Hey everyone! This is sort of a transition chapter, but next chapter we're heading to Kumo!
If you're interested in reading the second coming of age ceremony, you can find that on my ao3 account. I use the same username there. It's called: Your body is yours alone. Remember that. Always. Just a warning: it is explicit!
I've also posted a oneshot that you can find on my account here or on ao3 called Home is Where the Heart is. It's an AU of this story that was requested over on ao3. It's an alternate ending to Chapter 38! It's a soulmate AU that's Tobirama/Kikuko. I may add more chapters to it later on, or try to do similar AUs in the future.
I hope y'all like it!
"Kiku-chan~" Soma sings as he flies through the entryway of the room. I look up from my desk in the mask making workshop to see the seagull perched on the edge of my bench.
"Soma-kun~" I sing back as I put the last dot on my Careta. It's covered in vivid oranges and blues. It reminds me of the ocean at sunset, but the mask isn't a scene with gentle waters and the sun.
It's covered in orange marigolds and blue irises. The orange marigolds are the same as the ones placed on ofrendas during our celebrations. The blue irises symbolize faith and hope.
I think it's the perfect combination for my first time celebrating with my family.
"That looks good, Kiku!" Soma says, pulling my attention away from my mask.
"Thank you, Soma." I smile at the seagull as I start sealing the mask in the storage scroll with the rest of my clothes for the holiday. Once everything is secured I look back up at the seagull who's practically bouncing on the edge of the bench.
"Now, what can I help you with?"
"We have a guest," he says.
"What?" Kisame had been the only other person in Uzushiogakure than myself since the island fell. "Who-why-how?"
"Naruto and Jiraiya, the holiday, and they knew you were here." Everything freezes as I look at Soma. I haven't seen Naruto since we found Tsunade together. We send letters at least twice a week, so I know everything that's going on.
But I haven't seen them in so long!
"Are they already on the island?" I ask as I hop out of my seat.
"They're waiting just inside the barrier. We wanted you to be able to welcome them, too," Soma says as he hops up on my shoulder. "Oh! I almost forgot!" I hear a storage seal releasing and feel a weight on my head and sigh. The fabric of the Uzukage hat hangs down and curtains the side of my face.
The summons like throwing it on me at the most unexpected moments. I've even had to change how I do my hair so I can wear the damn thing. It hangs down my back in a single braid. I miss wearing my pins, but this is a lot easier to do when I'm half awake in the morning.
Soma laughs freely on my shoulder as I come back to stand in the middle of the top floor of the mask storage temple.
Kairi and I are closer, I think because we're so much alike. Jaded with far too much trauma. But both of us have a brother that's bright, loud, and the sunshine we need in our darkest moments.
I feign annoyance about Soma getting the hat on my head and use the curtain to hide my smile. He squawks much like Haruto before he starts laughing when he realizes I'm messing with him. I double check to make sure the entrance to the mask workshop is sealed shut before I start running through the village towards the front gates.
As I walk through the gates I tap my Hiraishin seal before I'm running down the path towards the beach. But I stop when I see them. Kairi sits on top of Jiraiya's head while Ichika runs around Naruto.
He's grown so much, he's taller than me! He got rid of his old jumpsuit, too. Now he wears an orange and black jacket top and orange pants. Soma flies from my shoulder to land on Ichika's back.
I feel tears start to fall as I start running again until I collide with my twin.
"Imouto!" He yells, his voice deeper than it was the last time I saw him. I feel his arms wrap around me as he holds me close.
"I missed you," I sob into his chest.
"Missed you, too," he says into my shoulder. We hold onto each other tightly for I don't know how long. But eventually we both pull away and wipe at our eyes. "The hat looks good on you dattebayo!"
"Thanks," I sniffle as I glare at him. "But also not because you nominated me and now I have to deal with paperwork!"
"You'd have to deal with paperwork when you came back to Konoha, anyways, tadpole," Jiraiya says. I turn my glare on him for a minute before I throw my arms out and hug him, too.
"You wouldn't believe it, imouto! He actually took my training seriously!" Naruto says loudly. I turn my head against Jiraiya's chest to look at my brother's smiling face.
"Really?"
"Why is that so surprising?" Jiraiya whines. I giggle, but don't answer him. It's so much fun messing with Jiraiya-ojisan. I can't help it.
"He even stopped peeping!" I freeze against Jiraiya and look up at him. His chakra feels the same. The panic coursing through it reminds me of the night I finally caught him bringing me and Naruto presents.
"I had to make sure you were actually you 'ttbane," I say when Jiraiya raises an eyebrow. He snorts and pulls me back into his chest.
"I'm too old for that sort of thing," he says lightly.
"And Tsunade-obachan would kick your ass when you got back to Konoha!"
"She's going to kick my ass regardless," Jiraiya grumbles. I snort as I pull away from his hug.
"You say that like it's not one of your kin-"
"Uzumaki-Namikaze Kikuko!" Jiraiya gasps as he throws a hand over his chest. "What happened to my innocent goddaughter?"
"She's worse than you when you were a tadpole," Kairi sighs from her spot on top of Jiraiya's head. "She's even read your stupid orange book."
I feel my cheeks burn as a wicked grin crosses Jiraiya's face.
"Kiku, you didn't!" Naruto gasps.
"You say that like you haven't been editing them 'ttbane!"
"But I've been editing them! Not reading for fun!"
"It was probably more for research for Kiku-chan~" Ichika says.
"Ichika!" I screech. Jiraiya bursts out into laughter as I tackle the mountain lion.
"Don't worry, Naruto." I hear Soma say. "You'll be just as bad after your coming of age ceremony."
"Eh? A coming of age ceremony?"
"You'll do it before we go to Kumo, which means we have another party to plan!" I groan as Ichika wrestles her way to laying across my stomach while I'm sprawled out in the sand.
"Not again!" I say as I throw my arm over my eyes. My head already hurts at the thought of alcohol. I hear the summons snicker. "Okay, maybe again, as long as there's no moonshine this time!"
"But that's the best!" Jiraiya says and I let out a loud sigh. "I'll give you a first advance copy of Icha Icha Tactics."
"Okay, maybe a little moonshine."
"Imouto!"
"What? It's good 'ttbane! And I can hold it over Bakashi-niisan that I read it before him!"
"Kami help me," Jiraiya sighs and I move my arm to share a wicked grin with Naruto. This is just the beginning.
After a night filled with traditional Uzu foods, good music, and a basic tour of the island, we were all exhausted. Jiraiya took the couch in the living room while Naruto stayed on a cot in my room.
It's the best sleep I've had in years.
I woke up early this morning. Made more mangú than I've ever made in my life. And that's saying a lot. But apparently it's become Naruto's favorite breakfast over cup ramen and I couldn't have been more proud of him.
After breakfast, Jiraiya walks Naruto to his coming of age ceremony. Soma joins them.
I spend my first time alone since they returned to the island making copies of my Hiraishin seals. I cover the major parts of the island with them. The dock with scrolls filled with techniques from different clans and families from the island. The Uzukage tower, the Mask Storage Temple, the library, the academy, and even the newly repaired and painted front gates.
"What are you doing, kiddo?" I hear Jiraiya ask as I finish placing my last seal on the gate.
"Nothing~" I sing. His eyes narrow as I walk over to him. "Honestly, ojisan. Don't you trust me?"
"With my life," he answers immediately.
"Cool, you can be my first test subject!"
"What-" I grab onto his arm and focus on the seal near my favorite spot to train on the beach. A second later we appear on the beach and I watch as one of the powerful Sannin gags and pukes into the bushes behind us.
"Oh that's going to be so much fun," I say as I sit down in the sand closer to the water.
"You're evil," Kairi says as she lands on my shoulder.
"You have to admit it was good."
"Good?" She side eyes me. "Mija, it was great."
"Alright, we'll be walking on water for a bit," I say to them as we get closer to the river. Naruto and I both carry large woven baskets filled with flowers. Jiraiya carries a smaller basket also filled with flowers for those that he knew from Uzushiogakure.
"Eh? We're walking on this river?" Naruto asks. I nod my head as I step on the water.
"Not many people have the chakra or control to be able to get to the graves, that's why the spot was chosen."
"You going to be able to make it, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asks, his brows furrowing as he looks at Jiraiya. I snort at the action.
"Stop calling me that, brat!" Jiraiya says. "And I'll be fine, honestly you two treat me like I'm ancient." Naruto and I look at each other and struggle not to start laughing at the pout on Jiraiya's face. "So mean to me, you're worse than your mother."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," I smirk at him and he shakes his head.
"You don't have a seal placed?" Jiraiya asks as he looks back at me.
"No, I haven't been out there in a couple weeks, things have been kinda busy," I say as I scratch the back of my head.
"A seal?" Naruto asks.
"I uh, I managed to learn Hiraishin," I say as I look at him. Afraid of the jealousy from our childhood returning.
But that doesn't happen. A wide sunny smile appears on Naruto's face as he rushes forward to hug me.
"Congratulations!" He yells. "Don't tell me anything, I want to figure it out on my own, ya know?"
"Thank you," I mumble into his shoulder. "Now we should get going soon, I don't want to have to end up camping out there overnight again."
"Let's go!" Naruto says as he pulls away. I turn to look at Jiraiya who nods and soon we're running over the river towards the graveyard. The run there is relatively quiet.
Naruto doesn't have his usual sunny smile on his face. He looks sad. And determined.
I watch him as we stop at the end of the river. As soon as his feet touch the grass he collapses, his knees hit the ground before I can catch him.
"Naruto?" I ask as I carefully sit down my basket. He doesn't answer me, he just continues to stare forwards. "Niisan?" I ask quietly.
"How many of these did you make?" He finally asks as he looks at the engraved rocks that practically fill the large field. His voice sounds raw.
"I remember everyone's names," I say gently. "But there were too many to count."
"Imouto-" he moves from his frozen position and almost tackles me in a hug. "I'm so sorry," he whispers in my ear. I feel my shoulders start to shake and despite how hard I try to keep the tears at bay, I fail.
I feel Jiraiya sit down behind me and wrap his arms around me and Naruto as we cry together.
The only sounds for the next few minutes are the rushing of the river and our sobs.
"Imouto?" Naruto asks, his voice groggy with sleep.
"Sorry niisan," I say quietly. "I can't sleep."
"You okay?" He asks, turning to face me on his cot. I smile and nod as I sit up on my own bed.
"I'm okay, I'm going to get some last minute work done."
"Just don't stay up too late, ojisan said we're heading out early tomorrow."
"I won't, I promise." Naruto smiles before his head hits the pillow again and he's fast asleep. I carefully make my way out of my room and down the stairs.
"Kiddo?" Jiraiya asks, the light in the living room is still on.
"I thought you told Naruto to go to sleep cause' we're leaving early tomorrow," I say as I lean against the doorway.
"He knows to do what I say and not what I do by now," Jiraiya smirks.
"Thank Kami for that," I mumble under my breath.
"Hey! You like my books!"
"You're the one who writes them 'ttbane!" Jiraiya snickers at me as he finally looks up from the seal in front of him. "I'm just going to get some last minute work done before tomorrow."
"I thought you said you were already done."
"I was." He raises an eyebrow. "I've got a bad feeling ya know? I want to make a second mask just to be safe."
"A second mask?" He looks panicked. "Kikuko you're not a-"
"Of course she's a Calavera," Kairi says from her spot on her perch. "She's the Yondaime Uzukage, Jiraiya. She wasn't gifted the title because she was the one to break the barrier seal. She was nominated for the position because of her abilities to protect her people."
Jiraiya looks stricken for a moment before he turns to look back at me. And when he does it's like he's looking at me for the first time. He sighs and pats the spot on the floor beside him. I walk over and sit down. He immediately wraps his arm around my shoulders.
"I'm sorry for how I reacted, tadpole." He says after a minute. "I reacted the same way when I found out your dad made it into Anbu. I've just known you since you were so young it's hard to see you as the woman you've become rather than the little prankster you were as a kid."
"It's okay," I say as I lean my head on his shoulder. "How do you think Tsunade is going to react?"
"Not well," he says, a grim smile on his face.
"You're going to have to tell her, aren't you?" He doesn't answer. "Can you wait until after the celebrations? I want to be able to spend the full holiday with the family-"
"I'll wait until the celebrations are over," he says gently. "I expect you two to be on your best behavior since I can't join you."
"We will," I say. "Well, as well behaved as an Uzumaki can be."
"I shouldn't have expected anything else," he grumbles under his breath as he pushes me away lightly. "Go work on your mask and come back at a decent hour, alright kiddo?"
"I will," I say as I stand up from my spot beside him. I reach down and kiss his cheek before leaving the room to slip on my sandals. Soon I'm walking through Uzushio again. The sound of the waves gently crashing is the only thing that stops me from completely freaking out.
I take a deep breath before I walk into the temple. I easily walk through the maze of walls filled with masks to the center of the temple. I bite my thumb and run it along the center of the seal on the floor and soon I'm walking down the ramp once again.
Things feel different this time. Ichika and Kairi aren't with me. I'm so used to their constant presence that I feel a little off balance. And that's the last thing I need right now.
I sit down at the fuinjutsu table that I used before. I put my hand over one of the seals etched into the wood and a black mask rests on the table. I left the other seals open last time, so I reach out for a brush and dip it in the white ink.
Soon I'm lost in making the mask. It reminds me of working on fuinjutsu. It's the one time my mind is actually clear and not running a hundred miles a minute. I run the brush along the cheekbones of the mask as I think about what I'll tell Izanami. The last time I made a mask my reason was my anger at Jashinists.
But now I'm making this out of fear.
Will that be enough?
I look down at the now finished mask and sigh. I hold it in a shaky hand as I stand up and turn around to face the rest of the room.
I vaguely hear the windchimes move with the wind on the top floor when I put on my new mask. It's dark again. Cold. My hand reaches for my beads again and I take a deep breath before moving the beads in my hand to hold a new one.
"I did not expect to see you so soon, Uzumaki Kikuko," Izanami says. I open my eyes and she looks exactly as she had the last time. "Especially since the first mask you made is safely sealed inside of your arm."
"I didn't expect to be here so soon, either," I say honestly.
"What is your purpose then?"
"I have a bad feeling," I say quietly as I look to the ground.
"You know there's a higher toll to pay for changing things that happened in another time."
"It's not from the other time," I shake my head. She doesn't say anything. I force myself to look up at her.
She just has a single eyebrow raised, her arms are crossed. She doesn't believe me.
"I feel empty when I try to think of that time, ya know? But this feeling, it's like my chest feels too full."
"When did this start?" She finally asks.
"Tonight. We're planning to go to Kumo to celebrate Día de Muertos and Día de los Angelitos with our family for the first time."
"So this time you actually want to protect your precious people with this mask," she says, her lips twitch into a ghost of a smile.
"Yeah," I say. My voice cracks. My entire body feels heavy. Like there's something pulling me to the ground. My chest feels tight and my hands shake against my sides.
"Your toll is paid," she says gently. My shoulders sag in relief. "And maybe one day you'll have the self preservation to actually make a mask for yourself."
"What?"
"There is no limit on how many masks you may create, so long as you continue your rituals you may continue to create masks. I want as many Jashinists removed from the living world as possible."
"Oh."
"You are strong," she says. "But you have horrible self worth, even after your coming of age ceremony." I feel my cheeks heat up and she snorts. "If you can't love yourself, how will you love someone else?" My bottom lip wobbles as I nod. I'm too afraid to speak, afraid the tears will fall.
"You are just like the last Uzukage. And the Uzukage before her, and the Uzukage before her. Just like your ancestor's chiefs throughout their different islands." I feel pride for a brief moment before it's snuffed out by the look on her face. "Break that cycle, Uzumaki Kikuko. Your people need a leader, especially with the things to come."
"The things to come?" I ask, but she doesn't answer. Instead I'm thrust into the darkness again. When I finally open my eyes, I'm on the floor of the mask making workroom.
My entire body feels sore and I carefully stretch out my muscles. They feel like I've been out in the cold for far too long. I shakily add the mask to my seal with the first one. Kairi warned me after my first mask that when I make future masks I might feel this pain afterwards.
The more time you spend with Izanami, the closer you get to the line between life and death. This time seemed shorter than the last.
But I know that I'm wrong as soon as I start to walk up the ramp to the first floor. The birds are chirping. Which means the sun is beginning to rise.
Jiraiya is going to kill me.