Even if the clan heads and other leading figures were preoccupied with managing the village in the Suikage's absence and searching for any clue to her location, Takimura itself moved much as it always had.
At dawn, the villagers still rose with the sun, spilling into the wide streets to fulfill their daily duties. Shopkeepers hurried to their stalls, coaxing flames to life in their hearths, preparing rice and fish for the first wave of customers. The smell of smoke and cooking broth mixed in the cool air, a sign that business had to be ready for those who preferred a hot meal outside their homes.
The canals, lined with stone and filled with koi flashing red, white, and gold, also demanded attention. Their beauty was undeniable, but they muddied the water, forcing the waterkeepers to move through the walkways with nets and long brushes, clearing the flow so it stayed pure enough for use.
Even the Takime clan tried to keep to their routine. Their faces were pale, their eyes ringed with sleepless shadows, but still they rose from their futons, went about their chores, and carried the weight of appearances.
Only a few days had passed since the news of the Suikage's envoy being ambushed spread through the village like wildfire. Though the shock had shaken everyone, the rhythm of Takimura was slowly returning to what it had been.
But not for all.
For Kaoru, the world had not moved forward at all.
Despite his desire to leave the village and search for Maki himself, he had no choice but to remain. With Akura so badly injured he could not stand, let alone lead, the duty Kaoru had been avoiding for years now fell fully on his shoulders. At last, he had to act as the head of the Takime, bearing responsibility for both the clan and his missing sister.
Sleep had barely touched him. The night had been a blur of pacing thoughts and endless calculations on how to keep the clan steady, how to find Maki, how to balance one burden without dropping the other.
'Finally, it's morning.' His eyelids dragged open as though weighted, his cyan irises streaked with crimson lines that betrayed his exhaustion.
He stretched his arms, flexing his muscles to chase away the heaviness in his body. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he lowered them toward the floor, his feet brushing clumsily as he searched for his sandals.
'I'll give it a week… then I'll try to find Nagato or Konan myself.' He stepped into the small kitchen, pouring himself water from the jug on the table. The coolness freshened him a bit as his thoughts continued. 'Maybe Sensei can find a safer way to contact them before then… I'd prefer to avoid chasing them down; otherwise, I doubt they will be willing to peacefully chat with me.'
Nagato and Konan seemed, at least in Kaoru's mind, the most reasonable among Akatsuki. With them, there was a chance to speak, perhaps even to use the memory of Yahiko if needed. But reason only went so far. He knew both of them were driven by vengeance, and he had no way of knowing just how deep Obito's hand reached into their hearts.
'I understand why they'd want Utakata. But Maki? Why her?' His jaw tightened as the thought looped again. His instincts told him that the answer to that single question might make the path to finding her clear. But every attempt to reason it out ended the same way - no explanation made sense.
He grabbed a black shirt and pants and slipped into them, frowning at the fit.
'They don't fit anymore,' he noticed as he tugged the fabric. The pants ended far above his ankles, leaving his legs bare in a way he disliked, and the shirt barely covered his arms. 'I'll have to get new ones soon.'
He tied his hair back slowly, his fingers pulling strands into place. Just then, the first pale beams of sunlight slipped into the room, sliding across the wooden floor before catching the mirror. The light bounced against the frame, scattering across the picture that rested beside his bed.
It was the only image Kaoru had of his family. His father and mother sat together, holding a bundled infant Kaoru between them, both captured laughing as if nothing else in the world mattered. Beside them, little Maki stood on her toes, clinging to the cloth he was swaddled in, her small face tilted forward as she tried to peer at her baby brother. The painting had been commissioned by Suiren, who wanted Kaoru to at least know the faces of those he had never truly seen.
But it was a lie.
His mother had died giving birth to him. His father, though still alive for a time, had never been bright or joyful afterward. He carried only a hollow quiet until the day he gave his life for their clan. The smiles in the painting had never existed.
And yet, Kaoru liked it.
Perhaps because to him, the painting reflected his entire life. A false image, showing a happiness that never belonged to him. A fake picture for a fake life. That was why he had kept it so close all these years.
But today, when his gaze fell on the figures Suiren had ordered painted for him, something stirred deep in his chest. His throat tightened. Tears welled in his eyes and slipped down his cheeks before he realized they had formed.
He had always known he loved Maki. That was natural, the bond of siblings. But as he stared at the painted version of her younger self, the truth struck with clarity. Maki was the only family he had left. The only one who still loved him without condition.
"I'm all alone…" he whispered, his voice barely audible as he lifted the picture, holding it closer to his eyes. He focused on Maki's painted smile, the joy in her face that even the artist's brush could not dim.
"She is so bright." His lips curved into a small, fragile smile. He wiped his cheeks with his sleeve and returned the painting to its place on the table. Slowly. With care. With a new tenderness for what it showed.
His fingertips lingered against the frame, resting there for a long breath, until the sadness in his gaze gave way to something sharper. His tears dried, replaced by resolve.
"Don't you dare give up. I'll save you no matter what, Maki."
The hard soles of his sandals struck the wooden floor as he strode forward, each step echoing until the boards gave way to the soft grass of the garden outside.
Chakra surged around him, erupting in waves before thinning and stabilizing, forming a steady layer that clung close to his body. The air vibrated faintly, disturbed by the pressure radiating from him.
He stretched his hand outward. The cyan glow of the Suijingan flared in his eyes, burning more intensely with each passing moment. His gaze narrowed, sharper and sharper, fixed on his palm.
And then his porcelain skin began to lose color, paling as though light itself was draining from him, until his hand turned translucent, slowly becoming water.
<<<>>>
"Lord." The council rose as one the moment Kaoru stepped into the chamber.
Unlike before, he no longer tried to wave away their bows or force them to treat him as their equal. He lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment, then walked forward with steady steps and sat in the clan head's seat.
"Since this is my first official council meeting as head, tell me what requires my attention," Kaoru said, leaning his elbows onto the table, his fingers interlocked before him. His voice carried calm weight, though his eyes held fatigue. "But first, how is Akura?"
"Lord…" Orihime exhaled, her lips parting, but she faltered. She opened her mouth several times only to shut it again, hesitation clouding her face. At last, she drew in a breath and spoke. "Akura is stable. He should be able to stand in a week or two, but…"
Her voice trailed off. She sighed and shook her head faintly, unable to finish.
"Do not show him pity in any way," Kaoru warned coldly, his gaze sharp as it cut across the table. "That would be the worst for him. Even with one hand, he can remain a shinobi. Besides, there are ways to restore… never mind that for now. Tell me, how are the Takime handling our situation?"
The three council members exchanged uneasy looks, their eyes carrying both surprise at his firmness and concern for his state.
"Lord Kaoru…" Orihime began gently, her tone soft and warm.
But Beno cut her off. "Almost forgot!" He forced a laugh, scratching the back of his head with exaggerated cheer. "We need to pick you a guardian, Lord Kaoru."
"Pick me a guardian?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow.
Tereno nodded, brushing his long beard. "Yes. Every clan head must have one - a shinobi they fully trust above all others."
"Then why didn't Grandmother have one?" Kaoru asked.
"She did," Beno replied, the smile fading into something bitter. "It was Akura."
Kaoru leaned back, considering. The image of Suiren came to him, her steady figure, and always, just behind her, Akura's silent shadow. Whether she wore ceremonial robes or simple attire, he had never been absent. Now Kaoru understood why.
"And who do you have in mind?" he asked, hoping the council would propose someone he knew and trusted.
"It isn't for us to choose, Lord Kaoru. You must nominate a candidate, and we will vote," Orihime said, her composure recovered after Beno's interruption. Her eyes lingered on him, as if still wishing to ask about the turmoil she clearly sensed in him. "That said, the council has never rejected the head's nomination."
'Probably because you have no real power. Whatever I say will go.' Kaoru kept his expression indifferent as the thought passed through his mind.
"Other than Akura, there's only one person I can think of," he said after a pause. "Misa."
At once, the three elders smiled. All of them nodded in approval, their agreement too quick, too easy.
'Don't tell me these three set up my closeness with Misa by sending her everywhere I went.' His eyes widened slightly at the realization. Manipulated or not, he could not bring himself to feel anger. If anything, he was grateful. Misa was capable, dependable, and she had shown time and again that she cared deeply for both him and the clan.
"And there is one more matter," Beno said after exchanging glances with Orihime and Tereno. "Lord Kaoru, you will turn fifteen in two months, and…"
Kaoru's gaze chilled, cutting him off before he could continue.
"Not until Maki is back," he said, his voice carrying a hard edge. "I will not entertain such discussions while my sister's life is in danger."
The three old Takime lowered their gazes, nodding silently. For the first time, they saw Kaoru command authority without wavering. Pushing him now would only risk his wrath.
"Let us move on to clan matters…"
A knock at the door halted him. The wood creaked open, and an OININ stepped inside. Her mask was turned to the side, exposing her face so the council could see her clearly.
"Lord Kaoru," she said, bowing first to him and then respectfully to the elders. "Lord Shin has sent a message for you…"
She hesitated, her eyes flicking to each of the three elders before returning to Kaoru. "Lord Shin demanded that only you read it."
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