Chapter 44
Utakata wished he could have said that the Land of the Water had changed since he was gone. It had been about three years since he left this country—or was it four now? Utakata had a hard time remembering it. That was one of the reasons why he decided to return. Since he decided not to live in his past anymore, Utakata wanted to finish a few things here before he moved on.
The countryside was even worse than he remembered. The villages were miserable, and it was hard to tell what tormented the people there. Oppression? Famine? Sickness? Maybe all three or something entirely different. Whatever it was, the people avoided Utakata like he was a plaque. Utakata was sure they didn't recognize him, as he had changed quite a bit over the years, and half of his face was hidden under his hair.
So, he was naturally curious why he received those looks wherever he went. Or maybe he was simply more used to the towns and villages of the Land of Fire and had forgotten that the people of the Land of the Water weren't as bright and kind. In the end, it didn't matter; he was only passing by and never intended to stay more than a night in any place.
"Ahh!" Utakata stepped into a puddle, startled by a shrill scream coming from the alleyway between two houses next to him. "Please stop it. No more."
"Shut it. I was kind enough to offer you a pay, but since you want to act like a bitch be my bitch."
"Another of Master Jin's men," The folk talked around, but no one moved to help the poor woman.
"Hah," A sigh escaped Utakata as he fixed his straw hat to cover his face and walked to the woman in need of help.
"Stop it, young man," And the old lady blocked Utakata's path with a long stick. "Beat him, and he will come with more men to harm more people. Can't beat him. He will kill you and do worse things to the woman. Let it be. The woman will endure it, and the man will forget about her the next day."
"If I was going to watch and not do anything about it, then I as well should join him," Utakata replied as he carefully pushed the walking stick away from him. "It might not make me a worse person to ignore it. But it sure won't make be a better one. And I don't want to be associated with someone like him."
Utakata walked up to the man, dragging the woman deeper into the alleyway for some privacy. He was nothing but a thug with a sword fastened to his belt. That was enough for most people to steer clear of him. So, Utakata couldn't blame others for ignoring this, but he surely couldn't do the same.
"Who the fuck are you?" The man noticed Utakata only once he was a step away from them. "Fuck off, or I will fuck you up."
One hit in the throat, and the man collapsed to the ground, choking on his spit. He will be fine but will have a soar throat for a couple of days, and breathing might be a bit painful for a while. The woman looked fearful but grateful for what Utakata had done. With a slight bow in thanks, she ran off. Probably home or someplace to hide.
"Ahk, I have, ahk! I have you. Ahk!"
The man tried to speak but couldn't, and in the end, he ran off, glaring at Utakata and the people around him. They quickly evaded the thug's glare, trying to hide among themselves. Utakata only felt pity for them. They were neither strong nor had any will to resist the thugs. Utakata should just ignore them, but he couldn't.
"A wanderer," The old lady from before said. "You know nothing. You don't understand anything. Yet you interfere where you don't need to. Leave before you cause more trouble."
Utakata could feel cold glares at him. But he didn't listen to the old lady and leaned against a wall of a building that overlooked the road to the village. The old lady was right; the thug would come back with more men and try to make up for this blunder. He would try to make the people of this village fear him even more. So, Utakata would wait for them. He was in no rush.
"It will never end," Utakata said as the people started to disperse and lock themselves in their houses. "You will only teach your children to do the same thing. Don't start any trouble and ignore the strangers like you were ignored as you were harassed by the stronger and bigger than you. It might be safer that way, but they will grow cold and distant, never making connections with other people as it is easier to ignore strangers. Is that the kind of people you want to raise in this village?"
Utakata didn't expect a response, so he wasn't surprised to not get one. Recent times have been hard on civilians, especially those of lower class. As much pity as they deserve, they can't live with it. They need to know that what they are doing won't fix the problems and will only make it harder for the others. But it was up to them to learn it.
…
Their laughter was as loud as the smell coming from them was strong. Two dozen of them. Armed with swords and torches, they walked into the village proudly as if it belonged to them. They cast shadows as the sun set behind them. Armor protected their chest. They were no simple thugs. They had someone supporting them.
"You haven't run off?" The man whom Utakata chased away asked with a hoarse voice, still having trouble speaking. "Well, that's better for us. We won't need to waste time looking for you."
"Who are you serving?" Utakata asked as he blocked their path to enter the village further.
"None of your business!"
Making sure his face was still hiding under his hat, Utakata took a position and waited for the men to rush at him. Swords drawn, torches raised, they thought they were above everyone else. But after ten seconds, they realized what fear was. With arms and legs broken, these men won't be raising their swords against the weaker people anymore.
"Spare me, Lord Shinobi. I will tell you everything. Please spare me." The pride was gone; only a pitiful sight was left of the man as he cried for mercy.
"You did not harm me, so I have no reason to harm you," Utakata replied to the man's relief. "But you have harmed them. And you will have to ask their forgiveness."
The people who were watching from behind their windows stepped out. Seeing their tormentors lying on the ground, crying in pain, not able to stand up anymore, their eyes filled with fear were now replaced by maliciousness. Utakata had no right to interfere with them. So, he left the thugs' lives in the villagers' hands.
…
"Taking to the sun," Utakata read the label of a package in his hands. "Drugs?"
"Hmhm," The man with a broken jaw tried to reply but couldn't.
"Leave," Utakata said. "Run as fast as you can, as far as you can, because I will be coming for you. I will always be behind you, ever so closer as you take time to rest. No one will protect you. Nothing will hide you from me. If you live or die, it is only up to your ability to run, Master Jin."
"Mhmh! Mhmh!"
He crawled away before he was able to stand up and run on his feet. Utakata got everyone he knocked out of the mansion before he set fire to it. This gave little satisfaction to Utakata, as he knew Master Jin wasn't the first nor the last to use the instability of the Land of the Water. And it was partially Utakata's fault that he was able to rise to the power he was in.
"Show yourself!" Utakata yelled into the darkness behind him, sensing a weak chakra source coming from that direction.
A child stumbled out. On his back was a wooden box carrying wood. His white hair and pale skin made him stand out in the dark. He wore servant's clothes, but his chakra was unmistakable that of a shinobi. And the kunai under his sleeves didn't help him hide that fact. But to Utakata, he posed no danger, and he was prepared to leave the boy to be.
"Don't," Utakata warned the boy as he turned away and heard the unmistakable sound of him taking out his kunai. "Did you work for them? Is that why you want to fight me?"
"How did you know?" the boy asked as he slowly moved around Utakata. "They were only fools who thought they could push me around. That made them easy targets to steal from."
"Then why are you circling me and preparing to attack me?"
"Why didn't you kill them?"
"Why should I?"
"Because they're your enemies."
"I don't know them. So, how could they be my enemies? No, they were just opposition that I got rid of."
"Wouldn't killing them be easier?"
"Not really," Utakata felt amused as the kid continued to ask him questions. "To someone like me, killing them doesn't give any advantages. And I just don't like killing."
"You sound weak," The boy replied, and Utakata only sighed as he could see that the kid wanted to test how strong Utakata was.
"Maybe I am," Utakata said. "But do you even know what is strength and what is weakness?"
"Show me!" The foolish kid decided not to talk anymore and threw his kunai at Utakata.
Utakata caught the first kunai between his fingers and used it to block the other two. It was a pretty good throw, but nothing special. He seemed to have been trained in shinobi arts but had not finished the training, which made Utakata a bit curious. Was the kid a reject from the academy?
"Who are you?" Utakata asked as the kid ran around Utakata, looking for a good angle to attack.
"I answer if you can defeat me, mister."
The kid was pretty energetic, jumping a fair distance to try to catch Utakata by surprise. Still, the kid was ten years too young to even think about fighting him. Utakata simply caught the kid's foot and threw him into a nearby tree. The crash into the tree didn't seem to stop the kid from trying again, as the kid started to circle Utakata once again.
"If it didn't work the first time, why do you think it will work a second time?" Utakata asked as he extended his hand to catch the kid's arm but quickly pulled away when he saw something coming out of the kid's hand. "I see. So, you wanted to take revenge after all. Kaguya."
"How do you know that name?" The kid asked as long and pointy bone came through the kid's palm.
"I was one of the people who killed them," Utakata replied, coating his hand with chakra and striking the bone blade, destroying it. "Isn't that why you are attacking me."
"Those buttheads don't deserve to be avenged," The kid replied as he finally stopped his reckless behavior. "I wanted to know if you were strong."
"Why?" Utakata asked.
"That way, I can confirm if you are good enough to teach me."
"What is your name?" Utakata face palmed at the kid's reasoning.
"Kimimaro Kaguya," Fate was truly a weird and cruel bitch.
"So, you were out looking for a teacher?"
"Yep. I don't see any Headband on you, so I guessed you weren't with the village. I have been looking for someone to teach me for a long time."
"You are a stupid child," Utakata said, taking off his straw hat as he faced the kid. "But you aren't wrong. I left the Mist a long time ago. The question is, do you want to learn from a person who killed your clan?"
"You!" The kid yelled out as he saw Utakata's face. "You Utakata of Blood Waters."
"I am."
"That's so cool," That wasn't a reaction Utakata expected. "I would love to learn from the youngest person to become one of the Seven Swordsmen; I heard so many stories about you."
"Okay, kid, relax," Utakata didn't remember Kimimaro being like this, but right now, he was just about ten or eleven years old kid. "If you want to learn from me, then let's go. I have some things to do."
The kid seemed to have one or two loose screws in his head to follow Utakata so eagerly. But since fate had met them, Utakata didn't want to fight against it. Maybe by helping this kid, he will be able to repay for killing his clan. Again, it was partially his fault for his clan being killed. Utakata knew something was wrong with them, but he didn't say anything and let them die.
…
Ringo Ameyuri was tired. She was getting weaker. Every new mission seemed to be getting harder for her to deal with. She knew she was sick and slowly dying. The village knew it, too. That is why they pushed her to teach that kid Mangetsu Hozuki how to use her Kiba blades. Those bastards would rather get rid of her than help her.
She hated this village and everyone in it. First, Utakata betrayed her and left. Soon after, Kisame killed Fuguki Suikazan before he attacked and killed the Daimyo. Lastly, Zabuza escaped after he failed to kill Yagura, leaving only one of the Seven Swordsmen in the village. And the village would like it more if she was to die too, so the last remnant of the worst Seven Swordsmen generation could disappear.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Ringo slammed the doors of her house in anger. All that kept her going nowadays was the wish to kill that bastard who started this. She wasn't going to die before he killed Utakata. She didn't care about anything else anymore. That bastard has betrayed her and she couldn't forgive him. She already planned to make a journey to the Land of Frost, where he was last seen, once she had an opportunity. "I will have your head, Utakata!"
"Well, I guess this isn't a good time, then." Ringo snapped out of her thoughts and daily routine of cursing Utakata and turned to look at a guy sitting in her living room. "Long time no see."
"Utakata!" Ringo stood in place as she looked at him, older with longer hair but same pale golden eyes. "I will kill you!"