Bamboo Hearts Firefly

The Match

"Dakubachi Kamizuru," Akirabachi called him out, once she was sure the Kamizuru clan leader had a moment alone at his training grounds in the outskirts of the village. "A word." 

"What is it, Akira?" came his cool-headed response, only half-listening as he went on observing the combat sparring of his fellow clansmen. "As you can see, we are preparing for a mission." 

"You asked me to test your daughter for a match with the Kazekage," Akira said. 

"Well?" Daku said, his voice neither rose or fell with anticipation. 

"She has not been matched with the Kazekage. My jutsu revealed that the Kazekage is not destined to marry," Akira informed him. "It is not in his stars."

"And so, you both continue to disappoint me. How very unfortunate for her," Daku stated, his face having all the emotion of a dead cold stone. "I suppose she wins this fight between us then. She will remain a matchmaker under your teaching, I presume? I had hoped she'd join me someday, but perhaps it's better that we work away from each other, for her sake. After all, how can she bear her existence, knowing she brings great pain to her father's heart? As you know already, I have not done well with things that bring me pain." 

"You swore you wouldn't handle things as you used to in the past."

"You swore you'd kill me if I ever brought down more shame on our clan," Daku returned, turning away from her in waning interest. "And so, once again, I leave my daughter's penance to you." 

"I want you to break your promise to me, Dakubachi," she said, waiting for him to stop walking before she added, as if it were merely an afterthought. "Congratulations. You'll be pleased to know that though I could not match her with the Kazekage, I have discovered your daughter's true match." 

Daku turned to face her again. 

His golden eyes glinting under silver sweeping bangs. 

"Ah, it seems my daughter continues to surprise me," he remarked, before turning back to the training field again. "Send a bee with the boy's clan name. I will make the alliance with him later.  But now, I have more pressing business to take care of." 

Akirabachi sighed deeply, burdened by the weight of her misfortunate news.

"There will be no alliance, Dakubachi."

Daku paused as he glanced over his shoulder at her again, peeved by how many times the Great Queen Bee had interrupted his glorious exit from this tedious conversation. 

"Must everything always be so complicated with you, Akira?" he questioned her. "How can you have found her a match, but no alliance to be had?"

"Whatever it is you're doing now that you think is so important, it can wait," Akirabachi told him firmly. "You won't like what I have to report."

"I've received intel that the First Tsuchikage's scroll may in fact be in the Leaf, which as you know, lies the secrets of forbidden techniques for insect user ninja. Our predecessors failed numerous times to retrieve the scroll and restore our clan's power," Daku informed her gravely. "Do you mean to tell me that I should stop training for this mission to locate the scroll because my daughter's marriage is too much for you to handle?"

"By all means, find your hidden jutsu," the sarcastic Akirabachi bid him to continue. "But you won't have a clan to go back to when that girl unleashes a swarm on this clan like you've never seen before!"

"How long will you make me guess at this wretched boy's name?" Daku sighed. "I have no time for these melodramatics. Who did your jutsu choose as her match?"