Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto universe and everything included in said universe!
Enjoy!
7 Years later.
Flashes and explosions erupted two miles away from a small village, to the far west of Amegakure. The villagers looked from the edge of their village as the explosions finally died down, leaving a large cloud of smoke drifting upwards, seemingly putting an end to whatever was going on.
A man dressed in blue stumbled through the smoke, gasping for air. He had metal plating on his wrists and legs but they were heavily. Blood dripped from his hand and a deep cut crossed the man's face.
A second man stood across from him, dressed in black. on his right wrist he had a metal vambrace strapped to it. His left arm however, was covered by something black and gruesome. red lines faintly glowed through what seemed like small scales. The man's face was hidden by a black hood and only a part was visible, the rest was covered by a facemask. Around his waist was a red sash.
"How has a Hunter gained ability to transform into a demon?!" He shouted as he panted heavily, eyes wide and filled with fear.
The man in black tilted his head almost unnoticeably. "It's arrogance if you think your people are the only one with the ability to merge." He responded with a heavy and inhuman voice. He then disappeared and reappeared behind his opponent, sheathing his katana.
Blood spurted everywhere as the man in the blue robes fell to his knees, clutching his chest. "When the others arrive, you and your friends will all be slaughtered!" he hissed.
"We'll see -about that. You'll not witness your so-called slaughter." His voice slowly started reverting to a lighter tone, to that of a young man. the monstrous claw reverted back to a normal human hand, encased in a metal gauntlet.
"Glory t-to lord K-Kenpachi!" and with that the man slumped forward, having fought his last fight.
"Good job, Ghost." Another voice said.
Ghost turned around and saw an old friend walking up. "Robatsu, it's been a while," he grasped his friend by the arm before pulling him into a hug. "What are you doing here?"
Robatsu pulled away and crouched down next to the dead man. "Looking for you. Everyone has to report in. You were difficult to track, like Uesari, so a message was out of the question."
Ghost dusted himself off. "Where are we supposed to meet up with the others? the inn?"
Robatsu gave a nod, he had long brown hair tied into ponytail He had a single scar on his noise and thin lips, curled into a soft smile. The man couldn't be older than 25. He was wearing the same outfit as Ghost did, indicating he was part of the same organization. But whereas Ghost was wearing a gauntlet, he simply had another metal vambrace.
The brown-haired man started searching through the pockets of the deceased man. After he was certain the body had nothing of worth on it he set it ablaze with a Katon jutsu. "We have a week to get there, so it's best if we get going right away. drop any jobs you got here and let's get going.
Ghost nodded as he reached inside his robe and pulled out sunglasses, putting it on before letting out a near inaudible sigh of relief. "Lead the way."
xXxXxXxXx
On a boat heading for the elemental countries.
A man dressed in red and black, with white stripes decorating his sleeves knocked on a door of a seemingly random cabin. He rapped his knuckles on the door and opened it after the man inside gave his approval. "Lord Kenpachi, with our current speed, the estimation of our arrival will be nearing four weeks."
The man he was addressing this to was seated behind a desk. To say he was muscular would be an understatement. His hair was pitch black and swept back. He was wearing a long sleeved dark red shirt along with matching pants. draped over the back of his chair was a trench coat that was black. What was remarkable though was it lacked any sleeves. "What about our scouts? did they find any leaks?"
"A couple, sir. Dorgan is compiling a list as we speak. It won't take long until he's finished. The subordinate never looked at him in the face and always looked down.
"Is there anything else I need to be aware of?" the Lord sitting behind the desk rarely, if ever complimented anyone. He took it all in stride, the good and the bad without as much as twitch.
"More of our scouts has been failing to report in. This is the fifth over a course of three months, my Lord."
There was a moment of silence. "It doesn't matter. We've got the information we require. Notify me when the Seekers arrive.""
"Certainly, sir." with that the man left, leaving Kenpachi in his room,
Kenpachi looked down at the pictures lying on his desk. They were pictures of a handful of people wearing black robes with a red sash. Names were written underneath several pictures.
Name: Hawke
Gender: Male
Age: unkown
Affiliation: Hunters
Weapon of favor: melee or short blades.
Threat level: red, borderline black. Handle with extreme care.
The second he was unfamiliar with but was known to operate in the region of Amegakure and Yuki no Kuni.
Name: Ghost
Gender: Male
Age: unknown, young adult.
Affiliation: Hunters
Weapon of favor: Katana
Threat level: Red, borderline black. Handle with extreme care.
Note: This individual appeared in the same timeframe Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. All points indicate that this is indeed Uzumaki Naruto.
The third file contained information on the man Kenpachi despised.
Name: Rome
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Affiliation: Hunters.
Weapon of favor: Dual wielding short blades.
Threat level: Red, borderline black. Handle with extreme care.
Note: Rome is the founder of the organization known as - The Hunters.
"Rome..." Kenapchi softly spoke. The man he wanted eradicated. Yet he always managed to slip his grasp. He had stalled his invasion and ensured the belief that he could be defeated. No mortal man had ever escaped his grasp when they were in combat, yet he had. And for that, he had to die.
1 week later, somewhere in Kawa no Kuni
Robatsu and Ghost walked through the gates of the small village of Tova, dusk slowly settling. Hunters were a regular occurrence in the village some were still put on edge because of it. Tova village and the Hunters had come to an agreement after a bandit raid had threatened the existence of this small community. They were allowed residence inside the village, as long as there wasn't any trouble. In return the inhabitants of Tova would refrain from spreading word about the whereabouts of the Hunters.
"We should change our clothes as soon as possible. Let's head to my apartment." Robatsu spoke as he nudged with his elbow. The Hunters still kept it lowkey by refraining from using any of their trademark outfits inside or near the village, At least most of the time.
They turned to the left and casually walked through the streets before disappearing in a puff of smoke, which went unnoticed.
About five minutes later, Robatsu and Ghost walked through the streets. Ghost was wearing a long sleeved black shirt with three buttons, of which two were undone. He wore matching pants along with his sunglasses to help him against the setting sun. his blonde hair that used to defy gravity slowly started hanging, but not by much. the wind blew through his hair, messing it up slightly.
Robatsu wore something similar but lacked any sunglasses. He had decided to put his hair in a bun.
They made their way back from where they came and soon arrived at a small square of the village. The inn was located at the far end of the square. They strode across the square softly conversing with one another.
Ghost looked up and couldn't help but smile as looked at the nameplate. "The drowned man...Home sweet home"
Robatsu grinned at him as he nodded. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"I haven't seen the rest in four years." Ghost took the first step and opened the door, walking inside, closely followed by his friend.
Once inside Ghost inhaled the smell of alcohol and tobacco. It felt good to be back. He looked around and noticed that little had changed. The large round tables were still occupied by men and woman from both the village as well as weary travelers seeking respite from the rigors of their travels. He walked over to a large peculiar table, placed in the center of the inn with various people sitting around it, chatting with one another.
The group looked up as they approached. There was a shuffle of feet and chairs. One by one they embraced the newcomers and patted them on their shoulders. "Good to see you guys haven't changed." Ghost spoke, grinning at them. He had clipped his glasses to his shirt the moment he had entered the bar, letting his eyes adjust to the darker tone.
"You have 'Ghost'! or should I say Naru-" One said before being interrupted by a slap on the back off his head.
"Don't do that, Hawke...You know why." A man with light brown hair said as he sat back down, making room for the blonde to sit next to him.
"A little joke doesn't hurt anyone, Uesari!" Hawke slid his arm around Ghost's shoulder, patting him on the chest. "Look at you, all grown up. I remember when I saved your ass, what was it? Six years?"
"Seven years, actually. speaking about change...what is that patch of hair your sporting?" Ghost jabbed back, raising his hand to attract the attention of one of the bartenders.
"I know what the ladies like." Hawke responded with a wink.
Ghost ordered a couple dishes of sake from the bartender before returning to the bartender. "Well, you always could use the advantage."
Uesari and Robatsu burst out in laughter, causing the young adult to crack a smile as well.
"What are you guys laughing about?" a female voice asked behind the trio. Who in turn glanced over their shoulder.
A young woman dressed in a tight fitted dark outfit, with a matching dark red, long sleeved loosely fitted vest that went to below her waist. her style of clothing accentuated her figure, causing many of the male occupants to turn their heads as she walked past. She paid it no mind as she absently played with a strand of her curly blonde hair that framed her charming face.
Ghost immediately recognized her as Micheru. She was around the same age as he was "Oh you know, making sure Hawke doesn't let it all go to his head." He too had to admit that Micheru certainly caused his head to snap whenever she entered the room. What caused him to maintain his distance was her tendency to be overly concerned or her insistence in trying to know more about his background.
Micheru smiled as she grabbed a chair and placed it between Hawke and the male blonde. "How's it been going Naruto? I haven't seen you in years!"
"Who ordered the plate full of sake?" an annoyed voice spoke up.
"That would be me," Ghost raised his hand before turning to the girl. "I've been alright. But please don't call me by my old name. There are a lot of people who'd love to know of my whereabouts."
Micheru nodded and was about to speak up again but was interrupted by a newcomer.
A dark tanned man with a shaved head walked over with the plate in his hand. He had extensive scarring to both hands and his left ear was almost completely gone. Yet the man still gave of an aura of confidence that seemed to inspire those around him. "We're about to start the briefing and you really have to drink?"
"If we have to listen to you, Rome, we'll most definitely need it!" Hawke grinned at him and grabbed a dish of sake.
Rome set the plate down in front of the latecomers before walking to the front of the table. By now a genjutsu had taken place around the large table. To the rest of the bar it seemed that the chatter around the table was random and of non-importance.
"Seeing as we've all finally arrived, let's get started. An older woman said. She had dark blonde hair, tied in a ponytail which was draped over het left shoulder. She had caring green eyes that seemed familiar to Ghost. "I'm Mayu, which you all undoubtedly know. The reason we've all come together for the first time in four years is because of the recent developments regarding the Unknowns."
Ghost felt Micheru stiffen beside him. He was aware that she hadn't had any encounters with the Unknowns and was primarily a support fighter with extensive healing capabilities.
"Our informant on the inside has managed to sneak out a message, just before they left Mirarca. She reported that it would take them two months to arrive here. Her message got delivered last week. They are currently a mere four weeks away from the mainland."
"That 'ies troubling! We have to warn the hi'dden vi'llages" Raipa spoke with an odd accent. The man had a large swirly tattoo covering the left side of his face that went down his neck and to his lower right arm. He was a tad bit shorter than the rest of the group and was often at the center of a joke or two, not that he seemed to mind it.
"To put it mildly...yeah." Robatsu added in, his face set in a grim tone.
"To make matters worse, they've sent an advanced shore party of five individuals. Their purpose is not clear, but we can make a hazard guess and say that they're here for the 'Big Five'." Rome said, standing next to Mayu.
Ghost caught on and spoke up. "Who will be going?"
Rome looked at him for a moment before answering. "We'll be creating teams of two. One primary fighter and one support."
It was then that Mayu took over, though the look on her face seemed troubled. "The teams are as followed; Robatsu and Uesari, you will head for Kumogakure. Hawke and Raipa will head for Sunagakure. Ghost you and... Micheru will head for Konohagakure..-"
Ghost grimaced and refrained himself from slamming his fist down on the table in frustrations 'Seriously?!'
"-And those are the teams. Take care of each other, and don't underestimate your opponent."
Ghost reached for the last dish of sake and downed it, slapping Hawke's hand away in the process. "I guess it's too much to ask for a swap for any of the other villages?"
Mayu shook her head. "Sorry, Ghost. You were chosen for Konoha because of your past ties. It could give you an edge."
Ghost sighed. "Figures..."
Hawke decided to try and cheer him up. "Cheer up! we get the chance to finally fight an actual Unknown. Those scouts were becoming boring!"
"Hawke...I rather fight scouts for another four years than go back to that hellhole."
"Why are you so happy to fight an Unknown?" Micheru asked as she turned the bearded man.
Robatsu smirked and spoke up. "That's Hawke for ya. He's always trying to find opponents to showcase his strength, even if he's weaker."
"Which he is."
Hawke pouted. "Uncool, Ghost! If I remember correctly, it was I who trained you." Pointing his thumb at himself.
"Partially, sure. But if you want to spar, just say the word, I'll gladly kick your ass any day." Ghost smirked and stood up.
Micheru looked up at Ghost. "Where are you going?"
"To grab more alcohol. If I have to listen to Hawke for another second I'll go crazy." He walked towards the bartender and aimed at a bottle, holding four fingers up.
Micheru followed him with her gaze before turning to Robatsu. "What's up with him? He's not how he used to be, I think."
"That's just Ghost. He had a difficult life. I don't think that his lone wolf style has helped with his personality either. But he's solid, so don't worry about him." Hawke responded as he followed the blonde as he made his way back from the bartender, in his hand another plate of sake.
"What happened to him?"
Rome sat down across from them. "You'll have to ask him that, it's really not for us to say."
Naruto sat back down. "Don't stop talking about me, just because I'm here." He grabbed two dishes and downed them one after another. Hawke chuckled and joined in.
Rome shook his head in amusement before leaning forward, grabbing one of the dishes.
As the evening progressed slowly but surely the majority of the Hunters left and went to bed, leaving behind a small group of Rome, Micheru, Hawke and Ghost with Robatsu standing up to leave. He bid them a good night and went home.
"I've heard that they are going to start the Jonin exams in Konoha in a week. Possible Tear. That makes the village a high value target." Ghost by now had stepped over to a non-alcoholic beverage. He felt exhaustion creep in from his travels as the night grew late.
Rome nodded. "That's why we want you there, you know the village, it's people. You two will have an edge."
Ghost merely nodded as he looked at his teammate, Micheru who was conversing with Hawke and didn't pay him any attention.
"Keep her safe okay? This is her first fight, so she'll be nervous." Rome slapped Ghost on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll bring her back," he answered before stifling a yawn. He stretched his arms and decided to call it a night. "I'm going to turn in, I'll see you guys tomorrow." He let his gaze wander on Micheru for a moment longer who in turn gave him a smile and wished him a goodnight's rest.
Ghost walked to the bar that was near the entrance. "You have a room available?"
The bartender behind the bar nodded. "We do, it will be 120 ryo for one night, with a discount if you book a room for week or longer."
"Just for one night." Ghost responded as he handed the man the required amount of money before receiving the key to his room.
xXxXxXx
The majority of their group stood outside the village on the path that would eventually lead them a crossroads. all the assigned teams were fully decked out in their trademark outfits, one that recognized them as the mercenary group; The Hunters.
Mayu stepped forward. " I wish you all the best of luck in your fight against our enemy. However, remember that the protection of the innocent is your top priority."
"Of course, Mayu. I guess we'll see you all soon. Take care." Robatsu said, turning around and sprinting away, his teammate following closely behind him.
Hawke grinned and followed them, with Raipa dashing alongside him.
"Micheru? be careful okay?" Mayu asked concernedly before she embraced the girl in a hug before she reluctantly let go.
"Are you ready?" Ghost asked as he slightly adjusted the gauntlet on his hand.
Micheru nodded nervously. "Let's do this."
"Ghost, take care of Micheru, okay?" Mayu asked as she stepped away from the blonde girl.
Ghost in return nodded at her. "Don't worry, she'll be fine." He turned around and dashed off. Micheru gave one last wave before following in his footsteps.
They dashed through the forest, silently for a couple of hours, with the occasional small talk, but otherwise they kept quiet.
Ghost glanced at the attractive girl and he could easily see that she was incredibly nervous and full of doubt. "Hey, Micheru."
She turned her eyes on him with a questioning look. "Hmmm?"
"When we do find the Unknown. Leave the fight to me okay? I know you're nervous about this whole thing so I just want you to lay back and watch closely, make sure no one from Konoha interferes."
"Are you sure you don't need my help?"
Naruto winked at her. "You can patch me up afterwards," he slightly slowed his pace to a more comfortable speed. "I know that you've been having second thoughts about your abilities. You're a Hunter so by definition that already makes you better than most shinobi in your area of expertise. Or as Hawke would say; Don't worry so much!"
Micheru smiled at her teammate and nodded, her worries slightly appeased.
As they continued their trek towards Hi no Kuni they decided to stop when evening fell. Setting up camp.
Micheru was preparing some food and decided to poke Ghost with a stick she had found lying around. "You know...If you really want to be as incognito as possible, we might want to adjust our outfit a slight bit."
Naruto looked up from the papers that would grant them entry to Konoha, his hair ruffled with the abrupt movement. "What do you have in mind?"
She turned to her bag and pulled out two dark blue cloaks that completely covered their outfits when she put it on. "Our Hunter outfit is intimidating and attracts attention. While that is great for most cases, right now we should focus on being as inconspicuous as possible, don't ya think?"
Ghost realized that he would have to remove the hood and the facemask as well. "The problem is my hair, it's a dead giveaway. I could henge it, but I'm worried they would see through it.
Micheru grinned at the blonde. "I got just the thing!" Holding her hands out she revealed hair dye.
Naruto muttered something foul under his breath.
"What was that?"
"... Nothing."
xXxXxXxXxXx
A couple of days later, Fire country.
Ghost and Micheru slowly walked down the path that led to the gates of Konohagakure.'I've ignored Hi no Kuni ever since I left. Now I'm returning to the very place that tried to take everything away from me. Why am I even doing this? These bastards don't deserve it.'
They closed in on the gates and made sure that their headbands were clearly visible. Rome had somehow gotten his hands on legitimate papers and headbands from Amegakure, along with the promise that they would be registered as visitors for the Exams. Ghost had to admit, with their added cloaks, they definitely looked like Ame shinobi.
"Whatever you do, don't reveal my old name, alright?" Ghost whispered in Micheru's ear as they walked through the gate and headed to the check-in post, absently letting a hand slide through his newly colored, brown hair.
"I won't, I promise!" She nodded and followed him towards the small building.
"We're here for the finals of the Jonin exams." Ghost spoke to the two Chunin sitting there.
"What are your names?"
"Orodochi Ghost, my companion is; Micheru Hadil" Ghost then handed their files and waited patiently, hoping that Rome made good on his promise.
After a moment of silence, the Chunin gave the papers back and smiled at them. "Your papers check out, I hope you'll enjoy your stay in Konohagakure! have fun watching the exams! I heard your colleagues performed very well in the second stage, I'll be looking forward to them in the finals.
"Thank you! we'll be surely rooting for them!" Micheru chipped in and smiled at the two, melting their hearts.
As they walked down the street, stores and homes on either side of the road, Micheru couldn't help but notice that Ghost was still wearing his glasses and quirked an eyebrow. "Why are you wearing sunglasses? It's not that sunny."
Naruto slightly turned to her. "That's because my eyes hurt because of daylight."
"Why?"
Naruto was about to speak up when they heard a voice erupting from the crowd.
"Delicious takeaway ramen! especially made for the festivities! Try it now for only 4 ryo!"
"I have to get some of that...now," Naruto slipped through varies passerby's and came to a halt in front of the trader. "Two please."
Micheru looked at him. "So, this is your weakness?"
"That and gorgeous women, so watch it." He answered with a chuckle. he paid the trader and turned to her handing her a cup, ignoring her laughter.
It however became abundantly clear that this wasn't his weakness after all. Ghost made a face that indicating his extreme displeasure with the food and instantly threw it away. "This is absolute garbage."
Micheru took a bite. "This isn't all that bad!" But Ghost wouldn't hear any of it and grabbed the cup from her hand, depositing it in a bin.
"We're going to the only place in this dump that actually makes some good food."
He guided her to the one place he had actual fond memories of.
"Welcome to Ichiraku's ramen, can I take your order?" Ayame smiled at the duo as they took their seat.
"I want the Shio ramen." Ghost casually said, trying to ignore the explosion of memories that were brought on by the simple ramen stand.
"I'll take the Miso ramen."
Ayame dotted down the order. "Coming right up!"
Micheru turned to Ghost. "Ichiraku's? doesn't look all that fantastic to be honest."
The temporary brown-haired teammate absently played with his chopsticks. Memories of the village was flooding his mind. It made him feel nostalgic and at the same time homesick, which was odd, seeing as he never got treated as an inhabitant of Konoha.
"Ghost?"
"Uh, it's great." he mumbled absently.
Micheru looked at him, wondering what was going on. 'It's probably because this used to be his hometown. Can't have been easy.' She frowned and glanced over her shoulder towards the street, where shinobi and civilians alike were walking about.
Ayame came back and they ate their ramen in silence.
After they were done they resumed their trek through the village. "What hotel should we pick?"
"Let's just take that one over there" He pointed at the hotel on the corner of the street and they walked straight over.
"Welcome, how can I be of service?"
Micheru decided to take the lead. "We'd like to book a room for the entire week."
Would you like a shared bed, or two separate ones?"
"Separate please." Micheru glanced at her teammate but he was staring out the front window.
"Here are the keys, you can pay half now, and half upon departing." Micheru paid the required amount and received the key.
"Ghost, let's go." Micheru gave him a nudge and he snapped out of thoughts.
Ghost followed Micheru to their room and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as she closed the door.
"Are you okay?" she walked over and tried to remove his cloak but he shrugged her off.
"I'll be fine...I'm merely adjusting," He removed his cloak and dumped it on a chair. He then proceeded to remove the outer layer of his outfit, leaving him in a tight fitted black shirt. He kicked off his shoes and let himself fall on one of the beds, his eyes already closed.
xXxXxXx
Ghost awoke later that evening only to find that Micheru was nowhere to be found. 'I do hope she doesn't do anything stupid.'
He looked in a mirror and decided that without the outer garment of his Hunter's outfit it was inconspicuous enough. He stepped out deciding he needed a drink.
He stepped out the front door of the hotel, and noticed that night had fallen, clipping the glasses on his shirt. He aimlessly walked down the street, until he found what he was looking for.
The blonde entered the bar and noticed it was crowded but not stacked to the brim with shinobi. He walked to the back and sat down on a barstool situated against the bar itself.
"Ah visitors from Ame! We don't get your kind here often."
"Often enough," Ghost muttered, holding up four fingers before tapping on the wood. "Give me your best sake."
The bartender obliged and pulled four dishes and filled them with his best Sake. "Enjoy, stranger."
As Ghost downed the first drink, he gave the entire place a look-over. It was clear that it was a bar that was primarily visited by shinobi. That said, it wasn't exclusive for shinobi. He could see civilians standing in small group around, keeping to themselves.
From the corner of his eyes he saw someone sitting down next to him. he turned his gaze slightly before freezing. Sitting next to him was Iruka Umino, his old sensei.
Time seemed to slow down as he watched from the corner of his eyes as his former teacher ordered a drink. 'Got to relax, if I stay like this I'll attract attention, I'm in a bar for shinobi for Kami sake!'
He slowly exhaled and grabbed his second dish, slowly bringing it to his lips and letting the beverage slide down his throat.
"Troublesome patrol...Ino's going to kill me when she finds out I didn't go straight home."
Iruka chuckled. "Better than having a bunch of kids tell you, they know better and that I'm wrong...The new generation of upcoming genin are something else."
Naruto once more widened his eyes in surprise. 'Shikamaru, really? off all the people, it's gotta be the guy with an IQ of 9000'
He dared to look to his left and took in the features of Iruka. The Chunin teacher hadn't changed all that much. he had small whisks of grey hair starting at his temple and his eyes seemed more refined and older.
Shikamaru on the other hand still had that lazy look in his eyes but the last 7 years had certainly matured him. He was wearing a jonin vest and was smoking a cigarette from the corner of his mouth.
Ghost couldn't resist a snort. One which didn't go unnoticed.
"What's funny about what I said?" Iruka asked dragging the former blonde into the conversation.
Ghost quirked an eyebrow. Iruka had been one of the prime examples of betrayal in his eyes. The man hadn't done anything to help with the punishment just like Shikamaru. "If you can't teach a bunch of brats to show some respect, you certainly aren't deserving of any."
Iruka looked taken aback by the harsh comment and narrowed his eyes slightly. "You don't even know these kids, or me, Ame-nin."
Ghost shook his head, reaching for the third dish, emptying its content down his throat. "From what I can tell you're Chunin, at the least. If the brats are unwilling, punish them accordingly. In Ame, disrespecting our teacher is met with physical punishments and if that doesn't help, they're kicked off the program. Konoha must have grown weak if they allow such behavior to go unchecked...or perhaps the teachers are just worthless."
Ghost blatantly lied, but he didn't care. He just wanted to hurt the man beside him.
"How about you remember where you are currently residing in, stranger. We allow your stay here, but that can just as easily be taken away." Shikamaru butted in, a serious look on his face
"How about you shut you-." Ghost started but was cut off by a drunk Konoha chunin who dragged him off the barstool and onto the floor.
"You don't speak to-to-to us like that!" he drawled in a near incomprehensible manner.
Iruka wanted to help the Ame-nin up but before he could, the man had already dashed forward and slammed his body into the drunk, causing them both to tumble to the ground. Ghost was about to slam his fist into his intoxicated opponent when it got grabbed by none other than Asuma Sarutobi.
He got flung backwards and slammed into a table. He instantly got up, eyes ablaze with hatred.
"Identify yourself!" Asuma demanded as he stood in front of supposed Ame shinobi.
Ghost clenched his teeth. He knew that if it came to a fight he could easily take Asuma. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was the entire bar that had now surrounded the two and it seemed that they weren't keen on letting him slap around one of their most respected Jonin. He slowly exhaled and straightened himself.
At least he tried to until he got shoved back down by another random.
"Stay down!" He demanded before roaring in laughter.
Ghost tried to stay calm but he felt his anger slipping and he stood up and the first one to drop to the floor was the guy who had shoved him. At first, he wanted to slam his fist into the guy's face but instead he opted for a low sweep with his leg, which turned out to be just as effective. He pointed his finger at Asuma who had stepped forward after his counter. "You! if you ever touch me again, I swear it's the last thing you'll ever do."
Asuma tilted his head forward, it seemed that anger was something he had in spades now too. "You visit our village under a banner of peace. You attack two Konoha's shinobi and threaten me. who do you think you are, punk?"
Iruka at this point butted in. "Asuma-san, please calm down. We were having a discussion with him and the drunk chunin attacked first."
Asuma turned sideways at the drunk chunin who was swaying from side to side. "Is this true?"
"h-he insulted Iruka!" the guy hiccupped and then tried to throw his glass at the brown haired Ame shinobi.
He didn't get far as Asuma grabbed the glass and tore it out of his grip. "You disrespect the name of Konoha shinobi everywhere. Go home," Asuma turned back to Ghost who had crossed his arms. he strode over and looked at the man. "I acted hastily and perhaps too harsh. I apologize."
The temptation to smash his fist in Asuma's face was immense. he glanced around and noticed that by now the crowd had dissolved or had returned to their drinks. "I know who you are...Sarutobi-san. And it's because of the respect I had for your father that I'll let this go." Ghost walked past the man and back to the bar.
"I'm incredibly sorry for what happened. Please have a drink, on me!" Iruka spoke as he offered the man his hand.
Ghost strode past him as well, reached for his last dish of sake and downed it. He looked at Shikamaru whom in return was looking at him with a calculated gaze. "What are you looking at?"
"I know you from somewhere, I just can't seem to place it."
Ghost took that as his immediate queue to leave and quickly. He swiftly left the bar and back to the hotel. 'To say that going to the bar was a mistake, Is one big fucking understatement.'
He entered the hotel room and heard someone in the shower. "Micheru?"
"Hey, Ghost! I stepped out to get myself orientated with the village. When I came back I saw you were gone?" she called from the shower.
Ghost slumped back onto his bed. "I was mingling with the locals..."