A/n: Wow, thanks for the reviews, guys! It's nice to be appreciated.
Special thanks to... Rael-Lirdu, FlamingWolfGirl, Brazilian Phoenix, BloOdY-JoKeR, Dark Kaiser, dark alley, Yasashii Tenshi, the chibi pink wolf, Arlia Hiwatari, ILoveAnime89
Okay, this chapter is written in the spur of the moment. No planning, no thinking. Just jumping straight into it. So forgive me if it's less than expected. Like I said, people! Feed me with ideas! Anyway on with the story!
Chapter 11 – Reptile Boy
"I can't thank you enough for your help, Master Kanzaki."
Smiling fondly at the young teenagers that have occupied his household for the last past one week, Kanzaki reached out and shook the hand Max offered. "As I you, Max. You're a good student and I'm proud to be your master."
They bowed to each other one final time before Max lifted his bag and hurried over to where the others were biding goodbye to Anna. They had already said their gratitude to Kanzaki but saying farewell to a child was never easy. Anna however shed no tear as she hugged Sakura.
"It was fun having you here." she said, beaming softly.
"You were fun to be with, Anna." Tyson assured her as he ruffled her hair.
"Maxie!" the little girl cried when he joined them. Her short arms reached out for a hug.
He complied happily, giving her a peck on her forehead as he released her. "You be good, okay? Take care of your dad for me and train hard."
"I promise." she nodded vigorously. "And when you come back someday, I'll fight with you then!"
Max laughed. "We'll see."
Then they were off, traveling down a dirt road that will take them to the next village within five days. A short cut according to Kanzaki. Tyson was raving on and on about how far apart the villages were and Sakura was patiently or not so patiently trying to explain that it was defense purposes. Kai was on the verge of a severe migraine by the time noon came around. But then again, he was getting a lot of headaches lately.
Must be the stress...
"She's nice, isn't she?"
Kai looked at Ray, confused for a second of who he spoke off. "What?"
The neko-jin nodded his head towards where Sakura was explaining to Tyson the order of the ninja rankings. Again. Kai would think the only reason she was tolerating Tyson's lack of intelligence was because of Sasuke who had joined in when Tyson didn't understand her for the fifth time. Apparently Ray has yet to realize that patience wasn't one of Sakura's strongest values unless with younger children. How could he miss the way she beats up on Naruto every time he makes fun of Sasuke? And more importantly could Ray not see that she has a crush on the latter boy?
"I mean, where does she get all that patience to deal with someone like Tyson? If it was me in her shoes, I would probably be strangling him by now." Ray continued cheerily.
"Somehow, Ray, I doubt you would look good in a dress."
"Wha...? Hey!" the Chinese boy actually looked offended and Kai could once again feel good after throwing crude remarks back at people. Usually with Jade, it was different story that always ended with a never-ending verbal war between the two.
And speaking of Jade...
"MAXIE!"
Her scream penetrated the peaceful lull of the forest causing terrified birds to scatter in the air as she gave chase after the laughing boy, leaving behind small puddles of water that dripped from her hair and face, courtesy of Max.
"You're so dead!" she snapped, drawing a kunai as she pounced on him, pinning him effectively.
Max was laughing so hard that he was practically gasping to breath. Tears of laughter ran down his cheeks, brought on by the sight of her drenched as he struggled uselessly under her. "Come on, Jade. I was just trying a new skill."
"That includes wetting me from head to toe?" she threatened, green eyes flashing.
"Uh...not really. Actually it involves slamming the bad guy to the ground and holding them in a prison of water but I guess I can't do that...yet...without Draciel...hehe." he giggled nervously which did not do much to help his situation.
"And since when do I qualify as a bad guy?" her eyes narrowed.
"I was just testing out my powers. And besides, Naruto dared me too."
That was all she needed to know to get off him. And Naruto found himself dodging and ducking half a dozen kunais and with a terrified whine, he scrambled to hide behind Ray, clinging on to the neko-jin for dear life.
"Moving would be a good idea, Ray." Jade said tightly.
He held up his palms in a defensive gesture, turning around to face her. "Hey, Jade. Chill out. Save your rage for the bad guys. I'm sure they will appreciate it more."
Snap!
Sticking out from the tree behind where Ray's head had been a second before if he hadn't moved, was a knife buried to the hilt. He stared at it in a daze. "What the...?"
"You mean like now?" she quipped, her mind registering the sudden attack.
A blush colored Sakura's cheeks when Sasuke stepped in front of Tyson and her, pulling out weapons in both hands as he scanned their surroundings. "Be careful." he cautioned.
Kai and Max drew their weapons at the ready, moving to protect Jade and Ray. Without warning, Sasuke's wrist snapped forward, releasing an attack of shurikens into the trees behind them. Two shadows dispersed from their hiding place and came to land before the group of teenagers, revealing themselves as two men cladded out in black. All that could be seen were their eyes for the rest of their body and face was covered by their ninja-like attire.
"Who are you? Why did you attack us?" Naruto demanded, first to step forward.
"You're trespassing into our land." one of the man answered, his voice muffled by the cloth covering his mouth.
"Trespassing?" Jade said incredulously. "We didn't see any sign that says 'keep out' or 'no trespassing'. As a matter a fact, I didn't see any thing that indicated that this is your land."
"That isn't necessary." the same man said. "Those who are wise will know that this path is forbidden during the month of the great Machida."
"Thanks a lot, Kanzaki." Kai murmured, rolling his eyes to the high heavens.
Naruto blinked. "I'm sorry. The great what was that again?"
"The great Machida." the ninja repeated
"Who or what is that?" Ray asked curiously.
The man looked at him, obviously surprised by Ray's odd features. "He's our god. We dedicate one whole month of fasting to him for a year of abundance and good harvest. Today, we fast. Tomorrow we celebrate for it is our last day."
"So you wouldn't mind if we just pass through." Max asked hopefully.
The man remained firm. "Unfortunately, laws are laws. You're to remain in our village until the month of fasting has past. Only then may you proceed."
"Which is tomorrow?" Tyson said. "I guess it would be cool to see what all this is about. How bout it, guys? Let's stay for one night, please?"
"Tyson..." Max began.
Without warning Sakura cried out, pointing at the other man who has yet to speak a single word throughout the entire conversation. "I'm sorry. I just can't take it any more! Doesn't he say anything?"
"Alas, no." his companion said. "My friend here has not uttered a word in years."
"Can't or doesn't want to?" the pink-haired girl asked.
He shrugged. "I have no idea. Now, do I have to drag you back to the village or will you come willingly?"
Sheathing his weapons, Sasuke looked at the man. "Looks like we don't have much of a choice anyway. Lead the way."
"Wise decision." nodding in approval, the man stepped forward. "But first, your weapons please."
"What! Hold on! No one said anything about giving up our weapons." Tyson snapped.
"My village will not risk enemy attacks. Now give me your weapons please." he insisted. When they remained reluctant, he added. "If you have nothing to hide, you're not heavy with guilt and nothing will happen to you. You will not need your weapons in my village."
Although still very reluctant, the teens surrendered their weapons and the weapon pouch to the man. Neatly, both men wrapped them in cloth and tied rope around the bundle to secure it. Once satisfied, they hefted it over their shoulders and started down an invisible path leading into the forest, indicating the teenagers to follow them as they did. Unarmed, they had no choice to do was requested.
They walked for hours, trudging behind the two men who despite the lack of path clearance seem to know where they were headed. Then the forest grew thinner and they could hear the sounds of people. They finally emerged before a small village that stood at the foot of a hill. At their arrival, all movements seem to halt as the villagers paused to stare at them while their silent tour-guide disappeared to nowhere.
"O-okay..." Tyson muttered under his breath. "Getting the sudden feeling of zoo animal here."
"You're one to speak." Ray replied also under his breath. "Why do I get the feeling I'm the main attraction?"
Mutters rose from whispers growing louder every second. It became pretty obvious that Ray was the topic of conversation. Comments were made of his yellow eyes and his fangs.
"I think they like you, Ray." Sasuke drawled.
He shifted uneasily. "Ya think?"
Even his subconscious movements drew attention and he couldn't help but wonder when they will start pouncing on him like he was cat-nip. Then after a few seconds of stare-downs or rather on Kai's part, glare downs that quickly frightened off several 'curious' male observers expressing interest in the dark-haired girl by his side, the crowd started to part and a young man stepped forward. He looked about twenty dressed in a blue robe with a certain air of authority surrounding him. His hair was platinum blonde, so fair it was translucent and almost white instead.
"Ah, what do we have here?" he remarked aloud reminding them of a ring master back at a circus back home. "Travelers from a distant land? What brings you here?"
"As I recall, we were forced here." Ray mumbled without thinking.
The man's eyes fell upon him and instinctively widened in amazement. "A neko-jin." he breathed.
"And getting that creepy feeling again." Tyson announced, noting the way the man was looking at his friend. That guy wouldn't happen to be...gay, would he?
"It has been so long since our people has seen one of your kind, neko-jin." the man who seemed to be the chief of the village said in the same tone of awe. "Our god has truly blessed us by sending you to us."
Ray's jaw would have hit the ground if it wasn't hinged by his bones. "Wha--?" okay, this has gone from creepy to just plain we-better-get-the-hell-out-of-here!
"We were just passing through." Naruto jumped in.
"It wasn't by chance that the god would send you to us at this time, at the end of our fasting." the young man insisted. "Come. You must grace us with your presence, neko-jin. Feast with us when we break fast tonight."
"Um...I don't know about that."
"I won't take no for an answer. I'm Tomah, chief of this humble village you see before you." he bowed. "Follow me. I'm sure you must be tired. I shall explain all to you."
Ray noticed all his teammates' eyes on him, some albeit amused and the others in confusion, trying to see what Tomah saw. "What?" he asked on reflex.
"Way to go for getting us dinner, cat boy." Tyson said with a grin.
He sighed and started forward, letting the others fall into step behind them. Guess since he was the guest of honor, he should led the way. So distracted were they by the villagers still amazed by Ray's appearance, that they failed to notice the dark shadow that stood atop the hill, looking down on the new arrivals. It was most pleased indeed by what it has seen and the way things were turning out.
The feast that was laid out before them wasn't exactly what Tyson had in mind but in the end it was still food. And if there's food, there's a happy Tyson. Grinning like an idiot, he took a huge bite of a red juicy apple and relished the sweet taste of it. This was the best apple he has ever tasted.
"That's great. And you said you guys actually grow this stuffs?" he asked Tomah.
Seated at the center of the table, Tomah nodded. "With blessings from our god of course."
"So this god of yours...is he real?" Naruto asked out of curiosity.
"The great Machida is as real as you and me."
A cup of freshly pressed grape juice wine paused near her lips as Jade considered his words. "That doesn't sound like a god."
Kai nudged her, warning her with a pointed glare to be careful what she said. The last thing they needed was for this people to be offended just because she offended their god. He lifted his cup to his lips then he noticed the remarkable pattern running across the surface of the cup. They pictured a serpent coiled around a tree filled with fruits and below the tree stood a man and a woman. They stared up at the creature in adoration with their hands held up to it in praise. Frowning, Kai placed the cup back down. For the corner of his eye, he noticed Sakura doing the same.
"Have you seen him?" Max asked.
"Ah, no. It's forbidden to lay eyes upon a god. I heard the sight will blind your eyes and the awe of it will render you speechless."
You mean a god will scratch out your eyes and cut out your tongue to keep you from telling people what you saw, Ray thought, shuddering at the thought.
"The last creature to have seen our god was a neko-jin."
That startled Ray badly. "What?"
Tomah chuckled. "Do not look so startled, neko-jin. How else do you think we know of your kind?"
"Yeah but you didn't tell me that one of my kind saw your god before." the Chinese boy said. "What happened to it?"
"It was bestowed with the highest of highest, called for a higher purpose to serve Machida." Tomah said.
Ray let out a relief breath. "Nice to know."
"Your kind is indeed recognized by my god. That's why your presence is greatly welcome to my village." the young chief said.
"And again, nice to know." he muttered.
"We're just passing through for the night." Kai spoke up, fixing his crimson eyes on the man. His low tone held no room for argument. "We'll be gone in the morning. And we would appreciate it if you return our weapons then."
"Of course." Tomah said, nodding distractedly. Then as though shaken from thought, he beamed suddenly. Particularly at the neko-jin. "But until your departure, please by all means, indulge yourselves to your heart's content! More drinks!"
As servant girls came forward to refill their cups which the younger teens of the group proceeded to gulp down in one go, Ray couldn't help but notice the bright smile plastered across the chief's face. He missed the uneasy looks shared between Jade and Sakura. He sipped his drink.
After dinner, they were shown to their rooms. Since Tomah's home wasn't as a big as Kanzaki's, they agreed to share. Sasuke, Ray and Kai found themselves standing at the doorway that led to a room with two beds and one tatami on the floor. Down the hallway, they could Naruto and Tyson breaking into an argument over who gets the floor while Max was trying to keep the peace. Naturally, Sakura and Jade were to share a room to themselves.
"So, guys." Ray began, shifting his eyes between the two stoic boys. "Rock, paper, scissors?"
Kai started to say something but Sasuke cut him off blandly, stepping forward and dropping his bag unto the tatami. "I'll take the floor." the ninja announced.
Watching his captain from the corner of his eye, Ray rolled his eyes at the brief sharp look the bluenette gave Sasuke. Only an idiot wouldn't be able to sense some sort of tension between the two. And Ray wasn't an idiot and he wasn't blind or deaf either. For one thing, those two rarely spoke to each other and acknowledged each other's presences.
"We wouldn't want the neko-jin to wake up with a strained back now, would we?" Sasuke was saying as he went through his bag. "Cause I'm pretty sure Tomah will have us hang if anything happened to him."
Kai gave his usual 'hn' and laid down on the bed closest to the window. Ray sighed as he followed in suit, settling for the remaining bed.
And I'm caught between them. Talk about stuck between a rock and a hard place...
"Get some sleep." Kai ordered. "Neko-jin worshipping place or not, we're leaving at dawn."
Sasuke somewhat grunted his agreement, leaving the Chinese boy in wonder as he stared at them turned away from each other. What the hell was that? It was as though they knew something he didn't. Furthermore they actually agreed on it without even discussing. He would have pondered more but an unnatural exhaustion overcame him and within minutes he was fast asleep.
Once certain that the neko-jin was asleep, onyx eyes opened and their owner rose quietly. He headed to the door and paused for a moment there. "I'm going for a walk." he said quietly as to not wake up Ray.
A soft grunt was heard and he heard the sheet rustled as the other boy shifted to make himself more comfortable. No more was said between them as Sasuke silently slipped into the night.
"Kai! Kai! Wake up! Don't make me throw ice water on you."
He felt someone shaking him and with an annoyed growl, he opened his eyes, blinking away fatigue and sat up, glaring at Jade. "Stop screeching to my ear, woman. I'm not deaf."
"Kai, baby, you're deaf. That's the only way you can actually ignore me." she retorted.
Looking at her properly, he could see her hair was tousled from sleep and worry shone in her eyes. Instantly he knew something was wrong. She had a prophetic dream. "What is it?" he demanded.
"Ray's in trouble."
Looking up, he saw Sakura standing by the door with a panic look on her young face. He glanced over at his teammate's bed and swore when he saw that it was empty.
"Dammit." he muttered, jumping out of bed. His gaze fell upon the tatami and he noted that Sasuke hasn't returned yet. "We do not need this right now."
"They must have taken him in his sleep." Jade said, eyes quickly scanning the room for a struggle. "Where's Sasuke?"
Somehow to hear the other boy's name coming from her sent a pang of jealous through Kai but he brushed it aside. "He said he went for a walk."
"We can't wait for him." Sakura said urgently. "We need to find Ray and fast."
"Sakura, wake up the others." he ordered as he left the room. "Tell them to start searching."
She hurried away. He turned to head down the stairs.
Jade followed. "Any plans?"
"We're going to have a little chat with Tomah."
They made their way past the dining room and another room with closed doors. Something familiar stuck between the doors caught Jade's eye and she backtracked, bending down to pick it up. "Kai."
He looked down at the object in her hand. Ray's red sash. He tried the door and found it lock.
"Kicking?" she asked.
"I was thinking kicking." he replied.
"Works for me."
Together, they reared back and drove their right feet into the door. It splintered and flew from the hinges, crashing to the door in the room behind it. They stepped into the room, only to find it empty.
"There has to be a secret doorway somewhere around here." Kai said, looking for anything out of place.
"Um, Kai? You might want to take a look at this." Jade called, drawing him over to a wall where she was staring at the framed tapestry hanging there.
He frowned, wondering why it looked so familiar. Then he remembered. The design on the cup. They were exactly the same except the tapestry's picture seemed to be longer.
As like the cup, there was the serpent in the tree with a couple staring at it in silent awe. His gaze went further, drifting towards the right where the picture was extended. There was another person in the tapestry and with a sickened realization, Kai saw that it had feline features. Neko-jin. Behind it, rising up from a black pit was a serpent although ten times bigger than the other one. Its mouth was open, venom dripping from the long fangs protruding from the top of its mouth as it prepared to devour the neko-jin. The symbolism of the tapestry was simple.
Jade's words pretty much rounded up all his thoughts. "Ray's so screwed."
He nodded and then he thought he felt something. Attentively, he reached out and touched the corner of the tapestry. There. He felt it again. A breeze. Ignoring Jade's puzzled look, he reached out, feeling the frame of the tapestry until his fingers felt something give away. A sudden groan was heard as the picture slidded open, revealing a secret passage way behind. The walls were lilted indicating that someone was just here.
"Whaddaya know." Jade drawled, partially impressed. "A hidden passage. Well, let's go save the kitten then."
"Jade, we have to be careful. We don't have our weapons or our powers right now." he cautioned.
She pulled out something. "We have our beyblades."
"Good point."
They started down the corridor, moving as fast as they could. Oddly, the incline of the tunnel seem to gradually turn into an upward slope. After a few turns, the air became less slate and there was better ventilation. They finally spotted a light at the other end of the tunnel. Coming from it, they could hear voices. One of them was Ray and he sounded as though he was in pain.
"It has been so long since a neko-jin wandered foolishly into my territory." a low voice hissed. "I have certainly missed the taste of your kind. I like your blood to flow, staining the ground on which I stand on."
"Back off, Tomah."
"You should be honored, neko-jin. You have be called for a higher purpose as like your ancestor." a mocking laughter was heard.
Ray's pained cry rang out once more followed by his ragged breathing. Jade gritted her teeth, starting forward but Kai held her back, shooting her a glare.
"Which part of be careful do you not understand?" he snapped quietly. "We need a plan."
"Right and while we're thinking something up, Ray's being skinned alive." she shot back, impatiently. "We don't have time. Some plans need to be formed on the spot."
"And I suppose you have one right now."
"As a matter a fact, I do." without waiting for him, she fished out her beyblade and launcher and stepped out of the tunnel mouth, presenting herself with a clear view of what was happening.
They were on the hill where the village was situated below. Ray was tied up by his wrists and clearly in a lot of pain for his chest was cut and slashed, cloth and flesh turned to red shreds. He was surrounded by three men, one of them being the young chief and the other two, the guards who had led them here in the first place. Tomah had his back to her, raising his hand in attempt to hurt the neko-jin again. In the faint glimmer of the moon in the sky, Jade could see claws where fingernails should be, bloodied with Ray's blood. Without hesitation, she launched her blue beyblade with everything she's got.
The blue blade flew forward and slashed at the raised hand, earning a hiss of pain from Tomah. As he and his guards snapped around to face the intruders, a second beyblade swept forward, slicing through the ropes that held Ray. With a moan and a gasp, Ray collapsed to his feet, panting in pain.
Jade shot Kai a look as they retrieved their beyblades.
He shrugged. "Good plan."
"Foolish indeed." Tomah snarled at them. "It will take more than that to stop me!"
"Oh, yeah? How about this then?"
Tomah spun and roared when one of Max's arrows hit his shoulder. Growling under his breath, he stared at the five other teenagers running up the slope. Sasuke was with them and in his arms he carried bundle that held their weapons. Max and Tyson have already taken theirs and they now held them apprehensively as they spread out, keeping wary of the two ninja-cladded men.
"Ray!" Sakura gasped in worry to see the raven-haired boy lying in his own pool of blood.
Naruto held her back from running to the prone figure.
"Gee, I don't know, Tomah if that even your real name to begin with." Jade said acidly. "Looks like you're outnumbered. What do you think?"
Shakily the man reached up and yanked the arrow from his shoulder with a hiss. "Me? Outnumbered? I should think not. Stop them."
Moving with a speed that matched Kakashi's, the two ninja attacked, flinging out shurikens at them. The teens leapt aside, dodging the flying weapons. Parting ways, the ninjas landed among them. Sasuke and Tyson found themselves facing the man who had done all the talking for his partner today.
"You kids should really learn to mind your own business." he said before he lunged at them.
The man managed to knock Tyson aside and went after the Uchiha ninja. Sasuke barely had time to block the kick aimed for him, leaping back. Having no choice but to drop the weapons, he brought his hands together, performing seals.
"Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
Flames escaped his lips as he blew out at the ninja. The intense ball of fire rushed down on the man not giving him time to dodge. When the flames dispersed, only a burnt patch remained.
"Sweet move, Sasuke!" Tyson said, wincing as he stood up.
Sasuke scanned their battleground, sensing the man somewhere. His body tight, he held his position, Sharingan activated as he tried to detect the enemy. Where? Where was he?
Beneath!
He leapt again, his feet narrowly missing the hands that burst out of the ground to grab him. The ninja followed, jumping after Sasuke. Tyson was moving before his brain could register what he was about to do. His chains snaked around the ninja's ankles, trapping them together and he yanked hard. Momentum lost, the man landed hard and as he fought to free himself, Sasuke delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, effectively knocking him out.
Sakura, Max and Naruto held their own pretty well. Naruto as usual had summoned up his clones and one by one they all took a swing at the mute ninja before a well-placed kick knocked them out. Covering Naruto was Sakura as she flung kunais with exploding paper attached. The daggers landed at the ninja's feet and as he looked at it stupidly, they exploded without warning. He was thrown back. Max's attack of water force slammed him into the ground. He never got up.
"Man, he didn't even cry out in pain." Sakura noted.
"You were saying, Tomah?" Naruto taunted turning back to the man.
To their surprise, Tomah let out an enrage snarl that echoed and his body trembled, bulging as though something big was fighting to let out. Scales broke out all over his skin as his clothes torn. His eyes became yellow slits as two fangs grew from his upper mouth. His legs were lost, mashing together into a tail that whipped left and right. His blonde mane fell from his head as he arched his back, allowing the bones to crack.
"Okay. Plan B?" Max squeaked as the mutated man rose to his full length, towering over them.
"I prefer to see my reptiles on National Geographic, thank you very much!" Tyson gasped in alarm.
"Insolent humans. I'm ancient. You will not rid of me that easily for I'm the great Machida! I'll not fail my master!" it roared.
Sasuke's red eyes darkened. "Orochimaru."
The enlarged serpent hissed, a fork tongue slipping between his mouth. "Yes. My master has spoken of you. I do know who you're. Guardianssss...I have heard of you, of how you slain the voice assassin. Her voice may be her strongest asset but it is also her weaknesssss...Sssshe should have killed you first." he pointed one clawed finger at Tyson.
The boy gritted his teeth at the memory. "You talk big for someone's about to go down."
Seeing as how Tyson was about to provoke the creature, Kai and Jade started to move, hoping to reach their scattered weapons in time. Then they noticed something that made them paused.
"My influence will not disperse over this sad pathetic village. Without me, they are nothing. I'm their god!" Machida declared. "I'll not fail as she has! I'll not fall to a bunch of weak children as you." with an inhuman shriek, it lunged at them.
Suddenly its movements halted abruptly, a surprise choked gasp escaping its mouth as it stared down at the naginata blade protruding from its stomach from behind. It choked as the weapon was pulled back and slowly the snake turned to see its intended meal glaring furiously at it.
"Called for a higher purpose my ass." Ray said in a pained voice. Then with effort, he raised his weapon and hacked off its head in one swing.
The head rolled away into the night as the headless body of the snake collapsed to a boneless heap. Ray dropped his naginata and started to fall when he felt strong arms supporting him. Kai was holding him, carefully lowering him to the ground while Jade and Sakura got to work, checking the extend of his injuries. Naruto, Tyson and Max crowded, voicing their concern.
"I'll be okay." Ray assured them with a tight smile that showed just how much pain he was in.
"Don't move." Sakura ordered. "It'll only worsen your wounds further."
"On the bright side, at least we now know that snake guy was only interested in you as dinner." Naruto piped in.
"Sure he was. What else would he be interested in?" Ray asked in confusion.
Naruto and Tyson exchanged sheepish looks. "Well...we had some ideas."
