A harsh reality

*I really wish Tayuya would have survived and joined Konoha

The unpleasant odor pulled Tayuya from her thoughts. She stared at the ceiling, or rather, the mold on the ceiling. Strangely, this prison felt more spacious and cleaner than Orochimaru's. There, they go for meals in the morning, noon, and evening in a makeshift cafeteria, each with their tray, she mused. Ryu called out to Tayuya, "Hey Tayu, I have a feeling it'll be spinach for lunch, want to bet?" But Tayuya remained silent, turning her head to get a different view than the mold stain.

"You really don't talk much, you're a pain. It's the only thing we can do here, and we're all girls," teased Ryu from the bottom bunk. "Isn't spinach really disgusting?" But Tayuya thought that at least here, they were lucky to have three meals a day, each with their meal, even if it wasn't luxurious. At least they didn't have to fight for every scrap of food. Here, there were occasional disputes over stealing each other's yogurt or getting a little extra, but no prisoner went hungry for weeks.

Tayuya remembered that from ages 10 to 12, she was Orochimaru's prisoner, and she had to fight to eat or drink because there was only one bowl served every two days for ten people in a cell. Every week, someone would literally die of hunger. Week after week, Tayuya saw people die in her cell, and as if that wasn't enough, some prisoners would eat the remains of the corpse. Tayuya managed to get the bowl by her strength and toughened up week after week, making her the only survivor and the only woman to survive two years under these terrible conditions. Then came a final battle between the survivors of each cell.

She also recalled that to drink, they had to collect water from the toilet tank, which, of course, didn't always work, and the water was brown. They had to filter it with socks. Truly degrading conditions that shocked the interrogation and torture team when they delved into her memories. Tayuya wasn't happy at all that they could freely dig through her thoughts, but at least they hit her much less now that they knew the harsh conditions she endured in Oto's prison.

Ryu continued, "If you don't talk, I'm going to take advantage of it to catch a few more Zs." Another chance, she thought. Here, they were only women, unlike Orochimaru's prisons where everyone was mixed—men, women, old, young. Tayuya remembered the number of penises she had seen, penises that wanted her when she was just 10, from men who were sometimes 60. Fortunately, she was always stronger than them and was never violated, but she kept a bad memory of other women and children who weren't so lucky.

Of course, in Orochimaru's prisons, no one forbade them from sleeping, but it was a terrible idea, especially for a woman like her. Even today, she struggled to sleep despite having absolutely nothing to fear here, and she knew it. So, she allowed herself some rest before her trial, skipping breakfast. After a little moment, Tayuya was awakened by Ryu. "Hey Tayu, it's almost time for your trial. You need to get ready if you don't want to make a bad impression by being late." She opened her eyes and saw Ryu, a woman with long blue hair and tattoos everywhere, staring straight into her eyes. "Oh yes, that's right, thanks," she said, getting up and rubbing her eyes. "Here, I got this for you. You slept so long that you missed the breakfast hours." Her cellmate handed her a piece of bread. Tayuya thanked her and took the bread cautiously. After all, Ryu might not have any ill intentions towards her, as there was an abundance of food here, and there was no chance of witnessing the darkest sides of humanity dominated by hunger. Here, there were very few disputes, and the only ones that seemed to occur were childish in Tayuya's eyes.

In fact, when she arrived at the prison, she fought against the big boss woman prisoner to establish respect from the start, which proved successful. No one wanted to bother her anymore, and Ryu had become kind to her as she was now under Tayuya's protection. "You still haven't answered me. Who came to visit you? Family, friends, a boyfriend maybe?" asked Ryu. "I don't have any family," Tayuya replied. "I don't have anyone to rely on, actually." "Well, this person still gave you gifts. No one has visited me since I got here, not even my family, can you believe it?" Ryu explained. While Tayuya got off the bed with her piece of bread in hand, and explain, "I don't know if I can trust anyone." "If you talked to me a bit more, I could tell you right away if this person is trustworthy or not. I'm very good at noticing that," Ryu continued. Instead of responding, Tayuya ate the bread over the sink to avoid leaving crumbs on the floor or in her bed. Ryu waited for her to finish eating, hoping for a response, but Tayuya combed her hair with the comb given by Naruto in front of the mirror. "Tayu, I must admit, I was scared when I saw you take on the fat cow from cell 12 and end up with you. I thought you were going to make my life a living hell," Ryu said. Tayuya looked at her through the mirror. "Stop calling me Tayu!" she replied before brushing her teeth. "But I have to thank you. Thanks to you, that fat cow and her gang don't bother me at all anymore. But I see that you act tough to protect yourself, and you are indeed very strong and terrifying. But when we're alone, you're calm and sometimes even nice." "Ah," replied Tayuya before rinsing her mouth. "But you don't talk much. I'm sure you have a lot to say..." Ryu continued. "Eh, not really," replied Tayuya, taking a towel to head to the showers. "Good luck with your trial, then" Ryu finally said.

The young woman with coral-pink hair enjoyed her shower; there was hot water here - a small luxury not difficult to provide for prisoners due to the lava pools nearby. The pipes took a detour near these lava pools to heat the water for free. This might explain why the heat was not uniform; one could feel cold and get burned simultaneously. Very strange, she thought, but at least there were showers. It felt, once again, like a hotel.

Having finished washing herself, Tayuya took the towel gifted by Naruto to dry off. She examined the towel carefully; it was pink - a color she didn't particularly like. However, the musical notes pattern caught her attention. "He doesn't know me, but he seems to have gone through so much trouble to please me." Once dried, the prisoner, towel wrapped around her body, made her way back to her cell, number 3.

To access the showers, one had to pass by Cell 12 where the big boss, befront her cell, was intimidating another prisoner. The sound of Tayuya's wet sandals drew the attention of the big boss, who turned around and saw, with horror, Tayuya, the one who had completely pulverized her with just the strength of her fists upon arriving in prison. The big boss froze, letting Tayuya pass without any trouble. She expected to become Tayuya's victim, thinking she had lost her power. Yet, Tayuya walked by nonchalantly, not paying any attention to her.

Once Tayuya entered her cell, the big boss breathed a sigh of relief but was left uncertain about the new hierarchy in the prison. "This girl, 20 years younger than me, half my size, and four times less broad, managed to knock me out so easily!" pondered the big boss. Yet, Tayuya seemed uninterested in taking her place as the leader.

Tayuya decided to try on the new clothes gifted by Naruto. She chose a simple outfit suitable for a trial - a plain white T-shirt and black pants with a black jacket. Not the best outfit to attract a man, but she aimed to appeal to the judges and jurors without being provocative. Unfortunately, she couldn't resist trying on the violet ensemble Naruto had given her, but that would have to wait for another time.

Her old clothes had been burned upon arrival in prison; the authorities of Konoha didn't want her to keep any connection with Orochimaru. It suited her just fine, as she wanted to sever all ties with Orochimaru anyway. Thinking of connections with him, she noticed that the cursed mark didn't cause her any pain. It seemed its influence didn't work beyond a certain distance. She used to believe that betraying Orochimaru would result in unimaginable pain from the cursed seal, but it must have been another trick he showed them, the members of the Sound Five, before he joined Orochimaru as his bodyguard. He showed them traitorous ninjas suffering from the cursed seal, forcing them to watch the agonizing ninjas for 8 hours before they died in excruciating pain. Another brainwashing strategy to ensure the loyalty of ninjas.

She, who thought she knew everything about Orochimaru and was very close to him, now felt like a pawn, a sacrifice without value. But now, her decision was made - she would join Konoha at any cost.

It had been two hours since Tayuya had been attending her trial, and it was now coming to an end. The session would be adjourned for the judges and jurors to deliberate. Tension hung in the air; it was the trial of the day, perhaps the trial of the month, and maybe even the trial of the year, her lawyer kept reminding her incessantly. This new lawyer, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, kept repeating the same things over and over, thought Tayuya. The lawyer escorted Tayuya through the corridors, awaiting her fate, which would be revealed in about twenty minutes.

"Who sent you?" asked Tayuya. "I don't know anything about courts and such, but I have a feeling someone paid you to do this job, unlike my initial lawyer who was paid by the village."

"I see you're very clever, young lady, but it's confidential. I can't reveal anything to you."

"By any chance, was he a blond boy my age dressed in orange who sent you?" Instead of answering, the lawyer changed the subject. "The bilan of this trial is: You have been accused of complicity in the attack on Konoha, complicity in the assassination of the Third Hokage, murder of a high-ranking ninja, attempted murder of two high-ranking ninjas, and attempted murder of aspiring ninjas and their leader - interrupted attempt (mitigating circumstance). Your memories revealed a new charge against you: complicity in the assassination of the Fourth Kazekage. Members of Suna have been summoned to deliberate on this trial, which could increase your sentence. But there are mitigating circumstances: you spared the life of an aspiring ninja from Konoha, also spared the life of an aspiring ninja from Suna and took her to a ninja inn, allowing him to survive her injuries. You helped Konoha ninjas defeat a formidable Sound ninja. You surrendered without resistance to the authorities of Konoha, cooperated well with them, and revealed valuable information about our enemy. You have undergone very severe traumas during your stay with Orochimaru, and your intentions toward Konoha are reassuring. It is therefore very likely that you will integrate into Konoha, and that in a very short time."

Tayuya listened with only one ear; she already knew all of this. As much as he repeated himself, this lawyer was very skilled, so skilled that he managed to soften the jury by speaking about the traumas she had endured and the conditions of her detention in Orochimaru's prisons. The brainwashing she had undergone. The wait was unbearable for the young woman. But finally, the doors of the courtroom opened, inviting them to enter. "Fingers crossed," her lawyer told her. Tayuya advanced silently.

"Tayuya Kaname, it is now time to reveal the verdict of your trial," the judge broke the silence with his deep voice. "Regarding the charge of complicity in the assassination of Master Hokage, Third of his name, you are found guilty by 13 votes out of 13. Regarding the complicity in the assassination of Master Kazekage, Fourth of his name, you are found guilty with 15 votes out of 15, two of these votes belong, as you know, to representatives of the village of Suna..." The judge continued; it seemed endless, and these verdicts were not surprising for Tayuya, but she was waiting for what came next.

Once all the charges were laid out, and Tayuya was found guilty of each one, the judge announced with his booming voice in the silent courtroom, "We finally arrive at the verdict of the sentences, ranging from the most severe to the least severe proposed by the prosecutor of Konoha. Death penalty with maximum torture..." The judge took his sweet time before revealing the verdicts, as if he relished the suspense. "1 vote out of 15," he declared. Tayuya's lawyer slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth. "Oh no, if someone on the jury despises her this much, I fear for what comes next," he thought to himself.

"Penalty dismissed. For the request made by the Konoha prosecutor for the death penalty with ordinary torture... 2 votes out of 15, penalty dismissed. For the simple death penalty... 5 votes out of 15, penalty dismissed." Tayuya saw her lawyer's face darken with each verdict. To impose a sentence in Konoha, the prosecutor proposes several options, depending on the severity of the act, and the jurors vote based on the ones they would like to see applied. It's normal for the number of votes to increase progressively. A qualified majority of 9 out of 13 votes, and in this exceptional case, 10 out of 15 votes, is required for a penalty to be imposed. Tayuya was no longer facing the death penalty, but for her lawyer, it was a terrible sign for her integration into Konoha because some people wanted her dead, with torture as an extra.

"Tayuya Kaname, I am pleased to inform you that at this stage, you are in no way at risk of the death penalty," the judge continued after a long silence. The courtroom was empty of spectators, who had been barred from this trial for fear of disrupting the trial with jeers or protests from angry villagers. However, the atmosphere in the room remained very heavy for everyone. At this point in the trial, the sentences proposed jointly by the prosecutor and the lawyer were considered together. Yes, in Konoha, the lawyer can suggest a sentence - one that is supposed to please everyone, like paying a fine for minor offenses. But today, it was more delicate; the options were more limited. The choices boiled down to extremely dangerous missions for the village, which significantly reduced the duration of the prison sentence and facilitated integration into the village, but with only a 1.3% chance of coming back alive. Or working in the mines, with a 97.4% chance of survival, but longer prison sentences, more challenging integration into the village, and a high likelihood of ending up with a broken back. However, Tayuya could benefit from an interesting sentence in her case because she had knowledge about Orochimaru and could participate in espionage or tracking missions, which were less dangerous for her but still carried risks depending on the mission.

"As for the sentences, it is the high-risk missions on behalf of Konoha and Suna that have been chosen with a majority of 12 votes out of 15." The lawyer's expression completely collapsed upon hearing this verdict.

"And finally, the number of missions to be undertaken and the duration of your sentence will now be revealed," the judge added after what seemed like an interminable wait. "For the number of 100 missions and a prison term of 6 years... 2 votes out of 15, sentence rejected." Her lawyer thought, "This is starting very bad!."

"For the number of 75 missions and a sentence of 5 years... 4 votes out of 15, sentence rejected. For the number of 50 missions and a sentence of 4 years... 6 votes out of 15, sentence rejected. For the number of 30 missions and a sentence of 3 years... 8 votes out of 15." Tayuya's lawyer became increasingly nervous, but Tayuya remained calm. "For the number of 25 missions with a sentence of 2 and a half years... 9 votes out of 15, sentence rejected." Tayuya thought this was the next one for sure. "For the number of 20 missions and a sentence of 2 years... 9 votes out of 15... sentence rejected." Tayuya was surprised and turned her gaze to her lawyer, who seemed somewhat relieved but not overly hopeful. It was just a little less, but still too severe in his opinion, especially with his intervention. Without the lawyer's intervention, Tayuya would have risked the death penalty with ordinary torture—the second-highest severity of punishment. However, thanks to the lawyer's intervention, Tayuya was doing relatively well for now.

"For the number of 15 missions and a duration of 1 and a half years... 9 votes out of 15! Sentence rejected." Sounds of surprise echoed in the courtroom, as if everyone, starting with the judge himself, was caught off guard when he rendered his verdict. Tayuya's lawyer had managed to sway some hearts, apparently, increasing Tayuya's chances of survival. Often, the survival rate of 1.3% was associated with 30 missions and a 3-year prison term because that was the most commonly given sentence for less severe crimes. Still, Tayuya, who had committed serious crimes, was being considered for a lower sentence, increasing her survival chances to 8.6%. Proof that the lawyer she had for this trial was the best in the entire Fire Country.

"For the number of 10 missions with a sentence of one year... 9 votes out of 10!!! It's unbelievable... Sentence rejected." Questions grew louder in the courtroom. Some wondered if she would end up with a sentence of 0 missions and be released directly after the trial. The lawyer's spirits were already beginning to lift, and Tayuya's survival chances had now increased to 14.4%. "For the number of 8 missions with 10 months of prison... 10 votes, um, no... 9 votes out of 15! Excuse me, I can't even count anymore because it's so improbable what's happening! Sentence definitively rejected." The questions turned into exasperation and nervousness. Some jurors sought to know who those were who had been so lenient with this criminal. Some even asked the judge if it was a joke and declared they would never accept such a sentence. For some jurors who wished Tayuya's death, her survival chances now increased to 17.8%. "A little silence, please!" the judge said with an even louder voice that made the courtroom doors tremble. "For the number of 7 missions and a sentence of 8 months... 9 votes out of 15." At this point, the judge didn't even have time to say "sentence rejected" before a representative from Suna pointed a finger at the young woman and shouted, "As long as I live, I WON'T let this BITCH, this little shit, get away so easily. You're too lenient here in Konoha. High-risk missions are precisely made to eliminate waste like her, while making everyone believe in justice. She's going to get away with it even though Master Kazekage was partially eliminated because of her, and the same goes for your Hokage. You shame me!" Tayuya saw the Suna representative jump with rage from the jury benches and charge towards her, presumably to strike her, but he was stopped by a Konoha ninja in charge of maintaining order during the trial. After violent insults towards the judge, Tayuya's lawyer, among the jury members, and especially towards Tayuya herself—calling her a bitch, shit, etc.—the courtroom struggled to regain its composure. "Well, let's move directly to the sentence since we're skipping the votes because Tayuya Kaname, you must perform 4 missions and with a prison duration of 4 months. There, we've saved some time and..." The judge didn't even have time to finish his verdict, an unusual deviation from standard protocol since there were still verdicts pending but it would have annoyed the jurors more and more. Some even began to fight among themselves, some approached the judge to say a few words, while three others headed towards Tayuya to strike her or worse. The few police officers, outnumbered by the discontented jurors, struggled to calm the atmosphere in the courtroom.

It was necessary to evacuate the room to calm everyone down. Tayuya and her lawyer waited in the judge's office while the jurors insulted each other in the corridors, awaiting the arrival of reinforcements—ninjas who would either dissuade or intervene in the trial's continuation. Five minutes had passed since the lawyer and the judge had been talking, and Tayuya was attentive to the conversation between them as well as the comments from outside.

"She's so ugly that no one would want to rape her; let's stop this nonsense about difficult living conditions in Oto prisons!" This was the most difficult comment she had heard through the judge's office door. "Four months in prison with one high-risk mission for Suna and three for Konoha, it's true that I didn't expect such a light sentence for my client," the lawyer was saying. "A sentence so light, I admit, that here are the reactions it provokes. It's evident that the Konoha prosecutor will appeal the judgment, and who knows if you won't risk the death penalty this time."

Tayuya felt increasingly unwell. The prison sentences and high-risk missions meant little to her; what was hardest was the rejection and the desires of some villagers to see her die and suffer, making her miserable. Losing his composure, the lawyer reassured the young woman, "Tayuya, it's the 5th Hokage who hired me to defend you in this trial. You will never risk the death penalty, and if that were the case, she would use her Right of Pardon in your favor." Tayuya looked up at the lawyer, shocked. "What? And here I thought it was Naruto who had hired you?!" "Well, from what I know, a certain boy insisted with the 5th Hokage to help you as much as possible. So, you won't be executed publicly, but you might well die on a mission, especially if there are ninjas who want you dead. Some might consider making sure you die on a mission accidentally..."

"That's why I wanted to propose to increase the sentence with an additional 6 months in prison, and upon your release, work in the mines of Suna for 6 months and 2 years for those of Konoha," the judge intervened. "Given the complexity of the case, especially since it has a diplomatic impact between Konoha and Suna, I have the power to adjust the sentence in favor of diplomatic interests as the ninja code dictates," added the judge. "Yes, except that the Suna ninja code involves different rules, and a Suna representative may also want to appeal because he is not a juror like the others."

Tayuya no longer understood anything about these stories and preferred to return to her thoughts. After an hour—yes, it took an hour to calm the jurors down to some semblance of calm—Tayuya, this time surrounded by three police ninjas with her lawyer beside her and a police ninja behind each jury member, and even two police ninjas at the judge's sides. "They've pulled out all the stops this time," the lawyer whispered to Tayuya, who remained impassive.

As the judge pronounced the sentence he had suggested in his office an hour earlier, some jury members expressed their dissatisfaction but were quickly stoped by the police ninjas. Over the hours, you could see who was for Tayuya's death and who was lenient with her. But the final verdict dispelled all doubts for the lawyer and Tayuya. The jury consisted of 15 members—13 in normal times, but given the diplomatic dimension, the Suna ambassador to Konoha and a ninja from the Wind Country had to be added. Of the 13 members from Konoha, there were 7 men and 6 women. The lawyer did his best to include women in the jury, and the prosecutor, on the other hand, did everything to exclude them. The lawyer thought that by adding women to the jury, it would be easier to make them sympathize with Tayuya's harsh prison conditions. This proved successful because three women and only one man had been very lenient with Tayuya.

The problem was that the prosecutor immediately expressed his desire to appeal the judgment, immediately joined by the Suna ninja, who undoubtedly wanted her to undergo the worst possible torture. But the session ended with various cheers, angers, boos, and insults, and it became incomprehensible. As Tayuya, escorted this time by a dozen ninja police officers, faced a crowd of angry villagers over the lenient judgment towards her, she continued to endure insults, spitting, stones, and tomatoes thrown at her. The police ninjas were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the events. Some even tried to douse her in alcohol, which did happen, and set her on fire, which fortunately did not happen, even though it was close at times. A kunai was even thrown into her back, making her fall to the ground, but she was quickly picked up by a police officer to protect her. It was then that a drunkard unzipped his pants to urinate on her. Naruto arrived just in time, sending him flying into a cart of watermelons with a punch. Tayuya, who was getting up with difficulty with the help of the police officer, gazed at him like never before, betraying her emotions with an amazed look and a smile. "You'll have to be strong for a while, Tayuya, but everything will be fine, I promise," Naruto said, extending his hand to her.