Poker Face

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

I wave goodbye to Akiko and Akio as they walk away into the setting sun.

I turn and nod to my current guard before walking inside.

As I pass the kitchen I pause to glance at the calendar. I will never admit it but I am afraid of what’s to come. In my heart I already know my fate but to hear those words will kill me before anything else can. Those words will voice my deepest fears, that I lied to everybody, that I really was that person once and that I let everybody down. I have no regret for killing who I did but the ways I did it was brutal. I enjoyed seeing my victims’ blood paint the ground and whatever else it happened to stain. I could chicken out and say it’s the effect of the Ketsuiki-Me but I know that in the end it was my choice and mine alone to become that bloodthirsty monster, no one can say differently.

I sigh and continue walking. A week, that’s all I have left. A week until the summit and until my fate is set in stone.

“We need your help.”

I scoff.

“My help? I can’t even leave the village, how am I supposed to help you with your mission?”

The woman standing before me glares at me then shoves her dark hair over her shoulder.

“I’m not leaving the village. The mission is here.”

“Won’t you get in trouble if I help you?”

“Who said anybody has to know?”

“So you are just going to lie to the Hokage then?”

“If that’s what it takes.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“What’s the mission?”

Kiyomi smiled.

I crouched lower in the bushes. Why the Hokage gave a team of top ninja such a low ranking mission is beyond me.

I see Kiyomi walk toward the target, batting her long eyelashes. The man’s jaw drops as he ogles the young woman.

“It must be destiny that you are helping us on this mission.”

I roll my eyes.

“Do me a favor and shut up, Michio.”

“Yes, fate has decided that our paths would cross this day.”

I turned my communications device on.

“Momoka, tell Michio to stop eating in my ear and to stop blabbering about destiny.”

“Utau! I have been trying to get your attention for a while now! Did you have your comm off?”

“yes, now about Michio…”

“Oh, that’s ok then. Anyway it’s time to move out, Kiyomi has made her move.”

I turn to look and Kiyomi has indeed made her move. Her and the man are nowhere in sight.

“They went inside.” Momoka’s voice sounded through the earpiece and from right next to me.

“Ahh! Don’t sneak up on me like that, Momoka!”

She smiled.

“Did I really just sneak up on the great Utau?”

I lower my gaze.

“Michio’s ramblings distracted me…” my excuse comes out weak.

“That’s ok. Anyway we need to move out.” Momoka smiles at me then grabs Michio’s bag of chips.