Scarlet Justice - ep. 79
"Potted Plants"

I've managed to get in one extra day of rest. Apart from that, I have yet to be returned to regular duty, so I will use the extra time to take care of the errand I have been putting off. A good pair of jeans and a frilly blouse should do for my meeting. Not that I care what they think of my clothing, but I have some semblance of reputation that I need to maintain while working for the village...so it means I can't be too provocative, unfortunately.

I satisfy myself with some hot tea, one of the meal replacement drinks in the back of the refrigerator, and a delicious glass of fortified milk. A decadent breakfast or lunch can be enjoyed later on. I check everything since Luna is out for a while today, and lock the door behind me as I leave. The walk isn't terribly long, so I have my wooden sandals on today. They're as comfortable as always.

The letter is in my back pocket, and I suppose that I might as well read it before I get to my destination. I carefully break the seal and look at the heavy paper that's inside.

"Requesting your presence...things of sensitive nature. Insist that you make arrangements for a meeting. Importance...unpleasant actions might be taken if proper care is not..."

I fold the letter up again and put it back into the envelope.

"Definitely some ignorant bitch with an axe to grind. I'll see to it that she has a decidedly unpleasant morning," I say to myself. "You picked the wrong one, sweetheart."

I arrive at the Hyuuga residence, looking the same as always, with the same two guards posted outside of the main gate. But there's another person there today...my escort, I presume.

"Senpai. A pleasant morning to you," Neji says as he bows politely.

"Far from it where I'm concerned," I say. "Hopefully yours is going much better."

"Thank you. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you, senpai."

"It's not your fault, so don't worry about it. Come on, let's get this over with."

"Of course." I'm led in without any fanfare, through the halls of the Hyuuga estate as it stands with its polished wooden floors, expensive relics, and rare fabrics decorating the place. From one part of the interior, through the yard past curious onlookers, and then back into a winding section indoors again. Neji eventually slides open the door to a spacious room, which has strategically placed furniture and other items that could pay for several salaries alone. Light filters through the windows with their silky curtains, properly illuminating the table with hot tea already set upon it. The steam slowly rises into the air ahead of our hosts.

"Our honoured guest has arrived," Neji says.

Hanabi and Hina get up from their positions on the floor, while the remaining person sits with their back turned. I feel a twinge of irritation but keep it hidden.

"Thank you, Brother Neji. You can leave us for now," Hina says gently.

"Yes, thank you." He bows before leaving the room, sliding the door closed.

"Will there be anything that you think you need, Lady Kobayashi?" Hanabi asks respectfully.

"Nothing as of this moment, Lady Hanabi."

"Understood. The person who has made this request of you wishes to speak with you alone. Is this acceptable?"

"It is."

"Then we will leave you to your introductions. Until the next."

"Until the next, ladies. Thank you for your assistance."

We exchange bows before the two sisters leave, Hina trailing behind Hanabi. As the door slides closed again, I get to my knees in front of the small table and wait.

"You do have a bit of nerve, don't you? Responses to members of the Hyuuga Main House should be expeditious and direct. Using our Lady Hanabi to play a telephone game is the height of arrogance."

"So it is. But what's more arrogant is you sending me an ultimatum and then deciding not to show your face. I do not understand why you would jeopardize your own safety by choosing to sit alone in a room with me. Hina and Hanabi aren't going to save you. We're all aware of that fact."

"I see. You really are as vicious as I heard."

"You didn't need to send me a fancy letter to confirm that."

The young woman stands and turns to face me at last. She has that slender, waifish sort of body that most Hyuuga girls share, wrapped lovingly in a set of crisp white robes. Her eyes are the same pure white, though I do see an impishness there that I wouldn't have expected. And her black hair is wrapped up in a neat bun on the left side of her head.

"To finally meet you in the flesh is an honour...and a sight that makes my heart race, if I must be honest." She smiles and gets to her knees before serving the tea. One cup that she slides to me, and the other that she pours for herself afterwards.

"What is it, then? You have a crush on me?"

"I must have made it too obvious," she says with a sigh.

"You've done well to sour my mood. If you wanted to flirt, you could have mentioned that in your stupid little letter. Much easier for both of us, since you do look quite beautiful."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it. My name is Nami Hyuuga, a member of the Hyuuga Main Family as you might have guessed from our earlier exchange. I was the one who made the request of Lady Hanabi, to send you that letter asking for a meeting. There was a bit of intentional provocation in there, as you can see, but I expected a much faster response from you with all of that taken into consideration. You're very bold, Lady Kobayashi."

"We can't be too formal now, can we."

"Oh, but to call you by name...that might be too much for my heart to take," Nami says with a small laugh. "I suppose in private...it's a very sweet taste that I shouldn't get too addicted to."

"Aren't we dramatic..."

"We are, yes. Sometimes I can't help myself. But aside from my obvious admiration of you, I did have things that I wanted to discuss, Lady Lilith."

I take a sip of tea and nod. "Then we can begin when you're ready."

"Yes. Lady Hanabi noted that you were...aware of certain activities involving you. Part of my reason for reaching out to you is that I also serve as the representative for that group of ladies within the Hyuuga Clan. Our feelings for you are...complicated. Mine especially, being the strongest out of those. While we remain conscious of our function within the clan as young women, we admire you and want to support you in any way that we can. So this is the first step, hopefully leading towards many others."

"So there's an association dedicated to me within your clan, is that it?"

"Concisely, yes."

"Mm. Hanabi did mention as much the other day. Helping me, what does that mean? You are aware of my contempt for you lot, yes?"

"We...especially me...want to believe that it's a gap that can be closed with cooperation and servitude. Furthering your goals within this society could help with that. I do not come to you with hat in hand and dreams lining my pockets, Lady Lilith. More than just feelings, we have the tools and connections necessary to make changes of the sort that would allow women like you to live comfortably, perhaps even openly in this world of ours. That is, if you would like that outcome."

"Was this a unilateral decision?" I ask.

"It was something discussed over several weeks as a group. We have weekly meetings, sometimes daily as the need arises. There is usually lively debate over...um, many pertinent subjects, let's just say. So much so that we will be starting bi-weekly meetings next month."

It still doesn't feel real to me. Even as it's definitely happening, right now. Nami is sitting in front of me, taking me as seriously as she possibly can while resisting the urge to vibrate with excitement. I have to wonder if this is some esoteric fan club that fancies me because I'm a rebel. But straight women go through the same thing, I think. Is this a more natural occurrence than I realized, or am I still in denial? It might be the latter. I can't say for sure. This sounds like a good opportunity, an almost perfect opportunity to exploit a bunch of uppity, spoiled Hyuuga brats for all they're worth. If they want to please me, their personal idol, they're probably willing to do a lot of unsavoury things.

"..."

Morals are one thing to consider, but that's not the bulk of what's holding me back. There is something...pure in the way that Nami speaks. The way that she approaches me. That visible spark that tells me she's the furthest thing from a drone sent out to make me happy. As the leader of this secret cabal within Hyuuga, trusted enough to meet with me and deliver that heartfelt request, I imagine that the other girls feel very much the same way as she does. I grumble and complain at Hyuuga, I give them no respect and pay them no reverence. Because of what they allowed to happen to Hina, and because of general arrogance that has hurt many others like Neji. But there's nothing wrong with acknowledging people who want to give you support, as long as the reasons are good enough.

"It would shame me if I turned down the request of someone so beautiful and poised. You are a rare flower, Nami."

"Oh. T-thank you, ma'am." She tilts her head downwards, blushing brightly. "To say that..."

"It's hardly a radical compliment, you know."

"Coming from someone as radiant as you, I would say otherwise. Thank you for accepting me, for accepting all of us. My heart is overflowing with joy right now," she says with a smile. "Whatever you need done, please call on me."

"There are things that I want...but it would be a disservice to you to hand out orders so soon. These items should be fully formed before I send you out to make them reality. Therefore, I would advise you to keep to what you're doing for now, and strengthen your social connections within the village."

"Yes, of course."

"In the meantime, start deciding on an official name to present yourselves with. After that, you may at some point form contracts with other supporters outside of the fold. There are trusted associates that I would like to have primed for your future forays into village business."

"Shino Aburame, you mean?"

"Among others, yes."

"I see. We will have no problems waiting for further instruction from you, Lady Lilith."

"Haughty as you seemed to be, you've pleased me with your competence. Call me by name, won't you?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Lili."

"You're very welcome. Now, as punishment for that little bit of antagonism earlier...you're going to answer some questions for me. Truthfully, of course."

"I wouldn't consider doing anything less. Before that...I would like to say something."

"Go ahead."

"Lady Hinata and I grew up together, somewhat. My parents are part of those in the clan's inner circle. There was a constant struggle within myself, whenever I saw her. She was always so nice to be around, but she was also weak. She shamed the clan, which valued strength and competence above all else. So when she started to stumble, as much as I wanted to help, to do something, I was always kept away. By the elders, by my friends, by my immediate family. And eventually I...also became poisoned by the clan's mentality."

"I see."

"I don't expect to be forgiven for what I've done, for what I've helped perpetuate along with most everyone else. But when you arrived in the village, I saw Lady Hinata start to change. I saw her growing more confident, taking those small steps until one day, she returned to the clan as someone completely different from those years before. I personally started to observe you as you went about your days in the village, through various sources. I wanted to see what the person who had changed Lady Hinata so much was like. And in the process I ended up falling in love with you. The fact that you were so confident and assertive simply made me love you more and more. You're not only a blessing to us, you're quite exciting. You add so much colour and tone to the world, all this while being born in the same class as us. Such a difference, such a beautiful contrast..."

Nami pauses and refills our teacups. I take a sip from mine and wait for her to continue.

"I have failed Lady Hinata and Lady Hanabi in the past. But I don't want to be helpless any longer. I don't want to stand by and do nothing as I have for all of these years. That's why I want to devote myself to you, and to help make up for the things that we as elites have done to this village, to this world."

"Instead of crying for forgiveness," I say.

"Yes."

"Then you will have my guidance whenever you need it, Nami."

"Thank you again, Lili. Now, you...wanted to hear the details of our social club, I suppose. Um, there are some educational things here and there, but mostly we girls are...well, we have long discussions about different aspects that we enjoy. Some of us are more abstract, while others are fairly direct about their inclinations."

I clear my throat conspicuously and Nami blushes. She was warned that she would be tortured just a little for her word choices in that letter.

"There are certain members that, um...have a very strong interest in your physical features. And have noticed t-that there have been increases..."

We wrap up a few hours later, and things go much better for the morning than I could have imagined. Nami and I exchange cards with our information, and she gives me a sunny smile before I surprise her with a hug. It won't work too well as a tease in the future, so this was well worth it - she's beside herself with excitement as I leave the room and head back into the main hall. Some wandering around leads me towards Neji again, who is standing quietly in the courtyard.

"Ah, senpai. Has the meeting concluded?" he asks without turning.

"Something like that."

"I didn't expect Lady Nami to meet with you. She's a bit stoic at times. Often called difficult by some of the older clan members because she's never easily amused," he says as we start to walk.

"She seems like that type of girl, yes. Very interesting, though. And very much my type, for many reasons."

"She is a rare beauty, even within Hyuuga. There are suitors lining up for her already."

"That sounds about right. The clan has its traditions, same as the other elites in this world. Ah, well. We could always start a secret relationship away from her future husband. He'd be none the wiser."

"That might cross a line in...unexpected ways, senpai."

"Danger is of little issue to me. I'm rich."

"Hm. The logic is sound, but...there's something off about it nonetheless."

"It's fine. Ladies, I've returned." Hina and Hanabi come out to meet us. "The meeting was productive, and I will see myself here in the future for more of the same."

"Ooh. Did you and Nami hit it off?" Hanabi asks.

"Very much so."

"It sort of makes sense, thinking about it...Nami does have a subtle disdain for men, especially those who court her," Hina says to herself. "Still, to come on so strongly and reveal the existence of her group..."

"You think that Lady Nami is of that persuasion?" Neji asks.

"I couldn't say for sure, Brother Neji. It might be curiosity, but I have a doubt it's just that at this point. I'm not worried about it at all, honestly. It just means that Lili is far more charismatic than any of us realized. Charming a member of Hyuuga like that, especially her."

"Did you know her well, Hina?" I ask.

"Not terribly well...her family became distant after I started falling out of favour with Father. I never got the sense that she hated me...it's the same as what happened with Naruto, thinking about it. People talk, they isolate others, and then the children pick up on that and act accordingly. It's unfortunate, but it's what happens in this world. But then, we can work to change that, day by day."

"I suspect she carries some guilt about those early years."

"It's possible. I hadn't thought about it too much, so...maybe talking to her one day soon, just to dispel that thought if it's there...that could help. I've always watched Nami. She's a strong person, and I admired her for that. Perhaps just telling her that much will heal her heart..."

Nami's words from earlier remind me just how far Hina has come since I've known her. She's become brave and strong like few others, and is blossoming in sight of everyone instead of shrinking away. I'm very much looking forward to the day where she'll grab hold of her confidence in full and face the village, as the strong and beautiful woman that I have always looked at from the start.

"Well. With my work done, I'm going to treat myself to a decadent western-style breakfast. Goodbye for now, my lovelies."

"Have a wonderful day, Lili."

"We'll see you later, sis."

We exchange kisses as always. Neji gives me a nod and I nod back before finding my way out of the clan residence, back onto the streets of the Leaf. There's a place down the road that sells fluffy pancakes and the most delectable syrup that's harvested in the north of Fire Country. My mouth is starting to water just thinking about it.

Midori has made some time for us today. Luna naturally will get the most of it, being her betrothed, but I'm more than happy with 'merely' a few hours spent with my favourite person in this world.

Luna made a delicious pudding that was supposed to be for dinner. We've decided to break into it now while she's resting from her earlier physical activity, as it's called around here sometimes. I needle Midori a bit for getting up to naughty things with Luna in public, we talk about the recent missions I've had, and she goes over some of the things that have been happening in her world.

"So you've been preparing for a future transition...to what exactly?" I ask as we sit at the kitchen table.

"It would be a...let's say more accountable system of governance. The main thing is that I won't have to watch over every single activity for the next thousand years or so, or give direct approval. I have thought about dissolving the government structure entirely, but that wouldn't work."

"I see."

"It's not like the human world," she says as she dips her spoon into the large bowl between us. "Your divine rights of kings and all of that, descendants of the heavenly host. So on, so forth. It's unreliable as far as you all know, but we can directly trace our origins back to the Sage of Six Paths, and identify our places in the world both then and now. While it would be very tempting to leave it to a bunch of other people and travel as I like, I can do that now without giving up complete control."

"That's viewed as an authoritarian stance, I think." I swallow a bit of pudding.

Midori shrugs. "And what of it? As I said before, humans won't understand what it means to rule in a kingdom like mine. All that being said, I can definitely loosen the economic controls and leave them to people better equipped to solve those sorts of problems. To that end I've allowed for a transition of economic power to the people themselves. We of the kingdom will provide the most necessary and basic items to the populace. Food, housing, utilities, and so on. It only makes sense that nobody should be homeless or starve in a place with so many resources. It's shameful, really. How worthless a ruler could you be to allow that to happen? People will live and die on their own terms, surely. But the vast majority of these problems are easily solved. In the meantime, the production of goods and services, and all of the other things included under this umbrella will be handled by the workers themselves. They will own their means of production and the product that they create, so to speak."

"It sounds complicated."

"It is, yes. I have been informed more than once that there might be a clash of sorts between having an absolute ruler and having the people in control of their own destinies. They might not want to listen to me anymore. They might possibly overthrow me."

"You don't seem too concerned."

Midori lazily pops the spoon into her mouth. "Did I make it too obvious? I don't need to lift a finger to erase anyone who thinks they can come for my head. Manda was one of the last who had the strength to make me even work up a sweat within the serpent world. All of the others are supremely disinterested in politics, the Sage especially. If she ever decided that she wanted the hassle of running a vast kingdom, I would happily pack up and stay with you and Luna here. This whole thing that I'm setting up is an experiment that I hope works smoothly. If not, we can always fall back to state-run things and the like."

"Mm." I think I'm starting to understand things a little bit better.

"It also helps that I'm cheating a little with companies like JPC, you know. We'll form a few more outfits like that and bring in revenue that we can hand out or store for later. Humans love exploiting others, so surely they won't mind taking it on the chin this time."

"You're right, that is cheating."

"Just trying out whatever works, my dear. I wanted to give this a shot because I thought it would make others happy, maybe even more productive as a result."

"And would result in less work for you."

"Is it not the dream of every ruler?"

"Maybe so. I really do hope it works out for you. It seems like a lot of work to get going, at least."

"It feels like it's worth it. So far, anyways. I still have to see what happens a few years down the road, but there are things that I've been trying to tackle right now. Getting my hands a little dirty like I used to when I was just a rebel. The usual things, you know. A few bribes, purges of the old loyalists, you know...all of that. So tempting just to tear it all down at once, you know? But that doesn't solve all of your problems. Sometimes it just makes new ones that you can't keep track of any longer. Have you ever seen a civil war? Nasty things, those."

"I can imagine. So you're not entirely sure of what you're doing, is that it?"

"Not entirely, no."

"Part of why I admire you so much is your willingness to admit those things and continue on your way," I say. "Sometimes effort and good will aren't enough, but this isn't one of those times."

"You're thinking that you might have to do something similar in the future, then. After being pushed into an unexpected direction by that Nami earlier today."

"Something like that."

"Time is linear, but our actions don't need to be."

I take in another spoonful of pudding and let that mysterious sentiment settle in my mind.

"You're still quite young, Lili. Don't fret too much."

"I'm trying, believe me. It's not exactly torturous being called a wonder child everywhere I go, but...there are always those things that I will need to confront at some point. I've buried them at quite a depth, it seems."

"Mm."

"You were telling me about the sorts of things that you wanted to get done within the kingdom. Something about...optical cables?"

"Fibre-optic, they're called," Midori says while dipping her spoon into the bowl again. "It was an intriguing sort of thing that Sana and Sanae explained to me the other day."