Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness Chapter 8 [Translation Indonesia and English]

シカマル秘伝 闇の黙に浮ぶ雲 Shikamaru Hiden: Yami no Shijima ni Ukabu Kumo (Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness) ● Dalam Bab8

[Indonesia]

Negeri Sunyi

 

Tim Shikamaru berlari selama tiga hari tak peduli siang atapun malam, sebelum mereka akhirnya tiba di Negeri Sunyi.

 

Negeri Sunyi merupakan Negara yang relatif kecil, terletak menghadap bagian barat kontinen. Sebagian besar dari negara itu dikelilingi oleh pegunungan dan hutan, dan dataran utamanya dihiasi oleh tanah lapang. Tak ada satupun kota di dataran itu yang luasnya mendekati kota manapun di Negara Api. Negeri Sunyi akan lebih terasa seperti pedesaan yang sederhana bahkan bagi tiga pendiri Konoha.

 

Ibukota negara itu, Desa Tirai, terletak hampir di tengah-tengah Negara. Sejak mereka menyelinap masuk dari batas negara, Shikamaru dan timnya secara konstan berlari melewati bukit dan lembah. Saat mereka mencapai Desa Tirai, terhitung sudah empat hari sejak mereka meninggalkan Konoha.

 

Meskipun negara itu merupakan negara yang miskin, ibukotanya masih memiliki kemegahan layaknya kota besar. Ketika seluruh desa di negara itu memiliki rumah dengan atap jerami, rumah terkecil di ibukota itu beratap genting. Terdapat banyak bangunan yang dibuat menggunakan beton bertulang, dan jalanan yang bersih dan tertata rapi. Jalanan yang tersebar di desa memiliki bentuk yang sama seperti jaring laba-laba, meluas melingkar dari tengah kota. Ruang-ruang kecil dipisahkan oleh jalan, rumah, dan apartemen yang berbaris berdampingan.

 

Sebuah bangunan yang sangat besar didirikan di tengah kota. Jika dilihat dari kejauhan, bangunan ini merupakan satu-satunya yang mecolok diantara bangunan lain. Gedung itu tingginya sekitar 10 lantai, dengan atap berwarna crimson, dan di tepi kiri dan kanan atap terdapat dua patung singa berwarna emas.

 

“Ahh, ini pasti merupakan istana negara yang kita cari."

 

“Tidak perlu terdengar begitu puas karena menyatakan hal yang sudah jelas, kau tahu.”

 

Shikamaru setengah mengawasi istana itu, setengah mendengarkan pembicaraan Rou dan Soku saat mereka melewati jalan utama.

 

Tentu saja, mereka telah mengganti jaket pelindung Konoha mereka.

 

Sebagaimana budaya setiap negara yang berbeda, begitu pula dengan pakaian. Rou dan Soku menyarankan agar mereka sebaiknya mendapatkan pakaian lokal sehingga mereka tak tampak mencolok selama penyusupan, dan Shikamaru menurut karena pengalaman mereka sebagai Anbu. 

 

Sepanjang jalan kota itu, mereka akan berhenti di mansion yang tampak dimiliki oleh orang yang sangat kaya yang dapat mereka temukan dan mendapatkan pakaian untuk mereka bertiga.

 

Pakaian yang dipakai orang-orang di Negeri Sunyi sangat sederhana, tanpa pola-pola tertentu. 

 

Atasannya merupakan jubah uwagi**, yang menutupi sekitar dada dan diikat menggunakan sabuk kain. 

 

Dari pinggang ke bawah menggunakan hakama** yang lebar, dengan bagian bawah celana mereka dimasukkan ke dalam sepatu boot bertali yang tingginya sebetis.

 

Warna pakaiannya juga tampak aneh seperti desainnya. Semua orang yang berjalan di Desa Tirai itu menggunakan warna hitam atau coklat atau abu-abu. Bahkan pertokoan di sepanjang jalan itu tidak memiliki lampu penerangan atau papan neon, iklan-iklan mereka tampak membosankan dan suram.

 

Tak ada satupun hal yang tampak terang dapat ditemukan di seluruh kota itu.

“Apakah anda menyadarinya, Shikamaru-dono?”

 Rou bertanya dari posisinya di depan.

Shikamaru berdesakan di antara dua Anbu. 

Rou berjaga di bagian depan.

Pertanyaan pria itu sangat samar.

 Ia tidak merincikan apa yang seharusnya Shikamaru telah sadari, jadi tidak ada cara untuk menjawabnya.

“Kita belum melihat satupun pelayan Daimyou.”

 Rou menjelaskan.

“Itu benar.” 

Shikamaru menyetujuinya.

Sembari berbincang, mereka menuju ke arah istana. 

Tidak ada maksud untuk melaksanakan operasi itu sekarang, namun hanya mengikuti orang-orang sekitar yang berjalan menuju bangunan terbesar itu. 

Shikamaru tentu saja tidak berkeinginan 

untuk terburu-buru atau gegabah dan mempertaruhkan misi menjadi lebih buruk.

“Semua orang yang kita lihat di jalan sejauh ini adalah penduduk Negara. Sangat aneh jika kita tak melihat satupun pelayan.”

Pengamatan Rou tepat sasaran.

 

Pemimpin-pemimpin negara di kontinen mereka, tanpa pengecualian, selalu merupakan Daimyou. Persatuan antara Dunia Shinobi berjalan dengan baik, namun shinobi sama sekali tak pernah berada dalam kepemimpinan politik. Dan Daimyou selalu tinggal di ibukota Negara mereka, dengan tempat tinggal mereka yang dibanjiri oleh petugas yang melayani mereka.

Pelayan-pelayan itu membedakan diri mereka dengan penduduk lainnya dengan bangga, dari pakaian mereka yang berwarna-warni hingga perilaku mereka yang sombong dan arogan.

 Mereka selalu sibuk di kota dimana Daimyou mereka tinggal, berkelana di daerah sekitar untuknya.

Dan lagi, mereka tidak mendapati seorang pelayan pun.

“Kemungkinan disini memang tidak terdapat Daimyou.” Gumam Soku.

Itu mungkin merupakan keadaannya. 

Negara kecil terkadang memiliki keadaan dimana penduduk menampakkan seolah-olah terdapat Daimyou, namun sebenarnya mereka mengurus masalah mereka sendiri.

Tapi negara ini berbeda. Shikamaru sangat yakin akan hal itu.

Ia berbalik ke arah Soku, matanya melirik istana yang baru saja mereka lewati di belakang mereka.

“Pesan Sai menyebutkan dengan jelas bahwa negara ini dikontrol oleh pria bernama Gengo.”

“Tapi kemungkinan ia bukan seorang Daimyou, kau tahu."

“Kau mendapatkan intinya.”

 Saat Shikamaru mengatakan hal itu, pandangannya jatuh ke arah seorang pria yang berjalan di depan kelompoknya.

 

Ia mengenakan jubah hitam panjang dan memiliki mata yang tajam.

 Pakaiannya mencolok diantara hakama dan uwagi yang digunakan oleh penduduk lainnya.

Desainnya mengingatkan Shikamaru pada jubah Akatsuki, meskipun pada pakaian pria ini tak terdapat gambar awan merah, atau kerah tinggi yang menutupi mulutnya. 

Tak terdapat lapisan ataupun pengikat ditengahnya, hanya ada lima buah kancing besar berwarna silver.

“Lihat pria di depan kita? Kita sudah melihat beberapa orang lainnya berpakaian sepertinya. Apa kau merasa teringat akan sesuatu saat melihat mereka?" 

Tanya Shikamaru.

“Saya juga menyadarinya, Shikamaru-dono.”

“Bukankah seseorang normalnya menunggu sesaat daripada langsung menyetujui sesuatu…?”

 Tanya Soku.

“Pakaian itu.

.

.

bagaimanapun pakaian itu menjadi target.”

 Rou membuat satu lagi lelucon buruknya.

“Kami ingin kau diam, kau tahu." 

Soku mengerang.

Mengabaikan gurauan mereka, Shikamaru lanjut berbicara.

“Rou, bagaimana dengan pria di sebelah sana? Apa kau tidak merasa ia terlihat familiar?"

Setelah Shikamaru berbicara, ia menolehkan kepalanya sedikit ke arah rumah teh di jalanan yang ramai itu.

Rou menoleh untuk melihat ke arah yang Shikamaru maksud.

“Itu…Itu tidak mungkin…”

“Eh? Ada apa? Aku tak mengerti apa yang kalian sibuk bicarakan daritadi, kau tahu…”

“Jadi aku benar.”

 Shikamaru berkata dengan muram.

 “Aku terus merasa bahwa wajah orang itu terlihat familiar.”

Ia dan Rou melihat ke arah pria yang menduduki bangku panjang di depan rumah teh dan sedang meminum teh. Ia juga menggunakan jubah panjang yang mencolok.

Saat mereka melihatnya, pria itu memanggil pemilik rumah teh, dan penjaga toko segera keluar dari dalam rumah teh itu, membungkuk berkali-kali dan memuji-muji serta meminta maaf kepada pria itu.

Tingkah seperti itulah yang biasa dilakukan penduduk kepada pelayan Daimyou.

“Dia seharusnya merupakan Anbu,”

 ucap Rou terhenyak. 

“Namanya adalah Minoichi.”

“Pria itu…”

“Seharusnya merupakan yang hilang saat perang, kan?”

 Tebak Soku, menyelesaikan kalimat Shikamaru.

Ketiga dari mereka terus berjalan melewati rumah teh, berhati-hati agar pemantauan mereka terhadap Minoichi tidak disadari.

“Akan lebih cepat jika kita mengetahui kejadian ini lebih dulu, iya kan?” 

Ucap Shikamaru.

Rasanya seperti ada kembang api yang muncul dari dalam hati Shikamaru. Bibirnya melengkungkan senyum.

-“Kau tak akan bisa bergerak lagi.” 

    

Shikamaru berujar pada pria yang tersentak ketakutan di depannya.

Mereka berada di lorong sempit diantara dua bangunan beton. Shikamaru sengaja memilih tempat ini karena tempat ini bukan merupakan hotspot, sehingga terabaikan meskipun pada tengah hari.

Rou dan Soku mengawasi ujung lorong yang terbuka ke arah jalan. Mereka menyatu dengan bayangan sesuai dengan yang diharapkan dari pengalaman mereka sebagai Anbu, tetap diam tak bergerak dan berkonsentrasi penuh pada tugas mereka.

Sebuah bayangan yang bahkan lebih gelap dan dalam dibanding bayangan lorong sempit itu memanjang dari kaki Shikamaru. 

Bayangan itu merayap sepanjang lorong seperti ular berwarna hitam pekat hingga menggapai sekitar tubuh pria yang ada di depannya. Sulur bayangan itu berubah menjadi tangan-tangan gelap yang melingkari leher tawanannya dengan erat.

Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu…

Klan Nara, keluarga Shikamaru, telah menjadi pengguna jurus bayangan dari generasi ke generasi. Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu membuatmu dapat menggunakan bayanganmu untuk menghentikan gerakan lawan. Bayangan Klan Nara berwujud fisik. Jurus mereka tak hanya berhenti sampai mengikat lawan dengan bayangan- mereka juga dapat menggunakannya untuk membuat kerusakan fisik.

“Untuk sekedar kau tahu.”

 Ucap Shikamaru datar. 

“Aku dapat dengan mudah menghancurkan lehermu menggunakan bayanganku.”

“B- bagaimana…Ke- kenapa kau…brengsek…”

“Kau tak mengenalku?” 

Shikamaru bertanya pada Anbu itu. 

“Aku mengenalmu, Minoichi-san.”

“A- aku tak kenal nama itu”

“Jangan pura-pura bodoh. Kau sebenarnya merupakan shinobi Konoha, kan?"

“A- aku tak tahu soal itu.”

Bayangan Shikamaru bergerak ke arah leher pria itu, sebuah tangan gelap semakin erat mencengkram mengitari jakun Minoichi.

“Ugh…”

 Ia mengerang kesakitan.

“Kau terlahir di Konoha."

” Ucap Shikamaru. "Kau pasti pernah mendengar tentang jurus Klan Nara, bukan? Dan apa yang dapat jurus itu lakukan."

.

.

"Jika kau meneruskan hal ini, aku akan mencekikmu hingga mati."

Itu merupakan ancaman yang dibuat Shikamaru.

“Jadi kenapa kau, seorang Shinobi Konoha, berada ditempat ini, menggunakan pakaian seperti itu?”

“A- aku bukan seorang shinobi lagi.

” Minoichi berbicara dengan suara parau. 

“Aku adalah…Kakusha (Yang Tercerahkan).”

“Yang Tercerahkan? Apa yang kau maksud dengan hal itu?”

“O-orang-orang lamban seperti kalian yang hidup di…dunia Shinobi yang tak pernah berubah…tak akan pernah mengerti apa tujuan mulia kami.”

“Lihatlah ocehanmu. Aku bertanya siapa yang dimaksud ‘Yang Tercerahkan’ itu.”

 Shikamaru sedikit menguatkan cengkraman jari-jari bayangannya pada sekitar leher pria itu.

“Geugh…” Minoichi mengerang.

“Aku tak masalah dengan mencekikmu jika kau meneruskan hal ini.”

 Bahkan Shikamaru merasa mual dengan kalimat yang keluar dari mulutnya sendiri.

Hatinya diselimuti oleh kegelapan…

“Kau tak akan mengert- eugh!”

Shikamaru mengeratkan cengkraman bayangannya dengan kuat pada jakun Minoichi yang naik turun.

“Jika kau teruskan omong kosong ini, aku akan benar-benar membunuhmu.”

Pupil Shikamaru melebar membuat matanya menggelap segelap bayangannya.

“A- aku…mengerti…”

“Bukankah yang seharusnya adalah 'aku mengerti, tuan’?” ***

“Aku…mengerti…tuan…”

Shikamaru melemahkan cengkraman bayangannya, dan Minoichi langsung terbatuk dan tergugup, air mata muncul di matanya.

“Sekarang, kau harus menjawabku. Siapa sebenarnya kau ‘Yang Tercerahkan’? Apa yang dilakukan oleh orang-orang yang merupakan shinobi dengan berkumpul di daerah ini?”

Melihat ekspresi bengis di wajah Shikamaru, Minoichi menarik nafas dalam-dalam dan mulai berbicara.

“Kami ‘Yang Tercerahkan’ menguasai negara ini. Tak ada lagi Daimyou rendahan di sekitar sini. Gelar ‘Yang Tercerahkan’ didapatkan jika kalian merupakan shinobi yang telah membuka mata kalian terhadap tujuan mulia Dengo-sama. Tujuan kami adalah menciptakan revolusi yang sebenarnya di dunia ini bersama dengan Gengo-sama. Apapun yang sampah seperti kalian susun atau rencanakan tidaklah berarti baginya. Apapun yang kau dengar dariku tak akan membuatmu mengerti tentang kebenaran negara ini…!”

 Minoichi mulai tertawa, membuka rahangnya untuk menggigit lidahnya dengan maksud bunuh diri.

“Berhenti!”

Sesaat, Shikamaru yakin bahwa Minoichi 

sudah mati, merosot ke samping, karena menggigit lidahnya. Namun kemudian, otaknya menangkap sesuatu.

Dalam sekejap, sesuatu telah melayang dan menusuk sisi leher Minoichi…

“Aku menggunakan jarum chakra yang melumpuhkannya, jadi ia tak akan bisa bergerak selama tiga hari, kau tahu.”

Soku yang berbicara. Ia sudah berdiri di sebelahnya tanpa Shikamaru sadari.

“Feh, ‘Yang Tercerahkan’…itu terdengar arogan dan menjengkelkan, kau tahu.

” Ucap Soku, melihat ke arah Minoichi yang sudah tergeletak. Wajah mantan shinobi itu terlihat mengganggu dalam tidurnya yang damai.

Footnotes:

** Hakama dan Uwagi :

*** Agak sedikit membingungkan. Pada dasarnya, Minoichi menggunakan kata 'Aku mengerti' dengan bahasa yang kasual, namun Shikamaru memerintahkannya untuk menggunakan bahasa yang sopan. Menambahkan kata 'Tuan' adalah arti yang paling mendekati.

Bersambung...

[English]

The Country of Silence

-

Shikamaru’s team ran for three days regardless of whether it was day or night, before they finally reachedthe Country of Silence.

The Country of Silence was a relatively small country, located towards theWest of the continent. Most of it was surrounded by mountains and forests, andthe remaining land was dotted with fields. None of the towns in those fieldswere anywhere near the size of a village in Fire Country. The Country of Silence would have felt like a rustic and rural countryside even to the three original founders of Konoha.

The country’s capital, Curtain Village*, was located almost in the very centre of the country. Since they were sneaking in from the country’s borders, Shikamaru and his team had to constantly run through hills and valleys. By the time they reached Curtain Village, it had been about four days since they’d left Konoha.

Although it was a poor country, the capital still had all the splendour of a metropolis. While rest of the country’s villages had had houses with straw thatched roofs, even the smallest home in the capital had a tiled roof. There were many buildings made with reinforced concrete, and the streets were clean and well landscaped. Roads spread out around the city in the same shape as a spider’s web, expanding in radials from the centre of the city. In the little sections separated by those roads, houses and apartments were lined up side by side.

One very large building out in the middle of the city. If one were to look at the city from a distance, this building would be the only one to stand out from amongst the others. It was around 10 storeys high, with a crimson tiled roof, and on the left and right edge of the roof were two gold-coloured lion statues.

“Ahh, this must be the country’s castle which we seek.”

“There’s no need to sound so smug about stating the obvious, y’know.”

Shikamaru half kept an eye on the castle, and half listened to Rou and Soku’s conversation as they walked down the main street.

Of course, they had all long changed out of their Konoha flak jackets.

Just as the customs of every country are different, so is the clothing. Rou and Soku had advised that they should procure their clothing locally so as not to stand out during their infiltration, and Shikamaru had bowed to their experience as Anbu. Along the way to the capital, they’d stopped at the richest looking mansion they could find and gathered clothes for the three of them.

The clothing worn by the people in the Country of Silence was very simple, without any patterns to speak of. The top was an uwagi** robe, wrapped around the chest and tied with a cloth belt. From the waist down, there were wide hakama**, with their cuffs stuffed into laced up boots which came up to the shin.

The clothes’ colours were as droll as the design. Everyone who walked in the Curtain Village wore either black or brown or grey. Even the stores on the streets didn’t have any bright lights or neon signs, their advertisements dull and sombre.

There wasn’t a single bright thing to be found in the entire city.

“Have you noticed, Lord Shikamaru?” Rou asked from his position in front.

Shikamaru was stuck between the two Anbu on their insistence. Rou was their front guard.

The man’s question was very vague. He wasn’t specifying what it was that Shikamaru was supposed to have noticed, so there was no way of replying to him.

“We have yet to see a single one of the Daimyou’s attendants.” Rou specified.

“That’s true.” Shikamaru agreed.

As the two conversed, they were heading towards the direction of the castle. It wasn’t with any intention to start the operation now, but simply from the habit people had of walking towards the largest building in the vicinity. Shikamaru had absolutely no intention of rushing or rashly leaping into the middle of things and risking the mission going south.

“All the people we have seen on the street so far have been the country’s citizens. It is extremely strange to not have seen a single attendant.”

Rou’s observation was right on the mark.

The rulers of countries within their continent were always, without exception, Daimyou. Unions within the Shinobi World were all very well, but shinobi never, ever took the front stage of politics. And Daimyou’s always lived in the capital city of their country, with their places of residence brimming over with the attendants who served them.

Those attendants differentiated themselves from the country’s citizens with great pride, from their colourful clothing to their overbearing and arrogant attitudes. They were always rushing about the capital where their Damyou lived, going around on errands for him.

And yet, they hadn’t seen a single one of those attendants.

“It’s possible there isn’t a Daimyou, y’know.” Soku murmured.

That could be the case. Small countries did sometimes have cases where citizens of the country made it appear like they had a Daimyou in charge while handling matters themselves.

But this country was different. Shikamaru was very sure of that.

He turned around in Soku’s direction, his eyes glancing towards the castle they’d now left behind them.

“Sai’s message clearly said that this country is being controlled by a man named Gengo.”

“But it’s possible he’s not a Daimyou, y’know.”

“You have a point.” As Shikamaru said that, his eye fell on a man who was walking in front of the group.

He was wearing a long, black cloak, and had a sharp, cutting look in his eyes. His clothing stood out amidst the hamakas and uwagis worn by the other citizens.

The design reminded Shikamaru of the Akatsuki’s cloaks, although this man’s clothing didn’t have those red clouds, or the high collar to cover his mouth. There was no seam or fastener down the middle either, only five large, silver buttons.

“See that man in front of us? We saw some others dressed like him too. Don’t you feel like you’re reminded of something when you see them?” Shikamaru asked.

“I say, I noticed that as well, Lord Shikamaru.”

“Wouldn’t a person normally wait a bit instead of immediately agreeing…?” Soku asked.

“Those clothes…the clothes make the target, after all.” Rou made another one of his bad jokes.

“We all want you to shut up, y’know.” Soku groaned.

Ignoring their bantering, Shikamaru continued speaking.

“Rou, what about that man over by the side of the street? He doesn’t look familiar to you at all?”

As Shikamaru spoke, he inclined his head slightly towards a tea house on the busy street.

Rou looked over his shoulder to follow the line of sight Shikamaru was indicating.

“It…It can’t be…”

“Eh? What’s going on? I don’t understand what you two’re so worked up about, y’know…”

“So I was right.” Shikamaru grimly said. “I kept getting the feeling he was a familiar face.”

He and Rou were looking towards a man seated at one of the benches in front of the tea house, and drinking tea. He, too, was wearing a long coat that stood out.

As they watched, the man called out for the owner of the tea house. An old shopkeeper immediately rushed out from the tea house’s interior, bowing his head several times and gushing praise and excuses towards the man.

That style of buttering someone up was exactly how citizens usually behaved to the Daimyou’s attendants.

“He used to be in the Anbu,” Rou said, stunned. “His name is Minoichi.”

“That man…”

“Was supposed to have gone missing in action during the war, right?” Soku guessed, finishing Shikamaru’s sentence for him.

The three of them kept walking past the tea house, careful not to let their observation of Minoichi be noticed.

“It’d be fastest to get the answers to this incident firsthand, wouldn’t it?” Shikamaru said.

Fireworks were going off inside Shikamaru’s heart. His mouth twitched up in a smile.

-

“You won’t be able to move anymore.” Shikamaru drawled to the frantically twitching man in front of him.

They were in an alley between two of the concrete buildings. Shikamaru had specifically chosen this place because it wasn’t a hotspot, practically abandoned even in the middle of the day.

Rou and Soku were keeping watch at where the alley opened up to the main street. They’d blended into the shadows as expected of their experience in Anbu, staying completely motionless and concentrating fully on the task at hand.

A shadow even darker and deeper than the shade of the alley was extended from Shikamaru’s feet. It had crawled along the alleyway like a jet black snake, all the way up and around the body of the man in front of him. The shadow tendrils turned into dark hands around curled snugly around his captive’s neck.

The Kagemane Neck Binding Jutsu…

Shikamaru’s family, the Nara Clan, had been shadow jutsu users for generations. The Kagemane Neck Binding jutsu let you use your own shadow to stop your opponent’s movements. The Nara shadows were physical embodiments. Their jutsu didn’t stop at just binding with their shadows- they could inflict physical harm with them as well.

“Just letting you know.” Shikamaru dryly said. “I can very easily crush your neck with my shadow.”

“H-How…Wh-why’re you…bastard…”

“You don’t know me?” Shikamaru asked of the Anbu. “I know you, Minoichi-san.”

“I- I don’t know that name.”

“Don’t play dumb. You were originally a shinobi from Konoha, weren’t you?”

“I- I said I don’t know it.”

Shikamaru’s shadow moved along the man’s throat, dark hands tightening around Minoichi’s adam’s apple.

“Ugh…” He let out an anguished groan.

“You were born in Konoha.” Shikamaru said. “You must’ve heard about the Nara clan’s jutsu at some point, right? And what it can do…”

If you keep this up, I’m going to strangle you to death.

That was the threat Shikamaru was making.

“So why’re you, a Konoha shinobi, in a place like this, wearing clothes like that?”

“I-I’m not a shinobi, anymore.” Minoichi hoarsely said. “I am…an enlightened one.”

“Enlightened one? What do you mean by that?”

“P-people like you who sluggishly live in the…never changing world of Shinobi…could never understand our noble will.”

“Look at you babbling. I asked you who these ‘enlightened ones’ are.” Shikamaru willed a little more strength into the fingertips of his shadow around the man’s neck.

“Geugh…” Minoichi groaned.

“I’m fine with strangling you if you keep this up.” Even Shikamaru himself felt sick at the words coming out of his mouth.

His heart was getting covered in darkness…

“There’s no way you could understa-

neugh!”

Shikamaru had tightened his shadow’s hold firmly around Minoichi’s bobbing Adam’s apple.

“If you keep up that idle talk, I’m really going to kill you.”

Shikamaru’s pupils had dilated to leave his eyes almost as dark as his shadows.

“I-I…understand…”

“Shouldn’t that be, ‘I understand, sir’?” *

“I…understand…sir…”

Shikamaru weakened his shadow’s hold, and Minoichi immediately began coughing and spluttering, tears in his eyes.

“Now, you’re going to answer me. Who exactly are you ‘enlightened ones’? What’re people who were originally shinobi doing gathered around here?”

Seeing the ruthless expression on Shikamaru’s face, Minoichi took in a deep breath, and started talking.

“We ‘enlightened ones’ rule this country. There aren’t any low born Daimyous around anymore. The title ‘enlightened one’ is earned when you are a shinobi who has opened their eyes to the noble ideals of Gengo-sama. Our goal is to create a true revolution in this world together with Gengo-sama. Anything you scum plot or scheme is powerless before him. Anything you hear from me won’t let you understand the truth of this country…!” Minoichi began to laugh, opening his jaws to bite down on his tongue in a suicide attempt.

“Stop!”

For a moment, Shikamaru was sure Minoichi was dead, slumped to the side from biting his tongue. But then, his eyes caught up with his brain.

In an instant, something had flown and pierced the side of Minoichi’s neck…

“I used a paralysing chakra needle for him, so he won’t be able to move for three days or so, y’know.”

It was Soku who spoke. She had come to stand at his side without Shikamaru even noticing.

“Feh, ‘enlightened ones’…that sounds both arrogant and annoying, y’know.” Soku said, glaring down at the knocked out Minoichi.

The ex-shinobi’s face looked disturbingly peaceful in his paralysed sleep.

Footnotes:

* Yes, Curtain Village is really the name. I couldn’t believe it either. I spent 20 minutes looking for a kanji that didn’t exist, lol.

** The clothing described is easier explained

seen than read.

*** This is a little tricky. Basically, Minoichi said ‘I understand’ with casual language, but Shikamaru demanded he use polite inflections. Adding ‘sir’ was the closest I could get to that sentiment.