Chapter 12
Laid Low
Shino was sure he had never been in this much pain.
In many ways, he'd led a blessed life for a shinobi. He'd never suffered worse than a broken bone; the battles he'd lost had left him exhausted and beaten, but whole of body and unconquered in spirit. He was all too aware that many of his comrades didn't share the same fortune, and every day, he gave thanks for that in his own quiet way.
That fortune, it seemed, had finally come to an end. His whole body was numb; Hinata's crying face, splattered with thick red, blue, and black blood, was firmly imprinted in his mind's eye. She'd kept him from passing out with a painful shock of that cold chakra that hid deep inside her; it had probably kept him alive, now that he thought about it. Falling unconscious in such a condition could be fatal.
Falling… he'd fallen. Lost his balance. Was that what had happened?
Where was he? Lying down, somewhere, in a plain of white. His heart jumped. Had he died after all? The Royal Guard hadn't hit him that hard, had it? He was sure he remembered it retreating. There was a bright light shining directly in his face. Shino tried to raise his hand to block out the piercing light, but nothing happened. He felt his limb move, but nothing appeared to save him from the light. He couldn't understand. Wasn't his hand right there?
A familiar face slipped into view above him, obscuring the light. Matted white hair, a wide nose that had been broken many times, small opaque glasses.
Morel. One of the Hunters. Not a teammate, but an ally. Shino relaxed, dropping the hand that he couldn't see, which couldn't block out the light. Where was his team?
He dimly wondered where he was within Knov's hatsu. The dimensional space. The light fit. Or was it just a place that looked like it. He could smell fresh air. The space never smelled like that. Was this simply a hospital? Morel looked pained. Was he that bad to look at?
"Shino?" The man sounded like he was underwater. Or Shino was underwater. Inside him, insects rustled at the noise; the sound almost drowned the man's voice. "Can you hear me?"
Shino tried to nod. His neck didn't respond. He tried to speak: his lips were frozen. All that emerged was a faint gasp.
Morel nodded. "You were pretty badly injured by the Guard. Don't try to speak." He looked up at someone else. "I'm going to give you some painkillers. It should help."
Painkillers? Why would he need painkillers? He wasn't in pain.
Wait.
Shino frowned.
The agony across his body was so omnipresent that for a second he'd stopped recognizing it as pain. That couldn't be a good sign. Four fractured ribs, a twisted ankle, all of his limbs screaming. All of them? That didn't seem right.
He did his best to tell the insects inside him that whatever Morel would be injecting into him was safe, that it didn't need to be purged. He wasn't sure they understood completely: his inner hive was furious, buzzing with increasing intensity. He was sure the sound could be heard outside his body. The Kikaichu had taken horrible casualties, and their home had been savaged. It was an incredible mental effort for Shino, weakened as he was, just to keep them from attacking Morel.
Like they'd attacked…
Shino sucked in a breath, the feeling deep and blessedly calming.
"Morel," he asked, "where's Hinata?"
The man looked up at him, a mixed expression on his face: a frown, a smile, some pity carried in both. "She's alright. A little cut up, but she'll be fine." The look shifted more towards a frown. "She said you saved her."
Had he? That was right. He'd pushed her aside. Hadn't even thought about it. It was the natural thing to do, even in the face of that Ant's inhuman killing intent. She had children, and he didn't. One of them couldn't afford to not return.
"Good," he grunted. Talking hurt too. "Kiba?"
"Relax," Morel said, shuffling over. There was a syrette in his hand, sloshing with clear yellow liquid. Shino had never liked needles, and his insects reacted before he could calm them, chittering with renewed anger. He shut them down with a jab of his will, but Morel had clearly noticed the noise. It was obviously unsettling.
The man approached more slowly than before. "He's pretty banged up, but nothing too serious." Raised the needle. "Now hold still. This should help you out a little."
Shino did his best to shut his insects up, to make them understand that he was receiving medicine, not poison. In times like this, it could be challenging to combat their instincts, no matter how linked they were. He only had a few surgical bugs, especially after the fight with the Guard, but if wasn't careful they'd inhibit the painkillers.
The needle slid into the bicep of his right arm. It was cold, as was the liquid inside it.
"How long?" Shino asked. Morel understood what he was asking.
"It's pretty strong: should be less than a minute," Morel said. "I won't lie, this is some strong stuff. You might feel a little odd."
"I'll be… fine…" Shino said, the pain in his arm momentarily doubling.
It had been over a minute since he'd woken up, and he still couldn't figure out how he was feeling pain from an arm that was no longer there.
"Where's my leg?" he asked, and Morel blinked.
"The Ant…" he started to say. Shino managed to shake his head.
"I know. It's gone. Where is it?" Don't think about it.
"We retrieved it. I'm not sure where it is right now though. Your comrades probably have it." Morel cocked his head. "Why?"
"I need it back." Shino's head was swimming. He couldn't focus his eyes. His visor had been removed. He realized this was probably the first time Morel had ever seen his eyes. "My arm?"
Morel shook his head. "The Ant took it. I'm sorry."
Shino sighed. It could have been worse. At least he had his leg to work with.
"If you're trying to patch me, don't do anything to my leg," he warned. "I need it. Where's Hinata?"
Morel looked confused. "If you say so. She and Kiba are in another room. Don't worry, they're fine."
"Where's my leg?"
Morel's face drooped, his glasses swelling. "With them. We can go get it in a bit."
"Okay." Shino lay back, scratching his nose with his right hand. "That's okay."
He fell asleep, without his consciousness falling away. He was still in the bright room. Morel was gone. His pipe was still there, though. No, he hadn't had it in the first place. But where Morel once stood, his pipe was propped, glasses fixed crookedly on the head. Shino giggled.
"Something funny?" the pipe asked, and Shino's giggle intensified.
"I need my leg," he laughed. "I have to put it back on." The room swirled, brown and grey and green and black commingling in his vision.
"Oh? How are you going to manage that."
It was probably the first time he'd been had asked such an outright question since leaving home. "Question." Had he said that out loud? It wouldn't be a 'harm' to answer it.
With my insects, obviously. The pipe sure was stupid if it couldn't figure that out. Shino laughed again. Then again, you are a pipe, you don't even have a brain. Of course you're stupid. It's really not your own fault. I shouldn't be so judgemental. I'm sometimes afraid I scare my students. Since they can't see my eyes, they can't know what I'm thinking. That can be frightening, especially to a child.
Poor Himawari, waking up one morning to find that her mother had been replaced by a stranger. Who's Himawari? Hinata's daughter, of course. That was obvious. She'd been so shocked by the lunar chakra, she hadn't stopped screaming all day. He was glad that he didn't have kids, really. Teaching them was easy, raising them was impossibly difficult. Shino had never thought he would end up a teacher, but it had become as natural to him as breathing, he'd inevitably ended up in that position like someone sucked into a vacuum, not so much moving as being moved by the needs of the village. It didn't bother him; passing on the Will of Fire was an excellent honor, and Shino enjoyed his job.
The Will of Fire, where are you really from, Shino? The Village Hidden in the Leaves, of course. Without that, he'd be nothing. His whole life, only after coming heer has the absurdity of it hit him, he'd been inside the system of villages, inundated by the Will of Fire, his entire life. Even if it were incorrect or even evil, he'd never know. Where was that? In the middle of the Five Nations, a position that held both a lot of advantages and disadvantages. At the center of every war, every conflict, but with enough resources and people to weather them. So much death, it boggled the mind to consider himself the inheritor of so much suffering. It certainly seemed crazy to have nearly a century defined by conflict on that one continent, but that's what had happened. He didn't know much about the history of this land, but the conflict between the two Gorteau's had reminded him of it, though Gorteau had never resolved the debt of blood as they had. Where were the Five Nations? Shino laughed again. Well, that was a very stupid question. Was it place without victory? He supposed it had been, but they'd won, they'd won, they'd won the war, destroyed the system, established the Union, created a peace that Shino's ancestors could never have dreamed of. An impossible dream, but they'd achieved it anyway, wasn't that incredible. Where were the Five Nations, he didn't really know himself now that he thought about it. Somewhere else, far from here, across space and time, in another world, another place, completely different from here. Plenty of giant bugs there, though. Shino supposed they weren't that different after all. No Hunters though. Just lots of shinobi. It bothered Shino sometimes how very many shinobi there were, with nothing to fight, the only battle one of definition and reconstruction, much more complicated than the breaking that had preceded them. He didn't fear Naruto at all, there wasn't a single atom in his body that feared the Hokage no, he loved the man like a brother, he was eternally grateful to him for having saved the village, what, two, three times, let alone his efforts in the Fourth War, but the Hokage was terrifying, the idea that if he wanted to he could surely kill everyone, on shameful nights it kept Shino away from his bed as he pondered how the new paradigm was just as fragile as the last one, he was still just as much a weapon as a person in some ways despite his warm smile and true heart their legacy seemed destined to be built on the power of human sacrifice no matter what.
The pipe was shuddering. It looked cold. Are you cold? Let me help. Shino's insects sluggishly responded to his altruism, slipping out of his body in gradual great waves and covering the pipe. It stopped shivering, and Shino smiled. There, not cold anymore, are you? Snug as a bug. He laughed again. People didn't like being covered in insects generally, but the pipe didn't even have a brain, so it probably was just grateful for being kept warm. Kikaichu were pretty warm, compared to their peers especially. What, destruction bugs? Of course he grew them in his own body, where else would he? It would take a while to replenish his hive after the losses he'd incurred against the Royal Guard, but with enough food he'd be able to manage it easily. He was lucky to have such willing allies, always grateful for how much they were willing to do for him. Without them, he never would have survived as long as he had. The Guard would have killed him instead of just maiming him. Though it wasn't that bad. At least he could get his leg back. The thing had stolen his arm. What a bitch. It did kinda look like a woman, didn't it. Despite it's inhumanity, there had been something feminine about his face, the shape of its body. Technically Chimera Ants didn't have a gender, or identify as one sex or another, but that didn't mean they were beyond it necessarily, especially after having taken so much humanity in, that nest stuffed with blood and bones, the line between human and ants could be becoming uncomfortably thin, 'why do you have a name'-
Was he human? Of course he was. That was perhaps the stupidest floating sentence of them all. Just because he had chakra, didn't mean he wasn't human. He was just as human as any of his fellows, or the Hunters, regardless of how many insects were inside his body. Shino had never doubted that, though he knew some other people from Konohagakure inevitably did. The Aburame had always intimidated people. But if an entire clan of people with eyes like the Byakugan or the Sharingan could be called human without compunction, why not those filled with insects? He was so thirsty. One part honey, one part caramel, some tea would help soothe his throat for sure. Green, ocha~ it was his favorite color after all. An entire clan, of course there was an entire clan of people like Hinata. She was the mightiest among them, no doubt, Shino was so proud of her for having overcome her fear, insecurity, to become the most powerful Hyuuga in the clan. It was beyond his best hopes. No more Sharingan though. Imagine if Hinata had ended up like Sasuke, he just couldn't picture it. Shino giggled again. Vengeance, in a squeaky tone, eyes tucked away. Nope, impossible.
He was so tired. Especially for already being asleep. That was just making him more tired, these damn Ants putting him in this state maybe it was time to forget the consequences and simply contact naruto shinobi weren't supposed to do that except in the cases of a most dire emergency and surely that was one of these cases east gorteau could be overrun if they weren't careful naruto would have been able to settle this on the first day wipe out the nest without effort who cared about getting a sample of the queen he'd already paid for that ambition with an arm at this point was it really worth continuing the struggle might best end it in a flash of light
Without compunction, Shino passed out.
###
Hinata peeled the bandage off her forearm, the long strip of gauze coming away sticky with crusty dried blood. The slice that ran horizontally along almost the entire length of her arm was the consequence of her parrying the Royal Guard's thirty-seventh attack; all things considered, she'd gotten off lightly, especially considering the intent of the strike. The wound was one of the shallowest she'd sustained, but for some reason it irritated her the most.
She was going to have at least four new scars after the encounter. Small, but visible. That was far more than she could say for Shino.
Guilt, hot and rancid, surged up from her gut and she did her best to suppress it, glancing over at Mari. She, the Representative, and Kiba were all sequestered in a hospital somewhere in the Republic of Rokario, near the border of the NGL. They'd come there from one of Knov's dimensional apartments, filled with cots and medical supplies. Technically, the room was Kiba's. He'd been checked in with incredible speed, likely thanks to the Hunter's Association. The Inuzuka was asleep on one of the beds; Hinata had taped an ice pack to his nose and set his arm in a splint before setting about seeing to herself, long before they'd arrived at the hospital. Making sure her teammate's sense of smell went undamaged was paramount.
It had been nearly five hours since the assault had ended, and Mari hadn't said anything that whole time. Not since she'd seen Shino taken away by Morel and Knov, escorted to the building they were now sitting in. Hinata wondered if she should have gone with him, but after a moment, brushed the thought off. She trusted the Hunters, and staying behind to see to Kiba had been the right thing to do.
She didn't acknowledge to herself that it had been almost too painful to see Shino with two of his limbs removed. The feeling was far worse than the pain of her fractured leg, which sat securely in a splint, or the dozens of cuts, large and small, that covered her body. That in a way, handing him off to someone else had been a relief.
"Mari?" she asked, and the younger shinobi jerked. How old was she? Early twenties? Hinata had never asked.
"Yeah?" Mari blinked. "I'm alright, Hyuuga-sama." She looked over to Hinata, her teal eyes sliding over the bandages covering her body. "What…"
"You're sure?" Hinata continued. She patted at one of the bandages on her thigh, soaking up some excess blood. She'd had more water and calorie bars than she'd cared to count. After losing so much blood, eating was more important than ever. "You said, before, that you'd never been in a large scale battle before."
Mari shook her head, brushing some of her short brown bangs away. Her lip quivered. "I'm fine."
It was obvious Mari knew Hinata knew she was lying, but the Hyuuga didn't know how to bridge the gap. The younger woman seemed ready to break down.
"You did well," Hinata said. It was the truth. "That jutsu of yours really is amazing-"
The girl from the Thunder Corp started silently crying. Her whole body shuddered.
"Sorry…" she said quietly, the words broken up. "Sorry… I really couldn't do anything."
Hinata limped over to the girl and sat down next to her, the bed creaking under them. She was sure she'd stained the sheets, but at the moment, she hardly cared.
"You killed quite a few Ants," she said, smiling. Over twenty, unless her count had been off. "You retreated without getting injured. The Union still has its Representative in Gorteau." She gently put her hand down on Mari's shaking shoulder. It stung: she'd been cut on that palm as well. "You did everything right."
"I didn't think it would be like this," Mari gasped, trying to control her tears. She wiped at her nose. "I'm not even hurt…"
She really was young. Young and inexperienced. Hinata kept up the grip on her shoulder. "It was your first battle. Trust me, it happens. Don't be concerned about it."
Mari glanced at her with desperate and shameful eyes. "Did it happen to you?"
Hinata looked away, up at the bright ceiling, to Kiba, sleeping peacefully, then back to Mari. Her other hand curled into a fist. "My first real battle… well, I suppose it was the assault on my village before the Fourth War, by the leader of the Akatsuki," she admitted. "During it, I was terrified, and afterwards…" she leaned forward, frowning. "I didn't have time to process what had happened. I didn't really have time for any of that until after the War, and that was weeks later."
Mari coughed. "Hyuuga-sama, you have to understand…" she trailed off, seemingly afraid to put her thoughts to words. "You and your team, you're heroes. You're the Hokage's wife. Seeing you all come back from this, especially Shino, so badly injured, while I don't even have a scratch on me-"
Hinata nodded as Mari sniffed, her nose clogged. "It just doesn't seem real, you know? I must have let you guys down, if someone like Shino can be hurt so bad while I'm totally fine."
The Hyuuga almost smiled. Mari made sense, but it was a childish thing to say. She leaned in, as if to tell the girl a secret, and unconsciously, Mari did the same.
"That's how this sort of thing works," she said, and the girl cocked her head. "When shinobi go into battle, they risk their lives, but everyone has their role to play. As the wife of the Hokage, I know that better than most people." She leaned back. "I'm sure your teacher told you this was how it's going to be. Since you were in the Thunder Corp, you were never going to be in direct danger unless things went terribly wrong."
Mari frowned as Hinata continued. "It sounds awful, but that's the way it is. Even with the Union established, that's how shinobi have lived for as long as my clan's been around. Until we come up with something better, it's inevitable." She smiled. "And just because you consider us heroes, doesn't mean we're any better than you." She pointed to Kiba. "Kiba and I, and Shino, we were just lucky enough to survive the War. It had nothing to do with how great we were. Over fifty-thousand people died in just two days, and we could have been among them. We were just in the right place at the right time."
Her smile softened. "And of course, without my husband, it would have been far more than that."
"I… I don't understand," Mari muttered. Hinata's smile faded.
They hadn't taken the proper precautions, and now this girl was feeling guilt that she didn't deserve.
"I'm trying to tell you not to feel guilty," she said, and Mari stiffened. "It's obvious, and you shouldn't. We made a mistake. I made a mistake: we should never have assumed my Byakugan couldn't be beaten. You're not responsible for that; it was us who came up with the plan to attack the nest, not you. Don't think that you didn't do well."
"Bullshit." Both the women's heads swivelled towards Kiba, who slowly pulled himself up, propping himself on one trembling arm. Somehow, he's woken up in time to join the conversation. Hinata's eyes narrowed. Had he been feigning sleep? "You didn't do a damn thing wrong." He looked down, at the catheter protruding from under the sheets. "Oh hell. Why'd you let them put this in?"
He was talking to her, not Mari. Hinata couldn't help but smile at her teammate's stubbornness. "You know as well as me that's not true, Kiba. I made a mistake-" a hiccup, "-and Shino paid for it."
"Don't give me that crap," Kiba groaned, trying and failing to pull himself off the bed. "Maybe once we've fucked these Ants, you can start saying stuff like that. How the hell could we have known one of them could dodge your eyes?" His beard was crusted with blue and red blood.
"It's like you said a couple days ago," Hinata pointed out. "We're not the experts on this place. Assuming the Ants couldn't develop a Hatsu to avoid my eyes was arrogant."
"The Hunters did the same damn thing, and they are experts. It was their fuckup, not yours," Kiba shot back. He was angry, clearly looking to blame someone. Hinata pursed her lips. He was right, but the arrogance that had led to the failed assault had been shared. The Hunters had asked her if anything could hide from her eyes, and she'd told them the truth. That Royal Guard had achieved the impossible, but she hadn't dared to assume that in another world, with different truths, that could be the case.
It was her fault they were in this room with these injuries. But she couldn't say that out loud. That would be even more painful, and Kiba would be angry.
"Stop swearing, please," she asked quietly, and Kiba growled.
"Shit, my ribs," he grumbled, giving up on standing up. "That last Royal Guard is way too strong."
"They all are," Hinata said. "When Shino and I were fighting that cat one, it was obvious to the both of us that it could kill either of us with a lucky hit. They're ridiculous creatures."
"Why'd you keep fighting, then?" Kiba asked. "You can't afford to die here, Hinata."
"We couldn't retreat," Hinata said, "and it was our best chance to destroy it. It didn't have any backup, that far from the nest. It was frightening, but I thought the ideal decision was to finish it off." She looked down at her leg. "I still do," she said, the image of a hundred thousand cracked open bones inside the nest overlapping over her own broken one.
"I never thought you'd say something like that, Hinata," Kiba said. He looked disappointed. "You both could have died."
"We didn't," Hinata said. She almost said it out of spite. Her head was swimming. Was Kiba right? Had she become so obsessed with making the Ants pay for their crimes that she'd put herself in too much danger?
It was an incredibly disturbing thought.
Mari watched the quiet argument, her tears drying.
"You're not worried about Shino?" she asked, breaking into the momentary silence. Hinata glanced at her.
"No. I'm terribly worried," she said, her whole body shaking once, violently. She pushed down her ancestor's urges, catching sight of a bright bird flying past the room's single narrow window. "But he's not going to die. He's in good hands, and his insects will keep alive even in the worst situation." She sighed. "I hate to admit it, but I wouldn't be as nearly well off as him if the Royal Guard had managed to strike me instead."
Kiba looked her up and down, taking in the dozen of bandages and the thick splint around her leg. "It seems like it got you pretty good." Hinata shook her head.
"Just scratches. And a broken leg. I'll be fine." She closed her eyes. "Shino lost his arm. And a leg."
"Holy shit," Kiba jerked, wincing and laying one arm on his gut. "Like, gone, or…?"
"We retrieved his leg," Hinata said. "Morel came to collect it about an hour ago: he was convinced that the doctors he's got working with Shino could reattach it. But the Royal Guard took his arm. We'll have to have a synthetic one made when we return to Konoha."
"Jeez." Kiba lay back. "Why aren't you with him?"
Hinata blinked. "I decided to stay with you. I went to visit him earlier, after Knov brought us here, but he was completely out of it." She flared her Byakugan to make her point. "I've been keeping an eye on him, don't worry."
"Where are we, anyway?" Kiba asked, looking around. He strained, looking at the unfamiliar city outside the window.
"Somewhere in The Republic of Rokario," Mari said suddenly. "Most likely Dory. That's the nearest city to NGL." She looked back down, as though embarrassed to have spoken up without warning.
Hinata nodded; she remembered the information from when Mari had first explained it on their journey to the NGL, but it was good the girl was speaking up. "Well, the location doesn't really matter. Shino will be unconscious for at least a day. They gave him something to help him heal, apparently. His insects were making a fuss."
"Man," Kiba said with a painful laugh. "That must have freaked the doctors out."
"It did. I did my best to make sure they weren't concerned, though I don't think it did much coming from me. The Hunters will definitely have questions about that," Hinata agreed. "But it's unavoidable."
"Who cares," Kiba asked. "Let them ask whatever the fuck they want. I'm sick of it." Hinata almost chuckled at how Kiba's opinion had intensified in just a couple days. Her teammate sighed. "I think at this point we should think about more reinforcements."
Hinata blinked. "What? More shinobi, you mean?"
Kiba nodded, wincing. "Those Royal Guard are fucked up. If the King's going to be even stronger than them, we really can't let him be born. I'm pretty sure Netero is the only of the Hunters who could take on any of the Guards, so the King would probably be beyond him." He looked to Mari. "And he's the Chairman of the Association, so he's probably one of the most powerful, even with his age." The Representative nodded in agreement. "So, if we want to make sure no one else ends up like Shino… might be worth considering bringing in some more people. To protect West Gorteau, at the very least."
Hinata chewed her lip. "That's risky, Kiba. It would be nice to settle this more safely, but…"
"It's pointless to consider right now," Mari spoke up, her eyes finally dry. Kiba raised an eyebrow. "The portal is still recharging thanks to all three of you coming through: it won't be finished for at least another three weeks, maybe even more. Right now, the only thing that can be sent here from the Union, or back to it, are faxes."
"Faxes?" Kiba blinked. "Seriously?"
Mari shrugged. "They've done a lot of experiments, apparently: they're the only kind of data that can make it through without too much corruption. I'm not sure how it works, to be honest."
"Hmm." Kiba scratched his nose, and then at his broken arm. "Well, shit. Forget what I said then. If that's the case, we'll have to finish this on our own." He coughed, spitting out a granule of dried blood. "I don't suppose you know any medical jutsu? I know Hinata hasn't practiced hers in a while."
"Sorry, no." Mari practically looked ready to cry again; it almost made Hinata laugh. Kiba was right. At best, she'd be able to mend their broken bones over the course of a week or two, but they wouldn't be even close to fully healed. She wasn't a hundredth as talented as Sakura, so there wasn't a question that for the rest of their time in the Mitene Union, their injured limbs would be weak points.
She felt too light. Shino had just lost a limb, hadn't he? She had no right to feel like this, especially with a shattered leg of her own. It was probably the blood loss. It was always like this after a hard fight, blood loss or not. The paradoxical feeling of relief and joy at having survived, and the guilt of others being less lucky. It reminded her of when Neji had died, such fierce sorrow and joy and anger all painfully juxtaposed, making her feel like a bug being rattled around inside a jar.
It was exhausting. The optimism she'd felt about attacking the nest just hours ago seemed like a dream.
She forced her mouth open, trying to drain the conflict inside her. "The King isn't due to be born for at least another five weeks," she said. "If we really can't find a solution to dealing with the Guards by then, we'll still probably have time to seek reinforcements." She smiled, sure there was some blood on her teeth. "But Shino and I nearly killed that Guard on our own. It almost killed us as well, but with just one more person backing us up, I think we could have taken it. Even if we're all injured, I'm sure we'll be able to figure out a way to finish the Ants safely before that point."
Kiba's mouth twisted. "It's back in your system now, I can tell. You're going to be using more of that lunar chakra, aren't you?" He leaned back with a small grimace. "It's making you a little reckless, Hinata."
"Lunar chakra?" Mari asked, cocking her head. Hinata glanced at her, then down at her trembling leg. It wasn't a conscious movement, just the twitching of pained nerves. She willed it to sit still, and it did… for a couple seconds, before it resumed its shaking.
She frowned.
"It's not common knowledge," she told Mari, who only looked more curious, "but it's not exactly a secret either." She focused, the muscles in her back and core tensing, and drew out some of her ancestor's chakra, the ferocious purple energy burning off her arms and shoulders. Mari rocked back in shock, and Hinata relaxed, the unusual chakra fading. "You were probably pretty young at the time, but I'm sure you remember the moon falling."
Mari nodded, her wariness melting away to be replaced by more curiosity. "Duh," she said. The the first time in five hours, she almost laughed. "I was ten at the time: I didn't really understand what was happening, but I thought for sure the world was ending. The sky was catching fire…" She trailed off. "And we were getting sent into shelters. But the Hokage, didn't he stop whoever was causing it?"
Hinata nodded. "My husband and I traveled to the moon along with some of our comrades and stopped the man who was making it fall." She grinned at the ridiculous truth of it. "While we were there, I came into contact with some ancient chakra, from the very first head of the Hyuuga Clan: Hamura. He was long dead, but his spirit, I guess you could say, passed it on to me to help destroy the jutsu that was causing the moon's fall." Kiba snorted, and Hinata shot him a half-hearted glare. "Since then, Hamura's chakra has been a part of me."
"But you don't usually use it?" Mari asked. "Why not? It sounds incredible." Hinata could swear there were little stars behind the girl's eyes.
"Well, you just saw it," Hinata said, her face growing serious. "It's a little scary." She shrugged. "And it's powerful: once its in my chakra system, it can take months to work all of it out and replace it with just my own. It's not a concern for me, or my husband-"
"Or me!" Kiba interjected, and Hinata managed a small, dry laugh.
"Right. But both of my children have the Byakugan, though only my daughter has managed to activate it." Comprehension dawned on Mari's face. "The first time she saw it, felt it," Hinata said, growing quiet. It was a painful memory that Mari had accidentally dragged back up to compete with Shino's lost limbs. "She was terrified. I'm sure she thought someone had taken over me. She wouldn't look at me for the rest of the day, and she didn't let me hold her until I'd managed to get it all out of my system."
"Oh." Mari sobered. "I'm sorry."
Hinata shrugged. "It's not your fault. But now that it's out, there's little reason to stop using it. We're in a bad situation. It's a shame, but I'll try to make my daughter understand."
'When I get back.'
"So, what now then?" Mari asked.
"You get back to West Gorteau, do your job," Kiba groaned. "Inform the Union on what's up. Don't let the Hokage know we got his wife beat up, he'll be pissed."
"Kiba!" Hinata protested, and he shot her a bloody grin. She sighed. "Don't listen to him. Well, you should return to your job, but the rest, ignore that."
"And you, Hinata," Kiba said, not finished. "You're done."
Hinata blinked, the bit of cheer she'd gained slammed against the verbal brick wall Kiba had just thrown at her.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Kiba tried to cross his arms and failed. "After this, there's no way I'm letting you fight again. Not like you have been."
That was unusually patronizing. Hinata looked him up and down, clearly eyeing his cast, bandages, and the catheter. "How would you stop me?"
"I'm not kidding around," Kiba said, spitting out some more blood. It landed on his cast. "Looking at that nest day and night, it's done something to you. I don't know if you see it or not, but it's obvious to me. Shino too, though he's probably too polite to say it. You're way too fixated on the Ants. Even more so than Shino, and he practically drools over the damn things." His eyes narrowed. "We're going to finish this. Those Ants are too dangerous to ignore, and I don't trust the Hunters to not fuck it up. But when we get out of this place, back to the nest, you're done. You're going to stay back and help the Hunters out, nothing more. If you have to, you'll play up your leg."
"That's not your decision to make," Hinata said, her voice low.
"That's true," Kiba said, not budging. "But it's not your right to make me explain to Boruto and Himawari why their mom came back twenty pounds lighter." Mari gasped.
That was a low blow. Hinata felt like Kiba had physically punched her in the gut.
She almost wanted to strike back. That's what shinobi did when they were hurt. Even though Kiba was one of her oldest friends, the urge to hurt him as he'd just hurt her was overwhelming.
But she was sure there was nothing she could say that would be as hurtful.
Or as true.
She opened her mouth, but she had nothing to say. She hesitated. One second, two, three. The silence stretched. Her throat was dry. Kiba's lips were drawn in a harsh line.
After five seconds, she conceded with a single, shallow nod. Her eyes were hot, but she refused to show any more weakness.
Hinata frowned, trying to crush her shame, and turned to Mari. "We'll stay here for two days, maybe three. Enough time to heal our bones for fieldwork. But after that, we've got to return. It's a critical time: we've got to capitalize on the Ant's losses. It'll be the same for Shino, though he might take longer." Shino would be just as dangerous without his right arm. Perhaps even more so, now that he had lost something to the Ants.
She breathed out, her breath shaky. "We'll be fine." Hinata told Mari with a false smile.
"Do your job. Don't worry about us."
###
Knov took a sip of his tea, his eyes wandering over the nest in the distance. Though it had only been three days since the assault, the scars left by Isaac Netero and the shinobi Mari Kansai were already fading, the Ants industriously repairing and reinforcing the dents and holes their combined effort had put in the nest with the enthusiasm and speed of…
Well, he acknowledged with a minute grin, ants.
That, combined with the reestablishment of the Royal Guard's monstrous En about fifteen hours after the battle had ended, made it seem like the only legacy of the assault were several devastated patches of forest. The Chairman had used dozens of trees as ammunition, and Shino's insects had devoured a sizeable number as well. That had been somewhat alarming, he thought, the tea soothing his throat. He never would have guessed the shinobi had command over quite that many creatures, or that they were capable of stripping life from an area so thoroughly.
When he had arrived at Hinata's location, drawn by her call, the only thing that had surprised him more than the damage to the forest was that it had not been enough to stop the Royal Guard. Shino Aburame had still been down two limbs, his stumps clogged with insects desperate to stop the bleeding. That had resolved a longstanding question Knov had had about the Aburame's abilities: whether the insects were a conjuration or an emission.
The answer had turned out to be both simple and obvious, which he appreciated. They were neither. The man obviously somehow hosted the insects, real creatures, inside his body, and commanded them through some sort of symbiosis. It was disgusting, but also somewhat mundane compared to the other possibilities.
However, despite appearances, the assault had resulted in far more that some dead trees. Nearly two hundred Chimera had perished, bringing their total numbers down to somewhere around six-hundred. The forest was stained with their blue blood; it was a far cry from when the Hunters had arrived to find over two-thousand of the insects infesting the area. The Royal Guard that had so badly injured Hinata and Shino had nearly been killed in kind, and it would doubtlessly take time to recover: Knov was almost eager for the Hyuuga to return, so her eyes could inform the Hunters as to the health of that Guard in particular.
Most critically, the chaos of the assault had allowed Knov to accomplish his primary objective. Though he'd had to withdraw sooner than he'd liked thanks to Hinata's call for aid, he'd still managed to penetrate somewhat into the nest, making his way several hundred feet up and into it, and leave behind an exit portal for Hide and Seek. That portal was the lynchpin of any further attacks against the Chimera. The next time they were distracted, assassinating the Queen would be much simpler.
"When did you have time to grab this, Knov?" Morel asked, taking a gulp of his own tea. Knov had given the man a kettle instead of a cup; he had more of an appetite. "It's terrible."
Knov shrugged. "It's from the hospital," he said without care. "I just wanted something to drink. And I didn't have time to get anything better before the Chairman called us here."
'Here' was a rocky bluff situated on the edge of a short cliff about eight kilometers away from the nest. It was an ideal observational post: the Hyuuga had spent much of her time here. Knov and Morel had seated themselves on some choice stones, waiting for the Chairman to address them. He'd been silent since they'd arrived about five minutes ago, content to stand and stare at the nest. Knov had produced the tea after the first minute, sure that when the Chairman was ready, he'd break the silence.
"You don't have something better squirreled away?" Morel asked, cocking an eyebrow. Knov shrugged.
"Of course," he admitted, "but I wouldn't bring it out for this."
"How cruel," Morel grumbled, taking another gulp of tea. "Twenty-eight days, and you still won't treat me."
"It only extends two kilometers now," Netero suddenly said, and Morel coughed, some tea caught in his throat. "That's what that attack gained us. One kilometer." The man's lips pulled back in a sneer. "How barbaric. Like the wars of old."
"Pardon, Chairman?" Knov asked, setting his tea down on the rock beside him. Netero crossed his arms. At some point after the assault, he had cut his topknot short, but not his beard. Knov wondered what had prompted the change.
"The En of that Royal Guard," he said. "It's reduced. Likely due to her injuries."
Her? The Ants didn't have genders, though Knov supposed that that cat-like Guard could look a little female. He didn't bother trying to correct the Chairman; the man would doubtlessly destroy him with sophistries if he tried. After nearly a month, he'd grown used to the little games Netero played to keep himself amused.
"Well, that's something then," Knov said. "Next time we'll finish her off."
"Mmm." The Chairman grunted, turning around. "Do you know why I've called you here?" Both Knov and Morel shook their heads, sharing a glance. The old man smiled. "Well, rejoice. You are here to have your curiosity satisfied." His teeth shone under his mustache. "And also to get you into the loop, Knov."
"Excuse me?" Knov asked. Morel frowned, and he looked to the larger Hunter. "You know what he's talking about?" The shinobi had informed them they would be returning by the end of the day, likely in several hours; it had been odd that the Chairman had called this impromptu meeting before they returned.
"It's been a hectic couple days," Morel said, running a hand through his long hair. He was clearly unhappy, though Knov had no idea why. "So you have my apologies for waiting to share some information with you."
"What did you find out, Morel?" Knov asked. There was genuine curiosity bubbling up inside him now. The man cupped his square chin in one of his huge hands, scratching at his jaw. Knov had never seen his fellow Hunter looking uncertain.
"After Shino was injured, in the hospital," he said, gesturing to Netero, "the Chairman suggested that there was opportunity for information gathering: potentially our only safe one." Netero wiggled his eyebrows, and Knov blinked at the childish expression. "There was a period where Kiba was unconscious, and Hinata was busy inside of Hide and Seek: about half an hour." Morel cracked one of his knuckles. "So I took that time to inject Shino with pentium solin, along with some midazolam."
Knov had a moment of realization. "That's why you had me fetch some?" he asked Netero, and the old man shrugged. In the days leading up to the assault, Netero had given Knov a list of things to stockpile in Hide and Seek: most had been simple and understandable, but pentium solin had been anything but. It was a rare compound synthesized from a particular kind of echinoderm that only lived deep inside the Yalu Jungles, discovered by the Hunter Ging. The land-bound starfish, limbs as large as trees, used it as a paralytic agent to ensnare prey the size of elephants. But in extremely small doses, it instead functioned as a truth serum.
Of course, real truth serums didn't exist: pentium solin just made people extremely suggestible. Combined with Shino's state, and he probably would have answered any questions Morel leveled at him.
"That's dangerous. His fellows... not to mention it interacting with the painkillers they had him on," Knov said idly, pointing to Morel. "Doesn't sound like you."
Morel grinned, a flat expression that was all teeth and no happiness. "I consulted with the hospital staff: they assured me that combination of drugs was perfectly safe. Three days later, and he hasn't shown any complications. They even managed to reattach his leg with the help of those insects, after all."
"Still," Knov said, "it must sting that it probably only worked thanks to his trust of you."
Morel flinched, and Knov regretted pressing so harshly. That hadn't been necessary.
"Without a doubt," the large man growled. "But… I do think it was worth it."
"So," Knov asked, trying to be conciliatory. "Did he say anything interesting?"
Morel produced a paper pad from his back pocket. "It was difficult to parse through it all: I actually had to take some notes afterwards. He wouldn't stop talking." He sighed. "I guess I'll just tell you what I told the Chairman."
"No, feel free," Netero said. "We have time. And I am curious as well, about what else he may have said."
"Fine," Morel grumbled. Knov could see the man was hanging between regret and satisfaction. Out of all the shinobi, Morel had had the best relationship with Shino. They'd worked well together on a few occasions, clouds of smoke and insects leaving Ants with no escape. Still, getting more information about the shinobi was probably worth a bruised friendship, especially considering that Shino wouldn't remember the 'conversation.'
"Most important stuff first, I think," Morel said, flipping through the notebook. "He claimed that they were from somewhere else, 'across space and time,' in his words. Kinda loopy, so I put that down to the painkillers. Most likely, wherever Konohagakure is, it's just far away from here. Especially since the Association still hasn't been able to locate any Hidden Villages with that name." He flipped to the next page. "He said it was a 'place without victory…'" he said, glancing at Netero, who might as well have been a statue, "until they won."
Knov cocked his head. "A lot of what he said was pretty disjointed, but he made it sound like there had been some kind of major upheaval: maybe politically, militarily, whatever. There was a huge paradigm shift at some point recently wherever Konohagakure is. I'd guess that now it's a much more peaceful place."
Odd, but not too far out of the ordinary. Upheaval was hardly uncommon in the world. Knov quietly nodded, and Morel continued.
"He mentioned his Hokage, the Fire Shadow Hinata talked about, at length," Morel said, scratching the back of his head. "From what I could figure out, his name is 'Naruto,' no last name given. Shino has a lot of personal affection for him; I wouldn't be surprised if they had been peers, the way he talked about him. The phrase 'The Will of Fire' came up once or twice, and from context, I assumed it's his fancy way of talking about the Hokage's wishes." His eyes narrowed a little. "He claimed, and again, this was all while he was heavily influenced by painkillers, so don't take it as gospel, that if Naruto were here, he could destroy all of the Chimera Ants without any trouble." Knov's eyebrow twitched as Morel continued. "He also implied that if he wanted to, the Hokage could wipe out all of Konoha, maybe even all life in the area. He wasn't very clear."
Knov hummed, leaning back and uncrossing his legs. "That's a strong claim."
"Very," Morel agreed. "But it's what Shino honestly believed. Near the end, before he passed out for good, he was rambling about 'calling Naruto.'" He looked down at the notepad for the exact words. "To 'End it in a flash of light.' That was the last thing he said. The way he said it, calling Naruto is some sort of taboo, or at least discouraged. He clearly thinks very highly of his Hokage's capabilities." Morel looked back up, his face grim. "Whatever the truth is, it's obvious we have to be wary of this guy. There's no doubt he's a threat; maybe even a bigger threat than the Ants, if Shino wasn't exaggerating."
"I'm sure he was," Knov said, not so sure if he believed himself. "He was barely conscious, after all. Perhaps Konohagakure is in possession of weapons like the Poor Man's Rose?"
"Maybe," Morel acknowledged, shifting his weight forward. The way his fingers tightened around the pad told Knov he was trying to convince himself, along with the man's bitter expression. "At any rate…" He moved on to his next page.
"This next one, I found the most troubling." Knov sat up a little. Netero had remained as animated as grass throughout the conversation. He was as quiet as his Nen: as ever, Knov found him impossible to read.
"Shino claimed that their civilization," Morel said, "and by this I don't know if he meant the village Konohagakure, or something greater it's part of, was built on 'Jinchuriki.' An archaic term for 'Human Sacrifice.'" He leaned back with a frown. "I have no idea how literally he meant that to be taken. The shinobi certainly don't seem very religious, so I doubt they actually sacrifice people to something, but nonetheless, it's an alarming thing to hear."
"Maybe he meant their martial culture," Knov offered, adjusting his glasses. "It could be a metaphor."
Morel nodded. "I suspect if its literal, it could be the explanation for their hatsu; something like the Byakugan could be created by a proper human sacrifice. And Shino's own body is quite the sacrifice, considering he's completely full of insects." He shrugged. "However, other things Shino said seemed to point away from that."
"Such as?"
"A couple things," Morel said. "Hinata has a daughter, named Himawari." He tapped the notebook. "At some point in the past, she was shocked by something Hinata possessed that Shino called 'lunar chakra.' No idea what that is, obviously: chakra is likely some sort of energy or power, given the etymology. So some sort of power from the moon. Whatever it was, it made her think her mother was a stranger."
Netero made his first motion in the conversation. He slowly blinked, one foot sliding forward an inch. Morel continued. "In addition, Himawari, and the rest of Hinata's family aside, also possess the Byakugan. That allowed her to see it, apparently. That opens up several possibilities: they could be genetic, or to be a Hyuuga you have to make a Contract that bestows the Byakugan. Whichever it is, Hinata is the strongest among them. It's that mention of her daughter that made me think the 'sacrifice' wasn't completely literal." Morel paused for a moment of thought. "Shino is also some sort of teacher, apparently. By all indications he has a real love for it," he finished with a sniff. "I'd say that was everything relevant."
"Interesting." Knov leaned back. It really was quite interesting. A little of the shinobi's mystique had been peeled away. The information about the Hokage was particularly enticing to him; if this 'Naruto' was even slightly as powerful and influential as Shino made him seem, it was a miracle he wasn't a bigger player on the world's stage. The mystery of the supposed lunar chakra that apparently inhabited Hinata also drifted around his mind, unresolved, along with the word 'Jinchuriki.' He'd never seen the Hyuuga exhibit any power he'd call 'frightening.' Perhaps her daughter was just fragile?
"She has a son as well," Netero spoke up, his words slow. "The way she looked at Killua, back when we first met, it was obvious. At least two children, then. That's a shame."
"A shame?" Knov asked. Morel seemed content to stay silent after his long explanation.
"The two of you," Netero said, ignoring Knov's question, "will be receiving some information today that is only privy to myself and two of the Zodiacs. I don't care how you treat it, but I trust you'll have the appropriate judgement of its value."
Two of the Zodiacs? Any information so exclusive to the higher echelons of the Association must be secret indeed. Knov immediately started paying more attention. Today, the old man wasn't just messing around with them.
"The shinobi are likely from the Dark Continent," Netero said.
Knov almost fell off his rock. Across from him, Morel choked on his tea once again.
The Dark Continent. The enormous forbidden land that surrounded the known world, that the Chairman himself had deemed to dangerous to explore for any civilization, or the Hunter Association itself, after two disastrous personal expeditions? The shinobi might call that place their home?
It seemed completely impossible that any humans could survive, let alone live, in a place so horrifying that even Isaac Netero had been unwilling to return to it. Knov's mind went into overdrive at the implications as he felt a cold sweat form on the back of his neck. Hinata's eyes, Shino's insect-ridden body, Kiba's canine features, were they more than just particular expressions of Nen and genetic abnormalities? Were those the norm for those who survived beyond the invisible barrier that kept humanity separated from what would surely destroy them, erected after centuries of mistakes and millions of lost lives?
When humans had to constantly compete with the likes of the Chimera Ants, another creature from the Dark Continent, were incredible abilities like Hinata's all-seeing eyes the bare minimum required for their survival? Was that the sacrifice that Shino had been talking about?
Knov realized after a moment that Netero's second sentence had not followed the first. 'Likely' did not denote valuable information, only suspicion. He was sure Morel had come to the same realization already, but the larger man gave nothing away.
"The Dark Continent?" he asked, trying and failing to seem at ease. "Surely, that's impossible, Chairman. No humans live in the Dark Continent."
Netero nodded. "So far as we know," he said. "No one has traveled there for nearly half a century, since I prohibited such expeditions. Perhaps things have changed." He smiled. "Or we missed something."
He sat down, his legs curling under him. "You've seen my wariness of the shinobi they arrived, but I'm sure you didn't understand why. It was far out of proportion for new, helpful allies." Netero sounded cheerful, but there was an edge in his words. He dug into one of his ears in search of wax. "To understand that paranoia, you must understand some of what I encountered in the Dark Continent."
"I mentioned it to you some time ago, when my suspicions were still forming: a place without victory. I called it that not only because humanity could never triumph there; nothing truly could. The entire land, larger many times over than the known world, is filled with terrible things. The Five Calamities are barely representative of the dangers there. It is not just simple beasts like the Chimera Ants, but diseases incomprehensible to man, creatures that inhabit a spectrum of existence beyond our comprehension, words that can kill without being spoken, and far worse besides."
Both Knov and Morel listened with almost reverent focus, aware of the import of what the Chairman was telling them. It was when the Chairman spoke like this, with such gravity, that Knov found it easier to believe the man had once been known as the strongest Nen user in the world, that he had actually accrued wisdom over the course of a life four times longer than Knov's own, instead of just a ceaseless skill at irritation and obfuscation.
"But of the uncountable dangers there, one of the least odd is actually well known. The World Tree."
The World Tree. An enormous tree, nearly two kilometers tall, that grew in the northern country of Ygtal. Knov had heard of it. It was an enormously popular tourist attraction. That monstrous tree was from the Dark Continent?
"The one here is merely a sapling, unable to draw enough nutrients from the earth to grow to its full height and bloom. The Hunters Association saw to that long ago. With its growth stunted, it's harmless. But its fellows in the Dark Continent have had no such impediment, aside from one another. There, they grow to their full height, stretching beyond even the atmosphere. They have a peculiar lifestyle. There are several different species of them, but they all share the same means of spreading their influence and supplying themselves with more nutrients."
Netero closed his eyes. His aura rippled around him, an invisible stream of energy that sent pinpricks up and down Knov's spine.
"Once they are fully grown, a fruit sprouts at the top. It ripens and plummets to earth, and creatures around the tree inevitably eat its remains. Once they have, they become tools of the World Tree."
Knov frowned. "The Trees are conscious?"
Netero's grin was outright unsettling. "Unmistakably. They possess great malice as well. The creatures they take control of through their fruit are twisted into weapons of terrible destruction. They rampage, searching for more nutrients for the Tree. All too often, they come into conflict with each other, an endless war that is continuously fought with mutated proxies." He licked his finger and rubbed a spot of dirt off his knee. "The mutation is the result of an unnatural melding of the creature's physical and spiritual energy. That much was obvious to us, when we witnessed these futile wars."
"Did a human ever consume the remains of the fruits?" Morel asked. Knov realized the potential connection at once.
"Once," Netero said, "an exceptionally foolish companion of mine, on my second expedition, dared to." His unsettling grin expanded. "He exploded. His body became an unstable weapon, and his Nen was the fuel." He poked at his side. "I still have a scar here, where one of his fingers buried itself inside me."
"But you think the shinobi are humans who have been successfully controlled by the World Trees," Morel said, Knov nodding along with him. It was obvious that's what the Chairman was pushing at.
Netero shrugged. "It is only one of many possibilities, but it has been foremost in my mind, yes. Especially since our assault on the nest." He leaned forward. "Whatever power they use in their hatsu, it reminds me very much of the World Trees. I could not be sure until I saw that girl Mari's techniques up close, but now, I have no doubt. It is nearly the same kind of energy."
"So, what?" Morel said. "We've stumbled into a conflict between two creatures from the Dark Continent?"
"They're not creatures; they are certainly human," Netero chided. "I find the most likely explanation is that the Dark Continent has a heretofore undiscovered civilization, and these shinobi are some of its first attempts to make inroads into ours. They would have been noticed otherwise, by world governments or the Association. Their reinforcement showing up so quickly also confirms there may be more of them around, or they have some means of rapid transport. All of it does raise a fascinating question about their involvement with these Ants, though."
He raised one hand. "Are they acting out of altruism, as they are so desperate to seem, hoping to make allies?" He raised the other, curling it into a fist. His smile shone behind it. "Or are they simply removing the competition?"
If it was the latter, Knov thought, the shinobi would attempt to destroy both the Ants and the dormant World Tree, removing any other potential rivals from the Continent. That much was obvious to him. If it was the former… he had no idea what to think of that. The situation was simply too incredible.
He and Morel digested what they had been told in silence for almost a minute.
"Netero." Morel used the man's name, not his title. "What should we do with this information?"
"As I said, that's not my concern," Netero said. "But I believe the most intelligent course of action at the moment would be…"
He stuck out his tongue. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Knov asked. He couldn't tell if the Chairman was testing them or not.
Morel nodded. "As I thought," he admitted, turning to Knov. "This changes everything and nothing. No matter what, the shinobi are powerful allies. There's no reason to undermine them until the Chimera Ants have been dealt with."
Knov was forced to agree. Even if the shinobi had a menacing ulterior motive, their power couldn't be questioned. With their assistance, the Hunters had brought the Ants to their knees in far less time than should have been possible. Despite the injuries the shinobi had suffered in the assault, their position was stronger than ever.
"We have five weeks until the earliest possible date for the King's birth," he said, speaking to himself as much as he was to his fellow Hunters." "And in just two days, reinforcements will be arriving. This matter will be finished soon. Then," he said, looking to Netero, "we will worry about the shinobi?"
The old man gave an infuriating shrug, and Knov resisted the urge to grind his teeth. "Perhaps I'll win our bet," he said, giving Morel a meaningful look. The big man laughed. Knov hoped that all of the other Hunters would arrive for reasons besides his bet. Perhaps if Palm had been a part of the assault, able to track the Royal Guard who had evaded the Byakugan, things would have gone differently. It was a shame they had been too impatient.
"All five of them showing up?" he said with a grin. "Yes, that would be nice, wouldn't it? I'd hand you that one-million jenny with a smile on my face." He stood up off his rock, grabbing his pipe and swinging it over his shoulder. Morel looked out to the nest, and Knov could tell from the way his nose twisted he was calculating the odds.
"Well," he said. "Make it two, four, or five. No matter who shows up, we'll have plenty of time."
###
AN: This update got some substantial edits and ballooned up a little beyond my expectations. Chapter 13 is coming along, but it might take a while: tricky stuff coming. But as always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.