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<<<>>>
'Why does my mind go blank whenever I'm with Mizuki and about to say something… nice?' Kaoru sat hunched inside his tent, glaring at the floor like it had personally betrayed him. Frustration gnawed at his chest, bubbling just beneath the surface. Then, his eyes drifted to the small, ribbon-wrapped box resting on the edge of the table. It was the gift he'd picked out for Mizuki.
No one had expected Kaoru, returning from what was supposed to be a quiet, backwater village, to bring back actual gifts. Expensive ones, too. The idea came to him when he saw a silver hair clip shaped like a butterfly, glinting with delicate ruby stones. The moment his eyes landed on it, Mizuki's face flashed into his mind. 'It'll suit her perfectly,' he thought.
But he couldn't just buy one gift for her. That'd be obvious. So he picked up something for everyone, just to cover his tracks.
'I blew it.' He groaned internally, dragging a hand down his face in embarrassment as he recalled how he stuttered. 'I was supposed to tell her I missed her and hand her the gift. Instead, I mumbled some garbage about being glad to see her. Like she's one of my bros or something.' He wanted to bury his face in a pillow and vanish into another reality. 'There's no saving it now. The water's already spilled.'
The journey on the shame train ended when Maki burst into the tent, her energy impossible to ignore. The grim shadow left behind by Suiren's death seemed to lift the second she confirmed Kaoru was safe and sound.
"Hey, Ru, I hear you brought me a present. Is this the one?" she asked, already moving toward the box, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"No!" Kaoru practically jumped in front of her, arms spread wide like a shield.
Maki stopped, puffing her cheeks dramatically, then started laughing. Not a polite chuckle either, but full-on, stomach-clutching laughter.
"Grow up!" Kaoru huffed, crossing his arms. "This isn't funny."
If anything, his outburst made it worse. Maki just tilted her head, grinning as if he'd turned into a pouting toddler.
"I missed you so much, Ru," she said suddenly, the laughter fading from her eyes as she stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight, warm, and almost suffocating hug.
"Stop strangling me," Kaoru muttered, twisting like a lizard trying to leave its tail behind and run. But after a moment, he gave in, arms curling around her. "I missed you too, you know. I was worried you'd do something stupid if you thought the Eight Tails got me."
Even though Kaoru had kind of enjoyed the wild little journey he'd been dragged through, that worry had always lingered - about Maki, and the rest of his friends.
"Ru… I think that girl worried about you even more than I did." Maki stepped back, her gaze locking with his. "If you really care about her, go and talk to her. Console her. But if you're planning to chase after that… creature Maru told you about…" She hesitated, voice dropping low. "Then choose your words wisely."
Kaoru sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "Wisely, huh? I become stupid whenever I try to talk to her. It's embarrassing."
He wasn't shy, not in the slightest. He could bluff, manipulate, and lie straight to anyone's face. But Mizuki was like his weak point. She brought out this awkward, stammering version of Kaoru that everyone loved to tease.
"It'll pass, Ru. You should've seen…" Maki cut herself off, chuckling. "Just go. Be yourself," she said, and playfully smacked Kaoru on the head.
"Oh, almost forgot." Her tone lowered, more grounded now. "I know you're tired and everything, but you are the head of the Takime Clan." She arched a brow at him, her teasing expression giving way to something more serious. "I need you in the main tent in an hour. We're discussing strategy."
Her arms crossed as she leaned slightly to the side. "Kumo's been gathering ships. Slowly, but, well, they are gathering... Once they have enough, they'll move. And from what we've seen, somehow, the Raikage still has the food…"
She paused mid-thought, catching herself rambling, and laughed quietly - not just because she'd instinctively launched into the details, but because it hit her: her once-snotty little brother was strong enough to be part of these conversations now.
"Go on. Stop wasting time," she scolded lightly, watching him walk off with a satisfied smile.
'Maybe it's time I start thinking about my personal life too,' she thought, chuckling to herself as she shook her head. 'Whoever ends up with me will have to deal with the fact that I risk my life constantly. I don't hate anyone that much…'
Then her eyes narrowed, that smirk slipping from her face.
'Well, maybe Yagura. That bastard…'
What began as a passing thought curled into something darker. Her chest tightened, and the glint in her eyes turned sharp. All humor vanished, replaced by cold, simmering anger.
'He'll pay for what he's done!'
<<<>>>
A week ago
The chamber walls trembled as the storm outside raged, lightning flashing across the darkened skies above Kumogakure. Yet it was nothing compared to the storm brewing inside.
Council members paced restlessly around the central table, parchment maps unrolled, ink bottles spilled, and messengers coming in and out like waves crashing on a shore.
Dodai sat silently, arms crossed and gaze fixed on the seal-stamped scroll in his hands. He read it aloud, once more.
"The Allied Takimura-Kirigakure force has successfully ambushed the Raikage's army. The enemy successfully stalled A. The Raikage is lightly injured, nothing serious. His opponent was Maki Takime."
A long, painful silence followed, so intense that it seemed to pull the air straight out of the room. Not a breath. Not a word. Just stillness heavy with disbelief.
And then, like they had all silently agreed on it beforehand, everyone erupted at once.
"What kind of joke is this?" spat one of the Elders, slamming his fist against the table hard enough to crack the wood. "Maki Takime? Who the hell is even that?! She must've cheated, poisoned him, used some underhanded Kiri technique!"
Another councilor shook his head violently. "This is misinformation - disinformation from Ao's camp, probably. The Mist has always relied on tricks. There's no way A would lose in a head-on fight. Not against a kid with no name."
"She's a child," snapped another. "I would have understood if it were Yagura who stalled A, but some random girl?"
"No," Dodai said simply, rising slowly from his seat.
The room froze at Dodai's voice. His eyes, normally calm and distant, now burned with controlled heat as he looked each councilor in the eye.
"She's not some no-name," he said in an exaggerated manner. "Maki Takime. Daughter of the clan that survived two Mizukages' purges. We already knew that she defeated Yagura and doubted it, well, now we have the proof. She's real."
"But to defeat A?" one of the senior advisors scoffed, hands trembling as they grasped the edge of the table. "He's the Raikage. The strongest man in the Land of Lightning…"
"Don't twist this," Dodai interrupted, irritated by their panic. "A is a human being. His strength is formidable, but losing is also human nature. It doesn't make him weak. It just means we underestimated the enemy."
Silence fell again, maybe even heavier than before. One of the elders, a broad-shouldered veteran from the previous war, spoke up, voice low with disbelief. "Then what does that make her?"
Dodai's reply came without hesitation.
"An S-rank threat."
The word sent a ripple through the room. One by one, expressions changed from disbelief to realization. From wounded pride to dread.
"She's not the only threat," Dodai continued. "Takimura didn't act like a fringe clan. They moved like a hidden village. We have a choice - either we retreat now and ruin our reputation, or we press forward and risk igniting another great war."
"What has A done…" one of the elders murmured, clearly horrified at the possibility of the new great war.
Dodai nodded grimly.
"Then what now?" another councilor asked, though the question was clearly meant for him.
Dodai's voice remained calm. "It's not our decision to make. Only the Raikage holds that authority. And he already gave us orders - we are to hire every available ship and send reinforcements. At the same time, we must double patrols along the Konoha border. We can't afford to leave another front exposed."
A brief silence followed.
Then, without another word, the council members began filing out. They knew what needed to be done. One by one, the room emptied, leaving only Dodai behind.
He stood there in the stillness, the storm outside raging against the mountain.
'If we choose to fight, it has to be total. Takimura must be wiped out, completely. If they manage to secure the Land of Water, we'll be facing two nations with every reason to ally… and crush us.'
A flash of lightning lit the chamber, casting sharp shadows across his face as he stared at the map still spread out on the table.
'You really messed up this time, A.'
<<<>>>
"So she defeated the Raikage, huh?" Yagura spoke in a low voice, more like thinking aloud than asking a question.
"Yes. I saw it myself," Hakare Hozuki replied. "The Raikage was unable to continue fighting. Maki Takime was forced to retreat only because of the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, otherwise, A would've most likely died."
The Kiri council had gathered inside a large tent, the roof rattling under the bombardment of heavy rain. The downpour intensified to the point that conversation became impossible. For a time, they simply waited, letting the storm scream around them.
'Was she that strong when I fought her… or did she grow stronger?' Yagura's thoughts drifted as the roar outside drowned out the council. He recalled his own battle with Maki. 'She was definitely stronger than most I've faced, but… I don't think she was on A's level.'
Then his gaze dropped, eyes narrowing slightly at his limp, unresponsive arm. 'The bigger problem is this.'
'I don't know what that woman did to me… but even the best healers have failed. The recovery is practically nonexistent. At this rate, it might take a year.'
What Yagura didn't know was that if he weren't a Jinchuriki, his arm would never have recovered at all. Only the regenerative abilities of the Three-Tails' chakra were keeping it from being lost forever.
"Lord Mizukage," Hakare resumed once the rain had quieted enough to speak, "Maki Takime is… too dangerous to be left alone." He spoke carefully, measuring every word. "If we don't eliminate her now, you'll be the one forced to face her again. And with your arm in its current state… it won't be as easy as we hoped."
Now that Yagura had regained his sanity, the council no longer feared his wrath as they once did, but even so, they spoke cautiously. He was still a violent and deeply distrusting man, and most importantly, without question, the most dangerous person in the room.
"Forget defeating her," said a feminine voice, Luna Shegachi. She leaned forward, sharp eyes watching both men. "We need her to fight Kumo. Why are we assuming Takimura will turn on us after the war? Maybe they'll join us. Besides, we need more S-rank shinobi in Kirigakure!"
Her clan had suffered the least during the civil war. With the Hozuki clan decimated, largely due to Mei and Kaoru, and especially because of Hakare's reckless escape, which involved that monstrous technique that killed many of his own clanmates, the Shegachi had risen to become the most influential clan in Kirigakure. And now, with Yagura injured, Luna felt emboldened enough to speak without restraint.
"Luna… I mean, Lady Luna," Hakare sneered. "Takimura's hatred for Kirigakure runs deep. They won't join us willingly. Not unless we eliminate their strongest shinobi first and force the rest into submission." He said it with venom. Not because of his disdain for Takimura, but because she had dared to contradict him so openly, without fear.
"Lord Hakare," Luna said, folding her paper fan and placing it on the table, "I don't think it's Kirigakure they hate. It's the endless wars and pointless power struggles. The very kind of conflict that led Kumo to invade in the first place."
Her voice grew colder. "And need I remind you that it's Maki Takime we're begging to save us right now. Lord Mizukage himself admitted that starting a war with Takimura was a mistake. And yet here you are, already suggesting another one?"
She shook her head slowly, as if disappointed.
"Our priority should be helping our lord Mizukage defeat Kumo. Not dragging him into more bloodshed."
Hakare, one of the most cunning manipulators in the Land of Water, found himself cornered. He gritted his teeth in silence, struggling to find a counterargument without exploding in rage.
"Enough, both of you," Yagura cut in, saving Hozuki. "I need to meet Maki Takime myself. I want to see with my own eyes what kind of person she is."
He paused for a breath, then added, "Invite Ao and Maki. We'll discuss the strategy together."
Without waiting for anyone else, Luna stood up and nodded, her long white hair gracefully falling on her back. No one had asked her to take the task, but she did so anyway.
Yagura's eyes followed her curvy figure as she stepped out into the rain-soaked mist, his expression darkening.
'The Shegachi clan is no longer loyal to me.'
**
A/N –
Now that Takimura's threat level has been officially acknowledged, things are only going to get more complicated. Recognition brings attention, and not all of it is friendly. But honestly, the one in the worst position right now is Kiri. Yagura's finally regained his mind, just in time to clean up the mess Obito left behind.
Also, totally unrelated, but I tried the sea water today and it's still freezing. Guess I'll have to wait another month or two before it's actually swimmable xD
Character Notes:
Kaoru – Butterflies & Breakdown – "Can assassinate a man without blinking, but turns into a broken sprinkler system when it's time to hand Mizuki a gift."
Luna Shegachi – Political python – "My clan's rising, my fan's flawless, and I just dunked on Hakare so hard the council got goosebumps."
Dodai – Kumo's Last Braincell – "I told you she was real. Now let's all panic like professionals."
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