Chapter 59: Betrayal

I can't seem to get Gaara out of my head. He was sent with his siblings on a very important mission to assist Konohagakure, but I don't know much about the details. At the same time, they send me, Mari and Hana to escort some rich merchants to Ceramic village and back. Needless to say I was not especially thrilled to be going with these two... I know for sure they're going to gang up on me somehow. Who's brilliant idea was it to send the three of us together anyway? Are they actually hoping for this mission to fail?

We all meet up at the gate, along with the four merchants we need to escort.

"Can't believe we have to deal with her."

Hana said in a not so subtle whisper to Mari. Surprisingly, Mari didn't add anything to that.

"Hey, brats, you three better behave and protect us properly. I paid a good penny to have a competent group escort us. Can't believe they assigned a bunch of preteen girls to this mission... I knew we should've turned to Konohagakure for this, even though their prices are a bit steep."

I felt my eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Before I could say anything, Mari retorted.

"Listen here, you're lucky that they assigned us to you. There's only a handful of shinobi more powerful than Kiu in our village, even though I hate to admit it..."

Hana and I look at her in surprise. Even if she put in some snide comment about me, she still did compliment my strength in her own way. Did something happen? The merchant in charge of the payment scoffs and we begin our little journey.

I go most of it without talking to anyone. The merchants chat amongst themselves and Hana talks with Mari. Hopefully this mission will go on without too much of a hitch. Mari and Hana are leading at the front and I am guarding the back of the group. Considering our different abilities, we deduced that this would be the best formation for now. Considering my many abilities, I can cover more ground and sense things further, therefore I get the most difficult position. Mari is a range attacker so she's at the front to catch any incoming enemies with her poisoned needles and Hana is right behind her with her sword fighting dealing with enemies who come to close.

Just as I was getting used to the stillness and peacefulness of the desert, I notice that we have started not leaving footsteps behind. Moreover, it feels like we've just been through this part of the desert. No one else seems to notice. To be fair this has just started happening now.

"Mari, Hana."

I decide to call out to them to let them know, since we are supposed to be a team. They stop in their tracks, probably sensing the seriousness of my tone. Subsequently, the merchants stop their carriages as well. I do the hand signs to release Genjutsu. and I touch Hana and Mari with it.

"Release."

Not much changes except that our footprints are now back. Now to find who perpetrated this Genjutsu.

"Wait, we were under Genjutsu?"

Hana asks, looking confused. I nod while still looking around.

"Let's keep going, I'm sure they'll show up soon, whoever they are."

Mari suggests and we decide to keep going. What is this uneasy feeling I'm having though... I look at the carriages. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. I look at the merchants. They look... unbothered? Wait, why don't they seem worried? Maybe I should keep an eye on them, just in case.

Night soon falls and we are getting pretty close to Ceramic village. We should reach it in the morning if we leave at dawn. We set up camp and decide on taking turns keeping watch. I'm up first, then Mari, then finally Hana. Honestly, I think I might end up keeping watch all night, since I feel so restless. I look at the carriages where the merchants decided to sleep.

Suddenly, my body acts on reflex and I turn around with a kunai in my hand just in time to stop a kunai that was headed straight for the back of my neck. To my surprise, it's one of the merchants holding that kunai.I kick him away, getting away myself, but then someone else throws shuriken at me. I jump up, avoiding all of them. I try to look around and spot all four merchants, in different positions, ambushing me. I look towards the tent where Hana and Mari are sleeping.

"Mari! Hana! It's a trap! Wake up!"

No matter how much or how loud I shout, they don't budge.

"Give it up, they won't come help you, they're in on this too."

I feel my heart sink. In on what...? Is this...?

"So you realize it now? This is an assassination attempt. And the target, is you."

One of my attackers says in a monotone voice. An assassination attempt? Were they sent by the Sunagakure council? That must be it. Someone found out that I remembered and alerted them. But who? Gaara would never do it. Koji...? No... He wouldn't either. Then who?

I gaze at the tent that Mari and Hana are in. Mari? Did Mari figure it out when I transformed into Koji?

One of the "merchants" makes a hand sign. I recognize it, he's going to cast a wind jutsu. I do my own hand signs.

"Wind Style: Violent Whirlwind."

As he blows out a strong stream of air from his mouth, I counter.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall."

A wall of mud and earth is erected, protecting me from the impact. No time to rest, though, two of my assailants come up behind me and try punch and kick me. I dodge them, jumping away. I then charge at one of them with full speed and jump over him, landing behind him, and then I hold his neck, snapping it. Just as usual, the headache starts. I brush it off, used to that pain now and go to the next one.

"Wind Style: Violent Whirlwind."

Might as well use the jutsu I just learned. Unlike me however, the person I aim it at doesn't have time to dodge and my whirlwind knocks him unconscious. Two down, two left. I extract gold dust from the earth that I've been preparing this whole time and engulf both of the remaining attackers who did not see it coming.

"I only need one of you alive to tell me everything anyway."

With that, I suffocated them by covering their face and filling their mouth and nose with gold. I then walk to the unconscious man and tie him up. I then head to the tent where Mari and Hana were still. When I face them, they look surprised and horrified.

"So you both were in on this weren't you? And here I thought we might be on the way to reconciliation."

I let out an exasperated chuckle.

"Maybe I should just kill you both right here."

I don't know why I feel so betrayed. If anyone was going to betray me, it would be those two so why am I taking it so personally?

"No, please, hear me out!"

Hana retorts.

"I had no choice but to go along with it! I didn't actually know it was an assassination attempt. I thought they were just going to get some information out of you!"

I turn my gaze to Mari and she's looking away at the ground.

"I knew you hated me, but I didn't think you actually wanted me dead."

I feel this strange sense of betrayal. Am I really feeling something like that because of Mari? Was I still hoping for us to get back to the time when we were friends?

"I'm just doing my duty as a ninja of Sunagakure."

Mari mumbles.

"If that is the way of Sunagakure, then I want nothing to do with it."

I tell them and walk away towards the man who was regaining consciousness. I hold him by the collar.

"Now talk. Tell me everything you know."

Before I could get anything out of him, he bites his mouth down and goes limp. I feel the headache creeping up again. I look inside the man's mouth.

"A suicide capsule..."

I sigh loudly. I go back to where Hana and Mari were and realize that they had slipped away while I was focusing on the dead assailant. I can see them from where I am, but I'm just so disgusted by this whole situation that I don't even feel like pursuing them. Since I'm so close to Ceramic village, maybe I'll spend some time there for now. I really don't feel like going back to Sunagakure right now...