Red Riot - Chapter 39 - Red Success (Patreon)

Matsu Uzumaki:- person of high interest to other Shinobi Villages. Recently promoted Jonin. Medical/Taijutsu/Ninjutsu/Sensory speciality. The MC of the story!

Gengetsu Hozuki:- The second Mizukage and trickster Lord of Kirigakure. Master of Illusions and torment. Defeated Mu, the Second Tsuchikage in combat. 

Idate Hozuki - student of Matsu. Hozuki clansman. Chunin. 

Kuroiwa Karatachi - student of Matsu. Karatachi clanswoman. Soon to be Chunin. Medic. Capitalist!

Midori Terumi - student of Matsu. Terumi clanswoman. Chunin. Straightforward thinking lass with good intentions for most people!

Han:- orphan student of Matsu that is raised by his uncle. Civilian-born shinobi. Chunin

Sayuki:- Second in command of the Civilian Nin when Matsu isn’t around. Takes it seriously. A touch annoyed that she just lost to Minato Namikaze.

Kori Yuki:- Clan Leader of the Yuki clan and the shinobi angling to step up as Mizukage when Gengetsu dies! Was gifted a Byakugan by Gengetsu to embolden him. Defeated by Onoki after Matsu tricked Onoki into pursuing a clone that forced them to encounter each other during the Battle of Steam.

Ameyuri Ringo (the eighteenth) - the current wielder of the Kiba Blades. Short and aggressive! Family has a tradition of females retaining the same name to further their standing. Jonin of Kirigakure. Family has a certain naming tradition.  Betrayed Matsu at the end of Mu and Gengetsu’s victory.

Koda:- Jonin of Kirigakure and a Squad Leader. Bit stiff but looks after his own. KIA during the battle of Steam.

Fuguki Suikizan - Wielder of Samehada, Leader of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

Mara Uzumaki - Sickly woman in the Land of Vegetables that Matsu treated. Former Kunoichi of Uzushio. Taught Matsu the Mind’s Eye of Kagura jutsu. Married to the Heir of The Land of Vegetables.

A.N. Some of these are only mentioned in passing but I thought to provide context for them just in case readers forgot who they were. 

______________________

Gengetsu and I watch each other for a moment longer.

Then I knelt and put my hands on the leg. 

It was the most significant injury. I had to coax the chakra remnants within me to come forth and start healing Gengetsu. They came but it felt more like dredging a riverbank then directing the river itself.

Gengetsu’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re healing me?” he rasped in surprise.

I felt the same way, like this was all a little surreal. 

“Yeah,” I replied.

Yeah… how eloquent of me, I thought. 

Then again, perhaps right now simple was best.

Gengetsu stared at me like he’d never seen me before. 

It took a moment for him to find his voice but he did eventually speak. “I demanded you kill one of your closest friends for your Academy Graduation, and you’re healing me?”

I wanted to pause to respond, but more than anything, I felt like I had to keep going. I… If I stopped now I knew there was no restarting.

“Shut up,” I replied. 

Gengetsu reeled back like I’d slapped him with a fish. He blinked. “Shut up?” 

Something must have snapped within me as I snapped at Gengetsu. “I’ve just had to fight the Sage only knows how many Iwa nin in multiple battles while trying to evade fucking Onoki!”

I prodded him with my glowing hand. “I have fuck all chakra left in me and your injuries aren’t exactly simple!” I glared at the wound that was slowly knitting together beneath my hands. This should be almost straight forward for me normally.

“So, kindly shut the fuck up and let me heal you!” I growled. 

Gengetsu stared. 

I don’t think anyone had spoken to him like that in a very long time.

His eyes flickered down, and he opened his mouth only to reconsider what he was about to say. Instead, he allowed his head to flop back. He stared at the sky.

Then he began to laugh. “Hahahaha!” His chest bobbed up and down like a ship in a storm and he hacked up some blood but it didn’t detract from his merriment. 

“Ha! Fuck you Mu! Not only have I beaten you I’m going to survive your last hurrah!” he announced. 

I had to work to keep a snort of derision within me. The surrounding battlefield was a wasteland. Tens, if not hundreds of Kiri nin that were highly skilled had died because of his and Mu’s pride. 

To me, right now, this didn’t feel like a victory. 

Perhaps I was too close to the event, or too drained, but it just felt… hollow. I ignored the phantom sensation of carrying a much larger frame with me into a tunnel.

Had Ameyuri survived that final wave? Or had she unknowingly doomed herself by creating that pocket of earth?

I pushed the thoughts away as I realised I was drifting. 

Fumes were all I had in my tank right now and each drop of chakra needed to be carefully managed to get everything I could out of it. 

Everything that was a distraction was pushed from my mind. 

Thoughts of the dead, the fight, the ache that was spreading throughout my body and what was at stake were all pushed away.

I held my chakra with a grip that would crimp steel. Then I wove my chakra through the wounds, lacing up torn muscle, bones, sinew, tendons and skin until there was only a stump left behind.

Then I turned to the next injury.

Rinse and repeat. Each wound was all that existed to me. There was no outside world.

There were no shinobi potentially bearing down on me to stop me. 

Just me, and the injury. 

Not even Gengetsu himself. He didn’t exist to me. 

If he spoke, I didn’t have the attention to notice. His chakra stirred sometimes but it was unimportant. It never impacted me so I ignored it.

First, I healed the leg. 

Then the arm. 

Those were the two big, obvious injuries that would end Gengetsu’s life.

Then the myriad of torn blood vessels scattered throughout his body, mostly around the heart and the lungs. The delicate small vessels that could cause so many issues in a body.

Such delicate little things… it was almost amusing how important they were for the body to function properly.

His guts were twisted and ruptured in a few places so at some point he must have taken a hit or two.

Some injuries weren’t critical enough to heal. They wouldn’t cause Gengetsu to die if left untreated.

He’d hurt, but that was nothing a shinobi of his level shouldn’t be able to manage.

When I moved to his neck, I was forced to look into his eyes.

I’d never noticed that he had pale blue eyes before. 

They always seemed sunken and dark to me. 

“No significant difference in pupils indicating no concussion, but there is trauma around the skull, neck, and slight inflammation of the brain,” I murmured to myself. 

My own voice caused me to blink as I was jarred out of the fugue like state I’d been in. 

Gengetsu’s expression quirked. “You didn’t realise you’ve been muttering for the last minute, did you?”

I worked my lips, finding them to be oddly dry. Only a minute? Good.. that was good.

I must have been more out of it than I’d thought. “Huh, I’m surprised someone hasn’t shown up to kill us in that time,” I muttered. 

Gengetsu’s eyes flicked to the side. “You think that’s due to chance?”

He chuckled darkly. “No, Matsu, I’ve been sending the various parties interested in ending my life or exploiting this weakness in circles or to fight each other.”

“Oh,” I replied. That made a lot more sense. I wet my lips and tried to think what came next. 

It was hard to do with the weight of fatigue starting to gnaw at me. 

I pushed it back. I could collapse later.

“You’re… missing a lot of blood,” I announced. 

“Hmmm, is that so?” He observed me with a faint smirk. “Do you have a handy jutsu for that?”

I opened my mouth to ask if he had a blood pill, only for my mind to stop me. 

The only people who were ever shown to have such pills were Konoha nin. Specifically, Kabuto Yakushi, who was considered to be a genius medic.

In this life, I had never encountered blood pills before. There hadn’t even been any indication of Konoha shinobi using them during the Chunin exams, so perhaps it was a future breakthrough?

My teeth worried at my lips as I tried to come up with some other solution. I rubbed my hands together, noting the sticky feeling of Gengetsu’s blood coating them. 

His blood…

It was supposed to be AB type wasn’t it? For some reason that jumped out of my memory of his profile that I’d read once upon a time. Huh, I’d forgotten I knew that.

AB though… That meant he was a universal recipient. Part of me wanted to be annoyed that Gengetsu had such luck.

I lay down next to him, which caused him to turn his head and stare. “Having a nap, are we?” he snarked. 

“No,” I replied with a deep sigh. “I haven’t lost much blood, barely got cut with all the fighting I’ve been doing. So… I’m going to have to do something that might seem a little nuts, but trust me on this.” 

Gengetsu’s eyes bore into mine like he was trying to read me like a book, only to find that I was written in a language he’d never encountered before. 

I ignored him and began twisting my chakra into threads, binding them tighter and tighter until I had a pseudo hose made up. I licked my lips as I directed the edge into my brachial artery. 

As blood began to flow into the ‘hose’ I’d made, I turned my attention to him. I knew exactly where I needed to put the other edge, having healed up a vein earlier.

“This will sting a little,” I murmured.

I didn’t give him time to protest or resist. I slipped the ‘sharp edge of the hose’ through his skin and into the vein.

Then I began to circulate my chakra, making it move in time with the beat of my heart to help pump the blood through the hose and into Gengetsu.

“This day,” I murmured. “Is turning out to be kind of wild.” 

Talking… was probably a bad idea. Part of me could recognise that. The fatigue and drop in blood pressure that would surely be coming would see me being more than a little giddy.

Or was talking a good idea right now? 

No idea right now.

I’d have to chalk it up to not being in the best headspace.

I started tensing and relaxing my legs as a compromise.

“Yes, I suppose you could say that,” Gengetsu replied cautiously. His eyes flickered from my face to the hose connecting us. “What… what is this?” he asked.

“I’m giving you some of my blood,” I replied. 

“I can see that… but…” he trailed off. This was new ground for him. Then again, I think it was new ground for everyone. I couldn’t recall ever hearing of anyone ever giving blood. 

Not in Kiri, certainly. 

Taking blood certainly but that was usually to murder them. Certainly not for medical uses.

The insular nature of the Elemental nations made it rather tough to get an accurate idea of a lot of things though. Medical advancements being one of them. 

My focus shifted from the hose to the sky as my chakra continued to beat, I was starting to run out, I could recognise the signs of Chakra exhaustion taking hold but I resisted, knowing I needed to stay awake.

“I have so much work ahead of me,” I mused, deciding that I should probably ignore Gengetsu right now.

I could feel his scowl at my turning away from him and that warmed a dark recess of my heart.

Somehow, surviving today and healing Gengetsu had given me a level of audacity that I don’t think I’d have ever planned for.

The sounds of a few explosions and fighting made me lift my head to look around. Sure enough, there was a multitude of battles occurring around us.  

“Huh, lot of people are dying today.”

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Gengetsu replied.

For a few moments, I didn’t respond. Instead, I watched Konoha nin sprint into the field only to run afoul of Iwa or Kumo shinobi.

“No Suna nin,” I commented idly. 

“Those sand rats wouldn’t dare!” snarled Gengetsu. “Reto is a coward!”

“Having spoken with the man I found him to be rather practical. His forces fighting here doesn’t achieve anything.”

“There is that yes,” Gengetsu conceded begrudgingly.

A suspicion was starting to form in my mind. Gengetsu was all too happy to watch people dying around us. He’d orchestrated their encounters, driving a melody of madness to continue despite his objective having been met. 

He enjoyed the bloodshed.

Each death he watched like a theatre goer would a well-executed play. The stage he had assembled was littered with corpses. Creeks of blood ran and he was amused.

A wave of revulsion ran through me. It made all too much sense to me that a man like Gengetsu commanded Kiri.

If he’d died, he would have done so gladly knowing that other nations would have contributed their own men and women to his funeral pyre.

I pumped my arm and tensed a few muscles. A wave of fatigue started to wash through me and this time it felt like a herculean task to hold it at bay. 

I detached the bloodline from Gengetsu and myself. “I think that’s enough,” I muttered.

Gengetsu glanced down. He sat up and hummed as a smirk like a shark finding a wounded whale appeared on his features. 

“Well, I shall remember your contributions to me this day,” he said with a tone dripping with insincerity. 

I sighed, not bothering to mask the fatigue. “Of course, you’re going to take what you can from me and try and leave me in a lurch. Or were you planning to kill me?” Gengetsu was a fish that simply couldn’t change the colour of his scales. 

He was poison to all he interacted with.

Gengetsu chuckled. “You’ve learned your lessons well. But if I’m going to survive, I don’t think I shall allow any other… claimants to appear for quite some time Matsu.” 

He grinned as he shifted so he was sitting above me. “You were a good shinobi.”

“Heh, killing me would be one of the worst mistakes you could make of your life, or what would be left of it anyway,” I mused. 

Gengetsu stilled, his body going still. “Oh?”

I just smiled enigmatically in response.

He produced a kunai. “I could torture you.”

“Oh, you could,” I replied easily. “But anything you did to me would pale in what would happen to you.”

“You think you have some saviour waiting in the wings? Is that it? Kori Yuki perhaps?” he chuckled at the thought. “Oh Matsu, you’re so naive.”

My response was a flat stare. “Don’t misjudge me like that. Kori’s just as poisonous as you but no where near as useful. I set him against Onoki which is why he’s not sniffing around right now!”

Gengetsu tilted his head at this revelation. 

I kept talking before he could try to regrasp control of the situation. “I know how strong you are, and right now, the only people who could stand against you aren’t going to do so on my behalf.”

My thoughts flickered to Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hiruzen Sarutobi. 

They might move to finish Gengetsu certainly, but they wouldn’t do so without risk or at the very least, revealing some of their best tricks.

Something that you did not do idly, or with so many observers. I had little doubt Gengetsu and Mu’s tricks were going to be poured over in the various Villages’ debriefs of today.

Gengetsu’s eyes narrowed, and I saw a flicker of doubt enter them for the first time.

The small embers of warmth in my heart began to smoulder a little stronger. I allowed myself a confident smile.

“What are you insinuating?” Gengetsu spat. 

“You have enemies, Gengetsu,” I replied, not caring to use his title. 

It was time to draw some lines in the sand. 

“You’ve made enemies great and small throughout the Elemental Nations. You’ve also cultivated a lot of enemies within your own Village, and for a man of your strengt,h that hasn’t really been a concern. You’ve created measures that counter any dissent or rebellion against you.”

Gengetsu continued to watch me, like a predator that was unsure if he should strike at this new, strange being that had previously presented itself as prey in prior interactions.

“Your trick with your chakra suffusing people? Brilliant. But… it has cost you. If you were to… fall today, people would happily tear you apart.”

Gengetsu frowned. “I wouldn’t care, I’d be dead. And so would you if you tried anything.”

“Too late,” I said, allowing my smile to show some teeth. 

I reached up and tapped my chest and my head. “Did you know that the heart and brain have some of the smallest veins and arteries within them? Both organs are critical for the function of the body.”

I continued to tap the side of my head, leering at Gengetsu. 

If I had a mirror, I doubted I’d recognise myself. Perhaps I’d see something of Gengetsu though, and for a man like him, that might be unnerving.

“What have you done?” he asked.

I hummed knowingly. In a way, I knew it was poor form to tell him. 

I knew my tropes.

Villains monologued.

Heroes used those moments to regather their strength and turn the tables.

But I wasn’t monologuing. 

I’d achieved my goal nearly ten minutes ago.

It reminded me of another Hero that had done what needed doing.

“There are several points within those organs that will fail you at certain points in the future. Now, I’ve set them up so that there will be timers of a sort. The arteries will fail and in doing so the vital nutrients and blood will stop reaching your organs.”

Gengetsu’s pale blue eyes widened slightly as I stared right into them. I could see myself reflected in them, and I looked vicious.

“You won’t die though,” I whispered, forcing him to strain to hear me.

“You’ll be trapped in your own body, unable to move a limb.” I chuckled. “And then? You’ll be subject to all of your enemies. Helpless~,” I teased. 

I held my gaze with him, forcing him to feel the truth of my words. 

I’d lied a little. There was no way to knowingly predict when his blood vessels would fail him, but he didn’t need to know that.

He just needed to know I was serious. 

Gengetsu searched my face. His chakra reached out and probed at me for flickers. He even sat up and brought the kunai down at me. 

It stabbed into the ground in front of my eyes.

I continued to meet his stare without flinching.

I couldn’t reveal weakness. 

Not to Gengetsu.

Gengetsu blinked.

Then he threw his head back and roared out laughter. “Hahahaha! It seems I was too successful in teaching you! You’re a terrifying shinobi Matsu. Well played,” he grinned down at me fiercely, and I knew in that moment he was vowing to find a way to slip my noose.

Then a very painful death would no doubt await me.

But I’d bought myself time.

The time that I knew hadn’t existed before. Not with all the various shinobi closing in on us. Not with how weak Gengetsu had been.

A man as proud as Gengetsu was never going to allow me to survive witnessing him at his weakest.

He wanted the world to burn with him as he died.

And I? 

Well I hoped that I was like Prometheus stealing fire to kindle a brighter tomorrow for mankind.

Unlike Prometheus, I planned to slip any significant punishment brought against me, however.

With Gengetsu still laughing, I let myself begin to fade, knowing that I was rolling the dice on him killing me as I slept. 

I gave it seventy-thirty odds that he wouldn’t kill me. 

He couldn’t. Not any more. 

He needed me.

But you never knew when someone was pushed.

“I’ll have more demands when wake up,” I murmured as the day caught up with me.

Gengetsu’s deranged laughter was a strange lullaby to fall asleep to, but in a way it soothed me.

He was alive, and for now… that was a good thing?

What a strange day this had turned out to be.

Didn’t mean I didn’t fall asleep with a smile on my lips though.

Shame tomorrow was going to suck. 

[hr][/hr]  

Midori Terumi, the newest Chunin of Kirigakure and victor of the Village Hidden in the Steam’s chunin Exams fretted. Her hands twitched towards her kunai pouch only to stop. 

Her eyes roamed the trees around her as they ran.

Around her there was a throng of Kiri shinobi. Those who had attended the Chunin exams and those who had born witness to it. 

There were a few missing faces, though and that caused Midori to fret. 

Most of them she didn’t care for.

Which was perhaps treason considering that Lord Gengetsu was among their number, but Midori didn’t care about that right now.

She cared that her sensei had gone out into what had to be one of the biggest fights since the Second Shinobi war… potentially even got underway, and now he and the shinobi that went with him had yet to report back.

It was causing tension in all— Well, not all, but most of the shinobi in their contingent. 

Han scratched at his cheek, causing the fluff that might one day be called a beard. “Reckon Sensei will take much longer?” he asked.

Midori wanted to glare. Han was an idiot. A loveable, loyal boy that was good at fighting and trap setting, and stealth, but sometimes he was as dumb as a sack of rocks.

“You fucking idiot! Sensei got dragged into the fight between Mu and Lord Gengetsu!” snapped Idate. “There’s every chance he’s bleeding out or being tortured by some Iwa nin right now!”

Midori scowled and wanted to refute that only for Han to snort and beat her too it. 

“Nah, he’d win. He’s too smart for that,” Han said, ever loyal to their sensei. 

Idatee rolled his eyes. “Says the idiot that’s never stepped foot on a proper battlefield,” he scoffed.

“And you have?” Han cut back.

Midori smirked, knowing that Han had Idate there.

“Sure I have!” Instead of shutting his mouth, Idate doubled down. “Before I was even a shinobi! My uncle took me when I was like four!” he growled.

Midori considered calling bullshit on that, only to catch the flicker of something vulnerable and afraid appearing and vanishing from Idate’s face. Oh, his uncle had done that? That… huh.

Han caught on as well, displaying his strange insight as he didn’t say anything about it.

Which didn’t mean no one spoke up. 

Kuoriwa accelerated so she was level with Idate to stare him in the eyes. “Was anyone actively fighting on it or was it just the aftermath of a battle?”

Idate coughed. “I said battlefield alright?!” he snapped.

Han smirked, and Kuroiwa huffed, having scored a point. 

Midori turned away with a small shake of her head. Still… a proper battlefield… even the aftermath of one as a four-year-old… Midori couldn’t imagine her mother allowing that.

Would that have motivated her back then?

That would have been bad, though. Then she’d have never had Matsu as her Sensei.

“Closing in on friendlies!” barked a voice ahead that sounded like it came from a Jonin that Midori vaguely recalled taking command of their cohort. “We’re linking up with them on the road!”

That got a series of shared looks. On the road? That typically meant that they weren’t shinobi, as what self-respecting shinobi would take the road? 

Roads were taught to any Kiri shinobi to be horrible killing fields to step into. Sadly, civilians weren’t known for self awareness and often forced Shinobi to walk along them like sitting seagulls.

So typically, it would mean that large groups on roads would be merchants, clients, or nobles.

But considering the battle that had just taken place, Midori felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps it was the wounded?

She and the others accelerated, noting as she did that most of the cohort had matched or beaten her uptick in speed to reach the ‘friendlies’ faster.

When they hit the road, Midori landed atop a tree branch that gave her a good view of the caravan she found herself observing. 

Wagons and Palanquins were tightly packed while various guards sat on top of wagons or walked. 

Usually, this would mean merchants, but the guards all made signs indicating their state of combat readiness, along with challenge calls to the the newly arrived shinobi.

Two shinobi swaggered out carrying blades that caused a stir. Were those two of the Seven…or just trainees?

Hadn’t there been four that left with Lord Gengetsu’s group? That was the rumour floating around but then again it was always tough to know where any of the Swordsmen might be as a common tactic was to use illusions to fake foreign shinobi out.

Some of the Jonin leapt out of the treeline and landed near the road where they began conversing with their fellow shinobi. 

Midori cycled some chakra through her eyes and ears, hoping to catch a hint of what was going on. 

“Anyone picking anything up?” Midori asked only to get shaken heads from her team.

The Jonin continued to talk for a while until eventually on stepped back and waved a hand. “Any healers are to present themselves to begin assisting the wounded!” 

Midori tensed, glancing towards Kuoriwa who bobbed her head side to side. Then she cupped a hand in front of her mouth. “Will this count as a mission that I can submit?” she shouted.

All the Jonin turned and glared at her. 

One of the Swordsmen reached for their sword. “It’ll count toward keeping your life!”

“Hmmmm,” Kuroiwa made a show of considering that. “I think I’ll take the mission pay!”

Midori whirled around. “What the fuck are you doing Kuro?” she growled, using the girl’s nickname to demonstrate how urgent the situation was.

“I’m living my ninja way by standing up for my principles!” she responded blandly. 

Midori grabbed her by the shoulders. “You’re about to die by them, you idiot!” 

Another swordsman of the mist swaggered out with a bandaged blade on his back. “Ha! She’s a cute kid! I like her gumption. Why are you saying no to her Ren? It’s not like it’s your money!” 

Midori perked up. The wielder of Samehada! That meant that man was Fuguki Suikazan!

That caused the Jonin to pause and reconsider. Then they shrugged. “You get a D rank pay!” declared the Commander. He jerked a thumb at the wagons. “Now get to work!” he barked.

Kuroiwa giggled a she hopped forward fearlessly. 

Midori ran her hands down her face as she followed. “What do you think you’re doing?” grunted the Jonin.

“Assisting her,” Midori replied easily. This got another grunt and a dismissive wave which allowed Midori to shadow Kuroiwa as she moved through the wagons.

There… were a lot of burns, and shrapnel injuries in the wagons. 

A lot of the people had bandages wrapped around them and little else.

Kuroiwa scowled. “I should have insisted on B rank pay if this is an indicator of how many there are,” she growled. Still, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Midori assisted where she could, cleaning bandages and lifting injured shinobi to reposition them.

In one instance, this saw her being thrown out of the wagon when one of the shinobi reacted to her touching him. She landed with a roll but shot back in to help Kuroiwa only to find the ‘genin’ in their squad had subdued the man. 

“Don’t worry, I calmed him down,” Kuroiwa announced as she held a glowing green hand at the man’s neck.

Was that a healing jutsu or the scalpel jutsu? Midori decided not to ask, and the subdued man made sure not to move, so that probably answered that question. 

When Kuroiwa was done, she loomed above the man’s head. “Where’s your money pouch? You owe my friend for kicking her like that.” The hand went back to the neck and the man’s eyes darted to a pouch on his belt.

Midori shot Kuroiwa a scowl but fished a few ryo out. 

Kuroiwa stared down at the man. “Next time I’ll charge more for healing, understand?” she declared. 

She leaned down and locked eyes with her former patient. “And if you try anything with my friend, ending up on my patient list will be the least of your worries.”

Then she straightened and donned a smile. “But if you want some cosmetic work done like scar removal or addition, that I can do! I have rates for each treatment though!” 

She dropped a card on the man’s chest and then skipped away. 

Midori followed after. “What was that?”

“Business,” replied Kuroiwa. “I didn’t give the others cards cause they were mostly passed out. He was also the only one with a wallet still on him. I’d have left him alone if he hadn’t kicked you like that.” Kuroiwa held out a hand. “Also, I want my cut.”

“You’re incorrigible, you know that right?” 

“Yup! But that’s fine. Just means I have the motivation to get better! Just imagine what I’ll get to charge one day when I’m at sensei’s level!” Kuoriwa announced as she shared a smile with Midori.

That drew a laugh from the two kunoichi before they entered another wagon. 

Their laughter quickly died as they found themselves in a wagon with a lot of mangled injured shinobi. Here, Shinobi were missing limbs or had deformed skulls.

One was awake and was staring vacantly. Midori wasn’t sure if it was despair over his missing legs, or a head injury causing the vacant look.

Kuroiwa grimaced. “This… might be a bit more than I can handle…” she admitted, but she still stepped forward to try. 

In most cases, she could only close off wounds or ease a little of the pain some of them might have been feeling. 

The girls left that wagon much quieter.

Mocking laughter had them looking to the side to find a pair of Swordsmen looming over a palanquin where a still form was lying supine. One of whom Midori recognised due to the blade on his back.

“Eh, eh! Look at this dumb bitch! Thought she was hot shit with the Kiba Blades but now she’s not so good!” mocked Kamoji Karatachi, the current wielder of the Hiramakarei.

The man lifted his blade and waved it in the woman’s direction. “Feel like I should repay some of the ‘training pointers’ you gave me when I first joined up. It would be a real shame if my grip slipped though, cause this blade? Its much harder to wield.”

Midori grimaced. Kuroiwa looked confused. “Isn’t the Kiba blade wielder Ameyuri Ringo?” whispered the medic of their team.

Midori nodded, knowing that meant Ameyuri must be in the palanquin.

The man made crude thrusting actions at the still form as his friend laughed like jackals over the slumbering form. 

“Oi! You lot leave the injured! Unless you want to join them!” growled another voice as Fuguki Suikazan marched around the wagons. “We need to keep this convoy moving! If we get intercepted, you’re dealing with the Iwa avalanche!”  

“Just having a laugh boss!” joked Kamoji as he lingered above Ameyuri. “You know? Just checking in on our comrade and all? Want to make sure she’s looked after right!” 

“I know what you were planning. Get your jollies off with the whores!” snapped Fuguki. “Until then, shut your mouth or I’ll shove Samehada down it! I know for a fact she killed more than you did yesterday!” 

Kamoji growled but didn’t do anything other than turn and stalk away, his comrades following after. 

Fuguki snorted. Then he turned and glared at Midori and Kuoriwa. “You healing or standing around?” 

Kuroiwa nodded and moved towards Ameyuri only for Fuguki to raise a hand and shake his head. “Think she’s a bit beyond you kid. She got crushed and dumped on during Gengetsu’s last attack. Her attempt to evade it must have backfired pretty badly. Think she might have drowned a little. It’s a marvel she still has a pulse. We’re taking her back but…” Fuguki clicked his teeth. 

“Shame, she was better than half the other Seven Swordsmen put together!” he growled.

“I will still give her a look over,” demurred Kuroiwa. 

She stepped past Fuguki and hopped up onto the Palanquin that was being carried by what looked like a group of tired-looking men.

“Uhmmm hello?” Midori said as Kuoriwa started checking Ameyuri over. 

The men flinched. “We don’t want any trouble young miss,” said the lead man while bowing his head.

“Oh? Alright then. I was just curious why you're part of the convey?” she asked.

The man who had spoken shifted. “A lot of this gear was part of a merchant caravan heading to the North, where the goods would have been loaded on ships for Earth Country. Ninja spotted the group and… well, took control of the group. We’ve been promised a cut of what was in the Merchant’s strongbox if we carry these people to the eastern port.”

The man made a face. “Kind of regretting that now… Shinobi drive a hard pace.” 

Midori continued to smile. Well, that answered that question.

She nodded farewell to the man, knowing that unless the person who had made the bargain with the men was as honourable as her sensei, then those men were dead as soon as they got within sight of the eastern port.

Telling them that, though… would cause issues. 

And Midori also knew she wasn’t strong enough to speak up for them.

So instead, she did the best option for herself and averted her eyes from a future tragedy. 

“Moving on!” shouted someone up ahead, and the labourers all lifted the Palanquin up onto their shoulders. 

Midori pursed her lips. It really wasn’t meant for long journeys. They must have stolen a nobleman’s palanquin somewhere along the road.

That… might cause issues at a future date but for now the Kiri contingent just needed to get out of the Land of Hotsprings.

“How is she?” Midori asked as she jogged along easily at the labourer’s pace. 

Kuroiwa had her hands on Ameyuri’s chest with the woman on her side. Water appeared to be flowing out of her mouth. 

“She ingested a lot of water, her ribs are broken, her heart is weak, and there’s a buildup of toxins throughout… well, her everything. I have no idea what that is to be honest, but on a good note? A lot of it breaks up with the Mystic Palm jutsu, though so I might be able to do some good for her.” 

Kuroiwa waved a hand. “Get me some blankets to wrap her in. This open palanquin is actually no good for her as her body can’t regulate its temperature well right now.” 

“Urgh. Alright, I’ll see if we can get her better accommodation,” Midori mentioned. “But otherwise a blanket yeah?” she announced as she moved away. 

She wove her way through the various wagons, starting to get an idea of just how many shinobi had been committed to the battle.

There had to be a few hundred shinobi now in the contingent. Some of them were the best of Kiri, and still they ended up like this. 

Asking around for spare anything usually resulted in her getting sworn at or ignored, so she shifted her goal to simply finding some spare cloth.

It was just as she found some cloth that an ANBU appeared next to her. “The Lord Mizukage wishes to talk with you.” 

Midori stared. “The Lord Mizukage? With me?” she repeated, playing that back in her head.

The masked ANBU merely nodded. “Follow,” they ordered, and Midori followed, leaping over the wagons around her to the centre of the convoy where there was a slight gap between the other wagons. 

The wagons close to the centre of the convoy were different than the others. 

They were notable for being bigger and more ornate. 

Instead of carrying the injured in clusters where they were almost stacked on top of each other, there were instead only a single person in this wagon. Or… there were several people… celebrating their success.

Right at the centre, sitting in front of his own wagon while a driver sat slightly lower with the reins in his hand, Gengetsu looked… smug.

Which seemed normal.

Midori performed a casual inspection as she approached, hoping to find some indicator of why she’d been summoned. When she spotted Han and Idate already there, she wondered if this was a continuation of the Chunin exams.

Then another ANBU appeared with Kuroiwa following along with a slightly annoyed expression that quickly faded as she caught sight of her team and Gengetsu. 

Midori glanced around.

Still no sensei.

Just them and Gengetsu.

He sat on the wagon’s bench languidly, his hands clasped behind his head as he observed all the people flitting around him. 

Midori swallowed and stepped forward, only for him to wave a hand and for them to be directed to the back of the wagon, where they entered. 

Inside, they found themselves standing in an office instead of a wagon.

Midori shuddered, knowing that this had to mean they were in an illusion.

She hadn’t even felt the Mizukage’s chakra, nor had she noticed the transition from outside to here. It had been that sudden. 

She glanced behind her only to find a closed door rather than the wagon flaps.

A slight scuff noise reminded Midori that it was an extremely poor life choice to take your eyes off the biggest threat in the room.

She bowed. “Lord Mizukage! Our Team is assembled as per your orders!” she announced. 

Technically true now that most of them were Chunin, but at the same time it rang hollow without Matsu there.

“Hmmmm, so I see. I said I was going to reward you handsomely, and now that we are far enough away from Steam I have come to a decision,” he announced as he raised a scroll and perused it. 

“Ah, yes!” He pointed to Han. “For the resilience you showed in overcoming your opponents, I am promoting you to Tobuketsu Jonin. You are going to be working as an instructor within the Academy. I want you to teach your… fighting spirit to the young children looking to become shinobi.”

Midori gasped, Han almost stumbled but caught himself in time to straighten. “Sir!” he replied with a quick salute.

Midori’s mind raced as a scroll was tossed to Han. 

He was more than rewarding them, he was… Midori wasn’t even sure what to make of this. 

The Mizukage pointed at Idate. “Your own efforts have not gone unnoticed Idate. You are hereby promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin and will become part of a Special Operations group.” 

“Sir!” Idate grinned, shooting Han a smug look as he swept forward. 

Special Operations.

Midori wet her lips. That was what people were ordered into when they were going to join one of the masked Organisations. Either the Hunter Nin or ANBU. 

Having the two organisations helped obscure who might be in which group. Midori had spent a while talking with Sensei about this, and being taken out of the regular forces was in a way… a demotion. 

No one knew the pay structure or the benefits. You were supposedly always on call for the group you worked with. 

The type of missions differed depending on the group you joined.

It was something Matsu was probing, but still had little information to work on. At least according to rumours shared around by the training groups Midori spent time with.

Matsu had looked slightly worried when he’d said that, and it had taken Midori talking with Sayuki to learn that Matsu’s best friend had ‘applied’ to ANBU and they’d lost contact with him for months now.

That… might be concerning. She wasn’t going to see Idate anymore… at least not on missions. If she saw him around home that would be one thing but… No, she wouldn’t be seeing Idate anymore… they lived in rival clans and she couldn’t simply approach them or ask to see him despite being an old teammate.

It felt like they were being broken apart and to Midori that didn’t feel like success.

She’d thought they’d stick together for a while yet. 

Midori bit the inside of her gum. No, this was just one set of data, nothing to be too concerned about just yet. 

“Kuroiwa, you are promoted to Chunin… you will be held until a specific mission begins, the details of which will be presented to you in the coming days,” Lord Mizukage announced vaguely. 

Stranger and stranger, Midori thought. For half a second there, she also thought she’d caught a flicker of something. Not an expression but more a hitch in Lord Gengetsu’s voice. 

It was the smallest thing, but it made Midori wonder if he might be annoyed about something.

“Midori… Terumi,” Gengetsu lingered on her family name, while his face remained passive. “You shall also be promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin. You are going to be assigned a long-term mission in the Land of Sea where you will be in charge of an observation base.”

Midori stiffened.  She wasn’t ready for that at all. She’d barely run a squad of three when her sensei or another veteran shinobi was there to guide her. It was most likely that anyone she ‘took over’ from would be a Chunin as well, and she’d be stepping on toes from the outset.

She’d also been sent far from Kirigakure…

But you couldn’t say no to the Mizukage. “This is an honour Lord Mizukage,” she said as she bowed low. 

The Mizukage smiled at them. “I know. You have all done wonderful things and I think this will be good for all of you.” 

Before he could dismiss them, Midori decided to risk offending him. “Lord Mizukage, sir? Ah…” she trailed off as his eyes, cast in shadow, turned to her like glints of diamond.

She swallowed and pushed ahead. “Sir, our sensei, Matsu, he went off on a mission with your… victory. We have yet to see him.”

“Oh?” replied the Mizukage. “Is that so? Hmmm, let me see now,” he replied casually as he lifted another scroll to review it. 

The seconds seemed to drag by as no one spoke. The team, now thoroughly cleansed of their jubilant mood, stared at the back of the scroll like it might reveal everything to them.

“Ah, yes, here we are. He was injured and exhausted after extended fighting around the outskirts of my… Victory,” he let the word hang, enjoying the feel of it as a wave of pleasure seemed to wash through the Mizukage’s face.

“He is recovering in a nearby wagon,” he announced. “Alive and uninjured… for the moment,” he announced with a strangely ominous tone that Midori didn’t like the sound of. 

He pointed at Kuroiwa. “You would have encountered him sooner or later, with how you are making the rounds of the injured. I suggest you keep doing that, and you’ll eventually find him,” he declared. 

Then he waved his hand, and the team all bowed as one.

Then they raced out of the office only to almost fall over themselves as they burst through the door to find themselves back in a convoy. 

Han shook. “One day I’m going to be that good,” he muttered.

Idate scoffed. “Keep dreaming.”

Han grunted and raised the scroll. “I think I might just be already,” he replied staring at the scroll. “So all of us were promoted today… think that would normally mean we’d have to celebrate no?” he asked even as the team began sweeping through wagons. 

They came across various shinobi in various states of injury once more with a few throwing kunai or even the odd genjutsu as a reward for their ‘peeking’. 

When they reached the wagon close to the back of the convoy Kuroiwa swore under her breath and demanded the driver take the wagon further up to help secure the wagon. 

Midori ignored that exchange as she lifted a flap and found their sensei lying on a pile of blankets. At his side, a stack of spare blankets rested, but Midori ignored them as she leapt up. 

“Sensei!” she gasped as she reached to check his pulse.

His hand snapped up and caught her before she could touch him, and when she looked down she found herself growing weak as a wave of fatigue washed through her. Red eyes bore into her own. 

“Sensei?” she whispered only to stumble as he blinked. A moment later Midori stumbled back as Matsu released her.

“Hmmmmm, sorry about that,” he rumbled. “Get me breakfast and come back in five minutes,” he announced without a lick of shame as he rolled over.

Midori giggled as the others sighed in relief. 

Idate nudged Kuroiwa. “As the lowest ranked among us, you can go get him breakfast,” he ordered, or at least attempted. 

Kuroiwa gave him a flat look. “Yeah, the day I take orders from you is when shit’s really getting tossed around. I’m the medic, you fuck off and get the food for all of us,” she said.

Han followed her, leaving Idate to gape. Then he grumbled but had the good sense to stalk off to find something to eat.

Idate stalked away as Matsu rolled back over and eyed them all. His eyes lingered on the scrolls in their grasp. “Alright, events have obviously continued to transpire that I need to know about.” 

He sat up and glanced around. “... make that a lot of things I need to know about.”

He rubbed a hand down his face as his stomach growled in protest. “Let’s start with what day is it?” he asked.

_______________

I should have realised that Gengetsu wasn’t going to take my ultimatum sitting down. 

He was still more than able to hurt me in a myriad of ways, and his decision to promote all of my students out from under me… well, that was to be expected. I’d have to give Sayuki a warning to the rest of our group about running into some tougher missions than usual.

As for my student’s promotion, what could I do? Protest their success?

No, I couldn’t, and he knew it. They were going to all be thrown into the deep end.

I’d made sure to remind Idate and Midori that sometimes failure was preferable than death. That had gotten me a round of shocked expressions but they’d understood my warning at least.

I wasn’t sure what he had planned for Kuroiwa, but perhaps the unknown was what he truly was threatening me with.

And there were still more people waiting under the chopping block. 

In another light, this could also be seen as a lesson, with him illustrating the challenges of protecting those close to me, something a heartless monster wouldn’t have to worry about.

But while I was learning from him, I wasn’t willing to become him.

I spent most of the day sitting and recovering in my wagon, my chakra slow to respond as the full-body ache lingered. 

Thankfully, I’d handled worse with having to recover from the strain of overclocking my body with the Gates, so a simple, hard battle with near chakra exhaustion was barely anything.

When I’d taken a walk out of the wagon I’d been carried in, I wasn’t surprised to find myself face to face with a still comatose Ameyuri.

Kuroiwa had already spilled the beans on healing her, or rather, doing the best she could for the woman. 

I’d kept my expressions carefully controlled and made sure to praise Kuroiwa on the effort she’d put in. It was amazing she’d been willing to try. The brain was an extremely complex organ. 

A wise man had once said that if the brain were simple, we’d be too stupid to understand it.

I gave the doomed polebearers a small nod as I hopped up and checked Kuroiwa’s work.

That… and I wanted… well, not closure, but I wanted to just look at her.

I’d gotten sloppy at the end of the fight there. I hadn’t expected her to betray me like she had. I’d thought after everything that we’d been through… 

It kind of left me wondering, did her selfishness unknowingly dooming herself. 

She had no way of knowing that my Iron Body Jutsu would hold up like it would.

I certainly hadn’t, but it was damn satisfying to have a jutsu that you work on for years come in clutch for you like it had. 

My chakra washed through her, mapping out all the little issues that littered her body. I had to give Kuroiwa props, she’d done well. There were still several issues but they were far too advanced for her to attempt. 

She’d wisely done as much as she could and then stopped.

A flicker of movement had me turning moments before an ANBU appeared at my side.

“Jonin Matsu?” the man asked. “Lord Mizukage has sent for you.”

That got me to take my hand away. I almost felt thankful for the distraction. Ameyuri could wait though, for now I needed to talk with Gengetsu. 

I was led into the wagon that he’d claimed as his domain. The instant I stepped inside the room shifted to that of an office. 

That got a pause from me. “Really? You’re going to try and hide it from me?” I asked, my eyes darting down to where I knew there was little more than a stump at his knee and arm. 

He glared at me and huffed. With a wave of his hand the illusion around his body vanished. His theatrics got a roll of my eyes as I moved to the side where I knelt by what appeared to be an empty bench.

“You’re slipping,” I said as I put my hands on Gengetsu’s actual body. 

He tensed for a moment only to regain control of himself. 

I let my chakra sweep through him before withdrawing it. “That should get you a bit more time,” I announced. Then I stepped back and looked towards his illusion. If he wanted to play games like that then he could continue to suffer most of the injuries I’d left him with last time.

The illusion faded, revealing that Gengetsu was scowling at me from where I’d just knelt. “Don’t patronise me!” he spat.

“You were the one playing games,” I pointed out. “I needed to make sure you weren’t about to keel over.” 

“Tch!” he clicked his tongue and began to run a hand through his hair only to pause as he raised his stump.

“Going to have to learn some chakra strings and get yourself a puppet limb,” I suggested. 

Gengetsu continued to scowl before he smirked. “Don’t get too cocky with me Jonin,” he growled. “I ha—”

“I understood what your intentions were with the… promotion of my students. Most of them aren’t ready for it but they’ll adapt. I have faith in them,” I replied quickly.

That earned another scoff from Gengetsu I shifted into a more relaxed position as the wagon shifted beneath me. “What happened after I passed out?”

Gengetsu sniffed. “I declared my survival to the other Villages and made examples of those that attempted anything.”

“Ah,” I replied. “There must be a lot of happy crows back there.”

Gengetsu chuckled. “Indeed. From there it was child’s play to sweep the battlefield and collect the injured along with the survivors. The dead, those that could be found, were also collected but that was someone else’s job.” He waved a hand dismissively. 

“Have to admit, I’m surprised you collected them,” I stated neutrally.

“You wanted to create a Medical division you’ll need to demonstrate its worth. Also there was no point leaving such useful tools to rust and fall to ruin,” he muttered. 

“Medical Division?” I parroted. My shoe scuffed the wooden floor before I hummed. “A medical division is but a part of what I want certianly.” My posture shifted so I was squared up on Gengetsu.

“Going forward Kirigakure needs a Medical Corps. I will be the Chief Medical Officer with complete oversight of the Corps. This position will also grant me a place on your advisory council.”

Gengetsu leaned back and laughed. “Ha! You’re going to have the clans and Swordsmen baying for your blood!” 

“Good,” came my response. “And I’m not done. To improve the capacity of Kirigakure we need to look into creating a hospital. I have a lot of ideas that I want to test for the running of such a facility. This will be under my purview.”

“A Hospital?” he sneered. 

To be fair, most hospitals in this time period were mere holding sites for the diseased.

“I’m going to redefine what a hospital is.  Think of it as an expanded hospital, looking to the care of our shinobi first, paying clients, and then other interests such as Research and Development covering items such as general health, poisons, and bloodlines.”

Gengetsu stared at me. “That’s ambitious…”

“It has to be. To make sure it operates how we need, I propose we utilise our influence within the Land of Honey to establish a training centre.” I stated, rattling off thoughts that I’d kept to myself for years now. 

“This will obfuscate the development of the medical corps to spies while also tightening our control. The Honey facility will be a testbed of ideas and training methods. Give me five years and I’ll have a trained army of medical staff that can hit the ground running when we establish ourselves within Kiri!” 

If I’d been able to I might have asked for a hospital within the Land of Vegetables but that would have resulted in too much scrutiny. I needed Mara and her family to remain hidden for my goals.

“Five years? That’s enough time for the world to have changed!”

“Precisely! With this creation we can introduce medical staff back to Kiri in phases while creating something that Kiri desperately needs!” I declared.

Gengetsu smirked. “Ah, now I see your gambit. Give yourself the power, create a corp beholden to you and then seed them back into Kiri eh?”

“That’s exactly it,” I replied shamelessly. 

Gengetsu stroked his chin. “Honey would work for us… it also advances certain goals of solidifying our control over the eastern continent for clients and resources.” 

He tilted his head and eyed me, a small smirk playing out on his lips. “You will be assigned additional missions within the area. You will not be allowed to languish with merely running a hospital with your own goals.”

“Which will mean I’ll have to trust you with longer periods of your body not failing you,” I pointed out.

Gengetsu nodded. “I am still Mizukage even with you holding a knife to me Matsu,” he declared.

“Of course,” I conceded with a incline of my head.

We both knew I needed him alive, now was just about giving him some more wiggle room. 

While I might have an advantage over him I was by no means ready to step up and take the reins, nor survive the other interested parties that would emerge with his death.

I needed Gengetsu as my shield, our situation was delicate and I had little doubt that I was going to be stepping very carefully for the quite a while.

But it bought me time I hadn’t had a few days ago.

And every moment that I got I planned to make the most of. 

Gengetsu raised a hand and a crutch that had been leaning on the wall slid across to him. 

Huh, he already knew chakra strings. 

He smirked at me. “The puppet limb idea has potential. Get me examples. I’m not the only veteran with injuries like this. Or better yet, learn how to regrow limbs with the team I’m going to assemble for you.”

He stood with the support of the crutch. “You’ll get three years starting from today. The Karatachi girl will serve as your second for the training group. I will expect monthly reports with results Matsu!” he ordered as he made his way to the back of the wagon.

“Of course,” I replied while inwardly wanting to roll my eyes. Blasted old man. With one hand he helps, and another he adds more weight to the task!

I held back a smirk as I recalled that he didn’t have another hand these days. 

When we reached the back of the wagon Gengetsu sat but signalled for me to stand at his right side. 

I raised an eyebrow but complied as a cluster of ANBU along with Hunter nin arrived a few moments later with a rather bedraggled Kori Yuki in tow. Behind them Fuguki Suikizan stepped into the ring.

Around us, the wagons paused for lunch.

People milled about but there was a notable bubble of stillness that no one seemed aware of around this drama. The circle of masked observers didn’t move from the boundary and they silently watched as the show began.

Kori Yuki stumbled as he was shoved forward. He scowled at Gengetsu. He looked like a man that had seen this play you out all too often before.

Despite the slump of his shoulders and the lowering of his head my mind itched as I watched him move. 

It was wrong… just slightly wrong.

Huh, he was a good actor.

When he reached a point Gengetsu raised a hand and signalled for him to stop. Then Gengetsu made a show of looking him over, then Gengetsu glanced at me. 

Kori’s focus shifted to me as a flicker of something ugly appeared only to return to Gengetsu.

With a start I realised that he had probably stood where I was now at Gengetsu’s side.

Huh, clever bastard, I thought as I eyed Gengetsu. 

He radiated glee as he leaned forward, like proximity would allow him a better taste of Kori’s despair. “That was a poor attempt. Tell me, did the addition of your little eye really embolden you that much?” Gengetsu teased. 

Kori slid forward, his body language all but screaming contrition and defeat, only for Gengetsu to sigh and hold up a hand. “Truly, you have lost respect for me, it would seem.” 

Gengetsu turned away from Kori, who glanced up. I spotted the spark of resentment in his eye then. There was a tension there. 

Kori Yuki was moments away from striking at Gengetsu.

“Remind me of the genjutsu I had you practise Matsu?” Gengetsu asked.

“The anti-dojutsu-illusion jutsu?” I replied, playing my part in this drama perfectly. 

Gengetsu tsked. “That’s a bit much on the tongue isn’t it? A bit garish no?” 

I shrugged. “It describes what it does well enough,” I offered. 

Gengetsu sighed. “Youth!” He turned back to a stunned Kori. “They’re far too literal these days wouldn’t you say?”

“Haha… Lord Mizuk—” Kori tried to say.

Gengetsu held up a hand. “Kori, Kori, Kori… I’m not mad, I’m… disappointed in you.”

I eyed Gengetsu wondering at what he was playing at. 

“You ran scurrying for scraps from Iwa with your pride all shattered and how has it turned out for you?”

Kori’s mouth opened and closed like a fish on a hook with no words coming out. 

Gengetsu sighed. An illusion that I could just perceive slid forward, walking without any sign of the injuries that Gengetsu had sustained. He moved up to Kori, wrapping an arm around him.

Despite leaning in close Gengetsu made sure that his words carried for all the watchers to hear. 

None of them moved but I could tell the various ANBU and hunter nin were watching, listening, and locking this moment into their minds.

Gengetsu almost looked like he was hugging Kori with how he was positioned. Despite the seemingly intimate position Kori looked more terrified than he had moments before when Gengetsu was sitting before him.

“I—”Kori started to say only for Gengetsu to shush him.

“Shhhh, it’s alright… I understand. You’re weak Kori, you understand that don’t you?” Gengetsu stage whispered.

“No I was just—”

“And that means I have to punish you,” Gengetsu said.

“Harvest the eye for reallocation,” Gengetsu ordered and it took me a moment to realise he was speaking to me.

“He’s still alive,” I replied. 

“I know,” Gengetsu turned and stared at me. “If the eyeball was what was causing him to forget himself well best he lose it. Wouldn’t you agree?”

That… I swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise within me. I couldn’t reject the order in front of everyone. Then Gengetsu would have to cut me down and he knew it.

He was showing me another method of how he could apply pressure to me.

Fucking Gengetsu. 

“Good, well get on with it!” he ordered and I stepped forward to do just that.

I pulled back Kori’s eyepatch to reveal that he was very much using it to try and see through the illusion Gengetsu had locked him in.

It wasn’t working as Kori barely registered my presence.

This… was not going to be a clean operation, I thought to myself as I moved to deaden the pain receptors. 

“Make sure he feels it,” Gengetsu added. 

I grimaced. I could still lower the pain levels but… I reached forward, peeling open Kori’s eyelid with one hand. 

Kori gasped at the touch. 

My chakra moulded itself around the eye to form a cup that would hold it safely. 

Then I drew it out carefully. To the untrained observer it would look like I was plucking the eye out of Kori’s head.

Kori whimpered and I hated myself for being part of this farce. I paused as I prepared to sever the optic nerve and blood vessels. 

I’d need to be quick for this.

I was just psyching myself up for the next part while repressing my gorge when Gengetsu raised a hand.

“Wait!” Gengetsu announced suddenly. “I’ve changed my mind!” he declared magnanimous. 

I stilled and around the clearing everyone waited with baited breath for Gengetsu to reveal the trick.

Kori groaned as a trickle of blood wept from Kori’s orbit at the stress of what I was doing.

Gengetsu smirked, his illusion leaning in to Kori’s ear. “I want you to remember this moment. What I gave you? That was scraps of power. Don’t think yourself suddenly strong. But I suppose your little encounter with Onoki showed that now didn’t it?” he taunted.

Kori’s jaw worked but he didn’t dare to say anything.

Gengetsu sat back. “You should thank me. I don’t want to waste more time with having to endure whatever waste of a shinobi would step up to fill your shoes Kori.”

“T-thank you Lord Mizukage,” stuttered Kori fearfully.

Gengetsu patted Kori on the cheek lightly, or rather the illusion did. “Who do you serve?” he asked.

Kori bowed his head in defeat. “You,” he muttered.

“Good, remember that and pray your use to me doesn’t end Kori. For I promise, the moment it does…” Gengetsu trailed off, and it was all too clear what would happen to Kori.

Kori shuddered and bowed as Gengetsu’s illusion strode away.

Gengetsu waved everyone away. 

They moved slowly away, watching as Kori sank to his knees.

I moved back towards Gengetsu.

He sighed at shot me an exasperated look as the chakra around us shifted. “Yes Matsu? Something else to say?”

“Just surprised you kept him alive.” I said, a question lingering between us, unspoken.

“Hmmm,” he gained a pleased smile as his focus shifted up to the sky. “Learn this lesson well Matsu. Not all of your enemies will be equal and some can serve you just as well as any friend or ally if you know how to wield them,” he answered vaguely. “To have enemies is not a curse as you might think of it, but rather a blessing.”

That, made a sort of sense to me, it kind of stunned me to hear Gengetsu say it though.

Nausea still ran through me at my part in tormenting Kori, despite that I didn’t spare the defeated man another look. Nor did I stop to heal the dribble of blood running down his face. 

Gengetsu waved me away and I didn’t hesitate to escape, knowing that several masked eyes were likely tracking me.

I returned to the wagon I’d rested in only to once more catch sight of Ameyuri.

With a sigh and a shake of my head I stalked over to her and began patching up the spots that Kuroiwa hadn’t been skilled enough to heal.

When I reached the final blockage that was restricting the blood flowing into her medula I cleared it up. Then I allowed her brain to float in a bath of healing chakra that I slowly swished back and forth.

Ameyuri stirred slowly. 

When she finally opened her eyes her focus wavered. “H-huh? What happened?” she rasped.

“Hello there Ameyuri, do you know you should be dead if not for my student’s efforts?” I gave her a drink of water to wet her throat and lips. 

She frowned as her mind began to work even as she swallowed greedily.

“Do you recall what happened?” I asked conversationally. There was a small chance that she wouldn’t but there was also a high likelihood. Shinobi were stronger than civilians in a lot of different ways after all.

Ameyuri looked at me blankly for a moment only to stiffen. “I—”

I leaned forward, my hand had remained on her chest while my chakra shifted within her causing her to still. I positioned myself so that our noses were almost touching. It was almost intimate. 

“You betrayed me Ameyuri,” I whispered as I looked right into her eyes that were shifting about trying to look anywhere but at me.

They darted around for a moment only to harden. “That’s just life—”

“No, that was death for Koda at least. It wasn’t life that pushed him and I out of that tunnel. It was a moment of weakness.” That made her stop and think. “You denied Koda his best chance at survival.”

She grimaced slightly at that before scoffing. “Listen kid that—”

My chakra twitched within her. “Ameyuri, you betrayed me. Now today I saw to your injuries, but I want you to understand something. Are you listening?”

Ameyuri frowned but nodded very slowly.

“Good. I want you to understand that my mercy is not weakness. If you attempt to betray me or hurt me in anyway, I will make an example of you.” 

I held my gaze with hers, not wavering for a moment.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?” I whispered.

She nodded slowly. “Don’t piss off the medic,” she said.

I almost chuckled as I sat up. “Yes, that too.” 

I stepped away from her only to pause. “Oh, and you should probably thank my students. They‘ve been making sure to swing past every few minutes to make sure you weren’t being raped while you were in a coma for the last few days.”

Ameyuri stiffened and her hands slid down her body. She only relaxed when she found she was still wearing underwear. 

She exhaled slowly and shot me a confused look. 

Then she lowered her eyes. “Matsu I… I’m sorry. In the tunnel I didn’t think I just acted.”

“Poorly,” I added to the end of her sentence. 

She nodded stiffly. “Yeah…”

I hummed and turned away. “Do better,” I suggested. “You owe me and my students now.”

Time would tell if that was a mistake on my part, but for the moment I felt it was the right choice to heal her.

That had to count for something.

I sat down in my wagon and allowed myself to relax for a few moments. 

I felt a little oily. It hadn’t escaped my notice how similar Gengetsu’s moment with Kori had been to mine with Ameyuri just now. Then I gave the confines a quick look over.

Three years…

In three years I’d be fifteen. 

I almost wished I could snap my fingers and get through the mountains of work that I knew lay before me.

But that wasn’t going to happen.

I needed to build up what I had.

Still, just because I was stuck in a convoy didn’t mean I couldn’t start on some things.

I put my hands into the signature cross seal as a smile stole across my face.

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” I declared as a puff of chakra smoke filled the wagon.

When I found myself staring at five clones I huffed. Not bad considering the state of my coils.

It would do for now.

I handed out some scrolls along with pens.

Time to get to work, as what was coming my way wasn’t about to wait for me to be ready for it.

________________

A.N. Thanks go to my patrons for your continued support! 

The temptation to have a Narutoesque Shippuden timeskip is strong but there’s a lot that needs to be shown happening.

That being said Matsu has certainly solidified himself as a player within Kiri now.

Better yet! Matsu now has the Shadow Clone Jutsu and has survived the aftermath of Gengetsu’s fight with Mu!