Chapter Text
Reiko breathed out a long exhale into the cold air, letting the blood drip sluggishly from her hand.
Fuck. It was finally over. Yanagi Kenji was dead. The parasite was finally gone from this plane of living. He would haunt her no longer.
Arisu let out a piercing squawk next to her ear, shocking her mind into sudden awareness.
“I know. I’m getting out of here now. Just give me a minute.”
Reiko looked down despondently at the cooling corpses in front of her. Yanagi had been responsible for the deaths of her family. It had taken years of training and sacrifice to finally kill this man, and yet, in this long-awaited moment, she felt nothing. No relief, no lightening of her shoulders. There was only bone-deep tiredness.
With a shuddering sigh and a quiet crunch of the soil beneath her feet, Mizuno Reiko turned around and began the long walk back to her hotel.
--
In the warmth of the hot spring, Reiko’s mind couldn’t help turn back to the beginnings of this long revenge journey.
The Mizuno clan had diminished in everything but their wealth after a joining the Hidden Mist decades ago. Whilst they had been a vast and flourishing clan prior to the creation of the village, they had slowly shrunk in prominence, until it was only Reiko that remained, the single reminder of their existence in history.
The keikkai genkai hunting had begun when Reiko turned six. Whilst the Mizuno clan had initially opposed the massacre, they quickly fell quiet after seeing the magnitude of the blind killing taking place, fearful that the Mizukage’s rage might turn onto them.
And yet, only two years later, her clan had been hunted ruthlessly by unknown assailants. In the night, Reiko had been woken up, clutched tightly in her mother’s arms as they ran for their lives. Her uncle was the first she saw fall, legs crushed by a sudden earth jutsu as he pushed her cousin ahead. Then it was her father, head dented under the blunt impact of a heavy water bullet as he fell limp to the ground. Reiko had squeezed her eyes closed, mind frozen in horror and inwardly praying for this to be a nightmare.
Her mother had eventually slowed. Placed her down on the dark earth and slid frantic hands all over her body, making sure she was unharmed. Her cousin gradually caught up to them, lungs wheezing in exertion as he finally slowed too. He was clearly injured, red spreading through the left side of his nightshirt as sunk to the ground in exhaustion. Her mother quickly placed blue glowing hands to his ribs, staunching the flow of blood.
Their pursuers were out of sight, likely slowed down by other members of her clan. Reiko’s mother, Kyo, pressed her fingers together in an unfamiliar order, and with a burst of chakra, a deep hole appeared in the ground. Shoved into the cold dirt, limb to limb, Reiko and her cousin Daisuke were quickly thrown into darkness as the hole was closed.
--O-O-O-O-O--
Suddenly afraid, Reiko pushed to rise, jostling her cousin sharply as she pressed against his thighs for leverage. Daisuke let out a painful groan, as he clutched his strained side, but Reiko ignored him uncaringly to shove against the ceiling above them.
Faintly, she could hear her mother call,
“Stay quiet. I will be back for you soon, so don’t make a noise. Look after each other, okay?”
Footsteps faded into silence as her mother set off above them. Reiko clenched her teeth painfully as hot tears started to fall silently. The only sounds shared over the next few hours were Reiko’s half-stifled sobs and her cousin’s laboured breathing, as fear kept them painfully awake.
“Reiko. Reiko! You need to be silent. We don’t know who’s out there.” Daisuke whispered insistently to her.
She was suddenly overcome by furious remorse. She was the older one, three years ahead in the academy, and yet she was putting them in further danger by not staying calm and quiet.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry. Your mother is coming back for us. We’re gonna get back home soon.”
“I know. But father… uncle… I- I saw them get hit.”
They both fell into uneasy silence. In the darkness, they could not see each other, but their hands eventually met, fingers grasping tightly at one another.
“Are you okay, Daisuke?”
“Yeah. Some kunoichi threw a kunai at me. It got pretty deep I think. But your mother mostly healed it. I don’t think it’s bleeding anymore.”
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“I can’t really feel anything right now. I just really want to sleep.”
“Get some rest then, I’ll keep watch.”
“Thanks, Reiko.”
Silence fell once more, as Reiko listened to the inhale and exhale of the warm body next to her slow into gentle breaths. In spite of the terror that had coursed through them not long ago, Reiko’s mind became sluggish with tire, and she too, feel into a light rest.
--
Awakening gradually with painfully cold, stiff limbs, Reiko observed the light now entering their dirt hole. Large gauges in the soil let early dawn light through their hideout, and Reiko used the opportunity to look at her cousin next to her. Though it was still dim, she could make out his arms and legs.
“Daisuke. Daisuke! Wake up!” She called lowly.
Yet there was no response.
Reaching up to his shoulders to shake him awake, Reiko flinched back as the back of her palm met the skin of his cheek. She quickly moved to press her hand worryingly against his small clammy forehead.
He was hot. Extremely hot. Most likely burning up with fever from his wound.
Reiko was at a loss. Though she had been at the academy for three years now, the content had yet to cover what to do when faced with a feverish, unresponsive mission partner, who was also your cousin.
The academy during the massacre had changed greatly, just as Reiko had joined. The greatest priority was sheer power, rather than the creation of well-rounded shinobi. As such, Reiko had no idea what to do for her sick, possibly dying cousin. She was suddenly filled with regret for not taking interest in any of her clan jutsu.
The Mizuno clan specialised in unique healing jutsus, it was part of the reason they had not been particularly targeted during any of the fighting. Medics were a prized commodity. But Reiko had never been particularly interested in learning her clan’s traditions at all. Truthfully, she had never been interested in being a shinobi whatsoever but had silently followed the path forged for her by her parents.
Now she was full of regret. Though she hated the feeling of sticky sweat and dirt clinging to her after a long day of training, and the painful vibrations in her bones as she was hit during taijutsu, Reiko should have paid attention to lessons of her own lineage. Her apathy and lack of concern had led her to this situation, confused about what she should do for her cousin.
Eventually she chose to inspect the damage done to his side, and Reiko slowly lifted the now burgundy nightshirt up her cousin’s chest. In the now brighter light of the sun, Reiko could see that the wound was swollen and weeping lightly coloured liquid. The smell was not pleasant, and Reiko contemplated between leaving the hole to seek help or continuing to wait for her mother.
Biting down on her lip, Reiko considered her cousin’s condition. He needed water, clean bandages, and food. Medicine if she could find any. Really, what she needed was a doctor. Whilst her mind recalled her mother’s parting words to stay put, Reiko had always been impatient, one to follow her heart where it lead her. Mind made up to take matters into her own hands, Reiko lowered her cousin’s shirt and rose in a low crouch.
Hands against the rough ceiling, her finger dug into the holes and pulled downwards. She made the hole as small as she could before attempting to heave herself upwards without widening the hole any further. The sunlight was blindly bright as Reiko took in the exposed plain they had unknowingly spent the night hidden in.
Looking at the hole they had been placed in, she could admit that it was very well disguised. The earth jutsu her mother used has somehow blended in perfectly with the surrounding area, grass and all. But now there was an obvious gap that could reveal the enclosed area. Whilst Reiko tried her best to replicate her mother’s work, the sticks and stones had only served to draw more attention to the unnatural collection of objects.
Nonetheless satisfied with the quality of her attempt, Reiko turned her gaze towards the far mountain range on her right, and started running.
Though she might have hated the physical side of learning to be a ninja, there were certainly aspects which Reiko found interesting. One such area was geography. When looking at her surroundings in this plain, she was fairly certain that the there was a small town not too far away. They hadn’t actually gone that far from the Hidden Mist during their escape.
Augmenting her muscles as she had done many times in the academy, Reiko picked up an easy running pace, confident that she could reach the town easily under two hours.
Unfortunately, this was not the case. The distance was much further than she had estimated, and her chakra stores far too small to maintain her quick pace for such a long period. She was naïve enough not to have considered the return journey, and the time it would take to get back to him. Anything could happen in that many hours.
The stupidity of her actions finally became clear to her fifty minutes into her trek, as her chakra fell below 60%. Someone was chasing her family, and they could still be looking to hunt her down. Not only was she an academy student, a below average one at that, but she was draining her precious chakra by running. Running to a village that she had no money to spend for supplies in. Stopping to catch her breath, Reiko pressed her palms to her closed eyes, as she acknowledged her foolishness.
Still, there was nothing else she could do, as her cousin needed help. He was young, even smaller than she was, and that probably meant he could die quicker if he didn’t get medicine. It was best if she just went as quick as she could, ignoring the possibility of enemies. With that, she took a deep inhale and set off once more for the village she hoped was close by.
--
Thankfully, Reiko was at least correct about the existence of the village.
It was a relatively large assortment of typical Water country style houses, with a long road running directly through the centre, lined with shops. Civilians stared as her sweaty, dirt ridden form came bounding onto the main street, head turning quickly as she looked for some kind of clinic.
A concerned face eventually asked her what a young girl like her needed, and Reiko quickly explained that her cousin was sick.
“I’m afraid Doctor Murayama is not in the town right now. He is treating patients over in Sugita village. If you need a medic, it’s best you go to the Hidden Mist, dear.”
“Then what about the supply store? Or an apothecary?”
“Hmm, you can buy medicine from the store over here, but most people here travel to get medical help.”
“Thank you.”
Bursting into the suggested shop, Reiko abruptly stopped as she looked up at the bulging figure of the shopkeeper in front of her. She’d never felt so small in her life. The shopkeeper regarded her with a pointed gaze, and Reiko suddenly lost sight of why she was there in the first place.
“Can I help you?”
“…”
“Well? Speak up girl!”, the shopkeeper barked at her.
“I need help!” Reiko spoke quickly, jumping up in surprise at the owner’s loud tone.
“What?”, the man spoke, glaring down at her.
“My cousin is dying. I really need medicine. And food.”, voice getting quieter, she added “… but I have no money…”, words fading into silence.
The shopkeeper said nothing, merely looking at her consideringly. Slowly he began,
“Most folks around here can’t afford the doctor. They all head to the Hidden Mist for free treatment. It’s dangerous, but that’s where the hospital is. I suggest you run along there as well. Ask around for someone heading there, they’d probably be willing to take a tiny thing like you onboard for free.”
Finishing, he turned his back and started walking away.
“Wait!” Reiko cut in, almost shouting.
“Please help me! I- I can’t go to the Hidden Mist. There are shinobi chasing after me, they are the ones who hurt my cousin. And I need your help… please.”
The shopkeeper turned back to face her once again, this time with clear pity in his eyes. He stood contemplating for a moment before moving.
“I see.”
Now going to his shelves, he pulled off a number of items off the wall and placed them into a thin bag. Quickly stuffing the load into her hands with a force that pushed her back several steps, the shopkeeper continued in a quiet voice.
“Young lives should not have to pay the price for this idiotic massacre. Heal your cousin, and quickly leave the Land of Water. There is no use in staying in this fallen country. Go.”
Suddenly overcome by relief, leaky tears filled Reiko’s eyes as she slumped her head downwards.
“Thank you. Thank you.” She chanted, silently promising to repay him when she could.
The shopkeeper had already gone to the back of the store, but Reiko stood awkwardly for a few moments, feet unable to move. She muttered a quiet thanks once more, before going back into the busy road. She thought briefly about the run she had to make back. Her legs were not recovered at all.
It had taken her just under three hours to get to the town, at a running pace. It would take her even longer to return, maybe four or five hours. She was low in chakra, and she was placing herself in even greater danger than before, but she needed to know if her cousin was alive.
--
The days ended early during this time of the year. The temperature had already dropped significantly as the cold sea winds blew inland. Reiko had slowed down significantly from her earlier pace, now somewhere between a walk and a jog. Three years at the academy had definitely not prepared her for this long day of torturous exercise, and her muscles were ready to give up.
Academy children all over the elemental nations were gradually indoctrinated into ignoring pain. The young children that entered the academy, quick to cry and scream at a simple fall, would be transformed almost immediately. A nick of a kunai, bruises from training – there would be no hugs and kisses to soothe the pain away anymore. Shinobi do not cry, they endure. But as someone from a clan of medics, Reiko was not used to lingering pain as her classmates were. Cuts and scrapes from a long day of sparring would last at most a few hours, until she would run into the arms of her mother and blue light would surround her, taking all the pain away.
But this type of pain – pushing past the cramp and strain of her thighs as she kept running onwards? No, Reiko had not been prepared for this type of pain in the slightest. The sun was quickly dropping lower and lower, and if she didn’t go faster, it was possible that she would not be able to find the hole she had disguised.
When she made it back to the plain, Reiko was completely late.
On this cloudless night, the muted glow of the moon provided some aid, and Reiko was at the very least not tripping incessantly with each step over uneven ground. But darkness had fallen fully. And just as previously feared, the hole was out of sight. On this clear expanse of land, there was no real landmarks she could use to navigate herself. She had not bothered to make indicators earlier, confident that she would not need it. After wondering around, and only disorientating herself further, Reiko began shouting.
“Daisuke! Daisuke! Where are you?”
Desperately hoping that her cousin was awake, and could respond, Reiko continued to raise her voice, completely lost. This charade continued for a long time before a muffled sound was heard.
“R-Rei…ko”
Hope filled her, as Reiko noisily stomped her way to her right.
Finally. Finally, she found the mess of rocks and sticks that was her shoddy cover up. Reiko was suddenly grateful for her lack of proficiency, which had made the hole stick out so unnaturally from the surrounding area, and obvious to her eyes even in the darkness.
Ripping the hole open, Reiko climbed back down. Her cousin was still sweaty and hot, but the cold of the night had caused him to start shivering uncontrollably.
“…where did… you go… Reiko? Thought… you left me.”
“I’m sorry, Daisuke. You wouldn’t wake up, no matter how much I shook you. I thought you were dying so I left to get medicine.”
Her hands scrambled through the bag to find the medicine she had been given. Reiko had taken inventory before leaving the town: A few bottles of tea and water, dry crackers, fever reducing medicine, and a basic first aid kit. It was enough to get them by for two days. Her mother would get back to them before then.
Reiko stuffed the medicine in his mouth first. Daisuke whined and protested at the bitter taste, and Reiko was suddenly reminded at how young he was. How young they both were. At five years old, Daisuke had just started attending the academy, not even a semester in. As his senior by three years, Reiko needed to protect him.
But first, he needed to take this medicine. There was no time for gentle coaxing.
Thankfully, Daisuke’s complaining had shaken him from the depths of his sick haze. Reiko used this newfound clarity to stuff crackers in his gentle hold, which were eventually eaten in small, slow bites. After feeding him water, disinfecting, and wrapping his wound tightly, Reiko finally relaxed. Her legs felt swollen and heavy, bent at an awkward angle in the cramped space, but she was too tired to consider shifting into a more comfortable position. Turning her head to look at her cousin, she took in his face which had gained some colour, the change noticeable even in the low light.
Basking in the comfort that her cousin would be okay, Reiko faced the ceiling. She couldn’t summon the strength to fix the exposed ceiling that she had left uncovered. She merely prayed that no one would find them on this cold night. She refused to think of what her mother was doing. What it might mean that she hadn’t come back for them yet. She forcibly cleared her mind of those thoughts and fell unwillingly into a deep sleep.
--
The sky was still black when Reiko woke once again.
The small body beside her was once again burning up, now even hotter than the first night. Reiko placed a hand on Daisuke’s chest, to check that he was breathing in the darkness. The sound of had gone from laboured breaths earlier to small puffs barely leaving him.
“Daisuke. Wake up! You need to get up.”
Reiko shook his shoulders, no resistance fighting against her movements. He was limp in her arms.
“Reiko… it… it hurts…”
Reiko sighed in painful relief. A responsive Daisuke was an alive one.
“You need to take some more medicine. I’ll change the bandage too, you’ve sweated completely through this one.”
Pulling back her poorly secured bandages carefully, Reiko stilled as her hands brushed against the wound. It was wet and sticky under her hand and smelled far worse that it had before. This wasn’t sweat. Most likely pus.
“D-Daisuke.”
Reiko didn’t know what to do. She had cleaned it, bandaged it, and gave her cousin medicine. What was she supposed to do next? She didn’t want to leave him again, and there was no doctor available in the village anyways. Panic-stricken, Reiko simply pushed more pills and water to his mouth. Tears slipping down in frustration as her younger cousin refused to swallow it.
Where is mother? I need her here.
After a drawn-out effort, her cousin finally consumed the medicine given to him, quickly falling back into slumber after strictly refusing to eat any food. Reiko trembled and prayed to all the gods, for him to make it through the night. Her mind was wide awake as sat vigil by his side, legs pressed against one another as she smoothed a cool hand over his sweaty hair. But her eyelids slowly sunk lower and lower unbidden, and Reiko fell asleep, her body curled protectively over his small form.
--
Waking once again, this time to bright light, it only took Reiko brief moments to realise the horror of the situation that had unfolded. Her cousin was cold beneath her. The chest under her hand did not rise to press against it. His body had gone completely stiff with death. Reiko’s hands quivered furiously as she took in his pale face in the dawn light. His eyebrows were lightly creased in discomfort. He had died in pain.
Suddenly overwhelmed with the need to vomit, Reiko scrambled out of the hole. Retching into the cold dirt, she felt the guilt start to weigh down on her.
She had fallen asleep. Her cousin was dying, and she had been sleeping peacefully next to him. But she should have stayed awake – made sure he was breathing through the night. Fingers clenched and curled in the dirt as her shame grew.
I’m sorry Daisuke. I didn’t take good enough care of you. I should have protected you.
Now what?
What did she do with the body? Should she still wait for her mother? Was her mother dead already? Just like Daisuke? Just like Uncle? Just like Father?
Thoughts spiralled around in her head. She needed to find her mother. Now.
Reiko looked with a bloodless face at the stiff feet she could see from inside the hole. She couldn’t just leave her cousin here. There was small cemetery on the clan grounds. Urns of her family’s ashes were kept there. Bile burned its way up her throat once again at the thought of burning her cousin’s corpse. She would hide him for now. She would find her mother, and they would come back and retrieve Daisuke’s body. She would bring him back to their home.
Wiping the vomit from her mouth, Reiko stood up on unsteady feet. Covering the hole once more, this time with much more effort and detail, she turned in the direction of the Bloody Mist that they had fled from.
Please mother. You need to be alive.