Secret Base (3)

Inuzuka Kiba took pride in his enhanced senses, especially his ears which could detect sounds from farther distance than ordinary humans.

However, it wouldn't help to be able to hear when his brain couldn't keep up with the content.

At first, he was dumbfounded when the Anbu attacked Hikari out of nowhere. Adding to his confusion, somehow the Anbu had resorted to use kenjutsu, and his skill was so similar to the girl's, whose techniques he had witnessed so much for the past four years until he could tell them apart with a single glance.

And then, when they had finally stopped the fight, they began to speak in riddles instead.

It wasn't about being unable to comprehend what they were saying. He literally couldn't understand the rest of the conversation after the Anbu had pulled off his mask, because they were spoken in what he could only describe as energetic, incoherent rambling...

Meanwhile, the two reincarnators continued their conversation in their native tongue, oblivious to Kiba's massive confusion.

"So you do know me! That reaction... how long had you found out?"

The Anbu raised his fingers.

"Three months ago, I was ordered to watch over a certain kid. By pure chance, I witnessed a fight between a criminal and two people wearing porcelain masks. What caught my interest was the dolphin-masked person used Emei Sect's techniques, while the dog-masked one used Wudang's."

"Oh."

Three months ago... that was around the time when they had helped Naruto. So it was from that time!

"Venerable Yao, what about that dog-masked person? Is that one the same as us?"

"Ah, no, that's..."

She raised her hand and then pointed at Kiba, who was caught off guard by the sudden attention.

"H-huh? Why are you pointing at me?"

Woof!

A sudden bark prompted him to turn to his left. His partner was holding a familiar mask on his mouth while wagging his tail.

"A-Akamaru? Why'd you have that?! Gehoh-"

Without prior warning, the dog-faced mask was shoved onto the boy's face.

Seeing his figure with the mask on, a candle immediately lit inside the Anbu's mind.

"So it was that boy?!"

They had been fighting together for a while now? How could he had failed to notice? Not to mention, the boy's attitude was too sloppy for someone who had been reincarnated!

"I know what you're thinking, but he's just a normal kid from this world."

"Oh..."

As the facts slowly sank in, the Anbu had an epiphany.

"Hold it. You taught Wudang-style martial arts to that boy? Even the Heaven Shaking Iron Palm?!"

Hikari flinched.

"Venerable Yao, didn't you swear an oath that you wouldn't reveal the secret manuals that you had stolen to outsiders...?"

"D-Did I? Ahahaha..."

"...Please don't avert your eyes..."

Hikari shrunk lower and lower under that intense accusing gaze.

"...Apologies..." She murmured in the end.

"Haah... nevermind. We've both died anyway, so I don't think it matters."

Hikari's face lit up in an instant.

"Although... if you do feel responsible... how about you help me do my current job? I could appreciate a helping hand."

Hikari's face blackened up once again.

"You... you're just guilt-tripping me, aren't you?"

"Ohoho, did I? Come on, let's go."

He put on his mask, and then gestured for Hikari to do the same with her own. After that, he walked deeper into the forest.

When Kiba saw that Hikari was about to do the same, he called out in a panic.

"Hey, wait, where are you going? We should get back to the town!"

"Ah, sorry, please go ahead. I have to face a trial of retribution..."

She dove into the darkness right after saying that nonsense.

"...Oi..."

Woof!

"Aaah! I know, I know! She's such a hassle, damnit!"

Even though he was complaining, he still followed their scent until he caught up with them. And thus, the dynamic(?) trio and their dog continued further into the forest.

The group was taking their time to search for a route that wasn't brimming with enemies. The tall shrubbery covering the forest ground helped to guise their movements.

"So, what's this job that you're talking about?" Hikari whispered, curious about what her fellow countryman was doing in his current life.

"Oh, nothing much. I was investigating a secret base nearby," the Anbu replied lightly.

"..."

She never thought that she'd heard the word 'secret base' and 'nothing much' in the same context...

"We were infiltrating the base in order to find out more about the owner and its purpose. Unfortunately, we were caught red-handed by the ninja guarding the facility. My partner decided to stay behind and hold them off, while I was supposed to bring this scroll containing the result of our investigation back to Konoha."

"Uh... is that the scroll?"

She pointed at the green-colored stick tied on the Anbu's waist.

"Yup."

Uhhh.

"Why are you still here then? Shouldn't you get back to Konoha ASAP?"

"Venerable Yao, I don't leave my allies behind," the man proudly declared. "I'm sure you understand."

Indeed. If he had delivered the scroll right away, his partner would be considered a lost cause. However, if he was, say, still showing hesitation about leaving her behind, then there was a chance that the enemies would keep her at least barely alive to lure him out.

"Fine... this is troublesome, but I'll play along."

"Fufu, that's the Venerable Yao that I know. By the way, here."

He threw her a bloodied, single-edged sword.

"I just took a random one from those people. Good enough for you?"

"Hmm..."

She gave it a few swings, producing a crisp sound as the blade cut through the night air. It was a bit too light for her taste, but the length was definitely better-suited for her techniques than the shorter ninjato.

"There shouldn't be any problem. Still, it only makes me miss my old partner even more. The swords in this world are even worse than the early turbulent era..."

"Right?!" The man nodded, full of grievance.

The two had a moment of camaraderie as they badmouthed the craftsmanship of this world, while Kiba watched with blank expression, once again unable to understand a single thing that they had spouted.

"It seems that... they're good friends... huh...?" He murmured.

Woof!

Akamaru jumped off his head and ran toward Hikari.

"Still, I'm actually glad that I could meet you, Venerable Yao," the Anbu sighed. "When I first woke up in this strange land, I was really overwhelmed. A pity that the dog-mask kid isn't someone from our era. It's a bit lonely with just the two of us."

Hikari raised an eyebrow as she lifted Akamaru on his arms. The girl and the puppy exchanged mischievous glance at each other.

"There's actually three of us here."

"Eh? Where? Don't tell me, that kid is actually..."

To his surprise, Hikari gently put Akamaru on his shoulder, right beside his ear. And then, she retreated back to walk beside Kiba.

"...Huh?"

While the man was still at a loss, a seductive feminine voice tickled his eardrum, sending shiver down his spine.

"I still prefer Huang'er, but you don't look so bad yourself, young man."

"G-gwaaaah!?"

The Anbu almost jumped out of fright. He grabbed Akamaru with both hands and then pulled him close to his face.

"T-that voice... b-big sister Daji? Is that you?"

"Hmm?"

Akamaru's slit-like eyes parted open slightly.

"Indeed, it is I, Daji."

The Anbu couldn't stop blinking. The world around him seemed like it was spinning really fast at the moment. He put the puppy down as he staggered a few steps back.

"S-Sorry... I need some time to process this..."

Kiba was left dumbfounded as he watched the prestigious Anbu member squatting on the ground while covering his face with both hands. He couldn't understand why the man suddenly had the fright of his life after getting in contact with his partner.

Was he allergic to dog, perhaps?

"Hey, do you think he's okay? Should we help him...?"

"Nah, he'll be fiiine~" Hikari patted the boy's shoulder while snickering behind him.

Heheh... consider this a revenge for breaking her ninjato!

"Alright, let's... let's stop playing around, we should... we should move quickly... I mean, whatever, let's just go!"

The man rose up to his feet, and then ran deeper in the forest, prompting the kids and Akamaru to dash off in pursuit.

---

It didn't take long before they reached a clearing at the bottom of a steep hill. The place itself shouldn't raise any suspicion, if not for the presence of two figures dressed in grey clothes and face mask similar to the ones attacking them before.

The Anbu pointed forward.

"That's the entrance to the secret base. Usually, it's left unguarded at the outside. If they put people over there, that means..."

"They're waiting for you," Hikari finished his sentence. "It's obviously a trap. Any plan?"

"I was trained to employ stealth and finesse in my mission," the Anbu said. "But that's the 'me' of this world, so screw that. We're doing this the usual way."

Hikari responded with a smirk, while Akamaru smiled knowingly.

Kiba had a bad feeling all of the sudden.

"What's the usual way?"

"Well..."

Both the Anbu and Hikari readied their stances, chakra enveloping their bodies in a bluish glow.

""...If they're in our path, just mow them down.""

They sprung out of the bushes like a pair of wild tigers, covering the distance in a single blink. Before the ninja could react, the blades had made contact with their necks, severing them in a single slash.

"I'll open the entrance."

The Anbu made several hand signs, and then pressed his palms onto the hillside.

A drawing made out of written characters began to form with his palms at the center, creating a shape resembling the eight-trigrams formation. The ground shook as the rock wall in front of them split in two as they parted, leaving an opening big enough for three people.

"Heh, this is reminding me of that time hunting those unorthodox sects..." Hikari mumbled.

The Anbu member chuckled. A smile formed behind his bear mask as he reminisced of those old days as well.

"Well, let's go."

He took the role of the vanguard as he descended the staircase. Meanwhile, Hikari glanced back at the boy who was approaching the entrance with uncertain steps. Even though his features were hidden under that mask, she could tell that he was hesitating.

"You might have to kill if you keep following us. Can you do it?"

Her words froze him on his track.

He was a shinobi, a tool for his country. He was supposed -no, expected- to be able to kill without the slightest hint of hesitation if he was ordered to do so. Her question was foolish at best.

However, the time he was living in wasn't as violent as the last three great wars.

Academy curriculum was less strict than how it was the past and focused more on personal development of the students. Even the main idea of having a Jonin instructor was to warm up the beginning shinobi to the darker side of this world bit by bit rather than throwing them blind into the abyss like in previous era.

For him to be unhinged by this situation wasn't unforgivable. It was normal.

The boy clutched his chest as he looked down on his shaking hand. Doubt began to rise in his heart. Truthfully, he was treading outside his jurisdiction at this moment. It was an Anbu mission, a mission so important that a Genin like him shouldn't be allowed to know about, not to mention taking part in.

He should walk away instead of getting involved any further. Perhaps Kurenai would even praise him, saying that it was the right thing to do.

Even so...

Seeing the distressed him, Hikari muttered, to no one in particular,

"Giving up is not dishonorable. Living in regret is."

The boy looked up. The mist clouding his eyes began to clear up.

He was a fool. Didn't he boast that he would become the best ninja in the village? Even though he was half-joking when he said that, a part of his youthful spirit still yearned to make it a reality.

It wasn't the problem of whether he should give up or not. He was hesitating because he knew that if he turned his back right now, he would regret it for his entire life.

Not to mention, that girl was clearly going as well... he couldn't leave her alone!

"I'm going!"

The hand resting on his chest had finally stopped shaking.

"Good boy."

It seemed that the kid had some backbone after all!

Smiling at his determination, Hikari delved into the depth of the underground base, with Kiba following closely behind.