Title: Night raid on Konoha

Rating: G, action

Pairing / Characters: Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikaku, Nara Shikamaru, Ichiraku and Ayame

Word Count: 1,133 words

Warnings: Nothing, I should think

Summary: Konoha experiences a night raid

A/N: The first of twelve (!) chapters. I decided to do each chapter as an hour in which the night raid takes place.

Silently, swiftly, four dozen ninja from Kirigakure sped towards the hidden village of Konoha. Their orders were simple: infiltrate, search and destroy all hidden leaf forces and ensure that Konoha would never be able to regain its military power. The further assassination of the Fifth would complete their mission.

Cloaked in mist, Kirigakure's finest shinobi moved through the growing shadows.

Half past six to half past seven

It was a relatively peaceful evening in the village. Many people were still outdoors, enjoying the balmy summery air, and among them, the slender figure of Hyuuga Hinata wandered through the crowds alone.

Quite used to spending her free time by herself; Hinata was on her way to Yamanaka Flowers to see if she could find something unusual to complete her collection with.

She took a deep breath of the fresh air, folding her hands behind her back, a tiny spring in her step as she remembered the morning's events, when the object of her affections had greeted her and offered to walk with her to the training grounds…

Hinata's eyes were drawn by Ichiraku's ramen stand, the bright lights and lanterns highlighting the bright hair and jacket that lay over an unoccupied chair. Hinata smiled. Naruto-kun would be having dinner now, and she was happy to hear how cheerful his voice sounded. Things had been so stressful for him lately she knew, and she was glad to see him back on his feet when it counted.

She walked past the ramen stand and took a shortcut through a side alley that lead almost straight to Yamanaka Flowers. It was only then that something odd caught her attention – mist.

Hinata frowned. Surely – no, it wasn't possible for there to be mist on such a clear, warm evening. Stepping into the shadows, Hinata performed the seals that would activate her byakugan, and searched her surroundings. At first she saw nothing, but focusing in the way she had been taught, she soon made out at least a dozen dark shapes leaping from rooftop to rooftop. It seemed like the mist was concealing them, and her silver eyes widened as she came to the only obvious conclusion.

Turning, Hinata flew back the way she came, straight towards Ichiraku ramen.

'How was your mission, Naruto?'

Naruto beamed at Ichiraku. 'Success! We even got back early, but I thought I would come here to eat; everything at home went funny.'

Ayame laughed softly. 'That's what happens when you're away for a week.'

Naruto broke apart a set of chopsticks. 'Itadakimasu!'

He ate at his usual speed, ignoring the other patrons beside him, trying not to notice a little girl pulling funny faces at him.

Eventually, he dropped the chopsticks into his bowl, got off his chair, and crouched down at eye level.

'Oi, tebayo. What's with all the faces?'

The little girl giggled, and pointed a chubby finger at his hitae-ate.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. 'Huh?'

'Her father is a shinobi,' the child's mother said, smiling.

Naruto beamed in understanding. 'Like me!

The young woman answered his statement with a giggle, but Naruto wasn't paying any attention. Something was wrong.

Getting to his feet abruptly, he reached into his kunai holster and pulled out a kunai, instinctively moving to stand in front of the woman and her child.

Ichiraku's eyebrow twitched. 'Naruto? That's really bad for business –'

'Yeah, so is death,' Naruto said briefly. 'Something is wrong, old man. Take Ayame-neechan and get to a safe place – and you too, oneechan,' he added, glancing at the woman and her child. 'Your husband has probably already realized the same thing – that something isn't right. Hurry!'

The woman obeyed hastily, swinging her daughter into her arms and leaving the bright ramen stand for the twilit streets.

The sun was setting, and the streets were bathed in red, and Naruto left the ramen stand, one hand reaching for a kunai as he searched the streets and shops around him.

Just then, a voice called his name. 'Naruto-kun!'

He flicked a glance to the side, seeing Hinata flying towards him. Her eyes were dilated, and Naruto realized that if she was using her byakugan, then his instincts were correct.

'We're under attack, aren't we?' he demanded.

Hinata nodded. 'I saw at least a dozen shinobi heading towards the jounin offices,' she told him.

Naruto frowned. 'Only twelve of them? That can't be right –'

'Naruto-kun, we need to start moving people to safety,' Hinata said anxiously. 'I don't want to see innocent people getting hurt.'

'Good thinking. Kage bunshin no jutsu!'

Hinata blinked as six clones scattered through the streets. Naruto looked satisfied.

'They'll start warning people – we need to find Kakashi-sensei or Shikamaru or Kurenai-sensei so that they can be prepared. Don't let your guard down!'

In answer, Hinata pulled out a kunai and took a breath. 'I'm ready.'

'Oi, dad.'

'Hmm?'

'We're under attack.'

Shikaku looked surprised, but was already getting to his feet and reaching for his jacket.

'Why do you say that?'

'Mist,' Shikamaru answered. 'On an evening like this, with no rain, there should be no moisture in the air.'

As he was speaking, he was strapping on his shuriken holster, moving towards the door.

Shikaku glanced at his wife. 'You know what to do.'

'Of course,' she said calmly, reaching for her cloak and a wakizashi in a faded sheath. Together, the three of them left the house as it was, splitting up when they got outside.

'You have your own duties to attend to,' Shikaku told his son. 'Go on, and be careful.'

Shikamaru sighed. 'This is so troublesome.'

As he moved across the rooftops towards the Akimichi residences, Shikamaru snorted. 'Do they really think no one will notice this mist?' he wondered. 'I mean, come on, we're not shinobi for nothing…'

Kirigakure. It had to be.

Shikamaru glanced around him, sensing three presences behind him. Converting his jump into a reverse tumble, Shikamaru came up in a crouch, already forming the seal. In the setting sun, there was just enough light to use kage mane, and he managed to trap three mist nin who were poised to attack, but instead wore expressions of puzzlement.

'What the –'

Shikamaru grinned and got to his feet. 'Kage mane successful,' he told his opponents cheerfully. Inwardly however, his mind was racing.

In just a few moments the sun would have gone down, and he would lose the precious light that made his jutsu so successful. If he took down the first shinobi, there were still two more whose skills were unknown. The longer he took, the more chakra he wasted, and the possibility that more of them would arrive increased.

Then, as if to prove his suspicions correct, he felt the presence of two people behind him…