>>5941144“Okay, so let’s review what we know. Who: Two Kiri-Nin, minus names, affiliations, skills, etcetera. But lets say we have that. What: They’re hunting your mother. Okay. And apparently they have a document that says they’re sanctioned by the Hokage, but we’re not sure. Alright. When: We have nothing except the present. We don’t know how long they’ve been here, and how long they’re planning on staying. No timeline. Where: Here, somewhere, right now, but they came from nowhere and we don’t know where they’re going, and if we wanted to talk to them we couldn't find them. Why: They want her dead because she’s a traitor. Do they have personal reasons? Has it occurred to you that they might be personally invested in this, like you are? This mystery man might be your father for all you know. You didn’t learn enough to know. How: You also don’t know beyond the vague idea they talked to criminals about it like you did. You know, we might want to know exactly how they’re conducting their search so we can aid, obstruct, or misdirect them. But we have no clue what their plans are in any detail.”
Okay. Scathing. Time to defend yourself. “Honestly, I just…” Better choose your words carefully, she might get mad if you told her outright you just thought you had enough. “... I just thought we had enough? We know who they are-”
“No we don’t.”
“Well, we’ll be able to recognize them if we see them?”
“Maybe, Otomo. If they really look like that and aren’t using the transformation jutsu. Right now we just have to hope they are who they say they are, two foreign ninjas, in our lands, hunting for our criminals, and none of this is a trick. And even if it’s not a trick on the face of it, we have to hope they’re not using the whole exercise as an excuse to fulfill ulterior motives to scout around in our home, completely uncontested, because we’re apparently not going to look into it.”
“I… Understand.”
“You have to see underneath the underneath, young man.”
“I know.”
“Go back to Konoha, verify the authenticity of the documents from the issuing end, then come back.”
“... Right now?”
“Yes. Be back in 16 hours.”
It’s noon right now. You’ll be back at 4am in that timeframe, and that’s if it’s even possible for you to make immaculate time with nonstop run, which it isn’t. Naoki lets out a whistle and Masami pats you on the arm.
Fuck. This shit sucks.
You want to complain, but there’s no way to do it without seeming childish and petulant. You turn and begin walking out of Sunlight Inn Town.
“Otomo?” Hotaru calls after you as you leave.
“Yes?”
“If you need help, rip the tag I gave you. Also, don’t walk, run.”
“Yes.” You say, as you begin to sprint down the long as fuck road back to Konoha, which is well over 100 miles away by now. Maybe you can get there faster if you just dead reckon it in a straight line through the trees? You had a deep enough well of stamina that you could make it, but making it in good time was another matter.
