Tender Sea

Chapter 25

1 year later - A small apartment in Konohagakure...

"Miyu!" The blonde wasn't even fazed as her neighbour barged into her house, absolutely furious for lack of a better word. Even Kimimaro was shocked to see the usually impassive silver haired shinobi practically fuming.

"Kimi, would you mind sending this to Iruka?" She tossed the boy a scroll and ushered him out of the house, "Take Kurama with you as well." She gave the fox a brief nod, watching with satisfaction as the furry canine led her apprentice out of the building the traditional ninja way, through the window.

"How could you not tell me?" Kakashi burst out, his first words conveying an odd amount of hurt. Miyu merely sent him a blank look which hit him harder that he thought it would.

"Minato told me the information was to be kept confidential and anyone who should know would be informed." She replied blandly. Honestly speaking, she was quite confused. She could understand him being annoyed at not being fully updated, but his anger seemed misplaced in her mind. The Kakashi from her memories had very rarely been as mad as this one. Maybe it was because he was older and more experienced with his own emotions? That being said, the cause of this sudden intrusion was something she could only guess at.

"But you...!" he growled out a sign of frustration, falling into the uncomfortable feeling of helplessness, "Why did sensei chose only you instead of a whole Anbu squad? It's..." the words wouldn't come, lodge in his throat.

"Fugaku took matters into his own hands," She said dully with a strained smile, "It is the Uchiha who have caused the mess and thus it should be the Uchiha who should clean up."

"That's just..."

"It is what it is," The blonde said, "No matter what it seems like blood will be spilt so why are you worried about who's in charge of it." She was too detached, Kakashi noticed with a grimace. With a sudden realisation it had hit him that she had probably forced herself to be.

"That's why I'm asking why it had to be you. To spill the blood of your family...You're only sixteen. I understand Fugaku but why isn't the rest of the older generation taking part."

He couldn't wrap his head around the controversial topic. In reality he would have preferred if Minato had just ordered his squad to do the removal, they were definitely capable enough.

"Listen to yourself Kakashi," Miyu replied with a mirroring frown, "I'm not 'only sixteen', I'm already sixteen and you know too well that I'm not an innocent little girl. I'm a kunoichi, a jounin, and I've had my fair share of blood and death."

He remained silent, listening while he tried to decipher his own thoughts.

"The reason why the older generation isn't taking part is because they would be forced to kill their loved ones. Their fathers, uncles, mothers, the elders' no matter what they have been scheming had lovingly raised a large part of the Uchiha in the past," She explained slowly, "Fugaku is determined an Uchiha should be the one to fix this, and besides himself I am the perfect candidate."

"How so?" Kakashi challenged falteringly.

"I am an outsider," Miyu stated with finality, "I wasn't born in the clan but placed there. No matter what the blood tests might say there are many who doubt if I possess any Uchiha blood at all, thinking I might have just stolen a pair of eyes from one of their corpses. I have no significant ties to anyone but Fugaku, Mikoto, Sasuke and Itachi, meaning I could efficiently kill any other Uchiha more easily than others of my clan. If it was up to me, Fugaku wouldn't be participating at all." As she said the words it seemed to work out too perfectly in Kakashi's mind. Did she mean to tell him she had never made any other bonds in the eight or so years she had lived with the clan?