Draft of an AIC-set short story

“It’s not the amount of chakra that’s wrong.” Despite knowing that, Aiko couldn’t resist fiddling with it some more. No matter what she tried, the chakra lock stayed stubbornly shut. 

Seabirds wheeled overhead, calling loudly.

The solution was pretty easy to see from the design of the door, but she just didn’t like it. She shivered, not used to the chill that came from the wind off the sea. 

Eventually, even Aiko’s stubbornness had to give. She pulled her hand back and folded her arms, frowning at the cache. 

She didn’t even know what this was, to be honest. She had gone poking around the ruins of Uzushiogakure on an impulse. Almost everything there had crumbled or rotted to nothingness, leaving round stone buildings like empty shells on the beach. Sand had been washed into the streets, and a few of them had been overtaken by seawater. 

This building had drawn her attention, though. There was active chakra inside and something about it itched at her hindbrain. It felt like buzzing in her teeth and she wanted to snap at it. She wanted to get inside and devour whatever this was. 

But it had clearly been designed to only open for groups. That seemed like some type of security measure. The seal had reacted to her, so it wasn’t locked to certain people…

‘...it might be locked to Uzumaki and other bloodlines from Uzushiogakure,’ Aiko realized. She felt a thud-thud in her chest. ‘What if… what if this was part of Uzumaki clan grounds? It would make sense to restrict access to only Uzumaki. And requiring a minimum of three people… Genin teams? Or just a way of ensuring no one went rogue and came in here unapproved?’

The off white sandstone seemed different when she looked at it in that light. Aiko paced. Her footsteps were the only sound of human habitation on the island. 

This was her ancestral homeland. This was her heritage. And… and she wanted to know what was inside. 

“Fuck,” Aiko said. “I’m going to have to talk to the people I love.”

Resentfully, she went back to Kirigakure and started looking for Karin. It was 7 in the morning, so the first place she checked was Karin’s bed. 

Correct. 

The small shape on the bed was perfectly still, except for an easy rise and fall of breath. It warmed something in her chest to realize that Karin was relaxed enough around Aiko that she hadn’t woken.

Hmm. Waking up.

That was the tricky bit. Waking Karin in order to ask for a favor… Aiko didn’t feel like getting fought tooth and nail over a field trip. 

Aiko quietly closed the door and decided a bribe would smooth this over. 

She grimly went into the kitchen. Because she was the military dictator, her pantry was fully stocked with anything a reasonable person might want. Aiko poked around, checking ingredients, and then made a decision. 

“Miso soup, grilled salmon in daikon, 6 types of tsukemono, tamago kakegohan…” Aiko checked the fridge once more. “Tamogoyaki, and tonkatsu.” 

She washed her hands and put on an apron, feeling as if she was preparing for battle. The bribe feast had to be made for more than one person… If she was feeding Karin this, Gaara shouldn’t be left out. Aiko would eat… and she needed one more serving.

“Agent!” Aiko called, keeping her voice quiet. 

An obedient black ops agent came out of hiding and stood at attention. 

“I need 4 pork cutlets and 4 salmon servings,” she said. “Thank you.”

Stores were certainly not open yet. But there was no argument. She started the rice cooker, she put the soup stock on the stovetop, and she mixed up the eggs and seasoning. While the pan heated she cut mushrooms and tofu and added them to the soup. Then she made the tamogoyaki. While it was still sizzling hot, she began preparing trays with settings for 6 dishes. 

She heard the rustle of a paper bag and turned around to see the requested meat and fish being deposited on her counter. “Thank you, that’s all.” She covered the soup so it would stay hot and then prepared the pork in breading. She heated two pans and started cooking the meat and fish simultaneously. It was a delicate balance of timing, but she started filling rice bowls and sprinkling them with the seasoning in between flipping cutlets and fish flanks. 

In the end, she picked up two trays that any housewife would have been proud to produce and went upstairs to bother her children. 

“Oh, shit.” Aiko looked at the closed door. She bit her lip. 

Didn’t think that through. 

Wordlessly, one of her bodyguards stepped forward and opened the door for her. She thanked him with a smile and poked her head into Gaara’s room.

He was frowning at her, hands still hovering over a flowering cactus in a red pot.

“Good morning,” She chirped. “Breakfast in bed today!”

Gaara tilted his head to the side. He looked over at his bed, which did not appear to have been used. Or maybe he’d already made it. 

‘Weird kid.’

“You can eat it at your desk,” Aiko sighed. That was a little disappointing. She slid the tray down in front of him anyway.

Karin did not disappoint. She was laying out in a way that looked posed with her hair splayed on the silk purple pillowcase, eyes covered by a matching sleep mask. Her bedside table was covered in glass bottles, perfumes and skin creams and poisons.

Aiko felt weirdly proud.

‘This is definitely the one I’m related to.’

“Good morning〜,” Aiko sing-songed. She used one hand to gently pull the curtain open a few inches. 

Karin groaned.

“I brought breakfast.”

Karin sat straight up and ripped off her eye mask. She glared at Aiko. “Why?”

Aiko held the tray out and Karin automatically took it. She gave a surprised blink at the rich spread, and the personal addition of her favorite dish, which was not at all breakfast food. “I’m bribing you,” Aiko said. 

The relief was visible. “Oh, that’s all?” Karin put the tray on her thighs and picked up her chopsticks. “Fine, whatever. What do I need to do?”

“Come with me to pour chakra into a seal, we need three people with a certain type of chakra.”

Karin pointed at herself. “One.”

“Two,” Aiko said, with a finger pointed at her own nose. “And I’ll go get number 3 while you eat breakfast and then get ready. 8:30?”

“9:00,” Karin countered. “And do I need to dress warmly? For combat?”

“Fine, yes, and no.” Aiko blew a kiss on her way out of the room. “I’ll be back soon, I’ve got to go lure a child from the safety of his home with treats.”

Karin made a disgusted sound as the door closed behind Aiko.