Chapter 26

Chapter 26

There were many times when Hiruzen thought about what he had done so far, what he could have done more or better. Even as he tried not to think about those kinds of things, it was impossible not to. Every decision he made so far haunted him. But not this time; looking at the woman with red hair holding a baby girl in her arms made Hiruzen proud of what he had accomplished.

The widowed mother stood tall before Hiruzen's table. She was a beautiful woman. Her skin was pale as snow, but not in a healthy way. Her grey eyes were worn, and her expression was torn. Common among those of Uzumaki descent, she had bright red hair, which was straight, chin-length, and parted to frame both sides of her face.

"Mariko, I'm glad you were able to join us," Hiruzen had a hard time finding the right words.

"Your words, your expression, and your eyes," Mariko Uzumaki said as she looked at Hiruzen. "They were too sweet. Too sweet for me, Hokage-sama. So sweet that I can't believe you."

"When one is too used to the bitterness of a life, the sudden sweetness of a moment can be seen as too much. Even sickening," Hiruzen tried to understand how Mariko was feeling right now. "I know about your abilities. And you are just waiting until I force you to use them. And you wouldn't be even mad about it as it would be a usual thing for you."

"I am not afraid, Hokage-sama," Her eyes never left Hiruzen's. "You brought me here for a reason, and I am ready to fulfill my duty."

Hiruzen tried his best to comprehend her words. They weren't hard to understand, but that made him realize what kind of life she had led so far. Hiruzen could see the bite scars on her bare neck and hands. Who knew how many more of these scars she had under her robes? It was sickening, but it was the reality of this world.

"Your only duty is to serve my household, look after my home and children," Hiruzen said. "Nothing else, and if anyone even suggests you doing anything else, they shall be punished severely. Your abilities are to be kept a secret. From now on my home is your home, Mariko Uzumaki."

For a moment, Hiruzen saw her eyes tremble, but soon enough, they hardened once again. This woman didn't believe in Hiruzen's generosity. To her, there was nothing free. Everything must be paid for, even if it means she has to use her body and blood to do so. Hiruzen wanted to tell her that it wasn't true. Tell her that she and her daughter will be fine and she doesn't have to harm herself anymore. But he knew his words would be empty promises for her. Only his actions could reach her.

"Ding!!!"

As quickly as the message appeared before Hiruzen's eyes, he dismissed it. A hidden quest was cleared, and a few more years were added to his lifespan. It didn't matter to him at the moment. He couldn't deny the reward but felt bad to accept it either way. It felt like what he did was for the reward. He didn't want to live such an empty life.

"I feel bad for her," Jiraiya said as Mariko left for Sarutobi's household. "I should have found her sooner. I should have done more."

"Do not blame the past and do not fear the future," Hiruzen said. "Your hard work made this moment possible. Be proud of that. And it is what we do now that will make the future we want possible."

"So, what next?"

"Kakashi is doing well in the Land of Water," Hiruzen said as he unveiled a few reports sent to him. "There are quite a few people who want to run away, but sadly, they lack the capabilities, and neither the Mizukage nor the Daimyo will let them go that easily."

"And there I come in," Jiraiya said.

"The job needs your expertise."

"But for it to work and not to backfire, the Land of Fire can't profit from it. We can't let people think that we are smuggling people. It would start unnecessary conflict with the Land of the Water. Unless, from the very start, you weren't doing it to help the Land of Fire. The refugees and large amounts of them would only harm the Land of Fire."

"The Daimyo doesn't need to know of our every action," Hiruzen smiled devilishly. "And it is his job to deal with the refugees. All we can do is to assist him by taking some of them from his hands."

"And nobody needs to know how those refugees got into the Land of Fire," Jiraiya got the gist of it. "It will take time to set the routes, especially if I want them to be safe and unnoticed. I am guessing I won't be able to use Konoha's funds for it either."

"I heard your new books are selling well," Hiruzen replied.

"I hate you when your eyes turn so calculating."

Even as Jiraiya crumbled in dissatisfaction, he quickly went to work. The plan to save and get as many bloodline users as possible was now underway. The Land of the Water was still peaceful, but the tensions were clearly seen—at least, that is how Kakashi saw it. It will only take a few more years before the country gets into full-blown conflict with itself.

Hiruzen wasn't willing to let countless innocent lives be snuffed out because of the whims of a few powerful people. Maybe once upon a time, they were just characters to him, but now they were real, and thinking of those children who would suffer if he did nothing brought him nothing but nightmares. If he could do something about them, then he had to do it.

…

Dark, creepy, and wet were only a few words Pakura would use to describe the cave she was invited to. And she wasn't a fan of how she was invited to this place. Especially when it was no other than Sasori who invited her. If not for her knowledge of his skills, she might have been killed by him. Her scorch release did minimal damage to his puppets.

"I never imagined you of all the people to serve someone else," Pakura said, trying to get some reaction for her once a comrade. "I thought you thought of yourself as better than anyone else. Playing a god and all that."

"I was immature," Sasori replied, still hiding within his puppet. "And the playing part had to end."

He was too calm. Pakura didn't like it. Sasori wasn't a man that had many emotions nor was he someone who could be controlled. So, it begged the question of what kind of a leader managed to subdue him. This Akatsuki organization became even more interesting than she initially thought. It seems that the Third Hokage was right to keep his eyes on them.

"A new face," Pakura felt a chill ran her back as she turned to the voice who spoke. "And a beauty at that. It would be such a shame if something happened to her pretty face."

"Is that cactus talking?" Pakura asked.

"Ignore them," Sasori replied. "They are not much of a fighter, but their intelligence gathering is second to none."

What Pakura was most worried about was their presence. Or, more importantly, the lack of a presence. If they hadn't spoken, she wouldn't even known if they were here. She would need to be careful. They could be watching her without her even realizing it. From now on, she had to act like she was always watched.

"Another weakling?" Pakura recognized Kakuzu, the infamous assassin. "The last one didn't last long. This one probably will last even less. Well, I wouldn't object to getting her heart. It so happens I lack quite a few of them."

"I am a big fan," Pakura smiled at Kakuzu. "I never knew a bigger idiot than you, Kakuzu. Not once, but twice challenging a Hokage. Only a special kind of idiot would do something as foolish as that. You are a rare species, Kakuzu."

"Maybe I should make you a part of me right now since you won't live long either way," Kakuzu raised his hands, intending to attack.

"Enough," a voice from the cave's shadowed area interrupted Kakuzu's actions and made Pakura lower her hand. "Welcome to your new home. Even if it isn't too much right now."

It was a woman—a pretty one if Pakura had anything to say. A woman with short blue hair and grey eyes looked at Pakura. Her expression was neutral; nothing could be learned from it. But it wasn't her that got Pakura's attention. It was the man sitting in the shadows, looking down at her with his unusual eyes. He was terrifying.

Every part of Pakura's body screamed that she would die if she faced him. Now, she understood why Sasori was so willing to work under someone else. That person wasn't just a strong shinobi; he was in an entirely different league from her. She could only think of one other person who could match that man. Only someone like the Third Hokage was an equal opponent to him.

"Let's make it clear," Pakura had to say something before she lost under the pressure. "I am only here because Sasori promised me safety. I don't know your goals or what you are planning to do, nor do I really care. But I will not be used. If I don't like something or someone, I will not listen to you. If we can agree to that, there won't be any trouble from me."

Kakuzu only laughed. Sasori still hid in his puppet form. The woman with blue hair sighed, and the cactus person disappeared somewhere. But even as Pakura didn't look, she still could feel those purple eyes staring down at her like she was an insect that he could crush at any moment. But she wasn't afraid. For as much power those eyes held, they could not be compared to the Third Hokage's.

Those eyes lack maturity. Even though the Third's eyes were normal, his gaze held immense knowledge and wisdom. But these purple eyes only held power and pain. Somehow, it made it easier for Pakura to bear those eyes. Either way, she already uncovered many things just by getting here. The Third had all the reason to be worried about them.

"I am Pain," The man spoke from within the shadows. "I understand your pain, Hero of Sunagakure. We're both of the same breed. Created for war and consumed by war. Religion, ideology, resources, land, grudges, love, or just because we exist. No matter how pathetic the reason, our role was only to kill and wage war. And after all the sacrifices. The world still asks more from us. It is asking for our lives. But as long as war exists, so will I. And soon enough, the world shall know of my existence. It shall know pain."

Those words might have been gibberish if they had been spoken by anyone else. But when Pakura heard it from the man, she could feel his conviction. Every word he said meant something to him. This man was a special case of insanity, but part of her could resonate with him. And that is what scared her the most.

A.n. Sorry for not posting for a long time. I finally got a week of vacation. At this time, I will try to update most of my stories, maybe even twice. I have to see how lazy I am. It was a hard month for me, so I plan to relax for a bit. Sorry if the grammar is getting worse. I am literally trying to push the chapters as fast as I can, so the quality might suffer for that.