Destiny Ninja 2: Kaito

Chapter 10

Kikyo stands in front of us, and stares straight at us.

"Kikyo... What is happening here? Are you really the one..."

"Excuse me, would you speak up?" Kikyo says.

"She's asking if you've commanded this ridiculous attack or not!" Kaito shouts.

"Oh." Letting out a sigh, Kikyo looks around, and fixes his gaze back on us. "Indeed. I am the one who has commanded this attack."

"How dare!" I say.

"Kikyo, you son of a..." Shiroya says.

"Are you crazy or what, Kikyo!" Ran shouts.

"Come on, Kikyo. Stop joking with us..." Rindoh says. "This is Kaito and Shiroya's home village here, ya know? You oughtta be out of your mind to attack your comrades' village!"

"No, I am completely normal."

"Why... How come, Kikyo! What kind of benefits would this terrible attack bring!?" I say. "The Autumn Village will rule Yamato Island? What in the world does that mean!? How could you do such a cruel thing when you know the purpose of our journey!"

Kikyo looks away a little, and lets out a small sigh. "The Autumn Village does not have a preceding village like the other villages do. And no ninja in the Autumn Village has a special inborn ability. Thus the Autumn Village is a 'pickup village'. Until we established ourselves as an independent village, we provided food and commodities to other villages, and in return, the other villages protected us from enemy attacks from outside the island, as you already know..."

"Yes. I have read about it many times in old documents."

"We, the Autumn Village, have been in a lower position than the other villages. They have always been looking down on us."

"No, that's not-"

"That's not true at all! The Summer, Spring, and Winter villages... We have always cooperated in helping the Autumn Village!" Kaito says.

"This is exactly what I mean by looking down on us. The Autumn folk are weaker than you, thus you have to protect us. If this was not looking down, what else could it be? But look at us now... the Autumn Village has grown to be the second most advanced village next to the Spring Village. The White Tiger ninjas in the Autumn Village have become so strong despite of not having any special inborn abilities, as you have witnessed. You see it now...? Which village do you think is the most powerful in Yamato Island?"

"Kikyo..." I say.

"Yamato Island is not the only country in the world. There are other countries existing beyond the sea. To fight against those foreign countries, this island needs to prosper more. To make that happen, we, the Autumn Village... the most powerful village of all, ought to govern this island and lead it to advancement. This attack is the first step toward this government."

"This... is so unlike you! This is not what you would usually do! Hey, what went wrong with you, Kikyo... You were not the kind of person who would do such a thing!"

"That's right. You were almost justice itself." Kaito says. "You used to give us endless lectures... I thought that was because you cared about the island more than anybody!"

"Silence!" Shouting sharply, Kikyo stares at us, deadpan. "I have no choice but to do this to become a chieftain."

"To become a chieftain...?" I say.

"Are you saying you have attacked the Summer Village in order to become a chieftain, Kikyo?" Shiroya questions.

"You... I'd always thought you were a jerk, but hadn't expected you to be this selfish..." Ran says.