Pakura crouched in the shadows of the balcony, the clash of blades echoing through the castle halls. From here, she could still reach Lady Chi if needed. She watched Amon dismantle the assassins. Her feelings on the conflict were mixed.

  On one hand, she was a loyal kunoichi of the Sand Village, and no matter what happens, she will remain so. But on the other hand, she just watched one of her own teammates attempt to literally stab her in the back. Any other day, she would have apprehended the rogue ninja and turned him in. But if what Amon said was true, then the Kazekage himself had ordered her death.

  “Do I die for my village, or become a rogue ninja?” The words tasted like ash coming out of her mouth. The Sand was more than just duty. It was her home, her friends, her students. A life built grain by grain. And now, in a single breath, all of it balanced on the edge of a knife.

  Amon literally wrapped up the rest of the fight and secured his prisoners. Pakura emerged from her hiding spot and landed next to him, carefully avoiding the poison still in the air and on the roof's tiles. “Pakura, you wouldn't happen to know if this castle had a dungeon, do you?”

  ***

  With the four assassins locked away in separate cells, Amon and Pakura left them behind. She didn’t like leaving Lady Chi exposed for long, so they walked through the winding castle corridors. Silence stretched between the two of them, broken only by Pakura’s quiet words as they walked. “Thank you,” she spoke softly.

  Amon didn’t answer right away. The silence between them was filled only by the distant creak of shifting wood in the sea breeze. The scent of salt clung to the air, sharp and cold. Finally, his voice broke the stillness. It was quiet and compassionate to her ears, but steady. “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

  “No, no, I don’t. How could I? I never thought I would be in this situation.”

  “Well, like I said before, Oh, and thank you for the hand sign for your friend. He was waaay too cautious and wouldn’t have struck if he thought something was up.” Pakura nodded her head. “A few people could have written that letter, but the fact that a Sand ninja was the one carrying it. I had to make sure this was an inside job.” Amon stopped walking and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing the young kunoichi to stop. “Rasa wants you dead. I can think of a few ways to play this, but they all have risks.”

  “I’m open to ideas.”

  “Well, the first thing you can do is play dumb. You, with the help of myself, defeated and captured a traitor to the Sand who sold you out to the Mist. It pins all the blame on the one guy, it makes you look good, and it gives Rasa a way out. Make a big showing of putting those four in Rasa’s care, and you continue to fight for the Sand here.”

  “And the downside to that plan?” Pakura asked, defeat already hanging over her shoulders.

  "Rasa moves fast. Hides this whole thing, and claims that you are the real traitor. You attacked a fellow Sand ninja. Hard for him to do because of me, but I can’t say that it will stop him from trying.” Amon takes a step back. “You can also go rogue, grab the guys downstairs, and hand them over to the Mist so that they will take you in.”

  “The Mist, really?” Pakura raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

  Amon shruged, “They are close by and desperate for a win. I wouldn’t trust them, but you can’t reach anywhere else with four captured assassins as bargaining chips. Maybe pawn the assassins off to the Mist and defect to the Stone or Cloud?”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “My sisters are in the stone.”

  “That’s great!”

  “The Stone is the last place I’ll go. And I doubt the cloud will respect my choices when it comes to their desires for more bloodlines.”

  “No, they won’t.”

  “And the smaller villages aren’t strong enough to protect me. The Leaf?”

  “Wouldn’t insult Rasa like that. Maybe if we are careful, but even still.”

  “Then what do you think I should do? I don’t…I…The Sand is my home, Amon.” Pakura stammered her words.

  “Then the first option, play dumb. Make some noise about how you discovered the traitor. Take as much of the credit and fame from this as possible…and give it all to Rasa and his brilliant decision making. Say how great and powerful a leader he is and then go to Rasa and request to be assigned a different, far away mission, Something where you can be forgotten by the public, away from the limelight for a few years.”

  “Years?”

  “Years. At least for the rest of this war, at a minimum.” Pakura sighed, taking a step back, her back hit the wall, and she slid down it. She sat in the hallway, staring at nothing in particular. Amon walked up beside her and slid down next to her. “I…I know it’s not fair. You did nothing wrong, and this isn’t your fault, but this is the best option you have available to you.”

  “Available?”

  “Are you willing to kill Rasa or marry into the Sunagakure royal family?”

  “Can’t, and no way,” Pakura said in a deadpan tone.

  “Then this is the best option.” Amon patted his knees like they were drums. “I’ll compose a few letters. You will send them out to the forts nearby, requesting backup and telling them what has happened. I’ll add some flattering words about Rasa. Mention how I recorded the whole fight as proof. Then we will go from there. Rasa will get his hands on the letters, but hopefully, enough people, including me, vouching for you will make him pause. I know the man well enough to know that he is as cautious as they come and also fame hungry. With Sasori out of the picture, you are the biggest name Sunagakure has that came from the Third War. Hopefully, you giving him the credit for this is enough of a boon for him to stay his hand.”

  “Alright, and if that doesn’t work?”

  Amon let out a sigh. “Then he will move on this fast. At least we won’t have to wait long to know his response.”

  ***

  It’s a shame I’m not much of a brown noser. I feel like I have missed my calling. The letters I composed for Pakura were worthy of being shown in an art exhibit.

  They first had to be professional. This is still a war, a minor civil war in a minor foreign country, but a war nonetheless. I needed to officially inform the Sand village of the treason that the current dungeon inhabitant committed and request that he be picked up by Sand authorities, along with the dastardly Mist ANBU assassins that he was working with.

  Bringing up a few talking points that Rasa spoke about in his most recent speech back in Sunagakure. It was all thanks to the insightful wisdom of the great Kazekage that allowed Pakura to discover the treachery in her team. It was all thanks to understanding his great teachings that Pakura is still here today, fighting the good fight and ensuring the rest of the ninja world respects the Sand Village's strength.

  Subtly mention that Amon from the Leaf Village was present and that he recorded what transpired. Can’t give too much away, I have to make sure Rasa is too nervous to act against me or Pakura. If he lies about something and is refuted by the recordings, he could get in trouble. Pakura has enough of a name for herself that her death could not be swept under the rug.

  Then I have to make the letters sound like Pakura wrote them. A Herculean task, as she is not what one would call a “Learned Woman”. If asked, she would respond that she knows her “Letters and numbers”.

  While I was the ambassador to the Sand, my suggestions to improve their own and my bragging about how excellent the Leaf village’s Academy academics were were ignored because of the noble family’s priority of academic teachings for themselves. Ninjas are expected to obey orders and don’t need to learn to write any of their own. I made sure to hold my tongue about how the Sand Village was the weakest of the major villages, and it was decisions like that that were the reason why.

  After I finished penning the letters, I spent time double-checking slash admiring my own work. The shadow clone I placed on the flying carpet performing overwatch informed me that it was evening and that Pakura was patrolling the area.

  I was being stubborn. I didn’t want to summon my lanterns because I didn’t want to alert every ninja nation on the continent to my presence here, and I myself didn’t feel like I was going to be here long. Still, since I had just written a letter, I purposely said I was here and protecting Pakura. I might as well do what I am known for.

  I walked to the nearest window and brought out a well crafted scroll, and after cutting my thumb till it bled, I streaked it over the scroll's contents. Holding the scroll outside the window, I channeled my chakra, and like a dam bursting, my lanterns started flying out. It flowed like a waterfall, just to reach halfway down the tower I was in, and dispersed across the castle grounds. They began to float higher and higher until the night sky was painted in their light.

  With this act, I just put a target on mine and Pakura’s back. In the ninja world, stealth and subterfuge were common practices, but I have uncovered some interesting things during my time here. One of the lessons I have learned is that it is much easier to hide in the shadows if you are the one in control of the lights.