#because clearly my monkey brain cannot handle that

[motherhenna]

also apologies in advance: my dumb ass accidentally double-dosed my meds again this morning (I tend to operate on autopilot when refilling my pill organizer every week and often forget that I already took the friday dose earlier which is why it's empty) so don't be concerned if I'm like....SUPER online and talkative in the tags today. I did some research and math to make sure I shouldn't, like, go to the ER to get my stomach pumped from 80 mgs of adderal and it's pretty clear I'll be fine--one of the rare perks of being over 200 lbs I guess lmao. But yeah expect a LOT of activity today. It's not a manic episode or anything crazy just a side effect of a higher microdose of meth than usual

[oioinanami]

home. (nanami kento x f. reader)

word count: 1.8k

synopsis: coming home to you after a long tiring day is everything nanami ever wanted in life.

contains: domestic fluff, established relationship, a bit of sexual suggestiveness

Smooth jazz music fills the apartment when Nanami Kento comes home. His lips curl into a tiny smile when the scents of different spices tickle his nose, and he carefully takes off his shoes, jacket and glasses, before loosening his tie. You are inside the kitchen, humming along to the music while chopping some vegetables to add to the curry you‘re making for dinner tonight. Nanami waits until you’ve finished chopping the zucchini and bell pepper, quietly observing how you lay down the knife to wipe your hands on the kitchen towel. Only then does he step into the kitchen to wrap his strong arms around your waist and pull you flush against his broad chest. You squeal but immediately relax into his arms when he mumbles a soft “Good evening, love.” into your ear. You turn around to smile up at him and gently cup his cheek with one hand, thumb rubbing over the stubble on his chin. He nuzzles deeper into your palm before turning his head to press a soft kiss against your warm skin. “How was your day?”, he asks gently, and you smile. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Work was uneventful and so slow I was allowed to go home an hour earlier. Mina says hi by the way, and asks if we want to come over for a game night on Sunday.” Your boyfriend kisses the tip of your nose, before humming in confirmation. “Sure, sounds good to me.” You purse your lips, drawing your eyebrows together in silent worry while your eyes travel over the dark circles under his eyes and the tired lines around his mouth “You look exhausted, Kento.”, you finally say, but Nanami just gives you a soft smile and shrugs. He has to admit that the sudden surge in curses over the last few weeks has been exhausting. He dislikes nothing more than having to work overtime, simply because it means putting work before coming home to you, but sometimes it just can’t be helped - and he‘s nothing if not responsible. “Nothing a quick shower, your infamous curry and a bit of extra sleep this weekend can’t fix.”, he answers soothingly, and you stand on your tiptoes to press a loving kiss against his lips, loud mwah-noise included. “Fine. Then go move your cute butt into the shower, dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes.”, you reply, and he raises one eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. “My butt is not cute.”, he says, voice laced with quiet humor, and you grin at him, eyes sparkling with barely hidden glee. “Oh, it is very cute. Now go, I need to finish my ‘infamous curry’.” And with that you step out of his warm embrace and turn towards the stove again, clearly dismissing him to go get his much needed shower.

//

The hot water does wonders for his stiff, aching muscles. So for a few minutes, Nanami just enjoys the water gushing around his steeled body, the bathroom quiet except for the sounds of the shower and his own steady breathing. Suddenly, your voice cuts through the serene atmosphere: “FIVE MINUTES LEFT UNTIL I’M STARTING TO EAT - WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR CUTE BUTT!” Nanami can’t help but smile, quickly turning off the shower and beginning to dry himself with one of the big fluffy towels that always smell like your favorite laundry detergent.

You’re just setting the steaming plates onto the dinner table in the dimly lit living room when your boyfriend leaves the steaming bathroom, wearing nothing but a white towel around his waist. You raise both eyebrows and cock your head to one side, eyes roaming his body appreciatively before landing on the wry twist of his mouth. You’re about 89% sure he’s flexing his muscles on purpose now, just to see the blush spread over your entire face until it has reached the tips of your ears. “I like sticking to the rules, so dinner first, then dessert.”, you try to say nonchalantly, a bit annoyed at your own reaction to Nanami’s half-nude body. Even after years of dating and living together, your boyfriend still has the same effect on you - the effect being the sudden activation of something you lovingly call your ‘monkey brain’.

“Meaning?”

Oh now he’s teasing you.

“Meaning you better put on some clothes or I cannot be held responsible for my next move.”, you reply and take a step closer, your hand traveling over his stomach, making his abdominals clench, before you take his chin between your fingers, pulling his face closer to yours. “But I’ll happily have some dessert later.”, you whisper against his lips, and he grins wolfishly. “Good. Then I shall behave and get dressed.” With that, Nanami covers your mouth with his, and before he can pull away again, you quickly deepen the kiss, tongue brushing against his bottom lip. He begins to smile, and cocks one eyebrow. “I thought dinner first, then dessert?” You sigh, and nod. “Yes, yes. So please just go, you heathen.” His deep chuckle makes heat spread through your entire body, and his intense gaze isn’t helping either, but then he finally leaves the living room, broad figure slinking away in the darkness of the hallway. You exhale deeply, cupping your own face to cool down your blazing cheeks. “Damn that man and the weird power he has over me.”, you mumble, only half joking, before finally sitting down at the dinner table, taking a few deep gulps from your glass of water. A few seconds later, your boyfriend reemerges, now clad in dark grey sweatpants and a simple white shirt, hair still damp and feet bare. You sigh dreamily, rest your chin on your palm, and just stare at him. Nanami always looks very put together, usually wearing suits and ties, which you also love on him, but this? Him looking so laid back and just overall boyfriend-y? That’s a whole other level of hotness. “You’re drooling.” You jump when his voice interrupts your thoughts, and shoot him a playful glare. “Am not.”, you mumble, “But now that you’re finally here and dressed, let’s eat - bon appétit.” He just purses his lips in an attempt to stifle his pleased smile before he sits down and lifts his spoon. “Bon appétit, love. Thank you for making dinner.” And with that, the two of you begin eating.

//

“Want to finally finish ‘Alice in Borderland’ before going to bed?”, your boyfriend asks after basically having wolfed down two plates of your delicious curry, and you nod immediately. That’s one of the many great things about Nanami - he’s not easily impressed nor easily invested in something, but once he is, he really is. Meaning that even though his schedule has been crazy busy this week, you guys still managed to binge-watch almost all episodes of the relatively new Netflix show. “Absolutely, let me just clean up first though.”, you say, already standing up, but Nanami suddenly wraps his long fingers around your wrist to tug you towards him until you’re standing between his legs. He presses his face against your stomach and buries his nose in the soft cotton of your shirt, deeply inhaling your scent, both arms tightly wrapped around you. You chuckle and carefully run your fingers through his hair, nails gently raking across his scalp. He shivers and a tiny moan escapes him, making your whole body tingle with want, but you quickly shake off the feeling. “Rough day?”, you ask quietly, but Nanami just shrugs. You rarely ask about his work, knowing he prefers to keep it as far away from you as possible. Of course you know he’s a powerful sorcerer, know he is perfectly capable of handling any and all situations no matter the danger, but other than that, he rarely if ever tells you about his missions, always keeping you in the dark but also safe, as he says. “You know you can always talk to me if you need to.”, you say softly, and your boyfriend pulls back to give you a small smile. “I know, love. Thank you. I’m really grateful to have you.” You feel your throat close up with unshed tears, and just nod once, leaning down to press a gentle kiss against his forehead. “Me too, Kento.” He lifts his head to brush his lips against yours before suddenly standing up. “You already made dinner, so I’ll clean up. You go move your cute butt over to the couch and wait for me.”, he demands, and you lift one eyebrow. “Oh, so you can call my butt cute but I’m not allowed to?” Nanami grins. “You’re more than welcome to call your own butt cute too, I never once said anything against that.” You playfully smack his chest, which basically feels like you’ve just punched a brick wall, and shoot him a playful glare. “That’s absolutely not what I meant and you know it.” He just gives you a smug smile before wordlessly taking the dirty plates and carrying them towards the kitchen.

//

Half an hour later, you’re lying between Nanami’s outstretched legs, back pressed flush against his chest while he’s wrapped both arms around your waist. “Ready for the last two episodes?”, you ask, and your boyfriend just hums in confirmation, his breath tickling your neck and making you shiver. “Let’s go then.” And with that, you press play.

With your back to him, you’re unable to see Nanami’s gentle smile while he gazes down at you, warm and soft and safe in his arms. While he feels like the world of sorcerers is currently going crazy due to the sudden appearance of Sukuna’s new vessel, you continue to be a steady and grounding presence in his life. Mostly unknowing of and therefore untainted by the world of curses and darkness he decided to be part of, you’re the light he will always search for and return home to. You don’t even understand the impact you have on him, how grateful he is to you for bringing so much warmth and laughter into his life, to be the person he can confidently call his home. You giggle at something said on tv, and almost unconsciously, he pulls you even closer to his chest, pressing a chaste kiss against your sensitive neck and making you squirm in his arms. “Later, Kento.”, you chastise him, and he just hums, nuzzling deeper into your soft hair, before intertwining his long fingers with yours. He already knows that one day soon, your hand will have a ring on it - the one he bought months ago but still keeps safely tucked away in the deepest, darkest corner of his closet, just waiting for him to ask you the most important question of his life. For now, he’s just happy to finish ‘Alice in Borderland’ with you safe in his arms.

And to have dessert later - don’t think he forgot about that.

© oioinanami 2021 | masterlist

[frogtanii]

It’s wind anon. I know I should react to the Kenma part, but I just went through the update, saw Meiko’s portion and I have feelings that I need to get out because I’m so far gone right now—

I swear, I can break down every single text what the flip is this BS. Meiko, dear, do you,,,have a concussion. Are you thinking. What,,, this is like the time you were underdressed at the restaurant and you ended up getting drunk as heck.

Okay, let’s do the breakdown.

Coming in hot, we see Meiko with “tooru!!!!!!” (Yes, I did count the number of exclamation marks) firstly, the usage of his first name after ‘exiled’ where she raged at him and used Oikawa instead... mood swing much because I cannot believe the audacity of this... and really. First name basis. Trying to be close and to get rid of animosity, but not offering up anything like “hey, I’d appreciate talking to you for a sec if you’re free?” Or an apology for blowing up at him because he did indeed have your back, it’s just that you were the one problem. But yes, the exclamation marks too. A bit childish, obvious excitement...mmmm, I’ll move on to the next section.

Oikawa’s “oh. hey meiko” shows that he really ain’t up for this. First is the obvious low energy. I don’t want to go into depth about that but the “oh” shows that he paused. He saw her message. He answered. And he didn’t expect her to talk to him. Especially with that sort of energy. Mixed feelings towards her. And his “hey meiko”. I would say he is one of the more energetic of the House. He probably would’ve done something like “meiko!!! <3” in response before or something like that. He’s a bit flashy in that regard. But no punctuation. Just a downtrodden “hey” in response.

“don’t sound so enthused” she says. I mean, at the very least it seems she understands and can grasp tone from messages? But I am like “it would be more surprising for him to be enthused? I’m in awe of how you were able to become so enthused after you got yourself crushed into pieces by YN...” Besides that, even if Meiko wasn’t physically hurt, a confrontation of this sort would not lead to anyone having a happy mood? Me glancing between Meiko and all the therapists that were mentioned before because I really hope that we can figure something out because she gives off so many different vibes I am like... “what even goes on inside her brain...”

“can you blame me? you yelled at me the last time i talked to you” and this is the truth. He shouldn’t be enthused. You yelled at him, you disregarded his concern and you showed that you didn’t care for him as a person. Even if there was a circumstance where she didn’t yell at Oikawa, he would reach out first and be concerned about her health. Meiko has no grounds to try and blame him for anything right now. Frankly, I don’t think Oikawa should have even bothered answering her because I don’t think he is in the best place emotionally to deal with her.

“im so sorry sweetheart!!!! i didn’t mean it :(” lemme just day, wind anon cannot believe the BS that this message is. First, she says she is sorry. But really? Really. I can’t even look at her. Look, I don’t know what it is but “I’m so sorry.” Has the weakest apology energy. “I’m sorry.” Fine, decent, the classic and simplest. “I’m really sorry.” Also good! Shows regret. “I’m so sorry.” Sounds like you when you just learn that a person’s family member has passed away. There is something about “I’m so sorry” that doesn’t sound sincere to me and it’s infuriating. Next, the “sweetheart” I might’ve gagged a bit internally. Does she,,, talk like that? Normally? Is that a thing? She’s younger than him...and I don’t know but sweetheart sounds so condescending I literally can’t even— and finally, the “I didn’t mean it” yeah, well, you don’t mean anything because everything you say is BS that’s what you mean. Stop excusing your behavior. There is no merit behind it.

“you know i was just beat up and i couldn’t control what i was saying”. Okay, let’s break this down too. First, trying to incur sympathy by the “I was just beat up.” I cannot believe this gal. And the “you know” for a reference to a person’s knowledge of the matter, it lets them be more susceptible to beliefs. But the “I couldn’t control what I was saying” is complete utter hogwash. I mean, Meiko can’t control any bit of her because she is just impulse. But she excused her inability to control herself by saying it was because she was just beat up.

I don’t know what to say for the next portion. Alone, it’s cute, but put into perspective it’s just manipulation and she doesn’t love him. I’ll just move on.

“what do you need that you can’t ask iwa-chan?” Okay, so he didn’t reciprocate with an “I love you too” so that just shows what type of mood and how effective her words were. It also shows that she always messaged Oikawa when she needed something, because he caught on super quick to that. The “Iwa-chan” is interesting though. I wanna know if Oikawa talks to Iwaizumi after this conversation with Meiko because she is clearly going behind his back right now.

“oh well hajime is being very rude rn. he won’t let me leave my room!!!!” Okay, he had best interests at heart and Meiko...I know every single one of your rooms has a bathroom too. They’re bringing you food. They are letting people go into your room. Meiko, you wouldn’t have lasted quarantine if you’re this petulant now. It’s literally going to be like, 3 days max if you work to get an actual solution. I don’t want to break this down, I feel this is self explanatory. She feels entitled still.

“i know, it’s for your own good” he replies, and that is true but I am also of the belief that it is (hopefully) better for the rest of the house to not be in contact with her so I guess that’s that. Anyway, this shows Oikawa placating her, next

Meiko...being...not pretty. “ugh!!! but i wanna go out!!!!!!” Yeah, she would not have been able to be safe throughout the pandemic. Please,,, you’ll have fresh air if you open up a window,,, I know for certain you don’t exercise,,, please Meiko, shut up already you are making yourself look like more of a pile of garbage than you depict yourself as please I cannot handle the idea that the guys fell for this act—

“you have a black eye babe” okay, the black eye is actually Tooru trying to refer to knowledge that she has. As in, she should be trying to rest and get better right now. (Just curious, who treated her? For the injuries? She raged at Iwaizumi and Oikawa so maybe Daichi?) the babe gives off the placating vibe to me, still low energy, not very affectionate, but it’s there so I’m like “hm”.

“so??? omg are you calling me ugly tooru???????” Well...he didn’t call you ugly. But I might? Because you have the ugliest personality of everyone here. But also, shifting blame onto him. Gosh, I give Oikawa some water. He’ll get a migraine from this.

“of course not. i would never”. Low energy, not elaborating, I think he sees that she is trying to manipulate him, or at the very least he isn’t going to play that particular game. But actually, he runs a fashion channel on YouTube. We know Bokuto runs a fitness one and his header message was something along the lines of everyone’s bodies are beautiful, so chances are Oikawa has the same sort of idea for his channel too. He may criticize fashion, but he would never criticize the people wearing it or the people who made it in a mean way. He would be respectful, and he lets people do what they wish because it’s their choice. I mean, there has to be a reason why Meiko’s fashion is how it is—he doesn’t intrude on matters that aren’t his to intrude upon.

Okay, Meiko. I’m gonna stop trying to format the messages exactly how they are, autocorrect is making my time with them a bit too much, but she says she wants him to take her with him. Okay, starting off, you are really under the belief that he will take you on to a trip he has planned when he didn’t invite you in the first place? Pushy... but yes, her petulance again... me flicking water at her, “you got super drunk because you were underdressed at a fancy restaurant and now you have a face that looks like roadkill, how much do you want to embarrass yourself before you get turned into a pariah?”

Oikawa not knowing how she knows that is clear concern. Someone knowing your schedule when it’s none of their business and not public knowledge is major red flag. The “uh” shows that he is clearly taken aback. The ellipses shows that he doesn’t know what to think.

Okay, Meiko—she is actually able to notice something??? Good golly gee, I am baffled by how she did that when everything else she does is on fire. But the consistency probably gave it in. She may have been looking for him at one point, noticed he was out, and saw the pattern then. But actually, wouldn’t she be good at noticing the patterns of the guys so that she always knows which one to go to and use? Thoughts.... but I’m curious about the fact she said the “same group of absolute losers”. I highly doubt they always go and meet up directly in eye view of the house? Chances are they meet up at a bar or something? This potentially could be a thing where Meiko was stalking them? It would be interesting if she saw them while she was out as well—and if yahaba and kyoutani noticed her around before too. Also, her saying “you ain’t slick” like,,, Meiko, have you looked into a mirror. Can you see.

Oikawa defending his friends, we stan. Let’s move on though: “they’re so much younger than you?? and yahaba is def not cute lmao” me, doing like the... monkey meme where they look away because I am just like??? Meiko, you’re younger than Oikawa. I bet Yahaba and Kyoutani are your age. And anyone younger than you is a loser huh? That’s why you look at Bokuto and YN like they are dirt beneath your feet. (And Yes, I do remember that you put Bokuto and YN as the babies of the house, this reoccurrence is very well done). And she went and insulted Yahaba directly like...you’re talking to his friend? What are you doing? Excuse me? I beg your pardon?

And the ellipses strike again— and Oikawa is fishing for information because we have seen him—he listens to logic. And Meiko... her emojis... wind anon be flicking more water at her, she is too much. Also. Kyoutani. She is calling Kyoutani cute. This was the message that made wind anon start this long analysis. Kyoutani, cute? Listen. Kyoutani would take one look at this parasite hanging off his arm with her swollen black eye that was slathered with makeup and her lacking clothing sense, before looking at Oikawa who would be so haggard by then, and then Kyoutani would force her off his arm before grabbing Oikawa and running off with Yahaba following them. There is no way at all Kyoutani would involve himself with Meiko. I refuse to believe he would go for her.

Okay, the two messages after about wingmanning—I don’t want to do a large scale analysis of it. Oikawa really is shown to have good sense for Meiko’s intentions. His intuition is good. And we know that he cares and respects his friends and he focuses on their capabilities. He knows them. Meiko is just...childish in the worst of ways.

“You don’t see the issue with this”. Oikawa really digging in his feet. First, he wished to be in a relationship with Meiko. And here she is, asking for him to wingman to get her together with one of his friends, who may not even like her—and I bet that if it doesn’t go well, she would blame Oikawa for it like really—but I give Oikawa more water for the migraines Meiko induces.

“What?? It’s not like we’re actually together lol”. The laugh out loud at the end really shows how much of a joke she sees this as. She sees him as a joke. And she just crushed all his efforts and actions to try and get into a relationship. And actually...will Meiko ever get into a relationship with another? She has no loyalty. She definitely wouldn’t have ever got into a dedicated relationship with one of the guys. And she would be the type to get upset if they slept around, wouldn’t she? A hypocrite.

“Ugh don’t be like that!!! I’m sure you sleep around too!!” Okay, she is trying to defend herself while also potentially blaming him if he does. It’s just manipulation...I’m gonna move on...

Oikawa’s just done and his “I don’t” holds a lot of emotion. But Meiko’s response back I don’t believe at all. “Oh well that’s your fault, I don’t really give a sh*t if you sleep around hehe!!!” First, blaming him for his choice of only choosing you??? And I highly doubt the second part because she is shown to throw blame and ditch people for negligible reasons—I have no trust towards her words. I do not believe her. I believe she would care. I believe she would blow up at the guy before leaving him.

“Of course you don’t” And there is the utter doneness. He has given up on Meiko in this message. He doesn’t care anymore. He was already not in the mood for her when she first messaged him, he doesn’t want to see her at all anymore. He’s given up.

“So you get it!! Perfect!!!!” Please, wind anon has written so much already, her eyes are sweating everytime she has to look at Meiko being like this hhhhh. “I’ll be ready at like 9pm? Come by my room!! Actually no I’ll come by yours” and her usage of emoji. Get her away from me and everyone in PF. She’s toxic. Send her off with hazardous waste. Also, she deliberately changed from her room to coming by his. She is cutting off him so he has to go with her, he can’t just sneak out and not wait at her room (though she did offer a time so he could just go out now and ditch her presence completely). But it would be amusing if he did something like lock his door, (either after he’d go out or if he wold leave through window) and she would just be there waiting all decked out in her clothes and makeup pounding on his door. He wouldn’t answer and the others would see her out of her room (a misdemeanor). And then she would have to make an excuse. But it would be hard...because Oikawa has text evidence of Meiko going against Iwaizumi to just play like this.

“And if I say no?” Says Oikawa, who is testing the waters—very smart. We approve. “You won’t.” She replies, because she is terrible and we hate her controlling, manipulative, abusive self and we would all fight her. And she ends it off with a “great!! see you then!” Because she has to have her way and the last say.

Okay, wind anon is done

Completely. Utterly done with the analysis and reaction for that. Might not get to Kenma and YN analysis because I went off in this one but just know I appreciate it and I’ll try to get to it—just,,,not today.

I hope Oikawa sends these screenshots to like, Iwaizumi at the very least but it would be even better if he just drops it in a group chat with Daichi and Osamu instead and asks them to keep an eye on her for “her own safety” and ask her to stay in her room. She’s too daring and if she blows up on him after, he will receive more evidence of her being terrible. And of course, he’s smart. He’ll definitely block her number when he doesn’t want to bother with her anymore. Okay, wind anon is ending here. The ask is too long. I think it’s the longest ask I’ve ever sent. I wish you well fr0ggy. I hope your sleep is pleasant and you wake up very rested and refreshed!

WOO LONG POST!!!! i cannot nearly respond to all this!!!! but!!!! i am in Awe??? text by text???? i love this????? ur so amazing i <3 u

[myaekingheart]

7. The Fire on Natsuki House

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3

index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

Boar. Dog. Ram. Monkey. Bird. Or was it bird, monkey, ram, boar, dog? And where was she supposed to put her pinkies for that one sign again? This was futile. Rei groaned and flopped back into the dirt, staring up at the clouds overhead. She would never make it as a ninja if she couldn’t master a simple summoning jutsu, nonetheless the freaking hand signs. The fluffy silhouettes of the zodiac floated overhead, taunting her.

“Why do you give up so soon?” a creaking voice suddenly called. Rei shot upright, finding the hunched figure of a familiar friend standing by.

“It’s too hard, I’ll never grasp it” Rei complained. Grandma Teiko furrowed her brows, unconvinced. She knew her granddaughter had the guts to become a shinobi. She knew Rei was strong enough to prove everyone wrong.

She shook her head as she shuffled closer, staring down at the young girl’s face. “Well, you can’t master anything by laying on your back. Well, maybe one thing, but…” she said, quickly realizing where her mind was heading and swatting the thought out of the air, “That’s a topic for a different day.” With her gnarled wooden cane, she then began tapping Rei on the shoulder as a sign to get up. “Come now, practice a little harder and you’ll get there.”

“You really think so?” Rei questioned. The more everyone else put her down, the less she believed in the words of those who did not doubt her. Why was the negative stuff so much easier to believe? Especially when some of the worst was coming from some of the most important people.

Grandma Teiko narrowed her eyes, as if to silently suggest her granddaughter was a little slow in the head. “Of course I think so. You doubt your elders? I’d like to think I’ve been around long enough to know what I’m talking about, kid.”

Rei huffed, knowing her grandmother was right. She was older than even the hokage. Even if she had no firsthand experience in the work of becoming a ninja, she had seen her fair share of fighters come and go throughout the village’s history. Of course she would know whether or not someone was fit for the ranks. Still, a part of her found it hard to trust in the old woman’s words. Grandma Teiko may have believed in her, but what if she didn’t believe in herself? No matter, now was not the time to dwell. She stood and dusted herself off, brushing the hair out of her face. “Alright, so what do you want me to do about it?” she asked.

               A soft smile spread across Grandma Teiko’s face as she stepped back and leaned against her cane. “Show me what you’ve got, girl. Show me what you’ve been working on. I want to see you shine.”

               “Okay…” Rei nodded slowly, uncertainly. She wasn’t used to having an audience, or at least not one that was a member of her family. But she needed to trust that Grandma Teiko would not judge her if she messed up. Not that she would be able to offer any criticism, anyway. The young chunin sucked in a deep breath, shook out her hands, and began testing her hand signs once again. No matter what she tried, however, she just couldn’t seem to get the order right. And if she did, she couldn’t manage the proper hand formations. Useless. Worthless. Pointless.

               “See, the issue here is that you’re getting far too flustered with yourself” Grandma Teiko interrupted. “You’re so focused on perfection that you’re not thinking clearly enough. Stop worrying about screwing up and start worrying about applying what you’ve learned, you understand?” Rei paused to absorb the information the wise old woman had given her. She shut her eyes tight, taking a moment to refocus her brain, before starting again. Amid her practice, however, the front door slid open and a somber face appeared.

               “Teiko, may we have a word with you, please?” Hana said softly. It wasn’t until Grandma Teiko was halfway inside that Rei had realized she was walking away. A surge of panic coursed through her. She was no good. Her failure was a frustration. Even Grandma Teiko was giving up on her now.

               “You just keep on doing what you’re doing, Rei!” she called to her with a wave. “I’ll be right back out in a second!” The chunin nodded slowly, her palms growing sweaty. The look on her mother’s face worried her. Something wasn’t right.

               Grandma Teiko was not at dinner that night. Rei had spent all afternoon forcing herself to perfect her summoning jutsu with the hopes that she’d succeed by the time Grandma Teiko returned, but she never did. The anxiety was starting to overwhelm her. What was going on? Her parents had barely said a word since she stepped back inside.

               “Eat up, dear” Hana pushed, eyeing the untouched food in front of her daughter. Rei shook her head.

               “We cannot eat until everyone is seated, isn’t that right?” she asked. For parents so often dead-set on morality and custom, they certainly were abandoning their creed tonight.

               Yuruganai shifted and cleared his throat. “Grandma Teiko will not be joining us for dinner tonight, I’m afraid” he announced, voice firm.

               Rei blinked a few times, trying to decipher what that meant. A sinking feeling lodged itself in the pit of her stomach. “W-what? Why not? What’s going on?”

               “Nothing, dear!” Hana reassured, placing a hand atop that of her daughter. “Grandma Teiko just had some…unexpected engagements to tend to.”

               Unexpected engagements? What the hell did that mean? Her heart was racing, and she suddenly felt as if she couldn’t breathe. Unexpected engagements. She had unexpected engagements. What did that mean? God, what the hell did that even mean? Rei squeezed her chopsticks, struggled to focus her attention on a single grain of rice but to no avail. All she saw was a blurry white mass. “Where is she?” she croaked.

               “You are not to bother her right now” Yuruganai said sternly. “She does not need to be burdened with pointless distractions.”

               Rei was beginning to lose her cool. She didn’t understand. Why were they keeping her in the dark like this? It wasn’t right. She deserved to know what was going on.

               Hana’s eyes darted to her stony-faced husband, then to her crumbling daughter, and back. She cleared her throat, the tension in the room almost palpable. “Grandma Teiko is perfectly fine, dear, don’t you worry” she said, trying to sound as calm as she could manage.

               “Then why won’t you tell me what the hell is going on?” Rei growled, near to bursting. She couldn’t handle one more second of this.

               “Because it is none of your business” Yuruganai snapped. He fixed his eyes on his daughter, wide and crazed and furious. Rei glared back at him, testing his rage.

               “Damn too it’s my business!” she shouted, slamming her fist on the table. Her bowl toppled over, spilling food all over the floor. Hana buried her face in her hands, shielding herself from the storm about to hit.

               “How dare you disrespect my authority!” Yuruganai shouted back, towering over his daughter. “If I say it is none of your business then it is none of your business and I expect you to obey me!”

               “I spit on your authority” Rei growled, rising onto her tiptoes so that she was nearly at eye level with the man. “I demand you tell me what’s going on this instant or you will feel my wrath!”

               “Your wrath? Is that a threat?” Yuruganai laughed. What wrath could she possibly have? She was barely even a ninja in his eyes. She could barely even master hand signs let alone fight him.  

               Rei glared at him hard, her cheeks burning and her head pounding. “That’s a promise” she said in a low, powerful voice. Yuruganai clenched his fist as if prepared to strike her. Before either of them could make a move, however, Hana cried out in anguish.

               “Both of you, please, stop this!” she begged, shaking her head and restraining tears. “She’s…she’s in her room packing…” she then whispered weakly, pointing toward the direction of Grandma Teiko’s chambers. Within seconds, Rei was out of the room. Yuruganai turned his gaze to his wife, nostrils flaring, unable to believe she would satisfy the demands of their bratty, hotheaded daughter.

               Rei swallowed back tears as she burst into Grandma Teiko’s room dramatically. The old woman paused, a pile of neatly folded clothes upon the bed. She blinked a few times before turning to face her hysterical granddaughter. “What is the meaning of this?” she asked, approaching.

               “Grandma Teiko, what the hell is going on here? Why weren’t you at dinner? What are you packing for? And why didn’t you come back outside to finish watching me train?” Rei blurted. Her hands shook and her eyes darted around the room trying to look for any clues, any potential answers to the questions swirling around her head.

               “My dear, sweet girl, you worry far too much” Grandma Teiko reassured, resting a hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “I’m afraid I must go away for a short while. You see, a very dear friend of mine from long ago has passed away and it is my duty to go to them and pay my respects.”

               A wave of relief and sympathy washed over the young girl’s face. So that’s all this was. Thank the heavens. “Where are you going? And when do you think you’ll be back?” she asked.

               “The funeral is to be held in the Land of Rice Paddies, where my dear friend resided. But don’t you worry, dear, I shouldn’t be gone very long” the old woman reassured, patting Rei’s cheek.

               The Land of Rice Paddies. Rei had heard of it, even ventured near it, but was never given the chance to visit it herself. She wondered what it was like there, and if she would ever get the chance to go, before a wild idea suddenly struck her. “Why don’t you take me with you?” she suggested. “I think it might be good for me! The experience, I mean! Like familiarizing myself with foreign nations!”

               Grandma Teiko chuckled and shook her head as she turned back to her work. “Oh, I wish I could but I’m afraid it’s not in my power to do such a thing.”

               “W-what do you mean?” Rei stammered. “I promise I’ll be good! I won’t cause you any trouble!”

               “It’s not me I’m worried about” she replied, a faint twinkle in her eye. “You are a ninja and a ninja should not leave to go dilly-dallying about when her village may need her at any waking moment. What kind of person would I be if I was to take you with me only for Konoha to be attacked while I’m gone, and you’re the only one who can save it? I cannot bear the thought.”

               It was a far-fetched idea, but it did admittedly shift Rei’s mindset. Once again, the old woman was right. Though she was far from capable of saving Konoha all by herself, she had a duty to be at her village’s disposal whenever it may need her. The third hokage hadn’t called for her in quite some time but that didn’t mean he never would again. She needed to stay for the sake of her homeland, her training, her career. Even if that meant managing the doubters alone.

               Grandma Teiko departed early the next morning, exiting the village as the sun rose overhead. A three-man squad of chunin went with her, a group far more skilled than herself. She wished she could go with them, but it was not her assignment. She would just have to wait until Lord Third had something for her to do. As she bid them a safe journey, however, she felt a looming suspicion drape over her. A pair of eyes watching from a distance. She tried to avoid it but to no avail. Whipping around, she caught the fluttering black of a cape disappear into an alleyway. Danger.

               She checked the pouch at her backside, the kunai holster on her thigh. Tightened the headband tied around her neck. Everything was in order. If it was a fight this guy wanted, it was a fight he would get. Sucking in a deep breath, she raced after him into the alleyway, only to find he was nowhere to be found. Shit.

               “Looking for something?” a voice then spoke. Rei shrieked, launching a kunai in the direction of the stranger, only to be faced with a stealthy ANBU who caught the blade between his fingers. “What’s a kid like you doing snooping around alleyways? Shouldn’t you be off playing games with your friends?”

               “What’s that supposed to mean?” Rei asked back, immediately defensive. “Check the headband, idiot. I’m not some kid, I’m a ninja.” She flashed the metal forehead protector at him, sunlight glinting against it in an almost obnoxious manner.

               “Strong words for a genin. Hopefully you learn to respect those higher in rank than you” he replied coolly. There was something bothersome about him, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. He was outrageously cocky, for one thing.

               Rolling her eyes, she sourly corrected him. “For your information, I’m a chunin. Not that you’d know, it’s not like you can see anything with that stupid mask on.”

               “Chunin, huh? How old are you anyways?” he questioned.

               “What kind of a question is that?” Rei fired back. The ANBU member raised his hands in surrender.

               “Whoa there, just try to calm down. I was just curious, is all” he replied.

               Rei huffed the hair out of her face and said matter-of-factly, “Fine. If you must know, I’m fourteen.” Something about this guy was really getting under her skin.

               The ninja nodded slowly, thoughtfully. It had been so long. “Well, try not to go looking for trouble, understand?” he said after a moment of silence. “Wouldn’t want you getting unnecessarily hurt.” Before Rei could say anything else, the ANBU member launched the kunai back at her and turned, walking away. The sun pierced through the eyes of his mask for a split second, and Rei could’ve swore she caught a glint of red.

               Two strangers hid in the trees overlooking the Natuski residence, surveying the layout of the home and all the possibly entry points. “What are you thinking, brother?” the one hissed.

               “I’m thinking there’s going to be a heat wave in Konoha this evening…” the other chuckled, shaking a box of matches. “This should be a fine repayment for all the trouble that brat caused.” The first ninja nodded, laughing maniacally, but quickly stopped when he noticed someone approaching down the lane.

               “That girl!” he whispered, pointing to the kunoichi on her way home. With her pale skin and wild red hair, she looked quite like…but no. That was impossible. They watched as she huffed and slipped inside their target home, a sickening satisfaction spreading through their bodies. “She must be a descendant of the Arrow Ninja” he growled.

               “What fun to wipe out the entire family!” the second rejoiced. “And then our leader will finally be avenged.”

               The first nodded, a sly smile touching his face. “Yes, all in good time, Shingo. Fifty years is far too long a wait.”

               “Mother? Father? I’m home” Rei announced. There was no reply. She rolled her eyes and shrugged, figuring perhaps they were ignoring her again. Or maybe they were busy sorting out the week’s expected shipments. Regardless, Rei was hardly concerned. Her mind was focused on other things.

               She thought of Grandma Teiko, and the Land of Rice Paddies. She thought of her deceased friend and the funeral they would hold for them. She wondered who this mystery person was, and how Grandma Teiko knew them. It was hard to experience anything outside of Konoha without being a ninja, but perhaps there were things about Grandma Teiko’s past Rei knew nothing about. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she knew next to nothing of Grandma Teiko’s past. Maybe she was a journalist or a philanthropist or a vendor travelling throughout the Five Great Nations and befriending new and interesting people. If only she could hear the stories of the old woman’s youth—perhaps it was a request to be made upon her return.

               “Did Grandma Teiko make it out of the village safely this morning?” Yuruganai asked that night at dinner. Rei nodded. She didn’t quite understand why her parents hadn’t come with her to see the old woman off. Did they not want to wish her a safe trip? Did they not want to bid her a proper goodbye?

               Rei’s mother smiled softly. “That’s very good to hear” she said, taking a bite of her food.

               “She ought to be careful out there” Yuruganai grunted. “I’ve heard of some shady deals going on around those parts.”

               “Well, she had ninja escorts so I’m sure she’ll be fine” Rei countered. Yuruganai scoffed.

               “Ninja escorts don’t mean a thing” he muttered. “She could still get murdered out there.”

               “Yuruganai!” Hana cried, eyeing her husband sternly. This was not proper conversation for the dinner table. Her husband barely reacted.

               “Do you not trust our village’s finest?” his daughter asked. It was a loaded question, for sure. Say no and he’d be insulting his own daughter. Not that he had a hard time doing that already.

               “Ninjas are no good. They don’t do a damn thing. Can’t keep people safe, can’t keep people alive. Hell, they can’t even keep themselves alive” he spat. Rei rolled her eyes, restraining herself from firing back at him. She didn’t really have the energy to fight with him two nights in a row. It was far too taxing.

               That night, as she lay awake in bed, she thought about the ninja who accompanied her grandmother that morning. She thought of the ninja who confronted her in the alley. There was something so unnerving about him, so frustrating in the way he spoke down to her. As if she was incapable. As if she was a child. I’m just as good a ninja as him, she thought to herself. I could make it into ANBU if I really wanted to. The proverbial her laughed in the back of her head, knowing that was a stone cold lie. She would never be strong enough to make ANBU. She was surprised she even made it as far as chunin at this point. But then again, on the battlefield she was a different person. On the battlefield, she was fierce. Her mind shifted into hyperdrive, acting almost on its own accord. She was precise and thoughtful and stealthy. But it took more than just a quick throw of a kunai to make it into ANBU, she knew that well enough. There were things everyone else could do that she struggled greatly with. She lacked the basic skills they seemed to master so quickly. Like those freaking hand signs. She stared at the ceiling, trying to replay the recipes in her head. Horse. Serpent. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger. That wasn’t right. Groaning, she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. She would never get it right. As she laid there, wallowing, however, the room suddenly grew uncharacteristically warm. Sweat beaded on her brow and the back of her knees. A crackling sound echoed down the hallway. A sinking feeling hit her stomach.

               She rose slowly, clenching her fists in an effort to suppress her anxiety. The further she moved, however, the hotter it became until she saw the shadows of flames licking against the sliding door. Shit, shit, shit, shit.

               Her head was starting to spin—there was no freaking way this was happening. How did this even happen? It was certainly not her mother’s fault—she was always so careful in the kitchen and even if it was her, the fire would’ve begun way earlier in the night. No, this was the work of something else. Her mind flashed back to the ANBU member she had met earlier in the day. He was certainly a sketchy character. Could this be the work of a traitor ninja? Could he be after her? She knew it was ridiculous but she couldn’t stop overthinking. There was too much going on and it was getting too hot and the smoke was filling the air and her lungs ached, she couldn’t breathe. Her heart began to race in her chest—this was it. She was going to die here. She was going to burn a lowly chunin, never realizing her full potential. Grandma Teiko would return to find her home and family reduced to ash. Poor, sweet Grandma Teiko. If only Rei could’ve seen her one last time. She remembered her kind face, wrinkled with age and wisdom, her snarky attitude. She thought of how she had failed her. She never mastered the summoning jutsu and now she never would. She thought back to the day before, Grandma Teiko dutifully watching as she struggled to perfect such a simple technique. Her creaking old voice rang in her head. See, the issue here is that you’re getting far too flustered with yourself. Stop worrying about screwing up and start worrying about applying what you’ve learned.

               A strike of cold suddenly dashed down Rei’s spine. Grandma Teiko refused to grant her granddaughter’s wish for fear that her village may need her for something. And now here she was, standing in the middle of danger, the only one who could swoop in and save the day. She was a ninja, god dammit, so she better try acting like one. Rushing to her desk, she strapped her pouch to her backside and her kunai holster to her thigh, then sucked in a deep breath and burst into the hallway.

               The flames licked up the walls and roared in her ears, the heat nearly unbearable. Everything was clouded in a haze of smoke. Rei coughed into her elbow, then reached back inside her room to grab her bandana, quickly tying it around the lower half of her face. Before anything else, she needed to find her parents. She jolted down the hall, dodging patches of fire spreading across the ground, and burst into her parents’ bedroom.

               “Mother? Father?” she called out, scanning the room. The smoke was so thick, however, she could barely see.

               “Rei?” she heard her mother call. The kunoichi squinted to find the woman curled up on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. Rei rushed forward to grab her, quickly inspecting her for injuries, before dragging her out into the hall. Seconds later, part of the ceiling caved in right where she was standing. “Oh, Rei, dear, are you alright? You have to get out of here!” she cried, but her daughter shook her head.

               “Where is dad?” she asked. She needed to find her father before it was too late. Clearly he wasn’t in their bedroom. Hana’s hands were shaking, her eyes darting from each patch of flame threatening to scorch her flesh.

               “I-I don’t know! Last I saw him he was filing paperwork for the incoming orders” she said, voice overflowing with panic. Of course he was. All the man ever cared about was his work.

               Rei rested a reassuring hand on her mother’s shoulder. “I’m going to go look for him. You get out of here” she commanded. Hana stammered, shaking her head, refusing to leave her daughter behind, but Rei gave her no choice. She searched the area for the nearest escape, catching sight of a window seconds away from being engulfed in flame, and shoved her mother out of it. Hana shrieked and hit the ground with a thud, crawling as far from the house as possible. Tears streamed down her face. Her family, her husband and daughter, what if she never saw them again? Why couldn’t Rei simply listen to her? She watched the inferno continue to engulf her home, her heart beating out of her chest. There had to be something she could do. She looked around frantically before her eyes landed on the lake in the backyard. She quickly began scooping up as much water in her cupped palms as she could and splashing it on their home, though she knew it obviously wouldn’t do much.

               Inside, Rei raced through the house toward her father’s office. The fire was growing more intense. She was running out of time. She kicked the door open to find Yuruganai frantically organizing his paperwork and trying to huff out the flames growing around him. Typical.

               Grabbing his wrist, Rei yanked him toward the door but he protested. “Come on! We have to go now” she insisted, but he narrowed his eyes at her and broke free of her grasp.

               “How dare you presume to tell me what to do! I am the head of this household!” he said sternly back. Rei groaned. She didn’t have time for this.

               “Yeah, well you won’t be for much longer if you don’t get the hell out of here!” she shouted. He shot her a harsh glare, clearly insulted by her sass.

               “Don’t you speak to me like that!” he said. “I have three days until our next shipment but they won’t hand the merchandise over to me unless I have all of my receipts in order! This paperwork—”

               “This paperwork means nothing compared to your life! Now come on!” she interrupted, tugging him toward the door. He was far stronger and far more stubborn than she, however, and refused to move thus leaving her with only one other option. If he refused to comply with her demands, she’d have to take care of things the hard way. Drawing a kunai from her holster, she pressed the blade to her father’s back and squeezed his wrist tightly.

               “If you don’t follow me out of this building right now, I’m going to have to drag you out against your will, understood?” she growled. Yuruganai narrowed his eyes at her, crumpling one of his papers in his fist. How dare she speak to him like that? Who did she think she was? Before he could say anything else, however, the ceiling creaked overhead. A gasp broke past Rei’s lips as she tugged her distracted father out of the way just in time for the ceiling to collapse. “Now will you freaking listen to me?!” she shouted at him, dragging him down the hallway.

               Everywhere she turned, flames blocked any preexisting exits. They were trapped. The only way out now was through. She scanned the area for a section of the fire flaring perhaps lower than the rest, ultimately finding a small break in the wall of flame. Without another word, she braced herself before shoving her father through the opening with all her might. Once she was certain he was out of the way, she bid one more glance to her destroyed home before leaping through the flares herself.

               Rei connected with the ground hard, her body tumbling all the way to the bank of the lake. She gasped for breath, her eyes meeting with the dirty feet of a stranger chuckling over her. She raised her eyes up to see an unfamiliar, villainous face. “Hello, little kunoichi” he hissed. Hana struggled against his embrace, his hand cupped over her mouth and a kunai to her chest.

               “Who do you think you are?” Rei shouted, voice hoarse from inhaling so much smoke. She could feel her body growing weaker but she could not give up. Not yet. She still had unfinished business to attend to.

               The man grinned as if he was a tiger eyeing his prey, introducing himself as Shuncho. “Don’t try to run, little girl” his comrade, Shingo, growled. He kicked Yuruganai in the stomach, rendering him useless. “We’re not leaving here until you three are nice and dead.”

               Rei coughed and glared at the two men. “Don’t even think about it” she replied. With one swift motion, she swung her legs under Shuncho’s who lost his balance and fell flat on the ground. Hana wiggled free of his grasp, tears streaming down her face.

               “Mom, run!” Rei shouted, forcing herself off the ground. She ran parallel to the bank of the lake, reaching her hand down to skate along the surface. With great determination, she began the same chant that she had embedded into her mind so long ago. Aita. Hagemasu. Senta. Josho suru. Buki-te. Juden kanryo!

               A blue mist rested over the surface of the water, pulsing with power. Rei rose her hands over her head but before she could make a move, Shingo surged forward and seized her tightly. The young ninja struggled in his grip, kicking him everywhere she could, but to no avail. With a mighty roar, Rei swung her arms and a wave of water rose up and crashed over them, sending Shingo sailing. The kunoichi ran as fast as she could as far away from him as she could manage before pausing in front of the inferno that had become her home.

               She sucked in a deep breath, forcing her hands to remain steady. She had never charged such a large object with chakra before, let alone controlled it. But that meant nothing to what she had to do. She focused her eyes on the flames before forming her hands in a circular formation connecting at the wrists, spinning them abruptly so as to twist the water up and out of its basin. Then, pulling her arms back, she willed the water forward in a massive crash against their home. The streets flooded, startling the hoards of people who had rushed to investigate and call for help.

               Shingo and Shuncho watched in horror as this otherwise weak-looking kid commanded the water, extinguishing the flames. A group of jonin rushed to the scene, prepared to help, but skidded to a halt when they caught sight of Rei, unsure of what to do. The longer she worked, however, the weaker she felt herself becoming. She still hadn’t completely succeeded. She could not let herself collapse until the entire house was saved.

               Her vision blurred as she bit her lip and forced herself to keep channeling her energy, watching as the last bits of orange disappeared. And then the surge of water fell, her eyes crossed, and she fell to her knees on the verge of consciousness. Everything grew hazy, unfamiliar voices echoing in her ears. We need a medical-nin! Get a stretcher, quick! She’s out of it! Watch your back! You’re under arrest!

               When she awoke, blinding sunlight spilled through a window at her righthand side. The blurry figure of a woman startled and rushed forward. “M-Mom…?” Rei croaked.

               Hana took her daughter’s hand and smiled softly, tears threatening to spill. Her face was flushed, her hair disheveled. “Yes! I’m right here!” she replied.

               “W-what happened?” Rei asked. Hana burst into tears before she could reply, pressing her daughter’s hand to her cheek. A door slid open and a woman in white strutted inside hugging a clipboard to her chest.

               “Glad to see you’re awake, Miss Natsuki!” she greeted brightly.

               “What’s going on? Where am I?” Rei asked, blinking to try and focus her vision.

               “You’re in the hospital” the nurse replied. “You suffered some hefty chakra exhaustion but nothing too serious! We should be able to send you home by tomorrow afternoon.”

               “Not like we have a home to return to” Yuruganai grunted. It was then that Rei noticed he, too, was with them, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Some moderate burn marks dappled the left side of his face and arm. Rei furrowed her brows, trying to recall everything that transpired the night before. It all felt like just some wild dream until she tried to sit up and felt the strong aching of her own body.

               “Just try to relax! You need your rest” the nurse said, easing the patient back down onto the bed. As Rei looked from her hysterical mother to her stony-faced father and back again, her memory began churning up more details of the incident. The fire, those strange men, the chakra tsunami. She had never charged something that big before. No wonder she was hospitalized.

               “Never do something like that again, you understand?!” Hana cried, clearly unhinged. A lump rose in Rei’s throat.

               “I just…wanted to help…” she whispered hoarsely.

               “Yeah, a lot of good you did” Yuruganai scoffed. “All of my receipts are gone. I’m not going to be able to accept any of those new shipments. We won’t be able to restock our shelves for weeks now. And we have no place to live.”

               Rei’s heart ached. She should’ve known nobody would care. Why did she even try anymore? What was the point of being a ninja and trying to do good deeds if nobody ever appreciated them? She nestled herself deeper into her hospital bed, peering out the window at all the passerby below. A familiar looking ANBU member walked among them and she swore she caught him glance up at her for a split second.

               “If it’s alright, can I get some time alone? I’m pretty tired” Rei whispered somberly, never taking her eyes off the window. The nurse nodded once and escorted her mother and father out of the room, glancing back to the young patient once more before closing the door.

               As she lay there, Rei let her mind wander into dangerous territory. Various voices rang through her head, shouting the same redundant nonsense as always: insults and criticisms of how she’d never be strong enough, fast enough, skilled enough to be an honorable ninja. All that may be true, and maybe she was wasting her time. Maybe she was better off satisfying her father’s oppressive wishes and just taking over Kaminoki. Maybe she should give up and marry rich, pop out fifteen kids, like her mother always dreamed for her. But she knew deep down in her heart, that wasn’t what made her happy. That wasn’t what she was passionate about.

               After a few moments, a muffled conversation outside captured her attention. She strained her ears to try to pick up anything she could, only catching a few words here and there. But a few words were enough to paint her a vivid picture. There was something about Grandma Teiko, and the men who attacked their home. There must have been some connection. She just couldn’t figure out what.

               The Third Hokage sighed as he overlooked his village from the large windows of his office. A stack of paperwork awaited his critical eye but there was only one thing on his mind right now: Shingo and Shuncho. How they even got inside the village was a mystery to him but that didn’t matter now. All that he cared about was what they did once they were inside. A knock at the door stirred him from his thoughts, turning and bidding his guest entry. A young ANBU member stepped inside, approaching the desk dutifully.

               “You called for me?” he asked. The hokage nodded, taking a drag from his pipe.

               “I assume you’ve heard of the incident at the Natsuki residence last night” he began. The ANBU member nodded. “Shuncho and Shingo from the Land of Rice Paddies somehow invaded our village to wreak havoc upon an innocent household. They have since been detained, their plots of revenge foiled. But that is not what I find most interesting about this case.” The ANBU member awaited elaboration. “By the time our jonin arrived on the scene, most of the fire had already been extinguished.”

               “By who?” the ANBU member asked.

               A small smile tugged at the corner of the hokage’s lips. “The daughter of the household, Rei Natuski. She’s quite the kunoichi, you know. I’ve been keeping an eye on her lately. She’s rather interesting.”

               The ANBU boy blinked underneath his mask. His heart leapt into his throat. “How so, sir?”

               “She has a wild amount of potential, but in the strangest of places. Her sensei tells me she can barely remember her hand signs, and yet she can do some incredible things with chakra the likes of which have hardly ever been seen before except from one. Tell me, do you know the story of the Arrow Ninja of Konoha?” The ANBU boy thought for a moment, trying to recall the name. Before he could make a definitive decision, the hokage continued with the tale. “Years ago, this village saw the rise of a great young ninja. They called her the Arrow Ninja for her intelligent precision. She was gifted in weaponry and chakra control. She could do things with her chakra that most men had never seen before, charging and tethering and all sorts of other things. She went on to be an invaluable member of ANBU herself, but that was many, many years ago. She is older than even myself, retiring after the birth of her first child so that she could devote her life to him. She lives among us now as an ordinary woman with an extraordinary background that nobody knows about.”

               The ANBU member listened thoughtfully, trying to absorb all of this information and the many ways it could tie into what the hokage had called him here for. He had trouble focusing, however. All he could think about was Rei. When the hokage was finished and had dismissed him, the boy slipped into the nearest bathroom for a moment of privacy. His heart raced in his chest and his hands had grown clammy. He removed his mask and splashed water on his face, taking a moment to ponder at his reflection. He studied the mole on his chin, the way his white hair fell to one side, the scar across his eye and the sharingan hidden within it. He thought of the gangly little child he once knew who would sit on her front porch awaiting his return from the academy every single day. He heard her voice screaming his name as he walked away from her, tears streaming down her face. Don’t you walk away from me, Kakashi! Kakashi!

               It haunted him. He couldn’t see straight. He splashed icy water on his face once again, trying to regain his composure. Then, sucking in a deep breath, he pulled the fabric back up over his nose, secured his ANBU mask on his face, and departed into the village as if nothing had happened.

               A trio of chunin greeted the guards at the front gates, an elderly woman beside them. “Welcome back” the guards said, paying special mind to Grandma Teiko. “How was your journey?”

               “I was sad to see my friend go, but fortunately we had no trouble getting there or back” she replied.

               “That’s good to hear” the other guard replied. “Unfortunately, there was a bit of an incident while you were gone…” he added nervously. He really didn’t want to be the one to break such awful news to her, especially within moments of her return, but it was better to tell her as soon as possible.

               “What kind of incident?” Teiko asked, cocking a brow in suspicion.  

               “Two invaders were caught attacking your home, setting it on fire with the presumed intention of killing everyone inside” the first guard explained. Grandma Teiko closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath as if she had already understood the circumstances, but she did not interrupt. “The criminals have since been detained and there were no casualties, ma’am. Just some minor burns and a case of chakra exhaustion.”

               “Chakra exhaustion?” Teiko asked. That was something she was not expecting to hear. “From who?”

               “The chunin, Rei Natsuki” the guard answered. The old woman sighed and rubbed her temples as the young man continued. “Rumor has it she was seen trying to extinguish the fire herself but collapsed and was taken to the hospital for rest and recovery.”

               The second guard scoffed, shaking his head. “People can come up with the craziest rumors” he laughed. Teiko eyed him suspiciously.

               “You’d be surprised” she replied, before bidding them all goodbye and shuffling down the lane. Yuruganai stood outside Kaminoki trying to negotiate with a rather blunt man, a cart of packages at his side. “Good morning, Yuruganai” Teiko greeted with a nod.

               “Mother?” he asked, blinking a few times. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”

               “What’s the matter, son? You trying to get rid of me?” she jested.

               “No, not at all. Just surprised” he replied. Teiko rolled her eyes at him as she stepped inside the bookshop. Hana was at the counter, preoccupied with recreating the list of books they had ordered.

               “I heard we lost some things in a nasty fire” Teiko said, leaning against the counter. Hana yelped, eyes wide, as she looked upon her mother-in-law.

               “W-why yes, unfortunately” she replied, flustered.

               “Well, better to lose lowly paperwork than lives” the old woman commented. Hana nodded slowly, absently. “And where is my granddaughter? I hear she’s been the talk of the town these past few days.”

               “Sh-she’s upstairs, getting some rest” Hana replied. Teiko nodded and began her ascent, focused on meeting with Konoha’s rumored hero. She found Rei curled up a window seat in the shabby apartment upstairs, boxes of whatever few things were salvaged cluttering the room. Somehow, all of Teiko’s mysterious belongings survived. She dropped her suitcase and cleared her throat, capturing the kunoichi’s attention.

               “Grandma Teiko, you’re back!” she gasped, a grin spreading across her face. It felt like ages since she had left. Rei sucked in a deep breath as she tried to muster the energy to stand but Grandma Teiko shook her head in protest.

               “You park that little butt of yours right back on that seat, girl” Grandma Teiko demanded. She shuffled nearer and sat beside her granddaughter, a soft smile touching her lips. “I heard there was a little incident while I was gone” she started.

               “Why…yes, unfortunately” Rei said quietly, averting her eyes. “Whatever you’ve heard, it wasn’t my fault. I was only trying to help, but—”

               “But what?” Teiko interrupted. “You got everyone out safely. You saved your parents. You extinguished that fire. And you caught two very dangerous men who are now suffering for their crimes.” Rei looked up and blinked at her grandmother a few times in disbelief. How did she know? She chuckled softly, resting a gentle hand upon the girl’s tender shoulder. “You did good, Rei. I’m proud of you.”

               Tears welled up in the young ninja’s eyes, the first time anyone had ever expressed an ounce of gratitude for her work. She bit her lip and lunged herself into Teiko’s arms, burying her face in the crook of her neck. “Thank you, grandma. Thank you so much” she whispered.

               Teiko patted the girl’s back and held her tightly. She gazed out at the streets below, watching the passerby. Among them was a particularly interesting ANBU member, pausing only for a moment to gaze up at the bookstore’s second story. A soft smile touched the old woman’s lips. “Something tells me I’m not the only one whose proud of you.”  

[readbookywooks]

21. Tiny, searing stabs. Wherever the droplets of mist touch my skin. "Run!" I scream at the others. "Run!" Finnick snaps awake instantly, rising to counter an enemy. But when he sees the wall of fog, he tosses a still-sleeping Mags onto his back and takes off. Peeta is on his feet but not as alert. I grab his arm and begin to propel him through the jungle after Finnick. "What is it? What is it?" he says in bewilderment. "Some kind of fog. Poisonous gas. Hurry, Peeta!" I urge. I can tell that however much he denied it during the day, the aftereffects of hitting the force field have been significant. He's slow, much slower than usual. And the tangle of vines and undergrowth, which unbalance me occasionally, trip him at every step. I look back at the wall of fog extending in a straight line as far as I can see in either direction. A terrible impulse to flee, to abandon Peeta and save myself, shoots through me. It would be so simple, to run full out, perhaps to even climb a tree above the fog line, which seems to top out at about forty feet. I remember how I did just this when the muttations appeared in the last Games. Took off and only thought of Peeta when I'd reached the Cornucopia. But this time, I trap my terror, push it down, and stay by his side. This time my survival isn't the goal. Peeta's is. I think of the eyes glued to the television screens in the districts, seeing if I will run, as the Capitol wishes, or hold my ground. I lock my fingers tightly into his and say, "Watch my feet. Just try to step where I step." It helps. We seem to move a little faster, but never enough to afford a rest, and the mist continues to lap at our heels. Droplets spring free of the body of vapor. They burn, but not like fire. Less a sense of heat and more of intense pain as the chemicals find our flesh, cling to it, and burrow down through the layers of skin. Our jumpsuits are no help at all. We may as well be dressed in tissue paper, for all the protection they give. Finnick, who bounded off initially, stops when he realizes we're having problems. But this is not a thing you can fight, only evade. He shouts encouragement, trying to move us along, and the sound of his voice acts as a guide, though little more. Peeta's artificial leg catches in a knot of creepers and he sprawls forward before I can catch him. As I help him up, I become aware of something scarier than the blisters, more debilitating than the burns. The left side of his face has sagged, as if every muscle in it has died. The lid droops, almost concealing his eye. His mouth twists in an odd angle toward the ground. "Peeta - " I begin. And that's when I feel the spasms run up my arm. Whatever chemical laces the fog does more than burn - it targets our nerves. A whole new kind of fear shoots through me and I yank Peeta forward, which only causes him to stumble again. By the time I get him to his feet, both of my arms are twitching uncontrollably. The fog has moved in on us, the body of it less than a yard away. Something is wrong with Peeta's legs; he's trying to walk but they move in a spastic, puppetlike fashion. I feel him lurch forward and realize Finnick has come back for us and is hauling Peeta along. I wedge my shoulder, which still seems under my control, under Peeta's arm and do my best to keep up with Finnick's rapid pace. We put about ten yards between us and the fog when Finnick stops. "It's no good. I'll have to carry him. Can you take Mags?" he asks me. "Yes," I say stoutly, although my heart sinks. It's true that Mags can't weigh more than about seventy pounds, but I'm not very big myself. Still, I'm sure I've carried heavier loads. If only my arms would stop jumping around. I squat down and she positions herself over my shoulder, the way she rides on Finnick. I slowly straighten my legs and, with my knees locked, I can manage her. Finnick has Peeta slung across his back now and we move forward, Finnick leading, me following in the trail he breaks through the vines. On the fog comes, silent and steady and flat, except for the grasping tendrils. Although my instinct is to run directly away from it, I realize Finnick is moving at a diagonal down the hill. He's trying to keep a distance from the gas while steering us toward the water that surrounds the Cornucopia. Yes, water, I think as the acid droplets bore deeper into me. Now I'm so thankful I didn't kill Finnick, because how would I have gotten Peeta out of here alive? So thankful to have someone else on my side, even if it's only temporarily. It's not Mags's fault when I begin falling. She's doing everything she can to be an easy passenger, but the fact is, there is only so much weight I can handle. Especially now that my right leg seems to be going stiff. The first two times I crash to the ground, I manage to make it back on my feet, but the third time, I cannot get my leg to cooperate. As I struggle to get up, it gives out and Mags rolls off onto the ground before me. I flail around, trying to use vines and trunks to right myself. Finnick's back by my side, Peeta hanging over him. "It's no use," I say. "Can you take them both? Go on ahead, I'll catch up." A somewhat doubtful proposal, but I say it with as much surety as I can muster. I can see Finnick's eyes, green in the moonlight. I can see them as clear as day. Almost like a cat's, with a strange reflective quality. Maybe because they are shiny with tears. "No," he says. "I can't carry them both. My arms aren't working." It's true. His arms jerk uncontrollably at his sides. His hands are empty. Of his three tridents, only one remains, and it's in Peeta's hands. "I'm sorry, Mags. I can't do it." What happens next is so fast, so senseless, I can't even move to stop it. Mags hauls herself up, plants a kiss on Finnick's lips, and then hobbles straight into the fog. Immediately, her body is seized by wild contortions and she falls to the ground in a horrible dance. I want to scream, but my throat is on fire. I take one futile step in her direction when I hear the cannon blast, know her heart has stopped, that she is dead. "Finnick?" I call out hoarsely, but he has already turned from the scene, already continued his retreat from the fog. Dragging my useless leg behind me, I stagger after him, having no idea what else to do. Time and space lose meaning as the fog seems to invade my brain, muddling my thoughts, making everything unreal. Some deep-rooted animal desire for survival keeps me stumbling after Finnick and Peeta, continuing to move, although I'm probably dead already. Parts of me are dead, or clearly dying. And Mags is dead. This is something I know, or maybe just think I know, because it makes no sense at all. Moonlight glinting on Finnick's bronze hair, beads of searing pain peppering me, a leg turned to wood. I follow Finnick until he collapses on the ground, Peeta still on top of him. I seem to have no ability to stop my own forward motion and simply propel myself onward until I trip over their prone bodies, just one more on the heap. This is where and how and when we all die, I think. But the thought is abstract and far less alarming than the current agonies of my body. I hear Finnick groan and manage to drag myself off the others. Now I can see the wall of fog, which has taken on a pearly white quality. Maybe it's my eyes playing tricks, or the moonlight, but the fog seems to be transforming. Yes, it's becoming thicker, as if it has pressed up against a glass window and is being forced to condense. I squint harder and realize the fingers no longer protrude from it. In fact, it has stopped moving forward entirely. Like other horrors I have witnessed in the arena, it has reached the end of its territory. Either that or the Gamemakers have decided not to kill us just yet. "It's stopped," I try to say, but only an awful croaking sound comes from my swollen mouth. "It's stopped," I say again, and this time I must be clearer, because both Peeta and Finnick turn their heads to the fog. It begins to rise upward now, as if being slowly vacuumed into the sky. We watch until it has all been sucked away and not the slightest wisp remains. Peeta rolls off Finnick, who turns over onto his back. We lie there gasping, twitching, our minds and bodies invaded by the poison. After a few minutes pass, Peeta vaguely gestures upward. "Mon-hees." I look up and spot a pair of what I guess are monkeys. I have never seen a live monkey - there's nothing like that in our woods at home. But I must have seen a picture, or one in the Games, because when I see the creatures, the same word comes to my mind. I think these have orange fur, although it's hard to tell, and are about half the size of a full-grown human. I take the monkeys for a good sign. Surely they would not hang around if the air was deadly. For a while, we quietly observe one another, humans and monkeys. Then Peeta struggles to his knees and crawls down the slope. We all crawl, since walking now seems as remarkable a feat as flying; we crawl until the vines turn to a narrow strip of sandy beach and the warm water that surrounds the Cornucopia laps our faces. I jerk back as if I've touched an open flame. Rubbing salt in a wound. For the first time I truly appreciate the expression, because the salt in the water makes the pain of my wounds so blinding I nearly black out. But there's another sensation, of drawing out. I experiment by gingerly placing only my hand in the water. Torturous, yes, but then less so. And through the blue layer of water, I see a milky substance leaching out of the wounds on my skin. As the whiteness diminishes, so does the pain. I unbuckle my belt and strip off my jumpsuit, which is little more than a perforated rag. My shoes and undergarments are inexplicably unaffected. Little by little, one small portion of a limb at a time, I soak the poison out of my wounds. Peeta seems to be doing the same. But Finnick backed away from the water at first touch and lies facedown on the sand, either unwilling or unable to purge himself. Finally, when I have survived the worst, opening my eyes underwater, sniffing water into my sinuses and snorting it out, and even gargling repeatedly to wash out my throat, I'm functional enough to help Finnick. Some feeling has returned to my leg, but my arms are still riddled with spasms. I can't drag Finnick into the water, and possibly the pain would kill him, anyway. So I scoop up shaky handfuls and empty them on his fists. Since he's not underwater, the poison comes out of his wounds just as it went in, in wisps of fog that I take great care to steer clear of. Peeta recovers enough to help me. He cuts away Finnick's jumpsuit. Somewhere he finds two shells that work much better than our hands do. We concentrate on soaking Finnick's arms first, since they have been so badly damaged, and even though a lot of white stuff pours out of them, he doesn't notice. He just lies there, eyes shut, giving an occasional moan. I look around with growing awareness of how dangerous a position we're in. It's night, yes, but this moon gives off too much light for concealment. We're lucky no one's attacked us yet. We could see them coming from the Cornucopia, but if all four Careers attacked, they'd overpower us. If they didn't spot us at first, Finnick's moans would give us away soon. "We've got to get more of him into the water," I whisper. But we can't put him in face-first, not while he's in this condition. Peeta nods to Finnick's feet. We each take one, pull him one hundred and eighty degrees around, and start to drag him into the saltwater. Just a few inches at a time. His ankles. Wait a few minutes. Up to his midcalf. Wait. His knees. Clouds of white swirl out from his flesh and he groans. We continue to detoxify him, bit by bit. What I find is that the longer I sit in the water, the better I feel. Not just my skin, but my brain and muscle control continue to improve. I can see Peeta's face beginning to return to normal, his eyelid opening, the grimace leaving his mouth. Finnick slowly begins to revive. His eyes open, focus on us, and register awareness that he's being helped. I rest his head on my lap and we let him soak about ten minutes with everything immersed from the neck down. Peeta and I exchange a smile as Finnick lifts his arms above the seawater. "There's just your head left, Finnick. That's the worst part, but you'll feel much better after, if you can bear it," Peeta says. We help him to sit up and let him grip our hands as he purges his eyes and nose and mouth. His throat is still too raw to speak. "I'm going to try to tap a tree," I say. My fingers fumble at my belt and find the spile still hanging from its vine. "Let me make the hole first," says Peeta. "You stay with him. You're the healer." That's a joke, I think. But I don't say it out loud, since Finnick has enough to deal with. He got the worst of the fog, although I'm not sure why. Maybe because he's the biggest or maybe because he had to exert himself the most. And then, of course, there's Mags. I still don't understand what happened there. Why he essentially abandoned her to carry Peeta. Why she not only didn't question it, but ran straight to her death without a moment's hesitation. Was it because she was so old that her days were numbered, anyway? Did they think that Finnick would stand a better chance of winning if he had Peeta and me as allies? The haggard look on Finnick's face tells me that now is not the moment to ask. Instead I try to put myself back together. I rescue my mockingjay pin from my ruined jumpsuit and pin it to the strap of my undershirt. The flotation belt must be acid resistant, since it looks as good as new. I can swim, so the flotation belt's not really necessary, but Brutus blocked my arrow with his, so I buckle it back on, thinking it might offer some protection. I undo my hair and comb it with my fingers, thinning it out considerably since the fog droplets damaged it. Then I braid back what's left of it. Peeta has found a good tree about ten yards from the narrow strip of beach. We can hardly see him, but the sound of his knife against the wooden trunk is crystal clear. I wonder what happened to the awl. Mags must've either dropped it or taken it into the fog with her. Anyway, it's gone. I have moved out a bit farther into the shallows, floating alternately on my belly and back. If the seawater healed Peeta and me, it seems to be transforming Finnick altogether. He begins to move slowly, just testing his limbs, and gradually begins to swim. But it's not like me swimming, the rhythmic strokes, the even pace. It's like watching some strange sea animal coming back to life. He dives and surfaces, spraying water out of his mouth, rolls over and over in some bizarre corkscrew motion that makes me dizzy even to watch. And then, when he's been underwater so long I feel certain he's drowned, his head pops up right next to me and I start. "Don't do that," I say. "What? Come up or stay under?" he says. "Either. Neither. Whatever. Just soak in the water and behave," I say. "Or if you feel this good, let's go help Peeta." In just the short time it takes to cross to the edge of the jungle, I become aware of the change. Put it down to years of hunting, or maybe my reconstructed ear does work a little better than anyone intended. But I sense the mass of warm bodies poised above us. They don't need to chatter or scream. The mere breathing of so many is enough. I touch Finnick's arm and he follows my gaze upward. I don't know how they arrived so silently. Perhaps they didn't. We've all been absorbed in restoring our bodies. During that time they've assembled. Not five or ten but scores of monkeys weigh down the limbs of the jungle trees. The pair we spotted when we first escaped the fog felt like a welcoming committee. This crew feels ominous. I arm my bow with two arrows and Finnick adjusts the trident in his hand. "Peeta," I say as calmly as possible. "I need your help with something." "Okay, just a minute. I think I've just about got it," he says, still occupied with the tree. "Yes, there. Have you got the spile?" "I do. But we've found something you'd better take a look at," I continue in a measured voice. "Only move toward us quietly, so you don't startle it." For some reason, I don't want him to notice the monkeys, or even glance their way. There are creatures that interpret mere eye contact as aggression. Peeta turns to us, panting from his work on the tree. The tone of my request is so odd that it's alerted him to some irregularity. "Okay," he says casually. He begins to move through the jungle, and although I know he's trying hard to be quiet, this has never been his strong suit, even when he had two sound legs. But it's all right, he's moving, the monkeys are holding their positions. He's just five yards from the beach when he senses them. His eyes only dart up for a second, but it's as if he's triggered a bomb. The monkeys explode into a shrieking mass of orange fur and converge on him. I've never seen any animal move so fast. They slide down the vines as if the things were greased. Leap impossible distances from tree to tree. Fangs bared, hackles raised, claws shooting out like switchblades. I may be unfamiliar with monkeys, but animals in nature don't act like this. "Mutts!" I spit out as Finnick and I crash into the greenery. I know every arrow must count, and they do. In the eerie light, I bring down monkey after monkey, targeting eyes and hearts and throats, so that each hit means a death. But still it wouldn't be enough without Finnick spearing the beasts like fish and flinging them aside, Peeta slashing away with his knife. I feel claws on my leg, down my back, before someone takes out the attacker. The air grows heavy with trampled plants, the scent of blood, and the musty stink of the monkeys. Peeta and Finnick and I position ourselves in a triangle, a few yards apart, our backs to one another. My heart sinks as my fingers draw back my last arrow. Then I remember Peeta has a sheath, too. And he's not shooting, he's hacking away with that knife. My own knife is out now, but the monkeys are quicker, can spring in and out so fast you can barely react. "Peeta!" I shout. "Your arrows!" Peeta turns to see my predicament and is sliding off his sheath when it happens. A monkey lunges out of a tree for his chest. I have no arrow, no way to shoot. I can hear the thud of Finnick's trident finding another mark and know his weapon is occupied. Peeta's knife arm is disabled as he tries to remove the sheath. I throw my knife at the oncoming mutt but the creature somersaults, evading the blade, and stays on its trajectory. Weaponless, defenseless, I do the only thing I can think of. I run for Peeta, to knock him to the ground, to protect his body with mine, even though I know I won't make it in time. She does, though. Materializing, it seems, from thin air. One moment nowhere, the next reeling in front of Peeta. Already bloody, mouth open in a high-pitched scream, pupils enlarged so her eyes seem like black holes. The insane morphling from District 6 throws up her skeletal arms as if to embrace the monkey, and it sinks its fangs into her chest.