Chapter 35: What's Going On
Arc – Captured Rain Genin Part 15
Yoshino and Oboro are reaching across the table, shaking hands. Behind Yoshino are Shikaku and the two newcomer Aburame. Kagari, Mubi, Baiu and Midari are behind Oboro.
Subtext: A deal has been reached.
XXXXXXX – East Blue, Konomi Archipelago, three kilometers away from the Hyuga Compound
Two Hyuga were escorting Shino on either side of him. His arms were still bound behind his back, but the Kikai had severely weakened the bonds. The small insects were currently holding in place on the ropes to maintain the appearance that they were intact. He had gotten the information he sought, though it was far less than he would have liked. Still, playing the part of the prisoner would only get him so far, and if he continued, the act would eventually become reality and then he would be, as the saying went, deeply screwed.
He wished he had more knowledge of the Byakugan. He knew it allowed them great sight, but he had no idea what the range was, whether it was merely double that of standard vision or even across entire islands. And it was best to assume that at least one other Hyuga would be watching him. The further away he got from the compound, the safer he would feel. Not that getting closer to this Arlong Park was a better option.
In any case, he felt that he had acquired enough distance and it was merely now or never. He blew out a sharp whistle.
"Keep it down, bug," one of the Hyuga escorts started before hearing a loud wailing noise. They both gave a short yell as they covered their ears. Betsy came flying down in the next second, the beating of her wings causing the wailing. The horse-sized dragonfly slammed into both of the Hyuga's heads, making them lose their balance before ascending back into the air.
"Chirakasu," Shino uttered next.
At the command, the Kikai on his bonds abandoned their positions on the ropes and descended on the two Hyuga. There were only a few dozen, not enough for their usual efficiency, but they were able to crawl onto the Hyuga's arms and make them even further disoriented. Instead of summoning more, Shino quickly kicked out on the Hyuga on the right, hitting his kneecap. Spinning on his foot, he then delivered an elbow to the second one. Both men collapsed to the ground right as Betsy came flying back down, his swarm returning to him. Reaching out his arm, he grabbed hold of his summon, flying off with it.
They barely got ten feet before some sort of invisible wave hit Betsy at the side, injuring her left wing. Looking back, Shino saw the two Hyuga had already recovered from his strikes and were making headway towards them.
"Hakke Kusho!" one of the Hyuga shouted, sending out that same invisible attack right at them. Shifting his weight, Shino turned around and planted his feet on a nearby tree. Keeping a firm hold on Betsy, he channeled chakra into his feet to thrust himself downward to the ground, taking Betsy with him as the attack blew apart the upper portions of the tree.
"It's times like this I wish I knew my elder sister's transport technique," Shino muttered to himself, Betsy nodding in agreement. Hear the footsteps of the two, he was about to tell her to desummon herself when they both felt a hand grab them and pull them into the bushes.
Startled, Shino whipped out a kunai and slashed forward. The figure jerked ever so slightly, resulting in the strike giving a shallow cut alongside the right cheek.
It was a young woman of about fourteen, wrapped in bandages on her face, arms and legs. She wore a light blue outfit complemented by a light purple undershirt and tan work shorts that went to her knees. She had light black hair with two small pigtails that framed either side of her face. She put a finger to her mouth and shushed him.
"They will…" Shino started to protest.
The woman merely shook her head. She began humming ever so slightly. It was a very calm, soothing tune and Shino found himself completely mesmerized. Even the Hikyarku Ekickuu seemed taken in by the tune.
Shino heard his two pursuers coming closer. Ten paces from the bushes, however, they took an abrupt turn and went the completely opposite direction. The young Aburame just watched in amazement before stepping out into the open. "Astounding," he said simply as Betsy and the young woman walked out. Turning to face his rescuer, he added. "What did you do?"
"An answer for another time," the girl said with a small smile.
"Then perhaps… you would do me the honor of another?" The young Aburame put his arm across his chest and inclined his head. "I am Aburame Shino. You might be?"
"You may call me… Isaribi," Isaribi replied. She seemed a bit taken aback by the etiquette. She glanced at Betsy and looked a bit uneasy. "I suppose you control that thing as you do the smaller ones."
Betsy's wings fluttered being referred to like that, a sign of irritation, but Shino calmed her by placing his hand on her side. "Betsy is my partner, an Hikyarku Ekickuu, one among many insects I employ, and she would appreciate you referring to her like one."
"I'm sorry," the girl apologized, talking directly to Betsy. "I'm just not used to seeing… insects… as big as you."
Betsy gave a slight nod of the head, accepting the apology. Shino turned back to the bandaged girl. "Perhaps you would do me another favor, fair Isaribi, and enlighten me as to what is going on here at Arlong Park."
The girl didn't respond at first. She seemed a bit taken aback by the request. Her eyes darted back and forth, like she was enduring some sort of mental battle.
Finally, she spoke again. "… I can only tell you what I know from my point of view about the Arlong Empire."
"That will suffice."
XXXXXXX – Arlong Park, First Floor, Dungeon
Overall, Zoro had been in worse places. The dungeon was fairly small and not that well kept. The chains around his wrists that latched to the wall were old and worn. The hay that served as cushioning was tough and smelly. A simple wooden door blocked his exit to the outside world, instead of solid bars. If he was at full strength, escaping would be an easy effort, even without his sword.
'Clearly, Arlong doesn't believe in keeping prisoners,' the swordsman thought to himself. The shark bastard obviously believed in more permanent solutions that didn't include people rotting in dungeons.
That's when the door opened up. Coming inside was not a Fish-Man, but a small girl. This girl wore a cream-colored hooded jacket that had fire symbols on the sleeves and navy blue pants. She wore sandals similar to the ones he had seen Naruto and the others wear. She had short, leveled, hime-cut hair with chin length strands framing her face. Her most notable appearance were her eyes; completely and nearly featureless without so much as pupils making Zoro wonder if the girl was blind. In her arms was a plate of food, a drink, and bandages.
"I thought you might need these," the girl said, keeping her head low as she passed him the food.
Zoro made no move for it. "There's something else I want."
"I don't have the keys…" Hinata started.
"Not that." He gestured with his head. "Tell me all about this. Why are you here? What these fish are doing. What are they after?"
"… alright."
She took a deep breath. "The Arlong Pirates arrived eight years ago. At that time, there were only a few dozen of them. They came to these seven islands and took over, easily beating down the villagers that tried to resist. There was no Marine garrison for such a remote place, so they took complete control within a week of their arrival. They demanded money from each person in exchange for their lives. A hundred thousand for adults, fifty thousand for a child. Per month. Those that could pay were allowed to live. Those who either couldn't or refused were killed. There are twenty villages in the Konomi Archipelago, so it generated a sizable amount."
"Using these funds, they began building. They spent the first few years building Arlong Park, squeezing the lifeblood out of the villagers to fund their efforts. It was never any secret what their goal was. They wanted the resources to make their Empire, take on all the East Blue and expand to the rest."
Zoro regarded this information. "Even with those amounts, these small islands can't provide the resources for such a campaign. They would need to expand."
Hinata gave a nod. "Yes, and that problem soon occurred to Arlong and his minions. In order to achieve their ambition, they would need more income, territory, and of course, numbers. But they didn't have the numbers to expand their influence and keep control over the Archipelago. So they were stuck, confined to this small group of islands."
She paused there, as she looked at the floor once more to hide the shame she felt in her eyes.
"Four years ago… that all changed."
XXXXXXX – Hanabi's Treehouse
"That was when they made a contract with the Hyuga Clan," Hanabi said.
Unable to do anything in their current situation, Sakura and Shikamaru reluctantly complied with the little girl's demands, telling their individual stories about their headbands and their ties to the Leaf Village, small as they were. This seemed to satisfy the young Hyuga. Judging from the confident smirk on her face, she had been expecting such an answer. Choba was just sitting in between everyone fuming slightly, not really following any of this.
Conferring between themselves, they decided to play the little girl's game until they could think of a solution, asking her about current developments.
"My clan had relocated here shortly after the Villages fell, choosing a remote location to get back on their feet. When the Arlong Pirates arrived, they could have easily dealt with them, but didn't because they were so feeble, and didn't bother the Hyuga. As they left the Hyuga alone, we left them alone."
'Yeah right,' Sakura thought to herself sarcastically. 'Were you even born when they came? You don't have a clue why the Hyuga didn't intervene.'
"They came to my clan with a proposition and a deal was struck. My clan would lend their Byakugan to Arlong's use in exchange for very large financial compensation. A mutual truce exists between the pirates and the Hyuga as a result of this deal, with an exchange of personnel to ensure neither side will take advantage of the other. Arlong's shipwright is currently at my home."
Sakura breathed out hard through her nose. "And what on earth would the pirates want with your Byakugan?"
XXXXXXX – Back with Shino
"The currents," Isaribi answered.
"I don't understand," Shino replied. "What do those have to do with anything?"
The bandaged girl walked over and parted several bushes, indicating the ocean.
"The ocean's currents are the source of Arlong's control. A Fish-Man can swim to the bottom of the depths and learn how they work. Their mapmaker then compiles this information so they can take advantage of them. They take this information for their own purposes; by moving large rocks, they can redirect entire currents. Making ships turn around and smash into rocks, or just go in circles. It prevents people from escaping, and prevents people such as the Marines from coming to help. Doesn't matter how many of them or how powerful they are, they still have to come by ship. Stop the ship, and you stop the Marines. Along with anyone else that tries to resist."
Shino just gave a nod, privately keeping this information about the currents in mind. They would need to remember this for when they left so they wouldn't suffer a shipwreck. "And how do the Hyuga fit in?"
"The Fish-Men possess great understanding of the ocean, as you probably guessed," Isaribi continued. "But still… they are limited by more basic means. They can still only be in one place at one time, limited directly by what they see and such. Typically… it takes a Fish-Man about an hour to fully catalog one square kilometer of the ocean. Accounting meals, rest and of course, needing to shake down those under their control, one Fish-Man can map out about twelve square kilometers a day. As impressive that is… there's a LOT of ocean to cover, so progress is very gradual even at that rate.
"The Hyuga, on the other hand, possess a bloodline called a Byakugan. The key characteristic is sight enhancement. They can see that same square kilometer in the span of a minute, doing what would take a Fish-Man an hour.
"However, the Hyuga do not possess the same understanding of the ocean that the Fish-Men do. So even if they can see it all… they don't have the understanding to fully exploit it. But…" She clasped her hands together. "Using them both together… having the Hyuga see the area and guiding the Fish-Men to utilize their knowledge… they map out that same square kilometer in about five minutes. That's twelve times the efficiency from what the Fish-Men could do alone. Going from a single Fish-Man categorizing twelve square kilometers a day… to one hundred forty four square kilometersin a single day."
"That is rather remarkable," Shino acknowledged.
Isaribi gave a nod. "With the newfound efficiency, the Fish-Men were able to rapidly expand to the nearest islands. They redirected the currents to cut them off and then attacked, dealing with any resistance. The new progress got the attention of like-minded Fish-Men back at Fish-Man Island, prompting more to come and swelling their ranks. I've even heard several of the Marine establishments take bribes to keep quiet about all this so Marine HQ doesn't hear about it."
"… and money is enough for the Hyuga to support this enslavement?" Shino asked.
XXXXXXX – Nojiko's house
"The Hyuga, from what I hear, were the largest clan when they were still part of this Leaves Village. They use the funds they get from the agreement with Arlong to track down the other scattered members of their clan," Nojiko answered, taking a sip from her drink. "Your guess is as good as mine as to how that's coming along."
"Are you serious?" Usopp demanded, slamming his hands on the table. "They're willing to ignore the suffering of all these people just for their own clansmen! There's got to be a better way to do that than accept those tyrants' blood money!"
"One hundred thousand per adult. Fifty thousand per child," Nojiko stated aloud, holding her cup in the air and looking at the liquid inside.
"Huh? What's that got to do with anything?"
"Our islands are small time. Most businesses are simple ones. Book stores. Repairmen. Farmers." She gestured out her window to her tangerine fields. "Do you really think such occupations can let us pay that large sum of cash on a monthly basis?"
Usopp just stared at her, the wheels in his head turning. "Wait… then you're saying…"
The young woman put her drink back on the table and looked directly into Usopp's eyes. "The Hyuga… are the reason why we're still able to meet Arlong's demands.
"In the early years, they funneled money to our villages so we could pay the tribute. In exchange, we didn't reveal their presence to Arlong. Somehow, the two groups met anyway. And now thanks to their deal, they have even more money at their disposal. Some of it goes to expeditions and sending members of their clan out looking… but most goes to stabilize the villages under Arlong's control. The Hyuga invest in everything here, and help keep our economy stable. My fields are technically owned by Hyuga Neji.
"And the Hyuga even use these ties for their endeavors. Neji takes care of shipping my tangerines to other islands. And he uses that opportunity to look for rumors and information on where more of the Hyuga might be from the buyers and locations he goes to, which gives their search parties ideas where to look for their kinsmen. And the same goes for everyone else."
Usopp just let his jaw drop. He didn't expect any sort of situation like this. What were they supposed to do knowing all this? "Can't the Hyuga just get rid of the pirates and continue the same deal anyway?" he asked desperately.
Nojiko gave an indifferent shrug. "Who knows? I've heard boasts that the Clan Head could defeat Arlong and dozens of Fish-Men all by himself. At the same time. But there are thousands of Fish-Men and only a few hundred Hyuga. Not exactly even odds. Plus… both sides get so much out of the arrangement that any fighting just isn't worth it. All we in the middle can do is just hope to get by."
Once again, it took the liar several moments to give any sort of response. Finally, he spoke. "So then… what Hyuga is crazy enough to actually live at Arlong Park?"
XXXXXXX – Arlong Park, Dungeon
"I… was the heiress of the clan," Hinata said.
"Was?" Zoro repeated. He supposed that an heiress would make sense, the pirates having a significant person under their watch. "Why was?"
"… I lost that position a month ago to my younger sister," Hinata answered, currently sitting on her knees. The food and drink lay forgotten by both of them. "Part of the deal is that the pirates supervise my training I receive from my clan. The hope was that it would make me better suited as future clan leader."
She clenched her hands against her knees. "Ever since I came here, the head of my clan, my father, would visit once a week. To evaluate my progress. My younger sister learned at our home; I'm told her progress was astounding and many were wondering if she would make a better heiress. "
'Told?' Zoro repeated to himself. 'You didn't get to see this firsthand?' Even if one accepted the arrangement here, was her father really the only one that bothered to come and see this girl? Who were these people that just dumped this girl in the midst of brutal pirates and then completely forgot about her?
"So a month ago, it was decided to host a match between my sister Hanabi and myself in order to determine who would make a better heiress." Her eyes fell a bit at that thought. "And… I lost. Badly."
"Was she just that much better?" Zoro asked. He only knew this Hinata for a few minutes, but it was clear even to him she was too soft for such expectations. How much younger was this 'Hanabi'? He was beginning to speculate that the girl probably held back a bit too much…
"I was afraid of her."
… and forget what he just said. Afraid? Of her, not for her? Who was this sister that warranted that kind of reaction? Before he could ask the question, the door opened up again, drawing both of their attentions. A second later, keys were tossed on the ground in between the two as well as Zoro's sword.
"Arlong has stepped out," Nami said, coming into full view. "So get out now and never let me see your face again, Zoro." She looked at the Hyuga girl. "It's about time for you to start your training regime, so take him out the back way. You'll avoid the Fish-Men that are still here that way."
Zoro just looked on, not saying a word about Nami's sudden generosity. If Hinata was perplexed by this action, she hid it well as she just nodded without comment. Nami left just as abruptly as she came before Zoro could even speak a word.
Not that it would matter, since Nami was determined not to say anything. So he would have to go about learning her situation another way.
Hinata picked up the keys and unlocked the chains. He got up silently as he rubbed his wrists. "This way," she said, nudging her head as he picked up his sword. She started walking down the right hallway. "If we move quickly, we can…"
Zoro was already walking to the left.
"What are you doing! That's where the Fish-Men are!"
A sinister-looking smirk appeared on Zoro's face as he thumbed his sword out of its sheath. "Perfect."
XXXXXXX – Hanabi's Treehouse
"Now that I have sufficiently answered your questions," Hanabi went on, going back to that 'Stuck Up Queen' mode as Sakura called it. "It's time for you to tell me: Where are your clans and families?"
"What on earth do you want to know that for?" Shikamaru whined as he rubbed the back of his head lazily. An invisible wave suddenly blew by his head, the force blowing his hair completely to one side like he had a bad cow lick. Sakura also thought Shikamaru's heart missed a few beats from that sudden attack.
"That's none of your concern," Hanabi told him with a dangerous edge in her voice.
'Okay, what's with the sudden shift in attitude?' Sakura thought to herself as she reached into her pouch. In any case, enough was enough. "Before I answer your question, I would like a little confirmation."
The pink-haired girl could feel three sets of eyes all settling on her. "What do you mean?" the Hyuga girl demanded.
Sakura held up a single coin between her fingers. "Just how good your Byakugan is."
She could feel Shikamaru's questioning gaze on her, while Hanabi actually looked intrigued. "Explain."
"Just a simple test. If your eyesight is as good as you say..." She clutched the coin in her hand. "You should be able to follow the movements and patterns easily enough to predict what side it'll land on."
"Pathetically easy," Hanabi replied instantly. Sakura could see Shikamaru giving her a questioning look. He could clearly see that she was playing on the girl's ego, but he didn't get it yet. 'That's alright,' the Haruno thought, looking back at Hanabi. "And if you call it right, I'll tell you about the other shinobi we've encountered."
"Accepted," Hanabi told the girl immediately, not even thinking of the possibility of her losing. To all three of their surprise, the girl's eyes changed. The pupils that were barely there became far more pronounced and the veins around the temples bulged.
Recovering from that sight, Sakura played with the coin between her fingers. "Heads up first. Your call." With that, she flipped it. The coin went over into a high arc, as all four of them watched it. The momentum and arc showed that it was going to miss the table and land somewhere on the ground by Hanabi… which in turn made Shikamaru raise an eyebrow as he finally caught on, prompting a small smirk on Sakura's face.
Hanabi saw their reactions without even moving her head to look at them. "I'm still watching you."
"No problems here," Shikamaru replied, folding his hands in front of him on the table, wonder if she could now see out of the back of her head. "I'm a perfect gentleman, just as my mom says."
The little girl made no reply as she quickly turned her attention back to the coin, her eyes focusing on the pattern and speed of the flipping coin. It began descending towards the lingering shadows cast by the table.
"It's – " Hanabi said before suddenly freezing on the spot. "What?"
"So it's true," Shikamaru said, as he nudged his head to the side, and Hanabi mimicked the action, looking at his 'folded' hands.
It was now the rat hand sign, the key seal for the Nara clan's shadow technique. "You really can't see shadows within shadows."
"What?" the girl growled, looking furious.
"I mean…" Sakura started as she stood up. "I flipped the coin deliberately to those shadows so Shikamaru could take advantage of that. I only needed to distract you for a second while he made the hand sign. With the shadow traveling through the table's shadows, you'd have no time to react."
Choba whistled in awe. "Wow. You two must really get along."
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, looking quite a bit frustrated. "You know, women really are troublesome." He reached down and withdrew a kunai from his pouch. He then casually tossed it at her target, missing the target by a good meter or so. She looked over at the target. "Are you trying to prove a po-" She stopped when she felt her entire body freeze up.
"I've just caught you with my shadow," Shikamaru told her. "Rather easily too. Much easier than I thought I would."
"You could say that," Sakura said as she stuck out her tongue and picking up her coin.
"YOU WILL RELEASE ME RIGHT NOW! I AM THE HEIRESS OF THE CLAN!" Hanabi roared at them, acting much like the eight year old girl she really was. "I SAVED YOUR UNGRATEFUL BUTTS FROM THE FISH-MEN!" Her arms then reached up to her head in the perfect imitation of a monkey.
"Little girl, you need to start actinglike one." Shikamaru said, reaching around and making them both scratch their own butts. "You'll have plenty of time to act like a stuck-up old stooge when you're an adult."
This, shockingly, only made Hanabi further blow a gasket that resulting a long slew of swear words unsuited for an eight year old.
Not wanting to actually harm the girl, the two did the next thing they could think of. They tied up Hanabi and suspended her in the air. Choba, delighted by the turn of events, actually volunteered to keep watch over the girl so they could get some distance.
"Let's not mention to the others we got had by an eight year old," Shikamaru said as the two of them jumped out of the tree house and to the ground.
"I WILL SLAUGHTER YOU ALL!"
Choba's voice was heard next. "You sure are ticklish, you know? Tickle, tickle!"
"I HATE YOU!"
"You're kinda CUTE when you're angry."
Making a mental note to come back and check on the girl, the two picked up the pace to get further away as Shikamaru gave a nod to Sakura. "Have to admit, that was all pretty clever. Even your bluff about the shinobi we've met."
"Oh, that wasn't a bluff. Not in the way you're thinking," Sakura said, looking mighty pleased with herself. The Nara looked at her questioningly as Sakura held up the coin.
Both sides of the coin were heavily scratched, making it impossible to tell which side was heads or tails. "Seems for all her boasts," Sakura said, flipping it to herself. "It's not just shadows within shadows she couldn't make out."
"You little swindler," Shikamaru said as the two shared a laugh.
XXXXXXX – Cocoyashi Village
Arlong and nearly half of his crew from Arlong Park had come to this village to seek out a man called Genzo. He had been the village marshall in the days before Arlong, and even today still wore his brown policeman uniform. The top of his hat had a pinwheel that fluttered in the breeze, but the most notable thing about Genzo was that he was covered with scars all over his body.
Nojiko and Usopp had heard the commotion from the house and went over to check things out. Nearly all of the village had come out to see what was going on as Arlong had struck Genzo, knocking him to the ground, his underlings standing behind him. The shark Fish-Man was saying that weapons were not tolerated in his territory.
"So… we can't even have hobbies now?" Genzo demanded as he tried to pick himself.
"No," Arlong said with a smirk as the Fish-Men laughed behind him. "Hobbies are fine. It's collecting weapons that I have a problem with." He delivered a kick to the man's ribcage that knocked him to the nearest house. "It's a threat to our peaceful dominion. And to prevent future rebellions, I'm gonna kill you as an example to the rest!"
"What? Just because he had a weapon? They'd kill him for that?" Usopp asked started. Both he and Nojiko were peeking from down an alleyway. It's not like one guy with one weapon could take on even one Fish-Man, let alone all of Arlong Park!
He looked over, only to see that Nojiko had left the hiding spot, making his jaw drop. Looking down the alleyway, he saw that she was already out in the open confronting Arlong, making his jaw drop further.
"In eight years we've never once failed to pay your tribute!" Nojiko was yelling. "Why would we go and rebel now of all times! Let Genzo go!"
A curious thought hit Usopp. Why would the man get a weapon if he knew this would provoke such a reaction? Was it possible there really was a rebellion beginning?
"Why does he need weapons if not to fight us?" Arlong retorted to Nojiko, mirroring Usopp's own thoughts. "For the peace of our realm, this man will die!" He then shot a look to the gathered crowd as a whole. "Or do you all wish to go to the grave?"
People shut up at that, fear taking over. Usopp had little doubt Gosa village was running through their minds. Arlong reached down and picked up Genzo by the collar, holding him to eye level. "Now… how did you get your weapons? Tell me and I'll make your death quick and painless."
"I made them," Genzo answered, blood running down his face. "Was an apprentice blacksmith at one point. Wanted to see how much skill I retained."
Arlong didn't believe this answer as he slammed the man against another house. Usopp just stared on, caught up in Arlong's question. As Nojiko had said, the Fish-Men controlled the islands by means of the currents. Locking all trade and travel. So… how did Genzo get any weapons under such conditions?
The answer came to the young man surprisingly fast. The Hyuga were constantly traveling to other islands and had a standing pact with Arlong. Was it possible? Despite the agreement, were there some Hyuga that didn't support this alliance? That would explain Arlong's outrage far more than just a simple man with a weapon: trying to track down a potential backstabber of their allies. That had FAR bigger consequences!
"Go to your homes, all of you! If violence breaks out now, the last eight years will have been for nothing! We already fought and died to resist them… in vain!" Genzo shouted out to this fellow villagers. "Remember the vow we made! We swore to survive by enduring! By LIVING!"
"So it's all about looking after yourselves and submitting?" the long-nose asked, fury in his eyes.
"No. It's about the will to live."
That caught Usopp off guard. "Huh?"
"Anyone determined to die like a dog deserves to die like a dog. Pointless bravado will accomplish nothing else." The gaze in the young woman's eyes hardened and seemed to pierce Usopp's very character.
"I once knew a child who faced a life worse than death and chose to live anyway! So when I see anyone that so recklessly throws their life away, becoming too much of a coward to live, it makes me sick to my stomach!"
Those had been the words Nojiko had told him back in the house. Obviously, this Genzo was the source of this belief. But… from what he heard, the Fish-Men were expanding rapidly thanks to the Hyuga. Conditions seemed to get worse as time went on, not better.
So… what was Cocoyashi village waiting for?
Seeing Genzo taking a beating and still trying to convince his fellow villagers not to fight moved something within Usopp. The man was standing up to the Fish-Men, a group that ruled with an iron fist for eight years. Never once striking back, but not willing to back down either, even with the threat of death! It wasn't the bravery Usopp was used to seeing… but it left an impact on him nonetheless!
Which is how he found himself on top of a rooftop a few moments later, striking Arlong right in the face with an exploding star right as he was about to strike Genzo again. Everyone, Fish-Man and human alike, all looked around in shock.
"I am the fearless warrior of the seas! Captain Usopp!" he shouted to the group below, trying to force his knees to stop shaking. "They call me the Demon King! And KINGS tremble at the sound of my name! Flee now and live, for I have eight thousand hardened killers at my beck and call!"
"Whoslop?" a Fish-Man asked.
"Name doesn't ring any bells," another Fish-Man added.
A villager looked up. "Just who is that guy?"
Nojiko was torn between facepalming and pure disbelief.
"I don't care if you have 80,000! I'll paper my walls with their hides!" Arlong looked right up to Usopp, who wanted to cough up his heart from the glare he was receiving.
"WORTHLESS HUMAN! YOU DARE TO ATTACK ME?"
Usopp nearly wet himself at Arlong's next action. He actually went and picked up the house Usopp was standing on top of. Ignoring the protests of his crew that it wasn't worth losing another village, Arlong hurled the entire building, sending it crashing through three other.
"He'll crush the whole village!" both villager and pirate cried out. There was no way a human could survive…
"There he is!" Chu shouted, pointing upward. Somehow, Usopp managed to get on top of another house before the others were destroyed. 'SAFE!'
"GET HIM AND TEAR HIM LIMB FROM LIMB!" Arlong raged as most of his Fish-Men crew tried to hold him down to prevent him from destroying anymore of their cash cow villagers.
'NOT SAFE!' Usopp cried mentally as he took off running, half a dozen Fish-Men chasing him vigorously, leaving the villagers marveling at the sight. And hoping their good fortune didn't come at the price of this brave young man.
XXXXXXX – Southern portion of the island
After Isaribi had informed Shino of the situation, he had asked her to guide him to where Arlong Park was. When asked why he wanted to go to that place, he merely replied "Reconnaissance." That he believed a friend was there that he needed to make sure was safe. He held back the real reason he needed to go there. That was between him and Nami, no one else. Not even the others among the crew. Not just yet.
Once Isaribi agreed to the request, he wrote a message and gave it to Betsy, who desummoned herself. Relaying messages this way was seen as crude for the Messenger Insects, save for cases of emergency. Given how the Hyuga had regarded his clan, Shino felt such a time had come. Plus, even Betsy realized that trying to fly with her injury was not wise.
Isaribi told him she would take him the long way around, going through the destroyed village of Gosa. They had made good progress and come to the village shortly, and Shino was visibly stunned upon seeing the flipped-over buildings.
'I should really reconsider the 'prisoner route' next time I need information,' Shino told himself. Trying to put on his regular appearance, he pushed up his glasses with a finger. "The Fish-Men are truly dangerous."
The bandaged girl gave a nod. "Yes. They are," she replied in a quiet voice. Shino gave her a look as she turned to him. "We're about five kilometers from Arlong Park. I hope your kikaichu can make the journey."
"It'll do," Shino said, raising his arms. The swarm flew out from his sleeves into the sky. They scattered about into multiple directions and proceeded to Arlong Park. "It should take about…" he started, only to come to a complete stop.
"What?" Isaribi asked. "Do we need to get closer?"
"… how did you know their name?" Shino asked, slowly lowering his arms.
"What are you talking about? You called them…" Isaribi started before abruptly cutting off.
"When informing you about Betsy, I called her by her species, yes, but when referring to the Kikai, I merely called them insects. I had not mentioned their proper name to you. If anything, you should had called them 'Hikyarku Ekickuu' due to your perception. How did you know?"
The girl said nothing, but Shino was already coming to the answer… and realizing his one big mistake. He had assumed any additional watchers would come from the Hyuga…
… and closed his mind to the possibility it would come from the Fish-Men!
He had let his 'guide' guide him directly into an ambush! That's why he had been allowed to escape so easily from the Hyuga escort. To make him come willingly to the exchange point for the Fish-Men!
"I'm truly sorry, Aburame Shino," Isaribi said in a flat voice and her eyes hollow. "You have no idea what life is like here. We do what we have to. And I'm afraid… the Siren Mermaid… must strike again." Then in a slightly louder voice, "Seize him."
XXXXXXX – End of Chapter 35
Next chapter done! Hope you all enjoyed it. Got the lowdown for the situation between Arlong Park and the Hyuga clan. Something I had in mind since the beginning of the story, though I have expanded it since its original conception, the most obvious being the inclusion of Dr. Amachi and Isaribi here. Some people don't like the Naruto filler arcs – and for good reason, most of them are dreadful –but I found that there are still good ideas and potential to them.
And special thanks to Mr. Nobody for suggesting them! I rather like what I have planned for this angle.
What's this? Hinata isn't stuttering? Guess Arlong Park was useful for something.
Now that this chapter is done, I can go back and finish Mass Effect 3 with a clear conscience!
Hauringu Tsubasa – Howling Wings
Chirakasu – to scatter around
Hauringu Tsubasa (Howling Wings): A technique utilized by the Aburame's Hikyarku Ekickuu. They beat their wings furiously, creating a loud screeching sound to hinder or even immobilize those that hear it. As a result, most of the Hikyarku Ekickuu can only hover when doing this, but more skilled members of the species can fly while using this move. C-Ranked Ninjutsu. Original Technique.
Hakke Kusho (Vacuum Palm): A ranged Taijutsu technique utilized by the Hyuga Clan. Extending chakra from the body, a Hyuga will thrust their palm at the target. This will send out an invisible wave of chakra that can knock his opponent back. Skilled users can even close the tenketsu points. Canon Technique.
Nami's Ultimate Idiot Competition – Luffy: 49, Naruto: 58. Currently on hold due to Nami's departure.
May the Kage Bunshin and Gomu Gomu no Bazooka be with you!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto. They belong to their respective owners: Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto. Big thanks to Paintball Gamer for beta-reading this!