Then Tanto was born. His son, now seven. He'd never really liked children that much, but he still had his son, and he loved him, undoubtedly, but somewhere along the line, Kankurou had become a stay-at-home father. Not something he had ever envisioned for himself during his youth, but there he sat, opposite his son, talking cheerfully about puppets, a passion young Tanto shared with his father.
Kurotsuchi couldn't stay at home with the children. She was the Tsuchikage, after all. She had a village to run.
Not that long ago, she had cheerfully announced that she was pregnant again. Big age gap, but otherwise the past four or five months had been spent getting things ready, rerigging the cradle, gathering some toys, digging through the old supplies from Tanto's infancy to see what could be reused and what couldn't (because what was the point in throwing it out and getting new stuff if you could reuse the old?) and clearing out one of the rooms otherwise just used for storing old junk. The room had been repainted a minty green colour. He wanted it to be a surprise, the baby's sex. Girl or boy, he was sure he would be fine.
He looked up, snapping out of his thoughts as he heard his wife return, slamming the door behind her. Clearly, she was in a foul mood.
"Welcome home." Kankurou started uncertainly, standing to greet her. She just pushed past him, a heavy cough racking her body. She was just around 24 weeks along with her pregnancy, and she had been back to throwing up and coughing relentlessly. They'd both been kept up all night last night because of her coughing fits. Hesitantly, he reached out to her.
"Ne, Kurotsuchi-chan?"
"I'm fine, Kankurou."
"You're coughing again." He muttered, trying to take her hand. "Maybe you should see a doctor."
"They said I'm coming on fine."
"Look, I'm just worried."
"I know, but I'm fine." She moved away, heading toward the bedroom.
And then she was on the floor. She'd passed out.
"Kurotsuchi!"
"Kaa-san!"
He checked her vital signs. Her heart was racing, her breathing slow. "Tanto, get a doctor."
"I'm fine..." Kurotsuchi insisted quietly.
"No, you're-"
"I just had a dizzy spell and tripped." She got to her feet and continued on to the bedroom. Kankurou heaved a sigh and turned to his son. "The emergency medical nin at your mum's office will come if you tell them she fainted."
He nodded and ran off. The streets of Iwa were safe for the puppetry-trained son of two accomplished ninja.
It was half an hour of watching over his sleeping wife later that Tanto arrived back home with a doctor in tow. Kankurou explained the situation before going to wake her.
"Ne, Kurotsuchi-chan?" He gave her arm a little shake.
No response.
"Kurotsuchi?"
He leant in close. Her breathing had become shallow.
"Shit!"
The doctor and Tanto appeared in the doorway and Kankurou continued to shake her.
"Kurotsuchi-chan, wake up. Wake up!"
She stirred, groaning slightly. In the dark room she looked horrifically pale. Her eyes flickered open and she started coughing, chest heaving violently. The doctor was already at the other side of the bed, checking her temperature. Something wet landed on the puppeteer's face. Reaching up to brush it away, he found with a jolt of horror that his hand came away bloody. She had coughed up blood. "Take her to hospital!" He demanded at once, hand falling against the headboard to steady himself. He felt dizzy and sick, and hoped against hope this was just a bad dream.
She had been whisked away at once. Kankurou did his best to keep up with the quick stretcher, practically dragging poor Tanto along the ground. Another heaving cough, and a stain of red appeared on the puppeteer's otherwise pristine white poncho. He slowed down and stopped, apologising softly to his breathless son. He pulled at his blood-stained top, taking shaky breaths.
"K-kaa-san will be alright, right tou-san?"
He swallowed nervously. "I don't know..."
"But...I..."
It would be horrid to tell him she would be fine when he was unsure of it himself. He wanted more than anything for her to be okay.
"Tanto...it's been a while since you last saw Grandpa Kitsuchi, hasn't it?"
"Not since my birthday last year..."
"Would it make you happier to see him?"
"Is he coming?"
"Once he hears about Kurot-about kasan, he'll come. He...you like spending time with him overnight."
"He'll let me stay?"
"It depends on, you know..."
"Mum?"
"'Fraid so..."
The navy-haired boy cuddled up to his father with a sigh. "When will Grandpa Kitsuchi get here?"
"I don't know. I'll get you something to read if you want."
So some time later, the Kamizuru men were sat, side by side, Kankurou wringing his hands anxiously, Tanto reading the comic in front of him for the fifth time.
"Kamizuru Kankurou?"
He looked up to see a particularly solemn looking doctor beckoning to him. He felt his entire body go cold as he pulled Tanto up and followed the woman down the halls.
"Kankurou-san..." The doctor clasped her hands before her uncertainly. "I'm afraid your wife isn't in a very good condition. By the looks of things, she's been ill for quite a while." He felt a presence behind him and glanced over his shoulder. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he found Kitsuchi towering over him. That man hated him, he knew that much. Thankfully, for now, his eyes were focussed on the doctor. "It's in its final stages, I'm afraid. There isn't much we can do for her other than keep her comfortable."
"Tou-san, you're hurting me..."
Kitsuchi scowled. "How wasn't this picked up earlier?"
"I'm afraid the symptoms of things like this can often be confused with those of pregnancy. The fact that Kurotsuchi-sama was pregnant may well have hidden her illness from the tests..."
"So you couldn't help her because she was pregnant?"
"I'm sorry." There was a silence that seemed to stretch into eternity.
Then pain blossomed against his cheek and he felt himself pitching sideways. Someone had hold of his poncho, stopping him from falling quite roughly. He gagged, taken by surprise as he tried to regain his balance. He was acutely aware of Tanto crying and Kitsuchi asking why this was happening. Funnily enough, this wasn't the first time his father-in-law had lost his temper and struck out. He never meant to strike out like that, not before, but this time it was different. Essentially what he was being told was his only daughter was dying because she'd fallen pregnant again. Kankurou squirmed, half-trying to break free, but the other half seemed to believe he deserved it. Was it his fault?
Hands were at his arms, helping him sit down. Security had been called. Was he alone? No, the doctor was still there, and Tanto was being led away by someone to help calm him down. He couldn't see straight, nausea taking over. Damn it, he could already feel his cheek bruising. "She's dying..." He muttered to himself, leaning forward and breathing deep. The doctor's hand found its way to the small of his back. "Kankurou-san?"
"I'd just finished painting the new baby's room..."
"Well...there is a chance your daughter will be okay..."
He glanced up. "...Daughter?"
"For a child born so early, she's doing very well."
"She's been...?"
"We can't save Kurotsuchi-sama, but we were able to deliver the baby. It was an emergency procedure, as mother's body could no longer support the baby...she's in intensive care."
"Can I-?"
"Kurotsuchi isn't awake yet, so you have plenty of time to visit your daughter."
Day one, May 5th. Watching the newborn infant being cared for through a window, Tanto on his shoulders. Kitsuchi apologised profusely. He would watch Tanto that night. The boy was tired and not able to stay up to be with his mother and new sister.
Kankurou patted down his pockets, only to find his wallet was back home. He wanted to at least bring a gift to his wife when he visited.
Kurotsuchi woke up and he went to visit her. She wasn't able to speak much.
"How do you feel?" He asked uncertainly.
"You were right..."
"Hn?"
She flashed him a smile. "You said I needed a doctor."
He held her hand that night. She scolded him for not eating and sleeping that night.
Day two, May 6th. Tanto spent the day with his mother, trying to help her feel better with the aid of some flowers he had 'found'. Kankurou went up to see his daughter again.
"Any name ideas yet?" Asked one of the doctors as he stepped in. The scrawny, tiny infant in the cot was no longer covered in wires and tubes. Her skin was still red and stretched over her bones. She was just small enough to fit in his hands if he were to pick her up.
He shook his head. "She...she looks so fragile..."
"You can hold her if you'd like."
He seemed shocked by this. "Are...are you sure? Is she well enough?"
"She is. Trust me."
He was right with his size judgement. The little girl fit in his hands. She was light and kept herself curled up. "She's precious."
That's it!
"I...I want to name her Kichona..."
Precious...
He could feel tears stinging his eyes. She shouldn't have been this healthy this soon. Healing ninjutsu really was amazing sometimes. She was strong, clearly. Just like the rest of her family. Strong as a rock.
Day three, May 7th. Tanto was with Kitsuchi again. Kankurou was sat beside his wife, just holding her hand. She didn't seem able to speak, so he did all the speaking for her, introducing her to Kichona and explaining why he had chosen the name, chatting about the weather and how even unwell, she still looked so beautiful to him. It looked to him like she wouldn't last much longer, and it set off a bout of verbal diarrhoea. He couldn't stop talking. He had to make sure she knew how much he loved her, how he would love her forever.
And then her eyes closed and her hand slipped from his and all signs of life ceased. He called for a doctor and was ushered out. The silence stretched on for an eternity as he cradled Kichona close to his chest. Eventually, the doctor came back out, placing a hand on Kankurou's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. There was nothing more we could do."
He tried to hold back the sobs and act tough. He tried to keep up his reputation as a hard, indestructible shinobi. He was hardly aware he'd started crying until he was made to sit down once more and brought tissues and green tea to calm himself.
He'd never really even liked children, yet suddenly he was a single father for two.
"Welcome home." Kankurou started uncertainly, standing to greet her. She just pushed past him, a heavy cough racking her body. She was just around 24 weeks along with her pregnancy, and she had been back to throwing up and coughing relentlessly. They'd both been kept up all night last night because of her coughing fits. Hesitantly, he reached out to her.
"Ne, Kurotsuchi-chan?"
"I'm fine, Kankurou."
"You're coughing again." He muttered, trying to take her hand. "Maybe you should see a doctor."
"They said I'm coming on fine."
"Look, I'm just worried."
"I know, but I'm fine." She moved away, heading toward the bedroom.
And then she was on the floor. She'd passed out.
"Kurotsuchi!"
"Kaa-san!"
He checked her vital signs. Her heart was racing, her breathing slow. "Tanto, get a doctor."
"I'm fine..." Kurotsuchi insisted quietly.
"No, you're-"
"I just had a dizzy spell and tripped." She got to her feet and continued on to the bedroom. Kankurou heaved a sigh and turned to his son. "The emergency medical nin at your mum's office will come if you tell them she fainted."
He nodded and ran off. The streets of Iwa were safe for the puppetry-trained son of two accomplished ninja.
It was half an hour of watching over his sleeping wife later that Tanto arrived back home with a doctor in tow. Kankurou explained the situation before going to wake her.
"Ne, Kurotsuchi-chan?" He gave her arm a little shake.
No response.
"Kurotsuchi?"
He leant in close. Her breathing had become shallow.
"Shit!"
The doctor and Tanto appeared in the doorway and Kankurou continued to shake her.
"Kurotsuchi-chan, wake up. Wake up!"
She stirred, groaning slightly. In the dark room she looked horrifically pale. Her eyes flickered open and she started coughing, chest heaving violently. The doctor was already at the other side of the bed, checking her temperature. Something wet landed on the puppeteer's face. Reaching up to brush it away, he found with a jolt of horror that his hand came away bloody. She had coughed up blood. "Take her to hospital!" He demanded at once, hand falling against the headboard to steady himself. He felt dizzy and sick, and hoped against hope this was just a bad dream.
She had been whisked away at once. Kankurou did his best to keep up with the quick stretcher, practically dragging poor Tanto along the ground. Another heaving cough, and a stain of red appeared on the puppeteer's otherwise pristine white poncho. He slowed down and stopped, apologising softly to his breathless son. He pulled at his blood-stained top, taking shaky breaths.
"K-kaa-san will be alright, right tou-san?"
He swallowed nervously. "I don't know..."
"But...I..."
It would be horrid to tell him she would be fine when he was unsure of it himself. He wanted more than anything for her to be okay.
"Tanto...it's been a while since you last saw Grandpa Kitsuchi, hasn't it?"
"Not since my birthday last year..."
"Would it make you happier to see him?"
"Is he coming?"
"Once he hears about Kurot-about kasan, he'll come. He...you like spending time with him overnight."
"He'll let me stay?"
"It depends on, you know..."
"Mum?"
"'Fraid so..."
The navy-haired boy cuddled up to his father with a sigh. "When will Grandpa Kitsuchi get here?"
"I don't know. I'll get you something to read if you want."
So some time later, the Kamizuru men were sat, side by side, Kankurou wringing his hands anxiously, Tanto reading the comic in front of him for the fifth time.
"Kamizuru Kankurou?"
He looked up to see a particularly solemn looking doctor beckoning to him. He felt his entire body go cold as he pulled Tanto up and followed the woman down the halls.
"Kankurou-san..." The doctor clasped her hands before her uncertainly. "I'm afraid your wife isn't in a very good condition. By the looks of things, she's been ill for quite a while." He felt a presence behind him and glanced over his shoulder. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he found Kitsuchi towering over him. That man hated him, he knew that much. Thankfully, for now, his eyes were focussed on the doctor. "It's in its final stages, I'm afraid. There isn't much we can do for her other than keep her comfortable."
"Tou-san, you're hurting me..."
Kitsuchi scowled. "How wasn't this picked up earlier?"
"I'm afraid the symptoms of things like this can often be confused with those of pregnancy. The fact that Kurotsuchi-sama was pregnant may well have hidden her illness from the tests..."
"So you couldn't help her because she was pregnant?"
"I'm sorry." There was a silence that seemed to stretch into eternity.
Then pain blossomed against his cheek and he felt himself pitching sideways. Someone had hold of his poncho, stopping him from falling quite roughly. He gagged, taken by surprise as he tried to regain his balance. He was acutely aware of Tanto crying and Kitsuchi asking why this was happening. Funnily enough, this wasn't the first time his father-in-law had lost his temper and struck out. He never meant to strike out like that, not before, but this time it was different. Essentially what he was being told was his only daughter was dying because she'd fallen pregnant again. Kankurou squirmed, half-trying to break free, but the other half seemed to believe he deserved it. Was it his fault?
Hands were at his arms, helping him sit down. Security had been called. Was he alone? No, the doctor was still there, and Tanto was being led away by someone to help calm him down. He couldn't see straight, nausea taking over. Damn it, he could already feel his cheek bruising. "She's dying..." He muttered to himself, leaning forward and breathing deep. The doctor's hand found its way to the small of his back. "Kankurou-san?"
"I'd just finished painting the new baby's room..."
"Well...there is a chance your daughter will be okay..."
He glanced up. "...Daughter?"
"For a child born so early, she's doing very well."
"She's been...?"
"We can't save Kurotsuchi-sama, but we were able to deliver the baby. It was an emergency procedure, as mother's body could no longer support the baby...she's in intensive care."
"Can I-?"
"Kurotsuchi isn't awake yet, so you have plenty of time to visit your daughter."
Day one, May 5th. Watching the newborn infant being cared for through a window, Tanto on his shoulders. Kitsuchi apologised profusely. He would watch Tanto that night. The boy was tired and not able to stay up to be with his mother and new sister.
Kankurou patted down his pockets, only to find his wallet was back home. He wanted to at least bring a gift to his wife when he visited.
Kurotsuchi woke up and he went to visit her. She wasn't able to speak much.
"How do you feel?" He asked uncertainly.
"You were right..."
"Hn?"
She flashed him a smile. "You said I needed a doctor."
He held her hand that night. She scolded him for not eating and sleeping that night.
Day two, May 6th. Tanto spent the day with his mother, trying to help her feel better with the aid of some flowers he had 'found'. Kankurou went up to see his daughter again.
"Any name ideas yet?" Asked one of the doctors as he stepped in. The scrawny, tiny infant in the cot was no longer covered in wires and tubes. Her skin was still red and stretched over her bones. She was just small enough to fit in his hands if he were to pick her up.
He shook his head. "She...she looks so fragile..."
"You can hold her if you'd like."
He seemed shocked by this. "Are...are you sure? Is she well enough?"
"She is. Trust me."
He was right with his size judgement. The little girl fit in his hands. She was light and kept herself curled up. "She's precious."
That's it!
"I...I want to name her Kichona..."
Precious...
He could feel tears stinging his eyes. She shouldn't have been this healthy this soon. Healing ninjutsu really was amazing sometimes. She was strong, clearly. Just like the rest of her family. Strong as a rock.
Day three, May 7th. Tanto was with Kitsuchi again. Kankurou was sat beside his wife, just holding her hand. She didn't seem able to speak, so he did all the speaking for her, introducing her to Kichona and explaining why he had chosen the name, chatting about the weather and how even unwell, she still looked so beautiful to him. It looked to him like she wouldn't last much longer, and it set off a bout of verbal diarrhoea. He couldn't stop talking. He had to make sure she knew how much he loved her, how he would love her forever.
And then her eyes closed and her hand slipped from his and all signs of life ceased. He called for a doctor and was ushered out. The silence stretched on for an eternity as he cradled Kichona close to his chest. Eventually, the doctor came back out, placing a hand on Kankurou's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. There was nothing more we could do."
He tried to hold back the sobs and act tough. He tried to keep up his reputation as a hard, indestructible shinobi. He was hardly aware he'd started crying until he was made to sit down once more and brought tissues and green tea to calm himself.
He'd never really even liked children, yet suddenly he was a single father for two.
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