By now the entire village knew of the Third’s death and many speculated the cause. Without an official announcement and how soon he was buried, rumours began to propagate unheeded. Of which assassination seemed 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 claimed that the perpetrator came 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 men and women, Kirigakure’s own shinobi were being slaughtered on the slight suspicion of harbouring hatred to the Sandaime, 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 Mei and Ao who sat beside me in one of the Mizukage’s council rooms.

Of the Seven Swordsmen 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 Megumi who was the first to encounter the message and call for help.

“Obviously it wasn’t meant to explode, the message was meant to be received and terror stricken into our grieving hearts.” Nana Megumi began, she didn’t speak like someone 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 message as well, this one attached to a flung kunai.” He nodded at Rina who sat beside Nana Megumi and the Chuunin, surrounded by many oppressive figures hesitated to speak.

“Mother would have come herself but the message…they are wicked words.” She said as she shifted on her mat and produced the weapon in question, “It came in through a window while we served dinner, embedded itself right in the turkey mother was carrying to the table. I destroyed the message the moment 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?” Mei 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 Megumi’s wrinkled face drew into a scowl that promised a painful death to whoever was behind these messages.

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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 Sandaime 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, “Whomever we’ve captured and or executed are not innocent.”

I had to speak to that, “Maybe not of petty crimes but of this? Are you saying the low caste Genin and Chuunin you took had a hand in Sandaime-sama’s murder?”

Owl mask’s hands fell at her side as clenched fists and I felt her gaze harden on me 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 Sandaime-sama’s mercies to her kind.”

The Funato clan head stroked his thin beard as he groaned, “Never mind that, in regards to your summons, Mei, 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. Someone had to be behind all of this. In the anime only Mei, Fuguki and Ao are glimpsed on screen, I don’t know how Madara and Obito’s schemes 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 hammering the nail and sending me into an unbreakable genjutsu.

Fuck. This had better not kill me.

“Mei, Ao, follow Owl-san here to investigate Konoha’s involvement.” The old man glanced at Fuguki and I, “Only a week remains till we carry out the succession, Fuguki, guard Megumi-dono. Yagura, protect Sandaime-sama’s family.”

“Forgive me, I believe it will be best that I watch Sandaime-sama’s family as well. I will assign a squad to Ao and Mei 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 meant I practised both hand sign speed and precise chakra control.

I’ve only cast it once successfully— though it failed a moment afterwards because I couldn’t control my excitement— 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 some 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 Megumi shifted her mat closer and sat while the rest of us filed out of the room into the blue hallway.

Fuguki cast me 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. Mei 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 blame me? 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 me with a fierce and determined fire in her eyes. Her hands clutched the kunai that bore that god awful message, “Please, make me strong!”