Chapter 6: Scapegoat
Like a lamb led to slaughter, Zikito was only needed for as long as he was useful now his part was over. Time to put his escape to good use.
-Hidden Mist, inside Kage office, 0-dark-29-
Mao could only stare out her window, at the smoke rising into the night, now illuminated by a faint orange glow.
'A fire? What the hell is happening?
"Lady Mizukage!"
Mao thoughts were interrupted as someone bust through her door, a ninja dressed in full ANBU attire, who quickly kneeled down before her.
"What's happening?!" she yelled.
"Uncertain but the office of elder Tengi has been attacked and he has been critical wounded!"
Mao took a moment to gather her thoughts before addressing the ANBU in front of her, "What is his status?"
"He was treated at the scene and was rushed to the hospital." The Ninja spoke.
"Do we have any information about his attacker? Or the motive behind the attack?" Mao asked. The ANBU seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering "I am unsure as to the motive but the identity of the attacker…according to the elder and several ANBU on site…was Chief Zikito."
"What?! Are you certain?!" The ANBU reached for something on his back. Mao had to physically bit her lip, as the he produced an ANBU mask; Zikito's ANBU mask, "This was found at the scene, Lady Mizukage."
"Do we have any information as to his whereabouts?"
"No but…I think he may have fled the village. Just before I arrived at the scene to assist I thought I saw him heading for in the direction of the village gates."
Mao showed no visible outward signs of distress, as she issued her orders to the ANBU "Mobilize all available hunter-nin to track down Zikito, and alert the next in chain-of-command. Keep this under wraps until farther notice, am I understood?"
The ANBU stood up straight "Yes Ma'am!" he said and quickly left the room, Mao catching a glimpse of her brother's mask, a streak of blood on it.
Mao sunk back into her chair, her feelings attempting to push their way to the forefront of her mind but she kept them at bay. Her brother wasn't the kind of a man, who would attack without reason, and he would never turn his blade against another Mist inhabitant, nothing about this seemed real yet was happening all the same. If her brother was innocent why would he run? And why would he attack Ryo? It wasn't out of spite or hate but why?
"Zikito…What have you done? What's happening…Brother?"
XxX
-Water county, small port, time: 0732-
Zikito had arrived at the small port and had already commandeered a boat, a small vessel capable of ocean travel, but had wasted enormous amounts of time getting it ready to sail, several deckhand required tasks, and he had to do them all; alone. Having journeyed from his home to several islands that surrounded the Water Country, which required a ship in most cases, he had learned the ins and outs of getting and maintaining a ship for travel, of course clones would make it easier but he was already exhausted in fleeing from the Mist, combined with lack of sleep and hunger, he could hardly muster the strength needed to ready the ship. There were some provisions he managed to obtain, but decided to wait until he was safely out at sea. With the last of the preparations completed, Zikito made a sign with his hands-
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an uproar of water, seven clones appeared next to Zikito and help him push the small craft into the water. Climbing aboard, he thought of releasing his clones but then the wave of exhaustion that be accompanying that flashed in his mind, as the fatigue of each one would added to his own, so for now he would have to maintain them until he got out into the open sea. With that in mind, Zikito began ordering his clones to direct the small vessel out to open water. He knew that it would be no way he could escape the hunters that were currently behind him, most likely they had already tracked him to the port and were busy commandeering vessels of their own, and even if they weren't, it would not be long before they would. Mist was notorious for having the most rogue ninja of any of the hidden villages, thus the Hunter-nin for some of the best at tracking anyone across multiple countries, and they wouldn't stop until you were dead or captured. Zikito look back towards the port, towards his home… he had never been sentimental about anything, even going so far as to never even morn any of those who fell underneath his command, but they knew with a signed up for they accepted death and anything else that may have followed.
'I don't accept this… I never will accept this'
He was being chased from his home, from the land he grew up in from the life he had known. All because of one man, however long it would take to clear his name and to bring Ryo to justice, it would be worth it.
'But I can't do that if I'm dead'
For now, Zikito would play the fugitive and run… Thing is, though, about fugitives...They don't run forever.
XxX
One hour later
The Hunter-nin had missed Zikito by only a short time, according to the evidence. He was now a wanted man, so his best bet was to head for the mainland to escape but he to already know that messengers birds were already on their way to the other nations and he would soon join his grandfather in the Bingo book…as an S-rank class criminal wanted by every nation…Hideaki would be pleased. Singi had been standing right next to Lord Tengi when Zikito had escaped, it was only through sheer luck that he managed to escape the village gates but then he was the leader of ANBU, his skills were not just for show. In that regard, most of the Hunter-nin had been dispatched to try to capture him some of them were rookies, others have been around since the previous war, and very few were close friends of Zikito. But they all put that aside, or so it seemed, Singi was certain that at least a few try to talk him around; to try and find out what happened maybe they thought they could convince him to come back alive.
'That wasn't going to happen for absolute certain. None of the Mist Hunters will return alive'
Much time at been taken, to plant a few operatives or replace existing members, so that when the time came to burn Zikito, they would succeed in killing him and even if they failed, they could kill all the other non-Unity hunters and return with even more tales of Zikito's treachery, destroy any chance and hope that he would ever be redeemed. He was the last thing standing in their way in the Mist, his sister could easily be manipulated or coerced and if she refused, there was always the next in line.
"Sir, we have secured vessel, we are ready to travel!"
Singi turned towards his subordinate, he was a young Mist ninja, another one of the rookies that have been assigned to the unit, but he still made a classic mistake: his mask was hanging at his side, he was supposed to have it on.
"Excellent. We cannot waste any time, we cannot let his trail go cold. Let's go but first"
Singi grabbed the young hunter's mask, and handed it to him.
"You must have this on at all times young one"
The young hunter immediately took it and equipped it.
"Yes sir, sorry sir."
"You needn't apologize to me, just be certain that none of the others see you without it, it is a cardinal sin to be seen without it, now come, we must not lose our target."
"Yes sir!"
Singi quickly started for the closest boat, the lead vessel, and climbed aboard. In the end, all would go as planned one way or another, even if Zikito lived and escaped, none would disdain after the stories about what he did to the mist hunters that were sent after him were spread to every country.
'You escaped from us once, you will not do so again…Zikito.'
XxX
-Hot Spring Country, inside Hot Spring Village, time: 1311-
Xevhiroth walked out the small shop, thanking the owner and leaving a very generous amount for a cup of tea but he didn't mind. It was just a simple out-of-the-way tea house, he stumbled across on the road the Hot Spring Village but he decided to stop in and take a break. The hostess had an incredibly sweet woman, who had quickly brought him some tea and a few dumplings; it appeared that she was desperate for business, as she herself had been standing outside, looking for any signs of customers. She practically threw herself at him when he made the turn down the road where she set up shop and seemed very despondent when he seemed to be alone and not really ordering anything, even so Xevhiroth wasn't sure what to do to help. In the end he believed that his unnecessarily large tip would not be enough to sway the disheartened hostess, who appeared to run the shop with only one other person, to keep it open.
'Wait a minute…there is a major road back this way.'
"Shadow Clone Jutsu"
Xevhiroth created a squad of eight clones to help him; path to the shop had been almost overgrown with weeds and shrubs, clarifying to no one, on how it was luck that allowed him to find the shop in the first place. His clones got right to work moving, most of the foliage out of the way and clearing a pathway to the shop, while he was busy making a signpost using a tree bark and big branch merely giving a simple point:
Tea Shop Twenty-Five meters this way.