The Story Goes On

A brilliant flash of light would appear at the foot of the stairs leading up to the palace. From that light two figures would emerge. One, an ashen haired man with tan skin, a sword at his hip, black leather armor covering his body, and a red cloak. Would stride forward, long since being used to the technique. The other, a slightly taller, older man, with long black hair and a mustache. Sharp features, and skin as pale as ivory. Would appear in the same light, although whether or not he would be used to the technique enough to simply stride forward immediately rather than adjusting had yet to be seen. They had arrived at the palace to track down the man who horrendously tortured the woman the ashen haired man loved dearly. They would take him, and a trial would be had. Should he be found guilty, Valen himself would take him with him when he left. Afterwards it should be a simple matter of collecting the archive scrolls and the ryo agreed upon before he simply left. Returning everything to Sunagakure before figuring out what he’d do from there. A lot would depend on Hikari, if she didn’t make it. Or wanted to nothing to do with him after what he’d done. He’d probably simply leave, disappearing into the world at large and eeking out a life for himself somewhere. He wasn’t entirely sure to be honest. It would have to be looked at after this was all done.

The steps of the palace were clear, but defensive structures had been put in place at the top. A perfect defensive position, giving defenders even ground, while the attackers were forced to fight on the stairs. As well as a stronghold of a palace to retreat into if it was necessary. The palace doors becoming a natural chokepoint, allowing a small force of defenders the ability to defend the position if necessary. At this point, Valen would slow, and wait for Tanji. The jounin would have to deal with this, lest many lives be needlessly lost here at the palace. Something that Valen wanted desperately to avoid if he could. Not a word would be spoken, none needed to be said. If any of those attackers assaulted the previous Hogokage, he would defend himself. There was never a guarantee that lives wouldn’t be lost in such a scenario. It was something that Tanji, had the ability to potentially avoid.

WC: 410

Stoic.

Perhaps to one untrained in the arts of space and time the feeling of teleporting from one place to another would be disorienting, but not to Tanji. Rather than fumble around, he strode forward with Valen and set his jaw. There was neither humor nor humility in his face; he had a job to do and he required every ounce of authority his stony expression could muster. Unlike Valen, he did not stop and continued his advance to the palace.

"Prepare the court and fetch the judges," the man boomed, addressing the motely collection of shinobi gathered in the yard who parted at his approach. "Valen Akari has requested a trial and by Hoshigakure's founding precepts we're obliged to grant him one."

Tanji glanced back at the boy in disgust before returning his dark gaze to the other shinobi—politics were all about show, and Tanji would give them one.

"For once in his life, he's chosen to respect tradition," the jounin sighed. "Now get to work so we can get this over with."

In Tanji's wake, the courtyard devolved into motion. Shinobi scattered this way and that; some hurried out into the village and others back towards the palace. It seemed that command fit the large men well. Then again, he might have just been lucky that there were no higher ranked shinobi in the bunch—no one to overrule him.

---
TWC: 240

The swordsman would suppress an instinctive desire to roll his eyes as Tanji shot another verbal barb at him. He could waste the village in no time flat, but the man still saw fit to antagonize him. He supposed that would be refreshing normally. That the taller man wouldn’t simply roll over for others, no matter who they were. The thoughts of the teen would become a good deal more somber as memories flooded his mind. He hadn’t been a good leader for anyone in the village. He couldn’t deny or hide from that simple fact, so he’d have to embrace it. On the flip side though, these people, the civilians, hadn’t been good to the shinobi either. That didn’t make what he was doing right by any means of course. However Valen felt others deserved a choice, and so he had come to give them one. Many had taken it, and were merely awaiting him outside of the village. Should he have sent them on their way? Designated one of the shinobi there to be in charge of organizing everyone and sending them off toward Sunagakure? No, one of the points of the trial was to give people time to decide. Time to decide and pack, potentially say goodbye to loved one. To prepare themselves for a new life, that had come to them unexpectedly one day.

“What Tanji says is correct.” Valen would begin, his level voice ringing out through the area, carrying to any who were listening. “I accuse the church inquisitor of torture greatly in excess of what may have been required. I accuse him of endangering the life of a valued prisoner, who had rights to her own trial before any such actions should have occurred. May he come forward and face these accusations. If he does not, I humbly request he be found and brought before a jury. Should he be found guilty, I request he be given over to me. If he be found not guilty, I will no longer press a verbal claim on the matter.” He would say, giving in to the requirements of the situation. Tanji’s show was exactly what was required, and Valen could play the game too. Upon his words shinobi forces would stand aside, deferring to Tanji, the highest ranking allied shinobi amongst them, in the matter.

Valen considered the tall man for a few moments. He knew how to handle the politics of the situation. He knew how to negotiate, and he wasn’t afraid to spit in the face of anyone he thought was incompetent or disrespectful. If the man chose to do so, he could easily claim the seat of kage. He’d do far better than Valen had, he had more experience in life in general. Had wisdom that came from said experience. Time would tell what would become of the tall dark haired man. For now though, all Valen wanted was the trial. Before long, a slender, and pale form would stride down the corridor toward them. Flanked on each side by two Queensguard, he wore black robes, wasn’t particularly old, but seemed, dark. As if he was thrust into a world that had changed the very nature of his being. Who was this man who commanded a guard of the Queensguard of Hoshigakure? The man would speak, his voice even, a small smile that seemed, wrong somehow, echoing across his lips as he did. “I have come as requested, I will gladly stand trial. God’s mercy will shine upon me against this traitors wanton desire for revenge.” He would say, his guards hands on their swords, ready to draw and strike if the need arose.

WC: 612
TWC: 1022

The tense energy of the ninja set up to defend the palace heightened as the trio appeared before them in a crack of light. Hands tightened on hilts, and feet slid out inches further into ready stances. But as the words of the jounin reached them, the level was tentatively softened a notch.

Murmurs spread. A trial? was it true? He's agreed to be tried? the Kage? Loyalists who knew Valen would never attack seemed relieved, but others held their guard. No, he wants to place the palace on trial. The Palace will never go for this. What will he do if it doesn't go his way? What will the palace do if it does?

The confusion eased the tension slightly further. Knowing the jounin may secretly be in league with a secret plan, the squad leader directed a few chuunin to stay, but sent many off to honor the command. And he immediately and pointedly used this excuse to send of the genin Kaibo, who he had only barely allowed to stay, as one of the first few.

Kaibo hurried to the courthouse, relaying the information, running what tasks were needed. This was definitely worth sticking around for.

[Exit, no claims, moving to observation]

Over the next few hours, the palace buzzed with activity. Attendants ran this way and that, government officials murmured in shadowed corners, and potential jurors were interviewed. It was all coming together much quicker than Tanji would have expected; it seemed that when the bureaucracy moved in concert towards a common goal it moved with surprising speed. Funny how it all worked, really—a marvel to behold.

Tanji and Valen, for their part, spent much of this time filling out paperwork and being briefed by one of the village’s foremost lawmen who had elected to take up the former kage’s case. Shuto Hino was an unassuming man of slight build, graying hair, and dull eyes, but it was said that he came alive in the courtroom. And, well, he also had a penchant for taking up near impossible cases, which he assured both Tanji and Valen that this case would be. One does not stand up to the church in its own backyard and expect to walk away, it simply wasn’t done. Yet, the case’s very impossibility seemed to exhilarate Shuto all the more.

Then, the time finally came, and, for a brief moment outside the courtroom, Valen and Tanji were alone once more. All they had to do was step through the tall double doors and into the central chamber where the trial would begin in earnest, with Tanji in the audience and Valen with the prosecution.

“You’ll swear legal oaths in there,” Tanji said, his voice softer than before. “But before that I want you to swear an oath to me on whatever remains of your honor that you will abide by the court’s decision.”

There was no turning back now.

---
TWC: 524

They stood within the antechamber of what would act as the courtroom. Valen knew the inside of the next room well enough, he’d spent years in the village after all and his time as one of it’s higher ranking operatives had him see a great deal of the village, if not all of it outright. IT was a large room, it would need to be for the crowd this would cause. And it was essentially a theatre in normal days. Large benches angled around a central stage, overlooking the entirety of the flat surface. It was where speeches, shows, and other such things were done. It would be a fine room for a trial. Valen himself had taken the time to change into something a little more courtroom friendly. Of course in all reality, he had just had his armor change forms, taking the appearance of a maroon suit. It would pair well with his tan complection and give a well rounded contrast to his ashen hair. Appearances meant a great deal in situations like these, and Valen had to look the part of someone who was serious about what was going on.

The past few hours had been busy and it left Valen feeling like he was in the kage office all over again. What with all the people bringing him papers to sign and such. It was almost amusing to the man if he didn’t truly consider what all was at stake here. Justice, it was a simple word, and it wasn’t something he himself deserved to have. For if the world was just he’d be dead already. However Hikari, she was a different matter. She hadn’t done anything wrong, hadn’t betrayed anyone. Yet these monsters had imprisoned her illegally and tortured her to the brink of death. She deserved justice, even if he did not. He would simply be the harbinger of it.

Of course, while he did wear a maroon suit, he was not without his sword. At first, the presence of the blade was a problem for most of the officials. He was an unallied individual, carrying a weapon in a courtroom after all. He however stated that as an ‘unallied individual’ he had no one to trust to hold onto his prized weapon. So it would remain in his possession at all times, period. Neither side was willing to budge on the issue until a compromise was reached. The weapon was simply tied off with multiple steel wires. The wires were the same type shinobi used in their traps and they wouldn’t break easier via brute force. Valen wasn’t even strong enough to do so normally regardless. The compromise would prevent him from being able to draw the sword, but still keep it in his possession. Everybody wins, a rare compromise indeed.

As they waited within the antechamber, Valen’s hand would idly be sitting on the hilt of said blade, the position being a favorite of the ex kage’s when standing idle. It was about to be time for them to enter. Valen would travel to the center stage, and stand with Shuto, Tanji would sit with the crowd. They would get this sorted out, and Valen would take the inquisitor, a man named Yorshka, with him when he left. To serve punishment within Sunagakure. That was the deal that had been struck. It was even finalized in one of the documents that had been signed. Valen didn’t know how the punishment would be enacted, but he knew he’d think of something in time.

It was just becoming time for them to enter the room when Tanji spoke up. Telling him that he’d swear oaths in there. But that he wanted Valen’s oath that he’d abide by the court’s decision. Valen would take a deep breath before stepping forward, placing a hand on the door, and pausing as if looking for the proper words to speak. “Tanji...” He would begin, his voice softer than it had ever been since they had met earlier that day. “What would you do in my position? What would you do, if it was the woman you loved, more than anything in the world that you summoned to you. To find her nearly dead from horrendous torture. At some point during this trial, I’m sure I’ll be asked to recount the extent of her injuries. I want you to imagine, you seeing someone, you dearly love like that. Then ask yourself, what would you do in my position.” He would say simply, before opening the door and striding inside. The audience turning toward them and as such, preventing Tanji from saying anything, lest he cause a mass panic. Valen would move down the corridor, drawing murmurs and whispers as his steps echoed across the halls. He’d walk towards the center stage, climbing the steps and moving to stand next to Shuto. The man looking confident, competent, and attentive. Good, it would seem the man really did seem to want the best for his client, in this case, Valen. Inquisitor Yorshka would be standing alone however. The man choosing to represent himself as the churches chosen representative here. Everyone would wait for the panel of seven jurors, and the judge to arrive. Afterwards, oaths would be sworn, and the trial would take place.

WC: 883
TWC: 1905

Tanji's brow furrowed in annoyance. Valen was far too passionate for his own good. Perhaps he did not understand where he now stood. If he did not respect the court's ruling, then his credibility would take an even further hit. He would surely lose supporters and the entourage following him to Sunagakure would undoubtedly thin overnight. The white-haired boy would soon find that the extra time people had to consider the move worked both ways—it gave them more time to prepare, but also more time to second guess a choice that must have been a spur of the moment decision.

That being said, the jounin could not deny that the boy's heart seemed to be in the right place; he only wanted to right the wrongs inflicted on him and those he cared for. Tanji had once been the same way with Nina, even after they drifted apart. He would have gone to war for that woman but now, looking back, the whole thing seemed childish. Nina never wanted someone to go to war for her; she just wanted someone to be there for her. Did Lady Namikaze even know what Valen was doing in her name? She would certainly become a villain by association if Valen did not behave himself, did the boy know that?

Shaking his head of the troublesome thoughts, he followed the boy into the courtroom. Instead of following Valen to the front, however, Tanji slid into one of the pews on the left of the packed room. He was clearly only one of many who had come to see the trial play out on Hoshigakure's grand stage.

"All rise," the slim bailiff announced. "Court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Hatori presiding."

Right on cue, the judge emerged from his chambers and took a seat. A young man as far as judges go, Shinji Hatori was probably only a few years older than Tanji, though he looked quite a bit older. Graying around the temples and starting to go bald, the man had piercing blue eyes that seemed to look straight through whatever they fell upon. He had a reputation for even-handed rulings in both civilian and shinobi cases, making him perhaps the most qualified for the task at hand. Indeed, the man's one weakness probably lay in his gluttony, as evidenced by his ever-expanding waistline. It was said that even his greatest detractors found him a hard man to hate.

"Your honor," the bailiff continued at the prompting of Shinji. "Today's case is Valen v. Yorshka."

A pause as Shinji glanced down at the documents before him and then up at the prosecution.

"May it please the court and the ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Shuto stood as he spoke. "My name is Shuto Hino, counsel for Valen Akari in this action and today I would like to talk to you about torture. Specifically, the senseless torture of one of our own, Hikari Namikaze, at the hands of Inquisitor Yorshka."

He cast an accusatory finger at the inquisitor, drawing murmurs for the audience that were subsequently silenced by Shinji's gavel.

"If you are faint of heart or squeamish by nature, I implore you to take leave of this room now," A few people shuffled out. "For, as much as it pains me, I will be recounting the lowest of human depravities today as we seek redress for the Inquisitor's crimes."

With that Shuto nodded to Shinji and took his seat, scribes hurriedly recorded the proceedings, and the low murmurs returned as the judge took notes of his own. Now it would be the defense's turn to present their opening statement, it would be interesting to see how the inquisitor played it. After all, the way Tanji understood it, Valen lacked any real evidence of his claims save for his questionable word.

---
TWC: 1170

The trial would begin, and Valen would suddenly find himself lost in thought. Proceedings such as this tended to go on for eons subjectively and the man had long since learned to pay enough partial attention to keep track of what was happening while he allowed his mind to wander in such scenarios. So many meetings where the trick had come in handy, truly a worthwhile thing to be able to do in this situation. Valen would consider what would be happening as a result of this case. He had no proof toward Yorshka, or the queensguard. Except for Hikari herself, who was being tended to by Kenshin in Sunagakure. That would mean the chances of this going in his favor were slim. Would he cut down the man here? In the courtroom? In front of god and everyone? Or would he allow him to walk away, an unjust man getting away with no repercussions for his heinous actions. When would it happen again? Did he falsely arrest pretty young woman often in order to torture them? Kenshin hadn’t mentioned any signs of sexual torture and if it had been in evidence Valen may very well have brought the village into a crumbling ruin. However sick freaks came in all shades, and Yorshka was definitely some hue of one form or another.

What though, would occur should the odds turn in his favor and he win? He would get to take Yorshka with him. For a few moments, he allowed his mind to explore that possibility. See if Kenshin would create a large, inverted ‘L’ shaped cavern below ground level, able to get air into it. Then crucify Yorshka over what he would request be a lethal drop. Leave him there for a few days at a time, not feeding him, not allowing him rest. Then appearing, in a brilliant flash of light. Take him down, use what little medical skills he had to apply first aid, feed him, make him feel human. Then repeat the process over and over, until the inquisitor went mad. Slowly bringing the man’s mind to the breaking down and then pulling back slowly, until the mind finally snapped, shattering into countless pieces of what once might have been considered some form of sanity. He allowed those thoughts to entertain him for a moment as Shuto gave his opening statement. Then he’d move on, they weren’t productive. Once this was over he’d take a portion of the villages money, take it’s secrets and then… What? Then what? He honestly wasn’t sure.

First he’d need to consider what would happen to the village as a whole if he did do this. An angle he hadn’t considered in his rage. He had seen Hikari’s suffering, and come looking for justice. Originally, he’d only wanted to come offer a new option to those who might not want to live with such racist and horrible individuals. Give those who wanted to take that option some protection from those who might attack them as they left. Not many in this village could stand up to a defender as strong as her anymore. Not without Kenshin or Hikari present, they had been the villages main three pillars before they left. Those pillars had slowly crumbled and left, Kenshin first, due to Valen’s foolish actions. Then Valen himself, due to his own weakness of mind and spirit. Finally, Hikari, due to.. Wait, why had she left? A chuckle would emanate within his mind, as the voice of the Gobi came into existence, only able to be heard by him as the beast spoke. ‘Finally, you realize it.’ The beast would say calmly, in an almost, amused voice. It was the first time Valen had heard the beasts voice since it had admitted to Valen that it had kept Hikari’s telepathy seal messages from reaching him.

‘What do you want?’ Valen would think back toward the steam wielding bijuu, his tone short and clipped. ‘Now now my prison, I was simply commenting that it was about time you started thinking of her motivations. For all you claim to love and want justice for her, you’ve never once considered what she might want. Granted, part of that was my fault. Manipulation done over time, to mold you into a container more worthy of me. You’ve done well thus far in that regard. You’ve slowly ostracized those close to you that might have noticed a change in your personality. Killed off your student to sow distrust amongst your allies, and even put on a show for the other kage. I never expected that to turn out so well, truly, well done. Now, you’ve gone so far, for the sake of a woman you claim to love, and now, she’ll reject you for all you’ve done in her name. You’ve brought her beloved home to its knees, left it without it’s protectors, robbed it, and now you’re taking what’s left. Yes, the inquisitor is a monster, but he pales in comparison to what you have become.’ The beast would say, a cruel tone to its voice before it continued. ‘I allowed you to access more of my chakra, even going so far as to master it. All the while, giving you advice, when needed, absolute power corrupts absolutely after all, and there are few things more powerful than a bijuu's raw chakra. You just needed a little push. Now, it’s far too late to salvage the situation.’ The beast would say, laughing within his mind as it’s voice faded into obscurity.

Valen’s blood ran cold from the very first sentence, when he realized he hadn’t been considering what Hikari would want at all. Had that been part of the influence of the beast as well? He wasn’t sure, he didn’t know what was and what wasn’t. At this point, it was time for the inquisitor to stand and give his own opening statement. The monsters gloating taking far less time than it seemed to in his head. The pale, thin man would stand, a small, cruel smirk would adorn his lips as he spoke up for the room to hear. “I don’t see the need for such a farce of a trial my lord. I admit to performing such actions. I had Namikaze arrested after the prosecution abandoned this village, robbing it in the process. I took her, tortured her, brought untold amounts of agony to her. It’s my job after all, to perform such duties. I’m surprised she lasted so long without cracking, she never did give him up. I suppose it’s possible she truly didn’t know. However I fully admit to my actions and would do so again. The will of god requires such of me in times of need after all. Now I demand action from those within the room. The prosecution is a shinobi of this village who abandoned it, why has he not been detained? Why has he need been killed? Where did my prisoner go? I wasn’t finished with her yet, and yet he comes shortly after she disappears, demanding justice for what was done. I want my prisoner back, and I want him to join her.” Yorshka would say in a firm, demanding, and slightly crazed tone. Valen was taken aback by his words, the man’s admission of guilt, wasn’t as weak of a play here as it would be in most other cases.

It was honestly possible that Valen might truly find himself in a bad situation, and he might have accidentally gotten Hikari ostracized and criminally charged in her own home in the process of his actions. He needed to figure something out here, he needed a way to fix this mess. As it stood, the result of this ‘farce’ was a coin toss. He’d simply have to watch see which way it landed.

WC: 1294
TWC: 3199

"Order," Shinji boomed, gavel clacking away. "Order."

The Inquisitor's unabashed admission of guilt sent the courtroom into an uproar. Some people cheered, others booed, and a good portion whispered to their neighbors in hushed tones. For the briefest of moments, it seemed to Tanji that he sat in the bowl of a rowdy coliseum, not a hollowed vault of justice. Thankfully, the judge's efforts coupled with the removal of some of the more outspoken individuals soon restored order to the room.

"Your statement has been recorded in the official record," Shinji assured Yorshka before allowing his tone to sharpen. "That said, I hope I need not remind you of our laws. The prosecution filled out the requisite paperwork and has submitted what this court deems legitimate grievances against your person. So, please refrain from calling the legitimacy of this court into question or you'll be held in contempt."

His tone softened as he turned his attention to Shuto and Valen.

"Does the prosecution have anything more to add before we turn this over to the jury?"

Shuto shuffled through his notes with a barely suppressed grin on his face. The man had expected weeks upon weeks of trial work, but this, well, this was luck itself. Sure, it was more than a bit unorthodox, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Yes, your honor, we do," Shuto stood with all the drama of an actor and began to pace at the front of the room stopping in front of the frazzled jury. "Members of the jury, perhaps you did not know your own government engaged in torture. It's a grim reality, I know. But it is a reality nonetheless and I will ask you to face it head-on. For, while the defendant is correct that torture is certainly in the Inquisitors' purview, he has also gone far beyond what is outlined in our laws."

He paused and glanced over to the judge before returning his attention to the jury.

"For your consideration and the court's, I submit to you the nature of the Hikari Namikaze's torture under the evidence number four. This report details the wounds and state of Lady Namikaze post-torture. Along with it, I have included the legal code that depicts the extent of 'Enhanced Interrogation Tactics' one may legally use in service to Hoshigakure. I leave it to you to compare the two and find the defendant, Inquisitor Yorshka, guilty of violating these codes in the cruelest way possible."

Nodding once to the jury, Shuto returned to his seat by Valen with a sheen of sweat on his brow and a fire in his eyes. No matter how many trials he did the thrill never got old.

"Very well," Shinji intoned. "If there are no objections, we will give the jury time to deliberate and reconvene once they have made a decision."

If no objections came, he would continue, accenting his words with a smack of the gavel.

"Court dismissed."

---
TWC: 1665

Valen would listen to the uproar that was the courtroom, some cheered, some booed. Others kept to the idea of the place and spoke quietly, not disrupting anyone around them. After Judge Shinji got every calmed down, he would turn back to Yorshka, tell him to stuff his opinion in the ways judges usually do, and then allowed Shuto to give a statement. The man would present the damage done to Hikari as evidence. Even going so far as to pulling the comparable limits from the Hoshigakure’s Enhanced interrogation Tactics. It was a brutal comparison, for Valen wouldn’t be nearly so passionate about seeing this man brought down if he had done his job legitimately. Angry at the confusion, wrongful arrest, and torture in general sure, but not to such an extent. She had been treated like an animal, and part of Valen’s mind wanted nothing more than to do the same to Yorshka. Valen would shut that part down though and mentally speak ‘Stop that Gobi’ the tanned skin man would say, annoyance in his mind. The beast would scoff derisively before responding. [i]‘I didn’t do anything that time fool, you’ve just learned to think more like I would like. I don’t even have to get involved anymore.’[/i] The beast would say before disappearing again. Valen however would have other thoughts, he wondered if Hikari could touch up the seal, and perhaps someone could tell him when he seemed to become not like himself. That way, he could prove to himself it was true, regardless though. The recess would take some time, and they were free to move about the building in the public areas so long as they did not cause trouble.

With that in mind, Valen would stand and move toward the back of the courtroom as people filed out, searching for Tanji. He needed to speak to the man, he needed to talk to  him privately as soon as possible. The man was a Jounin of the village, that would normally make him an enemy. However he had tried to do right by the village and Valen by negotiating at all and putting this trial together. The ex kage needed an experienced mind, and Tanji had it currently. For despite all his power, Valen was still only an eighteen year old, he simply hadn’t had the experiences that what seemed to Valen, to be the only true shinobi left within the village, had. Moving toward where Tanji had been seated, Valen would begin to search around for the man. No matter how hard he tried, a mild look of panic was be within his eyes, the Gobi’s words had struck him, hard. Had all of his actions come from that thing? Was it lying to torture him and it was truly him all along? Was he still being influenced? So many questions, and so many things he needed to do.

WC: 484
TWC: 3683

Shit post is shit, sorry lol