CHAPTER 18: Unknown Danger

Capital Inn: Girls' Room

"Wow, Stellar likes the view from here" Stellar exclaimed as she draws the curtains.

"It sure is" Lacus agreed as she went over to take a look. "You can really see a rather big part of the city here"

"But not so much" A voice broke them from their thoughts as Shinn opened the room door, with Kira and Athrun behind him. "The city is actually much bigger in fact, according to Mr. Waltfeld"

"ARGH!" A loud scream suddenly scared the guys, and a large force started to push the door close, forcing the guys to leave the room.

"Why did you three need to enter right at this moment?!" Cagalli shouted in rage. "I was changing my clothes!"

"Sorry Cagalli but shouldn't you change with the toilet door closed?" Athrun's voice could be heard over the other side of the door.

"This room is only for girls, so why can't I?" Cagalli replied as she re-entered the toilet to continue changing, leaving the toilet door open.

"Well, if that's the case, you girls should've at least locked the door, but anyways, we'll come in when you open the door to show that you're done"

"It's really irritating, you guys always do things at the wrong time, especially you Athrun" Cagalli said as the other two girls laughed.

"What did I do again?!"

"Never mind that now" Cagalli answered as she combed her hair and opened the door. "Next time, at least knock and wait for a response before coming in"

"You know, opening the door is my fault" Shinn told Cagalli as they entered. "So it has nothing to do with Athrun"

"I knew it was you alright, but don't worry, this is your first mistake. Athrun has made more mistakes than you anyways" Cagalli replied.

"That's because you don't know him as long as Lacus did" Athrun rebutted.

"I guess that's enough now" Kira broke into the conversation. "We're on a mission so we can't afford to be careless already"

"Kira's right … so please break it up"

"Whatever …" Cagalli folded her arms and sat aside.

"Alright, now let's start this meeting proper"

Capital: Meeting Room

A group of board members were having a meeting when Rau Le Creusset enters. He took an empty seat near the central table as he listened to the views expressed by the people. After some discussion, the room became quiet for some time before a man, the president, stood up from his seat at the edge of the table and spoke in a loud and clear voice.

"There's also an issue I would like to discuss here, now. Though this issue has not been brought up since many, perhaps a hundred years ago, about the villages of Iga and Koga"

The other board members began whispering among themselves until one of them voiced their views.

"I thought we've severed ties with those villages. The people, or I can say ninjas, there are violent people whom we should not interact with"

"So why are you bringing up this issue again, Azrael? Did something happen?"

Muruta Azrael continued. "Yes, according to Rau, they've found out about what we or I can say, other past board members did, and they're back for revenge"

"Impossible" Another board member voice out. "Even if they're indeed back for revenge, what can their ninjas do? We've got superior weapons"

"Don't underestimate them" Rau Le Creusset spoke at last. "Even with our superior technology, it doesn't mean that they can't win"

"You mean that their weird powers are stronger than ours?!"

"Don't get me wrong, minister" Rau said with a smile. "You've never seen experienced ones before. Those that can kill your men even before those men can fire their weapons"

"But still they're inferior to the government!"

"If you really think that way, then I've no comment" Rau replied.

"If there's nothing else, then let's end the meeting here"

Upon this statement, many board members packed their documents and left the meeting room. Rau Le Creusset made sure that only himself and the president are alone in the room before he started to speak again.

"Mr. Muruta, I've investigated the guests we have here in the capital, as you ordered" Rau reported. "They're the types that I'd strongly advise to avoid conflict with"

"The pawns are strong you mean?" Azrael asked as he randomly moves the pieces on his chess board in front of him. "Even stronger than you?"

"I can't confirm that, but it's not advisable to attack them all at once, those whom I prefer to call them knights and bishops"

"Hmm, if we can't get rid of those that are already here" Azrael pondered and uses his knight to knock away the opponent's castle, placing his knight near the opponent's king. "Perhaps we should go after the king and queen, since they've sent their knights and bishops into the enemy's territory without leaving any protection for themselves" He said smiling. "Then it would be checkmate"

Rau Le Creusset smiled as well. "As you wish"

Capital: National Library

"So what's the plan again?" Stellar asked softly.

"You're forgetful Stellar ... We'll search for as much relevant information as we can here. Though I think that's nothing much that we can find out from here. Athrun and Cagalli will be secretly watching out for the movements of the military, while Kira and Lacus will try to get some information about the government from the civilians that live here ... Hopefully we'll be able to find …"

"Excuse me" He was interrupted by a tall lady wearing glasses and carrying a pile of books on her right hand. "This is a library so please stick to the rules and keep your volume down, or I would have no choice but to make the both of you leave"

"Erm, yes mdm" Shinn answered. He waited for the librarian to move away before speaking softer than before to Stellar. "Hopefully we'll be able to find out something to start our investigations with"

"But then, Stellar finds this library so big. So how are Shinn and Stellar going to find the information Shinn and Stellar need?"

"That's why we better start working" Shinn answered as the both of them moved towards the numerous bookshelves.

Capital Inn: Girls' Room

"Seems like the security is kind of tight here" Athrun said as he lowered his binoculars and munched on a sandwich.

"What do you expect?" Cagalli said as she flipped through some documents that she took out from her bag. "The capital has to be unique in their own way"

"By the way, where did you get those notes from?"

"Mr. Waltfeld. He passed them to me just before we left. He said that these might not be much but hoped that they'll come in handy"

"So have you found anything useful there?" Athrun asked as he sat down on the bed nearest to the window, beside her

"Not yet, I've just started looking through"

Capital Streets

Kira was looking at the sky while waiting for Lacus, folding his arms as he leans on the wall outside a small tea shop. He was thinking about his childhood days when the pink-haired girl re-appeared in front of him.

"Kira?"

"What is it?"

"Are you sure that … you're okay?"

He merely smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine, so have you found anything?"

"Oh yes. He said that the government isn't doing anything suspicious as far as he know" Lacus held up a plastic bag that she was carrying beside her. "And he's nice enough to let us have these old newspapers to make references to if we like"

"I guess the shopkeeper trusts the lie when we said that we're just doing a small project about the government?"

"Yes, guess we really do look like students in this huge capital, given our current age"

Kira stood up straight. "So shall we move on?"

"Alright then" Lacus replied when someone knocked her accidentally.

"I'm sorry!" That person said. "I didn't see you there when … when …" The person took off his sunglasses under his hat and looks at Kira and Lacus. "Kira? Lacus? Finally I found you both"

"Sensei?! What're you doing here?!" Kira asked in surprise.

"Got worried, what else?"

"Worried? There's nothing to worry about, since we're not ordered to attack the capital here"

"It's not that, I guess that Rau already knew that you guys are here, so I came here to watch over you"

"Rau? How does he know that we're here?" Lacus asked.

"Don't forget that he's a Sannin ... Sannin are capable of doing almost anything"

"Okay then, but that doesn't stop us from investigating about them"

"I like that answer … and here I am wondering how I'm going to search for you guys when I first got here. Where're the others?"

"Shinn and Stellar are in the National Library while Athrun and Cagalli are in the inn" Lacus replied.

"It's not so advisable for them to go there, since it's kind of heavily guarded and … you know, with all the security and stuff. But it's a good place to search for resources"

"So shall we get them out of there?"

"Guess not, it'll look suspicious. All we can do is to pray that they're okay. At the meantime, why don't we grab some dinner? Night is falling already" Andrew changed the subject.

Iga Village: Mansion of the Sarahs

"Hokage-sama is really mean, he sent my dear to a dangerous place without allowing me to accompany her. What husband would like his wife to be sent to a far away land without him?!" Yunna complaints.

"Don't worry too much son" Unato answered. "He'll understand your usefulness soon"

"Are you sure about that father? So far, since I've became a Chunin, he didn't give me any missions other than those C or lower ranks! And I only get to do 2 C-rank missions so far!"

(Missions are ranked according to their level of difficulty, where A-rank is the toughest while E-rank is the easiest)

"Like I said, relax son!" Unato said as he sipped his tea. "This sort of thing might take time"

"I've no patience, like you know father!" Yunna shouted as he walked to the door.

"Where're you thinking you're going at this time?"

"I'm going to find my dear"

"Oh no you don't!" Unato quickly placed his cup of tea onto the table and stood up. "I'm not going to let you go against the rules"

"But father! My dear needs me, I can feel it"

"I won't tolerate any breaking of rules under my roof. Besides, Hokage-sama won't send her daughter to her grave, he's not that sort of person. But if you really want to go find her, talk to Hokage-sama for permission first"

"He'll sure say no, father"

"Then there you have it. You're to stay!"

"Like I said, my dear needs me, and I won't let her die" Yunna ran out of the house with his father shouting behind him. "I'm sorry father … I'll accept any punishment when I return, with Lacus dear by my side"

He was running as quietly as he could out of the village and into the forest when he felt something different. He stopped on a thick tree branch and looked around.

"Strangely, the air around seemed kind of different"

He then heard a sound coming from behind but as he turned around, he accidentally stepped on a small tree branch which turned out to be a trap and got caught in a net. A group of masked men in black approached him with guns and 3 of them tied up his hands and legs as well as taping his mouth before releasing him from the net. Yunna was sweating as the men surrounded him, pointing their guns at him, with him not knowing what guns are as he lived in Iga all his life without coming in contact with men from the capital. Later, a man in green and blue shinobi clothes walked out of the shadows. The men in black stood aside for him to walk towards Yunna slowly.

"Well, well, I thought we got something like a ferret for dinner but seemed like we got an Iga shinobi instead"

"This man" Yunna thought. "From the way he dresses … he's a shinobi … but he doesn't seem to be one of us … Could he be …"

"Remove that tape" The shinobi ordered. "But if he makes any loud movements, kill him"

The men in black all went nearer to Yunna with the tips of their guns, some almost touching his neck while others almost touching his head, as one of them moved forward to remove the tape on his mouth.

"Who … who are you guys?!" Yunna spoke immediately.

"Can't you tell who we're from our weapons?" The shinobi asked. "Or you've never left Iga before in your life?"

"The … the … the … capital … …" Yunna trembled. "You're a traitor shinobi! What do you guys want here?"

"Take your time, and watch … as we burn every house to the ground" Rau smiled as he revealed his face in the moonlight. Yunna's face was in a shock as his mouth got taped once again and the men dragged him away.

Finally got the next one up ... guess it took quite long huh? Main reason, simply, I'm too lazy ...

Well, like what Azrael said, war is going to break out between the capital and both villages without the 7 of them in the capital knowing ... story is kind of ending in my opinion ... though there're still quite a number of chapters to go ...

Comments are, of course, welcomed!