The circus grounds felt different under the cover of darkness. Colorful banners that had fluttered cheerfully in daylight now hung like ghostly shadows, while the distant glow of oil lamps created pools of amber light between vast stretches of blackness.
Hikaru crouched behind a stack of performance equipment, his breathing steady and controlled as he watched the last of the evening's cleanup activities. Workers moved with practiced efficiency, securing gear and checking animal enclosures before heading to their rest areas.
"Excellent work today, everyone!" Aruaru's voice carried across the grounds as he led his final inspection tour. The ringmaster's sequined jacket caught the lamplight as he gestured to his assistants. "Nishikawa-kun, make sure all the special containment areas are secure. We can't afford any incidents."
"Yes, boss!" replied the serious-looking man Hikaru now knew was Nishikawa. "I'll personally verify every seal before retiring."
Hikaru pressed himself deeper into the shadows, his eyes tracking the two men as they completed their rounds. His shoulders relaxed slightly—this was exactly what he'd hoped for. Confirmation that Nishikawa would be the last person to check on Fushigi's cage before the staff settled in for the night.
After what felt like hours of careful observation, the circus grounds finally grew quiet. Most workers had retreated to their quarters, leaving only a few guards making periodic patrols of the outer perimeter.
Time to move.
Hikaru emerged from his hiding spot and began tracking Aruaru's movements. The ringmaster walked with his characteristic theatrical flair even when alone, humming show tunes under his breath as he headed toward his personal tent.
As Aruaru approached the entrance adorned with mustache banners, Hikaru positioned himself carefully and formed the hand seals for his first technique.
"Magen: Chitose Yume no Jutsu," (Demonic Illusion: Dream of a Thousand Year Technique)
He whispered, directing the sleep-inducing genjutsu toward the tired ringmaster.
The effect was immediate. Aruaru's steps faltered as his eyelids grew heavy, and he swayed slightly while reaching for his tent flap. Before he could collapse and create noise, Hikaru darted forward to catch him.
"Heavier than he looks," Hikaru grunted, half-carrying the unconscious man into the tent and placing him on a cot covered with elaborate costume pieces.
Working quickly, Hikaru searched through Aruaru's personal items until he found the small bottle of cologne he had smelled earlier. He uncapped it and inhaled carefully—yes, this was the distinctive scent that would complete his disguise.
"Now for the hard part," Hikaru muttered, wiping sweat from his palms before taking a deep breath to center himself.
The Shadow Clone Technique was one of his most demanding jutsu, requiring substantial chakra reserves that he would need to maintain throughout the entire operation. But without it, he couldn't be in two places at once.
He formed the handseal and smoke filled the tent as his clone materialized, sharing his memories and understanding the plan perfectly. The duplicate immediately reached for the cologne bottle.
"Remember to copy his mannerisms," Hikaru advised as his clone applied the scent carefully. "Aruaru never just talks—he performs every word."
"Got it," the clone replied, already practicing the ringmaster's theatrical gestures before forming transformation seals.
Another puff of smoke revealed a perfect replica of Aruaru, complete with the distinctive mustache and elaborate costume. The transformation was flawless except for the missing natural scent, which the cologne would cover.
"Walk like you're always on stage," Hikaru suggested as his transformed clone practiced the ringmaster's swagger.
The clone puffed out his chest and gestured grandly. "How's this?"
"Perfect. Now go find Nishikawa and convince him to remove those seals. I'll maintain the genjutsu here."
As his clone departed on the most dangerous part of their mission, Hikaru settled beside the sleeping Aruaru and began the delicate process of maintaining the sleep technique. His brow furrowed in concentration as he focused on the constant but minimal chakra flow—like keeping a candle burning rather than stoking a fire.
Outside, the clone strode through the circus grounds with Aruaru's characteristic confidence. Workers who passed him bowed respectfully, accustomed to their leader's evening inspections. The clone returned their greetings with theatrical waves, his chest swelling with each successful interaction.
After several minutes of searching, the clone spotted Nishikawa organizing equipment near the main performance tent. The assistant worked with methodical precision, checking each item against a written list.
"Nishikawa-kun!" the clone called out, putting theatrical emphasis on every syllable just as the real Aruaru would.
"Boss!" Nishikawa straightened immediately, setting down his checklist. "I was just completing the final equipment check. Is there something you need?"
The clone stroked his false mustache thoughtfully, copying a gesture he'd observed throughout the day. "I want to visit our special guest from the Land of Snow. Perhaps tonight we can finally convince it to join our performances willingly."
Nishikawa's brow furrowed with concern. "Sir, we've attempted communication several times already. The creature shows no interest in cooperation."
"Persistence, my dear assistant!" the clone declared with Aruaru's boundless enthusiasm. "Great artists never surrender after initial setbacks. Tonight, we try a different approach—one based on trust rather than containment."
"Trust, boss?" Nishikawa asked uncertainly.
"Indeed! How can we ask this magnificent creature to trust us if we don't demonstrate our faith first?" The clone gestured dramatically. "Lead me to the bird tent, Nishikawa-kun. Tonight we either gain a willing performer or prove that some spirits are meant to remain free."
Despite obvious reservations, Nishikawa nodded obediently. "Of course, boss. This way."
The animal tent felt oppressive in the lamplight, filled with empty cages and the lingering scents of exotic creatures. Most performing birds had been moved to secure nighttime enclosures, leaving only the special cases requiring constant supervision.
"There," Nishikawa said, pointing toward Fushigi's ornate cage hanging in the upper corner. "Shall I bring it down?"
"Please," the clone replied, his eyes tracking carefully as Nishikawa operated a pulley system to lower the cage.
Fushigi sat motionless on his perch, golden eyes reflecting the lamplight as he studied the two humans with obvious intelligence. The sealing scrolls around his cage glowed faintly, their chakra suppression still active.
"Now then," the clone said, observing the complex seal arrangement with professional interest, "remove the containment seals so we can speak as equals."
Nishikawa's eyes widened in alarm. "Boss, that's extremely dangerous! Without the seals, the eagle could escape or attack us. The containment is the only thing—"
"Trust must be earned through demonstration," the clone interrupted with quiet authority. "How can we expect this magnificent creature to have faith in us if we show none in return?"
The assistant hesitated, his hand hovering uncertainly over the sealing papers. "Sir, I really think we should reconsider this approach. The risk—"
"Is mine to take," the clone said firmly. "Remove the seals, Nishikawa-kun. I accept full responsibility for whatever happens."
With obvious reluctance, Nishikawa began the careful process of deactivating the containment array. He moved around the cage systematically, peeling away individual sealing papers that had been attached to specific points on the ornate structure. His hands worked methodically as he removed each component of the complex array holding Fushigi prisoner.
After witnessing Nishikawa's actions, the clone's shoulders dropped slightly as tension released. The assistant was indeed capable of lifting the seal—this had been a major concern in his planning. His jaw would have clenched with worry if he had miscalculated and discovered that Nishikawa was only responsible for basic maintenance while someone else handled the actual sealing work.
As the seals powered down, the golden eagle lifted his head with renewed alertness, but remained perfectly still on his perch. His piercing gaze focused on the clone with unmistakable intelligence, yet he made no move to escape.
"There," Nishikawa said nervously as the last restraints faded, his voice cracking with obvious relief at Fushigi's apparent docility. "The containment is disabled. The eagle seems quite obedient without the—"
He never finished the sentence. The clone quickly formed hand seals and directed his technique toward the unsuspecting assistant.
Nishikawa's eyes grew heavy as the sleep-inducing genjutsu took hold. As confusion clouded his thoughts, he began experiencing vivid hallucinations. In his dreamlike state, he witnessed his boss suddenly collapse to the floor, though in reality the clone remained standing.
"What... what's happening..." Nishikawa mumbled, swaying unsteadily as panic struck him within the illusion. "Boss... something's wrong... I need to put the seal back..."
Nishikawa's hands fumbled toward the sealing papers, but his movements became increasingly sluggish. Within moments he collapsed and fell asleep on the tent floor, breathing steadily. From the moment he had lifted the seal, everything had happened so quickly that he couldn't distinguish reality from dream.
"You came back!" Fushigi exclaimed, spreading his magnificent wings as he looked at the clone.
The clone's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You knew it was me?"
The golden eagle launched himself from the cage to perch on top of another nearby enclosure, his golden eyes gleaming with intelligence. "Your illusion could fool some people, but not me."
The clone chuckled and immediately dispelled the transformation jutsu, returning to his real appearance in a puff of smoke. "Well, I did promise that I would come back."
"I didn't think it would be this soon," Fushigi said, tilting his head as he observed the boy more closely. His feathers ruffled slightly with what appeared to be surprise that Hikaru had managed to pull off such a complex rescue plan.
"I need to cause some chaos here before this guy wakes up," the clone interrupted, gesturing toward the unconscious Nishikawa. "You need to leave when it happens. Are you ready?"
Understanding the urgency, Fushigi nodded his elegant head. "I'm ready. What's your plan?"
The clone moved toward the other cages in the tent with determined purpose. "The best kind—complete chaos."
Opening cage after cage in rapid succession, the clone released birds of every description. Parrots screeched indignantly, songbirds darted frantically toward any opening, and exotic species from distant lands filled the tent with flapping wings and raucous calls. The careful organization of the circus's collection dissolved into beautiful chaos.
"Thanks!" Fushigi called over the noise as he prepared for flight, his voice carrying genuine gratitude.
As the golden eagle soared through a gap in the tent roof and disappeared into the star-filled sky above Konoha, the clone turned his attention to the unconscious Nishikawa. He knelt beside the assistant and placed his hand gently on the man's forehead.
One final genjutsu would ensure that when Nishikawa eventually woke, his memories of the evening would be thoroughly scrambled. The clone's face tightened with concentration as he wove a tricky illusion that would make the assistant's recollections feel like fragments of bizarre, layered dreams—dreams within dreams that would be impossible to distinguish from reality.
"Sweet dreams," the clone murmured as he felt his chakra reserves approaching their limits. "May you spend a long time trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't."
With the technique complete, the clone allowed himself to disperse, his remaining chakra and accumulated memories flowing back to Hikaru's original body. The rescue had succeeded perfectly, leaving behind only confusion and a tent full of very agitated birds.
In Aruaru's tent, Hikaru suddenly straightened as his clone's experiences flooded his consciousness. His hand pressed against his temple as the memories integrated, showing him that the rescue had succeeded perfectly, though the effort had drained most of his remaining reserves.
Quickly, he applied one final genjutsu to the still-sleeping ringmaster. When Aruaru eventually woke, he would believe he had visited the bird tent himself, only to collapse from exhaustion among the escaped animals.
Shouts of confusion echoed from the direction of the animal tent as workers discovered the chaos of freed birds. Hikaru slipped out into the night air, moving carefully through the shadows as he made his way toward Konoha's streets.
He paused at the edge of the circus grounds, pressing himself against a tree while his eyes scanned the area behind him. Had anyone seen him leave Aruaru's tent? The worker shouts seemed focused on the bird situation, but circus security might be more thorough than he'd anticipated.
A twig snapped somewhere in the darkness behind him, making his heart race. Hikaru froze, his breathing shallow as he strained his ears for any other sounds. Was someone following him? His hands clenched involuntarily as the night seemed full of potential threats—footsteps that might be guards, shadows that could be pursuers.
After several tense minutes of listening, he heard only the distant commotion from the circus and the normal sounds of Konoha's nighttime activity. Still, the hair on the back of his neck remained raised.
Moving with deliberate stealth, Hikaru took an indirect route home, doubling back twice and pausing frequently to check for pursuit. His head turned at every sound as he considered the possibilities. The genjutsu techniques should have prevented accurate memories, but what if someone had seen something they shouldn't have?
He slipped through back alleys and side streets, avoiding the main roads where torchlight might reveal his presence. Every shadow made his shoulders tense, every distant sound caused him to pause and listen. The successful rescue felt less triumphant when weighed against the possibility of discovery.
Only when he finally reached his own neighborhood did Hikaru's posture begin to relax. The familiar sights and sounds of home provided comfort, though he remained alert until his front door was safely locked behind him.
"Made it," he whispered, leaning against the door as his shoulders finally dropped completely. The rescue had succeeded, but the real test would come tomorrow—whether anyone connected the night's events to a certain early-graduated genin from Konoha.
For now, though, Fushigi was free, flying somewhere above the village under the starlit sky. That knowledge made all the risks worthwhile. The golden eagle had trusted him to keep his promise, and he had delivered.
Hikaru's lips curved upward slightly as he prepared for bed, already wondering if he would ever see the golden eagle again. Somehow, he suspected their paths would cross once more when the time was right.