#40 Taiyou no Gakure

My visit from the future was back in their time and a year and a few months passed and a lot had changed in that time. I am now 14 years old. Me and Hinata now have the rank of jonin and were now able to complete missions outside of the village on our own. I'm currently on a mission with Suki and Hinata in the Land of Hot Water, it's Suki's first mission outside of the Land of Fire and Suki had been pestering me for months to finally take her on a mission, because she was sure she had enough experience over the last year, so I convinced aunt to give us an A rank mission.

Me, Hinata and Suki were jumping from branch to branch and the autumn was in all its glory and I saw that Suki was having trouble keeping up with me and Hinata.

Sato: Suki let me know, if we should take a break, you look pretty exhausted!

Hinata: I think we should take a quick break, I have to pee anyway, Sato!

Suki: I would also like a little break, I'm not used to running such long distances, Nii San!

Sato: Okay, then let's take a break here for an hour.

Hinata jumped straight into a bush and relieved herself.

Sato: Do you have to pee too, Suki?

Suki: No, I don't have to, maybe later. First I'll get some air to breathe and I'll have to train my endurance more in the future.

Sato: I'll go for little men too, wait here for a moment. Mew take care of Suki!

Mew dropped his disguise and lay on Suki's lap.

Mew: Mew, Mew! (It'll be done, boss!)

I went for a quick pee and Hinata and I came back around the same time.

Sato: Are any of you hungry, I have sushi with me?

Suki: I want the one with sesame and tuna!

Hinata: You're welcome!

I pulled a large box out of my backpack and they both started smiling.

Hinata: You're always so prepared, Sato.

Sato: It's Suki's first mission outside, so I have to be a good role model.

Suki: You're the best, Nii San.

Sato: Suki, you know that the mission can be dangerous, our goal is to escort a noble's daughter to her future husband in the Land of Fire, so I want to see your full capabilities. Me and Hinata will stand back and evaluate you and depending on how you do, you will be allowed to take part in the next Chunin selection exam, which will take place in six months and is a cooperation between Suna and Konoha.

Suki: I know, Nii San and I will do my best.

Sato: Good, because you know how long it took me to convince aunt to give us a good mission, since you're still a genin. And thank Hinata again, aunt only agreed, because Hinata is also a jonin and without Hinata joining in, aunt wouldn't have given you this chance.

Suki: Thank you, Hinata Chan.

Hinata: I think she will master the task well and grow from it.

Sato: I hope so too, how is your team doing, Suki?

Suki: We get along well and Sensei Inarai has taught us a lot, but your training is much better than his. Can you also teach me a cool jutsu in the future, I need something to speed up?

Sato: Of course, why didn't you ask me about it before?

Suki: I didn't want to bother you, you've helped me so much and I didn't want you to think that I was taking advantage of you.

Sato: You're my sister and the stronger you are, the less I have to worry about you, so come right next time you need something.

Suki: Thank you, Nii San.

I stroked Suki on her head and then gave her a small kiss on her forehead.

Sato: Now let's eat and we should arrive at our destination in about 4 hours.

Hinata: I wish Hanabi was out of the academy already, when I see you two like this I get jealous.

Sato: Unfortunately, Hanabi has to go to the academy for 2 more years, but Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon will graduate next year.

Suki: Yes, the three of them will definitely cause problems for their sensei. By the way Onii Chan, I heard that you now have a pool in your garden that is heated and where you can go swimming even in winter?

Sato: Did Hanabi talk about it?

Suki: I have my sources, so maybe I can use the pool, even if you're not there?

Sato: Sure, but don't tell Auntie, otherwise I won't be able to get rid of her, when she discovers my hot tub. And if you use it often, you should also clean it.

Hinata: You have a pool?

Sato: Yes, a big one for swimming and a small one for relaxing, but I think Suki can explain that to you better than I can, right Suki?

Suki looked down guiltily.

Suki: There were only two or three times when you weren't there and Hanabi allowed me to.

Sato: It's okay, I didn't forbid you.

We then ate our sushi and took a breather for a moment and then ran further inland into the Land of Hot Water and arrived at our client's house. It was a villa in Raisubahha no Mura (village by the rice stream) and everything seemed very idyllic and peaceful here.

Suki spoke to the guard stationed at the entrance to the property.

Suki: Hello, we are the requested ninja from Konoha and have come to escort Mr. Kuinshe's daughter to her future husband!

Guard: Do you have the order with you?

Suki reached into her bag and pulled out the order and gave it to the guard.

The guard looked at the letter.

Guard: I will inform my master, come in while you wait.

The guard opened the gate and let us in. After about 5 minutes, an older man with a long, curved beard and a very classy outfit appeared.

Mr. Kuinshe: Welcome, I have already been waiting for you, so I will explain the exact details of your mission, so that you can leave quickly with my daughter. I run a large rice farm here in the Land of Hot Water and have made a deal with a business partner from the Land of Fire to deepen our terms of business. I give my daughter's hand in marriage to his son and he will buy large quantities of my rice supplies and promote our facilities in the future, however Kumogakure may have problems with this and try to murder my daughter to jeopardize the deal. Your job is to escort my daughter and bring her safely to her wedding.

Suki: We understand, where is your daughter, we shouldn't waste any time?

Mr. Kuinshe: Well my daughter has problems with the wedding, she says she won't marry my business partner's son, but I don't care, I will force her to do so, to bring more wealth to our country. She is in her room, take her out by force and bring her to her future husband.

Sato: Do we get paid extra for this?

Mr. Kuinshe: But of course I will pay you extra for it.

Sato: Suki you heard the man, get the girl.

Suki: But, Sato?

Sato: Just do it and don't ask any questions.

Hinata also looked at me worried.

Suki: Ok, I'm on my way.

2 minutes later Suki had a 9 year old girl with blue short hair and a white silk kimono lying unconscious on her back and ran to us.

Mr. Kuinshe: Thank you for approaching it so professionally. I will inform my business partner to increase your fee.

Sato: Good, then give me the little one and let's go and don't thank us we'll just do our job Mr. Kuinshe.

The three of us then left the client's premises and made our way back to the Land of Fire.

Suki: Sato Nii, I don't like what we're doing with the girl.

Sato: What are we going to do with the girl?

Suki: We want to force her to marry against her will.

Sato: Do we want that?

Suki: Yes, that's exactly what it looks like to me.

Hinata: Sato, are you sure we should tell Suki about this?

Sato: She's my sister, she would definitely have found out at some point anyway.

Suki: What are you two talking about? What would I have found out?

I let the little girl float in the air for a moment and turned to Suki.

Sato: I'll tell you, when the girl wakes up and now pay attention to the surroundings, you heard that Kumogakure might have a problem with the business.

Suki: You're mean, Nii San!

After about half an hour the girl woke up.

Akina: What are you doing to me, why am I flying in the air.

Sato: We are the ninjas who are supposed to take you to your husband.

Akina: No, let me go, I don't want to marry that man!

Sato: And that's why I'm making you an offer. Do you want to hear my offer?

Akina: I'll do anything, just please don't let me marry that disgusting man.

Sato: So you do everything?

Akina: I don't want to marry you or anyone else I don't like.

Sato: Would you give up your old life?

Akina: Yes, father always locked me up, I couldn't even have friends and my teacher beat me, when I did something wrong. And now father even sold me to this disgusting man.

I met the man once before on our property and he licked my hand and grinned at me in such a disgusting way. I'm afraid of the man and he's so old, he's 34 years old.

Sato: Okay, so would you give up your old life and start from scratch?

Akina: Please help me.

The girl started crying and Hinata hugged her.

Hinata: Now stop teasing her Sato.

Sato: Yes, yes, but you know I had to be on the safe side, so as not to endanger the others.

Suki: What are you two talking about and what others?

Sato: So Suki, listen, when we fled Konoha when you revealed our secret, I had the idea to build a village in the fallen village of Uzushiogakure. And when Hinata and I were given several missions that didn't quite correspond to our world view, I started to think again about having my own village. And so I renovated Uzushiogakure and built my own village that no one but me and Hinata know about. From then on, we brought people with bad fates undetected to my new village and it now has over 400 residents who live peacefully together and there is still room for around 10,000 more people. And that's also the reason why I was away from home so often and you could swim in my pool. I cut off the village from the outside world with strong fuinjutsu and worked fields for food with the villagers, built a school and created laws. So little Akina, would you like to live there and lead a normal life?

Akina: Are there other children?

Sato: Yes, about 70 children under 14 years old.

Akina: And I'm not forced to do anything?

Sato: You will certainly have to help in the fields with the harvest, but the school is more interested in teaching you something that you also want to learn and no one is forcing you to go there, if you don't want to.

Akina: I accept the offer.

Akina started to smile.

Suki: You built a village and no one knows about it?

Sato: And that's how it should stay and Akina, we'll take you to your fiancé now and I'll pick you up again that same night, it's just a matter of completing our mission successfully.

Akina: Do I really have to be with him for that long?

Sato: I'll keep an eye on you, nothing will happen to you, I promise you.

Akina: Well, I trust you, what was your name again?

Sato: My name is Sato Senju, but everyone in the village calls me Taiyou no Kage. (shadow of the sun)

Suki: Cool, so you're a Kage too, Nii San?

Sato: My village is peaceful and I never wanted to be called that, but yes. And Hinata is called Shiroi Josei. (The White Lady)

By the way, the village is called the village hidden under the sunshine, Taiyou no Gakure.