Still Worth Fighting For(Someday)

The Hidden Silk Village

Chapter Thirty-Five:

Three days later, they finally arrived at the Hidden Silk Village. Things had been mostly queit between the members of the group. Izami found herself liking the silence. It gave her time to get her thoughts together.

As the Silk Village came closer, and closer into view, Izami relaized with much surprise that the village had almost not changed since her childhood. There were more shopes, and more signs up directing the people every which way. More civilians than shinobi walked around, the poeple dressed in rich, fancy, designer clothes. It was defiently a place where the rich of the rich lived. One could tell by the way poeple carried themselves. Izami's green eyes jumped every which way, trying to take everything in. And then Hikaru spoke up.

"We have a smaller branch of the family that lives here to help take care of things. You remember, don't ya Izami?" Izami looked at Hikaru with a raised eyebrow, and then shrugged.

"Of course." She answered with no real emontion.

"So, why don't they just take care of the mess?" Wabisuke asked in a rather rude way, his eyes flinting everywhere the same Izami was looking at the place.

"Che, you really expect the smaller, denser part of our clan to really get a hold on what's going on here? Don't make me laugh. Besides, they won't listen to anyone, but the Head of our clan. That would be me, and I have a very... Persuasive kind of personalty. Right Izami?" Again Izami said nothing.

"Where are we going to be staying?" Sakura asked. Hikaru paused for a moment, and then shrugged.

"Come on, we can stay at the summer home we used to own here."

"Used to own? Father sold it?" Izami's tone was sad. She always loved the summer home. It was rather large, tradtionally style, and sat on a hill that over looked the lake. It was beautiful.

"Father didn't sell it." Hikaru's tone was like he was speaking to an idoit." He just lent it out. The people no longer occupy it, so we should have no problem getting into it." Izami nodded. Everyone followed Hikaru.

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"Wooow~! What a nice home!" Wabisuke exclaimed the moment they reached the house. Izami looked at it, nostalgia running through her. She could hear the distant laughter of kids, her mother's face as she smiled...

"...We should head on in. Usually with cold wind like this means that there's a storm coming soon." Izami shook her head, and followed everyone else into the house.

Izami stayed in her old room, which had collected dust in the years of being competely unoccupied. Izami's room was exactly how she remembered it. A family portrait on the west side of the room. A picture of her, Tachi, Hikaru, her mother and father, but Izami was an infant in this photo. Some dolls and doll houses stood to the other side with a toy chest.

"Everything's the same..." Izami whispered, touching some dirty, red lace on her bed.

"This part of the house. Where us kids use to live...It was the only part untouched. Mother didn't want our rooms messed with." Izami glanced over at Hikaru as he leaned against the doorway. Izami nodded, and then looked over at the half-open closet. She could still see some of her old outfits hanging up in there.

"I can tell..."

"She loved you the most, ya know. Mother, I mean, loved you the most. Guess I can't blame her. After having two sons, having a daughter must have been nice." Izami glanced at Hikaru, confused for a moment, and then looked away. Her flickered around the room, her mind lost in childhood memories." I told your...Friends...Commrads...Whatever they are that they are to stay in the Eastern Wing away from here consdiering this was us kids wing. I can understand if you'd rathr stay over there. It's kinda dusty in here. I wouldn't want to sleep in here either." Izami didn't respond, still feeling tense with Hikaru being so nice. He had never been this nice to her. Not as far as she could remember."Anyways, I was thinking of staying over there too. I might send some people over in the morning to...Clean up this wing. It's probably best that we stay where it's clean."

"I know. I was just thinking of heading over there anyways." Hikaru nodded, and cleared his throat.

"Anyways, there's a feastival tonight. So I've decided to put off the meeting with the Hanamura Head until the feastival is over."

"The Spirit Feastival right?"

"Yeah. You don't have anything to wear do you?" Izami rolled her eyes, and gave her brother a pointed look. Hikaru scowled, crossing his arms.

"No. We don't. It's not like we expected to be invited to a feastival." Hikaru rolled his eyes, sighing heavily.

"Well, I guess I can get some things sent over for you guys to wear. Consider it a gift."

"Gee. Thanks." Izami's tone dripped with sarcarsim as she picked her bags back up, and looked at Hikaru with another pointed look." Will you kindly move out of the way? I'm going to where the others are like you suggested."

"Right. Well, when you're done, why don't you meet me in the main room?" Izami paused as she walked past him. SHe turned, and eyed him doubtfully.

"Why?"

"I wanted to get you fitted for a kimono personally. Does that bother you?"

"Your kindness is what bothers me. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Again, Izami eyed him doubtfully, and then shrugged as she contuined walking towards the Eastern Wing.

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Izami ended up choosing a room that was next to Sasuke's room, across from Sakura's room, and adjcent to Wabisuke's room. Izami's face heated up lightly, thinking of being so close to Sasuke's room, but let tried to get it out of her mind as she began to unpack so that she can get the fitting over with as soon as possible.

The room she had choosen was simple, but still rather large than what she was used had shades of blue. The walls were painted a dark blue. The carpet was white, and the bed had light blue sheets. On the wall was a simple picture of a winged animal spirit that she didn't know the name to. The closet was empty, but partially open, so that's where she had decided to put her other stuff that Izami knew she wouldn't need at the moment. The only thing she pulled out was her brush, which she set on the vanity that already had a few make-up things, and ribbons on it. Izami sat down at the stool, and began to brush through her hair, counting the strokes.

Once she had reached one hundred strokes, her tangles sufficently taken care of, Izami stood up, and walked out to the main room with about as much enthusiasim as a person walking to their excuation. She couldn't help but be suspcious of her brother's kind actions. It was unsettling.

"Ah~! Izami, I'm glad you came out! Look, I already picked out some kimonos for you. What do you think?" Izami raised an eyebrow at her brother's excitment, and then looked over at what he had chosen.

The first one was a light blue color with white, blossom patterns in the fabric. There was a white obi, and white sash that went with it. The second was similiar, only black and red with a red obi and red sash. The main color was black with red blossom patterns. The third, was all one color which was a light green color with a brown obi and sash. Her eyes flickered to the first one, and seemed to focus on it, but she couldn't help. but feel there was a second meaning to what he had chosen for her. SHe glanced at him, her green eyes studying his smiling face for any hints of decpition. He only gave her a look of gentle patinece with just the slightest hints of a confident smirk.

"I want the green one." Izami blurted out. Hikaru seemed surprise for a moment, but then adopted his usual smirk as he nodded.

"Good choice." With that said, he handed the others to some people that Izami just noticed, and the green and brown one to a woman next to him. Again, Izami just noticed her as well.

"Sato-san, if you could please follow me, I'll gladly get you ready." Izami paused for a moment, and then nodded as she stiffly walked with the woman.