We stand here unsuspecting, unaware of the sun behind the moon.
Without the brilliance of the sun, the moon would remain as just another ashen face in the night.
Who are we without the sun?
Is the darling thief prepared for sundown, when the noose hangs loose before the rising moon?
Is her pocket full of shade and stars, or is her only treasure the memories of an empty childhood?
She is the mother of the coddled child, the sister of the battered son, the daughter of the destitute father…
She is the woman on the gallows, her final words hollow and sad… beyond that she is the lady strung with tears, free and hanged and beautiful. She is you, she is me, she is the everlasting ghost on the edge of the world.
Her last words…
Farewell, Cosette.
Honestly, Saya didn't wholly mind kimonos. It was formal dress that she couldn't stand, being wrapped up in layer after layer of silk and thickly sewn obi. However, her sister's wardrobe was, surprisingly, mostly adorned with simple dresses decorated in floral and animal designs, much like the things their mother used to wear on sweltering summer days.
Saya's own array was moth-eaten, her old clothes ruined simply because she'd left the lid of the trunk open for so many years. The sight of her old hakama with holes in them, while minutely amusing, left only her sister's closet as a source of attire, which really, Saya didn't find funny at all.
Slipping the smooth fabric over her shoulders was difficult with her torso, the wound under the bandages sensitive to each twist and move she made. The fabric she chose had a grey egret stitched into it, the blue tint of the overall dress highly stylish while accompanied by the thin, black obi. Rather than constricting her legs with tightly bound material, she left the opening of the dress loosely bound, much like one would wear a mundane bath robe.
The man in the corner made no sound, not even a whimper, but still his presence in the room was obvious. The Uchiha had left to allow her some privacy, leaving only the jinchuuriki, dead to the world, seated in a corner of the room.
He looked so…normal.
Was a demon supposed to look so ordinary?
She pulled her hair and twisted it onto her head, the mass of it heavy and in tangles. Swiping a few pins from the vanity, she secured its length with quick fingers, watching the man out of the corner of her eye.
But how could anyone look intimidating in only underclothes and handcuffs? She wondered what his face looked like beneath the seal, if he was as rugged as he appeared to be considering his thick-muscled build and broad shoulders. With a pat, she left her hair and turned to the man in question, a frown marring her face as she approached the corner. Squatting before his outturned legs and sagged torso, she cocked her head to the side and leaned into her hand.
What was his name again? She'd heard it mentioned somewhere before, though now it eluded her. She could tell from the outlines of the seal that he had facial hair, and the sheer mass of his body lead her to believe he was quite a bit older than she'd originally pictured him. Her frown flattened to a minor quirk, her eyes closing silently.
Han.
His name was Han.
She wondered, though only fleetingly, what Han might be dreaming of beneath that seal?
A knock on the door dragged her from her musing, and with a quick call, she beckoned them to enter. The door slid open, revealing a passive Yin. Saya stayed as she was, not bothering to turn and greet the girl with any sort of pleasantry or acknowledgement, though, the girl seemed not to care anyway.
"Sayuri-san." Yin slid down to sit at the table, a dainty cushion comfortably beneath her. "I would like to speak with you for a moment."
"Hm?"
Saya's wound throbbed against her position, and rather than irritate it, she gently leaned herself onto the floor, sitting beside the five-tailed container and leaning her head against the wall. She watched Yin tiredly, a smirk taunting the younger girl with maniacal silence. Despite Saya's expression, she continued calmly, cool as ice.
"Are you going to kill him?"
Bringing a knee up, Saya tossed an arm over her leg and slung the other over the shoulders of the unconscious Han. "It would be fairly rude to murder someone in their sleep, Yin."
"Rude though it may be, you know of which man I speak. Sayuri-san, do you intend to continue sitting on the fence you've always seemed to adore, or will you finally pick a side?" Yin reached forward and lightly ran her fingers over a petite cup, raising her eyes to Saya's only after she retracted her hand. "Sayuri, will you kill the only remnant of your previous life?"
Yin did not expect the bark of laughter Saya coughed up, neither did she expect the grin on her face. Of course, she did not betray her inner surprise, her only facial feature that of complete and utter detachment.
"What a wonderful metaphor! A fence, yes, that describes me perfectly, doesn't it?" The laughter stilled, though, her untamed appearance lingered. "Don't trouble yourself over it, Yin. You're master will find his end one way or another by the end of the day." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Or, considering we've been hiding most of the day, he'll probably find it by dawn."
She sighed, leaning against the form beside her. Yin watched her, watched as the woman who saved her snickered against the man's shoulder, and Yin wondered if she'd maybe lost more than just her title over the years. Meeting Saya had been like welcoming a hurricane: dangerous and breathtaking. Yin and Fuu had been stragglers from decimated clans, brought together only by chance and fortune. If it hadn't been for the captain commander's kindness, they would have most surely been picked off by rogues or upper class bandits.
It was Saya who'd given them food and clothes, given them a place they could once again call home. Though Saya hadn't thought much of it, Yin had silently idolized her for not only her generosity, but also for her stature. Despite her rough appearance and lackadaisical attitude, Imatsura Sayuri was still the strongest person Yin had ever known, and it was not only strength that won Saya her favor.
"Onna."
Saya didn't bother to move from her seat, only cracking open her molten eyes to see Kisame slide open the door as Yin had, Samehada and cloak donned with an Uchiha cloaked behind him. He grinned at her position, walking forward with Saya's three swords in hand. "Comfy?"
"Sublime," She sighed. "So is that the plan then? Distract, infiltrate, eradicate, escape?" She gave them a look, hardly noting Minori in the background. "I know the Uchiha's genjutsu manipulation is something to be revered, but can it really ensnare so many men with gear scripted with genjutsu seals?"
"It's not your concern." Itachi retrieved a thin scroll from his person, unrolling it with deft hands. He gave Saya a care, his gaze steadily demanding. "I'm going to seal him."
"Poor bugger." She scooted away, continuing to lean her back against the wall as Itachi made a few hand seals before the giant of a man disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Are we off then?"
"Here." Kisame threw her the three katanas, her quick catch causing her to wince at the sudden movement. "Better toughen up, onna. This Katsutoshi isn't your nursemaid, he's not going to wait around while you cower in pain."
"Not cowering." She gritted out. "It was more of a shudder. And don't worry, Hoshigake, I never had a nursemaid."
"I-I don't think that was the p-point, Sayuri-dono." Minori said quietly, his stutter faintly noticeable beneath the utterance of his words.
With a shrug, she slid onto her feet and stretched her neck to each side, a pop sounding with each push. "I guess it's time to get my ass handed to me again, ne?" She smirked at Kisame, who smirked right back. "Yin?"
"I will assist Ito-san in restraining the squad units incapacitated by Uchiha-san's sharingan." She bowed her head. "Do you have any objections, Ito-san?"
"N-No!" He exclaimed with a jump. "N-No, I would ap-p-ppreciate your help."
"Kisame and I will take on those that are left to oppose our attack." Itachi addressed Saya. "You will be left to finish Sato Katsutoshi."
She clasped the leather strap of the trio, sliding it around her waist and patting the hilts of the conjoined swords. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on the group in front of her.
"Then let's go, before this damn wound bleeds through my dressing and I pass out from blood loss."
"Watch that mouth of yours, onna."
She shrugged carelessly, her lips twitching as she took a confident step and strode towards the other end of the room. When she stood beside Kisame, facing the opposite way towards the hallway door, she watched as he crossed his arms tightly. He gave her a begrudging look.
"I like that look." He told her deeply.
"Hm?" Saya hummed, her eyes glancing at him from the side. "What look?"
"That look. It's a look that might accomplish something." Though his voice wasn't serious, he didn't grin or smile. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited for her to move along. Saya didn't know whether she should laugh out right or shut it, and choosing the latter, she reached Minori's spot in the threshold. He looked up at her nervously, slightly afraid of the grin she'd been wearing and the sharpness in her stare. However, when he finally reached her eyes…
"Thanks," she told him softly, a warm smile lighting her features, "I owe ya one for stitching me up." Her eyes were like honey, soft and welcoming, and at her words, his shaking twitches froze as he regarded the transformation, his mouth opening slightly before snapping back shut. Inclining his head with a nod, he answered.
"I-It was the least I-I could do, S-Sayuri-dono." He rubbed his hands together, his eyes sliding to the side away from her own. "After all…i-it was because of my cowardice that you were e-exiled." He bit his bottom lip, eyes shaking. "If I'd only told s-someone…if I'd only said something. If I-"
A hand came down on his head, ruffling his hair with a few pats. Kisame turned at the sound of silence when Minori trailed off.
"Don't sweat it," she said, a knowing smirk, "You didn't do anything wrong. But you should know not to live in the past." Retracting her hand, she continued, "Don't live in the future, either. Just focus on the present. It leaves less room for regrets and unnecessary worries."
Yin watched Saya's hands, a miniscule smile softening her frigid features. It was her hands that had won Yin's affection, the hands calloused and scarred with evidence of fighting and murder. Yin thought back onto the day they'd met, how a pat similar to the one Saya'd just given Ito Minori was given to her and Fuu in a reassuring sign of companionship. The hands had looked battle-worn and coarse, the skin tough to the touch.
And yet, despite how rough those hands appeared to be, they were surprisingly gentle. With a single touch, Saya had given Yin something she'd lost when her family had been slain during the war.
And while Yin lingered on the thought of Saya's hands, the mist shinobi known as Hoshigake Kisame was rather focused on her eyes…and the smile on her lips.
"I won't be able to catch all of them," Itachi murmured, "But the minority will rest with Yin-san and Ito-san."
"You will most likely encounter ranking officers," Yin remained seated, her eyes resting on her own hands before closing. She appeared to be addressing Itachi and Kisame. "Though, it's silly to think two shinobi like yourselves should have much trouble dealing with them. The correction squad is not as it used to be, under the Imatsura clan's care."
Saya shrugged with indifference, and without bothering to look back at her sister's room once more, she walked down the hallway and out to the garden.
Gakuto was not a traitor, at least, that's not how he saw it. His allegiance had never been dedicated to any of the Imatsura's; rather, both he and his clan had long since served under the Sato family. He did not feel remorse or guilt over the outcome concerning Imatsura Sayuri, nor did he feel any sense of victory or amusement.
All he felt was an unyielding loyalty and need to serve Sato Katsutoshi, the last of the Sato line.
Just as he was the last of his.
Perhaps if he had acted as more of an advisor, more as a friend to Sato-sama, then maybe things would have worked out differently. He personally did not see the justice in what Sato-sama construed all those years ago, nor did he understand why'd he'd done it in the first place. Sato Katsutoshi was indeed a very reclusive man, and that did not make it any easier to understand him.
Not that Gakuto really wanted to understand him, but it certainly would have made some things a bit easier.
Still, he did not grasp the reasons behind Sato-sama's decisions, only that Sato-sama seemed resilient in their execution and appeared not to have been bothered by their success. Gakuto understood that he was a tool, best utilized so long as in the hands of a Sato clansman, and as long as he performed his duties effectively, there was little else to concern himself with.
It was during the time that most civilians returned home for evening that he caught sight of movement within the Imatsura compound, or at least what was left of it. His jutsu could not reach within the building, the previous leader's seals still active and obstructing invasive eyes and ears.
Gakuto knew that his master had a rather intense affection for the previous Imatsura leader, Imatsura Sayuri's elder sister. It was a rather well hidden emotion, but best observed when hidden in the shadows of better known men. So he could grasp why Sato-sama ordered him to frame Takyui Saito, regardless of whether or not he agreed with it. He could also comprehend Sato-sama's rage and grief over the late Imatsura's suicide…and maybe even his descent into despondent madness.
However, what he couldn't understand was why Sato Katsutoshi loathed Sayuri so much, to the point of murder and fraud?
Gakuto would not question his master's agenda, it was shameful to one in his place. He would eradicate all that Sato-sama wished gone from his sight, and he would shield Sato-sama before the might of any opponent. He was Sato-sama's sword and shield, as were his predecessors before him. He would live by Sato-sama's side, and die by it.
The twilight had fallen and given rise to a full moon once more, the land before him illuminated by its madly grinning face. One of the side doors slid open to reveal a terribly apathetic picture of Saya, her face bored of its surroundings and baring little insight to the pain Gakuto knew she must be feeling from the wound his master inflicted. Behind her more shadows appeared, ones he could only assume belonged to the rogue shinobi and the unranked officer Ito Minori, though, a smaller one accompanied them as well. He made three had signals, the affirmation of his orders silently followed as the ruffle of leaves nearly blended in with that caused by the petite breeze.
He watched as Saya mentioned something to the taller man behind her, her eyes glittering despite the bleak colors of night. Whatever the man responded with caused her to grin wolfishly.
Still…Gakuto couldn't help but wonder that maybe Sato Katsutoshi was mistaken, and that the cause of all this was not misplaced revenge, but rather something a little more uncomplicated. Something most everyone felt every now and then, only maybe Sato-sama had felt it a bit too much due to his reclusive nature.
Something like loneliness.
And then, due to his arrogance...
Contempt.
She dodged a kunai that had been aimed at her throat and ducked under another one that went for her face, the blade just a little too close to her eyes, though, it didn't seem to bother Saya much. Ahead of her were roughly a dozen unranked officers, easily kicked aside with quick jabs and thrusts.
Well, not as easily as she'd like to admit. Actually, she found it pretty damn hard to move at all with her stomach hurting like hell. But what was she to do, sit back and watch the Uchiha and Hoshigake have all the fun?
As soon as they'd stepped out from her old home, they were bombarded by quite the number of officers in discreet uniform. They'd had their chakra masked, and Saya'd only caught on when she'd heard their movement from within the brush. She was grossly pissed that she missed them altogether, and as she thought on that fact she noticed the Uchiha activate the sharingan from the usual tomoe to a rather captivating design.
It was at that moment that all movement ceased, leaving Kisame in mid swing and Saya…well, honestly, she'd just been standing on top of an unconscious body. Minori peeked from around a banister, Yin standing next to him in the open. One by one, the soldiers seemed to freeze in place, their faces frozen in wide-eyed expressions, before falling to the ground noiselessly.
"Are they dead?" Minori asked nervously.
"No." Yin stepped forward, near a collapsed figure.
"Tch, they weren't even worth the effort."
Saya eyed Kisame, an arm resting on the hilts of her swords. She slowly looked around to Itachi, who was still staring forward towards the height of one tree.
"Ne, how did you do that?" She asked. "They all had that charm on…"
"The Mangekyō Sharingan is different from normal genjutsu."
She nodded, stroking her chin tiredly."Ah, I see. Another Uchiha trait."
"Ito Minroi and I will restrain them." Yin turned her head to Itachi. "Though, I do not believe they will awaken anytime soon."
"That's an understatement," Saya cooed, picking up the man's arm that lay beneath her, letting it drop with a thud back to the ground. "This guy's deadweight."
"Stop playing around, onna. Or did you forget what we're doing already?" Kisame swung Samehada back on his shoulder. She shrugged noncommittally and turned on her heel.
"G-good luck, S-sayuri-dono!" Minori called after her, waving frantically.
They sped off, weaving through the bamboo and emerging only to be met by several squads. Itachi stepped forward, systematically sliding his gaze to each of the warriors before him, allowing each one to stare into the depths of his eyes. Both she and Kisame watched as the assorted men before them wavered and collapsed.
"That's some eye." Saya whistled.
"Hn."
"So, if you'd care to enlighten me, why didn't you just use that when we were surrounded earlier?" She tossed him a careless glance, one dark brow raising in inquiry.
He said nothing in return, though, Saya hadn't really expected him to.
They continued to move forward, nearer to the manor's entrance and the crossroads that lead from the village to the oak tree near the cliffs and beach. The longer they sprinted, the more the area beneath Saya's bandages seemed to throb with sharp pains.
"Having trouble?" Kisame asked her tauntingly.
"No." She bit her lip to keep from letting a groan slip out.
"Are you sure, onna? It sounds like you're in a bit of pain."
"You've always been a pain in my ass, Hoshigake. I'm used to it."
He grinned without looking back to her, only to stop suddenly beside Itachi as eight figures appeared before them. The lack of warning left Saya to slam right into Kisame's back with a heavy grunt, almost landing her on her butt before she steadied herself and peered around his shoulder.
"Shiro-kun?"
Jushiro and the female twins stood closely together, flanking five men wearing haori's trimmed with silver: Captains. There weren't any particular notable features to any one of them, though, the one on the far right had a wild streak of violet running through his otherwise dull blond hair, and a long scar that ran from his right eye, which was sealed shut, to the edge of his mouth.
"Hideki? Katsumi? Renjiro? Shigemi?" She looked from each of the captains down the line, and as she uttered the last name, the man with the scar smirked and gave her a saucy wink.
"Hey there, Sayuri. Long time no see."
She ignored him and looked at the last man that stood apart from them, whose face was completely new to Saya.
"….Hataro."
The man bristled and pointed violently at her.
"Oi! Don't just make up names if you don't know who I am!"
One of the men, who had a full beard and a rather sharp nose, glared at her from behind thick brows.
"Sayuri, we've been ordered to take you into custody. We'd prefer it if you didn't resist and make it easy on yourself." He said in a gruff tone, uncrossing his arms and blinking owlishly. "That goes for those men as well."
"Captains."
Saya looked to Itachi from where she stood, down to the ground, and then up at the group of men across from them.
"Yeah. You better watch yourselves, some of them are pretty tricky." She watched as Shigemi's grin widened and he wagged his eyebrows. "Especially that one," she added, distaste dripping from her tongue.
"Tricks have nothing to do with it," the bearded man narrowed his dark eyes. "It is skill and experience that has brought us where we are. You should know that better than anyone, Sayuri."
"It was a figure of speech, Renjiro-san." She bowed her head slightly as she stood alongside her two companions. "While Shigemi may be right, I certainly haven't forgotten any of you, with the exception of Hataro-kun of course, considering he's new."
"Dasaiii!" Said man exclaimed heatedly, a single eye going into a spasm, "Onna, I already told you, my name is not Hataro, it's-"
"The man on the far left is a genjutsu specialist. His family is the one who started the seals on the armor they wear." Saya interrupted smoothly. "The one next to him focuses on earth style techniques, but he couples it with air to create shape techniques usually accompanied by Renjiro's lightning and water nature, creating powerful storm combinations."
"And we all know Shiro-kun's specialty, though, he's a bit of a copycat so that might change." She smirked at him as he sent her sneer.
"Hora! Matte, what about me?" Shigemi jumped, taking half a step forward with one wide eye. "Aren't you gonna tell them about me?"
"You wanna take the brats on the left, Itachi-san, or the ossan in the middle?" Kisame asked casually, glancing over at his partner.
"Hn."
"The old men, then."
Shigemi fell to the floor dramatically, twitching as he reached out.
"Now you're just ignoring me…"He pouted, a single tear waiting precariously to drip down his cheek.
"We haven't forgotten either, Sayuri-san," The man known as Katsumi said, his dull eyes and thin-lipped expression rivaling that of Yin's, "Why it is that you were exiled. However, I'm not one to hold grudges, so believe me when I say this is nothing personal."
"We once respected you as not only your father's daughter, but also as a leader," Renjiro stared into Saya's eyes, unblinking, "You did quite well for someone so young. I was impressed with how you handled your mother's and father's deaths, as well as your sister's." He smiled fondly, "You took control of your inheritance like a natural born commander. It was a shame that you threw it all away like you did."
She smiled back at him, however, another sharp pain ran jaggedly through her stomach. She pushed away a grimace and slowly snaked her hand around her injury, leaning her head to the side.
"I wonder about that?" She said.
Renjiro's smile froze as he regarded her eyes.
"I'm tired of all this talk," Jushiro stated coldly, unsheathing a sword from his side. "I'm tired of everyone speaking so sweetly to a traitor like her."
"Simmer down,hot stuff," Shigemi smirked over at him, waving his arms calmingly. "There's no sense in being so hasty, is there? Besides, I'd like to have a nice, long chat with Sayuri over there." He slid his eye in her direction, slowly running it over her, and then Kisame, and finally Itachi. "I'd just love to hear about what you've been doing all this time, where you've been, why you've decided to join a criminal group of terrorists."
"Why she killed her best friend." Jushiro spat, gripping the pommel in his hand. The twins looked at one another with knowing smiles, each placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be like that, Shiro-sempai," Maru murmured soothingly.
"Like a cat struck with cold water," Yuri whispered close to his ear.
He shrugged both of them off, keeping his eyes on Saya. The pure, unadulterated hatred in them nearly seared the socks off Saya, if Saya'd been wearing socks. Instead, she grinned back at him and wound her other hand around herself.
"Ne, Shiro-kun," she said weakly as a neat wave of heat stung at her core, "I wonder...have you ever wondered why a tree has bark?"
He snarled at her and rushed them, sprinting the distance and dancing up to her with quick feet, swinging back his blade before bringing it down on her. Before it could meet her, Kisame caught the attack with his own sword, not even making an effort to move.
"Oi, gaki, kids like you shouldn't play with swords." He swung, the force overpowering Jushiro and sending him viciously back and sliding in the dirt.
"Old men like you shouldn't get in my way!" He yelled back, holding his katana in both hands. Kisame's eye's gleamed and Saya hid a snicker. She shuddered but smiled at Itachi.
"See? I'm not the only one who things he's a fossil."
"Urusai," Kisame snorted. He turned away from Saya's attacker and looked down at the woman herself. With his attention on her, she straightened and dropped her arms, closing both eyes before looking up at him questioningly.
"Give me your arm."
"Nani?"
He rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, gripping it roughly with callused fingers. He flipped it over with her palm up, and without a word, he bit his thumb on the opposite hand, allowing a swell of blood to form, and dug it into her wrist. A brief burning sensation drilled at the spot he held, but then Saya felt a surge of chakra collect as it buried itself within her arm, and when he took his finger away, a black seal was left in place of his blood.
"This is a chakra seal," he told her sternly, "Use your own blood and you'll be able to summon the chakra Samehada has accumulated over previous battles."
She blinked slowly, looking down at the black scrawl, and then up into his unwavering eyes.
"Hoshigake…you-"
Dropping her arm, he straightened to his full height, "Don't think about it too much."
She looked back down at her arm as a grin slowly made its way onto her lips. "Right."
"We'll take care of things here," Itachi said without turning to her, "You go on and confront Sato Katsutoshi."
"Oi, we're not letting her go anywhere!" Jushiro growled treacherously. Before he could move, Samehada's huge form blocked out his vision, nearly catching him as he blocked with the hilt of his guard. "Get out of my way!"
"Let's have some fun, gaki," Kisame leered toothily.
"Go, Imatsura," Itachi ordered. Saya eyed the group of captains as they began to take action.
"Have fun, Uchiha."
"Hn."
She laughed and made a handsign, fading with a thick wisp of smoke as the battle began.
"Don't think about it too much."
"Don't think about it too much my ass," Saya huffed. The big oaf, doing something like that. I don't know whether I should be insulted or pleased. She looked down at the seal again. Maybe now I can actually fight.
"Don't think about it too much."
She made a face as she jumped from the rooftop to the path diverging away from the manor. The pain in her side reminded her of where she was going, and placing the tips of her fingers to her bandages, she allowed a few slips of chakra to help close up the skin that had reopened.
"I'm not thinking about it," she grumbled, "Not at all."
"Thinking about what, Sa-chan?"
She immediately came to a halt, skidding along the wood and rocks in the tall grass. The sudden stop had jolted her, a constricted gasp lodged itself in her throat as she dropped her hand and regarded the man before her with sharp eyes. Katsutoshi stood but a few paces away, smiling softly and standing beside two other men.
"Arata-taicho," she muttered, "Fujikage-taicho." The two captains that'd been with Katsu when she'd first arrived, the ones that'd given her both sad and heated glances. The two captains that'd supported her most during her office, and had once been her father's closest confidents.
Arata Hiroko, the man who mentored and befriended Takyui Saito. And Fujikage Ichiro…
Jin's father.
"Sayuri," Arata greeted, bowing his head. Fujikage said nothing, only staring at her relentlessly…restlessly.
"I see you're doing quite well considering the blow I gave you," Katsu said good-naturedly. "I suppose Ito Minori will have to be rewarded for his efforts."
"That won't be necessary," Saya rested an arm on the hilts at her side, "Katsu." She stood silent as she took in the contours of his expression, searching his eyes for something. "I've been asking you a lot of questions since I've gotten here, but now that I think about it, none of them were really the right ones, were they?"
"Do you know what Katsutoshi means, Saya?" He adjusted his glasses, allowing the glare to hide his eyes. When she didn't respond, he continued, "It means 'to win cleverly'."
"You've always been clever, Katsu."
"That's not the point, Saya. There is no point in being clever if there's no one around to appreciate it." His tone turned hard.
"Why?" She asked calmly, "Why did you do it?" Arata's face quirked as he observed her questioningly. He looked beside himself to Katsu, as well did Fujikage with his own angry countenance. Both of the men that stood side by side suddenly seemed alienated from their current commander. "Takyui-san was a good shinobi and a good man. Why did you frame him?"
Arata's eyes widened, though, Fujikage seemed unaffected.
"No," she said suddenly, shaking her head, "that's still not the right question. You wanted to inherit the correction unit."
Misa watched her sister carefully. "When I am married, you won't have to kill anymore. My husband will inherit your status, as well as mine, and he will take care of everything."
"You'd always wanted to be a leader. And you were jealous, because Misa only had eyes for him. I knew it because you were always projecting those feelings onto me."
"Jealous, Saya-chan?"
"Not in the least," Saya strummed. "I have no interest in calligraphy. At all."
"Political meetings my ass. This is just a dog show, and Misa's the prize." She drawled.
"Jealous?" Saya looked behind Jin to see her other best friend, Sato Katsutoshi.
She slid her eyes shut. "But it was exactly because of her infatuation with Takyui-san that she took her own life…but I don't blame you for that. Any of it." She opened an eye and watched as Katsu stiffened.
"I have no interest in calligraphy. At all." She paused in thought and cupped her chin. "But you know, Misa would be impressed. She has a sort of fancy for stuff like that."
Katsutoshi seemed to repress a wide smile as he turned back to his writing.
"Oh? I didn't know."
"Of course you knew! That's why you took it up to start with!" She said heatedly.
"I'd always known you'd been interested in her, even when we were kids. So I can understand why you deceived the squad, I can comprehend why you might've snapped and took those matters into your own hands. You were blinded by anger and greed."
His hands tightened into fists.
His smile flickered out, an annoyed twitch flipping the meaning behind it.
Saya-chan was much too smart sometimes.
"But what I can't grasp…what I can't figure out is why you killed Jin." Fujikage's scowl sharpened considerably, the apprehension so heavy it seemed to anchor him in his spot.
"You have no proof." Katsu ground out.
"Damn the proof, I was there!" She cried, her usually low voice taking a pitch. "Why did you betray not only Misa, but us as well? It was your own god damned fault for what happened to her and Saito, so why did you take your anger out on Jin? Why!"
"Because he couldn't understand!" He screamed, his shoulders shuddering as he panted and careened forward. His composure had finally shattered, leaving only his raging emotions to burn forth. He reserved a moment to settle them, and took one deep breath as he looked up, "And you could."
"Nani?" Arata asked deeply, looking disbelievingly at Katsu. "Sotaicho?"
"Sato Katsutoshi," Fujikage spoke with a stiff tone, "Is this true?" Jin had taken after his father enough that they could have been mistaken for one another, albeit one being quite a bit older. Jin had inherited Fujikage Ichiro's broad shoulders, wild hair, and dark skin.
Even their voices sounded the same.
"Did you murder my son?"
Katsu said nothing, only stared at Saya with an unidentifiable expression. "Tell me, Sa-chan," he started calmly, "Could the Maō Gijutsu have brought them back?"
Saya gripped the hilt of one of her swords, the leather binding digging hard into her hand.
"No."
He sneered. "Pity."
Saya only just was able to unsheathe one of her katanas and block his attack, his own sword gleaming terribly in the early morning light. The sun had just peeked over the ocean, its copper light reaching achingly along the flat water and silent sky. She quickly took hold of another, taking a stance with both weapons ready as they circled each other. Katsu slid his feet apart, as if he were going to rush her, but then stopped and stood straight. Throwing his blade aside, he began a series of handsigns that Saya was instantly familiar with. His weapon clattered against the rocky soil, sliding far out of reach and into a particularly high patch of dry grass.
"Urushi no Jutsu." His arms turned a feverish red, an amber substance oozing from his pores. "Tsuru no mai!" He slammed his hands into the earth, digging them underneath its surface. She watched with wide eyes as the soil shifted rapidly, jumping into the air as writhing tendrils of roots shot out from beneath her. The sticky mess that had coated Katsu's arms now glazed the lengths of the shoots pursuing her, dripping messily to the grass below and turning it a sickly shade of yellow.
She sliced the tips that nearly touched her, hacking them away as she retreated. She noticed the ground shift from behind her, more vines preparing to burst out and attack her, so gritting her teeth, she shoved the handle of one sword into her mouth and drew the third, taking a stance with closed eyes.
"Hanamichi." She murmured. The dance that ensued was hidden behind the wall of climbing plants, but by the time it was over they were reduced to tiny segments of slop. The floor was carpeted by it, only a small area clean that encircled Saya.
"Behind you, Saya."
Saya whipped around and blocked Katsu's bladed arms, their sides as sharp as the sword he had flung aside. The secretion dripped heavily from them, and Saya knew well she had to avoid coming into contact with it at all costs. Bringing the two blades in her hands to mimic one, she hopped in light steps.
"Chunori!" She said through the hilt, making her last hop a high jump, corkscrewing in the air to slash down on Katsu from behind. He met her with both arms, narrowing his mirthful eyes. He shaped both hands with folding fingers.
"Kansen no jutsu." The yellow excretion wriggled spastically and exploded. Saya cried out and fell back, sliding on her heels and shielding her face with crossed arms. The discharge that made contact with her skin in assorted patches singed where it touched, absorbing quickly into her. She eyed the burns.
"Gross."
"Pay attention, Saya." He swiped at her midsection, just missing her dressing as she dodged to the side. "Fight me seriously, with all you have." He continued his assault. "Swing those swords, cut me!"
She yelped as he spun around, sending her skidding away.
"I'm not your friend anymore. I'm your enemy, someone you want to kill." He took a step forward, "Stop holding back and cut me!" He glared wide-eyed at her, "Cut me!"
She took gulps of air, biting the hilt in her mouth as waves of pain shuddered down her body. With a final heave, she raised her eyes. "Fine."
Pointing both swords downward, she stabbed the ground on either side of her, taking the one from her mouth and lodging it in between the two. "You want me to cut you…" She nicked the side of her thumb along the blade, pressing it to the inside of her wrist. A sequence of handsigns followed, ending in ox. "Then I'll cut you." Tapping each hilt, she uttered,
"Gojuken no jutsu."
In a flurry, dozens of swords materialized in clouds of grey smoke, surrounding both she and Katsu in the open field of sea oats and sorrel. He considered their vast number steadily, his glasses slipping to the edge of his nose.
"What's this?" He asked harshly.
"A technique meant for cutting."
Grabbing the sword nearest to her, she flash stepped to him. They traded blow after blow, Saya abandoning one sword for another, continuously trading the one in her hand for one somewhere else. Both Arata and Fujikage watched the fight from afar, making space between them and the combatants. While Arata seemed worried, Fujikage merely appeared stern, his lip curling as Katsu rolled to the ground and his jutsu on his arms dispersed. In a desperate attempt to block a swing she had aimed for him, he grasped at a handle from one of the swords fixed in the dirt, only for it to waver like smoke from a fire. His eyes widened.
"That's not your sword." She swung but only found she'd stabbed an earth clone.
Some feet away, Katsu snatched up the katana he'd discarded, brandishing it and charging. As he neared her, though, he realized his mistake. It was too late to stop from engaging the shadow clone, though, and as he finished it off, he only just turned to see Saya strike with a sword in each hand.
"Jo." Taking a deliberate step forward, she made to arcs with each blade, the movement seemingly slow due to the defined movement it took to make them.
Katsu's weapon clanged to the ground.
"Ha." Her movements doubled, the slicing motions almost too fast to follow. He could hardly breathe.
His glasses fell next, the glass in one lens cracking against the hard terrain.
"Kyu." With a dramatic turn, she finished with a double swing, landing two large gashes on Katsu's chest. A few trails of blood followed her blades, the rest seeping into his crisp white haori and running down his arms from numerous lacerations. A faraway look crept into his eyes as he peered up to the sky, his dark eyes a shadow against the dawn.
He fell soundlessly onto his knees, his view now on Saya. She looked down on him with steady eyes. He thought back to Jin as he delved deep into their scorching ocher.
"This is revenge, isn't it?"
"No. Revenge is something that happens after something else has started. This is only the beginning."
"The beginning of what?"
"Now this," he mumbled gently, "this is justice."
Took me long enough, right? Sorry, but I've been busy getting ready to leave my humble abode and enter a whole different world I don't know if I'm ready for. Meh, I'll survive one way or another.
Thank you all so much for your subscriptions and reviews, every time I get an e-mail notification I end up on the floor, twitching for sheer happiness. For some reviewers that really sparked my motivation:
Regin: I'm glad you 'like' 'lust' and 'love' ;) Thanks for the push, hun.
Triggerspec: I'm not going to lie, it was you who inspired me to procrastinate. But you really made a valid point, and it was also what made me decide to rest a while to get a bit more impassioned with my plot. Thank you!
Saphira113: Sorry I didn't actually message you and respond, but I'm terrible in general with communication. No, Katsu was just being a morose. He just meant that because of everything that he's done, he views himself as lower than being a human being. Like a monster.
Onileo: I'm glad someone made a note about the moon motif from the previous chapter. I like playing around with that stuff, hoping that something profound actually come out of it.
Riley Killer: Same to you, I was basically gnawing at my sweater and squealing the whole time I read your review (You always leave awesome reviews). I feel a bit bad for leaving Itachi out so much, but I'm still, for lack of a better term, sucking at personifying him. Oh, by the way, please update something soon, I miss reading your stuff :)
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter despite its formatting and brief grammatical errors, and I'm sorry if I didn't include all of my reviewers, I was just picking some of the more recent ones.
~Japanese Crap~
You'll have to forgive me if I screw any of this up.
Ossan- Old man/men
Dasai- Exclamation used to express disgust about something totally uncool.
I based Saya's sword techniques off of Kabuki, so the starred terminology refers to Kabuki Theatre
Urushi no Jutsu- Poison Oak Technique
Tsuru no mai- Dance of the vines.
*Hanamichi-The literal translation of hanamichi is "flowery way". It is a long walkway from the stage to the other end of the spectators area.
*Chunori- Riding the sky
Kansen- Infecting
Gojuken no jutsu- Fifty sword technique
*Jo-ha-kyu: Nearly every full-length play occupies five acts. The first corresponds to jo, an auspicious and slow opening which introduces the audience to the characters and the plot. The next three acts correspond to ha, speeding events up, culminating almost always in a great moment of drama or tragedy in the third act and possibly a battle in the second and/or fourth acts. The final act, corresponding to kyu, is almost always short, providing a quick and satisfying conclusion.
(!) Also, if you guys are curious, 'Cossette' is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. The name means, by French origins, 'victory of the people'. If you're now wondering what that has to do with this story, here's a brief explanation:
The whole intro is a metaphor for the chapter. The ending line, 'Farewell Cossette', is in reference to neither Katsu nor Saya obtaining a victory, despite 'justice' being reclaimed by either party- Katsu whilst killing Jin, and Saya killing Katsu. Because both are severing a bond dear to them, they're actually losing something precious in their victory. Interpret the rest how you like.
My sources trace back to Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers (Thank you, Mr. Native Tongue), and Angelfire.
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