Chasing After You || Itachi

Ch. 17 - Blood Lines

She'd never seen her mother like this before. Pure anger and repulsion radiated from the female as she stood in the doorway. Tora instinctively took a step back towards her father as she and her mother weren't on the best terms last time they saw each other. Quite frankly, she didn't know what her mother would do in this state.

"Excuse me, you cannot be in here without authorization." Mabui approached Jaga as she was the closest to her. If need be, she'd use force to take her out. Staying on guard, she watched as Jaga reached into her pouch and produced a scroll.

"Ambassador of the Leaf. Unfortunately, Izumo-san couldn't make it."

Koji... Tora frowned. He must've gotten called in for an emergency while trying to get credentials, but she never expected that her mother would take his place.

As Mabui read the scroll, Jaga immediately walked over to Tora and grabbed her arm, prepared to fight off anyone that stood in her way as she made her exit. It was as if A wasn't even in the room since she paid no mind to him. She'd done it for almost twenty years now, so what was five more minutes to her?

"Jaga. Stop right there." A's voice boomed, echoing off the walls of his office. When she showed no signs of staying in place, he disappeared and reappeared in front of his doors, blocking the exit. Mabui quickly left the room and the guards closed the doors, standing in attention in case they were called in.

Jaga's eyes narrowed and she turned around, heading towards the window instead. She'd grown up here, so she wasn't afraid to take a risk and jump. The ground below was still the same after all these years.

"Mom, stop!" Tora pulled her arm out of her mother's grasp, finally coming to her senses. "You've already come this far. Dad's right here in front of you. Does that mean nothing?"

"The fact that I've even stepped foot in this village is a miracle on its own. I've been more than patient with you, Tora, but this is a mistake you should've never made."

Her mother didn't even bother to turn around and look her in the face. That alone pissed the young girl off. "I'm nineteen, so I don't have to follow your orders."

"I was never giving you a choice." Jaga answered easily. "Tora Dakuo, you are in violation of your sanction. You will return to the Leaf immediately or there will be additional consequences."

"So you're going to rat me out."

"Obviously, I have no other choice."

"Unbelievable." Tora scoffed and crossed her arms. "Who's being the selfish one now?"

A was still astonished by the fact that his long lost lover was present in front of his eyes. She had a more mature presence, but there were things about her that felt the same as they did all those years ago. There was a mixture of emotions that flooded his mind, but he couldn't let them take over. Right now, he needed to diffuse the situation in front of him. "Jaga-"

"Don't."

Tora sighed. "Why don't you just hear him out? I don't think he had anything to do with it."

"What are you talking about?"

A looked between Jaga and Tora in confusion. Whatever turmoil was going on in their relationship, it had something to do with him and it sounded very serious. The tension in the room was thick as he was met with silence. Not wanting to be left out, he repeated his question when he was interrupted.

"Jaga, what's going-"

"The Dakuo clan was massacred by the very village it protected for years." Tora cut him off. "Mom thinks you knew and didn't warn her, which-"