CH_8.3 (268)

CH_8.3 (268)

Motohiro wasn't the only stop on Takuma's itinerary.

He mulled over the decision to visit the Kumi family's estate until the very last moment because he was under no illusion that he would receive a warm, much less a civil welcome after he had murdered Gyon in cold blood. In anger, he’d left behind a gruesome scene that he regretted and the purpose for his visit was to face what he had done.

He had to do it alone, so Takuma chose not to bring his team along despite their offer.

The front gates of the estate were guarded by a single man sitting on a stool. He stood up when he saw Takuma approach, who was covered in bandages and had a soft cast on his arm.

"What do you want?" asked the guard.

The guard didn't recognise him. Even though he had been at the estate previously, not everyone had seen his face.

"I'm here to meet your leader, Hoshiguro," Takuma said calmly.

"Yeah, don't waste my time, kid. If you want to fuck around, do it somewhere else. No one's in the mood for your bullshit."

"Inform him that Takuma, the Hidden Leaf shinobi, is here to meet him."

Takuma looked at the guard and saw a deep fear appear in his eyes. He subconsciously backed away and knocked over the wooden stool he was sitting on, startling himself in the process.

"I-I...I—"

"Relay the message. I'll accept whatever response he gives," Takuma said slowly so as not to startle the guard further. "Go on now, quickly."

The guard slowly approached the door, all the time facing Takuma; he didn't want to turn his back to him for fear that he would die if he turned his back and sprinted the moment he was across the small door in the larger gates.

Takuma sighed and picked up the fallen stool to sit on as he waited for someone to come and see him. They made him wait an entire five minutes before the Kumi lieutenants came to fetch him; he didn't mind the time as he understood they would be apprehensive about inviting Gyon's killer inside. The lieutenant didn't look scared, but Takuma could see that his entire body was tense as he walked beside him—just like the guard, the lieutenant didn't want his back facing him.

The walk from the front gate to the destination was silent. The lieutenant was stiff in fear. Usually, Takuma would've inquired about Hoshiguro's health to get a feel for the meeting about to happen, but he didn't feel like doing that and stayed quiet.

The lieutenant asked him to wait outside when they arrived at a room before stepping inside and closing the sliding door behind him. It didn't do anything as Takuma's trained ears picked up the conversation inside. He picked up at least three people and heard the faint sound of the rustling of bed covers that told him Hoshiguro was inside.

He gathered his thoughts about what he would say to the man while he waited for the lieutenants to call him in.

Four Kumi lieutenants were present in the room; two stood next to opposite walls, while the other two stood in front of a translucent screen backlit with some sort of light source casting the shadow of a man lying down on a futon.

Takuma hid a bitter smile. Hoshiguro couldn't be clearer that he wasn't welcome in his house. There was a singular cushion placed a distance in front of the screen, and Takuma sat on it, tucking his knees below his body. The lieutenants were weak enough that it was fine to put himself at a disadvantage by sitting down even when he was injured.

Takuma opened his mouth to ask about Hoshiguro's health, but the words died on the tip of his tongue. His heart began to race as he was hit by the realisation of him with full force that he was sitting before the father of the son he had murdered. Regardless of Gyon's decision, which led to his demise, a parent's love for their children wasn't something that could be erased or forgotten so easily.

He felt his lips dry up, and the things he had decided to say all evaporated—nothing he could think of was the right thing to say—he had no idea what to say to a grieving father when he was the one to cause that suffering.

"Go," said the lieutenant, "please."

Takuma stared at the woman spewing hatred at him for a moment before turning away and disappearing from the estate using the Body Flicker Jutsu. He appeared outside the estate and looked at the bright and blue sky with a deep sigh as he contemplated the wife's words.

He remembered his spiteful words to Gyon about his children when he had killed him and wished he hadn't said it.

He shook his head—it didn't matter anymore; his relationship with the Kumi family was over, and he would no longer have anything to do with them. It was better for him to put the experience out of his mind and leave them behind.

However, contrary to Takuma's belief, that connection would be kept alive by a pair of twins through their hatred for the man who killed their father.

And through his actions, a cycle of hatred had been born.

———

.

Takuma returned to the camp after roaming around the city for a while to clear his mind from the two emotionally charged conversations he had. When he entered the room he was sharing with others, he found Kameko waiting for him by his bed.

"Where were you?" she asked with her arms crossed.

Takuma sighed. "I went to meet Motohiro and the Kumi family. I left a note," he said, pointing at the piece of paper sitting on the pillow.

"Yeah, which said nothing except that you were going out and would return in a while. That literally tells me nothing. I've been waiting for you for an hour," Kameko said, rolling her eyes before her tone softened. "How was it? Meeting them..."

Takuma simply shook his head.

Kameko pursed lips and nodded in return, and he was appreciative of her not pushing him to elaborate.

"Why were you waiting?" asked Takuma as he sat down on his bed with a huff and pain.

"The ANBU-nin want to meet you," said Kameko, quieter than usual.

Takuma, who was about to kick his boots off, stopped and looked up at Kameko, who looked restless. A duo of ANBU-nin had arrived with the main forces and had participated in the battle. After the battle was over, they took custody of the captured ROOT agent. The team hadn't seen them or heard from them since then; they weren't aware of their location—and if not for Toridasu telling them that the ANBU duo was still in the city, they would've assumed that they had long left.

"What do they want?"

"They want to ask questions. Everyone has already met with them; you're the only one left."

Takuma looked at his feet. He was physically injured, and the day had already drained him mentally. A part of him didn't want anything to do with the ANBU and ROOT. Unfortunately, a bigger part of him was interested in meeting with the ANBU duo. He had seen—felt—something during his fight against the ROOT team that would've taken over his life if not for Rikku's death. He didn't think he would get any answers from the ANBU duo, but he figured it was the best starting point if he wanted to know what those memories were about.

If they wanted to question him, they would have to answer some questions of his own.

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