It was the crack of dawn and Bakuhatsu Gari had only just gotten to his office. He had barely even sat down, only just unrolled the missive that had been dropped off sometime during the night when there was a knock on the door, and the Clan Head knew his day was about to go from bad to worse.
"Enter," he called, mouth twisting in distaste—he knew that knock. But the look was wiped away before the knob began to turn.
Imai Kasaiki entered, a passive look on her face. The forehead protector was a novel sight, and she probably thought it made her look more grown up. Really, it did the opposite.
"Bakuhatsu-sama," she greeted, and he didn't let show how uneasy the silken tone and the formal address made him. The girl loathed him, and she wasn't shy in showing it. Through her tone if nothing else.
"I apologize for the early visit," she continued. "But this couldn't wait. I will be out on mission for an unknown amount of time, and it wouldn't do to keep my sensei waiting."
"Sensei," he muttered. "You passed, then." Of course, he had already known that. He knew things had spiraled out of his control the moment she left the Missions test unscathed. He just didn't know how or why yet. "You must be very excited."
"It's always exciting to see your efforts bear fruit," she replied smoothly, and something flashed in her eyes. "Unfortunately, that means our association has run its course. With my duties to my team, and a likely intensive mission schedule, I will not have time to continue assisting the Explosion Corps."
"Is that right," he murmured. "You shouldn't assume, Imai-san. We haven't even asked your sensei yet. Perhaps they could set aside some time, if not regularly. If I asked personally, I'm sure we could come to some sort of agreement."
The girl wasn't a perfect ninja yet. She didn't have the self-control to keep the beginnings of a grin off her face, and Gari wasn't yet sure if it was unwarranted. He was unsure of who was outplaying who here.
"How bold," she said, casually. "You placed such an emphasis on secrecy before. Are there any developments I should be aware of?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact," he replied, and relished the erasure of mirth in her eyes. Really. Did she actually think he wouldn't have a backup plan? When there was so much riding on this?
Imai Kasaiki was still the only person capable of producing most of the seals she'd invented. Gari had finally cobbled together a unit of formidable shinobi to take missions as a part of the Explosion Corps, and only five among them were his clansmen. Only five among them possessed the Explosion Release. Without Imai's specialty exploding tags, their efficacy was severely compromised.
He might not be able to monopolize her time any more, but she had proven how quickly she could produce tags. And he still had a massive amount stockpiled in his armory from over the years.
"I have worked hard to arrange for your certification," Gari announced. "Congratulations. You are officially licensed to produce Exploding Tags within Iwagakure. As such, there is no need to hide our working relationship."
It was something that was hard to arrange on behalf of another person, especially due to Imai's very public history with explosives. However, he'd had numerous samples of her work, and he'd had plenty of time to wade through the bureaucracy. Not only had she been certified, he'd also had records edited to make her education and successes seem more natural and far less suspicious.
There were now no records of his own misdeeds—at least, none that could be accessed by anyone who wasn't the Tsuchikage. He, of course, couldn't be sure that the Red Ogres weren't perfectly aware of his manipulations all along. However, it was doubtful that they would act against him on this, not like the other faction heads would.
The girl wasn't a perfect ninja. She couldn't keep the incredulous bark of laughter from escaping.
"Did you really?" she chortled. "Wow. What a parting gift. I couldn't have asked for more!"
She dropped all pretense of neutrality, and a savage grin stretched across her face.
"Unfortunately," she continued. "Even with everything above board, I don't believe my sensei would be willing to split my focus between his instruction and your organization's desires, and I do not feel as if I am in a position to ask. You are free to do so, of course, but I would not expect a favorable response, even if you ask for a favor as head of the Explosion Corps."
Gari was getting a terrible feeling. As a clan head and a division head, even most jonin couldn't afford to turn away one of his requests. And Imai Kasaiki knew that all too well.
"I suppose we'll just have to see," he said. "Who is your new sensei?"
She visibly savored the name as it left her lips.
"Tsuchibokori no Biwa."
…mother fucker. She netted the Tsuchikage's son as her fucking sensei?
"I see," he said, internally frantic. He didn't even have time for fury. He didn't have time to care that he had lost a valuable asset, one that he had spent countless hours developing and cementing his hold over. That would come later. But now, he had to focus on damage control.
With a puff of smoke, several scrolls appeared in her hand.
"I have a parting gift as well," she said, attempting to reign in her mirth. She was only partially successful. "These are guides for the exploding tag variants I've created. I've dumbed them down so much that even Ichikawa-san should be able to create her own in time."
Already unbalanced from the sensei reveal, Gari could only blink at her for a moment. After everything he subjected her to, she had not only created guides, but was willing to part with them? As a gift?
Guides were just as difficult to create as the original seals themselves. That's why it cost Gari so much to get a scant few from Hamamoto Atsuchi. Creating an effective guide, without the expertise of a large sample of sealing specialists proficient enough in said seal to draw upon no less, took an unparalleled familiarity with the seal in question. It likely involved recreating the effects of the seal in many different different forms, something that was both difficult and excruciatingly time consuming.
"How generous," he said, slowly. "If I may ask. Why?"
"I did invent these seals whilst under your…employ," she pointed out. "I would imagine you have a right to them."
So she was just being thorough. She wasn't sure if he could use that as a justification to keep her in his grasp. And he perhaps could argue such a point. He just wasn't sure he dared anymore.
"Additionally, despite my experiences with the institution, I can't deny that the Explosion Corps serves an important role in the village," she added. "I love my home, and I wouldn't sabotage her interests out of spite."
Gari took a deep breath but said nothing. That little note gave him a small kernel of hope. But he couldn't find it in him to take the word of a ninja. Especially one like Imai Kasaiki.
"One more thing," she said. "To clear the air. I've learned just the day before yesterday that my birth father has committed a great sin against your clan."
Aside from the narrowing of his eyes, Gari gave no response.
"Killing comrades is inexcusable," she continued. "It disgusts me to know the man that I'd been taught to admire committed such an act. Know that I disavow him entirely, but that I do not apologize."
Under the desk, Gari's hands clenched into fists.
"You do not apologize," he repeated. "You do not apologize for my beloved cousin's death."
"How can I?" she retorted. "I have never known Imai Hisashi. How can I apologize on behalf of a stranger?"
She shook her head. "I am not my father. I am sorry for your loss. But I do not accept even an ounce of responsibility for his actions. Even if he is technically my sire. Continue to hate me for him if you want. But know that, in my book, your feud with him does not concern me."
In that moment, Imai Kasaiki didn't remind Gari of Imai Hisashi. She reminded him of her mother. While her father was a brute, Omori Mana was impertinent—something she proved time and time again.
He loved Bakuhatsu Genji like a brother. They were similar in age, had been raised together, had learned clan secrets together. In their youths, it had been Gari, Gorou and Genji, the rising stars of the Bakuhatsu. But while he admired and was fond of the man, he hated the woman he'd loved and chosen to be his wife.
His own father's feelings had been even more extreme. He fervently opposed the union for one specific reason. Omori Mana had an uncommonly strong wind affinity. And as wind was strong against lightning, it would have been extremely unlikely for their child to possess the Explosion Release.
Omori Mana was pleasant enough, but she was strong and stubborn. No attempts to cow her scared her off. Gari's father, clan head at the time, had prayed to Kami that something or someone would intervene and prevent their imminent marriage.
As the adage went: be careful what you wish for.
Imai Kasaiki's eyes flickered past him, towards the thin line of sunlight peeking out over the horizon.
"If you'll excuse me, I must not keep my team waiting."
She turned for the door, but just before she fully stepped through it, she paused.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me over the years," she said over her shoulder, a darkness in her voice. "I swear. I won't forget it."
- - - { ワナビー } - - -
When I got to the Mission Assignment Office near the Tsuchikage's Palace (the last of my team to arrive, yet not late), I was surprised to see a familiar face speaking with Biwa-sensei.
"Jin-sama," I greeted, internally surprised. "Fancy seeing you here."
"Imai-chan," he returned, one of the only shinobi to address me with that honorific. "So you are a part of this team? What a coincidence!"
I held back a snort. Coincidence? The only way I'd attribute anything related to this man to coincidence was if I had a lobotomy.
Jin Toshiaki was my second specialization instructor in the academy. He was an esteemed dignitary of Iwagakure no Sato, and a close advisor to the Tsuchikage.
He was also the dictionary definition of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Underneath the jovial old man mask he always had on, he was a shrewd businessman and a tactical genius. And despite all of his very public accomplishments, his behaviors and mannerisms made it almost impossible to take him seriously.
Not until it was too late.
"The client for this mission is Iwagakure herself," Biwa-sensei announced, and my teammates both perked up. Guess he'd been saving the explanation for my arrival. "We will be escorting Jin-sama to the Land of Fangs, where he will meet with the Daimyo with the intention of forming a treaty between their land and ours."
Land of Fangs. I knew where it was on the map, of course. But the name rang a bell in a different sense. Something happened in canon relating to that country, but I didn't quite remember the context.
"To what end?" I wondered. "I don't remember anything about Fangs producing anything of note, and they're far out of the way of the Five Great Nations. It would be unlikely to see be the site of any conflict. Is there another reason?"
"It is not your place to ask such questions—" Biwa-sensei began, but Jin-sama cheerfully cut him off.
"I'll tell you on the road, Imai-chan," he promised, and Biwa-sensei turned his baleful gaze upon him. "What? It's hardly a great secret, Tsuchibokori-kun. I know my student has the good sense not to spread it where it ought not to be spread."
It took a great deal of mental fortitude to not laugh at the address. Biwa-sensei wasn't nearly as amused, but he seemed used to the man's antics, and sighed wearily. Iwao took that as a cue to ask his own question.
"Are we expecting to encounter any resistance?"
Sensei seemed unwilling to answer, in case the dignitary decided to undermine his authority anyway.
"Along the way, it is unlikely," Jin-sama answered. "When we get there, though…I'll also answer that on the road."
"Then let's get going," Biwa-sensei, already looking thoroughly done with this whole situation. I probably would be too, if I was saddled with a bunch of kids and put in this position with no notice. I could tell that, despite the unexpectedness of it all, he was actually trying to be a good, respectable sensei. And now Jin Toshiaki was here to casually undermine all that for his own amusement. I'd have to do something nice for him later.
We didn't leave through the main gate—it faced the southeast, and we needed to go due west, so if we went out that way we'd need to circle both the perimeter of the village and the mountains that cradled it. Far more direct was the Underpass, a tunnel carved through the mountain range that was built to be an evacuation route. It had never been used for that purpose, as far as I knew, because very few battles in any war so far made it deep into the Land of Earth.
The entrance was underneath one of the mountains nearer to the northwest side of the village, almost directly opposite of the gate. But once inside, the main tunnel branched into a veritable labyrinth, which was likely the reason its existence wasn't a closely guarded secret. If it did have to be used fro its intended purpose, any attacker still would have a hard time pursuing, provided that any obvious tracks were covered up. I would assume that the exit points were all very well disguised.
And it was the height of stupidity to follow an Iwa nin into a tunnel anyway. If the worst case scenario played out, I should think that our people would get away safely.
It did make for rather drab scenery, however. We ran at a pace slower than we were capable of, mostly because Jin-sama was an old man. An old shinobi, so he was still far above the norm in physical capability, but old nonetheless. It might take us days just to get out of these tunnels—they stretched clear through the Sekitsui. The parts of it that lay within the Land of Earth, anyway. Supposedly. Though I wouldn't be shocked if we had only been taught that to misdirect spies, and they in fact went far further.
"About your earlier questions," Jin-sama finally broke the silence. "We are cozying up to the Land of Fangs for a very specific reason. As you are probably aware, the country borders the Land of Claws, and there has been a stilted history between the two. The story goes that, long ago, they were the same country, and the Daimyo gave joint rule to both of his sons, who he loved equally. But sibling rivalries can be quite deadly, when each has an army at their beck and call. But the reason is irrelevant; the two nations, in modernity, are not friends. Conflict breaks out regularly, though it rarely develops into true war. We are hoping that, very soon, that changes."
Out the corner of my eye, I saw my male teammates exchange looks.
"We want them to fight?" Iwao clarified.
"Yes, we do. Because the Land of Claws shares a border with the Land of Wind, and the Kazekage has just invested both men and funds into a construction project. One that would divert a prominent waterway—the Kiso river—to the hidden village. Now, Suna is currently suffering. They do not have resources to spare. This is an act of desperation, and one that could bring them back from the brink of collapse. If that happens, Iwagakure will once again have powerful enemies to both the immediate south and southeast. Heading into war, that would be unacceptable."
"So we're sabotaging their efforts to redirect the river from Claw by blocking or contaminating it upstream in the Land of Fangs," I surmised. Condemning the people of Suna, many of which weren't shinobi, to suffer and maybe even die of thirst.
"Precisely," he said sunnily.
Wow. Iwagakure really was the bully of the Elemental Nations, weren't we? At least the country I pledged my allegiance to in my past life was more subtle about it. This kinda made me feel like shit. But if I even slightly prioritized the wellbeing of strangers over the interests of my people, I never would have become a soldier in the first place. And if I didn't do this, someone else would instead and nothing would change. When I called the shots, we'd do things differently.
That's how I slept at night.
"This could drive Suna into the arms of our enemies," I murmured to Jin-sama.
"Oh?" my old teacher said, seemingly entertained by my warning. "Which enemies?"
"Konoha," I said, immediately and decisively. Unless I am misremembering things, Konoha and Suna were allies up until the chunin exam invasion, which would take place a long time from now. And almost immediately after that happened, they became allies again. I couldn't be sure when those ties were first formed, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was the (or at least a) catalyst.
"Konoha and Suna just ended a bloody war," Jin-sama pointed out. "You really think they would join forces so soon?"
"When you're grounded by immense physical discomfort, you tend to forget about things like grudges and pride," I retorted. "I'm not saying it would happen soon. I'm not even saying it would happen in time for the start of the war. But perhaps before the end."
"By which time they'll be so weakened that they will pose little threat," came his reply. There was a impish grin on his face—the little weasel was enjoying this. We always had a more comfortable relationship than any of the others that shared my specialization. He appreciated that I didn't treat him like a stuffy, honorable advisor of the Tsuchikage, and that I wasn't afraid to speak candidly to him. I appreciated how he didn't have me carted off to T&I for my lip.
"Little threat isn't the same as no threat. And we don't know what state our village will be in when that theoretical time comes. Perhaps Lightning would threaten us, and we'd be fighting a war on three fronts. Besides, Sand still has a Kazekage and a Jinchūriki. Two powerful pieces could still pose a serious problem."
"This is why she's my favorite," Jin-sama told Biwa-sensei, who was staring at me with a peculiar look in his eye. I had told him I was a strategy specialist, hadn't I? Perhaps I was similarly adept at hiding it as Jin Toshiaki. In style, if not skill.
He turned back to me. "That potential consequence has been brought up in discussion. But it was still eventually decided that this was the course of action that Iwagakure wished to take. So that is what we'll do."
Fan-fucking-tastic. Like I did every time I received shitty orders, I hoped that there was more going on behind the scenes that I wasn't privy to. Because every cell in my body was telling me that this was shaping into one massive fuck up.
"When we get there," he continued. "I want you to sit in on negotiations with me."
My eyes widened. "Uh, is that allowed?"
"I asked, and permission was granted," he replied with a disarming grin. "Why do you think I requested this team of genin, fresh out of the academy?"
Yeah, coincidence my ass.
"You cannot speak during the proceedings, however," he added, and I nodded. That was common sense.
"Thank you for this opportunity," I told him, bowing my head.
"Precious stones should be polished," was his response. "And I think it would be a waste if you spent all your effort on improving combat ability. Which you would, if we let you—don't deny it."
I chuckled. "I can't. Chakra fascinates me like nothing else."
Then, after a minute of silence, I added, "a couple days ago, I made the decision to shoot for one of the top seats in Iwa's military."
I said the words softly, but I still intended the rest of my team to hear as well. Though I didn't look back to see their reactions. I didn't care what they thought of my declaration.
Jin-sama hummed. "One of the top spots? Or the top spot?"
"I don't think I'm suited for the role of Tsuchikage," I said. I had been thinking about it a lot lately. "People find my personality grating. I am probably not suited for diplomacy."
"I think it's too early to say that definitively," Jin-sama said. "You're still quite young. You have plenty of growing to do. In all respects."
"Perhaps." Physically, sure. But I think, between two lives on two different worlds, my personality had developed as much as it was going to.
The advisor then chuckled. "Shoot for one of the top seats in Iwa's military, she says. As if that's news."
I frowned. "It's a recent decision. I haven't even told anyone yet, aside from my brother."
He shook his head, mirthfully.
"You didn't have to."
- - - { ワナビー } - - -
AN: Hey y'all. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. The first half with Gari was especially cathartic to write. It also tied up some loose ends, what with her being certified to use her seals in the field.
I'm really frustrated with my life right now. I work for a university athletics program, and though I usually enjoy it, football season has been fucking me up royally. I'm working fifty hours most weeks, and on top of that, my next book release is approaching. Still five months out, but we're getting to the point where final editing needs to be finished. And there isn't enough time in the day.
I don't see myself being able to update next week, and maybe the week after. I hope I'm wrong, but I wanted to let you know. Which is really, really frustrating to me because my enthusiasm for this fic is at an all time high. I'm extremely sorry. In my eyes, when I started this fic, I made a commitment to weekly updates, and having to break that pisses me off. But I'm not getting paid for this, unfortunately, and I need to make rent.
However, football season is coming to a close. In fact, I'll actually be able to have some time off in December for the holidays. Which I don't celebrate, so I plan to spend all of that time writing. Hopefully, I'll be able to make up for lost time.
So I'll see you when I see you. Hopefully, the next update will be worth the wait. I have big things planned.