Chapter 77
Hiruzen looked at Hayate Gekko as he lay on the ground; tired would be an understatement. The boy looked like someone who had tried and failed thousands of times and was done with life.
As the last few days remained until the last Chunin Test, little hope was left in the boy's eyes. Yet there was still desire. Otherwise, Hiruzen wouldn't be able to understand why the boy still stood up. His legs were shaking.
His lungs must be burning. His whole body had to be under enormous strain. And yet he stood up because there was something he wanted to reach with his own hands. Something that he has yet to accomplish.
As the boy gripped his sword with his bloodied hands and swung it down over and over again, Hiruzen looked at him, not saying anything. Even as blood droplets gathered under the boy's feet.
Even as the sword's handle was completely worn out, there was barely anything to grip. Hiruzen didn't stop the training. Nor did he say anything. He just looked after the boy as he desperately tried to achieve the impossible.
At this point, Hiruzen couldn't understand. After all, Hayate Gekko had already learned everything he needed to. He might not be as fast as Hiruzen was now with that knowledge, with his unlocked memories. But that was all.
Hayate Gekko was faster than any genin or chunin had any right to be. After teaching him the methods he used from his memories of the time of teaching the Sannin, Hiruzen saw no error in Hayate's technique. Only the lack of experience in it. And yet Hayate wasn't satisfied with that just yet.
…
Shisui could see it. He trusted his eyes more than ever, and he saw everything. Every particle of dust. Every movement of wind. Every muscle of Hayate Gekko as he moved. He could see it all. And he could react to it. He learned from it. He adapted to it.
There was only one problem with all of it. He saw an opportunity. He saw the opening to take the victory. And he saw his own death. Not defeat, but death itself. Every time he thought he should use all the strength he had left, he couldn't move.
That sword. Even though it followed him, it never should have been able to reach him in this cloud of dust they were in. And yet. Yet, he couldn't understand how he saw that damn sword cutting his head off.
It was the first time. He thought he already had a close encounter with death, but no, this was the first time. He didn't even understand how he was seeing it. It was no genjutsu, no illusion. He only saw that damn sword falling and his head flying in the air. His eyes only saw that possibility if he tried to approach.
"Fuu." Exhaling to calm down his nerves, Shisui stopped.
He let the last seconds pass as the dust finally settled down. And now he was facing Hayate Gekko face-to-face without any screen between them. He didn't know what was happening to him, but Shisui wasn't willing to let it control him any further.
There wasn't any need for words. Both of their eyes said only one thing. They would rather die than accept defeat today. Shisui didn't even have enough chakra left to conjure any kind of genjutsu. Especially one that would work on Hayate.
It was his first mistake to hold back the first time he tried to get him under his genjutsu, believing it would be enough. But maybe it wouldn't have worked out even if he went all in. Either way, there was no time for regrets.
"Whatever the result of this fight, let me just say one thing," Shisui pulled out two kunai and held them, prepared for direct combat. "It was fun."
"Thanks," Hayate corrected his stance with his sword as he replied. "This might be the most fun I've had while fighting."
Since Shisui's Sharingan could only see defeat, he deactivated them. From this moment on, he would only use his skills. And he either crossed the gap between them, or he was lacking from the very beginning.
There was no plan. No feint. No traps. Shisui just went ahead, and so did Hayate. Shisui's kunai pierced through the empty air, as Hayate's sword cut strands of Shisui's hair. And there they were again, behind each other, a few steps away.
Again. Both of them burst at each other. Shisui's kunai brushed against Hayate's cheek, as Hayate's sword cut through Shisui's chest. And once again, they were behind each other. This time, Shisui knew it would be his last bout.
But he saw through that swordsmanship. He experienced it. He had learned it. Now he only needed to adapt to it. This would be his last chance. The wound in his chest wasn't deep enough to hold him back. So, he ignored it.
There was nothing else. No sound, no world. It was just him and that sword. There were five steps between them, an exhaustingly long distance. With each step he took, rushing at Hayate, it became heavier to take the next one.
Shisui's eyes were fixed on the sword falling on him. But he knew its speed, and he knew his kunai would be faster. He would be the first to reach Hayate. Until all he knew became wrong, as he fell to his knees.
From his shoulder to his hips, a gash appeared as blood spilled out of him. How? He had no idea. He saw the sword. And yet it somehow still managed to cut him. It was beyond his ability to comprehend. He lost.
Falling to the ground, he could only hear the crowd cheering as the winner was announced. Damn. It wasn't the loss that made Shisui regretful. It was because he didn't see that last strike at him. He wished he did. He wished he could understand how it happened.
…
Sitting and bound to a metal chair, the young Suna jōnin could do nothing. All Hiruzen wanted now was to end this day. As happy as he was with the results, he felt exhausted. It felt like months had passed in a single day, and yet there were still things he needed answers to.
"A dark thing?" Hiruzen repeated what he heard from Mukai Kohinata.
Even if he didn't have any idea what he was talking about, Hiruzen would be inclined to believe in the Byakugan Mukai possessed. But he also could guess what that dark thing was. And now, he just wished that the Suna shinobi were just a bunch of idiots.
Nothing is as simple as that, though. And now another player has entered the game. Hiruzen just wished that he wasn't involved in it. Well, at least he knew that Naruto would be fine since he was with Fugaku. And since Mukai lost it, that thing probably ran away since its plan didn't work out.
"Release him."
"Sir?" Mukai looked shocked at Hiruzen's decision.
"Let him gather his genin and return home. I don't want him in Konoha for a second longer."
"But shouldn't we at least question him?"
"Does he know anything?" Hiruzen asked, before turning to the shinobi in question. "Yashamaru, tell the Kazekage that he is an idiot, and he had better stay in Suna. I don't want to deal with him, and trust me, he doesn't want to deal with me."
"Hokage-sama," Yashamaru didn't even look into Hiruzen's eyes as he spoke. "I know our words right now might not mean much to you. But Suna didn't have any choice. Please believe me."
"I do," Hiruzen didn't think that they did it out of fun either. "But what does it change? Your reasons are your own. And so are your actions. This is the last of my goodwill and extension of a hand to your village. You can swat it away or even spit on it. Or when you finally realize that there is always another choice, you can grasp it. Then we shall talk."
Whatever their situation was, if it was created by them, Hiruzen needed to interfere. Too many things had already changed. There was no prediction of what would happen from now on, nor what would be done by them. Hiruzen didn't even know how to get ready for it all.
He knew very well what this action would be seen as. By Suna, it wasn't even a slap on the wrist for stabbing him in the chest and trying to instigate a war. There was little chance they would learn from it.
Kumo would also see it as a weakness, even if they wouldn't say anything about it. Rumors would spread through the elemental villages that Konoha could be pushed around, and it would be fine even if they failed to do so, since there wouldn't be any repercussions.
And yet, Hiruzen would rather take that little chance for Suna to work with them rather than strain their relationships even further or cut all ties altogether. No matter how small the chance was, Hiruzen intended to hold on to it.
"A foolish thing you have done," Hiruzen looked at the Fourth Raikage, who was waiting for him outside, probably having seen Yashamaru leave unharmed. "To let it go so simply, how does that make any sense?"
"Let's just say I have grown old and senile," Hiruzen replied, lighting up his pipe. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but why the hell are you still in my village?"
"Don't pretend like you didn't expect this situation," the Raikage said. "Your bet paid off. You trapped me and made me watch and realize how pathetic my shinobi are compared to yours. So, I will take that piece of paper and sign it. But I will be the one who will use it."
"Hmm?" Hiruzen lifted an eyebrow in confusion.
"I will use it as a stopping power for your village's advances in the future. Until we are prepared to challenge you, and you shall not be able to do anything but watch as Kumo grows stronger."
"Sure…" Hiruzen had no energy left to even come up with any more words.
And so, they both went back to the Hokage Tower. There, they made a small ceremony with both sides having two witnesses to the signing of the peace treaty between both parties. And with that, it was finally all over.
"Yes, yes, I know."
Hiruzen smoked his pipe as he looked at the flashing messages in front of his eyes. He didn't even know what he was supposed to expect from them. Kumo left the second the peace treaty was signed. Suna was long gone as well, and so were the other villages.
He would make some time to visit Hayate and Shisui, and the other genin, and see how they were doing. But for now, he felt like closing his eyes while leaning back in his chair by his desk and just letting his body finally relax.
He was sure there was plenty of work left to do. Things to prepare for. Yet for a second, he wished he could pretend that none of it was any concern to him. Somehow, even with so much experience, he still sucked at pretending at such moments.
"Hokage-sama," Shizune brought some more tea; at this point, Hiruzen should already be sick of it, but he still accepted it. "Jiraiya, Tsunade, Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga, and Shikaku Nara are waiting outside for your call."
"Let them in," Hiruzen said as he tasted the tea and set the cup down.
One day was over, another was awaiting him. There was no time to rest, not for him. He had to strike the iron while it was still hot. And he needed to inform the most important people in the village of his new decisions and plans.
And only then, maybe he would finally be able to shut his eyes as he left the rest of them to deal with the fallout that would follow. It would be the first time in fifty years that one of the five villages would do something that Hiruzen wanted them to do. He was sure there would be fallout that would follow.
A.N. As always, thanks for reading and supporting me, so I can continue writing without any concerns, and if you want more, up to seven more chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852.