Chapter 19: The Confession
"Wait, how come we're following you, and how do you even know about this place?" Ando ranted as Daniel led them to a secluded spot near the outskirts of the village. They walked stealthily, with Takashi quietly following, torn by the revelations about his father.
When they met up with Nana, she remarked, "That didn't take long."
"So, now what do we do?" Yuki asked.
Takashi interrupted, "I'd like to talk to my father if possible," a glimmer of hope in his eyes, not wanting to believe the accusations against him.
Nana looked at her team, expecting them to respond. "I hope you don't plan on blindly coming along on missions without learning and using what you've learned. We are ninja; you've studied these theories in the academy," she said, her gaze intense. A drop of nervousness rushed through the kids' faces, and Daniel kept his silence.
"If that's the case, then let's go along with Mr. Takashi's request," Yuki responded, her tone slightly hesitant.
"Oh... What would the reason for your decision be?" Nana asked.
"Well, uhm... I think if what's happening was really caused by Mr. Takashi's father, then we could use Mr. Takashi to get a confession," Yuki explained.
"And what if that doesn't work out? What if he kills Takashi? Also, keep in mind that our mission should already be over by now," Nana responded, making sure they understood the gravity of their situation.
"You don't have to be so hard on us," Ando muttered, his voice low.
Nana focused her gaze on him. "In the last mission, you acted rashly and compromised your team, leading to an injury that could've been avoided," she said. "I'm here to show you the ropes of what it means to be a ninja, yes. But I'm not here to babysit. You must adapt as quickly as you can and not just idly follow me on missions but grow into a solid team yourselves."
Daniel broke his silence. "Handling this using Yuki's tactic..." he began, and they looked at him. "We can get him in a genjutsu, making him lower his guard and gather the villagers to a spot where we can expose him. Of course, we'll be close by to prevent any sudden attacks on Takashi," he said, arms crossed while standing.
Though Team Fourteen was given a heavy lecture by Nana, it didn't hinder their resolve. After further planning, they prepared to start their operation.
"Are the preparations ready?" Tenzo asked the nurses caring for the village head.
"We're finishing up now. Before we administer the antidote, we'll have to test it with samples to ensure it won't cause harm," one of the nurses replied.
"Good, you can leave now. I'll have a chat with the head nurse later when it's time," he said, signaling the nurse to be excused.
"So the head nurse is the one who administered the poison," a voice echoed in the room after the nurse had left, causing Tenzo to frantically look around, checking to see who was speaking.
"Along with some of the guards here, you've really planned this through," the voice continued.
In frustration, Tenzo's scheming was being revealed. "Who are you? Are you one of Takumi's men? What is this nonsense you're talking about?" he said, jittering around the room.
"You don't have to worry about that," the voice replied as suddenly a person appeared in the room, catching Tenzo off guard and causing him to collapse.
"Haa! What..." Tenzo panicked, but before he could finish, he was met by peculiar red eyes. "Sha... Shar..." Tenzo stammered, but before he knew it, he was already placed in a genjutsu. The man vanished instantly, leaving Tenzo lying there. As he stood up and brushed his hair, he muttered, "I must've strained myself really hard. Soon everything will be mine, so it will be worth it," leaving his room.
"Huh! What are you doing here? I guess those pests are still Shinobi," he said as he saw Takashi standing before him. He walked towards his son, seeing the look on his face. "What is this? You finally willing to confess your crimes?" Tenzo smirked.
"Father. Is it true?" Takashi asked.
"Hmm?" Tenzo, not understanding, stood still.
"Is it true, father?" Takashi asked once more.
"What is it, boy? Speak up," Tenzo yelled in frustration.
Takashi gripped his fists as tears fell to the ground. "Is it true that you planned all this? Is it true that you killed mother?" Takashi teared up as he questioned Tenzo.
"Is that it?" Tenzo asked after hearing Takashi, as if what he asked was of no importance.
"What do you mean, is that it?" Takashi raged as he could now see the truth behind all he was told.
"I guess I spoiled you too much," Tenzo sighed at his son's response. "Ungrateful," Tenzo whispered.
"What?" Takashi responded.
"Ungrateful, all of you. You and your grandfather alike," Tenzo yelled as his face contorted in anger. "Back then, when my grandfather, the head of our village, was about to name a successor, he named not even his own child but my adopted uncle! I couldn't stand such a thing. That's why I hired bandits to pretend to raid our village and get rid of all hindrances to our rightful succession. With the sudden death of the village head and all our relatives, my father was made village head. But after he learned of my schemes, he shunned me. He said what I did was wrong and wanted to pass the succession from me to Takumi, but I refused. I took his sister as a wife to have you so the title would stay in our family, but that wasn't enough. He took you from my wing, raised you to be this. That's why I'll get rid of you. I'll start afresh as the head of this village," Tenzo ranted in his rage, revealing all his plans.
Takashi was greatly grieved to what he heard from his own father, How could his own father do such a thing. Takashi was torn by this, he was flooded by a hurl of emotions causing him to fall on his knees. Chatter started to echo in Tenzo's ears as his vision shifted he suddenly found himself surrounded by the villagers at the centre of the Village.