The Way Through Stone Village (Naruto)

84: Greed Exposed

[OP: "Eurus"--The Oh Hellos]

Mirai was not pleased to hear someone had stolen something from Pain's Kage house.

"That was off limits," she said. "I suppose I should have known no one would leave it alone forever...but you did destroy the rest?"

"Yes," Shine said.

"Well, that's something... So you think it was Yoku? It's a serious thing to accuse him."

"We've never asked this before," Shine said, "but perhaps you'd better tell us now just how close all of you were to Pain and his minions."

Mirai blanched. "Well...personally, I wouldn't say we were close. Pain appointed some of the people here to oversee things he wasn't interested in, such as what meager food and provisions we could make for ourselves and any civil disputes. I was in charge of that. I believe I was chosen because I never made any trouble and people liked me better than the others. But yes, some of his chosen ones were people who had more confidence with him...ones who would guard his house if he had to be away from it for longer than an hour or two. Those who would carry messages to the Akatsuki if his bodies were busy."

Shoto grimaced at that and looked ill.

"Pain was a regular All For One, huh?" Dabi remarked.

"Gross," Camie gagged.

"But they weren't always bad people," Mirai said. "None of us had a choice... Seiji was one of them. He's an honorable man...but yesterday, Yoku was also. We all had agreed not to touch Pain's things in case he came back, but, now that we know for a fact that he is not coming back...I can't rule it out. I would think he would not be so foolish when we don't know anything about how to use those things. Only Konan-sama went inside with Pain."

"I'm sure he'd love to try to figure it out," Wally said, disgusted. "Can we go talk to him?"

"You can't search his house without our permission," Mirai said. "And not just mine, but at least one other Council member... This is complicated for us."

"Even here politics are the worst part of the job." Temari slammed her forehead into her fan's edge. "Can't you just call him here and tell him we know he did it?"

"But maybe he didn't," Mirai said. "It's possible it was someone else... I can't imagine who would dare, but, it's not impossible. I have not watched the house very closely because I thought no one would want it."

"Very well then," Shine said. "No reason we can't do this diplomatically. Why don't you call all of the Council here and tell them that lightning struck that Kage house and potentially destroyed all that was inside it? Don't mention us. Then if he goes there to scavenge for something, you will know it was him."

"I...I guess that would work," Mirai said. "I hadn't thought to trick him... Seems a little underhanded."

"You sure aren't like other ninja," Dabi said.

"But isn't that lying?" Temari said to Shine.

"Yes, but we'll come clean afterward," Shine said. "And if he's not guilty, the lie won't do him any harm. This is the kind of lie I think is all right--it's like in war."

"So there are exceptions. I always wondered about that," Shikamaru said.

"There are some, but they're few," Shine warned him. "In this case, it's the best way, but usually the truth will save the most trouble in the long run."

"It's only a half lie anyway," Dabi said. "It just wasn't lighting. Unless you count Wally's static."

"Maybe it's not a lie then," Wally shrugged.