Relentless (Book 2)

Dangerous Combination- Hibiki

"Alright, cut the crap," Hibiki said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Excuse me?!" Ebisu cried, the shock in his eyes hidden behind his dark, circular glasses. "What did you just say to me?!"

"Well you have ears don't you?" Hibiki replied quickly. "You may just want to get the wax out of them!"

Ebisu's jaw dropped. "What insolence! You had better learn to respect your superiors!"

"You can't mean yourself," Hibiki snapped furiously. "Just tell us the truth already! Where is our comrade going? And why?"

Ebisu laughed obnoxiously, his hands on his hips. "I'm happy to inform you that that information is not your business to know."

"You awful old pervert!" Hibiki raged, trying to step forward but Tamiko held him back. The girl said nothing through the exchange, sharing his frustration if perhaps not in such an unprofessional fashion.

"Pervert?! How dare you?!" Ebisu screeched.

Naruto told me everything!" Hibiki said triumphantly. "You get a nosebleed every time a girl so much as looks at you!"

"You little brat!" Ebisu shouted. "I swear I'll-"

"Ebisu, I trust you're not letting this child make a fool out of you?" someone asked from behind them causing them all to turn.

Iruka Sensei stood there, his hands on his hips.

"Iruka!" Ebisu said in relief. "Something must  be done about that awful child!"

"Ebisu, please, they're just children, how bad can they be?"

"Yes, Ebisu Sensei," Hibiki said, batting his eyelashes. "We truly do enjoy spending time with you!"

"You little-!"

"That's enough, Ebisu," Iruka said, clapping the man on one shoulder.

"If it would please you, I can take over their training until Katsu and Kakashi return."

"Please, be my guest," Ebisu said with a final glare before stomping off of the training course.

Hibiki ceased his none-too-concealed snickering when Iruka gave him a hard look. "Hibiki Yuri," he said sternly. "I am disappointed in you. I-"

"I know, I know," Hibiki said impatiently, waving a hand to get Iruka to stop talking. "I should just allow events to unfold like an obedient little boy and pay no heed to the unmasked trauma and dangers my comrade is facing while you adults take this 'simple' matter into your own 'more capable' hands."

Iruka frowned. "It's not exactly what I was going to say, but I must acknowledge that your vocabulary is quite expansive."

Hibiki placed his hands on his hips, raising his chin. "One word for you buddy: scrabble"

Iruka smirked. "Now to the matter of Erika, I apologize to have left you in the dark for so long, it was very inconsiderate. You see, your comrade left for reasons not entirely clear to us. We believe it has something to do with freeing her mother whom she believes to be alive."

Hibiki and Tamiko glanced at each other briefly.

Iruka crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "You two wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Hibiki also crossed his arms. "We're sworn to secrecy," he said with a shrug. "Deal with it."

"Hibiki Yuri," Iruka said with a slightly exasperated shake of his head. "Where do you get your attitude from?"

"Katsu Sensei claims I get it from Kakashi Sensei whereas he believes it to be the other way around," Hibiki replied, taking no offense. "But they're both wrong. It's not a skill you learn, it's something you're born with."

"I see," Iruka said, turning to Tamiko who had remained silent the whole time. "And is there anything you would like to tell me, Tamiko?" He asked expectantly.

She remained silent and simply shook her head.

Hibiki nodded his approval. "That's right. If I won't tell you, she won't either."

"Even if the information you share with us could help us find your friend faster?" he asked.

Tamiko and Hibiki frowned and shared another glance.

Iruka shrugged. "It's up to you."

 Hibiki looked suspiciously at Iruka before pulling Tamiko a little ways away. "What should we do?" he whispered uncertainly.

"I'm not sure," she said quietly. "We need to find Erika."

"Can we really break our promise to her and tell them about her mother?"

"I think her anger towards us does not matter as much as finding her."

Hibiki sighed. "Fine. I hate when I'm not right..."

Iruka straightened up when they reapproached him. "Made a decision have we?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hibiki said, annoyed. He sighed. "Erika's mother was Nozomi Raidon."

Iruka's eyes widened. "The  Nozomi Raidon?" he asked. "The Invisible Ninja of the Hidden Stone Village?"

"Yes," Hibiki said. He rolled his eyes bitterly. "Orochimaru managed to snag her and she hasn't been seen ever since. Unfortunately, her absence wasn't known by many due to her already very low profile."

"She was an incredible ninja," Iruka said. "I've heard so many stories."

"Yeah, she's pretty tough," Hibiki said then.

"She is or she was?" Iruka asked carefully.

"To my knowledge, is,"  Hibiki answered. "Unless she's died recently, she is still alive. She was imprisoned at Orochimaru's hideout in the Sound the last time we were all imprisoned there. She'd been there for a long time. I never met her but I knew she was there."

"What is your point?" Iruka asked.

"My point is that Orochimaru seems to be luring Erika in. Even if her mother is not still alive, that is the reason he is blackmailing her. He wants her to Erika as a weapon. It's the whole reason he created her in the first place. Half of him and half of Nozomi is an extremely dangerous combination. They are both very powerful. He's planning something bad. And he'd say anything to get Erika to come after him. Somehow I'm sure she's aware of that."

"I see," Iruka said. "I'll go notify the Hokage." He took several steps and then turned back to the both of them. "Thank you for informing me. We are doing the best we can to get to the bottom of this. Unfortunately, Tsunade doesn't think it the utmost priority to go after Erika directly. That is why your senseis have left. They've...'taken matters into their own hands' if you will."

"She doesn't think it's important?!" Hibiki exclaimed.

"I didn't say that. But she won't send squads to the Sound. In fact, she has actually sent out several of them to bring back your senseis. They were not supposed to leave."

Hibiki laughed. "I totally would've left as well. At least they have some sense! No offense to you or anything, but I really hope that old lady's squads don't find Katsu and Kakashi Sensei."

Iruka smiled. "Between us three, I hope that too."

Hope you enjoy! Please vote and comment. Thanks a lot! :D - GoalieGirl

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