Scarlet Justice - ep. 50
"Observation"

The village continues to hum along steadily. Homes are restored, and those that could not be are demolished so that villagers can start anew. But the big damage has been fixed by the end of the second week since the invasion ended.

Emi comes around and we eat lunch together at various points, with her complaining about this and that. Some things she carefully glosses over, and I make a note of not pressing her at any point - she really is trying, and I want to reward that effort, even if it came after a series of painful missteps. I know that she cares, and wants to make amends for everything that's happened between us over the years. It will take time, and I'm more than willing to wait for her.

Luna and Midori seem even closer than before, and spend more quiet time together after synchronizing their schedules to some degree. As a gift for my promotion, Luna has procured a pair of studio quality headphones, and I make good use of them during their intimate hours. The sound quality is superb. Alongside that, I finish a few of my RPGs, some books, and two seasons of the anime I was waiting on earlier. "Mahou Shoujo Celica-chan", a once niche little show that exploded in popularity last year. The star is a ditzy young girl who travels with a machine doll, and chases after the typical cool protagonist - a guy with a giant sword who dresses in red, and has white hair. They're regularly bullied by my favourite character, a small blonde vampire mistress who dresses in gothic lolita outfits. It's very fun. Erika follows it, and so does Ruki. I lent the first volume out to Ino, who seemed interested.

General missions are suspended for the time being, and only teams handpicked by the Hokage are leaving the village. Everyone else is doing rotating patrols, clean up, and construction. Team Eight has a few conflicts which makes it hard for us to move. Kurenai is an established jounin and is being used as part of an investigative team, as well as for interrogations because of her skill in genjutsu. Hina and Shino are both important to their clans, and so have been kept out of the way of anything that doesn't immediately pertain to clan business until the Hokage's orders are lifted. And in my case, I'm strictly off-limits - deactivated until further notice by the Hokage himself. For reasons that I can't begin to guess at, possibly political in nature, he does not want me moving around.

There are also other things afoot.

"So I have some more info about what's been going down. There's finally stuff filtering in from the Hidden Sand. Dad and the other old guys have been talking about it."

I start on the top coat for my nails as Ino speaks from the other end of the phone. The receiver is placed comfortably between my neck and shoulder, as always.

"So is it anything shocking, from what you know?" I ask her.

"Not terribly. I think you can draw the lines yourself. But it's good to have confirmation. So. Our friend from the Sand with the nice legs, as you like to put it."

"Temari."

"Yup. She was at the hospital during the invasion itself, trying to protect her little brothers. Gaara couldn't move, but Kankuro helped out some. They got taken into custody, but it was just a formality at that point, and the Hokage saw to them himself. The new news is that the Fourth Kazekage was murdered, and they found his body in a ditch with his bodyguards."

"Hm. What are the details you know of?"

"It happened before the exams started. Seems like Orochimaru was posing as him for quite some time, and engineered the alliance with the Hidden Sound without anyone raising suspicion. Kabuto helped out. The conditions were right, anyways...the Hidden Sand was really in a bad way."

"Just as Temari told me, yes. It would have been all too easy to force the village into a position where they felt they had to act, or they would cease to exist," I say as I put a clear coat of polish onto my finger. "Tragic, in a way. Our Hokage is quite good at negotiations, so I hope that the problem is solved in a timely manner."

"We're sending manpower their way, from what I've been hearing. They came out with a formal surrender and stuff is being hashed out as we speak. What's most important though is power projection and village security. The last thing we want is a bunch of unsavory characters thinking now's a good time to waltz in and attack. Oh, and the Sand is probably going to be helping out with something big next..."

"Something big?" I think for a moment. "Would this be regarding the punishment for the Hidden Sound?"

"You got it," Ino says. "Worst kept secret in the village: a full scale blitz to tear the whole thing down. The hold up right now is with that Kabuto guy. My dad and Ibiki want to stock up on as much information as they can, so they're still working pretty hard on the guys they've captured from the Sound and Sand, less so the guys from Sand with the whole surrender thing. They're spilling their guts now that we've settled the worst of it. Kabuto, though...you wanna talk big fish? Ha! Dad's saying it's a major, major, maaaaajor hassle trying to get anything out of him, and worse is that there's a bunch of geriatric football-"

"Geriatric football? You really are full of colour, my dear."

"Calling it politics is plain and boring sometimes. Gotta spice it up, you know," she says with a giggle. "But yeah, bunch of old men holding up a bunch of stuff and making it hard to do anything. Far as Ibiki says, it really should be 'fuck 'em and dive in'. Direct quote, by the way."

"Good that you clarified. It sounds just like you otherwise."

"Heh. Well, it's not far off...just don't tell my dad that. He thinks I'm still a proper little girl."

"Fortunate for you, yes?"

"Definitely useful. But...yeah. That's where we are right now."

I nod absentmindedly and examine my fingers once I'm done painting them. "These are all things we can manage properly with time. Oh, has anything come back regarding the results of the exams?"

"Yep. I think you and Shikamaru are the only immediate promotions right now. I was listening in on the chatter during the fights. Shino has a good case for his promotion, but there are a bunch of outside circumstances to consider including the fact that Temari held back because of the invasion. Ironically, she might get promoted because of the loss of manpower in the Sand."

"Seems a bit unfair," I say. "Shino created a very good strategy...even if there were outside factors, should those be factored into what happened during the fight itself?"

"Right, that's sort of the debate going on. I think they're leaning towards giving him his vest, and the Aburame as a group aren't bothered by the deliberations. It's been a really complicated time in the village. Shikamaru got his promotion, as you saw. Naruto...nope."

"As I thought. It was a good fight on his part, but as far as leadership and critical thinking went..."

"That fight was way too rough on both ends. Neji was overconfident and Naruto was reckless. So neither of them are getting the call this time around. Neji, though...because of the skill he displayed, there have been more than a few people interested in his development. Since promotion also happens outside of the exam period, we might see something happen. Nothing right now, though. And of course, everyone else didn't get to have a fight because of the invasion."

"Hm. So it's potentially just the three of us."

"Yeah. Which is a pretty good number, honestly. Apparently there have been years where nobody got promoted, even with the tournament going right to the finish. Those must have been a sloppy bunch of fights."

"Ino?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

I put a few foam spacers between my toes before starting to put the base coat on my toenails. "Have you talked to Sakura lately?"

"Once or twice." She pauses a long while on the other end. "I'm worried. She hasn't seemed like herself ever since that fight against those Hidden Sound goons. Those guys who were supposedly their elites...they were pretty strong and pushed Sasuke to the edge. I don't know much else besides that. She keeps saying she's okay, but seems...I don't know if distant is the right word. But it's like I can't really reach her the way I used to, you know? Maybe she's dealing with some kind of trauma and doesn't want to talk about it, or she's just really worried for Sasuke."

"It might be that. Naruto was saying similar things to me at the hospital."

"Yeah. I've been talking to him here and there, too. A little inattentive, but not as bad as he used to be. He can stand still for like, a minute now. I'm sure that's thanks to you, Lili."

"Maybe. He's a good child, and tries his best," I say.

"Yeah. He and Sasuke have that whole rivalry thing going on...they seem to have mutual feelings now, not like it used to be when Naruto was just chasing after Sasuke. That little blondie's really grown since we left the Academy. And then Sakura..." I hear her sigh. The line goes quiet again as I paint.

"Ino?" I call to her.

"Sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's alright, I'm listening," I say to her.

"I'm...I don't want to put this on your shoulders, Lili. I know how you feel about her, and about Sasuke."

"Ino. It's fine. I'm here for you. I want to help, so if you have something to say, then I'm listening, as I've said before. It's alright, and I'm not burdened by it."

"I just think that...I don't want to lose Sakura. I know that she's been doing her best, but it might not be the healthiest thing for her. She seems like she has a lot on her mind lately, and she's been hanging out with Sasuke a lot, and...I don't know. I want to see her grow up and be happy. Our rivalry over Sasuke isn't...a thing anymore, I would say. I don't care about that so much anymore. I want her to be okay. I don't want this spiral to continue, where she's getting so invested in Sasuke's well-being that she starts to stop caring about much else. In the forest, she...did that whole thing where she cut her hair, to try and be independent and not shackled by what she thought she had to do to impress guys like Sasuke. But I wonder if she's actually internalized any of it. I wonder if that determination is just being fed back into what she was doing before. I'm lost right now."

Not wanting to lose someone you care so deeply about...it's an understandable feeling. More than just understandable. Relatable. There's no easy solution.

"If you need any help, I'm here for you," I say.

"If...if you could help, that would be...good. I don't want to put anything extra onto you."

"You're my friend, Ino. I care about you. And if helping you means helping Sakura and Sasuke, then I'll do it without question. I can do my best to try and look out for Sakura, in my own way. I just need some guidance, since...my methods aren't the most delicate at times."

"Right. I can do that. I...thanks. Again. It's, um...it's awkward, this kind of thing. Feeling so lost when it comes to someone I know, or thought I knew."

"It's fine. As I said, as long as you can trust me, I can help you."

"Yeah. Thanks, I really mean it." There's a gap of silence again. "Did you pick up your new jacket yet?"

"Not yet," I say. "That might happen this week, though I suspect I'll have it in the closet for most missions."

"You've got something planned out, eh?"

"Mm-hm. Something cute I saw in a magazine. I had Luna place an order the other day at one of the local shops. It should be done soon."

"Nice, nice! Make sure you give me a call when you want to show it off!" Ino says, sounding happier already. "I've been thinking about outfits myself, but I dunno about changing too dramatically until I get my own promotion. Hopefully in another six months...I think the way it works is if you have a teammate or two that have already been promoted, they slot in some others so that you have a couple of three man units going. Of course, you can always opt to go in as a pairing, or even by yourself."

"I heard that's how Itachi Uchiha did it."

"Yeah. And he was ten years old. That's super crazy, I can't even imagine how you would do something like that."

"I don't think I could pull something like that off either," I admit.

"Now you're just laying it on thick. I bet you could have finished the Forest of Death in like, twenty minutes if you didn't have to worry about teammates. Lili, you're super good at this whole shinobi thing. Don't sell yourself short."

"I'm not that good yet," I insist.

"What's with you? Being all modest with me all of a sudden..."

"I'm not being modest, I'm being realistic. No need to puff myself up so much. Though it's just like you to take an opportunity to tease me," I say with a smile.

"We know each other a bit too well. Anyways, I'll let you go for now. I've got some stuff I want to look after, and I'm sure you have plans for later."

"Movies with Hina later on," I say. "Doing my nails so that they look nice. We're going to one of the smaller theaters, where they have those independent features playing."

"Indie films?"

"Hina's into them."

"No kidding...hm. The more you know. We totally need to plan a lunch date one of these days. Also, one more question."

"Anything you like."

"I've been wondering...what's Erika like? Have you talked to her much?" Ino asks.

"She has a very composed exterior, but is quite friendly from our interactions. Though she doesn't talk much, she responds politely to any questions or comments you might have. And she has a high tolerance for foolishness, as you might guess."

"Oh, she has to. Can't imagine spending more than five minutes with that weirdo before losing my mind otherwise."

"Did you need something of her?" I ask curiously.

"I...well, I wanted to get a better pulse on the village and thought she could help. So seeing if she was more approachable than I assumed would be good. And I'm just sorta curious about her in general. Nothing serious, really."

"Hm." I wonder a bit about that. Maybe I can bother her another time. "Happy that I could help. We'll talk later, yes?"

"We will. Lili, thanks for everything. Make sure to take care of yourself, alright?"

"As long as you do the same."

"You know I will. Love you~!"

Ino hangs up and I set the receiver down gently. Things will be okay...I want to believe that with all of my heart. But there's something tugging at me gently.

"..."

I really might have to pay Sakura a visit after all.

"Miss Lilith?"

"Come in, Luna."

She opens the door and steps in. "I hope I'm not bothering you. And you could have asked me to help with your nails."

"I wanted to do it myself today. It's a clear coat this time."

"Oh, lovely work. Would you mind lending me that bottle later?"

"I have a few unopened ones, so you can have one of those to keep. Did you need me for something, Luna?"

"I simply wanted to tell you that lunch is nearly ready. Will you be eating?"

"Yes. I'll be out as soon as the polish dries. Thank you, Luna."

"My pleasure as always. I'll see you in a bit."

I nod and hug my knees while waiting for the nail polish to dry.

The rest of the week passes with little fanfare. I get word that Shino's promotion is still being debated among the upper brass, which I'm sure will bother him just a little. But he'll get his chance soon, I know it. It's a bit unfair, as I told Ino, but there's really nothing that can be done other than waiting. We talk about it over the week as we meet up to play football at one of the local fields. The Aburame men like to use it to keep up their skills and socialize. There isn't a lot of talking, which is fine as far as I'm concerned. Shino seems okay with how things have ended up, and resolves to work harder so that he can prove himself.

Hina and I meet up a few times for dinner and movies. The 'indie' films are her favourites, with the generally lower production values that put more focus on the scripts and acting. They're tighter sorts of affairs, and I find myself getting drawn in as well - I was never a fan of big movies or the theaters they were played in. Dinners are light and fun, where we gossip and gush about girly things. It's all very refreshing, especially after the chaos that passed over us a week or two ago. The Hyuuga have taken note of me, and are straightening up after hearing of my exploits. Not enough to truly respect me, but enough to maintain a proper facade in public when they do see me. I resolve to do the same, at least for Hina's sake. An interesting thing is that Neji has also seemed to change considerably, according to Hina. He even went as far as apologizing for the things he had done to her in the past. Kind girl that she is, she insisted that he didn't need to beg forgiveness, but he's determined to make it up to her. It's such a dramatic change that I wonder if he's being blackmailed, or something similar. Very curious.

I haven't seen anything of Sasuke...the last time we were in proximity of each other was nearly two months ago now. That report from Naruto was worrying, and Ino's talk about Sakura more so. If I'm not going to see Sasuke, I might as well get some sort of information from his de facto girlfriend, since they're apparently very close by now.

Today is a painting day for Luna. She prepared lunch and dinner before leaving, and I will leave those for now while I take on my little errand. I find a silk shirt and some jeans to throw on, a pair of decent slippers, and a scrunchie to tie up my hair for the day. Nothing fancy, just a bit of simple work before returning home and resting for the day. Sakura should be midtown today, if Ino's predictions are right.

"Senpai. Pardon my interruption."

"Hm?" I've crossed through the village only to have someone call to me. I know that voice, though it's far more respectful than the first time we met.

"Oh. Neji Hyuuga, isn't it?"

"Yes." He bows to me. "I hope I'm not bothering you at this time, senpai."

"It's no trouble, I was just going out to look for someone today. Senpai is a bit much, you know. Lili is fine. Or Lilith, if you want to be fancier," I say as I put a hand on my hip.

"Thank you for that. Although, I feel that it would be better if I used a more proper form of address for you, senpai. I wanted to apologize for the way that we first interacted, at the chuunin examinations. It was entirely too bitter, and unbecoming of a member of the Hyuuga Clan. I beg your pardon for my unacceptable actions on that day." He bows very deeply to me, his head pointed towards the ground.

"Ah. It's fine," I say while blinking. He really has changed. It's...stunning, frankly. What the hell happened between the exams and now? Did Naruto's fist knock something loose in his head? Or...is it that I was right after all, and there really was more to that story than we heard? I'm very curious, but I'd like to catch up to Sakura while I can. That answer can wait a while. "Thank you for your apology. It's kind of you, and very humble."

"I appreciate that," he says as he lifts himself up again. "I've heard about your promotion, and your exploits in the battle to save the Leaf. I...admit that I had a certain image of you, senpai. I expected news of it to be more widespread."

"Fame is interesting...but not entirely for me. I have my reasons for keeping quiet about these things."

"Would it have to do with your...inclinations?"

"A good way to put it," I say with a smile. "But I imagine enough people know about that side of me by now. The elites do, at least. Tsume makes sure to note that she's watching me, for Hana's sake."

"Ah. I...sorry, I didn't think you would be so open about it. Interesting," he muses. "So Lady Hinata's recent boldness...hmm..."

"Is everything alright?" I ask.

"Yes, it's fine. I hope I didn't take up too much of your time, senpai. I wanted to give you my congratulations for your recent promotion, and apologize for how I acted towards you at our first meeting."

"Water under the bridge by now. I did take it personally, for many reasons..."

"You can rest securely from now on, senpai. I will devote my life once more to making sure that Lady Hinata does not come to harm. Even from Hyuuga itself."

I smile. "Well said. We will be wonderful allies with that alone. Until the next, Neji."

"Until the next." He bows once more and gives me a smile before leaving. What an interesting child he is...the darkness in his heart has seemed to clear. He's found something, definitely. I just have to find out what...maybe it's the key to changing Hyuuga for good. Something to chew on later. Right now, I should make sure that Sakura is still in the area. I track her scent down to one of the fruit shops, where she's out front looking over the oranges.

"Sakura," I call out. Her head turns, and she spots me as I approach.

"Lilith..."

"I was out for a walk and saw you. It's been a long while."

"It has been. Why...did you want to talk to me?" she asks. I note her hair is minimally taken care of, and there are faint lines under her eyes.

"Well, there are no ulterior motives, to start. Reports have been coming in from our mutual friends and acquaintances. I assume you know of these people."

"Yes."

I hand her my thin wallet. "There's one card in there to use. Buy what you need and come back. I don't want to hold you up."

"I don't..."

"I know you don't want to take advantage. But I would like to be of help. Think of it as an exchange for your time, if you would like."

"Alright...thanks." She takes the wallet from me and grabs a few oranges before heading back inside the store. It's another fifteen minutes before she returns. I take my wallet back and we split bag duties.

"Are you going to see Sasuke?" I ask as we walk.

"Later on. This was shopping for home...I volunteered to do it for Mom. Just needed to get out of the house for a while."

"I see. Are you alright? Have you been alright lately?" I ask.

"I...it's been rough."

"..." It won't be delicate, but I've never been terribly interested in that sort of thing. And I don't think Sakura needs delicacy right now. "I know about the curse mark."

"Huh?"

"Kakashi must have told you there was one other with the same condition."

"..." She sighs. "Mitarashi-sensei."

"Yes. She doesn't have answers, either. Just a much greater willpower and comfort within the village. Sasuke, unfortunately...he's lacking in both. Because of his youth, and the mission he's taken on."

"You're...not wrong."

"How is he doing?"

"He's...quiet. Just not himself. Not low energy, but unwilling to do much unless I drag him outside. The curse mark almost took over his body the last time. We did a mind scan together, and it helped with identifying some of the Sound attackers. Not much to talk about, really..."

"I see."

"Is it...self-interest?" she asks.

"What is?"

"The reason why you called to me. Why we're talking."

"It's part of it, yes. People that I care about are concerned about you. It would be good to see you well," I say as I look into her eyes. "But my humanity compels me to help you as well. Feelings of dependency and helplessness aren't foreign to me."

We stop at an intersection, and she reaches out for the bags. I give them to her gently.

"It's...it was good that that you reached out. I just don't feel like talking much. Sorry."

I nod.

"See you around, Lilith." She walks down the street silently, bags in each hand. Her motion is steady and controlled, to the point where she seems like a moving doll.

I really do hope it's nothing serious...that it's something she can overcome soon. Sasuke may very well be counting on her. I don't have the tools to fix any of this...

"..."

I feel my stomach rumble a bit, and decide it's time to head home. Tomorrow is another day...another opportunity to make things right. Today...I'll rest.