AN: Music has always been a big part of my writing (and my life too). If you've ever heard the song 'seven' by Taylor Swift, it's one of the songs that remind me of Asami the most. I have a Spotify playlist I update constantly with music that reminds me of her. Maybe I'll make a habit of dropping certain songs that also remind me of her and this fic, but who knows
Sasuke Sarutobi kept to his word, calling off the fight. The Senju, Shimura, and Sarutobi were already hurting from the ambush so it didn't take much convincing to get the forces to fall back. The Uchiha and Fuma were quick to gather their wounded and dead to return to the compound as well.
At first, it seemed as though Asami had intimidated Sasuke Sarutobi into retreat again, Izuna and Madara congratulating her for it. Once they found out that was not what actually occurred upon returning to the compound, it was needless to say they were not happy.
"What do you mean you let him get away?"
Madara shut the door to their living room, deciding they needed somewhere more private to have a conversation about this. Izuna stood in front of Asami, already inside. The three were still dressed in their battle yukatas, covered in blood and grime. The conversation was too pressing to even get changed before addressing what had gone on.
Izuna stared at her in disbelief, unable to comprehend what his younger cousin had done. "You had him in your clutches and you just let him get away? Asami, this is serious. If someone were to catch wind of this, they could take it as treason. That maybe you're even allied with the Sarutobi."
Asami recoiled, matching his expression of disbelief. The mere idea that she would be allied with them was ridiculous. She would never do such a thing!
She threw her hand up, taking a defensive step forward. "That's insane! Obviously I'm not allied with the Sarutobi! Sasuke Sarutobi was trying to kill me! Why would we be allies?"
Madara sighed deeply, turning around to face the two of them. Izuna looked at his older brother and threw his hand up in Asami's direction, expression still one of disbelief. "Are you going to say something?!"
"Calm down." Madara bit, shooting Izuna a glare. He turned his gaze to Asami, who looked extremely distressed. He raised a hand to his face, letting out another sigh as he tried to process what was going on. "Asami, I just can't understand why you would let him go. Izuna claiming that you could be looked at as a traitor is a little... extreme... but it doesn't mean this won't be troubling for you if Sasuke decides to let this information loose. How you would explain this away, I don't know. I do want to know though, why you decided to let him go."
Asami's shoulders dropped, a feeling of hot shame overcoming her.
"I..." She frowned, looking away at the floor. She held her midsection, curling into herself for some feeling of security from the scrutinizing gazes her cousins gave her. "I... I figured killing him would do no good. He came at me filled with rage for killing his brother. If I killed him, wouldn't it just make others have the same reaction? Wouldn't it fuel that same feeling of revenge, and the cycle would start all over again? Either I would kill someone else who was grieving, or, Kami forbid, they would end up killing me. I figured... I don't know. I figured that by killing him, I could try to stop that."
There was a heavy silence that settled over the group. Izuna's frustration seemed to ease, his shoulders sagging at her explanation. A deep frown settled over his features, Izuna looking to Madara who also appeared solemn.
"I had no problem killing him if I had to. I made a deal with him, and if he had refused, I would have killed him anyway." She added, still not looking at either of them.
"And who is to say he'll keep his word?" Asked Izuna pointedly, though he was no longer angry with her. He just seemed confused and frustrated at her actions.
Asami flinched, not even taking into account that possibility.
It was true. He may have called off the fight, but there was no way to keep Sasuke Sarutobi in check. Just because she let him live this time did not mean he would spare her life the next time they met. It did not mean he threw away the intention to kill her for revenge for his brother. All she had were meaningless words, and she let him off the hook. He did make the forces retreat, but that was the only proof she had right in front of her that he would keep his word.
"You wanted to end the cycle of revenge." Said Madara after having not spoken for a moment, a saddened, but understanding look crossing his features. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he gathered his thoughts. "Asami, while your intentions are... good... your logic is flawed. Just because you chose not to kill Sasuke, it doesn't undo the deaths of the Sarutobi, Senju, and Shimura you've killed. Just because you showed what could be interpreted as mercy to the Sarutobi clan leader, does not mean that the bloodshed or the hatred people harbor for you will go away. You killed people today. Others before today. People with children, husbands, wives, siblings, and friends. You need to make peace with this. As a shinobi, you will continue to take lives, and people are going to hate your every being for it."
Asami flinched again, the harsh words slicing through her gut.
He paused.
"And if you can't, then quit being a shinobi."
She stared at him, taken aback at his words.
Quit being a shinobi? He couldn't be serious. Was he? Asami couldn't imagine doing anything but be a ninja to serve her clan. The unwavering expression he continued to give her despite her shock was enough to make her think that yes, he was being serious.
How had a choice like this made Madara question her ability to perform as a ninja? She could see now that her choice was not... the best in hindsight. But revoking her shinobi duties? Wasn't that too far?
Izuna even looked shocked, mouth opening in protest. "Madara—"
"No," Madara held up his hand, not even sparing Izuna a glance. He kept his gaze maintained on Asami. "You need to make your decision. You either do your duty on the battlefield, or you find some other task to benefit the Uchiha. I cannot have someone who held the leader of an enemy clan in their grasp and simply chose to not kill them. Sasuke Sarutobi is our enemy. Whether or not you chose to do this out of mercy, this choice you made is something I can't overlook."
"I didn't do it out of mercy!" Asami cried, a sickening feeling in her gut at the prospect of having her shinobi duties revoked from her.
She felt like she was speaking to a wall, Madara seemingly unwavering in her desperate attempts to explain herself. She knew that her choice to spare his life wasn't out of mercy, why was it being spun as though it was? Asami didn't care about sparing his life. It was just to save her the trouble of dealing with more revenge-crazed family members.
"I already said that even if it wasn't out of mercy, it was a decision I can't just ignore. How am I supposed to trust your judgment?" He retaliated. "Mistakes are made, but this is much bigger than a small mistake."
She went quiet, arms dropping to her side. She didn't say anything, the sickening feeling in her stomach only increasing as his words settled in the air. She felt awful. This one action had set off her cousins and turned into something she hadn't anticipated. The choice to spare Sasuke's life was stabbing her in the back. She wondered if the choice to not kill him was even worth it at this point.
"I think we're done here." Madara's face was even, but the disappointment was evident. "Go get cleaned up."
The underlying message that Asami needed to leave so Madara and Izuna could talk hung in the air. She hesitated for a moment, swallowing hard. Izuna looked at her with a pained expression, Madara's words about her not being a shinobi startling him. He was distressed about the idea even being put into the air, but he wouldn't go against Madara when he seemed so set on it. Especially not in front of Asami.
Izuna didn't say anything or make a move toward her, and Madara still gave her the same expression as before. So she took it as their parting reaction, shamefully leaving the living room and heading down the hall to the bathroom to clean up and get changed.
Once Asami had left, Izuna looked to Madara, the pained expression still on his face. "You weren't serious about her not being a shinobi anymore, were you?"
"Of course not." Madara was quick to shut down the idea, looking away with a huff. "But she needs to understand what this looks like. Not killing Sasuke was a poor choice. People will make mistakes, but this cannot be a common occurrence. She needs to understand that her duty as a shinobi will bring grief, death, anger, and vengeance. It won't be something she can escape. She knows this, which is why she made a foolish choice in an attempt to end it. Frightening her with not being a shinobi was the only way I could think to rectify it."
Izuna grimaced, looking at the doorway his younger cousin had passed through moments ago. "Harsh, don't you think?"
Madara shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Even if I'm not going to follow through with pulling her from shinobi duties, this is still serious and not something to just sweep under the rug. I hope it gives her something to think about."
Izuna paused for a moment, before giving his older brother a careful look. "You know, Asami was not the only one who has made choices similar to this. Choices that by general consensus were not wise."
Catching wind of what Izuna was referencing, Madara shot him a warning glare. "Careful, Izuna."
Izuna shrugged his shoulders, closing his eyes and holding his hands up in defense. "I'm only saying that maybe you should be kinder to her. She's still young. I think you forget she's only sixteen sometimes. Not to mention, you aren't perfect either. Note my previous comment."
"Yes, and you are." Madara chided, opening the door and stalking down the hall to get cleaned up as well, giving the message that the conversation was over.
Having gotten cleaned up and bathed, Asami sat on the engawa off her room alone. Her knees were curled into her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. Her still damp hair hung loose down her back, leaving dark splotches of water on her navy blue, high neck yukata. She frowned deeply, a displeased crease between her brows as she stared off into the grassy backyard.
It was the late afternoon now, the battle having lasted from the early morning into the middle of the day. Tadashi and Jin were tending to their clansmen and she hadn't seen either of them since they got back to the Uchiha compound, but she was sure the both of them were still under the impression she had intimidated Sasuke into his retreat. She would prefer it to stay that way, too. After the reaction she got from Madara and Izuna about her decision to let Sasuke live, she didn't want to deal with any more ill opinions. She didn't want to speak to Madara or Izuna at the moment either.
Asami felt particularly grumpy, and was perfectly satisfied with sulking in her bedroom for the rest of the night.
Asami had a feeling this would blow over eventually. She could make peace with killing others and had done it many times. She could deal with the hatred people had for her and the lives she affected, even if it caused her a headache. Even if she knew it would blow over, she couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment that stayed with her.
She barely ever got into disagreements with her cousins, and the disappointment she was given from the both of them... it made her feel like a little kid who was put in the corner. She hadn't felt this ashamed in.. well... probably ever.
She was certain sparing Sasuke was a mistake. One she wouldn't make again, and she was certain that's what Madara's goal was with the turn their conversation took. Madara's threat of her not being a shinobi anymore was frightening initially, but she could reason through it now that she had a moment alone. He probably just wanted to freak her out and didn't have any real intentions to revoke her shinobi duties. Or at least she hoped so.
There was a light fluttering sound beside her, drawing her from her thoughts.
Asami looked over, unable to help the slight quirk of her lips at the sight of a crow. It was quite big, its shiny feathers glimmering in the spring sun. She easily recognized it as one of the birds that visited her in the mornings.
It seemed to stare at her expectantly, black eyes boring into her. Understanding what it was after, Asami gave a quiet sigh, looking at it sadly.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any food for you today." She frowned. "To get some I'd have to leave my room, and I don't feel like doing that at the moment. Forgive me for being selfish."
The bird ruffled its feathers, and Asami allowed herself to pretend it could understand her, taking its action as disappointment.
She titled her head to the side, giving it a sad smile. "Sorry. It seems even you're disappointed in me, huh? I seem to be doing a lot of that."
Asami looked away from the bird, choosing to stare off at the grass again. She rested her chin on her knees, unable to help the heavy sigh. Today really turned out to be a terrible day. How long was she going to feel the disappointment? She felt more upset for disappointing her cousins. She didn't want her family to be upset with her and the conflict was making her uneasy.
"You know, you're quite a broody person. Very melancholic."
Asami looked over at the crow with a startled expression, meeting its black gaze. She let a beat of silence pass, sizing up the bird. Had it just spoken? Never mind that it spoke, but it had even called her broody! Maybe she was letting her distress get the best of her and she was imagining things.
She quirked a brow, still staring at it.
Well, if it had spoken, she could still be polite and ask it to repeat itself. It was rude to ignore people. Or, well, it was rude to ignore someone—if a bird could be considered a someone.
"Did you say something?" She asked tentatively, questioning her sanity a bit.
"Yes. I made a comment about your gloomy personality." Came the smooth, feminine voice.
Asami blinked, lowering her legs and turning to actually look at the bird head-on.
The crow ruffled its feathers again, seeming to let out an exasperated noise. "I've been able to talk for a while now, but was told that I wasn't supposed to interact with you. We've been keeping an eye on you, though."
She didn't even know what to think. After all, a crow had just made a noise at her in exasperation. The crow was irritated! She wasn't a stranger to the concept of certain animals being able to talk, knowing about the existence of summoning animals and how they were not the same as regular animals. But no one she knew of in her clan had a summon that could speak.
The only summons she knew were Madara's hawks, but those birds, while intelligent, couldn't speak either. Certain clans had contracts with specific animals, the Sarutobi having a contract with monkeys and calling on them sometimes in battle for instance, but she had never spoken to one herself.
Needless to say, she felt a little mad having a conversation with a crow.
"You've been... keeping an eye on me?" She asked slowly, not sure where this conversation was going. "Why?"
"Well, at first it was because you were feeding us. I mean, the bread is very tasty. It wasn't just once either, but all the time. A consistent meal isn't something I'll overlook." The crow pushed out its chest, ruffling its feathers again. "I'm Mayu. Pleased to meet you formally."
The bird was obviously female, it very happy to have introduced itself to her. Asami still wasn't sure what to make of it, the interaction with the bird still very bizarre. She never thought she would get the chance to speak to a summoning animal. Well, if the bird could even be considered a summoning. She didn't know if it was under contract or so forth. What even defined an animal as a summon? If it could speak? She really didn't know.
Asami suddenly became skeptical, the wonder of interacting with the bird subsiding at the questions flooding her mind. Her eyes narrowed. "What are your intentions here? You said 'at first' as though there was something more. You're not bound to a shinobi, are you?"
Sensing her distrust, the crow seemed to recoil. "Goodness, no! That's exactly why I'm speaking to you, Asami-san. I'm here to ask if you would like to become part of our flock."
"Part of your... flock?" She turned her head, still giving the bird a scrutinizing stare. "What does that mean?"
Mayu bristled again, letting out a huff. "You ask a lot of questions. I can't tell you that. You have to come with me first and speak to Tomomi-sama. There's something we have to check first, though. A test."
Asami just stared at the crow, unmoving.
It wanted her to follow it somewhere? And there was a test? This entire interaction so far was strange. She still didn't know if this bird was sent by another shinobi to trick her, or if it was going to lure her into a trap. She didn't think the crow had ill intent, but the way it approached her suddenly was strange. The situation was just bizarre, and she didn't know if she trusted her own judgment at the moment to decide what to do. Her choices lately seemed to be pretty poor, so who was to say she would make the right choice here?
"You're thinking very hard, so I won't be surprised if you pass the test," added Mayu, seeming as though she was trying to come up with something to reassure Asami. "It's nothing dangerous. Or at least, not really. If it doesn't work... well, it may just be hard for you to find your way back home."
"That's not very encouraging." Asami made a face, trying to understand what Mayu meant by 'finding her way home'. She wasn't going to end up in some strange dimension, was she? Or even worse, maybe she would get dropped off in the Land of Wind and be forced to make her way back... and Asami hated the Land of Wind.
"Why should I follow you or even attempt the test?" She asked, still looking at the crow warily. She wasn't going to take instructions from an animal just because it had the ability to speak. There was still the possibility this was some kind of trick. She winced, the vivid image of being dumped in the sand still looming in her mind.
"Well, if you pass the test, you'd become part of our flock. I'm not very good at explaining things, so it would be better if Tomomi-sama gave you the lesson on the crows and our history. But we'd be able to help you if you do. We've been without a partner for some time, no one seeming to align with us properly. That was until we came across you." The crow tipped up its head, looking at Asami. "So, what will it be? Do you want to attempt the test?"
Asami furrowed her brows, mouth quirked downward as she tried to rationalize the situation at hand.
A summoning animal had approached her. She was right about it being a summon initially, and she could assume the crow was not bonded to a shinobi since it seemed adamant about her becoming part of their 'flock'. She had spent a decent amount of time with the crows from feeding them in the mornings, but she also took notice of them lingering wherever she went. In the forests, in her backyard, and even when she was with the Fuma, a crow was present. There were crows in all the lands as it was a fairly populous bird. But she had noticed their presence wherever she went. More so than what would probably be considered normal.
She was going out on a limb to do something like this, and it could potentially be viewed as risky. But something in her was telling her she should do it. The lack of explanation for why she felt compelled to trust the bird was wobbly for her to stand on. But she was going to do it anyway. It just... seemed right.
"Alright." She replied, placing her hand on the engawa and leaning her weight on it. She looked down at the crow, long hair hanging to the side. "What's the test?"
"We have to do something called the Kuchiyose no Jutsu." Said Mayu, appearing pleased she had agreed. "This is to check if you're actually aligned with us. I'm sure you are though, so don't worry too much. Though you seem to be good at worrying over nothing, so maybe my words won't mean anything to you."
"I'm not that neurotic..." Asami made a face, shoulders sagging at how the crow continued to jab at her personality. She felt she was a perfect balance of careful consideration and impulse... or maybe lack thereof of impulse. What good ever came out of making a split-second decision? Nothing usually. Just look at what happened by sparing Sasuke's life. That choice was made on impulse and it only seemed to bite her in the butt.
Well, maybe choosing to trust the crow could be considered a split-second decision. She would have to see if it paid off, then.
"What are the hand signs?" She asked, refocusing on the bird.
"Boar, dog, bird, monkey, and, finally, ram." Instructed Mayu, taking a step back. "You might want to stand up for it, though. If you've ever seen someone do a regular summoning jutsu before, it's practically the same. The outcome is a little different though."
"I have seen someone use the technique before. How are they different?" She asked, getting to her feet and brushing off her front. She walked into the center of the grass yard off the engawa, the spring sun beating down on her. She held her hand up to cover her eyes, looking at Mayu.
"You'll just have to see." Replied the bird, though it seemed to have a cheeky attitude.
She wasn't satisfied with that response, but Asami didn't think she was going to get much more from Mayu. She seemed to avoid answering the questions directly, choosing to shove the job of answering to whoever this 'Tomomi-sama' was. If she wanted to get her questions answered, she was just going to have to complete the jutsu.
With a decent amount of space around her now, Asami lifted her hands to begin forming the signs, but hesitated. Mayu noticed this, hopping to the edge of the engawa. "What's the matter this time?"
Asami made a noise of discomfort, hands dropping to her sides. "I won't end up in the Land of Wind, or end up summoning something terrifying that'll destroy the compound, will I?"
The bird made a noise that sounded like a combination of a caw and a laugh, feathers ruffling. "No! Nothing bad will happen to the compound. Now stop questioning everything and perform the jutsu."
Asami frowned, still not satisfied. She really wasn't going to get any of the answers she wanted before going through with the summoning, was she?
Deciding she couldn't fight it anymore, she flew through the signs and slapped her palm to the ground, a seal spreading from her fingertips in the grass. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
There was a tugging feeling, Asami feeling as though she was being shoved through a tube that was much, much too small for her body. It was uncomfortable, but the feeling quickly passed, and then she was falling. Falling fast.
The wind whipped through her hair as she descended through the air. She looked around wildly, trying to pinpoint where she was and where she had even fallen from in the first place. She turned around, gasping as she struggled against the strong current. Her eyes burned, squeezing them shut and opening them again to get a good look around. Her eyes widened upon seeing a large collection of evergreens below her, a rushing river located off to the side.
Evergreens did not grow often in the Land of Fire or near the compound but were usually located in the Land of Lightning... meaning wherever she had ended up, she had been probably dropped off somewhere in the Land of Lightning.
At least it wasn't the Land of Wind.
Unable to stop her fall, she braced herself for the tops of the trees, curling into herself to protect her head. She grunted as the thin branches hit her on the way down, tearing small holes into her yukata and whipping her across the face.
She suddenly landed with an oof! much sooner than expected. The landing wasn't painful, but it had knocked the wind out of her. She gasped for a second, staring up at the sky with a blank expression.
What had even just happened?
Asami raised a hand to her face, grimacing at the stinging feeling on her cheek. She touched her face, dazed, before pulling away her hand to see the light streak of blood across her fingers. She then felt pressure on her chest as though something had hopped up onto her, grimacing again at the sensation of talons poking through the fabric of her yukata.
Asami furrowed her brows, looking at the crow that had taken the liberty of perching itself on her stomach. It was up in her face, beak almost touching her nose. "Tomomi-sama, she's here!"
Asami shot up, the bird squawking as she shoved it off. She looked around, mouth falling open upon realizing that she hadn't landed just anywhere, but in a massive, massive nest. The branches were large and placed together intricately to create the walls and floor of the nest. The branches were so large she had to wonder about the size of the bird needed to carry them. Did a crow really live in this nest?
Asami scooted to the edge of the nest, black eyes wide as she took in the number of nests that littered the collection of trees. She peered over the edge at the forest floor that was a ways away, hands wrapped around the side she leaned on.
The nests varied in size, ranging from the one she sat in now, to much smaller. Crows hopped up to the edge of their nests to get a look at her, while others flew in from the sky to perch themselves on free branches. The large nests, as she suspected before, harbored massive, massive crows. She had never seen a bird that size before! Not even Madara's hawks had reached the size of the birds before her. She almost wanted to pinch herself to check that she wasn't dreaming.
The bird she had shoved off cried out, feathers ruffling in agitation as it hopped up to the ledge she leaned on. "Sheesh! Could have given me some warning!"
She glanced at the bird that was not happy with her, giving it an apologetic smile. "Ah, I'm sorry about that. Where exactly am I?"
"You're in Dōsatsuryoku forest." chirped the bird. "Otherwise known as the forest of insight! Welcome! I suppose I can forgive you for shoving me earlier."
Asami stared at the bird, letting a beat of silence pass. "Ah, the forest of insight? Is this your home?"
"It is!" Responded the bird, happy to answer any question she had. Asami preferred this interaction much more compared to how Mayu had been dodging her questions left and right.
Another crow descended from the sky to land beside her. She recognized it as Mayu, Asami resisting the urge to snort at how she had just been mentally berating the bird. The large crow ruffled its feathers happily upon seeing her. "You passed the test. I'm very pleased!"
Asami gave it an incredulous look. "Falling from the sky was the test? A little warning may have been nice, I thought I was going to fall to my death."
"We would have never let that happen." Chimed in the crow who she had shoved. "The test was just to see if you were properly aligned with us. If you hadn't been aligned with us and showed up in some other summons home... then it would have meant you were destined to sign a contract with them instead. But you showing up here just proves that you're meant to be part of our flock."
Asami made a face, imaging if she had ended up in the clutches of another animal. The thought of dropping in the middle of a nest of snakes... or worse, some kind of bug, was making her skin crawl. Dropping into a birds nest was much preferred.
"As it seems I'm here, what do I need to do now?"
Mayu flapped her wings, flying above the nest as she spoke to Asami. "Tomomi-sama will speak to you on the forest floor. Come on, now."
She flew away, descending to the ground. The other crow followed after her, flying out of view. Asami got to her feet, brushing off her front in a measly attempt to clean up her appearance. Her yukata was practically destroyed, the holes and dirt all over making her wonder if the piece of clothing was even salvageable. She may even have to throw it away, which was such a shame since this was one of her favorite yukatas.
Asami stood on the edge of the nest, looking down at the forest floor. Her eyes widened, blinking at the number of crows that littered the forest floor and branches close to the ground, appearing like a mass amount of black speckles from where she stood.
With a surge of her chakra, she leaped from the nest and dropped to the ground. She landed on her feet, using some of her chakra again to soften the blow. Asami slowly stood up, looking around at the crows that surrounded her. Much like their nests, the crows came in all different sizes, but the stark black of their feathers and the intuitive, sharpness of their gaze remained the same.
"Asami-san, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," came the smooth, velvety voice.
Asami slowly turned around, lips parting in shock at the sight of the gigantic crow on the ground before her. The bird was unlike anything she had seen, it almost a fourth tall of the massive evergreens it nested in. Even with its monstrous height, it was still beautiful, feathers shiny and the same ebony color as the other crows. Her feathers seemed to glimmer in the late afternoon sun, rays filtering in through the canopy of trees.
The crow gave a soft laugh, very feminine and smooth. It wasn't threatening at all, but filled with warmth and a sense of wisdom. "I see you're still looking at me in interest as though you're trying to solve some kind of puzzle. I promise you that I bring no harm, but only I only return that feeling of interest to you. I am Tomomi, the leader of the crows."
Asami swallowed, a bit flabbergasted at what was going on. There were so many things happening—first, she had been dropped off in a massive nest, and then her company for the following hours had been a bunch of birds. Birds that seemed to have an unusual interest in her, too. It was all very bizarre and she still didn't know what to make of it.
"Why are you so interested in me?" Asked Asami, the question having been present in her mind since she first interacted with Mayu. "I was told you had been watching me for some time. Why? And... if I do become part of the 'flock', such as Mayu-san put it, what would that bring me?"
Tomomi hummed thoughtfully, curling her wings into herself. She looked at Asami with a steady gaze, before she chose to respond. "Crows are often the representation of death. This is not always in the form of a loss, but someone who undergoes transitions. Death brings rebirth. The end brings a new beginning. Someone who undergoes intense pressure and comes out on the other side anew, has in a sense, experienced the death of the self in order to create someone who can withstand the next challenge. I have seen the things you will encounter, and the things you will become. You will experience death and rebirth, and will continue to in your next life as well."
Asami looked upon the bird, chills running through her body as she let Tomomi's words sink in. A breeze blew through her hair, stray strands brushing against her cheeks.
Death and rebirth. Reinventing of the self... Asami felt it was more about a case of resilience. How much could one withstand as their current self, their current fears and vices, before they cracked? How long would they last, before they came to the realization that in order to grow, they had to figuratively 'kill' their current self and become something needed to preserve? This was what Tomomi meant, that she was certain of.
"Along with that, there are foundations that we as crows uphold," Tomomi continued. "Courage, wisdom, and benevolence. You may feel as though you lack these characteristics now, but in time you will understand and become those things. In the meantime, we will guide you on your path and act as support when you need it. We will help you develop and grow, and be the support you can lean on when you feel lost."
Tomomi claimed to know what she would become and what she would encounter. Asami couldn't help but wonder what parts of her she would be forced to shed. Just who was the person Tomomi claimed Asami would become? Thinking about herself in the third person was strange, but this person Tomomi described was far from who Asami was now. Just what would she undergo to force these changes? Hadn't she already experienced enough pain and loss to last a lifetime? What more was she to overcome?
The more she heard from Tomomi, the more drawn she was to the crows. She wanted to listen to everything the bird said to her, her words covered in wisdom and knowledge far, far beyond what Asami had the capability to understand. She wanted to know more, but every answer Tomomi gave her only brought more questions.
"What do you mean by seeing the things I'll encounter, and the things I'll become?" Asked Asami. The mysticism of Tomomi's explanations left too much to the imagination for comfort.
Tomomi let out a gentle sigh, seeming tired by the thought. There was a beat of silence before she responded. "Pain has followed you since you were a child. It has followed you for years and will continue to follow you throughout your life. It won't end in this life either, but will continue into the next one as well. The next life will destroy everything you will fight to create in this one, but in the next, you will keep what you couldn't here."
Asami was unable to help her horrified expression at what the crow was saying.
Everything she created in this life was going to be destroyed by her in the next? What did that even mean? The thought was sickening, even if she didn't know what Tomomi was describing fully. She had no idea the exact meaning of these words, but she couldn't simply ignore the fact that whatever she was to do in the next life, she was destined to do something terrible. She was to do something terrible, but keep something she lost here? What did that even mean?
"I... I don't know how to respond to that." She said after a moment of silence.
"You don't need to concern yourself with the next life. Remain focused on this one." Said Tomomi. "Allow us to accompany you in what you're doing now, and act as a guide for the path you will take. As I said before, you have much to encounter and withstand. Once you sign the contract, we will be the support you can lean on, whether it be in battle or for word of advice. We will be bound to you."
Asami was still uneasy, especially with knowing she was destined for more pain and torment. Not only here, but in the next life as well. Was she cursed? Destined to feel pain and loss no matter what life she lived, or what name she had? Even if she was, it seemed that there was no escaping it. Perhaps the best way to keep herself, and her family safe, was to trust the crows. They seemed to know more than she did, and seemed to have only the best intentions for her. They wanted to help her, so who was she to refuse that? It seemed with the choices she was making lately she needed all the proper guidance she could get.
After a couple of moments of careful consideration, Asami nodded her head. "Okay. I'll sign the contract."
Tomomi hummed in approval. "Wonderful."
A group of birds brought over a large scroll, each carrying a corner of it. They dropped it at her feet, one of the crows pulling at the string binding it together. Once the string had been undone, the other birds unraveled it, paper revealing a spot for her to sign her name and place her hand. There were only two other spots, but they were greyed out and appeared old. It looked as though not many had signed a contract with the crows.
Asami looked around at the birds in the trees warily, before getting to her knees and turning her attention to the scroll.
"Draw blood and sign your name, then place your palm at the base to complete the contract." Instructed Tomomi. "We are so glad you've decided to become part of our flock. After all, it is in your destiny. You were meant to do so."
All the talk of destiny and next lives was making her head spin, but she obliged, taking a kunai out from her obi and pricking her thumb. She painted the characters of her name onto the paper, before taking the kunai again and poking the pads of each of her fingers. She pressed them to the page beneath her name just as the other contract holders had done, before leaning back and looking up at Tomomi expectantly.
Tomomi hummed, pleased. "Mayu-san will accompany you back to your home. Should you need anything, you can call on any of us to come to your side. Whether that be in battle, or for a form of guidance. We are honored you have decided to sign with us."
Mayu came down from her perch amongst the other crows, landing on Asami's shoulder. Asami couldn't help the gentle smile that pulled at her lips, reaching up to stroke the crow's chest. "Hello again."
Mayu made a noise of content at her actions. "I knew you would be just fine, Asami-san. No need to worry so much, even though you seem to be good at that, as I said before."
Asami deflated again, frowning at the observation. Was she really that much of a worrier?
She turned to look at the leader of the crows again, and even if her chest was filled with anxiety at the things that had been said to her, she couldn't help but give the bird a thankful smile. "Thank you."
Tomomi let out a gentle laugh. "Of course. You have much to do, and the least we can do is guide you through the thick of it. If you are ready to head back home, you can repeat the Kuchiyose no Jutsu, and you will return to where you first did the jutsu."
Meeting the crows had left her with much to think about. She wasn't sure what to do with the information or how she was supposed to act on it, but part of her felt as though she wasn't actually supposed to do anything. Asami was supposed to take a path, whatever that path may be, she was going to encounter different challenges and 'foes' as Tomomi called it. The only thing she could do was continue on, and when she felt lost, the crows would be able to guide her. Hopefully, it would prevent situations like with Sarutobi Sasuke from sprouting in the future.
She ran through the hand signs and slapped her palm to the forest floor, the same seal as before spreading through the grass. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
With that, Asami disappeared from the Dōsatsuryoku forest, returning to the Uchiha compound with Mayu on her shoulder.