DISCLAIMER- I own nada! Any brand refs etc. are not paid for etc. I just like to reference shit.
….
Fire is strange.
It's this thing, it's not like the other three elements.
And what it stands for can be even more confusing...death, rebirth, cleansing, marring…
…that you left the oven on…
…..
The folder made a loud 'slap!' when Ensui dropped it onto Mikoto's desk (it was just his table that she'd commandeered).
"What's this?" The Matriarch raised a brow, sitting back from where she'd been pouring over the testimonies of the hospital staff who'd been on shift at the time of the kidnapping.
"A list of the Medical staff who were around Hitoshi's room in the 48 hours surrounding the attack."
"Anyone there who shouldn't have been?" Mikoto rubbed at the crease between her brows.
Puffing out his cheeks, Ensui skimmed through the file in question. "Nope. All certified medics and nurses - well, aside from an intern but he was signed off as delivering paperwork - and no one is suspect."
Ensui sighed tiredly, turning to lean a hip on the edge of the small table and flipping open a new file. "I also spoke to the people inside the Hokage Tower that morning. A Chuunin, Yuuhi Kurenai, said that Shisui Shunshin-ed both himself and Kiharu inside the Tower, first thing."
"We already knew that; Shisui told us that himself days ago." Mikoto pointed out.
"Ah," Ensui flipped the page. "But, what we didn't know was that Yuuhi-san was also there when Inoichi-sama and Seiichi-san spoke to the Hokage a few days ago." Mikoto leaned forward, intrigued, and Ensui's forefinger started tracing sections of the report. "She said that all was quiet for a long time but then, Hokage-sama demanded a Medic over the Intercom, his voice so loud she heard it two floors below, and she saw a man being transported via stretcher around 10 minutes later. Inoichi-sama and Seiichi-san then left immediately in the direction of T&I."
"Interesting," Mikoto mused, slowly standing up and walking over to the whiteboard the Nara had 'liberated' from the Station. Picking up a red marker, she started drawing out a rough timeline. "So we have both Inoichi and Seiichi in the Hokage Tower just before an unidentified man was rushed to the hospital. Wait-" She turned sharply, piercing her 'apprentice' with dark eyes over one shoulder. "Did Yuuhi-san hear anything before the Medic was called?"
Scanning the report, Ensui slowly shook his head. "No...No, it was a total surprise, she says here."
Tapping one slim finger to her chin, Mikoto reconsidered her diagram. "So, either it was spontaneous, like a silent technique or a poisoning, or the privacy seals were up."
Snapping his fingers on a sudden thought, Ensui rifled through his knapsack for a moment or two before holding up a crumpled pad of notes in triumph. "Here! When I went to speak to the nurses three days ago, they were really depressed over the death of a Jonin. He was in a private room one section over from Hitoshi's ward and, apparently, in a lot of pain before he passed." Frantically flipping through coffee-stained pages, the Nara stabbed his finger onto a pencil-faded note.
"Here, Mikoto-shishou-" Ensui, walked over to the older woman, "I made a note of it because the event, after Kiharu and Hitoshi's disappearance, seemed to really lower morale in the medic corps and I also thought it was weird. Besides this issue with those two, there haven't been any violent conflicts - I know, I checked when I was keeping an eye on if that unknown man was causing any more trouble - and there were no members of a team either loitering around or being treated as well. The nurse I spoke to only seemed to think it was okay to discuss it because I flashed the badge you leant me."
"So," Mikoto picked up the train of thought. "He wasn't on a mission or-" a spark of understanding lit up her dark eyes, "He wasn't injured on the normal line of duty. Tell me, Ensui-kun, why would a man be poisoned so severely with no teammates and not be taken to the emergency room?"
Hazel eyes blinked. "…ANBU."
"And, is this the part when you tell me he was admitted just after a Medic rushed a man from the Hokage Tower?"
Ensui merely nodded, slumping back on his coffee table.
"So, he was either already there when Inoichi and Seiichi arrived or...he came later, by a different way."
"...Neither Inoichi or Seiichi use poisons, Shishou."
Lips twisting, Mikoto flipped the marker in her hand a few times. "Neither does Hokage-sama. So, why was he poisoned? From the sounds of it, it wasn't a slow acting or a subtle one; painful deaths like those tend to be very quick to spread through the body or spontaneous after long-term exposure. If he was ANBU inside Hokage-sama's office, then there are very few ways he could have been infected, without everyone else in the room also being similarly indisposed."
"So, he was hurt defending Hokage-sama? From who? And, if there was an attempt of Hokage-sama's life, why didn't the alarms go off?" Ensui wondered aloud, jaw tilted back as he contemplated the ceiling.
Black eyes hardened like two chips of flint. "I have an idea." There's only one rat who wouldn't warrant a Village-wide response.
"Ensui-kun," Mikoto stared down at the file with unseeing eyes as the Nara turned to look at her. "I want his file, ASAP."
Staring for a second, Ensui nodded, tugging on his sandals and shrugging on his flak jacket."...I'll see what I can do, Shishou."
"Ensui-kun," Mikoto's call stopped him just as he reached the door. "Even if you have to be...discreet...memorise what you can and report back to me."
"Ah. Sure thing, Shishou."
The door clicked behind him.
With a tired sigh, Mikoto slumped down onto the Chuunin's sofa, eyes staring out the window and over the rooftops without really seeing them.
Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was something. Either way, Mikoto had a hunch this was all connected.
Oh, Kiharu-chan. Is it not strange that one little girl and her cat led us here?
Ensui returned an hour later, looking thoroughly ruffled and more than a bit harried, opening the door and then slamming it shut behind him. Mikoto, turning from pinning up photographs of the Medics with access to Hitoshi's room, couldn't contain the slight smile that quirked her lips.
"Run into some trouble?"
Swallowing hard, Ensui shoved some crumpled pages into the Matriarch's hands and turned away. "I don't- want to talk about it." He croaked.
Amused despite herself, Mikoto straightened the pages to read, mumbling distractedly, "So long as you didn't break any laws that I'd have to defend you from, Ensui-kun."
The red-faced Chuunin made a wordless sound of embarrassment before slouching into the kitchenette, presumably for coffee. His ponytail was lopsided.
Flipping open the file, Mikoto settled down to read, lips twitching at the small smear of lipgloss in the top corner.
Well. He did say one of his classmates was working in that ward.
"Ensui-kun." The Matriarch flipped the file closed. "You just came back but...could you go to my husband at the Station?"
Nodding, the teenager's eyes narrowed but he let it go. "And what will you do, Shishou?"
Smacking the pages into the opposite palm a few times, Mikoto considered the whiteboard. "I have a few questions of my own to ask…I'll meet the two of you there."
Reaching under the coffee table, the 'ex'-Jounin swung her sword through the air, the blade a flash of silver in the light. Her Katana slid into its holster, strapped across her back, with a sharp 'snap'.
…..
The afternoon sunlight was just fading into evening when Inoichi and Seiichi walked up the steps to Danzo's house.
The property was large, ornate and traditional on the outskirts of the main Village. A koi fish pond was built into the front garden and a small bridge connected the gates to the steps. Red beams and white walls, black tiles and lots of trees, Danzo certainly lived in comfort. There had been no one at the gate (Danzo, supposedly, lived alone) and so the two had found their walk unimpeded up to the door.
Seiichi pulled at his flak jacket nervously, settling it more comfortably on his shoulders, before lifting a hand and rapping a single knuckle on the red door.
A timid-looking housekeeper pulled the door open a moment later.
"Good evening," Inoichi stepped forwards after both men had bowed respectfully, smiling politely. "Is Danzo-sama home?"
"Hai, Yamanaka-sama, shinobi-san. I'll show you to the study if you would please follow me?" The small blonde, dressed in a plain blue yukata, stepped aside to let them enter - Seiichi took the moment to introduce himself - and then turned to show the duo down the hall.
He knew when we arrived but there was no one at the gates or visible, Inoichi noted, catching his friend's eye and blinking once. Guards, then, or maybe even ROOT.
When Seiichi looked forwards again, he scratched his nose six times. Six...six signatures...
The blonde flicked his hair back over his shoulder with a small toss of his head. How close?
Seiichi's eyes trailed across the ceiling, seemingly taking in the traditional decor that covered the halls as they moved towards the back of the house. Inoichi mentally reminded himself that Genma and the ANBU had the property surrounded.
The housekeeper finally stopped in front of a sliding door, traditional rice paper with thin golden lines painted over it. Kneeling respectfully, she slid the door open. "Danzo-sama, Yamanaka-sama and Chuunin Dazai-san have come to see you."
"Come in." A scratchy voice intoned.
The Elder was sat seiza in front of a traditional writing desk, hands folded and eyes closed. The room was very minimalist, only a few scrolls hung from the walls and bookshelves with sliding doors concealing their contents. Danzo didn't even twitch when they entered. His serenity pissed Seiichi off.
Walking inside, the housekeeper sliding the door closed behind them, Inoichi and Seiichi lowered themselves to sit opposite the old war hawk, faces neutral.
Finally, Danzo's shrewd eyes opened. "What is the purpose of your visit, gentlemen?"
"We need to ask you some simple questions is all, Danzo-sama." Seiichi smiled politely, all teeth and no humour. "We understand that your time must be very valuable."
"Oh? I did not know you did your own grunt work, Inoichi-san."
The blonde didn't even blink at the slight, reaching into his pouch and pulling out a notepad. Seiichi found the image of Danzo being questioned like a commoner on the street corner strangely satisfying, regardless of the fancy house. "Danzo-sama, do you know of a Dazai Kiharu?"
Blinking slowly, evidently unimpressed, Danzo leaned back with his hands tucked into his sleeves. Silently, like a hospitable house-spirit, the housekeeper reentered and poured them all tea, shuffled back out without being acknowledged once. Neither men touched their tea.
"Is she not the girl who ran away with a summon?" He sounded...bored. As if the girl in question's father was not sat opposite, staring with steely eyes.
Seiichi's fingers twitched in his lap but, beyond that minuscule tell, he didn't give the older man the satisfaction of seeing him react. Inoichi moved to speak, the brunette not trusting himself.
"She was abducted alongside the comatose summon, in fact." The blonde flipped a few pages before turning to show the older shinobi. "Do you recognise this in any way, Danzo-sama?"
Delicate black lines curved over the page, crisscrossing in an incredibly complex design that neither man could make heads or tails of. The entire image was vaguely similar to a lotus flower, sharp triangles filled with curved lines originating from a central seal. Inoichi had had to Mind Walk both Seiichi and the female ANBU to get the image down correctly.
The bandaged man was silent for a long, tense moment. "...No."
Seiichi plastered a look of faint surprise over his face before he spoke up. "Well, that's funny, considering we found that activated to conceal the presence of a Black Ops Shinobi, one not under orders from Hokage-sama."
Smile like a slash across his face, the Head of T&I leaned forwards slightly. "Perhaps one of your ROOT, then, hmm?"
"I beg your pardon, Inoichi-san?" Danzo closed his eyes, looking both affronted and aloof. Seiichi's temper wracked up another notch.
"There is no one in Konohagakure that can produce seals of such a high and complex standard, Danzo-sama. Except, someone obviously can. So, who is it, Danzo-sama?"
Lids opening once more, those small eyes now held a spark of irritation, harsh lines deepening even further. "What are you insinuating, Inoichi-san?" The unspoken warning, 'be very careful with your next words', was extremely clear, hanging in the air between them.
"I knew Minato for a very long time, back when we first joined the Academy, and he was a true genius of Fuinjutsu. Kushina as well. In the two years before he died, Minato liked to tell us about an extremely promising Genin that had been flagged for his skill with seals, a young boy promised to Kushina as an apprentice. Unfortunately, the Genin died on the night of the Nine-tails attack."
Slowly, the Yamanaka turned the next page, the only noise in the office the whisper of parchment on calloused fingers. A torn piece of paper was tucked in between the pages, a specialised sealing design that had Seiichi's mind in knots just looking at it.
"Fuinjutsu specialists all have a certain, identifiable style. Just like how everyone has different handwriting, we can tell which manufacturers have produced certain explosive tags or sealing scrolls in the Weapons Stalls. I, personally, lack the eye to properly appreciate creations such as these…However,"
Pupil-less aquamarine flicked up to pierce the Elder.
"Minato's old Guards certainly spent enough time with him to have a strong grasp. They were most helpful in identifying the creator." Inoichi slid the old seal from where he'd folded it into the spine, flipping back a few pages and holding the two images side-by-side.
"So, maybe you can explain, Danzo-sama, why Fujioka Eijirou, apparently not dead, is creating extremely complex seals for you."
Teeth flashed in a sneer as Danzo drew himself up, clearly affronted. "Are you insinuating that I am behind this...this attack?" He waved a disparaging hand.
"Why don't you tell us?" Seiichi leaned back, looking for all the world like he was just, as his daughter liked to call it, 'chilling' (He figured Ki-chan would be proud of him).
"You have no proof and these claims are unfounded, casting aspersions on my character."
"Untrue, but," Inoichi shrugged, turning over another page in his little book. "How about this one?"
A grotesque photograph of Tatsuma's corpse, mouth swollen and seal clearly visible, stared out at the war hawk, taped onto the pages of the notepad.
Black, beady eyes barely glanced at the photo, lifting to stare at his two 'interrogators' apathetically.
"Well, Danzo-sama?" Inoichi asked when the older shinobi made no move to reply. The bandaged man simply sipped his tea. "Danzo-sama," The Yamanaka frowned. "Concealing the survival of one of Konohagakure's most promising shinobi was criminal enough. That you then proceeded to use his skills for your own purposes, turned those skills against the Village and against our Kage, is treason. And that is not taking into consideration your grooming of Academy students, without parental consent or approval from Hokage-sama, amongst other crimes. I must urge you to answer our questions or else, when you are taken into custody, this line of enquiry will continue in an interrogation cell."
Not that you'll be going anywhere else, regardless.
"Your questions are inane, baseless and unconnected to me."
Nodding, as if to concede the point, Seiichi fished inside his flak jacket before producing a small scroll, the length of his hand and marked with the red seal of Hokage-sama. "Yes, I suppose you have a point…you could deny any involvement…which is why we have a warrant here, Danzo, to search your property and the ROOT base for that proof."
Shimura sighed, putting down his tea, just as the rice-door slid open again behind them. The Dazai's eyebrow twitched slightly at the interruption before he froze when the new chakra signature registered.
How...how the hell did he not sense the approaching chakra? He'd been on high-alert the entire time…
"Uchiha-sama to see you, Danzo-sama."
…
Balanced in a tree with chakra channelled to his ears, Shisui was the picture of a professional shinobi.
Inside, however, he was a jittering mess.
Usually, the young Jounin was really good at focusing on the mission, his duty and his orders, but what with everything at stake right now? If Danzo knew anything about Ki-chan and Hitoshi? To say he was all but vibrating in anticipation was putting it lightly.
It had been hard, trying to be professional about everything. He knew he'd let some things through the cracks, his Uchiha mask fractured slightly. But what was harder, even more so than feeling like he was running in circles and getting nowhere,?
The fact that barely anyone cared.
Kiharu wasn't anyone in the Village, just another kid, another civilian, another faceless shopkeeper (a young one). This world was a cruel one and Shisui knew well enough that children, young girls especially (and very young boys), went missing all the time. It made him feel sick.
Shisui knew a lot of kids; a lot of younger cousins, Kiharu's little following, not to mention the more vulnerable brats like that kid Naruto he'd taken out for lunch a few times (he always seemed to pop up just when Shisui was looking for a bite). The idea that any of them or Kiharu could be taken was awful.
Ki-chan's kidnapping was probably even worse.
Shisui didn't want to find out if there was a stage beyond his Mangekyou.
Danzo had been extremely irritating with his evasion of answering and Shisui was sorely tempted to burst through the window and strangle the confession out of him. Not that he would. Of course.
His tree stirred slightly in the evening breeze and Shisui forced himself not to tense. A little breeze wasn't a sign of anything.
However, two minutes later, the Uchiha found himself freezing when he picked up on the next words spoken.
"Uchiha-sama to see you, Danzo-sama."
What?!
Perturbed that they'd not sensed anyone coming, Shisui's brows furrowed in thought. Inching carefully along his branch, Shisui soundlessly dropped down onto Jackal's and, holding his hand up clearly, the curly-haired boy started signing frantically. What-now-plan-interrupted.
The ANBU shrugged slightly, gesturing for him to wait-watch-listen and Shisui felt the rest of their squad settle back down again, vaguely embarrassed he'd been the one running for reassurance, even if they were all obviously thrown by the turn of events.
Sharingan still spinning, Shisui took a scant second to make sure his genjutsu over the group was still holding strong before tuning back in.
"-back to Headquarters for further questioning-"
"-to the Station. You are under arrest-"
"-that will not be possible."
Things happened very quickly.
Suddenly, multiple chakra signatures flared into existence and Shisui snarled, unsheathing his katana and leaping in the direction of his team leaders. "They came from nowhere! Even my Sharingan saw nothing-"
Kunai drawn and ready, Jackal jumped alongside the young Jounin. "Seals," He spat and Shisui abruptly remembered those that had apparently writhed over Tatsuma's skin, the one seared onto his tongue.
The figures moved quickly, dressed in black with ghostly pale masks, and dashed towards their leader. In the treetops around and on the roof above, the two groups clashed in a violent clammer of weapons and taijutsu. Moving fast, Shisui slashed his blade at two masked figures, furiously wondering which ROOT had attacked his best friend, and gritted his teeth when they both dodged.
The sounds of a fight resounded through the thin walls of the office and Shisui forced himself to focus on his own opponents. Those three could handle themselves.
The shorter male whipped out two long knives, the serrated edge gleaming ominously with liquid, and the larger man pulled a thick bo-staff from his back.
Shisui certainly had his own problems.
Without warning, Shisui lunged forwards, ducking under a sweep of the staff - which blew his curls back from his forehead - and arching a slash into his opponent's undefended torso. ROOT number 2, unfortunately, intercepted the blade with one of his daggers, redirecting the metal just enough to offset Shisui's reach and the Uchiha was forced to twist around several counterattacks before he was able to bring his katana up again.
The back of his neck suddenly tingled and Shisui threw himself to the branch below, feeling the heat of a fire whip crackle where his head had been a second beforehand. The flames exploded against a massive willow tree with an almighty 'boom', a column of smoke and fire reaching up to the sunset-lit sky. Fire licked across branches, igniting the surrounding trees and, when flaming branches fell to the ground, the sun-burnt grass immediately caught alight. Bull leapt down to put out the flames but was intercepted by another ROOT operative and the fire quickly razed across the lawn.
Luckily, the attack distracted his opponents and Shisui leapt back upwards, fishing some wire from a hip pouch and lasso-ing it around a leg as they tried to evade his sword. Yanking hard on the coiled wire, the ROOT shinobi was jerked off balance and Shisui lunged forwards to incapacitate him.
Before he could, though, the other operative flashed through hand-signs and spat a large globe of discoloured liquid in his direction. Not wanting to risk getting hit by an unknown technique, Shisui was forced to evade, giving the caught agent enough time to sever the wire.
Dammit!
Sharingan spinning, Shisui exchanged blows with the duo for a few more moments, keeping one eye on his teammates and one ear on the fight going on in the office. Surely, those three were able to-
SMASH-!
The innocent housekeeper was sent flying through the wall, paper and wood fracturing outwards and her body slamming into a tree. She collapsing in a daze for a moment, yukata ripped and blood pouring from a nasty slash on her hairline, the flaming grass raging around her. Then, she lurched into a crouch, reaching under her skirt and whipping out a kunai, before lunging back through the hole in the wall with an enraged snarl.
Fugaku-sama, Sharingan whirling, met her half-way.
Okay, so, not so innocent, then-
A handful of senbon flew past, an inch from Shisui's temple and jugular, slamming into the eyeholes of a ROOT agent, who dropped like a stone. Rat was sent sprawling from a vicious uppercut and Shisui immediately Shunshin-ed between the follow-up blow and his downed teammate, slicing mercilessly at the outstretched arm and not even blinking when the limb was severed at the elbow. Rat recovered with a nod of thanks and then Shisui was gone, flitting through the various fights and swiping with his katana when he saw an opening.
For an Uchiha, especially one as skilled as Shisui, the blow that came out of seemingly nowhere was deeply unsettling, even as the fourteen-year-old spat out a mouthful of blood and readied his blade.
"Danzo." Shisui snarled, lips bloodied.
….…
As soon as Ensui was clear of the apartment block, Mikoto rushed back to the mountain of folders, flipping through them to the very bottom and trailing her finger down the correct list. From there, she launched herself outside and onto the nearest roof, bolting over to the Tower and striding past the receptionists (again, women, why?) and making a beeline for the stairs.
The Village archives had varying levels of security, depending on clearance level and Rank, and Mikoto was let through relatively easily, her face recognisable.
The records centre was almost empty, only a few Chuunin milling around and organising the articles. The archives were in a long room, with no windows (it was, after all, underground) and flickering yellow ceiling lights. With rows upon rows of brown bookshelves and a faded red carpet, the room was aged and dull.
The Genin section was deserted - only Sensei's had any real, regular reason to come here - and it wasn't hard to find the shelf of most recent graduates.
Aburame Tatsuma was even easier to locate.
"Be careful, Sasuke-chan!" Mikoto called after her youngest, watching him race ahead when Itachi had come into view, halfway up the street in front of them. They were on their way to the market, late in the afternoon and most of the school children were out of class by now.
Keeping a watchful eye on her sons, Mikoto strolled over to the nearest stall and browsed the mandarins.
"Mikoto-sama!" A young boy called to her left and the Uchiha Matriarch turned to smile at the Genin trotting up to her.
"Good morning, Asahi-kun." She turned to the twelve-year-old, stepping away from the produce so she wouldn't block others. Onyx eyes slowly took in the young boy's dirty hands and her smile widened behind her hand. "Another D-Rank?"
The faintest scowl darkened round features, Uchiha-black eyes half hidden behind a full fringe. "Yeah, and it's worse because stupid Tatsuma never shows up-!"
Eyebrow quirking, Mikoto glanced up and spotted her 'nephew's sensei - Ogino Fumio was a quiet man, a defector from Kumo in the last war, and had the characteristic dark skin and broad build that were standard there - and teammate waiting patiently a little ways away.
"What do you mean, he doesn't show up?"
The twelve-year-old looked incensed, no doubt aggravated that he was forced to work even harder on menial missions with their team one man short. Asahi had always preferred books and utilising his mind over getting his hands dirty.
"Well, that doesn't seem fair. Wasn't Tatsuma-kun your friend at the Academy?" Mikoto vaguely remembered her 'nephew' spending more than one day over that the Aburame Compound. It wasn't far from the Uchiha, anyway.
"Well, not anymore." Asahi looked at the ground, mouth a hard line. If Asahi's father was any stricter, the young boy might never show any emotion at all. As it was, Mikoto thought he might have cried, if things were different. "Stupid Tatsuma doesn't have time to even talk anymore, he just disappears for ages. Even his Uncle hasn't really seen him."
Hesitantly resting a hand on his shoulder, Asahi hunched under the gentle pressure.
"He…he told me to shut up. That..that he was stronger and didn't need us anymore. But, it's us who don't need him!"
Little fists clenched, Asahi jerkily bowed, looking for all the world like he couldn't bear to talk any more about his ex-best friend, and ran back towards his team.
Stood in the middle of the street, her sons coming over and a hand still outstretched, Mikoto wondered if all Genin teams fractured so easily.
The file wasn't very telling, the boy marked down as quiet and a hard-worker, a given considering his Clan. From another perspective, such a boring file was, of itself, suspicious, especially suspecting what Mikoto did. However, his insects were listed as the much rarer 'Kochu' species than the 'standard' Kikaichu.
For most people, this wouldn't mean anything. People, shinobi and civilian alike, were generally repulsed at the concept of bugs beneath the skin but...Mikoto had been friends with Shibi-sama's late wife, Hotura. The gentle woman had been Shibi's third cousin and the two woman had bonded, somewhat, over their arranged marriages. How many girls who started the academy already knew who they were going to marry? In their class, only the two of them...
But, anyway, Mikoto knew a bit more than most non-Aburame and, whilst she didn't know exactly what each species was specialised for - such information was listed under 'Secret Technique' - but she knew there were certain poisonous strains.
Asahi's Genin Team was being, very hesitantly, groomed for capture and assassination. They wouldn't be assigned a...hit until they were well into Chuunin Rank but...if he had a poisonous strain, the team placement would be even more advantageous.
When she reached the bottom of the profile, Mikoto's eyes slowly closed.
Well, look at that. She internally sighed. I'm right.
His birthday was listed as mid-November. And, just next to it, his death was stamped as the day the ANBU was poisoned in Hokage-sama's office.
I'm sorry, Asahi. Mikoto sighed, slotting the file back onto the shelf and leaving the Tower. Making her way to the Station, deep in thought, the Matriarch wondered if her 'nephew' had been told.
It was only a few minutes later that a massive plume of thick, black smoke rose outside. The putrid gas blew in on the strong evening breeze, sweeping through the main street and making some civilians gag. Mikoto merely squinted against the stinging dust, Sharingan flaring to life in the rising dust.
The Station was a flurry of activity when Mikoto arrived as the officers were organised into different platoons and emergency 'water-scrolls' were distributed. The past few weeks had been scorching hot, yes, but the fire had been too...violent to be naturally-occurring. An explosion that size, however, with the number of trees that characterised Konohagakure, could spell serious trouble.
Mikoto had barely taken two steps inside of the building when Detective Osamu rushed past, looking surprisingly harried for an Uchiha.
"Detective-" Mikoto stepped closer, hand raised slightly and blinking when the younger man whipped around.
"Mikoto-sama, forgive me, I didn't see you-"
"Osamu-san, where are my husband and Ensui-kun?" The Matriarch asked, eying his frazzled expression with growing dread.
Sighing explosively, the detective ran a pale hand through his hair, fingers catching in his small ponytail and tugging the elastic free impatiently. "Ensui-san was dispatched as part of a Chuunin task-force to combat the spread of the flames a few minutes ago. The Chief left around 10 minutes ago."
"Left?" Mikoto echoed.
Blinking, Osamu quirked a brow. "Hai, Mikoto-sama. He went before the fire started and told me to tell you when you arrived, that Ensui-san had debriefed him. Is he coming back soon, Mikoto-sama?"
Teeth gritted, Mikoto shook her head sharply, eyes sweeping over the barely-contained chaos around them. "Nevermind, Osamu-san. Who's in charge here?"
"Oh, er-well-"
Closing her eyes and praying for strength, Mikoto started towards the back of the hall and the place where Fugaku preferred to address the force.
…..
Hitoshi launched himself upwards, muscles bunching and rippling under silken fur, and I clung on for dear life. Well, this would be a similar, yet much more exciting way to die than the first, I guess-!
We were airborne, weightless, for a few moments before we landed with a sharp clatter of claws on tiles. The Hokage's office was on the ledge above us, our current spot a favoured place for Jonin to leap to and from and, also, for the Guards. Izumo wasted no time, immediately reaching up to rap on one massive window with 'Tetsu half a step behind him.
The window shuddered open a long second later and the two older boys blurred inside.
The tensing of my summon's shoulders was my only real warning.
Eeekk!
We cleared the window easily, my head pressed flat to the panther's back so I wouldn't brain myself on the ceiling, and then, we were skidding sideways on the carpet, curving around to face the Sandaime and I heard a sharp breath drawn in behind us.
"Good evening, Sandaime-sama." I smiled with as much bravado as I could muster, weakly sliding off to stand on legs like jelly, hoping that they thought I was simply fatigued from our 'trip' and not quivering from nerves. Little hint? It was fucking nerves.
"Well, Kiharu-chan, Hitoshi, this is a surprise." The old man sat back down, looking for all the world like we'd appeared after a particularly good game of Hide-and-Seek. I was suspicious enough to note the hardness in those small eyes. "You've led us on quite the merry chase, or so it seems. Izumo-kun, Kotetsu-kun, thank you. Please return to your posts at the Gate."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." The duo bowed in tandem, leaping out the window with a final, meaningful glance at me.
Ah shit. Was he- was he insinuating that we'd made a run for it?!
"Forgive us, Hokage-sama, but I was forced to Reverse-Summon us when a masked shinobi attacked us, shortly after Shisui and I spoke to you," I explained, jaw tilted up and expression serene. Breathe, Ki-chan. Breathe. You did nothing wrong. "Hitoshi woke up only seconds before we disappeared and had only now accumulated the strength to return us home."
A wrinkled hand reached for the pipe, lighting it swiftly and I vaguely wondered, in the back on my mind, if every conversation had the Sandaime reaching for his tobacco or if I was just that special.
"I see…" He puffed out a stream of white smoke. "Your father claimed you are a civilian, Kiharu-chan."
"I am-" I swallowed hard, desperate that he didn't think I was showing any sort of prowess that would get me landed in the Academy. Somehow, I didn't think my Tou-san could block that path a second time. "I am, Sandaime-sama. However, Hitoshi is the last of his contract and my Tou-san's personal summon. Hitoshi wanted me to inherit that mantle someday, Shinobi or not, so I signed the contract. I really badly struggled with the Summoning so I'm not surprised that Tou-san wasn't aware that I could Reverse us. I hadn't been able to try it, you see, what with Hitoshi in hospital-"
"I understand, Kiharu-chan, do not worry." Somehow, miraculously, I am not comforted. "And what of this masked man?" Hiruzen was unmoved. The figures behind me - I'd not dared peek, terrified it would be Ibiki or Homura or-!- shifted slightly, evidently impatient that I get a move on.
I shifted my weight onto the opposite hip, feeling like I was on trial in the middle of the room. My summon, a statue beside me, was not very reassuring in his silence. "I came straight back to the Hospital room after seeing you, Sandaime-sama, and I remember thinking something was weird. I took off my coat, as per usual, to put it over my chair but...there was a pipe on the floor, one of the tubes from Hitoshi's drip. I was scared he'd been injured and-"
"Why were you so certain he'd be attacked, Kiharu-chan?" Sandaime leaned forwards, pipe set aside and fingers threaded with his weight on his elbows.
Jaw popping, my nerves started to dissipate. He wanted to squeeze me for info, maybe, or something else. But those questions! The answer was so obvious! "I summoned Hitoshi back before he could be killed. That person was obviously toying with him, what with his 'Ghost' ability. Maybe 'Toshi saw something, I don't know, but I thought he might come and finish the job."
"And...did he?" Small, sharp eyes bore into mine. I'd never felt smaller. It was really pissing me off.
"No."
"And you're sure?" A sharp baritone bit out behind me and I tried not to spook too badly. The speaker had not even been considerate enough to make noise to alert me, tch. Holding back a nervous gulp, I turned to look over my shoulder.
Ibiki was infinitely more terrifying in real life.
His skin was deeply tanned, aged from sun exposure despite spending most of his time in the interrogation cells, with hard black eyes and a straight mouth. His stubble was very subtle, more like a scratchiness to his skin than actual hair, and two broad scars bisected his face diagonally. He was massive, over 6'5", and broad, a huge hulking figure swathed in black despite the summer heat.
Slap me sideways but he was strangely attractive. In a kind of Black Ops/Mark Strong kind of way. For fuck's sake, Kiharu, now is not the damn time! Focus!
I paused for the shortest moment, as if I was gathering my thoughts. Not like I was trying to come up with a good argument when I couldn't just say it was a ROOT mask and be done with it. Hopefully.
"Yes, Shinobi-san. I'm sure. He didn't 'attack' Hitoshi, despite my being gone over an hour. He could have simply killed Hitoshi in an instant but he didn't. He waited, behind the door, and threw a kunai at me. It's only because of my dad and my summon that I was even able to duck enough." I touched a hand to the dirty, blood-stained handkerchief tied around my throat. My eyes had not moved from Ibiki's the entire time. Still suspended, I continued. "He came for me, unlike the man before, who would have had no reason to."
"And if he traced the summoning back to you, identified you as the one who interrupted?" He parried.
"Then, I'd be dead," I replied promptly. "And I doubt it would have taken him so long, regardless."
My eyes finally left Ibiki's, trailing over his shoulder and popping wide at the passive annoyance simmering under Shikaku and Raidou's professional expressions. Why the hell were they annoyed?
"Thank you for your insight, Kiharu-chan," the Sandaime broke the stilted silence and I ripped my eyes from Raidou's, whipping around to face the Kage. "You may go now; Raven will escort you to the hospital so your neck may be treated."
I'm sorry, what?
"Sandaime-sama?" I asked, standing alone and suddenly uncertain. Hitoshi had finally moved, standing directly in front of the Hokage's desk and sitting obediently on the carpet. Somehow, I felt that, had he been human, 'Toshi would've been kneeling in submission.
What a perfect little soldier you make, 'Toshi. My mouth twisted.
"Go on, Kiharu-chan." One hand gently waved me away and an ANBU, long black hair loose behind a bird-like mask, appeared at my shoulder.
"Why?" I shook off the hand Raven placed on my shoulder, stepping forwards and glancing around. "Am I not going to be told what's happened since we were gone? Where's my father or Nee-chan?" I sent a beseeching glance over my shoulder to Raidou but the Tokubetsu just gazed back at me.
"Nii-san?"
"Go on, Kiharu-chan. I'll come and get you after." Raidou nodded solemnly and my gaze dropped to the floor. Sometimes, I forgot how strict the older man could be.
"...no."
Brow furrowed in concern and disbelief, Hiruzen leaned forwards. "I'm sorry, Kiharu-chan?"
Jaw clenched and eyes hard, I looked back at the Village leader. "I said 'No'. There's no point going to the hospital," My voice grew louder, more heated, as my temper fractured. I was well past my breaking point now. "I'm just some civilian, what could they do for me?"
"Ki-"
"They'll send me home with a plaster and a sweet like a little kid. They don't really treat non-shinobi there, so just let me go home if you won't tell me anything. It's not like I'm involved or anything, like there must be a reason you've not sent for my family. But no, I'm just a civilian brat who can't know anything!"
For a long, tense moment there was no noise, besides my impassioned breathing. I was fuming, recklessly loose-lipped, with fists clenched and I could feel the horrified gazes boring into my spine. Maybe I'd regret this later but, honestly? I didn't give a flying fuck.
The Sandaime was completely unruffled, eyes shadowed by his hat as he let me say my piece. Hitoshi's head was low, ears tucked forwards. He did not look at me.
"...You are a child, Kiharu-chan...I'm very disappointed in you. You are not privy to such details and I was obviously mistaken when I thought you could be mature. Raven, please escort her home and make sure she is not hurt."
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
A firm hand came down on my shoulder, turning me and leading me to the door. I stared straight ahead, unwilling to look at any of the men, least of all Nii-san, but also refusing to look down. I had nothing to be ashamed of. I was right and that's why they'd had no response. How could you refute the truth?
Funny how we were only 'children' when it suited their arguments. That never stopped them from indoctrinating child soldiers or murdering anyone for the sake of some ryou.
The door closed behind us with a finite 'thud'.
"Climb on, Dazai-san." The ANBU's monotone broke through my incensed thoughts, turning around and gesturing for me to climb onto their back.
Wordlessly, I did as they said, looping my arms around their shoulders and letting their gloved hands grip my calves. Then, with only the squeeze of their palm on my leg to warn me, the ANBU launched us out of the window and, for the second time that evening, I was speeding through the village.
Our house was dark and the further confirmation that Tou-san wasn't available made my stomach twist. Raven leapt onto our roof, sliding down to the porch ledge and dropping onto the steps. I didn't even try to hide it when I slipped my hand into my training sports bra and fished out my keys.
The corridor was dark but still clean (I'd only been gone a week or so, after all) but dad's sandals weren't in the hallway and his own keys weren't on the radiator ledge. He's really not home…
It could be anything, I tried to reason to myself. Guard duty, that fire earlier..a-anything!
"Dazai-san," Raven appeared in front of me, breaking me from my thoughts and grasping my elbow in their large hand. Steering me into the kitchen, the ANBU fished a flannel off the tea towel railing and wet it in the sink. "Your neck." They gestured to the handkerchief on my neck and I nodded in consent, my anger long-since deserted me. I was just...hollow.
The white cotton was stuck to the wound, a dirty grey and stiff from constantly being wrung out in the river and then dried against my skin. In the end, when peeling just aggravated the deep cut and blood started welling up again, the ANBU had me lean over the sink and slowly washed the fabric off. When it was off and they'd made sure the cut was clean, a long roll of gauze was pulled from a hip pouch and slowly wound around my neck.
I'd scar for sure.
Raven was completely silent, methodical and calm even when I made a nuisance of myself, pestering them with questions and pointed barbs. My brief apathy was gone as irritation once more sparked in my belly.
"You won't even tell a young girl if her father is safe?" I sniped, head turned away to stare at our reflections in the windows, the only light on being the one over the oven.
Raven was silent.
"Why are you even here, then, Hyuuga-san?!" I clenched my eyes shut but felt it when the ANBU's fingers twitched minutely at my throat.
"What?" I laughed bitterly. "You think it's hard to work out? Long dark hair, your head doesn't turn when you move - despite the decreased perceptual vision of those masks - and who else would Sandaime-sama send to look after a girl, a potential target for several unknown assailants? One of whom can 'ghost' through solid objects and attacks?"
The silence was telling. I laughed again, the sound loud and harsh in the empty house.
"...won't you tell me anything?"
The ANBU tied off the gauze, tucking in the ends and moving back to hold a silent vigil in the far corner.
….
Ensui was running.
As a Nara, he hated moving quickly on principle but, right now? He was fucking legging it.
The fire had spread rapidly, tearing through the sun-parched landscape at a truly terrifying rate. The only thing scarier, after all, than a fire carefully controlled, was a completely unchecked one.
And this one was setting Konoha's internal fields alight, only half an hour after it started.
The blaze had seemingly started on private property, an ANBU team already dispatched to douse the flames there, with Ensui and other Chuunin sent to stop it from spreading, at the very least. Ensui was earth-natured, so he wouldn't be able to put out the flames with a simple jutsu, but he'd been given several sealed gourds of water at the Station, so he figured he could be of some use.
The fire had gone in several different directions, simply catching between the extremely flammable foliage. It had started in a richer neighbourhood, ones with houses spread far apart with wealthy owners, just on the other side of the Aburame Complex. And Ensui?
Ensui was racing for the south-western fields.
It was, after all, where some children liked to play.
Pumping his legs faster, the Nara used chakra on his feet to propel himself between tree trunks, a water-scroll ready to go in one hand.
The fire had started to catch onto the treetops here, little flames licking up the bark and sparks searing into the low-hanging leaves.
Two small figures on the far side of the field, children from their height, had Ensui's eye twitching at the absolute chance, even as he leapt from the trees and opened the first scroll over the burning undergrowth. A massive amount of water rushed out, dozens of gallons at least, and the Nara was forced to channel chakra to his feet to stay in place. Smoke and steam bloomed upwards with a violent hiss, flowing over the brunette and making his eyes smart as he squinted. Eventually, though, the water ran out, that section reduced to smouldering ash and singed greenery.
"Shinobi-san!" A girl's voice cried - an Uchiha, judging by looks - as she ran over, pulling her friend behind her. They were small, no doubt just entering Academy age and, even if they seemed much more expressive than most Uchiha, Ensui wrote it off as a side-effect of their young age. Shisui was a bit of an anomaly, anyway. And, speaking of-
"What are you two doing out here?" He scowled, rolling up the now-empty scroll and stuffing it into a random pocket. "Did you somehow manage to miss the massive fire behind you?"
Let it not be said that Ensui was good with children.
(Shika-chan didn't count. They were too similar to grate on each other. Well, at least not yet.)
"We were looking for Itachi-kun!" The little brunette - the one who'd called out to him initially - defended them and Ensui's scowl deepened.
"Itachi-san? He's out here?" the Nara waved an expansive hand to the smoking woods behind them. Vaguely, the Chuunin could hear his fellow shinobi arrive to quench the rest of the fire in this area. Good. "How can you be sure?"
"I saw him leave!" She nodded, face cool as an Uchiha but little voice incensed. What an interesting character…
"Itachi isn't stupid enough to run into a fire." Ensui reasoned, keeping half an eye on the teams finishing up with the fire behind him.
The little brunette Uchiha wasn't convinced, cocking a brow and squinting up at him. "How would you know?" She accused.
Deadpan and extremely unimpressed with the current conversation, Ensui replied. "Because I know him. He is like Shisui's little brother after all-"
Abruptly, the little girl was suddenly all friendliness, bounding even closer and staring up at the Chuunin with huge dark eyes. "You know Itachi-kun? How well? Do you make him laug-"
Sensing where this conversation was headed, Ensui quickly interrupted, mercilessly crushing any guilt when the little brunette dropped back on her heels with a pout. "Get on my back, you two. The fire is still burning around here and I need to get you home."
Crouching down, the silent one - even tinier, wow, with a little black bob - scurried over and Ensui swung her onto his hip once the chatty brunette was secure on his back. With a quick word of warning and a head-up to the other Chuunin, the Nara took a chakra-powered leap out of the clearing.
The Uchiha Compound wasn't far away at all - kami, he hoped the fire wouldn't get that far - and, a few minutes later, Ensui was dropping down in front of the gate, sparing a brief explanation for the gate-keeper (Kiharu liked him, so he was a decent guy) and relieving himself of his burden.
The tiny one had blushed crimson in his hold, smiling shyly and quickly ducking behind the guard, but the brunette was much more difficult to ditch.
"You're going to go look for Itachi-kun, right?" She aske-demanded and Ensui rolled his eyes upwards, internally asking for patience.
"Listen, kid-"
"Izumi. Uchiha Izumi-"
"Listen, Izumi-san, Itachi is probably at the Station or with his brother, and I have to go find Mikoto-shisou, so just go into the Compound and stay there, okay?"
Nodding at the guard - was that amusement? Just great - Ensui leapt onto the nearest rooftop, heading back towards the Station in the hopes that someone might've seen the Matriarch recently.
If he looked back and saw a little girl staring after him, well-
Troublesome, tch.
…
Night had fallen, a good few hours having passed, and I had cycled through more emotions than I knew what to do with.
Anger, helplessness, anger, bitterness, resignation, anger, sadness, anger-
I'd never before doubted my resolve to reject the shinobi lifestyle more than in these past few hours.
Maybe, if I was a ninja, I could have been debriefed alongside Hitoshi, maybe the panther would've confided in me. Maybe I'd be out there helping. Maybe I wouldn't feel so helpless.
Well, fuck this shit!
Snapping out of my funk (and, consequently, leaping straight back into indignation), I told myself to get a fucking grip. I'd made my choices and, Kami-sama, I wasn't going to regret them now. Sure, I had piss-poor access to some (read: most) things but, at what price?
Not having to be a murderer, on the whims of elderly assholes and under the constant threat of being court marshalled or arrested or shamed to the point of suicide for not following orders-
Hatake Sakumo was an absolute star (albeit a foolish, well-meaning one) and anyone who thought differently could fight me.
The Hyuuga ANBU Raven was watching diligently in the corner and, with literally nothing else moving in the house, all their focus was on me. Joy.
So, I couldn't go anywhere - and, if by some miracle, I was transported away, where was I even supposed to go? Into the fire? This wasn't Terminator - but I could still plot.
Okay, so, obviously some serious shit has gone down when I was away. Sandaime-sama had suggested that they didn't realise the second chakra signature was mine so they must've thought the attack was successful. Internally wincing, I offered up an apology for the scene dad and the others must've come across, made worse by the thought we'd been successfully taken.
Tou-san was definitely on the case then, he was a good tracker and he had every right to be involved (here, unless something was seriously up, personal involvement in a case/mission was only seen as motivation, rather than a hindrance). Inoichi-oji was probably involved, too, I mentally added.
So, a 'civie' girl goes missing alongside a comatose summon. What's next? I pondered the ceiling, tapping a finger to my chin in thought. The room was still dark, I couldn't be bothered to even sort my snarling stomach some food let alone turn on the goddamn lights, and I had migrated to the dining room table. The polished wood gleamed blue in the evening light.
Well, you'd talk to any witnesses and compile information on the missing person(s). Then, you'd make a list of suspects, people with grudges or motive and people with a history of this sort of crime.
History...a history-
Shit, fuck-No.
Whipping my head around, I stared at my ANBU guard, blue eyes burning into dark eye-holes of the mask.
Internally, I was raging.
How dare they, how fucking dare they?! Somehow they still wound up at Danzo's door!
This better not be the reason Shisui and Ensui, let alone everyone else, haven't been told of my 'house-arrest'.
The unnamed, unidentified Hyuuga was a statue in the face of my flaming eyes.
Unable to do anything, I sat and stewed in my disbelief and anger. I knew, by god I knew, that I had a-a thing for being involved. It came part in parcel with my knowledge from before, my need to be 'in the know'. It was gonna land me in serious trouble one day - had probably already done so, reflecting back on earlier - and I knew that I was being an asshole. I wasn't a puppetmaster, playing god with people's lives, but I was still slightly obsessed with the threats I knew existed.
And anyone in Danzo's vicinity had my senses going absolutely insane.
Shisui wasn't around, neither was Tou-san or Ensui or Nee-chan and, whilst they could be on missions or helping with that fire from earlier, my gut instinct was telling me that things were so much worse. Hunches, the subconscious making connections beyond those of the conscious mind, were not to be underestimated or undervalued.
If I'd somehow ruined everything, despite trying to point them all in Madara's direction...I wasn't sure how I'd cope.
Twenty minutes later, Raidou, Izumo and Kotetsu dropped into the garden, visible through the kitchen windows.
"Praise Kami!" I breathed, rushing to the back door and yanking it open. A second later, Raidou had wrapped me in a hard hug - signs of affection were treasures from the usually easily embarrassed man - and I melted into his flak jacket. Damn, I really needed the comfort right now.
Of course, that was the precise moment I spoke too soon.
Hands wrapping around my upper arms, Raidou pulled back to shake me gently, expression aggravated. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? And what was that! Disrespecting the Hokage?"
From the squawks behind the older man, I guessed the Terrible Two hadn't been informed of that little nugget.
Eyebrows twitching - I was still pissed off over what had happened in the office amongst other things - I shook off his hands, stepping back to put some space between us and folding my arms defensively.
I really didn't appreciate being treated like this was all my fault (in a way, it was, but I knew that well enough without having it pointed out to me. They didn't mean it like that, but still. And I hadn't done it on purpose!).
"Hey!" My eyebrow ticked. "I'm really sorry but aren't you glad we're okay?"
Straightening up and rubbing a calloused hand down a scarred cheek, Raidou stared down at me reproachfully. "Of course we're thankful but, Kami-sama, we thought you'd been kidnapped, Kiharu-chan. And then you come bounding through the woods, stand up to Morino-san and disrespect Sandaime-sama!"
"Well, I wasn't wrong, was I?" I snarked. "Why can't I know what's happened in my own missing person's investigation?"
Turning me around and pushing me back inside with a hand on each shoulder, the Tokubetsu Jounin flicked on the light switch as he herded me towards the kitchen. "Because you're a child and a civilian. You lack both the clearance and the mentality to be confided in like that. It was incredibly inappropriate for you to behave that way, Kiharu-chan."
Mouth set, the older man could see my resolve. Raidou sighed deeply.
Behind us, Izumo and Kotetsu had been suspiciously quiet, scurrying over to the sofa and listening to our argument intently. Raven had moved to cover the doorway.
"You're not allowed to know these things and you'll have to apologize to Hokage-sama later. You're not above the rules, Kiharu-chan."
But I should be, I wanted to insist. But…
Where would the line be, then, if I was an exemption in secrecy laws? I'd never been trained to fight off attackers (Tou-san's self-defence against muggers and creeps didn't count) nor withstand torture. What if I snapped and revealed everything?
I could understand. I was just a little girl, albeit a strangely insightful one, who was prying into State Secrets. I'd overstepped some huge boundaries, raised my voice and disrespected the local Dictator and kicked up a fuss about the Status Quo.
Shit, I was really screwed, wasn't I?
I'd done a lot of damage in a few impassioned sentences but I couldn't bring myself to regret it. I had been discrete with my views but recent events had kind of blown them out of the water. At least I'd not demanded a constitutional amendment or social revolution...insinuating that the health care system was used to repress a portion of the population (the majority, funnily enough) was relatively tame, in comparison to what I could have blurted out. My demands to be let in on the debriefing could simply be cast off as the desperation of a young girl in a stressful situation.
Heh. Yeah, right.
Eyes fixed on the lacquered table, I studied the way the wood gleamed in the light with faux nonchalance. "Was I wrong?" Raidou, sitting opposite me, shifted in his seat. "Was I wrong to want to know about Tou-san and the others?"
Kami, I wanted my dad.
Raidou didn't reply but his hand was warm on mine.
Sensing the atmosphere had settled - not resolved, no. But no longer so volatile - Kotetsu hesitantly spoke up, the two teenagers rising from my sofa. "Do you wanna go get changed or clean up, Kiharu? I mean, you've been in the woods for a week with an overgrown house cat for company." A faint smile tugged at Izumo's lips at his best friend's antics.
Nodding, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his reference to my summon. "He'll kill you if he hears you call him that," I pointed out reasonably, hopping from my chair and heading towards the stairs.
"Only if he catches wind of it, Kiharu~" Kotetsu grinned.
Pausing in the doorway, I turned to narrow my eyes at the ANBU across the room. "Don't you dare 'keep guard' on me in the shower."
The ANBU didn't even twitch but I got the sense they had rolled their eyes. Wait. What did Hyuugas look like when they did that?
Either way, I wasn't convinced.
"I'm being serious, I'll station Raidou-nii outside if I have to," I warned.
Raven was as expressive as a statue and I threw my hands up in the air in frustration.
"Urgh, fine! Raidou-nii, come on, you can wait outside the door and protect my helpless little body."
Blushing but standing up regardless, the Tokubetsu sputtered as the two boys snickered in amusement. "I-I don't think-"
Tossing him an unimpressed look over my shoulder as I climbed the stairs, my reply was rewarded with a furiously blushing and speechless Raidou.
"Don't be ridiculous, I trust you. I mean, I'm just a kid, chill. Anyway, you're so in love with Nee-chan, you don't even notice other people! So there's no need to worry, for anyone!"
I was only just opening the cubicle door, smelling of dad's shampoo and dripping from my lightning-fast shower, when Raidou started knocking.
"Don't come in! I'm just getting out-" I wrapped a towel around my shoulders, swallowing when I realised I'd grabbed Tou-san's from the cupboard and that's why it was swamping me. It was freshly laundered but my dad had used it for years, the scent of his shampoo embedded into the worn fabric. Quickly rubbing myself down, I slipped on my underwear and pulled on some leggings, the stretchy material sticking to my still-damp skin. A plain white T-shirt went over my camisole and I flipped my hair out of the collar, ignoring how it landed on my back with a wet slap. Ripping open the door, tense blue eyes clashed with the Tokubetsu's hazelnut brown. "What is it, what's happened?"
"Come on, Kiharu-chan. We've been called to the hospital."
….
The hospital was a flurry of activity.
Nurses flitted around the reception, a handful of civilians getting treated for exposure to the smoke and/or flames and we were greeted by Sora-oba and Kaiya as soon as we stepped through the doors.
"Kiharu!" The brunette called, eyes wide and hand coming up to press against a wobbling mouth. Sora broke into a jog, a sleeping Ino on one hip, as she raced across the foyer towards our group.
We met in a desperate hug halfway.
"Oba-san," I swallowed, smooshing my face into her torso, her arms – still strong from her kunoichi days and from living a busy lifestyle – squeezing me against her. "Oba-san, what's happened?"
"Oh, Nekki-chan, where were you? Your Uncle and father have been looking everywhere."
Closing my eyes against her dress, breathing in the scent of freesia and honeysuckle, I took a moment to revel in the well-being of one of my precious people. "I'm sorry Oba-san. Hitoshi and I got out okay but we weren't able to come home until a few hours ago." One hand gripped the back of Sora's dress, the other carefully coiling around Ino as she slept, peacefully oblivious, to the turmoil around her. "Who's hurt?"
Leaning back to brush my hair from my forehead, Sora gazed down at me with sad eyes.
"You know about the fire, earlier?" She started hesitantly, straightening up and guiding me through the corridors with a gentle arm around my shoulders. Kaiya, Raidou, Raven and the boys followed along at a respectful distance.
When I nodded, the Yamanaka Matriarch continued.
"It started when, after your oji-san and dad went to visit Elder Danzo," The lack of the usual '-sama' honorific was not missed, "in his home, a fire jutsu spread out of control. Several other shinobi were there at the time, but too busy to put it out-"
She's babying me, I realised with a jolt.
"-and, in the confusion, several ninjas deflected from the Village. When your father and uncle, amongst others, tried to stop them, they became caught up in the fire."
We'd been walking the entire time and now, Sora turned into a discreet side-corridor, stopping before a patient's room.
"Everyone is going to live, Ki-chan, but your father was badly burned, as was Inoichi. Genma-san is currently having his leg set and Shisui-kun-"
What.
WHAT-?!
"-is in surgery at the moment-"
Throwing off my Aunt's hand, I lunged forward and shoved the hospital room door open. It bounced off the wall with an echoing 'bang'.
My father, bandages wrapped around his shoulders and visible underneath the standard hospital gown, was propped up in bed, pale sheets tucked around his legs and an IV drip in his arm. His hair was sooty, probably singed, and he looked completely exhausted. Soot smeared over his tanned skin, a cut above his eyebrow tapped shut, and a split lip completed the look.
When the door smashed against the wall, Seiichi had lurched upright, left arm wrapping around his tender ribs at the jolt, and whipped around to face the intruder.
"You-You idiot!" I shrieked, jabbing a finger at his face and popping my hip to the left. Tou-san's mouth dropped in disbelief.
"K-ki-chan?!" He breathed, dark eyes filling with tears, and I had to force my scowl to hold steady.
"How could you be so reckless?" I stomped closer, violently pouring some water from the bedside jug into a dispensible cup and slamming the beaker down when I was finished. "Don't you know I love you, you silly man-"
It was at this point, when I shoved the drink into Tou-san's hands, that dad ignored my kindness and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his lap and crushing the cup of water between us.
"Oi!" I yelped, feeling the liquid pour down my top. I was wearing white, too!
"Kiharu," Dad's voice, serious and deep under my ear, cut through my bravado with all the strength of an industrial laser. "I'm so glad you're home."
His voice was thick with tears and, where his cheek was crushed against my head, dampness had already started to seep through to my scalp. He smelled of smoke and blood and hospitals but I burrowed closer anyway, careful not to touch the heavy wrapping around his shoulders or put too much pressure on his ribs. When his breathing grew heavier, lungs hiccupping as he started crying in earnest, I slowly leaned back, ignoring how he desperately tried to hold me to him.
"Neko-Tou," I choked, swallowing my own tears. Breathing deeply, I shook my head fondly as my hands – so small and pale next to his weathered skin – came up to wipe the tears streaming down his face. My father was so quick to cry, both happy or sad, and, for once, I couldn't tell which category these fell into. "Shhhhh~" I hummed, sat sideways in his lap.
Something about seeing my dad cry, as I had done countless times, calmed me. I didn't take strength in the 'weakness' of others, for surely there was no weakness in expressing emotion, but it was more that this was when he looked to me for support. I was only a child here but I remembered being older, being someone that people could depend on. I had been the 'mom friend', in all honesty. And for my dad, a talented Chuunin in his own right and a brilliant father, to seek comfort from me…even if it was only a cuddle and some affection, a friendly face and an ear to listen, I felt useful.
Maybe it was wrong to feel validated like that but that was how I felt, nothing else to it.
"Come on, you need to rehydrate, okay?" I reached over and poured him a second cup, tossing away the crushed one and surveying the massive wet mark on both our chests and the sheets with an unimpressed pout. "I'll tell you everything whilst you drink up."
Inoichi-oji had been just waking up from a nap when Tou-san finally let me leave (puppy eyes were not to be underestimated), lying down with the covers to his chin and Sora-oba by his side. The couple were holding hands whilst Ino was tucked under his arm. The four-year-old was still sleeping and, in the back of my mind, I lamented that she couldn't have been that heavy a sleeper as a baby.
I'd just come from Genma's room, after popping my head in for a quick scolding (it really went both ways) and wrangling a hug from the 22-year-old. His leg, propped up in a cast, made his blustering all the more entertaining. Seeing as Raidou had already been there when I arrived, I left with the warning that strenuous activity could aggravate nee-chan's condition so they'd better be good.
Nee-chan's demands for where I'd learned such things had followed me down the hallway.
Rapping a knuckle on the door, I watched as turquoise eyes slowly cracked open, glazed from his nap, before widening in realisation.
"Kiharu, Sora told me what happened. Are you okay?"
Pushing off the doorframe, I moved to sit on the other side of the bed, taking one of his hands when Sora-oba let it go. "Aren't I supposed to be the one asking you that, oji-san?" I teased, the joke falling slightly flat. Inoichi was sweet enough to smile anyway.
"I suppose I've looked better, yes," The Clan Head conceded, shifting slightly with a sigh.
"Oh, I don't know, Inoichi-oji," I reached to trail a finger, the touch barely-there over the pink skin (the medic-nin had left just before I came). The scar, tapered and blurring, so unlike a clean cut from a blade, trailed from his clavicle, over his throat and up his jaw to the cheekbone, before burning through the hair over and past his ear. "I think it looks rather impressive."
"I'll have to get used to having my hair down, no?" He persisted, blue-green eyes flickering over to his wife and daughter. "I hope the three of you will not lead me astray with a new style?"
Grinning despite myself, despite the lump in my throat, I squeezed the hand in mine reprovingly. "Nonsense! That won't be necessary, you didn't lose that much. After all, even if you lost all your hair, you will always be pretty."
Shisui came out of surgery two hours later.
Mikoto, Itachi and Sasuke had been there when I arrived-
"-thank goodness, Kiharu-chan, what mischief you attract-" Mikoto had clasped her hands onto my shoulders, pressing a kiss to my forehead before squeezing my hands in hers. Itachi had been visible relieved, eyes softening in a pale face, and I'd felt a stab of guilt for worrying the younger boy.
He'd slipped a hand into mine for a while before little Sasuke had grown sleepy and the four of us had settled down in the hospital chairs to wait.
However, we'd only been there ten or so minutes when an ANBU came to escort Itachi to the Hokage.
When I asked why, the younger boy had simply pulled his hand from mine with a small, reassuring smile and left after speaking to his mother.
Fugaku, I was told, had been 'around' (the obvious concealment was really starting to set my teeth on edge) when the fire had started but had managed to make it out only mildly singed. He'd been in the Hokage's office ever since, along with Ensui.
Thinking about it, why the fuck were both Ensui and Itachi being called to speak to the Sandaime. What did those two do-
Dammit, I wanted to see that stupid Nara.
Everyone else could lie through their teeth to me all they wanted but Ensui was one of the few people I trusted to actually tell me shit. He didn't 'do' sugar-coating, which aggravating at times but still refreshing, and I knew that I never had to second guess myself around him. He'd tell me. And I was pretty damn sure he'd break rank to do so, too.
The only other one who would do so was currently on an operating table.
Finally though, finally, finally- a Medic-nin came out to tell us that the surgery had been successful and that we'd be able to see Shisui in another hour or so.
I won't deny that I cried a bit.
I didn't know how much of an effect this would have on things in the long term but…Shisui was alive. He'd fought Danzo and lived.
Now I just had to get my mind around the fact that Danzo had run, taking ROOT with him. Danzo, the man who'd an to disgustingly extreme lengths for his beloved Konoha…a missing-nin.
What were we going to do now?
"-We were able to successfully reconstruct the bone but Uchiha-san will be off duty for several months. However, we are certain…he will walk again."
…..
BLOOPER I
A Uni Student's desperation
"-no vodka, no gin – what the hell? No Rum?-Shit-"
The words were completely foreign but, in all honesty, Seiichi didn't even dare ask.
He'd learnt long ago not to question where Ki-chan pulled all those weird names from. Nevermind the fact they meant absolute nonsense character-wise (as proven from her odd nicknames 'Noko' and 'Nekki', Kiharu had the strangest habit of focusing on sounds rather than meaning or spelling), but that girl was terrifying if you pointed out how such things made no sense.
Nothing on this world was worth seeing his darling Ki-chan's blue eyes – identical to her mother's – dripping with tears, like diamonds surrounding sapphires.
Nope. Nope, he wasn't going there.
"Papa?" The angel in question called innocently, voice echoing from his study, of all places.
"Yeah, Hime?" he called back, setting aside the book he'd been failing to read and levering himself up from the sofa. Legs slightly asleep, the Chuunin slouched into the smaller room directly across the hall, taking in how his daughter was peering around the green room. "What are you looking for, Ki-chan?"
When she twirled around to face him, Seiichi noticed the jug for the first time. It was half-filled with a strange pinkish liquid, ice-cubes clattering with the movement and lemon segments bobbing.
The eight-year-old beamed innocently, heaving the massive pitcher up as if to show him. She really was adorable-
"Can I have some sake for my cocktail?"
C-c-cock-what?!
'thud'.
Note: After his comatose body was escorted to the hospital by a pack of extremely concerned neighbours and he had spoken to several therapists, Dazai Seiichi started down the slow road to recovery.
…
BLOOPER II
If Ki-chan gave in to some small impulses (like she was sorely tempted to):
The Hyuuga ANBU was silent, stood in the open doorway and all but radiating disapproval.
Pissed beyond belief, the faceless ninja's apathy only served to fan the flames of my rage. That smug asshole, who the hell do they think they are, looking
down on me? 'No child, civilian especially, is privy to such details', my ass! 'Respect Hokage-sama,'- ha! I don't think so!
Teeth gritted, I reached for a glass and measured its weight in my hand. Well, the Sandaime said they had to protect me…nothing about me playing nice about it-
Unleashing all my frustration, I launched the glass at the wall with an unholy shriek. It smashed explosively just over the Hyuuga's shoulder. Shards rained down, skittering harmlessly over ANBU armour and Raven didn't even flinch.
Well, …that won't do.
"Get wrecked, biatch-!" I crowed, blindly reaching for the salt shaker and flinging it with renewed vigour.
The Hyuuga asshole didn't start ducking until I got my paws on some squashy veggies, found ageing at the bottom of the fridge.
Warning: No Hyuuga were harmed in the making of this OMAKE. *Kiharu swears up a storm in the background*
….
A/N- I'M SORRY! I've been wading through coursework for a while now and I had several hand-in's due these past few weeks, so writing was put on hold. First of all, thank you to everyone who messaged or commented (sometimes twice) to check that I was okay, that was really uplifting and made me work even harder to free up some time to write! And thanks to all the comments etc in general! X Secondly, who likes the chapter~ I'm really liking the idea of the Bloopers/Omakes, so that's possibly a regular thing. (I'm not gonna spoil the mood by adding them after a really tense scene etc ;) don't worry!).
Announcements! Chasingangels (or Viper) has been an absolute gem to my incompetent self (I am a grandma with technology) and set this fic up a Discord chat! It's super casual so don't feel nervous about joining, this is the first place I've mentioned it so the two of us are just rattling around right now lol. If you wanna join, just message me on tumblr!
Ta-dah! Hope to see you there! Also, feel free to find me on Tumblr at " x-authorship-x " or follow a href=" "this!/a