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A/N Final part before Konoha
Prologue 3
1 year later - Land of This
A/N: (Yes, this is a real place in Naruto)
"Obaa? Did you hear that?" Nami's voice chimed from Miho's left.
As it was Miho's rule, Nami only spoke unless absolutely necessary. And when she did speak, she spoke in Uzek, the dialect of Uzushio that her grandmother taught her. According to her grandmother, this helped protect her. "It'll help you learn our magic words better!" Miho told her once.
So Nami spoke predominantly in Uzek.
In response to Nami's inquiry, Miho made a sound of acknowledgement, plucking another fruit in her bag to purchase. "It's just the wind, my heart." She thanked the teller in the mainland's common language and paid. Then, she grabbed the girl's hand and continued shopping.
Nami stumbled a bit, distracted as she was. While her grandmother shopped, Nami turned her head, as if listening closely to something. "There i' is again." The girl said to herself.
She tilted her head, the large hood on her cloak flopping to the side as she listened to the strange noise again. For a moment, bright red curls and wide, silver eyes peeked out from under the hood before her grandmother gently tucked the hair away with practiced motions. "Careful Mimi." Miho pulled the hood down a bit.
"Mmkay." The four year old said sweetly.
Miho smiled at Nami. She was such a good girl. She didn't question Miho's requests anymore. Perhaps it was time she considered hair dye for Nami. It would be easier than worrying about a hood or hat constantly. And it would give the child a bit more freedom, freedom she has more than proven she deserved…
After some time, Miho was done shopping. She paused, taking a break next to a stand selling different trinkets and knick knacks from the area. For once, Nami focused on the wares of the shop, looking around Miho to see inside. The girl was careful not to look too far from under the shadow of her hood, but her eyes glimmered at what she saw. "Wah…"
Meanwhile, Miho double-checked her mental list once more. She had all their essentials. Good. Anything extra would be indulgent. On top of that, it seemed they'd be leaving early for once.
Miho then looked at Nami, noticing her grandchild's entranced gaze. She followed Nami's eyes, wondering what interested the child about the small stand.
It didn't take her long to find the small waist pouches Nami was looking at. One in particular caught her notice. The pouch was lavender, with blue and white flowers embroidered on it. The top tied off with a leather cord, and four glass beads, painted with butterflies, on the ends of the cord caught the light.
It was extra, indulgent, and served no function outside of a tourist's toy for children.
Miho then looked around, noticing for the first time that many children close to Nami's age carried similar pouches on their waists, or held them happily in their hands.
At her side, Nami softly sighed, a wistful look in her eyes before she turned away again. The girl hummed under her breath to focus on something else as she always did when she wanted to distract herself.
Miho's heart broke a little, looking back at the pouches. Nami's never had something like that before.
Yes, the pouch was extra, indulgent, and served no function. Then again, Nami would be 5 soon. Would it be alright? They were done with their supply run, and earlier than planned… It couldn't hurt to give the child something…
As she wondered this, Miho thought to ask Nami what she wanted. Lately, the girl seemed lost in her own world. Case and point, Nami was humming to herself again.
Softly under her breath, Nami sang four notes, then hummed them in reverse. "Mm mm mm mm. Like that?" The little one paused as if conversing with someone. An imaginary friend?
It was sweet and adorable. Completely normal for a child her age, especially a child in Nami's situation, constantly on the move and only allowed to socialize extensively with her grandmother.
But unlike an imaginary friend, Nami spoke as if she were ACTUALLY talking with someone. Someone unseen.
Miho tensed a bit. "Mimi. Who are you talking to?"
Nami smiled up at her grandmother, happy for the attention and to share her discovery. "I'm singing the song Baabaa! That one!" Her little finger pointed happily into the empty space to her right.
A couple walking by glanced at her curiously. The woman on the pair chuckled softly at the adorable child, leaning in to whisper to her companion. Her partner smiled indulgently and nodded as they continued on.
Blood drained from Miho's face. "That's enough games, Tsunami."
Tsunami?
Nami's smile dropped quickly, seeing her grandmother's horrified expression. She only called her by her full name when she did something wrong.
"Did… Did I do something Baabaa?" Nami pulled her hands to her chest, unsure of what scared her grandmother. Whenever obaa-mama made that face, they had to disappear quickly.
Nami hoped them leaving this pretty town wasn't her fault. She just wanted to share the nice song she heard with Miho!
Instead of answering, Miho took Nami's hand in a firm grip, leading them quickly away from the shop. Nami swallowed her next words, opting to keep silent. She chewed her lip, blinking back her tears.
So it WAS her fault. Nami was being a bad girl again…
Her Baabaa never actually called her a bad girl or naughty child. But Miho's sharp tone and cool eyes of disappointment always froze Nami. No, Miho didn't need to physically punish or raise her voice to chill Nami. All she did was ignore her, pulling the girl along from place to place.
It was Nami's fault. So she had to figure out what she did wrong and make sure she didn't do it again. A voice that sounded suspiciously like Miho's whispered in her mind.
So Nami lowered her head, tucking her chin to make sure her grandmother didn't see her tears or hear her sniffles. It's not her grandmother's fault Nami was a bad girl.
(Bad girls didn't deserve pretty pouches. It was silly of Nami to even think about asking for one.)
Still, Nami was confused. All she did was share the pretty song!
Even now, as Miho moved them quickly from the picturesque town in the Land of This, if Nami listened carefully, she heard the soft notes oscillating. It's as if the song was trying to sooth Nami's sadness and ease her burning guilt.
Nami didn't tell her grandmother she first heard the song, months ago, late at night, when Miho cried by the dying embers of their fire.
Miho always waited till she thought Nami was asleep…
Flashback, 5 months ago - Land of That
A/N: (Yes, this is another real place in Naruto)
Baabaa was crying again.
Nami's eyes opened, back facing where the warm fire once was. From the soft heat now emanating behind her, Nami imagined the flames were low, if not gone to embers. But it wasn't the cool air that woke the child.
It was the sound of her Baabaa's tears.
"Oh Kami… Why my Chichi…? Why my sweet Nichiha?" Miho's heartbroken whispers bled from Uzek to the common dialect, as if Kami would reply if she pleaded in the right language. Miho's grief-filled groans barely traveled from the edge of their sleeping area where the woman sat, but the soft sounds reached Nami nonetheless, quiet as the forest was around them.
Nami held the soft blanket tighter, her own tears staining the pillow. Whoever Chichi was… her Baabaa missed them a lot.
Just a week before, while Miho cleaned the fish she caught for their dinner, Nami asked who Chichi was out of the blue. "Was she your fwiend obaa?" Nami chirped from where she had sat, kicking her feet on the log.
Miho had flinched, whipping her head to face Tsunami. The hand holding the knife slid off the fish's slippery body, accidentally slicing her hand. "W-What did you just say?" Miho's voice trembled with emotion, eyes wide and haunted as she looked at Nami.
Meanwhile, Nami shouted in fear, jumping up from her seat. The wound was bleeding profusely. "O-Obaa!" Nami whimpered, pointing a shaky finger at her grandmother's hand. What was wrong with her? Didn't it hurt?
"What. Did you say, Tsunami?" Miho turned to her, bloody hand and all, gripping the knife in a white-knuckled grip.
Nami froze, breathing shallowly at the intensity of her grandmother's gaze.
The warm chrome of Miho's gray eyes had turned cold and dark like steel. It felt like a pressure was squeezing down on her.
"B-Ba.." Nami could only gasp, falling on her bottom. She was crying at this point, horrified by the specter in front of her. Was this still her grandmother?
For several long moments, Miho stared at Nami. She was looking at Nami, but she wasn't seeing Nami…
Get out. Go away. Stop. hurts. It's too much PRESSURE. Nami felt she was going to faint!
Suddenly, it eased up when Miho caught herself. Nami gasped for air, trembling on the ground.
Aware of herself again, Miho cried out in alarm. What has she DONE?! Had she…. Used KI on her GRANDDAUGHTER?!
Miho dropped the knife, wanting to comfort the small girl. She barely noticed the bleeding or the pain. Her focus was Tsunami.
"M-My heart…" She whispered in Uzek. Trembling, she quickly went to check on the nearly-fainted child.
Together, they cried that night.
That was the last time Nami asked about Nichiha.
That was the first time the song Nami heard hummed her to sleep.
Back in the Present
So like her questions about Nichiha, Nami decided to keep the notes of her song to herself.
Maybe then, Obaa would look at her like she's a good girl again.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Next chapter, we'll be in Konoha.
Take care.