Chapter 9: Ghost in the Wind and A legendary Shinobi
-A mission failed, a suspect in the wind, and an old legend retold after 40 years buried-
-In the Hidden Mist Village, inside the Mao's office, one day later, time: 1500 local-
Mao sat in her chair, reports of the incident at Ryo's office and others cluttered her desk. Along with requests, statements, and letters from various elders, leaders and even other Kages but she paid attention to none of them. Her mind was going over what she had heard just a few hours ago…and debating what to do with it. A conscious decision weighed heavily on her mind, all that remained was how she should go about it. Most of the Elders were reluctant to release the full report, but none of the other nations would buy the cover story. Nor would they create and cast the necessary net needed to ensure that whoever that was is caught. If she didn't release the information and they found out later… whatever credibility the Mist had up until then would be gone. Mao ran back through the details again in her mind, this time going over everything that she could recall…
~(Start of Flashback)~
~Mist Hospital, recovery ward, several hours earlier~
Mao stood by the hospital bed of the only survivor of the Hunter company sent after Zikito. He was mostly uninjured, suffering only from acute chakra exhaustion and weather exposure, having been found by a few fishermenon a small vessel out in the sea near the Mizu no Kuni shoreline border. Before he was brought to the hospital he compiled a report to the Mist higher-ups, which was a detailed account of everything from how they tracked Zikito out of Mizu to arriving on the shores of the Hi no Kuni border… but the last part, their final confrontation with Zikito… that was the part they all wanted to know more about.
Mao wasn't alone; Ryo Tengi, the elder who Zikito attacked, was there as well. Along with the new head of ANBU and a few others including another elder and the head of the Intel Corps. A doctor had requested to be present when he awoke, to gauge his level of cognizance. Several people crowded around one man's bedside. Many wanted to know exactly what happened to 'The Traitor' Zikito, not just Mao or the Mist other nations wanted to know. The few messages she had received from the ANBU heads of other nations expressed everything from assurances that if he was found, he would be detained to demanding the Mist "Get its House in order" but all had something to say. That aside, she wanted more than anyone else to know what happened to her Br- to Zikito.
'We all need answers…and he is the only one who can-'
Almost as if on cue, the man stirred and everyone in the room jumped up but were held back as the doctor nearby rushed to his side and brought him around. After a few minutes and several examinations, the young man was deemed fully alert and aware, the doctor stepped aside and let his 'visitors' come closer. Mao decided to put the Kage act away and talk like a normal person.
"How are you feeling, Isshin?" she asked, her tone like that of a mother, worried and concerned.
"Unh… fine now ma'am." He answered, straightening up a little in his bed.
"Good" Ryo said from behind Mao, his own concern evident in his voice.
"Isshin, we read your report about what happened in Hi no Kuni… but one part just didn't make any sense. Would you care to elaborate?" Mao asked, to this Isshin sighed and glanced at everyone in the room, and they all took a step closer as he prepared to speak.
"I believe I know which part you're referring to Lady Mizukage… I swear what I wrote was true, every last word… but then again… even I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own one eyes…."
XxX
-Somewhere in the land of Fire, several days earlier-
Isshin had been ordered to maintain eyes on Zikito and never lose sight of him. He wasn't skilled enough to take on Zikito and he knew it, yet his constant vigil meant that if the others lost sight, he could direct them to him. But, if he saw an opportunity to strike he would not hesitate to do so. However, the Hunter-nin never lost sight of him, it was Zikito who was always on the run and no matter how fast he fled, they were never more than a few seconds behind.
'Rest was impossible; he would slip up sooner or later. Your time is near Zikito.'
And that time was now, though several squads had been killed, they had drawn him into a full confrontation in a clearing within the forest. Isshin had used several methods to guide the remaining Hunters to the location. Isshin was standing near a tree, merely taking a moment to catch his breath, and then he drew his sword ready to enter the battle.
-SNAP-
Isshin had only enough time to register the sound of a snapping branch before he felt something grab his shoulder and fling him into a tree trunk with a sickening thwack. With the wind knocked out of his body, Isshin struggled to regain his focus and find whatever had hit him. Only to catch a glimpse of a something weird: A symbol of a fan, White handle and Red sail.
XxX
Zikito stood atop a pile of bodies, his sword soaked in blood, though none of it was his own and some of it drying. But nowhere near as much as was on his clothes and some of that blood was his own. His scythe was history, losing it when he was ambushed earlier, just barely able to escape from the pervious ambush alive, he silently cursed himself for the sloppy mistake.
He had been fighting for well over a week, leading the Hunter-nin on a wild chase, using traps and other methods to whittle down their numbers, as well as exhaust them. But it was a futile effort, he knew eventually they would pin him down to one area for a full confrontation.
Now was that time. Only 30 or so remained, surrounding him, some wore faces of fear, exhaustion, and anger. Including a few faces he knew from his time in ANBU. Normally this wouldn't concern him as much as it did, but he was already low on chakra and there were no escape routes from here. This would be another in a long day of fights… or his last stand.
'Damn it! I can't be defeated here! I must survive and that bastard must pay!'
Though his thoughts were filled with anger, his outward appearance conveyed just pure delight in having strong opponents to fight. This struck fear into the hearts of the greener shinobi.
Leading them, a Jonin of the Mizukage's guard, stepped forward.
"Zikito Hoshigaki, by order of the Mizukage, for your crimes against the Mist, we condemn you to death, and we will send you to hell!"
Zikito merely cracked a smile, readying his sword.
"Why don't you come up here then? I'll show you true hell!"
Accepting the invitation, the Jonin and several others rushed Zikito, a few throwing kunai from the back line, which Zikito easily deflected. The Jonin brought out own short sword as he neared Zikito, but Zikito block the Jonin's pitiful blow. Zikito was surprised when the Jonin suddenly jumped back until he heard a familiar hissingnoise. He only had a few seconds to notice the explosive tag left at his feet. He jumped-
-BOOM-
The explosion knocked him back, his sword flying from his grip. Zikito rolled to stop, a dozen meters from where he was a moment earlier. Taking a shaky stance, he scanned for his sword but saw several ninja in the air above, all closing in for the kill. Zikito only had enough time to realize he was finished, when something jumped out from behind him….
-Clang-
Several noises reached Zikito's ears as each of the Ninja was stopped by someone, and that same someone stood in front of him.
'Must be Kage Bunshin'
The figure, clad in armor instead of traditional ninja garb, brought his hands up to his face, making hand signs.
"Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku"
A giant burst of fire engulfed the ninja in front of him, reducing them to ashes. The heat was intense, causing blisters on Zikito's skin to form. As the fire died down, a curved blade appeared before Zikito and the armor clad ninja, looked back, while holding a scythe against Zikito's throat. Zikito was exhausted and injured, as blood covered his eyes further blinding him, but he could see enough to recognize that it was his own scythe in the hands of the armored-clad ninja.
'So is this guy looking to help me?! Damn idiot! He's just going to get himself killed.'
Zikito merely looked the man in the eye and his fears went out the window. A look of 'I can handle this' was reflected in the man's cold onyx eyes. Turning around, the man said nothing to Zikito and he decided to only offer a kind word.
"Don't die too quickly" he said.
The armor-clad Ninja seemed to vanish, appearing before the closest shinobi and wasted no time dealing with him. In a single swift motion, the shinobi was cut down in a gory display but almost immediately the armored ninja turned and charged the remaining Hunters. Getting their act together, the Hunters closed the distance and began to attack, throwing kunai and drawing their weapons. The armor-clad ninja didn't skip a beat, using clones to parry blows while he cut the hunter's apart using Zikito's scythe or using fire techniques to incinerate the rest. However, Zikito was seeing mistakes in his form. The ninja was leaving his back exposed at numerous times to the hunters, which several took advantage to deliver a blow but by luck or skill they always missed. And that ninja's speed was impressive, he was able to block, and counter much faster than most of the hunters. Zikito was unable to move or do much of anything expect use his remaining chakra to keep himself from falling unconscious or dying. Even so he was fighting a losing battle, and it would not be long before he would pass out and, most likely, die. His thoughts focused as the ninja cut down the last remaining Hunter-nin. Zikito was about breathe a sigh of relief when he saw a hunter that had been hiding under the bodies of his fallen comrades, charge for Zikito. Zikito was weak but still reached for the sword near him, but his strength was nonexistent. As the Hunter-nin got closer and closer, Zikito felt his fingers touch the hilt and pulled the sword in front of him to block the incoming attack.
WHOOSH
Zikito wasn't sure what he saw. Something flew through the air and the smell of blood started floating through the air and the sound of metal on flesh echoed in his ears. The hunter-nin had been cut in two and the armored ninja was standing between Zikito and the hunter. Exhausted by his sudden movement, Zikito's wounds sent signals back to his brain, slowing shutting his body down. Zikito fell back against the ground and looked into the sky as a gray tunnel started to form.
STEP STEP
Zikito could only stare up as the armored ninja, with Zikito's scythe on his shoulder, stood looking down at Zikito. Zikito looked as best as he could towards the face of the ninja and spoke as loud as he could manage.
"Are you going to kill me?!" To his amazement the figure shook his head, and to that Zikito added, "Who are you then?"
"… A nobody. And a friend."
Zikito felt everything fall silent and he passed out.
XxX
Xevhiroth heard nothing as the one he believed to be mentioned in that note he had discovered earlier, passed out. He was relived as he was still breathing, but it didn't look like his wounds would be survivable without some medical attention. Xevhiroth had no training for that but, he had spent enough time patching his own wounds that he was sure he could help this poor shinobi.
'Better get him out of here then.'
Xevhiroth closed his eyes and activated his abilities and reached out using Susanoo, and picked up the body in front of him and started for the woods nearby. Looking out of the corner of his eye, Xevhiroth cracked a smile.
'That young shinobi had best deliver accurate information to his handlers.'
XxX
Isshin stood behind a tree frozen in terror, his entire company lay dead either inside the forest behind him, or on the field in front of him. Either killed by Zikito or that mysterious shinobi that came to his aid. He had been a Hunter-nin for all of two months and he was surprised to have been assigned to eliminate Zikito Hoshigaki. Now he was wishing that he had never been asked to accompany them, he was the last survivor in the entire Hunter Company that was dispatched to hunt down Zikito. Everything had gone as expected when they started chasing after Zikito: He secured a boat, chased Zikito to the mainland, and began to try and kill him. Some had been killed, but he was nearing the end of his rope and would be dead when they confronted him in the vast field, several dozen miles from shoreline where they had arrived. He was going to die… until that armored shinobi appeared out of nowhere. He had incinerated a few of the Hunters and single-handedly eliminated the rest. Isshin had only been spared because the armored ninja had incapacitated Isshin in the forest some yards away before aiding Zikito. Now, Isshin was staring at the carnage of a battle that had come to an end. Every hunter was dead and the armored shinobi was holding Zikito's scythe, its blade stained with blood from blade to hilt. Isshin observed as the armorer ninja walked towards Zikito, the two seemed to share a few words and then Zikito fell to the earth. The armored ninja used some kind of Jutsu to summon an arm, picked up Zikito's body, and walked into the woods. Isshin quickly made his back into the forest beacause he needed to find a way back to the Kirigakure and deliver the news that Zikito Hoshigaki was still alive.
~(End of Flashback)~
-Mizukage's office, time: 1520 local-
Mao had been shocked, to say the least, even now after the initial impression had sunk in. Reading it in a report was one thing, but hearing it straight from the man who witnessed it himself was something altogether more disturbing. Everyone in that hospital room was near speechless when Isshin finished, except for one. It was the other elder; he demanded to know everything about that Jutsu the armored ninja used to carry Zikito away. Isshin described it again and the elder arrived at a conclusion: A conclusion that forced a very big dilemma upon Mao as Mizukage. The elder had fought against that same Jutsu 40 years prior, during the Forth Ninja War. He was stationed under the Kazekage, when he had arrived, one of the most despised ninja to ever exist and a member of the only clan that had a Jutsu which Isshin had described perfectly. Susanoo…used by none other then Madara Uchiha.
'The rumors were true after all… There is an Uchiha still among us. Even after forty years, they still exist.'
Isshin had described the ninja as being in his early twenties, wearing armor that bore the Uchiha's signature: A fan, with a white handle and red sail. His hair was long, tied back in a ponytail, had a tanned complexion, with pronounced tear troughs, and the Sharingan. If he was older, they could say that he was possibly, the only one alive. But he wasn't, for all she knew the clan could have been breeding for 40 years and sent out a few every so often to see how the world was doing. She couldn't eliminate the possibility, and that was where the dilemma came in: If she sent messengers birds to the other ninja villages with the details about the return of the Uchiha. Then, she could be certain someone would be able to find him and possible her brother, but no guarantee that both would be captured alive. Yet if she withheld it and another village happened upon the Uchiha and her brother, then the Mist's reputation would be tarnished and with it, all credibility with other nations. Both had their plus and minus sides, but she couldn't take the chance of the Uchiha returning and starting another war. Pen in hand, she began writing… starting with
"The Uchiha are still alive…"
Author's note: Hey guys so we have come full circle here as we reach where the prologue began, hope you guys are enjoying this. More out soon.
Thanks to Zinmaster24 for editing.
translations:
Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku- Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation.
Kiri no Kuni- Land of Water.
Hi no Kuni- Land of Fire.