Capítulo 21: Designated Seeker
Shogo POV
My heart lurches in my chest from the unexpected summon with my full fucking name by the way. Byakuren's uninjured pupil is trained on my stunned form before he once again looks forward. I glance at the hostile crowd in front of us. They still stand still in line like statues, but every single eye is trained on my skull.
Slowly, I make my way to stand in the proverbial hotseat, where both Kambei and Gengetsu had been grilled moments prior by Byakuren. I still use the sand sword as a crutch to speed up my hobbling. After what seems like ages, I am uncomfortably kneeling in the same position Kambei had been in before.
"The rest of you are all dismissed! The assigned units are still the same and make sure you follow the orders of your generals."
Byakuren's dismissal is met with complete silence, so I look up to see what has happened only to see neither Kambei nor Kikuchiyo behind him. I turn my head around expecting to see a legion of ninja standing behind me still. However, only a single katana wielding kunoichi with short brown hair wearing a white mask with slits where the eye holes should be, energetically waves at me then subsequently vanishes as well like everyone else.
There is no doubt in my mind that the woman had been Tamari, I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me that she would also be a part of this initiative until now. I've only seen her about four times, three of which she came to Hana's home for tea to talk both of our ears off about some drama in her friend group and her relationship with Gengetsu. Tamari never said a thing about the unification war, but I guess that was by design.
The last time I saw Tamari, which was about two months ago, Hana had invited her to one of our geography lessons to fill all the holes in my knowledge. Tamari was more than happy to help if not a little too eager as she brought over twenty books and scrolls for me to go over. Even though it was a taxing day of memorization, the knowledge is extremely valuable as it comes from a person whose missions have taken her all over the world.
"Shogo-kun, walk with me…"
Byakuren starts walking away to my right along the beach and I quickly get up to follow behind him.
As we're walking, I notice the mist slowly starts to dissipate in front of Byakuren like it is making way for a path.
'The old man must be the one controlling all this mist! It must be covering the entire like a fucking blanket! How is shit like this even possible?!'
We walk a couple more steps and then the mist dissipates completely to reveal that Byakuren had led me deep into the jungle on the island without me noticing at all.
Completely ignoring my shock and apprehension, Byakuren continues walking toward a small wooden hut sheltered by a cluster of bent over trees. He enters the hut through a cloth flap and leaves me standing outside reluctant to follow.
'C'mon Shogo stop being a bitch! If he has some sick shit planned, it's going to end in us both being blown sky high to the fucking moon.'
Mustering up some courage and patting the three explosive tags I have in the pouch of ninja tools strapped on the right of my lower back.
Whether that ass clown, Gengetsu, expects me to use the shit he throws at me during training or not, I have made it a point to collect discarded ninja shit near the lake and stock my pouch just to be prepared.
With my right hand primed to reach into a small pack and my left hand tightly grasping the hilt of my sword, I enter the hut through the flap and am greeted with the sight of Byakuren sitting with his eyes closed at a small square table with a small fire at his back sipping on tea.
He opens his unwounded right eye and scans my hostile posture then simply sets his tea down on the table,
"Sit down, young one, we have much to discuss."
Byakuren's voice is a lot less threatening than it usually is, which throws me for a loop, but I obey him nonetheless and sit opposite to him at the table. Though I subtly reach into my pouch below the table caressing the explosive tag under my index finger and thumb.
"Tea?"
Byakuren lifts a steaming kettle pot with his eyebrow raised.
I refuse his offer with a slow head shake, keeping my unblinking gaze on his devastatingly lethal hands.
"It's your loss, this is the best batch I've made in weeks!"
Byakuren shrugs his shoulders and grins at me, but I remain impassive trying to get a read on why he had brought me here and what he planned to tell me.
Then he sighs and I can feel the energy shift in the room,
"Sheesh brat, you clearly haven't been taught how to indulge in small talk. Sometimes wasting a little time before the big conversations is a necessary skill as well. You'd do well to learn that as early as you can."
Both of Byakuren's eyes are now open and it feels like they are examining every detail of my soul. The intensity in his gaze makes it hard for me to look away but I lock my eyes on his hands that are pressed against the table only see my pouch under his left hand and my sword under his right hand.
My mind goes blank in that moment as I reflexively grasp for where the weapons should've been on my person only to be greeted with handfuls of nothing. All the saliva in my mouth is gone at this point and my sense of dread becomes overwhelming.
Byakuren slides both objects over to my side of the table but I don't dare reach for them. Instead, I follow his wrinkly pale fingers with my eyes intent on never losing sight of them again.
"Ya'know Shogo, you and I are a lot alike. Sure, we may look very different, but I am convinced we are cut from the same cloth."
I say nothing in response, Byakuren's hands have stayed in a folded position on the table in front of him since he pushed my stuff across the table.
"I myself was not born in Water country. I washed up on this very island when I was only thirteen-year-old with only the clothes on my back and an infected gash through my left eye. Much like you did as an infant on Kitajima's shores."
This information comes as a shock to me, since the man seems so deeply invested in the betterment of the Land of Water. I wondered how he got the temple to give him info about my origin but knowing those assholes it probably wasn't hard.
"I was born into a rogue samurai clan that defected from the shogun's rule in Iron Country. The clan was at constant war trying to carve a place for itself in the elemental nations. But all of the powerful ninja clans scattered across the mainland made it an impossible task for such a small contingent of mediocre swordsmen."
Byakuren pauses and takes a sip of tea,
"Throughout my early childhood we never stayed in one place for more than a few weeks, raiding villages and other small clans for valuables was the only way we lived. The clan lived by a twisted version of the bushido code, but we were little more than bandits. My parents both died in one of the numerous raids and I simply became one of the clan's many wards."
Another pause for a sip,
"One faithful day, the clan head at the time decided it was time to try the clan's luck overseas. So, we commandeered a relatively large fishing boat and set sail for the Land of Water."
Byakuren's chuckles as he continues to regale his past,
"Our plan was to launch a raid on the Nakajima's docking village starting from the docks of course and work our way to capturing the daimyo's palace."
The audacity of his clan's actions back then is troubling. What could have possibly made them think they would be able to overthrow the Water daimyo if they got chased off of the mainland?
"Ah you look curious to know why we were so bold in attacking the daimyo. Well, it was simple; we had finally managed to arm every warrior with armor and weapons, the daimyo's forces were still recovering from the major loss the Hozuki clan took against the Uzumaki clan, and then we had a secret weapon: me."
'No fucking shit! Of course, a dude who can behead a person with their bare hands would be a secret damn weapon!'
I clutch my pants legs, as it is becoming hard to keep my eyes from blinking.
"At that time, I was a far cry from what I am today. I barely knew who to use my chakra and just waved around a katana faster than my clan mates. My small stature and speed made me a handful to deal with in one-on-one combat, so I was revered as the best swordsman in my clan because of it."
The picture of an even smaller baby faced Byakuren waving around a katana bigger than pops into my mind. I must choke down my laughter not wanting to provoke the intimidating fossil in front of me.
Byakuren's voice suddenly turns grim,
"We didn't even make it past the first security checkpoint before the boat was bombarded with water jutsu after water jutsu. In the slaughter of my clanmates on the fishing boat, I tried to fight off any ninja that leapt on board the now sinking ship."
Another long obnoxious sip of tea,
"I managed to wound a few but I was quickly overwhelmed. So, I decided to make a hasty retreat and ran toward the escape boat that my surviving clansmen were loading onto, intent on leaving with them."
For some reason that first bit seems like a load of bullshit, but I don't have the courage to call him out on it.
"I made it to the boat right before they lowered it to the ocean, but the clan head used a katana to slash me in the face, severely damaging my left eye then he swiftly kicked me in the chest."
The air begins to simmer with bottled rage as he relives the betrayal of his clan,
"None of my surviving clanmates lifted a finger to help me as I bleed out on a sinking boat even though the enemy ninja had retreated."
"I hadn't noticed the animosity the clan head harbored for me, as I later gathered, he was threatened by my potential. He was the one who taught me how to wield a blade then at a much younger age I was his better. He used that as his opportunity to rid himself of me and anyone in my clan batted an eyelash despite the love, I thought we shared."
Byakuren lets out a long sigh and pours himself more tea into his cup,
"So there I sank into the Land of Water's ocean and I was grievously injured. But my rage made me determined to stay alive. The next morning, I washed up on this very beach dying of an infection in my wound. I was found and nursed back to health by a legendary figure that would become my teacher, the Swordless Samurai."
Then Byakuren goes silent. I expected him to elaborate more on who this "Swordless Samurai" was, but it seems that he isn't sharing any more details at the moment.
I think briefly about why he bothered to tell me so much about his past. I mean sure there are some minor similarities in our pasts but if he thinks that little sob story is going to soften me up for him, he is surely mistaken.
Byakuren closes both his eyes and finishes off the tea in his cup as it no longer seems boiling hot. He places the cup back on the table to the far-left side then his right hand slowly slides to the middle of the table where he deposits a blank sheet of paper.
"Shogo, this here is an offer for the chance to take the course of your life into your own hands for the first time in a long time."
My ears perk up and I look intently at the piece of paper, while still taking cursory glances at Byakuren's hands. To me it just looks like an ordinary sheet of paper, maybe it would serve as a metaphor of some kind in a long-winded explanation.
I must resist the urge to sigh at the prospect of sitting through another long story.
"I believe you have a great deal of potential, even more than I did in my youth. However, I fear you will never be able to achieve that potential if you don't begin to separate yourself from Gengetsu and his clan."
My gaze immediately meets Byakuren's mismatched pupils at his abrupt statement,
"What do you mean?"
I couldn't keep silent, and I need to know if he had an out for me. I'm not stupid, I know Gengetsu will kill me eventually if he keeps getting more unreasonable with "training".
"I have a feeling that you have noticed but Gengetsu has been becoming restless as of late. Whether it's because of the lack of combat he's been involved in or being under my leadership, he has grown more ruthless as of late."
I swallow the saliva that built up in my throat as my mind goes back to Gengetsu's clear anger at not being able to completely trample the island people of the Kanashii Ocean for everything they have that's valuable.
"There's been reports of him killing those of his unit in bouts of uncontollabe rage. Even simplest failures and mistake have set him off over the last few months. He's greatly devolved as of late, and it would not bode well for you to continue under his instruction. As we both know, Gengetsu will not hesitate to discard you the second he feels training you further is a waste of his time."
A cold sweat runs down my back as Byakuren hits the nail on the head.
'Shit! I knew he was a little crazier than usual, but I didn't know it was this bad! Fuck! How the hell do I get out of this?!'
My eyes focus entirely on the piece of paper that had been slid to the middle of the table.
Byakuren's wrinkly finger slides the paper away from me and my eyes go to his grim expression,
"In order for you to get out from under Gengetsu's thumb you need to align yourself with something that has more influence than he possesses."
It is becoming increasingly obvious what the old man is trying to get to,
"Let me guess you want me to ally myself with you…"
"...."
"What?"
"GAHAHAHHA-!"
All I get in response is laughter and I can feel the blood rush to my face in embarrassment,
"What the hell is so funny?!"
Byakuren wiped a couple of tears from his right eye,
"Whewww~! Sorry about that kid didn't mean to laugh in your face like that, it was very rude- *snicker* -of me. I think it is admirable that you think so highly of your services for one so young. However, there's literally nothing you can offer me that I can't have no less than a hundred others do both quicker and better than you can."
Though Byakuren's answer leaves me seething in rage, he had simply stated a fact that I should have been aware of given the intimidating scene that we had walked away from on the beach only a few minutes ago.
"Instead, you should be focused on aligning yourself with Kirigakure."
"Huh?"
Byakuren lifts his right hand and stretches his arm across the table slowly before he flips over the piece of paper that he had placed on the table earlier.
I look at the paper expecting the answer to Byakuren's confusing riddle but all I can see is a list of names with locations around Water Country next to them.
"What the hell is this?"
Byakuren simply folds his hand one over the other and nods at my question,
"This list is your sole chance to indoctrinate yourself with a rapidly growing covenant of more than a hundred highly trained assassins, diplomats, artisans, and merchants; all of us doing our part in building a beacon of hope in Water Country called Kirigakure, The Village Hidden in The Mist."
My mind immediately goes to all the construction on Nakajima.
'Is that what all those people are being forced to build? What could possibly unite all these ninjas under Byakuren's grand scheme? It can't be money because ninjas have always been paid handsomely for their work. It can't be that they're scared of Byakuren because nothing's stopping every Water ninja from joining up and murderlizing the old coot, even if he is crazy strong nobody would be able to survive fighting that many people to the death. So, what the fuck could it be that made so many people move under this disturbing individual?'
It is a question I need answered so I blurt it out,
"You're obviously the person dictating this whole thing. Why does everyone just follow your lead?"
Byakuren sits up a little straighter and his face slowly splits into a grin showing his jagged teeth,
"Very smart, Shogo. A far sharper individual than some many times your age. To answer your question, in short, I offer my strength to protect the ideals of the people native to Water Country from foreign powers that would seek to fundamentally change or destroy our way of life. And in return what I ask is unwavering loyalty from all those who have entrusted their futures with me until they become strong enough to fend for the next generation as I did for them."
The scarred self-proclaimed protector adopts a grim look on his face once again,
"The world is changing at a rapid pace and Water Country must be at the forefront of it. Lest we be devoured by the behemoths that will have adapted before us. All around the mainland, ninja forces are gathering together to create villages larger than ever seen before."
Byakuren puts up four fingers,
"Four individuals each with strength and influence equal to my own have set out to organize their own countries like I have been doing these last six months. However, a heavier hand is needed with the natives of Water Country because individual power is respected above all else and strong wills need to be subdued to avoid endless revolts. Now is the time for action and only I can truly bring us together in this dark hour of uncertainty."
This part perplexes me because while Byakuren sounds like he sincerely wants the best for the Water Country people, his actions are questionable at best.
Byakuren going so far as to enslave, starve, and kill those that don't fall in line with Kirigakure's formation gives me pause in believing this man has such a bleeding heart.
As if sensing my apprehension for his answer, the old man asks me a simple question.
"For the short amount of years, you've lived in this country, do you truly believe I would be able to build Kirigakure if during my recruitment process I asked nicely for all these people to have just faith in my vision?"
Byakuren's gazes at me with somewhat weary eyes and so I pause to actually think about my years spent in this shithole. From my time in Kitajima's temple to my time in the slums of Nakajima, I couldn't think of not one instance where someone didn't use violence or deception to get what they wanted from me or otherwise.
Even when I thought about Hana, who has cared for me daily for the last six months. I knew Hana would've walked over my dead body in the street without batting an eye had I never been linked to Gengetsu. For all her kindness to me, I knew Hana was a woman with staunch priorities and can't be bothered to help those not linked to the Hozuki clan.
Charity has always been seen by Water Country people as something that breeds weakness in general. Flourishing on your own power is respected beyond all else, whether it came by earnestly working hard or by leaving a trail of victims in your wake didn't matter.
I couldn't lie to myself and say that a bloodless unification of Water Country's ninja population was possible, nor could I convince Byakuren that I am truly naive enough to believe that hogwash.
"You've made your point, old man...so if I do whatever you want me to do with this paper you'll help me out?"
Byakuren grins widely, making my already tender skin crawl. He gently flicks the paper to me across the table and I catch it under the palm of my left hand.
I glimpse at the paper again to read the names, only for my eyebrows to nearly touch my hairline when I read the names of incredibly famous celebrities from all around Water Country.
Yosuke Tanaka, the most talented musician and composer of this century even though he is half deaf.
Hideki and Yoko Wutarui, both incredibly famous novelists that got married and created the world's largest publishing company.
Jun Dokotu, a renowned artist and poet who once used his blood to write a poem of 500,000 words.
And lastly but certainly not least, Gonzo Kitani, an architect famous for creating the model of boat used across the world currently. I thought the man was dead given no one is said to have seen hide or hair of him in twenty to thirty years.
Byakuren starts speaking interrupting my thoughts,
"All these people have drastically affected Water Country and to a lesser degree the rest of the world within the last century. They are all talented individuals who overcame the odds stacked against them and flourished because of it. They have gained wide praise and respect from their countrymen because of it."
Byakuren shifts his weight forward looking directly in my eyes,
"However...all of them are flight risks that Kirigakure can't afford leaving our country and joining another village or nation. Allowing even one of these individuals to leave could spur apprehension in the people who look up to them which is something Kirigakure cannot afford in its infancy."
He lifts up two fingers,
"Previously I only had two options to deal with the people on that list in your hand. Either I could assassinate them and have them replaced with figureheads that look enough like them or I could have them hunted down and captured then find some leverage to force into staying."
Byakuren stands up from the table with the kettle and cup in either hand causing me to flinch a bit, then he turns around and walks toward the fire pit I assume he used to boil the water for the tea. He dumps the left-over water and tea from the kettle and cup on the already dying flame then places both on a shelf.
"But now I've recently come up with a third option…. you."
Byakuren turns toward me again looking extra menacing in the dim light of the small hut.
"I will throw this list at your feet containing potential threats to Kirigakure's future and allow you the chance to solve each issue however you see fit. Whether you dispose of them or reach a respectable compromise in secret, matters little to me. Just know if you succeed, you will become an integral part of Kirigakure's army and be backed by tens of powerful men and women against ALL threats to your person."
It is only then that I realize how deeply this old man has trapped me in a web by telling me what he has planned for the five most influential people in the country.
If information like this leaked before he can set the plan in motion, it would be a catastrophe to his unification operation.
Now because of his reveal, I am currently a loose end of Byakuren's own creation. One that he can use to potentially make everything fall in place or just cut off at a moment's notice if it decides to become a nuisance.
'All the while the bastard is making it seem like I have a choice in the matter!'
I grimace and clench my teeth, then nod as a confirmation that I would take care of the people on the list.
Byakuren nods back then walks out of the hut,
"You have a three-month time limit, make sure you only come back to this island on the due date, not a day earlier or later."
Then he continues off into the mist leaving me to my thoughts.
How would I do it? I had no idea. More importantly, why the fuck am I always completing somebody's list!?
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