Chapter 5
Takeo began the ascent through the teleporter, speaking the passcode without enthusiasm as he felt himself being pulled through space to the next room. His feet gracefully land on the floor, and he silently makes his way out of the room as he hears a clatter of feet enter another one of the rooms. He quickly makes his way down the hallway, not wanting to be stopped by the pesky attendants and medics as he heard the door open and another set of feet exited from a door behind him. He slipped out the main door and hastily walked to Kumogakure Center, where the Raikage's building was.
He noticed a familiar stride join his along the way. "So, how was the mission, hon?" Mitsuko, his fiance, walked alongside him with a smile on her face that he found under current circumstances still contagious. She wore her typical healer greens that both showed off her feminism and her modesty in the same outfit, which Takeo appreciated greatly.
The smile left his face as he said, "I've had better... Squad 17... They didn't make it." He said somberly, continuing his fast walking pace towards the Raikage's.
She softens her tone as she continues, "Well, I will be waiting at the tea house when you get done with your report." She takes two quick steps and leans up to plant a kiss on his cheek as she whispers, "Best of luck!" Takeo smiled to himself as she left... She really did bring out the best in him.
As he approached the main hall one of the guards worked up the nerve to stop him, speaking like a machine as he said, "State your name and business with the Raikage."
"Takeo Kichida, reporting in." He looked the man in the eye with a confident stare, saying, "High priority."
The guard seemed to swallow his objections and nodded to the other guard to open the door. The great doors swung open with a groan, leading to the royal chambers beyond. Takeo stepped through them as they opened, gliding across the floor with grace that few others could match. The Raikage was seated on his throne, and looked to Takeo expectantly. Takeo stopped 12 paces away from the throne, and went to a low bow as he gave his report. "Konnichiwa, Ketsuniku-dono. Reporting in." He came up from his bow when he finished the introductory.
"Where is the rest of your team, Takeo-san?" The Raikage had taken to calling him by his first name ever since he gained his seal, and Takeo felt that although it was informal it was not for him to correct. So he let it slide.
Takeo paused for a moment before speaking, "ANBU squad 17 is no more, its leader and members slain in combat by the creations of Jirou Kichida." He spoke with a dead look on his face, practicing his talent of showing no emotion like he often did.
The Raikage sat up in his throne as he heard this. "Dead, are they? That is a malicious act of aggression towards Kumogakure and its people. Are you claiming that this man has attempted to make war on me and mine?" He enunciates with clear severity, implying his own offense with the matter.
Takeo inclined his head. "Yes. Jirou Kichida has crafted a standing army of about 300 talented warriors, and each day bolsters his ranks."
"Well then, I give you full authority and responsibility to protect Kumogakure from this threat using whatever resources you deem necessary. Do not fail me." The lord's eyes narrow as he speaks the last part, saying without saying 'Crystal clear'.
Takeo bows low again and dismisses himself, suprised with the Raikage's level of trust in him. He had written him a blank check, and then told him that failure would be his head. Takeo stepped backwards until he went back onto the lowered platform, and then turned and began to walk out the door. He opens the great door to find an angsty attendent waiting wide-eyed on the other side of it. Takeo had barely stepped through the threshold as the young man made to rush past him rather rudely.
Takeo stuck out an arm with the speed and solidity required to clothesline the young man. He grabbed him by his collar and lifted him to his feet while he looked him in the eye and said, "If you show the Raikage a fraction of the disrespect you just showed me, it will be the last thing you ever do." With that, he released him and nodded to the now battle-ready guards as he made his way out of the chamber. As he made his way into the first hallway, he ran into a familiar face. He stops in mid-stride as he turns to greet her.
They both say each other's names simultaneously, Takeo smiling after the fact. "Going to see the Raikage?"
"Yeah, but... I should probably talk to you first about something...." She says as her mood darkens a bit. "Come with me..." She turns about and strides off to the common area they first had to go through in the building. Takeo follows obediently, moreso out of aggreance than habit. He takes a seat next to her in one of the waiting chairs while he runs a hand back through his hair, preparing himself for the conversation to come.
"Alright, you go first." He says with a simple gesture.
Suzumi lets out a sigh before she begins, immediately jumping into the subject. "I tried my best to help her.... I really did." She shakes her head slowly.
"Whoa, hold up... Slow down. Help who?" He cocked his head quizically.
"Umm... Kikuyo didn't make it..." She said quietly. She looked obviously upset, and the statement hit Takeo harder than he thought it would. He had known Kikuyo for years, and had developed an almost-friendship with the girl. His concern only hightened as he saw tears begin to form in the corners of Suzumi's eyes. Takeo looked away, placing a hand on head and massaging his temples as he normally did when stressed. Suzumi continued, "I tried to save her... but I couldn't..."
After a few seconds she began to cry, and Takeo tested the question... "What do you mean, didn't make it..? Is she..?" He left the question hanging.
"She's dead, Takeo! And I couldn't stop it from happening..." She suddenly stands up as she begins to shout. He slowly stands as well, looking down as she leans against him. He runs his gloved hand through her hair.
'Well crap. Not only is she upset, but the situation itself SUCKS and my news is hardly for the lighthearted...' He thinks to himself. He felt like a small part of his family had just been taken away, and his family was small enough as it is...
After a moment she seems to regain herself and sits back down in the chair, Takeo following after her. He places his hand on hers in understanding, and spends a long time just being with her and sharing with her in their loss.
After a long silence, Takeo begins. "So, it turns out we have a half-brother..." He says, dumping the topic out in the blue. After a moment he corrects, "Had..."
She gives him a puzzled look and says simply, "What?"
He looks off as he tries to figure out how to put it. "Well... To sum it up... I encountered Jirou on a mission to retrieve something, which he wanted and then tried to take from me. He cut off my hand but it's all right now." He flexes his hand and wiggles his fingers in proof. "He said hi, but I threw his message in the fire. The Raikage then sent me with Squad 17 on a mission to scout out what we believed to be their base location, which it was, only to find an underground laboratory where they were making an army of Oni that don't have souls as well as putting more curse seals on more people. I found him in a room studying one of these specimens, only for him to explain that it was my half-brother and that his curse was better than mine and he was going to kill us. I cut the creature down, and made my way back here. I just spoke with the Raikage, and received a blank check as well as the responsibility of hunting him down and stopping him..." He pauses a moment while he lets her take all of this in, having said it rather quickly to avoid leaving room for angry interjections from his little sister.
Not a second after he finished she interjected her own thoughts, saying with slow deliberation, "Jirou...." She swore. Following, she then began to chew on her nail, a nervous habit she had taken from childhood that bothered Takeo... But he decided to say nothing on the matter. She continued staring into nowhere for a moment as she seemed to be lost in thought.
"Suzumi..? Suzumi, you there?" He asks, a minute or two of silence having passed. He gives her hand a squeeze as he tries to bring her back. "Suzumi!" He says in a hushed yell.
She finally snaps out of it and looks back at him in a strange calm. "He will be dealt with when the time comes... But we have to find Kikuyo first..."
He closes his eyes for a moment before he replies. "Very well, I will assist you. She deserves that much." She nods, and then suddenly looks very perturbed again before swearing profusely. That annoyed him. Again, another time...
She collapsed her head into her palms as she stated, "Hatsuto... And Ayame..." Takeo identified the two as close friends of Kikuyo's, and Suzumi looked up at him with a pleading look in her eye. He awkwardly just looked at her, not really knowing what to do or say...
"We have to tell them..." She says with a tone of regret in her voice.
He dismissively looks away. "I don't even know what the two are up to nowadays, much less where they live..." 'Whew. Close one....' Suzumi shakes her head at him and he lets it fall as it will.
"Don't worry... I know just where they are." She says slowly. He stands, placing a hand on her shoulder as he replies.
"Well, let me know when you go to tell them, and I'll go with you..." He gives her a smile as she grabs his wrist, keeping him there.
She looks at him with a blank expression on her face, saying, "Now... This can't wait..." He nods and makes to follow her as she leaves. They soon reach their destination, Suzumi walking up to the door and knocking just a few times. After a few seconds, Ayame answered the door with a smile.
"What's up Suzumi? What's with the glum look?" The girl seems to be quite cheery, which to Takeo's regret was about to change.
Suzumi opened up the conversation with a smooth, "Uhh..."
Ayame apparently misread this 'Uh' and replied with an even more out of nowhere, "What happened? Did you get dumped or something?" Apparently these two were not particularly great at conversation.
Then, Suzumi dropped the bomb and said blandly, "Kikuyo's dead." Takeo watched as Ayame's facial expression fell, but was quickly replaced with a bewildered expression as she appeared to think they were joking. Just moments later the realization of the truth hit her. She leaned her head against the doorway as she took it in.
"How?"
Suzumi began to explain quietly, " A rogue Kenzen managed to get a hold of her when her guard was down... I failed to get to her in time." Takeo frowned to himself as he heard much of his own self-destructive thoughts of failure resurfacing in his little sister. "I did my best to tend to her wounds... but I'm no medical shinobi...and my basic knowledge wasn't enough..."
She looked up solemnly to Suzumi and asked, "Have you told Hatsuto yet?"
"I haven't... And quite frankly I'm not sure I have the heart to..."
Takeo looks to the two of them and offers up, "I'll tell him, if you want me to..." He says slowly. Suzumi turns to face him, with Ayane looking at him as well. "I don't know him all that well, and sometimes it is easier to hear this from a stranger, than a friend..." He says with a tone that echoes with experience.
Ayame finally addresses him, "I appreciate the effort Takeo, but maybe Suzumi should tell him. She's always known how to talk to him about touchy subjects." Takeo cocks a quizical eyebrow but nods his assent.
Suzumi seems to agree with her rather half-heartedly as she says, "You're right... He should hear it from me."
Ayame looks back at Suzumi as she says softly, "Do you want me to go too?"
"You don't have to do that," Suzumi tries to deflect, but Ayame was having none of it.
She got up from where she was leaning on the wall and stepped off to the cobblestone. "C'mon, let's go..."
The three of them made their way to the other side of town slowly, exchanging no conversation on the way. The group actually moved at an even slower rate as they neared Hatsuto's neighborhood.
Suzumi said, breaking the silence, "I'm suddenly not comfortable with this..." Takeo took the opportunity of her turning to look at Ayane to nock on the door several times, shooting Suzumi back a look that said 'Important'. She pulled off her snotty little sister look before stepping up the doorstep in his place. Hatsuto opened the door and greeted them all quite kindly. Suzumi looks from Ayane to Takeo as she prepares herself, finally saying, "Hatsuto... I have... grim news..." as she places a steadying hand on his shoulder.