A burning white is how it always begins. Masato was never aware he dreamt until the last moment, until it was too late to make any change. This time was no different. In this dream, he stood, prepared for whatever would come next. His eyes reflexively closed in response to the overwhelmingly bright light of his friend's fire release. And when they opened, the sight of rushing water was interrupted by…
A glowing red sword.
It hung in place, as if waiting for something. A ringing filled the space where sound should exist, placed there by the roaring flames that blew out his ear drums. It was all his head could seem to comprehend as he sat and stared at that blade for who knows how long. Then… the black hand arrived.
Completely matte, yet glistening with blood that should be dry, the right hand pushes its way through the water barrier Masato placed so much confidence in. The upward force of the water was redirected inward, coating everything inside of the cylindrical barrier; Masato, the sword, and the fleeing Reika. That hand crawled forward with a certain desire, straight for the handle of Kouga's sword. Masato's heartbeat raced as the existential threat appeared.
What could the Samurai do if he wielded Kouga's sword?
Too many thoughts flew through his mind. Everything he knew about his friend, about Cinders, said it should be impossible. Surely, the Samurai knew this as well. So why… Why did he reach for the blade? Why make the effort?
In the heat of the moment, Masato reached a horrific conclusion. One that could mean certain death. For Kouga, for Reika, for Kotetsu, these townsfolk, himself, his clan. What if… the Samurai could use that sword? Reality was catching up, and the sword remained. Masato was pulled under the rising tide of choice.
With one extreme motion, he slammed the sheath back over the blade. He knew from personal experience that he could not have taken it back otherwise, saving it from the Samurai's reaching fingers. He barely even registered the moments following that action as he trailed behind Reika, quickly catching up to her form.
Until she turns, and looks right into his eyes. Masato froze in place from those green eyes. The next words she speaks imprint themselves into his mind, like a force of will.
"You killed him."
—
A thin layer of sweat coated his body, leaving Masato peeling himself off of the hard mat he slept on. Syuka remained peacefully asleep beside him, her rhythmic breath apparent to his heightened senses. Not that he would dare make any noise, as he had learned long ago. The constant worrying was a drain on both of their psyches.
Moving with a grace learned through decades of experience, Masato carefully tip-toed his way out of the room and into the hall, making sure the door clicked shut as quietly as possible. His routine was well-learned by that point. Just as he was planning his next move, a surprise bumped into him.
"Oh!"
Emilia pulled back from the sudden collision, apparently not expecting to find her father there. Masato, too, was quite confused. Ironically, neither could see all that well in the dark hallway interior.
"Emilia, why are you awake so early?" Masato whispered.
He couldn't quite tell, but it almost seemed as if Emilia's head was lowered slightly.
"I, uh… well…"
She stammered for a full second before regaining control of her reaction.
"...I'm going to go out and train. I have been neglectful, and many of my skills feel lacking."
Making a few quick judgements, Masato decided that whatever the case, his daughter's reasons were her own. However, he still needed to say something. His own head slightly lowered at the approaching subject.
"I… see. Before you leave for the day, I must discuss something with you."
The young Hyuuga made a vague motion with her hand.
"If it is about Gakuji's appearance after yesterday, it wasn't my fault. I swear."
"No- not that. Niko was already scolded by the elder."
He couldn't tell in the dark, but Masato was fairly certain a smirk fell on Emilia's face.
"He really needs to keep his mouth shut…"
"-Emilia. This is important." Masato attempted to project his serious nature past the light-hearted joking.
"It's about Kotetsu."
The moment he said Kotetsu's name, it was like a switch had flipped. Gone was the casual and flippant Emilia, and in her place was a coiled viper, ready to strike. One word hissed through suddenly gritted teeth.
"What?"
Masato felt the eggshells appear under his feet. Talking like this right outside the room where his wife slept wasn't a good idea, so he was quick to amend that.
"...We should bring this topic somewhere else. Join me in the living room?"
Slowly, he moved toward the end of the hallway, where said room was located. He kept a close eye on his daughter's dangerous form, and when he was halfway down the hall, she moved to follow. Masato did not breathe a sigh of relief.
The living room was neither large, nor luxurious. It held a series of tatami mats surrounding a central table, upon which sat a cold lamp and a vase filled with flowers. Masato bent over and gently touched the side of the lamp, adjusting the slow drip of oil and activating the ignitor. Maintaining a simplistic ignition seal was much easier than creating a light source out of pure Chakra.
He knew he was stalling, thinking such random thoughts, even as a warm glow filled the room. Masato took a seat on one end of the long table, and Emilia joined him on the opposite side a moment later. They both spoke at the same time.
"When did you learn-"
"I need to start-"
They both stopped. Emilia appeared to visibly hold herself back from saying more, instead motioning for Masato to continue. He did.
"...I need to start with a statement first."
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
"I have purposefully kept details about Kotetsu's whereabouts from you."
Settling back, Masato wished he had picked up smoking just to have an excuse to stall. Emilia sat completely still, her face vaguely illuminated by the soft lantern light.
"The reasoning for my decision was based on your actions the day you learned Kotetsu had left the clan. I should not need to bring up the details of that day…"
Emilia's expression was unchanging as he said this.
"...Anyway. I have five reports detailing possible sightings that describe his appearance, all of which took place within three months, beginning early the previous Spring."
This time, there was a change. Emilia's eyes widened for a split second. She did not speak, however. Masato continued.
"The reason I kept this from you, is due to the people he was travelling with. They were shinobi, that much is clear. And, after paying the right people, I learned of their affiliation with the Uchiha clan. This was only confirmed in four of the five reports, but I believe it's safe to assume they were present in all five sightings."
Silence. Masato kept a close eye on Emilia's face, yet nothing happened. Not even a raised eyebrow. His neck grew cold with sweat. If she exploded, he wasn't sure if he could stop-
"Why."
Her voice was monotone yet sharp. Despite Masato's cool demeanour, he was confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked for clarification.
"We had a deal." She answered.
Masato knew exactly which deal she referred to.
"I made a decision. That is why-"
"-You lied." Emilia cut him off. Her voice remained neutral, tone lowered. Both of them maintained the quiet of the night.
"You promised that you would tell me everything about Kotetsu you found. And I promised I would not act rash."
Masato attempted to save face.
"It was a hard choice… I never wanted you to worry-"
"-All I have done is worry."
This time, real emotion entered her voice for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. Frustration…
"All I have done…"
…Mixed with helplessness.
"...is wait for a sign. I just wanted to know where he was. To know that he was alive…"
Masato felt his heart crumble upon seeing his daughter's response. Closing her eyes, she shuddered as if a cold wind blew through the room. Her eyes opened to reveal another emotion bubbling just beneath the surface.
"And you…"
She took a laboured breath to calm herself.
"...You lied about it. You didn't trust me, as I trusted you."
Her voice began to rise without care for the night.
"I TRUSTED you. And you lied. How much more have you lied about, huh?"
Only now, when he was hovering over the pit, did Masato realise the depth to the grave he dug. The guilt welling inside his core was something he was horribly familiar with. It hit him like a log.
"A lot."
By that point, Masato's heartbeat was racing in fear for his relationship with his daughter. He had screwed up so much. Only when truly faced with the loss, did something finally click in his head. And so, with slow and steady words, he began to explain everything he could.
Kotetsu's appearances, as few as they were. The complete disappearance a year ago, and what little information on the Uchiha he had gathered. The clan's whereabouts were not exactly hidden; but getting too close to a renowned clan was a risky ordeal, even if the Uchiha were less than impressive in recent years. After that, Masato explained the fact that he had kept these details near completely to himself, even from the elder, to keep any rumours about Kotetsu to a minimum.
Then… he explained the things he was less worried about. Ultimately, many of those topics were silly to keep hidden, but he had become used to lying. The Senju's possible interference with the Asuras being among those topics, but many more tiny details as well. The more he explained, the more he realised just how stupid he was to keep such things from her.
The anger in Emilia's eyes did not recede the entire time he spoke. Finally, after possibly a whole hour, he was done.
"Again, I'm… sorry."
There were too many mistakes to account for all at once, but Masato attempted to return to some neutral level. It did not work.
"An apology doesn't make it right."
"No, it does not."
Masato's eyes drifted down to the lamp sitting between them. After burning for so long, he could feel the faint heat emanating from its surface. Silence stretched between the father and daughter for several long moments, before Emilia spoke up again.
"Why lie in the first place?"
He considered the question. Truthfully, he already knew why, but he was afraid of voicing that truth. With a sudden flex, his fingers dug into the edge of the table, piercing and splitting the wood. The movement surprised both Emilia and himself. With a conscious effort, he unclenched his fist.
"It's, I… it began when I lied to Kotetsu."
Whatever look was on his face caused Emilia to recoil slightly in disgust. She remained silent, forcing him to continue speaking.
"I lied to him about who killed his parents."
The earlier nightmare was still fresh in his mind, the images always lingering for much longer than he wished. Every time he managed to clear his head, the nightmare would repeat.
"If I had not done what I did that day, they might still be alive."
A feeling of dryness made his eyes itch.
"Maybe if I had been more confident, more trusting of my friend… Kotetsu would have his parents. I failed them, and him. I was scared of how he would see me. If I told him what really happened."
It was done. He said it. Something he should have said years ago, but now it was out. The room became silent in the aftermath of his real confession. The two Hyuuga remained sitting still, the sound of wind beating at the house and shadows cast by lamplight the only signs of life.
Emilia spoke.
"When Kotetsu returns, you will tell him yourself."
"-Of course I will." Masato quickly interjected.
Opening and closing his mouth, Masato took a moment to gather his thoughts. Then, he continued.
"I… will tell him everything. And if he hates me for it… I will live with that."
There was no longer a fire in Emilia's eyes. A weariness born from overwhelming anxiety replaced it, visibly sapping her strength and leaving her looking sundered. Masato felt no different after the conversation. Yet, he also felt a pressure ever so slightly shift in his gut. Maybe that fish the previous night wasn't a good idea.
"I'm staying in today." Masato began. "Lots of reading and managing, there is always more work to do-"
"-I don't care."
The indifference in her tone was enough to tell Masato where they stood. It made him wonder if this was the correct decision to make, but there was no going back now. He took in a deep breath, and at the same time, Emilia pushed herself to her feet and marched out of the room.
He remained sitting until Syuka woke up an hour later.
—
Emilia could have slain an army if not for the absolute exhaustion that consumed her. Despite her earlier enthusiasm to begin the day right with training, she honestly didn't care at that point. Even though she knew her father would be in the same house, she couldn't stop herself from shuffling back to her room, slamming the door, and passing out right there on the spot.
And she slept for hours. By the time she woke, the angled light of morning was long gone, replaced by the overhead heat of noon. Late summer days were always hottest at this time. Right about now, she had planned to be out near the lake, training somewhere far cooler. Tossing and turning on her futon, Emilia eventually felt the need to get up override the desire to remain still. That, and the smell of pastries baking somewhere in the village.
Pushing herself off the mat, Emila stood and exited her room. She was still in her well-fit combat robes, now somewhat unkempt by the unplanned nap. She only had two goals at that moment: Get something to eat, and avoid her father. Her mother would be gone for several more hours teaching her class. Masato's study was just down from her room, so she needed to be extremely careful not to alert him, or else he might want to… talk. Or maybe not. She just wanted to avoid him.
Moving with caution, barely lifting her feet with each step, she practically slid across the smooth wooden floor. When she came upon the door to the study, she found it slightly ajar. Worried she would be spotted, she hurried past with spirit, only to do a double take after completing her movement.
No one was present inside the study. Well… good. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned toward the entrance, looking for the sandals she hastily discarded yesterday.
—
"...-Another set of requests from the Mori Family came in, as well as…"
Masato was half-listening to the messenger. His eyes were itchy, and he had an urge to scratch them. That day's batch of missions and requests were unusually large, though it could be explained by recent events. Either way, Masato was not all that present mentally during the messenger's report. Eventually, the younger man reached the end of the list.
"...The Sasaki and Kobayashi families also made hefty requests, as well as paying the upfront fee for immediate response."
Nodding along, Masato prepared to receive the entire bag of scrolls and run back home, intent on staring at the ceiling all day. Before he could lighten the messenger's load, he mentioned one final thing.
"And the final mission, which had both the upfront and emergency fees paid. The contents are sealed, and it is supposedly time sensitive."
Quirking his head, Masato rolled his eyes.
"Let me guess… The Nagahime family's young prince lost his favourite dog again, and requested our excellent eyesight to secure it before anything tragic were to occur."
The pale-eyed man blinked back at Masato. Masato stared back.
"...The source of this request is the Ryoukai compound."
Masato's head snapped back in shock. He had not heard that name in… it would be over a year, now. It was the Ryoukai's late elder daughter that his own children had escorted all those years ago. The mission that took Solomon's life. He scrambled to summon any information relevant to the situation.
"Last I heard, the Ryoukai compound was selling off much of its assets… A unification was scheduled, was it not?"
The messenger's eyes darted back and forth. He knew that the subject was delicate, and Masato could see his unwillingness to participate in the conversation. However, he had orders to relay everything he could.
"Yes… It is ongoing. The Inoto family is set to absorb the majority of their land. From what I know, this mission is directly from the chief advisor, who assumed operations of the compound a short time before this merger was announced."
Masato nodded his head for the messenger to continue. The Inoto family was somewhat surprising, but the merger was expected. When the young man didn't continue, the older Hyuuga's eyebrows raised.
"Anything else?"
Shaking his head, the messenger looked down at his bag with hesitation.
"Uh… the rest is on the scroll, sir. I am not privy to the mission details."
"Oh."
He held out his hands. The messenger obliged, dropping the entire hefty leather satchel into Masato's arms.
"Is that everything?" Masato queried.
"Yes, sir."
The two men nodded, and Masato retreated toward the general direction of home. If he was quick, he might be able to seclude himself within his study before his daughter awoke. He was under no illusion as to her current feelings toward him, and would rather not have any direct conversation with her right now.
So, he was entirely caught off guard when he pulled open the entrance door to their house, and found Emilia standing in the hallway with several pastries gathered in her hands. One was sticking out of her mouth, half-eaten. She turned to stare at him like a deer caught in a trap.
"Uh," Masato expertly voiced.
Emilia's eyes drifted to the bag in his arms, and he received an incredible idea. Holding up the bag, he proclaimed its significance.
"-I have, uh, scrolls. To read. Full of missions. I'll get to that. So, uh…"
His courage waned when Emilia failed to do… well, anything. Masato began to ramble out of anxious energy.
"And there's some real nasty ones, too. Some big missions. We even received something from the Ryoukai-"
Right as he said that, he registered his own words at the same time Emilia did. The pastry lodged in her mouth fell free and bounced a short distance from her feet. Before Masato could make any move toward correcting his mistake, one of Emilia's hands shot out, palm turned upward. She spoke before he could comprehend the motion.
"Give."
The last time they had received a mission from the Ryoukai, it had been the one that elder Tomoji had gone on. It would have been the mission that Kotetsu would have taken, too. The outcome of such a situation was plain as day to Masato. However, one detail they learned after the fact was the opponent Tomoji had faced: The Uchiha clan. All of these thoughts flashed through Masato's head in a split second, and he thought he understood the direction his daughter's thoughts had taken.
He sighed. This was not a battle, he reminded himself. There was no winning here. He needed to be better, to work with his family. So, with no small amount of trepidation, he reached into the bag and pulled free the scroll, recognising it as the only one with a blocking seal present. The seal was unusual in its design, but that could be attributed to any number of things. After examining the seal for a moment, he handed the scroll over to Emilia's extended hand.
She took it, and with a nudge of Chakra, disabled the seal. Masato waited patiently while she unfurled the scroll right there in the hallway. Emilia appeared distracted while searching for the pertinent information. Not even ten seconds later, her eyes opened wide. Her expression quickly grew into one of resignation as she handed the scroll back, half-opened.
"It's… something that involves all of us."
Emilia maintained a neutral tone as she spoke, indicating that for the moment, there was no conflict to be had. Masato, confused, took the scroll and began to read himself. What he found was a strange mission statement.
"Addressee: Hyuuga Clan Leader; Masato Hyuuga.
Addressor: Ryoukai Compound Agent; Gaku Takeda.
To dealing party,
The assets of Ryoukai Compound are to be accounted for in full before merging with Inoto Family Holdings. One such asset is unreachable by standard means, and so, we request the assistance of the Hyuuga clan in reclaiming this asset. The location and access details of the asset are listed below.
…"
Masato continued reading, and the strange nature of the scroll quickly turned shocking. This was a bizarre mission to say the least.
"...They have been using a defunct Azuchi outpost to house their vault? What kind of idiocy…"
Mumbling mostly to himself, Masato continued down the paper, his eyebrows climbing his forehead the further down his eyes traced.
"We would need to move north out of the Shishi woods and west through Sanzu's pass… Even with a lightened load, it would be a several day trip…"
The idea of using old, defunct ruins to stash one's treasure was… an interesting choice. The outpost in question was used for garrison and supplies, directly north of the Kingdom, and was left defunct long before the Kingdom itself fell; at least 50 years before, if his third hand knowledge could be trusted. Masato was unsure exactly how much of the Ryoukai compound's wealth was stored in this vault, but it must be substantial if they were willing to pay such lavish rates to retrieve it. He idly wondered how much of that payment depended on the mission's success.
Continuing on, he read the scroll further.
"...the last account taken by scouts is as detailed below. A nest containing high-shedding Asuras appears to have taken residence in the local area, potentially even within asset location. Ensure protection of assets over destruction.
…"
That made sense. There are plenty of reasons for a group of Asuras to move into the area. The fact they remained in place was interesting, but there were reasons to explain that as well. For civilians, using the term 'high-shedding' when referring to Asuras typically meant between third and fifth shedding. He was sceptical of there being more than a single fifth shedding Asura, if any, but there were sure to be several fourth sheddings at the least. Not to mention, if this really was a group of nesting Asuras, then there would be a swarm of third sheddings as well.
Of course, he could be completely wrong, and there could potentially be a sixth shedding Asura present. He highly doubted such an occurrence, as such powerful creatures were difficult to miss. Regardless, he would need to put together a group capable of dispatching this threat quickly and efficiently. Glancing up from the scroll, Masato observed his daughter's contemplative frown, and decided to voice his own thoughts.
"I will be leading this mission. I have dealt with the Ryoukai compound in the past, and this is a good opportunity to re-affirm our ties to both their and the Inoto family's leadership, as I am sure the Ryoukai name will continue to carry weight even within the Inoto region."
Emilia appeared startled for a moment before reining in her expression. After a pause, she spoke up.
"Is… that for the best? Why take the risk?"
Masato hefted the leather satchel filled with scrolls still attached to his shoulder in response.
"The clan will be quite busy going forward. I am not needed for something as mundane as sorting through missions. I am sure Elder Tomoji would be more than willing to pick up my slack…" Masato wryly claimed. He could already feel that sting from the Elder's future gaze between his shoulder blades.
"...As for this mission, I will need to assemble a capable group to handle the Asuras. Aside from that, the rest of the task is essentially fetching the Ryoukai's wealth, which I do not foresee requiring more than a few willing hands."
With a ponderous sigh, Masato moved to push past his daughter, having already slipped his sandals off. Ideally, he could use this mission as an excuse to put a few of their younger clan members through live combat. Even though the Shishi woods they called home were notoriously filled with Asuras, it was rare to find anything higher than a third shedding. A nest consisting mostly of third sheddings and above would be great for teamwork exercises.
"-I am coming too." Emilia blurted out.
Masato froze in place, having just reached the door to his study. He turned slowly in place until he met his daughter's gaze.
"Uh," He, again, brilliantly uttered. After several seconds of silence, he spoke with more thought.
"Why?"
Indeed, why. In Masato's head, there was no conceivable reason why she would want to subject herself to this mission. Not only was it directly tied to the Ryoukai and the mission that resulted in Solomon's death, but he would be leading it himself. Whatever reason there was for going along, it had to overrule all of those factors by quite the margin.
Just as Masato really kicked his mind into overdrive to figure out that possible reason, she spoke. Her tone sent a slight chill down his spine.
"I need to kill something."
Stunned, Masato felt his mouth drop open slightly. He clamped it shut, thinking over her answer. After a far too long moment, he looked his daughter in the eyes.
"Very well. We leave in two days."
It was not his place to get in her way. Especially not now.