Reborn in the Mist

The moment they’d stepped out of the office Rina felt she’d overdressed. In comparison to her ‘date’ she was completely formal, slow and of course elegantly beautiful.

Yondaime-sama did deign to wear his haori and hat—  “Got to keep it on, hope you don’t mind? The village has to have an easy time identifying their leader.” He’d said. Meaning if it were possible all he’d want to wear is the grey and black up and down paired with his infamous green poncho.

Rina didn’t think like her grandmother, these schemes to bring her closer to the Mizukage are far too over the top and worse, obvious. She’d complained, made her point that it’s just shameful to cling onto power so blatantly but what choice did she have in the matter?

All Rina could do was follow orders and hope the Mizukage would give Nana Megumi a definitive answer. At least, he didn’t seem to mind how slow she was walking to their destination, in fact, she regularly caught him staring out at the sky, the people and their businesses. Occasionally stopping to pat a child’s head or give them a coin to buy some sweets with while their parents fervently bowed and thanked him for his mere presence.

He had a slight smile on his lips right now too. She looked ahead and found the teahouse waiting ahead of them, one of the finest establishments in the Central District. It sat just across the lake her father blew into existence and was very well kept to compete with the Funato and Yuki businesses.

“We’re here.” Rina said, excited to stop walking at last. Inconveniencing the Mizukage aside, her feet hurt from the inefficiency of walking such a distance in wooden sandals.

The scent of freshly brewed matcha greeted them as some servants in oversized white clothes bowed in sync and pushed the round doors open. The interior was much larger than the outside, of course, but that could easily be an illusion as there weren’t many customers left within it.

Glancing at the anticipating tea house workers, Rina guessed that just like how Nana Megumi had set the appointment she’d also set it up so the establishment is scanty but present enough with folk bound to whisper about the Mizukage and the girl at his arm.

“Welcome to our Komorebi Tea Haven, Mizukage-sama, Lady Rina.” The director bowed deeply, his grin at his luck nigh uncontained.

“It smells nice in here.” Yagura said, ignoring all the eyes peering at who’d just come through. Both upper and lower floors had guests leaning out of their seats or taking unnecessary strolls to have a proper look.

The director let his grin burst, “Ahahah, we try. Where would you like to be seated? Lady Rina is a regular here and has her own private booth at the top floor.”

What? Since when?

“Oh really?” Yagura looked up at her and she quickly put on a pleasant face to hide her shock as she nodded, “Well then, lead the way. By the way, do you only serve tea here?”

“We serve sweets and some light meals along with our special brews, are you interested?”

Yagura shrugged and she wondered if he’d been eating well since he took office. This counts as the second time since then she’s met him, the first being to congratulate him.

The director swiftly brought them to the top floor and Rina pieces together what he’d meant by her own private booth. She stood in front of it, the place she and her father used to sit and watch the leaping fish in the lake he blew into reality for her giggles.

It offered a beautiful view of the village, at least a part of it. The Mizukage Tower couldn’t be seen from this angle and that’s why she liked it so much as a kid, with the tower out of sight her father would spend more time until some nosy ANBU would interrupt.

They took their seat and Rina sighed, she hadn’t been here since the start of the Third Shinobi War, he promised they’d sit together again but she’s here with his successor instead.

“Are you alright?” Yagura asked, placing his hat down on the table and fingering through the menu.

Her first instinct was to say yes and get on with this tea date, recite all the information Nana Megumi made her memorize and go home to cry in peace but those pink eyes were just too soft and welcoming for her to lie.

“I…I used to come here with someone very important to me.” He blinked, but didn’t say a word. “We were supposed to visit again but it’s too late. Hah, I just miss him.”

Yagura stared at her intently for a moment before turning to the lake where some children in noble clothes practiced their water walking to embarrassing results.

“I understand. You have their memories with you though, yes? All the times you did pay a visit together, all the times you shared.” When she nodded he placed the menu down and smiled, “Tell me then, this is the perfect chance to relive some of them.”

She actually laughed, “You’d want to hear that? I still have a report from Nana to give you.”

He breathed the sweet smelling air and relaxed into his seat, “I think we have time.”

Rina’s smile grew, she sniffed and nodded shyly as she composed her thoughts, seeking out the least embarrassing moments from her time her with her father.

“The first day I came here there wasn’t a lake yet, it was just…grounds I think. Someone wanted to build a park or something I’m not sure but when I came it was just grounds and while we had tea, I complained there was nothing beautiful to look at.

“He said that seeing Kiri at this height was beautiful in its own right, but I was much younger then and felt I’d seen everything even though I hadn’t, I wasn’t impressed by my village. I said it would be better if there was a picture of my mother to look out at.

“When I explained that I didn’t simply want a portrait in the booth but out there on the lands so I could gaze from above, he laughed and laughed and laughed until I felt very silly and refused to eat anymore of his sweets.

“Then, he promised me that he’d make it possibly to look out at my mother’s beauty and that it was a brilliant idea. He promised the next time I’d be here he’ll show me something beautiful to look at while I drank tea with him.”

Yagura leaned forward, “And?”

“And he created a lake and called it a mirror. We sat outside the next time, all three of us and our reflection…our family was beautiful to look at.”

Rina’s wistful eyes met Yagura’s and held them, she stared into him as she felt him gaze into her and for a moment—

“So! Have you decided on what tea you’ll be having?” The director returned with an annoying chirp, snapping them both out of the trance.

Yagura glanced between them a bit lost and caught off guard before arbitrarily choosing sencha tea and some donburi. She ordered the same with a side of sweets.

With the director banished once again Yagura straightened and cleared his throat, “So, what is this about the Hozuki’s concerns?”

Special thanks to my patrons; noxodrac, Garrett and John for funding this little library of mine