Sayonara Mizumiyo
Date: June 22nd, 13 years aNb
Days since Team 11 left Mizumiyo Palace: 50
Time: 9:35 AM
"Your honor," Takeshi Spence declared from the witness stand in the middle of the courtroom, gesturing to where Team 13 sat at the Defendants' table on the eastern side of the courtroom, "It has been twenty three days since the discovery that the Traitor Akechi wa Jubei," At the fallen daimyo's name nearly everyone originally from River Country spat on the floor, "had escaped his cell and fifty since he disrupted the training and lives of these fine young ninja that sacrificed their time and, in the case of at least one, their very blood to save our nation from a coup. We hereby request that you dismiss the Traitor's case - with prejudice - and grant them leave to return to Konoha and their lives."
Judge Caprio who sat at the long bench behind the court clerk and interpreter - while the majority of the continent spoke the same language, there were a few pockets in the rural zones where the older tongues were still exclusively spoken - turned to Shinichiro Shimizu at the otherwise unoccupied Plaintiff's table on the opposite side of the room from the Konoha ninja. "What do you say, Counselor? Have you received any communications from your client?"
A lawyer in his mid-forties, his nose slightly flat beneath his simple glasses, sighed in frustration. "I'm afraid I've not heard anything from him since I left him in his cell the night of the 30th. As loath as I have been to work with the man, everyone deserves their day in court… But, in this case, I fear that the Traitor is gone for good. I cannot conscientiously object to the dismissal of my client's charges."
The judge swept his hands through his hair that was silver at the temples as if sharing in Shimizu's frustration at the thwarting of the wheels of justice. "Very well, then…" He sighed. "Konoha ninja team number 13, the Land of Rivers owes you a debt far beyond the payments already rendered to your Village. I hereby irrevocably rescind the case against you in the matter presented by Akechi wa Jubei and grant you leave to return to your lives at your earliest convenience…" Caprio rose to his feet - as did all the other members of the court, who proceeded to bow to the four ninja. "...with our undying gratitude for your service and sacrifice."
Miho Hyuuga rose and bowed back to the members of the courtroom. "We are pleased to have completed our mission successfully."
"Case - and court - dismissed."
~*~
Time: 10:55 AM
"I'm not ready..!" Kanna wa Akago sat at the edge of her bed, a wrapped package in her hand, tears dripping down her cheeks as she turned off the microphone. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to him yet!" There was a gentle knock at the door, causing Kanna to wipe the tears from her eyes in a hurry. "Enter!"
The door opened, revealing Reiyuriko wa Mizuzaki standing there with a medical mask and a sad expression in her eyes. "So you heard." The Imperial princess spoke softly, removing the mask as she closed the door behind her.
Kanna sniffled and nodded, hugging the package close to her chest. "Nakahito just told me that his team has been released to return home. His sensei said they're leaving at noon and he only had enough time to hop on his transmitter to tell me… That damned plague stole so much time from us!" The tears began to stream down her face again. "There was so much I wanted, what I hoped!, to do with Nakahito before we were separated for Goddess knows how long, Rei-sama!"
The future queen of the nation took a seat beside the white-haired woman a few months her junior: the crown princess had been born August 21st while the regional one had been born about four months later on December 7th. "I know, Ka-chan. Goddess knows how tense things were between your brother and I before Ko-sa completed Undine Kawa's challenge; Muso was experienced and I wanted to get some so badly… The double standards between Kuge men and women can be agonizingly frustrating." Reiyuriko giggled with a shake of her head. "Goddess knows just how quickly I jumped Kodansyo's bones when we were reunited after his exile. We may have said the vows at the Gala, but we considered ourselves married the second we saw the divine marks of the Blue Wall upon us. I remember seeing great-grandmother Mizuko the 25th's mark on her back before she passed when I was seven, so I knew what it meant the moment I saw it in the sento's mirror."
"I barely managed to stop myself with Nakahito the night of the 31st; the fact that he's four years my junior be damned!" wa Akago whispered in a barely audible confession. "Now I wish I had! Or at least kissed him! And now there's not enough time for us to go somewhere to do anything without being seen and causing a scandal for Nii-sama!"
Reiyuriko wa Mizuzaki was silent for a long moment. She nibbled at her lower lip in thought, clearly trying to determine something. "If you had a window where no one could see you, where no one would know except for you and Haruno-san, would you take advantage of it?"
"Rei-sama?" Kanna questioned, her face showing confusion.
The crown princess smiled at one of her oldest friends. "It would be a narrow window; no more than two or three minutes…" She reached down and took the white haired woman's hand. "Ka-chan… We're best friends, help, we were were nearly sisters, though Muso would have had to sacrifice his true love for it to happen. In the fifteen years that we have been old enough to know each other, until these last few weeks, the only time I ever saw you this happy was at that Gala four years ago when Kiritsugu wa Fuyuzora of the 6th District asked you to dance while Akago was talking with Fuyuzora."
Kanna's cheeks colored at the memory, when the roles of she and Nakahito had been reversed… She'd been 13, attending the Gala for the first time, to Kiritsugu-san's 17. Her heart had been in her throat the entire time they'd danced - having made it through two-and-a-half songs before Akago had yanked her away. Not because she'd been enjoying herself - which was pretty damning as far as the 13th district daimyo was concerned - but because Kiritsugu was Fuyuzora's third son and would not make for a politically advantageous pairing.
"I sometimes wonder how he's doing since he joined the military three years ago since he didn't want to be a 'waste' Kuge member like so many of our peers who aren't in a position to inherit their fathers' titles turn into. I never bothered writing to him since I knew Akago would intercept anything I would get in reply." She looked briefly sad. "If he would have bothered to, that is..."
"Last I heard he was on the short list for promotion to Captain; something rather unusual for someone who hasn't been in the military that long, which is why I remember hearing it." Reiyuriko said, patting Kanna's hand. "And if you weren't so enamored with Haruno-san I would have been encouraging you to reach out to him now that you're out from under your father's thumb! Nakahito must have made one hell of an impression at the Gala before the mess with the traitor." The crown princess raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question.
Kanna's cheeks flushed. "It was really a combination of things… Mostly I love how straightforward he is; you don't need to question what he's thinking or feeling because he practically wears his heart on his sleeve. And the fact that when the attack of Mizuzaki-sama happened, his first reaction was to put himself between me and where it was happening… Only Muso-niisama ever cared about me enough to do that before; and Nakahito barely even knew me then!" She hugged the package to her chest again. "Everything he's done since… It just makes me want to become his so much more!"
Reiyuriko frowned slightly at her friend's words. "But what about him becoming YOURS, Ka-chan?"
The slightly younger woman's dark eyes blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
The crown princess stood up and lifted the back of her top enough to expose the bottom right corner of her Blue Wall mark, showing the representation of the rivers. Without even realizing she was doing it, Kanna reached out to touch the blue ink-like mark. "It's cool to the touch… And…" She suddenly sat more upright, her hand jerking back. "Oh my Goddess, it feels like it's actually moving!"
"Ko-sa's feels like rocks cooking under the noon sun. It was rather pleasant during the colder evenings when we were hiding beneath the flower shop." A coy smile crossed her lips. "Especially after…"
"Okay, okay, I get it; you've had sex and I'm jealous!" Kanna flushed, rolling her eyes in annoyance that was about 25% real while the rest was faked. "Goddess, you always enjoyed pushing my buttons!"
"True enough, Ka-chan…" Reiyuriko giggled, letting her blouse fall back in place. "...but this whole experience taught me a few important things. One, the best relationship is a partnership of equals - yes, my status is above Kodansyo's, but as we said in our vows, I am his and he is mine; neither one is always on top." A wide grin crossed her lips as she began to be about to make another sexual reference.
"Don't rub it in, Rei-sama." Kanna said tersely.
"Fine, you party pooper." The crown princess's lips turned in momentary frustration. "And two, don't let ANY force in heaven or earth get between you and true love. Especially not stupid rules by old men with no passion in their hearts. Love is EVERYTHING - the ONLY thing - that matters in this life, Ka-chan. If you think you've found it with Haruno-san, don't let anything stop you from acting on it!"
Kanna wa Akago was silent as she mulled over her friend's words. "Two or three minutes?" Her dark eyes looked up at Reiyuriko wa Mizuzaki, filled with a gleam of hope that hadn't been there before. "And no one would be able to see what we do?"
The Imperial princess smiled slyly. "Not even Nakahito himself…"
~*~
Time: 11:46 AM
Nakahito Haruno paced in the cobblestone laden courtyard, hoping - praying - that Kanna would come down to see him off so he could at least see her one last time. As he did, the Palace staff carried out the last few bags with Team 13's belongings along with items Team 11 had been required to leave behind in their urgency to return to Konoha to get the corpse of Akira Muto turned over to Tanigakure and - apparently - no other Konoha ninja teams had passed close enough to Kawa City since to collect them.
Kimiko looked at the pile with trepidation. "How are we going to lug all of this home, Miho-sensei? That's a lot of stuff for only four people. Sho's not going to be happy with how slow we're going to be in order to carry it all… Especially since he's got to carry 'Hito's share of it because he lost that bet."
Hyuuga's wine-colored lips turned up slightly. "Oh, I don't think we're going to have to worry about that…" This cryptic statement earned the Jonin a confused look. "You'll see soon enough."
The team's medic-nin was the last to emerge from Mizumiyo Palace. He nodded to Miho. "I've verified that we have all the sensitive materials rounded up, Miho-senaei." He reached down and pulled a backpack with oddly square edges around the top off the pile before he opened his uwagi to reach for something.
"Grab your go bags, you two." The Jonin ordered the two other Genin as she picked up her own. As her students complied she nodded to Inugami. The medic pulled a slightly larger than normal scroll from his jacket and unrolled it like a tarp beside the accumulated goods. There were a bunch of complex writings covering the paper that neither Nakahito or Kimiko recognized.
"Enclose!" Inugami commanded, briefly raising his hands in the Ram seal. A white cloud of smoke emerged to cover the pile of assorted materials, their shapes becoming more diaphanous before it was absorbed back into the scroll, leaving an empty space on the ground. The medic yanked the jikugi, causing the paper to self wrap around the dowel core before he tied it shut. "There we are; ready to go!"
Nakahito blinked in confusion. "Wait a second… But the bet..!"
"Part of becoming a better shinobi is to know when it's better to work SMARTER rather than HARDER, Haruno." The medic-nin replied as he tucked the scroll back into one of his uwagi's storage seals, putting his backpack into a different one a few seconds later. "And I never specified how the gear had to be carried back." He clapped the other Genin's red clad shoulder. "Don't worry; had you lost I'd have still packed it away like this… Eventually."
Haruno snorted. "After I nearly killed myself trying to carry it, right?" Inugami grinned widely as he took the other young man's backpack and slipped it on in accordance to the terms of the bet he'd made. "Yeah, I figured as much."
The doors of Mizumiyo Palace swung wide open, revealing Princesses Kanna and Reiyuriko, who sedately approached the four ninja. Nakahito felt his heart break a little when he noticed that Kanna's eyes were red and puffy - undoubtedly from crying. The ninja's jaw clenched as he bit on his own tongue to shunt his feelings aside.
"Reiyuriko-hime." Miho Hyuuga bowed - an action mirrored by the Genin under her.
The Imperial princess threw her arms around the Jonin in a sisterly hug. "It's been great being able to catch up with you Miho-chan, but as with all good times, they have to come to an end eventually." She raised a finger. "Just make sure you visit as often your schedule allows."
Hyuuga's wine purple lips creased with a smile. "And at least once a year, per the terms of our bet; I always keep my promises."
The crown princess turned to the young man in white. "Inugami-san, I know I've said it multiple times over the last two months, but thank you for bringing my Father's mind back to him before you saved him from that knife." She smiled. "And when you see her, thank Hata-chan again for what she said on the phone the night of the Gala."
The medic-nin tried to look aloof. "It was my mission to help Lord Daimyo Mizuzaki and my duty once he came under my care to keep him safe from further harm." He paused as if hearing Motoko chide him. "But I am glad that everything has turned out as well as it has. Please thank Fukamichu-san for helping me with my little projects during his precious little free time; he's given me a peace of mind I never expected to be able to have..." The others looked at Inugami confused, but - as per usual - an explanation was not forthcoming.
Reiyuriko wa Mizuzaki turned to her long unknown cousin, Kimiko Itou, and gave her a hug just as big as the one the Jonin had received. "I understand that your birthday is just under a week away, Kimi-neechan." She turned to one of the servants who handed her a small wrapped package with a card. "This is for that day; a gift from Father and I. We hope you will like it… It's something Mother would have wanted you to have."
Itou's hands were practically shaking as she took the package from her first cousin. "But, Rei-neesama, if this was your Mother's I shouldn't… I mean this should..!" The tomboyish girl protested.
The future queen kissed Itou on the forehead, cutting her off. "No, it shouldn't. There's a reason why it's here, one you'll understand when you open it on your birthday; not a day before!" She playfully batted Kimiko's nose. "And only around those who you trust to know about our connection; got it?"
"Hai, Neesama."
Reiyuriko gave Nakahito a quick look. "You take care of my cousin. I know Miho-chan wants you four to be on your way shortly, so I'll give Kanna-chan as much time as we can." She gestured to the regional princess before heading back into the Palace.
Kanna wa Akago stepped up to Haruno, handing him the wrapped gift she'd been holding close the entire time she and Reiyuriko had been standing there. "Be careful going home with this - it's got glass in there."
Nakahito looked at it curiously. "It feels like a wrapped picture frame…" His eyes widened as he had an instinctual revelation. "Kanna, is this the one of us? The photo we took at the Katanuki stall?!"
The regional princess nodded as tears began to run down her cheeks; her icy blue lips from the makeup he'd bought her trembling with emotion. "I was as happy that night as I am miserable now…"
"Hey, Sho? Would..?" The medic-nin nodded, taking the wrapped gift from his teammate and tucked it in one of the storage seals in his uwagi to keep it safe for the trip home.
Nakahito's seafoam green eyes looked intensely at Kanna as he impulsively took her hands in his. "Hey, this is just for now; I'm going to apply to get you a visitor's authorization to enter Konoha and an out-of-Village visitation permit to be able to leave to come visit you when my mission schedule permits the SECOND I get back home. It'll take a month or two, what with the Exams starting the 1st and all, but hopefully by my birthday we'll have at least one of them approved! And I'll be writing as often as I can until we see each other again. Until then…" Haruno bowed so deeply he practically doubled over and gently kissed her hand instead of stopping short as he had all the other times before.
"'Hito, I…" Kanna's lips trembled as a blush colored her fair cheeks. "I can't..! I'm not ready!" She breathed as she bolted, dashing back into the Palace and disappearing from view.
The Genin glanced at his Jonin, an unspoken question on his face. "Why are you still here, 'Hito?" The woman with white eyes asked, gesturing for him to go. "Just don't take all day." Haruno gave chase, but he quickly realized that there were too many directions she could have headed. "Shit..!" He cursed softly as he turned his head this way and that, hoping for some clue as to where to look.
"She went that way, Haruno-san…" Reiyuriko wa Mizuzaki called, gesturing to the secondary ballroom. "Check the western door; it leads to a nook that we used to use for hide and seek as girls. It's one of the few places where there are no cameras in the Palace."
"Thank you, Princess!" The ninja said as he ran in the indicated direction.
"No… Thank you, Haruno-san…" Reiyuriko muttered under her breath. "Good luck, Kanna-chan."
The Genin entered the empty secondary ballroom, the room where he'd been when they had learned of Akechi wa Jubei's escape. He oriented on the western wall and rushed to the room that Reiyuriko had suggested that he check. Nakahito's hand closed around the doorknob. It felt normal; cool metal, slightly worn... He turned it, pushed.
Suddenly, the room collapsed inward.
Not physically. The walls, the furniture, the warm lamplight… Everything around him inverted into itself like the world had been a painting on glass before someone shattered it into infinite black fragments. The transformation was instant, surgical. One heartbeat he stood in the empty hall; the next, he was drowning in an inky black void.
His foot came down in standing water - shallow and ice-cold as it splashed over the lip of his open-toed footwear - that hadn't been there seconds before, but the sensation on his skin was distant, muted, as if his nerves were wrapped in cotton. The black pressed against his eyes, absolute and hungry. No shapes. No shadows. Just nothing, stretching forever.
"Kanna!" He called out, looking about; his muscles feeling like he was moving in slow motion. He felt his throat strain, the vibrations echoing in his chest, the way his lips formed her name, but the sound never reached him. It was like screaming in a dream. His own voice had been stolen before it could travel the few centimeters to his ears. The silence wasn't empty; it was full, crushing down on him like miles of dark water.
Panic flared hot in his chest. He lunged forward.
His body moved in slow motion, each step a monumental effort, like trying to run through deep water. The air - was it still actually air? - had turned thick, resistant, dragging at his limbs with invisible weight. He pushed harder, water splashing sluggishly around his ankles, but it felt like fighting against an ocean current that existed in all directions at once.
And then as he turned he saw her, suspended in the infinite dark, staring at him…
Kanna.
She stood maybe five meters away, illuminated by the impossible, sourceless non-light, every detail sharp and clear against the void. He tried to scream her name again. Felt his mouth move. Heard nothing.
His reaching hand cut through the thick darkness like it was syrup. Kanna, however, walked forward, seemingly unaffected by the unusual nature of this world they now found themselves in. When she was about a meter out, however, the white-haired woman disappeared from his view.
"Ka..!" Nakahito yelled when what felt like a finger pressed against his lips, cutting him off. Uncertain as to what was going on, he fell silent and the pressure abruptly vanished. There was a long pause that was filled with nothing. Arms wrapped around him, pulling him close.
"I love you, Nakahito… Dream of me until I see you again." Her words were faint in his ears; as if spoken from a great distance, yet he could dimly feel her warm breath tickle his skin. "I'll be doing the same about you…"
He felt something press against his face, then again and again, each so brief, so intangible thanks to the odd numbness pervading his body, that he wondered if it was entirely in his own mind. His ears registered a splashing of fast-moving feet making a rushed retreat behind him, but his effort to turn - to get one last fleeting glimpse of her - was in vain. A few heartbeats later, the nothingness vanished as if it had never been. In fact, if not for the faintest scent of the Thousand Rivers' Breath perfume he'd bought her suddenly lingering in his nostrils, he'd have been convinced he'd just imagined the whole experience!
Haruno stepped back into the main hallway, where Reiyuriko was still standing. "Did she come back this way?" The crown princess shook her head apologetically. "Damn it… I did something stupid and I ruined our chance to say goodbye!" He imagined he could feel Miho-sensei's eyes on him; eliciting a sigh of frustration. "Well, thanks anyway, Reiyuriko-hime."
"Nakahito-san…" Reiyuriko's voice was an almost sibilant whisper that made him stop in place. "The rules that apply to female Kuge members in River Country are, well, downright archaic… If Kanna were to do anything against those rules - no matter how much they love who they're doing it with - it would be a scandal of unspeakable proportions if anyone, even their crush, saw them do it."
"O~kay..?" His response was a question as he tried to figure out what she was saying.
"You might find some clarity with a little bit of self-reflection…" The future queen said, gesturing to the nearby bathroom. "...and maybe want to clean up before Kimiko sees you…"
Confused, Nakahito Haruno entered the bathroom. The second he did so, he noticed three frosty blue/white lipstick marks across his lips and cheeks; the same places he'd felt pressure. He also noticed a gleam of moisture beaded up on his jacket collar. He frowned, touching the drop and tasting it. "Tears..?"
His eyes went wide and color filled his cheeks. "Oh… OH!" A giddy smile crossed his blue stained lips; he had no CLUE how she'd pulled this off and god did he wish that he could have been a little more actively involved, but thanks to Reiyuriko's words, Nakahito instantly realized what Kanna had put on the line for them to have this little goodbye moment.
"Until next time, Kanna…" He breathed to himself before reluctantly reaching for a washcloth to erase the evidence of her violation of the rules.
***
Face the Future by Pondering the Past
Date: June 24th, 13 years aNb
Days since Team 11 left Mizumiyo Palace: 52
Time: 10:35 AM
"WHAT?!" A unified feminine shriek of outrage emerged from the majority of the 36 gathered Sunagakure ninja, including 20 Satou Genin and 4 Satou Jonin, as the announcement registered on them. A massive grin was plastered across the face of Kane Suzuki at the sheer outrage of his extended 'family,' warming the blackened lump that passed for his heart. Amaya Satou made an invisible gesture using Genjutsu to the others: as the current generation's Heiress Apparent of the Clan, they fell silent almost instantly in compliance to their future leader's unspoken command.
The three members of Konoha's Council of Elders - the heavily bandaged Danzo Shimura, the green spectacled Homura Mitokado, and the twin-bunned Koharu Utatane - stood in front of the check in station at the South Gate. A group of masked ANBU ninja - all female based on the curves on the armored flak jackets they wore - easily twice as numerous as the Suna delegation stood behind them; a silent threat to back up the authority of the council.
"As we said, all Satou clanswomen coming to attend the Chuunin Exams will be permitted to enter the Village of Konoha only after they are issued a biologically linked badge that will track your Megumi no Kaori Kekkei Genkai output levels to ensure that you do not exert undue influence on others during your stay." Counselor Mitokado repeated. "Any Satou kunoichi that passes the First Exam stage will be permitted to remove their badge for the duration of the Second Exam stage as well as the Third Stage finals only."
Utatane's once melodious voice, now grizzled with age, spoke up. "Now for the part that your outburst interrupted… If your badge is removed from your body for more than fifteen minutes or detects an increase in your pheromonal output commensurate to the use of the Obsession pheromone of any intensity or any other emotional manipulating effect of Grade 4 or higher, a team of hunter-nin will descend on your location - aside from within your nation's Embassy - and you will be fitted with a chakra suppression collar for the duration of your visit."
"And you should consider yourselves lucky that you are being given that much leeway." Shimura's gruff voice grumbled like a man eating the sourest lemon imaginable. "It was voted three against one to opt for the use of badges instead of collars first; the Hokage's exact words on the matter were 'We will trust, but verify, that they come in peace in the spirit of the Exams.' Your badges will give its wearer both colored indicators and auditory warnings before the dispatching of ANBU Hunter-nin." The man's one good eye swept over the crowd. "And we seem to be missing your 10th squad and their Jonin."
"That would be Team Baki, Counselor Shimura." Kari the Desert Rose, the ranking Jonin of those assembled, spoke up. "One of his Genin…" The entire Suna contingent - save for the masked assassin herself - shuddered, "...has personality quirks and a disposition that have a debilitating effect on everyone around him, save his teammates, who - as the siblings of the ninja in question - are inured to the effect and can keep him managed. They will arrive in about an hour."
'Not that anyone can truly manage that racoon-eyed freak, save for Lord Kazekage himself.' Amaya thought; a frown of disgust tugging at the corners of her lips. A different shudder ran down her back. 'Why does it feel like I'm being watched?'
The kunoichi felt her hackles rise and her eyes instinctively tried to scan the edges of the massive walls that were easily 50% taller than the ones around Sunagakure; too tall to make out more than the silhouettes of heads. 'No, not watched… Hunted! I can feel bloodlust like a weighted blanket trying to crush life out of me…" She bit her lower lip as a thrill of fear rippled through her. "Could it be the Decimator? Oh, fuck… Did we make a mistake..?! Sending so many of us into the Henryuuki's lair in the name of revenge? We've sent others to past exams in Konoha, but never this many at once; could Saki be considering this a prelude to us 'meddling in Henryuuki affairs?''
Larissa Satou, the most senior of the Jonin after Kari, stepped up. "Forgive our confusion, Counselors, but this is the first time members of our clan have ever been subject to a restriction of this kind. Has something changed in the relationship between Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand that we were unaware of?"
"There WAS a third option as well, but it is - as yet - untested." Danzo Shimura pointed out with a dark grin. "We could always try it instead if you'd like."
"Shimura!" Utatane barked warningly.
Mitokado grimaced. "I know you've had your issues with the Satou in the past, but Hiruzen…"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi be damned!" Danzo snarled. "They were my family! It's THEIR turn to be afraid now!" Shimura's gimlet gaze bored into each and every member of the Satou clan present. "We have discovered a substance that, in small oral doses, can provide resistance against your Clan's despicable Kekkei Genkai, but our JRD has determined that in a larger, injectable amount it can neutralize your ability to use it; potentially permanently."
"Oh~h..!" Suzuki moaned as if having an orgasmic experience even as the gathered Satou began whispering in genuine fear. "First that Takahashi kid, then that girl that put 'Maya in her place, then another Inugami appears for the first time in twenty years… Now this? I wonder if Konoha is recruiting?"
"Bad joke…" Tarnia Nakamura muttered as she stroked the silk-like brown fur of the fox draped around her neck, her pink and white hair pulled back in a brindled ponytail.
"Not that I'd let you reach the edge of the Great Desert before I hauled what was left of you back to Suna for a disciplinary hearing." The Desert Rose whispered softly as the assorted Jonin tried to calm the Satou Genin - and themselves if they were from the same Clan - from the news that the Hokage's trio of advisors had just divulged.
"Do you think it's true, Sensei?" Amaya Satou looked at her Jonin, clearly trying to keep a brave front for the rest of her clan sisters. "Or is this just some head game by a bitter one-eyed old man?"
"Danzo Shimura is not the type to play psy-op games; he takes action. In fact, he is on my personal short list of those to not take lightly if ever assigned them as a target." The assassin shook her head. "If he has an anti-Satou weapon and a justification to use it, he will. Without hesitation or regret."
The younger brown-haired kunoichi shook her head in disbelief. "But how is that possible?! Nothing can reliably block the effects of Megumi no Kaori!"
There was a brief silence but finally the male member of Team Kari spoke up. "Uh… That's not true, cuz." Amaya's blue eyes skewered him. "Who has two thumbs and is completely immune to you bitches; including the all-powerful Obsession? This guy." He reminded her as he poked his broad chest with the tips of his thumbs.
Satou's mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to process her infuriating cousin's words. "But that's because of your blood! It's not like they got hold of that!" She paused for a second before her icy blue eyes snapped open while her hand flew to her cheek, feeling the faded echo of Kyouran ripping her face open. "That mangy furball! He managed to tag both of us with those fucking claws of his! Ura- Inugami must have collected it!"
"And his father, Kurando, is in charge of the Konoha's equivalent of the Corpse Squad, specializing in learning the biological secrets of other nations' ninjas." The Desert Rose breathed in realization. "If anyone would be motivated to find a way to weaken or destroy the Satou Clan using a few drops of blood it would be the son of the Decimator, trying to finish what his mother started!"
"I unintentionally affected him with my pheromones in the library and I KNOW that I was putting out at the Gala…" Amaya was silent for a long minute. "I thought he resisted me because of that orange-haired whore dangling on him, but he would have had our blood for days to analyze back then and now they've had months!" A shudder rippled down her spine; could the first man she'd ever had feelings for be a genocidal psychopath like his grandmother? Paranoia and panic began to grip her heart. "He was probably just experimenting before, but now he's ready to finish his grandmother's mission! Just what the hell did we do to make them so obsessed with our destruction?!"
"Uh, have you met yourselves?" Suzuki asked sarcastically. "It's honestly amazing that MORE people haven't tried!"
"Kane, feel free to eat my ENTIRE ass at your earliest convenience." Satou growled with a scathing scowl.
Suzuki made a show of looking at her butt before shaking his head. "No thanks, I'm quite happy with my 4% body fat; I have no interest in getting back into the double digits again."
Amaya began to swell up in rage at Suzuki's insult, but their Jonin quickly smacked the backs of their heads. "Two rounds of IC the second we're settled. Amaya, you have to make a decision; do we comply and try to carry out the tasks that Akiko assigned you and the others during that last minute meeting prior to our departure?"
The black and pink kimono clad young woman bit her lip in thought. She, of course, had known the meeting was coming since the middle of May when the Satou Executives had begun crafting this plan. She was still in the dark about who the "Gentleman from Rice Paddies" was or what offer he'd presented to the Suna leadership entailed, but she knew that barring the guaranteed execution of her entire generation of Satou clanswomen, this mission HAD to proceed as planned! With a thought, Amaya sent a telepathic message to her clan cousin; the figurehead Satou leader for this mission.
"We will comply with your requirements." Larissa Satou begrudgingly announced. "However, we do so under protest and this slight WILL be brought up at the next Gokage Summit meeting; you can bet your wrinkly old asses on that!"
The bearded Homura Mitokado nodded. "Very well. The linking process takes approximately twenty minutes and we only have two ninja that can perform it. We'll begin by processing those teams with the fewest number of Satou clanswomen. As we finish, you will be escorted to the Land of Wind embassy where your Ambassador Iwai will have a brief presentation regarding the rules and protocols you are expected to adhere to for the duration of your stay, after which you will be permitted free access to the Village; with the exception of high security facilities, of course."
"Of course." Larissa agreed. "Well, aside from Team Baki, which has yet to arrive, Team Mizuna has no Satou clanswomen and Team Kari has only one while the others teams have no less than two that possess our Kekkei Genkai, so you might as well get them processed first."
"Very well." Koharu Utatane nodded agreeably. "Welcome to Konoha; best of luck in the Exams." She said as the three Counselors returned into the city, leaving the ANBU teams to help with the intake processing.
The eight members of Teams Kari and Mizuna approached the check-in station, with Nejiri and Komaza giving Kane quick fist bumps of excitement while Matsuri timidly glanced in the direction of Tarnia, Amaya, and Kari. The two Jonin presented their passports and had a small machine waived by them before they were permitted through the gate where teams of Konoha ninja welcomed them and identified themselves as their designated escorts. The six Genin underwent the same process until the machine beeped stridently when brought by Amaya.
"Oh, hey, it's a bitch detector! I was wondering what that gizmo was…" Suzuki noted, getting a chuckle from the two young men beside him before Kari smacked the back of his head again. "Worth it."
The female customs agent looked at Amaya, then her passport and back with a nod, setting the device down as he pulled out a checklist. "We thank you for your patience, Genin Satou. Your pheromonal output appears to be a little higher than what our records show to be average among members of your Clan… Are you currently actively and intentionally utilizing your Kekkei Genkai at the moment?"
"I'm not, no. My current level, while high, is my natural autonomic release; it's hereditary in my immediate family - my mother, aunts, and grandmother all have a higher resting output rate than other Satou."
"Thank you for that clarification. And what is the nature and intensity of your instinctual pheromonal release?"
"Friendship, grade 3." Amaya replied.
"I see…" The kunoichi murmured as she made notes. "And does it ever change without your conscious intent?"
Satou was silent for a half a moment. "Not regularly, no, but it has happened before."
"Do you happen to recall the last two times it occurred and what it changed to?" Amaya tilted her head, pursing her lips questioningly. "It will allow us to factor those sporadic changes into your badge so it doesn't unfairly trigger an alert to the observation units and penalize you for something that is not under your control."
The Suna kunoichi blinked her pink eyeshadowed lids a few times in confusion. This kind of consideration was not something she would have expected from a rival ninja Village! Hell, she doubted her own home would be that considerate if they had a way to neutralize or disable the Kekkei Genkai of the Hyuuga, Itou, Senju or Uchiha Clans; thinking of the most historically well-known blood powers that had made the Leaf the powerhouse they were today.
"The last time was about two months ago and I produced grade 2 Desire in addition to my default pheromone. Before that..?" She shook her head. "I honestly can't recall; years, maybe? If ever."
The customs agent nodded as she finished filling out the paper, which she handed to Amaya. "That's everything we need. Take this to the privacy room over there and we'll get you on your way as quickly as possible, but we'll have you escorted to the Embassy separately." She made a gesture to the Konoha teams by the Suna ones, who began to guide them to the north where stone faces that were clearly meant to represent people of importance - past or current, none of the Suna Genin knew for sure.
"Behave yourself, bitch; I want to make it to the Finals!" Suzuki shouted back to her, earning him a middle finger response from his cousin and another smack to the head from their Jonin, as the group departed.
Once they were out of sight, Amaya took a breath and entered the indicated room; uncertain as to what to expect.
What she found inside… was not it.
In the middle of the chamber sat a woman in a white lab coat which was loosely draped over a floral patterned uwagi that was somewhere in the violet-to-magenta range of purple and tucked into an olive-green hakama. There was a regal bearing about her that somewhat reminded Amaya of Princess Reiyuriko, but it was somewhat muted; like it was a half-remembered trait of her past rather than something that was a part of her current lifestyle. Behind her stood a young woman with the same coppery red hair and similar enough facial features to clearly be related; either a daughter or a niece.
"Have a seat, Satou-san." The woman with braided hair looped into large rings said as she gestured to the chair opposite her before reaching out for the paper Amaya carried. The Satou "princess" handed it over as she complied. "Hmm, interesting…" She murmured handing it to her assistant, who then pulled an amulet out of a box and began to fiddle with it. The woman's green eyes flickered over to the other kunoichi as an easy smile crossed her lips. "Just try to relax, my dear. This will take a few moments to configure before it's ready for pairing. So… How many times have you taken the Exams?"
"Uh, first time…" Amaya replied, feeling a bit surprised at there being any small talk, given how confrontational the Counselors had been a few minutes ago, but she supposed they had needed to enforce their authority while the doctor clearly felt no such need. The woman's voice was genuinely conversational; the younger kunoichi could tell the doctor was actually interested in Amaya's situation!
"Well, this will be my son's best friend's seventh attempt; just keep your wits about you and your head on a swivel during the second stage - if you get that far - and you should be just fine with that impressive power of yours."
Feeling almost obligated to continue the conversation, Amaya asked; genuinely curious. "Your son's friend? But not your son himself?"
The copper haired woman chuckled. "My son's teammates got themselves disqualified to participate this time around in a moment of youthful exuberance. They'll probably get to take the Winter Exams down in Suna."
There was a knock at the door, which popped open slightly. "Sorry, Anastasia-san," A familiar-sounding voice - one that made Amaya's blood run colder than glacial runoff and hotter than boiling hot springs at the same time - came from behind. "Matsumoto-sensei is having some problems getting the monitor amulets working; she says they're not acting the way the manual says they should."
A frustrated sigh escaped Anastasia Inugami's lips. "The joys of technology rushed into production. Can you help keep an eye on Satou-san for me while Karin finishes the baseline programming, Motoko-chan? I shouldn't be too long."
Amaya tried to open her mouth to protest, to beg the doctor not to leave her with the one she now instinctively knew was the source of the bloodlust she'd felt earlier, but the older kunoichi vanished before she could find the words. She could hear the faint creak from the leathers holding a sword scabbard - a sound she was familiar with thanks to Kari-sensei - as her bitter rival for Sho Inugami's heart slowly walked forward.
"So it's Motoko now, huh, 'Mitsune?'" Satou asked, trying to keep herself calm as she turned around on the stool; the Suna delegation had needed to turn in all overtly obvious weapons, so all she had were her sharpened hairpins. "Whoa, what the FUCK..?!" Satou gasped as she backed up in shock at what she saw; tripping over her stool and landing on the floor.
Her orange haired rival, now dressed in emerald green shorts and matching gi top beneath a yellow-accented grayish half breastplate with a ninjato strapped to her back. But it was the fact that her irises - which had been the same shade of green as her clothing - were now an insane swirling cascade of colors!
Whatever was causing this effect, it was something the Genjutsu specialist had never even HEARD of before, let alone seen!
"I can see the fear racing through you…" An almost feral smile, so very similar to the one she'd seen on Sho-sa's face hundreds of times over their years in the Academy crossed the swordswoman's lips. After she and Sho's mother had spoken in the JRD about the Satou situation, Hata had asked Anastasia to start running some tests on her to figure out the source of this bizarre new ability of hers. Hopefully, they'd have results soon now that the female Inugami-sensei's role in preparing for the Exams was completed.
This was her first time revealing her dojutsu to anyone outside of Sho-sa's family. She hadn't even told Raiden about it yet because he was still being more than a bit sensitive about their bond having transformed into the two-way street it had become, but right now she wanted the additional intimidation factor for this confrontation. "I guess that makes you smarter than I gave you credit for at the Gala…"
"What do you want?! I know you won't hurt me; I'm a guest of your Village for the duration of the Exams!"
"Don't tempt me, Satou!" The swordswoman growled in barely restrained anger for what Amaya had done to both Hashimoto and Sho. "Think of me as a personal welcoming committee with a special message all for you, Amaya, since you clearly think you're both special and want others to believe it, too." Hata's words were spoken with a calm coldness that did little to mask the fact that there was hate-laden steel underneath. "Even though we both know, deep down, you don't believe it yourself."
"Fuck you, bitch! After he checked on me when I triggered the warning shock from that seal on Lord Daimyo Mizuzaki, yeah, I got a little infatuated with him… Do you have ANY clue how rare it is for someone to show kindness to someone that looks like I do WITHOUT the ulterior motive of trying to get me out of whatever I'm wearing? It was a dance and he SEEMED to be unattached until you appeared from fucking nowhere, acting like a lunatic!"
"He's a medical ninja that PUT that seal on Mizuzaki. Of COURSE he was going to make sure you were okay after you were injured; he felt a little guilty that you were hurt because of him! Sho-sa was raised by his grandmother to be concerned for others like that; despite what our classmates used to think!"
Amaya Satou's jaw fell open slightly. Her brain simply couldn't wrap itself around the notion that the same Saki Inugami - Decimator of the Satou and responsible for hundreds of dead clanswomen, spouses, and children - could have raised someone to show care and compassion to others.
Hata scowled at the Suna ninja. "For the duration of your visit you will not approach, look at, talk to, or even THINK of my Sho-sa or his family! Your pheromone tracker is being modified so that if you come close enough to do what you did to that traitorous Daimyo in River County it will react as if you'd triggered a full force pheromone assault on the Village and bring the ANBU down on your head before you can say 'Oops..!'" A smile crossed her orange tinted lips. "And, no, it will NOT give you a warning first."
Satou looked up at her rival in utter disbelief, her pride finally pushing through the fear Hata's insane-looking eyes - which the Suna girl could tell was not a Genjutsu, but some kind of uncommon or rare dojutsu - had instilled, rising to stare the other young woman in the eye. "And what, pray tell, does lover boy have to say about this?"
"Nothing; he's been STUCK in Mizumiyo because your little pet shit the bed and escaped without a trace the night before the trial was supposed to begin!" Hata's orange lacquered index finger poked Amaya's superior cleavage accusingly. "I was supposed to have Sho-sa back three weeks ago, but because you didn't think to include a requirement that he stay in his cell until the trial, I've had to go without!" The swordswoman seethed at the spy. "You know, I didn't like you BEFORE I found out what a member of your Clan did to Sho-sa's grandfather, but I've since learned you bitches seem chronically incapable of keeping your hands off other women's men or fucking up relationships!"
Amaya blinked in surprise; suddenly sensing an opportunity to gather some critical intel! She just had to get this Motoko enraged enough to start making mistakes.
'Just one little push…'
"So what, bitch? Can't handle a little competition? Have to have others fight your battles for you because you don't trust your man to resist all this?!" She slid her hands seductively up and down her buxom features, accentuating her bust, waist and hips in stages. "I can see you for what YOU are: an uncertain little girl both excited and terrified at the thought of intimacy you've been obsessing over for years!"
Motoko's eyes flared, the spinning colors of her eyes giving her an almost insane look, though appearances were definitely deceiving... Though not by much since Sho Inugami's safety was involved. "Satou, I GUTTED your ego with just my words in Mizumiyo..." She touched the scabbard of her sword so the tsuka moved ominously over her shoulder. "If you mess with Sho-sa or anyone in his family, it won't be verbal this time… You'll just..." She made a poof gesture. "...disappear. After all, people die during the Exams every year."
"Are you threatening me, bitch?!"
Hata gave Satou her version of Inugami's most sadistic grin as she leaned in until she could see the reflection of her Reikigan in Amaya's blue eyes. "No... I'm PROMISING you. You're on MY turf now. I know places that even Sho-sa's sensei couldn't find even with her Byakugan. Mess with my Sho-sa and what's left of your corpse when I'm done will end up in one. You'll just be another nameless statistic."
A new voice rang out, accompanied by a clatter as Sho's sister put down the amulet a little too forcibly. "Okay, that is ENOUGH. From the BOTH of you!"
Startled, both Amaya and Motoko turned in the direction of the new voice as Karin Inugami stepped over. Satou noticed for the first time the copper haired girl had a sword at her hip. "I didn't get Mom to agree to let you volunteer or deliberately miscalibrate the other set of detectors just to let you actually cause an international incident, Motoko-neesan!"
"Kar-" Hata began before the younger kunoichi cut her off.
"No, you don't get to talk right now… You're not acting normal and I get why; you're missing my brother because he's still not home yet and you feel Satou-san is partially to blame for it. I miss him in a way I haven't since he was in the coma that put him in your Academy year, but there are lines we don't cross…" The older of Sho's two sisters gestured at Amaya. "After all, it's not like SHE'S the Satou that killed my grandfather; assuming she survived the horrible things Saki-obaasan did to her Clan trying to find that bitch!"
It was only thanks to Amaya Satou's years of espionage training that she was able to keep her face impassive as she realized the girl with the copper red hair was not only a member of the Inugami clan, but clearly Sho Inugami's direct sibling! She also felt an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach as she realized the nice doctor she'd been talking with had to have been Inugami's own mother! How could someone so nice get along with a family of genocidal killers; even help perpetuate their line?!
Then Karin's words hit the Sand ninja like a pallet of bricks… The missing piece of the puzzle and holy fuck was it a whopper!
'The Decimation FINALLY makes sense!' Amaya gasped to herself, amazed to make such a stunning discovery so early in her mission! 'I'll have to use the telepathic communication tool in the Embassy and let Akiko-basan know the attack by Saki Inugami was that of a woman scorned! A member of the Clan killed her husband and she was trying to return the favor! If there are any records identifying who it was, Aya-baasan will string the stupid bitch up by her fallopian tubes - assuming she's still alive - for bringing us to the brink of disaster!'
Her heart began to pound behind her breasts as a wild notion entered her head... If she were to face the Decimator directly, it would be an absolute sign of her worthiness to one day lead the Clan. 'It would be worth the risk to face the one that burnt so many of the Clan to see if I could narrow down who it was… It'll be icing on my victory when I eventually bring Inugami back to Suna in chains as compensation for her crimes; regardless of the reason behind them!'
"This is the first I've ever heard of a member of my extended Clan family killing a member of yours, Inugami-san..." Amaya said, her tone so smooth that ice wouldn't melt on her tongue. "Perhaps I could talk with your grandmother to see if I could get some more details about what happened so we can look through our surviving records... Maybe together we could get your family some justice?"
Karin pursed her lips for a second. "Saki-obaasan died seven years ago and she never spoke of what happened to Kiheita-ojiisan… Or what she did to your Clan in response. Hell, Nii-san still hasn't been told any of that yet."
Amaya's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?" The image she had always had of the Decimator had always been that of a cruel woman on a throne of charred skulls gloating about those she'd killed to anyone that would listen!
"Well, telling your older brother, who practically worshiped the ground your grandmother tread on, that the woman who was there for you more than our own parents, because of how busy their jobs make them, killed a lot of people to avenge her husband's death?" She shook her head ruefully. "That's a conversation you have with someone face-to-face or not at all… Dad was so mortified that he forbade her from telling us and there's no reference to the matter in any of her diaries I kept. I'm afraid that whatever she might have known is lost..."
'He… didn't know? About ANY of it?!' The Sand ninja couldn't believe her ears as her heart began to pound harder. Her years of training allowed her to recognize the signs of lying and they were absent in Karin's demeanor. 'So his kindness… It was genuine?!'
Amaya overtly displayed a look of sympathy even as her heart swelled with the knowledge the Decimator was dead and gone! Aya-baasan was going to sleep well for the first time in decades tonight! "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't give me that horse shit, Satou!" Hata growled, pulling her blade and practically shoving it in her face. "I can see your emotional aura as easily as I see your sluttish appearance. Pink is the color of compassion and caring... Yours is a muddy mess of red and green; you just internally celebrated one of the worst losses in my Sho-sa's life!" Motoko glanced at Karin even as Amaya looked shocked that the bitch could see right through her act. "She's a spy, Karin-chan; she's just been trying to get information!" She glared at the Suna woman, reluctantly returning her sword to its scabbard as her eyes reverted to normal. "I can't stand to be around you anymore... Just know I'll be watching you, bitch. Keep your nose clean while you're in our home or you'll answer to Haruichiban here." There was a pop of displaced air as she used the Flying Raijin version Sho had taught her to teleport away.
"Motoko-neesan…" Karin sighed, shaking her head. "Her feelings for my brother are clouding her judgment, Satou-san. Oh, and don't worry about that whole proximity to my family thing; the badge can't actually do that… You just worry about trying to pass the Exams; that's what you're here for - not decades old drama between my family and your Clan."
It was then, in that very moment, that Amaya Satou experienced something that had NEVER happened to her in the dozen or so missions she'd taken part of since becoming a Genin or at any time in her lifetime of training to become a spy… The countless times her words and actions had negatively impacted someone between her and her mission objective - whether decided on her own, assigned by her Aunt or the Village.
The Suna kunoichi felt a niggle of remorse - perhaps even regret - in her conscience.
'They're genuinely innocent in this, Inugami and his family, aren't they..? Him being nice to me… That was the real him, not an act to lull me into complacency.' Her heart began to throb as some of her crazier notions of convincing him to come with her willingly, being her white-haired Ouji-sama - the ones she'd been having of him sweeping her off her feet and living happily ever after, before Hata interrupted them at the Gala, that is - began to resurface. She was glad none of her clanswomen were in range to hear any of this information; it gave her time to consider her next steps.
'If I can win him from that orange-haired cunt… I'll tell the family that he's it; that the Decimator's line is all dead, save for him, and let his parents and sister live on in peace... And I'll let him keep as much of his free will as Obsession allows; he'll just have to put on an act when we're not alone… At least until I inherit the leadership of the Clan.'
A few seconds later, the door opened and Anastasia Inugami re-entered the privacy cubicle. "Sorry about that! Had to show Matsumoto-chan how to reset the trackers to factory defaults..." Sho's mother blinked, looking around. "Where's Motoko-chan?"
"Emergency at home, Mom. Raiden got the tar beaten out of him again and she had to go deal with the aftermath."
"That poor girl…" Inugami-sensei breathed as she picked up the tracker that Karin had programmed, verifying the settings. "Hopefully now that the Exams are kicking off I can get back to doing that DNA analysis and maybe find out the source of that psychic link while I'm at it." Sho's mother smiled when everything checked out and gave her daughter a quick hug. "Great job, baby. I'm proud of you!"
Amaya felt a minor stab of jealousy. Other than Aunt Azumi, none of her extended family had ever been so encouraging of her over such a minor action. 'But that's why she's in charge of Public Relations; she's always been happier, more positive, than Aya-baasan, Mom, and her sisters. It's hard to believe she came from the same womb as the others sometimes…'
"Well, let's get this linked up and get you on your way, Satou-san." The older kunoichi handed the amulet to Amaya, who slipped it on silently; thoughts of having such an encouraging mother nibbling at the back of her mind. The silvery object warmed against her skin briefly before making a positive-sounding fanfare. Anastasia Inugami nodded, opening the door. "And that's all there is to it! Good luck in the Exams young lady."
"Yeah… Thanks…" Amaya agreed distractedly as she stepped out and Vida from Team Mina entered. "Mom…"