章 29: Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Utakata couldn't move. When he regained consciousness, he stared at the ceiling in his room. The last thing he remembered before red consumed him was him fighting the Three-Tails. Now, he felt like his limbs were broken in five different ways. It was even more challenging to breathe as with each long breath, he felt pain in his chest.
It wasn't hard to conclude what happened. Seeing as he was still alive and lying in his bed, it only meant that Harusame managed to seal the Three-Tails into Yagura. And after losing his control, Yagura beat the shit out of Utakata. Utakata could feel how badly he was beaten, as he didn't have the strength nor desire to move in his bed.
"You are finally awake," Harusame, whom Utakata ignored due to the pain, said by the side of his bed. "You have been out for three days."
"That badly, eh?" Utakata couldn't help but ask. Even with the six-tails chakra cloak, Yagura kicked his ass to the point where it took three days to heal him, and even then, he still couldn't move much in his bed. "At least the mission was successful."
"It was, all thanks to you," Harusame replied. "And don't look down on yourself so much. You are so badly injured because any less wouldn't have stopped you."
Even though Utakata didn't remember the fight at all, he knew that all he probably did was receive a beating. He probably got more mad with each hit, so he was punished with another until his body couldn't handle it anymore and collapsed. And that happened just after Yagura sealed the Three-tails into himself, so he wasn't even in his best condition.
It only confirmed that Utakata was still too weak. If he wanted to escape this village, he needed to be at least as strong as Yagura. Otherwise, he will never be free. Even if he ran away now, after the Hunter-nin, Yagura might come after him. At this moment, losing a jinchuriki and one of the Seven Swordsmen would not be acceptable for the village.
"What now?" Utakata asked, wanting to change the subject before Harusame detected his thoughts.
"Now, you rest. You have a week off."
"How generous," Utakata replied, knowing it was the best he would get.
"Take it easy, and this time, I am serious," Harusame said after patting Utakata's shoulder and before leaving.
Left alone in his room, Utakata wanted to remember his fight with Yagura, but at best, his memories were blurry or nonexistent. Still, he had nothing better to do. Lying on the bed and doing nothing was a waste of time for him. He needed to get better so he could continue his training. He knew he couldn't stay in the village forever, even after the war. The sooner he got stronger, the sooner he had a chance to escape.
…
The week passed quickly. It took a few more days for him to heal completely, and he spent the rest of the days trying to master the Sewing Needle. He has improved, but he knew he learned the basics at best. He still had a long way to go. Still, he could feel that he was steadily getting better, and if he continued the way he was, it wouldn't take long before he was ready.
But before he realized it, the week he was given to rest was over, and a new mission was issued. He was to join his fellow members of the Seven Swordsmen and track down a group of rebels trying to overthrow the Daimyo of the Land of the Water. It was the kind of mission that Genin would take to get bloodied and ready for a more serious battle. But since the Daimyo asked for the elite to handle the situation, the village had no choice but to send their elite.
"So, it's you," Utakata said as he saw who his partner for the mission would be.
"Long time to see, Utakata," Jinin Akebino waved his hand with a big smile. "It has been some time since we were on the same mission. Did you grow taller?"
Utakata sighed and could only thank the gods that it wasn't Kisame. The man in his forties was easier to deal with than the fish head. The old man with the most destructive weapon in the village was too outgoing for Utakata's liking. He would have preferred Zabuza, who wouldn't say a word if not asked and not for the mission's sake. And Utakata could feel that Jinin was more perspective than he looked.
"Let's not waste time and get this over with," Utakata said, wanting to finish this fast and not deal with Jinin.
"Sure, it is nice to be young," Jinin laughed as they moved through the Land of the Water to their destination. "But one has to wonder how low the mighty have fallen."
"What do you mean?" Jinin's words got Utakata's attention, and he couldn't help but ask.
"We are the Seven Swordsmen, the best military force of the village," Jinin said, pride evident in his voice. "Yet, we have been given such nasty work of the late. Bring back the informant, kill some no-name shinobi, and defend the nobles. And now we are sent to kill some bandits."
"They are rebels rising to oppose the Daimyo," Utakata corrected Jinin.
"Don't be a fool," Jinin laughed at the Utakata's words. "We are nothing but glorified dogs sent to deal with some troublemakers that caused some trouble for the nobles. And since they can't deal with them, they overstated the importance of these so-called rebels to look good in front of Daimyo."
"What you point?" Utakata could tell that Jinin was going somewhere with it.
"It hasn't been long since you joined the Seven Swordsmen," Jinin said. "But in my time, we meant something. We were the last resort, the last defense of the village. When we were sent away from the Mist, the other villages would prepare themselves for the fear of what we could do. The world trembled with the mention of our name."
"And now we are just glorified dogs," Utakata summarized.
"It will only get worse," Jinin replied. His smile was gone now. "I understand that the Mizukage has to make concessions with the Daimyo as he is still new to the job. But it doesn't fill me with trust in him when we are treated like this. How long will it last? Another year? Five?"
"It is your fault for losing and getting half of you killed in the war," Utakata didn't hold his words back.
"Part of me wishes I had died that day, too," Jinin didn't take offense. "At least then I would have died as a heroic figure. Fighting against an unimaginable foe. What a glorious fight it was, what a glorious death it could have been for me."
Utakata only understood that Jinin was mad. Unlike him, Utakata didn't care much about the name of the Seven Swordsmen. But he still could be sympathetic to the old man used by the village. He could understand being something you didn't want to be because you had no choice. But Utakata couldn't bring himself to care about a man who wanted to live in the past.
…
They didn't take long to arrive in the town near the capital, where the so-called rebels were operating. Utakata believed that, at most, these rebels were just bandits making trouble for the nobles. He previously dealt with so-called pirates, who, in the end, were just a group of fishermen who took a few merchant vessels when an opportunity presented.
Utakata didn't know how this was anything different. But neither does he care. He will deal with this mission and return to his training. He had something more important to think about than some bandits. He had his eyes set on Yagura; until he reached that level, he wouldn't stop moving forward. Utakata won't stop getting stronger and better.
"It is quite peaceful," Jinin commented as they entered a local tavern. "Not something you would see with rebels running around in the area."
"They are part of them," Utakata replied, looking at the people who tried not to look suspiciously at them. "How are we doing this?"
"There's no need to overthink this," Jinin smiled before drawing his weapons.
Utakata didn't participate, but neither did he stop Jinin from wrecking the tavern and beating up the civilians. At first, the people stood firm, but after Jinin cut off a few limbs, they started singing. They left the tavern in the wreckage and knew the rebels' hideout. On the way, Jinin cleaned the blood of his weapon.
No matter how tough they think they are, they still are civilians who can't do anything against Shinobi. Jinin didn't even need to kill anyone, and taking a few limbs of them was enough to break their resolve. Seeing their loved ones in pain was too much for them. But Utakata hated the looks they got as they left. They were monsters to these people, and Utakata couldn't deny it.
"The forest, huh?" Jinin asked. "It shouldn't take long to smoke them off."
"By burning the forest, you will take away the livelihood of many of the people living in that town," Utakata said, knowing well what Jinin was planning.
"It is none of our concern," Jinin replied. "But if you know a better way, I am listening."
"There is no need for a plan," Utakata said. "They are no shinobi. Once we enter the forest, it won't take long to find traces they left behind."
Jinin laughed at Utakata's words, but Utakata soon proved correct. It didn't take an hour to find the traces that led to their hideout once they entered the forest. There were more than a few dozen of them gathered in one place. But the numbers didn't matter. Jinin eagerly went to work, destroying the wooden defenses and killing everyone inside.
Utakata was behind him, ensuring no one could even try to run away. Utakata didn't sense any shinobi. All of them were just ordinary people with swords and spears and bows. They stood no chance against Jinin and Utakata. In mere moments, the hideout was littered with corpses and blood stains. Only the leader was left now.
"Hahaha," The leader has lost his mind seeing all his men dead before him. "I should have expected we wouldn't have stood a chance against the Daimyo's dogs. But it changes nothing. We wouldn't been able to survive to begin with."
"Are those your last words?" Jinin asked as he picked up the leader by his throat.
"Who even cares about my last words?" The leader said only madness was left in his eyes. "My name will be forgotten, and so will my actions. But the like of you won't get anything better than me. This country is finished. It will only be a matter of time before more like me rise to try to survive. You shinobi will do the same once your freedom and purpose is taken away."
With an audible crunch, Jinin broke the leader's neck. The mission was accomplished. Jinin let the lifeless body fall to the ground. Yet his smile was gone as he looked at the dead body. Utakata wondered what was going on in Jinin's head. Did he know just as Utakata that the leader's words weren't that far off from the truth?
"Dogs, huh?" Jinin muttered under his breath. "I lied when I said that part of me wanted to die on that day with the others. All of me wanted to die."
"Let's return," Utakata said, not wanting to listen to Jinin.
"I am dying," Utakata stopped moving when he heard what Jinin said. "The old wounds and the old age are catching up to me. I might have another five, maybe seven years to go on. But what is the point of such a life if all I do is hunt rabbits? If the last moments of my glorious life will be this, then I might die now."
"What are you getting at?" Utakata asked, seeing that Jinin had gone entirely mad.
"I won't die like a hunting dog," Jinin said. "I want you to kill me, Utakata of Blood Waters."
"What?"
"A last battle between the old generation and the new," Jinin added, not listening to Utakata. "I will give you five years. Get stronger, strong enough to kill. Then I will come after you, and it will be your job to stop me. And the only way to stop me will be to kill me. That the only way of my death has some meaning."
"You crazy bastard, why are you telling me this?" Utakata didn't like it even one bit. "I refuse to be your executioner blade. Are you even listening to me?"
Jinin wasn't listening to Utakata. He left him alone. Utakata punched the wooden wall in anger, breaking it into splinters. He didn't know what got into Jinin, but Utakata could tell the bastard was serious. And Utakata didn't know what to do. There was no way that anyone would believe if he told them this. And even if they did, would they even care?
This whole situation was crazy, and he didn't want to get involved. Yet, Utakata knew that Jinin was going to try to kill him in five years to get killed in his twisted way. Pushing down the anger, Utakata had no choice but to agree with it. But he won't do it because Jinin asked him. He will do it to prove himself. He will do it to prove himself to be strong enough to leave the village. Jinin will be the wall that Utakata will break to escape this god-forsaken village and country.
A.N. As always, If you want more, up to seven advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852. And if you have any requests for stories, I will only take them on my pa treon.
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