Shino and the Legend of the One-Eyed Phantom Shinobi
Summary: Is the creepiest genin in Konoha playing a trick on Naruto and teams 8 and 10 along with Neji and Rock Lee, or is there really a One-Eyed Phantom Shinobi?
It is the Fall Festival and the genin exams are approaching their conclusion. Naruto decides to hang out with teams 8 and 10 along with Neji and Lee in a secluded clearing. Shikamaru, as usual, is bored
"Man what a drag. I say ban all festivals if they're this lame."
"They say people who are always bored are the most boring people to be around Shikamaru."
"Like you would know Neji," Shikamaru retorted.
"You have to be the dullest human being to ever crawl out of Konoha village."
"Guys!" shouted Ino. "Calm down. We're here to relax not fight. I say we each take turns telling ghost stories."
Kiba snorted. "Ghost stories? Really? You think we look eight years old to you?"
'Nam! Nam! Nam! Burp!' "Yeah Ino," said Choji tossing the huge bone he had been gnawing on away. "Like a girl would know anything scary."
Ino glared at him. "It just so happens I know a very scary story that also happens to be true."
Choji and Naruto laughed. "Yeah right let's hear it." They both sat on the same log, Naruto pilfering from Choji's enormous bag of food whenever Choji wasn't looking.
"All right," warned Ino. "But if you pee your pants don't whine about it to me."
Ino stood up and walked to one of the barrel fires. It was a cold gray day. A steely mass of clouds marched across the sky, some clouds wedge-shaped like mailed fists ready to pound the surface of the earth into submission. Fire light flickered across Ino's face.
"This story," she began. "Is about a friend my cousin used to know in a village not far from Konoha. This friend had an older sister who was murdered by a jealous boyfriend. The girl inherited all her sister's possessions including her most prized object: a full length mirror. The girl would gaze at her reflection for hours. She had quickly forgotten about her sister and only cared for how beautiful she assumed she was.
One day while gazing in the mirror she noticed a cedar chest sitting at the front of her bed. She recognized that chest. It had belonged to her sister. But she had sold or given away nearly all that her sister owned months ago. Frightened she turned around but the chest wasn't there. She turned again to the mirror but the chest had vanished. In fear the girl would not look in the mirror for the rest of the day.
But by the next morning she had forgotten about the chest. She gazed in the mirror amazed how beautiful she was. Then she shrieked! In the mirror her bed was not hers but her sister's. She turned her back to the mirror. The room was like it should be.
'I won't look in that mirror again,' she thought to herself. 'In fact I'll get rid of it. It's cursed.'
For a week she did not look into the mirror, a mirror she could not force herself to get rid of. Then one day she couldn't resist. 'I'll just take a quick peek,' she thought. There was this really cute boy that had just moved into the village. He owned a fancy boat and she just knew he was going to ask her out for a boat ride that very day. She looked into the mirror."
"NOOOOO!" wailed Naruto and Choji.
"Would you two shut it!" cried Kiba.
"Yes she looked!" continued Ino. "She looked and to her horror all her sister's possessions were inside the mirror, her room now belonged to her sister! And just when the girl was about to scream cold clammy hands clamped around her mouth."
"Hello Sister."
"OH MY GOD!" Naruto and Choji were holding on to each other and crying like babies.
"Classic," admired Shikamaru no longer bored. "This might be a decent Fall Festival after all."
"Pathetic," said a voice that sounded like the flight of a thousand locusts. The voice came from beyond the light of the burning fires. "Just pathetic. You two blubbering halfwits don't' deserve to be called ninjas."
"B…but Shino," stuttered Hinata. "Th..the story was a little scary."
Shino make a noise as if he swallowed one of his bugs. "A story about a stuck-up girl who got what she deserved is not a scary story. A story about a shinobi who was killed for the Kekkei Genkai he possessed and the revenge he took is a truly frightening tale."
"What are you talking about Shino?" said Kiba.
"As long as I've known you the only thing scary coming from you was yourself."
"Well then." Shino moved into the light. His face was covered except for his dark glasses that glinted from the red light of the fire. He looked more insect than human. "Well then if Choji and Naruto are sure not to defecate themselves I'll begin the tale."
"Hey!" shouted Naruto feeling extremely embarrassed that Ino had scared him. "That first story didn't frighten me. I was just making sure that Choji didn't keel over from heart failure."
"Liar," growled Choji.
Shino ignored them both. "This is the Tale of the One-Eyed Phantom Shinobi of Kwaidon Castle."
"Wait," said Shikamaru. "That old castle just a few miles from here? That place isn't haunted."
"If someone interrupts me one more time," hissed Shino. "I am going to become very angry."
"Okay, okay," replied Shikamaru looking bored again.
"The One-Eyed Shinobi was blessed with ocular power stronger than both Byakugan and Sharingan combined."
Neji snorted in disbelief.
"The power of the eye, the only eye the shinobi had been born with, could enslave men's minds causing them to obey his every whim. But the shinobi sought wisdom not power. From his cave he wove himself into the fabric of the world causing harm to no one and finding inner peace.
But a powerful Daimyo knew about the great power of the Kekkei Genkai. He hungered for it. At night, while the noble shinobi slept, the Daimyo's samurai seized him. With a red hot knife the Daimyo carved the eye out of the Shinobi's skull. As Daimyo and samurai make their way back to Kwaidon Castle they left the Shinobi's body behind believing he was dead. To use the eye the Daimyo was prepared to have his right eye cut out and replaced by the Shinobi's. But as the knife came down a mighty wind shook the castle. Screams were heard from the floors below and the screams grew louder and closer. Suddenly the door to the Daimyo's chamber flew open. It was the Shinobi without his eye but still somehow able to see.
'Cut him down!' shouted the Daimyo. 'It's nothing but a walking corpse!' The Samurai, the same ones who had killed the shinobi while he slept, were no match for the awakened ninja. With a grim determination he sliced the heads off the samurai leaving them in a grisly pile.
'You have something of mine,' he told the Daimyo.
'Go to hell!' The Daimyo cut his own eye out and, screaming in pain, put the Shinobi's eye in. Like a crimson star the eye shone bright. The Daimyo laughed in triumph.
'Kneel, slave,' he ordered the Shinobi, the only one else left alive in the castle.
But the Shinobi did not kneel for he had no eyes to see the crimson eye. With breath taking swiftness he was upon the Daimyo and with a stroke cut his head off. But the Daimyo's lips still moved: 'I curse you Shinobi and your damn eye. You will never free it form this head you hold in your hands,' and he laughed, a laugh that still can be heard coming from Kwaidon Castle where the Phantom Shinobi still roams carrying the head that bears his all-powerful eye."
There was a brief silence.
"Ino's story was scarier," pronounced Choji scarfing down a loaf of bread loaded with cheese.
"Yeah, Shino," said Naruto. "Whoever heard of a One-Eyed Shinobi?"
The others agreed with Naruto.
"Pretty lame Shino," commented Kiba.
Shino appeared angry but he replied in a calm voice. "The story is true. This is the night the Shinobi lost his eye. He will rage through the castle trying to break the Daimyo's curse."
"Sure," yawned Shikamaru. "Whatever you say Buddy."
"Then I dare you, each and everyone here, to go to that castle and stay there till midnight in total darkness."
"YESSS!" Rock Lee stood up waving his fists. "These stories have made me sleepy. A nice refreshing trip to this Kwaidon Castle is just what we need to stay in peak physical form."
"Hold on there Lee," said Shikamaru. "No need to go all gung ho for nothing."
"Shikamaru is right," replied Neji. "There is no Kekkei Genkai such as Shino described."
"You call me a liar, Neji," said Shino. "And I all you a coward."
Neji looked as if he was about to attack Shino but Ino stood up.
"Let us all go. It will be an adventure."
Hinata stood up nervously. "Naruto do you…..do you want to go?"
Naruto stretched out his arms. "Sure why not." He let out a big yawn.
"I'm going," said Kiba standing up. "How about you Choji?"
Munch, munch, munch. "Yeah but we better hurry, my bag's empty and I'm starting to get hungry."
"Why not," said Shikamaru standing up as well. "Got nothing better on my busy schedule than to waste a few hours in a run down castle. Neji you coming?"
Arms folded Neji nodded.
"All right then," said Shino. "Follow me."
Darkness had fallen. The clouds had lifted allowing stabbing rays of white moonlight to shine on a narrow path. Shino led the others who were laughing at him behind his back.
"I say bug boy has lost it," Naruto whispered to Choji.
"I don't know," said Kiba. "Shino may have some sort of trick up his sleeve."
The path continued until it abruptly stopped. There was a sheer drop off. A stony cliff that led down to a secluded valley on a rock hill in the center of the valley stood a forlorn castle.
"I forgot how desolate this place was," said Shikamaru.
A full moon frowned down at the castle, moonlight shrouding it like an eerie tomb. Then clouds floated across the moon transforming the castle into an awakened demon with crooked turrets for claws, and empty windows for eyes.
"Th…that's a long way down," whimpered Hinata staring down the cliff.
"Hiya!" Rock Lee leapt over the cliff. "Last one down has to smell Naruto's stinky feet!" He shouted from below.
"Hey! My feet don't stink!" Naruto undid his shoe and Kiba and Choji, who stood near him, gagged.
"I'm not going to be last!" they cried going over the cliff.
"That's funny guys." Naruto put his shoe back on and followed them. As he scaled down the cliff he met Hinata. One of her hands clutched precariously on a rock while the other dangled in the air. She began to slip.
"Hold on Hinata!" Naruto hurried toward her. "Just put your arms around me."
"Oh….I…." If Naruto had noticed he would have seen Hinata's face go beet-red as she put her arms around him.
"Okay, here we go." It took longer with Hinata hanging onto his back to get to the bottom. Just a few feet away from level ground Naruto said: "Jump off Hinata. I don't want you to have to smell my feet."
"I don't think they stink," replied Hinata before she jumped down making Naruto last.
"Well that was anti-climatic," said Shikamaru waiting with the others at the bottom. "Naruto is used to his smelly feet."
"Come on," ordered Shino. They followed him across a neglected rad covered with jagged rocks.
"Does anything live here?" wondered Ino. The valley was completely desolate with not even weeds growing.
As if in answer to Ino's question a hair-raising howl pierced the night. Several of the young ninjas jumped.
"Wh..what the heck was that?" said Choji.
"They call it a wolf bat," answered Neji. "They are rumored to seek haunted ground to make their dens."
Kiba spoke up. "Haunted? So that proves Shino was telling the truth."
"It proves nothing," replied Neji. "The wolf bat is just an evolutionary dead end. The fact that it make it's home in an unfecund* environment proves it."
Naruto had no idea what Neji just said.
"Neji thinks he's so smart," he griped to Choji.
"Yeah," said Choji. "Except for Shikamaru I hate all smart people."
The castle loomed closer. By its appearance one could tell it had been built with pride. But now it was only a hollowed out carcass of stone and mortar.
Shino make straight for a rusty iron door. "Everyone take out your flashlights and anything else that can help you see in the dark."
"What?!" shouted Shikamaru his voice echoing and reverberating off the stone. "You want us to go into this rat trap blind?"
"All the better to witness the One Eyed Shinobi and the skull he carries," answered Shino. "Oh, I forgot. You don't believe my story. This is just a run down castle to explore with flashlights and snarky remarks."
"Let me get this straight," said Neji. "We have to leave all our flashlights with you as part of your so called dare?"
"That's correct Neji."
Grumbling, the ninjas (except for Rock Lee who cheerfully gave up his) handed their flashlights over to Shino.
"You have two more Choji," hissed Shino.
"What? I do not! Ow! A bug just bit me!"
"That's how I know you have those flashlights. Hand them over Fat Boy."
Huffing in anger Choji threw the small flashlights at Shino who caught them deftley*in his hands and placed them with the other flashlights. Then with a long, slow creak he opened the iron door.
"Go in."
Naruto felt his stomach give a backflip as he walked through the door. The inside of the castle was as dark as a cave.
"You have till midnight." Shino shut the door. There was a scraping sound followed by the acrid scent of sulpher. Light appeared between Shikamaru's fingertips.
"Matches!" exclaimed Kiba. "How did you sneak those past bug boy?"
"I have them concealed in a lead-lined pouch. Not even Shino's bugs can sense them."
Naruto felt relieved. Shikamaru had plenty of matches. He guided them through what appeared to be a vast hall. Banners, swords, and helmets of a once great family hung rusted and tattered on red-stained walls.
"So a great Daimyo did live here," said Neji.
"Yes," replied Shikamaru. "Shino didn't make up that part of the story. But the family died off a long time ago."
They passed through several rooms and saw nothing scarier than rats and spiders.
"That Shino," complained Choji his stomach rumbling. "Sends us off on a wild goose chase while I'm starving to death."
"Yeah," said Shikamaru sounding really bored. His match burned out. Before he could light another groan shook the darkness.
"What the heck was that?!"
"It came from over there!"
"No, there!"
"Shikamaru hurry up and light another match!"
"I'm trying! I just can't seem to …Oh found it. Damn that wasn't it."
A louder groan followed by grunting noises."
"SHIKAMARU!"
"Here it is." Shikamaru lit the match. They were in a what looked like a bed chamber.
"AAAWOOOOAAAAAA!"
"There! In that closet!"
"Open it Naruto," urged Kiba. "You're right next to it."
Naruto shook his head. "No way!"
"I'll do it," said Ino. She crept toward the groaning closet.
"Okay," said Shikamaru. "I'll count to three. When Ino opens the door we dog pile on whoever is in there. One. Two. THREE!"
Ino flung open the door.
"OH IT IS SO HIDEOUS!" Naruto, Kiba, and Choji cried.
"Guy sensei!" shouted Rock Lee.
It was Might Guy dressed only in his boxer shorts and suspended upside down his feet hanging on a steel bar.
Guy opened his eyes "Oh, Lee." He did a somersault and landed on his feet. He frowned at the group of genin.
"Don't you know this castle is off limits to genin such as yourselves?"
"Shino dared us to go inside," answered Rock Lee. "He told us the tale of the One Eyed Phantom Shinobi."
Guy wriggled his big eyebrows. "The Tale of the what now?"
"Some made up malarkey that was obviously not true," said Shikamaru. "Ow!" His match burned out scorching his fingers. In the darkness a single red eye shone.
"AHHHHH! THE PHANTOM SHINOBI!"
"Don't panic kids!" ordered Might Guy. "There are no such things as phantoms."
But the genin weren't listening. They ran in terror from the red eye that bobbed and weaved in the darkness. A terrible scream came form the ceiling.
"All right Phantom!" Guy shouted. "You have met your match as soon as I find where I placed my flashlight."
The screams grew louder.
"Okay," said Guy. "Forget the flashlight. Everyone run for your lives!"
But the genin were already way ahead of him. They stumbled through rooms yelling and cursing and bumping into who knew what. Naruto accidently bumped into Ino's breasts and got slugged in the eye. All that time the fierce red eye continued to stalk them.
"How do we get out of here?!"
"Over here! There's some light!"
Light seeped through cracks from what was likely a boarded up window. Everyone banged against the window but it was sealed by thick heavy boards.
"This is the time we use our heads!" shouted Guy.
"Exactly right sensei!"
"Lee, Come here."
"Yes sensei!"
When Rock Lee came close enough Guy hoisted him in the air. Using Lee's head as a battering ram he broke through the window.
Moonlight and the clear night air. Naruto, Neji, Hinata, Ino, Choji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Rock Lee, and Guy ran past Shino.
"It's not midnight yet!" Shino shouted.
"You win, Shino!" cried Shikamaru.
Shino stood for a long moment savoring the cool night air. The red, floating eyes sailed slowly toward him.
"Shino," said a familiar voice. "Didn't you tell those guys I was to demonstrate my see-in-the dark jutsu?" The red eye dimmed as Kakashi stood beside Shino.
Shino snickered. "I told them all right, Kakashi sensei. But apparently they didn't believe me."
END!
Authors note: *Unfecund- means not able to produce or capable of producing fruit and vegetation.
Deftly-means quick and neat in action.
I hope you enjoyed this short story and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!