The Bond

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The link is also in the synopsis

A/N - Thank you, Brian Smith for supporting Azure Awakening!

<<<>>>

After the fight, Maki turned to Shin and chuckled.

"This is awkward. A few hours ago, you tried to kill us, and I was all for punishing you… but now you helped us. So what should we do with you?"

"I promised him freedom in exchange for his help," the Water Daimyo's relative chimed in with a bright smile.

She was a strange one - she was almost killed twice in a single day but still was beaming as if she was the happiest person in the world.

Shin exhaled, adjusting his stance. "I don't care what you decide, now that I'm free, I won't let you capture me that easily." His fingers hovered near his blade, ready to defend himself if needed.

Maki studied him for a moment, then suddenly flickered behind him.

Shin instinctively jumped back, drawing his sword, but his focused and determined expression shattered when he saw Maki laughing, not just chuckling, but laughing with her whole body.

His right eyebrow twitched.

'This girl is even weirder than that Daimyo's relative.'

"Relax," Maki grinned. "I was just playing with you. A few hours ago, your eyes looked dead, but now, you seem to actually want to live. Go and enjoy it."

Her smile slowly faded, her voice becoming quieter.

Shin hesitated.

"…Why did you save me when my former team attacked?"

Maki's expression turned unreadable.

"Your eyes reminded me of… someone I knew." She paused for a moment, as if weighing her words. "I decided that death wouldn't be a punishment for you, it would be salvation."

Shin's eyes widened slightly, unsure what to make of that answer.

"But now that we're on somewhat friendlier terms," Maki continued, "let me tell you something. There's always a meaning to life… you just have to find it."

<<<>>>

Shin's journey to the memory lane was interrupted when he saw Kaoru approaching Maki.

For a brief moment, he considered joining them, but the look on Kaoru's face made him stop.

The boy was clearly shaken, and from his expression, it was obvious that whatever he was about to say to Maki was serious.

Shin wasn't the type to eavesdrop on family matters.

Without a word, he flickered away, leaving the siblings alone.

Maki had sensed Shin the moment he arrived, but she didn't mind. He often watched her train like this, sometimes even giving helpful advice based on what he observed. His presence had never made her uncomfortable.

But this time, she had no time to spare for distractions.

She was on a deadline. If she could break through her current limit, Takimura's chances of survival would skyrocket. No number of jonin or chunin could match the impact of a single S-rank shinobi. One S-rank could turn the tide of war, shifting the balance more than an entire army.

She couldn't fail.

As she focused, she sensed another person approaching.

Her brows furrowed in irritation.

'What now?'

She was ready to scold whoever was disturbing her training until she recognized the chakra signature - it was Kaoru's

Her eyes widened in confusion.

Kaoru knew she was training. He wouldn't have come unless something important had happened.

Her heart skipped a beat, a brief flicker of worry flashing through her mind.

The moment she saw his expression, her stomach dropped.

"Ru, what happened?" Maki nearly screamed.

Her mind had already raced through every terrible possibility in that fraction of a second.

"Maki I'm sorry for disturbing your training, I just wanted to ask you something…"

Kaoru hesitated, struggling to find the right words. Now that he was here, he didn't even know what to say. It was as if his legs had brought him here on their own and his mind was still catching up.

"…Maki, did you hate me… when… you know…"

He couldn't say the words.

He couldn't say when I killed our mother.

He was afraid. Afraid that saying it out loud would make it real.

Afraid that it would reveal something he wasn't ready to hear.

Maki stiffened. She knew exactly what he meant.

Maki avoided even thinking about this topic as much as she could as it was one of the most painful memories of her life.

"Ru… why are you asking me this?" Her voice was softer now, but there was an edge to it.

"Please answer me," Kaoru pressed, but he did not know why.

Maki exhaled slowly.

"Yes."

Kaoru froze.

"I did hate you," Maki admitted in a shaky voice. "But it was momentary. I just needed time to realize that it had nothing to do with you."

She saw it - the flicker of pain that crossed Kaoru's face at her words.

And she nearly lost it.

"Ru," she continued quickly, stepping forward, "you are the most important person in my life. I would give up everything to protect you, even my own life. I was just a kid back then. I didn't understand…"

"Don't worry, Maki," Kaoru interrupted, forcing a small, hollow smile. "I don't blame you. You had every right to hate me."

His voice wavered.

"I'm sorry for bringing this up. I just… I don't know. I guess I'm struggling to process it, and maybe I was looking for advice. I don't even know what I expected to hear."

His eyes darted around, looking anywhere but at her. He suddenly felt awkward standing there, facing her.

'I came here, interrupted her training, and for what? To remind her of one of the worst moments of her life? How can I be so clueless?'

But before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, Maki pulled him into a tight hug.

"You're so stupid, Ru," she whispered.

Kaoru's body tensed for a moment before slowly relaxing.

"I might not have realized your importance to me when I was seven, but not a single day passes now where I don't thank the heavens that you exist. So, Ru, don't ever blame yourself for that day."

Her voice trembled.

Kaoru felt it - her tears, warm against his hair and cheeks.

His chest tightened.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

For a few moments, there were no words.

No guilt.

No burden.

Only the unspoken bond between them, pure and selfless.

In the dark world they lived in, there would always be light - a flicker of warmth, a guiding presence.

And for them, that light had always been each other.

<<<>>>

Kaoru sat inside his tent, the dim light casting long shadows around him. The conversation with Maki had lifted most of the weight off his shoulders, but in its place, a new burden had settled.

'This war threatens everything that is dear to me.'

His fingers tightened around the scroll Suiren had given him.

He didn't know what was inside, but it was safe to assume it contained something to strengthen the Suijingan.

The temptation was overwhelming.

'If learning what's inside this scroll can help us win the war, isn't it worth it? Even if Grandma would be hurt or angry, isn't it worth saving even one more life?'

The thought refused to leave him, his mind was drawn toward the scroll again and again.

He kept weighing the pros and cons, but in the end, he chose to follow Suiren's wish.

Even if he didn't feel obligated to keep the promise - since Suiren broke her part, she had decided to risk her life, despite swearing to him that she wouldn't - Kaoru knew that if she died, and he had broken his promise, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

It would be a thorn buried deep in his conscience, something he would never be able to remove.

Besides, how realistic was it to learn a technique in a matter of days that would make a difference in such a difficult fight?

No matter how much he tried to rationalize his temptation, the urge to open the scroll lingered.

So instead of staying just to be tortured or swayed, he decided to leave his tent and seek distraction.

Unless it was Maki - the only one who had a real chance of breaking through to S-rank before the war - training was out of the question. No one was allowed to push themselves right before battle, everyone had to be in peak condition, and a few days of training wouldn't make a difference.

But Kaoru could spar. Honing his kenjutsu and taijutsu wouldn't drain him, and he knew exactly who to look for.

'Akane and Sugeru are probably together somewhere.'

He had a hunch that those two would be together and he could use either of them to spar.

Kaoru stepped out of his tent. Each step he took made an unpleasant sound as his feet kept sinking into the damp soil. The camp was much less energetic and lively. The closer they got to the battle, the heavier the air became. Even if he wasn't scared, the tension in the camp was impossible to ignore. Now he needed to spar, not just to clear his mind but to shake off the weight pressing on his chest too. Plus, Sugeru and Akane's bright personalities would be a welcome distraction.

But as he neared them, he stopped.

They were sharing a meal and laughing as they looked at each other with carefree and happy eyes.

For a moment, someone might have thought the food was actually good, but Kaoru knew better - the army cook's meals were terrible. That meant only one thing: the conversation they were having was good enough to make them forget the taste.

'Fine, I won't interrupt you, but you owe me.'

He chuckled to himself and let Sugeru enjoy his moment.

Instead, he turned toward the forest, deciding a stroll would be enough to clear his head.

Activating his Suijingan, he let himself enjoy the sight of water flowing through the towering trees, weaving between roots and branches, coursing through the land like veins beneath the surface. It was beautiful, calming in a way few things were.

But something caught his eye.

Ahead, Mizuki was kneeling in the dirt, her head bowed.

Kaoru slowed his steps, approaching carefully.

The moment Mizuki noticed him, she shot up instantly, dusting off her clothes, biting the fabric to shake off the soil and leaves.

Kaoru chuckled, moving a small stream of water toward her clothes, rubbing away the dirt with ease.

"That's a nifty trick," Mizuki muttered, still avoiding his gaze.

"Thanks," he said with a small smile. "What were you doing, if you don't mind telling me?"

Despite being teammates for a long time, there had always been a distance between them. They worked well together, got along just fine, but for some reason, they had never managed to become actual friends.

Mizuki hesitated.

"…I was praying."

She finally murmured and immediately moved her gaze toward Kaoru, studying his reaction.

"I didn't know you were a believer," Kaoru admitted. "I'm not. Actually, I don't think I was ever even given any information about religion."

Mizuki chuckled faintly. "Are you asking me to baptize you?"

She turned and started walking deeper into the forest.

Kaoru followed closer. "Why pray out here instead of in your tent or the camp? Is there no one else who shares your belief?"

She played with a strand of her hair. "I don't like people watching me with weird expressions. I'd rather pray in peace and silence."

She stopped suddenly, turning her head only to meet Kaoru's gaze. "Do you think we'll survive this war?"

Kaoru blinked, surprised by the sudden question but answered firmly. "Absolutely. We'll definitely survive."

Mizuki studied his face for a moment, searching for doubt, but she found none.

She chuckled. "Maybe I've just become too skeptical after seeing nothing but loss my whole life."

Kaoru was silent for a moment before asking, "Where are you from, Mizuki?"

She tilted her head slightly.

"How about this," she smiled. "If we survive this war, I'll tell you. If not, at least I'll be sparing you one boring story."

**

A/N -

I promise I'm not writing these scenes just to drag the plot out, but to develop the characters xD I genuinely believe these conversations show more of their personalities than fights or training arcs.

That said, the war is starting very soon, and there will be plenty of intense battles ahead.

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The link is also in the synopsis