Age Fifteen (continued)
The days after my father's disappearance were the longest of my life.
I stood on the eastern wall every morning, watching the horizon. The sea was empty. No Kiri ships. No returning delegation. Just water and sky and the constant, grinding worry that chewed at my insides.
Kushina had stopped crying. That was worse than when she cried. She moved through the compound like a ghost, her blue eyes empty, her chakra flickering erratically despite the suppression seal I renewed every day.
"He's not coming back," she said one evening, sitting beside me on the dock.
"Don't say that."
"He's not. I can feel it. He's gone."
"You don't know that."
"I know." She hugged her knees. "I felt Mama die. I was a baby, but I felt it. I feel this too."
I put my arm around her. "We don't know anything for sure. We wait. We hope."
"Hope is stupid."
"Sometimes. But it's all we have."
She leaned her head on my shoulder. We watched the sun set, painting the sea orange and gold.
---
Tsunade threw herself into work.
The Konoha medic-nin set up a temporary clinic in the compound. They treated the wounded, trained the Uzumaki healers, and documented the village's medical needs. Tsunade worked eighteen hours a day, only stopping when she collapsed from exhaustion.
"You're going to kill yourself," I said, finding her asleep at her desk.
"I'm fine." She didn't open her eyes.
"You're not fine. You're running."
"From what?"
"From your feelings. From the grief. From me."
She opened her eyes. They were red-rimmed and hollow.
"Maybe I am," she said. "What of it?"
"Talk to me."
"I don't want to talk. I want to work. I want to save people. I want to feel like I'm doing something useful."
"You are doing something useful. You're saving lives. But you're not saving yourself."
"Maybe I don't want to be saved."
I sat down beside her. "Too bad. I'm going to save you anyway."
She stared at me. Then she laughed—a broken, hollow sound.
"You're impossible."
"So I've been told."
She reached out and took my hand. "I'm scared, Ren. I'm scared that your father is dead. I'm scared that Kiri is coming. I'm scared that I'm going to lose you too."
"You're not going to lose me."
"You don't know that."
"I know that I'm stubborn. I know that I'm not going to die until I've seen you become the greatest medic-nin in history."
"That could take decades."
"Then I'll live for decades."
She squeezed my hand. "Okay. I'll hold you to that."
---
The first sign of trouble came on a Thursday.
I was in the seal vault, checking the barrier arrays, when I noticed a crack in the primary seal. It was small—barely visible—but it was growing.
"Elder Hana," I called. "Come look at this."
She hobbled over, her old eyes squinting at the array. Her face went pale.
"This is sabotage," she said. "Someone has been tampering with the seals."
"Who?"
"I don't know. But they had access to the vault. They knew what they were doing."
The elders gathered in the clan hall. The atmosphere was tense, fearful.
"The barriers are failing," Elder Shiro said. "If we don't repair them soon, Kiri will be able to sail right into the harbor."
"How long do we have?" I asked.
"A week. Maybe less."
"We need to find the traitor."
"Agreed. But how?"
I looked around the room. The elders were old, trusted, but anyone could be a spy. Anyone could have been turned.
"We seal the vault," I said. "No one goes in or out without my permission. And we watch. Everyone."
"That will take time."
"Then we take time."
---
The investigation consumed the next three days.
I interviewed every shinobi who had access to the vault. I checked their alibis, their chakra signatures, their histories. My Sharingan showed me their emotions—fear, guilt, loyalty. But no one stood out.
"This isn't working," Tsunade said, watching me pace.
"I know."
"Maybe it's not a person. Maybe it's a technique. A remote seal-breaking jutsu."
"From Kiri?"
"Or from somewhere else."
I stopped pacing. "What do you mean?"
She hesitated. "There are rumors. About an organization that sells information and assassination. The Akatsuki. They're based in Ame, but they operate everywhere."
"You think they're involved?"
"I think it's possible. Someone with advanced sealing knowledge could have broken the barriers from a distance. They wouldn't need a traitor inside."
"That's worse. If we can't find the source, we can't stop it."
"Then we reinforce the barriers. Make them stronger."
"With what? Our chakra reserves are depleted. Our sealing supplies are low."
"Then we find more."
I looked at her. "You're talking about Konoha."
"I'm talking about asking for help."
"We already asked. They sent you and a handful of medic-nin. They didn't send an army."
"Because they don't have an army to send. But they have supplies. They have sealing materials. They have engineers."
"Who will take weeks to get here."
"Then we hold out until they arrive."
I sighed. "You make it sound so simple."
"It's not simple. But it's the only option."