CHAPTER XII
THIRD POINT OF VIEW
"Go away..." Tsubaki groaned beneath her pillow, wishing for the incessant knocking to go away. After Hizashi had visited, all of Tsubaki's earlier exhaustion came like a crashing wheelbarrow. She wanted to be dead to the world right now. Her body remained as still as possible beneath the comfy covers, trying to drown the person out.
'It's late at night! What a drag.' But no matter how much she pretended they didn't exist nothing was going to stop their persistence.
She shot out of bed, ignoring the soreness all over her body. "Who-!...Naruto?"
The blonde was perched outside the window sill, waving excitedly. He almost lost his grip from the exaggerated greeting. "Gah! You idiot! This is the third floor!" Tsubaki rushed over to let him in before he could plummet to his death. The second he was safely inside the building he wrapped her up in a strong hug, nearly carrying her off the floor.
"You're alive dattebayo! Thank goodness." His sobbing could have woken up the entire ward. Tsubaki struggled out of his grip to quieten him before the nurses on duty heard.
"Be quiet!" She removed her hand from his mouth, cringing at the ugly sight of his snot dripping from his red nose. "You're not supposed to be in here. Visiting hours are over already. Why didn't you just come to visit me tomorrow? What if you fell from the window and broke something. And your face is all red from crying. Jeez, take better care of yourself, would you? Or at least have better judgment. Come here."
She pulled him over to the private bathroom. She started wetting the small face towel her mother brought over for the morning and ran it under warm water. Once it was thoroughly soaked she gently rubbed his face.
"Why the heck are you crying," she muttered quietly, continuing her work without meeting his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to make the patient feel better, not worse?"
"...But I heard you were seriously hurt." Naruto looked down at his feet. "The adults wouldn't let any of us come you see you when they brought you back. I went to your house to ask Shikamaru but he was crying."
Tsubaki thought back to earlier this evening. If her twin heard that someone else had seen him crying, she wondered how harsh of a blow his stoic pride as a man would take. "Everyone at school was worried too. Iruka-sensei wouldn't tell us no matter how much we asked about you. Then I heard the nurses kept saying you were in cri...criq..."
"Critical."
His cheeks burned. "Y-Yeah. They said you were in critical condition...I thought that if I came during the day then the nurses wouldn't let me come in so I waited. I told myself I wasn't going to cry when I came, but...when I saw you, I couldn't help thinking that if you died...I would've been all alone again. You're my only friend. I don't want you to die."
Tsubaki paused, her lips parting as she was unable to respond. Naruto started to breakdown right in front of her. Today she seemed to be making everyone cry. 'I never meant to make you feel lonely, Naruto...I didn't mean to make anyone feel like that.'
When the report about Hinata came in, her body just moved. There was no planning or anything like that. She was really scared, but not as much as she was worried about Hinata's safety.
Talking with everyone helped her realize how selfish her actions were.
She smiled lopsidedly, messing up the boy's tangled hair roughly. His useless efforts in stopping her just made her laugh harder. "You're a hundred years away from worrying about me! Look!" She started flexing her invisible muscles. "Even Dr. Mori said I'm pretty much good to go! Listen Naruto, if you ever want to become as amazing as me, you have to train super, super hard! Once you've gotten stronger than me then you can start worrying your little head over your big sister!"
"Now you're just bragging. And you're only one month older than me!"
"Doesn't matter! Still older!" A loud yawn escaped her lips. At the same time, Naruto started yawning. "Looks like we're both pretty tired, huh. C'mon." She started pulling him back over to her bed.
"Eh? But what if the nurse comes in and sees me?"
"Don't worry about it. Just get in."
The two situated themselves under the cover. Naruto still wasn't convinced so he chose to sleep on the side closest to the window in case he needed to make a quick escape. Tsubaki grinned at him. "This is the first time you've ever had a sleepover, huh."
He blushed slightly. "Y-Yeah..."
"Hehe! Let's tell each other spooky stories until we fall asleep."
"I-I'm not really good with those."
"Eh?" Her expression morphed into an evil grin. "Naru-kun, could it be you're a scaredy-cat?"
The heat in his face rose. "I-I'm not! Who'd be scared of a story! Y-You go first."
"Okay! Once, there was a beautiful woman who was horribly scarred..."
****
Shikaku came alone to the underground meeting place the Third Hokage had decided on. It usually served as the private council between the Third Hokage, the Konoha Elders, and a man named Danzo. Even without seeing them, Shikaku could sense the numerous presence of ANBU protecting the entranceway. The long way down was dark.
A few mounted candles granted the struggling man his sight. He was glad to reach the end of the phantom stairway and enter a brighter setting.
The Third Hokage was seated at his usual seat, looking over Dr. Mori's diagnostic paperwork of Tsubaki. These were the original copies. Whatever Dr. Mori put in the hospital's filing would be for the public record. But off record, the Third Hokage was the only person that needed to know the truth about why she had managed to heal so quickly. And now, so would Shikaku.
He bowed before his leader, already anxious about what this meeting was going to be about. "Hokage-sama, I hope you're doing well."
"There's no need to be so formal, Shikaku. Stand." He did as told. The Third Hokage laced his fingers in front of his face. "The issue with Kumogakure has been resolved in its own way. As far as they know, Hiashi was the one who found Hinata and saved her. Luckily, Itachi and Kakashi seem to be fond of your daughter and have kept her being there a secret from Danzo. If news got out to the rest of the Council they'd want her turned over immediately. I'm sure that's something you and Yoshino want to avoid at all costs."
"I thank you for going through all this for my daughter's sake."
"I'm not finished. Dr. Mori has given me Tsubaki's files. Is there anything you want to tell me?"
Shikaku's fists curled. "...Hokage-sama-"
"I understand that as her father it's hard for you, but don't forget who she is or what it took to keep her alive. You swore that if she showed any abnormalities that you would report to me straightaway. If Dr. Mori had not been one of my own then Danzo would have gotten ahold of this vital information. What then? How will you protect her?"
"...I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I didn't think it was anything serious yet."
Lord Third sighed heavily as he ran a hand down his tired face. Konoha was a village built on precious secrets. It was a shaky foundation dating all the way back to the First Great Ninja War. As its leader, the Third Hokage had a duty to protect those secrets with his life. He stared at the man who continued to look at him stoically.
Despite his apology, Lord Third didn't see any regret in his eyes. Rather, he looked like a father willing to risk everything to protect his child.
"I'm not trying to blame you, Shikaku. You've always been a meticulous man that prioritizes the safety of the village. However, Tsubaki's powers are growing. A child's body is durable. With the help of chakra, it can even heal faster. However, torn muscles and shattered bones would at least take four months to heal properly. Tsubaki managed to make a full-recovery in days. The only person capable of such incredible regenerative speed and perfect reassembly of the entire body is Lady Mikubae Senju who died during the First Hokage's years."
Shikaku knew the story about the legendary Mother of Medical Ninjutsu. She was his daughter's idol. There was a period in time when Mikubae was revered as a Goddess of Healing. Shinobis that were injured on the battlefield would carry a talisman - a carving or jeweled Tsubaki flower - and pray to her to make it home. The respect she was given was not unwarranted. Because of her teachings, Konoha's medical knowledge was where it was at today.
Hardly anything about her personal life was known, however. It was like it was intentionally ripped out of the history books.
"Tsubaki is four now. None of us could've predicted this much progress in her chakra to be made."
"What are you saying, Hokage-sama?" Shikaku was tired of this roundabout manner of speaking. He preferred the Third Hokage said things plainly rather than leave him in suspense.
"....She'll need to be told something, Shikaku. At some point, Tsubaki will need to know why she's able to do what she can do. For now, she's simply a child. It's easy to trick her into believing anything we tell her. But she's sharp. We both know she'll figure the truth out one way or another. I've kept Danzo off of her all this time but I fear he'll eventually meet her. The Elders have also been keeping a close watch on her. What I'm trying to say is to tread carefully. You are her father. I have no doubt that you'll protect her as your own-"
"I will," Shikaku interjected firmly. "Tsubaki is a smart child. Her dream is to follow in the footsteps of her idol. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her and Shikamaru's dream. I won't let anyone - even the Elders and Danzo, stand in her way. Though, I have full confidence that by the time they realize how much of a brilliant child she is they won't be able to stand a chance against her anyways."
The Third Hokage raised a brow, smiling amusedly. "You've really fallen in love with her, haven't you?"
"She's my daughter no matter what."
Lord Third leaned back in his chair. "Ah. As long as you keep thinking like that then there's nothing to worry about."
Shikaku bowed one last time. "I'll take my leave. Good night, Hokage-sama."
"Shikaku." He stopped at the doorway. "Tsubaki has grown up with the Will of Fire inside of her. That means she's a citizen of Konoha just as much as you and me. However, we cannot forget. I don't like this any more than you do, but I say all these things for her sake. Danzo is growing restless. He's been working on getting his claws into the Elders. Are you prepared for the trouble that will bring to you and the Nara Clan?"
"Tsubaki has always been an outrageous kid. If Danzo wants to try coming for her he can certainly try. The Nara Clan won't let that snake do what he wants so long as I'm the clan's head." Shikaku left without another word.
Lord Third slumped further into his chair, closing his eyes for a moment. It's been so long since he's been able to rest properly. He wasn't getting any younger, and yet he still had so many things left unfinished.
Tsubaki had grown to become an irreplaceable presence in the village. Shikaku knew her value better than anyone. The entire community relied on all the brilliant ideas that she came up with seemingly overnight. No one could deny her value.
But the Hokage worried that it might not be enough for what awaited her. She would need to fight harder than any shinobi her age to prove that she belonged here. For now, while she was still a child, he could keep the Elders off her back. They swore to give her until she became a Genin to prove her worth. They wouldn't intervene until then.
"Kakashi."
The loyal ANBU appeared before his leader, kneeled loyalty. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Take these files and destroy them. Make sure no one can ever get their hands on them."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." He obediently took the file off the desk.
"Are you curious about what they say?"
"Would you tell me even if I asked?"
"No. But you want to know as Tsubaki's concerned friend." He opened his eyes. "Right?"
"...I can't say that I'm not worried."
"I never imagined when I assigned you to watch her you'd end up becoming fond of her. How unlike you."
Kakashi smiled sheepishly behind his mask. "She's definitely not like any kid I've ever met. Sometimes it's hard to think of her as just a child."
"Yes, she is very mature for her age. I suppose that comes from her mother's strict teachings."
"No. I think Tsubaki is just like that. It's like she's able to see the world in a way none of us can. Sometimes it's unnerving."
The Third Hokage knew what he meant. Tsubaki's eyes could pierce into the soul of any man. Iruka was one example of people that had their heart's changed after meeting her. She was intuitive, observant, and had no problem saying whatever she felt like. The first time the Third Hokage asked her to merely keep an eye on Naruto, she discerned was his true intentions were.
That sort of mental sharpness was both a gift and a curse. If she could just play the role of a child forever, no one would have to worry for her future. But that was impossible.
"Her kekki genkai has awakened. It's one that has been unseen for centuries. The oldest record of anyone possessing such an ability is a mere legend dating back as far back as the Sage of Six Paths. According to the story, one of the Sage's sons fell in love with a maiden from a distant land. She possessed the ability to wield metal; her very body was made of the element even. Taken by her powers and beauty, he married her in secret before starting a Great War with his younger brother. No one knows if this woman continued the line or who she even was. However, people of the land where it's believed she originated from referred to her bloodline as the Hakushi Clan. No heir was ever confirmed so the legend simply turned into myth."
"The Flower that Grows in the Valley Of Mirrors - I've heard the story as a child. Do you think she possesses some relation to the woman?"
"There's no way to say for certain. Dr. Mori has confirmed that her bones were reconstructed perfectly due to a metal alloy layering her bones. For now, there are no other dangers. Her extreme regenerative healing is unlike anyone has ever seen. I'll need to look more into the story about Hakushi to confirm our suspicion."
"What will you tell the Elders?"
"Simply that she was lucky. They can't poke their noses into it any more than that unless they wish to start an interrogation for a harmless 4-year-old. Doing that would cause people to grow wary of their powers. Right now, the state of Konoha's political power is already on an uneven edge. They won't risk their titles to pursue anything without evidence. But I want you to continue keeping a close eye on her. Danzo moves through every single one of his pawns."
"If it's your command, Hokage-sama. But if I may ask, why are you telling me all of this?"
"I've already expressed to you my intentions of having you leave the ANBU to become a sensei. It goes without saying that Tsubaki will eventually be put on your team. Perhaps sooner than later if she continues to surpass her peers. You're the only other person that was involved that day that I can trust her with. Teach her well, protect her, and if the need calls for it...deal with her."
Kakashi grimly lowered his head. "Yes, Hokage-sama."
"You're dismissed."
Lord Third was left alone once more. The candles ceased their tireless flickering, waiting for their master to move. But he sat merely reading over Tsubaki's medical report for hours. This was only the iceberg of what he knew she was capable of.
These preemptive measures to keep the Elders and Danzo at bay would only last for so long. Peace will eventually return, and when it does Tsubaki will be at the top of their list of priorities.
Being a leader wasn't easy. Having to live with the choices he made in order to protect the entire village was a heavy burden that formed the mantle of his position. There was a reason why the leaders of each nation were referred to as the 'shadow' of their homeland.
It wasn't their duty to be in the spotlight gaining praise from the masses or having their deeds known throughout the shinobi world. They were the pillars that endured the darkness of keeping their homelands in the light. With each generation, they carry within them the Will of Fire - the hopes and dreams of every Kage that failed to change this world of bloodshed and secrecy.
Lord Third understood that change wouldn't happen in his generation. The hatred felt by many was not something he had the power to withstand. But his hope was that the torch he would later pass on to the next generation will be when someone can do what he and his predecessors failed to do.
'Perhaps I am getting old. I've grown soft...Soon, Tsubaki will have to decide for herself what she'll do...'
Time was a luxury that not even the Hokage had.