A Cursed existence
Chapter 2 – "Medical team, hurry!"
Konohamaru gathered his chakra and formed a hand seal, his rage was building within him and his chakra exploded out. "Shadow clone technique!" Suddenly five shadow clones of Konohamaru were surrounding the Hidden Mist shinobi.
"Oh shadow clone technique?" One of the Hidden Mist Shinobi said, "It looks like these pesky genin are better than we expected
"Konohamaru!" shouted Moegi in surprise, "Watch out, she's done something to Iruka sensei!"
The hidden Mist shinobi looked at one another and nodded. They suddenly jumped from their positions surrounding Udon and Moegi and were now circling around Veronica facing the shadow clones of Konohamaru. The Hidden Mist shinobi stabbed their katanas into the ground and raised an arm into the air with his other hand formed into a seal in front of his face.
"We will meet again Iruka" Veronica said sweetly.
Iruka climbed to a knee, coughing and struggling to breathe, "What did you do to me?" He asked, "Your forbidden technique?"
"Why Iruka, you should know all about that technique, you were after all the one who had me exiled from the Hidden Leaf because of it"
"You cannot play with peoples lives like that!" Iruka shouted, "You're no better than Orochimaru!"
"Don't you dare compare me to him!" Veronica shouted heatedly, "My technique is out of love not for power!"
"Enough of this Vera-sempai!" One of the Hidden Mist shinobi broke in, "We must fall back, now!"
"Very well"
"Water element. Hidden mist technique!"
A thick fog rolled out through the trees and veiled the battleground; none of the Hidden Leaf shinobi could see more than a meter in front of them.
"Udon now!" Moegi shouted as she reached over her back and drew out a short bladed katana.
"Wind element, rising wind current!" Said Udon as he released his chakra into the technique. The wind picked up slowly and then much quicker, carrying the fog away but when the fog was lifted the Hidden Mist shinobi were gone and Iruka was slumped on the ground and was drawing in air in ragged breaths.
Konohamaru's shadow clones disappeared in clouds of smoke leaving the one real Konohamaru standing near Iruka.
"Konohamaru why didn't you send for help?" Moegi asked "We need a medical team right away, Udon see what you can do for Iruka-sensei"
"I did send for help" Konohamaru replied, "I sent another shadow clone back to retrieve Hinata-sama"
"Thank goodness" Said Moegi, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I cannot see anything physically wrong with him" Udon reported, his hands placed on Iruka's chest and the chakra around his hands glowing a steady green.
"Who was that woman?" Moegi asked Konohamaru
"I don't know Moegi, but she knew Iruka-sensei. I heard something about a forbidden technique, perhaps that is why Udon cannot find anything wrong with sensei"
"Let's take him back to get help, we will no doubt meet up with the medical team on the way" Udon suggested, Udon had grown quite a lot and was almost Iruka's height. "I'll carry him"
During the trip back through the trees towards the Hidden Leaf, Konohamaru's team encountered the medical team that was sent out to aid them. Hyuuga Hinata who had been apprenticed to Shizune, and had shown a talent for medical techniques led the team. Her younger sister Hyuuga Hanabi was also in the squad however she was not a medical shinobi; she was one of the genin in Hinata's 4-man cell and was talented in scouting as well as close combat. The next great shinobi war had hardened the young shinobi of the Hidden Leaf and forced them to mature, ever since the death of the 5th Hokage, Tsunade.
"Kakashi is not going to be happy with this" Hinata said to Konohamaru and his team, "We do not have the military strength to lose another jounin in a minor skirmish"
"How is Iruka-sensei?" Konohamaru asked
"He is stable now, we discovered what was done to him however" Hinata hesitated, "His heart has a chakra seal placed on top of it. This seal is disrupting his nerve receptors throughout his body, right now he is in agonising pain but soon his nervous system will be distorted to the point where he can no longer feel pain, heat, cold… anything except the basic touch senses"
"What do you mean?"
"His nervous system was sealed at his heart, we cannot risk unsealing the technique without doing irreparable damage to his heart"
Moegi begun to weep, "Is there anything to be done?"
"Not by us I'm afraid, the only way to help him is to capture the Hidden Mist shinobi that placed the seal on him in the first place."
"Will Kakashi-sama send out a squad for such a mission?"
"I would not count on it, Moegi. We are weakened already and need whatever skilled shinobi we have left to protect the village. Kakashi has commissioned for Ino to come probe Iruka's mind to find out whatever we can about this Veronica you mentioned."
"Then what bout our cell?" Udon asked, "Our jounin is out of action but we have a recon mission to complete"
"Kakashi has given your mission over to another squad. He has ordered that you three remain in the village until we know more"
On top of the Hokage monument in the Hidden Leaf, a lone shinobi sat watching over the village under the cover of night.
"Iruka my love, I hope you will enjoy my gift to you" Veronica whispered, "We'll be with each other soon enough"
Veronica looked around her, looking at the sprawled bodies of Hidden Leaf ANBU. "This village is too weak, I will save you from its destruction Iruka, I promise you"