timely chapter or some sort of dark magic, you decide
Scarlet Justice - ep. 25
"Hard Knocks"
---
Another day passes. We train in shurikenjutsu and chakra control from early morning until noon. Hinata is working at a steady pace, determined not to drag anyone down ever again. Kurenai makes her slow down, while Shino is his usual self and chips away at his weak areas.
"..."
As for myself, I wonder if I'm ready for the upcoming challenge. There's a lot to consider here...a lot that could go wrong. Perhaps my growth might be stunted, or altered badly. But I also have faith in the training that got me to this point. I feel that if anything does go wrong, I will be able to fix it, and make something of myself no matter what.
"Have to wonder what Kakashi's up to this time," Kurenai says to me as we cool down. "He's definitely a pragmatist, so him taking an interest in you is for a simple enough reason. Well, to him anyways. I wouldn't know what he's thinking at any given time."
"Hm. You seem to be okay with this," I say to her.
"It's normal. If there are specialists available for kids, or there's a teacher that sees some sort of potential in you, we encourage you to go out and train with them. Guys like Kakashi, especially. Dunno about how good he really is as an instructor, but when it comes to individuals he has plenty of tools to hand out. I suspect that's why Sasuke ended up with him in the first place."
"Ino was telling me about how the team system worked."
"Yeah? Ino's a good kid, very observant, too. Takes after her dad, which is a great thing. If she doesn't follow in his footsteps, she could be a really great covert operator. And there are people in ANBU that you don't know are in ANBU, so I think that could suit her, too. She has the work ethic."
"I see."
"Alright, kids. That's enough for the day," Kurenai calls to Hinata and Shino. They gather their weapons and hustle back towards us. "Still can't tell me about your secret thing with the Hokage?"
"No. But I have already come to a decision on that end. It will make you happy, I assume."
"Lots of things can make me happy."
"Hopefully ones that can be discussed in polite company?"
"Shut up, seriously." She rolls her eyes as my teammates join us.
"Sensei...I think I can-"
"Out of the question," Kurenai says, interrupting Hina. "Pack up, go home, and rest. That's an order, Miss Hyuuga."
"Yes, ma'am. I'll see everyone tomorrow, then." She smiles and bows for us before heading home. Shino quietly salutes before doing the same.
"Mission coming up later. Nothing too big, fortunately...should be done by the end of the day. I'll see you tomorrow, Lili."
"Of course. Take care, sensei."
We part ways, and I head over to Training Field Three. Kakashi is there, reading his book while leaning against one of the logs used for training exercises. He doesn't lift his head even as I stop in front of him.
"I'm going to learn the Lightning Release Chakra Mode," I say.
"Yeah...I figured as much. Here," he says as he tosses me a scroll. "This is the research that's been done on it within the Leaf. It's pretty detailed. I personally can't help you too much with it, at least when it comes to fine mechanics and the like, but if you show up around this time next week, we can check out your progress together."
"..." So it's all up to me, then. If I learned one B-Rank jutsu, I should be able to learn another. Believe in myself. "Understood, thank you."
"Also...I heard about something happening later on. You and Sakura are going to get into it?"
"Something like that," I say. "Are you going to stop us?"
"No. In fact, I didn't hear a word about any of this from you," he says casually.
"Hmph. Trying to avoid trouble?"
"You could say that."
"You really are irresponsible. Ino and her merry men are going to be there anyways, so we'll be well supervised without your presence. I don't mean to make a spectacle of her."
"Right. Hopefully this will be a bit of motivation for Sakura."
"You're expecting her to lose."
"Naturally. She's my student, and she's done well recently. But I'm not deluded about her progress. That girl is nowhere close to an elite."
"Hm."
"Anyways, if you want to use the field here, go all out. And again, I heard nothing. Good luck with your lesson, sensei."
I shake my head and walk away. What a guy.
---
"Lord Hokage will see you now."
The secretary lets me into the office. I take a seat and clear my throat.
"I will be concise, Lord Hokage."
"Please, go ahead," he says as he sets down his pen to look at me.
"I've spent too much of my life in the darkness, alone and fighting to find myself. Becoming a member of the ANBU would be an honour and a great opportunity offered to few others. I understand the weight of responsibility that comes from the position. But...right now, I want to walk in the light with my comrades, and the people that I love dearly. I want to let them know how my days went, and hold them close to me at nights. I want to live life as myself, and not partitioned between 'Lili' and a given code name. The shadows are not the place I belong. Not any longer. Since you're not willing to let me out of your sight, I'll instead become a leader that you can be proud of."
He nods. "Very well. All I ask is that you continue to grow in strength, and remain as spirited as you are now."
"Yes, Lord Hokage." I incline my head. "If you should choose to make me a jounin of the village, I will accept your recommendation wholeheartedly, and give my all for this home and the people who live in it."
"Good, good. I appreciate your courage and commitment, Lili. Please remember that. Do your best in the upcoming trials, and show everyone what I see in you."
"I shall, Lord Hokage."
With a deep bow, I leave his office. I let out a breath the moment I get outside.
Turning down an offer to be a true elite...well, it's not all glory and fame, anyways. So that might have made the decision easier. But even so, I've committed to this life now. The first step is becoming a chuunin, and bringing my friends upwards with me. Stronger comrades for a stronger village.
"..."
I'm not perfect, however. I still have my sharp angles that will cut those who don't approach with caution. Balancing the person I am with leadership...that is something I will also have to work on. It doesn't matter how strong I am if I can't foster cooperation. This upcoming fight with Sakura could be a means to help with that sort of thing, if I play it right. Or I'll simply beat her senseless and look like even more of a bully.
"Troublesome, honestly." I sigh and spin the scroll from earlier on my finger as I walk home. Hopefully Luna is home to cook something. Chakra control training always makes me very hungry for some reason.
---
We take a proper C-Rank this time to guard a shipment of iron that's come down from the northern part of the country. It takes a little over half a day total to go, escort the merchant and his shipment, and reach the village again without incident. We debrief, get our normal rate of pay, then are dismissed for the night. Feeling a bit adventurous, I slip out to the training field, drop my bag, and unroll the scroll that Kakashi gave me.
"Let's see..."
I definitely feel nervous. I wonder if I should...no. No, I'm going to do this on my own. I have to.
I can use handseals as a starter, so I make the few listed and focus my chakra at the same time. What feels like the technique activates, and I feel...pulled out of time for a moment, like everything has simply slowed to a crawl. There's a pop and surge as the tingling explodes into something else, making me lose my place for a second before the world starts moving normally again.
"Sh-shoot..." I can feel myself buzzing all over. It's hot and some of the electricity is still jumping away from my skin for a while. I don't think I electrocuted myself, though I wouldn't be surprised. Okay. That was an...interesting first experience. Next time, I will make proper preparations, and make sure that I'm well rested before attempting this technique. It's...it's something, to be sure. An incredible amount of stimulation that ended up altering my perception of the world, even if it was for the briefest of moments. No wonder the Raikage uses this technique...someone who has been described as 'faster than thought'.
Shino would say that sounded cool. I can't help but agree. It does sound fantastic and legendary.
"A new goal, then..."
I feel a smile come on. A new challenge...this is getting me quite excited.
---
The call has been put out. It's morning in the Hidden Leaf.
I sit at Training Field Three, on top of one of the logs standing upright in the middle of the grounds. There are a few figures approaching. They're well within the range of my tracking art...I press my tongue against my top lip, and get a taste of the air as if flows towards me. Midori said that the technique would grow stronger the more that I used it, and true to her word, it has. I have more control than ever, and it's very good.
"..."
The scents and feedback are sharp. Familiar, too. Naruto and Ino I recognize immediately. Sakura, with her silly scented shampoo. There are others...pork. Specifically, the smell of pork rinds.
He's always eating!
Ino said that the other day. "Choji," I mumble. The next smell is a bit faint, but I know it. Similar to the Hokage...tobacco smoke.
Oh, you noticed that. I was talking to Asuma, and he has that smoking habit of his...
I recognize this smell mainly from Kurenai. Asuma-sensei, who is the instructor for Team Ten. Ino doesn't have the same level of smoke on her, if at all. Choji doesn't either. That leaves...Shikamaru. So he spends a lot of time with Asuma, then. Interesting.
Another scent...reminds me faintly of burning wood.
The Uchiha are known for their prowess in Fire Release jutsu.
Iruka's voice echoes through my head.
"Sasuke. What the hell could he want..." I feel agitated at the very thought of him. Almost enough for me to awaken 'that' side just so I can start some proper bullying.
I still haven't gotten over that time at the Academy. That sort of despair...almost fading into oblivion. It will never leave me. It was fear on a level that I never want to experience again. And all because I trusted him. Because I tried to be a good girl. Because I let down my guard against that...trash.
"Lili! Are you really gonna fight Sakura?!"
"..." Naruto. I almost don't have the heart to answer him. I use a body flicker to leave my perch and appear in front of Sakura's face, startling her. She puts on a brave front a moment later. "Yes, Naruto. This is what she asked for, with her own mouth."
"I...I see..."
"Stay out of it, Naruto. This isn't something you would ever understand," Sakura says.
"Don't you try to speak for him," I snap back. "He's gone through enough hardship without you piling it on. Now...I know that Ino was bringing guests, but I didn't hear anything from you about spectators. What's your game?"
"I'm allowed to bring my teammates to watch, too. There wasn't any rule against it."
"You foolish little brat. Do you understand why I came on my own, and why I agreed to Ino's team coming to spectate? I didn't want to involve more people than necessary. Did you want to make this a public massacre? Did you want to be humiliated and destroyed in front of others? Because I could have easily obliged you," I say. I then take a breath in and calm down a little. "But what's done is done. We'll settle it here, as long as nobody opens their mouth about it to anyone else. This is between us, and us alone."
"..." She slowly nods.
"Oh, and one more thing...I suggest you fight for your life, Sakura. Because if you ever get the idea to sit there and sandbag so that your boyfriend can collect data on me, I'll make sure to tear your pink hair from your empty skull strand by strand."
She flinches, her eyes flickering to Sasuke for a brief moment.
"Do you hear me? Don't you dare fuck with me, or I'll really kill you," I growl.
"Ah, geez. This is why women are so troublesome," Shikamaru whines. "They'll kill each other over the smallest things."
"Shut up, Shikamaru. Alright, let's start the fight before we all drown in the bad blood," Ino says. I move a fair distance away from Sakura as Ino holds one arm in the air. "Okay, here we go! It's a no...well, some holds barred showdown! Use anything you like to take down your opponent! The boundaries are the edges of the training field, and the fight ends when one fighter is unable to continue or surrenders!"
"I'll have eyes and ears all over!" Naruto announces. "It's the greatest referee crew assembled! My Shadow Clone Jutsu is ready to go!"
"Awesome! Remember, no maiming! And especially no killing!" she says with a look towards me. I roll my eyes and nod. "Good! Fighters ready?"
"Ready!" Sakura yells drawing a kunai.
"Ready," I reply, crossing my arms.
"Begin!"
As Ino throws her arm down, Sakura charges with a body flicker. She draws a second kunai and makes seals, producing a clone on either side of her.
Regular bunshin? Here? I grit my teeth in frustration. Seems it's time to teach this air head a lesson she won't forget.
She has her clones weave in and out in a pattern, trying to fool me. I hold back a bit, adding more difficulty by not using my tracking art to find her in an instant. Okay, which one...
The first crosses in front of me, and they all simultaneously slash away. I step through the first image easily. There's one coming in from behind, and I let it run me through as a ghost, exiting my front side. And the third...accelerates towards me before passing through. Three clones? So, then...ah.
I draw a kunai and raise it into the air, clashing with Sakura as she comes down from above.
"Well, you're more clever than I assumed," I say tonelessly. Not a lie since it was a decent feint, but I'm intent on riling her up. "Congratulations."
"Grr...!"
But it's useless against me, and she should have known that much. She drops to the ground and tries to flashily attack with both kunai in her hands. I use my one hand to easily block each strike as it comes. Her taijutsu is...
...it's not special. That much is a problem. She seems like she's scared of fighting, or doesn't know how. But she's not stupid. She's studied this.
And she's slow. Her movement speed and attacking speed are worlds apart, which is why she uses movement and momentum so often in time with her attacks. This girl is strange. Has she not picked up anything since the Academy?
"Is this all you have?" I taunt.
She growls and her speed increases a bit. This is her wheelhouse, chakra control. She was always good at it, I noticed. This time she's trying to use it to get around me. Not a bad thought, but...it's useless when there's an ocean between us. I automatically parry her strikes, then start to drive her back. With a swift movement, I spike one of the kunai out of her hands, leaving her with just the one. She flinches and is helpless as I evade her strikes, cutting into her bare arms over and over.
Sakura eventually drops her remaining kunai because of the pain. I slap her across the face with the handle of mine, making her tumble to the ground.
She has to know where she is right now. I'll see if she indeed has a brain inside of that cotton candy head. "You do understand why you're on Team Seven, yes?"
Sakura pants and rises to her feet, glaring at me. Small drops of blood leak from the cuts that crisscross her arms. With no answer, I start my lecture.
"Each of the squads are constructed in a way that complements each member. Not just in terms of scoring, but in terms of ability. Naruto is, simply put, not very good at academics. Sasuke, for all his effort, is middling in that area at best."
"I told you...stop talking about Sasuke like that!"
I ignore her and continue, twirling my kunai on my fingers. "You seem to have a good amount of general intelligence. In other words...you are supposed to be the anchor of the team on that front. Using your academic and observational skills, you would pass your wisdom onto the other members of your team. In return, you would learn how to improve your combat skills from watching Naruto and Sasuke, as they are both more adept on that front than you are. The skills of each teammate are meant to help the others grow. That is why you were arranged that way."
"That's some analysis...go, Lili," Ino says.
"What's that have to do with anything, or any of this?" Sakura snaps back at me.
"I'll spell it out for you, bimbo. What have you learned from watching Naruto and Sasuke? And what have you taught them since you've come together as a team?"
"I...I haven't..."
"What have you accomplished in this time? What have you done other than become so rounded that you're not good at anything other than balancing your chakra to a fine point? While you sit and play housekeeper, Naruto and Sasuke push themselves on your behalf."
"That's not true!" she protests. "You don't know anything about us!"
I grip my kunai properly again, narrowing my eyes at her. "Then prove it. Go ahead and crush me like you promised."
"You...!" She rushes forward and makes more handseals before picking up the kunai she dropped earlier, engaging me. I quickly stab forward before she can react, and she reels.
"...hmph. Right."
Sakura transforms into a log. I can hear her diving into the trees nearby...certainly, if there's a place for a book loving nerd like her, it's the forest. All sorts of nasty traps and other things will be at her disposal. Hopefully she doesn't bore me like she has this entire time.
"They're taking the battle to the tress," Ino announces. Her entourage follows, some more reluctantly than others. "Sakura's holding on after a really rough start! Can she make headway with all this room to hide and plan? Or is Lili too much of a monster to be contained? Let's find out!"
Nothing I can't handle from the likes of her. I walk into the trees and can't immediately make out her presence, so...
"Mm?" I hear a snapping sound. A log rushes towards me...it's laid out horizontally, so that means I should-
But there's another sound and I look down to see that my foot is on top of an exploding tag. And now there's a log swinging in from my left vertically. And as I quickly glance over to my right...
"Why don't you just shut your damn mouth!"
Sakura throws a wave of senbon at me. If those land, they're going to hurt no matter what. Two logs closing in, exploding tags at my feet. Staying in this position means I can avoid the logs, but the lit tags will blow me up. Dodging away means either confronting a log or becoming a living pin cushion. Possibly both.
Only a small margin of error allowed...this is a well constructed trap.
"..."
It's too bad she obviously snuck in and prepared this beforehand, but there's nothing wrong with that in the end...rules are rules, and there was no rule against this. Clever when she wants to be. A shinobi, at least in spirit.
Oh, but I'm still going to make her cry bloody tears.
I wanted to hold back a bit more, but this is getting serious now, what with her trying to blow me up. Ino said no maiming, right? I'll let it go since the pink brat is obviously desperate and panicking.
Right. Sort of in danger, still. The logs are in close, and the exploding tags have started burning. I stomp the ground with one foot, pushing chakra into it. Ready.
I accelerate, jumping onto the log coming for me from the front and laid out horizontally. The other log swings by behind me as I jump, sticking the landing and running up the log to my right. As it swings upwards, I use the momentum to launch myself into the air, doing a quick twirl and spin as I remove the exploding tags from the bottom of my foot. I wrap them around a kunai and throw in a single motion as my spin brings me back in line with Sakura. She barely dodges in time as the tag goes off, destroying the base of the tree she was hiding behind.
It creaks loudly before starting to fall, and this is my chance - it's falling towards me, like it was all planned out. I keep my momentum going while in the air and flip a few times while the trunk comes underneath me, then stop and drop onto it. It's still falling; I accelerate down the surface with my foot speed and locate Sakura, jumping off early towards her as she stands away from the path of the falling tree. She raises her arms to guard, and I pass through her like a ghost.
"Clone...?" she mumbles. I've already hit the ground, and I shift forward.
My turn.
A punch to her unguarded midsection before she can react as the tree crashes down behind us. She gasps for air and drops her arms; I follow with a three punch combination to the head, making her stumble around like she's drunk as wings beat above us. Next move. A solid left cross that sends spittle flying from her mouth as her head snaps to one side. Next move. An open palm thrust that makes her cry out as she's sent back first into a nearby tree, sending more birds away with the tremors. Leaves fall slowly to the ground as she bounces forward; I plant my feet and turn viciously into a roundhouse kick, slamming her into the tree again and ripping the bark apart.
She starts to land before I move forward and knee her into the air, making her gasp loudly, then accelerate into an elbow strike to the stomach that sends her flying out of the forest, back into the open field. I follow her slowly, watching as she struggles to get to her feet.
"Sakura...listen, you don't have to..." Ino looks concerned.
"That was a nice try with the traps," I say flatly. "But they're useless against someone like me. I didn't have to use ninjutsu to escape that time, so I think you should work on it some more."
"Don't...don't get arrogant," she says, coughing and wheezing.
"You should worry about yourself, sweetheart. Are we done, or do you want me to grind you into the dirt some more?"
"I'm...not giving up! Just bring it!"
I shake my head as she charges, missing a punch. My hand goes around her throat and she struggles to force it off. She's done. I might as well end this mercifully.
"I told you. Know. Your. Place. You are not a warrior yet, don't play as if you are one. Know what you mean to your team!" I yell. "Know your function! Learn about yourself and decide who you want to become! Do you understand, or do I have to beat it into you?"
"Don't..."
"Don't what? Lecture you? Tell you what to do? Open your damn eyes..." I raise my fist, intending to knock her out and end this farce. It's gone on long enough.
"Stop, villain!"
"...!" I throw Sakura to one side and lean all the way backwards as someone passes right over me. A burst of wind rushes by shortly after, and I quickly pull myself upwards before getting into a battle stance.
That was dangerous. I could only feel danger from that last move. Fast, powerful...no release of chakra, either. I stare down the idiot in front of me. Black hair in some sort of bowl cut, a green spandex suit with his headband around his waist, and yellow leg warmers. Bandage is wrapped tightly around his arms, and I can smell a bit of blood.
"Sakura! Are you okay?" he asks with concern.
"..." And his eyebrows are terribly thick.
"What are you doing? Sakura is by no means weak, but it's clear that she's not on the same level as you! If you would like a fair fight, then I will be your opponent!" He makes a sort of...pose. "I am the Leaf's Handsome Blue Beast, Rock Lee!"
"Rock Lee," I mumble. The child with only taijutsu in his arsenal, spoken of from time to time at the Academy. "So you're him. Well...you should know that Sakura was the one who challenged me to this fight. She insisted on it, in fact. Ask Ino."
"That does not matter!"
"Oh, but it certainly does, Rock Lee. Anyone arrogant enough to challenge someone out of their league deserves what she gets. And this was doubling as a teaching moment," I explain. "Sakura needs to pay attention to the strengths of her teammates and learn from them. White knights like you will only stifle her growth."
"This is still unacceptable! All you were doing was bombarding her with your own frustrations! This is not a fight, it's humiliation!"
"I had the decency to do this in private!" I scream. "I did all I could to give her what she wanted, and still protect her at the same time! None of you did the same at the Academy, you shunned and shamed me in full view of everyone else!" I take a breath in and slowly wind down. "Take your arrogance and shove it back down your throat. You don't get to tell me what humiliation is. You've walked into something that you have no understanding of." I take another breath in. "And I assume that you're not going to leave as long as I want to continue this fight."
"That is correct."
"You're a fucking piece of work," I growl. "Then that's it. I'm done. If it soothes Sakura's ego, call it a concession on my end. I couldn't care any less. I am not going to fight two on one, especially with someone who outclasses me to that degree in taijutsu. I would have to resort to decidedly unpleasant methods...and none of you want to see me when I'm feeling unpleasant."
"..." Lee slowly drops his stance and stares at me with curiosity.
"I'm going home. Enjoy the rest of your day."
"Running away?"
I feel my blood freeze as another voice calls to me. "What...?"
"I asked...if you were running away, Kobayashi."
I twitch. My head turns towards Sasuke, and I can see his Sharingan are on. I'm shaking. I'm shaking from anger, and I can't stop. "You...fucking trash. You fucking trash. Don't push me..."
"Why don't you-"
"Sasuke! Stop it!" Naruto puts his arm in front of his teammate.
"Stay out of this, idiot!"
"I said to stop! Leave her alone!"
"You should really listen to Naruto, Sasuke." The shaking stops, and I calm down slowly. Kakashi steps between us. "Don't get carried away. Even if you're recorded a few things with those eyes, you're still not on her level yet. And you know it."
"..." He has his bloodline limit shut off.
"You've used that brain of yours for once." He turns to me. "Feeling okay?"
"Yes...I should be okay. It was just...a bit stressful now."
"I'll handle the rest of this. You should go home and rest, Lili."
"Yes. Thank you, Kakashi."
"Yeah. I couldn't be completely irresponsible, after all."
"I appreciate that. Until the next time," I say quietly.
I walk away from the training field, for good this time.