Transfer Mission: The Blackbird's Dilemma

Kana looked at Felix as he answered her question. She felt a bit bad. They should have been at least giving him something for the pain. You could still feel pain while you were in a coma, didn't they know that? Kana took a deep breath before sighing once the nurse said she should tell him. Sitting back down next to Felix's bed, Kana pulled one knee up in front of her and crossed her arm over it. "The village was attacked. You were guarding the Kage and got hurt pretty bad. The Executioner was out when I got there, but the Kage was nowhere to be found. We're still looking for him," she said, casting her gaze down. She wasn't going to mention that wound on his heart that the nurse had told her about. And she wasn't going to mention that she didn't know just who had planned the attack. It couldn't have been the Sand, right?

"What?" Felix's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean you can't find the Kage?" The morphine hadn't kicked in, so he gave a low groan because he'd sat up as he spoke. "This is bad, this is really, really bad." Felix kept from shaking his head. "It was one thing when it was my fault because I got mad, but this...this happened on my watch and for once, I had nothing to do with it." Felix sat back. "I'm never going to hear the end of this." Felix looked at Kana. "Do we have any idea where he may be located? Or who did this? Anything?" Felix had to get out of here, he needed to be out there, fixing his screw up. He pulled the covers off of him. "Get out, I need to get dressed," he told Kana.

Kana had to hold back a sigh when Felix started freaking out. She waited until he started asking questions to actually say anything. "We don't. It would help if we could've caught one of the attackers, but..." Kana's hand clenched. "The sonsabitches got away," she said, clenching her jaw lightly. She blinked when Felix told her to get out. "Woah woah, hell no. You're staying here, you have a goddamned concussion, and you can't even sit up straight without groaning in pain," she said. She wasn't about to let him go anywhere. Not in this condition at least.

Felix shot her a glare. "The hell with the concussion, I've had worse. The Kage is missing which means Aidelia has all right to take the role of Kage," Felix snapped. "Is that what you want Kana? We have to find the Kage. The Executioner should have his scent, we can track him down." Felix got out of bed. "Now can you get out so I can get dressed." Felix was ready to move. He refused to sit here in a hospital for the third time since he'd been there! Not when he knew he could find the Kage.

Kana sucked her teeth once in irritation at her partner's persistence. "You know what, no. You're staying here. You wanna help, you can summon the Executioner, and I'll follow him to the Kage, how's that? You're not moving out of this goddamned hospital, or so help me god, I will call your girlfriend so she can come here and babysit you until you're healed enough to move without flinching every half a step! Got it?" No, she was not about to play this game with him. If they ran into a fight, Felix would not be nearly well enough to fight, and she couldn't put herself out there to protect him when she had to be focusing on fighting and getting the Kage back!

Felix paused. "You wouldn't dare," Felix said, although he did lay back down. Drawing the covers up to his neck as he frowned. "I will forever hate you if you call her. I swear I will." Felix shook his head and then sighed. "Alright, I'll stay put, but the Executioner can't go far without me. If our chakra line gets severed....wait...you said the Executioner was out while I was unconscious. Did he follow any of your commands," Felix asked. His blue eyes narrowed. The Executioner was his summoning and although it didn't attack without being told, it never listening to anyone else commands except Felix because their chakra's were tied. Which gave Felix an idea. If Kana had his chakra mingling with her, then maybe he could lend her the yellow and black beast to find the Kage.

Kana only looked at him as he laid back down. "Oh, I would dare." If she hadn't been so pissed off at the moment, she would have found it hilarious at how scared he was of having her called over. She didn't really like the idea of the Executioner disappearing if they got too far, but when Felix asked her if it had obeyed any of her commands, she gave him a small look. "Yeah, why?" she asked. Actually, the thing had followed several of her orders, though she was sure the number didn't really make much difference, so she didn't mention it.

"Not exactly happy about that, but it's a good thing. The Executioner is tied to my chakra. I can summon him and he'll listen to you. You have some of my chakra, so this should work. But I think it'll be better if I summon him outside, so if you don't mind for the third time, get out so I can change," Felix said shortly. He looked around for his usual clothes, more specifically his backpack and then he forgot the backpack. Reaching up to his neck, Felix realized his headband was gone and so was his locket. "Where the hell is my necklace," the jonin asked, his voice laced with panic.

Kana nodded when Felix said that if he summoned the Executioner it would listen to her, since she had some of his chakra. "Cool." She held back a sigh when he asked if she could get out, standing up. She paused when he asked where his necklace was, looking at him a moment. "Probably with your clothes," she said, walking over to one of the stands and opening the drawer. In it were Felix's clothes and on top of the clothes were his headband and necklace. Picking the pile up, she put it on the edge of his bed before picking up the necklace and handing it to Felix. She noticed it was a locket, and wondered whose picture was in it. Not her business. "Here." When he took it, she looked at him for a moment before starting out of the room. "Just because I'm letting you get dressed doesn't mean you're coming with me," she said.

"Thanks Felix said ," as he took his necklace and placed it around his neck. When Kana started out, he gave a shrug. " Not like I was planning on going anyway...." He then got dressed, a bit annoyed that his new jacket was messed up. He'd have to get another until he could get Kyla, if she was willing, to mmake him another. The woman had skills, that much he would admit. Sighing once he was finished, the jonin walked outside. "Alright, le's get this over with. Felix wasn't too sure about summoning the Executioner. Too much chakra and his head was killing him.

Kana gave Felix a nod when he thanked her. She'd ask him about it someday, but today was not the day. She waited outside for Felix, nodding once he got out. "Right." She paused. She had an idea, but wasn't sure if now would be a good time to voice it. She wondered if the Executioner could talk. She wondered if he was okay to do it in the condition he was in. There were so many things she was wondering about, but she knew now wasn't the right time to talk about them, and it bothered her. But finding the Kage came first.

Felix pulled out the scroll and laid it on the ground. Standing back, he summoned the yellow and black creature. "Hey boy," Felix said as he rubbed his hand through the creature's fur. The Executioner bowed it's head as Felix petted his sides. "You're to follow Kana's orders," Felix said, walking a circle around the creature. "When the job is done, you're free to return to your scroll, but not until then." The beast gave a low growl. Felix stopped and looked at it's orange eyes. "He's all yours," Felix said. He wanted to go lay back down now, but he wasn't going to tell Kana that.

Kana watched as Felix summoned the creature, tilting her head a small bit when Felix ran his finger's through the creature's fur. She didn't realize it until now, but she'd done the same thing when she'd told the creature to take Felix to the hospital three days before. "Thanks. Now go lay back down," she told him. She looked to the Executioner. "I need you to track the Kage's scent," she told it. She was sure that it was just her being weird, but she found something about the creature endearing.

Felix looked at Kana as she told him to go lay back down. Felix picked his scroll up and folded it. "Sure," he said as he walked away, giving a small chuckle when the Executioner growled at Kana whens he said she needed him to track the Kage's scent. The spikes along it's back bristled and then it took a seat. It's orange eyes waiting to be introduced to the scent it was supposed to be following. Felix made his way up to his room and laid on the bed. He was sleep before Kana or the summoning left.

Kana looked at the Executioner as it growled at her, but didn't say anything since it figured that was just how the creature was. She was glad that Felix didn't argue about going to lay down. He was probably in more pain than he was letting on. Looking to it as it sat down, Kana rummaged around in one of her bags for a moment. She'd grabbed something from the Kage's office in case there were ninja out and about who had tracking summonings on hand. Well, actually she'd cut out piece of his chair, since it was going to have the strongest scent on it. Holding the piece of fabric in her open palm, she held it in front of the large beast, keeping her gaze on it to watch if it picked up the scent right away.

The Executioner bristled as Kana searched her bag. When it saw the piece of fabric, it gave it a few sniffs and then stood up. The spikes on it's back raised and it's teeth bared. Without waiting for so much as a command, it shot off towards the Kage's building. His yellow fur streaking through the crowds of people who screamed in horror. When it got to the Kage's building it stopped and gave a howl, that sounded nothing like a howl at all. His orange eyes unblinking, as it stared at the building.

Kana blinked when the creature shot off, immediately following after it, ignoring the screams of the villagers. She would go around explaining this later, to put them at ease. She was a bit surprised when the Executioner stopped at the Kage's Tower. Walking up next to it, she put her hand lightly on its side. "We've checked the building already," she said under her breath. Maybe there was a genjutsu that hadn't been able to find? "Come with me," she told it as she walked towards the entrance of the building. When she saw that there was hardly anyone in the building, Kana called someone over. "Gather some ninja, I want this building searched top to bottom."

"But we've already-"

"I don't care, do it. I want any jutsu on the building dispelled. Who knows this building best?"

"That would be the architect's grandson. He helped rebuild the place last time."

"Get him, bring him here. I want to talk to him." When the ninja went off, Kana looked to the Executioner. "Are you sure?"

The Executioner bristled when Kana asked if he was sure. Why summon him if she wasn't going to trust his nose? Shaking it's head, it started to climb the building. Considering it's claws weren't made for climbing, nor did it's weight support climbing, it was having some trouble, but it kept going up. When it reached the top of the building, he walked in a single circle and then went to the edge. The spikes on it's back rose straight up and then shot down into the ground continuously until the ground had a large black circle on it. Giving a low growl it sat down and looked at Kana.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Kana replied when the creature bristled. It was still as fearsome as the first day she'd seen it. Oh yes, she remembered that all too well. They'd all nearly died that day. Well, except Renji. Son of a bitch only got hit fireproof jacket a bit ripped. She missed that idiot. It was really too bad he'd gotten himself killed. He was a good ninja. Kana shook the thought from her head. Not the time.

Following the creature up the side of the building, Kana stayed next to it instead of under it, since it seemed to be having troubles climbing. She was not about to be caught under that thing if it lost it's hold. She swore the thing was like a giant porcupine. She watched as it walked a circle before shooting spikes into the ground. Her head tilted, she looked down at the spikes, and then to the creature curiously. Okay, she was starting to wish she'd brought Felix along. She didn't know how this creature's mind worked. Though honestly, she was glad the thing hadn't accidentally hit anyone with those things. She internally flinched at the thought. She'd have been held responsible for it. Kana took a moment to think about what the thing was trying to tell her. Maybe that had been where the Kage had landed if he'd fallen out the window? She didn't see any chakra there that would indicate a genjutsu. So...what was it?

The Executioner wished that Felix was there too. Giving it's fur a light shake, it waited until the spikes exploded. Causing the ground to crumble. Walking in another circle it went over to Kana and gave her a shove. Then, it's spikes rising once more, it jumped off the building, curling up as it spun to the ground, ripping a hole in the ground. It was as if it were drilling a hole. When it'd gotten a few feet into the ground, it stopped and started out of the hole. Looking at it's work, it sat down and scratched it's ear.

Kana visibly flinched when the spikes exploded, but her eyes widened when she saw that the ground actually crumbled. Was there an underground passage? She felt like a complete idiot! Blinking as the Executioner nudged her forward, she followed the silent instructions and started down the side of the building, pausing to watch as the creature spun it's way to the ground, drilling a hole into it. Climbing the rest of the way down, Kana cracked a small smile at the Executioner before petting behind one of it's ears. Pulling her hand away after a moment, Kana gave a sharp whistle to signal a couple surrounding ninja. "I need ninja who can use earth style over here, we might have an underground tunnel," she told them, the lot of who went off to find someone who could use earth style. One of the ninja had stayed and immediately got to work. Kana looked to the Executioner. "Good job," she told it with a nod. "I want you to stay just in case, alright?" Man would it be awesome if she could just summon it when she wanted to. It would makes things so much easier, but right now she couldn't, and she wasn't sure where this tunnel would lead to, if it was a tunnel at all. It could've been an underground room for all she knew.

The Executioner gave a small growl when Kana said good job. It didn't understand how humans couldn't do this kind of work on their own. He wasn't a pet. Laying down where he sat, he watched the one ninja get to work. The spikes on it's back slowly fell back into it's fur. For as long as it'd been with Kana, it was wondering why there seemed to be a hint of Felix's chakra lingering within the girl. Laying it's head down onto it's massive claws it dismissed the thought without much more thought and casually looked at the hole.

Felix woke up feeling a little better than before, but it didn't help that the nurse had turned the lights back on. Getting up, he turned them off and then went back to his bed. He knew he should have been doing something, but his head hurt way too much to think, so he laid back down and closed his eyes, falling back into a light sleep. His sleep was interrupted by an array of colors and the figure of a girl in the distance. "Go back to the beginning Felix." The silver haired jonin awoke quickly, looking around. "Meridian?" He blinked his eyes several times. "Just a dream..." He shook his head and laid back down. "I wonder if Kana found the Kage yet."

Kana watched as a few more ninja came to help with digging. Just how far could one hole go, and not leave a trace on the surface? She looked at a short haired brunette woman, who was watching in anticipation. She recognized the woman as a jonin medic she'd been training. Not too great in terms of physical prowess, but the woman knew how to do her job right. "Hey. Once we're through, I'm taking you and another ninja down with me, so get whatever you need now."

The woman looked at Kana. "I have everything I need already with me. I'm good to go," she said with a nod.

"Hey, we're through! Looks like a tunnel," one of the diggers said.

Kana went over to the hole, looking at the one who'd called. "How stable is it? And how much room?"

"It looks fairly well built. A bit like a mole hole. There's not much room. You'd have to crouch just to go through it," he said.

Kana looked to the Executioner. "Thanks for your help. You won't be able to fit through here, so I'll track the Kage myself from here on out." Kana wasn't really sure if the thing could understand her, but that was fine either way. None of the surrounding ninja knew anything about it, so if she talked to it, it was all cool.

The Executioner didn't growl or anything when Kana said she didn't need him anymore. Of course he would do all the hard work and then they'd go prancing through the tunnel and find the Kage and all of his rotting flesh. Felix on the other hand was woken up when his phone started ringing. He opened his eyes and picked it up. "Hello," he asked. He didn't bother to read the number, so he was surprised when he heard his Captain speaking. "Kuriyama, what the hell is going on? I just got word that the Kage is missing. What are you and Kianashi doing there?" Felix sat up. "Stop yelling, my head is killing me. I don't know what happened, but we were attacked. I ended up being knocked out of the window and when I got back, the Kage was missing. I couldn't track them down because I passed out." There was the sound of something mashing against the wall. "You'd better fix this Felix. If something has happened to the Kage, there is no way for me to get you out of it. I've been calling in a lot of favors to save your hide." Felix sighed. "I know," he said as he got up from the bed and started out the door.

While any other time Kana would have noted the lack of growling, now was not one of them. Jumping into the hole, Kana was followed by the medic she'd called upon earlier. "You, come with us. I want someone who knows earth style if this tunnel is a trap," she said as she started forward first. The tunnel was dark, and even though it was daylight outside, it only reached so far. Even so, it wasn't long until Kana noticed a very faint light at the end of the tunnel. But it wasn't any artificial light, so she wasn't sure if the other two could see it. It was the light of chakra. A jutsu being held into place. Just before they entered the opening, Kana stopped and held up a hand. "Hold on."

"What's up?" the medic asked.

"I need an earth style to line this room here so it doesn't cave in."

"....There's a room?"

"Just do it." When Kana was sure that the guy had the room well lined with earth, she told the others to stay there before going forward. She could see the room in a dim glow, and the outline of a figure on the ground, but she was sure the others couldn't. When she got closer, she recognized the figure as the Kage's. "Shit, it's the Kage," she called back to them, immediately checking his pulse. His chakra wasn't flowing normally, in fact she'd only ever seen such slow chakra flow in recently deceased corpses. And he didn't have a pulse. She couldn't see well enough to pinpoint injuries, so she just called the medic over to help her carry him back to above ground. "Dammit dammit dammit," she muttered the entire way. When they arrived above ground, Kana helped get the Kage out, before she immediately started on giving orders. "Get him to the hospital, stat, I want three medics on him at all times, he has no pulse, but he didn't pass long ago either. We might be able to bring him back, but not if we don't move our asses," she said. Now there was a small crowding of ninja and civilians around the area, all wondering what the sudden uproar of orders was.

There were too things Kana was very worried about, and it wasn't the Kage's life. At least, not primarily. It was what his death could lead to. Felix's one job had been to protect the Kage, and if the man died on his watch, that was going to be his ass. And two, if the Kage died now, there was little Felix and her could do to stop Aidelia from getting to the top short of killing her, which would cause some massive problems between the villages.