Fuyuko Yamanaka

Naruto: Tales of Ashihara

Kakumei – Arc 5: Fear of the Dark

.

Chapter 109 – Fuyuko Yamanaka

.

At the exit of a large forest of the lands of Heart, just a few steps away from the red flower field that surrounds Ketsugakure, Takeshi Minamoto stands in confusion before Meinu Imai, aka Killin' Kiss, who just revealed herself to him.

"I don't need to get into this village… Now that I have you?" he repeats her words, expecting an explanation.

"Right! I wouldn't recommend this village anyway." she replies. "From personal experience."

"Is it about that masculine surrogacy thing?" Takeshi dumbly asks.

"Not even. But if this is what caught your interest about this village, I can still give you something similar. You just have to ask nicely." she replies with a soft and flirty tone.

"… Is she… flirting…?" Takeshi asks Tentoki in his mind, a bit troubled by this behavior.

"Be careful… Don't fall for any trap." the tengu advises. "Judging from reports, she used to seduce her victims before killing them. Don't forget she's supposedly the mastermind behind Kakumei."

"Don't worry. She won't get me with those tricks…" he confidently replies. "An average sized and brown haired woman isn't my type anyway."

"Your type?… Guess you're more into tall black haired ladies, is it?" Tentoki replies, thinking of Tsubai's taste in women, before changing the topic. "Anyway, she's probably stronger than she looks. You should consider that in case you want to capture her for Kiri."

"… Not really thinking of doing this." Takeshi explains. "I'm not a Hunter-nin anymore so it's not my job. I'm only after Fuyuko Yamanaka right now, and she says she could help me with that."

"… Stay aware." Tentoki replies, agreeing with his host's focus on Fuyuko.

Meinu Imai takes a step forward while Takeshi is thinking, which alerts him.

"Stop right there." he warns her. "If meeting you makes a visit to Ketsu useless, it means you probably know more about Julia Tomoe."

"I do, but anything about her is really not what you should worry about." Killin' Kiss says. "You probably have more questions about Fuyuko, and I happen to have answers to all of them."

Takeshi looks at Tentoki in his mind again, feeling even more confused. If she really has the intel she offers, what even motivates her to help him. Besides, how did she even find him?

"Who sent you?" Takeshi simply asks, thinking this simple question could get him all the answers he needs.

"Oh, dear… You know I can't tell you that." Meinu answers. "The least I can say is that I was tasked with giving you all the answers you need, and to get you to meet a certain someone."

While she speaks, she suddenly reaches for her ninja pocket with her right hand and prepares to pull out something. But Takeshi, who only seemed to be at ease, reacts in a flash to stop her.

Koton – Shunshin

In an instant, he catches her arms, pulls them up and immobilizes her against a tree. Surprised by this sudden movement, she gasps and innocently looks at the right hand in which she's holding a shuriken.

"What did you intend to do with this?" Takeshi asks.

"Who knows…" Meinu replies calmly as she looks up to the ninja's blue eyes. Finding this mutual position quite arousing, she slowly lets her eyelids fall and lightly brings her lips forward to encourage a kiss, but Takeshi doesn't fall for her charms.

"What was this about, Tentoki? Is she trying to kill me?" Takeshi asks.

"I don't get it either. This attempt seems unrelated to any of her own intentions. Seems like she's just seriously messed up." Tentoki guesses. "I don't think she's lying about helping you. This really came out of nowhere. But the good thing is you stood alert. Ask her what you need."

"What do you know about Fuyuko?" he says.

Meinu opens her eyes and backs up, troubled by Takeshi's indifference. She frowns and thinks for a moment. Takeshi did look at her mitsudomoe tattoo earlier, so he should have fallen for Oshio's Genjutsu and be forced to believe that they love each other, but he still reacted before she could get her weapon out. Not that she really wanted to kill him, but this is still upsetting due to what it implies.

"Hm? The spell doesn't work anymore?" she thinks aloud, wondering about what it could mean happened to Oshio… "Sorry, your question was what I know about Fuyuko?"

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Tentoki exclaims, unsettled by the mercenary's unexplained changes in behavior.

"He came to see me a few days ago." Meinu tells, still held against the tree. "Obviously, he's after you to avenge his sister, but that's not his only motivation. He has greater and more dangerous ambitions."

"Do tell more." Takeshi says before he lets her go and takes a step away.

"He asked for my help to rebuild Kakumei." she says, to Takeshi's utter surprise. "He and I are alive and free, and what he wanted to achieve with Kakumei is still incomplete. So he wants to free Oshio and resume things from where we left them. Prevent the feudal system from surviving, kill the Kage, capture the Biju, and most importantly, kill Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."

Takeshi holds the back of his head and thinks about this revelation. If this is true, then it makes Fuyuko an international threat that he has to stop by all means. Better than that, he's the only one aware of it and in range to take action for now.

"But no worries darling. I declined his offer." Meinu adds to complete the tale. "I wouldn't say that I moved on from Kakumei, but I think we got our victory. I don't want to force Oshio into a second round… Still, Fuyuko won't need me to take action by his own means."

"… This seems hard to believe…" Tentoki says to his host. "That remaining Kakumei members are willing to bring it back is understandable, but that this girl, of all people, moved on more than Fuyuko Yamanaka is unlikely. The Kage said she was the sparkle that lit the fire of this one person wants it to come back, it's her, not Fuyuko."

"You heard her. She got the victory she wanted out of it." Takeshi argues. "But Fuyuko is still after the Kage. I guess I am just the first of his targets."

Tentoki doesn't answer this. His Yamabushi is quick to make conclusions, but it at least motivates him. Meinu Imai sure is hard to trust, but they yet have to see if she can provide the intel they need.

"What about his other reasons to go after me?" Takeshi asks.

"This is more tricky to explain." she replies. "To make it short, he needs to get rid of you first because his life depends on it. Before I make this clearer for you, let's get to a warmer place, shall we? You certainly would enjoy a nice room with pleasant company for the night, wouldn't you? And I did say there's someone I need to introduce you to."

Takeshi, intrigued by this tiny detail given about Fuyuko's motivation, complies and accepts to follow her, but stays alert as his tengu advised. Killin' Kiss grabs him by the hand and walks him through the woods, toward the nearest village. Kiri-nin is curious to learn all he can about Fuyuko and Julia, but also wants to see who Meinu may introduce him to.

.

Meanwhile, in another village of the same land, in a small studio apartment, Fuyuko Yamanaka is lying on a couch and waiting for Julia to come back from a short shopping trip. He actually enjoys a simple and modest lifestyle. And just like Oshio and Kawaki, he decided to donate his and Akiko's wealth accumulated as executives back to Hikari.

While he's just pondering about his past, his girlfriend opens and closes the door, and comes to lay a flower on his face.

"It's made of chocolate." Julia says.

"You went outside at midnight just to get a chocolate flower?" Fuyuko replies, taking the flower off his forehead and sitting up.

"I went to see Minoka, and she gave me those. She made them." the blond girl adds.

"She makes chocolate sculptures?" the Yamanaka says. "Is that what she's doing when not frankensteining herself?"

After this jokey question, Fuyuko stands up, puts the chocolate piece in his mouth and goes to stand before a cork board hanging on the wall. Stitched on it are countless pieces of journals, paper notes and pictures. All about Takeshi Minamoto, his family or Ryuka. Julia, reminded of her boyfriend's quest for survival, holds her arms around his shoulders.

"What's on your mind?" she asks him compassionately.

"Nothing. I just like standing in front of this and thinking about my worst enemy like the average cliche obsessive villain."

"I mean what's really on your mind?" Julia insists. "You stand in front of that thing at least once a day, and you always start talking about Captain Kawaki and Lord Oshio after that."

"Girl you know me too well." Fuyuko exclaims again. He holds Julia's hands that are on his chest and leans forward to make her mount on his back. Then, carrying her, he sits her on the couch and lies down by her side. Julia takes another chocolate that she puts in his mouth, and lets him talk.

"You know, Oshio really loved anko dumplings." he starts to tell. "Before shit happened, he'd always go to that place in Hikari and get some. He'd then sit on the castle's highest roof with us to share them. Sometimes with Kawaki, sometimes Meinu, or Akiko and I, and sometimes all of us at once. We'd just sit there and chill."

"Kawaki used to do the same with Minako every time he noticed her feeling excluded from the rest of the troop." Julia says. "I guess I know where he got that from now."

"He did?" Fuyuko questions. "Makes me wonder about Oshio's reason for this habit… Was it also about avoiding loneliness?… Anyway, You must have your head full of my flashbacks! Why don't you tell me your backstory for once? Like how did the prettiest Tomoe girl end up deserting as a child?"

"Hm… It's complicated…" Julia complies to tell. "There's two versions to that story. The truth and what Lady Toshima tells her people: that my mother fell in love with a visitor of the village a bit too seriously, and kept him with her long enough to have 2 daughters. My sister and I. When Lady Gozen Tomoe banished that man, my mom ran away with us."

"'Kay, and what's the real story?" Fuyuko asks.

"Truth is we didn't leave until Toshima was made queen." Julia explains. "The man in question, my father, was actually allowed to stay for long in the village because he was a weapon provider, and was banished only when the village found out about some kind of muggling traffic he was involved in. I was too young to even just remember him at that time. We stayed in Ketsu until Lady Gozen's death. Toshima taking over is what made us flee. She actually despised us. My mother used to say she was jealous of my father, but there is more to this. My sister was born oddly strong, so gifted that people called her a blessing from our goddess Naobi. Toshima, whose 2nd daughter was born just a year before my older sister, hated that the one child of the clan to have potential on par with Lady Gozen wasn't her daughter. So she looked down on us for as long as we lived there."

"Actually,… judging from what I know of her, it pretty much sounds like something Toshima Tomoe would do." Fuyuko assumes. "Then Gozen died and your momma ran away. After that?"

"We wandered the land in search for a place to live, but most of the land was still under the Tomoe clan's influence." Julia continues. "My mom spent all her time bitching about Toshima and Gozen, saying it's all their fault, and that we'd all be fine once we find my father… I wasn't all dumb back then. I could already understand that my mom was just as stubborn in pride as she claimed Toshima to be. But my sister noticed this sooner, and couldn't take it anymore. She ended up killing our mom, running away from the land and leaving me alone to look for our dad by herself. Then you know what's next. I came to Hikari and joined Kawaki's squad."

"Your sister's wild as fuck, girl." Fuyuko comments. "Did she ever find your dad?"

"I haven't got any news from her since she left." the blond girl answers. "And I still never met my dad. All I know about him is that, as my mom always said, I have the same light yellow hair as him."

"He sure isn't Daddy of the year." the Yamanaka comments again. "And I guess Anastasia Tomoe is actually his daughter too."

"What? Anastasia? You mean Toshima's second daughter?" Julia exclaims. "What makes you think that?"

"Uh? Ain't that right?" he clears his throat before explaining himself. "Your mom was always saying that Toshima was jealous of her relationship with your dad, and that she was angry that her 2nd daughter wasn't more like your sister. Would make sense if the reason for this comparison is that they have the same father. It even makes the hate between your mom and Toshima way more meaningful… Also, I dunno, I just thought Anastasia kinda looks like you."

"Like me? No way! Have you seen her?" Julia shouts again. "She looks like Lady Gozen Tomoe, but younger and way hotter."

"Yeah, and that little plus is because she looks like you." Fuyuko replies with a flirty voice.

Julia smiles at this compliment, and gently rubs her hands in her boyfriend's hair. Fuyuko, still wanting to enjoy the sound of her voice, keeps the conversation going.

"And so your sister's still out there?" he says. "Why don't you try to find her?"

"She kind of betrayed me, and honestly she's scary." she replies. "What about you? I know you have a little sister that still lives in Hikari. Why did you never visit her?"

"… I can't." Fuyuko sadly says. "I wouldn't be able to face her, knowing that I'm her only sibling left."

And there it comes. Every night conversation Julia has with Fuyuko ends the same way. She always accidentally brings up Akiko, and gets Fuyuko into a vengeance thread. Every time, his speech is fueled by an incomplete grief. To prevent this from happening again, she shuts Fuyuko up with a long kiss. When she's done, she raises her head and brings back the main discussion.

"About what you said earlier today, when Takeshi left…" she asks. "Did you mean the tengu seed won't be held back any longer?"

"I think it would have already hatched without your seal." Fuyuko says. "Basically, I don't have much time left, but the bright side is that you're in control of when it happens as long as you decide when the seal breaks."

Julia lies down by his side and quietly hopes that they'll quickly get done with the Minamoto. Not only will it save Fuyuko's life, but it will also possibly finally let him move on.

.

Back to Takeshi and Meinu. They are finally reaching a lone house on the border of a small village. Killin' Kiss lightly turns around and smiles to indicate that they've reached their destination. Takeshi looks forward to the house and notices a flock of crows wandering around and flying in by a window. Surprised by this odd scene, he lets Meinu drag him inside.

Right at the entrance, Meinu calmly takes off her boots and socks before going further, just as tradition dictates, and invites Takeshi to do the same.

"I'll introduce you to this guy, you'll have your chat, and then you can join me in the bedroom. You look tired after all." she tells as they step in the living room.

There, Takeshi sees the crows he saw outside spinning around an armchair before suddenly turning into a mist cloud and settling to reveal a person sitting down. It's a man who wears a long black vest and an elegant dark blue buttoned shirt, has bright blue hair and gray slanting eyes, and carries a katana on his back. Takeshi recognizes him from the pictures he's seen in the Bingo Book.

"This is Karasu Komori." Meinu says. "You probably know him as Crow, the number one S-rank mercenary."

"You're still as careless as always with real names, Killin' Kiss." Crow says. "Except when it comes to yours."

"You're Crow?" Takeshi exclaims in shock, unable to understand the reason for this organized meeting. "You're the guy who beat up my best friend in Ryuka last year. What makes you think I'd want to chat with you?"

"You mean Izuna Uchiha?" the mercenary replies. "At that time, Kakumei hired me to kill Jin Heihachiro and give Seiki Tomoe an occasion to betray them. My fight with this Uchiha kid was only business, understand that. Speaking of friends and business, you're the ninja who delivered Voodoo to Kiri, aren't you?"

"That went just as planned!" Meinu jokes, reminding Karasu that she, with the Chimera, is who orchestrated Oji's fall.

"Voodoo is a respectable elder. I'm glad nobody had forced me to play a role in this." Crow calmly says. "Yet, if I was asked to, I would have done it whether I wanted to or not. After all, Voodoo was an expendable weapon that served its purpose for the higher ups, just like all of us will be."

"Don't put me in the same bag, Karasuu~" Meinu happily sings as she leans forward to whisper in Takeshi's ear. "I'll let you two have your chat. When you're done, bored or horny, come join me and get the intel you need…"

She steps away while untying the scarf around her waist.

"… and a warm pleasant night." she adds with a flirty voice, letting her top and scarf fall just as she takes a turn into the staircase, letting Takeshi only catch a glimpse of her bare back. Once again troubled, the Kiri-nin swallows his saliva, clears his mind, and goes to sit on a sofa, face to face with Crow.

"You're in a suburban house in the middle of the night with the 2 most dangerous bounty hunters in the world." Tentoki simply says, to make his host aware of the situation's meaning. Takeshi stays calm. He isn't a Hunter-nin anymore, so he'd get nothing from capturing these people. Besides he has more important enemies to follow while these ones could actually be allies.

"You shouldn't trust her." Crow warns Takeshi about Meinu as soon as he's sure she isn't listening. "She's no mercenary anymore. Only a bounty hunter. She obeys to no employer. She wouldn't be doing this if she wasn't getting something out of it."

"What are you doing this for, then?" Takeshi asks, staying on his guard.

"Unlike her, I follow a master." Karasu says. "I am but the messenger of a man who wants you as an ally rather than an enemy."

Takeshi lightly laughs at this honesty, and keeps listening.

"I am the right hand of an important figure and replace Naomi Yuki who was formerly at this position." he goes on. "Your parents must know of her."

"Maybe… And who's that important figure?" The Minamoto tries to get answers.

"I was raised to be nothing more than a weapon as deadly and efficient as possible." Crow tells in response. "A weapon like me, when well handled, can't hurt its holder."

"And are you well handled?" Takeshi adds, insisting.

"I am." he promptly replies. "If you prove yourself trustworthy, the handler will reveal himself to you eventually, but I won't. And don't think you'll be able to trick him. He's always two steps ahead…"

"Yeah. He sure knows more about me than I know about him." the ninja comments.

"Minamoto Takeshi. You're 18, born on 23rd October of the year 1189 in Kiri. Blood type B, 189cm tall but not fully grown. Elemental affinity is Lightning. You completed Kiri's genin training at 10 and got promoted to Chunin and Jonin at 14. You're single but had many relationships that didn't work out." Karasu recites, to Takeshi's discomfort. "This is what he told me about you. Sorry for sounding intrusive. I can balance the game and give you the same intel about me. Or I can give you more useful information."

"What kind of more useful information?" Takeshi demands.

"It's limitless. As just a glimpse of what you'd win by becoming his ally, I can tell you what you want to know, something you don't know I know, or something you don't know."

"Try all 3."

"Let's see… There is a retired man living in a coastal village of your land with his family, who's actually an individual of the same species as Momoshiki Otsutsuki. That is none of your business, but you didn't know it."

"Wait what the hell? An Otsutsuki lives retired in the land of Water? Can you tell me something that I don't know and that's real?"

"I'm not here to provide false information. This is undeniably true."

Takeshi makes a confused face, and looks at Tentoki in his mind. Who's this unknown celestial being? Does Sasuke Uchiha know about this? If not, why does Crow's master, of all people, know? Who even is this master? Why does he know so much about him and why does he think he'd want to be his ally? Karasu doesn't want this to stay the focus of the discussion, so he quickly changes the topic.

"Now for something you don't know I know… The man who bought your aunt's brand really was motivated by his crush on your mother, who's still the top model of the brand so far."

"… Funny." Takeshi simply replies, even though he was already aware of this pitiful fact.

"And for something you want to know… I can tell you exactly why Fuyuko Yamanaka needs to get rid of you."

"Now he's talking." Tentoki says. "Listen up." he adds, which Takeshi does.

"You certainly know that he's hosting the seed of a tengu." Crow explains. "It seems like this seed is, after all this time for some reason, soon going to hatch. The tengu in question will have an irreversible effect on Fuyuko's consciousness and take over his body forever. The only way for him to save his life is to have another tengu fight back against the evil one to protect his mind. So he intends to take your tengu to do this."

Takeshi carefully listened and now recalls this explanation in his mind with Tentoki.

"So does it mean Ryutoki will awake after all?" he asks.

"This guy knows very little about what he's telling but still makes perfect sense." the white tengu thinks aloud. "It's safe to assume his words can be trusted."

"… That can't be the whole story!" Takeshi complains, not happy about this revelation. "The question is still the same. Why does he need my tengu and not anybody else's? And how the hell is Ryutoki's seed suddenly growing? Sojobo is still dead."

"It is you." the mysterious voice of Takeshi's other tengu, Makura, speaks and surprises them. "Your life. Your essence. It is the fuel that will kill Fuyuko."

"What?" Tentoki exclaims. "It's that other tengu again! What does he mean? Only the Daitengu's presence has this effect on tengu seeds. How can you be the source?"

Tentoki stops speaking as he remembers what happened earlier today when Takeshi regrew his leg with the Daitengu's jutsu. This is another mysterious and very recent similarity between Takeshi and Sojobo that worries him. What exactly does this mean, and why does the other tengu seem to have innate knowledge of it?

"Is that true, Makura?" Takeshi calmly says to his second tengu that only he can see. "Fuyuko surely isn't aware of this, or he wouldn't be running after me… Seems like there is no good outcome possible for this guy."

In reality, Takeshi stares at Karasu and squints.

"How do you know all this?" he questions, wondering if there is a tie between him and Fuyuko.

"Honestly… I used a jutsu to read it from Kiss's mind, to whom Fuyuko Yamanaka told it in person."

"So they really met each other." Tentoki quickly remarks, still paying attention.

Takeshi slowly nods and understands what the stakes are for him in this battle. Still, he'd like to question his interlocutor about one last thing.

"What about Julia Tomoe?" he says. "What role does she play in this?"

"She's important to Fuyuko." Karasu says. "She was tasked to look after him by Oshio Uchiha, and she took it seriously."

"His girlfriend, huh?" Takeshi guesses, with a bit of disgust in his voice, coming from obvious jealousy.

He doesn't say anything more, wondering what more he could ask for. Karasu, seeing him silent, smiles and leans forward to offer a handshake.

"Actually, I've told you anything that Kiss could have." he says. "Consider this a gift. I saved you from a debt to her… Also, obviously, don't join her in her room. The only thing that's greater than her nymphomania is her blood lust. No matter how powerful you are, you wouldn't make it out alive."

Takeshi smiles and lightly laughs again, flattered by this mercenary's honesty. He accepts his friendliness and shakes his hand.

"That's a pleasant outcome to a night with the two worst bounty hunters in the world." he says.

"I consider this a compliment, but can't take it." Karasu replies. "A certain White Claw will probably overshadow my reputation soon. As I said, I'm only an expendable weapon."

After this honest reply, Takeshi gets more cheerful and brings the topic back to the short remark he made about an Otsutsuki in the land of Water, and the investor who bought Saori's styling brand. The two men in black keep their conversation going for nearly half an hour, until Karasu hands a key and a note to Takeshi, being for a hotel room in another nearby village that he should go to instead of staying here.

Takeshi stands up, salutes this uncommon new friend, and vanishes away. Karasu Komori stays on his seat and wonders about this discussion and the mission he was asked to do. Takeshi seems to go along well with him, but will it really make him betray his ninja ways to collaborate with the Chimera?

Behind Crow, Meinu gets out of her room with just a sheet around her body, and grumpily speaks to Karasu.

"Why'd you have to ruin all the fun, Karasu…" she sassily says. "Should I consider this a betrayal?"

"Why are you doing this?" he replies with a question. "Why did you accept to help?"

"I have my reasons." she says. "Maybe I really find this ninja extremely attractive. Or maybe I just want Fuyuko to go down."

Karasu doesn't argue with her, knowing how useless it can be. He just stands up and leaves as well, after turning in a flock of crows again. As he flies out by the same window, he feels bad for the ninja he just had a chat with, yet he can't tell why.

.

A few minutes later, Takeshi found his hotel and his room. After checking every centimeter around to make sure no trap was there, he lays in bed to debrief this weird half night with his tengu.

"… First of all, I'm really unsettled by both these people's behavior." Tentoki says. "Meinu Imai is hard to understand. She feels like she has many minds at once. And Karasu Komori… is actually nice."

"Most importantly, I've got to kill Fuyuko." Takeshi brings in the main topic.

"… There has to be another way…" Tentoki says, before expressing his thoughts. "Takeshi, listen. I know that, to you, the best thing to do is certainly to kill him, get credit for saving the world and stopping Kakumei's return, and purge Ryutoki just as I couldn't do with Shibata 19 years ago."

"Shibata…" Takeshi remarks. "Sorry to ask, Tentoki, but you and Kokoro-sensei mention this guy a lot. How was he, compared to me, as a yamabushi?"

"This… is an odd question but I can answer sincerely." Tentoki starts. "Shibata wasn't as strong as you. He wasn't really smarter than you… But he was one thing for sure. He was similar to me. His first ambitions were always to save those around him and stitch to a daily peaceful life. Like you, he wanted to be a hero for Kiri, but unlike you, he knew he was only the hero of his own story."

"… What do you mean?"

"Remember what I said about Kaori and Teru's point?" Tentoki reminds him. "Thing is… Takeshi, you're really good at lying to yourself. So good that even I can't do anything about it. You tell yourself stories that put you as the main interest. Shibata, back then, knew that Sojobo had to be stopped, but he also knew he wasn't the one who'd defeat him. Also, Shibata listened to me, and made Sasuke listen to us. We convinced him to let the tengu live… So, Takeshi… If this is not asking for too much, I'd like to account for the possibility of saving Fuyuko. I don't know a way to do so for now, but if we can work together to suppress Ryutoki inside of him, we'd get rid of Fuyuko's powers and make him far less dangerous. Getting him to jail then would be easier… If Izuna could spare his brother even after he went this far, we can spare a lost soul seeking vengeance."

Takeshi, to this monologue, doesn't reply. He didn't expect to make such ideas and memories emerge with such a simple question. By this answer and demand, he feels humbled and embarrassed. What makes it worse is that he can't even defile from it, since the interlocutor is part of his mind. He has to hear and accept this criticism.

He now finally starts to see what Kaori and Teru were mad about and that Tentoki seems to have understood. It seems like his natural gift always made him consider less of people's feelings. However, Fuyuko won't get away without a fight. He still represents a menace that he needs to stop to save the world.

So, to his tengu's demand, he doesn't give an answer. Then, the light of the rising sun gets in through the window. Takeshi had spent the whole second part of the night slowly thinking and didn't sleep at all. Also, a sudden call in his mind makes him understand that he won't be allowed to have a rest tonight.

In his mind, he hears the vulgar vocabulary of Fuyuko Yamanaka speak through the Shindenshin jutsu. The presence of a tengu in both their bodies makes the connection easier, regardless of the distance.

"Hey shithead!" Fuyuko says. "Come to me if you wanna end it now. I'm back at your family's crib. If you don't show up, I'll destroy the village."

Takeshi sits on the bed, shakes his head to wake up and immediately intends to question Tentoki, who explains before being asked.

"He's speaking about Ryuka." the tengu says. "Be careful. It's obviously a trap."

Takeshi stands up, recalls his tengu's demand about the way they should handle this, and also thinks of how he escaped his previous encounter with this enemy. Had it not been for Makura and this mysterious Daitengu jutsu, he'd still be missing a leg.

Knowing what forces he should draw in, he looks at Makura, the 3 meters tall half wooden statue that blandly stares at him with its 3 blue glowing eyes shining between the long hair flowing over its face and body.

"Makura, lend me your power and knowledge this time." he asks, to no reply. He doesn't insist and just lets the tengu know his request. Whether it finally takes action or not is up to itself.

.

End of Chapter 109 – Next Chapter: Makura