The Matriarch’s Tale (P2)

Akane's voice was soft and careful as she picked and summarized the Kaguya grannies quiet story. Sat on a stool beside her, she listened before she spoke again, "Whether Kurokami-jima, Ryuujima or Shizukishima, we have known all as our home. Before the first wars we knew of sister tribes, traded and celebrated festivals in honour of our forefathers. Now, we only know those who are and those who aren't."

I pursed my lips at Akane and she leaned in to receive the explanation. The granny whispered softly even my strained ears could only pick out a couple odd words before I grew bored with the incomplete sentence.

Akane sat up straight to continue, "It was after I bore my first child that I finally understood what had been done to us, what remained then and what struggles to exist now were parts of Kaguya shed away from itself, the clan divided in two. Children of the bone are given to their elder ilk, stolen away from their parents, given away, even sold."

The granny shuddered as she narrated in Akane's keen ears, "I feared what I had to do, my firstborn, a child of bone could not survive with those unlike her. She was but a girl when her fingers left her, multiplied…hurt someone. I begged, pleaded but so had been our way, children of the bone belong to the bone. They were gifts then…stolen gifts we served to our mirror clan, the one who protected us, took the ire of the many homes we traversed. Now we see them no more as trash, a blight of certain tragedy…one to be locked away or slaughtered to save a weaker herd."

I narrowed and leaned out to listen closer. Her words were…I couldn't make an idea of things just yet but there seems to be more.

"Now…now our mirror is broken, few so remain, perhaps you have slaughtered the last." I didn't miss Akane's sharp, brave glare as she spoke but it disappeared sooner than I blinked, "Be it the last or not, this mirror found us, fed us, sheltered and trained the children of bone amongst us restraint…more than we could ever give them. They took those worthy of battle and protected us from the Daimyo and his Bloodline killers. They bought our safety from Lord Yakubi, struck at the heart of his enemies, reaped their ryo, sold their women."

Akane took a sharp breath and I noticed she spoke ahead of the granny, as though recalling herself, "And then one day, they returned soaked in blood, screaming for more to quench their thirst and for…for the head of the strongest in all the land, you, Mizukage-sama." I gulped at that even though the threat had long passed. Akane listened and translated the granny's erratic breaths and sighs to words, "That night, Inari-kun was not himself, he was not Inari, he had forgotten all, everything and could not sit still. He danced yet he'd never so much as smiled, he laughed and drank, bathed in Yakubi's stolen treasure and screamed at fire. He was mad, Inari-kun had become undone somehow."

I breathed deeply, "The others were like this too?"

Akane nodded and granny murmured, "They were so mad we feared for our lives and dignity around them. They tore their clothes to display their prowess with their bone. Granny says she remembers the tradition but it was never so…animalistic."

Reina and I shared a puzzled look and I turned to ask, "You said the Daimyo and his Bloodline killers were after you, how do you know it was the Daimyo?"

Akane heeded the granny's whispers, she nodded intently to her words and said, "Compared to our mirror clan, we were weak but that is how it was meant to be, so we would not be feared, so our mirror would take the fear and be strong for it, for us. But we did not leave ourselves defenceless, we used to have men before we became a host of women and children and those men fought off the Daimyo's Samurai enough times to earn us escape. The times they failed were against shinobi that wore no affiliations or hid them.

"They were the bane of our mirror clan, persistent and blood thirsty as they'd suddenly become. But before the night Inari and the others went mad, those shinobi were nothing more than nameless enemies. But Inari found out for certain, he…granny thinks he was given a hint, met a man that told him to let a stray shinobi free and find where he returned."

Reina scoffed, "And this nameless, faceless shinobi returned to Kirigakure? Am I wrong?"

Akane frowned but shook her head. Before she could speak I had to voice my own question, something wasn't fitting right with this story. "But you said Inari went mad with the others? How did he have the sense to trail a shinobi when mad?"

At this Akane stared at her granny who paused before deflating with a whisper, "I do not know but he followed a trail and at the end was you, the Mizukage."

Reina almost jumped in her seat, "Wait…which Mizukage?" Akane looked confused and so she pressed, "We have had four Mizukage, which one did he want to kill?"

Akane looked expectantly at the granny but she wasn't forthcoming with any leads so she shrugged. I pulled Reina close, "What are you thinking?"

"It's jumbled. First they say the Daimyo's the one attacking them…I mean, it's easy to see every Samurai as the Daimyo's especially when you're on the run from them, but…the Mizukage's are distinct. Maybe the Kaguya were led on by someone to kill the Sandaime because…well, they never tried to assassinate you."

I shrugged at the last part, "I wouldn't put that against them, they were mad apparently. But…you're onto something…let's talk later, outside." She nodded and I turned my attention to Akane who quickly spoke first.

"What do you want with us?"

I put on a magnanimous smile, "First, we should correct some things. The Daimyo is fighting for the preservation of Bloodline users; his enemies are your killers. Second, Kirigakure has had nothing to do with the Kaguya until you attacked, whether your…mirror clan was led by deception or not is up for debate but…I am of the same mind as the Daimyo, remember my name well because it is my forgiveness that absolves you of the sins your mirror clan has made you inherit."

Akane still looked unsure but I had other matters on my mind so I stood and Reina stood with me, "It's been a pleasure meeting you, I hope you enjoy the space the Estate provides. Ensure you use it well, no neglect, we will talk soon."

With that Reina and I left the house and found the Kaguya that excused my presence earlier had relit the campfire outside. I shook my head, knowing it would take great efforts to integrate the Kaguya into the way of doing things here but right now it mattered little, they weren't hurting anyone and even believed themselves guiltless.

All I had to do now was keep them safe and make them flourish alongside Kirigakure…yeah, that's all I have to do.