Rotted Rowan

Tick

Beta: Cyndaquil123

(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง

Calm down girl, why you so mad?

Why's your heart gone

Oh good girl, why you upset?

Guess they have forgotten what they did

-Angry Too by Lola Blanc

(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง

Mei - Start of the Chūnin Exams' Tournament

Mei hummed to herself. The beautiful woman moved with strict purpose, her black boot-heels clicked against the tiled floors of what used to be the water daimyo's palace. The civil war, coupled with the shame of supporting Orochimaru, had brought the once lovely palace to a state of near dilapidation. The lords and ladies that once served faithfully under Hotoro had fled, taking what riches they could. Last week, the servants rebelled and stole what riches remained in the palace.

When Mei was younger she used to admire the golden palace.

What a pathetic turn of events. The Land of Water had fallen into a tragic state all thanks to the previous Mizukage, Yagura, and the cowardly daimyo.

Now Hotoro, the daimyo, was forced between selling the pathetic state of his country to either the Land of Fire or the Land of Lightning. He had been agonizing over it for so terribly long.

He'll be so happy, Mei thought to herself, her grip tightening on the scroll in her right hand. She raised her chin, a sense of pride and accomplishment blooming in her heart.

Her loyalty to the Akatsuki was unquestionable, but she would be lying if she said she didn't care about her homeland at all. Seeing it morph into such a mess was a tragedy.

Maybe in another life, Mei wouldn't have needed to be rescued by Owari and she could have remained.

Perhaps she could have even become the Mizukage.

Yeah, right.

Mei doubted her life would be any better without Owari. He had saved so many... surely, a world without him would be nothing but a tragedy?

She opened the doors to Hotoro's office. The once handsome man had withered away into something barely of a husk. Stress had eaten away at the Land of Water daimyo, devouring what little fat he had to spare. The palace was in shambles—the servants and guards and left—and Hotoro knew it would only be a matter of time before death greeted him.

At least it would bring an end to his shame.

If only he had not ignored Kirigakure.

If only he had not made a deal with Orochimaru.

If only...

Hotoro had passed the point of being able to save his country. One way or another the Land of Water would fall. Earlier that morning he had been given two warnings from the daimyos of the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning.

Mo, the daimyo of the Land of Fire, had demanded restitution in the form of his country.

Tsuzu, the daimyo of the Land of Lightning, demanded that Hotoro not give anything to the Land of Fire.

If he refused either of them, war would break out between Konohagakure and Kumogakure in his country. The citizens that had remained in the country—either due to loyalty or having nowhere else to go—would be caught in the crossfire. What little economy and infrastructure his people had left would be torn asunder.