Do Goodbyes Last Forever?
She had a month left before she’d be pushed into new territory.
“Chi-chan?” Kushina called. They sat in their old training ground while Keiichi threw himself into his dart practice. Kushina watched on the sidelines, eating Minori’s cookies. Her mouth stretched into a teasing grin. “You gonna miss me when I’m gone?”
Keiichi paused, observing his companion analytically. Sooner or later, he scoffed. “The place’ll be a whole lot quieter without you. I’ll have a ton of time to do whatever I want.” He came to a sudden epiphany– that’s what his eyes said after his words fell off– and avoided Kushina’s eyes, speaking quietly. “But there’ll be no one to talk to…”
His ears were red.
Kushina giggled. “Don’t worry, you won’t get rid of me that easily. I’ll write to you a whooooole lot, bane! Don’t worry about that.”
Keiichi muttered angrily to himself.
Kushina loved him.
◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌
Shig came back with a relatively serious injury.
From what she heard, a team of Kirigakure, another major shinobi– ninja– village, made their way across the sea and got too close to Uzu’s protection barrier for comfort.
In fighting them, Shig received a kunai lodged in his knee.
When he was rushed to the hospital, Kushina wanted nothing more than to stay by his side, make sure he was breathing in her line of sight at all times. She was denied. It was first because she was too young, then because she’d be in the way, and the most important one: Kushina was busy. There was no time to be visiting a hospital patient.
Dani attempted at reassurance. Going on and on with pity in her gaze that her father would be okay. Kushina did not relax. Kushina only stopped trying to break in when Chikako promised to keep her informed. It was hard to believe her own mother when she looked worse for wear herself.
However, Chikako was alive, her father was alive. That thought was the only thing keeping her moving.
If they were alive, Kushina would be okay.
◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌
Minori told Kushina more and more of her past ninja career, adding on the parts of Ren and her grandfather. She could tell there were pieces left out from her stories; Kushina could tell there were parts forever locked away. She decided not to ask about them.
Minori told her more of her father’s father. Kushina’s grandfather was a researcher. He looked into the weirdest phenomena, she said, never satisfied with an expert’s word. The word ‘why’ had always been his favorite.
Minori looked so happy when telling her stories, talking about him and Ren.
Minori skimmed over a part of the story, afterwards beginning to talk about how Ren was the one to take care of Shig, for the most part, when they were left sponsors. The only reason Kushina was given was that Minori hadn’t been in the right mindset to take care of a child. Somehow things changed for her when she birthed her own child at an older age than was usual. Minori steadily repeated how she still loved Shig as a son, Kushina an extended granddaughter, her own flesh and blood.
There was no doubt Minori was part of Kushina’s family too.
◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌
Ren and Kushina never stuck to their non-existent course plan. They easily got distracted, ending up simply chatting about things she would never chat with anyone else about.
“I had contemplated commiting suicide a fair amount of times, and I am not ashamed to say it,” Ren once admitted.
Kushina didn’t know what expression she made that day, all she remembered was the wild wind blowing up from the cliff, drowning out all other sounds and keeping Ren’s secret a secret.
“I’ve just about given up so many times in face of this world. Would say the only reason I’m still here, fighting out my days, is because of the people I got stuck on a genin team with.” Ren breathed out a breath that Kushian pinned for reminisce. “Shig’s old man mostly, boy did he know how to read people.” His eyes remained soft as he spat out words of distaste. “You’re a lot like him.”
Kushina highly doubted it.
“Kushina,” he said another time, one of the most serious she’d seen him. “If you are going to live here, if you are going to be a ninja, you need to remember something. Everyone’s definitions of good and evil are different.”
Kushina wished she could tell the man how much she loved him.
◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌
Five days until her 6th birthday; 12 hours until she was meant to disembark for Konoha.
Never did Kushina wish so much that time would slow, even just a little.
It was meant to be a small party, just the six of them. Yet, it looked like they had an uninvited guest as a knock broke on the front door.
“Kushina,” Gahn greeted as the girl opened the door.
Her eye twitched, there was absolutely no way to get rid of the guy.
The man didn’t mind her face, only lifting his eyes into that of a smile, holding out a wrapped package.
By the time she looked back up from the small box, he was gone. She could have sworn she heard a whisper of happy birthday, but that couldn’t have been; she must have been delirious.
“Kushina? Who was it?” Chikako wondered from the kitchen.
She took one last glance at the empty road and let out a breath. “Noone!”
◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌
Their gathering went through the night; long and all too short. Kushina received presents from the people she felt she’d never see again (she reassured herself she would).
Ren dumped her a special looking sealing scroll that night; he said it was a kit of sorts.
“It’s a lot more than it looks, brat,” was all he said.
She packed her almost 6 years worth of belongings in a few scrolls and a backpack. It was unsettling to see no more of her presence in the house she grew up in. As she stood in place, Kushina wanted nothing more than to keep staring, to stay and for nothing to ever change again.
She instead lifted her head, walked one step and another until she was out of the house and to the main docks of their island village. Kushina turned away from the escort that met her there.
“Hold on,” Ren said. “One last thing.”
The man approached her slowly, moving to where she was halfway between her old life and her new. Ren placed a worn, chipped metal headband in her hand; it was still warm to the touch when she fingered the spiral carved upon it.
“You are as much a ninja of Uzu that you are of Konoha.” Ren smiled sheepishly. It wasn’t a smirk, nor something half hearted like usual. Ren genuinely smiled at her. “But I’m sure we both prefer if you were of neither.”
Kushina pushed back the emotions that threatened to spill over as he moved farther and farther away from her. He showed her his back, so she did the same.
Kushina turned over her shoulder one last time, grinning as bright as the sun. “I’ll see you soon, yeah?!”
Kushina wanted to be cool. She wanted them all to see her smile instead of her tears.
It was a new life, a new world. Kushina was different. Kushina had people who believed in her. She would never let them down.
Kushina couldn’t water walk with the rest of her escort. She was instead mounted on Dani, who was part of the group along with Zello a few feet away. After she felt hands secure her in place, Kushina was out at sea in seconds. The clear blue ocean wailed for her to run her hand through it as they sped along.
Kushina retreated to her thoughts after she settled on Dani’s shoulder.
How does Konoha think they can handle me?
She wondered what the finality she felt in her chest was. Kushina wondered how different things would be and when would be the next time she could come back. She wondered where fate would pull her next.
Kushina hoped her luck would get just a little better.
Salty water smacked her square in the face.