A/N: Apologies for the lateness to any who were waiting...just finished finals last week. Plus, I rewrote a good portion of the chapter - originally had a narrative in the present tense...basically a long story told by one character...but I decided to write the part as a flashback (I didn't want a lot of these in the story, but it's easier for me to describe what's happening rather than telling - if that makes sense). Anyway, I hope it doesn't feel like it interupted the flow of the chapter...Enjoy. R & R.
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CHAPTER 18
"ANSWERS"
The soft light of the morning sun filtered into the cozy hospital room from between the half-open pale green curtains adorning the large window. The golden rays slowly crept along the cool linoleum floor, climbing up the bodies of the two sitting there, struggling to stay awake, until the warm sunlight caressed their faces. Positioned with their backs against one another, Hiroko and Riku had spent the last few hours taking turns keeping the other awake as they kept vigil. After the ANBU kunoichi had suddenly leapt away through the window, the other adults in the room had decided they too had to leave. Riku's eyes wandered over to the snoring blonde atop the sole bed in the room. Shinji had been relatively quiet after the temporary fit of rambling in his sleep. The boy's carefree expression had returned not too long ago as well, the tension and strain his sleeping form had exhibited thankfully disappearing. The injured Genin was now sprawled all over his bed, a leg dangling off of one side while his good arm clutched his pillow tightly against his chest. A small puddle of drool pooled near Shinji's chin, adhering a loose strip of bandaging to the corner of his mouth. Riku couldn't stop himself from chuckling.
"What's so funny?" Hiroko yawned, shielding her eyes from the sunlight.
"Nothing," Riku replied, calmly pushing himself to his feet.
Losing her backrest, Hiroko managed to catch herself before she fell, giving her teammate an evil glare as she lifted herself up to a standing position beside him. The two moved over next to the window, watching the remnants of the early morning haze burn off. Hiroko pulled the curtains completely open, illuminating the rest of the room. The sudden increase in brightness disturbed Shinji, who responded by rolling over away from the light shining in his face. Unfortunately, the tiny hospital bed wasn't nearly as wide as the one he usually slept in. The loud thud of the boy's body hitting the floor drew annoyed glances from his two teammates, both of whom could only stare. Shinji's eyes popped open, darting about as he tried to collect himself. Suddenly, he sprang to his feet.
"W-Where's he at?" he shouted, quickly losing his balance and stumbling forward.
Hiroko was at his side in a flash. "Calm down, Shinji."
The boy tried to steady himself, soon realizing where he was, or rather where he wasn't. Feeling slightly dizzy, Shinji bent over, clutching Hiroko's steadying arm in one hand while balancing the other against the end of the bed.
"Fight's over," Riku said calmly as he walked in front of him. "That Cloud ninja got you pretty good, though. We're in the hospital back in Konoha."
Shinji eyed his teammates for a moment, trying to process everything. "What about Hideo-sensei?" Is he okay?"
"He's fine," Hiroko assured him. "Or at least he will be. He was in better shape than you, anyway."
"That's good," Shinji sighed, gingerly lowering himself to the bed. "At least we all…wait, what happened to that missing nin? How'd we escape?"
Riku began to answer, but a swift elbow from Hiroko cut him off. The two hesitantly looked away.
"Guys?" Shinji asked impatiently.
"Another shinobi was in the area and defeated him," Riku finally revealed.
"Another…is he from Konoha, too?"
"Uh…we think so," Hiroko stuttered. "I mean that's the impression we got from the ANBU."
"There were ANBU?" Shinji exclaimed. "Geez, I missed everything."
The three Genin shared a smile. Riku and Hiroko again eyed one another.
"Yeah…that other shinobi…" Hiroko started, plopping down onto the bed beside Shinji.
"Hm? What about him?" Shinji inquired.
"He's…he…um, he went to see the Hokage along with one of the ANBU that escorted us home," Hiroko tentatively answered, feigning a grin. "You should probably find him…to say thank you."
Shinji turned and studied her anxious expression.
"Yeah…when I'm cleared to leave I'll try to make—"
"The shinobi's name is Takeo," Riku interrupted, crossing his arms, as he looked Shinji in the eye.
The renewed color and strength that had rejuvenated the young Genin disappeared almost immediately.
"W-What!"
Riku sighed. "Takeo…the shinobi who saved us was named Takeo."
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A satisfied sigh escaped from the blonde woman's mouth as she pulled the large blue bottle from her lips. It had taken a while, but she had finally found that sake she'd misplaced. Eyeing the scene before her, the Godaime Hokage slammed the bottle down hard against the surface of her desk. Takeo and those surrounding him didn't even flinch. Tapping her nails impatiently along the cover of one the many medical books lying on her desk, Tsunade blew a few wisps of hair from her eyes.
"Ahem!"
Clearing her throat in an attempt to draw the others' attention, she tilted back in the comfy chair behind her desk, watching them pause and turn towards her. Keigo and Hakumi hesitantly moved behind their son, with Kintarou and Kaori quickly standing beside them at attention, adjusting the ANBU masks atop their heads. The group had been collectively bombarding Takeo with welcoming hugs, joyful tears and angry bops on the head since well before sunrise. Now that daylight was upon them, the amber-eyed Hokage decided to finally barge in.
"As much as I hate to interrupt this reunion, there are some things we still need to clear up, Takeo," she sighed, digging through a stack of folders and scrolls.
Tossing several piles of papers and reports to the floor, she eventually snatched up whatever file she had been looking for. Glancing briefly at the pieces of parchment inside it, Tsunade tossed the fairly thin folder onto her desk. Turning her eyes on Takeo, she motioned for him to take it.
"That's the report from the mission to Earth Country to escort Atsukami Ren," Tsunade informed him as the young man flipped the file open. "As you can see, it's rather light for an A-rank mission."
Takeo's eyes were too busy scanning the contents to reply.
"You're reading the reports filed by your two teammates on that assignment, as well as a statement by Ren," Tsunade continued. "If I remember correctly, your team concluded you died in action after Kintarou found what was supposed to be your body at the bottom of a canyon."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kintarou nodded. "Ren-san reported he had observed Takeo fall over into the canyon, and when I ventured down, I found his forehead protector strapped around his…er, someone's body."
"Right," Tsunade went on, muffling a yawn. "We sent an ANBU recovery squad to fetch your body back, but they returned empty-handed."
Takeo forced his eyes up from the report about his death and watched the woman as she stepped forward, moving close enough that Takeo could see the creases in her brow form as she stared fiercely back at him.
"I don't remember all of the details, but I believe we held off officially declaring you as killed in action for a month," Tsunade said sternly. "Seeing as you appear healthy enough at the moment, I think I deserve an explanation as to where you've been, and why you chose not to return home if you were alive and well."
Takeo closed his eyes momentarily, handing the mission report over to Kintarou. "I was doing my job."
"We went through this already," Tsunade responded, folding her arms. "I need you be more specific. These past few years have taken a toll on everyone's nerves, especially the Council's. With so many missing nins turning up and allying themselves with our enemies, any hint of disloyalty is generally met with severe punishment. If you want to return to any kind of normal shinobi life, I have to know where you've been, and what you've been doing."
"Takeo," his father spoke up. "Please, just tell her what she needs to know. We can sort all of the details out later. Just the five of us. I've sat through a lot of treason hearings…believe me you don't want to go through that."
"Keigo-sama is right," Kintarou added. "And I think we would all appreciate some kind of answer."
Kaori nodded. "Please tell us something, Takeo-kun. We were all so worried…you know that, right?"
"I'm sorry," Takeo scowled, looking away. "But as I said, I was doing my duty as a Konoha shinobi…finishing the mission I was assigned."
Tsunade clenched a fist, but held her arm back as she circled around her desk to gaze out the tall windows behind it.
"Takeo," his mother said as she placed a hand around his arm. "You have to give us something more than that…even a little bit. You just came back home…I don't want them to punish you and take you away again."
Biting his lip, Takeo's face softened, and he finally conceded. "What more do you want?"
"I need to hear all of it," Tsunade replied without glancing back. "But I think the Council and I would be satisfied for the moment to at least hear what happened during the mission and why you're not dead as reported."
Takeo sighed as Tsunade spun around to face him again.
"What happened out there on that plateau with Ren? Why didn't you return with your teammates if you were well?" she questioned.
"It happened like Ren-san said in that report," Takeo answered. "He and I ran into some Stone shinobi atop the plateau. Two others arrived, and while they fought, Ren-san and I tried to free his two girls. When the battle between the Stone and the other shinobi moved towards us, I summoned a hawk to take us to safety. Obviously only Ren-san and Jana made it safely."
"The second girl died then?" Tsunade asked.
"…Yeah…" Takeo said through clenched teeth. "Nanami didn't survive the fall."
"And what about you?" Tsunade frowned. "How did you survive then?"
"Luck," Takeo replied coolly.
"Luck?" Tsunade paused. "What exactly does that mean?"
"What it sounds like," Takeo responded. "It could have easily been me down in the bottom of that canyon with a bunch of rocks piled on top of me."
At those words, Hakumi shuddered, drawing closer to her husband. Kaori and Kintarou both looked at the ground.
Tsunade irritatingly rubbed her eyes. "Since it looks my questions aren't thorough enough to get a straight answer out of you, I want you to describe everything that happened from the moment you and Ren encountered those other shinobi…and then fill out your report accordingly."
Takeo grimaced as the woman slammed a blank mission report form on her desk in front of him.
"And if you don't, I'm going to throw you out the window into that pile of boulders outside."
Takeo relented. Focusing solely on the carpeted floor at his feet, his eyes dimmed a bit as he started to recount the events for her.
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"Ren-san," Takeo said quickly. "We should go…now."
"But what about my girls?" he immediately asked.
"We'll grab them and run," Takeo replied, grabbing hold of Ren's arm and dragging the man with him.
Within seconds, the two had made it over to the tied up young women. Taking a kunai from his pouch, Takeo quickly cut the cord binding the older girl's hands and feet. He moved to release the other one, but froze. He spun around as a Stone shinobi's agonizing scream filled the air, echoing loudly as his body tumbled over the edge of the plateau. Takeo lifted his bow from over his shoulder, leaning it against the side of the nearby tent, and tossed his kunai to Ren.
"Get the other one," Takeo said quickly, rummaging his free hand through his pouch.
Ren shakily grabbed the blade. "R-Right…"Withdrawing his hand, Takeo held the ornately decorated knife again. He wiped the bloodstains from his left index finger before slicing through the tip with the blade of the fancy dagger. He smeared a line of the crimson liquid across the blade, covering the symbols again with his blood. He hastily thrust the dagger into the ground and looked up. Standing along the ledge where the Stone ninja had been tossed, two black-robed figures stood calmly staring back in his direction, ignoring the other two Stone shinobi angrily preparing to attack. Suddenly, the two figures rushed towards him. Takeo rapidly finished his hand seals and thrust his left palm into the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
The black scrawls of the summoning seal spread outward along the dirt.
"Ren-san!" Takeo shouted as a giant puff of smoke burst forth from the ground. "Grab hold of her and hang on! I'll free the other one and—"
A loud screech drowned out his final few words as a large winged shadow appeared within the smoky cloud. Takeo caught a glimpse of rust-colored feathers before the hawk began hovering upwards.
"Sabi!" he shouted. "There's an old man and a girl nearby. Grab them and then try to swing back for me!"
Takeo waved the bird away, turning slightly at the faint sound of Ren's voice. A cold shiver suddenly overcame him as two figures blurred past. Takeo swiveled around in time to see the two cloaked shinobi make a grab for the younger girl. He quickly retrieved his summoning dagger from the ground and slid it back into his pouch just as his eyes caught the strangest and possibly most frightening thing he'd ever seen. Before he could react, however, a loud, thunderous explosion rocked the ground beneath him. A few feet away, where those two black-robed figures had stood, an enormous chasm had split the earth. Takeo felt the ground beneath him trembling and cracking, hearing the sounds of falling rock and debris from within the giant crack in the plateau's surface. Hurriedly glancing about, he spotted the blue-haired girl atop the shoulder of one of the unknown shinobi. With every ounce of energy he had left, Takeo dashed forward, leaping through the air towards the unconscious and now captive female. The commotion all about the peak of the plateau was enough of a distraction for Takeo to snatch the girl back. Carrying her over his shoulder, Takeo sprinted back towards Ren's location, trying to keep his balance as the dirt and rock beneath him began caving in.
"…Takeo-san!"
He heard Ren's voice but the demolishing of the plateau had stirred up enough dust and debris to cover the entire area. Takeo could barely make out the outline of the old man in the distance. Not wanting to give those other ninja a chance to grab her again, Takeo darted off. Moving the girl back around to his back, Takeo hooked his arms beneath her legs and hastily started hopping across the few stable bits of ground remaining. He jumped to the left, landing deftly on a narrow strip of rock. He leapt back as that fragment gave way. Then the one beneath him crumbled. Losing his balance, Takeo could only hold onto the girl as he felt himself tumble backwards. He heard Sabi's barely audible cry as the bird zoomed past him, just a few feet out of reach. Noticing the pair of passengers on its back, Takeo felt somewhat relieved that at least those two were safe. Whirling about, so that he was face down as he and his precious cargo fell amidst the rubble, Takeo frantically started scanning around. Seeing a large chunk of rock to his right, he freed one of his hands from holding the girl and shifted around so he could reach the quiver on his back. Flipping the cover open, Takeo fumbled through the few arrows left until quickly withdrawing one. As the other few arrows fell from the pouch and bounced around the clutter of falling debris, Takeo clutched the one in his hand, focusing the chakra he had left as he tightened his grip on the kid on his back.
"Namariya. (Lead Arrow)"
Infused with chakra, the shaft and head of the arrow hardened and grew heavy. Drawing his arm back, Takeo said a silent prayer as he thrust the dense object into the surface of the large hunk of stone. The overly strong arrow plunged into the flat surface of the plateau fragment, anchoring Takeo and the girl to the large rock as it toppled down toward the canyon below. Clutching the arrow in one hand while desperately trying to maintain a firm hold on the young woman with the other, Takeo narrowly avoided being smashed between the other bits of the plateau. Through his squinted eyes, he could see the ground rapidly approaching. As the rock fragment they were attached to spun upright, he prepared to launch himself off of the stone and take his chances landing somewhat safely on the other side of the narrow canyon. As his leg muscles tensed, a sudden jerk forced him back and nearly made him lose his grip on the arrow holding him in place. Takeo glanced back.
"…Help…"
The first Stone shinobi, bloodied and nursing a lame leg, was frantically clinging to the loose sash wrapped around the young girl's waist. The fabric quickly began tearing, forcing the young Stone nin to claw upwards. Spinning around, Takeo kicked at the boy, who, in a last-ditch effort to save himself, grabbed onto the leather strap of Takeo's quiver. Takeo felt himself being pulled down, the added weight combining with his diminishing chakra reserves to weaken the strength of the arrow's shaft. The jutsu-enhanced arrow began to bend. Realizing his position, Takeo hurriedly pinned the girl against the rock with his backside as he grabbed hold of his quiver strap, too. With a final burst of strength, he managed to lift the leather strap over his head and toss it down around the shoulders of the Stone shinobi as he kicked him away again. Quickly securing the girl in his arm again, Takeo turned and watched regrettably as the young ninja struggled to loosen his tangled arms from the strap, only to stop after his head collided with a jagged piece of rock. His unconscious body became clustered within the rest of the falling debris.
Putting it out of his mind, Takeo tightened his grip on his passenger, preparing to leap away. The narrow gorge beneath them was drawing closer, as was the land on the other side. With a quick prayer, he let go of the arrow anchoring them to the plateau fragment and bounced up off of it. Ducking out of the path of an oncoming chunk of stone, Takeo adjusted himself and leapt off another slab or rock towards the opposite side of the canyon. He found one more intermediate stone to ricochet off of, and put every last bit of strength into a last desperate jump. He emerged from the mass of falling plateau remains, holding tightly to the girl. His foot unexpectedly hit solid ground and the two tumbled forward, Takeo cradling the girl in his arms as they rolled through the rough and sandy plain on the other side. When they came to a stop, Takeo looked the girl over briefly, studying her closely before exhaustion overcame him. Then all he could see was black…
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"And after that?" Tsunade inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing," Takeo answered slowly. "I was hurt, got treatment, and then started back for home."
"Took you two years to fully recover, then?" Tsunade frowned disbelievingly.
Takeo didn't answer, a sudden bout of weariness overcoming him. He wobbled slightly, taking a step or two forward to catch himself from falling.
"Are you okay?" Kaori worried as she moved closer. "Hokage-sama, maybe we should let him rest…he's been moving since last night and fought off a Jounin-level missing nin while helping Hideo-san and his team."
"Yes," Keigo echoed. "He reported the details of the mission to you as you asked, Tsunade-sama. At least give him a day or two to recuperate before you start to grill him with questions again."
Gathering the report form Takeo had filled out, Tsunade sighed. "Very well. You are free to leave, Takeo. However, I want to see you back in my office tomorrow morning to finish filling in the details of your absence. Understood?"
Collecting himself, Takeo nodded. "Fine. I'll be here."
"Good. And just so we're clear, you're not to leave the village until you are officially reinstated and confirmed loyal to Konoha," she added.
"That all?" he said with a battered sigh.
"Yes," Tsunade glared. "Just sign off on this report and you can go."
Takeo bent over, grabbing the pen and signing his name to the report.
"Are you sure there's nothing more you want to add?" Tsunade whispered to him privately as she stood and stepped beside him.
"Like what?" he mumbled.
"Akatsuki," she quietly replied.
The hand clasped around the pen tightened suddenly, snapping the quill. Tsunade took notice and studied the young man's face.
"Sorry," Takeo muttered, regaining himself. "But that's pretty much everything."
He stood up and began to walk away, leaving the blonde-haired Hokage without another word.
"Yo, Noppo," Kintarou started. "If you don't mind waiting around, I can change out of my gear and…"
Takeo passed the large ANBU without any sign of acknowledgment.
"Takeo-kun?"
"I'm heading home," Takeo said. "It'll be quicker if I go alone, and I really need some rest."
He walked past his parents and Kaori, turning once outside in the hallway and pausing.
"I'll see you guys later," he said without looking back in. "And…I'm sorry I worried you…"
Before they could respond, Takeo disappeared down the hall.