Scarlet Justice - ep. 88
"Children of Calamity"
[Fleeting Dreams, Part 3]

"..."

The remainder of the trip has been, in a word, uneventful. We approach Frost Country and as expected, the weather gets colder and colder. Snow starts to fall until we can feel its weight against the auto carriage...and this is while we're still several hours away from the border. I've done my best to ignore it, but I can't any longer. This is getting very uncomfortable.

"You eggheads didn't check the forecast before we set off, did you?" I ask.

Moyasu responds with a weak grunt from the passenger seat. It's morning, and now we're stuck in the middle of a blizzard. The carriage isn't that well insulated. There's noise from the howling wind outside that is truly becoming monstrous, moreso by the minute. I worry that this vehicle might not hold up in the face of this storm.

"This looks like another big test, but I'm sure we'll be fine," Ittan says. "We just have to stay calm."

There's a slight rumbling as she speaks.

"Oi, Takato. Don't push too hard, okay? We just need to take it steady and into a safer area. But this ain't the best scenario. If there's too much snow piling up, it'll add weight and put stress on the engine. Sprung mass, you know. That and trying to get the tires to grip properly, the traction on those isn't the best right now. I really think we should have switched to the winter tires-"

"Then we would have been late for the rendezvous!" Moyasu yells back at her. "We can't afford mistakes like that, do you not understand? Our reputations are on the line!"

Ittan raises her hands. "Right, sorry. I'm just the idiot mechanic, after all..."

"Finally. At least you understand one thing."

"Shut the fuck up," I growl at him. "Don't you dare talk to her like she's some mutt. She knows better than you how this vehicle works, so show some respect. Know your fucking place, you effeminate little bitch."

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. Client or not, I'll stomp your balls into paste if you speak to her like that again."

"Hey, Kobacchi...it's alright."

I calm down and relax in my seat at Ittan's urging. "Fine."

"The village council will hear about this," Moyasu sneers.

"I'm sure they will." The rumbling through the carriage becomes more pronounced. Everyone is on high alert now. "What's going on...?"

"Not good. At this rate the engine will blow out. Oi, Takato! Ease up on it!" Ittan yells. "Seriously!"

"We need to get out of this storm! Do you want me to stop the damn thing?"

"I just need you to be gentle for a few minutes, we're not gonna freeze to death in here. Don't throttle it, please...!"

"I just have to-"

"No, stop! Stop it!"

The entire vehicle is rocked by what sounds like a small explosion. We come to an abrupt stop, a loud hiss coming from the front of the carriage followed by thick white smoke flowing past the passengers.

Ittan rubs at her head furiously. "Oh god oh god oh god..."

"I'm guessing that's a bad sign," Genma says.

"You fucking egghead! I told you not to throttle the engine! Goddammit all to hell, I should kick your ass! Shit!" She grabs her jacket and runs outside, everyone else following. We've cleared the worst of the blizzard, but the snow here is still ankle deep and rising.

"Shit...shit shit shit fucking dammit!"

Ittan has already flipped up the hood, standing on the front bumper as she peers inside at the engine. She's despondent, face twisted up in anger and frustration.

"It's all toast! I can't do anything with this!"

"What? Aren't you a mechanic? What use are you?" Takato yells.

"Shut the fuck up! I told you over and over not to fucking throttle it! Everything is fried inside out, you jackass! I can't fix this out here in the wilderness, in the middle of a storm! The engine is done for! It's finished, you idiot! I told you not to ride it so hard, why didn't you listen?! It was screaming at you to stop but you kept going! Fuck you!"

"We need to calm down, everyone. I know this is a difficult time, but we're also sitting targets for whoever might come by," Hana says. "In order to make it through, we'll need to work together."

"You shinobi could probably move this on your own," Moyasu suggests.

"No way in hell," Genma says, frowning. "You trying to get us all killed? Why don't you just pour some soy sauce on our heads and call over some bears, that'd be easier. We can't move this thing, protect you, and protect your cargo. Taking personnel out of play is a stupid move."

"Well, we're not that far from the border. We can request help and there must be somewhere that we can make a camp if need be. All is not lost if we can't repair the engine as the mechanic allegedly says."

"We're about seven miles out," Kurenai says. "He's right, the border is relatively close. But since we can't run and this storm is still kicking around, it's still a few hours away. By the time we make the round trip back, it'll be afternoon. And I doubt the weather is going to be cleared up by then."

"So we send one of you hardy shinobi to the border," Takato says, sniffling. "You should be useful for that much, right?"

Everyone ignores him.

"We can't do that. From what I recall, there are a few access codes that only we know as people from the Hidden Frost," Ittan says. "So if we just send the people from Leaf, we won't have the information needed to gain safe passage. That means that one of us needs to go along, no matter how long or rough the journey might be."

"I've done cross-country hiking in the past. This should be easy enough," Moyasu says. "One of the shinobi can come along with me."

"Let's go with two, just to be secure," Kurenai says.

"Very well."

"Shino? Mind coming along?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Okay. See you guys soon."

"Be well, both of you," I say. The three of them leave, and once they're out of sight I whistle into the trees. Shino appears from above and lands neatly on the snow.

"Two of you?" Takato says, confused.

"It will become apparent later," I say simply. "How goes your monitoring, friend?"

"Connection established. No issues to report."

"Well done. I saw what looked like a large tent inside of the vehicle. We will make use of it for shelter, and storage of the items crucial to the current mission. At this time, we will gather important materials and stage them in a new location."

"Who made you-"

"Hey, Matou. Shut your fat mouth and listen to the woman giving you instructions," Ittan says to Takato tersely. "You were the one pissing yourself about being on a timer earlier, so listen close and make sure you do your part this time. You got that?"

"..."

Well. That's a gal for you.

We eventually do organize and gather our things, then set up in a suitable clearing that's nearby. The tent is set up, and our civilian clients can head inside and warm up properly. Hina starts on the fire pit, while Shino and Genma scout the area. The winds have thankfully decided to die down a bit as we settle in, and snow is falling from the sky in thick flakes. Grey clouds loom overhead as we enter the first stretch of quiet for the day.

"The fire is ready," Hina says to us. "Come over and warm up."

"Ah, thank you." Hana and I do as asked and crouch close to the warm flames, spreading our fingers out. The Haimarus patiently warm themselves on the other side. "This is nice, especially after today's earlier excitement."

"Looks like it'll be a while before Kurenai and the others get back," Hana says. "That tent...it's probably big enough for about six of us."

"Only six? I figure all seven of us would be able to fit, if we get creative. I can always share a space with Ittan. She won't mind."

"Yeah...Kurenai figured you would make a suggestion like that," she says with a wry smile.

"Kurenai thinks the worst of me sometimes. Look, I'm only considering what's best for the team, and the mission."

"Would you mind telling us what 'colour' Miss Inaba has on today?" Hina asks without looking at me.

"It's pink lace," I say reflexively. I...wasn't supposed to say that out loud, was I. Oops.

The girls shake their heads.

Three more hours pass, with nothing of note happening. I while away the time by daydreaming, thinking of Fio while lying inside of the tent. She must be up to something interesting, no doubt. Takato is reading something and Ittan is on her side in one corner, silently brooding. She's still quite upset from the earlier incident, so I've decided to leave her alone to cool off for now. Hana has decided to prepare a meal for everyone with the ingredients we picked up at the last rest stop. Hina and Shino are keeping watch together, and Genma is doing perimeter patrol. His experience as the Fourth Hokage's bodyguard is a great boon to us.

There's an odd smell all of sudden...no, more like it was something faint in the background that has now exploded into the fore.

"Incense...?"

It's coming from inside the tent. But why now? Not only that...I can smell different sources. Two. Now three. Something's going on.

"Lili."

"Hana, I'm here." I rise and get outside quickly.

"The boys are getting restless. Hinata and Shino have also spotted several animals gathering nearby. Specifically...they're all wolves."

"You don't think that's natural. Glad we're all on the same page. Where's Genma?"

"I can track him coming back towards us, but slowly. He must have spotted someone or something ahead of us."

"Whoever it is, they're downwind of us. I'm getting a whiff of incense from many different places."

"Yeah, that's really weird. What do you make of it?"

"The gathering of wolves is orchestrated by a certain pair of people."

"Them...the Inugami."

"We're being targeted, obviously, but someone left a convenient trail to our location."

"Gotta deal with that first, then."

"There isn't much time. Shino hasn't reported anything, so Kurenai and the pretty boy should be safe at the least. We need to make a move...you and the boys should keep an eye on the situation and see what develops. Let's gather more information. Have Shino mark as wide an area as he can with his insects. Tell Hina to keep watch for anything that makes too sudden a movement. You'll remain on standby here with the Haimarus, and if you come across Genma, tell him to follow suit."

"Got it. Relaying orders."

Hana leaves quickly with her companions and I duck back into the tent. Takato immediately mobs me and I push him away.

"Hey! What's going on out there? We're under attack, aren't we? Someone must have screwed up!"

I ignore him and walk over to Ittan's bag, where the smell of incense is the strongest. Closing my eyes, I activate my tracking technique once more and focus. Two large chakras in the distance, within the forest. And both smell the same as this bag does right now.

Takato scrambles up and follows my gaze to the bag.

"I knew it...I knew it!" he yells. "I knew you were strange, you damned mechanic! Of course you had some kind of agenda, you traitorous whore! Tell us what you did! Who did you sell us out to-"

"Shut. Up."

"...huh?"

I turn my head to him. "I said to shut your fucking mouth, you fat sack of shit. Go sit in the corner, and don't move until you're told. If it comes down to it, I'll break your legs and tell everyone it was for your own safety. Get out of my face. Now."

He whimpers and does as he's told. I walk over to Ittan, who hasn't moved an inch since I came back inside. "Hi."

"Hi. You're...not suspecting me."

"The incense is a timed release type. That obviously means that the smell would only get stronger with the passage of time...it was planted into your bag earlier, and in a hurry. Someone like you would have a better handle on the situation. You would mix it in with your other perfumes and scents to give it a more detailed and confusing sort of pattern. That's my guess, at least."

"Hm...girls do think along those lines, don't they..."

"Yes, we do. The haphazard placement and the almost convenient timing leads me to believe that it was someone else. A man. And since the loser here wouldn't have the nerve to do something so brazen, that leaves only one other. Moyasu Noda."

"W-what?" Takato sputters. "Moyasu would never-!"

"Boss, we've got a situation."

Shino calls to me from outside. "Oi, what's happening?"

"My Insect Clone has been wiped out."

"Shit." From here, I can tell that one of the large energies has moved away with the other coming right at our group from inside the forest. The wolves have increased in number and are slowly sealing all of our exit routes. "It seems that we've started. Throwing us to the wolves, quite literally. They haven't attacked because...they want something from us. I just wonder what it could be."

Kurenai. Now we're cut off from her...I really hope that she's safe.

"Kobacchi...sorry. If I had done better..."

"None of this is your fault," I say to Ittan. "Listen, we'll take care of this. Stay inside and rest."

"No...that's not what I'm meant to do right now. There's something that...only I can take care of. I feel it in my heart."

"..." There is something there, ever so faintly. If this is what she wants, then all I can do is protect her. "Show me, then. I trust you."

"Thanks." She rolls over and gets to her feet, following me out of the tent with Takato. The large chakra is approaching at a slower rate, and I signal my comrades to fall back towards my position. I stand with Ittan directly behind me, Genma moving to cover her left. Shino guards right while Hana and Hina cover Takato at the rear.

Emerging through the trees and into the clearing is a man with short brown hair. His face is obscured by a mask with the image of a wolf on it, much like the ANBU wear in the Leaf. He's shirtless from the waist up, his body muscular and well-cut. A pair of white ceremonial trouser matched the same colour of belt, and moccasins on his feet.

His chakra is incredibly potent...I can feel it rippling through me. This man could probably tear apart any one of us in a single blow if he got the chance. Our group...if it comes down to brute force, we're not in a good place. Some guerrilla tactics would work, but then it would be extremely difficult guarding two civilians at the same time. Still, we're not completely out of options at the moment. As noted before, he clearly wants something out of us before he makes the decision to attack.

"Hoh. I thought something was strange," he says with a youthful voice. "So they sent the Leaf in as an extermination force. Ha, what a way to play politics!"

"You have yet to attack," I say plainly.

"Ah? I haven't, no. I'm guessing you know why."

"There's a contract in play. Might it have something to do with...let's say, the preservation of your forest and your clan?" I ask.

"Oh? Not just a beauty, but smart, too! Kekekeke...not many ladies built like you anymore, you know. The Leaf didn't just send over rubbish to get kicked away. I like it. What's your name?"

"Lilith Kobayashi," I reply calmly. "Jounin of the Hidden Leaf."

"Hm. Interesting...something about that name, but I can't put my finger on it. Ah, well. Hey, you've got something coming off you. You realize it...right?"

"Why ask if you already know what it is? It's the blood. That delirious sort of perfume adorning killers in this world."

He crosses his arms and grunts. "Tch. You might be unhinged, too. I don't get you women sometimes. Anyways...let's get to why I'm here. Oh, and since you were so kind as to give me your name, mine is Yamato Inugami, the White Wolf of the Heavens. I'm current head of the Inugami Clan, who has walked in the footsteps of the Sage of Six Paths."

"White Wolf of the Heavens...bit of a pompous title, wouldn't you say?"

"Kekeke...you've got a mouth on you. Well, that's good. It would be boring standing here otherwise. Ah, but to business. Get the gal and the fatass with you to hand over the cargo. We'll take care of things from there."

"You...you want the cargo to destroy it, isn't that all?" Takato yells. "You damned Luddites! What do you have against technology?"

"Oi, listen. It's got nothing to do with you, fatso," Yamato says. "You can either do as I say, or die. Your choice. But I'm going to suggest that we do this quickly, before my little sister gets here. She hates negotiations more than she does men, and she especially likes swinging that big sword of hers around. Once that happens...well, you're beyond help."

"You shinobi! What the hell are you doing?" Takato demands. "Hurry up! Attack him! You have the numbers!"

"Attack? This guy?" Ittan counters. "You realize that he didn't come here alone, right? If we try to fight or run away, there's no way that we can overcome the animals in the forest around us. And I can...feel the pressure coming from this person. If our guardians try to attack him head on, the only thing that will happen is that you and I will be torn into pieces in the process. The terrain is bad for running, and the forest is not our home, it's theirs. Trying to fight like this is suicidal."

"Oho...another smart one, and she's pretty cute herself," Yamato says. "You seem to understand the wilderness a fair bit, yeah?"

"I've spent some time here...for many reasons. Can I ask something?"

"Go ahead!"

"Why do you want the device?"

"Well...to put it plainly, I want to save my clan. That's all."

"Are you going to get rid of it?"

"Maybe."

"What about us?"

"..."

"We know who you are now, and if you let us go, that information might get back to the Hidden Frost. You'll be hunted even more intensely. So...aren't we dead no matter what we do?" Ittan asks. "What if we made you an offer? What if along with the device...we gave you a sacrifice?"

"A...sacrifice?"

"Yes." She steps forward until she's beside me. "A sacrifice to the gods themselves. What if I traded my life for everyone else's?"

"You..."

"Please. Why not consider it? I...want to save this place, too. Even if I'm just...human."

"Uh, Miss Inaba? Could you please take a few mental steps back and think that over again?" Genma says nervously.

"Lieutenant Shiranui...thank you for your kindness. But I know what I have to do now. I know what the truth is...what my truth is."

The situation is escalating. Yamato...he's here for the device, and likely to eliminate us all in the process. That is clear to me.

But what does this production accomplish?

Why ask for the device? He could probably sniff it out himself, tear through the tent we've set up, go back to the automobile stuck in the snow...there are a great many things he can do. Why hasn't he killed us? Are his instructions that specific? Does he need to confirm something?

This is a...strange crossroads.

Look underneath the underneath...Iruka's words ring true as always. My beloved teacher, continuing to guide me. This standstill, this frozen moment in time...I can make use of this. Everyone can. Let's get a bit of information and put everything together. Yamato is a boisterous fellow, with a great advantage over our small group. I'll guide him gently into my palm and make something out of this situation.

Show a little bit of your hand, Lili.

"That device is going to be delivered back to Moyasu," I declare. "What confuses me is why he wants you of all people to steal the device from his cabal and bring it back to him...in exchange for something else."

"Who knows?" Yamato says, standing firm. "Funny little conspiracy theory you have there. If there's another guy involved, no need to worry. My sister will drag him back through the snow and he can meet his maker with the rest of you."

"Something must have happened," I continue. "You're probably doing all of this to ensure the safety of someone or something. Perhaps both. Maybe the person you're contracted with promised you protection, a small patch of land, something of that nature. But...you've been waging a guerrilla war against the Hidden Frost and all of its hired contractors, all on your own. Just you and your sister have been enough. The other small clans are moving away, to other lands, to the city, or they've been wiped out entirely. So what would something like this accomplish?"

"..."

"You fight for the future. But not a future for yourself or your sister. You have already considered yourselves as good as dead if you're caught by enemy shinobi. You're both ready to die at any time. You are fighting. Protecting." I pause and think. "More than the forest. Something small. Something vulnerable."

I watch his fists clench and unclench for a moment. It got a rise out of him. Small and vulnerable. Precious.

The Inugami siblings are protecting children. They must be relatives, or orphans of the recent genocide. More than that...why they're fighting this carefully right now.

"You and your sister are the last two adults."

"..."

"I get it. They're taking the technology with the hope that if they deliver it to Moyasu, he'll cut them a deal. That they can use that deal to protect those most vulnerable," Ittan says. "It's not that they can't win every fight that comes their way...unless...it's an entirely unconventional type of battle."

"Listen, you guys are just-"

"The wolves. Because I understand these sorts of things, just a little bit...I know about this forest, and the wolves that live within it. We're still in Hot Water Country, and this part of the forest stretches across this country and Frost. More importantly, this stretch of forest is sacred above all others, said to be one of the places where the Sage taught the masses and gave life back to the land. To lose this forest would be terrible. But there's the strategic aspect as well...it's a good place to hide people away. Moyasu, he must have known that much. He must have found the children."

"He used that information to blackmail you," Genma says.

"You have to obtain the device, kill us, and report back," Shino concludes. "Otherwise...there will be a remote activation of the device."

"Remote...what?" Takato says.

"No wonder he wouldn't let anyone look inside," Ittan says. "He must have tinkered with it to make it into a weapon of some kind. Something he could detonate if there was any trouble. He had to hide it from Takato, the Leaf, and especially a busy-body like me."

"And he counted on the fact that with all of our abilities, we wouldn't be able to figure out the device's workings," Hina adds in. "With this being new technology, and none of us having any sort of familiarity with it...he would be able to do whatever he wanted under the guise of routine maintenance."

"It was planned out from the beginning," Hana says. "Every part of this was a set up, and you can bet that the other people that were killed got tricked in the same way. Moyasu ends up the sole survivor, the hero who managed to hold onto the revolutionary device that would make the Frost Country stronger than ever. The Inugami get to save their forest and little ones, and Moyasu gets rich and famous off their backs. He pulls a few strings to avoid that section of forest...but you know how the story ends, don't you, Yamato?"

"..."

"One that I know all too well as an elite. We make our promises, but then we slowly encroach on that forbidden territory. An executive order here. A new law there. A swaying of public opinion. And then, before you know it...the Inugami are backed into a corner once more, with nowhere to go. And you realize that you have only been delaying the inevitable this entire time," I say. "Anything that happens on this mission is the fault of the Leaf. We would take the blame for wiping out an ancient clan that did nothing wrong in the end. The Inugami would be martyred, before eventually being forgotten and their forests razed for the sake of human comforts. You are, and always have been, a tool for that man Moyasu. A tool to protect the Frost, and most importantly, his own ambition."

"...I see. You all really are too smart for your own good," Yamato finally says. "If you know all of that, then...you know that we have no other choice. This is what we have to do."

"..."

"Seems like the time for words is coming to an end. Welcome back...Fubuki."

Another figure emerges from the trees, stopping beside Yamato.

"Brother...I have returned." A soft, soothing voice...and an overt sense of affection for her brother that I couldn't miss if I tried. This woman wears a sleeveless dress with intricately woven patterns and symbols on the white fabric. The hem hovers just above the snowy ground as she moves. On her face is a fiercer looking wolf mask than Yamato wears, and she has the same type of moccasins on her feet. I can see her body is lightly built, and she has fair skin. She gently brushes a hand over her long brown hair and sighs.

"What is it?" Yamato asks her.

"Brother...have you not started the executions? We did want to complete this mission in a timely fashion..."

"Ah, they know what's going on somehow. I didn't really give them any information to go on, either. But they did it. Seriously annoying."

"You...you can save yourselves," Takato offers. "Just...come quietly, and-"

"Ah? Do I hear this scum talking? Let me take care of it quickly..."

Right...I surmise that this young woman is a captivating beauty beneath her mask, but that somehow is not her most striking characteristic. It's the sword that she carries at her back, in a red sheath. This is not a katana. No, it's far too big. The entire thing is about a meter long from end to end, what the samurai would call a 'sanshaku' blade.

That weapon is...a nodachi.

She reaches back, grabs the grip, and pulls it sideways, through the sheath itself. It happens in an instant and the blade rips through Takato's skull.

Or it would have, if I was a few seconds slower.

Instead, I unceremoniously kick him to the side as the blade makes its arc, shoot snakes out of my sleeves and manually force everyone to duck as I lean backwards.

"Mm. I can't let you do that, Fubuki Inugami," I say flatly as I stand upright again. Everyone else is pretty visibly shaken, but okay. "Yes, he's a complete pain in the ass, but I need him alive until this shitty mission is over." I flip my hair with one hand. "By the by, did you run into a woman with black hair and red eyes earlier?"

"That trash Moyasu was speaking about such a woman earlier when I met with him. Along with a strange boy similar to the one here, who turned into insects when I struck him," Fubuki says. "Hm. So she didn't come back here after all. How interesting."

So it seems like Kurenai has figured out everything on her end. And she's presumably unharmed...that's a massive relief. It also means that I'm free to do what I have to here.

"I'll have to apologize in advance, Ittan...it's going to be difficult fulfilling that request of yours."

"That's more than fine. Please...choose life first."

"Right."

Fubuki tilts her head slightly. "She's fast, brother. Please forgive my failure."

"Eh? Well, I didn't tell you to murder them in the first place, so...don't worry about it. She really is quick, though. Something that I know I recognize, but can't put my finger on...ah." He cracks his neck a few times. "We can tear the information out of her later, I guess. Looks like it's finally time to get serious."

Yamato flexes his chakra and I can feel his killing intent flow towards me. It's making 'that' side excitable, but I can keep her in check for now. Right at this moment...I need to figure out what will work best for this group. Ittan and Takato need to be protected. Wolves have surrounded us and choked off all possible exit routes, so we're done for if we try to run. And this brother and sister pair...they're eager to tear us apart at the first opportunity.

Yamato feels incredibly strong. Though it's possible that I can use my speed to gain an advantage over him in combat. Fubuki...she's incredibly good with that nodachi, and her chakra is nothing to sneeze at either. She also...smells strongly of blood, far more than Yamato does. Definitely the hair-trigger killer of the two, and thus the most dangerous.

"What's cooking, Cap..."

"You'll have to do what you do best and guard our clients, no matter what happens," I say to Genma. "As for me...I'll go all out with my bag of tricks. As I am now, I could go up against one of the Sannin on my own. Maybe even pull out a win."

"I love the confidence, except for that last part."

"It's possible that I might be seriously injured, or even die holding them back," I say. "But I signed up for this, as you would say."

"Yeah..."

"..." But...there is another way. The fight hasn't started yet, and I have a feeling that I can swing this properly. Yamato is the clan head, Fubuki is his only sister, and these are the only two adults left in their clan. If Yamato wants this...and Ittan wants that...

"You've got a gleam in your eye, Princess. Should I be worried?" Genma asks with a smile.

"Well. I don't mean to push you onto this bobbing yacht of emotion...but bear with me for a few more moments, my dear."

"Oh, boy. Here we go."

"New orders," I announce firmly. "Everyone, please stand down."