Chapter 12: [Arc IV] Chapter 4

"This island is mysterious as it is treacherous."

The hermit lived in a cave not too far from the forest clearing. She thinks that perhaps he followed her, placed her in an illusion in order to extract information from her.

But what? She knows little of the world, and whatever she knows surely holds no importance to him. Or perhaps he is a spy, sent by the group who threatens the peace and order of the world.

The Akatsuki.

His group.

"What do you want from me?" She stops following him.

He cranes his head to look at her, faded eyes staring at her in humor. "Oh, what do you think an old man like me could possibly need from someone like you?"

"Drop the act." She commands, hand curled around Yamenokayama's handle.

"You are suspicious. Terribly so." He comments. "You have a hard time trusting people."

She doesn't give him a chance to say anything more. She charges as fast as she can, blade poised and ready to disarm him.

Since when was she this forward?

The hermit sidesteps away from her and uses his staff to block the oncoming attack.

"You even have a hard time trusting yourself."

She reverses the sword, uses the pommel to strike him.

"Perhaps you had your heart broken."

She does not listen to him.

"Perhaps you wish to undo your mistakes."

She refuses to listen to him.

---

Now, she is sitting on her ankles, mind in a state of terror and wonder. She cannot be thrown into a panic, not now. She cannot accuse him of being an illusion, lest this actually is the past. She cannot do anything but tread carefully and rethink over and over the words she answers to him.

She hopes her answer is sufficient enough.

"A promise." He echoes, looking quite smug. "It seems I've won this time."

She does not understand. Was there an inside joke to this? Was he the hermit all this time? Did he place her in an illusion to determine her intentions towards the blade? If so, was he some sort of guardian or protector? What in the world is he, anyway?

"Very well." He hums, satisfied with himself. "You may be on your way."

That is her cue.

"You have my thanks, Shodaime Hokage." She bows deeply before rushing to leave.

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"Wait."

She stiffens.

"Have a safe journey, Amakuni-dono."

Her heart flutters. The legend called her by her name.

Well, her true name, her would-be name should she come out of this alive.

---

Samurai.

It wasn't every day that Hashirama encountered such people, and on such short notice even. She was looking for a sword, much like a lot of the others who came before her, a specific sword whom he had only heard of. Murai. Totsuka. Kusanagi. There are a lot of swords like it. There are a lot of people looking for such swords. She is only one of the many.

But they're just rumors, aren't they? Something someone conceived to deter the enemy.

He feels the slightest bit of pity for her, having to go all this way and on this journey for something that might not even exist.

But it's none of his business, anyway.

"What were you thinking, anija?"

Of course, his younger brother Tobirama questions his decision to simply let her go.

"She's a samurai."

And samurai have their own way of life that he, nor any other shinobi, could interfere in.

"Do her words hold no threat to you?"

She told him she was acting on a promise, a better answer than the ones that came before, but Tobirama thinks his brother should have seen through such a badly composed lie.

A lie.

A samurai dared use a promise as a lie?

Neither of them had heard of that before.

"Then follow her." He suggests. "Should you find anything incriminating, I shall take it up with the council."

And taking such a matter to the council would entail lengthy discussions of loyalty, tradition, and whatnot. It would entail repetitive meetings between the shinobi and the samurai, meetings which usually ended in cold stalemates and begrudged agreements.

It was a good thing that none of those meetings resulted in war.

It was good that the samurai had as much distaste for war as he does.

"Very well." Tobirama answers him suddenly before disappearing.

Hashirama smiles. At least this would get Tobirama off his back for a few days or so.

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