Meh. :| And I couldn't think of any clever chapter titles lol.
The small group moved more quickly, able to see the gates of Konoha along with the massive wall in the distance. Quickly, they jumped through the jumble of trees, stopping only to regain their footing for a longer jump. A broad smile could be found on all of their faces, particularly Riku?s, who had waited so long to enter the gates of this grand village.
The four of them landed on the path as soon as the forest seemed to end, and walked along the rest of the path that was left to get into the village. Raiden, as usually, led the way.
Riku had already noticed the change of atmosphere from other villages they had passed through. As they walked in, there was no sort of blocking when they came. Possibly because of Raiden, since he had told them that some of his missions brought him here, but even so. There was a different liveliness about Konoha. Despite the massive size of it, the village seemed to be bustling with life. The villagers, most carrying food as they walked by, looked curiously at the group for a moment, and then proceeded to smile warmly. Riku and Deirous exchanged glances several times, unused to this kind of peace and kindness. Raiden and Reina, however, returned the smiles, the two of them slightly known in the welcoming village.
Riku tugged on Raiden?s arm, ?Where?re we going??
Raiden turned just enough so one of his eyes could look curiously at Riku, ?The hokage?s place of course,? he said, and then pointed up to the tallest building, towering up above the large trees that were scattered around the village, ?That?s it.?
?So this hokage guy... or girl,? Deirous said, his hands comfortably interlocked behind his neck as he walked, ?What?s he like.?
Raiden looked down for a moment, ?Hard to describe... I know a particular person who described him as ?hip, cool, and trendy? but...? Raiden said, and then he looked down, searching for the right words, ?You?ll see when we get there.?
~
The group arrived at the gates in front of the Hokage?s large tower-like home. Two ninja stood in front of it, though rather casually. One of them leaned against the wall while the other seemed to do the same, only his eyes were practically closed. The one with his eyes partially closed seemed to wake up as they walked towards him, and walked towards them.
?Sorry Raiden,? he said, ?Hokage?s out... again.?
Riku looked at him for a moment. He didn?t seem in the health conditions that a ninja should normally be, let alone guarding something as important as the Hokage?s tower. He didn?t seem sick, but a bit... wide. He looked over to the man?s partner; it was the same with him. Actually, the other one wasn?t exactly sleeping. Riku could see his hand ruffling through a bag of some sort of food. The two looked alike, but the one that confronted them seemed older by far, at least twenty or thirty or so years.
Raiden didn?t seem very surprised, ?Man... someone should really...? he said, then decided to stop, ?Never mind. Any idea when he?ll be back??
The man shrugged, ?A day, a week, who knows? So... what brings you here... and who?s the kid?? he said, looking past Raiden?s shoulder to look at Riku, and afterwards Deirous. He saw Reina, but she was already recognizable to him.
?I?d rather wait until the Hokage comes back to discuss all of that, Choza,? he said, quite frankly not feeling up to making an entire explanation.
Choza shrugged, ?Well, until then, the hospital would probably let you stay, just for a few days. Things have been rather quiet as of late; not many casualties that would require any overnight hospitalization.?
?I suppose that explains why you two were sleeping on the job,? Raiden said, a curious eyebrow risen.
?Not sleeping, munching,? Choza corrected with a slight laugh, and then he walked back towards the wall, leaning on it once again, but this time, on the one near the younger version of him. He nudged the younger one with his foot, ?Choji, save some for me.?
~
Days later, Raiden walked out of the village, curiously looking around. He saw Reina and Riku sitting outside of the village and looked at them curiously. He had been aware that they were spending more time together, and Riku was a good friend and trustworthy and all, but it still made him feel better to keep an eye on them every now and then. He only looked for a moment though, and walked back into the village.
But he wasn?t the only one who was watching, but this one was waiting as well.
~
Tenzu watched Riku closely, crouched atop a tree branch with his left hand on the tree and his right hand unconsciously twisting and flipping the kunai in his hand. He was beginning to get irritated. First he had been stalled yet again by a message from some buffoon bounty hunter, claiming to have caught Riku, only to say that he had escaped only a day afterwards, and now Riku was practically surrounded by allies at this point. Excluding the girl next to him at the moment, and the young man who had just left, everyone around him would help him.
But Tenzu didn?t quite care at this point. He was just about tired of running around the world.
Suddenly, Tenzu dissolved in a dark void, eagerness overwhelming him.
~
Riku nodded, ?That?s... when I fought the mutant polar bear.?
Reina tried to listen without laughing, and instead raised an eyebrow in curiosity while giving a sarcastic smile, ?Mutant polar bear? Go on.?
He nodded again, ?True story. Me and the bear, one on one, he had me by the neck with his iron radioactive grip, and then I-? Riku suddenly stopped, staring in front of him in confusion at first as a void seemed to appear in front of him, and then horror.
From the void, Tenzu emerged, his hood concealing his face so that only his glowing red eyes showed, ?I?d hate to interrupt your little... date, but... Ah, who am I kidding, I?d love to.?
Riku rolled over to the side and when he came up, Soul Eater was already in his tight grip.
?Oh come on now, you know what?s going to happen,? Tenzu said, smiling sinisterly, ?Why not just put that thing down before you hurt yourself. And then come with me. We had this conversation last time. All we need is an atom, an inch of life left in you. In other words, I can destroy, demolish, traumatize, paralyze, disable, and maybe even sever something. As long as there?s a bit of life still left in you.?
A shiver went down Reina?s spine as she withdrew her dagger and sword combination as he said that. Riku, meanwhile, couldn?t care less. He knew most of it was a bluff.
Probably anyway.
Tenzu sighed, looking at Riku?s determined stare, ?Well, looks like I?ll have to put my money where my mouth is. Don?t say I didn?t warn you.?
The Hidden Leaf
The small group moved more quickly, able to see the gates of Konoha along with the massive wall in the distance. Quickly, they jumped through the jumble of trees, stopping only to regain their footing for a longer jump. A broad smile could be found on all of their faces, particularly Riku?s, who had waited so long to enter the gates of this grand village.
The four of them landed on the path as soon as the forest seemed to end, and walked along the rest of the path that was left to get into the village. Raiden, as usually, led the way.
Riku had already noticed the change of atmosphere from other villages they had passed through. As they walked in, there was no sort of blocking when they came. Possibly because of Raiden, since he had told them that some of his missions brought him here, but even so. There was a different liveliness about Konoha. Despite the massive size of it, the village seemed to be bustling with life. The villagers, most carrying food as they walked by, looked curiously at the group for a moment, and then proceeded to smile warmly. Riku and Deirous exchanged glances several times, unused to this kind of peace and kindness. Raiden and Reina, however, returned the smiles, the two of them slightly known in the welcoming village.
Riku tugged on Raiden?s arm, ?Where?re we going??
Raiden turned just enough so one of his eyes could look curiously at Riku, ?The hokage?s place of course,? he said, and then pointed up to the tallest building, towering up above the large trees that were scattered around the village, ?That?s it.?
?So this hokage guy... or girl,? Deirous said, his hands comfortably interlocked behind his neck as he walked, ?What?s he like.?
Raiden looked down for a moment, ?Hard to describe... I know a particular person who described him as ?hip, cool, and trendy? but...? Raiden said, and then he looked down, searching for the right words, ?You?ll see when we get there.?
~
The group arrived at the gates in front of the Hokage?s large tower-like home. Two ninja stood in front of it, though rather casually. One of them leaned against the wall while the other seemed to do the same, only his eyes were practically closed. The one with his eyes partially closed seemed to wake up as they walked towards him, and walked towards them.
?Sorry Raiden,? he said, ?Hokage?s out... again.?
Riku looked at him for a moment. He didn?t seem in the health conditions that a ninja should normally be, let alone guarding something as important as the Hokage?s tower. He didn?t seem sick, but a bit... wide. He looked over to the man?s partner; it was the same with him. Actually, the other one wasn?t exactly sleeping. Riku could see his hand ruffling through a bag of some sort of food. The two looked alike, but the one that confronted them seemed older by far, at least twenty or thirty or so years.
Raiden didn?t seem very surprised, ?Man... someone should really...? he said, then decided to stop, ?Never mind. Any idea when he?ll be back??
The man shrugged, ?A day, a week, who knows? So... what brings you here... and who?s the kid?? he said, looking past Raiden?s shoulder to look at Riku, and afterwards Deirous. He saw Reina, but she was already recognizable to him.
?I?d rather wait until the Hokage comes back to discuss all of that, Choza,? he said, quite frankly not feeling up to making an entire explanation.
Choza shrugged, ?Well, until then, the hospital would probably let you stay, just for a few days. Things have been rather quiet as of late; not many casualties that would require any overnight hospitalization.?
?I suppose that explains why you two were sleeping on the job,? Raiden said, a curious eyebrow risen.
?Not sleeping, munching,? Choza corrected with a slight laugh, and then he walked back towards the wall, leaning on it once again, but this time, on the one near the younger version of him. He nudged the younger one with his foot, ?Choji, save some for me.?
~
Days later, Raiden walked out of the village, curiously looking around. He saw Reina and Riku sitting outside of the village and looked at them curiously. He had been aware that they were spending more time together, and Riku was a good friend and trustworthy and all, but it still made him feel better to keep an eye on them every now and then. He only looked for a moment though, and walked back into the village.
But he wasn?t the only one who was watching, but this one was waiting as well.
~
Tenzu watched Riku closely, crouched atop a tree branch with his left hand on the tree and his right hand unconsciously twisting and flipping the kunai in his hand. He was beginning to get irritated. First he had been stalled yet again by a message from some buffoon bounty hunter, claiming to have caught Riku, only to say that he had escaped only a day afterwards, and now Riku was practically surrounded by allies at this point. Excluding the girl next to him at the moment, and the young man who had just left, everyone around him would help him.
But Tenzu didn?t quite care at this point. He was just about tired of running around the world.
Suddenly, Tenzu dissolved in a dark void, eagerness overwhelming him.
~
Riku nodded, ?That?s... when I fought the mutant polar bear.?
Reina tried to listen without laughing, and instead raised an eyebrow in curiosity while giving a sarcastic smile, ?Mutant polar bear? Go on.?
He nodded again, ?True story. Me and the bear, one on one, he had me by the neck with his iron radioactive grip, and then I-? Riku suddenly stopped, staring in front of him in confusion at first as a void seemed to appear in front of him, and then horror.
From the void, Tenzu emerged, his hood concealing his face so that only his glowing red eyes showed, ?I?d hate to interrupt your little... date, but... Ah, who am I kidding, I?d love to.?
Riku rolled over to the side and when he came up, Soul Eater was already in his tight grip.
?Oh come on now, you know what?s going to happen,? Tenzu said, smiling sinisterly, ?Why not just put that thing down before you hurt yourself. And then come with me. We had this conversation last time. All we need is an atom, an inch of life left in you. In other words, I can destroy, demolish, traumatize, paralyze, disable, and maybe even sever something. As long as there?s a bit of life still left in you.?
A shiver went down Reina?s spine as she withdrew her dagger and sword combination as he said that. Riku, meanwhile, couldn?t care less. He knew most of it was a bluff.
Probably anyway.
Tenzu sighed, looking at Riku?s determined stare, ?Well, looks like I?ll have to put my money where my mouth is. Don?t say I didn?t warn you.?
