Observations
It calmed as quickly as it came.
Sakumo kept his ears open. They were always open. The absence of noise could be as telling as sound. News of Uzushio’s fall had made its rounds, yet things quickly quieted. It was surreal, as if the news had never been given. As if it were nothing but a fictional story. There were no details for people to share. There were no accusations of any village or group committing such a thing. No boasts that Konoha was involved. Sakumo didn’t believe Konoha was involved, but he was going through every scenario regardless of how slim it was to have occurred, trying to eliminate possibilities until he reached an answer.
It wasn’t long until fresh news took over as there was nothing to grasp at. There wasn’t even any news of whether security would heighten. Sakumo didn’t believe Konoha was doing nothing. It was subtle, but he could feel the uptick of movement whenever he wandered out. Nothing had been mentioned or disclosed to him though, so he could only speculate they were related to Uzushiogakure’s fall. Even when the Hokage returned, things remained silent. It was like a fever dream.
Sakumo couldn’t fully fault the shift in discussion. News that Kirigakure had been transferring the Sanbi to a new host was useful information. News that the sealing initially failed, and it had been released, causing havoc on the island’s coast was critical information. However, that too was short-lived. The issue had been resolved by the time he heard it.
The tides were turning. As with any storm, preparation was needed to weather through, but Sakumo couldn’t be certain where the tides were drifting towards. The difference could be between sinking or bypassing a dangerous situation.
The front door open and he heard a thump. He peeked over to see his daughter he hadn’t seen in well over a month. The thump came from a stretched, filled bag.
Yuina rotated her right shoulder counterclockwise, using her fingers from her left hand to dig into her pectoralis, trapezius, and deltoid muscles. She stopped her rotation to lift her arm, bending her elbow and pressing down over her head. Her muscles must have felt stiff. Yuina lightly tugged to the left and exhaled.
“Everything went well?”
Sakumo was startled by how Yuina was startled. He knew she used their house to relax and let down her guard, but that much unawareness from her was unprecedented. Her foot took a half-step back to balance herself and she repeatedly blink taking in her surroundings. It was another five seconds before Yuina bolted towards him. Arms wrapped around his torso, and her head nuzzled into his stomach. She took a deep breath before slowly exhaling.
She still hadn’t answered, though she could simply be happy to be home. Her demeanor always brightened after coming home from missions. There was no reason to believe it would be different this time even if the circumstances were different. Still, to cover all his bases he asked, “Did something happen in Iwa?”
“That’s…” Yuina closed her mouth, and he felt her face scrunch against him. He didn’t need to see her face to know what it currently looked like. Her grip lightened. “A mess. They booed us out.”
“That bad?”
“Everyone pushed hard in the initial rounds that there wasn’t much energy left for the later matches.”
Something happened. Sakumo knew Yuina. She was deflecting from whatever was on her mind. It was something that shouldn’t be probed if she wasn’t sharing.
Sakumo’s fingers brushed through Yuina’s hair.
Yuina looked up. “The Hokage left quickly. Is everything alright here?”
She was fishing for information. He wondered if something really did happen. There was no reason for her to assume the Hokage’s hurry had anything to do with the state of the village. Yuina was known to conject, but she knew better than to voice baseless accusations that could put people in precarious positions.
“Things are stable for now,” said Sakumo.
“But something happened.”
“Uzushio fell and the Sanbi has a new host. The two are considered unrelated.” Some may speculate the relation between the two, but it was too convenient. It really came across as a coincidence. Allegedly, the destruction from the Sanbi was clearly marked off the Land of Water island. People would have made connections if there was similar damage – though he was unaware the state Uzushio was left in.
Yuina frowned and searched his eyes, then face, for something. As if he was holding back from her. Was there something else? She tilted her head. Her hair followed her movement. “Uzushio? I thought it was weird Yugakure was invited but Uzushiogakure wasn’t.”
“Iwa invited the others?”
“Yeah.”
Sakumo received another puzzle piece, but he was unsure whether it was for the same picture. Regardless, the image of what he sought wasn’t any clearer. Had their exclusion been intentional? That was too bold of a statement though, even if the intentions had been destruction. It also didn’t explain the Hokage’s ostensible hurry or his lack of a formal response. Sakumo wondered whether their leader had the full picture or whether he too was trying to come to the right conclusions.
That still didn’t explain Yuina’s presumptions or interest in the topic, or her discontent with his answer.
“It’s nice to be back. It was too chilly. At least there was very little wind once we got there. I don’t want to know how much worse it could be with windchill. No wonder they have too many warm, hearty delicacies.” Yuina moved on from the topic. “Don’t worry, I miss your food.”
“Should I cook you something? You’ll have to let go for that.”
“I guess.” She grumbled as she reluctantly created distance. “Please tell me we have vegetables besides potatoes and carrots. That and mushrooms.”
“Of course.”
Sakumo takes a step to head towards the fridge when Yuina grabbed his hand. He looked back curiously. She looked down before smiling up at him, though the expression didn’t reach her eyes. “I love you.”
His axis shifted. Something was wrong. Yuina never expressed affection half-heartedly. Never so small. Never so hesitant.
Something happened and she couldn’t or wouldn’t tell him