Hello.
Fair warning about this chapter being significantly shorter than what you are accustomed to with this story.
"People say the path to hell is paved with good intentions.
Why? Is there a shortage of bad ones?"
"Sasuke…"
"Mm?"
"Why do you keep your left arm the way that it is?"
"…"
"I won't pretend to know how it works, but you've clearly shown the ability to form a new one when you need it."
"It's my way of atoning… for the way that I lost it."
"Atone? What happened during the fight with Madara that you need to atone for?"
Sasuke winced. His mind had been busy with planning the next step of the mission and the words came out carelessly. Other than the members of former Team 7, very few were privy to the knowledge of the actual events that took place after everybody was placed under the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The idea to keep Kaguya's existence a secret had been Kakashi's, and the Kages agreed that revealing the reality of such a creature to the general populace could only lead to panic. It was Naruto, however, that suggested their battle at the Valey of the End also remain undisclosed, in order to avoid breeding even more resentment towards Sasuke, than those in Konoha already felt. As such, a lie had been perpetuated that him and Naruto lost their arms while battling Madara and the valley had been destroyed in the confrontation.
"Nevermind. Forget I said that."
Hinata's subsequent pout did not go unnoticed. The very idea of sharing those events with someone was inviting. The woman walking beside him had been welcoming and kind, despite his reputation, and it gave him hope that perhaps if she would find out, he would not be judged too harshly. Still, even if he were to ever tell her the truth, this was not the time for such a conversation.
"Sasuke…"
"Mm?"
"That tool you used to save me and Itsuki during the ambush… Do you also create it in the same way you do your hand?"
"My left eye allows me to construct such devices."
"Is the Rinnegan also the reason why you can move your target instantly to a new location?"
Sasuke glanced at her with a hint of admiration. Not many would have been able to figure out his Amenotejikara technique, especially after having seen it only once. Then again, he would be hard pressed to find an individual more observant than a Hyuga.
"You seem to have developed quite the interest in my dojutsu. I thought it frightened you." He watched her enthusiasm melt away completely at his remark and couldn't help but wonder if she was really that fragile. The easiest way to find that out would be to ask her. "What happened the last time you saw this eye?"
Reflexively, Hinata clutched the fabric of her blouse, where Pain had left a terrible reminder of the Rinnegan's power. "How much do you know about Pain's attack on Konoha?"
"I understand the village was completely destroyed, though the loss of life turned out to be minimal, in the end. Naruto doesn't like talking about it too much."
"He was the only one who could even try to put up a fight. In the end, I could do no more against him than I was able to do against you, except his weapon did not stop short of its target."
"Were you aware he possessed the Rinnegan?"
"Yes."
"And you still engaged him in combat…"
"Naruto asked the rest of us not to interfere but… I couldn't stand back and let him shoulder that burden alone. You must think me a fool…"
"Maybe… but a courageous fool."
"Such courage only earned me a few weeks of recovery in Konoha's hospital."
"That is often the case when courage is not supplemented by power." He noticed her lips press together and her jaw muscles tighten in response – it was a reaction that reconfirmed just how terrible he was with people. "I'm the only Rinnegan user alive now, and you have nothing to fear from me."
With the lodge coming into view and uncertain of whether his words had any effect to alleviate her fears, Sasuke decided to change the course of the conversation.
"We will start moving again tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow? We can still cover a lot of distance if we leave today."
"Not without horses. Besides… I have something to take care of before we continue with our mission. I need you and the others to remain on your guard tonight. Itsuki will not give you any more trouble, but without a report from his men, the Water Daimyo might make another attempt at his life."
"You won't be with us?"
"No, but I will return by sunrise."
Hinata wanted to inquire for the reason, but if he hadn't offered it outright, she knew she wouldn't get it if she asked.
[…]
"What do you mean he left?"
"Sasuke sent an update to Konoha yesterday, informing Lord Fuku of the attack. The reply came when we were… taking a walk and instructed us to continue with the mission, unabated."
"Interesting… I don't remember you saying that you were going for a walk with Sasuke when you left us, this morning."
"Maintain your focus on the important matters, Kiba." Shino intervened, much to Hinata's relief. "Did Sasuke give any reason for leaving?"
"I'm sorry, but he did not. He only said that he will return by next sunrise and that we should be vigilant tonight, in case another attack happens."
"You'd think that would be all the more reason for him to stay with us."
"I think he also wants us to acquire horses by the time he returns."
"Lady Chizue should be able to help with that. If nothing else, she can give us directions to the nearest place where we can buy them. Kiba, you can handle that."
"Fine, fine. Let nobody worry about the fact that our team leader disappeared in the middle of a mission where we are escorting the very son of Lord Eito Fuku." Kiba threw both of them a shrewd look." I'll go get us some horses. Might even ask about that rabbit stew recipe. Come on, boy." His loyal companion followed the Inuzuka out of the room with a wagging tail.
"Speaking of Lord Itsuki… he has not come down from his room yet."
"I checked on him after I returned from the woods. He is still… erm… sleeping." She felt uncomfortable lying to Shino, of all people, but the alternative was a long story explaining why the young lord was in his bed, with a stream of drool soaking his pillow, trapped in a genjutsu of Sasuke's making.
"Yesterday was a chaotic day for him. It would be best to let him rest."
[…]
Genkei Kuroishi observed the busy streets of his city from the loft of the imposing tower that served as his seat of power. He checked the old clock in his room when the street lights flickered to life.
"Right on time…"
There was an undeniable feeling of pride in the order he had brought to the nation since his naming as daimyo, and nowhere else was this more evident than in the capital. A knock on the door got his attention.
"Come in."
His wife crossed the doorway and closed the double doors behind her. He took a moment to drink in the sight of her, before walking off the balcony. Despite a considerable age difference of over ten years between them, she had never failed to be a voice of wisdom and comfort to him during the trying times, both before and during his reign. Above all else, though, she had gifted him with three wonderful daughters that became the lights of his life. He grimaced at the repulsive thought of having to give up his youngest, at the behest of Eito Fuku.
"You've been distant these last few days. Your daughters have taken notice and are asking for their father."
The patterns on her kimono came into focus when she approached him. White camellia flowers contrasted the pink background on which they were sown with golden thread that reflected the dim light of the room. Despite the passing of the years, he only found her more and more beautiful.
"Work has been keeping me occupied…"
"You're always working, but hardly ever distant. What's really troubling you, my love?"
"The fate of our youngest…"
The woman's face lost its brightness. "You said there was nothing that could be done."
The Water Daimyo moved to his desk and allowed himself to drop into his chair. "And yet, I did try. I took a gamble, Ayaka. I sent assassins after his son."
"Genkei!"
"It was the only option I had left to stop this insanity!"
"But you gave your word…"
"Damn my word and damn my honor! Damn this whole country if need be. I won't let anything happen to you or our children."
"Good…" The voice of a man echoed through the room. Before Genkei could react, he saw the faint glimmer of a blade at his wife's throat. "If you raise your voice or make any sudden moves, she dies." The assailant's red eye lit up behind Ayaka Kuroishi's and looked at him over her shoulder. "The dagger you keep hidden in your sleeve should remain there. Do you understand? Answer."
"I understand."
"You know who I am?"
"Uchiha…Sasuke."
"The ones you sent after Itsuki Fuku are dead. Are there any more on their way?"
"No."
"And there shall be no more. Do you understand?"
Rage boiled within the daimyo. His fingers curled into fists on his desk, nails digging deep into his palms.
Sasuke pressed the sword against his victim's flesh, causing an involuntary flinch. "Answer."
"Your master has lost his mind... Eito Fuku cannot unite the five great nations. It is a goal too ambitious even for his ego."
"That remains to be seen."
"You and that accursed jinchuriki may hold the world hostage now, but it is only a matter of time before the nations regain their freedom.
"Naruto Uzumaki is the only reason you and the other daimyo did not die four years ago. You speak of freedom? What did you do with the four years of freedom we gave you? Mustered more forces for war, begrudgingly waiting for the chance to fall back into the same cycle of hatred."
"You judge above your station."
"Instigating pirate attacks on your own citizens to drive up recruitment and promote unrest... Sabotaging or assassinating political rivals that try to bring about peace promoting ideologies... All of this to keep your military forces active during times of peace. Fifty thousand footmen. Twelve thousand cavalry. Two regiments of mercenaries from the neighboring, smaller nations – three thousand each."
"Shinobi have grown soft since the fourth war - lost their taste for battle, became unreliable. Weapons that you cannot count on are not proper weapons. Other means solutions had to be found."
"The five hidden villages showed you the way when they set aside old hatreds and strived for peace. What did you do when you were offered the chance to follow that example?"
"Peace under Eito Fuku would only be tyranny!"
"As opposed to your reign?"
Genkei gritted his teeth. "I will not lose a daughter to the son of that bastard!"
"Then you will lose all of them to my blade."
"You… You wouldn't dare!"
"Two days from now, Itsuki Fuku will arrive at the capital and be given to your forces, as per the arrangement. You will protect him as you would your own child. If any harm should befall him, I will return… and your whole family will die. Do you understand?"
"Damn you to hell, Uchiha…" He rose up from his chair, but the quiet sobs of his wife prevented any other action. His nostrils flared and the muscles of his temple bulged as he spoke. "No harm shall come to the boy. I will honor my agreement with Eito Fuku. Now release Ayaka…"
Color returned to Genkei's face when he heard the sound of a sword being sheathed, and a second later, the intruder was on the balcony. He took a few steps towards his wife but Sasuke's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Genkei Kuroishi…" The shinobi held up a single shuriken between two fingers. "Let this serve as a reminder, in case you forget to uphold your word." With a flick of his wrist, the tool cut a path through the room, stopping only when it burrowed into the wood of the wall. The daimyo's head snapped to where it landed, then attempted to trace its path back from where it started, but his heart sank when he saw the shocked eyes of his wife.
"Gen-kei…" Ayaka Kuroishi's hands moved to her neck, and Genkei saw her blood spill between her clenched fingers. The woman dropped to her knees, then collapsed entirely on the floor.
"No… No! Ayaka!" The daimyo all but jumped over his desk in a futile attempt to close the distance and catch her, but by the time he was within arm's reach, she was in her death throes. When he pulled her in his arms, she tried to speak but only blood gushed from her open mouth. Less than a minute later, the spark of life had been completely extinguished from her eyes and all he could hear through the silence in the room were his own fragmented whimpers. Rage and the feeling of utter helplessness erupted from him in the form of a ragged scream. The doors of his office slammed open a moment later and two of his guards rushed in.
"My lord, are you alright?!" One of them spoke, though panic was clearly visible on his features, at the sight of his daimyo kneeling on the floor, arms tight against his chest, clutching nothing but air. "My lord…?"
Genkei came to when he felt the hand of the guard on his shoulder. He blinked several times, trying to make sense of what was happening. His arms no longer felt the weight of his wife's body. She was gone – all of the blood was gone.
"Ayaka! Where is she?! Where is my wife?!" He jumped to his feet and grabbed the stunned guard by the arm.
"She-She's in the next room… entertaining the ambassador from the Land of Iron which you are supposed to meet in a few minutes. Are you feeling unwell, my lord? Should we inform the ambassador that the meeting will be delayed?"
Instead of offering a reply, Genkei dashed past the man and into the hallway. Ayaka Kuroishi watched in confusion as her husband barged into the room and rushed to throw his arms around her, pressing her tightly against his chest.
From the roof of an adjacent building, a raven-haired man donning a black cloak watched the scene unfold through the windows of the daimyo's tower. Sasuke turned to catch the last glimpses of sunlight wink out behind the horizon, then jumped down, allowing the shadows of the alley below to engulf him.
That is all for this chapter.
Many of you were interested to see what Sasuke would do after finding out the Fire Daimyo's plan. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume this is not exactly the level of moral greyness you were expecting.
The next chapter will be the end of the 'Escort mission arc' and might take longer to finish writing.
As a side note, I like to attribute my own chosen theme songs to the characters. This is Sasuke's:
"Sam Lee & Daniel Pemberton- The Devil and The Huntsman"
I feel the tones capture his overall persona, along with his exotic abilities and behavior, especially when he gets serious, such as the story in which he met Captain Koya and eliminated his former crew.
All that being said, please consider taking the time to leave a review and letting me know what you think of the story thus far. It helps me form an idea of how well or poorly the story is viewed from your perspective.
