Scarlet Justice - ep. 63
"Glowing Blossoms"

I spend the entire afternoon with Naruto, telling him about the mission to bring Sasuke back. He was so excited by the end of it that he couldn't calm down, which is making it hard to go home. But seeing him so happy...it wasn't much of a hassle staying after all. We shared some of the beef stew and he really enjoyed it. I'll have Luna make some more for another day. That, and I'll ask for the recipe so Hina can put her own spin on it.

"Hopefully you'll let me go for now," I say with a laugh.

"Y-yeah. Sorry, I just...wow, I wish I coulda been there! That sounded like the most awesome fight, and that cool combo move...man! You called it 'Final Justice', right?"

"I did."

"So cool..." He sighs. "I gotta catch up. Sasuke's not much of a worry right now, especially with my cool new jutsu. Hehe, I'll show it off to you one day soon!"

That was...Rasengan, right? I've heard of it, but never witnessed it in person before. It should be a treat, considering that Tsunade was impressed he even managed to learn it in the first place.

"Looking forward to it. I'll let you know when I'm free, there are a couple of things to take care of in the next while."

"Still on the go, huh. Well, take it easy at least. You want that arm to heal, yeah?"

"I do. Tomorrow though, I'm going to see Ino. They let her out of the hospital."

"That's great! I went over to see her the other day, ya know? She was looking a lot better than before."

"Lady Tsunade recently gave her some treatment. She should be good as new by now," I say as I leave my seat. I take our empty plates and cups to the sink before washing them out.

"Yeah. Granny Tsunade's a miracle worker. Really stubborn, though...and scary when she gets mad."

"That all sounds normal enough for an older woman."

"Dunno if splitting roads in half is normal for anyone..."

"Nonsense, it's perfectly natural. Okay, I'll get going," I say as I finish washing up. "You can hang onto that container when you're done with it. If you want more stew, just ask and I'll ask Luna to cook some. I have a feeling it won't be necessary, though...just a hunch, hmhm."

"Alright. I'll have the rest for lunch tomorrow, I guess." He stands up himself and walks me to the door. I step into my slippers and turn around to face him.

"I'll be seeing you."

"Yeah, for sure."

I smile and hug him tightly with my good arm, closing my eyes. "Thank you for everything. Please, feel better soon. Take your time, and take care of yourself always."

"You too, Lili," he says as he hugs me back. "I won't forget any of this, I promise. Thanks for everything you've done, and for being my friend. I won't give up on those two, or on that dream of mine."

"I know. You're going to become Hokage one day, and I'll be right there with you."

"Yeah."

"Of course, I might have to take my turn ahead of you. If I do too well, they might not want anyone else..."

"Heh. We'll see about that, yeah?"

"We will. I can't wait." I let go and kiss him gently on the cheek. I can see that his eyes are as bright and warm as ever...just as I want to remember them. The night is warm as I step into it and head for home.

"He's really growing," I say to myself with a smile. It might be inexplicable to someone looking at us. Someone like me, putting so much affection and faith into someone like him. We're so far apart in so many ways.

But I believe in him. In the person he is, and in the person he will become. I believe in love, and that it can make ordinary people into the greatest heroes the world has ever known. I believe that it can help us change the future.

Most of all...he makes me happy. That alone is enough to make me want to stand by him.

I don't care what the world thinks. I never have.

It's the next day, and I set off after cooking myself breakfast. The day is cool again and there's the chance of rain, according to the radio. A gloomy band of weather the past few days, it seems. I pick out a long pink sweater this time and jogging pants. They feel comfortable, which is what matters most right now.

I step into my slippers and leave the apartment. Today I'm free again, and there's nothing terribly important that I have to rush towards. Let's see. Today's itinerary...I'll go and see Ino as planned, and then make a stop to see the Hokage if he's not terribly busy. Shikamaru said some interesting things yesterday that I want to follow up on.

"Well, looks like our hero is out and about today. It's good to see you."

"Likewise," I say to Kakashi. He closes his book and gives me one of his smiles. "Have you been well?"

"Yeah. Nothing terribly exciting with the whole invasion, and all."

"You would say such a thing. But I'm glad that you're okay. Everything worked out well enough from what I've been hearing. The Hidden Sound is no more, and Orochimaru's legacy has been erased from the earth. For the most part, anyways. Sasuke still has the brand on him, and an unfortunate transformation. But we can deal with that later on."

"Have you gone to see Naruto yet?"

"We spent most of yesterday together. He's in good spirits, which pleases me. And I can see that he has a conviction about him that wasn't there before, which bodes well for the future. I know that you've given him all the detail that you could regarding the mission and its outcome."

"He was bothered by some of it. Frankly, I was more bothered than he was at the whole thing." He pauses a bit. "The difference in how these missions have been handled is...sort of stark, I'd say."

"This is based on your experience as a member of ANBU, yes?"

"Yeah, more or less. Missions in the Black Ops were need-to-know. Only a few people knew of what was going on, and the general public never came into it. Everything was in the shadows. With the regular forces, you have a lot of things in the open. So people know what's going on and can see it, there are things that can be seen as good and bad in the public eye, and you have to account for that as well. What's happening with you, though..."

"..."

"It somehow feels like the worst of both worlds," he says as he looks into the sky. "You do all the work, complete the mission cleanly, and then just have your recognition taken from you. Everyone knows that something important happened, it's recognized and celebrated for all to see. But not only are you erased from public record, it's someone else who gets to be called 'hero' in your place."

"The one who was my true enemy," I say. "That does sound cruel when you put it like that. Unfortunately, I would like this village to remain intact. So I can't make these facts known to everyone. It would be harmful, and more than that, a waste."

"I see. You have an interesting way of looking at the world."

"It's not much different from yours, I would say. Comrades are worth a lot more than people realize. I've read about your father, the White Fang."

"Have you..."

"The man who was disgraced by the village for putting the lives of his teammates over the completion of the mission. That shame must have crushed him, and it ended up leaving you all alone. I'm sorry for that, Kakashi. Losing your family is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. Even if you did come through it brilliantly."

"For a long time after that, I decided that I wouldn't end up like him. Rules and regulations, following orders and giving them precisely...that was my experience growing up after his death. It was what I wanted, and what I thought would bring the most success as a soldier. It made me superior to a lot of my peers. It gave me the opportunity to be promoted long before anyone else."

"..."

"But I grew arrogant. I always valued the mission over the man, and there was that one mission that kept bringing me trouble as a result. It took a friend to wake me up to reality. He looked up to my father, and thought he was a brilliant man for more reasons than his skill in combat. And he gave me a lesson that I've tried my hardest to pass down to my students, and to my fellow shinobi."

"Those shinobi who break the rules and codes of this world are garbage," I say. "And yet..."

"Those shinobi who abandon their comrades are lower than garbage," he finishes. "It was the lesson I took with me after that day. Maybe if I had learned it sooner..."

"Perhaps. But it's today that matters. If you carry out your teachings with the same conviction that you always have, you'll make a change that will be felt by everyone in this world."

"Sounds ambitious."

"It might be. Don't worry, I can export those ideals for you. We wouldn't want Sharingan Kakashi to end up in the hospital more than he already does," I say with a smile. "Your father's spirit flows through the village in its own way. Looking after those who fight alongside you...that's helped me a lot in these times."

"I see."

"What were their names, Kakashi? If you could tell me."

"Obito Uchiha and...Rin Nohara."

I nod. "Names written into the memorial stone. Then they will become a part of my memory, too."

"You know, you don't have to go that far."

"I don't, but you know how stubborn I am. Especially with people I've come to like," I say with a wink. "Speaking of like, you have an interesting habit of avoiding women. I'm sure there are one or more pretty ladies that have caught your eye."

"Hm." He pulls out his book. "I might have caught someone's eye myself."

"Oh?"

"I wonder if you had a hand in it."

"I have my doubts there," I say casually. "And we wouldn't be able to verify such a thing, anyways. There are many, many beauties within this village."

"You would know."

"I would, yes. It's a remarkable thing."

"What's remarkable is how much gossip there is about you by now. There are women who talk about securing the chastity of their daughters. Well, Tsume is the loudest about it, at least."

"Mm. Hana is dangerously attractive."

"Things like that might get you in trouble down the road. Not anything serious, but people have been known to make complaints to Shikaku. Then again, he might enjoy the extra paperwork."

"Interesting. So he really is whipped."

"Yep."

"We should talk about this more over a drink or two. For now, I have places I would like to get to. It was lovely speaking to you, Kakashi."

"Always a pleasure, Lili. See you around, and take care of yourself."

"I will." He waves lazily, reading his book all the while as he leaves. It seems that Ruki has started courting him, which is good. I'm sure he's happy reading his books, but he deserves something more wholesome than that. It's been a long, harsh life for him.

"But you've done more than you could realize for this village. Thank you, Kakashi."

"The next stop for today is the Yamanaka house."

I step into the flower shop and have a small chat with the temp girl from before. Definitely outgoing and cute. She's happy to say that Ino is doing well. Today, I ask her to suggest an arrangement.

"Oh! You're sure? I mean, your arrangement the last time was beautiful..."

"I wanted to see your take today. After all, you've shown yourself to possess a fair amount talent, in addition to your other charms."

"O-oh. Thank you..." She blushes before hurrying off to grab my flowers. It looks like she's chosen poppies. Red, white and yellow ones. A good selection, simple and fitting for the times. I give her my payment and thank her before going on my way.

"Let's see. Should be south of the Nara forest, if I remember correctly." The district with the Yamanaka houses is a bit out of the way, near the Nara and Akimichi clans. The three of them are closely linked, as I've learned many times before. Ino is part of the sixteenth generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, and is next in line as the head of the Yamanaka Clan unless she marries out of the family. Her position is the same as Hina's used to be, and Hanabi's is now.

It's a large home that I come upon, but not excessively so. Built in the Eastern style with what I assume are low wooden floors. And as expected, there's an extensive arrangement of flower beds, leading from the front of the house right down to the beginning of the walkway. It's quite a sight to see.

"That...should be good. Nothing else doing for today, so I can finally chill out. Nice."

Ino is out front watering, her face free of bandages. And her hair is still short, but seems to be growing nicely since the last time I saw her. She's wearing a blue kimono with white lilies patterned on the fabric. I wait for her to turn and take notice of me.

"Miss Yamanaka, good morning," I say with a bow.

"Lili? You came out to see me, how sweet!" She sets down her watering can and runs to me, smothering me in a hug. "Welcome back!"

"Thank you. I see that you're doing better."

"A lot better! I just need to do some exercise to get myself back into fighting shape...other than that, I'm super okay. Lady Tsunade saw to me herself. She's so cool. I feel so much better and my cast was able to come off since the bone was healed. A little shinobi magic helped, hehe. Just a bit longer, and I can nag those two boys of mine properly like the good old days."

"Ah. So you're looking forward to work, then."

"Honestly? Yeah. I've been having fun and relaxing like this, but there's a part of me that'll feel unfulfilled if I just let it end here, you know? If I'm gonna bow out, I want it to be on my own terms if at all possible. Has to be my own decision. I mean, I haven't had any really bad thoughts, or any anxiety...I just wanna see about getting back to work, that's all. Might sound weird, eh? But...this is my life. I like it. I don't mind being a shinobi."

"That's good, then. As long as it's what you want, Ino...that sounds good to me."

"Yup!" She gives me a sunny smile. "Ooh, are those flowers? Did you find someone you wanted a piece of already?"

"Actually, they're for you."

"Oh, thank you! I super appreciate these, as always. You spoil me, Lili." She takes the bouquet from me.

"Open it up?"

"Sure. Let's see what you've got here..." She unwraps the paper and looks at the arrangement. "Ooh. Poppies. They're nice and fresh, too...mm. I love them. Very bright, festive almost. These are from the shop. How's my temp doing?"

"She's cute, and has impeccable taste."

"Good. We're hiring her full-time. That gives me a bit of freedom during the week, I can play around or study if I want. Time is really precious these days, you know?"

"I agree," I say with a nod.

"Since you came to visit, let's head inside for a bit. Mom's out, but Dad's home. He's in his study catching up on work." The two of us walk up to the sliding door, and Ino pulls it open. I take off my slippers and set them alongside the other footwear at the front, then shuffle into the guest slippers and follow Ino further in. There's nothing but wide open space...an open concept home, then? Interesting. Wood floors, cool to the touch. Very nice all around. I should talk to Luna about something like this later.

"Weather's been up and down lately. I didn't know what to wear, so I went with this since I wasn't going to be moving around too much," Ino says.

"It's a beautiful pattern. The colours suit you," I say to her.

"Thanks! You somehow manage to look stylish no matter what you wear. I'm just a little jealous."

"Only a little?"

"Okay, more jealous than that. The news hasn't totally spread about how much you enjoy the company of women, so the boys still throw those thirsty looks your way and talk about you quite a bit."

"I doubt it would change much if they knew."

"You think?"

"Boys seem to have this idea they can 'cure' girls like me."

"Gross. You want something to drink? I've got pink lemonade here."

"Whatever you're having is fine."

"Okay, pink lemonade it is. One second..." She pulls a pitcher out from the fridge and pours two deep glasses of lemonade for us. The kitchen is wide and looks very modern. There's an island in the middle where most items are stored on neatly. Really makes the room pop with the marble surfaces.

"Let's head out to the back porch. Nice and quiet there...and Dad can call for me if he needs me."

"You're a good daughter."

"I try." Ino hands me a glass as we head out to the polished wooden deck. We sit next to each other on the swinging chair that's been set up, and tap our glasses together before sipping from them.

"Mm. It's good," I say. "Not too sweet, a pinch of strawberry...very nice. You made it yourself."

"You're scary good at that."

"Took a fair bit of practice," I say with a smile. "This is a really nice home." The back garden is filled with all kinds of flowers and lush green bushes forming barriers. Everything is neatly lined up, the branches pruned and leaves skillfully trimmed.

"Oh, you think so? I was gonna say, I didn't think you'd be impressed by any of this. You know, coming from money and all."

"The garden at home is quite big, but it doesn't look nearly as lovely as this. None of the places that I've been to do, actually. Good taste doesn't come packaged in with wealth. It's an unfortunate reality, seeing as they control so much in this world of ours."

"Ah. Seems like that kind of world is deeper than most people realize. You ever think about like, becoming a socialite?"

"My father planned that out for me from an early age. He didn't see me as useful for anything else in life."

"That sounds really cruel. I mean, are you sure about that, Lili?"

"He had sex with my mother for business reasons. I think that's the only reason he has sex with anyone, really. Some sort of power trip, something like that." I make a face. "He's hoping that I end this phase of my life soon, so that I can get knocked up in a year or two and produce a true heir."

"Is that what he said to you?" Ino asks.

"Not in so many words. But he's expressed his displeasure with my career path to my stepmother once already. He didn't even care enough to show up at my graduation."

"Geez. I'm so sorry, Lili. That's really, really cold."

I sip my lemonade. "That's normal, I'm afraid. He can do so much worse than scolding and abandonment. So...I want to cut ties at the first opportunity. Even if it means a life of poverty as a result."

Ino sighs. "Your resolve is amazing. I mean, you're nuts and a huge pervert, but you're amazing. I guess that's why I like you so much."

"Surely there's more to it."

"Girl to girl? You're super cute, too."

"Someone's honest. Well, you're definitely a looker yourself, you know."

"Is this flirting?" she says with a smile. "This feels like flirting."

"Just let it happen."

"Uh, no. You'll corrupt me within the hour, and you know it."

"Darn." We laugh a bit after that.

"Thanks so much for what you did, Lili. I owe you a whole lot. You really...brought Sakura back to me, like I begged you to. Thank you. And I..."

"You don't need to say any more than that. I said it before, that I loved you very much. I made a promise that I intended to keep. Also, you should thank Lee when you get a chance. He gave a lot of himself for Sakura's sake."

"Yeah. He's got the biggest crush on Sakura. I know he did his part, too. So I'll make some time to visit him soon. Tenten usually knows where he is. I just wanted to thank you first after everything that happened. You're one of my most important people, you know?"

"I know. Thank you, Ino."

"Did you get that little message I sent?"

"I did. I was thinking of you a lot, you know. I hit Sasuke with that sixteen hit combo you put into my head."

"Wow...that must have been something. But what about Sakura?"

I grin. "Hina took care of that one."

"Holy crap. Did she really?"

"Right hand to the face, and she made sure to chew Sakura out once the fighting was over."

"Go, Hina. Wow. She's really turning it up, isn't she? I'm so proud of her."

"Right? She's beautiful."

"All thanks to you, of course."

"Well, I tried my best. But there was something sleeping inside of her the whole time. I just...helped bring it to the surface, that's all."

"There you go again, being modest for no reason. Speaking of blossoms...well, not to get so heavy all of a sudden..."

"It's alright, you know. What is it?" I say as I put my hand over hers.

"Sakura...she's not long for this world. The Sakura we know, I mean. I mean, she's not gonna die or anything, that's not what I'm saying."

"I get it, Ino. Slow down a bit."

She takes a breath in and nods. "Yeah. Yeah, thanks. I...can see it happening day by day. That whole training regimen...Lady Tsunade is slowly erasing her, even if she doesn't mean to do it. Soon she'll be gone. And the new Sakura will be vulnerable emotionally. It'll be up to me to protect her...I dunno if I'll have time for anyone or anything else. Which is unfortunate."

"You don't have to resign yourself to that fate, Ino," I say. "That sort of burden..."

"It's my choice, Lili. Honest," she says gently. "And even through all of that, her soul won't change. That's what matters in the end. Sakura will always be my best friend. Even if it doesn't mean happiness, this is what I want. I love her. I still love her, even after what she did to you, to me, to everyone. I...I want to be friends again one day, like we used to be. Because right now, that's...gone. It hurts, but..."

"Ino."

"As long as I have you with me, it'll be okay. You give me a lot of strength, you know. Just talking with me over the phone, or being here next to me like this. You mean so much to me, Lili."

"You'll have my support, Ino. No matter what you might choose. Just...tell me if it gets to be too much, okay?" I say.

"Only if you promise to do the same, Lili."

"I promise." We squeeze each other's hands and share a smile.

"Thanks. We'll get through this together, for sure."

"We will."

"So...to swing from one extreme to the other again," she says with a laugh, "I've got a question for you."

"Go ahead," I say as I finish off my lemonade.

"I know that you're into girls, but what I really want to know is...what kind of relationship suits you best?"

"What kind?"

"Yeah. You like to call yourself a connoisseur, no? So I would think that...it would be difficult just picking one girl over a couple of them. Am I wrong?"

"Hm." I think on it a little, putting a finger to my lips. "It's an interesting question. Complex in some ways, I would say. My dream scenario..."

"I'm actually pretty curious about this."

"Are you? Well...let's see. I would want a lovely, lovely girl to be my other half, for sure. There's just something so romantic and soothing about it. In the same way that seeing two women share their love awakened me, seeing them in a warm and loving relationship also appealed to me greatly. But you're right in that I wouldn't want to give up a free sort of lifestyle, where I could enjoy the company of beautiful women any time that I pleased."

"That's an interesting answer. Maybe...you can have your cake and eat it, too. If you play your cards right, that is."

"A wife and many mistresses, you think?"

"If she's open to it. Personally, I think you're charismatic enough as is to pull something crazy like that off. Something like a harem in name more than in deed, I guess? A bunch of cute girls in your orbit, with you and your future wife in the middle."

"How long have you been thinking about this, Ino?"

"Maybe the past ten minutes. Far as you know, anyways," she says with a sly smile. "Either way, you'll be beating off girls with a stick when you get older and they figure out what you're into. I say, start planning now. Get ahead of the game and such."

"I can't believe you're telling me to form a harem," I say with a laugh.

"I'm not telling you to do it, just...you know, giving out advice in case. It's helpful, right? Helping your friends is good."

"You just want to see some juicy chaos."

"See, nobody needs to know that part."

"Tsume is going to kill you."

"She'll have to catch me first. Wait, why do you have to go after Hana anyways? Something about forbidden fruit tasting the sweetest?"

"Ooh, you know me well."

"You're actually horrible. Like, the worst. Listen, you don't have to go after every girl with a pulse, and again for posterity, I never told you to."

"Anyone truly off limits?"

"Nothing like that."

"Mm. Not even...Erika?" I say casually.

"Interesting that you mention her...there's nothing like that going on, though. I mean she's nice, but...you know. Can't be sure I swing that way yet," Ino says with a shrug. A little too casual on her part, but I'll leave that thing alone.

"Well. I'm sure you'll find the right person soon enough."

"One more question, then."

"I have a feeling it's going to be spicy."

"Maybe. If...at some point I expressed...interest. Would you consider me?" she asks.

"Of course I would."

"You said that way too quickly."

"I mean it!" I protest. "You would make a great partner, and not just for your looks."

"You really mean it."

"I really mean it. I would love something like that."

"Thanks. I just...wanted to know. Curious, and stuff. Yeah. That's it." She coughs. "It might end up being a guy that I spend my life with, but it's still really early. We'll see. But thanks for answering so enthusiastically."

"Ego boost?"

"Ego boost," she says with a nod. "I'll walk around like I'm the hottest thing in town for the next month thanks to you."

"You're welcome."

"But we're friends no matter what happens. Right?"

"Right," I say with a nod. "Well, I don't want to leave so soon, but I have things I want to talk about with the Hokage."

"Oh, okay. Good luck over there, then. Dad says you're a pretty important figure these days, and that you should watch your back some. Hm...actually, what we were talking about earlier, the whole socialite thing..."

"Hm?"

"I was thinking that I could make use of that. I've already got roots in the village, pun intended, and I have a good grasp on social areas. I'm a beautiful young woman from a prestigious Leaf family. There's some influence there, so I can build on it and keep rising. That way, I can watch your back properly."

"Another pair of eyes sounds amazing."

"Doesn't it? I'll get to work on that as soon as I can. It's one way that I can start to pay you back for everything you've done. We'll definitely put our spin on village affairs, and ruffle some feathers along the way. That's the only way to get things done."

"I'm looking forward to that," I say as I get up. Ino takes my glass from me and we head back to the kitchen.

"Heh. Just look out for my rising star, Miss Elite. I'll be seeing you, then?"

"You will. And you have my number."

"Yep!" She gives me a warm hug, squeezing me tight. "Thanks so much for coming over, Lili. I love you a whole lot."

"I love you too, Ino. Be well."

She sets the glasses in the sink before walking me towards the front of the house.

"By the by...I was out shopping yesterday, and I saw something cute that seemed to suit you," I say as we reach the front entrance. I transfer slippers and we reach the door.

"Cute, eh?" She gives me a grin. "Well, we can make ourselves a deal. You see something cute, buy it for me, and I'll wear it as soon as you ask."

I smirk and raise a brow. "You think I won't do it. You really think I won't do it."

"I'm only halfway expecting it. Make sure to buy another set for yourself so we match."

"I'll see you later, Ino. You'll get your first outfit by courier," I say with a wave. She snorts at me and waves back.

She's going to be pretty shocked once she gets the first package from me. Like I wouldn't take her up on that challenge.