AN: Updates shall be farther apart because of stupid school. Teh rulers still don't work for some reason so I've made do with oOo's... gomen nasai.
oOo
Chapter 9: Oh-No! Protect Kashi: The Missing-Nin Strikes!
Yugi groaned, "Doshite? Doshite? DOSHITE!"
The trio was now in Kashi's bedroom. Gekno-sensei had left them alone with Kashi. He said that he had to 'run a few errands.'
Tama groaned, "He ditched us, ne?"
Hotaru sighed, "Ee."
Kashi looked up from his calligraphy, "Your sensei sounds like a baka to me."
Hotaru sighed, "He is… and isn't. It's somewhat…complicated."
Kashi looked puzzled, "Nande?"
"Well, he's a good sensei and all… but well, we haven't- well he hasn't- umm…"
Tama smirked, "What's she's TRYING to say is that we haven't learned any major or cool moves yet."
Yugi nodded, "We've learned formations and crap, but not any new jutsus."
Kashi looked down at his work, "I'm happy I'M not a shinobi, its sounds like hard work."
Tama sighed, "And with a sensei like ours…it's impossible."
oOo
A body outside listened to their conversation.
He smirked, licking his lips.
"It's…showtime." He let out an evil laugh.
oOo
Hotaru shivered, "Feel that?"
Tama and Yugi nodded.
"Someone has a huge amount to chakra nearby…and it's not Genko-sensei."
Kashi looked at them, obviously confused, "Nani?"
Tama, Yugi, and Hotaru circled around Kashi, kunai out.
Hotaru whispered to Kashi, "Now just be quiet. I have a plan."
oOo
Kashi peacefully went on with his calligraphy practice. He sighed, looking at his work thoughtfully. He set it aside and opened to a bookmark in one of his favorite novels.
The man laughed, "Too easy." He opened the sliding door to see Kashi peacefully reading. He smirked.
The man threw a shuriken at him, "Way too easy." There was a POP!
The man was taken back, "A bunshin?"
Yugi smirked, "Bunshin no jutsu!" He charged at them mane, his clones surrounding him- an advantage.
Hotaru and Kashi were on the roof of Kashi's residence. She grabbed his hand, "Follow me and whatever you do, don't look down." She leapt from top to top. Kashi tried hard not to look down. He swallowed, nervously.
oOo
The man hit Yugi in the stomach. POP!
The man groaned, 'This is starting to get annoying.'
Tama charged at him from behind, Yugi burst in, attacking the intruder head on.
The man disappeared, the two banged into each other.
"F-ah!" Yugi yelled, clutching his head with his right hand.
Tama swore, "Where is he?"
"Looking for me?" he kicked Tama in the stomach.
Tama spat out blood, he gasped, and fell unconscious.
Yugi gasped, "Tama!" He looked at the man with hate.
He smirked, "Show me what you have… baka no chibi."
oOo
Hotaru looked back. She had a bad feeling at the bottom of her gut. She swallowed hardly, 'I hope they're alright.'
She looked anxiously at Kashi.
"Nani, Hotaru-chan?" he asked. Hotaru suddenly stopped.
She gasped, "GET DOWN!" she pushed Kashi down and caught the shuriken an inch away from her face.
Blood streamed down her fingers, making a small pool on the roof tiles. Hotaru's breaths came in long shallow, labored puffs. She threw the shuriken behind her and got her own kunai out.
The man smiled evilly, 'She's not going to take me down with THOSE is she?'
Hotaru smirked inwardly, she had helped her father make these kunai herself- they were infused with her chakra and covered in toxin. She put red bandages around those with toxin and blue bandages for those without.
There was only 1 red kunai amongst her 8 kunai knives. She threw them at him. He dodged them one after the other.
There was a sharp pain. The missing-nin winced; the red kunai blade had pierced his shoulder.
Hotaru frowned, "I…missed." She had been aiming for his heart.
The man pulled the kunai out, wheezing.
"Nice throw…chibi no baka." POP!
Hotaru gasped, the man appeared behind her. A clone or the real him (she couldn't tell) had a kunai to Kashi's throat.
She got out a shuriken, "Don't you DARE even touch him!" She had sworn to Genko-sensei that she would protect Kashi at all costs. She gripped the shuriken tightly, hate blazing in her eyes.
The man smirked; he whispered in her ear, "If you even TRY to hurl that shuriken at him, he dies."
She gripped it tighter.
"Who's faster, my shuriken or your kunai?" She looked at him, "Let's find out, ne?"
The man behind her got out his kunai and smirked, "I have the upper hand."
Hotaru hesitated, he WAS right.
Hotaru smiled suddenly, "See if I care." She threw the shuriken, it connected. The clone was about to stab her. It stopped. POP!
Kashi fell to the floor, crying.
Hotaru let out a relieved sigh.
Kashi looked up at her, "Doshite?"
Hotaru looked at him.
"Doshite? Nande? Weren't you scared? Weren't you scared at all?" He began to cry.
Hotaru walked over to him and gave him a small smile.
Hotaru sighed, "Shinobi," she swallowed. "Shinobi must forget all feelings and must act like weapons. Our skills are used for combat and we become emotionless machines. We must fight with no regrets."
Kashi looked up at her, tears streaming down his face, "Isn't it hard though?"
She looked at her feet, her eyes filling with sadness. "Ee." She closed her eyes, a tear streamed down her cheek. "Ee."