Si Vis Pacem -‖- Para Bellum [Naruto FanFic] Arc XIII Chapter 15

XIII

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Arc XIII Chapter 15

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Yuki blinked, suddenly pulled from her thoughts. “Hmm?”

Katsuki shifted slightly in her arms, her voice softly purring, “Listened, Yuki. Your Nyee-san ... She is far closer than you might think.”

Yuki widened in surprise. “What do you an, Katsuki?”

Katsuki purred, her feline chest swelling with pride. “As you know, we have both signed a contract. As such, we share a bond. No matter how faint it might be, I can feel her. Her presence. Her chakra. Your Nee-san is close. She has been watching you this entire ti.”

“...” Realisation hit Yuki. Nee-san ... The tension in her chest eased, a gentle and reassuring warmth spreading through her chest. Even her cheeks blushed ever so slightly, cherry red from embarrassnt. Of course, Nee-san would watch over her. Of course, she would never abandon her. Nee-san was always there for her, especially when she was in need, as she was now.

Yuki gathered her courage, her determination rekindled. If Nee-san was watching her ... That ant that she could not just stand by idly.

Yuki hugged Katsuki and started moving, making her way through the crowd.

Once again, Yuji’s hand hoped to stop her, but his actions were in vain. “Yuki!”

Yuki escaped his grip, easily slipping from his grasp. The girl pushed forwards, through the crowd, until reaching the front, the open square revealing itself.

The samurai heaved his cane high, prepared to strike. He would not, not under her watch.

Yuki grabbed one of her kunai from her holster, the trusted companion of every shinobi. Now all that remained was to rely on her skills and her aim. Her chakra flowed, reinforcing the blade of the kunai. It was ti to show the results of her training and make Nee-san proud of her. She was not the little girl any more that she had once been. The tis of her being a total pushover were over!

“Sixteen!” The samurai struck, and her kunai flew. Her kunai intercepted the cane mid air, deflecting it, making the man miss his strike, much to the latter’s surprise and much to the surprise of the surrounding villagers. Silence followed.

...

...

...

The crowd erupted in murmuring, anwhile the magistrate’s guards were quick to react, their hands on their swords and spears. Their glances and gazes imdiately swept through the ranks of the crowd, searching for the possible offender, naly her.

The magistrate gritted his teeth. With a sharp snap, his fan unfolded, spreading open in his hand. The man was furious, rage simring across his face, deeply insulted by the affront that she had committed. The fact that his authority was challenged did not sit well with an official of his stature.

The man barked, venom dripping from his voice. “Who was it that did that? Which insolent peasant dares obstruct the administration of my justice? If you possess even a shred of honour, then reveal yourself forthwith, mongrel. Perhaps your punishnt will be yours alone ...”

Yuki answered his call. She stepped forwards without hesitation, in front of the crowd, Katsuki still in her arms. “It was I.”

All attention was now on her, with all eyes turned towards her. The magistrate, the guards, the village headman, the villagers, even the boy sprawled on the ground who lifted his trembling gaze, despite albeit beaten half to death, they all looked at her, with a mixture of surprise, fear, curiosity, trepidation, suspicion.

“A girl?” The magistrate regarded her with a hint of thinly veiled amusent, his smirk concealed by his fan. The man chuckled, deriding her in open contempt, mocking her. “How brave of you to reveal yourself. Do you even realise what you have done, foolish girl?”

“... ... ...” Yuki responded with a glare, her fists clenched at her side. The point of no return had long since passed. Now the mont had co for her to stand her ground. And she would. It was what Nee-san would do. Nee-san would not waver. Nee-san would not cede ground.

The magistrate clicked his tongue. “Defiant, are you not ...”

“Yuki!” a familiar voice interrupted the man’s rambling. It was Mayumi who looked decisively concerned. The girl pushed through the crowd, imdiately rushing to her side to assist her. Her brother followed suit, albeit belatedly, and albeit begrudgingly. Still, the sight ward Yuki’s heart. Even now, even in the face of danger, they stood at her side.

Even then, her brother was utterly livid. Yuji threw her a pointed glance, muttering under his breath. “Yuki, ... didn’t I tell you to stand back ... Look what ss you’ve got us into.” So ss, indeed, as her Nee-san would say.

“...” The magistrate grinned, despite being initially startled by her companions’ appearance. “It looks like our foolish little girl is not alone. And apparently, she has so friends. Not that it matters. Guards! Apprehend these children and deal with them accordingly! Show them what it ans to defy the will of the daimyo!”

“...” Yuki gulped, so did Katsuki. Yuji, anwhile, began to sweat profusely, contrary to his sister who remained entirely oblivious to the impending danger. This ant trouble.

How fortunate that they were saved by the most unlikely of allies. One of the Kusagakure ninja under the magistrate’s command lowered his gaze, most likely the chunin in charge of the squad. “As you wish, Honourable Magistrate, but I’d like to point out that these aren’t just so simple children.”

The man’s words visibly angered the magistrate, not used to being contradicted. “What do you an, ninja? Speak plainly!”

The chunin glanced at them. “Honourable Magistrate, these children ... They're wearing forehead protectors. Their headbands clearly identify them as ninja from Agakure. Arresting them right here, right now could prove ... problematic.”

“...” Yuki’s eyes widened as realisation hit her. The man was right! They were now official academy graduates! They were wearing forehead protectors! They were fully fledged ninja belonging to the hidden village of Agakure! Arresting them just like would spark a major diplomatic incident, which could easily lead to the Daimyo of the Land of Grass and Kusagakure making enemies not just of them, but also of the entirety of Agakure! Obviously, a minor official of his stature would never dare to provoke such an incident over a minor affair like this! Take that, evil dastards!

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