Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom – ep. 60
"Routines"

"Ah, Lili. It has a been a long while for both of us."

"Surely, oyaji. I missed seeing your face."

As soon as Imari finishes securing the room for us, Hiruzen and I give each other a long awaited hug.

"Everything is fine," I say to him. "There were plenty of people watching over me as soon as I set foot in the village."

"It warms my heart to hear. Do remember that if you have need for more time to yourself, I will approve it with no questions asked."

"Thank you," I say as we slowly separate. "I will keep it in mind, but for now things should be back to normal. I think I'm ready to move forward at full speed, finally."

"Very good. Have yourself a seat wherever you like, as usual. Imari has made us tea."

"It smells lovely," I say as I take my favourite seat on the edge of his desk, right next to his chair. He settles in and taps his pipe on the top of his desk before smoke starts to come from it. A few light puffs as he leans back in his chair and flips through the pages of his notebook.

"Much in the way of data, impeccably done as usual. It always makes me wonder what I would do without you."

"Well, who can say. Thank you for your compliments, as always. I always save my best work for my favourite senior citizen."

"Of course," he says with a chuckle. "Hm, let's see…your trip to the Hidden Waterfall was successful, and you gained a great deal of information that we should be able to put to use. You said that the young lady you met would be on her way to Wind Country by now, yes?"

"Yes, that's correct," I say as I pick up my tea. "If I get anything from Gaara, that will be relayed to you at the earliest convenience through the alternate channels. But I've made sure to cover my trail well enough, so…"

"Mm. And of course, those strange youths from Akatsuki. Checking in with our assets in the Mist was something that I considered and eventually did earlier in the week. We should be hearing from them soon…if nothing comes up, then I can talk to our agents about preparing a safe zone for when you choose to visit the village."

"Would you consider sending Erika in my place, if something does come up?" I ask.

"I will keep it in mind," he says as he picks up a pen. A few notes are scribbled in before he nods and sets the pen down again. "Hopefully the other nations take this threat more seriously than the others. I don't believe there will be any significant movement on Akatsuki for a while yet, even with the high profile kidnappings and various attempts at subterfuge."

"Have we received anything from the Cloud yet?"

"Nothing. It seems they are still calculating what steps to take after the return of Yugito Nii. Even so…A isn't the type of person to sit idly by in crisis like this. He is almost certainly up to something."

"And we can't make any sudden moves, lest Oonoki do something unpredictable…"

"Intelligence in the Hidden Rock says that they are still engaged in a search for their jinchuuriki. After reading your report, that makes me a bit anxious." Hiruzen pauses and drinks some of his tea, while I do the same. "Ah, delicious. But yes, I do not like the idea of any rogue organization having the power of even one tailed beast at their disposal, no matter what state it might be in. Our rescue of Gaara was too close a call, I believe. Even with the appropriate warnings from Jiraiya, the Sand was still caught off guard by the power and speed of those Akatsuki members. That Deidara fellow still lives, yes?"

"Unfortunately," I say. "He possesses capabilities that allow him to perform precise assassinations and demolition of key structures, as well as enough power to devastate an entire village in a single blow. Obito is still hard to pin down, so we don't know if he would so easily come to the Leaf in order to ravage it like that. But the chance is still there. Fortunately for us, something like that should consume a large amount of his resources, and we would know just how to disable that sort of attack."

"Indeed. We do not have shinobi that could instantaneously create such a massive and sturdy defence like Gaara did, but our knowledge at this juncture allows us a crucial advantage. I just wish that the other villages weren't as stingy with their intelligence, even if I know perfectly well why that is. We are concealing things on our part as well."

"You're thinking it might be seen as hypocritical."

"Just a small bit. But that is life in this world of shinobi." He takes a few more puffs on his pipe, sending smoke into the air. "The other things…a possibility of a significant asset returning to the Sand. Sozen, then."

"Did you know him well, oyaji?"

"He was a quiet child, kindhearted and polite. Very little like the other Uchiha with how he carried himself. But then, I did notice those types within that clan, being so rare. Kagami Uchiha, and Shisui who came after him, so on and so forth. I didn't think he had survived after his desertion, but he made a life for himself, it seems." He waves a hand lightly to relieve my worries. "The additional details aren't something I will ask for. Things can safely be left as they are for now."

"Understood."

"What do you seek to do at this point, Lili?" he asks as he closes the notebook. "There is much that you have uncovered, and while I have given direction to our armed forces with your recent intelligence in mind, I can sense that there is still more to be taken care of."

"There are still things left to reveal. I'm not entirely sure if it would come out properly, if I talk about them now. I think the most important thing is trying to decipher what this Pain person wants, and if they really hold the power that I think they do."

"The Rinnegan, yes. Certainly, it's a power that is transcendent, and would shake the world if it were to reappear in this age. A title such as God of Shinobi would pale next to it, I fear. But if does exist, then it raises the larger question of why it would be hidden away until now. Surely someone with power like that could conquer the world overnight."

"Do you really think it could be that devastating?"

"I was born early enough to not only see the strength that Lord Hashirama possessed, but to experience it myself as one of his apprentices. That power was such that it could change the very shape of the landscape we gaze upon, and in his final battle with Madara Uchiha, it quite literally did. The Rinnegan is the most powerful, most complete eye that the Sage of Six Paths used to shape this world, a power that would outstrip that of Hashirama and Madara combined, many times over. No force in this world, not even put together, would be able to overcome it. That is my belief."

"It does sound frightening, when you put it that way. Still…"

He frowns. "Lili. I think it would be foolish to dismiss that sort of power, even for you."

"I've said worse in the past, as you've heard with your own ears." He sighs and shakes his head. "If it's the progenitor to ocular powers such as the Sharingan and Byakugan, then it clearly has its limitations on the mortal plane. Awesome as they might be, they are simply another pair of eyes. A genetic mutation that is just as vulnerable to being plucked out and crushed as all the rest."

"Mm. More than a little arrogant on your part."

"Is that all? Then I will take it as a compliment. The potential power of the Rinnegan is something that I will consider greatly, but will not fear. And I would have no reverence for the sort of coward that would hold that sort of power to their chest and hide it away from the world, as it sits crumbling." I look over to Hiruzen. "You can agree with me on that much, surely."

"It would be upsetting to know."

"Yes. Rest assured, confidence need not lead to hubris."

"I have to wonder about that."

"Wonder away, as you do."

He shakes his head again and pats my leg gently. "You are a dynamic and exciting child, Lili. Perhaps too exciting for some of us in their advanced age."

"What has Naruto been doing lately?" I ask before sipping my tea.

"He has been out on missions with Team Kakashi lately, as it should be. They've been coming along well, actually. Kakashi and Yamato will take turns leading the team out into the field, and from what I have observed and read, their teamwork is improving. Of course, they are all individually brilliant in their own ways. Sasuke has been taking on higher ranked missions by himself, Sakura is making a name for herself within the medical corps, and Naruto is improving rapidly. He was quite excited to show me that new jutsu he developed with you and your cohorts."

"And what did you think of it?"

"Very interesting," he says with a hearty chuckle. "The Rasengan was a unique sort of jutsu on its own, and this just adds to it. It certainly would make his father proud to see."

"It would. I think it would make anyone proud, to see how far he's managed to come. On the subject of his parents…I can only assume that you haven't told him the truth yet."

"I have not. I admittedly was hoping that I could leave that to Jiraiya, as his godfather…it's something that has gone by for so long that I don't think I have the proper way to reveal it to him. He certainly is old enough by now to know, but I have my fears about what it could do to him. Especially in these times," Hiruzen says sadly. "One of many mistakes I've made since returning to this post."

"It's easy enough to understand that you were trying to protect him," I say.

"Perhaps so. But if I could do it over again, I might have changed my approach in more than a few ways. Do you mean to reveal the truth to him, Lili?"

"I've given it plenty of thought. It might be the best thing to do, but I probably should consider what Jiraiya wants, at least a little bit. I will have to see about that. On the same note, I wanted to obtain another block of time for myself and Naruto. The technique you saw has another potential form to it that we promised to work on together."

"I see. That can easily be arranged for both of you."

"Thank you. And regarding the operations of Akatsuki, I do have something that I want to execute soon. Do you remember the information we have on that Zetsu fellow?"

"I do, yes. Elusive and with the potential to be most anywhere at any time. A great boon for Akatsuki, and a troublesome foe for the rest of us," Hiruzen says.

"At some point soon, I want to get rid of him. It will greatly diminish that organization's capabilities, and allow Itachi more freedom to move than he has now. Enough of his time is spent conducting operations to keep this Zetsu off of his trail, and even he doesn't know the true nature of that person's abilities. Whatever the case, we should focus on removing him from the picture. Do we have resources to allocate for more information gathering in this regard?"

"Hm. I will look into it, and perhaps I can dedicate a few of the ANBU towards further investigation."

"I can live satisfied with that. Oh, and has there been any new information on the Three Tails?"

"Nothing of import, which might be fortunate in its own way."

"You might be right about that." I sigh. "It's bothersome that we can't do too much yet...everything is still so far apart that it would be foolish to set out and try to disrupt the world's order like this."

"Indeed. But you are getting much closer to the goal than before. Remember to take pride in all that you've accomplished so far, Lili."

"I'll remember. I've spent the past few weeks doing that much, and being helped along. And of course, when the time comes...I'll let you know everything that's been on my mind. All of the things that I don't feel quite ready to talk about yet."

"I will be here waiting," Hiruzen says with a smile. "We each have our own work to do, even as we travel in the same direction. You will have my support, no matter what you choose to do next."

"And no matter what outrageous things I say, I will always be grateful for that. Thank you for bearing with me, oyaji."

"Something we needed to discuss in person, then."

"From what I was told, you were close enough to the village that I could call for you like this. If I have interrupted anything of importance, you should tell me now."

It's currently later afternoon, after my meeting with Hiruzen. We spent some more time chatting about less serious matters, including a point of discussion that I was curious to hear about. It will certainly be of use for the plan I have in mind, but confirming things in real time will help.

I shrug my shoulders to make sure that my cloak is settled properly, then lean against the tree behind me. Itachi is wearing his own cloak along with one of the straw hats he so favoured while in Akatsuki, with the tassels hanging down to obscure the wearer's face a bit. I think I'll get a few of those for myself. Or maybe I should just get the individual components and make them myself, for more customization. That sounds good. An uncomplicated little project for home.

"As communicated earlier, I've taken care of anything necessary to the smooth operation of our other plans," Itachi says. "Hopefully that is satisfactory enough."

"It might be."

"I see. Perhaps I have earned that much in the way of scrutiny for you."

"There we are. You're learning, finally."

"Hm. It might say some unflattering things about you, if you think about it a little."

"Tch. The old man called me exciting and dynamic earlier. He has his ways of being polite while telling me how much of a brat I am, but it figures that sort of precision would come with experience."

"Indeed."

"I did have a reason to call for you directly like this," I say to him. "Firstly, what do you know about my reputation as a woman in the outside world? The Leaf is currently figured out, obviously, which leaves other villages and nations to consider. Temari and the others aren't loudmouths, so I don't worry about them any."

"All things considered, you are known as both a dangerous and attractive woman in the wider world," he answers. "Naturally, the male populace is open about courting you. With the caveat being that you are an elite kunoichi working for a village that is, in most cases, opposed to theirs in some fashion. As far as your preferences, that information has not spread too far, and in many cases is dismissed as misinformation."

"I see. So the Leaf would catch on faster since I live here, but everywhere else...alright."

"I assume this is tied to the next set of moves that you want to make," Itachi says.

"Yes. While we still have the helpful cover of me being an ostensibly heterosexual woman with a desire to pass her clearly superior genetics onto many future children...we will make use of it effectively, in order to bait some of our enemies. Hm, but there is something else I need to know. Kaitaikojo and Ishako...do you know anything about their status?"

"Based on the information you provided me about their activities...it seems they haven't been moving about too much in the past while."

"I don't think I've hurt them all that badly, so maybe they're regrouping for a serious attack somewhere else. Or worse, they're already hunting another target. With their abilities, I don't know how much longer it will be before they strike again. Obito can easily lean on Kai because of how strong and durable he is. Anyways, this tactic doesn't need to be one hundred percent effective. It just needs to shake things up enough to make that Zetsu move."

"What is your plan, if I might ask?"

"Simply put, I want you to leave out a few crumbs that will lead Zetsu to investigate a relationship. That is to say, a secret one between us."

"Hm."

"The cover story will involve a bout of insecurity, and worry about my status as a woman. This can be used to obscure the clashing flows of information that will come as Zetsu digs deeper. Kai and Ishako are both aware that I am a so-called deviant who enjoys the company of women rather than men, but if we create a curious enough narrative, Zetsu will have no choice but to investigate the matter properly."

"I see. So you want us to pretend to be in a relationship," he says.

"We don't even have to go that far before the final act, it can be mostly hearsay for our purposes. The first part of it will be getting Zetsu interested and focusing on regular searches for you. Once that happens, then the next step is to allow him to paint his own picture of events, which will lead to him concluding that it has something to do with me. And then, finally, when you think you have pulled him in close enough, we'll set up a proper date for our final performance. By that time, it will be too late to escape, and we'll put an end to that menace for good. Obito's power will be greatly severed as a result."

"A bold plan," Itachi says, nodding. "But I think it will be effective. So my goal is to first draw suspicion towards myself regarding a future heir, then suggest your involvement in the matter. And finally, a physical confrontation to put an end to everything at a planned location."

"Correct. You're free to move at the speed that you feel comfortable with. Then again, I might be getting ahead of myself. Is this plan alright with you?"

"It should be fine."

"I know how agreeable you are already."

"You do. But this really is fine, Lili. I understand your reasoning and truly believe that this can solve a great deal of our current issues. If I am allowed to control the pace of this operation, I would like to put significant time into it for the greatest chance of success."

"I couldn't deny someone of your skill that opportunity. I'll provide you any resources or information that you need. It goes without saying that you shouldn't get too creative...though I'm more than fine with a little bit extra added to my reputation."

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Lili."

"And thank you for accommodating me so faithfully," I say with a smile. "Once this is done with, we'll have a favourite dish of yours to celebrate."

"That sounds nice. How has Sasuke been lately, if I may ask?"

"His usual self. Continuing to grow, being an annoyance from time to time, going to and fro with his teammates, so on, so on. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"That is good to know. You dealt a blow to Danzo recently, I heard."

"Aye. It set quite a few things in motion. I erased one of his lapdogs, an empty and plastic child named Sai. There was a tragedy in that. He did have potential beyond being a shinobi."

"If things with Danzo come to a head, what plans do you have for ROOT?" he asks.

I think on that a bit. "Hm. Well, without the ability to filter the zealots from the merely brainwashed...it might come down to us erasing them as soon as we can. Did you have another suggestion?"

"Unfortunately, nothing is coming to mind at this time. While it will result in a notable loss of manpower for the Hidden Leaf, it seems to be something that is unavoidable. Members of the Foundation escaping or left to their own devices in the name of mercy might bring the Leaf to an even worse end. The thought comes to mind of former members being reassigned, but even then..."

"I've considered that as well. Without the brand on their tongues, they would be physically free. But likely not mentally, and it only takes one psychopath running around to cause chaos again," I say. "Putting them all away looks like the only sensible thing to do. But then, we have to cross that bridge first."

"Yes."

"As usual, I will let you know when the old man gives me permission to face him head on. I have a few contingencies ready, dramatic as you would find them."

"And you won't reveal what they are."

"No."

He nods. "I wouldn't expect anything else."

"We can talk about new information by way of letter, at least until one of us sends for the other again. Thank you for coming to see me so quickly."

"Of course. That much is easily done for you."

"I appreciate that. Take care as always, and tell Anko-nee that I said hello."

"Understood. Goodbye for now, Lili."

His form disperses into a number of crows, which take off through the trees.

"Make use of every opportunity...right. And attack from various angles as needed. All part of the process. Still something that most aren't bold enough to try, but that's precisely why it will be successful."

I push myself from the tree behind me and roll my neck back and forth a few times.

"Alright. Time to go home. I have a few more things to plan, after a nice snack." I lick my lips. "Those ribs with the honey glaze from last time...yes, that sounds good. The shop I'm thinking of should be open today."

One last scan to make sure of everything, and then I take off towards the Leaf.