Chapter 36

Just as Mei predicted, the caravan would be unable to reach the nearest village before the snow started again. Though they found shelter on the path that night, they lacked the supplies and knowledge to adequately treat the injured. When morning arrived a group from the nearest village arrived to investigate and deliver aid, having heard the avalanche the previous night, but by then the rural doctors could do little.

Within the first thirty-six hours of the avalanche, two more of the injured merchants would ultimately die. One from internal injuries sustained during the disaster, and the other from a naturally frail disposition that made them too weak to the cold in their current state.

Two days after the avalanche, a scout would appear at the border between Frost and Hot Water to report the disaster to the Leaf ninja waiting for the caravan. The Leaf ninja would return to Konoha alone, armed with a verbal recounting of the death toll and no plans for the next meeting.

Four days after the avalanche Yuki Shiromi would stand in the Raikage's office, a black-banded scroll lying on his desk containing the charred pieces of a corpse. "He put me under a genjutsu," she reported, not once breaking eye contact with the imposing man. "I thought the route was clear, and didn't realize until right before the avalanche happened. I attacked him right away once I broke free, but he used explosive tags to commit suicide once I defeated him."

"And you don't know what village he's from?" the Raikage demanded, lips curling with displeasure, and she shook her head.

"No. He wore no clothing identifying where he might originate from, nor did he use any recognizable techniques or fighting styles. Our battle was very brief before his suicide, so I couldn't determine much about him. After he died I went to check the caravan and helped free people from the snow, but by then it was too late. I apologize for my failures on this mission."

The Raikage did not scowl. Scowl would be too gentle of a term to describe the way his nose flared and his face contorted before he slammed his fist onto the table, smashing it to pieces. Shiromi did not flinch as splinters and chunks of wood flew around her, her expression placid and unmoved as she looked at the furious man. With a wordless roar he snatched up the scroll with the remains of the body and threw it to his newest assistant.

"Get our top medics on top of examining that body NOW!" he roared, and the woman left to do just that with a quiet sigh. He turned angry eyes to Shiromi, who met his glare with her usual calm. Rather than say anything he sharply rose and stalked out of the room, leaving her alone in his office save for the hidden guards.

Neither Kumo nor Konoha would find evidence of Kiri's role in the avalanche. One month later another avalanche would be triggered in a different part of Frost, this time by a group of missing-nin who'd heard of the caravan's disastrous fate and were inspired by the easy gains. Blame for the first incident would ultimately be pinned on them, a claim they could not refute after being brutally slaughtered.

Ultimately, the peace talks between Konoha and Kumo would be postponed until the arrival of spring to lower the chances of another such disaster occurring. The ripples of this change would spread far and lead to long-lasting effects, a fact Sute soon realized.

Fifty-two hours after the avalanche, the trio of Mist ninja boarded a ship back to Kiri. The first thirty-six hours following the avalanche had been spent hidden in the cavern to avoid running into any Cloud ninja. They traveled back to the port as quickly as possible after that, resuming their civilian guises before entering the city where Mei went to secure the ship.

Two hours after departing, Sute suddenly burst into laughter, startling Utakata into dropping the book he'd been reading. "Sute?" he asked in alarm as she bent over and clutched her stomach. "What the hell's so funny now?"

Sute just cackled, wiping a tear from her eye as she grinned up at him with an almost manic sparkle in her eye. "I'd tell you, but you would never understand," she managed as her laughter died down to mere chuckles. He stared at her but decided not to push it, picking up his book and leaving her to smirk to herself in amusement.

Forty-three hours after the avalanche, the trio of Mist ninja returned to Kiri with tentative news of a successful mission. Upon entering the gates, they were rushed to the Mizukage's office where they would be greeted with the news that the Third Mizukage had perished and Yagura had taken his place. The news came as a shock to Utakata, but Sute and Mei received it much more readily, both already aware.

For her part Sute displayed adequate surprise, playing up her ignorance even as her best friend shot her a knowing look. He no doubt managed to piece together the true reasons behind their mission within a few days, but they never spoke of it. When the trio was dismissed they split apart to return home.

Once in the privacy of her own home Sute went straight to the guest room to retrieve the notebook she'd hidden under the mattress. Dust coated the cover once more, and she brushed it off before opening to the timeline she'd made. Over the years of her second life, Sute's memories of canon had faded. It had not vanished completely, but many details had been obscured by the passage of time.

As such, one particular detail slipped her mind until now, after the mission had finally wrapped up. As she looked at year three of her self-made timeline she felt her mouth curve into a too-wide smile, an almost hysterical laugh bursting forth. For the second time Sute consciously knew of, canon had been irrevocably changed.

(Later that month on December 27, Hyuuga Hinata would turn three.

This time there would be no Cloud ninja with plans to kidnap the young heiress. Hyuuga Hiashi would not kill the Head Ninja of Kumogakure to save her, and Kumo would not demand his body in reparation for his loss. Hyuuga Hizashi would not take his twin's place to prevent the Byakugan from falling into another village's hands, and Hyuuga Neji would not grow up blaming the main house for his father's death.

Time would only tell how much this particular change would impact the world, but ultimately it did not matter to Sute. She had already accepted that the future would not match the story she had grown up watching, and that this world was her reality now. Her only regret was the loss of potentially critical information that her foreknowledge could provide, but for now it did not matter.)

After that, life in Kiri returned to its usual routine. Sute threw herself into hospital work as usual, spending her precious free time training and learning everything she could. News of the Fourth Mizukage's ascension would take months to spread to other villages, finally being confirmed to the rest of the world in January. The change in leadership had little impact on Sute directly, Yagura content to leave her be, but she could feel the change in the air.

Kiri felt colder somehow, the tension stronger than before. As expected, several veterans did not like the idea of following such a young leader, and Yagura accepted any challengers who wished to test his power. After much consideration, Sute and the other medics ultimately decided to be merciful and put those foolish enough to do so out of their misery. Fortunately it only took four casualties before the challenges stopped.

On the eve of the fourth challenger's demise, Sute returned home to find Mangetsu waiting outside the gates to her house, hands shoved in his pockets as he nodded to her. "Yo, long time no see," he greeted with a sharp grin.

"You too, not-Suigetsu," she returned, and he just rolled his eyes at the nickname. They walked into her house in relative silence, Sute shooting him questioning looks all the while. Manners dictated she prepare tea for guests, so she did just that while he sat at the low table to wait. Soon enough she joined him with two cups, not bothering with any proper etiquette or rules as she just poured one for him.

"This isn't poisoned, is it?" he asked, but he had a good-natured grin that made it clear he was teasing.

"If I was going to poison you, you'd never even know it," Sute returned with a snort and eye roll. He chuckled, and the two sipped their tea in comfortable silence for a few moments. Finally she set down her cup. "Okay, we've drunk tea and done all the proper visitor-host etiquette stuff now. What the hell are you doing here out of the blue?"

Mangetsu almost choked on his tea, coughing and hacking before flashing her a grin. "Man, blunt as always, huh Sute?" he chuckled as he put down his cup. "You'll never be able to play a courtesan undercover."

"Do you think I could with this face anyway?" she retorted, and he snickered.

"Nah, probably not. Not that you're ugly or anything, but you're definitely not a guy's first choice. No offense."

Sute snorted and rolled her eyes again. "None taken. I know I'm not a classic beauty. I'm still trying to figure out the secret admirer who sent me flowers a few months ago." Mangetsu startled at that, his purple eyes going wide.

"Wait, that's real? I thought my cousins were just screwing with me when they talked about that!"

"If you have any leads, tell me," Sute told him solemnly. "I am very concerned for whoever it is." She wasn't lying. Sute knew she wasn't beautiful like Mei or Shiromi, nor did she have a particularly friendly demeanor. In fact, Sute was highly aware she was batshit crazy by most people's standards, even by Kiri's standards. The type of person that would develop a crush on her must have something wrong with them, and required immediate investigation for mental abnormalities.

"I will," Mangetsu agreed, just as solemnly. His somber demeanor soon broke with a quiet sigh, shoulders slumping as he frowned at the tea. "...Hey, Sute. You've been calling me not-Suigetsu for years now."

Sute arched an eyebrow as she crossed her arms. "Didn't we go over this years ago?" she asked, and he chuckled humorlessly.

"Yeah, we did," he agreed, and sighed. "You never did tell me if I appeared in your old memories or not." Sute huffed, hunching over the table and propping her cheek in one palm as she looked at him.

"And here I thought that was answer enough," she mused lightly, and he didn't respond. After several moments he reached into the pouch on his hip, tossing a tattered-looking bingo book onto the table. It wasn't one of Kiri's though, the design increasingly familiar to her in recent months.

"...Do you know what some Leaf ninja call you?" he asked, meeting her gaze, and Sute had to suppress a sigh.

"I am not a bloody oracle," she replied flatly.

"So you do know."

"They've been calling me that since my age was still in the single-digits. I have no idea why the hell they do that. The only 'prediction' I can think of would be the Fourth Hokage becoming the Fourth Hokage."

Once again Mangetsu startled. "That's—that's a pretty major prediction," he pointed out, but when Sute just shrugged he sighed. "Okay, you say that, but you also called the fact Suigetsu would be called Suigetsu. And you used to always act surprised about how Juzo never died. I've heard about how you said Zabuza had the Kubikiribocho in your old memories. I also heard about how you hated Raiga even before Ameyuri got sick."

"And your point?" Sute asked, and he met her gaze evenly.

"If you're not an oracle, then what the hell are you?" For a long moment didn't respond, just held his stare. Finally though she huffed a quiet breath, picking up her teacup to sip at it.

"...Once upon a time, I read a story about a land far, far away from the one I know," she began. "I never finished that story, so there are many things I don't know about it, secrets and events alike. And many of the the things that I did were rendered null and void." She put down the cup, meeting his gaze once more. "I am no oracle. I'm just a woman trying to survive in a world full of bloodshed and violence."

Mangetsu didn't say anything, clearly at a loss as to how to handle her answer as his gaze fell to his lap. After a while she simply resumed sipping her tea, letting him process her words in his own time. "...In this story," he finally said, head stilled bowed. "I'm not there, am I?"

Sute arched an eyebrow, finishing her sip before shaking her head. "You are not."

"But Suigetsu is, right?" he asked, raising his head to look at her once more. Her other eyebrow joined the first, and she finally responded with a brief nod. At that confirmation he exhaled a shaky breath, hands balling atop his knees as his gaze fell to the table once more. "...I think I'm going to die soon."

That got Sute's attention, setting the cup down with a frown. "Do you feel sick?" she pressed, reverting to her medic's instincts, but he shook his head.

"No, I don't. But there's some stuff going on in the clan, and I suddenly have a shot at becoming the successor over the clan head's son." He frowned, lips curling back in a frustrated scowl. "I honestly don't give a damn about becoming the leader. All I've ever cared about is becoming one of the Seven Swordsmen and mastering all seven swords."

"You've already accomplished the first part with the Hiramekarei," Sute mused to herself. "And you're pretty well on your way to the second goal, right?" He perked up and nodded vigorously.

"I am! I've mastered all the swords without an owner right now, even the Kubikiribocho before Juzo left. And that's why they think I'd be such a good fit for the clan head! Having a powerful leader—hell, just a powerful heir would bring so much honor and glory to the Hozuki name and all that junk. But I just—I don't care." He sagged with a tired groan, rubbing his face. "It's a hassle and I don't want it."

Sute listened to him gripe in contemplative silence. "So how does this factor into you potentially dying?" she questioned, and the younger boy heaved another sigh.

"The clan head's son is the other candidate, and neither of them are happy. In the past it never really mattered because they know I don't want the position, but lately other clan members have been pushing for me to take over as heir. The head has a lot of power in Kiri, he can pull strings to send me on some pretty dangerous missions. And I can't really refuse because I'm, you know, a Swordsman."

He groaned again, rubbing the back of his neck while looking away. "I just. He won't do it anytime soon, but if the pressure keeps like it is, it's only a matter of time." He fell silent after that and Sute studied him speculatively.

The Hozuki clan did not choose its leader based on a line of succession like other clans might, but rather by strength. She knew the current clan head's son had been raised for the role, and while he certainly had the strength and skill to earn the title, he still paled in comparison to Mangetsu. Mangetsu had always made his lack of interest in the position clear enough, sparing him from the political competition, but now it seemed the rest of the clan no longer cared for his opinion.

The thought made her frown, unable to tear her eyes from how the younger boy hunched his shoulders and hung his head. Though he had proven himself a prodigy time and time again and had racked up an impressive list of accomplishments, at the end of the day Hozuki Mangetsu was still young. He was not even fourteen years old yet, his birthday still a week away.

In the end, Mangetsu was just a child.

"Is he happy?" Mangetsu suddenly asked, cutting into her musings. She glanced at him in surprise to find him looking at her with a strangely firm resolve, while her own eyebrows creased in confusion.

"Who?" she asked.

"Suigetsu," he answered. "Is he happy in that story you mentioned?"

Sute found herself hesitating to answer, flashing back to that first meeting. How Sasuke had cracked a tank full of water and Suigetsu flowed out, references made to an extended captivity. His smile had come easily enough, but it had been sharp and taunting, no true happiness behind it as he held a blade to Sasuke.

Her hesitation seemed to be all the answer he needed, as he took a deep breath and averted his gaze. "I see," he muttered, and frowned. "...If I die, can you promise me something?"

"What is it?" Sute asked, and he met her gaze once more.

"Take care of Suigetsu for me."

The request earned an arched eyebrow, genuinely taking her by surprise. Over the years Sute had hardly shown herself as someone suitable for childcare. On the contrary, she felt like she'd proven herself to be the worst possible influence a child could have, the absolute last choice to raise them. He'd be better off asking literally anyone else.

Yet Mangetsu's eyes held a firm resolve, a pure earnestness that made no sense to her. "Why me?" she asked with a frown.

"Because I trust you," he responded simply, and the simplicity of the answer yet again took her by surprise. She frowned then, quiet as she contemplated her own answer.

Sute would not consider herself to be particularly close to Mangetsu. Despite being a year apart the pair had only a few interactions outside his visits to the hospital, and they never worked together. The sole reason they'd ever interacted at all was because Sute had been Ameyuri's ward, and the boy had visited the kunoichi after settling his dream of becoming a Swordsman from a very young age. So for him to say he trusted her took her by surprise.

Despite this distance, in some ways Sute felt as if she had watched him grow up. Though he might only physically be a year younger than Sute, her first life had been more than twice as long as his. To her, he had always been a child, and even now with both of them in the throes of puberty that held true.

And that made something particularly protective curl up in her stomach as she frowned, meeting his gaze with a newfound resolve.

"I will," she promised. "No matter what."

Fate is a fickle thing.

Nothing is ever truly set in stone. Throughout the infinite expanse of universes, anything is possible, and the smallest change can lead to unimaginable ripples.

In one world, Yakushi Kabuto would spy on Kiri outside its hospital.

In one world, Hyuuga Hinata would be nearly kidnapped on her third birthday.

In one world, Hozuki Suigetsu would have no one who cared for him.

In one world, Ringo Sute did not exist.

In this world, she did. And that one change guaranteed nothing would remain the same.

The pieces are getting set for the defection. This chapter and the next are gonna be a little bit float-y in terms of how time passes, so I hope they won't be too confusing or anything!

Sorry for the slight delay, we got a new dog and she's kinda eating into all our time. I love her already, but breathing apparently means we want to play with her, and my parents need to focus on work more than I do so I've been handling a majority of play duty. (If anyone has any advice on getting a hyperactive 1.5-year-old dog to calm down, please tell me. We throw toys for her for 15-20 minutes, take her on walks, and right after going inside she STILL wants to play again. Worse, I seem to be the catalyst because she's apparently pretty calm in the mornings until I come downstairs, so yeah. I'm getting kinda tired of having to hole up in the basement or upstairs to get her to calm down. Or being stuck on the couch or an armchair for hours on end because the first sign of movement from me will get her excited. Seriously, please give me advice if you have any.)

Anyways, I actually haven't had a chance to fully finish the next chapter, so I can't guarantee it will be released on a schedule or anything. I want to get that and the next chapter finished before I post again, to make sure I don't miss anything. Hopefully it won't be too long of a wait!

Also: on the last chapter, a guest named Abby on here said she tried to draw Sute. But unfortunately FF doesn't really like people posting links, so it's just a pretty random string of letters and numbers. I really want to see the art, so please try sharing it again! You can show it to me on Twitter Cannibal_Apple, or I have a submission box on Tumblr under the same name here, cannibalisticapple. I mostly use my Tumblr for MHA stuff, so it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and see you guys next time!