Scarlet Justice - ep. 146
"Abandoned Closets"
[Ritual, Part 4]
"Morning...I really hope this isn't a bother for you."
"As I said over the phone, it isn't. Come in, I'll make us some tea."
Yuno nods and steps inside to remove his footwear. I noticed as soon as I opened the door, even underneath the hood, that his eyes are bloodshot...most likely from crying earlier.
"You didn't sound like yourself," I say to him.
"I wasn't great earlier. Just...finished moving the last of my stuff into storage."
I finish making the tea and pour him a hot cup. He nods gratefully and I take a seat next to him.
"What happened?"
"My parents...found out where I was staying. They told the landlord, and...well. For the past few months he's been making passes at me. On the outside he's like, average, but all of the baggage he has just makes him look ugly to me all around. You know?"
"I understand, yes."
"Yeah. He didn't take it too well when my mother told him my little secret. Went through my apartment...tore through my drawers, found the girl's clothing I was putting away. He made sure to raise his voice and humiliate me yesterday, after I finished up a mission. Pretty sure everyone knows now that I'm...different. A boy who wants to be acknowledged as a girl. To them, I'm a freak now." He sighs. "Gave me one day to get my stuff out, even though the contract says he can't. Otherwise the police would be around. People like me aren't...treated well by the police."
"I know..."
"You do, yeah. You know a lot, Lili," he says with a melancholy smile. "I...got to thinking after that. Before I called you and afterwards. It would be so much easier if I just went back, you know? Went back to being a guy. Went back to being Yuno Nakamura, being teased by girls and pushed around by other guys. Just small, unremarkable, normal Yuno. The boy who once made his parents proud by becoming a shinobi."
Yuno sighs again, heavily. He takes a sip of his tea and swallows before turning his head to face mine.
"I think about a lot of things. Not just that. I think about the girl in the mirror, and the way she smiled at me. The way she made me feel like I was complete. I didn't need anything else. And then, I remember you looking at me and accepting me for who I was, without a second glance. How you told me to be confident. You introduced me to good people, you stood up for me. I can talk to Naruto about so many things, and Nami always looks out for me, and Fio is incredibly encouraging. I feel like I belong. I feel like someone."
"You don't want to give that up," I say.
"No. Not at all. And I won't. I'm not going to turn back any more. I'm not going to run away from who I am."
"Good for you, Yuno."
"I'm...no longer Yuno Nakamura. But this name, Yuno...is special to me. So I'll hang onto it. I'm Yuno, as I always have been, and always will be." Our hands come together on my lap. "I'm a proud kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf...and a human being, just like everyone else."
"You are. And one day, we will be in a world where you can be accepted by everyone. Not just for what you can do, but for who you are as a person," I say to her.
"Is it...weird that I want to stay like this? In this body? And that maybe, even though I identify as a girl...I..."
"Not at all. None of it is weird or wrong," I say while giving her hands a squeeze. "And I know for a fact that Nami and Naruto and Fio and everyone else will say the same thing. You are you, Yuno. A sweetheart that we would kill to protect."
She blushes and nods. "Thank you...I think that's all I needed to hear."
We stand up together and hug each other tightly. It's wonderful to see. Yuno has finally found herself, and will grow up to be a beautiful, beautiful person. I will see to it, and so will everyone else in her life.
"So...I don't want to make any mistakes from here on," I say.
"Right. I'm definitely a she, and I'm totally cool with you calling me one! If anything changes over the next few years, you'll know."
"Good."
"Hmm..." Yuno sits down and sips at her tea while thinking. "I wonder about Naruto, though."
"Oh, you don't need to fret. He might not understand the words right away, but he's a clever child in his own right. I remember when I came out to him..."
"Heh. I didn't think I'd ever be reminiscing with someone else about leaving the closet...it's a beautiful world we live in, isn't it?"
"It surely is." I sigh. "So, where are you staying right now? Or have you not figured that out yet?"
"Not yet. I'm sure that Nami will put me up for as long as I need, but...um, she's got a bit of chaos around her. I love her, but..."
"Cohabitation is not for everyone, I can understand that much."
"Yeah. I don't want to be a bother, either. I feel a lot better about contributing and stuff, you know? Just being able to help out. With all the people running around at the Hyuuga estate, it's kind of weird. And accepting myself doesn't mean I don't get self-conscious at times."
"Mm."
"I need to go over and tell her, anyways. She'll probably grow horns and obliterate the poor bastard who kicked me out on the street. And my parents too, if I don't make a good enough case on my hands and knees for her to spare them."
"She is that kind of person," I say casually, picking up my mug.
"Definitely."
"There is a shinobi household that I have in mind for you, if you're open to the idea."
She looks at me eagerly. "Really? Where?"
I set down my mug and smile. "Tell me, my love. Have you heard the tale...of Phantom the Dark?"
"Ah! Ragna, are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah...I'm fine. Don't stress yourself out too much."
"Okay..."
"Tch, damn Rabbit. She knows that her magic doesn't work as well here, but she runs off anyways. Come on, Celica. Time to find that troublemaker..."
"Got it! Minerva will look after us!"
"..."
"Yeah, I don't doubt that. Man, do I hate caves, though. Bad memories."
I shovel more popcorn into my mouth while laid out on the couch. Finally, some extra time to myself...I've managed to catch up to the current batch of episodes for my favourite anime.
There's a knock at the door and I don't move.
"I'll get it!"
"Whoever it is over there, tell them I'm busy," I say to Fio before sucking my soda up through a straw. "Extremely busy."
"Yep."
I yawn and scratch at my belly.
"Hey there, little guy. Looks like you got something for me...let's see..."
I hear the door close and note the other presence inside. Small...a bird of some kind. From the aviary, then?
"Lili? I think you'll wanna see this."
I sigh and mutter to myself briefly. "Fine. Come over here where I can see you, Fio."
She hops over the couch and I pause my program. There's a crow perched on her shoulder, and a note in her hands. She passes the note to me, and I can see immediately that it's in a specific code.
"Itachi...he wants to see me, and it seems like something important. Definitely inside of the Leaf."
"Sounds dangerous for him."
"No doubt. I'll put on some actual clothing and head out to see him. A moment, please."
"Yep, yep." Fio sits and scoops a bit of popcorn from the bowl as I leave. Let's see...nothing too fancy will be needed this time around. And I will assume that he's taken several measures to avoid communications breaches. I pick up the first items that I can see from my drawers: a light sweater and a pair of jogging pants. Those will have to do, not that I could look bad in anything these days.
"Here," I say as I emerge from my room. "I'm ready to see your master now."
The crow leaves Fio's lap and perches itself on my shoulder.
"No timeline on when I'll be back, but it shouldn't be extremely long. I'll use the usual channels if I am in any trouble," I say while pulling on my sandals.
"Okay. Mind if I watch the rest of this?"
"You still need to finish season two and three, young lady. Go get them from my room."
"Yes, ma'am. See you in a bit," Fio stands up to give me a kiss on the cheek. I make sure I have those extra security tags on me, and head out while she locks up.
"Let's begin." I pet the crow a few times before it takes off, slowly riding the currents in the greying skies as I follow. Nowhere secluded, I'm noticing...uptown, where all the flashy shops are. Hiding in plain sight, I suppose. Sweets shops, bakeries, places selling gaudy looking pottery and other items.
The crow eventually comes to rest, perching on top of a sign. It's extending from the front of an upscale looking place, with a front that is bleached white. A chalkboard sits next to the front door, with prices for their various types of teas and coffees on special.
"Mm. Exotic, isn't it. I suppose he wanted to try something new today..."
I push the door open and head inside. It's not as blindingly white as the outside, but still reminds me of a hospital, or one of those television shows about the far future. The booths where people sit are sleek looking, with strategically placed bars and lines, and copious amounts of white fabric and accessories.
"We have been awaiting your arrival, Madam Kobayashi."
A woman dressed very neatly meets me at the door and bows respectfully. The black blouse with frills hugs her chest, and her trousers follow the curve of her hips. Long and soft black hair seems to wind its way around her body.
"Yes. Good morning to you."
"Instructions have been followed precisely. Your guest awaits you with one of our finest teas already prepared. Please enjoy, and allow us to assist you discreetly if you have need of anything."
"Thank you."
"The honour is mine, milady. If I might humbly ask you to follow me."
"Lead on, please."
She nods and leads me towards the back of the establishment, into what must be exclusive sections for high-powered guests. From the sounds of it, the old man arranged for all of this once Itachi made his request to see me. I think briefly about being under-dressed for such an occasion, but it's far too late for that now, isn't it.
The booths here are black, with soft and velvety material making up the seats. A rich and fragrant tea is already on the table, ribbons of steam rising up from the two cups and the spout of the pot placed in the middle. My hostess bows and leaves me alone with my guest, who is wearing a black cloak and a mask.
"My apologies for disturbing you so early in the day. And it was also your time off, I heard."
"Yes, that much is true."
"I also remember that you like to be properly presentable for occasions such as this," he continues.
"That is also true. But you're one of the people that I value most in this world, so I can let it go easily enough. Besides, I know that it's an urgent enough matter, seeing as you already understand my tastes." I flip back some of my hair. "So I don't mind being under-dressed for once, hmhm."
"You're as gracious as ever, Lili."
"What brings you here, my darling? New developments?"
"Yes. Though...I think you might be aware of what I've come to you for."
"I might." I take a sip of tea and let out a breath. "Sasuke is out of danger, and we've spoken about him at length since recent happenings. Is it worry on your part?"
Itachi removes his mask and takes down his hood. I pause at his expression. He really is worried. And...tired, it looks like.
"Yes. It is worry."
"Tell me what I have to do," I say gently.
"No...it's about what I have to do. Something that I should have done a long time ago, in order to change my future...and that of the Uchiha. Maybe...I could have saved them. All of them."
"What is it you mean to say?"
"Everything says that...when Sasuke comes to meet me, he will not reach the summit as it is. Even with Orochimaru's cursed power, and the training of Sarutobi...I don't think it will be enough. I know how strong I am. How I continue to develop skills for my own survival and progress. If I break my persona, he will know. Everything will crumble to dust, and all that I've worked for will...fade away."
"Itachi..."
"I didn't imagine it...that meeting you would change my world so much. Deep down inside, I was like everyone else. I just wanted a chance to be a person again. To stop carrying this burden. I thought that if I just endured, if I just kept going, I would meet my end at Sasuke's hand, and everything would be done with. It would all be over, and I would be free. Until then, I was just the villain, and I was just another soldier."
"..."
"But for some reason...when you looked at me, you saw a person. You saw good inside of me. I was more than just some prodigy, or a hardened killer. You...you cared for me, Lili. You felt sorrow for me. You thought about my well being in a way that nobody has...not since my parents, or Sasuke. I wasn't the clan heir, or a son, or an older brother. I wasn't an elite shinobi, or a mercenary, or a murderer. I pushed it all away for so long, but I can't any longer. I'm a person. I always have been. And in my foolishness and stupidity, in my selfishness, in my utter arrogance, I took my little brother's life and tore it apart. I was misguided, and I always have been. I saw one way and one way only to protect him. I wanted him to survive, because I thought that the shinobi world would tear him apart otherwise."
I can see his hands trembling on the table. So much...there's so much weight falling from him, in this moment.
"He deserves better than me. He deserves better than this twisted promise I threw myself away to keep. And I know that you knew, as you always did, that this entire plot was nonsense, that the slightest breeze would upend it. I just...wanted him to live. I wanted to give him something with meaning for the torment that I put him through. That's why I kept going and going with this. That's why I kept running further and further away, into the darkness. I thought that it was the only way I could make up for what I did."
"What changed?" I ask.
"I saw the future change before me. What should have been inevitable, stopped in its tracks. My understanding of the world's flow was ruined, turned to nothing. I chose this path, to wade through the sea of blood, to join hands with Madara in order to preserve the Leaf another day. But it isn't the only way. It wasn't the only way. If only I had worked harder-"
"It's not your fault," I say, reaching across the table. My hands go on top of his, squeezing them gently. "You were just a child yourself. You were dealing with things that you never should have been dealing with, no matter how good a shinobi you were."
"Lili..."
"Put away those toxic thoughts. Listen to your heart, and what it is telling you. What do you see, my love?"
"I see a better future. For Sasuke...and for myself. I don't care if I have to die, but...I don't want to stay as I am any longer, with wishes left to the wayside. I don't want to look back on this moment, and wonder what could have been."
"You want to tell him the truth," I say.
"Yes. I know. And I might put you in a terrible position-"
"That has never mattered," I say firmly. "I am here for you. I always will be, Itachi. If you want to give Sasuke something other than the terrible future you once envisioned...if you truly want to make up for what was lost before...then I will be next to you."
"..."
"You have been very brave. To turn from one's self-appointed path, leading towards destruction...that is a very hard thing. Especially after everything that you have suffered." I close my eyes. "You carried out a heinous act against your family, and your countrymen. That will not be forgotten, nor should it ever be. You were young, but mature enough to know the consequences of your actions."
"Yes."
"Danzo may have forced your hand...but ultimately, it was your hand that sent rivers of blood flowing through the Leaf. You did all of this for family and country. All of it was wrong. Everything, wrong."
"..."
I open my eyes to look up at him. "But your past need not define your future. Now that you have decided to stop running away, you must live. You must live to entrust Sasuke with the truth this time. You must live to help end the menace that is Akatsuki, once and for all. You must live to help dismantle Madara Uchiha's plans. And most of all, you must live for my sake. Let my hold on your heart strengthen...for in the brave new world that I seek to create, even braver soldiers will be needed."
"That's...if I survive."
"You will. I promise you will, now that you have taken this first step."
He nods and I pat his hands gently before letting go.
"How much time do you have right now?" I ask.
"As much as you need."
"I see." I take another sip of tea. "Everything you know will be shaken within the next few minutes. Your plans and movements...they were made with a certain understanding of the world. One that, for all of us, is now out of date."
"Something I missed, then."
"No. It's nothing you could have reasonably seen coming. You said that the man who helped you carry out the massacre was Madara Uchiha, and that he had information too intimate to dismiss as evidence towards that fact."
"Yes." He pauses. "You mean to say that man behind that mask has been an imposter."
"It's a certain person...Kakashi's comrade."
His eyes widen. "The Hero of Kannabi Bridge?"
"The same."
"I...see." His fingers tap lightly on the table. "A long time ago, Father quelled any issue with Kakashi obtaining his Sharingan. The testimony of both Kakashi and Rin Nohara, along with the backing of the Yellow Flash, was satisfactory enough for Father to allow Kakashi to keep his gift. Obito was highly regarded for his bravery and sacrifice during the war. You're sure that it's him?"
"All of the evidence points towards him."
"It must have been that ability that allowed him to survive. But...Obito's death was a long time away from Madara's last stand. How would..." He stops and closes his eyes. "The real one. He was corrupted by Madara Uchiha. That's the only explanation, even if it doesn't make any sense at first...but then, it does."
"That's confusing in its own way. What do you mean by that?" I ask.
"There is a way to bypass death, if one is daring enough. Do you remember our talk about the forbidden art, Izanagi?"
"Yes. But we theorized that the right time to use it would have been after a fatal blow, else it couldn't be activated," I say. "He would have been able to defeat the Founder with that ability, if he caught the other man at the right time. There is no doubt that Hashirama Senju, someone who led his clan against the Uchiha thousands of times before, would have knowledge of that forbidden art."
Itachi shakes his head.
"I don't understand. What part did I get wrong?" I ask.
"It's not that. Everything you said was correct, but there is an ability of the Sharingan that is not known to many persons. I also spoke with you about this, when I mentioned Kotoamatsukami. Commands that can be recorded and activated once conditions are met."
"Wait...you mean to say that Madara activated that technique after his death?"
"He set his death as a condition at some point during the battle, which must have forbade him from using the Sharingan for some time. The Transcription Seal allows one to seal techniques inside of Sharingan, usually that of another, but there's nothing to say that it could not be done with one's own set of eyes. By sacrificing an eye..."
"...he would be able to cheat death," I conclude. "Okay...so that explains how he survived his encounter with the Founder. But it doesn't explain what his goal in that was, or more importantly, how he managed to surpass any reasonable lifespan while hiding away."
"That I could not know either."
"It must have something to do with the Founder's chakra."
"Chakra?"
"Tsunade was the one who made the discovery," I explain. "And before that, I sensed the Founder's chakra in him."
He blinks, shocked. "When did you become able to trace Hashirama's chakra?"
"Oh. I realize I didn't mention details of the battle in the Leaf. Orochimaru summoned reanimations of the First and Second Hokage to assassinate the old man."
"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei, then." He sighs and nods. "I suppose that would be just like Orochimaru."
"Yes."
"Hmm...well, someone with the Mangekyo Sharingan...it explains a lot of things. He must be able to use his abilities freely because of it."
"I see."
"Obito Uchiha...of all the people." Itachi drinks down some of his tea. "I assume that's not the only thing you have to tell me, Lili."
"No, not at all. There are things about the cursed seal and Danzo as well. Everything we know so far. And of course, you can tell me what you know about Madara."
"That is more than fair. However, there are some things I will need to keep close...until I meet Sasuke again. Once he learns the truth from me, everything will change. It wouldn't be unusual for him to reject me completely, but...the very least I can do at this point is try."
"That's right. Itachi...remember that you are not alone. You will always have me by your side, even if the world says that it's wrong. Just call for me, and I will be there."
He chuckles. "You're stubborn, so...I don't think that's something I can forget."
"You had better not," I say with a smile. "Alright, let's get back to business. Listen closely, so that we can stay a proper ten steps ahead of Obito and his ilk..."
Uncharted territory.
I am outside of the shop again, Itachi having disappeared from me once more.
A new beginning. Unlike anything we've ever experienced.
Leaving the dark space in one's room...emerging from behind closed doors.
Facing one's self, instead of running away and succumbing to the darkness.
"..."
Dreams and hopes. Fate and destiny. All intertwined. And yet...
"Here stands one with the power to wipe all of that away."
Yuno's smile, and the relief on Itachi's face. Knowing that they don't have to endure the pain of this world alone. That the uphill climb will have meaning.
And they prompt the question that I ask myself every other morning.
"What is the village...what does it mean to me?"
What will it mean to be Hokage?
"Lots to think about. Many things to study in that gap of time. Hm."
I start my walk home, thinking of the future as always. Lots to be dealt with at the promised time, and only then. It makes me just a bit impatient...and that's a welcome feeling. I want to get started and change this world for the better. I want to erase anyone who would dare bring harm to my loved ones. But as said time and time again...patience is key.
Like the great serpent hunting its prey...following the same path that Midori did. She who was exiled and sent towards ruin built herself up, day after day after day. Now she sits above all, as the empress of her land.
And I will follow her lead.
"Coiled and ready to strike at the perfect moment. Hmhm."
Yes. No matter what happens...I'll be ready. I'll take this entire world by surprise.