Start of Page 8: Operation A.N.O.H.A.N.A.
The team managed to place Yukiatsu on the bed, in his pajamas (and are glad that Jintan is with them) and Menma decides to seat on the bed with him, as the rest of the team took position on the corners of the room, away from the moonlit windows. Yukiatsu is currently wearing one of Chordae, the self-multiplying ring-like treasure tool that Whilhelmina currently has, on one of his fingers, in order to aid him seeing Menma without any of the KND equipment needed to be worn on hin face.
"Are you sure this will work?" Menma asks them.
"More melodramatic, the better." Numbuh 362 said. They noticed the teenage guy shuffling in his bed, prompting everyone to go to their positions. Yukiatsu opened his eyes and the first person he saw is Menma.
"Menma?" He questioned. "Is this a dream? A nightmare? I heard you on the intercom, with Jintan right in front of me, ordering to press a button that will kill you, and…"
"Yukiatsu, it's ok. It's my decision to be left there, or else the mission will be a failure." Menma said. "Besides, this isn't a dream. It's just that…"
"Menma." Yukiatsu suddenly hugs her "I wanted for you to stay, please, a bit more. If you are a ghost, or a dream, just say something! Did you reject my confession back then because of the mission at hand, or did you reject it because you still have feelings for Jintan, the very person who ordered your death?"
"You had it all wrong."
"Which part am I wrong?" Yukiatsu said as he disengages from the hug. "I chose that memory, where you rejected the clip that symbolizes my confession to you, and throw it away, because I cannot forgive myself that you might've cared too much for me to have done such a sacrifice. And you let the conversation back in the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. to be delayed because you wanted it to be delayed. Why? Because of Jintan?"
At this moment, Numbuh 362 notices that Jintan clenches his fists. Also, Menma just felt silent, speechless, realizing how much of a heavy toll it had been for Yukiatsu to press the button that lead to her disappearance.
"Jintan… did try to save me remember?" Menma said. "It's just that… "
"Jintan, Jintan, IT'S ALWAYS JINTAN!" Yukiatsu screeched. "Are you blind or just plain naïve, Menma? He didn't care at you at all. He tried to ran away back then, telling you that no one will fall in love with a pig like you, and good thing Moonbase called in time, or the river bank memory might became the reality. Worse, he ordered your very own death. Stop idolizing that jerk you…"
Jintan was about to speak out, but Hirai, instead took the initiative and said "It wasn't Jintan who ordered it, it was me, Numbuh 545."
Yukiatsu turns at the now-teenager Yukari Hirai, and was amazed that she still remained a KND agent to this day.
"Atsumu Matsuyuki, Numbuh 3SPB of the SPB squadron, otherwise known as the Battlefield Assault Tactician of Sector JA. Had you not decommissioned yourself, you could've been a legend and join the ranks as a TND officer." Hirai said. "I always thought that the rumor of your secret rivalry with your leader/ Heavy Assault Specialist is just that, a rumor, but seeing it before me, I should've known for myself the damage I would cause when I issued the order." Hirai continued. "But you were there Yukiatsu, and saw our position was about to be overran, so you will press it regardless."
Suddenly, Yukiatsu felt face flat on the bed, and began to sob. Suddenly, the door of his room opened, and Tsuruko and Yukiatsu's mom came in the room. Immediately, Hirai, Whilhelmina, Rachel, and JIntan activated their cloaking abilities (given to them just in case something like this happened), while Menma and Yukiatsu remained in position.
"No way, Yukiatsu…" her mom said. "Tsuruko, quick, help me."
Tsuruko immediately rushes to get water and bring it to Yukiatsu, still lying face flat to the bed.
"Yukiatsu, what on earth happened?" his mom asks. "You went missing and suddenly, you came back."
"Code 483." Menma suddenly said "Sorry Yukiatsu, but you are part of the KND again. Keep everything a secret for me, ok."
"I… just dreamt of what happened to Menma again. But everything's fine now. I just went outside to jog for a while, but upon coming back, my stomach felt a lot of pain from climbing the window."
"Stomach ache, huh?" Tsuruko doubted him. "How about that position of yours?"
"Saw it online that it helped in lessening the pain. Hopefully it helps."
"How careless of you." his mom said. "Next time, use the front door, ok? Tsuruko and Anjo are worried sick about you earlier."
"I know."
"Um, can I talk to Yukiatsu in person?" Tsuruko requested. This causes everyone in the room to panic, not knowing what will happen next.
"This is bad." Numbuh 362 signalled using handsigns. "Requesting another Fuzetsu."
Whilhelmina immediately complies, and a smaller Fuzetsu activates. Yukiatsu then notices it and everyone decloaks, and Yukiatsu immediately stood up.
"That's a horrible lie!" Numbuh 362 scolded Yukiatsu. "By the way, I'm Numbuh 362, the current Soopreme Leader, and I'm on my last mission."
"Why did you recom…"
"Cut the drama, I've had enough of it just in the past 48 hours!" Numbuh 362 said. Yukiatsu just flinched, and said "I apologize, Mam, for adding more to that."
"The objective of the mission is to restore Menma back to full existence." Numbuh 362 continued. "You are currently wearing on your hand an item the Flame Hazes called a Treasure tool that enables you to see everything existence-related and guarantees the ability to move in this. If you noticed, everyone else in this room aside from you and the maid girl over there wears a birthday suit that creates a force field to enable similar movements. However, in order to see Menma, we modified the ring to do exactly that, because her existence is still incomplete."
"I… don't understand a thing." Yukiatsu said. "But why just now?"
"She appeared before Yadomi 2 days ago…" Numbuh 362 said, but suddenly stopped, realizing she slipped up.
"Wait, say that again?"
"He appeared to Jintan, who, in turn reported her existence. According to his report, he saw her as he is testing one of the new heavy assault weapons simulations." Hirai said, trying to make an excuse, because Jintan did not give a proper detail on how he saw Menma, let alone being the only one capable of seeing and hearing her without a single Forcenium item with him initially.
"But why him first, Menma?"
"I don't know…. I sorta just appeared right in front of him." Menma said. "He was the first person to see me, so…"
"We have prevailing theories about Menma, and one involves the fact that thus far, only Jinta Yadomi is the only one capable of seeing her without any treasure tool or KND equipment, with memories and existence intertwined with one another."
"Whilhelmina, can't you see what we are trying to do?" Numbuh 362 whispered back at her, but the Flame Haze did not care and just dropped the truth.
"Sorry, but having the rivalry between the two is not of my concern. It is a perk that is well-known to us that when Torches fade away, if the willpower of the person is strong enough, the last person that they will meet is the person dearest to their hearts, even more so if the emotions are mutual. The same was applied when their existences are restored, just that Menma took some time."
"You can't be serious!" Hirai, Jintan, and Yukiatsu yelled, and knowing that they all spoke simultaneously, they all stared at one another, with Menma teasing Hirai, saying "You need some explaining to do!"
"Hey, are you implying that I have a mutual crush with Sakai before it all became a mess?" Hirai responded with a blush, but the Soopreme Leader just gave a sigh.
"Can we just settle this tomorrow, it is getting late, and we cannot let this Fuzetsu go for so long." Numbuh 362 said. However, Yukiatsu just stared at Jintan for a while, and just asks "Jintan, let me ask you. Do you love Men-"
"Alright, stop the drama, wrap up." Numbuh 362 claps "Yukiatsu, since you are newly recommisioned, I want you to meet us at the Super Peace Busters base on afternoon, 5pm. Just you. Absolutely no one else."
"Let me guess, because you have to scan the backgrounds of Anjo and Tsurumi?"
"Because…"Numbuh 362 said, before realizing that Yukiatsu made the correct assumption. "Yeah."
"Alright then. You can leave now." Yukiatsu said. As they all began to ride the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. hovering outside, Yukiatsu called out Jintan.
"Yadomi." Yukiatsu said. At that, Jintan just looks back at him.
"If you think I'm finished with you, just wait and see." he remarks. "I'll uncover the truth from you, hope you are far off from that Hikokkomori façade that you kept on presenting to us."
"Hopefully." Jintan said while rubbing the back of his head.
"Hey, Jintan, we need to leave now!" Menma yelled. Jintan entered the 2x4 machine, and Yukiatsu went on and returned to the same position he found himself in with Tsuruko.
"You know, I've been thinking a bit." Numbuh 362 said as she pilots the machine towards Jintan's house. "Perhaps recommissioning Yukiatsu is a terrible idea."
"Why is that?" Menma asks her, but immediately, Hirai said "He is mentally damaged to the point that he is disturbingly unstable. Seeing his stare at Jintan just indicates his lust for power to defeat him in several ways, not to mention his obsession with you."
"Obsession?"
"Anyways, you still have something to account for, Hirai…" Numbuh 362 teased at the TND Sector JA Director. "Did you feel for anything for Yuji before Shana took you over?"
"Hey, knock that off!" Hirai said with an obvious blush. "I only did that for a mission, ok? I already have my eyes set on someone else. Now that Yuji is basically with Shana, I have no part whatsoever in his life."
"Anyways, everyone, I want to instruct you to take a closer look at Menma. I fear whatever crazy thing Yukiatsu has in plan. He is a smart tactician after all, but lacks the initiative to charge ahead without Jintan doing so. That is why Jintan is the leader and not him." Numbuh 362 said. "But given his current status, we might be dealing with someone even more dangerous."
"We'll take note of that." Hirai replied. However, Rachel saw Menma clenching her fist and about to cry, and saying "I should've stayed behind, then…"
END OF PAGE 8
"Looks like I'm feeling much better." Yukiatsu said as he got up and sat beside Tsuruko.
"You are a terrible liar, Matsuyuki." Tsuruko said, but he just ignored her and drank the glass of water offered to him earlier.
"Matsuyuki, you cannot hide this forever." Tsuruko said. She opened her bag and showed to him the wig that he dropped earlier, and said "I already know your secret. I already have a hunch after you tried to buy stuff for one of your dates, which I know is a lie…"
"Well, I might stop doing that." Yukiatsu replied. "After all, I had a talk to the ghost of Menma."
"Oh." Tsuruko suddenly felt distraught. Tsuruko stands up, and begins to leave the room.
"I hope you have fun meeting this ghost of yours." Tsuruko said, but before leaving, Yukiatsu calls her name and tosses something to her. Tsuruko catches it, and it was the Chordae Treasure Tool given to him earlier.
"I'm planning to go visit the Secret Base tomorrow. Wear that ring. We are going on a date."
Tsuruko was weirded out by the sudden change in his demeanor. This is the first time Yukiatsu straight-up invited her for a date, but why now? Right after he has seen Menma's ghost?
"Don't send mix messages to me." Tsuruko said. "But if this is just one of your games, then I'll see how far you will take this."
She went downstairs and hurriedly went out, but behind her, she is still being tracked.
"Mam, I think I know where we can hit them." The Teen Ninja asks. "A little bit of Teen Angst."
"Ah, that's easy." Cree responds. "Gather all history regarding Naruko Anjo and Chiriko Tsurumi. We will be using their emotions and trap them before the entire squad is assembled. Who knows, maybe we can capture Meiko along the way."