Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom - ep. 110
"A Better Tomorrow"
[The Endless Waltz: Feature 4]


Two days have passed since my duel with the Raikage.

In that time, I've figured out the general area that Kisame is wandering in. The Cloud has been sending out several teams together at once, likely to hunt down either one of us as we show up. Neither A or Bee has moved from the village from what I can tell, which is very helpful on my end.

Something else is telling me that I don't have much time left to get my work done. I don't know what exactly the danger is at this point, but it feels like if I take too long to deal with Kisame now, I'll end up paying a heavy cost for it later on. I've been out in the wilderness for nearly four months now and I don't have any idea of how things are at home. That seems to be part of it. I'm worried about a lot of things...what Obito might be up to, what Danzo is doing within the village, even minor things like Sasuke's development. And Naruto, hopefully whatever he's been doing has been keeping him safe. He's been out for a while with Jiraiya, apparently. Nobody knows what for.

All of that is well and good, but I need to stay focused on what's happening right now. If I start making mistakes at this stage, I'm done for. And then I won't be of help to anyone. The one annoyance I have about this part of the world is the climate. Most of the time, you can't tell what stage of the year you might be in. I know enough on my own to tell that we've rolled over into the new year already, and I was too busy to commemorate it. Not even a visit to a shrine or temple, how shameful. It's those things that are making me yearn for home...but as said before, I still have a lot of dangerous work to do.

Travelling some more into the day brings me towards a lovely aroma. In the midst of this latest array of hot springs, I see someone has a pot in a small pool of boiling water. It's suspended by a purpose built metal instrument. This person is a normal civilian judging from their chakra, and the fact that they've yet to notice me as I approach.

"A nice enough day for some outdoor cooking," I say to them. The person turns around and pulls back the hood of their coat, then loosens their scarf a bit. It's a young looking woman, with short and roughly cut brown hair. A bit surprised, but she's not agitated by my presence.

"Figured I would make some soup out of the stuff I got," she says calmly. She squats down and stirs the soup with a metal spoon, then takes a taste of the broth before adding some coarse bits of salt to the pot. "Real neat cooking like this, I think. You one of those shinobi for hire they like to have running around here? Pretty obvious you're not from around these parts."

"Far as you know, I'm having some fun hiking through the mountains. But I am trying to keep a low profile, to be honest."

She nods with understanding while stirring the soup again. "Hear you loud and clear. Did you want some soup? Can't promise that it'll be quality for a fancy looking lady like you, but enough to fill up your tummy at least."

"I think you're wrong about that part. Either way, I would be delighted to share a meal with you. We can use the bowls I have on hand, since I'm looking to clear some inventory right now. They're made of natural wood, so we can dispose of them easily and responsibly."

"Sure, let's go for it. You got spoons, too?"

"Mm-hm."

"Thought of everything, huh. Pretty impressive, even for you military types. Soup's gonna be another five or six minutes, about."

There's no shortage of rocks in the area for us to use, especially when you have some lightning chakra on hand to help with cutting and carving. Now we have some decent seats and serving slabs. The piping hot soup is brought up above the water, and my companion expertly spoons the hearty mixture into our bowls. Today's drink will be freshly made mint tea. We tap our spoons together and dig in at last.

"Have you done this often?" I ask after my first spoonful.

"Not out here. I like cooking at home, at least when I get in the mood. How bad is it?"

"Not bad at all. I think you can even get a bit bolder the next time with the flavours. Wonderfully seasoned, too."

"Really, eh. Thanks, I appreciate hearing that. This was all stuff that I picked up from the market before heading out, since I'm not one of those rugged types that goes around and hikes a hundred miles or hunts for meat and veggies, stuff like that. I just like walking around and making food to eat in peace."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah. Good way to start the top of the year off, too."

There's enough in the pot for seconds, which is nice. This soup is quite delicious. We chat a bit, and I learn that this young lady is from a village not too far from the Hidden Cloud. It has a salt water river running through part of it, and that has been historically used for salt production. The Cloud makes frequent purchases and has set up stations in and around the village itself, so the denizens are well off compared to others in the area. She's always wanted to wander off to the Hot Water Village to experience its attractions and renowned hot springs in her free time. Eventually we finish up and pack away our things. Save for the oddly geometric rock we just used, it was like we were never here.

"Thank you for the meal," I say to her with a bow. "I very much appreciate your kindness."

She bows back. "No problem. It was nice meeting you, too. Whatever you're up to, stay safe. There was a weird storm or something a few days ago. Or probably shinobi going at it, but I can't think of anyone who would be kicking that much dust around."

"Mm. Likely the Raikage and one of those Akatsuki fellows."

"Oh, yeah. The terrorist guys with the black robes. Yeah, that makes sense. Don't want any parts of that."

"Before you go," I say, "I hope you don't take this as a slight, but your hair is a bit on the uneven side. Would you mind if I fussed over it a little?"

"Oh, really? No, go ahead. I'd appreciate that." She sets down her things again and sits on one of the cubes from earlier. "I cut it the other day on a whim, just felt like it was getting in the way and I didn't want to deal with getting it up and putting it down, all of that."

"I won't go too much shorter than what you have now, unless you have something in mind." I find the utility knife in my bag and test the sharpness. After that is a comb and the bottle of mineral oil I like to keep around. I'm always reminded of the little mission we did as Team Eight so long ago, where we collected camellia oil in place of money. It turned out to be very useful, and we've been going back to get small batches from that old woman from time to time.

I give the young lady's hair a good combing before starting to cut and even out her hair properly. She asks me to go up to around her ears, so I carefully trim up to her earlobes and allow her to look at it with my compact.

"Gosh, that is pretty. I love it. Thank you so much, ma'am."

"You're very welcome." I've made sure to collect the stray hair, and burned it away properly. It's the wilderness, but considering all of the chaos that has taken place, we shouldn't take any chances with people combing the area. "It was a little nosy of me, but I have a bit of a thing when it comes to hair."

"Considering how yours looks out here, I couldn't doubt that."

I write a few things down on a card and hand it to her, along with the bottle of oil I used. "I have a spare somewhere in my bag, so don't worry. Those are what you need to make your own."

"Awesome. You better take care, then. I suggest getting to the nearest village or whatever's out there. If those crazy guys are running around and tearing up the clouds and all of that, there's not much you can do to keep yourself safe."

"I'll remember that. You'll be taking your own advice, yes?"

"Got it in one. It's the slow route, but I'm going home. See you. Thanks again." We wave to each other before she heads off with her bag. I go in the opposite direction, towards where I felt Kisame last was.

"Much as I would like to take it easy...it's time for me to run towards danger again. But that's just how things are, I suppose."


It's close.

Another day passes. I don't have to eat much because of the soup. In order to get a good amount of sleep, I dig myself a ditch and set traps around it, then hide within a pile of rocks. It works out fine and I wake up just after dawn, refreshed and focused.

Kisame is close enough that I can track him by scent. Making use of that, I suppress my chakra so that his sword can't track me properly if it's picked up on me somehow. Hopefully it's enough. His path indicates that he's moving back towards the village. Has he called anyone else in to help? It's not like he would tell me directly if it were the case.

"..."

The only thing left to do is get to it. Though...I could try something, or a few things, before we reach the point of no return. I hide my supplies in a small nook within the rocky plains, covering the opening with more of the abundant rock nearby. Either I'll find them again, or it won't matter what happens. All of the important documents I have with me are copies and in code to boot. Important tools are already on my person, emergency food and medical equipment is expendable.

I hear rumbling from the sky as I follow Kisame. He's heading towards a flat plain within a set of rocky hills, with plumes of steam rising up all around us. Something warm hits my cheek as I descend.

"At this hour, then...and as heavy as it can be. I suppose this time is as good as any for a challenge. Makes me wonder if I should have taken that young lady's advice."

No turning back now. Even being as stealthy as I am, Samehada is might still notice me and alert Kisame. Moving calmly without a care, he has that familiar straw hat on his head. He slows his walk to a stop as I land, and turns to face me. The tassels move slightly as the rain comes down, heavy and slow.

"I suppose that explains what the earlier excitement was about. How interesting to see you in this part of the world, Lilith Kobayashi. You don't seem too shocked to see me."

"I heard a few rumours about your presence in this country, and came to see if they were true," I say to him. I put scrunchies around my hair on either side, and pull my hood up to keep the rain out of my face. I suppose this is part of the climate, too...the raindrops are very warm against my skin. It's an interesting sensation, to say the least.

"I see. Looking after the two pets that the Cloud has, then. That seems to be a fair bit of trouble by itself."

"It should be. But...while I'm here in front of you, I wanted to ask something bold."

"Ask away, then. It sounds intriguing." Kisame takes off his hat and tosses it into the distance with a flick of his wrist. The rain doesn't give him any pause at all, just as Yugito said to me the other day.

"I wanted to know what your dream was, Kisame Hoshigaki."

"Oh? My dream...and what would make you think I had such a thing, Miss Kobayashi?"

"Everyone has a dream, or something close to it. Shinobi, especially. They have things that they would like to see, and like to obtain. Itachi is one such person. He had dreams that he went to extreme lengths to see come to pass."

"Hm. You must be the reason he defected from the group, then. Or one of many, at least. He's repurposed himself for other things concerning this world. Heh. I did expect him to disappear into the darkness, following that mission he set for himself. But it seems that I was wrong. Is he doing well, by chance?"

"Yes. I've made sure of it personally."

"Hehehe...good for him. Always an interesting fellow. I miss having him as my partner, but life does go on, you know. As for your question...my dream, then. You seem to have reached some special sort of conclusion. And from what I can see in those eyes of yours, the next set of moves will be for everything. Am I close?"

"You're very much correct," I say.

"I see, I see. Then I suppose it would be safe to tell you."

"..." I know from what Itachi has told me...that this person has embraced a nihilistic outlook on life. The thought that nothing truly mattered, that people were destined to die without meaning or purpose. Something in the world made him that way. Nobody is born without belief, and it's not so easily torn away by life, even with all of its trials.

"My dream is to enter a world of truth," he says.

"A world...of truth. This world's facade is indeed persistent and heavy. But you seem to be speaking of something far beyond that. The masked man and Akatsuki...was this what they promised to you?"

"Yes, indeed. That man, who controlled many with his power. Though I'm sure you know a lot more than you let on, madam."

"Perhaps. And I would not expect you to share your deeper secrets with me, even to fulfill a sadistic desire of yours."

"Was that what Itachi told you?"

"No. It's easy enough to read on its own. I know about your loyalty to Itachi, and to Akatsuki. You have a great amount of integrity, Kisame. Perhaps that is what caused your disillusion with the current world."

"We live in an existence...where things become more important than people. Many carry out the orders of their lords, with the assumption that their fights and struggles, even their tears and guilt...all have meaning in the end. That all of it is for the purpose of protection and prosperity."

"..."

"But how many who hold the reins of power...actually believe in the things that they say? As shinobi, we carry out missions for the great lords and ladies who provide us with means to continue our existence, and for the nation itself. This is a world made up of darkness and lies. The shinobi is nothing but a beast meant to kill and destroy, all on the orders of the Five Shadows that govern the dark world and allow society to function. You must know Itachi's story by now. How he betrayed everything he never knew, just to preserve a fragile order."

"What he did was terrible," I say. "But with that said...I understand his actions. And I came to understand his heart. I saw the person he truly was."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Do you believe yourself a monster, Kisame Hoshigaki?"

"I always have. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"I see. And...following the path that Akatsuki has placed you on. At the end of it, you hope to see a world beyond this one. A world where we might fight for things with substance. A world where loyalty means something, and where the things you fight and kill for are truly real."

"Something like that."

"I understand. The existence of the shinobi...does not have to be one of darkness and evil. There will always be a need for ones who struggle and fight, who push themselves to limits beyond those known to the masses in order to make the impossible, possible. The shadow that covers our world is not one needed to perpetuate our existences. That is why I will consume your dream, so that it lives on inside of me, Kisame. A world of truth. I will bring it to pass."

"And yet."

"And yet...this must be the end for us. This place will be where you take your final rest. And you would say the same to me. The heavens have ordained it, which is why we stand across from each other in this moment. But you could never be a simple beast, in the end."

"Why do you think so, Miss Kobayashi?" he asks.
"Because...even through the despair of life, you did fight for something. And you were someone. You are someone now, as we speak. In another life, you could have grown many beautiful flowers. It's what my heart tells me."

"..." He reaches for Samehada and slowly brings it to rest in front of him. "Might I ask something of you?"

"Yes, you may. I would be awful to refuse you, patient as you have been."

"What is it you mean to do with this strength of yours? You challenge us at every turn, yet you've also refused to make yourself vulnerable to the other nations, nor have you decided to lead them as their crusader. Is it peace that you seek? Power?"

"It's more than that. I want to bring an end to this world's fitful dream, that it has been dreaming for an age now. More than anything, I want to give everyone in this world, and everyone to come, the gift of possibility. I don't want something as simple as peace, or to rule the world for my own ends. I'm going to break the chains that bind this world."

"And what happens if you should fail? Even the greatest of shinobi have succumbed to their mortality," he says.

"I won't fail. Even if I die, I won't fail. I've spent these past years building bonds of all kinds, and setting plans into motion that not even my loved ones have the full scope of. I've done much to put my influence into this world. If someone does manage to take my life, a storm beyond your comprehension will sweep this entire continent clean. Even if it's not by my hand, this order will be brought to ruin."

"You're very confident about all of this. And I feel like I have little reason to doubt you, if we're being honest," Kisame says. "I've seen your work for myself. And I suspect that you've done even more than I could realize, considering that I'm out here all by myself. Heh...it would be easy enough, wouldn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"To leave everything behind, and disappear to follow my own path for the first time in my life. Living an honest life in the wilderness. There wouldn't be much of anything, or even anyone, to truly stop me. The best part is, I could fight as much as I wanted, without having to worry about rules and profiles, all of those silly things. I could even get that match with Itachi that I've been craving for so long." He chuckles. "I always warned him that there might come a day where I would have to erase him. We're not a very trustworthy bunch, as you might have guessed. But even duplicity has its limits, you know?"

"I can understand that much."

"I figured you would."

"So what stops you? You have the power to do as you like. Akatsuki has been weakened inside and out. The world is out to get you, and you have nowhere safe to be. Why not turn away and preserve yourself, when your dream is nearly out of reach?" I feel as if I already know the answer to that question. It's part of what gave Itachi and Kisame so much respect for each other. "It's strange to hear from a man who believes that his existence is meaningless. Perhaps you don't truly believe that."

"..."

"Because you have things that you want to fight for, too. You have something that you hold precious above all else. And you wouldn't let it go for anything. Not even for a chance at extending your life. You could join this side, and see the brilliant dawn as it comes into being, washing over a world that has been freed from the terrible veil that covers it. But...you won't."

"And why is that, you think?"

"Because you have a heart. And that heart, if for nothing else...beats for those you call your comrades. You'll fight for them, until your final breath. Even against me, the one who stands unrivalled under heaven and earth."

"You would declare yourself the honoured one, eh?"

"Yes. I am the great daughter of heaven, who crushed the power of the Sage's eyes with my own. No assumed god of this world could ever hope to match me, and the man called Pain was not able to either."

"Ah, so that's the reason I'm here! Hahahaha!" It's a joyous laugh, lined with sinister notes. I can feel his excitement building from here. "No wonder he was so insistent I move towards the Eight-Tails. So you defeated our leader, then. Itachi was mumbling something long ago...it must have been about you. I understand it now..."

"Are you ready to stand against me, then?"

"It would be the greatest honour. I intend to complete my mission, but it seems like I have little choice but to go through you." He brings Samehada onto his shoulder.

The rain comes down harder, creating a thin layer of water on the ground. I can feel Kisame's monstrous chakra unfurling as he primes himself.

"It seems so," I say to him. "Then we will have this final dance together, great swordsman and blade."

"In this life, I have gone by many names. Monster of the Hidden Mist...The No-Tailed Beast. This time, allow me to take my most dangerous and fitting form. I am Kisame Hoshigaki of Akatsuki."

"So be it." I call Murakumo to my hands and cross my arms over my chest. "Today, I also forego the many names and titles that I have gathered as a shinobi. I stand before you as the one and only Lilith Kobayashi, kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf. And in the name of my justice, I will cut you down."

"The one who emerges from this deadly waltz will determine the shape of this world," he says. "I am both excited and determined. I will offer a prayer for you once this is over."

"And I will do the same for you."

Another big fight, and this time my opponent won't simply be out to test me. This really is for everything.

Okay...here we go.