So, I don't know how many of you liked the first chapter since only two people said anything about it. I'm just gonna guess more of you liked it but did not care enough to review, so from now on how much you review will affect how fast it gets updated. I have things I should be doing other than writing this story, yet here I am. Ah hell, I love writing to much anyhow. Also, I may bump the rating up to M just for some language (it is really difficult to write around things like the f-word) and some implied intimacy in the future.
The group departed on schedule and headed towards the nameless town where they would find Takahiro. They ran for hours, taking only minimal breaks, and then set up camp just before sunset.
When the sun disappeared over the horizon they began their sleeping in shifts. While Sakura took first watch Ino found herself unable to sleep. She sat up and scanned the surrounding area.
"What's up?" Sakura asked.
"Do you feel that?" Ino asked. "Someone is watching us."
"I know. It's not something we should worry about. First of all it has nothing to do with the high priority mission we're on and secondly whoever it is feels pretty powerful and they clearly don't wish us harm or they'd have attacked by now. Or at the least they'd hide their chakra."
All of this made sense to Ino so she lay down again and tried to fall asleep. She just couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them.
Early the next morning the team began moving again and reached the village earlier than they expected. They set up a new camp about a mile from the only road that went through the tiny town.
"There isn't a single map of this crappy little place?" Choji complained as they worked out their plan of action.
"It's not exactly a tourist hotspot. The only people who come here tend to be just passing through quickly." Sakura stated.
"So, Ino and I will go in disguised as a couple and scope it out. We will hopefully see the mark and be able to plan the best way to attack or draw him out." Shikamaru explained
"What do we do?" Naruto asked, clearly just wanting to get to the fighting part.
"You three scope out the surrounding area. Find the best place to ambush these guys, someplace where we'll have the upper hand, since we won't have the numbers on our side." Sakura, Choji and Naruto nodded. "Alright, let's do this."
Shikamaru and Ino entered the town using the only road around. They were in character as a married couple passing through on a trip.
"Oh, honey this place is too cute!" she gushed obnoxiously grabbing his arm and smiling stupidly.
They walked arm in arm, as inconspicuously as possible, through the small village. Acting as if he were whispering sweet nothings in her ear, he leaned over and directed her attention to a small man sitting at a table with four other men.
"That's the target, Takahiro. At the table with him are four of his seven bodyguards. There are three others, who are very dangerous rouge ninja. They are never seen with him, but they are always nearby. No one who has encountered them lived to tell the tale."
Ino smiled flirtatiously, to keep their cover and whispered back to him.
"Five against seven, I like those odds." Shikamaru let his smile drop for a split second, before answering.
"No, it's four against seven; you will not be fighting, but focusing on the target. That is exactly why Tsunade sama sent us with you." Ino waved him off, but kept her flirtatious smile.
"Whatever." She pretended to gush over some cute knickknack. Shikamaru stopped walking and turned her so that she was facing him.
"Ino, I'm serious. You cannot engage the enemy, you're only job is to get the information from that guy's head. Naruto, Sakura, Choji and I will neutralize the bodyguards, and you will take out Takahiro. Do you understand that?" He stared at her seriously for a moment, until she nodded. He sighed and mumbled, "troublesome woman", under his breath. Then they resumed their cover and walked out the other side of the very small town arm in arm.
Even with both of their many years of training, neither of them sensed the man watching them from the trees. His mouth was turned down in a grimace. Then he turned and vanished into the sinister forest.
And remember kiddies, the more you review the more I want to write. ^_^
