Yay, another update! This is kinda like where it starts getting rally juicy - war approaches! xD
Enjoy!
Minutes later, fully dressed, Tenten was walking around camp and passed by Ebisu's tent. Neji and Ebisu were arguing about something. Kiba ran right up to the tent to listen in, and Hinata hopped after him. Tenten stayed where she was, curious herself what was going on.
"You think your troops are ready to fight? Hah! They would never last even a minute against the Huns!" Ebisu scoffed. He had not developed the same respect for Neji as the other troops had lately – or perhaps it was more appropriate to say he had never developed any sense of respect for Neji at all.
"They've completed their training," Neji growled, something very near to a threat lacing his words. His voice was so low Tenten had to strain to be able to hear him.
"Those boys are no more fit to be soldiers than you to be captain," Ebisu responded, spitting out the word 'boys' as though he tasted something terrible so as to emphasize the insult. He continued, "Once the General reads my report, your troops will never see battle."
"Oh, no, you don't!" Kiba growled menacingly from outside the tent. "I have worked way too hard to get Tenten into this war!" He glanced down at Hinata and added, scowling, "This guy is doing his best to mess up my plan!"
Should Tenten never have a chance to prove herself in the war, Kiba would never get his pedestal back!
Back inside the tent, Ebisu had moved towards the exit, but Neji grabbed his shoulder.
"We're not finished," he said, controlled fury reflecting in his pale eyes.
Ebisu smiled condescendingly and lifted Neji's hand from his shoulder. "Be careful, Captain. General Hizashi may be your father, but I am Lord Hokage's advisor," he said.
He continued towards the tent exit, then couldn't resist adding another snide comment, "Oh, by the way: I got that job on my own." He held open one of the tent flaps for Neji. "You're dismissed."
Neji strode out, pushing aside the tent flap next to it to pass through instead of going through the part Ebisu had pulled open, his own way of saying he didn't respect Ebisu in the least, either.
Tenten was almost directly in the path Neji chose to take, so she got a pretty good look at the angry yet attempted stoic look on her commanding officer's face. She had to try and say something to cheer him up.
"Hey, I'll hold him, and you punch!" she said as he walked by, pitching her voice low in her imitation of a man's. She pounded her fist into her other hand to emphasize her words, chuckling.
Neji barely spared her a glance as he walked passed.
"Or not..." Tenten muttered. Then she called out sincerely, forgetting to disguise her voice, "For what it's worth, I think you're a great captain!"
Neji paused and looked back at her for a moment. But before she could read the new expression he wore, he turned forward again and kept walking.
Tenten was unaware of the smile on her own face until Kiba cleared his throat down at her feet. She looked down at him.
"I saw that," Kiba said, crossing his arms.
She arched an eyebrow. "What?"
"You like him, don't you?" Kiba asked, a sly grin forming.
"I..." Tenten inwardly cringed. She couldn't say yes. He was her captain, and not to mention he thought she was a boy. "No!"
Kiba wasn't impressed, or convinced. "Yeah, uh-huh, sure. GO to your TENT!" he ordered.
Tenten sighed and turned to do so, but not before sneaking one last glance to where Neji had disappeared to. A small smile was directed to no one in particular as she continued to her tent.
Once she had left, Kiba turned to Hinata and whispered, "I think it's time we took this war into our own hands." Hinata glanced incomprehensively at her own tiny hands as Kiba explained his idea to her.
Ebisu strolled out of his tent, dressed in a towel and slippers, hair covered in a towel, and another towel slung over his shoulder. He hummed as he made his way down to the river to bathe.
Meanwhile, Kiba sneaked into the tent the moment he left. Hinata hesitated, but she followed when Kiba beckoned to her.
Inside, Hinata put her part of Kiba's plan into action. By dipping her feet into ink and jumping all around a piece of paper, she made an effective typewriter. Kiba read aloud what she was writing.
"Dear Son,
"We are waiting for the Huns at the pass, and it would really mean a lot if you would come and back us up.
"Your father, General Hizashi"
Kiba made a show of considering. "Hm, not bad. But you left out 'and since we're out of rice balls, perhaps you wouldn't mind bringing up some'." Kiba crumpled the paper, aggravated, and tossed it over his shoulder. "Hinata, we're in the army here! Make it sound more urgent," he demanded.
Hinata saluted and nodded, hurrying to write out something better.
Minutes later, Kiba grinned and said with approval, "Better; much better! Now, let's go." He snatched up the paper and took off.
Shino was minding his own business, getting a drink, when he felt someone on his back.
"Shino, hey pal, we need a ride," Kiba said. Before he could get any further, however, Shino squirted water at him, causing him to lose his balance and fall from the horse's back onto the ground. A simple glance Hinata's way was all she needed to slowly leave.
"Insubordinate ruffians," Ebisu complained, walking away from the river and the laughter heard from the soldiers there. "You men owe me a new pair of slippers!" he called, shaking one of his slippers that had been soaked thoroughly. His comment was only met with more laughter from those who had heard him.
Ebisu sniffed and continued on his way back to camp. "And I do not squeal like a girl," he muttered, not quite watching where he was going.
And so he promptly squealed like a girl when a panda bear ate his slipper.
Sitting atop the panda was a scarecrow dressed in Konoha's army uniform. Kiba sat behind it and used long sticks to control its arm motions, and Hinata sat inside its nearly completely covered mouth.
"Urgent news from the general!" Kiba announced, pitching his voice as low as it could go. Hinata caused the dummy's mouth to move as Kiba spoke. He then made it hold out Hinata's paper rolled into a scroll.
Instead of taking it, Ebisu looked mistrustfully and suspiciously down at the panda.
"What's the matter? You've never seen a black and white before?" Kiba demanded, trying not to let anxiety show in his voice. He shook the scroll, trying to draw Ebisu's attention to it.
After debating a moment, Ebisu accepted the scroll but didn't open it. He instead tried to get a better look at the scarecrow. "Who are you?"
"Excuse me?" Kiba asked, sounding insulted as he dropped the fake voice. "I think the question is who are you?" He poked Ebisu in the chest and then slapped him in the face.
"We are in a war," Kiba continued outrageously. "There's no time for stupid questions!"
The panda began to walk away, so Kiba twisted the upper body of the dummy around so Ebisu wouldn't see him behind it. He continued talking however, as a reason why he had turned around. "I should have your hat for that! Snatch it right off your head."
Kiba, with the scarecrow's arm and hand, made an attempt to grab said hat Ebisu was wearing. He missed, being carried farther away by the second since the panda continued walking.
"But I'm feeling gracious today, so carry on before I report you!" he called finally. The panda bear climbed a nearby tree, taking dragon, cricket, and dummy out of sight with him.
Towards the end, Ebisu had tuned Kiba out to read the letter. When he looked up with a panicked expression, the mysterious messenger was nowhere to be found. He ran to camp and found Neji.
"Captain!" For once, the title wasn't used in a mocking way. Neji turned to watch Ebisu run up to him.
"Urgent news from the general!" Ebisu gasped, thrusting the scroll Neji's way. "We're needed at the front!"
Several yards away, Kiba and Hinata listened in. At the last thing Ebisu said, Kiba offered Hinata a high five, for which she had to jump up to return.
"Pack your bags, Hinata – we're moving out!" Kiba declared. Hinata chirped happily.
So, you like? 83 Review, or we'll sic the panda on you! xD