Yoru held the kunai above Meiyi, ready to strike. Since he couldn't bring himself to kill Shokyo, he would be merciless with her sister.
In truth, he had plenty of chances to prevent Shokyo from being seriously harmed by her sister. Yet he did nothing, he waited.
He intervened only at the final moment, stopping the killing blow. Had he acted prematurely and killed Meiyi, Shokyo would have hated him instead.
Blood streamed down Meiyi's forehead, past her ears, and along her neck. Shokyo instinctively tried to lift her hands to stop it, but Yoru never gave her a chance.
Pain flared through her body and throat. Watching her sister attempt to kill her, Shokyo realized something, this sibling felt utterly alien.
She had long since forgotten what her sister truly looked like. The little girl with bouncing pigtails who had always followed behind her… had died in the depths of memory.
All the sacrifices she had made over the years for her sister… had only been for the imagined version of her.
The spy rewards and bonuses had gone directly to Meiyi, letting her believe it was all deserved. Meiyi's body collapsed. Yoru withdrew the kunai; a fissure in her skull revealed the final trickle of brain matter.
Now, not even the Yamanaka Clan could glean information from Shokyo. He could write her spy reports however he liked.
Her obvious Hidden Stone features would make it easy to fool anyone.
Yoru carefully laid Shokyo down and whispered:
"It's over, Shokyo. All of it. You've been abandoned by Hidden Stone Village. Onoki blames the failure on the wrong intelligence from your spies. Forget the Hidden Stone Village. Forget your sister. Stay here in Konoha. I've got connections that can shield you… for now."
If that shield fails… Yoru thought. Then for my own survival, I'll have no choice but to finish the job myself.
This was the harsh reality of the ninja world. No matter how much he cared for Shokyo, if it came down to her or himself, he would choose himself.
He opened Shokyo's shirt to tend to her wounds.
"Tomorrow at noon, you must open the bar as if nothing happened. Endure the abdominal pain. The cut on your neck is simple; just wear a choker to cover it. Hmm… yes, a choker. I like that."
Shokyo lay on the ground, tears streaming.
Tears for herself. For her sister. For her futile efforts. For the cruelty her sister had shown her. Tears for all the Hidden Stone spies who had died around her.
All their deaths, in the face of the village's hatred, became meaningless. In the end, the one who saved her was a stranger from Konoha.
"What's your name?" she asked weakly.
"I told you before," he said while dressing her wounds.
"Yoru."
"Then Yoru it is," she replied.
She stared blankly at the night sky through the gaps in the canopy.
"Why… why must there be killing, wars, enemy villages, so much death?"
Yoru replied calmly:
"In the ninja world, strength reigns. Everyone thinks their kunai can make others kneel. The problem is, there are too many people who think this way. All five great nations think this. All Kage-level ninjas think this.
Villages fight each other; villages fight within. Wherever there are people, there will be conflict. That's bigger than you or me, Shokyo. Survive. That's all you need to think about. Maybe one day, when I become the strongest ninja, I can reduce the killing."
Even Yoru didn't believe it, just comforting words for a young girl.
Yet the thought of being Anbu Chief intrigued him.
The Hokage was busy with endless affairs. The Anbu Chief could run side projects, influence many matters, and sway many people.
The Hokage couldn't supervise every Anbu operation personally; the chief was essential.
The next day, Shokyo opened her tavern at noon, just as instructed. No one came for her. She truly was now just a normal Konoha villager, running a small tavern.
Life like this… wasn't so bad.
In the afternoon, a customer entered.
"Boss lady! Give me your finest sake! And a plate of braised beef!"
Shokyo blinked. There he was, standing at the doorway, smiling. He looked even more handsome now. Her face flushed as she stepped back.
After they ate and drank, considering her injuries, he left for Konoha Hospital for the evening.
Black Ape and White Ram had finished surgery. Black Ape, without his mask, revealed a round, familiar face, typical of the Akimichi Clan.
His wife was also an Akimichi, likely a distant relative. The clan strictly recorded relationships to prevent close-relative marriages among shinobi.
He told his wife:
"Step out. I need to speak with my friend."
His wife didn't know he was Anbu; he called himself a friend, not a subordinate. Yoru couldn't help but glance at her… her chest was impressive, heavier than even Tsunade's.
No wonder the Akimichi specialize in Body Expansion Techniques… even the Senju would bow in this field.
Once the room cleared, Yoru said:
"Captain, I'm temporarily filling in as squad leader. With so few people, many tasks can't be carried out."
Black Ape glanced at his bandaged leg.
"I'll be discharged in half a month. In another month and a half, I'll regain full combat capability. Tsunade's medical skills are incredible, without her, I'd have lost this leg. After that, I'll rebuild the Black Ape Squad."
Yoru nodded eagerly.
So… for the next month and a half, his safety was guaranteed.
A small thrill ran through him.
It was the 12th. This cycle of survival had been used up.
If he made it to the 14th of next month, he could finally take initiative with his abilities.
Not easy, surviving every month in this world.
No wonder Uchiha Itachi sought peace through village-wide slaughter, peace was precious. War could so easily turn people into beasts.