Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom – ep. 06
"Accelerando"
[Kazekage Rescue Mission, Part 1]
"Captain Kobayashi, ma'am!"
Right on schedule, a young lady in uniform drops down from the sky. She quickly salutes me.
"Good afternoon. How might I assist you today?" I ask her.
"Lord Hokage requests your presence at the Mission Assignment Desk, ma'am. There is an urgent matter regarding the Hidden Sand Village."
"Thank you. Let's head over quickly, then."
"Yes, ma'am."
We take off together and cross the short distance quickly, then settle into a speedy walk towards the assignment desk. Familiar faces are waiting for me there.
"I wish we could have had our reunion under calmer circumstances...either way, it is good to see you again, my child."
"Likewise, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen nods and gives me a smile, smoking away on his pipe like I remembered. Iruka gives me a friendly wave from his position on the right.
"Lieutenant Kariya, you are dismissed for now."
"Yes, my lord," my escort says. She leaves quickly and it's just the three of us now.
"Urgent situation in the Sand, then," I say. "I had a bad feeling once I saw the hawk coming from that direction."
"They sent Takamaru, their swiftest. There was no doubt," Hiruzen says. "Iruka, the data."
"Sir."
I walk up to the desk and take the paper from Iruka. Not much to go on, but enough for our purposes. Right...Iruka did mention the other day that Gaara had become Kazekage. Now according to this, he's been kidnapped by the Akatsuki. I know he's sinned earlier in his life, but something like this isn't what he deserves. Not after all of the hard work he's done.
"From what I can recall, the flying menace with explosives mentioned is Deidara, originally of the Hidden Rock," I conclude. "Akatsuki members like to travel in pairs, so he must have a partner. Whether they were already in the village or outside of it is in question."
"What do you mean?" Iruka asks.
"The Sand is weaker than us, but their perimeter defense is nothing to laugh at. There was someone on the inside feeding the infiltrators vital information and possibly betraying their comrades. Thinking about it some more, we might have a sleeper agent on our hands. We can deduce their identity in time. In addition to all of this, they took Gaara alive. That lines up with their plans from before..."
"They mean to take the One-Tail, Shukaku. Gaara dying in battle would stifle their ambitions," Hiruzen says.
"Yes. It means we have a chance to rescue him. Still, these Akatsuki fellows are strong...the precision needed to merely knock him out instead of killing him puts them firmly in S-Class, just as we know from the reports we've obtained."
"That means we'll need to send a good sized fighting force," Iruka says.
"I would like to appeal to Lord Hokage regarding the mission formation," I say while looking towards Hiruzen.
"Of course. I was going to ask about your intentions just now. What are your plans?"
"I want to get to the Sand as quickly as possible, then have one or two teams following in order to help seal off potential escape routes. I believe that Akatsuki will move towards settling in River Country in order to evade their pursuers. Earth Country is troublesome and dangerous, Fire Country is on alert already, and other potential safe havens are too far away, increasing the risk that they are confronted and caught. There's no doubt they have a hideaway somewhere close by, and esoteric concealment techniques to match. The mission is a failure if we let them leave Wind Country."
"And the inital team formation?"
"Myself and one other."
"Lili, that's not viable. You yourself said that these are S-Class criminals," Iruka says with worry.
"I did say that. What I didn't say was that I was worried about it," I reply to him. "The strength I have cultivated is enough to move mountains, Iruka. I am one who possesses enough speed and power to stop Akatsuki in their tracks."
"Who is your second, then?" Hiruzen asks, curious.
"I have several people in mind, but my first choice is Might Guy. The two of us would be able to take on an accelerated pace and cut down the travel time to the Hidden Sand. As I have said before, time is of the essence. Our speed and my tracking arts will help locate the kidnappers efficiently. And our combined power will erase them in short order. I don't intend to bully the Sand into submission, either. I already have a rapport with some of the village's upper echelons, and connections with a solid team of specialists from an earlier goodwill mission."
Hiruzen thinks on it for a few seconds before nodding.
"Lord Hokage, are you sure?" Iruka asks him.
"Yes. What say you, Iruka?"
He blinks. "Me?"
"Lili is one of your favourite students. I believe that you should have input when it comes to this most important matter."
We look into each other's eyes. The slight worry from before melts away, and he gives me a warm smile.
"You're no longer just a student of mine...you're a woman of the Hidden Leaf, and one of its most capable shinobi. I won't stand in your way any longer, Lili. Go and get 'em."
"Yes, sir," I say with a smile.
"I'll send for Guy," Hiruzen says.
"My preparations will be complete in thirty minutes or less. I would like for him to meet me at the main gate within the hour at the latest, and tell him not to pack too heavily. We will discuss our speed with a briefing, but I intend to reach the Sand in twenty four hours - preferably much less."
"That's really fast," Iruka says with surprise. "So that's your play, then."
"Yes. As for reserve forces, I would like two teams to follow after me, in sequence. Shino, Hinata, and Kakashi first to cover any reconaissance and first aid possibilities. Lee, Neji, and Tenten for utility purposes and synergy with Guy. The first team should take the shorter approach directly towards the village, similar to what I will be doing. The second team I want to follow about a half day after that, moving quickly enough so that the two teams might catch each other. They will be able to follow up on anything that my team and the first support team might point out on their journey."
"Good. I will check the availability of all requested members and organize them as needed. We will send a message to the Hidden Sand detailing our intentions no later than tomorrow morning," Hiruzen says. "Good luck, Lili."
"Thank you, my lord. And thank you for your endorsement, sensei."
Iruka nods. "Right. Good luck, and come back safely."
"Ah, yes. One more thing..." Hiruzen searches through his paperwork before finding something and handing it to me. "The documentation was reviewed and approved several months ago. I wanted to hand it properly to you in person. As of now, you are officially promoted to field officer status. Once the full review of your knowledge and abilities is complete, the full increase in rank will be applied. This should help you with diplomatic affairs, and I will also be forwarding this information to the Sand as quickly as possible."
"I see. Thank you, my lord."
"Of course. I will not hold you up any longer, Lili. Be well, and do what you can for our allies."
"I promise I will do my best, my lord. Please take care, both of you." I give them a bow before leaving.
The Hidden Sand again...hopefully everyone I need help from is available. But if not, I can figure something out quickly. That is one of my strengths, after all.
"Okay. Time to do this."
"Hopefully I haven't kept you waiting long!"
I check the timepiece on the inside of my wrist. Thirty three minutes.
"Not at all. In fact, every minute saved is a blessing to those who call for our help. Thank you for assisting me, Guy."
"Think little of it. So, shall we begin our rescue mission?"
"We shall. I would like to check our equipment before we set off."
Guy nods and sets down his backpack to open it. We're both travelling relatively light, for several strategic reasons. And for both of us, we don't have too much of a need for weapons - whether it's Guy's astounding taijutsu, or my powerful ninjutsu, we have our bases covered. A few useful tools, some reserve weapons, and survival implements are all we need for this flight into the desert.
Might Guy is...Might Guy. An optimistic, energetic, and confident man with inspired eyebrows and hair like the underside of a bowl. He has an intense sort of jawline to match, and height that goes along with his muscular frame. Although to notice it, you would have to ignore the jumpsuit and the gaudy orange leg warmers. Lee has copied this style down to the letter, and for heaven knows what reason, I spied a similar outfit at Naruto's place a few years ago. Horrific fashion sense aside, Guy has proven himself as an accomplished shinobi, a sharp mentor and educator, and a village elite. There are very few people I would have by my side against such strong enemies, and he happens to be one of them.
"Checks are done. We should be very well equipped for this run," I say upon finishing.
"Excellent. So, we're heading to the Hidden Sand to gather intelligence before taking off after the kidnappers," he says while adjusting the red forehead protector around his waist.
"We are. How soon do you think we can reach the Sand safely?"
"Hmm..." He places a hand under his chin. "I think that we can reach it in half a day, easily."
"That sounds fair. The reason I called for you is so that I could push that envelope to a reasonable degree. I want between eight and ten hours."
"Hoh, that quick? I see...that's well within calculations! If you're ready, then I am as well!"
I nod. "That's what I was hoping to hear. We'll push for the first three, take an hour break, and then see about the next four after that. Taking a bit longer won't be the end of us...but I want to suffocate those Akatsuki bastards before they realize we're on top of them."
"Hah! Seems like you're in form as usual, Lili."
"I can't stand getting dull in these times," I say with a flip of my hair. "Let's be on our way, so that we can save the bulk of our run for the cooler hours. Half speed through the forest as I lead, full speed side by side once we hit the desert. Here."
He takes one pair of goggles from me, and we slip them over our eyes.
"Ready?" I ask.
"Ready, ma'am!" he replies.
"Go."
We take off into the air, with him slightly behind me as we move. The wind howls as I hit the first branch, and continues as I hit the others in sequence. This isn't a speed that most shinobi travel at, in part because it's unsafe, and also because they're not built for it.
We're different, and we're going to take advantage of that fact.
"That should hold me for now..."
It's evening now, and we've stopped for our scheduled break. A good burn is going after about three and a quarter hours, but it's nowhere near enough to hamper us. Some tasty energy bars and previously cooked meat from my shopping trip have left us wanting for nothing as we rest. Currently, we're on the inside edge of River Country, resting underneath the trees with a small fire going.
"Here we are, a most rejuvenating beverage! Always makes me feel youthful after downing a glass." Guy hands me a bottle, and I take it before shaking it up a bit.
"Thank you."
"I've heard that you've been undergoing potent training in a foreign land, and things like this tell me that it was a great success. Most people would have a hard time keeping up this speed, even if they have high battlefield prowess."
"Mm. I did learn a lot in my time away," I say before drinking from the bottle.
"It seems so. I must admit, I was less skeptical of your skill and more worried about your potential direction within the village, when I first heard about you. Of course, my worries were settled once Lee gave me his first report."
"He told you about that incident? I thought you would have disapproved of my actions."
"Lee is a obedient, earnest child...suffice it to say, his strength is a good ways ahead of his social skill," he says with a chuckle. "I can't hate something like that, but I do understand how it might be difficult for people to deal with."
"I don't think badly of him, but yes, he is a handful to deal with." I take another sip. "I suppose that's part of his charm, though."
"Haha! Of course!"
"I'm honestly glad he has someone like you to look after him."
"Oh? You really think so?"
"It's the truth. You know how I come across, but-"
"No, no. I'm just flattered, that's all...Kakashi praises your skill and composure, and the things I've seen of you confirm everything he's said. I was just thinking you would have a few more airs put on, even in times like this."
"That's certainly something to say." I laugh softly. "I understand perfectly what you mean, Guy. I sincerely mean it when I say that you're a good influence and teacher."
"Thank you very much! I'll continue to work hard, as always. That's my promise to you, Lili." He strikes his famous...or infamous, depending on who you ask, 'nice guy' pose. This is the spirit of youth that seems to have reached every young man in the village, and enough of the older ones as well.
It's something that...makes me happy to see.
"You know, through various circumstances...I met the Founder once before."
"The Founder...ah, you mean Lord Hashirama! It must have been during the invasion of the village."
"Yes. You remind me a lot of him, you know."
"Eh?"
I nod, and he blushes lightly while rubbing the back of his head.
"Is that so...?"
"It is. I suppose it's things like that...that make you so strong in the end. He was an interesting fellow, Hashirama. I rather liked him...which is also interesting in and of itself."
"How so, Lili?"
I lean back against the nearby tree and close my eyes.
"The two of us aren't much alike at all, these days."
A while later, with our bellies full and legs refreshed, we slip on our goggles and race through the forest again. Forest gives way to rocky lands as we enter River Country. We don't stay long, and soon the path changes to a scattering of trees and shrubs before flattening out completely.
Wind Country.
"Formation," I call out.
"Formation," Guy responds. He moves to my side and matches my pace.
"Full power."
"Read, full power."
Moving at high speed. Calculating for twelve hours, a little over forty six meters covered in one second. For eight...about seventy. Still a few hours to go, but my legs feel fine as we accelerate into our pocket. I'm sure whoever is trying to monitor the area is more than a little confused, but they should get over it once we arrive at twilight.
"How are we doing, Guy?" I ask through my communicator.
"Fantastic! The goggles were a very good call...they're comfy, too."
"Good to hear. Keep those for yourself, alright?"
"Got it."
"It shouldn't be much longer now, and conditions are favourable. Estimated time of arrival is twenty three hundred hours."
"I read. I have a question, if you don't mind."
"Of course. What might you need of me?"
"I was under the assumption that you would have brought Naruto with you on this mission. Your synergy from what I've been told is stellar, and you have a good understanding of each other."
"It's because I know so much about Naruto that I want to leave him out of this," I say solemnly. "You know the details well enough. Naruto is the same as Gaara...a jinchuuriki. A human sacrifice to contain the world shaking power of the tailed beasts. He formed a bond with Gaara in a short time, and he understands the pain of loneliness, being loathed for something he barely understands, something that is not his fault. He would have a great motivation for seeing this mission through."
"Then why?"
"Because I love him, and I am a maternalistic sort of person in the end. I want to protect him from himself and his impulses while I still can. Some might call it stifling, but of course, there is even more of a pragmatic reason for my actions. Naruto is reckless, and at times his emotions consume him. For that reason, he may be tempted to turn himself over to the influence of the Nine Tails, so that he might see his justice through. I cannot tell if Jiraiya has solved that problem or not, but it's something that we cannot risk. For Gaara's sake, and his own since Akatsuki would love nothing more than to get two jinchuuriki for the price of one."
"From what I've been hearing, they need to be sealed in order."
"Supposedly, yes. That doesn't stop them from mutilating and torturing him into submission...or at the end of the day, cutting their losses so that they can capture the fox later, without a bothersome host. Akatsuki is sending the world hurtling towards a tipping point, and they will be all too glad to collect money while the world starts to collapse and they wait for the Nine Tails to reappear. I have confidence in my power, but nothing is going to go well if the other nations find out that the Leaf has lost its symbol of military might."
"Hmm. I see."
"I am a selfish person. And I would rather not see that boy hurt if I have the means to prevent it. I can handle things on my own, and he can cultivate his strength by other means."
"It's little wonder he's looked so happy since the Academy. Perhaps you might think yourself overbearing, but all good mothers worry about such things occassionally."
"Is that so...well, I'll keep that in mind for the future. But yes, that very much explains why I kept Naruto off the mission roster. At least for now...I'm sure he'll pry the information out of someone by tomorrow and embed himself on one of the other teams. I'm counting on it, actually."
"What happens then?"
I smile. "He'll get to welcome Gaara back, of course. Nothing else to it."
The approach after a few hours is simple enough. We start to slow our pace through the sand, before reaching the flatter, more stable land that extends out from the village outskirts.
"..."
The bodies have been cleared out, but I couldn't miss that scent for anything. Blood. Lots of it, soaking the rock steps on either side of the passage towards the village. The turncoat must have killed their comrades standing on guard in anticipation of the Akatsuki's arrival - I know that Jiraiya gave a warning out to the administration during his travels.
"Who goes there?"
"Shinobi of the Leaf," I reply to the shinobi ahead of us. He has wild black hair.
"Names?"
"Mission leader Lilith Kobayashi, and my comrade Might Guy."
"W-wait...we sent Takamaru out this morning! The distance from Leaf to Sand...that's three days travel!" he says, utterly confused.
I slip off my goggles and rummage through my pockets. "Here you are, a copy of the emergency message."
He takes the scroll from me, unfurls it, and looks at it with wide eyes.
"My apologies, Major Kobayashi, ma'am. Please, this way."
We follow him swiftly into the village proper.
"As you know, Lord Kazekage has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki. However, it gets much worse..."
"Is Temari here?" I ask.
"Lady Temari has yet to return from her diplomatic mission in the Leaf."
"So we passed her somewhere along the way...but it was for the best, since we made it here quickly. You say things have deteriorated, then. How so?"
"Lord Kankuro has been gravely wounded. He chased after the bird-using Akatsuki straight away...there must have been someone else there with them, because he was found with all of his puppets destroyed, and in a terrible state. He's been severely poisoned, and nobody within this village has the knowledge to counter it. According to our medical team...as it is now, he only has three more days left."
Tsunade would be able to figure it out...so would Sakura, perhaps. That would be one disadvantage of the route I took. Well, it's to be expected.
Fortunately, I can cover this angle as well.
"Since it's still early, we have a fighting chance. You fellows can gather up the intelligence that you have for us. In the meantime, take me to where Kankuro is."
"Ma'am...are you also a medical shinobi?" he asks.
"No. But I don't need to be in order to solve this problem. Unless you have something else in mind?"
He shakes his head. "No, ma'am. I'll take you to where we have him resting, Treatment Room Three."
"Guy, make sure we have writing instruments ready. I might need to take a few notes if things don't go well."
A new wrinkle, but nothing we can't handle. Here we go.