Chapter Text
Chapter One
LOUISA
I tugged down my black fabric mask, freeing my nose and mouth. The scent of broth and ramen spices filled my nostrils, the heavenly warmth of flavorful steam setting my stomach off in a grumble. I hadn't had a hot meal in over a week. I blew over the noodles, stirring around the flaky spices and chunks of meat and vegetables. It was a luxury I was grateful for, but the guilt in my gut wouldn't let me enjoy it.
How long had it been since my people were able to eat meals like this? Images of the stock pots filled with root vegetables and fish flashed across my mind. We had been living off the forest for months now, ever since the Sand Village had turned us out.
I fumbled with the chopsticks, pulling up a large strand of noodles and shoveling them into my mouth. I had to pause and relish the flavor, each moment of joy ruined by the thought of the bony joints and sunken stomachs of the people that awaited me miles and miles away. We had set up a camp between the Sand Village and Leaf Village, not daring to make a permanent place too close. If either of the shinobi villages decided to target us, we would need every advantage of fleeing. It was better to be safe than sorry, despite the negotiations taking place.
Two women settled in at the furthest side of the small restaurant, dressed in plain, pastel pants and tunics. The restaurant was sleek, and the long bar wound around to an open setup for tables. The bright red decorations and roar of conversing customers filled the air with a beautiful kind of chaos. I had sat toward the corner of the bar, far enough away so that no one would be bothered by me, nor they bother me. They stole curious glances at me. I'm sure they were curious about the cloaked lady eating ramen alone at the bar. The two ladies chattered in hushed tones, placing their own orders with the waitress who flittered from the bar to the tables.
I paused when I was halfway done with my meal, wondering if I should save the rest for later. I set the ceramic bowl down with a soft thunk, contemplating my decision.
One of the young women let out a small gasp and whispered urgently to her companion. "Isn't that one of them?"
My eyes shot toward them, meeting their gaze. They glanced away quickly, murmuring even softer and acting as if they hadn't been looking at me. Their bodies stiffened and they both changed the subject. It was common, I had concluded, the drama that surrounded "the foreigners" and our pleas for aid. Every village and town I had stopped in had heard about our struggles, the dramatic overturn of the slave camps in the far north.
The poor, brave foreigners...
Yet, no one dared touch our outstretched hands when we begged for help. No one entertained the thought of trading with us. No one wanted us to sit at their table.
I went back to my meal even though my appetite had long disappeared. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't appreciate every last bite. I wouldn't be able to face the camp knowing that I had been wasteful during their struggles. Our struggles.
"I heard they sent an envoy to talk to Lord Sixth." Their voices were barely a breath, and I strained my ears to listen.
They spoke behind their manicured hands, eyes downcast to their meals. "Aoi told me about it, but I didn't think it'd be true. I'll have to tell her about this."
"What do they even want from us?" The rumble of conversations around the restaurant made it hard to hear, but I chewed slowly and closed my eyes to focus.
A snort, "What do you think? The Kazekage kicked them out of the Sand Village; they're probably here to try to mooch off the Hokage's generosity. I don't know why they can't find a place of their own."
I fought off the anger that swelled up in me. Idiots, I thought. We had already tried and failed at making a village for ourselves. With only a handful of fighters, we weren't able to stave off the bandits and undesirables that kept harassing us. Every time I left our camp was a risk. Every time I went back, I had to face another casualty or another missing person. I swallowed the frustration. Calm down, they don't know. They don't understand.
“I’m sure Lord Sixth will see through their schemes,” one chirped confidently.
The other snickered, “Exactly! Especially looking like that.”
Soon, I thought to myself. This will be over soon, one way or another. I guzzled the last of the broth in my bowl and stood up.
A waitress rushed up, a smile beaming on her cheerful face. “Did you enjoy your meal?” Her eyes darted to the scars laced around my cheeks and chin before swiftly snapping back up to my eyes.
I returned her smile before pulling my mask back up over my mouth, “Yes, it was lovely. Obrigado.” (Thank you.) I counted out the money for the meal and placed it in her palm. She didn’t flinch when my fingers touched her skin, and it sent relief through me. I pulled out a little extra, “For you.”
Her eyes widened, “Oh. Thanks! You don’t have to do that.”
I held my hand up to stop her. “For your generosity.”
She brushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear and gave me a short bow. “Please, come again!”
I returned the gesture and turned away, earning gasps from the gossiping women. “Isn’t that-”
The other whispered in disgust, “The Black Widow.” I didn’t spare a glance as I left them staring at the red hourglass on the back of my cloak.
Ah, yes. The silly nickname that I had grown to both love and hate. It was a symbol of the strength I had gained, but also posed as a constant reminder of the reputation that now followed me. Nix roused from his napping place in the back of my hood, his fuzzy legs tickling the back of my neck. “Are you done, Master?” His voice was high, almost childlike. It was expected, considering he was just a spiderling, and the motherly instinct in me led to him being my preferred travelling companion of all my other Summons.
“For now, yes. There is much to do.” The streets of Kohona were bustling, filled with civilians of all shapes and sizes. Even still, they glanced my way as if they could sense that I didn’t belong amongst them. Light beamed through the gaps between the buildings, and I couldn't help but find relief in the colorful infrastructure. It reminded me of home and untarnished memories of walking up and down the city streets, a small hand grasped in mine -
Stop it, I ordered myself. I didn't need to slip down memory lane. I couldn't think of him, not right now.
The Hokage’s office was still a few streets away, and it was my last chance to ease the worried knots in my shoulders. Everything rode on this meeting for everyone. If I fucked it up, I would be failing every single person at camp. I had to be persuasive, but if the Leaf Village has ill intentions, then I wouldn’t have a choice but to send my people back to the icy wastelands of the north. There, they - we - would surely starve to death, if we didn’t freeze to death first.
“Master, there’s something on you,” Nix growled and started to leave his hiding place. It would have been intimidating if it hadn't come out as a squeaky snarl.
I jerked the hood back around him. “Don’t, Nix.” I couldn’t feel anything on me, but the last thing I needed was to cause a panic when the civilians laid eyes on a spider the size of a small cat crawling out of my clothes.
“On your arm,” he whined, withdrawing and wrapping his eight legs around the back of my neck. It had become a habit of his, a reaction and indication of his insecurities. Nix was the runt of all the spiderlings that came from the last egg and lived with a gimpy leg as a result. He wasn't fast, but he was faithful, and his poison was potent enough to take an elephant down when he had the courage to use it.
I inspected my arms, pausing to see what the fuss was about. On the edge of my sleeve sat two little beetles hiding on the seam. They blended in flawlessly and buzzed in frustration when they realized that I had found them.
Nix growled, “They’re spies! Shall I eat them?” Nala had told me about these kinds of insects. She warned of the Aburame clan, masters of espionage who acted as information gatherers for the Leaf Village. They pulled such little chakra from me that I wouldn’t have noticed if Nix hadn’t said anything. I was thankful that Nala had decided to lecture me on what she knew of Kohona. 'The Aburame are sneaky,' she had warned, 'They've been looking for us for decades.' She wasn't happy that I was taking Nix into the village, but chose to keep her grudges to herself.
“No, leave them. For now.” I continued my journey to the Hokage’s office, firmly aware of the little spies that I carried. I didn’t like it, but I had a hunch that if I let Nix feast on them that their master would be upset.
I rustled around my pockets until I found the empty jar that had once housed dried fish for my journey. I opened the lid and whispered down to my sleeve. “You two will get me in trouble. I do not like trouble. If you do not wish to become a snack for my spider, I highly recommend you take refuge in here. I doubt you would want that, and I’m sure your master wouldn’t like that either.”
It didn’t take much persuasion for the two, and a third beetle that had been hidden somewhere else on my body, to buzz into the jar. I popped a hole in the top of the lid and sealed them shut, stashing the spies into my pocket.
The last thing I needed was for Nix’s snacking to cause a war with the Aburame. Although I had a hunch that Nala would be quite amused with the scenario.
Let's get this over with. I sighed, the top of the Hokage's office coming into view in the distance.