| The Birthday Party (Ibiki, Idate, Tsume, Kiba, Hana, Kuromaru) | [Mar. 2nd, 2011|03:02 pm] |
Takes place July 7, three months after Ibika’s rescue of Kiba from the Forest of Death in Where the Wild Things Are and Tsume’s failed search for Ryouma in Never and Always, and two months after Ibiki and Asuma’s retrieval mission for Kakashi and Ginta in Tiny Little Fractures (That arc will continue as planned, we’re just time-skipping Tsume and Ibiki)
Ibiki had never been inside the Inuzuka compound before. He’d walked by it plenty of times, but from the road all one could see were the dense thicket of trees that bordered the Inuzuka land and separated it from the rest of Konoha, and the occasional wisp of smoke from cooking fires. Rumor had it, according to his little brother Idate, that setting one uninvited foot onto the path through the trees would result in a vicious mauling by a pack of savage Inuzuka hounds that were too wild to be ninken.
“Jotaro’s brother tried it on a dare,” Idate said solemnly, “and he got his whole face eaten off, and you could see the bones and everything.”
“Really?” Ibiki asked. They were nearing the compound now, strolling under dappled shadows on the road next to the compound. The closer they got, the more Idate slowed down.
“Really, niisan. Really, really.”
“Well it’s a good thing we’re invited then, isn’t it? Do you have the invitation?”
Idate pulled the cheery little scroll from his pocket and handed it to his much older brother. The outside was decorated with illustrations of party hats and cakes with candles, and the unsealed edge was grubby and crinkled where Idate had opened and closed it a dozen times or more, checking to be sure of the date, the time, the place, and that he really was invited. “This is real right, ‘Biki? “Cause we learned about forgeries in class when Fuji-sensei came and showed us some, and this could be a fake.”
Ibiki unfurled it, mostly to appease his little brother. “It’s real, Idate. If the Inuzuka wanted to lure us into a trap, they’d be committing treason, and if it was an enemy who sent it, then it would be a stupid plan to invite us to an Inuzuka birthday party. The Inuzuka are Konoha ninja.”
“But Kiba isn’t very nice.” Idate was still hanging back.
“He invited you to his party, didn’t he?”
“Maybe he wants his dogs to eat off my face. What if the dogs can’t read the invitation. I bet they can’t read.”
“If Kiba wanted to trap you he wouldn’t have invited me.” They were almost to the turn off, where a standing grey stone carved with a single paw print marked the entrance to Inuzuka land. Idate came to a complete halt.
Ibiki rolled his eyes. “Come on, boyo, don’t be a coward. Or do you want me to carry you?”
“Piggyback me.”
“Like a baby?”
Idate pouted and crossed his arms.
“Well, I’m going in. You can stay out here if you’re too afraid.” Ibiki crossed the threshold. Took three more steps, then turned back to look at his little brother. “See? No mauling.”
Idate looked to the left and right, with eyes as wide as saucers, then dashed forward and grabbed his brother’s hand. “Okay. I’m not scared. Stupid dogs. I’m totally not scared of dogs.”
Ten minutes later, when they exited the woods and got in sight of the compound proper, Idate had a chance to prove his bravery. Ibiki stopped and looked around at an eclectic clutter of proper houses, lean-to’s, sheds and tents, and a broad grassy area teeming with tattooed people and their canine familiars. |
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