Chapter Twenty-One
The Start of a Journey
In the end, Neji did not get the chance to see if he could actually do it. He was still wavering a bit, because even though he did understand the logic of this, he still was a Leaf ninja. The Leafs had been raised to value their friends, and though Neji was not as loud (or obnoxious) about it as Lee and Naruto could be, that did not mean he did not believe it. So, he was stalling a bit, just standing there, raking his brain and trying to figure out a solution.
Nothing came to him, until...
"Well, this is melodramatic." Neji had no idea how that witch, Cassudina, manged to appear behind him without his noticing, but there she was. "I mean, wow Crowboy, you take this stuff seriously don't you?"
"Hi Cassie. Go away, I'm committing suicide by Leaf here."
"As poetic as that is it is also exteramly unncessary." Cassudina said. "Or did you forget that I was studying the situation."
"You found something?" Neji realesed Kankuro's head, inwardly greatful for this. He might have kissed Cassudina...if he had not be utterly convinced that she would have truned him into something small and slimy if he had.
"I did. You with the eyes, let me see that rune."
"This thing." Neji produced the rune.
"Yes," the witch took the rune and closed her eyes, muttering. After a bit she opened her eyes "I found a few things about werewolves. Kankuro, what is beyond the Land of Twisting Vines to the southwest and the Land of Smoke to the northwest?"
"A broad patch of plains, then an inland sea."
"One the other side of the sea?"
"A range of mountains."
"Beyond the mountains?"
"I don't know, Cassie."
The witch smiled. "If one were to go to the small collection of villages that line the mountains, one can hear rumors. Some of those rumors are of the Shadow People who stalk the night and kill in the darkness...ninja in other words." she grinned at them "But, there are other rumors. They say, on the other side of the mountains there are people who turn into wolves. Also, somehting about monsters. Do you get my drift?"
"You think that the werewolves come from beyond those mountains?" said Neji.
"Indeed." Cassudina said "And the magic that is in your hands right now is something never seen here before. However, since we know nothing about the land beyond the mountains, and if this is werewolf magic, does it not make sense that they answers you seek might be there?"
"But, what if they are invading from there?" Kankuro said.
Cassudina shrugged "Then you would be playing into their hands, of course. But, there is something else. Did you not notice it, Leaf?"
"Notice what?" Neji asked.
"Use that vision of yours, boy."
Neji activated the Byakugan, and then he saw it. A...string or a line of that strange glowing werewolf magic. It stretched from the rune to his own heart, and then over to Kankuro's chest.
"It's...connecting us." Neji said "I thought I had canceled it powers."
"No, you merely ordered your werewolf to act as he normally would."
"What! Are you saying that I'm still under that thing's spell!" Kankuro shrieked.
"Yes, in fact, I believe it has somehow tuned itself towards both you and Neji. Basically, if he were to say, order you to jump off the cliffs of your city, you would do it."
Neji was appalled "Wait! I don't want this! This is horrible, it is like slavery!"
Cassudina laughed "Oh, indeed!"
"This isn't funny!" Neji bellowed.
"Hyuga, don't bellow at the witch." Kankuro said. He then turned to Cassudina "You think I should go to this land to find answers, don't you Cassie."
"Yes, for some reason I believe that these wolves here might be exiles. Just a feeling I get from scrying about." Cassudina said.
"Alright." Kankuro nodded "Thank you Cassie."
"And if I were you, I would take a boat. Not a good idea to pass through the Land of Smoke, and the Land of Twisting Vines...yeah...."
Kankuro nodded. "Thank you for this, Cassie."
"Wait, you are going to do it, aren't you?" Neji asked "Just on her word?"
Cassudina glared at Neji, but Kankuro just smiled "I trust her, Hyuga."
"Really?"
"More then I trust anyone else."
Neji sighed. He did not like this idea at all. But...
"I'll come with you."
"Is that really necessary?" Kankuro growled.
"What happens when the moon rises, are you going to just hope that you don't go on a rampage?" Neji asked "It disgusts me to use it, but with this thing we can make sure you do not hurt anyone." And, if it were not for my negligence, this might not have happened. I will not fail again.
"Well, I wish you both luck. I'd come with you, but I have things to do here." Cassudina grinned at Kankuro one last time and then turned back into a coyote. With a mocking yip the coyote dashed away.
Kankuro got up. "We need to do a few things in Suna first. I need someone to take care of my animals and workshop."
"And tell Gaara."
"No."
"What?"
"He'll try and stop me. He thinks way to much like a Leaf. Spent to much time hanging around Naruto. He needs to focus on the village, not me."
"You know, for someone who keeps talking about this, you don't follow your own rules." Neji pointed out "You are the one that got himself poisoned running after Gaara, right?"
"The Sand needs its Kazekage."
"Yeah, just keep telling yourself that." Neji muttered.
They were not actually sneaking, per say, but they were jumping from roof to roof at a fast pace. Kankuro did not want Gaara to know anything until he was long gone.
"Where are we going?" Neji asked.
"To see Sticks. He'll take care of my stuff when I am gone."
"Great." Neji muttered.
Sticks lived in a set of apartments on the north side of the town. Kankuro hung out the window and bellowed until he came, probably because Sticks had a tendency to booby trap his windows.
"Oh, bloody hell, mate." Sticks muttered when he spotted them "Do you remember what doors are for?"
"No time, Sticks, let me in." Kankuro said.
Sticks muttered and disabled the traps. "Waht is going on?"
"I have to take a little trip." Kankuro said "Hyuga and I are going west. I need you to watch out for my animals and take care of my workshop."
"What! No way!" Sticks looked shocked.
"Sorry, but the less you know the better."
"Kankuro, you can't! Werewolves aren't in the habit of helping people!"
Neji frowned "Kankuro didn't mention werewolves. And what makes you think that you know how they would react?"
Sticks muttered, but now Kankuro was giving him and odd look "You...you know about them, don't you Sticks?"
Sticks glared "I don't like talking about it."
"I can't believe I didn't see it before." Kankuro sneered.
"Wait, I missed something." Neji said.
"Sticks is not a native Sunaian. Not even from this area, in fact. You came from the west, didn't you Sticks."
"Yeah, I did." Sticks muttered "But I don't know that much about werewolves. Just rumors about them. I didn't think it would help so I didn't mention it."
Kankuro sighed "Dammit Sticks..."
"I left when I was a young child. I don't remember that much, only a few things." Sticks glared at Kankuro "This is going to be like the Sasori thing. You are going no matter what anyone says..."
"Damn straight."
"Oh, fine then. I'll take care of things while you are gone." Sticks said "And, I will tell you this, you remember-" and then Sticks started to speak in yet another language Neji did not understand. By this time he had managed to pick up the basic rhythm of the Iifernati language. This did not sound like the Iifernati language.
"Okay, what was that?" Neji had to ask.
"My homeland does not speak the same language as the one that supposedly the werewolves came from, but it was close enough that there should be at least a few people who know it. I taught Kankuro a bit of it, so at least you will not be going in there talking to foreign." Sticks started to root around the room "And something else you might find useful. Ah!" Sticks threw a bag at Kankuro, who caught it. It jingled a little.
Neji peered into it as Kankuro opened the bag. It had a bunch of small gold coins inside.
"So...how did you get from there to here?" Neji could not help but ask.
"I don't talk about that. All you need to know is that, from what I heard when I was a kid was that werewolves are never, ever to be trusted. Be on your guard at all times. In my old country they are associated with demons and black magic."
"Demons like Shukaku?" Kankuro asked.
"No. I didn't pay attention much, but I don't think they were like the One-tail." Sticks shrugged. "Like I said, be on your guard."
"I will, Sticks, you can count on me."
"Yeah, sure." it was clear that Sticks did not believe Kankuro.
Not even a little bit.
A few hours later found Sticks finishing up moving the animals from Kankuro's shack to the theater, where he could take care of them easier. Unfortunately, just as he was picking up Willy's container he felt a presence behind him.
"What are you doing, Sticks?"
"Ho boy." he muttered as he turned "Hello, Baki-sensei."
"Waht are you doing?"
"Kankuro asked me to do this." Sticks said.
"Why? Where is he? Where is the Leaf?"
"I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"That is what I want to know as well." From behind Baki, Gaara approached. Sticks groaned "Tell me where my brother is, now."
Sticks swore to himself.
"Now, that is an order from your Kazekage." Gaara said.
Sticks groaned. He had to obey. "He's gone."
"Gone where?" Gaara said calmly as possible.
"He is taking a ship to the west. The witch told him that if he went there he would find the answered there to his condition."
"And you did not come and tell me about this, why?" Gaara said.
"Kankuro pulled rank on me." Sticks lied. It was not true, but believable. Although he had been Kankuro's teacher the fact was that Kankuro was a jonin, and Sticks.
Sticks was a genin.
"You know, if you had ever gotten around to promoting me this might not have happened, Baki-sensei." Sticks could not help the barb.
"You know I am not responsible for the council blocking your promotions, Sticks." Baki said with a sigh.
"Just because I am Sasori's not one of you ever even tired to trust me. Only the puppeteers gave me any type of rank!" Sticks glared.
"I let you train Kankuro!"
"And you undermined me at every turn!"
"I undermined you! You kept undermining me! I tried to teach him discipline while you encouraged him to act a fool!"
"It's how puppeteers are! If you ever got you head out of your ass then you-"
"You are stalling, Sticks." Gaara glared at the puppeteer "Where has my brother gone?"
"Nukate. The port city. There are boats that go from here to the villages across the Western Sea. After that, I don't know what he plans." Sticks sighed.
Gaara nodded. "Baki, take care of the village. I am going after him."
Baki gave one last glare to Sticks, and left as did Gaara.
"Hey, Gaara! What is going on! You okay?"
Naruto. Gaara had headed straight from the shack to the eastern gates of Suna, intending to go after his brother.
"Kankuro has left the village. He is leaving the country entirely, in fact."
"What!" Naruto nearly spazzed out "Why? What happened?"
Gaara quickly explained.
After he was done, Naruto nodded "I'll come with you, Gaara. We will bring him back!"
Gaara could not help but be grateful to his friend. He knew that most Sand ninja would not approve of a man that went after his brother, leaving his village and his duties behind. But Naruto understood.
"We must hurry, they are several hours ahead of us."
Naruto nodded, and the two set out.
About ten miles outside of Suna, a lizard sat on a rock, basking and having as fine a time as a lizard can have. All of a sudden the earth rumbled and lizard leaped into a hole, just in time. Not two seconds later the treads of a large vehicle parked itself over where the lizard had been. It was a blocky, squeare like thing, with a huge gun in the front.
A tank.
The tank's hatch opened and a man emerged with a pair of binoculars. He peered through them.
"I still can't see the place." he muttered.
A radio on his belt squalled, and someone else spoke "It is supposed to be hidden, after all, but according to the map we are close. Just keep driving and we should hit the western gate."
"Right you are, Sarge." the man with the binoculars said "Shall we get going?"
"Affirmative."
The man ducked down, and the tank continued to roll along. Heading straight for the Village Hidden in the Sand.
Behind it, a long line of tanks and infantry followed.