Her voice cut off abruptly. Her eyes were fixed on the ice dagger Touye held to her daughter's throat.
Touye thought she was worried about her daughter, so she smiled sheepishly and lowered the blade. "I'm... I'm sorry. I overreacted. Did you save me? Thank you so much..."
She then noticed the woman's gaze was still locked on the ice dagger in her hand. Her wariness returned. She pulled the little girl closer and pressed the blade against her neck again.
But no matter what, Touye didn't want to harm these two. They had saved her, after all.
The woman realized her gaffe. Seeing Touye's defensive posture and wary eyes, she quickly tried to explain. "No, that's not it! Please, let me explain!" Seeing that Touye made no further move, she breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "You... you're from the Yuki clan."
It was a statement, not a question.
Touye's wariness intensified, and she took a step back.
Seeing this, the woman said again, "Please don't be afraid. I have no ill intentions..." She held up her hands to show she was unarmed. "Can you let go of Haku first? I'd like to talk to you properly, but I don't want Haku to hear..."
*Huh? Haku?* No wonder the girl looked so familiar! Touye understood the woman's expression now. Haku was also a survivor of the Yuki clan, which meant Haku's mother was one too! It was only natural for a woman who had hidden her identity to survive to be surprised upon meeting a fellow clan member in distress.
And if that was the case, they probably wouldn't harm her. At this thought, Touye relaxed and released Haku. At the same time, she nodded apologetically to the woman. "I'm sorry, that was very rude of me..."
Once freed, Haku didn't run away. Instead, she turned back, grabbed Touye's arm, and giggled as she clung to her.
The woman also sighed in relief. Seeing a sharp blade held to her own daughter's throat... it was impossible not to be worried. She bent down and said to Haku, "Haku, go outside and play for a little while. Mama needs to talk to this big sister about something."
Haku nodded obediently, let go of Touye's arm, and pattered out of the room.
Touye quickly changed into her clothes. Being naked in front of another woman made her uncomfortable, even if she was now a girl herself.
The woman sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the space beside her, motioning for Touye to sit as well. She stared blankly at the ice dagger that was slowly dissipating in Touye's hand and murmured, "Actually... I was once a member of the Yuki clan, too..."
***
"I figured as much," Touye nodded.
The woman looked at Touye in surprise, her expression puzzled.
"You probably haven't awakened your Kekkai Genkai, so you can't feel it," Touye explained. "But if you had, you would understand. I can sense the Yuki bloodline within you both. It's a strange feeling, hard to put into words."
The woman shook her head. "Since you've confirmed it, that makes things easier..."
The two then talked about the Yuki clan. In their conversation, Touye learned that the woman's name was Lian, and that she was her own mother's younger sister! Her aunt!
And Haku... was her cousin.
Stunned by this melodramatic revelation, Touye stared wide-eyed, unable to speak. When Lian heard Touye's story, she tearfully pulled her into her arms, making Touye blush and struggle to get free.
Haku had slipped back into the room at some point and was now standing there, biting her finger and watching them with wide eyes. The little girl's gaze made Touye even more embarrassed. She pushed Lian away and sat back down on the bed. Lian turned and scooped Haku up, placing her on the bed as well. "Haku, look," she said. "This is your big sister, Touye. From now on, you have to get along with her, okay?"
Haku nodded. She crawled out of Lian's embrace and leaped into Touye's arms with a giggle, nuzzling her like a puppy while calling out "sister" in a sweet, childish voice.
Touye held the small child in her arms, feeling a bit dazed. A warmth spread through her heart, as if an empty space had been filled.
*Even after that month of hell, after my hands were stained with blood... I can still be held like this?*
Perhaps others wouldn't understand, but after surviving a month of hell, a month where she couldn't trust anyone, being able to trust again, to be trusted by others... it felt so good.
Touye hugged Haku tightly and lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see the tears streaming down her face. But her soft sobs still reached the others' ears. Haku grew quiet, reaching up to hold Touye's head, stroking her hair comfortingly. Lian sighed and wrapped her arms around both little girls, gently patting Touye's back.
Touye couldn't hold back any longer and began to wail.
How could she not be terrified, arriving in a strange world for the first time? How could she not be heartbroken, watching her parents in this life die before her eyes? How could she not be afraid, killing someone for the first time? How could she not be scared, with her life in constant peril? How could she not despair, when faced with desperation and betrayal?
So what if she had a mature soul? In her past life, she had been an ordinary person who hadn't experienced much hardship. When faced with these things, she was only slightly better off than a four-year-old child.
But all of that was in the past now. The chase was over. Even if wounds remained, they would be healed by time and the comfort of family, wouldn't they?
After a long while, Touye finally calmed down. She wiped her tears away messily, but still held Haku tightly, unwilling to let go. Haku had long since fallen asleep, sleeping soundly in Touye's arms.
Lian took a handkerchief from her sleeve and gently wiped the remaining tears from Touye's face. "What do you plan to do now, Ye? Do you want to live with your auntie?"
It took Touye a moment to realize "Ye" was a nickname for her. "Yes," she replied. "But I don't want anyone to know. Um... Auntie, you know how the people in the Land of Water feel about those with Kekkai Genkai. If anyone found out, we could be betrayed. So, I want to live here in the forest. I won't go back to the village with you, and I don't want anyone to know I exist. It'll be more convenient for my training, too."
Lian paused. "Training? You're still going to train?"
"Yes, I have to!" Touye said firmly. "We're safe for now, but who knows what the future holds. So, I need to be prepared for anything!"
*So I can protect you,* she added silently in her heart.
Lian frowned. She had lived through the night the Yuki clan was exterminated, and she didn't want anyone close to her to become a ninja again. To Lian, being a ninja meant nothing but pain.