and a lot had happened. Tou-san had told me that they'd increased the patrols along the Village borders – information I was certain I was not allowed to know – in an attempt to catch the man Hitoshi had been scenting for months. But all trails, scent or otherwise, led nowhere. And the scene itself? It had been just outside of the Shrine, as Hitoshi claimed, but, aside from the summon's blood and some destruction from the fight, there was no evidence of an intruder. Just as I knew there wouldn't be.
Bastard Kamui.
At the insistence of…everyone…I'd been taking some time off. I was glad, in a way, as I was then able to sit by Hitoshi for a while and still have time to do my daily baking quota. I hadn't even realised how worked up I'd gotten over the past few months until I'd slept 'til noon and Shisui had dragged me out to a field, plonking himself down on the grass and pulling me after him. In a role reversal of his first hangover, the older boy had drawn my head into his lap and told me to relax.
When his hands started brushing over my temples, I melted like hot fudge.
Despite the hard callouses already forming on his hands, Shisui's touch was incredibly gentle. He'd pulled my hair out of its customary tail, laying the waist-long hair out on the grass, and had started rubbing his fingers through my scalp in little circular motions.
Within seconds I was half asleep and purring like mad.
We must've sat there for hours, with the curly-haired boy moving slowly between my scalp, temples and the back of my neck. At some point, I'd started humming under my breath, Arietty's song* (one of the few things I ever learnt on the piano), and Shisui had picked it up in minutes. So, there we lay, humming together all afternoon.
"I need to go back to the hospital," I'd whispered, breaking the hours-long silence, at least in terms of conversation.
"Okay," Shisui agreed easily. "I'll walk you."
I'd only just sat up, Shisui stretching out his legs behind me, when the boy started laughing.
"What?"
He'd chuckled, pointing with the hand he wasn't leaning back on. "I, err, ruined your hair." I'd reached up to feel it, my searching hands encountering the tangled bush on top of my head, and let out my first laugh in days.
"Ahhh, I'll sort it out later." I smiled, pulling a band off my wrist and yanking my hair back into a tight tail to conceal the frizz.
The next morning, my head clear like it hadn't been in a long time, I Made A Decision. Well, I'd made it a month ago and only now gotten 'round to acting on it.
Nekki's had been running on half hours, Mikoto taking over for the past few days whilst I got myself sorted, and the place was really busy when I popped in at lunch.
"Kiharu!" Mikoto cried when she saw me (after I'd dealt with the handful of concerned customers who'd heard what had happened – or the half-truth released to the public, that my summon had been mauled – and rushed to ask if I was alright). "What are you doing here, I thought you were with Hitoshi?"
My mouth tugged up in a smile as I set my basket down on the countertop. Normally, this contained lunch for Tou-san and me, maybe some things I'd picked up as I passed through the market, for our Hospital vigils. But today, I'd come straight from Yuri-oba's and now, I pulled out the bundle of white fabric.
Passing it over to the Uchiha Matriarch, knowing full well I was being a cheeky little minx, I winked.
"All employees must wear the uniform, even Chefs and business partners."
The older woman looked, for the first time since I'd known her, truly astonished.
"What?"
I basked in her expression a moment longer, enjoying how the stand had gone totally silent with people sticking their heads in to see what the commotion was. In a few minutes, the entire Market would be buzzing about this.
"Oh, of course," I pretended not to understand, patting down my non-existent pockets before flashing her the key I'd been holding the entire time. "Here is your set of keys! Can't own half a stall you can't get into!"
Holding an apron that matched my own (Oh, how Yuri-oba and I had cackled) in one hand and the keys I'd thrown in the other, Mikoto met my eyes firmly.
To a bystander, it would look like we'd frozen for a moment.
In Mikoto's eyes, I saw the shock, yes. Hesitance and a touch of fear, like I would dare joke and be so cruel. But, more importantly, I saw the joy.
I'd made this extremely public, ensuring that no one could say I'd been forced to surrender half of my business to a Clan (let alone, the Uchiha) and that I was proud of this. I'd known, without her ever having to explicitly say it, that Mikoto loved Nekki's just as much as I did. I'd seen the pure happiness in her face when she helped me out, whether on a normal working day or at the Market Festival. Seen the happiness when I'd started to show her the recipes, trusting her with my one-of-a-kind and original creations.
And in my eyes, I made sure all she saw was my own excitement and burning determination.
Unbeknownst to me, that was the moment Mikoto realised what Shisui meant, all those time's he'd insisted I had an intellect akin to Itachi. Because, in that second of silent communication, she saw that I'd known. And that I'd done all this on purpose, that everything I'd done had been part of a something much bigger. I'd seen the Uchiha and I was trying to do something, in the only way I really could.
With a smile, one so broad and open that I think some of the customers went a bit blind, Mikoto tied the apron around her waist, tucking the keys into her sleeve.
Turning to leave and thoroughly enjoying the expressions on everyone's faces, I temporarily forgot where it was I was headed. "I'll get Yuri-oba on your uniform as soon as possible, Hime!"
….
On Thursday, I planned to speak to Shisui but, like with everything, the Universe worked against me.
The recently-minted Jonin was sent on a two-week-long mission to Hot Water. (He'd tested and passed just before the Festival, the promotion very discrete – subtle – because of his age, and I'd given Shisui a small guitar, based off my sister's Ukulele, I'd commissioned off Ensui – much to his everlasting aggravation.)
Shit.
Paranoid, stressed, and a fucking tonne of other crap emotions, I'd immediately changed directions when I'd heard the news. I would have gone straight to the hospital, but the Head Medic at reception had threatened cutting down on my visitation rights if I didn't spend more time away. Apparently sleeping in a chair and visiting for 12 hours a day is wrong when the person you've known since you were a baby is in a fucking coma. So, I was forced to think again.
It was a Thursday which meant Ino and the boys should be at the playground.
I needed cuddles, okay?
I busted through the village, cutting directly from where I'd been informed at the Uchiha Compound to the central play area, where I knew that Ino always insisted on going because that's 'where everyone is playing'.
Heaven forbid that girl runs out of victims – ahem – playmates.
My eyes were already scanning the flocks of children, enjoying the August weather, when I heard my imouto' s dulcet shrieks. Dear lord, not already. I wanted comfort, not a tension headache.
Marching over to where I could see Ino fighting with a bunch of girls her age, I clearly heard Chouji gasp when he saw me, scrambling up with Shikamaru (I was, strangely enough, one of the only things the boy would move quickly for) in the corner of my eye. Aww shit, they'd not seen me since I'd quickly reassured them that both Toshi and I were alive. I'd been on the way back to the Hospital, though…
"Ino-chan!" I called, lunging forward to grab the back of her dress as she threw herself at a brunette. Or, rather, she tried to. The other girl was already taking advantage of how Ino had frozen in surprise, reaching forward to slap her.
"Excuse you," I swung Ino into my arms and safely out of hitting (giving or receiving) distance. "What is going on here?" I turned to cock a brow at my little sister, ignoring her demands as to when I got here and how dare I not 'visit properly'. "In a moment, Ino! First," I frowned, "Tell me what you lot were fighting about."
"Ami was being mean!" Ino burst out, swinging a bit in my arms from how furiously she was gesturing.
"Oh?" I peered down at the girl in question.
The little brunette, probably the same age as the Rookie 9, glared up at me, her expression sullen. "It's not my fault she wouldn't shut up about her stupid flowers or her stupid sister." And there, she'd sent Ino off on one again.
Feeling my eye twitch, I pressed my free hand to it. Urgh, I couldn't deal with this right now.
"You shouldn't insult someone's passion or their loved ones." I pointed out, trying to be fair. Then, turning to Ino, I wrinkled my nose. "And violence is never the best option, Ino-chan, Ami-san."
The girl in question pouted, trying to pull out the puppy eyes, but I ignored them. "But, nee-chan, I want to be a kunoichi!"
I expertly ignored how 'Ami' was now gaping up at me, aghast that she'd called me stupid to my face, and blinked hard for a moment.
When my eyes opened again, I glanced around. Ami had run off, her face red in embarrassment and I reluctantly gave up on getting the two to apologise. Shikamaru, looking annoyed but intrigued, was stood just behind me with a concerned Chouji.
"Come on, you three," I jerked my head in the direction of back up the hill, leading the two boys (Ino still on my hip) up to a free spot of grass. "You shouldn't fight, Ino," I told her as I walked up the slope, squinting as the sun hit me in the eyes.
"Whyyyyy?" The little blonde whined in annoyance, leaning her head into the curve of my neck.
"You know you shouldn't fight, Ino." I repeated, lowering myself to rest at the base of a nearby tree, lowering myself down and landing with a thump on the grass, Ino shifting to sit in my lap.
"After all, when you're a ninja one day, Ino-imouto, you'll have a responsibility to use your skills wisely, for the betterment of everyone under your protection," I poked her tummy, feeling Shika slump against me on my left and Chouji settled down on my right. I tagged on some patriotism, lest a ninja overheard, "-and Konoha itself. Just as I feed people at Nekki's, making them happy and bringing in business to our village, I have the responsibility not to poison them!" I winked at the end, trying to lighten the mood a bit, and the three cracked smiles.
"Okay?" I asked, carefully making sure I'd not confused them and that they'd taken it in. Respect was a key facet of success, after all. It was important they got that.
Receiving varied 'yeah's, I rolled my eyes, leaning my head back to see the leaves stirring above me.
"Enough with the heavy, I get it, I get it!" I pulled a silly smile and Ino and Chouji giggled, Shika's smile drawing into a grin.
"So, what have you been up to whilst I was busy?"
"Shika-kun has been extra lazy recently!" Ino immediately tattled, making the boy in question groan in aggravation.
"Is that true, Chouji?" I turned to wink at him and he clasped a small hand over his own smile. Chouji was a brilliant person to laugh with, he had such a sweet sense of humour.
"Well, Shikamaru has started learning Shogi from Shikaku-oji," His mouth pulled into a mischievous smile as Shikamaru let out puff of air, slumped so far down that he was practically lying on the moss.
"…troublesome," the Nara Heir rolled his eyes and I pouted. No fun.
Huh. Maybe Ino and Yoshino were rubbing off on me.
"Well, Shogi is good practice for being a ninja so..." I poked Ino's cheek (so soft) "Are you complaining that Shika has already started training?"
Ino's eyes blew wide, throwing herself out of my arms and moving to stand above her lazy friend. I could help but notice that Shika looked like prey at the feet of the enraged hunte – err – Ino… hehe. The Yamanaka Heiress was already on a roll, scolding the other boy about not telling her that he was training – '-we promised we'd start together Shika-kun-!' – and I decided to leave her to it.
Shikamaru had to gain a tolerance for these kind of things, it was a part of growing up! I mean, I couldn't derail Ino every time.
It was funnier this way, anyway.
"How are you doing Chouji, hmm?" I left them to it, bumping sides with the little ginger boy next to me.
"Hmm," He smiled, shrugging a bit, fingers brushing through the grass around us. "How's Hitoshi?" His face tilted up to look at me, gauging my reaction. Kids could be so sensitive… "Tou-san said he's been sleeping for ages."
Oh.
My lips pulled into a sad smile, twitching wirily. "Ah, yeah. He was hurt, Chouji, so he needs to sleep to get better." I turned and pulled him into my lap. There was no such thing as babying him, I mentally declared, when it was in the name of comfort. "He'll be sleeping for a bit. He'll wake up when he's ready."
"Oh," the boy in my lap mumbled, eyes fixed on how Shika was now trying to roll down the hill and away from the advancing – and still scolding – Ino. "I'm sorry…"
Giving him a little squeeze, I tucked his head under my chin.
"Thanks, Chouji."
…
"Ohayo, Teuchi-san!" I called casually, stepping into Ichiraku Ramen and smiling warmly at Ayame in greeting, before making my way to my usual stool.
When I had a pork ramen in front of me, I licked my lips and started in on the plan. Sure, it was a hastily made one at 2am, when my mind wouldn't stop whirring, but, a plan was a plan. Never know if you don't try, and all that.
"Teuchi, I get loads of kids at the stall around this time…don't you?"
The ramen chef cheerfully tossed some spring onions into the pan, humming along, before he waved me off. "Nah, Kiharu-chan, I usually get a dinner rush. School kids want sweets-" he smiled at me, "-not ramen, when they come out of school."
"Ahh, I understand." I nodded, thinking furiously. Now what? "So Ayame and I are the only kiddies you get to spoil? Shame!"
The older man laughed, serving up the order and sliding it down the countertop towards them. It landed perfectly, not a drop spilt and I gave him a cheeky clap for it.
"As it is, Kiharu-chan, the two of you are all the cheek I need!"
I laughed again in delight, especially when Ayame nudged me with her elbow on her way past, but, internally, I was scowling.
I'd asked Iruka (saying a little boy had forgotten his change at Nekki's and all I knew was that he was an orphan) but he'd just scowled, shaking his head, and I hoped he wasn't lying just because he had a Kyuubi-shaped grudge.
Then, I'd taken an hour to wander in the direction I thought his apartment might be in (it was a tall building, I remembered, but most apartment blocks looked the same) but, I'd barely taken a step – in the direction of, what I later learned, was the Red-Light District (oops) – before a lady, who I'd seen in the Market, was rushing over and telling me to be more careful where I wandered. She'd sent me back the way I came, watching me leave with concerned eyes, and I'd not been able to go that way again. After all, you couldn't claim ignorance twice.
Minato's son was turning out to be as slippery as an eel.
….
When I entered the hospital room, I didn't even bother turning on the light switch, already having memorised the scene that awaited me.
"Hey, 'Toshi," I greeted the still room. "I brought dinner this time-" I moved towards my usual chair, pulling my bento box from the basket. There wasn't any noise, other than plastic creaking as I popped the lid and dug my chopsticks from my pocket. It was strangely soothing, eating in the slowly darkening-room.
"-It's tuna steak and I'm going to eat all of it right in front of you."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"I know it's your guilty pleasure," I mumbled around a mouthful.
It was delicious, cooked perfectly (Tou-san had some surprising skills) but I could barely swallow.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"You've been sleeping for three weeks, you lazy idiot." I gave up on my dinner, setting the box aside and stretching forwards to run my hands down Toshi's spine, sighing tiredly. "Think it's 'bout time you got off your arse."
The machine was the only response.
The room was pitch-black, hours since I'd arrived, and I was exploring the pads of the panther's front paw, when someone cleared their throat from the doorway.
The light from the hall shone into the room, lighting up Toshi's prone form and my slumped figure.
"Shisui, you're back," I sighed in relief, resting my head on Toshi's shoulder.
"Yeah," he stepped into the room, red eyes glowing Sharingan as he located the lamp switch in the pitch-black. "Just got back a few hours ago-" the light clicked on and the room was suddenly lit with gentle yellow light. "-and thought you'd be here."
The both of us looked exhausted, Shisui's now-black eyes making him look even more washed out. It wasn't fair, I mentally sighed, we were only children. We shouldn't have to deal with this sort of thing.
"Kiharu…" the older boy started, looking apprehensive. "You said, that night, that you wanted to talk…" he nodded to Hitoshi.
"I-I," I swallowed, sitting up. I guess this was happening now then. I swallowed hard. Right. "Close the door."
When I turned back from locking the window shut, I gestured for Shisui to come closer, pulling the curtain around the bed so no one could look in and see us.
"Do you know of any techniques where someone can erase their entire presence, their body?" We sat under the window, shoulder to shoulder.
The Uchiha looked thoughtful for a moment, before a frustrated expression crossed his face. "No, I don't, sorry."
Licking my lips, this was the really dangerous bit.
"I-is there anyone around? ANBU or…anyone?" Shisui concentrated for a second, undoubtedly reaching out his senses, before confirming that there was not. His eyes looked tense, waiting for the hammer to fall when he saw how stressed I was.
"Hitoshi.." I breathed into his ear, barely making a noise. "- said the man had red eyes."
Shisui froze.
"The…Sharingan?"
Lips pressed tightly together, I gave a slow nod.
"…but who?" he hissed, face pressed close to mine. "And that doesn't explain the special jutsu! I looked everywhere in the Clan Library but none of it is the same-"
"Shisui." I interrupted, grabbing his hands when he made to get up. "Shisui."
"Don't you get it?" I stabbed a finger at Hitoshi's prone form above us. "Hitoshi was searching for intruders so he didn't recognise the scent-! We'd been coming to the Compound for five years. If 'Toshi thought it was an intruder then that means someone outside of the village has the Sharingan."
Shisui gaped, throat swallowing convulsively and eyes dancing as he frantically thought.
"Oh shit."
"And, I don't know everything about your Clan, but you said your Mangekyou has special abilities, which differ to each individual, so-"
"-that ability must be their Mangekyou." The older boy finished. "Fuck, Kiharu have you told anyone?"
Mouth flapping for a moment, I just decided to come clean. I was already telling him about Tobi, I may as well do this.
"I-I wanted to talk to you first. I didn't want anyone blaming the Uchiha of Konoha for this, things are bad enough and I've been trying-"
"Kiharu," Shisui breathed, eyes wide and looking like he'd just had an epiphany. "Mikoto-sama and helping Itachi, being friendly with the Police- you-"
"It doesn't matter right now!" I hissed, not wanted to get side tracked. "But what now? There's someone outside of the village trying to discredit your Clan!"
Shisui shot me a sharp look, voice severe. "What makes you say that?"
"Shisui," I sighed, resting my head back against the wall and feeling exhausted all of a sudden. "Think of all the blame and resentment people are showing towards the Uchiha- they say a Sharingan could wield Kyuubi."
"That's dangerous talk, Kiharu-"
"And what will the Uchiha do if they think that they're being smothered and controlled by the Village, hmm?" I continued on mercilessly. He had to see. He had to.
Shisui looked visibly annoyed, gesturing as he tried to see what I was getting at. "They'd-they'd…Oh." he sat back, looking stunned.
"A coup."
"Yeah," I slipped a hand into his. "A coup."
We sat in silence for a moment, trying to desperately sort through our thoughts. I knew I'd just blown through Shisui's pre-existing fears about his Clan Elders stirring, upscaling the whole thing to a whole new level. Shisui was probably having an existential crisis around about now. And me?
I was wondering what the fuck we did now.
"Come on." Shisui abruptly stood up.
"Where are we going?" I asked warily, slowly reaching up to take the hand offered.
When I was stood next to him, Shisui rested his hands on my shoulders, making me look at him straight on.
It struck me then that he was a Jonin of Konoha, with his own title in the ranks, and an already fearsome reputation. Absentmindedly, I wondered where that cute little boy with the angel curls had gone.
But he was still here, just older now, I guessed. He was still Shisui.
"You trusted me with this, Kiharu-chan." I opened my mouth to interrupt, that I trusted Shisui with everything, but a squeeze of my arms stopped me. "Now, I need you to trust me, okay? We only have the little things that Hitoshi was able to tell you as evidence. But, Ki-chan, this is huge."
He slowly led me to the door, listening for a moment to make sure no one was still around.
"Shisui," I whispered into his shoulder, suddenly feeling the two-year age-gap. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm…we're going to take this to the Hokage himself."
…..
*Arriety's song; I'd recommend the harp cover on YouTube. It's beautiful and makes me think of Kiharu lazing in the fields on warm days. Or when she taught her Tou-san how to waltz. Or- it's actually just great for this fic, in general.
Also, comment to let me know if you want me to tell you what songs I listen to when I write certain scenes…I think they really help with the vibe 3
A/N- Hey, you all seemed pretty riled up last chapter. I wonder why, hmm? *jk* I hope this is okay, I've gotten a bit too used to writing adorbs fluff so tension and 'fast' dialogue are quite tricky. Hmm, hopefully this is okay. Anyway, thanks for reading! X
P.S- All I can say is…R.I.P. Canon