AN: This is the first real action sequence of the story (though not the last). ShounenSuki translated all my jutsu names (as well as helping with the use of honorifics and names of my original characters), so many thanks and hugs to him!
Throughout the story I've sort of assumed the readers know the names of the commonly used jutsu and names… for those that don't know; 'Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu' means fire element: grand fireball technique. Kage Bunshin no jutsu is shadow replication.Kawarimi is the replacement technique. Henge is the transformation technique. I don't use all of them here, but I do later on… so I thought I'd say. I hope you enjoy!
3- Cloud and Stone and Grass
Sharino was leading the group as they entered the country of Flame and neared the places where the Smoke Shinobi had previously been attacked. She warned them to be on the lookout for traps, so all of them were especially cautious, except perhaps Naruto. They had made excellent time on their journey, but Sharino was still anxious to get back as soon as possible.
They paused to catch their breath once more, and this time Kakashi went ahead to scout.
When Kakashi returned sooner than they expected him to, they became instantly alert. Kakashi motioned for them all to hide. Someone was coming. Sharino's Katana was in her hand before anyone saw her move, and the six of them disappeared into the bushes. In the clearing where they had sat, there were some signs of their presence, but Kakashi could not see anything that would indicate where they were.
As he had made his way ahead of the group, he had seen four of the Missing-Nin headed their way. He had no idea of their ability and he had no intention of getting the team into a fight they could not win.
The enemy group appeared in the clearing. The oldest looking had a forehead protector showing that he was originally from the Hidden village of Cloud. Another was from the Stone village, another from Grass. The youngest was not much older than Naruto and was also originally from the Cloud village. They were all dressed similarly in plain grey clothes, but the Stone Nin wore dark red covers on his forearms, that seemed to have something hidden underneath.
Kakashi was hidden near to Naruto, so that he could keep an eye on the excitable ninja, but Naruto showed no sign of moving from his hiding place.
Although none of the Konoha team had made a sound, the ninja seemed to know that they were nearby. All of them drew kunai from their pouches and were looking furtively around the clearing. Kakashi poised, ready to jump out if necessary. He watched the enemy carefully.
Suddenly, he heard Sakura scream and realised, too late, that they must have had a fifth man scouting the area, concealed. When they stopped, this ninja then found where they were hiding. Naruto jumped out of the bushes when he heard the scream, shouting "Sakura-chan!" as he ran to find his comrade.
"Naruto!" Kakashi called, trying to stop his subordinate running headlong into the enemy's outstretched hands, but Naruto was already dashing across the clearing towards where Sakura had been hiding.
There was a flash as a kunai streaked towards Naruto, but Sasuke was quick and threw a second kunai, from his hiding place on the other side of the clearing, which deflected the enemy's away from Naruto. Genma was still hidden near Kakashi, so Kakashi whispered for him to find the fifth man, and Sakura, while he fought the other four with the remainder of his team and Sharino.
Genma nodded his understanding, and then ran further into the bushes, keeping low. At almost the same time, Sharino attacked the ninja in the clearing. She had somehow gotten above them so silently that when she jumped into their midst, her Katana slashing down at them, they scattered. Kakashi was with her in a second; catching one ninja and throwing him back against a tree.
As the surprise wore off, the attacking ninja started to recover themselves. Three of them formed a barrier while the older Cloud Nin formed a sequence of hand seals. Sharino didn't wait to find out what attack he was planning on using and neither did Kakashi. They were already jumping away when a lightning strike landed where they had just been standing.
Even as she flew backwards through the air, Sharino had sheathed her Katana and was performing a series of hand seals of her own. Kakashi saw what she was doing, but did not recognise the sequence.
"Enton: Katahoukou Enmaku! Smoke element: One way Smokescreen," she shouted. Kakashi didn't notice any change, but the enemy ninja obviously did. One of them stumbled, and the others stopped dead. Kakashi instantly saw the purpose of the technique. The Missing-Nin were surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke that they could see, but Sharino and, evidently, Kakashi were unaffected. Naruto, however did not seem to be included in this exemption and he was also in the smoke, shouting that he couldn't see anything. Kakashi dived down beside him, and guided him back into the bushes, warning him to wait there until Kakashi gave the signal.
Sharino was not wasting any time waiting to see what the enemy would try now that they could not see. She was already forming another set of hand seals.
"Fuuton: Tatsumaki Kyoufuu! Air element: tornado winds." She shouted, as a gust knocked Kakashi backwards a pace. The effect was much more deadly to the enemy, who found themselves in the middle of a fierce tornado that sprang up in the centre of the clearing where they stood. The winds were so strong that cuts formed on their faces and arms, and when the winds abated, two of the enemy Shinobi fell to the ground. The Cloud Shinobi however was not so easily defeated and now that the winds had settled, the smoke also seemed to have cleared. He barely seemed affected by the fierce attack.
"Sharino!" Kakashi called. "Take care of the other three, I'll deal with this one!"
"Ok!" She responded, drawing her Katana once more and descending on the three more injured ninja.
Kakashi dropped and ran towards the ninja, dodging a thrown kunai and then attacking with his own. His attack was blocked and for a moment the two ninja made eye contact. Then he jumped away, spinning around ready to attack.
Both started to make a sequence of hand seals at the same time, and it was a race to see whose attack would land first.
"Raiton: Tenohira Raiu no jutsu! Lightning element: Palm thunderstorm technique," the Cloud ninja shouted. A miniature lightning storm appeared in the hands of the Cloud Nin, and he threw it towards Kakashi, just as Kakashi used an Earth attack that sent a wall of mud towards his opponent. The attacks crashed into each other. The Earth wall was shattered, but the lightning storm almost completely dissipated in the force of the collision.
Kakashi saw that this Cloud ninja was a Jounin and he knew that for a victory, he would need a little help. His hand reached up to his forehead protector, but even as he did, he heard Sasuke's voice nearby.
"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" Sasuke shouted. The ball of fire engulfed the Cloud ninja before he could even see where it was coming from. When it cleared, the Cloud ninja was still standing, though he was not completely uninjured. His hair and face were singed and his clothes were burnt, showing some blackened skin on his arms. He looked towards where Sasuke stood on a tree branch above him, rage on his face, and he was about to attack when a second Genin voice rang out in the clearing.
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"
---
Gai and his team went back with Nekoya to the Hidden village of Smoke. Though forests stretched for some way all around it, the actual village was located in the shadow of a dormant volcano, with many natural hot springs all around that provided the smoke, or more accurately steam, for which it was named.
Nekoya led them up a path that looked as though it led all the way up the volcano, but before they'd climbed very high, they saw the Smoke village stretching out beneath them in a dip in the landscape.
"This way," said Nekoya, heading down a winding path to the village. His cat, a large tabby called Toramaru streaked off ahead of him, stopping every so often so that he did not get out of sight of his master.
They reached the village and Gai was immediately struck by how different from Konoha it seemed. It was certainly quieter. Their passage was viewed by distrustful eyes that peered out from windows and stared at the foreign ninja. The streets were almost empty. One old man with an equally old cat greeted Nekoya, but otherwise the few people on the street barely acknowledged their presence. As they walked, Nekoya was explaining the situation in the village.
"Sharino left almost a week ago now, to ask the Hokage for help defeating the band of Missing-Nin that have been attacking almost every group that we've sent out on missions. Many have died; most recently my Jounin Sensei was attacked. I wish I'd been there to help him." Gai could not think of any words to comfort the boy. Lee had been looking around with interest at everything in the village, no matter how mundane, but at these words his eyes fell to the ground in front of his feet. Even Neji seemed saddened by this revelation, though it was difficult to tell as the Hyuuga never truly looked happy and only seemed to smile in derision.
"How long have these attacks been going on?" asked Tenten. Nekoya shrugged.
"A long time," he said. "A few months at least. I am not sure exactly, as at first the attacks were thought to be random and only a few people were told."
"Do you know the purpose of the attacks?" said Neji. Nekoya was about to answer when someone called to him from up the street. It was another young boy, about the same age as Nekoya, running towards them from up the street.
"Nekoya!" the boy called again. Nekoya waved, and Toramaru galloped up the street to greet him.
"What is it Hikaru?" Nekoya said as the boy, Hikaru, reached them.
"Isamu-sama has called for you to bring the visitors to him," Hikaru said. Nekoya nodded, then turned to Gai, smiling. "Umatatsu Isamu is our leader," he explained. "Please, come."