The Ro squad's new mission, entrusted to the trio of Kimaru, Tsukinoko and Kakashi, was to assassinate one of the Lord of the Land of Claws' men who, with the help of his loyal followers, was trying to turn power against him.
Arriving in the land of the Claws, the agents stopped for the night in the forest outside a small village. Tsukinoko had pulled a heavy sweater over her outfit to keep out the cold, and while the other two lay down against the tree, she was still feeling hungry.
An all-night restaurant on the main road doubled as a grocery store, and she went there with her hands in her pockets and her sabers under her sweater. Despite the deserted surroundings at this late hour, two men, one tall and imposing with a simple face, the other of medium height and well-groomed, crossed her path on the main road. Without a moment's hesitation, they both turned as he passed.
Finally at the grocery store, Tsukinoko pored over the shelves and the leftovers of the day's specials. The owner watched her lingering in front of the sweets and pastries aisle, while the two men she'd met earlier entered in their turn. Tsukinoko kept her eyes peeled, as the two had gone in the opposite direction a few minutes ago.
With an assortment of daifukus and a bottle of milk in hand, she watched the two men wander the aisles. The bearded man suddenly joined her at the checkout and teasingly offered to pay for her pastries and drink, which she immediately declined. The owner of the grocery store hesitated in front of the two bills, not knowing who to cash.
The man puts his hand on Tsukinoko's shoulder and she quickly pulls away, thinking he's going to grab her weapons, then finally leaves the money on the counter and walks away.
Outside, alone at last, she slowly grew tired, yawning to the crows before emptying half the bottle of milk. A few steps further, on the main road, the two ninnies had followed her and the neat-looking one, a silk scarf over his shoulder, blocked her path, a wicked smile on his lips.
- Tell me, do you live in the village so you can go out in your pyjamas? It's late, you'd better be careful, my pretty.
The other, the ice-cream cabinet, was right behind her, circling her like easy prey. Increasingly tired, her patience was limited. The first crossed his arms, still in the way, then exclaimed again.
- You're not from Hanamaru by any chance?
- Maybe we've run into each other there," she shrugs.
- You may be in your pajamas, but we can still see your weapons under your pink sweater, my pretty.
The great daudet giggled stupidly, revealing the extent of the emptiness behind his eyes. With one movement, Tsukinoko drew her swords, but he caught her wrists with ease. Amazed that his speed could match hers, she tried to pull away, but something was wrong. Her movements were much slower than she thought, believing she'd already hit him when her arm was still moving. With a tangent in her eyes, she mobilized her aura to immobilize them, but nothing happened
Nothing emanated, as if her chakra couldn't concentrate, or was no longer substantial enough to be mobilized. Feeling drained of energy, Tsukinoko kept her composure and let nothing show.
While the troublemaker had gone off into a monologue, she furtively closed her eyes to better visualize the energy around her. Her chakra was in fact being directly sucked up by the man behind her, who was holding her by the wrists, having surely drawn some of it from the grocery store
Without waiting, she leapt - or rather, cleared off on all fours - before climbing onto the roof of the grocery store to escape them. Yet, not looking worried, the two laughed at her distress and watched her attempt to flee, serene.
With a ledger in hand, the former flipped through to a sheet concerning Tsukinoko, which detailed her skills and a promise of reward in the event of capture.
- It's a good thing I told you to drain her of her chakra first, we'd never have been able to figure her out otherwise," he shouted to his partner, who was still giggling.
- I thought it would never end," he murmurs.
- You waste it anyway, unable as you are to use it afterwards! Anyway, where were we, my pretty? He turns impatiently to Tsukinoko. Dear disciple of Chief Haruo Sato, you must be worth a fortune, you know, if we want you alive.
Tsukinoko rested a knee on the roof tiles, exhausted. Right now, there were more important things than understanding how and why she'd ended up with a bet on her head
Breathless, she took off to leap a tree and disappear into the forest, but they sent a nylon thread grabbing her ankles to pull her abruptly back to them. Lying flat on her stomach behind the store, her arm had unfortunately caught her fall, without managing to save her purchases. Her second-class state slowed her down, and as she reached for her sabers to cut the wire, the big nincompoop waved the blades under her nose. By the time she noticed them, he had immobilized her in his arms, sucking out the last of her strength. She whimpered, her arm hurting like hell, struggled, but eventually exhausted herself. Eyes squinting, the self-proclaimed leader of the pair approaches to compare her face with the photo in the register.
- Yes, it's you," he mumbles. You're only worth it if we bring you back alive, so you'll wisely accompany us," he smiles before gagging her.
The pair resumed their journey down the main road, with Tsukinoko tied like a sack over their shoulder, unconscious.
Kimaru was already fast asleep and Kakashi had put down his book for a moment. Tsukinoko still hadn't returned, having left an hour ago.
If the latter had gone into seclusion because of her insomnia, she wouldn't have used a false frenzy as an excuse. And regardless of whether she went to sleep or for a walk afterwards, she would have told her supervisor. Tsukinoko took her ease, did what she wanted, but she always told Kakashi about the slightest thing. In the end, he'd learned to trust her and let her do as she pleased, as long as he knew where she was.
The latter was thinking, a bad feeling growing inside him. Resigned, he woke Kimaru
When they arrived at the grocery store, the awake man noticed signs of a struggle, with a spilt bottle of milk and a packet of pastries on the floor a few steps behind the store.
The exaggerated volume of the radio in the store suggested that the salesman had heard nothing of what might have happened outside. Kakashi immediately called Sunifa after his observation.
The little dog sniffed the store, sniffed the ground, and turned back to them. Tsukinoko's scent was accompanied by two men who didn't give off a good vibe, all three of them off on the high road, yet they couldn't smell their comrade's footsteps.
The men had pulled ahead and it took the agents over a quarter of an hour to catch up. Kakashi signalled to stay back and observe them, then launched the assault.
He sent up smoke bombs and the two of them found themselves in a cloud that blocked their view and deprived them of their bearings. Kakashi used his sense of smell to guide himself through the thick smoke, and planted a kunai in the ninny's arm to force him to let go of Tsukinoko. He retrieved his subordinate and jumped to safety, while Kimaru ran like a shadow to neutralize the two.
- The one with the silk scarf calls out. Find her, she can't have gone far!
- She's not alone, Chief...
- Insightful," he snaps. Imbecile!
Awakened by the agitation, freed from her bonds and gag, Tsukinoko stirred, but Kakashi held her back. With his prestigious flair, he could gauge her reserves, which were far too slim.
She was panting, her forehead sweating, even though she'd been motionless for a long time. The two men found themselves tied up at the foot of the tree. As they left, Tsukinoko was dragging her feet, drained of strength, and Kakashi carried her on his back, with Sunifa on her head.
Back at camp for the night, Kakashi leafed through register he'd retrieved while Kimaru tried to make a brace on Tsukinoko's arm. The kidnappers had no armbands or any sign of belonging to an armed village. They were probably independent headhunters. The register in their possession was that of Somitto, from the mountain country. The Chief of Somitto, the fourth in line, demanded its return, suspecting that his predecessor's powers had been copied or stolen and given to him. Under the jurisdiction of the mountain country, he was indeed the author of this wanted notice, according to Kakashi.
- I'll tell the Chief and ask for another agent for the mission," resumed Kakashi, seeing his subordinate with a steed. Tsukinoko, you will return with Sunifa now.
- Huh? Nan wait! she panics.
- You have to get treatment. And if they're after you, you'd better not stay here. We don't know what to do with them, and this Somitto thing isn't right.
Tsukinoko held her gaze, but Kakashi stepped out onto the main road. He handed her an assortment of daifukus, the same ones she'd dropped earlier.
- How do you know what I like? Have you been spying on me again? she squints. Perv-
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
- It was the grocer who tipped us off," he sighs. You need to get your strength back for the road.
Ready to head home, Sunifa set off down the road with a message for the Chief, speeding towards the Land of the Sun. Tsukinoko grimaced and stayed put, while Kakashi stared at her, waiting for her to set off.
- You know I have my own escort, right? she smiles. And it's much more comfortable! See you later.
No sooner had she uttered her last words than Pansa sprang up and galloped away with Tsukinoko on his back, quickly catching up with Sunifa, whom he held back from munching, before the little dog took refuge on Tsukinoko's shoulder.
The Lord of the Land of Claws had granted imprisonment to the outlaws, whom the local police had come to collect long after the agents had discreetly left.
With her mind more at ease, Tsukinoko was nevertheless put on leave for two weeks after a cast was put on her arm as soon as she returned to Hanamaru. The Chief had warned her about her discretion, worried, but unable to hide his pride in her fame. He turned a blind eye to the Somitto Chief's provocation, as he had been quiet for several years, but kept his ears wide open for their actions.
Little Midareta had been quick to draw on Tsukinoko's plaster cast, which didn't go down well with the elders of the Council who pointed it out to Tsukinoko while she was working with Haruo, implying that their relationship was not meant to be, preferring to leave the so-called demon to his own devices.
Early in the morning, Haruo greeted his right-hand man right on time, dressed in classic military garb with a huge fur overcoat to counter the bitter winter cold. With him, Shikaru and two Colony agents greeted Tsukinoko. Before she can speak, he blows his smoke between them.
- Tsukinoko, I've received a message from Somitto about you.
- Ah? she thinks. Is it something to do with their registry?
- The Head of Somitto heard about the incident in the Land of Claws last autumn, and he's taking the opportunity to hold Hanamaru to account for you. He demands to speak with you to understand the situation, and hopes he won't have to carry out his threats if it turns out that Hanamaru has stolen information from them.
- What threats? What threats? He's hit him!" she snaps. When do I leave? I'm going to make him understand that-
- Tsukinoko," he sighs. We're trying to reason with them through the High Council. If our efforts aren't enough, Shikaru will go to Somitto to clear things up.
Outraged, she leaned on the desk and her furious gaze swept over the Chief. Tsukinoko demanded to go to Somitto herself to settle the situation, annoyed that she was being taken for an experiment, and above all that her village was being falsely accused. Nor was this story likely to revive doubts about her origins in the minds of the High Council. Shikaru stepped forward to calm things down and, despite Tsukinoko's stubbornness, Haruo concluded that negotiations between the two countries were still on for the time being.
Spring bowed out in the Land of the Sun and summer heat took its place. Tsukinoko was training with the Ro squad in the middle of the field. Kimaru, K? and Y?ji were sent on mission by Kakashi, who finally stayed with her. The latter, curious to see her progress, watched her as he read, leaning against a tree, keeping an eye on her movements. But he couldn't understand what she was trying to achieve. And, in the end, neither could she. Crouching down in the grass to think, he joined her.
- This is the second time," she sighs, "that I've been tricked.
- Are you talking about the headhunters last year?
- Yeah, how can we parry such techniques?" she says indignantly. Sucking up chakra like that, there must be some way of stopping them!
- I don't think so, or you'd have to have them first. These techniques are formidable, but they're usually the only ones they have. You know," he smiles at crouching beside her, "it's no tragedy to have a weak spot.
- I'm not weak.
Her dark eyes and closed face leave him stunned, but he pulls himself together, hiding behind his cloth mask. With the tip of his finger, he pushes her shoulder and she falls on her buttocks, off balance.
- You're so slender and delicate," he said gently, "but you're the toughest and most powerful of my agents. So I don't think you should dwell on that. If you can outsmart them and spot their weaknesses before they attack, you'll save time.
With her finger in the air and her cheeks flushed, Tsukinoko remained without repartee, content to follow him with her eyes as he returned to leaning against the tree.
- Just finalize Uchitaoshi Kusari for now. This will come in handy.
Perturbed, she leaps to her feet and crosses her arms, looking haughty to hide her embarrassment.
- You don't have to tell me what to do, I'm doing just fine on my own!" she murmurs, before moving on.
After a few hours and a pause, she puts away her sabers and moves further away. Her aura emanates around her, arms outstretched.
She hadn't made any progress for hours, always failing by not managing to hold her technique for more than a few seconds. On Yukihyō's back, running away from the deserters, adrenalin had given her the energy she needed not to flinch, but here, the effort really had to be made
Short of ideas, she gave up thinking and went for it. The result may not be what she'd hoped for, but at least she'll know the outcome of her efforts to the full
Gradually, the tension builds up in her hands, and the concentration of her Lightning surpasses her capabilities. The flow spreads into the aura all around her to decompress, electrifying her chakra in the process. As a counterproductive effect, the entire aura feeds and sizzles. Redoubling her efforts despite her fatigue after the day's training, she tries to hold the energy in her hands, kneading more and more chakra to wield it before her.
Kakashi, his nose in his book, looked up at the tension in the air, believing it to be a lightning-filled heat storm. In front of him, Tsukinoko's aura was sending small bolts of lightning in all directions.
Perplexed, he finally intervened to advise her to gather the energy dissipated in the aura instead of producing it again. Feeling as if he were speaking into a void, he realized that the mantle of sizzle around Tsukinoko was acting as an impermeable barrier. He planted himself in front of her, beckoning her to stop, but she closed her eyes.
The air grew heavier and heavier, her long hair floating around her. Kakashi analyzed her, not knowing what to do, his stomach in knots as all his senses urged him to interrupt his subordinate before disaster struck.
Petrified, until a quick solution came to him. Disable it.
He took a few steps back to gather his momentum, then charged straight at her with his Lightning fist. His fist collides head-on with the tumult of her aura, as if splitting a bolt of lightning. The excess energy instantly discharges into the air, propelling them both back and forth.
With the energy finally dissipated, the fresh wind blows across the field again, as if to help the two agents regain their composure.
Sitting on the grass, Kakashi took a long, hard look at Tsukinoko in the distance, piecing together the elements that had led to this failure.
However, the latter, unharmed, immediately jumps to her feet, before drawing her sabers again, dejected but motivated.
In the past, her father had trained her like this, hard and relentless until he got results, no matter what the fallout and consequences. Time and again, she had lost control of her gigantic reserves of chakra.
Her father had taught her to control her power, for she had ended up becoming afraid of herself, performing the techniques in an ever more amplified way. The swords he'd given her for her birthday had helped her to channel herself. Tsukinoko was about to start again, still ignoring Kakashi whom she had sensed intervening, but he held her back.
- Don't rush into things. Overloading yourself won't get you anywhere. Except hurting yourself.
Hesitantly, she lowered her head, and her eyes fell on Kakashi's hand resting on her sabers. Her mitten was torn, and the fabric melted under the sudden heat of the explosion revealed burns on her phalanges and the back of her hand. Uneasy, she avoided his gaze, which she couldn't decipher at the time and didn't dare face.
Finally, she put her swords away before grabbing Kakashi's hand to remove the jagged mitten from her slender fingers. Thanks to the medicinal plants of the Betto clan, Tsukinoko had concocted several remedies for herself and pulled a small jar of healing balm from her satchel. Applied with the tip of her finger, the flowery-smelling balm covered all the wounds one by one. Kakashi's hand begins to tremble before he abruptly withdraws it.
Her unspeakable gaze encompassed Tsukinoko's hands as she stared at the ground. Hidden behind her hair, her rosy cheeks escaped the view of Kakashi, who eventually reached out again as she waited to finish healing him. Silently, he let out a deep sigh to wash away the trembling, as the scent of Tsukinoko's balm wafted over his heart. He didn't care, and didn't let anyone near him
With her hand bandaged and tended, Tsukinoko murmured muffled snatches of apology before disappearing into the foliage of the tree behind, perched on the branches.
For her technique, Tsukinoko had decided to start from scratch. The shape wasn't right, there was too much volume to occupy at once. It would be simpler to try a successful manipulation first, before shaping it into long chains. Observing the clouds and their shapes, Tsukinoko imagined her technique in various guises, until she came upon the sun. A sphere. It was the shape with the best ratio of surface area to volume. She could then concentrate a maximum amount of Lightning without taking up too much space, and focusing on the shape would help her not to spread herself too thin. Without the help of her sabers. Suddenly, she let herself dangle by her feet from the branch and cried out, springing up right in front of Kakashi's nose.
- Say, Boss, don't you have something more... round than your fist?
Curious, she jumped to his side and he conjured up a sphere as gray as his chakra in the palm of his hand, which spun around and around. This technique required extremely refined control of chakra, given its constantly shifting shape and consistency.
- What are you trying to do?" he asks.
- By concentrating energy in a sphere, the most efficient form, it reduces effort while maintaining intensity. After that, it's only temporary, because with this I go from a half-range technique to close combat. The aim is to extend the sphere until I get my chains!
- Of course, but it's not without effort. I doubt you could do it so easily. And why start with the hardest?
- I can make a ball," she boasts, simply emanating her chakra into the palm of her hand in turn. And by trying to create a sphere charged with Lightning, I'll be able to pinpoint the ideal ratio to hold the Lightning in whatever form I want. Aim for the summit, instead of wasting your time digging under every stone on the mountain! she swings.
- In other words, you're going to run headlong into it again," he sighs.
Before she could reply, his point already in the air to signify his displeasure, he agreed with her reasoning but warned her of the difficulty. She grimaces, perplexed, then moves off to position herself in front of a puppet.
There's no need to swirl your Lightning like he does. Or maybe just at first, to help guide the energy. With her back to the village and facing the forest in the distance, Kakashi beside her tried to remain serene behind his curiosity. Tsukinoko took a breath, then held out a palm to face the puppet in profile.
The purplish aura engulfs him before being siphoned off into palm of his hand while being charged with Lightning. A sort of pinkish sphere forms in his palm, then the shape becomes more regular. His chakra forms a smooth, pink ball of Lightning.
Tsukinoko opened her eyes again briefly and, overexcited by the promising result, increased her efforts. A maximum of chakra was concentrated, the impression being that she was even sucking up the energy around her. The ball reached its peak, as big as a balloon.
The semblance of a star born in the palm of her hand glowed intensely as the atmosphere grew heavy again. Her fingers clenched, burned by the accumulated energy trying to release itself through the vessels and cells of her hand, her arm, nibbling its way inside her. The pain made her want to scream until her voice broke, unbearable, but Tsukinoko gritted her teeth. The energy stabbed right into her belly.
She had to get rid of this energy before it exploded on her. A rumbling voice in her head ordered her to release it all, immediately, increasingly oppressive.
The adrenaline gives him a howl that echoes across the field, before fading to a whisper as the sphere emits a flash of light that blinds the surrounding area. Ultra-concentrated lightning is expelled in a fraction of a second towards the puppet. In unheard-of silence, the blast charred the surrounding area and uprooted the nearest trees.
The detonation finally rings out, as loud as thunder, as the ashes fly off the field.