content warning: in this chapter there will be discussion and depiction of genocide, with various other war crimes. the actions that the protagonists take here measured against real world practices may also seem objectionable to some.
though the act is treated with proper gravitas, the contents should still be properly noted.
Scarlet Justice - ep. 107
"Chrysanthemum Hymn"
[Earth Country Collections: Conclusion]
Our path of travel takes us in an arc going northeast, curving towards the Hidden Rock. We will be stopping well short of there, of course, but still close enough that shinobi can travel back and forth within the space of a day. With our primary and secondary objectives completed, we simply need to return to the village to have everything settled. But as Erika pointed out at the start of our mission, there is other important business to take care of.
The possibility of this being something dire makes me think quite a bit on it. What is it that we might be involved in?
Between our travel and rest, a day passes. Erika pulls out a map on this morning and observes it for a solid minute before setting it alight. The ashes float away in the cool wind, and she stretches a hand forward before making a half seal.
"Only that much, then..."
Her head tilts upwards. Then she balls her hand into a fist and punches the earth below, going still for a few seconds before rising again. This must be some sort of esoteric code that was provided by the operative in this country. Things like that are given out from time to time, and while sometimes annoying, they are vital to the safety of everyone involved and the success of any given mission. That is why, as odd and inefficient as they can be, they are respected and carried out as often as possible.
"It seems that things are as they should be. Let's continue. The home should be up ahead."
We pass through another stretch of forest before exiting at the foot of a mountain pass. There is a home not far off it, sitting neatly on one side with a long slope reaching from the road to the front entrance. The three of us follow it upwards and Erika knocks on the door. It seems like a normal enough place, especially looking at the similarly placed and styled houses surrounding it. I assume these are mostly civilian homes, which makes going undercover just a bit easier.
As the door opens, we see a young girl on the other side. She wears a plain white dress and has violet hair, tied back into a bun. A cursory sniff at the air tells me that there is some sort of poisoned instrument close by.
"Good morning. How can I help you today?" she says with an innocent smile.
"We are here for a delivery...a selection of teas that your father had ordered previously. They come from a certain shop in the Hidden Leaf."
"Dad does love his tea. What kind was it, again?"
"Amacha. The most beautiful hydrangeas are grown within the village, so it only seems logical."
"I guess that much is true." She reveals the kunai hidden in her sleeve and bows deeply towards us. "He should be in his study right now. Please, come in."
"Thank you." We return her bow and step inside. The door closes behind us, and we follow our hostess to the wide open living space, with its low table and cups of tea already prepared.
"I'll get Mom and Dad here in a moment. Would you like anything while you wait?" she asks.
"Nothing for now," Erika says. "Thank you. We will wait here patiently."
The daughter nods and leaves the room.
"Pretty hardcore," Ino says. "You think she knows everything her parents are up to?"
"She certainly has an idea. The details, however, may have been concealed to protect her as much as possibly. Both physically and mentally," Erika replies. "For a child so young...there is no need to expose her to every horror that we face."
"Not yet a shinobi," I say. "But she has the fortitude of one, to act so calmly."
"Indeed."
"Welcome. You made it safely, and with a couple of friends, I see."
"Yes." Erika stands and shakes hands with the robed man who appears in front of us. Average height for a man, which is to say taller than all of us, rugged, muscular. Has a mane of wild brown hair combined with a neat beard. He shakes hands with me and Ino next, and I note that he has a firm, reasonable grip. The lightly robed woman next to him, with long brown hair - who I assume is his wife - looks very wife-like. That is to say, her frame is thin and she has a delicate look about her. Though from reading her chakra, it's not entirely the truth - she's very clearly a trained shinobi like her husband. Her skills lie in other areas, and it must have been her idea to have the daughter handle poisons so deftly.
We all have a seat again, the married pair sitting next to each other on one side of the table with all of us on the other.
"We'll let you know if anything serious is going on," the man says to his daughter.
"Okay, Dad."
"If you're hungry, I have something in the fridge on the top shelf for you," the woman says with a smile. "We might be a while."
"Alright. Thanks, Mom. I'll see all of you later." She bows and leaves us.
"How far in the loop is she?" Erika asks.
"Not far," the man says. "She knows that we do dangerous things as shinobi, and that we're keeping a number of things away from her. She also understands the reasons for that. We're open about that...have to be, anyways. It's the only way to have a functioning family." He sighs. "But...we should get down to business."
"My associates will introduce themselves," Erika says, nodding to us.
"Ino Yamanaka, it's nice meeting you."
"Lilith Kobayashi. A pleasure."
"Oh...that's a shock, to be sure. So you're the Scarlet Viper, right?" he asks me.
"Yes, that I am."
"And...Lord Inoichi's daughter, if I'm not mistaken?"
"Yep, that's my dad," Ino says.
"That's definitely interesting...it also makes this more significant. If it's the likes of you three, then something more will come out of today. More than I would have dared hope before. As for us, I go by the simple name of Brown Bear. Bear is fine on its own if you would like. My wife is designated as Red Wolf, and my daughter is Pink Sparrow."
"Names for not only your protection, but ours," I say.
"Yes, exactly. Wolf and I here met while I was on assignment. She was planning to defect from the Hidden Rock and worked as an informant for the Leaf. While I was in deep cover, we...didn't plan it, but we fell for each other. The rest was history," Bear says.
"He's about as soft as he looks," Wolf says with a smile. "I always say that Bear was pretty apt as a code-name."
"Heh."
"They have spent the last decade and a half embedded in the Hidden Rock's structure and operations. Losing them would be a great blow to our intelligence network, so we would like to keep them safe for that reason, among many others," Erika explains. "Actually, the mission we were just on had us acquire the rights to certain portions of land, ones that would allow for a new trade route to be built."
"So you got your hands on it. I didn't think the old man would order the operation, but I guess he got wind of the papers moving?"
"It seems so."
"Progress is always good," Bear says with a nod. "The reason why I wanted you here today is because something serious has happened. We need to visually confirm the extent of it ourselves, but...well, to sum it up, our side has done something terrible. News about it wouldn't reach the Hokage until it was too late, whether from our own sources or from other entities."
"Our side? What...exactly happened, sir?" Ino asks.
"An unauthorized operation, by members of the Hidden Leaf's special forces. Whether the Hokage had any knowledge of this, I can't say for sure. But I highly doubt it was him. This was the work of another."
"Danzo Shimura," Erika says.
"Even his hounds aren't flawless, and they must have been caught in the act of doing something especially heinous. Faulty intel, plain arrogance, all of those things could change a mission from a simple failure with a retreat to something far worse. I wanted to deliver this information and present the proof to someone trusted. Who else aside from the Chrome Panther herself..."
Chrome Panther. God, that is still so cool.
"Thank you. I am honoured to hear that I am trusted so," Erika says with a tilt of her head downward.
"Respect like that is earned. Same as for your friend here," Bear says with a nod towards me. "With all that said, we would like for you to give us a few minutes and get into some proper clothing. We'll need to travel to the site directly...I've had the area concealed to some extent using barrier arts that Wolf helped with, but we can't keep that up forever. We...will have to clean up the site completely. Oh, right...sorry, Miss Yamanaka. I didn't answer your question in full."
"It's alright."
"What happened was that these unknown operatives had their covers blown. They were attempting to start civil and political unrest within the Hidden Rock, starting from areas on the outskirts of the village. Those people who were poor and disenfranchised because of state policy would be the most susceptible to information campaigns, allegedly. However, the areas chosen were unsuitable for those purposes. Wolf and I authored a report that we sent back to the Leaf, stating that a campaign like this would have a low chance of success and that several adjustments would need to be made in order for it to have even a chance of working. But I guess...Danzo Shimura, or one of his cronies, they must have gotten a hold of those papers, and decided they could achieve greater success by doing everything under a veil of complete secrecy. In the midst of it, something went wrong and..."
Bear pauses for a moment. Wolf rubs his back gently, a worried expression on her face.
"They decided that there could be no witnesses, because of the nature of the operation. So everyone involved was killed. The insurrectionists native to Earth Country, some foreign operators, including from the Leaf, and several Hidden Rock shinobi who had been monitoring everything, assuming correctly that another village was involved. Able-bodied men and women, but also the elderly...and children. Several families were involved, indirectly."
Ino's face pales. "Something like that..."
"It was Wolf who discovered the incident. She listens in on the back channels, while I'm out working and Sparrow is at school. Some investigating led us to...that place. Not even a day after it happened. We set genjutsu traps and used barrier arts to conceal the area as much as we could, for as long as we could. But we knew that we couldn't do it forever. We had to clean it up, and tell someone, anyone about what took place. All of our investigation left no doubts...it was a black operation performed by our countrymen."
"..." Ino is trying to be brave, but I can tell that she's distraught by hearing all of this.
"Our presence will also help here, correct?" Erika asks.
"Yeah. Having five sets of hands over two will speed things up, in addition to everything else. We'll be back in a bit...you guys talk among yourselves and decide what you want to do next. This is a lot to handle for anyone."
Bear and Wolf nod to each other before getting up and leaving the room.
"Are you alright, Ino?" I ask her.
She shakes her head.
"Did you want to talk about it?"
She shakes her head again.
"Alright. If you need anything at all...both of us are here. Please remember that."
She closes her eyes and nods.
"We're ready to go. You all can leave your essentials here, the kid will take care of them for you," Bear says as he returns. He and Wolf are wearing the standard issue ANBU outfits that one would see in the Leaf, complete with appropriately themed masks. They also have large scrolls on their persons. "Got some masks for you as well. Generic oni this time."
"Thank you," Erika says. We put our masks on and signal that we're ready. With little Sparrow watching the house, we should be fine...the five of us leave through the back entrance, hopping down the mountain and towards earth again. We move further east, closer to the Hidden Rock than before and into a dense patch of forest. It seems like a decent place to live in, with a few adjustments.
It's quiet, and a bit tense as we continue to move quietly together. Erika is usually quiet, but Ino...she hasn't said a word since we were at the house. Her body language is different. She seems like she's been drained of a lot of energy, all at once. If we truly are going to the site of a massacre...will she be able to handle it? Is there anything I can do for her?
"Here we are," Wolf announces in her light voice. She clears away a space in the dirt with her foot, and makes the ram seal with her hands. The air in front of us shimmers before an entire set of trees disappears from sight, and an all too familiar scent reaches my nose.
"Blood," I mutter. "So much..."
"Utter cruelty for the sake of it. Things of this nature, they're-"
"It's okay." Bear puts a hand on his wife's shoulder. She lets out a breath and nods.
"I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize. But...we need to show these ones what's happened."
"Yes. This way...you will be able to see everything as it was that day, just over a week ago now. Because of the weather, and the climate...the bodies have not deteriorated very much since that time," Wolf explains.
At once, it feels like we've started our descent into a different world. One where spirits and demons roam freely, some upper layer of hell that plays tricks on the human psyche. A dark atmosphere that makes the trees seem to reach high into the clouds, driving us into shadow, the air thick and difficult to breathe in. Much worse than just encountering death; something like a cursed zone where the light constantly pulls backwards and thins into rays, spaced further and further apart as we move.
And then, the bodies appear.
Some face down in the dirt and rock, others lying face up with pained expressions, lamenting their deaths as they hurdled towards them. Blood and ruined steel, weapons flung into trees, signs of struggle. The distinct headbands of those from the Hidden Rock. Shinobi gear, flung about. We continue walking, and those lying on the ground start to change, in form, and in number. People outfitted in facsimiles of combat gear, whipped up from spare clothing and scraps and goods that must have 'fell out of a wagon' somewhere. Mixes of swords, some old and some new, some whole and some damaged. Many remain in the hands of their owners, with only their owners' blood staining them. Cut down before they could realize it. Betrayed in an instant. But even they are small in number compared to the rest.
I see the makeshift settlements.
"This is what...we have wrought. Even if it's not with our hands. We are a part of this," Bear says.
I don't want to look. It hurts. For me, someone who enjoys tearing into her enemies, feeling the rush of battle...this is too much. Who could want something like this? Who could enjoy something so despicable? These people weren't fighters. They weren't enemy combatants. They were just...people.
They had no say in this. None of it...none of it is fair.
But I look. I force myself to look at the bodies on the ground, scattered everywhere. Even those reaching for each other. The mothers and fathers trying to protect their children, shielding them, sacrificing for them...even then, those little ones were cut down without mercy. No witnesses. No survivors.
"Even sadists have their limit," I say. "This was not the work of humans. Whoever did this...they were machines. Beings devoid of any thought or emotion. Simply programmed to complete missions at all costs." If Danzo had gotten his hands on Sasuke...no, even now that is still a dangerous possibility. Something like that would shatter so many people. Naruto, Sakura...Itachi, especially. Hiruzen, too.
"Nearly three hundred in total," Wolf says. "We counted every body three times. I...admit to thinking patronizing things, when I entered the room and saw the three of you."
"I was the same," Bear says. "The three of you are elite soldiers, and you deserve respect for that. You deserve to be treated like the rest of us. But even so...you're all the same age as my daughter. Maybe you are soldiers, but you're also children. To see things like this, to have to be subjected to this sort of pain...isn't it the sort of thing we adults should be shielding you from? It should be us, and us alone...the people who have grown up, and lived life, and had a chance to create memories far removed from this. Instead of kids like you...people who have only been on this earth a short while."
"We understand how you feel," Erika says. "The awareness of these things...it weighs heavy on our hearts. We know that this sort of life, even for children who live as shinobi, is not normal. The things we see and experience...but. We have become resolute. The trust that adults like you have in us, blended with your kindness, have spurred us forward perpetually. This moment especially will change us forever."
"Yes. Though we would never be truly prepared for an event like this, we came with our hearts ready," I say. "I know what it is that I must do now. I know what path I will take...I know now that wishes and prayer are far from enough. I know that things like these will continue to happen, that children will give their lives and take others, over and over and over, and that we cannot reach out and stop it. Not yet. Not in this moment."
"But...but we will. This madness...will end." Ino finally speaks, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. "All of this will be brought down. This...needless cruelty. This suffering. This pain that makes me want to scream and cry all at once. We will stop it, no matter what. And we'll do it in our own way."
"Making this world a better place...yes. This is our solemn vow. To you both, and to everyone in this world who suffers. The pain you feel, and the blood you have shed. None of it will be in vain," Erika says.
"Let it be done. We who carry the mandate of heaven will bring this world forward. The bloody past that we stand on, hovering over the abyss...it will be no more," I say.
"I see. Maybe we were wrong this whole time...treating you as just children who were pressed into service. It seems that three of you are beyond mere mortals like us," Bear says. "In that case...we can start to heal as well, by properly putting these bodies to rest. Wolf, secure the barrier again for a while longer."
"Yes." She makes the same seal as before.
"I have a couple of Fire Release techniques, and Wolf has the ability to use Wind Release."
"Fire Release is within my purview as well," Erika says.
"Good. You can help Wolf and I with disposal of the bodies. We'll do everything we can to cremate them cleanly. Miss Yamanaka and Miss Kobayashi, if they're okay with it...they can go and collect as many personal items and tools as possible - that's what the big scrolls we have are for. Once that's done, we can haul them back and start cross-referencing them with the list of reported missing people that we have already. I don't think we'll get everyone, but...the least we could do is try to return what we can to the families. We'll start off doing collection together, then we can split off into groups once we have enough bodies to start on...the plan is to get this done by the end of today, before anyone can get a read on what's happened. Rock shinobi have started snooping around this section of forest since two days ago. Everyone okay with that?"
"Yes, sir," we all say in unison.
"Alright. Good luck, and remember that we don't have a hard deadline. If you need to take a break, take one. This isn't easy work in the slightest."
We start together on the first of our grim tasks...searching bodies quickly for any obvious items of value or unusual possessions that can be stored away for later. Bear takes two of the massive scrolls from the place on his back and rolls them out, while Wolf rolls out one of hers. One is for money and things like minerals or precious metals. The other is for more personal things - jewellery, photographs, charms and dolls...things that people saw as more valuable than anything else. The temporary lodgings were empty and many travel bags are on the ground. Wolf says that there was an order for evacuation, a false one that was used as an excuse to gather many people in one place so that they could be executed faster. The last scroll is for weapons. Those are likely to be sent away so that they can be melted down.
There is no banter this time as we work. Everyone is quiet. The oppressive atmosphere from earlier is lifting, and I feel like I can breathe much easier. Light comes down from the trees, and the heaviness on my heart is easing. Determination is driving me forward, as it must be doing for everyone else here. Wolf, Erika, and Bear soon start on their cremation efforts. Erika and Bear burn the bodies while Wolf guides the remains into a makeshift pit that is sealed almost all the way around.
"You alright, Lili?"
My head snaps up to face Ino. I can't see her expression behind the oni mask, but her body language says that she's stronger than before. I'm happy for that much.
"Very much so. And yourself?"
"I'm okay. Feeling determined to see this through."
"I can tell."
"Thanks for earlier...being patient with me. I was just...lost for a while."
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I love you and always will. That's why I'm going to be there for you, Ino."
"Yeah. You say it a lot, but...it's always reassuring to hear. Thank you, Lili. Let's get back to it, yeah?"
"Yes. Let's do that."
Getting past the terrible smells is one of the harder parts of this. My nose is sensitive enough as it is. But I manage, and continue working steadily along with Ino. A few of my small companions are employed to help cut down some of the work, slithering in and out of pockets to retrieve items. We encounter unpleasant sights and sounds of all kinds, but continue to endure for the sake of our companions. Eventually, we move outward and collect a multitude of combat gear in bundles, bringing it back towards the scroll before heading out again. We keep our eyes and ears open for any intruders, or anyone simply searching the area. Nothing comes up, which bodes well for us.
Item collection ends. Ino and I pick up bodies, starting from the furthest point, and bring them back towards the middle of the settlement so that they can be burned along with the others. The corpses start to become younger and younger as we work.
"Last one," Bear says.
Erika quietly carries a small body forward, setting it down in the makeshift pit. She folds his arms over his chest and sets down an object. It's...a wooden boat.
"I suppose...he wanted to sail one day, in the future."
"I suppose so. Maybe, in a distant dream...he will get that chance again," I say.
"Ready, Miss Kotowari?" Bear asks.
"I am ready. We can begin."
They weave handseals before spewing out jets of flame from opposite ends. Wolf manipulates the wind so that the flames are stoked higher, shifting and lightening in colour. A process that normally takes about one or two hours is cut down to minutes as a result. The intense heat dies down, and Wolf guides the remains into the sealed container created earlier.
"A return to the earth from where all life came. Ash to ash and dust to dust."
She weaves a series of seals, and the earth rumbles as the sealed container descends into it, taking the remains inside downwards. The resulting hole collapses in on itself. All five of us stand together and silently pray for the lost souls. This should help them find peace.
We seal the personal possessions and weapons, handing the large scrolls back to Bear and Wolf.
"Time to put an end to this, for good," Bear says.
"Dropping barrier," Wolf replies. Bear scatters a set of explosive tags through the area.
"We'll split up for now. Meet you guys back at the house."
The very last thing to do is destroy the small settlement. All of the evidence will be consumed by flame, and those who will come to investigate will not have any leads. A random fire that overran an abandoned place in the woods...a silent, lonely end to a terrible atrocity.
Each of us runs at the sounds of the first explosion, shooting out in different directions. More sound off, one after the other. The smell of burning wood fades away as I move into the distance. Though...I won't forget this experience. The scents are embedded in my mind. They spur me forward...towards a future where we will no longer be party to this cruelty. It's so hard to be patient, knowing what I know. But I will be patient. My steps from now on will lead me towards that goal, the one that I've been trying to avoid for some time now because I kept thinking that I was unworthy of it. But those feelings...they don't matter any more. They can't matter, not after seeing this terrible sight.
Perhaps I don't feel confident enough to say it to the world...but inside of my heart, I know.
I will lead this world one day. I will become Hokage.
"Thanks for your help. It means far more than you know right now."
We've returned to the family home in the mountains, where our hosts get into their casual clothing again. Some tea and a light snack before we head off, this time going straight home. Bear has prepared a report which he hands to Erika, and the five of us acknowledge each other with bows. It's night by now, and travel will be less of a hassle now that all of our objectives have been completed.
"Oh...are you sure we can have this?"
"Of course. It's the least we could do for you. At least, I think so," I say.
Wolf looks at the mineral chunk in her hands with awe.
"I can...feel the energy flowing through me. And you say we only need small shavings of it at most?"
"Yes. It is quite potent, according to what we know," Erika says.
"Looks neat. We'll be sure to make use of it while we can," Bear says as he takes the piece in one hand. "Ah...yeah, you're right. I feel my muscles relaxing. Wow. Maybe I can sprinkle a few bits on my salad from time to time, heh."
"You eat enough strange things as it is," Wolf teases.
"Hey, come on. Not in front of the kids."
"We'll send you off before he says something too strange to take back."
"Ouch."
"Both of you take care now," Ino says with a smile. "We might come back and check on you, once we take the reins of power and all that."
"Are you sure that you're okay?" Wolf asks.
"I'm sure. I feel way more determined than ever, after seeing all that. One day, we'll make a real change. You guys said earlier that adults are supposed to be the ones to endure that kind of suffering. Well, maybe we can make it so that adults can enjoy life to the fullest as well. And nobody has to go through that sort of thing while we're around."
"That sounds nice. A world with a lot less killing," Bear muses.
"A world where your little sparrow can raise your grandchildren," I say.
"Something like that is worth more than fighting for," Wolf says. "All of you, take care...we will pray for you."
We all come together for a hug, and reluctantly part. Sparrow meets us at the front door, and we exchange bows with her.
"Mom and Dad look a lot better than before. Whatever it was you did...thank you so much."
"Of course. Take care, won't you?" I say to her. "You have a shining new world to look forward to in the future, this I promise you."
"I'll be waiting," she says with a smile. "Thanks again. Have a safe journey home."
We leave the mountain home, going through the pass and down towards level ground again.
"So, Scarlet Viper...I can see that you have decided to forge ahead at last."
Erika's voice reaches me as we start our run.
"Perhaps so."
"I will wait for your order, as promised. And I will be ready when the time comes."
"I see."
"Same here," Ino says. "And it won't be just us, but...we've witnessed this together. Right here is where it all begins."
"..."
There really is no turning back, then. If it's for the sake of a dream, these two stubborn girls won't let me give up on it. And the others would be the same.
Sorry, Naruto. As much as I love you...you're going to have to chase me down for that hat.
"You have nothing to fear. All of the faith you have in me won't go to waste. I promise."