Chapter Ten
Hattori and Hyuuga
Shikamaru rushed through the forests at top speed, there was no other way he'd reach Ino's suggested rendezvous point in time, the bird had come a day after Ino's letter had been written and Black Monument had been built in between Konoha and Suna, it was a day and a half away from either city, Shikamaru had spent the first half of his day training the kids.
The kids that he realized were following him. He stopped suddenly and snapped "I know you're there, come out and explain yourselves."
"We couldn't let you go alone Sensei!" Shikamaru heard Naomasa say.
"My father told me once," Kotaro said, "That ninja who break the rules are lower than trash, but ninja who turn their back on their friends are even lower than that. You're kind of a friend to us, and you're our sensei, we can't turn our backs on you."
Shikamaru scowled, he didn't have time for this . . . of course then again he didn't want to count them out completely. Against his better judgment he said "All right then this is your last chance. If you keep following me I'm going to consider you part of my ninja team."
"I thought we already were!" Yomiko scoffed.
"As such," Shikamaru continued, "Your lives will be in danger, the survival rate of this mission is dangerously low for you Genin."
"Why's that?" Yomiko demanded.
"We're going after a person, or group of persons who killed or incapacitated three shinobi near the Chuunin level, I'm not sure how the Jounin survived. If you come along I'll do what I can to protect you but you'll have to do exactly as I say, when I say, no hesitation no matter how insane what I tell you might sound. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir!" Naomasa said firmly.
"I got you." Kotaro said seriously.
"I'm a Sarutobi, protecting Konoha is what we do." Yomiko said.
Shikamaru frowned, "So none of you are going to turn back?"
"Nope." Kotaro shrugged.
"Not me." Naomasa said.
"What did I just tell you?" Yomiko demanded.
Shikamaru nodded. "All right then you troublesome brats. But there's just one problem, and it's that we're not stopping until we reach Black Monument, if you cant keep up with me go home now or you'll just get yourself lost, I cant turn back for any one of you." He said, one last warning.
"I'd be embarrassed if you could keep up with me!" Yomiko scoffed.
"I'll show you sensei, I'm capable." Naomasa assured him.
"We're wasting time standing here." Kotaro said.
"Then lets go!" Shikamaru said.
And the team moved out.
As they rushed on through the trees Naomasa piped up, "Uh, I'm sorry sir but . . . what is Black Monument?"
"Some time ago there was a crisis in Konoha, a group of S-Class missing ninjas gathered together and tried to destroy Konoha and Suna, all the ninja villages. To do this they stole the . . . uh . . . the souls of nine of the most powerful ninja, or at least they tried to."
"So we built a monument to them?" Nao asked.
"Not quite. We built a memorial to honor all the ninja who died fighting them." Yomiko said solemnly.
"Ninja from every village, it's built right in between Suna and Konoha. It's a huge obelisk, right sensei?" Kotaro asked.
"That's right." Shikamaru said, feeling somewhat sobered by the thought of it.
His sensei's name was up there. There were more familiar names than he was comfortable with up there.
"Have you ever been to see it Yomiko?" He asked softly.
"Uh-huh." Yomiko whispered. "Mom took me when I got accepted into the academy."
"Why did she take you someplace like that?" Naomasa asked.
"Because Miko's dad was-" Kotaro began but Shikamaru cut him off.
"Right well enough chatter, keep it quiet until we reach the monument." He wasn't sure if Yomiko was comfortable with the topic of Asuma-sensei's unfortunate demise.
Temari burst out of the trees, unable to contain her excitement . . . at seeing an empty clearing?
"I was sure he'd be here." She said.
"Well he probably didn't know you were coming." Chouji said.
"Hey wait, take a look at that!" Yukio said, "A message!"
Temari rushed over and tore it down from a tree, "Ah-hah! He's headed for Black Monument, the slime, going on a mission when he should be with me!" She smirked until she read the second note, her expression hardened and she handed the note to Chouji.
Chouji's expression grew even harder. "All right turn around, we're going to Black Monument."
"Wait, what?" Daisuke demanded, "I beg your pardon but-"
"Not one but two ninja teams are in danger at Black Monument and not only are we the nearest team available to respond, we're requested by name in this message. We'll get there almost a day late, there's no helping that but we have to do what we can." Chouji said.
"All right teams, we're moving out!" Temari shouted.
"No we're not!" Chouji corrected, "You've got a mission to finish, get to it, and take these messages to the Hokage, we don't know how much of a threat this is and someone will need to get a team or two on the border right away in case any more shinobi teams try to infiltrate."
"But Shikamaru-"
Chouji smiled, "Temari he's my best friend, I won't let anything happen to him. You just make sure you're in Konoha when he gets back, he's been too depressive these past eighteen months."
"I can't believe you're going to act so calmly!" Temari scoffed, "Don't forget I've been a Jounin longer than you have, I'm going."
"It's a leaf village matter to be handled by leaf ninja," Chouji said, "Don't worry. I'll bring him back."
Temari glared off into the distance. She was used to Shikamaru being on missions, of course he'd had missions while she'd been away. He'd had missions before they'd even gotten involved, some of his most dangerous missions.
She herself went on missions, she was prepared to deal with his death if it ever came to that, she had had emotional training after all.
But she'd been so close it was frustrating.
"What d'you want to do sensei?" Yukio asked.
"What?"
"Well do we follow them now, or later?" Kyoko asked.
"Not at all." Temari shrugged.
"Hey, I've gotta see this Shika guy with my own eyes or else I'll never believe he exists. So-" Yukio was saying but Temari cut him off.
"Keep your mind on the mission," Temari said, "Never lose sight of your mission. The mission is the most important thing. If you don't finish the mission, you don't get paid. You don't get paid the village suffers. The village suffers-"
"Okay, okay, we get it. Geez!" Ryu scoffed.
Temari scratched her head. She couldn't go after Shikamaru, she had to set an example for her Genin. Besides, he was capable, one of the greatest ninjas she knew.
But . . . just in case something did happen . . . well she'd find out who'd done it and make them pay. As it was she hoped Shikamaru showed no mercy, since these people-whomever they were-had had the un-medicated gall to injure Ino's team, and interrupt Temari's plan. She folded her arms, "We have a mission to finish, come on, Konoha's only a mile away now."
"Yes ma'am!" Ryu saluted and the four Suna Shinobi headed towards Konoha.
Tetsuo's black eyes narrowed, he looked out the window to the calm, quiet town outside. Something seemed wrong.
There was a gentle knock on the door, Hanabi let out an exasperated sigh and went over to answer the door.
"Don't." Tetsuo said suddenly.
Hanabi raised her eyebrows, then whispered "Byakugan!"
"That's odd." She said, "There's no one out there."
Tetsuo considered that for a moment, and then leapt back from the window, "Hanabi look out!" He shouted.
The window exploded inward, showering him with broken glass, luckily he wasn't injured and he was able to shield Hanabi from the shards.
The floor boards began to creak, he leapt back and glared down at the large stone statue that erupted from the floor.
He could escape easily with his Kagegan, but Hanabi . . .
He'd have to get her out.
A pair of Shinobi leapt in through the window, another pair leapt out from the hole in the ground, and two more burst in through the door.
Tetsuo spotted the leaf village symbols on the headbands of the intruders and glanced at Hanabi, "Friends of yours?"
"I don't know them." Hanabi said.
Tetsuo nodded. "Then you won't mind if I kill them all." He said loudly, by way of intimidation.
"Surrender." One ninja with a shaven head said calmly.
Hanabi laughed, "Oh very well then. We shall accept your unconditional surrender."
"You misunderstand," The bald ninja said, rolling his eyes.
"Not at all, we understand perfectly. Do you understand how suicidal it is to threaten us?" Tetsuo smirked.
"Very well then. There is nothing more to say." The bald ninja shrugged, and another lunged forward.
He looked rather similar to his companion, save that he had a nasty scar of his eye. He wielded a slightly overlong Katana. He took a swipe at Tetsuo.
Tetsuo shoved Hanabi out of the way but made no attempt to dodge himself. Instead his hand shot out and took his opponent's wrist which he easily broke, he tore the sword from the man's hand and cut down, slicing him cleaning from left shoulder to right thigh.
And he crumbled into a pile of rocks, a clone.
Tetsuo gripped the sword however and used it to meet blades with the read swordsman.
The true sword cut through the fake like a knife through butter, something Tetsuo had not been expecting.
He threw himself backwards, avoiding the sword's blade by a hair, he rolled on the ground and came up near the window.
He could get out, but what about Hanabi?
He wouldn't leave without her.
She was using the gentle fist of course, and making great progress against a pair of Anbu, however the unscarred Jounin was already beginning the hand signs of what looked to be a complicated Jutsu.
Tetsuo wouldn't let him finish it. The young Kumo ninja fell backwards, activating the powers of his eyes, and fell into his shadow.
Toshiie prepared for another strike when the target simply fell into the ground.
He became a shadow, a shadow that rapidly moved off towards Keiji.
"Keij!" Toshiie roared, "Keij!"
Toshiie's elder brother ignored him, too focused on completing his Jutsu as the target emerged from Keiji's shadow.
Kunai in hand he reached out and gripped Keiji's chin, forcing it up and exposing his neck, Keiji's hands shot to his neck but the Hattori's kunai came like lighting.
Toshiie couldn't reach Keiji in time, but he'd make sure that his brother's death ensured the target's own demise. He lunged forward, and threw his sword.
The blade spun vertically and slammed into the ground where the Hattori ninja had been.
Keiji fell forward, his throat had been cut by the kunai but Toshiie had, it would seem, acted quickly enough to prevent his brother's death.
Keiji leapt back to his feet, Toshiie heard an agonized scream from one Anbu who fell forward vomiting blood, the Konoha woman kicked him aside.
It was then that Toshiie noticed the grotesque look of her eyes. Thick pumping blood vessels and empty, soulless white eyes.
A Hyuuga, the greatest clan of the leaf village.
A Hattori, the greatest clan of the cloud village.
Toshiie rushed over to recover his katana and roared with laugher, "See brother? Finally enemies worth killing!"
If Keiji could answer through the blood flowing from his throat he chose not to. Instead he thrust his hand forward, the stones that Toshiie had used for his clone earlier came to life and melted together to form a large golem. Its hand shot out for the Hyuuga woman who easily dodged it, but made the mistake of leaping onto its back.
Stupid woman.
The stones gave beneath her like quicksand, she melted into the golem until she was submerged up to her waist.
Then the Hattori appeared again, emerging from the shadows of the ceiling he shot forward and landed on the golem.
Had Toshiie spoken too soon? Were these two just too stupid to know when to quit? Now the Hattori was stuck in the golem too.
"Finally!" Keiji grunted, "Now kill them!"
To Be Continued . . .