Caught in the Darkness

CHAPTER FORTY: Steaming Encounter

"So...this is Iwagakure..." Miyu looked around the mountainous region. Barely any green areas could be seen around.

"Yeah..." Hanako had been to Iwagakure two times after her father had been murdered. One in a mission with Kai, and that was the second time. The surroundings still looked as about the same. "Kai, you take it from here. You know the place better than all of us."

The guy nodded and walked ahead of the group. "Who are we looking for?" he asked.

"A man named Han," Hanako replied as she pulled a book from her pouch. "According to Kabuto's information, he lives in the outskirts of the Village. He's the Jinchuuriki of the Five Tails. His abilities focus on Taijutsu and Ninjutsu of the Steam Style. He wears a Steam Armor, which contains a furnace that emits steam on his back," Hanako narrated everything she read on the book before closing it with a sigh. "Fuuton, huh?"

"What can you do with steam style?" Yuu wondered, "I am going to steam you to death!" She laughed. Miyu joined the joke, "You'd be a great addition for my steamed veggies."

"Shut up before I steam you myself," Hanako rolled her eyes. Yuu and Miyu shut their mouths, looking at Hanako with fear. "He's still a Jinchuuriki, don't let your guards down."

"Anyway, he doesn't really stand a chance against your Shakuton," Miyu added.

"Maybe Han doesn't," said Hanako. "But the Gobi is a different story, I can't exactly scorch a Bijuu to death." She smirked when Yuu burst out laughing. Then it died down to a frown. "I have no other option but to use the Mangekyou."

"Hanako," Kai turned to her. "You're in no condition to use those eyes anymore. Your body can't take it."

"I know, but I have to. This will be these eyes' last fight, anyway, so I'll make the most of it."

"What do you mean, Hana-chan?" asked Yuu.

Hanako smirked. "I think I might have found the cure to my blindness."

After a few hours of walking, Kai finally stopped at the edge of a cliff. Hanako stood next to him and looked down to find a cabin made entirely of wood. It seemed to be completely shut out from any kind of civilization; whoever lived there was probably a loner or had a grudge against humanity.

"When I was a kid, I remember my mother talking about this cabin that was always alone, and somehow managed to maintain itself beautiful. This got to be it," said Kai.

"Han must live here," Hanako muttered. "Let's take a look."

The cabin was another regular house on the inside. It had a kitchen, a bathroom, one bedroom and the living. Nobody was home, and the cabin was void of any personal items that acknowledged it as private property.

"Are you sure someone lives here?" Yuu asked. "This place seems abandoned to me."

Hanako ignored her as she searched the bedroom. There was absolutely nothing that contained any sentimental value of the sort. If Han really lived there, then he had no attachment to that place.

They were about to leave when a new chakra caught Hanako's attention. She halted her movements, and silenced everyone in a moment. Han was still far, but he was heading their way. Mist started to form around them. Hanako narrowed her eyes at the barely perceptible increase in the temperature. 'This is not mist...' she thought as she focused on the vapor around them. 'This is steam.' Han's chakra had suddenly appeared right outside the cabin. Hanako turned to look at the door just as it opened.

"Breaking into private property isn't exactly a courteous act," Han said. He was carrying grocery bags, which he carefully placed on the ground beside him. "If you had been patient and waited for me outside, I might have considered inviting you in. However, I am pissed because you invaded my personal space." Hanako narrowed her eyes. Han was a very tall man, he had hunched his back to walk through the door, and even, when straightened back up, the top of his head almost touched the ceiling. He wore a red plated armor that covered his entire body, a mask that covered the lower half of his face, and a kasa that covered the top of his head. The only visible part of his body were his eyes.