Chapter 16: Inspector Gessen
The cicadas sang a summer symphony through the window of Hanzo Academy, riding on a cool breeze. Kiriya folded his arms in silence as he slowly paced about the main school room with slow, pondering steps and an anxious hand stroking his chin as though to try and rub away answers he was unable to find. A small necklaced locket in his hand revealed a black and white picture of two boys and a girl, the latter of whom was the eldest. Without even so much as moving a muscle, Kiriya opened his eyes, his back to the entree way as he spoke. "Yumi. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
She stood in the doorway; hands folded at the waist just above the skirt of her grey Gessen Academy uniform. Taking a bow, Yumi addressed the Hanzo teacher. "Master Kiriya. I apologize for the unexpected visit. I am sure you might be a little suspicious about this, but something strange is happening across Japan. Something I feel is bigger than all of us. And that is why I must speak with you."
Kiriya turned around, "Indeed, something is definitely amiss, I assume you refer to the strange yoma that have been appearing around lately. Though it's quite possible that they aren't yoma at all."
Yumi nodded, looking around at the empty room with no Katsuragi near the dressing room and no Hibari near the chabudai table. "Where are Asuka, Ikaruga, and the others?"
Kiriya took a few steps closer beside Yumi. "I'm afraid you've come at a very bad time, Yumi. Our class rep has been captured by a school of evil shinobi. One of which has kept themselves in the shadows, even among most shinobi."
"Ikaruga's been kidnapped? But why? Who are these evil shinobi?!" Yumi's eyes widened at the news.
"I don't know why. The Secret Gokudo Boys Academy has always kept to themselves. To make this kind of move now is unacceptable, albeit a bit disturbing."
"So you sent the Hanzo girls off by themselves? Even though an act like this is a violation of shinobi code?!" Yumi's lips frowned an undertone of anger.
"It is not proper etiquette for shinobi teachers to get involved in schoolyard fights. If we always fight our battles for our students, how will they ever learn-…"
"I KNOW THAT! But this is unacceptable! You said it yourself! Are you telling me, Master Kiriya, that you would sit by and let some disgruntled academy get away with this?!" with arms folded, Yumi waited for an answer, but Kiriya didn't respond. "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice by not finishing our schools' Shinobi Battle Royale in the old way. With all due respect, Master Kiriya, perhaps it is not entirely Asuka and the other's fault that they lack discipline. I shall go to this Gokudo Boys Academy myself. Good day, sir." Yumi bowed, taking her leave.
Kiriya looked down at the locket once more with the three children. A long sigh let slip through his mouth before closing the locket.
Yumi walked just outside Hanzo Academy to find MAGES. by a vending machine, holding a cell phone in the air from a very nervous woman with glasses, who was swiping at MAGES. like a child getting picked on. "I-i-I didn't mean to take pictures of you! I swear! I was just admiring the school!"
MAGES. kept her hand with the phone raised high, moving it back and forth like a pendulum, "You saw me with this delectable can of Duck Tear Popper and decided to report me to your nefarious organization! But alas, I have caught on to your schemes, underling. If you wish to see your precious electronic communication device again, I demand that you delete the incriminating evidence from your internal memory reader."
Suddenly MAGES. squeezed her hand, realizing it was empty. Beside her, an annoyed Yumi had swiped the phone off of her. "Mages… is there a reason you were harassing this citizen?"
MAGES. sweatdropped before pointing at the woman, "Y-yumi!... This suspicious looking individual was snapping photos of my consumption of Duck P, meaning she is a spy for the organization! Isn't that right, Gleaming Thumbs?"
"No, it's not! And who are you calling Gleaming Thumbs!? My name is Maeko!" The woman sweatdropped in the most pitiful manner.
Yumi sighed in embarrassment, "Please forgive my friend here. She is a little bit out there. Here, ma'am. I am sorry for the inconvenience." The woman bowed, thanking Yumi and quickly leaving. "What is your problem, Mages?" Yumi huffed unamusement towards MAGES.
"Mine?! Need I remind you, you let a potential spy get away with incriminating evidence of consumption of Duck P!"
"So? People drink soda all the time." Yumi frowned.
"Yumi, Yumi, Yumi. My friend, my compatriot, my assistant-in-wizardry. Duck P. is no ordinary beverage. Duck Tear Popper is a drink of the of intellectual of only the highest caliber, which is why the organization wants to erase it from this timeline! And for Nep's sake, woman. It is not mages, it's MAGES. With all caps and a period."
Yumi sighed, "Yes well… I'm afraid this is where we must part ways, MAGES. I have a situation come up and I cannot risk your safety."
MAGES. almost looked hurt, "Yumi. But… The Door of the Fate Stone dictated on this very day, by this very hour that we would be bound together as Mad Magician and Assistant! Whatever lies ahead, we will rush headlong into the great unknown! You did agree to this earlier, did you not?"
"EH?!" Yumi's eyes bulged before she began sweatdropping. "W-well yes, I did… say that and all, but I was just talking in the momen-…"
"Then please, do not continue this cruel exhibition of rejection. I know we have not found the time yet to astonish you with my abilities, but to doubt my skills as a wizard is a fate worse than erased memories." MAGES. closed her eyes, a solemn frown forming on her lips.
Yumi began walking, "You keep up that and I will definitely deny you."
"I see. A crafty one, but that's to be expected when you are my assistant. So then, Yumi. Do you know where our destination lies?"
"I… I don't know." Yumi let out a sad sigh. MAGES. looked at her in curiosity, asking what was wrong. "I… I got so caught in my own sense of justice that… I rudely stormed out on our only lead… on my elder. Not like he'd forgive me now. Looks like I'm on my own."
Yumi then felt a hand on her shoulder as MAGES. came up behind her, "I have told you before, have I not? The Door of Fate Stone has bound us. I shall not leave you to this journey alone. I may be mad, but I shall not abandon my comrades."
A slight smile on Yumi's face grew. I didn't believe her at first, but… I sense this power from her. She's not lying. "Thank you, Mages. Still, we have no idea where to begin."
"Then allow me to assist." A male voice called out.
Murakumo and Minori quickly hopped out of the bus, running down the street and past the great Tokyo Dome theme park. Minori's eyes widened as a yearning squeal left her mouth. "Murakumo, Murakumo! Can we stop at Tokyo Dome City!? Just for a little bit! Pleeeaaase?"
"You know full well we can't do that, Minori. We've already lost track of Yumi with that mass crowd going through Kabuki-cho." Murakumo folded her arms, her deep voice relaying an air of authority towards Minori.
Minori folded her arms, starting to pout when she smiled, "Yeah! See, if we already lost her, there's no need try and catch up."
"That's not how it works, Minori." Murakumo stated. "Now, let us move on."
Minori's head dropped, biting her lip in frustration, the insides of her eyes beginning to water as she gazed at the passing entrance of Tokyo Dome City with longing in her heart. Just then, she had an idea, a smirk forming on her lips. "WAIT! Murakumo! I sense a shinobi's presence, coming from in there!" Minori pointed at the admissions gate.
"Nice try Mino-…" Murakumo suddenly gasped. "Wait. You're right!"
"HUH!? It actually worked!?" Minori's eyes bulged before realizing what she said, "I mean, uh… oops."
Murakumo sighed, "We'll talk about that later. Let's go!" Hiding their presence, Minori and Murakumo swiftly snuck into the park, passing trees, benches, and all sorts of food stands undetected. Finally, they stopped above a thick tree, which overlooked an open park area where they saw her. A girl with a white top and a long blue ponytail, staring down at a map like a lost foreigner.
"This isn't a Gamindustri map. Where the hell am I?" She complained in a nonchalant, yet unamused tone. "Geez, I swear if this is all one big prank, Marvy and I are gonna have a long talk."
"She's the one. Seen her before?" Minori whispered, Murakumo shaking her head. The girl suddenly looked up, looking around before she began staring straight at the tree where the two Gessen students hid. "Me thinks she sees us." Minori whispered.
"Might as well come down. I know you're up there." The girl shrugged casually.
"Uh! She's good." Murakumo commented, before jumping down from the tree, Minori swiftly following after. "So, shinobi. You've sniffed us out. Impressive. Where are you from? Tounou Tengu? Shinozuka? Zodiac Star?"
"Nah. I'm from Takaki Academy." She replied.
"Takaki? I never heard of no Takaki. Does it taste good?" Minori licked her lips.
"Now that you mention it, you threw out a few names that bring back a couple of memories. But the question is how would…" the girl let out a light gasp, looking straight at Murakumo. "You… you wouldn't happen to be… Murakumo?"
"UH?! Th-that is none of your concern." Murakumo began shaking under her mask.
"One of the Gessen five, born and raised in the slums, adopted by the Tairo Corporation, has a ninja friend named Yomi. Oh what else did Marvy say about her?" the girl scratched her chin, pondering.
"I-I-I have NO IDEA What you're talking about!" Murakumo began to stutter, her deep voice just barely slipping a pitch higher.
"Oooh, oooh! Do you know anything of me?!" Minori asked excitedly.
"Hm?" The girl looked at Minori intently, "No, can't say that I do."
"Minori! You shouldn't be so happy about this!" Murakumo stammered.
The girl shook her head, "Still… behavior like that is a big giveaway but… it couldn't be… it's just a big coincidence, right? There's only one way to find out." The next thing Murakumo knew, the outside light shone into her face as the girl snatched her mask off her.
A small but high-pitched, inhaling scream could be heard form Murakumo's mouth as she fell on her knees, hyperventilating. "No no nononononono! Please… give it back. Give it back I beg you I'll die! No no no! Don't look at me, Don'tlookatme, Don'tlookatme!" small tears began to form in Murakumo's eyes as she peeked around through shaking fingers. She didn't want anybody to see, and yet knew the very sight of her mess on the ground would only make them stare more, which caused her body's trembling to heighten and her temperature to fluctuate.
On the other hand, the blue-haired girl seemed lost in her own world as she examined the mask. "No… it can't be. But… she's just Marvy's character! And yet… The Maker Sphere?! It couldn't be…"
"MinoriMinoriNori! Ple-e-e-eaase, do somethi-i-i-i-iing." Murakumo began to cry.
"Uh uh uh!... I… I'm big too! Shinobi… Kekkai!" Minori held her hand up as a reddish-purple sphere expanded around them, turning the area into what looked like an abandoned park.
"WHAT!? But… Kekkai is just a theory! An old legend!" The girl's eyes widened.
"Hey! Give back her mask!" Minori then tackled the girl onto her butt, smacking her with her bucket and grabbing Murakumo's mask, tossing it back.
"Thank you, Minori! Thank you!" Murakumo cried, slowly catching her breath, donning her mask once again. "You… you clearly know more about me than I thought. Hitting me in my most vulnerable spot! Who… who are you?!"
Before the girl could shake off her dizziness, Minori had grabbed onto her shirt, "Wait. I see a nametaaag! Hmm… Tam… soft?" Minori then began poking the girl's exposed stomach. "Hmm… Your tummy is soft. And I don't know what a Tam is… so Imma call you Tum-Soft."
"Ow. Who goes hitting people with buckets?" Tamsoft's eyes made contact with Minori's. "Wait a minute. Now I think I remember. Aren't you the dumb one who likes candy?"
"Mmmr! I do love candy, but you a meanie, Tum-Soft! I ain't no dummy!" Minori punched Tamsoft in the stomach before jumping back beside Murakumo.
"Agh. I didn't mean it like that… Damn, this is all coming out wrong. This whole thing is wrong!" Tamsoft got up, holding her stomach.
"Indeed, it is wrong." Murakumo's voice dripped of subtle anger, pointing her hooked spear at Tamsoft. "So… Tum-Soft of Takaki Academy. Prepare yourself!"
"A spear and cleaver too?! H-hey, wait a minute! This is all a misunderstanding." Tamsoft backed up, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword, but Murakumo rushed at her jabbing her spear rapidly. Tamsoft performed a backflip, drawing her sword in defense, "Whoa! Hey! Chill out will ya!"
Murakumo, however, followed up with a leaping dive from her spear. Tamsoft, barely dodging the spear, met Murakumo's cleaver with her sword, the two in a blade lock, until Murakumo pushed Tamsoft back before sending a white wolf dashing towards her direction. "Kotaro! Sick her!"
Tamsoft jumped over the wolf. "I knew it. Still… It's incredible. I didn't think she was this strong! What am I saying? This is madness." Tamsoft held her blade in a defensive stance.
"Um… Murakumo. Why are we fighting her anyways?" Minori asked.
"This girl is a spy, Minori! And even if she isn't, she knows too much about me! Enough to know that you do NOT TAKE MY MASK!" Murakumo screamed the last words in a higher pitch, when suddenly she looked back to see Tamsoft upon her, bringing her blade down.
Tamsoft held a blade-lock with Murakumo. "I still can't believe I am seeing you… in the flesh… like… you're real."
"You're crazy." Murakumo commented. "Now tell me… Tum-soft from Takaki. How do you know so much about me?"
"You think you'd believe me if I told you?" Tamsoft replied. "And another thing. It's Tamsoft! Tammy to my friends! ARGH!" Tamsoft shoved Murakumo off of her before dashing around in a few black clouds before knocking Murakumo to the ground. A circular shadow appeared where Tamsoft stood. "What?! Pancakes!?" Looking up, she demonstrated her blade skills by quickly slicing up the pile of giant pancakes into small pieces.
"Aww. You ruined my gigunda pancakes!" Minori pouted. "Buuut. I guess they be smaller for eating now. Hehe." Murakumo had now gotten up and was beside Minori as they faced Tamsoft.
"I still can't believe I'm looking at them. To think… they were real… all this time." Tamsoft nervously watched both Minori and Murakumo. Even though she knew what their movesets would be, facing them was a different experience altogether.
"Well, believe it." Murakumo said. "Now, shall we finish this? Kataro, Kagero. Come forth!" a black wolf now joined Murakumo's recent white wolf. "Bite her good with our Secret Ninja Art!"
Minori pulled back her bucket, "Take a blast of sweetie snackies!"
Tamsoft gasped, retaliating with her own move. "Secret Ninja Art: Invincible Flash Master!" Tamsoft dashed forward, slicing rapidly into the fray of Murakumo's Wolves. Murakumo and Tamsoft both found their outfits shredded, the latter screaming in a blushing red embarrassment. "AUGH! Damn it! I shoulda remembered! This is all Marvy and X-Sha's fault, the bunch of pervs. Lose their clothes as they get hurt, they said. It's fanservice, they said."
"ooh. My outfit's kinda ripped." Minori whined.
"You think you got it rough?" Murakumo was in rags, with little covering on her arms, legs and across the crotch area. Suddenly the Kekkai disappeared, the girls now back at the amusement park. Tamsoft squealed in embarrassment at all the people now staring at them.
"EEEGH! No no NOOO this can't be happening to me! Why, Marvy!? Why, X-Sha!? Why did I ever agree to work on that story with YOOOUUU!" Tamsoft dashed off in spurts of dark clouds.
"HEY! Wait up!" Murakumo called out, but Tamsoft had fled.
"Murakumo? You not bothered by this?" Minori asked.
"Of course, I am. She spilled my entire life to me as if I was a character in a manga! As if she was some kind of stalker-…" Minori tapped her on the arm, pointing at all the people who awkwardly stared as they passed by, some even making phone calls. "Oh! that. Well, as long as I have my mask, they cannot know that it's me. But we should change into our ninja clothes."
After quickly vanishing from the area, the girls found a bathroom to change in. Walking out like cosplayers, Minori folded her arms, thinking. "It was kinda strange how she knew all about you… yet all she did was call me a dummy."
Murakumo stopped as they were passing a shop with a TV in the window, where a news anchor spoke. "The black machine has not stopped it's rampage, running riot through the Chuo-ku district. All citizen within the area are to evacuate immediately. The JSDF are assembling as we speak."
Murakumo watched as a bladed cyan and black robot ran through the streets, smashing buildings and cars along the way with it's giant halberd, seemingly enjoying itself. "Yumi will have to wait."
"Eh!? What are you saying, Murakumo? Didn't Yozakura say-…" Minori's eyes widened.
"Yozakura will understand. And some day you will to. We can't allow evil to destroy anymore, Minori. Let's go."