"I thought it would kill us." Takaero continued. "I suppose I was right, in the end. It did kill us, though not directly. It came upon the village, stared down upon us all. I held my granddaughter as she cried, and I looked the beast in its eye." He frowned. "And... things became strange. I woke up, and it was a normal day. The thought of that creature never crossed my mind."
You wake up, feeling quite good this morning. The sun shines just right, the air pleasantly cool just as you liked it. The birds chirp their morning songs. You get up, and make your way downstairs.
Your granddaughter is already awake, of course. Shouko looks up as you enter, smiling at you through a mouth full of food.
You smile back, and take your seat. The food is delicious, as always. When you are done, your granddaughter takes the plate and washes them. She gives you a hug, and then you are both on your way. She heads to the tailors, already a master seamstress despite her young age. You head to town hall.
You are in luck. The day is quiet, and what few conflicts you are called in to mediate, you manage to settle quickly and happily to all parties. A rare occurrence.
Still, it leaves you with extra time. You leave early, and make it home before any. Quietly, you start cooking, preparing a meal that will take hours, but will be all the better for it.
Your granddaughter arrives on time, exhausted in that happy way that she is. When she comes into the kitchen, she lights up and smiles so widely you can scarcely believe she didn't split a lip while doing it.
Her parents arrive not long afterwards. They, too, are happy to see you, and her.
The parents are dead, you know. They don't belong here, so why are they here?
She bathes quickly, and by the time she is finished, you have just finished setting the plates.
You talk. Your Granddaughter tells you of a dress she made for a noble, who was so impressed that the noble request more from her. The parents tell you of their work, as well.
You, in turn, tell her of the day you had. By the time you are all done, the food is also finished.
You both clean up. With a final hug, you send her off to sleep, before heading to bed yourself.
All is well.
"It was perfect. In hindsight, it was too perfect." He shook his head. "Hindsight, I say, but I do not think I even could realize that at the time."
A perfect world...
That sounded suspiciously like the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
"I cannot say how much time passed." Takaero continued. "I think that I simply continued to experience that world, without me ever realizing."
"An illusion to keep a victim docile for an extended period of time..." I considered. "Did it ever change."
"Not... as such." He shook his head. "It was the same, but as time went on... I believe I began to forget things."
You wake up, feeling quite good this morning. You get up, and make your way downstairs.
Your granddaughter is already awake, of course. Shouko looks up as you enter, smiling at you through a mouth full of food.
You smile back, and take your seat. When you are done, your granddaughter takes the plate and washes them. She gives you a hug, and then you are both on your way. She heads to the tailors, already a master seamstress despite her young age. You head to town hall.
The day is quiet, and what few conflicts you are called in to mediate, you manage to settle quickly and happily to all parties.
You leave early, and make it home before any. Quietly, you start cooking.
Your granddaughter arrives on time. When she comes into the kitchen, she lights up and smiles so widely you can scarcely believe she didn't split a lip while doing it.
She bathes quickly, and by the time she is finished, you have just finished setting the plates.
You talk. Your Granddaughter tells you of a dress she made for a noble, who was so impressed that the noble request more from her.
You, in turn, tell her of the day you had.
You both clean up. With a final hug, you send her off to sleep, before heading to bed yourself.
All is well.
"Things that vanished in that illusion."
You wake up. You get up, and make your way downstairs.
Shouko looks up as you enter.
She gives you a hug, and then you are both on your way. She heads to the tailors, already a master seamstress despite her young age. You head to town hall.
The day is quiet.
You leave early, and make it home before any.
Your granddaughter arrives on time.
You talk.
You both clean up.
All is well.
"Until there was nothing left."
Your granddaughter.
Shouko.
All is well.
"Not even me."
All is well.
Well, I hardly needed any more reasons to the hate the Juubi, but hey.
"Keeping a victim docile while their memories and personalities are drained away..."
What's one more reason on the pile.
"I couldn't tell you much more than that." Takaero shook his head. "I did not see much."
"You told us something we did not already know." Hiruzen spoke, kindly. "That is enough."
Takaero nodded. "At least I could help." He went silent for several seconds, before his eyes turned to me. "A question, if I may?"
"Of course."
"What happens now?" He asked. "I am dead. Naught but a ghost. Do I simply... fade?"
"No." I answered. "Have you any regrets, Takaero Tsukunaya? Is there anything that you still truly wish to do?"
Again, he went silent. It did not take him very long to break it, this time. "I never did find out what happened to my granddaughter."
Of course. "Then to the limbo of purgatory is where your soul shall travel." A regret like that was a considerable tie to the land of the living. "Your soul shall stay there until the day that you can let go of that tie. When you do, you shall move on to the Pure Land."
Perhaps... "Still, you should not be waiting too long. If your granddaughter died, then as callous as this may sound, she had a better fate than you yourself did. If she lived..."
"Then she became a Zetsu." His voice was heavy.
"Yes." I agreed, because there was no way to sugarcoat that. "I assure you, I will kill the Juubi. Another few days is all I need to trap it. If, indeed, your granddaughter was taken by the beast, then when she is freed, I will tell her myself that you await her."
His head ducked. A moment later, he stood up, hands folding together in front of him.
Then, he bowed. Low enough that it put his body almost parallel to the ground. "Thank you." He said. "Thank you."
"It's alright." I reached out, taking his shoulder and gently pulling him upwards. "There is no need to thank me."
"I cannot repay you-"
"It is alright." I repeated. "I do this because this is the right thing to do, not because I seek rewards. If you still seek to thank me, then find peace, and enjoy your rest."
Again, and for the final time, he nodded. "Is it time, then?"
"You pass when you wish." I noted. "Do you wish it?"
"Yes." He set his head high. "I am ready."
"Then may your next life be more peaceful than your last."
I let go. My Darkness, previously threaded through the Heart and the Soul, came loose. He passed on only a moment later, vanishing into the afterlife. I looked as he went.
For a moment -just a moment-, a gaunt being looked back.
I recognized it immediately.
"We must speak." The Shinigami said. "The World wills it."
And then it was gone.