Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom – ep. 49
"Destinations"
[Golden Girls, Part 5]

We eventually do land, well inside of the country and in a convenient enough place. The flying piece of land makes the expected sort of mess, which will be investigated to no avail in the near future. Fuu assures me that she's fully recovered from that gruesome looking transformation of hers earlier, and we head on our way. Seeing what Naruto went through for his transformation in real time has only made me more resolved to find a proper solution for him.

In the following days, we travel through the southern part of the country and head west. More than a few small towns and villages are present due to how close the Fire Country border is, with some being border towns that facilitate travel and trade. It's one way to stay afloat in a shrinking economy. Fuu and I make occasional stops in order to look after ourselves and check our position. Ishako and Kai have not followed us along this route, which is a good thing in itself, but makes me wonder what exactly those psychopaths are up to. They're extremely dangerous as they are, and I can't even be sure that my final attack would have put Kai down for sure. I don't have any proof of it yet, but something is telling me that they'll get even more dangerous as their trumps are revealed.

It means that, combined with the general neglect by her home village, Fuu is far from safe where she is now. Perhaps it might result in deteriorating relations if I am connected to her departure, as I theorized before, but I am beyond caring at this point. Fuu is going to have a proper chance at survival in this world, and I'll make sure of it.

"Hmm...little bit messy. What? Oh, be quiet. I'm allowed to worry about my hair."

This morning, Fuu and Choumei are having another one of their lively conversations. After some discussion, we've decided that today will be our last day together, for now. We are currently camped just across the way from Grass Country, and we will be entering it to continue the next leg of our journeys. If I move at a good speed, the Hidden Grass shouldn't be too far away, either.

"Besides, it's hard to not be a little bit self-conscious standing next to her. She would say not to worry about it, but still."

I leave her to her thoughts while cooking breakfast. We eat, go over a few more things, and then start the task of equipment management.

"Are you sure you can give me all of this stuff? You won't need it?" Fuu asks me.

"Not at all, my minimum for equipment load-outs is far lower than what I will be heading out with now. I'll certainly be fine, and I can easily resupply in another place."

"Alright, if you're sure."

"Before that, I wanted to take care of something for you. Sit there, okay?"

"Okay." Fuu sits on the ground cross-legged, and I reach into a compartment of my bag to get a few items. One brush, a comb, and some of the flower oil I make sure to have around at all times. That should do.

"I think we could do with a little bit of touching up before we part ways. Would that be alright with you?" I ask.

"Touching up? You mean, like...my hair, and stuff?"

"Yes. I don't think yours looks terrible or anything like that, but-"

"No, no! That's more than okay! It sounds great, maybe I can look half as pretty as you do."

"Now, don't go putting yourself down like that. You are very cute in your own right," I say as I kneel behind her. "I just thought I would do something nice for you while we had the time."

"Thank you, Lili. I've never had someone do my hair like this before. Usually it's just a bunch of jerks overcharging me when my hair gets too long, and then I have to try to even the rest out myself. Really annoying."

"Dreadful behaviour on their parts," I say as pour some of the oil into my hands. "A woman's hair is important to her, no matter what length or texture it might be. Some like theirs long, some like theirs very short. A rough cut is fine for desperate situations, but shouldn't be a normal thing. Especially not for paid work." I rub the oil into her scalp and hair gently. Fuu hasn't been doing a bad job on her own, but there are always parts of ourselves we might neglect if we don't have proper teaching.

"That feels soooo nice."

I smile and run my fingers through her hair. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I won't be terribly long, so relax and let me do all of the work."

"Yes, ma'am."

It took a lot for me to realize what a joy it is to take care of others. I feel satisfied being able to look after the people I love like this. Spending so much time with Momma, being waited on constantly in my old life...I knew that it could make people happy, but I didn't understand exactly how. That opportunity to discover what made it so disappeared when she passed on, and drowning in the dark world made it something impossible for me to reach. That is, until Midori came into my life. The way she took care of me and was just so happy to have me nearby reignited that old curiosity. I found myself wanting to look after Luna, and then running into Naruto made things even more clear. Gaining my own teammates, Hina and Shino and Kurenai...I wanted to protect them and make them smile, too. All of it made me so happy, and still does to this day. Perhaps I might make a few gains here and there from my kindness, but that's not the reason I do these things. Just seeing their smiles and happiness makes me feel like I'm complete. Over the years, I've come to understand exactly why Midori and Luna love to smother me so much. It's a beautiful feeling that one doesn't want to let go of.

I finish getting the tangles out of Fuu's hair, which feels softer than before after my combing.

"I wanted to give your hair a little trim, too. Are you okay with that?" I ask her.

"Oh my gosh, would you? I would love it if you did, Lili."

"Alright. I won't be doing too much cutting, just enough to get rid of the stray hairs and even out the bottom a bit. I think that's enough for now, since as you already know, you have a lovely style."

"Do you think...I could grow my hair out like yours?"

"Hm. I think that could work. With this beautiful colour, it would definitely turn some heads."

"Yeah, maybe...I'll have to think about it, maybe I won't go nearly as long as yours. It's so pretty and wavy, though. Um, can I comb your hair afterwards? Just so that we're kinda even?"

"You just want to touch my hair, don't you?"

"W-well. That too," she says quietly.

"Hmhm. That's perfectly fine, darling. I won't be too long with this, so make sure to hold still."

"Got it."

I pull out my pocket knife and apply a bit of chakra to the edge, which will help with cleaner cuts overall. A kunai or my combat knives would work just as well for general trimming, but I want a bit more precision in this case. A bit around the ears, lining up the bottom layers at the back of her head...small things that one comes to notice with some experience. I comb through her hair and get rid of the rough or split strands as I see them. Not too many, considering. Her hair isn't bad at all, but I can see how she's been mistreated at whatever place they've been sending her to for maintenance. I go along and trim the messier parts at the bottom, keeping the general shape she has while making it look nice and clean.

"It's good that the layers are in decent shape," I say as I comb her hair some more.

"Yeah, really. I usually just get shoved out the door after they chop off whatever they want to chop off. Apparently long hair isn't something that kunoichi should have, or whatever. There was one guy who tried to get them to shave my whole head. Ugh."

"Doesn't seem like it would suit you," I say.

"Right? I like what I have now, but growing it out a bit might be cool. Maybe past the shoulders, in the back at least. I'll have to think about it some more, and talk to Choumei. They keep going on about braids, but I dunno."

"A little side braid could be cute."

"Side braid...hmm. Maybe we could try that out next time. It could work..."

"Alright, have a look at your hair." I get my compact mirror and hand it over to Fuu. "I think it looks dazzling. What do you think?"

"Oh. It's...so neat and pretty. And soft..." She moves her head back and forth. "And it's brighter too, but not by too much. My hair looks amazing, and all it took was a little bit of touching up and stuff."

"Appearances are not the absolute most important thing in the world, but making a good first impression helps with a lot. Natural beauty and charm can help with a lot of minor things, and you have plenty of both. This just helps it come into focus more," I say. Fuu nods and closes the mirror, going quiet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just...sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I move to her front and take her hands in mine. "What's the matter? Tell me."

"It's nothing, really. I just...I'm getting emotional again, that's all."

"You haven't been looked after like this before. I understand, Fuu. It's alright to be honest with how you feel, especially when you're with me. We can cry for different reasons, you know. Tears aren't all bad. Sometimes we cry when we feel relief, or a great happiness that overwhelms us. Some of us happen to be more sensitive than others, and so when we start to feel things, they fill our hearts until the feelings spill over. Those moments cause us to cry as well."

"Yeah. That's...really true." Fuu smiles and finally lets her tears fall freely. "I'm so happy that I can't hold it in. I...I've never been treated like this before, and it all just makes something inside of me break, kind of. It doesn't hurt at all. It's like you said, it's this feeling of relief, like everything will be okay this time. I think that after so long just trying to survive, my body doesn't really know what to do."

"I understand that feeling."

"You tried to be strong after your Momma died."

"I did."

"I know that she's super proud of you, Lili. You're such an awesome person, and I'm glad I met you. I'll keep that promise I made, to help you really and truly change the world."

"I know you will. Thank you so much, Fuu."

She wipes away her tears and gives me a warm hug.

"All set. Everything's packed, and I should remember where all the important stuff is."

Fuu has herself a lovely time combing and admiring my hair. Well, I am quite proud of it, and for good reason. Once we're done with that, we make our way towards one of the designated border crossings, getting ready to enter Grass Country at last. Fuu has one of my unsealed carryall bags at her side, with the strap going across the shoulder. We've swapped her old tool pouch with one of mine, since it has more compartments to use. An extra set of basic shinobi tools and medical equipment in case.

"Good," I say to her. "You know how to take care of yourself already, so I'll just tell you to be safe on your journey. Oh, there is one thing I wanted to ask about."

"What is it?"

"The red bag you carry. I was wondering if it contained anything special, or perhaps dangerous. If you don't want to tell me, that's alright. Simple curiosity on my part."

"No, that's fair to ask. It's really just...a regular old bag. Pretty sturdy and stuff, seems to handle anything. I got some secret emergency shinobi stuff in it. Some expensive things I get every once in a while, or find while going out. Nothing I know what to do with right now. But this bag...yeah, it's still special to me." Fuu pulls at the straps a bit with her fingers. "I got it a long time ago, as a gift from someone that I've never met. It had some food in it at the time, and that helped me out a lot, while I was trying to figure out ways to survive on my own. I don't know who that person is, or if they're even alive right now. I really wish I could meet them, and thank them for what they did."

"So it's something with a great amount of sentimental value. I understand that very well," I say.

"I figured you would. Maybe one day, I could put some things that I really treasure in there, and pass it on to someone else. Heh, who knows? I might end up having a kid of my own someday, somehow. Then I could pass it on to them."

I frown. "Somehow?"

"Yeah, somehow...c'mon, Lili."

"Hush. You'll find yourself a good spouse and have children of your own one day. Be positive and stop worrying about your body like that."

"You're just saying that because you have a fat chest. Everyone loves that," Fuu pouts. "Soft and warm and stuff..."

"Would you stop your whining?" I say as I muss up her hair.

"Lili! I hate when you do that..."

"Yes, I know you do. Stop being foolish."

She huffs at me before giving in. "Alright, alright, I'll stop worrying about it. For now, I guess."

"I can live with that much." I smooth out her hair again, and she smiles.

"Seriously, though. My self-esteem is pretty high right now thanks to you, so you won't have to worry about me getting depressed or anything. And Choumei, jerk that they are at times, will take care of the bullying parts while you're gone."

"Hmhm, splendid~."

"Yeah, you would say that." She shakes her head. "Let's finish crossing over."

"Yes, let's."

We approach the border and put on a simple transformation, making our hair blonde before we reach the checkpoint. The guards don't bother us too much, and we answer their simple questions before being allowed through. They don't have anyone trailing us from what I can sense, so we undo our transformations once we think that we're a fair distance away.

"All clear. Guess I'm heading all the way west," Fuu says. "I have your letter for Gaara in a safe place."

"Excellent. I'll be sending an extra message by bird later just in case."

"Thanks. So...I guess this is it. I don't really wanna leave you, but there's no turning back now. We've each got our own journeys, and all of that."

"We do."

"Thank you for everything, Lili. I'm gonna be a lot stronger, and maybe even a little smarter the next time we meet up. Look forward to it, okay?"

"I surely will, Fuu."

She smothers me in a hug, holding to my back tightly. She doesn't want to let go, and I honestly feel the same.

"I'll miss you so much. I'll miss all of this..."

"And I will miss you, darling. Spending time with you has been a blessing to me. I'm going to work hard so that this world is a safe place for you and Choumei."

"Yeah. I..." She pauses and buries her face in my chest.

"Fuu?"

"Yeah?" She sniffles and looks into my eyes.

"I love you. I always will."

She's frozen for just a moment, tears coming from her eyes. And then, she gives me a most radiant smile. One that I will certainly remember in my dreams.

"I love you too, Lili. Always and forever!"

I nod and pat her head gently. She blinks, and in a moment her partner takes over.

"Me too! Lili, I love you lots!"

"Of course, Choumei. I love you dearly as well. Take care of Fuu for me."

"I promise!" The determined shine in Choumei's star shaped eyes is all I need to see. These two will be just fine.

"Good. Then it's time for us to finally part ways. Goodbye, my loves."

Fuu takes her place again and kisses me on the cheek, then starts her run into the distance. I watch her go until she disappears into the tall grass.

"You've endured so much, both of you. I will keep my promise, to make this world a better place for you to live in. And I have to spill an ocean's worth of blood to see that promise through, then I will."

I sigh and make sure my pack is secure before moving.

"West and then south. I'll make a stop in the Hidden Grass at some point to take care of business."

The Hidden Grass Village has a good working relationship with the Hidden Leaf. Movement through here isn't a problem, but I don't want to make too much noise unless it's absolutely necessary. Presenting myself as an unaffiliated discount mercenary has been working well as I travel through the country's interior. While not as bad off as other nations because of their more diversified economy, there are still several areas that struggle due to the increased pricing of shinobi services, among other things. I do know that Hidden Grass invests more than the surrounding nations into its education sector, due to the high value of diplomacy in these times. Sitting right in between two rival superpowers, and having borne witness to the repeated devastation of their neighbour to the south in the Hidden Rain, they are careful about avoiding conflict and staying multiple steps ahead of any given threat.

Fio contacts me before I get to her, wondering about my status. I tell her about everything that's happened while I walk, from meeting Fuu to discovering and facing down the ones responsible for the slate of strange murders around the shinobi world.

No kidding...sheesh, you ran into a couple more dangerous weirdos. Normal by now, unfortunately...I'll let Rika know so she can do some investigating.

Thank you, Fio. I don't expect her to find too much, since they've presumably been off the radar for a long time now. I might have to pay a visit to the Hidden Mist in order to get the truth. But everything is okay otherwise, yes?

Yup, all good. Things are cooling down between Hiashi and Danzo, not totally cold since they're giving each other the side eye still. But we're pretty much back to normal operating stuff. Rika says that they've given up sniffing around for you, Shino's telling me that his dad is ready to mediate if needed, and nothing else is really going on with anyone in our circle. Hina and Hanabi are doing good, too.

I see. That sounds alright, then. I'll be stopping in the Hidden Grass soon so that I can send a proper message over to the old man. You shouldn't have to worry about much else, just keep doing what you're doing now. You've been such a help, love. Thank you.

Hey, anything for my awesome wife! I can't wait for you to get home, though. Going through withdrawal from your hugs!

I laugh at that. Forgive me, Fio. I'll be back soon enough, and we can spend a whole day together in each other's arms. Will that be good enough for you?

Hmm...I might get greedy and ask for two days, just to be sure!

Driving a hard bargain. I like an aggressive woman.

I'm sure you do, heh. Alright, I'm gonna let you get back to what you were doing, and get myself ready for my next outing. Lots of quick missions, but I don't hate it. The gang's getting their synergy up! It's awesome!

Lovely to hear, Fio. Take care of yourself. I love you.

And I love you to bits, Lili. Be safe.

Always, Fio. I punctuate my last message with a kiss before signing off. Everything seems to be okay in the village, so I can take it a bit easier on this return leg. From the Hidden Grass, an easy trip to Tenchi Bridge, and then across to the main path that leads to the Leaf.

"That sounds like a good plan."

The abundance of forests in the country will help with keeping a low profile. This one coming up is made up mostly of giant mushrooms, and there are many such sites around the nation. Fascinating in its own way. There should be some edible types on the ground, so I think I'll have a few for dinner later. Mushrooms of different shapes and colours tower above me, making me wonder what exactly is in the soil here. Surely these organisms are old, but that alone can't explain things. Can it?

"So much to explore and ponder."

There's little else but the sound of my footsteps and the birds in their perches above. Given all of the excitement of the past few days, it might be best to take a few hours for myself and relax. I did say to myself earlier that there was no rush, after all.

"Well, let's see what we have on the ground. Hopefully there are plenty of edible types."

I summon a dozen snakes to search for mushrooms while I look for somewhere to build a camp. A nice spot near one of the many rivers in the country comes up, with shelter under one of the giant mushrooms nearby. There's a tree stump I can use, and the dirt is of a good consistency. And there's even a wider mushroom that I can lie down on, elevated a bit above the ground. Perfect for sleeping at night.

"I've done well for myself today, hmhm~. A lovely place for respite."

As I build my vented fire pit, my serpent companions return with their various gifts. The rule of thumb is that if you can't properly identify a mushroom, you should assume it's poisonous and thus inedible. Even with my immunity to a great deal of poisons, it's still unpleasant to get sick...but this doesn't seem to be a problem right now. All of these ones should be safe to eat, and delicious when cooked over the open fire.

"Thank you, darlings."

I kiss each and every one of my helpers on the nose before sending them back home. Alright, time to do meal preparation, and then the fun of eating can begin.

"Mm~. Another lovely morning..."

I yawn and stretch my arms. The next day has come in earnest, with the sun already in the midst of its march over the horizon. Beautiful dawn colours paint the sky as my eyes adjust to the light. It was warm enough last night that I could sleep without a blanket, which made this feel just like home. A nice, quick wash with some warm water will do before I continue on my way through the country.

"I can skip breakfast and move along. It shouldn't be too far a run to the Hidden Grass at this rate, according to the coordinates."

I start to monitor the area while I wash, and nothing unusual is coming up.

"Much better. I want a proper hot bath soon enough..."

I tie back my hair and look into the sky. Birds flying high, and...hm? That's a large one, and oddly shaped. And the colour is white, like...

"Clay. Is that...no, it couldn't be. Here?" I mutter. I extend the reach of my sensing and get an all too familiar pulse back.

It really is him.

"Deidara. And I suspect that you're not alone. Who are you with, and who are you searching for now?"

I tie up my hair securely and quickly get all of my clothing on. My things should be fine here, and if not, I can deal with it later. Everything important to me is on my person. I can't sense any other large chakras in the immediate area, and I can see that Deidara is moving at a good speed south.

"Hm. If it's that far from here, then...I can take the time to pack up."

I fill in the fire pit, gather my possessions, and make sure my pack is secure. Deidara is moving steadily in the same direction as before. I take a few jumps on top of the giant mushrooms before gliding through the trees in pursuit. Whatever Akatsuki is up to in this country, I'll uncover it.

And then I'll give them a headache they won't soon forget.