A Shard Among Leaves: Security Concerns (Patreon)

[Security Concerns]

“You are unhappy.”

Her father’s tone was curious and tinged with a slight amount of concern. From her position across the table, Hirari could see his brows furrow just slightly behind his shaded glasses.His worry was palpable.

Hirari chewed her rice as she worked out her response. She was finding it curiously difficult to put her thoughts into words. A hot emotion sizzled behind her breast, and her fingers twitched with the unconscious desire to tighten around her chopsticks. Frustration. That was what she was feeling. Or maybe it was just anger. From her previous experiences, she knew that this was the correct situation to display anger towards.

“Are you well, Hirari?” Her mother chimed in at her prolonged silence. 

“I had a… frustrating encounter, recently.” Hirari said after a moment of deliberation. “I am still trying to make sense of it, but I can’t seem to work out why it occurred the way that it did.”

Her mother and father shared a glance. Hirari always found it fascinating how they could communicate at length with only a look without the aid of their kikaichu. She herself could never seem to truly understand another’s intentions even with the added benefit of speech.

“What happened?” Her father finally asked, placing his bowl of rice down. Hirari set her own chopsticks down, unsure how to convey what she was feeling. 

“...Assuming the Hokage has become compromised by a hostile element and is now a threat to village security, what are our options to fix this? A related question: how difficult would it be to quietly depose and replace him before the final round of the Chunin Exams next month?”

Hirari found herself on the receiving end of two concerned stares. Her parents shared another one of those looks that spoke a thousand words, before her mother said, “Do you have a reason to believe that the Hokage doesn’t have the village’s best interests at heart?”

Hirari wasn’t entirely sure, and said as much. “I believe that he’s made a grave error in judgement by letting the exams continue as they are. He is displaying a shocking lack of concern with the current state of affairs. I worry he’s getting wrapped up in the spectacle and expectations that the Chunin Exams pose.”

“What brought this on?” Her father asked.

“My encounter with Orochimaru should have been more than enough to have the exams shut down altogether. He is an S-Class shinobi with a vendetta against Konoha itself, and has already proven himself capable of infiltrating our security when it should have been at its highest. Whose to say he couldn’t do so again?”

Hokage-sama had proclaimed that they would be tightening their security, but Hirari knew it wouldn’t be nearly enough. She still buzzed with agitation as she recalled their conversation just a few short hours ago.

“I understand and appreciate your concern, Hirari,” he had said as she voiced her issues with the tournament continuing. “But we’ve already committed to hosting the exams and backing down now would be a clear sign of weakness in the eyes of the other nations.”

“I understand that, Hokage-sama,” she had said. “But that’s exactly why we should cancel or otherwise relocate the exams. Our security will be spread thin with the influx of other nations, which will provide even more opportunity for Orochimaru to cause trouble. I will not be able to compensate for our Anbu’s lax attention.”

The Hokage had twitched oddly at that, and then proceeded to lecture her about unauthorized surveillance within the village, missing her point entirely. It was like he didn’t understand that one of their own rogue nin suddenly returning home to attack the village in the midst of a large event would be more damaging to their image than the incident itself ever would.

“I worry that his advanced age might be causing this lapse in judgement,” Hirari said to her parents presently.

Her father coughed weirdly. Hirari glanced his way, worried that a stray piece of rice had been caught in his windpipe, but he stared at her as if he hadn’t made a sound at all. 

“It's likely that Hokage-sama has a plan in place for any disruptions and did not share them with you because that would compromise village security,” her mother said.

Her father nodded in agreement. “The Hokage has led this village through several crises. It would be more than reasonable for him to have contingencies in place for an event this large.”

They weren't wrong. Though Hirari felt uncomfortable regardless. She did not like being in the dark as far as something like this was concerned. This could very well be a threat to the entire village if not handled properly.

Hirari picked her chopsticks back up and returned to her meal, though she found that her appetite had diminished significantly. She picked at her food, consuming the protein and vegetables for the nutrients they provided, only to stop at the rice.

Her mother watched her as she made half an effort at chewing and then put the chopsticks back down.”You should rest. Your body is still recovering.”

“You are right.” Hirari stood, bowing to her parents. “Thank you for the meal. I will be retiring to my room now. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” her parents echoed as she swept from the room. 

Once she was gone, they exchanged another look between them, both silently promising to keep an eye on their daughter, just in case.

The next morning, Hirari found herself standing in the middle of Team 7's usual training ground, searching for the team that seemed nowhere to be found. There was no residual chakra lingering in their air either, meaning they had not been here recently—a few days, at least. They had gone elsewhere to train.

Hirari turned away from the scene and headed back toward the village, wondering where else she could find  her quarry. Konoha was large and it was quickly becoming crowded as those seeking to watch the exams showed up early. It would be hard to find them in all of this.

Hirari passed through the village. The streets were bustling despite the early hour and she found the noise a little disconcerting. Could Orochimaru be hiding right in front of her? Was he one of the endless faces in the crowd, waiting to strike out at the village? Her colony buzzed in agitation beneath her skin, but before she could release her kikaichu  to survey the crowd before her, she found herself running into someone familiar. Almost literally.

“Whoa! Hm?” Anko Mitarashi blinked down at her as Hirari stepped backwards out of her path. “Oh, hey kid. What're you doing up and about?”

Hirari looked up at the woman, noting that her bandages were gone. A stitched laceration crossed the bridge of her nose and strayed into the territory of her cheek, reddened by healing. She straightened, saying, “I am looking for Sasuke Uchiha.”

Anko raised a brow. “Seriously? What do you need the brat for?”

“I want to ensure that he is prepared for Orochimaru's possible return. He expressed an interest in him, so—” 

Hirari was suddenly gripped by the shoulder and the world washed away into a blur of color. Her stomach lurched as she suddenly found herself standing on a rooftop instead of the street that had once warmed her feet. She stumbled slightly as her colony settles. Nearby, Anko was sitting on the lip of a higher roof, staring down at her.

“Damn, kid. You can't just blurt shit out like that.” the woman sighed. 

Hirari blinked slowly. “...I apologize. I was not aware that Orochimaru's presence during the exams was classified information.”

“That's not—” Anko pinched the bridge of her nose. “Classified or not, it's not the kind of thing you can just talk about with a bunch of foreigners wandering around.”

“I see.” Hirari made a mental note. “I will be more circumspect in the future.”

“Good to hear. Don't want to have to drag my favorite Chunin off to a cozy little cell for compromising village security.” Anko leaned back on her hands. “So. What makes you think you can protect the brat from Orochimaru? Assuming he even comes back.”

“I myself may not be able to,” Hirari admitted. “But I can keep an eye on him and alert the proper forces in the event that I recognize Orochimaru's chakra.”

Anko was suddenly in her face, having moved from the rooftop to the ground in the space between heartbeats. Hirari’s colony stirred beneath her skin in response to the abrupt movement. She forced her swarm to still as the woman leaned in close enough to smell the mint on her breath.

“You can recognize that bastard's chakra?” 

The question confused Hirari. She’d just said that, had she not?

“Yes,” Hirari nodded. “I consumed enough of his chakra during our encounter that I would be able to pick it out at a glance. It is very... singular.”

Anko ran a hand down her face, fingers dragging across her healing wound. “Ain't that the truth?” She huffed. She leaned back, staring at the sky for a moment, then shook her head. “Alright. Let's go.”

Hirari was left confused by the non sequitur. “Go where?”

Anko jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “We're gonna go see Ibiki. Security isn't really my department, but if you can do what you say you can, then you need to talk to someone with a little more pull.”

Hirari blinked but soon realized that this was exactly what she had sought from the Hokage. She nodded, eager to lend her expertise to someone who might actually make use of it. “I will accompany you.”

“Hope you had a light lunch.” Anko grabbed her shoulder again. Hirari opened her mouth to say that it was still morning and thus, any meal would be classified as breakfast, when the world turned to colors around her.

T&I headquarters was not a place Hirari had ever expected to visit voluntarily. The building itself was unremarkable from the outside, but Hirari could pick it out for what it was at a glance, mostly due to the fact that her colony could not penetrate its walls in the slightest. Even once inside, she found them confined to her general area due to just how tightly sealed the building was. 

Anko led her through a series of corridors with the casual ease of someone who had walked them a thousand times. She nodded to a few passing shinobi but didn't stop to chat. For once, the woman actually seemed serious. 

They stopped in front of a door. Anko rapped her knuckles against it twice.

“Come in,” called a voice from inside.

Anko pushed the door open to reveal an office like any other. ordinary office. Filing cabinets lined the walls and there was a desk stacked with papers, behind which sat none other than Ibiki Morino.

“Anko,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “This is a surprise. Don't tell me you've actually come to work on that pile of paperwork you've been putting off?”

“Ha ha.” Anko stepped inside and jerked a thumb toward Hirari. “Found something you might be interested in. She's the one who tangled with Orochimaru in the forest before I got to him. Apparently, she can pick out the bastard’s chakra.”

Ibiki's gaze settled on Hirari, interest flickering behind dark irises. “Is that so? Why don't you take a seat, kid?”

As Hirari settled into the chair across from him, Anko stretched her arms above her head with a groan. “Alright, I'll leave you two to it. It’s my day off and I don’t plan spending it in here.”

She paused at the door, glancing back at Hirari. “Don't let Ibiki scare you. He looks mean, but he's a softie.”

“False,” Ibiki said flatly.

Anko snorted and shut the door with a heavy noise that rustled the papers on Ibiki's desk. The man sighed, and then turned his attention to Hirari. Hirari expected him to speak, but he just stared at her instead. A clock ticked on the wall nearby. The room was soundproof, Hirari noted.

“She indicated that you are in charge of village security,” Hirari broke the deafening silence. Ibiki's brow furrowed, as if he'd expected something different. He leaned back, crossing his arms as he adopted a more casual posture.

“I'm a part of it,” Ibiki nodded, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk. His expression was serious, all business now that the pleasantries were dispensed with. “Security is a collaborative effort. But if you can really do what she says you can, then you should have come to me a while ago.”

“I am here now.”

Ibiki stared at her, stone-faced, then the corner of his mouth twitched upward. 

“You are,” he agreed. He opened a drawer and pulled out a folder, setting it on the desk between them. “Now let’s see if you’re any help getting a handle on this clusterfuck.”

Working with Ibiki was a refreshing experience. The man’s ability to manage the resources at hand was impressive for a human. Perhaps he would make a suitable replacement Hokage in the event that her worries about the Third were founded. 

Though Hirari arrived early in the morning, she found the sun had well and truly set by the time she walked out of T&I. She glanced up at the starry sky. Drifting clouds were lit a bright silver by the moon overhead. The night was warm, and the pleasant weather convinced her to remain out for just a bit longer. She needed to check on a few of her independent colonies.

She did a circuit of the village, visiting the more remote training grounds to check up on their progress. Colonies Six and Fourteen were flourishing above expectations, while Twenty-Three had degraded into near nothingness. It was not a surprise given the local and lack of forethought she’d put into it. She assimilated the remaining kikaichu and made a promise to return later. 

As she was making her way to the next nearest colony, Hirari paused as she heard something over the ambient sounds of the night. It was the distant sound of clashing steel—the ringing of bladed weapons fighting for dominance. Odd. The closest training ground was the one she had come from, and that was a good distance away.

A flare of foreign chakra lit up her senses, and Hirari’s curiosity morphed into alarm. She turned and leapt onto the nearest building, dashing towards the scene of the disturbance as quickly as she possibly could.

She arrived at the scene just in time to see a figure jump away from the scene of the crime. Hirari paused, taking in the blood-strewn rooftop before her, as well as the still form of a man, torn to shreds by some kind of jutsu, before his attire caught her eye. He was wearing a Konoha flak jacket.

Hirari was at his side in an instant, hands pressing into his wounds to apply proper pressure. Blood soaked through her fingers and the man lurched away from her weakly, the only indication that he was alive.

Hirari spared a moment of concentration to split her swarm. Chakra bled from her like the pool of crimson around her, forming into two exact copies  of her which soon disappeared. Her clones would signal for assistance and check the surrounding area while she did her best to keep this man alive. First aid was not her area of expertise; humans died far too easily for her tastes. Still, she would try her best.

“I… S-Suna…” The man gasped weakly, trying to form the words. Blood loss and internal damage would make that nearly impossible, and if his lungs were damaged, speaking could easily exacerbate that.

“Do not speak. You will die.” Hirari kept pressure on the wounds. She debated making another clone to begin bandaging, but the perpetrator could still be nearby and she needed to—

Hirari stiffened at an odd sound in the near distance. A cloud of black surged over the nearby buildings as her kikaichu returned to her, quickly finding their place underneath her clothes and skin. Someone had destroyed her clone. And judging by how much chakra her kikaichu had returned with, they had done it without being seen.

A dangerous foe. Hirari abandoned her earlier caution, expending the chakra necessary to create two more clones which took up positions beside her, keeping watch for any sign of movement across the nearby rooftops.

Seconds ticked past, then minutes. A shadow was disturbed, and Hirari turned, expecting an enemy. She was met with a familiar face instead.

“Hirari!” Hana leapt to her side, fear and concern on her face which lessened slightly as she took Hirari in. Her ninkin bounded after her, all three of the large dogs forming a perimeter alongside Hirari’s clones. Hana’s eyes roved over her friend before locking onto the dying man she was trying to keep alive. Her face hardened. “Scooch over.”

Hirari acquiesced without a word. Hana’s fingers dipped into her tool pouch and came back with a thick roll of gauze which she began thoroughly applying to the wounded man’s torso. 

“Do we know who did this?” Hana asked as she worked.

“He tried to say something but I was unsure of the damage so I advised him not to speak. The only word I could make out was Suna.”

Hana’s head whipped to her, shock on her face. “Suna? They’re our alles. There’s no way they did this.” 

“Without knowing his entire message, it’s impossible to tell who was responsible.” Hirari turned to gaze in the direction her swarm had come from. “Though they were nearby until recently.”

Hana nodded and bit her lower lip, letting out a sharp, echoing whistle. The Haimaru Brothers responded with a trio of barks before bounding off into the direction she nodded in. One of Hirari’s clones followed as reinforcements, a protector so that the ninkin could focus on picking up any scent they could.

They disappeared onto the adjacent roofs and Hirari watched them go, before turning back to the victim, hoping that he wasn’t a sign of things to come.