Chapter 112: 111. The Chinoike Clan

MrProper

'During the Warring States Period, the Chinoike were an active mercenary ninja clan in the Land of Lightning. At some point, a woman of the Chinoike clan married the Land of Lightning's daimyō. The daimyō's first wife became jealous of her, and when he died soon after their marriage, the first wife blamed the woman and her clan for the daimyō's death

Many believed her lies, causing the entire Chinoike clan to be banished from the country. Wanting to avoid a bad reputation for attacking a clan in their own country, they secretly hired foreign ninja with the task of exiling them, the Uchiha clan. They forced the Chinoike clan to settle in a terrible environment called the "Valley of Hell" in the Land of Hot Water'

"This is the only thing known of the incident" (Dodai)

"Ugh, to think we're paying for the sins of that hussy" (Rei)

"Rei! Language!" (Mabui)

"Sorry" (Rei)

"But he has a point, I don't like cleaning someone else's mess. Hard to believe our current daimyō is related to such a crappy family" (Tango)

"He's not" (A)

"Huh? I thought the position was handed down?" (Tango)

"Except in the event the acting daimyō is removed from his position for legitimate reasons" (Mabui)

"After the truth was discovered, the first wife's family were removed from their positions, stripped of their assets, and ranks. They were a corrupt family that took advantage of their citizens. It wasn't long after they were hunted down by said vengeful citizens, though some of them escaped, albeit poverty-stricken" (Dodai)

"The one who carried out this so-called revolution was the 1st Raikage, A. He purged the country of its corrupt officials and united all the ninja clans. Kumogakure was the second of the five shinobi nations to be formed, Konoha being the first. In order to honor him, every Raikage since has taken on the name A" (A)

"Why didn't we reach out to them when it was revealed they were innocent?" (F)

"Lord 1st did indeed attempt to contact them. The problem was not many remained, considering where they ended up" (Dodai)

"It's called the Valley of Hell for a reason. Even Yugakure ninja stay away from that place" (Rei)

"Ah..." (F)

"Wait, so they didn't find them?" (Tango)

"Oh, they did. And that's why they're not here" (A)

"According to this document..." (Rei)

'The Valley of Hell was thought to be uninhabitable. When ninja from the nearby Yugakure scouted out the area for any surviving members of the Chinoike clan some time after they were relocated, they managed to find some. But after approaching, they were met with the horrid sight of them drinking what appeared to be blood'

"Blood?! They were drinking blood?!" (Motoi)

"A gross exaggeration, keep reading. This scroll says it was only water, turned slightly red by minerals in the earth" (Dodai)

"Still, the sight of that would scare anyone away. I can see why no one contacted them after all this time" (Motoi)

"The Chinoike have a rare Dōjutsu1Eye TechniqueKekkei Genkai2Bloodline Limitcalled the Ketsuryūgan3Blood Dragon Eyethat not only provides powerful Genjutsu inducing abilities, it allows them to manipulate iron and/or any substance with a high enough concentration of it" (Rei)

"Blood..." (Tango)

"Sensei?" (Rei)

"Oh, I'm just remembering my time getting caught in that Genjutsu trap" (Tango)

"Right, when you were probing the Fuma-nin for information" (Mabui)

"The trap stuck me in a red sea, but now that I think about it, that may not have been red water...but blood" (Tango)

"It's looking more and more likely our attacker was indeed a Ketsuryūgan user. Rei, what else does it say about that clan?" (Dodai)

"Not much, the Land of Hot Water never really had a strong shinobi presence. It's no surprise they became a neutral, tourist nation" (Rei)

'Unwilling to investigate further, Yugakure declared the Valley of Hell off limits. Over the years, the valley's location was forgotten and the Chinoike clan faded from history. Though to this day, some maintained the belief the Chinoike survived, living off the valley's minimal wildlife, hibernating...until the time came for them to enact their revenge against the nations that wronged them'

'Drowning the land in a sea of blood...'

"Yeah, that's not ominous at all" (Rei)

"Wait, nations? As in, plural?" (F)

"There's us, the Uchiha are from Konoha, and they're probably not too happy with Yugakure either. But considering their biggest grudge is with this country-" (Rei)

"It stands to reason they'd start with Kumogakure" (Mabui)

"Should we send someone to investigate that valley?" (Motoi)

"I doubt that clan is still there, but it wouldn't hurt to check. We may find some clues" (A)

"J, C, and Darui are at the ready sir. I can send them anytime" (Dodai)

"Do it" (Dodai)

"Rei, thank you for the assistance. You've spared us from much gratuitous work, but that'll be all from you today. Mabui, take him home" (A)

"Wait, hold on! I still-!" (Rei)

"NOPE! You're going home right now!" (Mabui)

"Wha?! Hey! Nee-san, come on!" (Rei)

Before he could say more, Mabui dragged him out of the room by force, ignoring his loud protests. Because they were about to discuss more sensitive matters, A took the initiative to send Rei out

The only reason A allowed him to stay in the first place was due to Rei being an active participant in the battle against the Fuma. Since he already knew the truth, there was no point in hiding anything

Back in the office

"Good grief, those two are always a bundle of laughs whenever I see them" (Dodai)

"Still, Sano-kun came through in more ways than one. We owe him big time for this wouldn't you say?" (Motoi)

"Speaking of you and Rei, how did your other task go?" (Tango)

"Other task?" (F)

"Oh that's right, as one of our newest members in this inner circle, you don't know. Motoi had another purpose for bringing Rei along on this last mission" (Dodai)

"?" (F)

Dodai went over the details of the Yugito rescue mission, and Rei being the top suspect for the decimation of the remaining Fuma. There was still much they didn't know, and they couldn't afford to have anyone keeping secrets at this critical time

Motoi, being the only one not closely related to Rei, was the only one to look at him objectively

"For practically the entire mission, I didn't let that kid out of my sight. The only thing I found suspicious was his exceptional skill and potential as a ninja" (Motoi)

"Is that really all?" (A)

"..." (Tango)

"There is one thing" (Motoi)

"Oh?" (A)

"In the cave-in, right before he used Doton4Earth Style, there seemed to be a change in his demeanor" (Motoi)

"A change? Did he lose his composure or something? I mean it's unlikely considering his nature but, at the end of the day, he's still just a kid" (Tango)

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"No, if anything he was calm....scary calm. He was cold, and unfeeling, and he never muttered a single word the whole time" (Motoi)

"I don't follow" (Tango)

"What are you getting at Motoi?" (F)

"After getting us out of the cave-in, he immediately took to combating the enemies. I passed out after that and when I woke up, they were dead. But it was the state of the bodies that...if you still can't understand, take a look at the autopsy report of the ones we brought back that didn't die by suicide" (Motoi)

"I haven't seen it yet" (A)

"Their bodies are still being examined for clues" (Dodai)

"I remember though. One had a large, gaping hole in his throat and the other...the eyes were slit and his skin was burnt to the point that he looked like charcoal" (F)

"Not to mention the various wounds found on their bodies. This sort of merciless combat is consistent with the state of the Fuma when we observed their bodies" (Motoi)

"You think Rei really was the one responsible?" (A)

"I never said that, but now I know for sure that it's not impossible" (Motoi)

"Should we put him under observation sir?" (Dodai)

"That's-" (A)

"Absolutely not!" (Motoi)

"?!" (Everyone)

"Please do not misinterpret my words. It's still uncertain whether or not he killed the Fuma, and even if he did...Sano-kun, no, Rei has demonstrated himself to be a loyal Kumogakure ninja and should be treated as such" (Motoi)

"Senpai..." (F)

"Wait, so you-" (Dodai)

"Do you trust him?" (A)

"..." (Tango)

"I'd trust him with my life, Raikage-sama" (Motoi)

Silence permeated throughout the room as the Raikage leaned back on his chair after getting Motoi's response. Closing his eyes, no one said anything as they eagerly awaited his next words

Seconds later, A smiled and spoke

"That's all I needed to hear" (A)

"Raikage-sama..." (Dodai)

"Heh!" (Tango)

"I don't know why he's staying silent, but if you trust him, I'm content with waiting until he's ready to talk about it. He's clearly shown the desire to solve this mystery, so it's highly unlikely he's keeping any crucial intel to himself" (A)

"If that's what you want sir" (Dodai)

"Alright, let's move on to next topic. Tekkan and Mori-dono should be here soon, let's get ready to talk about the grid reformation" (A)

♦♦♦

A dark forest within Kusagakure5Hidden Grass Village

Two men were meeting in secret, straying away from the light, they kept to the shadows...as was their respective natures

"You've done well. The Company is none the wiser to your machinations. With no blame to be placed, they couldn't blame me your escape, allowing us to keep our partnership despite the fact I've already double-crossed them" 

"That's what happens when one tries to confine a snake. This was inevitable, Danzō-dono"

"That didn't stop Hiruzen from trying to catch you"

It was Orochimaru and Danzō. The former had just escaped his confinement at the hands of the mysterious "Company". Retreating far to the west, he refrained from taking any major actions as he still wasn't ready to take on Konoha...yet

"They're still a valued business partner. Did you manage to complete the task they requested before you left?" (Danzō)

"Of course, with the Two-Tails chakra and the other things they took from the Eight and Nine-Tails, it went swimmingly. And I managed to retrieve some valuable data in the process, it was pretty much a win-win" (Orochimaru)

"Good, truth be told, I'm hoping they succeed. This will weaken Kumogakure considerably" (Danzō)

"Hehe, you really don't like that village" (Orochimaru)

"I neither like, nor hate that village. It's just been an eyesore for quite some time. Even before the Hyuga Affair, the Raikage was actively increasing his military strength despite the agreement for demilitarization" (Danzō)

"Oh, I know that. It's just, I thought you'd be more concerned with Iwagakure6Hidden Stone Villagethan Kumogakure if you consider their military strength and them being Konoha's next door neighbor" (Orochimaru)

"That would've been the case if the 4th Hokage hadn't killed over a thousand of their troops prior to the end of the 3rd Shinobi World War. Kumogakure has always boasted a powerful military, and their monopoly over energy tech makes them the biggest economic threat to Konoha" (Danzō)

"Kumogakure's experience using Raiton7Lightning Styleis the reason it's been able to pioneer so much technology that runs on electricity. Combining that with their small population...no wonder their economy is so good. Oh, now I see...working with the Company, they've promised you some of Kumo's advanced tech" (Orochimaru)

"Amongst other things...yes" (Danzō)

"Hehehe! It's ironic how some of our darkest dealings occur not during times of war...but times of peace" (Orochimaru)

"..." (Danzō)

"Peace is nothing but an idea. Beautiful in concept, but in reality...very flawed. There can never be true peace until one power assumes the position of being an absolute force in the land, like Hashirama Senju" (Orochimaru)

When Hashirama Senju began his campaign to end the constant wars that plagued the land, he stood atop unchallenged. It was the true era for the so-called "God of Shinobi". What unsatisfied Danzō was the 1st Hokage's decisions afterwards

Handing over the Tailed Beasts to other nations as a sign of peace was something Danzō viewed as the worst decision he ever made. Believing Konoha should've kept them out of foreign hands, lest they use said creatures against them...which sadly is exactly what happened after his death

"Speaking of the 1st Hokage, have you begun-?" (Danzō)

"The project has already started thanks to the data and resources I stole from the Company. But it'll still take some time before your arm is completed. How's the specimen I already sent you?" (Orochimaru)

"Good. He's adapting well to the DNA I gave him. I've quietly inserted him within the Uchiha" (Danzō)

"Are you sure that's wise?" (Orochimaru)

"I need someone to keep an eye on them. Not to worry, they don't suspect a thing. As far as Fugaku is concerned, Shin Uchiha is just another member of the clan" (Danzō)

"Alright then, if that's the case, there's no more to be said. It's not wise to be outside this long with no protection and everyone looking for me" (Orochimaru)

Just as he was about to take his leave, Danzō spoke one final time

"If it's protection you're after, I've heard rumors of an unorthodox organization" (Danzō)

"Hm?" (Orochimaru)

"They call themselves, the Akatsuki. You might want to look into it" (Danzō)

"Hehe, we really are of like mind Danzō" (Orochimaru)

"?" (Danzō)

Orochimaru issued a final remark before vanishing in the darkness

"I'm already tracking them" (Orochimaru)

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