Chapter 174
Enduring Connections: The Dark Side of the Land of the Moon
It was difficult to think. To focus. Yet Hinata had to. She had to focus. Hikaru needed her.
The young prince lay amid the sloshing waves rushing across the deck. He hugged Kiki's limp form to his chest, head resting on the unconscious belly of Chamū. He was still breathing. Still alive. But the icy water sought to change that.
Glowing like a dim lantern amid the wet curtain of darkness pouring overhead, the green hue of Medical Ninjutsu surrounded Hinata's trembling hands in a light rebelling against the all-consuming shapeless night. It's light matched her heart: Desperate but determined, weak and waning against the cold darkness, but still bearing fire, still fierce enough to fight.
Each lash of rain felt like it was splitting open skin. Hinata shivered from head to toe, kneeling amid the small icy waves cascading port to starboard. She realized distantly that she couldn't feel her fingers or toes anymore.
It's okay, the kunoichi reassured herself. It's okay. I don't need to feel them. I just have to focus on my chakra. So focus.
She honed in on the glow. On Hikaru's pale face, illuminated and glistening in the hue of Medical Ninjutsu. He was shivering worse than she was. She had to stabilize him right now then move him out of the elements, out of this storm and into the warmth of the ship. Otherwise he would die.
Unacceptable.
The rain continued to lash her—everyone. Wind howled. Lightning flashed and thunder roared fiercer than any mortal beast. The water sloshed over the deck as the ship listed on violent waves.
Through the din she heard Natsumi's and Kakashi's voices. They were yelling over the storm, but she couldn't hear them clearly. Orders? Were they organizing the others?
Someone was coughing—Amari, she realized belatedly. Her friend was coughing terribly. Had she inhaled water? She had to check. She had to check everyone. She had to protect them.
I'm the only one here who knows Medical Ninjutsu, Hinata thought, hyperaware of every little sensation, from the lashing rain and thunder above, to the pounding of her heart and circulation of her chakra. Yet she felt a haze drifting into her mind. I can't let anyone down. I can't afford to fail here. No, I will not fail. This time I'll be the one everyone can rely on. I'll take the lead.
So focus. Focus. Focus!
"Amari!"
Hinata awoke to her surroundings at the sound of her own worried voice. Amari was on her hands and knees in the warm metal interior of a corridor, collapsed and listing with the ship. A puddle of water was already spreading along the floor beneath her. Her weak and trembling arms suddenly caved.
The Hyūga was there. She caught her friend, who had gone fully limp, around the torso before she struck the floor. Her Byakugan was already activated, scanning the internal organs of the Nara as she gently turned her onto her back. Then she began fumbling with numb fingers with the cloak's clasp, clinging like wet paper to Amari's soaked and trembling body.
It was like trying to solve a disentanglement puzzle. Hinata grit her teeth, frustrated. Her fingers, they weren't working right. She couldn't…
Focus. Focu— Yes, I got it!
The rain was gone, she finally noticed as she peeled back the cloak. At least she couldn't hear it anymore. Her heartbeat was quite loud, and it was elevated. It hadn't lowered at all. The deafening roar of the storm and crashing waves was no longer prominent. No longer drowning every single sense in noise, in pain, in an excess of activity impossible to decipher all at once.
However, she was still freezing—they all were. She couldn't remember entering the ship; they must have only entered the corridor within the last few minutes, if she were to guess.
"Haku, get Hikaru to the infirmary," Natsumi ordered from somewhere behind her. "I'll send Hinata there as soon as Amaririsu is stabilized."
"Of course."
Amari's pulse is weak. Her breathing is slow and shallow. I have to…
"You've done all you can for now. We need to take care of you."
Hinata blinked rapidly. Natsumi stood before the Hyūga, hair still tied up and damp, but her clothes—a short-sleeved, white tunic top, form-fitting black pants, and black cloak— were all dry. Fresh. Contrasting the sopping wet clothes clinging to Hinata's cold body.
She felt tired. Her once numb fingers and her right palm ached.
"I…"
Uncertain of what they were talking about—where were they?—Hinata scanned the room. Her drowsy eyes fell upon Hikaru. His small body was buried beneath thick blankets, nearly his entire head as well, except his face. Her Byakugan spotted a warm compresses on his neck, his groin, and his chest wall.
Had she done that? Had she fully stabilized him? What about Amari? What about Haku and Kakashi and Natsumi and the animals and all the people who'd helped them?
She couldn't remember. She didn't know what was going on. Yet…
"So- someone else may ne- need my Medical Ninjutsu," she said, teeth chattering. Her jaw was tight, too, and it hurt. It hurt more than it should have.
"You're out of it. We literally just went over this."
"We…did?"
She shut her eyes, trying to force herself to remember. Trying to recall anything. She didn't feel herself sway, or teeter over.
"Hey, whoa, easy. I've got you."
Natsumi's hands were on her biceps, steadying her. She applied a gentle pressure, and yet it hurt. It hurt so much. And it shouldn't have.
Grimacing, Hinata's skin and muscles all seemed to scream, and though she was certain she opened her eyes, her world remained dark.
"I have to…help them," she mumbled.
"Won't help anyone if you're de—"
I…won't help anyone if I'm dead…
Am I…dead?
It was dark. Warm. Bitter gales no longer lashed her with icy needles, the freezing water no longer crashed and roared all around her. Thunder ceased to shake the sky. Everything had fallen quiet. So quiet she could hear the calm beat of her heart, finally at rest. All would have been still if not for the mild swaying she felt.
Hinata slowly opened her eyes. The shapeless darkness fell away. In its place arose a blurry, indistinguishable mush of light and shapes she couldn't guess the nature of, like looking through the fogged lens of an unfocused telescope.
She blinked. Or she tried to, anyway, but the act brought about a reign of darkness that stretched an indiscernible period of time. When her eyes opened again the shape of an upper bunk—the bottom of of it—took form. Blurry, but somewhat recognizable.
I'm…in our cabin… When…
Her eyes fell shut again.
She couldn't remember ever making it to bed. Had she walked here with Natsumi, or had the Mist kunoichi carried her? A thick fog obscured her memories, subsumed them into a vague, intangible nothingness. Exhaustion burdened her eyelids. They were so heavy. So tired it was difficult to keep them open for a whole breath.
Rest. She wanted to rest. To sleep until she could no longer sleep a single second longer. Yet Hinata forced her eyes to slowly open again.
At least two warm blankets were layered on top of her, she noted, chest rising and compressing with long, soft breaths. She wasn't shivering anymore, thankfully. Her skin and muscles ceased their screaming. She felt achey all over, stiff, but that was okay. She was okay, which meant she had to rise.
Hikaru and the others, they needed her Medical Ninjutsu. They needed to be tended to, monitored, even if only by a novice like her. She just had to…
Squeezing her eyes shut, a soft moan escaped Hinata's lips as she began to push herself up against the blankets onto her elbows. Hinata grit her teeth. Darn it, her muscles were trembling as though she were burdened by lead rather than thick blankets. But she had to get up. She had to.
There wasn't much Hinata could remember; the cold seemed to have destroyed the bridges which connected the series of events from past to present, washing them away beneath roaring waves of Mother Nature's fury. Yet she couldn't stay in bed a moment longer. As a shinobi, as a medical ninja, she had a duty to fulfill. And, perhaps, a hint of pride. Pride that refused to quit, refused to be weak when others were in need.
"Hm? Oh… You're finally awake."
As she made it onto her elbows, Natsumi rose into view from the floor beside her bed; she appeared to have just woken from a short, seated nap. However, even beneath a blurry filter it was clear what she really needed was several hours of quality sleep to recuperate.
"Natsumi… I need to—"
"Shut up and quit squirming, you little gremlin."
She rested a hand on Hinata's shoulder—her bare shoulder, she realized at that moment.
All at once new sensory information was relayed to the Leaf kunoichi. Her clothes, they were all missing. She was as naked as the day she was born beneath the covers.
My clothes were soaked, she understood intellectually. If I hadn't taken them off, my body wouldn't have been able to return to its natural temperature. But…did I take them off? I don't… I don't remember anything…
The Mist kunoichi gently pushed her to lay flat, then sat on the edge of the bed. Hinata was too weak to fight it. Too drained. Also, far too embarrassed by the realization she had very nearly exposed herself to Natsumi.
Or, a terrible new thought sprouted, had she already exposed herself and now couldn't remember it? Had she stripped free of her saturated clothes right in front of an ally of another Nation?
The mere thought of it set her face alight.
She couldn't have, right? It would be uncouth. Disgraceful. Mortifying to the highest degree for her to expose herself. Nudity of any kind, outside of bathhouses and hot springs, was…unbecoming of a Hyūga Clan member, especially as the daughter of the Clan Head. Only the truly deviant, the truly ill-mannered would—
Natsumi suddenly leaned closer, pressing a hand against her forehead.
"Wha- what are you doing?" Hinata squeaked out timidly.
"Feeling your forehead for a fever. Thought it was obvious. …You're pretty warm, you know. Your face is all flushed. Do I need to get you a bucket or anything? Be honest, 'cause it'd really ruin my mood if I had to clean up puke."
"I- I'm not going to be sick."
"You're not lying, at least. Can sense that, you know, so don't ever bother. It's annoying." Natsumi removed her hand, studied the Hyūga's face. "What's feeling off? You weren't flushed a moment ago."
The instinct to brush it off as nothing died beneath her turquoise gaze.
I…can't lie, Hinata realized in horror. I can't lie at all or she'll sense it. Instantly. Her sensory abilities are too keen—they're amazing, truly. And if I try to lie I'm worried it will hurt this fragile bond we're trying to build. But that means…
The mortification blossomed rapidly.
That means I have to tell the truth!
Flushing a deeper shade of red, Hinata felt ready to faint. She couldn't tell the truth! She couldn't speak of her…vulnerable nakedness so openly, least of all with an ally she may have exposed herself to like an shameless deviant.
Perspiration attempted to combat the combustion occurring within as her heart picked up in tempo, striking her chest so harshly she was certain Natsumi would hear it. Were she an Inuzuka she would have.
"It's getting worse," Natsumi noted. "I need you to tell me what's wrong. I can't read minds, you know."
I- I can't!
Hinata wanted to thrash her head side to side to silently dismiss the conversation. Her body refused to budge, paralyzed.
"Hey, listen!"
Natsumi was suddenly leaning over her. She then clapped her hands against both of Hinata's cheeks, locking gazes. At that moment everything else—the bunk she was lying on, the walls of the ship surrounding them, everything that wasn't Natsumi or herself—collapsed into nothingness.
Suddenly Hinata was hyperaware of her heart pounding in her ears, as it was the only noise left besides Natsumi's voice. She was suddenly aware of how dry her mouth was. And her ears, like the rest of her, were burning.
Because Natsumi was so close. So close she felt every breath as it expanded and compressed the Mist kunoichi's torso. So close she could have reached out and drew her thumb along the crescent-shaped scar below her left eye, the scar-tissue she could see so vividly now with so little distance between them.
Enthralled by the way her turquoise eyes sparkled like a crystal clear sea despite the shadows, Hinata was suddenly—very suddenly—aware of how bewitching the kunoichi was.
Innocent admirations she'd felt since meeting Natsumi jumped to the front of her mind, like how confident and charming she was, and how she liked seeing her passionate side. Because it stripped away the tough and rough shield protecting the warm and kind soul beneath the surface. And her cheeky grin and laugh always made her smile or giggle with her.
Here, with Natsumi leaning over her, feeling soft exhales brush against her face, Hinata realized those innocent admirations were blossoming from a familiar and special soil. One which her brain didn't register until now, but her heart had already understood.
Suddenly—very suddenly—Hinata was aware of some not-so-innocent thoughts of how different this scenario could be if Natsumi were to lean in closer.
And how very naked she was beneath the blankets.
"Don't go passing out on me now, you little gremlin. It's rude, you know. Tell me what's wrong."
I…
Hinata swallowed the brick in her throat. All she could hear was her pounding heart. All she could feel were Natsumi's gentle and warm hands on her face, and the swarm of butterflies fluttering in her belly.
Another member of her Clan would have had the strength to courteously explain the issue at hand, all with an air of clinical decorum. They would have politely asked for space, distance, in order to douse the flames setting her entire body on fire now. They would have possessed the decorum and dignity to explain why leaning over her, cupping her cheeks, and locking gazes in perhaps one of the most non-intimate intimate gestures she'd ever taken part in led to the final combustion.
Hinata was most assuredly not that member of the Clan.
Instead, with not-so-innocent thoughts flitting through her mind, turning her face redder than the Mist kunoichi's hair, Hinata cried out.
"Eeeeppppp!"
She then dug her fingers into the top of the blanket, ripped it over her head, and vanished into the cocoon, like a butterfly hopeful it could revert to its caterpillar stage. Back to a time where these not-so-innocent thoughts never occurred.
Natsumi, flung back by the sudden movement, let out a startled grunt and nearly tumbled off the edge of the bed.
In the feverish, shapeless darkness Hinata hid. Heart pounding. Face and ears on fire.
She was…so close. And I…
Even in the void of her cocoon she could sill see that bewitching turquoise gaze, feel her soft breaths tickling her skin. Hinata squirmed with the butterflies and the strange sensations they unfurled. She swallowed another brick; her mouth was still so dry.
She felt Natsumi shift on the bed, then heard her exhale a soft chuckle.
"Well, guess we figured out what the problem was. Heh," she snorted, "didn't think you were such a prude. I mean, you didn't waste time cutting Amaririsu out of her clothes."
"I- I didn't!" she squeaked out, horrified.
"You definitely did." She could almost see Natsumi's grin in the darkness. It was very charming.
I…undressed Amaririsu?
If steam hadn't been rising from her cocoon, it most certainly was now.
"Well, since we're on the subject, your clothes weren't special to you, right? I had to cut and peel you out of yours like a soggy banana."
With all her heart, Hinata prayed for a hole to open up and swallow her. Or for a faulty Seal to throw her through space and time, like it had to Amaririsu, and never let her return.
Natsumi cut her out of her clothes? That was far more embarrassing than voluntarily freeing herself of her clothes in front of the Mist kunoichi.
"I can sense you're still alive in there, but you didn't faint, did you?"
"…No."
"Are you gonna poke your head out or am I stuck talking to a mound of blankets?"
Hinata squeezed her eyes shut. She shook her head once. No, no she couldn't leave yet. She wasn't ready.
"You're making a bigger deal out of this than it is," Natsumi's eye roll was clear in her voice. "Never understood why people freak out about being naked."
"It's…indecent."
"What's so indecent about it? It's just a body. May differ in shape or color, sure, but it's nothing special. Nothing to freak out about. Throw us all naked into a coffin and we're just distant cousins."
"I…suppose."
"You don't bathe in the hot springs fully clothed, do you?"
"N- no, of course not."
"You don't shower clothed, right?"
"No."
"So you've seen your body naked plenty of times."
"It's…not about me seeing myself…"
Hinata grimaced. God, what if her father or anyone else in her Clan learned about this? It would be so mortifying. They would certainly shun her again.
"So it's about me, huh?"
"N- no!" Hinata panicked. "Not…in the way you are implying, at least."
"What's the big deal, then? You don't have anything I haven't seen before. Amaririsu doesn't have anything you haven't seen. If we weren't here, would you want Haku or Kakashi to waste time fretting over whether they should cut Amaririsu's unresponsive body out of her sopping wet clothes, or would you want them to save her life?"
Hinata sighed. She lowered the blanket off her flushed face then looked at Natsumi. She was still sitting beside her, dressed in angelic white, one leg crossed and the other dangling off the edge of the bed.
"Ah, there she is," Natsumi smirked. "So, would you want them save Amaririsu's life or fret about seeing her naked?"
"…I would want them to save her life, of course," she answered softly.
"You reacted the way you're supposed to," Natsumi said. "Your quick action helped save her life and Hikaru's. That's what its all about—saving lives."
"I know, it's just…"
Natsumi reached over and flicked the Hyūga's forehead. Hinata winced, then pursed her lips in a pout.
"Don't go psyching yourself out now over something as stupid and boring as nudity. As a medic-nin you're gonna see a lot worse than what someone has between their legs."
"I know," she admitted quietly. "As a medic-nin I know I'm going to see awful things in this war. By comparison, something like this will…cease to matter. Modesty will be inconsequential to saving a life. Eventually it will all be anatomy, at least on a battlefield or in a medical tent."
Then she glanced away. "But still… I can't help but…feel embarrassed now. Maintaining appearances, modesty, dignity, decorum, these are all lessons my Clan have drilled into me since I was a child…and, in a way, they've imparted a sense of…shame, I suppose, to…nudity of any kind."
And with their strict traditions, as the daughter of the Head of the Clan, there were certain expectations of her. Expectations that made the strange butterflies she felt around Natsumi and Amaririsu…complicated.
The Hyūga Clan was not nearly as…progressive as the rest of the Leaf, especially when it came to preserving the strength of their bloodline.
Natsumi was silent a moment, rolling a thought around in her mind. Then shrugged.
"Fine."
"Fine? Wha—" Hinata's eyes went wide when the Mist kunoichi suddenly unlatched her cloak and shrugged it off onto the floor. "Na- Natsumi? Wha- what are you doing?"
"Getting naked to prove a point. Thought it was obvious," she said like they were talking about what they had for dinner.
Hinata's breath left her. Getting naked to prove a point?! What did that even mean? Wait, she was doing this here? Now?!
"Yo- You can't!" she argued, flustered, hundreds of butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
"Sure I can," she shrugged, grabbing at the hem of her tunic. "Like I said, it's just a body. Nothing to be ashamed of, nothing special about it—"
Hinata no longer felt any aches, nor had she ever bolted upright faster in her life. Hugging the blanket to her chest, she snatched the Mist kunoichi's wrist before she could lift the shirt past her ribcage; it was enough to see her toned abdomen and a small, tan freckle beside her navel.
Her heart was walloping her esophagus. Every drop of blood rushed to her face. Yet Natsumi was grinning more cheekily, more charmingly than she had ever seen.
"Oh, such a scary expression," she purred lowly. "Maybe I should warn the others. A deviant like you might start cutting everyone out of their clothes."
"You…" Swallowing was difficult with her mouth so dry. "You're teasing me," she realized, narrowing her eyes.
"Heh," Natsumi snorted. She released her shirt. "A little bit. I meant what I said about bodies just being bodies; they're nothing to be ashamed of, and getting psyched out about nudity is stupid.
"But, in your weakened position, I wanted to see how you would react to someone brazenly taking advantage of your situation. Your reaction—top marks," she said, nodding in appreciation. "You didn't freeze up. Your instincts kicked in, to protect yourself from a potential predator and, let's be honest, to protect me from being a brazen and crass buffoon. Just like they kicked in to save Hikaru and Amaririsu when they needed you most."
Hinata blinked. "That was…"
The Mist kunoichi's grin somehow became more cheeky. "I did say I was trying to prove a point, didn't I?"
"You are…incorrigible."
"Guilty as charged," Natsumi winked. And her heart skipped. "Can't help being a crass street rat with no sense of modesty or decorum."
Hinata pursed her lips. "You…aren't a street rat, Natsumi. You are…more than your past."
"Never lose your kindness, Hinata. Or that fierceness," Natsumi said kindly.
"I'll do my best."
"By the way, can I have my hand back now? You've got a death lock on me," she added, lifting her wrist, and by extension Hinata's hand, to show her. "Unless you're planning to kill me or rip me out of these clothes, then by all means, hold on tight and give me your all."
Hinata released her wrist like it was a hot iron.
"Aw, aren't you a tease," she pretended to pout. "I was at your mercy, ready to die or be stripped bare. Honestly, I'm not sure which idea I was more excited by," she added, grinning a toothy and cheeky grin.
"Nat- Natsumi!" she whined, steam rising from her face.
"Hehehe!" Natsumi shoulders shook with a boisterous laugh. "You're even more of a prude than Chōjūrō is." Natsumi gently pushed Hinata back down. "Now lie still. You need to rest."
"But I need to check on Hikaru, Amaririsu, and all the others who were caught in the storm," she argued weakly.
"They're all alive."
"But what if their conditions change? What if they need help?"
"All the more reason you need to rest a little longer," Natsumi countered. "You didn't get out of that water unscathed. I was there the whole time, you know. You can't remember relieving Amaririsu of her clothes. You checked into our conversation with no clue of what we were talking about. You don't remember losing consciousness or how you got here."
Natsumi held her under a knowing gaze. "You were working on instinct back there, yeah? How much do you even remember?"
"I…" Hinata lowered her gaze. She couldn't lie, so… "My memories… They start to fragment when the wave struck Amaririsu, Hikaru, and I. I… I don't even remember how we got onto the deck of the ship. I remember Amaririsu coughing, though. I remember yours and Kakashi-sensei's voices, and then… I heard my own voice cry out for Amaririsu as she collapsed. I was conscious of my actions for a moment, and then you are suddenly there. I have no idea what we're talking about, and you correct me. Then you're telling me I won't help anyone if I'm dead…"
"And now you're here," Natsumi judged.
Hinata nodded.
"Like I said, you need to rest. I know, I know, you want to check on everyone. And you will. After you rest a bit longer. In the meantime, do you want me to fill in the blanks for you?"
"Yes."
It was a team effort to pull everyone safely onto the deck of the ship, according to Natsumi. Once the wave crashed against the hull, Chamū nearly fell overboard, taking Hikaru, Amaririsu, Kiki and herself with him. Yet Kakashi and Haku snatched the sabertooth by the scruff of his neck and the collar of the jacket he wore.
Amaririsu had sucked in water while they were submerged, just as she feared. Together they were both frenzied by the freezing water, remaining connected to the hull by sheer force of will and instinct alone, it seemed. They could barely move, however.
"Both of you were frozen stiff," Natsumi explained. "You had a hold on Hikaru and Kiki, but your bodies wouldn't move. It was only for a few seconds. Just long enough for the few other empty cages to tumble for everyone. Nobody got hurt, so don't make that face. Haku had plenty of cold water and wind at his fingertips to create an ice barrier around himself and Kakashi, and I had something to take my frustrations out on."
Hinata imagined the empty cages met a violent fate at the edge of golden hued chains.
The Adamantine Chains. Utilized by Mito Uzumaki against Naruto and Amaririsu after Mizuki's jailbreak, it was an ability requiring the special chakra of the Uzumaki Clan, which could only mean…
Natsumi, you descend from the Uzumaki Clan as well, just like Naruto and Karin, she wanted to say, but lacked the courage to.
What if Natsumi didn't know her heritage?
What if she did and resented it?
Hinata wasn't comfortable broaching a potentially sensitive subject, so she said nothing and let Natsumi continue explaining the events she possessed no memory of.
It followed the logical path. She and Amari gathered their wits, climbed onto the deck, with Kakashi and Haku pulling Chamū back onto the ship as well. She tended to Hikaru first, stabilizing him as Amari coughed up the water she inhaled, before they all hurried below deck.
Amari collapsed. She stabilized her friend and, after an attempt to gently remove the wet clothing causing her body temperature to stay below its natural state, she resorted to cutting her free of it.
The thought of it caused Hinata to flush again. She would also be immensely grateful if Mimi never learned about it.
The Inuzuka would have far too much fun with that knowledge.
However, one concern did grip her heart.
"I didn't cut her bandana, did I?" she asked.
"No."
Hinata shut her eyes and exhaled a long, relieved sighed. Her heart and body all decompressed, and it suddenly felt like she'd never been lashed by the rain.
"Thank goodness," she said softly.
Natsumi's scarred eyebrow rose. "Did I just cure world hunger or something?"
"Amaririsu doesn't value many material objects," she replied in a soft voice. "In fact, I think I can count them on one hand. The few items she does value, however, were all gifts from people she treasured. Some who…are no longer with us.
"Her bandana is one of those items. It was a gift from her cousin, and it has a promise sewn into it. A promise that has kept Amaririsu moving forward…no matter how impossible the path seemed. No matter how weak she felt. That promise, and through it her bandana, gave her strength. It gave her peace by letting her know she wasn't alone. Even if death itself separated them…he'd always be there for her."
"Mm," Natsumi hummed low in her throat. "I get it."
"When you said I cut her out of her clothes, I became worried I may have done something unforgivable."
"You didn't. So don't worry."
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. I didn't do anything."
"Maybe not in regards to Amaririsu's bandana, but you stayed by my side the entire time even when I wasn't truly aware. You took care of me when I couldn't take care of myself. You're still here now, watching over me."
"It's what comrades do, yeah?"
"True." Hinata smiled, cheeks lightly flushed. "But it's also what friends do."
"Heh, is that right?" Natsumi chuckled. "Friends, huh?"
"Is…that a problem?"
"Nah," she shook her head once. "We're all here to build bonds and bridges, after all. I guess I just never expected you gremlins to see me that way. Besides Haku, Chōjūrō, Haruhi, and Nen, there aren't many people back home who call me friend. Fuugetsu is too hard to read. Plus he's a pain in the ass. Jumping out of nowhere, talking in a way that nobody understands—tch, annoys the hell out of me.
"Anyway, there are people I call comrade, people I trust. But friends? Not many of those back home."
"How come?"
"This may be hard to imagine," she began in a cheeky drawl, "but few people in the Mist like to speak open and honest with someone who spends their life gathering secrets. Never ended well in the past."
"That's not fair to you…"
"It's fine. Really. I'm not much of a social butterfly, anyway. I despised people for a long time—still do, sometimes. Never trusted anyone until Lady Mei came around, and even that took me time."
Natsumi shrugged. "I'd rather have a few real friends I can trust with my life than a bunch of sycophants and brown-noses crawling around my legs, waiting to stab me in the back the moment it served their ends."
Hinata hummed. She couldn't disagree. She had seen enough of Clan politics to make her wary of people's intentions, especially as the once heiress of the Clan, and still as the daughter of the Head of the Clan.
"Amaririsu and I—Kakashi-sensei, too—we won't stab you in the back," she said.
"Yeah, I know. You're a bunch of overly earnest softies. It's pretty strange, you know."
"O- oh…"
"It was a compliment," Natsumi rolled her eyes. "Anyway, as long as you don't stab me in the back I won't blackmail your Clan. Sound fair?"
"Fair enough," Hinata exhaled a short chuckle.
"Good."
"Can I get up now?"
"Mm, I could get your spare clothes, but it's so far away."
"Natsumi," she pleaded and scolded.
"Fine," she feigned a groan. "Just stop twisting my heart with your sick puppy eyes."
After retrieving a set of fresh clothes—a plum shirt and blue shorts—Natsumi picked up her cloak and opened it, drawing it in front of Hinata before turning her head away and shutting her eyes.
"Get dressed, you prude."
Hinata did. Once fully dressed, Natsumi swept the cloak through the air and fastened it upon the Hyūga.
"Here, this'll keep you warm."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine as long as we don't go above deck."
Although uncertain, Hinata knew she would have the same chance of winning an argument with Natsumi as she would altering the weather with a quiet prayer. So she left it be and bowed her head in gratitude.
They made rounds across the whole ship, running into Haku and Kakashi separately along the way as they were checking in on the others and patrolling the ship, respectively. Neither appeared any worse for wear.
Prince Michiru, although still seasick and feeling the effects of his overconsumption of alcohol, now sat in the infirmary beside his son's bed, bucket in reach and looking utterly miserable.
Hikaru and Amari, both who lay in the infirmary, had not yet woken.
Overall all those who had faced the storm were in stable conditions. Hinata still wanted to keep an eye on them, though. Just to be sure.
So, when they returned to their cabin, she sat on her bunk with her back against the wall. She'd make another round across the ship in another ten to twenty minutes, she reasoned. Until everyone was in the clear, as the sole medical ninja it was her duty to look after them.
Sighing in resignation, Natsumi sat beside her.
"You're a stubborn little gremlin, aren't you?"
Hinata smiled at the kunoichi. "I am guilty as charged."
"Heh."
"I couldn't sense him."
The frustrated admission broke free of its leash in the quiet corridor of the ship. Although softly spoken, it yanked itself free of Amari's weak grasp, dashing up her throat and leaping free out her lips without preamble. So suddenly she was nearly startled by her own voice.
Haku wasn't the least bit startled. He expected it. He felt the frustration boiling deep within her, and so he made a soft hum, gentle and understanding, asking her to continue—to let out all of the frustration—as they walked slowly side by side through the corridor.
Dressed in a black tank top and shorts, Amari hugged a fur blanket tighter around her body. Lethargic, she walked on unsteady feet, the safety rope within reach on her left side. The cold metal needled the soles of her feet.
"I couldn't sense him at all," she said again, voice soft. "Not even my Shadow Clone's felt his presence or saw him with their dōjutsu. Hikaru was right there. Right on the deck. And yet… I never even noticed him."
The ship no longer swayed and pitched beneath them, it did not jerk at the mercy of roughhousing waves. The storm, it seemed, had passed. Or, at the very least, calmed.
Amari still staggered. Lightheaded, she paused and leaned her shoulder against the wall, shutting her eyes as she inhaled and exhaled long, deep breaths.
"I can carry you to our cabin, if you will allow it," Haku offered gently.
"I may need you to. But for now…" Amari opened her eyes, moved off the wall, and started forward again. "I just need to stretch my legs a little longer. Otherwise I'll go crazy."
"Whenever you need me, I'll be here," Haku said, falling in step beside her.
Amari smiled faintly. "Thank you."
She shouldn't have been walking around yet, she knew, especially after losing consciousness; Hinata would scold her for it when she inevitably found out. But she couldn't stand to sit or lie down another moment in the infirmary. Too antsy. Too restless. She also couldn't stand the stench of the Prince's vomit any longer.
"You are being too hard on yourself," Haku said. "It is not as though you and you alone failed to sense Hikaru. None of us realized he was there, not until it was nearly too late."
"I just…" She lowered her eyes. "I've been training so hard to hone my sensory abilities with the Crows, my mom, and Kakashi-sensei. I thought…I was getting closer to being ready."
"You are. However, you are ignoring the relentless assault our senses were under by the storm. You are ignoring the extremity of the weather we were forced to endure and how it effected all of our abilities—not just your own. You feel guilty because Hikaru was close to death, and you conclude it is the result of your weakness, which has made you restless."
"Heh. Cutting straight to my heart, huh, troublesome boy."
"Have I overstepped?" Haku asked.
"No," she shook her head. "You're right. About all of it. When the water hit me…all I could think of was how cold I was. All I could see was the next step in front of me, the next objective, and even that was difficult.
"I couldn't sense him, and I feel like I should have been able to. It's easier to ignore the storm and blame myself entirely. Because I feel like I should've been there to save him, or Chamū so he wouldn't have felt like he had to. I feel like if I was only faster, stronger, more in control, I could have done more. I could have somehow outmatched the sensory overload we all suffered from, and in doing so protected Hikaru better. If I could be that person, that shinobi, I could've protected everyone better.
"Ugh, just hearing how that sounds… I'm being so selfish and self-centered. So arrogant."
"I am uncertain it is wholly selfish or self-centered, truly. You often take inventory of yourself and your abilities after stressful events, seeking out any weaknesses or mistakes you may have made. You do so in order to grow, to better prepare yourself for the next mission; it is an admirable trait, in that regard.
"Although you are quick to find fault in yourself. In your frustration, it seems, you are quick to take full responsibility for events never within your power to alter without hindsight or foresight.
"In that way, I believe, you are too harsh on yourself. In that way you could say it is a selfish act, one born of arrogance. For we all bear responsibility for the safety of the Prince and Hikaru. It is not your duty and yours alone. The Prince doesn't trust his safety, or that of Hikaru's, strictly to you. If you believe otherwise, then you are being far too arrogant. I apologize if that sounds cruel."
"It wasn't," she reassured.
No, it was far from cruel. It was a kindness for him to speak the truth, to point out, as her uncle had after learning Kasai injured Hinata, that her arrogance was striding in front of her better intentions.
"Hinata has found strength in her injuries because of your influence. You believed in her abilities, in all of your peers. Do you now believe that was a mistake?"
"Kasai is—"
"This isn't about Kasai. Do you believe it was a mistake, 'Risu?" her uncle pressed.
"No!" she flared weakly. "But that doesn't change this terrible feeling in my heart!"
"The feeling of guilt, you mean?" he returned calmly but intensely. "The feeling that you could have stopped any harm from coming to Hinata if you had been there? Don't be so arrogant. Hinata is a perfectly capable shinobi. By treating her as someone lesser, someone who must be protected, you're insulting all of her hard work."
She was doing it again. Thinking that if only she had been faster, stronger, more in control, then everything would be different. Never mind the wealth of skill and experience Kakashi, Haku, and Natsumi possessed. Or Hinata, too, who was strong, skilled, and just as quick as she was, leaping over the railing of the ship right alongside her when they realized Hikaru, Kiki, and Chamū were there.
Instead, she believed she alone could fix everything.
"I needed to hear that," she admitted after a moment of thought. "I need people to confront me when I lose sight. Sasuke does it often, especially when I talk about the future like I'm the only one building it."
Amari paused. She shut her eyes. The ship was stagnant, but the world was spinning again. After a few long, calm breaths, she continued,
"I…I even thought I could stop the war and all its suffering on my own. I thought I could save everyone from it."
She opened her eyes, gaze solemn as she stared at the floor.
"And when I realized I couldn't save them all…it broke me a little. It sounds so arrogant now—stopping the war and saving everyone, I mean. I'm still searching for answers, yet I thought I could save everyone? I'm too childish still," she shook her head.
"Of course. You are a child," Haku said, smiling kindly. "You said it yourself: You are still searching for answers. Or, to put it another way, you are still growing up. You and I, and our peers, we are still learning, maturing. We're all becoming adults, so do not curse yourself for ignorance. Ignorance is the soil from which all seeds of knowledge grow."
Amari nodded once. "You're right. I know that, even though I forget sometimes. I…" She exhaled a defeated sigh. "I just wish this war never happened. I wish…I wish I could save everyone. I wish people didn't have to suffer and die."
"As do I." Haku stepped closer. He rested his hands gently on her shoulders. "This world of shinobi is cruel. You and I have witnessed its darkness firsthand. We have felt its hopelessness, and we are not alone in the suffering it inflicts. There are many more like us in this world of bloodshed and death.
"However, this world is not without hope. It is not without beauty. It is not without light. It cannot be when someone like you exists."
Amari's cheeks warmed. "Haku…"
He smiled, cheeks flushed. "You brighten this world of ours. You embody the light of the human heart. The beauty of it. Your optimism and your yearning to change this world breathe life, warmth, and hope into all those around you. Your kindness, your compassion, your generosity, your desire to reach out to everyone—all of these reasons and more are why so many admire you. Why they gravitate to you.
"All of those reasons and more—more that I am uncertain of how to express—are why I admire you."
Haku glanced away for a moment. "Long ago Zabuza saved me from death and loneliness. He granted my life purpose." His soft and sincere gaze met hers again, and she felt a familiar fluttering in her belly. "But it is because of you—your influence—that I now feel alive. It is because of you I learned—that I am learning how to live. That I am now more than a tool. I can dare to dream of a future because of you.
"This cruel war will cause us all grief. It will bring darkness to our lives and cause unforgivable suffering. However, no matter what darkness we must endure, do not despair. This world is changing. It is changing as we speak, here and now, on this very mission.
"The future is not set in stone. We are not doomed to repeat this cycle. I know that because you have shown me the truth of those words," he emphasized, squeezing her shoulders warmly.
"People are uniting to fight for a future where the suffering of war no longer afflicts the human heart. They reach out and walk together, strengthened by the precious bonds they share as comrades, as friends, and as kindred spirits. That is your influence. For within your heart resides an incredible power those like the Tsuchikage will never understand, and it will be because they cannot understand it that they ultimately fail. That I truly believe."
Humbled and flushed from head to toe, Amari's heart thumped and skipped about as butterflies danced and twirled in her belly.
Her vocal chords tightened. She swallowed roughly, grasping at racing thoughts flitting by like humming birds in search of something coherent to say. Anything that could express how his words washed away the impure anxieties, fears, stresses, and despair tainting her soul. Anything that expressed how hopeful, strong and warm she now felt.
The words slipped through her fingers. So, on purest instinct, Amari stepped in and wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him as tightly and as warmly as she could, trying desperately to express all of her feelings through the simple action.
She pressed her warm cheek into his chest and shut her eyes.
"…You really know how to make a girl feel like she can take the whole world on," Amari said.
She wished she had something more meaningful to say. Something as powerful as his words.
She wished she possessed the courage to say what she felt. But she didn't. So she held him a little tighter.
"Hmhm." Haku's chuckle was warm and full of affection. He wrapped his arms around her smaller frame, holding her close. "So long as you don't try to take it on alone."
"I won't. Promise."
"Mm. That is good. It would be very troublesome of you otherwise."
"Heh." Amari puffed out a laugh. "Guess so. Haku… Thank you. For your kind words. For your unwavering faith in a troublesome girl like me. For always helping me broaden my perspective when it gets stuck in narrow wells and tunnels. For…just being here. For being you. For being compassionate and sincere and…being my kindred spirit. Thank you."
Thank you for being born. Thank you for being in my life, she wanted to say, but her voice failed her. Had we never met, had I not saved you…
Visions of the mist-covered bridge, of the other Haya standing frozen as Kakashi's Lightning Blade was pierced through Haku's chest, flashed through her mind. She squeezed her shut eyes tighter.
This world would be far darker. Far less hopeful. And far less beautiful.
"And I'm sorry I was moping," she said instead.
"There is nothing to apologize for," he reassured warmly. "Whenever despair creeps into our lives, you are always there to reach out to us and pull us free of its cold grasps. It is only fair we do the same for you."
"Thank you," she thanked again.
Out of their embrace, the pair shared shy smiles accented by rosy cheeks. Haku half-turned away first.
"Come," he said, kneeling down. "I'll carry you the rest of the way."
"Okay."
Amari climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, creating a long draping cape from her blanket around them both. Haku rose then walked on through the quiet corridor, a quiet and warm smile on his lips. Amari rested her chin on his shoulder and shut her eyes, smiling as her heart skipped along joyfully.
When they finally arrived at their cabin, Haku stopped in the open doorway and tilted his head. Amari muffled a giggle. Inside, Hinata and Natsumi sat side by side on the former's bunk, both fast asleep.
Natsumi appeared to have slid down the back wall as she slept. She sat with her arms crossed and her head resting on Hinata's shoulder; the poor girl was going to have a terrible neck cramp when she woke up, that was for certain.
"I wish I had a camera," Amari whispered.
"Oh? How come?"
"For two reasons. First, its adorable. It's giving me warm fuzzy feelings."
"Mm. I cannot disagree. What is your second reason?"
Amari grinned. "Blackmail, of course."
"Hmhm," Haku chuckled softly.
Down the hall, leaning against the wall out of sight as Haku and Amari entered the cabin, Kakashi eye smiled to himself.
A camera would have been good. With one he could have captured the growing bond between both pairs of young Leaf and Mist shinobi. The bonds between the kids of the next generation, whether they were between the Leaf and Sand or the Leaf and the Mist, and the deep bond flourishing between Amari and Haku in particular, would change the world. He could feel it.
Also, a photo would have provided him blackmail of the highest degree against his student.
Oh well, Kakashi thought, pushing off the wall to continue his patrol. There will be other opportunities in the future.
He'd need to stay one step ahead of his student at all times.
After all, he was helping her to sharpen that dangerous mind, and if Shikaku was right, Amari had only just begun to inherit her mother's unique sense of humor—a dangerous combination.
Amari will certainly keep me on my toes in the future. He smiled to himself. But I wouldn't want it any other way.
A formless void of bleary white filled Hikaru's vision. He felt warm. Safe. Although confusion lingered beneath the security and warmth.
The white light vanished in darkness, briefly, before returning, and with it he began to make out the shape of a foreign and yet familiar ceiling.
This place…is the ship. I'm…below deck…but I've never seen…this room before.
He flexed his fingers, and winced, eyes shutting. He…He couldn't make a fist. Couldn't dig his fingers into the unfamiliar bed he was lying in; the heavy aches strangled his joints and knuckles.
So…he wasn't dead?
Were Kiki and Chamū okay?
What about all the other animals?
Nothing bad had happened to servants and circus people, right?
Were Natsumi, Amaririsu, Hinata, Haku, and Kakashi all okay? They saved everyone, didn't they? Like they saved him. They hadn't been hurt, though, right?
He needed to find out. He needed to apologize… He needed to…
"In here, you know what you really wanted to ask me, Hikaru. You don't want me to be your vassal. That's the last thing you want, from me or anyone. When you're ready to ask, I'll be waiting."
He needed to…
Hikaru tried to sit up. He pushed against his elbows and forearms, rose slightly, then slowly collapsed back into the bed. Hikaru felt his muscles trembling. He was nearly out of breath, too.
The cold water, it sapped him of every bit of strength he had. He just needed to rest first. Once he rested, he would check on everyone.
Darkness crept into the corners of his vision. As it did, he rolled his head to his right side, and a new, familiar shape took form within his vision.
You…
Lying his head on folded arms, his father sat beside his bed as he slept.
You're here…Father.
I thought…you were too sick to move. I thought you would be too busy…but…
Hikaru's eyes slid shut.
I'm…glad you're here.
When Hikaru stepped out onto the deck beneath the mid-morning sun, he did so trailing behind his father, his entire being churning in a sea of awkwardness.
From the moment he awoke to the time of leaving the infirmary his father had all but clung to him. He'd been apologizing for drinking so much, for not being there for him during the storm, and telling him how much he loved him and how sorry he was as he crushed him in a bear hug.
It was all awkward. And…nice. He couldn't remember the last time his father had said, "I love you," or when he felt like he actually meant it. Most of the time it felt like he was just saying it in the same way he loved a new rug, or a new piece of jewelry, or some other item he just absolutely loved and had to have.
This time, it felt real. And that felt…good. Better than he'd thought, actually. It reminded him of when his parents were together. When they were all happy. But, at the same time…he was afraid. He was afraid this would be the last time for months or years again. He was afraid his father would revert to his usual habits, forgetting about him once they made it home. Or whenever he decided to drink again.
Anxious and awkward, Hikaru wrung his fingers as he glanced around. All the animals were gathered in their herds, safe and sound, all accounted for. So were the circus people and the servants.
Glancing to starboard, he saw the shinobi gathered together on the stairs, attired in the short-sleeved shirts, haori, tank tops, and skirts, shorts, and pants they wore when they first met.
Natsumi stood at the foot of them, hand on her hip and peering over her shoulder at him. Haku stood beside Kakashi; they appeared to have been speaking moments before he arrived, but now both looked at him. Hinata sat near the foot of the stairs beside Amaririsu. They, too, were looking at him.
No one seemed mad, though. Hinata, Haku, and Amaririsu were all smiling. Natsumi's turquoise gaze was gentle and, if nothing else, curious. Kakashi's expression was impossible to read with his face covered.
Hikaru pursed his lips awkwardly and looked away. He wanted to talk to them. He had…a lot to say. A lot to apologize for. And…something important to ask. Something he wasn't sure how to ask before, but now…
The young Prince was startled by the chirping-like noise of Kiki, who leapt off Chamū back and quickly approached. Suddenly the monkey leapt at him, making a happy chirp-like noise as he did.
Hikaru caught Kiki and giggled. The monkey chirped and hugged his thin and hairy arms around his torso for a moment, then sat down in his arms, allowing the boy to cradle him as he walked.
It was the heavy steps of Chamū that drew his gaze up, it was his steps that froze him on the spot. Likewise, his father and the promoter both went stiff. The shinobi, he realized with a glance, were neither frozen nor afraid. They watched in silence, each ready to spring into action.
The sabertooth meandered around Hikaru, circling him once, before stopping within arms distance in front of him. Kiki chirped. Looking down, he watched the smiling monkey make a petting motion with his hand.
Does he…want me to pet Chamū?
Hikaru looked at Chamū. The sabertooth met his gaze. For the first time he didn't feel afraid. He didn't feel the primal sense that Chamū wanted him to stay far, far away.
Swallowing down the large apple caught in his throat, Hikaru cradled Kiki in one arm and cautiously raised the other. He didn't step forward, but slid his foot inches closer. Closer.
His hand rested on Chamū's furry forehead. The sabertooth made a soft, purring like noise, and leaned his head into the small hand.
Elation poured through Hikaru. Beaming, he stepped closer as he pet the sabertooth.
"That's incredible. I've never seen Chamū let anyone do that since his handler passed," the promoter muttered under his breath.
Chamū laid down on the deck. Hikaru kneeled beside him and slowly ran his hands along the sabertooth's belly. His fur…it's so thick and soft. I thought it would be a little rough and thin, but this…
Smiling, Hikaru gently threaded his fingers through the Chamū's thick coat.
"You've earned his trust."
Hikaru's whole body started at Natsumi's voice, his eyes went wide. Turning his head, he saw the kunoichi now standing a little less than an arm length behind him.
When did she… How do they move so quietly?
"I…I did?" he stammered.
"Mhm." With her legs pressed together, she lowered herself into a crouch, resting her forearms on her knees as she observed the sabertooth. "You were just a stranger to him before. An outsider. He had no reason to trust or believe you had pure intentions in your heart.
"Humans are the same way," she said gently, turquoise eyes meeting his. "When we don't understand something, we put up our guards, stick our heels in, and keep the other's at arm's distance. Usually because we're afraid. Because we've been hurt before."
Hikaru felt a lump in his throat. She was… She was looking at him. Seeing him. Like Amaririsu and Haku before, and unlike so many others, Natsumi was speaking directly to him. Not to the son of a Prince, but to…him. To the boy named Hikaru. And like her comrades before her, she was trying to teach him, he realized.
Natsumi looked back to Chamū. "Time and harsh experiences will wither hope, trust and faith in people. You can only have your heart's basic needs ignored so long. You can only be told to scram and be kicked while you're in the mud so many times before you grow weary and cynical.
"Eventually, like unwatered flowers, our faith dries up as our hopes are shed, and our trust decomposes. Eventually we become like Chamū. We look harsh and scary on the outside, we growl and roar at those who step close to keep them at arms distance, all to protect ourselves. We're wary of strangers. We distrust their compassion, and we seek out the taint festering beneath their kind smiles."
Hikaru looked at Chamū. The sabertooth kept his eyes shut. He was calm, feeling neither aggression nor fear in either of their presences. He breathed easily, belly rising and falling gently beneath the young boy's hand with every calm breath.
Kiki crawled along the sabertooth's back, lying down on his belly and wrapping his arms around his partner's neck.
Is…Is that how you really felt, Chamū? He rubbed the sabertooth's belly. His heart ached. Yet he also felt…relieved. I…I thought you just hated me. But I never considered how you were feeling, did I?
Without raising his head, he glanced towards Natsumi, but could only see a faint shape of her and the crimson sea of fire draping down her shoulders in his peripherals.
I never considered how any of you felt…
"Know what's interesting, though?" Natsumi asked.
"What? What's interesting?" he asked, meeting her eyes again with curiosity.
"No matter how much they wither, faith, trust, and hope never truly die. We may think they do. We may think the winter's frost has killed them." She shook her head. "Little do we know they're only hibernating, waiting for a gentle hand to clean out the poison of cynicism and, over time, nurse them back to health. With time, they'll bloom again. They always do."
"So…" He turned to face Chamū again. "Have I…nursed him back to health?"
"Chamū's only just begun the healing process," she replied honestly. "Wounds like his—wounds of the heart—don't heal overnight. They take time, and love. But, yeah, you're the catalyst of that. He knows you risked your life to save him. He trusts you, and in time, as long as you're patient and gentle, he'll heal."
"I…I will be," Hikaru promised.
"Good. Now, with all that out of the way…" Hikaru felt the side of her hand lightly press against the top of his skull, mimicking a chop. "That's for being a reckless little dope. Running out into that weather in pajamas and slippers, the hell were you thinking?" she wondered without any anger or malice.
Hikaru shrunk. It felt like he was being chastised by his worried mother, sort of.
"Couldn't just behave. Couldn't just turn over a new leaf in a normal way. Had to go run out into the middle of a raging storm!" Her hand lightly chopped him again. "Everyone was worried sick about you, you know. And Hinata, that little gremlin was up nearly all night taking care of you."
That's right…I need to…
Hikaru stood up. He turned to face Natsumi, then bent at the waist and bowed his head to the kunoichi.
"I'm…I'm sorry for the awful things I said. I'm sorry for shooting arrows at Amaririsu and for everything I did."
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, too, you little dope," Natsumi replied. "When I was a little brat, I had plenty of adults yell at and berate me. It never helped. It never made me feel like people understood how I felt or what I was going through, so I should've known better. Should've been better. I should've tried to understand, like Amaririsu was." She shook her head. "I shouldn't have let my temper get the best of me. It's not a charming trait, I know. Sorry about that."
"It's okay. I was…I was acting spoiled, like you said." He turned around and kneeled beside Chamū again. He threaded his fingers into his thick and soft fur, throat feeling a bit tighter. "I'm sorry for how I treated you, too, Chamū. I was upset because you didn't trust me right away. I'm really sorry.
"I…" He swallowed the lump in his throat, but it didn't fade. He wanted… He wanted to…
"In here, you know what you really wanted to ask me, Hikaru. You don't want me to be your vassal. That's the last thing you want, from me or anyone. When you're ready to ask, I'll be waiting."
His eyes stung. The thing he wanted to ask her, the thing he wanted most was…
"I just wanted you to be my friend," he admitted. "I wanted to be friends with you and Amaririsu and the others. But…" He curled his fingers into Chamū's fur. "I don't know how to make friends," he admitted, voice wavering. "I've never had any before."
"The good news is its never too late to make new friends." Amaririsu's voice drew his glistening gaze around.
She quietly approached her right arm was tucked behind her back and her hand lightly clasped her left bicep.
"Even for troublesome boys," she added with a smile.
"You little dope." Rolling her eyes, Natsumi lightly chopped the top of his head again. "If that's what you wanted, all you had to do was ask."
"Guess that means you've made two friends."
Chamū made a noise akin to a yawn. Kiki chirped. Amaririsu's shoulders shook with a soft and short giggle.
"Ah, seems the Leaf shinobi need to learn to count," Natsumi smirked. "Looking like four friends to me."
"It would seem we of the Mist need to advance our curriculum as well. I count six," Haku said as he approached, a warm smile on his face.
Hinata, who flanked him while twiddling her fingers, smiled as she said, "As long as that's okay with you, of course."
Okay with him?
Tears welled in his eyes. His lips trembled as he tried to smile.
Of course it was okay with him, he wanted to say. He…He had wanted this all along. He had wanted…friends. And now…
Hikaru ducked his head. His smile fell.
"Hm? What's wrong, you little dope?"
"…The trip is almost over. Once we make it home, all of you will have to leave," he said softly.
And then he'd be alone again. The friends he made would be far away, so…could it be said they were friends at all?
"Mm. It is true we will have to return to our Villages," Haku said. "Similarly, when our mission is complete, it will likely be months—perhaps longer—before Natsumi and I ever see Hinata, Amari, and Kakashi again. Yet the bonds we now share will endure."
"Yeah," Natsumi nodded, rising out of her crouch. "That's another interesting thing. Connections—real connections—endure regardless of distance and time apart." She placed a hand on her hip. "Sounds to me like you're saying our friendship is just for show. Like we don't mean it. I think I'm insulted."
Hikaru's eyes went wide, head lifting in horror. "Wha— No! I didn't—"
"Don't be mean," interrupted Hinata.
"Gah!" Natsumi winced away from the younger kunoichi, who poked her sharply in the side. "Little gremlin! I was just teasing him."
After a soft, resigned sigh, Hinata smiled kindly and sincerely at him. "There are often times Amari and I do not see each other, or many of our other friends, due to our missions. This is also the first time Haku and Amari have seen each other since they met at the start of this year. Yet our bonds do not wither. It will be the same for us. Even though we will part, you have nothing to fear. We will still be friends."
Amaririsu stepped closer, crouched down to his level. She smiled and rubbed the top of his head.
"We won't forget you," she said sincerely, and he felt his heart tighten. "Friendship, family, love—these bonds connect us to each other no matter how far apart we may be. They can transcend any distance, they can even transcend the physical world. I know it. I've seen it."
She said it with such certainty, such sincerity, such warmth and truth, that he nearly broke down into tears.
"So don't worry so much, Hikaru. Don't look so sad," she said, lowering her hand as she smiled. "Our bond will always connect us, no matter where our lives take us."
Hikaru's lip trembled. He raised his hand up and extended his pinky.
"Do you promise?" he asked.
"I promise," Amaririsu curled her pinky around his.
"Leaving us out, huh? That's rude, you know."
"Heh," Amaririsu exhaled an abrupt chuckle. "Sorry about that."
Standing up with their fingers entwined, Natsumi, Haku, and Hinata all joined them, hooking their pinkies together in a tangled knot of small fingers.
"So…we're all friends, then…" he struggled to form the words.
Chamū suddenly rose onto his hind legs, letting out a roar, and pressed his front paws onto their mound of hands, as though trying to join them.
"Whoa! Easy ther—"
"Ah, Chamū!"
Natsumi's and Hinata's cries were drowned beneath the surprised sounds made by the other three and the sabertooth's roar. As soon as his paws landed on their hands they tumbled over onto the deck. Chamū fell with them, his front paw coming to lie across Hikaru's belly.
Dazed, Hikaru sat up onto his elbows and spotted the four shinobi in similar disheveled states on the other side of Chamū.
Hinata lay with her hands on either side of Amaririsu's head, nearly chest to chest with her comrade; it appeared Amaririsu had caught Hinata as they fell by the way she wrapped her arms around her midsection, using herself as a cushion between the deck and her fellow Leaf kunoichi.
Haku sat beside them, blinking as he gathered his bearings. Natsumi was rising onto her elbows on the Leaf shinobi's opposite side, lying nearly parallel by their legs.
"Ah, Ama- Amaririsu! I'm sor—"
"Hehehehe!"
Amaririsu was the first to break into giggles. She lay there, flat on her back, giggling without restraint. Hinata blinked. Then she tucked her chin into her chest as she quickly joined her friend in giggles, slowly sinking into her embrace as she did until they were tangled together like their pinkies before.
Haku was next to fall. He brought his hand to his mouth and began to softly laugh.
Natsumi grinned. "Guess he's a big softie after all. Hehe!"
As she broke into a snicker, a swelling storm of joy, triumph, and elation swept Hikaru up. Soon he was lying on his back again, laughing like he hadn't laughed in years. And as he laughed warm tears rolled down his cheeks.
He brought his hands to his face, pushing his glasses up to wipe his eyes as his laughter altered between joyful giggling, and chest heaving crying.
He finally… He finally had friends!
It was the most joyful day Hikaru could remember having since his parents separated.
The Land of the Moon was aptly named. From a bird's eye view the geography of the island mirrored a crescent moon, albeit a crescent moon host to a sprawling mountainous region, large swaths untouched forests, and a ritzy resort town that spanned the width of the island.
There was no doubting the wealth of the island kingdom. Everything from the harbor through the town was paved in rich, smooth square stones that, when the afternoon sun struck it, gave off the impression of walking upon a road paved in gold bricks. A grand, cream colored archway towered over the entrance and exit of the harbor. Red clay roof tiles stretched as far as the eye could see.
Hands in his pockets, Kakashi strolled along the paved dock as all manner of work went on. Cranes unloaded the Prince's valuables from the deck onto the dock. The circus people were disembarking, guiding their animals down the ramp and situating them in groups, like shinobi commanders forming small, organized platoons.
He didn't interrupt their work. He moved smoothly, silently, across the dock towards the bow of the ship looming over them, where Natsumi stood alone. She stared off at the arch, and farther beyond, arms crossed over her stomach.
"You're unusually tense," Kakashi observed as he stopped beside her. "What are you sensing?"
"Fear." She furrowed her brow. "This whole town feels foul. It's like I can feel the whole populace trembling. I can feel their hearts racing. I can feel them sweating as the hide in their broom closets, hoping, praying the foulness will not touch their homes. No one is moving around. They're sheltering in place, like they know something is about to happen."
"Hm," he hummed deep and low in his chest. "Sounds like they're expecting us."
"There would've only been one opportunity for someone to send a message ahead without us knowing."
"While we were guarding the Prince at his ex-wife's house," Kakashi concluded.
Natsumi nodded once. "If the traitor isn't among his company, then they had someone stationed at these docks. Once our ship showed up on the horizon, word was sent to the King or his usurper, and now there's a grand old trap waiting for us. They probably think we'll stumble blindly into it. Like amateurs."
"If that's what they're thinking, they're information on our unit is limited. Assuming that is true, then it's possible the traitor isn't among the current company, but I'm not willing to throw away my suspicion yet."
"Another possibility is their information on shinobi is as limited as the Prince's, which is to say they know nothing at all," Natsumi pointed out.
"Or they may have rogue shinobi among them who are confident in their abilities to defeat us," he countered calmly.
Natsumi nodded. "There are too many unknowns from where we're standing," she said, lowering her arms to her sides. She turned to face him. "May I borrow Hinata? With my senses and her Byakugan we'll get a clean picture of what's going on, and figure out what sort of welcoming committee they've cooked up for us. Might be able to figure out who's in charge at the palace now, too, if we're quick," she added.
"Sounds good," Kakashi dipped his chin once. "Keep us informed as long as you can. And when you go to the palace, be careful."
"We will be."
Something was wrong.
Hikaru couldn't say what it was, he didn't possess any amazing abilities like the shinobi. Yet he felt certain in his feeling. Some of it was simple observation; Natsumi and Hinata, for instance, had vanished entirely.
He hadn't seen either of them since they disembarked the ship, and now, as he and his father sat in their carriage, trundling through the archway with Kakashi, Haku, and Amaririsu as their escort, their absence was even more pronounced. Like a frame without a picture, or candle without a wick.
It made Hikaru wish he'd paid attention to the shinobi on the journey here. At least then he would know if they had disappeared like this before, and for what purpose they would.
Their absence, it left him nervous. They were home now, so…why did Natsumi and Hinata go off on their own somewhere?
Glancing out the left window, he saw Kakashi strolling right alongside their carriage. Out the right was Haku. Neither seemed disturbed, and yet their eyes… They were alert, scanning what appeared to be the rooftops and windows of nearby buildings. He couldn't see Amaririsu from either window.
I suppose Father did hire them to protect us…so why…
Hikaru sat beside his father, lips pressed together.
Why did they try to delay us from departing to the palace? Why do they seem so…tense?
He hadn't known them long, so maybe he was just imagining it. Something, though, something about how they were acting now was different from the few times he paid attention to them. It was subtle.
Hikaru rested his hand over his stomach.
It was unsettling him.
The horses hooves clapped against the stones. He heard the pleasant recorded voice emanating from the speakers around the town, narrating the sights to see and the shops to visit.
No one populated the streets, however. No one but them.
"Where on earth are all of the people?" his father wondered, anxiously looking around.
The carriage slowly turned onto the main street. On any other day there would've been people outside of every building, milling about, moving from store to store, casino to casino, There would've been other horse drawn carriages transporting people across the town.
There was no one. No one except them and the music of the nearby casinos, seemingly left on after everyone in the city was abducted.
Kakashi and Haku spoke into their headsets, but Hikaru couldn't hear them through the shut windows. He saw their eyes suddenly, sharply, glance to the carriage.
Hikaru swallowed and dug his fingers into his pants. He wondered where Amaririsu was. Scooting closer to the window, he all but pressed his face against the glass in search of the Leaf shinobi, but to no avail.
The carriage came to a halt at Kakashi's signal. He then approached the window, his eye made of steel. Hikaru watched anxiously as his father cracked the window open.
"Prince Michiru, are there any hideouts only the royal family are aware of?"
"Hideouts? Shouldn't we head to the palace?"
"The situation has changed. You will not be safe if we go there."
"What do you mean?"
Kakashi shut his eye, exhaling a resigned sigh. He then gestured up the road.
"Please, take a look, your Highness."
"Huh? Um, oka…"
When his father leaned his head out the window, Hikaru saw the color drain from his face, as though seeing a ghost. His eyes went wide and he ceased to breathe, the air punched out of his lungs by the aforementioned ghost.
Hikaru scooted to the opposite window and cracked it open. As he leaned out, Haku leapt onto the side of the carriage and, with a kind smile, shielded the street ahead with his body.
"There's nothing you need to see here, Hikaru," he said kindly. "Please stay inside the carriage."
"Something bad has happened, hasn't it?" he prodded, voice trembling, trying with no success to peek around the boy.
"Yes," Haku answered honestly. "Which is why we need you to stay inside. This is for your safety."
"Your Highness, are there any hideouts known only to the royal family?" Kakashi repeated more firmly.
"I—"
The thunder of an explosion made Hikaru's heart tighten. Haku's brow furrowed and his eyes sharpened.
"They're blending in with the populace!" Amaririsu's calm voice came from the ceiling. "And those archers have explosives attached to their arrows!"
"Stay inside, Hikaru," Haku said, shutting the window before he dropped down.
"For now get the carriage out of here!" Kakashi ordered.
The carriage jerked beneath them, and then the buildings and neon signs were zipping by his window. The streets seethed with explosives and people. As the driver made a sharp turn, Hikaru saw a woman, and felt his whole body go cold.
She was swaying on a rope from a gleefully neon sign, with a board hung around her neck. Written on it in large bold words—the only reason he could read it—was a single word:
TRAITOR!
Hikaru didn't remember hugging his father or burying his face into his side, but he became aware of it as he heard Amaririsu's commands resound through the ceiling as she directed the driver through the streets. He heard not just two horses galloping, but several new sets of hooves coming to ride beside them, the clapping on the stones out of synch.
Sharp cries of metal sang. There was a loud neighing, a scream, and several curses. Lifting his eyes, he saw men in guard uniforms of the palace riding beside them. They grit their teeth, veins visibly bulged along their necks as they tried to attack the carriage, the driver, and, if he had to guess, Amaririsu.
Glass suddenly shattered behind Hikaru. He let out a cry and felt his father's large arms hug around him, moving to shield him with his own body.
Another cry rang out—the carriage drivers. The carriage began to slow, then finally stop.
Hikaru didn't look up from his father's shirt. The world seethed around them. There were cries, of metal and men, and flashes of lights and shockwaves like fireworks. New voices entered. Frustrated yells for people to come to their senses, that they were brothers and sisters in arms, declarations of loyalty to his father, only to return to more cries of metal and men.
"You said your name was Captain Korega, right? Think you can drive this thing?" he heard Amaririsu ask. "We're sitting ducks here."
Captain Korega? Hikaru thought, eyes opening but not budging from his father's shirt. He's apart of the royal guard. He's…always been kind to me.
"I'm on it!" Captain Korega replied.
The carriage soon was on its way again, galloping through the streets.
What's going on?
What's happened to our home?
Hikaru swallowed roughly—it tasted of bile.
Why was that woman killed?