Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Note: Sorry. I decided to delete the previous version of this chapter so I could split it and edit it; I got several ... really, really nasty and cruel DMs (and I won't call anyone out, because they brought it straight to me, plus I don't want them to get hate), mainly concerning the last portion of the previous version of this chapter, so ... I'm just cutting it out and trying my best to fix it. But when I deleted the previous version and replaced it with this one, FF wouldn't update it and kept showing the original. I'm sincerely sorry about that; for anyone thinking I was trying to re-upload for attention, I promise that isn't what I was doing, and I hope to God that this one actually replaces it as it should.

Further apology at the end, if you don't want to reread the earlier parts again.


" … What?" Takumi mutters, staring dumbfounded at the scene in front of us. Souta echoes him, and as the rest of the caravans and Madoka-sensei catch up it begins to get worse. "How?"

The bridge is completely splintered; not just broken, but splintered. The river rushes freely, practically roaring as it splashes against the rocks and side. Takumi hops down to the lower ground and kneels to dip his hand into the water and test its depth. "Crap … this is really deep; I can't even see the bottom." He glances back up and grimaces. "And wide. Plus, the the currents are wild."

"Oh no …" Souta wrings his hands anxiously. Madoka-sensei comes up beside us, observing the once-built bridge silently. "Sensei, what do we do?"

"What's going on?" Renji asks. "Shouldn't we—oh." Momo crawls out of the caravan and stares ahead in confusion, and Rukia quickly urges her back inside. "Well damn, that's never happened before—it was perfectly fine when we came this way before."

Takumi returns to higher ground and crosses his arms, scuffing his foot against the ground. Madoka-sensei glances at us, inclining her head to the side and motioning for us to move away from the civilians as she offers, "A moment, if you will?"

Renji nods. Once we're out of ears length from them, Madoka-sensei says, "This is not natural."

"Huh?"

"That bridge was deliberately broken," she elaborates. "It was not a flimsy bridge; it was built solid enough to withstand the rapids and rocks beneath, and the weight of several men and caravans at once."

My eyes widen, but before I can say anything Takumi asks, "But why? It's the only way across—why'd someone go and break it?"

"It is not the only way across," she corrects, "simply the quickest. Much further down, deeper into the forest, is another route; the currents are much calmer there, and there is another bridge. However, it will raise our travel time significantly; at least an extra two days, if we are lucky."

"Two days!?" Takumi sputters. "Can we even get them there on time if we take that route!?"

I rock back on my heels, looking back over at what was once a bridge. There aren't even signs of the broken pieces; though, with the strength of the current, it wouldn't be surprising if they have been washed away, even if the bridge had just recently been broken. "But who would break the bridge? It—it can't have been because of us, right?"

We're a genin group with caravans for a food festival; there's no reason for something, or someone, to be deliberately sabotaging us; but, then again, there's no reason for someone to destroy the bridge in the first place. Traveling downstream to the other path is a waste of time when there's one this straightforward, and yet—

Yet someone did it anyways.

Why?

" … It's unlikely," Madoka-sensei agrees, "but we cannot rule out the possibility entirely."

Souta nods. "Right—any possible threat must be taken into account, and treated as an active threat," he recites. It was one of the several messages drilled into us at the academy.

Never let down your guard; never let yourself be caught off guard. Be prepared for any situation.

"I don't like this," Takumi mutters as Madoka-sensei explains the situation to the men and Rukia, "it doesn't feel right. Something feels wrong."

" … Yeah," Souta agrees. "Nagisa—what do you think?"

I glance over at the bridge again. It had been a large and wide bridge; to be demolished and reduced to mere splinters of wood would take a lot of power.

"I think—" I avert my eyes back to them, "something is definitely wrong."

Takumi nods. "Right? There's no way that was an accident; it's gotta be intentional! You can't just—take down somethin' that big unless you're trying to take it down, and Renji said it was in place when they came this way."

"But why?" Souta is wringing his hands out again, and I glance back at the caravan. "And when? Was it … they can't have done it because of us, right? We're just genin—why would someone try and stop a C-rank escort? Especially someone who's able to destroy a bridge of that size … what's the point of that?"

I breathe out heavily. "Well, Renji and them could be hiding something. Maybe there's a warrant on their head—"

"No way," Takumi scoffs. "Hokage-sama wouldn't ever let someone like that request a mission, especially something he'd give to genin. It has to be something else."

I think back to the vague and hazy memories of the anime; Team Seven's first C-rank had turned out to be a disaster for that exact reason. But this—this is an escort to a festival. Not a poverty stricken and mafia overridden town.

Something is wrong here, I think, but I don't know what.

"As this route is no longer accessible, we'll be taking a different path to Ko no Kuni," sensei announces, drawing our attention back to her. "However; it is not commonly used, and the path will be far more treacherous; take caution with where you step. Renji-san, Yasuo-san," she addresses, "should either of you require any assistance, please inform us immediately."

Renji nods. "Right; I'm sure it'll all be fine, though!" He pats the one of the horse's on the back firmly and laughs. "This ol' girl has traveled through mountains; a bit've rough terrain won't take her down. Same with all our other horses; they're not inexperienced."

Madoka-sensei offers her usual strange smile in response.

The alternative path requires us to backtrack a fair amount and then head straight into the forest that had been steadily thinning out the closer we got to the bridge; there's enough room for the caravans to maneuver, thankfully, but the path is definitely rougher than what we've been traveling.

Takumi attempts to strike up a conversation a few times, but it falls flat; with the image of the bridge and Madoka-sensei's words still fresh in mind, none of us are too motivated to talk or hold a conversation like we'd been earlier.

The forest itself feels normal—it feels safe, just like it always has. Although the trees grow thicker the further we go, it's not enough to block out the sunlight and, despite the constant weight of anxiety of the bridge hanging overhead, the trees provide at least a modicum of comfort.

Konoha ninja are raised with the trees—we grow and adapt around them.

Yet they're also our biggest weakness. I sigh quietly and take another look around.

Nothing has changed, and yet the anxiety just won't go away.

I share a look with Souta, and although no words are spoken I can practically hear his thoughts.

Something is wrong. Be on guard.


The day passes without any trouble and night sets in once more. It's a bit harder to set up camp here, but we manage and get around to making dinner. Rukia offers to help, but Madoka-sensei politely declines and goes about the process on her own, leaving the civilians to themselves, and our group to ourselves.

"Nothing's happening," Takumi says, leaning back on his hands. The stars are mostly obscured by clouds, but a few peak through despite it. "Nothing's happening, but something just feels wrong. I dunno what, but it's—" he huffs in frustration, his nails digging into the soft grass and dirt beneath us. "Doesn't something feel wrong to you guys?"

Souta nods wordlessly and I follow suit. Takumi finally manages to rip out the handful of grass he's been fisting and tosses it forward. It doesn't go very far; just flutters and swerves before falling right back down, across his legs. "You've got dirt stuck in your nails now," I point out, just to fill the silence.

"I know that," he grumbles. "But what else am I supposed to do? Madoka-sensei won't tell us anything else, and I know she has to have some idea—that's just how sensei is, so why won't she just tell us!?"

Souta quickly shushes him. "Takumi, the clients and sensei are just over there," he points out. "Remember? We're supposed to stay composed around them, and …" he trails off momentarily, "and if we show that we're scared or uneasy, it'll make them uneasy too. They think everything's fine—so … it's better to keep it that way. Right, Nagisa?"

I blink, slightly surprised at him turning to me for confirmation. "Uh—yeah, right." Although Takumi's voice had raised, it hadn't quite hit a yell, so as far as I can tell none of the clients heard it. Sensei probably did, but it's unlikely to bother her—even if Takumi was being disrespectful. "I mean, it's already hard enough to navigate with them. So if we freak them out, it'll only be more difficult." I draw my knees to my chest and rest my arms on top. "Besides, it might just be a coincidence, so—it'd be a huge mistake in that case."

"I doubt it," he mutters, but lets the topic drop. Souta and I share a glance again and Takumi rips up another fistful of grass and dirt; though, in his defence, he doesn't throw it this time; just lets it fall back down before he goes about digging the dirt out from under his nails.

Dinner is a silent affair, with the Renji and the other three men doing most of the talking; Rukia and Momo are mostly silent. Souta is the only one of the three of us who really tries to contribute, when prompted, but even then it falls a bit flat. It's not the best course of action, considering our earlier discussion about making everything seem normal, but it's better than nothing.

We're called over once everything has been cleaned up, and Takumi straightens his shoulders and looks upon sensei expectantly as we head out of earshot once more. "So? What's going on? What's wrong?"

Madoka-sensei just barely raises a brow. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

"Well—there's gotta be something," he explains. "You said that the bridge being broken was on purpose, and since the bridge was built so sturdy and large, it had to have been a shinobi who did it—so there has be something wrong, because that shouldn't have happened. Why would a shinobi choose to destroy the main bridge unless they're try'na do something?"

Sensei allows him to go on and waits for a few seconds after he's finished in case he wants to say anything further before she herself speaks. "As of right now, there is nothing wrong."

"What?" Souta's eyes widen. "But … doesn't it feel off, sensei?"

"Yes," she agrees, "it does. However …" she pauses, as if she's unsure how to word her next sentence. "A vital part of being a shinobi is being able to separate that feeling from reality." Her eyes slide across the three of us and, involuntarily, I shiver. Madoka-sensei has never harmed us; never used her clan techniques on us, or even so much as threatened to—but I can't shake the unease. "Takumi: assume you are being followed. They don't know you're aware of this; what is your first course of action?"

"Uh—um," he stumbles for an answer, "well, I'd confront them first, so that they wouldn't be able to attack me first."

She hums softly, inclining her head just barely, before replying, "No."

He stares at her, and Madoka-sensei shifts her stance slightly as she explains, "You gather information on the situation at hand; observe. What's off about the situation? What can you use to your advantage?"

"You do not launch the first attack—you prepare for it, and retaliate in response. But you do not initiate unless absolutely necessary."

Takumi goes silent, crossing his arms over his chest, and Madoka-sensei sighs softly. "I understand you are uneasy," she tells us, her voice soft, but not gentle, "I understand that something feels off. But what have you noticed?"

I wrack my brain for an answer and find nothing. Disregarding the fact that I hadn't been paying much attention to begin with, as far as I'd noticed, nothing had actually been off. There was the feeling that something was wrong, but that's it.

"I … I wasn't paying much attention," Souta admits shamefully. "I was too busy thinking about how wrong it felt. I … didn't really notice anything."

" … Me either," I admit, with a sigh. Takumi just shrugs. "We messed up, didn't we?"

"Indeed," she agrees, "but that is to be expected." She casts a glance around us, taking in the dark trees, just barely illuminated by the light of the fire. "You three allowed your emotions to dictate your actions. Had anyone … or anything, attacked, would you have been prepared?"

We shake our heads. I can practically taste the failure in my throat—again, I've failed. Something so simple, something we were taught in the academy over, and over, and over again, something that Madoka-sensei herself has been reminding us that I failed.

That I forgot. I forgot something—again. Something important. The thought makes me want to scream; tear my hair out and recite formulas until my brain begs for reprieve. But, instead, I clench my hands into fists, feeling my nails press painfully into the skin of my palms, and tighten my jaw. I hate it. I hate it.

Why can't I do anything right?

"So to answer your earlier question … yes, the situation does, in fact, feel off." I glance up. "But there is nothing out of the ordinary; everything is as it should be."

Souta clenches his hands together and asks, "So we're not being followed?"

"At the moment, no." I startle at the first part, but she continues before any of us can say anything. "I cannot guarantee the same for the rest of our trip."

And then she stares, as if there's something we should realize; that she's implying, and waiting for us to bring up.

What is it, what is it, what is it—

"They— … they don't know we know yet?" I conclude, hesitant to voice it. Failure, I can't be a failure; I can't be a failure.

Dead weight has no place on a team, and you will die on your own.

Madoka-sensei's lips quirk upwards, but the rest of her expression remains unchanged. "Correct."

"So once they figure it out—" Takumi cuts himself off, shivering suddenly. "That's when it's gonna get bad."

Souta nods. "That makes sense … so we just have to be on guard, right? And pay attention to everything. But—um … we can't let them know we're doing that, right?"

"Yes. You are all correct." She fixes her stance, returning to the upright and proper one she'd held earlier in the conversation; her usual posture. "Today, you were all lucky. Tomorrow, you may not be. It is imperative that you pay attention to your surroundings, whether everything feels normal or not." She pauses, allowing the words to sink in, before finishing with, "Do you understand?"

"Yes, sensei," we chorus. My stomach is tight with anger; disappointment, failure. Even in this second life, I can't escape these things—the things I so eagerly sought to destroy and crush to dust.

She dismisses us after that, allowing us to return to the camp, but I can't shake the feeling in my gut. Even as I settle down to sleep it persists, festering and expanding until I can feel it in my throat and on my tongue.

I don't get nearly as much sleep as I should before my own shift comes around, and even then the rot lingers.


Despite it all, we reach the second path without any problem. Throughout the two day trip, there is no sign that anyone is following us or that a trap has been planned; against all odds, it appears to be a fluke.

And yet, something still feels off.

The detour leaves us in the forest for a fair bit longer, but there's nothing stopping the transition from forest to flatland anymore. The path has even cleared up, slightly, now that we're at least back on it.

Everything is so right, and yet it isn't.

"Guess I was wrong," Takumi says with a sigh, that evening after we're all settled down and waiting for dinner. "But what could'a destroyed the bridge like that if it wasn't some dangerous shinobi? What's even the point of doing that? It just makes everyone elses' job a lot more difficult."

I lean back, crossing my arms over my chest as I stare up into the dark sky. It's slightly cloudy again, as it's been the last three days, but it doesn't appear as if it'll rain at least. "I dunno," Souta replies, shifting uncomfortably. "It really doesn't make any sense; even Madoka-sensei said that something was wrong, but nothing even happened."

"Well—we still have the trip through the flatland," I point out, "but even then—all that destroying the bridge did was delay any possible attack."

I don't get it. If the bridge's destruction really has nothing to do with any kind of attack or ambush, what's the point of destroying it in the first place? It doesn't make any sense.

Takumi sighs again, deeper this time, and leans back against Souta. "Man, I feel like an idiot … I got all worked up and spent that whole time worrying—all for nothing to happen. I must've looked like a fool."

"I don't think so," Souta reassures, "we were all on edge; well, except the caravan, Renji-san, and his family. But even Madoka-sensei said to be careful."

The two continue to talk, but I tune out their conversation and instead focus on my own thoughts. Ko no Kuni is right on the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, according to the map we've been consulting, but it's on the south end of the border; almost to the coast. As far as I know—and can remember—the Land of River is a fairly small country, though it does have a hidden village; but Konoha doesn't do much business with them. It mainly acts as the buffer zone between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.

But besides that, we haven't been taught, or told, much of anything about the country. It's just … too small. Insignificant, I guess.

Hell—Ko no Kuni might have never existed before I was reborn here. I have no way of knowing or checking; not anymore.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by a whack to the side of my head, and I instinctively bat the hand away and glare at the assailant. Takumi stares back. "You're spacin' out again."

"So?" I reply. "What's the big deal?"

He rolls his eyes. "Well, it's not like we wanna have some of your input on the conversation or anything," he says sarcastically. "Geez, all you've been doing lately is just sitting around all quiet. What's wrong with you?"

"Takumi!" Souta scolds, a light glare on his face. "You don't have to be rude."

"What? It's true."

I reach out to punch Takumi in the shoulder, a bit harder than necessary, and while he winces he also laughs. "I'm doing this thing called thinking," I tease, wiggling my fingers dramatically, "maybe you've heard of it?"

This time I'm the one who gets punched.

Our banter is interrupted when Momo approaches, a strange expression on her face. "Momo-san?" Souta addresses, tilting his head curiously. "Is something wrong? Do you need help?"

She says nothing for a second, and I'm about to repeat Souta's question when she states, "Something's wrong."

I stiffen, and see my friends do the same. "What do you mean?" Takumi asks, with an almost frantic undertone. "Is there a problem with the caravan men?"

Momo grits her teeth, looking like she's debating with herself whether or not to speak. She glances over her shoulder, staring for a few seconds, before redirecting her gaze to the three of us. "No, it's not them."

"Then what …?"

"I don't know! Okay?" She snaps, and only now do I realize how stiff and anxious her posture is. Her fingers twitch, hands clenching and unclenching, and her eyes squeeze shut as she tells us, "I just know that something is wrong."

I ask, "Why are you telling us? Madoka-sensei is—"

"Your sensei is scary," Momo replies. "And she told us everything was fine. So why would she believe me?"

I bite back the urge to ask her why she'd think we would, reigning myself back in at the last moment and instead asking, "So, um … something's wrong?"

She nods, and I continue, "But you don't know what."

She nods again. I exchange a look with Souta and Takumi before returning my attention to her, unsure how to respond. Ultimately, Takumi is the one to break the silence, patting the ground beside him and offering, "Here, c'mon. Sit down."

"Why should I?" She asks, almost defiantly, and I grimace. "I'm just a civilian."

He stares quizzically, but agrees, "Uh … yeah? But it's not like there's some rule that says we can't hang out with you."

Momo stays standing for a few seconds longer before reluctantly sitting down beside us. "So," Takumi starts again, "uh … when did you start feeling something's wrong?"

Stiffly, she shrugs. "It just feels weird," she admits. "I've traveled with my mom and dad plenty, and even Kouhei and Yasuo. But Suzaku is new."

"I thought you said it wasn't the men," Souta says.

"I said that there's not a problem with them," Momo replies, in an almost rude fashion, "not that there wasn't something wrong about them."

I begin, "It's the same—"

"Suzaku acts weird." I glare at her for interrupting, but she doesn't seem to care. "It's not the same people traveling with us every time, but none of them act like him, and I don't like it."

"So something feels off … because he acts different?" Souta poses tentatively, and when Momo nods he bites his lip in thought. "Well—Momo-san," he begins, "just because he acts different doesn't mean there's something wrong with him."

Momo all but growls. "I know that! You don't get it. There's just something wrong, okay? His eyes do weird things sometimes, and he kinda moves like your sensei and you guys do; not like us. And—and … sometimes—" she pauses, looking back at the men again in an almost anxious manner, "sometimes, when he thinks nobody's looking, he looks at you guys weird."

"Us—the three of us?" Momo nods. "Well, we're genin, so—uh … he's probably just not used to seeing kids, especially as escorts. Does he look at Madoka-sensei weirdly too?"

She shakes her head. "Just you guys," she confirms. "But you don't get it—it's not the kind've look you're talking about. Not surprised or weirded out or anything, but—" she grasps for the right word, "—just weird. Like he's excited, or something."

"Excited?" Takumi echoes, as a sick feeling grows in my gut. "Why would he be excited?"

"I don't know, that's why I came over here," Momo replies. "I just—thought you should know. It's weird, and like I said; your sensei is scary. She'd probably just say it's nothing, just like she said the bridge was nothing."

I can't say I agree with her, but I don't argue her point and neither do Souta or Takumi. "Anyways," she starts, getting to her feet and dusting herself off, "that's all I wanted to say, so don't talk to me anymore," she orders, before turning on her heel and stalking back to her group. We're silent for a few seconds.

Then, "What the hell was that about?"

Souta shakes his head. "I don't know …" He looks over at Madoka-sensei, who has taken up her usual watch position. "But it was weird."

Takumi nods. "Nagicchi, what do you think?"

I swallow hard, biting back the urge to squeeze my eyes shut and curl up into a ball. Excitement—that never spells good news. Ever. Especially not from older men, because—

I cut myself off there and manage to choke out, "I-I think—let's pay attention to it. We should probably tell Madoka-sensei."

Souta nods in agreement. "Yeah, I agree; even if she says it's nothing, at least she'll know in case it is something."

Takumi tilts his head. "But when?"

I look over at the group; Momo is seated between her parents as the food cooks, with Suzaku next to her father, and while neither of the men's' eyes stray towards our small group I see Momo peak over at us for a brief moment before looking away.

"Tomorrow morning," I decide. "We'll tell her tomorrow morning—if Momo's is right, then us telling sensei now, right after she's come back from talking to us, could put her in danger."

They nod. "Right …" Takumi stretches his arms above his head, groaning. "Ugh, sleeping on the ground hurts. My back feels so stiff, even with a sleeping bag."

"Well," Souta replies, "it is the ground …" I snicker as he avoids a swat from Takumi, almost able to ignore the unease Momo's words have instilled inside me.


The plan was to tell Madoka-sensei before breakfast. It's normal for her to hold a team 'meeting' in the mornings, as well as in the evening, so it wouldn't look out of place for us to be talking to her.

At least, that was the plan.

Instead—

"Yuki-chan!" I jump at the sudden exclamation from Renji, turning quickly to see what prompted him to yell, and see one of the four caravan horses on the ground, its legs twitching and kicking randomly. The rest of the group looks upon the scene in a mix of confusion and fear, and Madoka-sensei quickly moves over to access the situation as we follow after her.

"What's happened?" She asks calmly to the panicking man. I notice Momo look over at the three of us briefly, but before I can meet her eyes she's looked away.

"She's—I don't know! One moment, Suzaku-san and Yasuo-san are suiting up the horses, and the next Yuki-chan is like this." It's too dangerous to get near the animal, but with the sounds it's making it's obvious that it's having trouble breathing. "What's wrong with her?"

"Suzaku-san …?" Souta murmurs to himself, casting a brief look over at the man. I do the same, but there's nothing off about his expression. There's horror, fear, unease—

There's nothing off, yet something feels off.

It can't be a coincidence … can it? I wonder, looking away as the horse finally stops squirming enough for Madoka-sensei to bend down and examine it. No. It has to be.

" … I am unsure what is causing this," sensei announces, after a long few seconds. "Perhaps she had eaten a poisonous herb, and the effects are only now setting in … I am no medic-nin; especially not one related to horses." She lays a hand under the animal's jaw. "Her pulse is slowing."

"Sh-She's dying?" Renji sputters. Rukia covers her mouth in horror and while the rest of the men show similar reactions, I specifically focus in on Suzaku.

His expression, his response … it matches what you'd expect it to, and yet something is still wrong.

Momo's expression has barely changed, though I can see just how tight her jaw and fists are clenched. Hesitantly, I move over to her side, and her head whips up to glare at me. "Go away," she hisses. "I told you not to come near me—"

"Do you know what happened?" I ask quietly, ignoring her words completely. "To the horse—Yuki-chan?"

She draws in a breath, her shoulders shaking. "I …" she swallows hard, hardening her expression as she looks around the group, taking note of where everyone is looking—at the horse, and Madoka-sensei. "I don't have proof."

"Proof of …?"

"Suzaku-san," she mutters. "I know he has to do with this; he has to. But Yasuo-san was with him the whole time, and Yasuo-san is the one who was handling Yuki." I blink at the lack of suffix, but say nothing. "But I know it—I know he did something."

I don't dare look again, instead reaching out and grabbing her hand. She immediately yanks away, her glare intensifying, and I say, "I'll keep it in mind," before returning to my teammates. They look at me curiously and in response I sign Later.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity—but is really only a matter of minutes at most, the horse stops struggling. Madoka-sensei keeps her hand there for a few seconds longer before a soft sigh escapes her mouth. "I am sorry, Renji-san," she begins, her tone taking on an apologetic edge, "but she is dead."

It takes an unusually long time to calm down the man—men, I suppose, but mainly Renji—and breakfast is a solemn affair, with Renji's family gathered a bit closer than usual and the remaining men eating silently. Momo doesn't say anything, or even look in our general direction, throughout the duration of the meal.

Our team 'meeting' is postponed quite a bit as a result, and Madoka-sensei simply looks at us before she's ordering, "Report."

The three of us exchange a look, unsure who should speak, but in the end Souta seems to win out. "Um … so, last night, Momo-san came over to talk to us before dinner." Sensei nods, and he continues, "She—well, she said … she was suspicious about Suzaku-san."

"I see." She doesn't even look up from us. "And why would that be?"

"She just—she said he acts 'weird'," he uses air quotes around the word. "That he sometimes moves like a shinobi, and that he—" Souta hesitates and sensei inclines her head slightly, patiently waiting for him to continue. "He, um … he … looks at us with excitement, sometimes."

"Us. … I am presuming she meant you three?" He nods, and she finally looks over at the group. Suzaku is talking to Yasuo and Kouhei, and she turns away before either men notice. "Is that all?"

I shake my head. "I talked to her—earlier," I clarify. "Y'know, when I went over. She thinks Suzaku-san's the one who did it; but apparently, Yasuo-san's the one who was handling the horse at the time." I refuse to use the name Renji gave it; not out of disrespect, but just because … it feels odd to call a horse 'Yuki-chan'. "She's just … really suspicious of him."

Sensei hums softly, closing her eyes for a brief second. When her eyes open again, although nothing has physically changed about her, it's almost obvious that something has. At least, to our team; I'm sure that others wouldn't notice, but after being under her care for so long, it's become much easier to pick up on her subtle changes in expression and mood.

"You will proceed with caution," she orders, "but do not let him, or anyone else, know you are doing so. In their eyes: nothing has changed, and you must keep it that way."

Takumi frowns. "So we're gonna do nothing, basically."

"We are gathering information," she corrects. "In the case Suzaku-san is not who as he seems, any abnormality or irregularity may raise suspicion."

He sighs. "Right … yeah, yeah. The 'retaliate, do not initiate' thing, right?" She nods. "Got it, sensei."

Souta and I nod, repeating the same thing. We go on our way after that; apparently, the caravans only need one horse per, but a second had been brought along for both in case something happened to the other one. Madoka-sensei makes sure to cremate the body before we go, leaving only a pile of ashes to blow away into the wind.

I glance up at the sky as we walk, taking note of the dark clouds—

It looks like it might rain.


A/N: I'm sorry for disappointing everyone and I'm sorry to those few who reviewed with kindness; I'm really sorry. And I'm really sorry for disappointing so many people, I never wanted to write something that would anger so many people. I want people to enjoy this story, but evidently; I've failed. I'm re-uploading the cropped version not only to apologize, but also so that, next chapter, there will be no confusion on why there is repeat content.

The next chapter may be awhile; the backlash really, really hit me hard. I expected some people to dislike it, but I didn't expect people to dislike it so much that I got private DMs about it; and honestly, some of the things that were put into those were downright cruel and I'm having a really hard time recovering from that. I'm still in a bad place, even if I didn't mention that in the original chapter, and those did really did not help and have set me back a lot, recovery wise.

So I hope those of you who stick/stuck around can forgive me for what may be a long wait. I'll try to do better and fix it, I promise. I don't know if it will stay completely the same, but for those of you who did read the content following where this chapter leaves off, the fix will not be a completely, drastic, change, but rather ... I don't know. Fixed, I guess.

Again, I'm sorry. I don't really have the right to ask for reviews, so I won't. If you read up this point, I want to thank you. I'll do better from now on.