Hunted or Busted: A Side Story
Dusted 42: The Forked Path: To The Next Generation
((((((((Hunted))))))))
"You certainly look the part of a capable leader."
"Please don't joke like that, sir. If anything I feel like an underpaid intern in over their head." Ghira rubbed his head as he looked at the piles of paperwork on his desk that still needed to be roamed over. The large Faunus rubbed his aching head before looking over at his old mentor, "This whole operation has become a lot bigger than it was in your day."
"Indeed." Hiruzen chuckled as he sat back on the couch, watching Ghira work at his desk as he worked on his cup of hot tea, "Back in my day the piles of paperwork were at least only up to my arm. For you they go up to the chin," He chuckled, "And you're such a big guy to begin with so I'm sure most people would be overshadowed by it instead."
"You know, from someone who had to deal with this kind of work yourself, I expected a little sympathy." The feline Faunus grumbled while rubbing his brow, "I don't know how I'm going to do all this."
Hiruzen sighed amusingly and placed his teacup down, "If you want I can handle some of it. I'm sort of a pro at speed-reading these acquisitions and invoices and contracts and the like."
"No, that's unacceptable." Ghira put his foot down and denied Hiruzen's offer. The feline Faunus shook his head sternly, "You're retired. Have some good sense and do what anyone would do when they're retired."
"Which is what exactly?"
"I'm not sure! You should have a better idea of it than I do! You're the one who retired! Pick up a hobby or something!"
Hiruzen frowned and slumped back in his seat, "I used to free run back in the day but I'm pretty sure my body ain't up for something like that anymore."
"You? Free running?" Ghira cracked a smile, "Now I would have paid good Lien to see that."
"And if we'd been the same age, I probably would have taken your money before letting you watch me dash off in a hurry." Hiruzen chuckled while Ghira laughed and shook his head, "But time – as well as a lifetime of working with so many people – tends to quell that rebellious fire from our youth."
"I'll take your word for it." Ghira said amusingly while watching the old man close his eyes and relax at the moment. He had known Hiruzen for most of his adult life, following in the old Faunus' footsteps and one day hoping to lead the White Fang towards bigger and brighter days. Now he was here, filling the metaphorical seat that he had longed for after so many years. And even though he was honored and privileged to have this position to help his people gain a better life…
"Hiruzen," Ghira spoke up and earned the older man's attention, "Why don't you reach out to your children? Now that you've got free time, you can-"
"I think we're past that point." Hiruzen said with certainty, "I already tried to reach out to them recently. I think they made their stance on me coming back into their lives very clear." The old man glumly stared up at the ceiling, "After what happened when Biwako passed…me trying to get back into their lives would just be selfish."
His wife of many decades tragically passed just a few years prior. And despite his grief and pain, Hiruzen had decided to bury himself in his work instead of taking the time to confront the pain. That had put on strain on his already rocky relationship with his children. His son Asuma had called, arguing with his father for hours about his priorities and responsibilities before they hung up.
With Biwako now gone and no longer being able to mediate their relationship…it seemed like it was too late to try and mend what was broken between Hiruzen and his children.
"Ghira," The feline Faunus flinched when Hiruzen called his name, no doubt already picking up on the unease and concern he had for his relationship with his children, "They're safe, happy, and making lives of their own. Even if they don't want me around, I'm at peace with that."
"I…" The younger Faunus sighed and dragged his hand down his face. Quelling the unease and anxiousness he felt, he voiced the concerns he had to his old mentor, "Sir, I don't mean to be rude or callous but if I can ask; how do I avoid…w-well-"
"Losing touch with your family?" Hiruzen easily finished his question, Ghira looking uncomfortable and worried that he might have insulted the older man. But Hiruzen casually nodded and sat up in his seat, "When you are doing this job, you are going to want to keep pushing on. Taking the next step towards gaining rights and privileges that were denied to our people for so long. Doing the most you can as the person in your position of power. I won't tell you not to keep pursuing those new goals…"
"But keep your eyes on the family you've made and brought along with you. If you focus solely on the job…they may end up drifting further and further away from you. And before you know it…they're so far gone…there's no chance of pulling it back together."
"How…how will I know?"
"You won't." Hiruzen truthfully answered, "All you can do is keep your eyes open and see for yourself what is happening." Ghira didn't look convinced by that answer, so Hiruzen offered a faint smile and nodded, "But you'll at least be on the lookout this time. I think you can do what I never did." He bowed his head respectfully to the new High Leader, "I'm sure the changes that will happen under your watch will change the world."
"That's…a high bar you've set for me."
"One I'm sure you can handle quite effectively."
"Ghira!" Their conversation was halted as his wife, Kali, came to the door and poked her head in, "Ghira, can you come out here for a second? We have some visitors coming over to greet the new High Leader and they aren't listening when I tell them you're busy."
"Ugh," Ghira sighed heavily before getting out of his chair and following his wife, "I guess I had to introduce myself properly at some point." As he made for the door he looked back at his honored guest, "Will you be alright waiting for me here?"
"I'm fine. Just go and make a good impression."
Ghira smiled and nodded as he walked away with Kali and left Hiruzen alone in the office. The old man sighed and leaned back into the couch with a content yawn. He remembered having to introduce himself a lot when he had taken over as leader of the White Fang. It was probably even more hectic now than it was when he'd started.
The longer Hiruzen thought about it, the harder the time he was having coming to terms with retiring completely. He knew he made the right choice passing the torch on to a younger, more capable leader who could fight the good fight. But to completely turn away from the goal and mission he'd based the better part of his life on completing…it just wasn't possible.
So what could he do now? Stay around as an advisor to Ghira? Take up a position as a leader in a cell around one of the Kingdoms. Or should he just focus on his mental health and retire after all? Each decision seemed like an uphill battle to prove to either himself or the others he'd be working with.
Hiruzen had been so focused and consumed by the plans he was making that he didn't notice the door slowly pushed open. Or the tiny set of black cat ears that bobbed by the couch arm as they made for the bookshelf behind it.
It was only after Hiruzen had finished yawning and rubbing his eyes that he heard the soft pitter-patter of footsteps behind him. He strained his neck back and looked over the couch to see the source of the sound.
And he found a chubby-cheeked little cat Faunus, clutching a book to her chest and looking up at Hiruzen. Her little ears tilted at an angle while she looked up at him curiously.
"Hello?"
She shyly hid her face behind her book while her ears nervously twitched.
"You're Blake, right? Shouldn't you be in bed?" She was still too nervous to answer and quietly whimpered an answer behind her tome. Despite her unease, Hiruzen couldn't help a small, fond smile at her insistence, "Did you come for a book?"
Blake managed a tiny nod. With a small groan, she looked up at him, "I wanted Daddy to read it to me."
"I'm sorry, dear, but your father is very busy at the moment. I don't think he can do it right now." The way her ears fell so distraughtly atop her head as her eyes lowered made Hiruzen feel like he'd just destroyed her world with a few simple words. With as warm of a smile as he could manage, he turned to her, "Would you like me to read it to you? I'll put a bookmark in where you left off when you finally go to sleep."
Blake's expression didn't change but her ears excitedly popped up on her head. She gave a tiny nod as she climbed up onto the couch next to Hiruzen. As he took the book and opened it up, Blake scooted up to his side so she could look into the pages as well.
"Oh, the Tale of the Noble Guard? Do you like this story?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Me too. I always wanted to be a hero like them." Blake gave a hum of agreement and then pointed to the page. Hiruzen chuckled and got comfortable, "Once, a young Faunus was exploring the woods. Out in the distance, they saw a black fog roll out through the horizon. But as the fog drew nearer and the sounds of beastly growling grew deeper, she knew it was no fog."
((((((((Hunted))))))))
The man checked his watch as the time for his contact's arrival came and went. He shifted around uncomfortably, ignoring the erratic crashing and screaming from inside the shipping unit. As he grew more impatient, he prepared to take matters into his own hands and get rid of the-
"I'm here."
"AH!" The man nearly jumped out of his shoes and turned to face the one-eyed weasel Faunus that appeared behind him, "Fuck! D-Don't do that, you bastard! And you're late! Why-"
"You said you found him?"
"Don't leave me waiting, God dammit! I'm not here just to pick up every stray-"
"Is this him?"
The human man glared at the old Faunus before yanking his key off his hook. He walked over to the shipping container and unlocked it before pulling open the doors-
"WRAAAHHHH! A-AAAHHHH! IYAAHHHHHH!"
The blood-curdling screams of the young child bounced off the walls of the shipping container and assaulted them at the entrance. The human quickly pulled out his Scroll and turned on the light to illuminate the dark interior and put the subject of their deal under the spotlight.
A young, seething red-haired boy tied up to a hook inside the container and with a wrap tied around half of his head. The body bucked and pulled and screamed like crazy as he tried to break out and assault the two men staring at him.
"Caught the little bastard as he was passing out from exhaustion." The human said as they walked in and stopped just out of reach of the young rampaging boy, "I was about to turn him in when I got word from you. You know everyone in the settlement is looking for him, right? After what he did?"
"I'm aware."
"Well, then it'd be a shame if you got wrapped up in this too. I know we agreed on an amount but my silence will cost you extra. Why don't you - SHUT UP!" The human kicked his leg out and knocked the exhausted, roaring boy in the chest and back against the wall of the container. As the boy slumped over, growling and gasping for air, the human man continued, "So how much is all that worth to-"
A hand settled over his face and a spray of dark blood splashed out with the sound of grinding in the next moment.
The red-haired boy went silent as the human toppled over and dropped to the floor in front of him. He stared at the corpse in silence before the other man knelt by the body and started searching him. He pulled out a set of keys and raised them into view.
"I'm not going to hurt you…but when I set you free, you can't hurt me either, okay? I don't want to fight…I want to talk. Do you understand?"
"…"
"Nod or shake your head at least."
The young boy gave a small nod of agreement. As the older man reached up and unlocked his restraints, the little boy rubbed his wrists and considered trying to escape.
"How did this happen?"
"He said you paid for me, right?" The redhead asked, "So you know."
"I know what the humans in this town are talking about. That some Faunus child went crazy and killed the director of the refinery plant here. Of course…" The old man's eyes focused on the dirty wraps around his face and the boy shamefully covered them, "That doesn't explain what happened here."
"I don't have to tell you anything."
"No…I suppose you don't."
…
The older man reached up and pulled back the eyepatch covering his lost eye. The boy turned to him, staring at the scars and lost eyeball marking his face in surprise, "I lost mine to gunfire. I was fighting my way through a group of humans who had captured and tortured me. As I did, one of them got a lucky shot when my Aura was down. Took my eye. I took everything from him not long after."
…
"I…I was supposed to reach into a small area in the mine no one else could get through. He told me I had to do it…otherwise, he'd send other people in to do it instead." The little boy muttered, "I got angry. I got so angry I jumped him. I grabbed everything I could and I just…j-just started beating him. And he…he grabbed a burning iron for the crate branding a-and he…h-he-"
"Shh, it's okay." The older man gently tried to calm the young Faunus down as his voice and breathing started to get erratic, "My name is Danzō Shimura. What's yours?"
"I-I'm Adam. Adam Taurus."
Many of Danzō's plans over the years had not panned out.
His plan to kill Madara and create a legend was ruined by Hiruzen.
All his work with Kushina was made for naught when she discovered his plans for her to create an army for him.
Even liberating the young Majesty who had been adopted by the Atlesian military higher-up had ended with the officer dead and turned into a martyr.
Many of his best-laid plans unraveled near the end…but maybe that was just because he didn't have an effective second to see them through.
"I want to change the world, Adam. I want the world to be better for us. For all of us. I don't want us to walk through the streets with our heads held down while humans look and spit at us. I want so much more for us. Do you?"
"I-I do."
"Would you like to help me change the world, Adam?" The little bull Faunus' good eye started to tear up as he nodded.
Danzō smiled in relief and offered his hand, "Then come with me. We have so much work to do."
((((((((Hunted))))))))
Done
Now this is the proper end to this side story. The two old men find their successors to carry on their wills, for better or worse. And unlike Fox and Hood, this is the real end to this tale. Which means now I have to think up of another story to take this one's place.
Good thing I've already got one in mind.
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Thank You and Bye