Scarlet Justice [Naruto AU]

[FortePlus]

Scarlet Justice - ep. 66
"Windows"
---

"He just needs another good off-speed pitch, and he'll be set."

"What're you thinking? Slider?"

"Yeah, slider sounds good. Then you can just slam the heater in once you get ahead, know what I mean?"

Intelligence is lively today, mostly because of all the unfamiliar faces floating about. Ibiki did however say that this was a good day to talk about the findings from earlier investigations, in particular those to do with Sasuke and Sakura. The reasoning for running away from the village, the planning, the motivations...at the least, I'll be able to get a glimpse of what was going on inside of their heads. It won't make me forgive them for what they did. But that understanding is important to me all the same.

"Hey, good timing. You alright today?" Ibiki meets me in the middle of the lobby and shakes my hand warmly, as always. He's dressed in his usual black outfit, which makes him look sharp and intimidating when paired with the bandana and facial scars. My outfit today is plain enough, a comfortable tracksuit in powder blue.

"I'm the same as the last time, very much fine."

"Good stuff. Inoichi is taking care of some paperwork, he's gonna meet us in another minute or two. I picked a local coffee spot, one of those smaller places. Owner and I have a good relationship and we use it for a lot of operations as a result. Great place to talk about whatever we want."

"That sounds lovely."

"There are those drinks from the west, too. What was that one...espresso, I think? Like an elephant's foot to the face, I'll tell you. I didn't think it would be anything as a shinobi, even with that 'optimal blend' for folks like us. Ended up bouncing off the walls for a week," he says with a laugh. "We'll be getting the regular stuff today, though I could use a jolt."

"I take it there's been much in the way of interference," I say pointedly.

"Say that twice. We're still not done processing all of the POWs from the invasion, and then all of this additional stuff from the Hidden Sound operations and the retrieval mission. Just piling on lately, really. Nothing we can't handle, but...you know."

"Perfectly understandable. These have been trying times for everyone."

"You especially," Inoichi says as he arrives. "That arm okay?"

"It's fine, sir. Thank you for asking."

"We can be a bit more familiar than that, can't we?" he asks with a smile. "Seriously, it's fine. And I want to thank you for looking after Ino. She talks about you a lot, as I'm sure you know, but you're one of the few really close and trustworthy friends she has."

"Is that so?"

"Hard to believe, right?" The three of us start walking out of the building. "Ino has a lot of friends and people she knows, but it's not often that she can confide in anyone the way I'm sure she does to you."

"I feel much the same way. Ino is very special to me."

"I heard you came over the other day, it's too bad I missed you."

"Must have stopped by before giving the old man hell," Ibiki laughs.

"I don't want to know what you were thinking," Inoichi says, shaking his head.

"I apologize for having less restraint than most," I say with a touch of dryness. "That should be something that comes easier with age."

"I doubt that."

"I do too, but it's always nice to think positively."

"It's little wonder you're so polarizing, Lilith."

"If we're being familiar, Lili is fine, Inoichi."

"Lili it is."

"You're a real breath of fresh air, as I'm sure you know," Ibiki says. "Only thing small about you is your height."

"The inner workings of the shinobi world aren't exactly as I imagined them to be at the start," I say as we walk the streets of the Leaf. "It's more...personal than I was expecting. Filled with all sorts of things that overlap from time to time."

"You were expecting more structure?" Inoichi asks.

"Mm...something like that. I suppose more of a rigid sort of affair. More secrecy, if that makes sense. But this time has taught me a lot, and it does make sense that some relationships are more intimate because of the dangers involved. Life and death, those sorts of risks that can end a life and alter others forever. Popular perception is different..."

"It is heavy," Ibiki says. "Part of it is the fact that you're dealing with all of this since childhood, so you find ways to cope with everything. They might not be healthy, but you don't really get to be selective in your methods. Other than that, I mean...military life is the same as it's always been. You eat, sleep, and breathe with a bunch of guys and girls that might disappear if something goes wrong. It's the human condition. You fight hard for those that you come to care about. You do a lot of things, make a lot of decisions that most people won't ever have to make. Heaven forbid they do, because it means we've all failed in that instance."

"It's a heavy ask, to be sure. As much as I'm used to it and can't really imagine anything else...I don't know. Things should be different. Maybe they could be," Inoichi says.

"I very much believe it could be the case," I say. "Ane-ue has put her time into the creation of a new world for the people she watches over. It will take some time, but...I believe it will come to pass. And I could take some of those lessons and apply them here, in my own way."

"As Hokage, you mean?" Inoichi asks.

"That's not a necessity...and beyond that, there are certain things that I wouldn't be able to do as Hokage, if you understand my meaning."

"Yes, that's right. Private citizens and even high ranking shinobi have the freedom to move as they please. It's an interesting dynamic at play."

"Being one of the most powerful people in the world means you're stuck in a cage. Yeah, there's a sort of irony in that," Ibiki says. "Not that I'm exactly crying for the Five Kage. I feel a bit sorry for the Fourth Kazekage, though. Poor bastard got offed in the prime of his life, after busting his ass trying to save his village from oblivion."

"It is indeed a sad thing," I say. "I have to wonder how it must have felt...knowing that the many things he did were all for naught in the end. His son, made into the village's greatest weapon, and reduced to splinters in front of the world..."

"You make it sound like you had nothing to do with it," Ibiki says.

I shrug. "If not me, it would have been someone else. He should praise heaven in his heart for that sort of controlled experience, and for the wisdom dispensed in my moments of clarity."

"Piece of work, this one."

"What he said," Inoichi says, smiling.

"Just a piece? Surely, I must be an entire cake," I say, smiling back.

We make our way to the middle of the village and stop at the place mentioned earlier, a small, plain-looking cafe. It has an outdoor patio that fits two tables with two chairs each positioned around them. Ibiki pulls up an extra chair as Inoichi and I sit, and the cafe owner comes out to greet us.

"Good morning to you all. It's not terribly busy today, so I can tend to you three," she says. Her brown hair is tied back into a round bun, strands of hair poking out of it. She looks kind and mature, a plain wedding band on her finger shining in the morning light.

"Got some good sandwiches here," Ibiki says. "Actually, I'll order us a few and take care of it when we're done. Get the, uh....the thin beef ones, you remember what I mean."

"Right. Three of those, coming up. They're not too heavy. Sorry, I should introduce myself properly. My name is Mai, and I've known Ibiki for a while now. He's a pretty faithful regular."

"Ah, hard not to be."

"And of course, very flattering whenever he does come around. I'll make sure traffic is kept low for the duration of your stay."

"You don't want us to move inside?" I ask.

"I have another person in today. The last chair will have to go inside since the patio will be closed. Anything to drink?"

"We said we were gonna try your coffee today. One and one for me," Ibiki says to Mai.

"Two and two," Inoichi says.

"Three over two," I say.

"Excellent. Anything else?" Mai asks.

"A bottle of milk, please," I say to her.

"Got it. Skim, one, two, or whole?"

"Two today."

"Thank you very much. I'll be back with your drinks and sandwiches in a little while." Mai nods and pushes the other table into a corner before taking the last chair inside with her.

"Very sharp," I comment as she leaves. "And beautiful, as a bonus."

"Like I said earlier, there are a couple of reasons I frequent this place. Mai's a patriot...not one of those fanatic, give everything for your village and country types, but a patriot all the same. She does whatever she can for the sake of the village and makes some damn good food while she's at it."

"Do you think she would get out of the business?" I ask.

"It'd have to be a big project. The money wouldn't be the biggest sticking point, as long as it's something that benefits the Leaf."

"Mm. I'll have to keep that in mind for later. So...let's talk about recent events. You two said that you had productive discussions with our intrepid explorers a few days earlier."

"We doubled up. Did traditional interrogation first, then set up the mind scans," Ibiki says as he leans back in his chair. "Nothing too difficult. Sasuke was on the quiet side, but he knew where he stood and cooperated. Sakura, not one issue. Sang like she was lead soprano at the opera house. I figure they felt they had no choice, but I was expecting a bit of defiance there. Some indication that they thought they were right to leave, but there really wasn't anything like that there. Just acceptance, an understanding of their positions. As for details...did you want to take it, Inoichi?"

"You can start."

"Alright. So, it really did start during the invasion, all of this...mess," Ibiki says with a lazy gesture. "Sound goons really got into Sasuke's head. He and Sakura considered their words, that he wasn't getting any stronger while in the village and that the best path to power was leaving the village. At this point, Orochimaru's dead. The Sound Four, as he knew them at the time, claimed they had a method to immediately increase Sasuke's strength. They were light on details, naturally. The kids started thinking about it."

"Any thoughts as to it being a bad idea?"

"Oh, yeah. Plenty."

"I take it that Sakura got herself pulled in as a result, and started working on mitigating the potential damage instead of going against Sasuke and possibly getting left behind."

"You see this kid?" Ibiki says with a smile.

"You really should work at Intelligence. Seriously, I'll petition the Hokage on your behalf," Inoichi says.

"I pitched it a few times already, but she's comfortable in the field. Lili's got that sort of firepower that needs to be let off pretty often, know what I mean?"

"That does make it harder, yes. And we couldn't take one of our aces off the front lines, not in a time like this. Or any other time, considering that sort of talent."

"Are you two purposely swelling my ego up? So that you can find a way to pop it like a balloon later?" I ask playfully. "But honestly, I may very well take on a permanent role once my physical strength declines. In the meantime, please call on me whenever you might need me."

"We'll take you up on that. So, we were...at the point where the village was recovering from the invasion, we did a mind scan on Sasuke and found the stuff we talked about earlier. Got the descriptions and some of the abilities of the Sound guys. Not much, though. They clearly held back and it was smart on their part. Kid didn't do too hot, started thinking about where he was in life."

"There were plans made after that, in the invasion aftermath. Things you had to piece together, bit by bit," Inoichi says. "He and Sakura started to assess the village's situation. She was more nervous about him when it came to what they were about to do, but they were both unsure until they saw that a lot of the village elites would be away due to missions and the like. Sakura started to make observations and helped Sasuke settle into the idea. He wouldn't say it, but she did."

"Interesting," I reply. "It seems their co-dependence really did run deep for a long while. I had my suspicions, but..."

"Sorry to interrupt. I have everyone's orders here," Mai says as she returns with a large tray. We get our coffee and sandwiches, along with the bottle of milk for me. She silently leaves and we continue our conversation while sipping coffee. It's quite good, to say the least.

"Ah, that's the stuff. Nothing like some good joe in the morning," Ibiki says.

"To continue...yes, Sasuke and Sakura did pull each other along when it came to this plan," Inoichi continues. "We didn't see much of anything to indicate a defection, and even if we did, it would mean sacrificing valuable manpower to look over a genin on a hunch. A valuable genin, but with the village as it was..."

"That all makes sense. I don't know if it would have been enough, anyways," I say. "There was a certain determination on the part of those Sound shinobi that made a lot of things difficult in the end."

"Something like that. Sakura did a lot of the heavy lifting, taking it upon herself to find the right time to set out for both of them. Someone impulsive would try to mask their movements with those of the outgoing strike forces. Someone a little bit smarter..."

"Would use the small gap before then, when everyone was rushing to prepare for those large missions," I finish.

"Pinching our resources as thin as possible. There was a calculation on both their parts, that if anyone was sent after them, they would be unfamiliar types focused on completing the mission, and with certain profiles on them as a result," Ibiki explains. "There was a specific mindset, something they would use to better engage their enemy, maybe even shake them off without having to really do anything drastic. But they were prepared to commit crimes against their fellow shinobi, if they had to."

I sip at my coffee and turn to Inoichi, with Ibiki starting on his sandwich. "So they prepared, and started off in the night...Ino was an unexpected arrival, of course. They didn't know what had happened to her once they started to leave. What led to all of that? What exactly happened?"

"Well, this is the part where it gets really messy. Sasuke...wanted to leave Sakura behind. It was in his head the entire time. Sakura meanwhile was scheming to make Sasuke take her with him. Those were sort of competing threads until a new wrinkle appeared the night of."

"New wrinkle?"

"That kid with white hair, called Kimimaro Kaguya. You were the one that took him down, from what the reports say."

"That is true, yes."

"He's a bit later in, when they're leaving the village proper," Ibiki says in between bites. "The other goons were applying their own pressure, though."

"Yes, Sasuke got caught with Sakura before he could convince her to go away, because of the time they spent arguing with Ino," Inoichi explains. "Even as he was kicking himself for not acting sooner, he sold Sakura's skill to the Sound Four and leveraged her ability to perform some advanced first aid so that his escorts wouldn't see her as a complete liability."

"Even the Devil shows sympathy in the worst of times," I say.

"Cold." Ibiki sips at his coffee. "Not that I blame you for any of it."

"Those implicit threats were reinforced later by that Kimimaro fellow, but...the four already there made an excuse that they had to check their exit point, and lied about whose blood they spilled when they came back from beating Ino senseless. The animals ended up leaving after that with Sasuke and Sakura," Inoichi says, a little bitterly. But that only makes sense after having to think about what that trash did to his daughter.

"So Sakura was effectively a hostage. That means there's some truth to that kidnapping cover story, I suppose. There's other relevant analysis, I'm sure," I say.

"Yeah. Start on your sandwiches, they're best when fresh," Ibiki instructs.

I do so, biting into my meal. Wonderful textures all around. Crisp vegetables and bread, with a delightfully creamy mayonnaise that helps bring out the flavour of the meat. This sort of thing...olive, or olive oil, maybe? Either way, it's very good. Little wonder Ibiki loves this place so much.

"The wonder twins there actually had a plan. Long term thing," Ibiki starts. "Orochimaru's dead, so the primary architect is gone, out of the picture. That's a temporary problem for the most part. The plan was to break out, get some extra power from Orochimaru's goons since they guaranteed a way. Flexed their curse powers from what we saw of those two's memories. It was temporary death, they said. Some ritual that would increase the power and control that Sasuke had over his curse mark. Put him in a big barrel until he was ready after feeding him a pill, something they called a 'mind awakening' pill. Sasuke took it and they sealed him up nice and tight. So the plan was to gain power on the way up north with his escorts leading. The group would make it safely to the Sound, rest and regroup, then organize a suicide squad to go back to the Leaf, sneak in through the barrier again, and bust out Kabuto. Bit of a dispute over whether that Kimimaro kid could go and do it himself."

"He may have pushed for it, being on borrowed time," I say after wiping my mouth with a napkin.

"I was getting that impression myself, like he was in a real rush even if he looked perfectly calm and fine otherwise. He was really on his last legs when you fought him, according to what Sakura said. Didn't show up at the invasion because he was too sick; originally he was one of Orochimaru's favourites, but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. So he was kept alive mainly for studies and the like. Anyways...after getting Kabuto back, they'd use his knowledge to continue what Orochimaru had started. Sakura would learn some useful stuff while there, and Sasuke would train to get stronger in his own way. Did their usual thing of convincing each other that it was fine and okay, and just the right thing to do at that point."

"Were they thinking of running off?"

"At some point. It would have been when Sasuke felt the time was right, and they'd just take off into another country, work as mercs with their skills and traipse around for a while picking up information related to their final goal."

"Killing Itachi Uchiha."

"Yeah. They were also discussing trying to get back into the Leaf, using information they picked up in the Sound as a bargaining chip. Maybe once things cooled down a little."

"Not a very sound plan, but it was to be expected. So they were going to make an attempt to use the Hidden Sound's resources before abandoning them, and then travelling to parts unknown."

"It's definitely complicated on all sides."

"I'm not sure what to think, even now. I know a lot from before...I understand that Sasuke has his own trauma and complexes to deal with, that make these decisions so much harder than they should be. And Sakura, in her honest attempt to help him, only made things worse. The only real decision would be to walk away from Orochimaru's promises at the start." I sigh. "But if it were that easy to do, Sasuke probably wouldn't have been a target in the first place."

"How does knowing all of this make you feel?" Inoichi asks.

"It doesn't make me feel any different. I still hate them both for what they did. Something, anything aside from that sort of betrayal would have been easier to forgive. I can understand the pain that kept spurring them forward, but I don't feel any extra sympathy. There's no sudden burst of kindness, nothing to soften me towards them on a personal level. I had a hope that maybe something would change when I heard about their plans, that seeing it from different angles would reach me in some small way. But...nothing. So much risk for these people, and there's nothing. It isn't anger, or relief, or any sort of notable emotion. These are just more notes and pictures and bits of string pinned to the cork board."

"I see."

"It's not normal, is it?"

"I wouldn't know. But you're not a normal sort of person, Lili."

"I know that much, but...sometimes it feels unpleasant, being so out of step in this world. You want to do your best. That means trying to connect with the people and the procedures they follow. Things like that. It's not a matter of functioning or not functioning. Nothing so binary as that. But there are things that I want to accomplish, eventually. Being a quirky, queer little thing is fine enough, but it's not a cure-all. It's not a substitute for interaction with the wider world."

"Ino tells me that you can get very deep when you want to. I see what she's talking about now."

I shrug and sip at my coffee. "I have these moments of clarity from time to time."

"So what did you want to do after this? Now that you know more about the defection, I mean," Ibiki asks.

I think for a moment on that. "Do you know where Sakura is, by chance?"

"Not right now, but we have her schedule for the rest of the day. I can make a few calls, figure out where she'll be later."

"If you could."

"Give me a second, then. I'll use the phone inside. You guys want anything else?"

"Another cup here," I say.

"Yeah, same," Inoichi says.

"Got it." Ibiki grunts and gets up, walking inside the cafe.

---

Sakura is leaving a small building with what looks to be a nurse at her side. She spots me, breaks off her conversation, and approaches me as the other girl leaves.

It's been about two hours since my meeting with Ibiki and Inoichi. I really want to make sure...did I miss something, at some point? Is there something I'm not seeing? I don't know for sure, but maybe I can find out here.

"Lilith. I heard that you wanted to speak to me..."

Her hair has started growing out again, though it's consistently tied back behind her head. She still wears her headband on top of her head, and carries a large leather bag on her shoulder that seems to be filled with books. Those green eyes that used to be filled with emotion have had nearly all their light drained away, and her voice is flat, nearly toneless with little of her old personality in it.

All those reports were correct. She really is about to fade away.

"I just...wanted to see if I could understand."

"Understand?"

"You. Understand you, and everything that you did. Leaving the village, getting us hurt...things of that nature. I wanted to see if I could figure out something, if something would change."

"Has it?" she asks.

"Not at all."

"I...I see. Do you-"

"I hated what you did. I think I always will. I don't think I have it in me to forgive you, but I won't stand over you with it. I won't get in your way, I won't hurt you, I won't...I won't throw myself into your life just to spite you. You have to continue to exist as a person, as a human being. I know that much. It has to be that way."

"..."

"I wanted to talk, to have a conversation, to figure these things out," I say while shaking my head. "But I can't. There's really nothing. I don't have anything for you, I don't have anything inside of my head."

"You...heard about everything," she says timidly.

"I heard about everything. Your plans, your thoughts, the things you wanted out of your life with Sasuke, or what it was supposed to be. Maybe not everything inside of your head, but enough. It doesn't...mean anything to me. I simply don't care."

"Lilith...I'm sorry-"

"Don't." I hold my hands up. "Please. Don't do that. Don't tell me you're sorry. Sakura, it's meaningless. Okay? It's meaningless, it's worthless. Your apologies are nothing to me. They mean nothing. I don't care. I...you have value as a person, as someone who's part of this village. I want you to succeed, truly. Not just for my own purposes, either. You can do things for the village that nobody else can. You have value in Sasuke's eyes, and he will need you when he wakes up and starts to recover. I think you're the only one who can truly reach him as he is."

"But...but I..."

"I know. I know that it's confusing. I'm confusing. I can be a mess sometimes, I understand that. I try my best. But it's meaningless coming from you, you have to understand that. You have to understand that after everything you've done, I can't just let it go all of a sudden. I didn't come here to mock you with that, I truly wanted more...I wanted something more than this to come out of it, but just looking at you now..."

I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

"I'm sorry. I should go. I...will see you around at some point, Sakura."

"I denied it."

She raises her hands to her chest, and I can see the damage on them. Cuts and bruises, places where they've been rubbed raw.

"I denied it, I tried to run away from it all. I didn't mean to...I was just trying to be there."

"I know."

"You know?"

"I knew from the moment you said those words. That 'it was an accident'. You wanted to believe it, and in the boy who was so heroic, who gave so much for you on that dangerous mission way back when."

"..."

"But there's nothing I can appreciate about that apology, one that came after so much strife, and in a time and place that was too late for both of us. I hate you, Sakura. It's so sad. But I can't stand you. There's enough in me for all of those other things I mentioned, and I know it doesn't make sense to you. I can't stand you. I really can't."

"..."

"I really wanted it to be different, you know. I really did..."

I turn my back on her and put my hands in my pockets.

"Maybe one day soon, we'll be able to figure it out. Until then, we will just have to live our lives."

"What can I do? Isn't there something I can do?!" she pleads. I don't turn to face her.

"..."

"Lilith...please."

"You're stronger than this, Sakura. What you can do for me is work for this village, our home. Cherish it. Protect it. But even then...I won't absolve you, Sakura. There's just too much for me to do that all of a sudden."

I wanted more than this. I wanted more than just to hate her, to despise her for simply being, to think so badly of her even while she's suffering.

But I can only walk away, leaving my thoughts from today to settle. I know everything that has happened. I understand it clearly. I have made my decisions.

And so, it's time to move forward.

 

[FortePlus]

broke: upload 2 chapters over the weekend
woke: upload 1 chapter and fall asleep writing the other
bespoke: get halfway through writing the other chapter and then erase half of that because you didn't like it
artichoke: fall asleep rewriting the second chapter again

anyways sorry for being a fraud, here's an entire chapter about a short and thirsty lesbian ninja as an apology

 

[FortePlus]

Scarlet Justice - ep. 67
"Prospects"
---

Today is a good day to start on my big assignment: scouting new aides for the Hokage's Office. There are people to select from the existing pool, but they also have their own necessary functions and plenty of current work to catch up on. These two dedicated assistants will be responsible for work that the Hokage would normally take on, related administrative duties and most importantly, leaning on the old man when needed so that certain things get done. From what I've been hearing, he has a tendency to drag his feet on troublesome things or even delay them by using that sharp diplomatic mind of his.

Much to consider in this search. But I've been spending the last few days making preparations.

"Luna, seriously. I'll be fine."

"I don't like the idea of you moving around so much," she says as she clears the table after breakfast. She's still in her nightgown and hopefully will be taking it easy for the day, light cleaning aside.

"It's administrative work for the Hokage, quite important. I'll be gone for two, maybe three days. Believe me when I say that there are few people who can do this job aside from me."

"Can you please stay home for a few days once you return and everything is done with?" she asks. "Miss Lili, I really mean it. I want you to rest properly."

"When I'm finished, I'll let the Hokage know that I'm off limits for a while," I say as I leave my seat. "I promise. I didn't have anything planned for after this anyways."

"Thank you so much."

"I don't mean to worry you, Luna."

"You never do. It's alright." She walks over and gives me a warm hug. "Just remember that you're still a growing young girl. Give yourself time to recover properly in mind and body."

"Yes, of course."

I pack lightly and choose a simple form of dress for my journey. A light jacket and comfortable pair of jogging pants will do. Hopefully it won't get too cold, but these will work for me if it does. Hair and face are good. I make sure my headband is on my right arm, and there's an extra pouch on my waist for the special notebook that I'm going to carry with me. Some security will be necessary here, and there are some seals on the cover to help with that.

"I'm off," I call out as I leave.

"Yes, understood. I will take care of things here. Was there anything else you needed from me?" Luna asks from her room.

"No, nothing. Take care while I'm gone. I love you, Luna."

"I love you, Lili. Be safe."

"Yes, always."

I make my way out and lock the door behind me. The search for personnel will be in two phases: military and civilian. The existence of spies means that there should be profiles on every registered shinobi within the village at the least as part of protocol. It means a lot of information at first blush, so I'll narrow my categories down to start. The old man has a preference for women, so I'll accommodate him there. I'll also want to look at more of the well-known clans in the Leaf to filter out those subtle sorts of problems, like institutional knowledge, clan politics, things of that nature. People with an understanding of those sorts of things can be on-boarded in a quick and efficient manner. As for the civilian phase, I'll observe the downtown sector manually. If there's a diamond in the rough, I'll be sure to find them. Civilians are good for a few reasons, one of them being that I used to be such a person. There are many skills and perspectives that they have, and acumen in their respective fields that can reach levels well beyond that of shinobi.

I consider my options as I walk. Standard information on all shinobi would be held in the Hokage's Office, as a matter of course. But...I want information that is more vivid and intimate. That means it's a good time to visit Intelligence again. Since it's going to be a long day, I think I'll grab a few things to munch on.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, young miss. What can I do for you today?"

The local shop owner helps me stock up on treats, and I head to the entrance of the Leaf Intelligence Division. There are the usual gentlemen hanging around the entrance, smoking and engaging in conversation. Their faces aren't hostile this time around, and they make room so that I can enter without incident. I nod politely to them as I step inside.

Ibiki spots me as I cross the foyer and gives me a wave while approaching. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Things are fine today. I'm getting some work done, so I'll be here a while as a result. You have video rooms, don't you?" I ask him.

"Upstairs, quite a few of them to choose from. You can take as long as you need once you get inside, nobody should give you any trouble. What'd you need it for?"

"I'm running some errands for the Hokage today."

"Hoh, big shot over here. Well, everything you need should be in reach. Video rooms are upstairs like I said. I gotta go and kick someone's ass on the other side of town, so I'll see you around. Take care of yourself," he says as he pats me on my good shoulder.

"Yes, surely. Thank you, Ibiki."

He nods and makes his way out while I head towards the elevator. The guide inside tells me that the video equipment is two floors above me, so I press the button and ascend with no fanfare. It's relatively quiet today, with not too many people moving about.

"Hm. Let's see...if I'm at this age, then we need to find candidates that are young, with at least a little experience, and some potential for growth. We will limit the search to seven years ago. Women will take priority as decided earlier," I say to myself as I walk. "We can also glean personality traits from video footage, much easier than with written reports. But those will come in handy as well, later on. But what events should I focus on first? There are the Chuunin Exams, obviously...ah, the cultural days. And the athletic meets, too. There are three areas already. I just have to take note of everything that's of interest."

I approach the front desk and ask the woman behind it for the tapes I want. Footage from the past fourteen Chuunin Selection Exams, the cultural festivals from three and seven years ago, the past three athletic meets, and a special combat exercise from four years ago that's mentioned by another librarian who came by to collect some notes. With so many tapes, we get a rolling cart to put them on, and I push it to the first empty room before closing the door. There's the cassette player, a projector, and a large television that can be moved around on its own wheeled cart. I decide on using the projector this time, and each item conveniently has its own remote. I set my goodies down on the long table in front of me along with the other tapes, and decide what I'm going to watch first. I think the combat exercise will do as an opener.

After putting the tape in, I wait for the film to start and open a bottle of chocolate milk, then take out my notebook and a pen. As it plays through and I look at the footage, I realize that I'm not going to get much in terms of data. I let the tape finish, rewind and eject it, and then start on one of the cultural festival tapes. It's rich with detail and I sit back to watch carefully. There are a decent number of interviews that take place too, which is quite helpful. I find one girl that catches my eye and pause the tape to capture extra details. The next tape has some promise too, but nobody immediately suitable. I take down some names just in case.

The Chuunin Exam tapes are up next, and I find a lollipop to suck on while I watch through them. High production values make these a treat to watch, with much in the way of nice details and perspectives. These are all of the public final rounds for the most part, with some highlights from the Forest of Death as teams reached the tower to complete the second round. Another two girls attract my interest, though I enjoy the footage of other candidates just as much. It would be a treat to do this and get paid for it at the same time, but I'm not one to complain when things are this good already.

The tapes take a while to go through. Some of it is my fault for...various reasons relating to research. Naturally. Leaving no stone unturned, and no figure unsurveyed. I eventually do finish, writing down my observations on people and other things of interest. By now it's afternoon, and I'm just a bit hungry. I can endure a while longer, however. It's time to clean up and return these tapes.

"If you're done, I can take those for you," the woman from earlier says as she spots me.

"Thank you. Please take care," I say to her. She nods and pushes the cart back to the front desk, where the tapes will be organized and returned to their proper homes. I shoulder my backpack and take one more look through my notebook. The next stop will be...profiles on the village's shinobi. If I recall correctly, those archives should be a floor down. I head to the elevator and wait for another person to get in before sending us downwards. As I exit, I locate the front desk on this floor and move through the tall shelves towards it.

"Identification, please."

"Yes." I take out a small card and hand it to the woman at reception. Her hair is the colour of chestnuts and looks silky smooth, cascading down her front and framing her soft face.

"Ah, Miss Kobayashi. You have some extra clearance here, that makes things much easier. How may I help you today?"

"I would like access to personnel files for a few hours. I'm doing research on behalf of the Hokage's Office."

"Understood. If you could list the names for me, I'll get their files and fill out the necessary paperwork for you."

"I have them listed here," I say as I open my notebook to a certain page and hand it to her. She looks over it and nods before typing quickly into the computer nearby.

"Excellent. If you could wait a few minutes, I'll collect everything in one go and return to you."

"There's no rush, please take as much time as you need."

She gives me a smile and heads off to collect the requisite files. Her legs are nice. Mm. I wonder where she works out in the village. Eventually she returns all of the files on another rolling cart, put into a neat stack for my convenience. And it's in the order I listed, too. Very nice.

We exchange bows before I move to one of the standing desks and open the file folders one at a time to examine them. These contain the extra details that wouldn't show up right away in a video; personal details, medical history, any disciplinary actions, commendations, mission data and so on and so forth. I take out another lollipop and place it in my mouth as I scan the files, writing down notes on their own dedicated pages as needed. This consumes a few more hours on its own, and now I'm really getting hungry. It's late afternoon according to my watch as I put back the last of the files and wheel them up to the front desk. The receptionist gives me a nod and wave as I return them to her, then make my way out of Intelligence for the day.

I've picked up three definite candidates from all of my research, attractive in both body and mind. Now the second phase can begin...after I get something in me.

---

I stifle a belch after finishing some delicious meat buns from a street vendor. The green tea they have is refreshing, too - I don't often have it cold, but it's very nice. By now it's evening in the Leaf, and I've already left the Intelligence building for the downtown core. The plan now is to stop and pop into various shops, spending money here and there to interact with notable employees.

Ino comes to mind as I pass by a few clothing stores, and I end up stopping into one after finding something that I think would look lovely on her. Even better, this shop arranges deliveries for gifts. I'll be sure to tease that girl with something daring once we get old enough, but for now, she'll just be getting a terribly cute blouse and skirt combination.

There are quite a few cafes in the area...along with some that I've heard of, but never experienced before. Maid cafes.

"Hm."

I shrug and decide to try my luck. There's definitely an appeal to it, but I prefer regular people-watching. This one has a cat theme, of the big and small varieties. There's a candidate that I have a conversation with, and I keep her in mind after leaving. I might stop by again if I have nothing else to do. I pass through the local bars as well, just to check. Some of the shinobi recognize me, and it helps with the employees trying to scold me for 'being in the wrong place'. I thought the headband on my arm would have been enough, but I suppose not. In any case, there aren't many women working at the bars themselves, mostly as servers and waitresses. I'm looking for something a bit different after the maid cafes.

There's a coffee shop that catches my eye, and I step into it. A woman with gradient blue hair is brewing tea, so I make an order for it and a small cup of coffee as well. She seems to be one of those 'cool beauties' that I've heard about, and in addition has a laid back nature about her. The tea is very good, as is the coffee. There's a smoke that I can smell on her, very subtly. I feel like I've encountered the scent before...it's not tobacco, to be sure. So what is it? I should know...mm. I'll figure it out later. She's one of my favourites, so I make sure to get her name before I leave.

I'm getting hungry again. The inn I spotted earlier has a restaurant across from it, and it's already night by now, so...

"Ah...shoot, I can't lose this. I need it for my search..."

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" I ask as I approach the woman ahead of me. She looks to be in her late twenties, and has a curvy frame that's a treat to behold. I help her pick up her papers from the street.

"Thank you so much."

"Resume papers? Are you looking for work, by chance?" I scan the sheet before giving it back to her. Those are strong credentials she has. I do wonder...

"Oh, yes. I...um, was let go from my job recently. It's a long story, and I'm sure-"

"I have enough time," I reassure her. "I actually was going to eat dinner, so...if you wanted to talk over a meal, I would be delighted to do so."

She's between jobs, but also homeless as I find out. I give her a fair bit of my spending money as we part ways, and she politely refuses before I charm her into finally taking it with her. She's staying at a women's shelter nearby, and I make sure that we leave her enough time to return to her bed safely. Now I have six candidates, three from the military, and three civilians. All strong choices. I order some more tea and do one last assembly of my notes, plucking out everything that's irrelevant and focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of my candidates. It's not bad for a day's work.

---

Candidates, Final Selection

Mimi Koshiro
Chuunin/F/17
A lean and cute body. She's well-rounded and can learn quickly (similar to Sakura). A normal girl with a normal looking family (also similar to Sakura). Good for a sense of grounding and normalcy in the environment. Might not be able to handle extreme pressure, which there will be a lot of.

Kikyo Nara
Chuunin/F/16
Has a soft and well-nourished body. Looks quite good in pants. She's strong when it comes to observations and pays great attention to detail. An experienced, diligent worker who is devoted to her tasks. Seems solid. Her issues however are dealing with abstracts and emotional matters/matters of the heart. This could be a problem when it comes certain levels of work and operating on the Hokage's level. Might be dragging her out of her element; it's not all simple paperwork here.

Imari Hyuuga
Chuunin/F/19
A slender and elegant body. Her appeal is boosted by skirts and dresses. Those eyes of hers rarely miss a thing. She has low experience in these specific areas, but great drive. Possibly because of her time in the Hyuuga Branch House, she is very compassionate towards others and does her best to connect with people. This seems like a boon. Teachable, talented, and passionate when allowed to be.

Leona Yamasaki
Barista/F/20
A firm, bountiful chest and long legs. Her gradient blue hair makes her stand out, but she is a calm and cool individual. Her precision is also nothing to sneeze at, and she has strong management skills that can transfer over to the new job. She also might not have any trouble with the old man's smoking, which is another plus. Seems a bit hard to read at times, but friendly.

Yuna Ijuuin
Waitress/F/17
Huge breasts. The backside isn't bad, either. Cute face, bubbly, fun. Could be a great injection of energy for the office. Handled her work expertly and to the letter. The transition to office work will be the hardest part - she has no experience with it. She's adept with handling customers and doesn't fold when faced with their pressure. Attracts lewd situations with mysterious consistency. I like her underwear choices, though. Very bold.

Tamaki Kurogane
Unemployed/F/27
A well-balanced, curvaceous body (reminds me a lot of Luna, definite plus) that sends her appeal through the roof. Currently homeless and spends her nights at a shelter while job hunting. Used to be the personal assistant of a big company CEO two years ago, but ended up fired and blacklisted from her field. This came as a result of reporting the sexual assault of a junior coworker, and pursuing the case all the way to the top of the company. Seems a bit anxious at times and her self-esteem can get low, likely because of what happened all that time ago. But she carries all of the relevant skills for the job and at an extremely high level. Definite favourite. Bright smile and a motherly warmth.

---

Now...the only thing left to do is make my final decision. The old man said he needed at least one. Two would be good and seems like a sweet spot. Three also works, and any more than that would be too much.

"Ah..."

Two people sounds best, for the sake of synergy. I nod and take a sip of my tea. The window at the front of the restaurant shows off the bustling night life of the Hidden Leaf. It's like a lot of big cities, but these flavours are unique. This is the place that I've sworn to protect, for better or for worse. That's the reason I'm out here, writing in a notebook at night with my arm in a cast, instead of resting peacefully at home in my own bed.

But it's less about the village, or the nation it sits within. It's these people. The ones I view as precious, and even just worth fighting for at the drop of a hat.

The bright streets reveal women in their flashy clothing, some walking to and from bars and clubs, others on the street corners and in front of the inn that I'll be entering in a while to rest. There's someone who looks to be around my height, hopefully not my age as well. Thin black stockings with the rest of her covered by a jacket. Hair the colour of lavender, soft and puffy like a cloud, covering her eyes. I'm drawn to her, for some reason. Wondering who she might be waiting for, if anyone.

My thoughts go to my father. I remember the places he brought me to, shortly after my mother passed away. I remember the flashy women, dressed just like that, who were daring and vulgar, and gossiped about how disgusting the men who stuffed money into their racy outfits were. Some talked about my father and how handsome he was, others who had the pleasure of his company saw past it and found him far worse than the balding tycoons. The memories trickle through, in bits and pieces. I hope she doesn't get picked up by a man even half as bad as him. To that end, I whisper a small prayer for her.

I've come to a judgement on my two candidates, but want to sleep on it a bit more to be sure. This is a pretty big decision, even if it doesn't feel like it right now. Tomorrow is a new, fresh day for discovery. I pay my bill and set down a good tip before leaving, heading out into the cool night. The jacket for today was a prudent decision, then.

"Shinobi, huh."

I look over to see the girl, or woman that I was observing earlier beside me. She's actually a bit taller than me, at least with the heels on.

"Yes," I reply.

"Does it for you?"

"In more ways than one," I say deliberately.

She laughs lightly and nods. "Live your truth, hon."

"I will say the same to you." I pause. "Would a donation be handy?"

"Sure. I'm independent these days," she says with a smile. "Can't stand these agencies skimming off the top and the middle too."

"Such is the world," I say as I hand her a few bills. "My father used to solicit women. They fell in love with his looks and hated his guts by the next morning."

"Shit. Sounds like a piece of work."

"If only he stopped at being that bad. Well, be safe. As much as you can be in this world, at least."

"Doing my best. Thanks, hon. Have yourself a good night."

"I will." I head into the inn and grab one of the open rooms, take a warm shower with my cast covered tightly, and then change into something light before heading to bed. Sleep comes quickly.

---

I yawn and roll out of bed, heading to the bathroom and making sure that water didn't get past my cast cover after last night's shower. Everything seems fine after my inspection, so I clean up for the morning, get back into my casual clothing, and seal up my dirty laundry before packing up and getting ready to leave. The front entrance of the inn is clear in the morning light; the women of the night and their clients have left for parts unknown, sure to return once the sun goes down and normal business hours begin again. I wonder about the woman from last night and what she's doing now, briefly. Hopefully she's staying safe, and living her own truth as she asked me to do.

"Hm. Coffee sounds nice." I yawn and head over to the nearby coffee house - there are several in the vicinity - primarily to perk myself up a little, but also on a little intuition. If I'm right, my first selection should be here, hard at work.

And as I enter the small shop, I see that I'm right.

"Miss Kurogane," I say out loud as I approach. "Might I sit?"

"Oh, yes! Please go ahead! Lilith Kobayashi, right?"

"Lili is perfectly fine," I say as I take a seat across from her. She has papers spread out on the table in front of her and is sipping a cup of coffee. The overnight bag at her feet seems sturdy enough, but has certainly seen better days.

"Right, right. You said as much yesterday. Speaking of that, thank you so much for what you did. You've bought me a lot of time! And I can spoil myself a little...like the old days," Tamaki says with a smile. She really is marvellous to look at. I noted how appealing her body was already...she has long brown hair, secured in the middle by a star-shaped hair clip. Soft looking green eyes and lush red lips - she's been taking care of herself while continuing to survive, never giving up hope that things would get better one day. Well...it's time for that faith to be rewarded in full.

"I'm flattered, but there's no need to thank me. That was the least I could do for you."

"It really isn't, stop that. Thank you again. So...what might you be doing around here this morning? I'm sure you're a busy shinobi of the Leaf. You're certainly not here to hold court with a jobless woman like me!"

"Oh, you'd be wrong about that. Here," I say as I hand her a small card. She takes it and blinks, looking at it curiously.

"What's this? Directions and instructions...to...aha, I'm not sure I get it," Tamaki says. "Lili? What's happening?"

"Tamaki...on behalf of the Third Hokage, I would like you to become a special aide for the Hokage's Office, in direct service to him and to the Hidden Leaf. I very humbly ask for your help," I say gently.

"Hokage...eh? You mean to say...ahaha. Ahahaha...this is....haha, this is..."

"Tamaki..."

"Ha...haha..." She stares at me, tears running down her face as she flips between crying and laughing. "Is this really...happening?"

"It is."

"For...for so long...for so long I've been alone and helpless. Nobody would take me on for more than a season, barely enough to live on. I was losing hope each day...I...I'm just a homeless woman, just so desperate...but now...somehow..."

"You have a wonderful heart. That is why you've been chosen. People like you are irreplaceable treasures. Tamaki...you are not alone any more."

She sniffles and wipes at her eyes. "I...where will I..."

"Everything will be taken care of. Living arrangements, clothing, whatever you might need. Please head to the noted location within the week." I take out another card for identification, sign it, and then hand it to her. "This will take care of everything needed if anyone should ask. And you'll have a partner, one from a prestigious clan in the Leaf. She'll be your junior."

"My...junior."

"Yes. Please teach her well, Miss Kurogane. I believe in you."

The look in her eyes changes. I can see the determination that I imagined last night when I was making my decision. The same strength that drove her to sacrifice everything in order to see justice done.

"This senpai will not let you down."

I nod. "Naturally. That's part of why I chose you."

We both stand up and share a long hug. She really is warm and reminds me of my sisters...yes, this was definitely a good choice.

"I guess I won't be needing these resumes right now...ah, but I need to hurry and gather up my things, make sure other things are taken care of...so much to do all of a sudden! Lili, I'll see you in a while."

"Of course."

"Please take care of yourself...and thank you for everything. Thank you so much."

"I'll see you soon, Tamaki. Welcome home."

She smiles and kisses me on the cheek before gathering her things, finishing her coffee, and taking off. Of course, she made sure to leave an appropriate tip behind.

I close my eyes and sigh with satisfaction. I can already tell that she'll be an incredibly reliable woman.

---

A delicious cup of coffee and some light reading before heading back to more familiar parts of the Leaf. This next person is closer to home...well, maybe this particular place is already another home to me, as unlikely as it would be to see.

The gates are opened up at the Hyuuga estate, and I walk up to the guards. Today I'm in a decent mood, so I'll play nice. "May I have an audience with Lady Hanabi? I'm here on official business."

The two men look at each other for a moment before one heads inside. It takes a few minutes, but I see him return with Hanabi behind him, out of breath and smiling.

"Big sis! I was jumping rope with some of the girls!" Hanabi says happily. "Did you want to see onee-sama?"

"No, no. I'm honestly here on business. Is she in, though?"

"She and Neji are out..." Hanabi beckons me close so she can whisper. "Neji's watching over her. She's at Naruto's place again, I heard."

"Ah. That's only fair. He did say that he was starting to see her as a woman."

"Wha...n-no way..."

"It's true. I think Hina's growth has exceeded our expectations," I say with a nod.

"Yeah. Definitely." We separate and straighten ourselves out. Hanabi coughs once and assumes a regal tone. "Well, then. Might I ask your business with Hyuuga, Captain Kobayashi?"

"Yes. I would humbly like to speak with Miss Imari Hyuuga."

"Oh, Icchan," Hanabi says, immediately relaxing her tone. "I know where she is. Please follow me, Lili-nee."

"Right."

Hanabi signals to the guards that everything is okay before taking me through the massive residence. We end up in a set of similar looking rooms, and she slides open one of the doors so that we can step inside. There's a young woman diligently scrubbing the floors. Her hair is like that of the other Hyuuga; long, straight, and dark. Currently, she has hers tied into a thick and round bun at the back of her head. Her eyes are the same as her kin, a pure white. And I can confirm from up close that she has a slender, elegant type of frame underneath those plain clothes. Not even that drab fabric can erase her lovely looks...her skin looks especially smooth and soft.

"It's always better in person," I say absentmindedly. "She's a beauty."

"Icchan really is pretty," Hanabi says. "The Main House girls are jealous of her. Really a shame that she's stuck in the lower house, you know. What did you want to talk to her about?"

"Becoming one of the Hokage's special aides. She's the second of two candidates chosen."

"Wow. That's definitely impressive. Although..."

"Hm?"

"Well, there are other women in the Main House...I'm sure that Hyuuga will be upset that you chose someone from the Branch House to serve alongside the leader of the village."

"Is that so?" I smile wickedly. "Then that just cements my decision...and makes it so much sweeter."

Hanabi laughs as I start to approach Imari.

"Miss Hyuuga, pardon my intrusion."

"It's no trouble at all." Her voice is soft and measured. Very soothing to listen to. "Captain Kobayashi, isn't it? I am at your service, honoured elder sister."

"Mm...you really are a treasure. I came here today because I have a request of you, on behalf of the Third Hokage."

"I am at your command."

"Please become a special aide for the Hokage's Office, Imari Hyuuga."

"Ah...?" Her eyes widen. "W-wait...this must be a-"

"I don't make silly mistakes like that. Certainly not when it comes to beautiful women like you."

She blushes and clasps her hands together. "S-surely...there has to be someone else. Perhaps in the Main House-"

"I have no such dealings with Hyuuga. Branch House, Main House...all worthless to me. Hinata and Hanabi are my precious sisters. I wouldn't dare say those words if I cared for a moment about the trappings of this clan. Imari, you have a beautiful light that has shone through years and years of oppression. That light is something that will brighten this village, and help it become more and more beautiful, just as you are."

"Captain Kobayashi..."

"Lili is fine.

"Um...Lili...I..." She shakes her head rapidly and lets out a breath, composing herself. Standing at attention, she gives me the same determined look as Tamaki did this morning. "I will accept this challenge before me with pride. Please, allow me to serve the Hokage with all the strength I can draw out!"

"Thank you, Imari. Although, to be honest...you've wanted an excuse to spread your wings for a while now, no?"

"Ah...hahahaha!" She laughs before covering her mouth with one hand. "Wow...you've really done your homework on me!"

"Naturally. Didn't I say it earlier? I don't make mistakes when it comes to beautiful women," I say with a wink.

"I see that it's the truth, clearly."

I sign an identification card for her, and give her another card with directions to the check-in station. "Make sure you're there by the end of the week."

"Understood. There's just one more thing..."

"If it's what I'm thinking, there's no need to worry," Hanabi says with a smile. "By the power vested in me as the future Hyuuga Head, you're free to go. Icchan, good luck!"

"Thank you! Lady Hanabi, I won't let you down. Please, watch over me and continue to send me your blessings."

"You'll have a senior to learn from, and she's fiercely protective of her kouhai. Imari, you're going to be in the best care. I'll see you soon."

"Yes. Thank you, Lili."

"You're very welcome."

"Big sis, stay a while?" Hanabi asks. I pat her head, and she purrs softly for me. She really knows how to rope me in now, doesn't she...

"I really should get back home to Luna..."

"Please? It'd be really nice if we spent some extra time together. Just for a little bit? Won't you?"

"You know that I can't resist you, little kitten. Your big sis can't do much moving, though. Is that okay?"

"It's super okay. I have stuff I want to show you in my room, anyways."

"I can make some tea and snacks for you both," Imari says. "I ask your patience while I prepare them."

"We'll be waiting in my room, Icchan. Take your time, okay? Lili-nee, let's go."

"Sure." I smile and let Hanabi take my hand.

Looks like everything was a success, and Sasuke's mentorship is secured. Another good deed done. Now...I'll do as Luna wanted and rest a while for my troubles.

 

[FortePlus]

Scarlet Justice - ep. 68
"Ever Forward"
---

One month has passed.

In that time, my cast has come off. My right arm is weak as expected, but definitely functional. I get to work on strengthening it, meaning that I still have to stay away from missions for a while. But training can begin again in earnest.

During that time, I decide to strengthen my connections with loved ones, and properly monitor certain responsibilities. Naruto and I talk throughout my recovery; he's learned quite a bit from Jiraiya and we sharpen up some of his basic skills on the training field together. Things like improving his chakra control, bit by bit daily. The Rasengan is an impressive thing, an A-Rank jutsu on the level of Chidori that requires intense shape transformation. There was a bit of trouble learning it, but Naruto gets around his limitations by using his clone arts to manually rotate the chakra in his hand. Very clever on his part. But...for some reason, I feel like there's something missing. It's a powerful jutsu developed by the Fourth Hokage - I still have to wrap my head around their relation, and I assume that Jiraiya has a specific reason for keeping that from Naruto, so I'll be quiet about it - but I doubt that this is its final form. For one thing, the Fourth died well before his time, saving the village. It's something to think about...the problem though is that while I want to teach Naruto, his mentor right now is Jiraiya and I don't want to undercut anything he's trying to do. They've seen some good progress in the past while. We might have to sit down and talk about it at some point - Jiraiya is almost never around when anyone needs him, an annoyance to be sure.

At least he's getting closer to Hina. They probably would have started dating already if he wasn't so dense. Everything in its own time, I suppose. Sakura is slowly moving out of the picture. Sasuke had his surgery, and it was a success. There wasn't any need to remove organs, and the previous treatments helped a lot with stabilizing him. He'll need a lot of time to recover, and when he does get cleared for training, the Hokage will be available to guide him. Sakura watched the surgery up close and didn't flinch at anything that took place, according to Ino. She may become a formidable medic yet.

The Hokage's new assistants, Imari and Tamaki, are hard at work while getting their top-level clearance. Ibiki has passed me some information about Tamaki's former employer that I mean to act on in the next while.

As for social things, Ino was surprised by the fact that I wasn't bluffing about sending her clothing to wear, but took it well enough. We've agreed to meet for dates every once in a while when we're both free, wearing those matching outfits. More than once, the idea of a little social club comes up, and I'm really thinking about establishing it. Hina and Erika can join us...it sounds like a fun little idea. I spend time with Naruto more often, anticipating that we'll be separated by business once I fully recover. Everything else continues normally.

---

"Arrangements?"

"Yeah. There's a bit of political maneuvering going on in the Sand, so the Hokage wants to send you over to deal with it."

Today I'm in the Jounin Commander's office, having a meeting with the man himself, Shikaku Nara. He's appreciative of my pestering of Shikamaru, noting that he's changed a bit since the invasion and the retrieval mission that we both participated in. We get down to business and I learn that the Hidden Sand has a slate of missions that they want the Leaf to take part in, what with their shortages of shinobi and resources. Shikaku notes a reconnaissance mission that looks unusual, despite being listed as low-risk.

"It might be a front for something else. Maybe a resource cache, something like that," he says.

"I assume there's a desire to claim it for ourselves?"

"From the other jounin on the council. Bad idea to twist their arms directly, though. Not only would it look bad, but it might make them panic and do something we won't like. We're allies, but they're not bound to us, and even with our help they're still in a bad way."

"Liable to do drastic things," I conclude. "If it's resource acquisition...mm. I can do some research and give them a little shove in the right direction. Perhaps bring something home for those hungry children on the council."

He chuckles. "I'll leave it to you, then. That means you're in, I'm assuming."

"Of course. I would like to see how that boy Gaara is doing, among other things. The Sand's children should be interesting to survey...I assume that they want a squad leader to take care of their genin while out in the field, and they're short of those for obvious reasons." I yawn and stretch. "Babysitting...it will be good practice for when my sibling comes along."

"Heh. Well, I'll put the paperwork in and we should get a response soon. When it comes, I'll call you back here."

"So noted."

"Thank you for your time, Miss Kobayashi." We stand up and shake hands. "No rush on your recovery, though. Mission will take place a few weeks from today."

"Lovely. I will see you later, Shikaku."

He nods and goes back to his work as I leave. I flex my right arm and frown. Doesn't feel right yet...but I'm getting there. Things will be fine soon.

"There is a place north of the village, if I recall. I think I should take some extra time out for myself and do some more solo training..."

"Hey, it's been a while."

I turn my head to see Ruki approaching. She's as lovely as ever, from what I can gather.

"It has been. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, as they say."

"It does!" she says with a smile. Today's look is a wool sweater and a slimming pair of jeans. Very nice. "So, have I fallen out of favour yet?"

"I would never say such a thing."

"Just wondering. Your usual appraisal is on the quiet side today, you know."

"Mm. I don't want to cause too much trouble for you in public. You know how people get. How are things with our man lately?"

She shrugs. "Not bad. He's been nice enough to me."

"Is that all?"

"Hm...well. I think I'm getting a little closer to him. At least, I hope so. We're not doing anything date-like just yet. Mostly hanging out around town, having a drink here and there with mutual friends...you know. It's fine."

"You're bothered by something," I say.

"Not really."

"You want him to open up, but he's making it difficult."

Ruki says nothing and lets out a breath, looking into the sky.

"There's still time, you know."

"I really think I like him."

"I know."

"Should I ask? Should I just wait for him to say something?"

"What do you want to do?" I ask.

"I...want to know. I want to ask about them. About her, especially."

"Rin Nohara."

"Yeah."

"Then do as your heart tells you. Ask him honestly. You're worried about losing everything, about ruining what you have now. Worrying that it might be too soon."

"You shouldn't know this much at your age," Ruki says.

"Is it embarrassing?"

"No, nothing like that. Just...a little too humbling for a woman like me. But then again, I did accept you as an equal, a woman in your own right. It's how you got away with being so saucy in the hospital," she says as she smiles at me again.

"Really. I thought you were simply overwhelmed by my charm."

"Only thing I'd call overwhelming was that posing of yours during our examinations."

"I hoped you would notice. Hopefully you saw my good side. But all of my sides are good, as you can see here."

"You really are too much, Lili." She sighs. "Thanks. I'll have a go at it one of these days, maybe over lunch or something like that. Maybe just talking will be enough."

"You don't want to try and fix him, of course."

"No. People aren't that easy. Believe me, I know. Men are eager...fragile in a lot of ways, too. That's what makes them so compelling sometimes. Kakashi is an interesting fellow. Just as sweet as I imagined, but also...very insightful. Hm. Well, I'm gonna go get my shopping done. Come visit the shrine again soon."

"I'll be sure to stop by. Take care, Ruki."

"You do the same." She waves as she heads off.

She and Kakashi together...it might very well happen at this point. I'll be praying for her success.

---

The weeks slowly move forward. There is something to be said about training in the forests and hills. It's a refreshing feeling that seems to boost my spirits. It's...not something I'm imagining, either. I can really feel the energy flowing through me. Maybe it's a sign.

My right arm is restored to its true strength.

The training also increases my speed substantially. I get much faster than I would have guessed. My ceiling really is this high after all, which is surprising. The chakra mode improves further and I can enter the second stage of the chakra mode now from a standstill. As for the third stage, I've added an emergency mode to it that hopefully won't see much use, called the 'Trans-Am System'. Good in a pinch and I can use 'those' techniques while in that state for a short while. But these are things one can't exactly practice extensively.

What I can, and have been working on, is that heavenly power from when I fought Sasuke. I've managed to grasp some of it with Hina's help. When I used the chakra mode's fourth stage again during a practice session, the wings failed to appear. So I can enter the chakra mode normally, but...I wonder if there's something that I'm missing? It's not just a fifth stage, it's something completely different. Something on another level entirely. Maybe an unconscious activation of Sage Arts? Is that possible? I have time to figure it out, but...in any case, I've acquired a new skill, which should come in handy for future battles. More opponents like Kimimaro will appear, and this means I will be ready for them.

"How's it feel to be back?" Kurenai asks me. Today, it's routine drills with shuriken for the most part. We're at the twenty-third training field, one of our homes away from home.

"It feels nice. I was moving about during my injury, but this freedom definitely feels different. We can get back to proper missions and taking care of business whenever the need arises."

"Heh. Just don't push too hard, okay? Hasn't been that long since you got a clean bill of health."

"I'll keep that in mind, Kurenai. I'm assuming the missions will be lower intensity for a while, then?"

"Yeah, but not on account of you this time. Couple of long and slow ones coming up, just turned out to be that kind of season as far as mission spread went. I looked into a few, and they should be good for keeping us in shape. Uncomplicated...we travel and just wait around a bit, depending on what it is. Hopefully they don't rope you into something before then."

"I have a scheduled mission to the Sand coming up. Shikaku will be giving me the details as soon as he hears back. It's in a few weeks." I casually throw a shuriken and redirect it twice on the way to its target, making an S shape in the air. It lands just a little bit away from the center ring. "Hm. Little bit of wind."

"Pushed on the second one after you threw it," Kurenai points out.

"It's about a kilometer or so out that certain forces act upon ballistic trajectories, you know."

"Really, now."

"Yes. About...two to three inches to the right. That's how much I miss by if I don't adjust for it. I've been thinking about it a lot while preparing for missions. There are some outstanding bounties that could be cleaned up easily with a good shot. I think I could take on those."

"You seem to know enough about it. I take it you went out and practiced to get those results?"

"Well, I read about it first and then tested it in the field. Old textbooks from the west and whatnot." I throw a kunai before sending it tumbling through the air, end over end with the help of a senbon. It hits the target dead center, right beside the shuriken from earlier. "Good. There's also a vertical component to consider. This is in addition to other things like wind and temperature...more for me than for the shot itself, since we're using chakra. A solid projectile would require more and more calculations."

"I dunno. You really think nailing a guy in the head from a kilometer away would work for missions?"

"You have a point. It would depend on the type of contract, but I can always safely make the kill and then get rid of the body covertly." I shrug. "Questions that can be answered with mission data."

"Makes sense. Wanna wrap up? Shino and Hinata said they had stuff to show us."

"I did remember, yes." I put away the rest of my weapons and shake out my hair.

"I usually end up in close, and you want to be in that range so you can confirm the kill and better survey your options afterwards. You can always opt for a couple of senbon, maybe a kunai to the chest or throat from distance. Reliable enough. But if I had access to the techniques you had, I'd think about picking them off from another block too. Lots of possibilities, honestly."

"Mm-hm."

We meet up with Hina and Shino, who have finished up on their ends.

"So. You had something to show us?" I say to them.

"It's more for you than Kurenai," Hina says. "She's already seen some of it, and thought you would enjoy a demonstration or two. Shino can go first."

"Alright." Shino holds out one arm in front of him, and I can hear the slight movement of insects beneath his coat. They cover one part of his arm, making it look like a piece of black metal in the light. Oh, is this...?

"Okay, Boss. I want you to strike my arm with a sharp weapon."

I nod and pull out a kunai, then quickly slash at my target. There's a loud sound as the weapon bounces off, but I control it and come back in the other direction, which makes it bounce away once more.

"So this is armor then," I conclude as I put my weapon away.

"I did some research on defensive techniques, including Gaara's use of sand in the recent exams. There's speculation that it may be related to the Magnet Release bloodline limit. With some effort, I was able to breed insects that were compatible with the native colony, containing much of the same properties except for one thing. That would be a slightly increased hardness. This hardness can be amplified with chakra, meaning that my Parasitic Insects can become a solid wall when activated. Of course, that's just the beginning."

"Oh? Go on, please."

"Right." He adjusts his glasses. "The final form of this technique involves rapid reproduction of colonies using the Insect Cocoon technique, combined with additional chakra to reinforce the insect shells as I use the colony to cover my body. Thus, the technique called Parasitic Insect Dark Shield evolves into the art called Dreadnought."

"Dreadnought...a formidable name. Solid and robust. Very good. It takes a lot of upkeep, yes?" I brush my hand over the layer of insects. A strange sensation...they're very much alive and active, but the structure is rigid and cool to the touch. Fascinating, to say the least.

"It takes a substantial amount of chakra to maintain, yes. This is normal from my research, as Gaara's so-called absolute defense required much in the way of chakra and a fighting style that required much less movement, all so that he could maintain his stamina. In most cases, the Dark Shield can be deployed quickly and strategically since it will only occupy so much of the body at once."

"Hm..." I think about the possibilities of this sort of technique. Not something I would need for myself, and I wouldn't be able to make the best use of it either way. Aoko is also at my call, and her defense with the Chaotic Bulwark is just about unrivaled in all the lands, as far as I'm concerned. Shino was already invaluable to me, but this is definitely a welcome development. I meant it when I said I was proud of him.

"What do you think, Boss?"

"Impressed doesn't begin to describe it. You should have been chuunin a long time ago. Well done, my friend."

"Thanks, Boss. I hoped you would like it."

"I do. And I'm looking forward to what you might come up with in the future." I turn to face Hina. "Alright, Miss Hyuuga. Let's see what you have."

"Of course. The other day, Hanabi got the idea to check for my elemental affinity. I didn't think I was ready for it, but she insisted. So...over the past month or so, I've been training a certain technique."

"And which elements are you tuned to?" I ask.

"Fire...and Lightning. It's the second that I've grasped the fastest, and incorporated into a simple technique." Hina steps away from us and into an open part of the field. "Just so you know, you're responsible for this."

"Am I, now."

"Yes. You've done more for me than you could realize." She takes a breath in and activates her Byakugan.

"You're gonna like this one," Kurenai says.

"I'm sure that I will." So Hina's learned of her elements already...she really is coming along splendidly. What kind of technique has she come up with?

She takes a step forward before jumping into the air. It's a graceful sort of jump, the kind that marries finesse and athleticism, and that makes one look like they're floating through the air instead of just rising and falling like a stone. Her hands shift into that familiar position, left palm out in front of her with the right close to her side. Her movement freezes for a moment as lightning chakra surges through her body.

And then, in the next moment, she shoots diagonally towards the ground, a streak of electric blue following her closely. Her right arm extends, two fingers pointed forward and crackling with energy to drive into the invisible enemy at the end of her route.

"Encore!"

Without a wasted movement, she spins and rushes back in the direction she came from, another streak of light following her as she thrusts forward again at and even faster rate.

"Finale!"

And now, she's even faster than before, accelerating and sending chakra rippling through the air as she finishes by thrusting both arms forward, slamming into the unseen target and finishing it off. Hina breaks her stance and lets out a heavy breath before relaxing.

"That was...really cool," I say with awe. "Maybe calling it cool isn't enough. I don't know...that was...wow."

"Knew you'd like it," Kurenai says with a laugh. "Our girl's come a long way, hasn't she?"

"Say that twice. Hina...seriously. That was beyond impressive."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. Yes, I really think that. I really mean it," I say with happiness. "That...you came up with that by yourself?"

"I had some help with refining it...Hanabi and Neji were there to watch over me as I practiced, and while I didn't tell Naruto exactly what I was doing, he gave me ideas as well. But I...came up with the main idea myself. I guess I had your performances in mind, and I just wanted to try one of them, those techniques, for myself. I figured that maybe I could combine a new technique with the Gentle Fist, and...this is what I came up with."

"I'm really proud of you, Hina. I..." I place a hand over my chest. "You're amazing. You were so graceful, and everything about your technique was beautifully precise. Incredibly well done."

"Thank you, Lili. Hearing you praise me like this was all I wanted," she says with a bright smile. "I wanted to impress you most of all, more than anyone else."

"You've certainly done that. So that...let me gather my thoughts a moment. Yes, that technique. First of all, what did you name it?"

"That would be the first question, wouldn't it..."

"It has to be!" I say with excitement. "The very soul of a technique is conveyed through its name, you know? Some can be unique and flashy, with others technical and stoic. They can inspire the masses and strike fear into the hearts of enemies."

"I think you'll like it, Boss."

"I hope so," I say to Shino. "So, Hina. What did you name it?"

She gives me a smug smile. "Lightning Release: Valkyrie Arrow."

Wow. That's good. That's really good.

"You realize that you've become just as chuuni as me now, right?"

Hina rolls her eyes. "I'll find a way to register that as a compliment."

"You're welcome. Valkyrie Arrow...huh. I noticed something else," I say as I put a hand under my chin. "Your positioning was very clean, and done for a specific purpose. I'm right, of course."

"Then you can figure out the rest," she says as she wipes her face with a towel.

"No hints. Hmm...you took a deliberate path to each of your positions. I highly suspect from how you performed the technique that the last two strikes were additional attacks, that is to say that the first strike from the air is a complete technique in and of itself. The second attack uses the advantages of the Gentle Fist stance to build momentum, and it's the same for the third and final attack, which serves as a strong finisher."

"Hm."

"And...one more little secret," I say with a smile. "There's a reason you keep using that stance the whole way through."

"And what reason would that be, Miss Kobayashi?"

"Why, it's for the sake of your secret technique. What else? After each strike, you're in range of the opponent, and that places them within your divination. That extends to if you should miss an attack, which is why each of your phases place you within a certain three dimensional area. It means that no matter where you land, you can either recover or chain any of your attacks into something like the Sixty Four Palms."

She sighs. "I suppose I can't sneak anything past you."

"I'm sure. You expected me to figure it out, Hina."

"Not that quickly."

"Heh. It seems we've all grown much stronger in the last while. That's really good to see, it means that we can take on just about anyone who crosses our path."

"That technique isn't perfected yet," Hina points out.

"It doesn't need to be yet, especially if we're together. I'll be here for you," I say as I pull her close to me. "Just like you'll be there for me."

"As if you need help."

"Don't be like that. Teamwork is important, and it helps my confidence knowing that you and Shino and Kurenai are standing behind me. You're the reason I fight, after all."

"More than the village?"

"More than the village," I repeat honestly. She nods in understanding. "I haven't come up with anything else flashy myself, but today could be a big source of inspiration. By the way, have you seen Naruto's thing?"

"He showed it to me the other day," Hina says as we grab our equipment. "It's very impressive."

"Right? I want to hear your thoughts on it. It looks...incomplete."

"I was thinking the same thing."

"Good, good. Any ideas? I don't want to intrude on Jiraiya's space, you know. But we can make subtle suggestions here and there, you know, little training plans that he can follow."

"Should we look into his affinity, too?"

"No, let's leave that to someone else. You know how he gets when he discovers something new," I say with a lazy wave of my hand. "The boy is too eager when it comes to jutsu and the like."

"Mm-hm."

"Though I suppose you'd like him to be eager about other things."

"It never ends with you."

"Speaking of relationships...have you noticed anything new with Kakashi-sensei?" I ask as we start to leave the training field. Kurenai is treating us to lunch today, or maybe a late breakfast. Brunch? All of that sounds good.

"Mm...come to think of it...I did notice him with someone a few times this week."

"Talking about Ruki?" Kurenai asks as she catches up with Hina and I. Shino is trailing behind us reliably.

"We met up a few weeks ago," I say.

"I saw her about two days ago, Asuma and I were coming back from a job. She looked chipper."

"Did she, now? Well, you have my attention."

"Alright...you know that she and Kakashi went uptown one day, and..."

 

[BurningSaiyan]

It honestly seems a bit egregious that Lillith can immediately spot the Rasengan as incomplete, maybe you're trying to show how Lillith is finding it odd that the Rasengan (while a good technique) is too lame to be called the 4th's life's work. But it seems odd how she doesn't seem to appreciate the fact that it's probably one of the strongest non-elemental techniques full-stop.

 

[JamesEye]

Ah this was a great read. I love that I stopped reading right before the Chunin exam arc to wait for a complete read without having to wait for chapters but ended up not signing into my account and thus missing notifications til I come back coincidentally to another completed story arc.


Thanks for writing, I really enjoyed the pace of the story. It's kept me up reading til 4am completely ruining my sleep schedule just because every chapter ended with me wanting more and before I knew it hours and hours had passed.


I wish I could be a cool,assured,badass and loving as Lilli. I'm excited to see how far she can reach and how fun her journey will be, where will she end up and how many badass awe some fight scenes will you dream up.

Thanks for writing.

 

[FortePlus]

Scarlet Justice - ep. 69
"Morning Glory"
---

There's a small resort town in the northern part of Fire Country, known for its impeccable service and wonderful hot springs. I came upon it while travelling and made a note to visit again one day; since then, it's become a regular stop after my training in the wilderness. The men and women have separate baths, thankfully. It means that I get an unobstructed view of the beauty around me.

Becoming a regular means that the ladies sometimes fawn over me, and I was honest enough to mention that I'm into girls. For the most part, they don't mind. I wonder if some of them think that I couldn't charm them away from their husbands and boyfriends. Ah, I won't do something so pointlessly cruel. This is more than enough for me. Today, I lean back against the edge of the pool and do my usual observations while enjoying the hot water. Soothing and great for the skin.

"It's God's wonderful creation," I say to myself. "Praise be for his divine works."

"Ma'am, your beverages."

"Oh, thank you." I gently take the bottles of milk from the hostess. "Did you get the present I left for you?"

"Yes, ma'am. Your generosity is much appreciated, as always."

"You're very welcome. I should be fine for now, thank you again."

"Of course." She nods politely and heads off.

Paradise, huh. Could this be it for me? Would I be happy if I could retire and lounge around here every day for the rest of my existence?

"..."

Maybe not. As nice as it sounds to just rest forever, I know that I'm meant for more. It's a feeling that makes me want to keep moving, and something that makes this long, fantastic journey all the better. The beautiful women shrouded in steam, laughing and enjoying themselves...it's something nice for the short times that I'm here. But a life, this does not make. I take a few sips of milk and sigh with satisfaction.

"Should I get into farming...? Being assured of my milk's quality sounds nice. It would be easy enough to fund a cooperative."

My gaze wanders before landing on a certain person. Ah, right. It's that girl. She's always soaking away from everyone else to the point where I lose track of her in the steam. People politely approach her, but she always gently refuses any invitations and remains where she is. The same place each time...if it's occupied, she doesn't come by.

"Strange child." I look at her closely for the first time. Long white hair and pale skin, unnatural if I had to say anything about it. Like the colour has been drained away from her, somehow. Her eyes are a strange sort of grey, something that looks like the billowing smoke that rises up from a fire. She's about my height, thin, fragile-looking. But her form looks wiry at the same time, as if she had her old body taken away from her, piece by piece.

Maybe...it's none of my business. But I want to know what exactly has happened to her. What kind of torment has she gone through?

"..." I inhale sharply and make my decision. Stepping out of the pool I'm in, I wrap myself in a clean towel and secure it before grabbing my milk. Under the gazes of the other women, I walk along the small pathways and towards the distant part of the spring, where the girl rests quietly. She has a wistful look as she observes everyone else, and doesn't seem to notice me coming until I've stopped nearby.

"Good morning."

"G-good morning. Why did you...decide to come here?" she asks. Her voice is quiet, like she's forcing it downwards. It really feels like something traumatic has happened in her life. There are dark lines beneath her eyes from exhaustion, and her face makes her look like she's yearning for sleep perpetually.

"You seemed lonely. And I was wondering what you were doing alone in such a vibrant place."

"I...if I'm bothering you, then I can-"

"You're not a bother. Okay? It's not what you think. Is it okay if we talk? If you want to be alone, I can respect your wishes as well."

"..." There's a long moment of silence. "If...you're okay with talking to someone like me."

"I am."

She nods and I set my towel on the edge of the pool before stepping in beside her. The water is notably warmer here. Is that why she always chooses this spot? Or maybe it's this along with the seclusion provided.

"This place is vibrant," she says. "That's why I...wanted to stay a while. I know that I don't deserve to be here, but this is one of the only places I know right now. Being at this distance, I can relax while not being such a bother to the others."

"Is that really how you see it?"

"Yes." She turns her head to look at me. "I've...always liked to observe. Just as you do."

"So you've noticed me."

"It's not possible to miss someone so beautiful." She blushes brightly as she says that. "It's forward of me. I know that. But...I wanted to say it while I had the chance, now that you've chosen to grace me with your presence."

"Well, well. It seems you're full of surprises. Very bold of you...but I like it," I say with a smile. "I have admirers, as you might have noticed, but you've made yourself stand out already. I take it you're a fellow connoisseur as well?"

"I...wonder." She looks out at the other women bathing. "What would you call a scene like this?"

"A feast for the eyes," I say confidently. "Imagine if you could use these vivid sights to fill yourself instead of food."

"One would never go hungry in this world."

"Yes. How wonderful to meet someone who shares the same wavelength. It's a shame that you're so shy, I know the girls would love you."

"It is, in a way...isn't it."

"Well. I don't mean to force anything upon you. If this is where you feel most comfortable, be assured that I will not disturb your domain."

"Thank you for that."

"May I ask a question?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"Why did you let me in?"

"For...those reasons I mentioned earlier. I've admired you for a while, but never had the courage to approach you. So I...simply hoped that you would approach me instead. And as soon as you did, I knew within myself that I didn't have any excuse to keep you away. It sounds strange, I think."

"We do certain things for people that we like. It's natural, and nothing to be ashamed of."

"Thank you."

"May I have your name?" I ask. "You know, since you're interested and all..."

"My name...?" She blushes and goes quiet for a while. "You...want to know me?"

"Why not? It wouldn't be fair to turn away someone so pure, not so quickly. And I take it you know of my preferences?"

"I do."

I laugh lightly. "That's good. You know, that sort of boldness makes girls weak in the knees at times."

"I...I just really thought that I wasn't good enough. Someone like you could get anyone they wanted. So entertaining the thoughts of someone so-"

"Please don't speak about yourself like that."

She shakes her head. "It's true."

"It's not."

"You can't think that."

I sigh. "I...I admit to liking women with, I suppose..."

"More than skin and bone on them."

"You're saying too much."

"You have to be thinking it." She sniffles and turns away. Things sink into an awkward sort of silence, and I feel myself adjusting to the pool temperature. It would be a shame to leave now, but...maybe I've been too forceful.

"I'm sorry," she says quietly. "I'm just..."

"You're insecure. I understand. Even if you...can't really believe it."

"What kind of trouble did others give you?"

"Well...what do you think of my hair?" I ask.

"It's lovely. It makes you look radiant and...stunning, I think," she says with her back still turned. The skin is as pale as it is on the rest of her, and I can see her shoulder blades sticking out. "I really like it."

"Many people felt the opposite. They made fun of me for this hair. Shamed me for standing out. It didn't feel like jealousy a lot of the time. Just...exclusion. I don't mean to compare myself to you, but I...I feel like I know what it's like to be pushed aside as an eyesore. Just a little bit."

"I'm sorry. I don't want you to go. I was just...my courage disappeared, and I got frightened. I wasn't sure if this situation was real, or if I was just hoping for something to happen. I was rude, and I apologize."

"It's fine. I can't fault you for that. I can tell that you've been through a lot."

She turns to face me again. "My name is Fionne. Fionne Mutou. I...used to be a kunoichi from the Hidden Rock Village."

"I see. My name is Lilith Kobayashi, and I'm a kunoichi from the Hidden Leaf Village. I was training in the forest nearby earlier, and as you know, I usually stop here to relax afterwards. You can call me Lili, like everyone else."

"Then...you can call me Fio. That's fine for me," she says with a smile. She's finally relaxing a bit, with her face lightning up...she's very cute. "I...know I've heard your name before. I didn't realize it was you this entire time. Ah...you're the Scarlet Viper I've heard so much about, aren't you?"

"The one and only," I say proudly.

"Amazing. You're a legendary kunoichi already. People speak of you in the same breaths as Tsunade of the Three, or Pakura of the Sand. It's really an honour...and I'm even more embarrassed now to have spoken to you like that. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, really. There's nothing to worry about," I say as I gently touch her shoulder. "I wasn't offended, first of all. And it's hard to get angry after being showered with praises like that. I can't call myself worthy of being mentioned with Lady Tsunade just yet, but thank you so much for those kind words. I really mean it."

"It's only right. You're beautiful and an amazing warrior."

"You're seriously trying to capture me, aren't you? I didn't think I would find someone more aggressive than me," I say with a laugh. "And you were acting so timid when I approached you earlier!"

"I told you I couldn't help it..." She blushes again and laughs quietly. Absolutely adorable.

"Fio...if it's not too much to ask..."

"Nothing is. Please, I can answer any question you wish."

"You...said that you 'used' to be a kunoichi. Is that why you're here in Fire Country instead of Earth? Is there something you want to keep secret?" I ask carefully.

"It's nothing like that," she says while shaking her head. "The reason why I'm no longer with the Rock is because I was kidnapped and taken away. I was experimented on after my capture, for a long while."

Experimented on...oh.

I watch as she lifts her hands from the water. There are black rings around her wrists, maybe about two inches thick. They're...embedded in her flesh.

"What are those?"

"These are the rings that allow me to...exist."

"Exist?" I repeat.

"Yes. It was Orochimaru of the Three Shinobi...he took me away from my home and family. He was the one that experimented on me. It was because of my bloodline limit, Boil Release. He was trying to satisfy his curiosity, and wanted to see if I could achieve a state like that of the Hozuki Clan. An existence that would have me transform into a certain element and back on command. The...the result was that I became unstable. I would randomly change to and from steam, and sometimes while outside I would have panic attacks, knowing that I could just transform and end up blown into oblivion by a strong wind. Stabilizing me meant fusing these rings into my wrists. It meant that I could move about without worrying when the next transformation would occur. But that need for control marked me as a failure to Orochimaru. I wasn't the potent tool he wanted me to be. So he locked me away. I was in constant pain because of the side effects, the drugs, the fighting...it was a terrible nightmare."

"That's...horrifying," I say quietly.

"Orochimaru has died. Killed by the God of Shinobi himself, with your help according to the legends. But I have nowhere to go. I can't return home as I am, not without proof that I am who I say that I am. My hair...if you can believe it, used to be black. And my body was...um..."

"It's alright."

"Well, um...I was a plump girl," she says with a sheepish smile.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, my darling. I'm sure you were just as cute then."

"It's little wonder the other ladies find you so charming. You really know what to say at the best times..."

"I do try my best."

"Um...yes. I used to look very different. But now...I can barely taste anything that I eat or drink, and my body burns up so much energy. My metabolism, I think...it spins out of control sometimes. So I have to eat a lot, but...it's hard. Just keeping things down. I can't sleep well, or often. The few times that I do are consumed by those nightmares." Fio shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I've just been going on and on about how horrible my life is, I don't mean to be depressing."

"I know that you've wanted to say those things for a long time."

She looks at me, almost disbelieving of what's in front of her. Slowly, she relaxes and comes to an understanding.

"You've been in those...kinds of dark places, too. That's why you're so...so calm and accepting. So compassionate."

"It must be so."

"It is. It is so, it has to be. I just...I'm so glad that we met today. I'm so happy that I got to speak to someone, and that they understood and cared about me in such a short time."

"Is there something you wish for?"

"There is...but I..." Fio pauses. "It's not the right time, I think. I just want to see you again, Lili. One day soon."

"I'm going to be coming by for the next while. Training in the open is refreshing, and I like to soak in the springs to relax afterwards."

"Then I'll be right here, so that you can find me again."

"Of course." I take one of her hands and kiss it gently. "It was truly a pleasure meeting you, Fio."

"T-the pleasure is all mine, Lili. Thank you...for everything."

I nod and make my way out of the small pool, wrapping myself up in the towel again. Fio gives me a smile and a small wave, and I wave back before leaving. Since I think I've soaked enough for now, I should head up to my room. A few treats brought up would be nice...

---

"Mission's come in. The Sand will be expecting you about three days from now," Shikaku says. We're in his office again, looking over the scroll with the fleshed out details. I've done all of the background preparations, so this was the last piece we were waiting for to come in.

It's been about two days since I met with Fio. I didn't expect to be thinking about her so often, but I am. I wonder what it is about her. There are plenty of cute faces around, but hers stands out the most. And to be honest, she's not usually my type. Maybe I could work up a liking for very thin girls, but I don't think I'll need to. Tsunade would be willing to help her out if I simply asked, getting back into shape and all of that.

I'm...really putting a lot of thought into this. I do want to help her, but maybe it's more...more...hm.

"Something on your mind?"

"Ah. Apologies, Shikaku. Yes, I was thinking of something personal. You know how I am."

"Heh. More ladies on the brain, then."

"A particular one I met the other day," I say to him. "It's so unlike me. She's been on my mind the past while."

"Well, who knows. Could be a signal that you're ready to settle down."

"Ha. As if someone like me could do such a thing. Like I said, you know how I am."

"You shouldn't have such a low estimation of yourself," he says as he hands me the mission scroll. "I know how you are, yes. You've got a heart of gold in there."

"Underneath a few thick coats of blood." I sigh. "Don't worry about me, I won't get too introspective in public. I have a reputation to maintain, and people to bully. It's an art form, that."

"There's the Lili we know. I was worried for a second."

"Romance can make fools of us all. You're intimate with that much."

He silently puts up his hands and I laugh in response.

"Tell Yoshino I said hello. And give your boy the usual line from me."

"Aye. Good luck, Lili. Come back safe."

"Always," I say with a wink.

---

Luna is out with Midori again, so I'm left to pack on my own. Some dry snacks for the trip up, milk tucked into one of those thermal bags to keep it cold a while, and reading material for settling into bed at nights. If I time it right, I might be able to make the trip in two and a half days instead of three. We'll see how it goes.

I take my shower, eat, and then fall asleep on the couch.

Morning comes a touch early and I have to take a few more minutes to wake up. I work on my makeup as soon as my head is clear, take care of my hair, and find my regular outfit. My beautifully sturdy black sweater that held up against Sasuke's attacks, as well as the blow back from my own. I'll order another one soon, maybe in red this time.

One more turn in the mirror and making sure my socks are on right, sandals on, hair ready, everything packed. I shoulder my bag and nod to my reflection before starting off. After locking the door, I jump down the staircase and start my jog through the Leaf. Those two should be coming along the usual route by now.

"Hey, there she is." Kurenai spots me and I slow down a bit to let her and Hina run alongside me.

"Good morning, ladies. How are we feeling today?"

"Great. No problems to report. You take care on this mission, alright?"

"I have a feeling that there might be more to this than meets the eye," Hina says. "Please be careful, Lili."

"I'll keep my eyes open for any abnormalities. But I've been preparing for these things the past few days. If anything does happen, you'll know."

"Got it. See you soon."

"Good luck, Lili."

"Thank you both." I kiss them both on the cheeks. "Until the next, loves."

With that, I accelerate and turn towards the village's main gate.

"Another adventure, then. By myself, this time...hm. It will be nice to see Temari again, but let's see what the Hidden Sand has in store for me. I'm sure it will be amusing, at the least."

I turn my wrist over to look at my watch. Still early.

"Hmm..."

Well, this is a good time to tweak some things. We can see just how much speed I've gained lately.

---

"I'm sorry...I can't let you in without verifying your identity with the-"

"Oh for fuck's sake. I gave you everything needed."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Those are the rules."

I huff and cross my arms.

It's night in the Hidden Sand. Some idiot is telling me that I can't enter the village and have to wait for someone else to verify my identity. This is the second night since leaving the Leaf, so I've made it across in less than two days. The speed I travelled at was much faster than normal, but still comfortable. It's possible to make the trip at an even faster rate than this without ending up exhausted. Maybe I should try it on the way back.

"You have got to be kidding me. Seriously..."

I hear a familiar voice as I wait.

"Oh, hell. It really is you."

"It's lovely to see you again, Temari."

"You're a sight for sore eyes yourself, but I'm sure you knew that. Welcome to the Hidden Sand," Temari says with a smile. Her hair is let down for the night, and she's wearing a fancy robe over her nightgown. Two shinobi have escorted her here.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late."

"You don't need to apologize for that. Well, maybe for coming in so fast. Hey, what the hell's going on?" she asks the shinobi who stopped me first. "You have the papers and everything, right?"

"The Council said not to let anyone through without verifying it again, ma'am."

"God, those useless old fucks. Let me guess, the accommodations aren't set up either."

"No, ma'am. That was supposed to start tomorrow."

"Yeah, useless. Listen, I'm taking over now, give me the stuff and tell the Council what's happening. She's staying at the mansion with me."

"Lady Temari-"

"Shut up and do what I tell you. It's ten at night, I don't need this on my head. Go already."

"Yes, ma'am." He takes off towards the village.

"C'mon, Red. Like I said, you can make yourself at home with us. Just don't make too much of a mess. Or get fresh with me after five in the evening."

"Why five in the evening?" I ask.

"If I tell you, you'll take advantage of it," she says with a grin. "You can live with ogling me in the mornings."

"I very well can, yes."

She pats me on the shoulder. "That's what I like to hear. I wasn't asleep yet, but I was about to get there after some reading. The boys are resting up, they've got stuff to do early tomorrow. Need some tea or anything?"

"Nothing like that. I think I should follow your lead and get ready for bed."

"Got it. Alright, let's get going. And sorry again, those meddlers just wanted to get inside your head. Sucks that we won't get to see their faces when that kid tells them you made the trip over in two days. You're definitely something else."

"Naturally. It's why you adore me so much."

"I adore you for saving my life ten times over."

"What about my good looks?"

"Sleep sounds good, doesn't it?"

"No need to be shy, Temari. I won't bite you for your answer. Well, unless you ask."

"Already regretting not shoving you in a hotel. Dirty old man in a girl's body."

"Yes, I know that you love me dearly."

She shakes her head as we leave for the village proper. The Hidden Sand, at last.

Time to start our little adventure.

 

[Megacookie]

I can sense it...

The one, the only...

Super Sand Lesbian?!

 

[JamesEye]

Man Orochimaru sounds pretty incredible being able to turn a random bloodline into a Logia type power even with the downsides. If he wasn't a horrific human experimenter with no restraint it would have been interesting to see where he ended up.


So this Boil Release girl has the same situation as those guys who live underground that Orochimaru experimented on. Maybe she's a latter experiment because he actually had a solution to keep her blowing away.


Man I can just imagine a SI with a bunch of OP bloodlines ready to fuck up canon and save the world suddenly meeting Orochimaru and being kept strapped to a table begging for death due to their uniqueness, horrifying.


Looking forward to the Sandy Adventure. Thanks for the chapters.

 

[AgelessCharade]

Personally, I subscribe to the headcanon that Orochimaru is Danzo's fault. Sure, it's canon that Oro is a sociopath and arguably amoral. You know what else is canon? Oro being part of Root, Root employing an incredibly harsh form of brainwashing, and Danzo later gaining Kotoamatsukami. Ya know, that one specific Mangekyo form that's basically "If we lock eyes, you'll do anything I tell you to, and you'll think it was your own idea"? If it's "for the village" (read: for Danzo's ambition), he would absolutely abuse that kind of power to mindfuck a Sannin that was already doing shady shit for him. Seems like it'd be pretty easy to punt someone like Oro down the slippery slope from "slightly bad grey" experiments on criminals and enemy shinobi, to "pure evil black" kidnapping and experiments on complete innocents.

In regards to the actual update, I don't have much to say beyond the usual praise, though Hinata's affinity is interesting. I actually had to look it up to make sure, because I've read so many fics that change it, but I'm glad you didn't. I've always thought the idea was weird. Like, I'm pretty sure that's set from birth, like the Hatake clan having the White Chakra. Sure, some of those stories make it work, but the best explanation I remember seeing also involved chakra changing and being altered by a person's experiences, which is also definitely not a thing. Not in general, anyway, and definitely not to that extent. I'm rambling again.

Side note, Fionne has Boil Release and is from Iwa. What are the odds of her being related to Han, one of only three users across all forms of media (not counting Kokuo and Naruto for obvious reasons)?

 

[FortePlus]

It honestly seems a bit egregious that Lillith can immediately spot the Rasengan as incomplete, maybe you're trying to show how Lillith is finding it odd that the Rasengan (while a good technique) is too lame to be called the 4th's life's work.

Click to shrink...

There's some abstract thinking on her part in that small section. On a meta level I decided not to dedicate a section to it. Probably best for me not to say too much.

Ah this was a great read. I love that I stopped reading right before the Chunin exam arc to wait for a complete read without having to wait for chapters but ended up not signing into my account and thus missing notifications til I come back coincidentally to another completed story arc.


Thanks for writing, I really enjoyed the pace of the story. It's kept me up reading til 4am completely ruining my sleep schedule just because every chapter ended with me wanting more and before I knew it hours and hours had passed.


I wish I could be a cool,assured,badass and loving as Lilli. I'm excited to see how far she can reach and how fun her journey will be, where will she end up and how many badass awe some fight scenes will you dream up.

Thanks for writing.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for reading and I'm glad you enjoyed it, it's pretty nice to hear that someone was invested enough in this to read it through like that. Hopefully you enjoy the rest as it arrives.

In regards to the actual update, I don't have much to say beyond the usual praise, though Hinata's affinity is interesting. I actually had to look it up to make sure, because I've read so many fics that change it, but I'm glad you didn't.

Click to shrink...

I made sure to check before reading because I thought it was water and lightning for some reason. Adding to all of that, there are a lot of cool things that can be done with those two elements on melee and short range projectile levels. Not every possibility will be detailed but with Hinata's potential unlocked so to speak it should be interesting.

I'm appreciative of everyone's support as always. The next few arcs will contain a few interesting takes on what we know, or think we know I guess.

 

[AgelessCharade]

I made sure to check before reading because I thought it was water and lightning for some reason. Adding to all of that, there are a lot of cool things that can be done with those two elements on melee and short range projectile levels. Not every possibility will be detailed but with Hinata's potential unlocked so to speak it should be interesting.

Click to shrink...

Maybe part of it is how idiotic canon showed the Hyuuga to be, when there was a whole thing about the reason why Hinata was never able to master Gentle Fist being because she wasn't Earth natured like the majority of the clan, and they never once thought to test it, instead deciding to become increasingly cold and abusive? And as soon as she learned she had to modify it to suit herself, her potential practically exploded.

It's interesting how you mention all the things that can be done with that combo, because if you assume Swift Release is Wind and Lightning like most of the fandom, then Fire and Lightning is the only combination that doesn't have an associated kekkei genkai. You know what immediately comes to mind when I think about combining those two? Plasma. Even if you don't go that route though, she's definitely gonna be an absolute monster to fight.

 

[Megacookie]

It's interesting how you mention all the things that can be done with that combo, because if you assume Swift Release is Wind and Lightning like most of the fandom, then Fire and Lightning is the only combination that doesn't have an associated kekkei genkai. You know what immediately comes to mind when I think about combining those two? Plasma. Even if you don't go that route though, she's definitely gonna be an absolute monster to fight.

Click to shrink...

Actually, for the Naruto Quests I do, Fire and Lightning is Plasma Release lol. Wind and Lightning there is Thunder Release if you were curious. But yeah, I'm incredibly interested to see Hinata's progress here, because actually using elements with the Gentle Fist is highly unused and that's saaaaad.

 

[FortePlus]

Maybe part of it is how idiotic canon showed the Hyuuga to be, when there was a whole thing about the reason why Hinata was never able to master Gentle Fist being because she wasn't Earth natured like the majority of the clan, and they never once thought to test it, instead deciding to become increasingly cold and abusive? And as soon as she learned she had to modify it to suit herself, her potential practically exploded.

Click to shrink...

I wasn't aware of this at all. Far as I know, Hinata was just a slow starter and picked up speed in the second half of the manga, since the lion head jutsu is a secret tech like rotation and the sixty four palms. And she was well known for Gentle Fist mastery as an adult, according to some blurbs about the Sasuke post-Shippuden novel among other things. If it's something mentioned in the anime then I might have missed it for that reason; one of the things the anime did that made me think she had water as an affinity was during one filler arc that I can't recall, she used water needles as an attack. But that was just her using already existing water to shoot at bees or whatever.

As far as free bloodline limit stuff goes, unlikely at this point. In this iteration of the universe, lining up with canon for the most part (I've historically been less strict, provided the character meets special conditions) elements tend to follow their own streams, with the primary element as one, other basic elements as their own streams and then the advanced elements as their own streams, as opposed to having the two elements and merging them to create a new one at the point of release. Physically, they are merged, but the existence of the advanced element is separate from its components and requires a special ability - a bloodline limit - to be blended together. Sort of like how sage chakra exists in a separate stream from regular chakra. They use mostly the same components, but the nature energy makes it an entirely new thing.

This is under normal conditions, as mentioned. Irregular conditions, jury is currently out on those.

But yeah, I'm incredibly interested to see Hinata's progress here, because actually using elements with the Gentle Fist is highly unused and that's saaaaad.

Click to shrink...

It's likely traditional but could be a chakra control restriction. I never saw the Hyuuga as experimental types, outside of a younger generation with outside influence. Hanabi for example would be more into the new wave of chunni techniques and encourage such things. And Neji is just an agreeable guy, as we know.

 

[w34v3r]

Since when does your element have anything to do with your taijutsu skills? That sounds like bad fanon.

As far as elemental bloodlines goes, yeah it makes sense that it's more than just having two strong affinities.

 

[AgelessCharade]

I admit, it definitely might have been fanon, though I could swear otherwise, but I wouldn't call it bad fanon. Also if it is fanon, that means it came from a fic I like better than canon, kinda like this one, and the memories overlapped. Things like that tend to happen from time to time. *shrug*

It's an incredibly common concept in fiction for a person's affinity to influence things like personality and fighting style. Using this instance as a general example, someone with an Earth affinity would tend to find rigid structure easier to learn and utilise, whereas someone with a much more active affinity like Fire or Wind would struggle and find it rather stifling. You'll usually find the concept in cultivation novels, but I've seen it in isekai too sometimes.

Building off that, you can also definitely see the correlation between affinities and personality pretty strongly in Naruto. Naruto himself is free spirited, hates being restricted, etc. Sasuke, despite how he tends to act, has very passionate and intense emotions, and also really kinda leans into the whole destruction aspect of his affinities.

Also yes, the Hyuuga are all about tradition and would absolutely frown upon innovation. Especially if it comes from someone they've basically disowned, because then it's causing offense by proving them wrong. Stereotypes, what're ya gonna do?

 

[FortePlus]

I have no idea what goes on in the Naruto fanfic community and probably never will since I don't interact with it. There are probably a bunch of fan canon things that I've never heard of but might be common to others.

Quite literally all I do is read the manga and the wiki to tighten up stuff or decide what I'm going to tweak for the sake of any story. I'm sure I could come up with some interesting new things but I'm lazy it doesn't seem like it would add too much to the story as is. Feels more comfortable playing with the tools we have currently, and those can always be expanded on, case in point, Hinata developing her new technique with things that she will always have access to.

 

[w34v3r]

One thing that gets tangled up a lot in the fanon and wiki is elemental affinities.

It's a frigging mess.

The wiki for example tends to list every element a character can use to some arbitrary level as an affinity, when the story presents that as the element you're most naturally inclined towards in your baseline state.

 

[FortePlus]

The wiki for example tends to list every element a character can use to some arbitrary level as an affinity, when the story presents that as the element you're most naturally inclined towards in your baseline state.

Click to shrink...

I think it's both? Like the manga established that as long as you knew the seals you could attempt to perform any elemental jutsu, it just could turn out horribly weak, if it even activates.

So I take it as the elements listed in the wiki being workable for techniques at the least.

 

[w34v3r]

Well yes.

You can train the jutsu, and/or the elemental skill, and use jutsu of any of the five standard elements.

That doesn't affect your affinity however.

I find the mislabeling annoying.

 

[FortePlus]

I think it's a misused term, yeah. I probably wouldn't use affinity there but no words are coming to mind right now.

 

[w34v3r]

Skill, experience, competency, training, technique

Elemental training falls into that weird space with the surface and water walking techniques where it's not really a specific jutsu, but it's still definitely a learned thing.

 

[FortePlus]

Scarlet Justice - ep. 70
"Atomic Energy"
[Hidden Sand Joint Mission: Prologue]
---

I wake up to the smell of eggs.

"Hey. Gaara made all this for us before he left. Weird kid."

I join Temari at the large and finely crafted meal table in the dining room. This certainly looks like a village head's home. The crystal bowl in front of us is filled with scrambled eggs, dotted with crystals of salt and pepper. There are also some other spices mixed in there as I take a few spoonfuls and drop them onto my plate.

"This is a typical morning. I might mention something offhand about how I'd like an omelette for breakfast, for example. He'll get up and make a couple. That's how he is."

"It's nothing like what I'm thinking, hopefully."

"Nope, nothing like that. He genuinely likes doing this stuff for us. Definitely changed a whole lot since the exams and coming back home. I was worried about him doing too much and trying to like, make up for all the stuff he did. But he's been taking care of himself, working hard on missions, doing his best to be helpful. The old memories don't just go away, though."

"Yes." I take up a forkful of eggs and chew. Delicious.

"He doesn't have the trust of everyone yet, and the old losers on the council are trying to take advantage of him. It only makes sense. He spent a long time terrorizing the village and being a huge menace to society. People are coming around here and there, but it'll be a long road. He understands, though. And I'll be here for him."

"As long as you don't smother him too much."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that older sisters have a tendency to be overprotective."

Temari rolls her eyes. "What the hell? Why wouldn't I want to protect my little brother?"

"Why, indeed."

"You're a weirdo, you know that?"

"Mm."

"How are the eggs?"

"Superb."

"Right. Anyone who can cook like this is worth protecting."

I smile as she sips her tea.

---

We take a walk through the village and towards the designated meeting place for the council meeting. The Hidden Sand looks about as I expected it to look: a village divided between the elite and impoverished, so starkly that you can tell who's well off and who isn't by glancing at them. The working class is, as usual, trapped in the middle, working towards a future that is greedily siphoned away by the rich each day.

"It's gotten a bit worse since my father died," Temari says. She has a new outfit on today, with much more purple all around. The pink sash is a nice touch as well. Very elegant. "Not much we can do about it. He was barely keeping us above water on his own, and Gaara was part of his whole schtick to create elite soldiers so that we could raise funds faster on better paying missions. But you saw how that went."

"Mm."

"I'm one of the people running point right now. Not as the village head, of course. Funny thing is...well, you know what I was saying about Gaara at breakfast?"

"Yes."

"He's at the top of the list for successors. By a mile."

"You don't say. I suppose that aside from you, he's the strongest shinobi in this village. Or at the least, has the potential to be."

"Yep. Already got his promotion to chuunin based on that. Speaking of promotions, I don't know exactly how to react to the fact that you're a jounin now. It didn't register until I woke up this morning. I knew you were pretty skilled, but holy shit. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you. What about you?"

"Chuunin. Got my wings the moment they found my dad, they were that eager to turn things around. I take it they would have promoted me anyways, but all the official stuff...that needed some clearance that you don't just get based on people's word. You probably know about that by now, though. So I don't have to tell you not to get intimidated by a bunch of old men sitting in a circle and glaring at you."

"I have enough experience with that. Being leered at by fossils."

"Hoh. Then this should be cake for you. Oh yeah...what about that thing a month or two ago? The kidnapping?"

"You mean with Sasuke."

"Yeah."

"It's been resolved." The information is supposed to be classified, but...well, Temari put herself out there for me a few times already. She's worthy of trust. "There are some interesting details."

"No kidding. You'd think that they would be celebrating the guys who chased him and that Sakura girl down, but it's basically been nothing. You weren't involved, were you?"

"As a matter of fact, I was. The data is supposed to be kept close to our chests, but I was running point."

"So you've been jounin for a while longer than I thought. But why would they...?"

"The kidnapping story was a cover. Orochimaru tempted Sasuke before his death, and it led to...that incident."

Temari blinks and starts to process what I've been telling her. Her eyes widen and she looks at me with sympathy. "Oh, god. Oh, Lili...sweetie, you can't be serious. They did that to you?"

"It's not something that would reflect well on the village, so...that's largely why we covered it up. There was time to, and it lined up with the invasion of the Sound..."

She shakes her head. "That's so...I mean, did they give you anything for it?"

"A big enough bribe. But that's it. Our involvement has been redacted."

"That's bullshit...I don't know how I would handle something like that happening to me. Not well, obviously, but..."

"The less I tell you about their arrangements, the better."

"Yeah, I don't want to spend the whole day pissed off. You're a real trooper, you know that?"

"It's been said enough times."

"Clearly not."

We make it to our destination, a building with a luxurious looking front and several guards outside. They bow at the sight of Temari and allow us inside, where we're escorted by a Sand kunoichi to the meeting room. It's as I expected: a bunch of men sitting around a circular conference table with an opening in one section. Temari nods to me and takes her seat. The sensei I saw during the exams - Baki, if I remember correctly - is here as well. The men all have those head coverings that are both fashionable and practical in this desert climate, but they also have the look of snobs. I'm sick of them already.

"Welcome to the Hidden Sand," Baki says. "We decided to have our meeting here for various logistical reasons."

"They decided you weren't worthy enough to stand in front of the statues of the past Kazekage," Temari says lazily.

"Temari, please."

"What. It's the truth. Let's not bullshit the people who are here to help us in our hour of need, sensei."

"..." Baki sighs and nods. "That much is reasonable."

"Your customs are your own," I say politely. "If it is more pleasing and comfortable that you observe them, then I can accomodate you. This goes for the mission as well. I'll make an attempt to grant the wishes of the Sand, within reason."

"Within reason? And who are you to say something like that?" one of the old idiots asks.

"Well...much more than a simple guest, I would say."

"You're certainly haughty for someone who hasn't reached puberty."

"That makes two of us, then."

Temari stifles a laugh and Baki coughs.

"You've got some-"

"More than just some nerve. Let's get things started, since we've decided to discard civility early on," I say, interrupting a potato-shaped old blob. "According to my schedule, the mission is set for tomorrow. Reconnaissance for the area around Mitsurin District, more specifically."

"Something like that," another old idiot answers from directly ahead of me, at the other end of the room. "You'll be sent out with a team of fine young kunoichi. Their jounin instructors are out on missions of their own and won't be back for a while."

"Not an issue. I can babysit for a few days." There's something else coming, of course. Not like these fools could resist. Temari catches my eye, and she makes a face while nodding towards Baki. Baki in turn traces a shape on the paper in front of him with a finger. I raise a brow and don't indicate an answer either way. It's going to depend on what comes next.

"Babysitting. Is that what you call it?"

"I don't know. You are aware that I'm a jounin and have other things that I could be doing, are you not?"

"Well. Seeing as you're doing such a good deed by babysitting our young shinobi, I'm sure you can spare a bit more kindness to a village that's currently...down on its luck."

"I did say I would grant your wishes within reason. What would you like from me?"

It's a simple thing, really. The Sand paid certain officials under the table to secure this mission on several levels: top level personnel, mission conditions, and information restrictions. Knowing this, I know what's going to come up next, and I know exactly what I'm going to ask for in exchange.

"We would like for you to waive your rights to the mission rewards, and other associated earnings that might come along. It's been discussed on the upper levels between the two villages. We can compensate the Leaf in other ways, of which you are free to choose."

Predictable. "In the interests of stronger bonds between our two villages, I can accept that with a condition attached."

"What might that condition be?" Baki asks curiously.

"There's an interesting piece of property called Sawano Point, to the south of this village. The value would come in at far less than this...B-Rank mission, I believe. I'll add about twenty percent onto the mission pay for each of my three companions, as a show of good faith."

"Sawano Point? Out of the question," the potato says firmly.

I shrug. "Minami Station, then."

"That's also-"

"Neither of those are off limits, actually. I talked to the Sugita House before I got here. Now, you've got a few options at this point. You let me stake my claim on the unlisted, unconfirmed reward at the end of this mission, which doesn't seem ideal for many, many reasons," I say as sweetly as possible. "You can give me Sawano Point and Minami Station, or choose one of them - they'll be in the hands of the Leaf at that point, which is more comfortable for you lot. Or...I can turn around and go home, leaving you to complete this mission on your own. That doesn't sound ideal, especially because I'll have free reign to arrange purchases with the Sugita Family and take those precious pieces of land right from under you."

The room is silent enough that I can hear everyone's breathing.

"Let's be clear, here. The only option you really have is deciding how sore I'm going to leave you at the end of this little escapade. So make it easier on yourselves, and choose what you're going to give up before this mission starts."

"What'd I tell you?" Temari says, leaning back in her chair. "I said to prepare something for when Leaf came around with a counter. Of course, you also chose to fuck around with the actual Scarlet Viper - who you knew about already - so there really wasn't anything I could do for you."

"Gentlemen, we should prepare an offer in good faith while we have time," Baki says. "The mission to Mitsurin District is of great importance and time-sensitive, which is why we asked for this level of assistance in the first place, and assembled a team with a particular set of skills. This is crucial for the future of the village."

"It means stop dicking around and make the lady a good offer," Temari adds.

"Temari..."

She waves him off and he sighs.

There's muttering between the group of petty old men for a while, and I wait patiently. Temari makes a strangling motion towards herself and Baki tries to scold her with a stern expression from afar.

"Sawano Point, then," the prepubescent one from earlier announces. "Along with a thirty percent bonus for the mission."

"Fine time to find your balls," I shoot back. "Twenty five."

He grits his teeth before nodding.

"Rest assured, your little ones will be in good hands. Thank you very much for granting me an audience with you," I say with a bow. Temari and Baki follow me out of the room, and we gather together.

"You could have been gentle in there," Temari says as the door closes behind us.

"I could have, yes."

She shakes her head. "Well, I can't blame you either way. I'd praise you, but it might get sensei hot under the collar."

"Forceful negotiation like that is an art form in and of itself. Clearly, we were unprepared for the caliber of shinobi we had called on," Baki admits. "While I won't say something like 'well done', I can't exactly be angry with your actions earlier."

"That much will do."

"Piece of work, eh?" Temari says with a smile.

"Indeed." Baki hands me a scroll. "The relevant data and profiles for your team, as well as the meeting place. Equipment is listed. I don't know if you need any extra data, but just ask and it will be provided as soon as possible."

I open the scroll and scan it quickly. "I should have everything I need. The threat level from the bandit groups hasn't changed, has it?"

"Not according to reports. There may be one or two camps in the vicinity, you'll know them when you're within range. Ideally we shouldn't need to engage, simply move in and collect the necessary samples, record data, and then return to the village. But of course, everything is at your discretion."

"One of the things you gave up for the sake of the mission's success," I say.

"Yes."

I close the scroll and put it into my back pouch. "Then I won't abuse your faith in me. Prepare a team or two to dispose of corpses just in case. We can't be too complacent in these times."

"I heard from Temari that you had a dry sense of humour at times."

I shrug. "She's not wrong about that."

"Try not to harass your team members too much while you're out," Temari says, smirking. "Though...I guess I should be telling you to watch out yourself."

"Oh?"

"It's better if I leave it as a surprise. Good luck, Red. I'll have Gaara cook us something nice for when you get back."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Baki asks.

"There's nothing wrong with Gaara's cooking. And I'm not abusing him, if you're implying something. Big sisters should be encouraging, yeah?"

He sighs. "We will see you later, Captain Kobayashi. Please be well."

"Of course."

I leave at the same time they head back into the conference room. Everything is settled, so...it's time to meet my team. I wonder what Temari was getting at, exactly. Another girl like me, maybe. Hm. I wonder what that will be like.

---

"They should be gathering in that spot very soon."

I've decided to get a good look at my team before formally meeting them, using a nearby roof as a vantage point. My legs dangle comfortably off the edge as I wait. From memorizing the scroll earlier, I have a good idea of what our combat capabilities are. We should be quite safe at many different ranges, and there are a number of useful skills at our disposal. Combat should be trivial for the most part. I just have to take their personalities into account.

A team with four girls sounds nice, though. Hopefully my temporary teammates are cute.

The first girl arrives at our meeting place, which is in front of a local delicatessen. She smartly double checks her equipment and glances at one of the big clocks nearby before letting out a breath. A bench is nearby and she takes a seat. Comfortably early and organized. She has fair skin and dark hair, tied into two tails that go behind her back. The tips are dark green, an interesting combination that reminds me of someone I've seen before. Her outfit consists of a close-fitting black top with no back or sleeves, a white sash around her waist, and dark leggings.

"..."

I can't shake the fact that I've seen someone like her before. Well, the most important part is that she's a beauty. Hopefully we get along well. I watch as she smiles and waves to someone she knows, her brown eyes sparkling in the light.

The next girl hurries along towards the first, and they share a hug after meeting each other. From her movements, I can tell that she's on the shy side. Those types are fun to tease sometimes, but with this being another village, I can't go too far. This one has messy, light brown hair that runs over her shoulders. Her eyes are a dull red, which is an alluring feature in itself...and that kimono of hers, or what looks like one at least, is novel. Her hands are completely hidden by the long sleeves, which gives away her identity to me based on the mission data.

"..."

The designated meeting time is nearly here. The third member is...

"Wow, wow, wow! Looking real good!"

"Makoto! Stop flirting and get over here!" the first girl yells.

"Sorry~! Couldn't help myself!"

A girl on the taller side rubs the back of her head sheepishly as she approaches the other two. Her hair is dark brown, the same as her eyes, and is tied back into a ponytail. I can clearly see that her skin is tanned, due to the fact that she's wearing essentially nothing on her upper half. Just the village's standard combat vest and wrappings around her chest. Not that I have an issue with that sort of thing, I mean. Certainly a visual treat. Very bold, though. The miniskirt is an interesting touch too, and I can see as she shifts that there are shorts underneath. A genuine tomboy then, complete with some visible muscle on her arms and legs. Interesting.

Since everyone's assembled by now, and on time for the most part, I think I should make my appearance. I body flicker down to the street and approach casually from a visible spot in the marketplace.

"Is...that her?" the first girl asks. "Baki-sensei said that she had red hair."

"Huh? Aiko, there's no way that midget...I mean, she's a hottie, but..."

"Makoto, hush."

"Are we ready for our trip down south, ladies?" I ask as I stop in front of them.

"We...we should be," the second girl says quietly. "Are you the sensei that's...leading us?"

"I am. Please, allow me to introduce myself properly. I am your mission leader, and jounin of the Hidden Leaf Village, Lilith Kobayashi." I give the girls a respectful bow. "Address me as you feel comfortable, but Lili is perfectly fine."

"It's very nice to meet you, Captain Kobayashi. My name's Aiko Mishoto, a genin of the Hidden Sand." Aiko smiles and bows politely.

"My name is Suketsune Temko...also a genin of the Hidden Sand Village. It's nice to meet you, Captain Kobayashi, ma'am." Suketsune puts her sleeved hands together and bows.

"Makoto Hibana, genin. Hi." She lazily waves at me.

"Makoto, seriously. Be polite," Aiko scolds.

"So, Lili, how long have you been at this shinobi thing?" Makoto asks. I have to wonder what it is I did or said in this short time. Her tone has changed considerably, and there's very little of that playful air from before.

"I would have to say about a year and a half now, give or take. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, interesting. I guess that's longer than most people would last after buying their way in with daddy's money."

"Makoto! What are you doing?" Aiko asks, horrified.

"..." I say nothing and let Makoto continue.

"I'm not doing anything. I just, you know, wanted to see how much experience the princess here has before she leads us into danger. Money's no substitute for skill, you and I know that well enough, Aiko."

Some sort of personal issue with wealthy people. From what Temari's shown me, I don't have much reason to question their resentment. I'm not deserving of that scorn, but...it might be for the best to let this go. At least for now.

"Cryin' shame," she mutters to herself. "Someone that good looking..."

"Captain, I'm sorry about that. Makoto, she-"

I raise my hands towards Aiko. "It's fine. I don't understand the reasons for it, but I'll let it go."

"You don't have to worry about me flying off the handle, Captain," Makoto says with a biting tone. "The mission is the mission, and this is for the village. For all the people who don't have enough to get by."

"Makoto...please, it's enough," Suketsune pleads gently.

"Yeah. Sure, I get it."

Makoto is too...expressive to lie about her intentions. She wants to get to the mission and complete it. It's possible that these three were told something else aside from what was in the mission request, but that's not any of my business right now.

"We'll do final equipment checks and then go over mission protocol. Our destination will be about a day and a half away at normal operating speed. Let's begin, ladies."

"Ma'am," they reply in unison.

I finish looking over the equipment, explain the mission details, and go over our routines. Aiko is paying attention as much as she can, while Suketsune quietly listens. Makoto puts her hands behind her head and closes her eyes. She's listening, of course, but still doing what she can to deny me some respect.

Of course, she can't resist cracking one eye open on occassion to check me out. No wonder Temari seemed so smug a few hours earlier...I could pass for a straight woman standing next to Makoto.

"Um, Captain?"

We've finished our small meeting and are ready to head off. Aiko gently leads me away from the rest of the group.

"Aiko, is something wrong?" As I look at her, something clicks. Ah, so she's...no wonder I kept thinking those things. She looks so much like her mother. But that's something we can talk about later, hopefully.

"I...just wanted to apologize for earlier. Listen, if there's anything-"

"Aiko, calm down. Alright? It's fine. I meant that. I'm not upset."

"Makoto...she had a hard life, and everything. I know it was wrong for her to do that, to just bully you because you came from money. I have a rich friend too, so..."

"Do you, now."

"Yeah. She helped me a lot after...a certain incident. Really, she's like my sister. Or, more than just like."

"I understand the feeling very well. I was born an only child, but gained quite a few sisters myself."

"Yeah? That's really nice to hear. So...um, if I can-"

"Aiko! Stop, seriously," I say with a smile. "I mean it, or I really will get upset this time. You have nothing to apologize for, nothing at all. Okay? Take it easy."

"Sorry."

"It's okay." I take her hand and pat it gently. "Makoto and I will deal with our personal problems in time, but I can tell they won't get in the way of the mission. If they do, well...I suppose you'll have reason to worry then. But," I say with a finger raised, "that will be dealt with at the promised time. So leave it be for now. Promise?"

"I promise, ma'am."

"Good."

"Everything alright over here?" Makoto says as she walks up to us. Her brown eyes move back and forth between myself and Aiko.

"Everything's fine," Aiko says. "I was just talking with Captain Kobayashi about the mission and stuff. Nothing to worry about, Makoto."

"Sure. If you say so, Aiko. We ready to go?" Makoto says as she looks at me.

"We're ready. All you have to do is follow my lead." I pause a moment. "You...don't know who I am, do you?"

"It won't matter who you are or might be if you hurt Aiko."

"Ah." I nod. "Understandable. It's alright, Miss Hibana. You'll learn in time. Shall we?"

She nods back, and we call Suketsune to us before taking off for the Sand's main entrance.

 

[Megacookie]

Title of this update, Young Woman Dominates Multiple Men Triple Her Age.

How lucky for Lili, getting an all girl squad. I bet no hijinx or shenanigans will come of this.

 

[JamesEye]

Hahaha! Don't you know who I am??? If anyone says that line to me I'll start bowing and backing away unless I'm also secretly some super big shot too.

Temerity being so chill and outspoken was great. I'm loving the Scarlet Viper being someone they'd weren't prepared for. The Ninja that took down your Jinchuriiki.... you think you should be a tad more polite. On the other hand, alone in a village that is not your own... Lilli was bold haha.

Can't wait to see how this mission will go. Will it go smoothly with a bunch of teaching moments or will it be a case of wrong wrong intel or enemy sabotage? Maybe even a part of a bigger plot to sour SANd leaf relations or something even wilder than that.

I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for the update.