Natsuhi looked at Mufasa with surprise in her eyes.
This man—who claimed to be the leader of Tekkadan—spoke with unwavering conviction.
"Scar, what are you thinking?" she asked, still unsure if she could trust him.
Mufasa's face turned serious, no trace of his usual easygoing smile. "We take the village back. Simple as that."
Natsuhi shook her head slowly. "Akahoshi is strong... and he has a lot of followers."
She glanced at Sumaru and Hokuto.
"We… we have the will to fight, but these two are still just kids. We can't take on a tyrant like Akahoshi."
Her voice wavered, helpless.
Mufasa leaned in, eyes reflecting the firelight like twin stars. "Is running really the only way?"
His voice softened. "This is your home. You must have countless memories tied to it—things you love. Are you really ready to hand it all over to a tyrant like him?"
Natsuhi's breath caught. Her mind flooded with memories—her husband, their quiet life, Sumaru playing by the stream, training under the stars.
She clenched her fists, tears forming.
Sumaru and Hokuto, seeing her cry, started tearing up too.
"What else can we do?" Natsuhi whispered, broken.
"What choice do we have?"
Mufasa stood tall, voice full of strength. "You've got a choice right now. Join us—fight alongside Tekkadan and take back your village. Or walk away and let it fall."
Natsuhi stared at him, eyes glassy.
"Join… you?"
Mufasa smirked. "We may look like a bunch of travelers, but we've been through some of the roughest places in the world. We know how to survive—and fight."
He nodded. "Let us help you."
Natsuhi hesitated, then gave a small nod.
Her eyes moved across the Tekkadan members—just six of them.
"But there's so few of you."
"Doesn't matter how many," Mufasa replied. "What matters is how well we fight."
Sumaru stepped forward with doubt written all over his face. "You say you can fight, but the Mysterious Peacock Method is powerful. I doubt you could even beat me."
Mufasa grinned. "Shun, warm up with young Sumaru."
Shun cracked his knuckles and stepped into the clearing.
Mufasa turned to Natsuhi. "Don't mind us, ma'am. Consider it a friendly match."
Natsuhi, curious, gave a nod. "Sumaru, be careful."
Everyone stepped back, forming a loose circle around the two.
Sumaru's chakra flared up, glowing feathers forming behind him like a peacock's tail.
His hands moved swiftly into signs.
"Mysterious Peacock Method: Beast Form!"
Chakra twisted and morphed into the shape of a large, snarling wolf.
With a roar, the beast lunged forward toward Shun.
But just as it looked like it would hit—
Whoosh.
A blur of motion.
The wolf's claws struck nothing but dirt.
Shun had vanished from the spot.
Sumaru spun around, eyes scanning the area.
But he was gone. No trace.
Natsuhi and Hokuto called out from the side. "Sumaru, you've lost."
He shook his head stubbornly. "I didn't lose!"
A soft tap landed on his shoulder.
He turned quickly.
It was Shun.
Turns out, Shun was incredibly fast.
Sumaru blinked in confusion. One moment, Shun had been in front of him, and the next—he was behind.
If Shun had wanted to, he could've ended the match right there. Sumaru never saw it coming.
The boy lowered his head, sulking as he walked back to Natsuhi.
Even Natsuhi, a seasoned Jonin, was stunned by Shun's speed.
"Scar," she said, impressed, "your team is something else."
Mufasa gave a modest shrug. "They're decent. Still rough around the edges."
Then he leaned forward slightly, tone more serious. "So… are you feeling more confident now?"
Watching Tekkadan in action lit a spark in Natsuhi's chest. Maybe… just maybe they had a chance.
"We might stand a chance," she admitted. "But how do we handle Akahoshi?"
She glanced at the sleeping kids and lowered her voice. "We could sneak in. Assassinate him quietly. That's probably the safest bet."
Mufasa waved it off. "No need for all that cloak and dagger."
He grinned. "You bring us into the village, and we'll take him out right in front of everyone."
Natsuhi blinked. "Seriously?"
"Dead serious. It's a small village. Assassinating him like he's some big deal would just inflate his ego."
He laughed softly as he inwardly thought 'If anything, it'll look like I'm doing that bastard a favor. A Kazekage hunting him, he has an insane luck...'
Natsuhi wasn't sure if he was brave or just insane.
Maybe both.
"You're not kidding?"
Mufasa patted his chest with confidence. "Scout's honor. Just take us there. If you're worried, you can lay low after we're in."
But Natsuhi wasn't one to step back.
"Captain, if you're brave enough to walk into the lion's den, then we're coming with you. We'll see this through."
Mufasa nodded. "Then we rest tonight. Tomorrow, we move. Akahoshi won't know what hit him."
The fire crackled, spitting sparks into the night.
Sumaru and Hokuto had already curled up under the blankets, fast asleep.
Natsuhi tucked them in and turned back to Mufasa, her voice softer.
"Scar… what happens to our village after this?"
Taking down Akahoshi might avenge the Third Hoshikage, but what came next?
Natsuhi looked toward the stars.
The village had been built around that cursed meteorite for too long.
Its power was addicting—but poisonous.
Without the star, how would Hoshigakure survive?
Mufasa leaned against the cave wall, arms crossed, expression calm.
"Lady Natsuhi," he said, smiling gently, "as long as you keep walking, the road will always be there."
"That's how it is with people. We stumble. We fall. But we keep moving."
His voice was steady, like a quiet river. "There'll be rough patches, for sure. But there'll also be light—and joy."
Natsuhi looked at him for a moment, then closed her eyes.
Maybe he was right.
Maybe it was time to walk forward again.
...
Star Ninja Village had set up a poisonous fog barrier around its borders—thick, eerie, and deadly. Anyone foolish enough to enter without preparation would be doomed.
Natsuhi originally thought that Sumaru and Hokuto would wait outside. She still wasn't sure if she could fully trust Tekkadan.
Mufasa turned to her with a calm expression. "Don't worry, ma'am. Bring them along."
Sumaru and Hokuto had insisted on coming. Seeing their determination, Natsuhi gave in and led the group toward the village.
A sickly green haze drifted around the outskirts. Through the fog, the village's crude wooden houses came into view.
Star Ninja Village wasn't large—just a humble settlement of around 2,000 people.
Without the alien meteorite that had crashed here years ago, this place would've been forgotten like any other backwater town.
That meteorite, though... it stirred the chakra of the villagers and sparked dreams far beyond their means. It was a village of fools chasing stardust.
"Let's take the side path," Natsuhi suggested cautiously.
"Nah," Mufasa said, shaking his head with a grin. "I only walk straight roads."
Natsuhi frowned. "But there's poisonous mist all around. One breath and you're done for."
Before she could argue more, Gojo stepped forward. He clasped his hands in a seal. "Wind Style: Inverse Tornado!"
A violent wind surged from his mouth, spiraling forward in a roaring vortex. It swept the poison fog like a vacuum cleaner, sucking it up completely.
When the wind died down, Gojo patted his slightly swollen stomach and let out a loud burp—green mist puffing from his nose.
Everyone stared.
Natsuhi, Sumaru, and Hokuto stood speechless.
This man just swallowed poison fog like it was ramen steam.
Gojo smirked and gave them a playful wink.
Mufasa chuckled. "Let's go."
He strode forward with casual confidence. Natsuhi and the others followed close behind while the rest of Tekkadan fanned out to watch their backs.
The village wasn't large, but that burst of chakra from Domeki's jutsu had definitely alerted someone.
High above, at the shrine-like Hoshi Sacrificial House, Akahoshi stood watching. The peak gave him a perfect view of the village. Yotaka and Shisō, his loyal followers, rushed to his side.
"Lord Akahoshi, intruders! Someone's broken through the barrier!"
Akahoshi scowled. "I saw."
"It looks like... Natsuhi's with them," Yotaka said, squinting. "Could she have brought help?"
"Hmph. That woman still doesn't know her place."
Shisō asked, "Should we mobilize the Anbu?"
Akahoshi ignored the question. "Tell me, are there still villagers unhappy with me being the new Hoshikage?"
Shisō replied, "There are whispers, but no one dares speak openly."
Akahoshi's eyes narrowed.
"Fools. None of them understand the burden I carry. That old fool—the Third—wanted to ban the star training. Said it was dangerous. Weak. Pathetic."
"Without the Mysterious Peacock Method, how could we ever compete with the other great villages in the Land of Bears?"
Yotaka and Shisō nodded in unison. "You're right, my lord."
Akahoshi's voice grew louder, more manic.
"We won't just keep the Mysterious Peacock Method—we'll master it! Perfect it! And when we're strong enough... we'll take our place among the Five Great Nations!"
"Star Village will rise! And I—I—will be the Kage the world recognizes!"
Shisō and Yotaka : "You are mighty, my lord!"
Akahoshi raised his arms dramatically. "Let them come! I'll make an example of them! Natsuhi's corpse will serve as a warning."
Meanwhile, down in the village, Mufasa strolled casually through the streets like he was sightseeing.
Natsuhi kept scanning their surroundings, tense and ready for a surprise attack.
But no one came. It was too quiet.
Mufasa waved at a few villagers peeking out from behind doors.
"Hey there! Nice day, huh?"
The villagers quickly shut their doors.
Tekkadan continued on, reaching the mountain's peak with no resistance.
There, in front of the sacred Hoshi Shrine, stood Akahoshi flanked by Yotaka and Shisō.
Natsuhi's fists clenched at the sight of him. Her eyes burned with emotion.
"Akahoshi! You were the Third's most trusted! Why did you betray him?!"
Akahoshi didn't answer right away.
His eyes scanned the group.
What kind of team was this?
None of them looked like elite shinobi. One wore beach shorts. Another had flip-flops and was licking an ice cream. Someone else had a comic book tucked under their arm. Sunglasses. Tank tops. Smokes.
They looked more like a group of tourists than fighters.
Akahoshi frowned. Had Natsuhi been scammed by a bunch of wanderers?
"Answer me!" Natsuhi yelled, stepping forward.
Akahoshi sneered. "You were banished by the Third himself. You have no place here. Why return?"
"He sent me away to protect me!" Natsuhi snapped. "Because I stood against the Mysterious Peacock Method! He didn't want me caught in the conflict. He still trusted me. You were the one he believed in most. And you stabbed him in the back."
Akahoshi scoffed. "He was weak. Senile. Clinging to old fears."
"He tried to bury power instead of using it. So yes, I killed him. I did what he couldn't."
That was the last straw.
Natsuhi roared and charged forward.
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Word count: 1817
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