The short stories continue!

Scroll 9.2: Stalker-San

Ezi decided she would return to the ship, but she was intercepted by Sonic in the village.

"Hey, help me find Naruto." He had decided he would recruit her on his quest for the obnoxious child.

"No. I need to go train."

"Why? You're not still planning on..?"

"Fighting Sephiroth?" She looked at the ground. "I just want to get stronger anyway. That match against Aritob was way too close."

"It's more than what I had expected."

She looked at him. "Sorry I didn't tell you."

"You did what you had to do."

She nodded.

"I'll find Naruto. Later!" He winked and she watched the blue line vein down the road. He zoomed to the ramen shop Naruto had mentioned, but he wasn't there. The clerk was an aged man that said Naruto lived in one of the complexes nearby on his own. Some of his neighbors called out his place by stating the loud tenant was in one of the third floors of the circular apartment zone. He found it quite easily: the address number had been scratched off on the door, the door was unlocked, and there were milk cartons and glass bowls with shriveled pieces of noodles sprawled on the floor. Naruto was nowhere in sight.

He tapped his foot on the floor at an incredible pace, wrote something on a tiny wrinkled piece of paper, placed it on the table and then he dashed out.

As his search ran dreary, Ezi headed to the gates of the village. She turned around, expecting to see the blue blur had run out of luck searching for their friend, but it was another endearing form before her.

"Oh, hello again." She smiled.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you in the village again." It was Kabuto.

She found it peculiar that he had found her again, his unusual desire to be there.

"I saw you and Sonic down the road. I just finished my shift at the medical clinic."

"How's your ear?"

"Oh, its alright. My hearing has returned bit by bit since then." He smiled. "Congratulations on the preliminaries."

"Thank you." She nodded. "Well, I'd better get going-"

"You find it strange, don't you?"

She grew stiff.

"That I found you again, right?"

"Well, I, uh-"

"I found it strange, too. I thought you had left the hidden leaf and I'd seen the last of you and your friends. When I saw you, I felt a little joy, so I just thought I'd say hi." He sauntered by her towards the opened gate. "I'm off to my hut on the outskirts. Maybe we'll see each other again sometime."

"Yeah, maybe so." She felt relieved. He hadn't enforced some long conversation upon either of them, and now she could get focused. She hopped through the thick, tall trees that resembled pine, until she found the watering hole Amy and Cream were cleaning dishes at.

She enhanced upon the tranquil sunlight rays cutting through the green trees, the cool crystal water that rushed through the woods, and the quiet nature upon their settlement. Then a black wing spanned over her head into her mind, and she thought of the dark enemy she had yet to face.

Cream screamed.

"Cream! Oh my god!" Amy tripped over the mud as she tried to reach for something in the air, and Ezi noticed Cream was gone.

"Cream?" Ezi scoured her eyes through the treetops, until she could see a tint of dark hopping away into the leaves. She sprang up and ran up the tree, following the dashing and wind that had been caused by the escaping kidnapper.

Her anxiety punctured her chest and rushed to her legs. She scanned all over and cried out to her rabbit friend, and she could hear her desperate, squeaky yelps for help in the distance. Her worry lengthened as the voice in dismay faded and echoed away.

She froze. Yoroi was standing above her in a tree branch with Cream crammed beside him under one arm.

"Let her go!"

"Sorry, no can do." The man in the dark glasses replied. "You will tell me your village's secrets, or you will forfeit her life."

"Secrets? I have nothing to say!"

"Maybe you will reconsider if you don't wish to find her body in a pit somewhere!" Yoroi turned and ran again.

"No!" She ran up and chased the trees. "Cream, Cream! Answer me!"

There was a moment of quiet, but she heard a man grunt, and the tussling of leaves and branches. She stepped into a clearing, and she found Cream hiding behind Kabuto Yakushi, whose back was facing her. Yoroi was scrambling away on the grass, kicking to get back up on his feet.

"Cream!" The bunny ran over to her and embraced her. Yoroi grumbled something and took off.

"Oh, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay." She sounded calm. Ezi patted and stroked the top of her head, then she looked to Kabuto, who had helped them.

"Ezi!" Their friends from the ship raced in behind her.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Inuyasha snarled.

"He… he saved Cream." She managed to say, still concerned by his presence.

"He did what?" Rouge sounded shocked.

"Alright, I've heard enough." Inuyasha pulled out his sword in one swift motion and moved it into Kabuto's face. He stepped back with wide eyes. "You're coming with us!"

~….~

Everyone encircled him as they began to interrogate him in one of the blue rooms inside the Typhoon. Kabuto sat with his palms pressed on the sides of the metal chair like a child in time out.

"Inuyasha, do you think you should have brought him here?" Sango pressed.

"Of course! He already saw the ship. Now, start talking! How come you saved Cream?"

"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it? Why would I let some rogue ninja harm a potential member of a new allied nation?"

"Rogue? Wasn't he your team mate in the exams?" Shadow sounded as if he were outraged for some reason.
"Ah, I'm sure you all noticed I am a medical ninja. I don't work with a team usually. Every year I've tried the exams I've worked with different teammates. I had barely worked with Yoroi before the exams. He just recently went rogue, but I didn't realize it until now."

"Why is that?"

"A man in purple attacked Sasuke Uchiha while he was still bedridden during the preliminaries. It was just a rumor, but the ninja went rogue. I guess it was Yoroi after all. He must have wanted your secrets for some other village."

"How did you know to be there in time to save Cream?" Shadow folded his arms. It was a brilliant question, and everyone turned to Kabuto for an answer.

He sighed, a nauseous look on his features. "I was… following Ezi."

"What?" She rang out.

"Gees, stalker much?" Amy added.

"No, it wasn't like that. I admit I found you all likable when we first met. But, then I saw you all again in the village today. It was too much of a coincidence to me. Before I am a medical ninja, I am devoted to the Hidden Leaf, so when I saw you again I decided to follow you. I saw the ship, but then my instincts kicked in when I saw Yoroi abduct your little friend."

"That sounds very logical…" Shippo said, but sounding suspicious.

"Kakashi said something like when he followed us too." Tails added.

"Well, I don't know what else to say to convince you I'm on your side here…" He chuckled lightly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Huddle!" Amy declared. Everyone swiveled to the other end of the small room and hushed in a small circle.

"What should we do? We can't risk him telling anyone about our ship!"

"We could always put the reflective barrier up, but that takes a lot of energy." Tails squinted his eyes for an idea.

"He doesn't have to know that, though! If he tells the village, we can keep a lookout and make sure no one sees it with the shield!"

Kabuto cleared his throat, and everyone stood up straight to turn and see him.

"I don't know what you're hiding, but if you're still discussing it, it must mean you don't want to have to hurt me."

"We're just figuring out what's more convenient for us." Shadow answered.

"To be honest, I don't really even know what this place is. Who am I supposed to tell, and what about?"

There was a pause, then Rouge spoke: "Well, we might as well tell him the details since the dog demon decided to drag him here in first place."

"Tell me what?" He shifted his dark eyes between them. "Who are you all?"

"We're monster slayers, and heroes, and travelers from other worlds." Ezi answered.

"Other, worlds?"

"Yeah buddy." Sonic answered. "If you hadn't notice, we're not all that normal looking. I mean, talking animals? Giant spaceship?"

"Is that what this large vessel is? We have technology, but never have I seen anything this complex."

"It's a 7 powered engine highly operable space ship: Code name Blue Typhoon." Tails said proudly.

"This giant thing is a spaceship?"

"Believe what you want." Ezi shrugged. "But, there's a reason we're hesitant to let you go. The truth is we need some time before we can fly back to our world. So, we pretended to be a village. It was a lot easier than explaining we were from another planet entirely."

"Yeah, we have no beef with your village or anyone here, really." Sonic added.

"You all just want to return to your world, then?" Kabuto pushed his glasses up. "Eh, it is a bizarre truth, but you're right: There's no one like you and your friends around here, Sonic. And, if Kakashi hasn't said anything, that means he trusts you all."

"So, now what do we do?" Inuyasha asked aloud.

"What can I do to make you believe I won't alert the authorities of your peculiar… predicament?"

"What reason do we have to believe you'll keep our little secret? Like Kakashi?" Shadow awaited for a perfect response.

Kabuto sighed. He rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses and decided to speak.

"I really do like you guys. It's not just because you saved our village. I began to find my life boring, and even sought escape, even though the work I do in the medical unit is essential. I didn't appreciate it as much until you all came along. When the demon attacked, I thought my boring life was over. To see you spring into action and protect something I didn't realize was so important, my peaceful village; it knocked some sense into me."

"Oh, you're welcome?" Ezi replied.

"This is a waste of my time." Sonic had his arms behind his head as he swayed left and right smoothly. "Let him go."

"Are you crazy?" Knuckles snapped.

"Look, he wanted to help us before the exams, he helped my team win the second exam, and he saved Cream's life. If he wanted to harm us or our plan of getting home, he'd have done it by now."

"You have a point, Sonic." Tails said. "If he wanted to alert his village, he would have taken off instead of try to help Cream."

"That doesn't mean anything." Shadow insisted.

"It means everything." Sonic retorted. "Look, Kabuto's just a helping hand. We don't need to be paranoid. Besides, we have precautions that will work if he tries to tell anyone."

Ezi smiled. Sonic was saying this in front of Kabuto, even though they did not have any precautions really.

"I say, we let him loose. Do any of us really want to take care of a prisoner on board while we're stuck here for a month anyway?"

No one said anything.

Kabuto stood quickly and clapped his hands together. "Then, you all trust me? Thank you."

"Don't be too happy just yet." Shadow said.

"Well, can I at least be relieved? And, if you needed any information that may help in you returning to your home, I'd be happy to help. I actually have a small medical hut outside of the village, so you guys can come by anytime if you need help."

It was decided and Kabuto went about his business. Everyone had continued their plans for the day in hopes he would keep his word. The day went by and another moment of turmoil was being set into motion for the Village Hidden in the Sun.

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Naruto was exhausted from his training that day with Jariyah. His house was dark when he returned home that night, thinking of the training he would be faced with tomorrow. When he switched the light on, his house was quiet, and miserably dirty. He thought about eating cup noodles and milk when noticed a strip of paper written in blue pen on his table covered in trash.

There was a goofy face of a blue hedgehog smiling, and it read "Sonic was here".

Naruto smiled, matching the picture. He would have to train the little blue rat before the finals.

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To Be Continued!