Chapter 3: Team Hummingbird
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Kishimoto-sensei in any way and form, and I do not own the few Latin quotes that will pop out here and there. I however own the plot and the Ocs, as well as the description of some places and the characterization of some less-known characters in the original anime/manga.
Updated: December 25 :) Merry Christmas! I haven't looked at the time and it's already been four months... :'( Sorry! I'll start working on the newest chapter right now. I'm a bit late...
I'm sorry if the story doesn't follow the same style in the next few chapters, I'll try to edit them as soon as possible :)
-Hokage tower-
Birds of all kinds chirped as the sun shined in midday, hot and seemingly carried in the sky by the fluffy cloud and warm summer wind. Perched on various trees and cables outside the tall, newly painted tower were shinobis of all ranks, mostly fresh Genin teams with their Jonin instructors using the occasion to teach them tree walking - or in this case, wall climbing. A few Chuunins and Jonins strayed from their paths just to observe the grumbling as the Genins struggled to stick to the tall walls, holding buckets in one hand and clumsily bending to apply fresh paint over the dry and peeling off-red of the tower. Some would stumble and fall, spraying paint all over themselves and the occasional unlucky teammates. Strings of curses would then follow, raising small, amused chuckles from the onlookers.
All in all, in was a peaceful and normal day for Konoha.
Numerous floors above, in an office smelling of expensive tobacco and drying leaves, Hiruzen sighed. He ran his hand through his brown hair lined with grey streaks, trembling slightly under the stress of it all as he dug into the endless piles of papers stacked on and around his desk. He narrowly missed knocking over his ink bottle, imported from Iwa years ago, and he considered going through with the movement just to escape this hell before resigning himself to his fate. His cruel assistant will just find him more ink, probably of lesser quality. And he liked this bottle. After all, his precious son bought it for him.
Never had mission reports filled in this quickly and swiftly before, but again he wasn't the only one who wanted to be done with it. Beneath all the layers of joy and hope was tension that continued to raise; nowadays, shinobis of various ranks were paranoid on a good day and downright murderous on a bad one. Already rumors were spreading around the country, lingering behind closed doors and venturing out in the open under the cover of the night. People were frightened.
A war.
Another war, perhaps on the scale of the previous Shinobi Wars, and it looked unstoppable. As much as Hiruzen wished to deny it all saw it coming, shinobis and civilians alike. Truthfully, Iwa never really forgave Konoha after the last war and their temporary peace alliance was about to run out of time. With their ever growing population, the Tsuchikage will no doubt begin coveting nearby lands, the majority of which was allied to Konoha. Kumo's new Raikage was young and power-hungry, and it was no secret that he hadn't allowed his Genins to participate in any of the lasts Chuunin exams. Instead he had been promoting them himself; it was also said that he encouraged marriage and births strongly for anyone Chuunin and below. Suna, weakened as they were after their Sandaime Kazekage's disappearance, started raising an army as well.
The threat of war was looming and Hiruzen's hands were tied.
Hiruzen sighed again. He wondered if he should sneak out to take a break, but again that would totally freak out his overly tense ANBU guards. Maybe it would teach them to relax a bit?
Suddenly the ANBU stationed in the left corner shifted, almost apprehensive to the movement as he passed through a silent message to his teammates, but Hiruzen already recognized the chakra signatures coming his way. There was an eruption of wind and leaves, lifting a small amount of golden-brown dust from the carpets, and four masked people appeared in the center of the room, stances rigid with practiced ease.
''ANBU squad Hummingbird, reporting. The mission has been successful with minor casualties; the target had been recovered and all opposition was removed,'' stated the one in the center as he calmly stepped forward, voice strong yet laced with submission.
''Good. I expect a full written report before tomorrow. Dismissed,'' the Sandaime ordered, and three of the four masked figures silently left the room in small tornadoes of wind at the clear dismissal, almost sending one of the tallest piles of papers scattering to the floor. Only remained the captain of the team, Kiba, and he slowly but steadily approached the wooden desk behind which was seated his lord.
The Hokage looked up in time to see a gloved hand take his red and white hat from his head and Hiruzen scowled at the impolite gesture. He could almost sense the arrogant smirk behind that mask.
''Kiba...'' Said man just pushed away carelessly a stack of papers and sat himself down on the desk, almost playfully like an old friend.
"Hokage-sama, with all due respect," he began, voice somewhat teasing, "I know very well what you're thinking. However, it would be very appreciated if you bothered to finish this,'' the ANBU said, looking pointedly at the paperwork on the desk then turning his knowing gaze to the Hokage's eyes,"before you deem yourself fit to do anything else, like, oh, taking a three hours long walk in the village.''
''Kiba, you know very well that it is nothing less than impossible to finish all these under a day...'' Hiruzen grumbled tiredly. He had barely slept these past few days, too busy to even return home and forcing his wife, Biwako, to take care on her own of their youngest born, Asuma.
''I know that very much, Hokage-sama. Who do you think works as a substitute team captain? Really, Hokage-sama, you intend to work this old man to the ground don't you? And that brat I replaced, what was his name? Ah yes, Hachidori. Such talented young man as well. But don't you think that I deserve rest as well?"
''Yes yes, now leave me alone would you?"
The ANBU only gave the Hokage a two-finger salute before leaping out of the window, making a few papers slide down from their respective piles and glide to the floor.
A scroll was left in the one empty spot on the Hokage's desk and Hiruzen picked it up grudgingly, adding yet another few inches to the ever growing piles of mission reports. He reached up to adjust the hat that Kiba had thrown back to him while muttering angrily.
-Konoha-
''My, what a beautiful day!" A boisterous voice rang through the stall in the middle of the busy village. The street was bursting with people walking on its beaten path; small thumps could be heard occasionally as shinobis landed on black tiled rooftops, and suspended webs created sky walks for both animals and shinobis as their lines of drying clothes swayed in the wind. But even in all this organized, rhythmic waves of people one stand stood out among many other tea shops and small restaurants: Ichiraku Ramen.
It's food, well-known for its simplicity and deliciousness, not to mention the affordable prices, was just as famous as the familiar faces that seemed to cling to the cozy, wooden chairs and the salty smell in the air. In fact it wasn't rare to see shinobis of all ranks hanging out in the small building; even the Hokage and his family were now regular clients. But one person stood out even more, and that was Uzumaki Kushina, refugee of Uzushio and now a fierce chuunin of the village.
She was a kunoichi like no other: she didn't turn to seduction nor medicine as many of her profession had done. No, Kushina was a fighter, all sharp teeth and nails, biting and screaming as she tore her way through her opponents; she was a sea of flames as red as her hair, like a spray of blood in the clear summer sky, and those around her couldn't help but follow in her steps. She wasn't a born leader but she affected the world all the same. There was not a drop of feminine qualities in her bones, not a hint of royalty despite what her blood dictates, yet she can easily prance around while acting as gracious as a fully trained Geisha. Uzumaki Kushina was an oxymoron in her existence and was proud of it.
The redhead proceeded to stretch her long limbs, and satisfied with the resulting cracks, she gently put down her bowl of ramen on the table. Humming happily a childish song under her breath, she stood up and left a few ryo beside the now empty bowl.
''Thank you for the meal, Teuchi-san, Ayame-chan!''
''No problem, Kushina-san! Beside, little Ayame is rather fond of you,'' a man with graying brown hair said from the kitchen. A little girl, probably three to four years old, was hiding behind his leg, looking shyly at the fierce Uzumaki. Kushina was hit by the sudden urge to hug that adorable little girl, to swipe her off her feet and twist and turn her in the air as if her own daughter.
"I'll come back soon! Bye, Teuchi-san, Ayame-chan!"
They both answered her with mirrored smiles, and at that moment none other than Kushina realized that both father and daughter looked incredibly similar.
''I swear, Teuchi-san is the best cook in the Elemental countries-ttebane!" She said to herself as she waved her hand at the girl who smiled back widely at her. Then she left the stand, crossing her arms behind her head in a carefree manner as civilians greeted her. She basked in the admiration they showed her, standing tall and proud as numerous pairs of eyes trailed on her.
Indeed Uzumaki Kushina was a fierce woman, a proud Uzumaki, and most of all, she was a kunoichi.
Just as she was about to turn around a corner, a flash of yellow bright as autumn crops caught her attention. And a devilish grin stretched her features.
''Oi! Namikaze!''
''...Kushina-san!''
Standing in front of a book store was Namikaze Minato, an old friend she made back in the Academy days. He was just as much of a mystery as she was, and maybe that was why fate had brought they together. Minato was calm and collected, a calm summer sky while Kushina was brash and straight-forward, unpredictable like dancing whirlpools in a stormy night; he was the ageless rock, the foundation of all while she was the fire created by the rock's sparkles. Minato was all that Kushina wasn't, the control that she lacked and the words behind her actions. They were both strong on their own, both geniuses in their own way. But together, they were unbeatable.
Kushina loathed him, Minato found her amusing, and so they were the best of friends.
''What are you doing, Namikaze? Burrowing your nose in books again? Or maybe are you trying to get a girlfriend by appearing snob and intelligent?'' the Uzumaki said in a playful voice.
Minato turned toward her with his usual sunny expression, smile and all in place. Kushina stared at him, curious but knowing better than to question him, and his sky blue eyes seemed to understand even without her having to say anything. ''Kushina-san, with much respect, I'm only doing my research.''
And since she knew him so well, and knew his very famous - or rather infamous - mentor by extension...
"...research...?" Suddenly she bowed her head, calm yet her entire being screaming, lashing out in outrage. In her mind, she laughed merrily at the faces Minato made. Really, that boy was precious. And Kushina decided, right there, that she wouldn't give him up for anything. He was just too funny.
"Heh? N-no! That's not it! Not that research! It's just fuuinjutsu, I swear!" Minato explained as he broke into a nervous sweat.
Of course Kushina was fully aware of that as she recognized the scroll he was holding, but she wanted to make Minato sweat just a bit more. However, Kushina's fun came to an unfortunate end as a distinctive chakra signature landed on the roof of a nearby building.
There was a small tapping, the sound drowned by the clamors of the streets, and just as abruptly as he came the ANBU left.
Minato gave Kushina a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck, showing his embarrassment at being caught doing something uncharacteristic of him even if he knew that particular ANBU wasn't one to talk much. ''Ah, well...''
"It's okay, just go. That was an urgent summon wasn't it?"
Minato smiled gratefully and turned around, raising his hand in a two-fingered salute.
"Well, see you at Sake night then!" He said and promptly disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Ignoring the stares from surprised villagers, the Uzumaki woman let out a frustrated sigh. Leave it to her own superiors to ruin her fun.
But then her grin returned. There was still Sake night, and it wouldn't do for her to forget such good gossip material...
With a small pouf of smoke distinctively lacking in leaves, Minato reappeared in the Hokage's office. He gulped down a laugh at seeing the village's leader buried behind a mount of papers and he felt a small amount of pity for the old man.
"Hokage-sama, were you looking for me?" Minato asked as he bowed respectfully.
"Indeed, Minato, indeed. I have a mission for you,'' the Hokage then threw a scroll to the blonde, his eyes not even leaving the scroll he was currently filling. Minato caught it expertly between his long fingers, used to the older man's antics. Loosening the chakra string holding the scroll close, he took a peek at the mission description and raised an elegant eyebrow questioningly.
Hiruzen, already sensing the questions coming, halted him with a lazy wave of his hand. "ANBU squad Dove discovered a chakra disruption in the Forest of Death, or if you prefer, training grounds 44. We need your team to investigate it. From what the team sensor claimed, there were two human chakra signals. They kept flickering on and off."
"Potential spies?"
Hiruzen chuckled at the question. "If they are, then they're really bad at their job."
However the hidden command, covered by a layer of fatherly mirth, still shone through his old, wise eyes.
'Silence them.'
"Understood," Minato replied with a nod. "But why ANBU? Why not Jonins? Surely they would be able to handle such a task."
At that the Sandaime Hokage's lips tightened into a fine line, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Their chakra levels... I couldn't believe it at first. It had to be a mistake. But then, even for only a second, I felt it. It was... overwhelming." The Hokage, in an unusual gesture unfitting of his rank, clenched his jaw in frustration and worry. "I haven't sensed anything of that magnitude since... Hashirama-sensei."
Minato's jaw almost hit the floor when the Hokage finished talking. Two Unknowns of Kage level in the forest of Death, not from Konoha, and in such troubled times too... His entire body tensed.
It was a bold move, but it surely was successful.
If it wasn't a declaration of war, Minato didn't know what it was.
-ANBU HQ-
It was dark.
A warm fire burned in the fireplace, yet no smoke was seen, as if the shadows of the room swallowed up the air. Windows were rare and scattered; only the lamps, placed high on the walls and the ceiling, gave the place a somewhat inhabited feeling.
ANBU Headquarters. The place was almost like a legend, spoken of in whispers deep into the night. Some claimed to have been there, some others listened with frightened curiosity. Some said it was huge, almost like the Hokage building, while others said it was built right under the walls of said place. Sometimes underground, sometimes in the sky; ANBU HQ was a mystery much spoken of, but no one knew that the truth was much, much darker.
Tables and chairs were placed around the large room, made of old wood not yet cracked. The shadows, continuously dancing around with the movements of the fire, shed light over hunched white and black figures. They were like ghosts of and abandoned house, always in and out of sight, their presence felt yet never seen. Low murmurs emerged from them like mantras of the old days in a broken rhythm.
"Taka."
There was a muttered word from one of the occupied tables, and a figure shifted, responding to his name. He was just about to lay his hand on the table, a card between his fingers when a sudden crash resounded in the seemingly empty room, followed by the familiar sound of furious tapping on a screen and the scraping of the heavy doors on the ground.
"Taka! Nekomata! Inukami!"
Suddenly the shadows shifted and escaped as the light beyond the door invaded the room. Three figures jerked as they turned their hooded figures to the intruder.
"Main gate at hour 1800. Full-gear."
The figure then turned around and stormed out of the room toward the dorms. Everything seemed frozen for a moment until the doors closed slowly, painfully dragging on the screeching sound of metal rubbing against tiled floors. As if the click of the lock caused an explosion in the room, a storm of whispers began to fill the air.
"Hey, isn't that..."
"Yeah, it's him..."
"Is it about...?"
"Shhh! We're not supposed to talk about that."
"It's team Dove. But are you sure..."
And the bright light beyond the closed doors left the room in its previous state of darkness.
-West gate
Gusts of wind blew across the forest, shaking up threes as they took away small spirals of leaves. Three blurs landed on a tall tree, the branches swinging back and forth with the momentum they carried. The leaves shook but none fell, as if pulled back by an invisible force, creating a rustling of green and yellow mixed with the scent of fresh earth.
There was a dull thump and a hooded figure landed on the nearest tree, his feet solidly attached to a branch of equal height. He was the only one with the coat as the others didn't have the time to put on theirs.
"Captain," called softly one of the figures in a monotone voice. The bird masked person replied with a simple nod. The uneasiness seemed to stretch and grow, unnerving just like the team captain's unusual behavior.
"Ano, sir, the mission?" Nekomata asked, tone slightly breathless by all the unprepared running a few minutes prior.
"Squad Dove discovered a chakra disruption in the forest of death. Two human chakra signals, extremely low," answered Hachidori, his own mind wheeling as he tried to comprehend the oddity of it all.
Inukami gasped. "Then, the rumor...?"
The captain nodded grimly. "Yeah, it's true."
The wind, howling as dusk settled in, blew away the team's answer. The captain waited a few moments before giving his order.
"Let's go."
The leaves shook and there was nothing again.
They silently traveled through the forest, flying like ghosts as their bone white armors reflected the colorful shadows of the forest. There was no need for talking, already unnecessary as the tension grew in their muscles. They all understood the importance of their task. Little by little, the trees cleared and the sounds of wildlife quieted down as they soon arrived in a small meadow. Before them, however, was a gigantic fence; a fence that was well-used and battered with the metal still shining and gleaming under the faint sunlight, almost as if the long years of battles had had no effect. A shiver ran down their backs upon the team's arrival. A wooden board, badly scratched and the ink washed out by continuous exposure to the sun, displayed a fearsome name.
Training grounds 44, the Forest of Death.
That forest. It was perhaps the most dangerous place found in Konohagakure. Powerful shinobis lurked there, yes, but most importantly... It was the first forest created by Hashirama Senju with his Mokuton. The older generation still remembered even to those days, how that man had rushed into battle again and again to defend this village, how from his scarred hand life surged forward at his bids and commands; how the wind would run and fan out his long brown hair, and perhaps some would remember another standing at his side, black hair spiky and unruly, red eyes glaring yet stance protective behind the Hokage.
This particular forest was special in the way it had drained the chakra right out of Hashirama's body, in the way new leaves had sprouted and strong barks had grown in all but a few minutes. It was said that it had been the First Hokage's favorite hang out place when he was alive. Beasts there, after dozens of years, had absorbed the powerful chakra that leaked from Hashirama into the soil and they, for a lack of words, had transformed. The Forest of Death was mightily beautiful, but it carried its name proudly and with a reason. After all, born from Hashirama's hands, the forest was just as beautiful as the man was yet as deadly as the Senju's power. It was ironic how Hashirama had created life only to end another's.
Despite all the hundred years long history people still avoided that place. Well everyone with a small exception with the name of Mitarashi Atsuki. As the crazy Chuunin she was, she would often 'reserve' the forest for training purposes and disappear within for at least one week. The amazing thing was, she always came back without a scratch as if nothing had happened there. But everyone in the village knew better since, well, the crazy laughter and the sound of breaking trees starting way too early in the morning and ending far into the night had to come from somewhere. And no one dared to ask, being too afraid of her... volatile character.
Suddenly the captain jumped over the fence and stepped into the treeline. His teammates hesitated briefly before following him.
"Tch, at least the Mitarashi lady isn't on one of her rampages, Hachidori," muttered angrily Inukami.
"Silence. It's Captain for you," Taka replied as he jumped forward. "Instead of complaining, do your job as a tracker will you?" Inukami threw back at him a few curses that were all blatantly ignored, then abandoned and followed suit. It was no use arguing with the ever silent Taka. The sun was setting while they went deeper and deeper in the forest, and finally Inukami stopped and tilted her head, as it sniffing something in the air.
At the small pause, Taka halted his steps and turned toward his teammate. ''What do you smell, Inukami?''
"A trail... a faint smell of fresh blood. We are nearing the targets, though I cannot tell how fare we are yet." Nodding at the answer, Hachidori quickly jumped to a higher branch on another tree and urged his team to continue.
"No worries. Taka should be able to see them soon."
The trail was well hidden, and Minato doubted they would have been able to follow it if there wasn't two trackers on his team. However, it was slightly worrying. If they were truly Kage level, his team shouldn't even be able to sense anything even meters away from them. But this... it was as if they intended to be found. As they neared a rocky side of the forest, Hachidori began to see signs of carelessness, like those a rookie would make but in this case more because of severe injuries. Patches of crumpled leaves, the air soaked with the scent of blood...
He narrowed his eyes behind his mask. Whoever was here was injured. Badly, if not already incapacitated. Taka gestured toward a small hole in the rock and they headed toward it, cautious of any traps laid close and hidden behind summer leaves.
The entrance to the cave was small, barely a hole dug in the ground. Hachidori motioned Inukami to go in first, himself following closely behind.
"Captain..." Inukami was on edge.
"Yeah. It shouldn't have been this easy." Suddenly his grip faltered as his foot slipped, but he caught himself just in time. The cave widened as they went it further, and Hachidori realized that the slippery thing was what had allowed them to squeeze through the narrow entrance easily. A small path let them further underground.
They went down carefully, sticking to the rocks with chakra, and suddenly the path ended in a wide, dark space. The overwhelming scent of blood nearly knocked Inukami out. Even Minato felt the urge to puke, but he quickly grabbed a piece of cloth he had ripped earlier on a sharp rock and stuffed it under his mask. It was unorthodox and hindered his senses, but as Hummingbird he wasn't the nose. That was Inukami. His eyes watered with the pungent smell; he could almost see the thickness of the metallic odour in the air. But he had to concentrate. As Hummingbird he was speed, but also-
"DOWN!"
The ears.
He had the time to grab Inukami by her collar and pulled her down with him to the ground. The surprised cry and the thump behind them indicated that Taka had done the same with Nekomata. A dozen of shuriken and kunai whizzed past them and ingrained themselves into the rocks a few feet behind, leaving a small cut on his sleeve.
Hachidori strained his ears when he caught a small sound, amplified by the echo of the closed space. It was barely a whisper and he didn't understand the content, but it was repeated a few seconds later.
"Who?" a weak, feminine voice asked. It was hard to capture her presence in the shadows, but if he took into consideration the length and the height of the room as well as how the echo traveled...
'There!'
There, hiding in the shadows, was a figure holding on something long and thin. The darkness covered her so it was almost impossible to make out her traits.
"Captain. Eight meters at 40 degrees East, chokuto in hand, injuries of third degree, and level of threat..." Taka made a frustrated sound behind, as if he couldn't quite comprehend nor explain what he was seeing.
"It's okay, it's to be expected. Thank you, Taka."
With that Hachidori turned back to where the woman was. He stared where her eyes should be for a few seconds, then suddenly he jumped. Just there, he saw for a split second a glint of red, demonic eyes glaring back at him.
'...my imagination...?'
He heard her shift, probably pointing her sword toward them and hissing menacingly, daring them to approach her. Minato moved slowly to the left so she can see his entire team with the last rays of sunlight entering the cave.
''We are ANBU from Konoha. Who are you? What are your affairs with this village?''
''Ko...Konoha?'' She managed to hiss out between clenched teeth, and for the first time, Minato realized with a start that she seemed more desperate than anything. She was not holding herself right, leaning heavily on the stone wall as if hiding something from them, using her injuries as pretense.
"Yes. from which village are you? Or are you a missing-nin?"
"I w-will only answer to you Hokage," she answered with a choking voice. It was as if she couldn't believe something, as if her voice was filled with pained bewilderment. It puzzled Hachidori and he made a mental note to file that in for later.
"Ha?!" Inukami yelled, "How dare you make a request when you're only a filthy spy-"
Hachidori held up his hand for her to stop.
"B-but captain..."
"Enough." He turned to his other teammates, a few steps behind. "You too. Let me handle this."
They backed off with much apprehension for they wouldn't dare go against a direct order from him, but their grips only tightened around their respective weapons as a show of their loyalty.
"You," the ANBU captain started, "what is your goal?"
"The Hokage-" she attempted to answer before her coughs interrupted her. They were laced with something desperate, and wet drops of what could only bee blood dripped down as the stench of fresh blood assaulted Hachidori's senses - they were running out of time.
His brows furrowed in frustration. "I will not repeat myself. What is your goal here, in Konoha? Answer me and I shall spare your life, spy. Perhaps then, if you behave, you will be granted an audience with Hokage-sama."
There was silence. Hachidori waited, but even after a full minute she didn't give an answer. So he gestured for Taka.
"She's still there," the man replied with his usual monotone voice.
Satisfied, Hachidori turned back to the intruder. "If you don't answer me, we will-" but he stopped himself, too shocked to continue with the threat.
Because, clothed by shadows, were twin, luminescent globs of furious red staring back at him.
"The Hokage." A demonic voice, so different from earlier yet with the same low, almost baritone quality, ordered.
A gasp was heard behind him. "C-captain, isn't that-?"
Hachidori didn't answer. He only mouthed for Taka to come forth. "We're bringing her back. You, take the other one." The fellow bird-masked ANBU shot him a nervous glance before stepping back, fusing with the shadows of the cave.
The woman gave an angry twitch. "You-!" She was about to attack them only to be halted by a firm grip on her wrists. The raven struggled within the grip, twisting and snarling, but didn't do much at all. "Release your weapons. We're heading to Konoha," Inukami murmured into her ear. The woman struggled a bit further, but in her weakened state she couldn't defy the ANBU. Just as she started to sag, by defeat or by exhaustion, a sudden and quick blow to her neck made her vision go black and she fell into Inukami's ready arms.
"Captain, I have her." Hachidori signed for Inukami to stay. "Nekomata, look after her. Stop the bleeding but keep her unconscious. I'm going after Taka."
Hachidori stepped into the darkness without delay, following the chakra trail his teammate left behind. The cave grew darker and darker, but his sharp senses prevented him from tripping. A minute after, the room came to an abrupt end with a wall, but just like the entrance there was a narrow path created by the space between the rocks. He went down, sensing Taka further in, before it suddenly came to a stop. Hachidori discovered a small chamber half-hidden by a cleaver cover of leaves, rocks and earth, mimicking the hard surface of stone.
Just as he was about to enter a hand brushed the leaves away, revealing Taka with a dark form in his arms.
Hachidori glanced at the human form in his teammate's arms. "Is that all?"
"Yes captain."
"Good. We're heading back."
They climbed back up to where the rest of the team was waiting. Hachidori was surprised, however, by a frantic Nekomata jumping toward him.
"Captain! We need to hurry. Her wounds were much more severe than I had predicted and I couldn't do much. She's not going to last long."
"Then what are you waiting for? We're going back," Hachidori ordered as he brought his arm down in a slashing motion, conjuring wind to blow away part of the entrance to widen the hole. Inukami and Taka wouldn't be able to pass while carrying a person.
The team stepped out into the twilight, and the ANBU captain was surprised to see the heavily bandaged woman in his female teammate's arms. Her inky, slightly spiky bangs fell into her face as her head rested against Inukami's chest, her expression torn between pain and torment. He suddenly thought about the red of her eyes in the cave, too familiar yet much more dangerous, a protective glint hidden by the rage, and a foolish thought plagued his mind.
'She looks Uchiha.'
He turned his gaze to the one Taka was holding. Dirty, mud-colored hair stuck to her face and clothes as some strands took the color of blood. She couldn't be older than the other one. It was hard to distinguish her features beyond the intense and probably agonizingly painful swelling, but he did recognize her tattered clothes as a dirty, orange jumpsuit. He frowned behind his mask and shook off his coat, revealing his armor and his purple bird mask.
"Captain?" Asked Nekomata as she finished applying gauze to the bigger cuts to the black-haired woman.
She watched silently, with a sense of foreboding, as he covered the other girl with his own coat.
"The night will be cold. She'll freeze." That was his explanation and all nodded, accepting his answer. But Nekomata couldn't help but glance back and her captain as they jumped back into to trees and notice how Hachidori seemed to stick much closer to Taka, or rather, the person he was carrying.
She didn't say anything as they traveled back to the village.
Taka: Falcon. I chose that as he's the 'eyes' of the team and a tracker. Can anyone guess who he is?
Nekomata: Demon cat, a type of yokai (demon in Japanese folklore). It's also called 'bakeneko'. They are said to be two-tailed cats, and Matatabi, the two tails biju, is a Nekomata.
Inukami: Dog god (it's actually a joke. DOG and GOD.) Anyway, it could also be spelled 'Inugami'. The Inugami is a type of dog yokai. A legend says that it fed on fear and hatred, and has the ability to curse people of its creator's choice if its creator can control the Inugami. It's said to have been a dog that people buried up to its neck and let starve, then put food just out of its reach. When the dog would stretch its neck to attempt to eat the food a person would cut its head and worship it, thus turning it into a yokai of hatred. The Inugami, in some versions, could detach and attach its head.
Chokuto : A straight one edged Japanese sword.
