Blood is Thicker Than Mist

Chapter 8

"Alright, Shizu." Mei rested her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Usually, candidates from other nations will run straight through to Konoha in a few days, but we're a very long way across the ocean, so listen to everything your dad tells you to do, okay? Stick right beside him so that you don't get separated."

"Are we going to run all the way across the ocean without stopping?" The boy's blue eyes went round. "I can only walk slow on water. I can't run yet..."

"You'll be fine. Your dad is going to carry you on his back when it's necessary."

"Oh." The boy looked down. "I don't want to be carried like a baby, 'ttebayo."

"Well, you won't be traveling by foot across the whole of the ocean." She tilted his chin up slightly to meet his eyes. "It's too far for that, so you'll be on a ship for a while."

"Really? A ship?!" His eyes nearly sparkled and he clenched his fists in excitement, almost jumping in place. "I get to go on a ship?!"

"Yes, you do." Mei laughed and ruffled his hair. "But you still have to behave as calmly and seriously on the ship as you do the rest of the mission. It won't be fun for you, but you can't act like a tourist during the trip." She bit her lip and paused. She had almost said 'act like a child' and the thought of such a young boy having to take on the role of an official shinobi. He wouldn't be able to experience his first time since infancy– which he didn't remember– on a ship, or traveling to a new nation as a normal, curious, wonder-filled child.

"Mom?" Shizu blinked at her and poked her cheek.

"Sorry." Mei quickly apologized and returned to fiddling with his new uniform to be sure everything fit properly and was secure. "I was just thinking about something." She smiled a half-smile and continued. "Be sure to do everything your dad says. You're his official 'shadow' on this mission. If he says to blend in, be quiet, and not stand out– you follow his lead. If he tells you to hide, you hide, and if he says to run, you–"

"Mo-om ." Shizu puffed his cheeks and furrowed his thin, blond brows. "You already said to listen a hundred times, 'ttebayo."

"Saying it one-hundred-and-one times doesn't hurt." She poked his nose and he laughed quietly. "I just want you to be extra safe."

"I know, I know." He rubbed his nose and mumbled. "I'll do everything right and make you and dad proud."

"I'm already proud of you, every day." She pulled him in close for a tigh hug. She closed her eyes as she drew in a breath to take in his scent. As much as he had grown, he still had the same, distinct scent she had come to love from when he was a newborn. She knew that he might be old enough soon to be embarrassed by it, but one little sniff-n-hug always lifted her spirits if she was feeling down. She loosened her hug when he wriggled and she looked into his eyes.

"You know, Shizu, this is important for you for another reason.'

"Huh?" He turned to Mei. "Why?"

"It'll be the first time you've ever seen the sun." Mei sighed quietly. "If only I could be there with you to see your reaction."

"Don't be silly, mom!" Shizu snorted. "I've seen the sun before, 'ttebayo!" He raised his arms above his head. "It's way up high in the sky and is so bright that we can see it through the mist and fog."

"Oh, Shizu." Mei chuckled and bent to meet his eyes. "You've never seen a cloudless, mist-free sky before. This island is always covered in thick mist with very little light, and that island–" Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed the lump that formed and forced a smile. "That place is also shrouded, as well as the whole expanse of water between here and there. You've never seen just how blue the sky can be, or how the sea can sparkle like jewels, or even felt the warmth of the sun on your skin."