A Lotus in Winter: A Rock Lee Love Story

Chapter 26: Freedom Brings Truth

Kakashi's POV:

Our entrance into the palace prison was smooth and according to plan. I didn't like it, it is well known in the ninja world that the first plan never works. I knew that Tenzo and Guy were thinking the same thing. We soon found the location of her cell and waited for an opportunity to present itself. When it did we struck.

Now the real challenge was escape. We made our way down the corridors careful not to alert them of our presence. We made it outside the palace and into the courtyard where we were met by an unexpected sight.

The feudal Lord himself blocked the gates, looking upon his face I could see that Sayuri must have resembled her mother. She looked nothing like the man before us.

There were no anbu there to protect him and escape would have been easy. But he held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, but his eyes glared at Sayuri.

Feudal Lord: "So you are ninja from the hidden leaf? Have you come to reclaim your little spy?"

We looked at each other confused. Spy?

Kakashi: "Sayuri has become a ninja of our village, the hokage wants her back. She is valuable to Konoha."

Feudal Lord: "It is difficult to become something you already are. I know of you Copy Ninja, you eliminated the pranja group of my land long ago."

Everyone seemed as confused as I about his statement. What did he mean by something you already are?

Kakashi: "You are correct in your statement that I ended the pranja, but I don't understand what you mean in the rest of your statement."

At this point Sayuri got down from Lee's arms and seeing her dog chained nearby, limp ran to his aid.

Feudal Lord: "I discovered long ago that her mother was a spy who came to collect Intel on our land. She was a spy sent from none other than your Leaf Village."

Sayuri looked at us, in her eyes was a shocked expression and I'm sure she saw the same look in ours.

Rock Lee's POV:

I couldn't remain quiet any longer and let him talk about my comrades this way.

Lee: "You killed Sayuri's mother! You tortured your own daughter! You even tried turning her into a concubine! How can you stand there as though you have no guilt in the world!?"

The man looked at me, and he began to laugh. Sayuri returned to my side with her hound. Everyone must have thought this man is insane.

That was when his voice cut through my thoughts like a kunai.

Feudal Lord: "So you think it was I that killed her mother? Incorrect, she died by Sayuri's hand."

He continued to laugh as though this was the cruelest joke.

All eyes went on Sayuri, but her eyes were on him, her fists were clinched. She seemed to be seething with rage, yet for the first time since we had met, she was crying.

The man went on, "As for me torturing her and trying to turn her into a concubine, I couldn't care less. She isn't my daughter, I discovered it at the same time I learned her mother was a spy."

Sayuri stopped crying and looked at him in fear and confusion. I knew her whole world must be crashing down, so I reached out and held her hand. She gripped it as she said

"If you are not my father, then who?"

The feudal Lord seemed taken aback that she didn't know, but responded the same.

Feudal Lord: "You really don't know? Well allow me to shed light on the subject orphan, your mother was a filthy Inuzuka spy sent from the leaf village. Your father was none other than Sakumo Hatake. Your mother was only a few weeks pregnant when she came to this village. I suppose she didn't know she was pregnant at the time or she wouldn't have come. My anbu discovered this by accident, her messenger hawk was injured mid flight and all of this information was upon it. Apparently only the third hokage knew about this, and kept it a secret. "

Sayuri collapsed to the ground crying and I went to my knees to comfort her. I don't know how the others felt, but my heart was filled with rage.

I soon had the answer to this question though as Kakashi sensei placed the feudal Lord under the genjutsu Hell viewing technique. Guy and yamato sensei had to hold Kakashi sensei back. I felt the same way, but it took me a moment to understand the depth of his rage. If what the feudal Lord said was true, then that would mean... Kakashi sensei was Sayuri's older brother.