I beg your pardon. [Itsuki]

[Fuu]

“Seek out the Kyokujo Clan, they are the largest proprietors of the Hyuugan bloodline in Kumogakure.” His fellow ANBU’s advise still fresh in his mind, Fuu made his way through the village, forsaking his usual rooftop hopping for a casual stroll through the streets. The young man needed time to think, slightly nervous despite his years of experience in the arduous ANBU branch. It wasn’t everyday a man had to approach strangers, begging forgiveness for such an atrocity. To be fair, the fault didn’t lay squarely on the young man’s shoulders, but it still weighed heavy on his mind.

It was about midday when he set out, shortly after his morning patrol around the village. It was only the night before that he and Yuuto had met in secrecy, deep within the ancient forest, the same evening in which he had snuck from his hospital bed, but already Fuu was anxious to get underway. There was much that needed to be done, now that he was aware of the situation his village and his comrades were truly in. Despite being under the care and order of the military, the young man felt his responsibilities laid with the village and it's people, not the Raikage and his other 'superiors'.

Checking again to make sure he had the papers given to by his comrade, he quickened his pace towards the complex. The more he drew it out, the more his nerves would assail him. It hadn’t taken him long to look up the location of the estate, it being among the more prominent in Kumogakure, nor had it taken him long to arrive there. However, as he approached the large door that marked the entrance inside, he found himself hesitating. Pulling his hood down from his blonde head, the ANBU stared at the ornate building in silence, gathering up the courage to knock behind his mask.

‘How does one broach such a subject?’ The ANBU wondered, his hands turning clammy in their gloves. With a heavy sigh, he rose a gloved fist to the door, his other arms shrouded beneath his heavy robes. Knocking gently he took a step back, watching anxiously for any reaction. This wasn’t going to be easy, but it had to be done. Not just for Fuu or the clan, but possibly for the entire village.

 

[Morishige]

The door opened to reveal a traditional looking woman who appeared to be in her thirties. She looked upon the mask with a confused expression, asking herself what the ANBU were doing at their door. Her eyes were not the white of the Byakugan, and perhaps that was why she was the one who was answering the door. In a moment, she bowed and offered him the option of stepping inside. "Konnichiwa ANBU-san. Let me take you to the master of the estate. You must be here to see Itsuki-chan." she said, turning to lead him down the main concourse towards a large door near the back.

She knocked and slowly opened it. "Master Kyokuju, an ANBU of the village is here to visit, shall I see him in?"

A sigh could be heard from within. "Very well."

The woman slowly back peddled out of the way to let Fuu inside.

Upon entering, the leader of the Kyokuju would watch him. His face seemed hardened with age and concern for some matter he was currently dealing with. It was not a good time for this disturbance...

"Why might the ANBU be knocking at my door?"

 

[Fuu]

For a moment he was relieved, the sight of two normal eyes staring back at his momentarily putting him at ease. Of course, it didn’t really matter who answered the door, sooner or later he would end up speaking to a clansman. "Konnichiwa ANBU-san. Let me take you to the master of the estate. You must be here to see Itsuki-chan." Nodding politely, Fuu followed the woman down the broad hall, thanking her softly as they walked.

"Very well." The deep response instantly put the ANBU back on edge, a small bead of sweat forming on his blonde brow as he entered the room, nodding respectfully upon stopping in front of the hard faced man. "Why might the ANBU be knocking at my door?" The clan head asked, a reasonable question considering his sudden appearance. Clearing his throat, the ANBU weighed his words carefully before speaking, his voice low and respectful. “Kyokuju-sama, my name is Himaru Fuu. I apologize if I arrived with poor timing, I promise to make this brief.”

Stifling a sigh, the wary young man rose a hand to his mask, pulling it up and off slowly and keeping his eyes shut. “Recently, I underwent a surgery. An altercation had left me near dead, rendering my eyes completely useless in the process.” Slowly lifting his eyes lids, Fuu looked the elder in his face, the gray eyes there matching his own. Around both of the ANBU’s eyes were slight lines, faded scars the scalpel had left behind during his transplant. His face tight and serious, Fuu averted his gaze, lowering his head in a show of his regret as he continued. “It wasn’t until after five days of treatment that I awoke to find what had been done to my body. I am here to offer my sincerest apology, and a more elaborate explanation of how this came to be. I have no bloodright to these eyes, but I have no intention of squandering the gift your clansmen was desecrated for.” Dropping to one knee, Fuu bowed his head further, his face a mask of regret and shame. “Please, I beg your pardon. If there is anyway I can prove myself worthy of your clanman’s sacrifice, please allow me to do so.”

Biting his lip, he kept his head low, anxiously awaiting the verdict. He truly didn’t know what to expect, all the ANBU could do now was hope. There was still the matter of who was actually responsible for the blatant desecration of whatever poor Hyuugan soul had graced Fuu with his eyes, but for now the man would have to bite his tongue.

 

[Morishige]

It wasn't common for ANBU to reveal their identity, and Saburo Kyokuju knew this. Revealing himself in that way put the elder man on the edge, uneasy with the situation. Was this an assassination attempt by the village? Why hadn't he attacked yet? Saburo was ready to fight for his life, but what came next was even worse.

Pale eyes watched the ANBU remove his mask, his eyes shut and signs of trauma around them. His expression changed from prepared to confused as Fuu spoke again. He spoke as though he were blind and immediately Saburo assumed he meant to request eyes from someone within the clan. But this was not the case either. Before the elder man stood Fuu, the unmistakable eye balls of a Hyuuga implanted within his skull. Saburo could be seen tensing up with fury, his teeth grinding upon each other and his knuckles going white from squeezing his hands into fists so hard.

The young man wisely averted his gaze and paid his respect in the form of a kneel, pledging that he would not waste such a gift. Saburo shook his head and stood from his seat trying to release the pent of energy in his body. Fuu wished to make up for taking the bloodlimit of the Hyuuga in a most heinous and gruesome way. He took a deep breath and eyes of malice looked towards Fuu. "How in all the heavens did you not know what was happening to you. They just said 'Fuck it' and stuck Hyuuga eyes in you to restore your sight? You better give me that elaborate explanation. Because I'm finding this hard to believe." he spoke, looking towards the woman who let him in. "Go fetch my daughter. She should be here for this."

The woman bowed, and left quickly. Saburo returned to his seat. "Explain." he finished with a very curt tone.

* * *

Itsuki arrived shortly after, dressed in more clothes that were more comfortable rather than practical. She didn't realize she was going to be walking in on a meeting of importance and immediately felt embarrassed by the state of her dress. An hand reached across her belly to latch onto her other arm in a defensive way. They were in talks so she would not interrupt. Instead she slowly walked along the wall and over to her father's side, taking a look at the person he was talking to. The voice was familiar... she had heard it recently. Her eyes went to the mask in his hand. "ANBU?" she asked herself, then she noticed his eyes. Her expression changed quickly. Her glare was unwavering as she stared at him. Unblinking she awaited the rest of the story she had been summoned to listen to.

 

[Fuu]

As anticipated, the clansman was not thrilled with what he had to say. Despite his eyes being locked on the floor below, Fuu could see the man rise in his peripheral, his body rigid with rage as Fuu finished his explanation. "How in all the heavens did you not know what was happening to you. They just said 'Fuck it' and stuck Hyuuga eyes in you to restore your sight? You better give me that elaborate explanation. Because I'm finding this hard to believe." Before he returned to his seat, the hard man bade the serving woman to go find his daughter. Seated once again, though apparently no calmer than he was before, he spoke again, his voice sharp and tone serious. "Explain."

“This matter goes much further than myself I’m afraid, Kyokuju-sama.” The ANBU began, nodding his head gravely as he rose back to his feet, once again standing at his full 6‘2. “When I was still a trainee and not so nearly levelheaded as I am today, I regrettably signed a form put into action by the now former medical Sennin. From what I hear, he was a twisted individual, and it was he that adopted the policy which resulted in my receiving of your clan’s Kekkai Genkai.“ As he spoke, a young woman entered the room, quietly moving around the outside of her room before joining her father in staring daggers into Fuu. Keeping his gaze focused on the clanhead himself, the young man continued, keeping his voice low and respectful. “It would seem Kumogakure as a whole, or at least those in charge of the medical division, have kept such practices current.”

Slowly, he opened the flap of his robe, holding one hand up cautiously to mark his good intentions. Reaching a third hand into one of the many pockets in his robe, he procured a small stack of papers, folded in half to fit in the compartment. Taking a slow step forward, he extended the papers towards the two Hyuugans, allowing his robes to fall back into place. It was likely that the two had seen his extra arm, but the young man didn’t really see a point in trying to conceal his own Kekkai Genkai, considering the awesome power of this clan’s Doujutsu. “This is a list, retrieved by an associate from the hospital records. It contains the names of every shinobi marked for ‘Harvest’. If your daughter was to perish tomorrow in service of the village, she would not be returned to you. She would be stolen away to the hospital, where your powerful occular capabilites are highly sought after.” For a moment he glanced to Itsuki, a trace of familiarity dancing across his mind before he pushed it out, focusing on the task at hand. The ANBU knew his words would most likely serve only to further enrage the clan, but in truth this was the most important reason behind his visit, and thus it was unavoidable.

Whether they accepted or denied the offering, Fuu would step back, his face a tight grimace as he studied the two in front of him. He had laid everything out, now all he would be able to do is wait and watch. With any luck, the clan would see who was truly at fault, hopefully clearing his name in the process. If not, he would be left in an uncomfortably compromised situation. This was a gamble, and the young man prayed his luck would change.

 

[Morishige]

Saburo expression worsened with Fuu's next words. He grew more skeptical of the man, expecting him to begin spewing lies about the true nature of this surgery that had become of him. What he was told was far from that. The tall shinobi spoke of Isaki Kushin, a man whom the Kyokuju hated for his part in the whole kinjutsu freedom, or as they called it, giving away their sacred bloodline to unworthy people; such as Fuu. As he concluded his story after Itsuki entered the room, Saburo waved his hand in the air and shook his head. "We know the medical branches practices and have been pressuring the village council to get them to change it for years now, but nothing has come of it. What is your point?" he demanded in a very abrasive tone. Well, Fuu would proceed to tell him.

The moment he revealed his arms, Itsuki knew exactly who he was. She had just been on mission with the man. This was the man with the cursed seal whose call sign was Doku. "It hasn't been that long, what on earth happened..." she questioned. As he approached with the list, Itsuki took it for her father and handed it to him to look over. There were a multitude of names and information next to them. Saburo found his daughters name quickly enough, and then there were names of some of his friends on the list as well. His anger seemed to shift. He threw the list to the ground, where Itsuki picked it up and began to look over it as well. Her expression she seemed to freeze, her eyes reading over her name multiple times. Saburo remained silent, watching his daughter, then looking to Fuu, and back to her. Something seemed to click in his mind. Itsuki eventually looked to her father and then handed the list back to Fuu. She had no words.

The elder Kyokuju spoke once again. "You have our thanks in bringing us this information, and you have earned my trust." he said, a significant aura of hate in the back of his throat. "You wished to prove yourself worthy of those eyes. You'll never truly learn to utilize them without our help, but it is against clan law for me to teach outside the clan. There is a way however," he began, looking to Itsuki with a very serious expression before looking back to the man.

"Take my daughter as your wife, and I will be permitted to teach you our ways."

Itsuki's sobered expression turned to fright and worry, her mouth agape as she panicked. "No, you can't!" she shouted. "I can and I will! You are long passed the age when you were supposed to pick your suitor so I am doing it for you! Himura Fuu, do you accept?" he questioned with a now stern tone in his voice.

Itsuki quickly turned to look at him with a frightened expression, pleading with her pale eyes for him to say no. Would he subject her to an arranged marriage, or perhaps try to learn the arts from another in Kumogakure? There were several factors to decide on, the least of which was the beauty of the fair heiress to the Kyokuju clan, which in turn would make him the heir.

 

[Fuu]

As Fuu watched, the situation only continued to intensify before his eyes. Well, not his eyes, but that was beside the point. The young woman stepped forward and accepted the papers from him, her smooth gait once again striking the ANBU as familiar. Had they met before? The young man thought it unlikely, but considering his present situation he couldn’t afford to divert his focus from the task at hand. As the Saburo tossed the list to the ground in a rage, the young man’s sharp jaw clenched momentarily before he forced it loose, fighting hard to keep his face a mask of calm respect. While he was doing a decent job, the ANBU having plenty of experience in concealing his emotions, he could still hear his own heart racing in his ears, his palms sweaty under his robes.

Itsuki herself began to study the letter, scooping it up deftly from the floor, her face frozen as she came across her own name. It seemed his gamble had paid off, the young man working under the assumption that the clan’s leading line would be high on the list for harvest. Glancing away from the woman, he met the clanhead’s gaze for a moment, silently thankful the glare of resentment was gone, replaced by an extremely curious look which more than served to keep Fuu on edge. The man was looking from the ANBU to his daughter, seemingly to be working something out in his mind. Concerned, the young man looked back to Itsuki, almost comforted by the somehow familiar woman as she handed him back the papers. She seemed as on edge as he was, though it seemed the anger had shifted away from Fuu at last.

"You have our thanks in bringing us this information, and you have earned my trust.” Fighting a sigh of relief the ANBU relaxed slightly, though his body posture remained rigid as he bowed gratefully, straightening back up as the man continued. It felt odd for him to be concerned by acceptance, the man having always prided himself on his independence, but it couldn’t be avoided in this situation. By all rights, the Kyokuju could have killed the young man simply for his audacity, not without repercussions of course, but it would have been done quickly and easily enough. “You wished to prove yourself worthy of those eyes. You'll never truly learn to utilize them without our help, but it is against clan law for me to teach outside the clan. There is a way however,"

For a moment, there was silence, Fuu swallowing nervously as the clanhead looked to his daughter sternly before returning his gaze. "Take my daughter as your wife, and I will be permitted to teach you our ways." His eyes widening slightly in shock, the stunned man couldn’t even formulate a thought before the young woman protested, only furthering the ANBU’s confusion. "No, you can't!" She shouted, the familiar voice ringing through his ears like a bell. ‘Hebi?’ Instantly it all came rushing back, the events of his latest mission and the people involved. How had he not seen it before? Her eyes, size and gait all should have been enough for him to make the connection, but with the massive events that had unfolded directly after Fuu had forgotten all bout the escort mission and subsequent battle with Red, Brown and White.

"I can and I will! You are long passed the age when you were supposed to pick your suitor so I am doing it for you! Himura Fuu, do you accept?" Staring back at the man in shock, Fuu could only blink as he tried to make sense of what had just occurred. The only way he could ever make use of his eyes were with training, and the only people truly suitable to teach him were the Kyokuju. When he looked back to Itsuki, remebering the confident and competent warrior he had fought beside on the some distant rode, the look in her eyes forced him to reconsider. She reminded him of himself, more suited to a life alone than one of companionship. Hebi was a trainee of few words, speaking with her skill rather than her mouth, and that had earned her a great deal of respect from Doku, the stressed and dutiful Mempo. Itsuki however, the young heiress pleading with her gray gaze for the marred and haggard Fuu to turn down the offer seemed almost delicate in comparison. How could he subject her to something he himself had written off years ago? The young man refused attempts at friendship as a child and teen, let alone the few kunoichi who had approached him with other intentions in mind.

To refuse such an offer would likely offend the clanhead, but to accept would change his and Itsuki’s lives forever. What was the young man to do? Struggling to find his voice, the ANBU spoke hesitantly, his mouth dry with anxiety. “Kyokuju-sama, you honor me.” For another moment he found himself speechless yet again, trying hard to keep himself composed despite the turmoil roaring inside him. “If I may, could I make a proposal?” Glancing nervously from the young woman back to her stern father, his four extra arms dug into his side, the young man doing his best to keep his voice even. “If you will allow it, I’d like to spend a day with Itsuki. I mean no offense, it’s just that I would appreciate a chance to speak with her before I commit us both to such an arrangement.” Looking to the heiress for a brief second, he lowered his head and bent into a deep bow, holding there for a moment before straightening back up, head held low in a gesture of how humbled he truly felt. It was true that, despite leaving his family home and passing the right of inheritance to his little brother, the young man still had a fair amount of money to his name. However, never in his life had he considered this a possible outcome, and yet here he stood. Silently, he prayed the man would agree before praying doubly that he hadn’t been offended.

'Kyokuju Fuu....'

[MFT]

 

[Morishige]

Saburo's stern eyes watched them eye each other with impatience. Despite Fuu's wise words of trying to flatter him, the elder expected that there was a 'but' coming. The ANBU wished to make a proposal of his own, even though he was in no position to do so. But Saburo wasn't about put a sour taste in the mouth of a man who might wed his daughter. "Ask." he responded simply, ready to hear this new proposal.

"I see." spoke the man. He looked to Ituski, who wouldn't dare look at him during that moment. He didn't want to alienate her and have what happened to her what happened to her brother. Saburo sighed.

"I suppose. You will have your day, tomorrow. Come by in the morning, and you shall have her till the evening." he finished by clapping his hands together. Standing, Saburo took a door to his right and left, Fuu and Itsuki were left in the room with the servant woman. The young woman looked to him once more, this time it was an expression of distrust. No words were said, and she would not stop as she made her own exit. There appeared to be a glistening of tears...

[Topic End!]

 

[Fuu]

Fuu could only gawk in dismay as the woman darted out of the room, his mouth failing to form the words in his mind. As she disappeared through door, he managed to utter a weak “Hebi.” before silencing himself once again, his head held low as he followed the servant woman out of the house, thanking her graciously as he left. For a moment, the two had held eye contact, gray eyes meeting in a exchange of disbelief from him for distrust from her before she stormed away, the slightest hint of moisture in her eyes. The sight was still fresh in his mind, his legs carrying him on auto pilot to his favorite perch atop the gate.

He had been there since his incident with the medic that had caused this whole mess, but the isolation of the high peaks drew the ANBU like a moth to flame. The man needed desperately to think, his mind clouded with heavy thoughts which, for the first time in days, weren’t circulating around his recent transformation.

[Topic left]