Interlude: Sakumo

Sakumo gave his mission report to mission services before heading home.

It was a weird experience coming home to an empty house. He picked up a note on the counter. He recognized Yuina's writing anywhere, which was proven with her name clearly written on the bottom. She was away on a mission. Who knew where Kakashi was?

Sakumo thought maybe Kakashi would be home for dinner, but he wasn't, and then he wasn't home at night either.

It was odd. He's come home to an empty house before, but it was the first time he didn't have an expectation that he would get to see them soon. It was only natural, but that didn't mean he knew what to do with himself. The last several years had heavily been centered around those two. He was proud of them and was happy to encourage their success and progress, but he didn't know what to do with himself.

Sakumo went on a walk, read some poetry and relaxed by the lakeside for a while before succumbing to sleep. He recalled the times he would fish with Kakashi, receipt passages to Yuina, and walking through town with both. It really was just him that night.

The sun woke him, and he made his way to the kitchen where he prepared breakfast. He pulled the tableware from the cupboards before realizing he only needed one set.

It was weird. Sakumo had never lived alone. He grew up with his parents and grandparents. He moved into another home only after he had gotten together with Juuri, and even then he and his family constantly visited each other until they passed. Then they world gave gifted them Kakashi and Yuina against all odds.

Sakumo looked at the family photo Yuina wanted. He had gotten enough for all of them. He wasn't the materialistic type, but he wished he had gotten one of Juuri and him together. Cameras would have been relatively new, but they were invented before her death.

Sakumo reminisced about what he had in life. His family. His comrades. His village. A home. A job. Food. That should have been enough and yet in that moment he felt like he was missing something.

He went back into his room and kneeled before the large wooden chest storage box. There were intricate designs engraved into it. It had been a wedding gift from his parents. The wedding had been a small, intimate affair. It was how they wanted it to be, but it didn't help that their wedding had caused some drama with her family.

Juuri's family had been making preparations for an arranged marriage before he had ever bet her. She had long agreed to her parents' desires. Juuri had a strong will, but it was always used to support those she cared for. For them to help keep their spirits high and to remain in good health.

It wasn't that her parents hated him as a person. Sakumo's introduction into their life had simply been at the wrong time. It brought about problems when her parents dealt with the fallout of the other party. Juuri's mother even admitted to him in secret that things would have worked out differently if he showed up in their lives sooner.

Sakumo's parents instilled honour and graciousness into him his whole life. His marriage was one of his few selfish acts.

He remembered the night Juuri came to give him her goodbyes. How her skin glimmered under the moonlight. How her long fingers plucked the strings of her koto playing the solemn yearning piece. A song written for him about them. Sakumo hadn't heard the song in a long time, but even now he remembered the melody by heart. Heartbreaking desperation mixed with a tender love. He was able to let go of many things, but he hadn't wanted to let go of her. He had proposed then and there. Though she cried, Juuri had offered the most heartwarming smile, which meant it couldn't be the wrong decision.

Sakumo's hand brushed against the dusty koto. Juuri cherished it a lot. She relied on music to speak for her when there were no words. It was an extension of herself. He cleaned her belongings before going on a walk. He needed to clear his head.

"Morning Natsuki. Looking over the shop today?" He noticed Gota's son manning the stall.

Gota rubbed the back of his neck. "You must not have heard. My dad passed away a little over a week ago."

"Please accept my condolences." Another one. He'd lost some dear people to war and missions while others have long retired. Gota had been a civilian merchant, but Sakumo still had known him for a long time. A death was a death regardless of one's role in society.

Sakumo walked further down the street before stopping in front of a shogi board. He stared for a while unsure. "Do you want it?" The shop owner listed the price.

He needed something to do. He liked playing uta-garuto, but he didn't have anyone to play with and he knew the verses too well.

Shogi wasn't a game he knew much about. He knew the pieces and their functions from watching his grandfather play a few times, but it was never an activity they did together. "I'll take it." It would hopefully keep his mind busy.

Sakumo paid and left for the park, but he wished he bought a strategy book as he placed the pieces on the board. He played both sides, trying to navigate potential plays.

"That move is a waste of a turn. Look." An older man sat down across from Sakumo and readjusted the pieces, and explained the reasoning behind it. He then set up some puzzles for Sakumo to solve.

It was refreshing being out of his depth.

"You wouldn't happen to have time to spare for a few victories against a beginner?"

"You got it! It's my motto to never go easy, so prepare yourself." The man's eyes gleamed at the request as he eagerly moved the pieces back to their starting position.

Sakumo was quickly destroyed, so he began to measure his success by how many moves he could last.

"You're a quick learner. None of my kids care for the game. My friends used to humour me. I think Ryuji was the only one who enjoyed playing." Seikatsu, the name of the man, moved another piece before continuing. "My wife though. She'll play with me until the early hours of the morning. It's how we met. If I hadn't been so stubborn about who had the most wins, I would have married her sooner."

"That's a nice sentiment."

What would Sakumo's life be like now if Juuri hadn't died? Would they still be exchanging poetry for ballads?

No, he told himself not to think of what ifs. He had to look at what was before him. What the current reality was.

That was how he got through raising Kakashi and Yuina on his own through the grief.

Seikatsu moved a piece and defeated him. "I should be getting home now. Rei will be upset if I miss dinner."

"You wouldn't happen to be free tomorrow?"

Seikatsu laughed. "You sure like losing. Mind if I bring Rei with me? I'll show you a real match."

Sakumo agreed.

It was something.