Episode 10: Hidden Jutsu! The Price of the Ninja Art: Kujaku!
Hidden deep within the forest of the Land of Bears, a kunoichi hid herself in a cave that she and her husband had used to hide out in after the incident. They knew that if the star training ever came back into the lives of the children, especially their son, they would all be in great danger and eventually die from its effects. That was why she had taken the star once again, to stop the pain and suffering that the star brought to the village.
Natsuhiboshi why are you so red?
Because I had a sad dream last night,
My eyes are red from the tears I shed,
Swollen as I cried...
o~o
As the 'thief' who took the star swept down across the canyon with Sumaru on his back, Kurenai, Kiba, and Shino finally were able to randevú with Genma, Tatsu, Toph, Sokka, and Suki.
"There you are!" exclaimed Kurenai in obvious relief as she and the two boys skidded to a stop in front of the other five. When they arrived they noticed that Sokka was flat out on the ground unconscious, foaming at the mouth.
"What happened to him?" asked Kiba with a raised eyebrow at the strange site of the Water Tribe Warrior.
"Long story." Toph replied simply.
"And what about them?" asked Kurenai, directing her question about the star genin lying on the ground as well, also knocked out.
"It seems our thief struck again," explained Genma, his senbon dancing from corner of his lips to the other.
"He came back?" asked Shino, perplexed that the thief would return if she already had what she wanted: the star.
"Yeah," nodded Suki, shaking off her trembles from her sudden airbending display earlier, "and this time they took Sumaru."
"What?" asserted Kiba, stunned, Akamaru barking in equal shock, "They got him?"
"Yep." Tatsu deadpanned.
"Regardless, our first order of business is to make sure these people here are alright," Genma ordered gesturing to the fallen children, "help us carry them... and Sokka back."
"No need Sensei!" Toph stepped closer toward Sokka.
"SNOOZLES, GET UP!" The blind bender smashed her heel into the soil and next thing they knew, Sokka was sent flying, screaming into the air thanks to a giant earth column that had promptly erupted from underneath his sleeping form. He landed with a not too pleasant 'plop' on the earth beneath him. He then hand sprung from the ground and brandished his machete and a kunai in both hands, looking around rapidly.
"DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!" he cried, wild panic evident in his eyes and voice, "Take cover, we're under attack!" He was shaken back to reality though when his outburst was met with a very loud roar of laughter from behind him. Turning to the source, he saw Toph on the ground clutching her stomach and tears streaming from her eyes as she howled with laughter. Kiba and Suki were in similar positions, simply bent over laughing their heads off. Genma looked like he was struggling not to laugh as he lips and senbon were quivering from the effort. Kurenai was simply shaking her head with an amused smile on her face, and Tatsu and Shino remained emotionless as ever, though the former was looking at the warrior with a look that read 'Are you (insert glittery swear word here) kidding me?'
"Wha-?" the warrior was about to ask before glancing behind him to see the earth column still present from where he was lying. That's when everything clicked in his brain, and he gave Toph a glare that would have burned her to ashes if looks could kill. "Oh, hardy har har Toph!"
"I'm sorry," Toph barely sputtered through her laughter, "couldn't resist!"
o~o
Later, back at the training hall, Team 8 and 11 did indeed begin to carry all the star genin that were present on the cliffside back to the bunker. Hokato was still there, continuing to diligently nurse Mizura, who was sweating and panting on his futon.
"Mizura." Hokato sighed as she patted the boy's forehead with a wet cloth. His condition had been getting worse and worse. She was worried that he might even...
Hokato didn't get a chance to finish her dire thought when the doors to the chamber opened. The first two to walk in were ones that she knew well.
"Sokka! Suki!" Hokato was shocked to see that both of the Leaf ninja were carrying a star genin each on their shoulders.
Seeing her concern Suki explained, "They were jumped by that ninja in the mask!" Behind them, Genma, Toph, and Tatsu trailed the Water Tribe boy and the now airbending Kyoshi Warrior. Each of them was also carrying a star genin on their shoulders.
"No one's badly hurt," Genma reassured for the now frantic star kunoichi, "they're just unconscious." This caused Hokato to sigh in absolute relief as her hand clasped her heart, now knowing that none of them were wounded.
With help from said star kunoichi, the team took it upon themselves to tuck the star genin into each futon. When most of them were settled Hokato noticed that some of the other star genin were missing, particularly Sumaru, so she asked, "Where's everybody else?"
"Kurenai Sensei, Kiba, and Shino have got them." explained Tatsu, showing no emotion at all, vaguely reminding Suki and Sokka once again how similar she was to Mai, "they're bringing them back now."
Hokato smiled in reprieve, "I see, so Sumaru's with them?" she asked with a great amount of hope in her voice.
This question made most of the Leaf ninja freeze. They had forgotten that Hokato was very close friends with Sumaru. How were they supposed to tell her that he had been kidnapped?
"Well..." Sokka sputtered, scratching the back of his head, "um... how do I put this?"
"Oh for crying out loud Snoozles!" Toph cried, "It's not that hard to say it! That masked creep took Sumaru okay? He took off with him into the Valley of Death! We couldn't get him okay?!" Though Toph tried to show that she had a tough vintage when it came to assignments, even she felt a little guilty of having lost the young star ninja. It had reminded her of how Appa had been taken and Aang berating her because she couldn't save him.
"The Valley of Death?!" Hokato cried in horror.
o~o
A small oil lamp was one of the few light sources in the room. Next to it on a small table was a laptop computer monitoring a heartbeat of a young man lying unconscious on the bed. The man, boy really, had several monitoring sensors on his chest, neck, and forehead, and an intubation tube thoroughly covered his mouth and nose to keep him sedated. By the bed, the 'masked ninja' and his two colleagues were the only other ones present in the room.
"Did he inhale much of the gas in the Valley?" the shorter one asked.
"Don't worry," the 'masked ninja' reassured them, discarding his oxygen mask to reveal the face of the deputy Hoshikage: Akahoshi, "I put him in a state of suspended animation, the gas didn't affect him."
"I can understand wanting to use him to bait your trap," Yokota hesitated before continuing, "but all the same..."
"These are children from our own village." Shiso finished for his friend with equal anxiety.
Akahoshi sneered, "I always suspected you'd lose your nerve." Both the ninja in front of him gasped and tensed. "Well it's too late," The lilac haired shinobi suddenly had a very feral look in his eye, "your hands are far too dirty to play the saint now!" Realizing he was right, Yotaka and Shiso looked downward, unable to meet their leader's eye, "So enough of that! For now we'll let them think the other masked shinobi took Sumaru. Once we have the star back... well, we'll leave it to them to sort it all out."
Akahoshi chuckled in the dimly lit room, his eyes resembling a wolf that was stalking its prey... and about to pounce!
o~o
Back at the training hall, all the star genin had been safely and successfully moved to the futons where they could rest from the most recent attack from the 'thief'. Sleeping in the last futon was Mizura, still not able to get up since Sokka and Suki had last seen him. Toph trudged along by his bedside, wondering why this star genin hadn't gone with the others.
As if reading her mind, and seeing Toph's curiosity, Hokato said to the Blind Bandit, "Oh, Mizura wasn't feeling too well, he's taking a break from training."
Toph's nod was the only sign that she had heard the kunoichi. However, ever since stepping foot in the village, Toph felt that something was off about a majority of the people living here. Scrunching her eyebrows in suspicious, the earthbender bent down and laid her hand flat on the wooden floor, listening closely to the sleeping shinobi's heartbeat.
Knowing that the boy was asleep Toph knew what to listen for in the heart rate. Usually when a person was in a deep sleep, be it male or female, their heart would usually slow down it's beats by about 8% or more since the body didn't need to work as hard when it was lying still.
So the Blind Earthbender was horrified to feel the exact opposite of such a thing. Instead of the usually steady thump-thump... thump-thump of a resting heart rate, Mizura's heart rate was making a thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump sound, with no sign of pausing or slowing down. His heart was working at the pace that wasn't anywhere close to being felt even after someone had gone through a long day of training with no breaks in between.
'What?!' she thought to herself about hearing the terrifying speed of the heart beats, her already blind eyes widening in shock. How was this boy even able to still stand with his heart fluttering so fast?
No sooner had Toph abruptly moved her hand off the hardwood platform, Mizura groaned and slowly cracked his eyes open.
"Mizura!" Hokato exclaimed as she watched her friend struggling to sit up.
Toph quickly knelt beside him balance him so that he wouldn't flop back down onto the futon. "How are you feeling? You okay?"
"Lie down!" Hokato chided from the futon opposite of him, "You need to rest!"
Even in his sick and exhausted state Mizura mumbled, "No one can afford to rest at a time like this!" Before he could continue though, a violent cough rippled from his throat. They were surprised that he didn't hack up the rest of his esophagus from it.
"Look," said Toph, staring in his direction with her glazed eyes, "I know it can't be easy, but you shouldn't try to push yourself. Even I know when I'm pushing myself or someone else too hard."
"I'm fine!" Mizura insisted through gritted teeth as he struggled to his feet. Shaking her head slightly from his stubbornness, Toph helped Mizura get a firm grip on his soles. He quickly batted her hand away though once he had risen, "I can walk by myself!"
All the other Leaf ninja who were tending to the other star genin looked up in consternation as they watched Mizura drag his feet to the entrance of the sleeping chamber, panting heavily as he went.
He stumbled when he was about a couple yards from the door, and before anyone made a move to catch him, Hokato did for them.
"You see?" she berated as she held his torso, "I told you, you have to rest!"
"I'm alright! Let me be!"
Sokka looked at Mizura and saw his sister Katara when she was younger. When they're mother died, she had always been very depressed; she would cry herself to sleep at night and sometimes wouldn't even eat the meager meals that they could provide in their harsh environment of the South Pole. He didn't want to see someone suffer like that ever again.
'I have to help him somehow.' the warrior got to his feet and exited the room.
o~o
In the Hoshikage's residence, a nurse monitored Sumaru, to make sure that not only he wasn't suffering from any of the effects that the gas in the Valley of Death could give, but also to make sure that he stayed sedated until Akahoshi got back the star. On the outside, Sumaru seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but his mind was anything but peaceful.
(His Dream)
A young Sumaru gazed up at the stars that surrounded the village, admiring the way that they made the night sky twinkly in the dark. Right in the middle of the vortex of sparkles was the Natsuhiboshi, shining down on him as if embracing him in his mother's arms once again.
Suddenly an orb of bright yellow light blinded the star ninja before his eyes became used to it. Within the orb, walking away from him, as if they didn't have a care in the world, were purple pinkish outlines of his mother and father.
"Mother!" the young Sumaru cried as he leapt toward the figure, in an attempt to stop it from leaving him.
As if hearing his call, the outline 'turned' toward the child, her hair fluttering in the wind behind her. As soon as Sumaru's hand made contact though, the image poofed away in a whirl of sparkle, the other figure following closely behind.
"NO! MOTHER! FATHER!" Sumaru screamed as the figures flickered away back to the sky. They instantaneously replaced with another more distinct, but still familiar figure.
It was the Third Hoshikage! He was an elderly man with brown a mustache and beard, he also had cheek bones and tear troughs under his eyes due to his old age. His attire consisted of the traditional Hoshikage attire with the customary hat and haori along with a purple, full-length kimono, tied using a white sash.
"No Sumaru," the Hoshikage said gently, "don't cry. Your parents died defending the star and our village to the very best of their abilities." The Hoshikage's head tilted upward, toward the stars that surrounded them, "Look up Sumaru. Look up at the sky." The boy, tears still streaming down his face obeyed. "There is a treasure that can only be seen from the Village Hidden in the Stars." The young Sumaru looked at the Hoshikage in confusion, "If you would claim you shinobi birthright, than the village and the star are yours to defend... Be strong, just as your parents were. Make them proud of you. Okay?"
(End Dream)
"...Lord... Hoshikage..."
o~o
'Thunk' 'thunk' 'thunk' was heard as Sokka hacked his machete against the cane that he had crafted for Mizura. He figured that if he could help out a little bit, he'd help Mizura walk again. He held the cane out in front of his person and examined it carefully, as if he was presenting it to Wan Shi Tong as a work of knowledge instead of to a boy who needed a walking stick.
"Hmm..." he narrowed his eyes, "Something's still- oh I've got it!" He tore with kunai bag off his midriff and started rummaging through the contents, throwing things comically out behind him and praying that he didn't hit anyone with a stray kunai or shuriken. Finally he pulled out two small bells attached to some twine that he had brought along for unknown reasons. "Now I know why I brought these!" He guided the string of the bells through a hole that he quickly created at the top of the handle before letting them dangle loosely making a soft ringing sound in the air as he did so.
He once again examined the staff to make sure there weren't any nooks or crannies that he had missed on his first inspection before nodding in satisfaction. "There! That ought to do it!"
"Sokka."
The water tribe warrior looked up to see Suki and Toph approaching him. Their faces were very grim, especially the Blind Bandit's.
"What's wrong Suki? Toph?"
"Mizura's not going to make it Snoozles." Toph finally muttered.
Sokka felt the blood drain from his face. "...What?"
"I felt a disturbance in his heart rate so I took a closer look," the earthbender explained, "and even as he's sleeping, his heart's beating at an alarming unsustainable rate! It's just too much for his body to take! His systems are eventually going to fail!"
Unbeknownst to everyone but Toph, Hokato was standing by, eavesdropping on what the three benders were talking about. Her hands clenched and her own heart began to beat rapidly at this revelation.
"Toph what are you saying?" asked Suki.
"Are trying to say that his own heart and chakra are going to kill him?" asked a shocked Sokka.
"Positive." Toph nodded once.
"But how-?"
Before Suki could continue, Hokato appeared from behind the tree she was hiding behind and approached them. "It's because of the star training."
"About time you showed yourself Twinkle Star," Toph muttered folding her arms.
"What do you mean the star training?" asked Sokka.
"The star has a unique power of triggering a surge in chakra..." she explained, "The problem is... most ninja are incapable of controlling the surge... Their bodies give out and they collapse or worse... This is what happened to Mizura... in the middle of his training... The Third Hoshikage stopped the Star Training because it was proving far too dangerous for our people."
"Okay..." Suki rose an eyebrow, "but why are you doing it again?"
"It's because of Lord Akahoshi our current leader... he decided to resume the star training six months ago."
"Bu- but that's insane!" Sokka exclaimed, "somebody's got to make him stop!"
Hokato glared at the water tribe warrior, "We were born and raised here! We don't fear the star training! We undergo it proudly!"
"Why?" asked Toph, stomping her foot light enough not to make a crater, "Why do something that you know is going to hurt you?!"
"We've been raised to believe there is no greater honor than to serve the village as a Hidden Star Shinobi... For that we'd sacrifice anything... even our own lives."
The trio couldn't believe what they were hearing! It was like a smaller, less mind washing, version of Ba Sing Se! These people truly didn't see anything wrong with what they were doing! All of them clenched their fists, there had to be a way to stop this... somehow.
"Unbelievable..." Sokka muttered, shaking his head sadly. 'What on earth has this world come to?'
o~o
At the Valley of Death, looking out into the murky night, Lord Akahoshi made several hand signs before taking out a dove that he was keeping under his cloak. Taking one of the legs he tied a piece of cloth to it and injected his star chakra onto it before tossing the bird into the air.
"Go on!" he instructed as the dove flew into the night.
'Let's see if that gets your attention... Natsuhi.' he thought as he smirked wickedly.
o~o
A rock seemed to move automatically overtop of a large rock formation, cloaking a strong pink-purple light from the inside of it. Inside, the masked kunoichi finally removed her mask to reveal long locks violet hair and jade-green eyes. She stood over a coffin with the corpse of her husband inside it as she held the star close to her.
'Hotarubi... protect the star...' she leaned down and placed it on his frail hands, 'Protect Sumaru...'
Weaving quick hand signs, Natsuhi sealed the coffin shut and then did the same with boulder that guarded the exit. Before she could accomplish anything else however, she sensed a very familiar chakra signature. Looking up, a white messenger dove was flying overhead with a piece of white cloth on its leg carrying the chakra she was sensing.
"Akahoshi's chakra..." she muttered as she wove more handsigns and tossed out a chakra whip to snatch the bird and real it in.
o~o
Back at the Star Training Hall in the sleeping chamber Mizura watched over his teammates as they slept. He consciously looked over at the over at the walking staff that Sokka had given to him early that night.
(Flashback)
"Go ahead and take it!" the warrior said he held it out to him with smile, "It'll help you get around easier... I mean just until you get better of course!"
(End Flashback)
Tears gathered in Mizura's eyes as the reality of his fate came crashing down on him again. He knew better than anyone that he wouldn't be getting better.
'Thank you... Sokka... but I... never will...' he thought in sorrow as he held the staff and dragged himself to his feet.
o~o
At the crater's edge, Team 11 and Team 8 had gathered to discuss what was happening in this village that they could see throughout their stay. First the star had been stolen, Suki could suddenly airbend, Akahoshi had been lying to them for perhaps the whole time they had been there so far, and now they had discovered through Team 11 that the genin going to through the Star Training were slowly suffering a painful demise.
"They say Mizura has stabilized for the time being." Kurenai told the group after Toph earthbended a pebble down the side of the crater out of boredom.
"Then it appears for the most part that everyone's alright." Genma finalized, his senbon clanking in his teeth.
"No..." Suki shook her head, "something's not right... not by a long shot."
"What do you mean?" asked Tatsu cocking an eyebrow.
"Well we're from 1,500 years in the past, so if it's always like this, help us understand," Sokka explained, "but Hokato, and Mizura... the way they're always thinking about the village."
"Yeah," Toph agree as she levitated another rock and tossed it downward, "Sumaru's the same way, its always the same thing: 'The village this...' 'The village that...'"
"What are three saying?" asked Kiba cocking his head to the left slightly, Akamaru mimicked.
"I think what Toph's trying to say," Sokka elaborated, "is that back then, we felt the same way when it came to our homes, and even now we know how it feels when it comes to defending your home and your friends, we'd all do the same thing... we'd be willing to risk everything... even our own lives."
"Of course," nodded Shino, "why? Because that's the code of the village."
"Yeah..." agreed Kiba, "we'd all give our lives for the village."
"Right..." Tatsu muttered with a slight nod, followed by Kurenai and Genma.
"Yeah well," Toph exclaimed as she blew her bangs out of her eyes as she stood up, "This isn't the time to try and figure it out! Right now we've got to catch that thief and get the star back!"
"Yeah but..." Kurenai contemplated, "If they didn't get it back... at least they wouldn't have to suffer through that training."
"Kurenai Sensei does have a point," agreed Suki.
"Yeah..." Sokka scratched his chin in thought, "Without the star they can't train, which means that the village is put at risk... But if they do train their lives at ri- AAAHHH!" the water warrior just about ready to rip his hair out, "I give up! It's too confusing even for me! I don't know what to do!"
"Simple," said Genma, "we fulfill our mission, which is to protect the star. And that means that we have to get it back!"
"I agree," nodded Shino, "what these people choose to do with it after that is none of our affair."
"Yeah, you're right." Kiba agreed standing up.
"Okay," muttered Tatsu doing the same.
"Alright then let's go and kick some monkey feathered butt!" exclaimed a pumped Toph.
"Alright," Genma nodded, "Kurenai, I think it would be best if we stayed in the groups that were assigned earlier."
"Understood," Kurenai said before turning to Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, "Kiba, Shino, Akamaru. The four of us are going to investigate the village leader one more time."
"What? Why Kurenai Sensei?" asked Kiba in confusion.
"Because something doesn't seem to fit right." she explained, "Why would that shinobi risk his life going into the Valley of Death? If he already has the star, why kidnap Sumaru. And besides, we've already confirmed that the one who took the star and the kidnapper were two different people, right Toph?"
"As far as I could tell." said earthbender replied.
"Yeah," Suki wondered, "but what does that mean?"
"It means..." replied Tatsu, "That this mission is more complicated than we first thought."
o~o
As the shinobi discussed what their next move would be, Lord Akahoshi himself watched with mild eagerness as the kunoichi who took the landed on the other side of the canyon, diminishing the Ninja art: Kujaku.
"As I expected, very impressive Ninja Art: Kujaku... Lady Natsuhi."
"Where is he?" asked the masked ninja, now dubbed Lady Natsuhi, as she glared at the leader through her mask, "What have you done with Sumaru?"
"First things first," Akahoshi held out his hand, "I'll take the star if you don't mind."
"Not until I get Sumaru," she said with finality.
"First the star."
"...No."
"Very well..." Akahoshi created the bird hand sign, "then I'll just have to take it from you."
Natsuhi laughed.
"What's so amusing?" Akahoshi snarled.
"That you actually believe that you're a match for me."
"I don't think you realize that after you left the village there were a select few of us who secretly continued our training."
"Ha ha! You think you finished the star training all on your own?"
"You're about to learn that I'm more than a match for you now Lady Natsuhi. Ninja Art: Kujaku." The pink-purple peacock feathers morphed behind Akahoshi's back, "Beast!" a badgerish creature appeared from the swirling chakra and roared at Natsuhi as if to dare her to fight back.
"The fool!" Natsuhi sneered, "He leaves me no choice. Ninja Art: Kujaku! Beast!" Natsuhi's own peacock feathers manifested behind her and her badger roared to life. But compared to hers, Akahoshi's might as well have been a mouse facing a huge lion! Her beast charged forward and easily swallowed up Akahoshi's beast and blowing the leader backward before retreating back toward its owner.
Akahoshi struggled to sit up after being hit so hard with Natsuhi's chakra. "Her power is great!" he hissed as he managed to return to his feet. "Yotaka! Shiso!" The two ninja that were always at the leaders side appeared next to him immediately, causing Natsuhi to gasp. "Go on!" he ordered.
"My Lord!" they both exclaimed before vanishing.
"What are you up to Akahoshi?" Natsuhi asked in suspicion.
This time Akahoshi laughed, "You'll just have to stay to find that out... Mi'lady."
o~o
"Huh!?" Toph suddenly gasped and immediately knelt downward.
"What is it Toph?" asked Genma.
"There's a fight going on near the canyon, Akahoshi's fighting someone!"
"The kunoichi?" asked Tatsu.
"It has to be!" exclaimed Sokka.
Before they could proceed to the top of the crater though Toph felt two more heartbeats coming towards them. "Who's there?" she asked taking out her metal chain.
Everyone else immediately tensed and drew a either a sword (Genma and Sokka), kunai (Tatsu) or fan (Suki). The intruders turned out to be Yokota and Shiso, as they landed themselves and kneeled in front of the Leaf ninja.
"Friends from the Leaf," Shiso addressed, "the kunoichi who stole the star has just now reappeared!"
"Lord Akahoshi is trying to delay her." Yokota added.
"Please come and help!"
"Alright!" Genma, "we're on our way. Come on you guys!"
Shiso and Yotaka continued to tell them what they knew already about the kunoichi as they dashed up the canyon in great haste.
"The kunoichi is powerful," Shiso informed, "and Lord Akahoshi is all alone."
"He won't be able to hold him long!" Yotaka added, feigned desperation.
"Just show us the way already!" Tatsu snapped, "After that we'll take care of it."
Though Tatsu didn't show it, for she dare not, she had been dying to get a good fight in ever since they first encounter the masked ninja. However, Genma and the rest of his team discreetly narrowed their eyes. Something about the star ninjas' tones didn't fit right. All four of them couldn't help but think that something was wrong... and that they were going to find out what it was the hard way.
o~o
Kiba poked his head out from where they were crouched underneath of the roof and sniffed the air in the room they were peeking into.
"There's no one here! Their scent is pretty faint so they must have left a while ago." he said as he rubbed his nose.
"Then it would seem to be an ideal opportunity to look around Sensei." Shino deducted as he glanced at the genjutsu kunoichi.
"Right." she nodded, making a hand sign, "I'll sneak inside and let you boys in from here. Until then stay put."
"Alright sensei." nodded Kiba with Akamaru yipping in agreement. Shino merely nodded. About a minute later, just as she promised, Kurenai opened the door to the room from the inside and waved them in. "All clear, there is no one here."
"Took you long enough sensei!" Kiba exclaimed as he and Shino climbed through the window, causing Kurenai to laugh slightly. The trio then crept around the corner of one of the few dark and eerie hallways of the Hoshikage building. Peeking around they could see anyone that around at all.
"It's so..." Kiba began.
"...Suspicious looking?" asked Shino.
"Exactly!"
Right as they hesitated to proceed down the rest of the hall, they stopped to see that a Hidden Star Village medic had exited one of the rooms in the hallway. The trio retreated back to their previous position and while Kurenai Planted her back and feet flat against the ceiling while holding the dog and bug genin in both of her arms. It was also sheer luck for them that the medic was looking at his clipboard the entire time; otherwise they very likely would have been spotted. After the medic paused to look behind him, he exited the hall into another room, muttering something about thinking he heard something.
Sighing with relief, Kurenai released her grip on her two genin and they landed back on the floor. Now they had a clue on where to start looking. Why was there a medic in that one room when there was a hospital very near the building too? As the trio looked through the shades, they saw that the only light the room had were a couple lit candles on pedestals.
"Why has it been set up like a hospital?" asked Kurenai asked herself as she continued to look for any details and clues the room could give them. "There's someone in there too?"
"Do you know who it is sensei?" asked Shino after he looked around one more time in case that medic came back.
Kiba decided to take a whiff inside as well, and the smell that he caught stopped him abruptly in his tracks. At the same time, Kurenai and Shino spotted a familiar lock of braided black hair on the bed.
"Sensei it's-"
"Sumaru!" they all exclaimed simultaneously.
o~o
Meanwhile, back at the canyon, Natsuhi's chakra beast roared at Akahoshi as if just daring him to try and fight it.
"Why did you force Sumaru and the others to resume the star training?" she asked incredulously, "The Third Hoshikage must have warned you how dangerous it is. Why would you do it?!"
Akahoshi gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe what lady Natsuhi was saying. How could she not see it? You yourself are the answer to that!" he snarled.
Natsuhi blinked, "What?"
"Look at your chakra!" Akahoshi continued, "It's incredible! Imagine an army of a hundred... or even ten ninja with powers like yours! The Five Great Hidden Villages combined would be no match for us! It's not too late Natsuhi! Together you and I could make the Hidden Star Village invincible!"
This time it was Natsuhi who couldn't believe what she was hearing! Shouldn't Akahoshi see the more harm it would cause than the good? She and her husband were the only ones who had survived the full star training, and even then, Hotarubi just recently died from the effects of it... it probably wouldn't be long until the same thing happened to her! Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as voices that had haunted her for almost all her life outside the village began whispering in her head once more.
"Ugh...! It hurts... it hurts!"
"Why does my body feel like it's on fire?"
"Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"
"Ugh!"
"Help me! Please!"
"Enough... ENOUGH!" Natsuhi's own voice shouted, "All those young lives thrown away!"
"That horror must never be repeated." Natsuhi said through her tears, "If you think I'm going to let you start that again!" With this proclamation, Natsuhi manifested her chakra wings and charged across the canyon at the leader like a tiger after a defenseless deer.
Akahoshi gasped in fear and turned to run, but didn't get far for he tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground. Turning onto his back, he knew there was only one thing left that he could do. "Wait! Natsuhi! Remember I still have Sumaru!"
Natsuhi gasped and halted in her tracks. He was right, Akahoshi still held Sumaru captive. She had to save him before she even thought about banishing the star training.
Akahoshi sneered, "You're helpless aren't you? As long as I have your precious little Sumaru you can't do a thing!"
Natsuhi growled and struggled to keep her anger under control. She wanted so badly to throw Akahoshi into the Valley of Death and be done with it. But if she did that, she'd never know what happened to Sumaru.
o~o
On the other hand, Genma and the rest of his team were nearly to the area that Akahoshi and Natsuhi were fighting. Toph felt the huge tremors within the earth and knowing she couldn't stop, she focused on them with her feet as she ran.
"It feels like that kunoichi is closing in on Akahoshi!"
"Well let's go!" cried Sokka, "me and boomerang are about to close in on her!"
"Don't get cocky Sokka!" Genma warned, "Remember, this chick is too strong for a frontal attack!"
"Don't worry!" came the reply, "I've got an idea!"
"You do Sokka?" asked Suki and Tatsu at the same time. They both looked at each other in skepticism momentarily before turning their attention back to the Water Tribe Warrior.
"All we really need to do is neutralize that chakra of hers and then she'll be powerless. Suki, Toph, and I can take with a little earth-air-boomerang action while the rest of you can take care of the rest!"
'Well…' thought Genma, 'we have to be fast, and Sokka said that most of his plans in the past have worked... There's really no time to argue.'
Genma finally nodded, "Alright, just be careful! Tatsu you'll be with me."
"Yeah whatever," came the reply.
"Don't worry about us Worrywart Sensei!" Toph called as the group finally reached the battleground.
"Toph make earth columns! A lot of them!" Sokka called.
"Earth columns? How's that going to- OH! I get it!" Toph sprang into the air and then slammed her feet and fists simultaneously downward, cause dozens of earth columns, big and small, shoot up and charge at Natsuhi in all directions.
"So... them again." Natsuhi muttered as she recognized the Leaf ninja attacking her. The one that had just launched the attack apparently had a strange Kekkei Genkai that allowed her to control the earth at will, without even using hand signs. Natsuhi wouldn't let this sway her though, forming the bird seal, her chakra beast rampaged as it took out each and every heart column that came even within ten feet of it.
Toph gritted her teeth in frustration. She hated, with a capital H, it when her earthbending wouldn't work against an opponent.
"Fine! Have it your way Falling Star!" she taunted as she took out her metal chain she bought at the weapons shop and threw it at Natsuhi.
Natsuhi couldn't help but chuckle a little at the seemingly stupid move the bender made. "Do you really think that simply throwing that chain would-?" She didn't get to finish her sentence as the chain's metal suddenly split into multiple sharp shards. She barely had time to form a barrier with her chakra before the shards rushed in for the kill.
'So this girl can control metal too?!' thought both Natsuhi and Akahoshi as the leader watched as the shards then returned to their chain form and returned to its owner.
Natsuhi didn't have much time to recover though before she was blasted back by a gust of wind. Turning to the direction it came from she saw the other girl that was with the squad holding two miniature battle fans in melee formation.
'Huh,' thought Suki, "guess I don't make a bad airbender after all.'
'So that girl can control air.' Natsuhi deducted. Suki attempted to throw a few more uncontrolled air blasts in the kunoichi's direction, which Natsuhi easily avoided. 'It seems this power is very new to her... now that I think about it, she wasn't using it the first time we met.'
'Thought so...' Tatsu observed when she saw that no attacks were working. 'That chakra is just too powerful to get through!'
As Natsuhi either destroyed earth columns or avoided air bullets, she noticed that something was right. 'Wait! Where's the third one: the boy.'
She noticed at the last second Sokka boomerang come streaming towards her. She ducked with a backflip believing that it had missed her, not realizing that the boomerang was sweeping back around to the back of her head, which it hit right at the nape of her neck. As she balked forward from the impact, a rock right in front of her exploded in smoke and Sokka punched her back straight in the jaw, sending her flying backward.
Genma's eyes widened at Sokka's genius plan. 'I see! It wasn't a true frontal attack at all! Toph and Suki were merely distractions. And he knew that if he threw his boomerang directly at her she would avoid, but since it's a boomerang he knew it come back and hit her in the back of her while her guard was down. Then when she was off balance, he jumped in and struck the final blow! Not bad at all Sokka!'
Genma wasn't the only one surprised that Sokka's plan worked. Akahoshi, Tatsu, Yokota, and Shiso were also gaud smacked, while Suki and Toph grinned ear to ear.
"H-he did it!" gasped Akahoshi. "Incredible!" His shock though was quickly replaced with a sinister grin.
Natsuhi's mask flew off her head as she tumbled toward the cliff's edge.
Sokka's eyes widened. "So it was a lady after all?!" he exclaimed in shock.
'Hmph,' Akahoshi thought haughtily, 'the Leaf brat actually did it! Plenty of time to find the star later! Now's my chance to finish Natsuhi once and for all!' He grinned wickedly as he eyed his prey as he got to his feet. However, he didn't see Sokka leaping toward the woman to see if she was alright. 'I can see that she will be of no help in fulfilling my ambitions for our village.' "Ninja Art: Kujaku: BEAST!"
Seeing (or feeling in Toph's case) what was happening the rest of the Leaf ninja immediately shouted at Sokka to get out of there.
"SNOOZLES!"
"Sokka! Look out!"
"SOKKA GET OUT OF THERE!"
"What the-AAAHHH!" Turning at the last moment, Sokka barely had time to register the giant chakra monster charging at him and Natsuhi before the ledge beneath them collapsed into the canyon.
"SOOOOOKKKKAAAA!" Suki screamed as she watched the warrior plummet into the canyon.
The only thing that Akahoshi had to say was a dire snicker.
o~o
At the training hall, Mizura suddenly noticed the bells on his staff jingle even though he didn't make any movement nor was there any wind. He gasped.
"What is it Mizura?" asked Hokato, who was drawing water from the well by the training hall, "Is something wrong?"
"...No it's nothing." he said, trying to sound convincing. But even he could tell just how hollow his voice was.
Mizura, along with most of the star genin, usually didn't believe in omens, but he couldn't help but feel that something terrible had just happened. 'Sokka.'
o~o
From inside the Hoshikage building where Kurenai, Shino, and Kiba were starting to carefully take the equipment off of Sumaru, he too felt something move in his gut, that something had happened.
"...Mother..."
o~o
All that Suki and Toph heard as the rushed to the cliff's edge was Sokka's scream as he and an unconscious Natsuhi disappeared into the canyon's poisonous depths.
o~o
AN: SO sorry for being gone so long. I was planning on posting this a couple of days ago, but Christmas was busy and I was away in Sand Francisco all of last weekend. Once again sorry for making you wait!
I know! I'm evil leaving a cliffhanger like that, but if you've watched all of the Naruto anime, you know what will happen in the next chapter. I'll try an have that one up before school starts again but no promises!
Sokka and Natsuhi: Read and Reply please!
