“It's nothing, Yagura-sama.” Rina said rather quickly, her hands clasped together behind her back as we walked further away from the village and into the mountainous cliff.

It was a brilliant view even from the base. And despite the chaos of the Tauyi village expansion, Midoriwara was a tropical beauty to behold. Periodic plumes of smoke and steam confused the sky with rainbows as sunlight pierced the humid air.

It was hotter than I was used to on the mainland, enough that my scarf felt like a sweltering leash I had to loosen and we climbed. Rina seemed otherwise unbothered. At first glance anyone would credit her imperviousness to the short sleeved undershirt and baggy shinobi shorts but I knew Hozuki clan members enjoyed an almost unconscious temperature regulation as an aftereffect of training their [Hiden].

“If you pay him too much attention he'll start making demands larger than he's worth. Mei-taicho and I have compromised enough, your influence isn't needed here.” she clarified with a smile.

I nodded, glad to hear it wasn't anything worth my attention. Though my interest was piqued, “Mei, what did she promise them? What was reason was there to promise anything?”

She stared at her feet, her smile became a little more strain and sheepish as she kicked at a convenient rock in her path, “I wasn't in the best position to keep the Nettou clan at Tauyi village after the rescue operation. Fuguki-taicho had ordered the villagers to be accommodating but…hospitality is given not taken.

“I knew it wouldn't take long for problems to arise. Tauyi itself was barely standing on its own and they'd already been generous with the hospitality the first time around, before the Kumo-nin chased the Nettou clan into the forests.”

I nodded as I listened to her, “You could sympathise with both sides. Good.”

At my fair bit of praise she straighten up a bit as she continued, “Yes, but I didn't know how to solve it and frankly I wasn't sure I was the one to. I was right. Mei-San came by not long after and she, well she might have taken to the collective plight a bit too intently and she managed to convince the villagers to work by her personal compensation.

“Not only that, she's been the one leading the construction efforts. The one thing both Tauyi and the Nettou clan need is space. And she's building it all with her clan funds, or at least I think she is.”

Mei pinching from her inheritance to help shelter and feed a long prosecuted clan sounded much like her. It gladdened me to see I was alone in this, even though I wasn't made aware of her actions beforehand.

I had drawn up some vague plans for any Bloodline clan Rina manage to find, if any, when I first gave her the mission. Those plans generally aligned with the idea that they'd be living at the new base sites on Midoriwara and Yureisen when they got to building. However, Mei's initiative might force me to reconsider entirely.

I sidestepped the administrative lull of those thoughts and said to Rina as I caught her stealing glances, “Don't sell yourself short, Rina. Without you, without your teams efforts here there would be no preservation or expansion. There would only be mourning.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

We stopped climbing as we reached a peak. It was a small but dangerous drop down to Tauyi from here but the sprawl of vegetation, the scamper of wildlife at our approach and the perfumed aroma of the shrubbery dispersed by a nearby geyser made watching the sun beginning to set a luxurious view to die for.

“Thank you, Yagura-sama. It means a lot coming from you. I just hate that my I failed to protect my subordinate on their first mission with me.”

I quickly recalled the casualty she'd recorded in her report. A clan less boy, Sakai. Once again it gladdened me to see the clanless Kiri-nin be appreciated, even if it is in death. But that had next to nothing to do with how she was feeling right now, I knew well enough, first hand war experience losing many of my division to Leaf-nin.

Yet, at the same time I felt a cold stoicism over my heart as I recalled the memory of their loss. Even before I'd become one with Jason there was a strategic detachment to their losses. I couldn't say whether I'd intellectualized it, found something else to blame so I could live on with myself.

No, I remember. I threw myself into the bonfire for strength greater than what I felt I could accomplish on my own. I volunteered to be a jinchuriki.

Rina's situation and her attitude was similar, at first glance I could tell she had the potential to be just as reckless. “I understand what it feels like to think yourself responsible for every life entrusted to your care. However, we are shinobi. Those fallen in this war, in others, they did not rise because they thought themselves undying. The longevity of our village relies on the selfless acts of loyalty and the pursuit of greater honor for all amongst us. Thanks to Sakai, thanks to Team Rina, another clan, another land has been won for the future generations.”

I rested a hand on her slackened shoulder, “That said, I am the one who sent him to war. His death and many others however they occurred are mine to bear, first and foremost.”

She smiled, grateful for the comfort but I knew deep down my words failed to penetrate the cocoon of guilt she'd begun to entrap her heart in. “Thank you for saying so, Yagura-sama.”

I waved her off, “Nana Megumi is proud and so am I.”

She beamed at that, fog seemingly lifted. She made to ask something but stopped at the sound of approaching voices. I recognized one as Ao and as he chattered and laughed up the cliff to us another voice spoke. Cherry, smooth, seductive.

Mei, Ao and a cloaked ANBU-bin with a menacing fanged mask appeared over the incline. Mei was dressed much the same as Rina except she had trousers rolled up to her knees, feet, ankles and parts of her face slick with mud as she laughed alongside Ao.

Her striking red eyes found me with a smirk curling her lips, “Yagura-sama!” she hopped and skipped, “Kurohane is such a stick in the mud. Refuses to trust your bodyguard with a message meant for you.” she rolled her eyes at the otherwise unbothered cloaked ANBU-nin.

Ao chuckled and Rina hung around Mei whispering something. “Hurtful as the implication may be, I believe Kurohane does have a pressing message to deliver. He's been searching the isles for us apparently.” Ao said, approaching with the ANBU-nin, distracting me from Mei's playfulness as she rubbed herself clean of mud with Tina's unwilling cheeks.

I sighed and nodded for the ANBU-nin to come forward. He knelt and with my attention on him I recognized his mask as one from Raiga’s Fang Squadron.

“Kiba sent you?”

Amazingly he shook his head, “Junichi, your personal aide tasked me with delivering this. He insisted that you be the first and only one to receive it.”

Kurohane presented me with a scroll small and short of length to hold a brief message. I unfurled it and read, there were only two sentences but they completely pulled my attention away from Mei's presence.

‘Yondaime Hokage sent a single envoy. I believe Konoha is ready.’