Chapter 44 - Arc VIii: Deep Inside- Chapter 3

Ryouko made handsigns, then tapped his hands to the ground. All around he and Uzume, a large area began to take form. Furniture that was just right for them both showed up as well.

“Ever since I saw my friend Tenzo use his wood style, I was jealous. So I…fudged my powers a bit in that area. Just for fun.”

Uzume smiled, but seemed unusually rushed. As if there was something she needed to get off her chest.

“You never questioned where Shoki came from,” she pointed out. That was a valid point. Ryouko was usually the type to question anything and everything.

“? I never gave it much thought, really,” Ryouko responded thoughtfully. “I just assumed he was an unfortunate orphan, dumped on the temple keepers.”

“Yes and no,” Uzume told him, speaking in low tones, despite the fact that there was no one around to overhear them. “He’s not an orphan. He still has family. But you‘d never know it.”

“I’ve had a feeling,” Ryouko admitted. “You never let yourself get too close to him. Like you’re waiting for someone else to come and take him away. You’re doing it so neither of you will be hurt when that time comes.”

Uzume smiled, but let him keep going. He has excellent instincts. I wonder how close he’ll come to the truth?

“One thing that doesn’t make sense, though, is this detachment. If I’m the person who’s going to come for Shoki, then you don’t need to be distant with him, since we won’t be far. There’s another reason you won’t get close to him. My guess is that you think your death is near, and you can’t prevent it, so you’re cutting as many ties as you can, while making sure your work is completed.”

Uzume leaned back in her chair, brushing her hair out of her way. “You’re incredibly close. My impending death is the reason I’ve been so rushed, yes. But regarding Shoki…you aren’t quite correct. Let me make a point, first. Asuna is your friend, yes?”

“Of course.”

“Would it shock you to know that she is the only person who could be my apprentice?”

“A little bit, but I won’t pretend to understand your divination.”

Uzume shook her head. “It’s not divination. I didn’t know myself until saw her one time. But that one time was all it took. That one time, she was using chakra seals. And she was doing it well; as if it were second nature to her. And her tsundere attitude is even reminiscent. She is the veritable reincarnation of the third Uzume.”

That made Ryouko sit more upright. He hadn’t expected to be shocked, but that one caught him completely off guard.

“Now that I’ve surprised you, let me ask you…do you believe that abandoning someone is a crime, if you’ve no other choice?”

“If there’s no choice…no.”

Uzume breathed in deeply. She exhaled slowly, as if forcing her resolve to thicken so she could say whatever it was she had planned. And she finally did.
“I’m Shoki’s family. His half-sister, to be exact. Our fathers are different, but we had the same mother. The second Uzume, really. It’s his father, Ryunosuke, who possessed the Issekigan.”

“Ryunosuke? That’s a powerful name. Where was he from?”

“Heat Devil Village. Ironic that he would have a child by a miko,” Uzume chuckled. “After my mother’s first husband died, she planned to remarry, to keep our bloodline going. That became less and less a viable option. No strong suitors came to meet a miko. Except this man. He was so taken with my mother that he renounced his current beliefs as a follow of Jashin and planned to wed my mother immediately. They were married, and almost immediately she became pregnant. That’s when she retired and allowed the third Uzume to take over. But just as quickly, Ryunosuke was killed by his former Jashin comrades, leaving my mother pregnant and alone.”

“Dear God…” Ryouko muttered, leaning forward in his chair. “That’s horribly morbid. I can’t begin to say how sorry I am…”

Uzume looked a little say, apparently allowing herself to feel more than usual. But she kept the same tiny smile on her face. “It’s alright. I’ve come to terms with it. It helped motivate me to train. And most importantly, it led me to find Shoki, the brother I never knew I had, and the only immediate family I had left.”
Standing, Uzume looked at a candle, flickering in the corner. It seemed to wane as she came over, and she interpreted it as a sign of her impending death.
“I don’t have much time left. Not as much as I’d like. I don’t know anything about Shoki’s Issekigan. But you may be able to find out something in his father’s birthplace. He was useful against Pain, and I think we both know that Pain’s terror won’t end like this.”

“So I’ve got to go to Heat Devil Village with Shoki…alright. But Lady Uzume- I won’t let you die.”

Somehow, Ryouko managed to put true force behind his words, as if they could stave off death. He and Uzume knew better, but it was a comfort to them both.

“If I might ask one more favor, Lady Uzume…”
[/i]
--

Azami was crouching by Ryouko, Asuna at her side. Ryouko stirred, and finally woke up. He felt the first wave of pain, and he curled into himself until he was in a fetal position. He rocked over onto his left side, and the pain lessened enough so he could speak.

“You’re…leaving?”

Azami nodded quietly. “Yes. Officially, I’ve got orders from Asuna, Uzume’s adjutant, to go to the Land of Waves on a peaceful surveillance mission, and to see if they are willing to offer support to the Fire Daimyo. Unofficially, I’m going to find the Spear of Izanagi.”

“Understood. Best of luck..agh! Damn, this hurts!”

Azami looked down at him, pity on her face. Ryouko couldn’t stand that. So he forced himself to his feet, though he was still hunched over.
“Don’t pity me. If I wasn’t doing something damned stupid, I wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Yeah,” Asuna agreed quickly, scowling “You’re too noble for your own good. You should’ve punted the little bastard to the moon.”

“So the squeaky-clean miko’s nature finally shows!” Azami said around a grin. The three had a good laugh about that.

“Just make sure you come back to crack us up again.”

Looking at Asuna, then at Ryouko, Azami nodded. She couldn’t bring herself to smirk like usual. Instead, she held her face in a serious pose. This was at least part oath to her. “You guys are family to me. I’ll be back. And I’ll be back with the means to save Lady Uzume’s life.”

After another day, Ryouko found his strength almost completely back. Rubbing his ribs, he could feel a slight bump. That was the only evidence that Sakura had left after treating him. Medical ninjutsu wasn’t magic; it was a science. It was still miraculous to Ryouko.

He slid open the door to the receiving hall. He found Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, Shinmaru, and Asuma waiting for him. There was an empty spot set at the low table, apparently awaiting it’s owner. Ryouko took it silently, offering only a bow by way of greeting. He folded himself into a careful tatehiza, earning himself an admonishment from Shinmaru.
“Relax. You’re being too formal.”

Ryouko didn’t dare argue, though he found fault with the claim. He certainly felt as if he was under scrutiny. No doubt, now that the blood had faded, Naruto and Sakura were looking to see his physical condition. And his tattoo… It was about now that Ryouko realized he must look unhealthy. He had hardly eaten since his devastating defeat at the hands of Master Jiraiya. But the feeling of hunger was foreign to him.

Deciding to break the awkward silence, Sakura chanced with a “How are you feeling?”

“Just fine. The pain will recede further in another day or so.”

Sakura had to try really hard not to feel disappointed by his response. Granted, she hadn’t expected he would be feeling one hundred percent, but he seemed to have regressed.

Back when he first came to the village. He was so distant. His eyes were sad. A lot of people avoided him because of that. But I remember…When I first really saw Ryouko.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment