Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Games of Body and Soul

Things That Yet May Be Done

"So is there still a way for us to not fail the mission?" Kiyomi wondered mentally while the group of kunoichi hid around the central square. A momentous location of Yordalar comprised of an empty space on which a four-way staircase was built. Something that looked to be nothing more but a fancy stand for a self-important politician to talk to those they considered their cattle on the outside.

"Kiyomi has a point. The whole settlement hates us. Even if we do crash the election and confront the spies, we'll just end up alienating the place... Even if we beat the crap out of those spies – things'll be as if we actually failed." Meiko realized to herself, allowing this realization moment to leak onto the mental link.

"There is a way. We need to expose the spies while we confront them. Have them tell these people what they did." Mana suggested. It was true that simply beating an enemy was no longer a way for a mission to be successful. Those simple missions were long since behind the young women now as they've entered into the true life of a ninja. Perhaps, just like that Voice kunoichi that ruined Jagaimo's plans in the summit, one day the Team Hokage would have to make difficult sacrifices to complete a mission the way it was meant to be completed...

"Is there really such a way? I can poke around their minds but I can't force them to tell the truth. I can see it, but I can't make anyone else believe it." Kiyomi pouted. Her thoughts started getting murky and the typhoons of clouds that symbolized her mind turned swamp-green in color.

"We can wear their minds out. Drive them as close to a genjutsu coma as possible." Mana suggested. "In that state, they will feel too hazy to fully comprehend the benefits behind truth and lies nor will they have the imagination capacity to make things up."

"Hmmm..." Hanshin hummed out. "What you're suggesting is basically torture, in front of this crowd of people... Let Hanshin tell you one thing, this is the true way of a ninja – not letting anything get in your way. Hanshin approves of this plan. In fact, Hanshin regrets not having thought of it himself."

"Genjutsu coma... That's... As good as death..." Meiko lingered.

"Worse than death, I'd say. It's a state of mental disarray that only a handful of immensely skilled medical ninja can treat, yet they consider it too much of a hassle to do so, leaving you asleep in the nightmares that put you there for the rest of your days." Kiyomi explained. As a genjutsu user herself, the Yamanaka heiress must have at least once considered this effect as a possible outcome of her illusion. Most of the time it was a willful, conscious choice, like learning a ninjutsu that's specifically designed to kill. There were limits that no mind could have matched, just like there were techniques too powerful even for the most amazing ninja to survive.

"Hanshin has been put to sleep by an illusion once. Let Hanshin tell you this, it does not feel like days when you're put to sleep like that. Happy moments feel like seconds, a split-instant cut forever lost in time, suffering feels eternal..." Hanshin's thoughts held no enjoyment over their content, recalling how gleeful this part of the plan had made the ninja before, it was a testament to how much of a life-changing experience this vastly inferior illusion to what would amount to a genjutsu coma was.

"Maybe we should discuss this a bit more than none at all?" Meiko's voice lingered on this doubt before the entire team of ninja looked up at the top of the stand where a handful of politicians stood up in a ring formation so that all of them fit atop of the top step and none of them stood below any of the other four.

"Any of them not who they act like?" Kiyomi asked. Mana shook her head, portraying a mass of grim thoughts seeing how a head shake did not translate well in telepathic communication. By now the three had been used to each other's quirks so much that the magician didn't need to translate herself any further.