A/N Looks like the gang is going brush hunting through the forest this time. Will they be able to find what they're looking for? Be sure to let me know what you think of my story. I do not own Johnny Test.

Chapter 3: Enemy in the Botha Forest

The hovercraft was now flying towards the continent of India. Johnny, Dukey, the twins and Isamu had first arrived at the Khamgaon, and then followed the GPS in the hovercraft to the Botha Forest. When they arrived to it, they remained hovering over it to figure out where to look.

Dukey: "This place is so big. How will we know where to start?"

Isamu: "Give me a minute…"

Johnny: "Hmm… hey, look! There's a big lake over there. Maybe that's where that brush thingy is."

Mary: "Well, it couldn't hurt to look."

Isamu: "And it seems like a good place as any to hide something."

Susan: "Then let's check it out."

The hovercraft lands in the forest, the kids, Dukey and Isamu climbed out and walked towards the lake. When they got close to it, Isamu begins examining the lake to see if he could find the brush that is used for Manabu's scroll. A few minutes later, he says,

Isamu: "Hmm… I don't see anything. It's probably very well hidden in the lake. We're going to have to go into it if we're gonna find the brush."

Mary: "Well, good thing that we packed that diving gear then."

Susan: "Right, but we only have enough diving gear for two to go into the lake. So, two of us will go in to find the brush while the rest will stay out here."

Isamu: "I will go. The search may go more smoothly if I were to look for it."

Johnny: "Hey, can I go too?"

Isamu: "You want to assist me in finding the brush, Johnny?"

Johnny: "That and I wanna see if there's anything cool in that lake."

Isamu: "I highly doubt of that."

Mary: "All right, now let's get you two suited up."

The twins strapped the diving gear on to Johnny and Isamu, and say,

Susan: "Okay, now listen up; there's enough oxygen in those tanks to keep you two in that lake for an hour. That's how long you two have got to find that brush."

Dukey: "But what if they end up not finding anything?"

Mary: "Then we'll just have to look somewhere else in the forest. You guys ready to go?"

Johnny and Isamu both did a thumbs-up as a response.

Mary: "Well then, good luck."

The two had dived in the lake, and began swimming around in it. At first, they couldn't find anything, but a few minutes later, Johnny noticed something peculiar in the lake. There was a very small hole in the dirt, which gave them an idea that there was something hidden through it. They started digging at the hole until it was big enough for both of them to swim in to. They swam into the hole, made their way through a long tunnel, and surfaced in a cave. They get out of the water, take off their masks, and Johnny says,

Johnny: "Wow, who would've guessed that there was a cave right in the middle of a lake?"

Isamu: "Well, apparently Manabu did. Hopefully we'll be able to find the brush he used for the scroll in here."

Johnny: "Yeah, so let's go."

They walked around for a while, and then they came across something at the end of it. Isamu picked it up and inspected it. After a while, Johnny says,

Johnny: "Sooo, whatcha got there, Isamu?"

Isamu: "I think we just found what we're looking for."

Johnny: "Say wha?"

Isamu: "While this may not be the whole thing, I believe that this is merely a piece of the brush.

Johnny: "A piece?"

Isamu: "Let me try to explain this to you. Before Manabu had lost control of his imagination, he must've known that he would sooner or later, which is why he made these clues and riddles for those that would want find his scroll, and once he had lost control, he must've had a part of him that was still sane enough to separate the brush into pieces after he did what he had to do, and then somehow managed to hide them in different locations and then hides the scroll afterwards."

Johnny: "Alright, then all we gotta do is find the rest of them. So, how do we do that?"

Isamu: "I… am not sure. There aren't any other clues around here, Johnny."

Johnny: "Hm… Hey, there's a button on that thing, and it's got a symbol on it. What does that symbol mean?"

Isamu: "Ah, it's a character that means "create". It must be how Manabu was able to operate the brush."

Isamu holds the piece to his eye sideways as he looks through one of its two holes to look inside of it.

Isamu: "Hmm… it appears that it was also made to carry something in the middle of the inside of it. I wonder…"

But then, Johnny's watch communicator started ringing, and Johnny answers saying,

Johnny: "Yello."

Susan: "Johnny! Isamu! Come in!"

Mary: "We're under attack! We're under attack!"

Dukey: "HEEELLLP!"

After that last scream, transmission got cut off.

Johnny: "Dukey? Susan? Mary? Guys? Hello? Uh-oh."

Isamu: "Quickly, Johnny! We've got to get out of this cave and help them!"

Johnny: "Right behind ya."

The two had rushed their out the way they came in the cave, swam back to the other side, got out of the lake, and sees signs of struggle around the area.

Johnny: "Aw man, where'd they go?"

Isamu: "I don't know, but it seems that someone had attacked them while we were searching for the brush. I'm starting to think that we're not the only ones after Manabu's scroll."

And then, two red dots started blinking on Johnny's watch.

Johnny: "Hmm? Hey, Isamu, look. Susan and Mary just activated their homing beacons."

Isamu: "Then we'll know exactly where they are. We'd better get back to the hovercraft and grab whatever we can that could help us save them."

Johnny: "Right. To the hovercraft!"

After they had taken off the diving gear and gotten some supplies from the hovercraft, which was the freeze blasters, a smoke grenade, a pair of binoculars, and the turbo action backpack, Johnny and Isamu followed to where the homing beacons were leading them. Eventually, they end up seeing a camp while on top of a hill. Isamu takes out the binoculars and uses it to search the camp.

Johnny: "You see anything, Isamu?"

Isamu: "Yes… some people. They don't appear to be friendly, though."

Johnny: "You think these guys are after the scroll, too?"

Isamu: "It would seem so. They might be the same people that took your sisters and Dukey."

Johnny: "You got that right. They're beacons are going off in the middle of it. Can you see them?"

Isamu: "Hmm… no. They must be inside one of the tents."

Johnny: "All right, then try it with this mode on."

Johnny flipped a switch on the binoculars, and Isamu was able to see what was inside the tents.

Isamu: "Oh. Impressive."

Johnny: "I know, right? So, can you see where they are now?"

Isamu: "I'm working on it."

Isamu looks at each of the tents until he finally sees them tied to a pole with a man standing in front of them.

Isamu: "There! I found them."

Johnny: "Where?"

Isamu: "That tent right there. They've been tied up inside it."

Johnny: "Yup, that figures."

Isamu: "There's someone else in it. Must be their leader."

But when the man turned to exit the tent, Isamu had gone wide-eyed, and gasps,

Isamu: "(Exclaims in Japanese)"

Johnny: "What? What happened? Who's the leader?"

Isamu: "Rokuro…"

Johnny: "Who?"

Isamu: "He used to be a friend of mine, before he had been sent to prison, because of me."

Johnny: "Say wha?"

Isamu: "Well, you see, years ago, Rokuro and I were both students of archeology, and good friends. We had shared many good times, but that had all ended when I caught him selling artifacts to the black market. I stopped him myself, and ever since that day, he had sworn revenge on me. It seems that he has found a way to do it."

Johnny: "Huh. You know, Isamu, for an archeologist, you seem to have a way to get involved with plenty of crazy people that would do anything for legends and treasures."

Isamu: "Well, that's archeology for you, Johnny. Running into greedy bandits and grave robbers comes with the job. Just like when we had dealt with Takeshi."

Johnny: "Yeah, no kidding. That guy was like a human bulldozer; nothing could keep that guy down, and I almost ended up with a knife in my head."

Isamu: "I remember. I still regret about how his time had ended…" (Looks through binoculars) "Hmm? What is that?"

Johnny: "What?"

Isamu: "Rokuro's carrying something. It looks like some kind of crystal or something. Hmm… well, in any case, we need to think of a way to get Dukey, Susan and Mary out of there."

Johnny: "Not to worry, I have a plan."

Isamu: "You do? Well then, let's hear it."

Johnny: "I can use the Turbo Action Backpack here to shrink us down, and I'll fly us into the camp, we sneak in to the tent the girls and Dukey are in, we free them, and we sneak right back outta there."

Isamu: "Hm, that'll work. We might also need to take that crystal Rokuro has. I've got a feeling that it's what makes Manabu's brush work."

Johnny: "Whatever you say. Let's do it!"

Johnny activates the shrink ray of the Turbo Action Backpack and shrinks themselves to the size of a fly. He picks up Isamu as he flew straight towards the camp. When they fly next to the tent that Mary, Susan and Dukey were being held hostage, Isamu's middle-aged old friend with short blond hair steps out wearing his bandana, t-shirt, vest, pants and boots. He puts the crystal in his pocket and walks away without a care in the world. As soon as he was gone, Johnny flies in the tent with Isamu, activates the shrink ray again to un-shrink themselves and lands on the floor.

Johnny: "Hey, guys."

Dukey: "Johnny! Isamu!"

Susan: "What took you two so long?"

Johnny: "Eh, just buzzing around."

The two had untied the twins and Dukey from the pole and Mary says,

Mary: "Guys, we've got a problem; that man that was just here a few seconds ago is the leader of all the goons here, and has the one thing that can make the brush of Manabu's scroll work."

Isamu: "I knew it. He is after the scroll, just like we are. Whatever happens, we must not let him get to it."

Dukey: "Yeah, considering the fact that he's got a whole army with him, it seems pretty obvious that we shouldn't let him have it."

Susan: "And Isamu, he was talking about you earlier, too. He sounded like he knew you very well."

Johnny: "Yeah, about that; Isamu was friends with him until he'd put him in jail."

Dukey, Mary and Susan: "Huh?"

Isamu: "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to find a way out of this camp and get-"

Suddenly, the tent was pulled down, and the gang was now completely surrounded by Rokuro's men that had rifles and knives.

Isamu: "…the crystal."

Johnny: "Whoa, didn't see that coming."

And then, Rokuro himself had stepped forward towards Isamu and the Test kids.

Rokuro: "Hello, Isamu. It's been too long."

Isamu: "Yes, it has, Rokuro."

Rokuro: "I see that you're still the same archeologist that you've always been since we last met. You even made some new friends. American friends, I might add."

Johnny: "How's it going?"

Isamu: "And I see that you haven't change at all since your time in prison."

Rokuro: "…Yes… all those years that I've spent rotting in jail… all because you put me there in the first place!"

Isamu: "You didn't leave me with any other choice! Those artifacts were supposed to be displayed in a museum, not sold like an old shoe to the black market, and you've done it behind my back, as well."

Rokuro: "Hmph, well, things have changed since then. Back then, for me, it was just for the money. But now, this is about revenge."

Johnny: "Uh, yeah, we've heard that whole "wanting revenge" speeches plenty of times before. So, could we just skip to the part where we start escaping from you dorks?"

Rokuro: "(Laughs) Oh, I'm afraid none of you will be escaping, flame-headed boy. Now, Isamu, I know that you have a piece of the brush with you. If you give it to me, I will show you and your friends some mercy. But if you choose not to… well, let's just say that my men here are anxious to show no mercy towards any of you."

They all started looking around as they see the men surrounding them had vicious looks on their faces and started whispering to each other.

Dukey: (Whispering) "Oh man. This is bad. This is very, very bad."

Susan: (Whispering) "Yeah, no kidding."

Mary: (Whispering) "Anyone got a plan?"

Johnny: (Whispering) "I do. Just be ready to run."

Isamu: (Whispering) "All right, then. Do it."

Johnny: "You're wrong, old man."

Rokuro: "I beg your pardon?"

Johnny: "Isamu doesn't have the piece. I do."

Rokuro: "Really?"

Johnny: "Yeah. You want it?"

Rokuro: "Indeed, I do."

Johnny: "Are you sure?"

Rokuro: "Yes!"

Johnny: "All right, then…"

Isamu looks at Johnny and sees him taking the smoke grenade from his back pocket, he pulls the pin, and says,

Johnny: "Catch!" (Tosses smoke grenade)

Rokuro catches it and by the time he realized what he caught, it was too late as Johnny shouts,

Johnny: "RUN!"

The grenade exploded and smoke was covering the whole area. Rokuro and his men were so busy coughing from the smoke that they didn't have time to notice that Isamu and the Test kids were escaping. When the smoke cleared, Rokuro looked around, sees them running away and shouts,

Rokuro: "GET THEM!"

His men started chasing them while firing at them. Johnny gives one of the freeze rays to Dukey and takes out the other one he had as they both used them to freeze some the goons that were after them. After a while of running, Isamu says,

Isamu: "What was it you were saying about sneaking out, Johnny?"

Dukey: "Sneaking out?"

Johnny: "What? It could've happened."

Susan: "There's the hovercraft!"

Mary: "We're almost outta here!"

When they reached the hovercraft, Johnny and Dukey froze a few more goons before they all hopped inside it, the twins started the engine and managed to fly away from the forest. Rokuro had watched them as they flew away, and started talking to himself as he says,

Rokuro: "You and your American friends may have escaped from me this time, Isamu, but I can assure you that it will not happen again the next time we meet, and I will have Manabu's scroll before you. That, I promise."

Meanwhile, Isamu and the Test kids have landed far away from the Botha and got out from the hovercraft.

Mary: "Nice quick thinking back there, Johnny."

Johnny: "Thanks."

Dukey: "And Isamu, what did Rokuro mean by "a piece of the brush"?"

Isamu: "Ah, yes, well, I believe Manabu had separated the brush into pieces and hidden them away somehow before he lost control of his imagination. Johnny and I managed to find one of them in a cave deep in the lake." (Takes out piece)

Susan: "Okay. So, any idea on how we're gonna find the other pieces?"

Isamu: "I'm afraid not. (Sighs) And I wish we could've gotten that crystal from Rokuro before we had gotten out of there."

Johnny: "Oh, you mean this thing?"

Johnny had taken out the very crystal that Rokuro had from his pocket.

Johnny: "I managed to snag this right after the grenade blew up in his face."

Isamu: "Ho, ho, well done, Johnny."

Dukey: "Yeah. Now Rokuro's got nothing."

Isamu: "Yes, but I highly doubt that he will give up on finding the scroll."

But suddenly, the crystal and piece of the brush started glowing and floating in the air. The piece disassembles itself as the crystal places itself inside it, and puts itself back together. Then lights shoot out from both sides of the piece and show two holograms of Japan and a set of numbers on them.

Johnny: "Whoa. Awesome."

Dukey: "Yeah, but what's all this about anyway?"

Isamu: "It must be showing us where the pieces of the brush are, and they appear to be in Japan."

Mary: "And those numbers must be coordinates that tell where we'll be able to find them."

The twins run to the hovercraft and type in the coordinates on it's computer to find out where they lead to, and say,

Susan: "Okay, we got it. It looks like two more of the pieces are in Tokyo. One is in a museum, and another is in a library."

Mary: "Looks like we'll have to split into two teams on this one. That way we can get all get the pieces before Rokuro gets to either one before us."

Isamu: "Right, then let's get to it. Children, we're going to Tokyo."

TO BE CONTINUED