~Camp Command POV~
As Jonin, Special Jonin, and the battlefield commanders, Sakumo, Tsunade, and Naori gathered in the command tent, everyone wore grim expressions. Sakumo in specific seemed to be questioning something, but the main focus was the silent and cold eyed Soutarou, who seemed entirely different than the same person who had stood before them days ago leading the assault on Iwagakure's main encampment.
Everyone glanced at Soutarou's cold gaze, while Tsunade's brows furrowed and she sighed before announcing to the entire crowd, "An unfortunate assault has slaughtered our Iwagakure Prisoners. Whether or not Konoha is at fault, the facts are Iwagakure cannot and will not accept our explanations. As the situation has become what it has, this is only one path going forwards… Absolute assault and break through to Iwagakure's heartland…"
"The Village Hidden in the Stone must fall. That is our only path going forwards, as grim as that sounds… It's the reality. I know many of our forces are still recovering… So this assault will fall to our strongest members… A small task force of Soutarou, myself, and Naori will attack Iwagakure. The battlefield commander will remain Sakumo-san, who will remain here at camp in case Iwagakure begins retaliatory strikes. Our defensive line is to shrink back to the border at the Land of Fire. Begin preparing to pack the resources and personnel back towards our border defenses."
"For those of you who have questions, I'll ask you to hold them… The situation is grave… and so… We must make grave decisions. This command document came from my grandmother, Lady Mito herself, if any have any objections, raise them now."
Sakumo softly said, "Tsunade, is wiping out Iwagakure the only way? I believe we should simply shrink our defensive lines and remain on the defensive."
Tsunade closed her eyes in acknowledgement and slight agreement of how ruthless this path was, but she finished, "What other option remains? After this war do you think the five nations, that fragile balance will remain? Grandma Mito already killed the Kazekage and now the Tsuchikage is dead too… Worse, Iwagakure has no clear backup options unlike Sungakure which still has its old guard. Meaning they either give up their title has one of their the five great nations or die fighting…"
Sakumo sighed and finished for her, "And the great nations would all rather die with dignity than… to cower…"
Tsunade nodded and the group turned grim, only ROOT shinobi showed no reaction, with ANBU personnel simply narrowing their eyes. For the vast majority, wiping an entire village out was a ridiculous concept.
Still, they were shinobi, killing was a part of the job description so what if the quantity was high? It was their village or Iwa. The decision was simple. Slaughter.
The silence got loud, really loud. Not a soul in the tent spoke, not because anyone disagreed in principle, but because there wasn't much else to say. Just hesitancy…. The veterans in the room found nothing especially wrong with it, while the newer generation of Jonin who had lived in the nearly twenty years of peace after the First Great Ninja War found the concept of mass killing… A bit absurd and extreme.
Tsunade's voice commanded, "Well what are you waiting for? Clear out! You have your orders, now get moving."
The room quickly cleared out with the thudding of shinobi sandals, the packing of scrolls, and just the grim efficiency associated with the term ninja or rather shinobi. During the entire process not a soul spoke a word, like it was a moment of silence for the Iwagakure shinobi… or perhaps a funeral procession.
Only when Sakumo, Soutarou, Naori, and Tsunade were left did the silence end with Tsunade's question of, "Are you sure you want to do this Soutarou? We can still back away to our defensive lines."
Soutarou's seemingly cold eyes softened at Tsunade's kindness and question and he softly shook his head, "No… I can't back down. I'll protect you. I'll protect Naori. I'll protect Kushina. I'll protect Mito-onee-san. I'll protect Mikoto. For that… any cost is worth it."
Tsunade's gaze turned conflicted and she reminded Soutarou by saying, "Alright… But we can protect you too… So just don't pay the price of yourself in trying to protect us."
Soutarou nodded and turned to Sakumo before a small branch formed without any handsigns from Soutarou and formed a Wood Clone almost instantaneously.
Soutarou said, "My shadow clone here has about a quarter of my chakra. If anything goes wrong, leave at once with the forces in full retreat, my clone will relay information as it comes."
Sakumo grimly nodded before glancing at Soutarou and patting his shoulder and saying, "Sometimes there's just things a man must do. Good luck, Soutaoru-san. Don't lose yourself in the killing, if you can just… Just do it from a distance so the blood doesn't stick out as much…"
Soutarou was completely indifferent to Sakumo, but feigned gratitude. Sakumo being as perceptive as he was, noticed something was off, unfortunately it wasn't his place to say anything, so he just wished the trio good luck politely, before leaving to coordinate the retreat to the land of fire border.
Before Sakumo left he glanced back at Soutarou, no rather that thing that wore Soutarou's flesh…
And with that Sakumo left completely, leaving Naori, Tsunade, and Soutarou to stare at one another…
~Soutarou, Naori, and Tsunade POV~
Tsunade's narrowed eyes bore into Soutarou, making him a bit uncomfortable. Before she finally said with a deep sigh, "Let's go, Soutarou… Let's get this over with…"
The trio began walking slowly out of the tent, Naori finally spoke up and swallowed a bit before softly saying, "Soutarou… I'm sorry… If I hadn't-"
Soutarou gently shook his head and said, "You already apologized and made up for it.
Naori seriously asked, "Are you sure you're okay Soutarou?"
Soutarou nodded seriously and he said, "I've understood I was naive before… Mito-onee-san was right… I must kill for those I love… To protect them and this is my way of protecting everyone. Even if… Even if I have to lose a part of my innocence in the process. But I suppose this is growing up isn't it?"
Naori pressed once more and Soutarou blinked once and smiled. Not an especially cruel smile, nor a warm one… but the kind you make to tell someone to stop asking questions and be "polite."
With a deep sigh he just said, "I'm fine, let's go."
Naori reluctantly pulled away, but Tsunade didn't. She ruffled Soutarou's hair a bit and then calmly said, "You've been lying quiet a bit lately…"
Her ruffling turned into a full on nuggie on the head before she said in a soft sultry right in Soutarou's ear, "You don't get to lie to me."
Soutarou stood up straight and his eyebrow twitched and his face turned annoyed and flushed for the first time and a flash of, 'Oh shit that's my waifu.' Went through his mind dousing cold water on his erupting violent emotions. Before Tsunade took a whole fire hydrant and blasted it open on Soutarou by saying, "You're twelve. Soutarou. You don't have to act like the whole world is depending on you. It's not and I think you're unironically disrespecting the strength that Me, Naori, and Grandma have."
Soutarou shakily said, "I'm stronger. It's my duty-"
Tsunade thacked him on the head with a grave look and said, "What? As the man of the house? Or do you suddenly think there's something else going on here? Last I checked I don't play around with underage boys like that, I have morals and the Soutarou I care for does too. So get it together and pull yourself up or else…"
Soutarou stared at her halting his walk, before Naori added on, "You said you'd protect us… but don't you understand? If you keep doing this… If you keep trying to deal with everyone by yourself, if you keep taking it all onto yourself-"
Soutarou cut her off gently but with a firmness in his voice and said, "Then you won't have to."
Naori's eyes widened and began shaking and her breath hitched and she took a step back, before Tsunade's eyes narrowed and she smacked him over the head, "First brat. That's not comforting at all. Second, who told you, you could speak to Naori like that?"
Soutarou darkly stared at her and said, "But its reality, I'm not wrong am I-?
Tsunade clutched her forehead and let out a long and controlled exhale like she was forcibly swallowing back a scream. Before she raised her first and said, "Fine… There here's the reality."
She pointed Naori and said, "She's coming." She pointed her thumb at herself and said, "I'm coming."
And then she jabbed a finger at Soutaoru's chest, letting it dig into clothes hard enough to make him take a step back forcefully, "And if you start this nonsense again. If you dare to try to be controlling to Naori or Me. Or if you even show a hint of this nonsense of needing to be the man to protect us… I'll break all of your bones and your back and all of us girls will spend the rest of our lives controlling you and keeping you safely away from anything that could trigger this nonsense."
The moment Tsunade said that a crack resounded in Soutarou's mind and his obsession faded replaced by an instinctual fear as an actual scene frpm the genjutsu world where Tsunade did do that overlapped.
His lips twitched and he thought, 'This big titted red painted nailed blonde head gambling addict of a cow!'
A thin nervous smile spread across his face as his face muscle relaxed and his shoulders went from stiff to calm, with his eyebrows visibly relaxing as he said, "I got… Tsunade-nee…"
Tsunade smiled and her shoulders relaxed before hugged Soutarou in the on purpose suffocating manner and she said, "You damn pervert you really like this don't you?"
Soutarou wryly smiled and said, "Which man wouldn't?"
Tsunade flicked his forehead and said, "That's the last hug I give this man until he grows up so cherish it."
Soutarou frowned and Tsunade laughed at him and said, "What you think I'm a softie like Naori, Mikoto, or Kushina? Even grandma's softer than me. I figured out that being too nice with you won't work. Too much nonsense going on in that head of yours. So I came up with a genius plan… I'll beat it out of you!"
Soutarou's lips and eyebrows visibly twitched and he said, "Are you sure you made this plan and not… You know Kushina?"
Tsunade thwacked him in the head and said, "Are you calling me dumb?"
Soutarou said, "You said it not me. Just saying."
Naori lit up in realization and then smacked Soutarou too, making him stare at her dumbfoundedly and she said, "Wow it really does work. Tsunade-san, let's beat him up."
Soutarou deadpanned and threw his hands up in surrender and said, "You damn crazies! I'm not a damned masochist!!!!! Don't hit me dammit! You're supposed to hit the Iwa shinobi, not me!"
Tsunade stared at him for a second.
Then, unexpectedly, she let out a single, short laugh and a bit of a snort.
It wasn't the warmest or best, but it wasn't cold either like Soutarou was expecting. It was the first real crack in the grimness since the meeting, a touch of normalcy if you would.
"Good," Tsunade said, flicking his forehead hard enough to make him wince. "There's the mouth again."
Naori blinked, surprised, but also happy. Soutarou rubbed his forehead and muttered, "Ow…What was that one for?"
Tsunade leaned forward, voice low and serious again. "Just because… But seriously listen to me, Soutarou. That whole 'I'll bear it all alone' act? That's not strength."
Soutarou's jaw tightened and he instinctually said, "It's my responsibility."
Tsunade's voice snapped at him,"No! It's like fear wearing a damn uniform."
Soutarou froze. Tsunade's eyes didn't soften. "You're scared you'll lose something. So you're trying to control the world so it can't take anything from you. Personal advice here… Those who try to control the world just so they won't lose that thing… Often lose exactly what they were trying to protect in the process plus more."
Naori's throat bobbed as she swallowed hard and said "…Soutarou…-"
Soutarou's gaze flickered, and for the first time in a while he looked his age caught, a bit frustrated, and just tired. He looked away, face flushed and somewhat disgruntled as his voice barely whispered, "…Maybe."
Tsunade exhaled, calmer as she grinned at him and said, "That's the honest answer. Keep that one."
Naori stepped closer, carefully, like approaching a skittish animal adding on, "You don't have to be the wall for us. We can be the wall with you."
Soutarou's hands curled once. For a heartbeat, that voice tried to creep back in… "finish them, fix it, make it safe!"
And then Tsunade thumped two fingers into the center of his chest, right over his sternum. "Breathe," she ordered.
Soutarou blinked. "What?"
"Breathe," she repeated, slower. "In. Hold. Out."
He hesitated. Then did it. Once. Twice. On the third breath, the stiffness in his shoulders loosened just a little and it continued until Tsunade stared at him and took out a flash light from nowhere and flashed his eyes and asked, "You're hearing voices aren't you?"
Tsunade's voice stayed firm, but quieter as she continued, "That voice in your head? The one telling you to maybe 'finish' things? It doesn't get to be your commander."
Soutarou swallowed. "…It's not a voice or even voices."
Tsunade raised a brow before furrowing them as if knowing the answer, "Then what is it?"
Soutarou's lips pressed into a thin line and he made airquotes with his hand saying, "I think its that being… It's trying to give me a push. Maybe a pull. Like something is trying to… nudge my thoughts, but it's irritating if I don't… If I don't listen to it then the itch gets worse until its all that's left in my mind."
Tsunade nodded once, before tapping her chin and saying, "Then you acknowledge it as something separate. You don't pretend it's 'just you.' Since it's not your voice, why should you care so much? Just try your best to ignore it and if it gets too loud just tell us, especially me. Don't forget I'm the world's best medical ninja… That includes psychology by the way. In fact, when we get back I'll see if schizophrenia medicine will limit that 'beings' effect on your mind. But my best advice is avoid using your sharingan and stay close to me."
Naori's eyes sharpened. "And me too. Make sure you don't obey the voice."
Soutarou exhaled, longer this time. "I don't want to."
Tsunade didn't smile, but her shoulders dropped a fraction. "Good."
Soutarou looked at them both, then spoke quietly, awkwardly, but real, "…I'm sorry. For earlier. For talking to you like you were… something I had to manage."
Then she nodded, fast, like she'd been holding that pain in her chest and didn't want it to grow roots, "Okay."
Tsunade crossed her arms and smiled saying, "Try it again and I'll hit you."
Soutarou's mouth twitched, retorting, "That's your solution to everything."
Tsunade said with a grin, "It's working obvious…,"
Naori actually let out a small sound, half laugh, half relief. And Soutarou… Soutarou realized he hadn't heard her laugh in a while. That realization did something important inside him. It reminded him what he was actually fighting for. Not control. No he was fighting just for them to be able to laugh again, to have peace.
Soutarou nodded once, more to himself than anyone. "Alright."
Tsunade turned, pulling her cloak tighter. "Good. Then we do this clean."
Naori glanced at Soutarou. "Clean?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Fast. Targeted. No spiraling. No unnecessary killing."
Soutarou held her gaze. And for the first time since the genjutsu world, he normally spoke. It sounded like a kid trying to be brave without lying to himself. He said shakily "Okay…-"
Soutaoru paused, then he added, softer, "But, no civilians. If we can, that is…"
Naori's shoulders eased. Tsunade studied him for a long moment, then ruffled his hair roughly more like a scolding older sister, but also a bit of something before she whispered into his ear softly with a grin, "Good boy. Now move."
***Author's Note: A bit of a longer chapter abt 3k words, but I couldn't finish it in two so here yall go compensation for me not posting on sat... Anyways... the main thing is the Soutarou's kind of 'normal' again. From here on out its going to go back to fight scenes and humor for a bit... Though somethings come back into play sooner or later.***