Author's Note: On to arc number two! This one is all about Rin, her seal, and what remains of Uzushiogakure. I'm happy to say that the first arc was received so well, the story passed 3k hits already. Let's keep up that momentum!

Human

Whirlpool Arc

Chapter 7

Rin

Rin woke with the sun, her body still ached something fierce, but she felt lighter emotionally after her fireside talk with Kushina the night before. She stretched and found that the range of motion in her arms left a lot to be desired. If only she could heal herself, she could speed the process along, but Rin was terrified of her chakra. Every time she'd touched it since she'd been captured, it felt like her entire body had been lit aflame.

There was nothing to do but let her body slowly heal over time. Rin fiddled with her clothes, standard navy blue shinobi fatigues, and wondered where her mission pack had ended up. Likely it was still in the enemy base, or maybe with Kakashi.

She sucked in a breath when she thought of Kakashi, and blinked away at the burning sensation of her eyes. Guilt, remorse, self-loathing, and more swirled in her head. She considered going back to sleep. She could just wait until the whole thing was over and done with one way or the other. Either she'd heal and Kakashi would live, or she'd give up and wither away in this tent.

With that decided, Rin flopped back down onto the sleeping bag and covered her face with her hands. Her stomach growled and she sighed.

"Rin, are you okay?" Kushina asked from outside the tent. "I heard you rustling around in there."

"'Mfine," Rin mumbled into her hands.

"If you say so," Kushina said with a laugh. "Come on out and eat some breakfast. It's a long walk to Uzushiogakure. You're going to need your strength."

Rin sat up. "Uzushiogakure?"

"What's left of the Whirlpool village, anyway," Kushina said. "I go every year to see if there are other members of my clan still alive. This year you're coming with me, so I can keep an eye on that seal of yours."

It took Rin another five minutes to muster up the will to leave the safety of the tent, and another minute to get her feet into her sandals. When she made her way to the fire, Kushina was humming and boiling water for tea.

"How are you feeling?" Kushina asked without looking up.

"Honestly? I feel like I fell off a cliff," Rin said, collapsing into a seated position by the fire. "Everything is sore and achy."

"You'll get better with time. Or you could heal yourself once you've recuperated some chakra," Kushina said.

"No!" Rin shouted.

Kushina looked at her, eyebrow raised, but Rin didn't think she looked very surprised. "No?"

Rin shook her head. "No. I… I can't use my chakra anymore. It hurts. A lot."

Kushina nodded, as if she had confirmed a suspicion. "It's probably got a lot to do with the way that seal was put on you. The chakra in the seal is interfering with the chakra your body naturally produces, because of where it's located. The two things cannot coexist in their current state."

Rin hung her head. "What's that mean for me? For my life as a ninja?"

"It means that you're going to have to work harder than ever to stay healthy and in tip-top shape while we design a new seal," Kushina said, offering Rin a mug of tea. Rin took it gratefully and held it in both hands to stave off the morning chill.

Rin nodded. She could try, at least.

Once the tea was cool enough to drink, Rin took a large sip. She sighed in happiness, for a cup of tea made in the middle of the woods, it was very good. Kushina handed her a ration bar and an apple. "Eat. I'll pack up everything and get it sealed away. When that's done, we'll get moving."

"Okay," Rin said, glad to be free of physical chores like striking camp, and ate the apple with gusto. The ration bar she ate more slowly, but she was still finished eating five minutes before Kushina had everything put away.

"Ready?" Kushina asked. Rin gave her a thumbs up. "Then let's go."

Kushina kept their pace slow and sedate on purpose, and she allowed Rin to stop and rest whenever she lagged behind. Rin was grateful for the leisurely pace of their walk. It took them until midday to get to the main road, and once they were near enough to see the dirt path that led to and from the Leaf village, Kushina sat Rin down and forced her to eat another ration bar.

Trail rations were bland and hard to chew, but Rin ate the fare with gusto.

That night, Kushina sat Rin down at their campfire, and handed her a small book. "What's this?" Rin asked.

"You're going to be learning the basics of Fuinjutsu," Kushina said matter of factly. "It's better that you know what's happening when I start changing that seal around. That book was written by my grandfather, and it's one of the few remaining copies that survived the destruction of the Whirlpool Village."

Rin held the book delicately, reverently. "I'll take good care of it."

Kushina ruffled her hair and laughed. "I know you will. I'm going to get the tents set up. Once you've read a bit of the book, we can talk more in depth. Ask me for clarification if you have any questions."

Rin watched her go until she was no longer illuminated by firelight, and then turned her attention back to the book. An Introduction to the Noble and Ancient Art of Sealing, the cover read. It was a small brown, leatherbound book. A golden whirlpool was embossed on the front. The author's name was faded, but legible. Rin traced her fingers over the name. Masakado Uzumaki.

She knew without opening the book that Kushina was offering more than just an understanding of sealing. This was a declaration of trust and affection, too.

Rin opened the book, and read the introduction, which outlined the ideology and frame of reference that the Uzumaki clan used in their sealing art. It was entirely different than what she expected. In the Hidden Leaf, and Rin assumed the same was true in the other hidden villages, sealing was only used as a means to an end. A seal was just another tool in a ninja's arsenal.

The Uzumaki had treated sealing like a true art. It was directly compared to painting and kabuki in the text. It was fascinating to think of Fuinjutsu in a way that wasn't strictly utilitarian. It was difficult to see the broader purpose, though. Wouldn't sealing be better if it was streamlined and more efficient?

Rin pondered the benefits. She had always been taught that the most efficient method of doing something was the best. Why waste time in a fight when you could take a life by slitting a throat? Her medical field training had been much the same. Heal those who would be able to return to the battlefield first.

When Kushina Returned, Rin had the book half open, bookmarked by a finger, and she was lost in thought.

"You want to talk about it?" Kushina asked her.

Rin started and nearly dropped the book into the dirt. "What? Oh, uh, not necessarily. I was just thinking about how differently this book is written. It's long winded."

Kushina nodded.

"Not that that's a bad thing!" Rin continued. "It's just that all the seals we use in the village are…"

"They're made that way on purpose. If they're simple, effective, and impossible to screw up, then everyone can use them," Kushina said. She sat down, and Rin watched her settle into a comfortable sitting position. "Real sealing isn't like that. It requires you to think outside the box. And sometimes the most direct solution is the wrong one. A real seal master has to unlearn what they have learned in the shinobi system, because it's the only ninja art that requires you not to think like a ninja."

Rin nodded, though she wasn't entirely sure she understood. Kushina snorted.

"I don't expect you to get it on the first day, Rin. Learning Fuinjutsu takes years, and nobody really ever masters it," Kushina said.

"But the author of the book is a seal master," Rin found herself saying. "And Minato-sensei, too."

"Minato is brilliant, Rin. He understands seals almost as well as I do, and he created one of the most famous techniques in the Elemental Nations with his knowledge. But he would never call himself a master of sealing. And if he did, he'd have to call me a grandmaster. Let me explain it this way: Granddad was very good at Fuinjutsu. He developed the seal that holds the Kyubi within me. Neither Minato nor myself have ever done such a thing. But he would never have called himself a master of the art. Because it's art. No artist is ever a master of their craft. That's not the way they think about it." Kushina leaned back on her hands.

"Then how does anyone learn if there are no masters?" Rin asked.

"The same way an artist learns to paint, or a dancer learns to dance. The basics are the same, no matter how you look at it. Those are easy to learn, and even without knowledge of sealing, you can practice useful things. Perfect your handwriting, study mathematics." Kushina leaned forward as if she'd just realized something, made a fist with her right hand, and tapped in into her left. "Oh! That's actually a good idea. You should work on those things. You're a medical ninja, so your handwriting is probably terrible."

"Hey!" Rin said, flushing. Her handwriting had certainly never been as pretty as the writing of other girls her age.

Kushina laughed. A full bodied laugh, with her head thrown back and eyes closed. "I'm just teasing."

Rin crossed her arms and huffed. "Trail rations for dinner?"

"Unfortunately so," Kushina said. "We walked all day, and I didn't get the chance to catch anything for us to eat. But we're not too far from a small village, and we can stop there tomorrow and see about buying some real food."

Rin nodded, and accepted the ration bar from Kushina when it was offered. Conversation turned away from sealing, and when Rin did crawl into her tent later that night, she found that she was too tired to have a nightmare.

It took them all morning to get to the village.

Rin watched in excitement as Kushina sealed rice, dried pork, and an assortment of fruits and vegetables into a scroll. They'd eaten ration bars again for breakfast, and Rin was looking forward to having real food for dinner that night.

The village they were in was more than willing to serve them food for lunch and sell them food for their travels. Kushina bartered for their fare, but Rin felt like they certainly got the better end of the bargain. Trail rations were not tasty. At all.

When they were back on the road, Kushina passed the time by springing random math questions onto Rin.

"Square root of two-hundred fifty-six?" Kushina asked.

"Uh… Sixteen?" Rin replied.

Kushina nodded. If Rin got the question right, she'd move on without a word. If Rin was wrong, Kushina would ask her to try again. "Prime number that comes after seventeen?"

"Twenty-three - no - nineteen!" Rin said.

"Internal angle of a hexagon in degrees?" Kushina asked.

Rin looked at Kushina. "Why would I know that?"

Kushina smirked. "You'll have to commit it to memory. Shapes are important in sealing."

"Well how many degrees are the angles inside of a hexagon?" Rin asked.

"One-hundred twenty," Kushina said. "Surely Minato went over Fuinjutsu fundamentals with you and your teammates."

Rin shook her head. "Not all at once. I think maybe he taught… Kakashi some when I was in medical training. And I don't know if he ever taught Obito." She hoped Kushina didn't notice her stumble over Kakashi's name.

She did. Of course. Rin was convinced that Kushina noticed everything. "He'll be up and about when we get home."

"I thought you said you didn't know if he was okay," Rin pointed out.

"Oh, I don't. I'm just being optimistic," Kushina said.

"Well I'm not so sure," Rin said. She'd really hurt Kakashi when she'd lost control of herself to the chakra that had been sealed within her.

"Of course you aren't," Kushina said. "You're too much of a downer."

Rin bristled. Kushina certainly didn't mind ribbing her. "I'm not a downer," she complained.

"Of course you are," Kushina said.

"Am not!" Rin said indignantly.

"Right. Of course not. I must have mistaken you for someone who didn't brood when she thought nobody was looking," Kushina said. "I'll just go and find Rin. Sorry to have bothered you, stranger."

Rin swatted Kushina's shoulder. "I'm not that bad." Kushina raised an eyebrow. "I'm not!"

"Rin, it took you seven minutes to put your shoes on this morning."

Rin didn't dignify that with a response.

The fell into a routine after that, traveling as far as Rin could go while injured and without chakra, and resting when Rin needed to. In the evenings, once Rin was up to it, Kushina led her through several basic katas to help her regain flexibility and strength.

Rin would read as much of An Introduction to the Noble and Ancient Art of Sealing as she could at night, but Kushina seemed determined to keep her busy and worn out. She was sure it was to distract her from Kakashi, and sometimes it worked.

Kushina kept a close eye on Rin's seal, and performed in-depth checks of Rin's chakra every other day. Rin, for her part, avoided anything that even had a chance of requiring her to use chakra.

It would have been the best time of Rin's life, had the circumstances been better. Kushina was an amazing teacher, and an even better source of support and guidance for everything else. Rin loved her like she would an older sister.

A little over a week after they'd set out together, Rin found herself on the deck of a small ship that Kushina had chartered to take them to the Land of Whirlpools. It was an island off the coast of the Land of Fire.

She was sitting against the railing, trying her level best to ignore the swaying of the ship as she tried to meditate. Kushina had instructed her to do so whenever she had free time, so that she might align the two sources of chakra within herself enough to use her own chakra without causing extreme pain.

Unfortunately, it was easier said than done, as she'd had little luck over the past several days. And the rocking of the ship in the ocean water didn't help any. She tried for an hour, but eventually gave it up as a bad job.

Rin had never been on a ship before now, and meditating was a no go in the choppy water. It was impossible to sit still. Awkwardly pulling herself to her feet in the swell, Rin set off to find Kushina.

She found her temporary sensei and guardian leaning on the rail of the ship, watching the waves go by with a wistful look on her face. Rin wondered what it would be like to suddenly be the lone surviving member of a clan. What would it do to a person? Rin had lost her family, sure, but that was different than a whole clan. And Kushina had been a little girl at the time.

Was it really right for Rin to accompany Kushina on this trip?

Rin rocked on her heels for a moment, before turning away. She'd go below deck and read that sealing book instead.

"You don't have to leave on my account," Kushina said.

Rin froze mid stride. Seriously? How did Kushina do that?

"How did you know I was even there?" Rin asked, turning around. "I didn't make any noise."

"Chakra sensor. Remember?" Kushina said.

Oh. Right.

"I can feel your chakra no matter where you are on the ship. You can't really sneak up on me," Kushina said, finally turning away from the water to face her. "What's on your mind?"

"You don't have to worry about me, Kushina. You should focus on your trip to your home village," Rin said.

Kushina gave her a warm smile. "I've taken this trip enough times to know I shouldn't get my hopes up. Nobody will be there."

"Now who's being a pessimist?" Rin asked.

Kushina snorted. "That's fair."

"You should hope for the best," Rin said. "I think there are members of your clan out there still."

"I hope you're right, Rin." Kushina looked back out to the ocean, and to the small island on the horizon. "I hope you're right."

Rin walked over to the railing and wrapped an arm around Kushina, putting her head on the older woman's shoulder. Kushina, in turn, wrapped an arm around Rin. They watched in silence as the island slowly drew nearer.

It was bigger than Rin thought it would be. She recalled it being rather small on maps.

"Was it hard, leaving your home to come to the Hidden Leaf?" Rin asked.

Kushina didn't answer immediately, and when she did, she spoke softly, voice barely carrying over the wind. "More than anything. I was sent to the Leaf Village for the sole purpose of becoming the container of the Kyubi. It felt like being banished, ya know? And I wasn't there when the village was destroyed."

Kushina hung her head, regret plain on her face.

"I'm sorry," Rin said. Not that an apology could make it better. "I shouldn't have asked."

Kushina shook her head, and smiled sadly. "No. It's okay. I probably should accept what happened. I think talking about it will help, eventually."

Rin grinned at Kushina, and turned her gaze back to the island, content to wait in silence until they arrived. Even if she couldn't use chakra, and she was a wreck as a ninja, she could bear the weight of Kushina's loss, and help her finally put the ghosts of her past to rest.

"Hey, Rin?" Kushina asked.

"Yeah?" Rin said.

"Seventeen times three." Kushina said, a devious smirk on her face.

Rin couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Seriously, sensei?"

Author's Note: I know it's a little short, but I think this is a really good introductory chapter to the arc, and I didn't want to go any further in this chapter. Future parts of this arc are going to be longer, and we'll try to get back towards the 5k word chapter length that we hit in the first arc. No promises, though. Chapters are as long as they need to be. Dragging them out kills the flow of the story. Please follow, favorite, and drop a sweet, sweet, review.