Chapter 24 #2
“Good,” came a voice from the room's far end. It was high-pitched, shrill, almost a squawk. “If the new batch of Veilroot is ready, it’s time to welcome our guests.”
“They’re here already?” the studious man asked, barely glancing at the newcomer as he continued examining the jars. “That was faster than expected.”
“Yes. Apparently, they sent the Silver Wolf himself. He used a Waygate to get here faster.”
They already know we’re here. And they know Kiba is with us. How?! Aimee’s mind raced. Do I stay and listen or get Taiga and warn everyone?
“What?!” The swordsman—Bain, they called him—balked, his hand flying to the hilt of his weapon. “You never said anything about a Ryōsh. It was supposed to be Jisea at worst.”
“Relax,” the leader cooed, stepping out of the shadows. He was small and hunched, his voice unnervingly calm. “I will handle him if needed, though I don’t think that will be necessary.”
Aimee’s blood ran cold. This small, shriveled man thinks he can handle Kiba?
Knowing her Squad Leader’s reputation, the thought was unsettling. But this man didn’t strike her as either stupid or uninformed.
“The old woman with them, then?” The swordsman asked.
No! Granny Oba-Chan?
“Yes!” The leader cackled. “The great Silver Wolf should already be under the Veilroot if she’s done her job. We left a little welcome package for whenever she returned.”
No! She needed to leave now.
“You know we can’t really cure the townspeople, right, Yata?” Notebook man mumbled, his pen scratching across the page. “They’re far past the point where any antidote would be effective.”
Shit. Aimee froze mid-movement, halting her jump across the roof. An antidote? That could be vital.
“Who cares?” Yata shrugged, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “She’s dead once we know the drug works on a powerful shinobi.” His grin widened. “And I couldn’t have asked for a better test case. The Silver Wolf will make an excellent demonstration.”
“Hmmm, hmmm.” The notebook man nodded absentmindedly. “Does he have a team with him?”
“Just a couple of younglings. Tanshi in training.”
“Babies.” The swordsman picked at his nails. “Think we’ll be able to drive up the price? With the Silver Wolf on display?”
“An excellent suggestion, Bain,” Yata replied, rubbing his fingers together. “Most excellent indeed.”
I don’t have time for this. Aimee’s heart raced. She couldn’t wait any longer to see if they’d reveal more about an antidote. She needed to get back.
Darting across the rooftops, her feet barely made a sound against the uneven tiles beneath her.
She kept low, her body moving in and out of the shadows.
Spotting Taiga ahead, she dropped down beside him without a word.
Her grip firm, she yanked him back, practically dragging him down into a narrow alley, where the tight walls pressed them into concealment.
At first, he struggled against her hold, but he quickly fell into step when he recognized her. Once they were a block away, far enough that she hoped they were beyond the hearing of any advanced shinobi senses, she turned to him.
“What?! Are they shinobi?!” Taiga’s eyes were wide, excited, his body practically vibrating with eagerness.
“Yes, but shut up and listen,” Aimee hissed.
“Aimee, you’re being—”
She slapped him, the sound sharp in the quiet street. “Listen. Now.”
Taiga rubbed his cheek and nodded quickly.
“There are three shinobi inside,” Aimee began, her voice low and urgent. “A swordsman, some kind of scientist or alchemist, and...something else. I’m not sure what he is, but he’s the leader, and he’s got advanced training.”
“Like how advanced?” Taiga asked, working his jaw. Maybe I hit him too hard.
“Ryōsh-level advanced.”
“What?” Taiga froze, his face paling. “How? The Havens wouldn’t be involved in something like this.”
“I don’t know.” Aimee glanced around. “Maybe a rogue. They’re working with a client who wants the drugs. And they know Kiba is here.”
“Dang, Aimee. This is bad. What do we do?”
Aimee clenched her fist. “Get back to Kiba-Sensei and hope Granny Oba-chan hasn’t drugged him yet.”
“What?!” Taiga yelped, but Aimee didn’t wait for him. She was already sprinting toward the forest, her heart pounding as she pushed her body faster.
What if we get there and it’s too late? The thought gnawed at her. She wasn’t a healer, and she knew next to nothing about drugs or how they might interact with Mana, which this one likely did.
As they reached the edge of the village, the trees looming like dark sentinels, she started searching for clues to track Kiba’s movements. But just as Aimee veered through another bush, she nearly collided head-on with Momoka and Iruka.
“Aimee!” Momoka gasped. “We found the children!”
“Granny’s gonna try to kill Kiba-Sensei!” Taiga shouted, finally breaking the tense silence he’d held during their mad dash. “We have to keep going!”
“What?” Iruka spun toward Aimee, grabbing Taiga by the collar before he could bolt off again.
“He’s right, in a way,” Aimee said, her eyes scanning their faces. “I think Granny Oba-chan’s being blackmailed to bring a small group of shinobi here so they can test their drugs on us.”
“To free the village and the children.” Iruka nodded, piecing it together.
“Yes, but after the tests, they plan to kill her. And the villagers…they’re beyond saving.”
“They killed them?” Momoka peeped, her voice barely above a whisper.
“No,” Aimee replied, shaking her head grimly. “They’re like zombies, but alive, barely.”
“What are zombies?” Taiga asked, brushing off Iruka’s hand.
Aimee pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to adjust her vocabulary to this world. “It’s like…they’ve lost their souls or their minds. They just shuffle around, no will of their own, until the medical-looking bandit gives them an order.”
“That’s impossible.” Iruka frowned. “Can a drug really do that?”
“Maybe with Mana.” Momoka wrung her hands. She’d always been the best student in the group. “But the process to figure it out would be horrific.” She blanched. “And it wouldn’t work on a shinobi, especially someone like Kiba-Sensei. He’d be able to counter any Mana control techniques.”
“Let’s assume he can’t,” Aimee cut in.
“Aimee…” Momoka started.
“No,” Aimee said, more firmly this time. “We can’t afford to screw this up. If they get Kiba, we’re all dead, not to mention everyone else here.” She didn’t think these people were planning to spare the children.
“Aimee’s right,” Iruka nodded. “We need a plan.”
All three turned to her, expectant. Fuck. She didn’t have time to make this a teachable moment, not with Kiba’s life on the line.
“Momoka, you go back the way Taiga and I came. There’s a large estate in the center of the village where they’re keeping the drug. Your first priority is to find the antidote. They mentioned they have one. It’s got to be there.”
Momoka gave a sharp nod. “The bandits probably keep a personal stash outside the lab if it’s as dangerous as you say.”
“Exactly. Then, if you can, burn the place down and bring us the antedote.”
“Any enemies?”
“They all seemed pretty eager to see Kiba-Sensei submit, so probably not, but be careful.”
Momoka hesitated for a moment, and Aimee stepped forward, pulling her into a tight hug. The girl stiffened in surprise, then hugged her back just as fiercely.
“You can do this,” Aimee whispered.
“Consider it done, Tanshi Aimee,” Momoka replied, her voice steady. Then, without another word, she vanished into the trees.
“And what am I supposed to do with the children?” Iruka asked once Momoka was gone.
“Save them, obviously,” Taiga muttered, tapping his foot impatiently.
“Why?” Iruka turned to Aimee, seeking clarification.
“They remain our primary mission,” Aimee said. “Besides, if Kiba-Sensei isn’t under their control, the first thing they’ll do is threaten the kids to use against us.”
“Okay,” Iruka tilted his head, considering. “Makes sense.”
“No good, despicable...” Taiga muttered.
“Iruka,” Aimee continued, “get the kids out and find somewhere safe to hole up. It could be for the rest of the day, maybe even the night.”
Iruka nodded but glanced at Taiga with a raised brow. “You sure you don’t want that one with the kids? I’m better in a fight.”
“Are not!” Taiga shot back, stepping toward him, but Aimee quickly moved between them, turning to Iruka.
She was honestly surprised he hadn’t pushed back harder. “I’m not questioning your skills in a fight. But for this, I need someone loud—a flash and bang to distract them while I check on Kiba-Sensei.”
Iruka snorted, his gaze flicking to Taiga. “You need someone to make a lot of noise.”
“Exactly.” Aimee nodded, then turned to Taiga, her voice steady. “And someone strong enough to stay alive against multiple elite-level shinobi.”
Taiga’s posture shifted, his indignation fading into thoughtfulness.
His hands unclenched, his expression faltering as the weight of her words sank in.
For a moment, fear flickered across his face, his eyes widening ever so slightly.
But then, his back straightened, and his jaw tightened, his gaze meeting Aimee’s with a firm nod.
“Elite?” Iruka asked.
“At least one Ryōsh level. I think,” Aimee replied.
“We need Kiba-Sensei.”
“Yes, we do.”
Iruka pressed his lips into a tight line, preparing to leave, but just before he took off, he turned back to Taiga. “This isn’t a game or a competition, Taiga. These men will kill you without a second thought. Show them the flash and the bang.” He paused. “But be careful. Don’t die.”
Taiga blinked in surprise, his usual bravado momentarily slipping, then nodded. “I won’t. You can count on it.”
With that, Iruka disappeared, leaving Aimee and Taiga alone. She glanced at him, then pointed toward the first marker Kiba had left. “Let’s go.”