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Naruto: The Outsider's Resolve: CH_252
🕑 Added 2024-05-21 21:05:02 +0000 UTCThe Kumi family estate had changed a lot in the past few days. It contained a serene environment of tranquility and peace—guests were rare and only those who were trusted were allowed in. But since the past few days, that tranquility had been broken by the outsiders who had all but taken over the estate. There was a discomfort among those who worked at the estate, having to be in the presence of shinobi who were supposed to be enemies of the city.
All of the changes had been brought by the young boss Gyon who had taken over since the boss' health had taken a turn for the worse. The people had tried to question him about the changes, but Gyon refused to give any reasonable justification and only replied that it was for the betterment of the family—but those in the know-how knew that Gyon had collaborated with the Hidden Frost shinobi to gain control of the family.
Just yesterday, a Hidden Frost jonin by the name of Ebi had visited the estate to have a closed-door meeting with Gyon, and no one knew what was discussed—just that Gyon hadn't looked pleased or even normal since the meeting.
"So this Gaku; he's a Hidden Steam shinobi?"
In another closed-door meeting, a Hidden Frost chunin questioned Gyon. They had been going at it for thirty minutes already and Gyon was getting frustrated. He didn't think it would be like this; he thought he would be in full control of the family and his influence over the city would boost with the support of shinobi behind him, but they were treating him like he was lying to them, keeping information from him.
"Yes."
"And he's from Yu?"
"I don't know if he's from here or not, but he had been living in the city for the past five years—but then he left soon after you guys arrived."
"Doesn't look like he left. In fact, he has been helping the Hidden Leaf traitor."
Gyon glared at the chunin. "I already told you, I didn't know he was in the city until he made contact with us. I barely met him twice and both times. I don't know where he's right now or what he's doing now. My father was the one who mainly dealt with them."
"Your father... are you sure he's the only one who knows the real location?"
"Yes," he sighed, "he gave everyone fake addresses."
"Even you, his son?" The chunin chuckled, "I guess it makes sense."
Gyon clenched his fist, digging his fingernails into his skin to control his anger. The shinobi didn't hide his sarcasm, it was dripping in his voice—he was mocking the choice he made of betraying his father and family. Even though he was helping them, he was getting mocked in return.
"Any more questions?" he asked.
The chunin stared at him for a moment. "Not for now." He stood up and looked down at him "We'll be in touch. If your father wakes up, or, Takuma or Gaku make contact with you, reach out to us as soon as possible."
Gyon felt a pit in his stomach at the thought of his father interrogated by the shinobi. Yesterday when Ebi had visited him, he had shared the method and findings of Motohiro's resistance group's interrogation in graphic detail. The thought of his father going through the same treatment sent a chill down his spine. He hadn't thought that the shinobi might go after his father. Suddenly, he was regretting the choice he had made.
And now he had no idea how to fix this. He had held a hand that he couldn't let go.
The sliding door opened and without looking up, Gyon said,
"Leave. I wish to be alone."
When there was no response, no footsteps, and no sound of sliding door, Gyon looked up to see one of the young members standing by the door. There was no expression on his face and he was looking at him without blinking.
"You... aren't you Miru's underling?" said Gaku, unable to remember his name.
He felt something off, but couldn't put his finger on it, and neither did he think much about it because he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Just when he was about to ask him again, the underling spoke.
"Was it worth it?" he asked.
"Excuse me?"
"You got the control of the family... but at what cost? You've lost the respect of all who work under you, and those who agree are just bootlickers yes-men who would say yes if you asked to fuck their wives."
"What the fuck are you saying? Do you realise what you are doing right now?" Gyon snarled as he got up to confront the lowly underling. It hit a chord in his mind because somewhere deep he knew it to be true. Half of the Kumi lieutenants had refused to talk to him and had showed bare-minimum support in this time of crisis. He had gotten the control of the family, but lost everything else. Even his mother had been cold to him.
"It looks like to me that you don't want to be part of the family anymore."
Gyon raised his hand to grab the underling's throat, but it was grabbed halfway through. He didn't think much about it as if it wasn't a lieutenant, no one in the family could compete in him with his strength, but when he tried to push, the hand grabbing him didn't budge. He was surprised and this time tugged, but wasn't able to free his hand much less move it.
"W-What? Who—"
There was a sudden puff of smoke to reveal Takuma standing in front. In an instant, a primal fear rose from the deepest depth of his being as he stared at the cold, rigid black eyes that were looking at him as though he an insignificant vermin. His heart was pumping and sweat built up on his skin as he felt the grip tighten around his wrist. There was no question that he was in grave danger, so Gyon followed his first instinct and screamed—but the moment, he opened his mouth, Takuma swung a kunai and lodged it in his throat before he could utter a single syllable. Gyon's forgot about screaming as he went into shock. Takuma pushed him back, de-lodging the kunai, causing the blood to spurt out. He tried to plug the wound, but nothing he did stopped the blood from flowing.
"You put some really good people, who care deeply for the city, in danger. You even poisoned your own father, you rat," said Takuma as he stared down at him with nary an emotion on his face.
Gyon would've denied the claim; he hadn't done anything to his father, but he had lost his voice box.
"I'm less angry about the fact that you tried to sell me out, and feel more pity towards Hoshiguro that he raised a son like you. To face such betrayal by your own blood. I wouldn't wish that for my worst enemy—which is why I hope your children aren't the first one to find you like this."
Those words triggered the revolving lantern as his body became cold and he stopped struggling. He laid down on the floor and stared at the ceiling as the blood pooled around him. In his last moments, he remembered his little twins; he realised that he wouldn't be there as they grew up, that they won't have a father figure. With his father bedridden and him dead, who know what would happen to the Kumi family, but he grasped that his children won't inherit the Kumi family as one of the lieutenants would take over. He worried about his mother and wife, wondering how their life would be—if they would receive proper support. He hadn't impressed upon the family members to win their loyalty, but he hoped that at least his father had earned them some goodwill which would help his personal family.
As he felt his vision go dark, he saw Takuma in the corner of his vision. The young shinobi knelt beside him and whispered something he barely caught,
"I wanted to make you suffer, but I don't have the time.... But I hope you rot in hell," he said before stabbing him in the heart.
'I'm sorry,'
Gyon said to his family before everything went black.
———
.
Takuma moved away as the blood pool inched away. He looked down at Gyon and the kunai in his chest; he was going to leave it there so people could tell who exactly who had done the deed. And after a brief thought, he walked used Gyon's blood to write TRAITOR on the wall. He wiped his bloody hands on Gyon's clothes and opened the door to exit the room only to find a woman who worked at the estate outside.
She was surprised which then turned to shock and fear when she saw the bloodstains on his clothes and hands. And then she looked past him into the room and saw Gyon's corpse and bloody words
"Ssshhh..."
Takuma pulled out another kunai and held it against her neck. He wasn't worried because the Hidden Frost shinobi had already left and no one on the property was a threat to him even if they all teamed together against him.
"Miss, I don't want to harm you, and I won't harm if you follow my orders. Nod if you understand."
The scared woman nodded rigidly and hastily.
"Good," Takuma smiled, which made him look sinister which boosted the fear in the woman. "Do you see that tree near the boundary?" He pointed at the tree which was planted next to the estate's walls.
The woman nodded again.
"Very good. Now, I want you to walk to that tree and slowly count to hundred before doing whatever you want. If you move before completing the count, I will know, and you will end up the same as him... Nod if you understand."
"Y-Yes, I will do it, so p-please...."
The woman seemed was out of breath and looked faint.
"It's okay, take deep breaths. I don't want to harm you so as long as you follow my instructions, I can guarantee that you won't ever see me again," Takuma said in a calming voice, not sure if it would many any difference. "Now go and stand there."
The woman moved with shaky steps and kept looking back at him. He stayed there until she was a few steps away before disappearing so when she reached the tree and looked back, he was no longer there.
"1... 2... 3...."
———
.
[TRAITOR]
Ebi looked at the bold words written on the wall. It was his first time seeing words written in blood in a scene in person. He looked down at the dried pool of blood where the body used to be. They had moved the body, and all that remained was the kunai used for murder, which was now in his hand.
"It's him."
Ebi wasn't alone in the room. He looked at Kon who stood next to the bloody wall, observing as though there was secret locked in the accusing words.
"Uh-huh, the question is if you can find him," Ebi asked.
He had been involved the interrogations of Motohiro's resistance group—they had rounded up all of the known group members, their family members, friends, and anyone who they thought could give them an answer, but no one seemed to have an answer. Takuma or Tobi—or whatever they called him—no one knew anything about him except for the fact that he was always with Gaku, the Hidden Steam shinobi.
"He's careful, he has been since I caught him, but you pissed him this time, he is pissed that you arrested his little civilian rebels" said Kon, chuckling as though finding it amusing. There was a strange look in his eyes as he moved on to look at the pool of blood. "Have you questioned any of the lieutenants? The Kumi were in a state of instability, they might've collaborated with him to take out the traitor."
"They're being rounded up as he we speak."
"Look into the Goharu family as well. He might have gone to help them take the enemy's head."
That made sense. Ebi knew that the Goharu family hadn't been happy since the Aranai's poisoned drug incident for which they were being punished, and now the Hidden Frost, who was their backer, was getting close to their rivals. That was enough motive to hire a shinobi to plunge the Kumi family into chaos by assassinating Gyon while Hoshiguro was bedridden.
"I'll make the orders," said Ebi.
Kon massaged and rotated his right arm and shoulder that had been injured as he looked at Ebi.
"I don't know what, but you should be prepared."
"For what?" asked Ebi.
Kon shook his head. "I don't know, but after seeing this... something's big is coming," he looked at the bloody message.
Six days until the main forces arrived at Yu.
———
.
A/N: Finally, the time to return to public releases after 1+ month of not doing any public releases.
Comments
The Duke of Nova Scotia
I'm excited for the Takuma-Kon rematch.
