Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom - ep. 89
"Initial Descent"
[Convergence of Shadows: Feature 4]
The meeting comes to a close. Agreements are drafted, discussed briefly, and then signed by all parties. Not much is discussed beyond the immediate. This is the level of cooperation that we will be getting now, enough to prevent the worst from happening and not much else. Joshua and Yuna quickly make copies of the overall agreement so that each party can go home with something to show. The official document with all six signatures will be sent to Kurosawa Port, to end up in the hands of Maria Walker, Foreign Minister of the Iron Country. And not least, Joshua's mother.
"If there is nothing else we need to discuss," Mifune announces.
The Five Kage look at each other, and then shake their heads in turn. It seems that escaping with this much done is enough for now. We can do more. We should do more, truly. But managing to pull this off is more than we could have hoped for before. Testing that is unwise, in the end.
"Understood. Then this meeting has come to an end. Thank you all for your participation and spirit in this matter. I am glad that we could come to a satisfactory conclusion, and hope that we can use this agreement to build dialogue between nations, and usher in an age of cooperation and permanent peace for us all. Good luck to you all in your continued governance, and if you should have need of the Iron to host another gathering, simply send word, and I will prepare for you in the same manner I have today. Thank you."
With the meeting over, the attendants can meet with their Kage again. The last threads of tension come undone, and everything is back to the normal, unhurried atmosphere we had before the meeting began. Hiruzen rolls up his scroll as we go to meet him.
"Ah, there you are. I hope I didn't worry you too much," he says with a smile.
"It was tense before," Hina says. "But...well worth it to see such brilliance in person. You were wonderful, Lord Hokage."
"Truly," I say. "I've always admired your skill in these matters and others, but it never gets old seeing you work miracles like that. You really were amazing, oyaji."
"Well, I do try my best at times. Thank you both for your praise of me."
"It's the very least we could do, after watching you save the world from itself yet again. Of course, we're all of an understanding of what this agreement really means."
"Yes. Once we get back to our lodgings, we will leave immediate strategy to Zo and Yugao. Their sharpness in these situations will help us over the next few days," he says.
A and his entourage approach us, the former putting on his formal hat. Hiruzen hands me the scroll, which I have disappear into one of my sleeves. He takes his hat from the table and puts it on.
"Sarutobi."
"A."
"I hope you're as confident about your little scheme as you seemed earlier. The fate of your village rests entirely on the actions of your rival. If it comes down to conflict, I will not hesitate."
"I am counting on it."
A scrutinizes Hiruzen for a few extra moments, before seeming satisfied enough and nodding. "Fine. Aside from the task force, I want more information on those vampire brats from Mist. I know you've been observing them lately due to the murders taking place across your country. Since we can't have the Nine-Tails disappearing, either...I have a few things that Yugito Nii managed to gather during her struggle with Akatsuki."
"It was good that she managed to escape, and I do mean that," Hiruzen says. "But none would be more relieved than you."
"You have that much right." He looks at me for a moment, trying to figure something out before shaking his head. "I'll have the reports sent by bird within the week."
"Then I will do the same for you."
"It's a reckless game you're playing, Hokage. But...I can admit that I admire your courage in these sorts of matters. Or perhaps it's this snake girl at your side who energizes you."
"It's more than a few things. There is the enlightenment of old age to consider, of course."
"Hmph. Right. Darui, C. We're going back to camp and then heading home. Do your best to stay alive, Sarutobi. It'll be the end of us otherwise."
"Safe travels to you as well, my friend."
A nods before starting off.
"Hopefully you gain a better appreciation for Lord Raikage's mercy towards you," C says. "Farewell for now, Leaf."
Darui sighs and rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry for all of...that. You know how it is."
"Unfortunately," I say. "But we're trying to hold the world together until Akatsuki is eliminated. So we can pretend we didn't hear those things, at least for now."
He gives us a thumbs' up. "Cool. See you guys around, and give my regards to the Chrome Panther when you see her next."
"As you wish."
Darui leaves to catch up with his partners.
"I hope you don't have any expectations of me after what you did."
Oonoki and his group approach us next. Akatsuchi is holding the Tsuchikage's hat in his hands, while Kurotsuchi has a very amused look on her face.
"Nothing other than what I calculated, sir. You should expect no extra demands in the course of this agreement from me," Hiruzen replies.
"If that's the case, then I can be somewhat relieved. We are going to operate as we always have, without shame or fear. If you did intend to bind us with chains..."
"Could you go one second without yapping about useless things?" Kurotsuchi asks, annoyed. "Listen, old man Sarutobi...we get exactly where we're standing here, alright? Don't expect us to grovel at your feet, but we're probably not going to do anything too dumb to take back."
"We wouldn't ask for much more than that," he says with a smile.
"And there you go. No need for your bluster," she says to Oonoki.
"Woman. You should be fortunate for your blood and position."
"Should I? Am I really supposed to be excited that I'll get the opportunity to one day stand watch over this bullshit, and hope that another genius diplomat will show up out of nowhere to save us? I'm gonna hold the confetti and cake in storage, no offence to any of you."
"As long as your side operates in good faith, we will have nothing to worry about," Hiruzen says. "I came up with this plan based on my knowledge of each nation, and their proven desires. That is why I could bind myself to such an agreement with no regrets. If you do not have a full understanding of why...well, you will soon enough."
"Look at that. Damn near ancient, but confident as someone a quarter of his age. I think I can see why Kobayashi likes you so much."
"Hm, you think so?" I ask.
"I wouldn't mind being your grand-kid instead of this guy's," she teases. "I can promise you plenty of great grand-kids and juicy state secrets, too."
"And here I thought I was a cheeky brat," I say. "Talking about treason in front of your Kage and so many witnesses like that, how awful. I hope I get my way and news of your execution comes within the week. Or at the least, news of a public spanking for your insolence, along with photographic evidence."
"Oi."
"Expect documents to be sent to you soon, Sarutobi. They may prove useful in your quest to save the world from collapsing in on itself." Oonoki takes his hat from Akatsuchi and hits Kurotsuchi in the back of the head with it.
"Ow! What poked you in the ass all of a sudden, old man?"
"Quiet. We'll have a long talk about proper etiquette over dinner before we leave. You of Leaf...be in good health, at least until our next fated battle."
"See you guys," Akatsuchi says with a wave.
"Hmph." Kurotsuchi rubs the back of her head, frowning. "Ornery old man...whatever. This is off the record, so you never heard anything. Thanks for...all of that. I know you didn't do it solely for us, but whatever. Just look the other way when we're sneaking around, and we'll think about doing something nice for you. Alright?"
"Fair enough. Take care, young miss," Hiruzen says.
"Goodbye for now," Hina says.
"Yes, do take care. It would truly be a waste for me to spend time writing up those instructions and recipes, only for you to end up in a pine box somewhere," I say. "So curb your stupidity until I can get my hands on you again."
"You sure got a way with words, Kobayashi."
"All the girls say that."
"Of course they do." She winks at us before catching up with her grandfather.
"The end of the world will not come for a time yet. You have our thanks, Lord Hokage. Skilful diplomacy is something that only comes with experience..."
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro come to us next. The two Kage shake hands.
"The wisdom of the samurai general is piercing...he could see many things that we were unable to, in moments. His critique of me was accurate, and welcomed," Gaara says to Hiruzen.
"For many reasons, it was a great service on his part to moderate our meeting. If it were someone else, the result would be quite different."
"Thank fuck it wasn't," Temari says. "My stomach has done enough flipping for ten lifetimes."
"Yeah. Hell of a job working the table, Hokage," Kankuro says. "Though I can guess that we're kind of on a timer right now."
"It was my intention, yes. To hold the status quo forever is more or less untenable as the world is."
"Heh. Looks like we're leaving the next steps to you guys, then."
"As always, if you have any need of our help...we will be there for you, as allies and friends. No matter the arrangements on the outside," Gaara says.
"All I will ask is that you keep your guard up, Kazekage. There are dangerous characters in Akatsuki, and I doubt they are opposed to taking another run at you, even while you remain in your village. But we will be monitoring the situation, and attempting to force Akatsuki into an endgame early."
"A sound plan. We will await the details as they come in. Our journey back to the Sand will be expedited...some have predicted a blizzard within the next few days, and we would not want to be caught in it, hardy as we might be."
"Definitely not," Temari says, shuddering. "Ugh. We'll probably have to take lunch to go at this rate."
"We will keep that in mind. Kazekage, friends...be well, until the next time we meet," Hiruzen says.
"We will. Please do the same, Lord Hokage. Lilith, Hinata. Take care as well."
"Of course," I say.
"Thank you, Lord Kazekage," Hina says.
He nods and puts on his hat before heading out, his siblings following. Mei and her entourage are discussing something while she sits. Her head comes upwards as we approach, and she gives us a bright and relieved smile.
"Lord Hokage. Thank you for your timely suggestions at our meeting. They were quite welcomed," she says.
"Of course, of course. And thank you for your cooperation, Lady Mizukage."
"It was among the least of things I could do, sir. Did you need something of me?"
"I came to give you my answer regarding our meeting, after pondering it for a while. I would be honoured to have a chat with you before our groups went their separate ways."
"I'm the one honoured to hear that, Lord Hokage. Thank you for your consideration."
"Are there any stipulations, by chance?" he asks. Mei thinks on that for a bit, giving her two bodyguards a quick glance.
"It would only be a suggestion...but I would like it if we spoke to each other privately, with no observers at our sides. I apologize if that is too much for a meeting between us..."
That would mean missing out on one of this world's most wonderful sights. Truly a shame, but I am used to making sacrifices for my homeland. Hiruzen looks to me for confirmation, a bit apologetically at that. I nod to give him the go ahead. He'll make it up to me later, because that's how he is.
"More than fine, Lady Mizukage."
"Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate your trust," she says with a smile. "Our attendants can of course wait outside, in case of any emergencies. We will of course restrict the use of observational abilities to said emergencies. Ah, Lord Mifune. Lord Hokage and I had something to ask of you."
"I did hear parts of your conversation earlier," he says as he approaches with Joshua and Yuna. "You both will be having an extra meeting, is that correct?"
"Yes, sir. This is part of my commitment to improving relations with the other villages. Lord Hokage and I meant to have a relatively short talk regarding past and present events, and we hoped to use one of the many rooms here, if it were possible."
"It would be my honour to help facilitate greater cooperation between the shinobi nations."
"Thank you kindly, Lord Mifune," Mei says with a smile. "And I extend my thanks to Lord Walker and Lady Dofun for their patience with us."
"Just doing our jobs, ma'am. Light work for us today, especially since the God of Shinobi there wrapped up everything like a pro," Joshua says.
"Not much, but it's something," Yuna says. "I'm also grateful we got to see a master at work."
"A room big enough for six, then?" Mifune asks.
"Enough for at least two," Hiruzen says. "We will have the others wait outside while we talk."
Mei at the least was sincere about the fact that sitting in a room alone with her involves a lot of faith. My observations of Fio's version of Boil Release combined with our intelligence reports paints a grim picture if she wants to go on the attack. But she knows that we know that already. Ao is scrutinizing us subtly, thinking that there must be some other angle we're looking at by accepting such stipulations. Well, there isn't much to it. If she becomes a threat I can put a hole in her head from outside the room.
I figure it won't come to that. Having to put down someone that hot would be heartbreaking. Well, that and I'll probably need some lore from her in the future. That sounds a little more formal.
"Alright. Follow me, then. Generals, if you would," Mifune says.
Joshua salutes lightly. "Got it, Boss. We'll see you hotshots later."
"Might be asking a lot of you types, but keep out of trouble while you're here," Yuna says. "We just had the carpets cleaned. Speaking of that..." She looks over to her boss. "You made sure not to spill anything, I hope."
"Minister Walker gave me several useful tips earlier, since she could not be present herself. Rest assured, I followed them to no incident," Mifune says proudly.
"Good work, sir. Josh here can give her good report once we wrap this thing up. Alright, let's get some tea in us before we start our tour. We'll be back to do our escort thing again, so sit tight if you don't see us. And again..."
She bows to Hiruzen deeply.
"Thank you for everything you've done today, Lord Hokage. We won't forget it any time soon, I promise."
Yuna walks out afterwards.
"That's my partner," Joshua says. "Gotta love her. Anyways...y'all take care." He gives me a quick wink, which I return before he leaves after Yuna.
"Lord Hokage, Lady Mizukage. Shall we?" Mifune asks them. "I have a room available for you on this floor, just down the hall. I will also have one of the samurai bring tea for you once you are settled."
"Thank you, General Mifune."
Mei stands up and puts on her hat. "Thank you very much, Lord Mifune."
He nods and leads the six of us out of the meeting hall. We go down the corridor that seems exactly two armoured samurai wide, and a short distance to the meeting room. Elegant, carpeted, with views to the outside. Finely crafted wooden chairs and a table with flowers on it. Mifune removes the vase and puts it on one of the smaller tables nearby, then moves two chairs to the table, across from each other. He seats Mei, to her silent thanks. Hiruzen seats himself and presents his pipe, to which Mifune nods the okay for his smoking. He then looks to Mei, who doesn't hesitate to give her assent with two nods.
"I will have your tea delivered shortly," Mifune says. He bows before closing the door quietly.
"General, we would also appreciate a place to rest while we wait," I say. "Is this possible as well?"
"Of course, Colonel. The next adjacent room is available for your use."
"I think it would be more prudent if we all shared," Ao says. "To save space, and prevent any misunderstandings from cropping up."
"That much is reasonable," I say. "I don't mind that."
"Excellent. Would you like tea while you waited?" Mifune asks.
Hina shakes her head as I look to her. "We'll pass for now," I say.
"Pass for us, too," Ao says. Chojuro seems like he might have a different answer, but elects not to say anything.
"This way, then."
"All of that excitement and sitting makes me feel like I want a nap," Hina says as we walk.
"I'll cover for both of us, so you can go ahead and rest. I feel fine myself...and it's not like these two jokers are a meaningful threat either way," I say quietly.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure, love. You can rest on my lap if you want, just as always."
"An offer like that...I suppose I have no choice, then," she says with a smile.
I can hear Hina's quiet breathing as she sleeps in my lap. The occasional movement of chair legs and sharp exhales reaches me every so often, as our counterparts sit on their chairs at the back of the room.
The carpet feels nice against my legs. Cool air comes in through the windows and gently moves through the room.
"So, what's in it for you?"
At that, Hina slowly opens one eye, looking up at me. I touch her cheek gently while nodding, and she closes her eye again before going back to sleep.
"I might receive a great deal of benefits from current and future arrangements," I reply to Ao. "It may serve us both to clarify the question that you've asked."
"We both know what you are, Scarlet Viper. You wouldn't be so enthusiastic about peace deals if there weren't something extra in it for your participation."
"Is that it. I see."
"You might be inclined to take this personally, but it's the truth. Everyone has their role, and things that they become experts at during their time as shinobi. Retirement is difficult for enough of us. A world where what you do effectively becomes worthless..."
"Mm. Let me ask you a question, then. How does one normally climb a mountain peak?" I ask.
"A riddle? You really think too much of yourself, kid," Ao replies. "But since we don't have anything better to do, I'll play along. You ascend a peak from the bottom, obviously."
"You used a word that I didn't. I asked how one climbs a mountain. Not how they ascend."
"Are you making fun of me?"
I sigh dramatically. "Let me get to the point quickly, since you're having such trouble grasping what's in front of you. You would climb a mountain from the bottom, ascending towards the peak. The air goes from thicker to thinner as you rise. This is one experience, one that many shinobi in this world have shared since the beginning of our existences in this world. But I am not like you, or the others. I am one who came from the mountain's peak, and descended from breathing the thinnest air to that which easily fills my lungs before I finish inhaling."
"So you're saying that you're better than us."
"I am saying that I am better than you because I'm scaling the mountain for the second time. And you, if you're lucky, might do it once. You would rest at the peak feeling accomplished, as you should. But how much experience do you have compared to me? How much of the mountain have you seen?"
"..."
"If you can consider that difference," I say as I turn my head to him, "then you can understand the truth of my ambition. I have no fear of a world where conflict comes to an end. I see far beyond that, and always will. I don't need extra incentive to create a better world. What I've seen tells me enough. Can you say the same?"
He probably understands by now, but stubborn old men like this aren't likely to admit it out loud.
"You talk a lot for someone who doesn't have the experience she thinks she has. Maybe in a few years you might be able to speak as if you're an elite."
Yes, as I thought.
"Whatever it is you're thinking, you should remember that greater men than you have tried and failed to force their ideal world onto others. Your own Hashirama Senju was one of them."
"I suppose so. I hope you were enlightened by our short talk."
"I wasn't. You didn't answer my question."
"Not to your satisfaction, of course. I guess I'll simplify it a little more for you. You want to know what's it in for me? Everything. Is that good enough?"
"Hmph." He closes his eye and settles into his chair. "It'll have to do."
"Thank goodness." I look over to Chojuro, who jumps slightly in his seat. "And do you have anything you would like to ask, darling?"
Ao grumbles at my address while Chojuro gathers himself to answer. He shakes his head slowly.
"N-no, ma'am. I think...I-I understood what you said. M-mostly. Thank you."
"Of course." I give him a smile, and he blushes a bit before bowing his head. Ao hits him on the shoulder, and he tries to straighten up a bit more.
Men. Equal parts annoying and adorable.
"..."
I struggle to think of a world without them.
"Anything you can tell us about the meeting?"
It took a little over two hours to finish their talks. Mei looked like she had a weight off her shoulders, while the old man was his relatively inscrutable self. We're now off to meet our various escorts, who will take us back to the settlement. Food sounds really good right now. I'm nearly starving.
"Nothing at the moment. I am still sorting through a few things," Hiruzen says to me. "Anything of relevance, of course, will be relayed to you."
"Understood, sir."
We meet with Mifune at the front entrance. He shakes hands with Hiruzen.
"Hopefully we will meet again under less tense circumstances," the samurai general says. "Thank you for your diligent work, Lord Hokage. I believe we would truly be lost without your wisdom and skill."
"Thank you for facilitating this meeting, General. As you say, I hope we will be able to speak together in a more peaceful time."
"As always, I will look after things in our world," I say.
"And I will be next to her, as needed," Hina follows.
"Excellent. Then I can consider myself at ease. You of the Leaf, take great care," Mifune says.
We each give him a bow before leaving with Joshua and Yuna. Thick flakes of snow start to fall as we walk.
"You all figured something had to give, eh," Joshua says.
"It seems so. Are we worried?" I ask.
"Nah. We'll be fine. Just have to get ready for anything that might come, as always. I haven't heard of this Kaitaikojo fellow, but he sounds like a big problem to deal with. We'll work on drawing conclusions from the data we have, and then send you anything interesting if we find it."
"At least this time, politics won't get in the way too much," Yuna says.
"Here's hoping. Either way, this stuff has to get wrapped up quick. No telling what might happen otherwise."
Yuna puts a hand to her ear, frowning.
"Something wrong?" Joshua asks her.
"A few reports, nothing we need to worry about right now. I guess there was a fight of some kind west of here that cleared out a section of forest. Would have been while we were in the meeting. Whoever it was, they're long gone by now."
"Huh. Wonder what it was about."
"Maybe some goons from one of the shinobi countries showed up to cause trouble, and got dealt with by the other goons here. Who knows. Who cares, really. It wasn't anywhere near us or the camp, so we'll let the experts sniff around themselves."
"Fair enough."
Ideas are already running through my head. It's very possible that Obito was here to do something sinister, or maybe the vampire siblings. It could have been someone else entirely. But the fact that the meeting went without interruption when Obito would have known all about it...it means our play earlier was definitely the right one. He's occupied or stalled, without enough resources to devote to big plans.
We have a lot more time on the clock than we thought. Now, it's just a matter of capitalizing.
"Hey, we're back."
"Welcome back, sir, ma'am."
The two samurai from last time come out to meet us.
"Guess this is the part where we say goodbye, at least for now," Joshua says.
"Yeah. It was a real interesting time, I'll say that much. Thanks for not, like, dragging us into another global war or whatever," Yuna says. "A temporary fix isn't much, but it's still a lot better than nothing at all."
"We'll keep our eyes open over here, but it's all up to you guys now. Good luck."
"Send our love to your darling wife and child," I say. "Be well, until next we meet."
We exchange handshakes before bowing to each other. Joshua and Yuna go back towards the meeting hall, while the samurai escort us back to our lodgings. Zo and Yugao are waiting outside for us.
"Welcome back," Zo says. "Judging from the movement of the other parties, it seems like the meeting didn't go too badly."
"Better than we assumed," Hiruzen says. "Still, there is much in the way of work to do. We'll discuss our next steps shortly."
"Of course, Lord Hokage. We have tea warming for the three of you inside."
There's a blanket over the large table from before, going all the way down to the floor. Actually, the table is much larger than the one from this morning, and it's closer to the ground. I guess they installed a new one?
"The samurai brought this over a few hours before," Yugao says. About half of the ANBU are sitting with their legs under the blanket and talking quietly. The other half are keeping watch, sitting or standing near the windows. "It's a kotatsu."
"Mm? The Iron is certainly on the cutting edge when it comes to hospitality," I say. "It was chilly out, so coming back to this is wonderful."
"Get yourselves comfortable. We'll be here a while going over what happened at the meeting..."
We get to the table and put our legs underneath the covers. An absolutely heavenly warmth envelops me, and it feels like the last few hours were merely an afterthought. The tea on top of that warms the rest of me, and I almost feel like drifting away for a nap. It's too bad I'll have to wait a while for that.
The old man recites everything that happened at the summit, from start to finish. All of the details he noticed, the things said and unsaid. He gives out detailed analysis as Zo and Yugao take notes. The ANBU near us listen intently. Hina is up next, having gotten the chance to use her Byakugan a few times during the summit. She repeats everything that she saw and heard as well. Finally, I give my perspective of everything that happened, including parts of the conversation I had with Ao while we were waiting for our Kage to finish their informal talks.
"And nothing on the meeting with the Mizukage?" Zo asks.
"Not yet. As I mentioned to Colonel Kobayashi, there are a few things I want to chew on before releasing any information to anyone else."
"Understood, Lord Hokage. Alright, Tsuki and I will conference for about an hour, maybe less. We will return to you with recommendations."
"Good. I will await them eagerly," Hiruzen says.
"I'll be asleep until then," I say while leaning backwards to the floor. "This warmth is too good to pass up..."
"I'll wake you when we're ready," Hina says. "Have a good rest, Lili."
"Thank you." I yawn and close my eyes, quickly falling asleep.
"Lili. Our senpais are ready for us."
"Thank you, Hina. I'm up..."
I yawn and stretch my arms out before sitting up. That was a wonderful bit of rest...we need to get a kotatsu for my room at the hotel. I can't believe I've been going so long without one...
"Good sleep?"
"The best in a while. Though nothing compares to your beautiful warmth, hmhm."
"And the same goes for you, as you must know. That said, modern technology is wonderful. I was in a trance for a while myself, just enjoying how comfortable it is here."
"Right? Well, let's not hold up our seniors any longer."
"Okay," Zo announces. "After looking over what we have, there are a few things we urgently should do before making it back to the Hidden Leaf. Certain factions should not be allowed to gain a foothold due to early dissemination of this data. Gazeru."
"Sir." A woman in a cat-like mask with long purple hair that reaches all the way down her back salutes Zo. She leaves her position near one of the windows and approaches before saluting again. "Awaiting orders."
"I would like you to go ahead of us to the Leaf, and deliver the information that Tsuki and I have written down to the Hokage's Office. Specifically, Senior Aide Kurogane. You would guard that information with your life, and allow nobody else to lay eyes on it aside from her or Junior Aide Hyuuga."
"Sir. Understood, sir."
"Our plan is to leave shortly after dinner, and split the ANBU into two groups. One will guard Lord Hokage as usual, the other will scout out any threats ahead of us and quickly move to the Leaf after Gazeru does. When you do reach the Leaf, ascertain Gazeru's status and check with Intelligence and the Barrier Team for any abnormal movements or routines since our departure. I'll lead the advance team, Tsuki will lead the guard team. The goal is to limit the amount of space that our rivals and some of our more...vocal allies," he says carefully, "have to move around and cause chaos. The amount of effort that Lord Hokage put into preserving the world's balance will not be appreciated as it should be in certain corners. We need to be able to shape the narrative, because if we fail to, it will cause fractures in the village structure. Lady Hyuuga, I would like you to join me in the advance group. As for Colonel Kobayashi...I am under the impression that she has a stop or two to make on the way back, and that those will be crucial to keeping the current order in place, for the time being. We would be better served by leaving her to it. And all we need now is Lord Hokage's approval."
Hiruzen nods. "All of this seems sound and sensible. You may begin when ready."
"We'll have an early dinner, use the extra time to clean and secure our places, and then head out," Zo says.
"You should leave in about an hour or so, so you'll miss dinner," Yugao says. She hands a sack to the taller Gazeru. "We saved extra portions for you with that in mind. Eat properly on your way down."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
"All of us will go back to our normal routines until then. And of course, rotate properly so that everyone can use the kotatsu. It's really nice."
We quietly do our reviews and surveillance while waiting for the time to arrive. Cloud leaves ahead of everyone else. Gazeru has already gathered her things and bids us farewell, taking off a few minutes behind them. Sand is next, as they want to get ahead of that predicted blizzard. Zo goes out and returns with a few samurai who have dinner ready for us. We eat, pack our things, and sweep the lodgings one last time before heading out.
"See you all in a while," Zo says. "Advance team, move out."
I give Hina a peck on the lips. "Be safe, love."
"I will. Please do the same for me, Lili."
"Always."
She nods and takes off with Zo and the others.
"We'll be seeing you in a few days, then," Yugao says. "Take care until then, Miss Genius."
"Of course. Stay warm on your trip back, and don't do anything I wouldn't."
"No promises." She rubs my head gently. "Guard unit, positions."
"Be sure to have confidence in your own ability for these matters," Hiruzen says to me. "Whatever needs to be known is your decision."
"Understood, sir. Safe travels, oyaji."
He rubs my back before following Yugao. I make sure that I have everything I need once more before leaving in a different direction...northeast. Away from any potential misunderstandings, and potential bad weather.
Going to do some bird watching today. Hopefully it's the kind I want.
I can sense the two groups moving one after the other. With that confirmed, I pull my chakra down and navigate manually along the ground, jogging along worn paths that go between the trees. The air is cold, and the snow is starting to fall in waves.
"Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst."
Here's hoping for more good things.