By the time we crossed back into the outskirts of the Leaf camp, dusk had settled, the lanterns along the palisade casting long flickering shadows. Our pace slowed only when the familiar banners came into view, but the silence between us was louder than any words could have been. Renji kept his gaze forward, Daichi scowled at the dirt beneath his sandals, and Chosuke walked with his usual measured calm. They were waiting for me to speak, waiting for me to put the chaos of the Sand camp into neat, military words.
The guards at the perimeter stiffened when we passed, curiosity flickering across their faces. But there was no talk, no whispers. Only the four of us and Orochimaru knew what had happened behind enemy lines, and I intended to keep it that way for now.
The command tent loomed in the center of camp, pale light spilling from within. We stepped inside, the air close and heavy, and there he was. Orochimaru, still as a snake in waiting, sat behind the desk as his golden eyes tracked our entrance with a faint smile on his lips.
"You've returned," he said at last, his voice smooth and cool. "Report."
Renji glanced at me, waiting for my signal, but I kept my tone brisk and my words short.
"The Sand camp has been dealt a serious blow. Supplies destroyed, formations scattered. I'll provide a detailed written record once I've rested."
I did not elaborate. I did not need to as I knew the other three behind me would fill in the blanks. Orochimaru's gaze lingered on me for several long moments, a faint curl of amusement tugging at his lips as though he already knew the parts I was not saying aloud.
"With your permission, I'd like to retire. It's been nearly two days since I've slept properly," I requested.
He paused for a moment then inclined his head with an expression of mock-politeness.
"Very well. Go rest. I'll hear the finer details from your teammates."
Gratitude flickered across my face for just an instant before I turned and left. The cool night air outside washed over me; a small relief after the weight of his scrutiny. The camp itself was quiet, unaware of what had just been set in motion, and that was just as well. The story spread on its own with time.
All I wanted now was the familiar walls of my tent, the voices of my team, and maybe a few hours of uninterrupted sleep if I was lucky. The canvas walls of my team's tent glowed faintly with lamplight as I approached. When I pushed inside, the atmosphere shifted immediately. Four heads turned at once as the small talk they had been sharing was snuffed out by my arrival.
Asuma was the first to react, his eyes darting up and down my frame. For a moment his face tightened, worry flickering across it like a candle in the wind. But when he saw no limp, no blood, no sign of strain, he gave a faint huff and leaned back on his bedroll, studiously avoiding my gaze as though the relief embarrassed him.
Guy bounded forward before I could even sit down, his eyes gleaming with barely restrained energy. "Akari-sensei! Was it glorious? How many foes did you defeat? Was it like your training exercises times a hundred?"
His enthusiasm was almost comical, but before I could respond, Kurenai stepped closer, her movements quieter, more deliberate. Her red eyes swept over me like a medic's hands, searching for any hidden wound. When her gaze found nothing, she pressed her lips into a line, equal parts relief and frustration.
"You're unhurt," she said, more a statement than a question.
"I'm fine," I said lightly, waving off their concern. My voice came out even, but I could feel the weight of exhaustion tugging at my mind. "The mission's over. We made it back. That's all you need to know for tonight."
Guy blinked at me, disappointed but still buzzing. "But..."
"No details," I interrupted, soft but firm. I cast my eyes around at them, letting the words settle. "I've been awake nearly two days. If you want the full story, ask Orochimaru yourself. For now, I need to sleep."
The silence that followed was thick, filled with unspoken questions. Asuma snorted and turned his back, pretending disinterest. Guy shifted from foot to foot, visibly bursting with curiosity but too disciplined to push further. Kurenai's gaze lingered the longest, her expression unreadable, before she gave the smallest of nods and stepped aside to let me pass.
I collapsed onto my bedroll, already tugging off my sandals. "Wake me if the world ends," I muttered.
Within moments, exhaustion pulled me under, leaving their stares behind. When I finally stirred awake, the light filtering through the canvas was already bright and warm. My first coherent thought was that I had overslept... nearly to midday. My team was gone, the tent too quiet, their bedrolls empty except for the impressions left behind.
I sat up, rubbing grit from my eyes, and fished a ration bar from my pack. It was dry and tasteless, but it did its job as I chewed and laced my sandals. The moment I stepped outside, though, I felt it. A shift.
The air was thick with stares and whispers. Conversations dipped as I passed, only to swell again the moment my back was turned. I caught fragments: Lava Golem… entire camp burning… standing alone against the Sand… They were recounting my mission, or at least their version of it, and the awe in their voices only made my temples ache.
I pushed on, annoyance prickling under my skin. I had not told anyone the details, which meant my strike team had since it would not suit Orochimaru to release it. I had expected as much, but hearing my name carried like a campfire story still left a sour taste; ninjas were supposed to be subtle and unnoticed, only legends once they were dead.
The medical tent was blessedly cooler, smelling faintly of herbs and alcohol. Yuri was at her station, sorting supplies with the same clipped efficiency as always. She straightened when she saw me.
"You're finally up. Good. I was starting to wonder if I should send someone to drag you here myself."
I gave a weary half-smile. "You'd have had a fight on your hands."
She snorted, handing me a neat scroll of reports. "No emergencies. Mostly minor injuries from patrols. The wounded from the last battle are stable and should be ready to send back to Kohona in another day or two. You didn't miss much."
Relief settled in my chest, but before I could answer, I noticed her, Kurenai. She stood across the tent, checking bandages on a younger genin. She did not look at me, not directly, but I could feel the careful distance she kept. Her movements were brisk, professional, yet closed off and almost cold. It stung more than I wanted to admit.
I took a step toward her, reports in hand, but a voice called my name from the entrance. A runner, breathless and nervous, bowed quickly.
"Akari-sama. Command center requests your presence immediately."
I glanced once more at Kurenai. She still did not look at me. Something unspoken hovered between us, heavy as the canvas walls around us. Finally, I gave a short nod to the runner and turned to leave. With one last glance back, she was already working on the next patient as if she never knew that I had come.
I left without another word and headed down the row of tents towards the command center. The tent was lit by a few lanterns, their glow catching on the edges of maps weighed down with kunai. Orochimaru stood over them with his hands folded behind his back, posture eerily serene, as if he were a teacher waiting for a student to make an error on the board. Strangely, the image of Hiruzen seemed to overlap with his for a moment.
"Akari," he said smoothly, eyes sliding toward me without moving his head. "I hear the camp already knows of what you did."
I raised an eyebrow and smirked, "And here I was thinking you had a hand in it."
A small smile tugged at his lips. "I didn't need to. Do you realize the sort of tales spreading already? That you shot a single arrow from kilometers away and it flew like a comet until it split their camp in two. That you unleashed a hundred thousand explosive tags, each one timed to perfection. That you summoned a lava giant the size of the Hokage's tower to crush their defenses."
I groaned and rubbed my forehead. "For the record: it was one oversized arrow with my Flying Thunder God seal on it for my infiltration, I only used about a thousand tags from my personal stock, and no Lava Golem. My clone still needs another week to recover before I can even consider using that move again."
"Ah," he breathed, the smirk widening slightly. "So, reality is still impressive, but less divine. Good. Legends with a hint of truth always travel best."
I let out a slow breath, lowering my hand from my face. "Legends may travel, but they have weight. Every new tale paints a bigger target on my back."
He regarded me in silence, his expression unreadable, before speaking softly. "And yet, you bear it well… for now. But how long until the weight drags you under?"
There was no malice in his tone, only quiet curiosity.
"I do not plan on being crushed beneath stories," I replied evenly, folding my arms.
He hummed, tilting his head slightly. "No. You plan on writing them yourself." His gaze lingered, sharp enough to make the air between us heavier. "But understand this, Akari: tales like yours invite expectations. Men will follow you because they think you cannot fail. And if you do…" He let the thought hang, deliberate.
I met his stare without flinching, even as his words coiled in my chest. "Then I make sure I do not fail," I said. My voice carried more steel than I intended.
A faint smile touched his lips, though his eyes betrayed nothing. "Good. If you can shape the story, you can shape the war... and perhaps even its end."
I held his gaze a moment longer, feeling the unspoken challenge beneath his calm tone, then straightened my shoulders. "Then we should figure out how to paint my legend so that we win this war."
He studied me for a beat, then inclined his head slightly. "Practical as ever. Which brings us to the real problem. What do we actually gain from crushing the Sand? They're poor, stretched thinner than we are. Even if we strip them bare, there's little worth taking."
"That's because their leaders are shortsighted," I countered. "The Land of Wind has potential; it's just been squandered and left to collect dust like the relics that lead it. If they had someone different leading them…"
That earned me a sharper look. His smile did not reach his eyes. "And who, in your mind, would be capable of properly leading it? Surely not Rasa."
"Pakura."
The brush in his hand stilled, just for a heartbeat. Then came a low chuckle, dry as sand. "Pakura. The same woman responsible for Danzo's death. You'd elevate her?"
"She's not a villain," I said. "She's a shinobi doing her duty. If she struck down Danzo and walked away alive, that means she's dangerous and capable. More than that, she was Rasa's rival for Kazekage. He chose war. Maybe she would've chosen differently."
For once, Orochimaru did not mask his surprise. He tilted his head, studying me with new interest. "You think farther ahead than most of your age… perhaps farther than many twice it."
I smirked faintly. "Don't tell me you thought you had me figured out, Uncle Snake."
His laugh was soft and unsettling but not mocking. "Perhaps I did. Perhaps I was wrong. It happens less often than you'd think." He set down the brush, folding his arms over the desk. "You know I cannot draft peace myself. But if a proposal was... brought to me, I could ensure it reached the Hokage. And I could make it difficult for him, and the elders to ignore it for long."
"Then we'll need her location."
"I can find it," he said with certainty. "Ryuchi Cave has ways. But such favors are never free. The sages demand sacrifices."
I didn't flinch. "I can't promise anything too fresh, but there is a backlog of enemy corpses sealed away. If a scroll or two goes missing, it must have happened during the attack.
His smile sharpened, thin and predatory. It was not gloating, but rather, it was the smile of someone who had just confirmed the other was worth their time.
"Good. Then we'll see if Pakura lives. And if she does…" He leaned forward, golden eyes gleaming. "…perhaps you'll be right. Perhaps she'll prove more valuable alive than any number of corpses."
I held his gaze, unblinking. "Then let's find out."
By the time I left Orochimaru's tent, the shadows had stretched long enough to mark the afternoon. The familiar sound of Duy's booming encouragement rolled across the training grounds. He had the genin running circuit around the field while Guy kept pace beside them like a relentless metronome. In the middle of it, Asuma was dragging through another set of push-ups, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead.
I caught his eye as I walked past, jerking my chin toward the edge of the field. "Asuma, come with me."
He groaned but pushed himself up, brushing dirt from his hands. "Seriously? I was just starting to lose feeling in my arms…"
"Talk with me, or go back to Duy's training," I said, arching an eyebrow. "Your choice."
He muttered something under his breath but fell into step beside me as I led him off to the side. His posture was stubborn, shoulders hunched, but I could see the tension underneath.
"You wanted to help," I started, keeping my tone even.
"Of course I did," he snapped, then immediately softened. "I know I'm not strong enough yet, but standing around while you risk your life out there? It feels wrong. I should be out there with you."
I slowed, turning so he had to look at me. "Listen. There are three reasons I didn't take you on that mission. First, you're the Hokage's son. Losing you isn't just personal; it's political. It would have been devastating for the village."
He shifted his weight, clearly not liking it but not arguing either.
"Second, I'm your jonin leader. I know what you're capable of, and what you're not ready for yet. That wasn't a mission for a genin, not even close, and it's my duty to make sure that you are safe."
His mouth twisted like he wanted to argue, but the words died before they left his lips.
"And third," I added, softer this time, "you're my little brother. Do you really think I could drag you into something like that? Knowing I might not be able to protect you? I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you because I dragged you out on a mission that you had no business being on."
For a long moment, he just stared at me, lips pressed tight. Then he huffed out a sigh, shoulders slumping. "Fine. I get it. Doesn't mean I like it."
"You're not supposed to," I said with a faint smirk.
That earned me the smallest ghost of a smile before he turned away. "Guess I'll get back to Duy's training. At least he only kills me with exercise, not lectures."
I chuckled as I messed up his hair before he jogged back to rejoin the others, already being roped into another round of push-ups by Guy's relentless cheer. His words might have sounded sulky, but I knew him well enough to catch the truth beneath them. He understood that he needed to grow stronger. And I had already given him the means to do it.
When I returned to the medical tent, the light filtering through the canvas had dimmed, casting the interior in muted gold. The work was steady; bandages were sorted, salves replenished, scrolls catalogued. I buried myself in the tasks, wanting to return to the routine and order. As I checked over the inventory reports before I sent out my requisition tomorrow, I heard the flap rustled.
"Kurenai," I said, glancing up.
She lingered just inside the entrance, her arms crossed, her eyes following me in silence. It was not the look of a subordinate reporting for duty; it was something heavier.
"You went in alone." The words were quiet, but there was an edge beneath them.
I straightened, fixing her with a steady gaze. "That was my decision to make. I'm the one in command. A group would've only slowed me down. And if things turned bad, I could escape whenever I want. Renji already had a shuriken with my Flying Thunder God..."
"It doesn't make you invincible!" She cut across me before I could finish, her voice sharper than I had ever heard it. "It doesn't mean you should carry all of this by yourself. You could've been killed."
I let the silence stretch for a beat before answering, voice calm, clipped in the way it always was when I wore the weight of command. "It was a calculated risk. My role is to protect this camp, and not exposing others to dangers they can't survive. If anyone had gone with me, I'd have been protecting them, not striking the enemy. I chose the option that kept the most people alive and carried out the task."
Kurenai's lips parted as if to argue, but she caught herself. I could see the conflict flicker in her eyes. A student defying teacher, soldier defying commander, woman wanting to say what war would not allow her to... I could see it all in how she looked at me.
When she finally spoke again, her voice was softer, but brittle. "Your duty doesn't mean carrying everything alone. You can't keep shutting us out."
The words landed harder than any accusation. I almost answered... not as her superior, but as myself. But before I could, she straightened, her expression shuttered. I recognized the shift and could practically see the wall go up between us.
"Supplies are in order?" she asked, her tone carefully neutral now.
"Yes," I replied, my voice equally flat.
She gave a short nod then turned on her heel. The flap closed behind her, leaving me standing in the stillness with shelves of neatly stacked bandages and herbs. I clenched my hands briefly, forcing the ache in my chest down into the same quiet place where I kept all the things I could not say.
A/N: Sorry to say that we are at the end of my daily releases. On the other site I post on, a Hub of Scribbles, I do a release every other day, so I'll start doing that here as well. I love seeing your feedback and comments, so keep them coming. Also, special shout out to LettuceB and sceptile0696 for reviewing the story!