Chapter Three
Yugito, huh? Naruto thinks to himself. Why does that sound so firmiliar? As always, Naruto was at front of their small group. The overly-energetic teen wasn't the least bit fazed by hiking through the dense forest for over three hours.
In fact, it was only when Sakura jogged up beside him and whispered that Aito was showing signs of exhaustion, that he even glanced back. Ever since their young client had mentioned the fate of his teammate, Yugito, Naruto's mind had been a million miles away.
"Maybe we should stop for the night." She offers in hushed voice. "It's getting late anyway."
Naruto frowns, muttering something about not being the least bit tired, before slowing his rapid pace and following Sakura's lead.
"Hey, Aito?" She says, sweetly.
"Hm?" The brunette tilts his head, curiously. "Yes?"
"We thought that we should call it a day. It's been a long one..." She tells him. "And we have another big day tomorrow."
"Yeah," Aito says, hint of something else in his voice. "I'd say." There was a kind of knowing glint in his eyes that, somehow, both Naruto and Sakura missed.
"We can set up camp here tonight." Says the rosette as she shrugs off her backpack.
"I'll keep first watch." Naruto tells them as he hops into the tallest branches of a nearby tree.
"Wake me when you get tired." She calls up to him.
"Mmkay."
That reminds Sakura of something she'd forgotten to ask Aito earlier in the day. When she turns to ask, he's already standing behind her. His arms folded as if waiting. "Um, Aito." She begins, lamely. "Is there a reason you asked for strong ninja to accompany you? Are you expecting to be attacked or something?"
Just then, a small grin crosses his face. And, once again, Sakura can't help but notice how he might have been good-looking, if not for those few fatal flaws. "Heh, funny you should ask that..." He chuckles.
"Wh-"
"AGH!"
Sakura gasps, spinning around to face where the yelp had come from. Suddenly, Naruto lands, heavily on the ground. A kunai held in his grip as he attempts to fight someone off of him.
"Naruto!" She runs forward, prepared to help. That is, until someone else grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her to the ground in a single, easy motion. These guys are strong! She realizes, furiously. But then...she freezes. The man crouched over top of her was... "Aito?" She demands, suspiciously. "What are you-?!"
"Shut up." He growls, placing a knife by her throat. Then, a twisted little smirk toys on his lips.
Nevermind! He's just about the most vile man I've ever seen!
"The four of us are gonna take a little...detour, okay?" He purrs, close to her ear. "And you're not gonna make a sound until we get where we're going." He eyes the sharp point of the kunai, almost lovingly. "Unless, of course, you like the sight of your own blood..." Just then, he lifts her up to her feet with an iron grip. "And remember, we won't hurt you unless you force us."
A low growl rumbles in her throat. "What do you want?!" She hisses.
"Hm? Didn't I just say not to speak?"
Sakura cries out as the knife digs into the base of shoulder, cutting a shallow wound in her flesh.
"I meant what I said..." He reminds her.
"Let go of her!" Naruto shouts, furiously as he struggles against his opponent.
Aito snickers, darkly before shaking his head at him. "Daiki," He calls to the other man. "Finish him off so we can get moving."
"Right..." Naruto's enemy flips backwards, breaking the fluidity of their battle. Naruto smirks, taking that as an opening. He weaves his favorite sign and shouts, "Shadow clone jutsu!" But just as several clones appear beside him, Daiki also begins to weave an intricate series of handsigns.
The dark-haired man bows his head, still sporting an arrogant smirk when he says, "Earth Style: Rock staff!" At first, nothing seems to happen. Then, Daiki leans down. His hand scooping up a small pile of gravel from the grass below them. With a sudden burst of chakra, the tiny pebbles morph together, sharpening and enlongating.
Naruto tenses. What's he up to?
Within a fraction of a second, those four or five bits of rock have transformed into a full-size spear. Naruto's enemy chuckles, confidently before coiling back his arm. And sending the staff flying through the air toward Naruto.
Good luck doging that... Daiki comments.
And surely enough, the spear makes a direct hit. Sinking into Naruto's left shoulder, releasing a spray of blood.
"NARUTO!" Sakura screams in terror.
But then-
POOF!
"What the-!?" Both Aito and Daiki glance around, feverishly. He subsituted the real him for a clone at the last second!
Sakura grins. Well done, Naruto!
Daiki freezes as the ground below him cracks and shatters, a balled-up fist flying straight toward him. He steps back, his eyes going wide with shock. "How in the-?"
Naruto's fist smashes into his cheek with increadible force. The resonating sound echos through the clearing. Daiki should have gone flying...or at least budged...but he only remains standing there. Perfectly still and calm.
Huh? Naruto goes to move but suddenly Daiki catches his wrist.
As his opponent turns to face him again, there's a dark gray patch on his upper jaw where Naruto had hit. He grins. "Earth Style: Harden...it makes my skin like a shield of stone...handy, ain't it?"
Naruto grunts with the effort of trying to break free. His entire body yanking and twisting away but Daiki doesn't move an inch.
"You think you're good, huh?" The other man whispers. "Well, you're no where near as good as I am..." With that, he lifts Naruto's arm into the air, pulling the blonde straight off his feet. Causing him to dangle a full six inches off the ground.
"Urg, lemme go!" Naruto spits, angrily.
"Heh...cute."
Naruto...! Sakura tenses. This isn't good!
Naruto's opponent keeps him hanging in midair just long enough to send a rock-hard punch into his stomach. The blonde cries out, painfully. A bit of blood drips down the corner of his mouth.
Daiki drops him to the ground and he lands, heavily. "Nighty night." He purrs with a snicker, watching as Naruto's eyes flutter shut.
"NARUT-" Sakura's shout is cut off as Aito chops the back of her neck and also lets her collapse to the ground.
The pair of attackers stand over their victims, looking confident and satisfied with having taken them out so easily.
"So, who do think it it? The Jinchuuriki, I mean." Daiki mutters.
"I'm not sure. The blonde seems pretty tough but...neither of them used any spectacular power or anything...either way," Aito shifts his weight, eyeing Naruto and Sakura's unconscious forms. "We have our ways of finding out."
