[Yukari thinks for a few moments before responding. This isn't exactly unexpected, coming from Konan - she had always seem a bit less eager for blood than Nagato and Madara. But Yukari isn't quite sure what she's looking for.]
Isn't this a somewhat futile exercise, Konan-san? You ask them what they would do to make reparations, but in the end those reparations would be made, as you said, with a knife at their throat?
Or are you saying that you would be willing to accept an apology even under those circumstance?
[A pause.]
I understand how that might be tempting for one in your situation, but I would advise against that. They would turn and betray you again in an instant, as soon as they saw the opportunity.
Maybe I just want to hear them answer, Yukari-san. Sometimes you want to know your enemy before you kill them.
If they are indifferent, I can kill them in good conscience because they would think nothing of attacking us again.
I don't think they will offer an apology in the first place, not one that isn't just meaningless words. I'd have to hear their answer before I could decide whether to accept it or not.
[Yukari's final comments irritate her a bit.] You sound very much like Madara. This is the sort of logic he presents to Nagato. They will kill us because we are nothing to them.
[A tired shrug.]
Maybe that is true. But I wanted to see for myself.
[Yukari smiles dryly.] You think I sound like Madara? Well. He's no fool. And I believe he knows enough about betrayal.
But I'm speaking from my own experience with humans in general. To force an apology out of them at knifepoint will only make them despise you more. You might say that they aren't all bad, and you're probably even right, but even nice people tend to react with violence when their heads are forced down.
I believe you yourself are a prime example of that principle, actually.
[She has very little room for tact at the moment.]
Yukari, Madara is using us. Nagato has asked me to tolerate him, and I do. I am also not a fool and I know I am useless to him. [This is a bald fact.]
[It's clear that Yukari has misunderstood her intent, but Konan herself is not entirely sure of all her reasons. But Yukari is an ally, and something close to a friend, so she tries to explain.]
I thought that I could not trust you because you are a demon. But maybe monsters should not judge demons, or feel uncomfortable with them.
I don't know what I want from them. But when they killed my parents and my friend, and many others in my organization, they were just soldiers. An army. I couldn't ask them anything.
They had no face. Now, I have seen their face. Now I can ask.
[Kisame is quiet, thoughtful, voice softer than normal; even he hasn't been completely unaffected by talking to the Konoha shinobi. But still, his brows are furrowed both in concern for her and distaste for the subject and addressee.]
Konan-san.... Why do you do this to yourself? If you know they'll only pretend and offer empty gestures, if they respond at all, what point is there in even asking? The people who care aren't powerful or important; they aren't the ones that can be blamed. In the scheme of things in their village, the only ones who will listen to you and answer with their hearts don't really matter.
The people who can speak for more than themselves, with the power and authority to make a difference, the people whose opinions matter most.... They won't listen. They won't care. They won't offer you anything real or valuable.
[ Feels a strange pang of sadness; perhaps it is the sincerity he hears in those words. Something about this predicament seems inexplicable lonely somehow.
As if, really, all this rage covers wounds.
Wounds that are bleeding, and they don't know how to cover. ]
[A pause, as she considered how much he doesn't know.]
In the past, I never told you these things.
I didn't tell you earlier. Things have been happening too fast.
That man, Hakkai. He's made me think about our actions. He said that maybe my pride would comfort me in the end.
He suggested that maybe what we do now is on our own consciences. And now I think that maybe I am just a monster and I deserve to die like one. Only a monster would kill indiscriminately. Maybe in the end, we will deserve no absolution.
I never was deluded that we were right, but maybe we are wrong. And maybe we have gone too far.
[Places her flower back in her hair.]
I know you are too busy for such thoughts. So I went to Konoha myself.
[ Kakashi knows that they have to respond. They can't just ignore this, like everything else. Because this -- this can stop a war. Or it can spurn it on. And Kakashi is afraid of how to step, because he's tried before to reach out to them, and things only got worse.
They -- Konoha -- individually have to respond.
Because Konoha is not just a Hokage, who speaks for them all. And if Minato were to do that, it would take away what individuality, what humanity Konoha has. They would just be a village. A system. Not people.
So Kakashi tries.
Bows his head.
Closes his eye. ]
Konan-san... I understand if you can't trust us and despise us for the actions we have taken in the past.
[ He will not try and excuse them, or try and explain that war is more complicated, because he's tried that route, and it failed. So he takes responsibility instead. ]
The last time we spoke, you told me about things Danzou had done. That was the first time I had ever heard about the incident. The first time any of us have. I don't believe the Hokage even had knowledge about his actions... which were brutal and unforgivable
( ... )
[ Pauses, for quite a long time. Because it's not easy to talk about Obito. And he's not even sure if this will help. Or make things worse. But he knows he has to try. ]
For a long time, I was angry at Iwa. I wanted to destroy them, to kill them all -- these people who killed my best friend... and later on, the girl he loved. But destroying them will never bring back the people I loved. And I don't think there is any kind of apology or reparation they could give that would change that fact.
So I don't know what kind of reparation we can give, what kind of apology that will be enough for you...
But it won't be done over this device... that wouldn't be sincere.
[Heavily.] It is happening very quickly. Though I suppose Madara wants to wait to implement his plan. There may be time for us to talk.
Hakkai questioned our actions. I told him that we were justified in attacking Konoha to defend ourselves. He said that we are acting without cause, that if we attack Konoha now we are the monsters. [Distant.] He didn't say it directly, but I knew what he meant. We say they are bent on destroying us, that they would eradicate us if they could. Maybe that's true. But are we any different than them
( ... )
I am not interested in playing the role of the morally superior person. I have said that many times. Thus their attempts to convince me of my own immorality mean nothing.
Comments 207
Isn't this a somewhat futile exercise, Konan-san? You ask them what they would do to make reparations, but in the end those reparations would be made, as you said, with a knife at their throat?
Or are you saying that you would be willing to accept an apology even under those circumstance?
[A pause.]
I understand how that might be tempting for one in your situation, but I would advise against that. They would turn and betray you again in an instant, as soon as they saw the opportunity.
Reply
If they are indifferent, I can kill them in good conscience because they would think nothing of attacking us again.
I don't think they will offer an apology in the first place, not one that isn't just meaningless words. I'd have to hear their answer before I could decide whether to accept it or not.
[Yukari's final comments irritate her a bit.] You sound very much like Madara. This is the sort of logic he presents to Nagato. They will kill us because we are nothing to them.
[A tired shrug.]
Maybe that is true. But I wanted to see for myself.
Reply
But I'm speaking from my own experience with humans in general. To force an apology out of them at knifepoint will only make them despise you more. You might say that they aren't all bad, and you're probably even right, but even nice people tend to react with violence when their heads are forced down.
I believe you yourself are a prime example of that principle, actually.
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Yukari, Madara is using us. Nagato has asked me to tolerate him, and I do. I am also not a fool and I know I am useless to him. [This is a bald fact.]
[It's clear that Yukari has misunderstood her intent, but Konan herself is not entirely sure of all her reasons. But Yukari is an ally, and something close to a friend, so she tries to explain.]
I thought that I could not trust you because you are a demon. But maybe monsters should not judge demons, or feel uncomfortable with them.
I don't know what I want from them. But when they killed my parents and my friend, and many others in my organization, they were just soldiers. An army. I couldn't ask them anything.
They had no face. Now, I have seen their face. Now I can ask.
Reply
Konan-san.... Why do you do this to yourself? If you know they'll only pretend and offer empty gestures, if they respond at all, what point is there in even asking? The people who care aren't powerful or important; they aren't the ones that can be blamed. In the scheme of things in their village, the only ones who will listen to you and answer with their hearts don't really matter.
The people who can speak for more than themselves, with the power and authority to make a difference, the people whose opinions matter most.... They won't listen. They won't care. They won't offer you anything real or valuable.
Reply
[ Feels a strange pang of sadness; perhaps it is the sincerity he hears in those words. Something about this predicament seems inexplicable lonely somehow.
As if, really, all this rage covers wounds.
Wounds that are bleeding, and they don't know how to cover. ]
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Only the sound of your voice was.
Different to me, for a moment.
I think your words to Konan are true, though, and I am so busy right now, so I thank you for being able to say them before I could.
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I know you're very busy.
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How Konoha responds will be something to see.
But it is true I doubt it will change anything.
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In the past, I never told you these things.
I didn't tell you earlier. Things have been happening too fast.
That man, Hakkai. He's made me think about our actions. He said that maybe my pride would comfort me in the end.
He suggested that maybe what we do now is on our own consciences. And now I think that maybe I am just a monster and I deserve to die like one. Only a monster would kill indiscriminately. Maybe in the end, we will deserve no absolution.
I never was deluded that we were right, but maybe we are wrong. And maybe we have gone too far.
[Places her flower back in her hair.]
I know you are too busy for such thoughts. So I went to Konoha myself.
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They -- Konoha -- individually have to respond.
Because Konoha is not just a Hokage, who speaks for them all. And if Minato were to do that, it would take away what individuality, what humanity Konoha has. They would just be a village. A system. Not people.
So Kakashi tries.
Bows his head.
Closes his eye. ]
Konan-san... I understand if you can't trust us and despise us for the actions we have taken in the past.
[ He will not try and excuse them, or try and explain that war is more complicated, because he's tried that route, and it failed. So he takes responsibility instead. ]
But we are listening to what you have to say...
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( ... )
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For a long time, I was angry at Iwa. I wanted to destroy them, to kill them all -- these people who killed my best friend... and later on, the girl he loved. But destroying them will never bring back the people I loved. And I don't think there is any kind of apology or reparation they could give that would change that fact.
So I don't know what kind of reparation we can give, what kind of apology that will be enough for you...
But it won't be done over this device... that wouldn't be sincere.
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(The comment has been removed)
Hakkai questioned our actions. I told him that we were justified in attacking Konoha to defend ourselves. He said that we are acting without cause, that if we attack Konoha now we are the monsters. [Distant.] He didn't say it directly, but I knew what he meant. We say they are bent on destroying us, that they would eradicate us if they could. Maybe that's true. But are we any different than them ( ... )
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Before I started planning for war, perhaps?
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