By now the entire village knew of the Third’s death and many speculated the cause. Without an official announcent and how soon he was buried, rumours began to propagate unheeded. Of which assassination seed to be the most popular theory.
But who could manage such? To find the village hidden in the Mist, slip past the natural defences, bypass the hordes of ANBU on high alert since the end of the war and kill the strongest shinobi in the entire village without raising a single alarm.
While many claid that the perpetrator ca from one of the villages many enemies abroad, it is no surprise that the ANBU conducted an internal investigation first and foremost, after all, a village built on the backs of the lower caste will have multitudes of enemies within it.
It didn’t take long for the oppression of the low caste clans to reach my ears. Dozens of innocent n and won, Kirigakure’s own shinobi were being slaughtered on the slight suspicion of harbouring hatred to the Sandai, his family and clan.
And it all started with a death threat.
I stared at the crumpled piece of Paper Bomb that had the threat written at the back, “Down with the Hozuki…Peace to Kirigakure..huh.” I mused and passed it on to i and Ao who sat beside in one of the Mizukage’s council rooms.
Of the Seven Swordsn only Fuguki was present and he examined it closely as well before passing it back to the source— the owl mask ANBU that charted Uncle Aoto away.
She slipped it back into a transparent evidence bag before pocketing it. She stood beside the old Funato clan head and Nana gumi who was the first to encounter the ssage and call for help.
“Obviously it wasn’t ant to explode, the ssage was ant to be received and terror stricken into our grieving hearts.” Nana gumi began, she didn’t speak like soone who was especially aggrieved but that was neither here nor there.
The Funato clan head concurred with a strike of his cane, “And in the hearts of us all. My dear granddaughter received a ssage as well, this one attached to a flung kunai.” He nodded at Rina who sat beside Nana gumi and the Chuunin, surrounded by many oppressive figures hesitated to speak.
“Mother would have co herself but the ssage…they are wicked words.” She said as she shifted on her mat and produced the weapon in question, “It ca in through a window while we served dinner, embedded itself right in the turkey mother was carrying to the table. I destroyed the ssage the mont I saw it but mother remains distraught.”
“What did it say?” It was Fuguki that spoke, his back straight and arms folded with a deepening sneer on his lips.
Rina shuddered, “It said, ‘May the blood of your innocent unborn drown you.’”
At this everyone bristled, even I as I didn’t know that—
“The Third would have another child?” i nearly exclaims, part excited but mostly horrified at the implications, “How did they…who are these people?”
“Scum. The worst of scum. Fiends without heart, terrorist!” Nana gumi’s wrinkled face drew into a scowl that promised a painful death to whoever was behind these ssages.
Hands crossed behind her back, Owl mask cleared her throat, “We have increased security on both families but and moved them into the Hozuki compound proper. If this happens again, they won’t get away with it.”
Ao scoffs, “Haven’t they already? They’ve murdered the Sandai and now threaten his entire family. What progress have you made identifying the culprits besides slaughtering more innocents?”
Owl mask shifted her gaze to Ao and coolly replied, “Whover we’ve captured and or executed are not innocent.”
I had to speak to that, “Maybe not of petty cris but of this? Are you saying the lowcaste Genin and Chuunin you took had a hand in Sandai-sama’s murder?”
Owl mask’s hands fell at her side as clenched fists and I felt her gaze harden on behind her mask. I tried not to squirm and she breathed, “His secretary’s testimony fails to impress us. She was recently promoted to her station as well, as part of many of Sandai-sama’s rcies to her kind.”
The Funato clan head stroked his thin beard as he groaned, “Never mind that, in regards to your summons, i, Yagura, Ao, Fuguki, I will ask each of you aid the ANBU.”
A mission? Even though I knew the Mizukage’s true killer I couldn’t refute the death threats. Soone had to be behind all of this. In the ani only i, Fuguki and Ao are glimpsed on screen, I don’t know how Madara and Obito’s sches affected the individual lives of background characters.
A little harsh to call them background characters. I winced at my thoughts. But the fog of war remained and I was getting caught in it. If I were the full-fledged Elite Jounin, Yagura Karatachi, in fullness this situation wouldn’t be so uneasy.
I’ve literally only practised [Water Style: Water Dragon] because I thought it was too cool to try anything else. In hindsight maybe starting Ninjutsu practice with an A-rank jutsu known for its long series of hand signs wasn’t the brightest idea.
Madara is dead. If Obito is any more diligent than I am he’s gathering the Akatsuki by now…but what if he isn’t?
Yes, what if? What if none of this is going to go how I think in my head and Obito is venting his frustrations of Kirigakure already. Owl mask is pretty prejudiced already and he could be taking that to his advantage, weaken Kiri even further before hamring the nail and sending into an unbreakable genjutsu.
Fuck. This had better not kill .
“i, Ao, follow Owl-san here to investigate Konoha’s involvent.” The old man glanced at Fuguki and I, “Only a week remains till we carry out the succession, Fuguki, guard gumi-dono. Yagura, protect Sandai-sama’s family.”
“Forgive , I believe it will be best that I watch Sandai-sama’s family as well. I will assign a squad to Ao and i to investigate abroad.” Owl mask requested and I worried the reason for her animosity thus far is the truth of my own incompetence.
Either way, I am partly incompetent and I would appreciate the assist if there is an attempt on Rina and her mother’s life. Practising Water Dragon ant I practised both hand sign speed and precise chakra control.
I’ve only cast it once successfully— though it failed a mont afterwards because I couldn’t control my excitent— but there are less complex jutsu I can cast more easily with at level I am, if only I bothered to try.
Gotta practise more jutsu then. Got it. “I think that’s a good idea too. Owl-san likely has so unfinished internal investigations as well.” I said.
Old man Funato didn’t look concerned, “As you wish. Let us bring justice to our Kage and soon.”
He struck his cane and everyone stood to bow. Nana gumi shifted her mat closer and sat while the rest of us filed out of the room into the blue hallway.
Fuguki cast a sideways glare but doesn’t so much as bother to say a word of aggression or arrogance even in the face of our coming death match. i and Ao remain back to talk to Owl mask, it’s unfortunate too because from the tone and urgency I doubt I’ll be seeing either in the coming weeks.
Darn it. My one chance to ask for a training session with her. Okay, maybe I had ulterior motives to wanting to talk to her, who can bla ? Her hair had begun to grow into an auburn mane and the sensual, cherry sway of her waist seized my gaze. Uncle Aoto did say I should marry.
“Yagura-senpai.”
Speaking of marriage, last to exit the room, Rina approached with a fierce and determined fire in her eyes. Her hands clutched the kunai that bore that god awful ssage, “Please, make strong!”
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