20

Chapter 20: TwentyNotes:

A quick update to try and help soothe the wounds of that last chapter <3< p>

Chapter Text

TWENTY:

It was strange, Sansa thought bitterly, how swiftly joy could turn to sorrow. 

The funeral plot before her was small and marked only by a smooth, round stone with the kanji for Kanna's name engraved upon its grey surface. It was unremarkable and that seemed unjust to her, for Kanna had been a truly remarkable person. 

It had been two days now since she and Naruto had found Kanna's body in the shrine. They had been released from the cell after the first day, once it had become apparent that neither of them were about to lose control of Kurama– again, in Naruto's case– and returned to the orphanage by ANBU, where they were met by a grim-faced Kazumi and a member of the Konoha Military Police Force. 

There had been an investigation into Kanna's murder, they had been told, and the culprit found. The guilty party was a man who had lost his wife and children in the Kyuubi attack; he had been vandalising the shrine when Kanna had arrived to pray and give the offerings to Inari-sama. She had confronted him and he had reacted by bludgeoning her about the head and face. Sansa wasn't sure if she believed him, but she wasn't sure if she mattered; either way, it was Konoha who had murdered Kanna. And she would never forgive the village for her sister's death. 

Naruto didn't know how to deal with Kanna's loss. He didn't quite understand that she was gone and kept asking for her and crying when Sansa tried explaining that Kanna had gone to sleep forever. Sansa alternated between feeling numb and feeling wretchedly furious. It was familiar to her; she'd felt the same each time another member of her family had died, or she had believed them to be dead. Her father, Robb, her mother, Bran, Rickon... even Arya's survival she had doubted. And oh, how she had raged behind her empty platitudes and useless chirping. Sansa did not bother with such pretences now. She did not need to hide her grief here, and she was grateful for that small blessing. 

The funeral service for Kanna was a simple one; a number of the orphans had attended, as had Kanna's baker boy. Sansa wore a black dress and Naruto a black yukata, both lent to them by the older orphans. Her eyes were dry even as her heart wept and beside her the tears streamed endlessly down a sniffling Naruto's red, puffy face. 

The grief settled over Sansa, heavy as a funeral shroud, as the service ended. One by one, the mourners left, but Sansa and Naruto remained at the grave, below which Kanna's body slept in eternal rest. Sansa's stomach turned to think about it, to think of Kanna, so bright and alive, in her bed of grave dirt. Naruto was still crying and Sansa didn't stop him as he stumbled forwards, falling to his knees on the freshly-turned earth, but she did kneel beside him and gently grasp onto his wrists when he started trying to dig up the soil, trying to get to Kanna below. "I wan' Ka-ane!" he sobbed, slumping into her grip, turning his small face so it was pressed against her neck.

"I know," Sansa whispered, her heart aching. "I know. I do too, little storm. I do too." 

It was dark by the time they returned to the orphanage, both of them exhausted, shivering from the cold air and dirty from kneeling in the soil. Sansa wanted nothing more than to curl up in Kanna's arms and fall asleep, but as they approached the doors to the orphanage, Kazumi stepped out to meet them, a bag in her hands. 

"I'm sorry," she said, and her mouth was twisted in a thin, unhappy line, her chakra churning furiously under her skin, "but you're not welcome here anymore." 

Sansa blinked dumbly up at her, not able to process her words. "What?" she asked and Kazumi dropped the bag, letting it fall to the ground at Sansa's feet. 

"You're not welcome here," Kazumi repeated. "I can't have you getting another one of my kids killed." 

Sansa felt like she'd been stabbed; she actually stumbled backwards, staring up at Kazumi with wide, shocked eyes. Kazumi's face was hard, as were her eyes, nothing evident to soften the harsh blow of her words… except her chakra was wrong. It was twisting and angry, but that anger wasn't directed at Sansa and Naruto– Sansa knew how that felt, she knew it well. Despite her words, despite how she appeared… Kazumi was not angry at them. 

But she was kicking them out. 

Bowing her head, Sansa reached for the bag with trembling fingers and Kazumi nodded sharply, turning and heading back inside, the door of the orphanage thudding shut behind her with a sort of finality that had Sansa's breath hitch. 

"Ko-ane," Naruto whispered, tugging on the sleeve of her black dress. His blue eyes were wide and frightened. "What're we gonna do?"

Sansa swallowed. 

"Let me think for a moment, little storm," she said in her best soothing voice. 

If it was just her, she would have gone and found refuge in Tsukiko's den, amongst Lady and her litter-mates, but Tsukiko had already warned her that when a human performed the 'summoning jutsu' without signing a contract, they were taken to the realm of the spirits that suited their soul best. She had no guarantee that Naruto would be taken to the realm of the wolf spirits– and that was a moot point, anyway, as Naruto did not know yet how to channel his chakra. 

She thought briefly of the shrine, too, but almost immediately shied away from the thought, a sickness rising in her stomach at the memory of wet pools of blood, of sightless, glassy eyes and green hair soaked red. She could not return there, not when she did not even know if it had even been cleaned yet of Kanna's lifeblood, and she could not take Naruto there, back to the scene where his sister had been murdered. She would not do that to him. 

Hoping to find something useful, Sansa somewhat desperately opened the bag Kazumi had given them and almost groaned with relief. Their clothes were inside, as was Naruto's favourite book, a set of sewing needles, a spool of thread, her money pouch and Naruto's stuffed wolf 'Inu'. She took a deep breath, even as she tugged Naruto's threadbare but better than nothing jacket from the bag. 

"Put this on," she told him, and he did gladly. She pulled on her own jacket too, slipping her money pouch into the inside pocket before buttoning it up. "Alright," she said. "Alright. I know someone, they might be able to help." 

It wasn't her first choice, but she was getting desperate at this point and her contacts in Konoha were few and far between. 

They wrapped their usual scarves around their hair, winding the fabric around their faces and necks to shield them from the cold night air, before setting off. Sansa led Naruto through the streets, careful to keep to the shadows. Bitterly, she kept track of the ANBU following them but failing to intervene, and wondered what monsters would let two young children be left out in the cold of the night. 

Naruto followed her silently and Sansa hated how quiet he was; her brother was supposed to be loud, Naruto was sunshine and brightness and joy, not this sad, silent child. Her rage twisted and tore at her insides and Sansa had to take deep breaths, had to wrangle it back down as it clawed its way up her throat, threatening to escape her tight control. She didn't have time to be angry; she needed to focus, especially as they entered the Yūkaku.

The Yūkaku was more alive at night than the rest of Konoha. The streets were lit by bars and bright hanging lights, men and women made their way along the streets in various states of dress- and undress- and Sansa spied the occasional child darting about underfoot. 

Sansa kept Naruto close, avoiding the adults as she made her way to the Palace of Flowers. The three-storey building had a lantern lit at the front window and Sansa saw a man in an expensive-looking yukata enter through the front doors, but she took Naruto around the side of the building, down the alley until she found another door. Taking a deep breath, Sansa knocked.

A young woman answered the door. She was beautiful; her long, dark hair was pinned up in an elegant bun and her sleek, lavender kimono was long and split open to reveal the pale curves of her breasts. She blinked down at them with long, feathery lashes, seeming surprised. 

"Hello," Sansa spoke with more confidence then she felt, blinking up at the woman with big, wide eyes, "is Tama-neesan home?" 

The woman's red-painted mouth curved into a gentle smile, though her eyes gleamed with sharp interest. "Why yes," she said in a soft voice, before stepping back and sweeping her arm in an elegant gesture that had the wide sleeve of her kimono fluttering. "Do come inside, darlings, you must be so cold. I'll go fetch Tama-chan, nee?" 

"Thank you, neesan," Sansa smiled just as sweetly (falsely) as the woman closed the door behind them with an unsettling click of a lock and watched her glide off, disappearing through another doorway. Naruto clung to her, afraid. 

"Where are we?" He whispered. Sansa reached up to where he was gripping onto her and squeezed his hand.

"With an ally," she whispered back. She hoped, anyway. 

They stood together, waiting. To her relief, Tama didn't take long to arrive, rushing through the doorway the woman had disappeared through.

"What the fuck're ya doin' here?" she hissed, looking like she wanted to seize them both and shake them. "Ya idiots! This ain't a place ta hang about! 'Specially at night!"

"We got kicked out of the orphanage. I didn't know where else to go," Sansa admitted with a bitter smile and Tama deflated slightly. 

"So ya chose where all th' unwanted kids go," she sighed and Sansa nodded, still holding Naruto close. "Righ'," she muttered. "Shit. A'right. Yeh can stay here tonigh'. I got some friends I'll set ya up wiv tomorrow that won' turn 'round an' sell ya to the yaks*."

"Sell us?" Sansa asked, alarmed. 

"Pretty li'l things like the pair o' ya?" Tama scoffed. "The yaks'd love ta add ya to their stables."

Sansa shuddered, not having thought of that. Tama patted her arm sympathetically. "Don' worry," she said. "Yer both one of us now, yeah? We'll teach ya how ta survive."

Sansa couldn't help but think she would be a good student; survival, after all, was something she had always excelled at. 

"Thank you," she said quietly and Tama smiled. It softened her hard face. 

"Don' thank me," she said. "It ain't gonna be easy."

"Survival never is." Sansa replied. 

~

Sansa slept badly that night. Sharing a sleeping mat in a small room with two strangers– Tama and her mother, Yuu– made her instincts prickle uncomfortably, not to mention the unsettling twist of pleasure and unhappiness that clung to the air in the Palace of Flowers. Sansa took care not to stir restlessly and keep her companions awake and though she dearly wished she could have let her mind drift away, to seek comfort with Lady or even Kurama and Mito, she did not dare leave her body vulnerable. 

She never managed to fall asleep, so when the new chakra presence arrived at the whorehouse the following morning, Sansa was immediately alert. The presence felt familiar and old, like the towering mountains that had withstood the test of time, and if there was one lesson Sansa had learned from Tywin Lannister and Olenna Tyrell and even the loathsome Walder Frey, it was those that lived long enough to be old should never be underestimated. 

She wasn't surprised by the light knock to the door and gently shook Naruto awake as Tama and Yuu stirred, Tama yawning and rising to her feet to answer. It was the woman who had let Sansa and Naruto inside the night before. Her curtain of dark hair hung loose now over her shoulders and down her back and she was clad in a simple satin night-gown that hung half open, revealing far more of her bare body then was decent. 

"Kotone-neesan," Tama greeted her, bowing. Sansa didn't miss the hint of wariness in her voice and made sure to bow too, mimicking the older girl's show of respect. 

"Darlings," Kotone said sweetly, "our guests appear to have a guest of their own. It wouldn't do to be rude and keep him waiting." 

Sansa swallowed and turned to Naruto, holding out her hand to him. "Come on, little storm," she said, letting her voice show none of her concern. Naruto smiled tentatively, reaching out to grasp her hand and the pair of them followed Kotone as she gracefully swept through the Palace. Sansa kept her eyes fixed on Kotone's back, rather than on the corridor of doorways leading off to private rooms. 

Kotone led them to a traditionally furnished parlour, entering and immediately bowing deeply. "Honoured sir," the courtesan murmured. Sansa recognised the old man waiting within the parlour immediately and copied Kotone's actions, bowing gracefully and prompting Naruto to do the same.

The Hokage smiled as they straightened up, warm and kind. "Naruto-kun, Fuyuko-chan," He said, "I'm so glad to see you both safe. I was very worried when nobody could find you after I heard about what happened with the orphanage."

Sansa widened her eyes, donning her best confused expression even as suspicion curled within her, ugly and hissing. She was well aware that the Hokage must have known exactly where they were from the time they had been kicked out of the orphanage to now– she'd felt the ANBU's presence watching them constantly and she knew who it was they reported to. So why was the Hokage pretending otherwise?

The Hokage directed his warm smile in the direction of Kotone. "I apologise for troubling you, but if we could have the room...?" He asked and the courtesan bowed again.

"Of course, honoured sir," she murmured before backing from the parlour, disappearing in a soft flurry of silks. 

The Hokage turned back to Sansa and Naruto, a heavy expression crossing his face. "Kobayashi-san approached me this morning," he said wearily. "She told me that she told you last night you were no longer welcome at the orphanage. I've had my shinobi searching for you since. I'm glad to see you are both uninjured and found somewhere warm and dry to spend the night."

Sansa kept her head half-bowed as if upset, letting a curtain of long, red hair hide her face from the Hokage. She wasn't sure if her eyes would show her fury at the lies and didn't want to risk it. 

"But it's not fair!" Naruto burst out, and Sansa could hear the tremble in his voice. "Why would Kazumi-obaasan want us ta leave? It's our home!"

"I know," the Hokage said sympathetically. "I wish there was something I could do, Naruto-kun." 

It took all Sansa had to keep from laughing incredulously. The Hokage was lord over the village! His word was law! Him being unable to do anything about them being kicked out of the orphanage made about as much sense as them being kicked out in the first place!

...because it didn't make sense, did it? Nothing about the situation made sense and that couldn't be a coincidence. But what purpose could be behind it all? Sansa could hear Petyr's words, whispering their way across her mind; Sometimes when I try to understand a person's motives I play a little game. I assume the worst. What's the worst reason they could possibly have for saying what they say and doing what they do?

The Hokage was behind Kazumi's actions, Sansa was sure of it. But there was a grander purpose to it all, of that she had no doubt. She just did not have all the facts yet, so she focused on him and listened, waiting for him to reveal his motives. 

"What're we gonna do?" Naruto whimpered, his eyes large and wet. "I'm hungry an'– an' I wan' my bed an' my Ka-ane an' my Inu-chan**!" He burst into tears and Sansa pulled him into her arms, let him push his face into the warm skin of her neck. 

The Hokage stood from the couch and knelt on the ground before them, gently reaching across to rest a gentle hand on Naruto's back. "I know everything seems difficult now," he said, sounding genuinely sad. "But all is not without hope. You may not be able to return to the orphanage, but there are options available to you. Have you heard of the Konoha Ninja Academy?"

Sansa froze; she felt like her blood and turned to ice in her veins as horror choked her, stopped her breathing. 

"The 'cademy?" Naruto mumbled, lifting his head from her neck. "Promised not ta talk 'bout it."

Sansa saw a brief flicker of confusion cross the Hokage's face, before it was dismissed in place of the kindly smile. 

"If you both join the Academy," he explained, "you'll be provided with a special orphan stipend that will allow you to rent an apartment and live together. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

It sounded condescending, implausible and negligent, in Sansa's opinion, and she made sure to keep her sharp teeth tucked behind soft lips as she smiled prettily up at the Hoakge. 

"Thank you, Hokage-sama, but I can't join the Academy. I already have an apprenticeship with a seamstress," she said politely. The Hokage's gentle smile wavered slightly. 

"I'm afraid the orphan's stipend doesn't cover civilian apprenticeships," he told her. 

"But I have to follow my dream, Hokage-sama," Sansa said earnestly, letting her eyes go round and wet. "Ka-ane always told me how beautiful my sewing was. Now that she's– that she's–," Sansa paused to let a pretty little sob escape, "now that she's gone, I have to follow my dream. For her." She looked up at the Hokage with wet, determined eyes and a trembling smile. 

The Hokage's smile was strained and his eyes were frustrated. "You should give the Academy a chance, Fuyuko-chan," he said, "you might find you like it more then you realise." 

"Thank you, Hokage-sama, but I've already accepted the apprenticeship offer," she demurred.

"Your parents were shinobi," the Hokage tried, and Sansa wondered if he was this heavy-handed with everyone, or just with four-year-old children he assumed were easily led about. "They wanted you to be shinobi too."

Sansa gasped theatrically, widening her eyes. "Our parents?" she asked. "You knew our parents? What are their names?" Naruto looked up too, just as eager.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you their names until you've graduated from the Academy," the Hokage said smoothly. "They had many enemies and you will need to be able to defend yourselves."

Sansa had to push down the rage she felt. Did the Hokage honestly believe they'd just go around spilling the secret to everyone who'd listen? Is that why he felt he had the right to keep the identity of their parents from them? She vowed, then and there, that the moment she and Naruto were alone, she would tell him of their parents. She'd told him stories, of course; he knew their mother was a princess and their father had been a lord***, but he didn't know their names yet. 

It was a petty revenge, but Sansa was feeling petty– and, more importantly, Naruto deserved the truth. 

Looking up at the Hokage, Sansa let her eyes fill with tears. "But that means I'll never know their names!" She wailed. It took the Hokage a moment to understand what she meant and she saw the frustration cross his face when he did.

"Fuyuko-chan," he said, "I'm afraid that you don't have a choice. You must join the Academy." 

Sansa felt her anger rise, felt the hint of burning under her skin as she let her soft lips peel back to reveal sharp teeth. "I will not be a shinobi," she said, doing away with all pretences of innocence. The Hokage blinked then focused on her, his eyes sharp. 

"You will," he said.

No, Sansa vowed to herself, meeting his eyes fiercely, I will not. I will burn this gods-forsaken village to the ground before I ever become its weapon. 

*Yaks = Yakuza

**Naruto is referring to the stuffed toy wolf Kanna gave him as a present that he named Inu, not Kakashi

***Sansa views the Hokage position as the equivalent to a lord and the Daimyo as a lord paramount/king - she hasn't quite decided