DISCLAIMER- I own nada. Zilch. Nothing.
…
Ever try to work something out, get so frustrated your brain 'implodes' and you end up forgetting how to differentiate between 'where' and 'were'?
So, you walk away. Get a drink, go out for a bit, talk to someone.
And then, when you come back? BAM, it all clicks!
Crazy how removing yourself from a situation can, sometimes, be all the push needed to get the ball rolling.
(Kiharu was the catalyst no one realised they needed)
….
The mission desk was always so boring.
Yes, here's your mission. No, I cannot reassign you on such short notice. No, we cannot accept this, all reports need to be legible. And. On. Time. (I'm looking at you, Hatake-)
It wasn't just that the room was completely uninteresting to look at in the down times (it was) or that there was nothing worse than plonking yourself down on a chair, knowing full-well that you wouldn't be moving for hours (there wasn't). It wasn't even that the other Chuunin (Magatsuchi) was a nervous mess that he couldn't hold a conversation for his life (Seiichi would rather watch paint dry). It was the fact that you were giving missions to other people.
After committing himself to an inner-village role, talk about salt in the wound.
It was late in the morning, around 11 o'clock-ish and, staring blankly at the wall across from him, Seiichi wondered how many waffles Ki-chan had sold already.
Waaa- couldn't she bring a special-delivery for her precious Neko-Tou?
No, the poor man internally grouched. And, even if she did, she'd charge extra. Charging! Her own Tou-san! She's so mean that way~
Nekki's had been doing really well in the second year of business and Seiichi always felt like he could burst with pride any time he caught sight of the logo. The stall itself, customers with the bags or tubs – hell, even litter. It was all proof that his little girl had done it, realised her dreams and gone out there and was succeeding. That's all he'd ever wanted for her. Kiharu was so smart and popular, the enthusiastic parent gushed in his own mind, still daydreaming at the wall. She's always been so precocious and clever and now the whole village knows too!
"-azi-san, Dazai-san-"
Coming back to himself, the brunette jerked upright, looking over at the ANBU perched on the open window-sill. "Yes?" one dark brow rose inquisitively, wondering what could have happened to warrant an ANBU. A tiny brown ponytail stuck out behind the mask and Seiichi frowned. That boy needs less distinctive hair, they all do, when you think about it. What's the point of a mask if the hair makes it obvious?...But, since when does Genma leave his post beside Hokage-sama to deliver messages?
"You're requested by Hokage-sama immediately-"
The normal ANBU monotone was slightly shaky, like Genma was either furious or on the edge of tears, of all things. What the-?
"I believe it's concerning your daughter."
Seiichi's vision tunnelled.
…..
Going into what used to be his summon's hospital room was…upsetting.
Apparently, when he'd thrown himself out of his chair and towards Genm-ANBU Jackal and told him to take him to their Kage immediately, the Sandaime was already at the scene of the…crime.
An over-turned bed, a blood-covered kunai wedged deep into the plaster by the door, K-Kiharu's coat tossed on the floor and a mess of medical machinery. The place looked like it had been seriously trashed and Seiichi tried not to remember all the crime scenes this resembled.
He failed.
"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt your daughter, Seiichi-san? Seeing as your summon is also gone, we can assume the two absences are related."
Drawing in a shaky breath, Seiichi crouched down on his haunches, gently picking up his daughter's little red raincoat, as if it would crumble into ash if handled too harshly. It looked so small in his hands. "She's just a little girl," he growled out, jaw clenched. "A twelve-year-old who likes to bake…but…It was him." Dark eyes closed, calloused thumbs brushing over the scarlet fabric, as the Chuunin tried not to think of how similar the colour was to blood. Like the blood on the wall, on the kunai, positively matched to his baby.
"It was the man who attacked Hitoshi, wasn't it?"
The ANBU – a woman with dark purple hair – shifted slightly behind him.
"That is a possibility."
Seiichi's throat was swollen like he could barely breathe and his eyes burned behind firmly clamped lids. Oh god. Some mad-man had his daughter. Ki-chan.
It was at that point – when Seiichi was trying desperately not to break down – that the Hokage returned.
"Seiichi-san, I am terribly sorry that this has happened, within the safety of our own Village, and a full investigation has been launched immediately. However, there are some things we need to discuss." The older shinobi, dressed in his usual robes, looked far older than his mid-sixties. Half-a-step behind him, Shisui looked like he was on the verge of being sick. Red eyes – not from the Sharingan – bore into his and Seiichi could see his own fury and despair reflected back at him.
It was very difficult to resent his daughter's best friend when they were both raring for the same fight.
Not to mention, we might never see Ki-chan again, a traitorous voice whispered in the back of his head, but Seiichi firmly ignored it. It had been that voice, pointing out everything wrong with Konoha after Aki died, encouraging him to take more and more missions to see the world, that had pulled him so far from Kiharu in the first place. He wasn't going to give up on her this time.
"I have spoken to the medical staff who were on hand and no one but Kiharu has been in here this morning – aside from a single nurse, but that was before she came to see me."
See the Hokage? Why was Kiharu meeting with the Sandaime?
Ignoring how Seiichi frowned in confusion, Sarutobi continued, picking his way across the room to stand by the window. "A Byakugan has already searched the surrounding vicinity for chakra signatures and has confirmed remnants in two corners of the assailant Shunshin-ed away from behind the door but…the other chakra signature makes little sense. Whilst we can confirm that both appear to be some form of teleportation…Kiharu is a civilian, yes?"
"H-Hai, Hokage-sama." Seiichi choked a little, throat rough and mouth as dry as sand.
"I see. We may have two aggressors, in that case. Shisui-kun-" The Sandaime turned sharply and the Uchiha jumped to attention, ripping his eyes from the raincoat still clutched in Seiichi's fists.
"Hai, Hokage-sama?"
"Why was Kiharu so frightened."
The room went still. The three ANBU guarding the exits and inspecting the scene froze and Seiichi scarcely breathed. The room was on lockdown, this floor of the Hospital closed-off. But still, Shisui hesitated.
"She…she figured out the Ghost-ability when we spoke but…she was terrified, Hokage-sama. She thought someone was doing things on purpose." Emotions waged war in the young boy's eyes but his face was perfectly calm. A true Uchiha, with an Uchiha's poker-face. And yet, Seiichi noticed, he seemed to choose his words extremely carefully. What could you have possibly known, Ki-chan?
Seiichi knew his baby-girl was a genius. She'd been laughing at him since she could walk, always so curious and independent, and, despite her hatred of grammar, Seiichi had never once thought of her as anything less than his intellectual equal. In many ways, she was probably smarter than him. Genius babies were rare but not so rare that they were regarded strangely.
No, the strange thing about Kiharu was how much she saw.
It was one thing to be extremely developed and smart – it was another to identify how the Village worked, how shinobi worked, and then reject it. They'd never spoken about it, weren't allowed to, but Seiichi – as a man who hated killing – recognised how Kiharu felt. She wasn't just a pacifist (there'd been more than one or two around here) but she hated the entire way Konoha was run. She had very little respect for the Council, the Ninja-Elite, even the Hokage, except for acknowledging their ability to do her damage. Seiichi didn't really understand (was there another way of running a village? Unless you wanted a harsher regime, like Kiri or Kumo, or very little shinobi, like in other civilian villages…) but he knew his daughter. Kiharu was intelligent, scarily perceptive and logical to-boot.
What had she noticed and figured worth the risk of telling others?
"On purpose?" The gravelly voice of his Kage ripped Seiichi back to the present.
Shisui looked like he wanted to shift, to move on, to run. Fingers flexed like he wanted to grasp his Katana and the curly-haired boy swallowed harshly. "Yeah, she-"
"Shisui…Hitoshi would've run if he could have. He may be prideful but he's not stupid. He kne-knows better than to die on Tou-san or me."
The Dazai's living room was dark, lit only by a small lamp on the coffee table, and Shisui glanced up, hand pausing from where he was cleaning the blade. Kiharu was sat opposite him, messy waves pulled into a loose knot and small fingers clamped around her teacup. She looked…paranoid.
A small frown tugged at the older boy's brow as he slowly lowered his Katana back onto the table. "What do you mean? That man wouldn't have let him, right?"
Tongue peeking out to wet her lips, the blue-eyed girl glanced to the dark window, where the rain was still pouring. "I…I just…Why was he there?" a small hand scrubbed through her hair in frustration. "What…Hitoshi must've felt it was more important to detain the man than return for reinforcements. Neither the patrol or ANBU felt a chakra signature flare for help. Sure, 'Toshi would give his life for the village but, with such a strong adversary, he'd have been well within reason to call for back-up. Something made him not want to risk losing him. So…what was it? I feel like the man was… up to something, meeting someone."
"What." Jaw dropping, the dark-haired boy stared across at his friend but she avoided his eyes, blue fixed on her now-cold tea.
"Think about it. There was nothing taken or left behind, nothing done and no one hurt, aside from 'Toshi. What other reason could there be for that man to stay, even when he was discovered? That man…he must've been meeting someone."
"-She thought he was meeting someone, Hokage-sama. She wasn't sure how…safe…she was, with such information and Hitoshi still unconscious."
A nervous glance around had Seiichi tensing, automatically throwing out his senses for any intruders or eavesdroppers. As a tracker, the Big Cat Summoner had to be extremely good at detecting others without being noticed. It was a skill that had been refined for years and now, extending his own chakra, Seiichi was certain that there were no unwanted ears.
"I see…" the older man sighed, one wrinkled hand coming up to rub the bridge of his nose. "This does not leave this room. If any of you speak of it, I will have you arrested and sent to T&I before you can blink."
At the thought of a traitor sent to Inoichi, Ki-chan's beloved Uncle, Seiichi felt a spike of vicious satisfaction rip through his veins. Anyone involved would regret this.
"The investigation, under the disguise of a simple missing-persons, is now an S-Rank Secret. Kiharu, when she spoke to me earlier, made it quite clear that she is in possession of a considerable intellect, as well as the only witness of our mysterious cannot afford to disregard her testimony, simply because of age or status." Gesturing to the crime scene around them, the Sandaime put his back to the window.
"Evidently, her theories made her a threat. Someone was trying to cover their tracks…and we cannot allow them to succeed."
…..
Shisui had walked through the Yamanaka gates countless times before, laughing with K-Ki-chan or racing to find her. Either way, she was always there.
The compound looked grey without her.
It was a simple road of houses, a dead-end street with large flower-filled gardens and white fences. The first house on the street was a building site, currently being renovated for Sora-sama's new Flower Shop and the final house, at the very centre of the cul-de-sac loop, was the Clan Head's home.
Walking up the front porch steps, Shisui tried not remember the last time he'd been here, sat on these very stairs with Kiharu braiding daisies into his hair and giggling over tea and toast. The day had been sunny, just over two weeks ago, and he could almost see her out the corner of his eye. Had the steps always been that aged and cold?
The older boy just stood there for a while, trying to prepare himself. He'd…never had to do this before. Sora-sama was going to be devasted and Ino was going to cry. With a shaky sigh, one hand scrubbing across burning eyes, Shisui finally reached up to knock.
A tense two minutes later and Kiharu's Aunt opened the door with a smile.
Which immediately dropped when she recognised the look on the dark-haired boy's face, taking in the red-rimmed eyes and ghostly expression.
"No…no…Shisui-kun, tell me something hasn't happened-" A graceful hand came up to cover Sora's mouth as her face paled rapidly.
In times of peace…this stuff was even worse because, no matter what, you weren't expecting it. This wasn't a time of War, when anyone could die, any day. Kiharu wasn't a shinobi on a mission-gone-wrong. She was a civilian, just some sweet, scarily-smart and intuitive Baker who'd looked straight into Shisui's eyes – like she could see his soul – and then smiled and offered the most supportive friendship of his life. Kiharu knew things, things Shisui had never told anyone else, things Shisui hadn't even said aloud. But, even when they had a row, Shisui had never, ever thought for a second that their friendship was finished. Kiharu had screamed at him, hit him, ignored him countless times (He'd given as good as he got) but they always came back to each other. She was good and pure and smiled like she knew every one of your thoughts and thought they were funny. She was supposed to be safe.
"Sora? What's happened?" A man's voice called from the kitchen, moving closer, and Shisui's eyes closed in defeat. Trust today to be the day Inoichi-sama was home for lunch. Two birds with one stone, yes, but Kiharu's Uncle was going to flip.
Not that Shisui hadn't almost destroyed the corridor when he'd seen Hitoshi's old room for the first time.
The tall blonde came around the corner, eyebrows flying up when he spotted Shisui in the open doorway and Kiharu conspicuously absent. This was probably the first time Shisui had come calling without Kiharu (or looking for her) and the thought made the Uchiha ache.
"Shisui-kun, what's going on, hmm?" Pupil-less blue eyes flicked over to Sora and, catching a glimpse of his wife's expression, the Head of T&I frowned, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and growing even more concerned when she moved further into his side.
Feeling wretched, Shisui couldn't even bring himself to look up from the floor. Kiharu…she told me she was scared, that there were people we couldn't trust…is this my fault, insisting that we tell the Hokage? Were we discovered when we spoke to Mikoto-sama and Akane-sama or was it in the hospital? Am I such a bad friend and shinobi that I missed us being eavesdropped on?
"I'm very sorry Inoichi-sama, Sora-sama but, as of this morning, Kiharu and Hitoshi are missing."
It was silent for a very long moment and Shisui wondered how many times he'd have to repeat it, to how many people. Would it feel real, then? Like Kiharu wasn't going to come bumbling up from sunbathing by the Naka, rambling on about how Hana ambushed her as a game and they'd been playing all afternoon. Not that Kiharu played ninja. Not that the hospital room could be mistaken for anything other the crime scene it was. But, still.
"Missing." Inoichi's voice cracked like a whip, blue eyes like two chips of ice. It wasn't a question but Shisui nodded anyway. "I'm going to speak to Sandaime-sama, Sora, and then go and check some things at the office. I'll try not to be out too late."
Sora was pale as death, eyes haunted, but she managed a nod for her husband, who then disappeared in a viciously signed Shunshin, fingers flexing like he wanted to break something – or someone.
Further in the house, in the kitchen, Ino was squealing happily for her parents, the clatter of toys on the table loud in the silence.
"I'm…I'm really sorry Sora-sama," Shisui swallowed, risking a glance up to see the Yamanaka Matriarch with her arms folded, one hand rising to hide her eyes. The tear that dripped, despite her efforts, fell straight to the old wooden porch, absorbed into the sun-parched beams. "I…I have to go tell the others- Yuri-san and Mikoto-sama, Hana-chan- I'm really sorry."
Gulping a breath, Sora turned her head for a moment to compose herself. When she finally turned back, tilting Shisui's chin to meet her eyes before resting a strong hand on his shoulder, she looked determined, if harrowed. "I'll tell Yoshino and Kaiya, don't worry. And…I'm sorry too, Shisui-kun."
With a nod of appreciation, Shisui took a step back, clearing his throat and turning away. My mouth…it won't stop trembling. Looking back over his shoulder, he nodded firmly once more before Shunshin-ing away.
Still stood in the doorway, Sora sighed and rubbed her hands over her cheeks. Now, she breathed, she had to somehow tell Ino that her nee-chan wasn't going to be visiting for a while.
Shisui, leaping across rooftops, made his way directly to the Seamstress's dress shop and had to pause on the roof.
This…was not getting any easier. But, hell, he'd asked the Hokage if he could be the one to break the news and, kami-sama, he'd do it.
It didn't feel…right, letting some emotionless ANBU tell Kiharu's various 'family' members about her potential kidnapping – kidnapping, oh god – and maybe Shisui was punishing himself a bit, almost hoping that someone would blame him and take a swing.
Kami knew he was blaming himself.
He was fourteen years old, a Jonin, and he'd failed his best friend.
The tiles were shiny and hot in the midday sun, streaming down to burn Shisui through his dark top and heating his black curls. The street below wasn't too busy, just some people casually milling about, and the Uchiha prayed that the dress shop wouldn't be in a rush. He sincerely doubted that Yuri-san was going to take this well. And as for his Elder…Akane-sama was a terrifying woman, despite (or, rather, because of?) her missing lower arm and Shisui was almost anticipating how she'd rip people – monsters, they were monsters for taking her – to shreds over Kiharu-chan.
Tilting his head back and letting the warm sunlight wash over his face, Shisui took a moment to just breathe.
With a leap, he was on the ground, the bell jingling lightly as he pushed open the door. Walking into the cool shop, the older boy grimaced at the small crowd of customers milling about inside. Women, mainly around Mikoto-sama's age, were gushing over fabric and shoes, running the two shop assistants – more friends of Kiharu – ragged and chattering like a group of colourful birds.
"Well, Shisui-kun, you seem to be out of your depth." Akane-sama drawled behind him, taking in how the young teenager had frozen in the doorway. His indecision in the face of hordes of women shopping was almost palatable. He only really came in with Kiharu, when he could use her as a meatsheild. The Elder had a scroll of designs in her arms, one hip cocked and a knowing smile pulling on her thinning lips.
You have no idea, Shisui rubbed his face for, what felt like, the millionth time.
"Is Yuri-san around? I need to speak to the two of you, immediately."
Narrowed black eyes scanned his face before Akane's head tilted towards one of the two back workshops. "Yuri's embroidering another wedding veil, we can talk back there."
"Shisui-kun!" Yuri smiled, looking up when she heard the door open. The workshop was a well-lit room, with fresh spring-green wall-panels and four sturdy benches, two with built-in sewing machines and the others covered in designs. The walls were lined with well-organised shelves, boxes upon boxes of different threads and fabrics and, right in the middle, Yuri was perched in an armchair with her lap filled with lace. Coughing lightly, she reached out her hand for his, grasping them happily in hers. Akane-sama came around her relative, leaning on the tall back of Yuri's chair and looking contemplative. "What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here today, especially without my Kiharu?"
This was just getting worse and worse, Shisui lamented. Dammit, none of this would have happened if he'd gone with Ki-chan, if the Hokage hadn't had to speak to him-
"I'm sorry, Yuri-san, but this isn't a social call." Yuri's face fell, hands limp in his, and Akane-sama straightened up. A horrible suspicion grew in the older Uchiha's mind. Too much had been happening, yesterday's revelations and now Shisui was coming here-
"Kiharu and Hitoshi, as of this morning, are considered to be missing persons."
"Oh." Yuri's hands fell into her lap with a dull thump, expression numb. "Oh."
Akane's came around the side of the chair, arms immediately wrapping around the other woman, rocking her gently as she started to cry. Shisui turned away with a hard blink, feeling like some kind of intruder. Like he shouldn't be witnessing this, two strong women hurting so much. He felt…old, like he wasn't a kid but some veteran, missing limbs and deeply scarred and tired. Like how Uncle Kagami had used to look, back when Shisui was just a little kid.
Is this how you felt, Kagami-Oji? When you'd stare out the window like you were waiting for something?
Shisui didn't really understand what he was meant to feel. He'd lost people, everyone around here had, but…Ki-chan was gone and it was his fault. And it ached, through his ribs and deep in his chest, like something eating him up from the inside. This was different from Akihiko*, they weren't fighting right now, Kiharu wasn't a shinobi or anything like that. Kiharu wasn't dead – don't think about that -, just missing. Right?
It was the uncertainty that hurt most.
…..
The world was washed with green.
Trees, tall and leafy and filled with flowers – so unlike the lofty forests of Konoha – filled my vision as far as the eye could see. I couldn't see any paths, any rivers or anything. The forest was seemingly endless, free of clearings or civilisation. But it breathed. The leaves rustled in warm breezes and strange insects chirped in an endless cascade, like whispering voices. Like fairies, my imagination wandered. I'd thought the place was filled with life, noises and colours and movement, but, the more I looked around, the more I realised I couldn't see another living creature.
It was just…Hitoshi and me.
"…cub." Hitoshi breathed, sprawled out on his side and eyes only just opened. He stood out here, inky velvet furs like a void, a living shadow, on the lush grass and twisted roots.
Pressing one hand to the dripping cut on my throat, I shuffled closer and, with my free hand, checked the predator over. His pulse was strong, thrumming hard against my fingers and I couldn't see any damage done to him by the person who'd attacked me. Leaning back on my haunches, I decided that the cat was in pretty good shape and pulled out a handkerchief, tying it tightly – like some horrible ascot – over the laceration on my neck.
Then I leapt forward and bashed a fist into Hitoshi's flank, revelling his shocked yelp.
"You IDIOT!" I snarled, furiously ignoring how wet my eyes were as I glared into wide green. "What kind of arrogant bastard goes patrolling BY THEMSELVES and then PICKS A FIGHT with a guy who can MOVE THROUGH THEM!?"
Hackles now rising and looking defensively affronted, Hitoshi pushed his forepaws under him and into a more upright position. "Excuse you, I was trying to do my duty and protect the Village- it has nothing to do with you-"
"Nothing to do with me?!" my mouth gaped, totally flabbergasted before I gathered steam again. "I was the one who saved your sorry behind! I SUMMONED you out of there! You owe me your LIFE!"
"I had it under control-"
"You were in a coma for almost a month-"
Jerking to a stop, the two of us eyed each other suspiciously. The forest was still, 'invisible' insects chirping and a lazy breeze stirring the grass and tugging at my ragged hair.
"A month?"
Eyes narrowed, I shifted to sit cross-legged, arms folded. "Yes. You had it handled?" Chuffing, the panther turned his face away, sitting a bit like that Sphinx thingy had before in Egpyt. "Let me guess… 'it has nothing to do with me?', hmm?"
"Aren't you a clever one?" Hitoshi drawled, still gazing between the trees and ignoring my growl of annoyance. It was awful enough when shinobi wouldn't tell me things because it had nothing to do with me – even when it did – but when I was involved? In the middle of this shit-storm? Fuck that excuse!
"Well, then, stupid cat, who are you going to explain yourself to? Sandaime-sama?"
"Yes…your father as well."
Leaning back on my palms, I rolled my eyes at the half-hearted responses. Typical cat. Almost dies in my arms, shoves me into a massive clusterfuck whilst sleeping for almost a month, then almost dies again, I almost die defending him, I get us the fuck outta there again, and then he snarks me!
"Well, how are we going to get back so you can do that, hmm? I'm not seeing a road sign to 'Hidden Leaf' anywhere."
….
Seiichi had made a beeline for T&I, walking straight out of the Hospital and leaping onto the nearest roof.
He'd only spared a few moments, after the Sandaime had brought them up to speed on the entire situation, to beg to bring Inoichi in on the S-Rank, possibly Chouza and Shikaku. The Hokage had agreed, understanding that Seiichi – and, therefore, Kiharu – was extremely close to the Yamanaka. Not that Seiichi had thought he wouldn't – after all, if a Kage couldn't trust his Chief Interrogator, his Head of T&I, then what?
Slamming through the doors, ignoring the kunoichi at the front desk and striding through the familiar corridors, Seiichi held all his emotions behind a wall of iron. This building wasn't the place for weakness, the prisoners and specialists could almost smell it on the wind.
The Chuunin had barely made it to the right door when it flew open, a strong hand reaching out to grab Seiichi's flak jacket and pulled him inside before anyone saw him.
Guess my mask wasn't as strong as I thought, the brunette sighed, eyes burning again as he leaned into the strong hug his 'brother' pulled him into.
"Seiichi, Shisui came and told us…how was it?" How bad was it? Is she still alive? Did she run or was she taken?
"Bad," the older man admitted painfully, forehead rested on the Yamanaka's slightly higher shoulder. "There was a kunai in the wall, Inoichi, thrown so hard it was half-way through the plaster. The blood…they identified it as hers." A sharp breath was his only reply. Pulling back, Seiichi leaned over to lock the door.
"Is it secure in here?"
Inoichi led him to a chair, pulling his own from behind his desk and sitting beside him. "Yes, I'm the Head, so my office was specially built to be as infiltration-proof and confidential as possible. We're safe to speak freely."
Leaning elbows on knees, the Chuunin covered face in his hands. "It gets worse, Inoichi. Hokage-sama has given me permission to tell you, on the condition that you are made aware that this is an S-Rank investigative mission, inside the Village."
Blue eyes pierced brown, from where they peeked over Seiichi's fingers. "Go on."
"On the night she saved him, Hitoshi told Kiharu that the man who attacked him had red eyes and an ability to move through objects, a 'Ghost' ability. Kiharu…she did her own research and finally spoke to Shisui about it. They realised it must've been a Sharingan, with a special ability from something called the Mangekyou, like what Madara supposedly had. She…she thought he was meeting someone in the village, that it was the only explanation for his presence, she said. This morning, the two of them went to Hokage-sama and told him. Kiharu, she came back to the Hospital room and- well, she was attacked. Byakugan confirmed two chakra signatures, so they think there were two of them waiting. Kiharu…she obviously stumbled on something big…"
Inoichi let out a long sigh, tugging on his ponytail with a frustrated expression. "That sweet child, I swear, we're lucky she's civilian. Could you imagine what she'd have gotten up to as a shinobi?"
A croaky chuckle escaped Seiichi's throat, a wry grin pulling on bloodless lips. "Huh, yeah, she'd either have all the villages living in peace by tea-time or a full-on international crisis. She's…damn, Inoichi, I just can't get over how smart she is. I mean, I've always known she was smart but she took those tiny clues and found something huge when none of the rest of us has caught a whiff of anything."
Inoichi was silent for a long while, eye blues assessing, and Seiichi felt pale all over again. That expression…it wasn't his blood-brother sat there, that was the Head of T&I.
"Oh Kami, what is it now? What do you know, Inoichi?"
The younger man stood up, biting his thumb to draw blood as he walked towards an unassuming filing cabinet, one of many identical ones tucked around the room, and smeared the crimson liquid across a 'random' spot. Pulling out a folder, the Yamanaka slowly came back over, retaking his seat with a cautious expression.
"Seiichi, you've let me in on a life-or-death secret just now, the same thing applies here." When the brunette gave a serious nod, the blonde continued. "Sandaime-sama has given me permission to bring anyone I deem necessary into the secret. If this is in any way connected to what happened to Hitoshi and Kiharu, both or either event, then you have a right to be involved.
"This is a file, one that very few people know exist. A few years ago, Hatake Kakashi told the Hokage of a plan to assassinate him from within the village. Hatake-san had been the one approached for the task, part of a group of Shinobi reserved for the darkest Black Ops."
"ROOT," Seiichi breathed, eyes wide. ROOT was something of a living legend, ANBU so dark they couldn't function as people anymore. Whilst highly effective, Seiichi had always found the idea repulsive, to groom people to live for nothing but the violence. The Dazai had wanted to be a Shinobi to protect the village and do what was right, not to bathe in the blood of his enemies.
"I thought they were gone, though-" Yondaime-sama had done it, Seiichi was pretty sure. He was just a Chuunin but, well, things were easy to pick up if you paid attention. Kiharu was kind of like her old man in that way. A sudden spike in new shinobi, too old for the academy or Corps and many of whom hadn't been seen in years, suddenly moving into apartments. The awkward smiles and zero understanding of human interaction was a dead give away. In all honesty, it hadn't been hard.
"No, Seiichi, Yondaime-sama tried but, in the aftermath of Kyuubi, some of the Elders insisted they be brought back in-" which explained why those incredibly stark figures had seemingly faded into society because they hadn't "and placed under the leadership of Danzo-sama."
Seiichi blinked. Danzo, as in Shimura Danzo, the Sandaime's old teammate?
"Tou-san…is the Civilian Council just for the civilians, like, the members are all civilians?"
Seiichi laughed, tossing an amused smile over the top of his newspaper at Ki-chan, who was flipping pancakes. Mmm, strawberry. His favourite. "Of course, Hime, otherwise that would defeat the point!"
"Then why was Mitokado Homura leading the board to hear my petition?"
The morning sunlight filtered through the thin paper and Seiichi had to tilt the sheets so he could read easier, absorbed in the reporter's article on the summer's up-and-coming Chuunin exams. Frowning in confusion, Seiichi glanced up distractedly. "Sorry-what?"
Kiharu patiently repeated herself, spatula held aloft and blue eyes careful. "Why was Mitokado Homura leading the Civilian Council?"
Seiichi clamped his eyes shut, internally flinching at the clarity of that memory. Kiharu…but-
Wasn't Homura one of Danzo's firm supporters, an old teammate? Was this…connected? Something just didn't feel right here.
"Do you think this is connected to Danzo-sama?" He voiced carefully. 'Brother' or no, this was dangerous territory.
"Perhaps…he has shown interest in taking the 'welfare' of Konoha into his own hands, if recent and past actions are taken into account. If he thought Kiharu was a security issue, he might have 'apprehended' her behind the Hokage's back."
"And the kunai in the wall? The blood?" Narrowed dark eyes pierced pupil-less turquoise.
With another frustrated noise, Inoichi rubbed his thumbs over the seam on the file. "That's where this could get tricky. Kiharu has shown that she is reluctant to confide in us-" the blonde's mouth twisted like he'd tasted something bitter and Seiichi could relate. She'd not told either of them. "-so she either knows something that Danzo doesn't want to risk being exposed or he considers a serious threat. Or we're missing something…perhaps that Danzo is already involved somehow."
The office was silent for a long moment, the two men trying to wrap their heads around the massive situation a little civilian girl had unearthed.
"We need to go to the Hokage."
…
The lunch rush had just ended and Mikoto took a moment to take a long drink of water.
The day was warm and filled with blinding sunlight. Inside of the stall, the shade felt stifling and humid, rather than a reprieve. The water was heavenly, so cold the older woman could feel it all the way down her throat, and she'd never realised how dry her mouth had become until that moment.
Another figure entered the stall and Mikoto automatically turned to greet them, setting aside her glass and gently smiling in welcome. Curls ducked inside and the Matriarch smiled slightly wider.
"Shisui-kun, good afternoon. Kiharu's not in today, but what can I get you? Yondaime's, again?"
The younger boy looked distressed, turning to survey the loitering customers before taking a deep breath and announcing loudly; "Sorry everyone, Nekki's is going to be closing early today, in ten minutes or so, so please finish your meals and thank you for your consideration!"
It was a testament to how much of a fixture Shisui was at the stall that no one questioned him, only murmuring over what could have warranted such a thing. By the end of the day, everyone in the village would know that the little Baking girl from Market Street was missing, anyway.
"Shisui?" Mikoto assessed the Jonin and felt a curl of dread. This was eerily reminiscent of yesterday morning. Well, aside fro-
"No." Mikoto's eyes, pitch black and devoid of their usual light-heartedness, seemed to burn in her face. "Where's Kiharu-chan, Shisui-kun?"
Dropping into a stool nearby, the one Kiharu always kept to the side for Chouji-chan, Shisui shrugged helplessly, mouth twisted like it wanted to tremble. "That's the thing, Mikoto-sama, we don't know. Kiharu…she and Hitoshi are missing."
Customers started leaving, mumbling amongst themselves and throwing curious glances over at the Uchiha pair, who were frozen behind blank masks. When the stall was empty, Mikoto still did not speak but simply started packing everything away with clinical efficiency. Shisui rose and helped her, having spent so much time just chilling here – and also secretly snacking on ingredients but, with Ki-chan, was it really secret? – that he knew where everything was. When everything was in the fridge, freezer or cold-room, all the surfaces washed and all machines turned off at the plug, Mikoto tore off her apron. Her mouth was a straight line, face pale and, whilst she seemed to have an unforgivingly short leash on her emotions, her hands did not waver.
The walk towards the Compound was deceptively peaceful, a pretence for the onlookers, and Mikoto looked, for all the world, like she was calmly heading home at the usual time.
When the gates came into view, the Uchiha Lady turned to her companion, placing a cold hand on his shoulder. "Shisui-kun, please go find Itachi and Sasuke, they should be training together today. Tell them what's happened but please keep them from the house for the afternoon."
Swallowing hard, Shisui nodded. What did Mikoto have planned? "Hai, Mikoto-sama."
"Thank you, Shisui-kun."
And the Uchiha Matriarch continued up the road alone. Shisui stood for a moment longer, watching her smoothly stride through the Compound, all the power and control of a Kage, and wondered if she planned to linch Fugaku-sama. Then, without stirring a leaf, Shunshin no Shisui was gone.
The main house was deceptively quiet when Mikoto slid open the door, toeing off her sandals and slipping on her house-slippers. A glance into the Kitchen showed that the kettle was still steaming, as it usually was around this time, and she followed the quiet sounds of shuffling paper and the lingering scent of tea to her husband's office.
This…was going to be difficult.
Tapping a single knuckle of the wooden frame, waiting for Fugaku's grunt, the black-haired woman slid open the door, expression mild. Once she had closed the door after herself, she casually slipped over to kneel on the other side of the low desk.
Fugaku glanced up from his work, brush held aloft, and his eyebrow quirked almost imperceptively at his visitor. "Mikoto? I thought you were at that stall today?"
"Oh, we finished early." Mikoto smiled, slowly reaching over to swipe her thumb – bleeding from a careful nick of her hairpin – across the privacy seal under the Clan Head's desk. "Now, I have something important I need to discuss with you, Shujin."
Mikoto rarely acted this way, Fugaku set down his brush carefully, feeling unexpectedly cautious. In fact, he could count the incidences on one hand. She normally was rather content to busy herself with running the Compound, looking after their sons, since she'd retired. Working at that bakery was new, yes, but it had been a long time in the coming. Mikoto had always enjoying cooking and, when that civilian child introduced her to new recipes, Fugaku had acknowledged that it was only a matter of time.
"Oh?"
A serene smile pulled at his wife's lips and Fugaku felt a sharp spike of wariness. His own Mangekyou or no, Mikoto was vicious when she wanted to be.
"I was told something quite interesting today, Shujin." Mikoto leaned over, pouring herself a cup of tea (an extra cup was always to hand, in case of visitors) and gracefully sipping at the warm, fragrant liquid. "The Elders seemed to be putting a lot more pressure on the idea of a coup, in recent years, haven't they?"
There was really no reply for that.
"Fugaku, the man who attacked Hitoshi had a Sharingan that could allow him to travel through objects and attacks unaffected. This morning, Kiharu-chan and her summon, Hitoshi, were discovered missing." Fugaku's jaw clenched.
"What are you suggesting, Mikoto?" Are you accusing our Clan?
Leaning closer, Mikoto rested one pale hand on her husband's. Whether it was a warning or a symbol of understanding, Fugaku could not tell.
"I'm saying that the Uchiha cannot be seen as responsible."
"Are you supportive of the idea of the coup, Mikoto?"
Laughing gently, like her husband had made a silly little joke, the Uchiha Matriarch took another sip of tea. "No. I'm saying, if we catch whoever did this – because someone has obviously taken those two, wanting to cover their tracks – then the Uchiha will rejoin the Village. Ensuring that the Village is aware of our devotion and loyalty to Konohagakure will prove invaluable in mending the rift." Tilting her head, Mikoto's eyes finally softened.
Fugaku was not comforted, acutely aware of how deadly his wife could be. Some people might have forgotten, just because she was a devoted mother, that Mikoto had been a fearsome Kenjutsu expert and an Elite Jonin. Fugaku was not so foolish.
"I have little interest in petty resentment, grudges that no one remembers the origins of. Nor do I hold stock in trivial rumours or silly gossip. I want our Clan to be stronger and this is the way. No coup, Fugaku, just strength and solidarity.
And I do not care if I have to take action against the nay-sayers. So, Shujin, are you with me or against me?"
…
At the Akimichi Compound, three small children huddled together in a corner of the sofa.
They didn't really understand what was going on.
Kaa-san had told Ino that her nee-chan wouldn't be visiting for a while, which was awful! Nee-chan better not have forgot to come round – She was always making stuff and running around with that smiley boy and Ino hadn't had a sleepover in ages! But, Kaa-san had been really upset, telling her to pack up her toys and get her shoes on. Leaving the house, Kaa-san stopped to talk to Tetsu-nii (he was so annoying) and then, they went to see Chouji's Mama. Coming in the door, Chouji greeted her with a smile but Shikamaru was already there, sleeping already!
Ino had gone straight up to the two boys, Chouji looking confused and Shika irritated, and demanded they tell her why nee-chan was too busy to visit. The two older boys had paused for a moment, sharing a look which had made Ino stamp her foot in frustration – don't leave me out! – before Shikamaru sat upright.
The adults were huddled by the door, mumbling amongst themselves, when Shikaku and Chouza came through from the back.
"Sora, you sent Tetsu-kun for us, what's happened?" Chouza rumbled, half a step in front of the Jonin Commander.
Ignoring Ino's whining, Shikamaru turned his head to listen. Something had happened, his aunties and kaa-san looked worried.
"-Kiharu's gone missing, Inoichi's already at the office-"
Oh. The Nara heir turned his head away, curling up again and pretending he was asleep.
He wasn't even 5 yet but he wasn't stupid. Something bad had happened to Kiharu-nee-chan and they didn't want to scare them. Ino and Chouji shuffled away, thankfully leaving him alone, as he heard them pitter-patter over to their parents. The sofa was warm and the cushion Shika buried his face in smelled like ginger. He wasn't going to cry, he wasn't.
"-Shisui told us a short while ago-"
A warm hand came down on his back, shaking him gently, by the dark-haired little boy ignored it.
"…son," a familiar voice rumbled above him and Shika slowly turned his head. He felt groggy, and his legs hurt a bit from how he'd been twisted. He must've fallen asleep at some point…
"Oyaji," the younger brunette glared balefully, even as Shikaku swept him up onto his hip. The old man should be out there looking if he was so clever- "You're going to find Kiharu-nee, aren't you?"
Blowing out a breath at his son's knowledge – he really expected nothing less –, the Nara Head nodded, a small, vicious smirk pulling on his lips. He'd always like Kiharu, she was a sweet kid who was good for his son, very clever even if she was terrible at board games. She'd always been very, dare he say it, cute in her enthusiasm around him. And she was a sharp as any kunai. Poor kid didn't deserve this.
"Yeah, kid, we will."
Shikamaru never stopped frowning.
….
By nightfall, almost the entire village had heard about the little civilian girl who was missing.
Some people shrugged their shoulders apathetically, this was a shinobi world and things like this happened all the time. Some people felt pity for a little girl or the young baker they recognised from the Market.
In an Uchiha training field, Itachi and Sasuke had spent the afternoon with their older cousin, only being allowed to return home when the sun had started to dip behind the Hokage monument. The youngest boy was confused, wondering why Shisui-nii looked so lost, before he determinedly claimed that his nii-san would find Kiharu because 'he was the best ninja and he could do anything'. Itachi had smiled sadly, saying nothing.
Inoichi and Seiichi had spent hours cooped up in the former's office, trailing through reports and testimonies and trying to piece everything together. They left to report their findings to the Hokage as night was setting in.
Genma finally went home, after a 12-hour shift, to find Izumo and Kotetsu eating Yondaime's from Ichiraku's and looking mournful. Their scruffed up clothes and bruised faces told him that they'd been sparring, probably to vent some frustration. He could understand the sentiment. Raidou had been quiet all day, staring at the portion of takoyaki he'd grabbed for lunch for a long moment, seeming lost that it wasn't the usual free pretzel. And even then, Mikoto-sama had closed shop (Genma had picked up on the gossip) when Shisui had arrived and announced that Nekki's was closing early before both had returned to the Uchiha Compound.
Hana Inuzuka had been seen running through the village to the memorial site, dogs trailing behind her, and sitting in front of a small headstone decorated with faded silk flowers and glass beads. Thinking back on it, Genma reasoned that it must've been her and Kiharu's old friend from when they were really small, that Yamanaka girl who'd never been found after Kyuubi. Poor kid, she was probably remembering how the other girl had gone 'missing' as well.
They all were.
In a small apartment complex, a Nara was writing at the pokey desk in the corner of his bedroom. When his best friend had dropped off his cousins, he Shunshin-ed through the window and the two boys talked long into the night.
…..
"Always keep a little prayer in your pocket
and you're sure to see the light."
Grubby fingers, dirty from rooting for berries in the bushes, brushed through inky fur. The strands were swept this way and that, shining in the low light, and I burrowed both hands in the warmth.
"Soon there'll be joy and happiness,
and your little world will be bright…
Have faith little one,
'Til your hopes and your wishes come true."
Rumbling breathing and my own high, reedy voice were the only real sounds around us. Hitoshi was exhausted, sleeping most of the day and unable to support himself for long. It had been less than a month, but his muscles had still deteriorated slightly and he was weak from being fed via a tube. His massive head in my lap, he rumbled contentedly as I sang one of my favourite childhood songs. My first mum had liked to use it as a lullaby, we'd all enjoyed it so much.
"You must try to be brave little one.
Someone's waiting to…love…you…"
"You haven't sung so openly in a long time, Kiharu." 'Toshi rumbled in my arms and I blinked in surprise. I'd long thought he'd fallen asleep.
"Yeah, but I got used to humming to you when you were sleeping, so it's a bit different. The nurses said that sometimes people in comas could hear stuff so we were encouraged to talk to you. I'd run out of things to say, eventually and just…started singing, instead." I shrugged, rubbing velvet ears between my fingers. "How are you feeling?"
"Chakra is still very low," the feline grunted, open for once in his sorry life. "It will take me almost a week to get back to a level I can take us back…and since when, you lazy cub, did you learn how to reverse summon? It took months to get you to summon me…"
Gritting my teeth, I smoothed the fur around his tiredly blinking eyes. "Tou-san showed me and I practised really hard but I couldn't actually try it out until back there in the room. I didn't even know if it was going to work…" fingers reached up to brush my throat, the cut slowly starting to dry up, and glazed eyes remembered how close it had been. I was lucky that Tou-san had low-key made me a jumpy little shit. "…Let's just say I was motivated."
A rough pink tongue, harsh as sandpaper, flicked out and skimmed my wrist.
Urgh, gross, crotch-mouth. And, 'Toshi probably had month-long morning breath.
The forest was really dark now, very little moonlight filtering through the dense foliage, and I really didn't know how to start a fire. Matches were my friends, not flint. Thankfully, I had my own kitty-shaped space heater and the forest was pretty tropical. The temperature had definitely dropped since the sun went down but it was still comfortable out.
"Hitoshi…this was where you lived, right?" a pause and then a reluctant grunt. Understandable.
"Why are there no other creatures here? Like, I hear the crickets – well, I think they're crickets, they sound weird, like whispers – but I haven't seen one bug?"
A heavy sigh, this one reverberating deep in the panther's chest. I thought it sounded…weary, mournful. His hot breath warmed my hands and I bit my lip in anticipation.
"Those aren't crickets, Kiharu. Summons aren't like humans or the creatures on your plane. We don't have a heaven. When we 'die', our spirits are returned to our ancestral home. That isn't the cascades but my fellow summons, unseen and whispering to each other, that you can hear. Some nights, you might even see shadows in the corners of your eyes."
Oh.
Lips numb, I resumed my gentle petting. No wonder he hates it here…his entire pride is all around him but just out of reach. Without thinking, my mouth moved on its own.
"Can you…understand them?"
Hitoshi's eyes flicked up to look at me, giving me such a disparaging look, I wanted to swallow my tongue.
"….no, Kiharu, I cannot."
"Oh."
"Yeah, 'Oh', now tell me what I missed whilst I was unconscious, cub."
Memo to self, never ask again…Second memo to self, work on reading the mood.
"Err, well-" I fumbled, like the asshole I was, "I've spent most of my time between the shop and your room. Tou-san's stuck to the missions desk and patrol and I think Fugaku is petitioning to put Itachi through the next Chuunin exams by himself-" And wasn't that just another thing to add to the bullshit pile? "Ino-chan has a new arch-nemesis, besides cousin Tetsu, in this little girl who keeps on calling her flowers stupid. Mikoto and I were talking about circulating our menu, having daily or weekly specials for all my 'extra-awesome' – Shisui's words, not mine – desserts. Like the cheesecake flavours etc."
The predator rumbled to show he was listening, ears twitching slightly when I combed through the longer hair on his jawline.
"Ensui was really annoyed last week, Yoshino has liked Mikoto-hime's earrings for ages and finally managed to wrangle out where she got them from. And he can't blame me for ratting him out, she was getting ready to use Shika-time as a guilt trip! So, yeah, she won't leave him alone about it. I'm actually really impressed he's still holding out, especially when – last Thursday – she hired him to do all the D-Ranks around the Compound in a single afternoon. Like, serious ouch."
I nattered on for hours, voice getting hoarse as the forest darkened, eventually turning pitch-black. At that point, I'd laid down against 'Toshi's side, curled up like a kitten to his warm belly and hidden my face in his fur.
It focused on what I needed to do when we got back, not wanting the linger too long on how everyone had probably reacted to our disappearance. Not to mention the state of the hospital room.
Poor tou-san...all by himself in Konoha…
No, I swallowed harshly, Inoichi-Oji and Sora-oba will look after him. And Mikoto would look after Shisui, the kids watching each other's backs. I couldn't be with them right now but I wasn't going to be gone forever. This wasn't heaven.
Most of all, I tried really hard not to think about how they were reacting, investigation-wise. Tou-san can't know that my reverse-summoning worked, it took me so long to get the first bit down…what if they thought I'd been taken? Would they go on a manhunt for Tobi or look inside the village?
Had Shisui told the Hokage?
"Hey, 'Toshi?" I whispered, trying not to think of how dark everything was, the whispers around us, the eerie silence of the woods. My stomach squirmed uncomfortably, unsatisfied with some measly berries (Hitoshi hadn't been in any state to get us to the river he remembered) and those shitty pork buns at breakfast felt like a lifetime ago. A grunt was my answer.
"I…I hope we can go home soon."
A heavy paw fell over my shoulders, the weight – almost stifling – was comforting, like I was completely protected. A thick tail curled over my hip and I fisted my hands into the panther's soft underbelly.
"We'll be home soon, cub…go to sleep."
…
*Akihiko; 'Shining Prince', the name I gave to the best friend whose death activated Shisui's Mangekyou.
A/N- Hi! First things first, W.O.W. Guys, the last chapter had over 60 reviews?! That is amazing and I'm so grateful for all the support! I honestly cannot believe it. Truly, it means the world to me and hope you'll all take the time to do it again! As an Author, it can be super scary posting, like you're just talking to the void. I mean, no matter how many views I get, who's to say that people don't just read a chapter and then write it off? All the follows/favs and reviews (and the 10 communities that have so far added this story) are just a total blessing, so thanks again. And as for the five guests who trolled me on here? All I had to do was reread your amazing words and I didn't feel so scared anymore. Such awesome support makes their words completely forgettable so I promise to complete this story to the best of my ability! YOSH! So, thank you, guys 3
Now, this chapter was kinda like my little summary. Meaning, I tied my brain in knots trying to write all the different perspectives so I had to leave it for a few days and then smash it in 8 hours! Yay! I mean, it's only been 5 days since my last update but, by my standards, that's like weeks haha. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter and please comment again! X
P.S- the song is from the Rescuer's Movie
P.P.S- new chapters/artwork added to "Kiharu and Friends"...including double Shisui cameos and some Shika fluff hehe search it on AO3 or my Tumblr " x-authorship-x "