Mom's Situation

"Kiyo! Time to find us some Yuki's!"

I could barely repress my excitement. Mother... Haku... My closest family and an op cousin - perhaps the last survivors of the Yuki clan apart from myself. This was probably my best chance at finding them.

For mother... there was no need to speak of my feelings. The mix of fear and hope I felt for what I would learn in the coming moments was unbearable. In this moment, the hope that she was alive that I had buried deep inside me came rushing back up to the forefront of my heart.

As for Haku, just as I had with Mio, I felt a strong bond with him even before meeting him. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was one of my favorite characters when I watched the anime back on Earth.

"Right!"

Kiyo unfurled her magnificent wings in as majestic a pose as she could. Although it was, in truth, rather impressive - the tips of her feathers sparkled a crystalline sapphire that was both elegant and powerful - it was completely unnecessary. She was, after all, still in my mindscape. Still, I was moved by her sincere efforts to help as she closed her eyes and extended her senses.

I took out a map. We had reached a landmark, a large lake, so I knew where I was for once.

A couple of minutes passed by in silence.

Suddenly, I noticed Kiyo's eyes widen in shock within my mindscape.

"Kaito! It worked! I can actually feel someone with an extremely similar chakra signature to your's! It feels exactly like how I remember your mother's chakra!"

I reeled, my mind going blank in shock.

"... You... Mom? You can feel her? She's alive?!"

"Yes. I'm almost completely sure."

I stood there stunned. Mom was alive? How was this possible?

"YES! MOM'S ALIVE!" I suddenly shouted, startling awake the dozing Mio.

This time, I couldn't help myself, and actually did a little Naruto style jump and pump.

But I didn't care. The joy and excitement I felt in that moment had completely destroyed all sense of restraint I had. I had been sure she was dead, sure that I would never see her again. It hurt so much. But she was alive. I would see her again, I could hug her again and feel her warmth again. Nothing else mattered in that moment.

I then noticed Mio looking at me with a weird expression.

'Ugh. I was making all sorts of expressions just now... And then... I actually did a jump and pump... Why do I feel like she's going to leave me now?' I blushed heavily.

"Heh... Mio... let me explain... I was talking to Kiyo (Yes, I had decided to trust her with my secret), you see, and there's good news..."

She just leveled a judgmental stare at me, and nodded patronizingly as if to say, "yeah, yeah, whatever you say... #cringe."

"My mom's alive!"

Ah, finally her expression shifted. She smiled, giving off a feeling of surprise and joy, as well as an impression of 'if that makes you happy, it makes me happy.'

Kiyo suddenly spoke in a quiet, disturbed voice in my mind.

"Kaito. That's not all..." Her voice trailed off, the solemness in her tone frightening me. I swallowed nervously.

"What... What else is there?"

"Kaito... This... I can sense something terrible about 6 kilometers to your right. The amount of fear and distress I'm sensing... I think they're attacking another village."

'What? They hadn't returned to Kirigakure yet? Did they mean to end the war in this last wave of attacks? But... What should I do? I... I... Could I even do anything anyway? I won't even reach the village in time to help.'

I knew I was just making excuses. I was afraid. Afraid to see the people who had massacred my village. Just the thought of encountering them and trying to fight them made me feel weak with fear.

"Kaito." Kiyo continued, "That's where I can feel your mother's chakra coming from."

She was being held by the Kiri shinobi. It was like a cold bucket of ice was poured on my head - how could I possibly rescue mom from a situation like that? As expected, she was taken prisoner. It wasn't the worst case scenario - she wasn't dead - but I wasn't sure what I could do in a situation like this. I almost fell back into my previous despair.

'No. I have to try. It's mom for God's sake. How could I just abandon her? How could I even think about abandoning her? Dad already died because of me, I can't not even try to rescue mom.' I thought.

I felt a newfound resolve rising up in me. If I didn't try to save mom now, I would be filled with so much regret and guilt that life would hardly be worth living anyway. I had to try.

I turned to Mio.

"Mio. Kiyo sensed the Kiri ninja that destroyed my village not too far from here. And.... my mom's alive. She's being held prisoner there. You wait for me here. I'm going to go rescue her." My little fists clenched.

"I have to try. No, I can do it. I can sneak in at night, and sneak out before anyone notices. It'll work." I was practically using Mio to rationalize my thoughts.

"Anyway, only wait for me for a couple days. If I'm not back in the next 3 days, go to Konoha-"

"No." Mia's cold voice suddenly cut through my own. She seemed angry.

"I'll go with you."

"Mio no, it's too dangerous-"

"Don't care."

I could see the stubborn child in her coming out now.

"Kaito. I would probably have died back in that village if not for you. I don't want to lose anyone I like ever again. If you're going, I'm going. And if you are captured or killed, I'll be captured or killed."

Listening to her passionate words, I felt a tear forming in my eye. I suddenly leapt forward to embrace her.

"Mio. Thank you. I'm glad I met you. I'll never forget this."

I stepped back and stared at her, marveling at the fact that she was only five.

'I guess it is true that suffering a tragedy makes you mature faster.' I mused silently.

Either way, in that moment I was captivated by the little girl's cute and innocent face that would surely blossom into a beauty of stunning proportion. Her emerald green eyes were like gems... No her entire being was a beautiful gem, and I suddenly had a feeling that I would never be able to let go of her radiant self ever again.

I shook my head to restore my focus. That was a question for another time.

For now, it was time to save mom.