Forked Shadows

Chapter 22

"Hello?" Raicho answered the knock at her door. Both her parents were out when Tenten knocked on her door. "What can I help you with?"

"It's me, Tenten," the girl answered, removing her mask.

"Tenten?!"

"Shhh!"

"Um, I really shouldn't--"

"Wait, please! Hear me out, just one more time?" Tenten begged. Raicho hesitated before ushering her into her home. Doors were shut and window curtains were closed. The two gathered at the coffee table and nursed two cups of tea.

"Alright, what is it?"

Tenten hesitated. Should she? Should she tell her ex-best friend the truth?

"Can I ask you to swear not to tell anyone? Forever promise that even if we have grown apart, you'll respect and hold my secret?" Tenten begged, pleading.

"I will. I swear," Raicho said solemnly. Tenten felt the tears coming.

"I'm leaving."

Her eyes were slightly glazed, the once strong resolve shattered to pieces, and her shoulders hunched over in defeat. Her head tucked in, away from the accusing looks and mocking threats, and her entire appearance was that of a war surrendered. She would never be the same, or return to her former glory--that is, if she had any, to begin with--and be remembered as a criminal.

"I can't stay here. I didn't kill anyone. I'm not a murderer," Tenten stressed slowly in her new voice. If Raicho noticed, she remained respectfully silent. "I'm leaving."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"Oh."

"Remember, you can't--"

"--tell anyone. Don't worry." Raicho smiled gently. "I don't the truth, but I don't want to remember you as a criminal. Give yourself a new life and find a better place."

"Thank you. I should go. I don't want to damage your reputation either."

"Take care?"

"Always."

They stood and shared one final embrace before Tenten left in a hurry. Nightfall had already come and now was the perfect time to escape.

As she watched her friend leave and attempt to live a new life, Raicho smiled.

All was according to plan and Raicho couldn't have enjoyed it better.

That evening, instead of going to bed, Raicho gathered all the notebooks she had written after her Academy graduation. Twelve books were filled, and her thirteenth was a quarter done.

No one knew that Tenten was innocent of the crimes and actually a victim in the thick of things.

No one knew every death--the ones Tenten was suspected for--was an experiment.

No one knew that Iguro Raicho was the true murderer and mastermind behind the death of the Genin.

Raicho smiled lovingly at the journals stacked in her arms and laid them on the table. The main goal was to study others, specifically her friends and classmates.

Team Seven was the first experiment, but she quickly grew bored. Nothing was happening, so Raicho moved on to Ino.

Ino was a tragic story Raicho named "Suicide" for obvious reasons. Raicho probably interfered with her life the least among the all the deaths. Throughout Ino's story, the only thing Raicho did was study Ino. She witnessed Ino writing her suicide letter and meeting Sasuke before killing herself.

Akamaru's death was what Raicho liked to call "Witnessed Death." Armed with gloves and quick-acting poison, Raicho poisoned the dog during a mission and studied Kiba's emotional state. He was extremely emotional, his mood changed suddenly, and any anger management he might have had disappeared.

Shino died by being eaten alive by bugs or "Ironic Death." The family that owed botflies and army ants lived somewhat close by to Shino's house. All she had to do was lure the bugs into the house with a living organism and poison Shino during their date. Since the poison was transferable by the skin, Raicho took care to use it during the visit to the butterfly farm. Once the date ended, Raicho's experiment was complete. Shino and his insects would be unable to defend themselves from the hundreds of botflies and army ants that would find his body and eat him alive within hours.

Tenten didn't die, but her entire life became a story of Raicho's scapegoat. Tenten was an underappreciated ninja who wanted recognition of some sort. When she didn't get the attention she believed she deserved, she became defensive and bitter, pointing out other's flaws than her own.

The next and final death is an accidental murderer. Hanabi killed Hinata before killing herself but not on her own accord. Raicho made her delusional and delirious, causing her to kill Hinata.

Finally, the investigations started. Tenten became the public's victim, and her attitude didn't help.

Raicho was the one who started the rumors, making sure that people saw Tenten as the criminal. Things were unsteady at first, but more and more people believed the rumors and Tenten's downfall escalated quickly.

Raicho also had Shikamaru and Sakura help her. Raicho suggested to Shikamaru that they should be on guard and study any suspicious behavior. Agreeing, Shikamaru spread the word and Sakura took it as a personal mission.

Sakura reported her own studies of Tenten to Shikamaru and unsuspectingly helped Raicho put all the suspicion on Tenten.

By the time the suspect list had been made and names were crossed, yet Tenten's name did not disappear, Tenten ran away, shunned by the rest of society and even her own team.

Raicho smiled, turning each page of her journal carefully and tenderly, rereading all her notes written in neat handwriting. Everyone's story had been orchestrated, and everything was according to plan.

Just as she knew it would.