Chaos. Chaos in slow motion, barely contained.
Or perhaps contained by force of will alone.

Whose will? Certainly not Sumika's.
Every passing moment seemed to add another wave to the cascading chaos, as her recent experiences and realizations clicked together in new and exhilarating ways. Somehow it was all starting to make more sense, but in a way that was even harder to describe.
Instinct? Feeling? Her senses? Subconscious? All of them at once.

Wait, how had she been thinking so calmly despite the chaos? When did that start?

At this point, Sumika barely even remembered getting here, save that her stunned self was practically dragged the rest of the way by Kushina.

Where was here? The... mask temple, right? Wait no, a set of buildings in the valley behind it... something about Kushina's house?

A view of this place from the hilltop flitted across her mind, one fragment of her journey here.

¹Uzukeishi Manor, though unnamed in the original, is Kushina's canonical residence in Konoha during her youth. Some more detail has been added about it in the Glossary section. Also it's more Winter-y in-world right now, but you can use your imagination for that. Come Spring, it looks like the above image.

Sumika's recollections stalled as a buzzing and pulsing sensation washed through her from within. Her mind blanked again shortly after, but her ears picked up conversation through a wall shared with the neighboring room.

"I understand that you have your circumstances, Kushina-san, and that you're all fired up..." A cool and pristinely professional voice declaimed in a sort of practiced tone, "But respectfully, you look quite a mess. And you know sorting out such messes is my responsibility."

The beginnings of an inarticulate protest were immediately cut off by the same voice again,

"No, no. I can see that look in your eyes. I won't be having any of it! Just look at the absolute state of you, doesn't that hurt?" A muffled squawk of pain sounded, which squeezed at something within Sumika, causing her a sudden bout of disgruntlement. But the voice soon continued,

"Tsk. We shall handle this excitement step by step after and only after we all~ have a chance to clean up and calm down. Now then,"

The sound of a gentle hand clap pierced the frigid afternoon air far more strongly than it seemingly should have. The sounds of approaching footsteps quickly followed.

A thin door on the opposite side of the room slid open, revealing a slender woman wearing an impeccably tailored pale-pink kimono. Her smooth brown hair was tied up in a top-knot, with her long bangs pulled behind her ears. She appeared young, but not that young. Perhaps... 'of a healthy age' would be the best description?

Her face, though, sported a remarkably artificial expression. With the appearance of a pleasant smile and closed eyes, it somehow looked both natural... and yet unnatural at the same time, with the only hint of real emotion being the somewhat strained edges of her lips and an occasional twitch of her eyebrow. ²Concept image, for reference:

Uncanny, that was the word which sprung up in Sumika's mind to describe it. Another confusing wave of calm and curiosity coursed around her heart at the thought. Such things had been... happening a lot this afternoon.

"Now then, ahh, Sumika-san, was it? I had heard we should be expecting a visitor." A sense of attention pivoted to focus on Sumika, as that authoritative voice shifted in her direction, "Please rest in the parlor here with some warm tea while the young lady of the household is being attended to. You must have been through quite something, but I promise to address any concerns in addition to your original business with the temple. From the delightfully~" - A clenching of teeth could be heard while she emphasized the word - "~fragmentary attempts at explanation I've gotten from dear Kushina-san, it seems that regardless, we shall be seeing much more of each other this way. "

The sounds of muttered protests and muffled gesticulation echoed from the open doorway behind, as well as two sets of footsteps departing down the hall.

One of the still-smiling (but-not-smiling) woman's eyebrows twitched again as the echoes behind her receded, in such a way that Sumika felt an odd premonition about breaking the silence first.

But shortly after, the uniformed lady let out a small gasp and put a hand to her lips, bowing slightly and adding,

"Ah, forgive me the rudeness. I am Ikehara Kyoumi³Family/Surname is Ikehara, Given name is Kyoumi, Stewardess and chief overseer for the attached properties here at the Uzukeishi⁴"[継嗣]" (けいし) "Keishi" meaning "Successor " so "Keishi-sou" literally being a "Successor/ Heiress Villa/Manor"
My naming sense is inspired, truly Manor as well as for the temple. My duties always have me quite occupied, you see, so I must have... forgotten we had not yet been properly introduced."

Sumika inclined her head in return and opened her mouth to respond, only to realize that the stewardess had already addressed her by name. Uncertain what to say, she blinked in confusion. How did this... Ikehara already...?

"Ah, please, there is no need to fret." the stewardess added, pristine as ever, and as if reading her thoughts, "I report directly to Mito-sama, so I was notified of your impending arrival. Speaking of which-" she clasped her hands in front of her waist and turned her head slightly, eyes opening to squint askance behind her. The action momentarily revealed a glitter of metal-mesh armor under Ikehara's collar, just before her next words stole Sumika's attention once more,

"If you will excuse me for a moment, I shall retrieve the replacement you came here for and return. It is likely best that we handle that before young Kushina-san is refreshed and ready to come back. I fear seeing such a thing may rile her up again and trouble you with... undue excitement. As I said, please relax here in the meantime."

And just like that, Ikehara was gone again and closed the door behind her, leaving Sumika alone once more.

The girl blinked in the silence, speechless.

...

Honestly, given everything that had happened in the last few days, another spontaneous change in plans wasn't all that surprising.

What had surprised her, however, was how easily she had accepted and gone along with it.

Sumika hadn't hesitated, not even the slightest.

She hadn't during the little brawl before either, and it seemed the phenomenon was pleasantly persisting.

The usual indecision that confused her so, it had flowed away with but the sight of a certain beaming smile and the warmth of a hand, whose chakra resonated with familiarity. The memory of which still lingered on her palms as she looked down at them.

When it came to the girl called Kushina, the feeling of familiarity and affinity between people with similar chakra was stronger than ever.

So in this state Sumika had let herself get dragged off by the girl she'd just met, diverted away from the Uzumaki temple and around beside it to a valley containing the Uzukeishi Manor. The whole way there, Kushina had effused such a casual excitement and joy that it made the blood and bruises on her body out to be like a lie.

Sumika had also fought, albeit briefly, and yet her body had almost moved on its own. Moreover, she had even done so in a way that would not damage or soil her clothes, as if recognizing her unconscious preferences.

Even now, she felt reassured. She felt calmed. It was surreal to feel this way while still aching for more answers.
But there was this... pressure building up - somewhere, everywhere, and nowhere within her all at the same time.

And every time she looked at Kushina, everything Sumika had felt and learned the past few days seemed as if to intensify and tug at her heart.

A fierce and chaotic impulse had fueled her in those moments, and its remnants of feeling still lingered.

Ever since she encountered the other red-haired girl, yes... ever since her encounter with Kushina, a buzzing, tingling sensation grew within Sumika. Yet at the same time, so too did the nagging irritation in the back of her mind fade, no longer disrupting her concentration randomly. Her senses wandered in the present, idle and inattentive. She almost felt... sleepy?

That couldn't be right, could it? It was somehow both unburdening and... scary.

Something was happening to her and Sumika couldn't tell what it was, or how she should even react to it. But it brought so much relief, she could only resolve herself to let it happen. No, it was more like... what was once easy to grip and suppress was growing too strong for her to keep hold of. But why did letting go make those comfortably muted feelings so... intensified?

Wait, had that happened before?

An intense wish, or urge, had come over Sumika during that minor brawl, this time to protect Kushina... with all the same ferocity and instinct as if she were defending herself. Yes, that's right... like when she had to protect herself... and then later Fuzō...

Sumika knew she had thought about how she should react in such situations before, but only in hypotheticals. Like in the past, to fight, or to escape, and the consequences of such choices. Those old musing were just another neglected thread of her endless weave of worries. But since she had found herself here... and when the chance moments presented themselves, well... Sumika had once more gotten her answer.

Faced with such a situation, she would act, and would apparently do so without hesitation. And when it came to Kushina, that feeling ran deep, deep to the unfathomable depths of Sumika's core. But why? Even with all the progress Sumika had made, rationalizing the happenings of her heart was still an exercise in contradiction and confusion.

Perhaps... it had to do with her past, her struggles, that such bouts of piercing emotion could overcome her so thoroughly, so instinctively, amidst her otherwise steely willpower clamping down the chaos.

But... when was it again that had she even started holding such a firm grip on herself? And out of fear, for her safety? Just what was going on?

Sumika took a breath, realizing she hadn't been breathing again for quite a while, and this time it made her feel... more alive.

That's when she noticed her gaze was fixed on the direction in which Kushina had left, still looking for, still looking after her. The memory of their first encounter involuntarily replayed in her mind, suddenly reliving what she felt in those split seconds, but as if merely observing. A bystander to her own actions.

Eyes she saw herself in, and... a smile, both causing profound impact. For a moment after, a thought burst through her mind with perfect clarity. She saw herself within Kushina, and the joy and longing and distress reflected as if it were her own, impossible to ignore.
And that alone had been enough to make her act.

There was more, of course. So much more. But again, it was all tying in with her experiences over the last few months, with Tsunade and Fuzō, from Kaoru and Mito, and even... all the way back to Michiko. This... desperate yearning to feel what she'd lost.

Yes, she could see it better now, these things she'd been craving to understand. The happiness, the joy, the relief, the... Family.
It was all connected. It was making sense. It was... it was...?

With each unnecessary breath, the tautness within Sumika loosened. The feelings of ease and calm and certainty rose and returned.

But slowly, at the edges of her notice, an incalculable pressure flowed once more, straining something at her core. Her chakra began to accumulate, unrestrained, leaking out and surrounding her with a faint and flickering violet aura, becoming so dense as to be visible.

Gradually, the wooden furniture around her began to creak under this pressure, and once again a swelling pulse of circulation flowed in and around her heart. It felt like the tenderest hug she had yet received. It was enough to force from Sumika a silent sob. 

Yes, that's right, this particularly... noticeable volume of chakra leaked out whenever she wasn't actively suppressing it, which she'd made an effort to do ever since she almost got caught near the borders of the Land of Fire.  Or at least, that's what Sumika thought she'd been doing. She had... lost her grip a few times after then, too, hadn't she? But never while feeling so conscious of it.

Regardless, in this state her concentration finally returned, uninterrupted, and her ever-disorganized mess of thoughts settled into a patient order. Her gnawing desire for safety, her ravenous questions and fears ... they too simmered, pressing but not panicked.

A flash of realization jogged her memories. Memories of words her eyes had scoured but not read. Words that Kushina had also spoken in a jumble on the hazy, distracted journey here.

Casting her gaze down, Sumika extracted the papers she'd failed to properly read on the way here. Those fragmented explanations Ikehara-san mentioned... were starting to piece together in her mind, and the details sounded more and more familiar.

Letting her gaze linger one last time on the direction Kushina had been taken away, Sumika slowly read through Lady Mito's outlines. This time, the information registered with clarity and impact.

The more she read, the more her jaw slowly began to drop.

A carefully written postscript annotation from Lady Mito dominated her vision, a personal note endorsing a certain course of actions, should Sumika prefer it. Of it, one simple line stood out above all the rest, delivering one final boost of insight and understanding:

"It is common sense to help the ones you love, and to hope those you love will care for each other."

With that, she could give words to a portion of the chaos.

Duty never ended for the ANBU known as Geki.
Especially now, when pulling off jobs meant for three of four people, she never had a moment of true rest.

This is what it meant to be an on-call security detail, to bear such an all-encompassing duty so immense that, in truth, one bore it every minute of every day.

Geki likened it to parenthood, a responsibility and burden which lasts a lifetime. It went without saying that looking after the next generation was crucial, particularly when it came to her Lady's family.

"I guess I'm not just a babysitter then, but a permanent one, hmph." She scoffed out a wry laugh under her breath, "Does that make me a parent? Hah, as if..."

Her laugh trailed off as she leapt silently from a rooftop into the surrounding trees.

Geki had, of course, never married. Nor even really entertained the notion of a partner.
She had her work, her skills, and her duty. To do what she was good at, to excel and to feel the vitality of her immaculately trained physique - every day she lived to fullest fulfillment, as if it would be her last. And in many instances, it could very well have been.

But not yet, so she lived, and she served, and she continued to bear her burdens, feeling herself grow stronger for it. She felt alive every day.

But having such responsibilities to others, others who died before you, was its own kind of draining. Friends, family, acquaintances, officials, comrades, superiors... many had died before her, and each loss left its mark.

She wouldn't let the latest children assigned to her supervision join the ranks of those losses, even if she could only foil their enemies under the veil of shadows.

Catching sight of her objective, Geki halted silently atop the trees outside the nearby entrance to her mistress's compound. A still form wearing standard Konoha ANBU kit was crouched some ways away below her, looking towards the compound's gates. In the far distance, a group of kids could be seen sprawled around the pathway up the hillside.

Those young Uzumaki girls had dealt with the pawns swiftly, but whoever orchestrated this farce had left a lieutenant to meddle in the shadows. Whatever his mission, it could not be tolerated.

"You aren't supposed to be here Akirudo-kun... and I'd wager you already know that."

The silent watcher's plain blue mask snapped towards Geki, before he slowly stood up while shaking his head.

Two flat, rectangular blades appeared in Geki's hands with an eerie whirring sound, each made of flat black steel about the twice again the length of her forearm. She held them ready, but not yet in an offensive posture.

"You don't have to answer me, but you can still leave... and fail your mission."

Again, silence, followed by another light and deliberate shake of the head from the intruder, Akirudo.

Geki sighed. Somehow situations like this happened, comrades or old friends had their own circumstances too, after all. But Geki wasn't sure there was much of anything she could do for whatever had become of Akirudo, except grant a swift death. Things like this... happened in war.

A barrage of shuriken and senbon needles suddenly shredded the tree where Geki had just been standing, but not before the demon-masked ANBU had wove a few wires here and there between the projectiles.

It may have been rude after she had so courteously given Akirudo a chance to flee, but in battles between ANBU, that was just how things went.

A cloud of smoke popped as her wooden substitution on the treetop was destroyed, and some distance away, Geki pulled on her freshly spread wires.

The mute Akirudo drew his tantō in a flash to deflect the returning projectiles, using one hand to form a jutsu. A wall of earth blast up around him to shield him from the five pinpoint kunai Geki had simultaneous aimed at his joints while she dashed around out into the open.

But in the same instants, the rectangular steel blades in Geki's hands burst forth as her chakra flowed into them, each blade splitting into three equally smaller segments, connected by thick flexible wire.

The blade-whips wove into an arc, one impaling Akirudo's stone shield and providing a foothold for Geki to launch herself above his head, her other blades whipping around in a semi-circle to cut off his retreat.

The blue-masked mute threw his tantō up at Geki as she soared, only to be deflected by a whirling blade-whip segment returning from where it had been embedded as a foothold.

But the action had freed up his hands, which flew through handsigns as lightning crackled around his arms.

Still mid-air, Geki yanked at the wires still attached to her wrist, which blast out from the earth underneath Akirudo's feet and cut into the flesh of his ankles.

Yanked off balance, the mute intruder redirected the lightning swirling around his arms to sever and blast away the wires binding him, with startling speed and success.

But Geki had already achieved a checkmate. She was close enough.

Blade-whips still in hand as she fell towards the ground, she interlocked her fingers into a release handsign, and in mere moments, needle-like metal protrusions erupted all along the length of Akirudo's wounded legs, utterly maiming them and painting the surroundings with his blood.

The lightning in his hands fizzled out as his torso collapsed onto his gored legs, but still not even a whimper of pain escaped from him.

Geki took no chances, flicking her wrists in a follow-up and redirecting all six of her rectangular blade-segments to spin rapidly, then slash down through the man's shoulders and sever the muscles in his arms.

Even so, Geki still approached cautiously, dashing back and landing atop the earthen wall to look down upon the soon-to-be-corpse of Akirudo. Or rather her clone did, for this whole time, the real Geki was still farther back the treeline behind them, from where she had performed the fūinjutsu that obliterated her opponent's legs.

That was a nifty trick she'd picked up from fighting puppeteers, long ago now.
As long as the wire was carefully prepared, the fūinjutsu engraved upon it could be embedded within a victim's flesh, and then released... to devastating effect.
Puppeteers were a wily bunch, that's for sure, and understanding the way they thought was a great advantage in combat against them... and for one's own combat style, even with different tools. Layers within layers of traps, leaving yourself options in battle. And in a duel with an ANBU proficient in Raiton jutsu of Akirudo's level, well, it was best to disable them as soon as possible.

It helped that Geki, as an ally of Konoha shinobi, knew her opponent's specialties well. But none besides those of Lady Mito's retinue knew how much Geki had trained with and incorporated fūinjutsu in her combat.

Still using her clone to inspect her fallen opponent, Geki removed Akirudo's bloodstained mask. Beneath it was a familiar, if aged face, but one that had been disfigured. A swollen mass of flesh that might once have been a tongue all but replaced the dead man's mouth. On it, the remnants of glowing chakra were fading.

A curse... and one that looked to be placed upon him involuntarily. Obviously the kind meant to prevent any secrets from leaking.

Geki grimaced under her demon-motif mask. It had been some time since she had last seen Akirudo, ever since he'd been reassigned from the Hokage's direct control, in fact. But the man was clearly a shell of himself, even from the moment she'd laid eyes on him today.

What a waste.

Whatever missions he had gotten mixed up in, they were clearly bad news. Geki knew several of such things were unofficially approved by Konoha's leadership, but none of the councilors or elders would ever out one of their own. It always left a bad taste in her mouth seeing it up close, though, no matter how experienced Geki was.

This was partly why, time and again, Geki's loyalties remained firmly with Lady Mito. And why she maintained her duties so fervently, no matter how diverse or challenging.

Releasing a sigh, Geki set about clearing the signs of battle.

No one would look into what happened here, but if anyone did, a suitable story would be conjured up by the cabal of councilors. All official and proper, whatever was needed.
Indeed, a war was going on, so anyone could be conveniently recorded a casualty - a fallen hero. It was a shinobi's duty, after all.

Geki glanced up at the angle of the sun in the sky, mentally calculating how long it would take her to formulate her report, and return to her other clandestine chores, as well as attend to her... more official, but equally intensive duties.

"Haaaaaah, no rest for the wicked..." she muttered under her breath.

Maybe she could convince Lady Mito to dump clean-up duty onto Suzume. It would serve him right, after he threw her to the (metaphorical) wolves back when they met Tsunade at the gates...

ALowMar

There is a companion to this chapter I had hoped to release soon, but both this one and the next have grown to twice their intended size. Still, for the last day of the year, I wished to get a chapter out.
Please enjoy!