Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom – ep. 50
"Interruptions"
[Golden Girls, Part 6]

Deidara is moving and twisting about in the sky, but not slowing much for anything. It's good because it means we can get on with things. On the other hand, it means his current status will largely remain a mystery until he reaches his destination.

I follow him through the trees and into the heart of the country, past the remnants of Kannabi Bridge. Two replacement bridges have been built at points further up and further down the river respectively, so this and all of the remaining rubble is a memorial of the last great war. Something that hopefully we will never have to repeat.

For some reason, he has started to come down in altitude. I drop towards the ground and go into a light sprint, continuing to follow. He is definitely searching for something specific. I expand my sensing range again, and suddenly find myself floored by another round of feedback. Two incredibly large chakras, moving one after the other. They're currently near the edge of my range, but that only makes it more of a bother. One of them I can recognize from a past encounter.

"Kisame Hoshigaki," I say to myself. So that's Deidara's partner this time around. A truly awful pairing, though I have to wonder if they work all that well together. Perhaps Deidara uses his precision guided munitions first, and then Kisame closes in to finish them off with his living sword. According to the intelligence I have from Itachi, the weapon called Samehada shaves and carves flesh as opposed to cutting outright, and can also absorb chakra, even those from ninjutsu. Akatsuki is filled with members that have wicked, troublesome abilities. Men with more than one heart, or hearts that they can move into different housings, undying men, mad bombers, vampire sword users and incest enthusiasts. Dealing with all of these things is, as my favourite slacker would say, truly troublesome.

But they will be dealt with, no matter the effort or expense required.

The other chakra, though not one I recognize, carries a familiarity to it. In the same way that Fuu's chakra made me think of Shino, this one reminds me of Erika. A cat type tailed beast? I would be less than shocked. But in order for me to explore that further, I have to save whoever is up ahead. Large as their chakra is, it's losing stability and coming down in size bit by bit. I think they're exhausted from being chased by this terrible pair.

"Time for me to do something about it, then."

I have the first stage of my chakra mode flicker on, and then I accelerate through the forest at a speed that will definitely get me noticed. As soon as I reach Kisame, I draw Murakumo and go for his head. He swiftly draws his blade and ducks, deflecting my attack as I sail through the air and flip over him. My feet slide briefly through the dirt as he surges forward to strike me, sword drawn back and bandage unravelling. My hands go up and I cleanly block his swing, letting the momentum take me back towards the mystery person as they try to catch their breath.

"Don't know...who you are. But I appreciate...you making this your...business," a woman's voice says shakily from behind me.

"You are quite welcome. I do have some personal business with these gentlemen, but I suggest you hold your position in the meantime. It doesn't seem like you fancy another long run through the forest, and there is strength in numbers."

"Good point...and that bomber would have the green light to put me in the middle of a crater. Ugh. If you can...stall them, I'll...have your back."

"Excellent. I will be back shortly." I flip my hair back over my shoulder and walk forward. Deidara has landed and is standing on top of one of his clay birds, this one shaped like a giant owl. Kisame has Samehada on his shoulder, looking at me curiously. I suppose he is searching through his memories for me.

"Ah, I thought I recognized that face. Lilith Kobayashi, isn't it? The one known as the Leaf's Scarlet Viper...you've grown into quite the woman," he says.

"'Tis I. And you are Kisame Hoshigaki, also called the Monster of the Hidden Mist."

"Hoh. So you remembered me after all. I must say, I am flattered."

"As am I," I say with a genuine smile. "I take it you've been busy initiating the next phase of your organization's plans? Very intriguing, to say the least."

"We have been making attempts, yes. With the low social value that villages put on their jinchuuriki, it normally ends up being a relatively simple job for us high level shinobi. Relatively, because of certain busybodies such as yourself."

"Mm. Indeed."

"I can't believe it...you again!" Deidara yells. "I thought it was enough dealing with you on one mission and losing Master Sasori, but here you come out of nowhere to torment us yet again, hm!"

"Sasori was certainly a formidable opponent," Kisame says. "To defeat him in single combat is truly impressive, I must admit."

"Kisame! Stop complimenting the enemy, hm!"

"Listen, now. My belief has always been that honesty is the best policy. And if I have things correct, she's also the one responsible for stifling our rambunctious youths earlier, while they traipsed around the Hidden Waterfall and caused all sorts of...inadvisable havoc, let's call it." Kisame shakes his head. "Their spirit is admirable, but at times their methods leave much to be desired."

"Putting it lightly," I mutter. "I didn't think you lot were that desperate for personnel, but deeply strange habits aside, they are a proper menace to the shinobi nations on their own. Did you know them well?"

"Not very. Though they were infamous before leaving the Mist, and we did have outings as colleagues a few times. Less than sociable fellows, those two."

"Hey. I don't think this is the time or place to have leisurely chats, hm," Deidara says, exasperated. "Listen here, Red. You get out of our way, and we'll let you go out to wherever you want unharmed. Unless...you're going to take me up on that offer I made back in Wind Country?"

"Sorry, darling. But I'm going to stay the course, which means I won't be switching teams. As much fun as it might be to work with such a quirky bunch, I very much disagree with what you are attempting to do. That, and being in any sort of proximity to your friend Ishako would be disastrous for my mental health."

"She really is creepy, hm..." He shakes his head. "Just clear out, hm. This has nothing to do with you right now. The woman behind you is a Cloud asset, and I highly doubt that someone from Leaf cares so much about maintaining a rival village's military might, hm."

"Leaf?" I hear from behind me.

"So you've gone and confirmed it for me. This person behind me is a jinchuuriki, and you've been hunting her for quite a while." Although, this is a very, very long way from home for her. No wonder she's so tired. Since they have two jinchuuriki, perhaps she lured Kisame and Deidara away to protect that other person? Or perhaps it was something else. Either way, it seems like I came around at just the right time. I don't think she could have survived a proper fight alone against these two in her state.

"I suppose it wasn't exactly a coincidence that you foiled our plans to grab the Seven Tails, then," Kisame says. "Really becoming a thorn in our side, and all on your own. Heh...lots of troublesome kids coming out of the Leaf these days."

"I suppose you won't have to worry too much," I say. "At this rate, you won't be around long enough to worry about the next generation and how much they'll impact your lifestyle."

"I would call it a bold claim, but seeing as you've already made a mess of things in Akatsuki to this extent...perhaps we should take the opportunity now to clear you from the board." Kisame slams his sword into the ground.

"Finally, something we can agree on, hm!" Deidara has his bird start to hover above the ground. "Let's take care of business, hm!"

Not in a favourable situation at the moment, are we. I have enough chakra, but dodging explosions and whatever Kisame might throw at me in terms of water type arts might be demanding. Then I have to consider the woman behind me, who is clearly exhausted, and despite her strength could end up a liability in a fight. If Samehada can absorb chakra, then whatever she throws out, or rather what we throw out, could end up as a snack for it. Taijutsu might be our only real chance to seal away Deidara's attacking options, but that assumes that he wouldn't put his partner into a danger close scenario, or that Kisame doesn't have ways to deal with it – surely they would not be teamed up if their styles were so grossly incompatible. With my taijutsu and strength as it is, and my partner's overall exhaustion, going in to play with one of my weaknesses is one of many bad ideas that I can think of.

If we take off into the open, Deidara will likely lift the restrictions on himself and bomb us both to kingdom come. I can see him having adjusted his kit to just the right strength for a known target, with some room left to atomize any unforeseen obstacles. But we really don't have much in the way of options. Far from doubting the strength of a jinchuuriki, I don't know if she can get up to speed in time. We have to get out of here and hide.

I think I have a plan, but it will only work properly once. With enough speed and timing, it could give us room to properly breathe, her especially.

"I would like to enlist your help, if you don't mind," I say to my new partner.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Yes. It will work if you have one or two Fire Release jutsu on hand."

"You don't have to worry about that. It's one of my specialties."

"Very much a relief to hear. Once we execute the plan, take off in any direction you please. I'm going to make a decent bit of noise in order to keep them occupied. I'll find you again easily enough."

"Alright...it sounds better than what I was doing. I should be steady enough for this, at least."

"Good. Here I go."

I focus and rush forward as Kisame does, making Murakumo disappear from my hands. He switches gears and brakes before launching a backhand swing at me.

"A little too close a shave, this..."

I drop into a forward slide underneath the sword, then pop up at the last moment and flip into the air, planting my hand on Kisame's shoulder briefly. I launch myself further into the air and aim while upside down at Deidara's bird as he starts to take off.

"Gah-!"

"Mobius!"

The beam of light pierces right through the bird and sends it crashing to the ground, as I wanted. Deidara curses and drops back to make another bird with those supremely strange mouth-hands of his, and I tumble along the ground while making seals.

"Get set!" I yell. I twist to my feet and exhale a large cloud of ash that covers the area in front of me, Kisame and Deidara included.

"Fire Release: Mouse Hairball!"

Appropriately cat like, and effective enough as the jutsu makes contact with the ash cloud. I jump into the air and start my run through it as the explosion rips through our previous positions. It would definitely take more than that to down our two missing-nin, but it's enough for some separation.

"Seems she's picked up a few more tricks since our last meeting..."

Kisame's voice fades away as I move, just above the tops of the trees. I can sense Deidara approaching and drop back into the forest while continuing to run.

"You brat! I'll get you, hm! I'm gonna tear this forest apart, hm!"

He's left Kisame behind. Should I engage him now? No, bad idea. He's still extremely mobile and he has more resources than the last time, since he wasn't just in a fight for his life against a jinchuuriki with a field advantage. And Kisame can easily catch up. A two on one, with one jerk wearing me out from above and another below ready to pounce as soon as I get tired. Bad idea, surely. I'll need to prepare for these two properly, whether in a pair or on their own.

I move around and find openings to toss smoke bombs upward, watching as they explode and send thick white smoke into the air. Three objects punch through the smoke like darts, and I calmly move out of the way as they land in the dirt and explode with great force. Seems he can pack quite a bit of explosive into small packages. Backing off for now was the correct choice. I flick another smoke bomb into the air and duck into a narrow passage through the trees, while a series of explosions sounds out behind me. Here's hoping that his desire to obliterate me runs up against his need to conserve resources for our jinchuuriki friend. If Kisame has the ability to track me, it shouldn't be active at the moment. We didn't do anything the last time aside from clash with water jutsu before Sakura, Sasuke and I retreated. I should be safe from him for now.

Deidara has started to search and bomb areas away from where I am. Now should be the time to start moving faster. I hop onto the closest branch and start to take off as fast as I can, not worrying about my heading. All of that can be figured out later.

My companion from earlier isn't too far away now. I think she's stopped altogether.

"Hopefully she hasn't gone to sleep yet. Though...I wouldn't blame her for doing so."

I'm also curious about how she looks, as I always am when it comes to women. If she's resting, this should be the best chance to get a proper peek. Earlier, it was understandably hectic.

I step through some shrubs and poke my head out from around a tree. She's sitting on a large mushroom, slapping at her cheeks to keep herself awake.

"I should...at least wait for that Leaf kunoichi, to thank her or something like that. I just hope she shows up soon, I don't want to sit still too long..."

Yet another gorgeous blonde, which I would know a little something about, with long hair that is bound into a tail by strips of white bandage. Dark eyes that are currently very tired looking, and lovely fair skin. She has bandage wrapped around her arms and ankles, and wears a black and purple blouse with black pants. There are small patterns on each that look like clouds, which only makes sense. Her purple gloves are fingerless like mine, and she has a curious thing on her left arm, a chain of blue beads that is wrapped around it. Spiritual significance, perhaps? The red sash around her waist is a nice touch, too.

I knock on the tree trunk and she snaps to attention, drawing a kunai and swinging her head quickly from side to side. She's not as dirty as one would assume after weeks of running, but there are signs of wear on her clothing, and marks on the metal of her headband.

"Who...oh. It's you..." She sighs and sits back down. "Good, you're safe."

"And so are you. I couldn't stand to see such a beautiful woman harassed by brutes like that. Think nothing of my assistance to you in your time of need."

"Hard to do that. You could have just walked away, like the mad bomber was telling you to. Our villages aren't the best of friends, and all. I mean...ah, sorry. That probably didn't come out right."

"You seem quite tired, darling. There's a place that I can sense is not too far away, hopefully they have somewhere we can put ourselves up for a time."

"You shouldn't-"

"You are on your last legs, and you know it. This is not sustainable," I say firmly. "I have my reasons for wanting to see you safe, and I will explain them in time. But please, you need to rest."

"Alright, alright." She sighs and I help her to her feet. "I'll follow you to the next stop."

"Much appreciated. Let's get out of this forest before Akatsuki finds us again. Suppress your chakra a bit, and follow my lead."

"Got it."

We head back through the trees and towards the destination I sensed earlier. It's a quiet town, with a good number of people. Enough to have some local eateries, and the prize we were looking for: an inn. Only six rooms, and two left available for us lucky travellers.

"We'll be sharing a room for a while. My friend here is quite tired from her journey and we wanted to get her some rest before moving on," I say to the receptionist. The waifish woman nods and adjusts her glasses.

"Yes, ma'am. Everything should be clean and clear, I'll guide you up and give you your key."

"Appreciated." I place my hand on the Cloud kunoichi's back and lead her up the stairs to the second floor. I get our room key after the door is opened, and guide my companion towards the single bed near the window.

"You're sure this will be okay?" she asks, sitting on the bed.

"It will be, and I will make sure of it. Go ahead and rest. We can have a talk once you wake up, whenever that might be."

"Alright...thank you..."

She barely gets the words out of her mouth before slumping forward. I push her gently into bed, take off her sandals, and put the covers over her.

"Rest well. You've more than earned it, darling." I make sure her head is comfortable on the pillow before leaving her alone. The chair nearby looks soft and good enough for me to rest in myself.

Perhaps not a nap yet, but...some time with my own thoughts sounds good right about now.

"Ugh..."

I raise my head from my book and watch as my companion stirs in bed. She puts a hand to her head and lets out a breath through her teeth. It's night by now, the sky with a light dusting of stars visible through the window.

"My body feels like a lead weight. I almost regret falling asleep," she mutters. I get up and help her into a sitting position, putting pillows behind her back and neck. "Thank you again. I don't know how I'm going to pay you back properly for this."

"I'll think of something soon enough, don't you worry. Do you think you're up to eating?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty starved," she says.

"Hope you like stew, then. Lots of meat and vegetables for you to enjoy, with a side of thick bread. Before that, drink this. It will help with your aches and pains." I hand her a fizzy glass of water, and help her drink it down slowly. Afterwards, I fetch the tray with food and drink on it, setting it in her lap. Stew with bread and some ale to drink.

"Smells so good..." She takes up her spoon and eats like nothing else matters at the moment. I go back to my reading for a few minutes, and look over the top of my book to see that she's finished.

"Did you want more?" I ask.

"No...I'm full, really. That was great. First decent meal in weeks. I know you've heard it enough times by now, but thank you for all of this. You have your reasons as you said, but I'm still really grateful for what you're doing right now."

"You're very welcome. You look much better than before, I would say nearly back to your beautiful self."

"Now you're just laying it on thick," she says with a smile. "Perhaps we should do some introductions before you start flattering me so much."

"Perhaps so." I take a seat next to her on the bed. "Well, as you heard in the forest earlier, my name is Lilith Kobayashi, a jounin of the Hidden Leaf. Known across the land as the Scarlet Viper, and the all-consuming Crimson Nightmare, with a number of other titles beneath my belt and yet to come."

"Impressive, to say the least. We've been studying you in the Cloud for obvious reasons, and what you showed off today was very impressive. Even better than all the intel said you were."

"I do love compliments."

"Heh, that's only fair. And as you heard in the forest earlier, I'm one of the Hidden Cloud's two jinchuuriki, specifically the host of the Two Tails. My name is Yugito Nii, and I'm a jounin as well."

"Oh, you're Yugito. I've read a bit about you, as part of my studies and in my spare time. You have an impressive record to your name...and now that we've exchanged names at last, I can say that you look quite gorgeous. Especially for someone of your age."

"Oh? And how old do you think I am?" she asks, curious.

"Hmm...a little under thirty, based on what I know. I assume you must be a fair bit older than I am, at least a decade or so."

She chuckles a bit at that. "That's why we're obsessing over your movements. You're really dangerous like that. And in other ways, like hitting on me so openly."

"As if I could resist. Mature women are one of this world's great gifts, you know."

"Sheesh. I guess I can let that much slide, what with you saving my life and all." She lets out a breath. "Something else came to mind...the shark man, Kisame, was it? He mentioned youths and something about you foiling their plans for the Seven Tails. Did you run into more Akatsuki members on the way here?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. I was doing some investigating around the area near the Hidden Waterfall, and ran into two of their number. They were carving a trail of destruction through the land, murdering people with that vampire sword of theirs."

"Vampire sword? You're not serious," Yugito says with shock.

"Very serious. Through stabbing or cutting, the blood of the victim can be absorbed into the sword. I suspect they can also track their prey once they get a blood sample, and that blood they've stolen and stored can be used for various attacks. There is an unholy amount stored within the sword as it is, and they certainly take opportunities to replenish the supply. It's wielded by a man named Kaitaikojo Shigisei, and he travels with his sister-wife, Ishako Shigisei. She's a skilled strategist and technician, who also has refined sensing abilities."

"Wait, back up a bit. Sister...wife?"

"They're siblings who also frequently engage in consensual sexual activities with each other."

"Oh. That's...unique."

"Indeed. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with. Kaitaikojo by himself is a truly formidable opponent, with otherworldly strength, that demonic sword, and a body that will resist all but the fiercest attacks. Even if his skin is pierced, it won't stop him from trying to drive you into the dirt."

"I see. So what I'm getting from all of this is that I should run away really fast if I encounter them."

"That sounds like a very wise strategy, yes."

"Noted. Thank you...um, Lili. You said that was fine, didn't you?"

"Yes, perfectly so."

"Alright. Hopefully I don't run into those weirdos on my way back...or any other weirdos, for that matter," Yugito says as she rubs the side of her neck. "I don't think my body's quite recovered from all of that running and hiding the past few weeks. Had to worry about getting shaved to bits by that big sword, or drowned by tidal waves out of nowhere, or being blown up by flying explosives. Couldn't sleep much, didn't eat very well. All of the places I scoped out to try and trap them got blown away by one overpowered jutsu or another. Deidara could just ride the currents all day and Kisame didn't ever seem to get tired, I think he even got an energy boost while chasing me through the rain at one point."

"It must have been frightening."

Yugito nods and rubs at her shoulder, trying to suppress a quiver.

"More than just a fight for your life, as most shinobi go through. You were being hunted as prey, and felt helpless. It's a terrible position to be in, and you endured it for so long."

"You've been getting in their way a lot lately," she says quietly. "Taking down Sasori of the Red Sand, in order to rescue the Kazekage...stopping their attempts at getting the Seven Tails' host, and now saving me all of a sudden. Do...you know what it is they're up to?"

"All I know is that they want to capture each host and extract their partner from them, for some dangerous plan. I don't think it truly matters what they mean to do with the tailed beasts, or how they mean to accomplish anything...it will be disastrous, and it will bring ruin to the balance of power and the shinobi world," I say. "That cannot be allowed to happen."

"Something bigger than us..."

"Very much so, Yugito."

"So rescuing me was part of the bigger picture. I can understand that much. I'm sorry for earlier, it's just...how things are in this world. You look for motive whenever someone from another village does something that benefits you."

"I understand that very well. There is something I want, if it's possible. When I was near the Hidden Waterfall, I didn't just stop Akatsuki from capturing another host. She is more than a piece on the chessboard to me...she is my precious friend. And so is her partner, who everyone knows as the Seven Tails."

"You...talked to them?" Yugito asks. "You made friends with them? Both of them?"

"I did. Fuu and Choumei...partners and people in their own right. More than just a container and the beast trapped within. And one of my first friends, someone I love very much, he is also a jinchuuriki. The host of the Nine Tails, as you know him."

"That's...Uzumaki, I think? Naruto."

"Yes, that's him."

"I heard he put on quite a show at the Chuunin Exams a few years back. Same way that you did when you dismantled Gaara in front of the entire shinobi world, while barely breaking a sweat. That was the first time we had our eyes on you. But...to talk about the tailed beasts like that, calling them people." Yugito closes her eyes. "I have a lot of respect in the Cloud, and people acknowledge my strength and hard work. It's sort of the same for Bee."

"Bee?" I ask.

"Killer Bee, my counterpart. He's the host of the Eight Tails. And he...ah, I guess it's fair to say he defies description," she says with a wry smile. "Really has to be seen to be believed."

"Mm. I suppose I can take your word for it."

"You should, trust me. The Seven Tails really gave you her...his?"

"Their," I say.

"Their name. Really?"

"I helped Fuu in a lot of ways, so they came to trust me. I know that they aren't fond of humans otherwise, because of that painful history they've had."

"My partner is the same. We haven't achieved total synchronization just yet, but we work really well together in any situation. She's been the one helping me to carry on, but there's only so much that a human body can handle."

"Indeed."

"Speaking of bodies, mine is still a bit sore. That drink you fixed me earlier helped a lot, though, thank you. Um, as I was saying earlier...Bee and I have a degree of respect that most other jinchuuriki don't get in their villages. But that doesn't mean people truly trust us. There's always...a distance between myself and other people, because of what I am to them. We aren't mistreated, or hated in any way. Still..."

"You feel like there is a wall between you and the rest of the world."

"Sometimes. I start to wonder if I'm being, I don't know...ungrateful or something. Even at this age," she says with a chuckle.

"You're not. It's only fair to feel that way. I...want to break down that barrier, even if it's just once."

"You want to speak to my partner, then."

I nod, and Yugito looks upward in thought.

"Can we give you our answer tomorrow? I want to recover some more, and have some time to talk it over."

"Of course you can. And I won't be upset if you say no. It's your right, no matter what I might have provided you. Please don't feel any pressure."

"You don't have to worry about that. Thank you anyways. Heh...all that talk about how much of a monster you are in the field, and here you are making friends with tailed beasts and saving jinchuuriki from other villages."

"One can't spend all of her time engaged in savagery. It sounds like a terribly boring life," I say with a smile. "How terrible it would be to lose a radiance such as yours..."

"You're entirely serious about this."

"To see a sweet flower and not take in its heavenly scent, is but an insult to heaven and earth in my eyes."

"Listen, if you want a date-"

"Oh, I'm taken if you're wondering. But I would love to have a night out with someone so gorgeous, if you're offering~."

"And your...boyfriend? Girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend. Future wife, more like," I correct her.

"Okay, that explains a lot." She holds her hands up. "Let me get some more rest, and we'll take this one step at a time in the morning. Don't get your hopes up about the date thing, though."

"I think that being this close to you would be enough, if it came to that."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Yugito quips as I take her tray away.

"Not all of them. Just the ones that catch my eye the most."

"Uh-huh. I can count on you to keep a close eye on me, then. Night, Lili."

"Pleasant dreams, Yugito."

She gives me a wave before lying back on her pillow, and immediately going to sleep. Now that she's taken care of, I suppose I'll have a hearty meal of my own. That stew does smell divine.

"At least two bowls for me. I am simply famished after that earlier commotion..."

I make sure the lights are off, and that Yugito is still sound asleep before leaving the room.