Scarlet Justice - ep. 73
"Chips"
[Hidden Sand Joint Mission: Conclusion]
There must have been some sort of panic once the news was relayed back to the Sand, because about 10 soldiers, or two squads worth of shinobi, show up at the inn looking out of breath. The usual barking starts once we're woken up and assembled. Suketsune withdraws into herself and Aiko does her best to provide some comfort, despite being upset herself. Makoto is struggling to restrain herself while protecting her two teammates. At that point, I formally introduce myself and unsubtly exert my influence on those in the area.
We soon come to a suitable arrangement: two of the inn rooms are going to be used for interrogation, or what they try to pass off as 'interviews'. I instruct the girls to answer honestly about every aspect of the mission. The only one with anything to hide is me, and I've made sure of it.
"We'll take Temko and Mishoto first," the one in charge says. If his headband were wrapped any tighter, me might get less blood flowing to the brain than there already is. He has a typical square jaw and his hair is cut in that short and tight manner that career soldiers like, for the illusion of professionalism. Asuma and I have agreed that it makes them look more like pricks than anything else. Aiko and Suketsune look to me, and I simply nod in response. The aggression is just for posturing, as far as they're concerned. They're taken to separate rooms and the doors shut. Three in each room, two downstairs, and two looming over us in this room, trying to be menacing. At least we've packed up and dressed in our regular clothing.
"God, this is the worst. If those assholes make Aiko cry, I swear-"
"You won't do anything. Calm down," I say to Makoto. We're sitting together on the bed, trying to stave off boredom.
"Fucking hell, Cap."
"I know how you feel. Just take it easy for now. You don't want to screw up your career like this. Right? You've got nothing to worry about, anyways. You did your job and everything else was just following orders."
"You're right. It's all fucked up, though." She sighs. "Thanks. I...lose my cool sometimes."
"It happens."
"Yeah." She smiles. "Too bad we can't talk too much about...you know."
"Is that all you have on the brain?"
"Obviously not. I like training, too. And other fun stuff. I'm a pretty good dancer, you know."
"Are you? Perhaps you could teach me a few moves later."
"Ooh. I'll take you up on that," she says as she wiggles her eyebrows. "But on a more serious note...you know, while we're here."
"What is it?"
Makoto rubs at her cheek and is quiet for a while. This looks like an apology coming up, but something like that would be difficult for her. At least she's trying. I can be happy with that much.
"About earlier. Or, all of those times earlier. Sorry for being such a bitch to you."
"Not to question your motivation, but are you apologizing because you feel sorry for me, or because you're ashamed of what you did?"
She looks at me and frowns. "You know, you're really-"
"I know."
"It's...a little bit of both. I feel bad about treating you like that, and at the same time...you've gone through some stuff. So, you know. I just wanted to say sorry for all of that. You didn't deserve it."
"I accept your apology, Makoto. It's gracious of you, no matter how you meant it."
"Really?"
"Really. I was just giving you a hard time because you earned that much."
She rolls her eyes at me. "You dick."
"I don't know what you were expecting."
"I dunno either. Whatever, it's water under the bridge now. That's what matters." We look at each other and then at our two guardians, who are likely listening in on the conversation. Best not to say too much that can be figured out.
"Aiko must have told you about him," I say.
"Yeah. Sounds like a real asshole."
"You have no idea."
"Might not want an idea if he's really that bad. It'll sound insensitive, but...you might as well not have one of those guys at that point."
"Maybe. I don't know how to feel about that. He's still a part of everything. Important, in a strange sort of way. I have no idea how to explain it. He's worthless, never there when needed, but I...don't have a concrete way to deal with those feelings."
"It's complicated, then. Like dealing with an old boyfriend, or something like that. That's what girls tell me, anyways."
"Do they take you seriously?" I ask.
"Some of 'em do. Compliments are mostly harmless, right? The boys like me, though. I hang out with 'em enough, they ask for advice and junk. Pretty cute sometimes, you know? I like the feeling, sorta like being a big sister sometimes," she says with a smile.
"What about Aiko?"
"Aiko? I...well, it's the little things with her, you know? I guess all the things boys would talk about. How she smiles and laughs. Beautiful eyes. Great body. There's a lot of cute in there, but at the same time stuff that gets you going. Know what I mean?"
Well, there's no question that she really cares about Aiko. Not a single lewd remark to be found in that description. "I do."
"Yeah. Stuff like that. She's...different. I tease her a bit about it. Sometimes she's just too nice to people. Forgives a lot of things that others wouldn't. But you can't hate that about her."
"Do you mean to be her protector from the world?" I ask.
Makoto shrugs. "I'll try, but I know I can't be everywhere. She's growing into someone strong, though. It's good to see. I know her mom would be proud of her. Speaking of that, I'm sorry about...you know."
"Thank you."
"Yeah. It's hard, dealing with something like that. I can't imagine it. I'd probably be on the streets if that happened to mine. I, uh...I know that not every person with the status you have is evil. I'm just not rational when it comes to that sort of stuff. Mom and Dad did everything they could, you know? Everything right, civic duty, sacrifices for the village. And then everything kept going downhill, year after year. It's because of the snobs that Aiko...had all that happen to her. Even Suketsune and her family's been kicked in the ass by this. They've had to eat so many losses because the village ordered them to make tools, and then shorted them on the payments or moved contracts to other toolmakers and villages. The Temkos don't compromise for anyone. Stubborn bastards. But that's the type of grit that makes the common man love you." She sniffles. "The old man. He runs that place in Sound, yeah? The fields and junk."
"Yes. You've probably heard about the conditions."
"What a fucking asshole."
"Say that twice. I want to do things differently."
"You gonna take over one day?"
"Yeah, right. He wouldn't let me if it were my dying wish."
"Wow." Makoto shakes her head.
"I have my own path to walk down, anyways. I don't need him. Frankly, I don't need anyone. But friends are good to have, in places high and low."
"Yep. Hey, Cap...you turned out pretty good for a rich girl. Keep at it for everyone's sake, yeah?"
"I will, Makoto. Thank you for your faith in me," I say with a smile.
"Anyone who could turn Gaara into a pussycat like that has my vote of confidence. You're scary as all hell, and I like that. I like a lot of other things about you, but that's the most I can say in this kind of company."
"The sentiment is returned, Makoto."
"Eh? What's that mean?"
I put a finger to my lips and wink at her. She makes an 'o' shape with her mouth and grins in response.
"Thank you kindly, Captain."
The door is flung open, with Aiko and Suketsune entering. They look a bit rustled, but otherwise fine.
"Are you darlings alright?" I say as I hold them close to me.
"I'm okay, Captain," Aiko says.
"Yes...I should be fine. I answered all of the questions faithfully," Suketsune says.
"Hibana and the Leaf brat. Time to have your interviews," the leader barks.
"Makoto, remember what I said. Relax and be yourself. There's nothing they can or will do to you in there," I say to her.
"Got it, Cap."
"Good."
"You heard the man, it's time to g-"
I quickly sweep the offending shinobi off his feet as he places a hand on my shoulder, pinning his head to the ground underneath my foot. The others react a moment later, drawing weapons.
"Listen here, Leaf! You've got three seconds to back away before we do something you really won't like!" one of the nervous idiots yells.
"You have no right touching me with your filthy hands," I say calmly. "Now, listen closely. If you, or anyone else here outsteps your boundaries again, you're as good as dead. I can kill every single one of you in this room in an instant. Exactly how stupid are you?"
"Hey!"
"Oh, shut the fuck up. Go ahead, I dare you to make the first move. Go on, yeah?"
The room is deathly silent. I lift my foot from the Sand shinobi's head and he scrambles up, looking frightened while trying to act tough. Typical.
"Right, as I predicted. Now if you would kindly lead us to our interview rooms, and refrain from making any more foolish mistakes, like for instance, carelessly putting your hands on a shinobi from another village, then we can finish up quickly and return to our homes. Yes? Is that something we want?"
"Listen, kid. If you don't want trouble, you just do as we say. Alright? Five of our countrymen are dead, murdered. Killed in the street like dogs," the leader says, trying to suppress his anger. Mister Military Haircut could pass for a ripe tomato at this stage.
"One, I am not a child. I am a jounin from the Leaf, I am in charge of this mission, and I outrank you, asshole. Two, your shinobi getting killed off in a firefight isn't any of my concern. You have no recourse if I decide right now to take these girls home and leave this little ghost town behind. Do you understand? This is a courtesy," I say slowly. "I am being civil. I am being polite to you."
"I don't give a fuck if you're some queen or whatever. This is our territory, and while you're a guest here, as you have been the moment you took on a mission for our village, you're going to follow our rules."
I give him an incredulous look and laugh. "Is that what you think?" My hand casually reaches into the holster on my thigh and pulls out a few large bills. I hand them to Aiko.
"Captain...?"
"I'm going to be in there a long while, my dear. When Makoto gets back, the three of you should go out and get something to eat while you wait," I say, never moving my gaze from the chuunin looming over me. "Gather your items and bring them with you."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Makoto, let's get this over with."
"Yep."
We finally leave the room.
"The Council is going to hear about this."
I yawn and stretch my limbs as I get up. "I'm sure they will."
It's been four hours, and finally the fools have given up. They realize that they're not getting anything out of me and are better served taking care of business somewhere else.
"We're done, yes?"
The lead bootlicker lights a cigarette and sits down. "Get the hell out of here, Leaf."
"Finally. Enjoy the rest of your day."
I walk past the other shinobi and head for my room, making sure that I have everything I need before heading outside. The girls are at the same restaurant as before, and have finished eating already.
"Ladies, are we refreshed?" I ask as I approach them.
"Yeah, we're good," Makoto says. "What happened in there? It's already afternoon..."
"Nothing."
"Nothing? For four hours?"
"Yes. Nothing," I repeat. "They talked, I listened. Nothing much happened."
"Didn't you say to be honest about everything?" Aiko asks as we start to leave.
"Yes, I did."
"So...why wouldn't you tell them anything?"
"Because the things I tell you don't necessarily apply to me, my dear. I have my own reasons for staying silent, yours don't matter here."
She frowns. "Fumi-sensei makes it sound so easy. Just follow orders and do your best."
"You'll learn how complicated it can get in time. For now, focus on what your sensei says, and continue being a good girl."
"Yes, ma'am," Aiko says with a smile.
"Besides, someone will need to take care of Makoto while she's stuck at chuunin the rest of her life."
"Heh, you think I'll be a chuunin? You've got more faith in me than my own mother! Hahaha!"
"That's not true, is it?" I ask.
"Her mom thinks she won't ever get promoted because she's such a skirt-chaser," Aiko explains. "I told her that it doesn't matter how many skirts you chase as long as you chase missions harder."
"Hold onto this girl," I say to Makoto. "She is a fount of wisdom."
"Don't I know it!"
"Ah, there was something I neglected to mention the other day. Suketsune, we can have our long awaited talk while we're on the move. The ossan at the waterworks I spoke to mentioned a strange fellow who was obsessing over the local weapons cache."
"He was wearing an overcoat."
"Yes."
She sighs and nods her head. "That's...without a doubt, my oldest brother."
"Tell me a bit about him, won't you? And your other brother, Yushiro. Family is something of a passion of mine, I love hearing about everyone else's and how they function."
"Aiko says you got sisters, too. And that they're total hotties!"
"Makoto..."
"Aiko, please. I want more details from the babe magnet over here."
"When I'm finished talking to Miss Temko," I say to her. "Patience is a virtue. Now, Suketsune. You were about to explain your eldest brother's obsession with weapons."
As it reaches night, I cook another set of steaks with the ingredients I have left for dinner. Today's location is a convenient natural pit that has been used at least a month or two before us. Likely to be travellers, or merchants on their way back home from Mitsurin District. We make sure the area is clear and then start winding down for bed.
Suketsune tells me about her brothers. Okichi has a condition that's not terribly understood in this part of the world, but that I had been tested several times for as a young girl in the west. Here, it's called 'jiheishou' - an illness that 'closes off the self'. It explains a great deal of things about him, including his extreme skill in making, modifying, customizing, and identifying every weapon under the sun. He is a rare person with his condition, called 'daigakusha' - or simply, a savant. Even the Temko Clan, known for their demanding standards, have no words to describe his ability. But he has quirks that make him disliked and even hated by many in the village. One of the most notable ones is something that Makoto mentioned earlier, an extreme anger towards people who mistreat and throw away their weapons when they're finished with them.
Yushiro, the middle child, has his own issues. He's also intimidating in his own way. A tall young man, very terse, and bitter-looking from the moment he wakes up. Someone who has worked hard his whole life, only to be ignored by his parents and everyone else. Okichi and Suketsune, as the older genius and the precious younger daughter respectively, each got their share of attention and left him with nothing. Even working as a shinobi to help keep the family financially secure wasn't enough, it seems. He fights often with Okichi because of their competing frustrations.
Despite all this, Suketsune insists that they all love each other. She says that both Okichi and Yushiro are protective of her, in their own ways, of course. And that she prays constantly that the two will get along one day, on their own. The pressure from the past few years has simply been hard on everyone.
"You told me the story about Master Zen, and the Red Iron...is it possible to get any of that material?" she asks as we travel towards the Hidden Sand again. It's the next morning, and the sun is climbing higher in the sky as we jog across the desert.
"Mm. I do have his contact information, so it's possible...it depends on how much you're willing to pay for a personal supply," I say to Suketsune as we finish eating. "I imagine it will be expensive, especially since the material is new. You'll also need a large update on your forging equipment, and you'll have to learn several new techniques to use and shape the metal."
"Wow...that much..."
"It's notoriously hard to work with at the moment."
"That's what I heard from Yushiro...he saw the few weapons made with it, and they were really simple, but also very brittle because they weren't made right."
"Yes, that much was relayed to me. I'll leave the information with you regardless, so that you can pursue those opportunities at your own discretion. I suppose you think that a difficult project like that could bring those boys together."
"Was...it that obvious?"
"I wouldn't call that a bad thing. This is family we're talking about," I say with a smile. "Of course, there are certain issues to consider...but I have my doubts that your village's overall strength will increase enough to be a threat, so it should be fine."
"You say those things so casually..."
"Confidence is a key to success."
"I see..."
"Captain Kobayashi? I have a question," Aiko asks as she and Makoto slow down for us.
"Yes, go ahead."
"Makoto and I were talking earlier...you know by now that I have Scorch Release, like my mom used to. She thinks it's possible to create that sort of thing by mixing wind and fire together, and I keep telling her that it's impossible, or else it wouldn't be a bloodline limit and stuff. So we wanted to know what you think about it."
"Yeah. 'Cause you're really smart and junk," Makoto says.
"Makoto isn't wrong," I say.
"Really? Didn't expect to hear that..."
"Aiko isn't entirely incorrect either. There is some nuance to these sorts of things."
"Do you mind telling us?" Aiko asks.
"I can, yes. It's not terribly difficult to explain, but it's also not something that shinobi are taught to worry about, or study in any significant portions. We will begin by talking about the nature of blood abilities. They manifest in different forms, but the relevant one here is that of Scorch Release, something that Aiko has inherited from her mother Pakura. But it goes further than that, you see. There is a basic thing that you need to understand, and that is how the human body functions," I explain. "Makoto, you understand how your body works, yes?"
"Yep!"
"How do all of the normal functions move along? Do you consciously activate them?"
"Nope. Stuff like breathing and reflexes and junk. Body just kind of chugs along by itself."
"Yes. If you had to keep track of such things, there are so many that it would immediately drive you to madness. Our bodies do many, many things without our direct input. They are coded that way. And so, one of the things that ends up coded into some of us has to do with how our chakra manifests itself."
"So...Scorch Release is automatic, then?" Aiko asks. "But how does that make Makoto right?"
"Scorch Release is achieved with a physical function, one that allows you to mix the chakra in your body, and your body alone, into a new element that is a combination of two others. When you mix wind and fire together, the wind usually is relegated to extra fuel for the fire technique, making it bigger, hotter, and more powerful. This is how things naturally go. One person normally fires one technique at a time, making mixing very difficult. Firing two techniques isn't recommended because of the difficulty, the potential for energy, and the costs of creating two different elements at once and trying to shape them at the same time that you're releasing a technique."
"It's a lot happening at once," Suketsune says.
"Exactly. Now, to get to my point. The fact that Scorch Release exists and can be broken down into two basic components means that the combination is possible in reality with two separate elements. It simply isn't plausible. The amount of balance and control needed to fuse those two elements together, at the proper speeds, and in the perfect ratios, is beyond that of most shinobi in the world."
"What about...a doujutsu? Would that work?"
"Something like the Sharingan, you mean. I would say...yes. If the Sharingan could analyze the levels of chakra properly, it would be a step closer. But analysis isn't control...there would have to be a way to adjust the chakra levels precisely, of either the wind or flames, to achieve the desired effect and create Scorch Release from those two elements."
"So it's possible, it's just super hard to do," Makoto concludes. "That makes sense."
"There is another layer that pushes the feat towards the impossible. Aiko, which element do you favour?" I ask.
"Um...I guess wind."
"So you would say there's an imbalance, a distribution of skill and power between the two elements that means they don't line up perfectly. And of course, you can train yourself so that the two elements are roughly similar when you use them. Let's say this is possible. What do you think happens if one element is slightly stronger than the other?"
"They don't mix properly, and you don't get Scorch Release from them."
"Correct."
"Okay, okay. So...bloodline limits are like, uh, the ice cream machine! You know, like the place we go to all the time, Aiko."
"Makoto...that's..."
She waves her hands. "No, no. Seriously. So one day you could get all the ingredients and try to make ice cream yourself at home, right? And it's definitely possible if you get a bunch of different tools and equipment, and spend a whole lot of time preparing everything and making sure it goes right. But you're not likely to get the same sort of smooth and creamy ice cream as you'd get from the machine. See, the machine has a whole bunch of parts and gears and everything that works automatically, without anyone having to do anything. The ice cream just comes out the other end and to you every time. That's what it's like with Scorch Release. You take your wind and fire, put 'em through your body and the bloodline limit does the work, then bam! Out the other side comes your super fire."
"That is eloquently put, Makoto," I say with a bit of surprise.
"Yeah, I...actually understood that," Aiko says. "Wow."
"Don't act so shocked!"
"It's somewhat surprising...you have to admit," Suketsune says.
"I can't tell if I'm being insulted right now," Makoto mutters. "At least I was right, sorta. Some hard work and luck, and you can make your own elements...maybe."
"It's nothing we need to worry about right now, Makoto. We're still learning. Once we get all the basics down, we can think about teaming up to create new elements and all of that," Aiko says.
"You're right. Besides, we learned a lot on this mission. Thanks a lot, Cap."
"It was truly my pleasure," I say. "To be in the company of such beautiful and vibrant young women is a rare privilege, indeed."
"Really? I woulda been disappointed if I didn't get to take a bath-"
"Makoto!"
"What. I'm not lying."
"We can always fix that, you know. There's a nice hot spring that I spotted in the village," I say unsubtly.
Aiko sighs and shakes her head. "Captain, you shouldn't encourage her..."
"Yes! Best mission ever! Let's get home already!" Makoto speeds up and moves ahead of us. The rest of us follow, sharing amused looks as sand sprays behind us with our movements.
As always, the sun climbs upwards above our heads.