Later that night, the sky had darkened, and the team gathered around a campfire. The flickering flames danced against the cold night, casting long shadows across the snow-covered ground.
Kenshin unsealed one of the storage scrolls, and with a puff of smoke, a large pot of hot stew appeared, steam rising from it as if it had just been cooked. The rich aroma filled the air, prompting everyone's stomachs to growl.
"It's still warm," Maki remarked in awe. "It's nice to have fresh food during missions."
As everyone grabbed bowls of the stew, the atmosphere was calm but focused. After a few minutes of quiet eating, Yuki broke the silence.
"Alright, we need to discuss the watch schedule for tonight," she said, her tone serious. "We don't want to be caught off guard by any ambushes. This scroll must be extremely important to be warranted for an S-rank mission."
Kenshin, who was stirring his bowl, spoke up. "How about we take turns? Tonight, I'll take the first watch with you, sensei," he said, addressing Yuki respectfully. "Tomorrow, nee-san and mom can take turns."
Maki frowned slightly. "Why am I being left out?"
Kenshin looked at her and calmly explained, "If you're always rested, then no matter what happens, we'll always have three out of five of us ready to fight. Plus, everyone except you has some sensory abilities. Nee-san and I have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. sensei has her kekkei genkai, and this snow is her natural environment. And mom... well, she's a really good sensory ninja."
Maki considered his reasoning for a moment before nodding. "Makes sense," she admitted, though her competitive spirit was still visible in her expression. "but I'm still not happy about being left out."
After a brief silence, Akane turned to Kana. "Mom, can you tell us about our clan? The Uzumaki? I've always been curious."
Kana, who had been quietly enjoying her stew, looked up, her eyes softening. "I don't remember everything," she began, her voice tinged with both nostalgia and sorrow. "I was only five when the Hidden Whirlpool Village was destroyed. But there are some things I'll never forget."
The flickering light of the fire illuminated Kana's face as she continued. "That night... my parents fought to protect me. They were both injured, badly. But they still defended me and the scroll containing our clan's legacy—our sealing jutsu and ninja tools. It needs two Uzumaki to access it, but Ken-chan and Akane-chan don't qualify because they're half Uzumaki. I need someone both of whose parents are Uzumaki. Anyways,"
Her gaze shifted to the flames as she recounted the image that had haunted her for decades. "That night, I watched from a distance as four of the five Kage—everyone except the Hokage—ambushed my grandfather, Ashina Uzumaki. He fought them all alone."
Kana paused, wiping a tear. "One man, against the might of four Kage... just to protect his family. If the Raikage didn't ambush him, grandpa could've still survived. But you can only fight for so long when you have a huge hole in your chest. And the Raikage have thick arms."
The team listened in silence, their attention fully on Kana as she spoke. The weight of her memories hung in the air, thick and heavy.
Kana's voice grew softer. "And there was Yukari... she was eight years older than me, my closest friend, and my attendant. I don't know if she survived that night. But I hope... I hope she did. We were like sisters.
Kana paused, a small smile tugging on her face as she remembered a memory she was particularly fond of. "She taught me my first sealing jutsu, the storage seals specifically for food. Right after that, grandpa began teaching me calligraphy, but before I could move on to practical lessons... The village was attacked, and that was it."
The fire crackled as Kana's words faded into the night, leaving a somber silence around the campfire.
---
Meanwhile, in a small house on the outskirts of the Hidden Grass Village, an old woman lay on a tattered futon, gazing out a small window at the falling snow. Her skin was wrinkled, her once-vibrant red hair now white with age. Despite her appearance, she could not have been older than her mid-forties, 45 years old, to be specific.
The woman's breathing was labored, her chest rising and falling slowly as she murmured to herself. "This is it for me... even without healing anyone, I won't last more than a week. Karin, I just wish you were alive and with me. But don't worry, mother's coming to meet you in heaven."
Her frail hand rested on the blanket that barely covered her, her thoughts drifting to the family she had once served. "Kana-sama... I hope you're alive. Ashina-sama, your parents, they all wanted you to live, carry the legacy of our clan, and so do I. I just wish... I could talk to you... one last time."
Her words trailed off into the cold, lonely night, as the snow continued to fall softly outside her window.
---
Back at the campfire, the team had settled down to sleep, leaving Kenshin on watch. He crouched near the fire, throwing in a few sticks to keep the flames going, his thoughts drifting as he stared into the embers.
Yuki was supposed to relieve him in a few hours, but before that time came, he felt something warm draped over him. He turned to see Yuki standing beside him, a blanket in her hands.
"You shouldn't be without one in this cold," she said softly, sitting beside him.
Kenshin blinked, slightly confused. "I thought you were going to sleep."
Yuki shook her head. "I couldn't. Too much on my mind."
She stared at the fire for a moment, her expression unreadable, before finally speaking. "There's something I need to talk to you about."
After a moment of silence, Yuki took a deep breath, the warmth of the blanket wrapping around her feeling comforting yet heavy with unspoken words. "Kenshin, I wanted to ask you... what are you planning to do with your share of the money from this mission? It's a substantial amount, right?"
Kenshin looked at her, a slight smile breaking through the thoughtful expression he wore. "Yeah, I'm planning on buying new kimonos for Mom and Akane for the upcoming Rinne Festival."
Yuki raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? That sounds nice. Do you have anything specific in mind?"
"Definitely," he replied, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "I want to get mom a beautiful white kimono. She looks especially stunning in white, you know? And for Akane, I'm thinking a deep blue one. She's gorgeous, so she'd make anything look premium."
Yuki felt a pang of jealousy, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "That sounds lovely, Kenshin. I'm sure they'll appreciate it. But you don't want anything for yourself?"
Kenshin chuckled softly, gazing at the tent where the others were sleeping. "Their smiles are worth more than the entire world for me. My family is all I need."
A thoughtful silence fell between them before Yuki took a chance, her voice calm yet probing. "Kenshin, what's the relationship between you and Akane? I mean... it seems a bit more than just siblings. That day, when I went up to apologize to you, I saw it. Akane waking you up with a kiss... to your lips. It's not something a sister usually does."
Her voice was calm, though the hesitation was clear. "I don't want to pry, but… I have to ask. What exactly is your relationship with her? I know that she's not adopted because I was there, the night Danzo was taken down. I know you're blood related."
Kenshin sighed softly, as if he had been expecting this. His eyes darkened for a moment before softening as he glanced in the direction where Akane slept peacefully. "It's complicated," he began. "We're siblings, but it's… different for us."
Yuki raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to continue.
"Nee-san and I didn't grow up together. We didn't even know each other until we were older, and by then… things had already changed for us. Suddenly becoming the closest people to each other, as siblings are supposed to be… it affected us in ways we didn't expect."
While it was a lie, he didn't exactly want to tell her about their past life, as it's something that the fewer people know the better.
Kenshin paused, acting as if trying to find the right words. "We developed feelings. Romantic ones. And we know it's not normal, but… it's real. And it's not something we can just ignore."
Yuki remained silent, listening carefully. Kenshin's voice grew quieter, more vulnerable. "Mom knows about it. She's accepted it because she loves us, both of us, more than anything. She just wants us to be happy."
Yuki shifted uncomfortably. "But it's still… wrong, right? I mean, I understand that you didn't grow up together, but..."
Kenshin nodded, his expression somber. "I know it's hard to understand. I'm not asking you to accept it completely. But… please don't make a fuss over it. Her happiness means everything to me, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect her. If you can't trust me, at least trust her. She's… she's your student, you know her."
Yuki's gaze softened at the earnestness in Kenshin's voice. She wasn't sure how to process all of this, but she could see how much it meant to him. "I won't say anything," she finally replied, her voice gentle. "But I still need time to wrap my head around it."
Kenshin smiled faintly, relieved. "That's all I ask. Thank you, sensei."
Yuki nodded, leaning back slightly as the weight of the conversation hung between them. She gazed up at the sky, the stars twinkling faintly above the snow-covered landscape. "It's going to be a long night," she murmured, her thoughts still swirling.
Kenshin, sensing that the conversation had come to a close, quietly resumed his watch. The fire crackled softly, and the cold night continued to press in around them. But for now, there was a sense of understanding between them, even if the path ahead was still uncertain.
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Once again, thank you everyone for your continued support and power stones. And as always, please give me your power stones and comment your opinions. They make a big difference and motivate me to write more.