Last time:
"Now what?" Naruto groaned.
"Ambush," Sasuke growled.
Now:
"Three people. Rain ninjas, like I thought. They seem to be either high-Genin level or low-Chunin. Nothing we can't take." Hanara informed them, "Sakura. You have good chakra control, right? If worst comes to worst, and I can't do it, take Idate and run him to safety. Only if I can't. I have a Water Affinity and you work better with Sasuke and Naruto."
"Right!" Sakura nodded.
"Sasuke and Naruto. Fend them off. From what I've seen, they suck at hand to hand combat. You guys are best at that." Hanara told them.
"Got it!" Naruto nodded.
"Hn."
Arrows started raining down on them and Hanara jumped in front of Idate.
"Rotation!"
Her technique made sure that Idate comes out unharmed. Once the arrows stop coming at them, Hanara whipped her fan out and enlarged it. The enemy's boat shot more arrows, but this time they had a rope attached.
Her eyes widened, "Naruto! Use a kunai and cut through those ropes! Sasuke, cover him!"
They both nodded and got to work. Naruto cut through them easily.
Naruto smirked as they sailed away, "That was a piece of cake!"
"Don't lower your guard," Hanara warned, "They've made some clones."
"Only the real one can attack us," Naruto scoffed.
"The real one's with them," Sasuke said.
"Just tell us where," Sakura commanded, holding up a kunai.
"You better stay close," Hanara told Idate.
"No way!" Idate growled, "Why would I want help from a Leaf ninja?"
"Because some Rain ninja are coming after you," Hanara growled.
'From what I read, Idate was helping some Leaf ninja defect to the Rain before he ran off. Maybe that will knock some sense into him?'
"Beggars can't be choosers, pal!" Naruto yelled, right before a clone attacked him.
"Naruto!" Sakura screamed.
"WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!" Hanara yelled, summoning a gust of wind to blow away an army of clones that came right at them.
It seemed like luck was on their side because after that all the clones disappeared.
'Looks like I blew the real one away.'
"Nice work," Sakura smiled.
Sadly, the Rain ninjas weren't done. It started raining a black liquid.
Sasuke immediately weaved a hand sign for a Fire-Style Jutsu no doubt. It was all he knew.
Hanara's eyes widened, "SHIT! IT'S OIL!"
There was a lit arrow that was coming at them, and on instinct, Hanara tried to blow it away with a wave of her fan. However, her wind only fanned the flames.
'I knew I should have learned Raging Waves!'
Hanara whipped her fan underneath her and flew to get a better view of the ship.
Tiger
"Water Style: Liquid Bullets!" Hanara called out, spitting water at the burning ship, hoping that it would be enough.
It wasn't. The ship caught on fire and didn't seem like it was going to stop.
Sighing, Hanara got off her fan, put it away, and stood on the water beside the ship.
"You guys swim or run if you can." Hanara told them, "Just get off the ship and cover us after I go. Idate, get on my back. I'll run as quickly as I can and get us on shore."
Team Seven nodded and waited for Idate to go, but he didn't move. She stared at Idate, who glared fiercely back.
"Well?" Hanara asked impatiently, "Are you going to hop on?"
"What, do you think I'm stupid?" he yelled, "You're probably going to drop me the first chance you get and fly off! Then the rest of them will use me as a decoy and get away!"
"Stop spewing out nonsense!" Naruto screamed, "Look, I admit I don't like you, but that doesn't mean I want you dead! Just get on Hanara's back before we all turn to ashes!"
Idate growled, "Forget it! I'm not trusting ninja!"
Sasuke, who was fighting off the burning arrows that were being fired at the ship as well as some clones, managed to speak, "Just get out of our way."
Idate just stared at the ocean like it was the most terrifying thing in existence.
"Look, you're not going to swim in it, I'm just going to run across it. You'll be fine." Hanara said softly.
"There's no way we'd use you as a decoy," Sakura nodded.
"No, there's no way." Idate shook his head, walking back to the middle of the ship.
A few more clones start to crawl out of the water, but Hanara forces them to dispel with a focused burst of Wind-Natured Chakra from all her chakra points.
"You've got to trust us, Idate," Hanara said, "We're here to protect you."
Out of the corner of her vision, Hanara saw a kunai heading straight for Idate and Body-Flickered right in front of him, preparing to rotate. What she didn't expect was Sakura to be in front of her, already impaled by the projectile.
"Sakura!" Hanara gasped, "Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine," she smiled, although it looked forced, "Just go!"
The Hyuga nodded, "Get on my back, Idate."
Idate complied, looking shocked at Sakura's willingness to take a kunai for him. Hanara jumped off the ship and ran on the ocean, hoping that Team 7 would handle the fire.
After a long run on the ocean, Hanara finally found shore and climbed onto a rock.
'Boy am I glad that I did all that extra stamina stuff during individual training.' she thought as Idate hastily got off her back.
However, just because her goal was reached, didn't mean that Hanara lowered her guard. She had spotted a man trailing her from above and whipped out her fan, forcing it to grow so that she was prepared for battle.
Before Idate could say anything, the ninja above revealed himself by setting a shower of senbon on them.
Hanara swung her fan, blowing all of them away.
"Tch," a man with blue hair scoffed, floating down with his umbrella "You sensed me and countered. You're worthy of my deadly poison after all." he turned to Idate, "Hello, Idate. Long time no see."
"You- You're the one who-" Idate stammered.
'Blue hair... Hidden Rain headband... He's a Leaf defector, too! I've seen him in Asuma-Sensei's book!'
"Aoi Rokusho," Hanara said calmly, "Former Leaf ninja, ranked Chunin in the Leaf and Jonin in the Rain. You stole the Sword of the Thunder God and attempted to steal the Forbidden Scroll with Idate Morino. B-Rank threat and currently a Hidden Rain ninja."
Idate stared at Hanara in shock.
The Rain ninja chuckled, "Really, Idate. How many times do I need to teach you that you can't trust anyone? Such a fool you are."
Aoi took out his umbrella and used it to set another shower of senbon at them.
Hanara smirked and waved her fan, effortlessly moving the senbon away before they could hit either of their intended targets.
"Stand aside, silly girl," Aoi growled, "This is a matter between a sensei and his student, although I expected him to run. It wouldn't be the first time."
"Don't start!" Idate snarled, "That was your fault."
"I'm afraid I can't," Hanara smiled, "WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!"
A mini-tornado was summoned and it cut into Aoi and his umbrella. She doubted he would ever fly with it again.
Once the wind calmed down, Aoi walked towards them, covered in deep cuts, "Now, now. You're just like me, Idate. You've never trusted anybody in your life and you've never thought of someone other than yourself. You abandoned your village, betrayed your brother, all for yourself. It's all about you. You don't care about what happens to anyone else. Now, do you think a person like that should live? Really, killing you would rid the world of a disgusting creature. Everyone would be grateful."
Hanara glared at Aoi, 'I hate these kinds of people the most. They just tear people down with their mind-games. It's obvious with just this scene that Idate was tricked.'
"Oh, stop spouting your stupid little lies and die in a hole, why don't you?" Hanara said, raising her fan again, "WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!"
Once more, a mini-tornado was summoned, giving Aoi more cuts. It died down and it seemed like the Rain ninja had learnt his lesson because he tried to engage Hanara in hand-to-hand combat.
Aoi ran at her with a kunai that was probably poisoned in his hand. Hanara dropped her fan and engaged, immediately taking the kunai out of his hand, sticking a finger in the handle's hole and pushing down. She threw it away and smirked.
'Stupid. Who willingly fights a Hyuga in a taijutsu match? Kunai or not, that's insane!'
"You're now in my field of divination. Gentle Fist Art: 8 Trigrams, 64 Palms!"
Then, Hanara went at Aoi, not giving him a break between her sixty-four strikes. Hanara's last strike sent Aoi flying to the ground as he gasped for breath.
Hanara put a hand on her hip, "And that's why they say to not engage a Hyuga with taijutsu."
Internally though, Hanara was almost panicking, 'I've used so much chakra that I only have a third left. My jutsus are going to be a lot less effective and Rotative Blades will completely knock me out if I use too many Wind Scythes. I need a food pill, stat.'
"Hanara! Are you okay?" Sakura asked, running up to her and Idate, Naruto and Sasuke not too far behind.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Hanara nodded, forcing a smile.
'THE SWORD OF THE FLYING THUNDER GOD! IT MIGHT BE ON HIM!'
Hanara's eyes widened and searched Aoi's body with her Byakugan.
'There! I see it! It's in his ninja toolbox... that's really not safe. Whatever.'
She hurriedly opened his toolbox and smiled. The Sword of The Flying Thunder God was right there looking completely innocent. She deactivated her Byakugan.
"What's that?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"The Sword of the Flying Thunder God!" Hanara exclaimed, "It's been missing for years! This man over here was a Leaf Village Chunin that stole it and tried to steal the Forbidden Scroll, too! He took it and defected to the Hidden Rain Village and got a Jonin promotion. We need to get it to Lady Tsunade right away! Naruto, summon that tiny toad that isn't food obsessed."
"Gamakichi?" Naruto questioned.
"The orange and purple one," Hanara responded.
"But can't you summon-"
Hanara cut Naruto off, "I've been using my Byakugan all day, used two C-rank jutsus multiple times, ran on water for over an hour straight, and used my 8 Trigrams 64 Palms. If I use the Summoning Jutsu, I'll be in the hospital just like last time."
"Oh..." Naruto's eyes widened, probably remembering that not everyone has his reserves.
Naruto bit his thumb and completed the necessary hand signs, "Summoning Jutsu!"
"Hey, Boss!" Gamakichi smiled, "What can I do for you?"
As Naruto and Gamakichi chatted, Hanara pulled out a scroll and summarized what happened (minus the fact that Idate was their client). Sasuke and Sakura were tending to Idate, who wasn't majorly hurt but shaken up quite a bit.
Once Hanara finished writing her note, she interrupted Naruto and the toad's argument.
"You're Gamakichi, right? Can you pop by the Hokage's office and give this to Lady Tsunade?" she asked, laying the scroll and the Sword of the Flying Thunder God in front of him.
"I'm not a messenger frog! What do yo- is that the Sword of the Flying Thunder God?" Gamakichi asked, his eyes as big as saucers, "I'll take it to Lady Tsunade for sure!"
With that, the toad popped the scroll and sword in his mouth and left with a puff of smoke.
"Thanks, Naruto," Hanara smiled.
He shrugged, "Now let's get back to the race!"
Hanara and Naruto walked to where Idate, Sakura, and Sasuke were sitting.
"There's something I need to tell you," Idate said.