Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

A Sort of Vacation 

The portal, Hinata decided, looked somewhat like a dinner plate.

While the monstrous mechanical apparatus that generated it crackled with artificial lightning and hummed with bright, visible chakra, the portal itself was placid and softly colored. The machine was elongated like the barrel of a cannon, rife with cabling and gunmetal panels, but the portal was flat, faintly green, and apparently unruffled by the commotion happening all around it as shinobi bustled about preparing for its use. Hinata half expected that if she were to flick it she would generate a series of perfect ripples, like those in a calm lake, but she knew better than to do something so impulsive.

The machine and the portal it generated were hardly dangerous, but they still had to be treated with care.

Kiba Inuzuka sniffed at the air, taking in the suddenly spiking scent of ozone and oil. He frowned, clearly unsettled by the smell. Shino Aburame, as always, gave nothing away, completely unreadable behind the metal visor he wore over his eyes. The only hint of his discomfort was the soft buzzing emanating from his chest, a sound so faint only a shinobi would recognize it. 

Hinata couldn’t remember the last time Team Eight had assembled for a mission as one. The thought came out of the blue as she shifted on the soles of her feet, looking around at her companions. The metal floor under her was hard and flat. The rest of the room was equally harsh and spartan. It existed solely to house this massive machine. 

How long had it been, she wondered. Five, perhaps even six years? It was amazing to think that what had once been routine for her had vanished out of her life almost without her noticing it. This was also the first time she’d been fully kitted out in more than a year, even wearing a flak jacket. But then, so much had changed just in the last decade that it had probably passed unnoticed under the general commotion of life.

Eight years ago ago, Hinata hadn’t even been a mother. Compared to that, not going on missions with her old team wasn’t much to take notice of. The thought sent her mind spiraling back to her children, and from there to her husband.

“Don’t worry,” Naruto had said with a rapacious grin; even after more than a decade of marriage it disarmed Hinata without fail. “Nothing is going to fall apart if you take a month or two off. Trust me: you could use the vacation.”

He’d winked, a mischievous look. “I’ve been meaning to find an excuse to spend more time with Himawari anyway: I’m afraid I might have been spoiling Boruto.” Warm hands, clasped over hers. Hinata’s heart had begun beating faster. “It’ll be a little vacation for both of us. You get some time in some exotic other world, and I get the kids to myself!”

When he’d put it like that, Hinata hadn’t been able to resist any longer. When Kiba had come to her with the offer of traveling with him and Shino into another dimension on a mission of importance for the Aburame, Hinata had been unsure about leaving behind her parenting duties for more than a month. But with her husband’s assurance, the notion of a ‘vacation’ became more and more tempting. A break was welcome: the notion of visiting another world was intriguing.

Those reasons, among others, had brought her on a lovely Thursday evening to stand together with her team for the first time in perhaps a decade in the depths of one of Konoha’s most secure buildings. They were arrayed before a marvel of engineering, an unbelievable fusion of chakra theorycrafting and technology. The room was filled with shinobi besides them, mostly engineers and observers.

Naruto was there, though her children were not: Hinata had said goodbye to them early, Boruto as he headed off to the Academy and Himawari as she lay down for her midday nap. Kiba’s wife Tamaki was present, along with Akamaru. Shino’s father was in deep conversation with his son, but none of the other Aburame had arrived.

Most notably, Kakashi Hatake was there, looking wrinkled but otherwise the same as ever.

Hinata looked to Naruto at her side, and he caught her gaze with a wide smile. “It’s a heck of a thing, isn’t it?” he said with genuine appreciation, and his enthusiasm buoyed Hinata up. The portal was somewhat like the one that had carried the both of them to the moon, many years ago; the familiarity sparked a warm memory for Hinata, a vision of drifting through an endless field of liquid gold and green with Naruto beside her.

“It is,” she agreed. “I’ve never seen the Engine before.” Her husband shrugged.

 “It’s safe; Kakashi-sensei mostly handles it, and he says so, after all,” Naruto said, eyeing the machine. It had begun to make a deep whining noise as condensed chakra within it came to a boil. “It gets used pretty often for trade and stuff, so I don’t see any reason to worry.”

Hinata knew he was talking to himself just as much as he was her. It made her smile. “I’ll be fine, Naruto,” she said softly, and was delighted to see her words brought him as much calm as his smile had her.

“Yeah, of course,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Yo, Kakashi!” he said, raising his voice. “Is it almost done?” 

The former Hokage shrugged. “Looks about.” He gestured languidly to Hinata, before turning his attention to Kiba and Shino. “Gather round for a moment, you three. Let’s go over the details one more time.” 

Kiba rolled his eyes, while Shino clapped his hand on his father’s shoulder before joining his teammates in ambling over to former Copy Ninja. They set themselves in a rough triangle in front of the older man, with Kiba in the back. Hinata already knew what the mission was roughly about, but she was still glad that Kakashi had decided to give them one last briefing before they were on there way. It was always strange to receive one from her husband; he had only been Hokage for ten months now, and in many ways the position and its responsibilities was still new to the both of them.

“Now, a couple of the most critical things,” Kakashi said lazily, his right eye barely open. Every time Hinata met with Kakashi, it amused her that even though he’d had his Sharingan replaced for many years, he usually kept his left eye closed. Old habits died hard, she supposed.

“You’ll be entering into foreign territory, and into another dimension besides, so it goes without saying you all should stay on your best behavior,” Kakashi chided. Kiba coughed, stifling a chuckle. Hinata could tell Kakashi was grinning under his mask: it always gave the former Hokage some childish pleasure to give his subordinates common sense commands. “The nation you’ll be entering is called…” He paused, careful to articulate the pronunciation. “The Republic of West Gorteau. Customs there are rather different than in the Five Nations, but you won’t be spending too long there at first, so I wouldn’t worry too much about getting familiar with the local culture. Once you’re in the Republic, you should be immediately met by our Representative there. Her name is Mari Kansai.”

Hinata wondered if it was lonely living in another world for an extended period of time. She was sure she would be, but others would probably have a different reaction. She hoped Mari was able to treat her isolation as an adventure, or at least more than a duty.

Kakashi kept talking as Kiba scratched behind one of his ears. “Mari will guide you to the mission area, which is outside of West Gorteau. She’ll be able to give you more precise details about the objective and the local situation than myself.” Kakashi wrinkled his nose. “What you don’t already know, at least.” Hinata nodded. Shino had already informed her of the impetus behind the mission, and it had interested her almost as much as it had clearly impassioned him. At the moment, he was clearly impatient to get through the portal and begin his work.

 “Now, remember,” Kakashi said, wrapping up the impromptu briefing. “The Engine is a little less forgiving to the passage of those with command of chakra. For someone of your calibre, the portal will likely need to recharge for at least two weeks; that’s for each of you. So once you three have stepped through, it won’t be ready for use until the end of next month. Hopefully by then the mission will be long completed.” He smiled. “Feel free to relax once your objective is completed. West Gorteau is a lovely nation, or so I’m told. Enjoy yourself.”

Shino nodded. “Naturally,” he said, like a man who’d never enjoyed a day in his life. “Will we be on our way then?”

Kakashi gave the Aburame a thumbs up. “Good luck,” he said with faux solemnity. Kiba snorted.

“Cool,” he said, giving his wife a peck on the cheek as he wandered back towards the portal. Tamaki giggled, and Kiba grinned as he bent down to give Akamaru an enthusiastic rub. The old dog panted, rolling over on his side and whining. Kiba laughed. “Oh, don’t be such a baby. It’s only a month and some. Besides, we’re not gonna be fighting anything,” he said, growing a little more stern. “You need to relax a little, Akamaru. It’s not good to be so stubborn in your old age.”

Akamaru let out a short, loud bark, which Hinata’s experience with the Inuzuka translated into something like “Fat chance.” She didn’t blame him. The nin-dog probably felt miffed at not getting a chance to travel with Kiba, but the unfortunate reality was that Akamaru was too old for long-term field operations nowadays. It pained Hinata to see the arthritic tremors that plagued her friend’s canine partner, but there was no way around it.

“Fine, be that way,” Kiba grunted. He winced, giving Akamaru another pat. His wife stroked his shoulder, her lip twisting.

As Hinata drew closer to the Engine, Naruto sidled up to her. Unlike Kiba, he didn’t settle for a peck on the cheek. Instead, the Seventh Hokage ambushed his wife with a full enthusiastic kiss. Hinata’s cheeks lit up red, but she couldn’t bring herself to push him anyway: it was the last bit of intimacy they’d have for more than a month, after all. Instead, she just enjoyed it, shoving down her embarrassment.

“Hey, be safe,” her husband said as he drew away, his cheeks almost as red as hers. Hinata smiled.

“Of course,” she said. “Have fun with the children.”

 Naruto laughed. “Believe me, I will. I’ve already set aside some work for Shikamaru; it’ll be fine.”

 It wasn't much of a goodbye, but it was enough for both of them. Hinata moved towards the portal with a full heart.

“So, what?” Kiba asked. “We just step through?”

One of the younger shinobi near the Engine, dressed in the distinctive green of the engineer corp, gave a casual salute, stepping around a protruding cable that was humming with grey light. “Anytime, sir.” The deference afforded the generation that had fought in the Fourth War always made Hinata feel strange, but over time she’d learned to ignore it. Kiba scoffed at the title, but nonetheless gave the man a friendly nod.

“Well, here goes nothing,” he said, and without another word strode forward into the portal. He passed through it without a sound or a sign: there was no ripple like Hinata had half-expected. Her teammate was swallowed by the light green light, with no sign of his passing.

 One of the engineers, monitoring a panel swimming with symbols Hinata didn’t understand, gave a thumbs up. “Signal’s good,” she said. “You two next: it’ll shut down for recharge in a couple minutes.”

 Shino gave his wordless affirmation by walking through the portal without ceremony. He too vanished, and the same engineer nodded in satisfaction.

“You last, Hyuuga-sama,” she said, and Hinata looked back to her husband.

He tilted his head. “What’re you waiting for?” he said with a grin. “Go! Have fun!”

She smiled back. There were a million things on the tip of her tongue. “Make sure to remember Himawari’s bedtime stories,” she said. “She’s inconsolable without them.”

In the end, she’d given voice to the most mundane thing she could.

Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head. “I will. I love you!”

“I love you too.” The words followed Hinata as she went to the portal. Out of curiosity, she stuck a hand in before committing her whole body. It was warm and almost damp inside, to her surprise. Without another second of hesitation, she stepped through.

###

The transition between one world and the next almost hurt. For less than a second it felt like Hinata’s entire body was swelling, as though her blood has been replaced with cooling metal. She blinked, and the sensation vanished. Aside from the bizarre feeling, there was no dramatic sense of transition. One moment, she was in the Engine Room, below the Hokage’s Tower, and the next she was somewhere she didn’t recognize.

Kiba and Shino were already there. Hinata didn’t stiffen or ready herself for combat, though she did find herself running just a bit of chakra to the tips of her fingers. An unconscious reaction by her body to sudden travel, and not one she bemoaned; it was good to stay on her guard even in comfortable situations. The new room they’d traveled to was bigger, and much more richly decorated than the Engine Room. For one, it had a lush red carpet, upon which were decorative shapes created by a pattern of yellow, blue, and orange threads. They formed spirals, flowers, and animals that looked like tigers, among others. It was a bit of unexpected luxury, and so it immediately caught Hinata’s eye.

Besides the carpet, there was also a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, bright crystals reflecting cheerful yellow lights. There were also some vases set upon wooden stands at either end of the room. In all, it seemed more like a reception area for a fine hotel, or an embassy, than the workmanlike room the Engine was set in. Hinata glanced back over her shoulder, and was surprised to find the portal was already steadily fading. In this room, it wasn’t connected to a massive machine, but instead stood alone as a thin ring of metal, with some cables running down into obscurity under the carpet. She wondered how it worked.

Hinata turned her attention back to the rest of the room. She wasn’t alone with her team. There were two men standing before them, one on either side of the only door leading into the room. The door itself was a thick mahogany affair; the men beside it were dressed in clean black suits, with wired headsets running up to their ears from under their collars. Hinata could tell from the way they were standing that they had some kind of weapon concealed in their jackets, though she couldn’t tell what they were exactly. Hinata thought they looked rather generic, but that was likely the point. These were men who could pass as respectable in a social function and pull guard duty for an important device like the portal with equal skill.

She took a step forward, glancing at her teammates. When neither of them looked to make a move, Hinata decided to introduce herself.

“Hello?” she asked, before realizing that Kakashi had failed to tell them an extremely piece of both basic and critical information. Did the Republic of West Gorteau even speak the same language as the Nations? They were in an entirely different dimension, after all; what were the chances that the language was the same?

“Hello,” the man on the left said, and Hinata almost started. He had a thick blond mustache that twitched a little when he spoke, and the word was bizarrely accented: it sounded more like ‘halo’ coming from him, with undue emphasis placed on the the first syllable,  but it was still easily recognizable. “Welcome to the Republic of West Gorteau.”

‘Bizarre. Did these two learn our language?’ That would be sensible. They were at the portal, after all.

Hinata bowed shallowly, along with Kiba. Shino settled for inclining his head. “We are pleased to have arrived safely,” she said slowly, sure that she sounded as strange to the man as he did to her. Old etiquette lessons from her father bubbled up. “We were told to expect a Representative of ours; Mari Kansai?" 

The man who hadn’t addressed her bent his head a little, pressing his cheek into his shoulder. Hinata heard a soft click, probably from a radio hidden under his suit.

“She will be here momentarily,” he pronounced a moment later. “Thank you for your patience.”

Hinata nodded again, not smiling but being careful to show appreciation nonetheless.

“Nice place,” Kiba muttered, looking around. He didn’t sound sarcastic. “Why don’t we have a carpet?” Hinata giggled.

It was a decent question though. Why didn’t they have a carpet in the Engine Room? Hinata resolved to ask Naruto about it once they got back.

The mahogany door soundlessly swung open, and a short women dressed in a black suit much like the men guarding it wore bounded through, bleeding enthusiasm. She had light brown hair, worn short, and teal eyes. Following behind her was a tall older man with a shining bald head, gleaming under the warm light of the chandelier like an egg. He reminded Hinata of a stoic tortoise, upright and distinguished.

“Welcome!” the woman said, reaching out to take Shino’s hand in a vigorous handshake. The Aburame refused to be caught off guard, returning the gesture with calm courtesy. “Ah, such a pleasure to have you three here!” She made eye contact with Hinata. “Oh, Hyuuga-sama!” She inclined her head a little, and repeated her earlier greeting. “Welcome!”

“Mari, I assume?” Kiba asked, crossing his arms, and the woman nodded rapidly. Hinata was worried the representative’s head would come off.

“Yup!” she said. “I’m the Shinobi Union’s representative here in West Gorteau, but I’m sure the Lord Hokage has already told you that,” she beamed. “And this,” she continued, gesturing to the man who had followed her in, “is the Chief Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sun Hanya.”

“A pleasure to meet you all,” Sun said, dropping into a shallow bow with his arm pressed against his chest in an unusual salute. “It it always a joy to meet our shinobi allies face to face.”

As Hinata and her companions returned the salutation and sign of respect, the Hyuuga analyzed the situation... and the man’s accent. She knew the Union had interdimensional relations, of course, but the specifics mostly escaped her; most of what she’d picked up came by proxy through Naruto, and while her husband had thrown himself into the role of Hokage with his usual vigor he wasn’t the best at explaining the specifics of what came across his desk every day.

What she did know was that Sasuke Uchiha was usually the one to make first contact (a fact she was reasonably sure was highly classified), and that he passed on what knowledge he deemed appropriate about the Five Nations to gauge interest in other worlds to do business with the Shinobi Union. Most such contacts ended in trade deals, with very few going as far as military assistance: sending soldiers into another world on a mission of war was a complicated subject, not to be approached lightly, and as far as Hinata knew it had only happened two or three times since the Engine had been developed.

West Gorteau was one of those nations with which the Union traded technology and knowledge. They were incidental associates, not nearly close enough to be called ‘allies.’ Of course, the man was using such friendly language on purpose. He was their chief of Foreign Affairs, after all. It was only natural he would be overly friendly to strange visitors like themselves.

Hinata snapped herself back to reality. Mari had started talking again.

“As I said, I’m happy to see you all. Especially you, Shino Aburame,” she said warmly. “I’m sure you’ve been briefed on the situation?" 

“Yes,” Shino said curtly. “I am here on behalf of my clan; we decided I was the best to send, to track and hopefully capture samples of these ‘Chimera Ants.’”

It was a strange name, Hinata thought, and a little clumsy to say, but at least it was straightforward. As Shino had told her, the Chimera Ants were a rare species native to unexplored lands in this world that sometimes ended up in civilized areas by misfortune or circumstance. They weren’t especially dangerous to humans, but they tended to wreak ecological disaster, out-competing and devouring the local ecosystem thanks to their bizarre combination of partho and phagogenesis. Their ability to reproduce rapidly, with each successive generation integrating more traits from local species they had eaten, made them a uniquely thorny problem for the local environmentalists.

Of course, such a species could potentially be a gold mine of potential for the Aburame. If there was even a ghost of a chance something as unique and potentially powerful as that phagogenesis could be bred into Shino’s kikaichu, for example, the results would be astounding. Shino had told her all this after Kiba had initially approached her, but Hinata had been quick to see the potential for herself.

“With any luck,” Sun agreed. “When my government learned that the Hunter Association had taken interest in this breed of ants, we immediately decided that such information could be of use to our allies.”

 Ah. Hinata understood the man’s behavior now. West Gorteau wanted to grow closer to the Shinobi Union, and had used this information as a gesture of good faith. Perhaps they had regional competitors? The ultimate reason didn’t matter. She filed away the analysis for later.

“Hunter Association?” Kiba asked, the same question that Hinata’s mind had moved on to. Sun started to open his mouth, looking a little confused, but Mari cut him off.

“Don’t worry about that!” she interjected, waving her hands and smiling. “I can brief you all on that sort of thing on the way to the NGL. There’s no need to get bogged down with it now.”

“Ah, quite right,” Sun said. “We’ve prepared some transport for you, just down in the auto pool-”

“Oh, Hanya, I thought I told you,” Mari said kindly, and the man glanced at her. “We won’t be needing a truck or anything. We’ll make it there just fine on foot.”

“Truck?” Shino asked. Mari waved him off.

“A vehicle most of the nations around here use,” she said with a grin. “It will be faster for us to run." 

“Are… are you sure, Ms. Mari?” Sun asked, clearly taken aback. “The NGL is over four-hundred miles from here: it will be quite the journey.”

“We’ll be just fine,” Mari promised. “I’ve been wanting to stretch my legs anyway.”

The Chief Secretary blinked. “Very well,” he said. Kiba chuckled. “If that is your wish. Will you require any provisions? I took the liberty of having them already loaded into the transport, but if you don’t wish to use it…”

“Oh.” Mari blinked. “That’s a good point.” She turned to Hinata. “I’m sorry, I should have asked you three before making assumptions. How would you prefer to travel? By foot or truck?”

Hinata looked around at her teammates: Shino shrugged, while Kiba raised an eyebrow. She was curious what exactly a “truck” was, but was also eager to get started. They’d packed light, after all: Kiba had been the only one among them to bring any extra ninja tools beyond those that naturally went with the flak vests, which he kept secure in a series of packs around his waist. Hinata had considered asking him why he’d bothered, but decided it wasn’t really her business. If Kiba wanted to travel armed, that was his business.

“By foot would be just fine,” Hinata decided. She wanted to see what this new world was like, and it was possible that wouldn’t be possible from a truck. “We’ll carry whatever we need.”

“Oh, wonderful!” Mari said. “It can get quite stuffy in here.” She stiffened, turning to the Chief Secretary. “Not that I mean any disrespect, of course, sir! As I’ve told you before, I was just raised outdoors, that’s all.” 

Sun Hanya smiled. “Of course, Ms. Mari. I understand what you mean. It can become positively stifling, especially at this time of year. I’m sure some exercise will do you well.” 

Mari beamed. “Thank you for understanding,” she said, before turning back to the newly arrived shinobi. “Alright, let’s walk and talk then. We’ll go grab what we need and then head out: I have a lot to tell you guys.”

The shinobi nodded and as one set off, forward into the strange new world.

‘This will be nice,’ Hinata thought. It was nostalgic to travel with her team again; like it was the old days. ‘NGL.’ The name sounded cute to Hinata, like a themed restaurant or a park. She laughed a little as she felt a week of stress slide off her back, an immediate future with far less responsibilities opening up in front of her.

‘Thank you, Naruto.’ Silently, Hinata appreciated her husband, as she often did. ‘I needed a vacation.’

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 

The Face of Terror

Mari turned out to be a lovely traveling companion. She had a boundless enthusiasm for just about everything, and was extremely knowledgeable about the area. Over the course of the trip west, Hinata learned an amazing amount of information about the new world she’d found herself in.

They’d taken a casual pace for shinobi, covering the four-hundred and some miles between West Gorteau and the NGL (which Hinata now knew stood for ‘Neo-Green Life Autonomous Region’) in a day and a half of jogging, the thick packs on their backs laden with enough supplies for a week and some of living in the wild. The NGL was a country without any advanced technology or many large settlements, so the supplies were necessary if they needed to spend any extended time there. 

According to Mari, the NGL sat on the western edge of the southernmost of the Balsa Islands, a chain of islands to the south of the Yorbian Continent, the largest continent of five that humanity in this world called its home. When Mari had first explained this to Hinata, her head had been swimming with new names and the implications of so many continents. The Five Nations back home all sat together on one continent, and Hinata had never put much thought into what lay beyond them; there’d been little need to. Now, her curiosity was piqued, though somewhat buried under all the other information that Mari had provided.

The island they were on was referred to as the Mitene Union: a series of five nations with almost equal territory. These nations were the NGL and the Republics of Haas, Rokario, West, and East Gorteau. The Republics of Hass and Rokario were older countries that had a longstanding alliance with one another; the NGL and the two Gorteau had more interesting histories. The Autonomous Region had only been established several decades ago, and since then had been fiercely isolationist, eschewing any sort of relationship with its neighbor beyond the occasional trade of food and textiles. 

At least, that was the official story. Mari confided in the shinobi that many of West Gorteau’s government suspected that the NGL also produced other exports: illegal drugs, cheap ‘firearms’ (a local weapon), and child labor. The idea of a seemingly idealistic country that wanted to be closer to nature serving as a front for something so unwholesome disgusted Hinata, but it was obvious to her that things weren’t always as they appeared. Her disgust was somewhat personal. The NGL reminded her of the traditional Hyuuga, before they had joined Hashirama in his great experiment. Her clan had eschewed technology and lived in isolation during the time of the Warring Clans, and so Hinata was somewhat sympathetic to the idea of living as the NGL purported to. 

East and West Gorteau were also more than they appeared. Until about seventy years ago the two countries had been one, before being split apart by a horrible civil war. The war had lasted nearly a decade and killed hundreds of thousands, before an armistice was reached with the help of the Republics of Rokario and Haas. Now, West Gorteau was a constitutional Republic (a notion Hinata found a little odd but understood well enough to be untroubled by), while the East was a Republic in name only. In reality, it was a vicious military dictatorship that treated most of its citizens little better than slaves and built a cult of personality around its ‘Supreme Leader:’ a man selected by nepotism and his relation to the previous leader instead of anything close to merit. A dictatorship was obviously not especially alien to Hinata, but one that degraded and used its citizens so shamelessly infuriated her. 

Even today, East and West Gorteau were technically at war, though they hadn’t engaged in open hostilities in decades. It reminded Hinata of the relationship between Konoha and Kumo before the Fourth War, though they hadn’t been quite as close geographically.

What Mari hadn’t said that had been nevertheless simple for Hinata to grasp was that thanks to this troubled armistice, West Gorteau was likely desperate for allies of any kind. In that, the nation had been extremely lucky to make contact with the Shinobi Union when it had. 

There was more, of course. The story of the Mitene Union only scratched the surface. The other thing of critical importance Mari had spoken of was the Hunter Association, which Sun Hanya had brought up back in West Gorteau. The Association had been the first to take real notice of the Chimera Ants, and Mari was sure they had dispatched a team to track the invading species as well.

As they had passed through the Republic of Haas, Kiba had latched onto the idea of an elite group with international influence.

“How do you become a Hunter?” he’d asked as they’d jogged down a dirt road. “Where are they based out of? What do they do? How many are there? Have you ever met one?” Those had just been the first few of his questions. In barely a minute, Mari had grown flustered under the barrage.

“Hold on!” she’d squeaked, her face going red. “One at a time!” She’d waved her hands in front of her face, still clutching the papers that had gotten them past Haas’s border just moments before.

The questions had slowed but hadn’t stopped, and in the end, Mari had had to apologize for not knowing enough to sate Kiba’s curiosity. What she had been able to give was still very intriguing.

The Hunter Association was responsible for accrediting and supporting Hunters, skilled men and women from across the world who sold their service as professionals of every stripe; whatever their focus, they were defined by their search for something. They reminded Hinata somewhat of shinobi, though they were less tied to regional governments. Hunters could chase after whatever they desired, but ultimately had less influence than shinobi in world affairs. They covered every specialty from criminal law to archaeology, but were universally tough enough to look out for themselves and they explored the less well-traveled corners of the world. They also carried licenses that granted them access to exclusive resources and passage through just about any country: a priceless possession, for sure. Ultimately, Hinata was glad that Kiba had taken such an interest in the peculiar organization.

Hunters were not nearly as common as shinobi, however. No one except the Association's Chairman knew precisely how many accredited Hunters existed at any time, but Mari knew that there were estimated to be somewhere between seven and eight hundred in the world. That was an impressive number for such an elite organization, but was still an extremely small group when all was said and done. 

Hinata had had a question of her own after Kiba had finished squeezing everything he could about the Hunters out of Mari. Hers had been both simpler and more complicated. 

“What language do they speak here?” she’d asked, and Mari had smiled. 

The same as back home, it turned out. It had been as much a shock to West Gorteau as it had been to the Union when it had first made contact, but Mari confided in the group that it wasn’t exactly uncommon. In Sasuke Uchiha’s travels, he’d found that many civilizations across disparate worlds spoke a very similar tongue, though they invariably splintered off into various dialects, some of which were different enough that they could masquerade as a separate language entirely. As Hinata had already seen, people here spoke a dialect that was broadly the same but had core differences in pronunciation and occasionally sentence structure; they also had an entirely different system of writing and alphabet, which Mari had tried to get the other shinobi at least a little familiar with.

The reason behind this universal language was a mystery seemingly without an answer, but Hinata could only think of one thing that could possibly share languages across separate worlds.

The Otsutsuki’s influence was here, somewhere on this planet. Hinata couldn’t know where or in what exact capacity, but she had no doubt of it. The idea frightened her, but worrying about it was pointless. That was Sasuke’s purpose, not hers, and Naruto had assured her his friend was well equipped to deal with the problem.

Of course, there was also the issue of no one in this world apparently possessing chakra, a fact that had baffled Hinata on the few occasions she’d used her doujutsu. They had spiritual and physical energy–she could see that dancing beneath their skin and in their bones clearly–but there was no chakra network to channel the energy. It was bizarre. 

Regardless of alien biology and the mystery of a universal language, the history lesson of the island and Hinata and Kiba’s questions had lasted most of their trip, punctuated by bouts of comfortable silence. Shino had been particularly quiet for most of the trip, but when he’d finally spoken up at the dawn of their second day, Hinata realized it had been because he could barely contain his excitement. It was obvious in the way he spoke and held himself that he had been keeping himself from babbling about the potential for his clan of not just the Chimera Ants, but all the other exotic insects he’d doubtlessly noticed.

Which is why it genuinely surprised Hinata that his question hadn’t been about the Ants, but about Mari herself. 

“How did you end up here?” Shino had asked. Here: this new world, and here, in this position, he meant. It was the only question that Mari had taken a moment to answer; she’d pondered it, bringing a hand up to twirl a finger in her hair. The silence Shino had broken had reasserted itself for about thirty seconds, punctuated by Mari’s humming.

“I’m from Kumogakure,” she’d eventually said. Mari didn’t wear a hitai-ate, a trend that some younger shinobi had picked up, so this was new information to Hinata. “I got recruited for the Thunder Corp when I was fourteen years old.”

The Thunder Corp. Hinata was familiar with it, though she’d never met anyone who was or had been a member. Unlike most of the Villages, Kumogakure had continued to expand and advance its military since the formation of the Union, as opposed to settling into equilibrium like its peers. Their moon-shattering cannon, which had formed the technological foundation for the Engine that had brought her to this new world, had been one such development. 

The Thunder Corp had been another. In a new age with different tactical concerns, the Corp was Kumo’s answer to the problem of another enemy like the massed Zetsu and Edo Tensei of the Fourth War. Engaging those enemies in organized formations to blunt their advantages had been effective, but costly and dangerous. Thus, the Fifth Raikage’s Black Lightning had provided a clear inspiration to Cloud’s military; the safest way to destroy an enemy with a numerical advantage was to do it from beyond their reach.

“I specialized in Artillery Jutsu,” Mari had explained. She’d sounded both proud and tired. Kiba had laughed. 

“Make-People-Explode-From-Far-Away no Jutsu?” he’d asked, almost tripping over a rock in the middle of the road. Mari had giggled and shaken her head.

“Hitting something with a lightning bolt from a couple miles away might sound exciting, but in the end...” She’d shrugged. “I’d joined the Thunder Corp because I wanted to do something no one else had, but in the end I didn’t feel like I was making a difference. I was just another weapon in a nation that was overflowing with them. It wasn’t what I was looking for.”

“Then how did you get your current position?” Shino had asked.

 “I walked into the Raikage’s office and asked him for a different job,” Mari had said, and Shino had laughed.

 “Brave.” Hinata hadn’t disagreed with him; Darui wasn’t quite as intimidating as A had been, but he still wasn’t a man whose time was safe to waste. 

“Well, it worked. He told me about this. A diplomatic position in another dimension.” Mari had smiled. “I didn’t think twice.”

By the time they finally reached the border to the NGL, Hinata felt she had a confident grasp on the new world, and on Mari. She was happy to have gotten to know her. 

The border checkpoint turned out to be dug inside a massive tree, the roots of which spanned an entire river that ran below it. It was quite the sight, and an impressive feat of construction besides. The shinobi had approached it quietly: before they’d entered, Mari had given them one final bit of advice.

“NGL doesn’t let anything synthetic or artificial inside its border: that’s going to apply to your jackets, a lot of your clothes, and your visor, Shino,” she’d said, using her hands as props to emphasize each item. “Now, we shouldn’t break the law, obviously…” She’d smiled. “But it’s a bit of a hassle. If you guys give me whatever you want to hold onto, I’ll just stow it on the other side of the border: you’ll be able to easily locate it with your Byakugan, Hinata.” Mari had begun calling Hinata by her first name during the trip, which the Hyuuga had appreciated. 

They’d agreed with her convenient proposal, and Mari had snuck across the border with their equipment with typical shinobi efficiency.

Getting through the checkpoint afterwards was a thankfully simple affair: the border guards had been impressed they had packed conscientiously for their destination, an observation that Kiba had nearly snickered at. After they’d had some of their clothes swapped for the entirely natural substitutes provided by the checkpoint, Mari had given them her farewell, wishing them the best of luck. She had to return to West Gorteau to continue her duties as Representative there. Funnily enough, Shino had given her the fondest goodbye. He’d been mostly quiet on the journey, of course, but had grown more and more obviously excited the closer they drew to NGL. Hinata had thought he might give Mari a hug as he thanked her for her guidance. 

And then, without much ceremony, they’d entered the Autonomous Region.

###

The NGL was a gorgeous country. After retrieving their gear, Team 8 had been at somewhat of a loss at where to start their search. Mari had told them the Hunter Association had apparently suspected the Ant Queen they had been tracking had washed up out of the ocean somewhere near the southern coast; with that in mind, they’d decided to simply boud deeper in, heading for the center of the Region. With Kiba’s nose, Shino’s insects, and Hinata’s sight, they knew they would find what they were looking for eventually; Mari had provided a picture of an ordinary Chimera Ant for Hinata. To her, they just seemed like overly large, somewhat gray ants. Hardly anything special. Nonetheless, locating one wouldn’t be overly difficult once they got farther in, especially considering the Ants glutinous appetite would probably have depopulated the local fauna anyway.

The Autonomous Region was like country-sized park, with miles and miles of completely undisturbed forest interspersed with mountains and grassland. Whenever Hinata took a peek with her Byakugan, the sheer number of species calling the NGL their home surprised her; she’d never seen such incredible biodiversity in one place back in the Five Nations. Hinata wondered if the animals had been intentionally brought in, or if the Region was just a naturally astounding enclave. She was inclined to think it was the latter. So many different types of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and everything else living under the sun calling one place their home would almost certainly have been too much trouble to organize. 

At one point, they passed within nine miles of a settlement, just on the outer edge of Hinata’s vision. The people there lived simple lives. So far as Hinata could tell, the majority of them were farmers. They had rough clothes and primitive hand-made tools, but they seemed happy; Hinata didn’t want to observe them without their knowledge for too long, as it felt intrusive, so she deactivated her Byakugan until she was sure she and her companions were out of range of the village.

After a little more than an hour of travel, Hinata estimated they’d made their way about eighty miles deep into the NGL: about half the length of the Autonomous Region. They’d found nothing remarkable, aside from a welcome calm and contentment brought about by the pleasant solitude of the unmarked nature all around them.

So naturally, it came a surprise when Kiba stopped short with a stricken look on his face. His left hand came up, his index and middle finger stroking his nose as his thumb pressed into his goatee.

“Kiba?” she asked. The Inuzuka stared straight ahead, his eyes narrowing.

“Something wrong?” Shino asked, stopping alongside Hinata. He brushed a sap-encrusted leaf off the shoulder of his flak jacket.

“I…” Kiba said. His hand dropped, stroking his thin beard. Hinata was a little surprised. She’d only ever seen him do that when he was nervous around his wife. “I just caught whiff of something. I got no idea what." 

Hinata quickly activated her Byakugan, scanning everything in the surrounding fourteen kilometers in about six seconds. So far as she could tell, there wasn’t anything unusual out there, but Kiba’s nose was sensitive enough to pick up something from beyond her range. She let the veins around her eyes recede. 

“Describe it,” Shino asked, and Kiba winced, wrinkling his nose. His other hand curled into a fist.

“Man, it’s…” he started, struggling with the word. “It’s like death.”

Hinata blinked. “Something rotting?” Kiba shook his head.

“Way worse. I don’t know how to describe this to you. It’s carrion and mold and...” He coughed. “Picture finding some rotten milk inside a dead body or something, and you might be like, a tenth of the way there. It’s bad.”

“Hmm.” Shino crossed his arm. “Perhaps it is the Ants.”

“Maybe? It’s definitely not like anything I’ve smelled before.” Kiba said with a little laugh. “Whatever it is, I almost don’t want to head towards it.”

“Which direction is it?” Hinata asked, and her teammate pointed farther west.

“Where we were headed,” he said. “Make sure to keep your Byakugan on, alright? I’d prefer we know everything we can if we’re headed that way.”

Hinata nodded, activating her doujutsu without a second thought. They set off again, at a slightly hurried pace. The forest whipped by in a blur of green, and a moment later they burst onto an open plain, full of tall grass and stunted trees. Hinata could see that it extended for miles around, before breaking into more forest hemmed in by a set of tall, rocky hills. 

Whatever Kiba had smelled, it was a definite concern. Hinata had never seen a scent unsettle him like that. It was hard for her to imagine something that could, if she were honest with herself. Her sense of smell had never been-

There was a flash of unusual movement at the edge of her vision, and Hinata almost lost her footing as she skidded over several stalks of damp grass in surprise. She made a small, startled noise, and her teammates looked to her in concern.

“What?” Kiba asked. Hinata shook her head.

“I thought I saw someone,” she said.

“So?” Kiba asked. “NGL’s got people. That’s not very-” 

“It was a little boy. I think he was carrying someone.” The sentence shut Kiba up immediately. Instead, his mouth pressed itself into a flat line, and he took a deep breath through his nose. It went without saying that if Hinata had seen what she thought she had, they couldn’t afford to just ignore it. 

“Huh. I think I got him,” he said, pointing southwest. “Do you still see him?” 

Hinata shook her head, and Kiba grimaced. “Alright, let’s get eyes on him again before we decide anything.” 

They only had to run southwest for a minute or so before Hinata reacquired her target. She’d been partially right. It was indeed a boy, and he was carrying someone slung in an emergency hold over his back. She’d underestimated their age a little, though. If Hinata had to guess, she’d say they were both young teenagers, maybe thirteen or fourteen, fifteen if she pushed it. 

The teen on the move was lithe and pale, with bone-white hair and eyes even bluer than his shirt. The boy he was carrying looked a little younger, with dark, spiky black hair. It only took Hinata a moment to figure out why he wasn’t conscious. The back of his neck was marred with an enormous, vicious looking bruise, painting his nape black and blue. Whatever had knocked him out, it had been a nasty blow. Perhaps he’d fallen out of a tree? It was a surprise he wasn’t dead.

Or maybe not, because his friend clearly was no ordinary kid; he was running like hell was chasing him through the dense forest, going at least forty meters a second. That was far beyond anything a human without chakra could accomplish… and yet, he didn’t seem to be using any. Once again, Hinata was left baffled.

“What’s the word?” Kiba asked, and Hinata focused. 

“Two boys, maybe fourteen years old, one unconscious and being carried by the other,” she said. It was almost refreshing to rattle off a recon report. “Going about forty meters a second. The unconscious one has a nasty bruise, no other injuries that I can see.” She narrowed her eyes. “He’s running east.”

“Hmm, fast.” Shino said. “Is anything chasing them?”

Hinata could see for about two hundred meters behind the boys. If they were being chased, it wasn’t an immediate threat, but it was fully possible they were being stalked by something beyond her range.

“Not that I can see,” she said, and Kiba groaned. 

“He smells like…” he said. “I dunno, he’s got one bizarre scent on him.” He wrinkled his nose. “Like a dead cat.” He turned to Shino as they effortlessly sped across the forest floor, slowly gaining some ground on the distant teens. “What do you want to do?” 

Hinata could see Shino looking somewhat torn under his visor. He was clearly impatient to begin his work with the Ants, and she couldn’t blame him. The compromise, to her, was obvious. 

“I’ll follow them,” she said, and Shino looked up, gratitude clear in his face. “Don’t worry: you guys go on without me for now. Kiba, your nose should be more than enough to find the Ants. I’ll make sure these two make it safely to wherever they’re going.”

“You won’t have any trouble finding us again, I hope,” Shino said, and Hinata smiled.

“No, that will be simple. Just don’t cover your tracks.” Kiba smirked, tapping his temple, and Hinata winked back; it was nice to be out with her team again. “Hopefully this won’t take too long.”

“Alright,” Kiba said, coming to a stop. Shino did so as well. “Be careful; try not to spook them.”

“I’ll follow from a distance,” Hinata said. “You two be careful as well. I’ll see you soon.”

The team split. Kiba and Shino headed west, while Hinata doubled back to the east, following the peculiar pair of teens. The boy in blue was clearly exhausted, and yet he pushed himself onward with a singleminded determination. Not just determination: terror.

Hinata wondered what had sent him running so.

###

In the end, the boy ended up all the way at the NGL’s border. Well, almost all the way. He had been picked up by two locals on horseback near the border and taken the rest of the way to the checkpoint. The intervention had been a relief for Hinata. Before the locals came along it had been obvious that the teen had finally reached the limits of his impressive endurance, and she’d been considering stepping in herself. His kilometers-eating sprint had been reduced to an exhausted stagger, and every inch of his body had been soaked with sweat. His friend still hadn’t woken up. 

Hinata settled into the thin forest that rose up on the shore of the river on the other side of the border, watching the boy. The dirt road that led up to the checkpoint offered him no cover, not that it would have mattered with the Byakugan. 

The teen was truly remarkable, running like his life was on the line for so long. Once he staggered through the checkpoint to the other side of the border, gently laying his companion down near one of the massive roots of a nearby tree and drawing his shirt over him, Hinata considered leaving. He was clearly safe now. She’d done the responsible thing and escorted him in her own way. It was time to get back to her job, and her team. 

And yet, she couldn’t quite tear herself away. She wondered why. Something about the boy reminded her of the past, and of shinobi in general. His speed and endurance, of course, was remarkable, but it was more than that. The way he carried himself, how he scanned his environment, it all added up to someone with clear expertise. 

What had made a boy like this flee in terror? Hinata wanted to ask him, but she wasn’t sure that was the right decision to make.

In the moment of hesitation that she continued watching him, the teen pulled a cell phone from a bag that had been returned to him at the checkpoint. Hinata didn’t recognize the design, but the device itself was obvious. Mobile phones like this had been getting more and more popular in both Konoha and the other Villages for the last couple years: Hinata didn’t own one herself, content with a house-phone.

She wondered if the technology that had sped up the development of mobile devices had come from West Gorteau. Ten years ago, most phones in the Five Nations had required land lines; five, and even the smallest mobile ones had been more like bricks than phones. Now, like the boy’s, they could fit in the palm of her hand. 

He dialed a number, and the call was quickly answered. Hinata, overcome by curiosity, read his lips as he curtly spoke into the device, still breathing heavily.

“Spinner.”

A pause as he waited for whoever was on the other side of the conversation to greet him. The Byakugan let Hinata read his face like an open book. Worry, doubt, regret. Still some terror, even now.

There was a hard ball of uncertainty growing in her stomach.

“I’m fine. Gon’s fine. Kite’s in trouble.”

Well, she didn’t know his name, but it was a safe bet that the other teen he’d been carrying was named Gon. Unless he’d left Gon behind, and Kite was the one he was carrying? The bruise on his neck was certainly nasty, but the way the teen treated him made Hinata think that he wasn’t in any true danger. If he thought he had a concussion or something equally threatening he would have woken him up by now, assuming he had any medical knowledge. 

“We left him behind.”

It took a moment for Hinata to resolve the word ‘behind’ from the boy’s lips thanks to a slight difference in pronunciation, but once she did the implications unsettled her. Considering the boy’s ability, if he’d needed to leave ‘Kite’ behind something must have gone seriously wrong.

“We’re just outside the checkpoint.”

The boy paused. Hinata assumed Spinner was speaking; the teen listened for about twenty seconds.

“Reinforcements? We’ll wait.”

He hung up, tossing the phone aside and slumping to the ground in an exhausted position.

'Reinforcements?’

Hinata resolved to wait just a little longer to see if these ‘reinforcements’ would arrive soon. A burgeoning suspicion had begun pushing itself forward in her mind, and she was curious if it would be vindicated. Mari had told them that the Hunter Association had dispatched a group of their own to investigate the Chimera Ants; was it at all possible these two boys were part of that team?

They were young, but as Hinata had been considering earlier that day, the Hunter Association reminded her of shinobi in many ways. Perhaps they too had children in their ranks.

She also wanted to learn what had sent the boy running with Gon before she left. If there were a potential danger in the NGL, it wouldn’t do to be cocky and assume she and her teammates could handle it without any intelligence.

Hinata remained in the tree line on the other side of the border for about ten minutes, content to sit and read the boy as he tried and failed to relax in the shade of the tree. It was an hour or so after noon, and the sun was high and hot. The time passed without incident, except for one curious instance. 

About five minutes into her vigil, the boy snapped to attention and leapt to his feet despite his obvious fatigue. He looked about wildly for a second, even turning around, before eventually bringing his search to a close, glaring in Hinata’s general direction.

‘Huh.’ 

Hinata was concealed in the tree line over one-hundred and fifty meters away. She hadn’t gone out of her way to hide herself, but the distance and foliage cover still made it all but impossible to spot her directly. If the boy really did know something was where she was, it was an incredible feat of instinct. She found herself legitimately impressed. 

Somehow, he’d detected her. Hinata deactivated her Byakugan, wondering if it would make a difference.

A silent stalemate asserted itself. Hinata didn’t move, and neither did the boy. After forty seconds of quiet inaction, the boy slowly sat back down, casting a worried look towards Gon. He kept an eye on her position, but made no other obvious moves. It seemed that ceasing her active observation had indeed quieted whatever instinct had pricked at him.

He was clearly concerned about his friend, but also wasn’t willing to put any distance between them to hunt down a potential threat so long as it wasn’t immediate. Hinata’s respect for the teen went up another notch.

With her Byakugan deactivated out of respect for the boy’s nerves, Hinata became aware of the reinforcements at the same time as the teen when they arrived several minutes later. A truck rumbled up to the checkpoint, kicking up a cloud of heavy dust and grinding to a stop with an unpleasant screech. Hinata had seen plenty of the vehicles as she and her team had traveled across the various Republics; they were rather remarkable, though she doubted she’d ever need to use one. 

Three men filed out of the truck, fanning into a triangle and slowly approaching the boy at the base of the tree. Hinata activated her Byakugan once more for clarity. There were six other people in the truck of various size and gender, but since they hadn’t exited Hinata ignored them to focus on what she was sure was the ‘reinforcements.’

All men, as she'd noted. One enormous and middle-aged, with an equally huge pipe wrapped in cloth, dressed in a fine suit that he wore casually and wearing tiny sunglasses. He had a nose that’d clearly been broken many times, so many it was practically bent into a rough crescent, and a rude smile. 

One smaller and younger, the complete opposite of the taller man; he was composed and groomed in every way. Short black hair, wiry glasses widening a thin face, and an immaculately tailored suit that matched his hair. Out of the new arrivals, he made the least distinct impression, which made Hinata resolve to watch him all the more carefully.

The last arrival was an ancient man with his hair pulled into a topknot and an impressive beard. Ancient, but not withered, as though he’d traded every wrinkle in his life for muscle instead. He was dressed in robes as white as his hair, and wore high wooden geta. Of the reinforcements, the white-haired boy was only surprised to see the old man. Hinata could tell from his reaction–widened eyes, quickened heart–that he recognized him. 

Hinata was surprised too, though not for the same reason. All three of the men were bright. They shone with an internal light under her Byakugan’s sight, shimmering with something similar to chakra. From a casual glance, Hinata could only call it raw life energy, in greater quantities than she’d ever seen in a human before. The old man was the most luminous of them all: it reminded Hinata a little of Naruto, though if her husband were the sun, this man would be its blinding reflection.

When they began speaking, she made sure to follow the conversation with her Byakugan. 

The large man with the pipe spoke first, his rude smile expanding into a full grin. “What’s this? They’re just kids,” he drawled. He spoke loudly enough that Hinata could pick up bits and pieces despite the distance. “If you’re here to play, you’ll get burned. Go back home.”

The white-haired teen frowned, and Hinata with him. 

“Stop it, Morel. That isn’t nice.” The thin man spoke up, adjusting his glasses. “They’re only children.” Now, Hinata had the large man’s name.

The ancient man chuckled. “You look pretty defeated,” he said with mirthful eyes. “Was the enemy that strong?”

The teen ground his teeth, his body shaking with frustration.

“One of them could use Nen,” he said without prompting. Hinata didn’t recognize the term, nor did she know what ‘them’ could be referring to. “That was the worst aura I’ve ever encountered. Worse than my brothers. Worse than Hisoka’s. Now that I’ve learned Nen myself, I can tell. You guys are unbelievably strong. But I still can’t see you defeating that thing.”

Nen. Was he referring to the chakra-esque aura that surrounded the men and, now that Hinata knew what to look for, leaked from the teen’s very bones? That seemed likely. If that were the case, she must have been mistaken in her earlier appraisal of this world as lacking in chakra. It clearly had something like it, in this Nen, even if it manifested in a different form. It was just less common and less obvious was chakra.

The thin man smirked. “Whenever people encounter the unknown, they tend to lose perspective. You’re in a state of panic. We’ll take it from here. Go lie down somewhere.” 

Morel laughed. “You’re no better than me, Knov.” 

Knov and Morel. Two out of three. Hinata wondered what the old man’s name was.

Morel turned to the teen. “Kid, the minute you start talking about who’s going to win in a Nen fight, you’re wrong. In most cases, you won’t know your opponent's ability. One instant of carelessness is all it takes to turn the tables. You can’t make assumptions based on the amount of aura. A battle can turn at any point.” He grinned. It was a predator’s smile: no, a Hunter’s smile. Hinata was positive that’s what these men were. “That’s what fighting with Nen is. But regardless, you always have to fight certain of victory. The moment you were overwhelmed by your opponent’s aura and fled, you were disqualified. You’re lower than a loser.”

Hinata bristled on the boy’s behalf. The lesson is sound; confidence in battle could very well decide the fight, as she knew all too well, but it was easy for her to see that the teen was already beaten down. The timing on this lesson was atrocious, but Morel didn’t seem to care.

There was a moment of silence, and the teen closed his eyes. He’d stopped grinding his teeth. The old man asked another question.

“Is Gon asleep?”

So the other teen was Gon. It was nice to have that confirmed.

“He was going to attack the enemy, so I used force to stop him. I didn’t have time to control my strength, so I don’t know when he’ll wake up.” 

That took Hinata aback. That terrible bruise on Gon’s neck was his friend’s doing? She hadn’t even thought of that possibility. The explanation was also strange. Gon had been about to attack whatever enemy had frightened his comrade so much? The boy must have been either incredibly brave, or unaware of the danger. 

Morel chuckled. “That kid shows some promise then.”

“Morel!” Knov actually looked annoyed; Morel had finally gone too far for him. The larger man shrugged, while the old man ignored his companions’ little spat. 

“It’s difficult to believe that Chimera Ants are devouring humans, but since it appears to be true, we must keep casualties to a minimum. If we send fighters who aren’t strong enough, they’ll only strengthen the enemy. Do you understand?”

It took Hinata a couple seconds to absorb what the man had said, and when she did, she almost fell on her butt.

Suddenly, everything about the conversation she’d listened to, no, what Kiba had smelled, no, the whole mission- 

Everything was cast into a new, horrifying light. 

If what they’d been told about Chimera Ants were accurate, how they imparted traits from their prey onto their offsprings, what would happen if one ate a person? An Ant with the intelligence and strength of a human being?

No, more than just a human being, Hinata realized.

‘One of them could use Nen.’ 

Hinata closed her eyes, contemplating the implications of that. An ant that could use something like chakra? Would it be giant, like the creatures shinobi could form contracts with? Would it take on the physical characteristics of humans as well, able to pass as one? She didn’t know. The boy was clearly no pushover, and she imagined neither Gon nor Kite had been either. So it was definitely a threat. But it was more than that.

‘I still can’t see you defeating that thing.’

Hinata felt cold. She could see for herself that these men were extremely powerful in their own way. Assuming the teen wasn’t blinded by his terror. 

She needed to get back to her team. They needed to know about this.

“Yeah.” The boy said. Even distracted as she was, Hinata still picked up what he said without effort. “I understand.” He hesitated. “Before you guys go… can you feel that?” 

Hinata stiffened as Morel nodded, clicking his tongue. “Something’s been watching us,” the tall man said in a serious tone. “How long?”

“I’m not sure,” the teen answered. “Whatever it is, it started following me a couple miles from the border.” She’d been following him much longer than that, but Hinata was still impressed he’d noticed her that far back regardless.

“Is it an Ant?” Knov asked. The teen shrugged.

“I think it would have attacked me if it were. The ones we met weren’t the kind to stalk someone for a couple miles. I don’t know what it could be: I thought I might have spotted it a couple minutes before you arrived, but I couldn’t pinpoint it.”

While the Hunters discussed her, Hinata was paralyzed by a crossroad opening up before her.

On one hand, she wanted to rush back to her team armed with this knowledge immediately. On the other, it was possible that would put all of them in unnecessary danger. From that, arose the other option.

These Hunters were clearly powerful, and knowledgeable about the Ant threat: moreso than her or her team. They’d be indispensable allies. But it was risky to approach them, for a variety of reasons.

She had to make a decision quickly.

The old man, whose name, to Hinata’s irritation, was still unknown to her, was the only one to take serious action in looking for her. While his comrades stood around glancing at one another, he brought his hand up to his eye and peered through a tiny space between his index and middle finger. Hinata cocked her head at the strange motion.

‘An observation technique?’

He scanned all around him before his gaze eventually fell on the tree line. After a couple seconds of minute movements, he eventually peered directly at her. Hinata blinked. That had been fast; all of these Hunters had impressive senses.

He smiled a devious smile, the kind that only old men with a thousand private jokes were capable of, and waved. 

Hinata blinked again. Of all the possible reactions, she hadn’t expected him to wave. After a moment, she decided there was really only one thing to do.

She stood up from her crouch, and waved back.

“It’s a woman,” she watched him say. “Hmm. Strange eyes.”

Having been spotted, Hinata came to her decision quickly. Communication was key in a situation like this. If she ran off, she’d likely only raise suspicion. That was something she and her team didn’t need right now.

And these men were potentially too useful to ignore.

“My name is Hinata,” she mouthed, bending her knees slightly and channeling chakra to her legs. “I am not a threat.” The old man cocked an eyebrow, repeating the words out loud for the benefit of his companions. Morel straightened his posture, while Knov took his hands out of his pockets. The teen under the tree stood up, looking to her position with suspicious eyes.

Hinata took a deep breath, and jumped. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

 The Woman With White Eyes

When the woman came hurtling out of the sky, there was a short endless moment during which Killua Zoldyck was sure that he was going to die. 

He was taken back to the night before by the sudden, familiar entrance. He was taken back to the night before when his heart had been frozen by fear, too terrified to beat, and though he knew that it was irrational, that today he was in no true danger, the echo of yesterday’s silence stole a beat from his heart once more.

The moment mercifully passed, but it left behind sweat on Killua’s brow and a tremor in his hand. He stood between the woman and Gon, controlling his breathing, and did his best to read her. Analyze, strategize, compile. The old ritual of observing the unfamiliar calmed him as he looked the new arrival over.

She was female, obviously. Not very tall: only had two or three inches on him. Wearing simple clothes, a pale jacket and beige shorts. Over the jacket she wore a light green vest covered in pockets and zippers; it looked thick enough to stop a knife. She stood straight with her palms out, a clear sign of passivity. No oddities about her body or other modifications that he could see.

With the exception of her eyes. Killua had never seen eyes like that. They were the color of pale moonlight and lacked pupils, like flat circles of empty light in the woman’s face. If Killua didn’t know better he would have supposed she were blind.

But she clearly was not, and that fact unsettled him.

The woman’s leap reminded him of the cat-like Ant, but she carried none of the menace that that thing had. It wasn’t a lack of threat, Killua acknowledged. There was still something dangerous about her, but it wasn’t reckless, terror inducing peril. Instead, she emanated controlled preparation, the sense that she could burst into violent action if it were necessary. He was used to that.

She stood like a Zoldyck, Killua realized. The assassin’s instinct that softened his footsteps and moderated his stance was present in her as well. It reminded him of his mother… though thankfully, the urge to stab the woman in the face didn’t accompany it. The new arrival instantly became far more interesting to Killua. He wondered how she had come across the same kind of training he’d been subject to his whole life.

The Chairman had a similar reaction to him, though Killua was positive it was for different reasons.

“Oho, interesting,” the man said, stroking his beard. “You’re light on your feet, young lady.” 

How far had she jumped, Killua wondered. At least from across the river, more than one-hundred meters. Leaping that fast and that precisely was a hell of a feat; he would have to concentrate to pull it off, and landing without a sound was also impressive.

‘Nothing I couldn’t do, though,’ he reassured himself.

“Forgive me,” the woman said in a peculiar accent. Killua cocked his head, narrowing his eyes a little. He’d never heard someone with that particular lilt in their tone; she was definitely from a country he’d never visited. “I wasn’t sure if I should approach you or not.” 

It was obvious she was apologizing for spying on them. He’d known someone had been watching him for the past half hour or so; the feeling had eaten into his gut. Nevertheless, Killua felt a measure of relief that the apology was also obviously genuine. If the woman was lying, she was the best he’d ever seen.

“Who are you?” Knov stepped forward, adjusting his glasses. “Why are you here?”

The woman kept her face expressionless. “My name is Hinata,” she said calmly, keeping her profile non-threatening. She glanced at Killua, and he made eye contact with her pale eyes for the first time. It was unsettling. “I was following you.”

“I know,” he said. Killua was aware he sounded a little bitter, but he didn’t really care. “I felt it. Why did you bother?” 

The woman didn’t change her expression, but Killua felt something warm come off her anyway. “To ensure you were safe. I couldn’t leave a child unattended, let alone one carrying another, not when he was so clearly afraid.”

This woman had seen his terror; the fact that she’d called him a child paled next to that. Killua felt embarrassment building in his chest and shut it out.

“Ah, children of your own,” Netero chuckled, and Killua knew right away he was correct from the way the woman’s eyes slid over to the Chairman. In addition to being annoying and tough as iron, the old bastard was way too observant.

“That’s not what I meant,” Knov cut in. Morel watched the conversation with a flat smile. “Who are you, and why are you here?”

Hinata blinked. “My name is Hinata Hyuuga. I come from a Hidden Village very far from here.” She paused for a second, clearly choosing her words. “I came here with two comrades in search of the Chimera Ants.”

“Then-?” Knov started, but Hinata had yet to finish.

“We had no idea they had begun eating humans,” she said with an apologetic look. “That’s why I am here talking to you. I wanted to return to them, but I didn’t want to leave you unsure if I were friend or foe.”

“And which are you?” Morel asked, swinging whatever he had wrapped in cloth off his back. Killua wondered if it was a grotesquely oversized sword or something equally ridiculous. His thoughts of the large man were tainted with resigned bitterness. 

“Friend, I believe,” Hinata said, and Morel grunted. “Or at least, not your enemy.”

“Your ‘Hidden Village,” Morel said. “What’s it called?”

“Konohagakure.”

The Village Hidden in the Leaves. Interesting name. 

“Never heard of it,” Morel responded, echoing Killua’s own thoughts. He was remembering the first Hunters Exam he’d participated in, more than a year ago. There had a man from a Hidden Village there, a shinobi named Hanzo, the man who had brutalized Gon and still somehow been made to surrender. Could this woman be one of his peers? 

“Well,” Hinata smiled. “It is hidden.”

Morel laughed. “You’ve got me there!” He pounded his cloth-wrapped tool into the road, kicking up a cloud of dust. “So, you’re not an enemy. I suppose that’s good. Shouldn’t you be rushing back to your comrades now?”

“Before I do, I’d like to make an offer,” Hinata said, and Killua felt himself shifting a foot back. He was too keyed up. The woman was intentionally radiating sincerity, and her earnest words had still sounded like a threat to him. It was Gon’s fault, being right there, unconscious under the tree. His friend helplessness was getting to him. 

‘Your own damn fault.’ Killua couldn’t tell if he was talking to Gon or himself.

“From what you’ve told…” Hinata paused, and smiled again. An action so disarming it almost achieved the opposite effect. “I know your names,” she said, looking to Morel and Knov, and then to Killua and Netero. “But not yours. Could I trouble you for them?”

He hated her politeness. He wasn’t used to it. Gon tended to be obnoxiously sincere instead of the calculated friendliness Hinata was putting off.

“Killua,” he gave, and the woman gave him an infuriating sign of gratitude, nodding her head. The Chairman took a moment longer.

“Netero,” he eventually said, without much inflection. Hinata gave him her non-verbal thanks as well.

“Well, Netero, from what you’ve told Killua, I imagine you three are here to suppress–” her lip twisted, “–or perhaps exterminate the Ants.”

“Well, hopefully it will not come to that,” Netero said. Killua was sure he was lying; something about the way the man’s eyes lit up at the word ‘exterminate’ said so. He didn’t understand why the Chairman would tell such a meaningless fib. Perhaps that was how such a powerful man got his incidental pleasures. “But yes, that is precisely why we are here. The surrounding nations cannot afford to let the Ants spread, and so called for our assistance.”

“Then you are Hunters,” Hinata said, and for the first time she showed an emotion that wasn’t bland friendliness: triumph. It breathed a little life into her, and Killua felt himself relax a little. “Good. If Killua is right and the Ant that attacked him truly is stronger than you three–” she said, “And I can tell, you are quite powerful. If that Ant really is a threat, then facing it with my comrades would be dangerous, especially if it were not alone.”

“Ah.” Knov finally spoke up once more. “An alliance.”

“Precisely,” Hinata said. “We are here with broadly the same interests; I see no reason we couldn’t cooperate. It would give us a higher chance of success." 

She was so mechanical about it, but now that Killua had seen a hint of the woman’s human side, he could see the earnest curiosity and confidence that lurked under her facade. He didn’t feel like he had to stand between her and Gon anymore, though he didn’t move from his position.

What she was saying made sense, of course. It would be better to confront that Ant with allies; the more the better. That was obvious.

“Hmm.” Netero played with his beard. “We are not desperate for help. If we would seek it, we would accept only the strong.”

Hinata grinned. “You’re worried I’m not worthy of accompanying you?” she asked. It wasn’t a mocking question, though she was clearly a little amused. Netero laughed in response.

“Of course!” Morel added with a wide grin of his own. “This will be a battle, and a long one; a struggle for life against a powerful foe!” He grew a little more serious, though he was clearly still enjoying himself. Knov scoffed at the large man’s dramatic delivery, but Killua couldn’t disagree. “How could you help us?” Morel finished.

“Hmmm,” Hinata said, crossing her arms. She was silent for a moment; clearly deciding something, Killua thought. After about three seconds, she came to an obvious decision. Her fingers tightened slightly around her arms as she focused on something.

Veins pushed themselves out of Hinata’s forehead around her pale eyes, and Killua frowned, mildly disturbed by the sudden and somewhat grotesque transformation. Her unmarred eyes suddenly gained a faint pupil, barely more than a ring of discoloration in the center. The woman didn’t seem discomfited, despite the bulging veins. Killua glanced down at his hand.

It reminded him of his families own techniques for hardening muscles, sharpening nails, or improving reaction speed. Yet another similarity to the Zoldycks. He wasn’t sure what to think of that. 

Hinata turned around, putting her back to the Hunters. Netero raised an eyebrow, and Killua’s frown grew. Now he wasn’t quite sure what she was planning.

“You’ve broken each of your limbs many times,” she said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder to gesture at Netero. The Chairman blinked. “Your hands, too. The right, hmm, seven, or perhaps eight; your middle knuckle could only have been dislocated in that case.” She didn’t move, didn’t look over her shoulder. Killua was skeptical of the obvious theatre. It had to be a trick, a skill involving memorization, though he wasn’t sure why she would bother. “Your left, only four I would guess. You’re ambidextrous, but you must still favor your right hand or else it wouldn’t have suffered that much damage.”

The Chairman chuckled, stroking his beard once more. Hinata was still. Killua finally moved, deciding it was okay to not stand between the woman and Gon. He slowly paced around her, coming to stand a couple feet in front of her. She was staring straight ahead, veins still bulging.

“Morel,” she said, still not moving. “You have quite the pipe under that cloth. It’s packed with some kind of tobacco.”

‘A pipe?’ That was stupid. Who took a pipe to a fight? But when Killua glanced at Morel, the man looked startled. If Hinata had guessed, she’d guessed right. Impossible. Was she really looking right through not only the back of her head, but everything else?

“Knov… you’re not carrying much,” Hinata said, and the man nodded. “But the phone in your pocket is green.”

Knov removed the cell phone, and Killua wasn’t surprised to see it was indeed a green flip-phone. The woman had an impressive trick for sure, seeing through things, but Killua didn’t see how that would be of much use to the Hunters.

“There are six more people waiting in the truck,” Hinata continued. “None of them are professionals, but they’re certainly eccentric. As for you, Killua…” She paused, and blinked. Killua blinked back.

Hinata licked her lips. For the first time Killua had seen, she looked uncomfortable. 

“You have quite a few scars under your shirt.” Oh, had that been all? Killua supposed he did have a lot, certainly more than most kids his age. Some of the burn marks from his electrical training were kinda ugly, too.

Hinata took a step forward, and Killua started. It was the first time she’d moved since ‘activating’ her eyes.

“And...” she said, extending a hand. Killua backed up, and she paused about three feet from him, her hand pointing at his face.

“You have a needle in your brain,” she said, slowly stepping forward. The words rooted Killua in place; the world went grey, narrowing down to the strange woman’s hand. She tapped him high on the forehead, gently, probably the most gently anyone had ever touched him. It shocked him, jolting the grey from his vision. “Right here, buried in your prefrontal cortex.”

She drew back, her hand falling to her side, and narrowed her eyes. With the veins still bulging out of her temple, she looked nearly menacing. “It has rather sinister aura.”

Killua couldn’t speak. She wasn’t lying. She couldn’t know to lie about something like that. Unless Hinata Hyuuga had been following him for far, far longer than he’d known, there was no way she could understand the significance of what she’d just said.

His hand curled into a fist as Hinata stepped back, giving him some room. There was a needle in his brain, and it was impossible to doubt who had put it there. 

“Perceptive vision,” Knov said. Killua listened distantly. “Impressive, but I’m not sure that’s what we’re looking for." 

Hinata shook her head. “My eyes acuity is useful, but that is not what you’ll find helpful about them. I wished to demonstrate that aspect of them first so you’d find what I’m about to say more believable.” 

Killua rubbed at his forehead. Was that feeling just his imagination, a psychosomatic effect of what Hinata had told him, or had it always been there, so long he’d stopped noticing? Like there was a splinter, barely a centimeter long, underneath his skin. 

“These eyes are called the Byakugan,” Hinata said, pronouncing the foreign word carefully. “When I use them, my vision expands, as you’ve no doubt realized, to perceive everything around me. But it is not just three-hundred and sixty degrees of vision. It also grants me telescopic sight.”

Morel hummed, resting his covered pipe on his shoulder once more. “And how far does that extend?”

“Fourteen kilometers.”

The large man’s eyes grew wide under his glasses and Knov coughed, choking on air. Netero was the only one among the Hunters who didn’t outwardly react to the proclamation. Killua could barely believe what he’d just heard. Seeing through everything around you with enough clarity to pick out old injuries like the Chairman’s… for fourteen kilometers? The idea was insane. Even worse, she had no reason to lie. None that Killua could come up with, at least.

Suddenly, he realized how the woman had tracked him so unerringly and so accurately, from beyond the range of his senses. She could have been following him for most of his life with eyes like those, and he’d never have been able to tell.

What kind of Nen was she using? Some insane application of En? Killua was sure he would have noticed her En extending out if that were the case, and besides, even a true master of En like Kite had only been able to extend his radius to fifty meters. There was no way this woman was so horribly far beyond a Professional Hunter like Kite, able to defeat his range almost three-hundred fold and disguise it with In at the same time. That was impossible.

Killua knew the other Hunters were running the same calculations in their heads. 

She’d said her eyes were responsible. Byakugan: the name meant nothing to him. Could she be an Enhancer, improving her vision? Killua had never heard of anything like that, but today he was painfully aware that he was young and in many ways naive. Maybe her eyes were fake, and the Byakugan was actually a Conjuration that replaced them and granted her such insane vision. Or she could be a Specialist; maybe even one like Kurapika, with his scarlet eyes. 

Or maybe this was something he couldn’t understand at all. The idea made Killua shiver. A power so far beyond his frame of reference that he didn’t even know where to begin to analyze it.

“That’s a very frightening ability, young lady,” Netero said. He grinned like the foolish old man Killua knew he wasn’t. “And certainly a useful one!” He gave Hinata a thumbs up, before squinting at her with amusement. “You’re in! Assuming you’re not lying, of course.”

“No, sir,” she said. “I have no reason to. If you’d like, I could demonstrate them for you; perhaps one of your companions would be willing to run fifteen kilometers in any direction?”

“Ha!” Morel said, baring his teeth. “They’ll be no need of that!”

Knov nodded. “I agree,” he said quietly. “This is some good fortune. Let’s be on our way, and quickly.”

“Yes, please,” Hinata said, the veins around her eyes receding. “I’m anxious to return to my team.” She smiled one last time. “I’ll see you all in the NGL.”

And then, as quickly as she’d arrived, she was gone.

Netero watched her go with a bland look. 

“What an odd woman. She volunteered too much information,” Knov said a minute later. Hinata could still be watching them, of course, but Killua knew that the other Hunters didn’t really care.

“She was eager to gain our trust,” Morel said, scratching her chin. “And though I begrudge it a little, it worked on me.” He chuckled. “That was one earnest woman. Giving away such an incredible Hatsu like that, without reservation… she’s either very confident or very stupid, and she certainly didn’t seem the stupid type.”

“Hmm.” Netero was a master of making old man noises. Killua couldn’t tell if they meant anything. “She was certainly a warrior.” The Chairman was clearly contemplating something, though Killua knew he didn’t have a ghost of a chance of figuring out exactly what that was.

“Oh?” Knov said, raising an eyebrow. “She seemed a little… soft, to me.” Killua understood what the man meant. The woman was barely taller than him and couldn’t have weighed more than fifty, maybe sixty kilograms. Size didn’t mean much when Nen entered the stage–Bisky had taught him that too effectively for his taste–but she’d still had an aura of… kindness that most people lacked. The word made him want to gag, but he couldn’t think of a better one.

“Surely you’re not so naive.” There was something different in the Chairman’s voice. Killua had only heard it once before, when he and Gon had ‘fought’ the man during the Hunter Exam. It was something between laughter and respect. “Hinata Hyuuga has killed before; it’s likely she’ll kill again.” He glanced at Killua. “She walks like an assassin.”

Netero straightened up, tapping his geta on the dirt road. “We’ll work with her for now, and her comrades as well; that Hatsu is too impressive to ignore. But I don’t need to tell you not to be comfortable around her. She’s a dangerous woman, and she didn’t tell us the whole truth.”

You shouldn’t trust odd women who hurtled out of the sky and asked for an alliance out of the blue, Killua thought. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.

Morel snorted. “Sounds about right,” he said. “Then let’s go. This assignment just got more interesting, and I’m eager to get started.” The large man set off, with Knov casually trailing behind him. 

“One moment,” Netero said. He turned to address Killua.

“As you can see, we are willing to accept assistance… so long as it’s no hindrance." 

‘Hindrance?’

The Chairman tossed him two chunks of wood, and Killua snatched them out of the air. There were ink symbols painted on each bit, some sort of kanji that he didn’t recognize.

“There are two assassins waiting in a nearby town,” Netero said, and Killua frowned in confusion. “Defeat them by the end of this month, and we will permit you to join us. Only two of you will be welcome in NGL.” The Chairman looked away and followed after his subordinates.

“Best of luck.”

Killua watched them go, all the way up until they entered the checkpoint. He felt feverish, the events of the last twenty-four hours breaking over his brow with furious heat. Eventually, once the Hunters were out of sight, he walked back to Gon, looking over his unconscious friend. He wondered how he would explain what he’d just seen to him. 

Killua picked up Gon and slung him over his shoulder, carrying him to the truck. As he walked, he touched his forehead again, feeling something there that had been there all the life: impossible to ignore, now that he knew it existed.

The presence filled him with anger; cold and satisfying anger that doused the fever. He resolved to gouge it out the moment he had time to. He didn’t care if it was in his brain. He wouldn’t suffer his brother’s intrusion, especially like this.

‘Illumi, you’re going to pay.’

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

A Meeting of Monsters

It only took Hinata half an hour to meet back up with her team. They’d stopped to have lunch on top of a small mountain, a mound of stone dominated by craggy faces dotted with jutting trees that clung to the cliffs with admirable tenacity. Kiba had smelled her coming, and waved at her as soon as she came into view, two miles from the base of the mountain. Hinata had waved back and set about climbing towards her team. The mountain was only about a kilometer tall, so it took Hinata a minute or so to reach the top.

They’d already laid out a sandwich, a small donburi, and a bottle of water by the time she’d reached them. Hinata had thanked them and devoured the meal in short order, surprised by her hunger. 

She’d been tense, confronting the Hunters like that, and the food helped her relax. Shino had obviously noticed.

“How’d it go?” he asked. Hinata popped the last bite of rice and raw fish in her mouth, chewing contemplatively.

“Interesting,” she said, swallowing with more than a little satisfaction. “His name was Killua, and the boy on his back was Gon. He ran all the way to the border.”

“Huh, no wonder you took so long,” Kiba said, lying back with his arms behind his head and staring at the sky. It was a beautiful, if somewhat chilly day. “You talked to him?’

“Not at first,” Hinata responded. She was sitting crosslegged, and she leaned back to rest on her arms as the food settled. “But I was curious; he reminded me of a shinobi, so I stayed an observed him for a minute or two. He made a call and got news that ‘reinforcements’ were coming, so I decided to wait for those as well.”

Shino hummed. “You certainly were curious, if you were willing to wait for all that.”

‘He reminded me of Boruto.’

Hinata didn’t say it, but she was sure her teammates understood. “It turned out to be a good idea,” she said, and both Shino and Kiba perked up in interest. “Killua, Gon, another man they were traveling with named ‘Kite,’ and the three men who ended up being the reinforcements-”

“Hold on, three guys? And who’s this Kite?” Kiba cut in, and Hinata nodded. 

“Three men arrived in a truck. They were the reinforcements mentioned. Kite was one of Killua’s companions, but he wasn’t with them or with Killua. I’ll get to that in a second,” Hinata said, making a shushing mention. Kiba huffed. “Listen. All of them, they were Hunters.”

“Oh!” Kiba sat up straighter. “Then-?”

Hinata nodded. “They noticed I was observing them, so I approached them myself. I didn’t want them to suspect I was an enemy. We talked. I managed to confirm that Gon, Killua, and Kite were the initial Hunter team sent to search for the Chimera Ants.”

“But then where is ‘Kite?’” Shino asked quietly, and Kiba shot him a look.

Hinata frowned. “That is where things get complicated. I didn’t get the exact story, but from what Killua told the other Hunters,” she paused. “That’s Morel, Knov, and Netero: remember their names.” Kiba and Shino nodded, now fully paying attention. Wind whistled across the top of the mountain. “From what Killua told the other Hunters, he, Gon, and Kite were attacked by an Ant.”

“Attacked by an ant?” Shino asked. “I don’t understand.”

“This is important,” Hinata said. “This second Hunter team, they’ve been sent in because there have apparently been reports of Ants devouring humans." 

Kiba sucked in a breath through his teeth; Shino just froze, his hands resting on his knees. Hinata was pretty sure he wasn’t breathing. 

“That’s…” Kiba said after a second. “Shit. And they… they take in traits from what they eat, right? Physical and, like, mental?”

“Yes,” Shino said distantly. “From what I know, if a Chimera Ant ate a human…” He shook his head. “Ants with the intelligence and capabilities of humans? They would become monsters. It’s thankful people in this world don’t have chakra; I can’t imagine the implications.”

“That’s the thing.” Hinata leaned in. “People in this world don’t have chakra, but these Hunters had something a lot like it.”

“What?” Kiba massaged his forehead, his posture slumping. “I haven’t sensed anything. It’s not really my forte, but still…”

“Neither have my kikaichu,” Shino confirmed. He stood up and started pacing. “Your Byakugan?”

“I didn’t know to look for until I saw the Hunters: Netero especially. That man is dangerous,” Hinata admitted. “But once I saw it, it was unmistakable. They call it ‘Nen.’ From what I can tell it’s raw life energy. It’s almost like Yang chakra, but less… stable, I suppose. I wouldn’t be surprised if those Hunters were on the same level as us, at least in some ways.”

Hinata wasn’t sure how to describe Nen beyond what she’d said. She also wasn’t sure how to explain her suspicions about it to her team without going into more detail about what Naruto had told her of the Otsutsuki and the origins of chakra than she was comfortable with. It had been a series of late night conversations, years ago, when Naruto had been more than a little drunk and reminiscing about the war. It was a time in his life that he rarely spoke about. 

Chakra had been artificially created by Kaguya and her sons by combining the physical and spiritual energy of the body into something new and in many ways dangerous. It was all too plausible to Hinata that what the Hunters called Nen were those same ingredients, mixed and animated not by the machinations of a goddess but by the human spirit.

That explanation would justify their missing chakra systems, their obvious astonishment at the Byakugan, and the peculiarity of their inner energies. It was a half-baked theory, gradually pulled together as she’d made her way back to her team, but it was the only conclusion Hinata could come to. At least, assuming that humans in this world worked the same way that they did in hers. 

“That’s not good,” Shino said. “If that’s the case, if the Chimera get their hands on a human with Nen capabilities, they would become unbelievably dangerous.” He twitched. “What happened to Kite?”

“I don’t know,” Hinata admitted, and this time Shino noticeably flinched. “Like I said: Gon, Killua, and Kite were attacked by an Ant.” She rubbed her knees. “Killua didn’t say what happened explicitly, but the way he talked about the Ant, it was extraordinary. He said all three of the Hunters that arrived wouldn’t stand a chance against it, and like I said, it was obvious they weren’t ordinary men. In addition, he was the one who knocked Gon out: apparently to keep him from attacking the Ant.” 

Kiba and Shino exchanged looks. “Quite ruthless,” Shino said.

Hinata couldn’t help but agree. “He was terrified,” she said. “That much was obvious. I don’t know if he made the right decision, but it’s not for me to judge. Whatever the case, he left Kite behind with Gon in tow.”

Kiba scoffed; Hinata could tell he felt derision at the idea of leaving a comrade behind with an enemy, let alone attacking another to keep them out of the fight. “It was obvious to me that Killua was extremely experienced,” she continued, making sure that Shino and Kiba knew what she meant by ‘experienced.’” “If he ascertained the enemy was too strong to face, I wouldn’t doubt his judgement. If that’s the case, then Kite is probably dead.”

“And the Ants have likely devoured another human with Nen.” Shino grimaced. “This is no longer a vacation,” he said. “The situation is now very serious.”

It was so matter of fact, coming from him, that Hinata almost giggled, but she couldn’t disagree. The notion that their vacation had ended almost before it had begun brought a flare of disappointment to her chest... and yet, for reasons she didn’t really understand, there was also a warm thrill in her gut.

She hadn’t been on a real mission in over a year. Had she missed the challenge? Hinata thought that was more than a little selfish of her.

And yet, she couldn’t deny the feeling of anticipation in her core.

“Alright, so,” Kiba said. “Five Hunters-”

“No, only Netero, Knov, and Morel entered into the NGL,” Hinata interrupted with a smile. “I kept an eye on them. They sent Gon and Killua off; Netero told them they could return if they defeated some assassins." 

Kiba still had his mouth open. “O-okay,” he said, processing the sentence. “Alright, three Hunters, at least one that’s been eaten, maybe more if we’ve got incomplete information. At least one Chimera Ant that’s scary enough to mess with a Hunter team specifically sent to investigate, and with more information than us: maybe more, if we’re unlucky. Who knows how many other Ants, all of which could potentially be dangerous if they’re big enough to be eating people. Everyone I just mentioned can kinda use chakra, and none of them like us. Am I missing anything?”

“Yes: I got the new Hunter team to agree to work together with us against the Ants,” Hinata said, and Kiba blinked. Shino let out a dry laugh. “We should try to meet up with them sooner rather than later. We might be spending a lot of time together, if the situation really has degraded to the point Ants are devouring humans.”

“You were busy, Hinata,” Shino said. “Good work.”

Hinata smiled at the compliment. “Don’t thank me yet,” she warned. “Those Hunters are suspicious people. I don’t blame them, but it’s something to keep in mind. I went out of my way to be open and they still don’t trust me.”

“Well, they don’t need to trust us to work with us,” Kiba said, standing up and stretching out. “They just have to…” he stopped. “Uh, trust us not to stab them in the back.”

Hinata giggled, and Kiba sighed. “Shut up, alright. That made more sense in my head.”

“So what now?” she asked. Shino stopped pacing.

“We find those Hunters, or we find the Ant’s nest,” he declared. “I imagine the both of them will be hard to miss." 

Hinata stood up, dusting a stray piece of rice off her stomach. “What’re we waiting for then?” Kiba said, picking something out of his teeth. 

“Let’s go find these Ants."

### 

Forty minutes later, the Ants found them.

Hinata could tell both of her comrades started feeling the sensation of being watched at the same time, as though there were a pair of eyes floating just over her shoulder, judging her. Kiba stopped, sniffing at the air. They’d begun moving through the treetops, something that most shinobi from Konoha found faster and more comfortable, and the Inuzuka kneeled down on his branch, keeping one hand on the tree’s trunk to steady himself. He took another deep breath.

“You feel that?” he asked, and both Hinata and Shino nodded. “It’s that same smell,” he said, grimacing. “Way closer this time.” He bared his canines. “Though this time it’s almost like… a dog.”

“Perhaps you are smelling an Ant that was the product of a dog,” Shino suggested, and Kiba growled in the back of his throat.

“It’s disgusting,” he grumbled. “If I get the chance, I’m killing it.” He pointed to the northeast. “It’s coming from over there.”

Hinata wanted to believe it wouldn’t come to that, but if the Chimera Ants were eating humans, they would likely just regard her and her team as prey. If it came to that, they’d have no choice but to defend themselves. 

It had been longer than she’d thought since she’d killed something. Almost two years now. Though she’d killed plenty of bugs around the house. Maybe the Ants would be the same. 

She activated her Byakugan, focusing her attention on the forest in the direction Kiba had pointed. The shinobi waited in the trees, unwilling to move without more information. Most likely, the forest very much belonged to the Ants now; since Kiba had picked one up, walking into an ambush became an unpleasant possibility.

It only took twenty seconds for the first Chimera Ant to come into Hinata’s field of vision. The Hyuuga didn’t really know what to think when she saw it. It was a creature entirely outside her frame of reference.

No, not entirely. It just wasn’t what she had been expecting.

The thing looked more like a wolf than an ant; Hinata was sure it was responsible for the scent Kiba had reacted to so viscerally. It loped forward on all fours, sniffing at the ground. It was in its limbs and joints that its true heritage became obvious; they articulated like an insect’s, covered in a hard chitin, and were capped with claws rather than paws. The Wolf-Ant had a kind of natural body armor across its torso and legs, glossy like a beetle's shell; the rest of its body was covered in red fur. Strangest of all was its head. Human eyes staring out of a wolf’s face. It even had a shock of bristly black hair, almost like a wig.  

It was both horrifying and remarkable. Hinata’s throat was dry. More Ants were coming into her field of vision, following after the Wolf. Hinata counted four… no, five more. They were all like the Wolf, armored horrors with clear combinations of human and insect traits laid over other animals. It was a sunny day, but Hinata felt cold. She’d never imagined the Chimera Ants would be like this.

There was one that looked like a deer walking erect with cloven feet and human hands. Cantering next to it was a creature with the lower body of a horse and the torso of a woman, covered in yellow hair and scales, with an extended neck spotted with black marks and the head of a lizard, bristling with teeth. 

Slithering behind them came a bright green snake the size of a small truck. Hinata shivered, feeling her stomach flip. The Ant had dozens of tiny arms drawn up inside itself, like those of a centipede, and porcupine quills with white tips sprouted from under its scales. They looked like thin, cruel feathers.

The last two Ants were less grotesque; one walked upright with an equine chest and face but had the arms and legs of a spider, and the last was separate from its companions. It soared high above them, about two-hundred feet in the sky. To Hinata, it looked the most like an ordinary animal; a hawk the size of a man with crimson and black feathers, though it had clearly defined hands at the ends of its wings. The familiarity was a relief, even if the misplaced hands disturbed her. 

“I see the Ants,” she said quietly, doing her best to sound calm. Shino glanced at her, while Kiba remained focused on his nose. He’d closed his eyes. “There’s no question they’ve eaten humans. They all look like hybrids.” She did her best to describe what she was seeing as the Ants sped through the forest towards their position. The Hawk was fixated on them, its narrow eyes focused like a laser on the tree they sat in. Hinata was sure its keen vision was piercing the canopy.

“Man,” Kiba said, his eyes still closed. “That’s fucked up.” Hinata coughed, forced to agree.

She wasn’t so sure she’d have difficulty killing these things now. Her neck was covered in goosebumps; the thought of them existing was far more disturbing than killing them would be.

“They’re coming quickly,” she said. The Ants were bounding through the forest with unnatural speed; they’d likely reach her position in about two minutes. “That hawk has its eyes on us.”

It made sense to her now how the Ants had managed to spot them from so far away. The hawk’s elevation and keen eyesight likely put everything within twenty kilometers firmly under its purview. That, combined with the enhanced speed and perception the Ants obviously possessed, made it the perfect creature to place on overwatch.

“Can we avoid them?” Shino asked. Hinata frowned.

“Not with that hawk in the air,” she said. “I’m not sure how fast it is, but with its range of vision, outrunning it would be difficult no matter what.” She considered, watching the movement of the Ants carefully. “And it’s clearly communicating with the others. I’m not sure how.”

Shino sighed. “Then we’ll have to take them on,” he said, standing up from his branch. “How far?”

“Eight kilometers.”

“When they reach five-hundred meters, we’ll charge,” the Aburame decided. “Since we’ve maintained our position they probably won’t suspect it; surprise will make up for the numerical advantage.” He mumbled to himself, just two or three words that Hinata didn’t pick up. “Let’s attempt to take one alive, if at all possible. Perhaps we can communicate with it.”

Attacking an unfamiliar enemy was dangerous, but waiting for them wouldn’t improve their chances any. Hinata agreed with Shino’s judgement.

“Leave that wolf one to me,” Kiba said. “It’s pissing me off.”

Hinata glanced at her teammate and decided that Kiba’s canine instincts were none of her business.

“Six kilometers,” she announced.

She was a little nervous, if she was honest with herself. Life and death fights weren’t as common for her as they’d used to be since her children had been born. She trusted decades of training that had been drilled into her since she was a toddler, but worrying about rusty skills was only natural. 

She shook it off. Ultimately, her body would do its job, and if it wasn’t in the mood, she’d just force it to. There was no way in hell she could afford to die in another world. That’s all there was to it.

The Ants were speeding up a little. They certainly didn’t intend to creep up on the shinobi; it seemed they were content to try and blitz them. Against normal humans, that strategy would be incredibly effective. Terrifying, too.

Hinata and her team were not normal humans.

“One kilometer,” she intoned, settling into position for a long leap. She already had a target marked; the Deer-Ant that stood like a person, which was sprinting along the left side of the loose diamond formation the Ants had adopted. Its ears swiveled left and right, no doubt picking up traces of her voice even from the distance.

“Go.”

Hinata launched herself forward, recklessly expelling chakra from her feet and shattering the branch beneath her. The forest became a blur of green and brown as she hurtled towards her target, her teammates alongside her.

The Deer-Ant had slightly less than one second to realize something had gone horribly wrong before Hinata struck it with all the violence and mercilessness of a lightning bolt. 

She hit it square in the face with a fist wreathed in roaring chakra; the Lions Fist has flickered into existence as soon as the Hyuuga had launched herself. A normal person would have had their head removed by the blow; an unlucky shinobi could have had their neck broken.

Neither of those things happened to the Deer-Ant. Instead, it was merely launched backwards with terrific force, its face crumpling inward like a crushed can. It hit the ground and left a trail of thick blue blood on the forest floor, its limbs twitching. Hinata landed at the same moment, anchoring herself with chakra. She still slid a foot or two thanks to loose topsoil, but the majority of her momentum vanished.

Hinata shook her stinging hand, trying to banish the twinge of pain racing down her arm from it. The Ant’s face had been surprisingly tough.

She checked her surroundings. Kiba had tackled the Wolf-Ant and was currently ripping at its throat with his one claw-like hand, with the other burying a kunai in the thing's joints. Shino had kicked the Lizard-Horse hybrid in the face, destroying one of its eyes. Hinata picked her next target.

The monstrous Snake-Ant, which had been slithering through the canopy, twisted itself towards her. It was the largest enemy; her Juken would be more effective against it.

As the snake dropped out of the tree above her, Hinata jumped back, letting it slam to the ground. Nearly one ton of scales, quills, and muscle landed with a dull thud. The fall didn’t slow it down whatsoever. Quickly enough to make a whip-like crack of air, it struck out at her with its quill-tipped tail. Hinata flipped horizontally over the blow, tapping the tail as it passed under her. A burst of chakra forced itself past the snake’s scales, shredding some of its thick muscle.

The snake howled like a man, and Hinata nearly tripped as she landed, startled by the noise.

“You little bitch,” the thing hissed, watching her with narrow orange eyes. Its vertical pupil made helped the look of fury on its face even more obvious.

Hinata gasped. She couldn’t help herself. The appearance of the Ants was one thing, but this-

“You can talk?” she asked, taking a step backwards. The snake drew its injured tail in, nestling it under the rest of its body. 

“I can do more than talk!” the monster hissed, slowly unfolding and circling around Hinata, keeping about five feet away. She remained still, keeping her hands in a Gentle Fist pose and ready to strike without warning. “Who do you think you are? I’m going to turn you into a smear for that!” The snake was long enough that it could entirely circle her and still have a meter left over. It did just that, stopping and watching her.

Hinata wasn’t sure how something with such a snake-like face could look both smug and hateful, but the Ant managed just that. 

“Anything to say before you die?” it laughed. It began constricting, ready to impale her on its many quills and crush her in the same motion. Hinata frowned. The Ant wasn’t very smart. There was nothing stopping her from just jumping out of range; she was certainly faster than the creature’s strikes, so it had no chance of snatching her out of the air if she tried. Not only was the creature arrogant, it clearly didn’t have much experience fighting opponents that could provide meaningful resistance.

Most likely, all the humans it had encountered had been civilians like those she’d seen in the settlement, several hours ago.

The thought made her clench her fists. “Stop,” she warned. “We can settle this.”

“Yeah,” the snake chuckled. “With your death!” Hinata sighed, before taking a deep breath.  

‘What dumb last words.’

The snake constricted, attempting to crush her. Hinata breathed out and pushed off her right foot. A quill brushed her flak jacket. 

Hinata spun.

"Kaiten!"

The Heavenly Rotation burst out of Hinata’s body in a flash of purple and white as the snake made his final push. The Ant screeched as the burning chakra scraped away its scales, flinging it outwards. Several of its quills were shoved deep into its body, puncturing what Hinata assumed were its intestines and lungs, and the whiplash of being flung away in every direction at once snapped three of the snake’s vertebrae.

The Ant flailed and screamed, its body rapidly filling up with blood. Hinata ignored it, focusing on her teammates and the other Ants. Shino had already dispatched his enemy, and Kiba had gutted the Wolf-Ant and decapitated the other horse-like one. He was covered in blue blood and small scratches, but was otherwise unharmed. 

Three Ants dead. The snake was writhing and helpless, and the Deer-Ant Hinata had struck was barely breathing through its smashed face, so only the hawk was still combat-effective. Hinata focused on it; it had drawn a little closer, down to around one-hundred and seventy feet, but was still out of her and Kiba’s reach.

“Shino!” she shouted. “Can you take the hawk?” His kikaichu were their only ranged option, besides ninja tools, and Hinata didn’t like their chances of taking down the airborne Ant with thrown knives.

Shino shook his head. “No.” Hinata’s heart sank. “Too much open space; it would be far too easy for it to outmaneuver and destroy my insects up there.” Hinata huffed. They couldn’t let the Hawk-Ant escape; it would doubtlessly warn the other Ants about them, and the idea of being constantly hassled by reinforcements wasn’t an appealing one. It had been simple to destroy this small patrol, but the Ants were tough and fast. In larger numbers, they would be a serious threat.

“Hinata!” Kiba’s bark drew her attention. Her teammate was standing behind her in a bracing stance: knees bent, hands cupped in front of him. It took Hinata a second to understand what he intended.

“Are you sure?” she asked, and Kiba nodded with a far too enthusiastic grin.

“You’re the only one with a ranged jutsu!” he said. “Now, quick! Before it runs!”

Hinata didn’t waste time with another question. She took off towards her teammate, leaping onto his outstretched hands. Kiba sunk down, muscles tensing, and then flung her into the air with all of his strength. 

It was a strong effort; Hinata was thrown over one-hundred feet straight up, coming within twenty meters of the Hawk-Ant. There was a frozen second at the apex of the toss where she and the Ant locked eyes. The thing laughed.

“Moron,” it rasped. “You’ll never-”

As she began to fall back to the earth, Hinata thrust her palm out at the Ant, straight and deadly as an arrow.

“Hakke Kusho!”

The Vacuum Palm roared out, and the Ant’s eyes went wide. It swerved, trying to flit out of the way of the blast of air pressure, and for just a moment it seemed it would make it. Then the absence left behind by the wave brutally sucked the Hawk-Ant in, and it screeched in pain. The pressure battered one of its wings to pieces, stripping it of all of its feathers and breaking it in two places. The Ant spiralled out of the sky, desperately flapping its maimed wing and screaming all the while.

Hinata landed softly, and a moment later the Ant crashed into the canopy several meters from her. It smashed through several branches, plummeting to the forest floor with a series of sickening snaps: some branches, and some delicate bones as its shattered wing was further fractured.

That was that, she thought, straightening up as the Ant gurgled in pain. Five out of five-

The snake she’d left behind spasmed, slipping across the ground to wrap around Shino. Hinata watched it in surprise.

Surprise, but not concern, because when the snake let out a triumphant hiss and squeezed, Shino collapsed into a swarm of insects.

The snake didn’t have time to express surprise before Hinata rushed over and slammed her palm into its eye. Slowed by pain, it had no chance of dodging; the spike of chakra Hinata delivered pushed deep into the Ant’s brain and killed it in moments. It flopped to the ground like a discarded hose.

Hinata looked down at the body, both impressed and startled. The Ants were hardy; she was sure the snake’s broken bones and punctured organs had taken it out of action. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

She checked around one last time with the Byakugan, ensuring none of the other Ants would rise. The one she’d struck with the Lion Fist was still down, practically invisible under a swarm of Shino’s kikaichu. Hinata was sure it would expire soon. That left the hawk. It was badly maimed, scrabbling about on the ground, but it was obvious it didn’t pose much of a threat.

“Shit, shit, shit.” The hawk groaned. “Shit." 

“Well,” Kiba said, walking over. He wiped some of the blood on his hands off on his pants. “A bit messy, but I guess we got one of them alive.” He looked around. Hinata deactivated her Byakugan, keeping a wary eye on the hawk. “Shino, where you at?” Kiba called.

Shino dropped out of the canopy right behind him. Kiba jumped. “Damn! Don’t do that!” he scolded. Shino shrugged.

“I had to jump for the substitution to be convincing,” he said.

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to drop down right behind me! Without a sound, too!” Kiba huffed, pounding his chest. “Jeez, I’m all worked up. These things freak me out.”

“Good.” The last Ant was watching the shinobi. It had given up on trying to crawl to its feet, resigned to lie in a pool of its own blue blood. “You may have gotten my squad, but our leader’s gonna kill you when he gets wind of this." 

“Oh?” Shino said softly, stepping over the body of the snake and approaching the Ant. The hawk refused to flinch back, but Hinata could tell it wasn’t as fearless as it was trying to appear. “Your leader, huh?" 

“That’s right!” The hawk shouted. “The squadron commander’s gonna tear you to pieces!” 

“Hmm.” Shino looked the Ant over. “Is he that much stronger than you?”

The hawk coughed up blood and phlegm. Hinata flinched. “Tons,” it said. “There’s no way he’ll let you get away with this.”

“What’s his name?” Kiba asked. Shino turned back to him with a frown. 

“They shouldn’t-” he started to say, before the hawk spoke once more.

“Squadron Leader Colt,” it spat. “You humans picked the wrong squad.” It groaned, trying to stretch out its broken wing. 

Shino was silent. “You squadron leader has a name,” he eventually said. He sounded worried. “Do you?”

The hawk looked at him like he was a moron. “Why would I have a name?” it asked, and Shino frowned. 

“Why does your squadron leader have a name?” he responded. The hawk’s beak clacked together. It was incredibly strange to watch human sounds emerge from it. The sight almost made Hinata queasy. 

“I don’t know. That’s just how it is,” the hawk said after clicking its beak three or four times. Hinata wondered if that was a sign it was thinking. “It doesn’t matter.”

“No, I suppose it doesn’t,” Shino said. “Where is your nest?”

The hawk’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not telling you shit.”

“You already told me your leader’s name,” Shino pointed out, and the Ant froze. “There’s no harm in telling us more. Eventually, we’ll find it on our own regardless.”

The Ant’s appearances were disturbing, but now that they were talking to one, their immature demeanor unnerved Hinata far more than their looks. Maybe this ‘squad’ was just populated by particularly unimpressive examples, but the Ants obviously acted without much consideration for the situation beyond simple instincts like aggression. This hawk, and the snake before it, both spoke and acted like murderous teenagers. They clearly didn’t think things through before opening their mouth.

Hinata hadn’t hesitated to kill them before, but the lack of wisdom the Ants displayed unsettled her. It was almost childish. She could feel her a bit of sweat forming on the back of her neck at the implications, and took a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to fret over the psychology of monsters who devoured humans. 

“Well… I’m not gonna make the same mistake twice,” the Ant decided. So they could learn; it was a relief, in the way, even though it obviously meant trouble. “You all can go to hell.”

Shino waved his hands, and slowly but surely the Ant was covered with kikaichu, the writhing mass of black insects obscuring everything below its head. The hawk sneered. 

“Commanding insects, huh?” it coughed. “Weakling.”

“They will drain you of your life,” Shino said ponderously. “It will be a gradual and painless death. If you wish to avoid it, please, tell me where we can find the nest.”

The hawk didn’t answer. Shino waited ten seconds, and then shrugged.

“Very well.”

It took a little over a minute for the hawk to die, and it maintained a steady death glare at Shino the whole time. It had been a long time since Hinata had seen such obvious fear and hate in something’s eyes. She could tell that Shino was hoping throughout the whole process that the Ant would recant, that they would get something more than a corpse for their troubles, but it was just as obvious to her that the Ant was too stubborn to give in. They had killed its comrades, and it was determined to die alongside them.

In a way, it was admirable. Nonetheless, Hinata didn’t find herself very affected when the Ant finally passed, its eyes rolling back in its head and its neck going slack as the parasitic insects finally finished their greedy work.

“Well,” Kiba said, examining his nails. One of them had broken during his fight with the Wolf-Ant. “That wasn’t that bad.”

Hinata nodded, looking around the short-lived battlefield. “They’re certainly fast,” she said. “And their strength is impressive. They’re clearly inexperienced, though." 

“Used to preying on the helpless,” Shino agreed as his insects receded from the hawk’s body. “That much was clear to me.” He produced a small knife and a flask from his flak jacket and approached one of the dead Ants, sawing off a vestigial antenna and placing it in the flask. “There will be others, more dangerous than these ones. They were adequate soldiers, but little more; I suspect the later generations produced by the Queen will be more capable.”

Kiba snorted. “We’ll see. For now,” he said, breathing deep, “I think I might have those Hunters’ scents.” He wrinkled his nose. “Like old wood. And smoke.”

Hinata glanced at him. She rotated her wrist, working out a minor kink that had refused to vanish since she’d struck the first Ant in the face. “That would probably be Morel. He’s carrying a huge pipe, packed with tobacco.” She realized she had no idea why. There was probably a better reason than the man being extremely enthusiastic about smoking; the Hunters seemed far too practical to indulge in something like that. It was likely a weapon. 

“Huh. How big?” Kiba asked, and Hinata laughed.

“Bigger than me,” she said. Her teammate scoffed.

“Not that impressive, then.”

Hinata frowned. “That’s mean, Kiba.” Kiba looked stricken, until he turned and got a better look at the smile she was trying to hide under a furrowed brow and quivering lip. He snorted.

“You’re letting Boruto rub off on you too much,” he said. “Messing with people isn’t a virtue, you know!” He started walking southeast, doubtlessly following his nose, and Hinata and Shino followed.

“It is when you’re as cute as he is,” Hinata pointed out, and Shino chuckled softly. “Besides, he’s not that bad about it. He’s just good at recognizing gullible adults.”

Kiba glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Implying something there?” 

Hinata just giggled, giving up the spar. She enjoyed trying it every once in awhile, but she didn’t have the endurance to poke at her teammates for long. She always gave up long before she could have, feeling both amused and vaguely guilty.

Team Eight left the bodies of the Ant patrol behind.

 ###

Unlike the Ants, the Hunters ended up not needing superior eyesight to detect the shinobi coming. Though Hinata had spotted them ahead of time from a distance of about ten kilometers, by the time the shinobi were within four one of the Hunters (Hinata guessed it was either Netero and Morel; perhaps thanks to his bland appearance, she didn’t have much faith in Knov having the instincts or senses to detect a potential enemy that far out) had clearly given word to the others to expect company. 

They ended up meeting on a rocky ridge atop the crest of one of the short mountain chains that crisscrossed the NGL; Hinata noted with amusement that it was a very similar location to the place where she’d reunited with her team after making contact with the Hunters. Hinata hadn’t wanted to unnecessarily startle them, so she and her team had instead leapt to the edge of the ridge and approached on foot.

There was an awkward moment when both teams saw each other for the first time. The Hunters were clustered in a small circle, discussing something: Morel sitting cross-legged, Knov standing across from him, and Netero standing to the side of them, looking outwards. The shinobi came around a large rock, and suddenly, there was nothing separating them.

Morel destroyed the moment with his booming voice. “Took you long enough,” he said, an indifferent statement that he delivered in good humor. “We were beginning to wonder if you’d decided to avoid us.”

Hinata smiled, doing her best to defuse any potential tension. “I’m sorry for the delay. We encountered some Chimera Ants on the way here.” She gestured to her left. “This is Kiba Inuzuka,” she said, and her toothy teammate grinned. “And this,” she said, making the same gesture to her right, “is Shino Aburame.” Shino nodded respectfully.

“A pleasure,” he said softly. Knov watched the shinobi silently; Netero was still looking off in the distance, apparently ignoring the new arrivals.

“Come, then,” Morel said, patting the ground next to him. “Sit. We were just discussing potential strategies.” He flicked his hand dismissively at Netero. “The old man thinks he’s located the nest, though it’s a ways off. We’re figuring out the safest way to approach it.”

Kiba was the only shinobi who didn’t hesitate. He marched right over to Morel and plopped himself down next to Knov. He glanced at the man with glasses curiously. 

“Yo,” he said, extending a hand. “You Netero, or Knov?” The man looked at the extended hand. “All Hinata told us was your names.”

Knov glanced back at Netero. The old man refused to move. “I am Knov,” he said, giving Kiba a light handshake. “I hope we have a productive alliance.”

Kiba quirked an eyebrow at the formality. “Yeah,” he said dryly. “That’d be nice.”

It wasn’t the best start, Hinata thought as she walked over to sit on the other side of Kiba, between Knov and Morel.

But it was a start.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

The Bloodsoaked Nest 

All of the Hunters and shinobi had different reactions when they finally laid eyes on the Chimera Ant’s nest. Speaking for herself, Hinata had been astounded by its size. The nest was nearly a mile tall and hundreds of feet in diameter, a massive edifice of earth and stone covered in outcroppings and tendrils that spiraled towards the sky; it looked more like a skyscraper than an insect's dwelling, and yet at the same time it was unmistakably the kind of place the Chimera Ants would call home. Set against the backdrop of the setting sun, it cast a massive shadow across the forest below it.

The rest of her traveling companions all acted similarly surprised and impressed, but it was Kiba who concisely summed up what was on all their minds.

“Holy shit,” he muttered, and Morel laughed.

“They’ve been busy,” the big man agreed, idly shifting his pipe from one shoulder to the other. “I’ll admit, I hadn’t imagined it would be that large.”

“Who cares about how big it is,” Knov said, crossing his arms. “Don’t you feel that? That Nen…”

They were about six kilometers away from the nest, observing it from the end of the mountain chain they’d met upon. Hinata wasn’t one-hundred percent sure what Knov was talking about, but she was certain that she did feel what he meant. The nest exerted a kind of cold pressure, something more than intimidation, as though it had a presence that extended far beyond its physical form. It was like the shadow it cast reached all the way to them, leaving them without sunlight.

“Interesting,” Netero said, wandering to the front of the group. Throughout the trip he’d remained mostly quiet, only trading several words with Shino of all people; all Hinata had been able to grab from their conversation was that Netero had somehow divined that Shino was the reason they were in the NGL in the first place. “That’s a fierce En indeed.” He brought his hand up, clearly utilizing the same technique he’d used to locate Hinata earlier in the day.

“Oho,” he chuckled softly after a moment. He lifted his other hand, his index finger gesturing in a come-hither motion to those behind him. “Hinata,” he said. “That Byakugan of yours.”

“Yes?” she asked, walking forward to stand beside him. Even moving forward five or six feet into the invisible shadow made the small of her back prickle.

“There’s an Ant, sitting near the top of the nest,” Netero said. “Give me your appraisal of it, will you?”

Hinata glanced at him before activating her Byakugan. She focused in on the nest, ignoring the rest of her field of vision to locate whatever Ant Netero was referring to more quickly.

With her Byakugan activated, the oppressive shadow cast by the nest resolved itself as more than a feeling in Hinata’s gut. Now, she could see it, a quivering field of crimson-orange energy. It reminded her of a spider’s web, extending out in every direction from the nest for about three kilometers; they were only several hundred meters beyond it. The field was cruel looking, shifting shape and form, but constantly growing barbs and misshapen extensions that receded and extended like the ocean’s tide.

Simply looking at it sent a chill up Hinata’s spine, and the feeling only got worse the deeper she looked. After two more seconds of observation, she located the Ant.

It was far more of a shock to look upon than the patrol she and her team had attacked earlier. While those Ants had all to a degree been somewhat clumsy looking monsters, this one had an unmistakable clarity in its design they’d lacked. It looked like a combination of a woman, just slightly shorter than her, and a cat, with shaggy white hair and a long, pale tail. The only insect-like feature about it was its joints, which were unmistakably covered in carapace.

It was also, to Hinata’s surprise, wearing clothes. Small blue shoes, brown stockings and shorts, and a blue jacket studded with yellow buttons. The mundanity of its outfit only highlighted its inhumanity. The Ant sat perfectly still on a ledge jutting out from the nest, its eyes closed, the only movement around it the minute motion of its hair in the wind.

This was the Ant Killua had been talking about. Hinata was positive of it. It was bleeding life energy, an impossible volume of the potent Nen that the Hunters could use: the energy clung to the air around it. The Ant itself was dense, as though energy beyond its capacity to hold had been shoved inside its body and held there despite all logic and reason.

She realized she was sweating. It reminded her of Obito Uchiha, when he had taken the Juubi into himself; a man turned into something inhuman, overflowing with power. The Ant wasn’t as impossibly strong as Obito had been, that much was obvious, but Hinata still felt hesitant even to look at it, let alone approach it.

Slowly, it opened its eyes, staring down at the forest. They were both terrifying and beautiful. A shining iridescent orange, almost the same color as the sunset in the shade of the nest. The Ant looked like a curious toddler; Hinata could swear she’d seen the same look on Himawari’s face just days ago. Her hand shook.

The Ant raised its gaze, until it was staring directly at her.

No, not just at her. It was making eye contact with her.

Hinata blinked. Feeling cold, she slowly took two steps to the right. 

The Ant followed the motion, shifting its gaze a quarter of a centimeter. It cocked its head, as a curious cat would. 

Hinata’s body told her to take a step back, and despite her mind pointing out it was entirely irrational, she did. Netero held his ground, but Hinata could see his heart slightly speed up.

“What is it?” Shino asked, and the spell was broken. The Ant refused to look away from her, but the voice of Hinata’s teammate pierced the quiet horror that had been building inside her. She took a deep breath, clenching her hand into a fist and slowing her heart.

“Bad news,” Netero said, turning around with a smile. “There’s an Ant up there that could kill us all.”

Knov rolled his eyes. “Surely you’re joking, Chairman.” He adjusted his glasses. “If that were the case, none of the Association would be able to fight it.” 

“He’s not,” Hinata said, refusing to look away from the Ant. She was convinced that if she did it would pounce, though the idea was obviously ridiculous. Hinata was positive it didn’t actually know where she was, only that it was being watched. 

What Knov had said slowly leaked into her mind as she maintained her detente with the creature. Chairman? Netero was the Chairman of the Hunter’s Association? She’d had no idea they were traveling with someone so important. If the Chairman was picked according to strength like Kage were, it was no wonder he outshone his companions so brightly.

She shook her head. “That thing has… a terrible aura. Far, far more Nen than any of us,” she said, careful to use the peculiar word. “Morel, you told Killua not to judge a battle by power alone, but fighting this thing head-on, without a plan, would be a waste of time. I can tell.” 

“Hmph,” Morel said, leaning on his pipe. “Interesting. Maybe that boy was more than a coward, then.” Hinata suppressed a twinge of irritation. The Cat-Ant wouldn’t blink. Just another tick on a long list of unnerving characteristics.

“Netero,” Shino asked. “We spoke a little on the way here, but now that we’ve arrived, I’d like to ask you: how are the Ants organized? All our contact told us was that they had a Queen of some sort. Could this Ant be her?”

The old man scratched his chin, before shrugging. “I don’t think so,” he said. “As for the Ants structure... “

“I can answer that for you,” Knov said. He crossed his arms. “The Chimera Ants have one Queen; she produces each generation successively, with traits passed down from whatever she’s eaten. You know this, of course.”

Shino nodded, and Knov continued as Hinata made sure to listen carefully. “The Queen produces soldier ants, which gather food for her, and these make of the bulk of the ants born. But the Queen is also producing a King, and for this King a ‘Royal Guard’ is also created: Ants with more potential than the others, though less than the King.” 

“So what, the King is the strongest Ant?” Kiba asked, and Knov nodded.

“He’s the culmination of the genetic data the Queen has collected,” he said cooly. “None of the experts can agree exactly when he will be born to this Queen, but the worst case scenario is two months.”

An Ant even more powerful than this one? The idea made Hinata’s neck prickle with goosebumps. This Ant, guarding the nest so effectively, had to be one of the ‘Royal Guard.’ It was the only thing that could justify the incredible difference in raw power between it and the patrol they’d encountered in the forest.

“How many Royal Guard does the Queen produce?” she asked Knov, and the man shrugged.

“Anywhere from two to five,” he said. That was bad. Five of these things? Any chance of openly confronting the Ants would be firmly down the drain.

Then again, open confrontation would likely have been a foolish idea in the first place.

Shino grunted. “Interesting,” he said. “Then you three are here to destroy the Queen before the King can be born.”

“And you?” Knov asked with a slight smile. Shino crossed his arms, mirroring the other man.

“I was sent here to capture the Queen if possible,” he said. “For my clan’s purposes. But judging by the severity of the current infestation, that goal is now firmly unrealistic. I’d be more than content to settle for a sample of her body.” Knov nodded. Perhaps in respect. 

“We won’t be getting close to that nest,” Morel said. Hinata wondered if he always sounded on the verge of breaking into a chuckle, and if it was a defense mechanism or a genuine lack of care. “That En certainly is terrible. It’s obvious we’ll be attacked as soon as we step one foot in it.”

“How far does it extend?” Kiba asked, and Morel looked at him in surprise.

“You can’t see it?” he asked, and Knov gave Kiba a similar look. “That monster’s not concealing it. It may not even know how.”

The Hunters could see the field, Hinata realized. Now that she knew that, she could see the Nen gathered in their eyes, wreathing them in a white corona. They were enhancing their perception somehow to perceive the Ant’s projected Nen.

“Kinda?” Kiba told Morel, the question implicit in his statement. The bigger man looked confused. “It’s not too clear to me. It looks like it’s about two, three kilometers?”

“Huh,” he said. “Your Gyo needs work. It’s slightly more than three kilometers, yeah.”

Kiba clearly wasn’t sure if he should be offended at the comment, so he just shrugged. “I’m not the best at it,” he said. He was telling the truth, after all; Hinata didn’t even know what Gyo was, and the same went for Kiba. “Anyway, if it stretches that far, you’re definitely right: there’s no way we’re getting into the nest without getting detected.” He looked to Hinata. “We may have to fight that thing after all.” 

“Not necessarily,” Knov said with a grin. It was the first one Hinata had seen out of him. “We have two months, after all. Assuming there are not too many Ants, we can simply bleed them dry. One at a time.” 

“Hit and run,” Shino nodded. “That would be the safest way of engaging them.”

“Before we start congratulating ourselves,” Morel said, “we have to ascertain the number of enemies. Hinata.” He addressed her with a hint of respect, and Hinata found herself smiling. “With your eyes, can you see inside the nest?” 

“Of course,” she said softly. She’d been subconsciously scanning the interior, though not actively analyzing anything she saw. It was a relief to focus on something other than the dreadful Ant.

Morel grinned. “Could you count the Ants within? There can only be so many out foraging; the majority of them are likely within the nest.”

Kiba scoffed. “She could do it in her sleep,” he said. “Right Hinata?”

“Give me a moment, Kiba,” she answered. “This could take some time.”

She sighed, opening up her perception and channeling more chakra, preparing to catalogue everything she saw. Counting hundreds, potentially thousands of opponents was straining work, and making the proper mental preparations was critical. 

The nest opened up before her, and Hinata closed her eyes. It did nothing to obscure her vision, but it did help her concentrate.

Counting Ants. It sounded like a game she’d play to help Himawari fall asleep.

A minute later, Hinata had only reached two hundred. It was a small number, considering the speed at which she could normally ascertain enemies from a distance, but the nest was too distracting for her to move at an optimal speed. 

Hinata was thirty-four years old, and in three and a half decades, she had seen things that had left her speechless before. She’d watched men and women die crushed in the rubble of their own homes when Pain had attacked Konoha, ten thousand dead in an instant, thousands more injured. She’d seen the casualties inflicted on the Allied Shinobi Force in the Fourth War: had nearly been one herself. She’d watched her cousin bleed to death right in front of her, all of his internal organs turned to paste by the Juubi’s rage. In the years since, she’d seen murders, assassinations, and one or two gruesome accidents. She was no stranger to violence, or to death.

But what she saw now was different. The nest wasn’t a battlefield, or a Village under siege. The nest was a slaughterhouse, where humans were the livestock. The nest was a monument to horrors Hinata had never seen inflicted on her fellow man.

The nest was a place of death.

The whole structure was honeycombed with chambers and passages large and small, all serving some specific purpose. And yet, despite the variety, the only thing they all shared was human bones. The bones lined the corners of every room and corridor, cracked open and drained of their marrow; no matter where Hinata looked, there were always more. Eventually, she found herself counting them too.

There were rooms that were dedicated to the bones. To bones and corpses. There were Ants there, working dutifully, cheerfully, shaping the flesh, organs and marrow into balls of unidentifiable bloody meat. The things they produced were completely unrecognizable as once being human. Some snuck bites from the meatballs, sneakily looking around to make sure their comrades didn’t catch their indiscretions.

Hinata was shaking. She’d given up on counting the bones when she’d reached two thousand distinct skeletons. She knew that had been perhaps a tenth of the total number, maybe less. How many had been thrown out already? How many had been eaten in fits of boredom or pique, gnawed to pieces like a dog would?

She was muttering numbers under her breath. Shino was approaching her from behind. So slow.

Hinata’s heart was hardened by the sight of thousands of discarded skulls; robbed of their life, but not of their unmistakable humanity. Young and old, men and women: the Ants have feasted without regard, and their discarded leftovers fill her with a cold anger she’s never felt before. Her hands trembled, burning with cold blue chakra.

One thousand Ants. Was she halfway? Perhaps a little less.

There were two cocoons near the top of the hive, pulsing and yellow. Hinata could see the Nen of both the creatures inside. One was underdeveloped, like a fetus in its fifth month, and the other looked like a full-grown Ant simply waiting to be born. An Ant that looked like a butterfly with a dragonfly’s face. Perhaps these two were more Royal Guards. Three wouldn’t be that many. 

They could kill three.

There was no question in Hinata’s mind they would kill them. 

One thousand, five-hundred and twenty-seven Ants. They laughed like the humans they were feasting upon.

She found the Queen. It was the most ant-like creature in the whole nest without contest. But it was huge, swollen and straining, twice the size of Hinata herself. The monster was unmistakably pregnant, seemingly about to burst. 

And in its stomach-

Hinata heaved, feeling her throat constrict.

The King. She could see it. It sat, unborn, inside the bulbous horror, swelling with the collected misery of every human whose life had been stolen by the Ants. 

Hinata saw every dead comrade she’d suffered, all the shattered bones and shed blood of humanity, swirling about in the queen’s engorged stomach.

She gave up, dropping to her knees. Clear vomit dribbled out of her mouth, staining the rock under her.

“Hinata!” Shino’s hand settled on her shoulder. Comfortable solidity. 

She couldn’t help it. She was convulsing, more vomit building, stoked by the growing horror she couldn’t tear her sight from and by the smell of her own weakness. 

“Stop,” Shino said, squeezing her shoulder, and Hinata stiffened. The Byakugan deactivated, and she slumped, falling back and breathing heavily.

“Sorry,” she gasped. She was cold. The sun was finally setting. “I’m sorry.” She spat, trying to rid her mouth of the taste of acid and half-digested fish. “There were so many…”

“It’s okay,” Kiba said. He was on her other side, down on her level. “It’s alright. You’re fine.”

The Hunters were watching her. Hinata was sure they were judging her. Who wouldn’t, after a display of weakness like that. But when she turned her head, Knov was the first one she saw, and the man wasn’t sneering like she’d expected. Instead, he just looked disturbed.

“I’m okay,” she mumbled, pulling herself back to her feet. “Just…” 

She took a deep breath in through her nose, before spitting again. She followed it with five more breaths like the first, in and out. The air was crisp and cool. It centered her, and she bowed her head.

“Sorry,” she said again. “I wasn’t prepared.”

“It’s that bad?” Morel unwittingly answered Hinata’s question from earlier; he didn’t sound like he was about to laugh. The man actually sounded concerned.

Hinata took one last deep breath, clearing her throat. “There are about two-thousand, one-hundred Ants in the nest at this moment,” she said, and Kiba coughed in surprise. “I apologize, but there’s a margin of error of about twenty; I was distracted. I’m also not including three things.” 

She sighed, continuing. Her mouth still tasted like vomit. “The Queen, who is gestating the King. She’s enormous. There are also two more Royal Guards; if I had to guess, one of them will be born soon. Maybe even tonight. The other is less developed…” She closed her eyes. “But larger.”

“Hmm.” Netero gave her a look that Hinata couldn’t read. “Well done.”

“Twenty-one hundred…” Knov said, looking at the nest. “And there are likely several hundred more foraging for food.” He hesitated. “Did you… see how much they were consuming?”

Hinata looked down, at the small puddle of vomit she’d made. She backed away from it. The walking felt good; she decided to pace. “It’s difficult to estimate,” she said, remembering the balls of meat. How many the Ants had been eating, how many had been stacked up in the rooms around the Queen, clearly meant for her. “The Queen alone had an enormous amount of…” She frowned. There was something coursing through her gut, a feeling she was mostly unfamiliar with. Not disgust.

Rage.

“Meat,” she decided. “An enormous amount of meat consigned to her. I wouldn’t be able to accurately estimate how much, but if she alone consumes so much, the other Ants probably have similar appetites.” She felt a flare of pain in her palm, and brought it up for a look; she’d accidentally cut herself with her nails. Hinata hadn’t realized how tight was squeezing her hand into a fist. “They’d need to hunt daily to sustain that many soldiers.”

She was bleeding. The others noticed. Hinata found she didn’t really care. 

“That’s good,” Morel said, sounding grim. “We’ll be able to pick off their teams one at a time, then. We won’t have to engage the majority.” 

“And plenty of time to do it,” Kiba added.

“The Ants we fought,” Shino cut in, drawing the attention of everyone except Hinata. “They could speak. They told us they were a member of a squadron, with a leader.” He pursed his lips. “An Ant named Colt. I imagine with that many Ants, the nest contains many such squadrons. We should do our best to ascertain which Ants are leaders, and which are just soldiers.”

“You think they’ll collapse without leadership,” Netero said. It wasn’t a question.

“They may have devoured humans, but they are still ants,” Shino said. “Without authority, they will scatter. It will make our job much easier.”

“I concur,” Knov said. “Break these ‘squadrons,’ and reaching the Queen will be that much easier.”

“It won’t mean anything if we can’t get past that Guard,” Kiba said. “Or the other, if Hinata’s right and another might be born soon.”

“We will have to draw that one out.” Netero spoke up. If Hinata hadn’t known better, she would have said he sounded excited. “There’s no way that it will abandon the Queen for anything less than an existential threat. And attacking the nest would be suicide.”

“How?” Kiba asked. “I doubt it’s stupid. It’ll know that it just has to sit next to the Queen and keep her safe, and we won’t be able to do much. Not without all attacking at once,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “And if we did that, someone’s gonna get killed. No one’s gonna throw away their life for this. There’s safer ways.”

“Oh?” Netero said. “That certainly would be nice, if there was a way to solve this without sacrifice.” He stared off at the distant Ant. “But, with that thing there, I am not so sure. We will need to be careful.”

“If we destroy enough Ants,” Knov said, “we can starve it out.”

Morel grinned. “How ruthless, Knov.”

The thin man shrugged. “Hinata was the one who said so. All the Ants need food; their Queen especially. With less, they will become desperate and weak. I have no doubt they will prioritize feeding their Queen and the King within her over themselves.” He grinned; it was more menacing than comforting. “And once their desperation has reached its peak, they will decide to go on the offense. It’s the natural conclusion.”

He paused. “I have to thank you, Hinata,” he said. “Without you and your comrades…” He glanced at Morel, who shrugged. “This would have been a challenge. With you three, I am confident we will be able to break the Ants by the end of the month.” His smile shifted to something more genuine. “We’ll smother the King in his crib.”

“Don’t get carried away,” Netero chided, wagging one finger like a nagging teacher. “We haven’t begun yet.” When he smiled, it was nothing but bright teeth and stretched lips. “No plan survives contact with an enemy like this.”

“Hmph.” Knov adjusted his glasses and sighing. “Can never bear to be quiet, can you.” He looked to Hinata. “Was there anything else in the nest of interest? Or just corpses?”

She’d almost forgotten, honestly, buried under all the others horrors of the nest.

“Yes,” she said. “There was a man. Encased in ice.”

“In ice?” Kiba asked. “The hell?”

“What did he look like?” Morel said. He looked grim.

Hinata looked up the night sky. Everything had rapidly grown dark with the setting of the sun, with the only light provided by a low full moon. There were uncountable stars in the NGL’s sky. The beauty of them almost took her breath away.

“Tall, thin. Very long white hair. Angular face.” She struggled to find something else to describe, but Morel cut her off before she could continue.

“Kite,” he said, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. “That was Kite. He was the professional Hunter sent to investigate the Ants in the first place. That boy said he’d been injured, but still… that Royal Guard must have taken him out.” He sighed. “Was he alive?”

Hinata shook her head. “I can check again, if you’d like, but he had no pulse… I don’t think any brain activity.” Electrical impulses were extremely difficult to pick up with the Byakugan, but it was possible with intense concentration. “And inside the ice like that. It’s obvious they’re preserving his body." 

“What for?” Kiba asked. Shino shook his head. 

“Perhaps to feed to the Queen later,” he said. “If Kite was proficient in Nen, there’s no question the Ants would find him an interesting meal.”

Morel and Knov looked disgusted at the prospect. Netero, as usual, gave nothing away.

“It would nice to recover his corpse,” Knov said. “If only to keep his Nen from producing more powerful Ants. But that probably won’t be tenable.” Morel frowned.

“Leaves a bad taste in my mouth,” he admitted. “I suppose the most we can do now is avenge him.”

 There was more than one man to avenge, Hinata thought. There were thousands. Probably tens of thousands. Every person whose bones lay strewn throughout that nest deserved justice. In comparison to them, Kite hardly mattered. He was just one more casualty.

“We should rest tonight, and begin tomorrow,” Shino said. “Best not to approach this hastily.”

“Right,” Kiba said. “I guess we better take shifts; can’t risk a patrol wandering into us in the middle of the night. I’ll go-”

“Actually,” Knov said. “That won’t be necessary.” His companions shifted.

“Oh?” Morel asked. “Sharing Hide and Seek so soon, Knov?”

“We’ll need it to destroy the Ants regardless,” Knov said. “There’s no point in hiding it from them.” He shot Kiba a look. “And I don’t believe they intend to murder us in our sleep. They’re painfully honest.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Kiba said, and Knov snorted. “‘Hide and Seek?’”

Knov bent down, drawing a circle on the ground with his finger. Hinata watched with fascination, activating her Byakugan out of curiosity. Knov’s finger left a trail of vibrant energy, resolving itself into a glowing ring. Gradually, the shadows within the ring deepened, growing darker and darker, until there was absolutely no light within the circle of pale blue Nen. 

The Hunter tapped the middle of the ring, and the lack of light rippled like water.

It was like the portal produced by the Engine, Hinata realized. Looking at it with the Byakugan, they appeared eerily similar. Not in color or consistency, but a more ethereal quality that Hinata had trouble identifying linked them. 

“Hide and Seek,” he pronounced. “This will keep us safe during the night, and help us hunt the Ants in the day.”

Netero chortled at something, but didn’t speak up. Morel grinned. 

“I’ll go first,” he told the shinobi. Then, like a man entering a pool, he hopped into the portal. The small ring expanded around his body, swallowing him whole, and in less than a heartbeat Morel had vanished, along with his pipe.

It was some sort of space-manipulating technique; almost certainly a kind of ‘Hatsu’ of which the Hunters had spoken about. Morel had completely vanished from Hinata’s sight. Wherever he had gone, it was entirely beyond her divinations.

“Amazing,” Shino said. “Where does it lead?”

“A safe space, of my creation,” Knov said. “I can give you three your own room, if you would prefer.”

“A room?” Kiba asked. “What is it, a hotel?”

Knov shrugged. “Not the worst analogy.”

The Hunter could create his own building in another space? Hinata’s estimation of the man went up; it was obvious that his ability wasn’t nearly as uninspiring as his appearance. If Morel and Netero had abilities even half as impressive as his, dealing with the Ants would be much safer.

“Would we be able to exit it on our own?” she asked. Being trapped in… another dimension, somewhere else in the world? She had no idea how Knov’s Hatsu manifested. At any rate, the idea being trapped in it would set her on edge. Knov nodded.

“Only out of the portal you entered,” he stated, “but you could leave at any time. You would need my permission to re-enter it, of course.”

Team Eight shared a glance. They’d been honest with him; by all appearances, he was being honest in return.

“A room would be nice, yeah,” Kiba said. They’d been expecting to live in the woods for at least a week. It wouldn’t have been a burden for them, but the offer of a sort of hotel was intriguing. Especially one that was so exotic. The only chakra technique Hinata could think of that could replicate this ‘Hide and Seek’ was Obito Uchiha’s Kamui.

Reminded of the man twice in one day. She hadn’t thought about him in nearly a year. How peculiar that he would come up two times in such short succession.

“Allow me, then.” Knov walked about eight meters to the left of the portal he’d already created and repeated the process, drawing a slightly larger circle. Within two seconds, the portal was yawning and functional.

“Feel free to use anything in the room. I can restock it easily enough,” Knov said with a nod. Kiba returned it, sticking his hand out.

“Hey, thanks,” he said. “We really appreciate it.”

Knov gave him a brief shake. “Of course. It wouldn’t do to have our allies eaten in their sleep, after all,” he said dryly. Kiba laughed.

Netero yawned dramatically; Hinata was sure he was exaggerating for effect. “Till tomorrow, then.” He wandered towards Knov’s first portal. “Old men need their sleep.” He scratched his chin. “Six. We’ll begin then.”

Without another word, he hopped into the portal, vanishing. The last thing to go through was his long white top-knot, like the tail of some odd bald creature. 

“Tch. He does loves to hear himself talk,” Knov muttered. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Six’o’clock.”

Hinata didn’t have a watch; she didn’t even know what time is was now, though she estimated it was around nine in the evening. Her teammates were clearly thinking the same thing.

“Do you have a watch we could borrow?” Shino asked, and Knov waved him off, heading towards the other portal.

“They’ll be one in the room,” he said. “Sleep well.” The man emitted a flash of eager malice. “I look forward to working together.”

Then he too was gone, and Team Eight was left alone in the night beside their own softly humming portal.

Kiba glanced down at it. “So what, we just jump in?”

Shino answered him by jumping in. Kiba chuckled. “Fine, be that way,” he said, before following after the Aburame.

Hinata took one last look at the nest. She considered checking it once more with her Byakugan, but decided against it. Here, alone in the dark, with nothing but the stars for company… 

She’d do it in the morning.

She stepped into the portal, falling through without a sound.

Just like with the Engine, she transitioned to somewhere else without any indication of travel. This time, there was no twinge of pain. With zero warning, Hinata found herself in a somewhat large room.

It was about forty feet wide and thirty feet long, with a ten-foot ceiling. The floor was composed of white tiles, with the occasional cloth mat. One side of the room was lined with large beds of every size and design, covered by equally diverse blankets. It was as though someone had just snatched up whatever they happened to find and shoved it in this room.

Hinata realized that might have been precisely what Knov had done.

The side of the room opposite the beds was stranger still. The walls were studded with sinks, and five portable showers were stuffed in between them. A jumble of desks, chairs, and one couch populated another side of the room: there were nutrient bars, soup, bottles of water, and other non-perishables strewn across the furniture. 

The last side of the room was empty. Hinata could scarcely believe the place. Knov hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that a hotel was a decent analogy.

“Man,” Kiba said. “Do you reckon he just tosses his crap in here?” His eyes wandered to a grandfather clock that was set next to one the beds. “Huh. There is a clock.”

Hinata wondered if she would do the same if she had access to another dimension whenever she wanted. It would certainly make cleaning up messes simple.

“If this is indeed his ‘crap,’” Shino said, “it’s welcome crap. Hard to believe we’ll have beds to sleep in.”

“Do…” Hinata hesitated, looking up. The whole room was lit by glowing panels on the ceiling. There was a light switch next to the door they’d just entered through, she realized. She flicked it down, and the room was instantly pitch black: not so dark a shinobi couldn’t see, but certainly dark enough to defeat the vision of an ordinary person. She flicked the switch back up, and the room was lit again.

“Huh,” Kiba said. He walked over to one of the sinks and pulled one of the knobs back. Clear water rushed out, and Kiba put his hand under it. “It’s cold,” he muttered. “How the hell is there water and electricity in here?”   

“Nen really is something,” Hinata said. “He constructed this whole place himself; he must have created the utilities as well.”

“That’s insane,” Kiba said flatly. “If he can do this, who knows what someone like that old man can do?” He winced. “Or the Ants?”

“We’ll have to see,” Shino said. “I have no intention of abandoning this mission without at least attempting to reach the Queen.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course man,” Kiba said, letting the water run over his hand. “It’s just… look at this." 

“I know.” Shino made his way for the beds. “Let’s be sure to take advantage of it.”

“What’s the plan for tomorrow then?” Kiba asked, following after him.

“We follow the Chairman’s lead, for now,” Shino answered, experimentally patting one of the beds. “He’s from this world, and while it’s a little embarrassing, I have no doubt he has more experience than the three of us put together. Not to mention it’s obvious that as the leader of the Association, he’s clearly one of the best Hunters out there. He’s likely already formulating a plan to deal with the Ants with his companions.”

“You spoke with him a little,” Hinata said. Shino nodded. “What about?" 

“He’s an interesting man,” Shino said. “He didn’t say anything of substance, but he managed to figure out that I was the impetus behind our mission.” He shrugged. “I have no idea how.” 

Hinata frowned. “He guessed that I was a mother as soon as he met me. He’s clearly incredibly observant.”

“He’s old,” Kiba yawned. “It’s what old people do. He’s gotta have some sort of trick for it.” He paused. “Hey, you don’t reckon he can read minds or something?”

Hinata and Shino blinked. The idea sounded ridiculous on the face of it, but reading minds was hardly impossible with chakra, and they were surrounded by proof that Nen could accomplish things just as impressive as its equivalent in their world. They had no idea what sort of Hatsu the Chairman possessed. It was entirely possible he could read minds. It would explain why he was so impossible to surprise, as well. 

“Well…” Hinata said. “We should all share our abilities tomorrow. Not all of them, but enough to make forming a strategy easier. If the Chairman really can do something like that, hopefully he’ll tell us.” 

“It’s most likely he’s just perceptive,” Shino said. “Nevertheless, I agree.” 

“Yeah. For now, let’s just get some rest.” Kiba said. He glanced back at the sink. “Jeez, there’s even toothpaste…”

As the shinobi prepared for the following morning, Hinata wondered if they might not be in over their head. This really wasn’t their fight, in many ways. They weren’t like the Hunters. They hadn’t been hired to deal with the Ants on behalf of the local nations. This was just a mission of personal interest to them.

And yet, now that she had seen what lay inside the nest, Hinata couldn’t even begin to entertain leaving the Hunters to fend for themselves. 

Or letting the Ants get away with what they had done.

Chapter Text

Myrmidon Chapter 6

Paranoia 

It had been eight days since Morel had entered the NGL, and he’d spent every minute of them doing two things. The first had been the coldly satisfying and merciless business of killing Chimera Ants whenever he could. The second had been slightly more stimulating, though in a different way from combat, and that had been attempting to figure out the Extermination Team’s unexpected and earnest companions.

The shinobi. The name alone was interesting, and carried peculiar implications. Morel had squirreled it out of Kiba Inuzuka several nights before, as they sat in a tree and ate cold soup together. The bearded man was an Enhancer through and through: strong, brash, and honest, almost painfully so. He’d paused after letting the title slip, an obvious sign to Morel that he had been internally reprimanding himself, before continuing as if nothing had happened. Whatever secrets Kiba and his comrades were hiding, they didn’t count their profession as an especially dear one.

Shinobi were rare, but not impossible to find. The irony made Morel chuckle a little as he shifted his pipe beside him, smoke leaking out of his mouth at the slight tug of his lips. They mostly kept to themselves in their hidden compounds and villages, tucked away across the world, but if you knew the right person hiring their services wasn’t especially complicated. It wasn’t uncommon for the more skilled among them to become Hunters either, thanks to the obvious benefits of working with the Association.

Why this team of shinobi hadn’t done just that was a mild curiosity to Morel, but one that was buried under everything else that was so peculiar about them.

Morel considered himself a clever man. He was sure that if that were not the case, he wouldn’t be alive to believe it. Nevertheless, without enough information drawing together everything he knew about the shinobi to produce anything more than more questions was proving a challenge.

They were obviously used to working together: the way they coordinated in battle, knew the limits of each other’s abilities, and acted in moments of quiet made that obvious. Morel pegged them all at somewhere in their mid thirties, around the same age as himself. He wouldn’t have been at all surprised to learn that they’d been operating as a team from a very young age. Shinobi weren’t known for that sort of cooperation. As far as Morel knew, they were rather solitary creatures. 

Of course, shinobi also operated under as much secrecy as they could manage, so perhaps teams like this were simply a well-kept secret. The shinobi acted earnest, but Morel was no fool. It would be trivial for them to hide whatever they wished while still appearing honest. He and his fellow Hunters had been doing the same thing, after all.

The peculiarity of their well-rehearsed teamwork paled next to their Nen, however.

Morel had done his best to pin down each member of the group’s natural ability based on what he had observed in combat; he’d been physically present for two skirmishes, and seen many more from a distance while using his Hatsu Deep Purple to ambush Ant patrols.

Kiba was an Enhancer, that much was plainly obvious. His sense of smell was stupendous, almost unbelievable, but after considering it for some time Morel had dismissed the notion it was some form of augmentation, or a Hatsu of its own. The dog-like man simply had an incredible sense of smell. Morel was sure his own ability to hold his breath for upwards of an hour would be similarly incredible to Kiba; when Nen entered the equation, the limits of ordinary humanity fell beneath consideration.

It was Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuuga whose Nen was particularly pernicious.

Shino was an aberration. A cool man with hidden eyes, Morel consistently found him the most difficult to read among the shinobi. His abilities were equally difficult to understand. The man produced insects from within his clothes, vast swarms of small black bugs of various shapes and sizes, and assaulted the enemy with them. 

Any Ants unfortunate enough to be overwhelmed by the attack quickly died without a mark. It was obvious the insects either injected some sort of poison, or drained aura from their targets directly. The latter possibility was frightening, but it explained how quickly Ants expired, and how their rudimentary Ren provided very little protection against the insect swarms.

Morel couldn’t ascertain if the insects were a creepy manifestation of Shino’s Nen or independent creatures. The first would probably mark the man with an Emission or Transmutation specialty. The latter would be impressive but simple Manipulation. If it was Manipulation, Shin no doubt had been breeding the insects for many years; he would have had to be incredibly familiar and connected with them to control them as he did.

“Morel?”

His pondering was interrupted by Knov’s head emerging from the side of the tree next to him. Morel glanced over, shifting his pipe around his mouth to make room for his tongue. He cracked a grin at the other Hunter’s head sticking out of the tree’s trunk. “Yo.”

“Hello.” Knov hopped out of his portal, settling in the tree next to Morel. “Doing well?”

It was obvious the man was asking about Morel’s stamina. Keeping Deep Purple running throughout the forest as he had been for the last week could be tiring. He shrugged. “Just fine. A little thirsty.” 

“Hmm.” Knov looked out at the forest. Somewhere out there, Ants were dying. Knov was probably more aware of exactly how than Morel, thanks to the utility of his Nen. 

“Yourself?” Morel didn’t know Knov that well: they moved in different circles. The man’s incredible Hatsu made him of versatile use to the Association, which had him shuffled from assignment to assignment, while Morel was more used to working on his own. But regardless of their familiarity with one another, the other Hunter was polite and efficient, two traits that Morel respected.

“Fine,” the man said, crossing his arms. “I haven’t been on an assignment like this in a long time.” 

“Oh?” Morel rolled his neck, working out a kink, and chewed on his pipe. “You’ve done something like this before?” 

Knov nodded. In their week and some of working together, they hadn’t grown much closer, but Morel trusted the man more than ever. He was a welcome cool contrast to the Chairman’s unreadable self, or his own students’ peculiar mix of hot-bloodedness and timidity. “Not on this scale. I hope not to again.” He frowned. “It’s unsightly.”

Morel grunted. He couldn’t disagree. They weren’t exactly engaged in clean work here. The Ants tended to bleed an impressive amount. Knov continued.

“But we’re making good progress, especially thanks to the Chairman.”

Morel leaned back with a chuckle. “He’s certainly an efficient old man.”

‘Efficient’ didn’t cover the half of it. Knov was correct to say they’d been making good progress on the Chimera Ants. Morel estimated that over the last week the Extermination Team and their peculiar shinobi companions had been responsible for over seven-hundred slain Ants. He was positive that Isaac Netero could claim credit for more than half of them.

Morel, Knov, the shinobi: they rested, careful to only attack from an advantageous position, knowing it would only take one injury to greatly slow their deadly work. They set up cautious ambushes. Morel had only personally killed about two dozen Ants, when Deep Purple had failed to draw them into Knov’s Hatsu.

The Chairman did none of that. Knov dropped enemies into the dimensional apartment Netero had been calling his home for the last week, and eventually body parts came back out. The old man had only slept once or twice by Morel’s reckoning, and grudgingly at that. He was like a wheat thresher that used the Ant’s blue blood as fuel. Morel was glad he was working with the man, but the Chairman’s enthusiasm and ability was still outright frightening.

“And Hinata, of course,” Knov amended, and Morel nodded in agreement. The woman’s eyes were indispensable. Without the real-time updates she could provide, tracking the Ants around the nest would have been much more challenging; the certainty she’d provided had let the Hunters grow bolder in their ambushes.

“I was just thinking about her,” he said quietly. He breathed out another puff of smoke, which resolved itself into two hawks that winged off into the forest. “Wondering about those eyes of hers.”

“They’re quite impressive,” Knov acknowledged, and Morel’s grip tightened on his pipe.

“They’re more than that,” he said. “Her companions make sense to me. Kiba is an Enhancer; Shino is either a Manipulator or an Emitter, I’m sure." 

“I’m certain the insects are real,” Knov said. “My guess would be a Manipulator as well. But that Byakugan…" 

“Right,” Morel said. “It’s insane. She has to be some kind of Specialist. Not to mention the way she fights, with those spikes of Nen…”

“It’s unusual, but nothing compared to her sight,” Knov agreed. He glanced down at Morel. “What? It has you worried?” 

Morel propped his other hand on his chin. “For a Hatsu that powerful, there must be an equally fierce Covenant to accompany it,” he said. “That’s all. I wonder what Hinata Hyuuga sacrificed to gain eyes like those.”

“She may not have, if she is indeed a Specialist,” Knov said, frowning. “It’s uncommon, but not impossible that something like that arose out of necessity. Or engineering.”

Morel snorted. “I was already wasting time speculating,” he said. “There’s no need to join in.”

“It’s amusing,” Knov said, quirking an eyebrow. “They’re curious people, and their abilities all the more so. I saw one of them turn into a bush yesterday.” 

That got a cough out of Morel. Smoke leaked from his nose. “A bush?”

“Shino,” Knov said. “He disguised himself as a bush in an instant to get the drop on an Ant.”

“Huh. That’s a neat trick.” Morel considered. “Perhaps his insects? If they are being manipulated, he could change their color to help with camouflage.” Some of the smoke slowly issuing from his mouth gradually turned green, and Knov nodded.

“Possibly. At any rate, I’m inclined to think they are gifted amateurs; that would explain some of the roughness in their technique. I haven’t seen any use of Ko or Gyo out of them.” 

Morel frowned. “But their In and Zetsu is incredible. Appropriate for shinobi, I guess. Maybe they just had an uneven education.”

Knov shrugged. “Or their village doesn’t pass on more advanced techniques till later?”

“They’re in their thirties,” Morel grinned. “You’d think by then they’d be trusted.”

“Hm.” Knov fell silent, and Morel along with him.

A little more than two minutes passed, and both Hunters occupied it listening to the sounds of the forest. Their senses strained. The most surreal thing about working with the shinobi was the complete lack of sound they produced on the move. If Morel put effort into listening to them ambush groups of Ants, there was rarely any sort of scuffle of combat: just the gradual cessation of sound. It was a little chilling, like the work of some deep-ocean predator that relied on stillness to catch its prey.

His phone rang, abruptly disturbing the calm. Morel huffed and picked up the call, shifting his pipe. He didn’t bother to say hello. There was only one person who would be calling.

“This room is full again,” Netero said, his aged voice warped by the slightly foggy connection that was inevitable from a call being received from another dimension. The Chairman sounded satisfied. “Knov will have to clean it out again.” He chuckled. “I apologize for the mess.”

Morel shook his head. The old man really was terrifying. He glanced at Knov, shaking the phone a little, and the smaller man’s eyes widened in surprise, before he nodded and vanished into the same portal he’d emerged from. A moment later Netero slipped out of it, coming to rest on the tree next to Morel. He was sitting with his legs folded under him, his eyes closed.

The Chairman was slick with blood, some of it fresh but most of it old and crusted. It was in his beard and hair, even his eyebrows, clumped in small beads of dry blue, like dull sapphires. His clothes were rigid with it. The man clearly didn’t care. If anything, he looked happier than Morel had ever seen him. There was a quiet contentment radiating off the man, matching the background noise of the forest. Despite the clear signs of violence drenching him, Netero was at peace.

The contrast made Morel grin in amusement, and the Chairman cracked one eye open, regarding him suspiciously.

“Something funny?” he asked, and Morel shrugged.

“Nothing,” he said. “Finally loosened up, I hope?”

“Hmm.” Netero rotated his right arm nearly three-hundred and sixty degrees, eliciting a series of pops. “There’s a lot of rust on these bones. I had slacked off.” He did the same to his hand. “And even now, I’ll admit, I’m a little disappointed in these Ants. They don’t put up much of a fight.”

The man may have been terrifying, but he was also ridiculous, Morel mused. The Ants not putting up a struggle was a hell of a thing to complain about.

“What were you and Knov discussing?” Netero asked. “I interrupted something.”

‘How could he have known that?'  

The Chairman definitely wouldn’t give away his secret, Morel knew. The man delighted in intentional obfuscation. Maybe it had been something in Morel’s voice, the cadence of his breath. He would never know.

“Our new friends, of course.” Netero scratched his chin. “There’s not much else to talk about out here.”

“True,” the Chairman considered, wrinkling his nose. “I don’t suppose you’ve found out anything else.”

“No,” Morel admitted. He didn’t like having to. The Hunters weren’t going out of their way to find out everything about their erstwhile comrades, but their ignorance rankled all the same. “I was just considering what kind of Contract Hinata must have made for those eyes of hers.”

The Chairman. “I doubt it’s anything so crass as you’re imagining,” he croaked, and Morel snorted. “But…”

For the first time ever, at least so far as Morel knew, the Chairman hesitated.

“You are right to be concerned,” he eventually said, the words obviously carefully selected.

Morel set his pipe down. “You know something we don’t.” It wasn’t a question. 

“I know nothing,” Netero said, and the frank admission startled Morel. “I suspect many things. Some of them I could try to prove. The truth behind those shinobi is one of them.” 

“Knov is happy to work with them so long as they focus on the Ants,” Morel said. It almost felt like tattling, childish as the notion was, but the Chairman was in many ways an enigma and hiding anything from him would be foolish. “I am as well; they’re useful.” He paused, considering what was really driving him to speak. “And good company besides.”

Netero stroked his beard, giving no clue to his thoughts. He watched the forest without concern, like a bird watcher patiently waiting for his quarry to emerge from its nest. 

“A place without victory.” The Chairman spoke so softly, practically to himself, that Morel had to bend in to hear. He gave the older man an inquisitive look, for the phrase wasn’t familiar to him. Netero suddenly looked up to him, locking gazes, and Morel had to fight the urge to draw his head back. Netero’s beady brown eyes were horribly sharp, lacerating rocks hidden beneath calm water. 

“It bleeds off of them,” he said, each word quiet but articulated. “You two may not be able to tell, but I can. They’re from somewhere else.” He stood up, brushing blood off his palms and knees. The effort was futile: it just spread the thick blue liquid further. “Ultimately, they may spell more trouble than the Ants, no matter how innocent they appear.” 

‘Be on your guard,’ went unspoken, but it was still clearly heard. Morel found himself even more unsettled by the caginess of the Chairman.

“Chairman…” Morel said. “You can’t expect to say something like that and not expect me to be curious.”

“Oh, are you?” Netero asked, sounding deeply concerned. He stuck his tongue out, revealing that even it was marked by several minute splatters of blue blood. “Too bad! I can hardly go airing my suspicions before I’m sure of them. That would just be irresponsible!”

Morel found himself grinding his teeth. The man was terrifying, ridiculous, and above all, infuriating. And it couldn’t be more obvious it was all intentional. 

“Don’t look so concerned,” Netero laughed. “They’re not going to stab us in the back. Well, unless I’ve completely misread them.” He grinned. Morel felt his stomach twist a little. There was even blood on the man’s teeth. “I’m just warning you. They’re more than they appear.” 

“And what does that mean for us?” Morel asked, and Netero shrugged. 

“They will help us until this business is ended. We can worry about them then.”

The thought was pragmatic, and it matched Morel’s, to the man’s satisfaction. He grunted his assent, and the Chairman fell back into silence. With no one to talk to, Morel did the same. 

With nothing to do but think, his mind turned over what Netero had said. It was all contentless content; without meaning without a particular context that Morel obviously wasn’t privy to. Whatever the “place without victory” Netero had mentioned was key to it. It was an odd phrase.

Morel’s considerations wandered back towards the oddity that was the Byakugan.

If the Chairman knew something he didn’t, something that put him on guard, it was fully possible the eyes operated off some principle of Nen that Morel wasn’t familiar with. The idea was even more frightening than the notion of a Covenant meaningful enough to grant the eyes’ powers.

It was possible, Morel realized, that instead of Hinata making an unthinkable sacrifice for her eyes, she was fundamentally different from people in a way that rendered such a sacrifice unneeded in the first place. That her teammates were the same way.

If they came from somewhere else where everyone was like that, it could certainly be a “place without victory.”

It was all wild guessing. Mostly baseless, too. While it amused Morel to go over suppositions like that, he was also aware it was mostly pointless. He wouldn’t find his way to the root of the mystery without more to go on. 

He wasn’t that clever. 

### 

For the first week of Pitou’s existence, Pitou had found peculiar things difficult.

Important things came easily to Pitou. Walking, learning, fighting. They were so simple for Pitou, and difficult for the Ants bumbling about the nest, that occasionally Pitou had to be reminded that the other creatures were in fact real. That Pitou wasn’t the only real thing among them, a consciousness afloat in a world of stumbling, inefficient automata. The principles of Nen had bubbled up into Pitou’s mind and Pitou had seized them with all the difficulty of a newborn taking their first breath. The human Pitou had killed soon after Pitou’s birth, the man with long white hair…

That man had been Pitou’s first clue that there was more to the world than Pitou and the King Pitou was sworn, down to the substratum of Pitou’s DNA, to defend. That there were other creatures out there like Pitou, other beings that could think and comprehend the world and were more than boring, helpless children.

The revelation had set Pitou free. The revelation had given Pitou the first sense of explicable, comprehendible joy. Pitou had been so thankful to the man, so caught up in the sensation that had given Pitou a purpose beyond the one bound in Pitou’s genes, that the man had been given the gift of new life with the same Nen that had so enthralled Pitou in the first place.

It was only now, a week after Pitou’s birth, that Pitou had begun to consider the other troublesome implications of the revelation that had blinded Pitou with its joy.

Shaiapouf had been the first intrusion upon the comfortable world Pitou had constructed, the world that Pitou understood and stood atop, quietly content. Pitou’s fellow Royal Guard had been born two days after Pitou, and while the other Guard’s presence was a welcome one, for it made the security of the King much less fragile, Pouf had unnerved Pitou in a way Pitou hadn’t expected. Here was a creature nearly as intelligent as Pitou, nearly as strong as Pitou, able to breach the sanctity of Pitou’s mind without effort, to read Pitou’s thoughts, which until now had been inviolable within Pitou’s own heart. Shaiapouf was an ally, perhaps even a sibling by some metric, but Pitou did not feel any affection towards the Guard; certainly not the way Pitou did towards the King.

That was proper, of course. Pitou could not feel the same emotions towards anyone as Pitou did about the King. If Pitou did Pitou would be a failure, an aberration of a Guard. If Pitou ever felt that were the case, Pitou would be recycled without hesitation.

But that was beside the point. Pouf’s existence expanded Pitou’s mind, and made Pitou consider the role of the Guard, the existence of the King, and the implications of other creatures like Pouf. There was another Royal Guard yet to be born, Menthuthuyoupi. With Pouf’s precedence, that was fine. It made sense. It was others that were potentially problematic.

Others like the humans prowling through the lands around the nest, slaughtering Ants that wandered into their traps. At first, Pitou had put the casualties down to the characteristic ineptitude of the Ants. They were bumbling creatures at best. But as reports had filtered back to the nest and the scale of the slaughter had become apparent, Pitou had been forced to acknowledge the problem. Human resistance had been omnipresent throughout the Ants hunting of them. It was obvious the frail things didn’t want to die, which was almost amusing considering how incapable they were of defending themselves. Less than fifty Ants had died since the Queen had birthed Colt, the first Squadron Leader, and before Pitou’s birth. But in the week and three days since Pitou had begun existing, seven hundred and sixty-eight Chimera Ants had died.

“They’re nearly worthless anyway.” Pitou twitched, one ear tweaking at the sound. Pitou had known Pouf had been approaching from behind. The other Guard hadn’t tried to mask their approach. But the sudden interruption was still irritating. Pitou wished that Pitou’s thoughts were as impenetrable as they had been for the first two days of existence. “The Queen has more than enough food at the moment. It is of no concern to us if her other children suffer.”

“Mmm.” Pitou tried to explain the feeling, the one in Pitou’s legs and arm joints, the feeling of unease. “You are right, and you are wrong.” Pitou turned to look back at Pouf, who stood imperiously, butterfly wings folded. The taller guard’s face was unconcerned. Pouf could not be arrogant because nothing was beyond it, and yet Pitou felt the expression inched close to the edge of the failure that was overestimation.

“Individually, the other Ants are not much, but they are as far above normal humans as we are above them.” The words made sense. Pitou had just never bothered to say them out loud. “Whoever is killing so many of them is no doubt a threat to the Queen.”

“If they come here we will just crush them.”

Pitou’s tail wagged back and forth, feeling the cool night air. It was a pleasant sensation. “You are right once more, but they will not.” Pitou’s nose scrunched up. “They are clever. They have stayed beyond the reach of my En. I am sure they can see it, and they are careful not to breach it. They must know what happened to their friend.” The notion was becoming more and more entrenched in Pitou’s mind, taking place alongside all the other certainties. “Whoever is out there killing soldiers is clever, and a threat. Not just to the Queen, but the King as well.”

“We can’t go hunting them.” Pouf frowned. “We can’t leave the King undefended. That would be foolish.” The Guard sneered. “He is all seeing. He would know we had slacked in our defense of him. I couldn’t stand that.”

“All seeing?” Something about the term pricked at Pitou. She glanced back out at the forest. “What do you mean?”

“Pardon?” Pouf followed Pitou’s line of sight. “The King. He has been watching, always. Since we were born. You’ve felt it, of course.

Pitou enjoyed the deeply unpleasant feeling running down from the tip of Pitou’s ears to the end of Pitou’s tail. Something between a shiver and an internal, boiling heat. It was like unease, but deeper and less kind. Maybe this was fear, or at least dismay? Pitou memorized the sensation.

“That is not the King.” Pitou tried to speak kindly, but the words were inherently cruel. Shaiapouf took a step back in clumsy shock, wings unfurling.

“That’s impossible. Then…”

“Someone else has been watching us.” Pitou’s eyes narrowed. Saying it out loud made the notion more onerous. “They began early on the day you were born, and they have only ceased their observation for several hours at a time since.”

Shaiapouf was an elegant looking creature. Pitou did not have much experience in judging ‘elegance,’ but Pitou felt sure that Pouf had been designed to inspire awe and loyalty, a surety born from the same place her fealty to the King grew from. They were a symmetrical creature that appeared fragile but was as unyielding as stone and outsped the wind. That was it, that was the ‘elegance’ Pitou saw. The juxtaposition of fragility and undeniable power. But in the moment where Pouf underwent a revelation that Pitou knew was just as transformative as Pitou’s understanding of existence and consciousness after the battle with the white-haired man, that elegance vanished.

Pouf was transformed into an unsightly thing, bristling and enraged. The Guard panted, overwhelmed by what Pitou had revealed.

Pitou understood, but could not sympathize. Pitou’s revelation had been joy. Pouf’s was terror; Pitou’s world had been expanded, while Pouf’s had been grotesquely upended.

“I will kill it.” It was a snarl, a promise, and a declaration of despair all in one. Pitou was impressed by the eloquence of the proclamation. “I will track down whatever is watching us, watching the King, and I will kill it.”

“You may.” Pitou liked the idea. It was satisfying. “But we have to be careful about it. There’s no question.”

“How?” Pouf was nearly plaintive. The weakness was unattractive. “How do we hunt something that is always watching us?”

Pitou shrugged, answering honestly. “I do not know yet. But we must. That’s all there is to it.”

“We’ll have to hide from it.” Pouf considered. Calmed. The elegance returned. The Guard shifted, arms crossing. “The… Watcher.” The word was peculiar and had too much significance assigned to it and yet, Pitou acknowledged, somehow ideal. In Pitou’s mind, the King and the Watcher began to take on diametric positions. It was not an entirely conscious decision, but Pitou did not fight it.“That’s obvious.”

“We cannot hide. You know that.” Pitou watched the night-laden forest.

“No…” Pouf mused. “They avoid your En. They understand their frailty. We can use that.”

“A trap?” Pitou giggled, and the innocent sound was born from gratitude. Gratitude and a sensation that Pitou was slowly beginning to recognize. It was something beyond anger, mixed with disgust. Rage, maybe? Pitou was resigned to perhaps never fully understanding the feeling. “That would be dangerous. It would be the first time I acted as prey.”

“It would be unsightly.” Pouf smiled.

“I do not mind.” Pitou returned the look. Shaiapouf was a worthy Guard after all. “In the service of the King, there is no indignity we would not suffer.”

Chapter Text

Myrmidon Chapter 7

Exhaustion

Hinata hadn't realized she’d begun taking the shadow of Nen that surrounded the nest for granted until it vanished. When it did, it was like a breath of fresh air, or the sun coming out from behind choking clouds for the first time in weeks. Stuck in its jagged chill, the Hyuuga had adapted to the omnipresent malice that guarded the nest with the tireless determination of a seaside cliff. 

The relief couldn't be honestly enjoyed, though. The absence of the Nen shadow, the barbed En of the cat-like Royal Guard that brimmed with inhuman power, was almost as unsettling as its presence had been in the first place. 

"I don't understand," Knov said. It had been eighteen days since the shinobi and Hunters had entered the NGL, and three since they'd all met as a single group. Since they'd arrived, the En had been on constant overwatch, the Ant's unknowing equal to the Byakugan. Today, in response to its disappearance, they had all come together again once more, on a cliff edge covered in wet grass and speckled with small stones: perfect seats. "There's no reason for them to stop using it." 

"It's a trap," Morel said, and Netero pursed his lips, nodding. The man had some blue blood in his hair, a virulent streak that made him look a little wild for his age. "There's no doubt. That thing's dropped its En to draw us in."

"We thought so as well," Shino said. He was perched on a nearby rock, his legs crossed under him, his eyes, as ever, obscured by his visor. Hinata was glad to see the way Morel glanced at him; it wasn't a dismissive or doubting look, but rather one of pure inquiry. Her solemn teammate had built a quiet rapport with the large man. Two and a half weeks of cooperation and knocked down many of the wary barriers both teams had erected. 

Hinata didn't feel the same connection, though. Perhaps it was because she spent so much time watching them all. Perhaps because she was the only woman. Whatever the reason, it didn't overly bother her; she was happy to work with the Hunters, regardless of how close she was to them.

"What changed your mind?" Morel asked, and Hinata took her cue. 

"The Guard is gone," she said. Morel huffed and leaned in his pipe, but next to him, Knov blinked in shock. The slender man was leaning against a nearby tree, its bark dry with spots of rot.

"Gone?" he asked, and Hinata nodded.

"Gone. Since the En vanished last night, I've been scanning the whole nest," she said. She tried not to let her face twist in disgust and failed. "There's no sign of it. I've checked the forest as well." 

"And no luck?" Netero asked.

"Nothing," Hinata said. "I have no idea what happened to that Ant. Its Nen is gone, and it's completely vanished as well."

A couple of seconds of silence followed Hinata's words as the assembled group thought them over. All Hinata had to fill the void were her own thoughts. As they often did recently, they turned to her family. 

It had been just about three weeks, almost the longest Hinata had been separated from her children. She felt homesickness underneath her aching ribs; she'd been punched in the chest by a lucky Ant the other day, and though the only damage she'd suffered was a bruise to both her solar plexus and her pride, the occasional pulse of hollow pain seemed like just as much a reminder of the absence in her heart as the actual injury.

She missed her husband's touch, the warm and guileless hugs he gave her without warning. The sounds of Boruto's voice (even though he'd gotten into the habit of whining) and his father's eyes, beaming out of a face that stubbornly refused to shed its baby fat. Himawari's delighted squeaks as she experimented with chakra, sticking toys to her fingers for moments at a time and quietly padding across the wooden floor in the front entrance, entranced by the silence. 

Hinata missed her home. If her teammates felt the same way, they hadn't betrayed it. She was sure she'd always been more sensitive than them, but now, on an unexpected mission like this, it felt uncomfortably like weakness. 

"If it's truly gone," Netero said, "this is an unprecedented opportunity. We would be fools to pass it up." 

"But the Guard would know that," Morel said. He wasn't willing to let go of the issue; Hinata respected his caution. "And there's no way it would abandon the Queen."

"And yet, it's gone," Kiba said, picking at one of his nails. "Hinata doesn't make mistakes." He snickered. "Maybe some of the other Ants ate it? They're running pretty low on food."

He was right; their marauding efforts had seriously reduced both the numbers of Ants in the hive and the creatures stockpile of meat. With less Ants came less consumption, but Hinata was sure the monsters were still hurting. Some of the smaller ones were becoming skinnier than usual. Slowly but surely, the shinobi and Hunters were transforming the depravity within the nest into desperation. 

"There's no way their chain of command would break down that badly," Shino said. "Soldiers attacking Guards? I'd say it's almost physically impossible."

Kiba waved his hand dismissively. "Just joking, joking. No need to be too serious about it, Shino." 

"One of our opponents, perhaps the most powerful of them, has vanished without a trace," Shino said. His stoic voice cut down Kiba's merry tone without mercy. "We have no idea where they are right now. Nothing within the nest could have destroyed them, in a reasonable world." He shifted. Hinata could hear a faint buzzing beneath his coat; his Kikaichu were agitated, which meant Shino was as well. "This is a very serious situation."

 The man smiled at Kiba's downtrodden expression. "Nonetheless, Netero is correct. We would be fools to pass this opportunity up, because Hinata does not make mistakes. If she cannot locate the Royal Guard, it has most definitely disappeared."

"Your trust is touching," Netero said. "But we must make other considerations." He pointed a thumb at Knov, and the man started. "The Ants may have come into possession of a Hatsu much like one of our own."

"An Ant with something like Hide and Seek?" Knov sounded almost offended. "I don't find that very likely." 

"Unlikely, but when it comes to these opponents, nothing is entirely impossible." The Chairman spoke with the patient clarity of an excellent teacher, but is words were laced with kindly condescension. "If that Ant is concealed within some other dimension, simply waiting to respond to any response we may make to their lapse in security..." He shrugged and smiled. "Well, that would be a messy situation, wouldn't it?"

It made sense to Hinata. Nothing had ever escaped the auger of her eyes so suddenly, and the novelty worried her. The other Hunters sometimes concealed themselves from the Ants, much the same as her teammates did, drawing their energy deep inside themselves and away from their oppositions prying senses. When they did, they flickered in Hinata’s sight: she always had to put extra effort into keeping track of them. Whatever technique they used was something beyond ordinary shinobi stealth. It left them vulnerable.

But they didn’t vanish, and the Ant had. It having escaped to some other place, beyond the NGL, seemed the most likely answer. 

“Hinata?” Shino had been trying to get her attention, and Hinata started. She hadn’t been getting enough sleep, staying up to watch the movement of the Ants. She could feel the weight below her eyes, and in the tingling in her chakra system.

“What?” she asked, shaking her head. Netero clicked his tongue.

“Have you ever encountered something like this?” he asked innocently. Every sentence the man spoke was like that: wheedling and curious, but earnestly delivered. 

Tobi; Obito Uchiha. The Fourth Hokage, during the war. Her husband, once or twice, when he decided to abuse his speed.  That was the only time someone had vanished from her sight like that. Hinata winced at the idea of the Ant sharing any ability with any of those options

“Several times,” she said. “Due to speed, or esoteric transportation.” She glanced at Knov. “Unless the Guard is more capable than we assumed, this is probably a case of the latter.”

“So, let’s assume the Ants have a Knov of their own,” Morel said. “Ant-Knov.” He frowned. “Antov?”

“Stop.” Knov seemed like he was in physical pain. Kiba laughed.

“Some way of hiding beyond our senses, and in particular, Hinata’s sight,” Morel said with a chuckle. “What changes?” 

“Nothing,” Kiba declared, and Morel gave him a cockeyed look. “We just keep up what we’re doing, and stay away from the nest. We’ve still got plenty of time before the King is born, and the Ants are hurting. We keep playing it safe, we’ll starve them out.”

“Hmm.” Morel stroked his chin. “I assumed you would have been in favor of something more direct, Kiba.” 

Hinata sat back, gradually falling into a fugue. She could still see and hear everything, but her mind drifted as her eyes closed to rest.

“I’ve got no intention of goofing around here,”  Kiba said. “These things are dangerous, and my wife would kill me if I got messed up in another-” He paused, lip twitching. Shino crossed his arms, and Kiba scratched his forearm. “Country. She wouldn’t stand for that. We stay back, we bleed them out. Simple as that.”

“And if the Guard comes for us?” Morel asked. Shino stepped forward. 

“You have a point. This could be a bluff,” he said. He smiled. “Or a double bluff. The Guard drops the En, intending to lure us in. When we don’t take the bait, they attack us directly. The Ants will be growing desperate; something that bold isn’t out of the question anymore.” 

“Then maybe we bluff them ourselves,” Knov offered from his crosslegged position. “Make to attack the Nest, but only to draw out the Guard. If they are waiting, they would have to take the bait.” He smiled, a calculated and merciless grin. “And if they don’t emerge, we simply attack the Nest without reservation.”

“Putting ourselves at risk for a feint?” Netero asked. “That’s unlike you, Knov.”

Knov shrugged. “There’s a chance here to deliver a decisive blow. You’ve said it yourself, chairman. This is an unprecedented opportunity. Even if it’s a feint by the opponent, that can be turned to our advantage.”

Hinata slowly blinked, feeling heavy lids drag over her eyes.

“Wouldn’t have to-” she started to say, before trailing off. The Hunters looked to her.

“Something wrong?” Morel asked. Hinata shook her head, closing her eyes. She’d almost said something she probably shouldn’t have. 

So far, the shinobi hadn’t shown the Hunters their full capabilities. Both so as to not incite suspicion, and to keep them from making any rash assumptions. Hinata had almost thoughtlessly broken that unspoken agreement with her team.

She really was tired. 

She looked to Shino and Kiba; they were obviously thinking the same thing she was. Kiba shrugged. Maybe he thought the time for overt secrecy was past. Shino was clearly deep in thought. The Hunters were aware of the deliberation. Knov curiously glanced at Morel, while Netero’s eyes remained locked on Hinata.

“Hmm.” Shino said, standing up. “Hinata’s right,” he told Kiba, and the Inuzuka yawned, pulling himself to his feet alongside his teammate. “A feint would be very safe,” Shino told Knov, and the man gave him a curious look. 

“Attacking the nest? Safe?” It was almost a jeer, but delivered with good faith.

Morel shifted, leaning on his pipe. “You’ve got something up your sleeves, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

“We’ve all been hiding things, the both of us” Shino said, and Morel chuckled. “It’s only reasonable, when you meet dangerous people in a foreign land. But now, it would be irresponsible to maintain that secrecy.”

Netero’s eyes were flint, ready to spark. The intensity of his gaze unnerved Hinata.

“Kiba, if you would,” Shino asked. Kiba obliged, languidly running through a series of handsigns.

Hinata had seen the Kage Bunshin thousands of times, but it was still remarkable to watch someone indistinguishable from a real person pop into existence with all the fanfare of a pierced balloon. With a puff of smoke, another Morel appeared beside Kiba. The clone appeared exactly the same as the original, down to the bruise on the man’s left cheek. All it lacked was the enormous pipe.

Morel took a step back. “What?” There was some genuine concern in his voice.

“Don’t freak,” Kiba said, hands up in a placating gesture. “It’s just a shadow clone.” He knocked on the clone’s shoulder, and the fake Morel swatted away his hand with annoyance. “Plus a little henge.”

“You can make… ‘clones?’” Knov asked. He stepped forward, inspecting the copy, looking back and forth between it and the real Morel.

“Indeed,” the clone said, almost perfectly mimicking Morel’s booming voice, and Knov flinched. The shadow clone laughed, and switched back to its natural voice: Kiba’s. “Just as a good as the real thing. Just a little more fragile is all.”

“Like your smoke constructs, Morel,” Hinata said, words dragging over one another. “It’s the same principle, a case of autonomous energy. This is just a more advanced technique.”

Knov knocked on the clone’s chest. “But Morel’s smoke is… smoke. This is solid,” he said, disturbed. “It feels like a shirt…” He poked the clone’s face, and it frowned. “Like skin. How on earth…” 

“They must be fragile,” Morel said. “Everything has some kind of tradeoff. Can they even fight?”

Kiba and his clone shared a glance. The clone shrugged and wandered over towards a nearby tree. Kiba’s gait was unsettling coming from a larger man. The tree was a heavy and healthy one, bursting with green and about as thick around as Hinata herself.

Without ceremony, the clone kicked it. Bark shattered, and the tree shuddered. The kick left a sizeable dent, and the clone walked back to Kiba, looking self-satisfied. 

“I…” Knov blinked. “That’s incredible.”

Netero was still silent, watching. Hinata couldn’t read him whatsoever. 

“It’s dangerous,” Kiba said. “Both Hinata and I know this technique, but there’s a reason we haven’t used it against the Ants. Any time we make one of these clones it takes half of our… Nen, to maintain. And any more than that, the division gets more and more serious.”

Knov looked slightly less awestruck, but it was Morel who spoke up. “Half, a fourth… so what, if you made four you’d be left with an eighth of your strength? That is dangerous.” 

“It’s not that direct,” Shino said. “The energy can be retrieved when the clone is destroyed.” On cue, Kiba’s clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. “Depending on how much was spent, most of it can be retrieved.” 

“With these, we could definitely fake an attack on the nest.” Kiba picked up Shino’s line with practiced ease. “Hinata and I make a couple each, we pretend to approach as a group, and then the Ant’s jump nothing but shadows. We counterattack while they’re extended…” He shrugged. “It’s rough, but it could decide this thing.” 

“How…” 

Netero finally broke his silence, and everyone turned to him. Hinata opened her eyes. The old man had his hands clasped behind his back, and his whole frame was bent slightly forward. 

“Did you come into possession of a technique like that?” 

Hinata couldn’t read the man’s body language, and his voice was calm, but she felt it in her heart that his suspicion was boiling over. Something about the shinobi had pricked at his instincts, better honed than any of theirs, and she wasn’t sure how to soothe it. How much of the truth could they afford to give away? Was it even worth hiding anything at this point? She wished she had time to discuss it with her team.

“Hinata?” Shino asked, and she sighed. She was exhausted, but in a situation like this, she wasn’t just a member of Team 8. She was the Hokage’s wife, and that gave her some agency in a situation like this, insubstantial as it was. 

“My husband taught me,” she said. Netero didn’t move. It was almost like he was stiffening for a fight. “Kiba, I think learned it from his father.” Her teammate nodded. “They both learned it from our village’s Scroll of Seals: a list of techniques that are forbidden to learn without the approval of the Hokage.”

“Hokage?” Netero tilted his head.

“Konohagakure’s leader. The Fire Shadow.” Hinata gathered her thoughts, her composure. She’d been sloppy these last few minutes: sloppy thinking, sloppy words, sloppy posture. She dragged herself back together into the woman she was supposed to be. “I think I understand your concern, Chairman, but please, trust me when I say this technique, and others, are not small things. We didn’t conceal it out of malice. Just pragmatism.” 

She pursed her lips. “And the Kage Bunshin is just as dangerous as it is useful. There’s no doubt of that.”

“Hmm.” Netero’s arms slipped out from behind his back, and he paced forward.

He took a breath, and so did Hinata. The stiffness has slipped away from Netero. She no longer felt as though she had to keep her hands ready to block a potential strike. The tension was gone, replaced by… frustration. He was letting her read him. 

The Association Chairman came to a stop next to Morel. Slowly, he seated himself.

“Very well then.” He was resigned, but beneath that and the frustration, there was undeniable excitement. Hinata could see very well that whatever the source of his reservations, Netero had the heart of a killer; the prospect of attacking the nest sat well with him, no matter how he needled his subordinates.

He looked to both Knov and Morel. “Come on then. Let’s put our heads together.” Grinned. “And crush these insects.” 

###

“You sure we should have done that?" 

“At this point, in that situation, it was the best option,” Shino said. Kiba looked skeptical.

“They just suspect us more now, not less,” he pointed out. “Hiding stuff like the shadow clones in the first place… I dunno.” 

“It doesn’t make sense, from the perspective of Nen,” Shino said. 

“You don’t know that,” Kiba said. “You’re just assuming it, because we haven’t seen something along those lines. But maybe we were wrong. We’re not the experts on this place. They are.”

Hinata sat up. The meeting had been hours ago, and her teammates were still quietly bickering.

“What do you think?” Kiba asked her. The Hyuuga shrugged, feeling wet grass in her hair. 

“There was no good option here,” she said. “No matter what we concealed or how truthful we could be, our presence incites suspicion.” Shino nodded, but Kiba looked dissatisfied. “For now, it doesn’t matter. We’ll finish these Ants, and worry about it the Hunters afterwards. Neither of us will stop working with the other over something like this; at this point, the situation is too dangerous.”

“You sound a little cold about it,” Kiba said. Hinata took a deep breath in through her nose.

“I am,” she admitted after a moment. “Netero doesn’t trust us, and me in particular. I’m sure you can tell. Morel and Knov are happy enough to work with us, but that man… he’s worrying me.”

‘And I miss home.’ She didn’t say it loud, but her team heard her anyway.

“Well, yeah, but you said it yourself. No one here is dumb enough to stop giving their all over a little suspicion,” Kiba said. 

“Stop, no. But Hinata is right,” Shino said. “It’s troublesome. He’ll be watching our back in the assault.”

Kiba snorted. “Well, our ‘backs.’”

“You know what I mean.” Shino sighed. “Maybe we should just sort it out. Be as honest as we can.” 

“And what then? ‘Oh, we are simply from another dimension. Worry not, we’re not even using Nen, it’s simply a completely different source of energy beyond your understanding,’” Kiba said, adopting a mocking tone, trying to imitate Shino’s speech patterns.

“I don’t sound like that.” 

“You get my point.” Kiba shrugged. “It’s not perfect. Nothing is. But for now, it works. That’s what matters, right? It’s how we’re doing things back home.” He fell back; the shinobi had retreated to talk privately several kilometers away high in the trees, and Kiba splayed himself out on the branch he’d chosen. He looked like a lazy teenager. “We take care of the Chimera, worry about the other shit after.” He frowned. “After all, there’s no way we can risk them reaching Gorteau.”

Hinata nodded. There was nothing to say: the one nation that had contact with the Shinobi Union being overrun by Ants was an unacceptable possibility.

“Alright,” Shino said. He pursed his lips. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh?” Kiba popped up a little.

“We should get in contact with Mari,” Shino said, and Kiba tilted his head. 

“You think we need the help?” he asked. Shino frowned.

“Are you implying we don’t? This is a dangerous situation,” he said, ever logical. Hinata smiled. “She was a member of Kumo’s Thunder Corp. If we’re going to be assaulting the nest directly, bringing someone who can use…” He paused, turning to Hinata. “What did she call it?" 

“Artillery Jutsu.” For some reason, the thing that popped into Hinata’s mind when she said that wasn’t Mari’s beaming face, but the Juubi’s Bijuudama, huge and angry red. That would certainly have ended the situation with the Ants quickly. 

“Of course. Someone who can directly support us from a distance will be invaluable.” Shino grinned a little. “And she’ll also be ideal for agitating the Ants.” 

“Hmm.” Kiba scratched his nose. “I guess you’re right. So which one of us runs back for her? Me or you? Hinata’s eyes are too important.”

“The Hunter’s have cell phones,” Hinata said, closing her eyes. “They might be able to get in contact with East Gorteau’s government. Neither of you should leave unless it’s necessary: that Royal Guard could still be setting some kind of trap, remember.” 

“Yeah, that’s true. But then we’re just back to the beginning of this,” Kiba groused. “Bringing in more shinobi…”

“You know what,” Hinata sighed. “If they ask, we’ll be honest. But if they want to play this game of subterfuge, we’ll go along, and damn their suspicions.” She clenched her fist. Her hand was trembling a little. Her headache, which had plagued her since early morning, was only getting worse. 

Kiba laughed. “Jeez, you need a nap. You’re acting like when Boruto was just born.” 

Hinata almost snapped at him; all that stopped her was the sudden, embarrassing realization of her conduct. She was running on little sleep, dragging along the edge of chakra fatigue from the constant use of her eyes. It was making her unreasonable, irritable. 

It really was like being a new mother. She smiled contritely, and Kiba grinned back. 

“It’s not a bad idea,” he said. “Take a day off. For all of us, really. We draw back a little, let the Ants get comfortable. You’re the worst off, but I’m sure everyone could use the rest.” 

“I concur,” Shino said. “Get some sleep.” He rose from his crouched position on his branch. “I’ll speak to the Hunters and see if they can’t get in contact with East Gorteau. And I’ll inform them you’re taking a rest period, and that we should as well.” 

Hinata felt an infuriating mix of gratitude and irrational irritation. Shino was being kind, not patronizing, but in her sleep deprived state, with her mind full of the Nest’s atrocities, she still felt as though he was taking what should have been her responsibility.

But the irritation was irrational, and so Hinata did her best to discard it and meet her old friend’s kindness with grace. 

“Thank you, Shino.” She took a deep breath, feeling her chest expand. Contract. Her bruise ached. “I think I’ll do that.” 

She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep. The nest was too prevalent in her mind. But it couldn’t hurt to close her eyes and lie down. Just for a little while. Close her eyes, and think of someplace better.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

Faith and Fear 

Colt didn’t have a minute tremble in his hands, a rolling in his gut, and that absence of fear was far more unnerving than its presence ever had been. The En of the Royal Guard, Neferpitou, had suffused every inch of the Nest for the last two weeks. The energy had been inescapable and momentous: to live in it was stifling. Every breath felt like a struggle, the desperate gasp of the nearly drowned.

But, as frightening as it had been, it had provided Colt and his squad a sense of security around the Nest. No foe would be able to even get near the Queen without Pitou’s notice, and no foe would survive the full might of the Nest along with the Royal Guard’s terrifying attention.

Now it was gone. Neferpitou had departed on a mission to hunt down the enemies that been attacking them. Colt felt a strange mixture of relief, sympathy, and fear at that. Relief, with the cessation of the En and the birth of the final Royal Guard, whose name he did not know. Sympathy for the enemies that had so cruelly hounded his fellow Chimaera, for even creatures as duplicitous and dangerous as they did not deserve whatever Neferpitou would inflict upon them.

Fear, though. Fear was omnipresent in the Nest. Though it shamed Colt to admit it, he was not the only one beset by it. The casualties inflicted by the humans outside had been worrying, far beyond what the Ants could have imagined given the pathetic resistance offered by the NGL’s natives. Fear brought anger, anger brought pride, and that cocktail of damnable weakness and pathetic arrogance led to the lack of unity that now ate away at the Nest as surely as the murderous humans.

Before, the worst that happened was petty disobedience: the insubordination of selfish Ants like Rammot, or the indifference of his fellow squad leader Meloreon. Colt was no fool. He understood that sometimes the Ants under his command reported less food than they’d actually claimed, that only the unborn King could have prevented them from occasionally stealing bites of the Queen’s meals but now, they were becoming more rebellious. The shortage of food for them was taking its toll, and many subordinate Ants had begun openly questioning the commands of their leaders. The only relief had ironically been the mounting casualties: less mouths to feed.

It was unthinkable, and yet, the obvious path. Colt was well aware of his own failure in the matter. If he and the other squad leaders could not direct an effective defense of the Nest, what good were they? The one time he’d laid eyes on the attackers from high in the sky he’d been chased away by a swarm of vicious insects, so thick they’d turned the sky around him black. The humiliation had been nearly as painful as the strips of carapace they’d torn from his legs and back.

Even worse, he heard rumors and whispers of leaving the Nest to hunt for themselves. Colt was disgusted at their selfishness. The Queen needed the unity of the Nest now more than ever with the King’s birth being so close. They couldn’t afford infighting, especially with numbers so low and enemies so close.

Problems upon problems. If Colt was a lesser being, he would have long since given up. But his Queen needed him and for her, he would do anything.

“You look troubled.” 

Colt opened his eyes: he’d been seated cross-legged atop a small jut of stone and bone, away from the main corridors of the Nest. A familiar face was before him. Peggy, a fellow commander, the short Ant’s face level with Colt’s seated form.

“Of course I am,” Colt said, his tone level. “This is a troubling situation.”

“No doubt of that,” Peggy said. Colt wondered where the creature that had produced Peggy had come from. A penguin, he was sure. He had no idea where the word came from, but it seemed right to him. At any rate, he’d seen nothing like Peggy on any of his hunts. “Do you have a solution?” 

“No.” Peggy sat down. There was a book in one of his hands, clutched in the tiny articulate fingers at the end of his wings. “I retreated into the books we’d collected from the humans to try and find one, but so far, I’ve found nothing.”

“Books?” Colt asked. “What good are books here? Our comrades are starving; leadership is crumbling.” He reached out, taking the book Peggy held. The smaller commander didn’t resist. “Paper won’t save us here.”

It was the first time Colt had used the word ‘save,’ and it disgusted him.

“They’re more than paper,” Peggy said patiently. He was thinner than usual, the puff in his chest diminished. “Humans pour all their knowledge, all their thoughts, into books. It’s where they put them when they can’t say them out loud, or are afraid to forget them.” He shrugged, clicking his beak idly. “When beset by humans, perhaps it will be human wisdom that does us the most good.”

“And? You just said you haven’t found anything.” 

“That’s true.” Peggy smiled. “But it’s still been helpful. I haven’t found a solution, but I have found assistance.” He tapped the book, which hung limply in Colt’s hand. “Humans are obsessed with knowledge, and I wouldn’t call this a flaw: ‘Know thy enemy, know thyself.’ If we’re to survive, if the King is to prosper, we need to find out more about our opponents. So far, no one has been able to return complete reports on them.”

“They’re too dangerous to approach, and tricky even to observe,” Colt pointed out. “We don’t even have a positive idea of their exact numbers. The decimated squads put them somewhere between five and eight.”

“Indeed. As I said, no solutions,” Peggy admitted. “For now, we’ll have to put all our hope in Neferpitou. I have faith she’ll break this siege, and give us the opportunity we need.”

Colt’s eyes narrowed. “She must,” he said, rising to his feet. “At this rate, those humans will kill Reina before we can mount a successful counter-offense." 

“Reina?” Peggy cocked his head. 

Colt looked back in confusion. “Reina?” he asked back. The word was alien to him.

“What?” Peggy blinked.

“What?” Colt asked, striding past the commander. “Forget it. I’m going to organize my squad, what’s left of it. It’s almost our turn to hunt.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “Good luck with your books.”

He left behind a confused Peggy, but carried his weakness with him.

###

Mari bit her lip, her fingers tightening around the phone. “Has the situation gotten that bad?” 

“Worse,” Shino said, his voice crackling over the line. The connection was terrible, and it added to Mari’s anxiety. “The last of the Royal Guard has been born and we still haven’t located the first one. However, the chance we have before us could very well be our only one. Tomorrow, or the day after, we can assault the nest and destroy the Queen. For that, we may need your skills.”

Shino’s reasoning was obvious. The jutsu the Thunder Corp had taught her would be undeniably helpful in attacking the ‘nest,’ laying siege at a safe distance and forcing the Ants into chaos.

However, the girl from Kumo couldn’t help but think of the risks. Dying was a simple one, a natural and ignorable fear. The one that truly chilled her was failing her village. Her position in West Gorteau was highly important and one that she took with the utmost seriousness; as the Shinobi Union’s representative, entering any local conflicts was a complicated and heretofore untested question.

“Shino, you understand that if I helped you, I’ll be in a difficult position. Engaging the Ants would go against the trust of West Gorteau, and the mandate of my village,” Mari replied with a careful tone. “I’m a diplomat now, not a soldier. I'm not supposed to go off into other countries and bring down lightning on them. Helping you all into NGL was all I was allowed to do.” She glanced to her right, where Sun Hanya stood with a dour look. He had brought the phone to her personally. The Chief Secretary looked even more like a grumpy tortoise than usual.

The voice on the other line was silent for a few seconds. 

“I understand that,” Shino eventually said. “That is why I’m asking you if you can help. We can figure out another plan if you choose not to, but your skills would make our attack safer. It would be much more likely to succeed with your support.” He paused. “You are shinobi. I don’t mean to show my age, but you cannot escape that reality. Regardless of your position, you are a soldier.”

The Kumo Shinobi rolled that thought within her head. Shino was right; sitting behind a desk for most of the day didn’t change the fact she was a walking artillery piece. It was more than that, too: in her short time with Team 8, she’d grown to like each member. Kiba was rough and brash but he never made her uncomfortable with his questions, Hinata was kinder than she imagined and Shino was quiet in a respectful way. 

For a second, she imagined them going with a different plan, a riskier one, and the vision of its failure was as clear in her mind as the pain in her lip. The image of Team 8 falling thanks to her not being to help was terrifying; them joining the countless corpses already created by the Ants, enraging. The political repercussions were also overwhelming. Not only the death of shinobi on foreign soil in another world, but one of them being the wife of Naruto Uzumaki.

The thought made her shiver. Her time in the Thunder Corps kept her away from the battlefield and thus she rarely saw bodies, even less so with her new position. And though she was from Kumogakure, failing the Hokage who had played such a pivotal role in the Fourth War by letting his wife come to harm was a disturbing thought. 

Mari found that she couldn’t bear the phantom guilt.

“Alright,” Mari said with a sigh. “I’ll come and assist you. But!” She stamped her feet, leaning forward. “In return, I need you to promise the Hunters with you won’t have big mouths. 

She was sure Shino was smiling on the other end of the line. “You have my word that they won’t speak.”

“I’ll meet you at the border tonight. Consider me a part of tomorrow’s assault.”

“Thank you.” The call dropped, and Mari was left with a phone that suddenly seemed heavier.

“Sun,” she said. “Will this be a problem?” 

The man gave her a dour smile. “Not so long as you promptly return, Ms. Kansai. I understand these are extremely unusual circumstances. However…” His smile faded. “See that you do return. We’ve grown rather fond of you around here, after all.”

Mari sighed. “I’ll do my best.”

### 

A world of grey and blue, punctuated only by the heartbeat, the stifle of crushed grass below, the tickle of unaware insects. Slowly. Infinitely slowly. Two heartbeats a minute. Blood slow, painfully slow, a body of agony, every limb trembling with anticipation and pain. It was a lowly, crushing existence, devoted entirely to stealth and faith.

The Watcher could not see Pitou. If Pitou could smile, Pitou would have. Pitou was sure of it; the sensation of unwelcome sight had vanished, hadn’t returned while Pitou was in this degrading state. The human Pitou had dissected had held knowledge of this state. Zetsu.

Another six inches. Pitou covered less than one a minute. As with everything but the King, Pitou was beyond Zetsu. This was something else, entirely too ridiculous for a human to contemplate. The cessation of self, folded into nature. The supreme engineering of the Queen, the instincts of the devoured animals she had subsumed, the unbreakable will of Pitou: they had all been folded into this desperate effort to avoid the sight of the Watcher. 

Three heartbeats a minute. Pitou was getting too excited. Calm. Calm. Pitou’s presence remained concealed. Pitou was nothing more than dirt, grass, trees. As unremarkable as the sky, as opaque as the sea. Ignored. Looked over. Familiar sight. Another six inches 

Pitou was nearly there. Nearly at Pitou’s goal. There, all this indignity and pain would be worth it. 

###

In the night, frozen in preparation and immune to the wind, cold, and darkness, Netero found sanctuary within himself.

It was usually like this before battle. Ever since he had come down off that mountain, Netero had always been most content alone. Battle engaged him, thrilled him, but it had been decades since one had challenged him. In that time, he’d come to appreciate simple things. In a time like this, burying anticipation in exchange for appreciation was always most appealing.

‘What crap.’

The bitterness inside him, shaming the wind with its vitriol, pushed back against his rituals of gratitude. It pushed and pulled at his Nen as he gathered it in his core, shoving it out of his pores in flares of angry golden light. For the first time in three hours, Netero moved. It was just an errant twitch of his right index finger, but it still infuriated him.

The shinobi infuriated him. The uncertainty they carried infuriated him. Netero craved a direct confrontation, something to settle his suspicion and give him closure, but as ever the world did not obey his unconscious commands. He was not so foolish as to confront the shinobi in this situation, and they shared the same pragmatism, for whatever reason. He was sure they could have forced the issue by now, but had chosen not to. 

It wasn’t worth thinking about, not now. Netero reentered himself, returning to stillness. The golden emanations lessened in intensity, light glowing under his skin instead of spilling out. Preparing his Hatsu was far more important than worrying about what the future carried.

For now, he would have to find his catharsis in battle, as he always did. Perhaps one of the Royal Guard would try to kill him. That at least would be thrilling, instead of the constant doldrum inflicted upon him by the lesser Ants. And, even better, he would finally see what the shinobi were truly capable of. Tomorrow’s assault would have no room for subtlety. Perhaps his suspicions would be vindicated. 

He grinned, another failure, but one he didn’t mind.

After all, it was fully possible that if he were wrong, they’d all end up dead.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

Royal Fury: Part 1 

Hinata wrinkled her nose: partly in amusement, partly in consternation. There was a light drizzle filling the air with thin, cold water. Nothing heavy, but it was the first rain she had seen since arriving in the NGL. Like most of the country, it was beautiful and deceptive. The clouds above spoke of thunder and a downpour, but what actually came down was closer to mist than rain. She ran her fingers through her hair. Damp, but only barely. Her thumb came to rest on the headset secured behind her ear. 

A gift from Mari, brought by Shino’s request. The girl from the Thunder Corp had carried eight radio headsets over the border, in defiance of the country’s laws. One for everyone who had been hunting Ants, and one spare, just in case. For the assault on the nest, fast and reliable communication would be indispensable, and the radios were the perfect tool for that.

The Hunters had been quiet about Mari’s arrival: to Hinata’s surprise, they hadn’t asked much about her or where she’d come from. Perhaps they just weren’t in the mood to question more help. At any rate, it had been a welcome sign of trust.

She ran her finger over the frequency knob, ensuring she was on the right channel, took a deep breath, and then pressed down on the receiver. It was time.

“Everyone,” she said. She could see them all perk up. Knov put a hand over his ear, isolating the sound of her voice. “You’re all in position. Still no sign of the missing Guard.”

“Is that a go?” Kiba asked playfully. Hinata rolled her eyes. Her teammate was smirking at her from more than four kilometers away.

“I’m not in charge here,” she said. Coughed. “But yes, that’s a ‘go.’”

The Hunters and shinobi were widely arrayed in preparation for the assault. Hinata was the farthest from the action, a safe six thousand meters from the nest, atop a short hill festooned with thin trees and thorn-studded shrubs. Shino and Kiba were holding position four kilometers in front of her, in relative spitting position of the nest. They were accompanied by nine Kage Bunshin, four of which were Hinata’s, and ten of Morel’s smoke constructs. On their own, they represented a formidable assault force, but their true strength was speed and shock. The clones were insubstantial muscle. 

However, with support from Morel and Knov, they were more of a threat. The two Hunters had taken up opposing positions around the nest, forming a rough triangle with the main assault team. Knov had placed an alarming amount of Hide and Seek portals around the forest, doubling as both traps for attacking Ants and a mobility option for the assault team and Morel. His and Morel’s job was simple: distract and waylay any counterattack the Ants mounted. There were still far too many of them to fight directly, with over five-hundred inside the nest and at least another three hundred out foraging, but between Hide and Seek and Deep Purple, keeping even that number tied up wasn’t impossible.

The real strength of the initial attack waited on the opposite end of the nest from Hinata, almost exactly the same distance as she was from it, for that matter. Mari Kansai and Isaac Netero sat next to each other, both cross-legged, both with their eyes closed. Hinata had been extremely surprised that Netero hadn’t joined the assault team, but after he’d explained the reason for his positioning, she’d come to understand the man a little better. 

His ‘Hatsu’ would let him strike at the nest from a distance, and it was inevitable that the Ant’s anger would be primarily directed towards Mari due to her artillery assault. Thus, staying in a position where he could meet the majority of enemies head on, in defense of their long range attacker, was the ideal position for the Chairman.

At least, that was how he’d explained it. Hinata had a suspicion he just wanted an excuse to kill as many Ants as possible, both in the initial strike and the inevitable counterattack. She had no idea what his ‘Hatsu’ actually was, and she got the impression her ignorance was shared by his fellow Hunters. She was almost looking forward to finding out.

“Mari, you’re up,” Kiba said, and the woman nodded, bringing her hands together in something resembling prayer and closing her eyes. Hinata watched the flow of chakra beneath her skin with interest. She’d never seen Artillery Jutsu before. It was gathering in her core, rushing up into her chest and arms. The concentration of energy was impressive and volatile. 

Beside her, Netero did the same thing, his aura suddenly pulsing. His hands flowed together, and Hinata blinked. While Mari’s movement had been utilitarian and practiced, Netero’s had been completely inhuman. It took her a moment to understand why: she hadn’t even seen his hands come together. They’d been at his sides, and then suddenly clasped in front of him. The motion had been so fluid and so fast that even with the Byakugan, her mind had needed to provide an illusion of movement to fill in the gap in her perception. 

Hinata felt a chill run down her spine, but at the same time, she couldn’t hold back a small smile. It was a good thing the Chairman was on their side.

Her attention shifted back to Mari as the girl separated her hands, slowly lifting them above her head. Where Mari’s hands came apart, electricity danced, slowly spreading like a bubble of lightning. As her hands came farther apart, the bubble grew, until Mari’s arms were fully outstretched and a marble of solid-looking electricity hovered over her head, suspended above her hands. Rain evaporated instantly for several feet around the younger shinobi as she pushed out a deep breath, a bead of sweat rolling down her nose before it too became so much steam. Hinata was entranced by the play of chakra across the orb, the vibration deep in Mari’s chest, until the girl pushed: her chakra flared, stabilized, becoming placid and tight, pulled taut without stretching. The ball of lightning soared up into the sky like a runaway balloon at high speed, suddenly coming to a stop about eight hundred meters above its creator. With the Byakugan, Hinata could see the thick thread of chakra connecting Mari to her jutsu.

Mari spoke into her headset, static crackling thickly across the connection. “Raiton: Tengoku Hogeki, ready.” 

“Impressive,” Morel noted. Hinata saw him grin as he admired the floating lightning. “Let’s get this started.” 

Mari carefully dropped one of her hands, keeping the other facing straight up at her jutsu. She formed it into a fist, extending it towards the nest. Beside her, Netero began glowing, a golden light emanating from beneath his skin.

Mari pointed.

The ball of energy high above her pulsed, one tiny point in the shell of chakra containing it collapsing, and a torrent of blinding energy ripped through the air with a hellish shriek accompanied by a sonic boom. The bolt of plasma slammed into the side of the nest and exploded, producing a fireball the size of a truck. The whole structure seemed to shudder, and when the smoke, mist, and fire cleared, a huge divot was revealed in its side: Mari’s attack hadn’t pierced its walls, but the damage was still obvious. 

As Hinata watched, the Ants in the nest reacted as any insect did when someone kicked their home. There was a moment of panic and confusion, and then they began swarming, sprinting towards the exits. Hundreds of them: there were orders shouted, hateful looks cast. Out of the five-hundred and sixty-four Ants in the nest…

Hinata brought her hand up to her ear. 

“That did it. There are… four hundred and seventy Ants preparing to counterattack. Both of the Royal Guard are staying where they are; as we thought, they won’t leave the Queen.” She paused. “Four-hundred and seventy, give or take. Some of them may be reinforcing the entrances.” 

The birth of the third Royal Guard had complicated their plans, but not curtailed them. With the catlike one still missing, their chances remained better than ever, even with increased numbers.

“That’s all?” Knov asked dryly. “Well, no reason to worry then.” He paced in his chunk of the forest, moving from tree to tree with practiced stealth. “How many are headed towards the Chairman?”

“Surely not enough,” Netero said, his eyes closed. His wrinkled his lips, contorting his mustache. “Let’s fix that.”

The old man’s aura expanded, the golden light pushing out of his body and into the world. It flexed, shimmered, and grew, exploding into being around Netero. Gradually, it took vague form; shining golden hands, dozens of them set on the end of sprawling arms with six or seven joints, a clean-shaven head with doll-like features, and ribs, forming a thin body below the head. Netero floated up, set in the middle of the golden Nen construct. 

Hinata’s mouth dropped a little. This must have been the Chairman’s Hatsu: it reminded her eerily of the Uchiha Susano’o, only much brighter and thinner. She could see the man’s essence pouring up out of him, forming a continuous loop of ethereal energy with the construct. He fed it, and it fed him. 

It was more than just Nen, she realized. It was something closer to the man’s life. Even his soul, perhaps. It was the ultimate expression of the old man’s power, rearing up out of him to gaze upon the battlefield.

The physical manifestation of Netero’s life of violence soundlessly reached out one of its many hands, both gently and fast as lightning, and plucked a nearby tree out of the ground with all the difficulty of someone pulling a hair off their clothes. With the same careful speed, it drew back, and then hurled the sizeable tree at the nest with impossible force. 

Hinata couldn’t help but grin at what she saw. It was entirely ridiculous, and yet undeniably incredible. The tree caught fire from the speed of the Chairman’s throw, transforming it into a glowing destructive bolt. In the hands of the crystallization of Netero’s martial spirit, simple tree trunks became spears from the heavens.

“Goodness,” Shino unintentionally muttered over the radio as the tree slammed into the divot Mari’s bombardment had created. The flaming log, much reduced from its original form but still larger than any person, punched a hole through the weakened section of the nest, lodging itself in one of the structure's many halls. The smoke from its flames began filling the corridor.

It had been about fourteen seconds since Mari had struck the nest: almost every one of the counter-attacking Ants were exiting it when Netero followed up. Of them, Hinata saw all but a few turn their attention towards the direction of the attack. They broke into desperate sprints in groups, some taking to the air, one or two even diving underground. As one, they converged in a great swarm on the Chairman’s position.

“They’re coming for you,” she said, sure that everyone listening knew who she meant. “Almost all of them.”

“Good.” Hinata had never heard Netero sound so satisfied. “Begin the assault.” 

There was a flicker in the corner of Hinata’s vision, and she instinctively turned her head slightly, frowning. She found herself looking at nothing, just more shrubs and grass. The Hyuuga shook her head, refocusing on the attack.

“Morel, a group of ten coming towards you, sixty feet to the south in three seconds,” she directed, watching the big man amble off to ambush the unfortunate Ants. Smoke began filling the forest, obscuring everything. Hundreds of meters away, an Ant tripped and fell into another dimension, its comrade looking around in a panic. The assault team, including the clones of Hinata herself, began moving in, rapidly approaching the nearest entrance to the nest, a man-sized hole about four stories off the ground.

The forest as a whole erupted into pandemonium, suddenly filled with hundreds of Ants and dozens of humans, though the majority of the latter were illusions. Hinata muttered under her breath, a constant stream of directions and location updates. Mari and Netero continued to bombard the nest, driving more divots and logs into it until it somewhat resembled a pincushion. The Chairman steadily deforested the area around him, slowly but consistently moving forward, creating a buffer of clear space between the oncoming Ants, himself, and Mari. The first Ant to reach him, pushing far ahead of its comrades, died before it even realized what had happened: the Chairman’s Hatsu squashed it with a single punch, utterly destroying its organs and sending a rogue limb or two skittering across the ground from the force of the strike.

Twenty-five seconds since Mari had bombarded the nest. The assault team had nearly reached the entrance. With Hinata’s guidance and Kiba’s nose, she was certain they’d be able to avoid the majority of the Ants inside and make their way to the Queen. They were committed now, but the situation seemed rather favorable. Hinata felt optimistic: this was their best chance, and they had chosen the right approach.

The assault team had its opening; the majority of the Ants had left the nest. Their feint was transforming into a fearsome attack, and with the third Royal Guard-

Right next to her.

Hinata’s heart stopped. The world froze, the peculiar dilation of time accompanying chakra enhanced perception, adrenaline, and terror.

The third Royal Guard, firstborn, cat and human, tiny black shoes, glowing orange and red eyes-

Was right next to her.

Staring at her. Starting to move, even in the frozen time. It leapt at her side, ready to scythe her in half.

Hinata couldn’t understand. She started to move too, no thought, just fear and confusion.

The Guard’s sudden appearance was as impossible as its disappearance.

There hadn’t been some sort of dimensional transfer, a flicker of speed. One moment there had been nothing, and then the Guard had been there. Even the Flying Thunder God had been more predictable. It was midway through its attack. Hinata’s body went through the motions as her mind raced, but it was already obvious to her she couldn’t evade it entirely. Too close, too fast.

Hinata’s heart beat, once. The Guard’s hand was three inches from her thigh. Its attack would take her leg off, she was sure.

It had always been there, she realized. Not always right next to her, but always in her Byakugan’s sight. The Ant hadn’t left the nest at all: it had merely disguised itself, impossibly concealing itself from her eye’s perception. How? Hinata had no idea, could only conceive the Ant had pulled its energy so far inward that it had become a void, an eye-watering spot in a childish perception puzzle that her eyes had refused to acknowledge. It fit with what she was seeing. Had seen.

Two inches. Hinata grit her teeth. Spun. 

The thing’s claws sliced into her leg, instantly cutting a deep laceration in her left thigh. Chakra sprung from Hinata’s pores, exploding out in a tsunami of purple energy. The Hyuuga reached down deep inside herself, feeling for the ancient, cold energy that she was so loathe to touch, no matter how useful it was.

She grasped it, feeling her hands turn to ice in a psychosomatic response, and pulled. The Kaiten was amplified, tripling in size, and the explosion of chakra threw the Ant back before it could continue its attack. Hinata was left gasping, a chunk of her leg torn away, hot blood soaking her suddenly cold skin.

She didn’t have time. She was in danger. The Ant’s eyes opened wide, its remorseless killing pressure boring her down. She might never see her husband or children again. The thought enraged her, replacing the cold in her bones with boiling fury.

The Ant spoke, a single word filled with as much hate as Hinata felt.

“Watcher.” 

“Guard!” Hinata barked back. Not at the Ant, but into her radio. 

Then, with as much warning as the encounter had started, she was in a fight for her life. 

###

When Kiba and Shino heard Hinata’s voice over the radio, decades of familiarity let them immediately understand what she had said. The Hunters were slower, Knov most of all thanks to his focus on his Hatsu, but they all came to the same understanding as the shinobi in less than five seconds.

‘Bad news.’

The missing Royal Guard had appeared, and it was attacking Hinata. The creature that both Netero and Hinata had agreed had the potential to kill the entire force opposing the Ants was facing the Hyuuga, alone. The realization stopped both Kiba and Shino cold as they entered the threshold of the nest, halting them at an invisible crossroad. They'd been drawn into a trap, despite their best attempts to avoid it.

‘There’s an Ant up there that could kill us all.’

The attack was suddenly incredibly delicate, even more so than before. The operation hinged on Hinata’s sight. Netero was required to tie up the main assaulting Ants, Morel the stragglers. Knov, a safety net for the both of them. Falling back to help Hinata wasn't even a question. The only uncertainty was who would go.

Fortunately, it only took a shared glance to purge that uncertainty. Kiba charged ahead, the coterie of clones following him. Shino turned.

Focused. 

Ran. 

The four seconds it took him to reach Hinata were some of the longest of both of their lives.

What followed took only two minutes.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

Royal Fury: Part 2

It was the purpose of the Thunder Corp to contribute to the fight from far behind the front lines. The organization, and the jutsu associated with it, had been created with nothing but that in mind. When Mari had been receiving her training, mastering the complicated and deadly jutsu that would vaporize Cloud’s enemies from a distance, her sensei, a squat dark-skinned woman with a messy scar across the length of her chin, had told her something she’d found ridiculous.

“When you’re in a battle,” she’d said, “you’re worried about yourself, and the comrades next to you, but not much else. In the heat of the moment, all you can focus on is the situation you’re presented with. You survive from fight to fight in service of a greater strategic goal.” She’d frowned. “In the Thunder Corp, you won’t have that luxury.”

The idea had seemed silly to Mari. She’d giggled, shared an incredulous glance with one her friends. The ‘luxury’ of fighting for your life? It was ridiculous: just one of the things that older shinobi said that reminded Mari they came from a very different world. Hurling lightning from the backline was just as exciting as any spar, and incredibly novel. To Mari, it had been a dream assignment, at least until she’d grown discontent with the lack of action.

It was only now, besieging the nest and frying groups of closing Ants, that Mari understood what her teacher had meant. 

This far back, she was completely detached from the consequences of both her actions and the enemies. She threw lightning, Ants died: there was no feedback, and ultimately, little sense of accomplishment. There were always more of the creatures, and they were threatening those she’d come to help protect. She’d heard Hinata’s muffled warning over the radio, and now, trapped in her support role, she could nothing but imagine what was happening to the Hyuuga.

Despite the power of the lightning hovering above her and the clear affect it was having on the enemy, Mari Kansai felt helpless. But before her, Isaac Netero seemed unconcerned.

To Mari, the man seemed much like the old shinobi around Kumogakure, particularly the ones willing to talk about the Fourth War. Archaic and yet larger than life, old and deceptively strong. In this battle, he’d practically become the embodiment of that strength. The huge Nen construct surging up out of him that crushed the Ants that attacked him with abandon was absolutely terrifying, like something out of a legend, meant to match the Bijuu. And the Chairman of the Hunter’s Association himself…

He was laughing. She could hear it despite the two hundred or so meters the man had created between them. A low, booming laugh, shaking his thin frame inside the golden construct. She couldn’t dream as to why.

The Chairman had destroyed nearly one hundred Ants in the minute and a half since Mari had fired the first bombardment that had started the assault. Their numbers seemed endless despite Hinata’s early assurances, and they had clearly learned from their fellow’s mistakes. While the first couple dozen of the Chairman’s kills had resulted from the Ants charging him in a blind bloodlust, the ones following them had been cleverer, trying to attack him from all sides and eventually learning to skirt around him, targeting Mari instead.

Her Tengoku Hogeki had destroyed the first several groups, tearing up great gashes gashes in the forest and halting their advance, but as more and more Ants had managed to slip by Netero, Mari had begun to realize that she may have no choice but to retreat. She couldn’t hope to stand up to multiple Ants in close combat, and the Chairman was either unable or unwilling to fall back to cover her more comprehensively.

No, it wasn’t that. The moment he fell back, more Ants would surge into the gap; if he drew closer to her now, it would only push more enemies into her. Mari realized that without speaking, the Chairman was creating an opening for her, expecting her to take it. Perhaps he hadn’t realized she was less experienced than the other shinobi, or just didn’t care. At any rate, the assault team was already inside the nest; it was definitely time to pack up.

The swarm of Ants were drawing closer: there were five or six in particular that would probably reach her before she could safely withdraw, including one towering creature that looked like the unfortunate melding of a man, a rabbit, and some sort of multicolored bird. It leapt across the barren earth, covered in its comrade's blood, saliva running freely from its wide, buck-toothed mouth.

Mari stood up from her cross-legged position, blood rushing back to her legs. She pulled her other arm back up over her head, focusing on the orb of chakra and lightning, and curled both hands into fists. The jutsu convulsed, widened. Static crackled in her ear: it sounded like a name. Her headset was useless while her technique was running. She hadn't expected that.

The Ant was screaming something about eating her, how delicious her bones would taste. Mari did her best to ignore the words, along with the shiver they sent up her spine. The monster was only thirty meters away when she slammed her hands down, her whole body following the motion into a crouch. Her fists blew a small crater in the dirt, the chakra surrounding them faintly glowing with blue energy.

Above her, the ball of lightning suddenly rocketed down, far faster than it had ascended. Jets of lightning skipped off of it. The Ant, just twenty feet from her, looked up, its eyes going wide, just in time to be struck by one thick beam. The electricity stopped it cold, its muscles spasming.

“Not again!” it had just enough time to scream, its body shaking uncontrollably, before the jutsu slammed directly into it with a thunderous BOOM. The explosion of energy sent out a huge wave of heat, blew a eerily spherical hole of crystallized dirt and rock in the ground, and sent Mari tumbling backwards, tossed away by the blast. She rode the shockwave and came to her feet, sprinting for the distant hills and the nearest of Knov’s bizarre portals. The Ant had been completely destroyed, and its comrades following close behind it had either been partially fried or had paused in clear shock at the rabbit-like Ant’s sudden and explosive death. A cloud of vaporized blood drifted across the crater before it was wiped away by the misty rain.

It gave her enough time to buy some distance, but in the end, one dead Ant wasn’t going to make a huge difference. Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame would decide whether the mission was a success or not; at this point, all she could do was keep herself safe.

###

The first Ant to get in Kiba’s way had its head unceremoniously wrenched off. He moved on, the surviving clones falling in behind him. One of his stepped on the head in passing: it was still gnashing its teeth. They’d only been in the nest for twenty seconds, but already two of his clones and one of Hinata’s had fallen. Only six left.

Kiba was in that peculiar state of mind that he figured for something like battlelust. A combination of panic, expressed through his pounding blood and jittering limbs, and razor focus, which drove him forward without uncertainty or mercy. He’d only felt it a few times before in his life, but he was glad this was one of them. He’d wanted to go back with Shino to help Hinata, but the both of them had known that would be foolishness. Abandoning the mission out of fear was silly, and between himself and Shino, he had the best chance of finding the Queen without the guidance of Hinata’s eyes.

Eight Ants dead so far. It wasn’t very many, but every slain monsters gave him a sense of deep satisfaction. This wasn’t like fighting people. Each dead beast removed a direct threat to humanity; there was no ambiguity. And the Queen, the foul thing he could smell so clearly at the top of the nest, was the source of them all.

While Shino helped Hinata, Kiba would ensure that no other Ants would be created. It was the perfect compromise.

Well, Hinata was in danger, so not perfect, but she would be fine. He was sure of it. Hinata still had a trump card. Even if she hated it, she would have to use that terrifying lunar chakra if she were in real trouble. Kiba knew she would rather suffer it a thousand times than risk not seeing her family again.

Another ten seconds of frantic running, scrambling through the nest like the Ants occupying it. To Kiba’s enhanced perception it was torturously long. Another Ant died, one of Hinata’s clones driving a hand wreathed in chakra through one of its bulbous mantis eyes and splattering its skull and brains against the opposite wall. Kiba’s nose led him true through the twisting passages, which relentlessly transitioned from horizontal to vertical without warning. The scents of maggot-chewed meat, old bones, pungent crossbreed Ants, thick smoke… they were all irrelevant. Kiba’s senses cut through it all, focusing on the one thing that mattered.

But then, when a new smell entered the equation, Kiba was careful to take notice. This was unlike the other: sharper, more distinct, almost like that of the Queens. It smelled like lacquered leather and rotten sweets.

One of the Royal Guards, he was sure. His nose wasn’t lying. There was no way to avoid it. There were only two paths up to the queen that wouldn’t require backtracking through an unacceptable amount of Ants, and the Guard was standing watch over both of them.

Kiba had to acknowledge the things lived up to their titles. He made contact about three seconds later, bursting into the corridor junction, and the thing’s sight.

It was certainly the most human looking of the Ants Kiba had seen. Were it not for the dark wings laying on its back like some sort of cape, its unnaturally pale and unblemished skin, or the antenna sticking out of its forehead, it would have been practically indistinguishable from a normal person. Even its clothes were ordinary enough, if frilly.

“Human,” it said, its voice inexplicably cultured, the pronunciation precise. “You’ve made a terrible-”

“Gatsuga!”

Kiba launched into the technique without slowing down, transforming into a human bullet that roared down the corridor straight into the Ant. The Guard was fast though, maybe faster than Kiba himself. It reached out fearlessly and fastened one hand on Kiba’s shoulder in the middle of the jutsu. Skin was scraped away and the Ant’s wrist bent in an unsightly way, but Kiba was ground to a painful, jarring halt. The Ant punched out with its other hand, lightning fast, and struck Kiba in the face.

He howled, his nose shattering under the blow, and struck back on instinct: with his teeth. His mouth snapped shut, shearing off all of the Ant’s fingers except its thumb. They tasted bizarre, and felt too light, and Kiba spat them out like bullets, trying to hurt the Ant with its own digits. But the detached fingers simply disappeared in a bizarre shimmer of golden light, melting away in microscopic particles that dusted the Ant’s face.

The Guard looked enraged, but Kiba didn’t give it time to attack again. He planted his feet and threw himself forward, body-slamming the thing back, and then scrambled past it, snorting blood through his shattered nose. It grabbed at his ankle, momentarily halting him, before his and Hinata’s clones descended on it en-masse, slamming it to the ground with a muffled protest and tearing into it with Gentle Fist and bare claws. Kiba stumbled forward on all fours, picking up speed.

One of his clones died, suddenly transmitting information. The Guard was mostly undamaged and desperate to pursue him, but the clones were just as desperate to buy him seconds with their lives. The once normal looking Ant was steadily transforming into a deranged looking insect, lashing out without a hint of grace. Kiba didn’t look back. He kept running, faster and faster. His nose had been shattered, and so his strongest sense had vanished, but the memory of the Queen’s scent drove him forward with unerring accuracy. The pain did too, along with a boiling sense of indignation and rage.

His nose hurt terribly, like someone hammering a spike deep into his face.

‘Fuck these things.’

The corridor stretched on forever, an infinite stretch of damp brown darkness.

‘We’ll kill them all.’

Was it a sunk cost thing at this point? He couldn’t be sure. They’d already wasted blood and time dealing with these things. At this point, not finishing the job would be a joke.

And that all started with the Queen.

Two, three turns left? Kiba wasn’t one-hundred percent sure. Just a little pain like a shattered nose fogging his memory? All this hunting, and he was still feeling a little rusty. It was more than embarrassing, it was pathetic. Right, left, up, left…

No, right. He spun on his heels, sprinting back, and made another turn, running halfway up the wall, unwilling to bleed speed.

There.

The Queen lay, fat, pulsating, defenseless. Disgusting. It, more than anything else in the nest, looked like a proper Ant, just impossibly huge and swollen. It had nothing resembling a human’s expression, but Kiba could swear it almost looked afraid of him. Now he just needed to-

His radio spat static and choked words. “Knov! We need help!”

Hinata. She sounded terrified. A red fog descended on Kiba: he broke into a direct run for the Queen, unsheathing a kunai from his thigh. He’d put a single knife through the thing’s face, and this whole thing would be as good as done. The Ants would destroy each other in their confusion, regardless of their intelligence. Shino had assured him of that.

His nose was useless, but there was something else keeping him safe. Kiba had no idea what it really was. Killer instinct? Canine intuition? Fate? Simple, reasonless luck? Later on, he would be sure it was the last.

Whatever it was, as he charged the Queen, he glanced left, away from the terrified creature so jealously guarding its enormous swollen stomach.

His vision was rapidly obscured by an enormous red fist.

Of course, he thought, his murderous intent grinding to a halt. His head was abruptly clear.

Of course the final guard is here, in this room. Where else would it be? What am I, retarded? I didn’t see that coming?

He’d been blinded by his pain, eagerness, rage, fear, lingering rust, even after nearly a month of hunting Ants, Hinata’s plight, his shattered nose, the inhumanity of the Ants, they’d all distracted him from thinking ahead, coming to the obvious conclusion that his nose had warned him about nearly a minute ago.

The third Royal Guard was standing guard over the Queen. It was a hulking red creature, a monstrous man-thing with cloven feet. Hinata had described it to him. What she hadn’t told him was that it had a fist larger than him.

A fist that was about to make contact with his entire body at once.

Kiba almost laughed.

‘Man,’' he thought, the black knife in his hand contrasted against the red fist. ‘That’s fucking dumb.’

The problem was obvious to him. Another crossroad, like the one he and Shino had faced. This time, the answer wasn’t as obvious to him. He could kill the Queen now, he was sure of it. A flick of his wrist, and the kunai in his hand would be hurled through the monster’s brain, killing it and the King it was gestating. Clean kill. Mission complete. Total success.

Well, mostly total, since Kiba was absolutely sure that if he took that opportunity, the fist that was so quickly and yet so slowly approaching would surely kill him in a single blow.

If he defended himself, there was a chance he’d live. If he didn’t, he’d be deader than the First Hokage.

With some bemusement, Kiba found himself considering both options equally, and to his shame, he found himself reluctantly deciding on the second.

In truth, there was no time to think, only to react. Everything transpired in Kiba’s head in less than a hundredth of a second.

Kiba screamed in both frustration and pain, bringing the kunai up in a half-guard position, and braced himself. The Royal Guard hit him with more force than a train: the singular blow picked Kiba up off the ground and hurled him into the walls of the nest. His body cut a faint path through the smoke that had infested every inch of the structure, and when he hit the wall, it provided little obstacle to him. The force of the Guard’s punch that had broken Kiba’s left arm and seven of his ribs–

pop pop pop pop POP

–shattered the wall of the Queen’s chamber just as easily. Kiba found himself in the open air, hundreds of feet above the ground, hurtling earthward at an alarming speed and trailing blood and stone in his wake.

The forest spun by, a medley of green and blue and brown, and the world flashed black. Had he blinked, or was he about to pass out? Kiba wasn’t sure. The agony in his arm and chest made his nose seem like a careless massage.

‘Fuck,' he thought.

‘FUCK.’

He needed to prepare himself for a landing. Even a shinobi could be harmed by a careless landing, and he was already in bad shape. He couldn’t tell up from down. For some reason, he heard someone say “Now.” Where was Akamaru? Why wasn’t he here? Everything was spinning, spinning, falling-

Then, just as abruptly as it had started, the confusion stopped.

Kiba found himself suspended in the air, gently held between two enormous golden hands. He looked down, blood dribbling from his mouth and sliding off the glowing hands, and found himself looking into the grinning face of Netero. The old man had caught him with some kind of discount Susano’o. As Kiba watched in astonishment, Netero made a gesture of prayer and then a swipe with his right fist, and another of the construct’s many, many hands lashed out, uppercutting an Ant that wandered too close to the Chairman. The monster’s upper half was catapulted off into the horizon, while its legs collapsed, ownerless.

Kiba laughed, more blood spilling past his teeth and into the construct’s hands. He looked back up, where he’d come from. Rain stung at his eyes. The Guard was there, a massive red figure, looking out of the hole in the nest.

It wouldn’t pursue him. It couldn’t leave the Queen’s side. Kiba was forced to acknowledge, once more, that the Ants were smart.

For bugs.

His eyes slipped closed, black chasing across his sight. He lay in the land between consciousness for several seconds, struggling to stay awake, before giving in. His headset had been cracked when he’d slammed into the wall of the nest, but somehow, it was still partially transmitting. The last thing Kiba heard before he passed out was one of the Hunter’s voices voice, barely discernible over the radio.

The only understandable word was ‘medical.’

The fear it raised up carried him down into the darkness kicking and screaming.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Royal Fury: Part 3

In the four seconds it took Shino to reach Hinata, the Royal Guard attacked thirty seven times.

All of the attacks were defined by their vicious speed and singular purpose: the Ant turned itself into a living projectile, constantly leaping from the ground or nearby trees to attack from what seemed like multiple angles at once, each strike aimed for a vital organ. There was no attempt at subtly, elegance, or deception. The creature didn’t try to block Hinata’s counterstrikes. All that existed inside it was raw strength, speed, and hatred.

It aimed for her vital organs: her head, neck, and chest. Every attack was a potentially deadly one; the only exception were the strikes aimed for Hinata’s wounded thigh, intended to capitalize on her leg’s reduced mobility. Hinata didn’t have the strength to directly block any of the Ant’s attacks, and she didn’t have the speed to entirely avoid them, so she was left with an unfavorable compromise: diverting them enough that she wouldn’t take fatal damage. Her Shadow Clones helping Kiba, which left her with less chakra to work with, only worsened the situation.

The unfortunate and inevitable reality was, then, that every pass the Ant made resulted in more of Hinata’s blood spilling to the ground.

The thirty-seventh attack was the most dramatic, perhaps because the Ant realized it was about to have two opponents instead of one. Flinging itself from the base of a nearby tree it had slammed into after its last leap, it soared directly at Hinata’s heart, both hands clasped before it, extending its entire body into a spear.

It had taken thirty-six attacks and four seconds for Hinata to get a comprehensive enough read on her opponent’s wild style, which left no room for hesitation or retreat. So despite bleeding from about thirty small wounds all over her body, she met the spear head-on. Her left foot dropped back, sliding along the ground that was slowly becoming muddier and muddier thanks to both the light rain and her own blood, and her right arm shot forward.

She tapped the Ant’s hands aside, sending them to the outside of her guard, and for the first time in a fight that had been quite short but seemed like an eternity, the Royal Guard showed something like surprise. The paired hands slid by Hinata’s side, opening up yet another long cut that ran the length of her forearm, skipped past her bicep, and took off a small slice of her right shoulder.

Hinata counterattacked. Her left hand came from below, a spear of its own. The Guard twisted, and instead of burying her fingers in its eyes, Hinata instead slammed her palm into its throat.

No tenketsu to seal there. Hinata focused instead on pushing the Guard back. The force of the palm strike wasn’t enough on its own. She fired a Vacuum Palm from point blank range instead, the surge of chakra burning in her back and arm. The Ant was launched backwards as quickly as it had charged, slamming into and upending the tree it had fired itself from. 

Shino arrived as the Guard spun back to its feet, apparently unharmed. It paused, watching the both of them. Not cautiously: an animal surveying new prey. Evaluating the situation. Hinata stumbled backwards, every inch of her body stinging and burning.

“Hinata.” Shino sounded too calm for the situation. He circled, keeping both her and the Ant in sight. They formed a rough triangle. The Ant shifted, and he tensed. “Are you alright?” 

“Fine,” Hinata coughed. She wasn’t so sure of that. She was losing more blood than she’d like. But the Ant hadn’t done any critical damage. Despite the pain, she was still fully combat capable. That was something, at least. She settled into a loose Gentle Fist stance, ready for anything. The Guard continued to watch them, waiting for something. For them to drop their guard? Grow curious? Hinata didn’t-

The Ant charged once more, using the tree’s toppled trunk as a springboard. This time, Shino was its target, not Hinata. Its muscles tensing was all the warning it gave, but to Hinata’s relief, it was just enough for her teammate. He sprung back, gaining distance as the Ant came directly for him, and Kikaichu flowed in a great wave of squirming black out of his sleeve. The Ant crashed through the insects, tumbling across the ground and scything at Shino’s legs, but he leapt over the attack, barely clearing it. But in the air, he couldn’t dodge the Ant’s follow-up: it rolled forward, its legs coming up behind it with just as much articulation as its arms. The muscles in its thighs grotesquely swelled.

Both the Ant’s feet slammed into Shino’s arms, which he’d crossed to block the backwards-looking kick. The Aburame grunted and was thrown backwards: even off balance, the Ant’s attack had tremendous force behind it. But before the Guard could roll to its feet, Hinata arrived at a full sprint. She dove into a slide across the muddy ground, slamming one foot into the monster’s side and kicking it up into the air. 

No leverage up there, Hinata thought, coming to her feet. She had a narrow window to attack where it couldn’t leap away. Inside the nest, one of her clones popped, familiar memories and chakra rushing back to her. 

She breathed out.

Eight Trigrams.

Her hands came up, and the Guard’s vermillion eyes went wide; Hinata was sure it somehow understood what was coming. Was it reading her that well, with just her movement? Or was it some application of Nen?

Sixty-Four Palms.

Hinata launched all sixty-four attacks in less than a second. The Ant managed to block the first four, deflect the next seven, but then its arm was slammed aside, hand falling limp, and the last fifty-three strikes hit their mark. Hinata finished the technique with a pained grunt, adding an unorthodox move that her husband had inspired: she slammed her leg into the Ant’s side with a classic and powerful roundhouse.

The kick should have sent the Ant skittering sideways, easily set up for a final attack.

That wasn’t what happened. 

Instead, to Hinata’s horror, the Ant latched onto her leg, powerful thigh muscles curling around it, the pressure outright painful. Was it trying to shatter her leg? One of its hands came up, ready to remove her leg entirely, and the other lanced forward, aimed for the Hyuuga’s face.

Somehow, it was still able to move after being struck by the Eight Trigrams.

Hinata’s focus on the fight narrowed her vision. The world receded. Kiba sprinting through the nest, Netero destroying every Ant in range, Morel ambushes, Knov’s infiltration, Mari’s artillery, it all shrunk away, reality condensing down into a simple one-hundred meter circle. Shino, herself, and the Ant were all that existed.

She understood now that she wasn’t trying to process everything at once. The Guard had deployed a thick screen of Nen over each of Hinata’s targets. The premier technique of the Hyuuga Clan had been nullified by the equivalent of ablative armor, a shield of aura that was damaged by the Gentle Fist’s hostile chakra instead of the Ant’s tenketsu.

The Hunters did something like this in fights, focusing their Nen in certain places depending on whether they were attacking or defending, but this was above and beyond. The precision and strength of the aura, coupled with the speed needed to use it to counter the Eight Trigrams sixty-four unique attacks, was beyond belief. Hinata’s mouth was dry. 

The Royal Guard was a combat genius. 

Hinata didn’t have much time to worry about it. Two attacks to counter: one meant for her leg, the other her face. Her right hand lashed out, a Lion Fist sparking into existence around it, and punched the Guard’s left arm off course. Her left hand came up, trying to grab the strike meant for her face.

The Guard twisted its arm, throwing off Hinata’s grip. She gasped, leaning back, and the Ant’s hand rocketed past her face, chopping her bangs clean off. The claw opened, descended. She couldn’t dodge from this angle. In a heartbeat, the Ant would tear her face off.

A dark blue beetle the size of a large dog landed on top of the Guard’s hand, huge wings straining to lift it. The Guard was unable to complete the attack. The Ant looked at the giant insect without comprehension, emitting a soft noise just like that of a curious cat.

When five of its fellows landed on the Royal Guard’s shoulders and back and began eating the aura shield reflexively raised at their presence, the Ant realized the danger. It lashed out, destroying three in a single swipe, their dark blood staining its clothes. But in its moment of distraction, Hinata pulled herself back up, both hands burning with angry purple chakra. The Lion Fist grew enormous, each emitted head the size of her torso, driven by the ancient chakra welling up inside her. She hopped, lowered the leg the Ant was still wrapped around, squeezing with increasing force, and settled into a boxer’s pose.

In the nest, two of her clones died in the midst of a fight with another Royal Guard. 

The Ant snarled, dismembering the last two of Shino’s giant insects as more Kikaichu poured in from all sides, covering every inch of its skin. It lashed out at Hinata, and she struck back with just as much fury and force, crushing one of the Ant’s hands with a Lion Fist. It fell back, some of the fingers bent in odd ways, and the Ant’s defenses opened for an instant.

Hinata surged into the gap.

She threw punch after punch. Much like the Guard, she had abandoned finesse, simply trying to do as much damage as possible. The Ant did its best to block and counterattack, but Hinata’s rage was overwhelming. The Lion Fist smashed through the Guard’s aura shields, both crushing them and draining their energy. The stolen energy rushed into Hinata, cold and invigorating, and so as her efforts grew stronger, the Ant’s defenses grew weaker. One of the punches finally broke through, smashing into the Ant’s slender chest, and the thing wheezed, all the air driven out of its lungs.

Her last clone died, impaled from behind by a prehensile tail.

Hinata snarled, bringing one of her arms up for a hammer blow that would break the Ant’s face, and it snarled back, a burst of murderous intent exploding out of it. Hinata’s heart skipped a beat, and in that infinitesimal silence, the Ant’s legs flexed, its monstrous muscles rippling with the effort.

Hinata’s tibia fractured. She felt the bone break, a messy pop that made her sick to her stomach, and a moment later the pain surged up out of her leg, into her gut, running through her chest, and finally paused in her throat, gagging her and begging to be released. The Ant continued tightening its legs, grinding Hinata’s broken bones against one another. 

The pain escaped. 

Hinata screamed, slamming both of her hands into the Ant’s chest. The Lion Fist flared, transforming into an inhuman Vacuum Palm, a detonation of purple energy as big as a house. The Ant was blown backwards, off of Hinata’s broken leg, tumbling without control along the ground. All of the Kikaichu attached to it instantly died, and the jutsu blew a ten meter wide hole in the forest, extending back beyond the range of Hinata’s narrowed sight. Her leg was partially caught in the blast, but it was a small price to pay for escaping the Ant’s grapple.

As Hinata stumbled backwards, hissing in agony as the pain of the dozens of small lacerations the Guard had inflicted on her faded in comparison to her shattered leg, Shino blew past her, surrounded by an impenetrable cloud of insects.

The Royal Guard had just managed to get back to its feet when Shino caught up with it. As Hinata limped forward, Shino leveled a kick at the Ant’s face, thousands of his insects coming in from all sides to encase the monster. The Guard refused to retreat, trying to slice Shino’s foot off with a swipe of its hand, but the Aburame was once more quick enough on his feet to dodge the attack, leaping into the air and kicking from the other side. His attack slammed into the Guard’s face, sending it skipping over a small rock and off a nearby tree.

With less of her focus taken by the pain over time, Hinata realized the Ant was getting slower. Her flurry of Juken strikes hadn’t seemed very damaging at first, but now it was obvious the Royal Guard had taken some serious internal damage. Its muscles were shredded; its heart labored. Even its bizarre internal biology and effective shields of Nen hadn’t completely saved it from the most dangerous part of her attacks.

It was possible Shino would even be able to finish it off on its own. It couldn’t move fast enough now to escape his swarms of destructive insects, and he was just as strong as her physically. Despite the Guard’s incredible physical strength and ridiculous control of its Nen, the shinobi’s greater experience and teamwork had carried the fight in their favor.

Shino drew back, leaving the Ant to his insects. It flailed about, killing hundreds with every motion, but the destructive creatures were seemingly limitless and hundreds more piled onto the Guard with every passing second. The Guard sprinted up the tree Shino had tossed it into, but the Kikaichu below it devoured the whole thing with impossible speed. The tree collapsed, writhing with black, and the Guard leapt to the next one, looking around; it had lost sight of Shino in the sea of insects, which had spread to cover a huge chunk of forest. The next tree it landed on was devoured just as surely as the last, and the one after that; over a dozen trees were entirely consumed by Shino’s insects, the forest steadily growing more barren as the Guard ran out of places to orient itself or launch from.

The insects were weighing the thing down, along with the massive amount of energy they were draining from it. Shino advanced, with Hinata close behind. Even with her terrible limp, she had still caught up to the action. The Ant was fading. Like they had many of its peers, the Kikaichu were steadily working towards eating it alive.

Another tree fell, and the Ant tumbled to the ground, one of its legs giving out from under it. The creature was practically invisible under Shino’s insects. It glanced up, noting that Hinata and Shino were close together, only twenty meters away. Its hand scrabbled in the dirt, seizing a small round stone and nearly crushing it. All that was visible under the Kikaichu were its glowing eyes. 

Hinata’s instincts screamed. That, along with the surge of Nen from deep within the creature, was the only warning. Beside her, Shino flinched.

A crimson ghost rose up out of the Ant’s body, passing without care through the insects covering it. It loomed over the barren field, ten meters tall, strings of Nen wriggling down into the monster’s limbs.

The Royal Guard leapt forward, as though it were entirely uninjured. No, Hinata realized as she instinctively jumped back, her leg protesting. It was worse than that. It was even faster than before. Shino’s insects chewed at it to no avail: they were finally stripping away skin instead of Nen, but the Ant didn’t slow down.

The Ant’s hand came back, a perfect pitcher’s pose.

The Nen construct was puppeting it. Hinata’s eyes went wide. It was puppeting its own body. Too drained by the Kikaichu, its muscles shredded by the Gentle Fist, it had resorted to manipulating its own body with literal strings of Nen. 

The Ant hurled the small stone it had plucked from the ground, and then tossed itself after it, its legs trailing lifelessly, one arm suspended before it. The projectile let out a sonic boom, far exceeding the speed of sound as it headed right for Hinata’s face. Behind it, the Ant had transformed itself into a remorseless weapon. 

She slid her leg back, preparing for a Kaiten. Chilling foreign chakra, a gift from a long dead ancestor, rushed up and inundated her entire body. She had to deflect both the stone and the Ant that followed so closely behind it. The first would merely be painful, but the second would be death.

The radio in her ear suddenly screamed, the sound almost deafening; it sounded like something being crushed. Her fractured leg buckled. Hinata wobbled, her concentration broken. More blood rushed from her many wounds; she felt lightheaded. 

The stone struck her in the temple, and half the world went dark from the blow. The chakra directed to her left eye had been disrupted. She rocked backwards, losing her balance, death apparent in her peripheral vision.

‘No.’

The Ant smiled, mouth full of knives, adjusting the angle of its attack.

‘Please no.’

Shino came in from her blind spot.

She could see his eyes, warm and black, under the visor. He was looking at her, not their opponent. 

Without hesitation, he pushed her aside.

There were times Hinata wished her eyes weren’t quite so acute.

This was one of them.

The Royal Guard shredded through Shino’s screen of insects without slowing down. Its first attack, which would have torn Hinata in half, cut through Shino’s right knee like paper mache. As the Aburame started to fall, his dismembered foot tossed away by the force of the Ant’s attack, the creature sliced upwards, aiming to take his head off.

 Shino silently shifted his weight, and instead of decapitating him, the Ant’s scything hand went through his right arm at the bicep, almost cleanly severing it. Only a thin string of bloody muscle and shattered bone kept it connected to Shino’s body.

Until the Ant, not quite finished, grabbed the mostly severed arm and yanked it away, snapping the connecting muscle and bone with its impossible strength. 

Hinata started screaming, Shino’s blood landing on her cheek, hot and thick. Her teammate, however, was silent. He fell back, his eyes closing behind his visor, and thousands upon thousands of insects poured out of his dismembered limbs. They swarmed across the Royal Guard, which backed away in apparent surprise, their assault even fiercer than it had been before. They even began to devour the Nen construct animating the Ant itself, chewing on the strings linking it to the Guard.

The Guard opened its mouth to say something, and Shino’s insects poured down its throat, crawled up its nose, bit at its eyes. It was encased in writhing black creatures, a ball of suicidal fury three times its size expanding around it, intent on eating it alive.

Shino’s shorn limbs weren’t even bleeding anymore: they’d been completely stuffed with his insects, their massed bodies forming impromptu tourniquets.

The Guard flailed in a panic, its composure lost, nearly blinded. It had dismembered one of its opponents, and that had only made it take more damage. Hinata saw it come to the conclusion as surely as she did Shino hitting the ground, landing on his back, his face contorted in agony. She shouted and rushed the Ant, desperate to keep it off her teammate, and almost tripped over her own broken leg. It still held Shino’s arm; its Nen construct was fading, seeming more and more like the misty rain than a solid thing.

It looked at her, only its vibrant, hateful eyes visible under the carpet of insects. “You’ll pay for this, Watcher,” it gagged, somehow speaking even with its throat filled with Kikaichu. “The King will eat you alive.”

Then it turned and ran, staggered, and finally jumped, its Nen puppet picking it up into the air and hurling it towards the nest before disappearing. Insects fell off of it in a rain of chittering black, looking around in confusion for another target. Hinata’s perception expanded, following the Ant’s arc. Two seconds later, it slammed into the side of the nest, flopping to the base of the structure and convulsing as it hacked up insects. It rolled across the ground lethargically, like something dying of thirst, trying to crush the insects covering its body. The whole time, it retained a deathly grip on Shino’s lost arm.

An Ant that looked like a squat penguin, standing watch over one of the entrances, saw the Guard’s struggle. It rushed over without hesitation and began batting the Kikaichu off of it. They attacked the new Chimaera with just as much viciousness as they had the Guard, but with their attention split, both Ants were able to kill enough that the insects were merely dangerous instead of deadly.  A couple seconds later, another joined it, and the Kikaichu’s attention was split once more.

Despite Shino’s best effort, Hinata realized, the Guard would probably survive.

She mirrored the penguin-like Ant, rushing to her friend’s side.

“Shino!” she yelled. His heart was slowing down, going into shock. She laid her hand on his cheek and sent a jolt of chakra into his system. The Aburame’s eyes shot open, and his heart beat with renewed energy, shock staved off.

“Stay awake!” Hinata shouted. She reached up, realized her headset had been destroyed by the rock the Guard had hurled.

She was alive. She was alive. The relief sunk into her chest, viciously at odds with her horror at Shino’s injuries. She reached down and yanked the Aburame’s own headset off, holding it up to her mouth. Her hand was covered in blood. Hers or Shino’s, she couldn’t tell. Her finger slipped off the receiver.

“Knov!” she shouted. Lightheaded. Foggy. She’d lost too much blood. She pressed down on the button. “Knov, we need help!” The man turned around in surprise, five kilometers away. 

Hinata collapsed to her knees and one hand, the bloody mud below her imprinting itself on her pants and palm.

“Now.”

###

For fifteen long seconds, Isaac Netero weighed the odds.

His heart was beating. Somewhat quickly. Sixty-four beats a minute. It hadn’t gotten up there in decades. He savored the feeling, knowing it would be some time before he reached it again. 

Every one of the shinobi was either heavily injured or, in the case of the mysterious new arrival Mari Kansai, retreating. Hounded by Ants, she would not have time to reestablish her technique. Kiba Inuzuka was in the very hands of his 100-Type Bodhisattva, and from the sound of it, both Hinata and Shino were in just as shameful a condition. Their force was halved, no, more than halved, because it was undeniable that Morel or Knov would not have survived a direct confrontation with the Royal Guard he had spied upon first laying eyes on the Chimaera’s nest.

And yet despite those losses, Netero’s warrior spirit pushed for him to continue the attack. With Morel and Knov, who had avoided the brunt of the Ant’s hostilities, it was possible they could force their way in, murder the Queen, and end this.

Possible, but not likely.

Netero had not grown old by listening to the folly of his hungry heart: no matter how he loathed the necessity of this fight ending, it was the responsible thing to do. Attacking now would be an unforgivable risk.

Still, in the petty way only a senior could, he begrudged the shinobi for forcing him to. Perhaps if they’d been a bit hardier, a bit older, it wouldn’t have gone this way.

“Chairman.” Knov crackled over his headset. “I have the shinobi. They need medical care, immediately.” 

Command fell to him, it seemed. In situations like this people always seemed afraid to follow their own instincts, even Hunters. Even him.

He smiled. It was a shame that actions had consequences, but an unavoidable one.

“Fall back, then,” he said. The 100-Type faded away, and with it his ardor. He suddenly felt his age once more. Kiba fell out of the sky, landing in his arms with a soft thud. He made his way north, towards a prepared point. “We’ll finish this another day.”

It was time to stay low and regroup, he thought. They still had a little more than a month before the earliest estimates of the King’s birth, and they had dealt the Ants a heavy blow today. A portal opened up below him, and Isaac Netero fell into a smaller world, Kiba still hefted over his shoulder.

Though they had destroyed a satisfying number of Ants, the assault had failed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

Laid Low 

Shino was sure he had never been in this much pain.

In many ways, he’d led a blessed life for a shinobi. He’d never suffered worse than a broken bone; the battles he’d lost had left him exhausted and beaten, but whole of body and unconquered in spirit. He was all too aware that many of his comrades didn’t share the same fortune, and every day, he gave thanks for that in his own quiet way.

That fortune, it seemed, had finally come to an end. His whole body was numb; Hinata’s crying face, splattered with thick red, blue, and black blood, was firmly imprinted in his mind’s eye. She’d kept him from passing out with a painful shock of that cold chakra that hid deep inside her; it had probably kept him alive, now that he thought about it. Falling unconscious in such a condition could be fatal.

Falling… he’d fallen. Lost his balance. Was that what had happened?

Where was he? Lying down, somewhere, in a plain of white. His heart jumped. Had he died after all? The Royal Guard hadn’t hit him that hard, had it? He was sure he remembered it retreating. There was a bright light shining directly in his face. Shino tried to raise his hand to block out the piercing light, but nothing happened. He felt his limb move, but nothing appeared to save him from the light. He couldn’t understand. Wasn’t his hand right there? 

A familiar face slipped into view above him, obscuring the light. Matted white hair, a wide nose that had been broken many times, small opaque glasses.

Morel. One of the Hunters. Not a teammate, but an ally. Shino relaxed, dropping the hand that he couldn’t see, which couldn’t block out the light. Where was his team? 

He dimly wondered where he was within Knov’s hatsu. The dimensional space. The light fit. Or was it just a place that looked like it. He could smell fresh air. The space never smelled like that. Was this simply a hospital? Morel looked pained. Was he that bad to look at?

“Shino?” The man sounded like he was underwater. Or Shino was underwater. Inside him, insects rustled at the noise; the sound almost drowned the man’s voice. “Can you hear me?” 

Shino tried to nod. His neck didn’t respond. He tried to speak: his lips were frozen. All that emerged was a faint gasp. 

Morel nodded. “You were pretty badly injured by the Guard. Don’t try to speak.” He looked up at someone else. “I’m going to give you some painkillers. It should help.”

Painkillers? Why would he need painkillers? He wasn’t in pain.

Wait. 

Shino frowned. 

The agony across his body was so omnipresent that for a second he’d stopped recognizing it as pain. That couldn’t be a good sign. Four fractured ribs, a twisted ankle, all of his limbs screaming. All of them? That didn’t seem right.

He did his best to tell the insects inside him that whatever Morel would be injecting into him was safe, that it didn’t need to be purged. He wasn’t sure they understood completely: his inner hive was furious, buzzing with increasing intensity. He was sure the sound could be heard outside his body. The Kikaichu had taken horrible casualties, and their home had been savaged. It was an incredible mental effort for Shino, weakened as he was, just to keep them from attacking Morel.

Like they’d attacked…

Shino sucked in a breath, the feeling deep and blessedly calming.

“Morel,” he asked, “where’s Hinata?” 

The man looked up at him, a mixed expression on his face: a frown, a smile, some pity carried in both. “She’s alright. A little cut up, but she’ll be fine.” The look shifted more towards a frown. “She said you saved her.”

Had he? That was right. He’d pushed her aside. Hadn’t even thought about it. It was the natural thing to do, even in the face of that Ant’s inhuman killing intent. She had children, and he didn’t. One of them couldn’t afford to not return.

“Good,” he grunted. Talking hurt too. “Kiba?”

“Relax,” Morel said, shuffling over. There was a syrette in his hand, sloshing with clear yellow liquid. Shino had never liked needles, and his insects reacted before he could calm them, chittering with renewed anger. He shut them down with a jab of his will, but Morel had clearly noticed the noise. It was obviously unsettling. 

The man approached more slowly than before. “He’s pretty banged up, but nothing too serious.” Raised the needle. “Now hold still. This should help you out a little.” 

Shino did his best to shut his insects up, to make them understand that he was receiving medicine, not poison. In times like this, it could be challenging to combat their instincts, no matter how linked they were. He only had a few surgical bugs, especially after the fight with the Guard, but if wasn’t careful they’d inhibit the painkillers. 

The needle slid into the bicep of his right arm. It was cold, as was the liquid inside it.

“How long?” Shino asked. Morel understood what he was asking.

“It’s pretty strong: should be less than a minute,” Morel said. “I won’t lie, this is some heavy stuff. You might feel a little odd.” 

“I’ll be… fine…” Shino said, the pain in his arm momentarily doubling.

It had been over a minute since he’d woken up, and he still couldn’t figure out how he was feeling pain from an arm that was no longer there.

“Where’s my leg?” he asked, and Morel blinked.

“The Ant…” he started to say. Shino managed to shake his head.

“I know. It’s gone. Where is it?” Don’t think about it.

“We retrieved it. I’m not sure where it is right now though. Your comrades probably have it.” Morel cocked his head. “Why?”

“I need it back.” Shino’s head was swimming. He couldn’t focus his eyes. His visor had been removed. He realized this was probably the first time Morel had ever seen his eyes. “My arm?”

Morel shook his head. “The Ant took it. I’m sorry." 

Shino sighed. It could have been worse. At least he had his leg to work with.

“If you’re trying to patch me, don’t do anything to my leg,” he warned. “I need it. Where’s Hinata?”

Morel looked confused. “If you say so. She and Kiba are in another room. Don’t worry, they’re fine.” 

“Where’s my leg?”

Morel’s face drooped, his glasses swelling. “With them. We can go get it in a bit.”

“Okay.” Shino lay back, scratching his nose with his right hand. “That’s okay.”

He fell asleep, without his consciousness falling away. He was still in the bright room. Morel was gone. His pipe was still there, though. No, he hadn’t had it in the first place. But where Morel once stood, his pipe was propped, glasses fixed crookedly on the head. Shino giggled. 

“Something funny?” the pipe asked, and Shino’s giggle intensified.

“I need my leg,” he laughed. “I have to put it back on.” The room swirled, brown and grey and green and black commingling in his vision.

“Oh? How are you going to manage that.”

It was probably the first time he’d been had asked such an outright question since leaving home. “Question.” Had he said that out loud? It wouldn’t be a ‘harm’ to answer it.

With my insects, obviously. The pipe sure was stupid if it couldn’t figure that out. Shino laughed again. Then again, you are a pipe, you don’t even have a brain. Of course you’re stupid. It’s really not your own fault. I shouldn’t be so judgemental. I’m sometimes afraid I scare my students. Since they can’t see my eyes, they can’t know what I’m thinking. That can be frightening, especially to a child.

Poor Himawari, waking up one morning to find that her mother had been replaced by a stranger. Who’s Himawari? Hinata’s daughter, of course. That was obvious. She’d been so shocked by the lunar chakra, she hadn’t stopped screaming all day. He was glad that he didn’t have kids, really. Teaching them was easy, raising them was impossibly difficult. Shino had never thought he would end up a teacher, but it had become as natural to him as breathing, he’d inevitably ended up in that position like someone sucked into a vacuum, not so much moving as being moved by the needs of the village. It didn’t bother him; passing on the Will of Fire was an excellent honor, and Shino enjoyed his job.

The Will of Fire, where are you really from, Shino? The Village Hidden in the Leaves, of course. Without that, he’d be nothing. His whole life, only after coming heer has the absurdity of it hit him, he’d been inside the system of villages, inundated by the Will of Fire, his entire life. Even if it were incorrect or even evil, he’d never know. Where was that? In the middle of the Five Nations, a position that held both a lot of advantages and disadvantages. At the center of every war, every conflict, but with enough resources and people to weather them. So much death, it boggled the mind to consider himself the inheritor of so much suffering. It certainly seemed crazy to have nearly a century defined by conflict on that one continent, but that’s what had happened. He didn’t know much about the history of this land, but the conflict between the two Gorteau’s had reminded him of it, though Gorteau had never resolved the debt of blood as they had. Where were the Five Nations? Shino laughed again. Well, that was a very stupid question. Was it place without victory? He supposed it had been, but they’d won, they’d won, they’d won the war, destroyed the system, established the Union, created a peace that Shino’s ancestors could never have dreamed of. An impossible dream, but they’d achieved it anyway, wasn’t that incredible. Where were the Five Nations, he didn’t really know himself now that he thought about it. Somewhere else, far from here, across space and time, in another world, another place, completely different from here. Plenty of giant bugs there, though. Shino supposed they weren’t that different after all. No Hunters though. Just lots of shinobi. It bothered Shino sometimes how very many shinobi there were, with nothing to fight, the only battle one of definition and reconstruction, much more complicated than the breaking that had preceded them. He didn’t fear Naruto at all, there wasn’t a single atom in his body that feared the Hokage no, he loved the man like a brother, he was eternally grateful to him for having saved the village, what, two, three times, let alone his efforts in the Fourth War, but the Hokage was terrifying, the idea that if he wanted to he could surely kill everyone, on shameful nights it kept Shino away from his bed as he pondered how the new paradigm was just as fragile as the last one, he was still just as much a weapon as a person in some ways despite his warm smile and true heart their legacy seemed destined to be built on the power of human sacrifice no matter what.

The pipe was shuddering. It looked cold. Are you cold? Let me help. Shino’s insects sluggishly responded to his altruism, slipping out of his body in gradual great waves and covering the pipe. It stopped shivering, and Shino smiled. There, not cold anymore, are you? Snug as a bug. He laughed again. People didn’t like being covered in insects generally, but the pipe didn’t even have a brain, so it probably was just grateful for being kept warm. Kikaichu were pretty warm, compared to their peers especially. What, destruction bugs? Of course he grew them in his own body, where else would he? It would take a while to replenish his hive after the losses he’d incurred against the Royal Guard, but with enough food he’d be able to manage it easily. He was lucky to have such willing allies, always grateful for how much they were willing to do for him. Without them, he never would have survived as long as he had. The Guard would have killed him instead of just maiming him. Though it wasn’t that bad. At least he could get his leg back. The thing had stolen his arm. What a bitch. It did kinda look like a woman, didn’t it. Despite it’s inhumanity, there had been something feminine about his face, the shape of its body. Technically Chimera Ants didn’t have a gender, or identify as one sex or another, but that didn’t mean they were beyond it necessarily, especially after having taken so much humanity in, that nest stuffed with blood and bones, the line between human and ants could be becoming uncomfortably thin, ‘why do you have a name’- 

Was he human? Of course he was. That was perhaps the stupidest floating sentence of them all. Just because he had chakra, didn’t mean he wasn’t human. He was just as human as any of his fellows, or the Hunters, regardless of how many insects were inside his body. Shino had never doubted that, though he knew some other people from Konohagakure inevitably did. The Aburame had always intimidated people. But if an entire clan of people with eyes like the Byakugan or the Sharingan could be called human without compunction, why not those filled with insects? He was so thirsty. One part honey, one part caramel, some tea would help soothe his throat for sure. Green, ocha~ it was his favorite color after all. An entire clan, of course there was an entire clan of people like Hinata. She was the mightiest among them, no doubt, Shino was so proud of her for having overcome her fear, insecurity, to become the most powerful Hyuuga in the clan. It was beyond his best hopes. No more Sharingan though. Imagine if Hinata had ended up like Sasuke, he just couldn’t picture it. Shino giggled again. Vengeance, in a squeaky tone, eyes tucked away. Nope, impossible.

He was so tired. Especially for already being asleep. That was just making him more tired, these damn Ants putting him in this state maybe it was time to forget the consequences and simply contact naruto shinobi weren’t supposed to do that except in the cases of a most dire emergency and surely that was one of these cases east gorteau could be overrun if they weren’t careful naruto would have been able to settle this on the first day wipe out the nest without effort who cared about getting a sample of the queen he’d already paid for that ambition with an arm at this point was it really worth continuing the struggle might best end it in a flash of light 

Without compunction, Shino passed out.

###

Hinata peeled the bandage off her forearm, the long strip of gauze coming away sticky with crusty dried blood. The slice that ran horizontally along almost the entire length of her arm was the consequence of her parrying the Royal Guard’s thirty-seventh attack; all things considered, she’d gotten off lightly, especially considering the intent of the strike. The wound was one of the shallowest she’d sustained, but for some reason it irritated her the most.

She was going to have at least four new scars after the encounter. Small, but visible. That was far more than she could say for Shino. 

Guilt, hot and rancid, surged up from her gut and she did her best to suppress it, glancing over at Mari. She, the Representative, and Kiba were all sequestered in a hospital somewhere in the Republic of Rokario, near the border of the NGL. They’d come there from one of Knov’s dimensional apartments, filled with cots and medical supplies. Technically, the room was Kiba’s. He’d been checked in with incredible speed, likely thanks to the Hunter’s Association. The Inuzuka was asleep on one of the beds; Hinata had taped an ice pack to his nose and set his arm in a splint before setting about seeing to herself, long before they’d arrived at the hospital. Making sure her teammate’s sense of smell went undamaged was paramount.

It had been nearly five hours since the assault had ended, and Mari hadn’t said anything that whole time. Not since she’d seen Shino taken away by Morel and Knov, escorted to the building they were now sitting in. Hinata wondered if she should have gone with him, but after a moment, brushed the thought off. She trusted the Hunters, and staying behind to see to Kiba had been the right thing to do.

She didn’t acknowledge to herself that it had been almost too painful to see Shino with two of his limbs removed. The feeling was far worse than the pain of her fractured leg, which sat securely in a splint, or the dozens of cuts, large and small, that covered her body. That in a way, handing him off to someone else had been a relief.

“Mari?” she asked, and the younger shinobi jerked. How old was she? Early twenties? Hinata had never asked. 

“Yeah?” Mari blinked. “I’m alright, Hyuuga-sama.” She looked over to Hinata, her teal eyes sliding over the bandages covering her body. “What…”

“You’re sure?” Hinata continued. She patted at one of the bandages on her thigh, soaking up some excess blood. She’d had more water and calorie bars than she’d cared to count. After losing so much blood, eating was more important than ever. “You said, before, that you’d never been in a large scale battle before." 

Mari shook her head, brushing some of her short brown bangs away. Her lip quivered. “I’m fine.”

It was obvious Mari knew Hinata knew she was lying, but the Hyuuga didn’t know how to bridge the gap. The younger woman seemed ready to break down. 

“You did well,” Hinata said. It was the truth. “That jutsu of yours really is amazing-" 

The girl from the Thunder Corp started silently crying. Her whole body shuddered.

“Sorry…” she said quietly, the words broken up. “Sorry… I really couldn’t do anything.”

Hinata limped over to the girl and sat down next to her, the bed creaking under them. She was sure she’d stained the sheets, but at the moment, she hardly cared. 

“You killed quite a few Ants,” she said, smiling. Over twenty, unless her count had been off. “You retreated without getting injured. The Union still has its Representative in Gorteau.” She gently put her hand down on Mari’s shaking shoulder. It stung: she’d been cut on that palm as well. “You did everything right.”

“I didn’t think it would be like this,” Mari gasped, trying to control her tears. She wiped at her nose. “I’m not even hurt…”

She really was young. Young and inexperienced. Hinata kept up the grip on her shoulder. “It was your first battle. Trust me, it happens. Don’t be concerned about it.”

Mari glanced at her with desperate and shameful eyes. “Did it happen to you?” 

Hinata looked away, up at the bright ceiling, to Kiba, sleeping peacefully, then back to Mari. Her other hand curled into a fist. “My first real battle… well, I suppose it was the assault on my village before the Fourth War, by the leader of the Akatsuki,” she admitted. “During it, I was terrified, and afterwards…” she leaned forward, frowning. “I didn’t have time to process what had happened. I didn’t really have time for any of that until after the War, and that was weeks later.”

Mari coughed. “Hyuuga-sama, you have to understand…” she trailed off, seemingly afraid to put her thoughts to words. “You and your team, you’re heroes. You’re the Hokage’s wife. Seeing you all come back from this, especially Shino, so badly injured, while I don’t even have a scratch on me-”

Hinata nodded as Mari sniffed, her nose clogged. “It just doesn’t seem real, you know? I must have let you guys down, if someone like Shino can be hurt so bad while I’m totally fine.”

The Hyuuga almost smiled. Mari made sense, but it was a childish thing to say. She leaned in, as if to tell the girl a secret, and unconsciously, Mari did the same.

 “That’s how this sort of thing works,” she said, and the girl cocked her head. “When shinobi go into battle, they risk their lives, but everyone has their role to play. As the wife of the Hokage, I know that better than most people.” She leaned back. “I’m sure your teacher told you this was how it’s going to be. Since you were in the Thunder Corp, you were never going to be in direct danger unless things went terribly wrong.” 

Mari frowned as Hinata continued. “It sounds awful, but that’s the way it is. Even with the Union established, that’s how shinobi have lived for as long as my clan’s been around. Until we come up with something better, it’s inevitable.” She smiled. “And just because you consider us heroes, doesn’t mean we’re any better than you.” She pointed to Kiba. “Kiba and I, and Shino, we were just lucky enough to survive the War. It had nothing to do with how great we were. Over fifty-thousand people died in just two days, and we could have been among them. We were just in the right place at the right time.”

Her smile softened. “And of course, without my husband, it would have been far more than that.” 

“I… I don’t understand,” Mari muttered. Hinata’s smile faded.

They hadn’t taken the proper precautions, and now this girl was feeling guilt that she didn’t deserve. 

“I’m trying to tell you not to feel guilty,” she said, and Mari stiffened. “It’s obvious, and you shouldn’t. We made a mistake. I made a mistake: we should never have assumed my Byakugan couldn’t be beaten. You’re not responsible for that; it was us who came up with the plan to attack the nest, not you. Don’t think that you didn’t do well.”

“Bullshit.” Both the women’s heads swiveled towards Kiba, who slowly pulled himself up, propping himself on one trembling arm. Somehow, he’s woken up in time to join the conversation. Hinata’s eyes narrowed. Had he been feigning sleep? “You didn’t do a damn thing wrong.” He looked down, at the catheter protruding from under the sheets. “Oh hell. Why’d you let them put this in?”

He was talking to her, not Mari. Hinata couldn’t help but smile at her teammate’s stubbornness. “You know as well as me that’s not true, Kiba. I made a mistake-” a hiccup, “-and Shino paid for it.” 

“Don’t give me that crap,” Kiba groaned, trying and failing to pull himself off the bed. “Maybe once we’ve fucked these Ants, you can start saying stuff like that. How the hell could we have known one of them could dodge your eyes?” His beard was crusted with blue and red blood. 

“It’s like you said a couple days ago,” Hinata pointed out. “We’re not the experts on this place. Assuming the Ants couldn’t develop a Hatsu to avoid my eyes was arrogant.”

“The Hunters did the same damn thing, and they are experts. It was their fuckup, not yours,” Kiba shot back. He was angry, clearly looking to blame someone. Hinata pursed her lips. He was right, but the arrogance that had led to the failed assault had been shared. The Hunters had asked her if anything could hide from her eyes, and she’d told them the truth. That Royal Guard had achieved the impossible, but she hadn’t dared to assume that in another world, with different truths, that could be the case. 

It was her fault they were in this room with these injuries. But she couldn’t say that out loud. That would be even more painful, and Kiba would be angry.

“Stop swearing, please,” she asked quietly, and Kiba growled.

“Shit, my ribs,” he grumbled, giving up on standing up. “That last Royal Guard is way too strong.”

“They all are,” Hinata said. “When Shino and I were fighting that cat one, it was obvious to the both of us that it could kill either of us with a lucky hit. They’re ridiculous creatures.”

“Why’d you keep fighting, then?” Kiba asked. “You can’t afford to die here, Hinata.”

“We couldn’t retreat,” Hinata said, “and it was our best chance to destroy it. It didn’t have any backup, that far from the nest. It was frightening, but I thought the ideal decision was to finish it off.” She looked down at her leg. “I still do,” she said, the image of a hundred thousand cracked open bones inside the nest overlapping over her own broken one.

“I never thought you’d say something like that, Hinata,” Kiba said. He looked disappointed. “You both could have died.”

“We didn’t,” Hinata said. She almost said it out of spite. Her head was swimming. Was Kiba right? Had she become so obsessed with making the Ants pay for their crimes that she’d put herself in too much danger?

It was an incredibly disturbing thought.

Mari watched the quiet argument, her tears drying.

“You’re not worried about Shino?” she asked, breaking into the momentary silence. Hinata glanced at her.

“No. I’m terribly worried,” she said, her whole body shaking once, violently. She pushed down her ancestor’s urges, catching sight of a bright bird flying past the room’s single narrow window. “But he’s not going to die. He’s in good hands, and his insects will keep alive even in the worst situation.” She sighed. “I hate to admit it, but I wouldn’t be as nearly well off as him if the Royal Guard had managed to strike me instead.”

Kiba looked her up and down, taking in the dozen of bandages and the thick splint around her leg. “It seems like it got you pretty good.” Hinata shook her head.

“Just scratches. And a broken leg. I’ll be fine.” She closed her eyes. “Shino lost his arm. And a leg.”

“Holy shit,” Kiba jerked, wincing and laying one arm on his gut. “Like, gone, or…?"

“We retrieved his leg,” Hinata said. “Morel came to collect it about an hour ago: he was convinced that the doctors he’s got working with Shino could reattach it. But the Royal Guard took his arm. We’ll have to have a synthetic one made when we return to Konoha.” 

“Jeez.” Kiba lay back. “Why aren’t you with him?”

Hinata blinked. “I decided to stay with you. I went to visit him earlier, after Knov brought us here, but he was completely out of it.” She flared her Byakugan to make her point. “I’ve been keeping an eye on him, don’t worry.”

“Where are we, anyway?” Kiba asked, looking around. He strained, looking at the unfamiliar city outside the window.

“Somewhere in The Republic of Rokario,” Mari said suddenly. “Most likely Dory. That’s the nearest city to NGL.” She looked back down, as though embarrassed to have spoken up without warning.

Hinata nodded; she remembered the information from when Mari had first explained it on their journey to the NGL, but it was good the girl was speaking up. “Well, the location doesn’t really matter. Shino will be unconscious for at least a day. They gave him something to help him heal, apparently. His insects were making a fuss.”

“Man,” Kiba said with a painful laugh. “That must have freaked the doctors out.”

“It did. I did my best to make sure they weren’t concerned, though I don’t think it did much coming from me. The Hunters will definitely have questions about that,” Hinata agreed. “But it’s unavoidable.”

“Who cares,” Kiba asked. “Let them ask whatever the fuck they want. I’m sick of it.” Hinata almost chuckled at how Kiba’s opinion had intensified in just a couple days. Her teammate sighed. “I think at this point we should think about more reinforcements.”

Hinata blinked. “What? More shinobi, you mean?”

Kiba nodded, wincing. “Those Royal Guard are fucked up. If the King’s going to be even stronger than them, we really can’t let him be born. I’m pretty sure Netero is the only of the Hunters who could take on any of the Guards, so the King would probably be beyond him.” He looked to Mari. “And he’s the Chairman of the Association, so he’s probably one of the most powerful, even with his age.” The Representative nodded in agreement. “So, if we want to make sure no one else ends up like Shino… might be worth considering bringing in some more people. To protect West Gorteau, at the very least.”

Hinata chewed her lip. “That’s risky, Kiba. It would be nice to settle this more safely, but…”

“It’s pointless to consider right now,” Mari spoke up, her eyes finally dry. Kiba raised an eyebrow. “The portal is still recharging thanks to all three of you coming through: it won’t be finished for at least another three weeks, maybe even more. Right now, the only thing that can be sent here from the Union, or back to it, are faxes.”

“Faxes?” Kiba blinked. “Seriously?”

Mari shrugged. “They’ve done a lot of experiments, apparently: they’re the only kind of data that can make it through without too much corruption. I’m not sure how it works, to be honest.” 

“Hmm.” Kiba scratched his nose, and then at his broken arm. “Well, shit. Forget what I said then. If that’s the case, we’ll have to finish this on our own.” He coughed, spitting out a granule of dried blood. “I don’t suppose you know any medical jutsu? I know Hinata hasn’t practiced hers in a while.” 

“Sorry, no.” Mari practically looked ready to cry again; it almost made Hinata laugh. Kiba was right. At best, she’d be able to mend their broken bones over the course of a week or two, but they wouldn’t be even close to fully healed. She wasn’t a hundredth as talented as Sakura, so there wasn’t a question that for the rest of their time in the Mitene Union, their injured limbs would be weak points.

She felt too light. Shino had just lost a limb, hadn’t he? She had no right to feel like this, especially with a shattered leg of her own. It was probably the blood loss. It was always like this after a hard fight, blood loss or not. The paradoxical feeling of relief and joy at having survived, and the guilt of others being less lucky. It reminded her of when Neji had died, such fierce sorrow and joy and anger all painfully juxtaposed, making her feel like a bug being rattled around inside a jar.

It was exhausting. The optimism she’d felt about attacking the nest just hours ago seemed like a dream.

She forced her mouth open, trying to drain the conflict inside her. “The King isn’t due to be born for at least another five weeks,” she said. “If we really can’t find a solution to dealing with the Guards by then, we’ll still probably have time to seek reinforcements.” She smiled, sure there was some blood on her teeth. “But Shino and I nearly killed that Guard on our own. It almost killed us as well, but with just one more person backing us up, I think we could have taken it. Even if we’re all injured, I’m sure we’ll be able to figure out a way to finish the Ants safely before that point.”

Kiba’s mouth twisted. “It’s back in your system now, I can tell. You’re going to be using more of that lunar chakra, aren’t you?” He leaned back with a small grimace. “It’s making you a little reckless, Hinata.”

“Lunar chakra?” Mari asked, cocking her head. Hinata glanced at her, then down at her trembling leg. It wasn’t a conscious movement, just the twitching of pained nerves. She willed it to sit still, and it did… for a couple seconds, before it resumed its shaking. 

She frowned. 

“It’s not common knowledge,” she told Mari, who only looked more curious, “but it’s not exactly a secret either.” She focused, the muscles in her back and core tensing, and drew out some of her ancestor’s chakra, the ferocious purple energy burning off her arms and shoulders. Mari rocked back in shock, and Hinata relaxed, the unusual chakra fading. “You were probably pretty young at the time, but I’m sure you remember the moon falling.” 

Mari nodded, her wariness melting away to be replaced by more curiosity. “Duh,” she said. For the first time in five hours, she almost laughed. “I was ten at the time: I didn’t really understand what was happening, but I thought for sure the world was ending. The sky was catching fire…” She trailed off. “And we were getting sent into shelters. But the Hokage, didn’t he stop whoever was causing it?” 

Hinata nodded. “My husband and I traveled to the moon along with some of our comrades and stopped the man who was making it fall.” She grinned at the ridiculous truth of it. “While we were there, I came into contact with some ancient chakra, from the very first head of the Hyuuga Clan: Hamura. He was long dead, but his spirit, I guess you could say, passed it on to me to help destroy the jutsu that was causing the moon’s fall.” Kiba snorted, and Hinata shot him a half-hearted glare. “Since then, Hamura’s chakra has been a part of me.”

“But you don’t usually use it?” Mari asked. “Why not? It sounds incredible.” Hinata could swear there were little stars behind the girl’s eyes. 

“Well, you just saw it,” Hinata said, her face growing serious. “It’s a little scary.” She shrugged. “And it’s powerful: once its in my chakra system, it can take months to work all of it out and replace it with just my own. It’s not a concern for me, or my husband-” 

“Or me!” Kiba interjected, and Hinata managed a small, dry laugh.

“Right. But both of my children have the Byakugan, though only my daughter has managed to activate it.” Comprehension dawned on Mari’s face. “The first time she saw it, felt it,” Hinata said, growing quiet. It was a painful memory that Mari had accidentally dragged back up to compete with Shino’s lost limbs. “She was terrified. I’m sure she thought someone had taken over me. She wouldn’t look at me for the rest of the day, and she didn’t let me hold her until I’d managed to get it all out of my system.”

“Oh.” Mari sobered. “I’m sorry.”

Hinata shrugged. “It’s not your fault. But now that it’s out, there’s little reason to stop using it. We’re in a bad situation. It’s a shame, but I’ll try to make my daughter understand.”

‘When I get back.’ 

“So, what now then?” Mari asked.

“You get back to West Gorteau, do your job,” Kiba groaned. “Inform the Union on what’s up. Don’t let the Hokage know we got his wife beat up, he’ll be pissed.”

“Kiba!” Hinata protested, and he shot her a bloody grin. She sighed. “Don’t listen to him. Well, you should return to your job, but the rest, ignore that.”

“And you, Hinata,” Kiba said, not finished. “You’re done.”

Hinata blinked, the bit of cheer she’d gained slammed against the verbal brick wall Kiba had just thrown at her.

“Excuse me?” 

“You heard me.” Kiba tried to cross his arms and failed. “After this, there’s no way I’m letting you fight again. Not like you have been.”

That was unusually patronizing. Hinata looked him up and down, clearly eyeing his cast, bandages, and the catheter. “How would you stop me?”

“I’m not kidding around,” Kiba said, spitting out some more blood. It landed on his cast. “Looking at that nest day and night, it’s done something to you. I don’t know if you see it or not, but it’s obvious to me. Shino too, though he’s probably too polite to say it. You’re way too fixated on the Ants. Even more so than Shino, and he practically drools over the damn things.” His eyes narrowed. “We’re going to finish this. Those Ants are too dangerous to ignore, and I don’t trust the Hunters to not fuck it up. But when we get out of this place, back to the nest, you’re done. You’re going to stay back and help the Hunters out, nothing more. If you have to, you’ll play up your leg.”

“That’s not your decision to make,” Hinata said, her voice low. 

“That’s true,” Kiba said, not budging. “But it’s not your right to make me explain to Boruto and Himawari why their mom came back twenty pounds lighter.” Mari gasped.

That was a low blow. Hinata felt like Kiba had physically punched her in the gut.

She almost wanted to strike back. That’s what shinobi did when they were hurt. Even though Kiba was one of her oldest friends, the urge to hurt him as he’d just hurt her was overwhelming.

But she was sure there was nothing she could say that would be as hurtful.

Or as true. 

She opened her mouth, but she had nothing to say. She hesitated. One second, two, three. The silence stretched. Her throat was dry. Kiba’s lips were drawn in a harsh line.

After five seconds, she conceded with a single, shallow nod. Her eyes were hot, but she refused to show any more weakness.

Hinata frowned, trying to crush her shame, and turned to Mari. “We’ll stay here for two days, maybe three. Enough time to heal our bones for fieldwork. But after that, we’ve got to return. It’s a critical time: we’ve got to capitalize on the Ant’s losses. It’ll be the same for Shino, though he might take longer.” Shino would be just as dangerous without his right arm. Perhaps even more so, now that he had lost something to the Ants.

She breathed out, her breath shaky. “We’ll be fine.” Hinata told Mari with a false smile.

“Do your job. Don’t worry about us.”

###

Knov took a sip of his tea, his eyes wandering over the nest in the distance. Though it had only been three days since the assault, the scars left by Isaac Netero and the shinobi Mari Kansai were already fading, the Ants industriously repairing and reinforcing the dents and holes their combined effort had put in the nest with the enthusiasm and speed of…

Well, he acknowledged with a minute grin, ants.

That, combined with the reestablishment of the Royal Guard’s monstrous En about fifteen hours after the battle had ended, made it seem like the only legacy of the assault were several devastated patches of forest. The Chairman had used dozens of trees as ammunition, and Shino’s insects had devoured a sizeable number as well. That had been somewhat alarming, he thought, the tea soothing his throat. He never would have guessed the shinobi had command over quite that many creatures, or that they were capable of stripping life from an area so thoroughly.

When he had arrived at Hinata’s location, drawn by her call, the only thing that had surprised him more than the damage to the forest was that it had not been enough to stop the Royal Guard. Shino Aburame had still been down two limbs, his stumps clogged with insects desperate to stop the bleeding. That had resolved a longstanding question Knov had had about the Aburame’s abilities: whether the insects were a conjuration or an emission. 

The answer had turned out to be both simple and obvious, which he appreciated. They were neither. The man obviously somehow hosted the insects, real creatures, inside his body, and commanded them through some sort of symbiosis. It was disgusting, but also somewhat mundane compared to the other possibilities.

However, despite appearances, the assault had resulted in far more that some dead trees. Nearly two hundred Chimera had perished, bringing their total numbers down to somewhere around six-hundred. The forest was stained with their blue blood; it was a far cry from when the Hunters had arrived to find over two-thousand of the insects infesting the area. The Royal Guard that had so badly injured Hinata and Shino had nearly been killed in kind, and it would doubtlessly take time to recover: Knov was almost eager for the Hyuuga to return, so her eyes could inform the Hunters as to the health of that Guard in particular.

Most critically, the chaos of the assault had allowed Knov to accomplish his primary objective. Though he’d had to withdraw sooner than he’d liked thanks to Hinata’s call for aid, he’d still managed to penetrate somewhat into the nest, making his way several hundred feet up and into it, and leave behind an exit portal for Hide and Seek. That portal was the lynchpin of any further attacks against the Chimera. The next time they were distracted, assassinating the Queen would be much simpler.

“When did you have time to grab this, Knov?” Morel asked, taking a gulp of his own tea. Knov had given the man a kettle instead of a cup; he had more of an appetite. “It’s terrible.”

Knov shrugged. “It’s from the hospital,” he said without care. “I just wanted something to drink. And I didn’t have time to get anything better before the Chairman called us here.”

‘Here’ was a rocky bluff situated on the edge of a short cliff about eight kilometers away from the nest. It was an ideal observational post: the Hyuuga had spent much of her time here. Knov and Morel had seated themselves on some choice stones, waiting for the Chairman to address them. He’d been silent since they’d arrived about five minutes ago, content to stand and stare at the nest. Knov had produced the tea after the first minute, sure that when the Chairman was ready, he’d break the silence. 

“You don’t have something better squirreled away?” Morel asked, cocking an eyebrow. Knov shrugged. 

“Of course,” he admitted, “but I wouldn’t bring it out for this.” 

“How cruel,” Morel grumbled, taking another gulp of tea. “Twenty-eight days, and you still won’t treat me.”

“It only extends two kilometers now,” Netero suddenly said, and Morel coughed, some tea caught in his throat. “That’s what that attack gained us. One kilometer.” The man’s lips pulled back in a sneer. “How barbaric. Like the wars of old.”

“Pardon, Chairman?” Knov asked, setting his tea down on the rock beside him. Netero crossed his arms. At some point after the assault, he had cut his topknot short, but not his beard. Knov wondered what had prompted the change.  

“The En of that Royal Guard,” he said. “It’s reduced. Likely due to her injuries.”

Her? The Ants didn’t have genders, though Knov supposed that that cat-like Guard could look a little female. He didn’t bother trying to correct the Chairman; the man would doubtlessly destroy him with sophistries if he tried. After nearly a month, he’d grown used to the little games Netero played to keep himself amused.

“Well, that’s something then,” Knov said. “Next time we’ll finish her off.”

“Mmm.” The Chairman grunted, turning around. “Do you know why I’ve called you here?” Both Knov and Morel shook their heads, sharing a glance. The old man smiled. “Well, rejoice. You are here to have your curiosity satisfied.” His teeth shone under his mustache. “And also to get you into the loop, Knov.”

“Excuse me?” Knov asked. Morel frowned, and he looked to the larger Hunter. “You know what he’s talking about?” The shinobi had informed them they would be returning by the end of the day, likely in several hours; it had been odd that the Chairman had called this impromptu meeting before they returned.  

“It’s been a hectic couple days,” Morel said, running a hand through his long hair. He was clearly unhappy, though Knov had no idea why. “So you have my apologies for waiting to share some information with you.”

“What did you find out, Morel?” Knov asked. There was genuine curiosity bubbling up inside him now. The man cupped his square chin in one of his huge hands, scratching at his jaw. Knov had never seen his fellow Hunter looking uncertain.

“After Shino was injured, in the hospital,” he said, gesturing to Netero, “the Chairman suggested that there was opportunity for information gathering: potentially our only safe one.” Netero wiggled his eyebrows, and Knov blinked at the childish expression. “There was a period where Kiba was unconscious, and Hinata was busy inside of Hide and Seek: about half an hour.” Morel cracked one of his knuckles. “So I took that time to inject Shino with pentium solin, along with some midazolam.”

Knov had a moment of realization. “That’s why you had me fetch some?” he asked Netero, and the old man shrugged. In the days leading up to the assault, Netero had given Knov a list of things to stockpile in Hide and Seek: most had been simple and understandable, but pentium solin had been anything but. It was a rare compound synthesized from a particular kind of echinoderm that only lived deep inside the Yalu Jungles, discovered by the Hunter Ging. The land-bound starfish, limbs as large as trees, used it as a paralytic agent to ensnare prey the size of elephants. But in extremely small doses, it instead functioned as a truth serum.

Of course, real truth serums didn’t exist: pentium solin just made people extremely suggestible. Combined with Shino’s state, and he probably would have answered any questions Morel leveled at him.  

“That’s dangerous. His fellows... not to mention it interacting with the painkillers they had him on,” Knov said idly, pointing to Morel. “Doesn’t sound like you.”

Morel grinned, a flat expression that was all teeth and no happiness. “I consulted with the hospital staff: they assured me that combination of drugs was perfectly safe. Three days later, and he hasn’t shown any complications. They even managed to reattach his leg with the help of those insects, after all.”

“Still,” Knov said, “it must sting that it probably only worked thanks to his trust of you.”

Morel flinched, and Knov regretted pressing so harshly. That hadn’t been necessary. 

“Without a doubt,” the large man growled. “But… I do think it was worth it.”

“So,” Knov asked, trying to be conciliatory. “Did he say anything interesting?”

Morel produced a paper pad from his back pocket. “It was difficult to parse through it all: I actually had to take some notes afterwards. He wouldn’t stop talking.” He sighed. “I guess I’ll just tell you what I told the Chairman.”

“No, feel free,” Netero said. “We have time. And I am curious as well, about what else he may have said.” 

“Fine,” Morel grumbled. Knov could see the man was hanging between regret and satisfaction. Out of all the shinobi, Morel had had the best relationship with Shino. They’d worked well together on a few occasions, clouds of smoke and insects leaving Ants with no escape. Still, getting more information about the shinobi was probably worth a bruised friendship, especially considering that Shino wouldn’t remember the ‘conversation.’

“Most important stuff first, I think,” Morel said, flipping through the notebook. “He claimed that they were from somewhere else, ‘across space and time,’ in his words. Kinda loopy, so I put that down to the painkillers. Most likely, wherever Konohagakure is, it’s just far away from here. Especially since the Association still hasn’t been able to locate any Hidden Villages with that name.” He flipped to the next page. “He said it was a ‘place without victory…’” he said, glancing at Netero, who might as well have been a statue, “until they won.”

Knov cocked his head. “A lot of what he said was pretty disjointed, but he made it sound like there had been some kind of major upheaval: maybe politically, militarily, whatever. There was a huge paradigm shift at some point recently wherever Konohagakure is. I’d guess that now it’s a much more peaceful place.” 

Odd, but not too far out of the ordinary. Upheaval was hardly uncommon in the world. Knov quietly nodded, and Morel continued. 

“He mentioned his Hokage, the Fire Shadow Hinata talked about, at length,” Morel said, scratching the back of his head. “From what I could figure out, his name is ‘Naruto,’ no last name given. Shino has a lot of personal affection for him; I wouldn’t be surprised if they had been peers, the way he talked about him. The phrase ‘The Will of Fire’ came up once or twice, and from context, I assumed it’s his fancy way of talking about the Hokage’s wishes.” His eyes narrowed a little. “He claimed, and again, this was all while he was heavily influenced by painkillers, so don’t take it as gospel, that if Naruto were here, he could destroy all of the Chimera Ants without any trouble.” Knov’s eyebrow twitched as Morel continued. “He also implied that if he wanted to, the Hokage could wipe out all of Konoha, maybe even all life in the area. He wasn’t very clear.”

Knov hummed, leaning back and uncrossing his legs. “That’s a strong claim.” 

“Very,” Morel agreed. “But it’s what Shino honestly believed. Near the end, before he passed out for good, he was rambling about ‘calling Naruto.’” He looked down at the notepad for the exact words. “To ‘End it in a flash of light.’ That was the last thing he said. The way he said it, calling Naruto is some sort of taboo, or at least discouraged. He clearly thinks very highly of his Hokage’s capabilities.” Morel looked back up, his face grim. “Whatever the truth is, it’s obvious we have to be wary of this guy. There’s no doubt he’s a threat; maybe even a bigger threat than the Ants, if Shino wasn’t exaggerating.”

“I’m sure he was,” Knov said, not so sure if he believed himself. “He was barely conscious, after all. Perhaps Konohagakure is in possession of weapons like the Poor Man’s Rose?” 

“Maybe,” Morel acknowledged, shifting his weight forward. The way his fingers tightened around the pad told Knov he was trying to convince himself, along with the man’s bitter expression. “At any rate…” He moved on to his next page.

“This next one, I found the most troubling.” Knov sat up a little. Netero had remained as animated as grass throughout the conversation. He was as quiet as his Nen: as ever, Knov found him impossible to read.

“Shino claimed that their civilization,” Morel said, “and by this I don’t know if he meant the village Konohagakure, or something greater it’s part of, was built on ‘Jinchuriki.’ An archaic term for ‘Human Sacrifice.’” He leaned back with a frown. “I have no idea how literally he meant that to be taken. The shinobi certainly don’t seem very religious, so I doubt they actually sacrifice people to something, but nonetheless, it’s an alarming thing to hear.” 

“Maybe he meant their martial culture,” Knov offered, adjusting his glasses. “It could be a metaphor.” 

Morel nodded. “I suspect if its literal, it could be the explanation for their hatsu; something like the Byakugan could be created by a proper human sacrifice. And Shino’s own body is quite the sacrifice, considering he’s completely full of insects.” He shrugged. “However, other things Shino said seemed to point away from that.”

“Such as?”

“A couple things,” Morel said. “Hinata has a daughter, named Himawari.” He tapped the notebook. “At some point in the past, she was shocked by something Hinata possessed that Shino called ‘lunar chakra.’ No idea what that is, obviously: chakra is likely some sort of energy or power, given the etymology. So some sort of power from the moon. Whatever it was, it made her think her mother was a stranger.”

Netero made his first motion in the conversation. He slowly blinked, one foot sliding forward an inch.  Morel continued. “In addition, Himawari, and the rest of Hinata’s family aside, also possess the Byakugan. That allowed her to see it, apparently. That opens up several possibilities: they could be genetic, or to be a Hyuuga you have to make a Contract that bestows the Byakugan. Whichever it is, Hinata is the strongest among them. It’s that mention of her daughter that made me think the ‘sacrifice’ wasn’t completely literal.” Morel paused for a moment of thought. “Shino is also some sort of teacher, apparently. By all indications he has a real love for it,” he finished with a sniff. “I’d say that was everything relevant.”

“Interesting.” Knov leaned back. It really was quite interesting. A little of the shinobi’s mystique had been peeled away. The information about the Hokage was particularly enticing to him; if this ‘Naruto’ was even slightly as powerful and influential as Shino made him seem, it was a miracle he wasn’t a bigger player on the world’s stage. The mystery of the supposed lunar chakra that apparently inhabited Hinata also drifted around his mind, unresolved, along with the word ‘Jinchuriki.’ He’d never seen the Hyuuga exhibit any power he’d call ‘frightening.’ Perhaps her daughter was just fragile. 

“She has a son as well,” Netero spoke up, his words slow. “The way she looked at Killua, back when we first met, it was obvious. At least two children, then. That’s a shame.”

“A shame?” Knov asked. Morel seemed content to stay silent after his long explanation.

“The two of you,” Netero said, ignoring Knov’s question, “will be receiving some information today that is only privy to myself and two of the Zodiacs. I don’t care how you treat it, but I trust you’ll have the appropriate judgement of its value.”

Two of the Zodiacs? Any information so exclusive to the higher echelons of the Association must be secret indeed. Knov immediately started paying more attention. Today, the old man wasn’t just messing around with them. 

“The shinobi are likely from the Dark Continent,” Netero said.

Knov almost fell off his rock. Across from him, Morel choked on his tea once again.

The Dark Continent. The enormous forbidden land that surrounded the known world, that the Chairman himself had deemed too dangerous to explore for any civilization, or the Hunter Association itself, after two disastrous personal expeditions? The shinobi might call that place their home?

It seemed completely impossible that any humans could survive, let alone live, in a place so horrifying that even Isaac Netero had been unwilling to return to it. Knov’s mind went into overdrive at the implications as he felt a cold sweat form on the back of his neck. Hinata’s eyes, Shino’s insect-ridden body, Kiba’s canine features, were they more than just particular expressions of Nen and genetic abnormalities? Were those the norm for those who survived beyond the invisible barrier that kept humanity separated from what would surely destroy them, erected after centuries of mistakes and millions of lost lives?

When humans had to constantly compete with the likes of the Chimera Ants, another creature from the Dark Continent, were incredible abilities like Hinata’s all-seeing eyes the bare minimum required for their survival? Was that the sacrifice that Shino had been talking about?

Knov realized after a moment that Netero’s second sentence had not followed the first. ‘Likely’ did not denote valuable information, only suspicion. He was sure Morel had come to the same realization already, but the larger man gave nothing away.

“The Dark Continent?” he asked, trying and failing to seem at ease. “Surely, that’s impossible, Chairman. No humans live in the Dark Continent.”

Netero nodded. “So far as we know,” he said. “No one has traveled there for nearly half a century, since I prohibited such expeditions. Perhaps things have changed.” He smiled. “Or we missed something.” 

He sat down, his legs curling under him. “You’ve seen my wariness of the shinobi they arrived, but I’m sure you didn’t understand why. It was far out of proportion for new, helpful allies.” Netero sounded cheerful, but there was an edge in his words. He dug into one of his ears in search of wax. “To understand that paranoia, you must understand some of what I encountered in the Dark Continent.” 

“I mentioned it to you some time ago, when my suspicions were still forming: a place without victory. I called it that not only because humanity could never triumph there; nothing truly could. The entire land, larger many times over than the known world, is filled with terrible things. The Five Calamities are barely representative of the dangers there. It is not just simple beasts like the Chimera Ants, but diseases incomprehensible to man, creatures that inhabit a spectrum of existence beyond our comprehension, words that can kill without being spoken, and far worse besides.”

Both Knov and Morel listened with almost reverent focus, aware of the import of what the Chairman was telling them. It was when the Chairman spoke like this, with such gravity, that Knov found it easier to believe the man had once been known as the strongest Nen user in the world, that he had actually accrued wisdom over the course of a life four times longer than Knov’s own, instead of just a ceaseless skill at irritation and obfuscation. 

“But of the uncountable dangers there, one of the least odd is actually well known. The World Tree.”

The World Tree. An enormous tree, nearly two kilometers tall, that grew in the northern country of Ygtal. Knov had heard of it. It was an enormously popular tourist attraction. That monstrous tree was from the Dark Continent?

“The one here is merely a sapling, unable to draw enough nutrients from the earth to grow to its full height and bloom. The Hunters Association saw to that long ago. With its growth stunted, it’s harmless. But its fellows in the Dark Continent have had no such impediment, aside from one another. There, they grow to their full height, stretching beyond even the atmosphere. They have a peculiar lifestyle. There are several different species of them, but they all share the same means of spreading their influence and supplying themselves with more nutrients.” 

Netero closed his eyes. His aura rippled around him, an invisible stream of energy that sent pinpricks up and down Knov’s spine.

“Once they are fully grown, a fruit sprouts at the top. It ripens and plummets to earth, and creatures around the tree inevitably eat its remains. Once they have, they become tools of the World Tree.”

Knov frowned. “The Trees are conscious?”

Netero’s grin was outright unsettling. “Unmistakably. They possess great malice as well. The creatures they take control of through their fruit are twisted into weapons of terrible destruction. They rampage, searching for more nutrients for the Tree. All too often, they come into conflict with each other, an endless war that is continuously fought with mutated proxies.” He licked his finger and rubbed a spot of dirt off his knee. “The mutation is the result of an unnatural melding of the creature’s physical and spiritual energy. That much was obvious to us, when we witnessed these futile wars.”

“Did a human ever consume the remains of the fruits?” Morel asked. Knov realized the potential connection at once.

“Once,” Netero said, “an exceptionally foolish companion of mine, on my second expedition, dared to.” His unsettling grin expanded. “He exploded. His body became an unstable weapon, and his Nen was the fuel.” He poked at his side. “I still have a scar here, where one of his fingers buried itself inside me.”

“But you think the shinobi are humans who have been successfully controlled by the World Trees,” Morel said, Knov nodding along with him. It was obvious that’s what the Chairman was pushing at.

Netero shrugged. “It is only one of many possibilities, but it has been foremost in my mind, yes. Especially since our assault on the nest.” He leaned forward. “Whatever power they use in their hatsu, it reminds me very much of the World Trees. I could not be sure until I saw that girl Mari’s techniques up close, but now, I have no doubt. It is nearly the same kind of energy.”

“So, what?” Morel said. “We’ve stumbled into a conflict between two creatures from the Dark Continent?”

“They’re not creatures; they are certainly human,” Netero chided. “I find the most likely explanation is that the Dark Continent has a heretofore undiscovered civilization, and these shinobi are some of its first attempts to make inroads into ours. They would have been noticed otherwise, by world governments or the Association. Their reinforcement showing up so quickly also confirms there may be more of them around, or they have some means of rapid transport. All of it does raise a fascinating question about their involvement with these Ants, though.”

He raised one hand. “Are they acting out of altruism, as they are so desperate to seem, hoping to make allies?” He raised the other, curling it into a fist. His smile shone behind it. “Or are they simply removing the competition?”

If it was the latter, Knov thought, the shinobi would attempt to destroy both the Ants and the dormant World Tree, removing any other potential rivals from the Continent. That much was obvious to him. If it was the former… he had no idea what to think of that. The situation was simply too incredible.

He and Morel digested what they had been told in silence for almost a minute.

“Netero.” Morel used the man’s name, not his title. “What should we do with this information?” 

“As I said, that’s not my concern,” Netero said. “But I believe the most intelligent course of action at the moment would be…”

He stuck out his tongue. “Nothing.” 

“Nothing?” Knov asked. He couldn’t tell if the Chairman was testing them or not. 

Morel nodded. “As I thought,” he admitted, turning to Knov. “This changes everything and nothing. No matter what, the shinobi are powerful allies. There’s no reason to undermine them until the Chimera Ants have been dealt with.” 

Knov was forced to agree. Even if the shinobi had a menacing ulterior motive, their power couldn’t be questioned. With their assistance, the Hunters had brought the Ants to their knees in far less time than should have been possible. Despite the injuries the shinobi had suffered in the assault, their position was stronger than ever.

“We have five weeks until the earliest possible date for the King’s birth,” he said, speaking to himself as much as he was to his fellow Hunters.” “And in just two days, reinforcements will be arriving. This matter will be finished soon. Then,” he said, looking to Netero, “we will worry about the shinobi?”

The old man gave an infuriating shrug, and Knov resisted the urge to grind his teeth. “Perhaps I’ll win our bet,” he said, giving Morel a meaningful look. The big man laughed. Knov hoped that all of the other Hunters would arrive for reasons besides his bet. Perhaps if Palm had been a part of the assault, able to track the Royal Guard who had evaded the Byakugan, things would have gone differently. It was a shame they had been too impatient. 

“All five of them showing up?” he said with a grin. “Yes, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? I’d hand you that one-million jenny with a smile on my face.” He stood up off his rock, grabbing his pipe and swinging it over his shoulder. Morel looked out to the nest, and Knov could tell from the way his nose twisted he was calculating the odds.

“Well,” he said. “Make it two, four, or five. No matter who shows up, we’ll have plenty of time.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Bad Roll

Fifty-two hours after Hinata resumed observing the Chimera Ant’s nest, their King was born.

He ripped his way out of his mother, despite her pleading screams. A full month early; what could be troublesome for a human was only momentarily inconvenient for the King of the Chimera Ants. He had been overwhelmed by boredom, hunger, and insecurity. The pain of being watched, unable to locate the source of discomfort, had been nagging and unbearable. Its absence, and the delicious morsel of meat he’d been fed just five days before, had strengthened his resolve.

Though she would not die for another four hours, the King’s impatience killed his mother as surely as the human’s preying on the Nest would have.

Hinata Hyuuga did not witness the unexpected matricide that would tear apart the Chimera Ants. This was a mixed blessing. She had retired for the day to the safety of Hide and Seek, the injuries she had sustained fighting Neferpitou reducing her stamina. She, Morel Mackernasy, and Kiba Inuzuka were asleep in the early hours of the day that heralded the King’s birth. Shino Aburame, who despite his dramatic injuries had recovered the fastest among the shinobi, and Knov, who had given up his family name several years ago, were patrolling the forest at the time.

It was only by pure luck that they did not witness the King departing with his Royal Guard in search of Shino himself, being several kilometers away on the other side of the Nest. Just an hour later, they would curse their apparent misfortunate. 

If they had paused to rest thirty minutes earlier, or the King had departed fifteen minutes later, they almost certainly would have died. It was also extremely fortunate for them that the infant King grew bored within minutes, as most infants do, and departed with his Guards in search of something more immediately exciting. 

In the end, the first sign for the extermination team that things had gone dramatically wrong was an Ant wandering the forest, calling out for death, clutching a crude white flag in its gnawed fingers.

### 

“Wake up. The King’s been born.”

Hinata stirred. 

She was sure she’d misheard.

###

Netero smiled. 

“This early? That’s impossible.”

Knov couldn’t imagine smiling at a time like this. 

“We’ll have to take necessary precautions, Chairman.”

###

“There’s too many.” Kiba sank into a squat, wincing and clutching at his ribs. Even five days later, they were still paining him. For a shinobi, it was unusual. “Even with Shadow Clones, there’s too damn many,” he rasped. He was shaking.

Frustration, and exhaustion. Hinata was feeling the same thing.  

She was forced to acknowledge that he was right. It had been about an hour and a half since the King had been born, based off the estimates given by the Chimera Ant that had approached Knov and Shino; in that time, the nest had steadily begun emptying itself as Ants poured out, individuals, squads, sometimes in what could only be called platoons that Hinata assumed were sticking together out of fear, or maybe even a herd instinct, since it was obvious that with the Queen’s impending death, any sense of solidarity for the greater group had evaporated, the twisted creatures happy to stick with those that were familiar to them, but little more.

The King born, a whole month before the Hunters' earliest estimates.

It was unbelievable. Worse, it was dangerous. Terribly dangerous.

The news had put Hinata in a horrible mood. Aside from getting her up early when she was desperately in need of rest, it had made a mockery of their efforts over the last month. The last three hours had been nothing but painful introspection. 

Shino had lost an arm for nothing. They’d called off the assault on the nest too soon: with only a week left, they should have pushed as hard as they could at the opportunity, with one Royal Guard disabled and the Ants scrambling and disoriented, regardless of her and her teammate's injuries. It was entirely hindsight, but that didn’t make the reality of it any less painful. They’d unknowingly wasted their only chance to abort the abomination that the Ant’s Queen had gestated, the sum of all the human misery in the NGL, thanks to the Hunters making yet another mistake in underestimating their constantly surprising opponents. In the face of that harsh realization, all Hinata could taste was regret.

Even then, the Ants scattering should have been a windfall, an opportunity to pick off the monsters without any hope of a counterattack, but their numbers were simply overwhelming. Even attacking individuals was dangerous with their injuries. Thankfully, the Ants seemed too focused on putting distance between themselves and the Nest to seek out the shinobi and Morel, who had remained with them. The sight of so many of the monsters streaming off into the world without comeuppance had made Hinata tremble. Kiba had noticed, and silently provided a solution, creating a clone to send out and hopefully pick off at least several of the Ants without too much risk.

But even with Hinata joining in with clones of her own, their shadows had only killed about a dozen Ants. It was an insignificant dent in the hundreds flooding the forest and fleeing the country.

Kiba had insisted she stay out of the fighting, but now, he’d seem to have forgotten that promise. Maybe it was the scale of the disaster happening all around them.

The sun was peeking over the low mountains surrounding the nest. It was around seven in the morning. 

“It’s something,” Morel said. He leaned against a tree, his pipe next to him. “At this point, any damage is welcome. With the King born and the Ants spreading, the Association will definitely have to bring in more Hunters.” He eyed Shino: for some reason, he’d been uncomfortable around the Aburame since the assault, though Hinata was sure she’d only noticed thanks to the acuity of her eyes. It was probably thanks to Shino’s insects. Hinata was sure it had been an incredible shock to the Hunters to find the living hive inside of her teammate, despite the fact that they had studiously avoided the topic for the last five days.

“More Hunters?” Kiba asked rhetorically. He huffed. Hinata was sure he was missing Akamaru more than ever. Even with arthritis, even one more ally would make a difference here. “More than a few, I hope. This is a disaster for the Union.”

“I’d imagine it’ll be quite a bit more than a few,” Morel said somberly. “The reinforcements we’re getting today will just be the first of many.” He looked downcast; the gravity of the situation was weighing on him just as heavily as it was on Hinata. He didn’t look as tired as she felt, though. Everything was so turgid.

“You mentioned them, about a week ago,” Shino said, and Hinata shook her head, trying to focus on the moment. Despite his grievous injuries, the Aburame had seemed to recover the quickest among the shinobi. Perhaps it had been because he had the least internal damage, but it still amazed Hinata to see her teammate standing so steady, as though he hadn’t lost his leg just five days before. With the help of his insects and some surprisingly advanced surgery, the hospital staff in Dory had managed to reattach the limb with impossible ease. It had been a spot of relief in a difficult week. 

His arm was still gone though. There was no doubt of that. The Ants had certainly destroyed or devoured it. Shino carried its loss well, but the absence disturbed Hinata, and she could tell even her normally unflappable teammate was unsettled by his injury. He still stood a little off-balance, not used to the change in his body’s weight and center of gravity. 

It reminded her of Sasuke Uchiha, who’d forgone a prosthetic even as they’d grown more and more advanced. Maybe as some form of penance. Hinata had never asked, and she doubted she ever would. The Uchiha was taciturn at best, despite his relationship with Naruto, and his mind was his own. If he wanted her to understand his reasoning, he would tell her in his own time. Maybe Shino could ask him for advice on dealing with the missing limb, once the mission was over.

Hinata frowned as her teammate finished his thought, dispelling her worthless musing. “But you didn’t tell us much about them. Is there anything we should know?”

Morel grunted. “There’s five that may show up, but it will most likely only be two. The Chairman laid out some pretty stringent requirements for entering the NGL.” He frowned. “That will probably go doubly now that the King has been born…”

“Killua and Gon are two of them, I’m sure,” Hinata said offhand. She was considering deactivating her Byakugan. There wasn’t much left to observe in the nest: barely a hundred Ants remained, and that number was steadily decreasing. The Queen was slowly dying, her body torn apart by whatever the King had done. Watching it filled Hinata with a cold satisfaction, but she couldn’t deny the curdled discomfort creeping up into her gut at the sight. Nothing deserved to be savaged by its own child like that.

The veins around her eyes faded as Morel idly spun his pipe from one shoulder to the other, his huge hand rotating the handle. She wondered if it was a nervous tic; more likely, and consistent with what she’d seen, that the man just liked to keep his hands busy.

“That’s right,” he said. “They impressed the Chairman a couple years ago, when they competed in the Hunters Exam. He told us that much: I doubt he would have invited them otherwise. They’re young, and relatively inexperienced.”

“But strong,” Kiba said, his voice thick and nasally. HIs nose still wasn’t fully healed, along with everything else. “They must be, to impress a guy like that, right?”

“Maybe,” Morel shrugged. “I don’t know much about them. Killua’s from the Zoldyck family: world-famous assassins.” He chuckled. “Kinda a contrast there.”

“What do you mean?” Kiba asked, and the bigger man cocked his head.

“Contract killers being that famous. Their compound is a tourist attraction in their country, even. You don’t find that a little funny?” Morel asked. Kiba shrugged, and Hinata sympathized. After all, where they came from that sort of thing wasn’t exactly uncommon 

“Well, anyway,” Morel continued. “Killua’s got some infamous relatives, but Gon’s more of a mystery. His father is a notable Hunter by the name of Ging: I’ve never met him, but he’s the kind of guy who seems like they’ve been everywhere and done everything from the stories you hear. I have no idea what kind of relationship they have, but anyone who can pass the Hunter Exam on their first try when they’re only twelve is worth noticing, at least.” 

“Not to mention...” Hinata said half to herself, “he did attack that Royal Guard. Killua had to knock him out, remember.” Only a month ago. Had it really been that long already? The days had passed in a flash. Hours of boredom punctuated by flitting minutes of excitement, humor, or fear. 

“Heh.” Morel finally brought his pipe to a stop on his left shoulder. “That’s true. That brat’s either insane or stupid. Either way, if he manages to beat my students, he deserves to help us out.”

Hinata was reminded of her husband, decades ago. ‘Insane or stupid.’ Hadn’t someone used those words about him? The half-memory made her grin. She decided to give Gon a closer look, if he did end up arriving.

“Your students?” Shino asked, finally taking a more active interest in the conversation. He scratched at his stump: according to him his right arm was always itching. “Are those the others, then?”

Morel nodded. It brought a little warmth to Hinata’s heart to see the unabashed pride in his face. “Two of mine: Knuckle and Shoot. They’re accomplished Hunters, I’m happy to say.” He grinned. “Knuckle is far too soft, and Shoot is rather shy, but no one can be perfect, unfortunately.”

“Just as well,” Shino said with a soft smile. “There’s no worth in teaching if your students have nothing to improve.” The Aburame was really a marvel, speaking so warmly when he’d lost so much to this worthless mission.

“Ha. I suppose you have a point,” Morel easily granted, his expression remaining cheerful. “You sound like a teacher yourself, Shino." 

Hinata was surprised; Morel very rarely blatantly fished for information like that. It wasn’t an outright question at least.

“I am,” Shino said. “I took a break from my duties to conduct this mission. The Academy was on break for the next two months anyway: I was planning on putting together my syllabus once I returned.” He glanced at his missing arm. “That may be more difficult now. I’m used to writing with my right, unfortunately.”

“Academy?” Morel asked. He was genuinely interested more; Hinata was sure he’d moved beyond simply asking out of duty to the Hunter’s Association. “Sounds high-class.”

Shino glanced at Kiba, who shrugged. They’d all agreed to answer questions honestly in the wake of the failed assault, after all. With the King born, it might become inevitable that the Shinobi Union would get more involved with the fiasco anyway. A distant possibility, but one that existed nonetheless.

“In our village, if you want to be recognized as an official shinobi, you have to graduate from the Academy,” Shino explained. “Nowadays, it’s not quite as popular, but it’s still somewhat prestigious. We all attended it as children.”

Hinata couldn’t bring herself to contribute, her bitterness choking her, but Kiba spoke up in a nasally rasp. 

“You might have seen this, Morel,” he said, and the bigger man cocked his head. “You’re a perceptive guy. But we were all assigned to each other as a team when we were pretty young: twenty years ago, I guess.” Kiba blinked. “Jeez. We got old. At any rate, we were pretty used to working together.”

“Were?” Morel asked. “You still have pretty amazing teamwork, by my reckoning.” He grinned, shifting back against the tree. “Knov and I supposed you’d been working together for a long time: I appreciate you confirming it.”

“Well, maybe,” Kiba conceded. “But you know how it is. Things change over time. Hinata got married, Shino went to the Academy, I ended up in the police force…”

“You’re a policeman?” Morel blinked. “A ninja policeman?”

Kiba grinned. Was one of his teeth chipped? If she hadn’t noticed it before with her Byakugan, it was probably just a trick of the shadows cast by the canopy. “Who else is gonna catch ninja crooks? They’re more common than you’d think.” He tapped his face. “The nose comes in handy, you know.”

“If you say so,” Morel said with a bemused look. “Well, I understand you and Shino having responsibilities keeping you out of...” he continued, hesitating on the final word. Hinata couldn’t help but mentally substitute phrases. These kind of disasters? Pointless exercises? Hopeless wastes? “This kind of thing,” he finished. shifting his gaze to Hinata. “But what about you, Hinata?”

She wasn’t sure she wanted to answer, but she also didn’t want to be rude. Hinata glanced at Kiba, seeing if he’d pick up the slack for her.

Thankfully, he caught her signal. “She focused on her kids,” he said. It was the truth, part of it at least. “Naruto’s a great dad, but he always had a lot on his plate.”

Morel sucked in a breath. Hinata looked up sharply at the sudden noise. The man had turned slightly, looking over his shoulder, and readied his pipe, but after a second, he relaxed.

“Sorry,” he said with a little laugh. Kiba cocked an eyebrow. “Guess I’m jumpy. I thought I heard something.”

‘Can’t blame him,’ Hinata thought. She was surprised the King had left without attacking them. It didn’t really make sense to her. She half expected him to pull the same trick his Royal Guard had, and appear from seemingly nowhere without warning.

“So that’s her husband’s name? Naruto?” Morel was poking at something, Hinata realized, but she wasn’t sure what.

“Yes,” Shino said slowly. He suddenly seemed uncomfortable, and Hinata felt the same way. The reminder of her husband had inserted some melancholy into her already morbid emotions. “You mentioned five reinforcements, but only named four. Who’s the fifth, then?”

“Palm Sibera,” Morel answered, adjusting to the change in topic with ease and scratching his chin. “She’s Knov’s… disciple, I suppose. She’s a little…” He shrugged with one arm, palm facing up in a gesture of quiet futility. “Strange. Odd, but not unpleasant. She was forbidden to come at first. Not the best in a combat situation; her strengths lie elsewhere. But now, the situations changed. I wouldn’t be surprised if she shows up alongside the others.”

“When are they arriving?” Hinata asked, her voice quiet. Morel looked to her, adjusting his glasses as they slid down his nose.

“About half an hour, supposedly. The Chairman was still negotiating with the Ant that approached us when I left, but it was agreed they’d be here before eight,” he said. “I’ll admit, I never thought one of the Chimera would come to us. I knew they were a bit like humans, but can you imagine ants surrendering?” 

He was right about that. Though Hinata understood that the Chimera Ants had stolen some traits from humanity, one of them having enough individualism to approach the people that had been so remorselessly destroying them for the last month in hope of aid was still astonishing. Hinata had learned with a sense of unwelcome fate that the Ant that had staggered through the forest in the early morning with a white flag made from a tattered white shirt had been named Colt; it had been the Squadron Leader of the patrol she and her teammates had killed all those weeks ago, when they’d first arrived.

She’d wondered, once or twice, if they had killed ‘Colt’ without knowing it and reduced the dying Hawk-Ants promise to nothing, but now she had proof that wasn’t the case.

Colt himself had done that, by begging aid from Knov and Shino, the only humans who’d been on active watch that early in the morning. Hinata, Kiba, and Morel had been asleep, getting some very necessary rest; Netero had been doing whatever he did in lieu of rest. Morel had been overstretching himself with the shinobi gone, filling the forest with his smoke hatsu ‘Deep Purple’ to confuse and ambush the few Ants that wandered out in the wake of the failed assault. 

Hinata wasn’t sure what the Chairman would do with the rogue Ant. Netero was an unpredictable man, but also a pragmatic one. Perhaps he’d leave it alive in hopes it would inspire other Ants to surrender.

She sat down, shifting her stiff leg awkwardly out from under her body, and closed her eyes. Gradually, Hinata settled into a state of semi-consciousness. She hadn’t gotten a full nights sleep, and just like her teammates, her injuries still plagued her. A half-hearted nap wasn’t out of the question.

“No,” she said, answering Morel’s question before drifting off. “I really can’t.” 

###

Hinata got forty-two minutes of rest before she was forced into wakefulness. It was Kiba that alerted her with a soft tap on the shoulder, snapping her out of the quiet darkness she’d shrouded her mind in. She’d been comfortable there, with her absent husband and his warm smile.

It was childish, but Hinata felt like she needed a hug. 

One of Knov’s portals had appeared in the middle of the forest clearing they’d been waiting in. It was a bit larger than a normal one. Hinata slowly pulled herself to her feet, taking Kiba’s hand as he helped her up, and shook the last of sleep from her head. The day was unmistakably underway now. She couldn’t afford to be groggy anymore. 

What followed seemed like something of a setup to a bad joke, or a carol. Less than five seconds after the portal opened, fifteen people and one creature poured out of it, one after the other. 

Knov was the first, looking unusually ruffled. His suit had clearly been slept in, and his hair was untidy. Nine medical staff followed him, all carrying clearly expensive surgical tools and bulkier equipment; it was practically a mobile hospital.

A Chimera Ant came close behind them, its too-human face twisted in clear worry. It was obviously Colt: the creature was a product of some kind of hawk or falcon and humanity, and it was a much more elegant fusion than its subordinate had been. It looked like a muscular man with grey skin and natural carapace armor. If it weren’t for its beak-like mouth, talons and huge white wings flowing down from its back, it would almost be able to pass as an odd looking man. Its right hand was covered in teeth marks, one set crusted with dried blue blood. It looked like an Ant had been chewing on it. 

Hinata examined its expression with more interest than she’d imagined herself giving such a thing. It was surprising to see such genuine worry and… compassion in an Ant. She’d only ever seen them express hunger, fear, hatred, and greed before. Colt, on the other hand, was clearly mad with fear, but it was a selfless terror. She hadn’t realized they were capable of it.

Her mind wandered back to the first Ants she had killed. Subordinates of this creature standing before her. Then, she’d been unable to ignore that the Ants had acted like children, murderous teenagers, but that thought had been discarded without consideration by the horrific excesses of cruelty and misery in the nest. Now, the unsettling implications of that observation were creeping back into existence in her consciousness.

The last five arrivals through the portal mercifully drew her attention from Colt. 

The first two, she didn’t know. One was a tall man with a face made for smirking and a strong chin, his thick black hair styled up in a heavy pompadour. He wore a long white jacket with golden clasps running down the front, and matching pants. The man shadowing him was his opposite in several ways. His posture was more subdued, and his features were thin, even reedy. His hair looked somewhat greasy, pulled up in a long spiked ponytail, and he had dark, nervous eyes. He was wearing a purple robe, one sleeve long and huge, completely obscuring his left arm, and the other short, leaving most of his right arm exposed. That, combined with his right collar being high and sharp, created an unsettling vision of asymmetry. 

If Hinata had to guess, she would have said that the first man to come through was Knuckle, and the second Shoot. The man in white bled confidence and joviality, but the one behind him was clearly timid. It matched up with what little Morel had told them. 

The two following after them were familiar to her. Killua and Gon, looking out of place amongst all the new arrivals thanks to their obvious youth. They were both wearing similar outfits to what Hinata had met them in, though they were modern, not built in line with the NGL’s all-organic restrictions. Gon was in mostly green, with a comfortable jacket and shorts, and Killua wore a blue tee-shirt and long black pants. 

Of all the new arrivals, they seem the most relaxed. Killua made eye contact with Hinata for a moment and then looked away, walking off to the side; Gon followed him with a curious look. The boy looked innocent, but there was a steel edge in his eyes.

The last person to step through was a woman with long and lustrous auburn hair, hazel eyes, and sharp features. She was undeniably beautiful, like someone out of a magazine, and the impression was only enhanced by her teal dress, and the knives strapped to her chest. Next to Hinata, Morel twitched, some minute and unintentional flinch. Hinata glanced at him. The last woman was probably Palm Siberia, and by Morel’s reaction, there was something surprising about her. 

The portal closed, and Hinata suddenly felt overwhelmed by all the new arrivals. She could tell she wasn’t the only one; her teammates were similarly uncertain. It was the most people they’d been with at once since crossing through the portal. Especially after a month of near isolation in the NGL, the sudden influx was a little shocking.

“Come. We’ve got to hurry.” It was the Chimera Ant, Colt, of all the arrivals that started moving first. He glanced at the medical team. “We must reach the Queen immediately.”

The group nodded, trudging after the Chimera Ant as it began moving towards the nest. Hinata wondered where Isaac Netero was. He hadn’t arrived with everyone else.

“He’s right,” Knov told them. He walked over, glancing at Hinata’s stiff leg. “Hinata, is it safe to enter the nest?” 

She blinked, activating her Byakugan for just a second or so with an internal surge of cold energy. 

“Including the Queen, there are a dozen Chimera Ants remaining in the nest,” she told him. “I assume that... “ she looked to the Chimera Ant that had started all this, and it glanced back, its fearful look narrowing as it noticed her unusual eyes, “Colt has assured you the remaining ones won’t attack?”

“As best I can,” the Ant said, not slowing down. The whole group was on the move now, jogging through the forest. It was less than a kilometer to the nest. “I can’t guarantee my comrades intentions, but anyone that’s stayed behind has done so out of loyalty to the Queen. They won’t risk her safety, even if that means letting humans into the Nest.” 

The creature sounded so polite, and so desperate. It sent chills down Hinata’s spine.

“Good enough,” the man in white grunted. He was right behind the Ant, but slowly dropped back to be level with Hinata. He glanced at her leg; even at the mild pace, her limp was obvious and painful. Hinata glanced at him, keeping her expression neutral. Somehow, in just a minute she’d ended up seperate from Shino and Kiba in the little convoy. Looking around, she saw Shino and Morel in quiet conversation. Kiba was alone, on the edge of the group, but Gon was giving him an odd look.

“So, you’re Hinata?” he asked. She nodded, and he grinned, all teeth, and leveled a thumb at himself. “I’m Knuckle; that quiet guy behind us in Shoot.” Hinata’s assumption had been right after all: Shoot trailed the group with a taciturn expression. “Our master mentioned you. You’ve been helping out, huh?” 

“Something like that,” Hinata grunted, her hip flaring in pain. “He only told us about you earlier today.” 

“Ah, he’s a hard guy like that,” Knuckle said, maintaining his smile. “Always keeps things close to his chest.” His smile shrunk a little. “I’m sorry about your injuries. It’s a shame we weren’t here earlier.”

Hinata gave him a look: it was an odd thing to say. “They were my fault,” she said. “No reason for you to be sorry.” Was it because she was a woman? Knuckle shrugged.

“You’re not what I imagined, I’ll admit,” he said. “The way my master and Killua talked about you, I thought you’d be a little...” he frowned, realising there wasn’t a polite way to end that sentence. Hinata giggled, her chest feeling a little lighter.

“Taller?” she suggested, and the man laughed back. He had about ten inches on her, after all.

“Something like that,” he admitted. “Master’s told me you and your comrades were indispensable in dealing with the Ants as quickly as you all have. You’ve got all our thanks for that.” 

Hinata smiled and nodded, glancing to her left, where Gon and Killua ran. They were nearly at the nest: the group as a whole broke out of the forest. Some of the doctors were sweating, but they moved without complaint. Hinata wondered why Knov hadn’t transported them through Hide and Seek, to the portal he’d managed to place within the nest; perhaps they’d decided to stay with the group for safety, just in case.

Killua had been talking about her, Knuckle had said. Hinata wondered what exactly that meant. They traveled in silence for another minute or so, drawing closer to the nest.

“Alright,” Knov announced as the group slowed down in front of one of the nest’s main entrances. The hole in the structure yawed like a dark mouth, foul smells emanating from the dim interior. “Straight to the Queen.”

“Hold up.” It was Killua who spoke up, Gon close at his side. “You don’t mind if we don’t go up with the rest, right?”

“Ah.” Morel glanced at Gon, and the small teen stared back at him. Hinata couldn’t define his expression. It was something between beaming and a cold stare, determination and cheer combined into something bizarre and powerful. “Kite?” 

“Right,” Gon said as medical personal shuffled past him. “We’ve got to find him. It’s already been too long.”

Kite. One of the odd mysteries of the nest. The first time Hinata had seen him frozen in a block of ice, covered in horrible scars from head to toe, she’d been absolutely sure the man was dead. It had been to her substantial shock the next day that he’d been up and unmistakably alive, though still clearly injured. The man resided in one of the nest’s deeper chambers, serving as a kind of training dummy for the Ants.

A training dummy that usually won its fights. Hinata wasn’t sure what had prompted the man’s apparent resurrection, or how exactly the malevolent puppet created by the cat-like Royal Guard kept him docile, but after having her Byakugan defeated by the same Guard, she was unwilling to underestimate anything about the strange and terrifying powers of Nen.

Killua, Gon, and Kite had been traveling together. It was obvious Gon felt some connection to the man if he was that focused on him.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Morel said. He looked back, pointing at Knuckle. “Hey, go with Killua and Gon. Find Kite. We’ll handle the Queen.” The man nodded, his face growing serious. 

Hinata looked to her team for their opinion. Kiba came over, greeting Knuckle with a nod.

“We’ll bring them to him,” he said. “Shino’ll go up with the medical team.” He grinned. “Guess he’ll finally get his hands on the Queen after all.”

The group quietly dissolved, breaking up into two rough groups. Shino, Morel, Knov, Palm, Shoot, the medical team, and Colt rushed into the nest, intent on ascending it and reaching the Queen high above. Knuckle, Killua, and Gon stayed behind with Hinata and Kiba. 

“Hey,” Gon said cheerfully, sticking out his hand. “I’m Gon. Gon Freecss.”

Hinata took it with a smile, disarmed by the show of good faith. “I’m Hinata Hyuuga. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gon.” 

“Yeah,” he said, speaking quickly. “Killua told me about your eyes. They sound really incredible! You should be able to lead us right to Kite, right?”

Monofocused. Hinata actually sort of liked that. Still shaking his hand, she flared her eyes once more, tracking Kite.

He was waiting deep in the nest, standing alone and still in a dark and empty chamber. There was only one Ant between them and him; it looked like a somber koala in a small suit. Hinata wondered where on earth the Ant had acquired it, especially given the NGL’s ban on synthetic fabric.

“I’ve got him,” she said, releasing both Gon’s hand and her Byakugan. “Don’t worry, we’ll go right to him.”

“Thanks.” Hinata started walking, and the group followed her. Gon stayed alongside her, growing a little more somber. “Morel told us you got injured fighting that Royal Guard. Neferpitou.”

“Neferpitou?” Hinata asked, and Killua drew up on her either side. She noticed with amusement she’d been sandwiched by the teens. They were both clearly interested in her, almost certainly due to her introduction to Killua.

“That Ant that surrendered, Colt,” Killua said, his voice softer than Gon’s. “He told us that was that thing’s name. All the Royal Guards have long names like that. Most of the Ants apparently just shortened them to the bit at the end, so they called that one Pitou.” 

Neferpitou. Pitou. Hinata considered that as they walked deeper into the nest, its shadows swallowing them. After a month of attacks and occasional starvation, the nest was cleaner than ever. Even the bones that had haunted her had been consumed by the Ants’ hunger. Everything edible had been stripped away before the exodus caused by the Queen’s injury. 

She was glad the younger boys hadn’t had a chance to see the nest at its worst.

The Royal Guard’s name sounded delicate but dangerous. Maybe it was only because of Hinata’s experience with it. Hinata wondered if she would meet it face to face once more. Almost certainly. 

“I was,” she said, responding to Gon’s words almost six seconds after he’d said them. “I got lucky. It could have been worse.” 

“Lucky or not, if you could fight that thing, you must be pretty strong,” Killua said. Hinata glanced at him cockeyed. The knowledge that he was from a family of world famous assassins made her readjust her assumptions about him. A innocent look was now recast as him blatantly sizing her up.

“I suppose,” she said, deciding to try and engage the quieter boy with a soft smile. “That needle of yours is gone. Did you have it removed?”

“He did it himself!” Gon said, sticking his tongue out. “Dug it right out, and didn’t even warn me. I thought he’d gone crazy, sticking his hand in his head like that.” Behind them, Kiba and Knuckle chatted. “Still, we gotta thank you for seeing that thing.”

“Oh?” Hinata asked as Killua shushed Gon.

“Well, I did want to thank you actually,” the teen admitted awkwardly. “Who knows how long it would have been before I noticed it if you hadn’t for me. So… thank you, for that.”

Killua Zoldyck clearly rarely handed out thanks, so Hinata decided to appreciate it.

“Of course,” she told him, trying to make him understand she wasn’t owed anything. She got the impression that was how Killua operated, under a system of grudges and debts. Hinata wasn’t sure what had created the assumption, couldn’t have explicated it if asked, but it was there nonetheless. “I just hope you were careful about that.”

“As much as I could be,” Killua said. They’d nearly reached Kite’s chamber, and she raised her hand, bringing the group to a stop.

“Kite’s in there,” she said, gesturing to a wide door to the left. Beyond it was the huge chamber that Kite hadn’t left in a month. “From what I’ve seen,” she said, looking at Gon, “he’s alive, but something is definitely wrong with him.” The teen frowned, the deep shadows of the nest erasing his eyes. “He’s attacked anything that’s approached him from what I’ve seen, but those were all Ants. Maybe if we’re lucky, he’ll recognize us. If not, we’ll have to disable him.”

“I’ll go first,” Gon said, striding through the doorway without a second thought. “If he’ll recognize anyone, it’ll be me.”

Hinata hoped that would be the case. It would be a relief to salvage even one life from the bloodsoaked nest.

They entered with Gon in the lead. Kite was apparent almost immediately; though cloaked in the darkness of the room, with the only light being several lanterns set near the corners, his shadowy form was obvious to the heightened senses of both the Hunters and Shinobi. The man stood completely still, his posture hunched, his heart beating only once every two seconds. Kite stood like a dead man, despite his struggling heart. His limbs twisted in an inhuman stance that nonetheless kept him on his feet, and his right eye refused to stay open, while his left was painfully wide, the eyelid seemingly drawn far back in his head.

Hinata’s own heart sped up. She’d seen it through the Byakugan, but in person, the static violence that bristled in every fiber of Kite’s body was shocking. Everyone with her had the same reaction, shifting themselves into a cautious guard. 

Except for Gon. He just approached the man, hands at his sides, palms out, the picture of pacifism. Kiba shot Hinata a worried look, and she suddenly had a moment of strange clarity. This reminded her of something, from decades ago. She tried not to let the sense of deja vu distract her.

“Gon,” Knuckles called after him, and Gon stopped about four meters from Kite. The man didn’t make a move. “Be careful. Something’s wrong.” Killua may have been a professional assassin, but to Hinata he sounded like any other concerned teenager.

“I know.” Gon’s voice was flat. The contrast to his previous cheerful self was startling. “The Ants did something to him. But it’s still Kite.” 

He grew a little louder, brighter. “Can you hear me, Kite?” He took another step forward. “We’re here. Killua and me.”

Gon choked, a little hiccup. His shoulders shook for a second before he steadied himself. “We’re sorry for leaving you behind, but we’re here now.” Another step. “You’ll be okay. Promise. We just gotta get you out of here.”

A third step. “I’m-”

For the first time, Kite moved. It was a measured mechanical reaction, like a piston firing, but it was undertaken with vicious speed. Without hesitation, the man slammed a right-handed jab directly into Gon’s face.

Gon tumbled backwards with a grunt of pain, and Hinata jumped, surprised by the sudden violence. Even under her eyes, Kite hadn’t had an obvious tell, not for the initial strike. Gon rolled to his feet, rubbing his lip with his right hand. He’d only partially managed to raise the shields of Nen Hunter’s used in a fight, and his cheek was bruised by consequence. His guard had been completely down.

“Jeez,” Kiba said, circling around to the man’s left. “You alright?”

“I’m fine,” Gon muttered, shaking his head. “I probably deserved that.”

“Gon.” Killua frowned. “The way he moved…” 

Gon grit his teeth. “Yeah. Not like Kite at all. It surprised me.”

He approached once more, more guarded this time. Once again, when he came within arms length of Kite, the man lashed out: this time, Gon took the blow on his arm, stumbling backwards with the force but remaining unharmed.

Hinata examined the scarred man, who seemed happy to remain still so long as no-one got too close. At the moment he’d attacked, there’d been a flash of purple in her chakra-enhanced sight, a color she knew no one else would be able to see.

“His body is filled with Neferpitou’s Nen,” she said, drawing Knuckle’s attention. “It’s possible it’s controlling him.”

Killua remained quiet, circling to Kite’s right, and Knuckle followed him. Gradually, the group came to surround Kite in a rough circle.

“So what do we do?” Killua asked. Knuckles clenched his fist.

“A.P.R. would be safest,” he said, the term unfamiliar to Hinata. Gon nodded. “Especially if we don’t want to hurt him too badly.” Dealing with people under the control of others was always such a pain, Hinata thought. It was a pity they didn’t have a Yamanaka with them. 

“A.P.R.?” Kiba asked. 

“Knuckle’s Hatsu,” Gon explained as Knuckle carefully approached Kite. “It’s pretty amazing: he almost totally beat me with it,”

“He let us win that fight,” Killua said. Knuckle looked offended, but didn’t contradict him. “If he’d been trying, you’d be in Zetsu for the next month.”

“That’s what it does?” Kiba asked, and Killua nodded.

“Oi!” Knuckle shouted. Kite remained still. “Don’t go explaining my technique without permission! Besides, you’ll probably get it wrong.”

He darted in in a boxer’s stance. Hinata was impressed by his speed; the man moved with the practiced grace of someone who’d been in far too many fights. Kite threw another punch, predictable compared to his first; he seemed to be drawing from the same moveset. Knuckle easily knocked the familiar blow aside and landed one of his own, a solid punch slamming into Kite’s lower ribs and pushing him back an inch.

The man didn’t react to the strike as Knuckle leapt back, gaining distance. So far as Hinata could tell, the punch had done no damage.

“Done,” Knuckle said with a frown. “Now we just have to wait.”

As Hinata watched, a little blue and white creature appeared on Kite’s shoulder, a clear product of Nen. It looked like the child of a cherub and a calculator: there was a pad on its forehead showing the number four-hundred. 

“That’s the Hatsu?” Kiba asked. Gon nodded.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “If it sits there long enough-”

“Don’t go straining yourself,” Knuckle cut in with a grin. Gon grew quiet, looking away and watching Kite with intense eyes. Next to him, Killua was doing the same. Hinata was sure she had no idea what they were going through; whatever had happened in the NGL before she had arrived, it had left a heavy mark on Killua and Gon. “The concept is simple enough,” Knuckle started saying, for her benefit. Both she and Kiba did their best to pay attention. “I lend the enemy a little of my aura, but with interest. So long as A.P.R. is active, I can’t hurt them, and they can’t hurt me. Additional attacks lend more aura, while attacks against me give it back. However…”

He paused, holding up one hand. Hinata cocked her head. The man waited one second.

“It’s time,” the Nen construct said, its voice high pitched and bubbly. “Adding interest!”

It swelled slightly, growing larger. The number on its head loudly flipped from four-hundred to four-hundred and forty. 

“Every ten seconds,” Knuckle continued, his rough voice undeniably proud, “A.P.R. adds interest to the pool of aura from my own Nen. I drive a hard bargain, so it’s ten percent. Once the aura its borrowed from me exceeds the targets total capacity of Nen…” He grinned, and A.P.R. spoke once again, growing larger. This time, the number on its head became four-hundred and eighty-four. “They go bankrupt.”

“Which means?” Kiba asked. 

“No more Nen,” Knuckle said. “A.P.R. becomes I.R.S. and cuts off all the opponent’s aura pores, forcing them into Zetsu.” He gestured to Kite. “Once he’s gone bankrupt, subduing him without hurting him will be easy.”

“So what?” Kiba said with a crooked grin. “We just wait?”

“Basically,” Knuckle acknowledged. He plopped down into a crosslegged position. “It’ll take a while for the interest to add up, but he seems happy to sit there while it does, so there’s no need to take any risks.” 

It was an ingenious and incredibly dangerous technique that could function on both offense and defense. Hinata couldn’t help but be impressed. She sank down as well, happy to be off of her bad leg. It was hard to believe Knuckle had just given everything away like that: perhaps he was still holding some information back, or Morel had convinced him the shinobi could be trusted without reservation. Whatever the reason, Hinata appreciated it.

“How long will it take?” she asked, and Knuckle shrugged.

“Anywhere between five to seven minutes,” he said. “Kite’s a dangerous guy, so he’ll have a lot of aura, but I have no idea how much exactly.” 

How many increments of interest was that? The math was simple, but Hinata was so tired the numbers just swam through her head. Six times a minute, five minutes, thirty loans. Who knew how much aura that was in the end. The final number was entirely beyond her foggy brain.

“We’ve got some time then,” Killua said with a glance at Kiba. “Maybe you guys can catch us up on what happened while we were gone.”

Kiba met his glance and shrugged, stretching his arms. He kept his eyes on Kite, still wary about him attacking despite the man’s apparent reactionary nature. “What’s there to say.” He coughed. “We killed a lot of Ants.” 

“How many?” Gon asked. The difference between him and Killua really was night and day; where Killua’s question had been vaguely cynical, Gon’s was painfully earnest. However, the steel was still there behind his eyes; it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to relax until Kite was out of danger.

“There were around two-thousand when we got started,” Kiba said. “We brought that down to like, four-hundred.” He grimaced. “Still way too many.”

“Jeez,” Killua said. “You guys were busy.” Kite watched them, his stretched eye observing them without seeing them. Hinata closed her eyes, not wanting to meet the man’s gaze.

But the darkness behind her eyelids unnerved her. She activated her Byakugan instead. Better to see everything instead of nothing. 

“Netero did most of the work,” Kiba said. Hinata watched Gon and Killua, doing her best to weigh their minute movements. Knuckle was watching her with open curiosity; he had the least experience with the Byakugan, so that was only natural. Hinata realized she hadn’t opened her eyes. He was probably wondering if she could still see. “That old man’s really something.”

“He’s a scary guy,” Gon said with a nod. “Killua and I met him when we took the Hunter Exam; he was super cool.” 

Hinata listened to the conversation in the background as she observed an unfolding drama nearly a hundred meters above them. The medical team had reached the Queen, and the Hunters and Shino were gathered around the dying monster, along with Colt.

The Chimera Ant was crying. Hinata never thought she’d have seen something like that. The medical team was performing an ad-hoc surgery on the Queen, hooking her up to several artificial organs and poking at her terrible injuries with caution. Hinata doubted it would be enough: the Ant’s entire abdomen had been shredded, along with most of her organs. Shino was observing the whole process with an intense focus she’d only seen from him once or twice before. The Queen was one-of-a-kind, after all, so his interest was more than reasonable.

There were other Ants aside from Colt; they hung behind the Hunters and Shino, clearly concerned for the Queen but hesitant to get too close. A giant blue Bull-Ant, one that looked like a Penguin, a giant turtle with ancient features, another with the body of a man and the head of an octopus with a tentacle beard. It was a freakish collection. 

But for the first time, Hinata didn’t feel disgust or fear at the creatures’ appearances. The Byakugan revealed every inch of their own terror and uncertainty. They clustered like frightened children, not sure of what they should do.

The thought came back, impossible to avoid, as Hinata looked between the Ants and Gon and Killua, seated nearby.

How long ago had they been born? Several months at the absolute most. They really were children, no matter how developed their bodies or minds, even more so children then the teens sitting next to her. 

Killua could tell she was looking at him; no doubt some instincts he’d picked up as an assassin. It was no wonder he’d realized she was tracking him when they’d first ‘met.’ He gave her a curious look, and Hinata shifted, intentionally confirming his suspicions.

Children. Children watching their mother slowly die. For the first time, Hinata felt a twinge of sympathy for the Chimera. No matter how terrible their crimes, no one should be forced to watch their parent die.

“The Queen’s dying,” she said, interrupting Kiba as he explained to Killua how he had baited nearly a hundred Ants into Knov’s Hide and Seek traps and Netero’s grasp. “The medical team can’t save her.”

“Damn, no chance huh?” Knuckle said. “That’s a shame. It might have been nice to take her alive.”

“Shino will be disappointed, that’s for sure,” Kiba said. He chuckled weakly. “Though he probably won’t admit it.”

He was right: after losing an arm, Shino probably deserved a living queen to take back to the Aburame. The NGL wasn’t a place of fairness.

“Shino?” Gon asked.

“Our other teammate,” Kiba said. “He’s the whole reason we came here: we heard about the Chimera Ants, and his clan is super into bugs, so we decided to come with him to look for them."

Killua cocked an eyebrow. “How did you hear about the Ants? Kite’s team was the one following them, and they didn’t tell many people.”

Kiba shrugged. “Dunno. I wasn’t curious how he found out. You can ask him if you want.”

Hinata doubted Killua would. Silently, she watched the Queen die as though she were standing alongside Shino. It was a quiet passing; one of the Ants was saying something to the group, but the Queen herself just lay there, her mandibles gradually clicking together.

Hinata realized that she’d missed something. The notion was a shock, but also seemed fitting. One of the Queen’s organs wasn’t an organ at all; she’d looked it over, another assumption blinding her to what her eyes were actually seeing. It was a tiny creature, something that looked just like a human fetus. Colt withdrew it from the Queen’s dying body, tears running down his cheeks, and the impossibly small thing started screaming; the plaintiff wailing of a newborn. 

It didn’t look at all like an Ant: its features were entirely human. Hinata didn’t understand how that was possible. Behind Colt, Morel began crying too, his huge body shuddering. Hinata didn’t understand why. She must have missed something. She focused on the man’s lips as he spoke to Colt.

“If you promise to never devour a human,” he said to a shocked Colt, “I swear, you’ll be under my protection.”

Hinata sucked in a breath, eliciting a questioning look from everyone present. Morel had the same sort of kind naivete shining through him as her husband. Seeing it here, far from home, in a man who until then had been calculating and somewhat cold, choked her.

As did seeing it applied to the Ants.

She looked down, deactivatng her Byakugan. 

Children. 

Murderous children.

Her hands curled into fists. 

“Something wrong?” Kiba asked. Hinata shook her head. 

“The Queen’s gone,” she said. Took a shuddering breath. “Which reminds me.” She looked to Killua. “Where is Netero? Why isn’t he with you?”

“The Chairman had to take care of something else, apparently. No idea what,” Knuckle answered. He huffed. “Dunno what could be more important than this, but he’s got the big job for a reason.”

Something more important that the death of the Chimera Queen? Hinata tried not to let her creeping paranoia influence her.

“Y’know,” Gon said, “I gotta ask something.” Killua shot him a look, which the other boy ignored. “Hinata?”

She couldn’t ignore him. “Yes, Gon?”

The teen’s face screwed up. “How the heck did you manage to fight Neferpitou? I could only manage it…” His gaze wandered over to Kite, pale and ragged, and his mouth hardened into a harsh line. “She’d hurt Kite, and I was so mad I stopped thinking. If Killua hadn’t knocked me out, I definitely would've died.” 

“Implying you were thinking before, idiot,” Killua prodded good-naturedly, and Gon laughed. He seemed just a bit lighter than before. Something had happened while Hinata was focused on the Queen, she was sure.  

“Well, you know what I mean!” he jabbed back, refocusing on Hinata. “That aura of hers, it was way too intense. When I woke up, I couldn’t believe I’d pushed through it. So, I’m wondering…” he frowned. “Can you tell me how you did it? I’ve got to get stronger; I was almost too weak to come here, to save Kite. If it weren’t for Killua…" 

“Give yourself some credit, Gon!” Knuckle said. “It was your Jajanken that took me down!” The boy smiled, but Hinata could see the uncertainty that was drowning him.

She’d seen what Netero had said to Killua a month ago: it was obvious from what he’d said and what Morel had told them that Gon and Killua had competed with Knuckle and Shoot for the duty of entering the NGL. The Hunters hadn’t wanted anyone unworthy arriving. 

But despite arriving with the other Hunters, Gon didn’t feel like he deserved to be here. She understood that now. 

“There’s no secret to it,” she told him after a moment of thought. “You seem like a smart kid: I’m sure you understand there’s nothing like a switch you flip.”

“If you want to be strong,” Gon said. Strong enough to protect what was important to you, Hinata heard underneath his words. He understood that critical principle, despite his age. Hinata was glad: she’d seen too many young ninja in the new generation who thought strength was all their was to growing. “I know. I’ve been a Hunter for almost two years now, and that whole time, I’ve been training all the time, with Killua too.” He frowned. “But it’s still not enough.”

“It takes time,” Hinata said softly. “Time, experience, bravery, luck.” Knuckle nodded. “You’re young: don’t worry that you needed help to save Kite this time.” She did her best to smile. “Hopefully he won’t need saving again, but the next time something like this happens, you have to remember that your whole life you’ll be working towards something you can’t see. Sometimes you just have to have faith you’ll get there.”

Gon tilted his head. “So that’s how you fought Neferpitou?”

It was so refreshing to talk to children again. Hinata felt light, warmth, releasing inside her. Something she’d suppressed as she’d clinically directed the slaughter of the Ants, that her ancestor’s chakra had pushed away. 

“Well, in a way,” she said. “But I didn’t think about it like that. It ambushed me.” She gestured to the hundreds of scabs, large and small, covering her arms, legs, and face, her hand settling on her stiff leg. “There wasn’t any time to think about how scared I was. I just had to live.” 

“So you were scared,” Gon said quietly. “That’s good. Why’d you have to live?” 

Hinata blinked. It was a bizarre question. KIllua, Kiba, and Knuckle seemed to agree, given their various reactions. Even Kite contributed to the oddness, despite not moving at all. She was surrounded by incredulous K’s. That, combined with the surreal query, made her giggle a little.

“Why’d I have to live?” she said, and Gon nodded. 

“I’m not an idiot,” he said. “People don’t wanna die. But you don’t seem like someone who’d fight just to stay alive. I never do.”

Hinata tilted her head. She couldn’t tell if the boy was truly an idiot, or much sharper than he let on. There was some serious, if sophomoric, philosophy buried in the observation. It took her about ten seconds to decide if she wanted to answer the question honestly. A.P.R.’s quiet announcement of incrementing interest stretched the silence. 

“I have two children,” she said. “Boruto, my son, and Himawari, my daughter. Boruto’s only a couple years younger than you.” She felt her eyes narrowing, and Killua stiffened, almost scooting back. She’d accidentally released a hint of Hamura’s chakra. “If Neferpitou had killed me, they’d have lost their mother. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Makes sense,” Gon said with a grin. “Thanks for telling me.” He looked back to Kite, who sightlessly gazed back. “I’m glad we met you. Who knows if we’d have been able to reach Kite so quick otherwise.”

Kiba chuckled. “You’re too good with kids, Hinata.”

She didn’t know what to say to either of them, so she stayed silent. The quiet persisted for another twenty or so seconds. At that point, Knuckle blinked, rising from his squat into a ready position.

“Hey,” he said. “Looks like it’s time.” Hinata looked to him, and then A.P.R.

“It’s time!” the little thing said, its voice warping and dropping an octave. It had steadily grown as time had passed: while it had started out the size of Hinata’s head, it was now almost as big as her. “Looks like you’re bankrupt! Too bad!” It cackled, and suddenly turned inside out: its cute spherical head withdrew into its body and emerged out its bottom looking like a vicious and bedraggled cat with unrealistically sharp teeth. Its whole body followed, inverting itself and becoming thinner, meaner, and darker. The thing flipped over, still cackling. It was now about the same size as A.P.R. had been when it had first appeared.

‘This must be I.R.S.’ Hinata flared her Byakugan; Kite’s energy had been forced back inside his body. He looked like a dead tree, cold and static

“Alright,” Knuckle said, walking forward. “He should be safe to approach now.”

There was no opportunity for Hinata to give a warning. A monstrous figure sprung up behind Kite: a huge floating torso with a wide sharp grin and pinprick yellow eyes, its hands greedily stretched out over the injured Hunter. A string of Nen wormed down from each of its fingers. Kite sprang forward with incredible fluid speed; his movement and initiative was nothing like it had been before.

Knuckle had the reflexes to see the attack coming, but not the speed to avoid it. He barely had time for a strangled “What?!” before Kite hammered a roundhouse into his side, sending him flying into the wall of the cavern.

Hinata jumped back, along with everyone else. Kite’s whole body pulsed with menacing purple light. There was no doubt now that somehow, Neferpitou was controlling him.

“Okay, uh-” Kiba started to say. But unlike before, Kite was no longer happy to stand around at wait for his opponents to make a move. Now, as the gigantic Nen construct hovering over him grinning madly, he rushed forward with lethal intent. Killua was his first target. 

The pale boy saw him coming, and dodged his first vicious punch by darting to the side, under the blow. Kite kicked out, and Killua leapt over the strike, but Kite was far faster than before; before Killua had even reached the apex of his jump, he reversed his kick, slamming it into the teen’s gut and sending him backwards and up. Killua gagged, and Kite leaped after him, trying to capitalize on his empty lungs.

Kiba intercepted him, knocking the maddened Hunter out of the air. They tumbled across the ground, Kiba trying to pull the taller man into a submission hold, until Kite slammed his forehead into Kiba’s nose. The Inuzuka howled in pain, and Kite took the opportunity to box both his ears, rolling on top of him and trying to crush his throat with an elbow.

Hinata reached him before the blow could land, slamming her palm into Kite’s chest. The man tumbled backwards, head over heels, before coming to his feet and launching off as though he hadn’t felt the blow. He didn’t directly attack Hinata: instead, he hurtled all around the chamber like a human pinball, never stopping in one place for more than a heartbeat. Hinata activated her Byakugan, tracking his movement.

“Forget it!” Knuckle called, coming to his feet.

Kite launched at Hinata from behind, and she ducked, sinking to her good knee and pivoting her hip to smash the back of her hand into the man’s ribs. Purple chakra flared, and Kite was sent crashing sideways, a vivid bruise on his side. 

“We gotta hit him for real!” Knuckle said, launching himself into the fight. He sprinted right into Kite’s face before the man could recover, launching into a flurry of punches that the puppeteered Hunter deflected without apparent effort. “Sorry Gon!"

“Kite!” Gon shouted. He came in from the side, and Knuckle trapped one of Kite’s punches in an armhold. The gangly man twisted, catching Gon’s full-body punch with his other hand, and was left pinned between the two Hunters. Gon glared at him from behind his trembling fist. “You taught me that sometimes, you just gotta knock some sense into people!” He dropped, flipped, and pushed off the ground. One foot kicked out and knocked Kite’s guard aside, and the other shot forward into the man’s chin: an impressively quick reverse double-kick. “So snap out of it!”

Hinata stayed back, her leg protesting, as Knuckle and Gon pushed the Hunter back with a relentless combo of punches and kicks. Kite gave ground without care, deflecting the vast majority of the attacks and sending both his opponents staggering with powerful punches aimed at their chest and neck; Kiba and Killua circled, waiting for an opportunity. The fight was impressive, but it wasn’t what Hinata was focused on.

Her attention was dominated by the puppeteer looming over Kite, and the play of Nen coursing between it and Kite. It was a beautiful technique, and as Hinata observed, she came to comprehend it more fully. It was something similar to, but far more developed than, the puppet jutsu used by the Hidden Sand. An autonomous puppet-master that manipulated its target with strings, but unlike the obvious string-use of Sunagakure, these strings filled the entire target with the Nen of the puppet’s creator.

It was a comprehensive and terrifying domination technique, very much like what had animated the puppets that had cared for Toneri in his lunar palace. Hinata felt even more sympathy for Kite; long ago, she’d been in his position.

The strings were composed of Nen, and the method by which it was transmitted into Kite’s body. They looked similar to the Hatsu the Royal Guard had manipulated itself with. The one Shino’s insects had eaten away at.

Hinata rose to her feet, a simple plan forming.

“Keep him occupied,” she said, making her voice heard over the constant low sounds of the intense fight. “I’m going to try and cut those strings.” 

“You’re an exorcist?!” Knuckle shouted, before Kite punched him full in the face. Killua rushed into his place as the man stumbled back hissing in pain, sending Kite dancing sideways with a series of kicks intent on crushing the man’s ankles and knees. Hinata had no idea what the term referred to.

Then again, Kite did seem to be possessed by a sort of ghost. Maybe if this worked she would be a sort of exorcist. 

She focused, channeling a thin scalpel of chakra into her right fist. It was the same principle as the Lions Fist, just sharper. A projected chakra blade like this wouldn’t be much use in an actual fight: not powerful enough to cut physical objects, and not precise enough to disrupt tenketsu or break up most jutsu. But here, it would be more than enough to cut some string made of spiritual energy. 

Hinata waited until Kite was on the backfoot, Killua burying a sparking fist in his kidney, before she launched herself. She sliced lengthwise, hoping to severe most of the strings in one go, but Kite reacted to her with impressive awareness, despite still being occupied by three opponents. He slipped down and away, kicking back Gon to give himself the space, and the puppeteer went with him. Hinata’s impromptu blade only cut three of the ten strings.

Kite sagged, scrambling away like an injured animal, and made a keening noise. Killua didn’t follow up on the successful attack; instead, he dropped back, clearly startled by the change in character and shocking scream. Gon did the same, his eyes going wide. Kiba let out a short bark of a laugh and charged in, along with Knuckle; they drove Kite across the chamber as Hinata circled, looking another opportunity, like lions leading prey into an ambush.

The opportunity came three seconds laters, and Hinata took it without hesitation, throwing herself into another leaping strike. Kite launched a sluggish counterattack, and Hinata twisted around the sloppy punch, cutting four more strings: only three were left on one of the puppeteer’s hands.

The Hunter stumbled backwards, spasming. His limbs twitched, along with his head; the shiver traveled down until his whole body was trembling violently. Kite sagged to the right, his foot dragging, barely able to stay on his feet. His eyes rapidly blinked. He looked like a man having a deadly stroke.

“Um,” Gon said. “Is he-?”

Hinata charged; the man didn’t offer any resistance. 

She cut the last three strings in a single pass.

Kite fell over. 

Hinata realized her mistake in the span of time between Kite’s breathing stopping and his heart doing the same, a moment so short it essentially didn’t exist.

There was no inertia, no struggle for survival. In an instant, all of the man’s organs shut down. He went from stiff and alive to limp and dead before he hit the ground.

Hinata’s mistake was both subtle and total. She’d made yet another fatal assumption. Not fatal to her, but fatal nonetheless. She’d seen the chakra strings and come to think what was controlling Kite was a puppeteer jutsu.

She’d been right, but her experience with chakra techniques had deceived her.

When Kite hit the ground, the Hyuuga realized the technique she’d just cut off had more in common with the Edo Tensei than Sunagakure’s puppets. She’d been right, a month ago. Kite had been quite dead. The Royal Guard Neferpitou had simply animated his body with its Nen; imparted it with artificial life for reasons beyond Hinata’s comprehension. Made its heart beat to  keep its muscles healthy, its brain active to glean a hint of the man’s impressive combat reflexes.

Saving Kite had never been a possibility. There was nothing in the nest to salvage. 

All of this came to Hinata in a second as she watched the unintentional consequences of her actions crumple to the floor. Neferpitou’s Hatsu evaporated in a cloud of chuckling malice.

There was a pregnant silence as left-over air slipped from from Kite’s lungs, like a long, final sigh. 

“Hey.” Gon took a step forward. “Kite?” 

“You alright?” 

Hinata was frozen in place as Gon moved closer to the body. She understood that he didn’t yet comprehend what had happened. It only took a second for her to know that both Knuckle and Killua, along with Kiba, had come to the same conclusion as her by now. 

Gon was the only one who hadn’t immediately understood Kite’s passing. Almost certainly because he had the least experience with death.

“Kite?” Gon bent down to one knee, placing his hand on Kite’s own, splayed out before him. “What’s…”

He froze as soon as he touched Kite’s hand, not even breathing. Hinata held her own breath as well. The boy became a statue, just as still as Kite.

Silently, something inside Gon broke. Hinata saw it as clearly as anything the Byakugan could have showed her.

Killua slowly approached, laying his hand on his friend’s shoulder. He reminded Hinata of her father in a flash of deja vu: severe, calm, and sad all at once. It was almost disturbing to see a face like that on a fourteen year old.

“Gon,” he said. “He’s gone.”

Gon sank to both knees. His hands curled into fists as his face fell into a sharp and ugly expression.

“He can’t be gone,” he whispered. “He was just alive. Kite wouldn’t die.” He started shaking.

“Pitou killed him,” Killua said. He said it without thinking, and then paused to collect himself. “The night she attacked us. She killed him and then brought him back like this.” He tightened his hold on Gon’s shoulder, looking up at Hinata. “Right? You must have seen it.” 

Hinata nodded. “Only after I cut the strings,” she admitted. “I misunderstood the technique.” She released the breath she’d been holding. “The puppet was keeping his heart beating, but he was already dead.”

“Pitou killed him?” Gon muttered, staring with blank eyes at the body. He wasn’t seeing Kite’s corpse; Hinata wasn’t sure he was seeing anything. “Pitou killed him? That night?" 

He looked back up over his shoulder at Killua. “Really?”

‘It’s not true, right?’  

The plea broke Hinata’s heart. Killua’s grave nod didn’t help.

Gon looked back at the body, seeing it, really looking at it, for the first time. Behind him, Knuckle watched the proceedings with a somber face: all the good cheer had gone out of him. Kiba had a similar look, his newly broken nose twitching. His grimace was only enhanced by the blood covering his mouth.

Gon bared his teeth, his fists curling so tight his nails cut into his palms.

He slammed them into the floor in front of Kite’s corpse, cratering the stone-like material. The sickening thud of flesh twisted Hinata’s stomach. Gon struck again, and again: he remorselessly crushed his fists into the ground, ripping skin off his knuckles and shattering the floor further.

“DAMN IT!” he screamed, tears starting to flow. Whereas before he’d been speaking so quietly Hinata had strained to hear him, now his voice was monstrous. Hinata saw Shino and Morel flinch and turn around near the top of the nest, alerted by the scream. 

“DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!” With every scream, Gon grew louder, and he struck at the ground with more and more rage. Orange energy flowed out of his body, twisting around him like a vortex, putting Hinata’s hair on end. It warped, black streaks flowing from Gon’s shoulders and hair, some of the blood from his torn knuckles being sucked up into the raging aura as well. His tears were lifted up into it as well, mixing with the blood. The raw manifestation of Gon’s desperation and despair pushed against Hinata like a solid wall.

But no matter how it intensified, Killua maintained a steady hold on Gon’s shoulder, a rock in the middle of a violent black storm. 

“I’ll kill you.” Gon’s voice like a knife. Killua winced, the aura intensifying. Hinata could feel it even at this distance, see it just as easily; Gon’s Nen pricked at her like thousands of black needles, sending goosebumps racing along her body and raising a cold sweat in the small of her back. Standing right next to him, Killua must have felt like someone was running blades up and down his body. “I’ll kill you!” 

Killua tightened his grip, his face stricken, and Gon let out one final scream, even louder than his previous shouts. His whole body stretched, as though he was trying to push himself into the sky without leaving the ground, and his aura stretched with it, smashing into the ceiling and exploding out across the room. Hinata actually felt herself rock back on her feet from the force of it.

Gon didn’t stop screaming when he ran out of air. Instead, he remained there with an open mouth, trembling in a rictus of loss. He didn’t need to speak for his Nen to send the same message his words had been.

Finally, he slumped, gasping for air. His Nen whipped away, drawing back into his body, slowly lightening back to its initial orange. His fists uncurled, bruised and bleeding.

For ten seconds, the room was silent and still as everyone did their best to cope with the sudden absence of both Kite and Gon’s buffeting hatred. Kiba shot Hinata a glance she couldn’t read, while Knuckle moved towards the younger Hunters.

“I’m sorry, Kite,” Gon eventually said, his voice shuddering but coherent. He dragged himself to his feet, away from the body. Killua uncertainly supported him. “I’ll be stronger next time.”

He looked down at the corpse of the man who had obviously been so dear to him. “Promise." 

The other Hunters and Shino were coming, drawn by the explosion of Nen and shouting. They’d arrive within the minute. Hinata had no idea what to do: she’d never dreamed Gon’s reaction would have been so violent. 

Her instincts as a mother implored her to provide the teen with some comfort. Her experience as a shinobi told her that everyone reacted to grief differently, and that he might not appreciate any open affection. She paralyzed by indecision.

‘How many children did you kill in the last month?’

Hinata stepped forward.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

Obligations

Certainty. The setting sun. Hinata watched it with tired eyes. A month’s worth of stress had piled up inside her body, making her feel thick and heavy. The sun would always set, no matter where they were. That much was sure. 

Uncertainty. Everything else.

The shinobi had retreated to seclusion at the top of the nest; there was a small platform there, an observation point the Ants had used. It had been a long day, beginning with the King’s birth and rushed along by the Ant’s surrender, Gon’s outburst, and the messy business of determining the remaining Chimera’s fates. It had gone by too fast, but in bursts of impossible slowness. Looking back, Hinata felt as though she’d only been awake for four or five hours, but that each of those hours had been a day unto their own.

Kiba sighed, leaning back. “Fuck,” he groaned. “What now?”

Good question, Hinata tried to say, her throat sealed up by weariness. She settled for a nod, sure Kiba would understand her.

“We’ve accomplished the mission,” Shino said. He was the only one of them who was standing, his back to Hinata. His profile against the setting sun took Hinata’s breath away: not because of the natural beauty of the amber and gold light creeping around his body, but because of the absence it highlighted on his right side. “The Queen is dead, but I have more than enough of her corpse, including a portion of her primary parthogenisis organ. That’s what we came for.” 

Hinata frowned, taking a deep breath. “But it’s not why we stayed.”

“Definitely not,” Kiba said, leaning forward. “But I don’t think any of us thought we were going to get this messed up.”

“It was always a risk,” Shino said. “And a necessary one.”

“And now?” Kiba said. “Now that you got your Ant-dick or whatever; what now?”

Hinata couldn’t keep a grunt of amusement from escaping her, but Kiba’s question was what they were all thinking. He hadn’t made it explicit, but there was really only one choice to make. Stay or go.

This wasn’t their home; from a purely rational perspective, with their mission fulfilled, they had no reason to stick around. The troubles of the Mitene Union, and the world beyond it, weren’t their own. At most, they were a situational concern of a Shinobi Union trade partner, which was none of their business.

But being a shinobi was never about making purely rational decisions. It hadn’t been for some time. Hinata and her teammates had forged a hard-earned connection with the Hunters assailing the Ants; they’d bled alongside them. And now even beyond that, the Hunter Association and every human on the continent had a deadlier enemy than ever.

Morel had told them that in the days to come, more Hunters would be flooding the Union, responding to the Chairman’s call for assistance now that the situation had escalated. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that was the inevitable result of their mission to kill the Queen failing. It also didn’t take much to assume the worst about the capabilities of the King; as the culmination of the Ant’s genetic optimization, it was possibly as far beyond its own Royal Guard as the Guard were the normal Ants.

An absolutely horrifying prospect.

Meruem. That was what the Queen had named him, according to Morel. Useless information, since the creature would never learn it. But despite the pointlessness of the name, a dying mother taking time to name the child that had murdered it had chilled Hinata to the core. 

“What was it that Colt said?” Kiba piped up. They’d passed nearly a minute in silence. “The King was hungry?”

“‘His hunger was overwhelming,’” Shino answered, quoting the Ant. “It was likely an issue of genetic loyalty; the Ants felt the King’s hunger, and were determined to fix it as quickly as possible.” He shifted, turning to glance at Hinata and Kiba. “Hence, the autocannibalism. They are extremely fortunate the King did not decide to eat any of them before the Royal Guard arrived.”

“So he’s probably already eaten a bunch of people, wherever he went,” Kiba said. The revelation that the bite marks on Colt’s hand had been self-inflicted had been one of the drawn out hours, after Gon’s breakdown at Kite’s death. The King’s hunger driving his servants to going after their own limbs in sympathetic starvation was beyond anything Hinata had seen out of the Ants before. Monsters eating humans was expected; eating themselves was a different story. 

“Certainly,” Shino said. “And he’ll consume many more, if he’s not stopped. Perhaps everyone on the continent.”

KIba squinted, the setting sun painting his black hair with streaks of dull red. “Implying something, Shino?”

“Stating the obvious,” Shino said. He nodded at Hinata. “Hinata knows. You know. We all know. That Chimera King, Meruem, he’s a walking threat of extinction for mankind in this world. We’ve seen nothing in their capabilities that would allow the Hunters to safely destroy him; if they had some great weapon, they would have used it on the nest. That we are in this situation denotes its absence.”

 He turned back around, facing the vanishing sun. “I was the one who set us on this mission. If you’ll forgive a bit of hubris, I’m going to expand the parameters.” 

Kiba scoffed, but Hinata saw the ghost of a smile. He glanced at her, and she closed her eyes.

Uncertainty. Bubbling hate, fear, rage, love, homesickness.

But above all that, ringing in her head and drowning out the emotions stirred up by her children, her husband, the Ants, the Hunters, the sunset…

‘Right place. Right time.’

‘You cannot turn away.’

Was it the cold passion of her ancestor, or her own hatred of suffering that provided that clarity? Hinata didn’t know, but she was thankful for it all the same. 

“So that’s it?” she asked, as much to herself as her team. “We stay? Do what good we can?” 

“Unless a better option presents itself,” Shino affirmed. “Kiba?”

The Inuzuka tapped the ground. “What the hell. I gotta pay back that thing for breaking my nose anyway,” he grunted.

The quiet enormity of their decision pushed them down, but Hinata felt lighter. Making any decision, even a dangerous one, had cleared her head. Her chest ached, the vision of her children receding.

The decision hurt, but at the same time, it almost made her glad. She wasn’t so selfish, she thought, that she’d put seeing her children sooner ahead of hundreds, thousands, of other lives. Lives that she could save, in the right place, at the right time. When they were older, they would understand.

She was sure of that.

“Would we have done this twenty years ago?” Kiba wondered. Hinata let out a soft laugh.

“Naruto did,” she said, the thought of her husband bringing a smile to her face. Kiba groaned, mumbling “Naruto” in a simpering tone with a good-natured smile of his own.

“I’ve taught that in the Academy, you know,” Shino said, turning his back on the nearly disappeared sun and sitting with them. “That mission to Wave.”

“Of course you have,” Kiba said. “It’s a good example for the kids. Being a shinobi’s about more than being paid.”

“That,” Shino said, “and that sometimes clients lie. And that no matter what, you will face unexpected challenges.”

“So it’s become a story.” Hinata was used to that. Somehow, without them noticing, so much of her and her classmate’s life had become a story for the next generation. “What do you tell them the moral is?”

“It’s a good story,” Shino said with a small smile of his own. They were all smiling now, seated above a monument to human misery, united in their trust and camaraderie. “An underdog story; they’re always popular, even if most children can’t picture the Hokage as ever being in a position of weakness.”

“And the moral?” Kiba asked, leaning forward like a student himself.

“Trust your team,” Shino said gravely, “and take all challenges head on, with everything you have.” He leaned back. “And maybe you’ll get a bridge named after you.”

“Pfft,” Kiba slapped his knee once, lightly. “Maybe we’ll get a country with our names slapped on it at this rate, going above and beyond.” He scratched his beard. “Could charge an extermination rate by now, I bet.”  

“Shinobi as high-priced exterminators,” Shino said dourly.

“Not the strangest thing I’ve heard,” Hinata admitted. It wasn’t unusual for shinobi to take very un-ninja jobs nowadays, after all.

“Maybe,” Kiba muttered. He cocked his head south. “We gonna do anything about him?” he subvocalized, the words an inaudible murmur.

“No point,” Hinata said, not bothering to muffle her words. “It’s not a problem.”

She stood up, her feet steady under her. “We should head down. Check with the others. There’s definitely some planning to do.” Her team rose with her.

Their eavesdropper scuttled away as the sun gave up, finally sinking behind the mountains. Hinata was sure it was the last they would see in the NGL.

###

Killua realized that the shinobi knew he was listening in about a minute before their conversation ended. The realization sent a chill up his spine; not because it was sudden, but because of its creeping, gradual nature. They had detected him, and he hadn’t realized it. How long ago had it been? One minute? Two? Since the beginning? 

He’d considered approaching them then. It would have been honest, but changed nothing. They knew that he knew and he knew that they knew; all that revealing himself would accomplish was some embarrassment, a child emerging for an admonishment. He wasn’t in the mood for that.

So when the conversation ended, he left. They were all headed the same way. There was no point in going together. 

Killua chastised himself, his nails digging into his palm. Gon had distracted him; he’d been shaky since his only friend’s breakdown, haunted by the chilling sharpness that had washed over him. Gon’s despair and rage had hurt Killua worse than any injury.

`Thanks.’ The doubt that had dragged Killua down after their first foray into the NGL had returned, nipping at his heels. Gon had thanked him for knocking him out a month ago. ‘I would have gotten in Kite’s way.’ 

‘He wouldn’t ever let that thing beat him.’

Gon had said it with such unbelievable conviction, such unbreakable certainty, that Killua had had no choice but to believe him. He’s always respected and admired his first friend, but there, in that room with the light streaming in from the window and Gon’s face devoid of fear or blame, his soul filled with nothing but faith and a promise, Killua had seen something more. He’d felt something akin to a spiritual lightening, like he was in the presence of something both pure and anathema to people.

People like him, or people in general? Killua had struggled with that question. He couldn’t figure out where Gon’s faith came from, or why it had made his heart jump.

Now, the cynicism his family had filled his bones with since he was old enough to speak had an answer.

Denial.

It wasn’t an answer he agreed with–there was more to Gon than naivety–but it haunted him nonetheless. The outpouring of emotion Gon had nearly cut him with, down in the depths of the nest, had been born at least partly by that denial shattering. The reality of Kite’s death had done more damage to Gon than anyone else ever had; it had been his first true defeat. 

Killua’s hands slipped into his pockets, his pace slowing as he strode through the nest. He’d gained a little distance.

An unexpected thought came from the other side of him, the one that had been awakened, awestruck, by Gon’s light. 

Maybe it’s better this way, Killua thought.

It was a callous idea, and it surprised him coming from what he considered his better half, the side of him that Gon’s trust and friendship had brought out. The apparent callousness of it was what let him truly consider it; it baited his cynical heart in and brutally brought it to the ground.

Gon’s painful and hate-filled outpouring had been the product of a month of expectations brought to a sudden, crushing demise. He’d had no time to adjust; Kite’s corpse had been shoved right in his face, and his world had flipped in a moment. Killua’s pace slowed yet more as he sunk deeper into thought, the smells and sights of the abandoned nest falling into the background.

Maybe it was better this way. What if the Ants had brought Kite’s corpse with them, or the King had been born and abandoned the nest another month from now, ‘on schedule?’ Would Gon’s outburst have been the same, or twice as bad, another thirty days of feeling like a failure, of surety that Kite was just waiting to be rescued?

Twice as bad? Three times? Four? Emotions were unpredictable, and so was Gon. What would more time under pressure have produced when he came to the inevitable revelation?

Killua shivered, remembering the cold Nen. He tried to picture Gon in a state beyond that murderous despair, and could not. It was like trying to visualize the a new, unique color, or a sun without light. Impossible.

Maybe it was better to face a harsh reality, Killua thought, the two minds he carried with him everywhere–Gon’s friend, and the Zoldyck killer–speaking as one. Better to face a harsh reality than hold onto a deceptive dream.

Gon would recover. He always did. He’d carry the scar Neferpitou had given for the rest of his life, but he was strong. He would bounce back.

He had to.

Pitou was the lynchpin, Killua realized. Whether Gon would come back from this, and how whole and unmarred he would be when he did, revolved around the Ant that had taken Kite from him.

If Gon was to recover, Pitou had to die. The simple solution of a killer, Killua thought with a grimacing grin. 

He couldn’t take Pitou. That was self-evident. Neither could Gon. The Royal Guard had defeated Kite on its own, and Kite had been easily beyond both of them.

The only person he knew who had managed to injure Neferpitou, he realized, was Hinata Hyuuga. She’d had help, and come away covered in cuts and broken bones, but she’d accomplished what Kite had not.

Hinata Hyuuga, who a month ago had followed him all the way out of the NGL out of nothing more than concern. Hinata Hyuuga, who had consoled Gon aside Kite’s cooling body without a moment’s hesitation. Hinata Hyuuga, who had children of her own, and could see with perfect acuity for fourteen miles in any direction. 

If he and Gon stuck themselves to Hinata Hyuuga, who had just decided to remain with her comrades and do ‘what good they could,’ they would have the best chance of destroying Neferpitou and avenging Kite. It was simple and obvious.

The phone in Killua’s pocket buzzed, and he mindlessly withdrew it and answered without checking the number.

“We’re having a meeting.” Knov sounded as tired as Killua felt. “Near the entrance. Get there as soon as you can.”

Killua flipped the phone closed without a word, altering his path to head for the nest’s entrance. His opportunity may have arrived sooner than he’d thought.

### 

“We’ve got no idea where the King’s gone,” Morel said, leaning on his pipe and slouching in his seat. The semi-formal meeting was being conducted at the base of the nest in a loose circle; Knov had produced some folding chairs from Hide and Seek, and everyone present had seated themselves with the exception of Knuckle, who restlessly paced on the outside of the circle, to Morel’s left. “It’s a problem, but we’ve got other concerns right now.”

“The other Ants?” Shoot asked, and Morel nodded.

“Of course,” he confirmed. “Hundreds of Ants have already left the NGL, and are scattering across the continent. We’ve already got reports of them wandering into cities and wreaking havoc. Until we can locate the King, our main priority has to be hunting down the surviving Ants.”

“So what’s the plan, then?” Knuckle asked, kicking a tuft of dirt out of his way as he continued pacing. “We just chase them down one by one?”

“If I may interrupt?”

The Hunters and shinobi weren’t the only ones present at the meeting. Two of the Chimera Ants had stayed behind with them; Colt, and the penguin-looking Squadron Leader who went by Peggy. It had only been a short time, but Morel had been won over by Colt’s earnestness, and the humility and love he had shown the Queen and the quarter-sized offspring she’d birthed in her death throes. The kindness of the Ant clashed with its murderous acts over the last month, but Morel knew that things were not always so black and white; the Ants had considered them livestock, and Colt hadn’t been driven by malice like some of the other Ants Morel had encountered. He’d simply been serving his Queen.

It was a different kind of evil, he thought, but one he could understand, and work with. Maybe even admire, if he was honest with himself.

It was Peggy who had spoken up, his croaky voice slipping past Knuckle’s rough one. Knov, who was seated across from Morel, nodded to him, and the penguin straightened up. Its left arm came to an abrupt end: it had gnawed off the end of it after the King’s birth.

“With the Queen’s death,” he said, his voice wavering, “our former comrades will all shift their focus to becoming Kings and Queens of their own.”

“Meaning?” Palm asked. Morel couldn’t get over how healthy she looked compared to the last time he’d seen her: like a barren tree covering itself in blossoms in the spring.

“Meaning they will seek out population centers, with a preference for humans,” Peggy said. “Some will have already left the island, but not many. They will attempt to create nests of their own. If they’re met with too much resistance or fail to find a fruitful hunting ground, they’ll slink away to a more successful group, and abase themselves before the most powerful Ant there.” It sighed. “It’s pathetic, but it’s our instinct.” 

Colt followed up, supporting his fellow Ant. “There are about four hundred and fifty survivors, give or take. In this manner, they will initially scatter but rapidly consolidate, and become much more dangerous.” He looked every human in the eye, ending with Morel, and carefully articulated his next words. “The first week will be the most critical.”

Morel did his best to return the Ants confidence. He was telling them how best to kill his peers, after all. “The Hunter Association is sending reinforcements as we speak: dozens of Hunters will be entering the Union in the coming days.” He fiddled with his pipe, rotating it against his palm. “We’ll have more than enough manpower to hunt down the various Ant groups.”

‘After all, the Association can’t afford to lose any face here.’ It was a grim thought, but an honest one. The governments of the Mitene Union had hired the Hunters to deal with the Ant threat: if they failed to uphold that contract, there’d be hell to pay.

“Combined with our informants, we should be able to keep track of various Ants across the island without too much trouble,” he continued. “We’ll rapidly deploy to take care of problems as they arise.”

“As one team?” Killua asked. He was seated between Gon and Kiba. Both the younger Hunter and the shinobi had remained mostly silent since they’d arrived. “It would be more efficient if we split into groups of our own.”

“Of course,” Morel said. “We were already considering that.” The air was growing colder with the sun having set; more than that, he wanted to get started as soon as possible. “Smaller teams, but each will have to be powerful enough to take on several Ants at a time.”

“That would be ideal,” Colt murmured.

“So what would be the best division?” Knov asked, and Morel turned to him.

“Knuckle and I would be one,” he said. “We’re confident the two of us would be handle anything, and our abilities work well together.” He glanced at Palm. The woman was staring at Gon, who didn’t return the look. The boy, who had been silent since discovering Kite’s body that morning, stared resolutely ahead at something only he could see.

“I would suggest you and Palm would be another team, Knov. You’d be an ideal support group for other Hunters,” Morel said quietly. Palm looked torn, but only for a moment. She nodded, along with Knov.

“Which leaves,” Knov said, with a glance at Killua, “Gon, Killua, and Shoot.”

“And us,” Kiba said. “We’re staying till this is finished.”

Knov blinked. Morel was less surprised than him, but he didn’t let it show. He’d had a feeling, somehow, that this had been coming.

“Really?” Knov asked. “You got what you came for.”

“We did,” Shino said. “But we all thought it would be irresponsible to leave now, when the situations become even more dangerous. We’re staying alongside you until the situation is resolved.” He raised an eyebrow behind his visor. “If you’ll permit us.”

Morel wondered if it was as cut and dried as that. If the shinobi really were competitors with the Ants, visitors from the Dark Continent, then it would only make sense for them to continue to “assist” the Hunters until their mutual enemy was wiped out.

“Gladly,” Knov said. Morel knew it was the truth. Even if it was a ploy, wiping out the Ants took priority. “So you three, then-”

“Actually,” Killua cut in. Knov shot him a look. “I’ve been thinking; Kiba, Shino, and Hinata are all still injured.” He was right: Hinata was still covered in injuries from her brief battle with Pitou, along with her barely healed leg, while Kiba was battered. Shino’s injury went without saying. “It may be better to split them up amongst us.” 

Morel cocked his head; it was a good plan in several ways, maybe without Killua even knowing why. If the shinobi were eventual enemies, keeping them separate was a smart decision: if they agreed to it, it would mark them as either genuine in their intentions, or overconfident.

“If they agree, of course,” Killua appended with a glance at Hinata. It was obvious she was the one he was focused on. His normal cool had been disrupted by his friend’s silence, and with it his ability to obfuscate. Morel was reasonably sure of the reason behind his focus. The Hyuuga was the only person to walk away after facing Neferpitou, after all. 

“What were you thinking, Killua?” she asked. Morel felt she already knew the answer.

“You and Kiba both have tracking capabilities far outside any of our own,” Killua said. He wasn’t absolutely correct, though he didn’t know it: Knuckle’s Hatsu could technically track a single target farther than Hinata’s Byakugan or Kiba’s nose ever could. “In addition, Kiba and Shino are less injured than yourself. I’d propose the two of them teaming up with Shoot, and you going with Gon and myself. That way, they’ll be an even spread of combat and recon capability across the teams.”

The shinobi looked at each other, silently communicating. Kiba rolled his eyes. Shino shrugged. Hinata’s lips pursed, and she looked back to Killua. 

“It sounds fine to us,” she said, inclining her head. “I’m looking forward to working with you, Killua, Gon.”

It was ideal beyond the pragmatic parameters Killua had set out, Morel thought. He sent his own approving look to Shoot, who’d become a color somewhere between a cloudy sky and a bank of fresh snow. Working with total strangers was a necessary step in tackling Shoot’s timidness; that Shino was a teacher himself was an additional unexpected boon. He was a calm and patient man, the perfect pairing for Shoot, especially when Kiba would be there pushing him far out of his comfort zone. Morel might have proposed it himself if Killua hadn’t gotten there first.

Behind him, Knuckle chuckled under his breath. He was clearly thinking the same thing. Morel felt a grin tug at his mouth.

“That’s settled then,” he said, standing up and hefting his pipe. “We’ll get started tomorrow: the Association will keep us updated on where the Ants have the most presence, but we’ll likely be doing some hunting without their help. Everyone should be ready by then.” The others followed him to his feet. 

“And the King?” Knuckle asked. “What’re we gonna do about him?”

“When he appears, we’ll know,” Knov said. “He’s hardly a subtle creature.”

Morel nodded, but below his confident facade, he wasn’t so sure of the truth behind Knov’s words. He just hoped his friend was right.

The longer the King remained out of sight, the worse it would be.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

Small Mercies

If Hinata had to describe the city of Yunda in a single word, she would have chosen ‘dense.’

Located on the northern coast of the Republic of Rokario, Yunda sprawled tens of kilometers in every direction out from its center. The city’s core had no doubt once been beautiful and sensible, but time and expansion had transformed it into a twisted tangle of mismatched buildings, overlapping bridges, and overcrowded walkways. The same unfortunate fate had befallen the rest of the city as well; it had not aged gracefully, with building after building stacked upon one another as time passed, creating a schizophrenic and confusing medley of architecture, brick and concrete married with modern steel and glass constructions.

It was confusing and clumsy, but Hinata had to admit that had an appeal all its own. Perhaps it would not have been quite as charming if Yunda were not a city of waterways. Dominated by hundreds of canals that wound throughout it without an obvious rhyme or reason, the city wasn’t exactly friendly to vehicles: if you wanted to get somewhere, you often had to walk or take a small boat. That suited Hinata just fine. It pleasantly reminded her of home.

After nearly 50 days away from Konoha, even a small reminder brought an ache to her heart. 

The city’s streets were perpetually crowded, perhaps thanks to their narrow winding nature. Even now, when it was on the verge of martial law. Hinata felt pressed in by all the people around her. She was sure her companions felt the same.

“Man, it’s loud,” Gon groaned, shielding his eyes from the rising sun. “Did we have to get up so early?” He was on Hinata’s left, staying just a little behind her. Killua was somewhere above them; he’d decided to travel across the city’s roofs instead of its streets. 

“If we want to resolve this quickly,” Hinata said with a smile. “Which I’m sure you do, Gon.” 

“Of course!” he said indignantly. “I guess I should have just gone to bed earlier…”

“It’s cause you stayed up watching that stupid show, Gon.” Killua’s voice was a little tinny over the radio earpieces the Hunter Association had provided them with; the improved communication had proven invaluable over the last two and some weeks. Gon’s face turned red. 

“It’s not stupid!” he insisted. “It’s a lot of fun! You’re just jealous cause you never got to watch TV, Killua!”

Killua scoffed over the radio, but Hinata laughed to herself; by the sound of it, Gon had hit closer to home than Killua would have liked.

Gon had been like this since they’d begun their joint mission to hunt down the scattered Ants seventeen days ago. The silence that he’d maintained after his emotional outburst at Kite’s death had broken with startling speed only the next day. Outwardly, he’d returned to the cheerful and inquisitive, if occasionally strangely insightful, teenager that Hinata had met.

Only, he laughed harder than he should. Smiled wider, walked faster. Hinata had learned a lot about both Gon and Killua since they’d begun working together, but she wouldn’t have noticed anything out of ordinary if it weren’t for Killua’s own subtle discomfort. Gon had plastered over his despair at Kite’s death with a carefree attitude and a deep enthusiasm for hunting Ants; it wasn’t unhealthy, but it was also disconcerting. Hinata didn’t know how long he would be able to hold the facade, and she wasn’t sure what lay underneath it.

But if she had to guess, it was probably more of that black-blade Nen.

In that way, Gon was both difficult and easy to read. Hinata liked to think she understood him. Killua was similar. It was no wonder they were friends.

Even after their time together, Killua still didn’t trust her, Hinata thought as she maneuvered past a group of laughing women. He was a professional assassin, so that was to be expected. He’d shown her more of himself than he’d probably intended to, though. He was devoted to Gon, almost worryingly so. By both their admission, Gon had been his first real friend, so that was no great mystery, but it was still occasionally amusing to see just how closely Killua stuck to Gon despite their obvious differences.

Less amusing was Killua’s obvious concern for his friend. Just as Gon hid his pain behind a smile, Killua hid his concern behind brusqueness and offhand ‘idiots.’ He acted with calculated carelessness; two boys determined to act like nothing had changed.

It was so very much the attitude of teenage boys. Hinata laughed quietly to herself, waving off Gon’s questioning look at the sound. They were almost at their destination, a hotel near the city’s seaside ports and industrial district. Huge and opulent, the hotel had no doubt once been a premier destination for visitors, but today it was swarming with men in black and grey, many wearing armor and carrying large firearms. They contrasted sharply against the hotel’s soft corners and gold trimming.

The building had been transformed into the center of the military and police activity in Yunda. As Hinata looked it over, Killua leapt down from the rooftops he’d been following them from.

“I don’t get it,” he grumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Do we even need to be here? This should be plenty.” 

“Knov wouldn’t have asked us to go if it weren’t important,” Gon said, scanning the various policemen and soldiers. “That is a lot of guys, though.”

They made their way as a single group towards the hotel; about twenty feet from the front door, they were intercepted by several grim looking men, one of which was wearing a charcoal suit. There weren’t any words exchanged. Instead, Killua just withdrew and held up a small red card from his pocket: his invaluable Hunter’s License. The man in the suit studied it before silently pointing over his shoulder, into the hotel’s lobby. He went on his way, taking his heavily armed entourage with him, and the Hunters strode into the building. 

It was just as chaotic inside as it was out front. Dozens of people bustling about, typing furiously on mobile computers, having intense conversations on various phones, one group of ten in the corner watching a small presentation of what seemed to be the technical specifications of a large vehicle. Hinata took in the controlled pandemonium in a single scan of the lobby, her gaze lingering on the luxurious furniture that had been shoved to the corners of the room to make space for various equipment. There was a nice looking armchair there, an earthy green color; she wondered if there was space for it in her home. 

“What a waste,” Killua said, unimpressed by the bustle. A woman walking by glanced at him in confusion. “They’ve gone to all this effort for a couple Ants? They’ll just have to pack up by the end of the day.”

He was right, but it was a little mean-spirited. Gon scratched his lower back.

“So where’s the guy we’re meeting?” he asked. Knov had told them there was another Hunter already in the city, working with the authorities to contain the Ants, but not much more than that.

“Most likely her,” Hinata said. She pointed out a woman on the other side of the room standing next to the screen showing vehicle blueprints. The woman made eye contact with Hinata before looking away, back to the soldiers watching the presentation. Out of everyone in the room, she was the only one who'd taken notice of them as soon as they'd entered the hotel. 

The other Hunter was about an inch taller than Hinata, with a slim build and long pale blonde hair, almost to her waist. Her eyes were a dull gold, but that was less noticeable than the huge dark bags under them. The woman’s complexion made it look like she hadn’t slept in days, but her eyes were sharp, and her clothes, a flowing black cloak with ragged hems and a pulled down hood, were freshly cleaned.

“Her?” Gon asked. The other Hunter glanced at them again, and Gon shrugged. “Alright, let’s go see what’s going on.”

They wandered over to the other side of the room, the woman watching them with her unerring gold eyes the entire time.

“So, you’re the reinforcements the Association sent?” she asked as they drew close. A soldier looked up at her, then back to the presentation as another woman in a sharp blue suit droned on about the vehicle. “I’m Clara Megallane.” She eyed Hinata, the bruise-like darkness below her eyes accentuating their gold. “You’re that shinobi, aren’t you?” 

Hinata felt like Clara was trying to drive a shovel into her forehead to dig up whatever was behind it. It was a shocking sensation; she’d never seen a Hunter stare at her so intently, aside from Netero on that one day many weeks ago. It wasn’t anything Nen-related, so far as she could tell: the woman was just focusing 100% of her disquieting attention on her, despite all the distractions of the crowded lobby.

“That’s her,” Killua said, and the woman’s focus shifted. Hinata felt herself breathing a little easier. Her leg ached, the disconcerting feeling reminding her that she was still not fully healed. “What’s going on? What’s with all the guns?” He tilted his head. “It’s not going to do any good against Ants.” 

Clara’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “This situation is under control. Frankly, you don’t need to be here. You should go find something more important to do." 

“What?” Gon asked, his shock childish and obvious. “But there’re Ants here!”

“Yes, and they’re perfectly contained,” Clara said, her voice condescending. Gon bristled. “We have them penned up in a warehouse in the industrial district; it’ll only be a matter of time till they’re dead.”

“Really?” Hinata asked. “‘Penned up?’ They’re not trying to leave?”

“Why would they?” Clara shrugged. “If they make a move, they’re just asking to get shot up.”

“And yet, Knov asked us to show up here,” Killua said coldly. “He said you were taking too long.”

“Too long?” Clara raised an eyebrow. “It’s only been three days.”

“Three days?” Hinata blinked. “How many people have they eaten?” There was no way the Ants could have suppressed their hunger for that long. If the woman really had been sitting here with the Republic’s army for that long while the Ants rampaged, it was no wonder that Knov had asked them to intervene. 

“None,” Clara said, sounding a little self-satisfied. “There’ve only been a couple deaths since they arrived, and they didn’t manage to keep any of the bodies. The main complication now is their sniper.” She glanced at Hinata. “If you are that shinobi I’ve been told about, you should be able to figure this all out on your own, right?” 

“I can’t see everything,” Hinata said softly, and the Hunter smirked. Something about her continued to prick at Hinata’s well-honed instincts.

“Should be more than enough,” she said. “How about you tell them what the situation looks like,” she continued, lazily gesturing at Gon and Killua, “and I’ll fill in whatever you miss. Maybe then you guys will realize you don’t need to be here.”

Hinata frowned; she felt like she was being manipulated into something. But with the lack of better options, playing the woman’s game wasn’t a bad choice. She hadn’t activated her Byakugan since stepping foot in Yunda, after all. 

She focused chakra to her eyes, the familiar tickling heat working its way up from her core and around her temples, and the world opened up, the city unfolding in her mind’s eye like a malformed flower.

It only took two seconds to locate the warehouse Clara had mentioned. It was a flat, ugly building, about thirty feet tall and set in the middle of a loading dock alongside one of the city’s many canals, rust-red with an anachronistic green metal roof. It had clearly seen better days; if Hinata had to guess, she would have said it hadn’t seen genuine cargo in years. Discarded cigarettes and other rubbish filled and surrounded it, the refuse of thousands of idle hands. There was no way to reach the building by road. 

The warehouse was surrounded by the military; men and women in official uniforms kept a substantial area around it clear, and more wielding heavy weapons watched it from a variety of concealed positions. There were even several huge vehicles, including one that seemed to have a bridge curled up onto its back, ready to be folded down at any moment.

The Ants inside didn’t seem to care. There were seven of them inside the building, two below it, and another outside it, nearly two kilometers away at the top of what looked like a church that had been repurposed into a factory: one of the tallest buildings in the city. 

The Ants happy to sit in the warehouse were a diverse bunch, as they almost always were. A shark with insect legs and human arms, with its ill-fitting back fin submerged in the solid concrete, a crocodile that walked like a man, an enormous bipedal crawfish with guns growing out of its Gon-sized claws, two fish-men, one unfortunate creature that looked like a sea-slug with spider-like legs and a human face, and one oddly ordinary Ant that could have passed for a green woman if it weren’t for her flat, toeless feet and strangely wide legs. 

The shark’s fin was resonating with Nen. Hinata wondered what sort of technique it was using, and also how on earth the crawfish had managed to grow guns out of its body. 

The last three Ants were more interesting. The two below the warehouse had taken up residence in what looked like a sewer, but the room they were in could not have been built by Yunda. A modern looking bar had been plopped down in the middle of the sewer system, completely at odds with its surroundings. Even Yunda’s schizophrenic urban development couldn’t have led to that; the bar was clearly a Nen construct. Within it, two Ants that resembled humans with vestigial fins and gills played a slow game of darts, giggling at some private joke. The third and final Ant was the only one to turn Hinata’s stomach.

There was a man seated at the top of the church-turned-factory, wearing a purple jacket. His right arm looked like it had been sheathed in some sort of rifle, and an empty sac extended over his shoulder, connected to the gun.

But that was just the outward, deceptive appearance. In truth, the man was long dead, and his right arm was missing entirely. There was an Ant squished inside his body, staring out his eyes; a huge, rotund octopus with bright red skin. It had stuck one of its tentacles out the hole where the man’s right arm should have been and transformed it into the rifle, connecting it to the sack on the man’s shoulder… which was in truth another one of the creature’s tentacles.

The disguise was too seamless and perfect to be natural, and the Nen boiling off the creature confirmed Hinata’s suspicion that she was witnessing an impressive and disgusting Nen technique. Hiding inside a corpse wasn’t unthinkable, but she’d never seen something quite as invasive.

Hinata blinked, considering the Ant’s position. Every one of the creatures was some sort of fusion with an aquatic creature, and they were right besides a canal that led into the ocean. As soon as the warehouse was stormed, the things would be able to flee into the ocean if they didn’t have the inclination to stay and fight, regardless of how much firepower was arrayed to stop them from pressing further into the city.

Despite what Clara had said, it was obvious to Hinata that the situation could become disastrous without warning; the Ants escaping into the open ocean would be devastating. Was the other Hunter just inexperienced, not understanding the actual weight of the situation?

Or was it something else, responsible for the uncertainty gnawing away at the back of her mind?

She closed her eyes for a moment and allowed her chakra to slip away, the world receding to her ordinary limited vision. The first thing she was when she opened them was Gon’s curious face. 

“It’s a disaster,” she said frankly, and Clara frowned. Hinata spoke solely to Killua and Gon. “There are ten Ants: seven in the warehouse, two below it, and another nearby, at the top of a building. They’re all aquatic, and there’s a canal leading to the ocean less than fifty meters away.” Now, she glanced at Clara. “The moment the military pushes in, if they don’t fight back-” Big if there, “-they’ll be in the sea before anyone can react.”

Killua grimaced, shooting Clara a disgusted look. “You didn’t think of that?” he asked quietly, a dangerous tenor.

The other Hunter smiled back. “If they’re in the sea, they’re out of the city, aren’t they? Yunda will be safe.”

“But then they’ll just go somewhere else!” Gon said a little too loudly, getting a couple questioning looks from around the room. He ignored them. “Eat more people! We have to kill them, not chase them off!” 

Clara shrugged. “You’re welcome to try. Just don’t expect our help; we’ve judged this the best approach to the situation, and we can’t afford to risk it.” 

She turned to leave, but before she could move a step, Hinata gingerly reached out, taking her by the upper arm. She squeezed, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to let the Hunter know she wasn’t going to release her immediately. Clara twitched, glancing back at her out of the corner of her eye.

Hinata didn’t need her Byakugan to be active to see the Hunter tense up, violence vibrating up through her core.

“Let go,” the woman softly demanded.

“Who’s ‘we?’” Hinata asked, relaxing her grip just a fraction.

“Myself,” Clara said flatly. “Commissioner Keagen, who’s in charge of the Yunda Police Force, and Commander Rotan, who’s leading the International Guard detachment here. This wasn’t a decision made lightly. Now,” she jerked, and Hinata loosened her grip further, “let go.”

“We’re going to go kill those Ants,” Hinata told her as she released her arm. “You’re welcome to assist us, if you’d like. If not, stay out our way, and please tell the soldiers to do the same.” She smiled humorlessly. “We’d hate for anyone to get hurt.” 

Clara narrowed her eyes. “Just the three of you?”

“We’ll be fine,” Gon told her, his cheerful voice at odds with the hardness in his eyes. Hinata was sure he didn’t look kindly on anyone who considered letting Chimera escape to plague another city. “We’ve all had lots of practice.” He blinked, snapping his fingers. “But hey before we go, you said something about a sniper?” 

Hinata considered telling him she already had the sniper well in sight, and had already considered how to safely approach it, but she was curious how Clara would take the question, and so said nothing. The other Hunter hesitated, taken off guard by Gon’s earnesty.

“The sniper,” she eventually said, “is definitely an issue. We can’t pin down where it’s firing from, and it uses self-guided bullets. Ticks of some kind.”

“It’s using ticks as bullets?” Killua said, and Clara frowned.

“They can steer themselves to a degree, and they hit just as hard as normal bullet,” she explained. “And they bite once they land, with some sort of anticoagulant. No one the sniper’s shot has died so far, but they certainly would have if they hadn’t been moved to a hospital. Just wouldn’t stop bleeding.” 

“Huh,” Gon grunted. “Well, thanks! We’ll look out for that!”

He turned swiftly, a bounce in his step. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s go get them.”

Killua turned to leave with him, but Hinata remained, examining Clara one last time. The Hunter glared at her, the bags under her eyes magnifying the look. The sensation was there again, like the woman was trying to dig into her brain. It was more than ordinary curiosity, but Hinata couldn’t pin it down, or begin to fathom why someone she’d never met before would look at her like that.

“What is it you want?” Hinata asked suddenly, and the woman twitched. “Maybe I can give it to you.” Killua looked back at them with an expressionless face. 

Clara sneered. “You have no idea what I want.” 

“Obviously,” Hinata said, trying to be patient. “That’s why I’m asking.”

The Hunter laughed; it was a high and delicate sound, like a fancy glass cleanly breaking. “I’ve heard a lot about you, but no one ever told me you sounded like an idiot.” The insult rolled over Hinata, completely toothless; it was obvious the woman was dissembling.

“No need to be rude,” she chided. She almost felt like she was bullying the younger woman, backing her into a corner, but now her curiosity was growing into an irresistible force.

Clara’s flinched, an aborted impulse to reach for something, a weapon, maybe Hinata herself. Instead, the Hunter pinned her with another penetrating look. Her lips curled up into a smile that was all teeth and no joy.

“You know what?” she asked. “It’s your…” she shuddered. “Your smell, your taste, your feel.” She shuddered. “I thought, when I first heard about you, but you being here now, it just makes me more sure…”

Hinata took a step back, the hair on the back of her neck rising. “...what.”

“You…” Clara was struggling, drowning in the open air. “You should go.”

Hinata didn’t need to be told twice. She backed off, turning and catching up with Gon and Killua in an instant. Killua glanced at her, and then back at Clara once more. Hinata was positive the woman was still staring at her. 

“Freak,” Killua muttered, and Gon nodded. They left the building, and didn’t look back. 

### 

Going into combat alongside Gon and Killua was always nostalgic for Hinata, transporting her back to a time when she was their age, approaching daunting odds with more experienced shinobi at her side. It never failed to amuse her that now, she was the experienced shinobi in that equation, but the strength of the boy’s teamwork and their natural ability still astounded her. In a way, it made her happy; she looked at them, and she saw what her own son and daughter might become someday. 

Though she was sure it would be a long time before Boruto could approach anything, including fighting, with the same precision and purity that Killua and Gon did. They’d hunted a dozen Ants since the King’s birth over two weeks ago, and the teen’s focus had always impressed Hinata. The fact they trusted a women they’d just met to watch their back so guilelessly, even more so. But there had been a connection there, between a mother and two children who weren’t her own. 

Which was why when Hinata stopped Gon and Killua did too, as if they’d timed the moment a hundred times before. They’d been approaching the warehouse, making their way through the circuitous and unplanned streets of Yunda.

“What’s up?” Gon asked as Hinata help up her hand in a shushing motion. They were still three miles from the canal, twenty meters wide, that separated the warehouse from the city proper.

“The Ant’s are on the move,” she said with a frown.

“They’re leaving?” Killua asked, and Hinata shook her head.

“Not leaving, repositioning.” She watched as the various Ants in the warehouse stumbled about it, taking up positions at the windows and entrances. “They know we’re coming,” she realized. She couldn’t observe the Ants’ telepathy, which Colt had informed her about weeks ago, but that was clearly what was happening.

“They saw us?” Gon asked, looking at Hinata and clearly thinking what she was: had one of the Ants actually spotted them, through hundreds of buildings and several miles of distractions? She scanned the building, looking for an explanation. 

Her gaze lingered on the shark-ant, lying with its fin buried in the concrete, burning with Nen. Could he be using some sort of sensor technique? She focused on the Nen, trying to see if it was spreading beyond the fin. 

So far as she could tell, it wasn’t. Hinata’s frown intensified as she looked at the other Ants; none of them seemed to be a sensor, and if they were, it was beyond her vision. But they were all indisputably aware of their presence; to cinch that conclusion, even the sniper was staring at their location from five miles away as it lowered himself into a comfortable seated position, its arm-rifle rising up, making minute adjustments. It wasn’t exact aim, but it was close: the next time they entered one of Yunda’s wide open plazas or crossed a canal, the octopus would have a clean shot.

“The sniper has us,” she said, and Killua groaned. “This could get tricky.”

“We’ll have to split up,” Killua muttered. “I’ll get the sniper, while you and Gon keep heading for the warehouse. We can’t let that thing have free reign." 

“Yeah,” Gon agreed, “but you’re going with Hinata.”

“Eh?” Killua cocked an eyebrow. Gon held up his hands placatingly.

“C’mon, it makes more sense. You’re quicker than me Killua; it’ll be easier for you to fight multiple Ants,” Gon grinned. “I’m perfect for taking out one guy, and your perfect backup for Hinata, ‘specially since she’s still a little hurt.” He tapped his earpiece. “Besides, she can guide me right to the sniper, right? It’ll be fine.”

Killua glanced at Hinata, and she gave Gon a smile. “Thought that through, Gon?”

“I think so!” he said. “Did I miss something?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Hinata said. “Let’s get started then. The sniper is…” she raised her finger, pointing. “There. It looks like a man, but it’s actually an octopus.” Gon blinked, sticking out his tongue. “Be careful.”

“You got it,” Gon grinned. He slapped Killua on the shoulder. “Be right back, promise. Be careful.”

“Be careful yourself, idiot,” KIllua shot back. “You’re the one without backup!”

“Huh, yeah,” Gon realized. “Well, see you soon.” He took off down a nearby alley, heading the direction of Hinata’s finger.

Killua watched him go. “He’ll be fine,” he said, more to himself than Hinata.

“Of course,” she confirmed. “Now let’s go, quickly. We can’t give the Ants time to escape if they get cold feet.” 

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

The Coward

Gon made it about two miles before the first bullet struck him. It happened due to a simple slip-up; Hinata had warned him just a second ago over the radio that he’d be passing into the sniper’s sightline, but he’d thought that by keeping a building between him and the octopus, he’d be okay.

The tick struck him in the right hip, just barely nicking him; he’d been alerted by the sound of shattering glass. It only took him a heartbeat to understand what had happened, and to berate himself for it. The sniper had fired through one of the buildings, its bug-bullets guiding themselves through two windows. 

Stupid, Gon, stupid. He wasn’t in the moment; without an opponent right in front of him, he was thinking too much.

“Gon, you alright?” Hinata’s voice was always kind, and always had that undercurrent of concern. It was what made Gon trust her, that sincerity she carried with her everyone. But the concern was also sometimes annoying. He wasn’t fragile, and she knew it. She just couldn’t help herself, he was sure.

“Fine,” he said, his sprint uninterrupted by the bullet. His hip stung. His pants were getting a little wet. Little wounds always bled too much. “Has he moved?”

“No, but it’s taking aim again.” The woman’s voice was soft and measured. “I’d say you have about six seconds before it fires.”

Gon stopped talking and focused on running, closing his eyes tight to reference the mini-map he’d built up in his head on the sniper’s location. He turned, coming onto a main road, and put on a burst of speed as he opened his eyes. There were people everywhere, watching him with astonishment; why wasn’t the Ant shooting them? It didn’t really make sense: he’d never seen a Chimera that wouldn’t have taken advantage of so many people out in the open.

The pounding of his feet on the cobblestone calmed him. This made sense; he was under the gun, on a time-limit, fighting for his life and others. He was where Kite would want him, helping these people, avenging his death. His heart sped up, and he smiled 

“Get ready,” Hinata buzzed in his ear. The street was coming to an end, and three miles beyond it, his target was dead ahead; the church-like building the sniper was perched atop. Gon couldn’t see the Ant, but he was sure it could see him. 

“Jump!” Gon obeyed without hesitation, and he felt something wiz past his left foot. Hinata must have spoken just before the Ant fired, but even with that warning, he’d still almost been hit. His leap carried him over the canal that truncated the street, soaring into the air; the cold air rushing past his cheeks extended his grin. He was flying. 

He landed on a rooftop on the other side of the canal, wondering why it was there in the first place. Was it for cargo?

Wandering again, when the Ant was right there! Gon narrowed his eyes, speeding across the roof at close to his top speed. Less than two miles now. The Ant would only have time to fire twice more, he was sure, unless it packed up early.

“Straight ahead,” Hinata said. “Three seconds: dodge left.” Terse, commanding; her concern had vanished. It made Gon feel lighter than air. This must have been what she was like when she was hunting the Ants with the Chairman. It was that voice that made him feel like maybe things were going to turn out alright. 

Hinata could speak with the confidence of a woman who saw everything, and though he’d only heard that particular tone four times in his life, it always made Gon feel that same confidence.

One, two, three. Gon covered one hundred meters with ease. On the cue, he rocketed to the left to bounce off a water-tower, his instincts tingling, blood singing. He looked down, saw something skip small and fast off the concrete roof.

In that moment, his rhythm was destroyed as a bug-bullet slammed into his gut.

The impact sent him tumbling backwards and knocked all his breath from him, his stomach aching. But the moment Gon’s feet touched the ground once more, he hurled himself forward, not hesitating. He reached down, feeling around his stomach and found the bullet chewing on the skin next to his belly button. He crushed it between his thumb and middle finger without looking, feeling his own free-flowing blood stain his hand.

“Ricochet,” Hinata barked over the radio. “Gon-”

“I’ve got it,” he said, voice steady. The pain had finally centered him; his legs moved of their own accord, arms pumping. He leapt over an alley, his whole body striving to become a bullet of its own. “I see him." 

And he could. The Ant was a distant tiny figure seated at the top of the tower ahead, but it was only a mile now. Gon was sure the Chimera could tell he’d laid eyes on it. He watched as a huge sack inflated behind the figure.

The sniper was using an air-gun? That was interesting, but it made sense, considering its ammunition was alive. Gon kept his head up; now that he could see the thing being fired, he was confident he could dodge it. His pants and the lower part of his shirt were soaked, but he still had plenty of blood left to lose.

The sniper fired, the sack instantly contracting; Gon imagined it was a tiny sound despite the violent motion, like a ‘pff.’ He focused, trying to follow the path of the bullet.

It was the same trick again: a shot aimed at the ground to let the tick bounce directly up into him. Smart, cause it would be able to take any direction no matter which way he jumped.

Gon came to a dead stop, all of his momentum vanishing instantly. The jarring stop sent him tipping forward, overbalancing–

The bug-bullet struck the ground about ten feet in front of him; all Gon saw was a flicker of movement, but it was enough to let him know. He gave up on balancing, and pushed, flipping off the ground, going head-over-heels in an awkward front-flip. 

It almost, almost worked. The bullet struck him on the top of his right foot as it came up behind him, and the extra force spun him out of control, nearly smashing his head into the roof. He caught himself with a single hand, rolling forward with a curse, and then ran on, ignoring his damp shoe and the pain in his foot. 

“Crap,” he muttered under his breath. Only four hundred meters now: he was almost there. The sniper stood up; Gon could see he looked worried.

“Hey!” he shouted. Three hundred meters. “I’m going to kick your ass!” The Ant probably couldn’t hear him, but it felt good to shout. It turned around, starting to run.

“Get back here!” Gon jumped, finally reaching the building the tower jutted out of. He sprinted across the roof, tearing up the tile under him with every step, sending it cascading down the sloping sides. A lot of them were marked with his bloody footprint. The Ant was almost out of sight, slipping down the other side of the tower.

Gon didn’t bother scrambling up the tower: instead he went around it, trying to catch the Ant on its way down. He cornered hard, his fingers digging divots into the brickwork, and came to a stop as he looked upward for his target.

“Little to the right,” Hinata chimed in over the radio, and Gon shifted his gaze. He spotted the sniper immediately: the Ant had leapt clean off the tower, throwing away stealth for speed. It was falling towards the city, probably headed for water. In about a second, it would be level with him.

He did what was only natural: jumping after it.

The Ant twisted in midair and spotted him coming, its eyes going wide in shock. Gon did his best not to give it any more time to respond, leveling a kick at the thing’s face.

The man’s torso squirmed, and Gon blinked. An instant later, his kick connected, cleanly snapping the man’s neck. With all of Gon’s upward momentum slamming into the Ant, there was a moment they both hung in the air a hundred feet above the city, a second that was stretched by Gon’s confusion.

“Jeez, that’s just rude,” the Ant said, its head rolling. It’s limp lips didn’t match the words. “If I were a human you’d have killed me!”

“You shot me!” Gon pointed out. They were in a free-fall now, the streets of the city approaching rapidly. It looked as though they were falling into a market of some sort. Some of his blood was falling with them, dark droplets suspended by nothing. “Did you think I wouldn’t hit you?”

They hit the cobbled streets of the marketplace, sending up a chorus of screams and shouts as people scrambled away from the impact site. Gon rolled with the landing, coming to his feet without a bruise but leaving a small trail of red on the stone behind him; the Ant just landed like a sack of bricks, breaking more of the man’s bones.

Something wriggled out of the body as Gon watched, and the people all around starting screaming more. The sound was a little annoying, but Gon couldn’t blame them; they probably weren’t used to seeing a bright red octopus the size of a teenager push its way out of somebody’s corpse.

The Ant made eye contact with him. A wide, curious look.

Gon took a step forward, and the Ant ran. It slithered across the ground with impressive speed, darting deeper into the market and through throngs of people. The people it passed screamed and tried to get some distance, but the crowd that had gathered around the body made that difficult. Nonetheless, the octopus didn’t attack the bystanders. It seemed focused on escaping.

Gon took off after it, bowling through the crowd with much less grace than the Ant. He knocked people aside as carefully as he could, single-mindedly chasing the creature, making a wave through the crowd. The Ant hurled itself down a set of stairs and Gon leapt down just as fast, surfing on the railing with one hand damp with his own blood.

The stairs descended into an open courtyard filled with carts and people. With the Ant making a direct line for the other side of it, Gon launched himself forward as soon as his feet made contact with the ground. His leap carried him past the Ant, which glanced at him in apparent confusion. 

But the Ant hadn’t been his direct target with that jump. Gon slammed into the side of a building, landing right next to a shuttered window, and then leapt again, using the wall as a springboard to come at the Ant from an unexpected direction. The brick cracked under his feet, and he drew his fist back for a decisive blow. 

Gon realized his mistake in an instant. With his focus reserved for the Ant, he hadn’t accounted for the moving crowds that both he and the Chimera had been rushing through without care. There was too much to take in; food, colorful cloth, dozens of people. His direction of attack, which had been clear when he’d jumped, now had a young woman in the way; a tall women in a crimson dress. 

The woman was between him and the octopus. As Gon’s fist finished drawing back, he considered the two possible outcomes in the moment of frozen embarrassment. One: the Ant would seize the woman and use her as a shield, and Gon would have to abort his attack, leaving himself open for a counter. Two: the Ant would stay on the move, in which case Gon would probably land his hit, but bowl over the woman in the process, probably injuring her. 

Maybe badly.

The Ant was watching him in that stilled time with its too-human eyes. Two of its arms reached out, the others keeping it moving. Gon was sure it would use the woman as a shield. With its many limbs, that was the most reasonable option. No matter what, she was going to get hurt.

The Ant’s tentacles made contact with the woman’s back. She started. Gon was only three meters away. Less than a tenth of a second from impact.

The octopus pushed the woman out of the way.

Gon blinked, and thanks to it actually missed the moment of impact. He smashed into the octopus at full speed, his fist not ready thanks to his assumption, and went tumbling painfully across the courtyard, leaving more of his blood smeared on the stone. The Ant wrapped its limbs around him, painfully restricting his limbs, but before they’d even come to a stop Gon viciously snapped out with his teeth, tearing out a mouth-sized chunk of the Ant’s flesh without hesitation.

The Ant shouted in pain and tried to scramble away once more, but it didn’t make it a foot before Gon was back on his feet. He stomped down on one of the octopus’s limbs, pinning it. His hands came together, gathering Nen, and his fist began vibrating with excess energy.

Just over a second after crashing into it, and Gon had the Ant pinned and dead to rights.

But something stopped him from launching his Jajanken and splattering the thing. The courtyard has gone silent with the exception of distant seabirds and people murmuring; the woman the Ant had pushed had crashed to the ground and had yet to rise, but she looked back with wide, fearful eyes.

Another second passed, and neither Gon or the Ant moved. They just stared at each other. Gon cocked his head, and took the moment to spit out the rubbery chunk of Ant flesh. He could feel its blood, thick and blue, on his teeth.

“Gon?” Hinata asked over the radio. He could feel her watching. “Something wrong?”

The Ant heard the voice, shifting a little, but didn’t move more than that. Its eyes remained fixed on Gon’s fist; Gon knew it understood that at this range, it wouldn’t be able to escape a Rock’s speed or power. The hatsu would kill it in an instant.

Why had the Ant just pushed that woman? It didn’t make sense: it had been the absolute worst move to make. Even just ignoring her would have been better. It would have been able to get out of the way in time, and the chase would have continued. Taking her hostage would have given it some leverage, maybe a way out. Why give that up? 

To keep her from being hurt?

‘No one the sniper’s shot has died so far, but they certainly would have if they hadn’t been moved to a hospital.’

Gon pursed his lips. That’s what Clara had said, when he’d asked her about the Ant’s capabilities. He’d put it down to luck, but now, having been in the Ant’s sights, he realized that was ridiculous. Its rate of fire and accuracy would have made it trivial to kill an ordinary human, especially with its bug-bullets. No one had died? That was absurd; even if it wasn’t trying, at least one person would have bled out, right?

He looked back at the woman, who was now rising from the ground, and applied more pressure to the tentacle under his foot.

Why would an Ant shoot to injure and not kill? Why would an Ant push away an easy human shield?

To warn people away?

“What are you waiting for?” the octopus finally asked, and there was a ripple of gasps and muttered exclamations from the crowd. Mostly stuff along the lines of ‘it talked?’. Gon ignored them.

“Why’d you push her out of the way?” Gon asked, nodding his head at the woman. The octopus grew even redder, swelling up with indignation.

“So I’d have a better shot at strangling you!” it shouted, staring at Gon’s fist. “Why else?”

“You have eight arms: you could have used her as a shield and strangled me at the same time,” Gon pointed out, and the octopus huffed. “Rock,” he added, almost as an afterthought, and a faint orange glow sprung up around his hand.

“Well, I didn’t consider it!” the octopus said.

“Yes, you did,” Gon said, a little confused. “I saw it. Paper.” The orange glow around his hand grew brighter; he knew only the Ant could see it. 

“Well, I-!” the Ant sputtered, glancing between Gon and the woman. She’d stumbled off into the crowd, helped by friendly hands, people asking her if she was alright. “I…" 

“I was gonna hit her,” Gon said, and the octopus deflated a little. “Probably would have hurt her pretty badly.” He shifted his weight, drawing back a little but keeping his foot on the Ant’s limb. “What’s your name?”

He wondered what Hinata was thinking right now; was she hoping he’d stop talking and finish the Ant off?

“...Ikalgo,” the octopus said after a long pause. “I was worried you might kill her.”

“Why?” Gon asked. The answer was alien to him, even though it made sense. “I’ve never met an Ant that didn’t like killing. Or watching people get killed.”

“Why should she die? She didn’t do anything wrong.” The Ant spoke quietly, but with passion. “She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who would I be, to take advantage of that?”

Gon shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around what the Ant was saying. Kite’s final exhausted breath echoed in the back of his brain, before being swept away by the octopus’s wide, bitter eyes.

“Are the others with you the same?” he asked. He heard Killua breathing on the other end of the radio. He and Hinata were definitely listening in on everything; they were probably close to the warehouse now.

The Ant sighed, looking away.

“They’re not cowards. They’re not like me,” he admitted. The bitterness slipped away, replaced by shame. “That’s why I stayed up in that tower. I figured, if I shot anyone that got close, they wouldn’t have an excuse to go crazy. But it’s been three days now… I don’t know if it was the right decision.”

The picture was starting to make a little more sense, but Gon was happy to leave the mystery of why the Ants weren’t rampaging to Killua and Hinata. He was more preoccupied with the immediate meaning of Ikalgo’s words.

“If you’re not like you, we’ll have to kill them,” he told the Ant. It gaped, stricken, but didn’t protest beyond downcast eyes.

“If you feel you must,” it muttered. “But please, if you can… at least give them a chance to surrender. Not all of them want to be here.”

“Are you giving up?” Gon asked, easing up a little more on the Ant’s limb.

Ikalgo snorted; it sounded bizarre coming from a creature without a nose. “It’s not like I have a choice,” he said. “If it’s between that and you killing me, I’ll take surrender every day.”

Gon looked the Ant over. He was just a head and eight limbs. How did you restrain something like that? Couldn’t octopus’s slip through really small spaces anyway? Could he knock him out? Would he be unconscious for long enough? 

“You have any suggestions for tying you up?” he asked after a moment, and Ikalgo blinked. “If you’re surrendering, I can’t exactly just leave you here. You could just run off.” 

“Unless you cut off all my limbs-” Ikalgo started to say. Gon considered it, and the Ant noticed: it rapidly backtracked. “Not that you’ll need to! I promise, I’ll stay right here!” It looked around at the crowd, some of which looked ready to lynch it. “Maybe not right here, but I won’t run away.”

Even to Gon, that sounded like a bad idea. “I’m not-” he started to say, before Hinata cut in over the radio.

“It’s fine,” she said, and Gon relaxed a little. “It’s telling the truth, and it won’t be able to get out of my range before we’re finished here if it does decide to run. Leave it; we’re nearly at the warehouse.”

Gon nodded, knowing the woman would see him, and turned to go. The Nen around his hand faded, and he released Ikalgo’s limb. The Ant sighed in relief.

“If you run, we’ll know,” Gon said. He put as much severity into the words as possible, and the Ant twitched.

“How?” Ikalgo asked. It almost sounded sarcastic, but it was delivered with sincerity. Gon looked back with an inquisitive look as the Ant continued. “Is the Watcher with you?”

“Watcher?” Gon asked, hesitating. The word was delivered with an undercurrent of genuine terror, like a curse.

“The… Watcher,” Ikalgo said, with a hint of self-consciousness. “There was a woman, at the Nest, before the King was born. She was watching us, all the time, with these blank white eyes. She helped the humans kill many Ants.” He shivered. “I never laid eyes on her, but I had a comrade who did. He said she couldn’t have been human, not with those eyes, or that body. And now, in this city… we’ve all had that same feeling, as back at the Nest.”

Gon blinked. Body? There was no doubt the Ant was referring to Hinata, and she had a rather normal body, as far as he could tell. Maybe a little smaller than most people her age.

“Interesting,” he heard Killua mutter over the radio.

“She’s here,” he confirmed, and Ikalgo began trembling, sweat gleaming on his wide head. Several fleas slipped out of its skin, somehow concealed beneath it and unearthed by the sweat. Gon smiled, feeling a hint of mischief. The Ant had shot him, after all; the wounds were still sluggishly leaking blood. “And she’s watching." 

“I won’t move,” the Ant frantically promised. “I won’t move an inch.” It slowly raised one of its tentacles, removing a damp cloth from some unseen pocket. “I have an antidote, for the fleas. You should take it before you lose too much more blood.” Gon narrowed his eyes. “It will work, I promise.” 

“Thanks!” Gon cheerfully snatched the cloth, dabbing it against the wound in his stomach. “Remember: don’t move! She’s watching!” He took off in the other direction, towards the warehouse. It was time to join back up with the rest of his ad-hoc team. 

One down, nine to go. 

###

It was obvious the Ants weren’t a unified front, and that had weakened them. While Gon had hunted down the sniper, Killua and Hinata had made their way towards the industrial island housing the warehouse. Two of them, the fish-like Ants, had cut and run. Fortunately for Yunda, the Ants had been complete idiots; whether out of greed, ignorance or suicidal overconfidence, they’d swum through the city canal’s directly in Hinata and Killua’s path. 

One of them had revealed itself as a flying fish hybrid. Killua had torn out its lungs and decapitated it for good measure dozens of meters in the air and left its body to fall back into the canal. The other had tried to flee after seeing what had happened to its fellow. Hinata had stopped its heart with a single strike. 

Now, as they stared at the warehouse across the canal separating it from the rest of the city, there were only seven Ants left.

“Have they moved?” Killua asked, and Hinata shook her head. The Ants were watching them, waiting for them to come forward; the two below, ensconced in their artificial bar in the sewers, seemed entirely obvious to the situation. Even while the other Ants had somehow reacted to the Hunter’s and Hinata’s presence, those two had been happy to sit around and continue playing darts. After what their fellows had done, Hinata was willing to consider they were just that stupid, but they couldn’t afford to drop their guard. 

“The two underground haven’t moved, but the rest are ready for us,” she told Killua. “We’ll get them once we’re done with the ones on the surface.” Killua nodded; he’d probably already come up with the same plan. Three on five wasn’t bad odds, but splitting Hinata’s chakra would make the situation more tenuous, and Gon had been slightly injured by the sniper, Ikalgo. Concentrating all their strength on the larger group of Ants was the obvious choice.

If only the local military and Clara would actually move in and take advantage, Hinata thought ruefully. But their ostensible allies seemed entirely content to sit back and let them do the work.

Politics, no doubt, though Hinata couldn’t make more than a guess at the specifics. It was the only explanation for the soldiers holding back for so long, along with the peculiar Hunter. 

Gon caught up just four or five seconds later, landing next to them with a soft thud as they gazed over the canal. His shirt and pants, along with one of his shoes, was stained through with blood, but he didn’t seem to notice. The cloth Ikalgo had provided seemed to have stopped the bleeding as advertised; in addition, the Ant had barely moved from its position, as it had sworn to Gon.

It amused Hinata, in an irresponsible way, to be such an image of terror to the Ants. She wondered if her teammates knew; she hadn’t spoken to them in a couple days, and they hadn’t mentioned anything then. Kiba would definitely heckle her about it if he found out.

Still, terror could be useful. It might help them resolve this situation.

“You good?” Killua asked Gon, glancing at his shirt. “Think you bled enough?” 

Gon stuck his tongue out at him. “It just looks bad: barely hurt. I’m fine.” He looked at Hinata. “So, ‘Watcher?’ Pretty spooky.” 

“Pretty spooky,” Hinata agreed. The Royal Guard, Neferpitou, had called her that at the end of their short fight; the Ant must have spread that name throughout the Nest before the Queen had died. Hinata had almost forgotten about that peculiar moment. She’d been much more focused on Shino in the wake of the brawl. “I guess I don’t think about it much.”

“About what?” Gon asked. Killua rolled his eyes.

“About how terrifying her eyes are,” he said, and Hinata laughed. “Let’s go, before those things change their mind.” 

He jumped, and Hinata and Gon followed him, leaping to the other side of the vast waterway in a single bound. They landed without a sound and carefully made their way towards the warehouse; a casual stride that was prepared for anything.

Clara Megallane was watching them, Hinata noticed. The Hunter was perched on a building about a kilometer away, with binoculars raised to her sleep-ringed eyes. Maybe she would join the fight after all, depending on how it went.

The front door to the warehouse was wide, red, thick iron rimmed in grey steel. It probably weighed at least half a ton. When they got within fifty meters of the building, the alligator-Ant kicked it down.

The Ants walked over the busted door as a unit, openly confident. It was a stark contrast to their former passivity. Hinata could tell they were spoiling for a fight. It was all five of them in a rough wedge: the alligator led the way, flanked by the lobster and the ant that looked like a sea-slug with spider legs and a human face. The shark-man and the green Ant-woman were at the rear. At its full height, the shark-ant was easily the largest, nearly ten feet tall and twice as wide as Hinata.

Underground, the Ants in the bar began laughing. Hinata couldn’t imagine why.

“Normally we wouldn’t give you this opportunity,” Killua started to yell at the top of his voice, “but today, by special request, you get one chance to surrender.” He glanced back at Hinata. “The Watcher is here, and she’s not in a good mood.”

Hinata frowned at him, and Killua shot her a little bastardly grin. She resisted the urge to smile back. There was a fight for their life ahead of them, after all.

“The Watcher?” the alligator asked, its voice faint over the distance. It glared at Hinata. “You killed quite a few of my squad.” Its mouth peeled back in a horrible smile, showing every inch of its dozens of hand-sized teeth. “I’ve been wanting to thank you personally! Without you, I’d never have had so much food to myself!” It laughed uproariously, one of its clawed hands on its stomach.  “You really did us a service you know, weeding out the weaklings like that!”

Hinata didn’t respond, and after a moment the Ant stopped laughing. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re not surrendering!” it shouted. “We’ve only been holed up here hoping some special humans like you lot would eventually wander in!” 

“Indeed.” The green woman spoke up. “Why gorge yourself on garbage, when with some patience you can have a smaller but more filling meal?” It glanced at the alligator, which scoffed back. 

“You’ll just be the first of the rest!” the alligator grinned. “We’ll eat you punks, and then have the city for dessert! Hell, maybe the continent as a five-courser!”

Ants never tired of hearing themselves talk, Hinata thought. She started walking forward, taking note of the opposition. Like most Ants, their opponents were happy to fight with just their bodies, with one exception. The green woman was carrying some sort of pin behind her back, like the kind you would tuck into a jacket. It was small and red, with the words “Bar Double Bull” scrawled on it. It was probably related to her hatsu. 

“Watch out for that one,” she noted to the boys. “She’s carrying something: don’t get stuck with it.” 

“What, you’re rushing towards your death that quickly?” the shark-ant asked. Before Hinata could come up with a reply, before she was even sure if she’d make one, the lobster raised both its hands, claws opening up, gun barrels extending. 

“Fine by me!” it screeched, and then all sound was replaced by the unbelievable cacophony of its guns. 

The Ant sprayed a ludicrous amount of high caliber bullets, all Nen projections, from its claws, effortlessly tearing up the huge stretch of concrete between it and Hinata. She went on the offensive, trusting Killua and Gon to look after themselves. The slugs were huge and destructive, but they weren’t especially fast, at least for bullets. Hinata danced forward, her stiff leg protesting but up to the challenge, zipping through the exploding concrete and spinning past bullet after bullet. The tide of projectiles seemed endless, but nonetheless she pushed closer and closer, eating up the ground between her and the Ants without issue. 

The lobster’s eyes grew wide, and it switched targets, realizing when there were about ten meters left that Hinata wasn’t the immediate threat. By then, it was too late: Gon and Killua had flanked in on her right and left, taking advantage of the Ants’ monofocus. Killua charged the alligator, which fell back in a shock as electricity sprang from the teen’s skin, burning the ground around him. Gon leapt towards the shark.

To Hinata’s shock, the shark-ant dove straight down into the ground, slipping through it as though it were water. Gon landed where it had been with a confused look, before turning and charging after the closest enemy. 

The Ants at the rear rushed forward to support the frontliners: it was a mistake. Hinata took the half-second of respite from the lobster’s bombardment to focus and fire off a Vacuum Palm as she leapt up and over the shocked Ant’s head: the swirling, vicious air slammed into the spider-slug and tore all but one of its legs off. It wailed, its human face contorting in agony, before Hinata landed beside it and slammed her flat palm into the thing’s face. Chakra sharpened by the Gentle Fist stabbed deep into its brain, and the Ant screamed even louder and fell, limblessly thrashing and bleeding from the mouth and eyes.

The shark, swimming through the concrete below as easily as it would water, set its eyes on Killua. It dove down, deep, almost thirty meters, and then turned, swimming, thrashing, at monstrous speed directly for the ‘surface.’ The moment Hinata’s first victim crashed to the ground, she shouted a warning. 

“Jump!” 

She didn’t have time to specify. Both Gon and Killua leapt fifteen feet straight up without hesitation just as the shark breached, hurling itself into the air after Killua. It snapped hungrily, but Killua was just out of reach, and the teen delivered a brutal kick directly to the shark’s nose, sending it hurtling back down to the earth in a stream of bright blue blood. It crashed to the ground with a tremendous thud, before promptly sinking back below the concrete. 

Interesting technique, Hinata noted. Terrifying, too; without her Byakugan, it would be incredibly difficult to counter. The shark could be their primary concern. 

Four Ants left: shark, alligator, green woman, lobster. The lobster snapped its claws up, trying to shoot Killua out of the air, but the teen twisted through the hail of bullets as he spiralled back to earth. One nicked his shoulder and drew a spurt of blood, but a moment later in an arc of bright lightning he slammed into the Ant, sending one of its limbs flying. The gun-claw skittered away, the point of separation cauterized.

Gon was targeted by the shark, circling below, and the green woman; she tried to pluck him out of the air with a harpoon that materialized out of nowhere, covered in brine and blood. Gon slapped the Nen-weapon aside with a yell, and the moment he landed was charging the woman, forcing her back with a series of brutal punches and kicks. The shark, with its target too close to an ally, continued circling.

The alligator targeted Hinata with a toothy grin. He stayed at a distance, but leveled a finger at her.

“You’re all finished,” it boasted. “My Belphegor won’t let you escape!” Its mouth opened, growing wide and wider, far beyond what was physically possible. The alligator’s jaw should have shattered, but instead it grew yet wider, until Hinata couldn’t see the rest of its head at all, just the pitch black maw it contained. 

“I’m the King of Gluttony!” the thing said, somehow. Its mouth didn’t move: the voice issued from somewhere deep within its stomach. “There’s not a thing on this planet I can’t eat!”

It breathed in, and the simple action produced hurricane winds. Everything around Hinata was drawn in, vanishing down the Chimera’s gullet without a sound. She felt herself being dragged forward and anchored herself to the ground with stubborn chakra, digging herself into the concrete.

But the Ant didn’t stop breathing. It drew more and more air in, the cone of wind growing wider and more vicious with every passing second. The darkness within its mouth was absolute, an event horizon that greedily drew in everything within range. Even anchored as she was, Hinata felt herself being dragged forward, drawn towards the bottomless mouth.

She dismissed a series of solutions in less than a second. She knew several fire jutsu, but they’d be useless against a mouth that ate concrete without hesitation. Her Vacuum Palm would probably be the same, along with any kunai. Projectiles in general were out of the question. She’d eventually be drawn in, so she couldn’t rely on Killua or Gon to come to her rescue in the next couple seconds. They were busy with their own problems; Killua was systematically dismantling the lobster, and Gon had the green woman on the ropes. The shark seemed confused over which of them to go after. 

She closed her eyes: two solutions seemed the most likely to work. She went with the less drastic one first, digging down deep into her chakra system and dragging out the cold chakra of her ancestor. Bracing herself as best she could, she threw forward both her hands, gleaming with ancient purple energy. 

The Double Vacuum Palm exploded out of her hands with an insatiable energy, as set on eating the alligator as it was on her. But to Hinata’s shock, the vast majority of the blast spiraled down the Ant’s throat without protest. The edges of the technique slammed into the Ant’s peripheral, driving it to one knee, but its mouth remained impossibly open. A deep booming laugh echoed out of it. 

“Delicious!” it roared. “Give me more!”

Hinata gritted her teeth and put her hands together in a cross that her husband had taught her.

There was a puff of smoke, and a shadow clone popped into existence, indistinguishable from her. Not secured to the ground, it hurtled forward into the alligator’s mouth.

But like most shadow clones, its purpose was to die. The moment it reached the Ant’s mouth, it spun into a Kaiten, a sphere of glittering purple and blue energy scouring the creature’s teeth and burning the edges of its mouth. The Ant howled and shut its mouth in one impossibly fast motion, biting the clone cleanly in half. The phantom sensation returned to Hinata a heartbeat later, but she ignored the false pain, hurling herself forward before the Ant could re-establish its technique. 

Hinata hit the Ant in the face with an abrupt Lion Fist, and at the same moment Killua rocketed into its side, leading with his foot. The Ant twisted both ways, its face set in agony, before tumbling away from Killua’s kick and leaving behind several teeth.

At the same moment, Gon finished off his opponent. With a primal shout of “Rock!” he slammed his fist clean through the green women, reducing her chest to a slurry of crushed bone and organs. She slumped backwards, eyes fluttering.

Chimera Ants, however, had an incredible will to live, and the biology to back it up. Despite missing its chest cavity, the Ant spent its last erg of energy lurching forward, snapping at Gon’s neck with its long, hollow teeth. Gon danced back and nearly broke the creature’s neck with his elbow, but before it collapsed it lashed out again. Its last attack was also the most pathetic; it stabbed at Gon with the pin it had concealed since the beginning of the fight and missed, only managing to stick the front of his sodden shirt.

The Chimera collapsed, and suddenly there were only three left. The shark, still circling, its heart speaking panic to Hinata; the alligator, whimpering on the floor; and the lobster, deprived of both its arms, covered in electrical burns, and stuck on its back, staring blankly at the sky. 

“Everyone alright?” Hinata asked, already knowing the answer, and both Killua and Gon nodded. They circled the alligator, which looked up at them with wild fearful eyes. With some of its teeth missing, it looked almost comical. 

Its glare darted between them, before settling on Gon. To Hinata’s trepidation, the alligator relaxed, letting out a weak chuckle. 

“Okay,” it said, pulling itself to its feet. “Okay. I guess you are all that, Watcher.”

“Any last words?” Killua asked, extending his fingernails.

“I thought we could surrender?” the alligator asked, acting shocked.

“One chance, remember?” Killua chided. “Not my fault you idiots are hard of hearing.” He took a step forward, and the alligator grinned.

“Hurt me, and your friend dies,” it said, pointing at Gon. Gon blinked, glancing over his shoulder, and then pointed at himself.

“Me?” he asked, and the alligator coughed in disbelief.

“Why don’t you try taking off that stupid pin?” it asked with a shake of its head. Gon glanced at Killua and then did just that, trying to tear the pin off his shirt. 

It didn’t budge. The boy frowned, reaching around and trying to instead just rip the material. Despite his strength, the shirt remained whole.

“Don’t… don’t bother trying to lose your shirt,” the Ant said as Gon started to do just that. The hem of his shirt bizarrely refused to budge, anchored to his side. “It’s impossible; once that pin’s on you, it’s not coming off without permission.”

Hinata felt her stomach sink. They’d overlooked something. Despite overcoming the Ants in a straight fight, they’d still missed something critical. Now, Gon was in danger.

“What is it?” Killua asked in a low voice. “What did you do?”

“I haven’t done anything, you stupid morsel,” the alligator said. “It’s what my friends will do that you should be worried about.” He pointed down, beneath their feet, and Hinata realized in an instant what they’d missed. “There’s two Ants down there, call themselves the Ortho Twins. They were born out of the same egg and everything; they share this technique. Sister makes the pin, and Brother plays the game.”

“Game?” Killua asked. Hinata knew he was a bad breeze away from ripping the alligator’s head off. Gon was quiet.

“Darts,” she said, and the alligator shot her a smug look. “Those two Ants down there in the sewer, playing darts. We should have gone after them first." 

“You couldn’t have,” the alligator said confidently. “Unless they’re in the middle of a game, they can move that bar of theirs wherever they want.”

“Darts, huh?” Gon asked. “So what, that’s it?”

“Yeah, that’s it kid,” the Ant said. “‘Cept you’re the dartboard, is all.”

Twisted, deadly, childish. Everything about the Ants distilled down to a simple game. Hinata felt a chill run up her spine at the realization. 

“Once their game starts, it won’t end until one of two conditions is met,” the alligator continued. “Either Brother misses, or he wins. And Brother never misses.”

‘Winning’ meant Gon dying. There was no doubt of that. In the distance, she spotted something unexpected, cutting off her thoughts for just a moment. Clara Megallane was on the move, lowering herself with some hesitation into a manhole. There was a tube slung over her back with a narrow head; some kind of gun, no doubt.

‘Going into the sewers?’ Hinata thought. The woman began racing through the filth and murky water; it only took Hinata a second to be sure of her destination.

Clara was heading directly for the bar beneath the streets. She was a couple minutes away, by Hinata’s estimation. 

“So, what do you want then?” Gon asked, fingering the tag idly. The alligator snorted.

“Simple. You walk away and leave me and poor Bloster alone,” he said, looking at the disarmed lobster. “Let us get out of here, don’t try to stop any of us leaving, and Brother will just miss his first shot. Nice and simple, no consequences. It’ll piss him off having to miss, but the game will end on the first move, and no one will end up hurt.” He glanced back over at the dead Ants, his gaze lingering on the one Hinata had killed. “Well, ‘cept for Thyreus, but no one liked him anyway.”

“Hmm,” Gon grunted, examining the tag. He looked to Killua, and then nodded to Hinata. She didn’t understand why he seemed unconcerned.

To Hinata, it wasn’t even a question. They’d killed half the Ants present, and one of the survivors was basically crippled. Gon’s life wasn’t worth four Ants, even if they would escape. There was little chance they’d be able to reach the Twins before they did fatal damage to Gon with their hatsu. They were buried deep beneath the earth, far beyond the reach of any digging jutsu, and the closest route to them was nearly three miles long. On her absolute best day, Hinata could cover that distance in eighty seconds or so, maybe a little more thanks to all the turns, but today, with her leg half healed, that wasn’t happening. And though Clara seemed to be heading towards the bar herself, there was no guarantee–

“Hey, alligator-dude,” Gon suddenly asked. “Do you like Ikalgo?”

“Why?” the Ant sneered. “Did you already kill him?”

“Nah,” Gon said with a grin. “He surrendered, and he asked us to take you alive if we could.” Perfect, Hinata thought. Keep him busy. More time to think up a solution.

The alligator laughed. “He always was a coward,” he said. “Always terrifying of embracing his genetic destiny. We Ants, we’re the true rulers of you cattle. Someone like him…” The Ant narrowed his eyes.

“He could never be a King." 

Gon’s face hardened, and Hinata’s heart skipped a beat as she realized what he was about to do.

“Hey Killua,” he said, his voice harsh. Hinata started to speak, but it was too late. “I bet that guy sucks at darts anyway.”

Killua moved just as Hinata managed to say ‘Wait,’ burying his hand in the alligator’s eye and crushing the Ant’s brain before it could react. The Ant collapsed, and Killua flicked its blood off his hand. 

“Gon!” Hinata yelled, turning. “What’re you thinking?!”

Gon blinked at her. He still didn’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation. “What do you mean?” he asked. “You better move quick.” 

“I can’t make it to the bar before they finish their game!” Hinata yelled. Did Gon not get that? The Ant the alligator had called ‘Brother’ was standing up, taking aim with a dart and a gleeful expression.

“So?” Killua asked. “You’re an exorcist.”

Hinata twitched, her understanding of the situation flipping on its head. She’d only heard that word once before; Knuckle had mentioned it before she’d destroyed the puppet manipulating Kite.

The pin was Nen, she belatedly realized. It couldn’t be removed, but it could be destroyed. She surged forward, towards Gon. 

Far below, Brother threw its dart, and Hinata was suddenly in a race. But she was faster than sound; the dart was not. Before it reached the board in the Chimera’s bar, she seized the pin along with the front of Gon’s shirt, running burning cold chakra through her hand. With a grunt, she squeezed, filling the pin with her chakra and then shattering it. 

The dart slammed into the board, quivering.

Nothing happened to Gon. 

The boy stared at her. “You forgot?” he giggled, as Hinata stood back up with a huff. The giggle was slowly transforming into a full blown laugh. “You forgot?!" 

Killua started chuckling too as Hinata’s face went red. “I forgot!” she yelled, poking Gon in the chest and sending him back a step. “You really scared me!” Killua snorted, trying to control himself.

“You thought I was in a lot of trouble there!” Gon laughed, doubling over with his hands on his knees, his whole body shaking; Hinata was sure there was some excess adrenaline there from the fight, rushing out with the laughter. “I’m sorry,” he said, his laughter petering out. “I thought you were just going to hit it right away!”

“And I thought you were going to give us a minute to plan something!” Hinata shot back. “What if I couldn’t have destroyed the pin?” 

Gon shrugged. “I woulda been fine. Probably. You guys would have figured something out, right?” He glanced at Killua, who shrugged back.

“Maybe not,” Killua said with a smile. “You could have just died.”

“Bleh.” Gon waved him off. Below, Brother was still playing darts, apparently oblivious to the destruction of the pin. “So what do we do with him?” he asked, pointing at the lobster-Ant, Bloster.

The Ant glanced at him. “I surrender,” it said flatly.

“You sure?” Killua asked. “You did try to shoot us.”

Bloster looked at the stumps where its arms had been as it slowly sat up, then to the disconnected arms themselves, and then at the body of the alligator. “Fat chance of that happening again,” it grunted. “What am I gonna do, bite you guys? I have no interest in dying so stupidly.”

Hinata kept an eye on the shark, still circling below. The Ant seemed confused about what to do. Even with the alligator dead, it didn’t attack, staying out of their reach. It was probably smart enough to understand that without distractions, its attack would be dodged, and it would be vulnerable. If Hinata were in its situation, she wouldn’t make a move either.

That was three Ants that were out of reach, then. The Twins, and that shark.

Beyond the shark, deeper in the earth, Clara was still on the move. The immediate danger to Gon had passed, but if she’d been aware of it in the first place, she certainly wasn’t now. Hinata wondered what had convinced her to involve herself, now that most of the Ants were dead. Now that she was a little more focused, she could tell the tube on the Hunter’s back was some sort of firearm, packed with complicated mechanisms meant to launch the explosive that was resting inside it. 

Clara was now within two hundred meters of the bar; Brother was nearly finished with his dart game. If Hinata hadn’t been able to destroy the pin, she was sure Gon would at least have been badly injured. 

“What’s happening?” Killua asked. Hinata realized she’d been staring apparently vacantly at something they couldn’t see. 

“Clara Megallane’s heading for the two Ants down below,” she said, starting to move. Gon made a surprised sound, and the shark kept pace with her beneath the ground, still refusing to attack.

Abruptly it stopped, turning and facing down, towards the sewers. From Hinata’s perspective, it was staring blindly, directly at Clara. Slowly, it began to move, gradually picking up speed. Hinata broke into a sprint.

“Stay with the prisoner!” she shouted. “I’ll be right back!” 

As Clara continued through the sewer, drawing closer and closer to the bar, the shark-Ant drew closer to her. Two hundred meters, one hundred, fifty. Hinata leapt the canal, making a beeline for the nearest manhole. The shark stalked Clara through solid earth and brick, circling the tunnel the Hunter was carefully making her way down.

Hinata could already tell she wasn’t going to make it as she dropped into the filthy water running below the city, the chakra under her feet keeping her aloft on the surface of the murky tide. It would take her at least a minute to make her way to Clara’s position, and the shark was just moments away from striking.

All she could do was watch, and hope the woman didn’t die before she arrived.

The shark’s first attack would have been fatal, if it weren’t for Clara’s impressive instincts. The moment the Ant breached from the side of the tunnel, the woman dove down without seeing it, slamming herself to the stonework of the platforms on either side of the river of garbage. The shark missed her by less than a foot, its hand-sized teeth catching the hem of her cloak and tearing a section off. It vanished seamlessly into the wall just as Clara looked up, powering through the brick and coming around in a wide turn for another attack. 

Hinata sped up: the shark wouldn’t miss a second time, she was sure. She was about thirty seconds away. Clara came to one knee, and held both hands out in front of her.

A small tool materialized in her hands; a tablet, with a blank screen. There were two cables dangling from either end of it, like small auxiliary jacks. To Hinata’s shock, Clara took one of the pairs of cables and jammed them into her wrist. There wasn’t a hint of blood; the electronic just slid into her skin.

Hinata realized this was probably Clara’s Hatsu, some kind of Nen Conjuration. It didn’t seem likely that a small tablet would be much help against a shark Chimera that was over ten feet tall, though. But Clara hadn’t struck her as a fool. She wouldn’t have deployed her Hatsu when she knew Hinata would be able to see her unless she intended to use it. 

Twenty-five seconds away. 

The shark charged, this time from above. If it had its way, it would fall from above on the Hunter like a bomb with teeth, swallowing her whole. Hinata resisted the urge to yell out. It wouldn’t accomplish anything. Clara’s life was in her own hands.

The Hunter looked up less than a second before the shark breached through the brickwork.

She dove to the left, hitting the ground roughly and nearly rolling into the water. The shark snapped at her, and once more took a chunk from her outfit. This time, it was her sleeve, but one of the teeth scored the woman’s arm as well, leaving a small divot in her flesh. Clara gritted her teeth as the shark completed its pass, seamlessly slipping back into the ground.

But before it could vanish, the other pair of jacks on the Hunter’s tablet jabbed out. Half of the shark’s body was below the ground, everything above its core; the jacks stabbed into the shark’s rear. 

Hinata stopped, fascinated by the surge of Nen that shot down both pairs of jacks. Clara’s energy entered the shark, carried by the tablet, and an equivalent amount left the shark, taking up residence in the conjuration.

The Ant died.

Clara withdrew, the jacks slipping out of both her wrist and the shark. Hinata blinked, looking harder. It took her a whole second to understand what had happened.

The shark’s Hatsu, which had let it slip through solid ground like water, had stopped functioning. The whole creature’s upper body and head had merged with the stone and bricks of the sewer, crushing every one of its major organs at once. All that was left was its bottom half, sticking out of the ground like a bizarre and grotesque piece of art.

Clara dusted herself off and continued on her way, only fifty meters or so from the bar. Hinata remained where she was. She was rooted by two questions.

The first was how on earth Clara had killed the shark. Did her tablet deactivate Nen abilities? If so, that was monstrously dangerous. The second was a general sense of curiosity. Now that the shark was dead, Hinata was almost eager to see how Clara would handle the Twins. 

Brother was nearly done with his dart game. Hinata advanced slowly, coming to within one turn of the door, and then held her position, watching Clara approach the door. It looked bizarre, sitting in the middle of the sewer’s wall with no respect for its surroundings. Would the Hunter try to creep in? It was two on one odds, and her Hatsu didn’t seem ideal for fighting multiple opponents.

As Clara approached the door, she unslung the tube she’d been carrying on her back since entering the sewer. She checked the head, making sure everything was in its proper place, and then took a deep breath.

In one smooth and impressive motion, she kicked the bar’s door off its hinges and fell to one knee, leveling the tube. As the two Ants inside turned, their eyes widening in shock, the Hunter depressed the trigger on the handle.

There was a tremendous bang and a flash of fire, and a small long bomb leapt out of the tube, propelled at impressive speed by the blast. The Ants barely had time to react; the smaller, feminine one rolled behind the bar, while Brother staggered to the side. The rocket-propelled grenade slammed directly into its precious dartboard.

Hinata had enough time to note with some amusement that Clara had almost scored a bullseye before the bomb detonated. The explosion engulfed Brother, flinging him across the room and destroying most of his head; for an Ant, he wasn’t very durable. Hinata could see he hadn't managed to erect any Nen defenses either. 

The blast rippled across the bar, rupturing wood, flipping tables, and shattering all the glass in the room. Sister, hiding behind the counter, was sent skittering backwards, a shard of wood embedded in her shoulder. It seemed she shared her twin’s fragility.

While the explosion was still echoing through the sewer, Clara was on the move. She let the weapon fall from her shoulder, leaving it on the ground, and confidently entered the bar with a hurried but careful stride. She spotted Sister immediately. The Ant was still reeling from the blast, bleeding from the mouth and trying to make its way to its feet. Before it could even register the Hunter’s presence, Clara was at its side, her tablet materializing once more.

Hinata began to move. As Sister turned in a daze, the tablet’s jacks entered its forehead.

It took Hinata about twenty seconds to reach the bar. She was watching Clara’s Hatsu the whole time, engrossed in the play of Nen between the Hunter and the Ant. The stream of energy between the two was perfectly balanced, only barely contained by the Nen conjuration. The precision and delicacy of Clara’s control was truly impressive: Hinata didn’t understand quite what the Hatsu did, but to her surprise whatever its function it was a reciprocal technique.

Sister’s Nen was being forced into Clara, and Clara was returning an equivalent amount of her own. Hinata wondered what the purpose of it was. Could the Hunter be stealing the Ant’s Hatsu? That could explain how she had killed the shark, but it wouldn’t account for the Hunter’s own energy entering the Ant. There was something she was missing.

When she came upon the final turn she considered making some noise intentionally, to warn the Hunter she’d arrived. But curiosity held her back. The flow of Nen from Clara’s conjuration was ebbing. Her Hatsu was coming to an end. 

Hinata reached the door to the bar. The Hunter inside was still unaware of her. As she ran her hand along the door’s frame, testing if it felt like real wood, Clara withdrew her jacks from the Ant’s head and her own wrist. She sagged, breathing heavily. Obviously using the Hatsu twice in quick succession had been tiring for her.

Tired and secluded. It was the perfect time to settle her suspicions.

Hinata stepped through the door, allowing her footsteps to thud on the slatted floor. Clara froze, jerking her head and glaring back at Hinata over her shoulder. She had a peculiar reaction when she realized who Hinata was; an initial relaxation, her muscles loosening as she realized there wasn’t a threat behind her, and then a jump. Though the danger had passed, the Hunter’s heart sped up even more.

Clara gradually dragged herself to her feet, the bags under her eyes even more pronounced. Her cloak was stained with refuse from the sewer, while Hinata was still spotless.

“Why are you here?” Hinata asked after a moment. She didn’t bother with politeness, since it wouldn’t be returned. “You were content to contain the Ants.”

The Hunter glared at her, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. Five seconds passed. Ten. Sister was apparently comatose behind Clara, barely breathing. Hinata took a step forward.

“I saw the pin,” Clara rasped, and Hinata stopped. Her hand came away from her nose with a tiny smear of already drying blood. “I had to step in then. I didn’t want another Hunter to die.” She wiped the blood off on her cloak. “Is Gon alright?”

Interesting. The woman wasn’t heartless, just calculated. For her, there was a line between letting the Ants escape and letting them directly kill someone right in front of her.

“I’m an exorcist,” Hinata said, and Clara stiffened, her heart beating even faster. Hinata couldn’t understand how just her presence was exciting the woman so much. “I destroyed the pin before the dart game could begin.” She cocked her head. “But how could you possibly have known how to get here? Or what the pin did? You didn’t tell us about it before we left.”

“I knew about the game beforehand,” Clara started to say. “When you said there were Ants below the warehouse-”

“Stop.” Hinata took another step forward, and Clara shut up, her face twisting in frustration. The Hunter’s lips twitched, words trying to escape. “You’re not going to fool me. We both know it.” 

The conjuration still hadn’t disappeared, Hinata noted. The jacks jerked, a movement so minute Hinata wouldn’t have detected it without the Byakugan. She was sure Clara wanted to use them, consciously or not. 

“The Ants here are dead,” Hinata said, studying the woman’s face and body. Anxiety, tension, yearning.

Yearning. That was the final piece that hadn’t quite made sense, that had muffled her reading of the Hunter. Hinata blinked, starting to turn.

“If you won’t tell me, I’m happy for it to remain a mystery,” she said, and Clara twitched. “I’m going to leave. I’ll tell Gon what you did; I’m sure he’ll be thankful for the thought.”

She hadn’t gone two steps before Clara cried out. “Wait!”

Hinata turned midstep, glancing back at the Hunter. Clara licked her lips, her right hand clenching without purpose. The Hunter struggled, opened her mouth, closed it. She was on the edge of something, but wasn’t able to let it out 

“If…” The woman gagged, almost hyperventilating. The Hunter’s behavior put Hinata more and more on edge, but she stayed where she was, more curious by the minute. She couldn’t walk away now; the woman might just keel over. 

“If you want to know, you have to tell me something too,” Clara managed to bite out, looking as though the words terrified her. Yet when Hinata didn’t react beyond crossing her arms, the Hunter kept speaking. “Information exchange,” she said with the ghost of a smile, the dark bags under her eyes accentuating the whiteness of her teeth.

“Which is?” Hinata asked. Clara took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Okay,” she said to herself. 

“Tell me everything you know about the Shinju.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

Last Grasp

“Tell me everything you know about the Shinju.”

The words dried out Hinata’s mouth, rendering her speechless. She stared at the Hunter, taking in her pale face, the dark bags under her gleaming golden eyes, her stance, the breathless anticipation resonating throughout Clara’s body.

She would never have guessed that she would have heard that word here, of all places. It was the farthest thing from her mind now. But now, this Hunter from another world, a woman she’d only met less than an hour ago, had managed to drag the God Tree and the war fought for it back to the front of her brain.

Clara smiled. “You do know about it,” she said, taking a step closer. The Chimera Ant, Sister, stirred, and the Hunter stomped on its head, knocking it out once more. “I was right. I can see it in your face.”

The Otsutsuki must have been on this world, just like she’d suspected. The mystery of the similar language did have a logical answer; just one she didn’t like. Hinata took a breath, trying to get her balance back. The woman could be a threat. There could be so much more at stake than some murderous insects. She needed to focus.

She did her best to become a knife, the kind of shinobi she and her husband had been trying to make vanish. It was all she could think to do, to default to her childhood lessons.

“How,” she asked, her voice sharp, “do you know that word?”

Clara smiled. To Hinata’s surprise, it was the farthest look from sinister or conniving. Instead, the woman was full of pure, unadulterated joy. It erased the worn look in her eyes, her cheeks; the smile lit up her complexion. Her heart slowed down, her muscles relaxed. For the first time since they’d met, Clara Megallane didn’t look exhausted. 

Simply happy. Giddy, even. Completely and totally relieved. Hinata’s question had lifted years of stress and worry from the woman’s shoulders without even trying, and she had no idea why. 

“I was right,” the Hunter said again; it sounded like she couldn’t believe it. “You do…”

“Listen to me,” Hinata said in a harsh tone, and Clara slightly sobered up. “I’m happy to walk away without knowing how you knew to come here, or how you knew about the Ant’s Hatsu.” The admission seemed to terrify Clara. “But you have to tell me how you know that word." 

“If you’re going to be honest, I will be too,” Clara shot back. She drew closer, more of the familiar stress falling across her. “Please! You have to tell me!”

Hinata narrowed her eyes. “The Shinju is… a tree,” she decided. She had to see how far this could go. Clara could be her only source of information about something far more important than the Ants. “An enormous tree, taller than any mountain.” Clara nodded frantically, her smile not slipping.

It really had been too big to understand. Whenever Hinata remembered it, she was sure her mind was exaggerating its size. Something that big just couldn’t exist; a tree that towered over even the clouds was too absurd to stand under its own weight. And yet, she knew that her memories weren’t a lie. The Shinju had killed her cousin, and its monumental roots alone had blocked out the horizon.

“I know that,” she said, tripping over her words. “I know about that, and the fruit at the top. But you have to tell me, please…” She hesitated, trying to figure out what to say. “I need to find a living one,” she eventually said, and Hinata felt a chill run all the way from the top of her head to the base of her spine. “So you need to tell me why you have its energy. Did you come from the Shinju?”

Hinata couldn’t help but think that of all the places to have an impossible conversation like this, a bar in the sewers of a city in another world was perhaps one of the most absurd.

“You said this was going to be an information exchange,” she said after thinking it over for a couple seconds, and Clara leaned in. She’d drawn closer and closer. Now, there was barely a meter between her and Hinata. “If you tell me how you know about the Shinju, I’ll give you an answer.”

Clara took a shaky breath. “That’s fair,” she admitted, sitting down at the bar. She glanced at the drinks behind it: so far as Hinata could tell, they were real. Would they vanish if Sister died? She didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. “But I’m holding you to it.” She still held her conjured tablet in her left hand, and as she spoke, its jacks twitched. Hinata watched it carefully. 

“This thing,” Clara said, holding up the tablet and letting Hinata get a good look at its blank screen, “ is my Conjuration. I call it Give and Take.” She looked back at Sister. “You saw me use it on that Ant, and that shark one, so maybe you already have an idea of what it does, depending on how good those eyes of yours are.”

Hinata uncrossed her arms and took a seat as well, two stools down from Clara. She didn’t want to be within easy reach of the woman. “All I could see,” she said, “was that it transferred Nen between you and whoever it connects to.”

“That’s pretty much it,” Clara admitted. She’d calmed down immensely, acting like they were two old friends. “Give and Take forms a connection between my Nen and whoever I jack into. But it doesn’t just transfer energy.” Her eyes flitted down, to Hinata wrist, and Hinata drew it back and inch or two. “I created it to transfer memories.”

“Memories?” Hinata asked. She blinked, sudden understanding breaking over her. “So that Ant…?”

Clara nodded. “You’re clever,” she grinned. “Yeah, I made him forget his Hatsu. I had to give up the taste of food.” She smirked. “Pretty good trade, in my opinion.”

The Hunter had made that Ant forget how to move through solid objects while it was inside one. Hinata had to admit it was impressive, though the nature of the Hatsu also alarmed her. She absolutely could not be touched by those jacks. 

“Do you mean all food?” Hinata said, a little shocked, and Clara nodded. “So it’s an equal trade of information?” she asked, realizing the irony in an instant.

“Exactly,” Clara said. “It’s a pain to always lose all the little stuff, but it's effective.”

“So that’s how you learned about the Shinju?” Hinata asked, and Clara’s smile vanished. “You ‘jacked in’ to someone who knew about it?”

“Not exactly,” Clara said, leaning back. She grabbed one of the bottles, idly examining its contents. “Have you ever seen the World Tree?”

Hinata tilted her head. “I have no idea what that is,” she said, and Clara blinked, clearly surprised.

“It’s a big tree,” she said sardonically. “On the northern edge of the Yorbian continent. A tourist attraction.”

Hinata felt her stomach sinking as Clara took a swig from the bottle she’d picked up. The woman stuck out her tongue in disgust, tossing the drink away. “Bleh. Guess I don’t like alcohol,” she muttered.

“How big?” Hinata asked, and Clara winked, reaching for a different bottle.

“Probably as big as you’re imagining,” she grinned, but the smile quickly slipped away. “Beyond the clouds, for sure. I visited it ten years ago, on my eighteenth birthday.” Clara was still looking at Hinata, but it was clear she wasn’t seeing her. She was back with the World Tree.

Back with the Shinju that was on this world, by the sounds of it. Hinata wondered how anyone could live where it stood.

“Everything alive has memories,” Clara continued. “Give and Take is most useful when it comes to people, but it can work with most things. Animals, and even plants.” She twitched, the bags under her eyes looking darker than usual. “Something like a tree usually just carries impressions of its past, but for older ones, even those impressions can be fascinating. I didn’t expect to get anything really interesting: it was practically a joke, even.” She grew quieter and quieter as she spoke, drawing further into herself. Hinata was reminded of her younger self, a spectre completely at odds with the sharp and direct Clara.

The Hunter had just been curious. As Hinata started to understand what the woman was saying, she was filled with a gnawing dread. 

She also couldn’t deny her blossoming curiosity.

“It was supposedly the oldest thing in the world,” Clara said, closing her eyes. “I had to at least take a look.”

“You used your Hatsu on the tree?” Hinata asked, and Clara nodded.

“It wasn’t like any tree I’d ever jacked into,” she said, her eyes still closed. Hinata watched her heart speed up. “It had a consciousness. Definite memories.” Clara opened her eyes, seeing nothing. “And it was hungry. I couldn’t even… it was like an ocean of teeth that ran under the whole world. Or empty space, just a vacuum of starvation.” Her fingers drummed on her conjured tablet. “I almost died, right there, in that hunger. Even though it was in a coma, or something like it, it almost ate me.”

Had the woman inadvertently subjected herself to the same stresses as a Jinchuriki, Hinata wondered. What a nightmarish thought. She stayed silent, rapt, as Clara continued.

“But I didn’t die: I went deeper. I saw its home; a place where dozens of its siblings were in constant conflict, where nothing was like here.” Clara ran her fingers over the head of one of Give and Take’s jacks. “I had to give up everything except this Hatsu; all eighteen years. But it was worth it. I came back with almost everything I’d seen…” She looked up, staring into Hinata’s Byakugan. “Including the memory of that energy inside you.”

Hinata was having trouble keeping up, tripping past ‘dozens of siblings’ face-first into ‘energy.’ So that was what had piqued the woman’s interest when they’d first met. Her chakra, the same kind of energy generated by the Shinju; an energy similar to but completely different from Nen. But that was the least of her worries. One Shinju was unbelievably dangerous, a potential apocalypse. Multiple ones were unthinkable, especially the mention of them being in conflict.

It also opened up a huge amount of questions, none of which could be reasonably answered. Could this world be more important to the Otsutsuki than her own had been, if there really were multiple Shinju on it? Had Clara seen another world entirely in the World Tree’s memories? Certainly there was no way this civilization and the Hunter’s Association could survive multiple trees, perhaps multiple Juubi even. It was beyond Hinata’s imagination.

Behind all that, there was more horror, and sympathy. Clara had been forced to sacrifice her whole life to walk away from the tree. Had that included her name? She didn’t want to ask.

“My energy?” she asked without really thinking about it, internally turning over a dozen more pressing questions.

“It’s like Nen, but not. Do you have a name for it?”

Hinata decided that a little honesty wouldn’t go too far astray here, not when the woman possibly had more to tell her.

“Chakra,” she said, and Clara grinned widely at the admission. “That’s the energy created by the tree: it’s called chakra.”

“How did you get it?” Clara asked, pressing further.

HInata considered. “Long ago, an ancestor of mine ate the fruit that grows at the top of the Shinju.” It wasn’t a perfect truth, but it was close enough to work. “They were driven mad by it, probably like you almost were, but it was passed down over a hundred generations, and now it’s just a part of me, like your Nen is you.”

Unless, she internally amended, the chakra that Clara had sensed was Hamura’s and not hers. Her ancestor’s chakra probably far more closely resembled the primal energy of the Shinju than her own did. But Clara didn’t need to know that; the details would only confuse her.

“Then...” Clara gasped, throwing away yet another bottle; orange juice this time. It seemed she hadn’t found something to her taste yet. “Humans do live on the Dark Continent? That’s where you came from?”

“The Dark Continent?” Hinata asked, and Clara’s expression grew a shade warier. She leaned back with an askance look.

“The world beyond this one,” she said, and Hinata’s heart jumped. “Outside of this little lake that we call civilization.”

Was she being literal or figurative? Did Clara understand that her world was only one of many, or was the Yorbian continent, the Mitene Union, and the other civilizations in this world literally placed in a large lake? Hinata was worried betraying her ignorance would have unforeseen consequences.

“I’m not familiar with that term,” Hinata said, carefully couching her words, and Clara relaxed, just slightly.

“Figures,” she said. “Even if you are from there, you wouldn’t know it yourself. Not after what Netero’s done.”

“The Chairman?” Hinata asked, and Clara’s face grew ugly. She idly twisted the head of one of her Conjuration’s jacks.

“Don’t call him that. He’s not worthy of it,” the woman growled. “That old idiot’s terrified of the Dark Continent. He led two expeditions there. He should know better than anyone what we could retrieve from it.” She twisted the jack more violently, her lips curling. “But in his cowardice and selfishness he completely locked it off; made any further expeditions illegal, worked to make the knowledge that had been gained from it restricted to the highest tiers of the world’s governments.” She stood up and began to pace. “To even get the nothing I know about it, do you have any idea how much I had to do? The people I had to hunt down? Even with my Association Membership…!”

Clara took a heavy breath, her fist clenching around her tablet. “I need to get there, to those other Shinju. I need…” She seemed unsure herself of what to say. 

The realization snuck up on Hinata so quietly that she didn’t realize it until it was already halfway out her mouth. “Is that why you were going to let the Ants escape?” she asked, and the woman jerked towards her. “The Chairman’s put his life and career on the line dealing with the Chimera Ants showing up in the NGL; if they managed to get away, he’d be the one blamed for it.”

The Hunter sneered, pacing faster. “Like I said, you are clever.” She sighed. “I didn’t want innocents getting hurt, but it was the perfect opportunity. But now, it’s just as well I did: if I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have come here, and I never would have met you.” She smiled, all teeth. “I’ve learned more in the last five minutes than I have in ten years. And the Ants are dead, or captured. Win-Win.”

“That’s irresponsible,” Hinata said quietly, and the woman snorted. Gon and Killua were starting to look bored; she’d been keeping an eye on them throughout the conversation. Neither of them were worried for her, that much was obvious. Gon was chatting with the Lobster-Ant Killua had disarmed.

“I wouldn’t think someone from the Dark Continent could say something like that,” Clara shot back.

“How are you so sure I am?” Hinata asked, and Clara asked.

 “It’s the only place in the world with multiple living Shinju,” she said, and Hinata’s heart jumped. “If you have that chakra of theirs, where else could you be from?”

Hinata wasn’t sure what to say to that, but as she tried to formulate a reasonable response, a distraction appeared at the edge of her vision.

Another Ant had entered Yunda. The creature was a simply designed one, unlike many of its messier compatriots: a clean fusion of a man and a cheetah. It was tall and lanky, with articulated limbs like those of a grasshopper, and its long legs pushed it forward into the city at incredible speed. Hinata frowned, ignoring Clara and focusing on the new Ant.

The thing was fast, befitting its heritage. It had entered her vision just a second ago, and it was already covered nearly a kilometer, speeding past all distractions and leaving confusion and minor injuries in its wake as it bowled over anyone in its path. As Hinata tracked its progress over the following three seconds, its destination became obvious to her.

It was heading towards the warehouse.

Hinata turned on her heels and headed towards the exit. Clara surged to her feet, knocking her stool over.

“Where are you going?” the Hunter demanded. Hinata glanced back at her, not stopping.

“There’s another Ant headed towards Gon and Killua,” she said. The cheetah was only a couple seconds away. It would pass through the military perimeter without anyone being able to notice its passage. “They may need help." 

“You can’t leave!” Clara said, her voice harsh. She started moving towards Hinata. “You haven’t answered me!” 

“There’s no time,” Hinata said. She didn’t look back. “Maybe later.”

Clara’s face twisted up; she bared her teeth, like an angry dog. Hinata realized what was coming.

She sighed.

As Hinata passed through the bar’s threshold, Clara leapt after her, one hand clutching a bottle of white wine and the other swinging her Conjuration. The tablet’s jack darted forward, aiming for the nape of Hinata’s neck.

There was a moment of stolen time where Hinata considered killing the Hunter. The woman was attacking her from behind, without justification. Sending a spear of chakra into her heart would be effortless and instantly fatal. But the thought was disproportionate, insane. Clara wasn’t a threat, at least not to Hinata. She was certainly a threat to herself, but that wasn’t Hinata’s problem. Someone needed to stay behind to apprehend the surviving Ant anyway. Was the murderous impulse Hinata’s, or Hamura’s? She wasn’t sure. She’d been relying too much on her ancestor’s chakra to ignore her injuries.

The attack was an ambush, but against the Byakugan, against Hinata, it was futile. Far too slow, and far too predictable. Hinata didn’t bother to turn to meet attack from behind. She simply reached back over her shoulder, her hand boiling with the cold purple chakra of her ancestor, and snipped the head of the jack off between her index and middle finger. Clara continued forward, not having time to realize her Conjuration had been damaged, and Hinata halfheartedly kicked backwards, knocking the wind out of the woman and sending her stumbling back a step.

The detached jack bounced off her neck. As she left the bar, Hinata spared one look back at Clara. The Hunter looked like she was going to start weeping, clutching her maimed Conjuration to her chest, unable to rise as she gasped for breath.

“Please-!” the woman wheezed. Hinata pursed her lips.

“Don’t seek the Shinju,” she said, knowing it was pointless. “There’s nothing worth finding.”

Then she was gone. 

###

Killua saw the Ant arrive, but only by a margin that he was entirely unsatisfied with.

The thing was some sort of cheetah-man, and it was ungodly fast. It slowed down a little as it approached the warehouse, becoming visible to unaugmented human senses, but even then Killua could see in its loping stride the potential for impossible speed. He and Gon had been waiting for Hinata to return for about four minutes. They weren’t concerned for her safety: the woman could handle herself, probably better than either of them. Whether she’d managed to save Clara Megallane was a little more interesting, but it wasn’t a question Killua cared about much.

The woman had been a creep. This Ant was much more interesting. As it drew closer, sniffing around with a curious look, he and Gon drew abreast, presenting a united front. Gon glanced at him, and Killua nodded.

He had superior speed, but still less than this Ant. If it attacked, he’d do his best to pin it so Gon could use his Jajanken and deliver a mortal blow. It was a tactic they’d instinctively come into in the weeks of hunting Ants with HInata, though they’d only had to use it once.

But to Killua’s confusion, the Ant continued to ignore them even as it came closer. It wandered past him and Gon, poking around the bodies of the other Ants, crouching beside them and giggling to itself. The lobster, Bloster, was the last one. The cheetah-Ant stood over the disarmed crustacean with a disgusted look, staring back and forth between it and Gon.

It scratched its chin with a hand that was missing two fingers; only the thumb and pinky were left.

“Man, I was too late, huh?” it grumbled. “I was trying, too. And you! You’re a pathetic sight!” It laughed over Bloster, who shifted, unable or unwilling to rise. “You were so proud of those arms of yours? Looks like they didn’t help you much.” It scratched its head and yawned as Killa and Gon shifted, happy to watch and wait. “I can’t believe you weakling were ever worth an invitation to serve the King." 

Killua stiffened, and beside him Gon blinked. Was that why these Ants had been happy to sit around? Had they been commanded to do just that, waiting for an emissary from the King? It seemed likely: who better to deliver messages than an Ant that could move with such speed?

But why come all the way to the warehouse, when Ants could communicate over kilometers with telepathy? Killua didn’t have an answer for that.

Unless the cheetah had wanted to examine the Ants’ bodies itself. That was the most logical reason. 

That was all busywork though, idle thoughts his mind occupied itself with as his body listened to his assassination training. The Ant glanced at him and grinned, its hungry eyes playing over his tightening muscles. Killua was never comfortable with how obvious it was the Ants regarded him as food; at least people were just trying to kill you.

“The King?” Gon asked, and the Ant giggled. Before Killua or Gon could react, the thing moved, sprinting in with a fist cocked back. Anyone else would have rocked backwards in surprise: Gon leaned into the hit, taking two blows to the forehead and cheek before the Ant leapt back with a chortle as Killua’s friend swung at empty air. The punches had been light, unable to damage Gon’s Ken, but the attack was still shocking.

“Don’t you worry about that: I’m sure he’d love to meet a twig like you, but he’s got bigger things on his plate.” The Ant looked them both over, blatantly sizing them up, deciding whether they were an easy meal or not. Killua knew they weren’t. It was just up to the Ant being smart enough to realize the same thing.

Evidently it was, despite its big mouth. The cheetah sneered. “I could use a snack right now,” it drawled, “but I’ve got more important errands to run.” It laughed, sounding more like a hyena, and narrowed its eyes. “Shaiapouf will skin me if I fall behind schedule. But hey: take one for the road!”

The thing moved again, and again without any detectable physical tell. But it was predictable; this time, it was going for Killua, he was sure, and with the same kind of attack it had made on Gon. Killau ducked, lashing out.

The first punch caught him on the chin and knocked his head back, but he’d guessed correctly. He hand slipped past the Ant’s own, trying to close around the thing’s fingers to electrocute and then shatter them. But before Killua’s fingers could finish closing, the Ant withdrew its hand as though it had already been shocked. He was left grasping at air, just like Gon had.

The Ant backed up with a frown, opening and closing its maimed hand.

“You’re no fun,” he muttered, and then just as fast as he’d arrived he sped away, leaping the canal into the city in a single bound.

Gon and Killua were left staring at each other: Killua was sure his friend was just as confused by the brief encounter as he was.

“You alright?” Gon asked after a moment, and Killua nodded.

“Weak hits,” he said, running his hand over his chin. “He might be fast, but if that’s all the power he has, it’s no wonder they use him as a messenger.”

“You almost had him too!” Gon said, his face shining. He looked around, back to the city. “Well, at least we got all the Ants. I hope he doesn’t run into Ikalgo…”

Hinata Hyuuga landed next to them, and Killua almost stumbled back in a flash of deja vu, remembering their first meeting. The woman had arrived silently, leaping from somewhere unseen to perfectly alight alongside them. Gon wasn’t nearly as surprised; Killua was positive he hadn’t known the woman was coming either, but he just greeted the Hyuuga with a wide grin.

Every day, Killua wondered how the woman had so quickly worked her way into Gon’s trust, and Gon into her’s. 

“Clara’s alright,” Hinata said, acting as though she’d been there the whole time. With her eyes, she might as well have been. Killua wondered where the other Hunter was now; Hinata looked ruffled. “It looks like that cheetah is on his way out of the city; that means all the Ants in Yunda are taken care of.” She looked to Killua, and he couldn’t identify the look in her blank eyes. “He say anything interesting?” 

She had spied on his heart, he was sure. It must have jumped when the Ant had mentioned the King.

“We need to have him followed,” Killua said without preamble, and Hinata tilted her head. She smelled terrible; where had she been? “He was sent by a Royal Guard.”

“Which means...” Gon said, crossing his arms and nodding. “You’re smart, Killua. He’ll probably head back to him. That guy’s our best chance of finding the King." 

The mystery of the vanished Ant King had been the most pressing mystery to the Hunters in the Mitene Union for the last couple weeks; that this Ant had idiotically given them the best lead in all that time with a couple errant words almost made Killua laugh.

But he couldn’t laugh, because he was looking at Gon’s face. His friend was growing harsher and harsher, his features compressed into cruel lines. Hinata could see it too, and Killua shared a grim look with her, one the woman returned.

After all, where the King went his Royal Guard followed.

The hunt for the King might soon draw to a close, but Gon’s pursuit of Neferpitou was about to begin.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

Consolidation

Hinata hadn’t had time for more than a single meal before she and her teammates had left the Republic of West Gorteau for the NGL, almost two months ago. She’d picked up a curry from a small diner, eager for a new experience in an unfamiliar world, and found that no matter which dimension you were in, curry was curry… even if West Gorteau’s had been a little underspiced for her taste. Her impression hadn’t been changed by a second meal; this time, she’d selected some kind of potato stuffed with meat and cheese, along with some vegetables. It had been hearty and delicious, but Hinata had been too distracted by her circumstances to enjoy it.

It was appropriate that they’d come back to where they’d started as things were coming to an end; it was pleasantly cyclical. It helped her distance herself from the gradual dread the situation was inspiring in her, dread that swelled every day. 

She’d arrived in West Gorteau the day before, saying goodbye to Gon and Killua with a hesitation that had surprised her. After nearly a month in their company, separation was somewhat bitter, more melancholy than painful. She’d see them again. Shino and Kiba had shown up in the capital city of Ceol just a couple hours after her, dragging a bruised but cheerful Shoot. The armless man had been in deep conversation with Shino when Hinata had approached them, overjoyed to see her fellow shinobi; she’d wondered if they’d been swapping amputee tips. 

Kiba and Shino had said their goodbyes to the Hunter, and then followed Hinata, drawn by her dark look. That had brought them to where they sat now, clustered in a shaded alley that sheltered them from West Gorteau’s relentless sun. Dozens of people walked by them, but only a couple bothered to give them a glance; people in alleys rarely drew long looks. 

“You can’t be serious.” Kiba was the only one not sitting. He relentlessly paced, kicking at the ground. He alone among them was unmarred; his nose had healed cleanly. Hinata still walked with a limp, and Shino’s injury was impossible to miss. “We’re fucked.” 

“Not necessarily,” Shino said. Hinata wondered how he could act like he wasn’t missing an arm. Maybe after several weeks he’d gotten used to it. She wasn’t sure she would have been as brave as him. “Multiple Shinju certainly sounds dangerous, but look around.” He did just that, glancing at Hinata with a smile. How could he smile? “A country like this, let alone the rest of this world, couldn’t exist with even one Shinju like the one we knew, let alone multiple ones. Perhaps the trees here are weaker, or a different breed.” He paused, looking past Hinata. “Perhaps we should ask the Hunters.”

“What could they tell us that we don’t know?” Hinata asked. Shino shrugged. 

“You said Clara told you Netero was the one who barred passage to the Dark Continent,” he pointed out, calm as always. “If anyone could tell us more, it would be the Chairman.”

“So what, we just ask him about something so secret the girl with the brain-sucker couldn’t even find out much?” Kiba interjected with a frown. He waved dismissively. “I’m sure that would go over well. Netero’s been happy to fight with us, but he’s never trusted us. If we start throwing around super-secret stuff like that, I doubt he’d be happy to answer. Might even start punching and ask questions later.”

Hinata didn’t know what to say to that, and Shino clearly didn’t either. They both stayed silent, Hinata shifting on her sore leg.

The Ants seemed like a distant, worthless threat with the knowledge of the Shinju hanging over them, but nonetheless, that was why they were still in the fight in the first place. Hinata did her best to refocus on the clear and present danger.

“Listen,” she said, and Kiba perked up. “The Hunters have set a meeting, about an hour from now. Some local restaurant. Everyone should be there.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinking about this since I encountered Clara, and the way I see things, we have two options.”

She stood up, extending her index finger. “One: we figure out how the hunt for the King is going, and act from there. If it looks like we’re not needed, we leave, and inform the Villages about what we’ve found here. It’s a problem that’s beyond us.” Kiba huffed, but nodded nonetheless, while Shino watched her with a curious look behind his visor.

Hinata’s middle finger joined her index. “Two: the Hunters still need our help with the King. That’s probably going to be the case, unless something’s happened outside of our knowledge. In that case, according to Mari the portal will be recharged in eight days.”

“That’s such bullshit,” Kiba cut in, and Hinata giggled despite herself. “What’d they say, two weeks for each of us?” Shino nodded, and Kiba growled. “We’ve been here fucking…” he glanced up, closing one eye and apparently struggling through the days. Hinata couldn’t blame him; many of them had seemed like two or three. “Seven!” he announced triumphantly. “Seven exactly! Fifty-eight days since we pranced through that damn thing, and it’s still more than a week out? That’s eight weeks! And a day!”

“It was my fault,” Hinata admitted, and Kiba snapped his head towards her. “The portal’s engineers didn’t know about the lunar chakra. It increased the drain on it.” Mari had explained it to her when she’d met with her late last night.

“Oh,” Kiba muttered. “Well, uh…” He scratched the back of his head. “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine,” Hinata said. “You didn’t know either.” Her husband had, but he’d clearly been too distracted to realize it; the thought made Hinata laugh a little, brought a warm glow to her chest. Naruto’s absent-mindedness was occasionally frustrating, but it was impossible not to cut him some slack when he was so buried under the new responsibilities he’d undertaken as Hokage.

She hoped Boruto was behaving himself. Naruto had said they’d be fine, but he’d been counting on six weeks, not eight. She wasn’t worried about Himawari, but Boruto was a stickler for time with his parents; no doubt once she got back he’d be heckling her about the mistaken timeline for weeks. 

Hinata shook her head, rushing back to the present. Shino was giving her a funny look. 

“You were saying?” he asked. Hinata smiled. 

“The portal will be recharged in eight days,” she continued. “If we can’t take care of the King within that time, then we call for reinforcements. Letting it live is probably more dangerous than telling the Hunters the truth, after all. With multiple shinobi, even the Chimera Ants won’t stand much of a chance.”

“Fair,” Kiba said. “Sounds good to me.” Shino nodded in silent agreement.

“But regardless of how the Ants are resolved,” he said, “the Shinju must be addressed.”

“Of course,” Hinata agreed, “but that will have to wait until we’ve taken care of what’s right in front of us.”

Kiba snorted. “It’s those kids, isn’t it?”

Hinata crossed her arms. “They’re adorable,” she said frankly, and Kiba laughed. “And they remind me of our generation. I don’t want them to die to something as meaningless as the Ants. Besides, you’re one to talk; I saw how you and Shoot were getting along.” She grinned. “Was that you or Shino who brought him out of his shell?”

“He’s still way too in there,” Kiba said. “But Shino helped out a lot. He’s a good guy, he’s just got a lot of self-confidence issues.” He grinned, showing fangs. “I was more there for egging him on; Shino’s the one who could engage with him. Crazy Hatsu too.”

“You’ll have to tell me about it,” Hinata said. She looked over her shoulder at the street, watching the angle of the shadows. “We’ve got a little time before the meeting. After that, who knows what will happen.”

###

The meeting at the restaurant turned out to be a subdued event, one Hinata barely participated in. The Cheetah-Ant had been easy to follow despite its speed, and it had eventually betrayed its ruler’s position. The Ant King had taken up residence in East Gorteau, replacing the country’s dictator without anyone apparently being the wiser. Hinata, along with her team, had lurked at the rear of the table the Hunters had commandeered, eating silently and carefully observing. 

There had been two primary takeaways from the meeting. The first was that Morel was still certain the shinobi would be remaining to help deal with the King: Hinata had been happy to play along with that, coaxed by Gon’s trusting smile. The second was that a calamity was fast approaching the insular nation she and her team were currently infiltrating.

They’d crossed the border nearly an hour ago, moving in total silence as each of them considered the import of the meeting in their own way. The quiet camaraderie had been welcome, but now as the night deepened and the half-moon shone down, Shino finally spoke up.

“Do you think it’s a coincidence,” he asked, “that it reminds me of the Infinite Tsukuyomi?” 

Kiba glanced over at him; the man had picked up a large fallen tree branch and had been idly whirling it around for the last several minutes as an ad-hoc staff, spinning it from one hand to the other as they silently tramped through the thick forests of tall, broad trees that lay beyond the river that divided East and West Gorteau.

“The King’s plan?” he asked, and Shino nodded. They slid down a muddy bank in unison, chakra-muffled feet not leaving an imprint in the liquid dirt. As they soundlessly walked over the lazy river, the Aburame carefully responded.

“Killing so many, for a few soldiers of worth,” he said, and Hinata started to realize what he meant. The King had called for every citizen of East Gorteau to unite in Peijing, the capital of the dismal country; it was their destination as well, for very different reasons. Morel had told them that the various Ants they’d captured, Colt chief among them, had all agreed the gathering could only be for a single purpose; the Ants intended to awaken the Nen of a fraction of the human population, and transform those who survived into powerful soldiers for the King.

That Nen needed to be ‘awakened’ had been an interesting tidbit that none of the shinobi had been aware of. It was another marked difference from chakra, which passively existed in everything and everyone back in the Five Nations; even infants could use chakra in small, usually accidental spurts without much trouble. Hinata wondered how Gon and Killua had managed to attain their Nen at such a young age. She’d known they were talented, but hadn’t realized that their capabilities in Nen were so rare. From the way the Hunters had talked about it, awakening Nen was an incredibly traumatic process, at least for the unprepared. Ninety-nine percent of those who were forced into it would die.

Those who died would be eaten. It is what the captive Ants would have done, if they were Kings.

“You’re talking about the Zetsu?” Hinata asked, and Shino nodded again. Hinata remembered the dream she’d been thrust into, that Madara Uchiha had thrust them all into many years ago. How strange it had been to learn the dream had been an anesthetic to prevent her from noticing her humanity being stripped away.

Most people didn’t talk about the dreams they’d suffered under the Infinite Tsukuyomi: shallow, beautiful dreams. It was an experience shared by the whole world, and a peculiar one at that, but for many people, the memory was a painful one. A half-remembered dream that only reminded them of what they didn’t have. Hinata knew she was a rare one whose dream had come true, for the most part. She’d never asked her teammates about theirs, but she was certain that they had been less fortunate.

“It’s just a strange coincidence, is all,” Shino said, staring up at the night sky. Out here, away from any city, the stars were numberless and bright. Not so much as in the NGL, but the sight took Hinata’s breath away nonetheless.

In Konoha, the steadily expanding light pollution sometimes made it seem like the stars were going out. It was one change in the village that Hinata wasn’t fond of.

“Maybe it’s more than a coincidence,” Hinata said, almost to herself. Kiba shot her an incredulous look.

“Don’t get crazy,” he said with a grin. “All bad guys want more soldiers.” He scratched his beard. “Good guys too, for that matter. I wouldn’t worry myself over it.”

Hinata laughed, a soft and clear sound in the silent night. “You’re right, but it is strange, don’t you think?” she asked. “We come to another world, with another Shinju, and we find something that wishes to slaughter ordinary people and transform them into warriors. Just like Kaguya.” It felt odd to say the name out loud. The mad goddess wasn’t common knowledge, and Hinata and her team were part of the small cohort that knew her name and story.

“Maybe.” Kiba wasn’t even close to convinced. “I’m not going to worry about it. If there’s some karmic weight or some such shit that makes crazy monsters determined to turn folks into weapons, that’s a problem way beyond me.” He took a deep sniff, his mouth twisting into a frown. “All we can deal with is what’s right in front of us.”

“You smell something?” Shino asked.

“Blood,” Kiba grunted. He pointed north-east. “I’d imagine about ten kilometers that way. I picked it up a while ago, but I wasn’t sure it was human until we got closer.”

Hinata didn’t need much more prompting: she activated her Byakugan, opening the world up like a dropped fruit. Kiba had been right. A little more than ten kilometers beyond his outstretched finger sat a small town, simple and isolated, like a hundred others across both this country and the Five Nations back home. Wood buildings, a well, struggling farmland: it was a lonely and self-sustaining community.

At least, it had been. It only took Hinata a moment to find the inhabitants.

About twenty-seven bodies had been dumped in a shallow mass grave; some with small, precise wounds to the temple, others torn apart. The bodies clogged the earth; it bulged, barely able to contain them. Scavengers would likely dig up the corpses soon, unearthing the horror to less discerning eyes.

Hinata could see tracks where others had been dragged away from the death-pit. Only most of the village had been executed; others had been kidnapped.

She wondered if this had been the work of humans or Ants.

“What do you see?” Kiba asked, and Hinata deactivated her Byakugan with a sigh.

“Bodies,” she said. “A mass grave. The nearest town has been emptied out. But some people were carried away instead of killed.”

Kiba cursed under his breath, and Shino frowned. “They must have already started then,” he said, and Hinata nodded. It made a mad kind of sense. Going town by town would surely be faster than processing all five million citizens of East Gorteau at once. The Ants wouldn’t get everyone that way, she was sure, but the death-toll would still be atrocious.

The massacre was already underway, and as far as Hinata could tell there was nothing they could do about it.

“Five million people,” Kiba said, giving voice to what Hinata was already starting to think. “Ten days. That’s half a million a day.”

“They won’t be able to process all of them,” Shino said softly. “Not nearly. The majority will be for the Selection Day.”

“Sure,” Kiba grunted, kicking a branch out of his way. It broke cleanly in half, both halves fragmenting from the force of his frustration. “But if its even a tenth of that, it’s still unacceptable.” He took a shaky breath. “How many people died in the Fourth War? A hundred-thousand?” He bared his teeth. “The Ants will outstrip that in two days.”

When he put it that way, Hinata found herself unable to wrap her head around the horror of the situation. Trading lives was inevitable in any conflict, but the Hunters didn’t plan to take on the King until the actual Selection Day. Before this was over, millions of people would be dead. It was a number beyond her ability to comprehend; she could feel dread, but not terror. At that point, that many people, it became impossible.

“Hinata?” It was Shino. She only realized as he spoke that she’d stopped walking. Her throat was dry.

“I’m okay,” she said. “I just can’t…”

“We didn’t know it would be like this,” Shino said, and Hinata nodded. “But even if we had, we couldn’t have been prepared. No one could have.”

He was right, but their helplessness stung nonetheless. What could they do, after all? Storm up to the King, kill it and its Royal Guard? Even one Guard had been too much for Hinata, and the King was apparently as far beyond them as they were beyond ordinary Ants. There was no way out but forward, with the Hunter’s passive plan.

She felt sick, and desperately searched for a way out from under the crushing feeling. She scanned through possible questions, anything to move away from the topic, like a man running his hands along the walls of his cell looking for a weak point.

“Shoot seemed happy,” she finally decided as they returned to their normal pace, moving deeper into the dark country. She tried to push the memory of the mass grave away. It wasn’t useful right now; when the Ants were in front of her, she’d bring it back out. “I was worried about him.”

That was a half-lie. She hadn’t really spared a thought for the Hunter when she’d been out in the field with Killua and Gon. It was only once she’d returned to West Gorteau that she’d considered sticking an introvert with Kiba might have produced tension.

“It was rough at first,” Kiba said, unwittingly answering Hinata’s half-hearted question. “He was a quiet guy, and it took me a while to figure out it wasn’t cause he was an ass.” He shot an accusing glance at Shino. “Pretty sure Shino figured it out immediately, but he didn’t tell me. Jerk.”

“It was important that you approach him on your own terms,” Shino shrugged, and Kiba snorted.

“Get that academy shit out of here,” he said with a grin. “You just wanted to see what would happen if I pushed him.”

“That too,” Shino agreed, and Kiba’s smile grew bigger.

“We were pretty pissed at each other for the first week, till we tracked down our first Ant. This, uh,” he waved his hands around. “Spider thing. It was dumb as a box of bricks, but pretty tough. Unbreakable webs, that sort of thing.” His smile soured a little. “It had been stringing people up in this city, hanging them between skyscrapers. Piece of shit.”

“What’d you do?” Hinata asked. Kiba smirked.

“Shoot took care of the webs; shoved them into his Hatsu,” he said. “He called it ‘Hotel Rafflesia.’ Super cool, and super weird. He has a little cage-”

“I’ve seen it,” Hinata noted, and Kiba nodded and continued.

“He can shrink things down, make them vanish even, and shove them in the cage,” he said, and Hinata raised an eyebrow. “With just a touch. Can’t destroy them, but its still super useful. And on top of that, he’s got two-” he shook his head, correcting himself. “Three extra hands, four total. They just kinda… float around.”

It sounded both gruesome and amusing, and Hinata allowed herself a chuckle at the image of disembodied hands following the reserved Shoot around.

“Anyway, Shoot took care of the webs, and Shino tracked down the Ant. I ended up killing it; it was tough, but not enough to take a Gatsuga head on.” Kiba shrugged. “Messy stuff, but after that, having worked together I think, Shoot came out of his shell a little. He’s a fascinating guy. Morel’s a Sea Hunter, and Shoot kinda followed in his footsteps; an ‘Unidentified Beast’ Hunter. Basically he tracks down new creatures that haven’t been documented before. Ends up working with Morel a lot because there’s always dangerous and weird stuff in the ocean.”

“Being around people he didn’t know helped him open up more,” Shino said. “He didn’t have to make a commitment.” He cocked his head. “Maybe you had a similar experience with Gon and Killua.”

Hinata hadn’t considered that, but when Shino said it so plainly, she couldn’t help but think he was right. After this mission, she’d likely never see either of them again, after all. That mix of urgency and carelessness had probably accelerated their relationship, the same way danger could.

It was almost uncomfortable to think about, but only in a vague artificial way. She wondered if this was how Shino always considered relationships, and if that was why he defaulted to silence.

“I did,” she said. “We worked well together. When this is over, I think I’ll miss them.” The admission’s existence made it true.

“You could always visit them,” Shino said. For some reason, Hinata felt he’d kept back an ‘If they survive.’ That was unlike him. Perhaps losing his arm had actually affected him, despite his brave face. “Though it would be expensive.”

“Very,” Hinata agreed. She didn’t want to think about it. That was far in a tremulous future. Anything more than eight days from now seemed a distant, uncertain future.

They subsided into silence, making their way through the forest without a whisper. Hinata felt sure the silence would crush her the same way the inevitable death toll had, but to her surprise, she felt her resolve grow with every step. It swelled gradually, oh so carefully but still unstoppable, in her chest.

People were going to die, and there was nothing she could do to stop that. But the people she’d met in this world, the friends she’d made, the Hunters, her team, she could keep them safe. She felt the incredible power of her ancestor thumping through every inch of her body in tune with her pulse, like she was a lightning rod in a storm. It pushed away the darkness of the pitch black forest, and Hinata realized to her shock she was faintly glowing with purple energy, her determination pushing out into the world. Kiba glanced back with a questioning look, and she gave him a full, clean smile.

The future was like the night, dark and full of potential horrors, but Hinata could keep those closest to her safe. She was sure of it. Right now, that would have to be enough.

Chapter Text

Myrmidon Chapter 19

Another World

They reached Peijing shortly after noon the next day, slipping into the city as the sun did its best to penetrate a blanket of dark grey clouds. The shinobi had traveled all through the night, not stopping to rest; they hadn't encountered any Ants along the way, though Hinata had clapped eyes on another emptied town. The Chimera were in the country but out of sight, moving swiftly and silently.

The capital of East Gorteau was a city of contrasts. It had clearly been built with modernity in mind, but the city was organized haphazardly, its streets too big, buildings too tall: like something built by a child trying to imitate a modern city. Where it was colorful, it was searing, and everywhere else it was drab, gray, and dirty. Soldiers patrolled the streets, firearms perpetually at the ready. Its citizens were almost without fail frightened, hungry, and desperate, but they all did their best to smile at all times. It almost would have been inspiring, if not for the clear signs of coercion. The soldiers, the surveillance cameras, the ubiquitous portraits set in every room of the corpulent Supreme Leader, Ming Jol-Ik.

Peijing was a city kept hostage by its own leaders. It made Hinata sick to her stomach. Only a government that didn't understand the difference between fear and respect would have built something like this. She'd seen this all within moments of entering the capital, along with something slightly less disquieting.

Knov had arrived before them: he'd already taken up residence in one of the capital's most opulent hotels, a place clearly built for foreigners. Hinata wondered why he'd chosen something so conspicuous. If the Ants had subverted the countries government, they'd surely know of a foreigner entering the city.

She also wondered why he bothered to rent out a hotel room when he had Hide and Seek, but that was none of her business. If Knov wanted to be conspicuous, that was up to him.

When Hinata was finished scanning the city, searching for ambushes, insects, and allies, she extended her attention beyond it. Peijing was set in the center of a very wide and very shallow valley. Beyond the city limits, nothing substantial grew; there were no buildings, trees, not even significant geography like a river or hill. A shrub-dotted flatland of dirt, grass, and dust extended out in every direction beyond the capital, except in one direction.

A paved path led out of the city to a distant building, about ten kilometers away. The path was wide and well-maintained, large enough for several vehicles to drive abreast on, and the building it led to was equally impressive. Hinata couldn't give it a name besides a palace. There was no doubt in her mind it was the seat of the country's power.

Any doubt would have been obliterated by the Nen that surrounded it anyway. Like a malignant flower, the En of Neferpitou slithered out of the palace, covering the surrounding two miles. Hinata's lip twisted in disgust at the sight of it. She would have been more than happy to never see the Royal Guard's En again.

But the En was as much a betrayal as it was a safeguard. Where the Royal Guards were, so too would inevitably be the Chimera's King.

Hinata probed deeper into the building, committing it and its inhabitants to faultless memory. Nearly 200 Ants crowded the palace's enormous halls. Dozens of bodies of humans, torn apart, lay where they'd fallen, the Ants apparently too lazy to clean them up. There was an equally large underground complex hidden beneath the building, filled with security checkpoints, automated weapons, and for some reason a faux-neighborhood, large suburban houses set in a mockery of a cul-de-sac.

The courtyard that dominated the front of the building, nearly a kilometer from one end to the other, was filled to the brim with people of every age; Hinata saw children that couldn't be more than six or seven and seniors who looked ready to fall apart where they stood. Every single one of them stared vacantly up into the cloudy sky, barely breathing, as if receiving a message from on high. Their bodies were filled with the energy of one of the Royal Guard; it almost looked like a genjutsu.

There were a few living humans in the palace, as well. Maybe a dozen: one free, typing furiously on a computer, the others under watchful eyes. None of them had the same energy filling them as the ones in the courtyard. Hinata wondered what purpose they served to the Ants.

There were the Royal Guards, of course: Neferpitou, Menthuthuyoupi, and Shaiapouf. Neferpitou was perched at the summit of the palace, on a pillar extending high above the rest of the building. As Hinata's active gaze fell on her, she repeated the unerringly instinctive action that had made the Hyuuga take a step back two months ago, tilting her head a fraction to make eye contact with Hinata over the vast distance.

Pitou smiled.

Hinata didn't care whether the Ant understood why it was looking in her direction or not. She stayed firm, glaring down the creature that had stolen her friend's arm. She wouldn't be fooled by the Guard again.

The next to fall under her gaze was Shaiapouf. The butterfly guard was perched on a stool in the corner of the palace's central room, his body in repose. He was reading a small green book. She skimmed the title in a moment of whimsy: The Cleanest Race. The Royal Guard didn't seem very engaged by the book, but it flicked through the pages with unnatural speed.

It jerked as Hinata's attention bore into it, looking over its shoulder. Whatever sixth sense informed the Royal Guards they were being watched, it was reliable to the point of paranoia.

Its comrade Menthuthuyoupi didn't have the same twitch. It was a hulking red creature, like an oversized man with goat-hooves, but when Hinata peered inside it the only reaction she garnered was an unconcerned itch, as though as insect had bitten its shoulder. The Royal Guard was bored, and apparently less sensitive to Hinata's attention than the others. It plopped itself down at the foot of the stairs leading into the central chamber, cracking the marble under it, and closed its eyes.

And the last, at the center of the room, the center of the center of the palace, the creature worth the protection of hundreds of Ants and three Royal Guards. The King.

Almost against her will, Hinata took in a sharp breath. The mundane action of breathing was suddenly obvious and startling when pressed up against what she was seeing.

The King wasn't like the other Ants.

Hinata felt herself drawing away, trying to find distance, to catch her breath. There was a clarity and purpose to the King's form that the other Ants lacked. Every Ant had oddities: vestigial limbs, weak joints, oddly placed organs. They were marvels of genetic engineering, but they had clear flaws where the incredible phagogenesis of their queen had run up against impassable physical barriers.

The King wasn't like that. Its body was compact, its organs efficiently organized and protected. Its muscles were like nothing Hinata had ever seen, not even a shinobi's; they were structured like an exotic mineral, compressed and hardened until they didn't resemble tissue at all. It was both disturbing and incredible; Hinata was very aware she was looking at a creature that had been purposefully designed to survive almost anything.

The King was short, a little shorter than her. It looked more human than any other Ant Hinata had seen; it was marked out by its light purple chitinous body, a protective crown of thick bone that made its head seem disproportionately large, almost like a baby…

It was a baby, Hinata realized. The King was barely a month old.

And a tail. The tail couldn't be missed; long, thick, corded with muscles, and with a syringe-like stinger as long as a human hand at the end. The King didn't look anything like Hinata had expected. Even the other Ants hadn't prepared her for something so clearly childish and yet obviously monstrous.

But none of that really mattered. The meticulously designed body, the intimidating tail, the infantile head, Hinata barely saw any of it. She was too busy examining the Ant's fully developed chakra system.

Hinata realized she was sweating. The King was sitting in the middle of the room, playing a board game. Chess, by the looks of it. His opponent was a nebbish man with brown hair and crooked glasses. She wasn't an expert on games, especially chess, but she didn't have to be to see that the man was losing. Horribly.

The King had a fully developed chakra system.

Hinata took a breath, trying to focus, to slow down her heart's instinctive speed. She swallowed, her throat thick. Shino stopped, stared at her. He and Kiba had instantly picked up on her fear.

The King moved a rook, fingers that could crush stone delicately maneuvering the pewter piece. The energy boiling inside the thing's body was undeniably chakra. It was constantly leaking out of the King, as if even its incredible body couldn't hold it. An unbelievable amount, as much as a Tailed Beast, maybe more. The chakra, raw and untameable, invisibly suffused the room. It wormed its way inside every one of the occupants, Royal Guards and human alike.

But it found nothing there, nothing to latch onto or mingle with. The man, whose shirt was sodden with sweat, was simply filled up like an empty vessel. He didn't seem to notice. The Nen of the Royal Guard actively pushed back against the King's chakra. Most still made it inside them, but once it did it sat their passively, incompatible with their biology. To the Byakugan, it almost looked like the Ants were filled with tumors, stagnant energy with nowhere to go and nothing to do but attempt to expand.

The more Hinata looked, the more she grew both confused and frightened.

She could read the King through his chakra; it was violently pushing his emotions out into the world. It was impossible that the Royal Guards couldn't feel that, even if they lacked the same kind of energy. Ennui, frustration, hunger. He was an open book.

He, Hinata realized, not it. For the first time, she didn't feel any uncertainty about calling an Ant 'He.'

"The King?" Kiba asked, and Hinata nodded. The Ants, and especially the Royal Guard, had all been geniuses with Nen. According to the Gon and Killua, they'd figured out what would take most humans decades in just weeks.

When it came to chakra, why would the King be any different? And with that much raw energy–

"Hinata." She realized Shino's hand was on her arm. That she had forgotten to take another breath.

Hinata forced air into her lungs, unable to look away. The King spoke, his lips perfectly articulating the word. "Checkmate."

"It's the King," she confirmed. Focus. She'd seen worse. They'd stopped in the middle of the street, drawing some stares, but caring about that was entirely beyond her at the moment.

The man the King had been playing staggered away from the table. There was a dark stain on his pants. Hinata was shocked at her lack of surprise.

"You cheated," the man said, his glasses fogging up from his own sweat. His teeth chattered. "You must-"

The King's tail flickered out, so quickly that Hinata was only aware of its movement when the man's head disintegrated, everything up his jaw vanishing as though it were chalk wiped off a board. The body collapsed, and Menthuthuyoupi rose with a chuckle, wandering over to the body and picking it up by the collar.

"It's the King," Hinata repeated, as the creature spoke once more.

"Next."

"That bad?" Kiba asked, and Hinata clenched her jaw, willing herself to move.

"He's got a chakra system," she said, and Kiba rocked back. Shino froze completely, his hand locking around her arm. Hinata remembered Pitou smacking into the side of the nest like a discarded rag, on the edge of death. "It must have been from Shino's arm," she said, turning to look at her teammate. The man still didn't move. His eyes were closed beneath his visor.

"That… the thing was almost born!" Kiba said. More stares. A child whispered to her mother. They had to leave the streets before they attracted soldiers. "How could just that arm-?!"

"We underestimated them," Shino said. He sounded impossibly calm. "Again. I assumed even the Queen's phagogenesis wouldn't act quickly enough to incorporate by arm's biology into the King, though we never got confirmation she'd consumed it." He spoke faster as he went on, his hand growing tighter and tighter on Hinata's arm. "But that is clearly not the case."

"How much chakra?" Kiba asked, beginning to pace. Hinata forced herself to move, forced herself to walk down the street. Her teammates followed her.

A little girl, maybe fourteen at most, entered the King's chamber. She was blind, walking with a cane; she stepped past the beheaded body being dragged by the Guard without understanding it was there, wrinkling her snot-ridden nose. She was the 'next.' The next challenger, Hinata was sure. The King was bored, playing games as he waited for the Selection Day.

Hinata deactivated her Byakugan. She'd seen everything she'd needed to. She didn't need to watch this child die as well.

"Too much," she answered Kiba. "As much as a Bijuu. It's everywhere, all throughout the palace. Like he's leaking."

"Shit," her friend muttered. He kicked the ground, cracking the concrete. "Shit."

It was beyond words. Hinata realized it was distinctly possible they'd accidentally consigned this world's humanity to extinction. She couldn't wrap her head around it.

But there was a way out. They'd seen worse.

"We need to find Knov," Hinata said. "Right now. The Hunters have to know about this." She swallowed, watching the future narrow down. It was both relieving and terrifying. "They don't stand a chance against the King."

'We don't stand a chance against the King.'

"We need help." It was a relief to say it out loud. They were finally, truly in over their head.

"What're we gonna tell them?" Kiba asked. Shino shook his head.

"Everything," he said, falling in step alongside Hinata. "Everything." His fingers brushed over the stump of his elbow. "We cannot afford to hold anything back now."

###

Knov was surprised to find out that the hotel roof had a pool.

He'd always thought of East Gorteau as a poor country, and in his mind, poor countries didn't have pools, let alone ones on top of fancy hotels. It was an irrational judgement, come to without any evidence and only sticking around thanks to inertia. Of course East Gorteau was poor as a nation… because its ruling class centered all the wealth in themselves, and in the capital. Of course a hotel built to show off that wealth to foreigners would have fanciful amenities like a rooftop pool; thinking otherwise had been moronic.

Still, he'd been surprised by it. He stared into his own reflection, backed by a purple sunset, as he patiently waited and contemplated his ignorant surprise.

He wondered why he was here. Not on the roof of the hotel: he'd walked up there to enjoy the sunset. Knov was curious why Hinata Hyuuga had contacted him a hour or so earlier. He'd never heard the shinobi sound so urgent, not even after their failed assault on the Chimera nest.

She'd asked, as close to demanded as Hinata ever sounded, for a meeting with him and the rest of the Hunters whenever they arrived in Peijing. Morel had arrived a mere thirty minutes after that call. Killua and Gon had come in an hour after that; Knov was surprised they hadn't split up at some point. He'd pegged them for too impulsive to stay together the whole time.

Palm had arrived with him; that meant the only ones who hadn't reached the capital yet were Shoot and Knuckle. He was sure they would arrive soon. The last time Morel had checked in with them, they had only been a hundred or so miles away.

"Knov." He started, jerking forward and almost falling into the pool. A negative space opened up between his hands, a colorless hole in the world, before he recognized the voice. The hole faded, and he turned.

Hinata had soundlessly arrived, along with her compatriots. He hadn't heard a door open; Knov was suddenly sure they'd simply walked up the side of the building. The Hyuuga walked forward, extending her hand. She was still walking with a slight limp, and had procured a short brown jacket somewhere. It made her seem compact and powerful, more so than before.

"Hinata," he said, taking her handshake. Iron grip, as always. "What's this about?"

"Is everyone here?" Hinata asked, releasing his hand and taking a seat near the pool. She stared into the water: Knov could see he could see it reflected in her blank eyes. Why was she bothering to ask? She'd know better than he ever could with those eyes of hers.

"Not yet. Shoot and Knuckle haven't arrived yet; Gon, Killua, and Morel are on their way."

"Hmm." Kiba scratched his nose, taking a seat near Hinata. Knov kept an eye on him; the dog-like man had always been the shinobi he'd been most leary of. He'd never really trusted any Enhancer. They were too impulsive to rely on. "We don't need Shoot or Knuckle; they can wait. What about Netero?"

"We can't get in contact with him," Knov admitted with a grimace. The Chairman being out of contact was the part of the plan that most rankled with him; if anything changed, the man wouldn't know about it. Netero still had his cellphone, but he'd refused to pick it up the five times Knov had called him over the last couple hours. Whether the phone was out of power or the Chairman possessed a surplus of stubbornness, Knov didn't know. He hoped the ancient Hunter was simply busy meditating.

Kiba's grimace matched his own. "That sucks," the man stated plainly. "If you can, keep trying to contact him. This is important."

"What is 'this?'" Knov asked, and Kiba shrugged.

"Hinata's checked out the palace; she's located the King," he said, and Knov stood a bit straighter, crossing his arms. The Byakugan had only failed them once before, and he doubted it would again. "That's part of it. She'll brief you on that," he continued, glancing at Hinata and receiving an approving nod, "and then we've got a little more to talk about."

Shino had remained silent, as he often did, but for some reason Kiba's final words got a slight snort out of him. Knov gave him an inquisitive look, and the quiet shinobi subsided, leaning back with a sigh.

As Shino's sigh faded, and the sun set further, Hinata started talking. As always, Knov was impressed by her sight. At first, it had frightened him, one woman being almost omniscient in a fourteen kilometer radius, but as he'd worked with her, grown to know her, it had concerned him less and less.

Even Netero's warning that the shinobi were likely from the Dark Continent hadn't dulled his trust. Much. While Hinata was an ally, her eyes were invaluable.

She described to him the layout of the palace; methods of infiltrating it, lines of sight, the number of guards, the humans and Ants who were calling it home. The secret entrances, the hidden underground fortress, how many people sat hypnotized in the courtyard, potential collateral in their offensive. She was unbelievable in her diligence, and astonishing in her efficiency.

The one thing she did not mention was the King.

Gon and Killua arrived only minutes before Morel. They wandered through the rooftop access door, chatting amicably as it banged against its wall. Gon called out a cheery greeting, which Hinata returned with a smile and Kiba with a wave. Shino appeared to have fallen asleep, and Knov only gave them a nod.

Gon had a bruise on his upper arm, and Killua a scratch on his face. They'd clearly gotten into some trouble on the way to the capital, but didn't seem any worse for wear.

Morel came up soon after them, and seated himself next to Knov. Unlike the younger Hunters he wasn't marked, but there was a spot of dry blue blood on his pipe: the proof of an unfortunate Ant.

He clapped a hand on Knov's shoulder, almost knocking him over. Morel's hand was almost the size of his head.

"So!" Morel asked. "What're we doing up here?"

"Just a second," Knov said. Hinata had stopped talking about forty seconds before, finally finished explaining the palace to him. He pulled his phone from his breast-pocket. The sun had almost finished setting.

He tapped the redial key as Morel looked on curiously. The larger Hunter set his pipe down beside him, glancing at Gon.

"So you made it alright?" he asked as Knov's phone rang. Knov stared at it, willing the man on the other end to answer. This was their last chance.

"We were fine," Killua said. "Ran into a couple Ants, but they weren't any problem. Most of them seemed more focused on getting away than fighting us." He scratched at the scab on his cheek.

Three rings. Four. Did the Chairman even still have his phone?

"Well, Knov's busy being mysterious," Morel said, looking to Hinata. Seven rings. It would go to messages in a moment, Knov was sure. "What's-"

"Knov." Netero's gravelly voice issued over the phone, and for the second time in ten minutes Knov almost jumped. "This had better be important."

Knov looked around, setting the phone down and pressing the 'speaker' button. Netero's last word was loud enough to be heard by everyone present.

"Chairman," he said as respectfully as possible. "The shinobi have gathered us for a meeting, and they insisted you be present, even if you're not here in person."

"We're on a roof, away from prying eyes and ears," Morel chuckled, and Hinata smiled at him. "I expect this to be good."

"Oh?" Netero muttered. "How intriguing." He grew a bit louder, tinny over the phone. "What is it you have to share, shinobi?"

It was delivered like a challenge; Knov wondered, for what seemed like the hundredth time, if the Chairman knew something they didn't, even after he'd confided his suspicions in them.

"It's complicated," Hinata said, scooting forward. She leaned back, placing both her hands on the concrete: presenting herself as harmless, Knov realized.

"Not that complicated," Kiba said with a grin. He quickly sobered up, his face going from cheerful to grave in seconds. The sun had nearly set, and the city was lit up from below. "We've finally been forced to be honest."

Honest? Knov sat up, and beside him he felt Morel do the same. What kind of honest?

"Meaning?" Killua said, crossing his arms. He was clearly eager for them to get to the point.

"Kiba's right, it's simple. We've been hiding something from you. I'm sure you know that already," Hinata said. It was refreshing, as always, for her to so readily put her cards on the table. Gon leaned forward, openly curious. Shino remained silent; Knov was sure he was watching them behind his visor, carefully gauging their reaction. He wondered if they were about to receive information that Morel's surreptitious interrogation of Shino had already given them.

"The truth is, we're from another world."

Hinata's admission was met with silence. The woman shrugged, briefly rubbing her injured leg as each of the Hunters turned the statement over in their head. Knov only felt shock for a second or so, a sensation he dismissed with finger-tap on the cold tile beneath him. It made sense: with the King out in the open, the shinobi were finally showing their hand in an attempt to buy a couple days more of cooperation. The other world was doubtlessly the Dark Continent, a land beyond comprehension. Netero's suspicious had been entirely correct, and the pieces had all come together here, on this sun-streaked rooftop.

It was a relief. A real relief, not a fleeting one, to be moving forward without any deception.

Knov smiled. "We had guessed as much," he said. Killua's head snapped in his direction; the boy had been staring off into nothing, struggling with the bizarre confession.

"We did?" he asked.

"You guys're aliens?!" Gon blurted out, seemingly finally catching up. Hinata laughed as the boy's eyes went wide with wonder.

"Not quite," she told him, and Gon sagged. With relief, and maybe a little bit of disappointment. Behind her, Shino was watching Knov, his gaze unreadable behind his visor.

"You guessed?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head. "That seems unlikely."

"They're not from another planet," Morel spoke up, his booming voice drawing Gon's attention. "Just another part of this world." He sighed. "Gon, there's some things-"

"We're not from the Dark Continent," Kiba laughed. Knov felt a shiver grow up his spine as the sensible scenario he'd constructed in his head shattered without warning under the man's cheerful words.

Morel stiffened and leaned forward, his massive form tensing. "Pardon?" Tendons like steel cables were raised all along his neck and arms. Kiba's admission, well meant, had shaken him just as much as it had Knov.

Netero was strangely silent. Knov could swear he could feel disquiet radiating from the dead air the phone emitted.

"Chill," Kiba said, raising his hands in a pantomime of surrender. "I know, it's a big secret and shit. Hinata ran into a talky Hunter." He glanced at Killua and Gon. "Clara?"

Gon nodded. "She was weird," he said, sticking his tongue out. Kiba laughed.

"Yeah, weird and obsessed," he said, looking back to Morel. The man hadn't relaxed an inch. "She was sure Hinata was from the Dark Continent; that's how we learned about it." He grinned. "But if you guys were on the same track as her, you were just as wrong."

Clara? Knov didn't know a Hunter by that name, but the Association was large. It was more than possible there was another Hunter privy to the Dark Continent he hadn't met personally. Why had they divulged the secret to Hinata in the first place? Had they been willing?

"So." Netero's voice crackled over the phone. If he was alarmed, his voice didn't betray it. "You're not from the Continent."

"We're sorry we deceived you, Chairman," Hinata said softly.

"To be fair, they never asked," Kiba chuckled.

"Ummmmm…" Gon blinked, looking to Killua. His friend just shrugged. "I'm kinda lost."

"Okay," Morel said, leaning back and rubbing his forehead. "Okay."

"Okay?" Gon asked.

"Gon, the Dark Continent is an enormous world beyond our own." Morel tore the bandaid off, and Killua perked up at the ridiculous idea. "What we call 'civilization,' what is shown on maps of the world, is only a fraction of the actual world. Anything beyond the borders of what humanity has managed to conquer, we call 'The Dark Continent.'" He leaned forward again, clasping his hands with a grim expression. "This information is restricted to the highest tiers of the Association and major world governments. Do you understand?"

Gon looked between Morel and Hinata, and then to the horizon. "So.. we're in the middle of a big lake?" he eventually said.

Morel coughed, a small grin spreading on his face. "Close enough," he confirmed. "Killua?"

"That's interesting," Killua said, not looking away from Hinata. "But it doesn't really explain anything right now." He stood up, looking down on the woman. His hands slid into his pockets. "If you're not from the Dark Continent... then where?"

Hinata smiled up at him. "Like I said," she reiterated. "Another world. We traveled across time and space, through an artificial portal, to enter this one."

"A portal?"

"A technological refinement of a time-space traversal technique," Shino cut in with a teacher's voice. "Essentially, a trans-dimensional slingshot."

"You're saying," Knov said, lingering on each word, "that you three traveled here from another dimension?" He thought he was handling the world as he understood it being peeled away rather well.

"Precisely," Shino said. He scratched at his stump, obviously picking his next words with care. "A world very unlike this one, in almost all ways. Where we come from, there is no Nen." Killua blinked.

"Impossible," Morel grunted. "Nen is life. Humans couldn't survive without it." He leaned back and crossed his arms, looking unimpressed. "And besides, your abilities…"

"Do not come from Nen. Before we came here, we'd never heard the term, never seen it before." Kiba scooted forward. "We are human, just like you, but we're different too. Hinata's the only one who can see it, but I'm sure we've all felt it, one way or another."

"Morel," Hinata said, picking up Kiba's intent. The man shifted his gaze to her, his face stony. "Thousands of years ago, in the Five Nations…" she paused. "That's our home. There's more than five, of course, but they're the primary powers on the planet. Thousands of years before our time, a visitor from another dimension arrived."

"Like you?" Gon asked, and Hinata let out a single brief laugh. Knov watched her carefully, trying to take in everything calmly: analyze the information, collate it, come to a conclusion. He was doing his best to not let the absurdity of the situation affect his judgement. In the corner of his vision, he could see Killua doing the same thing.

"Technically, yes," Hinata told Gon. "But that's not important. This traveler carried with her a seed, and when she planted it it sprung up into a great tree. It grew, fed by human suffering and the natural energy of the world, until it pierced the atmosphere." Knov felt goosebumps on the back of his neck as the Hyuuga's blank eyes met his. "Sound familiar?"

'Stretching even beyond the atmosphere.'

"So." Netero spoke once more, the voice through the phone not able to carry even a tenth of his intensity. "I was right in my suspicious. You and your comrades are related to those ugly trees."

"I'm not surprised you managed to reach that conclusion, Chairman," Shino said. "With the information you had, at least."

"Did you eat the fruit?" Knov asked, recalling what Netero had told them after the failed assault nearly a month ago. Did this mean that the Shinju in the Dark Continent were also the product of dimensional visitors? Or were they the originals, and someone had carried them from there to the 'Five Nations?' A seemingly endless amount of questions was stretching out before him. "Or… no, that couldn't be it."

Once more, Killua was lost, but Gon was happy to follow along in his ignorance.

"Smart," Kiba grinned. "We didn't eat the fruit, no."

"But that visitor did." Morel was catching on, his incredible analytical mind, the thing that had brought Knov to respect him so soon after their first meeting, clearly working overtime. Knov was sure they were on the same track. "That visitor did, and they survived, a slave to the tree."

Hinata smiled as well. "It's slightly more complicated than that, but essentially, yes. But the visitor had children, and those children were free of the Shinju's hunger. They inherited their mother's power, and passed it along to the rest of humanity in a kind of… experiment." She gestured to herself, and to her comrades. "We call that power 'chakra.' It's what gives us our power, my eyes."

"How is it different from Nen?" Killua cut in. "You feel the same, act the same…" His eyes narrowed. "Most of the time."

"We think," Shino said, "that Nen and chakra come from the same source. The human vitality, physical and spiritual. That's what makes up the core of both Nen and chakra." He pressed his remaining hand to his chest. "But they act differently, and are channeled through the body differently. We have a secondary nervous system which controls the flow of chakra inside us; your lack of it was the first thing Hinata noticed when we came here." Gon blinked, and Knov agreed with the boy's clear surprise; it seemed as though the shinobi really were, in a way, aliens. "Nen manifests through your tenketsu, the nodes of aura all across your body; those are important for the function of chakra as well, but our internal system is more, well, complicated."

That matched up with what the Chairman had said about the effects of the World Trees: twisting the internal energy of their victims into something else. An entire secondary organ dedicated to regulating chakra? That certainly was twisted; the shinobi were practically artificial beings, in addition to essentially being aliens.

Killua mulled the answer over, and Shino shrugged. "I'm a teacher, but few people have deeply studied the biology behind chakra; Hinata knows more than most, thanks to her eyes. We can only make educated guesses in this area, really." He tapped his chest again. "The most critical differences are in application. We cannot use our energy as a shield or weapon, like you Hunters can; our strength is all internal. To us, that basic ability of yours is amazing."

That gave Knov yet another thing to feel vague dread over. The shinobi were fighting the Ants hand to hand without any application of Ken or Ko? That meant their bodies were tough in a way beyond what most Hunters were capable of. Peculiar.

"And of course, we don't have any Hatsu," Shino finished. Killua whistled.

"No Hatsu?" he asked. "What the heck are those techniques, then?"

"Jutsu," Kiba said, sounding bored. He clearly wasn't an interested in the theoretical aspect of the conversation as Shino. "They're not unique, like your techniques. Most jutsu can be learned by anyone, if they have the talent and time." He picked at something in his teeth with a long fingernail. "It would take forever to learn them all, but we're all taught the basics in the Academy." His smile, as always, was sharp.

Shared Hatsu, that could be taught to anyone? It seemed chakra was endlessly frightening in its versatility. Only a specific Hatsu meant to steal others could give someone the ability to use another Nen user's techniques; if the 'Jutsu' of the shinobi really could be shared freely, so long as someone had the talent to learn them, that meant…

It meant so many things that Knov found himself unable to wrap his head around the enormity of the idea. He felt he was reaching his limit in this conversation, despite barely speaking.

"Wow!" Gon met each new revelation with more excitement. "That's incredible!"

"It can be," Hinata said. "It also ensured that in the past the moment you were developed enough to learn jutsu, you were a soldier." She sighed. "We're past that now."

The Chairman grunted over the phone. "You had a momentous event in your life," he said. "One that flipped the status quo." How he could so calmly deliver that analysis, Knov didn't know. He was silent, turning everything over in his head again and again.

"You've seen many of those?" Kiba asked, and Netero chuckled.

"Of course. But if yours delivered you from a time when children were soldiers…" he paused, the dead air of the phone tangibly contemplative. "Then I must congratulate you. It must not have been easy."

Hinata started to smile, but the Chairman kept speaking.

"However," he said, "we must know. Why are you telling us this now?"

Knov had the same question: what had inspired the sudden change of heart? He realized he already knew. It was obvious.

"The King," he said, and Hinata frowned. For once, he'd spoken up before Morel, and the larger man sighed as he realized what Knov meant. "You saw him, in the palace. He has chakra too, doesn't he?" He glanced at Shino. "From your arm?"

Shino nodded. "It's the only possibility. That Royal Guard, Neferpitou: when she stole my arm, we never managed to confirm whether the Queen consumed it or not." He looked to his teammates. "We had hoped..." He paused, shaking his head. "We never should have done that, after the assault. We assumed that since the King was so fully developed, far beyond the fetal stage, that the Queen's Phagogenesis wouldn't assimilate my arm. And that even if it did, just the chakra system of my arm wouldn't be enough."

"But that piece of shit," Kiba said, sounding a little defensive, "grew an entire new organ in like a week. What a bastard."

"They are Chimera Ants," Morel said. "Their existence is an unpleasant surprise."

"Can't deny that," Kiba said, a bit quieter than before.

"So, the King has chakra." Killua didn't sound impressed. "What's that mean? Does it even make a difference?"

"We have no idea what the King would have been like if he hadn't assimilated my arm," Shino said. The sun had entirely slipped away by now, leaving nothing by shadows on the roof; they rendered the shinobi's expression completely unreadable. "But as he is now, none of us stand a chance."

"That was already the impression we got from Colt," Morel said, leaning forward and steepling his hands under his chin. "So again, what's the difference?"

"Why are you scared?" Gon asked, and Hinata jolted. Knov realized the boy had cut right to the heart of the issue. Either he didn't care to dance around it, or he hadn't even realized the others were.

"The King…" Hinata said, looking for words. "I'll put this simply. The King has an unbelievable amount of chakra. More than all of us put together. A large chakra capacity isn't dangerous in of itself, but all Chimera are unbelievably fast learners, so we expect the King to be… even more so. There are…" She struggled with the word, for reasons beyond Knov's understanding. "Creatures, in the Five Nations, with chakra at the same level of the King's. We call them the Bijuu; thanks to the strength of their energy, they can level mountains, whole cities, with ease."

Magical Beasts with the capabilities of humanity's greatest weapons? Knov grew to understand the shinobi just a bit more. With things like that roaming the land, it would have been suicide not to develop 'jutsu' like theirs.

"And you don't know if just because the King has a bunch of chakra, he'll be capable of the same kind of thing," Gon said with a nod, completely understanding. "That's definitely scary."

"Exactly," Shino said. "Even more so than before, without more information, the risk of making any moves against the King is far too great." He spoke a bit louder. "Which is why we have to learn as much as possible before the Day of Selection if we want anyone in this country to survive."

Pointing out the obvious. It was a nice bit of grounding in the midst of an unbelievable discussion.

"We were already intending to infiltrate the Palace," Knov said. "Palm will be-"

"If she goes, she'll die." Shino cut him off. "No matter how well she's disguised. The King has filled the entire palace with his chakra: he will detect any Hunter entering in an instant."

"We've already accounted for Pitou's En," Morel pointed out. "Palm is more than capable of hiding herself from extrasensory perception."

"I don't doubt her," Shino said. "But even a hint of risk is too great. We," he continued, gesturing to his comrades, "and I mean no disrespect, understand the dangers of the King more than anyone else on this planet at the moment. We also have the means to provide reconnaissance of the Palace without any personal risk."

Ah. Knov hadn't wanted to rely on the shinobi's abilities when planning their infiltration of the Palace, especially their shadow clones, which seemed both so useful and so dangerous. But now, with the offer on the table… he couldn't help but feel relieved that Palm wouldn't have to draw so close to a creature like the King.

But it couldn't be so simple. Handing over the job of infiltrating the Ant's new home to the shinobi would be a welcome chance to focus on other preparations, but it was also placing even more power in the ninja's hands. They'd already spent nearly two months lying to Knov and his comrades: who was to say they'd been completely honest now? A glance at Morel was enough to assure Knov the other man was having the same doubts. His whole body was tense, his face hard.

More than just doubts, Knov realized with a start. Morel was feeling guilt; that was the source of some of that extra tension. Why?

His nascent question was cut off my Netero's knifelike voice before it could fully form.

"Hmm." Knov could picture the man stroking his beard. "A generous offer, for which we must thank you. But… do you have a plan to deal with the King, beyond poking at its home?"

The shinobi glanced at each other, and Knov tilted his head. It was the first time a question had inspired discomfort in them.

"We believe," Shino said, "that the chance of failure in a direct assault on the King would be unacceptably high." Hinata nodded with a frown. "The current plan to separate him from his Guards with a multi-pronged assault is a good one, Chairman. If it weren't for my mistake, it might even have worked; having seen your Hatsu in action, I doubt any single Ant could stand against you, even the King."

"Ah," Netero said. Knov could almost hear the man's grin. "But now you're sure it would kill me."

"Quite sure," Shino said apologetically. "You would put up a tremendous fight and die all the same. It may be arrogant of us to so blatantly estimate you…"

"But it'd be even more arrogant to assume you'd have this in the bag and let you run off and die," Kiba cut his friend off, leaning forward. "You're kinda a creep, in my opinion, but none of us want you to get killed for no reason."

Knov stiffened, but the Chairman laughed, cutting the tension off at the knees. "How kind. What's your alternative then?"

"The portal we traveled through is located in West Gorteau," Hinata said. "They contacted our government several years ago, I do not know how many precisely, and constructed it with our instructions."

"They contacted you? How?" Knov asked. He hadn't considered how the portal had been built in the first place, too busy with all the other revelations.

Kiba glanced at Hinata, who shrugged. He returned the gesture. "There's only one shinobi alive who can travel between worlds under his own power," he explained. "He's the one who makes first contact with places, and sets them up with a line back to the Union." He spoke up as he saw another question rise out of Knov. "The Shinobi Union: an alliance of the Five Nations," he continued. "No individual nation handles any extra-dimensional all go through the Union. Uh," he glanced to Hinata for confirmation, "I'm pretty sure, at least."

"You got it," Hinata smiled.

"Fascinating, but irrelevant," Morel grumbled. "So, the portal is nearby. If that's the case, you must intend to bring reinforcements through."

"Precisely," Shino admitted. "The King is beyond us, but not our allies. To put it crudely, our plan is to call for help."

"Why didn't you earlier?" Gon asked. "When you were attacking the Nest?"

"The portal is delicate," Hinata said. "It required time to recharge with each passage. Sending us three through put it out of commission for some time. Eight weeks, to be precise. It should be fully charged sometime within the next two days. Once it is, we intend to call for reinforcements."

"A shinobi powerful enough to kill the King? Or several?" Morel asked. Knov agreed with his unspoken suspicion. Such a person would solve their problems immediately, if Hinata were telling the truth, and simultaneously create a whole host of more numerous and far more troublesome ones. The amount of unknowns in this situation was ridiculously dangerous.

"We'd try to limit it to one." Kiba scratched his beard. "The more chakra that goes through, the longer the portal has to recharge: we don't wanna be stuck here another two months."

"You have a specific person in mind?" Morel asked. Knov immediately realized what he was pushing at. The shinobi shared looks; a private, silent debate.

"Not yet," Shino decided. "But there aren't many options." He sighed. "We understand this puts you in a difficult position."

"Indeed," Netero rumbled. "This changes things. I will be returning to Peijing in the near future."

The Chairman was just going along with the plan? Such a passive approach didn't fit him at all. Knov couldn't believe the man would just cede responsibility for the King to the shinobi, not with the reputation of the Association on the line. Then again, if that were the plan, who was to say the Association just couldn't take credit for the Ant's destruction regardless of the facts?

"You'll keep us updated, I hope," Knov said. Hinata nodded.

"Of course," she said. "We wouldn't dream otherwise." She smiled. "Admitting we were from another world, and then continuing to hide things, wouldn't that be too foolish?"

A heavy silence followed the question. Knov felt himself withdrawing a little, doing his best to take all the new information and create a workable solution out of it.

Was she mocking them? In the low-light, her pale eyes shone like dim moons. There was a certain kind of paranoia in him now as he struggled to reconstruct his expectations. They were dealing with aliens. Aliens that appeared and acted human, but another species nonetheless. Whenever competitive species met, conflict of some kind always ensued. Just like the Chairman had posited, the shinobi really were just more benign Ants.

And they were offering to bring in another, someone who would be just as dangerous as the King, or more so? What madness. No matter how well intentioned, going along with this could be suicide; no matter the context, dealing with forces beyond your control, that you couldn't understand, was dangerous.

But Knov didn't say any of that. He just nodded.

"Certainly," he said. "And you've never struck me as foolish." It was the truth, but it didn't feel truthful.

"Anything else?" Morel asked, and Hinata shrugged.

"Maybe in the future," she said. "For now, I think we've covered everything important. We'll begin probing the Palace tomorrow, and see what our recon reveals."

"In that case," Netero said, "I will see you all soon." The phone hung up with an abrupt click, and the Chairman's heavy presence evaporated in the dark.

"We'll find a place to stay," Shino said to Knov. "Probably in this hotel, if we can manage it. Unless you think Hide and Seek would be better?"

"Here? There's no need," Morel answered. "The Ants already know your here: might as well avail yourself of some luxuries. We'll provide you with the funds."

Shino smiled. "We appreciate it." He inclined his head. "In that case, we should all get some rest. We have a challenging week ahead of us."

"And if any of you have more questions," Hinata said, "please, just ask. We'll answer them to the best of our ability." It was her constant fallback: radiating sincerity. The strategy had barely changed since their very first meeting, but now Knov saw it in a different light. Insecurity instead of curiosity.

Gon and Killua glanced at each other. It was obvious they intended to capitalize on that offer. But Knvo just felt cold. He had to wrap his head around everything else before dreaming of asking more of the shinobi. This wasn't a combat situation, where new information had to be quickly acted upon; these revelations required infinitely more thought.

Morel and the Chairman were surely thinking the same thing. With the Chairman returning to Peijing, things were already flying off course.

They would have to navigate these new unknown waters carefully.

Chapter Text

Myrmidon Chapter 20

Obsessions

"It's kinda annoying," Killua said. Gon glanced back at him, watching his friend rock back and forth on his heels. At the moment he didn't look like an elite assassin, just a bored teenager. He fit in with the hotel hallway, blending in more than anyone else his age could have, his unobtrusive black shirt and pose exuding casual wealth: perfect for the over-decorated luxury they were surrounded by.

Gon didn't really know how to look like you belonged like that. When he'd put on a tuxedo in Yorknew City, he'd felt stiff and confined. It had made being confronted by the Phantom Troupe even more intimidating. He'd probably never be at home in a place like this, especially in a country like East Gorteau.

"What?" he asked, examining one of the hallway plants. It was too green to be real, but it didn't smell of plastic. Weird. "Hinata?"

"It's useful," Killua said. "But she's impossible to surprise."

"That's a good thing, right?" Gon responded. He grinned. "Or are you just grumpy you can't sneak up on her, Killua?"

His friend grunted, and Gon giggled. Killua enjoyed little things in life: startling people by silently approaching them was one of them. With Hinata, that was basically impossible, unless she'd completely dropped her guard.

It was weird to think the woman they'd traveled with for nearly a month had been an alien. She acted totally like a human; laughed, ate, fought, talked just like anyone else would. The revelation of her origin had inspired more curiosity than worry after he'd thought about it; Gon had met plenty of humans way more alien than Hinata.

He wondered where Hisoka was. He wasn't in a hurry to see the man again. Never would be ideal, really. Even after helping them on Greed Island, Hisoka had always reeked of being a predator, just waiting for his opportunity to eat Gon alive.

Maybe Hinata knew people like that back home. Creepy pale guys, at least. He doubted lunatics dressed as clowns were any more common in the Five Nations than they were here. Hopefully, at least. What if there was a clown infestation over there? Just people everywhere with makeup and cards, running around, doing weird jutsu? Hinata came from the 'Hyuuga' Clan… what if there was a Clown Clan?

"What the hell are you thinking about?" Killua asked. Gon realized his face had screwed up in disgust and horror. He straightened it out with a grin.

"Just questions to ask!" he lied. He knew Killua knew it before he was even finished talking. "I've got a bunch! What about you?"

"Haven't we all got a bunch?" Killua asked. Gon was pretty sure it was rhetorical, but he nodded anyway. "They're from another planet!" He drew a little closer. "They've got an extra organ, mutated Nen! They're technically not even the same species."

"Yeah, it's pretty neat," Gon agreed. "So, we going up?" He indicated the staircase they were loitering next to. The room the Association had rented out for the shinobi was just above them, but Killua had stopped her to gather his thoughts.

"Whatever," Killua said. 'I need another minute,' was what Gon heard. He shrugged.

"Well, I'm going up," he said, tromping onto the stairs. "You can come if you want."

"Hey, wait!" Killua said with a huff, chasing after him. "I don't want you asking anything without me there!"

Gon stuck his tongue out as they turned the corner, nearly bumping into a hotel staff member. The man skittered to the side of the hall, bowing deeply. "Then you better keep up," he said. In truth, he didn't have many questions prepared; he just intended to talk to Hinata like he always did. He was sure he'd learn whatever he needed to that way. The shinobi's room was the fifth door down the hall from the stairs: 710. It had a nice door. Oak, maybe? Did they have that in East Gorteau? There was a "Do Not Disturb" sign hanging from the handle.

He rung the doorbell as Killua caught up to him. It was 6:50 in the morning, and like a child on Christmas far too anxious about gifts to sleep well, Gon had leapt out of bed at an ungodly hour and then paced until he deemed it late enough to go to the shinobi. Killua had pretended to stay asleep, but only out of a sense of stubbornness, Gon was sure. He was definitely feeling the same way.

They waited. Nothing happened.

Gon rung the bell again. The staff member, still lingering in the hall, awkwardly glanced at them. Once more, nothing happened. Killua groaned, rapping on the door four times.

The door flew open, almost knocking Killua on his butt. Kiba poked his head out with a snarl, his face covered in shaving cream. Gon snickered.

"What the fu-" Kiba looked right, finding nothing, and then left, at the cowering hotel worker. He glanced down, spotting the reeling Killua and a cheerful Gon.

"Hi!" Gon chirped. The man growled, cream dripping of his half shaved face. More than a month in the wilderness had turned what was probably once a well groomed beard into a mass of wiry black hair, some still clumped with ugly blue splotches.

"Goddamn kids," the man grumbled. One of his eyes was bloodshot. "Why are you always in such a hurry? It's not even seven."

"You can't be that old," Killua said, regaining his footing. "Since when is seven early?"

"Since we crossed the whole damn country without sleeping," Kiba grunted, but he opened the door wider regardless. "What's up? I doubt you're here to see me," he said with a small laugh. Gon felt a little bad for him. The shinobi was right, but only because Gon didn't really know him. Hinata was a known prospect. Her teammates weren't.

"We're here to see Hinata," Killua said. "She awake?"

Kiba fully opened the door. "Yeah, she was the first one up. Never needed a lot of sleep." Neither of the boys moved, and he gestured. "Well, c'mon in. What're you waiting for?" He glanced down the hallway to the frozen hotel worker. "Hey, could we get some breakfast? Something big, whatever you got."

The man nodded stiffly, and Killua strode into the room. Gon followed after him, smiling at Kiba as the man closed the door behind them. The shinobi had been given a multi-room suite; the entrance led right into a grand living room filled with couches, a huge tv, a table with several chairs, an attached kitchen, and several large windows with a great view of the city. It was a bit more impressive than their room for sure; Gon wondered how much it had cost the Association.

Hinata was sitting in front of the TV, which was playing some international news program. Gon didn't pay it much attention. The woman was dressed differently than he was used to. When they were hunting Ants he'd rarely seen her without her distinctive vest, her 'flak-jacket,' and long black combat pants. Now, she was wearing something more befitting a civilian, a long light purple jacket with a beige shirt and brown skirt under it. The only real similarity was the skirt, but it made her look a little like Mito.

Gon shook his head, dispelling the image of his aunt. Hinata was far more dangerous than her. Even looking like this, he couldn't miss that edge of readiness.

"Hi!" he said, plopping down on the couch next to her. Hinata looked up at him and smiled; she'd been writing something on a short piece of embroidered paper, something the hotel had left out. She set her pen aside, turning to face him.

"Morning Gon," she said. As always, her voice was both gentle and firm. "I didn't expect you up so early."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Killua asked, ambling over and slinking down into an armchair to the side of the couch, glancing at the paper as he passed. He propped his feet up on the table between the couch and the TV, sighing. "You gave us a lot to think about."

Gon gave the paper a second of his time as well. It looked like a list of names.

"I'm sure I did," Hinata said, sitting back. "We are sorry for not telling you the truth earlier." She shrugged. "It was just a little unbelievable. We weren't sure how you'd react."

"I mean, even if you're aliens, you're still people. It's not that big a deal, right?" Gon asked. Hinata laughed, but Killua frowned.

"It's understandable," he said. "Your chakra is pretty weird. We would have been suspicious." He reached back and pulled his own piece of paper from his back pocket. "Maybe still are, a little. So I brought a list of questions."

"Oh?" Hinata asked, quirking an eyebrow. "That should be interesting."

Gon chuckled as Killua flourished his list. His friend hadn't told him what he was putting together; he was just as interested to see what it was as Hinata.

"First off," Killua started. "Have you been to other worlds, or is this your first?"

"Just jumping right in then?" Killua shrugged, and the Hyuuga smiled. "My first," she confirmed. "Our first. The portal isn't brand new, but I'd never needed to use it before. Our mission to recover some Chimera Ants was my first opportunity to travel to another world." She considered. "But I have been to the moon. Maybe that counts."

"The moon?!" Gon asked, rocking forward. "Really? Why?" What could possible be up on the moon in the shinobi's world? Was it like their own?

"I was captured by an enemy," Hinata said simply. "He lived in a hollow artificial space on the moon. It's less exciting than it sounds."

Gon didn't believe her, but the topic clearly made her a little uncomfortable: the first time he'd seen Hinata seem awkward about something. He wondered why, but didn't press.

"Interesting." Killua scribbled something. Gon wondered what he could have been writing. 'Been to the moon?' That wouldn't be very useful.

"Alright, second question," Killua said. "I've got seven, by the way. I figured that'd be enough for me, and not get into stupid ones."

"If you say so," Hinata said, taking the the Zoldyck's awkwardness in stride. Killua scooted forward a little.

"How common is stuff like your eyes, among shinobi?" he asked. Gon sat up a little straighter. This question wasn't entirely polite, but it was really important. "And connected to that: for a shinobi, are you exceptional?"

"Killua!" Gon protested. Hinata laughed.

"Don't worry, Gon; I doubt you two could ask something that'd offend me at this point," she said, and Gon subsided with a sheepish grin. "As for my eyes, Killua, the Byakugan is a genetic ability, a Bloodline. They're not entirely common among shinobi, but they're not rare either. Dojutsu like the Byakugan, however, are." She touched two fingers to her temple. "There are slightly less than three hundred Hyuuga, though only about half of them are active ninja now. All of them have the Byakugan, though their ability with it varies. I have one of the largest ranges in my clan, but there are others who are far more perceptive than me; they would be able to see your brain chemistry, your electrical signals, even the twitches of your muscles, and practically read your mind." Her smile faded a little, softening into something melancholy, but she didn't elaborate.

"So… you're exceptional, then?" Killua poked. Kiba stuck his head into the room; he'd ambled into one of the neighboring bathrooms. His face was mostly clean of shaving cream, his beard nearly under control.

"Bad question," he chuckled. "Hinata's too humble to give you an honest answer. If you lined up every shinobi in the world and asked everyone who was the biggest badass, Hinata would be like…" He scratched his chin. "Twenty? Something like that."

"What about you?" Gon asked. The man's face went a little red.

"Twenty-one!" he grunted, pulling back into the bathroom. Hinata giggled.

"He's a little sensitive," she muttered to Gon. "Don't worry about it; just something that happened a long time ago."

"You beat him up?" Gon asked slyly. Hinata shook her head, equally surreptitious.

"No, but my husband did," she laughed, once more not elaborating.

"Exceptional, then," Killua muttered, writing more. "That leads right into the next one!" He sounded a bit excited, shaking off some of his sleep, or lack of. "This one, and the next, they're kinda longshots. But… what are all your abilities? Your 'jutsu?' I'm positive we didn't see all of them while we were hunting Ants."

He was right. Hinata was an impressive fighter, but she'd never shown off anything while with them that would have allowed her to survive Neferpitou's assault without any major injuries. Gon's mind sharpened a little. This was the question most directly tied to their goal.

"All my jutsu, huh?" Hinata asked, thinking it over. "You've already seen the majority of them. Most of my techniques are based off the Gentle Fist: a martial art practiced by my clan. The Lion's Fist and Vacuum Palm, you've seen all those in action. Since the Gentle Fist lets me manifest chakra as a weapon outside my body, I can also destroy Nen constructs, which apparently makes me an 'exorcist.' I imagine that's extraordinarily useful."

"Very," Killua confirmed. "Exorcists are rare, so any Nen curses are really frightening. But… I guess you could just punch them off."

"Awesome," Gon grinned. Hinata leaned forward with a frown.

"As for other techniques… I know some healing jutsu. Just enough to set a broken bone if I needed to, but I'm not an expert. My chakra…" She stopped. "Killua, you'll enjoy this." The boy perked up. "Somewhat like Nen, different people have different chakra natures. But chakra natures don't break up into divisions like Enhancement or Manipulation like Nen; instead, they are along elemental lines." Gon wondered where Hinata had picked up on the different Nen natures: he knew he and Killua had never bothered to explain them. "I have a dual nature, which is somewhat uncommon: Fire and Lightning. I can use my lightning-natured chakra to increase my reflexes, but only a little. There are chakra techniques dedicated to that sort of enhancement, but I can't come even close to them."

Techniques that used lightning to increase the user's reflexes? Gon glanced at Killua, who had a thoughtful expression. He wondered if they were thinking the same thing. Killua had never tried to use electricity like that. Nen and chakra were pretty different, but maybe there'd be a similarity there? It would definitely be a crazy use of his transmutation abilities.

"As for Fire, I never put much effort into learning its jutsu, but I do know one: the Hosenka. I don't use it in combat much because the Gentle Fist is a lot more efficient." She brought her hand up to her mouth, cupping it. "It just lets me spit several balls of fire."

She'd fought Pitou with just that? Stuff they'd already seen? That couldn't be right.

"There's two more things," Hinata continued, and Gon almost sighed in relief. There was something more, some secret weapon. "The pinnacle of the Gentle Fist: I've never had the need to use it while we traveled together. It's called the Eight Trigrams. Using my eyes, I can pinpoint aura nodes on the body and close them with a touch. The most advanced version of the technique strikes sixty-four such nodes, which completely closes off the passage of chakra in the body." She shrugged. "It has a very similar effect on Ants, and so I presume it would on you as well."

Killua leaned back, mouthing something in astonishment. Gon was just as impressed. Forcing someone into zetsu by closing their aura nodes? It was just like Knuckle's APR, but a bit more hands on. If Hinata had something like that, it was no wonder she'd been able to fight Pitou; she'd probably closed the Royal Guard's Nen off and forced it to rely just on its body. Still terrifying, but without that killing intent that had driven Gon mad, it would have been manageable.

Gon saw a potential future, and he was sure Killua saw it too. If Hinata managed to close off Neferpitou's Nen, the three of them would be able to kill the Ant without a doubt. It would only take one Jajanken to shatter the thing's head. That was their way of paying it back for Kite, for sure.

"As for the other, like the Hosenka, I've never used it in a fight," Hinata said. Gon was sure she'd noticed their quiet thoughts, but was polite enough not to acknowledge their split focus. "My husband passed it to me." She smiled, huge and warm, and Gon realized Hinata cared more about whoever she was married to than he'd ever have guessed. "A birthday present, kinda."

She held her hand up, palm out, and focused, her brow scrunching. Killua got up and paced over, staring down into Hinata's palm with open curiosity. Gon just leaned in, activating Gyo around his eyes. He was positive that whatever was going to happen would look twice as cool with Nen-enhanced vision.

He was right. As Hinata concentrated a ball of swirling purple energy, chakra, formed in her palm and gradually expanded. It started out the size of a grape and swelled, eventually becoming about the size of Gon's head. Then it stopped, suspended in Hinata's palm and giving off a soft high pitched whir. Killua leaned in, eyes wide.

Looking closer, the mechanics of the jutsu were beautifully simple. It was definitely the prettiest technique, Nen or otherwise, that Gon had laid his eyes on. The sphere was comprised of rapidly rotating chakra, bound together by something like centrifugal force, compressed tighter and tighter until it seemed ready to explode from the tension. Hinata manipulating her energy outside her body like that must have taken enormous focus and practice; it was similar to his Jajanken, but far more controlled.

"The Rasengan," Hinata explained. "I find it pretty tricky to use in a fight; it takes a lot of concentration to maintain, so it's easier to just use the Gentle Fist. But it's incredibly destructive." Killua jerked his face back; he'd been right over the jutsu. "If I let it go without controlling it, it could wreck this whole room."

"Sounds dangerous," Killua muttered. "Why haven't you trained to use it?" He was suspicious, Gon was sure, that Hinata wasn't telling the whole truth there. He wouldn't call his own curiosity suspicion, but it did seem weird to have such a cool, not to mention obviously powerful, technique and not bother to use it.

Hinata closed her hand, and the Rasengan faded away with a low-pitched sigh, the energy harmlessly drifting off in every direction. "By the time I learned it, the days where I fought often were long gone." She shrugged. "For me, it's not a weapon. It's a gift."

Gon got it. Killua didn't, but he'd figured that'd happen. As his friend opened his mouth again, Gon shook his head. Killua gave him a weird look, but stayed quiet, tracking back to his armchair and question-filled paper.

"Thanks for showing us that," he said, and Hinata nodded. The Zoldyck moved on with merciless efficiency. "So, three more. Do you think you could use Nen with training?"

"No," Hinata said bluntly. "Or at least, I doubt it. Our biology is just too different."

"That's what I thought," Killua said, scratching something out. "Next one's a little personal, sorry. What's your position, back in the Shinobi Union? Are you an elite or something, or did you just get on this mission because of Shino?"

"Kinda connected to that," Gon spoke up, "do you have a family? You are married, so..."

"Hmm." Hinata sat back. "I suppose you could call me an elite shinobi. I do have a family: my Clan, of course, and my husband Naruto, along with two children. And I did just go along on this mission because of Shino. We're old teammates, so it seemed like it'd be a good time." She laughed, a little weakly. "We didn't realize it would be this dangerous. We were treating it more like a vacation."

"Who's Naruto?" Gon asked. "I mean, besides your husband. He's a ninja too?" He kept himself from slapping himself a second later as he realized what a stupid question that was. Naruto had taught her the Rasengan; he was definitely a ninja.

It was a simple question in addition to being a stupid one, but Hinata took some time to think about it. Eventually, she reached an invisible decision just as Kiba wandered back into the room, finally finished shaving.

"He's the Hokage," she said. "The leader of The Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Cool! Hinata was the wife of a shinobi bigwig? That definitely made sense to Gon. She seemed like the kind of person who was close to power. Looking over, he could tell Killua was having a similar reaction.

"Just up and tell them, huh?" Kiba asked, and Hinata nodded.

"Done hiding stuff, remember? It was your idea," she noted, and Kiba chuckled.

"Got me there," he admitted, and wandered into the next room. Killua watched him go with pursed lips.

"So you're the wife of the leader of Konoha," he said. "How important is Konoha back on your world?"

Hinata smiled. "Pretty important. It's the second largest military in the world, and the largest economy."

"Jeeeeez." Killua stuck his hands in his pockets. "Good thing you're still in one piece. Wouldn't want to piss off someone in charge of that."

Hinata just smiled demurely. "I'm sure it wouldn't be your concern if something happened to me. I wouldn't worry about it: Naruto knows I can take care of myself."

That was out of the question. Gon liked Hinata way too much to let something happen to her. She'd kept Kite from being controlled by Pitou for too long, and saved his life at least twice. She was his ticket to honoring his promise to Kite's body, too. She was super important.

Keeping her safe was a top priority, even if she was more equipped to do that than he was.

"Okay." Killua was still gathering himself. "Okay. Super important to know. Last question, then." He tapped his pencil on his paper. "Who're you planning to bring through the Portal as reinforcements, and why?"

"For that," Hinata said, picking up the piece of paper she'd left on the table, "we have our own list."

There was a knock at the door. Kiba shot out of his room, half dressed.

"I'll get it," he grunted in passing. Was that the room service? Must have been, who else would be knocking? Gon refocused on the piece of paper. There were eleven names on it. Kakashi, Lee, Shikamaru, Gaara, Hachibi, Kabuto, Sakura, Korutsuchi, Naruto, Sasuke, Onoki. Only one of the names meant anything to Gon, and that was Naruto: it was placed at the top. 'Sasuke' had a question mark next to it.

"So, Naruto's pretty strong then?" Killua asked. "He's right at the top."

"If my husband were here, the Ants would all be dead within the hour," Hinata said. She didn't sound proud or frightened. It was just a statement of fact. "He's entirely beyond me."

That was scary. Gon wondered what the other Hunters would think of that. He trusted Hinata, and so naturally trusted her husband, but the idea of a guy who could wipe out all the Ants in an hour was scary, even for him. The other Hunters were more paranoid; they wouldn't like a guy like that at all.

"How?" Killua asked. "Speed? Destructive power?" He glanced at Hinata's palm. "A giant Rasengan?"

For some reason, that got a laugh out of her. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said with a grin. "Just trust me when I say it wouldn't be a problem."

Did she mean that, or was she just being coy? Gon couldn't tell. If 'Naruto' really was out of their understanding, what put him there? Maybe he'd made some sort of contract that made him barely human, if people with chakra could make contracts. But Hinata didn't seem like the person who'd marry someone like that.

"Okay, so why haven't we already called him in?" Killua asked. Gon backed him up.

"Yeah, if it would be that easy, why isn't he here already?"

"Because it's not that simple." Hinata drew a circle around her husband's name. "The Hokage's job is to defend the village. Naruto's okay with leaving it alone for some period of time; he's far more proficient with Shadow Clones than anyone else alive, so he's never truly gone. But passing through the Portal deactivates it for a certain amount of time, depending on how much chakra the person passing through has."

Shadow Clones, huh? Gon hummed as he considered that. Maybe that was how the Hokage could wipe out such dangerous Ants so quickly. Just bury them in a wave of himself? Hinata had never made more than five such clones at once, but maybe her husband could make dozens, or hundreds. That'd definitely be terrifying, and kinda unbelievable. He'd be a one-man army. Shadow Clones were pretty fragile, but would that matter if there were too many of them to fight back against?

Gon realized he wasn't asking many of his questions out loud, and he wasn't entirely sure why. The idea shocked him a little; he was still a little scared of being completely open with Hinata. Apparently her being an alien was still getting to him.

He was sure his disappointment in himself was showing on his face, but Hinata was nice enough not to mention it as she continued explaining.

"When I passed through the portal, I deactivated it for four weeks," she said. "More than was estimated. Naruto has far, far more chakra than me. If he went through, it's possible we'd be trapped in this world for months, or even years. It could even be faster to just build a new portal, though I don't know how long that'd take."

"Ah," Gon said. That long? That was ridiculous. "So you'd definitely take out the Ants, but then you wouldn't be able to get home, and he wouldn't be able to do his job." He frowned. "That sucks."

Kiba came back into the main room, pushing a cart covered in food in front of him. Eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, several salad, slices of ham, piles of butter, some sort of local vegetable that Gon didn't recognize: the cart was a ridiculous pile of breakfast items. It seemed like the staff had taken 'Whatever you've got' a little too literally.

"Sweet," Kiba mumbled. He looked up. "Explained the Naruto problem?"

Hinata nodded. "The other safest option," she continued, "would be Sasuke." She tapped the name with her pen, leaving a splotch above the second 's'. "But there's no guarantee we'd be able to get in contact with him: he's the shinobi who can travel to other worlds under his own power, and he's usually off doing just that. It would take some serious luck for him to be back in the village when we needed him."

"Why him?" Killua asked.

"He's the only one who could match my husband," she said with a frown. There was a history there, Gon could tell. Hinata didn't really approve of Sasuke. He wondered why. Did he and her husband not get along? "I mentioned that dojutsu like mine are rare. Sasuke is the last of his clan, the Uchiha. They possessed eyes just as useful as mine: the Sharingan."

"What do they do?" Gon asked. What could be just as useful as the Byakugan's incredible range and sensory ability? Maybe he could make people explode or something.

"Depends on the Uchiha," Hinata said. "Sasuke's mastered them, and he's… unusual, even for an Uchiha. His eyes are what let him travel between dimensions, in addition to giving him unmatched acuity. He can't see through things or as far as I can, but what he can see he would perceive more deeply than even me."

"So wait," Gon asked, thinking of a friend he hadn't seen in nearly a year. "Does he travel with his eyes, or do they just let him use another technique that does it for him?"

"The latter, I believe," Hinata said. Gon glanced to Killua for confirmation that 'latter' mean the second thing, and got confirmation through an eyeroll. That was a lot like Kurapika then. Interesting; it was just another way Nen and Chakra weren't so different.

"So, he would be the better choice then," Killua said. "If he could match the King, and he could travel under his own power…"

"Precisely. We're hoping the Union will be able to contact him, but it's no certainty." Hinata moved farther down the list. "Everyone else is a secondary choice, but I believe they'd all be able to take down the King, under the right circumstances, especially if several of them came through."

"And I agree," Kiba said, wandering over with a plate full of meat. "Except for Onoki. He's old. Someone else with his jutsu would work, but he's too creaky, I'd bet." He took a thoughtful bite out of some bacon. "And we should see if we could toss Knov through the portal. If he got through, maybe Naruto could just come over with Hide and Seek."

"You think he'd go along with that?" Hinata asked. Kiba shrugged.

"Why wouldn't he? Worst thing that happens, he just…" he paused. "Well, I guess he could get vaporized or like, lost in between dimensions or something... that's up there. But hey, don't know till you try."

"Why not just bring through all of them, if Naruto and Sasuke aren't available?" Killua asked. Kiba tch'd.

"You're smarter than that," he said, and Killua bristled. "If we brought everyone through, we might have a better chance head-on with the King, sure. But that'd shut the portal down for long damn time-" he took another bite, this time of ham, "and even worse, what if the King managed to take one of them down? The Ants are going to be making more Queens after the big day, according to Morel, and giving them another body with chakra would mean the entire next generation would have it."

Killua settled down a little at that point, but Gon could still tell he was irritated at the man's attitude. "Even worse, what if the King ran away, faced with a bunch of strong opponents? How long would it take to find him again?" The dog-like man finished chewing, reaching for another cut of meat. "One guy will be better, especially a guy like Naruto; the King won't hide from one dude, and there's no chance he'd survive if he didn't." He scratched at his newly shaved chin. "That said, if it's looking bad, yeah, we'll probably just shove a bunch of people through and get stuck here for a bit. Better than dying, or getting others into a bad situation."

"O...kay," Gon said. "Think I get it." He glanced at Hinata. "And there's no way you guys could take down the King?"

"If he were asleep, with his guard down, and there were no other Ants in the palace, and his biology is less durable than it looks…" Hinata shrugged. "I might be able to kill him. But that's not happening. If we want to take him out without casualties, we need more than what we have."

"Alright, fair." Gon snatched an apple off the food cart, considering its shiny surface. 'Without casualties.' Hinata really didn't want anyone to die; she'd said this was supposed to be a vacation, not a job. The shinobi weren't supposed to be here, but they were putting their lives on the line anyway, giving away secrets to keep their allies out of danger. Would the Hunters have done the same, if the situation were reversed?

Gon didn't know. He decided to ask a more important question instead.

"What's he up to now?"

Hinata flared her Byakugan for a moment, concentrating on a distant place. She'd winced when she done it, as though expecting pain, but as Gon watched, her tension slipped away and was replaced by confusion.

"What?" he asked. Killua, still smarting from Kiba's dismissal, looked up. "He's there, right?"

"He's… exactly where he was last night," Hinata said, tilting her head. "Playing a board game."

"A board game? With an Ant?" Killua asked. That was a funny picture, Gon thought. Hinata shook her head.

"With a little girl. Well, about your age, so not so little. She entered the room last night… I was sure she would be killed shortly after. The King had killed the last human who he beat in a game: chess." Hinata frowned. "I didn't want to watch it happen. But that's not chess, and she's still alive…"

"Maybe she beat him?" Gon suggested as Hinata focused. She was silent for a good ten seconds; Gon began to fidget.

"She must have," Hinata said. "She just did it again. He's conceded." She squinted a little. "And is starting another game."

Playing a board game for twelve hours straight, over and over, against the same opponent, and constantly losing? The King must have been super patient, or super bored. For that matter, his opponent must have been amazing; she must have understood that her life was on the line. Gon didn't really like chess or other games like that, but if he had to win or die he'd definitely put his all into it.

That the Ant hadn't killed his opponent was a little unnerving to Gon. If that were the case, it meant the King was confident enough in eventually winning that it wasn't letting its defeats get to it. He wondered why it would be so focused on a board game.

Maybe there was nothing else to do.

Still, that girl would probably be dead soon. Gon's heart felt a little heavy at that, but it was easy to brush off. He didn't like how easy it was to brush off. So many people had already been killed by the Ants, and she was another that they couldn't possibly save. It was garbage, but just like Kite, it was reality.

He tried to get his mind off the topic.

"You think the Chairman is doing the same thing?" he asked Killua after a moment. His friend titled his head, not understanding the question at first, before he realized Gon meant seeking reinforcements. He thought about it, and then shrugged.

"He'd be stupid not to," he said, eyes falling on a plate of scrambled eggs. "The Association's big: there's gotta be a Hunter or two out there he'd like to have here now that the situation's gotten even worse." He reached over, picking up the plate.

"Who knows who, though."

###

Isaac Netero hated cell phones.

He'd been seventy-six years old when he'd first used one. At the time, he'd thought it a novelty, a huge clunky thing that would probably catch on eventually, but would never be of much interest to him. The ease of communicating long distances, something that had previously been restricted to landlines and esoteric Nen abilities, was certainly a draw, but the detached humanity of it niggled at him. In a conversation, which was a peculiar kind of battle in its own right and thus something Netero took great pleasure in, there was never a moment of silence, even when no one was talking. Humans were predictable and loud in their quiet moments; the Chairman had known how to read people by their body language and breathing alone for decades before he picked up his first phone, and it had been one of his only skills that age hadn't cruelly depleted.

But on a cell phone, you couldn't read your opponent's body language. You could listen to their breathing, but only if they didn't understand how much information it carried. You couldn't look someone in the eyes. All you had to work off of was their voice, what they actually said. It was like a boxing match with both fighters handcuffed. Still technically a fight, and certainly amusing in a morbid way, but absolutely unsatisfying compared to the real thing.

Netero had been forced to make dozens of calls in the last fifteen hours; more than he usually bothered with in a year. It was infuriating, and in an odd way exciting. Something had finally pushed him out of his comfort zone, even if it was as pedestrian as a series of phone calls.

And the shinobi, of course. That was entirely outside of his frame of reference, and so inherently exciting. Netero wasn't blind, of course: the chakra-users, and the world they represented, were entirely more dangerous than the Chimera Ants that cavorted about in East Gorteau's capital. Though their methods were entirely dissimilar, they both were more than capable of replacing humanity; at least, the humanity that Netero was a part of.

The danger stemmed from appearances, as hollow as that felt to admit. The Ants were monsters. Anyone in their right mind would instinctively oppose them to their last breath. No matter how many humans they ate, they would never be able to pass as one.

But the shinobi were human, in every way but their twisted energy. Twisted souls as well, perhaps, though Netero had no way of ascertaining that. Surely the production of chakra, no matter how soothingly scientific Shino had explained it as, had not left the shinobi's spirits unharmed. No matter the addition of an extra, invisible organ, the shinobi appeared human, and so countries like West Gorteau, in existential competition with their neighbor, were all too happy to consort with them, despite the natural suspicion raised by alien visitors with odd accents.

Intended or not, the cultural contamination would inevitably spread. Were it that alone, Netero would have no concerns. People were entirely too wrapped up in their identities, wearing flags and languages in a pathetic attempt to seek solidarity with people they had no true connection with, too afraid to stand on their own and admit the gulf between them and the people they claimed were their fellows.

Netero didn't have those delusions, but he also didn't entertain the idea that his way of doing things was any healthier. But when it came to the shinobi, isolation was certainly the only path that guaranteed survival. It was gaudy and a little disappointing. He could already hear the same elements of the Association that chafed at the restrictions on the Dark Continent going up in arms at the decision to be cut off from an entire other world, full of strange new people and challenges. Perhaps they would finally amass the resources to vote him out. That, at least, would be interesting.

He was fully aware that in a way, he was being paranoid. Overcautious. His age was showing, and it galled him. Yet, the truth was equally obvious; the shinobi, and the world they hailed from, could not be trusted. Their individual virtue, which he held in high regard, their martial ability, which thrilled him, none of that mattered. Letting a foreign species that could produce specimen that dwarfed the Ant King access his world without safeguards would be tantamount to suicide. Worse, it could spark a war beyond either side's understanding.

He felt the weight in his chest, heavier than usual. How much did the shinobi understand, when they so freely offered up knowledge of their portal? Would they have been so trusting if they'd known it would only take one man with a suitcase striding through to reduce their cities to radioactive sludge? The Poor Man's Rose, and technology like it, seemed beyond their comprehension, so sure were they that the King could only be defeated in a straight competition of strength.

Of course, they'd understand when he returned to Peijing. Hinata would spot the bomb nestled beneath his heart in an instant, and then the shinobi would surely understand the scale of their mistake; that they'd opened their home to dangers beyond their comprehension, just as Netero and his fellow Hunters had by taking their offer of assistance.

Cooperation had been necessary, but coexistence would be impossible.

Netero had been on hold for about twenty-seven minutes as he considered the unfortunate reality of the shinobi problem. His next conversant had been outstandingly difficult to get ahold of, to a degree that had surpassed amusing and become irritating. One short call had led to him being passed off to another, which had led to yet another, who was now in the midst of an extremely challenging hike. The sound of the man's breath, frail and ragged, echoed through the phone; he must have been at altitude. Netero recognized the desperate sound of powerful lungs struggling in low oxygen.

He did not mind the chance for introspection, but he was eager to finish the call. To tell the truth, Isaac Netero was not sure he was making the right decision. Not about the shinobi, and not about the call.

"Boar," he heard the man on the other end of the line gasp. "Gotta call for you." He had a rough voice, made worse by his panting. Netero heard the phone passing from one sweaty hand to a clean one.

"Yo."

Netero smiled at the man's tone. "You expected this call."

"I wasn't sure, Chairman," 'Boar' said. It had given Netero a distinct amount of pleasure to assign that callsign to the least boorish of the Zodiacs; a quiet joke that he was sure the other man appreciated as well. "After all, if I didn't get it two months ago, I wouldn't expect to receive it now. But I did give it a fifty-fifty, just in case."

Netero laughed. "You sound hurt," he chided.

"Just curious, as always. I'm especially curious why you've bothered now."

"Even if I had called, you would have refused." Netero stretched out, his right calf straining. "A B-Class threat?"

"You're right, I would have told you that was well within your capabilities." Netero could feel the man's petulance, and it made him grin.

"Well, what if I asked you now?" he said, suddenly in good cheer. The sun was about finished rising in the dull winter sky. The journey back to Peijing would be beautiful.

"Chimera Ants, Chairman?" His opponent was grinning just as much as him, it was obvious. "That's a simple B-Class threat; I'm sure it's well within your capabilities, let alone anyone you'd invite along."

Netero chuckled. "Of course," he said. "In fact, if it weren't for the intercession of others, this matter would be nearly finished."

"Others? The shinobi?" Now he had Boar's attention. The man could feel them circling something, and the Chairman's coyness excited him. "That Byakugan certainly sounded interesting, but I didn't find them too shocking."

"The very same," Netero confirmed. "I believe you'll find them worth meeting."

"Ninja?" The man was skeptical. "They're always busy hiding the obvious. Way too theatrical for me." There was a distant crash on the other end of the line; a tree falling? "What are you playing at, Netero?"

"These shinobi are from another world."

His opponent was too canny to back down; he charged right into the words.

"Did they follow the Ants? The Dark Continent?"

"So I had assumed," Netero admitted. "But no. They traveled here from another world entirely, through a dimensional tear of their own making. And more importantly, they lack Nen: instead, they possess the energy of the Shinju… tamed for their own use."

He wasn't sure if that last line was entirely true, but it wasn't a lie, and it made excellent bait. Netero leaned forward, feeling the conversation straining, about to break in his favor.

"Now that…" He had him. "That would be of more interest to you than an ordinary B-Class threat, wouldn't it Ging."

Boar, Ging Freecss, stayed silent, breathing calmly, for a satisfying three seconds.

"Much more interesting." He shamelessly gave in. "No Nen, huh? That's certainly bizarre."

"Without question," Netero said. "Worse, they've passed their energy onto the King. Its mother devoured one of their arms before its birth."

"Wow, tricky stuff." The Chairman could easily picture Ging's nod, his dawning excitement as something that was both connected to the forbidden Continent and another world entirely was laid out in front of him. The other man was surely aware of how easily he was being played, but didn't care. "Tricky stuff. So what, you're worried the King is too strong now or something?"

'Why tell me?'

"The shinobi," Netero explained, "are planning to bring through another of their companions: someone they claim will be able to destroy the King with minimal casualties. They don't seem to have knowledge of weapons like the Rose. They're wholly convinced we need saving, on the surface at least."

"Ah, ah…" Ging lapsed into thought. "How frightening. Then you want me there as a safeguard, so if the shinobi turn out to be less than honest, we'll die together."

"I wouldn't put it that way," Netero chuckled. "But yes."

"Even with their energy, I've little interest in the King," Ging noted. "I've seen enough Ants by now… though none that are the product of humans. I suppose that would be a little odd."

"When you arrive, perhaps you'll find it more than your imagination wagered," Netero said. He grew a little more serious. "And you will arrive. I went to some trouble to contact you, after all."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I've always hated cell phones. Feels so impersonal," Ging snorted. Netero's eye twitched. "Give me two days. Then we'll see if these shinobi are really as interesting as you're making them out to be."

Netero shrugged. "If an old man could fool you, you deserved to be fooled. I'll see you in thirty-six hours. Peijing."

Then he hung up, before Ging could ask anything more. Netero savored the dead air, grinning at the thought of how mentally constipated the Zodiac would become at the abrupt ending. He wouldn't be able to take his mind off the Chairman's sparse words; soon, curiosity would drive Ging right into East Gorteau, as inexorable as age or gravity.

The man simply could not resist a good mystery.

Bringing in the lazy but brilliant Hunter was an undeniable risk though. If it weren't for the contingencies of the other Hunters, the contracted Zoldycks, and the bomb so comfortably nestled in his own chest, Netero would never have dreamed of it. Ging was a valuable asset, but also a wild and unpredictable one. He was as likely to make peace with the Ants as kill them, and there was no margin for error in the efforts in East Gorteau.

The reputation of the Association, and the safety of the human race, were now balanced on Netero's vision. He could only hope it was as clear as it had once been.

###

The day following the shinobi's revelation was a busy one for Morel. He'd had a lot to get done in a short amount of time. Clearing the area around the hotel of soldiers to ensure a lack of interference was at the top of the list. He'd started with several dozen smoke clones, but the situation had escalated, and before he knew it he'd ended up turning seven or eight blocks around the place into a no-go zone with a barrage of thrown rocks and haunting shadow-play.

It was a little embarrassing, but also welcome. By the Day of Selection, Peijing would be clear of both soldiers and people, since they were all meant to make their way to the Palace anyway; speeding up that process to give the Hunters a zone of exclusion and some breathing room hardly hurt.

His other tasks had been minor, but somewhere on the list there'd been something more personal. It was getting close to two o'clock when he started seeking out Shino Aburame. He wasn't sure what he intended to say to the man when he did find him; only a maddeningly vague sense that there had to be a talk and a reckoning, some kind of reckoning, between them drove him throughout the city.

The shinobi wasn't particularly difficult to find, especially after consulting Knov. Morel eventually tracked him down in a church, of all places. Organized religion was frowned upon in East Gorteau, but allowed so long as its practitioners publically testified that the Supreme Leader was the earthly manifestation or avatar of their deity (or deities), depending on the faith. It dissuaded most of the population, but not all of them. By the age of the rather large building, the church was an artifact of a time when the Gorteau's had been one country. Why it hadn't been knocked down after the civil war and the designation of Peijing as the capital, Morel could not know.

He made his way in through a side entrance, a door so small he had to stoop to enter, and came up short as he made it through a small dark hallway into the church proper. The building seemed even bigger on the inside, a huge dome stretching up to a ceiling nearly a hundred feet above. It had once been festooned with gold and other precious metals, elaborate works of art covering every surface, but much of that had been stripped away; empty rivets gleamed, and most of the art had been crudely painted over or stolen.

It was the warping and humiliation of East Gorteau in miniature. Morel acknowledged the thought with a snort, focusing on the ground instead of the ceiling. Shino was easy to find: the shinobi was sitting in one of the pews at the center of the room, below a raised bias. Leaning back with his arm loosely crossed over his chest, the man looked like he might be taking a nap. But as Morel approached, it became clear that wasn't the case; at the sound of his footsteps Shino raised his head slightly, and then leaned back with a lazy nod.

"Morel," he said, sounding a little lethargic. "What brings you here?"

"Looking for you, actually." Morel drew closer, lowering his pipe into a neutral pose. "What's that you're up to?"

Shino shifted into a more comfortable position. "Hinata spotted a huge network of tunnels under the city," he explained. "A lot of them meet up at this building; she thinks it's a temple of some kind, or was. I'm exploring them with my insects."

A temple? Morel wondered if Shino's world even had churches. He'd been amused at the sheer number of small things about the shinobi that had made sense after the revelation: their sometimes odd vocabulary, their lack of knowledge about simple Nen principles like Gyo, and the occasional confusion in idioms.

"Why bother?" he asked, taking a seat farther down from the man. "If Hinata can see the tunnels, that is. Don't you already have a good idea of their layout then?"

"It's not about learning the layout," Shino said, before pausing. "Well, it is, partially," he admitted. "Knowing the tunnels personally is a lot better than just being told what they look like. I'm sure that makes sense to you."

"So you can feel what your insects feel then?" Morel asked. The creatures that had poured out of Shino after his maiming, and during his questioning of the man, had startled him; he'd never dreamed they would be physical beings living inside the man. It was a disturbing truth about Shino's biology, even more so than his extra organ. Morel didn't understand where they all fit.

"In a way," Shino said, tapping his chest. "The ordinary kikaichu, among others, communicate with the main hive, located behind my heart. It's essentially telepathy, similar to the Chimera, really. The main hive, including several breeders, then transmits the message directly to my nervous system. Essentially, we share a conscience, but the communication process isn't perfect."

Creepy. The man was just as much insect as he was human. Morel knew some people gave up a lot in exchange for their hatsu. One of his own students had, even. But filling your body with insects, living in harmony with them? That was a step above.

"So, they're exploring the tunnels for you?" he tried to confirm. Shino nodded.

"And setting traps." He grinned softly at Morel's curious look. "Insect clones. Essentially, small nests. Hinata thinks that if the Ants attack Peijing, it's likely they'll end up moving through these tunnels to flank us. I'm having small groups of breeders set up at critical junctions and create miniature nests." He waved off Morel's incoming question. "They won't need food, not much at least; just my chakra. I've already portioned off most of it for them; that's why I'm resting."

"So if any Ants wander into those nests, they'll get swarmed?"

Remote traps? Morel realized Shino had probably used this tactic in the forest, but he'd never had it explained to him; he'd just assumed the shinobi had extremely wide-range control over his insects. That was still apparently true, but the execution was less flexible than he'd imagined.

"Essentially. The nest will generate a copy of me, a shell created out of kikaichu, as a distraction, and the rest will focus on devouring the intruders. They'll still need my permission, though: wouldn't want to attack a human on accident."

"That's… brilliant." Morel grinned. "I hope I've mentioned, it's been a pleasure working with you, Shino." His smile faded. "Regardless of your home."

"I'm sure it's a bit of a shock," the shinobi said. "I hope we can get past our deception." He leaned his head a little towards Morel; the man was exhausted, but didn't show any concern at the Hunter's proximity. After months of working together, he clearly trusted him. "If it's any consolation, we weren't actively trying to hide anything."

"I know," Morel admitted, looking down. "I don't blame you." He was resting his pipe on both his legs, feeling the gentle pressure of it on his thighs. He didn't know how to say what he was thinking.

The next minute passed in comfortable silence, Shino quietly recovering from his exertion, and Morel thinking deeply. The emptiness of the church swallowed up any tiny sounds they made, but the void felt more peaceful than ominous. It was like the deep sea. Dark, quiet, with an immense invisible pressure.

Morel sighed.

"Shino," he muttered, trying not to disturb the balance of the silence. "I think I've got something to tell you as well."

"Oh?" The man shifted, scratching at his stump. It was probably still itching with phantom sensations: Morel knew a woman who insisted her ankle ached more than a decade after a quid had yanked it off. "Something important, by the sound of it."

"After the assault on the nest," Morel said, rolling his pipe over in his hand, feeling every familiar groove and scratch. "When you were in the hospital. We spoke."

"I remember." Shino looked at him, his eyes invisible behind his visor. "You drugged me, didn't you?"

Morel stiffened.

"You knew?"

Shino rolled his head back, staring up. "In a way. I was in too much pain to understand what was happening, and after you gave me those painkillers, I passed out immediately. But several of my surgical insects kept stock of the medicine you gave me; they didn't inhibit it, but they did analyze it." He rubbed the back of his neck, which was chafing against the wooden pew. "I'm not a surgeon. I don't specialize it, and so it's difficult for me to accurately interpret the information they send me. But it was obvious to me that there was something other than painkillers in that concoction."

Morel mulled over the Aburame's admission for several seconds, gathering his thoughts. He rolled his pipe faster and faster. With every rotation, he grew to regret his impromptu interrogation more and more. In the end, it had all been outstripped by the shinobi's own honesty; he'd betrayed Shino's trust for nothing.

"To steal a phrase," Shino eventually said. "I don't blame you."

"Did you tell your comrades?"

"No. It wasn't their concern." Shino gradually sat forward, like his whole body was aching. "But I am curious what it was."

Morel leaned forward as well, placing his pipe head-down on the ground. He kept it in his hand, still rotating. "A truth serum," he said bluntly. "Or as close to one as we could get. With all of you injured and Hinata in Hide and Seek, we figured it would be the only opportunity to get any information out of you."

"And did you?" Shino asked. "How much of what we told you yesterday did you already know?"

Morel tried to grin, but it came out an unfortunate grimace. "None of it. You talked, but little of what you said made sense. Without context, it was just nonsense."

"Such as?" Shino asked. Morel shrugged.

"You talked about your village," he said. "The Will of Fire, Hinata's husband, the system of shinobi. Something called Lunar Chakra, and 'Jinchuuriki.' Human sacrifice. It wasn't very coherent, but it was enough to cement the Chairman's suspicions that you were from the Dark Continent." He chuckled. "Boy, he must be irritated at being wrong."

"I suppose that was what was on my mind," Shino said. He seemed to be taking the admission that Morel had taken advantage of his injury extremely well. Perhaps it was for the best he'd caught him when he was exhausted; the man seemed happy to take his suspicions confirmation in stride. "I don't suppose you're interested in learning more about any of those."

Morel glanced at him. "Really?" he asked. "Just like that?"

Shino turned to stare back at him. "Right now," he said, somewhat cold for the first time, "trusting one another is more important than ever. If we don't, there's a good chance we'll all end up dead." He leaned forward. "So if there's anything you heard that you're not sure about. Now is the time to ask for clarification. Right now."

Morel was taken aback by the shinobi's intensity, but just as quickly as the shock appeared it was replaced by admiration. He smiled at the man's earnest steel, finally feeling a grin that was teeth instead of embarrassment.

"Two things, then," he said, feeling his chest open up a little. Shino's implicit forgiveness had driven away his lingering guilt, at least for now. "The Hokage, and Jinchuuriki."

Shino laughed dryly. "They're one and the same," he chuckled, slipping off the pew to slowly pace in front of it.

"The Hokage's a human sacrifice?" Morel asked, and Shino paused for a moment.

"Interesting," he said with a teacher's voice before he continued pacing. "There's a translation issue there; seems our languages do have some differences beyond pronunciation." He straightened up a little. "'Jinchuuriki' doesn't mean 'human sacrifice.' It means 'The Power of Human Sacrifice.'"

A small difference in content, a huge difference in context. Morel cocked his head. "And Naruto, Hinata's wife, he's the product of human sacrifice? Do you mean some sort of ritual, or is it just a fancy way of saying he's experienced in battle?"

"Hmmm." Shino rubbed his stump once more. "Long ago, telling you about this was a heavy crime, but things have changed." He turned, standing still and staring Morel in the eyes. "We told you about the Bijuu; creatures that could destroy cities with their chakra."

"Of course," Morel said. "We have similar magical beasts here, though very few of them are that openly destructive." He'd never met a Magical Beast, or a creature of Nen, who was capable of quite that much firepower, but the world was large and he'd only seen a fraction of it.

"Good. Maybe this will be easier to understand then." Shino sunk deep into thought, carefully considering his next words. "When I was very young, less than a year old, one of the Bijuu attacked Konohagakure. An enormous fox, with the power to wipe away mountains with its anger."

Morel tried to picture a creature like that, and couldn't. How big a fox was Shino talking? The size of a hill? A building? A city block?

"Konoha fought it off, but not without casualties. Much of the village was destroyed, and many shinobi died. But even for all their effort, the Kyuubi," he paused. "That was the fox's name, after its nine tails. The Kyuubi could not be killed, even by the village's most experienced shinobi. So they took the only option available to them; instead of destroying it, they imprisoned it."

"How the hell-?"

"One moment. They imprisoned it, but no physical cell could hold something as powerful as the Kyuubi. So instead, the current Hokage placed it inside the body of his own son, who had been born that very same day. His son's body held the fox in a nearly unbreakable seal, his chakra network transformed into a powerful prison, but the effort killed the current Hokage; Konoha's Fourth."

Morel realized what Shino was talking about. "And that infant…?"

The shinobi nodded. "Was Naruto. He was the Kyuubi's jailor; a Jinchuuriki. Holding the Kyuubi gave him access to some of its power, but also put him in terrible danger, both from his prisoner and those who would try to take it. When I was seventeen, the five major villages banded together to keep him safe from a man who was trying to capture all of the Bijuu to create a terrible weapon." Shino looked down. "It was a short but vicious war. Because of that power, that importance… that's why Naruto is a human sacrifice of sorts."

"That's… interesting." Interesting was an understatement. If what Shino was saying was accurate, the leader of his village was practically a living weapon. Morel wondered if anyone in his world had ever suffered the same fate; certainly there a Nen somewhere out there capable of imprisoning creatures within a person. Shoot's Hatsu was similar, though it didn't grant him any of its prisoner's power. "What will happen, when he dies?" Morel asked, and Shino snorted, as if he'd said something funny.

"Sorry," he said, his quiet laugh transforming into a cough. "Well, we're not sure. Naruto managed what no Jinchuuriki managed before him and created a, well, workable relationship with the Kyuubi. I'd say he'd even call it his friend. When he passes, he'll probably demand it be let free." Shino paused, amending. "If he passes, if that doesn't sound too crazy. And he's done too much, is too respected, for anyone to seriously consider going against his wishes on that matter."

"... interesting." Morel turned the situation over in his head as steadily as he had his pipe. He wondered what Shino by 'if.' No one could be immortal, not even someone holding a powerful beast. "Do you still want him to come?"

"Did I say that?" Shino said, and Morel nodded. The shinobi laughed, a little healthier sounding than the first time. "Well, I guess that was how I felt at the time. We are considering bringing him through the portal, but there'd be a lot of complications, political and otherwise." He shrugged. "It would solve the Ant problem though, there's no doubt of that. Compared to you or me, Naruto is essentially invincible."

Invincible… and so just as much a threat as the Ants, maybe even more-so if he could defeat them. The thought sent a chill down Morel's spine. He trusted Shino, and Shino trusted Naruto, but that was no guarantee of virtue. It seemed that no matter what, dealing with the Ants would be unspeakably dangerous.

Why had the shinobi not cut and run? Their only stake here was trade with a single, small country. They had the Queen's organs; they had their goal. Why would they stay? Morel had asked that question a month ago, and now, as Shino boasted of his ruler's power, the question surged back to the fore of his mind, twice as insistent.

"No one's invincible," he said after a moment, dredging up some of inner contrarian. Shino smiled.

"You're right, of course," he said. He began heading for the church's exit, and Morel rose to follow him. The shinobi had recovered his stamina. As Morel fell in besides him, Shino briefly looked over at him. He grinned again. This time, there were some more teeth.

"But Naruto's as close as you can come."

###

At the end of his one-hundred and seventeenth game of Gungi, the King of the Chimera Ants realized it was possible he would have to change his tactics.

The first game, he had written off as luck; he'd had briefly felt a familiar sensation, the feeling of eyes surrounding him and burrowing into the back of his head, and it had distracted him from the game at hand. He had been indecisive and withdrawn as the frail, blind human he was playing against babbled about the honor of meeting her Supreme Leader, and it had quickly cost him the match. Despite the honors the girl had wreathed him in, she'd been merciless, and dispatched him quickly.

It had impressed him, that something so pathetic that it had passed out when he'd demanded its silence to study the rules of the complex game could have defeated him in any measure, even when he was not engaged with the competition, but he hadn't been able to believe it was anything but good fortune. The Watcher, as his guards called the human who had slain so many of his weaker subjects, had intervened at the perfect time, knowingly or not, to spare the young human's life.

At least for a time.

That is what the King had thought. He'd continued to delude himself for the next two games. After that, his thoughts had shifted to confusion. How did this human, who could not even see, could barely breathe through her phlegm-filled nose, continue to defeat him? He invented rationalization after rationalization as his Guards watched, just as perplexed as he was. He was letting her win to see how far she would go to defeat him. He was interested in feeling the sensation of losing, since all he would understand for the rest of his existence was victory. He was taking pity on a human that was barely worth defeating, let alone eating. He was being magnanimous and humoring a lower life form, like a man content to let a fly buzz about his face.

After ten games, his mood had shifted to anger. He'd become quietly furious, determined to defeat the human at the game that had defined her life. It would be the ultimate humiliation, precisely what she deserved after having dared to defeat him so many times. His energy had become dark and violent, surging throughout the Palace and driving the weaker Ants into paroxysms of anger and self-harm. He'd been vaguely aware of their suffering, but hadn't paid it any mind; if they were weak enough for their King's anger to overwhelm them, they were not worthy subjects.

His energy had affected the girl as well, though not to the same degree as the Ants. Her will was not as weak as those of the subjects who'd crawled back to him to survive the world of humans. Instead of turning it on herself, she channeled the anger of her opponent directly into the game. The King's losses became faster and faster as his frustration clouded his judgement, and the human became less merciful.

Thirty such games passed in that shameful manner before the King finally broke through his emotions and understood that if he was to win, to become master of this crude but brilliant game of Gungi, the world-master of which sat before him, he could not rely on the strength of his anger. It was important lesson, and he was filled with gratitude that he had been taught it in a controlled setting like a child's game in a palace, instead of in a conflict that actually mattered.

That gratitude had carried in forward, and stabilized his play as he analyzed both the rules of the game and his opponent, whose name he had not bothered to learn. The games had stretched out, five minutes becoming ten, ten becoming fifteen, and fifteen even stretching to twenty once they'd finished their one-hundred and twelfth game. The King was tireless, and while it seemed impossible for such a human, the girl had not shown any signs of fatigue either.

But it was the hundred and seventeenth game that decided the matter for him. His tactic had been simple and invisible; a commander, left in the rear until the perfect time, would surge forward and deprive the girl of all but three of her liberties, the crucial empty spaces on the board necessary for counteraction, at once with a chain of unforeseeable captures. The King had created the tactic three games before, but had refrained from deploying it, instead unveiling a string of feints and false starts that would lead into it. His opponent had countered each of those feints masterfully… but they had never moved in precisely the manner they would need to counter the rear commander.

But when the time came, when the King prepared to make his move, the girl slapped it aside without even looking. Her entire front changed in a moment, transformed into a mouth into which the King's own liberties poured, and he realized that the entire time, the entire time, before he had even come up with the tactic, the girl before him had anticipated it and placed her pieces accordingly to deal him a mortal blow.

The game would end in fifteen turns, but no matter how he struggled for them, the King would lose. Instead, he conceded. It was that concession that opened his eyes. As the pieces were shuffled off the board once more, he considered his approach.

Gungi was not like chess, or shogi, or the laughably simple checkers. It shared some similarities with Go, but not enough for the same strategies to apply. The amount of possible combinations for the pieces was extraordinary, an order of magnitudes greater than any of the other games the King had so quickly conquered. Although the rules were not horribly more extensive than the game's peers, the ways they could be applied were. In the past, he'd simply been able to rely on his intellect, a mind perfectly honed by the powerful gene manipulation of his mother, to brute-force the solutions to each game in short order. But against the massive maze of strategy that Gungi allowed for, his primitive tactic had come up short.

He could no longer simply rush through the game until it had been solved; he would have to become a better player than the girl on his own merit.

The idea made him smile; he was sure that if she were not blind, his opponent would have backed away at the sight of it. It was nothing like a human smile except in the movement of the lips.

Thinking of his mother made him realize the similarity between her and his opponent. The comparison was obvious once the connection had been made; they were both frail specimen, all too easy to tear apart with his invincible body. But despite their weakness, they were both capable of acts far outstripping their bodies obvious incapabilities. This woman had trained enough to defeat him more than ten dozen times in the competition of Gungi, and his mother had created him, the strongest being in existence. Physical limits meant little, it seemed. If he were to be the King he was destined to be, he would have to train his mind as well as his body, and the strange energy that filled it.

As he reset the board, mind whirling through possible tactics, knowing he would have to lose at least four more games to find his new footing, he considered the problem of his aura. His Royal Guards had called the delicious energy that filled certain humans, Ants, and themselves "Nen," an application of the body's natural life energy and spirit made manifest. The King had tasted it several times in the womb, and each had been sweeter than the last. But shortly before his birth, he'd been introduced to a new taste. It hadn't been much, just a couple pounds of meat. It had been like the prior taste of Nen… but also different, like the taste of marrow against muscle. Even stranger, the taste had wrought changes in him; a secondary nervous system had quickly developed alongside his ordinary one.

He made his first move, and the girl made hers. His energy, curling inside her, found nothing but confidence.

It was strange, this energy. He'd hadn't been surprised when he'd emerged to find that his Royal Guard and the inconsequential Ants below them had a different kind flowing through them, the ordinary Nen. After all, he was a King, and they were subjects. But his energy, so far as he could tell, was not superior, merely different.

Worse, it was difficult to control, spilling out without regard for his intent. The King felt at all times like an open wound, bleeding his aura out into the world and carrying his emotions with it. It was not frightening, but it was irritating; compared to the razor tight control of his Guard, his massive aura roamed ceaselessly, filling up every vessel it could find, and subtly warring against the aura of his subjects. When he had been born, its sudden presence had even driven some of them to autocannibalism. He was sure there was some purpose behind it, but with less than a month since his birth, he had yet to divine it.

Twenty moves in, and the match seemed a stalemate. The King was sure that was not the case; his opponent had not yet tired despite her fragility, and it was rare that he intuited the cause of his defeat more than ten or so moves ahead of time.

As he considered the mystery of his aura, the oncoming day of selection, the oddness of his Guards, the fragility of the girl before him, the amusing attempts by the enemies who had moved into Peijing, including the Watcher, to oppose his inevitable victory, and the question of the Watcher himself, whose presence had been a constant in his conscious life, the King continued to mull over how he could change his tactics to best his opponent, beyond the simple answer of "improve." Improving was the obvious solution, that even a base creature could come up with. If one was losing a race, they improved their speed, unable to lift something, improved their strength, unable to solve a problem, improved their mind to see more solutions. That was the instinct of those barely above beasts.

Naturally, as a monarch, it would be more fitting for his triumph not to come from something any being was capable of, but something more fundamental to himself.

Thirty-six moves in. This game was lasting longer than ordinary. As the girl moved one of her spies into a forward position, the King considered the board, and realized that unless his opponent made a blatant error, he would surely be defeated within the next eight turns. The pincer maneuver had formed like an invisible drain at the bottom of a body of water, drawing away his knights and liberties in preparation for the final fatal moves.

There was no way he could improve himself to turn this almost inevitable loss into a victory. Despite the realization stinging, it also brought another grin to his face. He'd been right; his powers of self-analysis were growing. To turn this game around, he would have to use his monarch's prerogative.

It was a simple idea, and executing it was equally simple. As his opponent reached towards the board, the King flexed his will, the spilled aura that had taken up residence inside her flaring. The girl's hand jittered, and then changed course. Her face changed. The calm confidence that she always exuded while playing turned to concern and confusion as she picked up one of her commanders and moved it to her flank: a substandard move that instantly destroyed her existing strategy.

The King relaxed, his aura calming, and cocked his head as he stared at his opponent, wondering what she would do. Perhaps she would confront him, ask what had happened? But no. The girl kept her mouth clamped shut, hands shaking.

"7-8-2, Major General," she muttered after a moment, before clamming up once more.

Denied any reaction, the King moved on, surging into the gap created by the girl's unintentional retreat. But his opponent fought back, twice as decisive as she'd been before. Ten moves, twenty; the game stretched on longer than any had before. She stopped announcing her moves, aware that he would be able to see them; the King continued announcing his, aware that it would not be a true game otherwise.

In the seventy-seventh move, she backed the King into a corner once more.

He considered flaring his aura again. It would be childs-play to force the girl into another poor move. But instead, he conceded. There would be other opportunities, future games, with which to test that tactic, and he found the promise of continued play exciting.

As his pieces slipped off the board, his opponent sat in silent contemplation. Eventually, she looked up at him with blind eyes. For the first time since they'd met, she looked unhappy.

"Did you do that?" she asked. It was a blunt question, and it took the King aback. He'd never expected to be spoken to that way by this girl of all people; she'd always been completely deferential, if foolish and loud. Perhaps more than a day of playing without rest or food had finally affected her judgement.

"Do what?" he asked, flexing his tail behind him. The destructive power of his body, ready to effortlessly knock the insolent human's head off, silently flickered back and forth in the air.

"My thirty-seventh turn," she said with a frown. "I couldn't control my body. It forced me to make a poor move. Was that you?"

The King smiled. The girl seemed stupid, but in matters of Gungi she was a genius, and that intelligence could clearly be applied to more than just the board game. "It was," he admitted. "I was testing a theory."

"A theory?"

"That I could defeat you in this game while still being less skilled than you." The King leaned forward, resetting his end of the board. "I proved that I could. That is all."

The girl's eyes welled up, her lower lip quivering. As usual, she was letting her emotions get the best of her. She sniffed, reaching forward and mirroring the King's actions, preparing for yet another game.

"If you want to defeat me outside of Gungi," she muttered, tears distorting her voice. "Why not just kill me? Shoot me, or stab me, or strangle me? It would be easy for you." This girl, who had professed neither desire nor fear since arriving, shook with the question, and the King wondered why his tampering with her body had so upset her.

"Kill you?" the King asked as he finished setting his board. He felt a little cruel; it was a satisfying warmth. "Would you die if I defeated you normally?"

"Of course!" the girl declared, and the King rocked back. The only Guard present in the room, Shaiapouf, who had been quietly reading in the corner, glanced up with a hint of concern, the kind of paternal reaction that the King so despised in his subordinates. "On every game, I bet my life. I'm of no use to my family, no use to my country, and no use to the Supreme Leader if I am not the master of Gungi. If I lose a game, I'll be worthless; there will be no reason to keep living!"

The King considered the girl's proclamation. He truly wasn't sure what to say. "If that is the case," he eventually decided, "I will defeat you in Gungi, by myself. You will die knowing your death was earned." He locked eyes with her, though he knew she could not see him. "I will not use your body against you again."

The girl sobbed, blubbering thanks and about to burst into tears once more, and the King abruptly stood. "We're taking a break," he announced. "Rest, eat. We will resume tomorrow."

As the girl stammered and spewed fluids, Shaiapouf split in two; one copy came to her side and gently took her arm, guiding her to her feet, and the other went to the King, staying respectfully behind him as he strode out of the room.

"You will win soon, my King," the Guard said as they left the room. "No human could hope to match you. Her victories so far have been a fluke."

"Do not be a fool," the King said, not looking back. "She is a brilliant opponent. I will defeat her, but it will take time. Until I have, I cannot be a true king."

"My King?" Shaiapouf sounded alarmed. "You are already-"

"I am king of an empty palace, of a legion of idiots, of a nation of lies," the King grunted, climbing the stairs to his throne room. "I am the strongest being in existence, but surely there is more to ruling than simple strength?" He glanced back. "These humans allowed idiots, weaklings, and cowards to rule them, but if that fat moron we have placating the humans were strong, had exercised his body everyday, he would still be a moron, and had he exercised his mind, he would still be a coward." He stared at nothing, thinking of the blind girl back before the Gungi board. "No one can change their nature, but if I am to rule, I must be superior in all aspects, not just in strength. Otherwise, I will be no more a king than a human trodding on a worm."

Shaiapouf stayed silent; either because he was too stupid to understand what his King was saying, or because he was too smart to contradict him. Either possibility made the King grin as he opened the door to his throne room.

"You've felt the Watcher," the King said, flicking his tail back in forth in anticipation as he approached his throne. It comfortably dwarfed his compact form. "She must be in the capital."

"Yes, my King," Shaiapouf said, his voice edged in hatred. The display of emotion pleased the King; his Guards could be odd, but they were devoted, and their absolute detest of the one enemy who could observe them without fail was a virtue. "Peijing has been disrupted by several humans moving in to oppose us. The Watcher is one of them."

"The Day of Selection is still eight days away," the King mused. "In that time, it is possible they could do something to disrupt us, however minor." He turned back to Shaiapouf, observing the Guard's joy at his attention with amusement. "Send Menthuthuyoupi, and some soldiers with him, to the city. Accompany him with some of yourself."

"My King?!" Shaiapouf's eyes went wide. "We cannot leave your side! To do so-!"

"Quiet," the King said, and his Guard instantly fell silent. "To sit here, with the eyes of the Watcher on us, would simply invite attack." He thought of Gungi, with its thousands of counterplays, and smiled. "We cannot allow the humans to observe us with impunity. They will attack eventually, and though it will fail, it would be more effective than otherwise with the information the Watcher will have given them."

He turned away once more, his aura feeling Shaiapouf deflate behind him. "Leave at dawn. Not today's, the one after. Go to Peijing, kill any special humans you encounter, and bring them, and the Watcher, to me. Neferpitou will stay behind, in case the enemy decides to counterattack. The two of us will surely handle any human foolish enough to breach the Palace."

"... I must obey, my King," Shaiapouf eventually said. He turned stiffly, leaving the room as though he were about to burst into tears just as pathetic as the Gungi girl's. The sensation of observation increased; the Watcher was present, focused upon him and his Guard. The King was more sure of his decision than ever. His opponent, one of a grander scope than a board game, was pouring all their attention into him. He had them worried.

"Yes," the King said, watching the pitiable figure go. He turned towards Peijing, focusing upon the watchful sensation. It felt like a line of electricity, between him and a distant figure, a connection beyond physical. His aura flexed, and with a start he realized it was reacting to a kind of… kinship.

"You must."

Chapter Text

Chapter 21

The Ambassador's Guarantee

The portal to another world, Knov decided, looked somewhat like his own.

The apparatus that generated it was surprisingly small; he'd expected something bulky and advanced, but the actual portal wasn't much more than a metal ring on a slightly raised stand and a generator. There were strips of paper wrapped around several sections of the ring, one of them trailing material down the side; all of them were emblazoned with foreign symbols, the language of the Shinobi Union. Several of the symbols glowed the same faint green as the portal; some application of chakra, no doubt.

Mari Kansai, the woman who could hurl lightning bolts with frightening precision and the apparent Representative of the Shinobi Union to West Gorteau, had noticed his surprise when they'd entered the decorated room, so obviously meant to receive visitors, that housed the portal. As Knov had examined the dull green passageway to another world, which faintly shimmered with ocean-like motion, she'd explained that the Portal Engine which enabled travel that was actually located back in the Union provided the majority of the power and processing power necessary for trans-dimensional travel. Ancillary portals like this one only received its instructions and energy, and so didn't need to be quite so advanced. This had been quite purposeful, to allow civilizations even with less developed technology to be able to deal with the Union.

It was amazing, he thought, that the shinobi had managed to create something like this with their chakra. Developing Hide and Seek had taken him years, but this had been a cooperative effort on a much grander scale. They may have been aliens, but they could work together like anyone else.

The portal rippled, and the movement spread from the top right of the luminous circle instead of the center. Knov could swear he saw movement on the other side, shadowed figures moving with a purpose from one side to another. He reached out, wondering what the surface of the gate would feel like. Hide and Seek was like a cold liquid that slipped off the body without leaving a trace: would this be the same?

Mari, who had been standing just behind him on his right, put her hand on his shoulder. "Careful," she said, and Knov paused. He looked back at her, and she elaborated. As she spoke, he wondered why she chose to wear a suit, unlike the other shinobi.

"The portal can be tricky," she said. "People without chakra can pass through without complication, but we've never had anyone with "Nen," she pronounced the unfamiliar word with an odd lilt, "attempt it. We don't think it would be dangerous, but it's very possible it would require further recharging if you did."

"We'd considered that," Knov said. He watched the armed guards at the back of the room, wondering if they understood what was being discussed. "The Association is curious if I could pass through and create a less particular portal of my own. You're familiar with my hatsu."

The woman nodded. "Of course," she said with a grin. "And that would be spectacularly convenient. But we're concerned about the risks." Who was we? The other shinobi, the higher-ups of the Union? Hinata's husband? "Traveling through the portal deactivates any active jutsu, sorry, technique, without fail. Barriers, clones, anything independent immediately disappears, and their chakra travels back to the user." Mari shrugged. "We're not sure why this is the case, Mr. Knov, but it's a constant with portal travel. Since Nen and chakra are so similar, if you were to use the Portal it's very likely all of your existing portals would vanish; your Nen would return to you, and you'd be stranded on the other side."

Knov considered what the woman was saying. Was she telling the truth? It was more than possible the Union just wanted a monopoly on travel to and from their world, a monopoly that Knov could single-handedly destroy. But if she was telling the truth, the risk was unacceptable. Not only would the rest of the force opposing the Ants be denied his Hide and Seek, but his travel through the portal might leave the Union unable to send any reinforcements.

He lowered his hand, backing up a step. He couldn't test the truth, not without laying the lives of other Hunters and the shinobi on the line. There would be time later, when the crisis had passed; for now, as he found himself doing too often for his taste, he'd just have to trust the shinobi.

Mari smiled at him once more, and then refocused on the portal, considering its depths. They stood in silence alongside one another, waiting for some hint of action from it. Twenty mute seconds passed; Knov had always been comfortable with silence, glad to an opportunity for quiet thought, but Mari was clearly different. The woman fidgeted, occasionally glancing at him.

"Do you have something to say?" he eventually asked, and the woman quickly shrugged.

"Don't mind me," she said, and Knov took the advice to heart. Then she continued speaking, and he realized she hadn't really meant it. "I'm just nervous."

"Nervous?" Knov asked, seizing the opportunity. The woman was younger, and inexperienced. She'd probably have looser lips than Hinata and her team.

"I didn't think this position would be that special," Mari admitted. "I took it because it was fascinating, not because I wanted to meet important shinobi." She shrugged once again. "But the Hokage's wife, and now whoever the Union decides to send… I just didn't expect it to be like this."

"Hinata is remarkable," Knov said. Mari spoke about her in a deeply respectful tone; he suspected there was more there than an appreciation of the Hyuuga's abilities. "But surely, as an ambassador…"

"I was trained to deal with other nations," Mari said. "I'm good at it. I enjoy it here, and I enjoy my work." She made eye contact with him, and Knov was struck by her bright teal eyes. "But, I don't think you could understand, Mr. Knov. Hinata's generation is a legend; some of them are like myths, especially if you're from a different Hidden Village. Being here, it's a little overwhelming."

Myths. Knov considered the Representative's words. Either she was easily dazzled, or the shinobi really had experienced a drastic and recent change, like Netero had effortlessly surmised. He decided to dig deeper.

"What do you mean, myths?" he asked. As Mari started to speak, he raised his hand. "I assume you can't tell me everything, and I understand. I'm just curious; Hinata has never struck me as someone like that, despite her eyes." He was curious, really. Despite working with them for a decent length of time, he still knew very little about the shinobi.

Mari spent a moment in thought, and Knov was sure he'd underestimated her. She knew just as well as he did the value of information, and how things might appear if she weren't careful with it. Whatever he received wouldn't be the whole truth.

"Before the Union was formed," she decided, as though reciting a history book, "there were three great wars between the five largest Hidden Villages. Two over territory and resources, and one thanks to an assassination. They were terrible conflicts that took the lives of many ninja, including a significant amount of children. But when Lady Hinata was seventeen years old, there was a fourth great war, the most destructive of them all." That was logical to Knov; nations competed, and the most direct competition was always war. While the Hidden Villages may have had anachronistic titles, everything he'd learned about them indicated states or nations with far more power than any actual 'village.'

Mari sighed. "It wasn't like the others. The Fourth War was a war of ideology, fought by one man against the Villages. He had many servants, but in the end it was one man against the world, and he nearly won. The war lasted two days, and killed more than half of the five Village's shinobi."

Ah, Morel had told him something like; Shino had mentioned a similar conflict to him, fought to control the 'Tailed Beasts.' They must have been important to this man's ideology. The idea was both too bizarre and sensible enough. A single man, opposing the entire series of ninja villages, was on the face of it absurd, but if any one person had amassed that much power, surely they would seek to eliminate their competition? Abstractly, it made sense, and so did the horrid casualties.

"And Hinata fought in that war?" he asked. Mari nodded.

"On the frontlines," she said. "Hinata and her generation won the bloodiest war in history, and they went on to dictate the future of the Villages: taking advantage of the unity provided by the war to establish the Union, rebuilding a new balance of power between the Five Nations. She and her husband were at the front of it."

"Why them?" Knov asked. Because they were the most powerful? Or for some subtler reason? Mari surely understood his thoughts, even if he didn't voice them.

"The Hyuuga Clan, Hinata's family, is a big deal in Konohagakure," Mari explained. "One of the Village's founding clans. She and her family were influential for obvious reasons, and they also had some of the most famous disputes with other Villages, mine included; them setting aside their grudges set an example for the rest of Konoha." She glanced back at the portal; still nothing. "And as for Naruto… in a way, that was definitely because of his power, but it was more than that. Naruto had created a personal relationship with each of the other Village's Kage, and saved most of their lives at one point or another. He ended up being the connection between everyone; the foundation of peace."

A union of nations forged through a personal relationship? Perhaps the Villages were more totalitarian than he'd thought if that were really the case, with one person having so much pull.

"Have you ever met him?" he asked, and the woman shook her head.

"Never. I saw him once, when I was younger; he was visiting my Village," she said, glancing back at the portal. It was pulsing faster, Knov noted, the ripples appearing more frequently and violently. He still didn't know who would be arriving; the messages sent through the portal had only noted that summoning, whatever that was, was too unstable, and that they'd be sending another Ambassador through within the day. "It was from a distance, but still…"

Knov cocked an eyebrow, and Mari shrugged. "It's hard to describe," she said. "People like him are… heavy."

Did she mean Jinchuriki, or just people of Naruto's fame? Knov couldn't be sure, and he didn't want to ask. The portal was pulsing rapidly now, a low keening emitting from its base, like an overheated computer. Knov didn't have to be familiar with the technology to understand that was a sign of activity. Someone would likely be coming through at any moment.

The wide doors behind them opened, and Knov looked over his shoulder, clasping his hands behind his back at the same time. West Gorteau's Chief Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Sun Hanya, had entered the room, along with yet another armed guard. That was the third; was the extra security for a show of force, or was there something he didn't know? The border to East Gorteau was less than fifty miles away, after all. Perhaps all officials were traveling with escorts now.

"The transition is underway," Sun said, the overhead lights gleaming on his forehead. Knov had always found baldness unsightly. "Mari, did they tell you who they were sending?"

"No," the shinobi answered as the Secretary glanced at Knov. No doubt he was wondering why the Hunter was waiting to meet the new arrival as well. "They were still deliberating an hour ago. Apparently the Ants have raised up quite a fuss."

The Ants, and the Shinju, Knov was sure of it. For better or worse, the Union's attention was firmly on their world now. He focused on the portal, searching for any sense of familiarity with his own hatsu, or for a glimpse of whoever was on the other side.

Five seconds passed in tense silence, and then the shimmering green surface pulsed. Without any disturbance to the portal, something passed through, trailing a pale mist that resolved into a solid form after a heartbeat.

It was a dog. A two hundred pound dog the size of a large man, with wild white fur, but nonetheless, just a dog. It looked up and Knov and Mari, huffed, and then trundled past them and the rest of the welcoming party, sitting down behind them with a groan. Knov tracked it curiously; the last thing he had expected was an animal, let alone one so blatantly uninterested in them. From her face, Mari hadn't either.

The portal pulsed again, drawing Knov's attention back to it, and another figure stepped through. As the vapor around it faded, a man became clear.

Knov appraised the newcomer. The man was much more in line with his expectations. He was about as tall as Knov himself, and slender as well. Dull red hair, cut short, and an equally red coat fastened with a series of buttons down the chest. His outfit was sleek and professional, with one exception; a tan gourd the size of a child was slung across his back, secured by two rough leather strap across his torso. Knov wondered what the thing held; for some reason, it reminded him of Morel's pipe. Probably a weapon, then.

"Oh my." The words out of Mari before she could compose herself, and Knov wondered exactly who this man was that he'd managed to throw the woman off even after she'd prepared for the meeting. "Lord Kazekage. This is a surprise."

"Ms. Kansai," the Kazekage said, nodding to her, and then to the Secretary. "Mr. Hanya, yes? It's good to meet you in person." The bald man inclined his head. Kazekage, one of the five Kage who ruled the five major villages. The Union had sent one of its most powerful men to appraise the situation?

Not Naruto Uzumaki, but someone nearly as important, it seemed. Knov was both wary and relieved as the man's disconcerting teal eyes fell on him. They reminded him of Mari's, but there was one critical difference.

The Kazekage didn't have any pupils, just like Hinata. But where Hinata's empty eyes were inevitably kind, or focused, the Kazekage's were blank, appraising. It was the first time Knov had met another human and truly felt they were different.

There was a pressure too, emanating from the man. He'd only noticed it when those eyes fell on him. It was as though the gravity of the room had been raised an erg, not enough to actually affect anything, but sufficient to make Knov understand the weight of all his limbs, of how his blood struggled and pulsed through his body. He knew without a doubt this was what Mari had meant when she'd said 'heavy.'

What he didn't know was why.

"And you…" The Kazekage said, stepping forward. "I don't believe I know you. Would you be a Hunter?"

Knov moved forward as well, and the new shinobi raised his hand in greeting. Knov took the handshake without hesitation, a little surprised by the roughness of the Kage's hands.

"I am," he said, finishing the shake. "My name is Knov. It's a pleasure to meet you…"

He dangled the sentence, and the Kazekage gracefully picked it up. "Gaara," he said. "Of the Desert. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Knov. Are you the Association's representative here?" Gaara had a soft voice, but he spoke with firm clarity. Used to being in command, and comfortable with it. The man was definitely a military leader.

"For now," Knov confirmed, taking a step back. He wondered where the man's moniker had come from. He seemed to fair-skinned to live in a desert. "The Chairman of the Association will be able to meet with you shortly, but until he returns, I'll be your liaison."

"Excellent," the man said. He turned his attention back to Sun Hanya, and the pressure on Knov lifted. He wondered if it was even intentional. "I must apologize for the circumstances, Chief Secretary. It would have been ideal if we could have met in a less… pressing situation."

"It is of no concern, Lord Kazekage," the man said. Knov was sure the same pressure that had affected him was weighing on the Secretary, but the man didn't show it; he was definitely trained well. "Though you're right that the circumstances could be better, we are glad for more interaction between our nations. West Gorteau is ready to assist the Union in any way it can."

Gaara of the Desert smiled, and the expression made him look infinitely more human. "We are glad to hear that," he said. "But of course, time is of the essence at the moment. Rest assured, once this crisis is resolved you'll be hearing more from the Union; we'll be needing your help in reaching out to the rest of the world."

The Secretary's face twitched, and Knov smiled. It was a bit cruel, but it was amusing to see the man's obvious ambition of being the sole relationship with the shinobi in the Union get accidentally shot down.

"Now," Gaara said as he turned back to Knov and Mari, "how much can we discuss here?"

"I would prefer if we took our conversation elsewhere, Kazekage," Knov admitted. Knowledge of the Dark Continent was restricted for good reason, and he wasn't sure how knowledgable Sun Hanya was. Always better safe than sorry. "With the Chairman's apologies, Secretary."

The man waved him off, quickly recovering. "Hunter business," he said with a smile. "Trust me, I'd rather not know. We only care that the situation is resolved."

"Oh, there's no doubt of that," Knov said, returning the smile. "If you'll excuse us, then." He kneeled down and touched a finger to the ground, the pleasant sensation of cold Nen flowing out of his finger accompanying the creation of another portal. As he tapped the new entry to Hide and Seek, Mari explained his hatsu to Gaara in a low tone. The man nodded, before removing a piece of paper from his jacket pocket.

"Too sensitive for the fax," he muttered back, slipping the paper in Mari's hand as Knov tried to catch its contents in the corner of his eye. Unfortunately, it was written in another language; probably the shinobi's native script, since they had made it clear that they couldn't read the local language. Mari glanced at it, her eyes going wide, before stuffing it into her own pocket and hastily saluting the Kage.

Gaara grinned, and then approached Knov, glancing down at the entrance. "Another portal?" he asked, and Knov shrugged.

"Unless you'd prefer to walk," he said, testing the man's humor. He was rewarded with a chuckle and crossed arms.

"No, this suits me just fine," the Kazekage said, and he stepped into Hide and Seek without hesitation. The white dog walked after him, dipping into the portal headfirst as everyone else in the room curiously watched.

Knov glanced up to Mari as the top of the man's head vanished. "Stay in contact," he requested, trying to make it sound like an order despite having no authority over the woman, and she nodded. "The situation will probably develop rapidly; everyone needs to be on the same page."

Then he slipped through the portal, closing it behind him, and the large room vanished, replaced by a small white one. The Kazekage was waiting for him, arms still crossed. So was the dog.

Why was the dog there? Was it the Kazekage's pet? Knov didn't care to ask.

"Fascinating," Gaara said, looking about the room. "I've never seen a technique like this. Is this a real building, somewhere, or did you create it?"

Knov strode across the room, his master key falling from his sleeve and into the palm of his hand. "I created it," he said. "Though it links to several buildings in the real world, for the utilities. I cannot generate electricity, or running water."

"Amazing," the man said, falling in step behind him. "I'd heard you Hunters had interesting abilities, but this exceeds my expectations." The man's tone grew more serious. "Can I expect the same of the Chimera Ants?"

"Yes," Knov said simply, sliding his key into one of the doors. He turned back before opening it. "This door leads to the capital of East Gorteau, Peijing. It's still not entirely safe. East Gorteau's soldiers still patrol sections of it, and they're subordinates of the Ants now. Not to mention that while Hinata is keeping overwatch, we're expecting the Chimera to send at least some forces to the city eventually."

"I understand," Gaara replied, and Knov opened the door. They stepped out together into the city. It was early in the morning, and a constant dreary drizzle drowned out the morning sun. As before, the dog trundled after them as the portal closed.

"Hmm," the Kazekage said, taking in the skyline. Knov had placed the portal they'd exited from on one of the taller buildings in the city, on the southern edge; one of the farthest points from the palace with the best sightlines. "What an ugly place."

"It's an ugly nation," Knov remarked. Gaara's blank eyes had thrown him off, but the man's polite tone had helped humanize him quickly. "Hinata and the rest are somewhere out there; we didn't know when you'd be arriving, so we didn't set a time to meet. She's to come find us."

"You've been working with her since she arrived," Gaara said. "I hope she's been safe."

"Hunting the Ants is the farthest thing from safe," Knov said. He had to be careful now. This was a true representative of the Union, not someone who was more like a coworker. Whatever Gaara said, and whatever was said to Gaara, was part of the direct dialogue between worlds. "But she has been taking care of herself."

The Kazekage snorted. "I have no doubt of that," he said. They stood in silence, observing the soaked city, before he spoke again. "You're probably wondering what I handed Ms. Kansai. And why I was chosen to be sent." He glanced over at Knov. "I'd prefer you asked questions, really. It's why I am here."

Knov shrugged; if the man was happy to humor his inquisitiveness, he'd capitalize on it. It probably wouldn't be long before Hinata and her comrades arrived, along with the rest of the Hunters; this was a meeting everyone needed to be present for. Filling the time with questions was one of the best ways to spend it.

"In that case," he said, "what did you had Mari?"

"Instructions," the Kazekage said. He stood like a statue, not even blinking at the rain. Knov realized that the water hitting his skin vanished, instead of dripping down his body.

Bizarre.

"The presence of multiple Shinju on this world is… extremely troubling," Gaara said. "Even if they are isolated. That alone would have been enough to draw the Union's attention, but the Chimera Ants, and their King gaining chakra, presents an even more dangerous situation."

"That seems self-evident," Knov said, and Gaara nodded.

"Of course. Forgive me, I just want to be clear. I am here, as Kage of the Hidden Sand and Ambassador of the Shinobi Union, to guarantee that we can cooperate with the Hunter Association to track down the Shinju, and ascertain their threat." Gaara shifted a little to look Knov in the eyes. "And to assist in the suppression and if necessary, extermination of the Chimera Ants."

"Necessary?" Knov asked. "They can't be reasoned with."

"Some of them can," Gaara pointed out. "I've been told several of them have surrendered and been taken hostage. The majority of them may choose to die, but surely we can't execute them just for being Ants."

The man was right, with a couple exceptions. The King and the Royal Guard were too powerful to let live, but the lesser Ants could be spared if they were like Colt, or Ikalgo. Knov just shrugged; the issue was mostly beyond his concern.

"Then are you it?" Knov asked. "The extent of the reinforcements?" He glanced at the white dog, who grumbled. "Along with the dog, I suppose."

"This is Akamaru," Gaara said, patting the dog on the head; it rumbled appreciatively. "He's Kiba partner."

The word raised several alarm bells, most of which Knov was sure were ridiculous. "Partner?" he asked cautiously, and Gaara smiled.

"Kiba's clan, the Inuzuka, fight alongside dogs that are assigned to them at birth," he explained, and Knov let out a silent sigh of relief. "Akamaru has been Kiba's for more than twenty years; he left him behind because of his age, but since it looks like they'll be fighting in the future, Akamaru elected to come along."

"It's…" The dog, no, Akamaru, growled. "He's more than twenty years old?" The dog nodded, and Knov stared at it in suspicion. "And it's still fit for combat?"

"Kiba left him behind thanks to his age, but I'm told he's fitter in a fight than he is sitting around," Gaara said, looking back out to the city. "But I suppose we'll see. And yes, for now I am the extent of the reinforcements." He frowned. 'Though special consideration has been given to the King."

"Special consideration?" Knov asked, and Gaara's frown grew.

"From Hinata's report," he said – when had Hinata had time to make a report? – "the King is far too dangerous for any single individual to engage. The Union is assigning someone to take care of him."

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Knov asked, and Gaara turned his head toward him, his blank eyes narrowing.

"We will see," the Kazekage said. "There are still decisions being made. Naruto is a likely candidate."

That was good enough for Knov, but the Kazekage continued, surprising him.

"Do you know," the man asked, "why we have such an interest in the World Trees, as you call them?"

"They're responsible for your chakra," Knov said, the answer self-evident. "Hinata told us as much. Yours was planted by a visitor from another dimension, according to her."

"That much is true," Gaara acknowledged. "But since we're asking you to trust us, I think you should know a little more about them." As Knov turned, showing open interest, the man went on. "Like you said, the Shinju aren't a native organism. They were brought to our world, and likely yours, by visitors from another world. What Hinata probably didn't tell you, for good reason, is that those visitors are not random travelers."

Ah, there was the twist Knov was looking for. As Gaara spoke, he felt an indefinable perception fall on him. Hinata had finally noticed them.

"The woman who planted the Shinju in our world, Kaguya Otsutsuki, came from a family, organization, clan," Gaara waved his hand, "of creatures just like her. We are still figuring out the specifics of both her and her fellows, but the Otsutsuki were incredibly advanced. Aliens, essentially, that traveled from one world to another, sapping them dry with their trees."

Knov expected something beyond dull surprise to the admission, but managed to disappoint himself. Something like that was unbelievable, right out of science fiction, but at its base it was no different from the actions of hundreds of nations throughout history; when natural resources ran out, people exploited those that belonged to others. These 'Otsutsuki' were no different from oil or rubber barons; they simply stole the nutrients and energy of a planet instead of something usable by a human.

"And so you're wondering why our world didn't suffer the same fate?" he asked, and Gaara shook his head.

"Not quite. When the Union first explored this world," he said, "we found the stunted Shinju, far to the north of here, and dismissed it. In our agent's travels, he has encountered many similar situations; the Otsutsuki's trees fail as often as they succeed, and so we charted this world down as another lucky one." Many? How many places had the Union made contact with? "Imagine our surprise when Hinata informed us there were so many more here, hiding out on a continent kept secret from most of the world. It's certainly an unusual situation."

"Lucky us," Knov muttered. Gaara shrugged.

"I'm well aware that this situation isn't ideal," he said. The words of an Ambassador, but he delivered them so genuinely that Knov wanted to believe him. "We want to do our best to respect your autonomy: both the governments of this world, and the Association's." Several blocks away, Hinata crested the top of a building and waved, shortly followed by Shino and Kiba. Knov wondered where the other Hunters were, shortly before Morel appeared along with Knuckle and Shoot, just a building over; they must have taken the stairs. Akamaru started barking. "Once the situation with the Chimera is resolved, we can talk in more detail about future cooperation," Gaara finished.

If those talks ever came to be, Knov doubted they would be as productive as either side hoped.

The shinobi and Hunters arrived near simultaneously, leaping to the roof and cutting paths through the half-hearted rain. Knuckle, Shoot, and Morel watched the Kazekage with curiosity; the shinobi simply approached him as a friend, Akamaru rising and bolting for Kiba. As the large dog tackled the man to the roof and furiously licked his face, Knov wondered where Palm was. She must have been away from the group, or else she would have come too.

"Gaara," Hinata said, putting her hand out. The man obviously surprised her when he ignored it, placing his hand on her shoulder; the Hyuuga stiffened for a moment.

"Hinata," he said. "Glad you're safe." He looked past her to Kiba, who was currently being mauled, and then to Shino, his gaze lingering on his missing arm. "Shino. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault, Lord Fifth," the man said, even more polite than usual. "It could have been much worse."

"So.." Knuckle asked. "You're the reinforcements?" He glanced at Akamaru, who'd finally let Kiba take a breath. "And the dog too, I guess."

"Gaara of the Desert," Knov said as the new shinobi nodded. "He'll be acting as the Union's ambassador while he's here, in addition to assisting us against the Ants."

"Are you it?" Kiba asked, rhythmically patting his dog. Akamaru's tail thumped against the roof like a wet towel, and Gaara nodded again.

"For now," he said. "Hopefully, I'll be all that's required."

Hopefully indeed.

Kiba laughed, unaware of Knov's thoughts. "Yeah, let's hope. You all caught up yet, or…?"

"Hardly," Gaara said, stepping forward. "We have a lot to discuss."

Chapter Text

The Chairman's Guarantee

Hinata was still talking with Gaara in the lobby of their hotel when Isaac Netero entered the city.

There'd been plenty to talk about: the situation with the Ants, the Dark Continent and its Shinju, what had been going on back home in the nearly two months she'd been gone. They'd been at it with along with Knuckle and Morel, who had elected to stay with them, for well over two hours by the time Netero arrived.

She'd been periodically activating her Byakugan throughout the conversation; the King had ordered his Ants to attack the following dawn, but it was more than possible that order had been a deception. He'd been well aware she was watching. Killua and Gon were busy with a personal project, something that involved raiding several of the East Gorteau military's stockpiles throughout the capital. She'd directed them earlier in the day and then left them to the task, sure that it was well within their capabilities, and her checkups had confirmed they were making quick progress; a modern military was little impediment to Hunters of their skill.

The girl whom the King seemed so determined to defeat at a Gungi (as she'd learned the board game was called) was still alive, despite Hinata's expectations. She seemed to defeat the Chimera without fail, and for some reason he took her efforts in stride. It was definitely odd that the King had become so fixated on someone apparently unremarkable, but Hinata was glad he had something to occupy him. Better games than petty cruelty.

Gaara was explaining to her the mix-up with the dead Shinju far to the north when Netero came into her line of sight. Apparently both Kakashi and Naruto had been under the impression the other had informed her about it; neither the former Hokage nor her husband had thought the dead tree would have been relevant to their mission. According to the Kazekage, Sasuke Uchiha had encountered more than a few such failed Shinju in his travels, and rarely found anything remarkable about them. The admission had brought a smile to Hinata's face. She couldn't blame Naruto for letting something ultimately minor slip his mind; ever since taking up the mantle from the Sixth, he'd had to carefully balance hundreds of responsibilities at once, including his family. Even a year later, he was still getting the hang of it.

Sometimes, less pressing information slipped through the cracks. It could be frustrating, but Naruto never forgot the important things, and at the moment that was more than enough for her.

But the warm thought of her husband's sometimes charming forgetfulness and the relief of the Shinju to the north being no threat were both wiped away by Netero's arrival.

The Chairman arrived on the back of a violet and gold dragon, accompanied by another ancient man, bent-backed and with an impressively long mustache. They soared through the sky, above the rain-writhing clouds and invisible to those on the ground. The dragon was an impressive Nen construct, almost as much as the Chairman's hatsu, but it wasn't what drew the brunt of Hinata's attention.

She was focused on Netero's heart, and the device nestled behind it.

It was small and metallic, like a curled up spider, and a series of wires ran from its casing directly to the man's heart. For anyone else, this would have been fatal, but Netero didn't appear to notice; his heart beat with the same slow strength it always had, and his whole chest cavity seemed to have slightly expanded to make room for the metal intruder. He had new scars, two long sets along the left side of his torso. Clean, straight scars: surgical scars.

The man had had whatever that thing was purposefully inserted into his chest and attached to his heart. The sight of it shocked Hinata, enough for Gaara to notice.

"Something wrong?" he asked, and Morel perked up as well.

"The Chairman's back," Hinata said. She was sure the man accompanying the Chairman had detected her sight by now: he'd grown ill at ease. "Along with someone else. An older man."

"Most likely Zeno Zoldyck," Morel said, standing up from the chair he'd appropriated. "He's been hired by the Chairman to assist us with the Ants."

"Zoldyck?" Hinata asked. She looked back at the Chairman's companion with new eyes. This must have been Killua's grandfather; Gon had told her about Killua's family of assassins when they'd been traveling, with his friends irritated approval. He wasn't what she had pictured, but of the Zoldyck family, Zeno was the one Gon had known the least about.

"It can't just have been someone new that startled you," Gaara said softly, and Hinata shook her head.

"There's something in the Chairman's chest," she said, and Morel winced. She deactivated her Byakugan to turn and meet his eyes. Hinata had noticed long ago that it made the Hunters uncomfortable to talk to the back of her head, even if they knew she could see them. "You know what it is?"

"Probably," the Hunter said, looking uncomfortable. Morel had relaxed quite a bit since the shinobi had told them the truth, to the point that Hinata had realized she hadn't understood how much stress the man had been under, but now he'd returned to an earlier, tenser time.

"And?" Gaara asked. Morel twisted his pipe.

"I think," he said, "I should let the Chairman explain. It's not my place, as his subordinate."

That was entirely unlike Morel; whatever lay in Netero's chest, it was enough to seriously discomfort the usually imperturbable man. That was obviously worrisome, that Knuckle was just watching his master with a perplexed expression even more so.

"I thought we were done hiding things, Morel," she said, and the man frowned.

"This wasn't intentional, I assure you," he said, sounding a little hurt. Hinata instantly felt some regret at her tone. She'd been happy to see Gaara, but deep inside she'd been hoping her husband would have been the one coming through the portal. She was tired of the Ants, and of fighting, and of being away from her family. It was making her too confrontational.

She took a deep breath, bringing up a hand. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to sound like that."

Morel blew out a breath of his own. "No, it's understandable." He scratched the back of his neck. "Like I said, I think I'll let the Chairman explain, but that thing you saw, it was just a backup plan, nothing more. Trust me."

A backup plan? The original plan had been focused around forcing a direct confrontation between the Chairman and the King. For the Chairman to have safely undergone such invasive surgery, this device must have been intended for that duel. What could possibly be? Something that could boost his Nen, perhaps? She didn't know of any such thing, but it didn't seem impossible.

The dragon vanished, and both Netero and Zeno plummeted towards the city without any sense of care. Hinata tracked them, noting where they'd likely land. Despite their age, the two men were proof against a long fall. The basics of terminal velocity saw to that.

It was in a street only three hundred or so meters away: rather close in a city like this. Hinata wondered if one of the men had detected them somehow. The distance was too convenient to be a coincidence.

"If we have to ask him," she said, standing up straight, "then let's go greet him." She looked to Knuckle. "Can you call the others?"

He understood she meant her teammates, and pulled a small purple phone from his white pants, keying through different numbers. As he did, Hinata made her way to the exit of the lobby.

The rain had picked up a little since Gaara's arrival, but it still barely counted as more than a drizzle. Followed by the Kazekage and the two Hunters, Hinata made her way out into the streets. The city looked practically deserted, but her eyes had told her it was an illusion. While much of the populace had fled or made their way to the palace, the majority of it, just over three-hundred thousand all told, had simply remained inside, bunkering up in their homes and apartments and refusing to leave while the shinobi and Hunters had the run of the place. Watching so many people at once was exhausting, so Hinata usually just ignored them, but today she was painfully aware that while the capital made a good base to observe the palace from, there was an incredible amount of collateral within it.

If the Ants did attack at dawn, innocents would be caught between them and the humans, no matter what measures were taken.

Netero landed two blocks away with impossible grace, falling onto the balls of his feet and only leaving a slight crack in the concrete. The man shook his legs out, glancing around, and then began strolling down the street, practically whistling as several terrified people hurried away from their windows and doors. He wasn't wearing shoes; just socks. Hinata wondered if he was cold. A moment later, Zeno landed as well, light as a feather. It was some Nen-trick, if the aura around his feet was anything to go by.

"They've landed," Hinata said.

"Landed?" Gaara asked, and Hinata realized she hadn't told them exactly how the Chairman was entering the city. She stifled a grin.

"Just a block away," she said, and Morel hefted his pipe onto his shoulder. Over the last two months it had steadily accrued stains and dents: now, it truly looked like a weapon. The rain dripping off of it somehow added to the effect.

"No time like the present, then," he said before making his way down the street. Hinata and Gaara followed him, with Knuckle falling in behind them. It was a natural escort formation. Even now, Morel was being careful to present the image of the shinobi being under control to the Chairman.

Hinata wondered why he was still bothering.

They met Netero and Zeno in the middle of the street, the two old men curiously regarding Gaara over Hinata's shoulder. The Zoldyck silently appraised both the shinobi, and Hinata felt his eyes cover every inch of her body; it was far more openly uncomfortable than she'd expected. The man's outfit was peculiar: a purple vest over a white shirt, with his black pants wrapped in bandages.

"So," Zeno said, as Netero remained silent. "You're the one who's been chaperoning my grandson, so I'm told."

So the man was Killua's grandfather. He had focused silver eyes, eyes that regarded killing as a chore. Hinata bowed, very slightly, and the Zoldyck grinned.

"Polite, too. Maybe you've been teaching him some manners, then."

"I wouldn't say that, sir," Hinata said, standing up straight. She was taller than the man, but only because he was so bent backed. "I'm Hinata; this is Gaara." The Kazekage nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hmm," the man stroked his chin. "I'll admit, I have to say the same. I never thought I'd be meeting competition from another world." He smiled. "Hopefully you two will impress. Aren't there supposed to be more of you?"

Competition. It rang a little oddly with Hinata. Nowadays, shinobi weren't sent on assassination missions very often, at least not out of Konoha. But of course, the man wouldn't know that. He'd only know what the Hunters had relayed: that the shinobi were well-trained killers with otherworldly energy.

"The rest of my team is out in the city, preparing," Hinata said. It was the truth; Kiba was putting Akamaru through his paces for the next day, and Shino was laying yet more insect traps. "If you wish, I can set up a meeting with them."

"That won't be necessary," Netero said, and Zeno smirked at the other man's presumption. He quirked an eyebrow. "You haven't asked about it yet."

"I didn't want to be rude, Chairman," Hinata said, and Netero laughed.

"Charming," he chortled. "But there's no need to be so mincing. I'm sure Morel refused to tell you, after all."

The man was unceasingly prenatural. It brought a grin to Hinata's face.

"Very well then, Netero," she said, and the Chairman perked up at the use of his name. The man seemed… strangely happy. "What is that thing in your chest? It can't be comfortable."

"It restricts my breathing a little," Netero casually admitted. "And it's a bomb."

Hinata blinked, not sure she'd heard the man correctly. Perhaps he'd slurred his words. Or maybe she'd just stopped listening to him for a moment and not realized it. At her side, Gaara crossed his arms.

"A bomb?" he asked, and the Chairman glanced at him.

"So, you're the reinforcements?" he asked, tapping his chest with his middle finger. "Naruto didn't come then, I take it."

"He's talking it over," Gaara said cooly, clearly unimpressed by the ancient man. "As are the other Kage. Until they come to a decision, I will be here as an ambassador of the Shinobi Union." He raised his hand, and after a careful second Netero took it in a brief and firm shake. The men locked eyes. Hinata was sure they were communicating something between them that she wasn't privy to.

"Well," Netero said, releasing Gaara's hand, "I'm excited you're here, even if you aren't who I expected." He grinned, the first time in a while Hinata had seen a clean smile from him. "Perhaps we'll have time to talk later."

"Can we back up?" Hinata asked, and the Chairman chuckled. "A bomb? You put a bomb in your chest?"

"Does that surprise you?" Netero asked.

"What…" Hinata did her best not to stutter. She hadn't had to fight that in more than a decade. "Is this a common thing? Do people in this world frequently put explosives inside their body?"

Zeno Zoldyck laughed, shaking his head. "I assure you, that's not the case." He clasped his hands behind his back with a groan. "Isaac is simply a very foolish man."

"Bah!" The Chairman waved him off; an old joke between friends, Hinata realized, or at least friendly enemies.

"Has a brain like a plant. Very flexible," Zeno continued with a grin. "Doesn't think like a person, you see. So naturally his first instinct when he was faced with something like the King was to implant an explosive next to his heart."

Hinata turned to Morel. "You knew about this?"

He raised up his hands in mock surrender. "Like I said; it was just a precaution."

The Hyuuga frowned, turning back to Netero. Gaara was content to silently absorb the conversation for now.

"It's wired to your heart," she said quietly. "A dead-man's switch?"

The man clucked his tongue, smile refusing to fade. "Precisely. I was sure you'd figure it out on your own."

"So, it was going to be a secondary measure for the King," Hinata said. That made sense. Suicide jutsu weren't unheard of. The Third Hokage had sacrificed himself to drive off Orochimaru long ago, at her first Chunin Exam. Naruto's father had sealed the Kyuubi in him with the same technique. If victory was absolutely necessary, there was nothing irrational or dishonorable in trading your life for your opponents.

But something so invasive and technological, that she'd never seen before. Hinata frowned. "But… it's so small," she said. "Could it really damage the King?" Certainly something like an explosive tag wouldn't be enough to dent a Royal Guard, let alone their monarch. Nothing the Union could produce of that size could.

Netero's lips pulled back. It wasn't a smile.

"If I keeled over right here," he said, sticking out his tongue in a mocking gag, "this bomb would leave the entirety of this city as molten rubble. Perhaps a fair bit of the land beyond as well."

No. That couldn't be right, could it? The bomb in the Chairman's chest, smaller than a purse, was powerful enough to destroy an entire city? That thing that Hinata could hold in her hand had the destructive power of a Bijuudama? Hinata's heart skipped a beat at the thought, and Netero saw her hesitation. The man definitely took pleasure in it.

The old bastard. It was a harsh thought, but standing here, at the mercy of the Chairman's heartbeat, Hinata felt betrayed by someone she'd grown to trust. Was he bluffing? Why would he? He wouldn't have taken such drastic action if he weren't sure the bomb could have taken out the King.

"And you didn't tell us you were planning this?"

The man shrugged. "Why bother? If I had returned from the battle, you would notice it in a moment. If I had died to the King, the effects would have been more than obvious."

"Hinata," Morel stepped up, his face sour. "That weapon in the Chairman's chest is known as the Poor Man's Rose. Its detonation is powerful, large enough to destroy a city, but even if the King had been strong enough to survive that by some fluke, the bomb would still have killed him." Netero gave his subordinate an amused glance as Morel clenched his teeth. "The Rose produces a powerful poison along with its detonation; a virulent molecular toxin that rapidly destroys the cells of anything that comes near the detonation site for days afterwards, and can linger for years. No matter how powerful the King's immune system, if the Rose's thorns pricked him, he would surely die."

Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing; weapons like this were unheard of in the Five Nations. Poison, she was familiar with. Bombs, well within her understanding. But a bomb so small and yet deadly enough to wipe out a city, and poison anyone investigating the aftermath? She felt her gorge rise at the concept.

The Rose had clearly been designed with one thing in mind: burning cities, and salting their earth.

"How…" While Hinata struggled with the weapon in the Chairman's chest, Gaara carefully formulated a question, picking his words meticulously. "How common are weapons like this, here?"

"Extremely," Morel said. "The Rose has claimed millions of lives, and dozens of cities. Over two-hundred and fifty nations officially possess it, or weapons like it, but the actual number is probably closer to three hundred. That thing in the Chairman's chest is just one of hundreds of thousands."

Hundreds of thousands.

Hundreds of thousands?

Hinata felt a little faint as she tried to wrap her head around what Morel was saying. Not only were there more than three hundred independent nations in this world, a sizable amount of them possessed hundreds or thousands of weapons just as powerful as the Poor Man's Rose. Weapons that could only be matched by a Bijuu or a Jinchuriki, that could poison entire cities.

The implications were more than enormous.

Gaara was silent as well as they both turned the numbers over in their head. Morel and Knuckle were both clearly uncomfortable, maybe even ashamed of what they were talking about. Zeno was ambivalent, and Netero…

Netero seemed happy.

"As I thought," he said. "A weapon like this is beyond you."

Hinata narrowed her eyes, and the man smiled, an expression that carried actual comfort. "I suspected it the moment you claimed we would need reinforcements to destroy the King. Weapons like this one don't exist in your world, do they? From what you've said, your husband could perhaps match this power, but your technology isn't quite up to snuff."

He was right. Isaac Netero really was frighteningly observant. The initial shock was already starting to pass, and Hinata was thinking a bit more clearly. She could still respect Netero, despite this. After all, the man was an ally, not a friend.

"When it came to war in the Five Nations," she said, "historically, the nations focused on developing chakra as a weapon, not technology. Over time, jutsu became deadlier, but it's only within the last couple years that there have been unified pushes towards the development of technological weapons."

"And why would you?" Netero said goodnaturedly. "From what you've said, Chakra is not as rare as Nen. You are born with it; you did not need dedication simply to gain your power. When anyone can train to be faster than a bullet, weapons like this would never come to be."

He wasn't completely correct, and his tone was insolent as ever, but the Chairman had clearly been thinking about the subject in depth while he'd been away. Hinata swept away the incorrect and stinging assumption about earning her power without care, focusing on the future.

"We'll need to discuss this," she said, and Gaara nodded. "With Kiba and Shino. Mari as well."

"Feel free," Netero waved them off. "I'm told the Ants are planning an attack at dawn; if that is their intention, we should meet as a group once more before then."

The Chairman walked away, and Zeno Zoldyck and the other Hunters followed him through the rain. Knuckle was the only one to look back, a stricken glance, before they turned a corner and were gone.

###

Kiba took the news rather well, all things considered.

"What the fuck is wrong with these people?" They were back in the hotel lobby, Akamaru happily lounging next to Kiba as he infrequently petted his dog. The hotel staff had put up a brief and futile opposition to allowing the enormous dog into the hotel, before a joint growl from Kiba and Akamaru had silenced them. "Like, I'm not gonna say the Nations were a bunch of angels or something, but making thousands of bombs like that?" He shook his head. "That's insane. Wouldn't using even one just guarantee a counterattack anyway?"

"Yes," Shino said, sitting across from the Inuzuka. "Most nations possess them to ensure mutual destruction if they are attacked. They are defensive weapons… mostly deployed by terrorists." Shino had interrogated Morel on his own, after Hinata's meeting with the Chairman; there had still be questions both she and Gaara had needed to ask, but they'd been understandably distracted. "The Villages used the Bijuu in a similar way; a weapon of last resort intended to dissuade full assaults. The primary difference here is the scale of potential destruction."

"And size," Hinata said. She was stuck on that, perhaps because she'd actually seen how snugly the bomb fit in Netero's chest. "Smuggling a Jinchuriki somewhere is one thing, but the Rose could fit in a backpack, or suitcase." It was far more portable than anything so destructive had any right to be. She looked to the Kazekage. "How could the Union not know?"

"West Gorteau has been concealing things from us, purposefully or not. It's unacceptable," Gaara said softly. "Security around the portal will have to be far beyond what it currently stands at."

"That wasn't already the case?" Shino asked, and the Kazekage shrugged.

"Security precautions were taken, of course," he said. "But these weapons?" He leaned forward, clasping his hands; he'd taken off his gourd and set it to the side of his chair so that he could sit unimpeded. "We were not concerned about infiltration, or sabotage. The Engine is well defended by several different barriers, and no one can pass through it without extensive vetting. But by their description, something like the Rose would do enormous damage no matter where it were detonated. Even if by a fluke one were to be smuggled to the outskirts of a Village and unable to penetrate its defensive barriers, it would do irreparable damage to the environment."

As the idea of such a weapon detonating outside Konoha chilled Hinata, Gaara sighed.

"Few nations are foolish enough to create such weapons of terror," he said, and Hinata wondered if something like the Rose wasn't as much a novelty to him as it was to her. Perhaps other worlds had created such weapons? "We didn't believe Gorteau would be among them, despite the tension with their neighbor. It didn't matter much for your mission, but this is a relatively new relationship. Contact with West Gorteau was only made recently, less than four months ago; it always takes some time for relations to stabilize, but it seems this world was hiding several secrets."

Only four months? Hinata had assumed the Union had been communicating with Gorteau for longer than that, but clearly that wasn't the case. It explained their Foreign Secretary's eagerness… and the gaps in the Union's intelligence. How forthcoming would West Gorteau have been about their defensive weapons to an alien nation, so soon after meeting them?

"I don't get why we're even here," Kiba said, and everyone turned to him with a questioning look. "Why'd they send Hunters after the Ants, after that nest? Why not just blow it up, with weapons like that?"

Hinata hadn't considered that yet, and she was at a loss as well. The nest had been a place of horror; wiping it off the face of the planet with a weapon like the Rose would have been an appropriate end. It was Shino who spoke up after several seconds of silence with an answer.

"We've misjudged the threat," he said, and Kiba raised an eyebrow, glancing at his missing arm. "Not like that. We assumed because of the lack of an effective counterattack by the Hunters, the Chimera were a potential existential danger to this world. But the Hunters weren't in the NGL because they were the only ones who could deal with the threat. They were there to see if it could be contained with minimal casualties." He tapped his knee with one finger, closing his eyes. "Do you remember what Mari told us about the Autonomous Region?"

"Uh, front for a drug trade?" Kiba said, and Shino shrugged.

"That too," he said with a faint smile. "But also that it was a reserve of sorts, with unprecedented biological diversity."

Kiba leaned back with a look of dawning comprehension, which Hinata shared. All those animals she'd seen, the huge variety of creatures the Ants had devoured, the Hunters had been sent in to preserve it.

"So they didn't bomb the nest so they wouldn't poison the reserve," Kiba muttered. He scoffed. "That didn't work out too well."

"The NGL is still there," Hinata said. "The Ants depopulated a section of it, but if Morel was being completely honest, the Rose would have torn through a large section of it with its poison. It's better off now than otherwise."

"And now?" Kiba said. "I guess it's the same thing, just people instead of animals. That's why Netero was going to draw the King off by himself; so if he had to detonate the bomb, it'd be in a secluded area."

"East Gorteau runs many tests with their weapons of mass destruction," Shino said. "Public tests. According to Morel, another such weapon going off in one of the wastelands those have produced wouldn't have turned any heads. If the Rose were to detonate near the capital, it would be construed as an act of war internationally, which would… complicate things."

The shinobi sat quietly as their conception of the situation quietly shifted.

"This was about saving face," Hinata said eventually. "Not survival."

"It was," Gaara said. "But now, with the King having chakra, that might have changed. There's no question the danger of the situation is well beyond what the Hunters predicted. Hopefully the Union will be finished deciding the matter soon. Knowing Naruto," he finished, glancing at Hinata, "it shouldn't take too long."

He stood up, and the other shinobi did to; when a Kage stood, no one sat. "I'm going to call Ms. Kansai. This changes things, obviously."

"Right," Kiba said. "We gotta go talk with the Hunters. Big day tomorrow, if the King stays on schedule." He gave Hinata a look. "Plus Gon and Killua were up to something?"

She shrugged. "I don't know either. They just asked me for directions."

"Well, we'll see then," he shrugged back.

"Hey, Hinata!" Hinata spun, startled: Gon had just entered the lobby, sprinting through the spinning door without hesitation as though mentioning the Hunter had made him pop out of thin air. Killua followed after him, slightly more subdued. The boy had some electric burns on his left hand. "You are here!" Gon announced, obviously excited. "Cool! We weren't sure where to look after this, honestly!"

"Gon!" Hinata greeted him with a smile. The boy's tone always cheered her up. "You could have just called."

"Our phone got shot," Gon pouted, patting his left pocket where he usually kept the cell. There was a bullet hole, Hinata realized, in the fabric of the pocket. "Some tripwire machinegun or something in one of the bunkers; a bunch of them, actually. Bounced off me, but got my pocket." He frowned. "I don't even have any other pants…"

"You can get new pants," Killua said, rolling his eyes, and Gon stuck his tongue out at him. "Anyway, we have to thank you Hinata," he said. "With your directions, things went off without a hitch. We're nearly set. Just a bit of preparation to take care of first."

"Preparation?" Hinata asked. "What are you up to?"

Killua grinned, and it was more than a little devilish. Hinata grinned back, recognizing the look. She'd seen it on Naruto's face before.

"It's a surprise," he said happily. "But I think it'll impress you; we're probably gonna need your help, after all." Vaguely ominous, but Hinata was happy to realize that of all the Hunters, Gon and Killua were truly on her side.

"Hey," Gon asked. He was staring at Gaara, who was meeting his gaze without blinking. "Who's this guy?"

"This guy," Gaara said, reaching his hand out. He'd probably been doing that a lot today, Hinata thought. "Is Gaara of the Desert. It's good to meet you, Gon." Gon side-eyed the man, before taking his handshake. Gaara glanced down at the hole in Gon's pocket. "I could fix that for you, if you'd like."

"What, my pants?" Gon asked. "You have a needle?"

Gaara smiled blankly, and a chunk of sand drifted off of his hand, a tiny fragment of his armor detaching without effort. Hinata had wondered why the Kazekage had been wearing his armor when he arrived with Knov, but hadn't asked. The man was probably just properly paranoid.

The sand danced downwards, glinting a little in the lobby lights, and Gon's surprised eyes followed it. It settled over the hole in his pocket, sealing the hole and turning the same green shade as the rest of the cloth. Gon poked at the new material with a perplexed face, and found it unyielding.

"Neat," he said. "I'd guess you're a Transmuter, but you're another ninja, aren't you? You were on their list."

"He's the backup," Kiba confirmed. "And the Kazekage besides. Be polite."

Gon stiffened up. "Uh, an honor to meet you?" Gaara waved off the awkward introduction.

"I'm here to assist with the Ants," he said. "And as an ambassador from the Union. No need to be concerned about that sort of thing."

As Gon blew out a relieved breath, Killua nodded at Gaara, who returned the subtle gesture. The Zoldyck turned to Hinata.

"By the way, we've been thinking," he said, and Hinata raised an eyebrow at his tone. Killua was almost always painfully confident, but now, he sounded a little hesitant.

"Yes?" she asked, trying to prod the question out of the boy. He shrugged.

"You guys are planning on scoping out the palace, right?" Killua asked. "With your Shadow Clones."

"Hinata and me, yeah," Kiba said, as Akamaru ambled over to Gon in search of affection. The boy laughed and rubbed the dog's head, which was only a little smaller than him, with an enormous grin. "We're just gonna poke around tonight, irritate them a little, see if we can figure out anything from being there that her eyes can't."

"Yeah, that is the most reasonable thing to do," Killua said quietly, biting his nails. "You're going to be taking out Ants while you're there?"

"If we can," Kiba shrugged. "I like to think the one's that're left after everything are the smart ones, but if that cheetah thing is any indication, that might not be true. Maybe some of them will be dumb enough to chase after us and get ganked."

"And the Guards?" Gon asked. "Or the King?"

"Not happening," Kiba chuckled, massaging his ribs. "Those guys are way too tough, and they've got crazy instincts besides. If we wanna take them out, we'll have to take them face to face." He frowned. "Or lure them into the Rose... if we could get another one…"

"Huh," Gon said, continuing to rub Akamaru's head and back with a contemplative look. Killua glanced at him, and Gon looked back. Killua arched an eyebrow, and Gon shrugged.

"So you can't fight them," the boy said, and Hinata echoed Killua's look. "Maybe you could talk to them?"

"What? The Guards?" Kiba asked, and Gon spread his arms, earning a disappointed chuf from Akamaru. The dog wandered over to Killua, and after a moment of hesitation the boy gingerly scratched the nin-dog behind its ears.

"Gon, I don't think…" he said, but Gon cut him off.

"Back in Yunda, Ikalgo was desperate not to hurt anyone," he said. "And before that, Colt was the one who came to you guys with a white flag. The Ants can be psychos, but they're like people; some of them are nuts and some of them don't want anything to do with this. And the King, he's definitely not just killing any humans he sees. That girl's still alive?"

Hinata flared her Byakugan to confirm that yes, the frail girl was still alive, still playing and defeating the King, time after time.

"Yes," she said slowly, considering the idea more seriously.

"So, maybe you could talk to him. Not the Guards, they're definitely crazy, but the King?" Gon said, and Killua scoffed. The idea was absurd and naive, unbelievably naive. Would Gon had said this about Neferpitou, whom he hated so intensely? Of course not: the King was an abstract to him. He couldn't or wouldn't make the leap of 'The King is responsible for Neferpitou;' to him, the Guard was an independent entity from the King, who had a strange relationship with Hinata. The Hyuuga knew it in her bones. When the King had noticed her the previous night, there'd been a moment of connection. His chakra had reached out, looking for a connection.

The thing was completely alone. She hadn't really thought about it until now, but not only was it undisputed in the Chimera hierarchy, it was the only one of its kind to have chakra. Surely that had to breed a sense of isolation, no matter how confident it was.

"The Ants are scared of you," Gon continued as Hinata pondered the idea. "You've got a title and everything. The King knows it too; he asked them to bring you to him when they attacked the city, right? 'Kill any special humans and bring the Watcher to me,' or something like that, you said." He fiddled with his patched pant-leg. "So why not just go there with a clone and ask for an audience or something? See what happens? Maybe we can avoid the Ants attacking the city if you do; they're still a ton of people here, and they'll get caught in the fight for sure."

"That's not likely," Hinata said, even though she agreed with the boy's words. "He wants me, not a copy." It was the truth, but despite that she couldn't help but continue thinking.

Gon was naive, but so was the King. Sending soldiers into enemy territory on a whim, content to sit and play board games while his enemies mobilized, less than a month old. Still a baby in wisdom, if not intelligence. Was it aware that despite its own enormous power, the nations of the world possessed weapons that could harm it? It's actions betrayed ignorance as fundamental as the shinobi's had been.

Perhaps Gon had unintentionally hit a good point, working from a similar level of the King? Hinata was reminded a little, no, more than a little, of her husband. Again.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you've got nothing to lose," Killua said as Akamaru limped away with a sigh. "Those clones of yours, the chakra goes right back when they're destroyed, correct? If your clone doesn't fight, you won't be hindered when the assault happens. And with another shinobi…" He glanced at Gaara. "How are you in a fight?"

The man smiled blandly. "Good," he said simply, allowing a hint of his chakra to leak out, and Killua smiled back.

"Good," he said. "So... you could give it a shot, even though it probably won't do anything."

Hinata considered the two boys, and then the situation as a whole. The city full of civilians, the Poor Man's Rose, Gaara's presence, the promise of future reinforcements, and Netero's smile.

"I'll send a clone before dawn," she decided, and Gon grinned. "Worst comes to worst, the Guard will kill it on sight. When that happens, we'll send our recon clones as planned"

"Thanks, Hinata," Gon said. "Hey, who knows. Maybe we could figure this out without anyone else dying."

Hinata saw her son in the boy's eyes, and her heart jumped.

"I'll try."

Chapter Text

The King

Pitou did not know what to think when, in the dead of night, the Watcher fearlessly stepped into her En.

It was a suicidal move, one which sent the Royal Guard from a relaxed posture into full alertness in less than a second, all of her senses straining to penetrate the distance and darkness. Even with the prenatural senses of a Royal Guard, on a cold, wet night with no moon and few stars Pitou had been unable to see the human approaching from the distance through the shadows; the Watcher had not begun existing until they'd entered Pitou's Nen.

At the same moment that Pitou's En covered the silent and near invisible human, the Watcher's gaze fell on Pitou, further alarming her. The woman had kept her sight inactive until she herself was spotted, knowing that it would alert the Guard. It only took Pitou a moment to appreciate her opponent's cleverness, understanding the Watcher had long ago realized the dangers of its active observation.

The woman did not stop once she entered Pitou's En, maintaining a steady pace towards the palace. They tracked one another every step of the way.

With the initial moment of surprise gone, replaced by hatred, Pitou considered what to do. Her first instinct was to attack. That was obvious. Allowing the Watcher to get close to the palace would be a disaster, especially on the eve of their own assault on Peijing; the woman could doubtlessly disrupt things.

But that first impulse was only formed out of protective instincts for the King. Pitou had to approach the situation with more thought than that. She could not maintain her En and fight the Watcher at the same time, so if she were to attack, launching herself from the top of the palace with claws extended, the protective aura around the palace would vanish. Until another Guard noticed and established their En, the building would be vulnerable to infiltration.

That meant she could best serve the King by remaining vigilant. Another Guard, or a number of Ants, would be able to deal with the Watcher. There were other concerns as well. After the human's nearly successful attack on the Queen, Shaiapouf had told her that either the Watcher or another among the humans had some Nen trick that let them produce perfect copies of themselves, which puffed into smoke once they were destroyed. If this Watcher were one of those smoke clones, meant to bait a response, attacking it could be disastrous.

It was that thought that convinced Pitou this was, in fact, a clone, the woman who had entered the zone of death around Pitou without a missed step. The Watcher was brave, and strong, but no human could have entered her En in that manner. So she remained, still as the night, as the woman drew closer.

`Make a move,` she thought, and somehow she was sure that the woman was thinking the same thing, the both of them frozen by the moment of shared understanding. Despite her lack of hesitation, the woman didn't want to be here.

A feeling Pitou shared.

But neither of them shifted. The Watcher continued towards the palace, and Pitou watched her go, both entirely ready to attack, neither taking their focus off the other. The moment stretched into ten seconds, and then twenty, thirty, a whole minute. Both of them trembled in anticipation, Pitou viciously fighting against her defensive instincts. If the human really was a clone, would it shiver like it did?

Perhaps it took courage to walk into certain death, even as a clone.

She continued to track the Watcher as she drew closer. The woman didn't look as she had back in the NGL. She was sharper, harder; the Royal Guard could not define those qualities, for certainly the woman's features were the same, but they bled off the Watcher nonetheless. A month of strife had made her even more dangerous than before.

Who would intercept her? A lowly Ant, or one of the other Guards? Even a clone would strike down an ordinary Ant without hesitation; it would have to be Menthuthuyoupi or Shaiapouf. Youpi was lurking in the halls of the palace, still, as he usually was; when he didn't have a task, the large guard was inert. Pitou sometimes wondered if he thought the same way she did. She understood that Shaiapouf perceived the world differently from her, but believed she still understood the vain Guard. Menthuthuyoupi's thoughts were a mystery to her, and to Shaiapouf as well.

Nonetheless, Youpi was the better option. Shaiapouf could be threatened by the Watcher's burning fists. His body was built for evasion over strength. Not ideal for an omniscient opponent who could burn internal organs with her energy.

Alerting the other Guard was a simple matter. Not taking her focus off the Watcher, Pitou flexed her aura, a fraction of her En rippling towards the inert Youpi like a forceful tide. It washed over him, and the Guard blinked, looking up at her position. After a moment of silent confusion, he began moving towards her.

Youpi was not the only one who noticed the fluctuation in Pitou's Nen; almost every being in the palace perked up at the supernatural movement, sixth senses tingling. Even the King, engrossed in his board game, twitched his tail.

Pitou prayed to the King that he would not move, not investigate, that the frail little human that had so engrossed him would be enough to stifle his curiosity. Thankfully, it seemed that was the case; after a moment, he settled back into the rhythm of the game.

It took less for a minute for Youpi to reach her side, and he loomed over her when he did, swallowing her in his shadow and regarding Pitou with bland curiosity. He looked out into the darkness, unable to see what she could, and then back to her.

"Something wrong?" he asked, and Pitou flicked an ear.

"The Watcher is coming," she said, and Youpi stood up a little straighter. "You can't tell?"

"My neck itches," Youpi said, scratching at it as he followed her line of sight. Apparently, he was less perceptive than his fellow Guards, if all the Watcher's gaze elicited was an itch. "She's out there? It's too dark."

"You should be able to see her soon," Pitou said. The woman was barely a mile away now. "You need to go stop her. She cannot reach the Palace."

"You're telling me to leave the King?" Youpi asked, and Pitou twisted her head to look up at him. There'd been a hint of challenge in his voice, the first bit of individuality she'd heard out of him.

"I'm asking you," Pitou said, marveling at the new situation. "I would go myself, but I would have to drop my En to attack. If this is a feint, that could be dangerous."

Youpi took some time to consider her answer, nearly six seconds. As he thought, his eyes staring blankly ahead, not perceiving anything but his own mind. They reminded Pitou of the eyes of the human whose brain she had stolen the secrets of Nen from. Glassy, but faintly conscious.

"I will go," Youpi eventually decided, and Pitou smiled. "After I ask the King." Before Pitou could respond, he turned and lumbered off, entering the shadow of the palace's halls and quickly vanishing from her sight.

Despite his roughly equal age to the other Guards he was like a child, she thought, more so than any of the other Ants. Afraid to move without permission from the King. Or suspicious of her? It was impossible to tell. Perhaps he didn't have a motive of his own at all and was simply seeking instructions instead of advice from a peer.

It didn't really matter. The King would surely make the same decision that she had. Pitou returned her attention to the Watcher, which drew steadily closer, growing more cautious with each step. Clone or not, it would have to die, and Youpi would be more than enough for the task.

But in the meantime, she would stretch her Nen out, farther, hungrier; the Watcher's allies, or the real body, could not approach the Palace under any circumstances.

###

Hinata was cold, but in the strange, distant way that shinobi felt cold when they were in good condition. The weather was damp, the sky was dark, and the air was still, perfect conditions for chilly temperatures, but her lukewarm chakra, inundated throughout her body, kept the majority of the chill at bay. While frosted grass crunched under her feet, she only felt the occasional wisp of warmth being stolen from her body.

However, striding into Neferpitou's En had been more freezing than the weather ever could have been. It hadn't taken long for her body to betray her and produce a cold sweat despite her razor focus. After a minute of peace, the anticipation had become far worse than the Nen itself. Pitou refused to look away from her, even when the creature was speaking with a fellow Royal Guard, and the sensation was unnerving as ever.

Though now, Hinata knew how to kill the thing. That certainty, even if she was only a Shadow Clone, gave her a measure of calm. If this expedition ended in quick disaster, at least the next day would almost definitely see the Guard's demise.

The other Royal Guard had gone to speak with the King after Pitou had called it over. The conversation had been short; the King had said something, softly, still engrossed in his game with the small, frail Gungi master, and sent the Guard on its way. Hinata hadn't been able to read his lips from the angle she was approaching it; at a slight incline, almost perpendicular to her, the human movement from the inhuman, childlike face could have been anything.

But now, the Guard was coming directly for her, tromping across the crackling earth with heavy cloven hooves. Concealing herself was pointless with Neferpitou's Nen still covering her: the Guard would be able to alert its comrade to her position the same way it had called it over earlier. She would have to slip past the largest of the Guards, or even fight it.

Hinata didn't know anything about this one, Menthuthuyoupi. He had rarely spoken to other Ants while she observed him, and out of all the Guards, he reacted the least violently to her sight. It was impossible to know what he'd do when he spotted her. He could attack immediately, as Neferpitou would, or take a more cautious approach as many more experienced Ants did. If he did the first, her mission would be over before it began.

But there was little she could do aside from keep up her courage and stay on her toes. When the Guard drew within three-hundred meters of her, his sight finally picked her out of the gloom.

The Ant didn't pause, or rush to attack. It just slightly altered its trajectories, now heading directly for her. Hinata half-consciously did the same, curiosity sparked by the muted reaction. The Guard's expression had barely changed when it had spotted her: just what could it be thinking?

They moved towards one another with silent finality, Hinata's curiosity growing as the Ant drew closer. At one hundred meters, the Guard clenched its left fist, but otherwise made no move. Aside from that flicker of aggression, the thing was totally relaxed. If it was going to attack, its intent was so buried that even the Byakugan couldn't find it.

Fifty meters, forty, thirty. They were making definite eye contact now; Youpi's face seemed painted on, his eyes flecks of red in the dark. He was enormous. It was never quite the same seeing something from a distance and being near it up close; the Royal Guard was easily twice Hinata's height, more than eleven feet tall.

Hinata came to a stop, tensing up. If the Guard was going to attack, now would be the time. But the thing kept up its remorseless tread, drawing yet closer and refusing to drop its placid attitude. Ten meters, eight.

Finally, it stopped, less than fifteen feet from her. Hinata felt a bit of cold sweat on the nape of her neck; the muddy earth between seemed to swirl with deadly potential. She felt one foot shift back and checked it, ready to spin into a Kaiten at the slightest bit of movement.

Youpi leaned forward, his red face looming in the darkness, and cocked his head slightly to the right, blatantly examining her. Even leaning down, his head was still several feet higher than hers.

"Hmm," he suddenly said, his voice like cement rubbing together. Hinata was surprised by his mild tone. She had expected something more emotional from such a towering opponent. "You're small."

She looked up at the massive Ant somewhat at a loss for words. It hadn't even crossed her mind that it would try to talk to her. That didn't seem like the appropriate actions for a Royal Guard, especially one sent directly by the King.

"Did you expect me to be bigger?" she eventually asked, staying ready for an attack. The Guard continued to disappoint her and reared back up, idly scratching at his chin.

"Not sure," he said, looking back over his shoulder. Did he not regard her as a threat? "You almost killed Pitou…" He frowned. "But she is pretty small too. And so is the King…" The Guard shook his head, refocusing on her. "Come with me."

"Excuse me?" Hinata relaxed, more out of confusion than anything. Nothing was going as she'd assumed.

"The King wants to talk to you," Youpi said. "So, I'm supposed to bring you to him." He let slip an infinitesimal smile, revealing the huge fangs barely confined to his mouth. "Whether you want to or not."

Hinata blinked, unable to believe her luck. The King wanted to talk to her? Had Gon really pegged the Chimera so easily?

"Then lead the way," she said. Youpi chuckled, turned around, and did just that.

###

When he laid eyes on the Watcher, Shaiapouf could think only of killing her. The woman entered behind Youpi, walking with composed caution. The Royal Guard had fearlessly presented his back to her, out of disdain or naivety Shaiapouf could not know.

Seeing the thing here, in the King's palace, in the King's country, no, his world, drove Shaiapouf to grind his teeth. This loathsome creature had fooled him from the moment of his birth with its all encompassing sight: the urge to tear out her eyes was overwhelming.

The Watcher's steps spoke of calm, but her aura told a different story. Shaiapouf's Spiritual Message penetrated her facade with the care of a man wiping a cobweb away, laying out her emotions bare to see. Anxiety, curiosity, confidence, fury. The woman wasn't frightened, ready for anything, but she was anything but unflappable. How easy would it be to push that anxiety to fear, push it to 100% until her head popped, veins rupturing from the stress?

The King swiped his tail through the air, barely glancing up from his game as the woman entered, and in a moment Shaiapouf's bloodlust was transformed into disgust and terror. The woman was here by the King's wishes. he'd sent Youpi to escort her, invite her. She was the same as the frail Komugi, an article of the King's will! Shaiapouf's eye twitched, and he fought down the iron urge to rip his own face off and present it to the King for his errant, heretical thought. Foolish Pouf! His fingers dug into his hand. Arrogant Pouf! He felt as a mote of dust. You would think to deny the King his wishes? You are a worm, a speck, a stain on his hand! You should never have been born! You were a mistake, a foolish, easily fooled mistake!

Outwardly, Pouf showed none of this; he simply inclined his head towards the King, though he had obviously already noticed the woman.

"She has arrived, my King," he said, on the edge of simpering, and one of the King's narrow eyes darted towards him.

"Quiet," he said, and then he was immersed in his gungi once more. It was beyond Shaiapouf why the King had occupied himself with games, with the pitiful blind girl, for so long. A salve for boredom had become an obsession. It seemed like his monarch gave more thought to the board than to the country he was depopulating.

But perhaps that was part of the beauty of a King, that he could engage in trivialities while his will was carried out. Pouf could never be a king, and so had long ago surrendered to ignorance of his majesty's majesty, bitter as the admission was.

The room remained silent as the King played, save for the murmurs of both gungi players as they called out their moves. Forty seconds later, and it was over. The King swept his pieces from the board, conceding defeat once again.

"A good game," he said, and the girl across from him smiled and nodded. She really was disgusting, snot constantly dripping from her nose, eyes glassy. If any creature's birth had been a complete accident, Pouf thought, it was surely this gungi master's. "I have another guest. Take this opportunity to rest; I will call on you later."

"Thank you, Supreme Leader!" The girl was exhausted, but enthusiastic as always. The King signaled, and Youpi stepped forward to escort the master from the room. She left with only the sound of her cane accompanying her, practically asleep on her feet, and as she did, the King turned to the Watcher, regarding her with curious eyes.

"Sit," he commanded, gesturing across from him. The woman slowly stepped forward, gracefully sinking down on the other side of the empty board. A chill went up Pouf's spine. Sitting in the same position as the blind girl, the physical similarities between the Watcher and the gungi champion Komugi were impossibly pronounced. But where the girl was awkward, pathetic, and frail, the Watcher was harsh and dangerous. Even before the King, she still showed no obvious fear. The thing had to be a clone, like the humans that had attacked him inside the nest. No human could be this close to the King and not be overcome with rightful fear.

"Are you here to make an attempt on my life?" the King asked, and Pouf almost vomited at the notion. His mind and gut boiled, but he did his best to remain quiet and listen. The King was surely relying on him to keep an eye on the Watcher with his Spiritual Message: there were things he could see with it that even the Chimera's monarch could not.

"If I were, I would not have gone with your Guard," the woman said. She was still infuriatingly composed. "Though if I see the opportunity…"

The King chuckled. "How honest. You must be some duplicate, correct? The real Watcher wouldn't be foolish enough to come before me."

"Of course," the woman admitted. She was rigid, unwilling to shift her stance. "But in every way that matters, I am… 'the Watcher,' I suppose. I wouldn't be here if I weren't."

"Then why are you here, if not to kill me?" the King said with a smile. "Or die trying, at least."

"I'm here to prevent death, not cause it," the woman said, her composure shifting. Pouf watched with fascination as her anxiety drained away and was replaced with even more confidence… as well as anger. "You're planning to root us out of Peijing later today. I want to try and convince you against it."

The King had been smiling, perhaps at the woman's audacity, maybe at the novelty of the situation, but the Watcher's arrogant declaration drove it away immediately.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said, and Pouf melted at his harsh tone. "There's nothing you could possibly offer me." His aura rippled, water disturbed by a falling stone, but the Watcher refused to budge.

"How can you be so sure?" the woman said. Calm, measured. How? "You were to send your Guards to retrieve me from the city. I'm here now: surely that is something."

The King's tail flicked back and forth, irritation clear in his aura. Pouf found himself fantasizing about it whipping the Watcher's head off. It was an amusing image. "You're not real: you're just a copy. Worthless."

"Really?" the woman asked. "You didn't want me out of the city just because I'm a danger to your Ants. We both know it. You felt it that night you ordered the attack, as sure as I did." Pouf was suddenly lost, and horribly alarmed by the woman's tone. "If I were just an enemy, you would have had your Guard kill me."

The King's tail jabbed out, stopping just short of the woman's throat. For the first time since sitting down, the Watcher flinched back, putting another inch between her and the King.

"I felt nothing," the Ant said. His aura grew larger, wilder, enveloping both himself and the woman. Pouf was sure of it: the King would destroy her at any moment. His body vibrated in anticipation, his very cells thrilled at the prospect of the Watcher's death.

Yet, suddenly…

The King flinched back as well.

The Watcher's eyes grew wide.

The tail withdrew. The aura expanded, coursing with more and more energy, and yet growing less aggressive by the second. It boiled, dominated by confusion. Pouf froze; he'd never seen the King exhibit anything like that feeling. Though he could never admit it to himself, the Watcher's confusion was just as alarming to him.

The field of energy, now visible to the naked eye, pulsed and grew yet more, pushing out towards Pouf. On reflex, he took a step back. He didn't know what would happen if the mixed emotions of the King and the Watcher washed over him, but he had zero doubt they would completely overwhelm him.

"Shaiapouf," the King said, and even under the circumstances Pouf couldn't help but thrill at his name in the King's mouth. "Leave. I am in no danger. Wait for my command."

"Your Majesty…" It was all Pouf managed to say before the King's aura pierced him like a fly on a pin.

"Leave!" the King barked, and Shaiapouf fled the room in an instant, mortal terror penetrating his being. As he flew through the nearest window, he stole a single glance back. The last thing he saw was the King and the Watcher, eyes locked, as the aura around them boiled yet more.

To his Spiritual Message, the constant ripples almost looked like communication. But he was sure it was only a hopeful thought, some rationalization for what was happening, before he retreated into the darkness beyond the throne room.

###

Nothing had gone as was expected since she'd set out for the palace, so it shouldn't have surprised Hinata that her meeting with the King had been nothing like what she'd prepared for. She'd been ready to be killed on the spot, to be bargained with, to be threatened. That had been easy enough to prepare for.

Never in a thousand years would she have expected his chakra to reach out and surround her.

"What have-"

You done, he said, and Hinata tried not to betray her hesitation. It was a futile task, but she had to try.

This isn't my- "doing," she responded. "It's…"

She stopped cold as she recognized the feeling? She'd been here before, hadn't she, in this silvery cold world. But the way she remembered it, it was-

"Gold?" the King asked. "Don't be ridiculous." They were still in the room. Nowhere else. There was no silver. No gold. But the King was-

Unsure? Impossible.

You are. We both are. We don't understand what's happening.

That's a lie.

"It is," Hinata said. "But not on purpose. I never thought-"

WHAT IS HAPPENING, the King demanded, the imperative striking Hinata like a tidal wave. She actually had to resist the urge to anchor herself with chakra.

Chakra? That's what's causing this?

With Naruto. That's when she had experienced this. Only ever with her husband. It made her want to retch, to think that the only other thing she'd experienced this sort of primordial connection-

Ninshu? EXPLAIN.

with was this awful creature. This starving, fearful, curious, malicious, arrogant, confused, thoughtful, developing, regretless-

The King was rooted as well. I can move! But he did not. Fear, honest fear, curiosity, uncertainty, they all weighed him down with impossible strength. If he moved - then you would move too - then Hinata would move too, and neither of them knew what would happen then.

Could they fight like this? Could we fight like this? It would be like fighting yourself. Myself?

"Stop," Hinata said.

"Stop," the King agreed, and the stream of unstoppable emotions, half formed sentences, and alien compulsions stopped. They hung in the air around the both of them, and the Ant and the woman took the same breath, trying to center themselves.

This is dangerous, Hinata said without opening her mouth, and the King cocked his head, looking so much like a child.

"I am not a child," he growled, and Hinata narrowed her eyes. He'd been born just weeks ago; by any rational standard, he was a baby. Her tail… no, his tail twitched, the homicidal urge anchored by sheer curiosity.

Chakra, he said. That's this "energy. I understand."

You think you understand. "But you don't have a full picture."

She couldn't tell him this, any of this, any of the thoughts running through her mind. The information could be unbelievably dangerous in the hands of the King. He didn't deserve it.

There was nothing he did not deserve. The very idea was a fallacy. He was the perfect being.

"Listen," Hinata gritted out, forcing herself to speak. The room had to crack like an egg, soon, surely. It couldn't contain what was being thrown around here, this storm of chakra. She'd felt nothing like it. "That energy of yours, you know it's not like the other Ants." He did know, and she knew, because he knew. She felt his loneliness, his trepidation. Was he really so different that even his aura was unrecognizable to them? Of course not, he had an explanation now. That arm, from her delicious friend, it had changed him.

It's a weapon, the King said, not deigning to speak. You are a weapon, and you have made me a greater weapon still. Should I thank you?

SHUT UP. Hinata pushed back, flaring her chakra for the first time, striking at the King with her anger and fear, and the link shriveled, receding, as the aura gained a purple cast. Her thoughts were her own for a second, and she took a steady breath.

"Listen," she said, even if she meant more for him to feel. She had to spill out what was boiling in her brain, even if the Ant didn't deserve to know. The King was trembling with anger and fear. For the first time in his existence, he was afraid, for this was something he could not understand without her, and Hinata felt it as her own. She struggled to speak through a thick mouth. "We were like you once, before my ancestor changed us." Without even meaning to, she showed him what she meant, her memories arising before the both of them like a primitive puppet show. The Sage of Six Paths, yearning for people to connect without conflict, imparting chakra to his descendents, and then the rest of humanity. The foundation of Ninshu. It was like a red string, from heart to heart, like the scarf she'd knitted once upon a time.

And then, quite out of her control, the scarf spiralled apart, like a bloody razor. She saw it become the very ninjutsu she'd been slaying the Ants with. The King watched coldly as dozens of his subordinates split apart under her fists, blue blood staining her jacket.

"So, this is chakra," the King said. Neither had the courage to move. "This is ninshu. My chakra has connected with yours." It was so matter of fact, so obvious, even though he'd only learned the word five seconds before. So many things made sense now.

"It shouldn't be possible," Hinata said. "Not this easily. But you've been-"

Doing it on accident. Hinata remembered trying to push her energy into all of the Ants in the Palace, no, the King's energy, his probing, trying to find something that just wasn't there. Since his birth, he'd been searching, his chakra had been searching, for that connection-

And finding nothing.

He'd made puppets instead of equals. That was appropriate, that was the job of a monarch who had no equals. But now, he'd found the connection, the empty space, and Hinata…

Hinata. That was her name, wasn't it. The name of the Watcher that had been such a thorn in his side. Hinata Uzumaki. That was her real name, not the name she took when she was on business, on a mission, dealing with strangers. The proud name of her husband.

Why was his chakra so strong, so early? Why had it searched so greedily for a peer? He did not know, and she did not know, so neither of them could know. It would remain a mystery of his soul.

Was she a monarch as well? A princess, perhaps in some amusing way, but certainly no queen. She rejected the title so violently that for a moment the King found royalty itself impossibly detestable. The current was threatening to sweep them both away once again.

That's what you meant by dangerous.

"This isn't Ninshu," Hinata said. "It's too aggressive. We're both losing ourselves." That was his fault, without a doubt.

Perhaps she was just too weak. The musing made it real, which she could not allow. Hinata struck the foreign thought down; in that moment, she certainly was not weak. The King fell back once more.

It was starting to make sense now. Hinata tried to make a basin in her mind, where her thoughts could pool without the King's mixing with them, like an undersea lake. The King was doing the exact same thing; it was impossible to know which of them had come up with the idea first.

The King's chakra was wild and barely usable, constantly searching for something to combine with. That's how it had to reached out to her across more than ten kilometers when she'd been watching him from Peijing, that sudden electric connection, the preternatural observation skills of the Ants and the hunger of his chakra, the same hunger he constantly felt, combining to produce an impossible result. In effect, he was constantly producing a field of raw, aggressive Ninshu, invading the bodies of those surrounding him with his chakra; that explained everything about what she'd seen of the Ants around him in the palace.

But what did it mean for her? She'd already learned things from the King about the Ants without even realizing it, but the connection went both ways; what had he already stolen from her without her knowing? She had to terminate the connection as soon as possible… but what would happen if she dispelled herself while filled with the King's chakra? Would her energy return corrupted to her original body?

That was an unacceptable risk.

"We can't back out of this," the King said, and Hinata lost her train of thought. I can't allow her to leave, she thought. There's too much I have to learn. No, too much to teach. She was thinking the wrong thoughts again.

What did you learn? The names of the Guards, their strangeness, their habits. He didn't care to learn the names of the lesser Ants: the only reason he had any respect for the Guards was because they could survive his incidental anger. The other Ants were so pathetic his own hunger had turned them on themselves; he hardly had time for such creatures. The only aspect of them that raised them over common humans was their obedience, even if it wasn't given honestly.

Ninshu was a fair trade, and despite the King's predatory nature, that fundamental remained. What had she given him for those names, those personalities, that disdain? The names of her comrades, their plans-

NO. Hinata tried to snap her mind shut like a steel trap, hoping to strike like a Yamanaka and sever the King's consciousness, but this wasn't an attack. It could not be an attack. This was a two-way street, an electric connection between their souls. She couldn't close the connection, only substitute the information.

The silver void pulsed, the walls of the room cracked and coated purple with her own energy visible beyond it, and they both understood that Hinata's epiphany had opened the same door for the King.

Not their plans. They needed those to be sovereign from the sovereign. Something else bubbled to the surface quite naturally; something that was inevitably on the Watcher's mind, no, Hinata Uzumaki's mind.

The rest of the Uzumaki's. Her family, immediate family, Hinata's family was quite large but when she thought 'family' this was what appeared. What were their names, two blondes, a child that looked like her? Humans were so dreadfully similar in personality and looks, it was little wonder they resorted to names to artificially differentiate them. Naruto and Boruto, ha! Even their names were similar! Had they picked such a ridiculous repetition on purpose, simply because the smaller human shared the same hair, the same scar? Absurd. The little one however, she was different. She looked like her mother in a way Ants could never look like their mother, like the gungi player. Himawari, that was her name. A delicate name for a delicate creature. She was just like that little morsel in the fields around the palace, that had screamed so loudly as her heart had been painlessly removed from her chest. Pitou had said humans screamed even when they weren't in pain. Just another bizarre trait of theirs.

Would Himiwari's brain taste just like that little girl's? Crab-meat, though not quite, and spongy, almost like poorly made cake? No, she had the same eyes as her mother. She would surely be far finer. Hinata pulled back, feeling her daughter's brain in her teeth. It was a taste she couldn't begin to describe, the King's imagination driven wild.

It was beyond delicious.

She screamed, for she was in indescribable pain, and the room exploded in a hurricane of violet energy. The gungi board was sent flying, pieces scattered to the wind, and the walls cracked further. The King, absorbed in the taste of her daughter, wasn't prepared for the force of the scream, of Hinata's anger, and was bowled over backwards. He rolled smoothly to his feet and regained his original position so quickly it was as if nothing had happened, but the unintended movement was still shocking.

Hinata surged to her feet, her entire body boiling with her ancestor's chakra, and rushed at the King without hesitation. She leapt and struck at him like a bird of prey, intent on tearing the top of his head off; for just a second, her anger and her ancient chakra had severed the connection.

The King barely bothered to move, not even to get to his feet. He lazily raised his right arm and caught her left hand by the wrist with unbelievable tenderness, stopping half of her attack cold. Before her other hand could move even an inch, his tail flashed out, encircling it and freezing it just as he had her other limb.

Hinata was left stuck, both arms pinned. She kicked out, had kicked out the moment her first attack had been stopped she finally realized, her brain barely keeping up with her body, but the King merely tilted his head and let the attack pass him by by less than a centimeter, one of his ears fluttering from the force. He moved his head back, and suddenly her leg was pinned, simply by the muscles in his neck.

Before she could send out another kick, his hand wrapped around her ankle, and as suddenly as the attack had begun Hinata was completely trapped.

"You fool," he whispered, still recoiling from the violence of the severed connection. His entire body violently shivered. Chakra-shock. "I'll tear you apart."

Hinata thought of her daughter, felt the phantom taste in her mouth, and the world went white. The King would rip her limb from limb any moment; with the primitive Ninshu dispelled, there was nothing holding him back. That was fine. She was just a clone, after all.

But she couldn't dream of dying without a fight, even if it was a pointless one.

Another her appeared in a puff of smoke, and the King's head turned, eyes growing just a bit wider. The vice around her foot loosened.

All of her limbs were pinned. Making any sort of sign to form her chakra was entirely impossible. But to the Byakugan her chakra was simple to see, and with her terror, it was simple to guide.

The King started to say something. Probably 'How.' Hinata would never know. With her marginally free foot, she kicked at the King's throat, and her clone threw a Lion's Fist right at his face. Both attacks made contact in the same moment, one slamming the King's head back and the other pushing into his trachea.

The Ant didn't react. It just squeezed, utterly destroying Hinata's arm and leg, and the first clone disappeared with a muffled hiss of pain. He turned to the other one, her fist still boiling against his cheek.

Once again, neither moved. The King hadn't sustained any visible damage, and yet, he didn't counterattack. Hinata couldn't shift; if she attacked, she'd die. If she retreated, she'd die. So like an animal caught in headlights, she stood stock still, her fist pressed to the King's face.

The silver void started to creep back into her vision, occluding the Guard's anxiously waiting outside the room. They were clearly afraid of disobeying the King and come back in even with the commotion, torn between their duty and their obedience. With the moment of violence and panic gone, the second granted by both of their hesitation, their chakra link was re-establishing itself.

"If you were not so weak," the King said, his words once again slipping back and forth between sound and thought, "you could have killed me." He stood up, the top of his head coming up to Hinata's chin. "You had me dead to rights."

He tilted his head, regarding her with open curiosity. Somehow, the link was calmer now. Before, it had seemed like a wrestling match for her soul; now, it felt more like their minds brushing against one another. It was far too comfortable for her taste.

Just a moment ago, he would have killed her. They both knew it with the same certainty of a heartbeat. But now, something had changed. Maybe it was the more stable link, or her managing to outmaneuver him, or both, or something else entirely. Neither of them understood where the King's sudden tranquility stemmed from.

"Hinata Uzumaki," he said, and it was the first human name he'd bothered to speak. "You really much are like that girl. If I didn't know better, I'd assume some sort of conspiracy."

The gungi player? The King could have killed her as well, and yet had spared her for game after game. Was this the same thing? Since she had defeated him in however minor a manner, he'd hesitated to land a killing blow of his own?

"Perhaps," the King admitted. "I could kill you now, but it would accomplish nothing. You'd only return to your original self." He'd stolen that knowledge as the other clone had died, she understood with a jolt. She'd let it slip in her pain. "And you're no threat to me at the moment, that much is clear." It was patronizing, but accurate.

"I didn't expect this." Hinata spoke the truth. She'd thought the King would be cruel and arrogant, and he was, but she hadn't foreseen his byronic traits; she couldn't have conceived of him stalling a killing blow in battle. How could she have, with the limited information of her Byakugan?

"Nor I," the King said, before suddenly switching tracks, his aura probing hers. Unlike last time, Hinata found some success in pushing back. "You have two different chakras. How peculiar. Is that the case with most humans, or are you special?" He frowned in thought. "Pregnant?"

"Why should I tell you?" Hinata asked. "Just kill me and be done with it. I won't answer your questions."

"You can't be pregnant," he said. "Your reaction to your children… you would never go into combat carrying one inside you. And of all the special humans I've met so far, none have had binary energies. So you…" the King blinked, slowly, looking at her like he was trying to peel away her skin with his gaze. "You must be particularly special."

"My chakra doesn't matter," Hinata said. "Don't be distracted. I'm here for a reason."

"Peijing," the King said. He crossed his arms. "That will be quite impossible. Though…" He smiled, revealing tombstone teeth, and Hinata jerked as the taste of Himawari drifted across her consciousness again. "Perhaps that's not true."

She could stay, Hinata realized, the thought foreign and hers at the same time. That's what the King wanted now. His curiosity was just growing more and more overwhelming. All he wanted now was to pick her brain, somewhat literally. It was the first thing since the Gung player, Komugi, that had truly drawn his attention. The revelation of chakra had ignited an obsession.

"Komugi?" the King asked, their surprise combining; Hinata's at the question, and the King's at the name. He'd never really considered that the girl had a name, but now that he'd learned it it seemed almost exotic. Komugi: that was the name of the human he could not defeat in her chosen arena. Komugi: that was the name of the human who refused to fall to fatigue or fear.

Komugi: that was the name of the first human he'd respected, whether he realized it or not. Had Hinata snuck that thought into the King's head, or was it wholly his own? Neither of them were sure.

It was entirely sensible, of course. Everything had a name. It was simply the way of things for even insignificant creatures and objects to have some sort of identifier. All Ants had names, including his Royal Guard.

Except him. That was true, wasn't it. He was only the King. His position was the only identifier necessary. He hadn't been–

"No…" Hinata said, still caught up in the current of thoughts. The connection was growing more controlled by the moment as they both learned to navigate it. "You had a name."

The King started, his first indication of surprise. Hinata didn't need him to speak to understand why.

"I have a name?" the King said, and for only a second he sounded his age. He took a step forward. "What… where is it?"

This could be a bargaining chip, Hinata thought. Valuable, no, priceless information. But when she searched her recollection, groping back nearly two months ago, trying to recall a conversation she'd only witnessed secondhand, something Morel had passed on to her afterwards that she'd deemed as meaningless, she could only see twitching, mismatched eyes, feel Gon's knife-black Nen, hear the hollow thud of Kite's body falling to the floor. Pitou's puppetry had completely overwhelmed the other events of the day.

"You forgot my name?" the King murmured. His chakra suddenly boiled, and Hinata's entire body jerked with a brief sharp pain, as though she'd received an incredible static shock. "You forgot my name?"

"Why would I have remembered it?" Hinata spat, and the King flinched. "It was the name of a monster that murdered its mother; there was no need to know it!" Her guilty looking sister was superimposed over the Ant for a heartbeat, eyes downcast, before reality returned. The King had moved forward again, his hands wrapping around her throat before she'd realized it.

"You are probably right," he said, his tone measured. With just a thought, he could crush her throat and bring this to an end. Hinata wished he would. "Ultimately, my name surely does not matter." His tail flexed. "And yet, I would dearly like to know it."

"If I did find it for you," Hinata said after a moment, "would you stay out of Peiing?"

The King considered, and then removed his hands from her throat.

"No," he decided with complete certainty. "You and your comrades are plotting something out there; there's no way you're foolish enough to simply wait for your ends." He clenched a fist. "You're frightened of me, and rightfully so… but you're still confident you can win. There's something you've hidden from me."

Not quite, Hinata thought, but she refused to let more than that slip into the connection. The King regarded her, and then turned his back on her. How could she attack, when their souls were communing like this? He'd know the moment she made a move.

"Shaiapouf," the King pronounced, and as if by magic the Royal Guard scuttled back into the room, bleeding fear, hatred and unimpeachable loyalty. Hinata felt the same amusement as the King at the sight of the Guard's almost jealous glance towards her. Was he really so insecure?

"I'll be traveling to Peijing myself," the King said, and Hinata's heart froze. So too, apparently, did Shaiapouf's; the Royal Guard looked as though he were about to have a stroke. "There's things I can only find out from the real Watcher. This copy is too disposable."

"Your Majesty!" Pouf gasped for air, growing paler and paler. "You must not! To enter enemy territory, fortified territory, even with an escort–!"

The King's tail flashed out, and Pouf fell to one knee, his cheek split open. The King stared down at him, his chakra flaring out and threatening to crush the other Ant. Hinata could only watch in astonishment at the sudden violence. It was like she was participating in Shaiapouf's beating. The feeling was incredibly bizarre.

"Do you doubt me, Pouf?" the King said, his voice soft and deadly. Somehow, the Guard managed to meet his gaze.

"Never, my King," the Ant cried, his whole body trembling. "Never! Nonetheless-!"

The King struck him again, opening up the Guard's other cheek, and more blue blood spilled to the ground. Pouf shook violently, but somehow continued to speak.

"You are invincible!" the Guard declared, and the King's eyes narrowed. "But invincibility is not enough!" The King finally struck out with one of his hands, snapping Pouf's head to the side, but the Guard refused to be quiet. Hinata couldn't imagine the strain it was putting itself under. The King could barely comprehend how Pouf could deny his wishes. The Guard was battling its very genes.

"The humans have had time to prepare," Shaiapouf said, more blood leaking from his mouth. "They have powerful Nen users among them, and more like the Watcher besides. They could not defeat you-!"

The King struck out, and this time Hinata could feel his murderous intent. Shaiapouf's stubbornness was no longer amusing. The slap shattered the Ant's jaw, sending some of his perfect teeth flying, but it only delayed the creature for a moment.

"They could not defeat you," Shaiapouf said, dropping his head as blood poured from his broken jaw, "but it's conceivable they could trick you, or trap you."

A trap. The King glanced over his shoulder at Hinata as his subject shuddered and spat out more teeth. She resisted the urge to grimace. The Guard was right there; there were certainly no shortage of traps in Peijing. And with Hide and Seek, it was conceivable they could trap the King, though they'd never planned on it; it was simply too dangerous to even approach him.

"Hmm." The King kneeled down, taking Pouf's crushed jaw in his hand and lifting the Ant's face to look him in the eyes once more. Broken bones ground together under his fingers. "Then you propose I wait, as I have?"

"My King," Shaiapouf gurgled. "As a monarch… as our King, you must sometimes make sacrifices. You must allow others to bear your burdens, even if it seems more difficult than doing it on your own." Pouf seemed ready to burst at his own arrogance, but somehow he managed to choke out his next few words. "That is what a King is. If you do not rely on your servants… you are just…"

The Guard was finally at a loss for words; his courage had run out, and he was left gasping for air. And yet, Hinata found herself agreeing with what he had said. It reminded her of her husband's convictions, and that feeling of solidarity infiltrated the King.

"If I do not trust my subjects," the King mused, standing back up and letting Pouf's face fall, "then I am simply a pillar of strength. A monolith, not a leader."

A moment that seemed an hour later, he nodded. "That's correct." He started to turn, and then paused, leaving Pouf lying on the floor. The Guard was sobbing in relief. The King reached back, gently placing his hand on Shaiapouf's shoulder, and the Guard instantly froze.

"You are odd, and foolish," the King said. "But you are not a fool. I will send others in my place." Shaiapouf seemed as though he might die of happiness, despite his shattered jaw and split cheeks. "But the plan has changed."

"My King?" the Guard mumbled, and the King bent down.

"Listen carefully," he said. "Neferpitou and Menthuthuyoupi will lead the assault on the city. Her En will be more valuable there. They will capture any special humans they can manage, and especially the Watcher if possible. That has not changed. You will remain here, and guard the palace."

"My King-!" Shaiapouf's eyes welled up. "Thank you!" He shot to his feet, towering over his monarch. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will leave this place impenetrable!" His eyes shifted towards Hinata, growing thin and cruel. "And the copy?"

The King smiled, turning to face Hinata, and she realized she should have dispelled herself as soon as the creature's attention had drifted away. Now, with the weight of his chakra on her, she wasn't sure she could manage it unscathed; some of the King's heavy energy might return with the rest of the Kage Bunshin. It could be nothing… or it could cause disaster.

"She will remain with me," the King said, and Hinata's eyes narrowed.

"Will I?" she asked, and the King's smile grew.

"You are just a copy, and a sentimental one at that," he said. "If you depart, I will kill Komugi." He tilted his head. "You are in no real danger, just a creature of smoke; are you willing to trade your presence for that girl's life?"

The King wasn't trying to trick her. Komugi was of interest, but she was a smaller piece of the puzzle now; no, only an archer on the board, Hinata thought, the gungi analogy slipping into her mind. She was important, but she could be sacrificed for something greater.

Like more secrets of chakra.

It was the right decision to dispel immediately, or failing that to kill herself, Hinata realized. Komugi was just one life. If the King did manage to wring even rudimentary knowledge out of her, the results could be disastrous. And even if he didn't, her real self would be left without a quarter of her chakra so long as she remained her, which could be equally horrible given time.

But could she throw away an innocent girl's life without regard, after she'd beaten the odds for so long?

It took five seconds for Hinata to make her decision. She sunk to the ground, falling into a cross legged-position, and deactivated her Byakugan. The King smirked.

"You are strong for a human, Hinata Uzumaki," he said, sitting down before her as Shaiapouf flew out of the room behind him. "But you will never have the strength of an Ant."

Chapter Text

Nine Lives

The sun hadn't yet slipped over the horizon when Chimera Ants began pouring out of the palace. They emerged as a solid unit, just over a hundred monsters silently making their way across the muddy fields between the palace and the capital. Their vanguard was amusing in its contrast: Menthuthuyoupi, towering over even the tallest Ants and brashly stomping towards Peijing, and Neferpitou, one of the most diminutive Ants left alive. The two Royal Guards walked side by side, in complete unison despite their differences, and to the soldiers behind them their presence was both inspiring and terrifying.

The Guards were direct instruments of the King's will. Their eyes were the King's eyes, and their orders his orders. Every Ant who'd been selected for the honor of the assault knew exactly what that meant.

"I've fought the Watcher before," Pitou said, her shoes growing muddy. Youpi acknowledged the obvious statement with a laconic nod. "I'll track her down and drag her real body back to the King." She glanced back. "Will you lead the rest?"

"Lead?" Youpi said. He cocked his head. "I can't lead."

"Then don't lead," Pitou suggested coyly, her eyes shining in the dark. "Leave it to the squadron commanders to direct their troops. But keep an eye on them. Keep the commanders alive; guard them as you would the King. That is my suggestion; the more organized the soldiers, the more successful we will be."

A suggestion that would help make the King's wishes a reality. To Youpi, that was more palatable than an order. Pitou was first among the Guard, but that meant very little to him.

He nodded again. "I will stay with them. Go; find the Watcher."

Pitou smiled and leapt towards the city, drawing away from the greater contingent of Ants. Youpi watched her go without emotion. It did not occur to him to wish her luck, or give thought to her safety.

Pitou was first among the Guard, and while that meant little to him, it surely meant she could not fail.

###

Kiba sniffed at the night air and grimaced. Having his nose broken twice in quick succession hadn't done much for his looks; until he was back in the hands of a certified medical ninja, it would remain just crooked enough to ruin his face's symmetry.

"They're on their way. A lot of them," he grumbled. He'd taken up position atop the hotel, along with Morel, Knov, and Shino. Akamaru was there as well, lounging at his feet; Kiba could not put into words how glad he was to have him there. The Chairman was stored away in Knov's dimensional apartment, at the old man's obvious displeasure, thanks to the ridiculous bomb in his chest. Even if the chances of his dying in the coming battle were low, he was just as aware as the rest of them that an unlucky incident could end with the annihilation of the entire contingent of both Hunters and ninja.

And set off an international incident besides.

"How many?" Morel hefted his pipe. The hulking Hunter was more than ready for a fight. Kiba could tell he hadn't been satisfied waiting in the city as the Ants steadily depopulated the country.

"Hard to tell," Kiba said, taking another whiff of the corpse-like scent the Ants carried everywhere they went. "More than eighty, I'd say? It's gonna be rough, that's for sure. They'll be here any minute."

Knov pushed up his glasses. "No matter. We'll send them scuttling back regardless of their numbers." He glanced back towards the city. "Are Gaara and Knuckle ready?"

"They better be," Kiba scoffed. "That big Guard almost killed me with one damn punch. I don't want to go up against him again."

"Menthuthuyoupi," Shino said, and Kiba grumbled at the name.

"Scarlet Asshole, more like," he said, and Morel let out a muffled chuckle. "Gaara'll take him. We just have to focus on the small fry." Silently, he hoped that it would be that simple. Hinata was off somewhere with Gon and Killua, sure that the butterfly Guard, Shaiapouf, would be coming directly for her. Though…

Shino's phone rang, and he plucked it from his vest.

"Hinata?" he asked. To Kiba's enhanced hearing, Hinata's voice came through the phone as clearly as if he was the one holding it.

"Something's wrong." Hinata sounded shaky, breathless. Akamaru perked up at her tone, looking worried. "The King… I'll explain later. Neferpitou is coming; Shaiapouf is staying behind. It'll be coming directly for us."

"Will you be alright?" Shino asked. Kiba wondered why the Ants had changed their plans at the last moment, having their most effective sensor leave the palace. Something about Hinata's clone must have really spooked them. Maybe the 'Watcher' coming for the King had upped Hinata on his priority list.

Oh, duh. He smacked himself, eliciting an odd look from Knov. Pitou was their best sensor; if they wanted to track Hinata in particular, it made perfect sense to send it to the city instead of Shaiapouf.

"We'll be fine," Hinata said, sounding proud. "Killua's pulled out all the stops. We'll take out the Guard, and then meet up with you all to finish off the rest."

"If you say so," Shino said. "Be safe."

"You too." There was a click, and Hinata returned to whatever she and the two younger Hunters had been up to since late in the day before. Kiba still wasn't sure what Gon and Killua had been planning, but he was positive they'd been hoping that this very situation was going to arise. He wasn't as close to the boys as Hinata, but it was obvious even to him that they held a special hatred for Neferpitou.

"That thing almost killed her last time," Knov said, glancing at Shino. "And took your arm. You're happy to let her fight it alone?"

Shino shrugged. "No," he said, and his bluntness drew a laugh out of Knov. "But if she thinks she, Gon, and Killua will have the situation in hand, I trust her. There will be more than enough Ants for the rest of us. Speaking of which-"

"Yeah," Kiba said. Akamaru growled, and rose to his feet. "We gotta get going right now. If we don't start splitting them up, we'll get overwhelmed."

It was a cold and damp dawn, and as the sun just barely began peaking over the horizon, Kiba suddenly had a premonition it was going to be shining on a bloodsoaked city before the day was through.

He shared a look with Shino, and was positive the Aburame was thinking the same thing.

"Knov, you're with me," Kiba said, and the man wandered over, preparing a portal. "Shino, Morel, have fun. Everyone be sure to play it careful." He grinned. "Anyone who dies this late in the game is gonna feel pretty stupid."

"Naturally," Shino said, and then without another word Kiba leapt off the hotel, Knov and Akamaru following close behind.

###

Peijing, Neferpitou thought, was both a battlefield and a hunting ground. The King had sent them there with a dual purpose, to kill special humans and to retrieve the Watcher, and each purpose was served differently. The battlefield would be the domain of Youpi and the other Ants, and the hunting ground would be hers.

In the back of her mind, beyond what she'd rate conscious consideration, Pitou was somewhat uncomfortable with the King's fixation on the Watcher. She hadn't seen whatever had transpired in the throne room, but she'd felt the violent confrontation with her En, and the clashing energies of the woman and the Chimera King had been terrifying to feel secondhand. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like to be at the center of the hurricane of aura, nor could she conceive of how the Watcher's duplicate had survived it. There was something about the woman that the King had an interest in beyond her supernatural vision, but Pitou couldn't understand what.

That frustrated her, she realized, but it was also completely immaterial. It wasn't the place for a Guard to question its King. He was infallible. In the end, Pitou was just fortunate to be an instrument of His will. It was a fate infinitely more, in every way, than almost any other creatures' on the planet. If she could not be content with that, she didn't deserve to exist.

Pitou wasn't sure when 'Pitou' had transformed into 'her' and 'she.' Gender was not an immaterial concept to Chimera Ants, but the Royal Guards had no need of it. If it didn't serve a purpose to the King, it was an internal pollution. And yet, she'd found the identifier arising as the days since the King's birth had relentlessly passed. The change, she thought, was birthed from symmetry.

Of the humans who so consistently opposed them, the Watcher was the only woman. In a way, the Hunters and the Royal Guard played the same role for their species, a vanguard against annihilation. The Watcher was also, Pitou thought, the strongest among the humans, just as she was the strongest among the Guards.

It was an arrogance she would never voice aloud, but it still had a truthful ring to it. First-born, first among peers. It was only natural something as simple as a pronoun would also separate her from the stoic Youpi and anxious Pouf. She enjoyed the idea, garnishing it as a private pleasure. It was simple. It lent the undertaking a narrative, the continuation of the Name Shaiapouf have given the Watcher. It sat comfortably in her mind, helping to solidify the aspect of Neferpitou, King's Guard, the Watcher's Hunter, and so she employed it.

It was a choice of convenience, and of resonance.

Her En scoured the city as she leapt from street to street, invisible to ordinary eyes; the only mark of her passage was scuffed concrete and rustling wind. Thousands of humans huddled inside their homes, imprisoned by a curfew and the promise of retribution from their idiotic junta. Pitou felt nothing but disgust for the pitiful creatures, and her En passed over them without regard, temporarily freezing the hearts of the weaker and older and instilling night terrors in those that still slumbered.

She only had one target, and until she found it stopping was impossible.

After nearly a minute of searching, her methodical search pattern covering more and more of the city with her ring of En, Pitou finally found what she was looking for. The Watcher had a distinct signature inside her aura, something Pitou couldn't really define. The word for the sensation didn't exist; the closest she could get would be 'cold,' but the feeling wasn't a temperature, not really any sort of thing nerves could transmit.

The Guard altered course, slowing down. After their last encounter, Pitou had a healthy respect for the Watcher's strength and vision. The woman had survived a point blank ambush and endured nearly forty attacks in less than five seconds without making a single mistake; approaching her with anything but severe caution would be asking for another inconclusive battle.

There were others with the Watcher, three people. All of them pulsed with the distinctive aura of Hunters. Was the woman preparing an ambush? It was the natural conclusion.

If that were the case, she'd have to find a way around it.

The streets had widened out, the buildings having grown squatter; the Watcher had been waiting in an older portion of the city, one abandoned by the population for the more modern districts. The woman likely didn't want anyone getting in the way if they came to blows; her techniques were destructive, and Pitou had known the moment she'd taken her comrade's arm that the woman abhorred harm coming to others. She was less than a kilometer away now, huddled inside one of the buildings.

Pitou would flush her out, and bring her back to the King in as many pieces as required.

Within a moment, she'd located the building the Watcher was waiting within. It was an ugly concrete thing, four stories tall, with wide windows and a squat, foreboding aura. Once upon a time, it might have been a serviceable apartment. As she approached it, her En withdrawing, the three Hunters with the Watcher moved away, retreating deeper into the city. Pitou considered following them, but disregarded the idea instantly. The Watcher was staying still, and she was the priority; the woman must have warned them away.

Pitou slipped in through the front door, feeling the Watcher less than forty feet away now. She was positive the woman was just as aware of her own location, but for the moment her prey seemed content to stay put.

Something was wrong. There was no way the Watcher would just let her approach without any countermeasures. Pitou looked around, taking in the building's entrance. The first floor was mostly devoted to one large room, bulky support pillars scattered around it. A long wooden desk, stripped of all dignity, sat along the leftmost wall. So far as she could see, there was nothing around, with one exception. Hanging from several of the pillars were small cloth bags, bulging with hidden objects.

The Watcher was on the other side of the room, hidden behind some thin concrete walls. She could attack at any moment. Pitou crept over to one of the bags, her entire body nearly vibrating as every single cell primed itself for combat. Her senses pushing themselves to absurdity, she tugged the bag open, the soft rustle almost painful to her ears.

Nothing. All that rested inside was some tarnished silverware, several ball bearing, and other rubbish. Pitou perked her head. What could the bag's purpose have been? A place for the lazy to drop their detritus? A shrine to garbage? Humans were strange, and in some ways beyond her understanding. Whatever it was, it wasn't the trap she'd been fearing.

The wall behind the bag had been scuffed, as though it had been beaten out and replaced at some point in the past. The patch of concrete was newer. Pitou dismissed the pointless detail. Her confusion was distracting her. Was the Watcher trying to fool her in some way, hiding in an empty building without any countermeasures? Could this one be another clone? She would have to defeat it to find out.

She silently crept across the room, moving with utmost care, and as she drew closer the Watcher moved away, slipping across the wall and moving upwards. A flight of stairs, Pitou realized. She turned the corner, peeking behind the wall, and found the Watcher nowhere to be seen.

The woman was directly above her, just a floor up, moving down a long hallway that split the building. Pitou looked up, and realized the woman's error.

She jumped. Above her, the Watcher realized her mistake instantly and moved with just as much decisiveness. Pitou smashed through the concrete floor without slowing down, snatching at the woman's ankles, but the woman had skipped just out of reach, flipping down the hall. Pitou hit the ceiling and stuck, a flash of Terpsichora freezing her in place, and then dropped carefully to the floor of the hall, ready for a counterattack.

None came. The Watcher turned and regarded Pitou with her blank eyes, slowly backing up, hands at the ready. There was a wide window behind her, twenty feet down the hall, bereft of glass; a possible escape route. Pitou straightened up, feeling her strength, the King's will inside her. The Watcher felt it too, and Pitou was sure that it brought fear with it. She stopped in her tracks.

"Watcher," she said, stepping forward, ready to launch herself and rip the human in half at a moment's notice. The woman's eyes narrowed. "The King wishes to have you. The real you." She held out a hand, a gesture that was both sincere and mocking. "Come with me."

'Or die.'

The Watcher didn't speak, not at first. She just backed up another two feet, choosing her steps carefully. The woman's face was flushed, her cheeks slightly damp. Had she been crying? Just as Pitou was about to take her inaction as refusal, she spoke.

"Do you," she asked, her voice gentle, and Pitou was instantly sure something was terribly wrong, "remember the first man you killed?" Pitou cocked her head, hair rising across her body as her instincts abruptly began screaming at her.

Danger. Even with her tear-stained cheeks, the woman bled it from every pore, but she wasn't the real threat. Should she attack or should she flee? Pitou didn't know; retreat was an impossibility, but staying would be-

Fatal. The woman wasn't the direct threat, and that alone made Pitou positive her instincts were correct. She was in fatal danger, and she had no idea why. Within a heartbeat, the situation had flipped on its head.

"A Hunter with silver hair," the Watcher said. "There were two children with him."

Of course. Her first dance. Pitou backed up a step, an impossible retreat. What was wrong? What was she missing? The other humans had run: the Watcher wasn't close enough to be a threat. Why was her heart screaming?

She nodded, hoping to keep the woman talking, hoping to buy another second to figure out what had gone wrong without her realizing. What was it? What was it?

The new concrete, she thought. The image of the fresh patch struck her like a bolt of lightning. The pillar had had the concrete recently replaced. This section of the city was old, dilapidated, but that patch had been new. She'd ignored it as meaningless in pursuing the Watcher, but that had been foolish.

Why had that concrete been replaced?

"That man was their King," the Watcher said, speaking of the children. Pitou couldn't care less. "If you can understand that, maybe you'll understand this."

The woman leapt back, and Pitou hurled herself after her, hand reaching out. She had to take the Watcher. She had to get out of this building. Her ears, the sharpest they had been in her life, picked up a distant click.

All at once, with a roar that defied comprehension, the ceiling and walls exploded.

The blast was directed and incredibly powerful. It left the Watcher untouched as Pitou's senses threw themselves to the absolute limit, stretching time like a rubber band. Despite the danger, she found herself considering the situation with a quiet detachment.

This was why the concrete on the first floor had been replaced. The humans had placed explosives inside the building, shaped charges that hurled fire and force in a single direction at many times the speed of sound. Even if Pitou hadn't been in the midst of leaping forward, the shockwave would have easily chased her down. As it was, the only defence she could muster was to curl up, tuck in her ears, and close her eyes.

The rubber band snapped.

All at once, as though the moment of clarity had never existed, Pitou was assaulted by unbelievable heat and pressure. The sound was indescribable: Pitou's hearing simply shut off, instantly deafened by the blast. Her carapace cooked; her clothes caught fire. Every inch of her body burned and bruised under the concussive force, her organs rattling inside her like bugs in a bottle.

Pitou realized she could feel her brain bouncing off her skull.

An ordinary Ant would likely have been blasted into pieces, but like a stone in a hurricane, Pitou held strong. The explosion intensified, the pain approaching the point of unbearable as the primary blast rolled over her, and then as quickly as it had begun the pressure was gone.

Pitou had been thrown down at incredible speed. She opened her eyes to find the building hadn't weathered the bombs as well as she had; the hallway had been completely ripped apart, opening it up to the first floor. She was falling back into the lobby she'd passed through.

She only fell a meter, an eternity to her, before the second set of explosives went off. Across the lobby, pillars detonated and walls bucked. The room was consumed in fire and shrapnel. Thousands of shards of metal ricocheted through the space, as uncountable as the stars.

The bags, she realized. The bags full of utensils and rubbage hadn't been waste disposal. They'd been makeshift ammunition that the explosives had transformed into supersonic fragments.

The humans were trying to kill her with garbage.

Pitou snarled, her Nen surging, and Doctor Blythe erupted from her tail. The hatsu was a stationary projection: no matter the force, it could not move from its starting position. It could serve as a safety line, keeping her from falling into the storm of metal below.

But the tether of Nen was long, and with her senses blurred by pain, most of her body still on fire, Pitou's hands slipped before she could gather it all beneath her. She fell another two feet, finally jerking to a stop. Her hand slipped.

More than two hundred individual shards of metal traveling more than four times the speed of sound ripped through her errant hand. Pitou looked down, barely able to feel the new sensation over everything else, and found that she could see the ground floor through her hand. Her wrist-bone was visible.

The detonations finally ceased, the final sequence of explosives sounding as if they were hundreds of miles away. Pitou hung in the air, too stunned to move, watching her ruined hand dangle from her snapped wrist.

It hurt. IT HURT. Blood was running from her eyes, ears, and mouth, matting her shattered and burned carapace with sticky liquid and blinding her further. The internal damage was too extensive to catalogue; any attempt at analysis was smothered by the pain.

But she was still alive. She could still fight. The ambush had failed.

Pitou wheezed, her lungs filled with smoke and fire, and allowed herself to drop to the ground floor. She had to collect herself: the Watcher would already be moving in, fully aware of her survival. With Terpsichora, she-

The floor rumbled, a distant groan somehow making its way past her deafness. Pitou looked up.

'Ah,' she thought.

'The building's collapsing.'

She took a half-step forward and her feet slid out from under her, greased by her own blood. Pitou collapsed on her face; her heart skipped a beat for the first time in her life.

The building folded inward, every inch of it falling towards its own center, where she lay, and Pitou took a weak breath, her throat burning with the effort.

She had to move, but she could not. As Terpsichora rose around her, urging her to dance beyond her limits, nearly ten tons of concrete and steel crushed her to the ground. To Pitou, it was as though the entire world had collapsed around her in a chorus as painful and deafening as the explosives.

Then it was silence, silence and pressure. Her entire right side was in agony, her ruined hand further destroyed by the weight of the building. Like a nail beneath a hammer, she'd been smashed flat.

She passed out before she could begin screaming.

###

Gon was one-hundred percent positive that he'd never heard something as satisfying at the series of explosions and final rumbling collapse that brought an entire apartment building crashing down on Neferpitou's head.

Watching the demolition from the top of the building across the block, Gon was surprised to realize he didn't feel any relief. He was sure there would have been some catharsis from seeing Pitou buried alive, but instead he was still just anxious and angry. This had only been the first strike. It couldn't have been that easy.

He looked to Killua to confirm his friend was feeling the same way, and Killua glanced over, keeping one eye on the wreckage. His finger was still on the trigger of the remote detonator. He grinned, and Gon grinned back.

"Worth it?" he asked, and Gon laughed.

"Definitely worth it," he said. Gathering up all those plastic explosives had been a bit of a pain, but the result had been way more than he'd imagined. Killua really did know a crazy amount about weapons; Gon had never really considered that stuff like C4 existed until his friend had laid out how it could take down a building in amazing detail.

He hadn't really thought, or cared, about how Killua knew. Maybe he'd blown up a building or two in the past. That didn't matter now, except in that it had helped them hurt Pitou. About a second later, Hinata landed next to them. The woman had just managed to leap clear of the building on Killua's signal; why she hadn't just used a clone to bait Pitou, Gon wasn't sure, but he was positive she'd had a good reason. Maybe the Guard was just that canny, and it would have picked up on whether Hinata was real or not.

She didn't waste any time. "It's still alive," she said. "Let's get in there together, now. Carefully."

She was terse this morning, but Gon didn't know what to say. He and Killua had had no idea what to do less than twenty minutes earlier when the shinobi had suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs and collapsed to the ground with a guttural cry. They'd thought she'd been the victim of some invisible Nen curse, or had been having a heart attack, but the moment they'd reached her side it had been obvious it was something less entirely different.

Hinata, always unflappable, a woman who'd never been out of control, who'd treated him and Killua like children and peers at the same time, had been reduced to uncontrollable sobbing. She'd shaken it off pretty quickly, rising to her feet with a deep breath and a vicious growl, something Gon had never expected to hear from her, but that moment of something had deeply unsettled the both of them.

Somehow, he was sure it had something to do with her clone's visit to the King. Now, watching the woman's cold face, he felt a bizarre mix of guilt and validation for convincing her to go. Whatever had happened, she wanted Pitou dead almost as much as he did now.

They leapt off the building together and approached the rubble as a group, Hinata in the front and Gon and Killua keeping to her sides. Behind them, Palm Siberia kept watch from the rooftop. Gon had been the one to suggest bringing her along. It hurt to think about, but if they didn't manage to take Pitou down, having someone who could keep watch over the Royal Guard afterwards would be invaluable.

"Is it moving?" Killua asked, and Hinata shook her head.

"No, it's very badly damaged. It avoided most of the secondary explosives, but the first set was effective." Hinata peered with uncanny accuracy at a specific point in the rubble. "Heavy internal bleeding… but the wounds are already starting to coagulate. A couple fractures, but most of its bones are intact." Her eyes narrowed. "Its right hand is ruined." She confidently strode forward. "It'll probably regain consciousness soon. Let's take care of it before it can."

They approached the center of the demolition zone carefully, picking over fragments of steel and concrete. Hinata's didn't make any motions, which meant Pitou wasn't either. Within five seconds, they'd reached the Royal Guard's position.

"Gon, get a Jajaken ready," Hinata whispered. "Smash the rubble, and Killua and I will follow up."

He wouldn't be the one to kill her if that was the case. But that was fine. That was what friends were for. Gon hunched over, channeling Nen across his body, directing it towards his fist. The pre-dawn air glowed with a soft orange light: the sun, finally rising on the clouded horizon, and his Nen, coursing around him like a violent river.

"First Comes Rock," he said, clenching his fist. The familiar mantra centered him; the world began rotating around Gon Freecss.

"Rock."

The pile of rubble exploded outwards, flinging Hinata and Killua away, and Neferpitou emerged.

The Guard looked more like a devil than a cat now. Its clothes and skin had been completely burned away, and one of its hands was hanging from a series of thick tendons. There was a wild look in its eyes, and its Nen burned the air around it. Gon had only encountered Nen violent enough to make a sound a few times, but Neferpitou's aura was screaming, a high pitched keen that made his teeth vibrate.

Two months ago, Gon had only been able to think of attacking when he'd met Neferpitou. Kite's injury had driven everything else out of his mind. However, if the Royal Guard had approached him like this, its aura screaming and its eyes wide, he would have frozen, like Killua had. They both would have died.

Today, his heartbeat barely changed. Even as Killua and Hinata were both hurled back by Pitou's dramatic emergence, Gon stood his ground.

"Paper." He refused to break eye contact with the Royal Guard. He wasn't really seeing his opponent. The only eyes he was looking into were Kite's, misshapen and desperate.

Neferpitou launched herself forward, intact hand extending. With his Nen focused in his hand, it would be able to cut him to pieces without any effort at all.

'Rock.'

Gon stepped into the punch, the action seeming slow and smooth, and slipped past Pitou's attack. Its claw tore a hole in his cheek, a long gash that ended just below his right ear. He barely felt it.

His punch, fist covered in stormy black Nen, slammed directly into Neferpitou's right eye.

The Guard had raised an enormously powerful shield of Ken, so thick it would almost have been visible to the naked eye. For a moment, it resisted, and for a slow heartbeat of frozen time, Gon and Neferpitou were stuck there, his fist against the Guard's face as they both realized what had happened.

The shield cracked. Gon's fist hammered through, his aura exploding. The entire pile of rubble shifted, smaller pieces jumping several inches into the air.

Neferpitou's eye popped. Its orbital bone fractured. The Guard was hurled away, spinning through the air like a bloody pinwheel. Gon straightened up and breathed out, shaking the remains of Pitou's eye off his fist.

For the first time since Kite had died, he felt at peace.

"Gon!" Killua scrambled back to his side. Hinata was circling the other direction, keeping an eye on Pitou as it bounced back to its feet. "You're-?!"

"It's still alive," Gon said. He stepped to the left, keeping both Pitou and Killua in his line of sight. "Let's finish it."

They advanced on Neferpitou as a unit, a triangle slowly closing around the Guard. It looked back and forth frantically, blood running freely from its eye socket. Gon wasn't sure if it was looking for its next target or an escape route. The thing was badly hurt, but still more than capable of fighting. If it launched an attack like the first again, Gon was sure he wouldn't be able to avoid it. Something had left him with that punch.

The triangle closed another foot, and the Guard acted, launching itself at Killua. That had been the natural target, Gon thought. It had attacked both him and Hinata and failed both times; Killua was the only one there who hadn't hurt it yet.

The Guard was two feet from tearing off Killua's face with a grasping claw when there was an electric flash. The surge of ozone sent Gon's hair on end.

Killua, suddenly wreathed in lightning, had ducked the Guard's attack. It looked down, lone eye widening in shock. As the lightning around Killua faded slightly, he hammered three punches into the thing's chest, sending it stumbling back.

Right into Hinata's range. The shinobi launched sixty-four attacks at once, like a multi-headed snake.

Gon's friend couldn't use that lightning technique, which he hadn't yet named, at attack at the same time; apparently it was way too confusing to coordinate the Nen internally. But that was completely fine; all they needed here was for Hinata to complete an attack on Neferpitou. Killua had given them that opening perfectly.

The Guard managed to block more than half the strikes, Juken, that's what Hinata had called the technique, with its Ken. That alone was incredible, regardless of its condition. But its wounds slowed it, and nearly thirty slipped through. Pitou's remaining arm fell limp, and it gasped for air, as though its lungs had been punctured: Hinata's fatal hands had sealed off the Nen in its upper body. It leapt back, buying distance, and scrambled under a Vacuum Palm that Hinata launched after it. Gon and Killua both burst into motion, closing the distance and pressing the advantage.

That was pretty much it, wasn't it? Gon couldn't believe it. It had been too simple. But that's why they'd made the plan, hadn't they? No matter which Royal Guard had come looking for Hinata, Killua's C4, Hinata's Gentle Fist, and his Jajaken were the perfect combo to take down a single target, no matter how tough it was.

"Kill it now," Hinata said, her voice tight. "More Ants are coming. They know it's in trouble."

They attacked all at once, trying to cover every angle. Neferpitou flipped backwards, sliding under another Vacuum Palm and bouncing over a sliding kick from Killua. It reached down to remove Killua's leg, but Gon was there, covering the hole in his friend's defenses: he slapped the Guard's claw aside with a kick and then was hurled away as the thing used his own attack to rotate and kick him in the shoulder. Even with most of his Nen concentrated in a single Ken, the groundless kick nearly broke his arm.

Hinata went high, attacking like a hawk, but Pitou just barely managed to scramble aside. Gon followed up, his whole body still ringing, but before he could level another punch into the thing's face it kicked at the ground, sending up a shotgun blast of concrete and steel. He gritted his teeth and tried to push through the shrapnel with more Ken, but one chip slipped past and opened up a cut above his eye.

Pitou tried to buy more space with the distraction, but Killua was already there, still trailing electricity. He went for its remaining eye with hardened nails, but Gon could tell it was a feint; his lightning was still up. Pitou couldn't know the difference, and was forced to retreat again. Instead of making its way farther along the street, it went straight up.

Gon and Hinata were there to meet the Guard; Hinata went for its gut with a Lion's Fist, and Gon sent another kick for the side of its head. The Guard, gasping for air, kicked away Hinata's blow and caught Gon's with its intact hand. Instead of falling back, he kicked out with his other leg, scything through Pitou's weak guard and sending it hurtling through the sky. It tore all the skin off his ankle in passing, but the exchange had still gone in his favor.

Below, Killua struck two fingers out, almost as if announcing victory, and like an afterimage burned into Gon's eyes the empty space between his friend and Neferpitou was filled with lightning. The Royal Guard convulsed, smoke rolling off its body, and fell to the earth.

It rolled, struggling to come to its feet. Gon and Hinata landed, approaching once more with Killua. Despite all the damage Pitou had taken, Gon was more cautious than ever.

An animal was at its most dangerous when it was about to die.

###

Neferpitou wasn't willing to admit that she was about to die.

She had been willing to sacrifice herself for the King from the second she'd begun existing, but this wouldn't be that. This was a foolish, pointless waste. If she was killed here, by three humans in the middle of an ugly city, she would be dying for nothing and for nobody. It was an absurdity that the first of the Royal Guards would ever have ended up in this situation.

But no matter how she denied it, she couldn't undo it. Her arrogance had led her here, to an ignominious grave. Her King had given her simple orders and she had completely failed them and Him.

She could hardly stand anymore. The Watcher had sealed her Nen from the torso up. Her body was still heavily bleeding internally. Half of her vision was gone; one of the young Hunters had destroyed her eye with a single, incomprehensibly powerful punch. Everything had gone wrong. She hadn't even taken one of them with her in return.

At that moment Neferpitou was, in every possible way, an utter failure of a Royal Guard.

She looked up, her vision blurring. Her attackers were drawing closer, but slowly. Even now, they weren't willing to treat her with anything but the most severe caution. It was almost flattering, if it hadn't been so effective.

She'd have a chance for one final stand. All attempts to retreat and temporarily repair herself with Doctor Blythe had completely failed, so now that was all she had the energy for.

One last opportunity to at least partially undo her mistake.

She sunk down, trying to make it look like exhaustion, and gathered Nen in her legs. They'd notice almost immediately, but 'almost' wouldn't be enough against her. She could at least take one of them. The boy in green, most likely. She knew his movement now. She'd take his head in payment for her eye.

Without warning the Watcher diverted, looking up and to the left. She launched a storm of empty energy from her palm at something beyond Pitou's site. A luminescent dragonfly drifted before her. It almost seemed a hallucination.

"Royal Guard. Neferpitou," the dragonfly whispered, and she blinked, clarity slipping back into the world with her name. "Forgive me, but you must flee. We will hold them here."

A projection. A Nen projection. Neferpitou's mind moved from self-pity back to analysis. Her pain faded. This was the Nen projection of the Squadron Officer Flutter, subordinate to the Squadron Commander Hagya. A particularly disloyal group of Ants. Hagya's squadron was petty and selfish, and had been sent to Peijing in the hope something meaningful would come of their deaths.

They, of all Ants, had come to help her?

Pitou realized her introspection arose from a desire to avoid her body's agony. She embraced it. Anything would help right now.

There had to be an ulterior motive, one she could not know with her limited perspective. Perhaps they had crept away from the rest of the assault team, or been drawn by the explosions.

The Nen projection whipped away, and Neferpitou jerked her head up in time to catch sight of Flutter being torn from the sky, his wings ripped away by one of the Watcher's cruel palm strikes. The white-haired Hunter was sparring with Hagya, zipping around the lion-like Ant and driving deep blows into the creature's large bodies. The Squadron Commander grunted and reached out, and in an instant both he and the Hunter were spirited away in a storm of vibrant Nen. There were more Ants, eight of them, all creatures of various shapes and sizes.

One of them, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a chameleon, was moving directly for her. That Ant wasn't a member of Hagya's squad. How had he ended up here?

There was something else on a direct course for her: the remaining Hunter. He'd frozen when his companion had been torn away from the battle, but now was refocused on her, sprinting forward with a tremendous amount of Nen building up in his fist once more.

What had the Watcher said? That the man she'd slain had been these boys' King? Pitou had paid in no mind at the time, but the look in the Hunter's eyes made her reconsider the words.

If the King were to be killed, would she have any regard to herself when trying to avenge him? She tried to step back, prepare a counterattack, but she couldn't catch her breath. The Watcher had shredded one of her lungs, and the other had been badly burned. If she took another one of the human's punches, it would definitely be her end. The chameleon reached her side and sucked in an enormous breath.

The boy jumped, ready to strike her down. Instead of another punch, a meter-long sword of bright red Nen extended from his fist. With her weakened Nen, she wouldn't be able to deflect it; she would have to trade her life for his. The Hunter would cut her completely in half.

The chameleon firmly took ahold of her arm, his impertinence shocking. No other Ant had ever dared to touch her. He yanked her to the left, a futile gesture. There was no way they'd be able to dodge enough to avoid any adjustments the Hunter would make.

She stumbled three steps, not nearly enough. But instead of the Hunter adjusting the angle of his blade and ending her immediately, he landed without completing the attack. His eyes went wide, his breathing sped up. Pitou could not understand. He had had her dead to rights.

But now, she had him.

"GON!" The Watcher screamed, and as Pitou reached out to end the boy's life, he rocketed back on the woman's word. She cursed, coughing up blood. Too slow. The Hunter would have died before he could have understood an attack was coming if she were not burned and bruised and shattered as she was. Right now, she was an ember, not a Royal Guard.

"It's still here!" the Watcher shouted, slamming its fist deep into another Ant's eye and crushing its brain. "Don't let your guard down!"

They couldn't see her? Pitou realized why the Hunter hadn't killed her. They couldn't see her. She glanced to the chameleon and found it looking at her with pleading eyes, its cheeks comically puffed up.

The puzzle came together as her body had come apart.

"You have concealed us," she whispered, and was surprised at how terrible her voice sounded. "Sight and sound. Either would have given our movement away. How long?"

The Ant held up one finger. One second? One minute? One hour? Impossible to know. It couldn't have been the larger sums. That would be absurd. How had the Ant kept this Hatsu secret? None of the Guard were aware of it. Was it the same for the Squadron Leaders?

Why had it kept it secret?

None of that mattered right now. More than a second had passed, so Pitou decided to assume the time-limit on the Hatsu was a single minute. Given the Ants bulging cheeks, that would make sense; the trigger was as simple as him holding his breath.

Even in her reduced state, one minute of invisibility would be more than enough time to kill the two Hunters and incapacitate the Watcher. And then, afterwards-

No. Focus. Kill them now. Pitou tried to gather her strength again, giving up on breathing. She would heal afterwards.

Gon's sword crept back into his hand, leaving it stuffed with Nen, and the Hunter roared. Of course he did. He'd been denied his vengeance against her. Pitou smiled, drawing back her executioner's limb. She'd take his head with a second attempt.

Or she intended to, until the Hunter struck the ground with all the considerable force of his Hatsu, breaking one of his own knuckles and upending the entire street.

The city block shattered, blocks of concrete flying in every direction as the Hunter screamed in frustration. The surviving Ants jumped back; somehow, whether by coincidence or design, Hagya and the other Hunter reappeared in the center of the pandemonium. Hagya had his hands wrapped around the boy's neck, but the Hunter had both his hands buried up their elbows in Hagya's gut.

Pitou dodged one shard of concrete, but another slipped past her on the right and slammed directly into the chameleon's throat. The Ant gagged, losing his breath, and in incredible unison all of the human's heads snapped towards her.

She was visible. They both were. Pitou watched the Watcher realize what had happened as quickly as she had. Now the chameleon, not her, was the woman's primary target.

Neferpitou, even in her wretched condition, made her decision faster than any human could have. She tucked the chameleon under her arm, one last surge of Nen and adrenaline giving her the necessary strength, and jumped. Not towards the humans, but away.

Right now, with the Ant's Hatsu exposed, they didn't stand a chance. The best way she could serve the King would be returning this Ant to him in lieu of the Watcher.

Her leap was incredibly powerful, enough to propel them several kilometers, but an inconvenient building interposed itself between her and the escape vector. Neferpitou smashed directly through it, the Ant she was dragging along hurling protests and shielding his head. Once they were clear of the wreck, he babbled something slightly more useful.

They had a pursuer. Pitou looked back to find that the Hunter Hagya had temporarily kidnapped was right on their tail, his body wreathed in lightning. He was trying to slow them down, ground them until the Watcher and Gon could arrive.

Pitou didn't have any method of counterattack. The Hunter was out of reach of her legs, approaching from above, and her arm was occupied. The other was ruined.

Ah. But it being ruined made it useful.

Before she could think about the consequences, Pitou stopped the flow of Nen to her ruined limb and whipped it at the Hunter, faster than the eye could follow. Her shredded hand, a dangling, agonizing irritant, ripped free like a gory missile. The projectile, more bone than flesh, would have taken the Hunter's heart clear out of his body had he not slammed both his hands together in front of him in a hasty lightning-assisted catch.

The Hunter had saved his own life, but in the process robbed himself of all momentum. He fell straight down, well clear of Neferpitou, and she and the other Ant continued their flight out of Peijing unmolested.

Twenty seconds later they landed in the muddy earth and scrub outside the city. Pitou's legs buckled under her, and she collapsed, only prevented from slamming her chin into the earth by the chameleon Chimera.

"Get us back," she gasped, still unable to breathe. She was finally running out of air. The Ant looked at her with fearful eyes. "Get us back, and you will be rewarded."

The Ant's eyes softened. He took a deep breath, concealing them both once more, and shucked her onto his back. Unable to even offer protest, Pitou closed her eyes, focusing on staying awake.

She needed to heal herself, and she couldn't deploy Blythe until they were back in the palace. Until then, she couldn't afford to think about anything else.

Not even her complete failure.

Chapter Text

The Royal Guard, Menthuthuyoupi

The Royal Guard, Menthuthuyoupi, was awash in a sea of Chimera Ants. Like a wave breaking upon a shore, they streamed into the city of Peijing.

The Royal Guard, Menthuthuyoupi, could barely tell the difference between them. There were Ants of every size and shape, turtles and birds, reptiles and mammals, but to the Royal Guard, Menthuthuyoupi, the Ants were all the same regardless of their physical diversity. It did not matter to him whether an Ant resembled at cat or a dog, or anything else beyond or inbetween. To him, they were of equal utility, and their value to the King was the only quality worth attention.

He did not pay any more attention to the city than he did to the individual Ants. The only thing he looked for was where humans could hide. On those rooftops, in those doorways? If they emerged he would crush them, but the Hunters were not stupid. They wouldn't present themselves. They would have to be rooted out.

"Sir," someone said, and Youpi ignored it, moving onward, continuing his scan for humans. "Sir?" the same voice, more insistent. He wondered why whoever the Ant was addressing wasn't responding. Had they been attacked? He looked back, only to find a small Ant staring at him.

Was he the sir? Menthuthuyoupi cocked his head, deciding to try out an answer.

"Yes?" he grumbled, and the Ant brightened up. So he was the sir. Strange.

"The Squadron Leaders are thinking we should grab some humans," the Ant said. "Some of us are hungry, and they think some hostages will help bring the Hunters out. They're supposedly here to save these idiots, so-"

"I don't care," the Royal Guard, Menthuthuyoupi, decided, and the Ant blinked. "Do as you like."

"You… you're sure?" the Ant asked. Some of its fellows shifted. The group had spread out a little more, breaking into smaller squads, but still united as a spearhead. That appealed to Youpi. The streets of Peijing were wide, intended for motorized vehicles, and they accommodated the Ants with ease.

"Do as you like," he repeated, returning to his scan for Hunters. Without considering it, he grew several dozen more eyes across his body, and his field of vision expanded a hundred-fold. The action wasn't a conscious one; he'd just wanted to see more, and his body had agreed. He would have considered it interesting, but that required taking an interest in something besides the Hunters.

Buildings, buildings, buildings. Youpi quickly grew bored, trodding through the city. Where was the enemy? Where were the Hunters, the Watcher? Behind him, the Ants spread out, breaking into buildings and returning with squirming, screaming humans. Some were barely dressed, yanked from their beds. The Ants assembled them into a raucous cluster. Maybe the noise would draw something for Youpi to kill. The soldiers Neferpitou and the King had turned into semi-lifeless puppets paid no mind to the others humans, continuing to wander the street with their weapons held at the ready.

It was like the King himself was reaching out to crush the resistance in the city. Youpi smiled at the idea. The image was appealing. He guessed he was one of the King's fingers. Did that make sense? Did it matter if it did? Ants filled the air, born aloft by Hatsu or natural wings, joining Youpi in scanning the city for enemies. Menthuthuyoupi was joined in his solidarity as the Ants incursion into Peijing grew steadily louder, heralded by terrified humans and buzzing wings.

The Ants in the sky were the first to die.

Menthuthuyoupi realized it before any of the other Ants did. The eyes on his shoulders and the crown of his head spotted the lasso of smoke that dragged one Ant out of sight, over the lip of a nearby building, and his enlarged ears picked up the faint spatter of liquid that shortly followed.

"Up," he grunted. He considered leaping ahead, as Neferpitou had, but abandoned the idea after a moment. Better to let the humans come to him, if they would. If they persisted, he would give chase.

The other Ants realized what he meant and clustered up, taking safety in numbers. Still, more flying Ants died. Another four, drawn down by smoke and sand and killed by unseen enemies. Menthuthuyoupi could not hear the psychic clamor of the Ants, but he was aware of it nonetheless. With impressive fluidity, the vanguard arrayed itself against the sudden assault.

Neferpitou had left to chase the Watcher herself, but if she had stayed, they would have been able to easily fend off this hidden attack, Youpi thought. He could have stayed behind to deter a counterattack and Pitou could have leapt to the roof to slaughter the aggressors.

She was too focused on the Watcher. She was obeying the King, but the decision to chase after the woman had been motivated by ego, not obedience. It had been foolish. As he wasted time chastising a Royal Guard that was no longer present with words he wouldn't have bothered to speak aloud, the Ants grew restless.

What had Pitou said, before she'd left? Don't lead, just keep the commanders alive. As Youpi watched with one of his many eyes, one of the Squadron Leaders snapped her long scorpion-like tail and formed the Ants up into several distinct rows, each with a hostage or two of their own. They advanced in a phalanx, waiting for a counterattack. Youpi was content to be the spearhead.

They had expected some sort of open confrontation, but it refused to present itself. A dart of sand was launched from a distant window, and Youpi watched it with disinterest as it soared past both his own head and a human hostage and buried itself in an Ant's eye. The creature screeched, the attack sending it stumbling back, but survived; the sand hadn't pierced its brain. Another one followed, larger and quicker than its fellow. The Hunter must have realized heavier projectiles would be needed to bring down Chimera Ants. Youpi was prepared to ignore it as he had the first, but as he watched it pass by, he realized that the Ants were important to the King. Not really as subjects, because the King held as much interest in them as Youpi did, but as extensions of His will.

Letting them die would be reducing the King's ability, however infinitesimally. That would mark him a failure of a Royal Guard.

With a snarl, Youpi sprung another arm from his shoulder, punching the spear off course. Most of it shattered; the tip pierced a hostage's kneecap, who let out a high-pitched keen. He shook the new limb, feelings its power. That had been satisfying. It had felt satisfying to protect property of the King. He felt something growling in his chest.

Enough of this, he decided. It was time to go on the offensive. The Squadron Commanders apparently agreed.

"Bring down that building!" one of them thundered, and one Ant shaped like a lizard stepped up and fastballed a stream of light, pulsing and keening Nen, directly into the ground floor of the building the sand had emerged from. There was a dull rumble, and the light detonated, flash-frying the building's foundations. It groaned and collapsed like a wounded animal, and Youpi felt the thrill of the hunt.

That was a cool Hatsu. He wondered if he could do something like that.

An Ant screamed, and Youpi turned towards the noise. One at the back of the phalanx had been dragged back by a thick black swarm of insects, all of which were busy stripping away the creature's Nen and flesh. Its comrades beat back the bugs, but more were emerging every second.

This was an ambush, Youpi thought. This whole city was an ambush, and unless he acted it would steadily destroy the Ants the King had trusted him and Neferpitou with.

"You," he asked the Squadron Leader who'd had the building brought down. The Ant looked confused, and he realized it was because it was the first time he'd directly addressed any Chimera Ant. "Get them behind me."

"Sir?" the Squadron Leader stuttered, looking flustered.

"I will shield them while you plan an attack. Right now, they're just dying. It's pointless." Youpi narrowed his eyes. "I will give you time to do better. Use it."

The Ant didn't hesitate. She barked some orders, and most of the Ants that remained, over ninety, sprung into action. Most took their hostages and clustered as best they could behind Youpi; the rest, numbering at least thirty, bounded off into the city, breaking from the main group. Youpi couldn't hear the silent voices directing them, so he focused on the situation in front of him instead. The Hunters were using projectiles, trying to bait them out. To deflect the attacks, many attacks, coming from many different angles, he'd need more arms.

He got more arms. Twenty more. No, thirty would be safer. His torso constricted a little, before his Nen generated more flesh. They were thin, whip-like, perfect for throwing aside lassos and spears. He was a shield for the King's will.

He was a shield. A knife flashed out of the dark, from beyond the lip of a nearby building. It was like a test. He slapped it away without effort, sending it back where it came from. He'd hoped to hear a cry of pain, but he was disappointed. His lack of catharsis sent out an arm hardened into a bludgeon to smash at the roof, dislodging concrete and sending up a satisfying crack.

He could attack and defend at the same time, Youpi realized. It would be child's play. If they could bait the Hunters out, somehow, they'd be easy victims, but the humans were completely unwilling to emerge. Why would they? They didn't want to die, and they wanted to pick off Chimera Ants. Both goals were better served from concealment.

It was enraging. He couldn't call it cowardice, even though it was, because it was undeniably effective. He couldn't use En, not like Pitou could, so locating the concealed humans would have to be done the hard way.

Someone had made a mistake, sending the Ants so unprepared, but he couldn't dream of who. It must have been his fault, or Neferpitou's. Yes, she had left. This was entirely her fault.

Youpi shook his head. While he'd been absorbed in pointless thought he'd deflected another twelve projectiles. Were the Hunters irritated? They'd definitely increased the rate of their attacks. That was a good thing, right?

"Menthuthuyoupi." It was the same Squadron Leader, peering at him over a sea of her underlings. What was her name? It started with a z, but Youpi had never bothered remembering it. "How far can you strike?"

He considered, deflecting more sand and smoke and bugs. They stung, but only a little. Another pair of eyes grew to cover a near-blind spot he hadn't noticed until a lasso had almost crept through it.

"I do not know," he answered honestly, and the Ant laughed.

"Well, I guess we're gonna find out, big guy," she grinned. "Yalrop here has a pretty good En," she continued, poking at a nearby Ant with huge, fish-like lips and a mantis-esque body. "A little over one-hundred meters. He's going to flash it, find the nearest Hunters, and we're gonna rush them. Even if we only grab one or two, that'll bring down their numbers by a lot. Can you cover us the whole way?"

A mobile shield. It was simple, but Youpi was sure he couldn't have come to the conclusion himself. He didn't have any experience in battle, like these Ants did. In that arena, bizarre as it felt, they were head and shoulders above him.

"Of course," he said. The projectiles had stopped, for the moment. The Hunters had to be reconsidering their strategy. Now was the best time to move. "Do it."

The Ants didn't give a signal; Yalrop just shouted, a massive effort, and his aura exploded out of him in a flash of magenta. It covered about three-hundred and fifty feet in an instant, and Yalrop quickly pointed with in several directions with three of his six limbs, one especially emphatically. Three groups of enemies then, one of which was closet.

There was no time to think. Over thirty of the Ants, including the Squadron Leader whose name Youpi wanted to know, charged west towards the closest Hunters. They wouldn't be fast enough on their own, Youpi realized, and so he sent several limbs out ahead of them as the others deflected yet more steel and sand bullets. There was a building there, about sixty feet away, and Youpi's arms broke through the walls and windows, sprouting eyes as they did.

His third arm found something. A Hunter was leaning against one wall, away from the windows, eyes half closed and nose twitching furiously. He held a thick knife in one hand, and a huge white dog lay next to the man, one paw resting on his knee. They both seemed entirely focused on something Youpi couldn't see; perhaps a smell.

Youpi recognized the man. This was the Hunter who had infiltrated the Nest all those weeks ago, made it all the way to the Queen's chamber before Youpi had ejected him from the structure with a single punch. He was sure his strike had killed the man. The human hadn't had time to direct his Nen. Yet here he was, seemingly little worse for wear.

The realization made him completely furious. The man's eyes jolted open, focusing on Youpi's arm, and the eyes covering it.

He started to say something, some profanity, before Youpi whipped his arm sideways with nothing but fury on his mind, trying to swipe the man's head off. The Hunter ducked, and Youpi's arm made a clean hole in the side of the building.

"Kill him!" Youpi roared as the Hunter scrambled away, his dog at his side. The charging Ants leapt forward, breaching the building. "He attacked the Queen! Kill him!"

That the Queen was now dead, killed by the King, didn't really matter; she had still birthed them, and this man had had no right, no right, to hunt her. Youpi's arm watched as a half dozen Ants fell upon the man simultaneously, but he remained infuriatingly alive. Dancing among the Chimera, the Hunter and his dog whirled and slashed, bit and clawed, dodging dismemberment by inches every second and removing eyes and limbs in return.

He had gotten faster. Youpi's arm watched, fascinated, waiting for an opportunity to strike again. The Hunter had gotten faster, and maybe stronger. Had he been hunting other Ants, improving himself, while Menthuthuyoupi guarded the King? It was a remarkable idea, something that Youpi had never considered. Here, watching the lone Hunter grab one Ant's scything claw and drive it into another Ant's abdomen, he felt jealousy.

An opening presented itself as the Ants fell back to gather themselves, and Youpi struck again. He realized his body had been moving towards the building, and so seven limbs could attack instead of one. They came from every direction, some sharpening into blades and others growing dense. And yet, faced with seven different attacks from seven different angles, the Hunter remained calm. Youpi yearned for him to scream or cry, but the man, stone-faced, slipped past all but three of his limbs. One, his dog knocked away with snarl, and another, the man deflected with a blade.

But the last made it through, and slammed directly into the Hunter's shoulder. The blow sent him hurtling through the room, past a stunned Ant. A hit! Youpi was elated, even though the attack hadn't done much damage. If only it had been a blade, to cut the Hunter in two, but a nearly broken arm was still satisfying. The Ants surged forward, looking to take the opening and finish the man off. Before they could make it three steps, the room was flooded with smoke. Youpi felt his eyes sting, and heard the Ants yell in shock as they lost sight of one another.

The room filled with bullets as Pitou's puppet soldiers finally caught up with the Ants, and through the contrails they cut in the smoke Youpi perceived the Hunter moving from Ant to Ant with incredible grace, jamming his thick knife up to its hilt into the back of their heads and leaving the bodies to fall. He killed three Ants in that manner before Youpi, even further enraged, swung at him once more. This time, his blow struck the man in the gut, knocking the air out of him and tossing him clear out of the building.

The Hunter's dog followed him, transforming into a copy of the man as it slipped from one pillar of smoke to the next. The man spun in the air, catching sight of Youpi below him, and grimaced.

Die! Fall to pieces! Youpi struck at him twenty times, trying to tear the Hunter apart with a barrage of limbs before he could fall another foot, but the man refused to die; even in midair he weaved through several attacks, kicked others away, and the few that would have slain him were turned away by smoke and sand. Youpi howled in frustration, feeling blood drawn by several blows spatter his face.

By all rights the Hunter should have been dead, but instead he was pulled away as another volley of bullets and several ranged hatsu tore through the space he'd just occupied. Not by smoke, but by an ownerless hand glowing with faint green energy. Youpi struck out once more and made contact, a blade slicing deep into the man's arm, only stopped by unreasonably stubborn bone. Just a foot higher and it would have been his neck!

As Menthuthuyoupi panted in rage, barely able to believe the Hunter had survived, several Ants barked a warning. His many eyes had already seen what had startled them; a tsunami of sand, completely out of place on the city streets, had broken from one of the nearby alleys and was roaring down the avenue, preparing to engulf him and the rest of the contingent. Youpi roared, redirecting his ire towards the sudden wave. He pummeled the sand with dozens of heavy punches, slowing it down. Ants came to his side, throwing energy, spitting water. One threw a car. Another slammed the street, raising up a thick wall of concrete that broke the tsunami's base. Their combined efforts stopped the wave in its tracks, leaving it creeping forward with only a fraction of its initial energy.

As the sand rolled to a stop, a man crested the top of the wave, staring out at the Ants over the impromptu beach. He was unlike any human Youpi had seen before, with stark red hair and blank green eyes. The human, no, certainly a Hunter, crossed his arms.

This was the man who had been manipulating the sand, that much was obvious. Tearing his head off was the equally obvious solution. Youpi struck at him with a dozen limbs, and every single blow was deflected by the man's sand, stopping them short or turning them away. The Ants at his side fell away, sensing that Youpi wanted the opponent to himself, or perhaps that the human was beyond them. One charged, and was instantly sucked down into the sand around the Hunter, vanishing without a trace.

Youpi couldn't understand it. Why couldn't he wipe the Hunter away? The human gave no motion, no indication of fear or stress or even interest. He simply watched as Youpi tried to batter through his defenses, his sand forming a perfect shield without fail. He didn't even deign to launch an attack of his own. Spikes, spears, scythes, hammers, nothing, nothing! Nothing came even close!

Menthuthuyoupi felt as though he were boiling over. Distantly, he was aware of the other Ants drawing away from him. They had been frightened off by the terrific heat he was beginning to emit. The boiling in his brain was steadily becoming a physical reality.

Die! Die! "DIE!" He gave voice to the last command, trying to demand the world keel over and die and take this triple-damned Hunter with it, and his vision was wiped away in a torrent of black and red, his whole body convulsing with uncontrollable emotions. Every single cell vibrated with such intense heat and hatred that for a moment Youpi was worried that he would stop existing, that his anger would burn him away instead of the man in front of him, but instead of the heat turning against him, it exploded out in a single glorious burst of passion.

The street exploded, and the city shuddered. The buildings around Youpi collapsed, blown away by his anger, and took the ones behind them down. The Ants behind him were tossed away, and the Hunter in front of him was knocked backwards, only prevented from going head over heels by his own gentle sand.

In the wake of his explosion, Youpi could hardly believe he had been the one responsible for it. He looked down at his hands; his body had returned to his default state. What had that been? It had been completely different from his bodies ordinary transformations. He stood in the center of a crater carved out of the street by his anger.

Menthuthuyoupi smiled. This anger was a gift from the King, no question. It was the tool he'd use to shatter the Hunter's bones and burn their bodies to ash. He looked up, and saw only the walls of the crater.

Sand erupted from the ground all around him, engulfing him in an instant. The Hunter was no longer happy to stay on defense: the man was definitely trying to kill him now. Was he scared?

"You should be!" Youpi shouted, and sand poured down his throat and crushed his eyes. It hurt, worse than anything he'd experienced before, but that only egged him on. He channeled the feeling, the frustration at the situation, his vindication, his yearning for the Hunter's death, and the lovely boiling feeling returned, though not as intense.

Menthuthuyoupi detonated once more, shattering the crater he stood in, and regenerated whole and unmarked. He laughed, a wild and joyous sound, and sprouted wings. The Royal Guard tore up into the sky, leering down at the Hunter who still hadn't budged from his position atop his mound of sand.

"Menthuthuyoupi!" Zazan! He'd finally remembered that name, the name he'd heard once or twice in passing. Zazan was the name of the Squadron Leader. He looked back at her with a face on his hip, and the Ant looked up at him with astonishment. "Can you hold that Hunter? We'll take care of the rest!"

Cooperation. Survival. The Ants here were instruments of the King's will, and Youpi was starting to realize that made them more than property. They were part of the King. They needed to be protected, the same way this sandy Hunter had protected his comrades. That was what had made them effective, and now, Youpi could serve the same role.

But better. He was a Royal Guard, after all.

"I won't hold him," Youpi said with a grin. "I'll kill him."

The Hunter smiled back, and Youpi's good mood evaporated. He roared, swooping down in a flurry of feathers and Nen. He flew in as close as he could, sprouting more limbs, a storm of punches; his chest exploded into thousands of needles, each dozens of meters long, but the Hunter's sand plucked each needle and snapped it with infinite tenderness, turned aside each punch with infuriating grace. Even now, even as he was, he couldn't penetrate the man's defense.

It was automatic and apparently infallible. Youpi roared, his body exploding once more, but this time he maintained his cohesion. The blast rolled over the Hunter's sand, turning it to glass and shattering it in places, but before he could be wiped away, disintegrated, the Hunter raised a hand and made a sign. A torrent of electric wind whipped up around him, turning aside Youpi's anger, and the Royal Guard gagged in fury at the dismissal.

"YOU-!" he screamed, hammering through the glassed sand with both hands, desperate to strangle the Hunter and rip his head clear off. Before he could close his fists, a broad blade of sand shot out from beneath the man and transfixed his mouth; it broadened and neatly sliced off everything above his jaw.

Youpi didn't care. His head didn't contain anything important; he only had one to maintain his facsimile of a biped. His fists closed, but more sand-blades cut his hands off before they could squeeze life from the man, and for the first time the Hunter directly attacked. He kicked out, driving Youpi back by a foot with a powerful shot to the gut. The Guard rooted himself with tentacles that sprouted from his back and buried themselves in the ground, but he'd still given up precious space.

He'd given ground. He, a Royal Guard, instrument of the King, had given ground. That meant the King had given ground.

Menthuthuyoupi screamed in frustration, feeling the Hunter's existence trail away from him, just out of reach, and boiled over once more. But this time, he was unwilling to simply let the anger wash away as an ineffectual explosion. He'd already seen it would be useless against this man. There had to be more. The King had to have given him more!

Control it. Youpi experienced a euphoric epiphany. Shape it! The rage didn't have to simply explode out! It had boiled him before, but that heat had let him shape himself, even if he hadn't realized it. If he could shape what was supposed to be a Royal Guard into a bomb, why not something more useful? Youpi narrowed his eyes, unconsciously striking away probes of deadly sand with more tentacles, and poured all of his hatred and frustration into his left arm.

"Piece of crap! Garbage! Sand in my eye!" he raged, picturing his arm swelling beyond his body. No, more than that would be needed. Blades, rotating drills, power, power, power! He needed overwhelming power, concentrated in a single point, not just uselessly spread: the power to decimate a city street, focused in one limb, on one target. That was what he needed, if he wanted to beat the Hunter's perfect defense!

The Hunter ripped at his body, his head, his legs, but Youpi refused to budge even as his skin and muscle was stripped away by scouring sand. He just roared in pain and determination, ignoring everything but his arm.

It morphed; it changed. His hand became a series of armored spearhead, each as thick as a spade and harder than diamond, and his arm coiled, muscles compounding upon muscle and twisting themselves to the point of self destruction, creating a living drill. His shoulder collapsed, holes opening up and jets of raw crimson ejecting from his body like the corona of a dying star.

The Hunter frowned, jumping back a step, but it was too late.

"DIE!" Youpi howled. Every muscle in his body exploded as he lunged forward, his entire existence focused upon his opponent. A wall of sand, covered in buffeting wind and harsh static, rose up before him and he struck it with the force of a missile. There was resistance, confounding resistance for the briefest of moments, and then he howled once more, twisting his arm and ejecting Nen from every pore, and the wall shattered. His eyes caught the barest hint of sand becoming red and turning into glass before it was crushed, and then all he could see was the Hunter's surprised face.

Wide green eyes.

KILL THEM.

The drill made contact, and the Hunter was transformed into a grotesque corpse, completely twisted around Youpi's arm, flesh deformed, bones shattered. But instead of blood-

More sand erupted from the Hunter. Not warm blood and organs as he had expected but more sand. As Youpi watched, unable to comprehend what he was seeing, the body he had so handedly destroyed fell apart and instead of a corpse, all he got was more damn sand.

He crashed into the ground and stared at where the Hunter had been in confusion. Youpi's arm changed back to normal. The world around him was quiet. That had been the real Hunter. He was positive of it. There was no way it had been a clone, sand or otherwise.

"What?" Youpi asked, and then someone punched him in the face.

It didn't hurt. The blow was pathetically weak. The fact that he'd been punched at all, so mundanely, harmed him more than the fist ever could have. Someone had punched the King's Royal Guard square on the chin; someone had struck at the King.

Youpi's furnace reignited, his skin burning orange. His eyes, flaming red, fell upon the man who'd punched him, emerging from the sand. He'd been hidden below the other Hunter. Shirtless, with long white pants and stupid hair, fucking stupid hair, sitting on top of his head like a crushed car tire.

And a cocky grin. The grin sent Youpi over the edge. As he roared, reaching out, the man turned on his heels and fled. For a human, he was incredibly fast, accelerating from a standstill to full sprint in less than a heartbeat. Youpi's hand fell short, and so did the blades his fingers shot out after the man.

Youpi stopped thinking and threw himself in pursuit, but his senses reasserted themselves before he made it ten feet. He wasn't a beast, chasing after every irritant. He was a Royal Guard. The Hunter probably wanted Youpi to chase after him. That's why he had punched him, that's why he had run. But the man wasn't a threat. His punch hadn't done any damage. All he had was speed.

Youpi would better serve the King by staying with the rest of the Chimera, not by chasing after someone for stinging him. That was what Pitou had done, which was what had landed them in this situation in the first place. The logic slotted itself into place like two simple but beautiful puzzle pieces, and the Royal Guard smiled, turning his back on the Hunter.

His insides were still boiling with anger, but that was alright. No, it was great. There were more deserving targets. Like that bastard with the sand.

Where was he? Nowhere in sight. His attacks had stopped as well. Where were the rest of the Ants? Still fighting. He couldn't see any on the street anymore, but he could hear the sounds of battle close by. He needed to return to them, and continue to shield them.

Youpi set off towards the battle, his long stride cracking the concrete under him. He'd almost reached the sound when a sudden voice startled him.

"Adding Interest!"

An eye popped out of the side of his head, searching for the voice, and found itself staring at a small, chubby calculator-person.

What was it? Youpi continued to watch as he cut through a building, concrete and drywall shattering around him as he bulldozed past it. He hadn't detected it until now: the thing had been completely silent. When had it latched onto him? Was it a weapon? A bomb? He struck at it curiously, and his arm sent the creature spinning away… but the thing returned undamaged, still smiling cheerfully.

Youpi unhinged his jaw and bit down on the cherub with enough force to slice clean through steel, but his teeth just sunk into the thing as though it were rubber. It gave no sign of pain or distress, and Youpi let go after a moment, watching the teeth marks he'd left vanish without a trace.

Now, that was irritating. As if to mock him, the thing spoke just a second later.

"Adding Interest!" it chirped, swelling slightly, and Youpi resolved to ignore it for now. It wasn't doing anything except being annoying. Perhaps it was just the worst Hatsu ever invented.

He finally came upon the battlefield, only to find it was nothing of the such. There were only a dozen Ants here, moving through an intersection and exchanging hatsu and insults with two distant Hunters, both scurrying from rooftop to rooftop like frightened grasshoppers. One of them was a commander, but it wasn't Zazan, so Youpi didn't know its name.

"Hey!" he yelled, and one of the Ants turned with a questioning look. A knife bounced off the hard shell on its back; Youpi had accidentally saved its life. "Where is Zazan?"

"Gone," the Ant shouted. "The sand separated us all; no one knows who's where now. Everyone's scattered."

That was bad. Really bad, actually. If the Ants were scattered so bad that even their telepathy couldn't turn them around, the Hunters could just pick off small groups of them instead of having to engage the whole army at a distance, which was probably exactly what their plan had been the whole time. Youpi couldn't admire humans, but he could acknowledge their plan was effective.

His attention turned to the two Hunters harrying the Ants from the roof. One was huge and stocky, hefting a large pipe, and the other was short and dark, his face covered by a tall hood. Any attempt to approach them was turned away by swarms of killer insects and smoky humanoids armed with knives and firearms, but the Hunters couldn't seem to put down the Ants in the intersection regardless, only hem them in. It was a stalemate.

Until Youpi had arrived, anyway. Since spotting him the Hunters had unmistakably begun drawing back. Apparently, fighting him wasn't part of their plan. They were about two-hundred feet away. Youpi drew back an arm, the limb liquefying and stretching like a hose, trailing far behind him.

"Adding Interest!" his constant companion squeaked, and swelled once more. It was becoming a respectable size now. What the hell was interest anyway? Youpi concentrated, shoving his irritation, lingering rage for the Hunter with the dumb hair, hatred for sand, and pure contempt for the two Hunters before him down his arm, picturing it coursing through the limb like bloody water.

The end of his arm expanded, transforming the limb into a long flail. Youpi roared, swinging it over his head, and to the Hunter's clear and satisfying astonishment the lengthened arm covered almost the entire distance to the two men. They leapt aside as it smashed down between them, crushing the roof beneath it like tinfoil.

Youpi had missed, but that was okay, cause he hadn't needed to hit. He roared in laughter, his entire body shaking with mirth and hatred. Without his explicit command his hand, blown up like an explosive balloon and glowing with an inner crimson light, detonated. The blast gutted the building and sent both Hunters hurtling away like dull confetti.

That had worked. He'd done it! He'd sent his anger into the right place, at the right time, and it had worked! Youpi had never felt so elated in his life, not even when he'd set eyes on the King. Was that a bad thing? It was beyond him to know.

Unfortunately, two whips of sand caught the men out of the air before they could fall, and Youpi's elation turned to rage once more. That piece of shit. The Sand Hunter couldn't let him have a single moment of satisfaction?

No! He grinned. That was good! Anger was good! Disappointment was good!

"Keep it up!" he roared at the sand as it drew the Hunters down to safety in the ruins of the building. "Why not?! Keep making me angry! Angrier! More and more and more!" He took a step forward. "Keep it up so I can blow you to bits!"

"Adding Interest!"

Youpi didn't think. He just grabbed the thing and started slamming it into the ground, over and over again. It didn't make any sort of impact on the street, so he started stomping on it as well, creating a satisfying crater.

"More and more and MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE!" he grew louder with each slam, pouring more and more hate into his arm, into the damn calculator, into the city, into the universe, trying to drown all of creation with his scream and his blinding anger. He felt sure that if shouted loud enough, dug deep enough, he could wipe away the whole forsaken city with a single, perfect expression of frustration and malice.

He threw the Nen creature away and struck out with a flail-like arm again, determined to reduce the pile of rubble the Hunters had taken shelter in to ashes. His blow landed like an artillery strike, and Youpi blew out all his hatred at once. His arm erupted, the explosion wiping away the remains of the building.

There was an echo, somewhere out in the city, of a blast of almost equal might. Youpi cocked his head, drawing his arm back as he grew more eyes to see if any Hunters would emerge from the blast zone. There was no sign of life… but the humans were quick and quiet. He couldn't take that for granted.

"Wow!" the voice emerged from behind him, and Youpi's eyes focused as a man stepped out of one of the empty shops on the corner of the street. He didn't recognize this Hunter; it was a scruffy looking man in dull, old robes and a turban. "That's pretty impressive!" A tide of sand followed close after the man, surging around his heels.

Was this the real Sand Hunter, or was the bastard just protecting him from a hidden space? The latter seemed more likely: it seemed to be the man's main tactic. Youpi sent an exploratory blade out, trying to cut the man in half, and the sand rose and turned the blade aside. He spat in frustration, his tongue transforming into an immensely long and thin spear. The spear managed to slip past the sand, to Youpi's surprise, but instead of punching through the Hunter's throat the man's hand blurred up and slapped the attack aside.

It hadn't been a strong one, but the motion was still shocking in its speed and surety. This was someone to take more seriously.

"So," the man said, drawing closer. He'd just kept up a steady stride, calmly drawing closer and closer to Youpi. He was less than thirty feet away now. "How do you do that?"

Was a Hunter trying to talk to him? That didn't make any sense. The human was probably speaking to an unseen ally. Youpi struck out again, and the Hunter danced aside, the sand not bothering to defend him this time.

He could have hit him that time, Youpi realized. But the Hunter was sapping his anger and replacing it with confusion.

"Adding Interest!"

That piece of shit! He must have been doing it on purpose, trying to weaken him! Youpi roared and exploded forward, quite literally: his back detonated and propelled him forward with the force of a missile. He tried to clothesline the man in half, his body becoming one giant blade, and the Hunter-

Ducked.

Just ducked, as though he was stepping under a low door frame, his hands shoved in his pockets.

That wasn't possible, was it? No human could have just ducked that kind of attack. That wasn't possible. Youpi turned, trying to fix his mistake and crush the human with a single punch, and the man just skipped to the left, the passage of Youpi's fist ruffling his hair. He hopped, dodging the shockwave that destroyed the street, and landed behind Youpi, several bladed tentacles that would have cut him down waylaid and pinned by sand.

"I know you can talk," the man said, pacing around Youpi's back. The Royal Guard was too shocked to attack. What was happening? Something was wrong. "So c'mon! How are you doing that?"

Youpi swung again, four limbs at once, a wall of violence that nothing could slip through, and the man dove into the ground as though it were water, leaping up out of the concrete after the whips passed over him. "The way your body keeps changing, it's like you're made of putty or something. How are you doing that without losing yourself?"

"Adding Interest!"

He skipped past another attack, and the sand saved him from several more. It seemed impatient to Youpi. "You obviously don't have a brain, not in the normal way. Is it spread out through your whole body? It almost seems like your cells are independent… but if that were the case, would you even be conscious?"

Youpi screamed in frustration, blowing away the man and the street, but he just rolled to his feet without a care, his hair even uglier than before. "And that explosion! What's generating that heat? You're destroying yourself and putting yourself back together at the same time: what gives you the guts? I've seen you can direct it, but is it only out, or could you keep it confined? You're like a living reactor!"

The man was almost sparkling with enthusiasm. Youpi wanted to throw up. The urge to kill was completely overwhelming. He was forgetting all about the other Ants, Pitou, the distant explosion, even the King. Murder was becoming his existence.

"Silent treatment, huh?"

"Shut up!" Youpi flailed in frustration, begging his body to just erase the irritance, but the man continued to hop, skip, and duck past everything the Royal Guard threw out. "Shut up and die!"

"Listen." The man came to a stop, holding up a finger. "You answer-"

Youpi threw a punch larger than the human's torso, but a wall of sand rose up before the man and swallowed his arm. The human poked his head around the barrier, not missing a beat. "-one question, just one, and I'll leave you alone, okay?"

Leave him alone? That didn't make sense either. Nothing was making sense. This was a Hunter; Hunters killed Ants, or tried and failed. The sand was trying to crush his arm at that very moment.

"Adding Interest!"

"Not happening," Youpi grunted, yanking his arm back and leaving most of the limb behind. He tried to calm down while retaining his anger. The paradox hurt his head a little, but who said his mind had to be the same as his body? Surely his cells could retain their rage while he kept cool. This Hunter needed more consideration.

"How about a trade then?" the Hunter said with a grin. "You answer one of my questions, and I'll give you a free hit."

Patronizing. Patronizing! What a piece of shit! Youpi almost threw another punch, but he'd finally come around to accepting that no matter how angry he was, simply hitting the Hunter was out of the question. The human was too fast, completely unreadable in his movement, and could pass through the ground anyway. Any attacks that overcame all those factors were turned away by the sand that crept around the Hunter's feet like a doting dog.

He straightened up. Menthuthuyoupi was a Royal Guard. There had to be more to being a Guard than hitting things. Someday, there could be a threat to the King like this man, something that force alone wouldn't fix. He needed to learn cunning, the same cunning Pitou and Pouf were capable of. Otherwise, he'd be useless if that day came.

Youpi couldn't be useless.

"One question," he said, unable to believe the situation. He shoved that disbelief and indignation down, fuel for the fire. If the Hunter was being honest, he'd need to make sure the one hit would be the last one.

"Nice." The Hunter smiled guilelessly. "I'm Ging, by the way. Ging Freecss. You probably don't care about that, but people tell me I don't introduce myself enough. Do you have a name?"

"... Is that your question?" Youpi grunted, and the Hunter laughed.

"If you want it to be. I bet I can figure the rest out once you're dead."

Arrogant. Youpi imagined it would be a greater pleasure than any before it to reduce the Hunter to ash. But patience. Patience. The man might have been lying, but they had a contract of sorts now. How the Hunter held up his part of the deal would be necessary information, especially since it was obvious he couldn't harm Youpi on his own. If he could have, he would have by now.

"Menthuthuyoupi," he said.

"Long name."

"I didn't choose it."

Youpi struck out, and the blade his arm had become punched through the man's chest. The Royal Guard blinked. He hadn't really expected that to happen.

Even impaled, the man refused to flinch. He didn't scream like most humans did when they were injured. He just took a firm hold of Youpi's arm-blade, Nen sliding around his fingers in an intense current.

"As you can see, I'm a man of my word," he said, backing up and carefully sliding Youpi's arm out of his chest. Youpi, who had been a creature of pure instinct until perhaps ten minutes before, was too surprised and intrigued to resist, to transform his arm into clinging barbs; he wanted to see what this Hunter, this enemy of the King, would do next. The blade cleared the Hunter's chest, and Youpi realized that the blow was clean. Too clean. The hole left behind barely bled.

Nen was in many ways still a mystery to him, but it was still obvious what had happened. The Hunter had copied him. The man had shifted his insides around to make a blow clean through the chest a painful inconvenience instead of fatal.

Was that even possible for a human? Stupid question. If it could be done with his Nen, why couldn't this Hunter do it with his?

"Adding Interest!"

The words brought Youpi back to his senses. This man was ruining him, he could feel it. Since he'd been confronted his rage had been leached out and replaced by curiosity. That could be helpful later, but for now it was making him stand around like an idiot. He needed to be killing Hunters, not talking with them.

He struck out again, once more without warning, but Ging Freecss didn't let Youpi impale him once more. The Hunter danced back with a gentle grin.

"It was good to meet you, Menthuthuyoupi," the Hunter said. The Royal Guard stalked forward, looking for an opening. "Maybe we'll have a chance to have a real conversation before this is all over."

"If we meet again, it will be for the last time," Youpi promised. He could chase after the man, but it would be a waste. If he couldn't hit him, what would be the point of catching him?

"Adding Interest!"

"Well, you're probably right." The Hunter sounded disappointed. "Especially if you don't get that thing off."

Youpi smacked the thing hanging over his shoulder on habit. "This? It's useless."

"Nen is never useless." Ging grinned. "I think you have about… fifteen minutes. Maybe less, if you exert yourself. Past that, and you're doomed."

"You're lying." The man wanted to intimidate him into leaving the city. It was too obvious. The Hatsu hadn't done anything except grow since it had attached itself to him. It was as frightening as the human's the King stocked the palace with, frail girls and old men.

"C'mon, I let you stab me," the man groused, continuing to skip back away from Youpi. "Doesn't that buy me anything?" It did, but Youpi didn't want to the let the Hunter know that. What kind of disgusting thought was it, to believe a human without proof just because of his actions?

So instead of being honest, which was the only thing Youpi had known how to be that morning, the Royal Guard lied.

"No. Just a hole in your chest." Youpi grinned, and the man laughed.

Was this a conversation? There was something fun about it. It was like a fight, but with words. Was this how Pitou and Pouf looked at talking? No wonder they did so much of it, if that was the case.

The Sand Hunter crested a nearby roof, looking down on the both of them. "Ging," the man said. The way he spoke reminded Youpi of the King. "Enough."

The Hunter hesitated, and then leapt up to the roof. Youpi considered cutting him out of the air, but the promise of sand kept him still. What would be the point of wasting energy on attacks that wouldn't reach, especially if the Hunter was telling the truth about his strange little stalker?

"Go back to the palace, Menthuthuyoupi," Ging called down as the Sand Hunter watched them both with pale, cold eyes. "Go back to your King. Your comrade is probably dead by now; the King will need all the Guards he can spare."

Youpi tilted his head. "Pitou?" he asked. "Impossible." But there was a seed of doubt inside him, another alien feeling nurtured by the curiosity the Hunter had planted inside the once flawless Royal Guard. Pitou was flawed too, and had gone off on her own against the Watcher. Could something truly have happened to her, separated from the other Ants in this city had eaten more of them than any of the Ants had dreamed?

"You know I won't let him go."

"If you can keep him here, you're welcome to," Ging said, crossing his arms to mirror the Hunter at his side. Youpi had forgotten how fractious humans could be; the two men clearly weren't friends. "I want to see if he can even make the decision to leave."

The Sand Hunter didn't respond to that. He just gestured, and a thick limb of sand surged out of the gourd on his back, exploding around him and down towards Youpi. The Royal Guard was forced into defense, falling back as the street ruptured under the pressure of the attack. Limbs of sand chased after him, and for every three Youpi smacked into dust another five appeared.

As Youpi retreated, he found himself looking inward. By now, he couldn't deny that the assault was a failure. The Hunters, so much more experienced at battle than any of the Ants, had stretched the Ants out across the city, separated their two most powerful enemies, and painfully bled them. Youpi wasn't harmed but for some irritating thoughts and a more irritating companion attached to him, but dozens of Ants had died by now. So had Pitou, if the Hunters were somehow, impossibly, telling the truth. If that really was the case, and no matter how ridiculous it sounded it could be, because the Watcher had certainly hurt Neferpitou before, then Youpi had an ironclad duty to run.

A humiliating duty, but one he couldn't deny. Leaving the King with only one Guard would be completely unacceptable. And irresponsible, almost as irresponsible as chatting with an enemy for over a minute just because he'd been stupid enough to take one of Youpi's blows without flinching.

So that was it, flee. Was that really the logical option? Or was he blinded by his horrible, sapping curiosity? His rage had guttered out, but would rekindling it be the actions of a Guard, or a fool?

Youpi didn't know. Youpi doubted. Menthuthuyoupi didn't feel fear, but to the Royal Guard who had felt nothing but obedience and dull anger until today, uncertainty was just as poisonous.

There was more than just sand assailing him now. Smoke, blades, insects. Other Hunters were trickling into the battle, trying to bring him down with weight of fire, attacking from every side. Had they even killed one? If not, the whole assault had been pointless.

No, Youpi realized. Not pointless. He'd learned something about the enemy.

He'd learned something about himself. More than he could understand right now, being bombarded by the enemy, his consciousness stretched across hundreds of attacks. Sand engulfed him, turning the world black and attempting to crush him.

To Youpi's eventual shame, it was that epiphany that decided his retreat. Not the King possibly being short a Guard, not the failure of the assault, not even the odds steadily mounting against him as four Hunters became five, all doing their best to bring him down as Ging watched. The understanding that he had become more than what he was that morning, and the yearning to preserve and explore that new version of himself.

He burst free from the sand cocoon. Not towards the Hunters, but up, high into the sky, carried by exploding wings and determination. As he soared skyward, he rained parts of himself down on the Hunters below, each exploding upon impact. One sent a a thin Hunter Youpi didn't recognize flying, but the others were stopped in their tracks by the Sand Hunter. That was fine. They'd been distractions, not true attacks. Youpi took the reprieve from the sand as a chance to grow yet more eyes and ears, so many that even his concentration almost collapsed under the avalanche of information.

He couldn't use En, but this was almost as effective. Hanging in the sky above the city for a frozen moment, the second before gravity reasserted itself, Youpi picked out the remaining Ants across Peijing. There were only about forty left, less than half of the group that had set out.

Extensions of the King, he thought. He couldn't leave without them.

He grew more wings, trading weapons for speed. His legs folded in, replaced by jets of Nen. Rage (who was he even angry at now? Pitou? Ging? Himself?), and something else, shaped his body quicker than he'd ever managed before. Fighting the Hunters wasn't his goal anymore. Now, he had to run as efficiently as possible.

"Adding Interest!"

Youpi broke the sound barrier in an instant, tearing down and through the streets of Peijing and scattering the residents that hadn't been smart or brave enough to flee the battlefront in his passing. The next minute was a blur. He plunged into groups of Ants, some as few as two and one as large as fifteen, and shared his revelation as he went.

Retreat! Retreat! The call came from him at first, but given the command the Ants quickly carried it farther with their telepathy. Some resisted, but none of them challenged him. Like a tide reversing, the Chimera Ants steadily poured out of Peijing, harried by Hunters along the way. Some carried hostages as they went, but most simply fled as fast as they could.

It was a failure of a battle, Youpi reflected, but it would have been even worse if these Ants had stayed and died. As he soared above the retreat, he felt an absurd pride. These Ants were moving at his will, the King's will through him.

Sober as it was, it seemed like the only thing he'd actually accomplished this morning.

"Adding Interest!"

The thing had kept chattering the whole time. When Youpi focused on it, its size shocked him. The once diminutive cherub, no bigger than his fist, had grown twice as large as him, following him around like a disgusting blimp.

Fifteen minutes, Ging had said when he urged his retreat. The man had been lying; it hadn't been nearly that long. But something bad was clearly happening. Youpi wasn't smart, but he didn't have to be to understand that something that was attached to him growing like that couldn't be good.

No, that hadn't been all Ging said. Unless you exert yourself. How much Nen had he been using? More than in the rest of his life, probably combined. His supersonic flight, the jets of Nen replacing his legs, the sensory overload that had nearly overwhelmed even his indomitable mind…

The Hatsu fed on Nen, Youpi finally realized. It was obvious and horrible. The Hunter with retarded hair had tagged him with the perfect counterweapon. Nen is never useless. But if that were the case, what would happen when it was full? An explosion? That would have been his only conclusion before, but now he was aware it could be something far worse. What if the creature turned him into a puppet, as the King and Pitou could humans?

He was thinking too much. Youpi missed the simplicity of thought he'd enjoyed less than a half hour before. That had been clean and easy. Now he was questioning everything, and suffering for it. But no matter how many thoughts he entertained, they all led to the same solution. He had to get this off.

At the edge of the city, Youpi returned to the body he'd been born in, and plummeted into Peijing like a dull red missile. He entirely destroyed a military checkpoint when he landed, reducing one unlucky puppet soldier to paste and crippling another, and was running before his body had finished adjusting to the shock of impact.

Am I a coward? The thought followed him as he tore the earth apart under him, the palace in the distance growing larger every second. Did I make the right decision?

Youpi wasn't smart enough to know, or so he believed. But the King was. When the King judged him, as He inevitably would, He would make the right decision. He would be able to tell Youpi whether he was a coward who should have sold himself as dearly as he could, or a Royal Guard who'd done their best to protect the King and His subjects.

It was a comforting and true realization. As Youpi fled from the city that had taken so many Ants and given him so much, it finally put his mind at peace.

Chapter Text

Inhumanity

Hinata died for the twenty-sixth time when the King drove his fist through her eye, crushing her brain. She shivered as the Ant withdrew his fist, the shared image of her demise echoing in both their minds.

The King had always pulled his blows before they could actually destroy the Shadow Clone, but the connection their chakra had forged made each near-death just as bad as the real thing. The King had a vivid imagination, and he was more than happy to share it.

"You're slow," the King noted. He'd stopped the endless mental interrogation shortly after his Ants had returned bloody and despairing. Hinata's joy and amusement at their failure had infuriated the King, but unfortunately not enough for him to kill her. At least her real self was safe. After he'd sent Youpi to seek an exorcist, not knowing that Hinata herself was a solution to Knuckle's Hatsu, he'd demanded she spar with him. "You still don't want to fight me?"

"It wouldn't accomplish anything," Hinata said, crossing her arms. "Why would I waste my time trying to kill you now, when it's out of my reach?" The King flashed the taste of her daughter's brain across her mind once more, and she grit her teeth.

"Amusement," the King said. "Satisfaction. You enjoy fighting."

"That's not true." It was a strong denial, but even as Hinata said it she doubted herself. Or was it the King's doubt? The creature smiled as he watched something drift across her mind, her and Hanabi dancing across polished wooden floors, flowing like water from form to form, practicing their Gentle Fist. Beyond them, she and Naruto tussled in an empty field, rolling across the grass and laughing.

"Isn't this the same?" he asked, and Hinata pictured his head cracking open, brains dribbling across the floor. "Certainly, my chakra has made us closer than you could ever hope to be with another human…"

He was trying to ground her down. It took an iron will for Hinata to keep her mind safe against the King's grasping touch; every time she slipped, he greedily withdrew yet more about chakra, about her home, from her traitorous mind. She had to focus on herself, on her body, on her hatred of the Ants, to keep herself safe, but it was only growing more difficult with time. Eventually, she would let something important slip.

Was that her thought, or the King's? Most likely both. It horrified her to admit it, but their thoughts were aligning more often than not over the last hour.

"As would only be natural," the King said, stalking around Hinata and throwing another punch at her side. Twenty-seven. His hands would easily pierce her and rip her kidney out. When she fought, Hinata's body was tougher than steel, but if the King wanted to he could effortlessly tear her apart like so much silly-putty. She refused to react to the punch, and the Ant growled in frustration.

There was thunder outside, constant and violent. She could barely hear it.

"You can continue to delude yourself," he said. "That's a human prerogative; it's about all your species is good at. But sooner or later, you'll have to accept that I deserve this more than you."

"Chakra?" Hinata said, shifting to keep eye contact with the thing. It was important to say it out loud. It was too easy to forget that they were talking and just start thinking, transmitting her thoughts directly once more, and when she did that the King would just find his job even easier.

The King didn't respond, only sneered. What else? He paced faster, circling Hinata like a shark. She felt that no matter where she looked, the King was there, his bright violet eyes boring into her, implacable and inhuman. "It must be difficult for you to understand," he said, his voice low and quiet. "Those eyes of yours are certainly impressive, but they'll always be blind to what you don't want to see." Faster. Hinata was at the center of a violet ring, inescapable.

The King's eyes were the same color as her chakra. It terrified her.

"You are just a single human. A single woman, powerful for a human, brave to come here… but only one, alone."

You are just a single ant, a vain and cruel insect. The King took the barb smiling, and Hinata realized she'd forgotten to speak. "Surely, if you were blind, you'd think that," the King said. He suddenly came to a stop before her. "But I'm not an individual. The King of the Chimera Ants is a monument to every Chimera that came before me." Hinata saw it, the countless victims of the Ants, animals and humans and beyond, burned into the King's very DNA, a living relic of their gluttony and horror. The King saw it too, and it pleased him. He wouldn't have come up with such a lovely metaphor on his own.

"Why should a frail thing such as you, an individual with no achievements but your own, deserve something like this chakra?" the King asked, suddenly angry. Hinata's fury was leaking into him. "You've done nothing to earn it. My subordinates gifted me this: my mother built it! It was yours to surrender, and you did!"

"You're naive," Hinata declared, and she seized the confidence to smash the King back, to make him believe, just for a moment, that he was the child she took him for. "Humans are just the same. We're built from our parents, from their achievements and failures. It's impossible to separate us from our past." She frowned, trying to become a rock against which the King would break. She had to find a chink in his armor; the Ant's logic was laughable, but it was his ego she had to attack. "You want to believe you're special, but chakra doesn't make anyone special." She screamed it inside too, wanting to make him believe, impossible as it was. "Your genes don't make you. Your actions have, and by them, you are nothing but a petty murderer."

The King bristled, feeling Hinata's pins pricking every inch of his soul. "If you truly-"

"My eyes?" Hinata angrily poked at them, as if to take them out, cutting the King's thought like a string. "My eyes do not make me. They are a part of me. Only a child such as you, consumed with your own importance, wouldn't see the difference!"

Kill me, she yearned, and the King very nearly did. Ninshu was a doubled connection, and Hinata's own desire to die, to escape, infiltrated the King just as surely as he had her. His tail twitched, ready to take her head off, and then stilled. Like an iron gate slamming shut, the King dispelled Hinata's wish.

"My King?" Shaiapouf poked his head through the door. The Royal Guard had been ordered outside the room by the King; he hadn't wanted any distractions from the preening creature as he'd interrogated Hinata. "The girl has returned; she desires another game. Shall I send her-"

"In, yes," the King snarled, grabbing handfuls of his composure back. "Send her in."

Pouf looked like he'd swallowed his own tongue. "Of course, my King." He retreated out of the room, and both Hinata and the King snorted in amusement. They glared at one another, neither sure who the laugh had come from. Maybe it had been a genuine shared feeling.

Komugi entered, frail and pale as ever, and Hinata remembered why she'd stayed behind against all reason to endure the King's tortuous curiosity. This girl's life was the chain the King had bound her with; if she died, so too would Komugi. The King had promised.

And yet… drifting across the room, visible only to the King and Hinata, there was something unusual accompanying Komugi's entrance. Hinata couldn't put it to words, and when she glanced at the King it vanished. As ever, the Ant was cold and curious.

"I thought you would sleep longer," the King said. The girl smiled at his voice, and Hinata shuddered.

"I tried, Supreme Leader, but I couldn't." Tap, tap, tap went her cane as she made her way further into the room. It was a comforting sound, Hinata thought, though she'd never heard it before. Steady and solid… "All I could think about was our last game. New moves and strategies just kept pestering me all night. I couldn't write them down, and I couldn't risk forgetting them… I had to stay awake."

The girl's monofocus was as admirable as it was alarming. Hinata realized that she was practically glowing with an inner light. A closer look confirmed her suspicions. The girl was practically boiling over with Nen.

What was it that the Hunters called it? Awakening? The King had unintentionally done to Komugi what he was planning to do to the entire country… without transforming her into an Ant. The girl had surpassed normal human potential and become something more, all over a board game.

Hinata laughed. She couldn't help it. It was a relief and a tragedy at the same time, and she couldn't fathom another response to it. The King glared at her, and Komugi started.

"Who's there?" the girl asked, suddenly frightened. She'd thought she was alone with the King, and now that she knew someone else was there she was-

Frightened. Hinata was ashamed, but when she tried to step forward, the King stopped her with a look.

"A guest," the King said, and Komugi seemed to wilt a little. "Her name is Hinata."

"It's… it's nice to meet you!" Komugi squeaked, and Hinata smiled. The girl reached the Gungi board in the center of the board and sunk down, reaching out to confirm her faith that it was still there. The King strode forward as well, ignoring Hinata and taking a seat before Komugi, radiating anticipation. This, even more than the secrets of chakra, enticed him more than anything in the world. Playing Gungi. Playing against an opponent he couldn't defeat. Playing Komugi…

Hinata couldn't understand the feeling, not yet, so instead she returned Komugi's greeting as the King retrieved the board's tiles and began setting them.

"It's nice to meet you too, Komugi." In person, she amended. As she watched, with no preamble the King and the girl began their match. It was different then just observing from the city, as she had once or twice before. Now, watching the girl's concentration and feeling the King's thoughts, the game took on another dimension to her.

The King was a relentless opponent, making each and every move without hesitation. Tied to him by their chakra, Hinata understood the incredible processing power of his mind better than ever before; even when they had been sparring, he'd never applied this level of concentration to any task. The Ant was making hundreds of decisions a second, creating and discarding new plans of attack without pause; his defense was a bottomless pit that liberties could only enter but never depart. But once the King was committed to a plan, he was committed permanently. Not out of stubbornness, but patience. He was prepared to play as many games as possible to defeat his opponent.

Only there, through a board game, did Hinata wrap her head around the paradox of the King's desperate patience and endless stamina. To a creature that believed he was the pinnacle of life, what would a couple thousand games of Gungi be, if not the prologue to yet more proof of his superiority?

Komugi was the perfect counterpart to the King, as though she'd been born to defeat him. Truly, it seemed physically impossible to Hinata; how could any human, no matter how skilled, compete in such a game against the sheer scale of the King's thoughts? But like a ship navigating a hurricane, Komugi only ever made the perfect decision, destroying ten-score of the King's strategies with each move. Her activated Nen made her fearless; when Hinata had first watched her, she had been a cautious and slow player, but now with her soul boiling over she often made moves even before the King announced his, as though she'd already anticipated it. Hinata activated her Byakugan, trying to see if there was anything more she could pull from the remarkable girl before her.

Just as quickly, she willed her vision back to normal. She'd seen something she shouldn't have, beyond the throne room. It was only thanks to the King's obsession with her and his game that he hadn't noticed what she had. But as she considered her luck, something else caught her attention.

Remarkable? Surely, Komugi was good at Gungi, but that was only a board game. Hinata had never put much stock in such games. To her shock that the word, remarkable, hadn't been hers. It was the King's. It was the one thought running under all his strategizing and aggression. Remarkable, admirable… strong.

If the King cared for Hinata's insight, he didn't show it. Instead, he lost his first game as Komugi swept an entire flank up in just three moves. The King conceded, bleeding nothing but grace and satisfaction, and cleared the board so they could begin again. The game had only taken three minutes: the speed of both players, and Komugi's new confidence, had destroyed the King in record time.

As the King reset the board, Komugi coughed, sitting back. "S-so, you're a guest of the King, Hinata? You d-don't sound like you're from Gorteau."

Don't speak to her. Was the King's thought directed at her, or Komugi? Hinata did not know and did not care. She began to open her mouth, not sure what she would say, but as ever, the King was faster than her.

"She is an assassin," he said with some amusement. "Sent to kill me." Komugi gasped, and the innocence of the sound made Hinata laugh. "She's been watching me since the day I was born."

"What?!" Komugi's blank eyes didn't shift their focus from the board, but the distress radiating off her spoke louder than they ever could have. "Aren't you worried?"

The King let out a short bark of a laugh. "She's tried and failed. Now, she's here for my amusement."

"How could you?" Komugi asked Hinata, distracted from her game for a moment. She was practically pleading. "How could you try to kill the Supreme Leader?"

Now, Hinata was less amused. "I didn't come here to kill him," she said as Komugi's lip wobbled. "I came here to stop anyone else from being killed." She thought for a second as the King finished with the board. "And you're right, I'm not from around here."

She thought of home, of Konoha, of her children and Naruto, and wanted more than ever to be anywhere but where she was.

"Why would you want to stop him?" Komugi asked, and Hinata understood all over again that the girl was blind. "He's done nothing wrong…" As she spoke, she made her first moves, and the King responded. Their litany of play was a constant background noise.

Hinata considered whether it was even worth responding. Komugi was young, blind, and apparently ignorant. The truth would probably only harm her.

"My comrades are hiding in the capital," she eventually said, deciding to test the water. "Your 'Supreme Leader' is planning an atrocity which we're here to stop. I came here, to the palace, to try and convince him to not attack the city to root out my allies."

Komugi pouted. "If they're allies of yours, then they should be rooted out. Shinobi, 9-9-1," she sulked. The King agreed, Hinata felt, but she'd expected that. Focused on the game, and on Komugi, he'd briefly stopped actively digging at her mind.

But it wasn't the King that frustrated her, but the girl. What could she say that wouldn't endanger the girl's life? Her existence hinged on being a willing rival in Gungi to the King. If her willingness to play vanished, her life would as well. It might be best to say nothing at all.

"You're being tricked," she said, allowing herself that at least.

"I can't be tricked," Komugi said, and the confidence with which she said it destroyed the image of the frail girl Hinata had allowed herself to see. "Not by someone I've played Gungi with."

The girl made another move, and the King folded, though Hinata couldn't understand why; if there was a checkmate, it was several moves beyond her comprehension.

"What would you say?" Komugi continued as the board was reset once again. "That the Supreme Leader has hurt people? Killed people? Controlled them?" Her lip quivered. "He did that to me, once, but he promised… he promised never to do it again, when I asked him."

"He's killed-"

"Of course he has," Komugi said, her voice quavering. "He's the Supreme Leader. They all kill people. You're an assassin, aren't you? You must have killed people as well. Probably more than him."

"Not for-"

"The first time I was named Gungi Champion," Komugi said, and Hinata found she couldn't cut down the tremulous voice of the young girl. She couldn't bring herself to destroy her illusions. "One of my uncles wanted me to leave Gorteau." Clack, clack, clack. Even while she was talking, she and the King played relentlessly, as though they had rehearsed the game. The King was listening to Komugi's words as well, perhaps even more intently than Hinata. "I'd be happier outside the country, he said. That in the rest of the Union I'd live better, and so would everyone else." Clack, clack, clack. "But then one night he left. My parents didn't tell me why, but I knew. The Supreme Leader had had him taken away, because he'd wanted to take me away, and I was worth something to Gorteau."

Komugi looked up from the board with empty, appealing eyes. Clack, clack, clack. "It's why I decided that I'd lose my life if I ever lost Gungi." Hinata started, and instantly understood that the girl was serious. "If I lost, I'd be worthless. Even if I was playing someone cruel, I'd already have given up my life." She was choking on her own snot, on the edge of weeping, but forcing the words out nonetheless. "But the Supreme Leader isn't like the one who took my uncle away. Can't you see that? I've played him enough times to know; he's not the kind of person who would do that; he's the kind of person who killed the man who did that. Don't you see?"

He's not a person, Hinata wanted to say. To scream. He's a monster, and once he's had his fill of you he'll kill you just as he killed the others that bored him, just as your uncle was killed. But like so many conversations that take place in one's head, she couldn't say the words aloud; they wouldn't accomplish a thing. Komugi had grown up in a country dominated by terror, like the Bloody Mist; she'd been conditioned from the moment she could think for herself to expect and accept the violence of her leaders. She had no idea there was a world beyond her own, beyond the board game that had saved her life and the country that had imprisoned her.

"I haven't played anyone with the honesty to know that," Komugi said, quieter now. "I haven't been beaten because Gungi is my life. It's the same as you, isn't it?" Isn't this the same?"If you're an assassin, if you fail, you lose your life too."

The King laughed, and reset the board again. "She sees more than you," he said with obvious amusement, and Hinata ground her teeth. "But you're not going to die, not yet. Not until you give me what I want."

The King began probing again, his mind bouncing across Hinata's like a pebble on a lake. She realized that the game had given him more focus; the barbs were more directed now, trying to tease out anything could from her involuntary defenses.

Again, Hinata thought of Naruto. The King didn't perceive himself to have equals, and she'd determined that was responsible for the twisted Ninshu he was forcing her into. Her connection with her husband had always been one of equals; their chakra slotted together, like a set of gears. But the King, unable to see her as anything but a resource, simply invaded her. The most she could do was take as much as she gave, but she had so much less to give up. What she stole from the King was sensations, contempt, mechanical considerations. The thing had been born only two months ago; Hinata had already seen nearly the entirety of its existence, and gained little from it besides nightmares.

Chakra? Chakra? Chakra? The question was an imperative, and a command that she couldn't obey. But no matter how iron Hinata's mind was, she couldn't simply stop thinking. The words conjured up memories of the Gentle Fist, her sister and her once more dancing through a dojo. It was as though she and the King were standing side by side, observing the past through a thin veil.

You shape it, the King spoke. His voice was silent, so as not to interrupt his game with Komugi, but to Hinata it was as though the words were coming from every direction at once. Into a knife. The Hinata of the past struck out, and Hanabi flowed beneath the soft punch, sending a lance of energy into her sister's gut. Not enough to harm, only tingle, but it was only a difference of intensity, focus. How?

"I won't tell you," Hinata said out loud, keeping her voice soft. If Komugi wondered why she was speaking to herself, the girl kept it quiet; she was so engrossed in the game that it was possible Hinata was outside her care by now.

You MUST, the King insisted. I must know. When she didn't respond, thinking of nothing but the ocean, endless and grey, the King finally spoke, his voice like a razor. "My Ants are useless," he said, and reset the board once again. Komugi smiled, her body shining with the force of her Nen. Hinata watched, fascinated, as faint pupils developed in her blind eyes. The organs were still useless, but the Nen was being focused through them nonetheless. "My Guards have failed me. You nearly destroyed Pitou, and Youpi's been ruined; he ran away when he should have fought. Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now."

Outside, the Royal Guard nearly fainted. Unaware of what he'd done to his servant, the King's eyes narrowed.

"You must tell me how to shape it. I have to shape it."

You have to shape it.

Without meaning to…

Hinata remembered.

They'd been in their bedroom, both sitting on the bed, on their knees. Hinata's hand was out before her, one open and the other cupping her wrist. Naruto's hand had been on her shoulder, the other tracing her palm in a circle.

You have to shape it, he said. Right there. Like a whirlpool. An Uzumaki. The chakra had boiled up her arm, past her elbow, swirling up towards her palm. It had rested their, and then with her husband's gentle guidance, it had started swirling, swirling, faster and faster, his finger tracing electricity on her palm, the glow growing-

Her husband had smiled, and then, laid over his beaming face, she saw the King and his tombstone teeth.

NO. Hinata was too furious, too frightened, to scream it aloud. Her chakra steamed, purple energy coruscating across her entire body, and the King flinched back, still smiling. That was a gift. A gift from him to me. You cannot take it.

You're wrong, as usual. The King clenched a fist, and Hinata watched chakra work its way up his arm, swirling, rotating. You cannot stop me.

The principle of the Rasengan became the King's, and Hinata prepared to stop her heart. Komugi will die; I'll have to live with it. But as her chakra stilled, the clone preparing to dispel, Hinata found that the King wasn't moving.

Her intentions were clear. She'd be gone in a moment, and the King could do nothing about it. There was frustration, anger, satisfaction, all directed at her-

But towards Komugi, the leverage that kept HInata there, the leverage he now had to destroy, there was only a deep appreciation. Appreciation, and respect.

Respect? Impossible, and the thought was Hinata's and the King's both. How could the King respect a human, a crippled little girl? It was insanity. But as Hinata considered the impossibility, the world opened up to her as it did under her Byakugan. She finally had the emotional clarity, in that moment of unprecedented violation, to unravel the King and his situation as he had been attempting to unravel her.

It wasn't just respect. Komugi was the only creature in existence that had met the King as something approaching an equal, something he couldn't dominate out of hand. And from that, from her strength, frailty, and fearlessness, something had emerged in the thing.

Something dangerously close to affection. Perhaps even love.

Fool! The King was sharp. Afraid. She is an amusement! Leave, and she dies!

He was wrong, and Hinata and the King understood it at the same time. Komugi was the chink in the King's armor that Hinata had been searching for all this time, right under her nose. The Ant couldn't be physically harmed, but the human in front of him, even now absorbed in their Gungi which had continued regardless of the silent war being fought between shinobi and Ant…

She is part of your strength.

She is your weakness.

Hinata pictured how easy it would be to step across the room, to drive her hand into Komugi's heart and end the girl's life before she even realized she was in danger. It would be painless and instant. With one thrust, she could do more damage to the King, deny him more than anyone else in this world possibly could.

Anyone else bar himself, perhaps.

She used the thought like a knife, stabbing at the King, and the Ant's mind withdrew, the connection receding. With his newfound understanding of chakra, his energy was already marshalling itself, consolidating itself. It no longer ranged wildly around the palace, but drew inward, the King trying to contain it within himself, to keep it under control. Hinata's mind finally gained some freedom.

She couldn't do it, surely. How could she look Naruto in the eye and tell him she'd murdered a little girl, simply to spite a monster? That wasn't her, no matter how much she'd grown to hate the creature.

No, he wasn't really a creature. Hinata let the King feel that thought, one last desperate attempt at something. She wasn't really sure herself. Komugi had been right, a little at least. The King wasn't a pure monster. It made his inevitable destruction even worse to wrap her head around. In different circumstances, isolated, things could have been different. The King with a forgotten name could feel respect, affection, gratitude. He wasn't just rapacious hunger and greed and cruelty. But the situation before them, his birth, his standing, his pride, had doomed him. It was impossible for him to reach that potential now.

The King tensed, feeling fear, real fear, for the first time in his life. Even if it was utterly impossible for Hinata to reach Komugi before the King could stop her, the thought put him on the precipice of panic.

Hinata didn't move. Neither did the King. She was herself now, ready to die at any moment, but maybe there was more to accomplish here. As the King focused more and more of his attention on her, Komugi took the match without effort.

"Supreme Leader," the girl said, somehow completely oblivious to the razor-tension in the room. "Why did you do that?"

"I wanted to try something new," the King said, his voice tight, still giving only Hinata is true attention. The blind girl frowned.

"You were too defensive," Komugi said. "In a situation like that, you can't hold the King back. Sometimes, the only piece that can win the match is the King!"

The King opened his mouth. His eyes narrowed. He closed it, lips pursing.

A chill went up Hinata's spine.

"You have to understand now," she said, letting the King feel a bit of her chakra again. Even to herself, her tone was uncomfortably close to begging. "You've felt it now. You're too intelligent not to understand." She pressed the feeling of loss, of fear, into his mind. "That's why I came here, to try and stop you. Now that you've felt that feeling, wouldn't you do anything to stop it?"

The King looked her in the eye. Hinata realized that he understood all too well.

"Yes," he said, his voice ice. "I would."

Without a second thought, Hinata disappeared.

###

Though he would never admit it to anyone but himself, Knov was terrified.

Utterly terrified. Completely terrified. The kind of terrified that made each step feel like he was wading through waist deep water, the kind that turned every noise into an apocalyptic, all-encompassing sound. Just the scuff of his shoes against the tile floor, miniscule, a sound so insignificant it vanished before traveling an inch, seemed loud enough to bring every Ant in all of East Gorteau on top of him.

It was both totally irrational and completely possible.

He'd entered the palace only five minutes before, under cover of a winter thunderstorm that had occluded the rising sun. With the heavens constantly roaring, and rain that had felt more like solid sleet materializing all around him, the infiltration had been simple. The Ants that had retreated from Peijing were still licking their wounds: there hadn't been a shield of En over the Palace either. Soaked to the bone, Knov had slipped in through one of the dozens of side doors that dotted the palace's outer walls.

There had been no En, and there had been no chakra. The vacuous, greedy energy of the King, which had completely suffused the palace from the moment of his arrival, had receded. Neferpitou was gravely wounded, too wounded to extend her Nen safely. Menthuthuyoupi had proved during the attack on the city that he was incapable of it, or simply ignorant.

That only left the King, whose chakra had fallen back, Shaiapouf, and the other Ants. But the Ants were too disorganized and demoralized to mount a comprehensive defense, and Shaiapouf, like Youpi, had shown no indication of En. Morel had reasoned that if he hadn't shown it by the time Knov had reached the palace, the Guard would be incapable as Youpi.

Knov was inclined to agree with him. He'd said so to the others.

"If you are going to go, you need to go now," Hinata had told him. The woman had been battered and covered in red and blue blood when he'd last seen her, one leg noticeably dragging. Her second match with Neferpitou had inflamed the injury the Royal Guard had given her on their last meeting. She'd crossed her arms, looking back at Gon. The boy kept opening and closing his right hand, staring at his two blackened knuckles. Half his face was a mask of half-dried blood, a cut above his eye still weeping. "My clone is keeping the King busy, but I don't know for how long."

'Keeping him busy,' Knov thought, shedding his suit and leaving it in a sodden pile on the floor. The several thousand jenny outfit was completely ruined, but he'd known that was inevitable the moment he'd set out. It didn't matter. Material goods were worthless to any Hunter that retained their association card. Knov was much more concerned with himself.

What could "keeping him busy" mean? Hinata hadn't elaborated, but there weren't many options. She couldn't possibly be fighting the King. All that was left was interrogation.

Knov frowned, kneeling down and drawing a circle. A portal formed with a soft 'plop,' and he sealed it with a touch. It was disconcerting to think that right now, it was likely one Hinata was being tortured, while the original watched. From everything he'd seen, Shadow Clones were just as sapient as their creators; what would it be like, to watch yourself suffer, knowing it would become your own experience once the clone died?

It was too strange, and too cruel, to put into words, so Knov drove it out of his mind. Right now, with the Guards crippled, the King occupied, and the rank-and-file reeling, right now was his only chance to enter the palace without being detected. Both Netero and Morel had agreed with him. The big man, who had become more Knov's friend than he would have thought possible when they had started out on this strange and horrible mission, had grimaced and told him to be careful. Netero had been more pragmatic.

"We can't know why the King's chakra is withdrawing," the old man had pointed out. "Most likely, he's learning how to manage it as time passes." He's grinned. "With what our alien friends have told us, it's also likely the Rose will be our only means of dispatching him. I doubt even my Hatsu could finish the job." Knov had protested, however subtly, and the Chairman had laughed. "The shinobi fight without Ken or Ren," he pointed out. "With the King's biology, that paints a grim picture." He'd cracked his neck, as though they were talking about the weather instead of his own imminent death. "Like it or not, your duty is to deliver me to the King, Knov. I'd like to look him in the eyes."

'Before you die, Chairman.' The Hunter reached the other end of the inner wall. Beyond the first fortification, there stretched about one hundred meters of open field before the palace proper reared up. The ground had been muddied by the rain and torn to bits by hundreds of Ants; what had once been immaculately manicured and maintained was now so much rubbish, like everything the Ants touched. Somewhere out there, in that building, the King and the Royal Guards waited. 'No one should be so happy to rush to their own death.'

But it was the Chairman's life, and the Chairman's decision. Knov had no business telling a man who'd lived more than four of his own lifetimes when it was his time to die.

The thunder let up for a moment, and Knov took that as his cue to begin moving. He tapped at the radio nestled in his ear as he did; the device was discreet, but the weather had been rendering it less useful than he'd hoped.

"Three," Hinata said, her voice marred by static and pain. "To your-"

The lightning exploded from the sky again, and Hinata's voice vanished with the light it brought. Knov dropped to the ground, lying flat against the muddy earth as he scanned both directions. There were Ants out here, somewhere in this courtyard. His glasses were too wet to see through, but he was looking with Gyo, not them.

It took him a moment to find them. Three, as Hinata had said, nearly two hundred feet away. Two smaller ones that he couldn't make out, and one larger, difficult to identify in the dim light. The lightning cracked again, and Knov recognized the Ant as one of the Squadron Leaders, a tall scorpion crossbreed that looked like a woman with purple skin.

The Ant's tail had been ripped off, leaving only a stub. It diminished the thing. The Ants were talking among themselves, impossible to hear over the storm. Knov crept along the ground, falling into Zetsu on instinct. If any were to look over, they'd have to focus to see anything but mud and grass thrown by the wind and rain.

It only took a couple minutes to cross the field, but Knov's terror stretched it out into something grotesque. By the time he reached the other side, slipping into the palace through a servant's entrance, it seemed to him he'd never been anything but cold, soaked, and deafened. He felt like something was buzzing around him, always just out of sight and a little beyond his hearing.

The door, small enough he had to stoop to move through, closed behind him silently, and Knov immediately knelt and placed another portal. Now, he was in the palace proper. As of that moment, his infiltration was a success.

"Hinata?" he subvocalized. There wasn't a response. The storm had gotten even louder, if that was possible. The constant lightning reduced his radio to nothing but white noise. For now, he was truly alone.

That was alright. He was inside now. In the restricted area, his own senses would suffice.

The principle of his mission was the same as it had been when they'd arrived in Peijing nearly a week before, though they now had some more information. Hinata's clone had confirmed that even her chakra martial arts couldn't harm the King, which left only a few options for assassinating the Ant's leader. A miracle, which was unlikely. The Poor Man's Rose, which Netero had nestled in his chest; the poison contained in the weapon wouldn't give a second thought to even the King's biology.

(or so Knov deeply hoped, though that was another fear he couldn't admit to)

And Scream.

It didn't matter how strong the King was. Scream surpassed physical limits. The only offensive utilization of Hide and Seek Knov had been able to follow through on, Scream would send whatever was swallowed by it into the closest room in Hide and Seek, with no regard for safety or wholeness.

But getting close enough to open the rip in reality in the first place…

As Knov padded down the hall, he resisted the urge to swat at a fly that had landed on his shoulder. Static crackled in his ear; more lightning, or the ninja on the other end of the line? He wondered why the building was so empty. He'd only seen the three Ants on the way in, and now there were none here. There were still hundreds left… well, perhaps a little less than two hundred, after the failed assault on the city, but still plenty. Perhaps the Ants held as much trepidation about being close to their King as Knov did.

The Hunter reached the central spire of the palace after a minute or so of creeping from pillar to pillar, creeping across the walls like a spider. His heartbeat was louder than the lightning outside. Things were going too well.

The central building was dominated by an enormous stairway that led up to the second floor, where it broke off into the various rooms that had belonged to the Supreme Leader's retainers and toadies. And finally, above that, the throne room, where even now the King was entertaining himself and Hinata was suffering.

The spire was just as empty as everywhere else. Where were the Ants? Where were the Royal Guards, whole and otherwise? Could they all be attending to the King? What could be happening up there?

He stopped besides the staircase, and knelt once more. This was close, but he could get closer. There weren't any guards, none apparent. He could afford to get closer. If the portal was within a hundred, no, even seventy-five meters of the King, then they could conceivably all pour out once, immobilize the King for even a moment…

And Knov could be the one to end things, with nothing more than a wave of his hands.

It was a compelling fantasy. Knov had always been an ambitious man. It was why he'd become a Hunter in the first place.

But it was also lunacy. The top of the stairs, that was as far he could go. Any more than that would be tempting fate. No, any more than that would be suicide. His heart wouldn't be able to handle it. Here, alone, with everything silent but the static in his ear-

"Knov."

It was just his name, a single word alone, that told him nothing and couldn't help him.

But Hinata's voice saved Knov's life.

He turned, jumping back entirely on instinct. Back, and up the stairs.

That meant that when Shaiapouf's kick connected, it only shattered Knov's knee instead of his spine.

The Hunter didn't scream. The pain wiped away his mind as he collapsed onto his back, but only for a second. Then, he was all too aware of everything.

The Royal Guard Shaiapouf had been right behind him. Knov had been too consumed with his own fear to detect his approach; that was the only explanation. When had the Ant found him? Had he been following him long? The speculation distracted him from his leg.

The Guard snarled, swooping forward. It was fast, terrifying and furious, its Nen keening. But not so fast Knov couldn't respond.

The Guard's hand reached out, and Knov heard its intent in its deafening Nen, saw it in the Ant's golden eyes. It was going to rip his head off in a single swift motion. Then, it would probably eat him. Or perhaps feed him to its master. That seemed more likely.

Knov's knee was cold. Knov was cold. The second he'd been falling back had stretched beyond human limit. Here, with the Ant reaching out to end his life, he had more focus than he'd been able to muster up in a month. Everything was perfectly clear, clear and glacial.

Gradually, gently, Knov reached out with both hands, as if to cup the Guard's cheeks. The Ant's hand slipped through his, and the thing smiled.

Then Knov spread his hands.

In between them, the world was erased.

He couldn't see Pouf's face. But he didn't need to. Scream swallowed reality, and when Shaiapouf was unable to stop his attack in time, it swallowed him as well.

The Guard's fingers brushed Knov's face, and then the Hunter closed his hands. Shaiapouf's arm slipped past his head, falling ownerless to the stairs, and the Guard's legs collapsed as well. Scream had consumed the Royal Guard's entire upper body.

Afterwards, it felt quiet. There was still static in his ear, the distant booms of thunder, and his own labored breathing was louder than ever. But sitting there on the stairs, unable to feel anything but pain and elation and looking at the dismembered legs and arm of the Guard, Knov felt a quiet in his soul.

He'd just killed one of the Royal Guards. On his own. Knov wasn't sure what to feel. He could think about it later. He turned, and his leg screamed at him, the pain choking him. He couldn't even gasp. He couldn't look at his knee. He was positive that it would look even worse than it felt.

Knov crawled, one arm over the other, dragging himself to the top of the stairs. At the top, he tapped the ground, and fell through the hole his finger created, vanishing from the palace.

If Knov's knee hadn't just been shattered, he probably would have considered the situation more fully before activating his Hatsu. He may have opened a door to a different room in Hide and Seek, instead of the 'closest,' a word that couldn't capture the intricacies of interdimensional travel. If he hadn't been focusing on his escape, he may have observed that Pouf's remaining limbs were watching him with eyes in places eyes didn't belong.

But Knov was in unbelievable pain, the kind that drew an eraser across other considerations, and what parts of him didn't feel pain felt an even more unbelievable pride. So he slipped into the closest room of Hide and Seek with no thought beyond 'I am alive.'

Shaiapouf met him inside.

Knov had less than a second, enough time to realize just how bad the situation was, before the Royal Guard grabbed him by the head and hurled him into one of the room's walls. He left a sizeable dent, the world completely whited out by the pain in his knee. It was all that he could feel. He tried to land on his good leg, to do something, and managed to fall into a crouch.

He looked up and found the Guard watching him. The thing was in one piece. Impossible. He'd cut it in half, surely. Why did it have its legs, its arm back? Some Hatsu, some Hatsu they hadn't foreseen, Shaiapouf was the Royal Guard they had the least information about.

Shaiapouf approached, moving cautiously, its face twisted in hatred. Knov realized it couldn't know that he couldn't use Scream in this place; it still had to treat him a threat.

Carefully, slowly, trying to look like he thought he had a chance, he pulled himself back up onto his good leg. Don't think about the left one, he had to tell himself. That leg doesn't exist anymore. It's dead weight, like you'll be.

Forget it.

"You transported us to this place," Shaiapouf said, still approaching, circling around his left. Around the side of him that didn't exist anymore. "I was going to kill you, but perhaps you would be of more use to the King."

Terror froze Knov in place, his Nen crackling across his body as it reacted to his fear. The Ant laughed. "Would you like that, human? Surely, you would be of interest to him. What could be better than to serve the King?"

He attacked, a kick at Knov's shattered knee, and the Hunter twisted, leaping over the attack and trying to rip the Guard's eye out with rigid, Nen hardened fingers. Nearly seventy percent of his aura, devoted to a single, small attack. It was his only chance at harming the Guard, and defense would be useless here.

Knov's fingers found their target, ripping through Shaiapouf's eye and tearing off the right side of the Guard's face.

The Ant didn't care. Before Knov could land, Pouf seized him by the throat and struck him in the groin with his knee. He gasped, the air knocked out of him, and the Ant sneered, shaking him like a doll and slamming him into the ground. Something in his shattered knee popped, and for a moment, Knov passed out.

###

Pouf started by breaking the human's other knee.

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

His face had already mostly knit itself back together, the thousands of particles of himself that the Hunter's finger had removed joyfully joining one another again. Half his body had come together to deal with the intruder while the other half had guarded the King; broken up by Beelzebub into creatures smaller than flies, in Zetsu, they had eluded the gaze of the Watcher until they'd begun coming together to destroy the Hunter. He had detected her sight when he'd begun actively following the human, but she hadn't been able to warn her companion in time.

It was yet another thing that only Shaiapouf could be relied on for. The clumsy defenses of En had kept the humans away, but in this country it wasn't a matter of keeping them out, but baiting them in. Only Shaiapouf could have accomplished that. Only Shaiapouf…

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

He smiled, feeling like his face would split, and stomped down on the Hunter's back as the man wriggled. He was crying, he realized, sweet tears dripping down his beautiful face. And why shouldn't he? He was the happiest he'd ever been. Bending down, he reached out and snapped the Hunter's fingers one by one as the man thrashed and screamed, bending each finger back until the bone cracked and the joint popped.

Frail little fool. The idiot wasn't even happy he was going to be brought to the King. The thought made Pouf furious. How could any creature, no matter how disgusting, not take the King's majesty for granted? Even being eaten by the Monarch would be more an honor than this wretched little thing, bleeding on Pouf's leg, could have accrued in his entire life.

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

Fool, fool, ungrateful fool! Pouf stomped down on the man's arm, shattering it, and the Hunter screamed. For that, he broke the right arm as well.

He reached down, pulling the human up by his hair, ripping out clumps and bending the man's head back until he was staring into his eyes. The Hunter groaned.

"Submit," he whispered, "and perhaps the King will show you mercy."

The Hunter looked him dead in the eye, face bone-white and eyes clouded by agony. It was a pleasing picture.

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

The man grinned, and Shaiapouf frowned.

"Go fuck yourself," the Hunter said, carefully articulating each word through bloodstained teeth.

Shaiapouf couldn't have told even the King what exactly he did. It seemed as though he blinked, and then the man was lying faceup on the floor several feet away, spitting out broken teeth. He stalked forward and leapt atop the man, smashing down on his broken knee with both feet. The human couldn't even scream; Shaiapouf simply began stomping, not bothering to use Nen, crushing the kneecap over and over again. Bone splintered, and blood spattered across his face. His last stomp severed the lower leg entirely, and the force of it sent the limb skittering away across the room.

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

'Keep him alive.' Pouf stopped, looking down at the human. Every limb broken, one missing, face nearly caved in, spitting up blood, surrounded by it. Internal damage, lots of it. The man's life was fluttering like a moth in a web. The King needed the human alive, for his Hatsu. Then, Shaiapouf would be even more-

Even more…

Even more…!

Shaiapouf heard something shatter behind him, and turned.

There was a hole in the spotless white ground, and an old man climbing out of it. The man was ancient and wrinkled, his head shaven but his beard long and white. He wore a plain t-shirt with a symbol emblazoned on the front, and simple black shorts. He was shoeless as well, though he was wearing socks.

'Who is this?'

Despite his apparent age, he gave Pouf more pause than any other human had. The Guard stepped away from the prone Hunter, and towards the new arrival; the man who'd defied him, defied the King, was unconscious, and looked like a blood-soaked rag.

The old man looked from him to the Hunter, and then back again.

His fists tightened. His aura spiked.

To Pouf, who had spent most of his life in the presence of the King, the aura of a single human would never be enough to intimidate him. Nonetheless, he shifted into a defensive posture. The Nen of the human was like nothing he'd ever felt; it was sharp, not heavy like his companions, and with the entirety of it directed at him it felt as though countless blades were being run across his body, pricking and slicing him without end.

His Spiritual Message probed the man. From the other Hunter, it had only detected terror, some determination, and pain. From this man, Pouf only felt…

Gratitude. Deep, gracious gratitude.

The man wasn't like other Hunters, not in his aura and not in his behavior. He attacked, striking forward and driving Pouf back with a series of kicks. The Guard gave ground, observing the man's Nen and his attacks. They couldn't hurt him, he was reasonably sure. If he were careless, perhaps, but with his Hatsu, physical attacks like this were useless.

He'd put a couple feet between himself and the crippled Hunter on the ground when the old man prayed.

The motion was so fast and so effortless that Pouf only realized he'd seen it when a flare of golden energy exploded through the ceiling and smashed him flat to the floor. The man had put his hands together with infinite grace, a sincere and gradual motion that somehow occurred over the course of a thousandth of a second instead of one or two. Then, he'd raised one of them, palm open.

On the floor, unable to understand what he'd just seen, Pouf ran the motion through his head about a dozen times, trying to comprehend it. His Hatsu hadn't told him anything; the man had only continued to exude gratitude and joy.

Then the man prayed again, and Pouf was squashed further into the ground.

What was happening? What was happening?

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

It was a Hatsu, some kind of beautifully fast and horrifically powerful Hatsu. Pouf realized this as he was struck for the third time. The first blow hadn't been felt, the second one had stung.

This one hurt. It hurt his whole body, bruising every inch of his being. It even hurt his soul.

He, Shaiapouf, the only one the King could rely on, was being pinned to the ground by this Hunter's prayers.

He screamed in fury, and was struck again, again, and again. The man prayed four more times, his Nen crushing Pouf without mercy, until finally the Ant was smashed clean through the ground and into the room below. It was equally white, but not empty; this one was filled with furniture, beds, closets, a mirror. The walls were lined with doors. As Pouf fell, there wasn't another blow to follow him.

It was only a reprieve of a fifth of a second, but it was all the time Pouf needed to activate Beelzebub. He started cackling, splitting into thousands of smaller copies, his body dividing at the cellular level. His real body was still by the King's side, so this one had no limitations on how small it could shrink. The man descended through the hole he'd created, praying as he fell, and the golden light came again.

A hand, Pouf realized. It was a hand that had been crushing him, a hand of golden light. But now, split up as it was, he had the advantage. He could see the attack coming from every angle; those bodies in its path tried to escape, some buffeted out of the way by the sheer pressure of the strike, and others smashed to a pulp.

But it was no use. Even the ones smashed to a pulp were simply split into even smaller pieces, too small to have sensory organs. Those pieces drifted back together, reconstituting themselves. The man prayed and prayed, smashing Pouf to smaller pieces a thousand times, and each time he scraped himself back together none the worse for wear.

"It's useless!" he laughed in over ten thousand voices. "No matter what you do, it's useless, useless, useless!" The man paused, and the Ant giggled. Shaiapouf was giddy. For a moment there, just a moment, an apostate second buried under the man's grateful Nen, he'd doubted.

But now, he was safe. He could take this human as well. No Hunter could have more Nen than him, and this battle of attrition was inevitably his to win. He only had to wait, had to stay scattered, until the man tired or slipped up.

The Hunter gave up, tilting his head as he stopped praying and watched the multitude that was Pouf buzz about the room, surrounding him on every side. The man's body had relaxed, but his Nen had not. It only burned brighter, grew sharper. Another emotion joined the gratitude, folding out under Pouf's Spiritual Message, and the Guard felt his eyes, an untold number of them, twitch at it.

Amusement. Gratitude, joy, and amusement.

"Shaiapouf, of the Royal Guard," the old man said. He settled into a martial stance, his legs and arms held wide and loosely, his back ramrod straight. He lowered his hands, his Nen coursing through him like a flooded river, pouring out of him like a waterfall. The wrinkled old fool began glowing with the same golden light of his Hatsu. "You did quite the number on my faithful subordinate."

The man smiled, all teeth, and for just an embarrassing moment Shaiapouf was reminded of the King. "I'll have to pay you back for that."

The human punched, just once, with exaggerated slowness, like he was testing out the path of his fist. Shaiapouf prepared to charge. He'd have to bring several bodies together to harm the human, especially since he only had slightly less than half his mass trapped in this space beyond the palace, but it was still well within his power.

But then the old man punched once again, faster. Again, and again. Like a rusted engine revving up, the human threw punch after punch at nothing, not shifting from his stance. Each strike was more than strong enough to shatter solid stone, even without Nen reinforcement, and the man was practically exploding with aura with every movement.

Five a second. Pouf couldn't approach, not without being struck. He'd have to come from behind. The sound barrier was being shattered with every blow, as though the room was filled with constant thunder.

Ten. Ten every second. The man's fists were generating enormous pressure in addition to the thunder. The air inside the completely enclosed room began to whirl around, as though there were a tornado at the center of it.

Fifteen. Small as he was, Pouf couldn't resist the gusts generated by the man's fists. All of him was tossed to a fro, along with smaller pieces of furniture; the larger ones toppled over. He was smashed into the walls of the room hundreds of times each moment, and then, inevitably, the Hunter's fists.

It was a vacuum there, at the source of the chaos. Any piece of Pouf that fell into reach of the remorseless fists was smashed to pieces, almost beyond his ability to put back together. But still, it was only an impressive trick. The man couldn't kill him like this, only inconvenience him. He would have to stop punching.

Eventually.

That was what Pouf thought, until the human's hands began shining with the same golden light as the rest of him, so bright it blinded him. They burned.

Hundreds of him were annihilated before Pouf realized what was happening. The human's Nen was smashing him apart and then burning him alive. It didn't destroy the component cells, not utterly, but it damaged them enough that they couldn't be used to reform more Beelzebub clones.

He was dying. Shaiapouf marveled at it. The human had transformed himself into a golden reaper, a remorseless gravity that inexorably drew Shaiapouf in and destroyed him.

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

Shaiapouf laughed.

This was impossible, obviously impossible. He couldn't be dying like this, and yet-

And yet...

The Royal Guard screamed. Panic and rage overtook him completely. He was dying on the end of this Hunter's fist, all while the man bled gratitude, joy, and amusement.

He came together, piece by piece, and less and less of him was drawn into the golden fists. By the time he was fully reformed, he'd lost a little less than half of his body. As the hurricane and thunder continued all around him, the majority of Shaiapouf's body flew from door to door along the walls of the room, blinded by panic. He couldn't die here. He couldn't be allowed to die here.

None of the doors would open. He was trapped. Trapped in here with this old man-!

The wind stopped, and Shaiapouf turned just in time to twist out of the way of a tremendous kick, so vicious that it would surely have torn his weakened body in half. The kick smashed a hole in the door he'd been scrabbling at, and relief flooded Shaiapouf's soul. There it was: the man had given him a way out!

But when he looked through the hole, he found nothing.

Worse than nothing. Nothing didn't have a shape. The world outside the door had a shape, and a color, neither of which existed in the world. It was sharp and empty, white and gray and colors that couldn't be made with others, and it hurt Pouf's eyes simply to look at.

Stepping outside into that would be death, as sure as Pouf knew the King was his master.

Pouf fled from the nothing outside and from the chuckling old man inside, rocketing around the room like a bug trapped in a cage. The Hunter chased after him, a grim hollow laugh rattling in his chest. Pitou couldn't even fight back. The man wasn't a human anymore; he was a spectre of death, something inevitable and inescapable. All he could do was run, his mind empty of anything but fear and shock.

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

Pouf began to weep, scrambling along the walls and the ceiling, desperate for a way out. He spotted the hole he'd entered through, but before he could fly to it the old man was in his face, still laughing, and sending him down with a merciless golden fist. He prayed, and another, larger fist followed, hurling Pouf to the other side of the room. The certainty of his death, his rage at his own pathetic nature, the frustration at having lost more than a fourth of his body, the hopeless of the battle, the disappointment of the King, the failure, the failure of it all-!

Pouf's own emotions, running out of control and turning his soul to sludge, beat him down more brutally than the human ever could. All he could do was scramble and weep, his whole body shaking with humiliation. The tears only seemed to spur the human on, and he struck again, pinning Pouf to the wall like a butterfly on a nail.

His hand scrambled, found a knob, turned-

And the door opened.

He didn't think, didn't look. Pouf turned and tumbled out the door before the human could strike again. He landed face first in deep, wet grass, a pitiful pile of tears, blood, and shame. It was all he could do to stumble back to his feet and turn, expecting another attack.

But there wasn't one. The human was just standing in a hole in the trunk of a tree, the bright white light of the room behind him. He was laughing, so hard his beard shook, and his eyes twinkled with mirth.

Pouf had never hated another thing, not even the Watcher, with as much intensity as he did there, right in that moment.

The man spoke, his voice cruel. Now, there was something else in his aura, plain to see.

Disgust.

"If the other Royal Guards are quite as cowardly as you," he spat, and Shaiapouf's whole body shuddered, "then this will be easy."

The door closed; the hole vanished. The Royal Guard was somewhere in a thick forest, far away from anything he'd ever known, and his only way back to the King disappeared before his eyes.

Shaiapouf was left alone with nothing but his humiliation, his pain, and his hatred.

He had no idea where he was.

Chapter Text

Disaster and Defeat

Two hours after Hinata departed the Palace, the King came after her.

He went alone, the notion that sometimes only the King could decide the match driving him into the sky and towards Peijing. He went, heralded by the winter thunderstorm that had foiled the sun no matter how high it had risen, turning the day to night. He went, as he saw it, with the clamor of the heavens at his back, a mandate that, like him, could not be denied.

He went with only one thing in mind.

Breaking Hinata Uzumaki, and anyone who would stand with her.

###

"It tried to stop him."

Palm's teeth were chattering. It was the first time Killua had seen her like this in over a month. The woman had been unkempt and frightening when he and Gon had first met her, when they'd first staggered out of the NGL. Gon's company had infinitely improved her.

But all that progress had been undone in just a couple hours of keeping watch over Neferpitou. Palm had been observing as he, Gon, and Hinata had done their best to kill the Ant, committing the Royal Guard to her Hatsu. Palm Siberia wasn't a Hunter dedicated to fighting, but to infiltration and spying, much like her teacher Knov. Her Hatsu was the perfect compliment to that: with just a drop of blood and a memory, Palm could observe anyone she'd recently seen in her crystal ball. Killua didn't know the limits of the Hatsu, but it had been more than powerful enough to track Pitou as she retreated from Peijing.

Killua couldn't know what Palm had seen through her Nen, but it had made her drawn and pale, her amber eyes wide with fear.

"The King is coming here?" Gon asked. "Now?" Palm nodded, scratching at her arms and leaving long white and red marks.

"He jumped," she muttered. "It watched him jump." Her voice went from a hoarse whisper to a shriek. "He jumped!"

It was a pretty cruel joke, Killua thought. He and Gon had all but killed Pitou with Hinata's help. Youpi had been driven back by Gaara, and whatever help Netero had summoned. Shaiapouf had been nearly destroyed and stranded somewhere far away by Netero. The Ants were demoralized, the Royal Guards crippled and in disarray.

And now the King was coming, when they weren't ready. If they'd known the Ant would be that impulsive, to charge into enemy territory alone, they could have prepared something, but now...

"We have to go," Morel said, cutting right to the heart of it. They were all there, all except Knov and Hinata. The Chairman had assured them that the man was alive, but horribly crippled. That had been part of what had regressed Palm, he was sure.

Hinata, Killua didn't know where she was. If she'd been here, things would be different. They could have come up with a better plan. But something had happened to the shinobi. Well, to her clone at least. A shadow clone's memories returning to the original was an incredibly powerful tool, but today Killua had seen that it was dangerous too. Hinata had been detached, anxious, and completely unlike herself.

The woman had wandered off after assuring Knov he could infiltrate, and he hadn't seen her since. She'd still been soaked with red and blue blood and hadn't even taken her teammates with her. Whatever was going on, Killua was frightened for her. The storm had rendered cell phones and radios useless, no matter how many times they'd tried to call the shinobi. It was too inconvenient to believe; Shino had sent out a shadow clone, and Morel dozens made of smoke, to seek her out, but there was no guarantee they'd be quick enough.

"We have to leave right now."

The Zoldyck centered himself. Hinata wasn't a concern, not right now. With her eyes, she was the safest of them all. When she realized what was happening, she'd certainly meet back up with them. They had to worry about themselves right now, not her.

They started moving as a group, making their way towards the door. Gon, Morel, Knuckle, Shoot, the Chairman, Palm, and Hinata's teammates, Kiba and Shino. The ambassador Gaara was there as well. He was carrying Kiba in a bed of floating sand; the shinobi hadn't even fought the Royal Guard that had attacked him. He and his dog Akamaru had only baited Menthuthuyoupi out, and endured the creature's assault for less than ten seconds before Shoot and Gaara had intervened. Ten seconds, and that was all that had been necessary to take him out of the fight.

It was terrifying, Killua thought. The dog-like man had lost an unbelievable amount of blood; his dog wasn't much better off. In just a moment, the Royal Guard had nearly torn the shinobi apart.

They pushed their way out into the rain. The thunderstorm had only grown more violent as the day dragged on, and every inch of Killua's body was instantly soaked.

"When did the King leave?" Knuckle asked, from the front of the group. They'd started heading east, the opposite direction from the palace.

"Three minutes ago," Palm said, shivering even more violently. "He jumped."

"Three minutes." Netero pondered. "He may have already arrived. We'll need to move quickly."

"Hide and Seek isn't an option," Morel said, more stating a fact than asking a question, and thunder cracked as Netero nodded.

"When I departed, the Hatsu was already collapsing. Knov was in a coma: he couldn't maintain it."

At that moment, Killua thought, Knov would have served them better dead than alive. It was one of the quirks of Nen, especially when it came to Conjuration. A conjurer's Nen would only grow stronger when they died, at least at first, but a crippled person's Nen would be turned inward, trying to fix the damage to their body.

Shaiapouf was one of the Royal Guard: the creature had likely known exactly what he was doing. If he'd simply killed the Hunter, then they would have had an easy escape from the King, but by removing his leg, breaking his limbs, fracturing his spine…

Hide and Seek, as Morel said, wasn't an option. They'd have to flee on foot. He looked to Gon. His friend had had all the skin on one of his ankles torn off, to the muscle, but if he felt it he wasn't complaining. Since he'd punched Pitou's eye out of her head, Gon had been quiet. Almost, Killua would venture to say, at peace. Though the Guard wasn't dead, Gon had avenged Kite with that punch. Perhaps he'd misinterpreted things a month ago. Maybe Gon hadn't needed to kill Pitou. Only defeat it. His friend was like that sometimes.

They sprinted through the streets, leaving a gap in the rain behind them. Between the violence of that morning and the storm, the city seems practically deserted. Most of the puppet soldiers had died or retreated along with the Ants; the citizens of Peijing had resorted to cowering in their basements and military shelters, or abandoned the city entirely. There wasn't a soul in sight.

"We should get off the streets," Shoot said. The man was almost as pale as Palm. "We stick out too much out here."

"Too slow," Morel said, and then, almost drowned out by the thunder, his phone rang. That was impossible. How could any signal make it through this storm, when so many of their own attempts had failed? The hunter glanced at it, pulling it out and flipping it open so fast Killua almost missed it.

Through the thunder and rain, even Killua's ears couldn't pick up the murmur of the voice over the phone. But Morel could.

"Where?" he asked, and then stopped dead. The group stopped with him, only Knuckle running on a bit further before he realized he'd left them behind. Morel looked up, to the west.

"You should go, Hinata," he said, as Killua followed his line of sight with a sinking stomach. With his heart beating three times a second, his senses were stretched enough to hear the faint 'wait' on the other end of the phone, before Morel cut it off.

"Save yourself."

Morel dropped the phone, and the rest of the group looked up into the storm with him.

There was a little thing up there, perched on the edge of a towering office building a hundred feet above them. Almost invisible against the storm clouds, it was a diminutive shape, maybe about the same height as Kilua, made even smaller by the distance.

The lightning came again, and in the silent half-second before its accompanying thunder, Killua saw the King for the first time.

"Oh fuck." Knuckle almost made Killua laugh. Maybe he should laugh. He was almost certainly about to die. The King continued to watch them. He was waiting for them to make the first move.

"Everyone." Somehow, somehow, Gaara of the Desert sounded exactly the same as he had when he'd met them in the hotel lobby and offered to patch the hole in Gon's pants. The man wasn't even wet. How was that possible? "Get behind me." With infinite caution, all of them, Hunter and Shinobi alike, did just that, creeping to the Kage's side. The King continued to watch, his eyes glowing in the lightning-stricken dark.

Killua looked around. Shoot, Palm, Knuckle were both silent and white as a sheet. The woman was muttering and shaking, blood running down her arms. Morel and Gaara seemed calm. Gon was just looking at him, and for some reason, that made Killua feel better. At least they were going to die together. And the Chairman…

Killua's heart skipped a beat. Isaac Netero was smiling, and the sight was almost as intimidating as the King.

"Now," Gaara said, still infuriatingly quiet. "Back away. Slowly." What did he think they were dealing with, a dog? Just looking at the King, even from a distance, made Killua tremble. The thing wasn't even moving, and he still felt helpless. It was just…

Heavy.

Killua took one step, then a second. The urge to run was overwhelming, the urge to curl up in a ball and quietly die even more so. There was something crushing him down, crushing them all down, the killing pressure of Nen but so much more personal. Nen could stop a man's heart, had nearly stopped Killua's once upon a time, but the King's chakra felt like it wanted to take his in hand and slowly squeeze the life out of it.

The King took a step as well, and fell off the building. None of them dared to make a sound as the creature landed barely twenty feet in front of them, as light as a feather.

The thing's tail flexed: purple eyes, the same color as Hinata's chakra, looked each of them up and down, through them.

'Don't run.' Killua's nails dug into his thigh, drawing blood through his shorts. It was pure, primal fear. 'If you run, he'll chase.'

"Where is Hinata?" the King said, his voice soft and polite. It sent chills down Killua's spine. He would have preferred it roar or growl; it's all too human voice only made everything worse. "Tell me."

"Not here," Gaara said, just as softly and just as politely. None of them dared to breathe.

"Take me to her," the King said, and his aura flexed. Gaara shifted from one foot to the other, crossing his arms. His face hardened.

"No."

The King sighed. "I have no patience today…" he paused. "Gaara." He took a step forward, and they all backed away, except for Gaara himself. The man was completely rooted in place. Staring at his back, Killua wondered how he could stand like that. What the hell had Gaara of the Desert seen, to look at the King without letting his fear overwhelm him?

"So, that's what happened," Gaara said. "That's why she left. Ninshu, huh?"

The word was unfamiliar to Killua. How could the King have known Gaara's name? Hinata must have told him, but the way the man was talking, it sounded like there was something he wasn't understanding here. If that was the case, it was probably related to chakra.

"Left?" the King asked, and Gaara nodded, the muscles on his neck as tight as steel.

"She's left the city." Gaara lied flawlessly. Everything he'd said to Killua up to that point could have been a lie, if he could lie to the King's face like that. "We have no idea where she went."

"Liar," the King said, his tone mild. "She's still watching us."

"Her range is fourteen kilometers," Gaara said. "You probably know that. She's well out of-"

The King moved, and everything happened so fast that Killua could only make sense of it afterwards.

The Ant flew forward, the concrete beneath him shattering. The Hunters scattered, too slow, except for Netero, who stood his ground; Gaara raised a hand, slightly less slow. Sand tore his gourd apart and smacked the King away when he was less than a foot from the shinobi's face, ready to tear it off with an outstretched hand. The King was sent back, but despite the tremendous force of the sand he wasn't even stunned; the Ant hit a wall on the far side of the street and jumped off of it before Gaara could react, slipping past the man's sand.

He missed the shinobi, who'd shifted into a defensive stance. The only one in his path was Shoot. But before he could reach the one-armed man, Netero prayed.

Killua wasn't someone who considered things 'beautiful,' but he couldn't call Netero's prayer anything but.

A golden fist smashed the King straight down, burying him in the street, and everything was still.

The King laughed, purple and golden energy exploding out of him.

"For that," he said, looking up with a wide smile, "I'll make that man symmetrical." Shoot choked, and the King's smile grew. "The rest of you, I haven't decided yet." He looked off at something far away. "I'll stop if you come back. Decide quickly."

It wasn't a conscious decision for all of them to attack at once. They simply did. Killua threw a bolt of electricity as the King's chest as he rose, looking amused and angry in equal measure. It felt good, to decide to fight instead of die quietly. Smoke, sand, insects, knives, disembodied hands; Knuckle and Gon dug handfuls of concrete out of the ground and hurled them at the King's face.

None of it slowed him. The Ant walked or slipped through everything the humans threw at him, everything except Netero's Hatsu. The golden fists drove him back once more, but this time when the King was thrown away, the Ant smashed through another wall and vanished instead of counter-attacking from the same angle.

Clump up, or spread out? Gon and Killua took each other's backs. There was no way in hell either of them could hope to harm the King, but maybe they could see him coming. It was obvious, immediately obvious, to Killua that their only chances were Gaara, Netero, and Knuckle's Hatsu. Nothing else could even slow the King.

But, from what little they'd seen, nothing had harmed the King so far. Not even a scratch.

"Where-?" Morel started to say, pipe in mouth.

The King burst straight out of the street, his hand wrapping around Shino's left leg. The shinobi looked down, expressionless, and as everyone else turned to respond, the Ant squeezed.

Shino's leg was cut cleanly off, just from the pressure of the King's grip.

The King laughed, and his chakra exploded out of him, as powerful as a tornado. They were all thrown back, simply from the force of his aura. Thunder cracked.

'That's it,' Killua thought as he and Gon were blown away. 'That's how I die. From something laughing at me.'

It was a pretty stupid way to die, but it wasn't to be. A lasso of smoke wrapped around the King, and held the laughing Ant in place, keeping him from chasing them down. But the smoke had slack, and the King followed that slack instead, right to Morel.

The King was on him before any of them, even Netero, could react. The Ant's tail seized the big man, more than twice as large as the creature, and lifted him into the air. The King drew back a fist and then paused, considering. Once again, Killua couldn't breathe. The King was just too fast for him to follow.

"You know something," the King said, and Morel looked down at him, unable to say a word. "You were there, when my mother died." Shino wasn't bleeding; his insects had clotted his severe wound. He was dragging himself along the ground with surprising speed, away from the King. Kiba's dog was shadowing him, Shino's leg in his mouth; the Inazuka himself was nowhere to be seen.

They couldn't attack, not with Morel right there. Not without killing him, which the King hadn't. Nonetheless, both Gaara and Netero seemed ready to jump without warning. The King's tail loosened, just a centimeter, and Morel gasped.

"I was," he rasped. Say anything, Killua begged. Anything to keep yourself alive another second. Anything to give us more time to do something.

"My mother named me then," the King said, tilting his head. "Do you remember it? My name?"

Morel frowned. "Meruem," he said, after a pause. He'd dragged it out, trying to give them time to recover. "She named you Meruem."

The King smiled. "Thank you," he said, and it was one of the most sincere things Killua had ever heard. "I appreciate it."

Then he thrust his fist directly through Morel's stomach.

The King's hand went under the Hunter's solar plexus and came out back painted red, barely missing his spine. There hadn't been any resistance. It was like the King was moving his fist through water instead of flesh. He tossed the Hunter away like so much garbage, and when Morel hit the ground he vomited up a torrent of blood.

Gaara and Netero attacked the moment Morel landed, and the King retreated again, taking shelter in a nearby building and vanishing from sight. The next time he appeared, Killua didn't even see him. He simply heard a tearing sound, and turned.

The King had found an angle that wasn't being defended, if even just for a moment. Shoot had been his target, and the man was still standing, blood soaking his side, in shock.

True to his word, the King had made him symmetrical.

"Enough of this." Netero's tone was mild. He prayed again, and in less than a second every building on the block was reduced to rubble. Gaara made an angry motion, and his sand swept the debris away in an instant. They'd gone from a densely built city street to a flat wasteland of concrete and steel faster than Killua could believe. Now it was seventy feet to the nearest buildings instead of twenty; enough time for them to see the King's approach.

What was he doing here? What was Gon doing here? He looked to his friend, who's expression hadn't changed: he was still grimly guarding Killua's back, one-hundred and ten percent devoted to keeping what had happened to Shoot from happening to them. They couldn't do anything in this kind of fight. They couldn't hurt the King, and they couldn't keep their allies safe. They were worse than useless. All they could be was-

Bait.

"Gon," he said, neither of them looking at once another. He spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "You get Morel and Shino. I'll draw him off."

"Killua," Gon said. Killua couldn't identify the emotion in his voice. "You're not allowed, remember?"

Killua couldn't help but smile. Back in Yorknew, before he'd taken Illumi's needle out, this would have been impossible. But he and Gon weren't trapped in a tiny room with a member of the Phantom Troupe. They were in the open, up against the deadliest creature on the planet. There weren't any concrete walls to break through, and their opponent wasn't as idiotic as Nobunaga had been.

'I'm allowed to die. But you aren't!'

"I'm not going to die, Gon," Killua said, lightning sparking over his skin. "I promise."

He took one step forward, and then another. His heart was struggling against the King's aura, but stepping out into it on his own was a strange relief, the same way attacking had been. Like leaping into deep water, with no regard for what it could hold.

Killua presented himself, like a worm wriggling on a hook.

The King resisted, at least at first. The thing was a genius, but it was also barely two months old. It wanted to hurt Hinata, and if Killua was right, that meant it wanted to hurt him.

He was right.

The King came out of the dark without warning, aiming to take Killua's leg off. The Ant wasn't trying to kill them, not really. Killua had realized that, before he stepped out into the open. It would have been trivial for him to finish off Shino, Kiba, Morel, and Shoot, but the King hadn't bothered. He was trying to bring Hinata out, and that meant suffering was the name of the game.

So when the King came at him, not with the intent to kill, but simply trying to maim him, it gave Killua just enough time to activate Godspeed.

He almost lost his leg regardless. The limb jerked back automatically, his Hatsu taking it out of his control, and Killua found himself staring into the King's confused face. With anyone else, on any other day, he would have laughed and spat out a 'stupid' or two.

Today, he just ran.

Just as he'd thought before, the King chased him. The Ant couldn't bear to have someone evade him, and Killua's Hatsu had piqued his curiosity. Even though the others were vulnerable, despite Gaara and Netero's protection, Killua had become the King's number one priority, simply by dodging a single attack. He had time to think all that, since his body was running on autopilot. Paradoxically, with Godspeed active there was no thinking whatsoever. Things happened too quick for that.

Killua had spend hours soaking up electricity, programming his body to respond to every possible angle of attack, to flee on command. Every single bit of the training was coming into play now as his body sprinted, ducked, dove, and weaved away from the increasingly irritated King. He hadn't had the time or the energy to finish creating automated attacks for Godspeed to initiate, but that didn't matter right now. Attacking the King would be useless. All he needed to do was run.

Eventually, five seconds or a full minute later, difficult as it was to tell with his body taken out of his control, the King cornered him against a building. A true skyscraper, with a metal spire at the top. Perhaps a radio tower, blasting endless propaganda to the citizens of East Gorteau. The King was no longer playing; his next attack nearly tore out Killua's throat.

But instead of dying against the wall, Killua's body went up. That was something else he'd programmed into Godspeed, inspired by Hinata. The shinobi could walk on walls; not something Nen could usually accomplish, but Killua was a Transmuter, which was why he was still alive. His lightning aura carried him up the side of the building in a wash of static and blinding speed, with the King close behind as the whole city shuddered with thunder. Killua was going so fast, faster than he'd ever thought even his Hatsu would be capable of, that the sheets of rain hit him like bullets, bruising his face and sending up shouts of pain all across his body.

High above, beyond the storm clouds, he caught a glimpse of something golden and serpentine.

Killua reached the top of the skyscraper. The next moment, his electricity ran out.

Godspeed drained Killua's lightning aura with prodigious speed, but Killua must have been running for longer than he thought if it was already gone. Maybe a full two minutes. His fear and his detachment had shortened the time instead of stretching it. He smiled as the King crested the lip of the building, still just behind him. More than a hundred and twenty seconds, leading the Ant on a wild, fruitless chase. That would have been more than enough time for the others to regroup and flee.

He was about to die, one hundred percent, but he'd fulfilled his goal.

The King's eyes were wide, teeth bared. He was laughing. The thing was having fun.

'Sorry Gon.' Killua watched the King touch down on the roof and launch himself forward, thunder booming seemingly in sync with the movement. Farther out into the city, lightning flashed down atop another building. All of his perceptions were crashing together as certain death came at him.

'Guess I'm a liar.'

He ducked, feeling oddly calm. It was worth a shot. Maybe the King would have a heart attack or something and be unable to compensate. Nothing was impossible.

The dragon came from behind him, and neither Killua or the King understood how. Wreathed in furious violet Nen it struck the King head on, swallowing the Ant in its massive jaws and sweeping him off his feet, back off the roof. Killua blinked, unable to understand why he was alive, and when he opened his eyes, his family was there.

Not all of them, thankfully. If his mother had been there, he probably would have been convinced that the King had just killed him and dropped him straight down to hell. It was just his grandfather and his father. Standing tall, standing before him, soaked to the bone. They'd come from the sky, as if deposited by heaven. As always, his father towered over him, an enormous man with porcelain skin and long silver hair.

He couldn't even question it. Killua was too swept away by the sensation of still being alive, of being able to see and hear and smell and feel, to ever question how in the hell his family was there, how they'd arrived at the only time they could have.

They'd been watching him, he realized. They had been the golden serpent behind the clouds. That was so like his father; keeping an eye on him, only stepping in at the last moment.

"Killua." As always, Silva Zoldyck's voice was as harsh as two trucks getting into a headlong collision. His face was equally hard. "Well done. You made the right decision."

'The right decision?'

"I'm surprised you abandoned your friends like that, Killua," Zeno said, and Killua realized in an instant what his father had meant. They'd thought he was fleeing, not trying to draw the King away. "But my son is probably right."

"I wasn't. I was bait." Killua took pleasure in the way his father's face twisted. "What are you doing here?"

His grandfather laughed, his thin body shaking. "We were hired to pick off any Ants that fled the palace, and potentially the Royal Guards. The King wasn't in our contract, but…"

They'd gone beyond their agreement with the Association, just for him. Killua wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"Come," his father said, turning away as his grandfather gathered Nen. "He'll be back any moment. Now's the time to leave. We've fulfilled our contract."

It came to him like a bolt of lightning. Killua had never been aware as he was now, never as in tune with his father's Nen. The man was glad, but he would also take him away from this place and never return; never let him return. Especially now that he knew what he knew, what Illumi's needle had been hiding from him.

He understood, in a moment of unsurpassed and brilliant clarity, that if he went with his family he would never see Gon again.

"No."

Both men stopped in their tracks. Killua hadn't thought about the response. It had just come out, without prompting. But saying it had made it real.

"You'll die," Silva said. He was cold, as cold and violent as the storm. His father was so still, so pale, he could have been dead. Maybe that was what he was, a creature of death that only moved to rob others of life. Perhaps he'd always been that. "You'd die, just for them?"

The King was coming back. Killua could feel it in his bones. He grimaced.

"You told me, when Gon came for me," he said, remembering the conversation that seemed like a lifetime ago. His father had taken him into his confidence, he thought, but how genuine had he been? "'Never betray your friends.'"

"Killua…" his grandfather started to say, but then his father raised a hand.

"I did," he said. "We'll respect your wish." Killua couldn't see his father's face, but he was sure it would look as though it had been cut from marble. "Die with dignity."

Just like that, his father decided to let him die. Somehow, Killua was glad for it.

He was crazy, he thought. His grandfather, stone-faced, created another dragon of Nen, and both of the men departed the roof, winging away through the storm. He was definitely crazy. His family had offered to save him, and he'd turned them down, just on intuition. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

But he couldn't leave Gon, even if that meant dying. He'd made that promise to too many people. To his father, to Gon, to Kurapika and Leorio, to Biscuit, even to Hisoka and the Spiders, to Hinata...

Most importantly, to himself.

He turned around, feeling eyes on the back of his head, and found the King there, staring at him. Was his family still watching? He couldn't turn to look. He'd seen the last of them, the last of everyone.

"You took your time," he said. The King cocked his head, stalking forward. The Ant could have killed him without him even knowing, but for some reason, he hadn't bothered.

"I was listening," he said, so soft Killua had to strain to hear him against the thunder. "You could have escaped, but you did not."

"Nope," Killua admitted. Was this going to be his last conversation? Chatting it up with the King of the Chimera Ants?

"Why?" the King's eyes bored into him, pinning him in place. Killua ran lightning through his aura in reflex, pure fear raising pitiful sparks across his body. His electricity was totally exhausted.

"Do you care?" Killua asked, and the King laughed. He really did look happy. Maybe he'd been feeling cooped up in that palace of his. Maybe being out here, maiming people, was the most fun he'd had in his life. It certainly seemed like it.

"No." The Ant chuckled. "It was a foolish decision, but if I tried to understand every foolish decision humans made I'd be on this building for the rest of my life," he said with a smile. "I saw you," he continued, "in Hinata's memories." Killua's entire body shuddered. He'd been right. The King had got something more from Hinata than just words. Had that been what had driven the woman to scream before they'd ambushed Neferpitou? Just what had the King done to get access to her mind? Had he eaten her clone's brain or something? Was he going to do the same to him?

"She holds great affection for you," the King said, and Killua scoffed. "She's still watching. I'm sure you can feel it too." Another step. The King was only ten feet away now. Killua couldn't even think of moving. Without Godspeed, he was helpless. "All I want today is for her to come back. She has more to teach me. You understand?"

Another step. Killua felt like his body and soul was imploding under the pressure of the King's chakra. He wanted to kneel and die in equal measures. The Ant had turned him into nothing more than leverage against Hinata.

The King licked his lips. "Do you think she would return, if she thought it could save you?"

Killua screamed and attacked, and the King slapped him away, faster than he could see. He felt his wrist shatter, the shock of the glancing blow reverberating up his body, fracturing his arm even through the protection of his Nen.

He rolled to his feet, clutching his useless arm. The King wouldn't stop grinning, and it made Killua want to scream again.

His father had told him to die with dignity. Surely, he could manage that at least.

"I'll start with his remaining arm," the King of the Ants, Meruem, said. The thing was speaking to Hinata, not him. It knew she could read lips with perfect accuracy. "I'll peel it, first the skin and then the muscle, and then eat what's left. You had better hurry. "

The King moved towards him, and Killua found he had no regrets. Well, dying, he regretted that, but he couldn't have any remorse for that path that had led him here. It had been more than three minutes since he'd drawn the King off; there was no way the others hadn't gotten away by now. And Hinata wouldn't come for him. He had faith she wasn't stupid enough to do that.

He hoped.

Killua looked up into the storm-ridden sky, resigning himself. The King took hold of his undamaged arm, incredibly gently. There wasn't any point in running. One of the creature's nails dug in, delicately working itself under his skin.

'It would have been nice,' Killua thought, 'to live long enough to see this thing die.'

Killua didn't have any words for what happened after that. It was incredibly painful, unbelievably surprising. Without a doubt, it was the most shocking event of his life.

He searched long and hard afterwards, and despite his beliefs, despite everything that his existence had been up to that point, the only thing he could ever have called it was a miracle.

The skies opened up, blinding him. As though attracted to the feeble sparks of his aura…

A bolt of lightning struck him right in the face.

The lightning struck the King too, and the Ant froze. The thing had a ridiculous body, designed to be unkillable. In terms of physical capabilities, the Ant was far beyond Killua. But it had never trained its peerless body. It had never trained to resist electricity, the way Killua had. The lightning filled Killua up, stuffing him to the brim with burning light. He felt as though he were about to explode.

Killua opened his mouth, and instead of light and lightning pouring out, it was laughter.

Godspeed came up, every hair on his body burning and standing on end, his aura flaring up to twice his height. As quick as the lightning that had saved his life, Killua went from feeling as though he were already dead to the unshakeable conviction that he would never die.

"Idiot!" he laughed in the King's face, backing away as electricity skipped in every direction off of him, lighting up the roof and dancing across the wet concrete and steel. He couldn't express his feelings through any other word.

Killua flew off the roof, even faster than he'd been before, transforming into a shooting star above Peijing. The King didn't follow him. When he looked back, a half-second later and a kilometer away, the King was still just standing there, staring at him.

For reasons that Killua would never understand, the Ant turned his back on him. The King leapt off the roof in the other direction, and vanished from Killua's sight.

###

They were almost out of the city when the King caught them, and Netero was glad for it.

If it weren't for Morel and Shino, they probably could have escaped. Shoot's missing arm had been capped by one of his disembodied hands, a bizarre but effective tourniquet that had kept the man on his feet. Morel, however, was too injured to move, and with a leg missing Shino was slower than he should have been. Gaara had been forced to carry both of them along with Kiba Inuzuka, and that had robbed them of a precious twenty or so seconds.

The King reached them in the midst of an office building on the edge of Peijing; they'd resorted to simply breaking through wall after wall on the upper floors of buildings, so as to better conceal themselves.

Like rats, fleeing a hunting cat. It made Netero's blood curdle. It had been worthless in the end; the King locating them so quickly all but confirmed that the Ant had some sort of sensor ability. They heard the creature coming from below, and the tenth of a second of warning that it gave them was enough time for Gaara to move their wounded out of the way.

The man was the antithesis of himself, Netero mused. They both watched the King erupt through the floor and flung themselves out into the night, smashing through the rain-stained windows without care. Where Netero would have fought, Gaara fled; where Netero focused on attack, the Kazekage tended to his defense. He'd sent decoys of sand out, two groups of them, but that had been just as hopeless as their attempts to conceal themselves behind concrete and steel.

What would it be like to fight him, he wondered. Had wondered, since they had met in the streets of Peijing several days before, Hinata's shocked face lending the memory a bit of humor.

The King threw himself after them, and then there they all were, out in the rain and thunder, falling through a dark infinity. The creature was aiming for Gaara; it understood that without him, they'd be forced to leave their wounded behind. Perhaps it also knew that the man was important to Hinata, in a way Netero could not.

Netero prayed, and the King, Meruem, was slapped away, not down into the city but up into the air. Better to leave the King in the sky, where he couldn't maneuver, then on the ground where he would simply leap after them. It was a weak hit, but it was enough.

He hated this. Netero's whole being itched, as though his skin and soul were being stripped away. He was a man who stood and fought, not one who ran away. But alone, against the King, it was as Kiba had said. He wouldn't stand a chance.

Pragmatism and selfishness. That had been the conflict of this whole mission. Not against the Ants, but within himself. Even now, with the reality of it staring him in the face, Netero would have preferred to stand and die, no matter how foolish it would be in the long-term. Setting off the Rose here would kill the King, surely… but it would also annihilate East Gorteau's capital, and kill most of the country's population. That would surely plunge the Mitene Union into a war without peer.

The bomb would also wipe Gaara, the Union's Ambassador, from existence, along with several of his subordinates and the other shinobi. It would be a disaster on every level, but it would be his predecessors mess to clean up, not his. Isaac Netero could laugh at that, at least. His name would go down in history as one of the worst Chairmen in the Association's lifetime, but the dead could not hear any of the ills spoken of them.

Gon was screaming as they fell through the air. Ah, of course. If the King was here, that meant that Killua was dead, or worse. That was a shame. The boys were both amusing, and powerful. Perhaps in different circumstances, given another decade and some, they could have challenged him. Netero would have enjoyed that.

The boy launched himself at the King the moment they landed atop the next roof, and Netero couldn't help but laugh. Gaara would probably have caught him, but the man was too occupied with everyone else, and it was clear from his face that he never would have expected the young Hunter to do something so idiotic. Another shame. Much like Killua, Gon would never meet his potential now. He threw himself into the rain, out of the range of Netero's 100-Hands, ready to dash himself against the King without hesitation.

The King met him as he fell, reaching out one hand with blinding speed to crush Gon's face.

Netero would have missed it, had he blinked. A hundredth of a second before the King's hands could close around Gon's hand, Ging Freecss intercepted him.

The Hunter hardly looked like himself. His whole body was grotesquely swollen, rippling with muscles; it made his head look comically small atop his body. Ging was always overjoyed to experiment with strange new Hatsu, but to Netero, disfiguring his own body like this with the abilities of the Royal Guard he'd sent scurrying back the palace was a step too far.

The shock of their impact blew a gap in the rain dozens of meters wide. One of Ging's arms wrapped around the King's chest; the other seized his son by the arm and hurled him with grotesque strength, up and out. Netero watched with interest as Gon's arm dislocated and he was flung at several times the speed of sound clear out of Peijing, almost beyond the clouds.

That had certainly been unexpected.

As though breaking an annoying doll, the King twisted the arm Ging had wrapped around him more than seven hundred and twenty degrees, and punched a hole in the Hunter's side with his tail. Only the awkward angle saved Ging's life; in the next moment, the King dismissed him with a flick of his tail, tossing him in the opposite direction of his son.

Just like that, another two Hunters out of the fight. Now, all that was left was himself, Gaara, and Knuckle.

And Hinata, should she deign to arrive.

Running clearly wasn't working. As they descended to the street, Netero came to the decision with a grateful sigh, and stopped moving. The others did as well.

"Chairman," Gaara said. "What-?"

"We tried your way," Netero said. The King landed and began stalking towards them, apparently content to give them a moment. Perhaps he was enjoying the chase as much as Netero despised it. "Now, mine. One way or another, we're ending this."

Gingerly, Gaara set down their wounded, covering them with a shroud of sand. Where had the dog and Palm gone, Netero wondered. They'd been lost in the mad scramble; had the King cut them down or ignored them? It didn't matter.

"Oh?" the King asked. "You're stopping? Have you decided to give up?" He smiled. "It won't matter. It's not you I'm-"

"He's right."

Like just another drop of rain, Hinata landed next to Netero. He smiled at her, feeling an odd mix of mirth and annoyance. The King was smiling too.

It was a look no human could give.

"You're late," Netero said. The woman looked sodden and ashamed. Her hair hung around her face, obscuring her eyes. She wasn't prepared for combat; she was still wearing a dress, and the fabric clung to her thin body, leaving her no protection from the elements.

"I'm sorry." Hinata's voice was so soft that it nearly vanished under the storm. He couldn't tell if she was talking to him, to Gaara, perhaps even to the King. "I couldn't…"

"Don't." Gaara stepped to her side. "We'll talk later."

Netero snorted at the optimism, but then Knuckle stepped to his side as well. The four of them, standing in a solid line against the King. Something sparked in his heart as he realized he was about to get his wish.

"We shouldn't-" Hinata began, but then the King raised his hand and she stopped, and though he'd caught her tongue.

"Come back with me," the thing said, and Hinata shivered. "Do that, and the rest of them will walk away." He pointed then, leveling a finger at her. "But speak another word, and I'll show you their deaths till the day you die."

When Hinata didn't continue to speak, Netero realized the situation was a little more serious than even he'd considered. The silence where she should have spoken swallowed them all, and for a solid five seconds it was just the four of them and the Ant in the rain and thunder.

"Netero." For the first time, Gaara showed the chairman an expression other than placid determination. He continued, spreading his hands. "Hinata. Knuckle."

The man looked completely furious. His face was cracking; it too was made of sand. Beneath the shed armor, the shinobi revealed bared teeth. Netero smiled at the look.

"I'll pin him," the Kazekage said. He clenched his fists, and more sand than Netero had ever seen in his life rose up around him, as if from nowhere. "You kill him."

The King attacked.

Time compressed. Netero put his hands together, and thanked the universe for giving him an opponent who would not offer him an understanding hand if he lost.

The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva formed behind him in a pillar of golden light, and Netero threw ten punches in a single second. The city block fell apart in a shower of concrete and dust; here, on the edge of the city, the buildings were more spread out, but they still disintegrated in the first few ferocious seconds of fighting. All around him, sand surged forward, a tidal wave intent on drowning the King. Knuckle went left, into full sprint in an instant, circling around and looking for an opening.

At his side, Hinata closed her eyes. There wasn't time to even glance back at her; the King was forcing his way forward, despite the onslaught from Netero's Hatsu and the sand trying to drag him down.

Netero caught the creature out, a thrill of movement and spacing, ready to crush the insect as it was off step, ducking under one palm and side-stepping around another. His soul lanced down, a chop that could sunder anything under the sun-

And the King punched the strike away. The King dented his Bodhisattva with just his fists.

'Ah,' Netero thought as he threw another fifty punches in a rage. The King stepped through or deflected them as well. 'That could be a problem.'

It was obvious with a look what had happened, though a little difficult to believe. The King had used Hinata's Gentle Fist; with a spike of chakra encasing his hand, he'd struck back at Netero's Hatsu. With Hinata's technique and his own unfair physical strength, he'd dented Netero's ultimate technique.

That was what had happened in the palace. That was why Hinata was so hesitant, so hurt. That was why the King was so obsessed with her. The Ant had somehow been pulling information from the shinobi's brain. That was likely what the 'ninshu' Gaara had mentioned was. Somehow, he'd known this was a possibility.

The King wasn't a powerful amateur at this moment. Now, it was an even greater threat.

It started laughing, but the mocking sound was suddenly cut short as a spear of sand nearly transfixed the thing's chest. The King slapped the attack aside, glaring at Gaara.

"You-" the Ant said, and then Gaara gestured and buried him in a tsunami of sand. The wave steadily formed into a pyramid, and the shinobi clenched both hands, his whole body shaking. The sand shrunk, compressing with incredible strength and speed. Knuckle was still circling, looking for an opening that might never come. Hinata was apparently paralyzed. She hadn't moved an inch since closing her eyes.

Netero frowned. Had the King affected her that badly? He hadn't thought the woman fragile.

"Hit him," Gaara snarled, his knuckles white. "He's digging out."

Netero didn't hesitate. He raged against the pyramid, against the opponent who he could not see, striking the construct so many times and with such ferocity that the top layer of sand, denser than any metal possibly could be, turned to glass and shattered off. The concussive blows made their way through the sand, he was sure, but nevertheless the King finished digging his way out in just moments, bursting from the top of the pyramid with a gleeful shout. Netero slapped him away, sending him tumbling through buildings for nearly a kilometer, but the Ant simply jumped back into the fight before Netero's heart could finish another beat.

They weren't doing damage. Netero decided to change his tactics. He slammed a hand down on either side of Knuckle, bringing the man to an instant stop, and in the same instant leveled a series of furious punches at the King, all devoted to driving him towards the frozen Hunter. Gaara understood his intent almost the instant he began acting, and started using his sand in the same manner. Together, they herded the King towards Knuckle without hesitation, putting the Ant on the defensive even if only for a moment.

What a joy, Netero thought, to work with someone who could read his intentions like that. It was like his Nen and the man's chakra was communicating, stoked by the battle.

It was simple, but simple plans were the best. The King was an exorcist, just as Hinata was, but once they had Knuckle's Hatsu in place, all they had to do was keep the King from attacking it.

Between the two of them, it was possible.

Knuckle realized his opportunity as the King skipped back towards him, apparently disregarding the Hunter as a threat in the face of Netero and Gaara's sudden teamwork. With all the courage he could muster, Morel's student punched the King in the back of the head.

Only Gaara's sand kept the King's tail from swiping Knuckle in half in response; the man turned and ran in the next instant, before he could even realize his life had been saved.

But as Netero sent another series of thunderous punches the King's way, he realized something was wrong.

Knuckle's Hatsu hadn't appeared. The King was unburdened by the man's Nen emission. It was nowhere to be seen. Knuckle retreated to his and Gaara's side, clearly shocked.

"What-?" the man muttered. "I don't-"

The King didn't give them a chance to understand what had happened. He just attacked once more, and both Netero and Gaara were thrust into a battle twice as vicious as it had been before. The King actually gained ground. Gained ground, on both of them. He left more dents and bruises in Netero's Hatsu, and the chairman felt his soul shudder at the damage.

Gaara roared, firing a shotgun blast of sand from his hands, and the pellets actually drove the King back, long enough for Netero to bury the thing in the ground. But again…

They weren't doing any damage. All they could do was hold the King back. As things were going, they couldn't kill him. They didn't have the leverage, or the time. They were missing a factor in the fight.

As Netero pondered this problem, every instinct in his body began screaming at him, a low keening that reverberated through his entire being. There was something tremendously dangerous coming.

But not from before him, from the Ant pulling itself to its feet despite the barrage of attacks pushing it further into the street.

The danger was behind him.

Netero turned his head a fraction of an inch, just enough to glance over his shoulder, and found that Hinata Hyuuga was gone.

Something else entirely had replaced her.

The air around Hinata was boiling, her chakra burning the rain around them away and sending up thick plumes of steam. It pulsed and snarled, brilliant violet energy exploding out into the world and sheathing Hinata's entire body in something entirely inhuman, even more so than the Chimera Ant attacking them. Her hair stood on end. The sight even gave the King pause.

When Hinata opened her eyes, there was no sign of the woman Netero had grown to know and respect over the last two months. Her iris had vanished. It was as if there were two pools of bleeding teel light in her skull.

'Lunar chakra.'

Despite the situation, despite the danger on both sides of him, Netero could only think of a conversation half forgotten, held in the shadow of the nest.

The glowing woman took a step past Netero, and he felt as though he were in the shadow of a great beast, the heat of her chakra instantly banishing the chill of the storm. Isaac Netero hadn't felt that for well over half a century, not since he had last visited the Dark Continent and witnessed creatures beyond human imagination, living expressions of fear and menace. Here, now, right next to him, was another one of those creatures; something that wore a human body like a poorly fitting suit.

'Lunar chakra.'

Something from the moon, perhaps. Some sort of alien goddess.

"So," the King said, self-satisfied. "This was your dual-"

The next step Hinata took was longer than it should have been. She covered the distance between herself and the King in between his words, in between the tick of imperceptible time, and as Netero watched, raised a fist.

He stared, his Hatsu pulsing behind him. Was this what his peers had felt, when he'd come down off the mountain? Hinata's hand came up, as if to caress the King's face, and Netero felt as though he were watching something that wasn't supposed to exist in a world populated by imperfect beings like himself. This wasn't like his own prayers, a motion that outstripped any other in the world with its practice and gratitude.

This was the movement of the heavens, gradual and inevitable, the moon drifting across the sky, moving from cycle to cycle regardless of the desires of those below. Like… gravity.

It was that movement, the graceful raising of Hinata's hand, that transformed Netero's wariness into intrigue. This wasn't a creature of the Dark Continent, he realized, not a Calamity. This was something he could fight. Something he could understand with his fists. Had it not been for the Ants, perhaps Hinata could have been his perfect opponent.

The King, as entranced by the movement as Netero was, as they all were, could only stare into Hinata's eyes as her hand made contact.

"Die," Hinata whispered, and chakra erupted out of her gentle fist.

If it had been directed at him, the attack would have blown Netero's head off. The King's head snapped up, and the Ant staggered back a step. Hinata followed with two equally brutal blows, one to the Ant's chest and the other to his side. Each strike was accompanied by a flair of chakra, a nearly perfect circle of energy that snapped into existence and vanished just as quickly, leaving an afterimage burned in Netero's eyes. The King was driven back, but he lashed out before Hinata could press her advantage, the air pressure of his strike ripping up the concrete beneath him.

Hinata danced back, and the King spat, catching his breath.

"Fine," he said. "You won't need legs to teach me anyway."

They all surged forward on an unspoken signal, three against one. Hinata led the charge, going right for the King without a hint of fear; whatever hesitation that had kept her away at first had been entirely replaced by a murderous anger. Gaara approached as well, his sand as a vanguard, while Netero remained in place, hammering any openings with his 100-Type.

Knuckle, rightfully realizing that his role in the fight had ended, retreated to get the injured out of harm's way.

The King howled, taking Hinata's assault head-on. The two inhuman fighters entered into something more resembling a well-rehearsed dance than a battle for their lives; Gentle Fist against Gentle Fist, they clashed like river rapids, throwing out jets of stray chakra and tearing the ground around them to shreds with their rapid footwork. Hinata ducked and weaved around every one of the King's attacks, effortlessly slipping through dozens of strikes that would have left her an amputee. In return, she only delivered light taps, but each landed with the force of a bomb.

Still, the King refused to give up an inch of ground. He fought without pause, his hands focused on Hinata and his feet and tail keeping Gaara's encroaching sand away…

Until Hinata bent back, falling almost entirely horizontally to the ground as one of Netero's golden palms blew past her face at six times the speed of sound. The King, unprepared for the sudden coordination, took the strike head on and was thrown back into the embrace of Gaara's circling sand.

In truth, Netero hadn't known if Hinata would dodge his attack. Not for certain. At that moment, they were all operating at a level beyond communication; he had simply trusted that the Byakugan would let his ally know exactly what to do.

Gaara, too, knew exactly what to do. That was their advantage here, Netero thought, their trump card against the Ants. Not his Hatsu, or Gaara's perfect defenses, or Hinata's lunar chakra, but their experience. The King was a baby, not sixty days old. He had instincts, and a ridiculous body, but no practice in a true fight.

Between himself and the shinobi, humanity had brought well over one-hundred and forty years of experience to this pivotal battle.

Sand wrapped around the King's tail first, restraining the deadly appendage. When the King thrashed, trying to break free, Hinata stepped forward and slapped away his hands: they were the next to be sealed. The King kicked out, now apparently desperate, and Hinata simply stepped back, letting Gaara's sand sweep forward and sheath the Ant's legs as well.

Suspended in the air, with each individual limb restrained by sand, the King had no leverage for his irresistible strength. No matter how he flailed, he couldn't bring the force to break free from Gaara's restraints to bear. He couldn't jump, or simply flex his way out. For the first time since he'd entered Peijing, the monster was pinned.

This was their opportunity to deal mortal damage. Hinata stepped back into range of the King, her entire body glowing brighter and brighter with murderous energy. Netero could feel it, as surely as he could feel his heart beating in his chest, faster than it ever had in the last sixty years. The woman's chakra focused, sharpening and coalescing in her right hand. Glowing eyes shone out of her knuckles as her arm transformed into a ravenous, chakra-borne hydra. That was the killing blow there; something powerful and focused enough to punch through the King's natural defenses and reach his organs.

If Hinata landed an attack like that, Netero thought, then the Association would have fulfilled its duty. The troublesome politics that had plagued this entire expedition would be expunged. The sacrifices of his companions would have been well worth that. With the Ants out of the way, he could focus anew on what exactly to do with the Shinobi Union.

All that and more went through Netero's head, and in his moment of distraction Meruem tore that future apart.

The King roared, chakra exploding from every pore, and as though he were imitating Hinata once more an armor of burning aura spread over the Ant's body. Within it, vicious thorns tore away the sand pinning the King's limbs, and before Hinata could retreat one of his arms was free. The King lashed out, and the back of his hand took Hinata in the face.

Much like Hinata's first attack, the blow would have erased an ordinary human's head. But Hinata was something far more than human at that moment, and was already turning with the blow as well. Instead of being decapitated, she was simply sent spinning through the air with a tremendous crack that almost matched the thunder above, flying so fast that it was impossible for even Netero to tell how many times she rotated through the air. She hit the ground and lay still, apparently stunned.

The King continued roaring, and to Netero's astonishment bright blue flames issues from his mouth, directed at Gaara. The sand covering his body cracked and fell off, and Gaara was forced away, his shield melting under the King's fury. A tornado of wind and lightning rose up around the shinobi and drew off some of the heat, but the firestorm continued unabated, pushing the Kage farther back and depleting more and more of his sand.

The King's head jerked towards him, eyes wide. The thing was afraid, the Chairman realized. Afraid and furious. For the first time in its existence, it had been placed in a disadvantage. Its life had been in danger.

What had that feeling been like, for the first time? Netero couldn't even remember, it had been so long ago.

Meruem gathered himself, muscles tensing and bulging, and launched himself directly at Isaac Netero.

'Ah.'

The Chairman watched the King come with a detached sort of amusement. It was a strong, if impulsive, decision. He wasn't sure he would be able to respond in time, from this close distance. Without him thinking about it, his body was already going through the motions of prayer and salvation. But even if the King did slay him in a single blow, he would only be killing himself as well. That was funny, wasn't it.

But he was in no mood to die. He had things to see through.

Alone, with the King approaching, Netero decided to let go.

He forgot about the bomb in his chest. He forgot about the Association. He released all his responsibilities and burdens in a single long breath. He forgot about Knov, broken beyond recovery, and Morel, bleeding to death on the ground. He forgot about the shinobi, about the dangers and salvations of a world beyond his own.

All of the universe, encompassed in the golden palms of his Hatsu, narrowed down to just him and the King.

The Covenant for the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva hadn't been a conscious design on Netero's part, as most Covenant's were. It had been born out of his gratitude towards martial arts, his appreciation of the strong and his disdain for the weak, and his single-minded devotion to self improvement. It was a far rawer expression of his being than most Hatsu. Netero had never been forced to put his internal agreement to words, but if he'd had to…

He probably would have phrased it as 'always seek the most difficult battle.'

Here, alone in existence with the King of the Chimera Ants, Netero's soul went into overdrive.

The King realized what was going to happen a little less than a millisecond before Netero finished his prayer, and frowned.

Over the next ten seconds, Netero struck the King one-hundred and eighty-six times.

'This was what I wanted.' The King, battered into the ground, was kept on his feet by the relentless fury of the 100-Type's assault. He was struck so often and with such force that he could not even fall. Netero would not let him.

'This was what I always wanted, wasn't it? Did I forget that?'

If Netero made a single mistake, missed a single attack, the King would counterattack, and from this distance his life would end without him even realizing. Only the immaculate pattern of his Hatsu kept him alive, despite the rage of his opponent, so close he could feel the heat of the monster's aura. The 100-Type punched away even the King's chakra, spat out at Netero in furious blasts of fire and lightning. It was as if he were battling a furnace.

'To be fighting, presenting my entire soul, to an opponent with the strength to end me, who would not extend me a gracious hand. That is why I am alive. That is why I came down off the mountain. That is why I did not pray for the rest of my days'

The King was finally forced away, and Netero gained a bit of breathing room. He celebrated with a chop that, for the first time, drew a bit of the monarch's blood. As he stumbled back, the King spat out a spot of purple ichor, instantly wiped away by the rain and tremendous pressure of the Hatsu's constant assault.

'So I could express my devotion in other ways.'

Netero's soul was bleeding, scratched and dented by the King's chakra, and that only added to his exultation. To think, he would experience the greatest ten seconds of combat, on the edge between life and death, in the twilight of his life.

The King screamed, the sound so loud that it drowned out the thunder, and launched himself forward once again, seemingly desperate to avenge his minor injury.

Unthinking, shining like a star in the night, Netero screamed back, a century of frustration expressing itself in a single shout. He swung his arm down, and four of the 100-Type's hands mirrored him. Four palms struck the King at once, a chop that sundered the air and shook the city with its strength.

The King took the blow directly to the head. The street below the Ant exploded, an unspeakably deep fissure as wide as a building shooting out from beneath the strike and surging off deep into the city, bringing down every structure in its way. With a single swing of his arm, Netero cut Peijing in half.

The King stood, as though unaffected, and Netero's eyes narrowed. For a second, he was sure that the fight would go on. But then, gradually, as though the rain were forcing him down, the King fell to his knees.

Netero brought his hands together, but did not strike. What he saw brought him to pause.

The King looked as though he were falling apart.

Starting from the tip of the King's fingers, the Ant's body began to slip away. He grew softer, the rain beginning to pierce through him, as though…

Every inch of Netero's body twitched, a cold horror running from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

As though the Ant were made of smoke and shadows.

The moment Netero came to that realization, the King popped, smoke issuing from the remains of his body. But the smoke didn't simply vanish, as a shinobi's did. It whirled and screeched, as though the King were still within. Slowly, before Netero's astonished eyes, the King's clone tried to pull itself back together, the smoke clumping together into something resembling a head, torso, arms, and legs. Like a man heaving himself out of a typhoon, the Ant King dragged itself back into corporality.

"A clone." Hinata limped to his side, and Netero looked over at the woman. Her eyes had returned to normal; whatever force had allowed her to stand face to face with the King had receded. The shinobi stumbled forward with a hiss, and raised her hand over her head. Slowly, a ball of rotating chakra grew out of her hand with a high pitched keening, swelling until it was larger than her head. The woman focused, and the sphere was wrapped in hungry purple fire, the same kind that she'd prepared to kill the King not fifteen seconds before.

Without preamble, Hinata slammed the technique down on top of the reforming clone, and her chakra shredded and devoured the King before he could grow any more solid. All at once, the night was quieter, though the pouring rain and thunder continued without appreciation for what had just transpired.

"I tried to tell you," she said, so quietly Netero had to strain to hear. "But the storm… and then when I was here…" The woman sunk down into a crouch, wrapping her arms around her knees. The lunar chakra surrounding her whipped away, and she was left human once more, shuddering in the rain. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…"

"Not now." Gaara had come to their side as well. The entire front of the man's body was burned and blackened, but he was standing. I "He'll know. We have to leave immediately. Find the others. Retrieve them." The Kazekage looked to Netero, for permission. "We need to leave the city."

Like a man who'd just eaten a full meal, Netero found himself more agreeable than normal. He nodded.

With two days left until the Day of Selection and so many of his subordinates injured, a fundamental shift in their strategy was required.

With the King having profited so greatly from Hinata's mistake, for now, they had to depart.

Chapter Text

Hollow Victory

Neferpitou was covered in agony.

Every inch of her body had been broken and burned, and even Doctor Blythe's ministrations hadn't been able to fully banish the pain. After a full day of surgery, she'd been able to walk again, but she still felt like a hollow shadow of the Royal Guard she was supposed to be. Her Nen had soothed her burns, knitted together her skin, and healed her organs. Her hearing was still damaged, but it was slowly returning as well.

However, it was Neferpitou's eye and hand that hurt the most, and there was nothing her Hatsu could do about that.

Doctor Blythe could only fix what was still there.

Half deaf and half blind, she had wandered the Palace after her surgery had ended in search of something beyond her understanding. She couldn't present herself to the King like this. She would come if called, but of her own will? She wouldn't be able to bear the shame. The massive building was even more empty than it had been when she'd departed to retrieve the Watcher.

The assault had been a disaster, all because of her. It had claimed the lives of dozens of Ants, further depleting the King's soldiers. The failure of it all hurt more than her injuries ever could have.

Neferpitou walked for a long time, making a full circle of the Palace, and only saw three others. She ignored them and they her. If there had been any camaraderie between the surviving Ants and the Royal Guards, she had ruined it with her mistakes.

Eventually, she came to think how she could serve the King in her reduced state, and was presented with an obvious answer.

Pitou flared her En, and was herself shocked at how uncertain and tenuous it was. It only extended a kilometer, barely enough to cover the palace, and she could feel her own weakness bleeding into it. The feeling disgusted her, and she sharpened her mind and her En with it. With her renewed focus, it only took her a moment to find the distinctive aura of her target.

Quietly and painfully, Neferpitou made her way to the Nen of the Squadron Leader Meloreon, the Ant who had saved her where no one else could.

She found the Ant perched atop one of the outer walls of the palace. He'd drawn up a plastic chair in one of the upper guardhouses and was leaning back in it. The chameleon was gazing out at the capital, taking in its devastation with a wry look in his bulbous round eyes. He had a lit cigarette dangling from his lips; Pitou had never seen an Ant smoking before, but there was certainly no shortage of human luxuries lying unused around the palace.

Neither of them spoke. Pitou shuffled to the Ant's side, looking out at the city with him. On any other day, she would have been direct, but today, she found something enticing about a quiet moment. The storm from the day before had entirely abated; now, the ruined capital was bathed in a dull, warm sunlight. It was the kind of soft light that made hiding impossible.

"All healed up?" The Ant glanced over, both eyes focused on her but looking in different directions. Pitou's clothes had been destroyed in the battle, and she'd covered herself with a simple black cloak. If the Squadron Leader could see the scar tissue that covered her entire body, had watched her stumble earlier in the day, he probably never would have asked such an obvious question.

Pitou didn't answer the question. She didn't know how. Instead, she asked one of her own, though she had little interest in the answer.

"Why are you here?" Meloreon quirked an eyebrow at the question, one eye staying on her and the other wandering back to the city.

"It's a nice view," he said. "I've never seen a city before. It's interesting, isn't it?"

Now, Pitou felt a bit of curiosity that she wasn't supposed to be able to feel. "Interesting?" she asked, and the commander nodded.

"It's crazy that humans can build so much, isn't it?" he said. "They're not like Ants; they're all individuals. But still, they work together to construct something like that, something a hundred times bigger than any nest."

"Under a strong hand." Pitou found herself saying. She was actually considering Meloreon's words.

"Here, sure." Meloreon's cigarette burned down to a stub, and he flicked it away, drawing another from the front pocket of his sweater, along with a lighter. He lit the new one with a satisfied puff. "But not all their countries are like this one. They don't all have supreme leaders or kings, you know." He turned away from her. "So what drives them to that? How can they cooperate, as individuals? Is it just self interest, or something else? Why build something you'll never live in?"

The Squadron Leader was driving at something, Pitou understood, but she didn't have the context to understand what. She should have been infuriated, but instead it only inflamed her curiosity. Her eye ached, and she resisted the urge to scratch at the empty socket.

"You know why I'm here," she said, cutting the conversation short, and Meloreon sighed.

"Yeah," he said. "Was hoping to avoid it though."

That was ridiculous, so Pitou ignored it. "Come with me, to the King. He'll be interested in your Hatsu. And why you concealed it."

It was something, at least, something for her to present atop the mountain of her failure. But when Meloreon shook his head, Pitou felt something inside her crumble.

"No." He was sweating, she saw. Even in her reduced state, missing a hand and an eye, hardly able to walk, the Ant was terrified of her. It had been courageous of him, to deny her. If he were the King, she could have respected that, despite the paradox of that thought.

"You don't have a choice," she said, and Meloreon looked at her with both eyes.

"Why?" he asked, and Pitou paused.

Why? She couldn't wrap her head around the question. She itched to just throw it away.

But Meloreon had saved her life. Meloreon had revealed his Hatsu, which he had kept even from the King, just to save her from her own hubris. The very least she could do, despite his defiance, was answer a simple question.

"You will be of benefit to the King," she decided. "You have to be brought to him."

"I'll be of benefit to the King, huh?" Meloreon asked. Pitou watched him carefully. With one breath, the Ant could vanish beyond even her perception. She was ready to leap the moment he showed signs of running, but the chameleon seemed resigned. He understood that at this range, Pitou would be able to attack before he finished taking a breath. "You're not understanding me, Neferpitou." No one had ever addressed her so casually, and it threw Pitou off balance. There was something fierce in Meloreon's eyes now, something aside from just fear.

"Why do you care if I'd help the King?"

There wasn't any hesitation. "You're insubordinate." Pitou had known there were some selfish Ants, but she'd never been faced with it so starkly. But it had been some of those same selfish Ants that had come to her rescue… "Come with me now, or I'll have to take you by force." She flicked her tail, half of it shorn off by shrapnel, and Meloreon grinned.

"That's not an answer," he said. "That's just dogma. That's just your genes." He was shaking like a leaf in the wind, but some force was pushing the words out of him. This had been boiling inside him for some time, Pitou realized. This was what had kept his Hatsu secret. "Please… at least try to answer! Why do you care about the King?"

"I was born to guard him." Why was she answering? She was wasting time, but there was no rush. It wouldn't matter if she brought Meloreon now or in five minutes, so long as she did.

"We all were," Meloreon said. "Every one of us Ants were born to serve the King. Some to hunt for him, some to feed him, some to guard him, but all to serve him." He took a deep breath. "But why should we?" Pitou took a step forward, and Meloreon swallowed. Even her deafened senses could hear his heart beating from this close, so fast it was like to explode. She should have torn it out for what he was saying.

But she needed him alive.

"Where did you get these ideas?" Neferpitou asked. Her aura crackled, and Meloreon quailed. She had to find the source of this disobedience. It was the best way she could serve the King now.

"From myself!" the Ant declared, and Pitou frowned. That couldn't be true. There had to be some outside contamination. It couldn't be that an Ant itself could be producing these notions. That was impossible. The Queen wouldn't have allowed it.

"You're lying," she stated with absolute confidence, and the Ant shook his head, his cigarette slipping from his lips.

"No, you just don't understand." He hesitated. "Maybe can't understand. Maybe I'm just wasting my time. You aren't…"

"A traitor?" Pitou suggested with a mild tone, and Meloreon let out a choked laugh.

"Listen," he said. "I remember what I was, before this."

Before? Pitou's aura only grew larger, but once more… she was curious. She couldn't resist a mystery.

"Before what?"

"Before I was an Ant, I was human." Meloreon's eyes, sincere and terrified, pushed the truth into her. "I remember it. Lots of us do."

The conversation came together, slotting together like a puzzle in Pitou's mind. That was why Meloreon was obsessed with the city, with the individuality of humans, why he was so defiant, why he had hidden his Hatsu.

The creature before him was a human in an Ant's skin.

She advanced again, and this time Meloreon took a step back. "You have to get it," he begged. "Ants are supposed to be loyal to the King; that's their genes. But something came with us, from when we were human. A soul, maybe!" He was babbling now; all PItou could feel was disgust. "That's what's caused so much trouble for you, with the other Ants. We're all torn between what we are and what we were." He was crying, for fear of his life or for what he'd lost Pitou could not know. "Look where I am now! I knew this would happen, I knew you would come; I knew that it would be my death, but my body wouldn't let me leave!"

Pitou reached out, and Meloreon cried out one last time. "That kind of thing, enforced by my genes… that's not loyalty! That's slavery!"

"You're wrong," she said softly, her hand wrapping around the Ant's. Now, even if he used his Hatsu, she had a firm hold of him. She simply had to not let go. "The King-"

"Doesn't deserve a thing!" Meloreon spat, and Pitou tightened her grip. "What has he done to earn anything from us? From you! Do you really think I will be enough for him to forgive you?!"

"No." Pitou knew it was the truth, a painful but necessary one. "But he is the King."

"If I have two loyalties," Meloreon said, only growing more insistent despite being doomed. "One from my body, and the other from my soul, which one should I obey?" He placed his other hand on his chest. "This, my blood, or the thing that's kept me me from one life to another?" He was angry, Pitou realized. It was overwhelming his fear. "You're not mindless, Neferpitou! You must understand what I"m saying, even if you can't agree!"

"I can understand," Pitou admitted, "but nothing more." She began dragging the Ant away, and he was unable to resist her.

"You can, but you're different from us," Meloreon insisted. "You Royal Guards, the Queen did something different with you. You don't have any leftover humanity, like the rest of us."

"Of course," Pitou said, allowing herself to feel a bit of pride. "So we would make faithful guards. Unlike yourself."

"So you're not like us," Meloreon whispered. "You're all a blank slate."

Despite herself, Pitou stopped.

"You don't have a legacy," the Ant quietly continued. "More so than anyone but the King, you're your own person. Even if your bodies were made to serve him…"

"Stop," Pitou warned, but Meloreon didn't.

"You have the right, Neferpitou," he muttered, screwing up his courage. "You have the right to make your own decisions. You don't have to serve the King just because your genes say so. You have the right to ask if he's worth serving."

For that, Pitou decided, after he finished telling them everything he could about his Hatsu, the Ant would lose his tongue.

"You should have gone to the Watcher, if this was how you thought," she said. They were out of the guardhouse, atop the walls. The sun felt good on her burned face.

"Never." Meloreon shook his head. "You know. You saw her. She hates Ants more than anything in the world." He shivered. "I'd be just as doomed if I went to her. She wouldn't see me for what I am."

"You have no one, then," Pitou laughed. "No King, and no humans to flee to. You've shut every possible door." It was funny, but in a sort of tragic way. A traitor having nowhere to run was fitting, and yet Meloreon had saved her life, putting himself in this position in the first place. His body had betrayed his transmigrated soul.

She would never have to worry about that. She was a fresh slate, as the Ant had said. She would have to begin searching out the other Ants like Meloreon, the hidden humans. That would come later.

"That's not true," Meloreon whispered, and Pitou glanced at him, her senses suddenly on edge. The sun hurt now, burning her frail skin. It was in her eye. "I still have Peggy, wherever he is. I still have my father."

She blinked, and the Ant disappeared.

Neferpitou realized in an instant what had happened. Meloreon had waited until they were at a certain point on the wall, until he had been perfectly framed against the sun. He had waited for that perfect moment where, if Pitou looked to him, as she had been compelled to several times, the sun would blind her still fragile eye.

It had only been for a twentieth of a second, less time than it would have taken for her to launch Tepischora, but the Ant was still gone.

Pitou squeezed, but there was no sensation of touch. Did Meloreon's Hatsu eliminate that as well? He was still tangible: he'd been struck by flying debris when he'd rescued her. There was no way he could have slipped from her grasp.

She looked down, and found her hand covered in blue blood. Not her own. Pitou snarled, and punched down, demolishing the wall. Everything shattered, rubble flying in every direction, but there was no sign of the errant Ant. She grunted in frustration, and even as she was falling pushed out her En once more, her whole body stinging.

One kilometer. That was all she could manage in her pathetic state, but it was enough. As Ants all throughout the palace jumped in alarm as her Nen washed over them, Neferpitou's aura surged out like a spider's web. At first, there was nothing, but then, at the very edge of her senses, Meloreon's distinctive aura suddenly appeared.

She could have jumped. She should have jumped. But instead, Pitou simply swiped with her remaining arm, Tepischora augmenting her frailty and producing a shockwave that wiped all the debris in her path away. The ground around the palace was almost entirely flat; even from over nine-hundred meters away, Pitou and Meloreon were able to make eye contact.

The chameleon was missing his left arm from the elbow down: a strange mirror of herself. His eyes were wide with fear. With how quickly he'd had to act, even to escape with a severed limb, he'd had no time to take a deep breath. His fear and haste had barely given him three seconds of imperceptibility.

He hadn't broken the sound barrier, Pitou realized, because the shockwave would have given him away. Clever, but he'd sacrificed distance.

With Meloreon dead to rights, Neferpitou-

Did nothing.

Later, she tried to explain the lapse to herself. She tried to blame, in turn, her injuries, her distractions, how surprised she'd been by ridiculous things the Ant had said, and even the terrain. If I'd jumped, she reasoned, he would simply have taken a deep breath before I arrived, or sacrificed another arm, and things would have turned out the same.

But those were all lies, and Neferitou knew that.

She didn't jump because the Ant had saved her life, even though he'd known without a doubt that it would cost his own. Either at the hands of the humans, who hated him for his body, or the Chimera Ants, who couldn't abide his soul.

Neferpitou couldn't reward that action by feeding the Ant, physically or figuratively, to a King who could have no gratitude for those actions: the gratitude she felt.

So as Meloreon took a deep breath and vanished, this time for good, Neferpitou simply watched.

###

Youpi was rooted by curiosity.

When Pitou had destroyed a section of the wall, seemingly for no reason, the closest Ants had come running to him. Most he didn't recognize; Zazan was the only one who seemed familiar. Probably cause he'd put the most effort into remembering her in the first place.

They'd asked him what had happened, and he'd been honest. He didn't have a clue. Whatever Neferpitou was up to, first with her violence and then with her En, she hadn't told him anything beforehand.

Before, he wouldn't have cared. Today, he allowed himself to consider possible answers. The one he eventually settled on was that Pitou was frustrated. She'd barely returned from Peijing alive, and had spent the days since healing herself. Even now, it was obvious that she was weak. She'd lost an eye and a hand, and hadn't been able to replace them. She wasn't like Youpi; the Royal Guard had been given one body to work with, and had squandered it.

In the face of that, who would not be frustrated? If Youpi were in that position, he would probably he destroyed more than just a wall.

He nearly had been, he thought, as he watched the Ants wander away with their own curiosity sated. If it hadn't been for that Hunter, Ging. The exorcist who'd removed the strange creature from his shoulders, a subordinate of a now dead commander, had told him that it had been barely a minute from accruing power. If he'd been a minute slower, the cheerful Ant had said, his Nen would have been sealed for who knows how long.

For someone with Youpi's biology, that could even have been fatal. He didn't understand enough about his own body to claim otherwise.

He shook his head, as if that could dispel the worries. Pitou's feelings were not his business. What was more immediately curious was why the Ants had gone to him, and not to her.

The Royal Guard had always been distant from the normal Ants, and Youpi the most so. He'd never even spoken to one before the attack on Peijing. Shaiapouf and Pitou had always been the ones to deal with the rest of the Chimera, giving them orders and helping them develop new Hatsu. But today, they'd gone to him, not the others.

Something had changed, since the failed attack on the capital. The Ants that had returned trusted him now; he'd been their shield and sword in the city, keeping them alive in the face of the Hunter's brutal ambush. The ones that had come back had passed that idea on to the others. An idea, Youpi had learned, was very much like a disease. The same way the Hunters had infected him with his newfound curiosity, the Ants had infected their fellows with trust.

Was he worthy of that trust? All he'd done was protect the King. Or at least, extensions of the King.

But was that point of view correct? It was a shocking new idea, but Youpi was no longer a stranger to those. Would the King see things the same way, if Youpi brought that idea to him? Would he be infected? Youpi considered the notion, sitting down on the spot and frowning as he turned the idea over in his head, and came to reject it.

The King was a monolith. He barely spoke to anyone, aside from the human who he spent so much of his time playing games with. When his Ants had failed him, he'd gone to Peijing alone, and driven the Hunters out of it without help.

The King was the King because he'd been born that way, not because he had any subjects. He wasn't that kind of king. The Ants, including the Royal Guard, were now more like… a cloak, maybe. Youpi thought about Ging's turban, and decided that was more appropriate. Something dirty and unnecessary that he wrapped around his head for appearances, but not really part of the actual…

His head hurt, but he frowned and screwed up his brow. He wished he could expand his brain, instead of just his muscles. Maybe he could, and just wasn't smart enough to? If that were a possibility, maybe he could actually be useful to the King. Making his body tougher hadn't done anything, in the end. He needed to be more than that. They all did.

But then, maybe that wasn't possible. Now, after proving that he needed no one, the King probably wouldn't bother with them unless he thought they could be a kind of equal. It came to Youpi like a lightning bolt, and he smacked himself with how obvious it was. That was why the King cared so much about the Watcher, and why he kept playing games with that blind girl. He only had time for beings that could match him in one manner or another. Anything else just bored him.

And in that context, bodyguards that were weaker than him were entirely useless.

So were the other Ants. That solidified it. They weren't a part of the King. They were hanger-ons. They were turbans.

That thought should have given Youpi freedom to stop caring about anything regarding the rest of the Ants, but he found he couldn't let go of being their shield. Did them not being part of the King make his actions in Peijing any less valuable? Of course not. It had bought trust. That alone was worth something, surely. Did the Ants trust Pouf? No. Did the Ants trust Pitou? Not anymore.

Did the Ants trust the King?

…

…

…

Youpi couldn't come up with an answer to that question. Something in him wouldn't let him. He decided to move on to more practical issues. Neferpitou's En had receded, drawing back into the small Guard. His comrade was still horribly hurt, after all. Maybe she would never fully heal. Something more than physical damage had been done to her by the Watcher and her helpers.

"Zazan," Youpi grumbled, and the Squadron Leader, who had been sitting on the other end of the courtyard and picking at her nails, perked up. "We won't be able to rely on Neferpitou's En now. The humans have run, but they might be back." He stood up, looking over at the ruined section of wall. "Rotating patrols, with En if possible. If not, lots of eyes. Around the walls, beyond them where necessary." He looked south, to the still growing mass of humans. "Special attention to the humans over there. Shaiapouf is keeping them quiet, but if Hunters slipped in among them, it would be a disaster."

"Done," Zazan said, looking relieved to have finally received orders. There had been nothing but a quiet malaise since the assault. "Anything else?"

Youpi thought about that. He had to sit down again, chin resting on his fist. "Stay together," he eventually decided. "Stay safe. There aren't many of us left now."

He said the word so casually, and took it so implicitly, that it wasn't until Zazan left several minutes later that he realized he'd said 'us.'

###

Shaiapouf was being devoured by fear.

His attention was split four ways, but they all led down the same path. The first was his primary body, in East Gorteau's palace. There, he was busy pacifying a crowd of nearly nine-million slack-jawed humans with even slacker minds with his Spiritual Message. His aggravation had killed a little over 20,000 of them, their organs simply shutting down as his stress and fear rained down on them. That was obviously bad, but in the grand scheme of things was a mere rounding error.

The second was a fragment of his body in the palace. Sequestered in the library, which no other Ant had bothered stepping foot in, Pouf was busy poring over book after book, ripping pages out in his desperation. Every book shared the same focus: geography.

That was because the third thing he was focusing on was the half of his body that had been entirely separated from the rest of him. Trapped outside of the now crippled Hunter's dimensional space by that fearsome old man, a little under 50% of Shaiapouf's mass had been left with no clue as to its whereabouts since the failed assault. Since then, he'd devoted a significant amount of his attention to trying to figure out where the hell he'd ended up.

Stupid Pouf. Worthless Shaiapouf!

The fourth thing was the same feeling that dragged all his other focuses together. Fear, and failure.

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

Shaiapouf hadn't told the King about the intruder he'd all but killed, or any other soul. He hadn't told the King that he was now reduced to about fifty percent combat ability. Probably less, since his full body was exponentially more powerful than it was reduced. It made it easier to think about it like, reduced to numbers and probabilities.

All of Shaiapouf's bodies were weeping, unable to contain their shame and terror.

He hadn't told the King. How could he? How could he, Shaiapouf, the only one the King could rely on, fail so utterly, in such a simple task?

If Shaiapouf had been more courageous, more simple, he would have torn himself apart then and there, all of his bodies at once. But things couldn't be that simple for him. He could still be of use to the King. He was still the only one the King could rely on! If he died…

He hadn't lied, Pouf reasoned with a giggle. Another human in the crowd died of a heart attack, and he did his best to relax. He hadn't lied. He hadn't even withheld the truth. Had the King asked? NO. No one had asked. No one would ask. Before anyone could realize what had happened, the rest of his body would return. The Hunter who had infiltrated hadn't accomplished a thing. By now, he was probably dead. Yes, almost certainly dead. No, definitely dead. After what had happened, a shattered face, severed leg, broken body, what human could survive that?

Shaiapouf had killed the intruder, and suffered a minor setback. That was all. That was all! No reason to worry the King with a minor setback suffered by the only one he could rely on. That would just be stupid.

Yes, stupid Pouf. Foolish Pouf. Why would you worry the King, he thought, when he has such greater things to concern himself with then, well, yourself? Are you that vain? Are you that stupid?

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

Shaiapouf smiled. Yes. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. He'd done nothing wrong. The King would see that. When he told him what had happened. They would laugh about it, perhaps. It was certainly funny, such a minor thing. Fifty percent of a Royal Guard was still more than any human.

Any human but that old man.

Pouf's heart fluttered. Surely the King would understand, though. Maybe he'd fought that man himself. Maybe he'd understand, if Pouf ever told him.

If he ever told him.

Yes.

If.

###

Meruem was overtaken by joy.

Sitting in the throne room, being ruthlessly defeated by Komugi once more, the King was the happiest he had ever been.

In the span of a single day, he'd retrieved his name, sent both the Hunters and the Shinobi into a battered retreat, taken the first steps towards mastering his chakra, and rid himself of the Watcher, perhaps for good. It was a tangible, self-earned victory. This wasn't a success earned by his subordinates, but something he had accomplished himself. The joy of it made him feel light and capable. Today, more than ever, he felt as though he could eventually defeat the girl in front of him, and master Gungi as he had everything else.

And yet, Meruem thought as he watched Komugi place him in checkmate once more, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

He surely could, eventually. All his countless matches with Komugi were, in reality, one enormous game that transcended many boards, and both he and the girl were aware of it. With nothing but time and patience, the King would eventually refine his strategy, find the single pinprick of light in the oppressive shadow of Komugi's mastery and surpass her. That would be enough to buy him victory, even if it was only temporary; Komugi would surely react and go beyond him in the very next game, if she allowed herself to. They were both improving prodigiously from game to game, but no matter how incredible Komugi was, she was still human; Meruem's progress was faster than hers, if only marginally. Eventually, he would close the gap, one tireless sprinter gaining on another, initially stronger one.

But did he want to win? Meruem reset the board, sure that he would lose the next game slightly more gracefully than he had this one. If he won, the games would stop. If he won, Komugi would die, a victim to her own values.

She was only a human, but now, with the Watcher no longer required, Komugi was the only creature in the world that could match him. She was, Meruem thought, the only real partner he had. He'd been born to dominate, but now, basking in his joy, he realized that he had been lonely before. That was why his chakra had reached out to Hinata Uzumaki, and possibly why she had come at all; she must have felt that solitude, through that grasping touch.

But Hinata had shown him what Komugi really was, and hadn't been able to take her from him. Now, the King had an equal, in some small way.

That, too, contributed to his joy.

"Supreme Leader," Komugi said with a grin. "You're happy."

"I am." He moved a shinobi up, chuckling at the irony. "You can tell?"

"Mmmhmm." Komugi nodded. She had been blind her whole life; where had she learned to nod, the King wondered. Humans were social creatures who taught even their disabled young small interactions they would never be able to see or understand. It was both peculiar and slightly endearing. "You're more confident than usual. And quiet. When you were mad, you were too careful and too loud. Now…" She slew his shinobi with a triple-pronged defense, and the King grinned. "I'm having to be more serious."

The blind girl frowned. "Was it because of Hinata? She's gone now."

"Somewhat," the King admitted. How to explain that? "I thought I needed her to teach me, as you have with Gungi. But I realized that wasn't necessary."

"Supreme Leader-!" Komugi started to say, but Meruem just laughed.

"It's true!" he said, and it was nice to say it out loud. "You think I'd be a tenth as skilled without such a marvelous opponent to play against? You've bettered me!" He sat back, pushing in on her left flank in preparation for a direct attack. "So I took the same approach with my aura, instead of waiting for instructions."

"I always learned best playing, instead of being told how to play," Komugi said, and placed him in four different checks at once. "You must be the same, Supreme Leader." The girl blushed, waving one hand furiously. "Not the same as me! Just-"

"I understand." Mereum escaped the checks, but the net was closing; it would be six three turns from now. There was only a single narrow path to victory from here, and he was sure Komugi already had covered it. After her next move, instead of wasting their time, he conceded.

She was right, as Komugi often was. They weren't the same. He pondered the paradox as they reset the board once more. It was the same question that had always troubled him when it came to the blind girl. She was only his better in Gungi: in every other matter, Meruem was unmistakably superior. Now, with the Hunters and Shinobi sent fleeing, the matter of martial might was decisively settled. That could very well mean that Komugi was the only human on the planet who could challenge him in anything.

But even though she could match something as marvelous as him, Komugi was helpless in every other field.

The thought crystalized, and the King tossed it about inside his mind as the game began again, testing its resilience. Could it be fate?

Fate, and power over it. He examined the happy girl in front of him, really looking at her, not just at her playstyle, her rhythm, but beyond, into what had created her in the first place. Meruem stopped looking for the pinprick of light, and began to regard the darkness surrounding it.

Komugi had lived a life devoid of free will, he thought. She herself had told him that there'd only been one thing that made her life worth living, and that was her skill in Gungi. She'd been pushed towards that, and would have been regardless of her choices; anything else would have led to her own death. She'd embraced that lack of freedom, and turned her slavery into a power strong enough to contest him.

For that, she was a marvel. Who could have leapt into her predetermined role with such ferocity that it could defeat even him, but Komugi?

But Meruem was her antithesis. Where Komugi could only do one thing with unsurpassed skill, he had infinite potential and infinite choice. He was the culmination of a hundred billion Ants, and with that manifest destiny, nothing was beyond him. He had complete mastery over his own fate. He'd proven that, conclusively, by driving off his only challengers with a flick of his will.

One realization led to another. If Komugi couldn't determine her own fate, someone would have to do it for her.

He was the only one equal to the task. Who else would appreciate her? Humans would only see a blind girl, sniffling and weak. Meruem, King of the Ants, was the only one who could see what Komugi really was. Even Hinata's Byakugan had only seen a strength and a weakness, not what was underneath. A pitiful girl, instead of...

Meruem decided, in that moment of epiphany, that he would have to protect Komugi no matter what.

As the King pondered, his aura pulsed, and Komugi's responded in kind. Her Nen and his chakra intermingled, but it didn't result in the brutal relationship he'd maintained with the Ants. Instead, it was more like a handshake. Or a caress.

Nen wasn't compatible with chakra, Meruem understood. His chakra couldn't connect with Komugi's Nen, not the way it reached out for Hinata Uzumaki's. He would never be able to converse with Komugi the same way he had with the shinobi who hated him so.

That was disappointing. When he regarded the depths of it, the King found himself surprised at just how deep and sore the feeling was. He wanted to understand Komugi the same way he'd been allowed to understand Hinata. What would he do, to feel just a fraction of that connection?

No. Meruem sat up, and Komugi took notice of his shift of pose; she moved her commander into a more aggressive position in anticipation. A better question was what could he do. He was her antithesis, after all.

Why would this be beyond him?

Meruem focused, and his chakra swirled, just as he'd seen in a stolen memory. Without a sound, a perfect copy of him appeared beside him in a whirl of smoke, and stalked away, tail flicking back and forth in thought.

He hadn't been able to figure out the exact mechanics of the clone jutsu that Hinata had used to visit him, but his experimentation had yielded something close enough. It was made of shadows and smoke, as Hinata's had been, but he shared perceptions with it, looking through two sets of eyes, feeling two skins, hearing through four ears. It was disorienting, even for him. The battle in Peijing had left his real body immobile: Gungi hadn't been beyond him, but fighting with two bodies simultaneously would require a lot of practice. He would probably just rely on his own body, at least until he discovered how to create truly autonomous clones. Then, they'd become an indispensable tool.

The King left the throne room, looking for no one in particular as a peculiar notion guided his gait. Perhaps one of his Royal Guards would be his best bet. They were durable, and two of them had proven almost useless. Pitou would no doubt be looking for a way to redeem herself. As he padded down the halls, he realized that it was the first time he'd bothered to leave the room for several days. Had he eaten? He wasn't hungry, so most likely. It didn't really matter.

He found his first Ant at the bottom of a staircase leading down from a short hall a couple doors away from the throne room. He hadn't thought it would take that long. His subordinate, an Ant that looked like a bipedal cheetah, looked up at him from where it was sitting on the stairs, and scrambled to its feet in shock.

"Whoa," the Ant choked. "What, I mean, uh-!" It swallowed. "My King! Right!" It stood to the side to let him pass, but as Meruem reached the bottom of the stairs, he stopped, turning to look the Ant in the eyes. The Ant's eyes widened in shock, and it stood up straighter, clearly terrified to move.

Meruem smiled. It was amusing. He looked the cheetah up and down, taking in its powerful legs and compact body. They were only a couple feet apart, and the Ant towered over him, a good two feet of height separating them. Yet, it was trembling. Several of its fingers were missing, he noticed. A combat injury, or was this one of his subordinates who had been driven mad by his hunger when he was born?

"What were you doing?" he finally asked when his subordinate's obvious trepidation become irritating instead of amusing. The Ant swallowed again. It really was terrified. Why? Was he that much a stranger?

"Practicing," it said, and Meruem cocked his head. "Practicing my Hatsu. My new Hatsu."

"A new Hatsu, huh?" the King asked, and the Ant cautiously nodded. Its fear was fading, replaced by curiosity. He'd never spoken like this to another Ant, not even his own Guard, and the Ant most likely knew that. "Do you enjoy learning new techniques?"

"I didn't learn it," the Ant admitted. "Shaiapouf taught me it. It's-"

"I don't care," Meruem said, and the Ant shut up. "I'm not interested in that. I asked a question. Do you enjoy learning new techniques?"

"It's cool," the cheetah admitted. "Coolest thing you can do around here, right now."

"I'll take that as a yes," Meruem said. It was no wonder he hadn't wasted time speaking to the Ants, if most of them were this moronic. "You said that Shaiapouf taught you that technique." He smiled. "Would you like to learn something from me?"

The Ant blinked. "Yes!" He practically jumped. "Definitely. Would you- is it because Youpi ran away? Because I always thought he was-!"

Meruem reached out and up, his hand settling on the cheetah's shoulder. He found it difficult to describe what happened next.

In theory, chakra was a simple thing; much like Nen, it was just physical energy, produced by the body, and spiritual energy, produced by the mind, but it had been combined to produce something almost alien. Just like Nen, the immaterial energy contained within the body and soul could be formed into something tangible and external, like the body the King was in now, but it was more limited; it could only surge along certain pathways within the body in certain patterns, and those patterns, like the patterns that defined every living creature in existence, determined how it could express itself.

All of that, the King understood. The intricacies of the chakra system, the secondary organ Hinata and the other shinobi possessed, he also understood. He'd seen his own, and analyzed it over and over again. It was that system he had in mind when he placed his hand on the Ant's shoulder, forcing his energy into the weaker creature and filling it up like a balloon. If Nen could alter a body, and chakra could create a new one, he reasoned, why would he not be able to reshape another's?

For a moment, it worked.

Cheetu twisted, his thin limbs contorting, and the King realized he knew his name now. This Ant's name was indeed Cheetu; he was a simple being that delighted in murder, speed, and superiority. He didn't believe any creature in the world was faster than him save the King; he had devoured his own fingers back at the Nest as a single-minded show of loyalty, but had considered it insanity afterwards. He enjoyed learning new Nen techniques, but only for the purpose of torturing others. In sum, he was a shallow, wretched creature, good for nothing but a footsoldier. He had no leadership skills, scant charisma, no patience, and little respect for anything but physical superiority. In all aspects, he was pathetic.

All aspects but one, because for nearly three seconds, Cheetu was the only other Chimera Ant in existence to possess a functioning chakra system.

Cheetu learned too. The Ant felt Meruem's name, his disdain for his subordinates, his fear of losing Komugi. He had just enough time to realize that the King was more similar to himself than he would have imagined before he exploded.

It was sudden and inevitable. Despite the King's efforts, Cheetu's body twisted, his aura broiling. He screamed, convulsing and burning as his energies clashed like malformed gears, giving off an agonizing heat, and then popped.

The King, and most of the hall, was splattered in steaming blue blood. Half the staircase was painted, and Meruem blinked, his entire front suddenly wet and hot. He hadn't expected that. Apparently, creating chakra was more complicated than the sum of its parts.

The King took a moment to consider, and then walked away, leaving the mess behind. He focused, sharpening his aura, and fire and lightning evaporated the blood covering his body without resistance. As he wandered down the hall, he wondered what any Ant would make of the blood. He found he didn't really care.

By happenstance, the hall led to a balcony, one of the many dotting the central building. The King, still sparking, made his way out into the sunlight. It was a beautiful day, with warm sunlight and a cool breeze, and even though he was only a hundred feet above the ground, to Meruem it seemed that the world stretched out to a blue infinity.

Looking down, he could only see a few Ants. What there weren't a few of were humans. They stretched to the horizon, falling just short of the infinity, but out there, beyond his sight, they covered the entire world. Billions of them, where his Ants were just hundreds, and he was just one. If he allowed himself to think about it, really consider it, the odds that there were more out there like the old man that has slain his clone, like Hinata Uzumaki and her husband, who in her mind had been invincible, were not slight.

And yet, Meruem didn't find himself deterred. He looked down at the silent crowd, millions strong, all of them gormlessly held in Shaiapouf's sway, and couldn't help but grin.

For now, it was alright. He could experiment more with chakra later. Komugi could be gifted it later; he had plenty of time to figure out how to create a chakra system without explosive consequences. Getting more soldiers took priority. Even as his clones improved, he wouldn't be able to be everywhere at once.

It was the natural order, Meruem thought. Those millions of humans and the invisible billions beyond them would be just the same as Cheetu, in the end.

They would become something greater, or die in the attempt.

Chapter Text

To The End of Time

Killua was surprised that Morel was still alive.

He watched the man's chest heave up and down, each breath obvious agony. The fist-sized hole in his abdomen had been closed up by Shino and Hinata, and bandaged by whatever they had at hand, but the clothes and parchment was soaked through with blood. Morel shuddered with the effort of staying alive.

Nen made you more durable and helped you heal faster, but by Killua's estimate it would be weeks before Morel would be able to walk, and months before he fought. Until they got him to a hospital, they couldn't even know the full extent of the damage; the only bit of good fortune was that the King seemed to have missed his spine.

"You need anything?" he asked, and the man shook his head. They had laid him down in one of the abandoned houses of the settlement they'd stumbled across, Gaara's sand gently depositing him into bed and pulling blanket after blanket over him. Morel couldn't stop shivering.

"Rest," Morel croaked. "Shoot-?"

"He's okay," Killua confirmed. The once timid man seemed to have undergone a total transformation; the battle in Peijing and the loss of his arm had turned his fearful silence into a stoic one, and since they'd fled he'd been alert and alive, one of his ghostly hands clamped over the stump of his arm as an incredibly effective tourniquet. The man hadn't even been weak from blood loss when they'd reached their current hideout. Killua would have expected anyone else to collapse, but instead, Shoot had sealed the wound permanently with his Hatsu, transforming the bleeding joint into an abyss, and set about searching the area for any Ants, as well as making sure they weren't followed. It was only after that that he'd deigned to rest.

"Okay." Morel groaned. "Okay. Can I sleep?"

Killua frowned. "Not without someone watching over you. I'll grab Knuckle." The stubborn man would keep his master from slipping into shock, he was sure. Killua made his way out of the building, stepping around the front door hanging awkwardly from a single battered hinge.

It felt weird to be alive, but he tried not to dwell on it. Knuckle was nearby, only two blocks away. Of course, the entire town was only three blocks, so that ended up being most of the length of the settlement. The people here had long since left, either making their way to the capital or being dragged there by the Ants against their will. They'd left behind everything; they wouldn't be running out of food while they were here.

"Knuckle." When Killua interrupted the man, he was deep in conversation with Shino. The man, now missing one arm and one leg, had propped himself up against a wall and sat fiddling with his visor as he spoke. They both looked to him, equally exhausted. Knuckle had never seen Shino's eyes before. They were large and dark, the iris barely discernible from the pupils, like two pits in the man's head. "Can you keep Morel company? He's still…"

"Got it." Knuckle clapped his hand down on Shino's shoulder. "I'll be back." The shinobi nodded and Knuckle left, fatigue turning the man's ordinarily energetic pace into something slow and strange.

Killua found himself staring at the stump of Shino's leg. It seemed like an apt metaphor for the situation. Several of them, including himself, had been lucky enough to escape with all their limbs, but in the face of the King, that didn't really matter.

"Glad you made it," Shino eventually said, and Killua realized the both of them had been standing in silence for some time. Maybe they'd been thinking the same thing. "When you ran off like that…"

"He let me live," Killua said, the truth painful to admit. Shino shifted.

"That's interesting. But then, I guess he wasn't trying to kill any of us, at least at first," he said, gesturing to his absence. "He could have cut me in half, but instead, he just took my leg. Up until the end, he was just playing."

The King's clone playing around had been enough to put a half dozen of the most formidable humans in existence into retreat. Killua was more and more detached from reality, like he was watching everything happen from five feet behind his head. It was like a dream from which he was sure he'd eventually wake; things had happened so fast that even a day later it still felt like a fantasy.

The only silver lining was that Gon was still alive. Killua had been terrified when he'd rejoined the group in the wake of Netero splitting the city to find his friend missing, but Hinata had assured him Gon was alright. Sure enough, Gon had come stumbling upon them as they dragged their wounded from the city not ten minutes later, covered in bruises but otherwise fine.

The Hunter Ging had thrown him entirely clear of Pejing, which was sort of incredible but not any more remarkable than everything else that had happened. Ging himself had arrived about a half hour later, limping and bloody, his arm warped like clay a child had violently twisted.

He and Gon hadn't spoken a word to one another. Killua couldn't understand why.

"Unfortunately, I'm still done," Shino continued, and Killua almost flinched at the finality in the man's voice. He turned the flinch into a shrug.

"You're missing an arm and a leg," he grunted. "No one would blame you."

"It's not that," Shino chuckled. "This isn't as much as impediment to me as it would be others. But between the attack on the city and the King, I'm practically out of insects." His head dropped a little, chin resting against his chest. "It's quiet…"

Somehow, it was that soft and almost nonsensical phrase that broke Killua out of his fugue. He became aware of how heavy his body was, how his fingertips were still numb from the lightning even a day later. He couldn't even think of a coherent response; his whole body shook. He took his leave without a word.

Gon. He needed Gon, right? Gon had always helped.

Gon wasn't what he got. Killua wandered, looking for his friend, but only two minutes later a huge hand clapped down on his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. It was like a chunk of ice. Killua stiffened, already knowing who was behind him.

"So," Silva Zoldyck said, and Killua turned to face his father. He felt naked. "You survived."

Killua nodded, looking past his father. His grandfather was there too: distracted as he was, he hadn't heard either of the master assassins approach. If they'd wanted to kill him, he wouldn't have noticed his own death.

But there was no point in thinking that; that was just residual fear from his brush with the King. No matter what, Zoldyck didn't kill Zoldyck. It was totally forbidden.

Locking them up, though…

"I'm impressed," Silva continued. "Even if it was luck, you've come a long way, Killua. When did you remove the needle?"

So, he'd known. That wasn't a surprise, but it was nice to have it confirmed. Illumi had probably sought their father's blessing before implanting the thing, whenever he'd done it.

"Two months ago," he said, and his grandfather clicked his tongue.

"It was that shinobi, wasn't it?" Zeno said. Unlike Silva, there was amusement dancing around the edge of his face. And perhaps a bit of relief too. Killua had never been blind to his grandfather's favor growing up; perhaps he reminded the old man of his younger self, more so than his siblings. "Hinata Hyuuga. That was when she arrived. She pointed it out to you?"

"Uzumaki," Killua corrected absentmindedly. "She only goes by Hyuuga when she's working."

"And she's not?" Zeno asked, apparently surprised.

Killua thought about that for a good five seconds. It made him wonder why he'd spoken up in the first place. The distinction was important to him, but he didn't have the strength to dig into it.

"Not anymore," he decided. "I don't think she can keep fighting. She spent almost half a day with the King and it…"

Broke her? No, Hinata wasn't broken. That was too dramatic. But she was hurt, horribly hurt. It would take her time to heal, and the one thing they didn't have was time.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Silva ground out. "All the more reason for you to depart now."

That had been inevitable, but it still stung. Killua laughed.

"If I didn't leave when I was about to die, why would I leave now?" He grinned at his father's face, and the man chuckled back. It was like a glacier cracking.

"It's easy to have conviction in the moment," Silva said. "When you don't have time to think about the future, making a decision is simple. But now…" He gestured with an open hand. "Look around. Look inside yourself. You made a tremendous effort, and you made it out alive. Sometimes, that's the best possible conclusion." He frowned, but it wasn't disapproval or disappointment. Killua's father looked worried. "Please, come home. In the face of those Ants, even your life wouldn't buy much."

It stung to admit it, but his father was probably right. With twice their current forces, the Hunters and Shinobi still hadn't been able to take on a single clone of the King. Their only feasible option now was the Poor Man's Rose, and that wouldn't require anything but a life or two sold; Netero, and someone to bait the King away from Peijing if Netero wasn't sufficient.

Probably Hinata. Who else had the King shown interest in? But would he even bother to come himself? What if he just sent a clone again? Killua felt as though he were looking up from the bottom of a deep and narrow well, the light of success quickly receding. Was there a path to victory from here that didn't involve sacrifice?

No, impossible. Was there a path that did? A narrow one. So narrow that only one or two people could walk it at a time. In all likelihood, his presence wouldn't affect anything at all. And if he did stay, he'd almost certainly die.

And yet, despite that, he was rooted to the ground. There was no way Gon would leave, not when his father was here. Netero wouldn't back down. And Gon and Netero would anchor Hinata and her team. It was like a suicide pact, but he didn't feel compelled to cut it.

"I know," he said, and his father's frown deepened. "But remember what you told me?"

His father stiffened, understanding instantly. "You wouldn't be betraying him," he said ponderously. "You could convince him to-"

"I doubt that, but I'll try," Killua said. "But it's not just him anymore. It's them. Not everyone here is my friend, but they're definitely my comrades. I'm only leaving if they're all leaving. If not, I'm sticking this out."

"Killua," Zeno said quietly. "Please. It was one thing to leave you on that roof, but here, like this…"

"You'll manage, grandfather," Killua said, trying not to sound harsh. "Maybe I'll surprise you and survive again, who knows." The sun beat down on them, but Killua's shoulders felt lighter. Honesty felt surprisingly good.

Maybe that was why he said what came next.

"And if I don't, you'll still have Alluka. Maybe you can bring me back. Or make a duplicate, if that's too much."

Silva's eyes narrowed. "So, you remember now?" He crossed his arms. "You shouldn't be so flippant, Killua. That thing can't bring the dead back. We've long established that."

Killua resisted the urge to hiss. That thing? That thing? Who could talk about their own child that way? His sister? He was shocked to find his fist trembling. He must have been even more on edge than he'd thought.

"I'm surprised you haven't considered using her," he said instead. "I would have thought this kind of situation would merit it."

"We are considering it," Zeno said. Now, there was none of the warmth reserved for Killua: when speaking about Alluka, he was the same ruthless old man his enemies saw. "The price for him destroying the King, or even a Royal Guard, would doubtlessly be an unmitigated catastrophe. It's out of the question. Even revealing his existence is an unacceptable risk." He stroked his beard. "But if he were to become known only to a man who died immediately afterwards…"

Killua took a moment to understand his grandfather's words, and then laughed. "Just to Netero, you mean." He narrowed his eyes. "You're thinking you'll tell her to transport the King to Netero, somewhere remote, so he can use his Rose."

"Possibly." Silva flexed his fingers, joints quietly popping. "Even revealing it to a dead man carries inherent risks. We cannot know our course of action until every other option is exhausted."

Killua couldn't believe the irony of his position. He couldn't leave to fetch Alluka himself, and there was no way his family would bring his sister here. The only reason they would was if he revealed his exception to Something's rules… but if he did that, both his and Alluka's lives would essentially end. They'd become slaves to Silva's words and Illumi's needles for the rest of their existence.

There was a potential solution with minimal sacrifice to the King, but the path was closed thanks to his family's stubbornness. It was a nightmare, but somehow, it grew determination in Killua instead of fear.

There was a way there. They could defeat the King, and he could save his sister. All he and Gon had to do to reach it was survive the Ants. The rest could come afterwards.

All he had to do was survive. They had the most to live for. That was simple, right?

"You won't change your mind?" Silva asked, and Killua snapped back to the present with a shake of his head. His father sighed.

"You've become your own man, Killua," he said with a flat face. "It's just a shame your life will probably end before I can enjoy it."

###

Killua left his family and walked until he found Gon. He didn't regret it, but it seemed to him that it was his life in miniature over the last year. When he eventually did stumble across his friend, he found him in an unexpected position.

Gon was hiding. Well, not truly hiding. He was pressed against a wall, immersed in Zetsu. Killua only found him thanks to his familiarity. He walked up to his friend without a sound, and Gon didn't even notice: his eyes were closed, ears twitching as he paid attention to a distant sound.

"What's up?" Killua asked, and Gon jumped.

"Killua!" he yelped. "What- where'd you come from?"

Since when was Gon that inattentive? Killua peaked around the corner of the wall and didn't find anything of interest. His friend's face was going red.

"What are you listening for?" he asked, and Gon only grew more embarrassed.

"Ging," he said, and Killua made a surprised noise. In all the chaos, he'd almost forgotten that the man that his friend had become a Hunter in the first place to chase down was within a mile radius. It was no wonder Gon was so distracted. The only reason they'd been involved with the Chimera Ants at all was because of another attempt to track his father down, after all.

"Have you found him?" Gon nodded with an uncharacteristic uncertainty, and Killua cocked an eyebrow. "So? Go get him."

Gon hesitated. Again, not like him. Killua was both amused and weirded out. "I'm not sure how."

Killua blinked. "What do you mean, 'you're not sure how?'"

"That!" Gon said. "I mean, I thought I'd be the one finding him, but instead, he just showed up and saved me from the King!" He lifted his arm, showing the perfectly hand shaped bruise his father had left on his forearm. "It doesn't make sense! I mean, it does, but it's not how I thought-!"

"You idiot!" Killua laughed. "You've been hunting him for two years and now that he's right in front of you, you're freezing up?" He stepped forward with a mean grin. "You're really going to chicken out at the last minute?"

"I'm not going to chicken out!" Gon declared with a straight face. "I just need to figure out how to-"

"Screw that," Killua said. He darted forward, and though Gon jumped away he wasn't fast enough; Killua's hand fastened around his hip, and he lifted his friend straight up over his head like a plank of loudly complaining wood.

"Put me down!" Gon shouted, beating on Killua's back, and the Zoldyck laughed.

"In a minute!" he said, leaping straight up and spinning around. His eyes, cloaked in Gyo, scanned the village. It only took a moment for him to locate his target as Gon continued to fruitlessly beat at his back. His friend wasn't really trying to escape; there was no Nen, and no real anger in his voice. He was going along with their game. Most likely, he was grateful.

Ging ended up being a mere twenty seconds away, seated on a tree stump and gnawing on a piece of bread that bore more resemblance to a weathered stone than food. He glanced up as Killua landed about ten feet away and planted a loudly protesting Gon with such force that the teen was buried up to his kneecaps in the soft dirt. Face to face with his father, Gon suddenly went quiet; looking over his shoulder, Killua could see Ging's face. The older Hunter showed nothing beyond mild amusement.

"Hey," Ging said, chewing thoughtfully. "What's up?"

Gon didn't say anything, and Killua took the silent moment to examine Ging. The man's arm was twisted around like a corkscrew, but somehow he was ignoring the crippling injury. He wasn't an especially inspiring sight besides that, dirty and covered in bruises and dressed like a leper. If he'd walked past him on the street Killua would have marked him as just another vagrant.

That was especially astonishing, considering what he knew Ging was capable of. This was one of the most capable Hunters in the world, well-traveled and knowledgeable enough to be Isaac Netero's trump card against both the shinobi and the Chimera Ants, and yet even to Killua's intensely paranoid instincts he didn't raise a red flag. His aura was so refined as to be almost invisible. In an instant, Killua was given the unshakeable impression that Gon's father was the exact opposite of the King of the Chimera Ants.

Perhaps that was part of why Netero had called him… but only when there had been no other choice.

"Hey," Gon said after a pause, though he had only been silent for two or three seconds. "What happened to your arm?" He hadn't noticed before? Gon really had been out of it.

"Oh?" Ging lifted up his twisted arm, still attempting to bite into his hunk of bread. "That was just the King. Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry." Gon was shaking. Killua resisted the urge to step forward; right now, that wasn't his place. "That was my fault. You shouldn't have-"

Ging grinned. "You don't get to tell me what to do," he laughed. "I saw you jump at the King, and I thought 'What a stupid way for my son to die.' So I jumped too. There was nothing you could have done to change my mind, so why would you try now?"

"I'm not trying to…" Gon trailed off. "I'm not really sure what to say." Killua's friend began to shake harder. He was hyperventilating. "Kite… just the same way... Kite was-"

"He's dead, right?" Ging said with a frown. "That's a shame. But that's both your faults." He sat back, finally giving up on the bread and letting his fall to his lap. "Your fault for being too weak to defend him, and his fault for putting himself in that position in the first place."

"We were four miles away from the Nest!" Gon said, and Ging cocked an eyebrow.

"That close?" he asked. "What was he thinking? Regardless, I'm not dead, and even if you trained for a hundred years I doubt you, or anyone else, could be as powerful as the King. So even your weakness wasn't your fault this time." He pondered that concept, and then nodded.

Gon started to cry. Killua couldn't guess at what; his friend had no shortage of reasons. Ging tried to ignore it, but it was obviously making him more and more uncomfortable. The man squirmed, wanting to rise but pinned by some vague biological obligation.

"So, uh, you're sticking around?" he asked, and Gon nodded through his tears. "That's good. I'd be disappointed if you ducked out now. Things are getting pretty interesting back there."

"Interesting?" Killua asked as Gon composed himself.

"Those Ants are definitely one of a kind," Ging said. "And dangerous, unfortunately. Who knows how things will go."

"You don't sound that worried," Gon said. He sounded subdued. Maybe, like Killua, he was a little disappointed at the anticlimax of his first meeting with his father. Or maybe he was just appreciating the opportunity in his own quiet way. With Gon, it could be hard to tell.

"What's there to worry about? One way or another, this'll get resolved." Ging laughed. "Maybe not in our favor, but hey, that'd be just as interesting, right?"

"That's a weird way to think," Gon said, finally pulling his feet out of the ground and walking towards his father. Ging stiffened, but all Gon did was take a seat before him, cross-legged on the grass. Killua remained standing, watching them both. If not for everything he knew about both Hunters, it would have looked like nothing more than a father educating his son.

It was the first time in Killua's eyes that Gon looked like a child instead of a peer. It made him reconsider how his own father would look at him. But those were only background thoughts, flitting around behind his head as he watched the Freecss speak.

"Hey, not that weird," Ging said. He leaned forward, bringing himself closer to his son. "There's not a big difference between us and them. What's the difference if they win or we do, in the end? The dominant species would change, but I would bet not much else."

"How can you say that?" Gon said. "They're Ants. They all obey the King. It doesn't matter if some are good or bad, or like us, when they'll all drop it at a word to follow him. You met him. He did that to your arm." He gestured, twisting his own arm in a puppeting gesture. "He's ruthless, and cruel, and violent. He tortured Hinata so bad she wouldn't even talk to us, so bad she almost ran away. If they win, he wins."

Ging cocked his head. "Hey, you might be right about that. In the end, the Ants might just be myrmidon, and the King could be just as bad or worse as you said." He smiled. "But I met one of the Royal Guard, before the King came. Menthuthuyoupi, the big one. I saw something in him."

"What do you mean, 'something in him?'" Gon asked, and Ging frowned. Killua was astonished at how quickly the father and son had begun bouncing off one another. There was a fundamental, unnerving similarity in them.

"You know what I mean," Ging said, sounding a little irritated at having to explain his vagueness. "You look someone in the eyes, or you compete with them, or even sometimes just pass them on the street, and you feel something. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it's Nen, or a meeting of the souls, or some kind of karmic resonance, but it's something, and you know it every time, like deja vu." Gon nodded enthusiastically, and Killua pursed his lips. He remembered that feeling; he'd felt it for the first time at his first Hunter's Exam. It was why he was here.

"I let Menthuthuyoupi stab me through the chest, and I felt something totally alien from the other Ants and the King in him. And that's one of the Royal Guard." Ging leaned back, crossing his arms. "A creature meant to just be an extension of the King, and it's giving me that feeling? It's talking to me instead of killing me?"

He shook his head. "Even if the Ants kill us, they'll tear themselves apart afterwards, just the same as we will. I'm one-hundred percent sure."

Gon frowned, dropping into thought as Killua turned Ging's words over in his head. He felt like a pachinko machine, the idea Ging had introduced bouncing from imaginary pin to pin as it sunk into his consciousness. If the Ants really did have the potential for self-destruction, then maybe there were more ways to survive this than he'd thought.

Gon ended up settling on a different angle, as usual. "What do you mean, just like us?" he asked.

"Well, the shinobi, of course," Ging said. "No matter what, that's gotta end messily, right?"

Killua felt both himself and Gon grow a little sharper. "Messily?"

"What, are you acting stupid?" Ging said. "Yeah, messily. They're the same problem as the Ants when you boil it down. Competition, right?" He stood up from the log, pacing in front of his seated son. "That's what it always boils down to, right? Competition, competition, competition. You cleared Greed Island, right?"

Gon blinked at the apparent non-sequitur, but Killua understood, and nodded. Ging grinned. "The both of you, that's great. It's the same thing, in miniature. You stepped into a smaller world, big fish into a tiny pond, and you cleared it out. You won where a bunch of people had been trapped for ages, I bet, even though you weren't there for as long. That's what I mean. You outcompeted the rest. That's the cycle of civilizations."

He stopped, though he was still a little worked up. Killua saw and felt that, just like Gon, Ging was a passionate man who could easily drag others into his fervor. He felt himself leaning in, wondering what was coming next.

"And with the shinobi, it's the exact same thing. We're their Greed Island, get it? They stepped from a larger world, one that spans multiple dimensions, probably planets, into ours, just on a whim. Just on a bug-hunt. Like you went to Greed Island to find out more about me, they came here in search of knowledge, not because they had to. The Ants and them, they're both outsiders."

"They're human," Gon said. "And they're our friends."

"Yeah, they're definitely human." Ging said. "But humans love fighting humans. You've got a couple enemies beyond the Ants by now, don't you Gon? You have to. You became a Hunter, just like me, and you can't be a Hunter without making enemies, no matter what."

That hit close to home. "A couple," Gon said, his eyes narrowing. "Hisoka, the Phantom Troupe… but they're not good people. That's why I ended up fighting them."

"And the shinobi that are here, I bet they're great people, especially if you get along with them so well," Ging said with genuine joy. "But you think that applies to all shinobi? There must be ones like the Phantom Troupe, back where they come from. It's those guys that are going to cause problems. That's why they might be the same as the Ants, in the end: cause just like the Ants, as you just showed off a minute ago, people will lump them together because of their origin, regardless of their individuality."

Gon frowned. "I don't like that."

Ging frowned back. "Then change it. Don't whine about it. You're my son, right?" He suddenly seemed self-conscious. "If you could do everything else you've done, survive this far, and find me on top of that, then that should be well within your ability."

"I didn't find you," Gon said. "You came to me." It obviously chafed at him. Now, Killua felt it was right to reach out and touch Gon's shoulder in a gesture of solidarity.

"Don't be stupid," Ging said. "Everything you did, every challenge you overcame, every bit of pain you endured and decision you made, that all put you on the path to be here in the NGL when the Ants showed up. If you'd done one thing different, we might not have met for another couple of years." He shuffled his feet. "You didn't track me down like a hunter after a deer, but that's not what Hunters are supposed to do. We pursue, we search and we yearn. Your wish to find me put you in a position to do so, put you in a place where I would definitely be drawn."

He spread his arms, palms up. "Hunters are megalomaniacs, each and every one of us, so I'll say this with a straight face."

He smiled, and Killua was sure it was Gon's smile.

"You made yourself part of the perfect bait for me."

###

Hinata's mouth tasted like stale rice. That was only an approximation of the sensation, since it was just as much texture and scent as taste, but it was all she could think of. Her whole body was thick and heavy, and her mouth most of all. Her breath probably smelled like death. She hadn't cleaned her teeth beyond washing them with water in three days. It crept back into her throat, seemingly down into her chest. Even if she brushed now, brushed a dozen times, she was sure that feeling would be there for days.

She sat, not exactly sure where she was, and stared at the ground, dragging her index finger through the dirt and marveling at the imprint it left behind. Anything to take her mind off everything else. Her nail clipped over a pebble, and she delicately picked it up, turning it over in her hand. She rarely examined things closely without her Byakugan, so it brought her a simple joy to tease out the veins of different stone in the tiny rock without chakra to assist her.

"Hinata." Gaara's voice was as rough as the stone in her hand, and she placed it back down as she looked up at him. The Kazekage had enormous dark rings under his eyes, and he stood over her with crossed arms. "Are you alright?"

"No," she said. She'd wanted to hesitate but couldn't. There was no point in lying to Gaara. He was one of Naruto's closest friends, and he knew her better than almost anyone else. It would only be an insult to try and deceive him. She'd done her best to avoid him, but even that had become exhausting in just a couple hours. She was at the end of her rope.

"Explain it to me," the Kazekage said, stepping forward and sitting down in the dirt with her. Hinata felt like a child, but Gaara wasn't trying to be condescending. He was only trying to understand.

"I don't know if I can," she said, and her shoulders shook a little. Her stomach was cold. No, her whole body was cold. Even more than a day later, Hamura's chakra still chilled her to the bone. The lunar chakra was so hot that she could only process it as cold. She wasn't like her husband, no matter how convenient it would have been. Her body had never taken well to her ancestor's chakra. It had always been a necessity, not a gift.

"Try." Gaara's eyes were deep and dark, radiating concern.

She did. She did her best.

Hinata told Gaara about the Palace, about the King, about the parasitic Ninshu that had bound her and the creature together. It was hard to get the sensation across; she'd experienced Ninshu with Gaara himself long ago, on one of the bloodiest battlefields in the history of her world, but her time with the King had been nothing like it. It was like trying to explain ice with fire as her only reference.

She told him about the sensations that had been forced on her, the taste of her own daughter's brain, the feeling of domination and cruelty and uncontrollable fear and anger. How she'd tried to break free, but been kept hostage by Komugi; the connection she'd eventually divined between the King and the frail girl. Even now, it was a revelation she couldn't fully understand. The King's affection for Komugi was completely at odds with everything else about him. His caprice and lack of empathy had somehow developed a single blind spot, one human detail that only threw the rest of the creature into a starker and even more hated contrast.

Hinata tried to describe what had driven her into mute terror when the King's clone had attacked Peijing, how her self loathing and fear had paralyzed her until the critical moment. But even with Gaara, she couldn't explicate those feelings. Naruto was probably the only one she could have shared that with right now, and Naruto was worlds away, more unreachable than he'd ever been.

But describing why she'd given herself over to Hamura's chakra, finally sacrificing her sense of self and replacing it with hatred for the false King in front of her, that was easier. Hating the King made sense, and she was sure Gaara understood that hatred. Maybe he also understood how her consciousness had been driven into a corner. Maybe he could empathize with the feeling since that moment of Ninshu, even while fighting Pitou, fighting the King, talking to others, everything was like she'd been looking at the world from the bottom of a well, catching glimpses of her life, hearing words flit by, unable to process anything but looming nothingness and loneliness, trying to reach out but trapped in the nape of her neck. Had that been what is was like when he was a child, Hinata wondered, trapped with a demon he couldn't control?

Had Naruto felt the same way?

She didn't want to be here anymore. She didn't want to fight anymore. She just wanted to go home and lie in bed and listen to Naruto's breathing, feel Boruto and Himawari on her chest and in her arms. But she couldn't bear to leave Gon and Killua, Morel and Knov, Knuckle and Shoot, even Isaac Netero who had so impressed and frightened her. She couldn't condone her own cowardice and homesickness and fear of never seeing her family again when Shino and Kiba had already sacrificed so much against the Ants, arms and legs and gallons of blood.

She was completely trapped by herself.

By the end, her voice was hoarse, and her eyes burned. Gaara didn't say anything at first. He just leaned in close and wrapped his arms around her. It was the first time he'd ever touched her that way, but Hinata didn't mind. She just closed her eyes, enjoying the human contact. The burning cold in her core receded a little. She drifted back down to earth, the physicality of her own body shocking. She felt her heartbeat, blood thrumming in her ears, the sensation of her clothes on her skin. Her lungs expanding and shrinking.

The King thought of his own body as a marvelous machine, and Hinata wondered if that was one more thought he'd imprinted on her. She couldn't help but appreciate just how complicated every living thing was. Gaara, his arms wrapped around her, was just as complex as her. Maybe even more so, as a Jinchuriki twice over. Somehow, the thought centered her. She wasn't at peace, not nearly, but she no longer felt as though she was losing control.

"I'm sorry," Gaara eventually said, and he rocked back. "This is a rotten situation."

She nodded, afraid that if she spoke she might begin crying. She could choke it back for now, but if she acknowledged just how bad things were, how her weakness had lost Shino another limb and nearly killed Akamaru, she wouldn't be able to stop.

"Listen," Gaara said. He was completely certain and solid. No matter what, the Kazekage kept his composure; he had always been that way, so long as Hinata could remember. "I'm still in one piece. Between myself and Netero, and maybe those Zoldycks, we can handle the King."

Not without casualties, Hinata thought, and she knew Gaara knew it too. "You, and Shino and Kiba, and Akamaru, and everyone else, all the other Hunters, you've all done more than enough. More than anyone could have ever expected." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "You kept them alive when no one else could have. You don't have to do anything more. I can take it from here, I promise."

"I can't accept that," she said, clenching her fear into an iron ball and swallowing it. "I'm a shinobi. We're all shinobi. If I can fight, I have to." Her face crumpled. "Gaara, I couldn't go back to Naruto, to my children, and tell them that I couldn't fight something like the King. I couldn't live with myself."

That was what shinobi did. That had been drilled into Hinata since birth. They fought, and often, they died.

But she didn't want to fight anymore.

The contrast was tearing her apart, and to her humiliation she knew Gaara could see it. He frowned.

"That was the old way," he said. "But all of us…" He paused, and then softly smiled. "No, none of us. None of us are that kind of shinobi anymore. You don't need to sell your life. It's not necessary."

"So you admit it," Hinata said. She tried to grow angry: anything was better than her amorphous self disgust. "The only way to beat that monster is to die in the process. How could you give yours away, while I sat back and watched? How could you think that's right?"

Gaara sighed. "Because that's always been my fate, Hinata. I've long been at peace with it." He stood up. "I was born to die." He clenched a fist. "But you, that's not what your path should be. You have greater things in your future. So please. For my sake, for Naruto's, for your children, let go of this. You don't have to die here. You shouldn't die here. No matter what, you have to make it back."

She couldn't. She couldn't she couldn't she couldn't. She was a Hyuuga; she was a shinobi. She was the Hokage's wife. How could she turn away when she had the power to help take down the King? It was impossible. How could she not take revenge on the King, on the Ants who had perpetrated so many atrocities? There was a deep hatred boiling in her, something that was fueled by both a sense of justice and a very personal fury.

She would be just as bad as them if she walked away now. And more than that, she knew that if she didn't use it, her hatred would burn her alive. Hinata punched the ground, trying to find something to focus her, even pain.

"Gaara-!" she tried to shout, but-

Choked.

Not because of her weakness, or the pain in her hand, but because of the sudden, enormous pressure.

Both Hinata and Gaara turned at the same moment, falling into fight or flight by reflex. She was sure every conscious creature a mile around was doing the same thing. The overwhelming pressure could brook no other response.

"No one is going to die."

Hinata stifled a sound between a sob and a growl. Why here, now, of all times, of all places and feelings? She wasn't ready for this. Why did it have to be him? There was too much at war within her for her to ever be prepared. Fear, hatred, disgust, duty, and now, relief.

He'd arrived without a sound. Maybe he really had just stepped through a crack in the world and appeared right there, right then, or had arrived hours before and only made his presence known now. The method and timing didn't matter, Hinata knew. All that mattered was that he was there, and hadn't been before.

Sasuke Uchiha looked down at her, his dull black eyes meeting hers without hesitation, and Hinata found nothing there except remorse.

He reached down, offering out his hand. Hinata wondered if she was hallucinating. But when she reached out and took the offered hand, cold and calloused, Sasuke pulled her to her feet with real strength. As she rose, something flowed out of her; she felt her anxiety drain, like a plug had been pulled at the bottom of her soul. As she looked into Sasuke's eyes, she saw understanding flash across them, and felt it ring in her own mind as well.

He'd looked into her, to see what had brought her so low. She hadn't given permission, but given everything, it was hard to care.

Now there was a new determination in him beyond remorse. The Uchiha looked her up and down, and then over at Gaara.

"That's the least I can be sure of," he said with grim certainty, and somehow, it gave Hinata a measure of peace.

Chapter Text

The Man With Black Eyes

No one quite knew what to think of Sasuke Uchiha.

The Hunters conscious enough to analyze their first meeting with him all came away with very different impressions. Sasuke was introduced to them all twice: first, by the enormous pressure of his arrival, and then a second time with an apologetic Gaara standing by the quiet, steadfast Uchiha.

Netero was the first to arrive. He witnessed in Sasuke a god of war, the kind of creature that he normally would have been overjoyed to meet. But to his shame and frustration, East Gorteau had transformed the tall, dark man into just another complication: another uncontrollable factor in a situation that had already spiralled out of control. Netero's heart should have been burning with anticipation and joy, but instead it curdled in anxiety.

(a true bodhisattva would have been able to permanently release their burdens, as Netero had been able to for a perfect moment against the King, but no matter how accomplished he was the chairman was still an imperfect human)

Killua, Gon, and Ging had arrived second and simultaneously, closely followed by Shoot. Knuckle had stayed by Morel's side, determined to protect his master at all costs. Killua had focused on Sasuke's confidence. There was a man who would never waver, he thought. To him, the Uchiha seemed like a pillar of sanity in a world that was slipping towards chaos.

(had his sister not been held captive, Killua's observations would likely have been more similar to Gon's. But with Illumi's needle removed, he was unfortunately preoccupied with an uncertain future)

Gon only saw the way Hinata looked at Sasuke, remembering their conversation in a hotel room the week before. The new arrival was strong. Unbelievably strong. It couldn't even be hidden; it was like world bent a little around the shinobi. But even if he'd been at the top of the list, the safest option to face the King, Hinata Uzumaki did not fully trust Sasuke Uchiha.

(naturally, that meant that Gon couldn't trust him either)

Ging was determined not to come to a conclusion at all. He believed strongly in first impressions, but not in situations like this, obviously weighted towards one conclusion. He determined that the sooner he could strike up a conversation with the shinobi in relative private, the better.

(he was, of course, completely fascinated, and more than happy to acknowledge it. The secret of just how the man had gotten from there to here particularly enticed him)

Shoot, who was exhausted and almost ready to give into despair despite his newfound stoicism, simply saw the man as a sort of kin. Sasuke was a man who would never turn away from sacrifice, he thought. Just the same as he was now.

(the Hunter was still struggling with the paradox of having three hands and no arms)

The Zoldyck's were the last to arrive, but they simply observed everything from a distance. Neither Hunter nor shinobi, their only connection to the event was Killua, who had turned his back on them for the meantime. As such, both Silva and Zeno only saw a strong opponent, a potential contract, and one more piece of the puzzle in taking down the King. Neither of them bothered to look deeper in the moment; if Sasuke Uchiha would be important to them as individuals or a family in the future, they would spend the effort then.

(they never could have realized the far-reaching implications of this mistake)

No one quite knew what to think of Sasuke Uchiha, but they were all completely sure that the equation had changed.

Their retreat had been cut short. The opportunity had arisen for one final attack.

###

The journey back to Peiing was much faster than the flight from it. They'd left their wounded behind, along with Knuckle and one of Gaara's sand clones. With all the Ants concentrated around the palace, those two would be more than enough to slay any wanderers.

That they could be approaching the capital with only eight humans and be infinitely more confident than they had been with over a dozen should have been strange, but Hinata knew it was perfectly natural. Now that Sasuke was here, things were already decided.

But why did it have to be Sasuke?

Hinata had never trusted the man. Some of it was irrational. She had been taught from a young age to not fully trust the Uchiha as a clan; they had come to Konoha before the Hyuuga, but their primarch Madara had betrayed the society he'd held found, and that stain hadn't been washed out even several generations later. It didn't help that Sasuke had, to a degree, fulfilled that expectation.

That was where the rational distrust came in.

Sasuke had betrayed the Village for the sake of power. He'd also seen the error of his ways. Naruto had made sure of it. Hinata had never gotten the full story of what had happened after the Fourth War. Her husband loved her and trusted her completely, but he'd never been able to explain it to her satisfaction. He and Sasuke had come to blows; they'd completely destroyed the Valley of the End. They'd both lost an arm in the final exchange, and Sakura had kept them from bleeding to death while they figured out how to undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi. In the end, Sasuke had surrendered, and now he was one of Konoha's best assets.

She knew all of that. She'd heard it plenty of times, and it was sensible enough. It was obvious enough that Naruto has reached his friend with Ninshu, but he'd never been able to explain what exactly had passed between them. When he'd tried, using both words and chakra, the explanation hadn't made sense to her. She's only felt an intense sense of loneliness.

Naruto trusted Sasuke with his life, and that should have been enough for her. But it never was. Sasuke had caused Naruto so much pain when they had been young, and he'd taken his arm in the end. She could not help but deeply resent him.

And maybe, in a way she would never be able to admit out loud, she was a little jealous of him.

All that and more passed as they traveled back to Peijing at a comfortable jog. Hinata was at the center of the group, keeping an eye out for distractions or enemies; so far, there had been nothing. At the rear of the rough diamond were Killua and Gon, both covering her rear. Far behind them, almost a half mile, Killua's father and grandfather followed. Isaac Netero was to her left, and Gaara to her right, each about ten meters away.

Up above, Sasuke and Ging led the pack, running abreast. Ging was obviously determined to engage the Uchiha in conversation, but starting a conversation with Sasuke was, at best, a painful process.

"How'd you lose your arm?" That was his third try. Hinata had to admit that asking such a personal question was probably the most boneheaded attempt yet, but she had to give the man credit for his persistence.

Sasuke glanced at Ging, and then back at her. Finally, he spoke. He must have been tired of the questions.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked. Ging grinned, echoing Sasuke's glance back towards Hinata. The man was horribly observant. With just that look, he'd divined something about their relationship, such as it was. Hinata had no idea precisely what it was, and she didn't care to ask.

"Trying to get to know our new allies," Ging said. It was probably somewhat true. "And just personally curious. Going by your latent aura…" He started to poke a finger in Sasuke's direction, and then thought better of it. "Well, I'd imagine it took an unimaginable force."

"It did," Sasuke said, like a man dropping a bowling ball out a window.

"Hmm," Ging groaned. "Not making this easy, huh? No worries. How did you get here anyway? You definitely weren't in this dimension beforehand, or else you would have come running first thing. You just popped up in that village? What kind of technique is that?"

That, Hinata actually shared an interest in, and Sasuke sensed it. She watched his muscles resist the urge to increase the pace.

"It's difficult to explain," he eventually said. "I can see certain invisible paths. And make them myself. It's a very strenuous process; otherwise, I would have been here sooner."

"Paths, huh?" Ging asked. Hinata hadn't heard it described like that before. "Paths imply someone walked them before you. Like an animal's trail."

At that, Sasuke let out a curt laugh. "Not inaccurate."

Hinata felt like she was witnessing flowers blooming in winter. Somehow, Ging had wrenched several full sentences out of the Uchiha. That was far more incredible than anything else she'd seen Gon's father achieve.

"If that's the case, you're just the same as us, aren't you." Ging's tone had shifted. Before, he'd been carefree, but now he was delicately poking at something, like a fisherman wiggling a lure. "You're hunting something, right?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "At the moment, that's none of your business."

At that, Hinata spoke up. "Sasuke," she said softly. "I assume you were told about the Dark Continent."

He nodded. "Of course. Once the Chimera Ants have been taken care of, I'll be traveling there."

Ging laughed. "So, your prey has some connection there? You might have some trouble with that. It's the very definition of a forbidden destination." He took on an innocent aura. "Of course, if you do need to travel there, I'd be happy to find a way for you. I could even be a guide…"

Sasuke didn't find that very amusing, but Hinata ended up considering it. From what little they'd been told, the Dark Continent was an unbelievably treacherous place. If Sasuke did need to travel there, doing so with someone at least a little familiar with its dangers might be necessary.

But that was a distant concern. For now, she had some of her own questions.

"So, you came straight here? Right to that clearing? You knew where we were?" she asked, and Sasuke nodded.

"I would have preferred to grab some reinforcements first," he said. 'Naruto' went unspoken. Hinata was sure there wasn't a force in the universe that could defeat her husband and Sasuke when they were side by side. "But the situation seemed urgent." He pursed his lips. "Is urgent. My apologies for…" he lapsed. "Taking a look."

Hinata had nothing to say to that. She'd had an intuition that Sasuke had used his Rinnegan to look into her soul and divine some memories, but no confirmation until now. Normally, she would have been offended, but she was far too tired and jaded now to care. Compared to what the King had done, Sasuke's intrusion had been nothing but a familiar nudge.

"I wish…" she started to say, before changing her mind. "I'm glad you're here."

That shocked him. She could see it in his heart. The Uchiha grunted, and changed the subject.

"I've got a condition," he said. Ging cocked his head.

"An illness?" he asked, and Sasuke grunted again, this time in amusement.

"A condition for my help," he said, and everyone present reacted in surprise, Hinata included. She couldn't imagine what he could be thinking.

"Something lenient, I hope." It was Netero that spoke up instead of Ging, and Sasuke looked back to him with flint-like eyes. To Hinata's shock, there was something approaching animosity in them.

"That thing in your chest," he said, eyes flicking down to the kanji on Netero's shirt. "We won't be using that. Or anything like it."

Sasuke's condition was the Rose? It was a terrible weapon, but Hinata found it a little strange that he was so focused on it. Netero laughed.

"There may not be a choice," the old man said. "Do you intend to simply beat the King to death with your fists? Or perhaps slice him up with that sword of yours? Weapons like this may be our last resort." He gestured to the chokuto slung across Sasuke's waist, as if to emphasize how small it was in the face of a creature like the King, and the Uchiha quirked an eyebrow.

"If it's necessary, yes," he said, and Netero cocked an eyebrow back at the confidence in his voice. "But regardless of the methods, we won't be using your weapons. You won't be dying in this battle, Chairman."

"Hoh…" Netero muttered. "And why would you dismiss something from our arsenal so cavalierly?"

Sasuke looked away, and up to the sky. It was covered in grey clouds, threatening rain.

"I'm sure you appreciate the power of weapons like that," he said. "I don't mean to demean you with this request." He looked down, eyes slipping closed. "I've seen many battlefields. I've yet to find a pleasant one, but weapons like your Rose create the worst by far. I've found whole worlds consumed by other such bombs, stripped clean and bathed in radiation and worse." He looked back. "You've avoided that so far, and you've avoided resolving this situation with such weapons of mass destruction. I'm sure it's been a great effort. So please, let me allow you to continue that accomplishment."

Netero's mustache twitched. "Hmmph," the Chairman grunted. "Well, assuming I'm not cut down, I suppose I can refrain."

"Thank you." Sasuke turned away, and they continued in silence.

###

They arrived in Peijing several hours before sunset, though the cloud cover had refused to lift. It only took a glance for Hinata to ascertain that things were the same as ever. The Guards, patrolling the Palace. The lesser Ants, following them. The King and Komugi, immersed in games. No matter where Hinata looked, there was no sign of Palm. Either the Hunter had fled Peijing on her own and was still searching for the rest of them, or had been completely destroyed.

Every creature in the Palace, even the previously imperturbable Youpi, glanced up when her vision fell upon them. They must have been surprised that she'd returned. The King smiled. Maybe he thought she'd come to bargain for their lives.

Hinata couldn't think of a more gratifying sensation than the idea that Meruem would soon be begging for his own life.

There was one noticeable difference. Peijing had been completely emptied out. The entire country had been emptied out. Every single human being in East Gorteau was assembled in front of and around the palace, an endless sea of humanity nearly five million strong. They were all in a trance, held prisoner by Shaiapouf's aura.

They had stopped atop a hill outside the hill about two miles from the palace, a bit outside of Pitou's ever obvious Nen, looking down on the spectacle. It was difficult to conceptualize of so many humans standing in silence in one place, even with the Byakugan. Gon and Killua looked disturbed; Ging and the Zoldycks didn't seem to care.

Netero and Sasuke had a similar reaction; pure disgust. But it was Gaara who spoke.

"There's more," he said, crossing his arms and surveying the situation. "We may have to lure him out."

"No," Sasuke said quietly. "If the King…" he paused. "If Meruem understands the situation, he or his Royal Guard will involve some as hostages. There's no way we could engage them without causing casualties. Especially since they seem to be hypnotized." He went quiet, and scratched his chin. After a moment, he looked back to Gaara. "I told you that no one was going to die. I don't intend that to be a lie."

The King already had hostages, Hinata thought. No matter what, he had Komugi, who would never leave his side. No matter how careful Sasuke was, innocents would almost certainly be caught up in things.

The memory of Komugi only brought Hinata frustration. The blind girl was somehow the King's ally, when she should have been one of the one's to hate him the most; kept prisoner for games and amusement, she'd somehow been transformed into the only thing in the world the King felt real affection for. The frustration wasn't a fair feeling. Komugi's plight, and the connection she'd forged, was the King's fault, not hers. It was just one more trespass to hate the creature for.

"What's your solution then?" Killua asked. Both his family members stood behind him, as though they were retainers. Sasuke looked down at him, and the Zoldyck refused to back up.

"It's simple," Sasuke said. "I'll approach the King myself."

"You'll fight him yourself?" Gon asked incredulously, and Sasuke shrugged.

"Perhaps. I'll see if he'll surrender first."

Hinata laughed, but it was a guttural sound. "Don't," she said, and Sasuke turned to her with a questioning look. "There's no point in speaking with him, Sasuke. He's made that well clear. And besides…" She resisted the urge to gag. "Talking is what got us into this situation. If you can, just kill him as quickly as possible."

"He can reason, can't he?" Sasuke asked. "It might be the cleanest way to resolve things." He held up his hand. "If he won't surrender, I'll do my best to either end him there, or take him out of the Palace if I require assistance. I could deliver him directly-"

"Why even give him the chance?" Hinata asked, stepping forward. She could feel her ancestor's chakra burning under her skin, scaldering her in anticipation of violence. But it wasn't Hamura that was enraged now; it was entirely her own yearning for revenge. "He's a monster. Don't you see all those people?" She waved her arm, encompassing the millions of placid humans and the world beyond them. "He's planning to turn whichever of those poor people can survive into soldiers, and eat the rest!" Another step. "Would you have asked Madara to surrender? Or Kaguya?"

Sasuke just looked confused. It infuriated her. "Neither of them were in a position of weakness. Meruem is, though he might not know it yet." He frowned. "And Kaguya wasn't rational, not anymore. She was… empty."

"So is he!" Hinata insisted, and Sasuke shook his head.

"Not from what you've said. What I've seen." Now, the confusion was gone, replaced by concern. "Hinata, from what you showed me, a true fight could be cataclysmic. Trust me. I understand-"

"He doesn't deserve a second chance," Hinata hissed. She took another step forward, almost in Sasuke's face now. "Just because you got one-!"

"Okay." Gaara's sand snaked out and brushed her shoulder, and Hinata stopped, shuddering in frustration. The Kazekage came forward as well, voice low. "Hinata. The King won't surrender. If Sasuke needs to see that, that's fine. He's here to help." He turned to the Uchiha. "Go, and be careful. He's dangerous."

Sasuke nodded. "I know," he said, before hesitating. "Hinata," he whispered, bending down to bring his face level with hers. She closed his eyes, but could still see him in perfect detail. There was nothing but remorse there. "I didn't mean to upset you," he said, bleeding sincerity. "I'm just…" He huffed. "I'm just trying to do what Naruto would do."

"Go then," she snarled back. "Do what he'd do, and kill that thing."

Sasuke backed up, hurt, and then bowed his head. It wasn't a mocking deference; it was a small and honest bow to the wife of the Hokage. When he raised his face, his right eye had changed; it had gone a vibrant red, pupil surrounded by three slowly rotating tomoe. His left, concealed beneath his hair, had transformed into the Rinnegan.

He didn't say anything more. Sasuke jumped away without a word. All he was doing was approaching the palace, but he moved so quickly that even with the Byakugan Hinata almost lost track of him. The speed of his departure blew her hair back.

"That guy's a creep," Gon said, stepping up beside her and Gaara. Gaara chuckled, and Gon looked to him with a quizzical look.

"Ancient history," Gaara explained. Hinata couldn't blame him; the less the Hunters knew about Sasuke's past the better. The man's presence had obviously put them on edge already. "Please forgive him: he's not exactly sociable. But he knows what he's doing, I promise."

"He definitely does," Ging said with a laugh. "But I guess at heart, he's a merciful person. To consider talking to the King, after the last attempt..." Hinata grit her teeth. She never would have thought someone being generous would make her so angry. Sasuke just couldn't understand. He hadn't been here. He hadn't seen what the King had done to them; he hadn't felt the thing's chakra. Once he did, he'd feel the same as her. He had to.

"Will he be alright? Was that the Sharingan? The red eye?" Gon said, shuffling his feet. Sasuke was already almost to the palace. "Even with that aura... he's just going off alone."

"It's how he prefers to operate," Gaara said, and Ging nodded as if he knew what Gaara was talking about. Hinata flinched. "But he should be fine. The King we fought should be well within Sasuke's capabilities."

If he wanted to, Sasuke really could kill them all here and now without much effort. It was easy for Hinata to ignore or even appreciate that when it came to her husband. She couldn't even dream of Naruto hurting her. But with Sasuke, it was easier to imagine. She felt a little cold and vulnerable, standing there on a hill in plain sight. Even two miles away, they could become collateral if Sasuke was careless.

But that wasn't going to happen. No matter how she felt about him, Sasuke was one of the ones Naruto trusted the most.

Hinata watched as he approached the front gates of the palace, walking between two endless rows of humanity. As he went, he looked from side to side, taking in everything. The more he saw, the harder his face grew. Before long, an Ant approached him. Hinata recognized it. It was one of the Squadron Leaders, a woman melded with a scorpion. It had killed one of her clones in the nest, months ago.

Sasuke didn't change his pace as the Squadron Leader cautiously approached him, a clear and open challenge. The Ant's tail flicked back at forth, but somehow it didn't waver as is approached Sasuke. It opened its mouth to say something, Nen boiling over into a ridiculously thick shield of aura.

"Where is the King?" Sasuke asked, almost face to face with the Ant.

"None of your business," the Ant said. "Didn't we already chase you idiots off? Why don't you-"

If Hinata hadn't narrowed her whole world down to just Sasuke and that single Chimera Ant, she likely would have missed it. The Uchiha sighed, chakra bursting in his legs. It was like a small purple explosion that only Hinata could see.

Sasuke didn't disappear and reappear. Hinata couldn't describe it that way. He was just in one place at one moment, and then somewhere else the next. Behind the Ant, closer to the palace. Like a puppet with its strings cut, the Squadron Leader fell over.

It wasn't dead. Sasuke had only knocked it unconscious with a single, gentle blow to the back of its skull. Most likely, he didn't want to kill any of the King's creatures until he was sure it could only end in bloodshed. It was a pragmatic move. It would be impossible to bring someone to the table if you'd just killed their subordinates. The Ant was barely even a threat to Sasuke; killing it would be like stepping on an insect, and he hadn't bothered. And yet, Hinata could only see it as...

Naive.

"The Guards are all there," Killua said, watching Sasuke enter the palace grounds with eagle-eyes. He was right. The Royal Guards were assembling to meet the obvious threat. All three at once. "If he's not careful, he'll definitely die."

At that, Hinata laughed.

###

Neferpitou understood instantly that things had turned on their head.

The human that had entered her En could barely be called such. His titanic presence had brought sweat to her brow from the moment of contact. Was this how the Hunters had felt, when the Royal Guards had approached them? It didn't seem possible that so much aura could be compacted in a single being.

And yet, just like the King, the new arrival seemed an impossibility come to life.

Just like the King. Pitou couldn't believe the thought had been allowed to exist. She shouldn't have been allowed to have it.

She'd sought out Youpi immediately; Shaiapouf had come to them within the minute. The prideful Royal Guard, who had grown more and more attached to solitude, had understood the situation instinctively. Now, for the first time in weeks, they were all together, standing atop the palace and watching as the man approached. He'd slowed down after he'd entered the palace square proper. Why, Pitou couldn't say. Perhaps he was just being cautious.

Dozens of Ants were fleeing the palace in a panic. None of the remaining Chimera had virtuous loyalty in them. They hadn't been given any reason to cultivate it. The presence of the man was driving them into a frenzy of self-preservation. The ones that weren't leaving were doubtlessly only staying because they were sure that the King could punish them worse than this new human could.

But even those more pragmatic Ants didn't dare to attack the man. They'd seen what he'd done to Zazan. This was outside of their power.

A hundred meters away now. The man was a shinobi without a doubt. He had a similar aura to Hinata Hyuuga. But larger. Unbelievably larger, and as cold as the grave. Perhaps Hinata had seen fit to call reinforcements after the King's victory. That was the most likely scenario. But why would she now only be watching, instead of joining this man herself?

Could this new shinobi be just that powerful? As Pitou allowed her En to recede, readying herself for her most important duty, the shinobi's presence stuck to her like the shadow of a cloud passing before the sun. It was like her Nen had to drag itself away from the man. She was in the gravity of a titan.

"It's good that they're leaving," Youpi said. He was standing tall beside her, arms crossed. "They wouldn't survive this." Compared to Pitou, missing an arm and an eye, Youpi was strong and whole. It made her feel more confident. This was just one man. No matter how titanic his Nen, Chakra, whatever energy he held was, no human being in existence could stand up to three Royal Guard at once.

"He's very arrogant," Pouf noted. The other Guard seemed twitchy. Perhaps he, like Pitou, was suffering from the whiplash of the sudden incursion after their King's total victory. "Approaching us without fear. Let's teach him his error."

"We'll have to attack as one," Pitou said. Eighty meters now. The man's left eye was concealed by his hair, but his right eye was a vibrant red. Pitou had never seen eyes like that. No doubt he was like the Watcher; something about his chakra had changed his eyes. But it wasn't the same sort of change; he wasn't looking through her, only into her. The gaze was penetrating and violent.

"If we split up, he'll swat us away," she said. Youpi stepped forward. "You should lead, Youpi. You're the only one who can attack and defend."

"I'll be your shield," Youpi said. He sounded proud. Pitou marveled at it. Youpi should be proud. He had come back from Peijing in one piece. His body began twisting, arms expanding and rotating, torso slimming down as mass shifted from it to his limbs. "And the King's sword."

It made sense. A triangle formation was the strongest offense. Youpi wouldn't buckle. He wasn't capable of it. She would stay on the left, ready for an opening. Pouf would go right, blocking any escape. She could kill any human in a single blow, if she struck at the right time. This man was no different.

No point in focusing on anything beyond that.

When they moved, they moved as one. Each Royal Guard understood their role in their soul. This was why they'd been born. They leapt down and moved forward, gaining speed as they grew closer. Pitou knew that this wasn't any enemy they could charge down and destroy with just their speed and strength, as all the other humans had been. This was prey they needed to hunt as a pack. To her side, Youpi transformed into an enormous battering ram, covered in blades and eyes. Beyond him, Pouf split apart, again and again, covering any possible escape.

If the human stood his ground, Youpi would turn him to paste. If he tried to flee below ground or into the sky, Pouf would tear him apart.

And if he simply dodged, Pitou would remove his head before his feet could touch the ground again. The kind of Hatsu the man could bring to bear was immaterial. No matter what, the encounter would be decided in a single stroke.

Youpi roared, loud enough to shake the entire palace, and his form entirely eclipsed the shinobi. The Guard threw himself into a final brutal tackle, hundreds of tons of force shattering the sound barrier. The red-eyed man didn't back down. He didn't even flinch. There was no attempt to dodge.

The lack of reaction was the only indication to Pitou that something was horribly wrong.

He wasn't an illusion. The aura was real. The weight was unmistakable. There was no faking it. The man was there, just accepting his death.

And then, without warning he was gone.

Pitou couldn't understand.

The world was replaced by a red wall.

Terpsichora was already out. Pitou's reflexes were stretched to the breaking point. It was just as it was before she was burned and buried. The world was practically standing still. It was physically impossible for her to have missed a movement from the shinobi, or from herself.

And yet…

As Youpi struck her, Pitou understood.

In an instant, no, shorter than that, she and the shinobi had switched positions. He was to their undefended left now, and she-

She was in Youpi's path.

Even as she was run down, Pitou did her best to minimize the damage. She threw herself back, avoiding complete obliteration. Instead, Menthuthuyoupi only struck her like a jet engine, smashing into her so hard that the world turned black from the force of the impact and the acceleration. He'd slowed down too, his uncountable eyes picking up the impossible change before she had. As such, Pitou was only flung away at ludicrous speed, unable to do anything but watch as the other two Guards turned to face the sudden threat from her former position.

The shinobi barely moved. He lazily lifted his hand, and lightning burst out of his entire body as though he were a thundercloud. The vibrant electricity danced over Youpi and Pouf, violently jolting them. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. Youpi screamed, shaking and stumbling towards the man; despite the obvious agony, he was still determined to smash the shinobi to pieces. The effect on Shaiapouf was more dramatic. His disparate cells vaporized under the force of the man's chakra; in an instant half of Shaiapouf's body was dust. He didn't even have a chance to scream.

For some reason, that made the shinobi switch tactics. He focused the beam, drawing the dancing lightning away from Pouf's vulnerable cells. Instead, he fired two blinding bursts of energy through Youpi's body. One through his leg, and the other his shoulder. The enormous Royal Guard collapsed, horribly spasming.

In less than one second, the man had comprehensively defeated all three of the King's Royal Guard.

Without killing any of them. Pitou couldn't believe it.

When she smashed through the first of the palace's walls, she lost sight of the man. By the time she managed to scramble back to her feet, whole body screaming in protest, the shinobi was gone.

###

When Silva Zoldyck stepped forward, Gaara felt his sand shift on reflex. The man worried him; he had the dead eyes of a veteran shinobi, the kind of people who had tried to kill Gaara as a child without a hint of regret. The Zoldyck was a well bred and accomplished killer. Even presenting his back to Silva and his father Zeno for the last several minutes had made his skin crawl, and Gaara hadn't felt that feeling in years.

"What are you doing?" he asked, not moving his body an inch. Silva stopped, sensing the invisible threat. Gaara trusted Gon and Killua because Hinata trusted them. He understood Netero as a man defending his world from a potential threat. He was intrigued by Ging, who was mysterious even to the other Hunters. But despite their relation to Killua, the Zoldycks were simply extremely dangerous mercenaries. Gaara couldn't afford to give them anything.

"The Guards are disabled," Silva said. He was quiet and composed, but his voice held the same invisible threat as Gaara's sand. "We should kill them now. Between all of us, it will be easy."

He was completely right. And yet, Gaara frowned.

"Sasuke isn't done yet," he said, and The Zoldyck grunted.

"My father's right," Killua said, and Gon shot him a surprised look. "There's no way the King will surrender; we should kill the Guards now, before they can recover. Sasuke will have to understand."

"Gaara," Hinata started to say, but he spoke before she could continue. Hinata was beginning to worry him. Her focus on the King and her hatred of her own weakness had transformed into something ugly and frightening.

"You're free to go, if you'd like," he said. "But I'll be staying here." His frown deepened. "I'd like to see if Sasuke can resolve this."

Hinata looked frustrated, but she didn't move. Gaara knew that she was torn between her disdain for Sasuke and her respect for him. She wasn't that far gone; if he didn't violate Sasuke's wishes, she wouldn't either.

"Very well." Silva strode forward. "Killua, let's go."

The boy stood his ground. Silva looked back, and entered into an intense staring contest with his son. Apparently, Killua won. After a moment, the assassin huffed. "Ging, then."

The Hunter shrugged, and Zeno Zoldyck laughed. Closing his eyes in exasperation, Silva spoke the last name available to him.

"Netero."

The Association Chairman was as inscrutable as ever. Gaara knew what it was like to have a weapon in your chest, but he found it hard to imagine having it shoved in their of your own will, let alone at Netero's age. He found himself believing that no matter what decision Netero made, he would still respect him. This was his world, not the shinobi's, and he'd proven himself possessed of an unshakeable conviction. He'd taken the King head-on at point blank range when the Ant had nearly struck them down in Peijing.

"Hmm." The man stroked his beard, leaning forward from his cross-legged position. "I would, but…" He cracked a clever smile. "I'll have a better view of the confrontation with the King from here."

Silva didn't show any outward frustration. Instead, he turned away, then back towards the palace, pacing back and forth before deciding to sit down, assuming a similar position to Netero.

"If you're not interested in fulfilling our contract-" he ground out, but his ancient father shushed him.

"Patience, Silva," the bent backed man said. "Let's just see what this Uchiha does for now. I expect if a fight starts, we'll know in short order. There's no doubt." He glanced at Hinata. "Like all these shinobi, he's certainly interesting."

Gaara repressed a sigh of quiet relief, and returned to watching. In truth, he dreaded a fight. No matter what the King had done, he was too powerful even for Sasuke to trivially dispatch. There would be some effort involved, and as the King had shown in Peijing, he had the capacity to rapidly grow through conflict. Who could tell what would happen, if he were given the chance to further evolve?

Hopefully, Sasuke would be able to defuse the King before he could develop any further. If anyone could, it would be him. And if that proved impossible, they would all just have to accept the consequences.

One final fight for their life.

###

Second Pillar to 4C. As ever, the game grew more and more complicated. Meruem leaned back, surveying the board, and Komugi beyond it. In the last day, her Nen had only grown more merciless; he'd stabilized his losses and was slowly clawing back the time it had taken from his games, but only in the last couple hours had he finally come off the back foot.

It was without a doubt the most thrilling experience of his life, even more so than the fight in Peijing. The full scope of his gungi game, the one composed of thousands of boards where each move was a single game, had only expanded with Komugi's newfound skill that surpassed mastery.

That Hinata had returned to interrupt it irritated him beyond measure. It seemed that now matter what, the shinobi was determined to disrupt him. Now that he no longer had a need for her, her sight was only a distraction.

He decided to send another clone. Pitou's En had receded, and he'd heard Youpi roar earlier, and then nothing; doubtlessly some humans had tried to enter the palace and been easily repulsed. It would be another needed test of his multitasking ability. If he could fight with his clone and continue his gungi at the same time, he'd be one step closer to true autonomy.

The clone popped into existence, and Komugi stirred. "You're leaving?" she asked. She must have been beating him even worse than he'd thought, if she'd heard it's creation. The King laughed.

"Only a copy," he assured her. "I just want to make sure our game isn't interrupted." The girl smiled, and Meruem felt a warmth spread through his chest. He stayed seated and continued his offensive, and his clone strode towards the room's exit. He quietly opened the door and slipped out into the main hall, a long thoroughfare that went directly to the center of the building. It would be amusing to kick the humans around again. He was in better practice this time; he would probably be able to capture Hinata, now that he was ready for her dual chakra and with less humans to interfere.

The King stopped, a piece suspended over the board. The pewter cracked in his hand before he calmed himself. His clone was just as still outside the door, staring in confusion.

There was a man in the hall.

Tall, more than a foot taller than him. Dark hair, red eye. A sheathed sword at his hip. He only had one arm.

The King started, and the man stared. Clearly, neither of them had expected this meeting. How had a human penetrated this deeply into the building? How had he gotten so close without being detected?

Why did he look familiar?

Meruem turned the figure over in his head, and his clone stepped away from the door and towards the man, unconsciously putting itself between him and Komugi in the room beyond. What was the familiarity he was feeling? For some reason, his first thought was of Pitou. One arm, one eye.

But no, it was a different connection. Royal Guard, subordinate, second in command. Feared, there was a connection there too. It wasn't his own memories he was remembering, he realized. These were Hinata's once again, dug up by the vision of the man.

Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha. Her husband's friend, or servant, or somehow both. That was it. Hinata had thought of this man, but not as much as she had of her mewling family. He was important to her, in the same way she had been important to Meruem. Had the new shinobi come at her request?

"If you value your life, you will leave," Meruem said. "I won't tolerate an interruption today." He'd almost forgotten in the excitement with Komugi, if he were honest with himself. It was finally the Day of Selection. In just a couple hours, they would finally transform what humans could survive from the population of East Gorteau into flawless soldiers. Perhaps with chakra, if he were given more time to experiment. The failures would be much needed food.

"You're Meruem, then." Was that the first time a human had used his name, at least beyond telling him it? How strange. "I'd like to speak to you."

Meruem's eyes narrowed. "If you're here, my Guard must be dead." They would never have let a human get this close if they were still alive.

"No," Sasuke said dismissively, as if the idea was ridiculous. He started walking forward, and the King mirrored him, both slowly approaching the other. "Though they aren't very well off. My apologies."

That didn't make sense. Why would one of Hinata's allies, a human, not kill his Royal Guard at the first opportunity? It must have been a trick. And yet, reaching out with his probing chakra, the aura of his Guards was definitely still present, though Pouf and Pitou were reduced. Could that be a trick or illusion?

"What could you possibly have to speak to me about?" Meruem asked. His chakra was reaching out for Sasuke too now, trying to invade him the same way it had everyone else around him. But the Uchiha had a mind of steel; Meruem couldn't pick anything off of him except an infuriating placidity.

"I'd like to discuss this situation," Sasuke said. "And see if we can resolve it without anything… unnecessary."

Meruem laughed, and the human continued. "And if possible, I'd prefer to talk to the real you."

"I am me," Meruem said. "And you won't be stepping foot in the same room as Komugi. I'm sure Hinata's told you to kill her."

"That's not who Hinata is," Sasuke said flatly. They were almost face to face now. The King was sure that if he wished, he could reach out and remove the human's heart. "You've misjudged her. Along with many other things."

"Say your piece, so we can be done here," Meruem chuckled, looking up into Sasuke's eyes. The difference in size amused him. "I have a game to return to. And if you'd prefer to fight, I'd at least like to take it somewhere less confined."

The Uchiha's eye narrowed.

Meruem perceived a surge of energy, tremendous but subtle; like an earthquake that started a tidal wave.

With no indication of movement or any recognizable reality, the situation changed.

Komugi-

Komugi wasn't at the Gungi board anymore. Komugi was right in front of him, face to face with him, legs buckling in surprise. Meruem reached out, simply by reflex, and caught her by the shoulder, holding her aloft. He couldn't understand what had just happened.

Komugi was in his hand, out in the hall. The girl opened her mouth and let out a confused "What!", paralyzed in shock. The cry echoed throughout the palace.

Sasuke was sitting before him, kneeling intently before the gungi board. He and Komugi had switched places without a sound or sensation.

In any other situation, the King would have struck out instantly. But today, faced with this man who'd just accomplished something impossible without effort, he froze his own anger and shock before it could drive him to something rash. There was an unrecognizable feeling tingling across his entire body, from the tip of his tail to the top of his head.

That feeling, Meruem thought as he gently set down his gungi piece, might be the sensation of danger.

He'd never felt that before. Not towards himself. Only towards Komugi, when Hinata had threatened her life for a brief and terrifying moment. But now, he was in unmistakable danger. His stomach dropped, and the King enjoyed the novelty of the feeling. This human in front of him was happy to talk, but if that changed…

If that changed, then everything would be at risk.

"I'm sorry for cutting your game short," Sasuke said. Now, Meruem could see that his left eye wasn't the same as his right. It was purple, instead of red. The same color as Hinata's chakra. The man's entire body was practically vibrating with chakra now. More than Meruem had ever seen, compressed into a single inhuman frame. "But I do need to speak to you."

The man raised his lone hand, palm up. A gesture of peace. "And if it's necessary, I won't step foot in the same room as Komugi."

Chapter Text

In The Shadow of Fire

Meruem wasn't sure how to approach the situation.

"I'll make this simple." Sasuke Uchiha leaned back, his posture rigid and his hand settling on his right knee. He looked as though he were having a drink with a new acquaintance instead of face to face with the King of the Chimera Ants. The human frowned. "At this point, there's not much room for terms. You can either surrender, or die."

The King laughed. He wasn't sure there could be another response. "I'm not sure you understand what's happening here." Sasuke smiled. The King felt a flash of anger at the benign look. 'It's you who don't understand,' he thought. 'Is that what he's thinking?'

The human's movement of Komugi had put him instantly on edge. Meruem couldn't take his mind off his companion. What if the man had swapped himself with him instead of her, and taken her head off with his sword before Meruem had understood what had happened? He was utterly certain the shinobi was capable of it; not just physically, but at heart. Hinata Uzumaki had, after a deadly moment, relented. Sasuke Uchiha would not.

How could he keep her safe from someone like this?

"It seems somewhat familiar," Sasuke said. "From what I've been told, you're building an army." He looked Meruem in the eye, refusing to break contact. It was unnerving. "Not unusual for kings."

"Oh?" Meruem said. He was searching for a way out. No, that wasn't it. He was the King. It wasn't his path to wriggle out of situations like a worm. He was the culmination of his species. He surmounted and demolished obstacles. He did not avoid them: he met them! That was why he was still playing Komugi, until he could win. What kind of monarch would simply concede defeat and seek victory from another direction? Only a coward would bother.

The King smiled, feeling a deep determination permeate his whole body, and the man watched him with a stone face. He'd grown from Komugi. He'd grown from Hinata. He'd grown from his proxy's battle in Peiing; his clone had been destroyed in the end, but it was only during true adversity that it had developed and become more powerful. Struggle was a source of strength, and was a rare resource for someone like him.

This would be just the same. This was one more challenge for him to overcome and use as fuel for growth. When everything was done, he'd probably wish to thank Sasuke the same way he had Komugi and Hinata.

"Yes," Sasuke said, apparently happy to make small talk for the moment. "Without the power to project their will, a king is just a useless title. With the state of your Ants, it's no wonder you'd seek an army."

One of Meruem's hands curled into a fist. "Perhaps you think you can buy a surrender with a lecture."

Sasuke looked unimpressed. Meruem considered. He couldn't just deny the surrender outright immediately, not until Komugi had gained some distance. His clone was escorting her away already; it would only be another couple minutes. Then, he could figure out how to kill this human.

"That's not the right way," Sasuke said, and Meruem twitched.

'What?'

Their chakra had begun to mingle, he realized. That was only natural. But where he and Hinata had forged a lightning connection that had almost drowned them both, Sasuke's soul stayed at a distance; if Meruem had to make an analogy, it was like the Uchiha's chakra simply brushed his, just enough to maintain the link. It was a cynical and paranoid extension of the man's aura, perfect for a situation where neither trusted the other.

It was like the human had experience with unwelcome Ninshu. He'd used it to silently read the King's intent and give nothing of his own.

"You could try to kill me," Sasuke said in the tone of a patient parent. Meruem began reaching out more aggressively, trying to invade the shinobi with his chakra. The man didn't openly resist, but what Meruem found wasn't of much help.

Determination. Certainty.

Dull anger.

"But it would be difficult."

Meruem felt a flash of sensation. Flight: overwhelming heat and pressure. He reached out, a phantom sensation, and before him a flying mountain exploded in a wash of thunderous energy. A memory, or a metaphor? He couldn't be sure either way.

However, the feeling it imparted was absolute.

"I'm offering surrender for your benefit," Sasuke said. "Not mine, and certainly none of my allies. They all insisted I kill you immediately, which I'm sure isn't a surprise to you."

"Then why are you bothering?" Meruem asked, and he found that his curiosity was legitimate. This human was bizarre, and strong. He was worth learning at least a little more about before he died.

"A fight would be complicated," Sasuke said. "If you would surrender, that would be the simplest resolution."

Just like that, Meruem was sure that no matter how intimidating his aura was, this man was weaker than him. Anyone who avoided conflict inevitably would be. He had a little more room to maneuver now. When it came to a fight, he could certainly protect Komugi.

"It's useless to ask for my surrender like that," Meruem said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Why would I bother, when our positions are not equal? I would have to be a fool to concede without even being in check."

"You won't reconsider?" Sasuke asked, and Meruem laughed.

"Consider it as this, then," he said, leaning forward. "Reality isn't like a game, where any piece can put another in check. In the real world, only another King can dictate terms to a weaker one." And sneered. "And you are no King. I learned that much from Hinata. From what I saw in her, you're a glorified retainer. And you carry yourself like one." Perhaps even looked like one, Meruem thought, though he didn't share the thought. Sasuke and Neferpitou were strange mirrors of one another thanks to the injuries his Guard had sustained in Peijing.

"If I would even consider surrender," Meruem finished, feeling somewhat satisfied with his rebuttal, "it would have to be a demand coming from a real king, not a cripple sent in his stead."

"That's naive," Sasuke said, and Meruem twitched. "Oftentimes, a leader can't go themselves. They have to act through proxies." He narrowed his eyes. "If you couldn't accept the words from me, you wouldn't be able to accept them at all. Acting otherwise is just making excuses."

"You seem presumptuous for a cripple," Meruem said, doing his best to stay calm. He was interested to see if he could get Sasuke to throw the first punch. It would be amusing for the man to be forced to give up on a peaceful solution. "Perhaps your king was simply unwilling to come." The memory came back to him, reinforced by Sasuke's own thoughts. "Hinata's husband, wasn't it? The Fire Shadow. He's not willing to defend his own wife?"

Sasuke sighed. "If Naruto were here…" he paused, and then chuckled. "He doesn't have my patience. Things would already be resolved."

Meruem felt the fulcrum start to tip towards violence, and tensed his whole body, chakra coursing through him. His first strike would be with his tail; it was his most flexible limb. He was sure he could shoot lightning from it, if he concentrated. Even if the initial blow missed or was turned aside, he could paralyze Sasuke with the follow-up.

"It's a shame he's not here, then," he said with a smile. "Perhaps my time wouldn't have been wasted."

He was sure that would have led to the first blow. Meruem's heart thrummed, prepared for an actual battle.

But instead, it had the opposite effect. Sasuke relaxed. He leaned back, propping himself on one arm, totally unguarded. It didn't make any sense. Meruem was forced to search his opponent's aura instead of his own assumptions, but even that didn't satisfy his curiosity.

"He couldn't be," Sasuke said. "I came in too much of a hurry."

"Desperate to rescue your allies?" Meruem laughed, and Sasuke chuckled.

"Yes, of course," he said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Meruem didn't have an answer for that. The man's sincerity infuriated him. Perhaps he should just attack now? No, that would be conceding. He was set on Sasuke throwing the first punch. It was the least amusement he could get from this irritating situation.

"Still, if he's too frightened to come here himself…"

The Uchiha grunted. "He couldn't come here without me, no matter how much he wanted to." He lowered his head. "And he very much did."

"Hmm?" Meruem looked at him askew, taking an active interest. "And why would that be? Chained to a desk?" He spat. "Or too fat to move, like so many human leaders?"

"There's no point in being rude," Sasuke said with a small, infuriating smile. "If you want me to attack first, that won't be enough."

He was still too open. Meruem tried to shut the gate on his soul, but found to his consternation that, like a muscle he'd never exercised, he couldn't quite figure out how. He could control what was pouring into the chakra link between them if he focused, but he couldn't dam it up entirely. What was wrong with him?

(Was he that desperate for an equal?)

"Naruto and my home are in another world," Sasuke said, and Meruem perked up at the concept. "There's a machine for moving from one to the other, but it's not working at the moment. I'm the only one who can travel from plane to plane without it, and I didn't have time to pick him up before I arrived here."

"A fascinating excuse," Meruem admitted. "So your tardiness kept him away from me."

"Yes," Sasuke said, but then his face fell. The shinobi's aura spike, pushing out a little more into the King's. Invading him, almost. How bizarre. Meruem felt it swirl through his chakra with a detached fascination. "You don't understand. She won't be able to go far enough."

Meruem's jaw tightened.

'Kill him,' he thought. 'This is going nowhere. Give up on the first blow. Just kill him.'

Meruem didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but he was frightened.

"Last chance," Sasuke said. "I mean this sincerely. You don't seem to appreciate the problem." He tapped one finger on his knee; the extra pupils in his right eye slowly rotated. "If you and I came to blows, it doesn't matter how far Komugi is. She'll be in danger. Everyone in this country would be."

"Is that-" 'A threat?' the King wanted to ask, but he already knew it wasn't. There was too much honesty in the man's chakra. He really was just giving him fair warning. He could see it in his mind's eye; maybe it was Sasuke's own vision. The old Hunter had split Peijing in half with his Nen projection's final blow; Sasuke had more than enough aura to replicate that feat. What would Meruem be forced to do, in the face of that power? He'd have to meet it in kind.

Nothing around them would survive, even when Meruem won. Komugi, his Royal Guard, the rest of the Chimera and the humans they'd gathered, they'd all be swept away like dust in a storm.

And then, beyond that…

'Things would already be resolved.'

Sasuke's vision came from experience, Meruem realized. The story his chakra was telling was an old one. At the forefront of the shinobi's mind was the same man who'd constantly been present in Hinata's.

The King watched Sasuke's chakra, and pulled himself inward, as the Uchiha had. The world grew a little duller, a little quieter. Maybe this was the equivalent of Nen's Zetsu.

It was peaceful, even relaxing. For the first time in his life, Meruem wasn't connected with anything, not even Komugi. He felt like an electrical circuit that had been deactivated after months of activity. Still running hot, but finally still.

Now, without the Uchiha's chakra poking at him, he could think straight.

Fate was like a string you could not see or feel, Meruem thought, but it had an unmistakable presence nonetheless. Hinata Uzumaki had been a part of the King's life for as long as he'd had a consciousness; her eyes had been on him even in the womb, and he'd innately responded to that observation even before he had chakra of his own. They were linked by something more than opposition.

But now, Meruem could see it went farther than Hinata. The connection they'd established went beyond, to Hinata's family, her children and her husband. She couldn't be separated from them, even by the gulf between worlds. And now, here was Naruto again, through this mysterious man. The connection grew stronger.

Another king, Meruem realized. That was what this was. That was why fate, or destiny, or cosmic chance had pushed them into a collision course, like gravity drawing two titans towards one another. Naruto was a king who had inspired his wife to risk her life for people she barely knew, who'd helped her become someone brave enough to come before him alone and resist him in the heart of his power, could command someone like Sasuke who had ripped through his Royal Guard without care or difficulty.

Naruto was a king who, maybe, in some small way, might have met more success than him, at least in the quality of his subordinates. It couldn't be a coincidence that two of the most powerful humans in existence were related to the Fire Shadow. Which meant that it was perfect, really, that this connection had been forged now. So long as there was somebody out there like Naruto Uzumaki, Meruem wouldn't be able to claim absolute supremacy. He'd have a potential challenger.

He'd have to smother that possibility immediately.

He let his chakra sprawl again, and Sasuke sighed. The Uchiha's chakra pushed back. The man understood Meruem's decision. Violence could be the only option.

Meruem considered as Sasuke prepared to attack. It was remarkable that he could feel the impulse forming so clearly through their link. Hinata had been forced to slam herself shut before assaulting him, but Sasuke showed no such hesitation. As they were now, striking each other would be like striking themselves, but the man didn't care. It was like he had no regard for himself.

That was completely it. Despite his power, Sasuke didn't hold himself in any regard. The feeling, something Meruem could only interrupt as a vast crushing vacuum, came over him like a tidal wave. It was completely alien: the King flinched. Something had gone out of the human alongside his arm, he decided. He'd been broken and rendered lesser. It only made his victory surer.

Less than a hundredth of a second had passed. In another hundredth, the room would surely explode. Their chakra was already cracking the walls.

Naruto was the one who changed me, Sasuke thought, and Meruem felt the words in his heart. For the better. But it seems you'll never understand that. You'll never understand that feeling of-

Fear? Disdain? Hatred? Resentment? Greed? Guilt? Resignation?

Wrong. All wrong.

Gratitude.

Meruem froze, or rather, the impulse that was about to send his tail rocketing forward as a deadly spear fizzled and died halfway down his spine. The feeling trapped Sasuke in limbo as well, both of them paralyzed by the King's chakra.

Gratitude?

Gratitude… gratitude for being ground down into a servant? Being grateful for being made so weak, so pathetic that he'd jump like a dog for a single man?

Gratitude for being given a chance to learn from his mistakes.

Meruem was twitching. He had never dreamed of anger on behalf of anyone other than Komugi or himself, but now, Sasuke's chakra had driven him into a frenzy. Now, just killing Sasuke and Hinata wouldn't be enough for him. How could it be? This man had been transformed into a slave. Who was to say that the same couldn't happen to him?

You really don't get it. Maybe you can't.

They were finally fully connected; for some reason, Sasuke had embraced his chakra. Their souls were twined together now, a cord with two strings. It was his last chance at resolving the situation. This is Naruto's world; I'm just lucky enough to live in it.

Meruem stared into the shinobi's mismatched eyes, a cold determination in his chest.

The only way he could grow was by overcoming. Like a fire, consuming anything that wasn't itself. But Meurem wasn't a fire. He was the King. He had to be more than that: a sun.

If he didn't kill Naruto now, consume him, metaphorically and literally, he'd die. Meruem, watching his own situation with shock and awe, found himself looking upon a fundamental physical law of the universe. The strong and stable system survived and propagated; the uncertain and unstable system fell to pieces and ceased to be. A fire could flicker and die: a sun had consumed enough to become stable and immortal.

He needed Naruto here, now. He had to seize this feeling and turn it into a weapon, let it sharpen his chakra into something keen enough to destroy another King. Meruem was utterly certain that if he let this feeling fade, he'd lose the edge he needed. He needed to kill the man right away, to slay every one of his fears in a single stroke, and settle the matter of his superiority permanently.

His chakra receded, transforming into a small vibrant bubble around him and Sasuke. The Uchiha watched him, eyes narrow. He hadn't attacked. He'd been processing Meruem's feelings, absorbing them just as Meruem had his.

Slowly.

Very, very slowly, Meruem reached out with his right hand. Sasuke watched it come with apparent caution, but didn't move away. Their souls were still overlapping. The King's hand settled on the shinobi's shoulder, squeezing firmly, but not enough to hurt. It was the first time he'd touched anyone other than Komugi without malice.

"I'd ask something of you," Meruem said, and Sasuke cocked his head. Chakra crackled down the King's arm, bright and loud as lightning. It surged through the shinobi's body, and the man took it without resistance. They were practically a single person now, and nothing was a secret from the other.

Sasuke was laughing. The King could hear it in his head; a quiet, amused chuckle. Maybe this was exactly what he had been desiring since he'd replaced Komugi. Meruem knew the man had been pulling him towards a particular conclusion with his words and with his chakra.

But that had been Sasuke's mistake. The King's certainty was absolute now, and Sasuke's silent laughter dried up in the face of it.

"Take my chakra." The Uchiha was filling up now, like a reservoir in the rain. It was only a small fraction of the King's energy. It would be restored within five minutes, maybe more with exertion. "And go. Fetch Naruto Uzumaki." Meruem smiled, tombstone teeth bright in his mind through the connection with Sasuke.

"Please."

There wasn't an acknowledgement. The connection broke like a bone snapping, and Sasuke rose to his feet. Meruem's hand dropped to his side, and he regarded to shinobi from his seated position. Sasuke looked down at him, expression unreadable, and then stepped backwards into nothing.

The man evaporated, and for the first time in weeks Meruem was completely alone. He sat back, and savored the silence before the storm.

###

Hinata couldn't believe what she'd seen.

"It's over."

Netero stirred, looking back at her over his shoulder. The man had taken a seat, cross-legged and staring intently at the palace. "The King's dead?" He sounded almost disappointed. "Already?"

"Not yet," Hinata said softly. There was a warmth spreading in her chest. She felt like she couldn't breathe, but it wasn't a harsh feeling. "Sasuke… I don't know how he did it, but somehow he tricked the King."

"Tricked?" Gaara asked.

"He..." Hinata couldn't wrap her head around it. She had only seen the interplay of chakra between the Uchiha and the Ant, not what it carried. That had been beyond her eyes. "The King gave Sasuke his chakra. He sent him to bring Naruto."

Gaara laughed. "Impossible," he said. "Why would he?"

"I don't know. They weren't talking. It was all… all their chakra." Had there been a genjutsu? If so, it had been too subtle for even Hinata to detect. Maybe that wasn't beyond Sasuke. "But Sasuke's gone now. And the King is waiting."

"Hmmph." Netero stroked his chin. "Interesting."

Hinata could barely pay him any mind. Her heart was speeding up, her chest trembling.

Naruto was coming. Naruto was coming. Her husband was coming. He could fix this. Maybe he was the only one who could. Sasuke could have just killed the King, but would that have been enough for her? She didn't know.

But if Naruto came here. That would be enough for her. That would be enough to make her right. She needed her husband. It had been seventy days without him. She needed him in her arms; his warmth, his smile, his certainty, his laugh, and even his strength.

Naruto could kill the King, and then he could make everything right. He always had before.

"It's over," Hinata repeated, and there was nothing truer in the world.

###

It took all the courage Pitou had to present herself to the King. She was sure the other Guards felt the same, even Youpi. They had been unable to even slow down the intruder; they hadn't even been able to enter the game room thanks to the force of his and the King's chakra. It had pushed them away like an impenetrable wall until it had vanished without warning. When they had entered, they'd expected to find the shinobi's body, or at least the King finishing an impromptu meal.

But instead, they'd just found the King of the Chimera Ants pondering a half finished game of Gungi with a distant expression.

"Your majesty," Pouf said, dropping to one knee. "Congratulations on your victory."

The King's eyes flicked towards Shaiapouf, and the Ant flinched back at their chill. "I didn't defeat him," he said, and the phantom pain in Pitou's missing arm flared. "I sent him to collect his master."

"What?" Youpi asked, stepping forward. "What do you-"

The King's chakra struck him square across the face, a solid and coruscating energy, and Youpi stopped in his tracks. The Guard didn't make a show of obedience or even react to the hit; he just froze, his head tilted slightly backwards. The King grunted.

"I came to a realization," the King said, and Pitou felt a chill run from the top of her head to the tip of her tail. "Actually, two realizations, I suppose." He stood up, entire body coiled into limitless potential violence. The Guards stayed silent, recognizing the threat washing over them. "The first was that there are people out there that could challenge me. Naturally, they need to be taken care of immediately."

"Your majesty-!" Pouf began to say, and then gagged on his own words as the King's malice smashed him flat. Tiny copies of himself began to squirm out of his skin as his whole body distended, desperate to escape the pressure.

"The second," their King said, his eyes closed, "was that I have been cursed with truly worthless subordinates."

No one in the room said a thing. Youpi's head hadn't returned to its original position. Neferpitou felt her soul collapsing in on itself. If she didn't step forward, say something, she might die right there. After all, the King had just said they didn't need to exist. Or rather, shouldn't have existed in the first place.

"Sir." That was too casual, Pitou thought, but in the face of what the King had said she had a hard time caring about that. "We couldn't stop him. But that doesn't mean we couldn't be of use. When they return, we could-"

"Die? Blind them with your blood?" the King spat.

"Yes," Pitou said with complete conviction. "If that was all we could manage, we'd do it in an instant. That's why we were born."

"You don't understand, Neferpitou." The King began pacing. "He came here, to this room. He took Komugi, without me being able to do anything. If he'd wanted to, he could have killed her in an instant. There was nothing I could have done." He stopped, pinning her with his stare. There was a desperation in him that Neferpitou never could have dreamed of. Shaiapouf was already weeping, but Pitou only felt a deep and existential despair. She wanted to cry, but that wouldn't encompass the feeling.

"Could you understand?" the King asked. "Could you understand what that would mean?" His words dug into her like swords. Even the high explosives that had taken her arm and eye couldn't compare to the pain the King was causing her. "Even if I died myself, could a worthless little creature like you comprehend what losing the only equal I've ever met would mean to me?"

Neferpitou's world was shrinking down into the pinprick of purple light that was the King's eyes. She was trapped in an event horizon, crushing her down into a single molecule. No matter how small she got, she wouldn't be able to escape the King's contempt.

"Do you seriously think anything you could offer, your blood, your life, could compare to that?" The King snarled. "This is what I'm talking about. You, and this lunk, and that wretch, you're all so petty. How could I be guarded by something that doesn't even know what to guard?"

He turned his back on them, and the pressure of his eyes lifted. Pitou could breathe again, even if she didn't want to. "Stay if you want to die for nothing, and run if you don't. You've failed me on every level." He crossed his arms, fingers digging deeply into his own skin. "You're all even worse than that fool. Weakness grew fear in you instead of gratitude. At least one could have inspired some introspection."

"Meruem-" Shaiapouf sobbed the King's real name, and the Ant snapped, his chakra flexing.

"Leave," he hissed, and the compulsion drove them from the room in a blind panic. They only regained their sanity when they were almost out of the main building, over a hundred meters from the King.

Youpi was the last, silently lumbering. The moment they were clear of the King's anger, he sat down, leaning forward and putting his chin in his hand. Though Pitou wasn't sure it was possible, her fellow Guard looked deep in thought.

She couldn't imagine how he could bear to think. The moment Pitou considered the situation, she broke. She felt it clearly, like her organs had begun to shut down.

Neferpitou, firstborn of the Royal Guard, had been thrown away like a piece of garbage. She and the others were now just living detritus, without anyone to serve and without purpose in a world that wanted them dead. In that moment, there was nothing stopping Pitou from simply lying down and letting it get its way. She was sure that if she recalled the King's disdain, the hate in his words, she could will herself to die here and now, and at least serve him in some way.

Maybe that was for the best.

"Oh…" Shaiapouf was shaking, and Neferpitou glanced at him. He must have been thinking the same thing, she thought. If they both died here and now, maybe that would bring the King a tiny piece of satisfaction. That was all they could be good for now.

"Ohhhhh…" the Royal Guard rattled. Pouf turned towards her, his eyes darting in every direction. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…" His shaking intensified, his whole body trembling and vibrating, every cell squirming and trying to escape.

"Pouf?" Pitou asked, unsure if it was worth talking. Was a waste of matter like her even worthy of speech anymore? "Shaiapouf?"

###

The Royal Guard Shaiapouf was searching for a way out.

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

Those words, which had melted his heart and provided the bedrock of his existence for the last several days, had been torn into so much bloody confetti. His body was rejecting reality, trying to split apart and escape the conflict. But there was nowhere he could go now, surely.

Now that the King had rejected him, Shaiapouf had no place, no master, no purpose, and no excuse for existing. Maybe his cells weren't trying to escape, he thought. Perhaps his body thought that it could split itself, smaller and smaller, until consciousness became impossible and he was rendered nothing more than dust in the wind. Dust, which was what he'd always been, dust, dust, nothing but dust and disappointment-

He was screaming, Shaiapouf realized. How long had he been screaming. It didn't really matter. Neferpitou was watching him, paralyzed. Menthuthuyoupi was, as ever, doing nothing.

The King's words had been shredded, and were being replaced by another. Shaiapouf could see them being spoken quite clearly, an old man's bushy mustache twitching with disgust.

'If the other Royal Guard are quite as cowardly as you, then this will be easy.'

That was it, he realized.

This wasn't Shaiapouf's fault. How could it be, when he was the only one that the King could rely on?

Neferpitou. Menthuthuyoupi. Youpi had struck down Pitou when that shinobi had pulled his trick, and he'd fled from Peijing when everything had been on the line. And Pitou, Pitou was even more despicable. Hunting the Watcher and failing at every turn, so useless as to be crippled now.

And, looking at her, the Guard bore a strange resemblance to the shinobi who had knocked them away like errant children. Shaiapouf could still feel the burn of the man's electricity. But he was gone now, and only the King remained. The human was coming back, of course, but what did that matter in the meantime.

He understood. Pouf understood. This was a test. It had to be. The King relied on him. It was impossible that He would throw him away for something as ridiculous as failing to defend a human. A human? A worthless, blind little girl? It was absurd. It had to be a test.

'If the other Royal Guard are quite as cowardly as you-

-Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

Ah.

Shaiapouf stopped screaming. It made perfect sense now. He had to focus. There was only one way to pass this test.

The mass of his body that had been scattered by his fight with the old Hunter in the dimensional space was nearly back in East Gorteau, he was sure. He'd been studying maps of the small continent, doing his best to guide his disparate self. Perhaps it would arrive just in time for him to pass his test. Wouldn't that be perfect? Then, there would be no chance of the King ever knowing of his failure. He could return in every aspect.

He walked forward.

"Shaiapouf?" Neferpitou asked. "What are you doing?"

He glanced back at the little creature, feeling a distinct pity. Of course, Neferpitou was too stupid to figure out the King's intention. Her brain had been rattled by the human explosives: her body was too solid for its own good, and her mind followed suit, without an ounce of flexibility or intuition.

Shaiapouf struck out, right hand formed into a claw, and tore half of Youpi's jaw off. The Royal Guard didn't flinch. His hand began pushing the remnants of his jaw deeper into his throat cavity as Pouf began tearing into his side, ripping off great hunks of bleeding flesh and tossing them in every direction. Pitou's eyes widened and she stumbled forward, raising a hand in shock.

She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that the only way to show the King they understood was to be the only one standing.

That was why he was going to be the one to return to the King's side, and not her. After all, if the King didn't take him back, then Shaiapouf was cease to exist.

###

About forty percent of Youpi's body had been destroyed when he decided to leave.

Shaiapouf was trying to kill him, he realized, but he wasn't having much luck. The Royal Guard didn't have any advanced Nen techniques for offense beyond Ken, and that wasn't sufficient to kill Youpi. He was losing mass, but it could be easily regained with a thought. However, he was too consumed with other thoughts to bother.

He was faced with an interesting problem. When the King had struck him in the face with his chakra, it had perfectly communicated his monarch's intentions. Youpi had immediately understood down to the roots of his soul that the King would never forgive them. When had the little human, Komugi, whose name was now permanently etched in his mind, become more important to the King than his own well-being?

Hmm. Did the King even realize that? He must have, but his chakra hadn't betrayed that. Maybe there was only so much that could be communicated in a punch.

The King…

No, Mereum. There was a divide between the two that Youpi couldn't describe but could understand. Meruem had thrown away his Guards, and in doing so he'd also given up on the other Ants. Youpi had felt that too. It had left him completely paralyzed. The Royal Guards, the Ants, they were like a limb cut away now. There was nothing to guide them, and they weren't of much use to anyone now other than as a club, or maybe a mantlepiece.

But that wasn't entirely true, was it? Youpi had learned in Piejing that the Royal Guard were more than just limbs. They were extensions of the King; they could act in his place, speak for him, command for him, protect and guide what he couldn't.

That was the thought that made Youpi lumber to his feet. He ignored as Shaiapouf chased after him, tearing more flesh from his rear. The attack ended as suddenly as it began; Neferpitou charged in, knocking the Royal Guard away, screaming and wrestling him to the ground before he split into thousands of parts.

Menthuthuyoupi ignored them. Whether they killed each other was none of his concern. Pitou was the first-born; she could take care of herself. Whatever madness had afflicted Shaiapouf would doubtlessly burn out. Most likely, Meruem would kill him if he tried to return to His side. He had different and more immediate priorities.

The rank and file of the Ants had scattered in the wake of the shinobi's incursion. Even if Meruem had given up on them, they were still the King's subjects, and deserved direction and protection.

If Youpi couldn't keep his monarch safe, the least he could do was extend an aegis over his subjects.

There were more humans coming. One powerful enough to command someone like the man who had casually torn through them without bothering to kill them, powerful enough for Meruem to consider him a direct threat. When they inevitably came to blows, surely nothing around them would survive. He had to collect the other Ants, and get them out of the blast range. What came after that was entirely immaterial. At the moment, physical safety was all that mattered.

Youpi started running.

###

Komugi sat still, trembling. She didn't know where she was, or how she'd gotten there. Nothing in the past ten minutes had made any sense. She'd been immersed in a game of Gungi with the Supreme Leader, and then without warning had been somewhere else, standing, with another Leader in front of her. He'd taken her by the arm and led her somewhere, commanded her to stay still, to stay quiet, and promised he'd return.

He hadn't come back.

She didn't have her walking stick. Even if she had, she was sure she was too confused and too frightened to find her way back to the room with the Gungi table, her one bit of stability in the palace aside from her bedroom. The path between those two, she knew by heart, but the rest, she wouldn't have a chance.

Her ears, begging for anything to bring relief, finally pricked at something. It was a soft, inhuman tread. Somehow, she knew who it was right away.

A door creaked open, and the Supreme Leader entered. Komugi knew right away that something had changed. She could sense his anger, and more than that, his fear. She'd never dreamed of that coming from him.

"Supreme Leader," she whispered. "What happened?"

He paused, standing over her. She could feel his shadow. It had weight.

"It's hard to explain," he eventually said. "But you're safe now." He shifted. "You'll always be safe."

Komugi didn't feel safe. She shivered. "Can we resume our game?" she asked. She hated the sound of her own voice. Tremulous, stuffy. She wished she could sound as sure and brave as him.

Another pause. Komugi waited in the dark.

"You know, all this time, all those games," the Supreme Leader said, "and you never asked my name."

She hadn't expected that. Komugi lowered her head. "It wasn't mine to know," she said. "You are the Supreme Leader. That matters much more than your name."

He didn't like that, Komugi instantly knew, but it wasn't a mistake on her part. Just a misunderstanding.

"That may be true," the Supreme Leader said. He wasn't human. She'd known that for some time now, though she would never be sure of exactly when she'd realized it. What did it matter? He wasn't cruel to her, and he pushed her to be better, which was more than she could say of most other people. "But nonetheless… I'd still like you to know it."

"Why?" She wished she could leap to her feet, or at least see his face. Something had changed, and because of her blindness she was clueless as to what.

He didn't answer her. "Meruem," he said, and Komugi marveled at the name. It had a beautiful symmetry, like a perfectly arrayed board balanced in black and white. "Komugi, I don't want only my enemies knowing my name. Do you understand?"

She didn't, but she nodded anyway. But instead of comforting her, or agreeing with her, or anything that she wished for…

Meruem stepped back.

"Komugi," he said again, and hearing her name in his voice made her shiver. "You have to leave."

"What?" she cried, trying to scramble up. Her legs were weak, but she made it nonetheless. She hadn't slept in at least a day, she suddenly realized. "Why?!"

"Some of my enemies are coming, by my invitation," Meruem said, and she felt her heart scrunch up in her chest. "Once I'm done with them, we can finish our game."

That wasn't true, she thought. Komugi was suddenly entirely sure that if she left, she'd never see Meruem again.

"I won't!" she said. She didn't want to sound like a child, but that was what came out. "I won't leave you! I can't!"

"You have to. I'll make a clone to-"

"I won't! Supreme Leader-"

"Meruem!" he barked, and she wilted back. The name felt like a slap in the face.

"Meruem," she said back, trying to fight back tears. It felt good to say his name, even if it had just hurt her. "Please. If I leave, I won't-"

"You'll see me again." His voice was absolute. "You're the only one who's allowed to defeat me."

"That's not how things work!" she said. "If I can beat you, that means someone else can!" She was crying now, her throat clogged with phlegm. "Please-"

"QUIET!" Meruem roared, and his aura seized her like a straightjacket. "You have to leave! Now! It's the only way you'll be safe! Don't you understand?!" His voice was almost as thick as hers. "If you stay, I can't protect you!"

Komugi tried to move, to face him, maybe even to slap him, but she was completely rooted in place. As though she was being tugged by invisible strings, her legs began moving on their own, marching her out of the room, following a path she hadn't picked.

She realized what was happening.

"NO!" She screamed back. She couldn't control anything below her neck, but her mouth was still hers. Meruem had refused to take that. She was truly weeping now, so hard her whole body was shaking. "You promised! You promised!" Her hand opened the door without her consent, and Komugi kept screaming.

"YOU PROMISED! MEREUM!"

She was screaming for a long time as her body moved without her control along a track she couldn't perceive. Corridors, stairs, tile, stone, and eventually grass all passed under her without distinction. Even after she'd left the palace, she kept shouting in denial.

Meruem's chakra carried her, screaming and weeping the whole way, to safety.

###

Afterwards, with Komugi's screams still ringing in his ears, the King returned to the abandoned Gungi board. He sat down by it, and regarded the half-finished game with empty eyes.

He would have lost this one too. It only took him a minute or so to see that. Komugi still held an absolute advantage over him. One that Meruem had to admit extended beyond Gungi as he shifted one piece between possible moves with a shaking hand.

His chest hurt.

He waited like that for some time. Five, perhaps six minutes. He wasn't counting the seconds religiously. Instead, he was trying to calm and center himself. He had to call up the passion of a sun, the thing he'd felt before, and shape it into a peerless sword. That was his only path to victory.

So Meruem did just that, sitting as still as a statue and watching the board with eyes that were somewhere else entirely. He would consume. He had to consume. That was his nature.

'You promised.'

He struggled to overcome those words. And then, when he failed, he struggled to avoid them. How could he reconcile his fate as King, and his fate in meeting Komugi? There was a paradox there that he could not fully understand, and it gnawed at him and his sword.

If he let it chew too much, he was sure he would die. But if he threw it away, a part of him would die instead. Even though the whole was obviously more important than the part, leader against subjects, soul against body, the King against Meruem…

He couldn't discard it. He couldn't bring himself to do it.

That was fine. Let the sword be a little jagged, a little worn then. Wouldn't that only make it's bite more bitter? He could use that. He could use fighting for Komugi and his supremacy. He could make them one and the same, if he tried. He was sure of it.

Far too soon, the moment came. A hole in the world opened up, like a great eye, and two men stepped out of it, precisely from where Sasuke had departed. The first one was Sasuke, who led with a confident step out of the unknown void.

The second, Meruem had never met. Nonetheless, he recognized him instantly from what he'd gleaned from other's hearts.

Naruto Uzumaki was even brighter in life than he was in memory, and it seemed that he took in the entirety of Meruem in a single glance. The blond man, more than a foot taller than him, cocked an eyebrow.

"So," he asked, his voice rough and curious. "You're Meruem?"

There was no more time for thought.

With consideration for nothing but the present, Meruem attacked.

Chapter Text

The Sun and the Rope

Of the many humans and Ants surrounding East Gorteau's Central Palace, there were three who were a cut above the rest. Those three's instincts were quick enough to alert them in time.

As one, they watched the King of the Chimera Ants launch from the Palace, straight up with such speed and import that he more resembled a missile launched from a secret silo than a living being. All three were enraptured by the living shooting star.

The first was Hinata Uzumaki. She'd watched her husband's fist connect with the King's chin with the force of a small earthquake as the Ant had charged forward, and couldn't feel anything but vicious joy. As had so often been her role since stepping through the portal all those weeks ago, she had nothing to do but Watch.

The second was the Royal Guard who no longer had a purpose in life, Neferpitou. She looked up at her sailing King, and was overwhelmed by a sense of inevitable doom. But just as quickly as the premonition overcame her, it was banished by the reality of her situation: Shaiapouf dislocated her remaining hand, and Pitou fell back into an impossible fight for her life.

The third was Isaac Netero. Netero's feelings could not be rendered down into one word, or several flowery ones. Unlike the months old Royal Guard who was fighting for their life or the young woman at his side, he was an old man who'd lived a deceptively complicated life and seen things even more unbelievable than this. More than that, he had responsibilities beyond his own life to consider as he watched Meruem soar two kilometers into the sky, nearly touching the low and thick clouds.

There was a feeling, inconsequential to the proceedings but amusing to note, that could be put simply as he watched the followup to Naruto's attack: Sasuke Uchiha came up after the King, one arrow fired after another, and struck the Ant down and away from the Palace with a thunderous kick. Literally. The shinobi's foot shone with electricity, and when the blow landed it let out the crack of a lightning bolt.

That feeling was jealousy.

Netero knew in a moment of wonderful clarity that he would like nothing more than to be in the King's place at that moment. To be weighing his life against not one but two impossibly powerful opponents, who were working together with obvious experience and who without a doubt would not extend a grateful hand if he lost.

But that was a childish emotion. As childish as the King itself. Right now, it wasn't Netero's place to fight for his life. That duty had been relegated to others. His duty was to consider the politics, irksome as ever; if Netero faced the King, he would almost certainly die, and if that were to happen the Rose would wipe away the Ant, East Gorteau's capital, ten million people, and the Hunter Association's credibility. As the board had been set, it was impossible to bait the King into a situation that would leave him the only casualty.

Nonetheless, he couldn't banish the itch that had long ago transformed him into the strongest man in the known world. Right from the start of the engagement, the King was being manhandled, just as Netero had feared. Things were going to become infinitely more complicated.

As Netero watched, a storm began to descend around the Palace. It wasn't the low clouds finally coming due.

It was a storm of chakra, violent and vibrant, and it only grew more vicious as the battle continued.

###

It took Meruem longer than he would have liked to understand that he'd been punched.

The transition from his charge to his launch was perfectly perceivable by him. Naruto Uzumaki had stepped forward, into him instead of away like any self-aware creature in existence should have, and launched a picture-perfect uppercut directly into his chin. Meruem's only experience with martial arts was the Gentle Fist, which didn't really feature blunt instruments like uppercuts, but even he had to admit that it was an impressive punch. The impact hadn't hurt. All it had inspired was a dull ache. Then he'd been going up, very, very fast.

So, in terms of actually seeing it, Meruem hadn't had an issue with the attack. It was the fact that he'd been punched in such a mundane and predictable manner that he was having trouble with.

He should have been able to dodge that. Surely. He'd anticipated more than twenty possible counterattacks before he'd gone more than an inch. Something as dumb as an uppercut had been low on that list, but it had been there. It had already been anticipated.

Which meant, Meruem realized as he neared the apex of his launch, that Hinata's husband was a little faster than he'd assumed. Stronger too, but that was a given.

Humans fought by trained instinct. Or at least, Hinata did, and Hinata was an accomplished fighter, so it was safe to assume for now that that reliance on instincts held true for her husband. They were the opposite of Meruem, who didn't have the same experience to build those instincts and used his peerless mind to walk through every possible option. That meant that Naruto had probably never even decided on that specific punch to counter his charge; the Fire Shadow had just reacted to incoming danger and his body had done the rest.

That was fantastic to know. Just from that bit of information, the blow had been more than a fair trade. Meruem smiled as he looked down: Sasuke Uchiha was coming after him. The Hokage didn't flinch from danger. It was his instinct to step right into it. Meruem could take advantage of that.

Sasuke ended up above him, a perfectly calculated jump more than two kilometers straight up, and threw a kick sheathed in lightning at him. Meruem wasn't concerned. What could a cripple's imitation be when he'd been struck by the real thing? He let it hit him, curious where Sasuke would send him. Just as he'd thought, it couldn't compare to the bolt that had struck him Peijing. His entire torso tingled, and his shoulder sung with something in between a bruise and a burn, but it wasn't real damage. Had his body already adapted to high voltages? He wasn't sure, but it seemed possible if that was the only effect of the kick.

He descended as quickly as he'd risen. As he'd suspected, Sasuke had sent him north, towards the back of the palace and away from the millions of humans arrayed in front of it. He was trying to isolate the fight. That was fine by Meruem's reckoning. The people of East Gorteau were both resources and hostages; they couldn't be carelessly spent.

He slammed into the earth behind the palace and caught himself with his chakra, not even raising a puff of dirt from the once-carefully-maintained lawn. Sasuke landed before him, but Mereum didn't attack. He was still analyzing, and a head-on charge clearly was a suboptimal option when his opponent was ready for it. These opponents weren't like any others he'd faced: he wouldn't be able to blitz them into submission.

Naruto appeared a moment later at Sasuke's side, and the world was silent as the humans considered him.

"You didn't tell me he was so short," Naruto said. Sasuke glanced at him. "From the way you talked, I figured he'd be taller."

"Does it matter?" the man asked, and Naruto laughed.

"Not really."

Meruem began circling, and both men shifted to stay facing him. He tried to keep calm, but he couldn't lie to himself: he was getting excited. He hadn't even gotten a hit in, while they'd managed one each. Without a doubt, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to improve himself.

He tried to forget about Komugi. She didn't have a place in this fight. But even now, it was difficult.

How to approach two opponents? Obviously his best chance was to split them up. But before he could act, the decision was made for him. Sasuke Uchiha came for him.

The shinobi didn't try for subtlety. He simply rushed forward with a suddenly unsheathed sword and swung it directly at Meruem's midsection. Meruem wasn't sure why he'd chosen such an obvious attack, or whether the sword could even penetrate his body in the first place. Better safe than sorry, he thought. Someone like Sasuke wouldn't bother with an attack if he didn't think it would have some effect.

Their chakra was starting to mingle. It carried Meruem over Sasuke's blade with a graceful roll; with a missing arm, the Uchiha only had awkward angles to counterattack from. It wouldn't take much effort as Meruem's tail wrapped around Sasuke's arm to crush the ninja into an empty husk.

That would have been the case, if Sasuke hadn't suddenly grown a skeletal hand of pure chakra from his stump and backhanded Meruem in the face.

He stumbled back, and the Uchiha swiped at his feet with his sword. Meruem hopped over the blow, puzzling at the sudden arm. Sasuke had enough chakra control to form a coherent limb? He hadn't considered that possibility, but surely it was the same principle as the Rasengan. Only a more complicated shape-

With the same surprising speed as before, Naruto was at his side before he could take advantage of Sasuke's overreach. This time, Meruem raised an arm to block; the Hokage's kick knocked him back, but he was done observing for now. It was time to test himself. Before Naruto could finish breathing out, Meruem threw himself back at his opponent. His tail lashed out, knocking Sasuke away and leaving him with only one opponent for a few precious seconds.

First, savagery. The Hokage had surprised him with his speed and strength, but could he keep up if Meruem wasn't forced back? The King attacked without reservation, throwing twenty blows in less than a second. There wasn't anything refined about his assault. He didn't bother with graceful hits, only punches and kicks that would shatter bone and stabs with his tail that would gore the human.

Naruto kept up. Their chakra and their fists clashed, and neither of them gave ground. Meruem couldn't help but marvel at the human's reaction time, and his sound judgement. Every blow was redirected or knocked aside, and the third time he stabbed out with his tail the Hokage stomped it into the ground, throwing Meruem off balance. Even an extra limb to watch wasn't fazing the man. He punched out with both hands, and Naruto twisted aside; the air pressure from Meruem's fists ripped the grass from the ground for twenty meters behind his opponent.

Meruem laughed, and Naruto laughed back. It wasn't a cruel sound. That disrupted his rhythm more than his tail being stepped on had. Meruem puzzled over it until the man's golden chakra made it clear.

The Hokage was having fun.

Well, that was fine, for now. Let him have his fun before he died.

Meruem leapt back, only to find Sasuke behind him. He prepared himself for another attack. Next, he would have to test his chakra.

"Hey, Sasuke." Naruto raised a hand. The Uchiha stepped aside, keeping his sword raised. It was covered in coruscating electricity. Meruem landed, not able to understand why the other shinobi had simply stood down. He looked back and forth between the two men, uncertain where the next attack would come from.

"I got this," Naruto said, and Sasuke and Meruem scoffed simultaneously. "Go check on the others, all right? Make sure they stay out of the way."

"Naruto-" Sasuke was obviously exasperated. Meruem didn't let him finish.

"You," he said, pointing at Sasuke while keeping his eyes fixed on Naruto, "are not leaving my sight."

Naruto raised both hands, his face growing a little more serious. How could he possibly be so casual? "Listen," he said, and Meruem realized that in his monofocus on his opponents he'd barely taken note of the storm of chakra they'd kicked up. Had it just been from their brief skirmish? It filled the air, purple and gold and other colors that didn't exist, ruffling the human's hair and faintly howling like a distant storm. Their chakra mingled, and unlike Sasuke Naruto welcomed it in.

It was like it had been with his wife. Before Meruem could seriously considering resisting, there was an invisible, painfully sincere chain between him and the Hokage.

"We've both got people out there we don't want hurt, right?" Naruto asked, and Meruem was infuriated at how quickly the man had cut to that simple but fatal fact. Komugi was his one physical weakness, and now the Hokage knew it as effortlessly as breathing.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and Naruto ignored the question.

"Sasuke's just going to make sure of that," he said. "He's not going to hurt any of your people. I swear."

He didn't need to swear. Meruem knew it was the truth. Naruto had made that both a belief and a command without any effort whatsoever, and Sasuke would gladly lay down his life for either. The man wasn't hiding a thing from him. Maybe he couldn't, the way their chakra had connected so quickly. It was a tempestuous thing, and it only made the storm around them worse.

It was, Meruem realized, an ideal environment where ideas and violence could be communicated with equal efficiency. This wasn't the almost painful connection of Ninshu where attacking the other was like attacking yourself: it was something more refined. Was that on purpose, or just an unconscious flexing of the Hokage's will? Either option was interesting.

"As if I would leave that to him," Meruem growled, and Naruto cocked his head. As both he and Sasuke watched, Meruem crouched down, clenching every muscle and drawing in on himself. The air around him began boiling, and Naruto raised an eyebrow.

The Hokage was right about one thing. He couldn't afford for Komugi to be harmed.

However, it was more than that that drove him to mass chakra in his core, so much that his weight increased and the ground buckled under him. There were certainly more efficient ways to protect Komugi than what he had planned.

But he needed to prove to himself, and to the Hokage, that his chakra could be just as potent as his body. The honesty was refreshing to Meruem. As he reared up, raising his hands to the sky and releasing every ounce of chakra he'd gathered at once, both humans simply watched. It was obvious to them that what he was doing wasn't an attack.

"Go." It wasn't a shout, but the word detonated out of him alongside his chakra as an ephemeral wave of light and heat. It washed over the unimpressed shinobi, exploding south and steadily growing. As it grew, it lost coherence, until it was nearly invisible; a wall nearly a mile tall and five times as wide.

His chakra washed over Komugi, four miles away, and the entire population of East Gorteau. It also struck seventy-four Chimera Ants, as solid as a kick in the teeth.

He felt them all from the bottom of his soul, but Komugi was the loudest and brightest, and Meruem closed his eyes, memorizing the feeling.

To her, he only imparted a simple message.

Stay. Safe.

Safe.

Safe.

To the Chimera Ants, even his worthless Guards, and to the counted uncountable humans, he implanted something more direct.

Protect Komugi. At all costs.

He breathed out. The earth began rumbling.

The people of East Gorteau, 9,474,830 humans who had been given the only task that would ever mattered in their miserable lives, were on the move.

###

Hinata had to resist the urge to take a step forward.

The King's chakra hit her and everyone else on the hillside at once, a nearly coherent tidal wave of energy that blew her hair back and forced her brain to reset itself before she could finish taking her first step. It was like a genjutsu, was her first, panicked thought. An enormous, inconceivably large and powerful genjutsu that dwarfed any reasonable categorization.

Her companions felt the same compulsion. None of them took the step, but she saw all of them squash it. Right now, she was so focused, so in tune with the universe, that she could imagine the ghosts of their electrical and chemical impulses; the first, coated in the King's chakra that lifted their foot, and the second, faster, that brought it down.

"Was that-?" Gon was the first to speak.

"The King," Killua finished for him. "One hundred percent."

Hinata didn't say a thing: she was focused on the Ant, and on her husband. Sasuke was coming back to them. Naruto had sent him away.

Why had Naruto sent him away? She'd seen everything, watched everything, but she couldn't understand it. Her husband…

Her husband wasn't trying to kill the King. He'd appeared with Sasuke, and there hadn't been anger in him. Just curiosity, and some concern. Sasuke hadn't told him the whole story, she was suddenly sure. If he had, there was no way Naruto would have come without throwing the first punch. He was kind, infinitely kind, but she also knew without a doubt that if he'd known what the King had done to her, it would already be over.

Why had Sasuke withheld the whole story? Just pressed for time? No; he could have imparted everything in seconds, with words or chakra.

He was still searching for a peaceful solution. The thought struck Hinata like a stone, and she tightened her fists. It was obvious, now that she had wrapped her head around it. Sasuke didn't have the context to see the King for what he was, and he was hoping Naruto would see it the same way. That he would see the King's youth, and not his malice.

But surely, surely, he'd see the truth. The King was a monster. He had to be destroyed.

…

And yet…

As Hinata watched, nearly ten million humans began moving as a single organism. It was a number that crushed her mind under its weight. She simply didn't have the ability to perceive them all at once. To look at them one, ten, or even a hundred at a time, that was easy, but the population of East Gorteau simply couldn't be taken in all at once, no matter how powerful her vision was.

The crowd was densely packed, about as tight as a fully occupied stadium, but standing, and stretching over nine million strong. Again, it couldn't really be taken in; Hinata could only observe about a thousand of them at once and take the rest as an abstract. If a thousand humans all began running at once, in a crowd that dense, dozens would have trampled, no matter how coordinated they were. There just wasn't any way around it.

And yet, when the entire population of East Gorteau broke into a sprint at once, not one of them fell beneath the human tide.

They moved as a single unit. Like ants, Hinata thought. Ants didn't trample their own, at least not that she'd seen, and now these people moved the same way.

East Gorteau wasn't moving with malice. The entire country had been thrown at a single objective; keeping Komugi safe. And consciously or not, the King had given that command with an addendum. Now, every human in the country was keeping the others safe.

"Amazing."

Zeno Zoldyck leaned forward, his hand on his chin.

"All that, for a single human?"

It was the truth.

Hinata watched, her nails digging into her palms, as an enormous dust cloud raised up by the stampede of people began mingling with the chakra storm. Beside it, about to be swallowed, two Royal Guards were fighting to the death. Inside it, her husband and the King were talking.

All that, for a single human. She considered the paradox, and could not reconcile it.

###

"That wasn't necessary." Naruto frowned.

"Who are you to tell me what's necessary or not?" Meruem frowned back. "Don't you understand that you're going to die here? Why did you send him away?"

Naruto shrugged. "Lots of people have told me that," he said. "Hasn't happened yet."

Meruem sighed. "I was hoping you'd improve me," he said. "But so far, you've only amused me. If you seriously think you can take me on alone…"

"No thinking about it," Naruto grinned. "You're definitely strong. I wouldn't be surprised if you've never met anyone even close to as strong as you." His smile faded. "Even Hinata. But…" He stretched out one of his calves, rotating the ankle. Meruem watched the ball joint circle around, marveling at the man's cockiness and the inherent fragility of the human body. "That's cause you hadn't met me."

Naruto settled into a martial stance, his whole body at the ready and practically vibrating in anticipation. "Sasuke told me you were dangerous, and you seem to think so too." He gestured. "So show me."

This man didn't crave fights, Meruem understood. Not like some others did. But fighting was something Naruto Uzumaki had always been good at, and it was natural to enjoy what you were accomplished at.

And it had been a long time, dozens of times Meruem's lifespan, since the Hokage had had a real fight.

That would be a good final gift then. Naruto smirked at the thought, and Meruem took that as the signal to attack.

Strength alone wouldn't accomplish anything. He'd realized that after their last engagement, and Naruto knew that too. Still, his next move managed to surprise the Hokage. He came at the man with delicate, flowing motions, hands and feet formed into spears.

"Juken?" the man had time to ask in a confused tone, and then there was no more time for talking.

Using the Gentle Fist, Meruem immediately decided, was very satisfying. He'd only had several seconds of practice with it before, during his brawl with Hinata in Peijing, and that had been a short, furious fight with both of them forgoing form for violence. But now, Meruem did his best to perfectly imitate the style he'd stolen from Hinata's memories.

This was the appeal of a martial art then. His whole body flowed like water, effortlessly shifting from attack to attack. It was, as the name implied, Gentle. Meruem didn't strike to crush or pierce, but to cut and burst. Chakra burned throughout his body, concentrating at the point of each of his limbs. Even a brief touch would be enough to broil the Hokage's delicate aura points and render him a temporary cripple. It was an unending series of chained attacks where even a mistake of inches would spell death for his opponent.

The chain went on for three seconds. It was like a dance, Naruto graciously giving ground, refusing to strike back. He was a practiced partner in this dance, Meruem realized, where one pursued and the other conceded. Five seconds. Ten.

Fifteen.

He couldn't land a hit. His chakra burned nothing but air.

That wasn't possible.

"Hey," Naruto said, and he seized Meruem's outstretched hand. To the King's astonishment, shimmering golden chakra covered the Hokage's hand, keeping the baneful chakra of the Gentle Fist at bay. The Hokage's leg went up. "Where'd you learn that?"

Before Meruem could answer, Naruto's axe kick came down directly on his back. The pressure was sudden and enormous. In an instant, he was buried more than twenty feet below the earth.

Meruem turned, grinding away hard soil without effort, just in time to catch Naruto's next kick directly in the chest. His hands wrapped around the Hokage's foot and stopped the attack short, but the force of it still drove them another ten feet into the earth.

The shinobi's whole body was wreathed in golden chakra now. Before Meruem could twist the man's foot off, Naruto threw yet another kick. That one slipped past his guard and slammed directly into his face.

Still no pain, but the ache in his chin throbbed at that one. He hit concrete instead of earth, and broke through it. He was in an underground tunnel now: one of the dozens that sprawled out from the Palace heading every which way. The concrete tunnel stretched in both directions, apparently endless. The lights lining the ceiling were flickering.

Naruto dropped down through the hole his body had made, and Meruem leapt back before he landed, considering the man's new aura. He was still confident; he hadn't taken any damage. Eventually, the man would run out of tricks, and Meruem would shatter his rhythm.

"You picked that up from Hinata," the Hokage said. His chakra was like nothing Meruem had ever seen before, and it lit up the tunnel brighter than the overhead lights ever could have. It was similar to the aura Hinata had gained in Peijing, but where that had been a barely controlled inferno that had surrounded her whole body, Naruto's cloak of chakra was totally uniform and stable, like a layer of still golden water.

It should have made him look inhuman: the Hokage's eyes had crossed pupils now, and the scars on his cheeks were huge and black. But somehow, it only amplified his human features.

"Picked it up?" Meruem asked. Could he create a cloak like that? What was the effect? The man was physically stronger now, he was sure of that, but did it have other implications? Did it help him control his chakra externally? That was his best guess. Subtly, Meruem began poking at his own chakra, trying to have it dance on his skin. No, it wasn't just above the surface. The chakra had even been coating the inside of Naruto's mouth. Did it suffuse every cell? Deeper than that? How much was conscious control versus unconscious protection, like someone flinching away from a high speed object? The question was thrilling.

"Your Juken form is just about perfect," the Hokage said, stroking his chin. "So you couldn't have just learned it from fighting Hinata, even if you could learn something like that on sight. She always improvises in a fight: you didn't."

"You're correct," Meruem said. "She showed me it. Or I pulled it from her. The difference is academic."

The Hokage shifted, and Meruem did as well, but the man just relaxed again without attacking.

"That Ninshu of yours, huh?" He frowned. "It's pretty parasitic, so I guess that's not the right word for it, but it's the closest thing."

"Hinata came to the same conclusion."

"You spent some time with her." The past came to them both, bidden by the man's words, and suffused the space. It wasn't a visual memory, but the sensation. The words, the violence of their meetings, Meruem's admiration and gratitude. "I'm a little jealous," Naruto admitted.

"She's an impressive woman," Meruem said. "And she led me to you."

"You're gonna have to explain that to me," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "Sasuke didn't tell me the whole story, and you…" he laughed. "You just jumped right in. I'm pretty lost right now."

Meruem laughed back. "You're polite. I'm trying to kill you, and you just want to know why?"

"If someone tried to kill you, wouldn't you want to know?"

"No. It's always been self evident."

Naruto smiled. "Indulge me, then." He gestured around at the coherent chakra filling up the tunnel. "We've got something going on here. Can you use that?"

This was part of it, Meruem thought. Part of the meal, as it were. Would it be as meaningful if he overcame this man without his opponent even knowing why he was being eaten? That would diminish his victory, if only by a fraction.

Not to mention, there was something exciting about speaking so casually to someone who had kicked him in the face.

"I'll try to help you understand," Meruem said, crouching down, "why you have to die."

Now, image came sensation. It wasn't the most efficient transfer, but it came by instinct. It began, as everything did, simply.

It began with one Ant. Not him, or his subordinates, or his mother, but his mother's mother's mother's mother, and many more uncountable generations beyond that. A single Ant, scuttling in the shade of living umbra and clashing titans and thirsty trees and a billion more terrible things, scavenging and stealing whatever it could. Growing stronger, larger, smarter, until it was as large and as cunning as a human.

That was his mother, who had been sent adrift in an alien sea and washed up on the shores of this tiny world of humans where she could feast to her heart's content. Where she had eaten everything under the sun, including the squabbling humans of the NGL and Shino Aburame's arm, taking in a piece of the man whose gravity had caused two wildly divergent and powerful vectors to inexorably move towards collision.

From all those accrued genes and consumed destinies, he'd emerged, a monolith to their sacrifices. A burning fire that had already taken in so much and only hungered for more. He'd searched for a home for that fire, for more fuel-

"Boring." Naruto waved away the genealogical epistemology with a tired gesture, and Meruem hiccuped in surprise. "I get that. That's not important. Why did you call me, instead of just fighting Sasuke?" His eyes narrowed. "You wanted me, not just a strong opponent. What made Sasuke not good enough?"

"He was a servant, not a King," Meruem bit out, chafing at the interruption. He experienced an epiphany as Naruto's chakra spiked at the word. "But he was, once, or wanted to be. He wasn't what I needed."

"You needed a 'king?'" Naruto asked, and Meruem nodded. The man pondered his admission, and then snapped his fingers.

"I gotcha," he said, and to Meruem's pleasant surprise his witnessed a familiar metaphor; two suns crashing into the other, flares of plasma and radiation twisting space and time. "That's how you see things; one thing eating another." He grinned. "So what, you think you need to eat me? That's a little insecure."

It was an irritating thing to say, but Meruem couldn't deny it. Especially since the words made him want to attack again: that would just be proving the man's point.

"It's not a matter of insecurity," Meruem said. "I thought I was alone, at my peak. When I learned that there was someone out there like you, someone who could command servants like Sasuke Uchiha or Hinata-"

"They're not my servants."

Meruem paused. "They're subordinate to you."

"Wrong again." Naruto crossed his arms. "Hinata is my wife, and Sasuke is my friend. It's a partnership."

"I'm not familiar."

"Sure you are." Naruto held his hand out, the golden chakra around his hand floating up and out and forming a gungi piece.

Meruem felt a chill run down his spine. "That's not the same."

"Maybe. I've only known you for about ten minutes. But uh, in the first two you spent more chakra than most people will ever see in their lives to send a couple million people off to protect that girl. Komugi?" Naruto cocked his head. "You definitely wouldn't do that for a servant, but for a partner…"

Meruem took a mental step back, reassessing the situation. How much had the Hokage already pulled from his head without Meruem knowing, if he already understood Gungi? For the first time, he felt at a distinct disadvantage. Not physically, which almost made it worse. He was taking the man too lightly.

"You misunderstand. Komugi is only…"

Only what?

Meruem tripped, and Naruto took a step forward. There was violence in him now, Mereum realized. The Hokage was ready to go on the offensive for the first time. But all he could focus on was that consuming question. Only what? His only equal? His equivalent, in one aspect at least.

His partner in Gungi?

No, it was more than that. No one sane would have done what he had: dismissed his Guard, sent out that chakra pulse, confided in her, taken her advice, no one would have done for a mere partner in a board game. Komugi was more than that. She was his…

"Yeah, you don't get it either." Naruto shrugged. "Maybe this will help you figure it out."

He made the same kind of step Hinata had in Peijing. The step that took him too far. Then, he threw his second punch.

Meruem deflected it, knocking it aside with his arm, but the fraction of force that made it through still knocked him backwards, his heels digging divots in the concrete. He barely had time to go a foot or so before Naruto was after him, throwing a precise series of punches at his head and torso.

Meruem did his best to forget Komugi and focus on the fight. He ducked and dodged what he could and deflected what he couldn't, but one punch still managed to slip through. Naruto struck him in the temple, jerking his head to the side and making his ears ring.

It hurt.

It hurt?

For the first time in his life, Meruem felt actual pain. He'd registered something like a sting when his clone had been destroyed in Peijing, but his apparation had died before he could really process the feeling. But that blow caused a deep ache in his head that traveled down to the base of his neck like a burning liquid.

Just one punch, and Naruto Uzumaki had actually hurt him? He really was trying now.

The pain spurred something deep in the King's gut. That pain he was feeling, that was part of the deal. If he wanted to become something more, he'd have to endure more than irritations and disappointment. He'd have to endure pain, probably greater than this.

Meruem embraced it.

He roared, chakra exploding out of him, and pushed the Hokage back with his satisfaction alone.

Jutsu. The concept rang through the tunnel. We've spoken with our fists, but there's more to chakra than your body, right? Meruem thrust his palm out, and a gale of fire and lightning erupted from his hand, scouring the tunnel and turning everything it touched to molten glass. The overhead lights shattered from the sudden pressure change.

Naruto could have met the attack head on, Meruem knew, but he didn't. Instead he touched a hand to the ground, and a wall of earth and metal rose up, completely blocking off the tunnel. Meruem's primal jutsu slammed into it and dug a deep divot of sparking magma, but wasn't able to fully penetrate; it guttered out as quickly as it had appeared, and for a moment Meruem was left in total darkness.

But only a moment, because before his eyes could begin to adjust the wall shattered and Naruto came through, his aura brighter than ever.

Meruem growled, digging deeper. Lightning began coruscating around his body, sparking across every limb and dancing around his head. He dug his heels into the ground, and charged.

It was a simple technique, inspired both by the chakra cloak in front of him and the shield of lightning that had kept the young Hunter in Peijing one step ahead of him. The world blurred: Meruem was traveling so fast that even his incredible senses couldn't fully keep up. He left behind a wash of ozone, crackling air and shattered concrete.

"Oh?" Naruto had time to say, and then Meruem kicked him in the jaw.

It was a tremendous hit; the Hokage's head snapped back, and he was sent rocketing upwards, smashing through the tunnel ceiling and the earth beyond. The man's aura didn't even flicker: Meruem knew instantly that he hadn't done any permanent damage. Nonetheless, it felt incredible to land. He'd hit him!

If he could hit him, he could kill him.

Before Naruto could begin slowing towards terminal velocity, Meruem followed him up out of the hole, back into dull daylight. The clouds had only grown lower and darker, and the storm of their chakra had barely abated; the whole world was tinted purple and gold. He focused, calling up a now familiar memory. His hand curled into a claw.

At the center of his palm, thick and violent chakra began to swirl; it started out fast and only grew more insanely rapid as each hundredth of a second slowly crept by Meruem's strained senses.

The Hokage was above, looking down at him. Both his expression and his chakra were neutral. The passage through the ground had stolen much of his velocity, but he hadn't yet begun to fall.

What Meruem created wasn't a proper Rasengan. It was too large and too hungry to be called one. It was angry and violet, and it fluctuated in size and shape, vibrating between a sphere and an orb the size of Meruem's head. And it wasn't light and mobile, but enormously heavy, so heavy that the King sunk several inches into the battered earth.

And instead of striking with it, as was proper, Meruem hurled it, roaring in both exultation and frustration. The chakra bomb soared into the sky on a perfect trajectory, sure to knock Naruto out of the sky.

As Meruem watched, sure he'd landed a decisive blow, the Hokage sighed and raised one finger.

There wasn't even a puff of smoke. Where there had once been one Naruto there were suddenly four: three more joined him in an instant. If it weren't for the infallibility of his senses, Meruem would have been sure he was seeing double. All four of the Hokage stuck their hands out, a gentle open motion, and caught the chakra bomb between them, the sudden fifth point of a rough star.

Meruem sneered, and closed his hand.

The bomb exploded.

It should have wiped away the sky. Meruem had placed just as much chakra in his Rasengan-inspired attack as he had in his compulsion that had sent the entire population of East Gorteau running. At the very minimum, the clouds would have been erased. Unstable buildings in Peijing would have received their final push. Most of the nearby Palace would probably have collapsed. Meruem was sure Komugi was at a safe distance by now: he wasn't holding back.

But instead, when the bomb detonated with unspeakable malice, Naruto and his clones simply cradled it. Their shimmering golden chakra encompassed the explosion as suddenly as it appeared, softly expanding to accommodate it.

The bubble swelled to perhaps five feet in diameter. Inside, Meruem's chakra raged with enough ferocity to erase a city. It burned with the light of the sun. Like a brilliant stone trapped in amber, it shone with potential.

And yet-

The bubble of golden chakra did not pop. Naruto closed his eyes, and Meruem could not help but watch in astonishment. The light of his bomb dimmed, faded, and disappeared. The chakra contracted, flattened out, and drew back into Naruto.

The man began falling, and Meruem watched him come.

For the first time in his life, there was a tickle of doubt at the back of his throat.

###

Menthuthuyoupi watched Meruem's bomb fail, and retracted the telescopic eye he'd extended from the top of his head.

"What's happening?" The tiny human sitting on his shoulder strained to see with blind eyes, and Youpi sighed.

"The King is in trouble," he said. He hadn't hesitated when the King's chakra had struck him, but it wasn't the supernatural wave of energy that had compelled him to seek out the blind gungi master; it was simply that that was the King's will. In the same way that Youpi had decided that protecting the King's subjects was critical, it was obvious to him that keeping Komugi safe, who the King had discarded everything for, was a number one priority.

Of course, he hadn't realized that until the chakra had reached him, but that was his error. He'd been too focused on the Ants to consider the girl.

The other Ants around him, around eighty in total, watched the distant fight with a quiet solemnity. It was growing harder and harder to tell the combatants apart: the storm of chakra was growing thicker every moment. At the moment, the King and the Kage weren't moving. They were only speaking, and yet the chakra around them was only getting more intense.

Youpi wondered what that meant.

Among and beyond the Ants, all nine-million and some of East Gorteau's citizens stood rigid, forming an endless barrier of humanity between the fight and Komugi. Youpi could comprehend the number, but chose not to. It wouldn't make any difference in the end.

It was already obvious to him that if the Hokage decided to pursue them, it wouldn't make a difference if there were nine million humans in the way or none.

Youpi started walking, carrying Komugi with him, and all of East Gorteau followed him. Just the same as nine-million or none, another kilometer or so of distance probably wouldn't change the final result. The fight could intensify and catch them anyway, and the omnipresent gaze of the Watcher, even now burrowing into the base of his skull, would no doubt follow him to the edge of the continent.

But it might make him feel a little better.

###

"You given it more thought?" Naruto asked as he landed. Meruem blinked.

"You may be right," he eventually said. "Komugi could be called a partner."

"Well, at least you can see that," Naruto smiled.

"Why are you doing this?" Meruem asked. "Why do you care if I admit that or not?"

The Hokage shrugged. "Sasuke said you were interesting. And he was right. You're…" he laughed. "Just a kid. A baby. You're young and strong, and strong kids make bad decisions."

Naruto had, Meruem realized. Made bad decisions. The implication was clear in his chakra. So had Sasuke. So had many others. He saw Meruem in a similar way.

But he was wrong about that. Meruem was young, but he wasn't a child. That was yet another critical piece of information about the Hokage. The man was enormously strong and fast, and his cloak was incredibly versatile, but he stepped into danger without hesitation and for now at least he was obviously disinterested in killing his opponent. Slowly, the profile was coming together. He'd find the path to victory soon enough.

It wasn't strength or martial arts. The man matched and outstripped him in both. It definitely wasn't jutsu; he would develop over the course of the battle, but for now the gap in their techniques was simply too steep. If he wanted to regain his momentum, he'd have to rely on his unique advantages: his physiology, and his parasitic chakra.

"You still want to fight?" Naruto asked. "You don't get it yet?"

He didn't shove the image into Meruem's mind: it just suffused both their conscious. The brutal fury of two suns devouring each other grew smaller and smaller, and in its place something small and calm appeared: a rope, or a red string. To Meruem, it appeared familiar.

The King regarded the contrast curiously. The idea was mundane and boring compared to the thrill of devouring, and yet he could feel the quiet appreciation emanating from it.

What is this? They were both falling fully into the storm now, letting it sweep them away. Meruem's soul leaned forward, examining the rope. It looked like a scarf, until his conception of it solidified. Naruto gracefully accepted the change.

Listen for a moment, and maybe you'll change your mind. And if not, I'll beat it into you.

The King laughed. The honesty was amusing.

You can look at it as consumption, Naruto believed. That's partially true. Sometimes, you have to use things up to improve yourself, which you so yearn for. But that's short-sighted. No matter what, you'll eventually run out of food.

The sun shriveled, condensed, and died.

But that happens to everything, Meruem counterattacked. Even stars burn out. There's no escaping that: why not burn as bright as possible while I can? What are you trying to say?

Everything burns out, Naruto admitted without guilt. Everyone and everything grows old and dies. But you burn fastest alone. Just listen for a second, and consider. A rope isn't just a rope.

Why-

I'm trying to show you real strength. If you get that, you won't have to waste time killing me. Or anyone else. You're already really close.

A rope isn't just a rope. A rope is two, three, or a thousand little ropes wound around one another. Bodies, intertwined. Twine, right? Of course, that's simple. On its own, each strand is easy to break. But when you tie them together, they each strengthen one another. Exponentially. Two strands can hold the weight of eight. Do you get it?

You're saying that I'm the twine.

Of course.

You're saying that Komugi is twine too. And that the two of us could make a rope. But that wouldn't make me stronger.

Don't be dumb. You've already realized that there's more to strength than the ability to kill. It would make you more whole. You can feel that emptiness now, and you thought you could fill it with me, but you still wasted all that chakra on keeping her safe, even though I had no intention of hurting her.

I could accept that. He could accept that. It was a kind of truth, and following that truth had obviously given the Hokage power.

But there's an obvious problem with the rope.

Oh?

If it's made up of many pieces, it can be broken apart.

Of course. Everything can. We already got that bit.

You don't understand. You've just proven my point to me. You can't strip off a piece of the sun without burning. No, that's too literal. A rope is made up of many pieces, and every one of those pieces becomes a strength and a weakness. Hinata understood that right away, when she looked into my heart and saw Komugi. She thought the exact same way as you. She thought Komugi was my strength. But she also recognized that Komugi was the only way she could hurt me.

And it's the same for you, Hokage. Meruem drew himself back from the link, but only enough to make his individuality firm. I can strip away your strengths, I'm sure of it.

You could try.

I already have.

Hinata?

She's alive, but I reduced her.

You couldn't have. She's too strong for you.

If that's the case, she suffered the same weakness as you. Apart, separated by worlds and circumstances and distances that couldn't have been crossed. Maybe with your strength, she could have kept herself whole, but alone, she was just twine.

Meruem attacked, but not with his body. His chakra surged and whirled, the link vibrating with its violence.

I killed her 31 times, he said, but only for play. Every punch he'd thrown, every jab of his tail, all held back at the last moment before they'd ended the woman's life, struck Naruto at once, digging deep into his soul. She was completely at my mercy, and by her own design! I forced her to use that lunar chakra that she so despises, to the point she became an avatar for it. I nibbled and lashed at your twine until it nearly snapped, and then I let her leave because I'd learned all I could. It wasn't even worth the effort to kill her at that point. Wouldn't you do the exact same to Komugi? You are too strong to be stupid! Knowing and believing as deeply as you do that she is my strength, wouldn't you tear her apart in an instant if you believed it would win you the battle? What would your beliefs be in the face of that reality, my bottomless improvement? How could I even begin to trust your strength, knowing that?

The Hokage was shaking. Meruem launched a killing blow, a phantom memory grown anew.

They both tasted Hinata. Their son, Boruto. Sasuke Uchiha, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and every name that Meruem had been able to pluck from Hinata's mind, a limitless field of palates. Every name was distinct and delicious.

The final blow was one of Hinata's own memories, ruthlessly stolen and curated like a muddy ball rolled over and over again until it was a perfect sphere. They feasted on Himawari together.

But I won't need to play on that weakness, Hokage. I'm already enough to burn you.

The link shattered. Meruem broke it with a single flex of his will, one last horrifically violent chakra shock striking Naruto dead center. The Hokage staggered back a step.

Sparking with lightning, Meruem didn't charge directly in. He wasn't confident the same trick would work twice, even with his opponent so off balance. So instead, the King mimicked his Royal Guard, Neferpitou. He began circling the Hokage, leaping from point to point with silent energy, leaving trails of electricity everywhere he went. His chakra kept him rooted to the ground, and his speed continuously increased: after less than a second, Naruto Uzumaki was surrounded by the illusion of a solid wall of sonic booms.

He had to go faster. His only chance was to attack from an angle the Hokage couldn't predict, to strike so hard and so fast that there was no way for the man to counterattack. Meruem increased his speed, marveling at the electricity filling his body. The ground started to catch fire, continuously snuffed and ignited by his movements.

Naruto closed his eyes.

About a second and a half after he'd started, Meruem leapt forward with a scything palm. He was intent on shattering the Hokage's spine, and attacked from behind at a slight angle.

Somehow, even though Meruem had exceeded the speed of sound nearly ten times over and was attacking from within a ceaseless storm of bright chakra, deafening booms, and burning electricity wreathed in flames, the Hokage turned to meet his attack. Naruto made a fist, his eyes still closed, and Meruem gritted his teeth.

The Hokage threw a flawless corkscrew punch directly at Meruem's head.

The King was going too fast. The punch missed.

The punch scraped by Meruem's cheek, and he felt a laugh start to bubble up in his chest. The air pressure of the blow slammed a two foot deep hole in the earth. Meruem swung back, sure he was about to tear out the Hokage's vertebrae. He extended forward another half inch in that immeasurable moment.

And then the ghost of the punch, invisible, silent, and completely undetectable, struck the base of Meruem's skull like a hammer dropped by a thoughtless god.

Meruem went down so fast that his momentum was instantly cancelled, and so confused that his concentration broke instantly. His lightning went out like a shattered lightbulb, and before he could comprehend what had hit him his mouth was full of grass. He sprawled in the dirt, unable to take a breath.

His brain was frozen, stuck in a loop. What was that punch? What was that punch? Where had it come from? Was he on the ground, like he thought, or had Naruto sent him flying? His thoughts were completely scrambled.

Which was extremely unfortunate, because the next thing Naruto did was kick him directly in the face.

Meruem had regained enough composure to ride the blow. The kick, which he could only perceive as a flash of white and pain, flipped him to his feet and sent him flying backwards head over heels, but it didn't knock him out. Something in his mouth broke. He landed on both feet and stabilized himself with his tail, sucking in air. His whole body felt empty.

He spat something out, and looked down at it in astonishment. It lay in the grass gleaming and white, shining with the gold and purple chakra surrounding them.

It was a piece of one of his teeth.

Meruem looked up, his tongue unconsciously probing the jagged new gap in his mouth.

Naruto had barely moved. The man took a deep breath, and then another. He opened his eyes. They were like Hinata's eyes had been in Peijing. Sharp, and focused. The cross looked like blades.

His cloak exploded, shining chakra flooding out in every direction. Meruem leapt back, watching the onrushing tide with dull astonishment.

"Ah," he said out loud, before he was buried under a burning mountain of golden energy.

'I might have made a mistake.'

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The Duty of the Strong

Hinata suspected she was having a nightmare. At some point, she might have fallen unconscious, perhaps during the fight, finally overcome by her exhaustion or the unspeakable pressure of the dueling chakra of the King and her husband. Maybe she was seeing her fears, and not reality.

The fantasy vanished as quickly as it arrived. Hinata watched with cold shock as the storm of chakra blew away, dispelled in an instant. The devastation it left behind was clear for the first time: the palace has been completely destroyed. Not even its foundations remained. The land around it was completely sundered, ripped open by the King's anger and blasted to glass by Naruto's. It was as though one of East Gorteau's weapons of mass destruction had been set off and confined to a blessedly small area.

The King had surrendered, and Naruto had accepted it. Hinata's mind skipped over that like a smooth stone across still water, trying to come to terms with it. What was more difficult to consider, that the King had conceded at all, or that Naruto had taken it with a smile? That he'd smiled at-

That thing?

"It's over?" That was Killua. He was leaning forward like the eager child he was. "That was…"

"Insane." Gon finished for him. "What happened to the King?" The Ant and Naruto were about eight miles away now, and even the Nen-enhanced eyes of the Hunter's could only pick out two distant figures without detail or comprehension.

"The King…" Hinata murmured, her hands clenching. Gaara glanced at her, taking a cautious step closer. She couldn't finish the thought. What could she say? What could she possibly say to encompass what she was feeling?

The world was burning down around her. If she said that out loud, she'd sound insane.

Without warning or sound, Sasuke arrived on the hilltop, coming to a stop at her side. Everyone jerked away from him on instinct, except Hinata, who'd seen him coming, and Netero, who observed him with cool detachment. The Chairman shifted back towards the distant King with a small grin, and brought two fingers up around his eye.

He'd saved Neferpitou. Hinata had seen it, but she hadn't really cared. The Royal Guard was all but dead, along with Shaiapouf. The latter had fled into the miasma of chakra, and certainly been destroyed in the crossfire: Hinata had lost track of what was left of him in the chaos of the fight. Now, Pitou was with the rest of the Ants and Komugi, slowly bleeding to death while ensconced by the population of East Gorteau.

"Sasuke," Gaara asked. "What happened down there?"

"Isn't it obvious?" It wasn't Sasuke who spoke, though he turned to regard the man who had. Netero didn't look at any of them. He just kept peering through the hole created by his fingers, the lense of Nen there shimmering with invisible light. The Chairman was grinning.

"He surrendered."

"The King surrendered?" Gon and Ging asked the same question in the same tone and then shot an accusatory look at the other, both clearly thinking they'd come up with it first.

"Impossible," Killua laughed. The arm the King had broken was held stiff and limp by his side. "There's no way that thing-"

Hinata felt herself start to shake; she felt as though she were watching the world from five feet behind herself, her body reduced to an empty, mute doll.

"Do you think Sasuke here is a fool?" Netero asked, his tone mild, and Killua's words died in his throat. "He thought the King would surrender-" He dropped his hand, and looked at Hinata, making eye contact through the side of her head. Her expression was frozen, severe, but the Chairman was still grinning. "-he thought Naruto would ask the King to surrender: did you think he was simply deluded?"

Sasuke inclined his head.

'I'm just trying to do what Naruto would do.'

He'd been right. He'd been right. Sasuke had known her husband's intent better than her. Had this place really made her that foolish? Had it severed her from her family that quickly?

Hinata remembered the King, remembered Himawari, and her trembling grew more violent.

"The King I met wouldn't have surrendered," Sasuke said. "He was almost suicidal in his need to overcome me. It's why he gave me the strength to bring Naruto here at all." He frowned. "I have no idea what Naruto did to make him back down. There's no way I could have managed it."

'Did you really think it would end differently?'

Hinata took another step back, trying to purge herself of emotion and watch everything with the all-seeing eyes her family was famous for, but her desperation and fear and doubt followed her and only made everything muddier. Naruto had talked down Pain, even after he'd stabbed her in the lung. She'd seen it in his memories. But that had been a personal connection; Pain had been a fellow student, someone trying to change the world. There wasn't a connection between him and Meruem. The King was hunger, and rage, and his chakra pushed away everything.

Hinata's heart froze. Like the storm of chakra, her anger and pain dissipated, and the situation was finally clear to her.

The King was lonely.

What did her husband understand better than loneliness?

Nothing. There wasn't a thing in the world. Even with a family, even as the Hokage, even able as he was to give and receive limitless love, Naruto Uzumaki had spent the first decade of his life crushed by an unbearable loneliness. That was what had driven him to take the King's surrender; Meruem's unwitting lifeline of empathy. Hinata understood now.

And yet, she was one-hundred percent sure it was a mistake. The King wasn't a lonely child. He was a biological weapon that existed to consume and dominate. She'd spent enough time in his mind to know that-

Fuck.

To know that Komugi was the most important thing in the world to him. Something he'd move every living being in the country on behalf of without a second thought.

Hinata took one more step back. She was barely herself now, just a distant consciousness watching her body and the others on the hill.

'Did you really think it would end differently?'

Hmm, she thought. She really had. This could be a problem.

The reality of the situation snapped her back into place. She was herself again, and the hurricane in her soul began tearing her in every direction once more. It didn't matter if the King was lonely, she thought. He couldn't be allowed to live. He couldn't be forgiven. If Naruto couldn't see that, she'd have to take care of it herself.

And unlike the King, she could be forgiven.

As she watched with a new conviction burning in her chest, Naruto created a clone. Neither he nor the King were speaking, but their chakra rolled and sparked; they were communicating without words.

'Stay,' Hinata could read in its intent. Like a command to a willful pet.

Then, Naruto moved. The clone stayed. The King stayed.

He was in front of her. In the time it took for her eyes to register that her husband had moved at all, he went from facing the King to facing her.

"Would people stop doing that…" Killua muttered. Hinata barely heard him.

He was here. After more than two months her husband was here.

"Hey." He smiled.

Hinata didn't think. She just rushed forward, and Naruto caught her, wrapping her in his arms and squeezing her to his chest. Faint golden chakra played along him, the leftovers of his cloak, spreading across her body with a ticklish warmth.

Hinata breathed him in, smelled him, felt his arms around her and the comforting solidity of his broad back, and felt something relax. Like a vice around her brain had been released, the migraine that she hadn't even been aware of vanished. It was more than just his presence: his golden chakra danced across her body, closing every lingering cut and scrape. For the first time in over a month, her right leg stopped aching, the damage done by Pitou finally and fully healed.

They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, but the moment ended far too soon.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, pulling back just an inch. Hinata looked up at him, her eyes deactivating.

She considered, and then shook her head, trying not to bite her lip. Saying it out loud would make it real.

Naruto's face fell, and he nodded. "Yeah…" he muttered. "Yeah. What about Shino and Kiba?" He looked to the side, to Gaara. "Where are they? I can't feel them."

"We left them and some others at a settlement," Gaara said. Everything and everyone was quiet now; the Hunters, Hinata thought, because of the paradox of the man who'd defeated the King sweeping her into his arms, and the shinobi thanks to their respect. "Make a clone. I'll guide you to them."

Naruto did, refusing to release Hinata. She was relieved. If he let go, she thought, she had no idea what she'd do.

Safe, fully and completely safe in her husband's arms for the first time in far too long, Hinata forgot about the Chimera Ants, at least for the moment, and surrendered to her relief and joy.

###

It is difficult, Zeno Zoldyck thinks, to have an objective opinion of a man after you just watched him reduce several square miles to glass and come away without a scratch. He stands alongside his son and watches Naruto Uzumaki hug his wife, and the contrast between the man's tenderness now and the unbelievable power and ferocity that must have been necessary to subdue the King of the Chimera Ants makes him smile.

Zeno has never regretted his life or his actions. He thinks of his job as something in between a public service and an expression of a deeply personal philosophy. Human life is common, but not cheap: human life can be ended in an instant by anyone and anything, but that only makes its perseverance more marvelous, like the beauty of a spider's web.

But he has regretted what his profession has done to his family. Like it does everything else, time slowly broke down his original intent. He'd taught his son how to kill because he had nothing else to give him. And then, Silva passed that along to his grandchildren. Of all of them, Zeno is sure that Killua is the only one who is close to understanding what made him a killer in the first place, and that was from willful teenage rebellion more than any concrete philosophy… at least at first.

The Zoldyck family he has unwittingly produced doesn't have balance. They are assassins first and humans second. Ilumi, Kalluto, and Milluki could never embrace someone with the guileless passion of the Hokage, even their own family. That doesn't mean they aren't useful, or that they are worth less to him than the rest of his family, but it does make him hesitate.

So despite the inherent difficulty in making the judgement given the circumstances, Zeno finds himself taking a liking to Naruto Uzumaki immediately, simply because of his ability to win such a pivotal battle and then turn to comfort his wife without hesitation.

However, there is a trend among the present fathers and sons, five in total. That trend is their thoughts moving along similar tracks. So Silva Zoldyck's thoughts resemble his father's, through the warped glass of their separate consciousness, and Killua's resembles Silva's by another degree of separation. Silva's admiration is tempered by cold calculation; this is a man who could be a possible target of a contract in the future, and if that were the case, could the Zoldyck's keep up their unbroken streak? It doesn't seem likely. Naruto Uzumaki is obviously a creature of unbelievable power, and even worse, he clearly has no shortage of powerful friends. In the world of assassins, he's an unprecedented complication.

Killua is simply glad the situation has been resolved. Gon is safe; to a lesser degree, he's happy Hinata is safe. They're all safe. Once the adrenaline has worn off, he'll have more time to consider the terrifying implications of Naruto's power, and that the King is still alive. But in the moment, he's able to enjoy the sudden and violent peace.

It's much the same for Gon. Gon is not a simple person, but he has simple thoughts, and he's awed and gratified by the resolution; the climactic anti-climax. The storm of chakra, the sights and sounds of the battle, the stampede of East Gorteau's people: Gon is a fighter at heart, and he's pretty sure he'll never see another fight quite like that one, even if he only saw a quarter of it. All he can remember in its wake are the quiet, confident words Hinata spoke a week ago in a hotel that was now rubble. He's pretty amused at how much of an understatement they ended up being.

'He's entirely beyond me.'

Much like Killua, right now, his perspective is limited. He's distracted enough to not consider the rest of the Ants, Kite, Neferpitou, his father sitting just ten feet away. That will come later. For now, Gon exults in a victory that he helped shape.

Despite what many present are assuming, Ging isn't the opposite; like Gon, he's thrilled at the fight. He's thrilled at the opportunity and danger it has opened up in a world that has been steadily shrinking around him. But unlike Gon, he's not distracted. Watching Naruto embrace his wife, he's all too aware of everything. The Ants, the Royal Guards, Hinata Uzumaki's fragile state, his son's awe, the Zoldyck's admiration and reservation, the political and military implications of Peijing's essential destruction, the inevitable changes coming to the Hunter's Association, the King, good lord, the King. A hundred thousand different possibilities are spiralling out at once from this moment in every possible direction, and Ging has an insatiable urge to follow each and every one of them to the end of their string, even if that's physically impossible and extremely stupid to boot. After all, a lot of those possibilities end with him dead.

That's who Ging is. He's called a Ruin Hunter, but that's only because ruins are the one thing he can find no matter where he goes. It doesn't matter what path he's following to the end; there's always a past to uncover that can transform the present. In a thousand years, Peijing will be one of those ruins, along with whatever others Naruto Uzumaki, the Chimera Ants, the Hunter's Association, and the complications that their collision will create.

The only thing he's not aware of right now is Isaac Netero. Ging has always told himself that is willful ignorance, that he doesn't predict the actions of someone like Netero unless he absolutely has to because that would make things less interesting, but that's only a half truth. The truth is that Netero is as simple and predictable as he is old and inscrutable; for example, if Netero were to die fighting the King, Ging is reasonably sure he'd be able to predict the man's will. But alive, watching the most powerful human in the world hug his wife with clear and infinite love, Ging cannot for the life of him tell what direction Netero will swing.

That paradox is what makes the Chairman interesting. It will always make him interesting, until the day he dies, which will make him marginally less interesting, if only because he will no longer be able to make new decisions.

Isaac Netero, Chairman of the Hunter's Association, wonders if he should have thrown himself into the middle of the fight, and made everything as simple as possible. He's wondering that because Naruto's mercy has made everything far, far too complicated.

###

Shino was deep in conversation with Knuckle when Naruto arrived.

Morel was dying. That was a given with a hole in his chest, but he'd degraded since Hinata and the others had left, and they didn't have a way to move him safely. Kiba was too injured to carry anyone but himself: Shoot and Shino were both missing limbs, and the damage had degraded Shoot's control of his Hatsu. Palm was still gone. Despite the other Hunter's hopes, she hadn't turned up.

That left Knuckle, and he wasn't confident he could carry Morel to a hospital a country away without harming him more. Moving a man as big as Morel was a challenge on its own, no matter how strong you were. His injury moved it from difficult to impossible.

"What about…" Knuckle asked, hand on his chin. They were both sitting, propped against the building Morel had fallen into a coma in. "Could you paralyze him? Or turn him into something easy to carry?"

Shino cocked an eyebrow, which was far more effort than it should have been. "To the first, no. I could have bred some insects for that purpose, but I lost too many specialists for that; the hive won't listen to me anymore. And to the second… no."

"Why?" Knuckle was growing frustrated, and rightfully so. His master was dying, and they had no way to save him.

"He doesn't have chakra," Shino said. "And even if we did turn him into, say, a rock, he would still have the injury. Just the act of a henge might kill him, if it were even possible in the first place."

Knuckle growled. "Well, there's gotta be something-!"

At that moment, Naruto landed right in front of them, a sudden golden bolt.

It took Shino a moment to identify what had happened: seated on the ground, struggling with the exhaustion that had suffused him since the death of most of his insects, it took him a shockingly long time to understand who had just arrived without warning.

Knuckle was quicker on the draw, but he made the wrong assumption. He threw a panicked punch and hit nothing but air.

"Shino!" Naruto acted as if the man hadn't even attacked him, and rushed to Shino's side. The Aburame looked up at the Hokage without comprehension, and blinked. Once. Twice. His heart restarted, and his brain with it.

"Naruto?" he rasped. "You're here?"

"Hey!" Knuckle shouted. Naruto looked back at him with a curious glance. "Who are you?! You scared the shit out of me!"

Gaara stepped out from the side of the building with a sour look on his face, and Knuckle shot him a disbelieving look.

"Let me apologize on Naruto's behalf," he said, his voice as calm as ever. "He keeps forgetting people around here aren't used to… him."

"Naruto?" Knuckle asked. "Who… what happened to the other guy? Sasuke?" His eyes went wide. "Is the King dead?"

"You're, uh, Knuckle, right?" Naruto said, ignoring the man's question. The Hunter sputtered. "Sasuke's fine. The King-"

"It's taken care of," Gaara interrupted. Shino wondered why he'd bothered. What had happened, back in Peijing? How was Naruto here now? It was too good to be true. As he struggled to come to terms with the sudden change in circumstances, Naruto placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Warm golden chakra flowed from Naruto's palm into Shino's torso, pulsing through his body, and after a second he felt like less of a dusty sarcophagus. He struggled to his remaining knee, before Naruto gently pushed him back down.

"Hey, fighting your own battles and all, but right now you're down an arm and a leg." Naruto said it in a friendly manner, but it was the command of a Hokage, not the suggestion of a friend. "Chill for a second, alright? Let it sink in."

He couldn't. "Naruto," he said again, his voice a little stronger. "Morel-"

"Gaara told me. Kiba and Shoot too, right?" The Hokage was one-hundred percent confident and in command of the situation. That's what they'd been missing during this whole mess, Shino suddenly realized. A leader. Sometimes, it was a great comfort to have someone else to shoulder the burden.

"I'll get them." Naruto stood up. "Knuckle, can you help Gaara? He's gonna wrap Morel up for the trip: I can carry him, but I'll need help keeping him still."

Knuckle, standing shocked and wordless, closed his mouth with a snap, and nodded his head. He hurried into the building ahead of Gaara, new urgency in his action.

Shino's head was still spinning, but slower now. He was finally feeling like himself.

"What did that to you?" Naruto asked in the temporary quiet. Shino could hear Gaara's sand shifting; if he had to guess, the Kazekage was probably wrapping Morel in something like a cocoon, an over the top medical restraint. The Hokage was subdued; he was staring at Shino's missing limbs.

"A Royal Guard. The King," he said. "One each."

"Hmm." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Probably should be glad I didn't know that earlier. I might have done something I'd regret."

Shino cocked his head, analyzing the words. "He's alive, isn't he?" he said after a moment. "You left the King alive."

"He surrendered. I took it." Naruto pursed his lips. "Why? You think it was the wrong idea?"

"No. Maybe." Shino couldn't decide. "It depends. I guess we'll see. Things are going to get complicated."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I figured. I think I'm going to need some catching up. Sasuke told me things were time-sensitive; I didn't ask enough questions." He hesitated. "Hinata… what happened to her? I couldn't…"

Sudden clarity surged through Shino, and he locked eyes with the Hokage. "She spent time with the King, alone." He considered it. His voice dropped. "Naruto, listen. Of all of us, any human alive, she's been exposed to the Chimera Ants on a completely different level." He frowned, a sharp pain forming in his chest as he realized his next words were true. "If the King is still alive, if any of the Ants are still alive, you have to… watch her."

"Hinata?" Naruto sounded incredulous, and Shino thought he was right to. He never could have pictured himself saying anything like that about the Hinata of two months ago, the one Naruto had kissed goodbye as she stepped through the portal to West Gorteau. But now, he couldn't afford not to.

"Yes, Hinata." Shino felt his face twisting, unable to hide some measure of his grief and guilt. "She really, truly hates them, Naruto. If the King is still alive, she'll try to kill him. I don't have a single doubt."

The Hokage rocked back. "She wouldn't do that. Not after he'd-"

"Naruto, listen to me. Did she seem okay? Did she seem like herself?" Shino asked, and slowly, Naruto shook his head.

"We failed." Shino shook with his conviction. His missing limbs ached. "We failed you, and we failed her. We relied on her too much, and she saw for all of us every terrible thing the Ants did. She went to try and talk the King down; he was obsessed with her. We never should have let her go." Shino dropped his head, ashamed to look the Hokage in the eye. "It will take her time. To get back to herself."

They stayed like that, in dreadful silence, for a good ten seconds.

"Okay," Naruto said. Shino looked up, and the Hokage extended his hand. He didn't look anything but determined.

He took the Hokage's hand.

"Okay," Naruto repeated as he dragged Shino to his remaining foot. "One thing at a time. First, we gotta get you all to a hospital." He frowned.

"Then, I'll worry about Hinata."

###

Eventually, Naruto let her go.

Hinata hadn't been sure she was ready, but Naruto had known she was, and his faith in her proved correct. It surprised her that she had the strength to stand alone so soon, but that was a foolish thing to think. She wasn't fragile; she'd just been hurt. Of course she could stand on her own, with a little love from her husband.

"So…" Naruto said. He glanced around. "I should probably figure out what's going on, right?"

Hinata laughed. "It's a long story."

Naruto smiled at her laugh. "Where would you start?"

It seemed obvious, but as Hinata tried to decide she realized she wasn't sure. Where could they? With the birth of the King? With the concept of Chimera Ants themselves? With traveling to the NGL with Mari, or following Killua out of it? Even with hindsight, she had no idea where to begin telling Naruto what had happened.

"I…" She said, looking back to the Hunters. No one had budged since Gaara had left; the Hunters had been quietly talking to one another, and the Zoldyck's had been sitting in stoic silence, observing the millions of humans and hundreds of Ants below in the valley. Gon caught her glance and gave her a thumbs up. "Have no idea, really. What would you ask first?"

"Hinata." Surprising everyone, Sasuke spoke without prompting. "Let me try. And let's introduce him to the others as well. That will make things easier."

Gratitude. That wasn't something she often felt towards Sasuke. She must have been more unmanned by the sudden resolution and her husband's appearance than she'd realized. She looked into his eyes, trying to project her gratitude as best she could.

"Of course," she demurred. "That would probably be-"

Best.

Hinata twitched, feeling a cold spike ram through the top of her head and root her to the ground.

Around them, the Hunter's slowed, stopped. Naruto became a living statue. Below, the uncountable humans stopped their milling, like a wave frozen mid-break.

Time was cancelled. The world ground to a very gradual and very inevitable stop.

"What?" Hinata alone was able to move. Or so she thought, until Sasuke stepped forward.

"Sorry," he said, and he looked genuinely abashed. That was a novel expression on his face. "I couldn't think of a better way."

Hinata looked around at the frozen world, marveling at the stillness. "A genjutsu?" That must have been what that feeling of coldness had been. She looked back at the Uchiha. "Did you… you altered our perception of time? Sped it up?"

"Yes."

"That's impossible," Hinata laughed. "Something like that would take too much, even for you. And why?"

"I could never have managed it," Sasuke smiled. Like most of his expressions, it was dominated by distant sorrow. He tapped his temple. "This is something Itachi gave me; it's not my own."

"Oh." Hinata didn't know what to say. She'd taken eyes, but never received them. She couldn't begin to understand how Sasuke felt about his long-dead brother. "Then… why? What are you doing?" She wasn't afraid; Sasuke wouldn't hurt her. She was overtaken by curiosity instead.

The Uchiha frowned, looking back at the sundered palace and the distant figure of the King, still being guarded by one of Naruto's golden clones. He turned and strode to the swell of the hill, and then surprised Hinata once more; he sat down, crushing time-frozen grass beneath him.

In a world where not even time could move, where (Hinata had recently realized) even her heart did not beat, it was impossible to tell how long she left him to his silence, but it couldn't have been more than a second.

"That's not an answer," she said, breaking away from Naruto and moving to the Uchiha's side. She followed his gaze, staring at the King.

"I don't have a good answer," Sasuke shook his head. "Certainly not enough to justify monopolizing you like this. Or the headache we'll both have when it's over." He glanced up and over his shoulder at her. "Sorry: time distortion isn't kind to the brain."

He was being too strange, but it was a welcome change of pace in Hinata's eyes. She sat down beside him, her legs crossed beneath her. It was amazing that she could do that without her once-shattered bone aching, simply thanks to her husband's touch.

"It was an intuition," Sasuke continued. "Nothing more. I wish it was more."

"Of?" Hinata asked. Her husband was like a distant star.

Sasuke looked over at her, his lips twisting.

"It's not my place to say anything," he said. "But I'm worried about you, Hinata."

That had been the farthest thing from her mind. Of every possible reason Sasuke would have gone to tremendous effort to have a private conversation with her over, her health had never been a supposition.

But she could guess why.

"The King," she said, not taking her eyes off the distant statue.

"The King," Sasuke agreed. "What you told me, Hinata, about doing what Naruto would do…" He shrugged. "I never expected that from you."

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "You've never seen my family threatened, Sasuke." You- "You of all people should understand."

The Uchiha flinched.

"He ate them, Sasuke." Hinata began trembling. Unconsciously, the memory of lunar chakra began coruscating across her body, lighting up the hill with violet light. "He played with me, pretending to kill me over and over, but I couldn't care less about that. He threatened my children. He imagined what it would be like to eat them. He forced that satisfaction, that taste, on me."

She stood up, and Sasuke watched her rise. "I can't forgive that. Never. It doesn't matter what he feels, or what Naruto feels, or if you're 'worried.' He has to die," she spat.

"It doesn't matter what Naruto feels?" Sasuke asked mildly, and Hinata glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, feeling her face constrict in anger.

"That's not what I meant," she said, her voice low.

Sasuke shrugged. "It's what you said." He leaned back, totally at ease. None of this was real, after all. "Listen to yourself. Look at yourself."

Hinata looked down, and found herself clad in her ancestor's chakra, thick and bright. It was as she was back in Peiing, facing down the King in the rain and thinking of nothing but killing him. She felt strong, invincible, and the glow reminded her of her husband, which only increased the feeling of power.

"You're doing this," she said halfheartedly, because she knew it wasn't true even before Sasuke shook his head.

"This is just my chakra tricking your nervous system into thinking we're having this conversation," he said. "Like some half-rate Ninshu. You have that armor because that's what you want right now. Even after the King's surrendered, all you can consider is killing him."

"You already said that was none of your business," Hinata said, trying to calm down. She unclenched her fists, and the chakra around her faded, leaving her human.

"It's not," Sasuke said with conviction. "To tell you whether you are right or wrong, or to stand in your way no matter your decision, none of that is up to me." He stood up as well, facing her directly. "But you said so yourself. I, of anyone else, should understand, right?" His remaining arm came up, hesitant, and then dropped. He wasn't confident enough to touch her, even for emphasis, even though this wasn't real. "That feeling of wanting to hurt him so he won't be able to hurt anyone else, that's the same thing that drove me away from the village in the first place."

Hinata frowned, but Sasuke just smiled again. "I don't think you'll do anything that dramatic. You're not as stupid as I was when I was a kid. But that righteous feeling is a…" He struggled to find the word. "Poison."

"It worked out fine for you," Hinata said.

"Only because of Naruto," Sasuke shot back without hesitation. "Without him… have you seen the world, without him?"

She had. She'd been living in it for the last two months.

They lingered in silence.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said after some non-time. "I got distracted. All I wanted to say is-"

"Leave the King alone."

"No, nothing like that." Sasuke shook his head. "He's unbelievably dangerous. You can't just leave him alone." He began pacing. "But if he's going to die, you can't take things into your own hands. It would be dangerous for you, and it would hurt Naruto for you to go around him."

"I wouldn't…" Hinata paused. "No, you're right. I was considering it."

"Listen, Hinata." Sasuke almost sounded like he was begging. "I don't know if the King remaining alive is a good idea; all I know is that it's Naruto's will, and I don't question him without a very good reason. He hasn't steered me wrong yet. But you're not me, and your perspective is equally valid. Probably even more so. You're not just Naruto's friend. You're his wife; you're his partner. If you want the King to die, tell him. He'll listen to you."

"And disagree," Hinata said, but for some reason the thought brought her some warmth.

"Maybe. That's part of every partnership," Sasuke admitted. "Every relationship. But it's better than trying to go kill the King on your own."

"And you'll have no part in it?" Hinata asked. "You were the one who negotiated with him in the first place."

Sasuke looked at her frozen husband. "I'll go with what Naruto decides. Leaving the King alive, or ending him: I'll trust him to make the decision." He looked back to her. "And I'll trust you to help him make it."

He stepped forward, raising his hand. "Unfortunately, deciding the fate of others is the duty of the strong." He hesitated. "Sorry for taking your time. I just…"

"No, it's okay." Hinata huffed. "It's a little irritating, but it's okay. Thank you for the thought, Sasuke."

The Uchiha gave her an uncertain smile, and touched a finger to her forehead. The world rewound, setting them back to their original positions.

'He's terrified of me,' Hinata realized, the realization frightening in its sudden clarity and its implications. Time finished resetting. The grass they had sat in sprung back to its full undamaged length. 'Because of who I am. He's terrified that I don't like him, and what that means to Naruto.'

Hinata had never realized she had that kind of power over Sasuke Uchiha of all people, and it made her regret her treatment of him.

The genjutsu shattered, and time resumed.

"-best." She finished a distant sentence.

Sasuke, no longer an illusion, strode forward, and Naruto followed him. Like most things Sasuke did, the introduction was efficient.

###

It passed in a blur.

Sasuke spoke; Naruto charmed. Netero could tell the man was in his element, meeting important strangers and presenting a humble and unflappable image, but he was the one at a disadvantage in this meeting. Even though he had already defeated the King, he was still approaching from a position of ignorance.

That gave Netero a measure of peace.

Throughout everything, Hinata watched, as she did. Netero knew her well enough to know she was thinking the same thing he was.

It couldn't be this simple.

Sasuke explained to Naruto the nature of the Ants, the Hunter Association and its role in fighting them, what had transpired in the NGL and how East Gorteau had been taken over.

He didn't mention the Rose, nor the Dark Continent. Netero wondered what the value of hiding those facts could be. He could only presume that Sasuke didn't want Naruto registering him as a threat, even an implicit one.

They were all so young. Far too young to fully comprehend their strength.

When it was over, Netero shifted. He'd stood up to greet Naruto and now, at the end of the meaningless talk that had buzzed around him like a horde of invisible flies, the Hokage smiled at him.

Hinata's husband extended his hand. An explicit confirmation of alliance, or at least entente.

Netero stared. He didn't take it immediately. That was a hand that had destroyed the King. Who could take it without hesitation, knowing that? And more than that…

Internally, Netero grimaced. It was irrational, and absurd, and the fleeting feeling angered him with its existence alone.

Nevertheless right at this moment, he was sure this feeling, this hesitation towards a proffered hand, must have been the same way every martial artist he'd ever defeated must have felt. A sense of shame and surrender.

But right now, he wasn't a martial artist. He was the Chairman of the Hunters Association, and so he took Naruto's hand in a firm, joyless handshake, looking up at the man who towered nearly seven inches over him with an expression carefully tailored to be utterly unreadable. The smile widened.

'How can you smile like that when you are here? When you are you?'

"You've already done us an enormous service," he said, and Naruto watched him with the eyes of a statesmen instead of a shinobi. "But if it's not too arrogant, I'd ask another of you."

'Leave.'

"Don't worry about it," Naruto asked. Netero smiled grimly.

"As Sasuke told you, we came here to suppress the Ants." He looked down at the population of East Gorteau, which had begun to come to their senses. Ten million confused and frightened humans were waking up from a shared dream. It wouldn't take them long to return to reality. "But at the moment, they're quite loose. Would it be possible for you to gather them up? There are more Hunters coming, but I'm concerned they'll have scattered before they arrive."

Out of the corner of his eye, Netero saw Hinata narrow her eyes. He already knew what she was thinking: this wasn't the Isaac Netero she knew at all. He tilted his head towards her, meeting her gaze with placid, empty eyes.

I'm not hiding anything, he thought, and Hinata frowned, a silent question flickering across her face.

'But you can't say anything now, Hinata.' He smiled, and Hinata's frown deepened. They were all playing the same game now, and Hinata had to go by the same rules as Sasuke. Right now, they had to ensure Naruto trusted him, and that meant not questioning his actions, so long as they were reasonable.

Netero watched Hinata come to the realization, and her suspicion quieted. She'd speak her mind when she could, as she always had. He could rely on that.

"Of course!" Naruto said with a grin, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I made that mess in the first place: I'll go clean it up." It was a childish but wholesome sentiment: how many leaders from this world would have said such a thing, Netero wondered. The Hokage glanced back at his wife, and Hinata nodded. Making sure East Gorteau's population did not panic and trample one another with the King's control wearing off was the most important thing now; Netero felt no shame in acknowledging Naruto was the only one present who could manage that.

'Go,' she mouthed, and his smile faded slightly.

"Be right back," he said, and with Sasuke at his side strode down the hill towards the remaining Ants and the millions of humans surrounding them. As he went, he rolled his neck from side to side and brought his hands up in a cross.

Netero watched with interest, amused by the man's confidence.

There was a puff of smoke, and where one man had stood there was suddenly a hundred. Then each of those clones brought their hands up, and a hundred became a thousand in an instant. By the time Naruto began wading into the crowd, searching for Ants to detain and subduing panicking humans with a touch, there were nearly ten-thousand of him.

Netero watched him go, and for a time the hilltop was silent. Nobody but Hinata had ever seen Naruto at work, and none of them knew what to say. With unbelievable speed, order spread through the chaotic mass of millions of humans and dozens of Ants. Even so, it was a process that would take hours: there were simply too many humans to calm and direct, even if the Ants in their numbers were already gathered in a single mass. It was like watching a strong wind gradually blow a puddle apart.

Or, Netero thought, a swarm of Ants divide up their food with supernatural coordination.

"Crazy." Gon said what they were all thinking. "That's just crazy." He looked back. "I guess a lot of clones was part of it?"

Hinata laughed. "A part," she said.

"Your husband is an interesting man," Netero said, stroking his chin. "He's certainly created an amusing situation." The Ants squashed, the King held hostage by a single man. Amusing was the only word he could use.

"He didn't do what I expected," Hinata admitted. "I thought Sasuke would have killed the King. He wasn't always… patient."

"Hmm." Netero looked away, considering. "Naruto changed him, then."

"For the better." Hinata frowned. "But I'm not sure where things go from here."

"You disagree with what he did, of course," Netero said casually, and Hinata flinched. He chuckled. "It's obvious." Gon and Killua looked back to the Hyuuga, but Ging's razor focus remained on the distant Hokage and King.

"Of course," Hinata said, repeating him.

"Do you wish to kill the King?" Netero asked, and everyone on the hill stiffened. He could feel Hinata staring at the back of his head. After a moment, the woman stepped to his side, closer than she'd ever stood to him before.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Do you think it's possible?" Netero asked, honestly curious.

"Yes." Just as quiet. "But I won't go against my husband."

"Aren't you a dutiful wife." Netero's words were acid. The others were trying to lean in, understanding the importance of the conversation but unwilling to intervene.

"You misunderstand." Hinata turned her head and looked him dead in the eyes. "I'm going to convince Naruto to kill him."

"Oho…" Netero muttered quietly. "How sinister, to arrange the murder of a prisoner."

"Don't do this now, Netero," Hinata muttered, and Netero was taken aback by the bite in her tone. "There's no point in playing this game. You don't disagree; in fact, it's far more important to you, and the Association, that the King dies than it is to me. We're still allies."

Netero chuckled. "Well, you're certainly right about that. It will be quite the blow to our credibility if the King were to walk away." He considered, feeling the words bubble in his chest but unsure of the impact of saying them. Eventually, he shrugged. "Perhaps I should have just killed myself after your husband arrived. That would have produced the simplest solution."

Hinata flinched away, and Netero wondered why he took pleasure, however minor, in other's pain. Was it because he had dedicated his existence to unstoppable violence? What a bizarre shape his life had taken.

It was Ging, sitting to their left, who responded. Perhaps Hinata was too shocked to bother.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't," the Ruin Hunter said, glancing back at Netero with a grin. "We wouldn't be able to enjoy such a remarkable situation if we were dead, would we?" He looked back to the teeming humanity of East Gorteau. "Of course, being able to enjoy it doesn't mean there's an elegant solution…"

"You shouldn't speak so carelessly, Netero." Hinata had found her voice. "Your life has value, even if you don't seem to think so." She bared her teeth. "And my husband is not your enemy."

Gon joined the conversation, sitting at his father's side. Netero was glad the boy had survived everything after all, and found the objective of his Hunt besides that. It was a marvelous coincidence, or rather, too marvelous to be a coincidence.

"Is this what you meant?" he asked, and Ging nodded.

"The Chairman's being a little blunt," Ging said, and Gon laughed in agreement. "But yeah. You get the issue, right?" Netero peered over, indulging in one of his favorite hobbies: eavesdropping.

"Not really," Gon admitted. "Last time we talked, you said this would happen because not all shinobi would be good guys."

"Yeah, that's a whole different problem." Ging waved him off. "The issue is this; practically-"

"Practically, there's not much of a difference between the King, and Naruto." Killua sat down next to his friend, and Ging's mouth snapped shut. Netero laughed; he'd never seen the Hunter look so irritated. Most people never got the opportunity to. "Sasuke too, for that matter."

"Killua-" Hinata started to say, and the Zoldyck shot the woman an apologetic look.

"Sorry," he said. Netero wondered how often he apologized. "I don't mean like that. You understand, right?"

Hinata frowned. "I do," she said, looking down at her husband. Perhaps a hundredth of East Gorteau had already been rounded up, milling about in amiable confusion instead of growing panic. What could Naruto have possibly told them to explain the vanished palace, the shattered city? Netero shook his head.

"It's the power imbalance," Ging told Gon, shooting Killua a dirty look. The boy stuck his tongue out in return. "We've already gone over this: Hunters weren't called to deal with the Ants because they were a huge threat or anything like that."

"It's cause they're an invasive species," Gon said, and Ging lit up.

"Exactly!" he said, and Gon was immediately infected by his enthusiasm. "And in that vein, so are the shinobi."

"I'm not sure I like being called an invasive species." Hinata cocked an eyebrow, and Ging laughed.

"Well, what would you call you guys?" he said. "You show up, totally alter the power dynamic, devastated the natural balance, and from the look of it, over-hunted the other guys into near extinction." Hinata frowned. "Hey, it's a compliment."

"I'll take it," she said with a small laugh. "But you're forcing the allegory."

"Without a doubt," Ging admitted guilelessly, and Hinata laughed again. "But it's obvious what I mean. Someone like Naruto represents the same kind of danger as the King: someone who can overturn the existing system with ease. So naturally, the Chairman thinks of dealing with him the same way."

"That doesn't seem right," Gon said, and Killua nodded in agreement. Despite that, it was Hinata who spoke up.

"The Ants weren't willing to maintain the current system. The nations, the governments, even the existence of humans." She sighed, trying to calm herself. Netero was impressed she could have gone from impassioned over the King's fate to defending her husband so rationally with such speed. "It's not a good comparison. Not to mention, weapons like that bomb in your chest!" She pointed at Netero, and the Chairman grinned.

"Oh? What about it?" he asked. His curiosity was blossoming into something more genuine every minute.

"You told me weapons like the Rose were incredibly common. Was that true?" Hinata asked, and Netero shrugged.

"I had no reason to lie," he admitted, and Hinata nodded. "In fact, weapons like the Poor Man's Rose are mild and cheap compared to the arsenals some larger nations possess. Hence the name."

"So, there are thousands of weapons out there-"

"Hundreds of thousands," Ging chimed in, and Hinata shook her head.

"Okay, hundreds of thousands," she said. "Many of which can do more than erase a city, most in the possession of nations but others by unaffiliated militaries or terror groups. Am I right?"

"I see where you're going with this," Killua said. "But there's a difference between a nation possessing a weapon of mass destruction, and a person being one, right?"

"You should know better than that, Killua," Hinata said, and to Netero's amusement the boy bristled. "You'd only have to look at this country to know that's not the case."

"Ahh," Ging said. "Well, that's true. Someone like Ming Jol-Ik, who completely controlled his country down to the individual citizens, and who possessed hundreds of weapons like the Rose…"

"Would be just the same as my husband," Hinata said with a firm nod. "But you wouldn't see it as a Hunter's duty to remove him, would you? Because he was part of the existing system. He could have gone mad one day and ordered the launch of all his weapons, and that certainly could have destroyed the world order as it stands today. But because he was using a weapon familiar to you, removing him was out of the question."

Hinata grew more and more passionate with every word, and when she finished Ging held up his hands in a mock surrender. "Alright, so perhaps it's slightly hypocritical. We might have been focusing too much on biology here."

"Slightly," Hinata huffed, but she smiled at the Hunter's admission.

"But someone like Jol-Ik remained in power because of the cost of removing him," Killua said. Gon was just looking back and forth between whoever was speaking with a faint, confused smile. Netero was sure he'd gotten lost some time ago. "Because of those weapons."

"And the same holds true for Naruto," Netero said, and everyone shifted to stare at him.

"What?" Gon asked. "Why'd you talk about blowing him up, then?"

"Because that would have been the only opportunity to remove him, and the King, without an unforgivable cost." Netero shrugged. "But I let that moment pass."

They all fell into a silence at that, obviously unsure of how to proceed. Netero wondered why he had even spoken the barbed words in the first place. Nothing had changed. Had that gnawing feeling of surrender pricked him that badly?

"If you could trust this country with such power, allow it to keep existing, then you have nothing to fear from Naruto." Hinata spoke with unbreakable conviction.

"You're his wife," Ging said with an obvious verbal shrug.

'Of course you would say that, as his wife.'

"I am, but I'm not saying this as his wife," Hinata said. "And anyway, Netero already admitted it. In this situation, all you can do is trust me, and trust him. It won't be misplaced."

Netero laughed at the naivety of Hinata's words, but it was a hollow and quiet thing. The woman was one-hundred percent correct. The matter of Naruto was entirely out of his hands now; the genie was out of the bottle, so to speak.

There were other things well within his control. Mainly, the Ants.

The Association had been commissioned to destroy them, but there had been no specification of it being a total genocide. It was just as well. Netero didn't feel a need to annihilate the Ants anymore; they were no longer the unified threat they had been in the NGL. The survivors that remained were essentially overgrown Magical Beasts. They had no leader, no meaningful ambitions, and no ability to decide their destiny. Killing them would be pointless murder with them so divided and paralyzed.

But the King…

Meruem had moved an entire country, nearly ten million strong, with a flex of his will. Well, Netero mused, more than a flex. It had been an effort for him, like a man deadlifting something slightly beyond his comfort zone. But that didn't change the fact that he'd managed it in the first place, so totally and so suddenly. The chakra compulsion had been strong enough that even Netero had felt the urge to move; if the King were to continue existing, who was to say he couldn't create a nation of slaves with something as simple as a passing desire?

It was that kind of power that could only reside in the Outer World. It was that kind of power that had driven Netero to restrict access to the Dark Continent in the first place.

"He will have to die," Netero said, and Hinata looked to him, realizing he was finally picking up their initial conversation. "It's too dangerous otherwise."

Hinata nodded, but once again, Ging interrupted with a laugh.

"Congratulations on coming to an agreement," he said. "Now you just have to go through him." He gestured to the thousands of Naruto's below. "Well, and you'll actually have to kill the King, which certainly isn't as simple as just saying it. That's two impossibilities in a row."

"Only if Naruto doesn't agree that it's necessary," Hinata said.

"Is he a man who's easy to convince?" Ging asked with a smarmy grin, and Hinata's placid expression fractured slightly. "Could have fooled me." He leaned back, lying down in the grass with his hands behind his head. "Face it, we're all in checkmate right now. It's not an unpleasant checkmate, but that's definitely what it is." He closed one eye, the other fixated on Hinata. "Maybe you'll have luck, being close to him." He winked, and Hinata grimaced. "But the rest of us, we're just going to be butterflies in a storm from here on out. Best we can do is pick a direction."

Hmm, Netero thought.

That actually sounded somewhat nice.

If that really was the case, for the first time in two months, two years, two decades, no, even longer than that… he could surrender responsibility.

He could think with his heart, instead of silencing it.

Despite his position, despite his ability, right here and right now all that was useless. That was appropriate. Strength didn't mean anything beyond itself; power had no inherent purpose, and did not mandate action. Strength was strength, and power was power. Neither ensured any particular duty.

Maybe that had been his mistake, he thought as he listened to his slow and steady heartbeat. Forgetting that old lesson in all the excitement.

In the end, Netero deeply believed that was the ugly truth of power and violence. A lifetime of both had taught him that. Everyone, even the Hunters and Shinobi sitting on the hill with him, believed in the fantasy of violence. It was as accepted a concept as oxygen, omnipresent and unquestionable. That violence was a transformative force that could be used to change the course of fate, or make oneself feel better, or even change someone's mind.

Certainly, using violence to search for enlightenment had been Netero's intent when he'd first gone up the mountain. What else could you call his regimen of punches and prayers?

But it was quite possible that no one alive knew violence quite as Isaac Netero did, and in his old age he'd come to a different conclusion.

Violence was a tool. A blunt tool. Calling it a hammer would be too kind, because at least when you swung a hammer you could usually determine what it would strike.

Violence was a message in a bottle. If you were trying to accomplish anything more ambitious than destruction with it, you would simply have to pray it washed up on the correct shore. That had never been a problem for Netero, who had only ever utilized violence for the purpose of destruction: destroying bodies, pride, and anything else his hands could break.

That was what really worried him about Naruto, he realized. Because for Naruto, the fantasy of violence... was not a fantasy.

The Hokage had beaten the King into submission without harming him. He had fundamentally altered the creature who, on a genetic level, could not have dreamed of surrender. He had cheated-

No, cheated was the wrong word. But his chakra interacting with the King's had impossibly changed the equation of violence, and now Netero…

Did not know where things would go.

He crossed his arms, and listened to his heart.

Perhaps for now, it would be better to be the butterfly, as Ging had said. A new world was splitting open in front of him.

And whether the King survived or not, Netero wasn't sure where he stood in it.

Chapter Text

Tribunal

Three hours after the last of the Ants had been rounded up, Ging approached Netero from behind. The Chairman hadn't moved from the top of the hill in all that time, observing the process of East Gorteau reorganizing. It was a fascinating, once in a lifetime sight, but he hadn't been able to appreciate it.

"You're wanted," Ging said without preamble. The man looked invigorated. He'd been speaking with Sasuke Uchiha and assisting in gathering the Chimera, along with his son. Ging probably hadn't had that much interaction with humans in a year, and the man was obviously enjoying it.

Unusual for him, but he was in the presence of unusual people. That was Ging's ideal environment.

"By?" Netero asked, sure he already knew.

"Naruto wants to talk with you."

"Oh?" Netero stood up and turned to face his Zodiac. "What about?"

Ging laughed. "What else?" He pointed over his shoulder. "Bottom of the hill. When you have the time." He turned and waved goodbye. "Good luck, little butterfly."

Netero chuckled. He could waste their time. Perhaps take a nap. Certainly he could use the time to think. But in the end, Naruto Uzumaki was interesting, and more than that, dangerous. Testing his patience in the name of pettiness was something Netero might have entertained several decades ago, but now it was out of the question.

What he found at the bottom of the hill surprised him, but only at first glance.

Everyone present was seated on a stone. It was a patch of rocks sparse and covered in moss, and none came up past his knees. Naruto had taken the shortest, but his height had rendered him more than equal to everyone else. Hinata was to his left. The woman seemed calmer, and Netero could not blame her. Her husband was here; she was perfectly safe now. Nonetheless, her whole body was tense, and she stared straight ahead with a frigid expression.

She was staring at the King of the Ants, who was seated to Naruto's right.

Meruem was staring at the ground like an embarrassed child, unable to make eye contact with the woman staring him down.

Netero laughed, and everyone present switched their focus to him.

"What is this?" he asked. "A little quorum?"

Naruto smiled. "Something like that." He gestured to a stone across from him. "Would you mind joining us?"

Netero didn't respond. He just took a seat, curling one leg up under himself and propping his face in his hand. He peered at the others with curious eyes. The Chairman was already sure he knew what the purpose of the meeting was.

But if that was the case, why was the King there?

"We're here to decide your fate, huh?" The King looked up at him, its expression unreadable. Netero grinned. "Or was the decision made without me?"

The King refused to respond. Netero was sure he read a bit of anguish in the thing's eyes. Who could blame it? A creature without peer, designed to rule from birth, and here it was at one man's mercy, waiting for him to decide if he should live or die. It was a little cruel to have him here, seated next to his judge, jury, and executioner, wasn't it?

He could stop his heart here, Netero thought, and make that decision for himself. Wouldn't that be interesting?

'Only if Naruto doesn't agree it's necessary.'

Netero looked to Hinata, and she glanced at him. Her lips pursed.

Well. No reason not to let this play out. The situation was almost ideal. Netero sat back.

"No decisions yet," Naruto said. "You're our Hunter here, Netero. The Chairman, in fact, so I'm going to assume you speak for the rest of them." The man's blue eyes were painfully earnest.

"Ha!" Netero chuckled. "That's not how Hunters work… but if this mission fails, I'll be the one to take the blame, so here, I can serve."

"Your mission," the King said. "To wipe me out?"

Netero shifted, watching the King's tail flex. They both knew that at this range, Naruto would be able to act before either of them, but that didn't dull their instincts.

"Our contract didn't even consider you," Netero said bluntly. "You weren't supposed to exist. As it is now, the other Ants could walk away. They're too much like… humans now. They took in our flaws." He shrugged. "I have no taste for killing without reason. Our mission was to remove the Chimera Ants as a threat to the Mitene Union. At the moment, we've mostly succeeded."

"Bar me." The King smiled humorlessly.

"Bar you," Netero agreed. "You're too dangerous to live." He looked back to Naruto. "Why are we even having this conversation? You fought the King. You should know better than anyone what needs to be done."

"He's right, Naruto." Hinata spoke up, her voice quiet but firm. Netero gave an appreciative nod. "We should just get this over with, and leave." Her head dropped, her hair hiding her face. "I want to go home."

"I understand that." Naruto sighed, a worried expression dragging his eyes down. "Both of you. I understand that." He knocked a fist into his knee. "But that's why I have Meruem here. If he's got to die, I want him to understand why."

The King laughed. "What would be the point, if I would be dead?" He stood up, and Netero and Hinata both tensed. Naruto remained seated, his head almost level with the King even while the latter was standing. "To make yourself feel better?" the Ant sneered.

"A little," Naruto admitted. "But I don't want to kill you. That's why I let you surrender."

Now, it was Hinata who stood. "Do you know how many people he's killed?" she demanded. "He massacred dozens taking that Palace. When he was waiting inside, he murdered several others, just because they couldn't beat him in a game! The only reason Komugi is still alive is because she kept winning! And more than that, he was going to destroy this whole nation! All those people you saved Naruto, all of them would have been eaten alive, or worse, turned into Ants!" Her hands curled into fists, chakra sparking around her knuckles. "Every person those Ants have eaten, everyone who's suffered, it was because of him. To build him, and then to serve him!"

She breathed out harshly. "If he walks away… all those deaths will go-"

"Unavenged?" Naruto suggested quietly, and Hinata's nostrils flared.

"Yes," she spat. Netero observed the lover's quarrel with amusement. What was the import of that word, he wondered.

"Yeah…" Naruto said, his shoulders sagging. "But that's the problem. I got no problem believing all that. I know you're telling the truth, Hinata." He frowned. "But the Mereum I fought… wasn't any of that." He sighed and looked at the King. For some reason, the Ant looked ashamed. "When I fought him, the only thing he was thinking about was defending a little girl."

Netero considered the absurdity of the situation. "Do you see my problem now?" Naruto asked, and Hinata bit her lip. Netero continued to quietly observe. "It feels wrong."

There was a moment of the silence, and the King retook his seat.

"You can't make that decision on what you feel," Netero said. "Only on what has happened."

"Why?" Naruto asked, and Netero shifted back at the sincerity of the question. The Hokage's eyes shone with conviction. "I'm not being rhetorical! Why? Can you give me a reason? Because I'd like one!"

His mind wasn't made up, Netero realized. He'd gravely misread the situation. Naruto wasn't naive, he just had strong principles. The Chairman had been approaching this from a completely wrong direction.

Dread flashed across his mind: what else had he misinterpreted?

He considered approaching more cautiously, but decided against it.

"Don't be so conceited," he said instead, and was gratified when Naruto leaned in with interest instead of flinching back. That had been a gamble. "Even if the King has changed, perhaps for the better, that doesn't change the reality of his past actions." He laughed. "You can't escape consequences by saying 'Ah, that was the me of ten years ago,' no matter how much you've changed over time. That would be convenient for me, but it's just not the case. For something like the Ants, with their sheer processing power, a month might as well be a decade." He snorted. "And even if the King now is a being of pure altruism-" He glanced at Mereum. "Are you?"

The King started. "Am I a being of pure altruism?" he asked, and Netero cocked his head.

The Ant blinked and sat back down. "I don't know." He rested his chin on one hand, apparently mulling the question.

The Chairman smiled. "Even if the King had an epiphany and transformed into a being of pure altruism, he would have to answer for his past actions. More than that, no matter how benevolent he became, he would still be an enormous danger."

"More than nine-million people had their free will ripped away in a second," Hinata said. "To defend Komugi, yes, but Naruto, he did it in a moment, without hesitation, at the slightest threat. Like a dog raising its fur. That's beyond even you."

"Hmm." Naruto leaned back and crossed his arms. "I agree completely."

The King frowned and dropped his head, but Netero raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that answer. "You do?"

"Of course," Naruto said. "I wasn't trying to say that the King was a different person or anything like that. And he definitely has to answer for what he did." He looked at his wife. 'Everything he did."

Hinata looked back. "But?" she asked. Netero realized he was very glad to have her on his side in this argument. She was perceptive and sharp. It was a shame he wouldn't have more chances to fight alongside her.

Naruto raised his hands in a mock surrender with a full smile. "You got me," he said. "But, does that mean he has to die? That's another part of the problem." He looked to the King. "You're just too damn strong, Meruem."

"You couldn't cage me," the Ant said softly. "So if you mean to punish me, the only meaningful punishment is-"

"Death." Hinata sat down, hands falling into her lap. Some of the murderous energy had gone out of her.

"Well, we could seal him," Naruto said. He stood and began pacing, hands clasped behind his back. "Shove him into a box or something. But that would be even worse. Hell, Kurama might not even let me."

Kurama? Netero didn't know the name, but both Hinata and the King had reacted to it. Was there someone standing above even Naruto, directing him? The fire casting the shadow?

"Is that what that was?" the King asked, and Naruto nodded. "That thing is sealed inside you? Is that how you beat me?"

"Part of it," Naruto said. "My cloak is borrowed from him."

The King laughed. "And yet, you would have beaten me without it. I guess I'm still looking for a way out."

"Maybe," Naruto shrugged. Was he truly humble, or just putting on an act? Netero thought it was the first, but the man was a world leader: he had to be practiced at lying.

"Kurama?" Netero asked. Hinata put a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Naruto is a Jinchuriki." Netero blinked, a distant conversation from more than a month ago echoing in his ears. A society built on human sacrifice.

"I'm aware of that." He looked at Naruto, his eyes dropping to his stomach. "So Kurama is the Nine-Tailed Fox? Morel didn't tell me it had a name."

"He has a name, yeah," Naruto said. "And he's the reason the King's still alive. At the end… he was the one who made Meruem stand down. There's no way he'd let me get away with just sealing him up after that."

"Hmm." Netero looked to the King with renewed interest. "How did the fox change your mind? I would have assumed you would fight to the death."

"I had planned to." The King opened and closed his hands, which could easily squeeze through Netero's bones as if they didn't exist. The Chairman watched the idle motion with a bit of fascination. "I intended to make him kill me. But that thing…" He fell silent, and then looked up to Netero. "It was old. So old that I couldn't comprehend it. It commanded my attention. It reminded me of a promise I'd made."

"Interesting." Netero scratched his chin. His leg was starting to fall asleep, so he changed them out, shifting his left under his body and letting the other dangle off his stone. "Interesting. Then, Naruto, what punishment would you put forward, if at all?"

"I've got no idea," Naruto said. "That's why I've got all you here. I wanna hear all options before taking the final one."

"Naruto…" Hinata said. "He's not a child. You're being too…"

"I know," Naruto said, taking her hand. They looked into each other's eyes. Netero wasn't a man who usually respected privacy, but something about that look made him feel an intruder. "But I'd rather be too soft instead of too harsh."

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "He's cruel." She said it plainly because it couldn't be hidden in the lines of her face. The King had been cruel to Hinata, and it was obvious to anyone who looked for it. "And not the cruelty of a child. Our children can't be safe, in a world with that kind of cruelty."

Meruem stayed silent. Was he unable to defend himself, or unwilling? Maybe he thought Hinata would attack him if he spoke. If that was the case, Netero thought, he had misjudged the woman. She had moved beyond any attempt at direct assault.

"Yeah…" Naruto said, squeezing her hand. "But there's always going to be that kind of cruelty, no matter what." He smiled. "No matter how hard we try. But this one is gone." His face hardened. "I killed it. And Meruem knows that too."

"How can you say that?" Hinata whispered, and Naruto gave her a sorrowful smile.

"Meruem's not a child," he said. "Listen."

Hinata did, and so did Netero. Naruto looked at the Ant as he spoke.

"There's just no other word that fits, cause he's unique. He has an incredible amount of intelligence, and zero wisdom. None. Zilch." The Hokage frowned. "He was cruel to me too. But inside that storm, it was obvious. He was cruel because he had no context for that cruelty, not because it was inherent to his nature. He took pleasure in it because it gave him a path to victory, but he had no way of understanding its consequences."

"That's wrong." Hinata shook her head. "He knew exactly what he was doing."

"I did." The King stood up. "Don't infantilize me."

"You're lying." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Both of you. You-!" He leveled a finger at the King. "Sit down. And Hinata-" He turned back to his wife. Netero was surprised at the Hokage's tone; the man had gone from mild to commanding and impassioned in an instant. "We've both seen inside him. You know as well as I do, and as he does. As silly as it is, he was cruel for the same reasons he wanted to conquer the world or some other nonsense. When he surrendered to me, he surrendered that too. He's not a child, but he was like a baby, just shoving things in his mouth. He was still exploring sensations, and consequences."

"How can he understand consequences, if he's not punished?" Hinata asked sharply.

"How can he understand consequences if he's dead?" Naruto shot back.

"Why are you doing this?!" Hinata shot to her feet. "Why don't you care what he did to me?! To you! To this country, and the Hunters?! What's wrong with you?!"

"I already told you!" Naruto pronounced, standing up as well and towering over his wife. "I'm doing this because I don't know what to do!" He shook his head, growing more and more frustrated. "Is it better to punish him too much, or not enough? Why do I have to make the decision? Just because I'm strong?! Whatever the duty of the strong is, it's not this!"

The words struck Netero like an electric shock, and unconsciously he shot to his feet. "Duty has nothing to do with it." The Hokage gave him a puzzled look. "Duty is a sham."

"What?" Hinata asked, and Naruto echoed his wife's question. Netero felt his heart beat, thrilled at his own honesty.

"Why worry about 'duty'?" he asked. "It doesn't matter what your duty is. Just do what you want!" He laughed. "It's not as if any of us could stop you! Why worry about it, with strength like yours? You are beyond duty!"

"No one is beyond that! And, well I don't know what I want, you old bastard! That's why you're here!" Naruto shouted back, and Hinata laughed at her husband's suddenly brutal honesty.

"Don't be blind!" Netero said. What had come over him? Was he really that fed up, so quickly? God, these shinobi were infuriating. "It's obvious you want to spare him. Maybe even train him! You're practically infatuated with the damn creature. Why not just take him and scuttle back to your home? Take it out of our business, and then soothe your conscience in your world!"

"So long as the portal exists, that's not an option," Naruto said. "Your problems are ours, and the… the other way around."

"Vice versa?" Hinata suggested, and Naruto snapped his fingers.

"Yes, that! Thank you!" he exclaimed, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. The woman, whom Netero had seen destroy dozens of Chimera Ants with her bare hands, blushed.

"Perhaps the portal is the problem then," Netero suggested, and Naruto bristled. "You've been put in a position where you feel a duty to solve our problem." The Chairman sighed, feeling the fight leak out of him. This wasn't going where he wanted. "My apologies. You never should have been in that position in the first place. That's the real problem here."

"That's not the problem," the King said. He had his face cupped in both hands now, his tail idly whipping back and forth behind him.

"Pardon?" Netero asked, and the King pinned him with his deep purple eyes. Netero considered them with interest. Naruto was at least partially right. These eyes were nothing like the eyes of the creature who had tried to rip him to pieces in Peijing. There was more to them than hunger and fear.

"I thought," the King said, "that it was my duty to rule."

"That was just how I was born," he continued. "Born with a duty to rule. But now, there's a disagreement over my duty, and my life…" He smiled. "And it's predicated on duty. I'm starting to get it." The King laughed. "Much more complicated than any game. There isn't even a win state..."

"What are you talking about?" Hinata asked, and the King shifted his gaze to her, his mein becoming more mournful.

"It's simple," he said, spreading his palms. "In fact, you already know what I'm talking about, I just haven't been clear enough. The source of our previous conflicts, and this current one, all came from differences in duty. I thought it was my duty to rule, and you thought it was your duty to destroy the Chimera Ants. Now, that duty has shifted to defending your family: you gave up on the grander goal when the scope of the danger I presented…" He grew a little less enthusiastic, to Netero's amusement. "When I made it clear to you what a danger I was. Naruto is the same way: I saw in you that his duty was always to protect what was important to him. But now, I've confused those priorities by surrendering: how can he murder someone who is essentally helpless and still justify to himself that it was in the name of defense?" The King laughed. "'Proactive Defense,' perhaps. Certainly, you could go there. Especially with me."

He looked at the Hokage. "But are you willing?"

"Well done," Netero said dryly, "on summing up the situation. We're lucky to have such wisdom from the mouth of… whatever you are. But did you have anything to add?"

"I believe so," Meruem said. "I don't think any of us are correct here. Perhaps that's juvenile of me, but it's tempting to assume a middle ground." He pointed at himself. "Total control, without reservation. Even switching my duty to defending Komugi maintained that at the core." Then at Naruto. "Defense of the self, and what makes the self. The twine, right Naruto?"

The Hokage crossed his arms and nodded, listening with interest. Netero didn't understand the reference. Then, the King looked at Netero.

"And you were telling the truth," he said, tilting his head. "You don't believe in duty at all. To you, it's just being strong, right?"

Fielding questions from an overgrown cockroach wasn't exactly Netero's favorite activity, but he felt no compunction in answering.

"That's all there is to it," he said, and the King smiled.

"I don't think any of those are right," he said. "They've all failed us. They're too absolute. If you stick to one strategy no matter what, you develop blind spots. I took my absolute leadership as absolute strength, and look where it led me." He chuckled. "I brought the very man who'd defeat me to me. And now, he can't even make the simple decision to kill me!" He looked at Naruto. "That's funny, right?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, maybe a little. It helps if you think your life is funny."

"It is, maybe, a little absurd." The King looked down at his hand, opening and closing it and watching the pull of his tendons, tougher than diamonds. "And short. That's part of the absurdity. If it ends here, all the more so."

He looked up at Netero. "I'm curious. If strength is all there is, and I'm stronger than you, why did you oppose me at all? Why come here, why take the contract for the Ants at all?"

'Why?'

Netero wondered himself. Why had he done anything, become the Chairman of the Hunter's Association even? In pursuit of further strength? No, that wasn't it.

'Because I wanted to lose.' Netero was surprised at the clarity of his thoughts, but he was sure they were correct. 'It's been so long since I lost. I wanted to remember the feeling. What better than you, an opponent who would never consider me a possible threat unless I proved it? Even though you weren't supposed to be born...'

The realization was gradual in how it slowly came together in his consciousness, but like most things in Netero's life the actual moment of understanding was sudden and violent.

'Bad news,' he'd said, and he'd turned and smiled at the rest of the team. 'There's an Ant up there that could kill us all.'

"I came because I thought the Ants might be a challenge. And once the situation became obvious… I wanted you to be born," he said, and Hinata jolted at the admission.

"Netero-!?" she started to say, but he waved off her concern.

"I didn't act on it," he said. "It was just a thought I had. When we realized how dangerous the Ants were, when we saw Neferpitou that first day and I realized there was a creature in this world that could kill me without hesitation, I wondered what the King would be." How refreshing, to be honest.

"But in the end, I only had a chance to fight your shadow." Netero coughed. "It was something, but not what I wanted. A shame."

The King tilted his head. "If you had fought my real body, you would have died. That can't be what you wanted. You didn't have the strength to overcome me."

Netero resisted the urge to bite back. "There's more to strength than the strength in your body," he said instead, and touched his chest, placing his hand over his heart. Hinata glanced at him. "I hold something here that could have destroyed you, no matter how a battle between us went."

"Your heart?" the King asked. He blinked. "A connection? A loved one?"

"Ha!" Netero barked, and to his astonishment Hinata laughed too, a single suffocated snort. "More literal, I'm afraid. But there's no reason to worry about that. Where were you going with all this talking?"

"Of course," the King demurred. "My point was, I think you're all wrong. But the only one I've seen actually change their duty…" He pondered. "Ever, actually... has been Hinata."

"Oh." The woman sighed softly. "So?"

"So... " The King sucked in a breath. It was the only time Netero had seen the Ant look uncertain. "Do you think there is a middle ground?"

A middle ground?

"What do you mean by a middle ground?" she asked. The King looked down.

"I think you're the only person who can reconcile this," he said. "You've seen the most. You've watched me since before I was born. As much as it stings to admit, you're the only one I'd trust to decide my life."

You're the only one I'd trust to decide my life? Had the King really just said that? Netero's laugh was harsh, and everyone started at it.

"You'd leave your fate with a woman you tortured?" Netero was incredulous. "I took you for smarter than that, Ant." Did he want to die? No, that didn't fit. The King couldn't comprehend self-destruction.

But then, he and Naruto had both rationalized his surrender as a kind of death. Maybe he was just taking it one step further.

"You know what my decision would be, Mereum," Hinata said after a short pause. "You already know."

"In that case..." the King said, clambering off his stone. He knelt slowly, as if he were wearing something heavy, and presented his neck. "I would accept it."

Netero froze, and so did Hinata. Naruto was the only one who seemed unphased, watching the proceedings with a resigned look. The King's actions threw even Netero's mind into a jumble. It wasn't natural. These weren't the actions or movements of a King of the Chimera Ants. They were humble, and suicidal.

Netero's dread returned.

This was what he had misunderstood. That was why he'd felt so ill at ease. It wasn't just Naruto.

It was the King himself.

###

He would accept it?

For a solid minute, Hinata was sure that meant the King had accepted his own death. She'd step forward and shatter his spine, burst his skull. She was sure she could now. She'd once said that she could probably kill the King if he dropped his guard and let her. That was exactly what was happening here. There hadn't been any need for this meeting. The Ant wasn't resisting. Naruto wasn't needed.

But even though it would be ridiculously easy, she didn't step forward and break the Ant's neck.

Why didn't she? Was she actually a coward, after all this time? Hinata worried that this place had reduced her to the scared little girl she'd once been, unable or unwilling to commit violence, even necessary violence.

No, that wasn't it. Listen to yourself. You're a woman, you have children, you've killed. There's no difference between the King and all the other Ants in that respect.

It was something else, something obvious. She'd already admitted it to herself. She didn't want to fight anymore. She could kill, she just… didn't want to.

Hinata was done.

She looked down, regarding the King. He remained as still as a statue, his entire body relaxed and his gaze stuck to the floor. He really was ready, she marveled. He'd given up his life that casually. The King never would have bowed to someone, or surrendered his life.

The only person he had ever surrendered to before her husband was Komugi. But that had been in games, not life. By surrendering in a battle, forfeiting his life-

Naruto was right, she thought. As usual. That was a little infuriating to be honest. Why was her husband so damn perceptive? It really was that simple. He'd killed the King. He and Kurama had, by forcing Meruem to surrender. What remained looked just like the creature that had tortured her, but that King was…

Gone.

The King that had threatened her children had been slain by her husband. What was she doing, staring at this thing's neck now? What would she gain from killing him? Peace? She doubted it. Hinata had never felt peace from killing. Even when she'd almost killed Neferpitou, she'd felt relief at best. But now, like this, killing someone as they knelt in front of her, exposing their neck, not resisting? That wasn't who Hinata Uzumaki was.

Maybe if she had relied more on her ancestor's chakra, she'd be ruthless enough to be the executioner Meruem was asking for. But for better or worse, Hinata wasn't Hamura, and she didn't intend ever to be.

Meruem was still dangerous, even if the King was dead. Unbelievably dangerous, she thought. Mereum had sent millions of people to protect the life of a single girl without any consideration for their will. He'd hollowed out an entire country in a moment. But that was a different kind of danger from the dead thing that had fed her phantom children to her.

Hinata took a deep breath.

She remembered the blood-stained nest, and the collected misery of every human whose lives the Ants had stolen months ago. She remembered the King's tombstone teeth, bared in a hateful grimace as he threatened her family.

Don't forget. Can't forget. But what was the point of driving it so deeply into her heart that she saw it every time she closed her eyes, when all it would bring her was more pain?

She closed her eyes, unable and unwilling to forget everything she had seen, and released everything with her next breath.

She felt lighter. There was a weight on her mind, a migraine in waiting, that had just vanished.

Hinata opened her eyes and looked at her husband. He was watching her with obvious concern. It almost made her laugh. He was strong enough to solve all of this in an instant, she thought, but life had taught both of them there was more to solving things than strength alone. He was looking to her for guidance, just as the King was. Right now, she held more power than either of them.

But it wasn't just power. It was a partnership. Even with the King, in a strange way.

A partnership changes both sides, Hinata thought. Naruto had changed her for the better, and the King for the worse.

Which would she rather keep?

She sighed, and with her husband's strength she discarded her hate.

"In a case like this," she started to say. Her voice was soft and quiet, and she saw both Naruto and Netero strain to hear. "Someone who's too strong to punish can only be taught."

The King looked up at her, a confused look in his eyes.

'He really thought he was about to die. That's what he thought of me. That's what he made me.'

She locked her eyes on his, searching for any sign of deception. But there wasn't even a sliver of it. His body, his chakra, his eyes, everything bled sincerity. The King's aura hadn't been screaming since his fight with Naruto, but his intent still leaked from it without regard for subtlety. Hinata had no choice but to accept it.

"If they can't learn, they die," she declared, still looking the King dead in the eyes. The Ant hesitated, and then nodded. "There's no more room for compromise than that."

The King dropped his head again and spoke.

"Thank you."

There wasn't anything more than that.

"Hah." Netero chuckled. The Chairman crossed his arms. "I misread you, Hinata. I thought you would kill him immediately."

"I would have," Hinata said honestly. She looked from the King to her husband. "If I hadn't had time to think about it."

Naruto laughed, much more honestly than Netero, and reached out to grab her hand. "Now what, then?" he asked. There was something in his eyes that Hinata hadn't seen in a long time: relief.

"Now…" Hinata said, and she found that she couldn't help but laugh. "Now, I guess we have to figure out the rest."

Chapter Text

Loose End

Meruem stared at the rushing water of the river below. He and Naruto had been walking; it had only been two hours, but it seemed much longer.

Since they'd left the stones, leaving behind Hinata and Netero, they had been talking. They hadn't been discussing his life, or how it had been returned to him. Instead, they had spoken about whatever came to mind.

The King had tried to explain Gungi to Naruto after he'd used one too many game metaphors. He found it amusing that despite the Hokage's enormous strength, he obviously wasn't much for board games. It was the same lesson Komugi had taught him. Different people had different strengths. Where Komugi outstripped him in Gungi, Naruto had surpassed him in battle.

And in something else, something Meruem couldn't explicate. Leadership? Charisma? Something he hadn't understood. When they'd been fighting, he'd resolved it as Naruto having more reliable servants, more trustworthy than his worthless Royal Guard, but that obviously wasn't the case. Naruto didn't even perceive them as servants, or treat them as such. It would be foolish to go against the man's own feelings.

Naruto felt the King's confusion through their mingled chakra, and laughed. "Maybe it's hard for you to understand cause you didn't have any equals," he suggested.

"Pardon?"

"When you were born." Naruto kicked a stone and it skipped from one side of the river to the other. "You were the King. You didn't have any peers. You weren't supposed to have any peers, right?"

"Of course. But what does that have to do with it?" Meruem asked.

"That thing you can't understand, that's partnership. It's the reason you're still alive. It's what you have with Komugi." Naruto smiled. "I need to meet her. She must be pretty amazing, if she managed to get through to you."

The King pondered that. "Hinata said something like that. Or thought something like that."

He paused. "I need to apologize to her. I offered my life, but that's not the same, is it?"

"She'd appreciate it," Naruto said. "I'll accept it for now though. She needs time."

"Hmm." Meruem frowned. "Would I have gone on like this forever, destroying without regard, if you hadn't shown up?"

"Maybe," Naruto shrugs. "Who knows? There's no point in worrying about what might have been. Just consider the now. What were you saying?"

"Partnership," Meruem said after a pause. How many humans had he destroyed? He'd thought they'd have nothing to teach him, nothing of worth to him or the world, but now he'd been proven wrong twice over. How many other times had he been wrong without knowing it? How much potential had he wiped from the world without understanding the true destructive impact of his actions?

How many Komugi's had he accidentally killed? And if not his, others? The notion made him feel sick.

"Hinata believed that a partnership changes both sides. That it's an equal relationship." Meruem shifted, squatting down and staring into the river. He could catch glimpses of his reflection in the rushing water. "You said the same thing about me and Komugi. But I don't see how it applies."

"Again, you're looking at it from the wrong angle." Naruto sat down beside him, one leg stretched out and the other tucked under his body. "Any real partnership is two people, or more, changing one another for the better. Or not. I guess just changing works, though that obviously would suck."

He plucked a piece of grass from the ground and twiddled it between his fingers. "You provided Komugi with a worthy opponent." They both watched hundreds of games of Gungi dance across the water, pieces forming in whorls of white currents and the shadows cast by nearby trees. "You gave her a chance to improve the only thing she considered important: the core of herself. And in return, she helped you understand that you weren't alone."

Meruem shifted, looking at the Hokage. The man wasn't saying anything profound, but hearing it out loud helped him more clearly conceptualize it. Hadn't he himself said that to Komugi?

'You've bettered me!'

He'd thought she was teaching him to accept defeat, but it was much more than that. Naruto was right: the Gungi player had been the only one to show him that he wasn't alone. That he wasn't already the pinnacle of creation.

And she'd taught him that humans were more than meat.

Meruem realized he missed her. It had been a whole day. Where had she gone? Surely someone had kept her safe.

He'd thrown them away, but his Guard… had his Royal Guard realized what he'd meant when he lashed out at them? Had they protected Komugi, even before he'd sent out his chakra and forced the duty on the entire country?

He had no way of knowing. Meruem realized he'd never communicated with his Royal Guard at all. Only commanded and dismissed them. If they had helped keep Komugi safe, it would have been entirely on their own initiative.

That feeling of sudden helplessness and regret was the first real sorrow Meruem had ever felt, and the sensation fell over Naruto like a cold breeze. The Hokage glanced at him.

"She's fine," he said, and Meruem let out a rough breath. He hadn't realized he was holding it. "I don't know where she is right now, but she's fine."

He stood back up. "C'mon," he said.

"Let's keep going."

###

When Neferpitou regained consciousness, she lay very still for a long time.

Menthuthuyoupi was there at first, watching over her as if he'd been born to do it, but eventually he left and was replaced by other Ants. They took turns watching her prone body, and Neferpitou did not acknowledge any of them. She didn't know where or when she was. Outside, in a field somewhere. There was grass against her back, and above her the clouds whirled and raced through an endlessly blue sky.

She wasn't sure if she refused to move because she had no will to, or because she wanted to watch the clouds. Even when night fell, the moon illuminated them, and behind the rushing clouds an entire universe of glimmering light spread out infinitely past her sight. Pitou regarded each and every star; they seemed to her a shining panopticon watching over her, regarding her back from millions more angles than she ever could them.

She watched the universe, the universe watched her, and it seemed to Neferpitou that both she and the universe could do nothing but ruminate on her complete failure.

When the sun rose again and the other stars vanished, Pitou pulled herself to her feet. It hurt, but everything had hurt for the last couple days. A little more pain, unfortunately, wouldn't kill her.

Squad Leader Zazan was watching over here when she found the will to rise, and the Ant quirked her head at her, her truncated tail flicking back and forth. It reminded Neferpitou of her own.

"You're up," the Ant stated, and Pitou nodded. She started walking, and Zazan followed. "Have something in mind?"

"No," Neferpitou said, staring straight ahead. She didn't know why she was walking. She was just tired of lying on her back.

"The humans have corralled us," Zazan told her. "Menthuthuyoupi is talking with them; he's trying to negotiate our release."

Menthuthuyoupi, negotiating? That was enough to snap Pitou out of her stupor.

"Is it going well?" she asked, and Zazan shrugged.

"Who knows. They'll probably just kill us all anyway," she said with a laugh. "There's not much we can do. They told us if we leave we get blown up."

"Hm." Pitou looked around. So far as she could see, she and the other Ants weren't stuck in a pen or anything of that nature. The empty fields that had surrounded the palace stretched for as far as the eye could see; every couple yards, she could pick out a piece of rubble from the former capital. It had been torn apart and flung to every corner of the map in the course of the fight. "Leave where?"

"Wherever we are." Zazan was starting to look a little annoyed. "They have the Watcher, and other sensors; they're keeping track of us. Look, are you going to keep going? Youpi didn't tell me to keep you still, but he'll probably be mad at me if you get yourself killed."

Pitou stopped and looked over her soldier at the squadron leader. "Do you think you could stop me?" she said softly, and Zazan paled. Since her skin was purple, it produced an ugly puce color.

The other Ant laughed nervously. "Fine, go get yourself killed. That's your business now." She turned away. "It's not as if you have a King to guard anyway."

Pitou watched her go, and considered removing her head. But when Zazan was about fifty feet away, the Royal Guard with no one to guard realized she didn't care enough to. She sucked in a painful breath, turned, and kept walking straight. The ruins of the city of Peijing loomed many miles ahead of her, and Pitou marked it as her goal.

If she weren't blown up, as Zazan had put it, maybe there were humans there. As she rolled the thought around in her head, Pitou realized there was one human in particular she wanted to meet.

It wasn't the Watcher. Neferpitou never wanted to see that woman again.

She stretched her Nen out tenderly, like someone nervously extending a broken limb and waiting for a flare of pain. One kilometer; that was all she could manage right now. That wasn't nearly enough, but it was all she could work with.

She didn't even need to sense someone. She just needed a human to sense her.

###

Menthuthuyoupi wasn't sure what he was doing here. He hadn't been designed for this. In the ruins of Peijing, inside a once-hotel that was only mostly destroyed, he sat cross-legged at a solid oak table, having accidentally crushed the seat on his side of the table with his weight.

Ging Freecss, who was very annoying but also quite interesting, sat across from him. The man was drumming his fingers on the table. Youpi wasn't sure why. Maybe he just enjoyed fidgeting.

"Like I said," Ging continued. "I can't make any decisions for the Association as a whole, or the other nations in the Union. Best you can do here is lay out terms for me to pass on."

"What terms could I possibly lay?" Youpi asked, and Ging laughed. "We have no…"

"Cards?" Ging suggested.

"Of course we don't have cards," Youpi said. "Why would we have cards? I meant that we don't have leverage." The Hunter laughed again. Was he really that funny? "All we can offer is ourselves."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Ging asked. He shifted, and Youpi wondered if he really wanted to know, or already understood what Youpi meant and was just trying to extend the conversation. Ging Freecss was a strange man, and it was obvious he enjoyed speaking with Youpi for some reason.

"The same way you're here now," Youpi said. "You got hired to come deal with us. Well, we could do the same thing." He sat up. "I'm strong. If you could guarantee the safety of the other Ants, I'd do whatever you wanted."

"Well, that's an amusing thought," Ging said with a grin. "Having a bunch of my own pet Ants. That'd certainly be scary, huh?"

"For your enemies." Youpi grinned. "You'll consider it?"

"I'll consider it, but like I said, I can't make the decisions here. That's up to the countries, and the Chairman." Ging leaned back. "Tell me something. Why do you care so much about those other Ants?"

Youpi blinked at the inanity of the question. "What do you mean? They're Ants."

"Yeah, they're Ants." Ging scratched at the stubble on his chin. "But you weren't made to keep Ants safe. You were made to keep the King safe."

"Ah," Youpi said. He leaned forward and propped his chin up on his fist; his elbow left a dent in the table. "Hmm."

"I don't know if you even can answer that question, to be honest," Ging admitted. "But I'm definitely curious."

"That's why you spoke with me, during the assault," Youpi said.

"Yeah," Ging confirmed. "I saw you defending the other Ants. That didn't look like the actions of a Royal Guard to me. It made me wonder what else you would do."

"Well," Youpi said after a pause. "I deceived myself."

Ging titled his head. "You replaced the King with… them?"

"Something like that." Youpi lowered his head. "I couldn't keep the King safe, especially from himself. He was unable to lead; he stood alone. But the other Ants were extensions of the King; of his will, and his genes. So if I couldn't keep the King safe, I could at least protect the other Ants."

"But you call that a deception."

"It is, but it's also a truth. Does that make sense?" Youpi wanted validation, even if it was from a human. What better human to give it than Ging?

"A little," Ging chuckled. "Holding two contradictory ideas like that… that's very human, Youpi."

Youpi narrowed his eyes. "Is that an insult?"

Ging rose and stretched. "If you want to take it as one. I think whether you do or not will give us a clue how the rest of this will go." He eyed Youpi with a smile. "You're willing to be my servant, but we might ask more of you than that. Would you be willing to be human?"

###

Neferpitou stopped when she felt the Watcher's gaze fall on her.

The sudden detente was familiar, and Pitou fell into it with ease, directing her attention to the distant focus. She and the Watcher regarded one another, and Pitou wondered at the passivity she felt in the woman's attention. Before, the Watcher's gaze had contained an unmistakable malice that made it easy to pick out: now, it was more relaxed. If she'd wanted to, Pitou wouldn't have been able to follow the sight to its source.

She spoke without speaking, and even just moving her mouth made her entire face sore. "I'm looking for him," she said. "That man who saved me. Will you stop me?"

The Watcher's focus wavered. Shifted. Then, about fifteen seconds later, it locked back on her.

What did that mean? The woman wasn't approaching, but she also wasn't letting her go. Pitou wondered what that meant.

She shrugged and kept walking, this time under the Watcher's supervision.

Pitou had left Peijing before it was destroyed, crashing through a building on her way out. The scale of the devastation couldn't surprise her. She was beyond that after surviving the crossfire between the King and the Hokage. But the leaning, creaking buildings, the shattered streets, and the human detritus scattered everywhere still affected her.

Three million people had once called this place home, and now even Pitou's enhanced senses and Nen couldn't find a single one. They'd been ripped up and cast out entirely.

And for what? A King who'd abandoned his plans in a moment and thrown her away in the next? What a waste. These countless humans hadn't even had their lives shredded for a good reason. As Neferpitou looked around, she found herself filled with a novel melancholy.

They were like her, in some way. She'd been abandoned by the King, but these human's ruler had looked at them solely as chattel. They'd always been abandoned. It was one thing for her King to perceive them as such, as an outsider, a superior form of life, but for so many to be ruled like that, by someone weaker and more pathetic than them?

Yes, they were similar. Neferpitou perceived the gutted city as a mirror to her condition.

Without warning, three different auras entered her En. Pitou jerked her head up; two of them were familiar, but the third…

It reminded her of the one-armed shinobi's, but where his had been titanic and cold, this one was blazing and bright. It was like one of the stars she'd watched the night before had descended on top of her. It overwhelmed her completely: her En fizzled out, withdrawing back into her, and Pitou suddenly felt blind, left with her ragged ears and single eye.

She looked about, watching where the aura signal had originated. Just a moment later, movement on the skyline caught her eye.

Three figures atop a crumbling apartment block. A tall man with blond hair: the Hokage, or one of his clones. The other two were more familiar to Neferpitou. The two young hunters that she'd scared off the day she was born.

They jumped down, leaving behind the Hokage. Pitou watched them come; they both looked as resigned as she felt. She remembered what the Watcher had said when they landed.

'That man was their King.'

Both the Hunters approached her, separating and coming at her from different angles. She kept her eye on the one who'd punched her missing eye out. She was forced to feel the other, the boy who could electrify himself.

Gon, that was the name of the Hunter who'd taken her eye. That's what Hinata had called him. Gon, and the electric one was Killua.

Gon stopped about twenty feet from her, far enough to let him react to her leap, and Killua stopped with him. They were practiced partners. Maybe that's why Pitou hadn't been able to defend the King, not even from himself. She'd always stood alone.

'If you can understand that, maybe you'll understand this.'

"Where are you going?" Gon asked, and Pitou stood up straight, her arm rigid at her side. The hole in her side where her other arm should have been ached.

"Nowhere," she said, and the Hunter cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Everyone's going somewhere," Gon said. Killua was circling around behind her, Pitou realized. They were ready for a fight. Was that what she wanted? Was that why she'd come here?

She truly didn't know.

"I don't have anywhere to be," Pitou said. She sat down, crossing her legs under her, and Gon blinked. Her Nen receded further, leaving her defenseless. She couldn't even sense Killua behind her now.

Gon was a fighter, but Killua was an assassin. If he decided to kill her now, she wouldn't be able to stop him. The thought brought Pitou some peace.

'That's it then,' she thought. It didn't matter where she went or what she thought: she still wanted to die.

But five seconds passed, and Killua didn't drive his hand through the back of her head. Gon was just watching her. Pitou sighed.

"Don't you want to kill me?" she said, and the Hunter's lips twisted.

"I killed your King, didn't I?" she continued, closing her eye. "I saw it, last time we met. You almost sacrificed your life to end mine. You would have succeeded if it weren't for Meleoron."

When she opened her eye, Pitou still wasn't dead. Gon sat down as well, one leg stretched out before him. They regarded each other; Pitou with dull anticipation, and Gon with an emotion Pitou hadn't experienced before.

Pity.

"So you want to die?" he asked, and Pitou narrowed her eye.

"I tore his arm off first," she said. "He didn't scream. I didn't realize at the time how admirable that was for a human."

"Kite knew the risks," Gon said, not rising to the bait. "We all did, when we got that close to the nest."

"So, you're just going to let him rot in vain?" Pitou asked, and the Hunter shook his head. What had happened? What had changed in him, in just a few days? Why wouldn't he kill her?

"He's dead. Would killing you bring him back?"

"No." Pitou smiled. "But I'm sure it would bring you some satisfaction."

The Hunter frowned. "No. You were right, though. A couple days ago, I would have killed myself to kill you," Gon said. Pitou couldn't help but marvel at his calm. "I almost did. But now, you want to die, huh?"

He got back to his feet. "No way in hell am I giving you what you want."

Pitou should have attacked then. If she's attacked right then, Gon would have had to defend himself. He would have killed her. It would have been clean and easy.

But she found she couldn't. Just like before, just as it had for the last day, her body refused to die. She was paralyzed in place. All she could do was watch.

"C'mon, Killua." Gon turned and began walking away. Killua walked past Pitou, passing not four feet from her. Either of them could have reached out and ended the other's life, but neither did. "Let's get out of here."

The Hunters walked away, and unable to get off the ground or even beg, Pitou watched them go.

Even after Gon and Killua passed out of sight, Pitou remained rooted to the ground. She'd never felt so pathetic in her life. Somehow, it felt even worse than when the King had discarded her. It was one thing to want to die; it was another entirely to have someone look you in the eyes and deny you even that.

She didn't stir when the Hokage approached her. Even in a state of near-zetsu, his aura nearly burned her. His passive energy felt like blunt knives running across her skin.

"You really want to die?" he asked. Pitou looked up; the man was quite tall. It fit his aura. He knelt down, almost face to face with her.

"Sasuke dragged you out of there, right?" he said, and Neferpitou felt something stir in her gut. Anything other than turgid death was welcome.

Sasuke. So that was the name of the shinobi who had torn her and the other Guards apart in two or three seconds, and then rescued her afterwards. The man who'd saved her because she'd been too weak to refuse.

"Where is he?" Pitou suddenly asked, and the Hokage rocked back in surprise at the fervor in her voice. "Where is Sasuke?"

"Not a clue," the Hokage said, scratching the back of his head. "Why?"

Pitou pushed herself to her feet, her whole body aching. She pushed a surge of Nen through it, forcing it to forget its injuries for a moment.

"I want to see him." For the first time since the King had thrown her away, she wanted something. She would be an idiot not to follow that feeling. "Can you take me to him?"

The Hokage blinked. "Sure," he said, standing up as well. "Sure. Let's go find Sasuke."

###

In the deep tunnels that ran across East Gorteau, miles from Peijing, Shaiapouf scuttled through absolute darkness.

The tunnels were old, and hadn't been lit in decades. This was a place where no humans and no light had come in a very long time. It felt appropriate to Shaiapouf. It was a competition, he thought, between the inky blackness around him and the darkness consuming his soul.

All Shaiapouf could feel was hatred and shame. He had enough hatred for everything in the world. He hated the humans that had opposed the King and put him in this position. He hated the other Royal Guards for being weak enough to not see the King's true designs. He hated them for being strong enough to oppose them. He hated himself for losing to Neferpitou, pitiful little Neferpitou with one arm and no will to live. He'd lost to her and the Watcher, somehow at the same time!

'Shaiapouf is the only one I can rely on now.'

He gagged, hundreds of him choking on an inimical reality. Foolish little Shaiapouf! Did you think this would be a story with a happy ending for you, simply because the King was relying on you? The more responsibility you're given, the more tragic the consequences! That's all there was to it!

Shaiapouf wept. The King had triumphed, he was sure. He'd killed the Fire Shadow, the one armed man, the Watcher, everyone. Meruem had to have destroyed everything that had opposed him because that was what Meruem was. Unstoppable, invincible, unquestionable. But how could he return to him now, a complete failure? He was no longer someone the King could rely on. He was a coward, a worm squirming through the earth of a dead country. If he were the King, he would kill the Shaiapouf that Pouf was now without a second thought. He wasn't even worth being eaten. Even maggots would find him disgusting as he was.

As Shaiapouf pondered the best and most efficient way to cease to exist, while still being unable to conceive of simply dying, he came to a crossroad. The tunnel split into two paths, both equally dark. He stopped, hundreds of pairs of eyes looking from one to the other. What was the difference, he thought. They both led to hell. Why even bother making a decision? Why not just stop here, and slowly wither away in the darkness?

Then-

Shaiapouf perceived a light at the end of one of the tunnels.

A light? Down here, where no human had walked in decades? Where no electricity flowed, where no fire could start? He drifted down the right tunnel, entranced by the distant light. Was that his salvation? Was it as simple as a light at the end of the tunnel?

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Shaiapouf fluttered towards the distant, flickering light.

He drew closer and closer. Even with his enhanced senses, it was difficult to tell how far away the light was. Was it a fire, or electrical? As he drifted, Pouf became certain it was a fire. A small one, like that given off by a lighter.

He caught a glimpse of gleaming metal, a tube behind the flame. A tube? At that, he paused.

Why was there a floating tube, along with the floating flame? His addled mind ground to a stop. That didn't make any sense. None of this made any sense. What was he approaching?

Just as Shaiapouf began to realize something was wrong, a blast door, over a meter of solid titanium, slammed shut behind his swarm. He turned in shock at the sudden deafening noise. The tunnel behind him was suddenly totally cut off. He probed at the door: with the mass he had left, he could beat his way through it, but it would take several minutes. The only way he could go was forward.

He turned back. The light had danced from the edge of the tunnel to the center. And now, it wasn't waiting for him.

It was approaching.

Trapped between the door and the tiny light, Shaiapouf felt a primal fear. This wasn't the fear he'd felt when Neferpitou had nearly destroyed him, or even when he'd realized he'd completely failed the King.

This was, simply put, a fear of the dark.

"Who's there!?" he screeched, reforming his body and pulling himself up as tall as he could. He spread his wings wide, an instinctual attempt to look as large and intimidating as possible, and glittering scales blew off of him and down the tunnel, lighting it up in a dim rainbow medley.

The sparkling scales revealed more and more of the tunnel, and eventually reached the light. Shaiapouf perceived a pale hand holding the tube behind the flame.

A hand, an arm, a body. A woman in a dirty grey dress came striding out of the darkness, her arms slick with her own blood. Shaiapouf blinked. The woman was a Hunter; his Nen could only detect rage from her. There wasn't anything in her soul but anger.

Against his own will, he drew back. The woman had a wide metal tank strapped to her back and knives sheathed across her chest. A line ran from the tank to a metal tube she was holding in both hands, like a rifle. The dancing flame that Shaiapouf had seen all those minutes ago was attached to the front of the tube. It was indeed a lighter, or something like it.

"Who are you?" he asked, feeling a mounting panic in his chest. The woman kept on coming with a remorseless stride, his scales casting a kaleidoscopic rainbow across her body. The only constant light was the fire she held so securely in her hands. Her right hand was gripped tightly around a trigger guard, her middle and index fingers straining against an oversized trigger. Whatever she was holding was just like a rifle. But what was the tank for? A liquid?

"You don't know me," the Hunter said. Even if Shaiapouf hadn't used his Spiritual Message, it would have been obvious to him how the woman was fully consumed by anger; her voice curdled with hatred. "I'm a Hunter who stays behind. My name is Palm."

Palm. He didn't know her. Shaiapouf considered the distance. If he charged now, he could take her head in a little over a second. But she was a Hunter. Even if she was one who 'stayed behind,' she'd surely be able to react in time. What kind of Hatsu would she have? What was the weapon she was carrying? There were too many unknowns.

Foolish Pouf! Fritter your life away, or act!

Shaiapouf screamed and charged.

Palm depressed the trigger.

The tube in her hand bucked and belched out a stream of thick, semi-liquid fire. The blast took Shaiapouf full in the face.

One moment, Shaiapouf was moving forward, sure he could take the woman's head. The next, he was blind, his whole body covered in a literally burning agony. He roared and swung blindly, but hit nothing but air.

With nothing to fight for beyond his own life, Shaiapouf began to panic. His body started breaking down, reacting to his stress and trying to escape.

No! Think, Shaiapouf! Even if he was blind, he could find her with his Spiritual Message. Her rage was so sharp she stood out like a beacon in the dark. He couldn't miss her!

He charged again, and Palm blasted him once more. To Shaiapouf's horror, nearly half his mass melted in a heartbeat. It was just fire! How was this happening?!

"My Hatsu is called Wink Blue," Palm said as he stumbled and screamed, melting flesh slowing off of him and evaporating into thousands of screaming flies who were burned to ash by the flames. She continued walking forward, unwilling to give him any ground. "Once I see someone, I can track them anywhere in the world with just a bit of my blood."

Shaiapouf scrambled backwards as he felt another spike of rage, and the jet of flames barely missed him. He wanted to attack, but found that he couldn't. What was left of his body was paralyzed by pain and fear.

He couldn't understand why her fire had burned through his Ken as if it weren't there. Surely he wasn't that weak?

"I saw you, Shaiapouf, while you were trying to kill my master." Pouf couldn't see, but he knew Palm's face was twisted up in a rictus of hatred. "I saw you because I was watching him. He made it all the way to the stairs before you found him. Or did you just let him go that far?"

More and more of Pouf's mass was sloughing off. It felt like his consciousness was going with it. He couldn't breathe anymore, only scramble backwards. Palm let out another jet of fire, and Pouf screamed in fear, scuttling away like a cockroach.

"I mixed my blood with the napalm," Palm said calmly. "That's why it's destroying your cells so completely, and how it broke your Ken. I knew I would need that after watching you survive Knov's Hatsu." She blasted him again, melting his legs off, and Pouf was left dragging himself backwards with both arms as the flames licked at his torso.

The fire pouring from her weapon was literally filled with the Hunter's pure hatred. It was devouring him alive.

His back hit the blast door, and a high, keening whine emerged from Shaiapouf's chest as he realized he had nowhere left to run. The tunnel was so hot. Smoke was rising from his body: his wings crumbled away, their fragile structure destroyed by the heat.

"It hurt to cut myself that much," Palm said matter of factly. For the last time, her rage spiked.

"But I'm sure it was nothing compared to what you did to Knov."

She held down the trigger, and Shaiapouf was completely engulfed in flames. He couldn't even scream as the fire stole all his oxygen. His body melted, becoming one with the door, and began to drift into ashes.

Shaiapouf's body ceased to exist, but for a moment, his nen remained, stirring in the heart of the fire like a phoenix. It didn't attack. He had been too overcome with shame and terror to manage that. Instead, all it did was keep Shaiapouf's Spiritual Message functioning despite his death.

The last thing Shaiapouf, who had once been a Royal Guard, perceived before everything vanished and only the fire remained was Palm crying.

Her rage guttered out, and only a deep sorrow remained. The woman collapsed to her knees, throwing aside the flamethrower and weeping as steam rose from the blood running in thick rivulets down her arms.

The Royal Guard would have wept as well, if he still had a body. Even his death hadn't managed to bring anyone peace.

Thus, Shaiapouf died without managing to satisfy a single soul.

Chapter Text