Moments and Memories[Kamui]

Kojirama’s black sandals landed in front of a medium sized plain wooden building, a Konoha medical ninja dressed in white was exiting the building and upon seeing the white noise she smiled and greeted him. “Hello Koji-sama, your mom is still awake but it won’t be long before she’s drifting off to sleep. I’m sure she will be delighted to see you though, if only for half an hour.” Kojirama would nod his head and speak briefly. “Thank you miss Atsuko.” The medical shinobi would smile again before heading down the road, Kojirama would turn his head back and speak once more, this time to his younger Senju cousin Kamui. “This is it...it’s not much but...it’s always been home.” Kojirama would then turn his head back around and calmly walk up to the house, open the door and enter.

Leaving the door open for Kamui to enter and close it, Kojirama would then slowly make his way through the house to one of the back rooms, leaving enough time between his walk through the house for Kamui to see him and know where to follow him to. Upon getting to the correct room, Kojirama would hesitate for a few seconds before sliding the door to the right and revealing a frail older woman in her 70’s hooked up to some medical equipment. Upon seeing the door open the small elder lady’s head went from looking out of a window that sat on her left side to looking up at Kojirama, a smile creeping over her face before she spoke softly.

“Ah…Kojirama…my boy…I didn’t…expect to see you again so umm…How long has it been since…since I last seen you?” Sadness creped over the eyes and face of Kojirama as he spoke “Two days mom…but look ...Theirs someone else here that would like to see you as well…” Kojirama would step aside to hopefully show the body of his younger cousin Kamui. He would then wait for the purple haired ninja to speak.

The night was getting chilly, and the trees sang in the blowing wind. Stars had begun to shine in the orange and pink sky of the sunset, and off in the opposite direction of the sun, the moon began to rise. The two Senju walked briskly towards the place where Kojirama’s mother lived, a quaint and relatively plain wooden house in the traditional japanese style, quaint but lovely.

As they had approached the building, a woman in medical robes came out of the house, telling Koji of his Mother, and how she was becoming tired and likely would go to sleep soon, but that she’d be delighted to see him.  Kamui had on his face a soft, very faint smile, calmness abound in his demeanor. He remained quiet and assertive, and would bow his head simply to the woman named Atsuko, as she would depart. Then Kamui would be led through the front door of the home, through the pace to the room where his Mother lay in bed, hooked up to various medical equipment. She was on life support.

Kamui’s heart sank at the sight of the little old lady. One could tell how frail she was just by looking at her. Machines whirred and pulsed, pushing fluids through her body to keep her healthy. Kamui felt sorrow in his heart. She was also so happy looking to see her son. She spoke out to him, wondering how long it had been since last her son had come to visit her, in which Kojirama replied it had been two days, and then, he’d step aside allowing her to see Kamui, saying that he had wished to see her as well.

Kamui Senju bowed to the lady, smiling serenely, and it was as if sparkles glittered around him, and he would say to the nice old woman, “Konichiwa, Ma’am. Your Son Koji has told me a lot about you, and I must say it is an honor to meet you. I am Kamui Senju”, he would say, his voice light and calm, and full of peace.

[344 WC]

As Kamui spoke the frail lady smiled and would soon speak in response to Kamui. “Ah…kamui…purple hair….senju…I know…I knew...someone like you…Kaz..una and…Ejiya…” Kojirama would chime in. “Kazumi and Eiji mom…” “Ahhh…yes…they are such a lovely couple…they are good heads of our clan…Koji, why haven’t they come to see poor old Yasu yet? …I remember cooking and chatting with your mother Kamui… like it was yesterday….I’d like to do that again….” Kojirama bowed his head and slightly turned it toward Kamui to whisper to him out of earshot of his mother. “I’m sorry…she’s…her memory is not what it use to be…She wants to remember…she stills remembers some…but…most of it is gone…” Kojirama would then turn back to his mother and speak “They’ve um…they’ve been just really busy lately mom, I’ll promise to tell them to visit you tomorrow.” The old woman smiled. “Yes…that will be nice…Koji...how’s my little grandson doing? Is he… learning a lot from his father?”

Kojirama cleared his throat and tried his best to maintain his poise and calmness as he spoke. “He’s fine ma…You’d be proud of him…I know I am…” The old lady continued to smile as she turned her head back toward the window to look at the sun as it slowly went down. “Such a pretty sunset….” Kojirama looked out the window as well and commented on it too. “It is indeed…” Kojirama would then turn his attention back to his mother and speak once more. “Kamui here is a Jounin as well, even has his own squad to look after…He’s proven to be just as skilled if not more so than his parents.” His mother continued to look t the sunset as she continued to softly speak. “That’s nice dear” She then would turn her heard back around to look at the purple haired Senju and would speak again. “How are your parent’s Kamui? I can remember cooking with your mom…Kushima... just yesterday…”

As the woman spoke, it was clear to Kamui that her medical condition was more than just physical, but was also mental. She had known his parents it seemed, but she did not know they had passed away. Kojirama kept his Mother from being in anguish by telling her that they were alive, as well as his Son who was her Grandson. It was really hard to just stand here and just let this go by. Hw he wanted to tell her the truth, but he knew he couldn’t because it would only just hurt her more. Kamui remained smiling, but it became apparent in his facial expression that he was holding back tears. Yasu was such a nice old lady, but she had lost her memories, all jumbled up they seemed to be.

‘She must have Alzheimers diseases.’, Kamui thought sympathetically. Yasu would speak again then, to Kamui, asking about his parents, and referring to his Mother by the wrong name. Kamui said to the woman,

“They are.....at peace, and well. Yasu-Sama, I am sure that my Mother and father....ummm..love you very much.”, he said. He was going to say loved your company, but thought better of it, as it would raise her suspicion. Kamui disliked lying to people, especially to innocent people such as Yasu-Sama, but in this circumstance, not wanting to cause her unneeded distress, or make his cousin angry, a subtle hint deception wouldn’t harm anyone. Besides, it was true actually, that his parent were in fact now at peace. They would never again have to struggle.

[261 WC]

The old lady smiled and spoke once more. “That’s good…I love them just as much…Koji hun…how’s miss Momoka? You still… treating her good?” Kojirama cringed a little as his mother mentioned his wife’s name, taking a few seconds to gather himself he would put on a fake smile and respond. “She’s been...resting a lot lately ma. But I’m still treating her well...Not a day goes by that I don’t see her beautiful face…” Kojirama did his best to fight back tears; this wasn’t his first visit to his mom. He has gone through this countless times and each time almost the same questions...but also…each time it still stung the elder sage’s heart. Kojirama would continue to listen to his mom speak. “Oh that’s good…she needs to rest with all the work I’m sure the two of you boys over there give her…She’s a good mother and spouse…” Kojirama slowly nodded his head. “So are you mom…” He watched as his mother then scrounged around in her hospital bed and spoke once again. “Koji...be a dear and get me another pillow from the closet…My back just can’t get comfortable…”

Kojirama nodded his head once again and went to a nearby closet and pulled out a small pillow and went to adjust it behind his mother’s back, all the while continuing to speak to her.  “So mom, you have any advice for Kamui here on being a squad leader?” The old lady smiled and giggled. “Yea…if those rascal get out of hand…. a good tree whip… and hanging them from their toes up in a tree is always good punishment….” At the same time, the mother and son would both speak. “That’s the Senju way.” Kojirama and Yasu both laughed as Kojirama finished straightening and placing the pillow behind her back. “Thank you honey.” Kojirama would smile at his mother and speak. “No problem mom.” He would then turn back to Kamui and speak to him. “That punishment has always been used in this family…We say it’s the Senju way but it’s more or less our family way…My great great granddad started it and it has since been said, done, and passed down through the generations…It’s something we can all laugh at now even if it is a tad harsh….It’s still a good memory though, right ma?”

He would turn his head back to her and she would already be fast asleep. Her eyes closed and resting peacefully. Kojirama sighed yet smiled as he went to adjust the pillow behind her head a little and then kiss her on her forehead. “Love you ma..” Kojirama would then turn back to Kamui and speak in a hushed tone. “Sorry she fell asleep this fast...I thought we still had ten minutes or so left…” Kojirama would then silently motion for Kamui to head out of the room and he would follow suit.

Kamui was glad at least that the old woman was happy. By coming here today, he had made her life a bit more special, surely, so in that case he was very glad to have come to visit her. She had asked both of the “boys” many questions and she’d enjoyed a good conversation with the two of them, talking about their respective family members. Kamui gathered that Momoka was the name of his late wife. It was so tragic, the events that could happen in one’s life, but then again, it was the memories that made life special. Yasu was probably the one who knew the most about that.

Kamui would stand by as Kojirama assisted his Mother with a pillow for her back, and shortly after this, Kojirama had asked his Mother for some advice for Kamui in taking care of his Genin Squad, in which she had replied with a traditional punishment that had been passed through Koji’s immediate line from his Great Great Grandfather. At the mentioning of the method, it made Kamui smile more, as he thought it was funny.

Now though, with the vigor of the company she had had, the little old woman’s energy had given way to need for sleep, and so Yasu-Sama was fast asleep now, looking peaceful and happy as she rested there in the bed. Kojirama would tell her that she loved her, and kissed her on the forehead, before motioning for Kamui that it was time for them to leave. Kamui didn’t have to be told twice. He nodded, and he’d turn and walk back out of the room, headed through the house once more. As he went towards the door though, he asked Kojirama,

“This is your house too, right? Or is this the house of your parents?” Yes it was a simple question, and sort of dull, but he wanted to know. Then, he started to think of something to get both of their spirits up, and so he suggested,

“How about we have a nice spar? Surely that would clear both of our minds away from the past?” He had seen just as much as Koji surely saw in himself, that Koji had to fight back tears. A spar was really good for healing sad memories.

[378 WC]

As Kojirama made his way out of his mother’s room, before he closed the door behind him he took one last look at his mother and smiled before closing the door. As Kojirama and Kamui weaved through the house once more, Kojirama was flooded with the memories of all that he had lost. Through it all…the loss of his wife, son, brother and father, as well as his other two genin had indeed taken a heavy toll of the elder Sage, most of what transpired having changed him into the enhanced peace seeker he is today. As he and Kamui reached the front door of the residence, kmaui turned around and asked Kojirama something, to which Kojirama smiled and would reply.

“Yes…and no…This is...it is my first home and will always remain home. When I got married my wife and me moved to another to start our own family but we were over here quite a bit…so much history and time spent in this building you can’t just move on from it…not when those memories can still be had...even if they are slowly fading into the past.” Kojirama would then be asked another, seemingly quick question to get their minds off of the past. Half-heartedly smiling Kojirama would nod his head. “A nice spar would indeed be good to cleanse the mind of such gloomy thoughts…Lead the way to the sparring region of your choice young Kamui-san” Kojirama would be glad to spar with a fellow Senju, it had been awhile since he has done with a fellow clan member. It would indeed be good for both his mind and body.