Two days earlier.
"I'll pay any amount you ask," Shin insisted, leaning forward and planting both hands on the table so his palms strained against the wood.
Across from him, the old woman did not look up. Her fingers slowly moved over the document in front of her with the patience of someone who had heard a thousand pleas. "Money is not the issue, Shin," she said, her voice low but not unkind. "None of the mercenaries we work with agrees to go near that group, no matter how much you offer."
"Then give me the location and I'll go myself," Shin growled, slamming his fists down until the table creaked under the strain.
The woman stopped scrolling and finally met his eyes. For a moment she said nothing, studying him as if weighing more than the words they traded. "I cannot do that," she answered at last. "If I reveal even a sliver of the information the mercenaries entrusted to us, our reputation dies. Our business collapses. They will never trust us again."
Shin forced his breath to slow and closed his eyes, pressing his temples with his right hand as if to hold himself together. He opened his eyes and spoke with a new edge of pleading. "Liyanna, is there truly nothing you can do? This matter is…" He stopped, searching for the right phrase, then tried again. "This is very important to me."
The woman hesitated, the faintest lift of her brow giving him a thread of hope. She pulled a carved pipe from the drawer, set it between her lips, and struck a match. Her hand was steady as she coaxed the ember to life, and she drew once, long and satisfying.
"Shin, you know I would help if I could," Liyanna said, taking a deep, measured puff. She exhaled a thin, steady stream of smoke that curled and lingered in the air. The room filled with the sweet, almost cloying scent of cherries as the smoke spread and thinned. She watched him through that haze, the light catching the lines in her face.
"Why does this concern you so much?" she asked, tilting her head as she studied him. When she saw the raw despair carved into his features, she clicked her tongue and let the question hang a second before she spoke again.
Shin swallowed. "I do not know how much you know about Akatsuki and what they've done recently," he said carefully. He hesitated, aware of the weight of his next words coming from a man in his position. Still, he had to take the risk. "They ambushed the Takimura envoy."
At that, Liyanna's hands paused on the table. "You mean…?" Her eyes narrowed and she sat up, gaze suddenly very sharp.
"The ambush was successful," Shin said, each word heavier than the last. "We lost our jinchuriki and the Suikage… both of them disappeared that day."
"Takime Maki is dead?" Liyanna asked at once, the question spilling out before she could steady herself. Her eyes widened, searching his face for certainty. When she saw the shadow crossing his features, she collected herself and leaned back, waiting for him to continue.
"We do not know where Maki or the Six-Tails are," Shin replied. "We only know she was alive when the fight ended, and we must find her as quickly as possible. The longer we wait, the slimmer the chances of her survival."
Liyanna drew another long breath, the smoke curling from her pipe and lingering between them. She hesitated, eyes fixed on Shin as if weighing something. "Shin, the mercenaries are afraid to go near them," she said, "Even the most reckless ones, those who never refuse a high-paying job, turn it down."
"That does not matter," Shin muttered, brows pulling closer. "As long as they can take me there, I will pay any amount. Double whatever you offered them before."
Liyanna shook her head slowly and took another deep drag. The ember in the bowl flared, and the smoke unfurled through the room. "If I offer more money, it will only attract the wrong kind of groups. Mercenaries who pretend to guide you to your target but instead disappear. Or worse, they take your offer and use it as bait to draw you into a trap."
Shin's jaw tightened. "I will accept the risk. If there is even a chance, I will take it."
She fixed him with a look that contained equal parts amusement and resignation. "You had to fall for such a powerful kunoichi…" The smile that followed was warm but edged with bitterness.
Shin said nothing. He did not smile. He only watched her, desperation exposed behind his restraint.
"All right," Liyanna said at last. She tamped the pipe into the urn of ash until the ember dimmed into a dull glow. "I will arrange a meeting. But you must do something for me in return."
"Anything," Shin replied too quickly, eagerness spilling through the fatigue in his voice.
"I will send word that you seek the Akatsuki and that you wish to negotiate for that woman's release," Liyanna said, leaning forward. The lines around her mouth deepened as she spoke. "I cannot promise they will agree, and I cannot promise her safety. But I will ask specifically for that woman. If they consent to a meeting, you must swear that you will go alone and speak. No attacks, no tricks. Nothing but words."
Shin's mouth opened and closed. "But what if they refuse to let Maki go? Or what if… what if she is already gone?"
Liyanna's face hardened. She leaned closer, the chair creaking beneath her. "Shin, do not give me excuses. If I set this up and you betray the terms, they will not only ruin my business. They will kill us all. I am taking a dangerous risk by even asking them. Promise me you will not drag us into war."
Shin met her gaze, the desire for revenge in him fighting with the caution she demanded. After a moment the line of his shoulders slackened and he nodded. The motion was small, but it carried everything he could not say.
"All right. I promise," he said, the words bright with a sudden, fragile hope. "Thank you, Liyanna. I will repay you. I swear it."
The old woman snorted.
"Sure you will, just like all the other favors I did for you that you've repaid." Her grin widened as she set the pipe back between her fingers. The smile revealed yellowed teeth and a few missing ones, but it did not soften her eyes. She gave him a slow, almost theatrical wave toward the door, though the same warm smile never left her face even after Shin disappeared behind the door.
<<<>>>
A day earlier.
The fire danced hungrily on the ground, its flames twisting upward as the triangular pile of logs cracked under the heat. The sharp snaps of splitting wood were the only sounds breaking the stillness of the deep night.
Above, evergreen trees swayed gently, their thick canopies catching most of the drizzle that fell, so only the faintest mist of rain touched the forest floor.
Shin dozed lightly on a fallen log, his arms folded and legs stretched out toward the fire, soaking in what warmth he could. The winter was still young, yet the chill already bit sharply, and in these woods where even at midday sunlight barely pierced the branches, the cold pressed hard.
The bonfire was his only comfort. No tent. No companions. Just the restless company of the forest.
But something was moving.
A shadow approached swiftly, leaping from branch to branch. The speed was unnatural for an ordinary shinobi, and the steps made barely a sound. The figure did not slow, nor circle to scout the fire. It descended without hesitation, landing in front of Shin in a crouch.
Shin did not flinch. He simply opened his eyes, their weary glaze sharpening into focus.
"Lord Shin, I carry a message from Takimura," the OININ said, pulling a sealed scroll carefully from his pouch.
"I know. Hand it to me and leave," Shin replied, leaning forward to take the scroll. His voice was calm but edged with impatience. "Tell the others to pull back from the perimeter. I am expecting a messenger, and they will not reveal themselves if they sense you nearby."
"As you command." The OININ bowed once, then vanished into the trees.
Shin broke the seal, scanning the lines quickly. When he finished, he tossed the parchment into the flames, watching as the paper curled and turned to ash.
'So Kaoru has finally accepted his role. And he even suggested a plan to strike Akatsuki…' Shin leaned back, satisfied. But guilt crept in as well. 'I'm sorry, Liyanna. If they refuse to release Maki, I can't just walk away…'
The thought pressed on his chest. He owed the old woman more than he could ever repay, and now he was dragging her into something she might not survive. Even if part of him believed she knew all along that words alone would not hold him back, it did nothing to ease the weight of it.
Hours passed. The rain thinned and eventually stopped, leaving only the crackle of the fire. A breeze stirred, whistling softly through the evergreens. The monotone rustling of their needles became a lullaby, easing Shin's mind toward sleep. His head dipped forward, and he drifted at the edge of unconsciousness.
Then he noticed movement above.
A white bird descended from the branches, gliding with unnatural grace. It rode the air as if it belonged to it, tilting and rising, then dipping again effortlessly. For a heartbeat, Shin thought it was alive. But as it drew closer, his eyes narrowed in alarm.
The bird was not flesh and bone.
It was made of paper.
And it was not alone.
A storm of paper birds poured into the clearing from every side, swirling like a vortex around the fire. Their wings beat in eerie silence, forming an origami maelstrom that blotted out the night. At the center, sheets folded together, twisting and layering until a human form began to emerge.
Shin sprang to his feet, chakra flaring as he activated the storage seal on his wrist. Twin blades slid into his hands with a metallic whisper. His body tensed, every nerve alive with the sense of danger radiating from the figure shaping before him.
"I was told you are seeking Akatsuki," came a voice. It was soft, feminine, yet carrying a chill that cut through the fire's warmth. "And I came on our common friends' request."
A/N -
Happy Holidays, everyone. Wish you all the best <3
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