Chapter 144: Himiko: the woman who waters plants
"Kakashi, unless you've forgotten, there's still one more member of the Kurosu gang left."
"You're talking about the woman who saved Mina?"
"Yes, you should be eternally grateful because she saved your girlfriend, you know," Ryuu smirked while saying that.
He turned to gaze at Kakashi but was met with an icy glare from his brother, making him drop his head depressingly.
"It was just a joke, you know…"
"Why do you want to see her?"
"Well, she still has the money from the Kenhikari clan, you know.
Besides, I want to confirm something."
"Sigh… let's just hurry and get back."
"Right! My birthday and all that stuff." Ryuu activated his Mangekyou and took himself and Kakashi into his dimension, before appearing above a mountain.
"The map that kid drew said she lives somewhere around here in isolation." Ryuu touched the ground.
'Found her.
Himiko…'
Ryuu and Kakashi left using lightning chakra mode.
They appeared in front of the door in a second.
Himiko lived in a small house in between two hills, and right on the edge, giving her an excellent view.
Knock knock knock…
She opened the door.
Himiko had a blonde ponytail with some of it parting in the middle, she had some wrinkles forming around her eyes.
"Shinobi? How can I help you?"
"Hello, you are Himiko, aren't you?"
"Yes, that's what I once called myself. There's no point in hiding it right now, is there?"
"No, but we aren't here for what you think, you know."
"You aren't? Then what do you want?"
"Well-"
"Oh! Excuse my manners, would you like to come in? It's freezing out there."
Ryuu looked at Kakashi and nodded.
"Well, miss Himiko, I've been wondering something."
"Miss? How formal, you must be a charmer. I bet you look handsome too under that mask."
Ryuu nervously scratched his head.
"Well, I…
Wait, never mind, I would like to know something."
"What would you want to know? I have no time to be hiding something from Anbu."
"Well, it's about your previous occupations and your friends."
"The Kurosu, huh?"
"Yes, and the Kenhikari clan."
Himiko frowned…
"Well alright, what do you want to know?"
"Why did you leave the Kurosu gang? And why did you save Mina?"
"Well, I left the Kurosu gang because I couldn't do things like that anymore, I could completely change my personality and from then I'd easily manipulate anyone.
That would help in heists that needed us to infiltrate from the inside. But when I went as a spy for the Kenhikari clan, they surprised me with how nice they were. They treated me like family; I was one of them.
They gave me a job, and even though I was a house help, I was still grateful. They even gave me a name.
Yumiko, that was my name.
But when the gang came back, I offered to keep spying for them, an artifact every month. That was what I had to give them to stay with the Kenhikari clan.
And then one day, Mika-sama got pregnant. She gave birth to a beautiful girl with white hair and eyes as red as roses.
Mina-sama, I took care of her since she was a baby, until when she started ninjutsu training and learned her clan secret jutsu. From then on, I always knew I had to protect her.
But… I'd started being protective and had feelings for Mina-sama. She became my little sister.
Hideshi-sama didn't like that and so he came up with a plan.
A plan to steal every single thing in the Kenhikari clan compound. I didn't want to, but I didn't want him to be even more infuriated and so I kept quiet.
He said no one would die as long as I obeyed everything he said, but… I should have known better. By the time I told the clan head Masami-sama, I had already given the blueprints and the way to evade the traps to Hideshi-sama.
I promised to save Mina-sama from the invasion of the Kurosu gang; they killed so many people and they even killed the clan heads, that's when I pushed Mina-sama out into a shaft that lead far away from here.
I kept on going back to the Kenhikari clan compound; I took care of the garden there while remaining vigilant. If the Kurosu gang found out I stayed there, I'd probably die, but at least Mina-sama is safe… isn't she?
Please, tell me, is she alright?"
"She's fine," Kakashi said.
"Yeah, she even has a boyfriend now."
Ryuu glanced at Kakashi with a smirk hidden in his mask.
"I'm not-"
"I didn't say you were anything, you know."
Ryuu replied with a light chuckle.
Himiko smiled.
"If she's just like I left her, she must've bothered you a lot."
"She bothers me a lot," Kakashi said with a small smile.
"Well, one more thing before we leave."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Is there a chance that you still have the money and items you stole from the Kurosu gang?"
"Yes, I only used some to buy this house."
"Well, I wanted you to give it back. I'm not sure if you've been back to that small town right now, but… people are struggling, you know."
"It's alright, you can have it all. But you're not just going to give it back to the villagers, are you?"
"No, you'll be in charge of the village until Mina is old enough to take her seat as the Kenhikari clan leader."
"Me? But I-"
"If you truly want to repent for all that you've done, this is the perfect way to do it.
You said you felt like you were part of the Kenhikari clan, right?"
"Well, yeah but-"
"This is the perfect way for you to give back to your previous family and to make sure this never happens to anyone else, you know."
Kakashi removed his mask.
"Mina would hate seeing her home looking the way it is. She'd probably blame it on herself.
She told me about you; she remembered little about her past, but she remembered you, and she spoke highly of you.
Mina still remembers you even after all she's been through, I have no doubt you're the right person to do this, and neither should you."
Kakashi offered his hand to Himiko.
After a long thought, she took it.
"Good, we'll seal the money away and then we'll take you to the village, from there we'll part ways."
"Thank you both." Ryuu and Kakashi nodded.
Ryuu and Kakashi helped Himiko get her stuff and then afterward, they teleported with her to the Kenhikari compounds.
Ryuu left Kakashi and Himiko together as he went back to Harumi's house.
Harumi was playing football by himself, he was juggling the ball.
"Not bad, kid."
"Woah!" Harumi got startled and fell back.
"Sorry." Ryuu removed his mask and picked him up.
"Ryuu-sama! You're already back?"
"Yeah, I got him, I got the masked man."
"Really? I knew he was no match for you!"
Ryuu smiled.
"Hey, you still got that kunai I gave you?"
Harumi nodded.
He reached for a pocket near his knee and removed the kunai.
"I always keep it with me!"
"Great, I want you to always keep it close, from now on, you'll be the one to protect your village. My mission is over, you'll have to get a lot stronger to do this, are you ready?"
"So… You're leaving?" Harumi asked with a saddened tone.
"You're just like him! Aren't you?!"
"Just like him? Who? I don't understand."
"You're just like big brother, he said the same thing. "
'Harumi, you'll need to get a lot stronger to protect your people.' Harumi remembered his brother's last words before his brother ruffled his hair and left just over a year ago.
"Harumi you…"
The Kunai Harumi was holding dispersed into ash, making Harumi widen his eyes.
Ryuu took it into his palm and clenched his fist.
Once he unclenched his fist, a long, dark Katana stretched from his hands.
"With this, I'll be certain to come back, and you'll be certain to train and become stronger, deal?"
Harumi's jaw dropped seeing the katana.
"Amazing…" He whispered.
Harumi grabbed the katana and was surprised to feel how light it was.
"Thank you, Ryuu-sama!" Harumi hugged Ryuu, to which Ryuu returned the hug with a smile, too.
"I now name you, protector of the village, your first mission is to help Himiko clean up, and from there, you can protect the village and help her rebuild it to the great place it once was. I'll come back someday and see how you're doing."
"Promise?"
"I promise. Only if you promise me, you'll never give up on anything and you'll do whatever you can to take care of this village."
"I promise!" Ryuu smiled and nodded.
"Well, let's go then." Ryuu teleported back to the compound with Harumi.
"Himiko, I've brought help." Harumi widened his eyes.
"Hey, you're that woman who waters the plants, aren't you?"
Himiko looked at Ryuu, and Ryuu explained how he knew her.
"Oh, so you saw me come here all this time?" Harumi nodded with a smile.
"Listen, thanks for this, but we need to go. I'm running late, you know." Ryuu said in a nonchalant tone.
"Shut up! Stop being rude!" Kakashi commanded, and Ryuu dropped his head depressingly.
"Right…"
"Oh, we don't want to keep you here.
Thank you, Ryuu-sama." Himiko said.
"Yeah, thanks Ryuu-sama!" Ryuu smiled and waved.
"Take care, you two." He said before teleporting with Kakashi.
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