The Farewell
The piece of paper she got from Koharu had a date and time of their next meeting. There they had spoken about who would be fit to represent the Hidden Leaf in the other villages.
They held more meetings as the days passed.
Until one day, all the villages had rebuilt the damages from the war. The idea of the ambassador came up again. The villages had considered this and after some time the Hokage had received everyone's answer. They had said yes to the idea and Ayame was called to the office alongside the two elders. They were then again tasked to find candidates to represent the villages.
In the month to come, three candidates were chosen alongside Ayame. The plans were soon done and the ambassadors were ordered to pack and ready their belongings for the journey to their chosen village. Ayame packed almost half of her clothes, which was, to be fair, a lot. Daily clothes, fancy dresses, ceremonial holiday outfits, and work clothes. She almost felt sorry for the people who would be carrying her bags. But, well. She knew that some of them would be more than useful in the future. She had almost finished packing when she heard Hiruzen.
“I can not believe that you are soon leaving,” he said, his voice entering the room before the man himself. His next words were mumbled, “You are going to the Hidden Cloud ... Ak! The thought of his face makes me angry. Ayame, promise me that you will be careful and won’t let the Raikage control you or bend you to his will!”
“Of course, Grandpa Hiru. I will be careful and watch out for trouble. My goal in the Hidden Cloud is to tame the big bad wolf,” Ayame winked at him, as he chuckled.
He sighed, “This will be the longest you have been away from the village,” he said, as he sat down on her bed. He looked up at her, worry clear in his eyes, “Do you wish to be an ambassador?”, he asked Ayame, as she sat beside him on the bed.
She smiled, with what her years of training told her was a reassuring smile,
“Of course, Grandpa. I wish to help the village maintain peace between it and the other villages and secure a safe future for the next generation. Your generation grandpa only knows of war and bloodshed, but the times are changing and so must we.” Ayame told her grandpa.
He told her, “You have grown into a wonderful woman, Ayame. I am so proud of you.” Hiruzen hugged his granddaughter and Ayame wrapped her arms around him.
‘Sorry, Grandpa, but my true mission is to seduce the man you wanted me to stay away from. Sadly you will not know this, as my job as an ambassador is a cover to hide the truth' she thought, as she held on to her grandpa.
The days went by too fast. She had friends and family coming to say farewell and to wish her luck on her travels. They gave her farewell gifts, travel advice, and food for the journey, and promised to pray for her safety and happiness. It felt like time ran away from her and before she knew it, one morning, she awoke to her Grandfather’s yelling.
“No, you can’t today. She will be staying with me!” Another, a younger voice yelled back,
“But today is her last day in the village and I want to have fun with her before she leaves.” It was Konohamaru’s voice. He and Hiruzen kept arguing back and forth about who gets to spend time with Ayame on her last day in the Hidden Leaf.
With a sigh of fond exasperation, Ayame got dressed and left her room. She walked to the stairs and stumped heavily down on each step to make her presence known. It was her grandfather who took notice of her first and greeted her,
“Good morning Ayame, come and eat breakfast with me” He smiled as if he just hadn’t argued with a literal child.
Konohamaru took Ayame’s hand and asked her,
“Aya, will you sit with me?” He gave her a big smile as she nodded. Ayame could feel her grandfather glaring at Konohamaru.
Breakfast was far from ordinary. Hiruzen and Konohamaru tried to compete for Ayame’s attention. Behind her back, she could feel the fight continue in silence. As they finished their meal and cleaned up after themselves, Ayame went to the door and her brother and grandfather followed.
Ayame turned around and asked, “Konohamaru, would you like to walk in the village with me?” Konohamaru gave her a smile of victory, as their grandfather’s mood turned sour. Ayame went to hug him and whispered, “Don’t worry, I will be back before you know it. I will be with Konohamaru this morning and stay with you in the afternoon,” She pulled away and smiled at her grandfather. He nodded and waved as Konohamaru dragged Ayame out of the house, and down the street.
As Ayame and Konohamaru strolled through the bustling village streets, the lively chatter and the aromatic scents of street food filled the air. Children ran past them, playing games and laughing, while vendors called out their wares, adding to the vibrancy of the morning.
Konohamaru's eyes sparkled with excitement as he pointed to a small shop.
“Ayame, look! They have the best dango in the village. Let's get some!”
Ayame chuckled and nodded, letting herself be led to the dango stand. They each picked out their favorite flavors and continued their walk, munching on the sweet treats.
“So, what mischief are we getting into today?” Ayame teased, nudging Konohamaru playfully.
Konohamaru grinned mischievously, “You’ll see! I have a special plan, but it’s a surprise. I promise you’ll love it.”
Curiosity piqued, Ayame followed Konohamaru as he led her towards the outskirts of the village. They reached a serene, hidden garden that Konohamaru had discovered during his solo adventures. Flowers of all colors bloomed beautifully, and a small pond with koi fish added a touch of tranquility.
Ayame's eyes widened in awe.
“Konohamaru, this place is incredible! How did you find it?”
Konohamaru smiled proudly.
“I stumbled upon it one day while exploring. I wanted to share it with you. I thought it would be a perfect spot for us to hang out and enjoy some peace away from the busy village.”
They sat by the pond, enjoying the calm and the beauty of the hidden garden. Ayame felt a sense of gratitude and happiness, appreciating Konohamaru’s thoughtful gesture.
As the morning passed, they laughed, talked, and shared stories, strengthening their bond even more. Soon, it was time for Ayame to return to her grandfather.
“Thank you for today, Konohamaru. This has been one of the best mornings I’ve had in a long time,” Ayame said, smiling warmly.
Konohamaru beamed, “Anytime, Ayame.”
Later that afternoon, as Ayame returned home to her grandfather, she felt the warmth of her morning adventure still lingering in her heart. Her grandfather was sitting in his usual spot, a serene expression on his face as he sipped his tea.
“Ayame, you’re back,” he greeted her, his eyes twinkling. “How was your time with Konohamaru?”
Ayame smiled and sat beside him, recounting the details of their walk through the village and the discovery of the hidden garden. Her grandfather listened intently, nodding along and occasionally chuckling at her animated descriptions.
“It sounds like you had a wonderful time,” he said. “I’m glad you have such a good time with Konohamaru.”
“Me too, Grandpa. It was just what I needed,” Ayame replied, her heart full of gratitude.
The afternoon passed peacefully as Ayame and her grandfather spent time together, enjoying each other’s company. They tended to the garden, prepared a delicious meal, and shared stories from their past. The bond between them grew even stronger, and Ayame felt a deep sense of contentment.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow over the village, Ayame looked at her grandfather and said,
“Thank you for always being here for me, Grandpa. I love spending time with you.”
Her grandfather smiled and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“And I, you, Ayame. You bring so much joy into my life.”
The evening sky turned to shades of pink and purple, Ayame had spent her last day in the Hidden Leaf with her brother and grandpa. They had a big feast that night with her mother and Shizune.
She went to bed that night tired and nervous. Tomorrow she would leave her home in the Hidden Leaf and move to the Hidden Cloud. There she would meet her target, the Raikage, and make him marry her for the sake of her village.
Barely finding any rest in her bed, she began counting sheep. She later began to drift into a deep sleep. The night turned to day as the sun came up after only a few hours of rest.
She woke up two hours before she was set to leave. Ayame changed and tidied her room for the last time before leaving. When she was done, she had an hour left to eat and walk to the gate. She ate with her family and they followed her to the gate where they would be saying their farewells.
Ayame said goodbye to her family but before leaving she hugged her grandfather and told him,
“I will write to you often if you would like that.” She gave him a sad smile and Hiruzen answered,
“You better write every day, Ayame”. He told her trying to hold his tears back.
“Of course,” She said to him before facing her mother.
“Good luck Ayame. And do write to me if something were to happen to you, okay?”
Ayame nodded as she hugged her mother before turning back to the others.
“Yamato, is your team ready, and is everyone here?” Ayame asked as she walked to the carriage.
“Yes, everyone is present and we are ready to leave”. He told her with a steady voice.
“Then let’s go,” She said as she turned to wave to the people standing by the gate.
She entered the carriage and then she was on her way to the Hidden Cloud.