As usual, Asami awoke the next morning before anyone else had even begun to stir.
She sat on the stairs of the house the Fuma had provided, a steaming cup of tea in her hands, elbows perched on her knees. She was fully dressed, wearing a navy blue high-neck yukata in exchange for the black one from the day before, her hair loose around her face. She sipped at the drink, staring into the empty streets of the Fuma compound.
She hadn't cared for the tea the Fuma provided before, but now that she was drinking it alone with the morning chill reddening her cheeks, she actually enjoyed it. The Fuma did make good tea, she had to give them that. Sake, not so much. Not that she was a drinker anyway, so maybe she didn't have anything to judge the alcohol on anyway.
She closed her eyes, sighing deeply.
If she could make the early mornings last forever, she would.
"Asami-san."
She opened her eyes slowly, peering through the steam drifting from the cup.
Tadashi stood in front of her, wearing a white yukata, maroon haori overtop. He was very serious, face expressionless and all business as he looked at her.
"Tadashi-san." She acknowledged, taking another drink of the tea. "Is there something you needed?"
"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday's meeting." He began, coming closer to her so he only stood a couple of feet away. "My father brought to my attention my behavior may have come across as rude, and I wish to apologize if it was interpreted that way. It was not my intent."
Asami stared at him blankly, sensing this apology was most likely because his father forced him to come apologize, not because he thought he should. She didn't think there was the need for an apology anyway, even if she did find his behavior annoying. She spent time thinking about it, and if she were in his shoes, she would probably act the same way—though maybe with less aggression and more grace.
Overall though, the response to the situation was understandable. A much more powerful clan came to negotiate terms, claiming they desired the relationship to be fair and for everyone to be satisfied, even though one of those clans was much more powerful than the other, and if the weaker made the wrong move, they would be crushed. Perhaps even wiped out. It could be seen as insulting.
She would be defensive too if she was in his place. But she also wasn't sure how to highlight she did not have it out for him and his clan, other than saying she wanted things to be fair for everyone. In any case, she didn't have malicious intent for anyone until they harmed her family.
The fake apology did bother her, even when her common sense was telling her to be the bigger person and her annoyance was immature, so she should just accept it and move on.
But she didn't want to do that.
"Did you want to apologize?" Asked Asami against her better judgment, raising her brows.
Tadashi looked taken aback by her response. "What?"
"If you didn't want to apologize, then don't." Asami set the cup of tea on the step beside her. "I saw nothing wrong with your questions. They were valid, and you had every right to ask them. I may not have enjoyed the conversation, but who am I to refuse to discuss what was on your mind when the fate of your clan, and your family, is dependent on them."
Tadashi's eyes narrowed. "Are you patronizing me?"
Asami shook her head, becoming exasperated with how her words were being interpreted. "Not at all."
His brows furrowed but he didn't say anything more, so she assumed he was wanting her to explain more in-depth.
"I'm not trying to be demeaning in any way. I'm trying to say I understand you." She rested her back against the step behind her, one hand coming to rest next to her steaming tea. "Family is the most important thing in the world. Making sure those around you have the best intentions for them is reasonable, and something everyone makes a priority. I can't fault you for that. Well, maybe it's a reach to claim everyone thinks that way, but you would hope they do. At least I do. If I were in your place, I would regard myself with the same skepticism you gave me last night. Just because someone says they have the best intentions, doesn't mean they do."
He was quiet, evaluating her words. After a beat of silence, he spoke again.
"What does family mean to you?"
She spoke without hesitating, not even needing to think about her response. "It is everything to me. I would sacrifice everything for them, even if it meant my own life. There is nothing I value more."
"I see." Tadashi looked away, eyes unfocused as he mulled over her words. The silence settled between them for a moment, before he turned to give her the ghost of a smile. "I'm glad we can find something to agree on, Asami-san."
Asami looked at him with wide, black eyes, not having expected his reaction to be so friendly.
"My father plans to have breakfast in a couple of hours, I hope you will join us." Tadashi gave her a polite bow, before turning on his heel and walking down the dirt road away from where she sat, leaving her a little dumbfounded at his reaction.
It seemed a little bit of understanding and empathy went a long way.
A few hours later the man with green hair, the one who insisted Asami drink the Fuma's tea the day before, arrived at the house.
"Hello," he stood at the bottom of the stairs wearing a brown yukata, looking up at Hikaku who had gone out to see what he needed.
The man gave Hikaku a closed-eyed smile, pressing his palms together in front of him in a praying motion. "I am here to take you to the Fuma household for breakfast."
"Asami-sama!" Called Hikaku without moving, giving the man a blank stare.
Asami came out to see what was the matter, stopping to stand behind him and peer over his shoulder. Another cup of tea was in her hands, but when realizing it was the same man from before who pestered her about trying some, she slowly lowered the cup, hiding it behind Hikaku's frame. She flushed in embarrassment, not wanting to get caught with the drink since she was sure he would ask about it or start some conversation she did not want to have.
"This man is here to escort us to breakfast, apparently." Explained Hikaku, still not looking away from the man who hadn't even twitched.
His ultra politeness and over-friendly nature was a little creepy, but Asami chalked it up to having been around many ninjas. For being powerful war machines entrusted with dangerous missions, some really could get their panties into a twist over trivial things. It was probably in the best interest of a civilian servant to not get on the bad side of a shinobi, even if you served the main family.
"Alright," Asami turned her head over her shoulder to call into the house. "Izanami!"
There was a shuffling inside the house before the door opened again and Izanami stepped outside. She looked to Asami with a quirked brow, before her gaze slowly drifted down to the green-haired man, who was still smiling at them.
"Hm." Izanami crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side, giving the unwavering servant a scrutinizing stare.
"If you would please follow me." The man turned and began walking down the street, heading in the same direction Tadashi had early that morning.
Hikaku followed after the man first, exposing the cup of tea in Asami's hands. She hissed under her breath, looking around for a way to dispose of it before the man spotted her with the drink. She and Izanami still stood at the front of the house as the men walked away.
Izanami pointed to the cup. "What is that?"
"Tea!" Whisper shouted Asami, looking to the green-haired man in panic who was still walking away.
The older woman made a face. "Are you seriously drinking that by choice?"
Asami frowned at the accusatory tone, turning her head a bit to scowl at the older Uchiha. "It's good."
"I thought you were lying before when you said that." Izanami gave her a deadpan look.
"I was!" Asami's scowl mooched back into a frown and she looked a little ashamed. "But... then I had some more, and I realized how good it was. So I had one cup, then another, another... and now here we are. I think I may have a new love for tea."
"Give me that before he sees." Izanami tugged the drink from Asami's hand. She looked around the front of the house, also trying to find a spot to put it like Asami had moments before, but found nothing.
With a noise of exasperation, Izanami flicked the cup past Asami's shoulder and into the collection of bushes by the front of the house. There was a muffled crash, most likely from the porcelain shattering. Asami flinched, cringing at the sound of the dish breaking. She looked at her former sensei with wide eyes, mouth agape at what she had just done.
"I cannot believe you just broke that!" She whisper shouted, casting a glance at Hikaku and the man who stopped and turned to look at them expectantly. They were a few feet away from them though, so they couldn't hear anything the women were saying.
Izanami shrugged. "I got rid of it, and now you don't have to speak to him."
"I didn't want to speak to him, but you didn't have to break anything!" Asami cried, horrified at how careless she was about discarding the dish. The dish that looked very expensive.
"Are you two coming?" Asked Hikaku, looking between the women.
"Yes." Izanami walked over to the two without missing a beat, totally unphased by what had just gone on.
Asami blinked, slowly going down the few steps and coming to stand with the group. Hikaku looked between them once more, before turning around to face the green-haired man.
"Let's continue."
The group walked through the district, more people out and about than earlier that morning when she spoke to Tadashi. Women stood in the streets talking to one another, a couple of children that appeared to be siblings laughing and teasing each other. A young man and woman spoke next to a collection of trees, a blush on her face. A little girl ran past them with a panicked expression, a boy with similar features chasing her with a worm in his hand while laughing.
The sight brought a small smile to Asami's face and made her a little homesick.
She was such a wimp when it came to being away from home. She loved the Uchiha compound more than anything.
But even if she didn't like being away from the compound, it was interesting to see all the different hair colors, clothes, and vibrant plants in front of homes. The surroundings were bright and colorful, much like the atmosphere the Fuma had. The civilians and off-duty shinobi wore yukata's of all different colors, though most were pastel shades varying from blue to green. Asami would never want to wear something like that and was thankful for the neutral colors the Uchiha wore, but it was interesting to see.
In a way, it was refreshing.
While they were different than her clan, there was something about seeing the way these people lived that intrigued her. Were other clans this different than her own? Even if they dressed or looked different, the way the people interacted and laughed with one another was not much different from the way her people did. So similar that it reminded her of home.
At their core, it seemed they were very similar.
The thought made her wonder if other clans were the same way. Did the Senju children run and play together? Did their siblings tease one another lovingly, and care for one another just as she and her sister did, and just as the Fuma do with their siblings? What colors did they wear when they weren't fighting, and what sort of stories did they tell?
Even if they were her enemies, and one of them was the reason her sister died, their people as a whole were not different than her own. She couldn't just ignore their humanity.
While people from her clan liked to regard their enemies as something disgusting under their shoes, she knew that wasn't true. Not all the Senju were to blame for the deaths of her family. Some were innocent civilians, children, women...
Besides, it wasn't as though the Uchiha were innocent in it all either. She had even killed the sibling of the man who killed Hana.
They all had blood on their hands.
The green-haired man came to a stop in front of a large house that Asami assumed to be the home of the main family. A massive maple tree with red leaves stood in front of the home, its branches giving shade to an equally large pond underneath, flowers growing in patches around it. A cobblestone path led to the steps of the home, the group passing the pond as they walked down it.
Asami peered into the water as they passed, eyes widening with interest at the koi swimming under the surface.
She always wanted a koi pond.
They climbed the steps and entered the home, taking their sandals off at the entryway.
They were faced with a long hallway upon entering, an open door to the backyard at the end of it. Asami could see more maple trees and flowers through the door, but the thing that stuck out to her was the young spiky-haired boy sitting underneath one of the trees. His haircut reminded her much of Madara's when they were young.
His black eyes looked at the group in wonder as they made their way down the hall, the group passing a few closed shoji doors as they went. Asami thought that a single hall made up the Fuma house when they entered, but as they reached the end of the hall there were actually two more, one to the left and right with more doors lining it.
Asami looked down each hall, frowning. This house seems like a maze, how does anyone live in it?
She eyed the oil paintings on the wall that depicted scapes of nature, one in each hall. The one on the right was of a snowy mountain range, while the one on the left was of a rushing river. There was a small table pressed up underneath each picture, expensive-looking knick-knacks underneath.
Asami's frown deepened.
The Fuma were very extravagant.
The green-haired man pushed the door open wider, giving a view to a woman who was also outside with the young boy. She was very beautiful, long straight brown hair framing her square face.
"Tomi-sama," greeted the green-haired man, bending into a waist-deep bow. "I have brought our guests from the Uchiha for breakfast as you asked."
The woman stood from the ground where she had been sitting with her son, a book in hand. She pushed the sleeves up of her white haori, the pastel green yukata underneath becoming bunched. She observed the group with large dark eyes framed by thick lashes, not saying anything. Her gaze lingered on Asami, seeming to have singled her out as the leader of the group with ease—very different than Aizen, the Fuma who had intercepted them in the forest the day prior who thought Hikaku was the leader just because he was a man.
Asami got the impression this was a smart, calculating woman.
She brushed a strand of long brown hair out of her face as a warm smile spread across her lips, revealing the dimples on either side of her cheeks. "Hello. I am Jin's wife and Tadashi's mother, Fuma Tomi."
She rested a hand on the spiky hair of the little boy who was still blinking at the group. "This is my other son, Kyo."
The young boy gave a polite tip of the head. "Hello."
Asami stepped forward, long dark hair creating a curtain around her face as she bowed in respect. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Tomi-sama. I am Uchiha Asami, niece to Uchiha Tajima and cousin of Uchiha Madara."
The woman gave her a close-eyed smile, though much like her husband's smiles the day before, it did not seem all that friendly. "I'm aware of who you are."
Her response made Asami falter for a moment as she stood back up.
Noticing her reaction to the comment, the woman only gave her another smile. "It's not every day my son and husband come back from a meeting with lots, and lots to say. Usually, they return with deep sighs and the desire to talk about something more mentally stimulating, but the meeting with you was different. How could I not know of someone who sent my husband and son spinning in circles?"
There was a hint of amusement in her voice, but the underlying tone of a threat was there. Tomi was letting Asami know that she had caused a little bit of trouble, and that stir did not go unnoticed.
Asami only frowned, not saying anything in response. Hikaku and Izanami shared a discreet look, the Fuma matriarch not noticing.
Asami gestured behind her to the two Uchiha. "These are Uchiha Izanami and Uchiha Hikaku—they are the shinobi who accompanied me here."
They both gave a bow, Tomi nodding in acknowledgment. "I see. Pleased to meet you. Now that proper introductions are in order, let us have breakfast? You three have a long journey ahead back to the Uchiha compound."
She gave a gentle push on Kyo's back. "Go fetch your brother and father for breakfast."
"Yes, Kaa-san." The boy cast another glance at the group of Uchiha, before taking off and rounding the corner of the house, disappearing from sight. There was the distant slamming of a gate, leaving the group in silence.
Tomi held the book out to the green-haired man, coming over to them. "Put this away and go finish setting up for breakfast. I will escort our guests to the dining room."
The green-haired man nodded his head, before smoothly walking off and disappearing down the hall as though he had never been there in the first place.
It seemed as though the Fuma kept their servants nameless and in the background. It was a little strange to Asami since the main Uchiha family didn't keep people to work for them, as they made their own breakfasts and did their own chores. Her clan put a lot of emphasis on pulling your own weight and taking care of your duties, so having someone at your beck and call was a... different environment for her.
Tomi stood in front of then, hands held in front of her chest and palms pressed together. "If you will follow me, I can show you where we will be eating."
She turned and walked down the left hallway, Asami following after her. Hikaku and Izanami shared another look, before also following after the two women.
They came into a large room as equally decorated as the others, another landscape painting on the wall. The lengthy, low-rise table was covered in another green table runner like the one in the meeting room. There was already food on the table, put together in a serving for each person, consisting of a bowl of rice with natto and miso soup. Multiple pots of steaming tea were placed on the table along the runner, a cup for the drink was provided to each person.
Asami didn't think the tea was so much as a push to get the group to drink it, but that it was a very normal thing for the Fuma to drink tea. Not that she was complaining... it seemed whatever they put in their tea had her hooked on it as well. She wouldn't mind having some more.
"Asami-san, why don't you come sit by me?" Tomi smiled at her, taking the spot by the head of the table where Jin probably sat. She folded her hands on top of the table, looking at the young Uchiha expectantly with her large eyes.
Asami resisted the urge to frown again, but knew that reaction would not be a favorable one, so she only came over and sat down next to the woman without saying anything.
Asami was very uncomfortable. She did not like that this woman was trying to be friendly with her, and found it plain annoying. There was another motive behind her actions, Asami was sure of it. There was no way the woman was doing this just because she liked Asami and wanted to be close to her. Frankly, Asami wasn't even sure the woman liked her, but she was sure there was a special reason she was getting this attention, and it was not just because she was sent as the leader of the team either.
"You two may sit across the way." Tomi gestured to the spots across from herself and Asami with a flick of her wrist.
Obliging, Hikaku took the spot in front of Asami, Izanami sitting in front of Tomi.
Asami shared a look with Hikaku, the male also seeming to sense that there was something strange going on. He turned his head away, looking down at his food without giving a hint of what he was thinking. The action frustrated her a bit, but since there was no way for them to communicate right under Tomi's nose, it couldn't be helped.
The door slid open, Tadashi coming inside, Jin and Kyo coming in after him. Jin walked around and sat at the head of the table as though he did that every morning. Kyo followed after him and sat beside his father, caged between his mother who sat just to his right around the corner of the table. Asami thought the little boy couldn't have been more than seven, so it made sense as to why he was still babied by his parents.
Tadashi hadn't taken a seat though, still standing. He eyed Asami and his mother for a moment, appearing as though he was stumped about what to do. He then pointed to the table where Asami sat, clearing his throat. "Kaa-san, I usually sit there."
Asami felt even more uncomfortable at the pointed stare from the boy for stealing his seat.
Tomi gave him a forced smile. "I asked Asami-san here to sit with me. Won't you be a nice boy and come sit on the other side of her? That should be similar enough to your usual seat, isn't it?"
Tadashi blinked at his mother, before slowly rounding the table and sitting down beside the young Uchiha.
Asami could feel the frown on her face. She was caged between two Fuma, one of them who seemed as though they were coming around to her presence, and the other... the other was some strange, cryptic woman with an ulterior motive she couldn't figure out. She had the strangest suspicion though that Tomi knew Tadashi would react to his seat like that, and already knew he would end up sitting beside Asami.
Asami eyed the Fuma woman who had begun eating.
What was her game?
"I am glad you decided to join us for breakfast." Jin reached for the pot closest to him and began to pour tea into his cup, steam rising from the porcelain as he filled it. "Did you find your living conditions acceptable?"
"It was very nice. We thank you for it." Asami responded.
Though a little ugly, she mused to herself, raising a bite of rice to her mouth.
"Asami-san, if I may," began Tomi, taking the teapot from Jin to pour herself a cup. "What does your mother think of you being a shinobi? After all, most women your age would probably be engaged, or at least courting someone by now, yes? Instead, you are a ninja. Does your mother have an opinion on that?"
Asami faltered, the question catching her off guard. She lowered her chopsticks, holding them over the bowl of rice in her opposite hand as she looked at the Fuma matriarch incredulously. "Well, as my mother isn't alive, I'm not sure she can have an opinion."
Tadashi snorted next to her, earning a pointed stare from his mother. He turned his head away, coughing a bit to cover his slip up. Asami didn't pay him any mind, her attention on Tomi.
She knew the remark was sharp and disrespectful, but Tomi's judgment of her choice to be a shinobi was evident in the question. It was insulting for her to ask such a thing and Asami was irritated by the obvious stigma about her position as a ninja. It was practically insulting her career as a shinobi and the duty she held as one to serve her clan.
Hikaku stared at Asami as though she had spit on Tomi, whereas Izanami looked plain amused at the show going on in front of her. She sipped at her water, looking at Asami with raised brows to see what was going to happen next.
"Oh, forgive me," Tomi gave her a forced smile, hand pressed to her chest in a show of sympathy, glossing over the sharpness of Asami's response. "I had no idea. It was not my intention to bring something so painful up for you."
Asami frowned, turning back to her food. "It is quite alright. My mother died giving birth to my sister and I, so I never met her."
"Ah, I see. I am sorry to hear that." She appeared solemn for a moment, before she turned to Asami with new interest. "Is your sister betrothed?"
Asami faltered again, pain blossoming in her chest. She closed her eyes and sighed, the woman's questioning bothering her to no end. It wasn't as though she could know that Hana wasn't alive, but the nosy inquiries were still getting on her nerves, especially now that she had treaded into sensitive territory. "My sister is... no longer alive."
"Oh..." Tomi's eyes filled with sadness, resting a hand on Asami's bicep. "You poor thing. I am so sorry. I did not mean to upset you. How recent?"
Asami felt a twinge of irritation. For one at the hand on her arm, and because this woman was claiming to feel sympathy for her, but continued to ask questions that any idiot could tell Asami did not want to answer. Tomi knew what she was doing. She was feigning sadness just to know more about the young Uchiha—and Asami did not like it. At all. It was a manipulation that Asami couldn't figure out how to evade bedside to outright refuse to answer, but she knew that wasn't an option. She was already pushing the boundaries with her snippy responses.
"A month ago." She replied simply, shoving away the sickening feeling in her stomach.
She raised another bite of rice to her mouth, trying to ignore the sudden tension in the room at the subject.
Had it really been a month since Hana died? It was hard for her to believe that it had been that long without her sister's presence. The days were blurred without her sister, Asami taking each day one by one as a way to deal with the loss. But it seemed taking those days piece by piece had caused her to fall into a robot routine—so much so that she hadn't even realized how much time had passed since Hana's death.
It helped numb the pain though.
The room fell very quiet. Asami was uncomfortable. Not only at the woman's questions, but because she was being forced to discuss Hana's death with strangers.
"I am so, very sorry." Tomi frowned, this time a real emotion shining through, the manipulation subsiding. She sighed deeply, her dark eyes becoming foggy as she appeared to be somewhere far, far away from where they sat. "I had three other children at one point. They're all gone now. All I have are my two boys."
She gave Asami a pained smile. "War is a terrible thing."
Asami felt her heart clench in her chest, looking at Tomi with torn emotions. Part of her felt sadness, the raw emotions from this woman catching her off guard, especially after the show she had been putting on to play hostess for the group. It seemed a mother's loss of her children could draw out the most honest emotions from anyone. Even so, the other half of her was still mildly irritated with her persistent questioning. If she knew how painful these losses could be, why was it she continued to ask and pick at painful topics? Was this display of pain just more manipulation?
"Kaa-san," spoke up Tadashi, looking over at his mother. "Perhaps we should talk about something else."
"Yes." Tomi nodded her head, picking at the food in front of her. She was quiet, and Asami almost thought she was safe from the questioning, but hope was squashed as Tomi looked up, eyes filled with interest again. "Asami-san, you never mentioned if you were betrothed, though."
"I am not." Asami furrowed her brows, thinking about how she was to answer this question. Most people when learning she hadn't thought about who she would marry looked at her as though she was crazy. The image of Ume, the older Uchiha woman flashed in her mind briefly. The thought of her almost caused Asami's entire mood to turn sour, more so than it was already, so she banished the thought away out of precaution.
But it was the truth, anyhow. She really had not thought about who she was to marry. So, she chose to answer the question honestly, pushing the rice around her bowl. "I have not considered who I would be involved with like that."
Tomi hummed, resting her chin in her hand. "Well, you do seem young. How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"My, you speak as though you're thirty! What an intelligent girl you are." Tomi smiled at her. "Say, Tadashi is only a year older than you. He's seventeen."
Asami did not know how to respond to this, or what she was supposed to say to her. It was interesting that he was close in age to her, she supposed. Perhaps the woman was only trying to come up with things to talk about to fill the silence, but even so, her son's age wasn't really a conversation starter.
"Oh." Was all she managed to get out.
Tomi did not seem pleased with her response, sighing. She leaned back in her seat, seeming to be a little exasperated.
Asami paid her no mind though, instead reaching for the teapot closest to her. She had been itching to get herself a cup since they sat down, but wasn't sure when would be a good time to do so since the woman had seemed to desire her full attention.
"Ah, Asami-san, please." Tomi reached out and placed a hand on top of Asami's, halting her movements.
Asami turned her head to look at Tomi, eyes narrowing in mild irritation at the hand pushing down her own.
Why the hell was she so touchy with her? Asami found it quite rude that she felt the need to keep grabbing at her, and that she halted her movement to pour a cup of tea. Mostly that she stopped her from pouring herself a cup than anything, though. Perhaps the Fuma were a more physical bunch than the Uchiha were, but regardless she did not like it.
"Yes?" She asked, not even attempting to rub the edge off her voice.
Asami was starting to feel bad for the woman after the detail about her other children's deaths were revealed, but Tomi was still persistent in trying to accomplish... whatever she was trying to do. Asami was still trying to work that one out.
"A woman shouldn't have to pour her own tea. Tadashi, would you please?" She gestured to the teapot Asami had been reaching for, gaze flickering to her son.
"...You poured your own tea." Asami pointed out, confused by the woman's logic.
Tomi gave her another smile. "Yes, but you are a guest."
Asami slowly pulled her hand back as per the woman's request, feeling ridiculous as she waited for the Fuma heir to pour her a cup of tea. She made a quiet grunt, giving the signal that she was relenting.
She desired nothing more than to leave the Fuma household and head straight home. This situation was very, very uncomfortable. She just wanted to be at home in the Uchiha compound with normal people. Was that too much to ask for? Perhaps the Fuma clan, in general, wasn't all that strange, but the Fuma matriarch was just... a conniving woman.
Tadashi did not move to pick up the pot, hands pressed firmly against his thighs. He looked from Asami to his mother, seeming as though he was unsure about what he should do. The corner of his mouth twitched, displeased about the situation.
Asami could sympathize.
Tomi tilted her chin down at his lack of action, brown hair swaying with the movement of her head. Her eyes flickered from her son to the teapot once again, urging her son to do as she said.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Tadashi sighed, before leaning forward and picking up the teapot. He scooted forward a bit, needing to get closer so he could pour the tea into the cup. The sleeve of his haori brushed against her arm, the heat of his body much, much closer than she had anticipated.
A light flush crept up Asami's neck as she watched him, blinking her dark eyes slowly as he poured the drink. He also seemed to be embarrassed by the proximity, eyes narrowed as his ears began to turn light pink. He snuck a glance at her, but she caught it with ease since she had been looking at him already, her eyes widening by a fraction at the eye contact. He adverted his eyes almost immediately, so quick it made her question he had even looked at her at all.
Tadashi moved back and set the teapot down, picking up his chopsticks and eating to busy himself. He tilted his head down and hid his face with the help of his thick, spikey side bangs as he shoveled food into his mouth.
Asami hesitantly reached for the teacup, sipping on the hot drink.
Tomi smiled, pressing her palms together, much more pleased than she had been earlier. "Such a gentleman, isn't he?"
"Mm," Asami replied, deciding she was done with the woman's games, especially after that strange, tension-filled action that was just over pouring... tea.
Asami frowned into her cup.
Ridiculous.
After finishing their meal, Asami stood in front of the Fuma's home, arms crossed as she looked at the sky.
She was waiting for Jin to give her the scroll for Madara while Hikaku and Izanami went back to the house to retrieve their things. The group was ready to head back to the Uchiha now that negotiations had been completed. Asami was nothing but thrilled with the concept of home. She couldn't wait to eat dinner with Madara and Izuna, who acted like normal people, and not be surrounded by the Fuma. It was an interesting experience, that was for sure.
She was just glad to head home.
Birds cawed as they flew ahead in the cloudless blue sky above, her eyes following them as they flew past. One of them split from the group and came down to sit in the dirt a ways from her. As it landed she realized it was a crow, his black eyes staring at her in an uncharacteristically human way.
Asami stared at the bird, furrowing her brows as it seemed to be staring her down.
How strange.
"Um... excuse me..."
Asami looked over her shoulder to see Kyo, the youngest son of Jin, standing behind her.
He held a book in his hands, peering up at her with large black eyes much like his mother's. He appeared very inquisitive, his eyes looking her up and down. He sucked on his bottom lip, hesitating for a moment, before continuing. "...Can I ask you something?"
Asami tilted her head to the side, hair swaying with her movement. "Hm?"
"...Is it true that Uchiha children have to learn the fireball jutsu to be thought of as real ninjas?" He asked, clenching the book tighter to his chest. He fidgeted, looking away from Asami as she raised an eyebrow. Kyo interpreted her look as an urge to further explain why he was asking.
"Tou-san told me that when I asked about your clan. I think it's really cool. Not many people can use Katon since most of us use Doton, like Nii-san." He fidgeted again, pulling on his sleeve. He looked at the ground, not meeting her eyes. "Can you make really big fires? Like... really big?"
Asami stared at the little boy, his innocent questions amusing her more than anything. He was very curious. Asami assumed it was because he probably didn't meet many people that weren't from his clan, just like the rest of the Fuma had regarded her team with the same awe and curiosity when they walked through the compound. She could only imagine what the idea of wielding massive burning flames would sound like to a little boy, especially when he was surrounded by Doton types.
"Yes. I can." She placed a hand on her hip, cocking her head to the side as she looked at him. The corner of her mouth twitched up into an amused smirk as she let a beat of silence pass. "You're very curious, aren't you?"
Kyo looked away bashfully. "I'm not meaning to be disrespectful. Sorry..."
Asami chuckled, shaking her head. "No harm done. You're only curious. I was that same way when your people came to my compound when I was a little girl. It's natural to want to know about things that are different than what you're used to."
Kyo seemed to perk up at this, his eyes brightening. "Okay. Then can you show me your Katon?"
Asami couldn't help herself, letting out a soft laugh at his request. Kyo blushed at this, shrinking into himself. He adverted his eyes, choosing to stare at the dirt instead of meeting her gaze once again.
He was a cute kid.
"I wouldn't mind showing you," she said, Kyo perking up again. She pressed a finger to her bottom lip, feigning thought as she looked up at the sky. "Though... I wouldn't want to set anything special on fire, especially not your home. I don't think your father and mother would be very happy with me."
Kyo's eyes widened, horrified at the thought of his house on fire. "Oh please don't!"
Asami held her hand up as if to halt the thought from scaring the boy anymore than it had. "I won't, don't worry. Though maybe if I see you again, I can show you another time."
The young Fuma's eyes shined at this, mouth parting. He nodded his head, spikey brown hair bouncing as he smiled with his eyes closed. "Okay!"
"Kyo."
Asami looked up to see Tadashi standing on the edge of the deck before the stairs began, the overhang from the Fuma's roof putting him in the shade. He raised his hand and made a 'come hither' motion. "Come inside. Kaa-san wants you."
Kyo nodded. "Okay, nii-san!"
He turned and ran a couple of feet toward the house, but stopped short before he reached the steps, clouds of dust kicking up as he dug his heels in the ground. He spun around and faced Asami, smiling brightly still as he looked at the young Uchiha. He bent into a quick bow, the book still held to his chest. "Thank you, Asami-san!"
Asami watched in amusement as he spun on his heel again, rushing past Tadashi and inside the house, disappearing from view.
"I hope he was not bothering you." Said Tadashi, coming down the steps to stand beside her. He stood with his arms pressed firmly at his sides, all business as he looked at her.
"He wasn't." Asami shrugged. "He was only asking a few innocent questions. He's an inquisitive kid, isn't he?"
Tadashi nodded, pleased at the observation about his little brother. He seemed to relax knowing she wasn't upset by the young Fuma. "He is very bright."
Asami could tell Tadashi held a lot of love for his younger brother. It made sense, especially when he was the oldest remaining sibling and all the others had died. Kyo was all Tadashi had left. She didn't blame him for keeping the little boy close to his heart, especially when Kyo was such a curious, bright kid. She would have done the same.
The thought made her heart hurt for her sister. She missed Hana dearly.
Asami gave him a close-eyed smile, pushing away the pain once again. "I can tell."
The front door of the Fuma house slid open, Jin stepping out. He shut it behind him, standing in front of the entryway for a moment, observing Tadashi and Asami from a distance. He held the scroll in his hand, flexing his fingers around it as he watched the two interact.
Asami looked over at the clan leader, only having just noticed him. She tilted her head in greeting. "Jin-sama."
At her attention, Jin descended the stairs, making his way over to the two. He stood in front of them, the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes showing through as he gave her a friendly smile. He held the scroll out to her. "Here you are. Please give Madara-san my condolences for the death of his father. I put it in the letter as well, but I think it means more verbally. Tajima was a true shinobi and a good man."
Asami wasn't sure she agreed with the part about him being a good man.
She took the scroll from him and bent into a bow, before rising and giving him a small smile. "Thank you. I will tell him. Thank you for your hospitality during our stay here, Jin-sama. It was above and beyond what was required. The Uchiha, and I as well, thank you for it."
Jin waved her off. "Please. The Uchiha are good friends of ours. We treasure the friendship and family history our clans share. You are always welcome."
Hikaku and Izanami walked up, their bags in their hands.
"Is everything ready for us to leave?" Asked Asami, looking between the two of them.
Hikaku nodded. "Yes."
Izanami held out Asami's bag to her, which she took and put over her shoulders, saying a quick thank you as she did.
She turned to face Jin and Tadashi again, nodding her head. "Thank you again."
"Of course." Jin folded his hands across his stomach. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Asami-san."
With that, the group of Uchiha departed the Fuma and started their journey back to the Uchiha compound.