Chapter 21: Recuperation
It has been one week since the last fight with the Tasogare and Taki. The six of them managed to make it to a small village far enough away from Mangetsu Village to be able to stop in. They were all hospitalized for a while and with treatments from the village's doctor and Masakatsu's medical Ninjutsu they were well enough to resume their training and work again. After they were out, one of the first things they did were get new clothes matching their previous ones due to the clothes being comfortable to them.
As night fell Yuki was standing in front of what appeared to be some kind of Inn with his arms crossed when Masakatsu suddenly walked over to him.
"Looks like it took longer than expected but it looks like there is a high paying job in this village." Masakatsu said looking over at Yuki.
"Is it enough to make up for the expenses of that doctor's bill?" Yuki asked looking over at Masakatsu.
"Of course it is or I wouldn't have even bothered to bring it up. This job actually pays nearly three times that amount." Masakatsu said with a grin.
"Now it's starting to sound suspicious – just what is this job?" Yuki asked looking over at him suspiciously.
"Well you see..." Masakatsu said about to start explaining it.
Meanwhile inside the Inn, the four remaining members were separated in the Inn's hot springs it had for their guests. Kazuki and Takeo were on the men's side while Ayaka and Kosuke were on the women's side, which was only separated by a bamboo wall. Kazuki was sitting down relaxing towards the back sitting on some rocks when Takeo suddenly started making his way over to him.
"Now this feels great." Kazuki said laying his head back when he suddenly sensed something coming towards him and he quickly noticed Takeo. "What do you want?"
"Nothing special but you just haven't realized our current position have you?" Takeo asked with a large grin on his face.
"Don't tell me your thinking of doing something that'll make me either use too much energy or receive pain because I'm just not up for it at this moment after finally recovering." Kazuki said laying his head back again while slowly closing his eyes.
"Don't give me that, I was injured even more than you were!" Takeo stated pointing at the scar left from getting stabbed through the chest.
"Then I was right, you are thinking of doing something that would make me exert a lot of energy or to take a beating." Kazuki said in a kind of lazy tone as he continued to relax.
"Come on, it's a hot springs! We have no other choice but to do it!" Takeo stated looking towards the bamboo wall.
"You know... you remind me of this other guy I met back in the Leaf Village but he was always going on about research this and research that but all he was really doing was trying to look at the women with that excuse." Kazuki said remembering about Jiraiya.
"What did this guy look like?" Takeo asked leaving Kazuki a little confused.
"Let's see, he had long white hair, he always wore red clothing, he was pretty tall, and he wore a head plate that read oil or something like that. Why do you ask?" Kazuki asked still confused.
"That guy over there fits the description pretty well – excluding the clothes..." Takeo said pointing at a man that fit the description over near the bamboo wall trying to look through.
"Huh?" Kazuki asked lifting his head and glancing over to see. "Jiraiya!?" He shouted surprised to see him.
"Wait, Jiraiya as in one of the Legendary Sanin!?" Takeo shouted surprised.
"Yeah, that would be him..." Kazuki said shaking his head in disbelief.
"Looks like an all right guy!" Takeo stated as he started to make his way over to him dragging Kazuki behind him.
"Can't I just stay here and relax? Why do you need me to come along?" Kazuki asked as he started to sink underwater.
"Did you want him looking at Ayaka naked on the other side?" Takeo asked with a large grin on his face.
Kazuki quickly got up out of the water and moved ahead of Takeo at a much faster speed than what Takeo was going when he was dragging him. In a matter of second he quickly reached Jiraiya.
"He really moved a lot faster than I had expected..." Takeo said dumbfounded by Kazuki's speed.
"Leave me alone, I'm trying to do some research." Jiraiya said before Kazuki even muttered a word.
"Isn't that a convenient excuse, Jiraiya or should I say Mr. Legendary Sanin?" Kazuki asked standing to his left.
"Wait, I know that voice." Jiraiya said turning and noticing Kazuki. "Well if it isn't one of the Genin from the Land of Snow – wait, weren't you and those two other Genin supposed to be watching that Yuki guy?" Jiraiya asked completely ignoring what Kazuki had said before.
"That is our mission and we are doing that. All of us are here at the Inn for the time being but the real question is what are you doing here?" Kazuki asked looking at him.
"Didn't I just tell you? I'm doing my research for my next book but you say Yuki is here with you? It looks like I have no choice then – I'll catch you kids later." Jiraiya said getting up and walking out of the hot springs glancing over at Takeo as he left.
"Uh… What just happened?" Takeo asked still a little confused.
"Somehow we seem to have run into Jiraiya…" Kazuki said dumbfounded by what just happened.
"Is that so…?" Takeo asked glancing towards the door. "So that was one of the Legendary Sanin? I don't even know why but I started sweating before he left – was it just his mere presence that shook me up…?" He thought to himself sitting down a little freaked out by the encounter.
Outside the Inn Yuki and Masakatsu were still talking to one another when suddenly a large shadow popped out. Jiraiya stepped out into the light smiling as he walked over waving to the two of them.
"I didn't expect to run into you all over here. What do you say – how about we head out for a few drinks?" Jiraiya asked looking back and forth at Masakatsu and Yuki.
"You're Jiraiya aren't you!? Man, I heard so many stories about you Sanin when I was growing up – I can't believe I'm standing next to one of them now!" Masakatsu stated completely star struck.
"Fine but I'm selecting the place. I know how you are with those women and I don't want you getting distracted from the conversation." Yuki said ignoring Masakatsu.
"Come on! You can't just get rid of one of three important things!" Jiraiya stated trying to get Yuki to change his mind while also ignoring Masakatsu.
"How mean… you're both ignoring me…" Masakatsu said dropping his head a little depressed.
"Since I'm paying – I don't want a large bill and I know how you like to throw money around, which is why I won't agree to it unless you're paying. Now, shall we get going?" Yuki asked looking over at Jiraiya. "Oh, you're still here? You can come too if you want." He said finally noticing Masakatsu.
"Fine." Jiraiya said finally agreeing to Yuki's terms.
Yuki didn't even look around; he headed straight for a small restaurant-like place he had spotted when they arrived. Once inside they settled for a corner both and sat down and placed their orders, which was mainly sake.
"You're headed for the Land of Rain, aren't you?" Yuki asked flat out with Masakatsu sitting next to him across from Jiraiya.
"Yeah, I'm going to check out the place with the information you've given me." Jiraiya said in a more serious tone.
"Are you crazy? That place is locked down pretty good you know?" Masakatsu looking over at Jiraiya as if he was insane doing that.
"The Akatsuki members there won't be easy opponents, you know? The leader there is especially strong – I doubt even I would have a chance against him." Yuki said looking at Jiraiya.
"You're starting to sound like Tsunade. I'm only going there to find out a few things." Jiraiya said when the sake arrived.
"From my experience – that is when things usually turn out bad. Besides, your bottle of sake has a crack in it." Masakatsu said pointing out the bottom of the sake bottle had a small crack.
"Isn't a bad omen supposed to be with his glass…? I guess this could be one as well but for which one of us?" Yuki thought looking at the bottle of sake.
"As long as it's not coming out; everything's fine!" Jiraiya stated pouring himself some sake and drinking it. "Anyway, you're with those three Genin still, right?"
"Yeah plus one more." Yuki said sounding slightly annoyed pouring himself some sake.
"'One more'?" Jiraiya asked looking over at Masakatsu.
"Not me, I'm only with them for a little longer before I go my own way." Masakatsu said with a chuckle.
"Some girl that was working for the main but knows lightning Ninjutsu but Shikamaru said she had some kind of strange ability." Yuki said taking a sip of the sake. "I was able to get her to use it a little over a week ago so I know to some extent of what it is."
"Don't just say something like that and leave me in suspense; what ability does she have?" Jiraiya asked drinking some more sake.
"Her ability is similar to that of the Sharingan; however she can see a few seconds ahead of time." Yuki said taking another sip of his sake.
"The Miyoshi clan." Jiraiya said leaving Yuki and Masakatsu a little surprised by what he had said.
"Aren't they from the Land of Thunder – the Village Hidden in the Clouds?" Masakatsu asked showing he knew the names of certain clans.
"That would be correct and it's the same village that Takeo Furukawa is from. Doesn't that sound suspicious how you suddenly ran into the young lady?" Jiraiya asked taking another drink of sake.
"We've been suspicious of Takeo for a while now but this might bring more proof for us to be suspicious of him. His skills are much higher than that of a Genin, though that could be said about the others as well, but in his case it's a little different. That kid has seen a lot of combat before." Yuki said revealing what he had observed.
"Now that you mention it – he does have that kind of look but even if he's not a Genin, why would he be at the Chunin Exams? Not only that but what is the point in lying to us if we already know he's sending reports about us back to his village? Wasn't that his mission in the first place?" Masakatsu asked looking at Yuki and Jiraiya.
"If we knew the answer to that, we would've taken action by now. Since he is still lying it means he either doesn't trust us or there's something else." Yuki said with Jiraiya nodding along with him.
The three of them continued talking for a few more hours about everything that had happened before they met again. Finally, they got up and left the place after Yuki had to pay the good sized bill.
"Looks like we better get heading back – I have to leave early in the morning after all." Jiraiya said heading towards the Inn.
"Too bad, I was going to ask you to join us for a little odd job we'll b e taking care of tomorrow. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to leave it to those kids." Masakatsu said sighing slightly.
"I can't be helped; I have a mission to take care of." Jiraiya said shrugging.
"Once you get some free time you should try to find us and we'll go out for a drink again. Hopefully we won't be under these types of circumstances then." Yuki said when they arrived at the front of the Inn and noticed Kazuki and Takeo sitting near the entrance.
"Hey, what are the two of you doing out here?" Masakatsu asked walking over to them and noticed the two of them were beaten up and unconscious. "Are you two all right!?"
"Huh...?" Kazuki asked in a daze starting to come to.
"I said I was sorry – don't hit me anymore!" Takeo shouted waking up and moving against the wall with his arms up.
"I see, I see. You two were found out, huh?" Jiraiya asked figuring out what happened while Masakatsu and Yuki looked over at him a little confused.
"Blame Takeo over here for that. What happened was..." Kazuki said crossing his legs.
A few hours back when Jiraiya left the hot spring leaving Takeo and Kazuki alone. Takeo was still a little surprised when he shook it off and remembered his original idea.
"Come on Kazuki, I know you want to take a peek." Takeo said motioning him to come over while he looked at the bamboo wall connected the two bodies of water connected.
"At that again?" Kazuki asked still not budging from his spot.
"Are you sure? I mean you know who's over on the other side, right? I mean what are the chances we'll be seen over here?" Takeo asked with a grin looking over at Kazuki.
Kazuki slowly got up and slowly started moving towards Takeo with his eyes slightly open with his arms crossed. He slowly lifted his right hand to his mouth and let out a cough as to clear his throat.
"Well, if you put it that way, I have no other choice but to join you." Kazuki said putting his left hand on Takeo's left shoulder.
"Right, right? Now, let's see how we can make a little hole here..." Takeo said moving over to the wall and picking up a kunai from the rocks nearby.
"How about like this?" Kazuki asked putting his kunai in between the bamboo and prying it open but the hole was too small.
"No, that's way too small. Let me try it." Takeo said as Kazuki moved away leaving his kunai in the wall.
Takeo jammed his kunai in the wall next to Kazuki's and started to push them in opposite directions slowly opening the small larger and larger. Once he was satisfied with the hole, Takeo stopped pushing it and tied the two kunai to the wall so that they would stay in place leaving them with a small hole.
"Did it really work?" Kazuki asked about to look through the hole.
"Hey! Hold it right there! I did say that you could peek but I'll be having the first look!" Takeo shouted pulling Kazuki away from the hole and looking through it. "Oh, I can see through! Now where are they...?" He asked looking around.
"Can you see now?" Ayaka's voice was heard when suddenly Takeo was poked directly in the eye forcing him to stumble backwards.
"Takeo, what happened?" Kazuki asked since he didn't hear Ayaka.
"Now let's see who the criminals are here..." Kosuke said looking through the hole and started laughing.
"Kosuke, what's so funny?" Ayaka asked a little confused.
"Just look who our little suspects are." Kosuke said laughing when Ayaka looked through to see Kazuki trying to stop Takeo from moving too much while holding his eye.
"Takeo and Kazuki, huh? Kosuke, fry them! Hmph!" Ayaka stated turning her head as the two of them moved out of the water.
"With pleasure." Kosuke said with a grin putting her hands together.
"Kazuki, we were spotted – we have to get out of the water now!" Takeo stated as he started moving towards the exit.
"Huh? Why?" Kazuki asked confused.
"Idiot, Kosuke knows how to electrocute water!" Takeo shouted when there was suddenly a large flash from the other side.
"You're ki...!" Kazuki started to say when they were suddenly hit with a surge of electricity.
"Hopefully that'll teach them not to try that again." Kosuke said as her and Ayaka moved inside to change.
"Takeo... why didn't you say that sooner...?" Kazuki asked floating on the surface of the water lying face up with smoke rising from his body. "Takeo...?" He asked after noting hearing a reply when he suddenly noticed him lying face down in the water. "Idiot!" He shouted dragging him out.
"Thanks, I would've been a goner. She always reacts like this… what's wrong with wanting a tiny little peek? Anyway, we should probably hurry up and get dressed and out of here." Takeo said shaking off the shock and rushing into the next room to change.
"Wait, why are you in such a rush?" Kazuki asked rushing after Takeo confused.
"Do you really think that's all they'll do to us for trying to take a peek? There's no way they'll just shock us a little and let that be it!" Takeo stated quickly putting his clothes on as fast as possible.
"You don't think…!" Kazuki stated quickly realizing that Takeo could be right.
"They would and most likely are once they got their clothes on, which is why we have to hurry and get out of here by then!" Takeo stated rushing even faster.
"Why are you going so then?" Kazuki asked as he quickly got on his semi-new clothes on nearly instantly just as Takeo finished.
"It doesn't matter who's faster – we just need to get out of here quickly!" Takeo shouted opening the door and starting to make a run for the exit.
"Right behind you!" Kazuki shouted running behind him.
"Hold it right there!" Kosuke stated just as they reached the exit.
"K-Kazuki, you don't think…?" Takeo asked stopping in place when he noticed Ayaka standing outside.
"Yeah, we're trapped." Kazuki said realizing the situation.
"Are you two prepared for the consequences of your actions?" Ayaka asked cracking her knuckles with her face full of anger.
"Uh… can't we talk this out?" Takeo asked sweating when a hand grabbed onto his head.
"You're not getting out of this, little Takeo!" Kosuke stated with her voice full of anger.
"I'll leave that to you then." Kazuki said waving to Takeo as he started walking away laughing nervously.
"And where do you think you're going?" Ayaka asked glaring at Kazuki.
"Huh? Me?" Kazuki asked taking a big gulp.
"You're not getting away from me!" Ayaka shouted angrily.
In the present, Kazuki and Takeo had just finished explaining why they looked beat up. The fact that Ayaka and Kosuke caught them trying to take a peek and that they were ambushed outside. Masakatsu and Jiraiya quickly started laughing so hard they were gasping for air.
"I thought you two were ninjas – how were you two spotted?" Masakatsu asked still laughing with his voice sounding as if he was crying.
"We were up against kunoichi so we were both on even footing. Besides, Kosuke has experience spotting someone trying to peek on her." Takeo said defending his reason for being caught.
"And we weren't caught because someone just had to shout about being first to peek?" Kazuki asked looking over at Takeo as he just shrugged and chuckled.
"Then this also confirms that they are previously acquainted if he's saying this much about Kosuke." Yuki thought looking at Takeo when he just walked past the two of them.
"Sensei, something wrong?" Kazuki asked looking over at Yuki.
"No, I just don't have anything to say that those two won't. Also, you two should know how to do it properly without being caught – I've lost a lot of faith in the two of you." Yuki said shaking his head walking inside the inn.
"Man, that was great!" Jiraiya shouted laughing even harder.
"Sensei has lost faith in me…?" Kazuki asked shocked as he dropped his head.
"Jiraiya, let's get out of here before we end up dying from laughter or we'll be laughed at even worse than these two. I mean who has heard of a ninja that died laughing?" Masakatsu asked trying to slow his laughing down.
"Don't worry about us; we'll be in once we've healed enough to stand." Takeo said leaning against the wall.
"All right but don't stay out too long or you'll be too tired for our job tomorrow. You both are coming with us even if we have to drag you both along." Masakatsu said as he walked inside.
"Here, it's a little something I learned from my Sensei." Jiraiya said tossing them a small scroll.
"Huh?" Takeo asked opening the scroll and started reading it. "T-this is…!"
"Have fun you two, I'm sure that'll come in handy some day!" Jiraiya stated as he walked inside.
"Takeo, what is it?" Kazuki asked looking over at Takeo's surprised look.
"It is what we should've used in the first place if we had known about it before! We must learn this jutsu no matter what the cost!" Takeo stated with a strong passion.
"O-okay…" Kazuki responded unsure of why he was acting that way.
Inside, Yuki was rounding the corner to his room with Masakatsu and Jiraiya behind him. Suddenly a dark figure appeared in the hallway suddenly as if it had been there all along but it oddly had red glowing eyes.
"Masakatsu, did we have too much to drink or are you seeing this thing as well?" Yuki asked rubbing his eyes a little confused.
"No, I see him too." Masakatsu responded when the figure suddenly turned towards them.
"Are you the ones that accepted the mission for the Shisha no Ie (House of the Dead)?" The figure asked in a growling kind of tone.
"What's with that raspy voice – Sounds like someone needs a drink!" Masakatsu shouted pointing at the figure.
"So what if we are?" Yuki asked looking at the figure.
"Then die…!" The figure shouted when the candles dimly lighting the area suddenly went out.
"I don't think this thing is kidding around!" Jiraiya stated tossing a kunai directly at the figure when it suddenly vanished.
"You hit it directly… didn't you?" Masakatsu asked blinking with a dumbfounded look on his face when the candles suddenly relit.
"It's gone. I can't sense its presence anymore either." Yuki said looking around a little confused.
"Looks like you two found yourselves an interesting mission. Good luck on it!" Jiraiya stated slapping Masakatsu on the back before leaving them behind and heading into his room.
"H-huh!? W-w-w-was that a ghost just now!?" Masakatsu shouted with a terrified look on his face.
"Masakatsu, calm down, you're a shinobi after all. Besides, there are no such things as ghosts." Yuki said calmly looking at Masakatsu.
"T-t-t-then what in the world was that thing!?" Masakatsu shouted pointing where the dark figure was last seen but all that was left was Jiraiya's kunai stuck in the wall. "See, the kunai even went through it!"
"It was most likely just someone's clone or some other kind of jutsu." Yuki said shrugging his shoulders when suddenly Kazuki and Takeo came rushing around the corner.
"What…!?" Kazuki started to ask when Takeo crashed into him sending them towards a door.
"Look out!" Takeo shouted when they smashed through the door.
"Those two are always really noisy…" Yuki said sighing when he noticed the door they crashed into. "Looks like it'll get even worse from here…" He thought putting his hand on Masakatsu's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll protect you from those evil ghosts little brother." He said in a mocking manner.
"You two again!? I take it you both didn't have enough from us earlier, huh?!" Ayaka's voice was heard shouting.
"Hey! Don't play around like that – that thing was really a ghost! There's no way a jutsu other than Genjutsu could be that terrifying!" Masakatsu shouted looking back at Yuki.
"No! It was an accident, seriously! We didn't mean to come in here!" Takeo pleaded as if he was pleading for his life.
"That idiot tripped me!" Kazuki shouted placing all the blame on Takeo.
"Just go to sleep, you'll be fine in the morning… that is unless you're too scared to come with us to that place now?" Yuki asked with a grin glancing back at Masakatsu.
"So it was Takeo yet again? I'll give you some peace when you rest in peace!" Kosuke shouted when the room suddenly started flashing yellow.
"You're not off the hook that easily, Kazuki!" Ayaka shouted when there were also red lights coming from the room.
"Argh!!" Kazuki and Takeo uttered in pain from the fire and lightning attacks they were receiving.
"Of course I'm going with you all to that place! I'll prove that it was a ghost!" Masakatsu stated confident he could prove it.
"You can try but I doubt you'll succeed because they don't exist. If you spot any other ghosts you can find me in my room – goodnight, Masakatsu." Yuki said opening the door to his room and waving to Masakatsu before heading inside.
"You'll see! Now, what's going on in here…?" Masakatsu said heading towards the room with all the noise.
Inside he saw Ayaka and Kosuke tying Kazuki and Takeo up. Kazuki and Takeo were even more roasted and beat up from before leaving Masakatsu scratching his head while looking around the corner.
"Should I take these… roasts off your hands for now? They seem to be very well done." Masakatsu said waving at Ayaka and Kosuke at the doorway cautiously.
"What did…? Oh, it's just Masakatsu-sensei. Yeah, you can take them away." Ayaka said noticing it was Masakatsu.
"Hopefully they learned their lesson by now." Kosuke said as Masakatsu cautiously stepped in and picked up the rope and started dragging Takeo and Kosuke's lifeless bodies out of the room.
"Oh, Masakatsu-sensei, what was that sound earlier – the one before these two idiots barged in here?" Ayaka asked looking at Masakatsu.
"It was just me Yuki and Jiraiya, were we too loud?" Masakatsu asked covering up what the sound really was.
"No but Master Jiraiya is here?" Ayaka asked surprised.
"Jiraiya, as in one of the Legendary Sanin?" Kosuke asked seeming a little startled.
"Yeah, he just went to his room a little before these two rushed in here. It's a shame but he won't be joining us for tomorrow's mission since he's leaving bright and early." Masakatsu said about to exit the room.
"Mission? We have a mission tomorrow?" Ayaka asked a little confused since she hadn't heard about it before.
"Oops, sorry, it was supposed to be a surprise. I can't say anymore or Yuki will get mad at me. Be sure to be ready tomorrow, okay?" Masakatsu asked waving to them as he walked out of the room closing the door behind him while dragging Kazuki and Takeo's bodies.
"I wonder what the mission is…" Kosuke said scratching her head.
"Do you think we should've gone a little easier on those two then…?" Ayaka asked looking over at Kosuke.
"Come on, you don't believe that was enough to really damage them to last until tomorrow do you? I hardly even hit Takeo with my lightning." Kosuke said giggling when she noticed a change in Ayaka's face. "Ayaka, don't tell me you actually hit Kazuki with the full force of your jutsu…!?" She shouted looking over at her surprised.
"Ah ha ha ha… yes?" Ayaka asked giving a nervous giggle.
"Ayaka, you're going to end up killing Kazuki like that! Besides, it's obvious that Takeo tripped on his way coming up and ran into Kazuki forcing them into her… you knew that, right? That it was all an accident?" Kosuke asked looking at Ayaka when she started with her nervous laughter nodding. "You're kidding me! You really thought… really now." She said shaking her head.
"Maybe I should apologize to him tomorrow then… That is why you went easy on Takeo wasn't it?" Ayaka asked looking over at Kosuke.
"Of course, even though he won't admit it; Takeo could be a klutz every now and then." Kosuke said shrugging while giggling a little. "What's done is done. Let's get some rest for now then." She said as Ayaka nodded and the two headed back to their beds.
Masakatsu dragged Kazuki and Takeo's bodies to their rooms and tossed them on their beds before leaving for his own room. Takeo let out a cough after Masakatsu left revealing he was still alive.
"Man, they could've gone a lot easier on us. I know they knew it was an accident from all that noise we made before falling in there." Takeo said dusting himself off when he noticed Kazuki was quiet. "Kazuki? I know we don't get along but you could at least yell at me or something!" He stated getting up off his bed and walking over to Kazuki's. "Hey, can you hear me?" He asked shaking him when he noticed Kazuki had been hit full force with Ayaka's attacks and knocked unconscious. "That's why… she really let him have it – that woman is terrifying…" He said in shock before slowly walking back to his bed and lying down. "Heh, all things aside, that was actually among the most fun I've had in a long time. Next time we'll win, Kazuki!" He said before nodding off to sleep.