Shige-H patted her hands after slipping out from the rubber gloves and leaving the ward to a waiting room full of scratched and bruised peacekeepers and Endo. While Denkka and Prim-S approached the medical kunoichi, she used the few seconds of downtime to wipe her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand and rub her tired eyes and sensitive with nervous ticks cheeks.
"How many ninja have we got?" Prim-S wondered, switching his focus from Denkka to Shige-H.
"Eight peacekeepers in fighting condition. Twelve more are survivors, but who knows when they'll return to fighting shape, if at all. I've treated a few ninja that have lost their limbs, four of them lost the majority of their digestive tract. Those aren't injuries that one just walks off," Shige-H replied in a grumpy tone. It was yet another sign of weariness. The woman's wild, curly hair had been restrained into a ponytail, though it still seemed like a hassle to stay in control of as they scattered wildly the moment Shige gave them leeway by slipping them out and shaking her head.
"Judging from the message, the enemy is going to come with force. Likely comparable to the one in the morgue… It didn't sound like they're going to wait too long either. If I had to guess, we may not have a couple of days of downtime," Denkka sighed.
"A couple of days?" Prim-S scratched his head.
"The enemy retrieved the body of their fallen comrade. Likely they'll still want to drop it off in their headquarters, maybe study it or perform whatever burial rituals they see fit. They won't be attacking us immediately, but they won't wait too long either," Denkka surmised.
"They aren't your usual mook squad. I wanted to cut that ninja open and analyze the venom that killed him, see if I could prepare some antivenom before we have to confront the master of those ninja scorpions that took him out," Shige-H placed her hands over her hips while sinking her chin down. "Where's Mana?"
"Konoha's Sorceress is sulking in the smoking balcony," Prim-S pointed with his thumb behind him at a corridor that led toward a switch that rolled a vertical stone disc aside from a belt of logs once pulled or pushed.
"Didn't take her for a smoker?" Denkka said.
"She's not. It just seems lately that the entire world is out to get her. Initially, it seemed like a perspective problem but… Given our luck, she's making a believer out of me too. The last thing that we want right now is to let her be by herself. Endo, don't let Mana out of your sight," Shige-H leaned out from the circle of the peacekeepers to scold her subordinate, who just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms up with a grumbling pout.
"I don't intend to stalk her," Endo declared. "Nor am I going to get in her way when she's in that mood. She'll mess with my mind and make me think I'm a rodent or something."
"You do know she's just a stage magician, right? It's all smoke and mirrors, from what I've heard. Fun times and children's entertainment," Prim-S raised his eyebrows, seeing this cool swordsman in a different, more pitiful sight now.
"No, she can probably actually do that…" Shige-H sighed. "Maybe it'd be for the better if I spoke to her. A little more and I'll drop off my feet so I could use a bit of a break."
"Your Unmaker Fist proved quite effective against the enemy," Denkka noted. "Maybe you should rest and let me talk to Konoha's Sorceress. I don't know her that well, but I've been through my fair share of troubles and I've met many different people in many conditions, resorting to many different measures in frightening situations."
"Yeah, I don't think there's a chance I'll be able to pull it off either way," Shige-H shook her head. "The healers of this clinic aren't equipped to deal with a calamity such as this. There aren't any local medical ninja around, so they're treating those issues with ointment and surgery. With the peacekeepers occupying their hands, they'll need my help to keep up with day-to-day work. Talking to Mana will serve as a nice minor break before I'm back at keeping this village's healthcare system functional."
"Maybe the Raikage should consider sending some medical ninja to provide aid here for once and not just dump her undesirables?" Endo smirked with snoozing eyes.
"There aren't many local medical ninja still around. They're a priority target during a war and Iwagakure has been through a nasty blitz. Medical ninja aren't the only issue, Kumogakure hasn't been generous with just about any sort of provisions except for military support," Prabba observed.
"Why should the Raikage take care of this place? She's got her own business and her own village to make flourish!" Prim-S objected.
"In that case, perhaps she should abandon the idea of treating this region as a Land of Lightning province?" Prabba shrugged.
"Can you maybe not kill each other until I talk to Mana? If you wait just a couple of days, the rogues are going to be doing enough of that," Shige-H grumbled while walking off toward the other end of the corridor and slipping the stone disc out of her way. As the disc rolled aside, a punch of chilly evening air hit the medical kunoichi right in the face, though with the sweat and weary she was under it felt like a refreshing chill.
Mana stood leaned over the rail and staring off into the bloody evening sky while a few patients of the clinic smoked seated on hardwood benches. Shige-H approached Mana with her hands stuffed in the pockets of the medical coat. The leader of Stars looked up into the sky to ascertain what Mana was looking at and what she may have been thinking of.
"Did you save any of the injured?" Mana started the talk with an oppressed tone full of crushing defeat despite the enemy not having even made it to the Boulder Town yet.
"Yeah, a decent few. Pretty much everyone who wasn't killed immediately during the surprise attack we've saved. In terms of practical use, they won't be much help, though. We've got a handful of people left to fend the enemy off," Shige-H laid it straight.
"Human life doesn't need to serve a practical use. I'm glad that you've saved so many, though. Thank you," Mana's head sunk down with her messy curls falling over her face. "I don't know how I'd have kept it together if anyone else died because of me."
"I don't seem to remember your teeth ripping into any of the peacekeepers. Frankly, I'm not sure whose teeth those mud creatures take but they're the only ones to blame for what happened," Shige-H touched Mana's shoulder with a gentle shake to make her snap out of such thoughts.
"The enemy group came here for me. I think I now understand a little what Krown and his puppets meant by that accusation that I'd have surrendered if I'd have truly been noble. Maybe they were right? Maybe if they took me, then they wouldn't have needed to take Kaguya Yaban and maybe all of those peacekeepers could still have been saved?" Mana's voice sounded more and more like a stressed violin string. Tears had been going up and down her throat, choking her up when the time came to speak and when it felt like she had something to say.
"They'd have still tried bullying Kumogakure and Konoha into taking action. Heck, they'd have gotten the Allied Ninja involved too! It'd have been an absolute mess! They would have told Kumo to back out, then they'd have pressured Konoha to take action against Kumo, or else they'll kill you, knowing how important you are to the Allied Ninja, the Supreme Leader would've been forced to act as well," Shige-H raised her voice. Like a relentless bruiser, she kept on pressuring Mana's self-deprecating thoughts into the corner and pummeling on them without remorse.
"Perhaps…" Mana muttered in a husky and lifeless tone. "Can I make a request, leader?"
"I don't really like that leader talk…" Shige-H stroke Mana's back, trying to make the kunoichi stop weeping and cracking up at random intervals. "If you've got something to say, just shoot. I won't let you put yourself in danger or downplay yourself, though. You're a member of Stars, now and always, and there are no losers in Stars. Well… We're kind of all losers, but we build each other up, I'd like to think."
"Don't get the peacekeepers involved. Evacuating the town won't work, but maybe we can move most civilians to a single safe location and keep them there until we fend off the attack?" Mana made her request. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt or die because of me."
"Mana, it won't be like last time. The enemy won't catch us with a surprise attack. That's the only reason they've butchered so many of the peacekeepers. Fights like this are why they've been sent here, you know," Shige-H replied.
"I know that, but… I wouldn't ask this if the enemy weren't out to kidnap me specifically. They're here to make a point. They want me and they'll keep challenging me until they either succeed or I submit. I won't give in, we'll beat them. But I won't let anyone else get hurt," Mana turned her head and looked Shige-H straight in the eyes while the bleeding sunset danced with sparkles in brilliant trails of tears stretched out across Mana's eyes. "I wouldn't want you endangered either, normally, but… We're a team, I've accepted this by now. Plus, I need your help, whether or not I want to admit it. I want to save everyone and I truly want to complete this mission and prevent a war that'd take even more lives. I couldn't live with myself knowing that the war raging across the continent is one I could've prevented, but I won't see a single innocent have their life ruined or taken away because the enemy wants me."
"Fine. I'll talk to Denkka, see what we can arrange. I don't think Denkka will back down though," Shige-H turned her own eyes to the sky that was running out of blood-red shrouds and was turning night-blue. Now Shige-H had this on her head, on top of a night that reminded her of the most haunting tribulations back during her medical studies. "She's a veteran, and she's got her own peeves with those guys."
"I understand Denkka-san's wrath, but…" Mana tried putting something cohesive together but she just couldn't find anything solid on why the Kumogakure kunoichi shouldn't have fought off the rogue ninja when they come looking for Mana again. "I suppose, since we've agreed that we're vastly outnumbered, Denkka-san and Prabba-san can help."
"Yeah, well… Good luck keeping Prim-S off the battlefield too. He's a bit like Endo, that one. Doesn't like the fact that a couple of girls have outshined him. He wants in on the action and… Well, he's got the right. The enemy group has targeted him twice now," Shige-H replied. Mana could see that her friend was playing the role of a leader and trying to balance out the scales between being Mana's friend and making the best decisions for Stars and Allied Ninja alike.
"I… I understand. I'll just… Have to fight extra hard to protect everyone. That's nothing new to me. It'll be easier though if there would be fewer people to watch over, that's all," Mana relented.
"That's a very vain way of looking at it, Mana. The local peacekeepers are all proud and strong ninja capable of fighting and fending for themselves," Shige-H shook her head. "Frankly, with the emotional state you're in, the only one I'm considering keeping off the battlefield is you. But I understand that'd be counterproductive in more ways than one. I understand your plight, Mana. But as tough as it is to admit it, fewer things have changed than you think. We've just got a job to do, like always. When the time comes, we'll step out and do it. Because we're strong and we're cool and, if we won't, who will?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right…" Mana looked down, submerging in self-reflection.
"Now you should try to get some sleep. I've got some more work to do before the morning comes knocking, so it'll be way easier for me to keep my thing going if I know that someone around me has the one thing I want most of all. I guess your goodness is rubbing off on me, what can I say?" Shige-H shrugged with a teasing smirk before pulling on the switch and rolling the stone disc aside to assist the local healers in keeping the clinic functional with the influx of new patients.
"What's that outrage about?" Endo raised his eyes off of his cup of morning tea in the clinic balcony to gaze at the upheaval down and to the east toward the town square.
"Eh? Looks like trouble, I've no clue…" Prim-S shot his eyes open from a neat morning snooze and jumped up to the rail to look outside.
"Isn't it your job to know and deal with it?" Endo squinted with a resentful twitch of his eyebrow.
"Give me a break. The peacekeepers are in tatters after yesterday!" Prim-S clenched his fist and gnashed his teeth, looking to pull his sleeves and put his fists to work.
"Prim-S! In the yard, we're dealing with this!" Denkka yelled out with an orderly commander's voice that made the peacekeeper's back straighten up and cold sweat riddle his face while he gulped what seemed like his true essence down to his belly where it could then slip all the way down to his feet. Even Endo looked a tad startled and Denkka had no direct superiority over him.
"Right!" Prim-S barked out and ran off after the Kumogakure kunoichi to follow her into the yard.
"Sorceress, you're coming too!" Denkka yelled out. "The town square has a significant number of people gathered there. It'll be for the better if we tell them that your show is going to be postponed further."
"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about something, Denkka-san…" Mana stood up and dusted herself, straightening out her uniform before rushing in to join the peacekeeper's side.
"Good, we can talk after we deal with this. You're a cheerful public figure. Hopefully, that money-making face of yours can help us put people at ease and sort this shit out," Denkka growled while strolling down the stairs with Prim-S dragging his feet beside her. Mana pocketed her hands and joined in with the head of the remaining peacekeepers.
The town square was truly in upheaval. A crowd of people surrounded what seemed like a caravan. Mana hadn't seen a caravan with supplies meant to keep a town or a settlement going to only be pulled by one ox, but the animal didn't seem too worked up about it. The merchant himself looked shabby and roughed up too.
"There they are, those pesky peacekeepers! As useful as a dog's fifth leg!"
"What are you going to do about it!?"
"Honestly, what's the point of even having you around?!"
The public didn't sound too pleased. Seeing Mana alive and well and, frankly, looking much better than the rest of the peacekeepers and quite chipper that morning made the crowd ease up a bit which gave Denkka the space to yell out with an imposing and authoritative demand for silence and order as she approached the caravan.
"Civilians of Boulder Town, Konoha's Sorceress is no longer under arrest by the peacekeepers. That being said, her magic show will have to wait for a few more days. Now you can stop lining up and firing rustling stares at the peacekeeper station. Now that I settled this matter, what is this commotion about?" Denkka explained before looking at the roughed-up merchant.
"The merchant doesn't have any supplies!"
"How are we going to be making through this day with no supplies? No food, no medicine, no materials or other necessities!"
"Is this true?" Denkka looked up at the man. "What happened?"
"Well… This isn't an issue with something like an attack or something… It's just… My supplies come from the Stone Gulf, from there I go through Dolomite Path through Stone Town and then Boulder Town… No supplies came in from the Stone Gulf. None of the ships arrived at the Stone Gulf harbor, meaning no supplies. The only thing I've got is the leftover from yesterday," the merchant turned around. "Don't count on seeing too many other caravans at noon or in the evening, either. A lot of other folks just took the day off and some of them smell something fishy and fled deeper into the Land of Earth."
"No ships came to the harbor?" Denkka ground her teeth. "What kind of bullshit is that?"
"Look, lady, you're really scary and look like you're well put-together so I don't doubt you could kick my ass and all, but… That won't help load my caravan up, okay? You ain't the only ones suffering, folks. I don't get any profit today either and there's nothing in the clouds that shows that tomorrow's gonna be any different," the merchant shrugged.
"You came here from the Stone Gulf harbor and Stone Town. You said it before. Don't they know anything about what might have happened to those ships?" Mana inquired of the man.
"Oh… Hey, you're that… Famous lady… Right? Nope, sorry, I guess you won't get paid either. If you want info, you may as well roll on down to Stone Town and talk to some of those delirious sailors babbling about giant monsters in the oceans or something. Either way, the bottom line is–if no ships arrive to deliver supplies, all you guys are gonna have to lunch today is rocks, sorry. Don't mean to state the obvious but… We kind of export gemstones and minerals and sail other goods from countries with more fertile soil than us. Sorry about that," the merchant shrugged.
"Maybe we should strip your caravan for parts, then? I need wood and that ox looks like it could feed a few homes today!" a voice came from some faceless member of the unruly crowd.
"Hey, cut that shit out!" Prim-S jumped up onto the caravan, startling the caravanner. "This guy has nothing to do with why you're not getting any supplies! He's suffering losses from this too, you hicks!"
"Please calm down, everybody!" Mana used the elevation of steps leading to the driver's seat to reach the eyes of more people. "This news is troubling, but losing track of our senses won't help solve anything. This poor lone ox won't feed the entire town, and none of you look like you're willing to fight over this with your neighbors and friends. I'm sure most of you have supplies stashed somewhere, warehouses filled for the winter. Please do your best to get through today. I have a good feeling that the supplies will come soon enough and you can buy anything you need!"
"Well, that seems to have worked," Denkka grumbled. "But what are you going to do when the supplies don't come in?"
"They will. The reason the supplies haven't come in is that the enemy is moving in from the Stone Gulf–they must have been the ones to attack and wipe out all the supply ships, or maybe their appearance scared the ships away. Since we already know the enemy has an eye for the macabre, it's no wonder there are sea monster stories floating out there," Mana whispered in return while the uneasy crowd began settling down and walking off with perturbed burbling as more and more outraged civilians realized they would get nowhere standing around and shaking their fists in the air.
And now they knew the enemy was moving in from the sea.
"Denkka-san, can we evacuate as many civilians to a safe place as far to the south as possible?" Mana turned to the peacekeeper.
"It'll be hard working with them in this condition. We could use your help. You've got a way with the people, it seems," Denkka scratched the back of her head.
"Are you kidding me? The chance pretty much landed on our hands!" Prim-S got fired up about something as he employed some fiery body language to make his point to the two kunoichi listening in to him. "Everyone's short on food, so we can just fill a warehouse far south with food and tell everyone to re-supply there! That'll make everyone evacuate themselves just to fill up."
"I think you're forgetting the whole no-food part of the situation there," Denkka squinted.
"Damn… I was sort of wondering that maybe we'd have some town food supplies stored to share," Prim-S scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
"I can talk to the local café and restaurant owners, see if they've got some leftovers and frozen supply to share. I'll have to do a lot of free performances to make it up to them afterward, but… If things work out alright, it'll be more than worth it," Mana pitched in.
"Alright, you handle being an icon. I'll handle the evacuation and the logistics. Prim-S, talk to the other Allied Ninja and get them on board with the situation. You guys can start making preparations for an upcoming invasion from the north. Stuff's going to get pretty wild, pretty soon… I've got a gut feeling," Denkka ordered the peacekeeper and sighed with her hands over on her hips. She never expected her time stationed here to include fending off an enemy invasion, especially one notable enough that the enemy had to move their forces in from the sea in a way that'd disturb the supply chain of the entire region.