Rise of the Eclipse: New Moon
Chapter 2: Fate! Encounter in the Forest of Death
As the four members of the newly formed "Team Night" sat down at Ichiraku Ramen shop, Himitsuo attempted to catch up with his brothers. Himi took the seaweed off of his rice ball (no manners), started to eat it, and then handed the naked snack to a satisfied Raito.
"Mmpf...Sm what've ...mfmf...you been up to Onii-san?" Raito managed between bites.
"Oh, just the usual; sleeping, eating, eyeballin' the ladies. See, nothing but S-Rank for me!" Kazeri giggled and Rai shook his head. Kuro, however, sat in silence. "I mean it hasn't been all bad, sometimes I even get the day off!!" They all laughed, and then suddenly Kuro slammed his food down.
"I don't see what's so amusing...You've been here this whole time, and didn't even tell us!!"
"Hey, shouldn't we be celebrating this and not accusing anyone of anything?" Kazeri interjected.
"Why should we?! Himitsuo abandoned us; left without even saying goodbye, and this two dollar meal is supposed to make up for all that?!" Calm as always, Himitsuo slowly rose.
"Kuro, just listen...I-" The younger Jingetchi got to his feet and knocked the tea away.
"NO! You've always been just so freaking selfish! You only care about yourself, because none of what's happened to us effects you!! Do you even know why Ri, Rai, and I are here?!" Raito approached his twin.
"Now calm down, Kuro! You and I both know that that's not true. Himi-san would have been there if he could!" A pained look washed across Kuro's face, as seven years of hurt and suffering started to pour out of him. He fought back his tears.
"I don't believe that, I can't...be...Because he won't tell me...I..." A lone teardrop streaked down his face. "...My own brother won't tell me why he missed his parents' funeral..." Kuro looked Himi straight in the eye. "...Nothing should have caused you to miss that..." Himitsuo Jingetchi placed his food gently on the table and turned to his lost siblings.
"Kuro, even though I've been involved in things that I am not at liberty to tell you, you just have to believe me; I wanted to be there." Kuro suddenly felt ashamed for blaming him, pools of hurt collecting in his eyes. "I've been a lousy brother," Himi laughed casually, "and I can't change the past, but I'm going to do my best to be better in the future, hear?" The two boys nodded in unison, a common act of theirs, as Himi pulled them closer.
"You know what? I've got a better plan; how about when this mission is over, and you guys ace this exam, I return to Kagega with you?" Kuro couldn't contain the small grin that crept across his face, Raito's eyes illuminated.
"Say what now?"
"The paperwork's already drawn up, my last contract as a Konoha shinobi." As he rustled Kuro's hair, he hugged all three of them tightly, including Kazeri in the embrace.
"How's that sound?" The young genin closed his eyes.
"Not a bad plan...not a bad plan at all..."
Kuro Jingetchi lay awake in bed. The constant ticking of his clock made it difficult to sleep...not that he was tired, although he should have been…
The last three days had been a living hell for Kuro; back-to-back training exercises, hundreds of repetitive drills, and a completely un-called for encounter witha very intrusive pair of fingers. He rolled over, trying not to disturb his embarrassing backside discomfort, and gazed out the window. The half moon shone brightly.
Is Konoha's moon the same as Kagega's? He thought about it, if they could just all look up and gaze at the moon…maybe he wouldn't be here right now…maybe his father would be alive. Is peace even possible with who we are now? He closed his eyes and tried to picture Kagegakure, his home. Shimmering lakes and rivers, the shops, the fields, the people; all those people who made an impact in his life, and he couldn't do anything to help them as long as he was here…as long as that man was still there. On his last day in Kagega, the 5th Hokage challenged him. Kuro put his heart and soul into that battle, yet try as he might; he just couldn't compete with a man who had 40 years experience in the Raging Eclipse modified style. Needless to say, he was badly wounded, and the Hokage branded him with three large vertical scars on his back.
"You're just as weak as he was…Go and prove yourself to the world outside of Kagega's walls, because you mean nothing here," He told the bleeding child, "and you mean absolutely nothing to me..." An hour later, Kuro dressed his wounds as best he could, said his goodbye, and left Kagega, never to return. Kagega's council, however, would never allow any member of the Jingetchi clan to just wither away, so, they arranged for him to participate in the chunin exams in Konoha with his cell...and here he was.
I'll prove myself alright, he thought, I'll become a true Eclipse Ninja and return to my homeland to take my place as the Sixth...for my father... As he thought those words, the boy dozed off into his dreams; only to be woken up by his twin brother moments later.
"What is it Raito?" He grunted.
"Come on, Himi is waiting for us." Slowly, he rolled back over, and sat up.
"Our mission, it's tonight?" Raito nodded.
"And we're also late, so it'd be better if you went to go get Kazeri." He laughed, now he knew Raito was afraid of Ri. (Not without just cause I might add.) Quickly, Kuro dressed, snatched a pair of kunai and a set of small shruiken, and set out into the darkness to retrieve her.
When he made it, he reached up to knock on her door.
"I'll be out in just a second Kuro-kun!" He did a double-take.
How does she do that?! A split second later, Kazeri appeared and grinned.
"Are you ready?" Kuro shrugged as they scaled the building's wall.
"As much as can be expected...It's not like I've ever done anything like this before." She laughed.
"This'll be our first time together."
Wrong choice of words, He thought. "I just want this to go smoothly, and if anything goes wrong, I want you to know I'm here…always." As they stood at the edge of the Leaf Village, Kuro gazed over the treetops; he felt the glow of the moon. Kazeri looked at him and smiled.
"You know, you could solve a lot of problems if you would just ask me out, Kuro."
"Yeah...Wai-WHAT?!" She giggled. "What but...I-...NO...I mean...yes...bunh wha?!" He said incoherently, completely caught off guard.
"And what exactly are you two talking about, hmm?" Himi asked suddenly. Kuro jumped a clean foot straight up as Kazeri broke out into hysterical laughter. Whether he saved Kuro or ruined a good hentai moment is still a mystery. The squad continued into the night to the opposite side of the village to prepare for their mission. Kuro remembered what the 3rd Hokage had asked of them...
Three days earlier...
"Recently we have had a string of unsuccessful break-in's by some very tenacious ninja. The last few months have been quite tiresome to those posted at the exam stadium." He sat down behind his desk. "We have not figured out yet as to why they wish to stop the chunin exam, but we do know that the troubles coincide with your arrival here in Konoha-"
"Wait, are you implying that we havesomething to do with the thieves?!" Quickly, Raito attempted to calm his brother down.
"Listen Kuro, we don't have any right to jump to conclusions here." Rai whispered.
"Yeah, and neither does this old man here!!" Kazeri shoot a look at her partner as the third rested his face in his hands.
"Kuro! " Himitsuo barked, approaching his brother, "Sarutobi Sensei has been gracious friends to Kagegakure, and has pulled many a string to get us here for the exams; I'd ask that you show him the respect he deserves." Kuro cringed. Third Hokage continued without a hitch.
"There is the possibility that you are being drawn out, or this could all merely be a coincidence, however, our other teams are spread thin, and this night mission requires a certain…finesse," He said lightly chuckling, "you will prove yourself during this assignment…I hope I am understood, no errors are to be made." They stood at attention and shouted "Yes sir!" and turned to leave. Before they left, the Third called out to the twins. "Raito, Kuro, before you leave, I want you to know that I knew your father well," The mood sobered, "He was a good man, an Honorable Hokage, and a great friend. I pray that you grow up to be proud of the name "Jingetchi..."
The clearing in the so-called "Forest of Death" was quiet and serene, completely misleading the true events unfolding. In a flash, Team Night descended from the trees and assessed their surroundings.
"Keep on guard; we still don't know what's out there alright?" Kuro grumbled when Himi looked away.
"If those other ninja could live up to their name, we'd be gone by now." Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerged from the bushes.
"Well, we're here aren't we?" Three more beings approached from behind the first. The twins drew their kunai simultaneously as Kazeri brandished her large sledgehammer; Himitsuo placed a hand on Rai's shoulder.
"Oh man, Kakashi-sensei, you almost scared me there for a second; but I guess I should have expected you to be late huh?" The first figure walked into the moonlight, revealing his silvery hair.
"You must be getting soft Himi, scared by me and a few kids...speaking of which, when'd you get children Himi?" Himitsuo jumped, and started flailing his hands.
"You've got it all wrong Kakashi-sensei!! These aren't my kids!!" The older shinobi ignored Himi's whine.
"I knew you were close with Jiraya but I never guessed..." Himitsuo deflated...literally...then turned to his Sensei.
"Kakashi-sensei, these are my brothers and their friend!" Finally realizing it, Kakashi smiled, whichwas hard to read with the bandanna wrapped around his mouth.
"Nice to met you, I am Hatake Kakashi." Kakashi was a shinobi who appeared to be in his late 20's, early 30's. He had spiky silver-colored hair, a large Leaf Village headband that covered the right half of his face, and wore a green vest simalar to Himitsuo's. The rest of Team Night introduced themselves to Kakashi. Behind him, his three squad-mates. "The three behind me are your teammates for this mission." As they stepped out, Kuro assessed them.
"Haruno Sakura, pleased to meet you!" One of the friendlier members piped. A bubbly, pink haired ditz. He assumed. Sakurawas a strawberry blond young girl with a pink kimono like dress, and black shorts. She had green eyes and kept ushering ever so closely to the raven haired boy next to her.
"Uchiha Sasuke..." He laughed a little at the second half of his name. Emo with a chip on his shoulder. The Uchiha were a very powerful clan, known even in Kagegakure, but this pale, dark cloaked, boy didn't look so tough to Kuro. Finally, a familiar blond haired kid bounded out in front of them.
"And I'm Uzamaki Naruto!!" Kuro did a double take and clenched his fists.
"Hey, you're that blond haired mainiac from before!!" Naruto's face instantly turned red.
"Wait...you-you're that jerk from before with the attitude problem!!" That was the last straw for the young genin.
"ATTITUDE PROBLEM?!? I'LL GIVE YOU AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM!"In the next instant, the ground before the two teams was a orange and blue blur, as Kuro and Naruto wrestled. Kakashi turned to his former pupil.
"Do you want to separate them now?" Nodding, Himitsuo sighed and reached into the battle, and Kakashi reeled back. Kazeri and Sakura yelled at Kuro and Naruto, respectively, threatening their lives if they didn't stop. Faster than anyone could follow, Kuro ended up hanging upside down by his leg, squirming, while Naruto was face-first in the ground, a moderate bump developing on his head.
"Now listen up boys," Himi said, slinging his younger brother over his shoulder, "End this now or we'll end it for you." Kuro, who knew the true extent of the shinobi's abilities piped up. The teams turned and headed towards their mission area.
"He started it." The young one muttered. Seconds later, Naruto was popped in the back of his head. Somewhere off in the trees, a shadowy figure emerged and spoke into a two-way device.
"I see them now, everything is going according to plan."
"Good work," The voice hissed, "Your new...recruits will love their first mission, heh heh. Proceed as planned..." The figure nodded.
"Yes...Lord Orochimaru..."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Realized that there is a very confusing chapter number for "Encounter" It was meant to be #2 but I planned on putting another chapter in the middle...never got around to that ^^" I apoligize for any confusion!