LEGACY

Tujuh belas

Chapter 17

Fumiko was busying herself catching up with the paper works she had missed due to her absence. It was hours after her discharge and she had not taken any rest yet. Well, until Fu appeared in her office.

"Taichou."

"Hn?" Fumiko did not bother to look up.

"That Hyuuga boy's outside the cave." He sighed. "He's been there for an hour and glaring at the entrance the whole time, so I thought I'd let you know."

Fumiko was stunned for a bit before sighing too. She then put her paper works in a scroll. "...Inform me in case something happens."

"Ha'i."

Fumiko then walked out of the base. Just like what Fu had said, Neji was standing in front of the cave's entrance. His glare turned softer when he finally saw the girl he was waiting for.

"Neji-kun," Fumiko sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"To walk you back home." He answered bluntly. "I know you'd stay here until midnight if I didn't stop by."

"You don't have to do that." Fumiko said as they walked away. "Besides, how can you find this place? This place is protected in many ways so the other ninjas won't find out."

"...."

"Neji-kun?"

"....I might or might not follow the taller ANBU around."

"And he let you?" Fumiko raised her eyebrow.

"Hmph."

Fumiko chuckled before reaching out for Neji's arm. "Shall we get any ramen?"

"Sasuke is already waiting at the compound."

"Oh?"

"You look surprised, Fumiko-sama."

"I didn't think that he'd actually come back home." Fumiko answered. "Accompany me buying ingredients, then. What do you want for dinner?"

"Everything's fine, Fumiko-sama."

Fumiko gave Neji a deadpan look. "What's your favorite food?"

"....Salmon mentai."

"Hn." Fumiko nodded.

Once they got back into the main house, Sasuke was already waiting in the living room. He sat uncomfortable on the tatami. Fumiko and Neji exchanged look.

"You know you don't have to come back here if it hurts you so much, Sasuke." Fumiko said.

Sasuke who was in deep thought jolted at his sister's voice. He did not look at her. "...You're the clan leader. When you told me to come back home, I have to."

Fumiko did not answer him as she went to the kitchen. She began to prepare dinner and after an hour, everything was ready. She came back to the living room where she left Sasuke with Neji, only to find them playing shogi.

"Dinner's ready." She said, breaking the boys' concentration.

Both Neji and Sasuke looked up, then they followed Fumiko back to the kitchen. On the dining table, food was spread. What made Sasuke's heart constricted though was the fact that there was a huge bowl of cherry tomatoes in the middle of the table. There were several other types of dishes, though the main food would be Salmon Mentai rice bowl.

"Itadakimasu." They mumbled as the boys started to eat in silence.

Noticing that Fumiko had not pick her chopstick yet, Neji opened his mouth. "Is there something wrong, Fumiko-sama?"

"...No."

"You're remembering the last time we had dinner, aren't you?" Sasuke looked at his sister expectantly.

Fumiko frowned and started to eat, literally ignoring Sasuke. The said boy sighed, then opened a conversation that he was dying to know.

"You said you've punished the man who's responsible for the clan's death. The day we faced Itachi, you told him that information, didn't you?"

Fumiko put down her chopstick as Sasuke continued. "Why did you tell him? And are you sure you kill the right person? Cause Itachi's still roaming out there! And why did you hold back that time? I've watched you sparred before, you'd definitely able to fight him, then why didn't you?!"

Fumiko suddenly stood up. She looked down at Sasuke icily. Neji, who felt awkward being in the middle of their fight, did not know what to do. Sasuke started to breathe heavily too.

"Sasuke," Fumiko was now walking out of the room, but stopping at the door. "I've told you before. Use your head."

She then body flickered away. Every time she finished a mission back then, Fumiko would always go to a specific waterfall near a valley. She would usually be there with Shusui. After his death, though, she stopped coming to that place. The girl walked through the lake, letting her body soaked with the cold water before relaxing her body so she could float in the middle of the lake.

All her attention was solely on the bright full moon. Heat started to creep on her eyes, making them glossy as she sniffed. Her heart restricted, feeling hurt as everything had happened started to get processed by her. She sniffed again, and again. Now completely defeated and defenseless, she let out a scream and cried away her frustration.

Unbeknown to her, not far from there, on the top of the tallest tree, stood Itachi, with his partner sitting on a lower branch. Itachi looked as stoic as ever, but by the way he gripped the tree trunk, Kisame knew that the man was holding back a lot of things.

"Itachi-san, I think she's about to drown." Kisame said.

True to his words, Fumiko was way too tired and fell asleep while floating. Though due to a sudden wave from the waterfall, she was starting to drown. That was until Itachi appeared next to her and scooped her in his embrace.

"My poor sweet little sister." For a second, he let his guard down and sadness fell upon him.