Hey everyone, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Kazumi.
Tale of The Crimson Kitsune And The Silver Ookami
Chapter Nineteen: The Invasion Has Begun! Pein's Attack On The Hidden Leaf!
Kazumi's Point of View:
"So… Did you have any luck figuring out the message?" I ask Kakashi as we walked along one of the paved roads within the Hidden Leaf.
"No, unfortunately I had no such luck." He tells me while he continues to stare at the pages of his book. "Shikamaru asked Lady Tsunade as well, but she didn't have a clue either." He adds.
"Well hopefully Naruto can help shine some light on the subject." I mumble quietly as I looked forward. "If he can't figure it out, then we are so screwed."
"Hmm, speaking of Naruto, how did things go yesterday?" he asks.
"Everything went alright." I tell him as my lips curve into a small smile. "I was able to get through to him, so I know he'll be alright. He just needs time, that's all."
"Well now, look who's sounding like a mature adult?" He says with a little humor in his voice. "Are you sure you're my little sister?"
"Oh ha-ha, you're so hilarious." I say sarcastically while I roll my eyes slightly. "And for your information, I am very mature for my age."
"You make that pretty hard to believe sometimes." He remarks. His comment just causes me to narrow my eyes.
"Hmpf, like you're one to talk." I tell him. "Believe me, there are times where I wonder if you would ever act your age."
"I don't know what you're getting at." He tells me. "I act my age, thank you very much."
"Yeah Kakashi, giggling like a little school girl over perverted reading material makes you very mature." I tell him with much sarcasm. "And the challenges you have with Guy Sensei doesn't help you either."
"We all have our childish ways. And besides, with Guy, let's just say old habits die hard." He remarks with a low chuckle. "And as the oldest out of the two of us, I am more matured than you are since I've been here longer than you have."
"I don't care if you were twenty years older than me." I tell him, sending him a small scowl. "Age doesn't mean a thing when it comes to maturity."
"In some cases it does. Just like right now." He tells me. I was about to open my mouth to say something but quickly closed it and just shook my head. I didn't even bother to respond. "Nice try Imouto, but better luck next time." he tells me as he ruffles my hair.
"Hmpf, this conversation isn't over." I mumble as I cross my arms across my chest. "Not by a long shot, you hear me."
"Loud and clear." He answers and returns his attention back onto his book.
I look at him out the corner of my eye, "I will never understand why those books are so damn interesting to you." I mumble quietly but loud enough for him to hear me.
"Oh, don't worry. You'll understand once you're older." He tells me as he gives a barely noticeable chuckle. "Hmm, looks like I've found the perfect present for your eighteenth birthday."
"Don't even think about it!" I cry out. Kakashi just looks my way, sending me a masked smile in the process.
As my response, a low growl escapes my lips as I roll my eyes at him. I swear I hated those books with a burning passion. I honestly don't know or see how they were so interesting to read. It just amazed me just how popular they were. It just proved just how many perverted people were out there. And it disgusted me that my own brother was among that population. I wonder how our parents would react if they saw my brother reading that crap. If they were here, they probably would get on his case about it. But who knows. Our dad could shock the hell out of me and become interested in that crap. I just shook my head disappointedly at that thought.
I return my attention forward as we walk pass a large white building. And through a slightly cracked window, I could hear two familiar voices talking to one another. I quickly stop in my tracks, as did Kakashi. I assumed that he heard the voices as well. There was no doubt in my mind that the voices belonged to Naruto and Shikamaru, which meant we were just about to walk pass the Cipher Corps Headquarters. While standing there, we listen carefully to the conversation that was currently taking place. Shikamaru and Naruto were discussing something and it probably was about the message.
"What's the big deal about knowing that it's the letter "Ta"?" Naruto asks. There was a quick pause.
"Wait. That's it!" We suddenly hear Shikamaru exclaim. "It was back when you were reading Jiraiya's manuscripts. That was it. That's when you found out about his writing habit. The code must refer to the book you were reading."
"Huh, a Book?" Naruto asks.
"Yes, that's exactly right, Shikamaru." We hear a woman state. "And I believe that more clues are hidden somewhere inside his writings as well. The numbers probably represent a word order or a number of lines or even page numbers."
"You're probably right, Shiho." Shikamaru tells her. "Naruto, which book were you reading?" we hear Shikamaru ask.
"Uh, Make-Out, something." Naruto says, not sure what book it was. Seconds later, silence took over for the moment. I take my eyes off the window and turn towards Kakashi. He looks at me with a somewhat questioning look.
"Why are you looking at me?" he asks. I raise an eyebrow and look at him with a 'you-did-not-just-ask-me-that-stupid-question' look.
"Are you serious right now? Must I really have to spell it out for you?" I ask him with a small scowl present. "You and I both know that whatever book they're looking for, you have it. And I wouldn't be surprised if you had all of them on you as we speak. So let's just get it over with." Stepping forward, I grab his wrist and begin pulling him towards the window with me.
"What? Hey! Hold on a second." he complains, but I ignore his cries and continue pulling him along.
"Quit complaining." I tell him as I continue moving forward. "And by the way, you're really showing your maturity right now." I say sarcastically. "I'm being the mature one by wanting to get it over with." Once there, Kakashi pulls open the slightly cracked window, just in time to hear Shikamaru stating that there weren't that many books to search for.
"It's probably this one." Remarks Kakashi as he holds up the very book he was reading seconds ago, catching their attention.
"Make-Out Tactics..." Shikamaru says.
"Ta!" he and Naruto exclaim together.
"Kakashi sensei…? Kazumi-chan…?" Naruto says in a somewhat surprised tone. "What are you two doing here?"
"It just so happens that we were just walking by when we overheard you two talking." I explain to them. "And since you two were looking for a book, I knew Kakashi probably had it on him. So… here we are."
"Make-Out Tactics... Yeah, that's right." Naruto says. "That's the same one Pervy Sage was working on all the time during our training together."
"Of course… That's something else only Naruto would've known." Shikamaru says. "Just as I thought. Lord Jiraiya did pass the key down to Naruto."
"Mm-hmm." Naruto says in agreement.
"This Ta is the first character in the code. Of all Jiraiya's books, this is the only title with a word that begins with Ta." Kakashi tells us.
"And of course, only you would know that." I mumble while I gave him a disapproving look. "Typical."
"When a character from a book is used in a code, it could signify word placement or a line number. But the first line of investigation should always be line numbers." Shiho explains. "So a number separated by a coma are: 31, 8, 106, 7, 207 and 15. Meaning six pages of information. Let's start with page 31. So please flip to page 31." She tells Kakashi.
"Page 31." Kakashi repeats as he flips through the book. "Okay, here it is. What do we do next?"
"First, we'll look at what the first letter or word on that page is." Shiho explains. "Please. Read the first sentence out loud." I instantly pale at the sound of her request.
"What!?" Kakashi and I exclaim together in a stunned tone. Kakashi suddenly starts to falter with his words while he looks down at the page.
"No. Uh, I mean…" he stutters while his cheeks starts to turn a light shade of pink.
"Shiho, are you serious?" I ask in a disturbed tone. "You actually want him to read that crap out loud!? That book is filled with nothing but smut!"
"That may be true, but that book may also be our only source of figuring out the code Master Jiraiya left behind." Shiho explains. "It just may hold the key to defeating Pein as well."
I took a second to dwell on her reason. I hate to admit it, but she was right. For all we know, the code could be inside the pages of that book. And in order for us to decipher that code, we literally had no other choice but to read from it. I sigh in defeat, knowing she made a good point.
"Fine, if you put it that way. Damn it…" I mumble as I turn to Kakashi. "Go ahead, Kakashi. Start reading." I tell him as I lift my hand, gesturing him to start. "The sooner you start, the sooner it will all be over. Just make it quick."
Kakashi's face was redder than a tomato at this point, "Uh, well…"
"Look! What's the problem?" Naruto yells. "Just hurry up and read it already!" Kakashi just looks at him. It was obvious that he was embarrassed. "Come on! Spit it out, would ya!" He yells once more, his patience wearing thin.
"Really, I…" Kakashi mumbles. This time he turns completely red and was sweating. Even his eyes were tearing up.
(A half-hour of agonizing, embarrassing and haunting torture later)
The sound of a pencil tapping against the wooden table was the only sound being made within the room. Naruto was watching Shiho as she finishes writing down the last sentence. Kakashi was standing near the window, utterly humiliated. He wasn't as red as before, but he was still red, which proved just how embarrassed he still was. As for me and Shikamaru, we were standing side-by-side with undeniably disturbed faces. There was no doubt that we felt absolutely uncomfortable after hearing such. I didn't know who felt worse. Me and Shikamaru for hearing such or Kakashi since he actually read it out loud. But in all honesty, I think Shikamaru and I were the ones who suffered the most from the ordeal.
"There. Now we have all six pages done." Shiho says.
"Thank goodness." I mumble under my breath. "I think we've been tortured enough."
"You're telling me." Shikamaru replies under his breath, agreeing with me.
"What's it say?" Naruto asks.
"If I read the first character from each page in order…" Shiho says as she uses her pencil to circle each word. "The real one's not among them. That's what it says."
"The real one's not among them…?" I repeat.
"What does that mean?" Naruto asks.
"No idea." Shikamaru adds.
Kakashi closes his book and suggests, "We outta rely this to Lord Fukasaku right away. Perhaps it would mean something to him since he fought Pein too."
"Then let's go ask Lady Tsunade to summon this Lord Fukasaku right away." Shikamaru tells us.
"May I come along with you guys too?" Shiho asks the intelligent Chῡnin.
"Yeah. Please do, Shiho." Shikamaru answers.
"Right. Thank you." She says with a small smile. Suddenly, Naruto slams his hand down on the table.
"Let's do this. We have to tell Grandma Tsunade what we found out." Naruto states in a stern tone.
Inside Lady Tsunade's Office:
Lord Fukasaku sat on Lady Tsunade's desk as he holds the single sheet of paper, "The real one's not among them." He reads.
"Geezer Sage, what do you think? Does it make sense to you?" Naruto quickly ask him.
The Toad Sage looks up at the blonde, "I'm not sure. It's still all too unclear to me."
"But… you do have some hypothesizes right?" Shikamaru asks.
"I already told you absolutely everything I know about Pein." He replies back. "He seems to be able to come back from the dead. And under these conditions, it still seems very dangerous to take him on. We must first uncover his secrets."
Kakashi glances over at Sakura and asks, "How are the other investigations going? The autopsy and the interrogation?"
"It looks like it's going to take a little while longer." Sakura answers.
Naruto quickly glances over towards our pink haired teammate, "Like how much longer?"
Sakura shrugs her shoulders, "I can't really say. I don't think they even know."
"What! What do you mean?" Naruto yells. "While they're goofing around, we're losing time!"
"An autopsy requires detail cell and tissue analysis and enzyme extraction and all must be detailed." Sakura explains. "Doing all of that takes time."
"It would be a week in the soonest until the autopsy it done." Tsunade adds.
"That long?" Naruto groans, obviously unhappy to hear that.
"Naruto, everything takes time, no matter how fast it's being done. So in the meantime, you just have to be patient." I tell him, trying to get him to calm down.
"Then what should we do in the meantime, Lady Tsunade?" Shikamaru asks.
"Shizune is heading the autopsy. So it should be quicker than usual." Tsunade assures him. "But we'll still just have to wait."
"No. I'll go make them speed up." Naruto tells her as he heads towards the door.
"Naruto, if you get in Shizune's way, you are so gonna get it." Sakura tells him.
"I will avenge Pervy Sage." He says with his back facing us. "I can't just stand around here doing nothing."
"But listen, Naruto-boy." Lord Fukasaku interrupts. "Now that we've deciphered the decoded message, there's nothing else that involves you right now."
"So what about it? What are you trying to say?" he asks as he turns to face Lord Fukasaku.
"You're definitely not strong enough to defeat Pein yet." He points out.
"What did you say?" Naruto growls.
"You know I'm right. Even Jiraiya-boy couldn't defeat him." Lord Fukasaku continues. "And if he couldn't, you really think you could."
Naruto pauses to think about it for a second, "Well… guess not."
"If you fought him now, you'll only die a senseless death." He tells him bluntly. "But how would you like to come train with me?"
"Huh? Train in Sage Jutsu?" Naruto asks in an unsure tone. "Is Sage Jutsu really that awesome?"
Kakashi turns towards him, "Yes. Jiraiya was the only one of the village who was capable of using it."
"We'll it let me win?" Naruto asks. "Could I stop Pein?"
Lord Fukasaku looks firmly at Naruto, "No guarantees. It all depends on you, Naruto-boy." He turns to Lady Tsunade. "Are you all right with this?"
"Yes, of course." She answers as she looked towards Naruto. "Naruto, go with him." She orders.
"I must warm you. Sage Jutsu training is unbelievably rigorous." Lord Fukasaku advises him. "You ready?"
"If Pervy Sage was able to master it, then I'll give it my best shot too. Count me in." Naruto states in a determined tone, knowing he was going to give it his all to complete the training.
"Nicely said." Lord Fukasaku tells him in an accepting tone.
A few minutes later:Before the main gates of the village…
"We better head out now. So say your goodbyes, Naruto-boy." Lord Fukasaku tells him as they prepare for their departure.
Naruto shifts the strap of his backpack on his shoulder, "All right. I'm off guys. Shikamaru... Take care of that code for me."
"Hey, don't you worry about us." Shikamaru assures him.
"If our investigation uncovers anything, I'll send word." Lady Tsunade tells them.
Lord Fukasaku nods his head once more, "I will leave a messenger frog with you. Send him to me if anything happens."
"Right."
"Well… good luck, Naruto." Sakura says, giving him a small smile.
"While you're gone, Naruto, I'll help hold the fort here." I tell him as I point back towards the village. "You just focus on your training and no slacking off, got it."
A large smile quickly appears on his face, "Thanks. And don't worry; I'll train as hard as I can." With that, Lord Fukasaku and Naruto both disappear in a plume of white smoke.
"Now then, let's concentrate on figuring out the information Jiraiya left us." Lady Tsunade says as she turns around, reentering the village.
"Roger that." Shikamaru agrees as he starts to follow.
"Well… Since you guys have everything handled, I guess I'll head out to the training grounds and get my own training underway." I tell them as I entwine my fingers together, placing my hands behind my head as I turn to walk away.
"Kazumi, just a minute." I hear Lady Tsunade say.
Her statement causes me to stop in my tracks and turn back to look at her, "Uh… Yes, Lady Tsunade?"
"Tell me. You're going to train on that particular Jutsu?" she asks. In an instant, I knew exactly what she was referring to when she said, 'that particular Jutsu'. I even saw Sakura look at me with a somewhat curious look.
"Uh, well… I was thinking about doing so, but I think it would be best if I focus mainly on the basics and my own skills for the time being." I tell her, which was my honest answer. "However, I may work on it later."
She just looks at me with a stern but understanding look, "Hmm, I see. Well then, just be careful. Understand?"
"Right. Understood, Lady Tsunade." I say with a slight nod of my head. After returning the gesture, she turns back around and proceeds forward with Shikamaru and Sakura following closely behind her.
As they walk off, I turn on my heels and head towards the training grounds. I made sure I went to the farthest one, which had quite a bit more covering then the others, so I didn't have to worry about someone watching me train. The last thing I need was to cause some kind of commotion. Once inside, I walk over to a nearby tree and jump onto one of its branch, taking a seat. With my back leaning against the trunk, I prop up my right knee while I stretch out my left leg along the branch. Resting my right arm on my knee, I silently stare out into the open field.
"The real one's not among them. That's the message Master Jiraiya left." I thought. "And according to Lord Fukasaku, he can come back from the dead. Not only that, but he was able to take down Master Jiraiya. Just who or what is Pein? From the information, he sounds as if he was a god or something."
"Well, that's what it sounds like. But I doubt that he's really a god." Kiyiya tells me. "He's probably just a very strong and tough opponent."
"Yeah, you may be right." I say, agreeing with her. "I mean he has to be since he was able to take down a Legendary Sannin. So there's no doubt that he's strong."
"Maybe his Rinnegan is the key." Kiyiya points out. "The Rinnegan is a Great Eye Technique and it's very powerful in its own right, just like the Byakugan and Sharingan."
"That could mean that he could have some pretty strong and nasty Genjutsu at his disposal." I tell her as I hold my chin in thought. "So you could be right about that too. The Rinnegan could have something to do with his abilities and his strength."
Kiyiya nods her head in agreement, "We can consider it a possibility. And it would be best that we don't underestimate him. That could and can be a critical mistake on our part."
I release a frustrated sigh as I nod my own head to agree with her, "Well, whatever this guy, Pein, can do, we need to be ready for him. Or at least try to be." I thought. "And we also have to keep in mind that there are still a few remaining members of the Akatsuki lingering around out there as well."
"Then I suggest we get our own training underway." Kiyiya murmur, her tone sounding a bit more stern and serious. "You haven't been training with my chakra lately, and I really think you should start back working on it."
"Yeah, I know." I mumble as I pinch the bridge of my nose with my right thumb and index finger. "It's just that… *sigh* so much has been going on that I couldn't train the way I wanted. The effects of your chakra still get to me, and I couldn't afford going on a mission injured or being less then at one hundred percent."
"Well since you have some time on your hands, now is the perfect opportunity to get back to work." She points out. "I certainly doubt that Lady Tsunade will assign you a mission at such a crucial time like this."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." I tell her. "And what better way to spend that time by using it to train." I mumble out loud, my tone soft.
"Don't tell me you've started talking to yourself. Now I'm beginning to think you've lost your mind."
I slowly lift my head and glance over my left shoulder to see Kakashi standing on a branch that was slightly higher than the one I was sitting on. He was leaning against the trunk, all casual-like, and of course he had that damn book of his open. I narrow my eyes sharply at the kami-awful reading material. And here I thought he learned his lesson. I guess he was right. Old habits really do die hard.
I finally stop glaring and just let out a soft chuckle as I close my eyes for a second, "It seems that you haven't learned your lesson." I mumble, which causes him to look my way. I open my eyes to look at him. "And no, I'm not losing my mind. I was talking to Kiyiya." I explain as I glance back out towards the field, deciding to just forget about my brother's ridiculous reading material. "Let me guess, Lady Tsunade sent you out here to check up on me. Right?"
"Maybe." He says as he closes his book, placing it inside his pouch. "She might have mentioned that you were going out to start your training."
"And you're here to stop me." I say as I look back at him out the corner of my eye, knowing that's why he was here to begin with.
He sends me a masked smile, "Actually, I'm here to help." Hearing his answer kind of shocks me and I couldn't help but look back and give him a suspicious look. "Don't look at me like that. Lady Tsunade thought we should get to work right away and I agree with her. We haven't the slightest clue as to when Pein or the rest of the Akatsuki will come after you and Naruto. But what we do know is that they will."
"Yeah, I know and you're right." I say, agreeing with him. "Well if that's the case…" I reach into my pouch to retrieve a small red and yellow scroll. "…you should probably take a look at this first." I add as I toss the item at him, which he catches with ease.
"What's this?" he asks.
"Since we're getting my training underway, I think it would be wise for you to look over the sealing formula." I explain as I return to my full height. "Master Jiraiya was able to figure out the Jutsu Orochimaru used. He gave this to me minutes before we headed out for our mission to detain Itachi Uchiha."
"I see, so Lord Jiraiya was able to figure out the seal after all." Kakashi murmurs. "This will definitely help us out." He thought. "Alright then, let's get started." His tone, as well as the look in his eye, becomes focused and serious.
"Right. There's no time to waste." I say as I mimicked the same tone of voice, as well as the same look with my own eyes.
Normal Point of View:
Over the next couple of days, Kazumi and Kakashi focused on their training while Shikamaru, Sakura and Shiho continued to inform each other on how the interrogation and autopsy were coming along. Of course, the Hatake siblings would assist them in any way they could when they had the time to do so. Over at the Cipher Corps, Shikamaru, Shiho and Sakura were sitting together at one of the tables as they discussed the information.
"Lord Jiraiya sent back three sources of information." Shikamaru reminded them.
"Yes." Shiho agreed. "Namely a ninja from the Hidden Rain, one of Pein's bodies, and this…" she pushed forward the picture with the code. "A coded message."
"Inoichi is in the Intel Division." Shikamaru informed them both. "They're working on the Hidden Rain ninja. I'm sure he'll get information out of him."
"And Shizune has made the autopsy on the remains of Pein's body her number one priority." Sakura added. "I'm sure she'll learn something too."
"Plus we also have this message that we decoded with the help from Naruto." Shiho pointed out. "The real one's not among them. That's it."
"So now… we have to take all of this information and somehow figure out the mystery behind this guy that's called Pein." Shikamaru concluded. "This mystery of someone strong enough to take down even Lord Jiraiya."
Just as those words left Shikamaru's mouth, the building they were in suddenly began to shake violently. The sound of multiple explosions going off could be heard through the walls and the opened window. Sakura and Shikamaru wasted no time getting to their feet as they both rushed towards the window. From their spots, they could see several shinobi running and jumping along the rooftops of different buildings. Large plumes of dark smoke and dust could be seen rising into the air. The sound of villagers screaming filled the air as they ran, searching for shelter from the occurring chaos around them.
"What's happening?" Sakura asked, concern lingering off every word.
"Not sure." Shikamaru answered as he looked forward. "Let's move out." And with that, jumps out of the open window. Once Shikamaru was out, Sakura quickly jumps out as well.
Kazumi's Point of View: Hidden Leaf Forest…
Nanako, Takeshi, Ayame, Haru and I were running and jumping through the treetops of the nearby Forest, which wasn't too far from the village, as we worked on our teamwork and hunting skills. Ayame, Haru and I made one team while Nanako and Takeshi made the other. We were focusing on scouting out the enemy and working on our combination attacks. So the main focus of the session was the basics really. Since I've been working on controlling my Tailed Beast Cloak for the past couple of days, I figured it was a good idea to work on something else so I could rest up, in a sense.
I knew this training wasn't a waste of time, because I was becoming more and more familiar with my teammates' abilities, in addition to their strengths and weaknesses. And at the same time, they were becoming familiar with my own strengths, weaknesses and abilities. We've been working hard for about an hour and a half and I could already see our skills improving. Before I know it, my team and I would be just as synchronized as Kakashi and his Ninja Hound team.
Seconds after I land on a nearby tree branch, I hear what sounds like an explosion. Not only that but I felt the tree shake a bit from the vibration. I quickly turn around, just as another explosion rings out. It sounds like it was coming from the village. I flip off the branch and land safely on the ground below. Nanako and the others quickly gather before me seconds later. They held confused and concerned looks on their faces as well.
"What was that?" Haru asks.
Takeshi shook his head, "Not sure. But it sounded like it came from the village. Or maybe somewhere close by."
Nanako turns her head back towards me, "We should head back and check it out." She suggests. "I have a bad feeling something bad is happening at this very moment."
"Nanako's absolutely right." Ayame says, agreeing with her sister. "I'm starting to get a bad feeling as well."
"You guys aren't the only ones." I mumble quietly as I glance down at them. "Come on, we need to get moving. There's no time to waste."
"Right!" They all exclaim. Soon after, another explosion echoes through the forest.
"Let's go!" I yell.
Nanako, Haru, Takeshi, Ayame and I jump into the air, disappearing into black blurs within seconds. As we run through the treetops, I couldn't help but wonder what the heck was going on. One minute it was silent, peaceful. Then the next thing we know, the sound of explosions could be heard in the distance. Of course if there was an intruder in the village, a siren would be blaring. But I didn't hear such a noise, which worried me even more. I glance up to find birds flying in the opposite direction we were moving in. They were fleeing the village. Something was definitely up.
"Kazumi!" I hear Nanako say. I quickly snap myself out of my train of thought and direct my attention towards her.
"Hmm? What is it, Nanako?" I ask.
"I think it would be a good idea to keep our chakra signatures hidden until we find out what we're dealing with." She tells me.
"Yeah." I say, giving her a slight nod. "And I suggest we take things slow as well. Analyze the situation before making any rash decisions."
"Right!" The all exclaim once more.
"Kazumi, if it is an intruder, do you have any clue as to who could be responsible for such an act?" Takeshi asks.
A small scowl slowly appears on my face, "Yeah, I have an idea. But I'm hoping that it's not who I think it is. And I'm sure you all can guess who I'm referring to."
"The Akatsuki." Haru says before anyone else could answer. "Hmpf, I wouldn't be surprised if those punks are responsible. We all know how determined they are to complete their objective." He says, saying the last word with disgust.
"Yeah, no need to remind us of that, Haru." Ayame tells him. "But like Kazumi says, I'm hoping it's not them either."
"These damn Akatsuki have been breathing down our necks since the beginning." Takeshi growls in anger. "It was bad enough that Kazumi had that snake, Orochimaru, after her."
"That's in the past. He's gone now and the Akatsuki are the main problem." I tell them as I keep my eyes forward. "But right now, getting back to the village is our main concern."
"Then let's quit dawdling and get our feet moving." Nanako states in a stern tone.
Agreeing with Nanako, we all push ourselves to move faster, using our chakra to increase our speed. We were literally flying through the treetops, making the trees and branches looked like blurs of green and brown. The sound of multiple explosions going off at once echoes through the air. I couldn't even imagine just how much destruction was already caused. How many people were hurt or…. I quickly shook those thoughts out of my head.
"Kiyiya, if the Akatsuki are really responsible for attacking the village, we need to be ready." I thought. "We can't hold back."
"Understood." Kiyiya says. "But we need to be careful. If they are involved, we have to find out how many there are and who they are before rushing into a fight. We don't want to find ourselves outnumbered without some kind of strategy."
"You took the words right out of my mouth." I thought. "There's no room for error. So we'll need to make every single move count." I add as I jump off another branch, pushing myself to move faster.
Here's a heads up. The next chapter may be late next week, still figuring out a few things as to how I want to do the invasion with Kazumi. I do have a couple ideas in mind, but I don't have my mind made up just yet. If you guys have any suggestions/ideas that can help me out, I'm all ears.
Until next chapter, Ja ne!