XII

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Arc XII Chapter 11

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Silence. Absolute silence greeted her, a silence that even she had rarely witnessed before. Not a single word was spoken. Not a single word was uttered.

Naruto, Sakura, Temari, the three were left speechless, their blank faces aghast in shock and utter disbelief. They gazed at her in terror, denial, and wariness. Their juvenile confidence had long since crumbled. Gone was their false bravado in the face of reality. They never truly knew her, did they?

Asami tilted her head, her brightest smile on her lips. “What? Are we surprised? Are we lost for words?” Her words alone bewitched her audience, lulling them into a deep trance.

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Asami grinned. “Or are you perhaps judging me? I see the disbelief, the incredulity, the accusations in your eyes.”

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“I have slaughtered countless, their blood forever staining my hands. All in the name of Konoha, all in the name of duty, yet you seem to be judging me. You who have never fought. You who know little of the art of war. You who know nothing of the world. How ludicrous.

You are naive. You have no idea what darkness lurks beneath the great tree in the shadows, down beneath the thin veneer of civilisation and a certain elder's machinations? Do you really believe that Konoha was built on benevolence and good intentions alone? And not on violence and coercion? Hardly.”

Naruto balled his fist. “No, ... No, you must be lying! Konoha ... The village ... The Hokage ... They would never do ...”

Kakashi, Chiyo, Temari, Sakura, they all averted their eyes in silence. They saw no evil. They heard no evil. They spoke no evil.

Asami shook her head, visibly amused. “Oh, Naruto-kun, you are still young. You are still inexperienced. You are nothing but a mere child with delusions of hope, speaking of matters you do not understand.” Their reaction was less enthusiastic than imagined.

“...” Naruto, Sakura, Temari, they all glared at her, their stares wavering, yet equally defiant. Their initial stupor had dissipated, and their spirit returned, but a sense of fear lingered in their eyes. Ever the eternal fool, Naruto, was plagued with doubt. They almost made her feel guilty. It was as if she was the baddie here. Only almost, though.

“...” Asami maintained her smile. “You know, all these memories, all this talking makes me feel quite sentimental ... Might be the age. Admittedly, I love to hear myself talk all day long, but we all have places to be. So what do you think about a little compromise? For the sake of the good old days.”

“A compromise?” Kakashi eyed her with open suspicion. He distrusted her most kind hearted offer.

Asami nodded. “You see, for reasons unknown, I am in an exceedingly good mood at the moment, which means you are all very lucky. I feel generous, very generous, in fact. So why not a compromise? We don't need to fight each other. We don't need to spill blood where none is needed. You don’t bother me. In return, I won't bother you. Nobody gets hurt. We all go our ways, unharmed. Sounds like a fair deal, right~? ”

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Naruto was the one to speak, his fists clenched in defiance. “So you are ... letting us pass?”

“...” Asami tilted her head, her gaze directed at him. What a silly boy. “Is this a serious question, Naruto-kun~? Know that I do not suffer fools gladly.”

“...” Naruto gulped, his words stuck in his throat. Her saccharine smile silenced in an instant. Though it might not be her most potent weapon, her mere presence, her gaze in particular, still had a certain effect on people.

Asami beamed. “Do not fret, though, Naruto-kun~. Of course~, I will allow you to pass, Please, waltz past me and go to rescue the Kazekage~. You have my blessing~. Not to mention, allow me to show you the way as well~.”

“...” Naruto’s face brightened for the sliver of a moment, yet his hopes were nothing but a mere illusion.

Asami's smile turned cold and her purple eyes icy. “Come on, Naruto, seriously, in which world are you living? That's not how things work. You see, I am under orders here. I have a reputation to defend. I cannot allow you to pass. At least, not without putting up some credible resistance, even if it is just with this poor excuse of a body.”

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Asami closed her eyes, her words still lingering in the air. “Although, such is not my choice to make. I have stated my most generous conditions. I have offered you peace with the best of intentions. Cease your pursuit. Abort your mission. It falls to you now to decide whether we part in peace, or whether we cross blades as enemies. I await your response.”

“...” Kakashi, Chiyo, Sakura, Temari narrowed their eyes.

“...” Naruto glared, his eyes filled with anger, disgust, revulsion, loathing. Yet there was more. Deep within him, beneath the surface, there was also a glimmer of profound, bottomless, all conquering kindness. His blue eyes harboured a certain humane kindness that seemed to defy all logic and rationality with its might. It was a most curious emotion. Its vivacious nature equally amused and intrigued her.

In the end, it was once again Naruto who defied her in hubris. The boy raised his fist with supreme confidence, still determined to fight despite her little lesson. He spoke in their name, for all of them. “Listen, I don't know you, Asami. I didn't know you back then. I don't know you today. I never knew you were an ANBU either. I never heard about the Black Princess of Konoha. I never heard about Ukino. I never heard about Nomura. I never heard about Shimabara. I don't know why you have betrayed our village.”

“...” Asami listened, for a change.

Naruto continued, “It's true, I don't know much about war. I don't know much about the darkness of Konoha. I don't know much about the world in general. In your eyes, I am nothing but a child. But there is one thing I know, Asami, that I will never stray from my path, from my nindo. I will never give up! I will never waver! I have promised to rescue Gaara. And I will! I will save Gaara! Because he is my friend, and I never abandon my friends! Even if it means to fight the world! Even if it means to fight you, Asami.”

The effect of his little speech was immediate. Kakashi, Chiyo, Sakura, Temari, they all approved of his words, either grinning or smiling, once again determined to face her. They shared his resolve. They shared his conviction. Their doubts had vanished, and their courage had returned. Naruto's mere voice had raised the spirit of his allies with new vigour, undoing all of her hard work.

“Then so it be ...” Asami murmured, her hand reaching for her pouch. “It appears that negotiations have failed. How unfortunate ...”

Four kunai and four explosive tags attached were her response. Her kunai cut through the air. They were swift.

Kakashi saw them coming, his eyes widening. “Disperse!”

Too late. The ground trembled. Four consecutive explosions shook the clearing. The battle had begun in earnest.

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