The VENOM Squad: Nephila

"Mr. Ton, our work is progressing more than you think. We"ve already designed some weaponry that could resist the poisonous air in the Land of Dawn," Dr. Baker informed him.

"And within a short span of time, we"ve already selected the perfect members of the five-man team that shall invade and rescue the SABER squad," Dr. Rooney added as he hands over the doc.u.ments to their benefactor.

The flipping sounds of the papers resounded as Mr. Ton goes over the backgrounds of the selected soon-to-be squad.

"They differ too much," he commented, "Will they be able to carry out the mission successfully?"

"They"ll exceed your expectation, sir," Dr. Rooney replied confidently.

"They should for your lives are all at stake," Mr. Ton responded.

***********

The very next morning, Hanzo and Hayabusa are summoned by the chief village.

"There is a new a.s.signment that I"ll be entrusting in your team," the chief said. "But this time, I do not want some half-baked results."

"We won"t disappoint you this time, chief," Hanzo replied.

"You better not," he responded. "With the wounds inflicted on our troops and some witnesses, we"re able to have an image of the suspect."

The chief gave a sketch of a person, wearing a hood and is a woman which is exactly the same as the person whom Hanabi had met the other day.

"As you can see, it"s just one woman who did the ma.s.sacre. She must have undergone royal training to be so skillful. And out of the neighbouring towns and cities, only Magical City is the fitting place where she could have received the training. And since we don"t have solid evidence, this mission should be carried out secretly. Go find her and bring her back here. Alive," the chief demanded.

"Right away," Hayabusa responded. When the two of them are about to leave, the chief added, "By the way, don"t bring Hanabi with you. She"ll just get in the way."

"Understood," Hanzo replied.

The two headed back to their quarters and saw Kagura and Yukimura on the kitchen table eating their breakfast.

"Where"s Hanabi?" Hayabusa asked.

"She does not want to be disturbed for an unknown reason," Kagura replied.

"Hayabusa, tell Kagura of the mission. I"ll have to talk to Hanabi," Hanzo said as he gives him the sketch of the woman they"ll be hunting down. He walked upstairs and knocked on Hanabi"s door.

"Hanabi, open the G.o.dd.a.m.n door," he demanded but no one dared to open it.

"Open it willingly or I"ll forcibly open it," he threatened but still no reply came from Hanabi.

Hanzo impatiently stepped backward and kicked the door open. He entered the room and found it deserted. No sign of Hanabi anywhere. The window was left open and the bed was kept tidy. He opened the drawer where she kept her weapons and saw it empty. He cursed under his breath and rushed downstairs.

"I"ll go ahead to Magical City, follow me before dusk. Hanabi has been reckless and went to that G.o.dd.a.m.n city all by herself," Hanzo commanded as he went in his room to prepare  and leave as soon as possible.

"What the h.e.l.l is going on?!" Hayabusa impatiently asked. "Could you explain it now?!"

"Hanabi met with the suspect yesterday and was instructed to go to Magical City. She thinks that the woman is somehow related to the ma.s.sacre so I think she decided to go without notice to gain the chief"s trust once again," Hanzo said. "I will go on ahead to catch up with her. You take Kagura with you."

With that said, Hanzo got on his horse and left the village.

"Should we go as well?" Kagura asked as Hayabusa comes down the stairs.

"No, we"ll have to prepare the things we needed in the mission before we depart," Hayabusa replied as calmly as he could. But deep inside, he is raging with anger due to the recklessness of Hanzo and Hanabi.

The night had fell but the moon gives enough light for Hanzo to keep going. Hanabi has decided to camp within the woods to let her horse have a rest after their restless journey. It will still take another two days before she could reach the Land of the Giants so she has to wake up early as possible to continue on her way.

As she stares at the low, glowing fire, Hanabi remembers what the hooded woman told her before she had been hypnotized.

"Come and fight together with us. We"ll hone your skills and become stronger. In exchange, come to our side," she repeated the woman"s statement. No matter how much she thinks of it, she could not find a reason as to why, of all people, that woman chose her.  She wanted answers and the only way to get those answers is to find that woman in Magical City.

Hanabi leaned on the tree trunk and closed her eyes, deciding to sleep. With the nature"s sound which seems to be music to her ears, she fell asleep faster than she thought.

But in the middle of her sleep, she fully awakened when she heard unnatural clucking that is coming towards her direction. She stood on her feet and drawn her kunais. She tried to listen once more but the clucking stopped. She counted and when she whispered three, a cable was shot to the tree across her and she saw the silhouette of a woman and with fast speed, she stood in front of her.

Hanabi was fast enough to block the intruder"s sharp sword using her kunai. The woman retrieved her sword which gave Hanabi the chance to step backwards and see who that woman could be.

"Speak," the woman demanded, "Or I shall show no mercy."

"A ninja remains unidentified to both enemy and strangers," Hanabi replied and to her awe, the woman returned her swords back to the scabbard.

"Retreat, she is not the target," the woman said and once again, she released her cables and left as few more shadows followed her.

"An a.s.sa.s.sin," Hanabi mumbled to herself. "But she ain"t the hooded woman I met before."

Since she"s already awake, she decided to head back on her way. She travelled one day and one night within the woods and on her third day, she finally saw the Land of the Giants. The vast, green plain is pleasant to the eyes. Hanabi made a stop for her horse to have some rest and be able to drink. While giving her horse the water it needed, Hanabi flinched when she heard a familiar voice.

"What do you think you"re doing?" Hanzo asked as he looks down on her.

"Tsk," she clicked her tongue in annoyance for she had never expected Hanzo to catch up to her despite the fact that she has travelled earlier than him. "Just leave me alone. This has nothing to do with the Shadow faction or the Scarlet faction. I am on my own this time."

"What did that woman exactly tell you?" he asked as he walks towards her.

"Nothing," Hanabi lied without looking at him.

"That woman you described is the same woman who ma.s.sacred the Shadow faction"s troop. If the chief hears that she had made contact with you, there is no doubt that you"ll be labeled as traitor to both factions," Hanzo told her. "Before that happens, tell me exactly what happened when she approached you."
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Hanabi stood quiet for a while for Hanzo is right. The fact that she is going to Magical City like what that woman told her, it is somehow a sign of betrayal to her faction. But still, if she is the only one who has to face the consequence , it"ll be alright. As long as she doesn"t drag other people into the trouble she"s willingly diving into, it"ll be fine.

"It has nothing to do with you already," Hanabi stated. "This is a personal matter and I have no intention in going back. I am guessing that you are given the mission to go to Magical City as well and search for that suspect. But I am telling you, we may have the same target but we have different goals. Don"t interfere with me and I shall do the same."

"Just how hardheaded , are you? Do you think you could go against her alone? Are you desperate to have yourself be killed?" Hanzo asked as he tried to suppress his anger.

"Maybe," Hanabi replied.

"You"re being unreasonably childish," the ak.u.ma ninja said blatantly which made the scarlet ninja shot a glare at him. Hanabi wiped off her hands and walked towards him.

"What? Are you going to fight me?" Hanzo asked.