A/N: Aoi's group finally makes it to Morino, distrust is sown, and people are hurting. The hurt will not end easily.


The sun was setting over the mountains, the world plunged into shades of gold and shadows creeping along the trees, when the group finally reached the front gates of Morino.

It had been an arduous trip, what with the new paranoia from the increased squadrons near the capital in a wide radius, and several were especially anxious about getting caught with a traitor. Their rations were already relatively low for such a trip, and the group had almost completely run them dry by the time they passed the trail to the mountain camp.

Several audibly sighed in relief when the townspeople noticed them coming; they tensed when they saw them, but when the leader waved to them, they relaxed and started to smile, chattering among one another and waving back excitedly.

When the townspeople started cheering, welcoming them in, they strode in with their heads held high.

"They made it!" Someone shouted, and several others echoed him with laughter.

"Welcome back!" Another cried.

But when the people caught sight of Aoi, however, their jubilation seemed to die.

The cheering slowly fell silent, the people's happy grins fading into suspicious frowns. The group looked around in confusion before turning to the ex-soldier, whose face was impassive. Worry flickered in their eye as they glanced around at the distrustful sneers turned towards them.

Aoi just closed their eye, bowing their head.

"Wait, why is he here?" Someone else questioned. Several other villagers echoed their agreement.

"We don't want traitors!"

"Yeah!"

"Go home, Konoha scum!"

"You killed our families!"

"Filthy traitor!"

"My people!" Someone finally shouted above the jeering.

The crowd's volume slowly died down as a short girl made her way through, the people parting for her. She wore a stern expression unbefitting someone of her years as she glanced from face to face.

When she got to the front, she turned to face the townspeople. "Ladies, gentlemen, friends! I know a lot of you still do not accept my leadership, but as the head of this village I have to say I am disappointed in all of you tonight."

She raised her hand before anyone could interrupt. "I'm sure we are all still feeling the effects of the last raid on our broken home. Many more are still feeling the loss of friends, loved ones, coworkers… we have not healed yet. And that is okay. A community such as ours needs time to work past our grief."

Then she frowned. "But treating him the way his colleagues have treated us? Spitting, jeering, judging? Completely unacceptable behavior! If you want to be anything, you need to want to be better than them! Be better than those who have hurt us! Don't stoop to their level so quickly!"

She turned a critical eye on Aoi. "I myself do not trust you. I hope you understand that what you've done to us - what you've helped the capital do - is something that will likely never be fully forgiven."

Aoi bowed their head in deference. "Yes, I do," they agreed quietly.

"We will watch you," she warned. "We will watch and act if and when we realize you're about to trick us once more. But," she paused, sending a critical look across the crowd again before looking back to him, "what I will not tolerate is blatant harassment. You have my word that I will personally sort out any disagreements that arise with you that you feel is unfair."

"Thank you, miss," Aoi murmured.

Her gaze softened, and she reached out her hand. "I want you to be a changed person," she continued. "I want to accept you as one of us. Someone that the royal family has wronged grievously. Someone who has repented and wants to make up for it."

"I want that too," they agreed.

"I want us not to fight." Daitan said softly. "But remember that while my forgiveness is boundless, my patience is short. And I will not hesitate to throw you out the second you show signs of being a double-agent."

Her eyes hardened. "My duty is to my people. My heart aches for those still hurting, those who will be hurt, and all in-between. My love is for my village, and all of those hold more weight than my desire for your stay here."

"I understand, miss," they nodded. "I'm grateful you at least are not turning me away at the gate."

"Believe me, the temptation runs strong." She sighed heavily. "I was betrayed once. My own father, my own brothers, my own mother went against everything I had been taught was right, and in the end it turned out that everything I thought I knew was wrong. My family was slaughtered in cold blood by the very people I adored, leaving only me to pick up the pieces alone. If I ever, ever catch wind of you doing the same thing as them…"

She leaned in with a harsh whisper. "You will not like the results."

Aoi just bowed their head again.

She straightened up and turned to face the crowd. "While they stay here, I plead for you to be accommodating. Be civil. Your fear and anger is understandable. Your paranoia is warranted. But I will not allow you to unduly harass the innocent. Not even from you, elders. Not even from you, soldiers. While I trust your judgement, I will not allow myself to be manipulated against those who do not deserve my wrath."

The crowd murmured angrily among one another, but a few sighed and nodded in resignation.

One of the elders stepped forward. "Young miss, don't you believe you're being too lenient?"

"Trust me when I say there are many things I wish I could say right now," she replied, her shoulders tense. "Standing here, face-to-face, with the one responsible for the murder of so many innocents? For splitting Mimei and sending them away from us? Trust me, I'm still angry."

"But my father taught me something that's stuck with me ever since I was a child." She took a breath. "And that is patience. Patience and a willingness to heal. If this person," she gestured to Aoi, "is with them, doesn't that signal to you that maybe he wants change too?"

"Um, miss," Aoi quietly spoke up, a distinctly uncomfortable expression on their face, "I'm, um, non-binary actually."

"My apologies." She shot them a wincing glance before continuing, "Doesn't that signal that they want change too? I highly doubt Ayame-sama would allow a traitor to trick us again."

"Yeah, she's right!" Someone spoke up. The crowd turned their heads to where Hideki was standing, a determined look on his face. "Don't they have someone who can tell if someone is lying? The interrogator's daughter?"

A murmur went through the crowd, and several looked thoughtful.

"They do, yes," Boruda spoke up in agreement. "The Yamanaka heiress went with them. She would have cleared him-" he cleared his throat awkwardly, "she would have cleared them way before they even allowed them anywhere near the group."

She raised her eyes to the others, daring them to speak.

To the group's surprise, Aika stepped forward with a hard stare. She nodded, signing with her hands. Someone hurriedly jumped in to translate out loud.

"It is as Boruda-san has said," a young maiden said, watching her rapidly-moving hands. "Our motto has always been that refugees, no matter what they've done, are welcome in shelter villages protected by Mimei. If Ayame-sama has deemed them acceptable, we must also accept that they're trying to change themself and are repentant for what they've done to us."

She pointedly avoided Aoi's stunned stare, instead looking Daitan in the eyes.

Another few murmurs through the people, before another elder stepped forward.

"We trust your judgement, Akiyama-sama," she spoke with a trembling, weak voice. "We will do our best to welcome them, even the soldier."

"That's all I ask, is for your patience," she agreed with a sad smile. "Your anger is accepted. Your frustration is warranted. But all I ask is that you not take it out on them. Do not become the soldiers that tormented us."

Several unhappy sighs and grumblings answered her, and she turned back to the group with an outstretched hand.

"The town of Morino welcomes you, faction of Mimei," she formally greeted as the leader of the group shook her hand firmly. "I trust you will help keep us safe."

"You have my word that we'll do what we can, Akiyama-sama," he solemnly replied.

"Excellent." Her lips quirked into a small smile. "Please see Boruda-san for your lodgings. Come and find me if you need any help at all, my door is always open. As refugees, you are always welcome here."

"Thank you, miss."


The crowd dispersed shortly thereafter, but no matter how hard they looked, Aoi couldn't see where Aika disappeared to. She had whirled around and walked away with the throng, her posture tense and uneasy - and Boruda had stepped into their line of sight before they could call out.

"So," the older man's gaze was hard and calculating, "you jumped ship."

"That I did," the traitor answered warily, eyeing him for a moment before focusing on his intimidating stance.

"No matter what Akiyama thinks, I'm onto you," he accused. "If you dare hurt any one of us again, especially Abe-san, I'll kill you."

Aoi tried to look him in the eye, but the intensity of his stare made them shift their gaze to his shoulder.

"Do I make myself clear?" Boruda challenged. "You make one wrong move, you take one step outta line, and you're dead. No matter what Akiyama does to me. And I'm sure as hell that several others share my stance."

"Crystal. Crystal clear," they replied quietly. "Where's Abe-san?"

"What, so you can go bother her so soon after dinner?" He snorted, folding his massive arms across his muscled chest. "She went to the river to bathe. And before you get any ideas…"

"I'm not like that," they quickly reassured him, their face lighting up with an embarrassed flush. "I'm not some kind of creep."

"Could've fooled me," he snorted dismissively. "You really hurt her, y'know."

Aoi could not say anything in reply.

"She completely fell apart after the raid," Boruda continued. "I know she still wants to deny it, but we all know you killed him."

The greenet closed their eye. "I know," they whispered painfully.

"I'm never going to want to know why in the hell you thought to do it, but what's done is done." Boruda squinted at them. "I'm warning you. Stay away from her. She doesn't want to see you."

"I need to apologize," they protested, looking desperately up at him.

"When she comes to you," he said slowly, enunciating every word. "You ever had a broken heart before, kid?"

When they couldn't answer, Boruda grunted. "She loved that guy. I dunno what she saw in him, but apparently they were in it deep. And you took that away from her."

Aoi bowed their head once more.

"And all because of what? Jealousy? Hatred?" The taller of the two shook his head. "I don't wanna understand why you did what you did. But I'm telling you right now, she is not in the right mind to confront that right now. I know she still wants to defend you, even though it kills her inside to do that. She still wants to believe you're good. She still wants to care about you."

He gave the younger a hard stare. "Don't you fucking dare give her a reason to think otherwise."

Aoi nodded shakily. "I won't, I promise. I don't want to hurt her anymore. Or anyone else. All I want is to make things right, sir."

"Keep that mindset," he grunted. "It'll save you from the villagers' wrath in the long run. And remember what I told you. You mess up, you're dead. You mess with Abe-san before she's ready? I don't give a shit about what Akiyama says, I'm pummeling you myself."

They nodded again, and Boruda clapped them on the shoulder hard. "Good. Now get going. You've got lodgings in the men's quarters, hope that don't bother you."

"I've faced worse in the army," they grimaced. "But I'd like to not be misgendered, if at all possible."

"Let Akiyama know, she'll probably put you somewhere else." Boruda removed his hand and turned away. "For her sake, I'm going to try and be civil to you. It don't mean I like you, but I'll try for your sake. I don't wanna believe you're gonna trick us again. Don't give me a reason to."

"Got it, sir."

"Good." The man began to walk away. "If you missed dinner, I'm sure they're handing out leftovers."

Aoi could only watch him leave with a heavy heart. The accusatory stares as they made their way to where Daitan's lodgings were only made it feel heavier.

This was going to be a long, long experience.


A/N: Tough times ahead for Aoi, not that they weren't expecting that. The people are definitely not going to forget. I apologize for any triggering content in the future (there will be transphobia and discrimination in future chapters with the Morino group). Nothing too horrible, but for those uncomfortable for it, I want you to know now so that you're prepared for upcoming chapters.

Please know that any hateful speech, whether spoken by or insinuated by characters herein, do not reflect my real-world views on the matter. I do NOT support transphobia/discrimination in any way, shape, or form. I will also NOT accept any transphobic or just hateful speech in the comments.

Please tell me what you thought.