chapter 8: The Unanswered Question

The two academy students, Talon and Lophin, had just been rushed to the hospital after they were lifted up out of the giant crag. The sensible thing to assume would be that Talon did it, as he was heralded as the greatest academy student and sharingan user among even genin; however, the doctors felt that this was Lophin's doing, not because they saw the battle, but because they still thought of him as a demigod. The new kage, Ballik's son, Ballik II, had alerted the villagers about the terrible wrath he could bring. Ballik vowed to protect his citizens from the terror of this beast, which he among a solemn few, believed Lophin to be something far worse than a god. However, the new hokage never got a chance to put his plan into action.

Kaiser, the Fire country's daimyo, and Karin, his second in command, were rapidly closing in on the shinobi village. The frantic guardsmen, both from being in the presence of their emperor and from the sheer speed of their mares, opened the gate with trembling hands. The leaders went past the gate and all the way up to the main center of Konoha. Even here they did not dismount, instead dispatching one of the many guards to request an outside audience. Ballik came spontaneously, insisting on knowing the nature of what seemed to be such a superfluous and lengthy journey, as the capital of the Fire nation was near its southern tip in Kaiton. The two nobles gave him a mocking glance and merely requested to find their so-called god. Ballik, young and stubborn, adamantly refused until he was informed about their current whereabouts.

Kaiser dismounted from his horse and walked closer until he was a mere two inches away from Ballik. Kaiser picked up the ninja with one arm by his collar and again asked to see the divine creature. Now Ballik had no choice but to obey, for disobeying in this condition would jeopardize his life. They were led to the hospital's emergency room, where a group of static doctors stood. The medical prodigies had been too afraid to operate on Lophin, and it could be seen on all their faces. Kaiser parted them and stood next to Lophin, studying him and formulating his next move. He was not sure what Lophin was, but he was confident that he was very strong.

"Karin, come here!" Kaiser commanded.
"Reporting sir!"
"Please confine this boy's body!"
"Ninja Art, Mockery Jutsu," Karin had shouted after doing the appropriate hand signs. A layer of a thick, bright green viscous liquid had begun to envelop Lophin's body. It crawled forward until it encased even his head and then hardened into a stone casket. A guard came and received the coffin, as their bewildered audience pondered the events that had just graced them.

Five hours later Lophin woke up inside a stone box, with none of his wounds healed naturally or artificially. Pain began to arouse his anger, soon being replaced by desperity as he found himself encased in an unbreakable casket. After five powerful blasts of chakra, he gave up and lie there in the casket for the rest of the two hours.

Back in leaf Talon was awakening. He sat up and immediately put a hand to his throbbing temple. He wondered where he was at first, and then experienced nostalgia as the memories came flooding back to him. He remembered that final jutsu that Lophin did, how the flesh of Lophin's arms had lopped off of his bone like a piece of meat from a butcher's knife, piling into a liquid mess on the ground. Not giving the least bit of thought to the fact that Lophin was not in the bed beside him, he went to sleep and let the doctors finish their treatment.