04x40 - Hoshikage, The Buried Truth

[bunniefuu]

Rock away your existence,

Shouting that you are here...

A new journey begins now.

As we survived through
the changing seasons,

we gained knowledge and strength,
(just looks like a survival game)

But the forgotten memories,

of the feelings abandoned within
the flows of time,

have also been lost.

When sinking down,
we learned loneliness.

But now we've met each other,
we are no longer alone.

Unveil your feelings,
Those high emotions

Those tears will change your fate.

Pound your heartbeat
against the darkness,

We're sure to meet,
Under the same flag of pain

Byakugan!

Why did you take down Naruto
with her?!

It was an accident...

Had I not applied the finishing blow
to her at the moment,

we would've been in danger instead.

I know of no instance

of the Ninja Art: Kujaku
being defeated up until now...

He will be missed.

Hidden Leaf Shinobi,
your mission is over.

I still haven't taken back the star.

We'll search for it by ourselves.
Thank you for your help.

Hoshikage. The Buried Truth

Rest easy...
I'm not an enemy.

Come to think of it...
What happened after I fell off the cliff?

Could it be...?
Did you save me, lady?

Yes...

I see.
I don't really remember, though...

Well anyway, you saved me! Thanks.

I'm Naruto, a Ninja from
the Village Hidden in the Leaves and...

Umm, I came to protect the star, but...

You kind of stole it, lady...

I'm Natsuhi...

Natsuhi? What?
I've heard that name before...

Oh!

That red star's sure pretty.

Natsuhiboshi...
It watches over me all the time.

It's the same name
as Natsuhiboshi.

If I remember right,

Sumaru said it's a star
that protects him!

Sumaru said that?

Yeah! Say, lady...
Do you know him?

Sumaru is my child.

What?! So, you're Sumaru's mom?!

What?! Sumaru escaped?!

I am very sorry.

I was careless thinking
the muscle relaxants were still in effect.

Most likely the guys from
the Hidden Leaf

are the ones who took him away...

What do we do?

It'd be bad news if these circumstances
were to be known

by the Leaf, no,
by those in our village.

We've got to look high and low
for Sumaru right away.

There's no need to get rattled...

We can take care of them at
our leisure after we find the star.

I got it. If we tell the Village Hidden
in the Leaves something like

they d*ed during the mission...

We could also convince Sumaru.

I b*rned Natsuhi's Chakra
into my memory...

We'll reach the star

if we follow the remnants
of her Chakra.

Naruto was?

Yeah. Along with the Kunoichi
who stole the star.

But I didn't see them
in the Valley of Death...

Are you saying they escaped from
the valley

where the poison gas swirls?

Perhaps.

If that's the case,

they might have crossed the border
and escaped safely to the forest...

Hey, let's all look for them!

What's the deal, guys?!

Naruto helped all of you,
didn't he?!

But if we don't have an order
from Lord Akahoshi... Right?

Yeah...

We don't have time to be waiting
for an order! I'm going!

I'm going...

I'll go too, if it's to look for Naruto.

Mizura, you can't.

I want to be useful in some way.

No... I'll go.

Sumaru?!

You're okay!

We safely rescued him from
the Hoshikage's medical room

where he was being held!

What? Why was he in
Lord Hoshikage's medical room?

It wasn't a Ninja from
some other village

who knocked you all out
and took Sumaru away!

Akahoshi, the leader of your village
was the culprit!

In other words, the Shinobi
who made off with the star

and the Shinobi who att*cked all
of you were different people.

That's what Neji deduced
word for word.

Why would Lord Akahoshi...?

Why would he do that to us?

What does this mean, Sumaru?

I don't know, either!

But it seems Lord Akahoshi
is hiding something from us...

Isn't it about time you guys realized it?

Akahoshi's using you as he pleases.

Mizura is not the exception.

If you guys continue
training this way,

everyone will collapse and then...

No way...

It can't be. That's a lie!

Lord Akahoshi is not that
kind of person, ever!

Perhaps the Shinobi
who stole the star will tell the truth.

Let's find the Shinobi who disappeared,
whatever the cost!

The forest in the Land of Bears
is deep.

If only outsiders go,
they'd just get lost.

Okay, work with us.

So leave this to me.

But...

You rest now.

At some point, the time will come
when we'll need your help.

How about it, Akahoshi?

Were you able to get a lead on
the remnants of Natsuhi's Chakra?

This is good.

I guess this is what's called
good old home cooking.

There's more.

One more bowl!

But why'd you do something like
steal the star, Sumaru's mom?

This is not the first and only time
I took that away.

Ten years ago as well...

Huh?

Training utilizing that star was painful
for many Shinobi at the time

and even caused many deaths.

My husband Hotarubi and I
who survived the training...

thought to seal the star to prevent
any more victims due to the training.

A Tracking Unit immediately caught up
with us after we had stolen the star.

Hold it!

Lord Third Hoshikage...

Hotarubi... Natsuhi...
Your thoughts are reasonable...

As it happens, I was also wavering.

But in the position of Hoshikage,
it was difficult to make a decision.

I promise to terminate
the star training.

But the hard line faction
of the Star Village

might at some point
resume the training...

You two must leave this village!

I want you to keep an eye on
the village from the outside.

And if it seems that the training
will begin once again...

Please stop it with
your power.

Lord Hoshikage...

For Sumaru...

Tell Sumaru that... we d*ed.
Please be good to him.

Yes, I understand.

Upon allowing us to leave the village,

the Lord Third Hoshikage completely
prohibited the star training.

Like us, the Third Hoshikage
was also distressed

at the damage from
the star training.

Neji was also talking about that.

But are the effects from
the star that severe?!

Yes. My husband Hotarubi d*ed
due to side effects

a while after leaving the village...

I might also die at any time
from the effects.

No way...

Then let's go back to
the village!

Tell Akahoshi directly to
stop the training!

Akahoshi is a man who puts
the prosperity of the village

ahead of the lives of
the children.

As proof of that,
he has taken Sumaru hostage

and has demanded that
I return the star.

What?! Then the masked Ninja
from that time was...

Hold it!

Farewell!

Wh What?!

It was Akahoshi?!

What is it, Sumaru's mom?

They've...
Akahoshi has come.

Is this the place?

Where's the star being hidden?

Hotarubi... Please protect
the star, protect Sumaru...

The star is under that rock...

But it seems the entrance
is sealed...

What can we do with
a boulder like this...?

Our only choice is to blow it up
little by little with Letter Bombs.

I won't let you do that!

Wha?!

Didn't this brat die in
the Valley of Death?

I won't be done in just like that,
believe it!

You guys step back.

Then I just have to do it again.

Ninja Art: Kujaku Beast!

Here we go!

You're mine!

I saw that move coming!
Become a sacrifice for my beast!

What?!

Natsuhi... So you were alive too,
after all, huh?

Akahoshi, reconsider one more time...

If you stop the star training
and release the children,

I'll have no more to do
with the village...

I don't think so!

The Third Hoshikage was stubborn

and never wavered
in his opposition.

Opposition to those of us
who trained Star Ninja

and attempted to bring prosperity
to the village...

No! As long as I,
the Third Hoshikage, am alive,

the resumption of that training
will never be allowed!

Return to your posts... That is all.

Have you lost your mind...

Akahoshi?

You're the one who's lost his mind!

Rest easy and go to
the other world...

Our generation will
raise this village

to rival that of
the Five Great Hidden Villages...

Was this... really okay?

It was necessary for the sake
of the village, right?

Exactly! We can do star training
as we please.

Unforgivable!

What do you think of all those
who are training frantically,

believing in you guys?!

One's even on the verge of dying!
Do you understand that?!

Sacrifice is unavoidable for
the sake of village prosperity.

A Shinobi is merely a tool for that.

For the sake of village prosperity?

Knock it off!

All you're doing is deceiving
the people in the village!

This is a Star Village issue...
I will settle this.

B-But!

Step back!

Yotaka, Shisou!

Wha?! He devoured
his comrades' Chakra!

My Chakra beast has a full stomach.

Things won't go as they did before.

Talk is cheap!

Sumaru's mom...

Yesterday's Call Sign,
was all from my cell phone.

In a strange park,
I play the Fuzz Guitar without enthusiasm.

Yellow Moon.

Even now, counting to three,
I open my eyes

Shadow Moon I am still dreaming.

Look at my eyes, look at my eyes,
as we face one another's back

Look at my eyes, when can we meet?

EveryDay EveryNight
With every word I can think of

Right away, my messy feelings as is,

A magical chord change, in a restless city

A daily JAZZ Guitar played
in a soft minor key

Neji, how's Sumaru's mom doing?

She's stable for now,

but her condition can worsen
at any moment.

What?

Her Chakra Network that had
already been weakened

due to the side effects of the star
before she received Akahoshi's att*ck.

In other words,
her Chakra Network is all b*at up?

Hey, Granny Tsunade
could heal her, right?

I don't know.

But either way,

if she were to use
the Ninja Art: Kujaku any further,

there's no guarantee she'll live.

Next time:
"Reunion: The Remaining Time"