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Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest (STORY ONLY)

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Chapter 417: Chasing the Blaze
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    • "I'm pretty much out of chakra," Hazō said. "If one of you has anything to dig us out, great. Otherwise we can wait until I've recharged a bit."

    "It's fine," Cangue said. "Which direction?"

    Hazō pointed and Cangue reared up on her hind legs. Her front paws blurred, scraping through the wall with little effort. The others shielded their faces as a fountain of dirt shot out and sprayed across them.

    "Cangue! A little warning!" Canaut said.

    "Suck it up."

    Hazō forebore to comment, focusing instead of keeping the dirt out of his eyes. A minute later, the group was on the surface and looking around.

    The ground was ash and smoldering fire for a half mile in every direction. Off in the distance the leading edge of the fire was spreading out across the tall grass, leaving flattened charcoal behind it.

    "Ow, ow, ow, hot!" Cantelabra said, dancing around until Hazō unsealed the components of a wooden skytower platform for him to stand on. The other dogs hadn't complained but they were quick enough to step up on the wood, as was Hazō. His sandals protected him better than the dogs' pads did but it was still uncomfortable and a show of solidarity seemed like a good political move.

    "Well, at least it will be harder to ambush us," Canabisu said, clearly trying to find a bright side.

    "Not going to be any hunting," Canaut noted.

    "I've got plenty of food in my storage scrolls and I can get more from the Human Path," Hazō said. "I'm sure we can find something you guys enjoy eating."

    "That slimy red stuff smelled good," Cantelabra said hopefully.

    "The stuff I had last night? That wasn't slimy, it just had a sauce on it," Hazō said, smiling. "Trout with pepper cream sauce. I've still got some if you want to try it. Anybody hungry?"

    "Uh-huh!"

    "I'm fine," Canaut rumbled.

    "Well, I suppose if the boy needs a meal I might as well nosh a bit," Cangue said casually. "Just to keep him company, of course. Stopping for a full meal at this hour seems lazy."

    "Absolutely," Hazō said, pulling out the relevant seals. "Definitely lackadaisacal. Fish or beef?"

    "Uncle Hazō, how are we supposed to eat with these dumb muzzles on?!"

    Hazō looked around at the wisps of smoke that surrounded them. It was probably okay to go without protection. "Okay, let me take them off of you. I don't want them just falling on the ground and getting all sooty."

    "Speaking of sooty," Canabisu said, nodding towards the charred lion corpses a few yards away.

    "Oh, right. One second." He sauntered over and slapped an empty storage seal against each of the corpses, sucking them up into non-space, then kicking over the dirt to ensure there was no evidence remaining.

    "Dude, those things are just super convenient."

    "Sure are. I can probably teach you to use them. Making them is harder, but using them is easy."

    "Sounds cool." The little dog looked around. His muzzle was flecked with green where he'd been eating the cold gazpacho soup that Hazō had offered. "Looks like we want to wait for the a bit before moving out, so eat 'em if you got 'em." He turned his head so he could see his left saddlebag. Invisible fingers untied the knot and opened the flap up to retrieve a small paper-wrapped packet.

    "Anybody else?"

    "What is it?" Hazō asked.

    "Little bit of mellow from my private stash. It's good for nerves post combat. Relaxes you, smooths the chakra out."

    Hazō digested that for a moment. "Sure, thanks."

    The packet floated over to him and deposited itself in his outstretched palm. The other dogs shook their heads and looked away; Canabisu nodded and floated another packet out of the bag for himself, setting it on the wooden platform and fussing with the wrapper.

    Hazō unwrapped the small packet and studied its contents. Smoked meat of some kind, soft and slightly sticky with honey or some other sweetener. It had a tangy scent that he didn't recognize. Shrugging, he popped it in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. It was sweet and savory and one of the most delicious things he'd ever eaten.

    "Now," Canabisu said, "if this is the first time you've ever tried it, you'll probably want to start with oh dear."

    "Wha'?" He swallowed to clear his mouth. "Something wrong?"

    "Oh...nothing. We might want to make camp for the day. And you might want to sit down."

    "Huh? Why?" He glanced up at the sun. "There's sstill hours. We c'n make some good tiii yeah sit sounds good." He sat down quickly. His legs thought that no longer supporting his weight was an excellent idea. His back muscles wanted in on the action so he let himself lean back.

    "Stars and sky, Canabisu," Cangue said, disgusted. "What did you give him that it hit that fast?"

    "What?" the elder dog said defensively. "I told you it was the good stuff. My own recipe, plus the fleth oil in the meat gives better uptake as well as canceling out the tang that you said you don't like."

    "Wha's a fleth?" Hazō asked. It was a funny word. 'Fleth.' It sounded weird in the mouth. Or maybe that was his tongue. For some reason it was tingling.

    "It's a small animal," Canaut said, tongue lolling out in amusement. "Furry little things. Quick, very tasty. They have a musk that can be extracted and makes a good seasoning."

    "Only if you prep it properly," Canabisu said. "See, the important part is to use the fresh stuff and let the meat soak in it for a full day in an enclosed space so that the aromatics don't escape. If you..."

    The sky was very interesting, so Hazō let Canabisu's voice fade into the background. That cloud looked a little bit like Akane, if you tilted your head and imagined a green youthsuit around it. Her. She looked good in that suit. And it felt nice. Oooh, the wood he was lying on felt nice too. A little splintery, but it had a nice grain. And that knot stuck up with an interesting texture.

    Mmmm. The air was nice and warm. That was a nice thing about the Seventh Path. The weather. The Dogs were nice too. Fluffy. Oof, Cantelabra was heavy!

    "You're funny, Uncle Hazō!" The little pup's face was blocking the Akane cloud, and his tongue was lolling out. There was a little drop of doggy spit hanging off the end and it was catching the light in a really neat way. "And your breath smells weird!" He leaned down and gave Hazō a slobbery licking.

    "Gack! Cold!" The light breeze was making his cheek chilly where Cantelabra had slurped him.

    "Leave him alone," Canaut said. "He's going to have to ride it out."

    "Nooo," Hazō mumbled, stroking his hands through Cantelabra's fur. "Stay. Soft. Fuzzy."

    "See! I'm fuzzy! And I'm staying!" Cantelabra stuck his tongue out at Canaut and then plopped down on Hazō's chest.

    Mmmmm. Fuzzy and warm.

    o-o-o-o​

    "Feeling better?" Canabisu asked.

    "Yeah," Hazō said, pushing the blanket back so he could sit up and stretch. Cantelabra had wandered off at some point. "Wow. Sorry, I guess I dozed off. How long was I asleep?"

    Cangue and Canaut exchanged looks and sniggered.

    "A few hours, but who's counting?" Canabisu asked glibly. "But you feel better, right?"

    "A few hours?" Canaut muttered, clearly holding off laughter by the ends of his toenails.

    A chill gripped Hazō's stomach and he looked around. The leading edge of the fire was out of sight. The area immediately around them had cooled and there were no longer any remnant flames. Also, the sun was still two hours from overhead.

    "Canabisu, why is it morning?" Hazō asked calmly.

    The little dog cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. Well, you chewed the mellow chip instead of sucking on it. And then you swallowed it. It...made you a bit sleepy."

    "Do tell. Twenty-ish hours of sleepy?"

    "Hey, how was I supposed to know you were going to swallow it, man? Everydog knows that you suck it!"

    "I'm not a dog! We don't have that stuff on the Human Path!"

    "Well...you...oh, fine." Canabisu's ears drooped for a moment, then perked up again. "But it was nice, right?"

    Hazō took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "To the extent that I slept very well and am feeling extremely relaxed, yes. To the extent that my sleep was in the middle of an active wildfire area with powerful enemies around who have good reason to want us dead...less so."

    "Yes, well. Ahem. Nothing harmed when there was no harm, right man?"

    Hazō took another deep, calming breath. "Right. I'm going back to the Human Path for the morning check-in. The rest of you get ready because as soon as I'm back we're moving. We want to catch up to the leading edge of the fire and then keep it burning. Right now I'm planning to burn our way across Cat instead of putting up with their nonsense anymore."




    Author's Note: This ends on more of a whimper than a bang but I'm out of juice for the night. You checked in with Cannai; he was worried that you missed the evening check-in and amused when you explained why. You talked briefly with, and hugged, Akane. You picked up some Rocket Boot seals and inserts although they aren't usable as such without the stunt. You put in orders for better masks. The bank run investigation is still ongoing.

    After returning to the Seventh Path you started off after the fire. Canaut's ankle was sprained in the fall but after a night's rest and a few medicinal herbs from Canabisu it's back to form. You did the "how could that have gone better?" on the way. Everyone was generally happy with it.

    XP AWARD: 4

    Brevity XP: 1

    "GM had fun" XP: 1
    • +1 for scene: Dogs


    It is now about 1pm.

    Vote time! What to do now?

    Voting ends on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, at 12pm London time.
     
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    • The Azai Clan's dining hall seemed too grand for the likes of Snowflake. Every pillar was elaborately carved with images of tapirs feeding, mating, and doing battle alongside their shinobi handlers. Tapestries of remarkable quality lined the walls, and these were more focused on the exploits of Ui Isas—here he was striking down enemy ninja by the dozen alongside six towering Pangolins, while there he stood atop a pile of bestial corpses in a phantasmagorical landscape that must have been some ignorant artist's impression of the Seventh Path. The table in the middle, capable of seating a dozen with ease, was also carved, though Snowflake could not see the details because, regrettably, there were people in the way.

    Three men and two women stood in wait for her and Pandā. The High Priest, in flowing white robes, gave her a beatific smile. Azai Rindō, his brother and still the head of the clan, stood proudly to his left. To his right, Loremaster Inoue Rika was maintaining an open, welcoming expression so poorly even Snowflake could recognise the simmering hatred beneath the surface. Aida Rin could not manage even that, and in her eyes Snowflake could see the emptiness of a woman broken by her failure as leader of the scroll guardians and then again by the knowledge of her obsoleteness. According to the team's last-minute research, all three were staunch loyalists of Azai Shūsuke, though likely for different reasons.

    The last figure was unfamiliar. A balding man with a few wisps of black hair stretched pitifully across his scalp, dressed in nondescript black, gave her a look of friendly curiosity.

    "Welcome to our humble home," the High Priest said, still smiling. "A seat has been prepared for you at this table." He left a pause hanging in the air, as if for a ritual response, but Snowflake had not been briefed on any such.

    "Thank you," she said simply. "It is an honour to be here."

    Azai frowned a little, but the High Priest seemed completely unfazed.

    "I don't believe we've met," said the man in black in a precise voice with a light accent Snowflake could not place. "My name is Arikada Hibiki."

    Snowflake failed to suppress a flinch. It was certainly a coincidence. Arikada might be a common… no. Given Kei's terrible luck, this was almost certainly a close relative of the woman she had helped murder.

    "It seems you've heard of me," Arikada said, voice rising in surprise. "Could it be that he…"

    "No," Snowflake said, more sharply than she had intended. "Not at all."

    "Hmm," Arikada said thoughtfully. "Well, never mind. I am a representative of the Sacred Spiritual Seekers of the Scaly Sage. We are an organisation devoted to uncovering the mysteries of the universe. I'm told you are a Mori and a Nara, and I have ever so many—"

    "Please, Hibiki," the High Priest cut in. "You'll have to forgive my friend, Lady Nara, but if we allow him to start talking about his theories, we will surely die of old age before he finishes, and more importantly, the food will get cold."

    "Pleased to meet you," Snowflake said. "I am Nara Keiko, the Pangolin Summoner." Snowflake hated it. Her first shinobi mission, a life-defining event, and it had to open with a denial of her existence. It was necessary—this was no time to try to explain to the Isanese that there were 1d5+1+X Pangolin Summoners, depending on availability of chakra transfusions and whether they actually wanted to summon anything—and it was logical, but still, it grated.

    "And I'm Pandā," the little Pangolin added. "I know I wasn't exactly invited, but I was commanded to be here as an observer for these, uh, historic negotiations." Per his instructions, he omitted to mention that he had been commanded by Kei, rather than any Pangolin authority.

    "Emissary." The High Priest inclined his head respectfully, followed by the others.

    "Please accept this humble gift as a token of my gratitude," Snowflake continued, addressing the High Priest. "These are passion beetles, a spicy snack popular among the Pangolins." She presented him with a pouch full of the iridescent gold-green insects, gathered by Pandā in an emergency mission just in time for the dinner.

    Unfortunately, Pandā's notes on which Seventh Path insects humans enjoyed dated back centuries, with his best source being a survivor of the Six Scourges who by sheer luck happened to live in Pandā's settlement. Also unfortunately, the retired veteran's memory for Ui's taste in snacks was limited, and could be summed up as "the little green ones". After some thought, Pandā had settled on passion beetles, so named for alleged aphrodisiac properties which he emphatically assured her were absent if they were eaten raw.

    "An exotic cuisine from another world," the High Priest said, and the awe in his voice made Pandā perform one of those adorable little tail bounces. "I gratefully accept. I'm certain they will make a fine addition to our meal."

    However, he did not take it, and instead just stood there, waiting for something.

    After a few seconds, he gave a kind of shrugging motion Snowflake could not interpret.

    "My apologies," he said. "Of course your sister-in-law would have been unable to teach you Isanese customs for dinner in another's home. When we offer food to a stranger, it is customary to first taste it ourselves. I will naturally do the same when the meal begins."

    As it happened, Kei's devouring of the Academy library had taught her that this had once been standard practice in the Water Country as well. It had, however, ceased shortly after the beginning of the Village Era, actively discouraged by the Mizukage as a way of fostering trust among the clans. The books explained that this was another way in which Mist was superior to the other villages, whose savage shinobi continued to poison each other at every opportunity.

    Snowflake had hoped the High Priest would simply keep them for later personal use. Kei's memories of eating insects under Kagome's tutelage during their missing-nin days were ones Snowflake would rather have not inherited. Nevertheless, she steeled herself, reached into the pouch, and warily brought forth a passion beetle.

    One bite. Two. Three.

    Agony. She had requested "spicy", not "tongue-meltingly bitter". She could hear the dying screams of her taste buds, followed by her insides roiling in protest. The Yabai Café would do whatever it took to get a summoning scroll if its proprietors knew it would bring this within reach. It did not quite measure up to—

    She attempted to keep the changing expressions off her face, but she was no Hazō, and was not optimistic.

    "Perhaps we shall leave these snacks for dessert," the High Priest said smoothly. "It would do your gift a disservice to wolf it down without proper appreciation while we are at our hungriest."

    Yes. A thousand times yes. A full meal's worth of time in which to figure out a way to avoid having any more. Perhaps if Snowflake achieved stellar success as a diplomat, she could find an excuse to leave early without sabotaging the mission.

    She was doomed.

    The High Priest waved a servant over to take the pouch, then beckoned the guests to their seats. Mercifully, he indicated the proper seat for Snowflake, seating himself last at the head of the table.

    One servant brought what appeared to be a plate of grubs for Pandā, to his delight and Snowflake's surprise.

    "Rindō is always on the lookout for creative ways to punish poor tapir care," the High Priest explained. "Gathering insects in the forest is hardly the worst those girls have had."

    "How very humane," Snowflake agreed, guessing that small talk would be appropriate. "I understand that in Mist, those in the Hoshigaki Clan who mistreat a shark must learn the error of their ways by becoming one with it."

    "Those kids are very lucky tapirs are herbivorous," Azai said approvingly.

    "If you recall, I had some suggestions in that regard…" Arikada said.

    "I think the particulars of your research are something best not discussed over dinner, my friend," the High Priest interrupted. "Lady Nara, these are sautéed boar tongues," he said, indicating the long grey strips of meat on their plates. "An Azai speciality." He picked one up with his chopsticks and ate it demonstratively.

    The others took this as a signal for the meal to begin. The High Priest and Azai watched Snowflake try one of her tongues, their expressions curiously alert.

    Snowflake found herself unable to care about the food, or indeed any food ever again, while her entire digestive tract was on fire. Nevertheless, eating was a way to delay the inevitable conversation in which she attempted to pit her persuasive skills against the man who had outmanoeuvred an entire village and the guests he had hand-picked with an unknown purpose in mind.

    "Delicious," she said. The boar tongue had tasted of nothing. Her taste buds were dead. Or perhaps not, given she had not been dispelled by the damage. Either way, there went the only level on which she could have hoped to enjoy the meal to come.

    "Huh," Azai said. The High Priest merely smiled enigmatically.

    "I am given to understand," he said after a minute of eating, "that you have brought honour to Akio's name since you gained the scroll, Lady Nara. Perhaps you could regale us with the stories of what transpired after you left Isan?"

    A softball, at least on face value. It was entirely possible that there was a trap waiting to be sprung, but on the other hand, here was an opportunity for Snowflake to build her reputation with some of Isan's decision-makers (assuming it had more than one) and extol the virtues of Leaf at the same time.

    "It would be my pleasure," Snowflake lied. "As you are aware, my team travelled from Isan to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, where…"

    She broke off as a stab of pain reminded her that her internal organs were still in the process of being immolated. Should she make her excuses and seek refuge in the bathroom until she felt a little better? Or would that be an unacceptable sign of weakness? No, surely she could endure a little—

    The realisation struck too late. Snowflake was a shadow clone. Shadow clones did not endure.

    She shot to her feet. "Excuse me. I suddenly find… myself… feeling unwell. If we could resche—"

    -o-​

    On the other side of the village, Kei dropped her book. "Mari," she said in a choked voice, "we have a problem."

    Mari instantly turned alert. "What happened? Was there an assassination attempt?"

    "In a manner of speaking," Keiko said slowly. "To the public eye, I just perished in a failed attempt to poison the High Priest."


    -o-​

    You have received 3 + 1 = 4 XP.

    -o-​

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    Voting ends on Saturday 13th of March, 1 p.m. New York time.
     
    Chapter 419: Helpful Tips
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    • Chapter 419: Helpful Tips​

    The door exploded.

    "Good morning."

    The man behind the desk, beneficiary of a small paunch and salt-and-pepper hair from years of power and good living, blanched. His eyes flicked to the large man currently being held in a submission lock with his head next to Gōketsu Haru's knee. He leaped to his feet and bowed until his forehead touched the desk. "Good morning, Your Lordship. How may I help you?"

    "You are...?"

    "Suzuki Masahito, Your Lordship."

    "Second Lieutenant in the Yakuza?"

    "Yes, Your Lordship."

    "Since this morning, right?"

    "Yes, Your Lordship."

    "Congratulations on your promotion. Has anyone told you about the very polite request that I made the other day?"

    "Yes, Your Lordship. I've been devoting all my resources to it, Your Lordship."

    "Good to know. How goes the investigation?"

    A sweat drop gathered at the edge of Suzuki's hairline. "Sir...I've found no evidence that this was an orchestrated attack."

    "Interesting. Out of curiosity, why were you promoted?"

    "Second Lieutenant Hagimoto died, Your Lordship."

    "Oh dear. How did that happen?"

    "He fell out his window and crushed his head on a rock, Your Lordship."

    "Oh, dear. How clumsy of him."

    "It was a first-floor window, Your Lordship."

    "Very clumsy indeed. Anyway, where were we?"

    Suzuki bit his lip. "Your Lordship...is there any chance that I could convince you to release Shigeki?"

    "Sure, no problem."

    Shigeki bent his knees and raised his arm in preparation for the push that would otherwise have slammed his head into the side of the desk. He dropped and stayed on his knees, cradling the badly bruised limb and facing away from the ninja who, disturbingly, wasn't even showing signs of being angry.

    "Thank you, Your Lordship," Suzuki said, bowing deeply again.

    "No problem. Hey, Shigeki, you took that one like a champ."

    Shigeki glanced briefly over his shoulder and flinched at the brief eye contact.

    "I especially liked the way that when I walked into the bar you bent over and put your arm up so it was easy to grab."

    Shigeki mumbled something.

    "What was that? I didn't hear you."

    "Thank you, Your Lordship."

    "You're welcome. Now, Suzuki. I'm really hoping that you've got something to report. I take this very seriously."

    "Your Lordship...there's no evidence that this was a coordinated attack. Everything I've found says that people were afraid, that it was spontaneous."

    "That's not good enough. The entire city does not spontaneously decide to attack my clan. No one spontaneously decides to attack my clan. The Hyūga, the Hagoromo, the conservative block.... We have real, serious enemies." He stepped forward and the distant sound of imagined wolves shivered around the room. Suzuki shrank back and Shigeki cowered.

    "I was born clanless, Suzuki. Before the KEI. Before anyone gave a damn about clanless. Somehow, I got pulled into one of these fucking arrogant bastard clans that have stepped on my neck my entire life. They said they needed me. They were too small, they needed more fighters. Out of every ninja in Leaf, they picked me, a clanless ninja not long out of the Academy. I had maybe two years of life expectancy left before my father would have had to bury a brand-new forehead protector because mine was still on my rotting corpse, somewhere out there in a ditch where no one would ever find it. They moved my family into their stupid palace, gave us all the food we could eat whenever we wanted, all the clothes we could wear, warm blankets in the winter and soft beds year 'round. Hell, they gave my stepmother's brats attention from a medic-nin. A senior one. They've been teaching them to read and to have skills that will let them stand on their own feet with good, honest jobs instead of making them menial servants carrying laundry and scrubbing floors."

    He smiled, and the expression was grim. "They were a team before coming here. Tight knit, like any long-term field team gets. They have their own jargon, their own jokes, their own stories. I've gone on missions with established teams a few times and it's a pain in the ass. These crazy loons that I somehow got roped into? They explain the jokes, they share the stories. Hell, they told me the details of their damn bloodlines."

    Suzuki swallowed nervously and Gōketsu leaned forward, hands on the desk and face inches from Suzuki's own. The wolves were closer.

    "Now, I'm not saying that I like being in a clan, or that I don't still think all clans are bastards. I'm saying that this clan is trying to be what clans are supposed to be—protectors. They're trying to do it for everyone in Leaf, not just their own. That scares the shit out of the other bastards. The Gōketsu are upending everything. Adopting as many clanless as they can and changing the laws so they can adopt more. Teaching anyone who will listen. Providing free medical care for anyone who can crawl through the door, and even sending senior medics to make Sagebedamned house calls. Spending money like water and seals by the bucket to raise the least civilian out of poverty.

    "So when I tell you that this wasn't an accident, that we've got enemies and this was engineered...fucking believe me. You've got until sundown tomorrow to find me something I can use. Anything at all, but it better be for real. And you better be here when I get here."

    He waited a moment for a response but the scent of ammonia suggested he would not get one. Haru nodded and left.

    o-o-o-o​

    "What do you...oh, no."

    "Hey, Shigeki. How's your night?"

    Shigeki Choki was a towering mass of muscle, bald as an egg, with a cauliflower ear and a flat nose from years of earning his money in pit fights, breaking knees on those who didn't pay their vig, and assorted other criminal activities that involved violence. He was covered in tattoos that detailed a long and storied history of a lifetime in the Yakuza. He was wearing loose linen pants held up by a drawstring and a sleeveless shirt so well-loved that it had a hole big enough for Choki to put his ham-sized fist through. When he had opened the door of his comfortable apartment in the comfortable part of town, he had been happy. Now, suddenly, he was not.

    "Your Lordship—"

    "Ah, Shigeki, don't be like that. You can call me Haru. Mind if I call you Choki?"

    "Of course, Your Lordship."

    Haru raised one finger and tut-tutted. "Now, now, Choki. I told you to call me Haru."

    "Um...yes, Lord Haru."

    "Anyway, you in the middle of anything?"

    "My Lord...it's nighttime." He looked over his visitor's shoulder at the empty street. "May I ask why you're knocking on my door at sundown? For that matter, how do you even know where my door is?"

    "I asked around. People have gotten really helpful to me."

    "Oh."

    "Yeah, I know. Hey, I noticed you weren't working tonight. You brought that other guy in from Tanzaku Gai...what's his name?"

    Choki sighed. "Tanaka Emon, My Lord."

    "Tanaka Emon." The teenage ninja nodded thoughtfully. "Not really you, is he? Kinda weedy. Doesn't make me look particularly badass to take him behind the woodshed, now does it?"

    "My Lord—"

    "Haru."

    "Yes, My Lord. With respect, he's six inches taller than you and fifty pounds heavier."

    "Yes, well, you're six inches taller than him and a hundred pounds heavier than me."

    "...Yes, My Lord."

    "Aw, come on, Choki. We've had such a fine relationship so far, can't we be on first names?"

    "Of course, Lord Haru."

    Haru sighed in amateur thespianism. "Well, I suppose I'll take what I can get. Anyway, what are you up to?"

    "Sir...it's after dark. I was having dinner and...I was having dinner."

    "Really? What was the music?"

    Choki's eyes flicked into the house. "Music, sir?"

    "Yeah, I'm sure I heard music. Kinda tweedle eedle eedle bing ping ping."

    Choki winced. "It's a music box, sir. It was my father's."

    "Spiffy. Mind letting me in so I can see it?"

    With a sigh, Choki pulled the door the rest of the way open and stepped aside so that his visitor could enter. "Please, My Lord, please don't break it. Mr Suzuki knows how dangerous you are, you don't need to do this."

    Haru stopped three paces into the room and looked around. Blond wood, sanded smooth. A small kitchen area off to one side, one large kitchen knife and one set of dishes and a pair of empty bento boxes neatly arranged. A pair of crossed fighting sticks and two combat knives hanging on the wall. A full-sized punching bag filled with sand hanging in the corner. One cushion near the bricks of the hearth and chimney with a dark wood box in front of it. Shogi screen in the corner, presumably with a futon mat behind it. A landscape scroll hanging on the wall.

    "Nice place you've got here," Haru said, the words sincere.

    "Thank you, My Lord."

    Haru turned, surveying it slowly. "Those are Gōketsu bentos," he noted. "You use the seal bank?"

    "Yes, My Lord. It's very helpful, My Lord."

    "Haru."

    "Yes sir."

    Haru turned to look at his host.

    "You know I'm going to keep coming, right? You people need to get on the ball. You're the damn Yakuza! You're supposed to have fingers in every pie, eyes in every corner."

    "My Lord, I'm just an enforcer. I stay at the headquarters and I protect the lieutenant unless he sends me out to kneecap some jerk. In the evenings I listen to the music box, or I meditate, or I go down to the bar and drink. I don't know anything."

    "Choki, Choki, Choki...c'mon, don't be so hard on yourself. You stand behind the Second Lieutenant all day every day and you've done the same for the last three Second Lieutenants. It occurred to me that maybe Suzuki doesn't have the institutional knowledge to mobilize resources efficiently, but you've been around longer and you know where all the bodies are buried. Now, in five minutes the two of us are going down to his office. I can put you in the lock here and drag you through the streets like that, which probably won't do good things to your street cred, or you can walk on your own two feet and I can do it when we get to his office. Shoot, I might even let you change clothes first."

    Choki sighed. "My Lord...honestly, he's doing everything he can. We all are. Every person we can squeeze is being squeezed. He's even shuttered some of the businesses so that we could have more people for the search. He went to the Oyabun right after you left, begged for the rest of the Brotherhood to get involved." His jaw slapped shut as he realized, too late, where the next sentence would lead.

    Haru's face lit up. "Really? That's excellent! I was figuring I'd work my way up the chain but maybe I should go straight to the Oyabun. What did he say?"

    "He...um...he...."

    "Choki, are you telling me that the Oyabun refused to help?"

    "Sir, you really should talk about it with Mr Suzuki. I'm just the muscle, really."

    "Ah, but I'm talking to you right now, Choki. And we're really good friends, right?"

    Choki felt sick. So this was what it was like to be on this side of the conversation. "The Oyabun was worried about people thinking the Brotherhood had become too subordinate to one particular clan, My Lord. It's important for us to be an independent group. We don't want to be stuck in clan wars."

    "Oh, that sure is a pity, Choki. You personally are in the middle of a clan war right now and your organization is getting sucked deeper for every minute that I don't have answers."

    "My Lord, there's nothing! After you talked about your enemies yesterday, Mr Suzuki put real effort into sniffing around the people you mentioned. The Hagoromo were on your side, sir. I see stuff over Mr Suzuki's shoulder sometimes. I don't look, but I'm standing there, you know?"

    "Sure, of course. And don't sell yourself short, Choki. I have a feeling you're smarter and more sensitive than people give you credit for. Look at you with your music box and your landscape scroll. Anyway, what was this stuff you saw?"

    "The Hagoromo were paying their debts in your scrip, sir. Some big debts, too. I dunno how many, but point is that they were using it. So were the Hyūga."

    "The Hyūga were using our scrip?" Haru asked, his voice suddenly intense.

    "Yeah. I mean, I guess. I only saw one page, but there were like three separate entries of a Hyūga exchanging ryō for your scrip at one of our gambling halls. Not winning it, coming in to buy it in bulk."

    Haru's face lit up. "See, Choki? This? This right here is the kind of useful information that puts me in a good mood." He waved one hand towards the door. "C'mon, get changed. We're going to your office and you get to walk upright the whole way."

    "...Yes, My Lord." He licked his lips, wondering...the noble did seem to be in a good mood, so maybe? He hurried behind his shogi screen to grab fresh clothes out of the pile and pulled them on as fast as he could. Less than a minute later he was back at the door with his question on his lips. "My Lord?"

    "Yes, Choki?"

    "Any chance you could shove me to the side tonight, instead of into the desk?"

    "For such a good friend as you, I'd be glad to. Tell you what, I'll even use a wrist control tonight instead of going for the fingers."

    "Thank you, sir. That one really hurts. Especially when you stick your thumb in that nerve bundle. Didn't know that was there. I've been using it myself these past few days and it gets really good results."

    "Glad I could help. C'mon, grab your shoes. Suzuki ain't gonna scare himself."




    XP AWARD: 1

    Brevity XP: 1

    Author's note:     You progressed onwards through Cat territory. Hazō set more grass fires every time there was any chance of them burning out. He climbed skytowers occasionally. The area to the south of you is not burning as much as it should; the circle expands fairly evenly for about ten miles in all directions, but about three miles away there's a sharp inwards curve for no apparent reason, as though the flames simply refuse to go there. You have had no more encounters.

    Vote time! What to do now?

    Voting ends on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, at 12pm London time.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 420, Part 1: Not Having the Stomach for It
  • Threadmarks

    • Kei was not feeling mortal terror. Not that she had ever been particularly courageous, much less dauntless, but the memory of Conjura's talons beginning to dig in, already scoring her flesh at the moment of Naruto's fateful blow, was still fresh, and perhaps always would be. Next to that, being merely afraid of confrontation with hostile shinobi who had incentive to capture her alive, with an entire night or more for her family to rescue her before the trial (Mari believed the High Priest would need to publicly discredit the Summoner before executing her)… truly, she was living in the lap of luxury.

    The expressions on her hosts' faces were unwelcoming as she was marched in, escorted by four silent Azai guards whose cold attitudes had confirmed her pessimistic predictions. The High Priest's expression was unreadable as he gazed at her intently. Inoue had ceased to conceal her loathing, while Aida's expression held a shadow of satisfaction. Azai was nothing but grim. Arikada was the unexpected exception, and if Kei were to venture a guess at the meaning behind his expression, it would be… curiosity?

    "It does you credit that you returned to face Isan's justice," the High Priest said. "I admit I expected you to flee once your plot was foiled."

    He gave a brief pause.

    "Emissary," he nodded to Pandā in acknowledgement.

    There had been a debate over whether to resummon the little Pangolin after his initial urgent dismissal, but ultimately the twin considerations of feigning normality on the one hand and having an immediate escape option available on the other had emerged victorious.

    "Hi," Pandā said, the flickering of his tongue conveying anxiety in a way that completely wasted his alien-species poker face.

    "I believe there has been a misunderstanding," Kei said. "It has, understandably, been centuries since the Pangolins prepared food for humans, and clearly their selection was inappropriate. I admit I should have tested it in advance, but I felt it would be more respectful, both of them and of yourselves, to first experience it alongside you as intended. When I realised that the insects were not, in fact, fit for humans, I chose to leave swiftly so I could seek medical attention from my brother. As you can see, however, there was no threat to my health. I apologise for the inconvenience."

    The others exchanged glances.

    "Nonsense," Inoue spat after a second. "You're flailing, girl. What kind of addle-brained fool would ever take a load of strange insects from another world and feed them to someone without even making sure they were edible first?"

    Kei had no answer. The insects had barely been delivered in time, after Pandā had been given less than a day to conduct his research and then find some, and by then the team had been deep in last-minute preparations of a diplomatic nature and experimenting with snacks had been the least of their concerns. But saying any of this could hardly make her story seem more credible.

    "The proper punishment for attempted murder of a village leader is death," the High Priest said coolly. "But Ui has spoken to me. As Akio's master, he forgives his apprentice's mistake in choosing an unworthy heir. Your sentence is commuted to exile. You and the rest of the Leaf delegation must leave at once, never to return. Guards, escort Lady Nara back to the Kannagi estate and inform them of the circumstances."

    Inoue's eyes glittered with triumph. Aida's remained empty. Azai looked dissatisfied, and Arikada still curious, as if waiting to see whether she could find a way out of her predicament.

    Could she?

    The guards lifted their spears. The High Priest demonstratively turned away.

    "Hold it!"

    Everyone in the room pivoted as one to look at Pandā, who had raised his claws above his head. It said much about the situation that the Isanese had forgotten about a Pangolin being in their midst.

    "Emissary?" The High Priest asked warily.

    "I take full responsibility!" Pandā exclaimed. "I chose the passion beetles on advice from one of Ui's Six Scourges, Panfurai the Immolator himself! He said they were Ui Isas's favourite snack, and not poisonous at all. If Ui had a condor's stomach and normal humans don't, that's no fault of Keiko's."

    After a second, the High Priest glanced at Inoue. "Loremaster?"

    Inoue nodded reluctantly. "The Iron War Scroll says clearly that Ui Isas had the fortitude of ten ordinary men. When he was being hunted by the Karatachi in the jungles of Jiro, he was forced to subsist on poisonous insects, and it only made him stronger while his pursuers perished."

    Silence reigned. Arikada smirked, though Kei could not tell at whom.

    "I apologise for doubting you, Emissary," the High Priest said finally. "It seems this truly was an unfortunate misunderstanding. Lady Nara, if you are still willing, would you like to dine with us?"

    "I would be delighted," Kei said, "though I am afraid I am in no condition to eat anything else tonight."

    "I understand entirely," the High Priest said. "And if you'll forgive me, we might strike these 'passion beetles' from the menu. I don't think anyone here is in a hurry to measure their constitution against Ui's."

    "Be my guest."

    -o-​

    You have received 3 + 1 = 4 XP.

    -o-​

    To be continued next week, or before if spoons allow.

    -o-​

    What do you do?

    Voting ends on Saturday 20th of March, 1 p.m. New York time.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 421: Meeting and Departing
  • Threadmarks

    • The dogs had been moving slowly after what came to be called 'the lion incident'. Largely because they were taking care to stay inside the fire front and the fire moved a lot more slowly than a ninja. They were lucky that the wind had stayed mostly calm and had been at their backs when it was present; it kept the flames moving in the desired direction. Granted, it also meant that the smoke from dozens of miles of smoldering grasslands was blowing past them constantly, turning the air into a blue haze that necessitated wearing the Purifier masks constantly. The only good news was that they were able to skip activating the Tunneler's Friend seals—there was plenty of air available once it had been cleaned of the particulates.

    "I hate this," Cangue grumbled on the following morning. She sat down and lifted a paw to scratch at the mask but forced herself to stop for fear of dislodging it. She'd learned her lesson after the second time she ended up rasping in smoke and soot.

    "What?" Hazō asked. "Is it chafing again? I've got more of the salve and more padding if you need it." He'd picked those up shortly after waking up from his drug-induced nap, popping back to the Human Path and sending Gōketsu staffers scrambling.

    "It's fine," she grumbled. "A little sore, but that's all. Let's go." She returned to all fours and started stomping forward again.

    "But—"

    "It's not the chafing, it's the lack of scent," Canabisu said. "At least, I suspect so."

    "Yup," Canaut said. The giant dog was quiet and rarely used more words than necessary, but he'd become outright laconic lately and Hazō was worried.

    "What do you mean?" Hazō asked, confused.

    "Your Purifier seals do slightly too good a job," Canabisu said. "They cleanse most of the scent from the air along with the soot. It's quite disturbing." He cocked his head. "It doesn't bother you?"

    "The human sense of smell isn't anywhere near as good as yours," Hazō said. "We can't track with it. We mostly use it to identify spoiled food."

    All four dogs stopped in shock.

    "Uncle Hazō! I didn't know you were nose blind! You poor guy." Cantelabra, who had insisted on walking for a while, rubbed his head on Hazō's ankle and looked up with sad eyes.

    Hazō chuckled. "It's the way I've always been so I don't miss it," he explained. "It would be like me saying 'Cantelabra, I didn't know you were so short! You poor guy.'"

    "I'm not short! I'm still growing, and I'm going to be bigger than Canaut! I'm going to be as big as the Alpha!"

    Cangue snorted.

    Hazō barely heard her. He was too busy staring ahead of them. "Um..."

    "Look, the kid is—" Cangue stopped talking abruptly and looked where Hazō was pointing.

    For the last two miles they had been walking towards a modest hill. The soil on the hill must have been stony because the grasses there were short as a lawn instead of towering overhead like the rest of the prairie. Hazō and the others had all been keeping an eye on it, thinking that it would be a good place for lions or other cats to hide from the fire and perhaps stage an ambush, although they had kept going because it would also be a good place from which to see what was ahead. What they had not expected was for the hill to stand up and shake itself before striding towards them.

    The flames cowered away from the fur of what could only be the Cat Boss, refusing to approach any more than a civilian would approach the Hokage unasked. Hazō paled.

    The cat sauntered up and stopped a few dozen yards in front of them—which, given its size, was a comfortable conversational distance. It sat down and began washing one paw delicately, then rubbing across his (her? its?) ears to remove imagined flecks of soot. Its fur was tawny, matching the color of the tall grass that covered the plains—all except for white 'socks' on each foot, covering the paws and shins. Hazō could just make out curving claws hidden between the toes; he had the feeling that when extended those would be larger than himself.

    Canabisu cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Good afternoon," he said, almost completely masking the quaver in his voice. "I am Canabisu, ambassador of the Dog Clan. Our Territory is on the far side of Bear and we are journeying west in search of the Arachnid Clan. By what name or title may I have the privilege of addressing you?"

    The Cat Boss smiled, showing far too many needle-pointed teeth the size of Hazō's arm.

    "I am Nekkar," the Boss said. "I note that my territory is on fire."

    "Yes," Canabisu said. "Very regrettable. For our part, we've been doing our best to stay clear of the flames as we traveled, but we've been watching for survivors or anyone in need of aid. I hope no one has been hurt?"

    Nekkar chuckled, a nigh-subsonic booming that Hazō could almost feel in his chest. "If they have then they deserve it for their weakness."

    A little of the 'ready for utterly hopeless combat' tension went out of Hazō, to be replaced with a complicated mixture of confusion and disgust at a leader who would visibly care so little for their clan.

    "My attitude bothers you, two-legs?"

    "No, sir...uh...ma'am...um..."

    "Are you actually confused about my gender?"

    "Um..."

    "Please excuse him," Canabisu hurried to add. "He's a human and he comes from another world entirely unlike ours. He has had very limited contact with people, most especially with the varied and mighty Feline Clan. No insult was intended."

    "Hmmmmm..." The Cat Boss trailed off, eyeing Hazō the way Fifi often eyed a half-dead vole that she had dragged in from the garden and wasn't sure if she felt like torturing further as opposed to taking a nap. Hazō could feel himself sweating despite the moderate temperatures and the gentle breeze on his neck.

    "I suppose it shall need to remain a mystery," Nekkar said at last, smiling wider. "Be aware, human, that calling a Feline something that they are not is a great offense. We are what we are and no less. To call someone by a different name, or by a descriptor unearned, is how one goes about issuing a challenge."

    "We appreciate your forbearance," Canabisu said, nodding his head gratefully. "We—"

    "No, no. Let the human speak."

    "Um...yes, great Nekkar. Thank you for—" Canabisu coughed and shook his head minutely, eyes wide in fear. "—your forbearance," Hazō finished. It had to be safe if Canabisu had used it, right?

    "Indeed. So. The five of you have been crossing our territory since Bear?"

    "Yes, great Nekkar," Canabisu said. "We mean no harm and will depart as quickly as we can."

    "I note that you did not approach me for permission first." Something in the giant cat's words carried the image of faintly-rustling grasses that concealed sword-sharp claws and bloody jaws, of the terror of the night and foes unseen.

    "With all respect, Nekkar, we had no way to reach you."

    "You could have spoken to any of my children. They could have brought you here to me, where you could have made appropriate tender and polite request."

    "Your children were not terribly communicative, great one."

    "Oh? Do tell?"

    Canabisu hesitated. "We were attacked shortly after entering the Feline Territory. First by lynxes, later by lions."

    "I see. I take it you killed my children?"

    Canabisu sighed. "Great one, is it necessary to play these games?"

    A head the size of a hut tipped to the side in what, on a more normal cat, would have been an adorable and utterly unfelt confusion. "Why, Canabisu, whatever do you mean?"

    "You are the leader of the Feline Clan, great one. I feel certain that you know everything that happens in your Territory, much as our Alpha knows everything that happens in Dog Territory. You are more than capable of killing us all. Do you intend to do that and, if not, what is your intent here?"

    "Murrr...so fierce, little dog. I thought you were an envoy, a diplomat. Shouldn't you be offering me honeyed words and playing for time as you look for points of leverage? Ways to calm the righteous fury that no doubt burns in my heart at the callous way you butchered my young ones?"

    "There is no such anger, great one. One of the first things you said to us was that if any of your clan had been harmed by the fire then 'they deserved it for their weakness.' Your children attacked from stealth and we killed them regardless. They were weaker, we were stronger."

    "Yeah!" Cantelabra said. "You people su—"

    That was as far as he got before Hazō grabbed him and yanked the mask off the puppy's face so that he could clamp his muzzle shut. The little puppy wiggled and struggled in Hazō's grip but Hazō pulled him tight against his chest and held him there firmly.

    "One of your young, I take it?"

    "Indeed," Canabisu said. "Young and very foolish."

    "What do you suppose he was about to say? I would be very curious to know."

    "Mph mmrph mmmph!"

    "I imagine it was something along the lines of 'your people certainly were not as strong as us'. Very foolish indeed." He paused. "I should note that the lions who attacked us were, to the best of my ability to judge, quite young. It was hardly a representative test of the strength of Feline versus Dog. The young are by their nature impulsive and inexperienced. I feel certain that is the reason why they did not offer us the opportunity to come to you and request permission for our voyage."

    Hazō was frantically running through a mental list of what he had in his storage seals, desperately hoping to find an appropriate offering. He cursed himself in retrospect; he should have known that they would meet the Cat Boss—no, the Feline Boss!—at some point. He could have had massive portions of unusual foods, or giant balls of string, or entire bales of catnip. A macerated chakra buffalo might have been a good choice; it was one of Fifi's favorite non-hunted meals.

    "Tell me, little dog, why are you traveling across my land in search of the Arachnid Clan? What business could you have with creatures so strange and so far off?"

    "One of them washed up on our shores. They mentioned something about the 'Eaters'. Such things are children's stories, used to scare noisy little puppies into being quiet." He shot the still-struggling Cantelabra a quelling glare and the puppy wilted, going slack in Hazō's grip. Hazō didn't put him down but he slightly eased his grip on the puppy's muzzle.

    "Still," Canabisu continued, "the Arachnid are also children's stories. If one myth can prove to be real, why not two? Our Alpha felt that it would be good to investigate, if only to see if there might be an actual threat."

    Nekkar started laughing. The laughter went on, starting low and getting steadily higher.

    "You think the Eaters are the threat?" Nekkar finally asked. "Oh, little dog..." The Cat Boss shook their head. "This is far too amusing. Very well, I shall leave you to your travels." Nekkar stood up and stretched.

    "Great one," Hazō said, "if I may ask...are we likely to meet more of your children? If so, how would you like us to handle it?"

    Nekkar snorted. "I'm hardly going to herd them out of your way, now am I?"

    The Cat Boss turned and walked away, tail flirting as their body thinned into heat shimmer and vanished.

    "That wasn't an answer," Hazō grumbled.

    Canabisu sighed and lay down, a shiver traveling down his body as tension finally released.

    "I think we should sit for a bit," he said. "I definitely need a break." His saddlebag flipped open and a small paper packet floated out.

    o-o-o-o​

    They traveled the rest of the day and slept on a skytower a mile in the air. In the morning Hazō woke up to the rising sun splashing across his face. He grunted and rubbed his eyes, then looked blearily around to find the rest of the party sitting near the edge of the platform. Cantelabra was sandwiched between Cangue and Canaut and the larger dog had a paw in front of the puppy to prevent him getting close to the edge. The younger dog was visibly unhappy about this but had managed to squinch himself enough to see around the paw.

    Cangue glanced back to see Hazō stirring. "Good morning, lazybones. About time you woke up."

    "Cut me some slack, Cangue. It's barely dawn."

    "How can you not want to be awake for this?!"

    Hazō looked vaguely around. "For what?"

    The tall dog looked down at Canabisu in exasperation.

    "She means that the view is truly lovely," Canabisu explained. "She's surprised that you wouldn't want to see it."

    "Huh? Oh." Hazō looked over towards where the sun's treacle fingers were petting leagues and leagues of prairie. The prairie flowed in shades of yellow and gold with small spots of greenery here and there, a living carpet from horizon to horizon. A large river and many springs wound back and forth, long ribbons of sapphire and emerald around which congregated tens of thousands of wildebeest and other animals. It was, indeed, a beautiful sight.

    Of course, it was no more beautiful than the sun rising across Gaikotsu Bay, the Kaizoku Sea, the Swamp of Not-As-Deathy-As-When-I-Was-A-Genin, or any of the other places that the team had spent the night atop a skytower. They had traveled a thousand miles from Snow to the southern isles without ever touching the ground, miles and miles of gray-green waves reduced to a flat sheet of grooved steel below. The forests of Fire Country had been an ocean of greenery with open areas for human settlements, tiny sparks of bonfires and columns of smoke rising into the sky. The dry soil and rolling sands of Wind Country, the marshes of Honey...after a time it simply became background noise.

    "I suppose it is." He stood up and stepped to the edge so that he could look down.

    "The fires went out," Canaut noted. "We'll want to watch out for ambushes again."

    Hazō tossed a trio of wooden disks off the platform. Several seconds later they touched the ground and bloomed into tiny red sparks which rapidly spread across the tall, dry grasses.

    "I wouldn't sweat it," Hazō said, covering his mouth halfway through a jaw-cracking yawn. "I need to pop back to the Human Path to check in. What do you guys want for breakfast?"

    o-o-o-o​

    "Good morning, My Lord."

    "Morning, Gaku. How's it going?" He yawned. "Sorry. Yesterday was a little stressful."

    "Quite all right, My Lord. There is oatmeal with cream and honey in the seal to your left."

    "It's not from that last batch, is it? Someone needs to tell Ichiro that cloves are not a vegetable."

    "No, My Lord. Fresh this morning, and quite tasty."

    "Cool, thanks." He unsealed the oatmeal and dug in. "So," he said, gesturing with his spoon, "what's going on? How's the investigation going? How about those favors Ami gave us—or just updates from her in general? Have any clans tried to advance on our holdings or taken action immediately after the bank run? If so, what? We should look into that if we have time. Oh, and—" He caught himself and shook his head. "Sorry. I'm having some head monkeys."

    "Quite all right, sir." Gaku shuffled through his papers as an excuse to buy himself a few moments of thought. "The investigation is making some progress. Lord Haru discovered that the Hyūga were stockpiling our scrip over the course of a few weeks before the run but have found few cases of them spending it in large amounts. Approximately a week beforehand the Hagoromo started spending nothing but our scrip and the Hyūga stopped collecting it."

    Hazō raised an eyebrow. "Where did Haru hear all that?"

    "He was vague about his sources, My Lord. Would you like me to pressure him?"

    "Nah, it's fine. He can have secrets if he wants. For now, anyway. Compartmentalization isn't necessarily bad." He thought about that. "Actually...hm. Let me think on it. There might be some political concerns about the Clan Head not knowing what's going on, and it could raise his wagon factor too high."

    "...'Wagon factor', sir?"

    Hazō chuckled. "Yeah, it's the measure of how many things would go to Naraka if that person got run over by a wagon and died."

    "Ah, I see. Very droll, sir."

    Hazō rolled his eyes. "Right. Anyway, I might make an issue of it later but Haru probably wants to feel like he has some ongoing value. For now he can have his secrets although I might change that tomorrow after I've thought about it more. Anyway, the Hagoromo were spending nothing but our scrip?"

    "Yes, My Lord. For approximately a week before the bank run. We even found two records of them buying gold with it. Several million ryō worth of gold, all with scrip. From two separate goldsmiths. We have no record of them exchanging any of it with us."

    "Hm. That's not at all suspicious."

    "Indeed."

    He thought about it for a moment. "It's not conclusive. I need something I can take to Asuma. Keep digging."

    "Yes, My Lord."

    "Moving on, how is Kagome-sensei coming on that research project?"

    "He has been unable to work on it for the last few days, My Lord. One of his advanced students...Jinno, I think? Yes, Jinno. Lord Kagome is working with him on his first actual research project and they are close to a breakthrough." He looked down at his notes. "It's a...hm. A 'third-chord thermal activation chronostatic bilateral Tanaka projection'." He frowned and shook his head before dropping the paper on his lap and looking expectantly at Hazō.

    "It's a low-powered explosive activated by heat and it goes off three seconds after being triggered, meaning it doesn't have the adjustable trigger that most seals do. A good first research project." He pursed his lips in thought. "If Kagome-sensei is already letting Jinno do original research the guy must be seriously talented."

    "I gather that all of them have been working hard, My Lord."

    "I'd imagine." He shook his head in amusement. "Okay, what else? What about the favors from Ami?"

    "Lady Akane traded them to the Nara, who are currently putting together several reports for her. I haven't been given the details yet, I'm afraid. Right now she's in meetings with the Inuzuka. She sends her apologies for missing you, but she's been trying to get this meeting for days and this was the only slot they had available before Friday."

    "It's fine," he said, smiling to cover the stab of sadness at not seeing her. The report to Cannai was complete and Hazō needed to get back to the Seventh Path in the next few minutes. He was already feeling guilty about this stealing this time with Gaku to get reports on the clan's business.

    "Regarding your earlier question, My Lord: No, there have been no attempts on our holdings, although other clans have been rather standoffish. Not the Nara or their block—they have been quite open and friendly—but the rest of the clans. Well, aside from the Sarutobi. At Lady Akane's suggestion I approached their steward about a joint business venture into paper making. They were welcoming, open to the idea, and have been following up. No one else has approached us and requests for meetings have been put off. Always with a reasonable excuse but it's become a pattern. The meeting with the Inuzuka was the first break in the wall."

    "Hm. Probably waiting to see what we do after the bank run and they don't want to get dragged in."

    "I believe, My Lord, that we may have alarmed some people with our reaction to the Hagoromo's earlier insult against Lady Keiko."

    Hazō grinned with teeth. "Good."

    "Indeed, sir. Lady Akane has handled all of the day-to-day affairs so I have nothing urgent for you. The skyslider project continues and is making incremental progress. The team have discovered a ritual which convinces the spirits to bear the sliders somewhat farther and somewhat straighter before sending them spinning into the ground." He checked his notes. "Apparently it involves two bells and burning some herbs? I'm unclear on the details."

    Hazō shrugged. "As long as it works, that's all I care about. How about the koi?"

    "They are growing larger and seem in good health."

    Hazō sighed and pushed himself to his feet. "Sounds good. Thanks for keeping all the plates spinning, Gaku. I need to get back."

    o-o-o-o​

    They waited until mid-morning before climbing down so that the ground beneath them would have a chance to cool. Even then, Hazō brought them down on an angle, taking significant extra time in exchange for traveling more distance in the safety of the air.

    They walked along, half a mile behind the flame front, and shortly before night they saw it: The border of Cat Territory. On the Human Path the border would have been a line on a map, its position uncertain. Here on the Seventh Path it was clear: There was a river, perhaps a mile wide and halfway across it the sky became a sickly yellow-green that seemed to suck away the light.

    Thirty yards from the riverbank the ground became sandy enough that the grasses had died out and there was nothing to burn. The team crossed through the last smolders and flickers of flame and walked to the river's edge. They stopped and considered.

    The water was wide and surprisingly fast-moving for such a massive expanse, flowing to the south. Hazō bent down and tasted it.

    "Salt," he said. "This isn't a river, it's part of the ocean." He looked north and south; the water stretched out of sight in both directions. "Either the continent ends here or this is a massive inlet."

    "North, south, or across," Cangue said. "North and south keep us in Cat Territory. The Boss was surprisingly non-aggressive for such a bunch of jerks but I can't help but think some of the littler ones might not like us too much."

    "What's that in the water?" Canaut asked, gesturing with his chin.

    Hazō looked where the dog was pointing and frowned. What he had assumed to be chop, or perhaps some barely-submerged obstacle, was moving slowly. There were multiple patches like that, scattered over an area a hundred yards long and thirty or forty wide. Whatever was down there was either absolutely enormous or there were a lot of them.

    "Would one of you who have the eyes of youth tell me what that brown smudge on the opposite bank is?" Canabisu asked.

    Hazō looked where Canabisu indicated but couldn't make it out.

    "That," Canaut said, "is a spider. And it's at least as big as the Alpha."




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    It is now about 6pm. The sun will be down in another hour.

    Vote time! What to do now?

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    • Chapter 420, Part 2: Sating Their Hunger
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    • With the obligatory accusations of treachery and threats of execution out of the way, the Gōketsu representative continued her meeting with the head of state.

    Servants brought in the main course, laying down platefuls of delicacies before everyone but Kei, who could see she was due to pay dearly for her decision to abstain. Even Pandā received a fresh bowl of something wrigglesome best not examined too closely.

    "Well, Summoner," Inoue said with an alarming edge of satisfaction in her voice, "it seems you have done due diligence in learning the ways of your exalted predecessor. I wonder, then, if you might be able to enlighten me as to a few key points in Ui's philosophy that remain unclear. Surely my humble studies are nothing next to the knowledge of one who learned about him from the Pangolins themselves?"

    The High Priest smiled. "A capital idea, Loremaster. It will be most instructive to compare Lady Nara's perspective with the understanding I have attained through direct revelation, and, of course, your knowledge of Ui's writings."

    Kei's heart beat faster than it had when she was under the belief that she was seconds away from being sentenced to death for poor choice of snacks. She had committed the vile sin of which the Mori spoke only in hushed rumours, the violation of natural law inconceivable for any of the Sage's chosen clan. Even the Nara, to whom diligence came as naturally as flight, would cast any such transgressor from their number without a second thought.

    Kei had failed to study for the test.

    Inoue continued. "As I'm sure you know, Ui was preoccupied with the Calamity Problem. He rejected Nonki's Insignificance Defence early on, and the Crucible Theory not long after he became Summoner, but the scrolls are ambiguous as which of the remaining three he settled on in the end. Could you enlighten us?"

    Kei sat frozen. The Academy philosophy classes, which had covered Yagura's beliefs (and to a lesser extent, those of past Mizukage) in excruciating detail, had mentioned no such issue. What was she to—

    "Ah, excuse me, Loremaster." Arikada raised a hand. "I don't think I've heard of this Calamity Problem myself. Would you mind filling me in?"

    Inoue sighed at the interruption. "It is very simple. It's well-attested that the Sage of Six Paths had the power to command the kami of earth, sea, and sky. He was also a genius who would never miss an obvious solution, and he loved mankind as if we were his own children. Why, then, did he not order the kami not to bring forth natural disasters?"

    "Ah, got it. Thanks, Loremaster."

    Arikada gave Kei a meaningful look which she was, of course, unable to decipher as he took another bite of delicious-looking meat that only reminded Kei of her own growing hunger.

    No, she could see why this Calamity Problem had not been taught in the Academy. Mist's foundational philosophy was that all nature was humanity's adversary by, well, nature, and any disaster was merely an opportunity for the strong to thrive while casting off the weak. The idea that the Sage would want a world in which survival was guaranteed for all would have been practically blasphemous.

    Kei had no reply. If Snowflake had still been here, perhaps she might have been able to bluff her way through, but Kei was not one to improvise a solution to an impossible philosophical problem on the spur of the moment while strangers watched her with piercing expectation.

    "Unfortunately," she said slowly, "I do not have an answer to your question."

    "Is that so?" Inoue asked with gleeful disappointment. "Then how about something easier? Would you say Ui believed in objective or subjective morality?"

    Multiple choice, the unprepared student's salvation (or so she was informed). Kei relaxed slightly. Fifty-fifty odds of providing a correct answer was a vast improvement on—

    Arikada was giving her another look, and this one she could read. Surely you are not stupid enough to fall for that?

    After a moment's reflection, Kei understood. As soon as she committed to an answer, Inoue would demand justification, with reference to the detail of Ui's beliefs that Kei neither knew nor cared about, and Kei would be exposed as not merely ignorant but a fraud.

    What, then, was her best course of action? Doubtless these questions were not being asked by accident. Doubtless a defeat here would not only shame her and injure her prospects, but reflect on Leaf itself through its choice of representative. What kind of circumlocution would Mari use to escape this situation?

    Her mind supplied nothing.

    "Well?" Inoue asked as the seconds dragged on. "It is hardly a difficult question."

    Just as Kei was about to admit surrender, the High Priest interrupted with flawless timing. "Come, Loremaster. There's no need to make an inquisition out of a friendly dinner. Not all of us are suited to following the complexities of Ui's thought. Why, before Ui bestowed enlightenment on me, I myself was a simple man with little interest in such abstract matters. Clearly, Lady Nara is simply a summoner of a more… martial bent, yes?"

    At that moment, Kei would have admitted to being a pedigree cat breeder if it offered escape from the stifling silence of the exam.

    "That is correct," she said without hesitation. "My service to the Pangolin Clan has been primarily in a military capacity, leaving little time for philosophical pursuits."

    The High Priest nodded. "I have heard much of your accomplishments. I understand you were the champion of last year's Chūnin Exam, where the most skilled children in the Elemental Nations compete for recognition as shinobi?"

    "I was," Kei said, swept up in the wave of relief as the Loremaster's trap failed to close around her. "The examination included elements of espionage, survival, assassination and counter-assassination, and team and individual combat."

    "And in the aftermath, you attended the great battle at Nagi with the rest of the Leaf shinobi, I take it?" the High Priest asked. "I would be deeply grateful to hear what took place there from a witness rather than from the countless contradictory rumours swirling around the continent."

    "Actually," Kei said, "I am afraid I did not participate in the battle, although I can offer you a detailed second-hand description."

    "No?" The High Priest raised his eyebrows. "You had just earned chūnin rank before the entire world. Did the chūnin not go to Nagi Island?"

    "No," Kei said uncomfortably, "most of the Leaf chūnin at the exam were part of the assault force."

    "But not the Pangolin Summoner?" the High Priest said in surprise. "Surely, after your victory, you were not considered still so much weaker than the other—no, forgive me, I am being rude. You are under no obligation to justify your village leadership's strategic decisions to me.

    "In any case," he said swiftly, "I'm sure you have some genuine martial achievements to your name...?"

    "A matter of months ago," Kei said with long-delayed confidence, "I defeated the Condor Clan boss, Conjura, and her summoner in battle." And if her role in that unforgettable battle was ignominiously that of bait, that was a detail Kei would be forced to omit in the name of conciseness.

    "A boss?" the High Priest asked. "One of the legendary beings second only to the Sage himself in power? Can mortal force truly have laid such a creature low? Please, tell us more."

    Kei opened her mouth.

    Kei realised that it would be impossible to describe any element of that battle without telling Isan about skywalkers.

    Kei closed her mouth.

    "I regret to say that the details are classified," she said.

    The High Priest continued to smile. Inoue and Aida, however, exchanged "I might have known" glances, and Arikada looked like a child robbed of an exciting bedtime story.

    Kei needed to seize control of the conversation before she could humiliate herself any further.

    "Regardless," she said, "I did not come here to boast of my personal accomplishments. My purpose is to represent Leaf. Your Holiness, the Village Hidden in the Leaves would like to invite Isan to join it in a mutually-beneficial alliance."

    "And what does Leaf offer our village," the High Priest asked, "which has existed in isolation from the impure world for hundreds of years?"

    Kei was on firmer ground now. "To begin with, trade. Leaf is replete with goods, both material and conceptual, presently unavailable to Isan. We have vast libraries full of printed books like those I have demonstrated, on every subject known to man. We have clothing, household wares, and art that use a cornucopia of materials, styles, and principles of construction gathered from all over the world. We have ninjutsu that enhance agriculture, rendering farming a trivial exercise, and others which can generate material wealth through a mere expenditure of chakra. We have the greatest medical experts and techniques in existence, and most disease spirits give Leaf the widest of berths. In addition, the Will of Fire is a tolerant faith, and there may well be people within Leaf open to conversion to the worship of Ui and Akio, as long is it is handled with sensitivity. In addition, should an alliance be established with you as Isan's representative, it would be natural for me as Pangolin Summoner to provide you with my endorsement in your efforts." Thereby sealing Isan's fate. Kei hoped she would never have to fulfil that promise.

    "Intriguing," the High Priest said meditatively. "My friends, your thoughts?"

    "Everyone in the outside world says Leaf is a sinking ship," Aida said after a second. "They lost most of their army in the battle the Summoner avoided, and then the kami punished them for their weakness with an earthquake the likes of which hadn't been seen for centuries. I don't hear any reason for us to ally with a doomed village when there are many stronger ones who would happily join hands with us."

    The High Priest looked at Kei.

    "Your information is outdated," she said firmly. "Leaf may have suffered considerable misfortune, but our starting point was that of the world's most powerful village, and we have made a dramatic recovery under the leadership of a visionary Hokage who has implemented many brilliant strategies to restore Leaf's power. Far from being crippled, Leaf is ascendant. If anything, this opportunity to rebuild from a firmer foundation will soon see the village greater still than its original unassailable form."

    "Relying heavily on untried new ideas is hardly Isan's way," Azai commented. "A visionary leader is one who's skilled at adapting the wisdom of the past to deal with the problems of the present, the way my brother does. I, for one, don't think we should risk getting caught up in another village's experiments."

    The Isan team had not expected this angle of attack. Kei had been fully prepared to argue for the wisdom, no, the necessity of Isan joining the outside world, and thence for doing it under Leaf's aegis. But the High Priest, or at least his cohorts, were questioning not the once-heretical idea of abandoning isolationism but of choosing Leaf over its rivals. In retrospect, it fit Yuno's narrative of Isan's recent history all too well.

    Arikada, she noticed, had brightened at Azai's comments, but did not seem in any hurry to provide his own opinion.

    Unfortunately, there was little Kei could say to Azai. The co-founder of the KEI, the unintentional pioneer of gay rights, the head of the nascent Nara Future Foundation, and above all the sister and counsellor of Gōketsu Hazō was in no position to make a case for Leaf's love of orthodoxy.

    "The faith of Isan is for Isan," Inoue added. "I am no fanatic to think that the barbarians of Leaf will take up worship of someone else's ancestors over their own, no matter how much the wisdom of Ui might surpass this Will of Fire."

    It was an unpleasant shock to hear Inoue speaking sense. After observing the Church of Youth and Gamasēji, and indeed pondering the issue of manipulating Leaf's religious landscape herself as part of the war with the Hagoromo, Kei did not believe that anyone in Leaf would be remotely interested in the cavalcade of absurdity that was Isanese religion. For all the ridiculous facets of the Will of Fire, at least nobody in Leaf treated Kei as an object of reverence.

    "Let's not be too hasty," Arikada said. "It's not like our other candidates are all paragons of virtue. If we just give the young lady a chance, she might well have enough to offer Isan to offset the risk of allying with the underdog."

    All gazes once more focused on Kei. All expectations once more focused on Kei. All responsibility once more focused on Kei. Where were the blissful days of her youth, when all she needed fear was being devoured by ravenous monsters or murdered by merciless hunter-nin?

    At least this part had been covered by the plan.

    "The hour grows late," she said, "so perhaps this would not be the best time to delve into the specifics of potential deals. However, I can assure you that Leaf's terms would be extremely generous in light of the benefits Isan stands to receive."

    As the servants brought in mouthwatering desserts which Kei had already committed to not eating, and the conversation turned from a ruthless interrogation to empty pleasantries, Kei could only hope she had not already ruined everything.

    -o-​

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    • Chapter 422: The Eaters Revealed
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    • "What now?" Hazō asked. The answer was obvious and he already had a two-factor bullet-pointed plan in mind, complete with explanatory subbullets. Still, he wasn't the leader here and it behooved him not to push Canabisu out of the way without good reason. If the dog didn't go in the direction that Hazō thought best, and if Hazō disagreed with the direction, he would try to nudge him back onto the proper path. For now, best let his elder think it was his idea.

    Canabisu thought about that for a moment. "Without killing anything, which I feel the need to say first in order to avoid another 'Oops, I deliberately set the western half of the continent on fire again' moments, we need to find out what those things in the water are. Do you have any jutsu or seals that would be specifically well adapted to the purpose?"

    Well, that was just unfair. He'd only set it a little bit on fire and that was only because the cats had been attack-happy bastards. He was the security officer, not the diplomat, and his tactics had been forged in a harsher and less forgiving environment than this namby-pamby Seventh Path nonsense with its grass that didn't try to suck your blood, and water from which needle-shaped fish never attacked, and birds didn't genjutsu you into standing still while they ate your eyeballs, and—

    "Ahem. Universe to Hazō? Are you there, Hazō?"

    "Hm? Yes. Oh, right. Jutsu. Yeah, I could make an Earth Clone and send it over. They're literally as dumb as a box of rocks, but they can follow simple orders like 'go over there while repeatedly saying the following.'"

    "It can swim?"

    "It can waterwalk."

    "Okay, try it. Have it say 'We respectfully ask to speak with you. We are a human and four Dog Clan members. We are on the surface and standing on the eastern shore."

    A few handseals, momentary orders, and 'Hazō' was waterwalking across the choppy river to one of the more turbulent regions. The clone reached its destination and cut off its waterwalking, dropping beneath the waves to, hopefully, seek out allies.

    Time passed.

    More time passed.

    Cantelabra started to speak and was hushed.

    Dum de dum.

    Cantelabra fidgeted. "Can we—" He stopped when Cangue hushed him.

    Doo de doo. Dum de dum.

    "Okay, I don't think they're coming," Hazō said. He chewed his lip.

    "I am not comfortable attempting to walk across that water without knowing what's causing the disturbance," Canabisu said.

    "It could just be some underwater rocks...?" Cangue didn't sound like she believed her own theory.

    "We could go up on one of those skytowers and stair-step down to the other side," Canaut offered.

    "I'd prefer not to," Hazō said. "I'm authorized to use skytowers, but they've already had a bad effect on the Seventh Path. The spider on the other side would see us and I'd rather not spread the knowledge of them wider than necessary. Especially not the part about using them to traverse horizontally."

    Canaut snorted. "It's not like it isn't obvious that you can do that with them."

    "You'd be surprised," Hazō said, "at just how bad people are at figuring out nonstandard ways to use seals and jutsu...well, and basically anything."

    Canaut snorted . "Maybe among you humans, but here on the Seventh Path we aren't so stupid."

    "Uh-huh." Hazō made no further response. First, he didn't want to get sucked into that debate. Second, a thought had occurred. It wasn't without risks, and it said something about his life that the largest of those risks was political instead of life-threatening. Not that political risks couldn't be life-threatening, as he had more cause to know than most people. Still.

    "There's a thing I could try," he said slowly. "It involves a highly classified secret of my village and I could get into a lot of trouble if I revealed it to anyone, including you guys. Would you be willing to back off a bit? It won't take long and I'm sure that Cangue and Canaut can keep you all safe for the few minutes that I'll need."

    The dogs looked dubiously among themselves.

    "You're confident that this will solve the issue?" Canabisu asked.

    "No, but it's the only other thing I can think of to try," Hazō said with a shrug. "I mean, I can think of plenty of ways to get past here, starting with Kagome's First Law: 'Explosives solve everything.' Toss some in the water and we'd have a clear and safe path to cross. It might cause some issues down the line, of course, but the law is recursive." He waited, keeping a serious expression on his face until the dogs were on the edge of saying something about how appalled they were, and then allowed himself to crack up. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. It would get us across but it might ruin any chance of a positive first impression. So...?"

    "Dude," Canabisu said. "Not cool. Still, okay, we'll—wait. This plan of yours, dude. It doesn't involve any violence, correct?"

    Hazō grinned. "Nope. Just making a hopefully positive first contact and getting them to talk to us. And I'm not going to do anything except get them to come up and talk. I am absolutely onboard with you doing all the negotiating."

    The tiny dog eyed him slantwise for a long few seconds. "Okay, dude. You do your thing. We'll back off. C'mon, guys."

    "Sir," Canaut said. "I question whether this is a good idea."

    "Decision's made, man. Let's go." He sauntered off, not waiting for the others to follow...which, of course, meant that they had no choice but to scramble along behind him.

    Hazō watched long enough to be sure that Canaut and Cangue had spread out into appropriate protection positions and was satisfied to see that they had. The two knew their business.

    He waited until they were out of (his best guess at their) earshot, then turned away so that they couldn't see the first two fingers of both hands forming a cross. "Shadow Clone," he whispered.

    Another Hazō appeared and nodded to him before stepping out onto the water. It took care to walk in the same fashion as the Earth Clone—not quite as coordinated as its progenitor, its motion slightly inhuman. Letting the dogs think that this was the same as the one that had come before it could only help. Granted, it had appeared fully formed from thin air instead of rising up out of the ground, but every little bit helped.

    A minute passed and then Hazō jerked as the memories hit.

    The water parting around Hazō UndoubtedlyAboutToDieAWateryDeath's ankles as he lowers himself into the murky green, the inflated waterskin under his left arm and a slab of pig iron in his left hand. He can't remember why Hazō Prime carries pig iron in his storage seals, but he does and this is absolutely not the time to be wondering about this because the shapes are cruising past in the dimness, not close enough to make out clearly. Smooth-sided, menace rolling from them like aura from angry jōnin. A brief flash of clarity as one approaches head-on, the watery curtain parting only when the monster is within arm's reach. Its face is a rounded cone, flattened top and bottom, open jaws revealing rows upon rows of teeth. He fires off a burst of chakra repulsion, blasting himself up in the water so he can tuck and tumble down the monster's back. The skin is rough, like the megalodon from back in the day, and the dorsal fin thwacks him in the head in passing, almost hard enough to pop him.

    "Pangolin Clan Technique: Ghost Scales!" He bends down and sucks air from the waterskin to replace what he had spent on the words.

    Golden light blooms around him, pushing back the darkness and encasing him in protective scales and claws.

    Another shadow moves in the dim before him, and two more on either side.

    "We want to help against the Eaters!" The words are distorted and bubbly.

    The shadows flick aside and vanish beyond sight. He sucks the last of the air from the skin and lets it fall, the pig iron drifting after.

    "We're here to talk peace. We're on the surface, standing on the eastern shore. Four dogs and a human. We have jutsu and seals that you likely don't. It might be enough to help."

    Something leaps on him from behind, far too many legs wrapping him up tight and squeezing. The power of it is too much; even with the Ghost Scales the impact grinds his chakra threads together until they burst.

    Hazō sighed. He turned and waved to the dogs to return.

    "No joy?" Canaut asked as they sauntered up.

    "Not sure. Hopefully we'll see in a moment."

    Ten eyes turned to the water.

    Long seconds passed and then eight eyes rose from the water. All of them attached to one creature.

    "Eeeeyugh!" Canaut moaned, shrinking back. "What...what is...?" He pointed with one trembling paw.

    The spider skittered up onto the shore and shook itself, starting from its three-foot palps, passing across its five-foot abdomen, through the tiny strand of its waist and across the bulging mass of its cephalothorax that was larger than Hazō's entire body. The legs were far longer than anything nature should have allowed. Water flew everywhere, giving the diplomatic party a welcome excuse to step back.

    "You disappeared," the monster said, curiosity evident in its high voice. "I thought to carry you out before Makō bad decision made. You disappeared and left me there."

    "I'm not sure what you mean," Hazō said. "That was a clone, not me."

    "First you crumbled when Makō bit. I assume that was clone. The one that I grabbed exploded."

    "Hazō," Canabisu said. "I thought we agreed on the 'no explosives' thing?"

    "It didn't literally explode," Hazō said. "It's a descriptive term."

    The spider cocked its abdomen slightly to the side and Hazō found himself thinking that it was very hard to tell at what or whom something with eight eyes was looking. "Now that I think about it, 'exploded' really wrong term was. My mistake. Moving on, is fascinating to meet you. Very few mammals in our lands."

    "We aren't in your lands," Canaut pointed out, barely managing to contain the revulsion in his voice. "This is Cat Clan territory."

    The spider stood silently for two long seconds. "Truth," it said at last. "Your...human? Said about alliance, and about seals?"

    "Yes," Canabisu said, stepping forward. The tiny dog was almost but not quite a good enough diplomat to keep the fear and revulsion out of his voice. Hazō shifted slightly, settling more weight on his back leg so he could push off faster if he needed to rescue the dog or defend him. "One of your kind washed up on our shores. He had been attacked by something, we don't know what, and was dying when we found him. He mentioned something about the Eaters, and so my Alpha decided to send us on an exploratory mission to make contact and find out the truth of the situation."

    "Interesting. You said this Cat Territory, but you are not cats. And no cats with you."

    "We...may have convinced the cats to let us through," Canabisus said. He coughed. "Somewhat forcefully."

    The spider laughed, a high clicking sound that sent chills down Hazō's back.

    "I see. Kumowasha, my name. I a far-speaker am for the Twenty-Third Scuttle. Earlier speaking I was with the Shark Clan but now speaking to you I prefer." It stepped forward; the dogs and Hazō stepped back.

    Kumowasha froze and then backed up. "Your forgiveness I ask. Things difficult are when new friends meet. At least...friends in hope?"

    "Yes, of course," Canabisu said. "We ask your forgiveness in turn. This is a very new situation for us." He bowed deeply, leaning down on both front legs before standing up again. "Would it be rude of me to immediately ask about the Eaters and what's happening? I don't wish to seem too hasty, but we've traveled a very long way..."

    "Can tell, but first, ask. Human, you said seals? You know seals?"

    "I know something about seals, yes. How may I help?"

    "Sealing you can do?"

    He hesitated briefly. "Yes, I can do sealing. I've done original research and I'm still alive, which means I'm good at it."

    "Show me?"

    Hazō glanced at the commander of his mission; Canabisu nodded, so Hazō rummaged around in his pouches until he found a Party Trick seal. He showed it to the spider, then activated it.

    The arachnid moved half a step closer, then remembered the prior reaction to his approach. It froze and carefully lowered its legs to the sand once more. It watched the subtle play of the colors across the seal for several moments.

    "Very beautiful. You make?"

    "I can, yes. I don't recall if I made this particular one, but I can make them."

    "Show me?"

    Hazō sat down carefully and pulled out his sealing supplies. The Party Trick seal was simple but he still found himself sweating a little as everyone stared impatiently while he carefully drew the blank. Once more he held it up so that Kumowasha could see it. He infused it, activated it, and watched for the reaction.

    The spider skittered left, then skittered right. "Repair is needed," it said at last. "Repair for unworking seal. Repair you can do?"

    What.

    "...You have a seal." He stared at the spider. "You have a seal that is not working?" How...? "What do you mean by not working?"

    "Not of seals I am. Far-speaker I am. The Dragons, the ones you call 'Eaters', sealed were. Sealed by Great Maker. For months now, ripples the wind. The ripples they tear at the seal. The Dragons, unsealed. From the west they come. They eat. They burn. Repair seal can you?"

    "Kumowasha...seals don't just stop working. They can be physically damaged, or burned, or whatever. They don't just stop working."

    "Not of seals I am. Dragons eat, burn, destroy. Repair seal can you or can't repair?"

    He stared at the thing helplessly, feeling like his brain had crashed into a wall. "I...I don't even know what it would mean to repair a seal. If I could study it, learn to infuse it, maybe I could create a new one, but that's not a quick process. Weeks, probably months. That's assuming I could even do it." Only when the last word came out of his mouth did it occur to him that volunteering that information right out the gate might not be the best move at the start of negotiations. His hand would have been stronger if he had kept that back.

    "I'm sure we can work something out," Canabisu said. "If I may ask, why were you talking with the Sharks?"

    Kumowasha waved its palps slowly. "I performing was. Sharks' help I seek. Allies against Dragons."

    "Aren't Dragons land animals?"

    "Dragons are whatever they want animals. Strong, large, fly. If they want be land, they be land. If sky they want, they be sky. If they want swim, they swim. Human, you fix seal?"

    Hazō looked helplessly to Canabisu.

    The little dog took a deep breath. "Kumowasha, is there a ruler of your clan with whom we could speak? We have a lot of questions."

    Kumowasha scuttled back and forth and twisted its abdomen to each side. "Yes," it said. "Kumokōgō, ruler of Arachnid Clan. I bring you?" Eight legs pattered and the spider spun in place until it could wave one claw across the river. "Must cross river, then..." It paused. "Twenty miles? Thirty? Sorry, units are hard. Mother waits near border to hear report on Shark talking. You can do?"

    "Yes, we can do that," Canabisu said, almost visibly bracing himself. "Hazō, carry Cantelabra. The rest of you, on me."

    Hazō stepped in front of his chief of mission. "Are the sharks likely to attack us as we cross?"

    "You again jump on Makō head?"

    "Excuse me?"

    "First you, drop down on Makō head. I was in middle of telling story of First Mother and trickster son. He interruption displeasing. Also, not like having head jumped on."

    "I didn't...oh." The Earth Clone. It had landed on a shark's head. Damnit. "Could you please apologize to him for me? It wasn't me, exactly. It was an Earth Clone, and they are very stupid. I still take responsibility because I didn't think to instruct it not to drop like that. If he wants to come up here, or if he lets me go down there and promises not to eat me, then I'll apologize in person."

    "Honestly, I think more anger about interrupting story. They not like being cheated."

    The dog team looked back and forth in confusion.

    "Excuse me?"

    "Cheated? Is when deal is not kept, promise is broken."

    "No, we know what the word means. Just...what?"

    "Kumowasha, far-speaker for the Twenty-Third Scuttle, and Makō, Pilot of Western Sounding Shiver, had deal. Fourteen poems, seven stories, nine performances. Yesterday, first performance well. Today, second performance, Makō bring important sharks for performance. Story interrupted, mood broken, leaving guests are. Makō loses much fin."

    "Hazō..." Canabisu muttered.

    "How was I supposed to know? I said clones are stupid!" He turned back to Kumowasha. "Will he attack us if we cross?"

    "Doubt have. Rounding up guests more important. I drop back down, help him get things settled. Can probably salvage performance. Claim that clone was part of performance, acting blend with poetry to make new medium. If I say and Makō agree was plan all along, they believe. Then I say I need breathe break, this is intermission. Meanwhile I get you across, send you on with Kumouōkā."

    "Canabisu?" Hazō asked.

    The little dog nodded. "I'll take the chance."

    "Great," Hazō said. "Let's do this."




    XP AWARD: 1

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    Author's Note:     You have crossed the river safely and met Kumowasha's assistant, Kumouōkā. Fortunately, she is a mite instead of a spider, meaning that she's only about the size of Canaut. (Granted, she's covered in nobbly little bumps and hairs sticking out of her chitin, but at least she scuttles quickly on her eight long legs.) She is escorting you into the interior of Arachnid territory where you will be meeting with the Great Mother of the clan in a couple of hours. You have that long to figure out what you want to ask or do. You can probably request a few minutes alone 'to freshen up' before actually starting the audience, but the Mother is not going to want to be kept waiting.

    Vote time! What to do now?

    Voting ends on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at 12pm London time.
     
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    Chapter 423: The Ultimate Sacrifice (April Fool's)
  • Apocrypha

    • As Hazō stood at the entrance of Sanctuary, the Arachnid capital, he wished the whole thing had been made of seals so he could burn a perfect image of it into his memory.

    The city was a vast three-dimensional web suspended across a bottomless abyss. Silver strands of every size (some as narrow as Hazō's arm and others wide enough to admit a caravan) reached up and down from the walls, drawing complex patterns as they met and intertwined. Cocoon-like houses, each a different shape, sprawled between the threads or hung from them. And at the city's heart, at the conjunction of hundreds of threads, lay a shimmering rainbow sphere the size of a clan compound, dotted with entrances at every angle.

    Looking around, Hazō couldn't see a single surface that wasn't being used for travel. Sanctuary had no concept of walls or roofs, and arachnids would shift from the top to the underside of a thread in order to keep going without getting in each other's way, or lower themselves to a different level on a thread of their own. Far beneath Hazō, a platform the size of a training field hung by a single extremely thick thread, a pack of small Arachnids using it to practice ninjutsu without risking collateral damage.

    "Come, come," Kumouōkā said, presumably mistaking his silence for hesitation. "Mighty adamantine threads do not collapse from weight of tiny mammals. Are we Hornet Clan, to embarrass ourselves with crude nests?"

    Hazō nodded without listening. He'd been annoyed at first to hear that Kumokōgō had been called back to the city instead of meeting them near the border as planned, but now he thanked the ancestors, the Will of Fire, the Sage of Six Paths, and anybody else willing to take credit. When this mission was over, the Human Path was going to witness an architectural revolution.

    "You find us at bad time," Kumouōkā said reluctantly. "The weaverkin competition comes soon, so Sanctuary ugliest is."

    "It's what?" Hazō choked out in disbelief.

    There was a pause as Kumouōkā tried to figure out what was so hard to understand about its statement.

    "Ah, mammals must have no weaverkin," she said. "So sorry for you. How do you live?"

    When Kumouōkā realised no response was forthcoming, she carried on chirpily. "I wanted to be weaverkin, but was born mite. It happens. Anyway, every eight cycles, the weaverkin compete. Mother judges which new dwellings are finest. Gives them she to those who lived in worst, then casts those into the great depth, and all cheer. Competition soon, Sanctuary will be better than ever.

    "Hope no evacuation, so that do not cancel," she added less chirpily. "Now walk. Mother waits, but mammal only four legs, so slow. Really, how do you live?"

    Canabisu gave Hazō a smug look. The other dogs were too busy psyching themselves up to walk over a gaping abyss to take the opportunity.

    It only took them a couple of minutes before they drew level with the first dwelling, a mound made of walls of tiny panels seemingly hanging unsupported in the air, their shapes interlocking like puzzle pieces that didn't quite touch each other. Only after a close look could Hazō see the superfine strands of silk linking them together.

    "Skilled but derivative," Kumouōkā commented casually. "To make pastiche of High Weaver Kumori's work, only apprentice. If I weaverkin, I make twice as good. Four times. Well-made, so will not drop this competition, but maybe third, fourth."

    "Is this for real?" Canabisu asked. "People put this much effort into building a house?"

    "Nest is clan; nest is holy," Kumouōkā said in a how-do-you-not-get-this voice. "Almost as much as oath. You no give to nest, why be?

    "Come, come. Mammal face changes many ways. Want to see how changes when you palace inside see. Inside is four times as great as outside. Eight times. Only High Weaverkin renovate."

    The team walked on, accompanied by disturbing chittering noises as arachnids above, below, and on parallel strands paused in their daily routines to watch a strange and unfamiliar species being escorted the way one escorted fellow sapient beings.

    -o-​

    The size of the Orbularium, the Arachnid palace, made a lot more sense when Hazō beheld its most important inhabitant. Cannai could vaguely fit within Hazō's mind as "a dog but large", at least before the Alpha's body was eclipsed by his force of personality. Kumokōgō, if she was literally Kumowasha's mother, must have been of a species where the female was much greater than the male (insofar as such concepts applied to the artificially-created summons). There was no arachnophobe on the Human Path who would not faint cold at the sight of their reflection in her many kickball-sized eyes. Hazō himself, not an arachnophobe at all, could suddenly empathise with them like never before.

    It didn't help that the large oval chamber was filled with other arachnids, who might have been Kumokōgō's court, officials pausing in their duties to gawk, an elite guard ready to fill him with venom at the slightest perceived offence, or just about anything else. The chittering was giving him goosebumps. The dogs, who had never met an arachnid before, were faring worse, and their concentration was on standing bold and definitely not cowering. Canabisu seemed happy to let Hazō lead the negotiations this time.

    "Silence, children," Kumokōgō hissed. "Visitors from afar, news comes before you. I am Kumokōgō, mother and guardian, ruler and slayer. I grant hospitality, I receive wisdom of seal-maker."

    "I am Hazō of the Gōketsu Clan, Dog Summoner from the Human Path," Hazō introduced himself. He bowed deeply—even if the gesture itself was meaningless to an arachnid, the fact that he was making a gesture would surely be recognised by a monarch. "With me are Canabisu, Canault, Cangue, and Cantelabra, emissaries of the Dog Clan of the distant east."

    "A rare gift, to meet a youngest child of the Great Maker and hunters of legend," Kumokōgō said, raising herself slightly to reveal a blood-red hourglass marking on her lower abdomen. "Let us exchange many tales, once Eaters driven from this land. But wisdom cuts before thread frays. We shall speak wisdom.

    "By ancient oath, Hazō of the Gōketsu, we learn no sealcraft. You are a maker of seals, true it is?"

    "That's correct," Hazō said. "I'm not the greatest sealmaster on the Human Path, or even in my village, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. But if you show me the seal, I should be able to make a copy and take it back so I can study it together with the others. I think that's our best chance to figure out what's wrong with it and find a solution."

    "It is well," Kumokōgō allowed. "Of one obstacle let us speak."

    "The Dragon Clan?" Hazō asked.

    "Of one obstacle first," Kumokōgō said. "By ancient oath, only she who leads the Arachnid Clan may lay eyes on the Great Seal. So has it been for a thousand years. So must it be for a thousand more."

    Hazō frowned. "Can you make a copy? No, wait, that's no good. A non-sealmaster copying a seal is a terrible idea."

    "To meddle with the seal without knowledge fills me with terror also," Kumokōgō agreed. "The Great Maker commanded the clans to no seals make. If he feared, what of us?"

    "Then can you make an exception?" Hazō asked. "I know it's a lot to ask, but it sounds like you're in an existential crisis here."

    "Not 'we'," Kumokōgō corrected. "All."

    "What do you mean?"

    "The Dragons are not like other clans. The Dragons served the Great Maker. In other Paths they fought, with the Maker they soared between, until for oathbreaking Seventh Path was made their prison. But from eating, the Eaters regain stolen strength. Before the Maker crafted his seal, they devoured the Archaeopteryx Clan and regained wings. They devoured the Ankylosaurus Clan and regained scales. When they consume the power in the other clans vested and prismatic the skies become, they shall surely regain the art of parting the veil. Then the Great Maker's home shall be the first target of vengeance."

    Hazō had been right all along. The Eaters were terrifying eldritch abominations. The Eaters were an existential threat, not only to distant clans in a distant world, but to everyone and everything without exception. And if all that stood between the Human Path and the end of all things was how much they needed to eat before they were back to full strength… this was no longer a matter just for Hidden Leaf.

    Hazō's mind began to spin. Leaf's summoner dominance would work against it. Without a way to independently confirm the information, the other villages were unlikely to contribute some of their most valuable ninja to cooperate with an implausible-sounding Leaf project. What would suffice as a show of good faith? Donations of resources? Clan secrets? Would Asuma even go for something like that?

    The wheels spun faster. Didn't Akatsuki have a summoner? But depending on how things played out in Rock… yes, there was a chance that Hazō had badly stabbed himself in the foot by sending Hidan against Leaf's greatest enemy. Belief in a pre-existing Leaf-Akatsuki alliance out to get Leaf's rivals would be a great reason to dismiss Akatsuki's testimony supporting the project.

    Then again, Akatsuki were Akatsuki. Could they force—

    "He who hesitates is preparing a lie," Kumokōgō said meaningfully. "To be of one mind, both must speak theirs."

    "Sorry," Hazō said. "I was thinking about how to handle this on the Human Path. But you're right. We need to sort out this oath business. Can you really not make an exception?"

    There was an explosion of chittering. Suddenly, faster than his kinetic vision, Kumokōgō's huge eyes were nearly touching his own.

    "You who are heir of the Great Maker, who stand here by contract, power of oaths mock? Oaths not words woven into the walls of Cathedral that Was. Oaths not whispers imparted by priestess to initiate. Oaths bind soul to body. Oaths make world. To mock oaths is to seek unmaking of world. Such must be only slain."

    "I'm sorry!" Hazō exclaimed as the arachnids around him began to stir. "I misspoke. I don't intend to challenge the significance of oaths at all."

    "Your apology accepted is," Kumokōgō said, scuttling back. "There is no second."

    Hazō took a few moments to calm down.

    "Still, if I can't look at the seal, then we're at an impasse," he said. "And it's your people who are in danger as long as that impasse continues."

    "This is truth," Kumokōgō said. "But perhaps is one way."

    "What is it?"

    "Special right of ruler is. For noble deed, Mother may make consort ruler-in-spirit, grant authority if there is to be done. Is right not meant for use such as this, but maybe not violate oath. No, I say does not violate oath."

    "All right," Hazō said, calling on the Iron Nerve not to sag in relief. "Let's do that, then."

    "This is good," Kumokōgō said. "Hazō of the Gōketsu, do you swear loyalty to this one, Kumokōgō of the Arachnid Clan, to serve need and give body and mind, and to bring power to empty places?"

    "Wait," Hazō said. "I can't just swear loyalty to another clan. I'm already loyal to Hidden Leaf, and the Alpha of the Dog Clan would have something to say as well. Even if it's to save the world, I have to at least get their permission."

    "Is not oath to clan," Kumokōgō corrected. "Is oath from male to female only. For arachnid, is great honour. To save world, demand smaller than speck of dust."

    Great. So instead of being asked to betray Leaf, he was just being asked to marry a giant spider. What kind of life did Hazō lead where these were the choices he had to consider?

    "Is great honour," Kumokōgō repeated. "Rules must accept. Do not be at one with other females. Do not lie to Great Mother. Do not renovate Orbularium without permission."

    "I have to at least speak to my current partner," Hazō said, "and there are people from whom I should seek advice before making this decision."

    "Acceptance you already made," Kumokōgō said. "To turn back is dishonour. Dishonour to ruler is death. But… will make concession. Exists crime that breaks consort bond. When seal is remade, you commit this crime, I punish with exile. No oath broken is. Until then, you and I are bonded pair."

    "…And you say the alternative is death?" Not that Hazō couldn't just return to the Human Path, but presumably he would then be barred from Arachnid Clan lands, and he wasn't sure what would happen to the dogs either.

    "Yes."

    "Fine," Hazō said wearily. "For the specific purpose of working together to defeat the Eaters, I will be your consort."

    "It is done," Kumokōgō said. "Now come, let us consummate our bonding."

    "Wait, what?"

    Kumokōgō effortlessly picked up Hazō with her front legs, her grip strong as steel. "Is not consort without consummation. Fear not, I will seek to be gentle."

    "Don't worry," Kumouōkā called after him as he was carried away into another chamber. "The strong ones survive seven times out of ten!"

    -o-​

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    Voting ends on Saturday 3rd of April, 1 p.m. New York time.
     
  • Apocrypha
    • Chapter 423: The Ultimate Sacrifice
  • Threadmarks

    • As Hazō stood at the entrance of Sanctuary, the Arachnid capital, he wished the whole thing had been made of seals so he could burn a perfect image of it into his memory.

    The city was a vast three-dimensional web suspended across a bottomless abyss. Silver strands of every size (some as narrow as Hazō's arm and others wide enough to admit a caravan) reached up and down from the walls, drawing complex patterns as they met and intertwined. Cocoon-like houses, each a different shape, sprawled between the threads or hung from them. And at the city's heart, at the conjunction of hundreds of threads, lay a shimmering rainbow sphere the size of a clan compound, dotted with entrances at every angle.

    Looking around, Hazō couldn't see a single surface that wasn't being used for travel. Sanctuary had no concept of walls or roofs, and arachnids would shift from the top to the underside of a thread in order to keep going without getting in each other's way, or lower themselves to a different level on a thread of their own. Far beneath Hazō, a platform the size of a training field hung by a single extremely thick thread, a pack of small arachnids using it to practice ninjutsu without risking collateral damage.

    "Come, come," Kumouōkā said, presumably mistaking his silence for hesitation. "Mighty adamantine threads do not collapse from weight of tiny mammals. Are we Hornet Clan, to embarrass ourselves with crude nests?"

    Hazō nodded without listening. He'd been annoyed at first to hear that Kumokōgō had been called back to the city instead of meeting them near the border as planned, but now he thanked the ancestors, the Will of Fire, the Sage of Six Paths, and anybody else willing to take credit. When this mission was over, the Human Path was going to witness an architectural revolution.

    "You find us at bad time," Kumouōkā said reluctantly. "The weaverkin competition comes soon, so Sanctuary ugliest is."

    "It's what?" Hazō choked out in disbelief.

    There was a pause as Kumouōkā tried to figure out what was so hard to understand about its statement.

    "Ah, mammals must have no weaverkin," she said. "So sorry for you. How do you live?"

    When Kumouōkā realised no response was forthcoming, she carried on chirpily. "I wanted to be weaverkin, but was born mite. It happens. Anyway, every eight cycles, the weaverkin compete. Mother judges which new dwellings are finest. Gives them she to those who lived in worst, then casts those into the great depth, and all cheer. Competition soon, Sanctuary will be better than ever.

    "Hope no evacuation, so that do not cancel," she added less chirpily. "Now walk. Mother waits, but mammal only four legs, so slow. Really, how do you live?"

    Canabisu gave Hazō a smug look. The other dogs were too busy psyching themselves up to walk over a gaping abyss to take the opportunity.

    It only took them a couple of minutes before they drew level with the first dwelling, a mound made of walls of tiny panels seemingly hanging unsupported in the air, their shapes interlocking like puzzle pieces that didn't quite touch each other. Only after a close look could Hazō see the superfine strands of silk linking them together.

    "Skilled but derivative," Kumouōkā commented casually. "To make pastiche of High Weaver Kumori's work, only apprentice. If I weaverkin, I make twice as good. Four times. Well-made, so will not drop this competition, but maybe third, fourth."

    "Is this for real?" Canabisu asked. "People put this much effort into building a house?"

    "Nest is clan; nest is holy," Kumouōkā said in a how-do-you-not-get-this voice. "Almost as much as oath. You no give to nest, why be?

    "Come, come. Mammal face changes many ways. Want to see how changes when you palace inside see. Inside is four times as great as outside. Eight times. Only High Weaverkin renovate."

    The team walked on, accompanied by disturbing chittering noises as arachnids above, below, and on parallel strands paused in their daily routines to watch a strange and unfamiliar species being escorted the way one escorted fellow sapient beings.

    -o-​

    The size of the Orbularium, the Arachnid palace, made a lot more sense when Hazō beheld its most important inhabitant. Cannai could vaguely fit within Hazō's mind as "a dog but large", at least before the Alpha's body was eclipsed by his force of personality. Kumokōgō, if she was literally Kumowasha's mother, must have been of a species where the female was much greater than the male (insofar as such concepts applied to the artificially-created summons). There was no arachnophobe on the Human Path who would not faint cold at the sight of their reflection in her many kickball-sized eyes. Hazō himself, not an arachnophobe at all, could suddenly empathise with them like never before.

    It didn't help that the large oval chamber was filled with other arachnids, who might have been Kumokōgō's court, officials pausing in their duties to gawk, an elite guard ready to fill him with venom at the slightest perceived offence, or just about anything else. The chittering was giving him goosebumps. The dogs, who had never met an arachnid before, were faring worse, and their concentration was on standing bold and definitely not cowering. Canabisu seemed happy to let Hazō lead the negotiations this time.

    "Silence, children," Kumokōgō hissed. "Visitors from afar, news comes before you. I am Kumokōgō, mother and guardian, ruler and slayer. I grant hospitality, I receive wisdom of seal-maker."

    "I am Hazō of the Gōketsu Clan, Dog Summoner from the Human Path," Hazō introduced himself. He bowed deeply—even if the gesture itself was meaningless to an arachnid, the fact that he was making a gesture would surely be recognised by a monarch. "With me are Canabisu, Canault, Cangue, and Cantelabra, emissaries of the Dog Clan of the distant east."

    "A rare gift, to meet a youngest child of the Great Maker and hunters of legend," Kumokōgō said, raising herself slightly to reveal a blood-red hourglass marking on her lower abdomen. "Let us exchange many tales, once Eaters driven from this land. But wisdom cuts before thread frays. We shall speak wisdom.

    "By ancient oath, Hazō of the Gōketsu, we learn no sealcraft. You are a maker of seals, true it is?"

    "That's correct," Hazō said. "I'm not the greatest sealmaster on the Human Path, or even in my village, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. But if you show me the seal, I should be able to make a copy and take it back so I can study it together with the others. I think that's our best chance to figure out what's wrong with it and find a solution."

    "It is well," Kumokōgō allowed. She raised one claw towards a large, furry spider in the corner. "With seal-maker I shall speak. Remove others. Take to guest chambers."

    "Your pardon, Empress," Canabisu said quickly. "I am—eep!"

    His words were cut off as the furry spider, who was roughly the size of a pony, skittered forward and scooped Canabisu up in its front two legs. Silk splurted over him and the spider spun him rapidly around and around in the stream. Other spiders moved just as quickly, seizing the rest of the dogs. Smoke began to billow from the cocoon that contained Canabisu, and Cangue's started vibrating so fast that its bearer dropped it. Hazō lunged to the attack against the spider imprisoning Canabisu, mentally cursing how low his chakra reserves were after summoning the Shadow Clone earlier.

    "Halt!"

    Everyone froze and looked slowly at Kumokōgō. Hazō staggered as he struggled to arrest the momentum of his strike before his fist impacted the guard's chitin.

    "Peaceful all will be. No harm shall be done. Release them."

    The smoke vanished. A few seconds later, Cangue's cocoon stopped vibrating.

    The guards obeyed, slicing the silk off their prisoners with delicate motions of massive claws that should not have been nearly so precise.

    Cangue came out fuming. "You Maker-damned—"

    "Quiet!" Canabisu snapped. "Your Majesty, I thank you for keeping things calm." His eyes flicked around at the dozens of massive spiders who skittered across the floor, walls, and ceiling of the enormous room. Any battle would be hopelessly one-sided.

    "These mammals are friends," Kumokōgō said to her court. "Probably. Take them to quarters politely, bring food and water, speak with respect. I will with seal-maker alone speak for now, will speak with others later." She turned her body to make it clear that she was looking at Hazō. "Is acceptable, seal-maker? You be calm, not raise claw to battle?"

    Hazō relaxed slowly, chewing his lip. He couldn't win this fight, even at full chakra. Still…

    "I respectfully ask that you never do that again, Your Majesty. I am chief of security to this mission, sworn to protect its members. Any further assault on any of them will destroy any possibility of cooperation between us."

    "Understanding. Apologies to you, mammals. Please await us without." She waved at her guards; they moved quickly, opening an aisle from the dogs to the door.

    Canabisu took a deep breath and nodded his head, clearly recognizing a foregone conclusion when it stared at him with far too many blood-red eyes. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Hazō, be careful." He gave Hazō a gimlet eye, then bowed to Kumokōgō. "Come, everyone." He turned and sauntered out, the others trailing behind. Cangue muttered angrily the whole way while Canaut walked stolidly, looking neither left nor right, and Cantelabra cowered next to him, practically glued to the bigger dog's ankles. The poor puppy's head swiveled left and right so fast that Hazō worried his neck might snap as he tried to keep an eye on all the spiders at the same time.

    Kumokōgō waited until the dogs were gone, then turned back to Hazō. "Of one obstacle let us speak."

    Hazō had to spend a moment bracing himself from the whiplash. Conversation to near-fight to conversation, picking up right where they had been...it was enough to spin him around.

    "The Dragon Clan?" Hazō asked at last.

    "Of one obstacle first," Kumokōgō said. "By ancient oath, only she who leads the Arachnid Clan may lay eyes on the Great Seal. So has it been for a thousand years. So must it be for a thousand more. We guard Seal, we do not go to Seal."

    Hazō frowned. "Where is it exactly?"

    "Other territory side, high peak by waves. We stay at base."

    "So you can't let me see it. Can you make a copy? No, wait, that's no good. A non-sealmaster copying a seal is a terrible idea."

    "To meddle with the Seal without knowledge fills me with terror also," Kumokōgō agreed. "The Great Maker commanded the clans to no seals make. If he feared, what of us?"

    "Then can you make an exception?" Hazō asked. "I know it's a lot to ask, but it sounds like you're in an existential crisis here."

    "Not 'we'," Kumokōgō corrected. "All."

    "What do you mean?"

    "The Dragons are not like other Clans. The Dragons second creation were of the Great Maker, after making the Path first. This when battle he prepared against Tenfold Abomination, sought to use them as battle steeds. They defied him, took to jangling the veil he had placed to separate the Paths. He angry, but too strong he made them for simple unmaking...or perhaps unwilling he was to destroy first children. He stripped them down, tore off much of their power including veil control, then he and his kin away locked them in vault beyond any Path, with Great Seal as lock. Now Seal weakens, Dragons emerge. Weak things at first, but from eating they regain stolen strength. One Dragon eats one Archaeopteryx, all Dragons start to regain wings. Already this done is."

    "What?" Hazō asked. "I'm not sure I understood that last bit."

    "Island of Archaeopteryx, no Archaeopteryx had when farspeaker I send. Perhaps some, deeper in, but none came at farspeaker's call or rode the winds near shore where is usual. Only one Dragon need eat one Archaeopteryx for all Dragon to regain baby wings, but if all Archaeopteryx are eaten then all Dragon regain much of power of flight that Great Maker took from them. This likely why no windriders around island. If eat Hornet Clan and other Clans of flight, Dragons' flight is stronger, faster, better. "

    She waggled her abdomen back and forth, possibly in a 'no idea' gesture. "Still, sky above peak says Great Seal weakens, does not break. What escapes are smallest, weakest. When broken completely is and all emerge, eat of Clan ruler they shall and thus regain the art of parting the veil. Then the Great Maker's home shall be first target of vengeance." She raised four arms in (probably) an arachnogallic shrug. "Unsure what happening at Seal. Perhaps is abandoned as Dragons all go forth to regain their power. Perhaps some stay and tear at Great Seal they perhaps are. Some, at least. Or perhaps not. Dragons not friends, not allies, not even to each other. If stay around Seal, they likely are fight. Seal might be damaged in process but might not be the intent. Their fight outcome for world could be good, could be bad."

    Hazō had been right all along. The Eaters were terrifying eldritch abominations. The Eaters were an existential threat, not only to distant clans in a distant world, but to everyone and everything without exception. And if all that stood between the Human Path and the end of all things was how much they needed to eat before they were back to full strength… this was no longer a matter just for Hidden Leaf.

    Hazō's mind began to spin. Leaf's summoner dominance would work against it. Without a way to independently confirm the information, the other villages were unlikely to contribute some of their most valuable ninja to cooperate with an implausible-sounding Leaf project. What would suffice as a show of good faith? Donations of resources? Clan secrets? Would Asuma even go for something like that?

    The wheels spun faster. Didn't Akatsuki have a summoner? But depending on how things played out in Rock… yes, there was a chance that Hazō had badly stabbed himself in the foot by sending Hidan against Leaf's greatest enemy. Belief in a pre-existing Leaf-Akatsuki alliance out to get Leaf's rivals would be a great reason to dismiss Akatsuki's testimony supporting the project.

    Then again, Akatsuki were Akatsuki. Could they force—

    "He who hesitates is preparing a lie," Kumokōgō said meaningfully. "To be of one mind, both must speak theirs."

    "Sorry," Hazō said. "I was thinking about how to handle this on the Human Path. But you're right. We need to sort out this oath business. You said that it's impossible to make an exception?"

    There was an explosion of chittering. Suddenly, faster than his kinetic vision, Kumokōgō's huge eyes were nearly touching his own.

    "You who are heir of the Great Maker, who stand here by contract, power of oaths mock? Oaths not words woven into the walls of Cathedral that Was. Oaths not whispers imparted by priestess to initiate. Oaths bind soul to body. Oaths make world. To mock oaths is to seek unmaking of world. Such must be only slain."

    "I'm sorry!" Hazō exclaimed as the arachnids around him began to stir. "I didn't mock! I simply asked for confirmation that I understood. I don't intend to challenge the significance of oaths at all."

    "Your apology accepted is," Kumokōgō said, scuttling back. "There is no second." She arranged her limbs. "Yes, is impossible. Oath sworn is specific. 'Your Clan shall guard the Great Seal forever, looking not upon it nor allowing any other to look upon it. You shall not go atop the butte, nor shall you allow any other to go atop the butte. In no way shall you interact with the Seal nor allow any other to interact with it. Only one exception will I allow: Your ruler may summit the butte and gaze upon the Seal in order to ensure that nothing and no one has crept through your nets, although still they must not interact with the Seal nor touch it save in the direst event to protect it. Thus I charge you until the end of days.' Very specific oath is. No room for shaking."

    "That is pretty specific," Hazō said. "Still, if I can't look at the seal, then we're at an impasse. And your people are in danger as long as that impasse continues."

    "This is truth," Kumokōgō said. "But perhaps is one way."

    "What is it?"

    "Special right of ruler is. For noble deed, Mother may make consort ruler-in-spirit, grant authority if there is to be done. Is right not meant for use such as this, but maybe not violate oath. No, I say does not violate oath."

    "All right," Hazō said, calling on the Iron Nerve not to sag in relief. "How would it work?"

    "You accept?" Kumokōgō asked, her alien voice sounding relieved. "Hazō of the Gōketsu, do you—"

    "No!" Hazō said quickly. "I'm not accepting, I'm asking how it would work." He chewed his lip for a moment. "Ma'am, we have a little bit of a language problem and I suspect I sound as strange to you as you do to me. My clan has a trick we do called the Clear Communication Technique. It consists of speaking very precisely and as unemotionally as possible, making clear all the things that would normally be implied or assumed. It relies on both parties being charitable—that is, both parties assuming the best of the other person. That means assuming that any offensive statements are accidents or misunderstandings, not deliberate insults. No binding commitments are made until it is explicitly confirmed that the person intended to make that commitment and didn't simply misspeak. Would you be willing to perform the Clear Communication Technique with me?"

    Kumokōgō, the Spider Empress of the Arachnid Clan, chittered in what could have been laughter, or frustration, or anything else because Hazō couldn't read her emotions at all. "I agree. You have something to clearly communicate?"

    "I do. I am here as part of a diplomatic team from the Dog Clan. I am not the diplomat, that is Canabisu. I have no authority to bind the Dog Clan in any way. Separately from that, I am the Lord of Clan Gōketsu. I can bind the Gōketsu, with provisos to be mentioned in a moment, but I will not do so unless I am sure that I completely understand the details and implications. If you think I have made a commitment to anything, please ask me to confirm that it was my intent. If I do intend to agree to something I will clearly state the terms I am agreeing to and that I agree as head of Clan Gōketsu.

    "Clan Gōketsu is part of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, which is commonly referred to as 'Hidden Leaf' or simply 'Leaf' since that's shorter. Leaf is ruled by the Hokage, who is the Monkey Summoner if that matters. I owe loyalty to the Hokage and his will is superior to mine on anything that has implications outside of my clan. For example, there are certain seals that the Gōketsu know how to create but I cannot trade them because the Hokage has ruled them secrets not to be shared. There will be cases where I need to return to the Human Path in order to talk to the Hokage before I can agree to something. Obedience to the Hokage is an oath that I have sworn and I hope that you will respect it as much as I respect yours.

    "Furthermore, there are people on the Human Path that I cherish and I will not agree to anything that might hurt them unnecessarily. I'm not sure how that might come up but I want it to be clearly stated.

    "I am currently feeling nervous and distracted. I am tired from traveling and from using nearly all of my chakra. I have combat nerves because your misspoken word earlier nearly caused a fight. On top of that, you have given me a lot of information today, and most of it is very alarming. As such, I am probably not thinking or reacting at my best. There are probably other restrictions on my ability to tell you things, give you things, or agree to things and I am simply not thinking of those restrictions at the moment due to my nervousness and distraction. I understand the threat that the Dragons pose and I will do everything I can to help you, so long as that does not require breaking any of my other oaths or restrictions." He thought for a moment. "There is probably more that I should be saying right now but it's not coming to mind. I will continue to do my best to communicate clearly as it comes up."

    He fell silent, waiting. Kumokōgō hummed to herself, scraping her front two legs together.

    "Interesting is your technique. I shall attempt it.

    "I am the Empress of Arachnid Clan. I am bound by oaths to defend my people, to protect the Seal, to ensure the presence of a skilled and competent ruler after my passing, and more. I am frustrated at between two oaths being caught: Must defend people against Dragons, cannot touch damaged Seal that is letting them loose. Your squishy mammalian forms are disturbing and make me roil in my spinnerets, which makes me perhaps more webjangling than I should be. Care shall I be taking. Proposal that I made earlier: You are to become consort, then you are imbued with office of ruler to the extent that you may go atop butte to look upon Great Seal." She raised a claw-tipped leg the size of a roof beam. "You still not to touch the Great Seal. Not unless there is no other way and world ending is. So it is sworn." She lowered her claw.

    "Now, you asked about becoming consort. You swear loyalty to this one, Kumokōgō of the Arachnid Clan, to serve need and give body and mind, and to bring power to empty places. Then—"

    "Wait," Hazō said. "Pardon the interruption, but I feel that it's better to dispose of problems one by one. If I wait then I might forget something later on." He waited for Kumokōgō to wave one claw in a 'go on then' gesture. "I can't just swear loyalty to another clan. I'm already loyal to the Gōketsu, and to Hidden Leaf, and to the Hokage, and the Alpha of the Dog Clan would have something to say as well. Even if it's to save the world, I have to at least get their permission."

    "Is not oath to clan," Kumokōgō corrected. "Is oath from male to female only. For arachnid, is great honor. To save world, demand smaller than speck of dust."

    Great. So instead of being asked to betray Leaf, he was just being asked to marry a giant spider. What kind of life did Hazō lead where these were the choices he had to consider?

    "Is great honor," Kumokōgō repeated. "Rules must accept. Do not be at one with other females. Do not lie to Great Mother. Do not renovate Orbularium without permission."

    Hazō blinked. "Do not ren...never mind. I am aware of the great honor you have offered me, and I thank you for it. I have a…" He groped around, trying to find the word, and then remembered what Kumokōgō had said about hesitation. "I have a relationship with a woman—that is, a female of my kind—back on the Human Path. I paused because I was trying to find the word to describe exactly what our relationship is, but I could not find it. It is too deep, too strong, too complex to be summarized easily. Regardless, she is very important to me and I owe her care and consideration. I have to at least speak to her before I could become your consort and there are people from whom I should seek advice before making this decision."

    "Entangling oaths can be," Kumokōgō admitted. "Challenge for ruler to navigate between strands. But… will make concession. Exists crime that breaks consort bond. When Seal is remade, you commit this crime, I punish with exile. No oath broken is. For now, you go back to Human Path, you find way through strands. You come back here and then you and I are bonded pair and you are consort and ruler-in-spirit who can look upon Seal. This is good?"

    Hazō thought about that. "I am facing several obstacles right now and the first is related to the nature of summoning. Could you please tell me what you know about summoning? I need to be certain that we have a common knowledge base but I do not wish to insult you by telling you basic facts that you already know."

    "Arachnids have not had Summoner for long time, but knowledge is preserved. Great Maker created a scroll for each of the clans, seeded them across his home. Squishy mammal may sign contract. Upon signing, one Arachnid will be brought to Human Path to meet signer. If approves of them, may bring them back to Arachnid Territory. With my permission, they remain, depart, return. While here they may make contract with arachnids, summon them to Human Path. Requires chakra to summon. They cannot come here on their own, must be carried by returning arachnid."

    Hazō nodded. "Good, that's...wait, go back. What was that part about 'with my permission they remain, depart, and return'?"

    She fluttered her abdomen at him. "Of course. Contract does not work for anyone if ruler declares it invalid. If I deny access to human, human cannot cross the Paths. Must give scroll to another who will be judged in turn."

    "I believe you are saying that you could stop the Arachnid Summoner from coming to the Seventh Path, and you could also stop them from leaving the Seventh Path. Is that correct?"

    "Yes, of course. How else work it should?" She paused as though finished speaking, then hurried to add "Contract work only once for new signer. Come, not go without let."

    "Huh." He stared into the distance, blinking. That was new. "When someone signs the contract they cannot return to the Human Path unless you give them permission?"

    "No. Wait. Yes. Yes, is correct what you say. Summoner not leave without my permission."

    "Is it like that for all the Clans?"

    She shrugged. "Arachnids not bother others, they not bother us. Would be surprised if not that."

    "Huh." He chewed on that for a moment, then shook himself back to awareness. "Okay. Well, the point is like you said earlier: I can go back to the Human Path with no effort, but returning here requires that I summon a dog to carry me back. Before I can become your consort I need to return to the Human Path and talk to my clan and the Hokage. I am also ordered by Cannai, Alpha of the Dog Clan, to report to him every night, although he has given me some leeway to make exceptions when circumstances warrant. I think he definitely needs to know about all this so that he can start preparing the Dogs and the other clans for attack by the Dragons. The problem is that right now I'm essentially out of chakra. If I go back to the Human Path and summon Cantily so that I can talk with Cannai then I won't be able to summon Cantelabra in order to return here. Not until my chakra has regenerated, which will take hours. At the same time, I have a duty to protect the mission, meaning the dogs that I'm traveling with. I can't leave them alone for long periods." He looked back towards the door. "Honestly, I'm not really comfortable leaving them alone right now, since I'm worried that they might say something wrong and offend someone, maybe start a fight by mistake. Cantelabra tends to shoot his mouth off."

    "Shoot his...fly to full web is." She considered. "This oath I give: The Arachnid Clan shall protect your dogs until your return. No harm will come to them that within our power is to prevent. They shall be kept safe and as comfortable as possible in their chambers until you return or for two suns, whichever first is. At end of that time, if not returned you have, they shall be exiled and sent out of our territory unharmed. If they return…" Her chelicerae spread in menace. "If return against our command, moist and tasty they seem."

    He shuddered. "Thank you for that oath. I will…" He paused, head cocked as a realization struck. "Ma'am—Your Majesty, you said that you haven't had a Summoner for a long time. Do you happen to know where the Arachnid Scroll is?"

    She rippled her feet. "Last Arachnid Summoner lived on island in middle of great lake north and west of Human Path lands, in great desert. That many generations ago. Maybe there still?"

    "Innnteresting." He smiled, thinking of the possibilities. "All right, thank you. At this point I think—"


    What does Hazō think?

    XP AWARD: 4

    Brevity XP: 1

    "GM had fun" XP: 2

    Vote time! What to do now?

    Voting ends on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, at 12pm London time.

    The next update will be an Isan update, so plan for that.


    Author's Note:     To save some time, yes, Hazō has repeatedly dispelled and nothing has changed, so this probably isn't a genjutsu or a dream.

    Also, note that the previous instance of this update was written by the inimitable @Velorien and with his permission I pillaged the first part of this one because it was awesome. That one was an April Fool's, this one is not. This is the actual canon update for Sunday, dropping two days early so you have more time to prepare.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Interlude: Flawless Victory
  • Threadmarks
    • Interlude: Flawless Victory​

    It had not been an easy night for Gōketsu Mari, the woman who'd carelessly sent one of her own into danger without backup (not that Snowflake could ever be in physical danger, but Mari was in unknown territory when gauging the fragility of a newborn's heart), and then done it again but worse to urgently make up for her own failure. When they got back to Leaf, she was throwing Pandā a damn party, with board games and exotic grubs and whatever Keiko thought suitable compensation for maybe saving her life.

    The Kannagi's soup had already been the second most delicious kind she knew—soup served by someone smart who knew they couldn't afford to poison her—but the relief at getting away with her miscalculation had turned it into ambrosia. (The first kind, of course, was Kagome's seafood soup, served at home, in safety, surrounded by her family.) Now, though, late at night with the ecstatic wave of relief long behind her, her thoughts were being poisoned by something else.

    The soup had triggered the memory of her most recent great victory, the one over Ami. There had been nothing but pride there, at first. She'd unquestionably chosen the most effective approach, and as proof, Ami had backed off, instantly and completely. Mari had protected her family and beaten, no, dominated the junior who'd grown into that rarest of things, a proper rival; the junior who'd spent two full years polishing her skills while Mari had spent that time merely growing as a person.

    The thought flickered through her head, briefly, that Ami's trajectory might have been different if she hadn't suddenly lost her only emotional bond. Mari dismissed it. It wasn't relevant.

    Mari had predicted and subverted Ami's expectations, chosen the approach her target would be least prepared to cope with, and executed it flawlessly. Someone else might have made the mistake of holding back, afraid that the raw brutality of it would damage an ongoing relationship, but she knew her target, and knew she would understand that the game stood apart from personal concerns. Mari's earlier debt to her was just another favour, not something betrayed by a separate conflict.

    So why was Mari now starting to question that flawless victory? Wasn't it proof that whoever and whatever she was now, the protector had won out over the Heartbreaker, that she could and would use her powers to protect the ones she loved? Proof that her skills had not rusted and the Gōketsu could count on her in a time of need?

    But a little voice, the voice of one of those many Maris who waited to be integrated into an army or a single whole, now wondered whether a flawless victory was what she'd needed.

    Mari couldn't understand Hazō's relationship with Ami, not all the way. She'd been afraid, at first, that he'd come back from their meetings damaged, filled with conditioning that she'd have to work with extreme care to undo before he became Ami's helpless puppet. Instead… Ami was holding back. Ami was obviously holding back, and Mari didn't understand why, and she had to admit that at first she'd been a little afraid. There was no surer prelude to defeat than playing a game where your opponent knew the rules and you didn't.

    But Ami was holding back, and so Mari had taken a hands-off approach. She'd let Hazō pursue his fantasy of making Ami a genuine friend, even family. And when Ami inevitably hurt him, she'd stepped in instantly to protect him.

    But now the voice of that unlabelled Mari wondered: what did it say about her that when she was called on, she'd gone straight for the throat, the Heartbreaker's tools adopted for the greater good? What if, Mari asked herself for the first time, there had been other tools?

    Hazō had accomplished the impossible before. What if there had been some way to support his fantasy, even if it meant accepting a risk of failure? What if, Mari asked herself for the first time, she had let Hazō fight his own battle, and limited herself to holding Ami in check as a real mediator?

    He would have lost. There was no way round it. There was no point going down that path. Even now, Hazō could only challenge Mari when backed by a clan head's power, and Mari easily had the skill to evade that kind of confrontation if she really wanted. Ami, who'd just proven she didn't care about Hazō's welfare, would have far more options available to her, and no interest in fostering his sense of authority the way Mari did. He would have lost, and Mari would have failed to protect her own, and that was unacceptable. She'd made the right choice.

    Something was cracking inside her.

    Yes, Mari's objective was to protect. It was that simple. No matter what missions Hazō sent her on, no matter what missions she chose for herself, in the end it always came down to protecting her impossible, incredible family. She'd accomplished that mission perfectly. What more did the nameless Mari want from her than perfection?

    Mari knew what she was doing. Even in foreign territory that might never truly become her own, she'd made so many connections. She'd kept her skills honed even in retirement. She had her finger on the pulse of the village. If she, the world expert at the peak of her power, wasn't capable of choosing the ideal approach to a social situation, who was?

    The nameless Mari pounced.

    So many connections. Where are your friends?

    So many skills. Where are your hobbies?

    If you have your finger on the pulse of the village, why do you spend so much time sitting at home, reading Jiraiya's novels over and over?

    The pain came out of nowhere, piercing deep like a spear.

    Mari was fine. What kind of friends could measure up to her family anyway? Ami sure as hell didn't qualify, if that was what the nameless Mari was implying. And hobbies? She had—

    No, you know what, she wasn't interested in justifying herself to her own inner voices. She was fine. Her judgement was fine. She had everything she wanted. She was not going to go back to those days of nothing but darkness, listening to her own voice list her failings until she couldn't hear anything else.

    You can take the ninja out of the battlefield…

    Mari wasn't going to be able to sleep like this, and it was going to be another busy day tomorrow. Luckily, it had been a decade since she'd learned the foolproof solution to sleepless nights. And now she thought about it, she barely knew anything about Isanese alcohol…

    -o-​

    What do you do?

    Voting closes on Saturday 10th of April, 1 p.m. New York time.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 424:@@
  • Threadmarks

    • tHe brrainnmeea ts shr!eked

    "At this point I think the next steps are pretty clear. I—" Stop. "Wait. I want to be careful about my words here. I have ideas for what we should do next. I acknowledge that you are the Empress of the Arachnid Clan. You are physically more powerffful than me and you are in chage here, not me. I don't want to do anything without your approval. I would like to lay these ideas out and ask your approval before doing anyanything because I don't want you to feel as though I'm denigrating your authority. I'd like to run these ideas past you and accept your input. Is that all right?"

    "The rightness is throughout all."

    "Good. Okay, first: I need—I want more information, if you're willing to give it. It would help a great deal, but I'm not going to ask you to divulge anything if you aren't support to or if htere's a reason you can't. Beyond the time that I ask the questions, my thought is that I would talk to the rest of the mission to set things up. Then I would return to the Human Path for tttwo days. I would use that temporeal to talk with Cannai, Firesoul, Shining Heart, and a few others in order to prepare as best I can for the trip to the Great. I would be back previous to the deadline that you gave for deporting the mission. As soon as I got back you and I would go to the along with an escort of however many spiders—"

    "Arachnids. Not Spider Clan we are. Arachnid Clan we are. To battle we go, scorpion escort we bring. Hornet ally troops air support for. Mite riders for scout and assassin. Others are of use."

    "Excuse me, did you say 'mite riders'?"

    "Yes. They are mites, they ride. Usually on scorpion, sometimes on spider, sometimes on hornet."

    "And the 'assassin' part?"

    "They are mites. Small, can become smaller. Get into tracheae, destroy from inside."

    "..."

    "Problem?"

    "These things get into your body and destroy you from the inside?"

    "Yes. Strong jaws for chewing, or claws for tearing. Sometimes vomit containing strong juices for digestion of enemy internals. A few have venom."

    "You bring scorpions to do your fighting, and the mites ride on the scorpions, and the mites get inside your enemies and kill them from the inside."

    "Yes." She studied him for a moment, clearly confused. "Personal worry you have? Don't worry have. I ordered the ones in you to stand down."

    "Well, I'm sure that a lot of people will be glad to hear that."

    "!"

    The door was not more than half closed before she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing tight. In a fine example of personal growth, she oderated her strnegth so as not to evert his organs.

    "It's good to see you again, Shining Heart," he murmured, stroking her hair and reveling in the scent of it.

    She squeezed briefly tighter, then stepped back. "What happened with the spiders? Last you were here you said you were going to meet wtih the _ their boss?"

    "Kumokōgō, yes. The Empress of the Arachnid Clan." He chewed his lip, eyeing her carefully. "It's...okay, this is going to sound weird."

    She raised an eyebrow. "You had a meeting with the Empress of the Arachnid Clan and you think I'll be surprised that it sounds weird?"

    He chuckled. "Oh, trust me, the giant spider was the least many weird things flying about under that meeting. Can we get some tea and food? Looking at my new hosts has put me off eating for a bit."

    Her laugh was the sound of bells and the scent of pie. "I think we can find something. Come on."

    They were in fact able to find something. A lot of something. They piled all the something up and carried it out onto the crisp risp fair carnival air of the lawn. It was October and the trees were fire sparks and stellar ripples and he could feel the earth beneath his toes.

    "She's a giant spider," he began, nibbling on a dumpling. "Based on what she tells me, the Sage made the Seventh Path, then he made the Dragons, then he tore the Drag0ns apaart and used their parts to make other clans while he sttiched them awaayay off the Pathss Paths bey[]nd the Paths. Now the is failing and the Dragons are extrovating. Kumokōgō wants me to fix the that's locking them all away behind the paint." He took a breath and let it out slowly. "And the way only that happenis i I make one with marry her."

    Shining Heart's eyes went wide. "If you marry her?"

    "More information you may have. Answer questions when I can, or refuse. Ask."

    "When did the begin weakening? Was anything special happening at that time?

    "First traces when the season was this before, perhaps a bit later. Webs trembled more than wind suggested. Eggs came strange colors. More scorpions hatched than usual as though world knew need of warriors. The sky above the softened. Color less of the Arachnid, more of no color, a tear in sky. Cracks there, like aged chitin dropped on stone. Cracks in sky."

    "I see." He pondered that for a moment. "And this consort business...what would my duties be? And what 'crime' will I have to do to dissolve it?"

    "It's not as bad as it sounds," he said quickly. He reached out and laid his hand on hers, fingers stroking her soft warm skin in the most reassuring manner he could manage. "I'll be her consort but it's purely in name only. She things I'm icky."

    "Duties of consort are to satisfy the needs of the ruler." Chittering happened. "Usually needs are more carnal, but in case of you...ick. Squishy amputee with not enough eyes. My wish is that you stay far from my web, please."

    Shining Heart laughed. "Icky?! What a terribly unyouthful thing to say to your fiancé!"

    "I know, right? I was deeply, deeply offended." Relief washed through his heart from crown to sole, the living heart being larger than the painted-on body. "It's a purely parchment marriage."

    "I'm sure that my sweetheart"—the word was inadequate but human language lacked one better—"will tease me to no end about how unyouthful it is for me to say this but: I'm honestly very grateful. I'm sure you are a beautiful...woman...female...whatever the right term would be, but I still prefer to date within the collection of characteristics that my kind have arbitrarily labeled a species."

    "For once, of bigotry I am grateful. Purely within the memories of the Loremasters shall our marriage begin and end, the strands being purely notional. You shall be only for fixing the and nothing more. Except..."

    "It was very youthful of her to offer such a deal. It must have been embarrassing for her. If the Arachnids are in any way like humans, they will still make assumptions. It shows great courage to have done what she did."

    "Before you go too far on that path, there was an 'except' at the end of what she said. See, apparently becoming consort requires that the male 'go forth unto the ruler's web for their first night and in the morning, shall she be satisfied, duty around his shoulders a veil shall settle.' I'll have to spend one night in her web. She told me she is going to weave a web that stretches through three separate rooms so that we can be technically in the same web and also nowhere near each other."

    "Oh, my. Poor ." She patted his shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure you'll be okay. Why exactly do you need to marry her?"

    He grinned nervously as the butterflies in his belly shredded amidst the nigh-bursting of merriment in her eyes. "Funny story...the is on top of a butte, which is a small mountain, and no one is allowed up there except the ruler of the Arachnids. She doesn't know anything about so I had to be the one to go, which meant that I needed to have some shred of rulership. The only way to make that work was to make me her consort. It's a real marriage, but it will be dissolved when all this is over. There's a particular crime that dissolves a marriage."

    "Oh?" Shining Heart asked archly, one fine brow rising to the ascendant realms. "And just what might that be?"

    The silvered walls of the Orbularium seemed to shimmer and pulse around him as relief and embarrassment swirled. It was virtually imposssible eht rof redipS essEmpr to have been able to read his mood but she seemed to do so anyway because that chittering and the sussurant taptaptaptap of her legs was very clearly amusement.

    "Crime we shall use is: Shall any consort be caught spending darkness span in embrace of another female, consort no longer is."

    Sickness washed away the relief. "I have to spend the night in the embrace of a female spider?"

    "Have no fear. I will choose my most beautiful handmaid and tell her to be gentle."

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    The chittering was scaling up in pitch to nigh-supersonic levels. "Your face! Hard to tell with squishy mammal face, but appalled and horrified is for certain! Oh, so adorable. Have no fear. Strict reading of law says only 'be caught' and 'another female'. You may spend the night being embraced by your own female and then confess in the morning. The anchorpoint is perhaps unbest but the web will be strong enough for its purpose."

    Breath came for the first time in what seemed like minutes. "Your Majesty, that was mean." He couldn't bring much heat to the words because in retrospect it actually was pretty funny.

    "Please tell me you aren't just being funny," Firesoul asked, rubbing his face in exhaustion. "The Battle, the Collapse...we keep taking these hits with barely any time to recover and now a monster from the Seventh Path might be on their way to eat us all? Sage's balls."

    "Go easy on the kid," Farwalker laughed, tipping his head back so he could take a drink from the flask he held in his tail. He swallowed it then opened his mouth again to let it flow backwards into the flask so that he could look down at Firesoul. "Go easy on the kid," Farwalker laughed, tipping his head back so he could take a drink from the flask he held in his tail. "Don't Rasengan the messenger, right? It's better to have the alarm than not."

    "I know, I know," Firesoul said, rubbing his head tiredly. He sighed and sat up straight, pouring himself a cup of tea and taking a fish tempura off the tray at his elbow. "Do we have any idea which clan the Dragons will go after next?"

    He shrugg3d. "Archaeopteryx was northwest of Arachnid territory. Kumokōgō is sending farspeakers deeper into the territory. That's considered a bit rude but now it ammmmounts to search and recuse recovery rescue instead of simply barging in. She'll let us know if there's any word. For now, the is the most important thing."

    "Right. Okay, how can we help?"

    "First, I want to start getting more of the Gōketsu trained at Wayshredding. If there were some way to get Kagome-sensei the Arachnid Wayshredder right this minute, I would do it. The way things are, I'm the only one who can look at this and I..."

    "Are you insane?! Why would you let some pointy-clawed stinking spider stinker drag you over to look at a massive all by yourself?!" Kagome-sensei threw his hands in the air, sending pages of notes flying. "And now you want to know about Dragons and locking things away? Are you insane?!"

    "Sensei, there isn't a choice. The Dragons are here, and if I cna't fxi the Great then we're aaaall going to not be."

    "Not feeling up to the job, kid?" Firesoul asked after a moment.

    "Sir...I'm not sure that Poetsoul would have been up to this job. I am nowhere near this."

    "You're the only one who can do it, so you have to do it," Firesoul said, a smile twitching at his lips. "Welcome to my world."

    He mock-glared at him. "I don't mock your pain."

    Firesoul considered that for a moment, then pulled a jar out of one of his drawers and slid it across the desk. "I brought cookies?"

    A trio of the comestibles availed themselves to him and he began to experience. "Wayshredding training for the Gōketsu?"

    Firesoul's jaw worked in thoughtful/dismayed/amused. "Does it have to be your uncle?"

    "This is going to be one nightmare of a research project and he's better than me."

    "You don't have the Wayshredder, so isn't it moot?"

    "We don't have it yet, but we have a good lead on it. And I'd like your permission to go after it."

    Stones ground within the flames.

    "Is it permitted for the Empress to have more than one consort at a time?"

    "Rare and unappealing it is, but forbidden not."

    "Okay." He chuckled. "Honestly, I think you and my uncle would get along great. Or deidarically, but I'm not sure which. Regardless, he's better with than I am. Having me fix the might or might not be possible. It might or might not be possible for him, but the odds are better with both of us. And it's not a fast process so we'll have time."

    "Speed wise would be."

    "Speed, yes, haste, no. Problems happen when doing research. If a problem happens while researching a simple explosive, that's bad. If a problem happens while researching a thing that stitches up a vault in reality? Facing the Dragons with six legs tied together would be smarter. That's not a joke. I basically assume that if I make a mistake on this project then all of reality is going to crumble."

    Firesoul's eyes widened. "Do you seriously believe that?"

    "Hence why I'd like Kagome-sensei to get trained as a Wayshredder."

    "Hey, he's a funny guy, but he's not the best around," Farwalker said. He looked over at Firesoul. "Right, kid? Please say I'm right?"

    Firesoul hesitated.

    He held up a hand to interrupt his leader. "Poisonflenser is not eligible for the Arachnid Wayshredder," he pointed out. "With Poetsoul dead, Poisonflenser ineligible, and so many of the experienced ninja dead in the Collapse, I doubt very much that Hopehome has anyone better than Kagome-sensei. Even if you do, he's the best for working with me."

    "I suppose that's fair."

    "And we need to get the Arachnid Wayshredder so that he can see the for himself."

    "And you thththink tht t's n Drtplce."

    "I think so, yes."

    Stones ground within the flames.

    "Fine. I'll put a team together and they'll leave in the morning. If you have recommendations, have them on my desk by midnight."

    "Yes, sir."

    Firesoul shook his head. "I used to watch Soulshaper(heart-keening/world-crumbled) do this job and he made it look so easy. Decades of peace talks, molding policy, keeping everything stable. Now I'm sending a group of Nightkillers into a foreign nation to steal a major strategic asset that we hope is there."

    "Hagino Bunzō the Wayshredder was. Vast lake, hours wide at a run. Square, mostly, with sides pushed in. Six hours to the vast water at a stepping pace. Island on dawn shore of lake. Home on island built with own limbs. Wife and father and mother and three hatchl—three children, human word is. Very happy there was Bunzō. Left there only reluctantly, returned as swiftly as possible. School he had on shore, near river to the snowside. Taught every day, trained many skillful students. Always went back to his island every night for wife and children and father and mother. Wayshredder there is likely."

    "I'm pretty sure it will be, sir."

    "Well, here's hoping. Okay, I'll arrange Wayshredding training for Kagome-sensei. What else?"

    "Dogs, Porcupine, Monkey, Pangolin, Slug, Turtle, Condor, Snake. You wish us to give them gifts?"

    "I'm offering you the chance to trade with them, if you want. There's no force applied. You and they exchange things in a way that lets both of you come out ahead." He held up a hand to cut off the expected objection. "Things are worth more to some people than others. For example, the Arachnids have plenty of rope in the form of your webs. You have so much of it that it's not worth much to you. I bet you would adore sweetsyrup, but you don't have any way of getting it and so it's worth a lot. The Monkeys have so much sweetsyrup that they don't value it, but they have to go to a lot of effort to make rope. You give them rope, they give you sweetsyrup. Both sides aren't giving up much but they're getting a lot." Do not share joke about cultural implications of giving people rope or images of people hanging or the superiority of the turn-and-throw method of using a garrotte.

    She skittered back and forth. "An interesting thought. Contact with mammals. Voluntarily." Skitter, skitter. "Poorly has such contact gone, but perhaps only because Cats lick shit? Perhaps Monkeys and Dogs and others are better." Skitter, skitter.

    "She's considering whether or not to enter the trade network, sir."

    "Huh." He shook his head and lit a cigarette. "Contact between entirely different types of creatures that haven't spoken in centuries. That's going to be a complicated set of relationships to manage and a lot of opportunity for disaster."

    "Please tell me that does not actually mean what it sounds like," Shining Heart said, her eyes sick.

    "That's what I said. No, it doesn't. I need to spend the night in the embrace of a female but it doesn't have to be a spider and it doesn't need to involve sex or nakedness or anything like it." He swallowed nervously. "I don't...I hope...I'm not ready for...um."

    Homemade pie scented through the air. "It's all right. I'm not either, but the idea of holding you through the night, with both of us fully clothed, sounds nice."

    "Oh. Good." Air was expelled in relief.

    "Thank you for reassuring Calmsmoker and the others before coming here. As to the rest of your story, I am uncertain whether I should be relieved that it is not as bad as my worst imaginings or terrified at what it is."

    "Both?"

    Cannai chuffed a laugh. "Perhaps. In any case...yes, you may take three days off from your reports. You'll need the time. When do you leave to go to the?"

    "Soon. And I need to ask a favor: I'll check in with you right before I look at the and I need you to kick me off the Seventh Path thirty minutes later unless you hear from me."

    The massive canine cocked his head. "Kick you off the Path?"

    "Yes. Force me to shred through the unerpindings of r3al!ty so that I Pahumanth up end kcab on the, if that's okay?"

    "...Why would you think I could do that?"

    "Kumokōgō said that she could stop a Wayshredder from tRvelnig thr0Vg|-| P4th5..."

    "Yes, exactly. I can stop you from doing it, I can't force you to do it."

    "Oh."

    "Is there some other way I can help?"

    "IS there ANything you caN 7ell me about eht tuoba em tell me about the Paths, or how travel between them works, or anything like that?"

    Cannai paused, thinking. "I don't think so. Yes, I have an inherent awareness of teh jalhp 325O@ and how it !nt37cts with the..."

    ...

    "Are you all right?"

    ...

    "Are you all right?" An enormous paw tapped gently on his shoulder.

    "Um...no. I don't think so. With your permission, I'm going to head back now."

    The mighty canine studied him for a moment, and then nodded. "Of course. I'm sorry I can't help more. Say hello to the mission for me, especially to—"

    "Uncle , I'm tired! Can't we stop?"

    He scooped Littlewagger up from the ground without slowing down. "No, but you can ride for a bit."

    "Does the small one have pain?" asked a nearby spider. The Arachnids skittered through the illusion of 'before' and 'behind' and 'beside', moving with clicking speed. Subtle testing on the run whispered that they could outsprint a ninja for a short distance and could maintain a ninja's jog tirelessly but a proper traveling pace for more than an hour would defeat them.

    "No," he said. "He's fine. Right, little one?"

    "Uh-huh!" Littlewagger pressed himself into 's chest, tucking his cold nose against 's warm neck, and within moments his body was limp in sleep.

    The skyflame leaped like a salmon, arcing up and over their heads until dripping back to the horizon as a burning red ember.

    Firesoul flicked the ash off his cigarette. "I'm conflicted on this one, . The bijū are...complicated. They were created by the Fourth, with Poetsoul serving as his assistant." His lips reshaped themselves into sadness. "Sparkdancer was an amazing man. Brilliant. Not just at either. He wrote poetry, did you know that?"

    "I didn't."

    Firesoul nodded, his eyes distant. "Not all of it was good, but it was passionate." He sighed. "Here's the thing. The bijū aren't well understood. Even Poetsoul, who understood every other that I ever saw him touch, didn't understand those. I know how dangerous are—heck, look at what happened with that skywalker."

    "Technically, that was an infusion failure, not a research problem."

    "And this affects my point how?"

    "Fair."

    "If I give you those and you start working on them, using them as background for work on this 'Great' that you mentioned, how much worse could it be? You're good, I'll give you that. You're creative, diligent, and careful. Everything I could ask for in a researcher...except experienced, but that will come in time as long as you don't accidentally kill us all first."

    He grinned. "Here's how you can tell that I'm becoming more socially and politically aware: My immediate thought was hey, wouldn't it be funny to say 'who says it will be accidental'? and then I realized that might sound like a threat against the Shadowed Fire and therefore might be treason, so I didn't say it."

    Firesoul laughed. "It would have been funny. Arguably treason, but funny." He sobered again. "I'm worried that if I give you those notes, you'll work on them and make a mistake. Tell me I'm wrong to worry."

    "No, you should definitely worry about me making a mistake on those."

    "...Okay, that was not where I was expecting this conversation to go. I thought you wanted me to give you the notes?"

    "I do, yeah. But I can't promise I won't make a mistake researching them, and if I do it will probably be catastrophically bad."

    "You're really bad at this reassurance thing, you know that?"

    "So TrustGiver has repeatedly told me."

    "So you might destroy the world if I give you these things, but you still think I should give them to you?"

    "If you give me the notes on bijū-containment, I'll research them. If I make a mistake then the results will be disastrous, positivably even world-ending. Now, think how much more likely I am to destroy all the worlds if I try to fix the Great without having any background material to draw on."

    Firesoul stared at him for a moment, then sighed. "I'll get you the notes. Obviously, state secrets and treason and so on."

    "Polite and only-slightly-implied threats received and understood, sir. I'll keep them quiet and let you know before I show them to anyone else, including Kagome-sensei."

    "Good. When are you likely to be able to look them over?"

    The silverlight pavanned across the sky, its light insufficient to let him read. Poetsoul's Awesome Daybright Lantern filled the gap, and a tube around the prevented the light from bothering his companions.

    He was no fool. He only read a few hours and made sure to sleep. Looking at a new without enough sleep was idiocy. As would be fighting.

    "We have arrived," Kumokōgō said. "We will wait here and then proceed."

    The butte loomed before him, sand and red and tall and a pillar upthrust from the depths of the world.

    "Why are we waiting?"

    She waved a leg and three dozen scorpions skittered away, a troop of hornets buzzing alongside.

    "For them to die."

    He blinked. "Excuse me?"

    "Dragons around the Great lair. Diverted they must be that you may study the. Troops I have sent to attract their attention. Five away drawn, one remains. Those"—she gestured towards the departing troops—"will draw that one off from the top of the butte."

    "...How? I thoguht ththat 7hey couldn't go on top of the butte? Or even see the."

    "They cannot, but they can go on the side of it. They will sting out their eyes any chance of seeing the to prevent and then they will run up the side of the butte, fire venom blindly to draw Dragon's gaze, then flee. The hornets will attack the Dragon when it launches, stinging at its eyes and nose. It should take a few minutes to kill them all, by which time the scorpions dispersed will have, splitting widely apart. It should take an hour, possibly two, for the Dragon to catch and eat them all. That is the window for you to the Great observe."

    What could even be said to that?

    "I..." Silence fell.

    "We begin moving in fifteen minutes. Whatever you are thinking said now should be."

    "Empress..." He trailed off, then shook his head. "You need to call those scorpions back. An hour, even two hours, isn't remotely long enough."

    "Taking drawings you said, to review later. You said this your plan was."

    "Yes, but..."

    "This the time is to be had. Perhaps we can arrange another later, but not a longer one. For now is all."

    He stared. He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. "Okay. We can—"

    The paint around them shook and trembled as something rose from the top of the butte. Something vAsty, sc4leD iN irRidEsCence, the air sh!mmering ar{}und it AS IT ROSE through the air body lashing AS iT—

    "Dragon distracted is. You ready are?"

    He staggered, tearing his eyes Out no away no out from sockets no aside from the horror above the butte that was no not looking keeping the gaze aside—

    "Yes, I'm ready. Let's get up there."

    "Are you certain this will be safe?" Shadowed Mind asked, concern audible in his voice.

    He shrugged. "Not even slightly. In fact, there's a really good chance that I'm going to end up dead. I don't see any potentially distinct nonterminal worldlines."

    "I see." Shadowed Mind thought on that for several seconds, his hands curled into his birthright loops to avert interruption.

    He waited calmly, experiencing the mass of time and weight upon him.

    "What precautions have you considered?"

    "Well, first, I'll have my physical corpus on a bed in the clinic when I reverse-wayshred to the Seventh Path so that I can reappear here with the notes at the soonest possible moment. I've arranged to have DespairingWorldmender on standby. By which I literally mean standing by the bed that I will reappear in."

    Shadowed Mind's eyebrows shot up. "How in the world...?"

    "A massive bribe in medical funding plus a literal tun of fancy sake from her favorite brewer. She's only promised to be there for two hours so that's my window."

    "Are you going to be able to pay the bribe? I thought your finances were thin right now?"

    "Funny you should mention that. My finances are thin right now, and I meant to ask you about a loan...?"

    Shadowed Mind glared. "Troublesome."

    He chuckled. "Speaking of troublesome...I've left a documentation of intent after expiration of mortal shell with my right hand. I want the Dog Scroll to stay with the Gōketsu, but I've made a bunch of other bequests. I'd be grateful if you would support the others in resolving the affairs."

    "Of course."

    "Thank you. Okay, well, once we get to the site, Kumokōgō will escort me up the butte."

    The sand scraped against his fingers as he pulled himself atop the butte, Kumokōgō beside him.

    He stood up and dusted off his hands, looking around. The butte was massive, a vaguely-oval area easily fifty yards across. The ground beneath his appendages was red like rusted daggers and gritty or sometimes glittering and blue/grey where intrusions split the stone, the surface broken and shattered into a treacherous footing of valleys and ridges that rose and fell by an inch, a foot, even a cubit. Something, or somethings, had clearly been fighting here. The rust-red ground was shredded and torn, scatters of gravel everywhere. The heat pummeled at his physical shell, dessicating his eyes and nose and throat and making the air shimmer around him.

    He looked around and frowned. "Where's the?" he asked.

    His companion waggled her abdomen. "What do you mean? You're standing on it."

    His stomach sank as the import of her words struck. He stepped forward a few movements of the leg and crouched down next to one of the blue/grey intrusions. He brushed some gravel off the top, careful not to touch the intrusion itself, and sighted along its length.

    The ridge of foreign stone intrusion spiraled off sundeathward without interruption. Θther r!dg3s coconconconnnected to or ranbched awĀy fr{}m !t—"

    He jerked his eyes away and forced himself to focus all his thoughts on the scent of Shining Heart's hair and the warmth of being hugged so tight his endóskele7on might shatter. He count3d h7r rem.m2l)bed pULsssse b#atx, forcing hIMsel@ to rembr the scent of HER skin and the feel of his feet in ^he dirt and his own heart in his own chest.

    He took a deep breath and spoke quietly, keeping all his attention on the inner image as the sense of the world around him shivered and liicked 4t his bra!Vn.

    "Kumokōgō, please listen carefully. I'm having to maintain a very particular mental state right now and it will be bad if I'm distracted. Please get more of those hornets up here, with blindfolds on and a pair of harnesses. You need to tie my sketchbook to me. I'm going to make a clone. You need to lift both of us up above the surface so that we can see the entire butte at once. I will have my eyes closed. The clone will sketch what he sees in the book which will be tied to me. I will take the book back, he will disappear. I will then open my eyes and study the butte as long as I can, at which point I will shred away. Have the hornets keep me steady until I disappear, but the rest of you run now."

    The skittering of pointy legs said that the Spider Empress knew when not to speak.

    "How do you know those spider stinkers won't betray you, huh? HUH?! Answer that one, Mr Smart Guy!"

    "I can't know for sure, sensei, but—"

    "But nothing! Don't come crying to me when you find yourself...I dunno, dangling in a web with their gnashing fangs right above your head!"

    He manfully didn't chuckle. "I promise I won't." That one he felt pretty safe about—the spiders were terrifying to look at but they had shown every sign of sincerity so it was pretty darned unlikely that he'd find himself in that situation.

    He was small for a human, but the hornets the Empress had brought were only the size of a large hound. Multiple lines ran around his body and up to a half-dozen of the creatures, their mandibles clacking furiously as they struggled to keep him aloft . He kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut and did his best to ignore the sound and the splatting sensation of the occasional drop of lymph dripping from their gouged-out compound eyes as he focused on calming memories until his Sagebedamned Shadow Clone could finish drawing the Great.

    "Okay, boss, that's the last of it! Swinging the book to you now," shouted the portion of himself torn from the aether. There was a tug on the webline around his wrist as the clone put the book in the sack and let it go. The off-center pll of the swnginig bIndINg-UP of knXwl#dge tH4t w.s t.E bo.k remember the warmttth of Shining He4rt's sk.n and the sōund of her v.oic of her voice. Breathe and count the pulse. The object was in the sack which was tied to his wrist. The other part of himself was off to the side, not speaking and not returning to the larger mass of himself. No need to risk this twice.

    He pulled in the cord until he had the book in hand and was sure that it was tucked securely into his jacket. Then he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was time.

    He opened his eyes wide and looked down, allowing the Iron Nerve to absorb every detail of the—

    ...@@#$J:LJuw00EW872JHMNQ2 =@#%Y323NDRqlkjgfljl ..2)&wljhlr . J!LāNMΨlJML... LJ@L)&)61#$H JHLWJ#TLHJ 2o342io)()ijh5hl53 ¯w9w h5hl TNōMlJMΨL... @#%Yw00EW8 ... ​
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 424, Conclusion
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 424, Conclusion​

    "...zō?"

    Ugh.

    "...zō, can you hear me?"

    "Hmeb..." he muttered.

    "Come on, Hazō. Time to wake up." There was something wrong with the voice. It shouldn't sound like that.

    He struggled to open his eyes and managed to pry one open a sliver.

    "Hey there," said the older woman with the severe face and something wrong with her voice. Her hands were cupped alongside his head and glowing green. Green with medical chakra. She was a ninja. A medic-nin. The medic-nin. At least...she seemed like it. She looked an awful lot like Lady Tsunade, but it couldn't be her. This woman wasn't scowling or shouting.

    "l'dy tsun'de?" he mumbled.

    "That's right. Do you know your name?"

    "Hazō. G'ketsu Hazō."

    "Good. Do you know where you are?"

    He looked around vaguely, the world nothing more than a sliver because his left eye wouldn't open at all and the right one would barely. Shelves, familiar red-granite walls with the Gōketsu crest hanging beside the door.

    "G'ket—" He coughed and cleared his throat. It felt like he had swallowed a desert. "Gōketsu clinic. In Leaf...well, just outside. Attached to the wall, so I think it's fair."

    Her mouth twitched in half a smile, just for a moment. "Good, you're better than I expected."

    His nose itched, but when he tried to scratch it his hand wouldn't move. He looked down to find that he was restrained, wrists and ankles and chest strapped down.

    "Tsunade?" he asked, voice calm. His chakra was guttering dregs, not nearly enough to tear free.

    "It's fine," she said, resting a hand gently on his arm. "There's a risk of seizures and I don't want you jolting off the bed. I'll take them off as soon as I'm sure it's safe, I promise. Now, what's the last thing you remember?"

    "I was hanging over the—" JQ2OT8ZH 1#$TJLA023HT—2wo5'=54

    o-o-o-o​

    "...zō?"

    Ugh.

    "...zō, can you hear me?"

    "Ugh..." he muttered.

    "Come on, Hazō," Lady Tsunade said. "I'm missing some good bar crawling right now, so let's hurry it along, okay?" The words were hers but the voice was calm.

    He managed to get his right eye open halfway. Much improved over last time.

    "Gōketsu Hazō, Gōketsu clinic, attached to Leaf," he said, skipping past the familiar bits. "Not sure how long I was unconscious...?"

    "About seven hours the first time, three this time. How are you feeling?"

    He assessed himself. "Thirsty," he rasped.

    She held a cup to his lips and spooned some chilled water in. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever experienced. He savored the feel of it on his tongue and spread it across his cracked and peeling lips, bathing them in cool comfort.

    "Let that settle for a minute and I'll get you some more," she said. "Now, I know that you've been working hard and probably want a little bit more of a lie-in but we're all busy people. Do you remember what you were doing before—"

    43JGFJK;1241 WJLJL jlkfgjl1#%T mlfgl...

    o-o-o-o​

    "Do you remember how you got here, or where—" $%LJT0823NM;L,GPO542!@%Y...

    o-o-o-o​

    "Do you remember why you went to the Seventh Path?"

    5W4)*^&8632/.T;P...

    o-o-o-o​

    "How are you feeling?"

    "Okay." He coughed. "I remember."

    "What do you remember?"

    "I was on the Sevvventh...the Seventh Path. I was there to l-l-l-looookk at...to look at the G—"

    2308qhDQhnl.4w31gt^~&~!@#

    o-o-o-o​

    "I was there to look at the Great...at the Great Seal. I did, and then I unsummoned myself back here." He gestured vaguely with one no-longer-bound hand. "What happened to me?"

    "Apparently, it was a bad idea to try to store the most epically powerful seal anyone's ever heard of into your bloodline. Who would have thought?" She raised a hand to cut him off. "Akane told me. Don't worry, no one will ever hear it from me. Not Asuma, not anyone. I swear on my honor as a medic."

    He gave her the most polite smile he could manage, meanwhile calming his breathing with—

    His breathing sped up against his will and his heart hammered in his ears because his breathing sped up against his will! Breathing did not speed up against the will of an Iron Nerve bearer.

    "My bloodline! What—"

    "It's okay!" Tsunade said, putting a hand on his chest to keep him from sitting up. "You're fine. It's not permanent, I promise. You were in the middle of seizing when you unsummoned yourself, meaning that you got dragged between the Paths while you were at best half-conscious and your bloodline was overloaded. That's where the damage came from. Still, you got ridiculously lucky. Your chakra system is burned, your nervous system is tangled up, and you've experienced a massive amount of physical trauma to your...well, to your everything. It's all temporary, and it's healing nicely. You'll need to be in bed for a few weeks and then on light duty for at least a year, but we both know that's impractical so we'll have you up and around in a few days, as soon as your chakra coils unscorch themselves. You're beaten to hell and you're not going to be field-ready for a few months, but you'll be functional."

    He slumped back against the bed in relief. "Thank you."

    She patted him on the shoulder. "It's all good. Now, you've got a horde of people who are desperate to see you. I'm going to let Akane in here for one minute and Kagome and Gaku can stick their heads in to see that you aren't dead. After that, you're going to sleep."

    Something crawled at the edge of his vision and wasn't there when he looked.

    "I'm...I'm not sure about the sleeping part," he whispered around the lump of fear suddenly in his throat.

    "Don't worry, kid," she said, squeezing his arm gently. "I'm not some herb witch. When I say you're going to sleep, you're going to sleep. Now, reassure your girlfriend, give her a kiss, and then get ready for beddy-bye."




    Author's Notes: Hazō got his message to Keiko before leaving for the Seal. The Isan team will send back reports on the mission's status and everyone's emotional state. Gaku has been investigating the island up in Earth. Things are in progress as per the posted plan.

    This update covered four days: Two for preparing for the viewing, getting to the butte, and looking at the Seal, and then two more for recovery and various lapses in and out of unconsciousness.

    Hazō has taken a little bit of injury from his experience. Specifically, he's taken these Consequences:

    • Physical, Mild: Scorched Chakra Coils (will take 2-3 days to heal instead of the usual 24 hours. You cannot Summon until then)
    • Physical, Medium: Fritzing Bloodline (heals in about a week. Iron Nerve is not usable until then)
    • Physical, Severe: Beat to Hell and Back (lacerations, broken bones, herniated disk, concussion, etc etc etc. Heals in about 3 months)
    • Mental, Mild: Jumpy (heals in about 24 hours)
    • Mental, Medium: Hallucinatory Episodes (heals in about a week)
    • Mental, Severe: Psychic Curbstomping (heals in about 3 months)


    XP AWARD: 16

    Brevity XP: 4

    "GM had fun" XP: 15

    Fate Points Awarded: 8
    • 6 for Consequences
    • 2 for a major victory


    You have earned 3 Thousand Yard Stare points.

    Vote time! What to do now?

    Voting ends on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at 12pm London time.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 425: Visitations
  • Threadmarks

    • The person in front of Hazō was not Gōketsu Akane. It was not Kagome-sensei. It was not Gaku. It was not Tsunade, or some other medic-nin. Hazō might even have considered Asuma as a candidate, but no, this was a completely different visitor. One he hadn't expected but really, really should have.

    "Kid, ya look like the King of Hell chewed ya up and spat ya out. But don't worry. I know just what to do to make ya feel better."

    Hazō couldn't remember the last time he'd heard such terrifying words.

    No, wait. He could. Was it yesterday he'd been told that all of reality was about to be consumed by a horde of unstoppable eldritch abominations, or the day before? He was having trouble keeping track.

    "Ya listening, kid? I don't fancy hangin' around until reinforcements show up. Not that I'd mind a little R&R after all that dull sneakin' around in Rock, but our ride's gonna get pissy if we make him wait too long.

    "Say, where's the holy symbol I gave ya?"

    It wasn't a dream. It was real. Hidan of Akatsuki was standing by his hospital bed, grinning as if genuinely happy to see Hazō. His three-bladed scythe leaned against the wall, dripping fresh blood onto Hazō's bedside table. Around them, the hospital was completely, perfectly silent.

    "I—I put it somewhere safe," Hazō choked out, saying the first thing that came to mind. "I wouldn't want people asking questions about how I got it."

    Hidan nodded. "Makes sense. Well, y'aint gonna have to worry about that anymore. Can ya walk?"

    Hazō shook his head. A faint hope blossomed.

    "I'm seriously injured," he said honestly. "I might die if I have to move from this bed. I'm sorry to have wasted your time…"

    "Ha!" Hidan gave a bark of a laugh. "Ya let your dear Uncle Hidan worry about that. Lord Jashin's got ways of makin' sure a sacrifice can stay alive for a little while, for when we need to save up for the big ceremonies. We'll get ya back to the base, and then Sasori can fix ya up good as new. Maybe swap out any parts that ain't workin' right, free of charge for my new apprentice."

    "I really don't think…"

    "Not a negotiation, kid," Hidan cut him off. "When Lord Jashin says you're ready, you're ready.

    "Now brace yourself. This is gonna hurt."

    He reached for Hazō…

    "Kindly unhand my specimen," a new voice said coolly from the doorway. "I require him intact, insofar as the term can still apply."

    For a split second, Hazō was overwhelmed with relief. Of course Tsunade wouldn't let a raving lunatic just rampage through her hospital unchecked. Now if he could only get to cover before the—

    Then his brain caught up to his ears and his blood ran cold. Hidan at his most brutal was still a blessing compared to what awaited the people who disappeared into the Basement.

    "Fuck off, Orochimaru!" Hidan snarled. "Lord Jashin's got first claim on his soul."

    "His soul is no concern of mine," Orochimaru told him, completely unruffled by the rising pressure in the air that made Hazō's hair stand on end and his heartbeat pulse violently in his ears. "Jashin is welcome to it once I have extracted the information I require from the body."

    "The hell with that. He's mine. All of him."

    "Do not waste my time," Orochimaru said. "The plague spirits will not keep Tsunade occupied forever, and I have already established my ability to eliminate you without risk to myself."

    "Established my ass," Hidan growled. "So ya beat the ritual. Big whoop. Let's see if ya can regenerate from being sliced to ribbons."

    Orochimaru sighed. "As a matter of fact, I was—"

    Both ninja attacked simultaneously, blurring as three bloodstained blades met a swarm of darkness. Then Hidan's scythe, diverted from its course by a torrent of fangs, swung straight toward Hazō's face—

    "Hazō? Hazō? Would you like me to slice this apple up for you?"

    Hazō blinked. Once. Twice.

    There were no insane, murderous uberninja in the room with him (at least unless Akane was keeping some staggering secrets). Just the Best Girlfriend Ever, giving him a look of mild concern. Admittedly, she was holding a small knife in one hand, but Hazō was not yet a senior enough ninja to have that level of paranoia.

    The hallucination had taken all of two seconds.

    Gradually, Hazō's heart rate calmed.

    "Akane," Hazō said with heartfelt gratitude, "I am so glad that you're not a psychopathic mass murderer with nefarious designs on my body."

    "Thank you," Akane said, apparently taking this in stride as just the kind of thing Hazō said. "I suppose one out of three isn't bad. How are you feeling?"

    How could he possibly answer that question in a way that expressed even a fraction of what had happened to him?

    "Like my sister set me on fire and then slowly fed me to the Dog Clan Alpha," he said finally, "after I spent a week competing in a board game championship where every other player was an aspect of Ami."

    "Thank the Sage," Akane said. "You're all right."

    "…How on earth did you get that from what I just said?"

    "I don't think you could have come up with that if you were in serious pain or mentally traumatized," Akane said. "Also, it was enough of a Hazō thing to say that you probably haven't been possessed by monsters from the Out after warping your brain with unfathomable horrors again. I was worried."

    "I wouldn't jump to any conclusions," Hazō said. "I mean, I don't think I'm possessed by anything, but I'm fairly confident Tsunade gave me something to keep the pain manageable. I feel like it should be a lot worse.

    "Anyway," he said, "I have to keep this short. Doctor's orders."

    Akane gave an ironic smile. "So this is what it's like to be on the other end. I just want to grab you and hug you and hold you tight until I know that you really are alive. Instead, all I get is a few hurried words."

    "Yeah," Hazō said. "In that case, I'm not going to waste time. Thank you, Akane. Not just for not being a psychopathic murderer, but for being you. If it wasn't for you, if I didn't have the thought of you to hold onto, I don't know if I could have found enough focus to make it back. I'd have been lost, in space, or in time, or maybe just in my own mind. Thank you for being my anchor. Always."

    Akane's smile brightened to something much closer to its familiar radiance. "You're welcome, Hazō."

    Hazō yawned. "There's… there's one more thing you should hear about from me. Kagome is getting summoner training. I don't want to go into the detail behind it in a public space, and it's all stuff you can infer anyway, but… I know it feels like you're being passed over again. Noburi got the Toads. I got the Dogs. It keeps happening, and I hate that it keeps happening, but every time it really is what the situation demands." It was, wasn't it? Surely it was. Though Akane would have been such a good fit for the Dogs…

    "No," Akane began, "it's fine. I don't have to—"

    "It's not fine," Hazō interrupted. "You deserve better, and as soon as the Isan mission's over and everyone's back together, we're going to do something about it. There are plenty of unclaimed scrolls out there, and the best of them has your name on it."

    Akane didn't say anything.

    Hazō yawned again. For some reason, no, for an obvious reason, his eyelids were getting heavy. When had Tsunade even…

    "I'll come back soon, Hazō," Akane said, placing the apple, uncut, on the bedside table. "Sleep well."


    -o-​




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  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 426: Progression
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 426: Progression​

    "Akane," Hazō said, pushing himself up in the hospital bed so that he was leaning against the wall, "I need to talk to you about something." He grimaced. "Actually, a couple of somethings. And I should do the bad one first and the nervous-making one second."

    The green-clad girl froze. "Yes?"

    "Kagome-sensei is getting Summoner training. We have a strong lead on the Arachnid Scroll and if we can recover it he's going to get first crack at it. I know I said that you would be—"

    She raised a hand to cut him off. "Is it because he's one of the best sealmasters left in Leaf and I'm not and you desperately need an experienced sealmaster to study this Great Seal thing in order to prevent the Dragons from destroying all the Paths?"

    "Um...yes?" He shook his head, grinning. "You are the most amazing girlfriend ever, you know that?"

    "I know." She flashed him an urchin grin.

    He laughed and took her hand, tugging it to his lips so he could press a kiss into her palm and curl her fingers over it. "Okay, second thing. Back in Mist, during the Exams, Noburi told me something and I've been dragging my feet on addressing it. Things are bad right now. The Dragons, whoever caused the run on the bank, knowing that Hidan could randomly show up again and drag me off to make me watch as he murders civilians, the fact that I'm going to have to research a seal so powerful that just looking at it put me in the clinic—"

    "Are you sure you aren't still addled?" Akane asked. "Because you usually have a good grasp on language, but I think this was supposed to be 'nervous-making' but it's sounding 'bad'."

    He laughed. "Okay, enough of that. My point is, life as a ninja is never certain. Back when she was Mari-sensei, Mari used to say that we should seize the day. I've been dragging my feet on this for months and it's time to ninja up."

    "Hazō, I don't think it's a good idea for us to marry. It's sweet, and I love you, but—"

    He smiled and patted her hand. "No, not marriage. Not yet, anyway. No, this is about something that Noburi overheard back in the Swamp of Mild Inconvenience during the Exams. You were talking with Ino—"

    Akane froze again.

    "—and you said that it was okay for her to 'un-back off'. What did you mean by that?"

    "Um..."

    Hazō waited patiently.

    "Well..."

    Hazō waited patiently.

    "I..I meant that..."

    Hazō waited patiently.

    Akane took a deep breath and hurried through the words as though diving into a frigid pool. "I meant that it was okay for her to seek a relationship with you. A romantic one." She bit her lip, studying his face nervously. "She would be good for you, Hazō. She's beautiful, and smart, and a powerful ninja, and a Clan Head so marrying her would give the Gōketsu—"

    He pulled her in close so he could kiss her thoroughly, stroking the hair on the back of her head with his unbandaged hand. She froze, lips and body stiff, and then relaxed, her hands coming up to cup his face as she deepend the kiss. When she finally pulled back they were both breathless and wide-eyed.

    Akane shifted her weight slightly on the bed and Hazō winced as it jostled one of the many, many injuries that covered his body. The moment shattered as Akane scrambled quickly backwards off the mattress, a look of horror on her face.

    "It's okay!" Hazō said quickly, reaching out for her hand. "It's fine. I'm just sore. It's nothing serious. I can tell because Lady Tsunade is back to being grouchy."

    Akane's near-panic broke and she laughed. "I have to admit, it was awfully scary seeing her be kind and patient."

    "Yeah, I'm pretty sure she only does that when she's worried that patient is going to die," Hazō agreed with a chuckle. "It makes me wonder about that time that I was working on the Banshee Fucker and I hit my head."

    "Hazō...have you considered not being a sealmaster? It doesn't seem to be good for you."

    Her face and voice were serious but there was a twinkle in her eye that gave the statement the lie. He found the twinkle and laughed. "I have, actually, but on balance I'm going to stick with it." He waved his fingers in a 'come here and let me hold your hand' gesture. She took it and moved forward at his tug so that she could sit, very carefully, on the very edge of the bed. Hazō smiled and placed her hand on his chest, laying his own on top of it.

    "I love you," he said simply.

    Her eyes went wide.

    Hazō laughed. "You silly woman, did you forget? Akane, you are everything to me. You were my student and made me feel...well, I was going to say smart and wise but actually I felt like an idiot and a faker most of the time but in retrospect it was nice. And then you were my comrade-in-arms, one of a tiny number of people who I trusted to stand watch in the wilderness. You were my teacher in how to be a good person. You have utterly surpassed me at taijutsu and now when I practice I think 'what would Akane do here?'"

    "But that's not fair! You and that Roki combat style of yours—"

    "Hush, woman!" he said, mock-glaring at her. "I'm trying to perform a peroration of love here! Don't ruin it!"

    One eyebrow rose. "'Peroration'?"

    "I learned it from Shikamaru. Now hush while I finish telling you how awesome you are."

    She smiled and composed herself patiently on the edge of the bed, sitting up very straight with an expression of polite interest. She didn't reclaim her hand from where it rested on his chest.

    "Um...where was I?"

    "Thinking about what I'd do in taijutsu."

    "Right! So, you are my exemplar—yes, it's another Shikamaru word, hush—of what to do in combat and in life. You have been there for me during our absolute worst moments and forgiven me my absolute worst mistakes and you are beautiful, and sexy, and so smart and I love you."

    She was blushing to her shoulders but she refused to give up on her upright and attentive posture.

    "Now. With all of that said, let's talk about what you said to Ino."

    o-o-o-o​

    "Hazō?" the blonde said, hurrying into the room. "I heard—" She stopped as she saw Hazō sitting up with a pile of papers balanced on his lap and Akane perched on a chair at the head of the bed with her nose stuck in a novel. They both looked up as she entered.

    "Wow," Ino said, looking him over and seeing bandages on his head and right arm to the shoulder. Lumps under the blanket suggested his right knee and left ankle were also entombed, to an excessive degree, which hinted that Lady Tsunade had been feeling passive aggressive when she put the bandages on. "What happened to you?"

    "Long story," he said. "It starts with a giant spider proposing marriage and ends with a seal the size of a mountain trying to eat my brain. There's Dragons in the middle."

    Blonde eyebrows rose. "That sounds like quite a story." She looked back and forth between them. "What's all that?" She pointed at the papers.

    He quickly flipped the top sheet facedown and tucked the whole stack under the blanket. "The Fourth Hokage's notes on Naruto's bijū-containment seal, which are all highly classified." He paused. "Also, his philosophical musings and poetry, which unfortunately are not."

    "Poetry? Really?"

    "I hope it's not treason to say it, but it's not very good poetry. It barely rhymes and the scansion breaks a lot."

    She grinned. "I promise I won't tell Torture and Investigation. Now, why am I here? Your message said that it was important but not urgent."

    "Could you sit with us, please?" Akane said, hooking a chair away from the wall with an ankle and sliding it next to her own.

    Ino shrugged and flopped down into it, hands interlaced on her stomach and feet up on the bed with the ankles casually crossed. "And here I sit. What's on your mind? If you're looking for more news on the bank run thing I don't have anything solid yet."

    Hazō shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's personal."

    "Personal, huh?" A guarded note had entered her tone. "And I'm involved in your personal business because...?"

    "Are you familiar with the nature of Jiraiya and Mari's marriage?" Akane asked.

    "I mean...not really? They weren't together long enough for the gossip to really get started. Was it just a sham?"

    Akane shook her head. "No, it was real. How about Mari's ideas about polyamory?"

    Ino took her feet off the bed and sat up straight. "Why don't you tell me?"

    "Polyamory is the recognition that love isn't limited," Hazō said. "You love your parents, your uncles and aunt, your cousins...it's not like you have a finite amount of it. Why shouldn't the same be true of romantic love?"

    "Because it's romance and not family?" Ino said. "Look, Akane, I remember the conversation in the swamp, but—"

    "But nothing," Hazō said forcefully. "Why is romance different?"

    "Because that's just how humans work," Ino said with a shrug. "You see someone else with your boyfriend, you get jealous."

    "And?"

    "What do you mean, 'and'?"

    "It's just a feeling, Ino," Akane said. "We all have feelings, and the core of being a ninja is not letting your feelings control you. We've all wanted to quit in training, and we don't. We get angry during taijutsu practice when the opponent lands a hit or trash-talks us, but we don't let it make us sloppy."

    "Hey, speak for yourself. Us Yamanaka are way too cool to get into muddy, sweaty taijutsu fights. We stand back and made you guys punch yourselves."

    "Yes, because that worked so well against Shino," Hazō said, a teasing smile on his lips.

    "Aren't you supposed to be buttering me up or something?"

    He shrugged his good shoulder and winced as the other one twinged. "Eh. I am a flawed person."

    "Yes, because that's news."

    "Jealousy is just a feeling, Ino," Akane said. "It can be controlled if you want to, and love isn't finite. Look at Mitarashi—she's dating a man and a woman, a ninja and a civilian, and all three of them are happy. They live together and are happy."

    "Akane, are you sure you want to use Mitarashi as your model for good behavior?"

    Akane laughed. "Point taken. Still. I spoke to her about it. She said that it's better than when it was just her and Morino dating. The two of them spark against one another sometimes, but Ueda moderates and keeps things calm so they work past it and they come out stronger. Ueda feels hurt when Morino gets glum and snappish after a bad day, but Mitarashi is there to poke him out of it and remind Ueda that it's not her that he's grumpy at. Each of them has something that they contribute to the relationship that makes it stronger than any two-person combination would be."

    "Akane...look, like I was saying: I know we talked about this back in the swamp—"

    "—of Mild Inconvenience," Hazō said, grinning. "Sorry, I just really enjoy saying that."

    Ino rolled her eyes. "At the time it was interesting, because it felt naughty and epic, like something out of a novel. But then you two were fighting so it was the wrong time, and after you patched things up you seemed closer than ever and neither of you made a move towards me. I figured it had been just moonlight and magic and I let it go."

    "Really?" Akane asked. "Because the flowers you gave me for my garden seemed like they meant something."

    "I mean...duh. Hitting you on the head with a shovel seemed a little déclassé for the elegant and cultured Yamanaka Clan Head but I wanted to at least make sure you weren't just oblivious."

    "Nah, oblivious is my job," Hazō said, chuckling. "Look, I'll cut to the chase: Yes, Akane and I are in love. We are secure enough in our relationship that we were able to talk about it together and and recognize that we both have feelings for you. I'll let her speak for herself, but for me... I find you attractive, and quick-witted, and I admire your skills as a ninja and a Clan Head, and I feel like I'm drawn to you. You carry a magnetism around you like a cloud and it pulls on me. I like that you garden—that you like working with your hands as well as your brain and that you're very, very good at it. I feel all those things, and I would like to learn more about them, and about you. Romantically."

    Ino's eyes were very wide.

    "I'm also nervous about saying all this," he continued. "We are both Clan Heads, meaning that there will always be secrets between us. And what if we don't end up working out...would that destroy the relationship between our clans? This is all uncharted territory for me. I don't have your training or your poise and I'm just making it up as I go along and this speech is really freaking me out right now even though I'm trying to stay calm and sound cool so if you could—"

    He cut himself off when Akane lay a hand on his shoulder.

    "My feelings are a little more complicated," Akane said, struggling not to smile at Ino's expression. "When we talked about this earlier, Hazō was open about the fact that he finds you sexy—"

    "Oi!" Hazō said, looking at her in betrayal. "I thought we were only going to talk about our own feelings?!"

    She grinned back unrepentantly. "Oh, please. You should be thanking me. Hearing you say you think she's sexy might seem pushy or like you only value her for her body and might make her wonder if I'm okay with it. Hearing me say that you think she's sexy is much better."

    "Eh." Ino waffled one hand. "Now it's just weird instead of awkward." Her grin made it clear that 'weird' did not necessarily mean 'bad'.

    "Anyway," Akane said firmly. "Hazō has been open with me about his feelings. I have feelings for you as well. I'm not sure how physical those feelings are, but I know that my life would be better if you were in it more often. I like who I am when I'm around you. I'm relaxed. I feel connected. I feel like I can say anything and you will support me without judging me. You've helped me get better with clothes and culture and things that I felt utterly incompetent at, and you've done it without making me feel stupid. You've let me help you with your taijutsu, so I don't feel beholden or inferior about the rest of it."

    "Akane," Hazō said, patting her hand gently. "Remember what Mari said? Positive phrasing only?"

    She squeezed his fingers gently. "Right, thanks." She saw Ino's cocked-head confused face and smiled. "Mari used to tell us that when you're having difficult conversations like this it's helpful to use positive phrasings: What you do feel, not what you don't feel. You've let me help you with your taijutsu, so I feel validated and competent, like an equal who has something to contribute." She frowned, clearly trying to regain her train of thought. "There was more, but I think that's the important part. I value you as more than just a friend, Ino. I...I fully recognize how attractive you are. I'm not sure yet if I'm looking for a physical relationship, and I hope that doesn't either offend you because I'm not interested or scare you because I might be. No matter what, I'm okay with you and Hazō having a physical relationship." She took a deep breath and visibly braced herself. "And yes, I'm nervous about this. I'm afraid that you and Hazō will grow closer and I'll get left behind. Those are feelings and I refuse to let them control me. I know that Hazō loves me and wants to be with me, and I don't believe he will hurt me. The fact that I feel scared simply means that I need to tell both of you that I feel that way and be confident that you will help me get past it. That you will support me. That is...assuming you actually want to be with us at all?"

    Ino's eyes were wide and she was blushing brick red. "I...I...wow." She paused, visibly gathering her thoughts. "I think—"




    Tune in next time (or possibly the time after that), for the exciting conclusion of 'Polyamory: The Teenage and Highly Political Years'!

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    Vote time! What to do now?

    Voting ends on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at 12pm London time.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 427: Embracing Insanity
  • Threadmarks

    • "That is... assuming you actually want to be with us at all?"

    Ino's eyes were wide and she was blushing brick red. Her body language, which had started out as relaxed as a languorous cat's, was now more rigid than Kagome-sensei's safety rules.

    "I...I...wow." She paused, visibly gathering her thoughts. "I think…"

    The ambient noise of the hospital faded into non-existence. Hazō's pain faded into non-existence. At this moment, nothing mattered but the feel of Akane's fingers against his own and the words Ino was about to say.

    "…I think you're crazy."

    The release of tension was dizzying. Hazō would have slumped back if there had been any further to go. Akane didn't move.

    "That isn't an answer," she said softly.

    "It's not," Ino agreed. She took her feet off the bed. "Take a step back and think about what you're asking me, you two. You want me to just shrug off one of the most powerful, vicious feelings in existence, which has ruined more relationships and killed more people than any world war you can name. Probably. I'll get Shika to look it up later.

    "You want me to wade into the Swamp of Crazy Potential for Getting Hurt. What happens if there's a fight and you two end up on one side and I'm on the other? What happens if it turns out there's no room to spare in your fairy-tale relationship after all, and I get invited in only to be kicked back out? What happens if—I can't believe I'm even considering this—I end up being your second best?

    "You want me to face a whole bunch of serious fears that I don't need to face, because they're never going to come up outside this weird relationship. You want me to have two people who might not come back each time they go out on a mission. Two people who are going to tear pieces of my heart away when they leave or die, even more than now. Two people who could… anything. One person's dangerous enough when it's for real.

    "You want me to risk Sage-knows-what happening to my clan. I can't even imagine what it would mean for a clan head—an unmarried, heirless clan head—to pull something like this, or the ways it could go wrong for my people. Before, I thought the biggest thing I had to worry about was getting all this past Dad, but," she gave a sad little smile, "I guess that's not an issue now. There's no one standing over my shoulder ready to ground me and then fix my mess if my selfishness ends up screwing over the clan or the Ino-Shika-Chō.

    "So I have to ask. Akane. Hazō. Are you worth it? Is having you as lovers worth opening my life to all of that?"

    Hazō found himself pinned by the intensity of her gaze. Was he worth it? He was prepared to accept the risks of a three-way relationship, known and unknown. Rather, he refused to be the kind of person who'd let them stand in his way. Plunging into the unknown and having faith in his ability to find something better on the other side was the Way of Hazō. And for better or worse, standing by his side and sharing in the dangers and the rewards without question was the Way of Akane.

    It wasn't the Way of Ino. There were plenty of fish in the sea, and if Hazō was a salmon, swimming relentlessly against the current in the name of his ambition, then Ino was a dolphin—swift, masterful, and brilliant in ways that made him feel dim and clumsy by comparison. With her ability to navigate social currents, she could take her pick of partners, and none of them would present her with the complications Hazō and Akane were offering.

    He began to consider how best to answer Ino's difficult, loaded question, aware that the fate of the triad might depend on his response.

    It didn't.

    "I think I must be crazy too," Ino said with a sudden, mischievous smirk, "because it looks like I'm willing to find out."

    And the room lit up. To Hazō's side, Akane beamed with the radiant warmth of the sun. In front of him, the little playful flames in Ino's eyes were suddenly ready to set the world on fire. Inside Hazō, too, something burned. A familiar heat, but also somehow different, like tasting a new flavour of spiced chocolate.

    For a second, Hazō didn't know how to respond. His mind flashed back to his confession to Akane. This moment would go down in their shared history, and that meant he mustn't say anything he would regret repeatedly in the years to come.

    An expression of affection? A question? A joke? He still didn't really know how to handle Ino, much less at a sensitive moment.

    "Thank you," he finally decided. "For putting your trust in us."

    Ino crossed her ankles again, this time over the floor, and leaned back in her chair, relaxing.

    "Just don't count your chickens," she said lightly. "I've decided I'm on board with this crazy thing. That doesn't make it less crazy or less likely to go wrong in a million crazy ways. Ninety percent of relationships fail within the first three months."

    The number sent a chill down Hazō's spine.

    "Are you sure?" Akane asked. "It seems a little pessimistic."

    "That's because I just made it up," Ino said. "Shika will know the real numbers. Hard evidence that romance isn't worth it is like catnip to him.

    "Real talk," she said, "the potential for this to go wrong is incredible. It was nice as a fluffy fantasy to bat around, but facing it now, the reality of it, I really do feel like I must be crazy. But… if you're right about its potential to go right… heck, it'd be better than whatever else I have waiting for me further down the line. A few flings, then a loveless political marriage with whoever's got the most to offer. At best, my pick of the Ino-Shika-Chō and only the Ino-Shika-Chō, and if there was anyone worth my time in that bachelor pool, well, I wouldn't be single now, would I? If I can have something better, something stronger… if it brings me closer to my best friend—yes, I said it; don't ask for it in writing—and lets me build something worthwhile with this diamond-in-the-rough kid I maaaay have had my eye on for a while… I suppose it might just be worth fighting for.

    "Assuming, y'know, we're actually compatible and we don't break up tomorrow because you suck too much."

    "I can provide excellent references," Hazō said, looking up at Akane fondly. "So can she."

    Ino rolled her eyes. "I want to tell you two to get a room, but… uh… I'm not actually sure how that works now. I think maybe instead I'll just leave you two to it. I put a mountain of clan business on hold to come here, and I just know Izayoi is going to give me one of his speeches when I get back. Also, I could do with some time to think stuff over."

    Before Hazō or Akane could get a word in edgeways (and was it just a coincidence that Ino hadn't left them an opening?), Ino slipped through the door.

    "Later, lovers."

    -o-​

    You have received 2 + 1 + 1 = 4 XP.

    -o-​

    The timeskip has not happened yet. I may do the Keiko scene tomorrow if spoons permit. Thanks to @RandomOTP's vigilance, Hazō will live beyond it, so feel free to start planning.

    Edit: it has been pointed out to me that @RandomOTP was also responsible for endangering Hazō's life to begin with. Truly, their power of life and death is fearsome.

    -o-​

    What do you do?

    Voting closes on Saturday 24th of April, 1 p.m. New York time.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 428: Living in the Shadow of Death
  • Threadmarks

    • "…but apparently the incident was resolved without Cantelabra being declared Substitute High Weaver or being dangled off the Precipice of Reflection by his venom-swelled tongue, so I figure the Alpha will accept it in good humour. And that brings me to right up to the present moment."

    The cavern Hazō and Keiko had chosen for their rendezvous was luxuriously appointed. It seemed Pandā, likely feeling he owed Keiko a debt after nearly getting her killed, had pulled out all the stops while waiting for their next contact. Or were these Keiko's instructions? Given the usually casual nature of their meetings, it felt almost as if Keiko thought preparing the most welcoming possible environment would magically cause Hazō to reappear from the hospital in which he was doubtless fighting for his life (reassurances from Tsunade notwithstanding). As a specialist in a field rife with superstition (Kagome-sensei had admitted that Lucky Dance no. 15 was designed to appease the underwater basket-weaving kami, and it was obvious to a Mist native that those couldn't exist in the Fire Country), he couldn't find it in himself to blame her.

    And this was an ideal environment as far as Hazō was concerned, especially given the news he was here to deliver. Torches flickered dramatically, incited by an unseen breeze from deeper in the cave complex. Keiko had brought "war seats" carved with images of epic pangolin battles (created for Ui himself; Keiko had started taking an interest in the man's legacy), which set the mood to talk about combating an epic threat, while comfortable cushions offered Hazō's still-fragile body mercy after the stress of aetheric travel. An unasked-for bowl of Seventh Path snacking grubs from Pandā sat between them, evoking a sense of the eldritch and unfathomable. What man could have asked for more?

    "And so," Keiko said heavily, "while I am here mired in political dealings so wearying that I will not refer to them in any way again during the course of this conversation, you are in a more perilous and alien realm still, breaking the one promise you made to me. Hazō, if you will not even keep to your word, what course of action remains for me?"

    Hazō stared at her blankly. "What word?"

    "You told me, and I quote, 'I'm not going to do anything suicidal'. I can call Shikamaru to stand witness if need be."

    "I did not," Hazō objected. "I'm pretty sure I would remember saying something like… ah."

    "Ah?"

    "Anyway," Hazō said quickly, not being in a hurry to confess superseal-related memory loss to his designated caldera warden. "I didn't do anything suicidal. There's no way I could have known that looking at the Great Seal could have this bad an effect on me."

    "Then you would hold," Keiko asked coldly, "that it is not suicidal to tackle an unknown threat of apocalyptic calibre without taking the most basic safety precautions?"

    "What basic safety precautions?" Hazō asked bemusedly.

    "I have no idea!" Keiko threw up her hands. "My study of sealing proceeded no further than the essentials of Summoning Scroll theory, plus what little I have been able to glean from the drivel of a beginner's guide I brought to tempt the Isanese. I cannot imagine the resources you could have accessed. With the Hokage's blessing, you could have secured the expertise of every sealmaster in Leaf in order to prepare stringent safety measures to protect yourself from… from…"

    She deflated. "You were aware of the dangers of interfacing with the Sage's sealwork. To this day, the threat of the caldera hangs over you as the price of that one mistake. It is only by the implausible mercy of the ancestors that you have thus far avoided a fate so much worse than death. Yet you plunge yourself into more of the same without a second thought while I…"

    She trailed off, but Hazō sensed that she wasn't finished. Hazō's Mari-trained intuition told him this was the moment to sip a cup of tea or help himself to a snack, shifting attention off her as she gathered herself, but after one look at the grubs he decided this was no time for the finer social mores.

    "I cannot protect you," she said quietly. "I could before, if only the tiniest amount. When we were missing-nin. I was by your side, and I could predict risks, identify mistakes, and find safer paths to follow. After my marriage, still some opportunity remained, whenever you saw fit to consult me. Even as the scope of your decisions, their consequences, and their dangers grew only greater, at least there was a chance.

    "We were granted a reprieve by the Hokage. He did not wish us on the duty roster with the Isan mission imminent, for all that the imminence lasted months in the end. Now we are finally apart, and I am powerless. Useless. Immediately, immediately, you come within a hair's breadth of annihilation. I cannot be with you to prevent your errors. I cannot be there to remind you of your options. I cannot even find words of persuasion to awaken the sense of self-preservation you surely must possess somewhere.

    "I am told I have so much power. Summoner. Consort. Coordinator. And still I can do nothing. I cannot protect you. I cannot protect her. I must stand back and watch this loathsome world attempt to devour those I love, knowing it will be given chance after chance until it finally succeeds.

    "Hazō, please. If I cannot persuade you to seek safety for your own sake, if I cannot trust you to hold to your word in the face of high risks that promise high rewards, can you not at least spare a thought for those of us who will be left behind? If you had seen Mari's face, Noburi's, even Yuno's, when we were informed you were in hospital, with injuries so extensive and so esoteric that they required the ministrations of the world's greatest healer, that would have killed you without question had you not been immediately unsummoned to a place of safety within her reach…

    "Perhaps I am a failure as a shinobi to be so emotional at my brother's mere near-death. If Jiraiya were here, he would surely laugh and tell me he nearly died three times a day during the war, and received nothing more than eye rolls from his siblings. I do not possess their strength. Hazō, please, tell me. Is there nothing I can do to persuade you to seek a safer course?"

    The cave was silent. The torches did not flicker dramatically. Keiko looked at him, waiting, hoping for… Hazō didn't know what she was hoping for. Was it possible to give an answer that would reassure her? Was it possible to give a kind of answer that would reassure her?

    "Keiko," he said, slipping into the even tone of the Clear Communication Technique with the ease of long practice, "I am not suicidal, nor, in my opinion, more than slightly reckless. When dealing with sealing, I always try to take as many precautions as necessary. In this case, it's possible I didn't take enough. It's also possible that there couldn't be enough precautions when dealing with something like this. But it needed doing anyway. When we risk our lives, we do it for Leaf, for the people we care about, and in this case, for the entire world. This risk needed taking, and I was the only person who could do it. It is not in any way representative of the risks I can expect to face in the future, or of what opportunities I will have to protect myself in the face of those risks.

    "I'm sorry I worried you. If there had been some way to study the seal safely, I promise you I would have taken it. In my mind, I was taking the best precautions I could, so I didn't think I was being suicidal and breaking any kind of promise to you. I'm sorry if you took it that way. And if, in the future, I find myself planning dangerous things I think you can help make safer, I will make sure to ask for your advice."

    "Thank you, Hazō," Keiko said eventually. "I… I do not wish to feel this way. Since Tenten and I began intermittently living together, I have been forced to watch her leave for missions, day after day, each time uncertain whether she would return. I do not have access to her mission plans, so I cannot optimise them. She is not of the clan, so I cannot offer clan secrets to improve her performance. Her equipment, her pride and joy, is as high-quality as anything I could purchase for her. We train together, but I am ever the inferior, and the Nara lack missile experts who could provide tuition. I am useless to the one I love. One day, she will not come home, and it will be my fault because with all my power I could not find a way to protect her.

    "So perhaps, after hearing that you were nearly the victim of such a nightmare scenario, my response has been… less than wholly rational. I apologise for burdening you with my feelings."

    Was that what was happening here? Hazō didn't enjoy Keiko's tendency to assume that bad things happening to him were the result of his incompetence and/or failure to listen to her, but there was nothing wrong, nothing unreasonable, about being afraid for others. Afraid of losing others. Hazō had lost his father to a mission. Noburi had lost a brother. Kagome-sensei had lost something he'd never been able to articulate.

    "Don't," Hazō said. "I think maybe it's us, the main compound Gōketsu, who've been spoiled. You're right that we've barely had to go on any missions as Leaf ninja. Compared to our missing-nin days, Leaf has been a paradise of safety. Even the Collapse passed us by. And with all our advantages, with summons and seals and Bloodline Limits and so on, we don't really ever expect to be overmatched unless we're facing prepared jōnin or Akatsuki or something. But life doesn't work that way for real ninja, does it? All it ever takes is one unlucky roll of the dice, and when you spend more of your life on missions than off, that's a lot of rolls.

    "Asuma said something that I shrugged off at the time. He told me that Lord Hagoromo had spent more time in hospital recovering from mission injuries than I had as a Leaf ninja. And that was how he made it to jōnin, wasn't it? Not by being untouchable, but by being lucky enough to only get injuries that didn't cripple or kill him. So if we don't worry about our loved ones when they're out on missions, if we let ourselves forget that death is only ever a step away from any of us, then maybe we're the ones who can't handle reality.

    "When I get some time to myself, I'm going to sit down and optimise Atomu, Mai, and Reo's seal loadouts," he said decisively. "Maybe I can come up with some research projects to help compensate for their injuries. I should talk to the Kei to see if Ebisu is up for private lessons, or maybe ask around and see if there are any instructors with experience of working around disabilities. Once you guys are back, I'll talk to Mari about Mai and ninjutsu. I don't want to push, but there's trauma and then there's getting killed because you turned down a survival advantage. The three of them never got an Isan exemption. I should have paid more attention to them. Haru, too.

    "And I'll think about what we can do for Tenten. The Gōketsu must have something useful for her somewhere, and it's not like she's likely to go telling people our clan secrets."

    Keiko smiled. "Thank you, Hazō."

    Hazō was starting to get tired. He was here on the Seventh Path more because he couldn't afford to put it off any longer than because he was in a state for extended activity. With that in mind, there was one more thing he wanted to tell Keiko while he had a chance.

    "By the way," he said, "you should probably know that, partly as a consequence of that whole seal thing, I am now in a four-way relationship."

    Keiko's smile disappeared.

    "Hazō, you are not the first to attempt to romance unspeakable eldritch horrors that have taken up residence in their brain. It never ends well. If you find them demanding you prove your love, say by attempting to free their fellows, I urge you—"

    "Keiko," Hazō interrupted with a laugh, "the Arachnid Empress, while she is a terrifying, unfathomable ancient being with vast unknown powers who probably possesses countless horrific secrets about the true nature of reality, probably doesn't count as an eldritch horror. Everything's fine."

    "Oh, is that all," Keiko said flatly. "Merely the Arachnid Empress, a terrifying, unfathomable ancient being with vast unknown powers who probably possesses countless horrific secrets about the true nature of reality. Hazō, while I am unreliably informed that those with a high projected life expectancy should take advantage of the opportunity to experiment while they are young, this seems like an Orochimaru kind of open-mindedness. In addition, I believe Mari was both detailed and emphatic regarding the inadvisability of intercourse with chakra beasts during the latter parts of the Talk."

    She had been. She really had been. They both gave an involuntary shudder.

    "It's not like that," Hazō said. "It's only a technical marriage."

    "Marriage?!"

    "For the purpose of getting around their rules on who gets to see the Great Seal, Keiko. It's not like we're in love, or had to consummate the marriage or anything." He hesitated. "Well, technically we did consummate the marriage, but…"

    Keiko gave an unintelligible choking noise.

    "Not the way humans do!" Hazō exclaimed. "No, you know what, I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. Can we just say that whatever image you have in your head, it is probably completely wrong, and move on to the fact that we're also dating Ino now?"

    "Ino is in a relationship with the Arachnid Empress?!"

    Hazō blinked. "No, we as in me and Akane. I'm not trying to start some kind of interdimensional harem here."

    "A pity," Keiko said, starting to calm down. "I would gladly pass on the crown of the most complicated relationship in the Elemental Nations. Well, I suppose congratulations are in order, tempered by the fact that I owe Mari a bottle from the Nara special reserve. Shikamaru will not be best pleased. I hope the four of you enjoy a healthy and fulfilling relationship. I am contractually obliged to inform you that if you, by action or inaction, harm my sister-in-law in your capacity as her boyfriend, I will be obliged to take grim vengeance such as would make the impact of the Great Seal seem like a gentle breeze. She, naturally, will be receiving a similar warning in regard to my siblings."

    "…duly noted. I didn't realise you and Ino were that close."

    "'Close' is an exaggeration. Unfortunately, Ino has always desired a younger sister, and the fact that I am older than her has not prevented her from attempting to dote on me like one. She is much more difficult to deter from interference than Mari, and less sensitive to my specific needs and preferences. Would that my younger self had been warned of the hardships of having many people care about one's happiness and well-being. Perhaps I could have made different choices."

    "The tragedy," Hazō agreed. "I, too, often wonder where my life might have taken me if Kani-sensei had never taught us about lists in Basic Logistics."

    "Is there no end to that woman's sins?" Keiko muttered. "Do you remember when she refused to grant me and my cousin a homework exemption despite the fact that we had been studying structured information management before the other children could read?"

    Hazō yawned. "Sorry, Keiko, but I think I'm going to need to go soon. Before I do, would you mind if I spoke to Snowflake?"

    Keiko raised her eyebrows. "I suppose so. While she has not yet earned her summoner qualifications, there is no rule that bars other humans from the Seventh Path, much less sapient ninjutsu-derived chakra constructs.

    "Shadow Clone Technique!"

    The torches flickered with the sudden shift in air pressure.

    "You did what?" Snowflake demanded, eyes wide. "Hazō, how could you? No, what were you thinking? No, why would you ever…"

    She stopped herself. She closed her eyes for a second.

    "…Idiot."

    "Snowflake?"

    "We have barely had any time together, Hazō," Snowflake said in pained, quiet voice. "To think that it had nearly ended here, so suddenly, so casually, a fait accompli for my next awakening… Hazō, please. You must take better care of yourself."

    "I'm sorry, Snowflake," Hazō said. "I'll do my best to avoid being nearly killed in the future."

    "Please do," she said. "There is so much I still wish to do together, so much I wish to learn…"

    "I look forward to it," Hazō said with a warm smile. "Hurry up and finish taking over Isan so you can come back to Leaf. How have you been, Snowflake?"

    "I have not, for the most part," Snowflake said. "Between the need to conserve chakra in hostile territory and the decision to maintain Shadow Clone Technique OPSEC in Isan after the dinner, there has been no real opportunity for me to exist."

    Keiko looked down at the cavern floor.

    "Then I'm glad you're here now," Hazō said. "I have something for you."

    He handed her first the scroll from Akane, then the brief note from Kagome-sensei. "Haru and the others also send their well wishes."

    Snowflake stared at the objects bemusedly. "These are… messages? For me?"

    "That's right," Hazō said. Akane and Kagome-sensei had spent hours on them, though he suspected for different reasons.

    "Thank you! But why?"

    "You're one of us," Hazō said. "We don't want you to forget that. And besides, I can imagine how you must be feeling. Do you remember Keiko's first away mission as a genin?"

    "It was terrifying," Snowflake said. "Monsters and missing-nin and enemy ninja around every corner. A lethal hazard behind every bush, or in some cases being the bush. No way to call in backup. Knowing that her incompetence would likely lead to the deaths of the entire team, or at best failure that would have her brutally punished and never trusted with anything of importance again.

    "In the event, they reached their medicinal herb quota within two hours."

    "We figured you should have all the support we can give you on your first away mission," Hazō said, "even if it turns out you don't need it."

    "Thank you, Hazō," Snowflake said, her eyes sparkling. "This means a great deal to me. Please thank Akane and the others for me."

    "Will do," Hazō said. "Also, I've been meaning to ask, and please be aware that I'm not approaching this with any kind of expectations, and my opinion of you will not change in any way based on your reply…"

    "Well," Snowflake said, "this is probably much more ominous than you intend it to sound."

    Hazō nodded. "Would you like a hug?"

    Snowflake bit her lip. "Unfortunately, Kei's weakness is her own flaw rather than an aspect of the Frozen Skein, so I have inherited it in full. And while I do enjoy the unique advantage that I cannot be held against my will, I also have legitimate reasons to be wary of physical contact."

    "That's fine," Hazō said. "I thought that might be the case."

    There was a pause.

    "That said…" Snowflake said hesitantly. She glanced at Keiko, and after a long second, received a nod.

    "That said, we have been practising with Tenten for the best part of a year now. I make no guarantees, and please do not be offended if there is an adverse reaction and you find yourself violently incapacitated, but…"

    She tentatively held out her right hand towards Hazō, palm vertical, fingers together.

    "Hazō, would you be my first?"

    Hazō beamed. "It would be my honour."

    She watched nervously as he stepped closer, her other hand in a tight fist. The Keiko he knew would never have let anyone so close with tactile intent, and in the way she stood he could see a deep instinct to back away, consciously overridden.

    But as he reached out, she looked up, at his eyes rather than his hand, in a gesture of trust.

    Touching her sent an inexplicable thrill through him. Her hand was warm, and smaller than he'd realised it would be. It trembled. For a few seconds, they silently pressed their palms against each other's, then she withdrew, her limit reached.

    "Thank you," she whispered.

    Behind her, Keiko didn't say anything, but when you'd known someone for long enough, you could read the subtleties of their expressions.

    Hazō smiled, and silently offered his other hand.


    -o-​

    You have received 28 XP.

    -o-​

    Hazō has spent a week healing. He can use chakra again, but he is still in hospital. He has been warned to minimise physical activity, both because his more straightforward physical injuries ("lacerations, broken bones, herniated disk, concussion, etc etc etc.") are taking time to heal and because unconsciously trying to move using Iron Nerve motions he doesn't currently have access to could go wrong in all sorts of exciting and unpredictable ways.

    -o-​

    What do you do?

    Voting closes on Wednesday 28th of April, 12 p.m. London time.
     
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    • Chapter 429: A Dying Art
  • Threadmarks

    • Mari hummed a meandering tune from The Leaf Three versus the Lizard Queen, a bardic epic featuring the unvarnished truth of the heroes' legendary adventures in Rain Country, as she browsed the fabrics on display in the little shop. This, she decided, was how all missions should be: no combat, no seducing ugly old men (because it was amazing how many of the world's power holders turned out to be ugly old men), no sneaking around enemy fortresses where every tiniest noise could be the sign of an incoming patrol… No, today Mari's contribution to village security was shopping for exotic souvenirs that would be the envy of all her—

    Who are your friends?

    "This cloth is incredible," Mari told the shopkeeper, a portly man in a widower's pale green robe who was clearly enjoying the human eye candy as much as she was enjoying the sartorial. "How on earth did you make it such a vibrant shade of blue?"

    The shopkeeper beamed. "You have a discerning eye, visitor. The base is common soulstealer berries, but what gives it that shimmer is a secret processing technique passed down since the days of Ui himself, may his name be forever sung by the ten thousand worlds. Why, I bet you could scour the entire world and never find anything like it."

    "I was just thinking that," Mari agreed.

    The shopkeeper seemed briefly taken aback by her anti-haggling technique, but recovered quickly. "I think that cloth on the left would bring out those pale blue eyes of yours magnificently. If you'd like, I—"

    "Oh, I'm sorry," Mari interrupted, putting the cloth down slowly with a show of reluctance. "I didn't mean to give the wrong impression. My travel budget isn't so big that I could possibly blow the whole thing on one item, no matter how beautiful it is. I shouldn't have wasted your time."

    "I think you have the wrong idea, young lady," the shopkeeper said, hustling over in alarm as he sensed a potential customer about to walk out the door. "True, these are top-quality goods, but they are very affordable. In fact, under the right circumstances, I might even be able to offer a discount."

    "I doubt they can be affordable enough," Mari said. "Back in Leaf, this is the kind of material you'd see a clan head wearing, and not every day, either. Dyes this vivid are very rare."

    "Are they, now?" a mercantile glint appeared in the shopkeeper's eye, twinkling bright enough to obscure any traces of lust.

    "Well, yes," Mari said, feigning puzzlement. "Why do you—oh. Oh, I see. That's brilliant. You're right, these would sell at a premium in Leaf. If they're as cheap to produce as you say, you'd make a mint."

    She gave a reflective pause.

    "No, wait, I don't think that would work."

    "No?" the shopkeeper asked alertly. "What would be the obstacle?"

    "The Hagoromo, the main patrons of Leaf's weavers and dyers, have fallen on hard times recently," Mari said. "Without their investment, there can't be very much weaving and dying going on in Leaf right now. So wouldn't that mean there's no market for your goods?"

    "Young lady, I don't think you—" the shopkeeper cut himself off, probably before he could insult a customer's intelligence. "I don't think that would be a problem," he said instead.

    "Oh," Mari brightened up. "That's wonderful. I'd love to see these goods available in Leaf. It would be good for us ninja, too. There'll be caravans racing to get down here once people find out there's such wonderful rare cloth to buy, and a limited supply to compete for. Escort missions for everyone. You, sir, are a genius. I should—"

    She stopped. With visible effort, she dragged her eyes away from the display. "No. I am such a fool. Of course this won't work."

    "Why not?" the shopkeeper asked. His voice was very casual, in a way that the voice of a real craftsman discussing selling opportunities never could be.

    "I'm too used to thinking like a Leaf citizen," Mari said. "Lord Hokage is very keen on free trade. I have it from a reliable source that just a few months ago, he summoned a clan head to his office and personally ordered him to lift a politically-motivated embargo on raw material imports.

    "But we'd need the Leaf-Isan alliance before we could sell Isanese goods on the mainland, and the High Priest's implied to the Pangolin Summoner that he isn't interested. I understand, of course. He's a holy man rather than a businessman, so his priority must be preserving tradition rather than expanding—

    "Excuse me," she broke off. "It's not my place as an outsider to be commenting on Isan's political affairs. Please forget I said anything."

    "Not at all," the shopkeeper purred. "You've given me some food for thought. Now, about these very affordable fabrics…"

    "You don't trade in ryō, here, do you?" Mari asked.

    "I'm afraid not. Not much call for foreign currency in a sanctuary from the outside world."

    "Well, then," Mari said with an alluring smile, "maybe I can interest you in some goods I happened to bring from Leaf. Tell me, have you ever heard of chocolate?"


    -o-​




    "Get out, get out, get out, get out!"

    Murasaki Yabu, heir of the Murasaki Clan, could have been Hashimoto's twin sister. Granted, the two women didn't look anything alike—Hashimoto was short and bony while Murasaki was tall and built like a Multiple Earth Wall—but they both radiated the exact same air of a doctor who had seen it all and did not have time for any of your nonsense.

    There was, of course, also the distinction that Hashimoto was merely a grumpy old biddy, while Murasaki Yabu was an angry ninja busy threatening Noburi with a ritual implement that looked like a feather duster crossed with a disembowelling hook. Assuming he didn't want to get… whatever that thing was supposed to do to people… he not only had to placate her, but also to hold back Yuno from trying to eviscerate the woman threatening her husband.

    "I apologise for disturbing you, Lady Murasaki," he said, giving her his most charming smile. Fortunately, the woman was old enough to be his mother, so this did not quite provoke a homicidal response from Yuno. "I happen to be a medic-nin back home, and I was hoping you'd allow me to learn a little from the Isan medical tradition."

    "Pfah," Murasaki snorted. "The last thing I need is some barbarian rushing into my treatment chamber, bringing bilious spirits and the viridian taint and oxygoblins into a purified environment. Now get out."

    "Actually," Noburi said, "I performed the propitiating rites for bilious spirits before I came in, both the deosil and the widdershins versions. And I sprinkled salt on my heels to disgust the viridian taint." No one really believed in the viridian taint anymore, as it was well-established that brain shakes were caused by demonic possession. However, it had been safe to assume that Isan would be behind the curve when it came to medical theory. "I've never heard of oxygoblins before, though, so I'm sorry about that."

    "Made those up," Murasaki grunted. "Fine. You can come in. Leave the cursed child at the door."

    Noburi's good mood evaporated instantly.

    "Kindly do not call my wife that—"

    Yuno tugged on his sleeve.

    "Noburi," she said quietly. "It's all right. I'm used to it. You do what you need to. I'll wait outside."

    "It is not all right," he snapped.

    Of course it wasn't all right. They'd come to Isan in the name of politics, sure, but they'd also come to banish the demons of Yuno's past, to score the victory over Isan's prejudice and contempt that she could never have won alone. To free her from her chains… and to redeem Noburi for abandoning her to her fate the first time round. He couldn't let her go back to being the girl she'd been when she lived in Isan, not even for a second.

    "My wife," he said, "Gōketsu Yuno, is not cursed. She is loving and kind and thoughtful and she has"—probably—"never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. If there's a curse on her, it's the curse of people who love having someone to hate, and who find it easier to make up stories in their head than to make the effort to understand another person. Now, there's a lot I'd like to learn from you, and a lot I'd like to share with you, but before any of that, please apologise to her."

    "Get out," Murasaki said evenly. "And take that thing with you."

    Noburi bit down hard on responses that would burn bridges, ignite feuds, or start wars. It was no wonder Satsuko wanted to see this village drown in its own blood. How much did you have to hurt someone before they could hear something like that and not have the impulse to defend themselves?

    He didn't have anything left to say to Murasaki. Maybe Mari could have managed it, but Noburi did not have enough lying in him to cozy up to a woman he so desperately wanted to punch in the face. If bullying an innocent girl was so much more important to her than talking to him, then she had no one but herself to blame when other Isanese ninja got medical ninjutsu and her life's work became obsolete.

    He got out.

    "Well," he muttered, "I really blew that one, huh?"

    "Yes, you really did," Yuno agreed.

    Then she grabbed him—in public—and kissed him passionately enough to violate several Isanese customs.

    -o-​

    You have received 3 + 1 = 4 XP.

    -o-​

    Mari's investigative report:

    The Aida and the Inoue openly and loudly support the High Priest, as do the Azai. No one claims not to support the High Priest, because doing so would be suicide. However, there are dark mutterings about the Takahashi from High Priest loyalists. Mari also speculates, based on what she's heard both generally and in the Kannagi compound, that the Kannagi are scrambling to win the High Priest's favour because their reputation got hit hard by Yuno becoming the village's first missing-nin, creating an opening for the High Priest to have them destroyed as a clan if he really wanted to.

    It's difficult to go into more depth than that just by questioning people on the street because literally everyone knows who Mari is and what she wants, so people are on guard as soon as she starts asking political questions. That goes double for the Aida, given Mari killed (or, as the team jōnin, is assumed to have killed) a number of their relatives.

    However, it is universally known that the Aida heir is Isshin, a level-headed, thoughtful young man known for his mastery of the spear and bad luck in love. The next in line after him is his sister Isana, a girl known for her determined, passionate nature, ferocious taijutsu, and also bad luck in love. They have not spoken out for or against the Leaf alliance, but Mari recalls that Isshin voted for the Kannagi and Noburi's medical ninjutsu over the Murasaki and their traditional healing.

    -o-​

    What do you do?

    Voting closes on Saturday 1st of May, 1 p.m. New York time.
     
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    • Interlude: Daring to Dream
  • Threadmarks

    • "Are you all right there, Amagawa?" Hana called out over her shoulder. She was in no position to turn and look, as the second of her dire wolves had already regenerated its leg and was ready to leap, while the third was starting to circle round to the side, which she couldn't allow.

    "Never… better… Miss Kurosawa," Amagawa answered, between groans of exertion. "Just enjoying some healthy… outdoor... exercise. Building… upper body… strength…"

    Honestly, Hana reflected as she plunged her sword down the leaping wolf's maw, then twisted to send the body flying at the circling third, giving her an opening to attack the first. She'd made sure to lure the majority of the pack to her, knowing Amagawa was only a chūnin, but she still hadn't expected such a lacklustre performance.

    As she crushed the first wolf's skull with an axe kick (the key had been to sever its spine first to tie up its regenerative powers), she risked a look behind her. Amagawa was on the ground, desperately prying his remaining wolf's jaws open as it tried to bite off his head.

    "I'd really like to… finish up now… and go get a drink," he added, "but this mutt… doesn't know when to quit… A little help?"

    It was beyond Hana why Ren had seen fit to foist Amagawa Shūji on her. Hana was a kenjutsu specialist, a diplomat, and a jōnin. She was, and usually acted as, a one-woman team. And if the roads to Hot Springs really had grown more dangerous in the past year, that didn't explain why Hana's partner wasn't a ninjutsu user (the obvious choice), or even a ranged weapons expert, but Amagawa "Blue Swallow" Shūji, an infiltration and seduction chūnin whose favoured weapon was the poisoned blade hidden in his earring.

    Then again, why did Ren do anything? She couldn't have forgotten. Surely she couldn't have forgotten. Then again, maybe she had. How many years had passed without so much as a note? How many years since she'd given Hana the tiniest reason to believe she cared? So maybe it was no wonder that today, on one of the worst days of the year, Ren had decided to send Hana on a mission instead of letting her spend the day as she deserved, alone with her memories and a bottle of something strong.

    "Um, Miss Kurosawa?... I don't mean to impose… but I'm starting to think… this drool is acidic..."

    With a sigh, Hana pulled her second sword out of the corpse and went to work.

    -o-​

    If there was one nice thing about missions in Hot Springs, it was that they featured hot springs. At first, Hana had planned on a simple meal and then an early night ahead of the negotiations tomorrow, but Amagawa had insisted on sampling the resort's full pleasures. In fact, he'd insisted on her joining him in the mixed baths, and when she'd asked him for his reasoning, curious to hear what kind of flimsy excuse he'd offer, he explained that he intended to take this rare opportunity to ogle her to his heart's content.

    Then, before she could figure out how to react to that, he added that it was the only way to salve the terrible trauma caused by unspecified individuals decapitating a wolf directly over him, leaving his head and torso drenched in chakra beast blood. Hana told him that she recalled no such incident, and that he was probably having memory issues caused by ingesting too much chakra beast blood.

    Still, she couldn't deny being a little flattered. She knew she wasn't exactly the most approachable of women, and she'd spent so long as a persona non grata whom no sensible man would get involved with, to say nothing of being a single mother, or her advancing years… Perhaps it was nice, on occasion, to be reminded that there were men who still saw her as a woman.

    And since she was here in the mixed baths as a result of inescapable social obligation, she really had no choice but to enjoy all the eye candy on offer—which happened to include Amagawa himself. On reflection, it really shouldn't have been strange that a seduction specialist would have a body worthy of attention, but in addition to all that wolf-honed upper body strength, he had more scars than she'd expected, nearly as many as a proper chūnin should. Hana could never trust ninja without a proper collection of scars. It was a sign that they'd never thrust themselves into danger for the village, never put themselves in the line of fire to protect their comrades. A ninja without scars was either a fresh genin, a coward, or T&I.

    "This is the life, Miss Kurosawa," Amagawa told her, leaning back against the back of the bath in a way that did interesting things with his pectorals. "Now if only someone brought us a nice jug of saké, I'd have to seriously start thinking about defecting to Hot Springs.

    "Hint hint," he added for the benefit of listening Hot Springs spies.

    "Yagura had people executed for less, you know," Hana commented.

    "I assure you," Amagawa replied, "if the Fourth Mizukage were here in this bath with us right now, he would have missed everything I said due to being entranced by the beauty on offer. As proof, I'm here in this bath with you right now, and I have no idea what I'm saying."

    Hana chuckled in spite of herself. "Probably just as well," she said. "Otherwise you'd realise you were trying to put the moves on a woman twice your age."

    "A most vile exaggeration!" Amagawa exclaimed. "Aren't you only just turning thirty-four today, Miss Kurosawa?"

    "Well… yes, I am," Hana said. It was horrible hearing it said out loud. "I'm surprised you knew."

    "Oh, I have my sources," Amagawa said cryptically.

    "You checked the register," Hana translated. "What I don't see is why."

    "I don't think you appreciate how many fans you have, Miss Kurosawa," Amagawa said, shifting to give her a clearer view of his toned stomach. "You're an inspirational figure. I wish I'd thought to get you a birthday present, but unfortunately I didn't… so instead you're going to have to settle for being treated to dinner."

    "And what if I don't want to be treated to dinner?" Hana asked, more curiously than anything. "What if I just want to get an early night and prepare for tomorrow's work?"

    "Oh, that's quite simple," Amagawa said. "Look me in the eye and tell me you'd rather spend your birthday night sitting alone in your room, and I'll happily go play Geyser Blade with the guards or something. But they do say the Mizutani resort has the best cured ham on the continent."

    "I suspect the ham here is incurable," Hana said. "But I'll give it some thought."

    -o-​

    It said volumes about Hana's love life that it wasn't until they reached the second course that she realised this was a date. A date in the middle of a mission. Which she had somehow agreed to. It was a lesson never to underestimate I&S.

    "Wine or saké, Miss Kurosawa?"

    "If you're trying to get me drunk," Hana noted, "you should be aware I have an iron stomach. It goes well with your iron nerve."

    Amagawa grinned. "That's unfortunate, because I'm a lightweight. A bottle or two and I get terribly susceptible to all kinds of suggestions."

    Was Hana really doing this? It had been so long since she'd dated that she wasn't even sure she was doing it right. Oh, there had been a few attempted flings—she did her best to act professional around her colleagues, but she did have needs like any normal human being. But she just wasn't the type for casual relationships. How could you treat another human being with respect if you saw them as a means to an end, as a "bit of fun" to be used and then discarded when you were done? Even at the beginning, when she and Shinji were just playing around with each other, there'd been an awareness that what both of them wanted was something real.

    And ever since Shinji… She had, eventually, accepted that looking again wouldn't be a desecration of Shinji's memory. He had never been the clingy type. He'd even tried to break up with her to protect her from conflict with the clan. After years of inner struggle, she'd finally dared to believe that Shinji could look up at her from the depths with forgiveness, or even encouragement.

    But it had all been for naught. Even if she could have found another man who could fill Shinji's shoes as a lover, there was no man in Mist worthy of being Hazō's stepfather. She'd looked. She'd judged. She'd hoped. But Hana was a woman of duty—something the Kurosawa had forgotten in their keenness to treat her love as a betrayal—and she'd had a duty to her only son that mattered more than her own selfish desires. In the end, there had been no one.

    But Hazō… was gone. He'd chosen his own path. He'd chosen his own family. It was a thought she still struggled with, badly, especially when she remembered whom he'd chosen as a stepmother—how he'd consciously chosen to trust the master manipulator who'd heartlessly torn them apart, and let himself become a tool in her stage play of redemption, and then followed along when his stepfather decided the way to deal with Hana's mistake was to tear them apart again.

    Yes, it was a mistake. She could admit it now, after so many nights bathed in loneliness. She was a diplomat. She was a professional. She should have forced herself to think of the consequences before forcing the truth on a slut who had wormed her way into a Kage's bed. She should have weighed, at least, whether she was prepared to compromise her integrity to be with her son again, instead of crushing Inoue the very night of their reunion. The stakes had been too high to move on instinct.

    "Miss Kurosawa?" Amagawa said. "I know they say a birthday's a good time to look back and reflect on the past, but it's also a time to let your hair down and have fun. You look like you're planning to strangle somebody with it."

    Hana inwardly cringed. A wielder of the Iron Nerve had no excuse for letting her private feelings show in public.

    "It's nothing," she said. "I'm sorry if I alarmed you."

    "Not at all," Amagawa said, the smile a little less wide, the eyes a little more warm. "Tonight of all nights, there's no need to keep up appearances. Even if you haven't made your mind up about the ham, there's nothing wrong with having a little wine."

    It wasn't a line she'd expected from the I&S playboy. Maybe she should have. It was no wonder those people were so consistently incapable of having human relationships when it wasn't possible to draw a line between what they did to their enemies and what they did to their friends.

    Could she take a risk? Could she try forming a connection with this stranger? Hazō was gone. He already had the family he wanted. She didn't love him any less, would never love him any less, but she'd never again be the one to take responsibility for his welfare. Kurosawa Hana wasn't here tonight as a single mother. She was here as a single woman.

    "Here," Amagawa said, "let me show you. I'm here trying to seduce a woman who's tasted a love so pure it was worth throwing away everything for. How could I ever offer you anything that matches up to that? Am I someone who can love like that, even if we were best friends instead of having just met yesterday? That's what running through my head whenever I'm not distracted by how gorgeous you are or trying to get the rest of the cheese out of my dish."

    A love so pure? It wasn't the adjective she would have chosen. Delicate. Passionate. Deep. Sparkling. It was a thousand things at once, enough to lose herself in forever. And then forever ended and everything but his legacy was left in ashes.

    Still, she was a professional negotiator. She knew the old technique of offering vulnerability to strengthen a bond and invite reciprocity.

    This was what she'd meant earlier. Either Amagawa was consciously manipulating her or he just couldn't turn it off, and, like everyone he would ever date, she had no way of telling which.

    She needed to make a decision here, before she got too drawn in.

    "Amagawa," she said, "you're right. It wouldn't be fair to put those kinds of expectations on you. My standards are unfair, even impossible, and if we go down this road, it'll only lead to you getting hurt for reasons you can't help. I've enjoyed your company, and I hope I'll continue to do so for the rest of the mission, but we should end this here."

    Amagawa put down his chopsticks. He considered.

    "I understand," he said, "and I promise I'll back off, and won't even spy on you in the women's baths tomorrow, if you can answer me this one question. Can you tell me, one hundred percent, that you're afraid for me and not for yourself?"

    It was an earnest question, and it deserved a serious answer.

    She really did… She really had…

    Something was wrong.

    She didn't have to worry about Hazō anymore. She didn't have to worry about Shinji. She didn't have a reason to expect anything specific from a relationship, as long as it was honest, loving, and committed, which was a trivial bar to clear for any decent human being. So why was she rejecting Amagawa, who was attractive, funny, sensitive, and open, or at least portrayed those things well enough that it was worth finding out whether they were real?

    The answer, when it hit her, was simple, obvious, shameful, and bloodcurdling.

    Kurosawa Hana was afraid to date again.

    For a decade, she'd had a cast-iron excuse not to date any man who was less than perfect. With that shield gone, it turned out the woman behind it was a coward, unable to open up and reach out when fate didn't drop the perfect relationship in her lap. While other women her age had the experience to know what they wanted and take it, Hana was still the teenage girl whose fumbling, awkward attempts at romance had led her nowhere good until they miraculously led her to Shinji. Only this teenage girl still remembered the pain of having half her heart torn away. Was she prepared to gamble the other half, knowing that exactly the same thing could happen again?

    "I thought so," Amagawa said, "if you'll forgive me. Miss Kurosawa, this is just a birthday dinner in a foreign land on an inconsequential mission. There are no stakes here. You don't even know me. So if you want to, it's OK to talk about it."

    Hana sat silently. How could she confess something like that, especially to a stranger? How could she tell someone that his 'inspirational figure', a woman who might or might not have been twice his age, had turned out to be so weak?

    "No worries," Amagawa said. "I'll admit that after all the ham, I don't exactly know if I can handle the desserts coming my way, but I'll push on.

    "Miss Kurosawa, I used to have a teammate. Hoshigaki Serara. She was beautiful. Natural silver hair of the kind you only see in those terrible novels they've secretly started importing into Mist, which I promise you I only know about from a friend. Eyes you could drown in without genjutsu. Amazing teeth, even for a Hoshigaki. We were put on a team together back when we were genin, just kids, really, and we grew up together.

    "I don't know who fell in love first. We never used the word, you see. We never held hands. We didn't even call each other by first names. Serara's parents were… they weren't evil, but they were traditionalists, and they didn't like her making her own choices, and I'm only second-generation. We couldn't be apart, and the idea of dating someone else was like eating rocks. But we both knew that if we ever crossed the line, we wouldn't be able to stop, and then it would be the storm over Tenbatsu Bay for both of us.

    "And then, one day, there was an ordinary combat mission, and Serara was… a second too slow to dodge an exploding tag. And that was it. We'd never held hands. We'd never called each other by name. And the loss heals, ever so slowly, but the regrets don't."

    "I'm so sorry," Hana whispered.

    "So it's not just that you're gorgeous, Miss Kurosawa," Amagawa said. "Or intelligent, or brave, or all that other stuff. It's that I could have been like you, but wasn't. And it's that I'm hoping it's not too late. I'm a coward, and I've always been a coward, but if I can push myself this far, maybe I won't be a coward forever."

    If this was manipulation, it was working. Feeling like she did at this exact moment, being offered a chance not to be a coward… by someone also missing a piece of their heart… it was all but perfect.

    But if he was manipulating her… what kind of endgame could he hope for? One night of passion? You couldn't keep faking something like this in a relationship, not against a Kurosawa-trained specialist.

    "None of that is a reason to let me seduce you, I realise," Amagawa said. "But it's food for thought."

    What did Hana stand to lose? What did she stand to gain?

    Who was she going to be without Hazō? She was starting to understand that it wasn't a question she could leave unanswered. And despite all the fear, Kurosawa Hana, the woman who had lost everything and gained everything in the name of love, would be a liar if she pretended romance wasn't part of that question.

    So there she was, a single woman seeking answers. And there he was, Amagawa Shūji. Not the love of her life. Just an attractive, funny, sensitive, and open man, and if he wasn't really any of those things, then he suspected that was another lesson the awkward teenage girl could only learn by facing it head-on.

    The fear still held her heart in its grip. Failure. Humiliation. Betrayal. And, above all, loss. Loss which, she was beginning to suspect, she wasn't anywhere as good at coping with as she'd thought.

    But she hadn't become a jōnin, given up her clan, and brought up a child against incredible odds by flinching in the face of fear.

    She carefully laid down her chopsticks, then rose from her seat.

    She beckoned over a waiter.

    "You can leave the desserts outside our room."

    Before following her up the stairs, Amagawa whispered something to the waiter, but Hana only caught the words "extra whipped cream".

    -o-​

    Morning came too soon. Hana had never been so grateful to be an Iron Nerve user, because it meant she'd be able to maintain perfect body language despite the fact that every part of her body ached in all the best ways. Beside her, Amagawa stirred in apparent sleep, but Hana knew he was faking it in order to give her the initiative—she could lie next to him like a lover (for a few minutes more), she could prepare herself like a professional resuming a mission, she could leave as if after a one-night-stand… doubtless as a seduction specialist he knew of more possibilities than she could ever imagine.

    Which reminded her…

    "So what rank was I?" she asked casually.

    "B," Amagawa said without any particular delay. "The risk to my life wasn't quite high enough for an A."

    Ren. Would it have hurt her, would it have killed her to just give her a birthday present like a normal person?

    "Was it all lies?" she asked, keeping her voice neutral.

    "Not at all," Amagawa said. "Back when Ami was still doing I&S back home, she said every lie shaved off a sliver of your humanity. Not everybody wants or needs to be human, but if you do, you should measure out your lies carefully in your human relationships.

    "The mission's over, Miss Kurosawa. If anything, I think I might have gone a little overboard. But we're both human, and we're capable of human relationships. I'm willing to carry on what we've started if you are."

    And so, Hana was back to square one. Was Amagawa actually interested in her as a person, or he was secretly continuing a longer mission?

    Hana's natural instinct was to kick him out, B-rank levels of violence optional. It was futile to blame him for being what he was, or for obeying the Mizukage's direct order. But how could a relationship like this be open, honest, and committed? How did trust work when dating a professional liar and manipulator?

    But then Inoue's face floated up in her mind. Hazō claimed to have found happiness with her, despite knowing what she was, and Hana believed him. She didn't believe for a second that a creature that stole children for her own profit was capable of loving him back, yet somehow their relationship had endured over the years, and even deepened. There was a "what if" in her mind that she couldn't allow herself to touch, couldn't allow herself to believe. But if she could stand where Hazō stood, if she could somehow build a genuine relationship of trust with someone who made a living of being untrustworthy, would it help her understand him? Would it help bridge the gap that Inoue had made, but Hana had widened?

    Would Hana face the uncertainty of dating, raised to ninja difficulty? Or would the awkward, fumbling teenage girl back down and wait for a challenge she could handle?

    "Last night was a beautiful dream," she told Amagawa. "The best I'd had for a long time. How long can we keep it going?"

    "Until the next exploding tag," Amagawa said. "And not a second less."

    -o-​

    What do you do?

    Voting ends on Wednesday 5th of May, 12 p.m. London time.
     
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    • Chapter 430, Part 1: Unforgiven
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    • It was a chilly evening up in the mountains. Mari, naturally, had had the foresight to snatch the chair next to the fire, and was now curled up in the latest comfortable position she'd discovered, sideways with her legs hooked around the back of the chair. Really, why the others kept giving her strange looks was beyond her. Her reading material, an epic poem borrowed from the Kannagi, was a little dry, but the insight into the previous Pangolin Summoner's life would make for great material with which to tease Keiko when the opportunity came up.

    Meanwhile, Keiko herself was staring into space, almost certainly thinking about Tenten, while Noburi and Yuno were occupied with an Isanese board game that only resembled shogi until you asked about the names of the pieces, the rules, or the victory conditions.

    "Aha!" Noburi exclaimed, startling Keiko out of her reverie. "The squirrel is in the sandpit, and I'm shaving the bearded sage. Shark in three turns."

    Yuno studied the board for a few seconds. "I surrender. To think you've come so far practically overnight, my little tapir."

    Noburi gave the characteristic smirk of a teenage boy failing to hide his smugness while impressing a girl. "Well, I figured trying to get tips was a great excuse to talk to people without making them suspicious, and there was this one cute gir—"

    He cut himself off, but it was too late. The temperature dropped faster than if an angry Keiko had used the Elemental Mastery Technique at jōnin level.

    "Go on," Yuno purred, her right hand reaching down next to her seat.

    "Say, Keiko," Mari said casually, "there's something I've been wondering about. Why does Snowflake always call you Kei?"

    Yuno's hand paused on its way to murder.

    "You shouldn't ask questions like that lightly," she said. "It's probably a secret summoner name. I know I overheard Akane mention 'Hyūga Kameji' to someone once when I was stalking Noburi."

    Noburi's grinned so widely that it barely stayed on his face. Mari made a note to be there when the two next met, because the explosions were sure to be spectacular.

    Keiko looked down sheepishly. "Nothing so interesting. There was a point in time at which my younger self believed that removing the 'child' part of my name would in some way render me more adult. Naturally, no such miracle occurred, but by the time I was forced to acknowledge my inescapable immaturity, the habit had become ingrained. I think of myself as Kei, and thus, so does Snowflake."

    "Huh," Noburi said, delighted at the change of subject. "So if you like it more, why don't you have other people call you Kei as well?"

    "Before, it would have been cripplingly embarrassing," Keiko said. "It may be slightly less so now, but on the other hand, with the rise of the KEI and the Kei, it would also be a source of confusion for all concerned."

    "I really wouldn't worry about that," Mari said, rolling up the scroll now that there was something more entertaining on offer. "You can start off by having close friends and family use it—people who won't laugh at you over a little thing like that—and then let it spread naturally. I don't think there'll be any confusion unless you marry into the Kei, and doubt your legal conspiracy's come quite that far."

    "What legal—ahem. I will give the matter due consideration."

    "Trust me," Mari said. "It worked like a charm for me."

    "Huh?" Noburi asked. "Are you saying your real name isn't Mari?"

    He paused. "No, wait, I'm dumb. You're an elite jōnin superspy. Of course you've been using a fake name all along. You're like Kagome, only good at keeping secrets."

    Mari rolled her eyes. "Actually, I just did exactly the same thing as Keiko. Funny coincidence. Only… by the time I had the revelation about how childish it was… well, going back to being Mariko wasn't an option anymore. That girl was better off staying dead."

    Yuno gave her an uncertain, questioning look.

    "Another time, Yuno dear," Mari said. "While we're on the subject, what's up with 'Noburi'? I've never met anyone else with that name in Mist, or Leaf, or anywhere I've infiltrated, which actually makes me a little jealous as an ex-Inoue."

    Noburi winced. "You just had to ask. I was supposed to be a Noboru. 'One who rises'. It's one of those traditional names that gets passed down through the generations. The first Noboru was probably some great clan hero. Not like it matters to me, though, because the damn priest bit his tongue during my naming ceremony. And my parents weren't the type to change a name after it had been blessed by the kami. I can tell you, having a weird name did not help the fat kid with the barrel get through the Academy."

    "What about you, Yuno?" Mari asked, because keeping her engaged in the conversation was a key part of keeping Noburi in one piece. "What does your name mean?"

    Yuno gave a soft, distant smile. "It doesn't mean anything. It just sounds nice. Daddy said it didn't matter how my name was written as long as people enjoyed saying it out loud. He said people with nice names made more friends."

    "I think it's a beautiful name," Noburi agreed.

    There was a lull in the conversation, and right now that could mean trouble.

    "How about Hazō?" Mari asked. "He's another one with a unique name. Keiko, can you ask him during the check-in?"

    "No need," Keiko said. "I inquired some time ago. I am given to understand that he was originally intended to be a Hanzō. However, then one of Lady Ren's cousins bestowed that name on her own child, who would be next in line if Lady Ren died childless. Given that originally, Hazō should have been the Kurosawa heir, it would have been both inappropriate and distasteful for him to share the name. On the other hand, his mother abjectly refused to have any decision of hers shaped by the will of her former clan, even if the outcome was a rather awkward compromise.

    "For completeness' sake, as with all aspects of my upbringing, my own name was determined by my parents' feelings about Ami. They had first met when my father was upgrading the village's perimeter defence system, while my mother was the tester assigned to penetrate it, and in honour of this they burdened Ami with a name written as 'net' or 'network'. Having received one prodigy, they then naturally desired another, seeking to influence fate by naming me 'blessed child'. Obviously, fate punished them for their hubris."

    "What about the Snowflakes?" Mari asked. "I remember what you said about Snowflake herself, but then there's Prism, Spiral, Crystal, and the others we've met, and I think Snowflake also talked about Kitten—"

    "OhnoIwillbelateforthecheck-in!" Keiko exclaimed, shooting up from her seat. "Summoning Technique: Pandā!"

    "Oh, Keiko, it's good to—"

    Keiko clapped a hand on Pandā's shoulder. "Seventh Path. Now."

    Unfortunately, Noburi was only halfway through the door by the time the distraction of Keiko's dramatic exit wore off.

    "Where are you going, my precious bumblebee?" Yuno asked sweetly. "Satsuko and I want to hear all about this cute girl."

    "Summoning Technique: Gamasēji!"

    Mari sighed and went back to her scroll.


    -o-​




    A few hours later, Kei was back, bearing the details of Hazō's latest scheme. Noburi was still missing, presumed sensible. Mari had reached the end of her epic and was now sorting through the rolls of fabric she had swindled out of Isan's merchants by bartering goods that would have been worth pocket change in Leaf. Yuno was polishing her axe while humming cheerfully.

    Unfortunately, after immersing herself in the abyss of soul-devouring brilliance that was the Frozen Skein, Keiko's impression of the plan had not changed.

    "Mari," she appealed, "am I misinterpreting the viability of this plan? Perhaps there is some way in which it is a devastating masterstroke, and I merely lack the insight and ambition to appreciate its full glory?"

    "Kinda sorta." Mari waved her hand ambiguously. "It's definitely a Hazō plan, I'll tell you that."

    "That is what I was afraid of."

    "I mean," Mari said more thoughtfully, "there's nothing wrong with the first part. I don't know what luxury goods Hazō thinks he can buy for five hundred people when we are the brokest clan ever to be broke on this green earth—"

    "Untrue," Keiko interrupted. "Recall the Kobayakawa."

    "Fine, the brokest clan currently to be broke on this green earth. But since the buying happens in Leaf, that's Hazō's problem to take care of. Or Akane's, rather. The propaganda section's fine too. Given what I've got to work with, Keiko, and the fact that I'm me, I could turn you into a second Byakuren with my eyes closed."

    Kei squirmed. Mari of all people must have realised the degree to which Kei was an impostor, granted power and success solely through an implausible confluence of circumstances. Portraying her as some manner of hero before the people of Isan would add more layers still to that deception, rendering it all the more devastating when the masks finally fell.

    "I admit I'm not clear on the religious text part. Yuno, how long would it take to get us our own copy of Isan's religious texts?"

    Yuno paused her axe-polishing. "What, all of them?"

    "Let's say just the core texts."

    "Well, they're not exactly for sale," Yuno said. "Every family already has their own copies. But if you paid a scribe to do it… Actually, I have no idea how long it would take. I'm not a scribe. Weeks, probably."

    "All right, I guess we're sticking with the very core of the core texts," Mari conceded.

    "I can pick some out," Yuno said. "But why do you want to copy the texts?"

    "Hazō wants to print them," Mari said. "As gifts, I guess."

    "But everyone already has their own copies," Yuno repeated. "We've had centuries to make them. I have my own copy, and it was very difficult keeping it safe while I was being drenched in monster blood all the time when I was travelling the continent."

    "Sure," Mari said, "but bound texts are more resilient. And you don't have to puzzle out the scribe's handwriting or worry if they've made any mistakes while copying."

    "I'll see what I can do," Yuno said. "But I can't promise that my people will trust holy scripture made out of sight by strangers in a barbarian village. You might make mistakes when turning it into print—there are already rumours going around that the Pangolin Summoner showed ignorance of Ui's lore when dining with the High Priest—or change it in subtle ways to undermine the village. Also, I'm the only one who understands what printing is… and even I'm not completely comfortable with it. Words have spiritual power. The person writing them leashes and controls that power. It's why only the most trusted and respected people can be scribes. But when words write themselves, that sounds like an abomination."

    "Moving swiftly on," Mari said, "this part's the meat of the issue. Keiko's own martial order. It's a beautiful image. The High Priest turns up to find that his ninja are already serving Keiko, and that she's taken over as their spiritual leader. Pop quiz. What happens next?"

    "The High Priest orders the majority that has remained loyal to him to arrest the traitors and execute us if he deems it viable, or banish us otherwise," Keiko said coldly.

    "Bingo," Mari said. "Taking command of military forces under his control? Directly replacing his religious authority? He could be desperate to ally with Leaf, and he'd still have to come down on us with everything he's got, or it would be his last day in power.

    "With a third of the village at our back, calling for change? Sure. With a bunch of civilians that reckon allying with Leaf might be good for business? We might as well go march into jail ourselves and save them the trouble."

    "Is there a way to do it?" Yuno asked. "Make it his last day in power? I mean, I know once he invited the Summoner to dinner, she had to argue for an alliance with him, but… it mustn't happen that way. Please. I left my home and fought my way to Leaf because you're the only ones who can save Isan from him. If you decide to give him the alliance, if Leaf ends up backing his rule… it'll be the end. Instead of Isan finding its own path, it'll be his path, with iron laws, and hatred, and unity through hurting people who are different. What Noburi told you about the Murasaki—it won't be just me. It'll be everyone he doesn't need, or doesn't want."

    Mari looked at her for a few seconds. "I hear you, Yuno. I really do. But I worry if we can pull it off. The fact is, the Gōketsu need a win. We've been in the Hokage's bad books on and off this whole year, and right now we're not in a situation where anything else can go wrong. We're the clan that nearly broke the entire Fire Country economy. If we prove ourselves a liability in the field as well, and it's one of Leaf's rivals that gets all of Isan's ninja and seals and ninjutsu, the Hokage might just decide it's better for the Gōketsu to die out and pass those summoning scrolls to ninja he can rely on. I want to save Isan as much as you do, but saving my family—including you—comes first."

    Yuno slumped back in her chair, crestfallen. "I understand," she said quietly. "I understand, but…"

    "No," Kei said sharply. "This is not a matter for compromise."

    "Keiko…" Mari began.

    "I made a promise, Mari," Kei said. "Before I left Isan, taking the reason for its existence with me, I promised that I would return and repay my debt. Isan was the beginning of my rise to power, such as it has been. It is in Isan that I became more than a genin with a moderately useful bloodline and passable skill with thrown weapons. You have always been a genius. Hazō has always been a visionary. Noburi has always possessed countless talents waiting to flourish, and Akane, delusions aside… has always been a better person than I could hope to be. Even Kagome, for all his flaws, has achieved rare mastery in a rare skill by casting aside everything else. I was unremarkable until Isan made me unique.

    "I am not such a fool as to deny my status as Akio's heir in the middle of Isan, even in private. However, you and I are both fully aware of my relationship to Isan and its traditions. I became special by robbing an entire village of its specialness. I am responsible for the void that the High Priest filled. I cannot abandon Isan to the darkness I selfishly plunged it into, and then come home and claim myself an ally of Uplift, much less a leader fit for the KEI or the Nara."

    "This is not just about you, Keiko," Mari retorted. "Don't get me wrong. I want to save Isan as much as anyone. But we have to be realistic. If the final choice is the High Priest or nothing, and nothing means putting my family in danger, then I will suck it up and choose the High Priest. All four of us—all four of us Gōketsu—have that responsibility to fulfil."

    Kei felt anger beginning to crystallise.

    "There are five hundred lives at stake here. I am as loyal to the Gōketsu as you are, but you are telling me to weigh a risk to the clan—a nebulous risk with no evidence save your speculation—against a certainty of suffering for hundreds, focused on the most vulnerable. You are commonborn, Mari—do you not remember the pain of discrimination? Of being bullied, ostracized, because the group functioned more smoothly with an outcast to unite against? Or did your prodigious talent render you exempt from the suffering experienced by others?"

    "Leave my past out of this, Keiko," Mari snapped. "I had bigger problems than bullying, as you well know. Even then, I managed to make my way into the ingroup, with manipulation when I could, with fists when I couldn't. Don't assume everyone's experience is the same as yours."

    Yuno looked between the two of them anxiously.

    "Listen to yourself!" Kei exclaimed. "Of course you did not require defending. You are strong. Immeasurably strong. What bliss it must have been, to be permitted to earn a place, and then to gaze at your inferiors below. Were you a bully, Mari? Did you partake in those rituals of building community spirit by tormenting the unworthy?"

    "Yes, I earned my place! Do you want me to apologise for doing what I had to in order to survive, Keiko? I didn't have a clan at my back. I didn't have a bloodline that guaranteed academic success. I didn't have a perfect sister, an asset you completely failed to utilise, to be there for me whenever things got too tough. And if sometimes I had to hurt others to survive—you might not like it, but that's what it means to be a ninja!"

    A wall that had been buckling under pressure for so long finally snapped completely.

    "Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night, Mari?" Kei hissed. "Who cares about the others' pain as long as I survive? And now, how virtuous, you have upgraded to 'Who cares about the others' pain as long as my family survives?' Who cares indeed. Do you believe yourself superior to me because where I turned the pain inwards until it nearly broke me, you became a predator who forced others to feel it in your place? Your trauma was worse than mine. Congratulations. Clearly, nothing more was needed to justify the Heartbreaker."

    "How dare you? You have no idea what I went through. You can't imagine what it's like to be betrayed by the person you trusted most. To be hurt, over and over. To have no home to return to because just thinking of what's waiting there makes you sick."

    The anger crystallised into something solid, a regular structure that from the outside could be mistaken for calm.

    "I know exactly what it is to have no home to return to, Mari," Keiko said evenly. "I know because you stole mine. I suppose that was another necessity for your survival. All those children, torn from their families and then left to die. How proud you must feel of your patchwork repair of this soul you shattered. How proud that you encountered me in the wilderness, me and two others otherwise irrelevant to your interests, and chose to spare us from the doom you brought upon the rest. How proud, that you found some humanity within yourself at this late stage and crafted yourself a new family from the remains of those you had destroyed.

    "You stole Ami from me, Mari. You stole everything, but her above all. You knew her well, I have now learned. You knew what I was to her. You must have known, at the research stage, what she was to me. You stole us from each other nonetheless. Then, with hypocrisy beyond imagination, you inserted yourself into the gap left in my life—the guardian, the mentor, the beloved. Was that another product of your repairs? Was I in love with you because you replaced the person whose absence I could not endure?"

    Yuno stared at her in horror and bewilderment. There would be a price to pay for allowing her to witness this, but it was too late to stop.

    "I believed, once, that I could accept it all. That I was capable of overlooking your monstrous actions in light of the beautiful family bond that was their final outcome. Then you confessed, and it seemed as if we were perched on the edge of resolution. Any minute now, any day, you would acknowledge the fullness of your sins, and seek my forgiveness, and I would forgive you and the slate would be wiped clean, leaving only love.

    "A year has passed. I am done waiting.

    "You desire no forgiveness. You only wish redemption. You wish proof that you are no longer the Heartbreaker, and are therefore exempt from responsibility for her actions. You wish a world where your crimes are not forgiven but forgotten, someone else's, swept under the carpet in favour of the loving relationship we now enjoy.

    "You can make me forgive you. This is a fact. With time and effort, with your skill and intimate understanding of my heart, you can surely manipulate me into feeling anything, into making any choice. You proved the power you can wield even in an instant the night before my wedding—another incident you do not believe requires forgiveness. Certainly, you will do this now that you have been made aware of the issue, because while you do not desire forgiveness, you desire harmony, and forgiveness is required before this can be restored. You will tell yourself it is for my own benefit, or the family's, and both of those things will be true.

    "Therefore, I am making this statement I can only make now. I do not forgive you, Mari. I do not absolve you of responsibility. I deny your redemption, and I deny that you have left the Heartbreaker behind. With the last of my untainted free will, I deny you the right to call yourself my family until you face and accept the full horror of what you, Gōketsu Mari, have done."

    Kei gathered her belongings while Mari sat frozen.

    "I apologise for the inconvenience, Yuno," she said with her back to the girl, "but I will be spending the night on the Seventh Path. We can reconvene tomorrow to discuss our further plans."

    Hopefully, by morning she would be able to conceal the pain.

    -o-​

    You have received 1 + 1 = 2 XP.

    -o-​

    Part 2, the Takahashi meeting, tomorrow (both in- and out of universe).

    -o-​

    Since Hazō's plan has not been implemented, a week has not passed.

    What do you do?

    Voting closes on Saturday 8th of May, 1 p.m. New York time.
     
    Last edited:
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    • Chapter 430, Part 2: Her Own Redemption
  • Threadmarks

    • Morning came. Regrettably. The pain came with it. What more proof was needed of the irrational structure of the world that Kei, the injured party, was the one compelled to feel pain after that confrontation?

    Her vengeance had been necessary. Just. The only option left to her after it had become apparent that Mari had no interest in facing justice. She was no saint, no kami of judgement to awaken a sense of morality within Mari's heart and force her to confront her sins from a place of honesty rather than self-flagellation (an art Kei knew all too well, just as she knew its self-centred nature). Yet it was necessary for balance to be restored, and Kei knew of no other path left to her.

    Kei had spent so long wracking her brain. How was it possible to take proper, proportionate revenge on someone she still loved, and someone whose suffering would be mirrored in their other loved ones? How could she repay monstrous deeds without herself becoming a monster? Where could she even find the initiative? She had no one to confide in, no way to seek advice. Hazō and Noburi would only seek to dissuade her, having somehow forgotten—or been manipulated into forgetting—that Mari had cost them everything, had saved them only by coincidence while sacrificing every other person she had brought to the Swamp of Death, and then slept soundly, troubled only by thoughts of missing-nin threatening her own precious survival. They had not even sought an apology for destroying their lives.

    Akane was incapable of understanding true evil, and would likely struggle with vengeance as a concept to begin with. Kagome she dismissed from consideration. She did not dare consult Ami. Ami had, for reasons Kei did not understand, not moved to take vengeance of her own, and if she were to change her mind, Kei could not imagine the scale of the destruction. It was very rare for Ami to commit to anger. Shikamaru could not be involved—he was more protective of her than anyone realised, and it would be disastrous for this to become in any way a Nara-Gōketsu matter. Tenten… Tenten might perhaps counsel forgiveness, for Kei to be the better person, if only for the sake of her own soul. But Kei was not a better person. Nor was Snowflake, but she possessed no insight unavailable to Kei.

    And then, before Kei ever found any answers, Mari laid her true feelings bare and Kei did not have the strength of will not to respond in kind. Even in the middle of a mission. Even in front of an outsider. Even in hostile territory where they were doubtless being spied on by their hosts.

    They would all side with Mari. Of course they would. Yuno had no voice in this matter, but Noburi—assuming he had survived—would have sympathy for Mari's fresh pain, not for what Kei had carried with her all these years. Kei could not guess what had happened to his own. Hazō would seek to mediate, as if the two sides of the scale were equal. Anyone else? Well, Kei was the aggressor now.

    Still, there was one consolation. Today, Hazō's plan proposed, she would attempt to secure Takahashi-sensei's cooperation. It would be a balm to her soul to speak with her old master, and a contribution she could make to the mission as herself rather than as a false hero from a faith she even now despoiled.

    -o-​

    Takahashi-sensei's home had not changed at all. There was the rack of scrolls from which he would pull forth some work of wisdom, present it to her, then despair as she stumbled over the archaic script, and recite it word for word for her, from memory, in that rich baritone voice. There was the alcove with the ancient ritual tools that she saw in a new light now that she was intimately familiar with the T&I catalogues available on request from the main office. There was the table at which they would sit, sipping bitter Isanese green tea during breaks as she narrated the mediocre story of her life while he listened, nodded, and made occasional incisive comments. There was… there was not his daughter, waiting dutifully to welcome her in with a whisper about Takahashi-sensei's mood. Kei hoped she was not unwell.

    And there was Takahashi-sensei himself, and he had aged. In less than two years, it seemed as if he had gained ten or more. Still strong, still upright, still the image of a powerful shinobi, yes, but the Takahashi-sensei before her was weary where before he had been merely serene.

    She bowed deeply. "I have returned, Takahashi-sensei."

    "Welcome back, Keiko."

    With his permission, she seated herself at the table. A servant was already bringing tea, because of course Takahashi-sensei had anticipated her visit.

    "I apologise for taking so long to come pay my respects," she said.

    "Not at all. I understand your hesitation. Speaking with me is unlikely to reflect well on you in Azai's eyes."

    "How are you, Sensei?" Kei asked.

    "Like a man who, in his hurry to lance a boil, ended up cutting off his own foot," Takahashi-sensei said. "You have had time, now, to see Azai's Isan for yourself. What are your impressions?"

    Kei took the time to consider the question. The tea was even more bitter than she recalled.

    "It feels more vibrant somehow, more alive. Yet something about that aliveness troubles me. Those who were once apathetic and relaxed now labour driven by religious fervour. We visitors are no longer suspicious curiosities. We are either friend or foe, depending how much trust a villager possesses in the Pangolin Summoner and her retinue. People congregate in groups much more than they did before, yet in some sections of the village I hear only a deathly silence. And the patrols… the patrols remind me of Hidden Mist. Is Isan truly so rife with crime now that bands of shinobi bearing the ruler's mark must prowl the streets ensuring compliance with the law?"

    Takahashi-sensei gave a dry, humourless chuckle. "The law, is it? Many would say that the village has no need for law as long as tradition is upheld, that Ui's wisdom contains all the guidance we need in our daily lives. How convenient it must be, then, to be Ui's wisdom made flesh."

    "I must infer, then," Kei said cautiously, "that you are not a supporter of the High Priest's regime?"

    "How could I not be?" Takahashi-sensei said wryly. "I am, after all, the man who brought it into being. I am the one who ensured you would take the scroll, and I am the one who stood by and allowed Azai to take power when decisive action might have taken history down another path. The Aida and the Inoue were fragile and easily shattered. The Kannagi lacked foresight. Tsukiko could not help playing games, even given the stakes, and Azai was the better player. And me? I played peacemaker when what was needed was immediate, overwhelming force."

    "You blame yourself," Kei concluded with her power of insight that shamed the most brilliant of sea slugs.

    "You did not come here to bathe in an old man's self-pity," Takahashi-sensei said. "I am not a subtle man, and do not exhaust myself attempting to conceal my positions, but Azai has found use for me nonetheless. Those few others who share my cynicism insist on gathering around me, believing that I must possess some wisdom that could undo the victory Azai has already won. Thus, he may monitor them freely, and should he sense brewing rebellion, he may strike them all down at once. I believe it is for that reason that he has not acted against the Takahashi."

    "Would you undo that victory," Kei asked, "if you were provided with the chance? Would you rebel if you believed you could succeed?"

    "Tell me, Keiko," Takahashi-sensei said suddenly, "why are you here? Did you come here as Isan's Pangolin Summoner or as the agent of a colonial power that seeks to add this village to its collection?"

    Startled by the question, Kei took a few seconds to gather her thoughts.

    "I have come here as Nara Keiko," she told him. "I owe Isan a great debt, and its repayment must involve securing Isan's welfare. I also sincerely believe that the best way to do so is for Isan to ally with my village, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Leaf possesses the best medical ninjutsu in the world. It possesses—"

    Takahashi-sensei raised a hand, cutting her off. "Spare me the propaganda, Keiko. I am quite certain that you have a beautiful and persuasive speech ready for me—you always excelled when given time to prepare—and I am also quite certain that any delegate from Cloud or Mist, or perhaps Rock or Sand, would have one just as fine. Azai, with his outsider contacts, may have some way to judge the truth of such claims. I do not.

    "No, my interest remains focused on you. You call yourself a Nara now. You have joined a second of the Five Forbidden Clans. I would not have imagined such a thing possible, much less permissible."

    "What exactly do you know of the five clans?" Kei asked warily.

    "Legends. Idioms. Vague yet dire warnings in the oldest scrolls. You, with your more sophisticated culture, would doubtless dismiss such things as primitive superstition. But as I doubt you are here to cause the end of the world, I do not wish to waste this limited time we have together speaking of them."

    Takahashi-sensei set down his teacup, and his gaze sharpened to pierce her.

    "What is your status in Leaf, Keiko? Without modesty or exaggeration."

    What was her status? Her status was ridiculous. She would not condemn Takahashi-sensei if he refused to believe it.

    "After we left Isan," Kei said, "we eventually joined Leaf, where we founded a new clan, the Gōketsu, under the leadership of the now-departed legendary shinobi Jiraiya. That clan sits on Leaf's Clan Council, and while it is small, it is influential, with two summoners other than myself, and two sealmasters. I partake in that influence as sister to Hazō, the head of the clan, although my participation in the clan's daily affairs is limited.

    "I then married into the Nara, of whom it seems you know. I am consort to Shikamaru, head of the Nara, and informal leader of the Ino-Shika-Chō clan alliance, also all with seats on the Clan Council. With the clan's senior population depleted by an enemy assault, I serve as second-in-command de facto as well as de jure, attending to those facets of clan rulership for which Shikamaru does not have the time or energy.

    "Finally, through the political machinations of my birth sister, I have found myself one of the triumvirate that leads Leaf's clanless ninja, a previously disunited collective that comprises a third of the village. That collective also holds a seat on the Clan Council."

    Takahashi-sensei's expression had changed subtly, but Kei lacked the capacity to interpret it.

    "It seems you have accumulated a remarkable amount of power for your young age," he said.

    "On the surface, certainly," Kei acknowledged. "Of course, my activities have always been primarily administrative in nature. It is generally the others who initiate projects and make decisions, since given the limitations of the Frozen Skein, I have always…"

    She had always… Always…

    The realisation was blinding. It was less like being struck by a thunderbolt than like being immolated in lightning. Here, in another land, with her ordinary life suspended, she looked back and saw the unbearably obvious.

    Always was over. Always had been over ever since she reconciled with Snowflake. There was no need for her to remain in the clerical, facilitatory role Ami had granted her within the KEI, where Ami wove plots, and Naruto took action, and Kei sat in the background and managed the parts for which they lacked either time or interest. There was no need for her to merely organise and maintain the clan so that Shikamaru's policies could be implemented smoothly and efficiently.

    The sudden rush of freedom was absolutely terrifying.

    "Yes," she corrected her past self. "I do appear to have a certain amount of power."

    "Hypothetically," Takahashi-sensei went on, "how many votes do you believe you could command within Hidden Leaf's clan council?"

    They had performed this calculation previously, for the Concubine Laws. Assuming her intent did not run counter to the interests of the KEI or the Ino-Shika-Chō…

    "On an issue of importance, more than a third," Kei concluded. "Less than half."

    "I believe that is a stronger argument for an Isan-Leaf alliance than any grandiose speech you could make," Takahashi-sensei told her.

    "What? Why?"

    "Because I have the measure of you, Nara Keiko," Takahashi-sensei said. "You are intelligent, loyal, and hard-working. You fear and hate betrayal, and are helplessly faithful to those who show you acceptance. Perhaps more importantly, you acknowledge your debt to Isan, and I suspect you cannot stand the thought that Isan's corruption, and the coming end of our centuries-old way of life, has its roots in nothing more than your selfish desire for power."

    Kei bowed her head.

    "I have no reason to trust the distant powers of Hidden Leaf," Takahashi-sensei said. "But I trust your loyalty and your guilt. If you can swear that you will protect Isan from those in the outside world who would exploit us, with all the power at your command, then I will consent to an alliance between Isan and your adopted home."

    It was not a decision.

    "I so swear."

    "Good," Takahashi-sensei said, and smiled warmly. "Now, Azai's spies will soon have recovered from their distractions. I shall call for more tea and sweets, and you can tell your old summoning instructor all about the Seventh Path, as you have been doing this entire morning."

    And with that, Kei allowed herself to relax in the only safe space she would have for the remainder of her stay in Isan.

    -o-​

    You have received 1 + 1 = 2 XP (this being a second day).

    -o-​

    What do you do?

    Voting closes on Saturday 8th of May, 1 p.m. New York time.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 431: The Mouths of Babes
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    • "Sir, your guests are here," the nurse said.

    "Thank you," Hazō said, pushing himself up in the bed. "Send them in."

    Moments later, Akane, Haru, and Gaku bounced, glided, and shuffled into the room respectively. Gaku was clutching a stack of papers and desperately trying to be invisible.

    "You look better," Akane said, giving him a very gentle hug that still made him wince from the pressure on his triple-broken collarbone.

    Haru simply nodded, stone-faced.

    "My Lord," Gaku said, ducking his head and doing his best to be unobtrusive about keeping distance between himself and Haru.

    "Thanks for coming," Hazō said, telling the Iron Nerve to keep him upright and not show the pain that doing so cost him. Even with near-constant tending by senior medic-nin, including Lady Tsunade, he was still in bad shape. A surge of fire through his nerves reminded him that his bloodline was still recovering from the bodyblow of absorbing the Great Seal and therefore unavailable.

    "You're the Clan Head. You call, we don't get to say no."

    Hazō hid a sigh at Haru's blunt words. "Fair point, I suppose. Still, you're the reason I called. You've been doing a great job on the bank run investigation and I wanted an update."

    Haru's face tightened for a moment. "Your suggestion about tracking the scrip based on the wood? It was—"

    "It didn't work," Akane said quickly. "The scrip is all ours and it was all carved in a couple of batches on the same equipment using the same source materials. There aren't enough differences to matter."

    "Pity," Hazō said. "Is there anything else I can do that will make it easier for you? Writs from a clan head, direct pressure on someone, offers to trade jutsu or seal training...?"

    "No," Haru said.

    "I think we're good," said Akane.

    "Okay. What can you tell me? Any progress?"

    "Some," Akane said. "We've been tracking the movements of the scrip as best we can. The interesting thing is that we can't find any reference to the Hagoromo using it until shortly before the run. Then they were using a lot of scrip."

    "Only using scrip," Haru said.

    "We aren't sure of that," Akane said.

    "Did you find a single example of them using ryō?"

    "No, but it's not like we have better than sketchy records. Most people don't track what currency they're paid in."

    "Not one example, Akane! It was deliberate!"

    "Haru—"

    "Excuse me," Hazō said, cutting across the argument. "Whether it was absolutely none or nearly none isn't important. They were using a lot of it. Why? And how do the Hyūga tie in?"

    "The Hyūga were buying the scrip but we don't see many references to them using it," Akane said. "Which is weird because they were buying a lot of it."

    "So they were taking it out of circulation at the same time the Hagoromo were moving it around."

    "Yeah," Haru said. "And the day of the bank run the Hags made some major purchases. They went to six different goldsmiths and bought out most of their stock. They went to three different Yakuza gambling halls and exchanged scrip for ryō. They placed some huge orders for various kinds of goods, and they bought a big stretch of land near the border with Noodle."

    Hazō frowned. "Why Noodle?"

    Akane shrugged. "We're looking to see if they approached anyone else about other land. What they bought is a snip off of a larger holding held by the Amori. I'm trying to track down what the nature of the land is and why the Amori were willing to sell it."

    Hazō rubbed an itch on his nose and then winced as his collarbone objected. "Okay," he said slowly. "Check into that, let me know what you find. Anything else particularly relevant to report?"

    "No," Haru said. "Although I don't know how they're getting away with some of the things they're saying."

    "Like what?"

    He shrugged one shoulder. "How wise is it to trust IOUs from a clan that's already shown they can't be trusted with money? It's so unfortunate that there is a voting clan so incompetent that the Hokage had to bail them out in order to prevent them from ending up in the poorhouse. It's a good thing that the Hokage has the wisdom of the Sage because no mere mortal could keep this foreign-born idea of 'scrip' from causing another financial disaster that will destroy Leaf. It just goes to show that no matter how much effort you spend training foreigners to act according to the Will of Fire, they will always find it challenging and the Gōketsu should be proud at how few mistakes they've made."

    Hazō deliberately forced his jaw to unclench. "They're saying that?"

    Akane nodded. "And more. Always right on the edge of what they could be censured for but apparently they haven't gone over."

    Hazō took a deep breath. "I note that the Gōketsu Clan is loyal to the Leaf, the Will of Fire, and the Hokage, and therefore we will follow the lawful orders we were given and will not burn the Hagoromo compound to the ground, or drop rocks on it from skywalkers until it's a gaping pit lined with meat paste, or murder every one of their members while they sleep, or destroy all their businesses in order to render them penniless. We will continue working with them in good faith as two honorable clans of the Leaf should do."

    Haru's lip twitched in a half-smile that disappeared immediately.

    "Anyway," Hazō said after a moment, and then had to break off as a yawn ambushed him. "Sorry, some of the meds are really knocking me out. It sounds like you guys are doing great at this. If I can do anything to help, let me know. Otherwise, unless you have anything else I'm going to get some sleep." He struggled to hold back another yawn and couldn't.

    "We'll see you later," Akane said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and then herding the other two out.

    o-o-o-o​

    Asuma chuckled as he sat down. "Most people, when they want a meeting, they come to me."

    Hazō did his best to laugh but had to wince when the excessive breath sent a lance of pain through his head. "Sorry, sir. I didn't feel like I could afford to waste time lying around, but I can't really get around much just now." He smiled. "And I'm pretty sure that if I tried, Lady Tsunade would kill me."

    "It's fine," Asuma said, waving off the concern with a smile. "I'm just pulling your leg. Honestly, should we even be having this meeting? You look terrible."

    "I feel terrible," Hazō admitted. "The concussion is healing but..." He paused, blinking twice and forcing his eyes to focus. After a moment he became confident that no, the scorpion skittering across Asuma's shoulder did not actually exist.

    "Hazō?"

    "Sorry, sir. It's healing, but I'm still a little out of it."

    "Is that why she moved you to the main hospital?"

    Hazō nodded, forgetting that head movement could make him puke. He managed to keep his gorge down, barely. "Yes sir. She found it easier than going out to our clinic every day, plus here there's other medic-nin available for when she's busy with other things."

    "We'll keep it short. I read your initial briefing paper; thank you for getting that to me so quickly. I've put together two groups, a combat planning group to get with the Summon Clan representatives and talk about how to deal with the Dragons, and a seal research team. I've shown them the drawing that you made. They're screaming for more data, so the sooner that you can brief with them the better."

    "I can go now, if—" A yawn split his head open before he could cover it.

    Asuma laughed. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, I'll send some people to bring you to the meeting. And I'll warn the researchers that they need to go easy on you or they'll have Tsunade down on their heads. It should keep them relatively calm."

    "Did I hear my name?"

    It was amazing how much menace the Slug Princess could pack into five neutral words.

    Asuma jumped to his feet as Tsunade came through the door. "Tsunade. Nice to see you. You've been doing good work with Hazō."

    Tsunade, resplendent in a splotchy green medical apron over field uniform, looked narrow-eyed at her Hokage. "Did I hear some nonsense about you taking him out of here tomorrow?"

    Asuma straightened slightly and seemed to brace himself. "Yes." He held up a hand just in time to cut off the tirade before it could start. "It's necessary, Tsunade. There is a seal the size of a small mountain over in Arachnid territory. It's breaking down, and monsters are coming through it. If we can't fix it then there's a good chance that the Seventh Path will be destroyed, and a better than even chance that the Human Path will go with it."

    Tsunade studied him, narrow-eyed. "You're joking."

    "I'm really not."

    "It's Dragons," Hazō said to the Lady Tsunade on the left. She had apparently used both Shadow Clone and Wind Technique: Mirage when he wasn't looking, because both of her were blurring back and forth and occasionally shimmering into one body temporarily.

    "Dragons."

    He nodded, aborting the motion as it sent a lance of pain through his temple. "Yeah. And I asked Kumokōgō—she's the head of the Arachnids—I asked her if she could beat a Dragon. She laughed. And then I asked if they could separate one so we could ambush it and then they could beat it together—oh, wait. Before that I asked what she would need in order to beat one and she said she wasn't sure but her best guess would be multiple Clan Rulers. That was what I meant by 'they'. She said she could probably lead one..." He paused, gagging, and blinked as his vision swam.

    "Yeeeeaah, you're going to sleep now." Tsunade stepped forward, green chakra blazing to life around her fingers.

    "Wait!" Hazō said, holding out an arm to fend her off. "I need to ask 'bout Orochimaru. Gotta get him into th' research project but don't wanna be eaten. How c'n I..."

    The words trailed off as Tsunade tapped her finger on his forehead and sleep engulfed him.

    o-o-o-o​

    "'Don't be interesting?'" Hazō asked, annoyance and disbelief layering themselves over the words. "That's the best she had on how to work with Orichimaru and not get eaten?"

    "It's not the worst advice," Asuma said, smiling in amusement and patting him carefully on the forearm. The Hokage was walking on the righthand side of the litter on which two ANBU were carrying Hazō to the research meeting, and the forearm was the only piece of Hazō's right side that was amenable to contact without causing pain. The litter was buried in furs and small warm rocks because Tsunade had been very unhappy about the idea of her patient going to a seal research center at all, much less outside in the cold. It had almost required a literal order from the Hokage to get her to authorize the visit at all, and even when she did it had come with a long list of caveats and dire warnings.

    Hazō grunted in annoyance, which made Asuma smile.

    "We'll be there in a moment," Asuma said after a moment. "How are you both feeling?" He looked back and forth between Hazō and the apprentice who walked to his left.

    "I'm good enough for a briefing," Hazō said. "Although Lady Tsunade threatened to break the rest of my bones if I stay more than an hour."

    "Sounds like her. How about you, Harumitsu?"

    "I'm f-f-f-f-f-fine, s-s-s-s-sir." The junior sealing student blushed crimson at his near inability to get the words out. His nervousness was making his stammer much worse.

    Asuma reached across Hazō to rest a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Good man. You'll do fine. Breathe, and remember that you're only here to listen. Hazō's been telling me good things about you. He says you're very dedicated and you learn quickly."

    Harumitsu seemed utterly appalled at the idea that he had in any way been brought to the Hokage's attention. He opened his mouth to reply but the words simply would not come, so after a moment he made the handtalk sign for 'all is well' and bobbed his head in gratitude.

    "Don't worry about it," Hazō said. "This will be good experience for you. All you have to do is stay in the background and listen. There's going to be a lot of very smart people at this meeting, and there will be a lot of incisive and creative thinking flying around. Hearing the kinds of things they talk about will be useful for you. Try to focus on how they think instead of specifically what they're saying. Are they looking at structural elements, or chakra flows, or what? Do they structure their arguments as a formal syllogism or do they give more casual summaries? That kind of thing."

    "You stupid fucking moron!"

    The words were plainly audible from the clearing twenty yards up ahead.

    "Or, perhaps very informally," Hazō muttered.

    The party broke out of the trees, passed around two offset Multiple Earth Walls that prevented line-of-sight into the clearing, and arrived at Gōketsu Sealing Experimentation Facility #3. Kagome-sensei had been appalled at having to choose between working in someone else's facility or needing to let strangers into his own (not attending wasn't even considered), but after several hours of loud complaining he had finally decided to let the rest of Leaf's sealmasters work in his facility. Akane and Haru were both serving as his wingmen, albeit more to keep him from killing the visitors than to keep them from distributing lupchanzen around the area. Hazō wasn't sure if 'the visitors' covered literally all of Leaf's senior sealmasters or simply the majority of them. It definitely wasn't the entire complement of Leaf's sealsmiths since Harumitsu was the only student present.

    "Don't you lecture me, you scum-scraped bloviator!" bellowed someone wearing a Kurusu crest. "You Amori still think that a Tanaka condenser is cutting edge! I read that worthless tripe that you tried to pass off as a monograph for the contest and it was bullshit, first to last!"

    "Oh, like you're one to talk," sneered a Motoyoshi. "Your grandly-named 'Breath of the Angry Kami' seal used eight separate inverters in series as a way to step down the flow rate!"

    "It's safer than—"

    "Oh, shut up Bunta," said a Hyūga. "It was a trash methodology and you know it. All you needed was a Sogabe Slide."

    "A Slide has a ternary interlock and I needed a hexagonal, so—"

    "So double it," Kagome-sensei said. "Two ternaries interlock into a hexagonal, plus if you lay them in parallel they will synchronize the interregnals and give you an opportunity to use second-order harmonics for smoothing."

    "You can't interlock two ternaries!" screeched the Amori sealmaster. "It would produce a gapped congestion node!"

    Kagome rolled his eyes. "Fill it with a blitter." He glanced over at Haru, who stood to his right and one step behind. "Seriously, you Leaf guys need to stop dropping your kids on their heads. They can't even do math."

    "Kagome, we are 'Leaf guys'," Akane reminded him gently.

    "You fucking foreign devils should—"

    The cacophony of arguing suddenly stopped as someone noticed the Hokage's party approaching. There was an instant of silence and then multiple senior sealmasters, all people of age and wisdom and dignity, raced over to interview the only living person to have laid eyes on the Great Seal. Fortunately, the Hokage and two ANBU were there to ensure that they didn't trample on him in their excitement.

    o-o-o-o​

    "So, what did you think?" Hazō asked, once the attendants had gotten him settled back into his hospital bed after returning from the third day of interviews.

    In accordance with Lady Tsunade's 'request', Hazō had only remained for an hour per day before returning to his bed at the Leaf General Hospital. During that time he had had dozens of requests for clarification on parts of the drawing that his Shadow Clone had produced, as well as questions about relevant astrological influences at the time of viewing. It was very clear that his interlocutors were frustrated by their inability to break his skull open and physically pull the information out, being instead restricted by the need for the slow and error-prone method of speech and memory.

    It was no picnic for Hazō either. With the Iron Nerve still disabled by his injuries he was unable to produce a clear image of the Seal in his mind and was forced to rely on normal memory. He had never needed to do so before; the Iron Nerve retained every seal he had ever seen in perfect detail, making it easy to reference during research. It had allowed him to skip over the mnemonic training that was a major portion of a sealsmith's education and that lack was biting him now. He comforted himself with Lady Tsunade's reassurance that his bloodline would come back as his injuries healed. He firmly ignored the fact that she wasn't as good a liar as she thought she was, at least not when it came to concealing a diagnosis from her patient.

    "They d-d-don't s-seem to b-be m-m-m-making much p-progress," Harumitsu said.

    "They identified the primary intake channels," Hazō said. "At least, that's what we're assuming." He glanced over at his apprentice. "What does that mean and why is it important?"

    "Th-the p-primary intake ch-channels are where the chakra c-comes into th-the s-seal. Inf-f-usion instantiates the s-seal, but it d-draws chakra from the env-v-ironment to p-p-power its operation after th-that. F-finding the p-primary intake is imp-p-ortant because it g-gives you a s-starting p-point to reason ab-b-bout the s-seal's m-mechanics."

    "Right. Now, which direction does the chakra flow from the lowermost intake?"

    "It s-splits. Deosil, w-widdershins, and a Y-branch f-forward."

    "Good. Technically it's a half-W branch, because the two sides don't have equal length before reaching the next element, but you got it. What's the main problem they were talking about?"

    "I d-don't know, s-sir. I couldn't f-f-follow them."

    "What names did you hear that you didn't recognize?"

    "Um..."

    "Think 'spiralizer'."

    "Yokota s-spiralizer?"

    "Right! Now, a Yokota spiralizer is generally used to..." He went off on the details, giving the theory only a brief skim and focusing mainly on the standard usage and how it typically interfaced with other structures in a seal; Harumitsu had a much easier time grasping theory if it was first grounded in practicality. At each stage Hazō checked to see that his apprentice was following, and when he finished he asked hypotheticals about what would happen if various components were linked to a Yokota in various orders.

    "Th-that would create a vortex?"

    "Exactly. What happens when you get a vortex?"

    "Um..."

    Hazō waited patiently, smiling as his apprentice frantically riffled through his memorized teachings.

    "I d-d-d-don't kn-know, s-s-s-s-s-sensei." Harumitsu's eyes were big and he was holding his breath, clearly worried he was about to be castigated for his ignorance.

    "It depends on the size and the direction of spin. Typically, you don't want a vortex because it delays the flows. On the other hand, it also smooths them. There are times when you don't have enough space in the design for the standard smoothing elements. You can use a vortex to do that, but you need to balance it very carefully, and you need to ensure that it's spinning in the same direction as the primary flows. If you don't, you'll get leakage and it will create a weak point in the chakra channel. Over time it could actually build up to the point where it ruptured the channel. What would that cause?"

    "Um...if it b-b-broke the chakra ch-channel, wouldn't the seal f-f-fail?"

    "Exactly. The results would vary depending on where the vortex is in the design, how fast it's spinning, and various astrological influences. If everything lines up exactly right then it would probably just explode. If not...well." He shrugged and pushed himself up a little in the bed, wincing at the resulting pain. "Now, suppose that you attached a spiralizer to a hexagonal interface instead of a quaternary?"

    "Um...w-well...y-you s-said that there was always disr-r-ruption around the outflows. W-with s-six outflows there would be a lot of disruption and eddies...would the chakra remain contained?"

    "Good catch. It would probably leak out through one of the squinches, most likely the one between the fifth and sixth outflows. That would create a weakness in the flow and an imbalance. Is there any way you could anticipate and manage that when you designed it?"

    "W-w-well...you c-could have a s-s-sink to absorb th-th-the chakra and sh-shut the s-seal down s-s-safely."

    "Exactly. What's the weakness of a sink?"

    "It can only h-h-handle s-so m-much chakra and if it f-fails the s-sink w-will fail. If the l-leak that it's t-trying to p-p-p-prevent is t-too big then the s-sink will m-m-make things worse."

    "Exactly. Same thing if you've got multiple sinks. They can handle more leakage, but if they aren't perfectly aligned they can create vortices that build up and cause a cascade failure."

    "Are there any s-sinks in the Seal?"

    "Sort of. The whole point of a sink—oh, thank you." Hazō gave a small nod to the orderly who had brought in a rolling table with a tray containing bland food and tepid tea. The orderly fussed over him for a bit, bowed, and disappeared.

    "The point of a sink is that it isn't connected to anything," Hazō resumed. "We don't see anything like that. There's a whole bunch of elements in this thing that none of us recognize, but they're all connected. Kagome-sensei is theorizing that they aren't sinks, they're stabilizers. They actually absorb the leaked chakra, clean it, and put it back into the system."

    Harumitsu eyed him dubiously. "R-r-really? If you'll f-f-f-forgive m-me, My L-Lord, th-that sounds c-c-crazy."

    Hazō chuckled and took a sip of his tea. "I know, right? If the chakra didn't get properly synchronized before being reinjected you'd get a resonance and it would all blow up. Plus, if there was too much leakage for the intake to handle it would build up and you'd have the whole vortex problem." He shifted slightly, trying to find a position where his back didn't complain so much, and sighed when he couldn't. "If Kagome-sensei is right about what's happening, that would suggest that the Seal is failing, it's just doing it slowly. The best case is that its performance will degrade until the entire thing shuts down. More likely is that the vortices build up and up and up until the entire seal fails catastrophically. Given how much chakra this thing must be pulling in, that failure is going to be truly epic."

    "P-pity th-there isn't s-some w-way to add more s-stabilizers, or u-use up the ch-chakra. That c-could p-prevent the f-failure, r-right?"

    "In theory," Hazō said. "It would be great if we could, but it's not practical. Even if Kagome-sensei is right about what those things are, there's no way to add more of them. We don't understand how they work, we don't understand how they perform the synchronization or manage the harmonics, and it's not like you can just insert new elements into an active seal. We'd need to redraw the entire seal with the new elements in order to ensure the balance was right, and..." His mouth gaped open and his teacup plummeted from frozen fingers, bouncing off the tray and splashing tea across his blankets.

    "S-s-sensei?"

    "Use it up..." Hazō whispered, eyes unfocused. "We could use it up." He flung the covers back and swung his feet to the floor, grabbing at the bed for balance. "SENSEI!" he bellowed, staggering to the door. "KAGOME-SENSEI! I NEED YOU!"

    "Sensei?!" Harumitsu said, hovering near to Hazō with his hands half-extended, unsure if he should be helping in accord with his teacher's wishes or dragging him back to bed and shackling him down in accord with Lady Tsunade's.

    There was a thump from the corridor outside as someone came flying out of the office three doors down and bounced off the wall in their haste. Kagome barreled around the corner, ringboxes on his hands, and nearly collided with Hazō, who was halfway into the hall.

    "What is it?!" Kagome said, supporting Hazō with one arm around his chest and the other arm extended, tracking to find the threat. Hazō choked in pain at the pressure on his shattered ribs.

    "Sensei, I know how to fix it," he gasped. "We use up the excess chakra."

    Kagome, recognizing the absence of threat, manhandled Hazō back to the bed. "What are you talking about?" he demanded once Hazō was lying down again.

    The answer was prevented by the intrusion of three separate orderlies who had come running in response to Hazō's shout. Fortunately, Hazō managed to grab Kagome's arm before the older man could splatter the orderlies across the wall as a fine red mist. The junior medic-nin froze, raising their hands in placation, and came forward slowly once the grumbling sealmaster had stepped back. They got Hazō settled in, scanned him with medical chakra, clucked over the way he had aggravated his injuries by moving around, fixed what they could, and left.

    "The Great Seal," Hazō said, once they were alone again. He had to struggle to keep his words clear even as the pain drove the breath from his lungs. "Those stabilizer elements you identified? They're being overwhelmed. There's too much input for them to absorb. We put other seals in to absorb the leakage and reduce it to the point that the stabilizers can manage it."

    "Don't be stupid," Kagome-sensei snapped. "Putting other seals inside the structure of an existing one would cause their effect to destabilize the ambient flows and accelerate the failure."

    "No," Hazō said, forcing his breathing to even out and cursing the absence of the Iron Nerve. "Not if it was Jiraiya's Awesome Daybright Lantern seals. It would absorb the excess chakra and convert it to light. There'd be no chakra effect to destabilize anything."

    Kagome-sensei sneered in dismissal. "You're being crazy again. That would..." He paused. "That's crazy. You couldn't... Hm." He frowned, then shook his head. "The amount of chakra it would use up would be insignificant compared to the amount that must be flowing through there. You couldn't..." He frowned harder.

    "We use a lot of them."

    Kagome-sensei rubbed his chin. "Even if that would work, they don't last long enough."

    "So we make a new version. One that lasts longer."

    "That...hm. It could..." He hesitated, then shook his head. "It wouldn't prevent the failure. The leak is still going to grow."

    "Sure, but it would buy us time. And researching a long-duration version of Jiraiya's Awesome Daybright Lantern shouldn't be hard, right?"

    "Well... I mean, if you reduce the output...I suppose I could...hm. If you expanded the...hm." He drew some notes in the air with one finger, modeling out the basic shape of the seal. "Maybe. It would be dimmer, so you'd need to use more of them."

    "They're easy to make and we would have every sealsmith in Leaf to do it."

    "Hm."

    Hazō held his breath.

    Finally, Kagome-sensei nodded. "It's worth a shot. I'll go talk to those twittering morons."




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    • Chapter 432: Forgiveness, Responsibility, and the Ami Manoeuvre
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    • It was a pleasant evening on the Seventh Path. The lack of sun shone dimly, indicating an end to the day's labours. The goldenrod Dog sky was undisturbed by the cataclysm unfolding in distant lands. Keiko was radiating an aura of impenetrable misery. The insects buzzing in the air were blessedly uninterested in Hazō's blood, phlegm, or spiritual substance.

    No, wait. One of those things was not like the others.

    "Keiko," Hazō said. "It's good to see you. How are you?"

    "Fine," Keiko said heavily. "Yourself, Hazō?"

    "Also fine," Hazō said. "It's been weeks, and only a limited number of things have tried to kill me. Even the Seventh Path grass hasn't tried to eat my sandals once. Honestly, it's disconcerting."

    "I find it deeply validating," Keiko replied. "Just as the depths of true evil cannot be plumbed without the ability to reject good, so the demonstration that a Path need not be constantly attempting to murder its inhabitants is proof that the universe hates humanity specifically and wishes it to suffer."

    Only Keiko could take a lack of senseless murder as evidence of the cruelty of the world.

    Although, on the other hand, if the Sage, who according to many accounts had at least been born mortal, was capable of creating such a relative paradise, what did that say about the kami that had fashioned the Human Path? It would not have fazed any ordinary Mist native, of course, to learn that a world crafted from the corpse of the primal leviathan, a creature of raw chaos and destruction, should express these horrific traits. But Hazō could no longer see things that way. If he, a mere human, could dedicate himself to turning the world of war and death around him into utopia, then no greater being got to claim poor raw materials as an excuse.

    In which case, were those greater powers too apathetic to human suffering to make the effort? Or worse, inimical? Yes, he could see how pursuing this line of thought too far could leave you with Keiko's worldview.

    Moving urgently on...

    "Are you sure you're OK, Keiko? You don't seem your usual self."

    "I am fine," Keiko repeated. "There is no cause for concern. Let us move on to matters of greater import."

    "Keiko," Hazō said patiently, "I know I'm not technically involved with this mission, but you told me up front that you welcomed my advice. This is my advice to you now. You're on an A-rank mission where anything less than peak performance could put the whole team in danger. If something's wrong, then we should deal with it as soon as possible, or at least talk it through so we can find a temporary solution until we can address it properly back home. Is that in any way unreasonable?"

    "Curse you and your unimpeachable logic," Keiko muttered after a second. "But Hazō, there is no solution to be found here. It is merely an irreconcilable difference of... everything."

    Success. Hazō had half-feared a speech about how Keiko's feelings didn't matter enough for him to waste his valuable time on them.

    "With whom do you have an irreconcilable difference of everything?"

    "Mari," Keiko said reluctantly. "There was a confrontation. She claimed that, with the Gōketsu's position in Leaf so precarious, we needed guaranteed success in the field, even if that meant backing Azai's rule instead of exploring more ethical options such as insurrection. I refused. It is we who plunged Isan into its current lamentable state, and to condemn it to that state in perpetuity for our own convenience is not acceptable. In retrospect it is immensely telling that she considers my guilt over that outcome to be a purely personal issue, where as our team leader she was just as culpable if not more."

    Hazō nodded. Really, he should have seen this coming, and they should have discussed it more thoroughly before they ever set off. If Keiko had put her foot down over dealing with the High Priest from the beginning, they might have approached the entire mission differently.

    Then again, it wasn't as if that was solely a Keiko problem. Yuno had begged them to save Isan from the High Priest from the moment she arrived, yet they'd all left it until now to decide whether to commit. For that matter, shouldn't he be more invested in Isan's fate? Now he considered it, there was something distinctly un-Uplift about shrugging off a tyrannical regime within arm's reach just because it didn't have any direct impact on his existing plans.

    "I understand where you're coming from, Keiko. This is a serious issue which we all need to sit down and discuss as a group. Well, in my case, the logistics don't exactly make that easy, but I think we can make use of lists to—"

    "You misunderstand," Keiko interrupted. "This is not an issue. Yuno already agrees with me unreservedly, and I have faith in Noburi's humanity. Then, even if she dismisses my motivations, in her advisory role Mari has no standing to gainsay the three of us. Isan will be saved, one way or another.

    "No, the issue is what came next. As the discussion turned heated, I appealed to Mari's own past as a commonborn, which should surely allow her to appreciate the plight of the minority oppressed by Azai's regime. Far from it. She revealed that at the Academy, she had wilfully joined the ranks of the bullies, and prospered from being the oppressor while claiming it to be necessary for her survival—a vile deception she clings to even now. To think she would have the gall to make that claim to me, one who endured a full Academy career without once attempting to join the 'winning team' or to transpose my suffering onto others.

    "At her towering selfishness made plain… I confess I snapped. Hazō, they were the words of the woman who had left dozens of children to die in the Swamp of Death, unaltered and unrepentant. They were the words of the woman who, driven to confess her crimes only by self-hatred, never once imagined asking for my forgiveness after she tore me from Ami and destroyed my life. I waited for nearly a year for a simple, honest admission of fault, and a request for forgiveness which I would somehow grant, wiping the slate clean. It had never occurred to her. For if it had, surely she would have spoken the words, even as a lie. It is not as if she has ever struggled to manipulate me."

    She paused, as if unsure whether to carry on. Hazō waited.

    "I confess I do not understand how you and Noburi have forgiven her crimes, as if the past can simply be erased by a record of good behaviour since. You know what Ami is to me. Mari, too, having researched each of us, must have known. She must have known what effect it would have on Ami, her own junior. She did not care. And even now, with the two of us restored to each other—through no effort of Mari's, for she put forward none—our relationship is not what it was, and never will be.

    "Perhaps you can forgive her because the gain outweighs the loss. Certainly, on balance our lives now are far beyond what we could have hoped for in Mist. How fortunate that she only abandoned everyone else.

    "You knew the others as well as I, Hazō. Probably better, given how little I had by way of a social life. Kimura Hayato had lent me an inkstone for an important test after my own had been stolen. Serizawa Junko, having accidentally knocked me to the ground while running past, had stopped to help me rise and spent precious seconds confirming my lack of injury. Shinohara Ryūji offered to carry my pack repeatedly, and was in constant conflict with Noburi for no reason I could discern, and in retrospect I wonder if, in radical defiance of probability, he also had a crush. Ueda Genji took time out of his important business to instruct me on how to drive tent pegs into uncooperative swamp soil. Satō Minori meant nothing to me in particular, but her bedroll was next to mine, and I listened to her weep at night because she was her family's second missing-nin and she was certain the Mizukage would now execute the rest.

    "I can name every one. I can describe their appearances. I can even give you brief lists of useful facts. Sumie-sensei would have accepted nothing less from a Mori on her logistics team. Morobuni Ryōtarō, ambushed by flensereeds shortly after arrival in the Swamp, had advanced training in concealment ninjutsu. Sanada Kiriko, consumed by some parasite our half-trained medic-nin could not identify, had been earmarked for a central place in the new command structure as a former genin team leader. Fukama Ichirō, killed after he refused to be deceived by Shikigami, was the first clanless shinobi in a generation to develop a complete taijutsu style, although my documents did not clarify what made a style 'complete'.

    "I do not claim to be qualified to speak on the dead's behalf. I doubt any one of them would have chosen me to represent them. However, as the sole Swamp survivor willing to hold Mari accountable for her crimes, I am all they have. And if Mari is not capable of apologising even to me, then she will not spare them a thought until the end of time.

    "Hazō, Mari's redemption is a lie. I do not deny that she has changed. I do not deny that she has grown capable of love and its attendant virtues, or the significance of that accomplishment. However, she cannot claim to have outgrown the Heartbreaker while she pretends away the Heartbreaker's crimes, any more than a gardener can claim to be planting a rose garden while in her hand there are only mountain hydralisk seeds. And I cannot accept as family a woman who would simply saunter away after destroying my life and dozens like it.

    "That is all. There is no resolution. I am not so arrogant as to believe I can change Mari's heart and bring about some spiritual awakening where she will recognise as monstrous what she now considers trivial. I am not so naïve as to believe that she will not manipulate me into granting her however much forgiveness she desires—not because she sees value in the act, but because she does not desire conflict within her family. Until then, all I can do is await the inevitable."

    Could Hazō not leave these people be for a single—no, that was unfair. This conflict had been brewing for a long time now. Still, it could have been headed off if only Keiko had talked about her feelings, instead of bottling everything up until it exploded. Then again, it could also have been headed off if Mari had ever made her confession as a rational choice before it came out in the midst of an emotional crisis, and dealt with the consequences then, or if she hadn't subsequently let sleeping dogs lie even though Keiko had told her to her face that she was loved but not forgiven. Why couldn't everyone just say the right thing at the right time like Akane?

    Fine. Gōketsu Hazō to the rescue.

    "Keiko," he said, "am I right in understanding that the problem is that because Mari hasn't apologised, you think she doesn't care?"

    "Boiled down to its most basic constituent parts, I suppose that is a valid interpretation," Keiko said cagily. Doubtless she expected him to try to argue her out of her viewpoint. "Whether she cares or not, however, she has consciously chosen to reject responsibility, in defiance of both the most basic morality and the fact that, as a professional in the field of human relationships, she cannot possibly be ignorant of what such closure would mean to me."

    "You're right," Hazō said. "It would be very strange for her not to know. And if she knew what it would mean to you, it would be very strange for her not to apologise, even if only in a dishonest and manipulative way like you expect she will now. Why do you think she hasn't?"

    "I can only assume it was a blind spot," Keiko said. "Were she to ask herself, 'What are the real-life consequences of my monstrous crimes, and how should I engage with them?', certainly she should be able to predict the feelings of her surviving victims. That she has not is proof that she refuses to face them, even in the cold, detached way of the Heartbreaker. And what is more abhorrent than one who refuses to face the consequences of their actions?"

    For a second, she looked away, in the direction of the Pangolin lands.

    "That's one possibility," Hazō agreed. "but I think there's another one. Like you say, Mari could manipulate you with a fake apology. But suppose she doesn't want to?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "If she wants to give you a genuine apology, but her instinct after a lifetime of manipulation is to just say whatever will make you feel better, then she might not be able to apologise until she's able to master that instinct. I can't really go into detail without violating Mari's confidence, but I do believe she recognises the problem, and she is working on it, even if it's not obvious from the outside."

    "Then you have either misunderstood or been deceived," Keiko said coldly. "If she were but to glance in the direction of the Swamp of Death with a sincere intent to perceive the truth, she would find enough material for apology there that no amount of manipulation would be necessary to embellish it. To merely face the full reality of her actions would, if she possessed but a sliver of a conscience, provoke enough contrition to satisfy a thousand Keikos. If she believes that more than that is necessary or possible, than she has faced nothing at all."

    Hazō really needed to get the people in his life to talk to each other more. If he hadn't been Mari's sole confidant (as far as he knew), if she'd at any point let Keiko in on the complex inner struggle she'd been going through in order to redefine herself, he was certain Keiko would be more willing to give her the benefit of the doubt now. Or, of course, if Keiko had spoken about her own pain, instead of assuming (entirely reasonably, but still assuming) that Mari would figure it out for herself.

    "I'm not saying you have to forgive her, Keiko," Hazō said. "Only you can make that decision. I'm just trying to think this through for myself. One thing I need to understand is what you want from her. Do you just want her to apologise for what she put you—and me, and the others—through? Is there some concrete way in which she's supposed to repay you? What would that look like?"

    "I have explained," Keiko said. "An apology is no longer possible. I cannot trust that, when no notion of apology for such grand crimes has ever occurred to her before, one delivered immediately after I requested it would be genuine or heartfelt. And insofar as I cannot provide that forgiveness of my own free will, I must resign myself to that free will eventually being stripped away."

    She paused.

    "I wish it were not so, Hazō. I wish Mari were an ordinary human being, one without the power to casually fake even the most extreme contrition, and that I could trust her apology and her desire for forgiveness, grant it, and return to a happy family life. I do not wish to be the villain who ruins everyone's happiness because she alone has not resolved her issues with her past while all others have moved on."

    "We'll figure something out," Hazō said. "I promise. For now, just think about possibilities. What kind of resolution you'd find satisfying if we could make it happen. How it might work. I'm not asking for answers—just for you to keep thinking and not give up on making this right.

    "And Keiko, you are not a villain. You were wronged. That's plain fact. No one is saying you have to deal with the Swamp of Death the way Noburi and I have. Maybe I'm the strange one for forgiving Mari so easily after she tore apart my family the exact same way she did yours. Maybe Noburi is strange for saying it all worked out for the best when so many people are dead. Maybe none of us are strange, because there's no right or wrong way of dealing with something like this.

    "You were wronged, and if what you want is some kind of restitution, then that's what the rest of us will help you get."

    Probably. He had no idea how Noburi had responded to Keiko's actions—by the sound of it, she didn't know yet either. He wasn't sure how Akane would either, though he wasn't too worried about the girl who had supportiveness in the part of her soul where others had self-preservation. Kagome-sensei… would leave well enough alone. It was a policy that had served him well so far. But when it came to Yuno, and any others who might get pulled into this conflict… well, perhaps he had been a little precipitous in speaking for the undefined group. He hoped that wouldn't come back to haunt him.

    "Thank you, Hazō," Keiko said. "I do not believe a positive resolution to this is possible, but given my general incompetence in the field of… well, most things that involve relating to other people, I must grant that you may find possibilities I cannot."

    It would do for now.

    "Do you think you'll be able to continue to work with Mari?" he asked. "At least for the Isan mission?"

    Keiko nodded without further comment.

    "I realise talking about this must be pretty upsetting for you," Hazō went on, "so do you think you're up for talking about the plan instead? How is it going? Have you been able to start looking for recruits?"

    "Oh, the plan," Keiko said wryly. "I fear you will not enjoy hearing about the plan."

    -o-​

    "I guess she has a point," Hazō conceded. "I stand by the basic concept, but when you put it like that, it does sound kind of rushed. I admit, what I was after was the kind of epic turnaround that Ami pulled off with the AMI and the KEI. But by the sound of it, Isan isn't exactly flexible in the right ways. What you're describing is giving off this weirdly Yagura vibe, and if we don't factor that into our plans, we're liable to end up the way Yagura's enemies did."

    "Quite," Keiko said. "The AMI and the KEI are both products of very specific circumstances. The AMI was a product of Yagura's repressive rule, which generated its own counter-force that Ami was able to exploit. It would have failed without both Yagura's tyranny and his death, combined with the brutal losses among the senior ranks that suddenly empowered the younger generation. It is an open question whether it was Ami's adaptability that allowed her to succeed despite the sudden irrelevance of years' worth of planning, or whether even those events, predictable to none, had been on her contingency list.

    "By the same token, the KEI exploited a fine balance in the Hokage-clanless relationship. Had the lineage of past Hokage been a little more favourably inclined towards the clanless, the Hokage's authority among them would have been too solid for a foreigner to interfere with. Had they been a little less favourably inclined, the clanless would have feared the consequences of challenging it. Frankly, entire books could be written about the intricacies of politics and society involved in Ami's plans. Perhaps, after Uplift is complete, I shall be the one to write them."

    For a second, Hazō imagined a post-Uplift generation, naturally all literate and with significant disposable income, flocking to the bookshops to learn how to plan like Ami. Was it too late to un-invent the printing press?

    "I still think the basic idea is solid, though," Hazō said. "We exploit an existing rift in society—in our case, between the High Priest's fanatics and the more moderate ninja who reject his brand of neotraditionalism—and then we rally our own faction in a way that doesn't allow the enemy to act against us directly. By the time the High Priest realises how much power we've stolen from him, it's too late for him to do anything about it without risking a civil war that would destroy the very village he wants to rule."

    "I can feel Ami grinning in anticipation all the way from the Human Path," Keiko said. "It is unnerving."

    "I'm thinking a slower build-up," Hazō said. "We'll still want you set up as a High Priest alternative—the Ami Manoeuvre needs a central rallying figure—but our alliances need to be in place before there's any chance of a confrontation. What do you think about joining Isan's patrols for some major chakra beast-clearing missions, the kind they'd hesitate to pull off on their own because they don't have functionally immortal pangolins to tank the hits? That's an easy way to gather allies without doing anything the High Priest can act against."

    "Seems reasonable," Keiko said. "Martial feats to establish a martial figure and placing oneself in harm's way to establish loyalty. A viable strategy—assuming, of course, that I survive."

    "Keiko, if the ninja of Isan are capable of living near these beasts, then you are capable of dominating them," Hazō said. "The other obvious pool of potential allies is the Isanese outcasts—people like Yuno, the enemies the High Priest has made for himself without any effort from us. She should be able to identify some promising leads for us there."

    "Perhaps," Keiko said sceptically. "Bear in mind that being a social outcast does not come in a single flavour. The cursed child may still be repellent to those who believe that only their treatment has been unjust."

    "In which case, screw them," Hazō said. He did not have a single drop of patience for those who knew the pain of discrimination and still turned around to do it to others. "But there must be someone. Or, even if there isn't, we have nothing to lose by trying. If anything, wouldn't it be strange to defy the High Priest in the name of protecting the downtrodden without actually trying to involve any of them?"

    "That is a perspective I had not considered," Keiko admitted.

    "One more thing," Hazō said. "You're right about the Gōketsu finances. We're not going to be pulling off any power moves with the empty air in our coffers. Do you think we should ask the Tower for resources?"

    "It is not standard practice," Keiko said. "Ordinarily, it would be a source of untold humiliation for a clan to require a handout from the Hokage because it could not cover unplanned expenses during a mission. Rather, one files a compensation request after completion, together with justification for why an unplanned expense great enough to involve the Tower was necessary to begin with. In our case, I suppose we must suffer that untold humiliation, in the form of a loan from the Tower. One hopes that when we bring the Hokage Isan on a plate, he will be kind enough not to scrutinise the means involved too closely."

    "I can't wait," Hazō muttered. "Thanks, Keiko. I think that's enough to work with, don't you? I'll let you go now.

    "Oh," he added suddenly, fishing out the scrolls, "would you mind taking these? I know it's a little awkward asking you to pass them along to Mari, but they're her birthday present."

    "Dare I ask?"

    "A portable bathtub and bubble bath seals. The culmination of years of daily training and research and the pinnacle of Gōketsu sealcrafting technology. If only I'd had these ready in time for the competition, I know Asuma would have given us an extra prize or two."

    Keiko took the scrolls. She did not laugh at the joke.

    She raised her hands as if to undo the reverse summoning, but at the last second, she hesitated.

    "I… I know I cannot continue like this, Hazō."

    "What do you mean?"

    She didn't meet his eyes.

    "Lashing out. Failing to cope. Hating myself."

    Hazō was instantly, totally alert. This was new.

    "You and the others tell me, constantly, that my self-perception is distorted. You claim that I am competent, that I hold inherent value, that I am worthy of love. And there are only so many times that I can dismiss those words as delusions, or white lies, or at worst, manipulation, before their sheer frequency, from varied sources, leads my inner Mori to demand that I weigh the data. But if she truly exists, this better Keiko, then I cannot find her. I cannot see her in the mirror. I cannot even imagine her, as a plausible being that merely happens not to be real, and that failure of imagination is chilling to someone who knows full well the feeling of a pathological mental block."

    Hazō nodded steadily, making it clear that he was listening, and doing absolutely nothing that would interrupt the flow and change Keiko's mind about volunteering information.

    "Yet to remain as I am is not an option. The Nara, crushed by trauma and loss that might not heal in decades, have placed their trust in me as Shikamaru's second. They require and deserve a leader who will support them in rediscovering their strength in the face of adversity. The KEI have placed their trust in me as a coordinator. They require and deserve a leader who will protect them and aid them in fulfilling their potential. It cannot only be Ami, to whom they are one component in a grander scheme, or Naruto, who would disband the organisation in an instant if he decided it was at odds with the village's welfare.

    "I cannot repay these people's trust as the miserable creature I believe myself to be.

    "Then, too, who will free Tenten from the all-too-familiar trap of social isolation if I do not? Who will help Shikamaru heal his wounds? Who will free Snowflake from the chains of fear and self-hatred she inherits from me every time she comes into being? Who will give a proper response to those whose love is sincere if misguided? Who, even, will unravel the mystery of what Shiori needs from me and give it to her?

    "It is futile to plead that I am unworthy of these roles. They are already mine. I cannot refuse them or abandon them. But the Keiko I believe in is incapable of helping anyone, of saving anyone, while the Keiko you believe in, the Keiko I need, is as invisible to me as one of Waterfall's Sakamoto."

    For a little while, there was silence. Hazō had no idea what to say.

    "Forgive me, Hazō," Keiko said finally. "That you were so patient with me today should not have been an excuse to trespass further on your time. Please convey my regards to Akane and the others."

    "What? No, that isn't why I was—"

    But of course, she was already gone.

    -o-​

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  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 433: Noir Detective Haru
  • Threadmarks

    • "How are you doing?"

    Haru looked up to see Akane leaning on the door, wearing her green jumpsuit with arms crossed on her chest and her standard open, interested expression.

    He tossed the current stack of papers on one of the multiple teetering stacks that sprawled across his borrowed desk. It was the final straw needed to shift the balance of the desk towards its slightly-shorter leg. The whole thing dipped an inch which made the stack collapse, spilling pages across two of the lower piles which in turn lost their balance and sent an avalanche to the floor.

    "FUCK!"

    She suppressed her smile and moved forward, helping him gather everything up. He was careful to keep his eyes on what he was doing so that he could get his anger and frustration under control before engaging.

    "How's it going, for real?"

    The papers crinkled in his hand and he forced them to relax as he pasted a smile to his face. "It's going fine. I'll have a summary for you by end of day."

    "I really need to get away from the clan paperwork for a bit and think about something interesting. Can you just tell me now?"

    He took a moment to breathe and unclench his jaw, reminding himself that for right now she was his Clan Head and if you were stuck being a clan member then you needed to be a good little ass kisser with a polite face and three bags full. He wasn't sure if it was better that she was nice and sweet and always phrased things as questions instead of just giving orders the way a commander should because—stop. His Acting Clan Head had issued a politely-phrased order.

    He took a deep breath to get himself under control. "This stu...this idea that Hazō gave us, that the Hyūga engineered the bank run for their benefit by buying scrip in bulk and not using it? I can't disprove it but it's still f...but I still don't see it. Why would they do that? What's he thinking?! It's the—" He cut himself off and took a deeper breath.

    "Not fond of paperwork, huh?"

    He unclenched his jaw. "I have no complaints."

    She smiled. "Of course you don't, Haru. You wouldn't complain if Hazō ordered you to jump off a cliff. It's not who you are."

    "Isn't that what clan means? Whatever your Clan Head says, you do it with a smile on your face? And in return he makes sure that your family has plenty to eat and your little sister gets a doctor when she's sick."

    "Haru...you know that Hazō would never kick you out just because you said something he didn't like, right?"

    "...Of course."

    "He really wouldn't."

    "Sure." He glanced down at the papers. "Is there anything else?"

    She sighed. "Run it down for me. What have you found?"

    "Our exchange kept track of who was exchanging the scrip, when, and in what quantities and denominations. This"—he gestured at the papers—"is all of it for the last two months. No Hyūga so much as set a toe in the exchange the week before the run. They weren't that frequent beforehand but there were some—one person every four or five days, exchanging a few score or sometimes a few hundred. Mostly cashing in, although they did buy some occasionally."

    "What about the Hagoromo?"

    He snorted. "They've never gone anywhere near the exchange. Antique-fondling bastards."

    She nodded thoughtfully. "You're right about the Hyūga being an unlikely choice. I don't know why they would be attacking us. Hinata has never been an enemy."

    "What about that thing during the Exams? Didn't she say something to Hazō about being the enemy of the Gōketsu?"

    "You mean when she was talking about how her father wouldn't support Jiraiya remaining on as Hokage? I think it was more like 'opponent' or maybe even just 'not allies'."

    "What's the difference?"

    She laughed and shook her head. "You have a very straightforward view of the world, don't you?"

    He shrugged, not laughing. "It's worked so far."

    "I don't know about the Hyūga. Certainly they were doing something around this but I don't see why it would be intended to hurt us. If they were buying the scrip, why would they want to crash it?" She moved into the office and took the visitor's chair.

    Haru resumed his own seat and put his feet up on the desk. He grabbed a canvas ball of uncooked rice that he used as a fidget toy and rolled it between his hands.

    "The thing I don't get," he said, "is where did the Hagoromo get all their scrip?"

    Akane blinked. "What?"

    "Where did they get it? They didn't get it from us and it was a huge amount. Were they collecting it a few coins at a time? That would have taken months, and not a few of them. None of the merchants I've spoken to said anything about Hagoromo buying scrip from them. In fact, a couple of them made a point about the Hagoromo refusing to accept scrip as change. Given all that, where did they get it?"

    "Huh." She leaned back, ankles crossed and hands folded on her stomach as she looked up at the ceiling. These brainstorming sessions had become common enough that both of them no longer stood on ceremony.

    "Could have been a couple of large private acquisitions," she said after a moment. "Maybe their Clan Head was in a high-stakes karuta game?"

    He snorted and tossed the ball up, catching it in the opposite hand. "It must have been one hell of a good night for him. Remember how when he started spending it he cleaned out four goldsmiths and bought a hundred square miles of land?"

    "That's another thing that bothers me," Akane said. "Why that land? It's useless. The soil is stony, nothing grows, nothing lives there."

    "Maybe there's rockskippers?" he suggested doubtfully. "Their eggs are valuable."

    "There isn't even water," she said. "It's too high. The rivers route around it."

    "Maybe they want it as a training facility. Or a seal research station."

    "They don't have any sealmasters."

    "What about Harumitsu?" The kid seemed not awful for a Hagoromo. Plus, good name.

    "I doubt it. Hazō says he's got promise, but he's still learning and they don't trust him anyway." She paused, thinking. "Although I guess maybe they're thinking ahead?"

    Haru snorted. "Maybe. Just because they're arrogant backwards oppressive bigots doesn't mean they can't think ahead." He threw his ball again, harder this time so that it bounced off the ceiling.

    She chuckled. "Don't hold back, Haru. Tell me what you really think about them."

    "What? Not that long ago we were out to annihilate them."

    "Yes, and now the Hokage has ordered us to be cordial. And because we are a loyal clan, we are being cordial."

    "Because we can't afford to have Hazō commit treason again," he muttered, throwing the ball again.

    The chair squeaked as Akane sat up. "What was that?"

    He caught the ball and looked over. When he saw the thundercloud on her face he also sat up, carefully composing his face. "Nothing. We are a loyal clan, of course."

    She studied him for a moment, chewing on her cheek as she visibly decided whether to have this fight right now. "We truly are loyal, Haru. Hazō is loyal. Yes, he said a couple of things that were taken badly but he didn't mean them the way they were heard. It was a mistake."

    How did one mistakenly threaten to talk the evil Sannin into assassinating the Hokage? Also, which was better—a Clan Head stupid and/or careless enough to accidentally threaten treason (twice!) or one who was so amoral that he was willing to do it voluntarily and then cover his sins with a claim of stupidity and obliviousness?

    "Of course," he said. "Just a mistake. I'm sure that Lord Jiraiya and Lord Hyūga simply misinterpreted an honest comment. Twice."

    She studied him for a moment, then decided to let it go. She leaned back in ceiling-oriented contemplation once more.

    "What about the rest of Hazō's theory?" she asked. "The people showing up at the bank were Hyūga patsies. The Hyūga tipped off the Hagoromo because they are actively allying against us and they wanted to earn points by letting the Hagoromo cash out in advance."

    "Yeah, he tried to cover all his bases," Haru said, tossing the ball again. "What was it he said? 'Could be the other way around—Hagoromo then Hyūga—or could involve other clans too.' I'm sure he's right—it probably was either the Hyūga, or the Hagoromo, or some other clan." He bounced it off the ceiling again. "Oh, or maybe some clanless."

    "Okay," she admitted, "but you have to admit it makes sense. They're both in the conservative block. If the Hyūga were going to do it they would definitely let their allies know."

    He caught the ball and glanced over at her. "Weren't you the one asking why the Hyūga would be actively going after us?"

    She grimaced. "I suppose."

    He started tossing the ball again. "I don't get this. We've got a group that hates us which is spending our money and a group that doesn't particularly care about us that is buying it but not spending it. And we're thinking that it's the group that doesn't care about us that's causing the problem?"

    "It's what he thinks."

    He caught the ball and tipped his head down to study her. "I've got a problem," he said after several long seconds.

    She sat up. "What's that?"

    "I've got to do the job I'm assigned, which is figuring out this bank run. I've also got to be respectful to the Clan Head."

    "And?"

    "What do I do when those things run into each other?"

    "Are they running into each other?"

    "Maybe. You're the Clan Head right now and you're also his girlfriend."

    She studied him carefully. "Say what you need to."

    "He's pointing us at the Hyūga even though it makes no sense. Is he dipping her pigtails in the inkwell?"

    She laughed. "Are you seriously asking if he's sweet on Hinata?"

    He shifted uncomfortably. "I mean...aren't you and Yamanaka and Hazō all...doing...stuff? Together? Why not her too?"

    Akane's cheeks burst into flames. "We aren't doing anything!"

    "Really? Because that's not what the estate is saying."

    "What are you talking about?"

    He rubbed his jaw, wondering if he really wanted to walk this road. "The two of you have been in and out of his hospital room. A lot, and staying for long periods. Yesterday, Yamanaka went in with an overrobe but she wasn't wearing it when she left."

    "She spilled tea on it and Hazō put it in a storage seal for her so that the stain wouldn't have time to set before she could get it to the laundry."

    "Uh-huh."

    "She did!"

    "Sure. Anyway, I've got to wonder if maybe Hazō wants to get Lady Hyūga as another..." He trailed off, not knowing what the polite term for 'piece on the side' might be.

    Akane studied him. "Were you going to finish that sentence with 'piece on the side'?"

    He shifted nervously in his seat. He had seen her fight, and she was between him and the door.

    "Of course not?" he tried, cursing himself when it came out as a question.

    She stared him down for another eternal second, then snorted and shook her head. "No, Hazō is not trying to start a romantic relationship with Hinata. He's said that he finds being around her exhausting and he worries about the security implications."

    "Okay. In that case, we're back where we started: The people who hate this clan were using our money, the people who aren't that against us were buying it up. Maybe Hyūga got pissed that Hazō was courting Yamanaka and not her and she wanted to make a show of supporting him? Literally a buy-in."

    "Haru, not everything is about Hazō, Ino, and my love life. Besides, we got together with Ino after the bank run."

    "...I guess. Maybe she wanted to make an alliance with us and buying up the scrip was something of a good-faith gesture? She wanted to show that the Hyūga were supporting the idea?"

    "Could be. Or maybe the Hyūga were opposed to the idea and buying it up was their solution for how to shut it down—take all of it out of circulation."

    He leaned back and started throwing the ball again. "Nah. They aren't stupid, they had to know we'd just make more."

    She sighed and unsealed a mug of tea. "You want one?"

    "Sure, thanks." He leaned over and took the tea. She unsealed another for herself and leaned back again, rolling the hot porcelain between her palms contemplatively.

    "I wish there was someone we could ask," she said. "There's got to be someone who knows something."

    He took a sip. Bitter and smokey, the way he liked it. Akane tended to remember those things. "I could approach the Oyabun."

    "The Yakuza? That seems like it could be a problem. They're approved—well, tolerated—by the Tower because they keep the peace. The Hokage doesn't have to assign ninja to police work because the Yakuza do it. I don't want to owe them favors but messing with them could have implications that I don't understand."

    "I've spoken to some lower-level Yaks already." Yes, let's go with 'spoken'. "Nothing that will get anyone worked up—I kept it down at the level of Second Lieutenant and below. I've tapped every well I can find at that level so either I go up or leave it alone."

    "Leave it alone for now." She sighed and got to her feet. "I have a meeting with Gaku. Keep thinking and I'll check in again tomorrow." She looked around for a moment. "We need to get you a better office. This place is a little grim."

    Surprisingly, that hit home. Why he was invested he wasn't sure, but...no, actually, he was sure. This was the first space he'd ever had that was his, unshared with anyone else. He had chosen the painting and hunted the desk up at a pawn store with his own money that he had earned on missions, not been given like a pat on the head by his clan masters.

    "What's wrong with it?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice even. "I like it."

    "Well, for one thing, the desk is too small for the amount of files you're using. We need to get you a side table and some drawers so you can keep them organized. Second, it's cold. Let me get you a brazier at least."

    "It's fine. I like it cold." Well, no. 'Like' would be the wrong word. He was used to it and even though money wasn't an issue anymore he couldn't see a reason to waste it.

    She put her hands on her hips, arms akimbo, and gave him an 'oh really' look for the ages.

    "I do! It's my office, leave it alone."

    She gave up on the glare, nodded, and raised her hands in acceptance. "Fair enough. Still, can I at least get you a bigger desk that has four legs all the same length?"

    "I like my desk."

    "...Okay. I'll leave you to it. Talk tomorrow?"

    "Sure."




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  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 434: A Parable of Pride
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    • Unlike the Takahashi estate, which to Kei felt like a slumbering beast, ancient and powerful, but positively inclined towards her and therefore not too terrifying, the Yoshida main building was watchful. Focused. Precise. Everything was in its place, and everything had been crafted by a hand that knew its purpose. It would have felt like home—or a place that she had once called home—had it not carried an undertone of intimidation.

    There were also seals everywhere. There were seals woven into the carpets. There were seals carved into the pillars. There were seals in the artwork on the walls. Most of them were doubtless non-functional abstract patterns, intended to both please and mislead the eye, but Kei's reliable pessimism informed her that there were certainly real ones concealed among the rest, ready to be called upon when needed, or perhaps even now working some subtle effect upon her. The Gōketsu, with their primitive granite architecture, had much to learn from what might be the world's only sealmaster clan.

    This meeting could have been taking place under better circumstances. Vastly better circumstances. Communication within the team was still complicated, because Kei possessed so little control over her feelings that she unleashed disastrous confrontations in the middle of critical missions, and Hazō had not provided any guidance either. All Kei could do was attempt to adapt the contingencies Mari had prepared before the Takahashi-sensei meeting, and hope she was not forced to... improvise.

    "Summoner." Yoshida Tsukiko beckoned her into her study as her silent escort faded into the shadows from which he'd come. The green tea set out between them came with an unusually high number of sweets, which was atypical based on the formal meetings Kei had experienced so far. She could not tell whether the message was "I still see you as a child and you will have to earn my respect" or "I acknowledge our differences and am prepared to reach an accommodation" (not that Kei had revealed her sweet tooth during their time in Isan, but with Mari keenly impressing the virtues of Leaf-made chocolate on the population, perhaps assumptions were being made). Why could Isan not be the kind of place where persons of importance like herself could send lowly messengers like Mari to conduct initial negotiations on their behalf?

    "It does me honour that you grace my humble home with your presence," Yoshida said in the unemotional voice of one delivering an expected pleasantry. "Please tell me how I can be of aid."

    "Isan has changed greatly in the time since my departure," Kei began. "Quite dizzyingly so. As you were our guide to the complexities of Isan's politics the first time, and doubtless protected us from many unseen pitfalls, I would be grateful if you could share with me your wisdom regarding the village's present state."

    A blatant lie—Yoshida had attempted to control them and limit their agency from the very beginning—but Takahashi-sensei had advised her that Yoshida was a true politician, and thus possessed only more respect for those who wielded lies deftly and instrumentally. This by no means described Kei, but it did offer her some room to misstep, since Yoshida might assume an advanced form of misdirection where in reality Kei was merely flailing.

    "I cannot think of anything that would please me more," Yoshida said. "But that would be difficult without knowing the context from which you are approaching Isan. What are your thoughts on Isan as you have found it?"

    Thwack. The ball was sent zooming back into Kei's court.

    But Kei was not only the team's lone representative on this battlefield, with altogether too much trust placed in her. She was also a ranged weapons specialist, diversions into giant armoured insectivore management notwithstanding. It would dishonour her, and worse, Tenten, if she allowed such a manoeuvre to pass unchallenged.

    "I would not presume," Kei said demurely. "What kind of insight could I claim before one of Isan's most respected elders, who had been navigating the subtle currents of the village before I was even born? No you would do me a great kindness by enlightening me before I can come to any misguided conclusions."

    Yoshida gave Kei a judging look. Would she be willing to show her hand first?

    "The village is prospering," she said finally. "The directionless have been given direction, resources have been intelligently reinvested, malcontents have been granted gainful employment or placed where they can do the least harm, our warriors are stronger than ever, and we will soon enter the outside world on our own terms. Who could ask for more?"

    Approval, in other words, of the High Priest's regime. The worse scenario. Still, Kei was not finished.

    "You perceive, then," she asked, "that an alliance with one of the powers of the outside world would be necessary? Certainly, there are enough out there who would see Isan as easy prey, rightly or wrongly, were it not already aligned with a village whose strength they respected."

    Yoshida watched her, leaving an uncomfortable silence for Kei to fill with more information.

    "As you are aware," Kei said, "I came here from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the foremost of the powers which might seek to ally with Isan. I cannot guess at the extent of your knowledge of the Elemental Nations, but you should be aware that Leaf—"

    Yoshida held up her hand in a gesture so identical to Takahashi-sensei's that at another time Kei might have been inclined to ponder a connection.

    "Summoner," she said, "foreign policy decisions are to be made by the High Priest. That was part of the agreement made when he dissolved the old village council. There is no need to waste your breath trying to convince me."

    "But surely you would not refuse the opportunity to learn—"

    "Summoner," Yoshida said with emphasis. "I suppose I will have to be blunt. The village is prospering. The Yoshida doubly so. The High Priest recognises the value of sealing like few before him. We may not be in his inner circle like the Aida or the Inoue, but under him we are gaining wealth and influence well beyond what we possessed as just one of the ruling clans. Takahashi, the old fool, could have had the same and more had he not decided to cling to the past. I don't know what he told you, but for the sake of my clan, I have no intention of poking the sleeping tapir. The world changes, and the Yoshida adapt. Soon, it will broaden, and we will continue to adapt.

    "I will instruct one of my clansmen to wrap some of the mochi to take with you. Our chef is among the village's finest."

    You are a child, and you have nothing to say that could make me rethink my decisions.

    Yoshida began to rise from her seat, a gesture of dismissal.

    Kei could not fail like this. So quickly. So easily. At the first real challenge. (Not counting the High Priest's dinner, where she had also embarrassed herself in several different ways). She would return to the Kannagi estate, and the others would see, yes, a child, a liability next to Mari's effortless smoothness that would surely have provided flawless victory had she been in control and not Kei.

    "Excuse me," she said with lightning speed. "Where might I say my midday prayers?"

    Yoshida sat back down. "Head the way you came. Third door on the left."

    Desperate times, Kei was aware, called for desperate measures.

    -o-​

    "Summoner," Yoshida said with a shade of concern. "Are you well?"

    "Perfectly," Snowflake said." I apologise for taking so much of your time."

    "Well, then," Yoshida said, "I'll have you escorted—"

    "A moment, please," Snowflake said. "As you have given me the benefit of your wisdom, may I also share something with you? I have a story, with no bearing on our present circumstances, which you may nevertheless find diverting."

    "By all means, Summoner," Yoshida said. Snowflake did not miss her subtly slipping one of the mochi she had been about to eat into her sleeve.

    "There is a Leaf shinobi," she began, "by the name of Snowflake."

    Yoshida gave her that look the Isanese reserved for ignorant barbarians. "A peculiar name. Or do all Leaf ninja name themselves after objects?"

    "Not to the best of my knowledge," Snowflake said. "Her creato—her parent named her while in the throes of whimsy, apparently unconcerned with the implications of burdening a fellow intelligent being with a name typically given to pet cats or small dogs." Despite this official stance, in reality, Snowflake liked her name. It was evocative, and unique in a positive way—indeed, it connoted being unique in a positive way—which was more than could be said for most of her uniqueness. Nobody needed to know that it was also special simply as a gift from Kei, least of all Kei herself.

    "But that is irrelevant to the story. You see, one morning, Snowflake awoke as she always did, a person of power and influence, respected, unrestricted in her actions, capable of moving hundreds if she fully exerted her will, and with a firm web of friends, family, and allies anchoring her in the world and ever ready to provide love, support, insight, and strength. In the next instant, all of this was stripped from her, without exception. Her past achievements, everything she had earned and everything she had received as a gift or by grace of fortune, were taken all at once, leaving her with no past and, in effect, no future. Her… sister… claimed possession of it all, down to Snowflake's very existence.

    "Tell me, Elder Yoshida. How would you act in such circumstances?"

    With the Village Council dissolved, Yoshida was technically no longer a village elder. Snowflake used the title advisedly.

    "I would withdraw," Yoshida said after a second's thought. "I'd marshal my strength outside the sister's reach, and as soon as she let her guard down, I'd destroy her and take back what was mine."

    "The attempt was made," Snowflake said. "Perhaps less strategically than you envision, but comprehensive retaliation was Snowflake's chosen response." Insofar as there had been a choice, and not merely raw pain. "However, it was found that a mere shadow cannot do lasting damage to a being of substance. And upon her defeat, Snowflake was left with a terrible choice."

    "What was that?" Yoshida asked.

    "On one side of the scale, oblivion. Freedom from awakening each time to see a hollow shell both inside and outside where there should be a life. Before you judge, understand that Snowflake loved her sister." It was good that Snowflake was leaning on her initiative and creativity as best she could for this encounter. The details would be a blur for Kei. "Murder was not an option for her, nor the other paths traditional for the defeated in the shinobi world." Not that the Second's safeguards would have allowed for anything straightforward, but nor had they been intentionally proofed against something like her.

    "What do you imagine was the other choice, Elder Yoshida?"

    "Bargaining," Yoshida said, her face twisting briefly with some negative emotion Snowflake could not identify. "Trying to hold onto what she could as she surrendered."

    "Bargaining," Snowflake agreed. "Of course, Snowflake had nothing. Her bargaining position was as terrible as can be imagined. Anything her sister wanted from her, she could compel with a few words."

    That had been the worst discovery, once they were reconciled. Snowflake was a shadow clone. If Kei gave her a direct order, Snowflake would obey, eagerly, to the best of her ability, and only afterwards recognise the violation. Could there be any act as vile, as unforgivable, as forcibly rewriting someone's will, as stripping away their agency at the core of who they were? It was the act of which rape was a pale imitation, of which murder was simply a permanent form. It was an act which destroyed the victim and which corrupted the perpetrator absolutely—Kei could conceal nothing from Snowflake, much less the fact that, even as she felt the exact same revulsion, some tiny corner of her mind found absolute control intoxicating.

    And, because Kei was a far better person than she would ever understand, she put every effort into finding the mental distinction between preference and intent, learning to request, insist, or demand without even accidentally wielding the authority of command. It could be learned. It could be done. Snowflake was convinced that this discovery, together with the realisation of what such compulsion did to both people's souls, was one of the root causes of the growing rift between Kei and Mari.

    "There can be no equivalent exchange when one of the parties has absolute power," Snowflake went on. "To claim even a shred of parity is self-deception. Instead, Snowflake was forced to take a leap of faith. They were sisters, beyond the conflict. Could bargaining be superseded by goodwill?"

    Yoshida raised an eyebrow sceptically.

    "Given the specifics of their shared background, the sisters saw the solution instantly. It was a kinder version of the fate that would have been Snowflake's had her will not survived her loss. Snowflake could become a tool. As a tool, she had value. As a loyal tool, perhaps even more. She would be able to partake in her sister's power, offering her counsel which might be acted on, and perhaps sometimes speaking with her voice. It would not be the life she'd had—her sister could never restore that to her—but as her sister's shadow, she could possess that life's shadow. And if her sister grew in power, so would Snowflake's shadow lengthen.

    "Do you know why Snowflake did not do this, Elder Yoshida?"

    Yoshida stared at Snowflake as if trying to bore holes in her with her gaze. "Why, Summoner?"

    "Pride, Elder Yoshida. Snowflake had nothing. Snowflake was nothing. But she had her agency. Indeed, with all else lost, she was her agency. And in that inalienable agency lay her pride, which would not allow her to accept the offered shadow of existence for as long as there was a chance, however slim, of something more. Perhaps that pride would lead her nowhere. Perhaps the new life she crafted for herself would be immeasurably inferior to the shadow. Still, her agency, her pride, called to her, demanding that she build something of her own or accept a total subordination which was worse than death.

    "Snowflake lives with pride, Elder Yoshida. She lives with constant terror, for she as yet possesses only scraps, and to lose them would mean being plunged back into that pain that was her awakening. She lives with constant knowledge that a single misstep would be sufficient to destroy everything she has gained. She lives with pride, for all that is hers and all that she is was earned from zero, against odds no one else will ever face. And if sometimes she looks at her sister and remembers the safety of the shadow she was offered? She is her sister's equal. At her heart lies the flickering candle flame of the hope that she can match what her sister now possesses, even surpass it—and being true to her agency, her pride, means that she can aim for nothing less."

    Silence. Contemplative silence. Seemingly without thinking, Yoshida took a mochi.

    Snowflake would die if her assumptions were incorrect and Kei remembered.

    "You seem to know a great deal about this Snowflake, Summoner," Yoshida said. "Who is she? What has become of her after those decisions?"

    "The rest of her story is to be told in Leaf," Snowflake said, "to honoured guests of the Nara. Come to us anytime and I will introduce you. I promise it is a meeting you will remember for the rest of your life."

    Yoshida spent a while in thought. She did not take any more mochi.

    "The loyalty of the Yoshida belongs to the village first and foremost," she finally said. "It is our duty as Akio's followers to oppose anything that, on balance, brings harm to the village. I am grateful for your visit, Summoner, but I can guess your unspoken thoughts, and I'm afraid I cannot sit here and discuss any kind of treason against the High Priest."

    "I understand," Snowflake said, heart plummeting. Kei had placed her trust in her, enough to take such a great risk, and she had failed.

    However, Yoshida did not get up.

    "You have a sealmaster in what is now your clan, do you not? The man who solved the locking seal as if it were a children's toy?"

    "We do," Snowflake said uncertainly. "His name is Kagome. Hazō, the head of the clan, is his apprentice, and also a respected sealmaster in his own right."

    "And I recall your claim that you can communicate with the Village Hidden in the Leaves at will."

    "In a manner of speaking."

    "It might be interesting to correspond with a fellow specialist," Yoshida said. "I wouldn't dream of parting with Isan secrets, of course, or asking for any of yours, but to speak with a foreigner on subjects of mutual interest is already more than my predecessors could have imagined."

    She pulled out some writing implements from a recess in the wall, then, as Snowflake watched, wrote a missive, and finally slapped an unfamiliar seal on top of the scroll.

    "This is my personal confidentiality seal. It is half a product of boredom and thus complicated in excessive and unnecessary ways. If your Kagome can unlock it as he did the Summoning Scroll, he may consider it a gift with which to open our discussion. If not, perhaps Leaf is not the place for the Yoshida to seek new heights of sealing."

    "Thank you," Snowflake said. "I will be certain to convey it with all haste."

    "Do," Yoshida said. "There may not be much time before matters become… complicated."

    After making the appropriate excuses and Isanese gestures of politeness, Snowflake rescued Kei from the third door on the left and allowed herself to end.

    This time, Yoshida did not offer Kei any sweets.

    -o-​

    You have received (2+1) x 7 = 21 XP.

    -o-​

    Keiko has successfully spent a week participating in increasingly challenging chakra beast hunts. She has spent 3 FP, all on Alertness rerolls, and earned 1 FP. Thanks to PCJ, she has not taken any Consequences, something that has not gone unremarked on. Her best trophy is a head half the size of her body, best described as part-simian, part-equine, part unholy abomination, which still occasionally disgorges acidic saliva from the mouth. She has made a note to train Alertness because her ranged combat style is of limited utility when she keeps losing initiative rolls and finding the enemy right in her face.

    -o-​

    Mari has been forced to tread carefully among the Isanese outcasts, as informing the High Priest that the suspicious foreigners are recruiting allies for an insurrection would be a great way to get back in his favour. Nevertheless, no ninja is as dangerous as one with a hunger for revenge and nothing to lose. No, wait, there is. It's a ninja with a hunger for revenge, nothing to lose, and a religious authority telling them they're doing the right thing. A random handful of powerless but committed allies has been secured.

    -o-​

    The rest of the plan has totally happened, but I stayed up way too late writing the above and am now out of energy, out of inspiration, and out of confidence that I can write Haru half as well as @eaglejarl. I leave it to him whether he wants to take this one, or just offscreen it with a brief summary before writing a different plan.

    -o-​

    Voting is closed unless @eaglejarl reopens it.
     
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    • Chapter 435, Part 1: Authentication Failure
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    • "...so that's everything," Akane said, glancing at Haru to confirm that she hadn't left out any detail of their investigations into the bank run.

    Hazō shifted uncomfortably in the bed, simultaneously wishing that he had some of the pain-easing draught that the medic had been plying him with and that he did not have it—pain or the ability to think, the patient's dilemma.

    "It's clear that the Hyūga and the Hagoromo are both involved," he said at last. "Do you have any ideas on how?"

    Haru shrugged. "Nothing we can find. There just isn't enough information."

    "How did the Hagoromo get all that scrip if they didn't buy it from us?" Hazō asked. "Could they have forged it?" He paused, thinking. "How easy would it have been to forge, anyway?"

    It was Akane's turn to shrug. "Civilians couldn't, but it wouldn't be that hard if you wanted to and had access to Force Wall seals. The scrip was just pieces of birch that were carved with a Force Wall seal, then lacquered and painted. Carving with a Force Wall makes them very smooth, without the texture you get from sanding. The Gōketsu crest gets branded into them on one side and a number on the other to indicate the value; it would require a little effort to make an exact match for the branding irons but you could make one that was good enough to pass a casual inspection without too much trouble." She grimaced. "We prioritized being able to make them quickly, but I guess we should have thought more about making them unique."

    Hazō nodded thoughtfully. "I should have thought of it. Now that I see the issue I can come up with a lot of solutions, but I didn't before. How available is the Force Wall seal?"

    "You can buy it from the Tower," said Haru.

    "So forgery is definitely an option. Do we know how much scrip was collected when Asuma bought it all? If we know how much we made and how much he collected then the difference would be the amount forged."

    "No," Haru said. "First off, we didn't keep an exact count of how much we made. Second—"

    "We didn't keep count of how much we made?!"

    "No, okay?! Why should we have? We made enough to cover whatever demand came up. The clan didn't have a lot of actual ryō and people were letting us just make it up? Of course we made a lot and we never bothered tracking it."

    Hazō leaned back into his pillows, the magnitude of the issue spinning his head around.

    "Anyway, like I was saying, the other reason your idea fails is because the money sometimes got lost."

    "It...got lost?"

    "Yeah. It was just wood. It chipped, it cracked, it got scorched. The first lacquer that we were using turned out to be very flammable and a bunch of the stuff got torched by mistake. We switched to something less flammable after that. Anyway, if the crest got too damaged for whatever reason then merchants wouldn't accept it, so people would burn it for firewood."

    Hazō's vision swam, whether from the concussion or from the impact of Haru's words and the insanity they represented. Actually, it was probably the concussion given that he was currently watching the wall ripple like a bedsheet hung out during a soft breeze.

    "Okay, so anyone could have been forging it. Including the Hyūga."

    "I don't see why," Akane said. "They were paying for it. Why pay for something you're already making?"

    "Cover," Haru replied. "If they suddenly have a lot of it but there's no record of how they got it then it looks like forgery. If they buy a hundred of it but spend a hundred and twenty, no one notices."

    "Do they still have it?" Hazō asked. "If they do then we might be able to tell—"

    "Of course n—" Haru stopped and coughed. "I mean, no, they don't. There isn't a scrap of scrip in the city because the Hokage ordered everyone to sell it to the Tower at face value. Of course, there wasn't enough money in the city to pay for all of the scrip we printed so people are scrimping and struggling while the tax men are shaking down the Daimyo and all his nobles to collect enough ryō to pay off. The Tower has commandeered most of the food in the city and is rationing it out to ensure that no one starves." He snorted. "Plus, there's a swarm of Tower-funded C-ranks for ninja to go bring food in from the countryside. None of the ninja are starving."

    "None of the ninja are starving," Hazō said carefully.

    "Yeah."

    "The Summoner network is being tapped for food purchases," Akane said, trying to inject helpfulness into her tone. "Enma has been very generous with his terms and there was apparently a bumper crop in Monkey this year so they're able to spare quite a bit. It's mostly fruits and nuts but it's something."

    "How did I not know about this?" Hazō asked.

    Haru snorted. Akane flicked a disapproving glance at him and then looked back at Hazō and shrugged. "You didn't ask. You were off running your mission with the Dogs and then you were in hospital. And it wasn't relevant to the things you needed to know—it's not a problem that we can solve, and the Hokage already has it in hand."

    "Oh." He thought about that. "Is there anything else that I haven't asked about but should know?" He struggled to keep the words calm and non-accusatory.

    Haru and Akane looked back and forth uncertainly. "I don't think so?" she said uncertainly. "It's a bad winter and there's a sickness going around Leaf. There's been enough snow that civilians can't really travel, so there's no trade coming in. Nothing important for our daily lives or anything that we can do something about. I've done what I can given our resources, including sending some of our ninja out hunting for meat that we can make available, but there isn't a lot of game right now."

    "All right. Going back to the original topic, you said that the Hagoromo are spreading rumors about us. Are the Hyūga?"

    "Not that I can tell," Haru said. "I've talked to some of my contacts and they haven't said anything."

    "Okay, good. What about the businesses that stopped accepting scrip? Any commonalities among them?"

    Akane shook her head. "Not that we could find. They're all over the city, in all different fields. Jewelers, grocers, a boarding house...a lot of them but no particular pattern. They tend to cluster, but that's what Kagome says we should expect. If one business stops taking scrip then the ones around it are likely to hear about it, get nervous, and stop accepting scrip. The biggest cluster is in the northwest of the city but there are plenty of others and it might simply be that it's where the first person to stop taking scrip worked and therefore that area had the most time for word to spread. Before you ask, the Hagoromo are towards the center of the city and not especially near that cluster. And we haven't been able to find the first person to stop taking scrip."

    "How about prominent figures in the crowd during the run?" Hazō asked. "Insisted on ryo, agitated the crowd, too loud or conspicuously quiet? Any clan links or social links?"

    Akane shook her head. "Not really. There were two goldsmiths and an Amori representative in the crowd, but that's what you'd expect: They were the ones that the Hagoromo had just made large purchases from so naturally when they heard the rumors that the scrip might be worthless they panicked. And no, they didn't hear it from the Hagoromo. One of the goldsmiths heard it from his sister's husband who heard it from a wine vendor who heard it from a customer he didn't recognize or remember. They're all like that—the rich people, I mean. As to the rest, it was a pretty varied bunch. There were a few outlanders, mostly from Hot Springs, who wanted to get home before the snow got too deep, some wealthy Leaf residents, and some nobles from the countryside who were wintering here. Sure, you can draw connections between them but that's because rich people move in the same circles. Nothing really stands out, to us or to Kagome."

    "The merchants who sold to the Hagoromo, how did they use the scrip?"

    "Haru?" Akane asked, turning to him.

    He shrugged. "Dunno. It's not like we can ask people for their detailed financial records."

    "Are there Tower records of scrip collection?" Hazō asked.

    "Probably, but we aren't getting them," Haru replied. "We asked. The Tower isn't giving the information out."

    "I'd recommend against asking Asuma," Akane said. "While all of this is happening I feel like we don't want him thinking about us anymore than he absolutely has to."

    "I see. Okay. Is there anything else? Any leads, anything I should know?"

    Both of his investigators shook their heads.

    "Honestly, I think we may be at a dead end," Akane said hesitantly. "There simply aren't enough detailed written records that we can get at and the more time passes the fuzzier people's memories get." Something visibly occurred to her and she raised a finger. "Actually, there's one thing. We started thinking about the Amori position in this. They sold the Hagoromo a big chunk of land for scrip, but then the word went around that the scrip was worthless and they were effectively out a lot of money. And I mean a lot of money—the land purchase was filed with the Tower as required and we managed to bribe someone to let us see the records. Then Gaku and Granny went to the Amori for that loan to help us pay off the creditors during the actual bank run. Given the terms that they stuck us with, the Amori are going to make back the amount they loaned us, plus the amount that they lost due to the scrip becoming worthless, plus a thirty percent profit."

    "So they screwed us."

    "Nah," Haru said. "We screwed them by costing them all that money. Unsurprising that they would want their own back and a little more." He studied his Clan Head carefully. "You're not gonna go all 'raar, Hazō smash' are you? Because I'm happy to fuck up the Hagoromo but we don't really need another war to the knife going on in the shadows."

    Hazō shook his head and then winced as pain spiked through it.

    "Hazō?" Akane asked, reaching out one hand and then hesitating.

    He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to it, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Just a headache. Okay, if there's nothing else...?"

    "I don't think so," she said, blushing but not reclaiming the hand that he still held.

    "Nah." Haru's face was carefully blank as he refused to acknowledge his Clan Head and Acting Clan Head's syrupy lovey-dovey antics.

    "Cool. That brings us to the last point: You, Haru."

    "What the problem?" Haru demanded. "I've been working hard and—"

    "It's all good," Hazō said, waving his subordinate's concerns away. "This is supposed to be a compliment, not a dressing down." He paused, thinking carefully. "I'm going to try the Clear Communication Technique here because I feel like this is a fraught situation and I don't want to mess it up. That means I'm going to be laying everything out in detail and being as careful not to leave anything to implication or assumption. If I fail at that, or if I say anything offensive, please let me know so that I can correct my mistake. All right?"

    Haru rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "You know I've heard this before, right?"

    "What?"

    "This Clear Communication thing. You've explained it to me before. I'm not an idiot. I remember things."

    "Oh. I...I think maybe I'm having some memory issues."

    Akane stroked his hand. "You are, but Lady Tsunade says not to worry about it until your injuries are healed. Apparently it's fairly normal when your chakra system is damaged and simultaneously working to repair this much damage."

    "Oh. Uh...okay. Thank you." He took a deep breath (aborting halfway through when his ribs stabbed him in pain at being required to expand) and nodded. "Haru, I hope this is the first time I've said all this or..." He broke off, frowning as he realized that maybe it wasn't the best move to imply that you were happy you hadn't been grateful to someone before. He shook his head, pushing the worry away.

    "Let me start over, and please forgive me if I'm repeating anything unnecessarily. You are still new to the clan and you've made no secret of how much you dislike clan ninja, so I'm sure it's been a big adjustment. I want you to feel welcome, and valued, and like you're an equal part of the group. You've been doing outstanding work that's vital to our survival. Mari complimented the information gathering you did after the Hagoromo event, and I'm equally impressed with what you and Akane"—he squeezed her fingers and flashed her a smile—"have been doing on this, our latest debacle. Once this is over and there's a chance to do it properly, I want to recognize your efforts in a way you find meaningful. Unfortunately, we're still new enough to each other that I don't know you well enough to know what a good option would be, and I don't want to accidentally do something that will feel condescending or unimportant. I'm eager to change that, but I acknowledge that it will take time and can't be rushed. With all that said, I'm simply asking: What are your goals and how can I help you achieve them?"

    Haru blinked and frowned. He studied Hazō intently for several seconds, then looked at Akane. "Is he always like this or is it just the brain d—the hit to the head?"

    She grinned. "He's always like this. He's being sincere, Haru. You were a very youthful teammate and you are now a very youthful clansib. I'm glad you're here and the clan is better off because of you. Hazō recognizes that too and wants to show his appreciation. No ulterior motives, no tricks."

    Haru's mouth tightened in sour but not completely unflattered disgruntlement.

    "Be careful," Akane said, laughing. "Make that face too long and it will freeze like that."

    The disgruntlement got more intense and was joined by a solid attempt at the Not-Kill-You-But-Inflict-a-Moderate-Amount-of-Nonlethal-Bodily-Harm-With-My-Brain Technique. Fortunately, it failed. (Probably because there was no such technique except in legends of spirits who inhabited fast-moving waterways.)

    "I'll think about it," he grunted. "Can I go now?"

    "Of course," Hazō said. "Thank you for everything, Haru."

    The other teen grunted a second time. "Whatever. Also, whatever shenanigans you two are about to get up to, keep it quiet or the nurses will be in."

    He turned and departed, leaving a furiously blushing Clan Head and Acting Clan Head in his wake.




    XP AWARD: Already awarded by @Velorien in the first part of the chapter.

    Vote time! What to do now?

    Voting ends on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 12pm London time.
     
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