A Matter of Faith - Side Story

Candles lit the large church hall, leaving a dim twilight to fill the creaks and mass of the room. It wasn't anywhere near the largest church in the shinobi world, but it was large enough for the disciples that came. While Puraido's flock was large, it was only a select few that came to see him on a regular basis. Puraido had many strangers come in. As a church he was often seen as a man that could be approached with smaller problems that the Kage couldn't get to herself. IT was understandable, one shinobi couldn't deal with an entire village's problems. It was just impossible. Puraido helped where he could, giving aid to any and all that needed it.

It was what his God would want of him.

Today, Puraido was alone in the chapel, sitting with a small box in his lap as he looked up at one of the ornate structures. It was a statue of an angel looking down towards the ground. She went by the name of Vesmir, an ancient name meaning Guardian. Soldiers often kept tokens of her before they would go in to battle, believing that the trinket would provide means for them to survive the upcoming war. Puraido knew that many who held her token had been slain. She existed, but she didn't save everyone.

Puraido moved his head as he heard the front door of the chapel opening. He barely turned his head, only allowing his eye to barely catch who came through the door. "Setsuna...I don't think I've ever seen you come to the church before," Puraido remarked before standing up and moving to the aisle. He gave a bow as Setsuna walked further in, though he still held the small box to his chest. "What may I do for you?"

Setsuna returned the bow from Puraido with a quick nod of her head in acknowledgement as she approached. Her stride was brisk, keeping her movement quick and efficient. Her expression was entirely unreadable, a blank slate that would tell anyone familiar with her mannerisms that she was most definitely arriving on pure business. Puraido, however, would have had very little interaction with the leader of the village thus far considering Setsuna's total and complete lack of faith in anything involving a higher power.

"Hello. I don't have much time to spare and so I'll simply come out and speak what needs to be spoken to get past such a slanderous subject. There has been talk floating about the village that you question my decisions and believe yourself better suited to the task of leader. I wish only to hear you directly refute such claims and I'll gladly believe you and allow you to return to your own business and I to mine."

"Ah, so that's what this is about," Puraido said as he thought over what Setsuna said. The man seemed to hesitate for a moment as he tried to think of what exactly to say. He turned and glanced back at the large statue of Vesmir, as if just looking on her image would give him some form of guidance. "This building is where I lead Setsuna, your position is not something I desire nor envy," the man said as his eyes turned back towards the Kunoichi.

"I've had no official training nor have I ever gone on a shinobi mission, I would be ill suited to look trained shinobi in the face and tell the how to do their job," Puraido pointed out as he rested against one of the wooden benches in the church. "You have to understand that when it comes to faith, it's hard for anything else to fight through it. My followers see me as their prophet, the one on this earth with the closest connection to the Gods. They ask themselves why would I just lead a church when I could lead a village...they don't understand my place in this world"

"Matters of faith do not always conquer everything else, sometimes the gods allow others to work their ways through them, even if they don't realize it themselves," Father Puraido stated before standing up. "I apologize if these rumors have done you harm, but I give you my word there is no legitimate claim behind them. I support your position as the Kage here and have no desire to take it away from you."

"Thank you," Setsuna answered simply to Puraido's quick and seemingly sincere answer. "I'm glad to have this one rumor proven false, though I would ask that you then attempt to do your best to keep those who follow your beliefs in line. All that I need is to have a group of ragtag zealots attempting to take my office in your name. It would be... incredibly inconvenient."

There was no way some insane religious groupies could manage to take Setsuna's position, but not only would it cost lives but also be difficult for Setsuna to shake in matters concerning the stability of the village and her people. It would make the village as a whole look dangerous and put a stain on her stand of neutrality.

"I assure you that they will cause you no problems, I'll see to that myself," Puraido said with a smile before holding the box towards Setsuna. "Please, take this. It was going to be delivered to you in a few days...but no time like the present" Puraido said before handing Setsuna the box. "It isn't much, but my flock has donated the money they don't need, knowing it would be sent to you in order to help the village in whatever projects need to be focused on"

Puraido pushed the box of money in to Setsuna's hands, whether she wanted it or not. "Please, take this as an apology for those rumors. My faithful might be...tired, but aren't we all? They want things to get better, but they are only complaints and will never become anything else. Please, don't punish them for saying things that they didn't mean. I'll speak to them, whatever talk of rebellion or whatever this was will immediately cease."

Setsuna did very little to hide her puzzlement as she was suddenly presented with the box that he'd been holding even before she'd entered the building. Not taking claim to it immediately meant that it was eventually forced into her arms where she clumsily took hold of it so as not to simply allow it to drop to the ground.

"Thank you..." she spoke with not a small amount of awkward uncertainty. While a confident ruler, it was difficult for her to smoothly accept charity, even if it was for her village rather than herself. "I'll see to it that this donation is put to a worthy cause. ...In any case, I don't plan to make any moves against anyone so long as there are no moves made against the village. I sincerely hope that no one has anything to worry about for some time to come and I'll do my best to see to that end."

Puraido held back a grunt of disapproval. "That's where you're wrong Setsuna," the man admitted before glancing back to the statue of the Goddess behind him. "Your mistake is believing that the Devil is an idea meant to scare people in to believing in God. No, he is real and walks among us...I've met him," Puraido admitted as his eyes fell back on the Kage in front of him.

"He knows no remorse, no fear, no sorrow...and no mercy," the man of faith said in a serious tone. "I'll stop believing in God before I stop believing in the devil, because he's out there. I can assure you, whatever it is that he's doing...he's going to bring it to this village some day. He desires nothing more than to have everyone besides himself dead, and he has the power to make that a reality. Do not let your guard down Setsuna...or you'll never forgive yourself."

Setsuna let loose a low sigh before brushing back her hair with a quick swipe of her hand.

"I'll hold on to the illusion of peace for as long as possible. I'd rather not start any panic or premature aggression. Things are barely holding together as it is. All the village needs is for the first shot to be fired to become a reckless bedlam of blame and hate. I'm doing my best to keep that from happening. I'm afraid even the slightest spark will set things off right now."

Puraido understood her concern. With a blend of people like this, there was no telling what was going to happen. All it would take was a spark from a moron to turn everyone against each other. The peace rested on the edge of a knife, and it was going to get knocked over one of these days.

"When that day does come, call on me as you need. I to want this village to succeed, and as a member ill do whatever it takes, even if I'm not one of your official shinobi."

"Thank you." It was now that Setsuna honored him with a proper bow. "Anyone who is willing to hold on to the ideal of peace no matter what is a great ally to this village. My intention was never to create a melting pot of people who disliked each other, nor was it to create a village to rival all others. I only wish to remain isolated from all the violence I've seen and participated in. To think that someone may actually be planning on creating turmoil here just for the sake of doing so is rather disturbing..."

"Sadly it is the nature of man to cause chaos and contention, it's what drew me to this village in the first place," Puraido admitted. "All I wish to do is worship and preach in peace, but the world always seems to have men and women that desire for war and bloodshed. Some call it the natural order of man...and they aren't necessarily wrong."

Puraido smiled as he saw Setsuna give him a proper bow. She had changed drastically from when she first walked in. She actually seemed to be talking to him like an equal now. With that in mind, Puraido decided to take a chance. "You still seem troubled about something Setsuna...was there anything else you wished to ask of me?"

Setsuna's expression turned pensive as her eyes flicked back up toward his, as if she were looking closely for something within the man's very soul. Only a brief second passed before she apparently found what she was looking for. With a quick shake of her head, she gave her answer.

"No, that was all. Thank you, both for addressing my concerns as well as the donation to the village."

She turned slightly with a quick nod of her head, allowing her body language to display her intention of making an exit and an end to their conversation at this point.

"You're welcome" Puraido said calmly as he watched the woman walk away. Only the sounds of her footsteps filled the church, up until the moment she shut the door behind her; then there was silence. Puraido stood in his spot for a time before turning and gazing back up at the statue he was looking on only minutes earlier.

"I know you're there...hiding in the shadows as if you're nothing more than a rat. Have more respect for thyself, step in to the light" Puraido said as he turned his head towards the dark corners of his church.

Once the door of the church was closed behind her, Setsuna allowed a shudder to run heavily down her spine. She was positive she'd had more than one pair of eyes on her the entire time she was speaking to the man and the pair unseen had nothing but malice for her and the position she held in the village. She believed Puraido easily enough, but decided that she'd best be on her guard in any case. Someone in the church had nothing but daggers for her...

As if materializing from the shadow itself, Midori stepped from the furthest corner from where the conversation had taken place, her eyes narrowed in annoyance behind her glasses.

"I don't want her to know I exist. I don't like her... We'd be much better off with you leading the way."

"We don't have to like her, I can't say that I'm that fond of her myself...but I did mean every word I said to her," Puraido said as he looked towards one of his flock. "Midori, you have been gifted since a young age to do that which most people wouldn't even comprehend. You understand the idea of necessary evil. I must ask that you now be patient, our time will come...and Setsuna will have a role in our rise to power. She still has a role that must be played out though, any move we make against her now would be foolish and suicide.

Puraido placed his hand upon one of his pupils. "You have my word that she will never learn of your existence, but for now I need you to stick to our current course. Follow the faith, and our time will be here before you know it"

"It's been far too long already," Midori slowly allowed her eyes to drift shut as she crossed her arms tightly. She understood and would obey, but that didn't mean that she had to like it. "Very well..." she relented with a deep sigh. "I'll be patient for a little longer, but someday soon I'll see my knife in that woman's undeserving back. We've provided her with so much and she's given so little in return. It's disgusting for a leader to be so self-absorbed."

"Of that you are correct. Setsuna despises the shinobi ways, and yet she has made a village where all shinobi are welcome. It was a trap from the moment I heard of it. She's only inviting people here in order to become a threat. One day the other villages will decide that this place needs to be wiped out...we can't allow her to cause all of these women and children to be injured for her own desire" Puraido remarked as he looked toward the door Setsuna had left from.

"You have my word Midori...I'll just watch when the time comes for you to cut her throat open. The Gods will smile warmly upon you that day."

"I suppose..." Midori replied reluctantly with a roll of her eyes, behaving like a child that had just been scolded by her father. "I will be the one to bury a knife in her back when the time comes, though. I won't have it play out any other way. We'll meet and she'll know my name only just before I kill her."

On that note, she removed one of the blades strapped to her thigh and began to idly stroke it along the bladed edge with her finger. At this point she was really itching for a good bout of combat... and possibly a killing or three.

"Speaking of which, what is our current course? What would you have me do? I feel so useless standing about idly... I need to get out and use my feet."

"I actually have some work for you to do, it should keep you busy for about...a day" Puraido remarked before walking to one of the back rooms. Inside was a large map of the area, carefully written out and detailed with various information that Puraido deemed important.

"In order for us to spread the good word we must get our names out to the good masses...and kill the unworthy and all the filth they bring in to the world," the holy man said before pointing to a circle on the map. "Small village, nothing evil about it...and yet a group of mercenaries from the Land of Iron have taken refuge there. Rumor has it that this is against the wishes of the people but they have no power to stop them or call for help...luckily for us the Gods hear all"

Puraido turned to Midori and held a firm smile. "You know what needs to be done. Cleanse the wicked, spare the innocent...but make sure they know which gods were responsible. If they need refuse, our church will welcome them with open arms. Do you have any questions about your task?"

Midori was quick to follow behind him as he took a stroll into the back, continuing to stroke her blade wantingly while paying attention to what he desired of her and her unique talents. Once he was finished, Midori's previously unhappy expression faded to something much brighter... and more menacing.

"I believe I have everything I need with that. If you have nothing further I'll begin my assignment immediately."

"I have nothing further...just a warning," Puraido said before Midori made her way to the door. He turned his head only slightly so that his visage fell upon the faithful servant. "Times are going to get darker, and we're going to have to change to meet those times," Puraido said slowly. "I'm going to ask things of you that I know you aren't going to like, I only ask that you put your faith in me and the Gods as I lead you down this path..don't doubt now or in our darkest moments, there may be a time when I need you to carry me through this"

At Puraido's words, Midori's face took on a deeply thoughtful expression.

"I suppose that only time can tell me to what you may be referring, but I know that I possess the strength of mind and body to follow through. I have no worries concerning my success. It's your will, after all. It will be done."

"Your faith will be rewarded in time, of that you have my word" Puraido said before turning to head to the back of the church. "I shall see you upon your return, inform me of your success against those bandits, and don't forget the instructions you were given. You will be held to them"