Free Soul

We had a kind of debate/vote on the possible return of Mikoto, and the results made everyone's position clear: it's better to let the dead rest.

Anko shared with us what little she knew about mental techniques, as she worked in the torture department as an assistant to some Yamanaka clan members a few weeks before she left with me (an additional reason for her depressed state back then, who came up with the idea to put her there at her age?) and it was simply a terrible idea.

Fu was somewhat hesitant and even suggested once using the Impure World Resurrection (and I still wonder who told her about that technique), but we managed to explain that it wasn't as straightforward as it might seem.

It would not only take me a considerable amount of time to understand how to interact with the Pure Land, but Mikoto's soul would be even worse off than when I rescued her from the Uchiha massacre if I took her out of there using the wrong methods.

Given the years it took her to recover partially and that everyone had grown attached to her, regardless of her condition and necessary care, we really don't have enough audacity to make her go through all that again just because we want her here.

In summary, the body was never the problem, but her damaged soul and mental state.

Now, at least, she can be with her clan, with enough free time to effectively recover from that damn rift and give Fugaku a lecture (and a suitable beating) for what he tried to do to her.

I hope she gives him a good punch from me, the damn indecisive incompetent.

—So… —Tsunade had been silent for a while since we returned to the village— What is our stance on Konoha now?

Everyone stopped talking and looked at me synchronously, how scary.

—First, let's see who takes the position of Hokage and how they decide to respond —I said because I was interested in seeing if there was a chance for the village to recover or if it would continue rotting from within— But we can't lower our guard completely for a few weeks. By eliminating the Yamanaka clan patriarch, we offended them completely along with the Nara and Akimichi. I wouldn't even be surprised if new bounties appeared for us in the black market.

Although Akimichi is not a threat, and the only dangerous thing about the Nara is their mind…

—You can count on it —Ameyuri affirmed as she lazily stretched her arms— I give them three days at most, if they can calm the waves of the attack quickly and try to diminish the opinion of weakness shown.

—Mariko —I called— I hope you can work with Karin and Nemu on a mental protection fuinjutsu and some details that I will give you later in a list. It seems that after these years, we'll have to update everyone's seal to prevent this from happening again, and we can't be too complacent.

In reality, no one else should die if they are victims of the same technique, as they don't have a damaged soul, but as the saying goes, the mind is an inviolable temple and our last refuge.

The idea that someone could enter "without permission" is as frightening as it is infuriating.

That's why I always thought telepaths like Charles Xavier are better off dead, no matter what promises of morality and control they make; at the end of the day, they will do what they consider necessary or convenient.

—Leave it to us, Dad —Nemu hit her chest firmly, shaking it.

—Yes, I think I have some ideas that could be helpful, sensei —Karin raised her glasses as the light reflected in the lenses— I've been thinking about that since we left Konoha.

—It will be nice to have something to distract me —Mariko nodded, accepting the challenge ahead. A considerable one, I must add.

—Now —I turned to Pakura and Ameyuri— How did everything go?

I know Ameyuri achieved everything, but I'm interested in knowing what else Pakura got during her robbery and if something unexpected happened before Mikoto's situation. After all, I got "a little" creative with what I did to Danzo and didn't pay much attention until I finished with him.

Who would have thought he had such a sadistic and cruel side?

I'm scared of myself when I remember it; it's chilling.

Maybe it was because of what I heard him say? Let's forget it, think about kittens.

—The old ones are history —Ameyuri jumped forward to hug me, and we exchanged a quick kiss while she rested her head on my shoulder— Falsifying the scene was simple; those bags of bones didn't even have a jonin as a bodyguard. They relied solely on some alert seals and escape routes, nothing that posed a real challenge.

—But? —Ameyuri's tone tells me she's not telling everything, and I can tell she's holding back an even bigger smile.

—But…

I knew it!

—I learned a couple of things from my sister —she said, glancing at Pakura while licking her lips; I had to pinch her butt subtly to make her control herself a bit, I think she's still agitated, and the kids are still present— And I decided to search her offices while altering the scene, resulting in finding some interesting things —she took out a storage scroll and opened it in front of everyone.

From the scroll came out… more scrolls.

I feel a bit stupid for expecting something else.

—What are they about? —Anko stepped forward and took one to open and check its content— Wow, if these things were made public, we wouldn't even need to kill them.

This piqued my interest, and I also took a scroll, like Shizune, Tsunade, and the others.

Damn, if I had known that this kind of damning evidence existed, I could have saved MANY problems. I guess knowledge of the series limits me at times.

—Suggestions? —I asked.

This information was worth a lot, but only for certain people, and it had to be handled carefully if we wanted to take advantage of it.

—I think the Fire Daimyo would be quite interested in this —Anko commented, showing that smile that meant someone was going to have nightmares at night— This would help him immensely in keeping Konoha in check for a while; Konoha couldn't divert attention to cause us problems, and we could earn a favor.

The idea was actually not bad, very clever indeed.

I turned my gaze to Karin, and an unfinished matter crossed my mind. I knew exactly what to spend that favor on, something within the power of the Fire Daimyo and probably one of the few useful things we can get out of that fat sack.

I think Anko has also earned a kiss. After separating, and leaving her leaning on my other shoulder, it's Pakura's turn to show what loot she managed to obtain during the chaos of the assault on Konoha.

And from the confident expression she has, I think she knows I'll also kiss her.