Snakes are Venomous, Flowers are Poisonous

Chapter 20: Reiko

 The palanquin was steady, with only a few bumps here and there, but if anyone was to watch Haruno Reiko, they would almost come to the conclusion that she was a statue by how still she was. Sitting with her legs folded underneath her, she kept her back straight and hands in her lap as she meditated.

A month ago, she had received a snake summon. While she had dealt with summons in her life before, she had been curious to receive a snake. She had heard the rumors surrounding Ryuuchi cave and had to wonder just how greedy the snake summons' master truly was. If he was willing to reach out to her, asking to take on her grandchild, then he was greedier than she was. And she was a woman who had everything.

She had intended to start her journey towards Konoha much sooner, but the daimyo of the Land of Lightning had been obnoxious with his insistence that she not travel, and if she must, to be escorted by his own shinobi. One look had the man backing down, but that didn't stop him from spouting the history between Kumogakure and Konohagakure. Of course, she knew the villages' history—if there was anyone who knew the hidden secrets of war, it was her—but the simple truth was she did not care.

Reiko had not given allegiance to a village since she was a little girl. The only ones who deserved her loyalty were those who shared her blood, and as her clan stood, that meant there were plenty of people for her to look after. At the moment, there was a specific little shinobi that would need her keen eye before any plans were truly developed.

News traveled fast, especially into a nation that kept an eye on their enemies. The information that one of the Legendary Sannin had received a new apprentice had certain people biting at the bit to attack, while others had glanced her way when they heard the girl's name. Reiko had been polite enough not to destroy their livelihoods because of those odd looks.

The more daring of those in the daimyo's court had asked about her feelings on the matter. Did this mean the Haruno clan was officially defending Konoha, and ending their alliances with the other villages? Would this girl sway Reiko and the rest of the family's minds? And, was this a ploy to simply draw a powerful shinobi into their own ranks?

It wouldn't be too outrageous to assume that last one. The Haruno clan wasn't known just for its bargaining skills and frugal ways; they were feared amongst other merchants, revered in the courts of the elite, and overlooked by shinobi. If they were to bring a Sannin into the family, then they would be feared on all sides. However, that was not what the Haruno clan needed.

After all, why would they need the Sannin if they had Kakuzu, her older brother?

While it was not public information, everyone knew that to attack a Haruno on the road was a death sentence. Either because all trade would be cut off, or, those who dared ended up dead themselves soon after. Sometimes they would be missing a heart, sometimes they wouldn't be recognizable, and sometimes they died unsuspectingly by poison. No matter the method, the message was quite clear: do not anger the Haruno.

However, the message needed to be discrete enough not to draw attention to the fact they were connected to many unscrupulous people. Money was a universal language, no matter if a person had severed their loyalty to their village or not. If they wished to be paid, then they needed to do their job, or risk the threat of being turned in for a bounty. Reiko had dealt with the very situation several times in the last few years alone. Kids these days showed no respect for a simple bodyguard job.

At the thought of bodyguards, Reiko reached out with her senses to feel for the young man walking next to her palanquin. His read hair reminded her of many grandchildren, some married into the family, other born. However, she knew very well that his roots came from somewhere much drier than her own family's. When he had come forward needing work, she had refused to deal with his mockeries of human life and demanded he reveal his true face if he were to take on the job.