Junko abandoned her little island of power in a panicked, wordless haste. Running across the Kaizoku Sea without break and yelling her way through the thick-brained guards trying to do their jobs. Through it all she never got tired, her muscles never slackened to rest or ached with fatigue and yet, the moment she began climbing up the Tower to meet the Mizukage, an exhaustion like never before bathed her.
She made it to the top without giving up, without turning away from the boiling point of rage, confusion and unreasonable hope. A round-cheeked Chuunin greeted her with a startled look and a bow, "Mizukage-sama is in a meeting, please wait a moment, he's been expecting you."
Junko found her hands straightened without her thinking about it. She glanced down at them and forced the slash and stab weapon into a relatively safer fist, tossing a strained attempt at a smile at the Chuunin as she sat out in the reception.
Junko sat and tried not to stare murder at the Chuunin, she didn't deserve her wrath but then she didn't deserve to stand where she did either. Junko had received the summons three days ago, delivered by a grim-faced messenger whose silence spoke louder than any words could have. Junichi was dead. The official report was terse, almost clinical, stating enough so she knew better than to have hope but just as little so she could. In the same summons she was given the official order to pack up her things and let Koorijima govern itself once again.
She had a good time ruling the island, ensuring it was safe from fringe resistance groups and squashing the idea that anyone could rise up against the Daimyo without meeting death by shinobi's blade, in her case, her fingernails were enough. Koorijima also served her as much as she served it, perhaps more as there weren't many troublemakers left after the first assault. Up until three days ago she was excited, ecstatic for the wealth of change she would bring 'cost free' to the Hoshigaki clan. She made plans with Kisame, dreaming up a larger piece of Kirigakure that would be owned to them once the Hozuki and Funato sold out to 'greener grasses'.
I feel sick. Junko thought, her stomach gurgled, perhaps with hunger or fright, she couldn't tell for certain but then her leg wouldn't stop bouncing, boots echoed against the polished stone floors of the Mizukage Tower, their rhythmic clicks a steady counterpoint to the storm of thoughts raging in her mind.
The waiting room outside Yagura's office was cold and uninviting, its minimalist design offering little distraction. Junko's fingers tapped against the arm of her chair as she mentally rehearsed her report, one she'd come up with the moment she decided Koorijima would serve the Hoshigaki clan, however briefly.
Maybe he wouldn't notice. She thought foolishly. He would, eventually he would or someone doing their job or an enemy of hers would point it out and try to use it against her. She needed a cover up, a valid excuse for why so much barley, timber, rice, iron and the occasional boxes of cash disappeared from Koorijima only to find themselves in Hoshigaki stores.
Junko groaned a sigh and ran a claw through her scalp, tossing her hair as she resisted a heartstopping thought. It was too late. I'll just ask, I have a right to know. She was clan head and that gave her a myriad of privileges, all of which she wholeheartedly abused whenever it benefitted her but none of which gave her security clearance to ask about the Mizukage's S-ranked missions, not even if Junichi died during one.
She grinded her teeth as she continued to pivot her thoughts away from Junichi, away from the bubbling emotion that made her throat feel like it was on fire. There was nothing she could do, no complaint she could give that wouldn't be countered by the simple fact that Junichi was a shinobi. And yet, logic wouldn't close this wound.
"Mizukage-sama will see you now," Junichi's replacement said, her voice low pitched and head held low. She knew, she understood.
Junko straightened her clothes and rose, her face a mask of calm as she entered the office and shut the door behind her. It was dark lit inside, the grandeur of his office was hidden in the cast of shadows as the only light illuminating the spacious room came from the amber glow of a desk lamp and the diluted rays of light from the village below.
Yagura stood with his back to her, silhouetted against the massive windows that overlooked Kirigakure. The perpetual mist shrouded parts of the village below, but Yagura's gaze seemed to pierce through it all, as if his eyes poked holes in its blanket. He did not turn when she entered nor did he make a sound in the silence of her presence, merely waited.
Junko shifted her weight as she gulped down the lump in her throat and tightened her fists. He wore a top of mesh armour, his scarf and even his regalia were missing from him and with them Junichi.
She folded those thoughts away and straightened up with a deep breath, "Mizukage-sama, I'll begin my brief on the occupation of Koorijima and the subsequent handover of power." Junko began, "The resistance presence was sustained on the island even after the initial assault, however, over the course of days I and my subordinates hunted down—"
"Junichi might not be alive." Yagura said suddenly.
Junko inched forward, taking a step onto the carpet that covered the semi-lounge area that was cluttered with documents in the dark. "Might?" she shivered.
Yagura continued to speak without moving to look at her, but she saw his eyes in the reflection, hardened orbs that glazed over with a memory she couldn't have and dreaded to, "You wouldn't know this but Konoha's Fourth Hokage and I have been in talks," Junko did know but she was happy to feign ignorance if it meant getting the declassified truth, "We were to finally meet and in a show of faith as well as security, extreme measures were taken to conceal our meeting area and time. Not even our ANBU accompanied Ao, Junichi and I and the Hokage was to arrive alone and retrieve his shinobi after all was said and done."
Junko felt her mouth drying up, she was desperate to bark her questions at his back; 'why take a Chuunin on an S-ranked mission?', 'why leave the village to meet the Hokage of all people?
But Yagura continued undisturbed, she had to hear all he had to say, all that happened, "We arrived at the chosen location but we were accosted before we could summon the Hokage, a complex arrangement I'd better not get into."
"Accosted, by who?" Junko couldn't control herself, before she knew it she was closer to his desk than the door, she could see his gaze flicker onto her from his reflection. He shut his eyes and answered.
"A Masked Man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, he is naught but an imposter, however…he was strong and he knew the true reason the Hokage and I were meeting, a reason barely understood by Junichi and yet…he acted in defence of the mission. Because of him, his valiant…" Yagura opened his eyes and held them to hers through his reflection as he cut through the fat, "He jumped in the way of a Space-Time Ninjutsu, one of the most advanced I've ever seen or faced. Junichi saved the leaf shinobi meant to summon the Hokage and the imposter held him hostage for it…we weren't fast enough, Junko, I am sorry."
Those words had little to no meaning to Junko, "Uchiha Madara but an imposter?" her eyes narrowed as she quickly put two and two together, "Then, this imposter is from the leaf, is an Uchiha! Why aren't we—!"
The chants for war died in her throat as Yagura continued to hold her gaze unflinchingly, "Don't tell me you believe them, Konoha can't…they can't keep getting away with sabotage like this! This is a trick!"
"It is the truth you came here for, Junko. Junichi may still be alive but…I wouldn't hope on it, that Masked Man has something against all shinobi nations, not just us, not just Konoha. The war you wish for is coming but until it—"
"Describe his mask. Where was the meeting? How do I find him!" Junko slammed her hand against his desk, finally right in front of it.
"You would die," Yagura deadpanned as he turned, finally giving her his full attention. Junko found his eyes hollow, red and sore. She couldn't imagine that the Mizukage could've grieved her dear cousin, the one she put by his side. Fuck! I never should've done that.
"I don't care! How can I find him?"
He shook his head, "I've already put out the bounty, it should be out soon but I don't think we should look forward to seeing that mask soon. He will appear again, that much I am sure of, but Kirigakure must be ready to face him when he does."
Junko grinded her teeth at the Mizukage, his face was calm and impassive, the dark bags under his eyes loudened his gaze, telling her he'd already prepared for everything, that he'd already thought of everything and felt everything that she was feeling.
No!
The last thing she wanted was to be understood by the man responsible for her loss, for Junichi's…death? The uncertainty continued to drive a stake through her and fuel the storm of emotions in her. Her heart skipped a beat and she balled her hands up in a fist again. Yagura didn't fail to notice and said, "You can scream if you want to, Junko."
"I…I don't need your permission!" She raged, her breath more rugged than it had been crossing the Kaizoku sea. She lifted her head to him and promised, "Whenever this Masked Man, imposter…whoever appears again, I want to be there, I want to be the one to face him."
Yagura raised a brow at that, he took a sharp breath and said, "Everything I've told you here is classified and everything you're going to learn about my mission to Konoha is also classified."
"There's more?" Of course there's more. She thought, feeling like smacking her head. "Tell me, now."
"I will, if only so you understand that you will die if you face him. I will tell you all, now sit and listen closely, Junko."