Chapter 1

Chapter 1

3 months and 12 days after the end of Fouth Shinobi War. Hozuki Castle, Kusagakure.

It had been quite a trip for an old lady of her age, but what brought Atsuko Sorai 1,227 miles far from home was worth the struggle. She had to wait for almost a month and a half and negotiate with some former influential colleagues to get the permission to visit the resident of the highest secured jail cell of the 'Blood Prison'.

"History is written by the winners" used to say his professor, "but our duty as historians is to uncover the truth hidden behind said History". Decades ago, she had found this statement unsettling and decided to put in a corner of her mind in case, one day, something would clear it up for her. With time she understood what had meant her professor, and soon after the Fourth Shinobi War, it became all the more evident.

During a meeting of Academic professors and researchers organized to discuss the recent events, a former member of the the Intelligence of Kirigakure leaked a crucial news between two glasses of drink: Hoshigaki Kisame was alive. He was detained in the Hozuki Castle in Kusagakure, in a high protection cell. The Mizukage kept it hidden in fear it would cause turmoil among the population. She was implementing new politics aimed at making people forget the bloody past of Kirigakure and turn the village into a more open and attractive destination for shinobi and civilians alike. Of course, the talk soon turned into an argument against those who supported the Mizukage's position and those who claimed the future could not be built by forgetting the past.

Atsuko didn't want to intervene – a never ending debate in all human history, she inwardly commented. What was important for her was something else: Hoshigaki Kisame was alive - the last member of the Akatsuki and a former Swordsman of the Mist. It was well-known among her peers that there was a link between the Bloody Mist period and the true leader of the organization. Few things were certain about this fact: the leader of the Akatsuki manipulated the Mizukage behind the scenes for reasons that had yet to be discovered. This brought up another topic. The true motives of why the Akatsuki started the war had never been made public. Big speeches had been delivered before the actual conflicts started, exalting the greatness of the Shinobi values that seemingly the Akatsuki was fighting. The Akatsuki were the bad guys, and the Shinobi Alliance were the good ones. Typical example of the History written by winners... Atsuko thought while seeping her cup of tea and watching the argument turning into a drunk fight. The dark ages of a nation were the least clear period of History because of the lack of information. In times like those, people were too busy surviving and the instruction level was usually low. Only few people would have the chance to describe and relate some important events, but most of the time the lack of multiple reporters didn't allow historians to certify the reliability of said facts. History was a inter-generational teamwork that started with those who witnessed the very moment. Kisame Hoshigaki was the key that could open the Pandora box, but he was the only one who could fill the blanks of that part of the Shinobi History.

3:26 pm. She still had four minutes before her appointment with the director of the prison. That was enough for her to prepare herself mentally for what was coming. Her daughter had no idea of where she was, but depending on the outcome of the meeting, things might change. Everything was in the Hoshigaki's hands.

The gates of the prison opened and the director walked towards her accompanied with two guards. After exchanging greetings, the director invited her to follow him to his office. After signing some papers and discussing the conditions of the meeting, she would be allowed to meet the prisoner.

Looking at the tall building before entering, Atsuko hoped that the younger man would accept the hand that was held out to him.