68 The New Gang of Demons! Abrupt Stop Along the Way?!
"Jabie. Esumi. Let's return to Konoha. How is the Two-tailed Jinchūriki?" Broly asked as he created a platform out of the ground and raised it in the sky. He then made it fly through the air.
"She's fine for now. The chakra device easily absorbed her chakra and rendered her as weak as a civilian. I had some of the slaves keep watch over her. They are equipped with the Hero Water if things get out of hand." Jabie answered.
"Good. The Hero Water gives them a ten-fold increase in chakra. Good working capturing her Esumi." Broly said.
"It was a piece of cake. As the greatest Kunoichi in the nations, I couldn't let myself get taken out by some no named loser." Esumi bragged while holding out her chest.
"Hey Sho-kun! How have you been?" Fu asked with a smile.
"I've been good." Sho replied with a gentle smile back.
"How are your travels with Esumi-sama?" Fu asked interested as she grabbed the silent Khael and brought them next to Sho.
"I would say good, but being chased by ninjas who want your master's head for her past isn't all that good." Sho replied with a small chuckle.
"Haha me, Khael, and Aomatsuna-sama are always getting chased for his bounty. The worst part is about it is that he forces me and Khael to sometimes battle his enemies for him! We almost died plenty of times fighting shinobi who are at least as strong as jonin every week. Completely exciting and dangerous. I hate it and love it at the same time. Is that weird?" Fu rapidly spat out.
"A little bit. But that's okay. How are you Khael?" Sho asked.
"Fine." Khael briefly said.
"What do you think about visiting our masters' home village? Are you excited too?"
"I am interested.."
"Yeah me too! From my village I didn't really get to live a real life. But I'm excited to see how Aomatsuna-sama's village is like." Fu said.
It was at this point they left the border of the Land of Earth and entered the Land of Fire. The difference in climate and appearance would always be so amazing and confusing. Sho and Fu audibly awed at the grassy lands and trees in the Land of Fire. Khael also looked along with them in interest, but on her face it showed no such thing. She looked uninterested on the outside despite actually being amazed as well.
"This place looks way better than my old village. But back then I wasn't allowed to go where I want in my old village." Fu said.
"I'm surprised my master came from such a beautiful place. I actually thought she was raised in a village for bandits in a land not meant for grass and vegetation." Sho said before taking out a scroll and drawing.
Esumi took offense to this while she was chatting with Suna and Jabie. She kicked Sho off the earth cloud jutsu and watched as he fell screaming. Sho was panicking as he suddenly started to increase the pace of his drawing and from the scroll a black and white creature morphed out from the scroll and tried to save him, but a black shadow grabbed his leg and flung him through the air. He started to scream and yell more as his Panda with large angel wings tried to save him. But Esumi decided that he has suffered enough and brought him back to the cloud.
"That'll teach you to bad mouth your master. Ungrateful little shit." Esumi said to the dizzy and disorientated Sho.
"You.. You only did that.. cause I was right.." Sho said slurring his words.
"Still bad mouthing me huh? You got guts." Esumi said as her shadow stood over Sho.
"Wait! Master please forgive this disrespectful little disciple! He knows not what he says!" Sho begged while on his knees and bowing.
"You need more ass-kissing!" Esumi shouted before her shadow punched Sho on the head and gave him a large bump.
Fu and Jabie started laughing while Khael covered her mouth with her cloak. Her cloak was slightly moving up and down. Broly only raised an eyebrow at their antics before Esumi sat back next to Jabie and Suna.
"The Akatsuki should get started soon. Keep your eye on Gaara, sights of the three tails, The eight-tails Jinchūriki, and lastly Naruto." Broly said.
"Now that you mention Gaara.. One of my clones have been saying something strange is happening recently." Jabie said.
"They might have already started their move. Let's go." Broly said before changing the direction of his cloud and flying in a different direction at a faster speed.
"Wheeee!!! Let's fight some Akatski butt!" Fu shouted.
"You're not strong enough to fight against them yet. Stay back and watch." Broly said.
"Awh man. I'll have to train extra hard so I don't have to stick on the sidelines anymore."
"Staying on the sidelines is way more peaceful." Sho said while laying on his back and drawing.
"How are you going to protect your friends if you're too weak to save them?!" Fu asked.
"Putting it that way is a little unfair." Sho said back.
"But that's reality Sho-kun."
"I guess so." Sho said with a sigh as he finished drawing a picture of a panda longing around a forest.
"Sand..." Khael muttered softly as the group passed into the Land of Wind and straight towards Sunagakure or the Sand village.
But apparently everyone heard her as well as they started to look over the edge of Broly's cloud jutsu to take a look. Even more shouts of awe came from the apprentices. Mostly Fu and Sho though. Khael just watched with a sparkle behind her eyes.
"How strong has he become?" Broly asked Jabie.
"He hasn't really been active these following years in showcasing his strength. Although he became a chunin he went straight to Kazekage after that. So he has to have become somewhat strong. Temari and Kankuro became jonin two years ago I believe.. So I believe that unless the ranking of Jonin has fallen, they must have become stronger." Jabie answered.
"So dairy boy became a kage huh. I'm something like that too. Being a Councilor is like being part kage because we all sorta rule the village." Esumi said.
"I mostly rule it.. You two are always gone off somewhere." Jabie corrected.
"Yeah yeah fatass, we all got our roles."
"Esumi is right. You are doing well with the village's growth." Broly complimented.
"Thanks guys. But I have to report something. My clone just told me the Sand Village has entered a state of emergency and have three aerial look outs. Are we sneaking in or just going in?" Jabie asked.
"We're entering normally. If he's willing to hire us then there is no problem. If he doesn't then we'll just leave till we hear more news of the Akatsuki."
The group then reached a bit away from the sand village and ceased flying. They started to walk across the sandy desert towards the entrance of the sand village. They saw multiple sand nin watching over a sandy stronghold? As the got closer a ninja who seemed to be the leader stepped forward to meet with them.
"Halt! State your purpose and identity!" The commander ninja asked.
Broly, Jabie, and Esumi flashed their old leaf ninja headbands.
"I see. Very well come inside our leaf village allies." The commander said as the previous stronghold started to split apart and show the way into the Sand Village.
Broly's group walked inside and was less than visibly impressed. Broly, Jabie, and Esumi showed an indifferent expression as they walked towards the Kazekage's Office. Fu looked around excitedly at the new sights. Khael's and Sho's eyes also wondered around in interest at a new village. The citizens of Sunagakure watched the strange group of shinobi walk into their village.
A strange object suddenly flew straight towards Khael's face. Only Fu, Sho, and Khael reacted to the sudden appearance of the fast-moving object. Fu moved in front of Khael and raised up a round shield that she held with only one arm. From Sho's scroll a large artistically drawn panda appeared and raised it's palms in a defensive position. Khael's black cloak that covered her from the neck down had strange movement from the inside. Out of the top of her cloak a small skeleton shaped Crocodile appeared and chomped down on the object.
*SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS*
It was a red rubber ball. Esumi, Jabie, and Broly started laughing at them while the kids who were playing with that ball were sad. The other villagers looked at the weird ninja group once again before swiftly retreating to a safer distance.
"You kids need a lot more training if a toy ball is enough to spook you in the village of our allies." Esumi said while still giggling.
"Awh lame.." Fu said dejectedly as she put away her shield.
"Super lame. She's gonna make fun of me for weeks after this.." Sho replied as he absorbed his art summon back in his scroll.
Khael and her skeleton crocodile looked at the sad children and looked back at Broly.
"Tch. Hurry up." Broly said as he was handed the red ball. Khael walked over and started to thread the red ball with chakra threads as Broly blew some chakra-infused wind inside to form its previous shape.
Khael handed the ball over to one of the previously sad children and watched as they smiled happily at the return of their ball.
"Thanks Onee-chan!" The children shouted before running away and playing with their new ball.
Khael's face turned red, but her appearance still looked as if she was indifferent to anything that was happening.
"Awh. You're so nice Khael-chan. All I would've been able to do was make a ball out of webs." Fu said.
"Hmph!" Khael responded as she turned away embarrassed and the group returned back to walking towards the Kazekage's office.
"She's not entirely unlike you Suna. She gets embarrassed pretty easily too." Esumi said.
"I don't get embarrassed easily." Broly defended himself.
"Tell that to Auntie when we return back to Konoha." Esumi responded before giggling at Broly's lack of response.
They walked up to the desk of a young beautiful girl in the Kazekage's tower.
"Hello. Do you all have an appointment?" She asked professionally.
"No. But we're looking for your Kazekage. Do you know where he is?" Jabie asked.
"No appointment. No meeting. Please make an appointment or leave." She stated.
"He's up top. Let's go." Broly said as they all body flickered away and appeared on the roof of the Kazekage's office.
In front of them stood the Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand, Gaara. It seems he wasn't expecting them to arrive directly in front of him.
"Yohoo Dairy Kage. What's up bud? I heard you got a group of S-ranked ninja after you. And to your rescue is me and them! I'll be your personal bodyguard if you give a good enough price." Esumi said with a wink.
"I won't be able to hire you all, but I appreciate the concern." Gaara said as he looked away from Esumi's face.
Esumi walked over and grabbed Gaara by the shoulder.
"Hehe don't worry bud. We'll cut the fees for ya on the account of being allies with the leaf village. How about.. half a million ryo?" Esumi said while rubbing her fingers together to indicate money.
Gaara is visibly embarrassed but tries to keep himself together.
"I'm sorry Yada-san. But I don't think it will be necessary. I will protect my village and improve the life of my people. I can't let a group of ninjas stop me." Gaara stated.
"Ooooo so your Mr. Big Milk Boy now huh? Now that you got your own little fancy village and all you're too cool to play with the rest of us? Don't be a dummy Dairy boy. It's fine to rely on your friends from time to time." Esumi said as she walked back to her group.
"We'll be staying for a few days, so if you need help we'll be there." Jabie said as the group disappeared in another group body flicker.
Gaara stood atop his building in solitude and silence.
"I wonder why I always get so nervous around Yada Esumi.. She looks even more beautiful than she did three years ago.. Maybe I should have hired her just to be closer to her. I mean what's really the harm in extra help to protect my village and it's people?" Gaara said to himself.
*THE NEXT DAY*