content warning: stuff coming up in the chapter: blood stuff, hyperviolence, sadism, impalement, and many instances of dismemberment. nothing lovingly detailed or unfamiliar, but deserves a warning all the same just in case. also even though the flags are probably obvious there is the death of a well known (side) character in this chapter, which I am finding out from browsing fanfic tags is something that may offend or trigger people. so better safe than sorry again. hopefully you enjoy the chapter. stay safe out there.

Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom – ep. 44
"Liquid Paper"
[Spilled Ink, Part 3]

"Everything that says to obey and be saved...lives in compatibility with the great wheel as it turns in perpetuity. Should I become a monster in the eyes of the world, in order to stand against what is and always has been?"

I stare at the woman in the mirror before grabbing my toothbrush. Her eyes slowly come into focus as I finish washing out my mouth.

"An entire existence meant for this moment...becoming the beast that acts against the world, and the peace it enjoys? Is that all there is to it? If it is so, then let me accept that great blessing. To bring an end to the world as it is would please me like nothing else. A first step, an immaculate thrust into the heart of this realm's justice, third eye blind. Spilling her blood would fill me with a great joy."

I leave the bathroom and roll my neck back and forth. The sun has yet to rise, which means my work can begin in earnest. Fio is sleeping peacefully, blankets wrapped around herself.

"When those useless scales of hers fall to the earth and shatter...my heart will be filled at last."

I nod and start to get myself dressed. A walk downstairs to the cafeteria, where a hot breakfast is already waiting. Cereals, breads, and teas...most anything a body could need to start their day is here. I have myself some mint tea, oatmeal with berries, and a steak sandwich before heading out. The first stop will be the Hokage's Office, where Tamaki and Imari should already be up and waiting.

"Morning, Lili. Coffee?" Tamaki asks as I reach her desk.

"Nothing for now, I just had my breakfast."

"No problem. We have the paperwork ready here, and your grandfather is already up and working away. Slowly, at least."

"Nothing wrong, is there?"

"No, nothing," she says as she gets up and grabs her folder. We start our walk towards the old man's room. "You know how he gets sometimes."

"Indeed. A life of service can make one restless, even at retirement age. I'll have plenty of hobbies myself if I should live that long, so..."

"You mean when you get to that age."

"I suppose."

"You're going to live at least until you're a hundred, and I won't hear anything else," Tamaki says. "Only one of us here is going to be at the other's funeral."

"How grim. Is this how your early morning conversations go?" I ask.

"Sometimes. You know how it is, don't you?"

"Unfortunately."

We go through the doors, and Imari has just set down a hot cup of tea on Hiruzen's desk. She goes over to the other side and starts to fix his pipe for him, while he yawns and scratches his head.

"Good morning," Tamaki says.

"Good morning, senpai," Imari says with a smile. "Good morning, Lili."

"Ah, yes. Good morning to you again, Tamaki. And Lili, it seems like it has been an age already...and will be an age again, still. Your request was to head towards the Hidden Waterfall after this, yes?" he asks me.

"Yes, sir. All we need is your signature," I say confidently. "I have some things that I would like to look into, and a classified mission gives me the luxury of time."

"Of course, of course. There are gaps in our scheduling that we mean to take care of, starting tomorrow. For now, we will be shifting personnel along these lines."

Imari hands me a sheet of paper from the desk, and I scan it quickly. So these are our resulting operating areas, then...yes, this will do very nicely. We have quite a bit of space to move freely in tonight, more than I first assumed. "And our investigation into certain foreign elements, sir?"

"Ongoing, as has been the case for a while."

"I might have an idea or two for taking care of such things. And we trust Major Kotowari with work like this as well, don't we?"

"Hm." He nods sagely, and Imari hands him his pipe. "ANBU will be made aware of your efforts. Do not hesitate to call for extra assistance if you do need it, my child."

"Understood, sir."

"Very good." Tamaki gives him the papers, and he signs them in quick succession with his fountain pen. A quick puff of air over the ink to ensure that it's dry, and then Tamaki takes everything back in a neat stack.

"As always, we will be waiting for your return. Be safe in all of your endeavours, Lili."

"I will, oyaji. Thank you...I'll see everyone again soon."

I bow towards the three of them before leaving the way that I came in. One more quick look around the areas that I've marked before to see if there are any changes. Nothing of note, and we're stable at this time. Then it's time for me to go back home.

"Happy morning, Lili."

"Happy morning, Fio."

She finishes putting up her hair and meets me at the door, giving me a kiss.

"So today's the day, then," she says while holding me close.

"Yes. I'm sorry to leave you again so soon."

"It's aright. I know how these things go, and the time we've spent together so far has been great. Can't complain."

"But you should if things get too bothersome."

"I'll remember that, but I'm fine for now. Plan's simple, right? The Lili of today gets sneaky...so that the Lili of tomorrow can get freaky," she says while wiggling her brows.

"A woman after my own heart. Scandalous and cute, all in one," I say with a smile.

"One step at a time. Just be safe and come back with all the red hot parts of you in place, yeah?"

"Promise. Believe me, this is a simple bit of cleanup compared to what's coming up next."

"Yep. So, anything changed for us?"

"Nothing. I just had the old man sign off on my so called mission. I'll be traipsing around the area near Hidden Waterfall for a few weeks at most. Akatsuki is likely to be wandering around there, maybe in standard groups aside from their S-Class employees." I kiss Fio on the nose before separating from her. "Good time to collect some bounties and live off the land if needed. I also want a chance to see what the host of the Seven Tails is like, if possible."

"Ooh, that sounds neat."

"Things will move ahead as planned. You'll leave at half past eight with my essentials to hand off to Erika. A few scraps of rubbish from ROOT should be bouncing along behind her...and since litter is such an unsightly thing, I will do this village a favour by getting rid of it."

She nods in agreement. "Alright. Simple enough."

"Good. I will be out doing some longer range monitoring, both to occupy myself and keep an eye on these situations as they unfold. Nawa should be moving around noon, I think, so we will have a talk before I go into my final routines."

"And of course, you left early this morning at the Hokage's request, before I woke up," she says.

"Yes."

"Otherwise, I got nothing to say and nothing to do. I'm fine staying at the hotel. Occupying the weight room for a while should be fun, hehe."

"You've got this, Fio. And if anything bad happens, Tsunade will be your unbreakable shield."

"Awesome. We're all covered, then. Time for you to head out."

"That's about right." I check my pouches and make sure that all of my tools are secure on me. Murakumo is safely in their holsters, and all of my emergency scrolls are in their places. "You know what to do in case anything happens to me...sometimes things go wrong, despite our best efforts."

"That's true," Fio says. "You don't like to think about it too much, but...kind of drilled in since the academy days, and all. I remember everything you told me, Lili. Always gonna bet on never having to make use of it."

"A good attitude to have." I beckon her closer and give her a tight squeeze. "I love you, Fio. Be safe."

"I love you, Lili. You make sure to take your own advice...we'll talk again soon."

"Yes."

I hold gently to her cheeks and give her a long, deep kiss before turning away. The door clicks closed behind me as I cross the threshold. The watch on the inside of my wrist says that it's ten to seven. Still much in the way of time, and more than good enough to take care of a few things. I head a few blocks from the hotel before finding a payphone, then calling Nami directly.

"Nami Hyuuga speaking, please state your business."

"It's me again, Nami."

"Good morning, Lili. Everything is operating normally. Our lovely Nawa is making her preparations at the outlined locations, and Hyuuga's surveillance is shifting gears for today as scheduled. No major changes in personnel have been reported on our side."

"Then we should be good to go. The next time we can speak will be in a few weeks...if anything happens, use the established relays. Fio should be available in any case."

"Understood. Be well, Lili."

"Thank you, Nami. I'll see you again soon. Take care, now."

"Thank you. I promise I will."

I hang up, retrieve my coin, and jump up towards the nearest rooftop to start my surveillance walk. The tracking zone should cover the entire area that I'm thinking of without any strain...so all of those fools that I have suffered for so long will be within my sights.

Minus two minutes.

I pop open a small scroll and snatch the outfit from the air in front of me: a black cloak and red oni mask to cover my most notable features. I tie up my hair behind my head, covering the rest of it with the cloak's hood. Weapons ready, everything set. Two kilometres from the hotel.

Eight thirty.

Fio leaves the hotel right on time and starts on her way east. Erika is coming up from the south side to meet her at a designated point. And there are the ANBU trackers, secretly of ROOT. Their chakra signatures are an exact match of the ones we marked out days before. Good. Time to hunt.

I suppress my chakra and slip in behind them, following manually using their scents. They wisely keep their distance from Erika, knowing that she knows they're there, but not wanting to force her hand too early lest they cause a problem that they can't explain away. Unfortunate for them that I'm the one in pursuit today.

Fio stops in front of the fruit market as planned. Erika drops from the nearby roof towards the street in order to meet her. The two false ANBU are on different rooftops overlooking Fio's position, trying to figure out what to do next. I settle in on top of another flat roof, with three buildings between us. As I let my chakra rise again, I activate my sensing and see the last two members coming towards us from further east in a straight line. That's our cleanup crew. I want to be done before they arrive.

"I can try something just a little different, if they're intent on watching each other for so long..."

I watch them for about a minute while they watch Fio and Erika have a conversation. Nothing scripted at all, which means that the enemy won't be tipped off as to what we might be doing. I cross the space between my targets and veer left towards the one at higher elevation.

"No changes...keep an eye..."

They're using radio. Perfect. I can get them both at once, then.

I get onto the roof, which of course has gravel on it. That won't matter. I accelerate and call Murkaumo to my left hand, flooding it with lightning chakra while jerking back the head of the ROOT garbage before he can fully turn. His hesitation is enough for my blade to find his neck and slice through it with no effort.

"Report. Did you hear-"

I wheel around with chakra already primed in my right hand, the corpse's landing distant in my head as I aim for the next target. His head turns towards me and I fire Mobius downwards through it, piercing his mask easily. His body sways for a moment before falling forward, onto the flat stone roof.

A cloaked ANBU lands behind me, and I turn to face them. They perform the coded signal and I respond to acknowledge them, then they put a hand to their ear.

"All clear. Start the cleanup." He produces a dark sack a moment later. "Ma'am."

I take off my bloodied mask and cloak, then stuff them into the sack.

"All done here. Have to say...really glad you're on our side, ma'am."

"'Tis the sentiment of ten thousand, and will be of millions more upon this earth," I say as I untie my hair. "Your compliment is appreciated, brave one."

"Thank you, ma'am. We've got everything down from here..."

"Then be well on this day, and going forward. There is still much to do."

He salutes before gathering up the nearby corpse and head, and disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The other partner splashes a mysterious substance over the blood-soaked areas before saluting themselves and disappearing in the same fashion. Both bodies are now gone, ready to be disposed of. Almost a shame I couldn't enjoy myself fully with these ones, but it's been said that junk is bad for the body in large quantities.

Erika and Fio have already parted ways by now. Erika has left with my kit of essentials that she will hand over to me later, and Fio has gone back to the hotel after completing that 'errand' on my behalf. The first part of the plan is done, and frees up Erika completely for what will come later.

The next part is left to me.

I have myself a light lunch while monitoring the village once more. Nothing has changed, and it's as Erika noted before. Special operations doesn't care to babysit each and every one of their members, so if there is a problem with anyone missing, it won't be discovered until later on. Deep enough into the day that it won't be able to cause us, or Hyuuga, any lasting harm.

"Mm. Shino was right...those pecans do add a delightful crunch and flavour."

I finish up my salad and leave a tip for the waitress before getting up. The weather is still fresh and clear, which bodes well for us. It is currently twenty minutes to one o' clock.

Some light scrambling above. One signature I recognize from ROOT along with some others, moving towards the location outlined for Nawa a while ago. It certainly seems favourable...but I need to check with the girl in question before doing anything else.

"And if the order is right, then..."

From the corner, it should be the third shop from the left...here. And I will have to disable the alarm at the front, through the mail opening and to the right. I reach in and feel around for the small paper seal. There it is. A senbon is sufficient to tear it away. Then it's a short walk along the side pathway and to the back entrance. The door is locked, which is good. I take out my tool and bump the lock easily enough, then open the door and make my way inside.

The faint smell of blood tells me that there is good news.

Nawa comes from the side room wearing a mask, and says nothing before quickly weaving seals. I weave my own and blow out a small fireball to meet hers in the middle of the room. They crash into each other and quickly disappear.

"Lady Lilith...I've completed my mission, as you've asked. There were only two, in their arrogance...but they will pose no threat to Lady Hanabi, or anyone else ever again."

"Well done, my love. Come."

I open my arms and she drops her mask while running to me, letting me give her a warm hug.

"I'm proud of you, and so very thankful. We are one step closer to our glorious dream."

"Thank you so much. I'm so glad I could be of service...no matter how filthy I need to become, I will do anything for your sake, and for my sisters in Edelweiss."

"I know. But I won't abuse your faith in me, either. For now, let us take measured steps until the promised time."

"Yes, milady."

"Good girl." I smile and pat her head. "I was wondering if you cleaned up already, and it seems you have. So I can give you your reward to enjoy a bit now, while you wait to leave this safe space."

"R-really? You obtained it already, milady?" she asks with surprise.

"Yes. It will be just a moment..." I reach into my pocket and make sure that I have the right scroll. Yes, I do. Lovely. Rolling it out onto the nearby table, I make a seal to free the object from its two dimensional state.

A plush doll, with intricately woven hair and lovingly built clothing. There are only a few of this particular type in the village, normally expensive and hard to get a hold of. One gets around these limitations with a wealth of connections, which I just so happen to have as a result of my hard work.

"Here we are. I know that you'll take excellent care of her," I say as I hand over the doll. Nawa looks at it with awe, gently turning it over and around to make sure that she's not dreaming. She closes her eyes and hugs the doll tightly. Something that she's dreamed of since she was a small, crawling thing within the Hyuuga house. A lover of dolls and all the beauty they can bring to one's life.

"Rewards for those who risk themselves so willingly are only fair," I say to her. "Whether your task is to spill blood, or otherwise."

"She's so beautiful. Thank you, Lady Lilith. I won't ever forget this moment, or this gift."

"Remember that you will always be your own woman. Let your loyalty be bound by what is in your heart, rather than this gift you hold in your arms. I give to you because it sparks joy," I say with a smile.

"I will remember, milady. Thank you again..." She bows deeply for me, and her smile is bright and pure.

"There are other essential items still stored, so keep that scroll with you. Until the next time, my love. Thank you once more for your passionate service." I blow her a kiss before making my way out, and locking the door again behind me. I feel a touch sad about stringing Hiashi along like this, but I need Hyuuga to do a lively dance for me, for just a bit longer.

One more task left to complete.

Skipping dinner is an annoyance. Unfortunately, I will have to find something while out of the village to eat.

Dusk comes, and the village starts to darken at last. The streetlights have been on as a matter of course for several minutes now, and the dwindling light doesn't stop the village from being lively. Some more time has to pass before we can move freely.

Nawa's actions earlier had the intended effect. Now there's an even bigger row between Danzo and Hiashi, and as a result their two factions have taken to even more intense, focused surveillance. The regular ANBU as a matter of course have been dragged into the mess. It means that with all of those eyes focused on each other, there will be less of them to have a good look at us while we move about. Having the Hokage's ear means that we will be able to become invisible on a whim. This is part of our plan, naturally.

Erika comes within my range, and I go to meet her. The blade currently on her back is her favourite and most tended to, a straight sword that she has named Azrael. A grip and scabbard that are both obsidian, paired with an edge that glows in a certain way when chakra flows through it. A shining, chrome effect that allows the enemy to see themselves reflected in the blade that will imminently cut them to ribbons.

Very cool, to say the least of it.

"Are there any changes to our approach?" she asks.

"None. Did you have any suggestions?"

She shakes her head. "This should be handled as you want it, Lili. Though he is also my enemy, you are the one he has chosen to slight. Where you lead tonight, I will follow."

"Excellent. I won't mind too much if you do most of the work this time. After all, we don't want to cause too much of a mess for the old man. How are things going on that end?"

"As expected. It has been coming down to staffing issues mainly, and Lord Hokage has been keeping a close eye on the situation. When our mission is resolved, it will be as simple as a personnel shuffle to put everything back into its proper order. Lord Hiashi has been consistently asking for black ops escorts, especially in the case of his daughters...that, along with the other potential issues, gives us several openings. Everything is just for now, as we have planned out."

I nod and check for chakra signatures in the area. Nothing but a few wandering civilians at this hour. The shinobi on the edge of my range are in a wide net. Not enough of them as is to cause a sizable interruption, and Erika has already relayed her instructions, so they shouldn't be coming too close unless signalled. We should be fine. It's time to set this final act in motion.

"Whenever you are ready, ma'am," Erika says.

"Then I will make my way over to Sai's place for a quick chat. Estimations?"

"Minus twenty minutes until arrival, at most."

I nod. "Good. Be safe, my darling."

"Always, ma'am. Commencing routines." Erika makes a half seal before vanishing into the night silently. I head through the streets of the Leaf and towards Sai's apartment. The window lock is quickly defeated. No traps, nothing loaded with chakra. Easy little place to slip into, though I suppose that might be on purpose. I close the window and easily find the light switch for the apartment.

"..."

Nothing too bad. Just a standard place with plain furniture, though all of it looks barely used. Even the kitchen lacks any sort of dirt or wear from use. These Foundation types live rugged lives, I suppose. Not a hint of coffee outside of the cupboard. It seems this one is more of a tea drinker, if anything.

"This wall, though...revealing."

The boy is a talented artist. Many lovely pieces adorn this one wall. Perspectives, landscapes, people. Some traditional, others abstract. An understanding of light, angles, and shading. Playing with proportions to create new effects. I have to admit that these are very good. There is only...the one unsettling thing.

All of the plates, where the titles should go...they're blank. Each and every one of them. I wonder why that is? Surely the names of every single piece would not escape him so easily as a creator. Does this have anything to do with the training that he went through? Did...all of that take these things away from him?

It might be so. But...how much does that matter, in the end? The right to choose. He still has that. And he understands what it is he has been doing, what he has chosen to do to me and my loved ones. As he is now, he is simply Danzo's tool.

I am not the personal saviour of every living being.

"A truly talented human being. It is a shame that he chose to cross me, and that it came to this. Another story, perhaps another road...all of it was possible, but it never came to be. What more can be said? I will not live with regret for taking a life...this world is far past the point where we can change it with simple understanding and correction, no matter what Jiraiya and those like him might believe."

I sigh and sweep the room for anything else of note, before my eyes fall upon a book on the nearby table.

"What might this be..." I pick it up and turn it over. On the back cover is what looks to be a young Sai. And on the front cover, someone else. Lighter hair, slightly taller. A sibling? No, ROOT tends to tear apart families for their so called development programs. Or maybe, something like...a family, in a different way. I have myself a seat...this seems intriguing.

Opening the book, there's no dialogue or text of any kind. Sai's side progresses from the back towards the front, and the other boy's progresses from the front towards the back. They're meant to meet in the middle, then. I open the book from Sai's side and see that he's facing some sort of figure in black, with a kunai in hand. Sai has no weapon himself. But on the next page, he's obtained one. No, not just that. He's gained everything from the figure he just fought, weapons and attire. Same position, next page, facing a new enemy on the left while he stands on the right.

His form changes. He gains new weapons and armour, becomes bigger and stronger. Fights in new environments. I go back to the front, and the other boy is going through the same progression, with different types of opponents. Standing on the left page with enemies on the right, going through them one by one. The two boys growing into men, gaining wisdom and strength, physical and mental, through harsh and constant battle. Sai, and this person who he must have known or been close with...each growing in their own ways.

But then the middle of the book is the most curious part. Both stories move inward towards that terminus, and then...stop. The left page, where that other boy should be, is completely blank. And the right page, where Sai is...he is there, in Leaf attire with a headband, right hand reaching towards something. He also has no face.

"An unfinished book. That memory...repressed, or forgotten..."

So he has also suffered, but because of that training...he has been unable to reconcile those feelings inside of himself, and properly grieve. This is the item that his superior was chiding him for carrying before. A memento of a loved one, with memories buried deep inside one's mind and unable to be recovered.

I hear the front door open, and draw Murakumo without looking. The clash of steel rings through my ears.

"How cruel. To steal your memories away, and seal away your heart."

I turn my head to look at Sai.

"Would you let this be your will, then?"

"I have no such thing. ROOT has no need for them, and neither does Lord Danzo."

"I see." I shove him away and drop the book back onto the table, then stand up. "Then you know why I am here."

"You haven't changed your mind after learning of my tragedy?" he asks.

"No. Resolve is needed for this world's salvation. That's something that your master would know better than most...else he and his Foundation would have ceased to exist after the Uchiha Massacre."

"You know a lot more than you let on."

"You've let your ignorant cohorts poison your brain with nonsense. I don't need to be a sexless twig of a woman to affect change in this village, or the wider world. You men become terribly hurt whenever you realize that you have no chance of fucking the women you so love to look down upon."

"Is that so..."

"The emotions that you've suppressed so effectively were also your key to understanding the nuances of the world you lived in. Perhaps if you had not been so slavishly obedient to Danzo...no, I suppose that wasn't possible, was it. After all, you are his favourite pet. That's why he meant to send you to bother me next."

"Pet? That seems an interesting choice of words. As well as your use of past tense..."

"Emotionless, but clever enough. Shame. Good talent is always difficult to find in these times."

Sai quickly whips out a scroll and a special looking brush, then draws with an impressive speed.

"Try focusing on the present tense, Miss Kobayashi. Shinobi Art: Super Beast Imitating Drawing."

"Hmph."

The lion-type monsters emerge from the scroll at high speed. I draw the other half of Murakumo and slash through the first, then quickly down the other five. Sai uses a flicker concealed by ink to reach me, and our weapons clash again.

"Read the scouting report, then?" I ask. His expression flickers a moment, which is all I needed. Attack my weakest area in taijutsu, keep me in close quarters to limit my effectiveness. A fine enough read...for three years ago, anyways.

He breaks away and starts for his scroll again, this time making birds that cover his approach. One smashes through the window purposefully, an obvious signal which will play nicely into our hands once again. I weave through the small flock and cut them to pieces with well timed spins, leaving more puddles of ink on the floor.

"I suppose you'll want to take this outside? I might be in a bit of trouble if you and your friends trap me in here, but who's to say at this point. Let's open up some space for a head start, at least."

I reach Sai before he can properly react, and jab my fist into his chest.

"Type Four: Aegis."

The pulse sends him across the room and back first into the kitchen sink. There's more than enough time for me to open the broken window and jump over to the next rooftop. Sai recovers quickly enough and starts after me while I search for Erika.

"There we are."

One of the quieter areas in the village, and a good place to do some damage away from strictly civilian spaces. I land next to Erika in the small half circle of trees, while Sai and five other masked fellows join us. The space around us is peppered with large rocks, and cut through by a small stream.

"Dammit, the panther bitch is here too," one of them says.

"Only six of you, now?" I ask, incredulous. "Out of your fucking minds, that's what you lot are. Fuck me, at this rate I might be able to grab a snack on my way out after all."

"My sentiments exactly. Truly insulting behaviour, especially since you of ROOT know who we are," Erika follows. "Do not expect any mercy as a result of your pitiful numbers."

"Just the six of us will be enough to shut you two loudmouthed whores up for good," another one yells. Not completely emotionless, then? I suppose that's an interesting data point for later.

"I see we're getting spicy over here," I shoot back. "Well...let's clear out some of these losers before I get to my real prize."

"All set," Erika says. "Cover."

"Done." I snap my fingers on both hands, and four sharks of water appear from midair. They split the enemy down the middle, and I shift towards the closest one on my left before kicking them towards the other three. Sai and his new partner stick to their script, drawing their tanto and attempting to engage me in close with swordplay. I easily read and parry their attacks, keeping them occupied while Erika starts her routine.

"All lanes clear."

I push away from my attackers and fire another set of sharks at the other group, forcing them to move again while Erika finishes weaving seals. Her right hand glows red, and she makes a pair of horns with her fingers.

"Finish Sign, Mars. Fire Release..."

She spins and drags the back of her hand through the area in front of her, carving two parallel red lines into space itself. And in her left hand, Azrael shines a bright chrome, following up and slicing perfectly through the space between the two lines, releasing power into the atmosphere itself.

"Baphomet Exhaust."

An intense wave of heat bursts forward, slicing through one of the ROOT shinobi like a burning hot blade and roasting them with intense heat at the same time. Another one ends up unlucky in their own way, losing their sword arm and gaining a flaming stump at their shoulder. Erika surges past the charred, bisected corpse ahead and ends their misery, flickering ahead and driving the still hot Azrael through their heart. Sai and his cohort swallow their fear and press me, but I jump and use them as footstools instead, taking aim at the other shaken targets.

"More tickets for the afterlife, then."

I aim at one of them, who quickly weaves seals for a counter attack. Those seals...a wind jutsu? How cute.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

"Fire Release: Fire Ball Jutsu!"

My attack reaches his before it can gain any distance, swallowing it up and sending an even bigger fire ball towards him. He has nowhere to go other than one spot...and quickly flickers towards it as the fire ball explodes behind him.

"Bye-bye~!"

"Shit!"

I plunge my knives into his chest before slashing outwards, sending blood everywhere. After having to hold myself back earlier this morning, this feels absolutely heavenly.

"Another?" I muse to myself. "More treats are always good, hm?" I measure the distance between myself and the other target, then use a body flicker to close it in an instant. He's frozen in place, not even realizing that I've crossed behind him.

"Where?!"

"Behind!" Sai yells.

I stab him in the back with one knife, and then finish him off while he reels by slicing his head away with the other. His headless corpse makes for another easy diversion as I kick it into the last remaining mystery person. Erika is quick on the draw as always, and charges her blade with lightning to slice through them both, leaving them to fall to pieces on the ground.

"Not much time before we have ourselves too deep in annoyances," I say to Erika. "But there's just the one left, hm?"

"He wants to be troublesome, unfortunately."

"I can see that."

Sai lifts his brush from the scroll, and two massive figures, naked from the chest up, appear as animations made of ink. Giants, towering over us and advancing with their fists pulled back.

"Those look familiar...Vajra?" I say with a tilt of my head. "Mm."

"I would class this as a feint," Erika says. "Easily taken care of...your prey is still on the loose, Lili."

"So he is. Thank you, love."

Sai starts to escape the area, and I hear loud splashes as I pursue him. Those drawings definitely took some time, and took a significant amount of chakra as well. Not something that one would use as a distraction unless they were desperate. He's moving through the village, possibly towards a safe house, or maybe to alert his master of the incoming danger. We can't have that.

I call out my clone and she runs ahead to meet Sai, while I lag a bit behind. The two start to clash, and I catch up to them in short order as a result. Sai draws a flock of birds with explosive tags attached to them. I switch places with my clone and let them rain down on her, then accelerate and catch Sai from behind.

"I'll be taking this~!"

I swing Murkaumo through his wrist, and his hand with the tanto clutched in it drops to the ground. Determined, he holds the scroll in his teeth and quickly starts to draw all manner of beasts to assault me with his remaining hand. I flick on my chakra mode and dispatch everything that comes for me. The lions that attack boldly, the snakes that mean to bind me, the birds that are sent like missiles for my head. He has no help like the last time to shield him while he makes larger drawings...and with only one hand, he is quite limited.

He is trying to keep calm, an admirable thing when facing someone like me. But that anger and despair is shoving its way through, with each failed wave, with each new creation turned into useless drops of ink, melting into the earth. The blood drips from his severed limb as he moves, and his chakra drains away with each frantic drawing.

"I suppose I've had enough of this nonsense." I point my finger forward. "Mobius."

He hisses as the shot rips through his hand, forcing him to drop his brush and stumble backwards. My foot comes down on his chest and he wheezes.

"Barely a challenge. Just like all the rest. And you're supposed to be Danzo's favourite?" I sneer. "How pathetic."

"You...you won't get away with this, Lilith Kobayashi. You will not escape the eye of ROOT," he says, trembling. "No one can."

I stomp on his hand before grinding my heel into his chest. "I do not care what you think or believe. I said it before...you know why I am here. To fulfill the promise I made to you. I am going to kill you, Sai. Tonight is the night that you leave this world. You crossed me, and you mocked me. Those are things that I cannot forgive, especially from the likes of you."

"I have already learned from my mistakes..." He grunts and forces his hand to make a half-seal.

A trap, then. Something coming quickly from the trees behind us.

It emerges, as a gigantic white tiger. I see, he must have drawn it earlier and laid it out as a last resort. Clever, and just like a special operative.

"There's no escape!" Sai yells.

I dodge the first lunge, and ready chakra in my hand before flowing it towards my leg. No need to worry about anything but the true target.

"Type Five: Zeta."

The energy surges through the ground from my foot, and travels towards the scroll before shooting up from underneath it, tearing it apart. I turn and watch the seeking tiger rumble before falling apart into a mess of ink in the air, splashing down over Sai as he sits up. His eyes are now filled with the despair that I have so longed to see. Truly delicious.

"How was that?" I walk back to him and kick him to the ground again, putting my foot on his head. "You didn't expect it to be so simple, did you..."

"I...I understand why Lord Danzo was so bothered by you. But this is...beyond anything we could know."

"I suppose that I am not your average genius shinobi. Unfortunate for you lot...but that is how life goes sometimes. Do you believe that one such as I should shy away from her talents?"

"You...came after me because...you could," he says with realization. "How long..."

"Oh, it was long before I made that open threat to you. You've always been nothing compared to me, Sai." I lift my foot and crouch down to meet him, pulling his head up by the hair so that he can look at me properly. "As proof of that trash Danzo's superiority...as proof of his almighty methods. All nothing, and all useless next to me, Lord Hokage's brightest star. This will be my village. No...my apologies for that. This already is my village, and all we need now are to take care of the formalities. Village, country, continent. Everything, and more besides."

"You're not..."

"Darling...this is my world," I say with a cruel smile. "As for everyone else? They just live here."

He coughs, and I grab him by the neck before lifting him off the ground.

"I am the great consumer of dreams, large and small. The one who will end this world's vapid, formless fiction. Rejoice, boy. You will become another sacrifice to me, your life crushed to pieces in my hands as a beautiful tribute."

I push lightning chakra through my right hand, drawing it back.

"You will be merely a memory in this world. Farewell, lost child...may the heavens give you peace and mercy. Ash to ash, and dust to dust. Praise be."

I let him drop from my grip briefly, and drive my chakra coated hand through the left side of his chest. He twitches briefly before going still, and I make sure that he's truly gone before pulling my hand away, taking his heart with it.

"Tiny and fragile. Such is human life."

The chakra surges through my hand as I squeeze and crush the organ easily.

"And yet, the pleasure from snuffing this trash out never does fade. Ah, I was truly born for moments like these," I say with a smile. The taste of blood coating my fingers is divine, as it always is. "Could we have planned a better night? I dare say it would be impossible."

"Perhaps so," Erika says as she enters my vision, sword in hand. "Are we satisfied?"

I finish licking the back of my hand clean. "Immensely so. A job well done on all fronts. ROOT is dealt with, and the safety of our loved ones is assured for a long while. At the very least...those people will have to think long and hard before they set up anything on this scale again. Now that we've taken care of their elites and pushed Hyuuga into antagonizing them, we should be well stocked when it comes to counter-surveillance options."

"Would you leave that part to me in full, at least until the promised hour?" Erika asks.

"There is no one else I would choose to do such work. You are free to handle these matters as you please," I say to her.

"Thank you, Lili."

"Of course. I never did mean to conquer the darkness alone...but at the same time, my involvement is crucial if the world is to change in the ways that it should. A gentle light, and guiding force. That is the way these things should be done. But we can work on specifics at a later time."

"Yes."

I look down at Sai's body.

"At the least...avoiding more tragedies like this for humankind, whenever possible. Just that much will do for now."

"Did you hate him?"

"I couldn't truly harbour such feelings for this child. He said it himself...he spent the last years of his life as nothing but Danzo's tool. And that was all it ever was."

"I see." She nods and sheathes her sword properly. "I will call in to have the discards removed. Please wait at our designated place for me."

"Yes, understood." I head quietly through the village, past the few shinobi that are trying to get a clear look at what's been happening, and the ANBU who are keeping watch over certain spheres on Hiruzen's orders. Even if we were relatively quiet for our little dance, it always helps to have some people on board who will keep enough things hidden that nobody asks too many questions later. Spies do exist in this world, after all. And sometimes they cause property damage while fighting our village's shinobi.

Strange things, those.

The Hidden Leaf is known to be surrounded by a circular wall on almost all sides, and certain gaps are accounted for by the sensing barrier system that forms a large dome over everyone and everything. This would cause a problem for the ghosts that need to enter and exit the village at their leisure, so those in special operations with the appropriate clearance have a means of bypassing the barrier without being detected. This is one of the many reasons missing shinobi are dealt with harshly and hunted down, of course. Itachi is the exception due to his mission, and the fact that he hasn't given the entry code to anyone while working in Akatsuki. Orochimaru was the only other enemy that knew how to bypass the barrier, and he remains in the frozen depths of the Leaf's mortuary. Obito, due to the nature of his ability, has no need for that knowledge – the only thing keeping him at bay is Itachi, and perhaps his fear of my abilities.

Erika, as one of the Hokage's many arms and adjacent to the special forces in the village, knows how these things work. And with her belief in our shared goal, she has given me this once forbidden knowledge to use for myself. Tonight will be the first use, and certainly not the last.

"If anything does happen, we know that you are authorized as is to enter the village."

"No pressure at all, of course...but we do want to keep the unsavoury types away, don't we." I've washed off all of the blood on my person, and cleaned my sweater well enough for now. It's packed away with the rest of my outfit, while I go with something light and plain underneath a black cloak for now. Keeping myself a bit hidden until I reach the next country seems wise, considering the circumstances.

Erika hands me my backpack, and then produces a large paper bag.

"Mm? What's that?" I ask.

"You mentioned that you skipped dinner, and so I decided to find a few things that would be filling on your journey."

I can't help but laugh. "And here I thought you would just be taking care of Ino so neatly." Looking inside, I can see there are plenty of meaty sandwiches and sweet treats, along with a nice drink or three. This will certainly take care of my rumbling stomach for a few meals. "Thank you, darling. You've been invaluable to me this entire time."

"I could not dream of being anything less than useful, especially for your sake," she says with a smile. "Whatever it takes. I will be by your side as you change this world for the better, Lili."

"It warms my heart to hear that," I say sincerely. "Thank you, Erika. Be safe, and remember that I love you always."

She nods and gives me a hug, which I return without another thought.

"Come back to us safely, Scarlet Viper."

"Without a doubt. Until the next, Chrome Panther."

She bows before disappearing into the night, in her familiar manner. I make the seven seals needed for the barrier pass technique, and then throw on my hood before walking through the opening in the village wall. A minute or so passes with nobody trailing, and so my first use is a success.

"Very good. Next stop is...the Hidden Waterfall. Let's see what fate has in store, and how quickly I can crush her next set of plans for me, hmhm."

And so I move forward, into the forests of Fire Country, with the bright moon as my companion.