kinghadouken
Member
Chapter 9: A Demon’s Prank
As Momura Rouzuke went on infiltrating the Hidden Village of the Sand, Hibiki and Hitomi were found with other medical shinobi inside the medical facility of Konohagakure, in the process of dissecting and inspecting the corpse they have captured masquerading as the wanted man.
“Gah,” Hibiki groaned, after hours of searching and analysing the body, his face riddled with sweat. “All that chakra wasted on a stupid corpse. It can’t be a Puppet Technique or a Reanimation Technique either.”
“Well,” Hitomi replied, while returning the equipment to the tray. “Think of it as measuring your current abilities. The body isn’t found in the Bingo Book, and the forehead protector is a fake as well. We’re not getting any leads here.”
“AH!” one of the medical ninja exclaimed while looking intently at the body. “There’s a tiny mark of a seal on this man’s left lung!”
The medical shinobi and the two huddled as they observed the marking. Hibiki apparently knew something, as he remembered the familiar marking from one of their travels in the past, and looked in Hitomi’s eyes for affirmation.
The silence prevailed, with the medical shinobi trying to analyse the meaning of the marking, and the two remembering the incident with a similar corpse. But the moment was shattered when Shizune immediately burst into the dissecting room, demanding a report on their progress to give to the Hokage. Hitomi quickly catered to Shizune, filling her in with some of the delicate information as well as the written reports regarding the status of the recovered corpse.
When Shizune seemed satisfied and turned to leave, Hibiki remembered that he wanted to ask the Hokage about an important matter. He approached the Hokage’s assistant and politely asked that he accompany her to the Hokage’s office. Hitomi, upon witnessing the sudden change of scenery went red as she misinterpreted her companion’s intentions.
Shizune nodded in affirmation with Hibiki’s request and both were set to go to the Hokage’s office, with Hitomi silently tailing them from the dissecting room.
Eventually, Shizune and Hibiki reached the Hokage’s office, with Hitomi hidden from a safe distance, trying to cling to every word in their discussion.
“Lady Tsunade,” Shizune began, after bowing to the Hokage in greeting. “I have the reports regarding the corpse retrieved from the incident.”
Shizune gave the scrolls and clipboards to Tsunade, with the latter staring at Hibiki, wondering why he’s with her subordinate.
“Why is he here,” Tsunade asked Shizune, finally voicing out her thoughts, then turned to Hibiki. “You’re Hibiki, right?”
“Ah,” Hibiki stammered, cut off from his rehearsal of his questions. “I, uh-”
“He’s with me because he wanted to ask you,” Shizune said, helping Hibiki regain composure. “About the Ninja World’s current situation.”
Hitomi pressed on the wall harder, trying desperately to catch every word. Tsunade tensed at Shizune’s last statement. She looked questioningly at Hibiki, staring him in the face, trying to verify his worth of trust.
“You seem like the type,” Tsunade began, somehow her tone in a hush. “Who wouldn’t go away without obtaining your answers; however, I am still the Hokage, and I will only be telling you the gist and a few details of whatever you seek.”
Hibiki, suddenly perspiring with the immediate intensity of the situation, merely nodded in affirmation.
“We are currently preparing,” Tsunade continued in the same hushed voice, forcing Hitomi to press on the wall so hard that her ears hurt. “As the five countries have been challenged into a war by a masked man who we know as Uchiha Madara, and a member of the group called Akatsuki.”
“U-Uchiha Madara?” Hibiki intervened, his face sounding shocked. “You mean he’s alive? And you’re about to head into a war against Akatsuki?”
“Yes,” Tsunade said, trying to pick up from where she left off. “And as for the incident earlier, I doubt that that ‘Momura Rouzuke’ man isn’t connected to the Akatsuki.”
“Whoever he is, he needs to be stopped,” Hibiki replied, trying to contain the information. “He was searching for this Uzumaki Naruto kid. I do think that that boy wouldn’t be safe with that scum hunting him down.”
Tsunade seemed to have pondered on the situation already, as she bit her thumb while looking for something to say.
“Naruto is safe,” she said, finally getting a grasp on her answer. “He’s with jounin shinobi.”
“Pardon me,” Shizune interjected, pointing towards the wall. “But I think that our discussion is no longer private.”
Hibiki immediately ran to the door and was surprised to sense Hitomi’s presence. His face showed utter disbelief.
“Hitomi!” Hibiki yelled, beads of sweat riddling his face. “Why are you here?”
“I, uh,” Hitomi stuttered and having been found out, suddenly flushed red. “I wanted to see why you and Shizune went together earlier.”
Tsunade and Shizune have followed suit, with the former smirking mischievously at the latter, who just looked at Hitomi with surprise.
“It seems that we have a love angle in our hands,” Tsunade said, elbowing her subordinate. “And we’re about to go to war too.”
Shizune ignored the jibe, apparently not feeling anything for Hibiki and interrogated Hitomi.
“How long have you been listening to our discussion,” Shizune asked. “And why would you think that there’s something going on with me and Hibiki?”
“I, uh,” Hitomi tried to contain her tears and blushing nonstop. “I’ve heard it all! And I-I just don’t want Hibiki wandering of with another woman other than me, that’s why I followed you.”
HIbiki’s cheeks burned red as well as he understood Hitomi’s feelings for him. However, it was trivial for them in their current state, and he decided to end the conversation, and asked the Hokage to have another session scheduled for discussion regarding the war. After they decided the day and time, Hibiki and Hitomi left the office without further questions.
Both walked the road towards their hotel, still red in the faces, the sky darkening, giving a premonition of ill omen. While Hitomi slept, Hibiki left and went to Yakiniku Q, where he saw two separate groups of male and female chunin and jounin per table, those who he remembered participating in the fake Momura Rouzuke incident. One of the male shinobi, Inuzuka Kiba, recognized Hibiki and beckoned him over to their table. He noticed that the other table contained girls who he presumed to be of the same level as the first table.
As he sat down, he sensed that all eyes were on him. Nara Shikamaru put on his hands a pair of chopsticks and a small dish already laden with heaps of meat. The group noticed that the newcomer wore a blindfold, with Rock Lee and Hyuga Neji already knowing what kind of eyes was hidden behind the maroon cloth.
“It seems that our newcomer has a handicap,” Akimichi Chouji said, in between gulping down pieces of barbecue. “What’s your name again?”
Hibiki sensed that even the girls from the other table were suddenly eager to listen. He had no choice but to respond politely.
“I am Hibiki,” he simply said. “Together with my partner Hitomi-”
He paused, somehow still affected from Hitomi’s previous revelation.
“Together with Hitomi,” he continued, ignoring his listeners’ reactions. “We plan to travel around the world in search of many things.”
“Travelers,” Neji butted in, his temple throbbing, apparently still embarrassed at the fact that he was easily defeated by the wanted criminal whereas Hibiki survived with bruises only. “I still doubt you. For all we know, you and your lady might be spies for that man, or even for Akatsuki.”
Everyone in both tables tensed at the name.
“Hey Neji,” Lee said, trying to lighten up the atmosphere again. “He fought that criminal with us. Doesn’t that improve his worth of our trust?”
“Yeah,” Tenten replied, still remembering their encounter with the wanted man, as well as the monster. “I’d be glad if Hibiki here would help us in winning this war, seeing as his prowess in fighting somehow exceeds our own combined.”
“Eh,” Shikamaru retorted, his brows twitching. “I guess his skills are above jounin level already.”
“What?” Ino exclaimed, apparently awed by this new development. “So, you’re saying he might be stronger than Naruto?”
“Ino,” Haruno Sakura interrupted, trying to catch up on the conversation. “Naruto IS definitely stronger that Hibiki, so don’t even think about comparing them.”
“Really now?” Kiba said, remembering his first fight with Naruto and Neji against the criminal. “Naruto could’ve easily killed that bastard anytime. But I guess he wasn’t prepared, unlike Hibiki.”
“Guys,” Hibiki declared, silencing the ensuing argument. “We haven’t defeated the wanted man, Momura Rouzuke. What we captured was just a decoy. I think that this man was just toying with us.”
The crowd became quiet, all of them pondering upon this hope-shattering information. They’ve fought their hardest, yet it wasn’t enough as it seemed.
“Does that mean,” Hyuga Hinata began, breaking the silence. “That the man we thought we fought and defeated might actually be just a weaker version of the real one?”
“I don’t know. I’ve heard that he’s been attacking many villages and countries with decoys,” Hibiki replied, his thoughts running so fast already, trying to analyse and understand all of the evidences and situations they’ve had. “But one thing’s for sure. We have to stop this man whatever his motives are, before you guys hit the warzone. And don’t you guys worry, as I promise to help in this case and solve it no matter what.”
Silence continued to reign as Hibiki finally stood up and left the restaurant. It was already deep into the night, as the sky was clear enough for them to see the twinkling stars and the full sphere of the moon.
To be continued...
As Momura Rouzuke went on infiltrating the Hidden Village of the Sand, Hibiki and Hitomi were found with other medical shinobi inside the medical facility of Konohagakure, in the process of dissecting and inspecting the corpse they have captured masquerading as the wanted man.
“Gah,” Hibiki groaned, after hours of searching and analysing the body, his face riddled with sweat. “All that chakra wasted on a stupid corpse. It can’t be a Puppet Technique or a Reanimation Technique either.”
“Well,” Hitomi replied, while returning the equipment to the tray. “Think of it as measuring your current abilities. The body isn’t found in the Bingo Book, and the forehead protector is a fake as well. We’re not getting any leads here.”
“AH!” one of the medical ninja exclaimed while looking intently at the body. “There’s a tiny mark of a seal on this man’s left lung!”
The medical shinobi and the two huddled as they observed the marking. Hibiki apparently knew something, as he remembered the familiar marking from one of their travels in the past, and looked in Hitomi’s eyes for affirmation.
The silence prevailed, with the medical shinobi trying to analyse the meaning of the marking, and the two remembering the incident with a similar corpse. But the moment was shattered when Shizune immediately burst into the dissecting room, demanding a report on their progress to give to the Hokage. Hitomi quickly catered to Shizune, filling her in with some of the delicate information as well as the written reports regarding the status of the recovered corpse.
When Shizune seemed satisfied and turned to leave, Hibiki remembered that he wanted to ask the Hokage about an important matter. He approached the Hokage’s assistant and politely asked that he accompany her to the Hokage’s office. Hitomi, upon witnessing the sudden change of scenery went red as she misinterpreted her companion’s intentions.
Shizune nodded in affirmation with Hibiki’s request and both were set to go to the Hokage’s office, with Hitomi silently tailing them from the dissecting room.
Eventually, Shizune and Hibiki reached the Hokage’s office, with Hitomi hidden from a safe distance, trying to cling to every word in their discussion.
“Lady Tsunade,” Shizune began, after bowing to the Hokage in greeting. “I have the reports regarding the corpse retrieved from the incident.”
Shizune gave the scrolls and clipboards to Tsunade, with the latter staring at Hibiki, wondering why he’s with her subordinate.
“Why is he here,” Tsunade asked Shizune, finally voicing out her thoughts, then turned to Hibiki. “You’re Hibiki, right?”
“Ah,” Hibiki stammered, cut off from his rehearsal of his questions. “I, uh-”
“He’s with me because he wanted to ask you,” Shizune said, helping Hibiki regain composure. “About the Ninja World’s current situation.”
Hitomi pressed on the wall harder, trying desperately to catch every word. Tsunade tensed at Shizune’s last statement. She looked questioningly at Hibiki, staring him in the face, trying to verify his worth of trust.
“You seem like the type,” Tsunade began, somehow her tone in a hush. “Who wouldn’t go away without obtaining your answers; however, I am still the Hokage, and I will only be telling you the gist and a few details of whatever you seek.”
Hibiki, suddenly perspiring with the immediate intensity of the situation, merely nodded in affirmation.
“We are currently preparing,” Tsunade continued in the same hushed voice, forcing Hitomi to press on the wall so hard that her ears hurt. “As the five countries have been challenged into a war by a masked man who we know as Uchiha Madara, and a member of the group called Akatsuki.”
“U-Uchiha Madara?” Hibiki intervened, his face sounding shocked. “You mean he’s alive? And you’re about to head into a war against Akatsuki?”
“Yes,” Tsunade said, trying to pick up from where she left off. “And as for the incident earlier, I doubt that that ‘Momura Rouzuke’ man isn’t connected to the Akatsuki.”
“Whoever he is, he needs to be stopped,” Hibiki replied, trying to contain the information. “He was searching for this Uzumaki Naruto kid. I do think that that boy wouldn’t be safe with that scum hunting him down.”
Tsunade seemed to have pondered on the situation already, as she bit her thumb while looking for something to say.
“Naruto is safe,” she said, finally getting a grasp on her answer. “He’s with jounin shinobi.”
“Pardon me,” Shizune interjected, pointing towards the wall. “But I think that our discussion is no longer private.”
Hibiki immediately ran to the door and was surprised to sense Hitomi’s presence. His face showed utter disbelief.
“Hitomi!” Hibiki yelled, beads of sweat riddling his face. “Why are you here?”
“I, uh,” Hitomi stuttered and having been found out, suddenly flushed red. “I wanted to see why you and Shizune went together earlier.”
Tsunade and Shizune have followed suit, with the former smirking mischievously at the latter, who just looked at Hitomi with surprise.
“It seems that we have a love angle in our hands,” Tsunade said, elbowing her subordinate. “And we’re about to go to war too.”
Shizune ignored the jibe, apparently not feeling anything for Hibiki and interrogated Hitomi.
“How long have you been listening to our discussion,” Shizune asked. “And why would you think that there’s something going on with me and Hibiki?”
“I, uh,” Hitomi tried to contain her tears and blushing nonstop. “I’ve heard it all! And I-I just don’t want Hibiki wandering of with another woman other than me, that’s why I followed you.”
HIbiki’s cheeks burned red as well as he understood Hitomi’s feelings for him. However, it was trivial for them in their current state, and he decided to end the conversation, and asked the Hokage to have another session scheduled for discussion regarding the war. After they decided the day and time, Hibiki and Hitomi left the office without further questions.
Both walked the road towards their hotel, still red in the faces, the sky darkening, giving a premonition of ill omen. While Hitomi slept, Hibiki left and went to Yakiniku Q, where he saw two separate groups of male and female chunin and jounin per table, those who he remembered participating in the fake Momura Rouzuke incident. One of the male shinobi, Inuzuka Kiba, recognized Hibiki and beckoned him over to their table. He noticed that the other table contained girls who he presumed to be of the same level as the first table.
As he sat down, he sensed that all eyes were on him. Nara Shikamaru put on his hands a pair of chopsticks and a small dish already laden with heaps of meat. The group noticed that the newcomer wore a blindfold, with Rock Lee and Hyuga Neji already knowing what kind of eyes was hidden behind the maroon cloth.
“It seems that our newcomer has a handicap,” Akimichi Chouji said, in between gulping down pieces of barbecue. “What’s your name again?”
Hibiki sensed that even the girls from the other table were suddenly eager to listen. He had no choice but to respond politely.
“I am Hibiki,” he simply said. “Together with my partner Hitomi-”
He paused, somehow still affected from Hitomi’s previous revelation.
“Together with Hitomi,” he continued, ignoring his listeners’ reactions. “We plan to travel around the world in search of many things.”
“Travelers,” Neji butted in, his temple throbbing, apparently still embarrassed at the fact that he was easily defeated by the wanted criminal whereas Hibiki survived with bruises only. “I still doubt you. For all we know, you and your lady might be spies for that man, or even for Akatsuki.”
Everyone in both tables tensed at the name.
“Hey Neji,” Lee said, trying to lighten up the atmosphere again. “He fought that criminal with us. Doesn’t that improve his worth of our trust?”
“Yeah,” Tenten replied, still remembering their encounter with the wanted man, as well as the monster. “I’d be glad if Hibiki here would help us in winning this war, seeing as his prowess in fighting somehow exceeds our own combined.”
“Eh,” Shikamaru retorted, his brows twitching. “I guess his skills are above jounin level already.”
“What?” Ino exclaimed, apparently awed by this new development. “So, you’re saying he might be stronger than Naruto?”
“Ino,” Haruno Sakura interrupted, trying to catch up on the conversation. “Naruto IS definitely stronger that Hibiki, so don’t even think about comparing them.”
“Really now?” Kiba said, remembering his first fight with Naruto and Neji against the criminal. “Naruto could’ve easily killed that bastard anytime. But I guess he wasn’t prepared, unlike Hibiki.”
“Guys,” Hibiki declared, silencing the ensuing argument. “We haven’t defeated the wanted man, Momura Rouzuke. What we captured was just a decoy. I think that this man was just toying with us.”
The crowd became quiet, all of them pondering upon this hope-shattering information. They’ve fought their hardest, yet it wasn’t enough as it seemed.
“Does that mean,” Hyuga Hinata began, breaking the silence. “That the man we thought we fought and defeated might actually be just a weaker version of the real one?”
“I don’t know. I’ve heard that he’s been attacking many villages and countries with decoys,” Hibiki replied, his thoughts running so fast already, trying to analyse and understand all of the evidences and situations they’ve had. “But one thing’s for sure. We have to stop this man whatever his motives are, before you guys hit the warzone. And don’t you guys worry, as I promise to help in this case and solve it no matter what.”
Silence continued to reign as Hibiki finally stood up and left the restaurant. It was already deep into the night, as the sky was clear enough for them to see the twinkling stars and the full sphere of the moon.
To be continued...
