The tattoo on Iruka’s hip began to burn ten minutes before class was to be dismissed for the day.
It was a steady burn but it wasn’t pulsating. A summons but not an urgent one. For the time being at least, so Iruka could ignore it as he continued writing on the blackboard as he spoke. He finished just as the bell rang.
“Enjoy your weekend but don’t forget, there is a spelling test and a taijutsu test on Monday!” He smiled as the children managed to groan in horror and shout goodbye at the same time as they stampeded for the door.
He straightened his desk and made sure his lesson plans for the next month were prominently placed in the desk drawer where they could be easily found. He cheerfully said goodbye to the other teachers and left the Academy grounds.
Iruka walked steadily to his apartment, making sure he didn’t look like he was in a rush to go anywhere. He smiled and nodded to those he knew as he went.
When he arrived at his apartment, he deactivated the seals, unlocked the door then locked it behind him and reactivated the seals. He took a quick look around and knew that his lover had not returned home from his own mission. Iruka wrote a quick note, signing it with “I love you.” He placed the note on the kitchen table in a way that one’s eye would be drawn to it.
Iruka walked into the bedroom and stripped off his clothes, tossing them in the hamper. He then entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. When the water was warm enough, he entered, closing the curtain. He washed away the ink, the chalk dust…and Iruka-sensei.
Panther exited the shower and quickly dried himself off. He entered the bedroom. Reaching into a drawer, he removed and put on clean underwear. He pulled a scroll from the bottom of a pile of other scrolls. He performed the necessary hand signs and the scroll released the items within. He dressed in the all black uniform then wrapped the blood red bandages around his legs from his ankles to his knees. More red bandages were wrapped around his arms. He carefully put his weapons where they belonged, saving the katana across his back for last.
Panther suspected he knew who he was going to be Hunting and wanted every edge he could get.
He stood for a moment and stared at a group of bottles. Without expression, he took one and poured some of the contents into his hand. He rubbed both hands together then ran his hands through his hair until the liquid was absorbed. He brushed his hair until it was smooth and straight. He tied it into a low ponytail.
Panther tied on his sinister black mask and moved to the window. He carefully stretched his chakra to see if there was anyone nearby. There wasn’t anyone. He was out the window and activating its seals and was racing across the roofs of Konoha towards the Hokage’s office.
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The Hokage stood behind her desk and stared at the shinobi in front of her. “Panther.”
“Hokage-sama.”
The Hokage had already noticed how Panther wore his hair. She understood psychological warfare. With a sigh, she picked up a file and held it out until Panther took it from her hand. “You’ve been expecting this, haven’t you.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, especially when we received word that he’d recruited three other shinobi.”
“That contains everything we know.”
Panther nodded and put it in his belt pouch. “By your leave, Hokage-sama.”
“Good mission.”
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Sasuke exited the small shop and froze in his tracks. He barely noticed that the shop owner slammed shut and barred the door.
He could only see his three teammates in the street.
Karin had obviously been torn apart by a fuuma shuriken.
Jugo was cut in half, lengthwise.
Suigetsu had been consumed by some sort of Earth jutsu.
The only thing they had in common was that they were missing their heads.
Sasuke snarled with rage and his chakra spiked with killing intent. His eyes turned blood red and he looked around for the killer of his team.
Then Sasuke saw him.
The shinobi was perched on a chimney. His blood red bandages strikingly bright against the black of his uniform.
Sasuke felt his rage rise. It wasn’t that he truly cared about the others but they were his. He should have been the one to decide whether they lived or died.
A gust of wind blew across the rooftop, the shinobi didn’t move but his hair did.
Sasuke stared at the dark haired, low ponytail.
No. No, it can’t be…I killed…“Aniki?”
The black clad shinobi leapt from the chimney.
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Panther sealed the last of the four heads into the scroll. He sprinkled powder over the four bodies. He said a quick prayer then performed a quick hand seal and the four bodies blazed furiously for a minute then turned into ash.
The village street was still deserted by civilians and probably would be until after he left. He felt four chakra signatures hiding in an alley not far away. One was practically non-existent – that was probably a jonin sensei and the other three were his or her students.
Panther stowed the storage scroll in his pouch and began to walk away.
The shrill battle cry almost surprised him. Almost.
A deep voice bellowed, “ISAO, NO!”
There was always one.
Panther whipped around and used one hand to take away the boy’s kunai and the other to clamp around his throat. He began to squeeze.
“ISAO!” The shrill screams came from the boy’s teammates who now stood frozen in the street.
“Hunter-san.”
“Jonin-san.”
The jonin moved in front of his two students and glanced at the one that was slowly turning blue in Panther’s grip. The man bowed. “Hunter-san, while my Clan leader and elders will understand that the boy is too stupid to live, I really don’t want to listen to my sister’s wails when she hears of his death.”
Panther grunted then tossed the boy to the jonin’s feet. He watched as the boy gasped for breath. His teammates ran to his side. He looked at the three children crouched down in the dirt. He kept the smile from his voice. “Enjoy the extra D ranks and training your teammate has cost you.”
The second boy simply stared while the girl’s face changed from shock to anger.
“But, Sensei, he’s trespassing!” Isao whined.
The young kunoichi slapped him. “Idiot! By treaty, Hunter-nin can go into any country after missing nin. They’re in-in-they can’t be touched.”
“Inviolate.” Murmured Panther. He inclined his head to the jonin and disappeared.
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A single lamp kept the night’s darkness from the Hokage’s office.
The Hokage accepted the scroll from Panther’s hand. “It has the heads of all four as well as the sword known as Kubikiribocho.”
The Hokage smiled. “Something to use if we ever need a favor from or leverage against Mist.” Then she frowned. “Do you need to see a medic?”
Panther hesitated.
Tsunade sighed. “Gods, save me from stubborn idiot shinobi. Go see a medic, then go home. I’m sure that lover of yours is waiting.”
“Yes, Hokage-sama.”
“Panther.”
“Hokage-sama?”
“I sorry that I had to send you, but good work.” Tsunade paused for a moment. “I’m going to make this public in the morning. It can’t be hidden.”
“I understand. It had to be done and I was the best choice.” Panther paused. “Thank you, Hokage-sama.”
“Sleep well, Panther.”