* * * * *
SOMEWHERE IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS
(THIRTEEN YEARS EARLIER)
The master chunin dropped to one deferential knee as he entered the darkened chamber.
"Forgive this intrusion, Jonin-sama."
"Hai, Kohai-san?"
"I bring word from one of our people in Tokyo. The American CIA wish us to do them another favor."
"And what might that be?"
"The double-agent we trained for them (the one we dubbed 'Mujina-san') has apparently succumbed to cumulative hormone imbalance. He has become an indiscriminate killer of yaoi!"
"Where?"
"In the American city of San Francisco."
The high priest of the Heikegani-ryu momentarily pondered what he had heard.
"Using what we taught him?"
"Hai, Jonin-sama."
"How close are the American authorities to finding him?"
"The local police have called in the FBI...and their much-vaunted Behavioral Crimes Unit."
"Then, we have no time to lose. Send for Tanuki-san."
"Hai, Jonin-sama!"
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
(ONE WEEK LATER)
Jordan Trask (born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin) carefully refastened the padlock on the chicken-wired door of the dovecote. After which, he checked the door to the roof access stairway, Smilingly reassuring himself that the masking tape he had put over the wedge-shaped bolts was still in place. He then stealthily made his way down those stairs to an almost-identical door. And, from there, he ultimately returned to his hotel room.
It was only while hanging up his midnight-black apparel that he sensed the other's presence.
"Alright! Show yourself."
The genin who re-enlarged before him bowed upon regaining full size.
"Tanuki???" exclaimed the ex-CIA operative.
"Long time/no see, Jordie. I'd ask how you're doing. But, I've read the local papers."
"Including my sister's obituary?!"
"My condolences on that. Really! She was a credit to her calling. Which is why I know she'd be the first to disapprove of what you're doing in her name!"
"Surely, you don't approve of their lifestyle, Tanuki."
"The drunk driver that killed her could just as easily have been straight. But, that's moot. You've given him the Old Testament-style punishment he deserved. And the same for the bartender who didn't cut him off. Leave it at that, and go back to teaching ESL in Tokyo!"
Jordan Trask shook his head.
"Not until every single one of them has been eradicated from this city."
'I can't let you do that, Jordie. Jonin-sama's orders."
Trask grinned, mercilessly.
" 'Nothing must endanger our sacred anonymity?' " he quoted.
Tanuki nodded: "Not even CHI."
"Then get to it," ordered Trask: "Kill me...if you can."
Twenty minutes later, Tanuki shrank down to two inches tall to hide out from the FBI/SFPD raiding party that busted into the hotel room intent on arresting Trask. Only to find the latter's corpse...
...which Tanuki had only had time to shrink down to three feet in height.
* * * * *
GEN. WM. MITCHELL ANG BASE (AUG. 2014)
CHET NORTHFIELD'S P.O.V.
"Fire in the hole!" exclaimed a new voice from up in the rafters.
A second later, a trio of "flash-bang" grenades went off, one right after the other This was followed by the staccato reports of an M-16 being fired on semi-automatic mode. Which, of course, did nothing to lessen the collective ringing in everybody's ears. Even mine!
[Hey! We were trussed up in those nets like chickens. Making it virtually impossible to cover our ears, effectively. At least, not in time to heed that seemingly miraculous warning.]
When the disorientation finally passed, however, the first thing I noticed was that the net surrounding me was gone. And, so were the nets surrounding everyone else. The second thing I noticed was even more interesting. The ninja holding the M-16/M-203 combo that had saved our asses was wearing brown face paint beneath a black domino mask. Making him look just like a Japanese raccoon dog.
Also known as... a "tanuki."
tbc
Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
A slight detour.
Chapter End Notes:
Chunin: the ninjitsu equivalent of a junior officer.
Jonin: the headmaster of a ninja ryu,
Mujina: Japanese term for "badger" (state mammal of Wisconsin).
Yaoi: Japanese term for homosexuality.
Jonin: the headmaster of a ninja ryu,
Mujina: Japanese term for "badger" (state mammal of Wisconsin).
Yaoi: Japanese term for homosexuality.