Chapter 54: Sacrifice
Dear Suzumi
By the time you read this letter, I would have been long gone. I had hoped to tell this to you in a better way, but I see no alternative. You would most likely prevent me from leaving, and I cannot allow it.
During our trip to the Blood village, we had the unfortunate chance of running into the small patrol of Steel-nins, and to keep them from alerting their own village of our presence, I had to silence them. Of course, there is no doubt that they will find out, and I believe they even pressured Takeshi during our stay in his village to hand us over to us. While we can officially 'deny' our presence, there is no mistake that they know we know were the ones who passed through their borders. After all, I met one of them at the very harbor where we caught Naoto.
Unfortunately, we cannot ill-afford to risk a war with the Steel village. They may be a small village, but the conflict will still cause casualties. I have decided to give myself up to them in exchange for excusing our actions back then. After all, I am the one who is directly responsible for the deaths of the patrol group, and with my level of bounty and infamy, perhaps this will be able to placate them somehow.
I have truly enjoyed our time together the last few months. The time when I found out that you had lost your memories was possibly one of the worst experiences of my life, almost akin to if I actually watched you die. No, perhaps it was worse than that, after all, you were still alive but lost to me at the same time. Still, when you said you loved me again, it made me feel that this choice I am making worthwhile.
Do not blame yourself for this. I made this choice willingly, and if you will fall in love with me a thousand times over, so will I do this a thousand times over. I will tell you again: I really, truly love you. And for this, even though it pains me, I must ask you to do something cruel to yourself.
I would ask you to forget about me. Perhaps the pain might not be as extreme for you, since for you, we have merely started this relationship, but I must ask you to end it now. I have no idea what the Steel-nins have in store for me, with the most likely case executing me for their own personal justice, because I have made all preparations to prevent them from extracting any information about my village secrets or my weapons, making me strategically useless to actually keep alive. Even if they don't, I do not foresee that I will be released anytime soon. It may be years before I am able to walk on my home soil again, if it even comes to that. I cannot ask you to wait for me when I may not even return. If I were to return and to find that you have found another person to love, I will accept it wholeheartedly.
I wish our time together would never end, but I suppose it was never meant to be. I am sorry for whatever that is going to come, and I am sorry that I will be unable to stand by your side forever like I promised. I wish you the best in life.
Yours truly,
Hiroshi
Hiroshi read the small letter in his hand over and over again. It conveyed the message he intended, even if he wanted to say so much more, but he couldn't. There was no point in prolonging his end, it would come eventually.
He folded the letter and kept it in his pocket, not before taking up the tray of food and entering his bedroom. Suzumi was still fast asleep in his bed, looking serene and peaceful. He walked over quietly and sat down next to her, and as if sensing his approach, she squirmed slightly not before slowly opening her eyes.
" …Isn't it slightly early?" she asked coyly.
" Well, I thought it might be a good idea to have some breakfast in bed," Hiroshi replied, placing the tray gently next to her. Suzumi looked at what he had prepared. He had made freshly toasted bread along with some muffins. The aroma of freshly grounded coffee was so strong Suzumi was quite awake just from smelling it alone. " Hope it tastes okay."
" Hmm, you doubt yourself in terms of preparing food?" Suzumi mused, turning around in bed. While she was now wide awake, she was still too lazy to get out of bed, so she chose to lounge around in bed instead. Hiroshi was suddenly reminded of a very lazy, contented cat rolling around, and he couldn't help but chuckle. " …What so funny?"
" Nothing…" Hiroshi quickly replied.
" I thought I heard you chuckling. I think it was about me," Suzumi replied, pouting her cheeks slightly.
" Just your imagination. I need to head out for a while to run an errand, I will be back shortly," Hiroshi replied.
" …Oh, what is it?" Suzumi asked, sounding curious.
" We've been enjoying quite a bit or R&R. My work in the hospital is piling up a bit. Sakura has asked me to check on things to make sure there is nothing important and urgent that needs to be done immediately, but with any luck, there is bound to be something," Hiroshi lied. " Won't take too long. Will let you know otherwise."
" We aren't having breakfast together?" Suzumi asked.
" Some other time. Mind waking up Miyako later? She starts to get wake up later as the days progress," Hiroshi replied.
" Hiroshi, it's slightly past 6a.m., even I am not supposed to be up this early," Suzumi replied, laughing slightly. Hiroshi merely smiled not before getting up, getting ready to leave. He gave a wave to Suzumi, knowing this might be the very last time he would see her. With a heavy heart, he left the house.
OOO
The sun had barely even broken the surface of the horizon, so the village was notably quiet, especially on a weekend. Hiroshi was all alone to collect his thoughts as he walked to the entrance of his village. It was slightly cold, and Hiroshi was not dressed warmly enough. He was only wearing a simple shirt and short cotton pants, very plain attire from his normal clothing. He didn't need anything fancy where he was going.
Hiroshi's mind was in a bit of a mess. His hands were shaking slightly and felt clammy to the touch, but not due to the cold morning temperature. He thought he was mentally ready for this, but it was obvious he wasn't. Perhaps he still had so much regrets left behind that he could not walk to his oblivion in peace.
As he made his way along one of the main roads towards the village entrance, he suddenly noticed that he wasn't alone. Two figures could be seen flanking the road up ahead. One of them had his forehead protector wrapped around his eyes like a blindfold, and the other was a 12 year old kid, so it was obvious who they were. Hiroshi had hoped that it wouldn't have to come down to this, although unfortunately he didn't have a choice here, so he took a deep breath as he continued forward.
Makoto and Miyako turned to look at him when he approached them. Hiroshi waved his hand and waved at them. " Morning. Fancy meeting you this early. What are you two up to?" Hiroshi asked. They didn't respond, but they merely looked at him, with mixed expressions of apathy and annoyance. " Well, gotta go do something. See you all around…"
" Why didn't you tell us?" Makoto asked curtly, cutting him abruptly.
" …Tell what?" Hiroshi asked. He wasn't sure why he was even bothering to keep up the charade already, as it was obvious both him and Miyako knows what he was up to.
" I'm completely blind this time, but this doesn't mean I cannot see," Makoto replied. " …I can sense a small group of shinobis several kilometers away from the village, most likely Steel-nins. I don't need to explain myself, do I? I've known since we caught Naoto, ever since you dropped that 'message' of yours."
" Oh well, I was hoping you didn't take notice," Hiroshi replied, not before turning to Miyako. " How'd did you figure it out?"
" …Your expression," Miyako replied.
" …My expression? I don't understand."
" Ever since a month ago, I started to notice something wrong with you. You looked happy and contented, but there was something deep and dark inside your heart, and it grew worse with each passing day. I was at first puzzled at what it was, but then it hit me, and it should have been obvious from the start," Miyako answered sadly. " I was looking at a person who knew he was going to die, and he was merely counting the days he had left."
Hiroshi wasn't sure how to express himself at this point, so he merely gave an expressionless chuckle.
" Hiroshi, why didn't you tell us?" Makoto asked.
" You know very well why I cannot. Ryouta may be logical, but I know Sora and Hibiki won't be about it. I know Sora well enough to know that she will disregard everything to get me back, and I cannot have that. The cost of that is way too high for her impulsive behavior to take control," Hiroshi replied. " Hibiki will most likely do the same."
" Then what about Suzumi?! You lied to her in her face and you plan on just walking off?!" Makoto exclaimed. " Don't you care about her?!"
" I'm doing this exactly because I care about her. You should know Suzumi's character, how faithful she is. If I had told her, she would wait for eternity for me to return, even if I cannot. She will spend her days alone, unable to move on, and I cannot on good conscience have that. I am not that cruel to make her wait for someone who might not ever return. If what I am doing will hurt her until she breaks, then I pray that it will hurt her to the point that she will be able to accept reality and be able to move on," Hiroshi answered calmly. " I think you of all people should be able to understand."
Nobody said anything for a while. The silence between all three of them was so tense it was almost palpable.
" …Does anyone else know about this?" Miyako asked.
" Only the Hokage, Shikimaru-sensei and my parents, who after a lengthy discussion, have agreed to take care of you over my place. I have made the necessary arrangements. If you think you can put your skills to good use, I've asked the Hokage to give you a place in the academy, which I think will be fairly trivial for a person with your capabilities, but it is a start. If you wish to leave all of that behind, I have arranged for your education to be catered for, and you are free to do as you wish. My parents have agreed to take care of you, and I'm sure you will find them to be nice people. After all, I have been mostly influenced by them," Hiroshi answered slowly.
" But you lied. You said you are going to take care of me. But now you are just going to up and leave. Was whatever you said a lie?" Miyako asked, tears already welling in her eyes.
Hiroshi squatted down in front of her, gently stroking her cheek while wiping the tears falling down her face. " Forgive me. I was not lying when I said that. If the situation permits, I would have taken care of you until my dying day. I have no idea what to say, but I can only say that I am speaking the truth, and I can only hope that you will believe me," Hiroshi apologised.
Miyako took a step forward, embracing Hiroshi in a tight hug. " Don't go…please don't go…" she said while crying, streaks of tears falling down her face. " You are the first and only person who has taken care of me, to truly care for me. What am I going to do when you are not here?"
" You will know what to do. It may be a bit presumptuous and arrogant for me to say so, but I know you will know what to do, and it will be the right thing to do," Hiroshi replied, picking Miyako up as she continued to cry in his arms. She felt like a small kid right now, not the incredibly dangerous killer he was used to seeing, which was almost comical if it wasn't for the situation. As he stood up while carrying Miyako, he turned to Makoto and said " …Since you are already here, walk with me. I know I didn't plan on telling any of you, but truth be told, I would love some company before I leave."
Makoto didn't respond, but he merely followed Hiroshi as he continued on his way towards the entrance, carrying Miyako in his arms. Hiroshi didn't feel nervous all of a sudden, almost enveloped in a calm serenity. It was as if seeing Makoto and Miyako reminded him of what was really important, and why he had to do this.
They didn't exchange any words until they reached the entrance. There, both Shikimaru and his Hokage were already waiting at the entrance gate, which was opened. Miyako had started to quieted down, softly sobbing in his arm now. He gently placed her down on the ground when they reach the gate, patting her head softly. She wasn't able to look at him directly, her eyes were now red from crying so much.
" …Well, I'm ready," Hiroshi replied.
" …You don't have to go through with this, you know," Shikimaru spoke up.
" You know that cannot happen," Hiroshi answered.
" …Forgive me. I am powerless to change anything," Shikimaru replied.
" No, you have done enough. You have been an inspiration to me, Shikimaru-sensei. I'm proud to have learnt under you," Hiroshi replied, smiling at his former instructor. Shikimaru could only smile sadly back, rolling an unlit cigarette between his lips.
Hiroshi turned to Makoto, not before extending his hand. " I'm sorry for not telling. I will have to trouble you to tell the rest of our friends what happened," Hiroshi replied.
Makoto took his hand and shook it firmly, gripping his hand tightly. " …Take care of yourself," Makoto replied after a while, unable to come up with anything to argue anymore. Hiroshi merely nodded his head and turned around to leave. All four of them stood by the entrance to watch him leave, staying long after he was gone from sight.
OOO
Hiroshi continued to walk into a secluded forest area where nobody was in sight. He was now quite far from the main road, and he sensed no one had followed him. When he reached a small clearing, he stopped moving, pausing to casually look around the entire area.
" …I'm here, alone. If you wish to speak with me, please show yourself," Hiroshi spoke up.
A few seconds later, a group of 10 people emerged from the surrounding forest, encircling Hiroshi. Most of them were larger than him, and no doubt physically stronger than he was. All of them had their forehead protector of the Steel village proudly displayed on their forehead, and each and every one of them wore masks to conceal their faces, so Hiroshi could not make out any distinguishing features, besides the fact that 2 of them were females.
Once he was surrounded, two more people emerged. The first was a young youth, quite possibly a few years younger than he was. Although he had a face mask on, his age was quite apparent from the looks of his eyes. He was almost similar to Hiroshi in size, but he exudates an aura of danger and power, certainly not someone to be trifled with. This was the youth who picked up his message during that fateful day at the harbor almost a month ago.
The second person was a complete opposite. He was a withered, old man who was quite possibly past his 80s. He wasn't decked in ninja gear, only wearing a plain looking yukata, and he was carrying a walking stick, which Hiroshi observed he didn't really need from the way he carried himself, but merely there for show. He had an old, grizzled face, like someone who had experienced a lot of hardship. Hiroshi frowned slightly as he studied the old man. He looked somewhat familiar, but he was sure this was their first meeting.
" You came," the old man spoke.
" As promised," Hiroshi replied.
" I am one of the elders of the village, known simply as Ken. I am here to discuss your…proposition," the old man continued. " You confirm that a team of Sand and Leaf shinobis passed through our country, even though you are not allowed to?"
" Yes, although there is no official record of it, and any attempt to prove otherwise will be met with denial," Hiroshi answered tersely.
" …You also confirm that you indeed wiped out a team of scouts patrolling our borders? Four in total?" Ken asked.
" Yes, a female chuunin, who's name I believe is Kanae, and three genins, two boys and one girl. They had an eagle with them, Toushi was its name," Hiroshi answered. " I will also confirm that it was I personally who killed all of them."
There was a build-up of tension in the air, and some of the shinobis clenched their fists tightly. Hiroshi noticed the young shinobi standing next to Ken was glaring angrily at him with looks that could kill. Only Ken seemed unfazed by this statement.
" …Why?" Ken asked, after a while.
" Because of our villages' policies, we cannot pass through your borders without express permission. Doing so will result in war. We didn't want the patrol to return and inform your village of our presence, since we were in a critical position at that time. I had no choice but to kill them to silence them," Hiroshi answered.
" How about the other kunoichi with you at the time?" Ken asked.
" She is irrelevant. I killed the scout group," Hiroshi answered.
" You think you can atone for whatever you all have done by just blaming everything on yourself! ?" the young shinobi next to Ken exploded, although Hiroshi didn't find it surprising. He noticed he was already holding a kunai in his hand. If it wasn't for the fact that Ken was the authority figure here, Hiroshi would have been long dead the moment he stepped into the clearing.
" …Yes," Hiroshi answered.
" Why you…!"
" Calm yourself," Ken ordered. He didn't need to speak loudly, his voice almost to the level of a whisper, but the shinobi managed to hold himself back from any more outbursts, although he was shaking in anger. Turning back to Hiroshi, he asked " So, what do you propose exactly? You have stated your terms, but I want to hear them from you."
" I will accept, and take, full responsibility to the unfortunate event that transpired. I have come to offer myself to you, with certain limitations. I refuse to divulge any information from my village I deem too dangerous to tell, and I will not help in the development of any weapons of any kind. I have installed a bomb inside my head that will detonate when any form of foreign chakra is inserted into my brain," Hiroshi replied. " Other than that, you are free to take me as a prisoner."
" …Foreign chakra? That will only protect you against…"
" Genjutsu, yes, and it is the only thing I am susceptible to. If you think you can extract any form of information from me through physical torture, or if you wish to do so to punish me, you are most welcomed to try," Hiroshi replied.
" …And what will you ask in return?" Ken asked.
" To not go to war with my village," Hiroshi answered.
Ken looked impassively at Hiroshi. " …Do you know what is Kanae's relationship to me?" he asked after a while.
" I have a nagging suspicion," Hiroshi replied. " I think she is your granddaughter. You share the same eyes, which is why I thought you looked familiar."
" …And do you know who is she to him?" Ken continued, motioning to the young shinobi next to him.
" Her lover, I suspect," Hiroshi answered honestly.
" Her fiancé, to be precise. They were to be married a month ago if not for her untimely death. The shinobis all around you are personal friends to her. She is my only granddaughter, and was my only remaining family member I have left, as our previous war has left me alone with her as company. If I die of old age, I will die alone with no relatives to watch me go," Ken replied. " You have taken something dear from us. You intend to forgive your sins for so little? You think it will sate our lust for vengeance?"
" No, of course not," Hiroshi answered.
" And yet here you are with your plea," Ken replied. " Why bother if you know we will not accept?"
" Because you have to. While it was unfortunate that we had to pass through your borders, we have taken down an organisation, the 'organisation'. You know full well what they are, and what they are capable off. You can come here claiming for justice, but I know that if all the village elders were to know if the cost of destroying the organization was the sacrifice of 4 shinobis, then the price is quite cheap," Hiroshi replied.
" How dare you…!"
" 180 assassinations, 450 billion ryo in property losses plus over 500 lives lost over the span of 10 years and that is on the official account only from what I have learned from your village," Hiroshi answered.
" You think you can trivialize a person's life in terms of value?" the young shinobi shouted.
" Then what would you expect me do? Tie them up and then leave? Leaving them unable to fend for themselves in the wilds is akin to letting them bleed out to death. Knock them unconscious? They will later wake up and warm your village, which would mean the end for us, in many ways. You have to admit, the reason they died was because your village still had that silly treaty that prevented us from ever walking into your country," Hiroshi answered.
The shinobi lost his cool, and Hiroshi felt a powerful strike to his face, knocking him flat to the ground. He felt like he had almost dislocated his jaw. The young shinobi was standing over him, his fist curled up in a tight ball, almost ready to hit him once more.
" Shut up! You do not understand anything!" he howled at Hiroshi.
" Oh really? You think I don't?" Hiroshi replied. " The kunoichi who was with me was my significant other. With any luck, we would be married in a couple of years. If I did not kill your patrol, she would certainly be dead. If we did not deal such wanton destruction upon the 'organisation', they would have killed her eventually. I have done all I can to keep her alive, and now I am here having realized that I will never taste her warmth again, and you accuse me of not understanding you? Don't judge me, hypocrite."
" Shut up!"
" Enough, Daisuke," Ken spoke.
" But…"
" He may be my granddaughter's murderer, but he is an honest man. Everything he has said is true. The organisation that has been the bane of our country has been eradicated, and there is peace throughout the lands. Kanae disobeyed her orders and strayed from her normal patrol path, which unfortunately led her to where they were at that time. This man, who could hide behind the strength of his village, which would eventually destroy us if we were to ever go to war, has come here to beg for forgiveness. If anything, I admire him for his courage," Ken replied. " If anything, it is I who killed Kanae."
" …W-what are you talking about?" Daisuke asked.
" I am one of the people who kept the treaty we currently have against the Leaf active. When the elders and I voted for it, the vote came in at 7-6, and I gave that extra vote. In short, I kept the very rule that lead to Kanae's death," Ken answered. " Tell me, Azure Forest, what would you like us to do?"
" …Urm…?"
" If you are given the power to choose what fate you could lead right now, what would it be?" Ken asked.
" …I'd hope you will completely forgive me and let me go home to the arms of my beloved," Hiroshi replied.
" You truly are honest," Ken replied, laughing slightly. " But you know we cannot let you do that. I do not blame you for your actions, but this does not mean that I forgive you, let alone the rest of them."
" I am committed to this. If you agree to my terms, you are free to do as you wish with me," Hiroshi answered.
Ken looked at him in his eyes, not before turning around. " We will accept your offer. You are now our prisoner. You are a shinobi of exceptional talent, so I will make full use of you. We have dangerous, life-threatening work required to be done, and we will allow you to perform them. If you serve us well enough, we will one day consider your debt repaid, and you are free to return to your homeland if you wish, but I will first say that there is a good chance you will die in the process, and it will be a few years before we will allow you to leave," he spoke. " You will have no rights, merely a tool to be used and eventually discarded when we see fit."
Hiroshi breathed a sigh of relief. " …Thank you," Hiroshi replied.
" …You thank me, even though I said I would kill you by involving you in dangerous work?" Ken asked.
" I was actually expecting all of you to execute me on the spot as the most likely scenario. The fact you have decided to spare me, even if to cause me pain, is a good enough reason to celebrate," Hiroshi replied.
" …What an interesting fellow," Ken whispered, smiling slightly at Hiroshi's resolve. " We will leave soon. Do as you wish to him, but I want him alive at all costs."
Ken turned around to walk off, and Hiroshi saw all the shinobis closing in on him, their intention to cause him pain for the death of their comrade was obvious. Hiroshi sighed, silently wishing Suzumi well just as Daisuke raised his fist to slug him across the face.
Not too far away, Makoto was hidden amongst the trees, observing the exchange from a distance. Seeing that there was nothing further he could do, he quietly left the place.
OOO
Hmm, he's kinda late. I wonder what is he up to, Suzumi thought to herself. She had just finished the breakfast Hiroshi had served, having decided to eat it slowly to wait for his return, but he was taking his time. She went to wake up Miyako earlier, but for some reason she was already up and out of the house, which Suzumi thought was weird.
As she licked her fingers clean when she was done, she picked up the tray to bring it to the kitchen to wash, only to find a small, white envelope beneath the tray. Curious as to what it was, she opened it and started to read the contents.
