Who Are You?

15

Mada-Sama and I went on walks almost every evening after dinner, holding hands as we talked about pretty much anything. I was surprised that I had wanted to tell him about my past. I had told them about being from the future, but since then, I hadn't really mentioned anything else about it. During our evening walks, I just started talking.

Over the course of several weeks, I told Mada-Sama all about growing up in the village, from the academy to the Chūnin exams. At one point, I even mentioned Sasuke's defection and our fight when I tried to stop him. I didn't tell Mada-Sama why my duck-butt haired friend had been wanting to leave the village, other than he had to face an enemy alone and felt he could grow stronger by leaving. I was sure the man would call me out on it, but he never did. I decided to leave out names as well, fearing the knowledge may affect the outcome of history. I did tell him the first female Hokage was in charge when I had ended up in the past, however, believing that the detail wouldn't have any affect on the future.

He was skeptical about some things, like the different hidden villages that followed suit with Konohagakure no Sato. I had to explain about that, but left out Hashi-Sama's involvement in the distribution of the Bijū.

It was a weird thing, being able to discuss all this with someone else.

I had mentioned my status as a Jinchūriki right before I moved in with Mada-Sama, but I hadn't actually explained how that came to be. One day, I decided to tell him about it. I wasn't clear on the details, because I wasn't exactly told everything, except what few details I remembered Mizuki telling me the night I graduated from the academy.

"So you're telling me that someone sealed a chakra beast inside you when you were an infant? Why?" Mada-Sama asked.

"Apparently, the Kyūbi was attacking the village the night I was born, so the Yondaime decided to seal it into an orphan in order to save everyone, although it killed him in the process."

"Here's a question for you. If he sealed the beast inside you, wouldn't that make you likely to be his child? How likely would it be that your father passed before you were born and then your mother passed immediately upon your birth? And, why would a leader use a random child to protect the village when it was just as likely he could have used his own child and wanted him to be viewed as a hero for protecting the village by containing a threat?"

I stared at him for several seconds before I realized what he was implying. Then my eyes widened and I heard cackling from within my mind.

That night, I lay in bed unable to sleep, staring up at the ceiling before I was dragged into the recesses of my mind-scape. I found myself in a dimly lit sewer with water up to my ankles. I heard a growl come from ahead of me, and followed the hall in order to find the source.

What I found at the end was a large red cage with a paper seal on the door, and a giant, piercing red eye peering out at me from the darkness beyond.

"So I see you're finally willing to visit me in person," a dark voice growled from behind the bars. I recognized the voice as belonging to the Kyūbi. I had heard it only a handful of times, but it wasn't a voice I'd forget easily.

"Hello, Kyūbi," I responded, standing well away from the cage, not willing to risk my chances of his abilities to reach through.

"I thought you'd want to talk to me sooner, but I underestimated your stupidity."

I gained a tic mark, but I didn't allow him to provoke me, because I had an important question to ask.

"Is what Mada-Sama hinted at true? Is the Yondaime my father?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly at the end. I wasn't sure whether I wanted a positive or negative response.

"Have you ever seen a picture of that man before? What does he look like?"

I thought about it for a few seconds, trying to imagine the portrait I'd seen in the Hokage office every time I'd been in there. The portraits were in order from the Shodai's painting to the Yondaime's photograph. I imagined the man's blond hair, its wild appearance; and then his blue eyes, as blue as the deepest waters. His skin was tan, similar to mine, and he also had a similar facial structure to my own.

Imagining all this, my eyes widened in shock. The Yondaime... really had been my father... But then why did he place this burden on his own child? Was there a reason for that? Then I remembered what Mada-Sama had said about him choosing his own child to save his village as opposed to choosing a random orphan. That's when it hit me...

"What if he didn't plan on the villagers shunning me? What if Otou-San wanted the village to praise me and protect me instead of scorn me and ridicule me for being your jailer? Accept me and honor me as the village's savior instead of beat me and abuse me because their loved ones died on my birthday?"

The beast was silent, refusing to answer my questions. That was answer enough. I was right.

"Thank you, Kyūbi, for allowing me this chance to clear it up and understand who my father was. I only wish I could meet him..." I hung my head down as I thought about the fact that I'd never meet my father.

I was pushed out of my own mind at that last thought, and finally was able to find peace for the night.

———————————————————————————————————————————

Mada-Sama asked me to meet him on the bridge at twilight, the same bridge on which he asked to court me. I thought it strange he wanted to meet there to begin our evening walk, but I didn't mind.

I reached the bridge and saw it lit up with lanterns. The weather had been turning chilly at night recently, and it made me wonder what month it was. I shook off that thought and looked for Mada-Sama, wondering why he wanted to meet here of all places.

I found him in the middle of the bridge waiting for me, holding what appeared to be a small bouquet. When I looked at the flowers in the lantern lights, I recognized them as being a red mixture of tulips, a single rose, carnations, and chrysanthemums. Due to my love of flowers and plants, I learned what each color and flower meant in the language of flowers. Mada-Sama somehow also knew, because each flower he held meant love and devotion. My eyes stung when I realized what that meant.

"M-Mada-Sama..." I stammered in a whisper. I couldn't speak fully. It had been six months since he asked to court me, and during that time I became more and more positive that he was my Mate, and not just a random Mate either, but my perfect Mate. He handed me the flowers before he spoke.

"Naru-koi, I asked you to come out here tonight to ask you a very important question," Mada-Sama began. "I am devoted to you, my koi, and I need to have you in my life. Will you do me the honor of being my mate, and making me Miso soup everyday?"

My tears overflowed. Mada-Sama had just proposed to me, and not only to be his wife, but to also be his mate as well! Before I could respond, he pulled out a small, square wooden box and lifted the lid to show a pair of beautiful, plain rings. The smaller had small gems inlaid while the larger was simply a gold band. I gasped at the sight.

"I had these crafted for us, on the off-chance you were to say yes..." He turned away and ran his unoccupied hand through his hair.

"M-Mada-Sama... I..." I couldn't speak. This was all too much. I was expecting a simple walk tonight, not a proposal! I closed my eyes, nodded my head, and held out my left hand for him to slip the cool metal on my finger. I could feel the tears leaving a trail down my cheeks, but I couldn't help it, this was one of the best moments in my life!

I just wished the good times could last, but they never do...