Chapter 192: Hidden Revelations
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across Tsunade's office, filtering through the windows and landing in warm patches on the floor. The room had a serene stillness, interrupted only by the soft sound of pen on paper as Tsunade and Malik sat at her desk, buried under piles of paperwork. They had been at it since morning, each buried in a mountain of tasks that demanded their attention. Despite their mutual frustration, they were both in full work mode, determined to get through the day's long list of administrative duties.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair for a moment, rubbing her temples in frustration. Her large bosom, resting on the desk, only made her current posture look even more cumbersome. She sighed heavily, realizing that the quiet, tedious work was wearing on her nerves. Shizune had just left the room after dropping off another stack of papers, impressed with how focused they both had been. It was rare to see Tsunade or Malik stick to their tasks for this long without asking for a break or causing some kind of distraction.
"Ugh, this silence is killing me," Tsunade muttered, her pen pausing mid-signature. She glanced over at Malik, who was focused on his own stack of paperwork.
"So... how are things going with you?" she asked, hoping to break the monotony.
Malik smiled but didn't look up. "Oh, you know... paperwork, cooking, trying not to die of boredom."
Tsunade chuckled softly. "Yeah, same here. I didn't think becoming Hokage would mean drowning in this much bureaucracy."
Malik finally set down his pen, stretching his arms over his head, his joints popping audibly. "Well, at least you have me to suffer through it with you," he said, grinning.
Tsunade gave him a sidelong glance before returning to her paperwork. "Lucky me," she quipped.
They worked in silence for a few more moments before Tsunade, seemingly out of nowhere, decided to share a bit of recent history with Malik. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to distract herself from the paperwork.
"Do you remember the mission Team 8 went on recently? The one with Naruto and the bikōchū beetle?"
Malik looked up from his paperwork, intrigued. "Not really, refresh my memory?"
Tsunade explained the situation, detailing how desperate Naruto was to find Sasuke and how Team 8—comprising Hinata, Kiba, Shino, and their sensei Kurenai—had come up with a plan to track Sasuke using the legendary bikōchū beetle. The mission, however, had its complications, not least of which was a clash with the Kamizuru clan from Iwagakure, a once-revered clan of bee users.
Malik listened carefully, his face thoughtful as she spoke. The mention of the Kamizuru clan seemed to spark something in him, but he let Tsunade finish her story before interjecting.
Tsunade sighed as she finished recounting the mission. "And of course, Naruto, being Naruto, screwed it up by farting in front of the bikōchū and ruining the whole plan. We were so close to finding Sasuke, but now we have to wait another year for the next egg to hatch."
Malik chuckled at the image of Naruto botching such an important mission in his usual clumsy way. But as the conversation turned to the Kamizuru clan, he leaned forward, his face more serious now.
"Tsunade," he began, his tone thoughtful, "do you know who the Kamizuru Clan are?"
Tsunade paused for a moment, tapping her pen against the desk. "The Kamizuru Clan... They were a clan of bee users from Iwagakure, once very well-known and revered. The First Tsuchikage was a member of the clan, I believe."
Malik nodded. "Right. But there's more to it than that." He leaned in, his pink eyes locking onto hers. "Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, is a member of the Kamizuru clan."
Tsunade blinked, her brain taking a moment to process the information. She slowly stood up, her chair scraping against the floor as she fully grasped the implications. "Ōnoki is still alive!" she exclaimed.
Malik nodded again. "Not only is Ōnoki still alive, but several members of his clan, the Kamizuru clan, are still alive and active."
Tsunade paced around the room for a moment, her mind racing. "What are you saying, Malik? What does this mean for the village?"
Malik stood up, placing his hands gently on Tsunade's shoulders to calm her. "What I'm saying is that we need to act fast. The Kamizuru clan still holds power, and if they harbor a grudge or feel wronged by our village, it could spell trouble. I'm going to need you to have Shino or another member of the Aburame clan tell me the location of the bikōchū nesting grounds."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "And why exactly do you need to go there?"
Malik smiled slightly. "Because I'm going to try and fix this. I'll go there with one of my protectors and see if I can smooth things over with the Land of Stone and the Kamizuru clan. Hopefully, the three members Team 8 fought aren't dead yet—just, you know, almost dead. It would be a little awkward if I had to bring them back to life and then explain myself."
Tsunade shook her head, letting out a heavy sigh. "You always have a way of making things more complicated than they need to be."
Malik grinned. "What can I say? It's a gift."
Just as Tsunade opened her mouth to argue, there was a knock at the door. Shizune poked her head in, a fresh stack of paperwork in her arms. "More for you both," she said cheerfully, setting the stack down on the desk. Tsunade and Malik both groaned in unison, causing Shizune to chuckle as she left the room.
As the door closed behind her, Tsunade turned to Malik, her expression softening slightly. "Alright, Malik. I'll arrange for Shino to give you the information you need. But you better be careful."
Malik winked at her. "I'm always careful, Tsunade."
She rolled her eyes, returning to her seat and picking up her pen once more. "Somehow, I doubt that."
They both settled back into their work, the heavy silence of the room returning, but this time with an undercurrent of anticipation for the mission ahead.
As the afternoon shadows stretched longer, Malik and Tsunade finally completed the mountain of paperwork they had been buried under since morning. The quiet hum of the office was broken as Shino and Shizune entered the room. Shino, dressed in her usual high-collared sea-green jacket with dark round sunglasses, moved with her trademark quiet composure. Her dark brown hair was slightly messy, but her stoic demeanor was perfectly in line with her clan's nature.
"Finally," Malik muttered as he stood up, stretching his stiff muscles. His eyes scanned Shino for a moment before he smiled and blurted, "Yup, she's cute."
Shizune, unimpressed, narrowed her eyes at her fiancé and threatened him with a playful glare. "Focus, Malik, or I'll remind you how un-fun this day can get."
Malik chuckled, flashing her an innocent smile before turning his attention back to Shino. "So, can you give me the directions to the nesting grounds of the bikōchū?"
Shino shook her head, her voice calm and collected. "It doesn't work that way. If you want to find the location, I'll need to take you there myself. Only members of my clan know the exact route, and it requires... familiarity."
Malik clapped his hands together, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Perfect! We'll be flying there, though. Hope you're ready for a high-speed ride."
Shino raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "I've traveled under more stressful conditions. Just slow down when necessary, and we should be fine."
"Deal!" Malik agreed with a grin, before turning to Tsunade. "I think we'll head out now. No time to waste."
As he prepared to leave, Malik spoke into the air, summoning one of his trusted protectors. "Mara, are you free to join us?"
In the blink of an eye, a figure dressed in sleek, dark clothes slipped through Tsunade's window with effortless grace. Mara, known for her shadowy presence, landed silently on her feet, kneeling before Malik.
"As you wish, Master Malik," Mara said, her voice low but firm, with a hint of amusement in her green eyes.
Tsunade, impressed by Mara's swift appearance, wished them luck. Shizune leaned in, sharing a tender kiss with Malik before he left. He grinned at her mischievously. "Show me your panties when I get back, okay?"
Shizune rolled her eyes but smiled warmly, knowing his flirtatious comment was just part of his charm.
Once on the roof of the Hokage's office, Malik summoned his loyal summon, GrubGrub, from his chest. The massive bug emerged in a grand display of pink and gold, its body adorned with intricate royal patterns, making it look like a majestic insect ruler of the skies.
Shino raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a rare smile. "Are you trying to impress me?"
Malik winked at her. "Always. Hop on."
With Mara, Shino, and Malik now seated on GrubGrub's ornate back, Malik cast a spell, enveloping them all in invisibility. As GrubGrub lifted into the air, the trio soared high above the Hidden Leaf Village, the wind rushing past them as they headed toward the distant nesting grounds of the bikōchū.
Shino kept her sharp eyes on the landscape below, silently guiding Malik as they flew. Mara, ever alert, scanned the horizon for potential threats, while Malik navigated GrubGrub with a mixture of calm and excitement, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them in the Land of Stone.
The quiet, rolling hills of the Fire Country soon gave way to the rocky, jagged peaks that marked the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Stone.
Malik knew that both Shino and Mara preferred the quiet, especially when they were on a mission. Rather than fill the air with unnecessary words, he chose to embrace the silence as they soared through the sky atop GrubGrub, their surroundings shifting rapidly below them.
His eyes drifted downward, tracing the vast expanse of land beneath them. The thick forests rose and fell along the hills, their greenery weaving a tapestry of life. The hills gave way to a more rugged terrain as they approached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Stone. The dense woods gradually faded into rocky plains, with jagged cliffs rising in the distance. The air grew cooler as they neared the mountains, the wind carrying a faint scent of the earth and stone below.
Malik admired the rugged beauty of the land beneath them, marveling at how it changed so drastically as they crossed into the stony expanse. The Land of Stone stretched out endlessly, its rocky plains broken only by the sharp rise of mountains that looked as though they had been carved by the gods themselves.
He turned his attention to Shino. She sat still and composed, her sharp eyes scanning the land below them with an intense focus. She only spoke when necessary, offering brief instructions whenever they needed to adjust course. Malik could tell that Shino was in her element, effortlessly identifying landmarks and guiding them with ease. GrubGrub flew at a speed that allowed them to make great time, while also giving Shino enough moments to search for the hidden signs she needed. It was clear that her keen senses were well-tuned to the land.
Malik's gaze then drifted to Mara, who sat silently beside him, her posture as graceful and agile as ever. Even in the air, her presence was that of a living shadow, her lithe form poised and ready for anything. Her jet-black hair, cut short, barely moved in the wind, and her piercing green eyes seemed to glow faintly against the backdrop of the setting sun. There was an otherworldly quality to her, one that made her both mesmerizing and unnerving at the same time.
Mara, sensing Malik's gaze, turned her head slightly and caught him staring. A small, playful smile tugged at her lips as she leaned over and reached out, pinching his nose lightly. The action forced him to break his concentration on her and get back to focusing on the mission. Malik chuckled under his breath, rubbing his nose and returning the smile before turning his attention back to their surroundings. Mara's way of reminding him to stay on task was never harsh, but it always managed to snap him back to reality.
As Malik's mind wandered, he began to focus on the mission ahead. His thoughts turned to the Kamizuru Clan members—three siblings who had once been prominent members of the legendary bee-using clan of Iwagakure. He recalled the brief memories of them, each one etched into his mind like a fragmented image.
If his plan worked, Malik hoped that reconnecting with the Kamizuru siblings could lead to something positive. Perhaps he could help repair the damaged relationship between the Land of Fire and the Land of Stone. Even if the full reconciliation didn't come to pass, Malik could form his own connections with the Land of Stone, further strengthening his own influence and ties to this part of the world.
As they flew onward, the silence stretched between them once again. GrubGrub's wings beat rhythmically as they continued toward their destination, and Malik's thoughts settled on the delicate balance of politics, power, and the potential for new alliances. It was a delicate dance he had mastered well, but one that required careful steps and perfect timing.
The Kamizuru Clan had their pride, and the Land of Stone was fiercely independent, but Malik was nothing if not resourceful. He would find a way to turn this situation into something beneficial for both himself and his allies.
The rocky plains of the Land of Stone loomed ahead, their destination drawing closer with each passing second. Malik took a deep breath, bracing himself for the challenges that awaited them below.
As Malik's thoughts returned to the Kamizuru Clan members, the memories of the three siblings became clearer in his mind. He could picture each one of them in vivid detail.
Jibachi, the youngest, stood out with his long blond hair and small glasses that perched neatly on his nose. His black eyes had an intelligent, calculating gleam, hinting at a sharp mind despite his youthful appearance. He wore a white zip-up poncho over a long black shirt that had two beige-colored circular markings on each of his forearms. The poncho, simple yet functional, complemented his black, baggy pants, which flowed loosely around his legs, giving him a relaxed but poised look. Jibachi always seemed like the type to have a plan, even if he sometimes rushed into things headfirst.
Suzumebachi, the middle child and the undisputed leader of the group, had an air of authority about her. She carried herself with the grace of a seasoned kunoichi, yet there was a sharpness in her steel-grey eyes, an intensity that commanded respect. Her brown hair, cut to shoulder length, had a single rebellious lock that fell over the right side of her face, barely covering one of her piercing eyes. Suzumebachi's orange eye markings, sharp and angular, added a fierceness to her gaze. She wore a purple kimono dress with red trimmings, an outfit that combined elegance with practicality. The yellow sash around her waist emphasized her slim frame, and her thigh-length stockings, which merged into her sandals, gave her a warrior's readiness. Malik could tell that Suzumebachi was not one to be taken lightly—her every movement spoke of a deadly precision and a tactical mind.
Lastly, there was Kurobachi, the eldest. His black eyes were deep and brooding, often reflecting the weight of responsibility he carried as the oldest sibling. His black hair flowed seamlessly into his beard and mustache, giving him a distinguished, almost regal appearance. He wore a gray zip-up poncho over a long black covering that had beige-colored outlining. The zip-up poncho, along with his black baggy pants, gave him a rugged look, while his red open-toed sandals were the only hint of color in his otherwise dark ensemble. Kurobachi had the air of a man who had seen many battles and had emerged wiser from them. His presence, though quieter than that of his younger siblings, was no less imposing.
These three siblings, Malik knew, were key players in the Kamizuru Clan, a once-revered family of bee users from Iwagakure. While their power and influence had diminished over the years, they still held onto their pride and their connection to the Land of Stone.
If things went well, Malik hoped to mend whatever fractures existed between them and the Land of Fire. At the very least, he could form a new bond with them and, in turn, strengthen his own influence in the Land of Stone.
As GrubGrub soared through the air, the land beneath them transformed from the rolling forests of the Land of Fire to the more arid, rocky plains of the Land of Stone. The mountains loomed closer, their jagged peaks casting long shadows in the afternoon light. The air became cooler, the breeze carrying with it the scent of earth and stone. Malik could feel the weight of the land's ancient history pressing down on them, a reminder that this was a place where many battles had been fought, and many secrets still lay buried.
Shino, sitting beside him, remained focused, her eyes scanning the landscape for familiar landmarks. Her concentration was palpable, and though she didn't say much, Malik knew she was leading them true. Every so often, she would offer a brief comment or instruction, adjusting their course as necessary. GrubGrub, responding to her commands with ease, flew steadily at a speed that allowed her to track their path while still making excellent time.
Mara, seated on the other side of Malik, was a constant shadow, her presence barely noticeable yet always felt. Her short, jet-black hair seemed to meld into the darkening sky, and her piercing green eyes occasionally flicked over to Malik, watching him with a mixture of curiosity and protectiveness. She was always vigilant, always ready for anything.
Malik couldn't help but smile back, though he quickly returned his focus to the mission at hand. The Kamizuru Clan had once been a revered force in Iwagakure, and Malik knew that dealing with them would require careful diplomacy. His charm and influence could only take him so far—he would need to rely on his wit and his knowledge of their clan's history to navigate this delicate situation.
As they approached the mountains, Malik could feel the weight of the task ahead of him settling in. He was about to step into a world that was steeped in tradition and honor, and any misstep could cost him not only the success of this mission but also any potential future alliances with the Land of Stone.
But Malik was nothing if not confident in his abilities. He had faced many challenges before, and this one would be no different. If all went well, the Kamizuru Clan might not only forgive the events of the past but also come to see him as an ally, a bridge between their fractured world and the broader powers at play.
The rocky plains and jagged mountains of the Land of Stone spread out before them, their destination drawing nearer with each passing moment. Malik took a deep breath, his mind racing with possibilities and strategies as they prepared to land. This would be the beginning of something new, and Malik was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.