To Face Resistance
Arataki Itto considered himself to be a patient man, even when many of his friends thought otherwise.
After all, if not for his great patience he would have never been able to form the Arataki Gang in the first place.
Still, he was already feeling stir-crazy from being cooped up in this dull room for the past two weeks.
What room was that?
Simple, it was one of the rooms that held prisoners in the Resistance camp, a place that clearly had not been maintained well considering it was probably used for prisoners instead of guests.
Just that fact that he was treated as some sort of criminal annoyed him to no end, since their supposed reasoning for locking him up was because of the stir he caused when he was carrying Goku to this location all those weeks ago.
Even after Kazuha had convinced the members of the Resistance that he was simply acting on behalf of his friend's safety, they still wanted some sort of punishment for his actions that could easily be misconstrued as some sort of attack.
Thus, here he was lying about in this empty room just staring at the ceiling.
The worst part was that there really wasn't anything for him to do, as most of the guards made for terrible conversationalists, with the only opportunity for any sort of interaction was when any of the soldiers brought food to him.
There was one exception among them, but he heard that guy wasn't here at the moment.
Anyway, the food here was terrible too. Seriously, how was prison food back on Narukami Island better than the stuff here?
He really was barely holding himself back as it is at this point, but as much as he wanted to, he wouldn't cause more issues with his own hands.
One of the few reasons why he hadn't simply escaped out of this place was due to Kazuha convincing him that everything with Goku was alright, and that sooner or later he will be allowed freedom again.
Just the news that his friend's condition was stable was enough to placate him for a while, but having waited for so long with no further news of any kind, he was understandably at his breaking point.
All he could hear in this room were the hushed whispers of the soldiers talking about the civil war occurring in Inazuma, but they were never at a level that was discernible to him so it was irrelevant to him.
In short, he was in the dark on everything.
Just as he continued to think about random things to occupy the time, he suddenly heard some sort of commotion behind one of the walls of the room.
What with the eerie quietness that he had been accustomed to, the loud noises from the outside immediately caught his attention as he placed his right ear onto the wall, listening in to what was going on.
He couldn't quite make out the voices, but it seemed to be the Resistance soldiers yelling about something...maybe to the Shogun's Army?
Bah, what was he overcomplicating this for?
Since he really wanted to know, there's only one right action in a scenario like this.
Itto stood up from the floor as he prepared his whole body for his next action, one that he should have a while ago.
It totally wasn't because he had enough of sitting around, obviously.
"Raise your hands, and don't move a single muscle!" a man shouted out loud as he pointed his spear towards a pair of individuals who obviously differ from the rest of the members of Resistance.
One was wearing the uniform that belonged to the Shogunate, albeit a modified one while the other was wearing civilian clothing that was usually seen on Watatsumi Island.
At present, many of the members of the Watatsumi Army were gathered together at the entrance to their camp at Fort Fujitou, with most of them wary of the sudden arrival of these newcomers.
This was especially the case for one of them specifically, as he wore the attire of their enemy they had been facing since the beginning of the civil war.
Instead of following the stern order, the one in the loose clothing remained at ease as he spoke casually to his companion, "I feel like this happened to me before. Do you have any idea why Heizou?"
"That would be an answer that only you would know, Goku. However, I believe this predicament we are in is most possibly due to my presence here."
Goku scratched the back of his head, "Oh yeah...you did mention that before but you ain't anyone bad, so why are they so mad at you? "
"I thank you for the compliment, but my current attire doesn't leave much room for subtlety on what my alignments are."
Angered by their inattention, the soldiers yelled once more, this time at an even higher volume as he directed it towards Heizou, "Shut it, you Shogunate scum! What do you plan to do infiltrating the base of our army?"
The surprise was evident on Goku upon hearing this new information, "Eh, you work for Raiden Heizou?"
"The answer would be yes, but it's not the whole picture either," Heizou stated briefly, not willing to divulge more information to the group in front of them.
"Then how come your outfit is different from those guys I saw back when I was fighting Raiden?"
Instead of addressing the soldiers who were clearly getting more irritated as the seconds passed, Heizou felt more compelled to respond to Goku, "Well you see, I am but a Doushin, which is why a low rank officer such as myself is allowed a bit of leeway in modifying my uniform."
After his explanation, Heizou gave Goku a side glance as he continued on, "So, now that you know, what will you do now? If you tell them that you brought me here without foreknowledge, then I'm positive they would at the very least leave you out of their animosity."
Goku blinked in confusion at the suggestion, "Why would I do that? You're my friend Heizou, so of course I can't leave you just like that. Plus, I already said I wouldn't let it happen, right?"
"You did, didn't you...very well, now what do you suppose we do to get out of this situation?"
"Don't ignore us!" another member yelled out in indignation at how casual the two were treating the situation.
The two stared at the soldier blankly, until Heizou decided that it was time to face them directly.
"Apologies, I was prioritizing you over my friend here as he had some inquiries on my identity. I hope you can forgive our rudeness in spite of what just transpired."
Some were put off by the polite response, while some of the members refused to see it as anything but a trap to lower their guard.
Another stepped forward as well, before pointing towards Goku warily, "And you! I recognize you, you're the guy that Her Excellency healed. If you're here...then where is she?"
Goku crossed both his arms as he thought up a response, "Kokomi? She's still asleep, and I don't really know when she'll wake up either. The more I think about it, she sure is taking longer than I thought. I mean, drowning doesn't take that long right?"
In the eyes of the Resistance members, this was not only the wrong answer, but one that brought implications that made their impression of Goku even worse.
"You scum!"
It began with a yell from one the soldiers, until it was followed up with similar roars of outcry alongside them.
"Bastard!"
"How dare you!"
"We should tie him up!"
Amidst the outcries of anger, there was one voice that went against the current wave of accusations.
"Hey now, how about we calm down a bit? I'm sure there's a misunderstanding of sorts. After all, it would make no sense for Her Excellency to save him only for him to turn against her, right?"
A man scoffed at the reasoning, "Yeah right, as if betraying her trust wasn't enough. He brought a Shogunate spy along, probably for something insidious. How do you expect us to react, by parading him as an ally to our cause!?"
Heizou chose not to respond, because he knew whatever answer he provided would receive negative reception regardless. Thus, he could only turn to Goku in de-escalating the situation.
"Nah. Heizou just came along cause I wanted to check something out. He's got no reason to be involved in your fight."
Or perhaps the opposite would occur instead.
And just as he foresaw, the fierceness in their voice could be noticed immediately upon the sea of intense shouting, to the point it drowned it was overwhelming. Despite the intensity of the noise, one walked out of the crowd as he stood from the rest. Rather than anger adorning his features, it was one full of disdain.
Indeed, it was directed towards Heizou.
"Enough of this farce. Look, even if he claims to be a lowly Doushin. I say we capture him, since he still has valuable information on the Shogunate's Army."
A clear sentiment was shared as grunts of agreement echoed throughout the group. Then, another member had a suggestion in mind.
"But Tadakatsu, why don't we just finish him off now? I bet those at the Shogun's Army won't predict that their spy failed."
Spy was it?
It seems that this was the narrative that was running through their heads. While it was certainly a possibility given Heizou's rank and position, their line of reasoning was flawed as far as Heizou could tell.
Then again, anger does tend to muddle a person's more rational thoughts. Still, the one called Tadakatsu stood out to him, because it was clear that anger was not the only emotion fueling his decision.
"No, we can't. We have to determine his objective for coming here, lest we fall into a trap of the Shogun's Army. It's only after that can we pry as much information out of him."
As the other members of the Resistance began encircling them, Heizou kept a guarded expression, though inwardly he was more than ready to spring into action.
Meanwhile, Goku gave an easygoing look towards the group, "Sorry, but I won't let that happen. After all, Heizou hasn't done anything wrong either."
It was a casual remark, but the strength and confidence in Goku's voice caused some of the men to stop for just a moment. They did not know what compelled them to do so, but it was enough for them to hesitate and almost think back on their actions.
Of course, it immediately turned into anger as they moved forward, clearly intent on going through with their words.
Just as the tension was about to hit the high point, the scene was disrupted as the wall of one of the buildings fell apart, causing shards of wood to fly off as a new individual came into the scene.
It grabbed all of their attention, including Goku looking befuddled while Heizou stared in curiosity at this new development.
"Hah! I knew something like that could never hold me down," one Arataki Itto remarked to himself as he dusted off the dirt caused by the collapse of the wall.
His eyes then turned from the ground to his surroundings, and upon doing so, was immediately greeted by the sight of baffled Resistance members staring at him with mixed emotions.
It wasn't anything new to Itto, but what was new were the two individuals that were on the opposing side to the Resistance.
Itto's face lit up upon seeing a familiar, "Wow, Goku...buddy! You're finally up! Guess that lady Sangono-nina was able to heal you right back up huh?"
Not even hesitating nor caring for the situation at hand, Itto walked towards with the friendliest of smiles.
"Itto? What are you doing here?" Goku asked, pointing towards him in turn.
In hindsight, he did sensed a familiar presence, but that could be said for many of the Resistance members here. Their ki, if he had to put it, was missing something important to be considered whole.
Now that he gave it a second thought...was it just him or was his ability to sense ki a bit different compared to before?
Goku did not have time to dwell on it as Itto continued on with the conversation.
"Heh, who do you think brought you all the way from Narukami Island to here?" Itto said proudly as he rubbed the bottom of his nose.
That was certainly news to the martial artist. He supposed Kokomi was right, in that there was a lot more going on than he realized after getting beaten by the Raiden Shogun.
"That right? Guess I'll have to thank ya for taking me here then, cause I would probably be dead if you didn't," Goku said, a happy smile accompanying his words.
"Heh, what do you expect? You might be a new member, but you're still a member of the Arataki Gang, so etch that into your skull Goku!" Itto said boisterously.
Silence reigned in between the two as they merely stared at one another, until the two began to laugh.
At first, it was a small laugh that was shared between Goku and Itto, but it soon turned into a full blown laughing session that stretched on to what felt like hours instead of seconds.
One would think the members of the Resistance would have interrupted them already, but this did not occur as they were simply baffled by their non-caring attitude towards their presence, to the point that they were in sheer disbelief.
For the one who had been observing from the side, Heizou what was currently transpiring to be…memorable if he had to put it.
How was that the case?
It was because with only a greeting between two individuals, the tension that had been rising was abruptly halted just like that. It was not an exaggeration for Heizou to say that what was happening could be considered as a talent in itself, though he very much doubted that the two of them were aware of it.
"Anyway, who's the guy beside you?" Itto questioned, having just noticed Heizou's presence.
Heizou put on his usual smile, "Greetings, the name's Shikanoin Heizou. I am but your everyday Doushin simply out on vacation."
"You're from the Tenryou Commision!? Wait, now that I think about it...I think I've seen you there somewhere before," Itto remarked, recalling all the times he was held up at the police station.
"And you would be right. I've seen you a number of times, Arataki Itto and I have to say, it sure is a coincidence that our first formal meeting would be on Yashiori Island of all places."
"Sure...that's fine and all, as long as you aren't like those mucks at Tenryou Commission that arrested me just cause I won a prize from a kid fair and square!" Itto said as he ranted off at the last part.
Heizou merely let out a knowing smile, but it was clear as day to Itto that Heizou was not convinced by his reasoning.
Seeking to change the subject, Itto asked the first thing that had originally wanted to ask about, "Anyway, with all the noise just now I came out to see what all the commotion was about. So, I'll have a guess that you guys have something to do with it?"
Goku struggled to find a way to explain the situation, seeing as he himself was not quite aware of what was going on. Fortunately for the martial artist, Heizou took the reins in regards to the explanation.
"Correct. As you know, I am a Doushin working for the Tenryou Commission. Coupled with the ongoing civil war in Inazuma, it is quite reasonable for them to be a little...loud."
Itto blinked profusely as he absorbed the new information, until he gave an exasperated sigh before turning towards the opposing side, "Seriously? First you lock me up just cause I was rushing to save my friend here, and now you want to take these two in because they look suspicious? Man, you guys are terrible at first impression, I can forgive the first thing, even if it was really annoying but this one is just plain stupid. You know what I think? I think you guys need examples for making amazing introductions, like the great Arataki Gang for one."
Goku, on the other hand, had a look of realization upon Heizou's explanation, "Is that what they are trying to do? Huh, well...sorry, but I ain't got time for something pointless like that."
The flames of indignation that had simmered down momentarily flared back up once more at the two individuals' comment.
"And what gives you the right to decide that? This scum here is the cause for many of our comrades' demise. So, what we're already planning to do is enough of a mercy for someone like him."
Up until this point, Heizou could understand why the Resistance members had felt this way, but even he had underestimated the amount of hate that had fostered within their ranks in just half a year.
Upon putting it more thought, it made sense given how he had never been in the frontlines in the ongoing civil war.
It was truly telling, that this war that had been transpiring until now would only continue to be worse if it lingered. Yet, the Shogun had no signs of intervening personally and solving the issue herself.
Was it truly right for him to remain a passive observer after seeing such animosity firsthand?
But then, Goku spoke up as he defended Heizou, "But it wasn't Heizou who did it, so you guys are blaming the wrong person."
In one sentence, Goku was able to divert their attention from Heizou to him. This was not because what he said was unusual, rather in how he said it. By no means were his words inspiring, in fact, most would call it ignorant and naive.
After all, was the Shogunate not the Resistance's mortal enemy?
How could he be so trusting of someone associated with them?
Rather, was he insane for doing so with such confidence?
In spite of those thoughts among the Resistance members, there was one thing they could not deny.
And that was the absolution in Goku's words, in a way that no one can simply brush him off.
They themselves could not understand why, and no matter how much they thought of it, they did not come any closer to finding the reasoning for it.
However, there were a few who were able to go against it.
"So what makes you so sure he hasn't done anything of that sort? Sure, he claims himself to just be a Doushin, but his presence here speaks volume of his intention, whether or not in the past or present."
"Of course I have no idea, but I trust Heizou. Hey, Heizou, you haven't done anything like what they said right?" Goku said, whispering at the last part as he directed that question towards him.
Heizou shook his head, denying the claim before speaking once more, "No. I have never personally found myself in the battlefield as far as I can recall. After all, I only handle general affairs and police work, which has not changed even with this war between the Shogunate and the Resistance."
Upon listening to Heizou's comment, Goku stared back at them with a confident smirk, "See? Now you don't have any reason to bring him in."
Every one of the Resistance were rendered speechless, unable to even form a proper response for the absurdity that was in front of them.
Though many knew not what to say, it was Tadakatsu who stepped forward in an attempt to take back control of the conversation at hand.
"This means not—"
Before he could even present a rebuttal, Itto cut him off by placing himself in front of Goku and Heizou, only to then point his thumb towards them.
"I'm with these two all the way. I don't know much about this Heizou guy but I already like him a whole lot more than you guys who...oh I don't know, lock me up just because I was trying to save a friend."
By the expression that Itto was holding, Heizou had a sneaking suspicion that there was a hint of pettiness in his assessment, but it did not seem like it came from a place of malice, just annoyance.
Now, what to make of the current situation?
Heizou observed his surroundings, noticing that despite the still high tension that lingered in the air, yet just like before, there was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. Despite that however, the situation still required quite a bit of finesse if they were to come out of it without any sort of physical conflict.
Of course, with their current situation, it was no doubt going to be a difficult task. Then again, he could think of another way, an easy one at that, but one that was out of their control and that was...
"Everyone, stand down!" a young voice commanded out of nowhere.
It startled all of them at this new arrival, except for Goku who looked as if he expected this to happen.
There stood Gorou, the general of the Resistance, his serious expression shown as his eyes scanned the area, observing every little detail he could infer while speculating on what had taken place while he was gone from camp.
The general was not by himself either, as to his right was an individual that had come along with him, one who at first glance would not be believed to be on the same side as the Resistance.
Kaedahara Kazuha wore a calm yet cool expression, his eyes strangely closed as he stood beside Gorou, which was a complete contrast to the other.
After finishing his quick observation, Gorou decided to address Tadakatsu seeing as he was at the front of the group, "Tadakatsu, mind informing me on what is going on? I don't quite understand how things escalated to such a degree, but I would like an...explanation on what this is about, specifically on those two."
There was a wary tone in Gorou's voice, something that Heizou noted with ease. It was expected, considering he was a Doushin, someone who worked for the Tenryou Commission standing at a Resistance camp.
Tadakatsu was not the one who answered, as someone familiar quickly beat him to the punch.
"Hey, it's you...Gorou right? You were the only decent guy I could talk to when I was in that dumb room. Anyway, you mind telling these guys to back off?" Itto requested, his voice at the lowest it had ever been.
"You're...Itto if I remember correctly, and why exactly should I do that?" Gorou questioned, though his tone was respectful, unlike the other members of the Resistance.
"That's easy. These guys were just being jerks to my friends over here, so I was just about to tell them off and teach them a lesson if they were gonna get rough, but since you're here, I figured I can spare them a beating if you're the one telling them off," Itto stated in an almost dismissive manner.
"Is that true?" Gorou asked pointedly, clearly trying to get the whole picture from both sides.
"It's not. General Gorou, we were going to simply tie up the Shogunate spy and interrogate him for information, which was all what we're going to do, so we are not being 'jerks' as he puts it," Tadakatsu explained, having finally been given the opportunity to speak.
At the man's explanation, Itto felt the need to argue back, "No way! Didn't you hear him just now, Heizou already said he wasn't a stupid spy or whatever, so at least set the story straight."
"And I say he's deliberately lying. What are the chances that a person who works for the Shogunate would simply walk up to our base in such an open manner? What, are you telling me he simply came here just for no reason?"
There was a low growl that escaped from Itto, while many of the members of the Resistance behind Tadakatsu were glaring at him for his accusations.
"Enough. I see that any further dialogue between you two would be pointless, so I'll make the final decision on the matter once I finish hearing what you all have to say," Gorou said with a neutral tone, trying his best to appear fair to both parties.
If it were anyone else, the Resistance members would not have heeded this request, but since it came from their general there was only one logical response, "Very well general Gorou, but may we talk only amongst comrades? I do not look forward to being interrupted again when I explain our actions to you."
Gorou nodded, before turning to their general direction, "Alright then. As for you three, I'll hear your side after I'm done with theirs. Please stay put until then."
With that, a few members of the Resistance followed along Gorou as they moved to a location a bit further away from prying eyes.
Just as the general had left, the remaining Resistance members were staring at them with mixed emotions, some were still glaring while a few didn't exactly know how to approach them.
Of course, the three ignored the stares entirely as they were thinking about other matters.
"We at least avoided the worst result, though I'm unsure how long it would last," Heizou stated, now that the situation has calmed down considerably.
Neither Goku nor Itto knew what to make of the circumstance, seeing as they didn't comprehend the severity of what could have occurred.
Fortunately, there was someone who did understand what he implied.
"Rest assured, knowing Gorou I'm sure everything will turn out just fine," Kazuha chimed in as he joined their conversation.
At his appearance, Itto had quite a few things to say, "Oi Kazuha, it took you long enough to finally come and see me. Where were you when I was stuck in that stupid room?"
"My apologies. While I've tried my best to ensure that you were allowed freedom, it seemed they were much more wary of you than I first anticipated. As for my whereabouts, let's just say I've been preoccupied with helping out here and that only now is my first return to camp."
"Seriously?" Itto shook his head around once he came to a realization, "Wait a minute, that makes no sense. I saw Gorou a couple of times, and you were with him just now. How do you explain that then?"
Kazuha was not startled by the question, merely further his explanation in a calm manner, "It just so happened that Gorou and I had a similar task in a battle earlier, which was why we were together. What we weren't expecting was to see such a commotion upon returning to Fort Fujitou. Speaking of, how do you feel Son Goku?"
"Eh, you know me?" Goku asked, pointing towards himself.
"Well, of course. After all, I was one of the many that was involved in the efforts of helping you recover from the aftermath of the Musou no Hitotachi."
"Oh, so you help me too huh? Thanks for that then...Ka-zzuha?" Goku replied back, trying his best to recall how Itto addressed the drifter.
"Kaedahara Kazuha. As for your gratitude, there's no need. My contributions were minimal all things considered. If anything, you would want to express your gratitude to Captain Beidou for taking you to Her Excellency."
Itto scratched the top of his head upon hearing the name, "Oh yeah…that lady. Where is she anyway?"
"The captain had other matters to attend to at the moment, so it'll be quite a while before her return. Knowing her however, she'll return at the most unexpected of moments when one least expects it."
There was a level of fondness in Kazuha's words, one that hinted at the closeness between him and the individual he was referring to.
Goku however, only wanted to confirm one thing, "Guess I'll have to thank her too when I meet her, but you still helped me out didn't you?"
Kazuha nodded, of which Goku grinned in return, "Then that's good enough for me."
A gradual smile began to form on Kazuha, "You're certainly turning out to be more than I was expecting, Goku."
"The same could be said for you. It isn't everyday one gets to greet the last heir of the Kaedahara clan all the way out here," Heizou added as he joined in the conversation.
Kazuha paused for a moment, though one would not be able to notice it as it was barely visible. It was however, something Heizou was able to perceive due to the nature of his occupation.
"Forgive my manners, I seem to have forgotten them in my excitement. If it's not too improper, may I ask for your name?"
"Shikanoin Heizou, a Doushin for the Tenryou Commission. I've seen your name pop up from time to time, considering your status as a fugitive."
"I see. It's nice to meet you then Heizou," Kazuha greeted sincerely.
This certainly caught Heizou's attention, "Oh? Are you not wary that I would apprehend you?"
Kazuha simply closed his eyes as he explained, "I don't believe you will. From the tone of your voice to the steady rhythm of your breathing, I can sense no ill intention from you."
"Good observation skills. I can feel that we'll get along quite well, Kazuha."
Itto then stood between the two, "All right all right, enough with the introductions. We know you, and you know us and all that, but how long are we supposed to stand here? I already had enough waiting around in that dumb room. Any more and I swear I am going to become insane."
"I will take note of that if we ever have guests around in the foreseeable future," Gorou said as he walked towards them.
"I see you're finished with your discussion."
With the way Kazuha uttered those words, it seemed less like an assumption and more of a statement.
Gorou nodded, "It was less of a discussion, and more of just me listening to their side of the argument. Now that I'm done with that, I'm here to hear the other side out."
Heizou was the one who stepped up between him and Goku, "I suppose the best way to clear those assumptions is to state our intention here, don't you think so?"
"Yes, as I would very much like to know why a Doushin of the Tenryou Commission is standing here in our camp so brazenly," Gorou said, cutting to the chase.
"It's Heizou. As I was about to say...hmm, instead of me why don't you take the reins here Goku?"
"Huh, but you can explain it better Heizou," Goku remarked.
An explanation was already prepared as he continued on, "Well, you were the one who wanted to come here. The way I see it, it's only fair that you are the one given the chance to explain our purpose here."
"Alright...if you say so. As for why we're here...it's cause I had a pretty bad feeling about this place after I woke up."
"Woke up? I presume you were at Watatsumi Island at the time, yes?" Goku nodded in affirmation, "Then how is Her Excellency? With what I heard from the others, they said you were implying that you drowned her."
"But she is drowning. Plus, she's the one who made both of us do that. I was just a bit faster to wake up, that's all," Goku exclaimed as he put both his hands up.
Without any sort of context, none of them understood what he was talking about. Fortunately for the martial artist, Heizou was the one who picked up his lacking explanation by prodding him to divulge more information.
"I would suggest you re-amend that statement in some way Goku, perhaps sinking is the word you're looking for?"
Truthfully, Heizou could not make heads or tails of his statement either, but it was better for all of them if Goku elaborated on it more.
"Ehh, but it ain't like I'm wrong. Ah well, I guess I could say she's still sleeping, but she looked fine the last time I saw her."
"If true, then it's certainly a relief. Now, as for this bad feeling of yours…is it dangerous?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it will if it's left alone. I don't know how to explain it but it feels like something big that's about to burst out...it hasn't exploded or anything but I can tell the longer it lasts, the more this bad feeling of mine gets worse."
The others sans Heizou were silent, taking in the information piece by piece. Gorou especially was finding it hard to believe. As someone who had been on this island since the start of the civil war, he could not see this danger that he was speaking of.
Even so, Gorou would still inquire in regards to it, "You based this on just your intuition alone?"
"If you really want me to get into it, I guess it does have to do with how I sense energy. Then again, ever since I arrived here it's been pretty unreliable so maybe it's not related at all."
"If I may ask, how do you sense energy Goku?" Kazuha asked, curious seeing that Goku holds no Vision that allows him to sense elemental energy.
"Life. You kinda have to be alive in order for me to sense your energy," Goku said bluntly.
"Does that mean whatever is happening is because of an individual then?" Kazuha inquired.
"Nah, it doesn't have to be a person. It can be anything really, as long as they're alive, like animals, plants or those weird monsters."
Truth be told, Goku did feel like the way he sensed ki has changed a bit lately, eventhough he felt like he was slowly getting the hang of it ever since he woke up.
While Kazuha contemplated his words in interest, Gorou wanted the conversation to get back on track, "So you simply wish to stop whatever this potential problem is?"
"Yeah, basically. It doesn't feel right if I don't do anything about it, ya know?"
It was time Gorou got into the crux of the issue, "Then why come here then? I'm sure you could have gone to the location you're looking for without coming to our camp."
"That's cause the feeling I'm getting is pretty close to here. Plus, I also wanted to see this place again," Goku stated as he looked over the area.
What he said certainly made Gorou pause for a moment, before uttering just one word.
"Again?"
Goku nodded, "Kokomi did bring me here before, but I didn't really take the time to look around last time."
Now was the perfect time for Heizou to add into the conversation, "That, and he argued that it was better for us to introduce ourselves so that there would be no misunderstandings of sorts once we begin our investigation."
"But Goku didn't even know you worked for the Tenryou Commission before, correct?" Gorou posed the question, as he had already heard the gist of the situation from the other resistance members earlier.
It was quite clear that Goku did not possess that knowledge earlier, considering how surprised he was according to his comrades' explanation.
"He did not, but I have informed him before that my presence here would be troublesome, as was obviously shown just now. While my assumption was correct, his was as well seeing as nothing has come to blow just yet."
"You were the one who thought of that, Goku?" Itto couldn't help but ask.
"Hehe, yup. I figured I might as well make sure Heizou know that he has nothing to worry about while we're here. Why?"
"Hah, it's nothing. All I can say is that you did well, which is what I expect from a member of my gang!" Itto proclaimed loudly, proud of what Goku had done.
Goku didn't understand what the big deal was as he shrugged off the compliment, while the others were evaluating each and every one of his words.
It wasn't the most sufficient answer, but Gorou did not judge by just mere words, but also by their intention and nature.
So far, it was enough for him to at least give them the benefit of the doubt. However…
"Let's say that after you're finished with this investigation. What do you plan to do after this?"
This was a personal question, one that Gorou had been wanting to ask ever since he saw Son Goku from afar.
He wanted to know just what kind of person Her Excellency saw, so much so that she had personally saved Goku in spite of the risks.
"Easy, I want to face Raiden again."
Their eyes all visibly widened at the bold proclamation, because they would have never imagined that Goku would willingly do such a thing given what he had experienced.
Even Itto knew what the consequences of doing so meant, especially after seeing first hand how injured Goku was after the battle.
"You...wish to fight the Shogun once more, despite the outcome of the previous battle."
"Mmhmm, but I don't just want to fight her, you know? I wanna talk to her more, because I get the feeling that I haven't heard everything from her yet about this whole thing. It kinda bothers me if I don't ask about it."
"Goku buddy, usually I don't really mind telling you to just do it again, but after seeing what happened last time..."
He couldn't finish the sentence. As much as Itto fooled around, even he knew that what his friend was planning on was just plain dangerous.
"I lost, but that's why I wanna face her again even more. There's no point in me thinking about what would happen if I lost again, because I know next time it won't happen like before," Goku said confidently, presenting his right knuckle to them as he clenched it tightly.
The sheer confidence Goku exuded completely astounded all of them. It was as if what occurred in that battle between him and the Shogun did not bother him in the slightest.
One would think it was borderline arrogance, but for those that did know Goku personally would think otherwise.
Unfortunately, this was not his world, and two that were beside him only knew him for a short time, while the other two were only just properly introduced to him.
Even so, they did not disregard his words entirely, merely not fully understanding his goal with such absurdity.
For one Son Goku, he did not care in the slightest, as his mind had already been made up ever since he had awakened from that inner world of his.
Yeah...there was something he had to do when he faced Raiden again, something he didn't feel the need to elaborate on.
Facing them again, Kazuha was the one who had recovered first among all of them, his calm look returning as he spoke, "It would seem that I would have to re-evaluate you once more Goku. That said, I look forward to getting to know you better since our goals align."
Goku let out a small grin at the comment, before feeling the touch of an arm around his neck.
Itto was the next one to speak, "You're way ballsier than I thought Goku. I can't say I want you to do whatever it is you're going to do, but I'll help you out if you need it. After all, I wouldn't be a good leader if I didn't, right?"
Before Goku could respond, Heizou chimed in as well, "I don't have much to add. Even after my speculations I was still blown away by those bold words of yours. Unlike Itto, I can't say I support it given my position, but what I will say is this...I am genuinely curious to see what beholds if you meet the Shogun again."
There was a certain shine in Heizou's eyes that Goku could not understand, but he was not able to dwell on it for long as the last person spoke up.
"I will be frank. I don't trust you, and from whatever testimonies I have gathered from the others do not paint you in a good light either. However, there is one thing that is preventing me from fully treating you as an enemy, and that is Her Excellency's trust in you. I do not know why she does, but I know she would never do so without reason. That's why the Resistance will allow you freedom to conduct your investigation without any worries," Gorou stated firmly.
"Oh? Does this apply to me as well?" Heizou asked pointedly, his left eyebrow raised.
Gorou crossed both his arms around his chest as he replied, "Yes. While I'm not comfortable with the idea of a Doushin being in close proximity with our base, you have been pretty amiable despite our less than subtle treatment. However, I will have someone to watch over you throughout the investigation. This way, I would have less issues to worry about if something goes south."
Heizou did not respond verbally, but the look he gave was more than enough indication of his agreement.
"About that…would you mind giving me the chance to accompany them, Gorou?" Kazuha asked.
Gorou's ears straighten a bit upon hearing the question, "You want to Kazuha? I certainly would feel better if you were the one to do so but to have just you following them is a bit..."
While the last part went unsaid, Kazuha understood what Gorou meant. As such, Kazuha reassured him the best way he knew how.
"Have a little faith, not just in me but in their characters. So far, they haven't shown any sort of ill intentions."
There was a slight pause on Gorou's part, before a tired sigh escaped his breath, "Alright, if you're so sure then I see no reason to stop you. It does seem like you've made up your mind on something,"
"And I thank you for that, my friend," Kazuha said gratefully as he placed his right on his chest.
Just as they finally finished their conversation, a loud yell could be heard from afar.
As they turned to the cause of the noise, they saw a lone member running up to them with a frantic look.
Before long, the soldier now stood before them, his breathing ragged as sweat poured out of his forehead due to the amount of running he had done.
Despite the soldier's display of fatigue, he continued on as he called out for one person in particular, "General Gorou!"
"What seems to be the matter?" Gorou asked calmly, though the stern expression he put on said otherwise.
"It's the Shogun's Army! We just heard from our scouts that there are groups of them situated at Nazuchi Beach, yet they haven't done anything of note for the past few hours."
"That's certainly odd, but we all have directives for such a situation in case it's some sort of attack. I'm confident that the squads placed there would be able to handle it," Gorou said, reasoning his thoughts.
"Yes, that was why we didn't inform you immediately, but we've just received a message saying that Kujou Sara arrived at the scene mere moments ago. We fear that with her involvement, the tide of the battle could instantly turn into their favour if a battle ensues."
At the mention of the name, Gorou quickly thought of a plan before replying, "So it's her again huh? Very well, report back to the messenger and inform the squads to hold on until my arrival. I will be joining them as soon as possible."
With that, the messenger left in a hurry, though obviously at a much slower pace despite the small reprieve he received from running just now.
Goku didn't know what to make of the news, seeing as he had never even heard of the name, while Kazuha wore a somewhat sorrowful look, his eyes looking far into a distance that nobody knew about.
Meanwhile, Heizou remained quiet as he was now in a deep thought, which was the same as Gorou who was thinking up the necessary preparations for what was about to occur once he arrived at Nazuchi Beach.
"When that guy said Kujou Sara, was he talking about that tengu?"
The sudden interest that Itto displayed certainly held their attention, as it came out of nowhere.
All except for Heizou, who suddenly remembered that he had a vague impression that the individual in question, Kujou Sara had mentioned a bullheaded oni giving her a headache from time to time.
Interesting development atop of one another this was turning out to be.
"That would be her, yes," Gorou confirmed.
There was an almost immediate change in Itto's mood as he suddenly walked up towards Gorou, with only one thing in mind.
"Bring me along with you."
Every one of them could feel Itto's determination in those words. It was soon broken as Itto turned around towards Goku, giving him an apologetic look having recalled what he just promised to his friend..
"Oh yeah, I know I said I had your back but you mind letting me have this one? I promise I'll help ya meet the Shogun again after I'm done with my own thing," Itto said awkwardly as he tried to explain it without coming off as dismissing his friend.
While Itto was facing difficulty in expressing his desire, Goku on the other hand was nonplussed at the intention as he waved it off.
"It's fine it's fine. You have ta do it since it's important to you, right?"
It was a feeling Goku could very much relate to considering his own circumstances, so he did not begrudge Itto for prioritizing his own matter first.
It would be hypocritical if he did so, after all.
Itto's expression lightened as he gave Goku an appreciative thumbs up, "And that's why you're a member of the Arataki Gang!"
"Who said I would allow it in the first place?" Gorou interjected, breaking up the cheerful exchange.
It was as if a cold shower had washed over Itto. The oni recovered quickly however, brushing it off as he directed his gaze towards Gorou, ready to plead his case.
"Oh come on, Gorou. Lemme join you, or I'll just head down there by myself if I have to."
It was short and straight to the point, while informing the general that he would go regardless of anyone trying to stop him.
Gorou did not yield, "And what exactly is your relation with a general of the Shogun's Army?"
There was a loud snort coming from Itto, "Hah, there ain't enough time in the world for me to complain about that damn tengu but if you really wanna listen, why don't we do that after we head out? You don't wanna waste time and all that, right?"
Gorou conceded that he had a point, and having interacted with Itto for the past weeks he had already judged the oni to be a good person, albeit one who was rough around the edges.
"Alright then, we'll be heading out in a few minutes, but prepare yourself Itto...a battlefield is never a location to tread lightly on," Gorou warned.
"You don't have to worry about me, I can handle myself just fine," Itto proclaimed confidently.
Seeing as they were done with their conversation, Heizou spoke up, "Then I believe that this would be the exact time we take our leave as well."
"Right. Please inform me if it turns out that there will be anything that affects our operations. I know that we're on opposing sides, but I would like to believe in your words that you'll only focus on solving this potential danger that is hidden away on this island, and nothing else."
"You sure are expecting alot from me, but I have to remind you that despite the circumstances, I am in no way allying myself with the Resistance. All I'm doing is helping a friend, and whatever the results are, the decision will be on him. After all, I am merely assisting, nothing more and nothing less," Heizou explained concisely, smiling ever so amiably as usual.
Gorou said nothing more as he directed his gaze towards Kazuha, nodding one last time before leaving to prepare for the upcoming battle.
With Gorou now gone, Itto spoke to Goku once more, "Okay, so as members of the Arataki Gang, you and I are both going to finish what we want to do, got it Goku?"
"Ooh, but I'm not sure what I'm trying to finish though?" Goku asked innocently.
Itto shrugged, "Ah, those are just small details. For men like us, we can overcome anything! Anyway, I think it's time I teach you the Arataki Gang's hand sign for wishing someone good luck."
"I don't remember you guys doing anything like that before?" Goku questioned, having no recollection of such a thing.
"That's because I made it up just now, so I want to test it out before I teach the others later. Just follow what I do and it'll be fine."
While Goku followed along with what Itto was going, albeit confusedly, Kazuha and Heizou were staring at one another in complete silence.
"It seems we'll be working together for quite a bit," Kazuha said, breaking the silence.
"It does look that way doesn't it? Hmm, I can't say I'm opposed to it. With someone like you around, it would make the investigation go much easier," Heizou remarked.
"And I have no doubt that a person of your ability would make this matter a simple breeze in the wind," Kazuha complimented in return.
"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?"
"I suppose so."
Nothing more was said between the two of them, as they settled into watching Goku currently giving Itto a weird look while being shown the supposed gesture Itto thought up.
"When you mention the location being close to the camp, I did not imagine it to be this close," Heizou commented upon seeing the supposed site that Goku had determined the location of.
By no means would the distance be considered short, but it was most certainly within walking distance from the Resistance camp at Fort Fujitou.
Currently, they were standing at the top of a cliff, but the one thing that stood out was a stone pillar that very much resembled that of a lantern.
"Is it that weird?"
Kazuha was the one who spoke up, "It's less weird, rather the strangeness should be placed on the fact that no one has noticed anything unusual since the location is near to camp. From what I could recall, it doesn't seem like Gorou knows of anything out of place in this area either."
Heizou gave the scene in question a quick one-over, "At first glance, it seems to be a stone lantern of some sort, but judging from the lack of light source it would seem that it's missing some components for it to function."
"You three, wait up!"
They turned to see who the voice belonged to, only for it to turn out to be an individual that none of them recognized.
In fact, the only thing that was identifiable was the attire, which bore the distinct uniform that was associated with the Resistance, indicating that he clearly came from the camp a few distances off.
"What seems to be the matter?" Kazuha inquired, since he was the closest to the young man among the three of them.
"It isn't anything serious. I just wanted to catch up with you guys, that's all," he said, doing his best to be reassuring.
It certainly wasn't, but Kazuha continued on regardless, "And why would you want to do that?"
"Well, General Gorou asked me to accompany you all in your investigation, or more accurately, I was the one who requested General Gorou to follow along. He agreed, so here I am."
Heizou was the next to speak, having realized something as he observed this young man, "Hmmm, you're that person who was trying to calm down the soldiers earlier."
The young man let out a strained laugh as he addressed the Doushin, "Keyword being try, though obviously nothing came off that. I'm surprised you can remember me."
"Why, of course. It is simply the nature of my job. As for you joining us, I don't see why not. Now, may we be granted the pleasure of your name?"
Kazuha found it strange how quickly Heizou accepted the young man's words, seeing as he himself wasn't quite sure what to to think. This was because he found the abruptness of another person accompanying them to be confusing, considering Gorou was fine with the prior arrangement before he left.
"My name? You don't have to remember it, it's a bit embarrassing for me to introduce my full name," the soldier said nervously as he looked away.
Heizou remained undeterred, "Oh I insist, surely there must—"
"What do you think you lot are doing!?"
It was a yell unlike any other, because this one sounded hoarse, as if the individual themselves were straining themselves to even talk coherently.
At the same time, they could feel the main emotion evoked from such a shout.
Anger.
It was a man, who, unlike the many members of the Resistance situated here, was clearly not affiliated with them judging from his clothes. If anything, he looked to be one of the few people that lived on this island in spite of the ongoing civil war.
"Do you have any idea what you've just done!? Because of you, the seal for the Tatarigami has been weakened!"
At his proclamation, the cloudy sky that had hung above them suddenly became even darker.
As the irate man walked towards them, a thunderous roar echoed throughout the night as droplets of water fell from the sky.
The sudden downpour of rain would not have been concerning, if not for the trails of lightning that flashing, accompanied by strong winds causing their clothes to flap around.
Despite the strange change in weather, the man was too focused on directing his anger to care as he continued to berate them.
Just then, Goku noticed a peculiar shift in the air, and immediately took action as he realized what was about to ensue.
Lightning descended from above as it headed directly towards the man in question, but the man was no more aware than before as he continued to shout in the rain.
That lasted until the man felt a shove on his chest, causing him to be pushed backwards as a result, with Goku now standing in front of him.
It was a good thing he noticed in time, or else that would have ended terribly for the man.
...Well, that would be it, if it weren't for another individual's action.
Goku's eyes widened as he felt the touch of a hand at his back, and as he turned, realized that Kazuha was in mid-jump, his hand outstretched as well.
"Eh?"
Both of them looked confused at what just transpired, their minds barely registering what both had done in this one particular moment.
Distracted by Kazuha's intervention, Goku had momentarily forgotten about the existence of the incoming lightning.
Before he was able to recall this particular detail, lightning struck from above, hitting Goku as its sole target.
AN: This chapter gave me a pretty good realization when it comes to writing…group dialogues are hard, which at this point I should just probably say writing is hard in general. It's like, I want to involve everyone into the conversation but it also sometimes feels that it's out of character for them to talk about this and that, not to mention I also have the impression that I might be making a character become an exposition machine, which I am hoping I have avoided-ish?
Basically, it's a delicate balance. I don't know if I did good, all I can say is I like how this chapter ended.
Til next time.
P.S. I really need to learn how to write a haiku, because Kazuha not uttering a single one yet just feels weird.