Chapter Text
A young woman was hopping from tree to tree the fastest she could. Though her feet were starting aching she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. She has a mission she needs to accomplish. She needs to fulfill her mother's dying wish.
At the thought of her mother, her mind went back to the last conversation she had with her before she passed away.
The young woman blinked her blurry eyes, her ears were still ringing from the bomb. She looked around and her eyes widened when she saw her younger siblings lying not far from her.
She called out to their name as she crawled towards them, "Kaito, Akane."
When she finally reached them, she touched their arms and shook them, "Kaito! Akane!"
She grew worried as the seconds went by. Her eyes began to glisten as she didn't get a response from them. She reluctantly put her head to Kaitos chest and swallowed a sob when she didn't hear any sound of a heartbeat from him, then she moved from Akane and when she got the same result, she couldn't stop her tears anymore and her body fell at the top of her siblings' lifeless body.
That was when she heard someone coughing. She turned her head and saw her mother with the lower part of her body buried under some piles of cement.
"Mother!" she tried to stand up and walk limply beside the older woman.
"M—Michiko?" the older woman asked, her eyes opening slightly.
"I'm here, mother. Give me a moment and I will get you away from this,"Michiko said as she inspected the large stone atop her mother.
"M—Michiko, I—"
"Mother, don't exhaust yourself. I'll just—"
Michiko stopped talking when she felt a warm feeling at the top of her hand. She looked down and saw a hand holding her then she lifted her head and saw her mother looking at her with a gentle smile.
"You're a good child, Michiko. Don't change, my child."
Michiko's eyes teared as she gazed at her mother, "Mother, please—"
"Don't forget our teachings and before I make my way into the afterlife and reunite with your father, I have something to ask from you," her mother coughed blood and more tears fell from the daughter's eyes.
"W—what is it, mother?" Michiko asked between her sobs.
"Travel around countries, find your cousins, warn them, and protect them from your aunt," the older woman said in a weak voice.
"Cousins?" Michiko questioned, confusion was evident in her voice, "B—But Akira-nee and Daiki-nii-san are the only cousins I know. And Akira-nee-chan is the only one who's not currently here."
"You have another cousin from our eldest sister."
"Hanako-obasama?"
Her mother nodded weakly.
"Then who are they? And how will I know it was them when I'd just known their existence just right now?" Michiko asked.
"You knowher, Michiko.She'sone of the well-known kunoichi in the entire Elemental Nation," her mother looked at her in her eyes with a smile, "Hername is—"
Michiko snapped out of the present when she felt a throb at the back of her mind. She smirked when she realized that her cousin was not so far from her, but then it disappeared when she felt people running in the same direction. She cursed silently as she focused her mind on where her cousin was.
Lucky her, her cousin's mind was completely open. But she tsked when she got a read on it.
"She better not do what she's thinking, because it's plainly stupid."
A woman with short raven hair and holding a pig in her arms was walking in the street while watching her blonde-haired mentor at the back with concern.
On the other hand, the blonde-haired woman was in deep thought. Just earlier she met her former teammate who informed her that their former sensei was dead because of him and it caused him his arms. Although the death of her sensei did take part in her chaotic mind, that's not the main reason why her mind was in turmoil. It's her, healing her former teammate; in exchange, he will revive her little brother and former lover with the Edo Tensei.
She knew it was wrong. Damn it, she knew! But—
"Get rid of your thoughts now and quit sulking! Focus on your surroundings, stupid!"
Tsunade's snapped out of her musing when she heard a voice in her mind. What the—
"Who are you?!" Tsunade asked out loud while frowning. She stopped walking as she looked around, looking for something or someone suspicious.
Shizune followed after her mentor though she was looking at her in confusion when the older woman suddenly outburst, "Tsunade-sama?"
Tsunade ignored her apprentice and focused on her surroundings.
"Oh, for the love of— MOVE!!"
Even though she was confused and agitated because her head ached as the owner of the unknown voice suddenly shouted, Tsunade did what it said, bringing Shizune in the process. Then an arrow fell from where she was standing before and all of a sudden it exploded. The two women instantly became alert and expected any attack from somewhere. They didn't expect that when they felt something cold and seemed like something was tearing in the air, a man wearing a black robe holding a katana suddenly appeared in front of Tsunade.
The medic-nin knew she couldn't do anything to stop the sharp edge by the sudden appearance of the man to stop the sharp edge, and could only watch it get closer to her.
"Tsunade-sama!!"
Then they felt the same sensation as before and heard a clang of meeting swords. They froze as they gazed at the back of the newcomer.
It was a young woman in their late twenties. Her hair was blonde just like Tsunade's but a little lighter and shorter. She was also wearing a black robe with insignia on it, a pentagon with lines from it sides leading to the circle in the middle of the pentagon. The woman was holding a twin sword, blocking the katana of the man who had attacked.
"Michiko-sama," the young man greeted, and though she called the woman with honor, it didn't show at the tone of him.
"Hiroshi," the woman named Michiko greeted back then they both jumped back. Michiko jumped beside Tsunade while the man named Hiroshi was across them with a little distance in between them.
The Sannin narrowed her eyes as she observed the woman, "That voice..."
"You're the one who was in my head," Tsunade stated.
Michiko turned her head and raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes, "You're the one who was in my head. The one who called me stupid."
The woman paused for a moment before she laughed, "Oh, yeah. You're right. That's me."
Tsunade's eyebrow ticked. How dare she. Mind her, she's the greatest medic-nin in the world. She performed countless surgeries that an ordinary medic would deem lost cause. She made antidotes and cures to counterattack even the rarest and difficult to battle with poisons. She made the impossible into possible with her wit and—
"Yeah, yeah. I know you're the greatest medic-nin, performed countless surgeries, made antidotes, blah, blah," Michiko gestures with her hands while rolling her eyes, "And yes, maybe you're smart to turn the impossible in to possible, but still, you're dumb."
Tsunade glared at her, killing intent bursting out of her, "How dare you—" but then she realized something, "Wait. How did you know what was I thinking?"
"You left your mind wide open," Michiko answered cryptically.
The Sannin furrowed and was about to open her mouth when the man— she forgot he was still there— spoke.
"Michiko-sama."
Michiko turned to the man and arched an eyebrow, "What? I'm busy chatting here, so don't be a rude and interrupt us. Besides, I don't want to talk to traitors such as you," she spat.
Hiroshi only looks at her solemnly, "Michiko-sama, you know I will never betray you."
The young woman crossed her arms and deadpanned, "Really? That's not what I see."
The young man sighed, "Please open your mind."
Michiko furrowed at this and they stared at each other's eyes for minutes.
Tsunade and Shizune saw the young woman's face show from confusion to shock and then all of it disappeared completely and turned into impassive.
"I see," Michiko mused.
Tsunade frowned at this,"Did they just talk telepathically? Do they have kenkei genkai?"
The young man seemed to notice this and misinterpreted it as he turned to face the Sannin,"I deeply apologize for what I did a while ago, Tsunade-sama but I needed to do that to keep my cover."
Tsunade was about to open her mouth when Michiko suddenly attacked the man, which the latter blocked. Then the two began to exchange blows.
"Haha! You think you can fool me with your excuses! I know your strategy, Hiroshi. And while you're one of my guards, I know you also have a hidden agenda!"
The Sannin was confused by this. A second ago, it seemed like they already resolved their issues, then now they were attacking each other?
"Talk telepathically."
The medic-nin looked at the blonde woman whose expression betrayed nothing. But then she noticed the slightly curled up of the corner of the woman's lips.
Then it suddenly dawned on her. All of the fighting was just a show. Somewhere, someone was watching these events unfold. Though she wants to talk to them, ask them who are they and what's going on, she doesn't have the same ability as theirs.
Then she remembered, they could read her mind. Or the blonde can read her mind. Nevertheless, she tried to think about her questions.
"Who are you?"
Michiko glanced at her way and Tsunade saw amusem*nt dancing in her eyes,"That's not what I meant by talking telepathically, but I think it will do. But as for your question, I can't answer it at the moment. You see, I'm busy kicking this man's ass and I know what will I am saying needs a lot of explanation... and evidence."
Michiko flashed her a smirk before she redirected her eyes to her opponent once again,"But maybe I can tell you this. Your blood was coursing through mine."
Tsunade's mind went halt and her eyes widened. There's only one possible answer to the woman's cryptic words. She vaguely remembers her mother telling her a little about her before she married her father (her brother was still too young at the time) when she was still alive, that her mother was from a different country. Rather than a village, she was part of a hidden tribe that had different abilities and was classified by clans. But other than that, she hadn't told anything, even her family.
"This woman... Is it possible that she's —"
A kunai flew in the direction of the two causing them to jump back to avoid being impaled. The four of them turned to the newcomer who appeared like the two did earlier. The newcomer has red hair and alluring green eyes. The corner of her red-painted lips was curled into a smirk.
"Well, well, well. Hello there, my dear Michiko. How's life?" the redheaded young woman said with a bit of taunting.
Michiko raised an eyebrow, "Well, well, well. Hello there, daughter of a bitch. Still alive?"
The young blonde woman let out a smirk when she got the reaction she wanted from the redheaded.
"What did you say, bitch?!" the redheaded shrieked.
Michiko crossed her arms and co*cked her hips, "What? I just greeted you, ugly."
The woman's face became red as her hair, "Let me tell you, witch. I'm the most beautiful woman in our country!"
"Yeah? Are you sure about that? I mean, you look like just your mom," Michiko grinned cheekily.
The redheaded narrowed her eyes, "So, what are you saying? That my mom and I were ugly?"
"Of course not, you have stolen my boyfriend after all. What I am just saying is that you're not the most beautiful woman in the world. Even your father knows that," the blonde shrugged and pointed her thumb to Tsunade who raised an eyebrow at the motion, "Didn't he always tell others how her mom is the most beautiful woman that had ever walked in this land?"
The older blonde's eyes widened at the mention of her mom but got over her reaction and narrowed her eyes. Her raven-haired apprentice on the other hand was still looking confused while gazing back and forth to her master and the other blonde.
"Just what I thought."
Michiko glanced at her at that moment and Tsunade nearly groaned as she knew the younger blonde read her mind again, however, there was a little anticipation for what's the other blonde's response. But instead of confirming her with a nod or yes, she put her finger under her chin and looked up in the act of thinking.
"Now that I think about it, if her mom's beautiful, then my mom's too? They were triplets after all."
Shizune's eyes widened as she gasped in shock, and the pig she was holding let out an oinked. Tsunade's eyes too widened at the revelation. She had a suspicion that this young blonde in front of her was her relative because of the few words she said earlier
But she expected she was a distant relative.
She didn't expect that she was her cousin.
"What a day full of revelations and unexpected events. I need a drink."
