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ـم 07 ـم
Raid of the Bandits
Anbuku was more lively during the day. Word had spread of the Leaf ninja who were investigating the town's dire situation. Interviews were being done by the three Genin while their sensei was working somewhere by herself. Tojike, Manzu and Kawari were by the pitiful vegetable markets talking to prominent members of the town. After the old shop lady answered some routine questions the three left for a meal at the local soup kitchen.
"Man I'm hungry!" Kawari complained as they crossed the dirt path.
"You're always hungry." Manzu spoke chidingly.
It was well into the afternoon when the youths were seated in the undercover eating area. Wooden bench tables on dirt beneath tarp. They were served their bowls, two tomato and one pumpkin soup, a single basil leaf in the centre of each. Manzu noticed an aproned man watching from the kitchen. A bulbous nose, a very serious expression on his lined face. Tojike was looking aside. Kawari quickly shovelling down his soup with the wooden spoon.
Kawari had several mouthfuls before Tojike faced forward and picked up his spoon. Manzu still gazing at the man in the kitchen. Suddenly Kawari stopped and his companions stared. The spoon dropped from his hand and the other patrons turned to look as well. The handsome teen gripped his stomach, eyes bulging, mouth gaping. He fell forward with a pained crash, spilling the bowls of poisoned food. Tojike and Manzu were up in an instant, red and yellow mush pooling and oozing through the planks of the table. Kawari was motionless, wide chocolate-coloured eyes unmoving.
"That was a fast-acting poison." Manzu stated.
A young woman screamed. Tojike heard a hissing noise from under the table.
"Get back everyone!" After his shout there was an explosion. Wood splintering and one of the posts breaking outward, the tarp dropping to smother the smoking area. Shouts of distress from passers-by.
After a moment of shocked silence Tojike stirred from where he lay on the ground. Dust-covered and grimacing. He looked at the other patrons, Manzu had protected the nearest one by jumping in the way to shield them. Now she lay lifeless atop the shocked patron, the explosion burned through her back.
"A paper bomb stuck under the seat of our table." Tojike realised, his amber eyes flickered to the kitchen worker. He'd bunched up his apron and threw it behind him as he ran. Tojike's eyes narrowed as he forced himself to his feet and began the chase.
Villagers gasped and stared as the culprit raced around the corner, the slim Tojike chased after. They passed stalls, carts and shocked bystanders. The man darted into a narrow side-street and Tojike dashed around after him. The road came to an end, the narrow path stopping abruptly, stone walls all around. Tojike skidded to a stop. Where did he go?
He turned and a kunai was stabbed into his middle. There was the serious man, both hands on the weapon. Tojike staggered away and then fell backward. The man with the lined face stared at the downed ninja, kunai sticking out of him, unmoving and quite dead.
"So you are trained in ninja arts." Tamuki commented.
The man whipped around, eyes widened in alarm. The Jonin stood in her flak jacket, hands in her pockets. Smudged eyes looking at the rumpled camouflage sheet that he'd used to hide in the space.
Tamuki's dark eyes flickered back "but you never learnt chakra control for walking up walls, did you?"
The man clenched his fists, eyes twitching in desperation. They widened in surprise when he noticed a puddle of water spreading past his feet. He whipped around but the body behind him was gone.
"My students have been down by the river practicing their ninjutsu all day." Tamuki explained. "I had my water clones disguised with the transformation jutsu. Figured it could lure out a lark, and I was right. You're working for Gumo… I have some questions for you."
The man grunted in desperation, reaching back and into a pouch. He whipped out a kunai and Tamuki flashed forward. The blade stopped inches from the man's chest, Tamuki holding his wrist.
"Suicide?" The Jonin frowned. "You're not going anywhere until you answer my questions." She twisted his hand back and the man cried out before dropping the kunai.
"I did it!" Kawari raised his arms.
Tojike felt exhausted, hunched over at the side of the riverbank. He'd made the least progress, despite the fact they'd been at it for hours. His teammate was standing in the middle of the river, unaffected by the rushing water as it flowed around his feet. He was grinning in victory.
"Oh yeah?" Manzu was sitting a few paces away from Tojike, also tired. "Why don't you try it running?"
He refused to be goaded, turning his nose up at her words and facing away. The red-haired girl had basically mastered it as well, she turned to Tojike with a look of curious concern.
"…I can't do it." He murmured.
"You seem distracted." Manzu said. "Well… I'm not sure that's the right word…"
Tojike was anxious about the Zero-Tails, he was too pessimistic to trust himself. Even though he knew that was the reason he was failing, he couldn't seem to pull himself out of it. The black-haired boy grit his teeth in frustration.
"Hey Tojike." Kawari stepped across the running water towards them. "Looks like you really need help buddy."
Such optimism… so much belief in himself. I wish I could be like that. Tojike felt an appreciative smile form as he eyed the ground. Kawari was so talented, he was ahead of him and Manzu, though in this instance he wasn't beating her by much. Even so, he didn't feel like Tojike's weakness was holding him back. He wasn't frustrated, he wanted to help. Tojike couldn't sense anything bad behind his desire to help. Maybe you would make a good Hokage.
"Yeah… it seems hopeless."
"Don't be so quick to give up." Kawari frowned.
"Quick? We've been at this since dawn." Manzu corrected and Kawari ignored her.
"It's just not working for me today." Tojike murmured.
"Then you have to keep trying." The boy insisted.
Tojike looked at him. He didn't have the boy's belief, but having someone else believe in him was enough for him to give it another shot. He didn't really think much would change, but he'd give it another go to appease his friend. He climbed to his feet. Manzu did as well.
A few minutes later all three of them were standing atop the moving water. Kawari and Manzu had managed to stay afloat the surface for long periods before, but it was the first time Tojike had managed it. His eyes were wide with incredulity. At that moment he couldn't feel the Zero-Tail's negativity at all. He glanced between the faces of his teammates and they both gave him tired smiles of approval. Amazing.
The three of them turned at the sound of their approaching sensei. Tamuki gave a rare smile at their success.
"Good work, you three."
Tojike's left foot began to sink and he waved his arms, regained his balance. The three of them walked carefully off the river, back toward land.
"Tamuki-sensei, can we have food now?" Kawari's eyebrows sank in dismay.
"Of course."
"Awesome! I wanted to try that soup kitchen."
"…best not." Tamuki answered. "I had several clones patrolling the village and I've uncovered some interesting information. The Takegetsu Moon already knows we're here."
"They do?" Manzu blinked.
"But now I'm quite sure of their hideout and some other important details. Seems like these mobsters are trained in ninja arts, though they don't have proper chakra control. They've been trained… And they plan to attack soon."
"They want to fight us?" Kawari didn't understand. Her students were all impressed with Tamuki's information gathering.
"The next attack should be mounted within a few days, so we probably won't be here long. This probably will be settled before Team Two arrives."
The three teenagers became determined. The fight would be coming soon.
Two days passed with both leisure and training. Mainly focussing on chakra control, but also more combat training. Nothing too tiresome, it was important to not risk injury when the upcoming raid was so close. They focused chakra by the river, grass and trees. Ran up-down the bark as they fought. Overlooked innocent Anbuku from hills of layered rice-fields.
It was atop a grassy hill, sitting by himself with legs crossed, that Tojike admitted his feelings to himself.
It was just growing dark, lanterns making the many windows of Anbuku glow. Such a poor town. Tojike's mouth was turned down as he remained in solitude. Not feeling depressed, or even hollow. But there was something else that was a concern. Though it didn't feel like it, it was sure to cause trouble later down the line. Fresh air breezed, making the tall grass around him sway.
Tojike had romantic feelings for his teammate. Kawari Senju.
There'd always been an attraction. Then feelings of excitement and interest that grew. And now, he acknowledged, actual feelings. Kawari was warm, energetic, optimistic, talented and motivated. He was of the legendary Senju clan of the Leaf. Kawari was handsome. He was a bit too much of everything.
Kawari wanted to become a great ninja. If love ever became relevant to him, he would marry at a later age after his goals were accomplished. He'd have enough standing in his own clan and the village that it wouldn't take him long to find an acceptable woman, and even have children. Kawari would reach his goals. Maybe not Hokage, but he was already on track to being an important member of his famed clan. Love would not be a distraction for him now.
Kawari would never want him, but Tojike would never dare to expect he could. It didn't change the fact that he had these feelings. Tojike would have to do his best to hide them. What was happening to him? How much of getting swept away was a choice? He would choose to supress these feelings, but he couldn't deny the strong attraction.
After a while he made his way back to the village and his team. It was that night that Takegetsu Moon attacked.
Tamuki straightened in bed, threw the sheet off revealing she was still in her ninja gear. She hopped out and Tojike stirred in his bed, wiping his eyes.
"Manzu, Kawari, Tojike. Get dressed, my clone spotted something." She took a moment to fit on her weapons pouch then opened the window and leapt onto the banister. "The west side of town, toward the cliffs." She flashed outside, jumping between roofs.
The youths stared before scrambling for their gear. They raced out and down the stairs, out into Anbuku. The streets were quiet, villagers fearfully hidden from the oncoming raiders. The teens ran the empty dirt streets to the west side of town. Sure enough blazing torches could be seen from the mountain pass, men on horseback.
"We can't let them reach the village." Manzu said softly.
She was in her navy-blue gear with the Uzumaki crest on the back. Kawari drew a kunai, he was in his green martial arts uniform with the Senju symbol displayed. Tojike readied himself, ignoring the Reibi twitching with excitement inside him – sensing the oncoming battle. He was wearing his maroon clothes, carrying the Kohaku clan twin commas with him into the fight.
The three youths stood ready by the houses, watched as the troop of horses slowed and came to a stop. They were wearing shogun armour. The man in the lead with the most ornate metal-wear was probably Gumo, the rebel Genin from the Land of Rivers. They were archers, and their arrows were lit by the torches. At the raising of Gumo's sword the bow-strings were drawn.
He's come with these men to burn the whole village to the ground! Tojike's eyes widened. But then he noticed Tamuki nearby, standing high up atop a corner roof spire.
"Defend Anbuku." She instructed them.
The men roared and fired their arrows, blazing shots arcing through the night. Tamuki was already weaving signs "Wind Style: Vortex Blast!" The air swirled and buffeted back, scattering the arrows. Tamuki perched before launching toward the ground, whipping out a scroll and plucking her trademark windmill shuriken from the cloud of smoke. Her feet skidded and she threw the weapon before the archers could shoot her down.
The leader ducked off and fell in a crouch to dodge the well-aimed attack. Many of the horses reared, some more arrows were drawn.
"Tamuki-sensei!" Tojike heard himself call out in fear.
"Stay back you three." Her hand seals were rapidly flicking by "I'll handle these men alone."
There was the thrung of an arrow before another vortex blast collided with the raiders. The men and steeds were blasted off the ground, separating from their harnesses. Weapons and armour scattering. The horses that were knocked over climbed up and ran, scattering toward the forest with their reigns fluttering behind them. Their neighs and gallops vanished ghostly in the night.
Nine soldiers stirred from the ground, Gumo hunching on all fours and clutching his blade.
"This village… is ours!" he spat.
"Summoning Jutsu." Tamuki weaved signs and splayed both hands, symbols spreading apart and spiralling around, two clouds of smoke which revealed twin raccoons the size of people. They each held massive scrolls the size of them, one red and the other green. "Let's do this, Shuriken Blade Rain!"
The two creatures pounced in the air, whipped open their scrolls and from clouds of smoke, countless shuriken and kunai exploded out toward the ground. A few stray weapons bounced off the villains' armour, some embedding the ground by their feet, but most of the deadly rain of metal landed around them in a wide circle, forming a perimeter.
What is she up to? Tojike thought. Him and his teammates watched on in wonder.
The two human-sized raccoons skidded back, clutching their now blank scrolls. Tamuki's eyes were sinister behind her black smudges. The weapons glinted in the lantern light of Anbuku, reflecting moonlight that peered out from behind grey clouds.
"You really came here to destroy Anbuku? Criminals like you make me sick. You knew you couldn't steal from it anymore so you wanted to burn it to the ground, Gumo?"
"Fool…" he got to his feet, a few of his men drawing kunai from the ground and wielding them. "We're here to destroy Anbuku… but we're just the distraction. The others are kidnapping the village elders as we speak."
Tojike felt a pulse of darkness. His amber eyes were wide as he was taken-aback by the heavy presence. In his mind flashed a familiar image: the lady villager from the Land of Grass who died in the Third Shinobi War. He could see the blonde woman, embedded with kunai, dying in Tamuki's arms. It's her… this is…
"You think you can kill innocent people and get away with it? Raid them like barbarians?" Tamuki spoke in a low voice, head bowed.
"You're gonna die too lady! I'm not scared of your weapons or wind attacks!" He roared and charged toward her, brandishing his sword. The other men prepared to back him up.
Tamuki made a seal; the Zero-Tails laughed at her murderous intent. Tojike knew immediately that those men were going to die.
"This is my own original, signature move." Tamuki began. "Death Blizzard."
Her ash-brown hair fluttered and the wind blast stunned the attackers. The ground flattened, cracked, kunais spinning slowly in mid-air. Then the air circulated, and in an instant they were swallowed by a typhoon. Cries of pain were washed out by the wind. All of the chakra-infused weapons were now loose and whipping by at blinding speed in the storm.
It lasted for ten impressive seconds before the howling wind died down. Almost all the weapons had found themselves embedded in the soldiers. Many had torn straight through – through the armour, their bodies, and outside again. They fell inside a wide crater, all of them dead in a near instant. Tamuki stared forward emotionlessly.
"Princess Tamuki…" one of the raccoons spoke up. "Is that all of the enemies?"
"Your services aren't required as of now. You can return to Master Gamu and the Gogomi Wasteland." She turned away and her two summons vanished one after the other in smoke puffs.
"So strong…" Kawari murmured as their teacher approached them.
"We have to rescue the village elders. That man before wasn't Gumo. Dressing like he was the leader was part of the act. I'm going on to the mountain pass alone, it'll be faster that way. I don't want to waste any more time."
"Sensei you can't!" Manzu cried. "Jonin or not, missions like these aren't supposed to be done alone! You don't know what could happen!"
"Are we supposed to just stay back at Anbuku?" Kawari shouted. "No way!"
"Listen. You three will serve as my backup, should I call for you. I'm heading out quickly. You three do a sweep of the village and then defend it together. So long as you stick together. I won't always be there to protect you… so you need to rely on your own strengths."
Tojike's heart was racing. The Zero-Tails soaked in the death and destruction. There was the sound of commotion in the direction of the village. The team turned their heads.
"Summoning jutsu!" The Jonin ducked down and in a smaller cloud of smoke appeared Mr Baki, the regular-sized raccoon who'd witnessed their training match before. He turned around in his blue vest, wriggling his whiskers at them. "My students will explain the situation. Stay with them."
"I was just about to have a bath…" Mr Baki complained.
"I'm going now. Make sure you don't die."
"Tamuki-sensei!" Manzu cried but her figure blurred and was gone. The teens stood in silence.
"…yeah she does that. Up and off, that Tamuki." Mr Baki said in his weasel voice.
The sound of commotion was louder, Kawari whipped his head around "Come on guys, we got to defend the village!"
The Senju started running, Manzu and Tojike following after. Mr Baki sprinted agile at their heels. Anbuku's streets and houses blurred past as they ran. The youths came to a stop at the sight of three shogun-armoured bandits trashing the vegetable market.
"Thank goodness!" a weeping woman called from the streets. "Please save my shop!"
The three turned their helmet-masks at the young ninjas.
"Teenage brats, huh?" one of them spoke.
"What have you done with the elders?" Kawari spoke sternly.
"If you want them back the Hidden Leaf will have to pay a ransom for interfering with us! And this whole shitty town is getting burned to the ground!"
"Looks like one each." Manzu stated.
"Heh. I can take them out myself." Kawari clapped his hands into the snake seal.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" Between them the earth buckled and raised. Kawari sprinted up the wall and prepared to jump. A kunai stabbed into the other side, and attached was a hissing explosive tag. "Shit!"
They separated, the three of them jumping far and landing on separate awnings by the roadside.
"They do know ninja arts…" Tojike murmured. He drew a kunai from his pouch and quickly deflected a shuriken aimed his way.
"Let's do this!" Manzu raced across tiles and leapt to a building on the other side, propelling off toward a guy and deflecting the weapon he hurled at her. The bandit jumped back when Manzu landed with a slash, darting away as she attacked with the kunai.
"You think a girl like you can beat me?" The man roared and knocked the weapon out of her hand. He stepped forward with a punch and the Uzumaki girl darted around him. She gathered chakra with the ram seal. Jumped back to dodge an elbow. Ducked and weaved away from several more punches before weaving hand signs.
"Three-pronged seal!" she timed it well. Moving in close and slipping three fingers in the gap between his helmet and chest armour. The pads of her fingers were glowing with purple light.
Her enemy jolted with a shout. Manzu leapt back and he reached for his neck, body twitching.
"What did you do to me?" He gasped. Burning symbols whispered menacingly as they wormed over his armour and skin. The man continued to twitch as he fell to his knees, quickly paralysed.
The bandit next to him raised a kunai as he turned to Manzu. Kawari flashed forward with impressive speed, kicking the kunai out of his hand. Smacking him back and off-balance with a series of hits, and then spin-kicking him into a cart of vegetables. He slumped as the potatos spilled out onto the street.
"Taijutsu? Even though he was wearing armour?" The remaining bandit gaped. Kawari shook his fist off but was otherwise fine. That armour had dents in it.
The remaining guard was startled when he noticed Tojike standing a few feet in front of him. Hands in the rat seal. From behind the helmet mask Tojike could see the man's eyes widen in horror.
"N-n-no! You're not supposed to be real! Please-!" he fell down, clutching his head in torment. Quivering like a leaf as the Reibi uncoiled. Tojike could perceive several illusions – ghosts of people this man had killed as well as a childhood terror. He lowered his hands while watching his mentally crippled opponent.
"Impressive, kids." Mr Baki complemented.
"Thank you!" the woman villager called from behind a roadside cart.
"We need to do a sweep of Anbuku so we can be ready to catch up with Tamuki-sensei on the mountain path at a moment's notice!" Kawari turned with an authoritarian voice. Manzu and Tojike nodded in agreement.
AN: Thanks to my only regular reviewer Stryker23 for commenting on my last chapter! I'm interested enough in this story to keep writing for one person for now, but hopefully I'll get more reviewers soon! What do you think's gonna happen~ ?
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