Scapegoat

When Ayano arrived at Ayari's house, she found the two of them chatting and laughing on the living room sofa.

The room fell silent for two seconds at her arrival.

"Ayano." Makoto rose from the sofa and greeted her.

"So Makoto's here too." Ayano smiled at once.

"I was just about to leave," Makoto said. "You came to talk with Ayari, didn't you? I won't disturb you."

Ayari pouted slightly in disappointment. She did not say goodbye to Makoto, only watched as he picked up Sibi and left her house.

Only then did she pick up the can on the coffee table, open it, and take a sip.

"What brought you here?" Ayari asked Ayano.

"I came to see you," Ayano said.

"I'm not sick. What's there to see?"

Ayari did not particularly enjoy being around her sister, especially when they were alone. Ayano always relied on her status as the older sister to lecture her.

"Does he come here often?" Ayano sat down on the sofa and asked.

"Makoto?"

"Mhm."

"I go to his place too," Ayari said.

Ayano could not help saying, "Ayari, you're getting married soon."

Ayari looked unconcerned. "I know."

Ayano frowned lightly. "No matter what, Makoto is still a man."

Ayari found it amusing, and thought Ayano was making too much of it. "Him? He's just a little brat."

Thinking carefully about the time she had spent with Makoto, though, she felt that he did not seem like a child at all anymore.

"He's not that little!" Ayano said. "You need to understand your position."

But Ayari said, "What position? Aren't I Branch Family just like him?"

Ayano immediately replied, "Of course you're different. You're about to become Hizashi's wife, and Hizashi is Lord Hiashi's younger brother."

Ayari scoffed. "That still makes me Branch Family."

Ayano grew a little angry. "Ayari, you..."

Ayari did not want to argue about this and impatiently cut her off. "Did you come here just to talk about this?"

Even as she was angry, Ayano also felt helpless. It was not as though Ayari had only started refusing to listen to her recently.

She softened her tone. "I came to discuss your wedding with Hizashi. I had someone choose several auspicious dates for the ceremony."

Ayari lay sideways on the sofa, looking down at the drink in her hand.

"I don't care. Just pick one. If Hizashi has any objections, listen to him."

"What about the wedding dress? I'll have someone custom-make the Shiromuku style you like."

"Anything is fine."

"Ayari."

Ayano helplessly called her name again at Ayari's attitude.

But Ayari suddenly smiled at her. "I'm marrying Hizashi, not some stranger. It doesn't matter. Don't ask me about troublesome things like the arrangements and the wedding dress. You can decide."

Ayano fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Do you not want to get married?"

Ayari tilted her head. "Did I say that?"

Ayano continued, "Do you not want to get married, or do you not want to marry Hizashi?"

Ayari said, "What difference would it make whether I wanted to or not? Would the outcome change?"

She casually tossed the empty can into the nearby trash bin, then shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa.

Would the outcome change?

Ayari's question left Ayano unable to answer. How could Ayari possibly resist the clan's decision?

"No matter what, I'm going to marry Hizashi, right? I don't dislike him, and he doesn't dislike me. If we're getting married, then we'll get married."

"There's no one in the clan more outstanding than Hizashi," Ayano could only say.

Ayari gave a sly smile. "What about Lord Hiashi?"

Ayano laughed as well, knowing she was joking. "If you want to marry him, I'll go tell him what you mean."

Sure enough, Ayari pouted and rested both hands beneath her head. "Forget it. Compared to Lord Hiashi, I'd rather marry Hizashi."

As she spoke, her gaze began to wander again.

Marriage...

Something she had thought had nothing to do with her had suddenly appeared right before her. She did not feel prepared at all.

But reality gave her no time to prepare.

And even if she were prepared, what would it change? Wouldn't she still marry Hizashi?

"You mentioned wedding dress styles just now, right?"

"Mhm."

"Did you bring any pictures? Let me see what they are."

A dim underground chamber.

This was a secret research facility located outside Konoha, its rooms filled with all sorts of strange instruments.

When Danzo arrived, he saw Orochimaru tinkering with something.

"You seem quite leisurely," Danzo said from behind him.

Holding a test tube, Orochimaru said, "What does Lord Danzo mean?"

Danzo said, "Sarutobi is about to uncover the person who tipped off the Stone Ninja. Aren't you afraid this will be exposed?"

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "What do I have to fear? Wasn't all of this done by Root under Lord Danzo's command?"

Danzo sneered. "What, do you think you can wash your hands of this?"

Orochimaru placed the test tube back on its metal rack, turned to Danzo, and smiled faintly. "You jest, Lord Danzo. I'm in the same boat as you now. How could I possibly abandon you? Besides, I can't do without you."

Danzo frowned. "It's best that you understand. What do you plan to do next?"

Orochimaru instead asked, "Does Lord Danzo have any good suggestions?"

Danzo said, "Find a scapegoat and pin all the blame on him. I already have someone in mind."

Orochimaru smiled again. "Lord Danzo and I are of the same mind. Once this matter is resolved, the two of us can rest easy."

Danzo watched Orochimaru's inscrutable smile. After considering it, he said, "Neither of us should show ourselves in this matter. At the right time, I'll expose this person."

"Then I'll leave it to Lord Danzo."

"However, you should also take the initiative with the Hidden Mist Village. Driving back the Mist Ninjas will make it easier for you to take the position of Hokage."

Orochimaru did not respond to that topic. Instead, he said, "Actually, I'm not particularly interested in the Hokage's position."

Danzo was startled, then his brows drew tightly together. "What do you mean?"

Everything he had done was to push the man before him into the position of Hokage.

Orochimaru spoke slowly. "I've been thinking... perhaps I'm not suited for it. If Lord Danzo were to become Hokage, would you perhaps do even better than Teacher Sarutobi?"

Silence.

They watched each other, but even Danzo, shrewd and calculating as he was, could not read anything from Orochimaru's serpent-like eyes.

He said flatly, "This is a critical moment. You'd better not cause any trouble, Orochimaru. The Hokage's position can belong to no one but you."

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