Snip.
Snip.
Hair, grey like ash, fell down to the floor.
Snip.
Snip.
Although, looking at it closely, perhaps it resembled pewter more than ash. It wasn't shiny like silver, but it had a darker tinge to it.
Snip.
"It wasn't wise. What you did."
Snip.
Snip.
"You know that already."
I took a comb through her hair again, if more to affirm the sectioning of it to myself. I didn't wanna mess this up.
"You're the smart one, even if other people don't see that."
I got started on the next section. It was hard to keep it all organized doing this with just a comb, scissors and some water. Especially considering the length of her hair, but I managed.
Snip.
"But there's a difference between intelligence and wisdom."
Snip.
"Unlike intelligence, the measure of how well you apply the knowledge you've learned, wisdom is purely based on decision. Whether or not to make use of your intelligence. When to use it."
Snip.
Snip.
"You made the wrong choice. That's fine. Wisdom is something you learn, not something you already have."
Snip.
Snip.
"This is what you need to remember. What you have to remember. Wisdom comes by love. Which is in and of itself on fire for justice. Fairness. Righteousness."
I moved in front of her, taking the hairs that framed her face and started sectioning it. The left side first.
Snip.
"Wisdom in the right hands is more valuable than money. More valuable than power. More valuable than reputation."
Snip.
I chose to stay well away from her bangs, remembering the horror stories that can come from that, and got to work on the right side.
"You're a smart girl, Ayame. Your potential is limitless, but it means nothing without wisdom."
Snip.
Her bangs were probably fine anyway. They didn't obstruct her vision yet, coming just below her eyebrows. I raked the comb through her hair again, lifting up certain parts to catch anything that I missed, trimming as I went.
Snip.
Snip.
"I use my wisdom to protect you. To help you grow. But I can't always be there for you. You're a kunoichi now, which means it's time to cultivate wisdom for yourself."
I was pretty much done at this point, having cut it down to shoulder-level. It shouldn't get in the way in battle like this. Not so obscenely long as before. It'll surely grow out again, but by then she would be powerful enough that it wouldn't matter anyway. Her hair was still wet, with little chunks of the cut parts still on her neck and face, since I didn't have a blow-dryer. She'd have to take a plunge in the river to get sorted, and so she wouldn't leave too obvious of a trail. People could still track her by the hair she left behind. I knew I could.
"The way you do that is by listening. Listen, to understand. Remember. No one has the full picture, so make sure to grab wisdom from any source that you can."
I met her eyes. I had never seen them look so vulnerable before. It ached at my heart.
"Will you…. Will you teach me wisdom Arata?"
Ayame…
She doesn't have a father. Her mother treats her as a chess piece. Her family hates her. Half her friends abandoned her. She's fighting in a war that's just barely beginning.
The only support she has is us. Her team. No one else.
But it shouldn't be like this! A child shouldn't be expected to behave like an adult! To be a soldier, responsible for the lives around her! It just shouldn't.
Luckily for her, I wasn't a child, despite the body I inhabited. I could take that burden. I could carry the load. Even if it was just for my team, I could do it. I would do it.
"Yes. Yes, of course I'll teach you."
I hugged her. Hugged her tightly. Even so, her grip was stronger.
And that haunted me.
It was the next day by now, and I had team Twelve take the rounds to look at everyone's injuries again. With Tetsuo's help I managed to get Yamanaka Toshiko's arm back in working condition, even if I discouraged her from using it in combat for now. Or to engage in combat at all. She had more than just compound fractures in her arm. We had to spend quite a bit of time on her.
"Hey everyone! Over here! Orochimaru-sensei's got something to say!" Anko yelled. The whole camp stirred, looking over to the center. Anko, holding onto Orochimaru's leg, waved us over.
We all formed a circle around him, every ninja in the camp. Ayame squeezed in between me and Tetsuo, still getting eyes from the other ninja. I made sure to glare at them as well, though they hardly reacted.
It's fine. I wouldn't be intimidated by a seven year old either.
Orochimaru began speaking. "I believe we have had enough time to recuperate and set up a base here. It is time to start planning towards our next objective. Currently, with the intel that we gathered, I have ascertained the identity of the ninja who attacked the mines."
When Orochimaru speaks, his voice never surpasses a shout. It is always measured, always neutral. It doesn't even sound like he makes an effort to raise his voice, but people still hear him clearly anyway. They make space to hear him, staying as quiet as possible to take in every word.
"Considering the absence of clan techniques and kekkei genkai, and our current geographical location, the list of candidates was short. But having spent enough time profiling the ninja of Hot Water over the last week, it is most certainly not them."
He just had that sort of charisma. The charisma of a natural leader. People followed him not just because he was strong and had a reputation, but because he was intelligent, and knew how to use that intelligence to cover the people under him and direct them properly.
"The most likely candidate for the attack yesterday was Shimogakure." The village next to Hot Springs, bordering Lightning? "For those not familiar, Frost has a similar vassal-like relationship to Cloud that we do to Hot Springs, so it is not unlikely that Cloud hired them to attack the mines when taking our resources out from under us was no longer actionable. This new information means that our plans will also change."
I could feel the tension level among the adults spike. A few of them probably already suspected that it was Frost, but to have it essentially be confirmed…
"In discussion with both Yaketsuku and Suzaku, we believe that there is a high chance Cloud is going to invade the Land of Hot Water within the week."
Another spike, but noticeably, no one had still said a word. It made sense, in a fashion. The amount of ninja we had here wasn't all that many, and we wouldn't survive a full scale invasion on our own. It would be best to strike while the iron is hot. But getting that many troops to move will take time.
"In order to prepare, I have already sent out multiple messenger hawks both to the border outpost and to the Hokage, as well as my personal summons to make sure the message comes across. We will be using both this location and Yugakure as a base of operations once reinforcements arrive. Our primary focus until they come will be to make way to accommodate them as much as possible, as quickly as possible." So essentially, our original mission. Just on a much quicker timetable. "It means building this clearing into an actual fortress, and making sure that the Yu-nin will cease to be a problem. To that end, I will now be giving your teams individual instructions."
He went through the list.
First Sarutobi Rie's team, then Nara Suzaku's. They were to reinforce and construct an actual base out of the campgrounds we currently had. Normally, that would be Yaketsuku's job, with his civilian contacts, but with the time we have, it's just not feasible. We'd have to make it from jutsu. Not only that, they were also the best equipped to keep guarding the mines as they were.
Then Yaketusuku's team would reconnect with Hot Springs, both their civilian and ninja sides. Transferring ownership of the mines, for now, to the Hashiji clan and preparing Yugakure for war.
For Team Eleven and Twelve… "Our objectives in Yugakure have not been met. There is still work to be done. So, while the rest of our teams focus on building here, you, along with Tsunade will be heading back to Yugakure. If you do not recall from before, there are three main noble houses with power in Hot Springs. The Hashiji are firmly allies, and the Kusakabe are dead, leaving only the Outomo."
Huh. I had completely forgotten about them. It feels like it's been so long since our first briefing. Although realistically it's been less than a week.
"We've long suspected they have had dealings with Frost, and thus by proxy, Cloud, but have never had enough concrete evidence to move against them. This time, they will force our hand."
He handed Hayama a scroll. "This will have all of the information Yaketsuku has compiled on the clan's dealings thus far. I want you six to seek them out. If you discover that they, in any way, have been working against Konoha and our interests, you will detain them and take them back to Konoha, where you will stay. If they try to flee, you will kill them. If they have already fled, do not chase them past the border. If they have ninja in their employ, avoid them and report back to Konoha's mission desk on their betrayal. If, after 48 hours you cannot find them, return immediately to Konoha."
He crossed his arms. "Contrary to popular belief, not every mission is valued above your life. A war is no place for two squads of genin, least of all ones recently graduated. If you come across anything you cannot handle, you flee immediately. Do you all understand?"
We nodded. Vigorously. "Excellent. Now go. Take everything with you. You will not come back here, but will return to Konoha, regardless of the status of your mission. Remember. 48 hours, and not a second more."
"Of course, sensei! You can count on us." Aimi said, and then hugged Orochimaru like he was her favorite uncle, and not the most dangerous person in a two hundred mile radius.
He just patted her on the back. Like she was an overexcited pet. "Yeah. What Aimi said!" Hayama attached himself to the other leg. Considering Anko was already there, it quickly became a fight for leg real estate.
"Hey! Let go Aimi! This is my spot!" Anko growled.
"Says who?"
"Me! I said so!"
They quickly started trying to throw each other off, clawing and pushing at each other. Weren't we having a serious mission debriefing like—a minute ago?
"Well I don't agree. Get off!" Aimi shoved her, and she almost tripped. Anko yelled.
"Oi!"
"Guys, let's not fight.." Hayama, only holding onto a small bit of pant leg now, murmured.
The other shinobi in the group were watching. Some snickering and pointing fingers. I wisely stayed quiet. I valued my life.
Orochimaru just—did he just blush?! "Please... just. Just go already."
Hayama let go. "Okay sensei." He said.
Aimi detached herself as well, linking her arms behind her back and grinning. "We won't let you down, Sensei!" Like a cat that caught the canary. Anko, still attached to Orochimaru, stuck out her tongue at her.
"I believe you."
The Battle of Nagahama Beach, on the shores of Kozushima, a hundred and eighty kilometers from Kirigakure…
Thirty pairs of feet silently bounded through dense, jungle-like foliage. It was raining, but not one of their movements made a splash.
A few kilometers behind them, a fire from hell itself tore through the darkness of the night sky.
The third night of the fourth year of the Second Shinobi World War…
It was spreading fast. As far out as they were they could still smell it, and the scent was getting stronger by the minute.
Their steps were hurried, and despite their level of caution, some traces of their presence still lingered. The air moved with their passing.
An S-rank mission, with thirty men, and one objective.
They could sense it in the wind, they were being pursued. Pairs turned to dozens turned to hundreds faster than they could have ever predicted. Kiri was ready, but they weren't fast enough.
Konoha would hope their shinobi could at least say the opposite.
The most important harbour in the region was too close to Konoha, but far enough from Kiri to be a hub for hundreds, if not thousands of troops to quickly move from one base to the other.
At the front of the group, one man signaled a change in orders. Not all of them would make it back, but all of them would still have the chance. Commander Inuzuka Hisao would not allow for anything else.
The ninja of Kirigakure were great seafarers, but they could not traverse an entire sea to reach Land of Fire's soil in one trip fast enough to outspeed a response.
The signal was sent, and four split off from the main group to form a hastily set-up defense. Their position was already revealed, and so four pairs of red eyes watched as their jutsu combined, turning the battlefield from green and black to red and orange. A fiery inferno watched their backs as it ate through the surrounding flora.
They needed a place, a waystation, and Nagahama harbour was the perfect choice.
Against Kiri, It would only gather them a few seconds, but the beach was already in sight. It was enough. Hisao called for a stop, and the most crucial member of the team began painting.
Ninja Art: Beast Imitation Drawing; Taka produced giant flying creatures entirely made of ink, and just big enough for two people to ride on. In under a minute, the painter had already produced ten of them. He needed five more. He needed more time.
The fire wall came down with a great burst of water. Up ahead, the ocean shot open, three rods made of sea water the size of pillars shot into the sky. They had infiltrated the sea, well and truly surrounding the offending party.
Most in Konoha would have argued that The Battle of Nagahama Beach was a great victory for them, and they would not be wrong.
Half of Konoha's ninja were already in the air, carefully dodging the pillars of water that had staked a claim on their lives. The others, including Commander Hisao, got ready for the fight of their lives. They crowded around the paint user, insulating and protecting him.
As if on cue, the first explosions started with a scream. Someone had been shot out of the air.
Despite their lost territory west of Mikurajima, Mist had stayed out of the war, fearing the losses would be worse than the gains.
The fighting was rough, and tense. Three more people made it into the sky, joining the rest of the escapees ever higher.
Screams, those you make when you can't come back to what was, started coming in stronger numbers, echoing out one after the other, joining in a chorus that almost threatened to drown out the constant flux of explosions.
As stated previously, most in Konoha would argue that it was a great victory. Really, it was all but one who disagreed.
In the end, twentytwo ninja made the trip to Miyakejima, situated firmly in Hi no Kuni land safely, barring a few injuries. Seven had died in the line of duty, but one… one had not been so lucky.
A Hyuuga chuunin, Branch house, part of the needed reconnaissance for this mission, had the unfortunate luck to be female and stuck in enemy territory.
Once the Main House caught wind, they had dispatched one of their own to make sure her suffering would be short.
Just when they got close enough to trigger the signal for the Caged Bird Seal, a report came in that something, or rather someone, had washed onto the shores of the island.
Against all odds, she had somehow survived. She had escaped from hundreds of ninja, had crossed the ocean, and survived. Her wounds were fierce, and many, and she was swiftly taken to the Konoha Hospital for further treatment, but she survived.
To anyone else but the Hyuuga Clan, it was great and miraculous news. The cherry on top to making sure Kirigakure would not come for them in this time.
To the Hyuuga Clan, it was a great disgrace. She had not come out unscathed. She had come back, with only one eye.
The Caged Bird Seal, despite its many flaws, was effective at one thing. Keeping the Byakugan away from anyone outside of the Hyuuga. If it discovers an attempt to remove the eyes from the holder, it will immediately terminate them, with strong bias. That the ninja of the Hidden Mist managed to circumvent that sent alarm bells ringing through the clan.
For weeks, there was arguing and debating and raised voices in the usually silent halls of the Hyuuga Clan Compound. In the middle of it all, was the woman who survived. With her shattered feet, she would never be a ninja again, and some in the clan were questioning her worth. Wondering if, for the crime of losing to an impossible foe, she should have been put to death anyway.
Then, a week after she had supposedly fully recovered, she had spontaneously vomited in the middle of one of these debates. One hospital visit later, and the calls for her death had multiplied.
Still, through it all, she had insisted, pleaded, on carrying to term. And then promptly died in childbirth.
A horribly unceremonious end, for such an incredible woman. But her story of defying odds didn't end with her.
No.
It certainly didn't. And It certainly wouldn't.
It sure as fuck continued.
She wouldn't let it die, no matter what.
End of fucking story!
Arata P.O.V.
The trip back to Hot Springs was amicable enough. The children chatted amongst themselves without much care. The gravity of the situation, despite them being ninja children, was entirely lost on them.
"So then I grabbed a pack of ketchup right? And then Arata said: 'No! You can't put that in the miso soup! What's wrong with you! Who raised you?' And then I said: 'My mom did!' And then he said: 'Figures. Devil of a woman.' And then Tetsuo said—" Ayame had went on like that for a bit as we ran.
Hayama, for some reason, was listening raptly. Tetsuo.. "And then I said why don't we add mayo too? And then Arata got really mad and started cursing our ancestors."
Mm. Maybe it's because they're ninja children that they're not worried. Wait, that doesn't make any sense.
"You really managed to do it, huh." Tsunade, who had stayed quiet until now, spoke up. Looking directly at Aimi.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Her body language was tense. Does she still not trust Tsunade?
"Tame him." She chuckled. "Orochimaru… I haven't seen him smiling since he came back from—well. In a while." Uh. He was smiling?
"I'm not sure what you're referring to. Orochimaru-sensei just needed some hugs. That's all."
She snorted. "Right. Hugs. Next you tell me you kiss him goodnight too."
Aimi scowled cutely. "So what if I do?"
Tsunade laughed. A real, full belly laugh. "You're hilarious kid. Keep that up." Suddenly, she jumped ahead of the pack, starting to run far faster. "I'm going on ahead. Don't try to follow me."
And then she left. "Wait!" I shouted back at her. To no avail. "Great. We just lost our safety net."
Aimi raised an eyebrow. "A grieving woman that can't fight?"
I huffed. "It was better than nothing."
"Where'd she go Arata?" Ayame asked.
"I have no idea. I'm not liable to chase her either, at this point. Let's just do the mission and get out." Speaking of, "Hayama?"
Hayama unfurled the scroll he was given, reading through it. "It says the compound is located on the far east end of the village. It's really big and has red painted roofs. It says it's hard to miss." Welp.
"Any idea on how we can prove they aided Cloud? If it comes to that." Hayama took a while to answer, so I signalled for the group to stop running so he could have an easier time reading. Tetsuo went over to Hayama's side, looking over his shoulder to read as well.
"Mmmm. It says they're mainly responsible for food distribution of non-perishables to the surrounding nations. The biggest buyer being the Land of Fire. So, I think a good place to start would be the warehouses just outside the village."
"Should we head there first Arata?" Tetsuo asked.
"No. Let's start by looking for them and interrogating them. Considering the option of killing is on the table and our time limit, this isn't the time for subtlety. We can worry about burned bridges when we don't have Cloud breathing down our necks." And if Yaketsuku said anything, well. I'm going home in two days.
"Okay." I signalled for us to start going again, and we tread the dirt paths again. Back to Yugakure. "What if they have ninja? Tsunade just left right?"
"We run. We've already fought way too much and we've gotten lucky so far. Since Cloud's in the picture I wouldn't be surprised if some are already in the country."
"And if we can't run?" Aimi added quietly.
"We'll just have to bite the bullet and fight. We've trained together. We know what each of us can do. Anko's not here, but we can adapt. If it gets to that, follow Ayame's lead and don't leave anyone behind. Got it?"
I received a chorus of "Got it!". From all but one.
"Bite the.. bara-to?" Aimi asked.
'Seriously dude?' Shiro commented. Right. No bullets here. Expression doesn't exist.
"Do something because we have to. Don't worry about it." She gave me a strange look. "What?"
"Don't worry about it." She murmured.
Ooookay? Alright then.
A good amount of hours later, we arrived at the Outomo compound. Predictably, there was no one there. Absolutely no one.
"Report?" Tetsuo asked.
Aimi's Byakugan was on. "No one fitting the description of the Outomo clan from the dossier is to be found within the clan compound. In fact, there is no one in a half kilometer radius at all."
"Alright. Hayama?"
"They left all the not necessary stuff behind. Clothes, toiletries, anything worth a lot that's too big to take with them... They didn't plan to leave, I don't think."
"The horse stable is empty too." Tetsuo added. "Can you guess, from the tracks, how far out they are?"
Hayama went over to look. "The path is taken too often to tell for sure, but seeing how many empty stalls there are, they took a lot of big caravans with them. They're going to go really slowly."
"If they left just after the attack yesterday, they should still be within tracking range. Do you think you can do it Shiromaru? Arata?"
I looked at Shiro, who shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to try. They'll be going north right?" He said.
"Right. Let's take a quick nap first before we go. It's better to be rested up, if we're going to leave the country right after. The trip isn't going to be short." Tetsuo's eyes flickered, before they softened. "Do you think the beds here are comfortable? I'm gonna go take one."
That's my cue. "Let's try not to stay here for more than an hour. Everyone rendezvous back at the gates when said hour is up alright? I'll stand watch."
"Okay~ I'm gonna go find a bed too!" "Do you think there's enough for all of us to have one?" "The compound is really big. Of course there is!"
Shiro followed them out to… wherever they were going, while I went over to the entrance and jumped up to sit on the wall outlining the area. It's kind of strange they have a wall here. I don't know why the people in this world are so obsessed with walling everything off. It doesn't really do much against a shinobi, or does it? Maybe there's something in the walls that blocks people? It didn't stop me from just jumping up. Kind of strange now that I think about it.
"Hey." Aimi had jumped up next to me and sat down, one leg hanging off of the rim.
"Hey. What's up?" She kept quiet. Fair enough.
It was evening by now, and when we would head back out again it would be dark already, so we watched the falling sun together. I could hear our surroundings so clearly. It wasn't quiet. Crickets had started chirping already. As night started, some creatures, like coyotes and bats, started to rise. You could still hear the creatures of the day scurrying around though, looking for a place to lay their heads.
A breeze, just strong enough to move the weeds on the ground hit us. It wasn't a cold one, but not exactly pleasant either. Out in the distance, I could hear the people, still up and bustling. A market? I couldn't tell. They were too far to parse meaning from their words. I focused on the sounds closer to me.
Ayame and Tetsuo were arguing over who would take the master bedroom. It went on for a few minutes. In the end, Shiro plopped his butt down on the sheets and went to sleep. Geniuses that they are, they figured the bed was big enough for all four of them, so they took Hayama with them to share the space.
Adorable.
Focusing on the sounds from right next to me delivered just about what I expected. Aimi's heart rate was far from her resting. She was agitated. Worried. But she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. That was fine. I can dance.
"So, how did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Orochimaru."
She exhaled shortly through her nose. "I didn't do much. He was really grumpy at first. I think it ate at him. That his valuable time was being spent preventing a bunch of children from accidentally killing themselves. He came around. Turns out he really did just need hugs."
Orochimaru? The same guy who tortures children for fun? "I don't believe you."
I could hear the smile in her voice. "It was a little more complicated than that. But everyone needs someone there for them. Turns out, Sensei didn't have too many people in his corner anymore. All he really needed was for someone to want to help him."
Help her, huh. Maybe there is something to that. "You think the same would work for my rescue?"
She huffed. "Yours isn't a rescue. It's a stray. You'll have to do a lot more than that to reach her." She lifted her other leg out from under her, swinging both of them out into the wind. "I don't envy you."
Great. "Awesome. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"I don't feel very welcomed."
"You're not supposed to." What was the word Shiro would use? Nah I'm not saying it.
"Che." She giggled. Good. "We're going to be fine, you know." I said.
And she's stiffened right back up again. Her teeth clenched. "It's not the mission I'm worried about."
Cloud then? I guess she, out of all the genin, would be able to grasp what Orochimaru had really said.
War with two nations. Three if you counted Frost. It would almost qualify for another World War. Although I know that soon, it will turn into one. But she didn't have the benefit of foresight that I did.
I had years to mentally prepare myself for what was to come. She was just learning about it this morning. I didn't have words to reassure her on that front. I knew it would be hell. Worse than the last one. And the last one was bad.
I knew it would be hell. And I couldn't save her from it. Can't save anyone from it.
None of my team, as far as I know, appeared in canon Naruto. It's not even mentioned that Tsunade had a genin team at all. It could be that she never took on Tetsuo and Ayame. That they didn't have the opportunity to take on the test, and were sent to the Genin Corps.
Or. Maybe. They had never made it past the Third War in the first place to be featured in the series. They had died. Just like that, without anyone left to care.
That thought keeps me up at night. Keeps a tick in my bones.
And Aimi, from what I remember, didn't exist either. As Orochimaru's student, with two kekkei genkai, you'd think she'd come up right? I mean at some point? What if she also—
Stop! Stop. I have to stop. This train of thought is leading me nowhere. I have to focus on the here and now. Aimi is here. And so are Ayame and Tetsuo. That's what matters right now.
"I can't tell you what the future is going to look like." I dug my nails into my wrist. What a fucking lie. "All I know is that we have today. And if we work at it, we'll have tomorrow. That's all we can do. Work towards tomorrow." Time and time again.
She said nothing for a bit. Scratch that. A while. "You really suck at pep talks, you know that?"
I scowled. "Well I didn't see you trying. You think I love the situation we're in right now?"
"Pfft. I thought you were trying to comfort me? Not the other way around? Do better."
"Shut up. You're gonna take your scraps and you're gonna like it." I mimed eating a little bit of kibble for her. "Mmmm. Delicious." She pushed me off the wall. "OI! That was rude!"
"Ssssh. You're gonna wake up the kids."
"Ah—the audacity."
I walked back up to the wall and, without warning, kicked her off. "Hey!"
"You deserve that."
"Really? I deserve that? What are you, a child?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "...That was dumb."
"Indeed." I jumped down to stand next to her. Suddenly, she took me into a hug. More like a vice grip. I could feel my bones cracking. Seriously, only one of us heals from that. Please ease up a bit. "We're going to be fine. Honestly."
I hugged her back. Unlike last time, her heart rate didn't go back down. "You won't be."
"You think so highly of me?"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Just correct your view."
"I'm sorry."
I sighed. Good as I'm gonna get. "Maybe you should get some sleep too. It would help you reset."
She just hung on tighter.
We ended up standing like that for a while.
A/N. I'm back! Back again! Took a while to figure out how to end this arc with all the beats I wanted included, but I got there. Somehow. Thank God. Hope yall had a fantastic Christmas and New Year celebration and all of that. Here's to more updates in 2023!