Unspoken Desires

“Maybe we should turn back; the waves are becoming too fierce for us to continue,” one of the outspoken shinobi spoke first, his voice quiet over the thunderous waves.

Amelia glanced toward the male, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but not saying a word. She knew that their leader would disagree. He was the type who carried out missions no matter the cause. Just as Amelia predicted, he never answered, never acknowledging the shinobi’s declaration. Amelia sighed, glancing out over the waves.

“Sir!” The male ran over, his face nothing but determined. “We must go back! There is no way that any of us will survive out in this weather.”

Amelia ground her teeth in response, wanting to open her mouth, but finding it more of a nuisance than anything. Master Takashi would never listen to either of them.

“And who are you to make those decisions, eh, Kiyoshi?” He didn’t look at Kiyoshi, barely acknowledged him aside from the question, proving that he could care less about their safety. The mission was everything to him, despite it being one not worth risking a life over.

“To risk our lives over such a pitiful mission is pure stupidity! They would not care if the parcel was a bit late, instead they would understand. Please, Master, let us stop for shelter. This is crazy.”

“You still do not understand the true ways of a shinobi. I have failed as your teacher, Kiyoshi, and that is a disappointment. Tell me, what have I done wrong?”

“This is not about being a shinobi! This is about life or death. These are our lives that you are bartering with! I will not stand for it, Father.”

Amelia flinched, preparing for the loud slap that was soon to come to Kiyoshi. In Amelia’s heart, she knew that what Master Takashi did was wrong, but it was worse to disobey him. To disobey him earns a punishment far worse than death. There comes a time where just saying “no” could cost you your shinobi status. You would be but a mere human.

“I told you never to call me that out in the open like this!” Kiyoshi’s body spun from the impact of the backhand that their father threw at him. “They could easily use that against me!”

“Who, Father, who? There is no one out here!” Kiyoshi yelled in outrage, his whole body shaking. “I can’t believe that you would sacrifice your own children for the sake of a mission!” Kiyoshi shook his head violently. “If it meant to sacrifice my own sister, or even my own son or daughter, then I vow to quit being a shinobi! My family is everything to me! Even more than my own life, do you hear me?”

“Kiyoshi, that’s enough,” Amelia whispered, having appeared at his side as soon as he had hit the ground. She helped him to his feet, a hand closed tightly around his wrist to stop him from lashing out.

“No, Amelia, it is not enough. Would you sacrifice your child for this? Tell me, is this all worth your own flesh and blood?”

“I-I don’t know,” she whispered, unable to understand the full extent of what he was saying. She did not have any children yet; she was only fifteen years of age.

Kiyoshi placed his hands onto her cheeks, forcing her to stare at him. His features had softened from the relentless anger to adoration as he stared at his sister. “Tell me, Amelia, would you throw me in the line of fire just to protect yourself? Would you throw me in danger just for the sake of one mission?”

Amelia’s eyes widened as she jerked backwards, feeling as if she had been slapped. “No!” There was so much conviction in her voice that Kiyoshi knew that he had won her over, for once and for all.

“That is what Father is doing right here and right now! He is throwing our lives out there to destroy for one little package that may or may not have to be delivered tonight, exactly!”

Amelia whipped toward her father, eyes wide and disbelieving. “Father, why?”

“Do not listen to your brother. That is not what I am doing!”

“Then why are we still out here, in dangerous waters that can easily destroy our boat and force us to drown?” Kiyoshi exploded. “I will not have my sister die for the sake of your stupid mission! We are your children. Prove that your care about us for once in your pathetic life!”

Takashi lashed out, a kunai having been brought into his hand over the past few minutes, the tip slicing across Kiyoshi’s jugular vein. Blood immediately burst out of the wound, running down his throat and Kiyoshi gurgled in response, falling to the floor of the boat with a loud thud.

“Kiyoshi!” Amelia shrieked, dropping down next to him. She paid her father no mind as she worked on healing her brother. “How could you do this!” she yelled out after a moment. “He-he’s my brother, your son!”

“He is a shinobi and he will act like it! No son of mine will be such a pushover. And no daughter of mine will protect one of the likes of him!”

Amelia, for the first time, saw her father for what he truly was. He was not the man that she had grown up with, for now he was a monster. One who did not care for the children he had birthed. He was a man who cared more about himself and his job, than anyone else. He would never sacrifice his life for those of his comrades, he was too cowardly. Instead he took other’s lives in place of his own.

Feeling that she did all that she could do for her brother, she stood up, looking her father in the face. Her icy eyes met his black ones. “So you feel that you have the right to take other’s lives without a single conviction, huh? Well I have to say one thing, Father,” she spat. “You are not a shinobi either. A shinobi protects his comrades, not kills them. He listens to the opinions of his comrades, his friends. He also views his children highly, instead of making them beneath himself. You are not a shinobi, you are a monster!”

Leaning close, she brought her lips to her father’s ear, whispering eerily, “And you know what you taught us, Father? Monsters are to be killed.”

Takashi fell back, hitting the side of the boat, blood pooling out of his mouth from the kunai that Amelia had shoved deep into his heart. Since she was the only medical ninja on the boat, she knew that, unless she helped him, he would die.

“I wish that I could have seen you die as my father, the man that I had known to be honorable.”