"If someone is out there,
Tell the world that I was here,
That I had been,
That I had lived,"
-Shock, AmaLee
I slid the paper door open a little more as I stepped into the room after Yahiko and Naga.
The shadow of a red paper lantern waved outside as Hidan shut it behind him.
The main room was empty, except for an old woman kneeling on a mat wearing a plain blue kimono and a short table with five cups and a steaming pot of tea.
The stranger knelt opposite of her and poured himself a cup. "Is Ms. Terumi in, Mrs. Katayama?"
"Of course, of course," she said quickly. "Where else would she be, but here? It-It was quite the hassle to move all the other girls on such short notice, but Lady Terumi has been generous to me, and I hope such generosity continues into the future."
"I'll pass along your concerns, Mrs. Katayama."
"Oh, no need, no need," she insisted. "I'm always happy to host Lady Terumi's guests."
I walked around her, looking at a small window at the back of the room, and then down the paper-wood hallways on either side that split the rooms into boxes. She didn't look at me, but her hands clenched in her lap.
I didn't miss, either, the way her lips twitched down when she saw my feet.
The stranger finished the tea, stood, and bowed to her. "Thank you for your assistance, Mrs. Katayama."
"You flatter me, Gushiken," she said, tensing as I walked back around her. "I'm only doing my part."
Gushiken nodded and went down the left hallway, gesturing us after him.
Naga was the only one who didn't follow, instead kneeling in the spot Gushiken left with Namekuji around his neck. I heard him pouring tea and thanking her as Gushiken opened the last door and went inside.
A big, square window was in the back, right corner of the room, three futons were rolled up on the floor, and three ninja watched us.
The first, in the corner closest to the door with his arms crossed, wore an eyepatch. The second was in the opposite corner, a year or two younger than me, with a big, wrapped blade on his back. The third ninja stood at the center of the room with a hand on her hip and a small smile.
"My my, what pretty ninja you've brought with you, Gushiken," Mei Terumi said, appraising us. "I was surprised to hear that you came so soon, but rain-nin are known to be unpredictable. Second only to mist-nin, I'd say."
Yahiko, hands behind his head, smiled and said, "Well, we have a common goal, don't we? We both want to free Kirigakure."
Gushiken slid the door shut behind Hidan, whose eyes narrowed as he looked around the room. He walked past Mei without a glance and sat against the wall.
"H-Hey!" the sword-wielder said. "You can't do as you please—"
Mei held up a hand and he stopped. She kept her eyes on Yahiko. "I didn't know rain-nin had a sense of humor."
I looked back at the wall. The paper wasn't see-through but if someone like 'Mrs. Katayama' wanted to listen in, it wouldn't stop them.
Gushiken stayed in front of the door, and I took the windowsill.
The eyepatch-nin watched me lean on the glass with a frown, but said nothing.
"I didn't know mist-nin asked for help," Yahiko countered.
"Most don't, but I'm not your typical mist-nin," she said, looking him over again. "If we're to work together, we should at least know each other's names, shouldn't we?"
"Yahiko of the Akatsuki," he told her, nodding at me. "And over there, that's Oka of the Akatsuki. Hidan of Amegakure, and Nagato—"
"Of Amegakure...?" the sword-wielder asked, frowning.
Mei didn't skip a beat, "The one who just spoke is Chojuro. He's green—"
Chojuro went red.
"—but more skilled than he appears, so excuse his interruptions. Ao, with the eyepatch, is the closest I have to a second-in-command, and Gushiken acts as my eyes and ears on the island."
She glanced at me, then back at Yahiko. "Should I guess which of you is the leader of Amegakure?"
"Taiyokage," Yahiko corrected. "Back home, that's what we call it."
Chojuro looked like he wanted to speak, but stopped himself with a quick glance at Mei.
Mei raised an eyebrow. "Sun Shadow? How do you plan to convince the other elemental nations to accept such a thing?"
"Easily," Yahiko answered, grinning. "If one of the five great nations took it seriously, the others wouldn't be able to keep ignoring us."
I looked out the window without seeing the red lantern hanging in front of the door of the neighboring building.
if we'd kept Kusagakure long enough for them to rebuild, to owe us, if Ren had more influence, if making an ally out of Iron was faster.
I didn't see the net being dragged down the road, or the people shoving others away as they tried to pull fish from the holes.
if Konohagakure and Kumogakure didn't show us that small moves would never be enough.
"You burn bright with ambition," Mei was saying, "My request was for you, wasn't it?"
"Sure, but if I learned anything, it's that ambition isn't enough without the power to make it happen."
Mei's reflection looked at him in new understanding, but I didn't think she really did.
Kirigakure, after all, didn't need alliances to be taken seriously. No one used them like a training ground for their spies.
Mei stopped as Naga came into the room. Her stare lingered as she said, "If you ever wanted to change careers, you'd be a hit with women. You'd be showered with gifts."
Naga paused for a half a second, then finished closing the door. "I'll keep that in mind," he said mildly.
She took his non-reaction in stride. "Or the men," she said smoothly. "The lady of the house prefers to house women and do business with male customers, but she'd make an exception for the potential profit. You'd want for nothing."
"I like gifts," Yahiko spoke when Naga didn't respond. "Why him and not me?"
"Red hair like that is rare," Mei explained, glancing over Naga again. "You'd make for a great honey-trap specialist. People would line up to tell you their secrets. On top of that, paleness or odd coloring is what many in the Land of Water prefer."
"But, ignoring that, you and her would be at a disadvantage. You're both in Sunagakure's bingo book. A lady or man of the house may not know when they take you in, but your clients certainly will. And—" she glanced at me, pulling a small brown book from her boot. "—you look like a kunoichi. That scar on your neck is small enough to go unnoticed, but your hands aren't soft enough, and likely haven't been since you were born."
"Even if she wasn't one, she wouldn't do it," Naga spoke for me, quiet but firm, and I smiled.
Yahiko took the book as Mei held it out and said, "I suppose, in Amegakure, you could have that choice."
Yahiko flipped through the pages, stopped at the back, and whistled. "I wondered what it looked like."
Mei crossed her arms. "You knew? If so, you must've also known that it would complicate things. If you planned to wear disguises, you can forget it. A natural defense of the mist is that it doesn't treat most forms of makeup well. And waterproof makeup, as you can imagine, is highly regulated."
Yahiko turned the page, "So, asking our names, that was a test?"
"Do you have your own waterproof makeup?"
"Not that I know of," Yahiko said, shutting the book. "But it wouldn't matter. If Kirigakure has sensor-nin, any plan to blend in would fail. Since you seem to know about Nagato's clan, I can tell you he got more from them than just his looks."
"How much can you suppress your chakra? Both of you," Ao asked suddenly.
He was making an unfamiliar sign. The veins bulged around his eyepatch.
I didn't try, but his gaze stayed on Naga for a long second before he broke the sign and the veins disappeared.
"He's right," Ao said. "Hair dye or clothes won't be enough."
Yahiko tossed the bingo book at me as Naga said, "You had to know we'd send strong ninja."
"There's ninja, and then there's your clan," she fired back. "Large chakra pools aren't unusual for us. It's expected with so many ninja clans. It's the combination of those big pools that create the monsters we have, after all. And they only stand out because of how exceptionally large their signatures are. It's only the outside nations that see them as tailed beast level."
It was the third last page of the bingo book. Yahiko's page was the left, and mine was the right.
approx. 176 cm, it said under his drawn portrait. It didn't have a headband, but they'd perfectly captured his grin.
kenjutsu proficiency known.
origin: unknown.
A rank.
"Monsters?" Naga asked.
"The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist for one, but luckily for us most of them are already dead. Only the Hirameikarei user has choosen a successor, and that's our very own Chojuro," Mei answered.
Chojuro went red again as Yahiko and Naga looked at him.
"And then there's Kisame Hoshigaki. He'll be our biggest obstacle in this."
"Kisame Hoshigaki?" Naga repeated.
Mei looked surprised, but after a second she pulled a small green book free of her boot and said, "During the war Konohagakure was the first to name him the Tailless Tailed Beast. Once the other nations encountered him in battle, it became his moniker all over."
approx. 172 cm, it said under mine. They'd drawn me with hair down to my waist and ringless eyes. It was unrecognizable.
abilities unknown.
origin: unknown.
A rank.
"You're awfully quiet for someone named after Zabuza," Ao mentioned, eyeing Hidan as Mei handed Naga the book.
"Fuck you and Zabuza," Hidan said instantly.
"You had the most obvious reaction when you came in," Ao pushed on, "You've been here before?"
"I cleared them already," Gushiken spoke up. "You think I'd make a mistake—?"
"No, I don't," Ao said over him. "But if someone is familiar with any part of Nankai, I'd like to know how."
Hidan glowered at him, but didn't answer, and I knew it had to do with Yugakure.
I slid the bingo book in my pouch. "Enough," I finally said, leaning my elbows on my knees. I looked only at Mei as Ao, Chojuro, and Gushiken stared at me. "What I want to know is why I should I care about Kirigakure."
She stopped.
Hidan stood and left the room.
Mei's eyes followed him, but she only said, "You don't have to. Is one of the great nations being on your side not enough incentive?"
"You want us to care," I pointed out. "The Yuki clan. Bloodline targets. Yahiko let you dance around it, but if it was just about an alliance, we didn't need to know more than what we needed to do. You want the village to be saved, and you want us to care enough to help you do it. Why do we need you to save Kirigakure?"
"Remember our audience," Gushiken said abruptly, gaze flicking to the wall.
"It's not for foreign-nin to know," Ao said in the silence after.
I kept my eyes on Mei.
Mei shook her head, smiling softly. "It's ancient history," she said. "But, from a young age I was betrothed to Hyousuke Imai, the current daimyo of the Land of Water. I was known, in his father's court, as the Jewel of Nankai. I was adored for my beauty, and that adoration allowed me give some protection to my people. I still use that influence to protect the women here from abuse. But at that time, I was terribly happy. There was always a prejudice in Water against bloodline users, but nobles rarely shared the same thoughts of a ninja, or so I thought."
"Lord Fourth's rise to power changed things. The nobles that hated those like me were always there, but only empowered and bold enough when I developed a second bloodline limit. Their rising influence was enough to have Lord Imai annul our betrothal," she said, waving a nonchalant hand. "He married someone unlike me, and many times since he's proposed that I join his court as his favored concubine. But I still have my pride."
"My goal is to end Yagura's rein and create a Kirigakure with a potential its long lost. But as long as I accomplish the first goal, I don't need to become Mizukage to do the second. You need me, because Lord Imai has the final say on who becomes Mizukage and who Kirigakure will or won't ally with, and he won't be influenced by foreign-nin, no matter what role you play in freeing Kirigakure. I'm the influence you need to sway his mind, even if I must sacrifice to be so."
It was silent.
Ao eventually asked, "Now you ask why you came?"
"It's easier to lie and go back on your word on paper," I answered simply.
never mind that Yahiko thought we had a choice.
He'd been tired then, and tired still when he convinced me not to be.
"I think you could've convinced Yahiko before we came here if you'd written to each other. You're similar," I told Mei. "Naga too, maybe even easier, because he has a big heart."
Mei gazed at Yahiko, waiting to see what he might say, and he pretended not to see her as he patted Naga's shoulder in sympathy.
"I wouldn't—I'm not that easy," Naga was quietly sputtering.
"It's okay to admit it," Yahiko told him.
Chojuro looked at Naga differently, like he wanted to talk to him but was holding himself back.
"And then, when we came here, I'd ask you questions anyway, but it'd be more dancing, because you'd have prepared better," I added. "So, back to what I asked before. Why should I care about Kirigakure as a place, and not just a reward?"
Mei shifted deliberately to face me, putting her back to Yahiko and Naga, and closed her eyes.
"T-There hasn't been a good time to ask, but I've never seen a dojutsu like yours—It is a dojutsu, right?" Chojuru asked.
"Chojuro," Ao admonished.
"Sorry, sir," he said reflexively. "Sorry, forget I asked—"
"It's an Uzumaki dojutsu. It doesn't have a name. Or if it did, it's lost," I answered.
Chojuro's eyes widened. "That's-That's amazing!"
"Sure."
Ao's gaze moved warily to Naga's brown eyes.
"I don't have it," was all he said, watching Yahiko flip through the bingo book.
"Keep your stare to yourself, eyepatch," Namekuji told him.
Ao blinked twice.
"The people of Kirigakure deserve a chance." Mei finally answered, meeting my eyes. "If our roles were reversed, would you let me do as I wanted as long as I accomplished your mission, or would you expect me to follow the rules you set? No matter what's happened in the past or what they've done to you, they're still your people. Even if they've taken everything from you, you'd still stop a foreign-nin from committing crimes against them as they pleased, because like a true fool, you still care about the place that made you who you are."
I stared at her.
They... made me?
I thought of the war, the sanin.
And then I thought of all the stealing, the closed doors, and how the second person I'd ever killed was a rain-nin.
I smiled.
Maybe they did.
"You'll find no one who despises the Land of Water more than me. Yet, I have no regrets about remaining here to fight for Kirigakure when I could escape Water more easily than most, and have no one sent after me for it. Surely, you can understand the feeling?"
"I can," I said.
"There is a way forward without killing the Mizukage—"
"Ao," Mei warned, low and dangerous.
Chojuro tensed, looking between them.
Ao didn't meet her burning gaze as he calmly continued, "Killing the Fourth when he has no control over his actions and may never have instead of targeting the puppeteer is cowardly. I tried to pretend otherwise, but I can't. My pride as a shinobi won't allow it."
"At the very start, Yagura was himself. That's what we know," she seethed.
"What about the Mizukage?" I prompted Ao.
Mei glared at him.
"I have an... ability, that allows me to see disruptions in chakra. I was able to see his chakra the day he became Mizukage, and it flowed normally. The next chance I had was shortly before we came to Nankai, and it was changed," Ao explained, looking only at me. "His chakra doesn't flow as it should within his head but pools in his eyes. His brain is starved of chakra. I've seen it with severe head injuries, but most commonly it happens when someone is under the influence of a powerful genjutsu or fuinjutsu."
He finally glanced at Mei and said, "Under such conditions, we can't act hastily. They should know, because we don't know who else the puppeteer might control—"
"I thought we'd settled this, Ao," Mei said icily.
"Can you break it?" I asked him.
"I'm confident that I can."
"Do you think he can save Kirigakure?"
"By capturing the Fourth, the puppeteer has proven that no one else is safe. No matter who we put in charge, the chance that they'll fall under the same manipulation is high. Any trace of foreign chakra in the Fourth's system will die with him. If given the time to find it, I can identify them if they appear again."
I hummed. He hadn't answered my question.
"I want you to describe what the Fourth's chakra looked like," Naga spoke. "Everything you can remember about it. I can help you find the chakra."
"You're... a sensor-nin?" Ao asked in careful surprise.
Naga smiled knowingly and said, "I am."
"How did you plan to get us to Kirigakure before?" I asked Mei.
"There's a merchant ship that passes between the islands over the course of a week to collect contributions to Kirigakure and then it returns to the village to unload them. There are pirates in these waters, but only the truly stupid would attack a ship covered with so many of the village's markings. Being part of that crew is a sought-after position because of how safe and easy it is."
"With the help of a friend I can have it detour here, and we can board it by tomorrow morning," she explained. "You'll only need to put away your headbands, cloaks, and whatever else can be used to tie you to Amegakure."
"Aren't there patrols?" Naga asked.
"There will be no issues as we travel," Mei assured him.
"And after that?" I asked.
Mei smiled without humor and said, "You'll be the first to know when I've thought of it."
"One thing," Yahiko said, unhooking his pouch. "Our friend, Kuu, stays here."
Kuu poked his head out, sniffed his hand, and then burrowed back inside.
"Your friend could be useful to find the Fourth," Gushiken said, confused. "If it found us then it could—"
"Kuu isn't ours," Yahiko said. "We were only borrowing him. The deal we made with his partner was to track who we were looking for. Kuu only hasn't de-summoned himself because he likes us, but taking him with us would break that trust."
"You value his life over those he might save by saving us time?" Mei asked.
"Yes," I answered for him.
Mei was silent, and then she turned away.
Gushiken stepped suddenly away from the wall and faced Ao as he said, "Can't wait all day. Get on with it."
Ao nodded once, uncrossed his arms, and drove his fist into Gushiken's stomach.
Gushiken folded in half as he choked. He dropped to his knees, coughing, and Chojuro grimaced. But he didn't look away.
Ao punched him into the face, sending him sprawling, and I watched Mei.
Her hand was on her hip, watching without a sound, trying to angle herself so we couldn't see her face.
But, since Yahiko was leaning on the wall on the opposite of the room, it meant that when she turned her head slightly, I saw part of her frown.
Naga, once he realized what they were doing, excused himself from the room.
Ao hit him again, and again, and no one moved.
"Is it worth it?" I asked her, over the sound of Gushiken coughing blood.
Ao stopped with his fist raised, but Mei didn't turn around.
"Doing this for you, for peace," I mused. "Where's the line?"
Mei lifted her head. Eventually, she evenly said, "Your question assumes we have the option to have a line. A life with sacrifice as an option is a kind one, and not one open to us. I pledged a long time ago to lead everyone to a brighter future, not only for them, but for those we've lost. Drawing a line, at this point, would only make everything we've done until now pointless. The Fourth would seek to have us executed if we fought, or if we did nothing. Even this island will only protect us until the Fourth's desire for control becomes stronger than his fear of losing the power he has."
I didn't respond.
"This?" Gushiken managed, gesturing at his swollen, bruised cheek. "It's nothing. Don't even feel it. Ao hits like Chojuro—" He collapsed on his side, gasping, and Ao lowered his hand.
"Hey!" Chojuro spluttered, "I-I hit pretty hard!"
"I'm entrusting things here to you while we're gone, Gushiken," Mei said, warm-sounding.
Yahiko and I locked eyes. She didn't understand.
赤い
I couldn't tell, in the dim light, if anyone was in the stalls.
The counters were covered, some of the tarps stained with old blood. It smelled like rotting fish. The guts of a one had been left on the ground in front of another stall.
"Your name?" A man standing on a bridge made of wooden planks asked, staring at a clipboard.
A lantern swayed slightly from a wooden post in the middle of the ship. It was at least the length of two or three longboats.
"Mei Terumi," Mei answered, standing confidently in front of him.
His eyes roved automatically over the clipboard, and then he stopped, eyes snapping up. "Terumi...?" he trailed off, eyes wide. "Mei Terumi?"
"I'm the only Mei Terumi I know of."
His frown showed his sharpened teeth. He looked uneasily at us and at Hidan, standing alone. "Well, you're supposed to-we're not supposed to let anyone with that name off the island," he said, pulling his cap low over his eyes. "Our orders come directly from Lord Fourth. You should take your friends back with you."
"You're handsome, and you look smart," Mei said, smiling sweetly. "Do you think it's a coincidence that you've come here ahead of schedule? The people here haven't even had enough time to leave anything for you to take. It'd be a shame if I had to tell someone above Lord Fourth that I can't carry out the mission asked of me."
"Working in a cave all day or being sent out into the field wouldn't suit you," she continued.
Scary, Yahiko signed at us.
His fingers squeezed his hat. "I have my orders," he said again. "Doesn't matter what happens to me, but I've got people back in the village to look out for."
Mei looked at him for a few seconds and said, "Your orders come from a Kage, not a Daimyo. If ninja hassle you, you only need to tell them that your orders came from Hyousuke Imai. Use his full name and do so confidently, and your interrogators won't keep you. You, and those you're protecting might even be lucky enough to be exiled from the village. Many would kill for a fresh start without hunter-nin on their heels."
His frown deepened. He raised his eyes, looking distrustfully at her. "Walk away, miss."
Mei smiled again. "This isn't a test. My mission is real and standing in the way of that won't make your fears disappear. But, if you refuse me again, my offer is off the table. If I were you, I'd look out for myself and my family and give them a better life. You never know what might happen."
His shoulders sagged. After a second, he scribbled something on the clipboard. "Only you, miss Terumi. The missing-nin with you—"
"Will introduce themselves as Mei Terumi," she finished for him. "Only my name will be on that manifest, and no one will look twice. Let me handle the crew."
He looked suddenly terrified. "You want me to trust that you can keep them quiet about this? About smuggling them?"
Mei stepped closer to him. "Nothing should matter but the offer I made. Hyousuke will defend you on my behalf, but only if you stretch the truth. Or, you can continue as you are, and trust in the village to reward your loyalty."
He looked at her, then away. He didn't speak, but he stepped aside.
Mei patted his cheek as she went past.
ライト
I traced a hand along the wood paneling, following Mei to where the storage rooms were.
It was safer for her, he'd said, if we stayed in the middle of the ship.
And for me, he'd added hesitantly, then asked if my eyes were just like that or if it was a dojutsu.
"That was so cool," Chojuro said, at her side.
Mei smiled at him. "It had better be, if you're to learn anything from me."
I watched a tall man come out of a room up ahead carrying a full sack. He glanced at us, glanced away, then blinked back at Mei, staring intensely at her.
"I don't think—" Chojuro squeezed the strap holding the blade to his back. "I don't think I'll ever be that."
Mei didn't look at the man, even as he frowned at her. "You'll have to be if you're to take over for me one day."
Chojuro sputtered out a denial.
He glanced at me, pausing for a few seconds before he dismissed me.
I hummed.
He would've kept glaring at Mei, and maybe even come over, if his eyes didn't catch on the blade on Chojuro's back. He paled a little and quickly turned away.
Chojuro didn't notice him.
A/N: 赤い - Red, ライト - Lights
If I could separate this story into parts, Part 1 would be chapters 1-32
Part 2 would be 33-76, and I'd call it "grief" (or "set-up" if I really wanted to be meta).
Part 3 would start at 77.