When Waves Meet the Sand
Chapter 4: Earthquakes
Leaves rustled softly in the breeze, birdsong floating down from the sky and giving an aura of peace to the forest.
Trudging along the worn-down path, hands stuck in her pockets and glazed green eyes staring into space, a young girl shifted her shoulders under the heavy pack weighing them down.
With every step of her bare feet on the packed dirt, vibrations raced up her legs and made a picture in her mind’s eye with startling clarity.
The massive walls of a bustling village formed at the edges of her senses, and a smirk crossed her face.
“Finally.” She drawled, picking up her pace. “’Bout time I met our new A’atar…”
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Whistling softly to herself, Kumiko weaved through the market, a bag full of groceries in her arms.
With the makings of dinner taken care of, she considered stopping by her apartment to pick up some blueberries for a pie she wanted to make when something caught her eye.
Pausing near the edge of the crowd, blue eyes scanned the passing faces, wondering what had caught her attention so thoroughly.
Just as she decided it had been nothing and began to turn away, a fist-sized rock flew at her face from the right.
Instinctively shifting the groceries to her left arm, Kumiko pulled water from the nearby grass and cut the projectile in half, hearing it fall harmlessly to the ground a few yards behind her.
‘That could have smashed my head in.’ She realized, tense and looking around for her attacker.
A small girl stood off to her right, smirk firmly in place and light green eyes, filmed over with telltale blindness, shone faintly with respect.
Kumiko wondered briefly how she had missed her.
“Definitely a Waterben’er.” The brunette noted, seeming pleased with herself. “No one else moves quite like ‘at.”
“Um…thanks?” Kumiko replied, relaxing now that she realized there was no danger. “I’m Kumiko.”
“Kana.” The smaller girl introduced herself, shoving both hands in her pockets and tilting her head in though. “…Yer from the Sou’ern Tribe.”
Kumiko’s heart stuttered, old scars burning with the memory.
“How…?”
“E’eryone says ‘at ‘ere’s only one Waterben’er in Konoha.” Kana explained, serious. “And ’at’s the A’atar.”
Surprise flashed across her face, and the Waterbender grabbed the smaller girl’s wrist, pulling her into a nearby alley.
Checking that no one had noticed their sudden departure, or overheard what had been said, Kumiko glared suspiciously.
“No one’s supposed to know who I am.”
“It’s a secret.” Kana admitted, shoulders slumped nonchalantly and sightless gaze aimed over the taller girl’s shoulder. “I just…I just ‘ad ta see ya.”
The tension slowly leaked from Kumiko’s shoulders, and the dark blue of her eyes lightened.
“…How is everything?”
“Bad.” Kana replied bluntly. “’At’s why I came ta fin’ ya. We need ya right now.”
“I’m not ready.” The Waterbender argued, voice soft. “I’ve only mastered water…”
“Did ya think I came all ‘is way fer a sleepo’er?” The brunette teased, a lopsided grin splitting her face. “Someone’s gotta teach ya ta Earthben’.”
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Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help his dumbfounded silence, blinking slowly as he looked between his adopted daughter and the young blind girl standing next to her.
While he knew that Kumiko needed an Earthbending teacher, he had not expected one to arrive for the express purpose of teaching her.
“Musume, would you step outside for a moment?”
Her bright ocean eyes flickered between him and the small Earthbender, unsure, before nodding.
“Of course, otousan.”
Once the door closed behind her, the Third Hokage turned his full attention on the preteen still standing before him.
She was small-boned, almost fragile, with sun-darkened skin and curly black hair held back in a low, loose bun.
It was unnerving to know she was blind, but have her seemingly look straight at his face with unerring accuracy.
“Yer worried.” Kana noted casually, seeming completely relaxed.
“Kumiko is my child in everything but blood.” Hiruzen informed her, allowing the pressure of his chakra to become palpable. “If you intend to harm her…”
“She is my A’atar.” Kana pointed out, immovable as the earth itself. “I’ll protect ‘er wit’ my life, whe’er ya believe it ‘r not.”
A tense silence fell between them, with the aged Hokage studying her face for deception and Kana waiting for him to reach a conclusion.
The Earthbender was rather impressed, actually.
Not many people could stand to look her in the face for very long.
“Kumiko is a kunoichi of Konohagakure.” Hiruzen pointed out. “To protect her, you would have to make the same oath. Are you willing to pledge your allegiance to the village?”
Remembering the metal plate and cloth tied around the Waterbender’s right thigh, Kana tilted her head in thought.
“…Whate’er I gotta do, I’ll do it.”
Hiruzen found that he believed her.
Trudging along the worn-down path, hands stuck in her pockets and glazed green eyes staring into space, a young girl shifted her shoulders under the heavy pack weighing them down.
With every step of her bare feet on the packed dirt, vibrations raced up her legs and made a picture in her mind’s eye with startling clarity.
The massive walls of a bustling village formed at the edges of her senses, and a smirk crossed her face.
“Finally.” She drawled, picking up her pace. “’Bout time I met our new A’atar…”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whistling softly to herself, Kumiko weaved through the market, a bag full of groceries in her arms.
With the makings of dinner taken care of, she considered stopping by her apartment to pick up some blueberries for a pie she wanted to make when something caught her eye.
Pausing near the edge of the crowd, blue eyes scanned the passing faces, wondering what had caught her attention so thoroughly.
Just as she decided it had been nothing and began to turn away, a fist-sized rock flew at her face from the right.
Instinctively shifting the groceries to her left arm, Kumiko pulled water from the nearby grass and cut the projectile in half, hearing it fall harmlessly to the ground a few yards behind her.
‘That could have smashed my head in.’ She realized, tense and looking around for her attacker.
A small girl stood off to her right, smirk firmly in place and light green eyes, filmed over with telltale blindness, shone faintly with respect.
Kumiko wondered briefly how she had missed her.
“Definitely a Waterben’er.” The brunette noted, seeming pleased with herself. “No one else moves quite like ‘at.”
“Um…thanks?” Kumiko replied, relaxing now that she realized there was no danger. “I’m Kumiko.”
“Kana.” The smaller girl introduced herself, shoving both hands in her pockets and tilting her head in though. “…Yer from the Sou’ern Tribe.”
Kumiko’s heart stuttered, old scars burning with the memory.
“How…?”
“E’eryone says ‘at ‘ere’s only one Waterben’er in Konoha.” Kana explained, serious. “And ’at’s the A’atar.”
Surprise flashed across her face, and the Waterbender grabbed the smaller girl’s wrist, pulling her into a nearby alley.
Checking that no one had noticed their sudden departure, or overheard what had been said, Kumiko glared suspiciously.
“No one’s supposed to know who I am.”
“It’s a secret.” Kana admitted, shoulders slumped nonchalantly and sightless gaze aimed over the taller girl’s shoulder. “I just…I just ‘ad ta see ya.”
The tension slowly leaked from Kumiko’s shoulders, and the dark blue of her eyes lightened.
“…How is everything?”
“Bad.” Kana replied bluntly. “’At’s why I came ta fin’ ya. We need ya right now.”
“I’m not ready.” The Waterbender argued, voice soft. “I’ve only mastered water…”
“Did ya think I came all ‘is way fer a sleepo’er?” The brunette teased, a lopsided grin splitting her face. “Someone’s gotta teach ya ta Earthben’.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help his dumbfounded silence, blinking slowly as he looked between his adopted daughter and the young blind girl standing next to her.
While he knew that Kumiko needed an Earthbending teacher, he had not expected one to arrive for the express purpose of teaching her.
“Musume, would you step outside for a moment?”
Her bright ocean eyes flickered between him and the small Earthbender, unsure, before nodding.
“Of course, otousan.”
Once the door closed behind her, the Third Hokage turned his full attention on the preteen still standing before him.
She was small-boned, almost fragile, with sun-darkened skin and curly black hair held back in a low, loose bun.
It was unnerving to know she was blind, but have her seemingly look straight at his face with unerring accuracy.
“Yer worried.” Kana noted casually, seeming completely relaxed.
“Kumiko is my child in everything but blood.” Hiruzen informed her, allowing the pressure of his chakra to become palpable. “If you intend to harm her…”
“She is my A’atar.” Kana pointed out, immovable as the earth itself. “I’ll protect ‘er wit’ my life, whe’er ya believe it ‘r not.”
A tense silence fell between them, with the aged Hokage studying her face for deception and Kana waiting for him to reach a conclusion.
The Earthbender was rather impressed, actually.
Not many people could stand to look her in the face for very long.
“Kumiko is a kunoichi of Konohagakure.” Hiruzen pointed out. “To protect her, you would have to make the same oath. Are you willing to pledge your allegiance to the village?”
Remembering the metal plate and cloth tied around the Waterbender’s right thigh, Kana tilted her head in thought.
“…Whate’er I gotta do, I’ll do it.”
Hiruzen found that he believed her.
♠ ♠ ♠
musume-daughter