Start of Page 10: Operation A.N.O.H.A.N.A.
"What's the emergency?" Numbuh 362 asks as she rushes back inside.
"We have detected unusual movement on the existence belonging to Numbuh 4SPB." Herbert said. "It was just now. F.L.A.R.E.D.A.R. reports that she is walking on the bridge when she rapidly changed course and rode a car, in the recorded levels akin to unconsciousness. It took F.L.A.R.E.D.A.R. command several minutes to confirm it. She is headed to Tokyo."
"Numbuh 4SPB?" Menma gasped. "Oh no… Tsuruko."
"Gather more data about this, I need to make sure she isn't collaborating with them." Numbuh immediately ordered.
"Don't you have camera access to the nearby area?" Yukiatsu immediately rushes besides Poppo, to which Poppo replied "Well, we are connected to the CCTV grids thanks to KND tech…"
"Check some footage." Yukiatsu remarked and numerous screens are shown.
"Requesting F.L.A.R.E.D.A.R. matching access to footage, Numbuh 3SPB." Poppo said, and the voice replied "Awaiting access from the Moonbase… Access Granted." All the footage just narrowed down to Tsuruko walking down the street, dressed in a green dress with covered shoulders. Their eyes followed her until they noticed that she is being stalked and black blurs are seen around.
"Great. Teen Ninjas." Hirai said. They then saw Tsuruko being kidnapped and the footage is cut by Poppo.
"She was kidnapped." Poppo reiterated, with his cletched fist. "We need to rescue her right now!"
"We are awaiting orders for an interception." Jintan said to Numbuh 362, but 362 replied "I have agents near Tokyo, I could order an interception from them. Herbert?"
"Yes Mam… WOAH!" Herbert said. "F.L.A.R.E.D.A.R. just detected a massive burst of existence all around Tokyo. All our communications in the area are jammed."
"Wait, Sophie is sending… Morse Code?" Herbert said, to which Numbuh 362 immediately replied "Approve." In which the code showed this words:
Need. Reinforcements. Communications. Jammed. Outlaw. KND. Bal Masque. Gather. Status. Jammed. Except. Telegram. Tokyo. Outlaw.
Reason. Rouge. Flame. Haze.
"I'm heading out." Whilhelmina said as she rushes to exit and leaves. Jintan plans to head out, but Hirai immediately said "No, we wait for orders."
"But this is our friend we are talking about!" Jintan said. "Tsuruko needs our…"
Just then, the EMP-like wave disappeared and Moonbase is suddenly flooded by request from Sector JA subsector TY. Immediately, Poppo went to work and tracked the car that kidnapped and got his eyes wide when he saw the building the car entered.
"No way…" Poppo said. "Tsuruko was sent to Otosan Oyaji Industries, the Headquarters of the Japanese Teen Ninjas and their auxillaries!"
"Isn't that the base that we raided several times for recon duty, even if it has one of the tightest security systems in Japan, if not the entire world?" Yukiatsu asks the team.
"Well, we can easily arrange a plan." Menma said. "Numbuh 362, maybe you have someone who can hack the system way better than Anaru did in the…"
At that, Numbuh 362, Jintan, and Hirai just looked down. Jintan just said to her. "The truth is, only Anaru was capable to crack through the code with enough steel resolve to succeed. No other KND or TND agent was able to achieve the feat of hacking under pressure that Anaru had."
"Wait… you haven't found anyone that can hack a system better than Anaru?" Menma asked.
"That's practically impossible. Within 5 years, you haven't found someone even better than her?" Yukiatsu became bewildered because the KND has the expertise to do so, but it appeared to be disappointed by this revelation.
"Technically, we have better hackers than Anaru, but they all fold under pressure when sent to the frontlines." Hirai responded back at Yukiatsu. "Conversely, our frontline hackers can hack even when under fire from any Teen Ninja, but cannot hack very sophisticated software like the level of security found in Tokyo. Anaru is skilled as a hand-to-hand specialist and thanks to her specialization of holographic hacking, she can practically do both at the same time."
"The Super Peace Busters are practically beasts back in the day." Professor Shinonome said. "Had they stayed in the KND for 3 more years, the KND would've shifted with hologram like the GKND, instead of screens."
"Yeah, Me and Anaru are practically partners in advocating holographic tech over screen tech. We preferred it because it is flexible esp. in combat scenarios. Sector M (Massachusetts) does not favor the shift because it requires additional training time to get used to, and cadets do perform poorly on holograms than on the keyboard." Poppo added.
"Well, the KND now is using a hybrid system." Shinonomo responded to him. "Existence opened up a new boundary of possibilities."
"But nobody is yet to replicate Anaru's skill." Hirai said. "So we may need to recommission her first."
"But doing so forces us to be a step closer to the 50/50 scenario." Rachel discusses the problem to them. "We might risk losing Menma, which I'm sure 50% of our group will not accept."
"Then we'll take the risk." Jintan said. "We cannot afford to leave one of our friends, right, everyone?"
"I agree." Yukiatsu responded.
Menma just nods and also answered Jintan's call. "We will always find a way."
"Anways, we are the Super Peace Busters, we will do anything to keep the peace of this world!" Poppo cheered on. "This is the exact reason why we all joined the KND anyway."
"Even if you risk losing Menma?" Rachel asked them.
"I've already risk my life once for the entirety of the KND. What is stopping me for doing the same thing for one of my close friends?" Menma replied. "I'm willing to take the risk."
"I'll take the gamble." Yukiatsu said. "I'm more than willing to lose someone in a 50% gamble than to waste a chance of being unable to save a friend."
"How about you, Jintan?" Rachel said. Jintan took a short pause, and said "I'm not gonna allow what happened to Menma to be the same thing to happen to another friend. I'm willing to take it, not just for Menma's sake, but for Tsuruko's sake. Because, the Super Peace Busters… are Best Friends Forever!"
The last three words made Poppo and Menma to tear up, and Yukiatsu to just close his eyes and smirk, as it reminded him of the days of their youth. At that, Menma squealed in excitement.
"Then let's do it then." Menma squealed.
"But you guys still need permission." Hirai said.
"Would you object?" Jintan asks the TND Director.
"I think the question would rest not on me, but the Soopreme Leader." Hirai said, staring immediately at Rachel with a smile.
"So it's on to me then." Rachel said. "Well, are you sure? Remember the risk. We have to recommission both Numbuh 2SPB and 4SPB upon convincing and/or rescuing them, and Menma would have a 50% to die. On the other hand, we can go on and research about this so-called 'Existence of White that Transcends The-' whatever that is and proceed with that, and I can assign another team for the rescue."
"Better for the Super Peace Busters to be united, even a short time, rather than separated by this, Numbuh 362." Menma replied back at her. "I'll readily accept whatever the consequence."
"Well… don't say I didn't warn you." Rachel asserted. "I'll approve of the mission."
"So, how are we going to get Anaru here?" Menma asks them, with Jintan immediately replying "Yukiatsu, you can phone her to come here then."
"I have a better idea." Yukiatsu said. "How about you invite her to a date?"
"EHHH?" Jintan replied. "Are you out of your mind Yukiatsu?"
"Date her?" Menma pondered a bit, and when it registered to her, she blushed and yelled "EHH?! Invite Anaru to a date?"
"TND Protocol 34." Hirai said. "How did you know about that?"
"There is a legitimate protocol of a TND agent flirting with someone else?" Yukiatsu asked, shocked that such a protocol actually exists in the TND.
"Yes." Hirai said. "I used Protocol 34 on Yuji in order to investigate Yuji's father, but it backfired so much when I got turned into a Torch in the middle of the mission. Good thing Shana took my existence and it somewhat helped discover his real identity as one of Father's lackeys… before all memories of Yuji is erased from his mind."
"Let's just focus on what is needed." Rachel said. "You can use whatever protocol you want. I want everyone to get Anaru to this base by tomorrow."
"Roger that." Yukiatsu then noticed that Jintan made a gulp.
"What are you afraid of, Yadomi?" Yukiatsu asks him.
"Nothing at all." Jintan replied.
"Alright. Meeting adjourned. To Battlestations!" Numbuh 362 yelled to the air.
End of Page 10