26 Ghost Stories (2/2)

Fuzen patted his chest. ”Now, how are you going to reward me?”

”How about I cut off your thing and serve it to my cats when we return.”

”You wouldn't dare!”

”Neither thought my previously cheating boyfriend. If you see him ask how that went.”

Fuzen looked to Koda, seeking an answer.

”That was before my time in the team. However, I did hear a couple of rumours about a fellow jonin who had a close call losing his dear love muscle,” he shrugged.

Fuzen unconsciously shielded his crotch, protecting his own and multiple other women's future happiness.

Akata smirked seeing Fuzen's sudden insecurity. ”We can't have any stragglers contact other squads meanings we have to be quick. Koda, I want you to circle around them and dispatch anymore fleeing the scene, while Gaijin and I arrive from the front. Sound good?”

”If it's only the two of us they shouldn't be able to react in time before we're both materialized,” Fuzen approved.

Kado nodded his agreement as well. ”I'll head out then. Give a minute to get in position...” He glanced up the mountainous terrain. ”Scratch that, make it two minutes before you head in,” and left with a heavy sigh.

Waiting two minutes, Fuzen left along with Akata.

Atop the rock face, the two squads of Sunagakure and the Land of Mountains were standing on guard surveying the surrounding area beneath them.

The Suna jonin in charge went over the improvised fortification they'd built and felt satisfied with the result. He felt quite confident that even if an enemy force twice their size attacked, they should be able to hold out long enough for reinforcement to arrive. Unless of course, the stories were true and there was an enemy shinobi capable of striking from the shadows.

Hearing a rustle behind, he turned slightly alarmed. The uncertainty was starting to get the best of him.

”Sir, I think you should say a few words. A couple of the guys are scared. They've all heard the caravan tales and with it being in the middle of the night, shadows everywhere...” his second in command let the suggestion hang in the air and retreated back to his post.

Left alone, the Suna jonin cast a quick look around the circular fortification created using earth jutsu. The shinobi's on break were the ones worst off, two of them visibly trembling.

Taking a deep breath, he called attention to himself. ”HMM, HMM... Listen up, people! We've all heard the stories but you know how we shinobi tend to exaggerate our war stories. There's no way a single person could have done what's described, like come on guys!” He held up his hands for them to see. ”Fists emitting the sound of a beating heart and capable of passing through anything like it was air, attacking with speed and ferocity of a tiger, moving between shadows at will –”

”But what if they're true?” A young voice interrupted him.

He tracked the voice to a small figure hunched over in the darkness, probably scared as hell. ”The Phantom Beast does NOT exist! And even if true, we're prepared. Do you think this sword of mine is a joke!?” The jonin unsheathed the sword strapped to his back.

”Oh, I don't know about that. However, it is going to be useless against me.” The cloaked figure rose to his feet and let the hood fall.

”It's him! I recognize the tiger-mask, it's the Phantom Beast!” A panicked screech entered the night.