Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Leaving Tanzaku

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Because of how close we were to the palace, we took a part of the brunt of the explosion, but the outer walls still took the majority of the impact.

Elder Nishio covered herself and Kisame with her wings, while I created an additional earthen wall in front of us.

Because of my training, my body had become much more resistant, and so it wasn't with much difficulty that I dealt with the remaining force of the explosion.

The next moment, Elder Nishio suddenly took off, leading us directly into the black smoke of the explosion.

It was uncomfortable, but we only remained for a few seconds before Elder Nishio broke out of the smoke, bringing us into the visible sky.

Looking down, although we hadn't reached the clouds, it would be hard for anyone on the ground to see us. Adding to that Elder Nishio's mastery of Sneak, no one could see us unless they already knew we were there.

My gaze lingered on the remains of the palace and the destroyed surroundings for longer than I would have wanted as all the events of the past week came back to my mind.

I remember once asking myself if I was a sociopath, but I'm pretty sure I'm not. A sociopath wouldn't feel bad for what I did.

However, there was no doubt in my mind that what I did was terrible. Considering I knew the afterlife was a thing in this world, I couldn't comfort myself by telling I had cut their pain short when I killed them.

No, all the people I had manipulated to finish my mission would probably get stuck in limbo, unable to move on to the Pure Land.

Thing is, although I bad, I don't feel guilty. Yes, I most definitely killed innocents for my mission, but I had already come to terms that I wasn't living in a fairy tail.

This, was a true, gruesome world, where not everything was fair. I had a mission, and they came in the way. As simple as that.

"You look tired."

I looked away from the shrinking ruins and replied to Elder Nishio, "I am."

Elder Nishio proposed, "Then you should rest. I'll wake you up if anything comes up. I assume we are heading to Konoha."

I shook my head and replied, "Not yet. We first need to go back get my uniform."

Elder Nishio sighed and changed directions once I told her. Thanks to her speed, we only took half an hour to reach the little town where I had met the kind merchant, Tani.

Although it was only a week away, with how intense the last week was, it almost felt like it was an eternity away.

Elder Nishio landed unseen, and I quickly disappeared after making sure Kisame was still asleep to get my equipment.

I changed in the forest near the city, putting on my Anbu uniform, including my Owl mask. Sheathing my sword to my side, I went back to Elder Nishio, who sighed again upon seeing me.

"You should really sleep."

I nodded and said, "I will, but it's not time yet. We just need to drop this one off, go back to the village, and then I'll sleep."

I jumped on top of Elder Nishio, who took off, but she still said, "I don't like seeing you like this Sukaina."

I sat down and replied, "I'm sorry. And please call me Spider when I'm under this mask."

Elder Nishio snorted, "Stupid codenames."

I smiled slightly, but it was quickly wiped off.

We both turned quiet as Elder Nishio flew toward Konoha, which was in the opposite direction of Kiri, and I wanted to get Kisame as far as possible from his village, in case he wanted to really go back.

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Soon though, I found it unbearable to watch the clouds as they started turning red and morphing into familiar faces. Roka's. The Daimyo's. Tani's.

Rolling to my side, I looked at Kisame, before realizing a blunder of mine. I hadn't taken any precaution for when he wakes up. Granted, he would be groggy, but in case he wants to fight me, I would rather have an easy way to fight back.

So after a moment, I asked Elder Nishio to go down, plunging us into the forest as I set Kisame against a tree. While he was still asleep, I tied wires around him, which were almost invisible to the human eye.

The poison I had used was a powerful one, yet Kisame only took around half an hour to wake up after we landed. This was quite something, considering that if a normal person breathed in the poison I used, they would die because their lungs and heart would get paralysed too.

Kisame woke up soundlessly, but he did not try to attack me. Instead, he looked at me up and down, before asking, "Was it your real face?"

I nodded and took off the Owl mask, revealing my face. Kisame closed his eyes slowly and said, "In the end, you were like everyone else. One more liar."

Holding my chin with my hand, I replied, "I do not think so."

Kisame reopened his eyes and asked, "Aren't you part of Konoha's Anbu? By the way, how old are you?"

I replied, "I'm 9, and yes, I'm an Anbu from Konoha. However, I am not just another liar. Granted, I used a fake identity, but that's nothing more than a mask. You too have been wearing a mask."

Kisame groaned, "I'm not going to indulge in your weird fantasies, just kill me already."

I sighed, "As I said, I am a woman true to my words. I will not kill you, I simply freed you."

Kisame punched the tree he was leaning against, blowing a hole into it as he said, "If you don't stop your bullshit, the poison is going to wear off, and I'll kill you."

Playing with my Owl mask, I made nothing of his threats and instead explained, "My main reason for letting you go is because I need a culprit. The Land of Forests cannot know it was Konoha who planned the attack, they have to think it was Kiri, or at least that the traitor originated from them."

Kisame asked, "And why would I take that role?"

Moving the mask in front of my face, I replied, "Simply because this is your liberation."

Moving the mask away from my face again, I added, "For your whole life you have been forced into a tool by your village, forced to hide your real self behind a hypocritical mask."

Opening my arms wide, I raised my voice to finish, "Here is my gift to you, Kisame Hoshigaki! A world without lies! A world where you can be your real self at all times! A world… away from Kiri."

Kisame frowned, before showing confusion. He looked down at his hands, before finally saying, "You aren't suggesting for me to join Konoha I hope."

I laughed lightly, "Kisame, please. Believe it or not, I do consider you a friend of mine. And I don't make fun of my friends."

Spreading my arms to our surroundings, I added, "I'm offering you freedom, Kisame, by finally giving you a reason to leave the Bloody Mist. If you go back, you will be killed, for something you could do nothing about."

Kisame scoffed, "Something I could do nothing about? I'm smelling a god complex."

I laughed at that, "Sorry, that was a clumsy choice of words. But my offer remains, Kisame. You can try to fight me, go back to Kiri and get killed. Or," I made a pause for added drama, "you can just… go. Move on from the Bloody Mist without looking back. It's not like they owe you anything."

Kisame opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly added, "If it helps, returning to the Mist would not do them any good."

I took out a scroll, the one holding the Executioner's Blade, and said, "In here is Juzo's weapon. Konoha would definitely love to get one of the Seven Swords of the Mist, but I would rather not blow my cover so obviously. However, if you do go back to Kiri, then I might as well take it back."

Kisame asked, impassive, "And you are simply going to give the blade to me if I say I won't go back to the mist? This is a little too naive to be you, Takayama. Or whatever your name is."

I shook my head and replied, "Not naive. If you do swear to me you will living your life, then I'm going to believe you, because you are my friend."

Holding out my arm toward Kisame, my palm opened with the sealing scroll in it, I asked, "So, what is going to be, Kisame Hoshigaki?"

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