Scarlet Justice - ep. 130
"Speculate"
[Golden Rust: Opening]

"Runs real smooth. We had a heck of a time getting it right, but a couple decades always helps."

I nod while looking through the window of the train. This is one that uses steam for power, and is a mirror of the transports I remember seeing as a little girl. The flow of technology on this continent has been interrupted by many things, such as war and espionage, so on and so forth. So it's not terribly confusing as to why things like auto coaches and locomotives such as this one are sparse and often have to be built from first principles. It actually might be better in the end, since I have no doubts someone will come along and figure out how to make these things run with chakra, or some sort of clean natural energy.

"I take it the samurai are not a fan of coal," I say to Joshua as he sits across from me.

"Nah, not for moving back and forth like this. Trains aren't that common in the world, but the tracks are, if that makes sense. You've got cranks and pumps and the like that people rig themselves, then they get a good set of wheels and move things around using the little intercity systems. We're still trying to figure it all out, but tech is improving."

"We do a lot better with boats," Yuna says from across the aisle. Hina and Shino are sitting across from her. "Got the market cornered on that one."

"Civilian transport right now. The General...well, you know how we are about getting involved in shinobi affairs. We build a military rated sea transport and you'd have a big fight between the Cloud and Mist in a heartbeat. Reasons like that keep us isolated, too. Real downer," Joshua says. "I did hear through the grapevine...Frost was messing around with automobiles."

"Hm. Really."

"Got some friends with their ears to the ground at all times," he says with a smile.

"Big nerds just like him," Yuna quips.

"Yep!"

"Don't give the guy too much attention. He'll talk your ears off about this train by itself."

"Sure will."

"I think it's good. We need more handsome and well-read men in this world of ours," I say with a smile. He chuckles heartily at that.

"I heard the samurai were those of discipline and tradition," Shino says. He adjusts his glasses.

"Heh. Not too distracted by my sweater puppies, are ya?" Yuna teases.

"Yuna, c'mon."

She rolls her eyes at Joshua. "Yeah, yeah. Well...Shino, ain't it? Times have been changing for a while and some of us have shown off enough to get away with individual style and all that. Most samurai are totally into the standard armour. It's not half bad, got some nifty tech inside, good in all sorts of conditions. But some of us like the flexibility that we get outside of it, so we can go with a little less extra protection in exchange for some freedom."

"We're also commissioned officers, so that helps. High enough up there in rank, at least," Joshua says. "But it's as Yuna says. The samurai are starting to enter a new era. Not giving up on their ideals, but slowly shifting towards something new. Helps that the continent is still mostly stable, thanks to the Hokage. Excellent when it comes to diplomacy."

"Too soft, though."

"I have to agree. War is a bitter taste that he's experienced too many times before...still. If the age of strife in this world is to truly end, decisive action has to be taken at some point."

"It can't just be velvet gloves forever," I say.

"Yes, exactly."

"Joshua? May I ask a question?" Hina asks.

"Sure you can. Hinata, right?"

"Yes. Thank you very much. I wanted to know if you had any idea as to why we would have such an exchange, when the samurai are famously neutral in regards to dealing with the five great nations."

"Ah, yeah. Not terribly complicated or secretive, that. Some back and forth dialogue happened, or rather has been happening for the past few months. Mainly between our counterparts at slightly lower levels than the military leaders. Of course, I've got a bit of an inside track on these things. You'll see what I mean when we get to town."

"Yep. I won't spoil the surprise, either," Yuna says.

We cross the hinterland at a decent speed and eventually come upon civilization once more. Rural areas, followed by a sort of suburbia with decadent looking homes sitting on the town outskirts. And then, finally, the tracks lead us into the density of the city. It's unlike anything else on this continent that I've seen...a mix of traditional homes and newer ones with sharp and clean lines. Old buildings from the distant past mixed up with new structures that rise high and give shape to the skyline. Posh storefronts and boardwalks in the distance, as the city meets the ocean waters. And many, many ports for boats to stop in, whether it's for freight or pleasure. Trains laden with material and product of all kinds lumber off, puffing harmless clouds of steam into the air. More lumber in and wind down to a stop as ships dance around each other in the bay.

"Welcome to the city, y'all. Kurosawa Port."

"It's certainly a sight," I say quietly, looking through the window. "The fruits of peace and prosperity..."

"And a few foreigners from across the way," Joshua continues.

"Josh there is third down the line," Yuna says.

"Yep. My grandfather came here a few decades ago with my grandmother. Wanted to do something new and make some money. Those two had their hands in every type of industry you could think of. Gramps is somewhere on the other side of the continent, or so he says. Eh. We don't worry about him too much, he's happy."

"Not like anything could hurt that old slab of iron."

"Heh. That's true."

"..." Could this be a possible future for the shinobi world? A place of growth and safety for many people...instead of this violent, turbulent world that too many have to suffer through. It's too bad that we can't stay longer than the designated period. There's so much that I want to learn...

The train pulls into our designated station and comes to a stop. Yuna steps out and nods to Joshua, then he leads us down the folding steps and towards the station exit. Samurai in full armour are moving about, occasionally giving respectful nods and bows to Joshua and Yuna as our group passes by. Civilians give us a wide enough berth as we walk through the train station; whether it's because of our escorts or our appearances is unclear at the moment. But a hassle free experience is always nice.

"There are those secret tunnels and passages, but...ah, I'm pretty confident in my bodyguard skill. Yuna is, too," Joshua says.

"Damn right."

"It's always nice to give our visitors a look at city life. You guys don't mind walking over to the government building, do you?"

I look to Hina and Shino, who both nod.

"We should be fine walking today. Thank you for your hospitality, as always," I say to Joshua.

"No problem. Let's get going, then."

We walk together in a straight line, Joshua up ahead and Yuna following behind us. Kurosawa Port is lively enough without being terribly crowded, with people moving through designated lanes on their bicycles and other foot powered implements. There is no one style of dress to look to, either. Aside from the samurai who walk the streets in their white armour, there are wardrobes of many shapes and colours that are very clearly from another part of the world. The largely similar skin tones of the Leaf are replaced by a rainbow of shades, with hair colours to match.

"This is certainly a diverse place," Shino says.

"Sure is. Lots of different and strange things happened to get us here. The city founder met up with the samurai and struck a deal with them way back when. This place was quiet for a while, but slowly building. Things started to take off around the time Gramps and Grams got here," Joshua explains. "Always a market for shipping and the like, fish too. We have other stuff going and carry on trading with the Hidden Rock, for example. Terrain issues mean they like to import when they can from nearby nations."

"So I know by now," I say. "What about mercenary services?"

"Fuck 'em," Yuna says.

"That's the company line, yeah," Joshua says with a laugh. "We've been hearing about an upstart group lately, not much info on them. They're called Akatsuki, I think."

"We have been investigating their movements as well recently."

"Ah, good stuff. Yeah, around here services are part of the whole. So if you need something done like that within the Iron, just drop a line and a friendly neighbourhood samurai will stop by to help out. Don't even have to flip 'em a coin."

"Tax man takes care of basic salary," Yuna explains. "But if you're loaded you can pay out for out of country trips, bounties, whatever you can think of. The network is meant so that nobody gets left out or left behind."

"I see. So it's quite a bit different from our model as shinobi," Hina says.

"Yeah. Not really something you can build back home on a dime, since as we've said before, shinobi have different motivations and economic structures, stuff like that. We've got plenty of industry to subsidize our military, and there's a lot less to deal with on our end because of population size, border control, yadda yadda. Not enough time to go over it all."

"Yuna knows a lot about this stuff. Got a fancy degree for it, too!" Joshua says.

"Tch. Yeah, well...I figured it was an easy way to get through the ranks...and take some time off for myself, I guess. Helps that you get paid to go to school."

"You have the option to pursue higher education in order to sharpen some extra skills," Joshua explains. "It's pretty much encouraged these days, and some fields are promoted at a higher rate whenever they need specialists in an area or two. You can earn bonuses and the level of education you pursue translates into pay increases, no matter how far you choose to go. So if you just want to get a certificate or something, you get some extra cash in your pocket. General Mifune figures we can afford to do this because the trend is that most people who enter the military are going to chill out and be foot soldiers or generalists anyways."

"Basically trying to build the samurai profile a bit," Yuna continues. "It's an attempt to get ahead of the curve, which is surprising for the old man. Usually pretty set in his ways."

"That's what happens when you've been a samurai forever."

"Yeah, something like that. Still a dusty old weirdo, though."

"Sheesh." Joshua shakes his head. "Well, let's keep that promise I made earlier. Time for some good eats!"

"Oh, we're here already," Yuna says. "Cool."

The five of us have stopped at what looks like a mobile food stand. I can smell barbecue, and it's already making my mouth water a bit. A woman with a pink shirt and hair tied into twin buns pokes her head through the stand opening.

"Hey, Auntie Park."

"If it isn't my favourite nephew," she says with a smile. "And Miss Yuna, of course. In a good mood, I hope?"

"Day hasn't been bad so far."

"Good to hear. And our guests...shinobi from the Leaf, it seems. Welcome to our little port town."

"Thank you," I say. The three of us bow politely.

"Wanted to hook up our friends with some of the best ribs in town, Auntie," Joshua says. "Top three, at least."

"Oh my," she says with a giggle. "High praise, and in front of guests, too. I'll have to make sure what I have cooking is immaculate. How does another five minutes sound before I get back to you, sweetheart?"

"More than fine. We'll be here."

"Then I'll see you in a bit." Miss Park ducks back inside.

"It's been a while since I've had something like this," Hina says.

"Really? So you haven't been able to get out much lately," I say to her.

"Not too much, no. But honestly, I don't go out to restaurants much unless it's with you and the rest of our group."

"Mm. We should plan something when we get back, then. Truth be told, I've gotten so much into the rhythm of cooking for Fio that eating at home has been regular for me as well. Nothing bad about that, of course, but it's always nice to get outside and socialize properly with friends."

"Yes, I agree."

"The difficulty with outside establishments is their lack of menu options," Shino says.

"Hm. There is something to be said about the salads...less can be more. And the less said about that monstrosity, the better..."

"Monstrosity?" Hina asks me. "What do you mean?"

"Shino and I had an outing the other day to a certain restaurant. The one midtown, across from the antique store with the wood mannequin in the window."

"Ah, I know which one you mean."

"I ordered their so called special salad, and it was truly an abomination to surpass all others," I explain. "If I had taken more than a single bite, I fear all of the salt would have mummified me instantaneously. And the damned thing was half dressing by volume. Don't try to imagine it, you'll get sick."

"I don't think I could comprehend such a thing," Hina says, frowning.

"An insult to good food," Shino says. "Not just the unwarranted addition of dried meats, but the fruit toppings and such. A salad made exclusively for those uncouth souls who despise salads. It makes my blood boil thinking about it..."

"Shino...I'm sorry you had to witness that," Hina says while rubbing his back gently. "And I'm sorry that Lili took a bite of it."

"Well, let's hope those food based nightmares don't linger for too long after this," Joshua says. "Sounds like a hell of a salad, though..."

"Something that she'd eat," Yuna says.

"Come on. You know she wouldn't."

"You're biased because you're close to her. Bottomless pit."

"Shush."

"Here you are, nephew. Top class ribs, nice and hot," Miss Park says as she reemerges. She hands a set of cardboard containers to Joshua, and he hands her payment before taking the containers away. "Overly generous, as always."

"Hey, don't you start."

She laughs and reaches over to pat his cheek. "Take care, okay?"

"I will, Auntie. Thanks so much."

"Of course. Have a lovely day, everyone." She waves us off, and we continue on our way through the city.

"The pol hangout is close. We'll check in at the front and then head down to one of the empty rooms. Should be able to eat in peace there," Joshua says as we continue walking. After a minute or two, a large, distinct building comes into view. Rectangular, with glass panels that catch the light and distribute it in different directions. It makes the exterior look bright, and stand out even more. There are circular paths around the building, a water fountain, and statues of samurai in various styles of armour. All of their faces are concealed in some way, and the plates near the base do not hold any names. Just the era that each type of samurai originated from.

The doors slide open as we near them, revealing a stylish lobby with dark, marbled floors and carpets strategically placed. There are soft chairs and tables so that guests can find a place to write, or diplomats can hold quick discussions with each other before heading to various parts of the multi-level structure. Lighting is bright enough to see in while not being so bright as to irritate the eyes or be distracting. Samurai with and without helmets are here as well, with officers dressed in traditional robes and swords on their hips at all times.

"Wow, really? I thought she would be back by now," Joshua says to the receptionist.

"It seems that she's tied up at the moment...according to what I have here, there was an unexpected interruption. More accurately, some information that didn't get to her in time," the woman says with a frown.

"I see. And I can't have him look at it, since it isn't his area to mess around with...alright. I'm gonna head home, then. Tell her that I stopped by, just in case."

"Will do, sir. Oh, did you want me to call a transport for you?"

"Oh, if you can spare one. That'd be pretty sweet, thanks!"

"It will be out front. Have a good day, sir."

"Thanks, you too." Joshua walks back to us.

"She's not here?" Yuna asks.

"Nah. Something came up, apparently. Has her stuck in the legislative office across town. She can stop by the house and pick up the documents later, no point in waiting around here forever. We're getting a ride this time. Don't want the ribs to get too cold."

"Great. Didn't want to walk that far anyways."

"Was that the person we were supposed to meet with?" Hina asks.

"Yeah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The big reveal we were talking about earlier is that she's my Ma. Maria Walker. My Pops works around here too, he retired from samurai work but still wanted something to do for the most part. That's Jonah Walker. So the General hooked him up with a job as the interior minister. Of course, he had all the relevant skills beforehand. That helped."

"So you have tradition in your family as well," Shino says. We start to follow Yuna back outside.

"Yeah, and I did learn sword work from my old man. That's not why I'm carrying one myself, though. Yuna mentioned earlier that I'm a pretty big bookworm, and my first thoughts were of becoming a scholar or something similar when I grew up. Believe it or not, I looked a lot different than I do now. I got inspired though, and after looking into my family history, wanted to be more like my grandfather. Started training seriously, and we ended up here. Life can take you some strange places, you know?"

"Different is an understatement. I've seen pictures," Yuna says.

"We can show 'em off back at the house, for sure. Ride's here."

A bicycle taxi, also called 'rickshaw' in this part of the world, arrives in front of us. There are two cyclists and a covered carriage with two rows of seating, enough to fit all of us at once. We get inside and the drivers take us away from the government building, along a few winding paths and back through the large streets of Kurosawa Port. A smooth ride takes us towards the city's edge, where houses become elegant and fewer in number.

And finally, we come to a stop. The home in front of us is a beautiful, western style structure with what looks to be two main floors at the least, and a colourful flower garden split down the middle by a smooth stone path. The front porch is more than big enough to hold a party on, with benches and rocking chairs mixed in between the sturdy tables. Not a terribly big home, but the presence makes it feel like one in a lot of ways.

"You have a beautiful garden," Hina says as we walk towards the front door.

"Glad you think so. We do our best with it...helps that the flowers are relatively easy to take care of year after year," Joshua says. "Mostly perennials stocked up, you know how it is."

"Ah, I see. Knowing your limitations when it comes to gardening is key. If you're not around as often, it's a must to select hardier flowers to raise."

"Yep! Fortunately the missus and I found ourselves a selection that was both colourful and sturdy. Been a few years since we picked this mix and never went back. Oh, Yuna."

"I got it." She knocks on the door and we wait patiently. A moment later, two locks slide out of place and the door opens to reveal a vibrant looking woman.

"Hey, y'all!"

"Hey yourself," Yuna says. "Looking like a light bulb, as usual."

"Hard not to be happy. It's another good day, you know?" Our smiling hostess is about the same height as Joshua and Yuna, with a head of long, feathered blonde hair. Her eyes are bright blue and remind me very much of Naruto. They blend well with her fair skin, and the light freckles that dance across her cheeks. Very casually dressed in a half opened shirt and rolled up jeans, showing off how solidly built she is. And of course, I wouldn't miss her lovely curves from top to bottom – I'm sure that she would have quite the time buttoning her shirt up properly as is. She could pass for a model, assuming she isn't one in her spare time.

"Ladies, gentleman. I present to you my lovely and super awesome wife, Catherine," Joshua says with a smile.

"That's me! Nice to meet all of you. I don't use my government name too often, so everybody from here to the city limits calls me Cadence! You've got my hubby there to thank for my little nickname, hehe."

"I think I just called you that one day and it stuck."

"Sure did. Let's get some of those boxes outta your hands, yeah? Auntie Park's ribs always go down well. Oh, Josh. Did you want us inside or out?" she asks as she takes half of the boxes into her hands.

"Ma might be coming by to pick up some stuff. Easier for her to drop in if we're in the back."

"Got it. Then you guys don't need to take off your shoes, long as you follow the carpet straight down and out towards the yard. I'll get our food warm and plated before bringing it out to you with the fixings. Any objections?"

"No, ma'am," we all say in unison.

Cadence smiles happily. "Great! Come on in."

Our couple shares a quick kiss before Joshua leads us inside. Cadence closes the door behind Yuna, and we start on our way towards the backyard.