Chapter 13: Home (2)

'Inner thoughts'

Tsukiyomi

This is more of a filler chapter.

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Tsukiyomi's POV

It was noon and he had given the girl enough time to rest. "Hey," the girl said grabbing his attention "can I visit Mikoto-san today?"

"No." He replied looking down at the girl, "you could get into trouble for leaving the village without the authority of the Hokage. It is best if you don't go for a while." the girl looked dejected but nodded.

"Let's start with the first part of your training in the meantime."

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Walking away from the tree home he started to follow a small creek that connected to a stream leading them to a small waterhole. The waterhole was surrounded by tall trees covering it from aerial view, a couple of their leaves had started to turn orange and red. A few meters away from it was a high ledge with a couple of trees hanging off it displaying their vibrant leaves.

Coming to a stop his clothes had changed from a dress to a hakama as he was walking, pointing at the girl her clothes began to morph as well into a loose big shirt with long sleeves and knee length loose shorts.

Confused the girl looked down at herself surprised giving a 'how-in-the-world' look at the man, "These cloths are special," he said pointing to his outfit and hers, "they come some Inari Mountain and can morph to how the user's desires. Since I was the one that harvested the materials I have some control over it." The girl nodded accepting the simple explanation for now.

"We will start by training you in chakra control and to do so you will have to learn how to walk up this tree." he pointed to a tall tree near the lake.

The girl started to do as he said by taking a couple of steps up the tree. "Like this?" she asked wobbling a bit trying to not fall back.

"When did you learn this?" He asked, intrigued by this new development.

"There was this library with books." She said walking back down, "It had this big tree in it too, I tried going back but I couldn't." nodding the man turned away from the girl a cold feeling in his chest.

"Keep practicing on this," he said pointing to the tree, "when you reach the top call for me." after saying this he walked away disappearing among the trees.

Yukino's POV

Upon mentioning the library the man seemed to become quieter. 'Did I do something wrong?' Looking up at the tree I took a deep breath before walking up to it.

'Focus…focus...focus.' Step by step I climbed up slowly almost reaching the first branch until I caught a whiff of a light caramel scent.

Tipping back I threw myself to the closest branch grasping onto it tightly. Pulling myself up on the branch I sat down and looked around while holding onto the trunk until my eyes landed on a Katsura tree by the small cliff.

Crawling down the tree I made my way around the small waterhole.

Gazing up at the tree I could spot a single yellow leaf at the tip of one of its branches. Looking around I climbed on another tree closest to it. Crawling on one of the branches I held on tight slowly reaching the end, slowly letting go I reached forward to try and grab the single leaf. It was so close just within my reach until the leaf popped right off, suddenly I felt the world tip to the side, in my confusion I didn't realize I had fallen off until someone grasped my leg while upside down.

"All for a leaf?" A familiar male voice asked. Pushing away the shirt over my face I looked up to see Tsukiyomi holding the leaf between his thumb and index finger."It seems Autumn will start soon." He said gazing at the trees, after a while, he realized he still had a hold of me and put me back down on the ground "keep training and I'll move you to the next part."

~Four days later~

"Now try doing the same thing you did with the trees, but on the water," he said pointing to the watering hole.

"How?" I asked 'I haven't seen that in the book. How do you walk up water, if it's flat?'

"Like this." He said walking on top of the water creating small ripples with every step he took. 'So cool. I wanna try.' Focusing my chakra to my feet I walked towards the edge and took small steps in before I fell in. The water reached my shins and I turned to look at the male still standing. "Water is constantly moving, a tree isn't. Move your chakra with the water." He said before leaving.

Tsukiyomi POV

A week had passed since she had learned to walk on water without much struggle, and he now stood with her by the watering hole, her lesson this time will be to sink or swim, "Stay as stiff as a tree." the little girl stiffened with her arms at her sides grabbing her by her shoulders he flung her into the watering hole. Without having enough time to react the girl fell in with a splash. Silence. A couple of bubbles surfaced up before popping and then the girl rose to the top coughing, her hands on the water trying to keep her upper body afloat.

"Swimming." He said in a as-a-matter-of-fact voice, "If you don't know how you are more likely to die if you ever fall off a ship." walking over to the little girl clinging to the water he pulled her up by the scuff of her shirt, like a cat to its kitten, "It will be wise to practice this." He advised putting her back on top of the water.

As he was leaving he heard another splash behind him.

~One week later~

Sitting by the small chimney and the small flame within it the girl warmed herself reading an old book in her lap, a book he has never seen before "Now for something I am sure you will enjoy." Interested the girl looked away from the book and at him. "That library you spoke of, you will be going there." Her eyes sparkled brightly as she stared at me nodding.

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"Focus. Focus your chakra to your eyes and imagine the library you saw clearly in your mind." inhaling deeply the girl closed her eyes before opening them, glowing moon-like eyes stared back before turning back the moment she blinked. "Good but… you need to work on manifesting it, practice by looking at your reflection." The girl nodded slowly eyes drooping before she fell towards the ground.

'Right, she is still young.' the man thought to himself before lifting the girl in his arms and putting her in her bed.

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"Your eye training will have to wait." He said when the girl woke up, crestfallen the girl looked down at her hands on her lap. "I'll train you when you become a little older, for now, I will take you to the library myself." looking up the girl nodded a faint smile on her face.

After a while of silence, the man spoke again "I heard that you got poisoned not long ago." Glancing at her tense up he could tell it was true. "I would be bad if it were to happen again. So, for now, we will go to the library to study plants and animals you would encounter at some point." Nodding the girl hopped out of her bed.

Yukino's POV

Climbing up the ladder to reach the top shelf I looked for the thin book I saw last time. But it was gone. The only proof that it was there was the clean area where the book once was.

'Maybe the other books are gone too.' I thought while climbing down.

All of the books where there. Same shelf, next to the same books. All of them were there except that single book.

"Here read this." The man said placing a huge book on the table. Upon making contact with the table dust flew out of the book. Waving it away I sat down immediately and began reading.

Tsukiyomi's POV

Standing once again as a woman in front of the child both of them stood in a white dimension mixed with light colors. It was a small pocket of the whole dimension and they were both using it as a greenhouse. Boxed areas already had dirt and water flowing through it all it needed were the plants themselves.

Holding in her hand's the girl held a pot with a small bean sprout growing, eyes sparkling as she held up the plant for the woman to see. Three days have passed and the plant was still alive.

"Plant it here," I said pointing to a blank area.

Taking up a trowel the little girl dug a small hole and placed her plant in it gently.

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In another area separate from the garden was a botany area filled with different flowers and trees. Separating each elevated area was a cobblestone path. Sitting under a Magnolia Kobus tree the little girl worked on a bouquet while the black haired woman observed.

"You want to make the daffodils stand out, pick a different colored flower that does that." She said showing the little girl her options. "Each flower has a meaning. Understanding their meaning or their language is an art called Hanakotoba, which I will teach you next time." Standing up the woman stood up to leave but the small branches become snagged in her horns. Sighing she pulled herself free from the branches, no matter how much time passed she still hasn't become used to them.

Konoha woods

"Each stoke must be delicate," the woman explained walking around the girl who was leaning over a piece of paper placed on a smooth boulder. With her brush in one hand, she held her sleeve with the other to prevent it from falling into the ink and dipped the brush in the ink vail.

They were by the watering hole again this time to teach her how to write. "How are the beans?" The girl asked looking up from her paper.

"They are growing as they should in a greenery."

"What about water?" she asked placing her brush down.

"There is a small stream flowing through it and at times it rains."

"How?"

At this point she knew what was going on 'She doesn't want to do this.' she thought stopping in front of the little girl. "Do you want to send another letter to your friend?"

The girl nodded at this "If you do then you need to improve your writing." The girl nodded once again looking down on her paper and picking up her brush.

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Days have passed since she began teaching her calligraphy her writing had improved slightly so she sent another letter. The contents of the letter had asked questions as to how 'the siblings' were doing as well as this Yashamaru-san. No reply was returned when the hawk did.

Looking up she could see that the majority of the woods had changed color and soon the leaves will begin to fall in masse.

"Oops." Hearing the faint sound she looked down at the set up before her, her eyes met bright azure ones. In her hands, the girl held a teapot containing water inside and on the smooth boulder was an overflowing teacup.

Taking the teapot gently from the girl's hands she placed in front of her. "Maybe it is too soon for you." It seemed the girl was better at being wild and messy than delicate and gentle. Sighing inwardly she made the teapot and teacup disappear with a single movement of her arm over the items.

"Let's try something else."

Yukino's POV

"This is a 25 stringed koto and the song you will be learning will be Sakura." placing the huge instrument gently in a flat area near the watering hole she patted the ground next to her. Sitting next to her I listened and watched as she plucked each string as if her hands were floating over the instrument.

Mesmerized I didn't notice when she finished. Waving her hand she changed my shorts to loose ankle length pants, in doing so the sleeves of my shirt reached my wrists.

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Sitting near the watering hole with the koto instrument in front of me I played each note of the song slowly before stopping. To think that something so simple looking had a lot of requirements posture was a huge one and plucking each string delicately like Tsukiyomi was hard, sighing I looked up at the sky, it was the same routine recently. Midnight, library. Morning, calligraphy, or training. Afternoon, tea or koto practice that would extend to the evening until I fell asleep. I had no time to get past even the first ten pages of the journal. But now that she thought about it she hadn't spoken to Shakko-kun since that day.

Black crossed my vision snapping me out of my inner turmoil. Looking closer at it I could tell it was a crow it was my first time seeing one so clearly. Standing up I stepped towards its direction before stopping, looking down at the instrument I hesitated. A part of her didn't want to disappoint and another wanted to explore and do my own thing like before. Hearing the crow cawing again I took off the picks in my finger turned to follow the sound of the crow.

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Following the crow through the woods, I came upon a clearing. In the center, a boy with short black curly hair stood petting a crow on his hand. Ducking into the bushes I kneeled watching their interaction together 'Its like Tsukiyomi and the hawk'. Watching closely a familiar symbol that was on the boys back caught my eye. 'Wait I know… Oh! the crow just ruffled its feathers, cute.' I thought distracted.

After ruffling its feathers the crow flew away, tilting my head up I watched as the crow high into the sky. The sound of multiple crows drew my attention back to the boy to only see that he was gone and a bunch of crows were flying around where he once was before scattering.

Falling back I stared confused at where the crows had been. Where did they come from?

"What's so interesting?" A cheery voice asked from behind.

Looking at the few crows left flying away I replied, "The crows." Flinching at the realization I turned around to see nothing behind me.

"Up here." the boy said sitting on the tree above waving.

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"So you were out here training?"

"Yes," I affirmed, I mean it wasn't a lie.

The boy nodded to himself as if confirming a thought he had. "I am Shisui, Shisui Uchiha."

"Yukino" I replied extending my hand.

"Nice to meet you, would you mind showing me what you've learned?" He asked while taking out a kunai from his pouch and holding it with a single finger from the hole.

I was about to reach for it before I noticed the familiar figure of Tsukiyomi watching from the shadows. Stopping I placed my hand back at my side and shook my head. "I have to go home…bye" walking past him and toward Tsukiyomi I guiltily made my way back home.

Tsukiyomi's POV

"Are you aware that in leaving you could have exposed your location?" She asked calmly closing her eyes going over the list she made of those in the village that might be a threat, as well as the new things she learned on her little search.

"No." The girl gave a simple reply looking down at her hands.

Remembering the boy's chakra from that night nearly a month ago she sighed inwardly "He seems… nice." She said choosing her words carefully. "But that does not give you the permission to let your guard down or to not do your studies." With wide azure eyes, the girl stared back. 'Maybe another shinobi around her age may help.'

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Watching from the shadows she saw as the girl wandered around the woods, finding an empty field that would be full of flowers by spring, targets made by someone else, and even traps that were left behind-she avoided those areas-she once even found a way into town but she avoided staying too close to the edge.

She had met the boy a couple of times while practicing on her throwing on one of the targets. 'He seems dependable but that does not mean he will help produce the results I need.' she thought while watching both of them practice their throwing.

She silently observed for a couple of days before concluding it was safe enough for her to be alone.

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